day # 365.

its hard to believe that yesterday was the 365th day of us living here is san luis. today is the day that we drove up from l.a. to take up residence on the beautiful central coast. so here is what i did with the last day of my first year.

. read breaking dawn (not the whole thing)
. made breakfast
. played legos
. taught ash to draw a fish
. had someone come and fix the leak in the bathroom ceiling
. started to made invitations for a friends sons birthday
. worked
. emailed for work
. flipped the switch for the fuse i blew last night (in the house not is my head)
. did crafts with ash
. had left overs
. worked some more

isn't it nice to know that the last day of my first year was just so ordinary. i think it is! it means that this is starting to feel like home. can't wait to see what happens this next year!

christmas.

here is my new favorite christmas story. told by jt... remember he is four! when i asked him if christmas was about getting presents, he told me NO! then, without being prompted, he told me that it was about, 'baby jesus being born in a STAPLE in BETHALAHAM.' i said, ' a STAPLE?' he said, 'YES mom. a STAPLE.' i said, 'that's interesting.' he responded with, 'yes it is.'

ashlynn got... craft stuff galore! yeah for crafting. we have already started making new things. she has high hopes... tomorrow we will learn how to use a glue gun. hopefully that won't include cold water and bandages. what was i thinking? she got a bike from papa. an american girl doll of which has it's own christmas outfit. rollerblades, watch out world... she has come to run you over.

jt got... legos. legos. more legos. i was smart though, knowing that we were getting legos i went and go storage containers. one for each set. yeah for me!!!!!

i got a new road bike. i am so stoked. todd is such a huge rider (when he has time) that i always loved to be able to spend time with him on his turf. i told him that he can pull the kids in the trailer... then i had at least a fighting chance of some kind of beating him up a slight incline. we will see. my dad gave me this beautiful white gold and diamond cross. i love it. i have wanted one for such a long time. since he has been the most spiritual influence in my life, it was significant that i got it from him. he cried when i opened it... so did i.

todd got an ipod & headphones that block out the wind while he rides. sounds good right, but what happens if there is an emergency vehicle going fast, trying to reach some accident or something? can he hear it? who knows, at least they are prepared to help him if he crashes right? right.

so here's to baby jesus being born in a staple in bethalahem. hope everyone had a magical christmas.

taking a break.

we took some super cute pictures of the kids today. i just couldn't decide which ones i loved the most. these small squares don't do the full image justice, but you just had to see them.

jen.

i was informed by a number of people that jen collins (who would hate to be called out i know) was one of the wonderful people who helped with the craziness of our house. jen cleaned the kitchen. we were making egg salad sandwiches just before we went flying down the 101 freeway on saturday. thank you jen. you and so many others were such a huge blessing to me. i can't begin to describe the emotions i had when i walked into my house and was simply able to sit down and rest. thank you.

friends.

i have some amazing support... from not only my family, but my friends. i want to share with you the blessings we have seen in the last few days.

• friends came and pick up our kiddos when we got to the hospital so that we were able to run in and see dad. joel and kim took the kids to mcdonalds, did crafts with them, and talked with them about papa.
• people opened up their home for us to stay at without us even having to ask... mama fett made us breakfast in the morning, bought us toothbrushes, and talked with us.
• curtis and diane were waiting at the hospital to come and hug us through all the pain.
• ben took care of our dogs.
• people brought us food while we waited with my dad in the hospital.
• there were some great sales going on so we could get clothes.
• renelle took ashlynn and jeremy to play with cole at skyhigh bounce house.
• those who had our kids shared the stories with us about them talking about my dad. that brought me so much comfort.
• the nursing staff let ash & j go see my dad when he was in the step down unit (you are supposed to be at least 14, but they allowed the kids go give hugs and kisses).
  
