A Comical View of Life

I'm currently reading a very short book about a little boy named Charlie.

Charlie thinks he spends too much time doing things that he doesn't really want to do, so he decides to pack up everything he has and travel the world to find things that are more worth his while.

I wanted to share a little excerpt that makes me smile every time I read it:

"And pack up his time he did:
starting with his big, bulky decades,
then round, squishy years,
the square, mushy months,
triangular, shiny weeks,
and raggedy days,
tons of silky, smooth hours,
and crumpled minutes."

This book is so cute and the moral so simple, I decided this will be my Christmas gift to my nephew Jake. But I'm holding off on the wrapping because I keep picking it up to read it.

Time to Breathe

Doesn't seem like I've had much of a chance to do that recently. But I realize it's been a long while since I've last blogged and I figured I