• so many people came by to see us and give hugs knowing that they might not see my dad.
• when we got home our christmas tree was set up with christmas lights already on it (know we left with it thrown into our garage, it was actually still on the top of our car when we got the dreaded call).
• lisa, erika, and anna cleaned my house (we left so quickly & were in the middle of setting up our christmas tree that things were everywhere. they know me well enough to know that situations like that can be a little bit stressful for me. they set up the tree with ben's help).
• there were phone calls & text messages of love and encouragement.

i was just so thankful for everyone and everything that was done. i was amazed!

dad again.

my dad got some preliminary test results. the pericardium does have cancer in it. we aren't completely sure what is the next step, but my dad is already talking about what doctor he is going to be talking to next. he is going to go down fighting... either now or months from now, he isn't giving up or backing down.

waiting.

i am convinced that waiting for test results is the hardest part of any process. right now we are waiting. the surgery went well. they drained 700 cc's of fluid from around his heart. he felt instant relief when he woke up from surgery. the unfortunate part was the unexpected amount of pain and the horrible fever that he got. there were some blessings too... his nurses have been wonderful. i know them all by name & they have become my temporary family. tunjie his night nurse is an amazing and gentle man from west africa. he has proven to be my favorite family member. he hugged me as they took my dad off for surgery. man these nurses see a lot. a friend from high school is an icu nurse & was a huge help when my dad's fever spiked up again. she was so fantastic. i want to share with you something my dad showed me in a book the day that he went in for surgery. my brothers church was going through this book & he brought it for my dad. i suggest you pick up a copy. it is amazing. his perspective is so breathtaking.

"Christ will stand by you in trouble and at death. John 14:18 'I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.' When affliction arises, especially if it is for His sake, and you are bereaved of all outward comforts, christ will not leave you comfortless. When friends fail, and flesh fails, and heart fails, yea, and life fails, Christ will not fail, but will stand by and strengthen you, and be a light to you in your darkest hours, a stay to your spirits when they are ready to sink within you." Thomas Vincent The True Christian's Love to the Unseen Christ

My dad is amazing!

dad.

on saturday we got the dreaded phone call that we needed to get down to the hospital in santa clarita because my dad wasn't doing very well. we are so thankful for today because we weren't even sure if we were going to make it down to say our goodbyes, our i loves yous, or give our hugs and kisses. today at 7 a.m. my dad is going to undergo a surgery to relieve the pressure around his heart. we are so thankful that he has made it thus far. please pray for him. this will determine if he has an infection around his heart or if his cancer has made it to the pericardium wall. please pray it is an infection... most of all we want the Lords will, but we can still be a little selfish and pray for the infection as well. we have all had some very sweet and precious time with him over the last few days... laughter, tears, sleep. that is how his days have gone. thank you for praying.

cute phone calls.

this little guy with my kids is jeremy's best buddy. cole. we call him colie. coleford. colie rollie pollie. or sometimes just cole. both jeremy & cole got to talk to each other on the phone the other day. i wasn't assisting in the phone conversation because i was on one of my crazy hurry & get out the door moments, but todd was there. the one thing that i did observe from the other room was what really is important to little kids. jeremy's question to cole was, 'when are you going to come and stay with me?' they just want to have time together with someone. mom. dad. or best buddies from santa clarita. aren't they just so cute together? they will sit and play quietly for hours.

comedy.

it has been a while since the last time i actually got on my blog. about 2 weeks & 1 day to be exact. why do you ask? well let me share with you the lastest findings in my life. i have chosen to find the comedy in all of them... because without laughter i think i might need to be placed in a padded room. no seriously. here we go...

1. we have found new ways to homeschool. being that we are driving to LA so much to see my dad, the back seat has become a homeschool area! (yes i am driving and taking the picture at the same time, using the rear view mirror). sheer talent!

2. when you have your bathroom redone because of a leak in several places, there is a layer of dust that comes with the remodel. the dust doesn't remove itself when the workers leave, nor do they pick up the stuff that they have tracked into the house. plus you have be be careful to make sure that you have closed the bottom drawer before you turn around and try to walk past it. i have a feeling that it will puncture a hole in your shin and you will fall to the floor in such agony! no idea how i know that, but i do. maybe it is the magical powers my kids think i have.

3. my sister will still bite me when i do something she doesn't like. she is 24 years old. yes 24. all i tried to do was to erase a picture from her camera that she took of me in which i felt i looked too fat. she didn't like that!

4. ashlynn started handing out her number to boys. oh my, it has already started.

5. it takes 4 firefighters to come and show me how to turn off the alarm for the sprinkler system in the house... all the while jeremy asking if we are going to burn up & say, 'mom what did you do?' oh by the way, all you have to do is flip the breaker switch to 'off'. yes they laughed at me. yes i was home alone. no i didn't call 911.

6. which leads to the next observation if you will... when you are calling for help, just call the dispatch number on the first page of the phone book. if you call the city fire department number and leave a message, they will call back the next day. then you have to relive all the drama of the previous day all over again.

7. working 35 hours a week can make you a little crazy while attempting to accomplish everything else in life. by the way, 10 cups off coffee in one day IS TOO much!

8. working from home doesn't mean you have more time to clean up the house, it just means that there is another area of the house that needs attention daily.

9. my house won't clean itself. why won't it clean itself. doesn't it know that i have things i need to get done.

10. playing in the rain relieves all the tention.

11. and yes... cookies do make everything better. especially when you get a cookie sandwich from diddy reese in westwood. but make sure that you don't park in front of the sign that says you will be towed. you really will be towed. actually it took the guy about 7 minutes to come and almost hook up our car to impound it. my brother talked the guy down from $150 dollars per car to $40 dollars. which reminds me that people are just so darn honest. (laugh now)

12. yelling at the sewing machine doesn't make it go any faster. it just wouldn't sew the shirts i am doing for the boutique tomorrow any faster. ashlynn actually came up and rubbed my back telling me, 'everything is going to be okay.' do you think i went to far by yelling at the sewing machine?

13. you CAN read a book too many times before it gets frustrating. for some reason this book sent me over the edge. why in the world would a fox want to eat a gingerbread man? who knows.

super old.

this is a so fun old picture of the all of us when we were getting ready to go out on a canoe. jeremy isn't even 1 in the picture. this was at a junior high summer camp that todd had the opportunity to lead worship at... a former high school student just sent it to us! isn't it so cute. it is one of my fav pics for some reason. good times!

goodbye. hello.

goodbye old faithful running shoes.

hello new ones!

colonial days.

history. atmosphere. laughter. colonial days. sloca does history day... colonial style. i was fantastic! kids running every which way... all in colonial time period outfits. playing colonial childrens games. making colonial projects... owner sticks... candles... tin punches... cornhusk dolls. there was taste testing. a petting zoo. it was simply amazing.

my favorite things.

these top 10 things that have brought me encouragement & joy over the recent weeks. i am ever convinced that the reason that these images and thoughts have entered in and out of my mind are to be a source of happiess & hope for me when i get down. some of these wonderful things will always be there, but i know that some of these images are going to change. as the kids grow up, change is inevitable, but they will always be memories that we come screaming back to me. while i have been studying the psalms, i have been convicted & encouraged by the fact that even if i fail miserably, God doesn't use that as a way to determine the amount grace & mercy he bestows upon me. in fact, in my life, there seems to be so much grace, that i am overwhelmed by His greatness.) here we are.

1. the kids singing worship songs in the morning. & reading their bible with dad @ night.

2. giggles. laughter.

3. the beach.4. psalm 121 & my worn bible that my dad gave me while i was in college. (i am studying the psalms of ascent & loving it!)

5. a hot cup of coffee. a warm blanket. & a cold day.

6. fun books to read.
7. rosy red cheeks.

8. my kids loving on each other.

9. the rain.

10. the sunrise & sunset. it reminds me of the faithfulness of who God is & the radical way he is able to affect everything by simply (or not simply) giving us a source of life.

11. this one is just extra. kids dressed up for halloween. ash is a flower and jt is a lion

yellow.

yes that is todd in a yellow suit. jeremy in a monkey costume. and it wasn't halloween... of course its not. we still have a few more days until halloween. so why the heck are they dressed up? where did they go? why would todd dress up like a banana?

well. todd was the man with the yellow hat. jeremy was curious george. it was for the downtown people puzzle. the event is done for the high school and junior high students at grace church where the high school juniors & seniors, plus staff dress up and hide downtown in san luis. the under classman try to find as many people as they can. todd was easy to find, but they just had such a blast. the two of them were such a hit & were even asked by a number of families around town if they could have their picture with them. they had a lot of girls saying, 'ah... how cute.' a lot of guys thinking how cool it was. and a few creeps asking in a weird way where todd got the yellow suit. (there was a hat and everything).

what an experience.

busy times.

this past week has been so extremely hectic! when isn't our weeks hectic. we all have our things that keep us busy. i am trying to figure out how to do this homeschooling thing with a little bit of grace and dignity. i love the classical training that ashlynn is getting... giving presentations in front of her class about the 'garden of luxemburg', koala bears, & sharing the crazy stories about her pumpkin 'squishy' she made up for her presentation today (p.s. squish fell into the ocean where he ran into a sailboat. he wanted to find a cheerios for a snack, but he got a best friend instead). it has been a blessing, sometimes in disguise, but a blessing that has brought our relationship that much closer. by the way, how the heck to i get through the day with her loving home more than the classroom she gets to go to 2 days a week? trying to make reading/ phonics fun has been a challenge. it can be a battle of wills & that isn't something that i want for us. sorry mom if i was this hard!

we are reading MIKE MULLIGAN right now. my dad is a developer & gave us a lot of time on job sites as kids. this is when i wish i was close to one of the job sites where they are doing some grading. my siblings and i always got rides in the scoops of the tractors. since we aren't close to any job site, nor do i think they are even grading... ash and i are going to go to the beach to dig a huge hole tomorrow. just the two of us. i think it will be quite an adventure. 'mary anne', the character in the book, is a steam engine. i am sure we will loose a lot of 'steam' trying to dig a hole! but her and i are all about adventures. so we are 'adventuring' tomorrow. watch out!

unlimited.

me. dad. breezi.

OH MY GOSH! wicked was amazing. it was... lifechanging. we had such a good time, but more importantly... we had a great time being together & creating lasting memories. we got stuck in traffic, therefore we had the delicate appetizers of the pantages... costco muffins and wine from a plastic cup. we all laughed hysterically as we ate in our little corner by the bar in the lobby. only on a friday night in l.a. would it take you 1 hour & 45 minutes to go 9.2 miles. we shared memories as we drove. used the navigation system that breezi nicknamed 'sally', who was rather disturbed when we didn't go the way she wanted us to... 'sally', not my sister. we sat... the three of us, together. listening to the beautiful music & becoming emotionally wrapped into the characters. we waiting in a line for the bathroom that had the ropes to guide the 'traffic'. on our way home, i couldn't help but be thankful. i am always grateful for such a wonderful & beautiful sister... my best friend. i am always grateful for a spectacular & faithful daddy... a man who has guided me through my whole life. my daddy. rarely is anything more special than a relationship like this. we had our date night. one that was a long time coming. it was a precious & perfect. memories that will forever be burned into the corners of my heart & mind. my sister, my dad, & i... standing in our little corner & laughing, sharing, & being silly. together.

t's for the girly.

i did ash's t-shirts finally. i got up at 5:30 this morning. eeek. i actually just couldn't sleep, but doesn't it just sound so productive when you tell someone that you got up at 5:30 to start your day? she has been begging me since i did jeremy's. you can't really tell, but the one that looks red is actually hot pink. every little girl needs pink. on each of the t-shirts there is a button. i had to do a little embellishment like i did for j's. it just completes the whole thing.

'all of them'

'beach sign'

'sand dollar': this one is special because we found the sand dollar together when we were in pismo a few weeks ago.

' lifeguard tower': this one could be for a boy i suppose, if it was on a boy's t-shirt, but it might look a little funny on a boy if the sleeves have a little puff to them. they are on girl t-shirts.

reflection.

my dad seems to be getting worse. it has been hard for me to judge while we have been living 3 hours away from him for the past 9 months. recently i can tell in his voice. my family has always been really open about my dads cancer, but i think there is a sense of protection that come with a dad/ daughter relationship. nonetheless, my dad has stage 4 terminal cancer. it has been a devastating time for me! harder than i thought it was going to be, but really how are we able to prepare ourselves for the death of a loved one. i've been battling that thought of losing my dad, almost to the point of it being unbearable. i was just sharing with a friend that i seem to be crying almost everyday. i was at the gym the other day, listening to my workout music on my ipod & had a thought of my dad... right there, in the middle of some thug music, the sweating, and the people next to me doing the same thing, i broke down and cried because one day my daddy is going to be home with Jesus and not home with us. i kept doing the motions of my workout, but the shear fact that i cried in a public place, not talking about it was a huge eye opener for me. this is something that is going to happen eventually.
so what am i going to do about it? i am going to make the most of it! i am going to spend as much time with my dad as i possibly can. i am going to do fun things and build even more lasting memories. i began journal-ing to my dad. writing letters that to him with the memories i have of him as a little girl & even as i've grown up. there are so many, i don't know how i am going to get through them all. it has been a fun look back, but i am still so excited for the adventures of our future as father and daughter... he is taking my little sister and i to go see 'wicked' next weekend. chalk it up as another dad & daughter date that the three of us have done since we were kids. i can't wait to see what God does through my dad.

t-shirts.

the beach is the place where i...

...went as a child.
...lay in the sand.
...built sandcastles.
...chased birds.
...sat with my dad, sister, brother & mom.
...took my senior ditch day.
...watch the sunset.
...surfed.
...watched my kids play.
...got stuck in rip tides.
...enjoy seeing GOD.

these thoughts were my inspiration for the t-shirts i created for jt! there are always cute things for girls... but not so cute for boys. i took advantage of this and made these super cute shirts. don't worry... i have stuff for cute girl shirts too. i just haven't finished them. i was just so excited to share these fun shirts. they have a little bit of red detail on the side of the pictures (which are sewn on), as well as the side of the shirts. i seriously love them. j was so excited because i am always making stuff for ash, but now there is a little something for him too.

all of them.

'surfboards'

'vw bus'... my bro had one growing up. i thought i'd do this one b/c of him.

'lined up surfboards'

not so long ago.

chubby cheeks. chubby arms. chubby hands. chubby feet. oh it it is true. ash was such a chubby baby. looking at her now you would have no idea that she was chubby, but being born at 10lbs 4oz earns you the unfortunate name of the fat baby (no worries she has made her peace with once being fat). in the hospital there were so many people who came in to see her... people who we didn't even know... 'oh that is the 10lb baby,' they would say. chubby-ness and all, she was ours. our sweet little bundle of joyfulness & hope.

6 months old.


this month was a very big month for her. ash turned 6 years old. 6 years old. that is 4 years away from being 10. 10 years away from driving. 12 years away from college. time goes fast, but i look back at who she is to me. she is my love. my hope. my joy. my sweetness. she is very sensitive... even to my feelings. she is my silly girl. she is shy. she loves to help me around our house. she loves to help others. she has taught me that i can love someone so much it hurts. she is my giver. she is amazing. how can i ever repay her for what she has done for me in this small young life? how am i supposed to help her understand that she has totally changed my life? how do you i show her i don't know what i would do without her? how can i lead her to be the best she can be? questions that i am sure i will figure out in the future. questions that i will have to think about and evaluate as she grows up and becomes the best self she can be.

ash @ 6 years old.

a blessing.

ashlynn & j continually amaze me with their spirit. i told them that they needed to remember to pray for eli because he was sick. i was saying this as i was walking out of their room in which they were supposed to be cleaning and weren't! Leaving a little frustrated i told them that they had 5 more minutes to pick up the remainder of their mess. when i came in to check on them, they were standing together with their little hands folded together, close to each other & they were praying. i heard j say that he wanted GOD to bless eli. ashlynn prayed followed by j... it was the sweetest amen i have ever heard.

campout.

so i didn't take pics of the campout... shame shame. but here are a few quotes from the kids this weekend that were funny.

1. 'it's too hot. i can't handle this.' ash
2. 'who broke the moon?' jt on seeing the half moon
3. 'that's so beautiful.' ash on seeing the milky way
4. 'there's a huge spider in the bathroom, can you kill it before i go?' ash
5. 'mommy you are going hurt your throat and have to get the balls taken out again.' jt on me going wake boarding
6. 'pastor tim almost flipped us (her and sage) off the taco. i hurt my chin... can i go again?' ash on being pulled behind the boat

hiking.

we destroyed our kids on monday afternoon. truly we just about brought them to the point of breaking. it was about 90 degrees outside & we chose to go for a hike up bishops peak. we had water & food. two kids. two parents. and we actually all wore tennis shoes. it was just too hot. we hiked for a long time... almost got to the top, but then both kids broke (almost broke). we decided to head back down the hill and try again when it was a little less hot to save us from hearing how tired the kids were the whole way down. we still had a lot of fun. here are some cute pictures of the kids on the hike. red cheeks and all.

ash && jt

our trooper... in his hiking hat as he deemed it. todd brought it home for him from the high school room.

the day j wanted.

celebration. what a day we had yesterday. our little jeremy turned 4 years old. i truly can't believe that we actually made it to 4. it seems like yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. i know, i know... so cliche. but truly it does seem like such a short time ago.




as i reflected over the past four years of his little life, i am amazed at how much he has grown and how much he has added to our life. while he is our typical little boy (always running and blowing things up) he has also brought us such tenderness. j is definitely our cuddle bug. he is our funny man. he is our dare devil. he is so much in our lives, i am not sure i would be the same person without him. i am definitely sure i wouldn't be the same person. each of us has a different connection with him. ash & j are inseparable. on her first day of school, ash asked me if i thought j was doing okay without her at home. todd & j are best friends. hommie. buddies. j and i are... well mom & son! i fix his boo boo's. i cuddle with him. i read stories to him. i just love him for who he is. each of us is so blessed to have a little piece of him.


we are not simply lucky because of the connection, but because he really is a funny kid. his imagination is so huge! we used to get reports from him each morning as to who he was going to be that day. some days he was buzz lightyear... others he was jack sparrow. but lately, j has asked us to call him 'turtle' or 'squirt' (from finding nemo). so we have. he loves turtles for some reason.



yesterday we let j plan the day. he picked what we had for all our meals. breakfast was scones with m & m's. lunch was peanut butter & honey sandwiches. dinner was hot dogs & mac n' cheese. so nutritious. plus he wanted a turtle cake... no shock. we had to go out to los osos and try and see the turtles. unfortunately we didn't see any, but we had fun nonetheless. it was the day j wanted... and it was such a blast!!!

it was a wonderful day full of remember when's & refections! i truly can't wait to see what this year brings us through his precious little... big life!

i did it...

i did it. on monday i stood back & watched...

1. ashlynn go to kindergarten
2. eat with her friends
3. her listen to her teacher
4. play on the playground
5. run out excited when the day was done

i did it. & i still have my sanity (on tuesday)...

1. woke up & went to the gym
2. took a shower
3. prep for home school
4. home schooled without tears (by ashlynn or me)
5. still entertained jeremy
6. plus i worked 4 hours today

right now i am...

1. asking todd to do things for me & laughing b/c i am asking a lot(which include trips to the car, water with lemon, and the cord to down load a picture)
2. watching t.v.
3. READY FOR BED!

the chairs.

i have been blessed with a mom who loves antiques. i must admit that growing up i didn't share the same affection for antiquing as my mom. actually i hated them all over our house. but things have changed. i am not as crazy about them as my mom is still, but i do love a good story behind the piece that i have in my home. i have hutch that was passed down to me that is from a farm house in texas from the 1800's. i have plenty of milk glass & jadeite. i am blessed to have a french vanity that needs to be restored, but the mirrors are beautiful. amongst other pieces my mom gave me 6 chairs when she moved to texas... she had so much stuff!!! we got these amazing antique chairs from her that i remember using when i was growing up (some are over 100 years old). they were really worn out and kind of gross! so i re-did them. after 3 trips to home depot... adding colors & changing my mind... i am finally so excited about them.

the three stages of the chairs.

natural. primer. & paint.

i used 4 different colors... here are two. i recovered them with fabric & a plastic cover... aka protection from ash & jt!

it was a labor of love! i enjoy a good project. this has been my project for the last week. everyone one got involved. ashlynn helped me primer. jeremy made a mess in the garage while i painted. it was really a lot of fun! plus i love them. the color of them is so happy and exciting. it really changed the looked of our kitchen. next i am going to paint an antique table that i have. it is worn and weather & screaming for attention.

just another day.

well... today started off like no other, but it was not surprising to me. you see, we are not the typical family. well, my husband doesn't have a typical job. we woke up this morning (wednesday) to a phone call at 1:30 a.m. there is no reason your phone should ring that early in the morning. but unfortunately ours did. now i know what you are thinking... something horrible happened. oh well, not horrible... just the typical...with a voice on the other line saying 'todd, go look in the front yard!' much to his dismay (as he is sneaking through the house and peeking out the bedroom window)... did we have a surprise... (p.s. they called and were still in the front yard... such amateurs).

we got tee peed. now some of you may be thinking... why is a 30 year old getting tee peed. being a youth pastor, it happens more than you think. it is really quite a privilege i guess. students spending their parents hard earned money on toilet paper just to spew it about your front yard. we had a good laugh. it was the perfect start to the typical anniversary we have being in ministry. oh did i mention that today is our 8th anniversary. which we wished each other 'happy anniversaries' while picking up toilet paper in the front yard. it really was a blessing and a fun reminder of what a wonderful job todd has. usually we are up at hume lake spending our anniversary with 300+ of our closest friends (aka our old church youth group). so it is fitting. ministry goes on. i loved it!

'cheap labor'

we paid ashlynn 1 penny for each piece of toilet paper she would pick up. cheap labor. she had a good time cleaning it up. it was really cute. this is the first time she has wanted to help clean it up. money talks with this one, even if it was a penny.

'we pay higher for the more dangerous jobs'

we paid more to get her on the roof. she got 25 cents for getting up there and pulling it all of the roof. this girl has no fear. she was more than willing to get up there. she even jumped down... not to the ground. todd caught her.

to top off the anniversary night... todd had to go speak at youth group & at cal poly's campus crusade. it was a typical 'i married a youth pastor' anniversary. don't feel too bad, we are celebrating on friday night. we got a babysitter (thanks taylor) and are going out! yeah for us!!! it has been a wonderful 8 years of marriage. filled with fun, laughter, tears, and my best friend.

5 things i learned today.

1. we have no control over the direction of our lives... but we can control our attitudes towards the direction.
2. even when life takes a sudden turn that hurts... your kids still need to be taken care of & that the dishes don't wash themselves.
3. we have the opportunity to start fresh after every mistake. frustrations will arise... thus the need for some alone time to regain your composure & start fresh.
4. we are not guaranteed a perfect tomorrow... today is the time to show people we love them.
5. there is always time to be silly!

ashlynn being silly.

ashlynn is known for taking pictures of herself. we are actually in the process of trying to figure out how to display all the pictures of her she has taken... most without us even knowing. she has done for the last 3 years so we have a lot to choose from. we are going to do a huge frame full of them... most of which will embarrass her in the future. we don't realize what we do as a child will effect us when we are older (there is a sermon in that statement i am sure!). well she is a cutie, despite this silly picture she took with todd's computer. we have been reading 'the secret garden' together, doing crafts, doing sidewalk chalk & having the most fun conversations. it has been such a fun time with her lately. i really needed that.

saying goodbye!

todd had to say goodbye to his bike this past week. a bike that has thousands upon thousands of miles on it! he got his kestrel about 12 years ago && has been riding it ever since. he found a crack in the frame. hopefully the newly bought kestrel will honor the warranty (we have the original sales receipt). i think it was really hard for him. when he pulled away from the house, the bike was sitting on our bike racks on my car... i was taking it down for my dad to take to a friend down south. he said he got really emotional. the second picture is why...

'michael john sartinsky'

todd's best friend from junior high, mike, bought the same kind of bikes around the same time. they rode together all the time. they even took pictures with their bikes. i put this sticker on todd's bike right before he did a century up in solvang... the one he did every year with mike. there was actually three really good friends, todd, mike & john marsh. these guys were inseparable. mike was killed by a drunk driver on august 29, 2000. i think the sentimental attitude behind this bike is why it was so hard for todd to give it up. you see, he won't ever see his bike again. we aren't really sure if he will even get a bike from the company that bought out kestrel a year ago. it really was sad to see my dad take it on the back of his car too. heart breaking really! so that is why we had to take pictures.

cousins.

just another day @ the santa barbara zoo! my nephew & my dad met us down in santa barbara for a little bit of fun together! i think the best part was eating together in the park up on the hill where all the kids tackled my dad @ the same time. it really was a hilarious moment! ash did her typical flying leap jump onto my dad's stomach. ouch.

what a blessing it was to SEE all the kids interact with each other & with my dad.

super/ diva hero.

my friend lindsey is one of the most creative people i have ever met. she is full of inspiration! sometimes i get so overwhelmed with inspiration when i see the things that she has created. truly a talent! this idea comes from her blog. on sunday jeremy asked me to make him a cape so he could be a super hero... followed by ashlynn's request for a diva cape. as i was thinking about how i could do it, i remembered that lindsey had made one back towards the beginning of the year... thus began the start of the super hero & diva hero in our house. i dusted off my sewing machine (its been a while) & began to create!

ashlynn choose a hot pink polka dot for the underside & a green, pink, & orange paisley for the front. we just made the 'A' with scraps from the underside... as well as the straps. ash's design.

super hero & diva hero take a rest! we needed it after jt said he was going to save super diva girl & tried to fly off the top of the couch! it was disaster... he landed on ash. okay so it was a little bit funny too... because they were both okay.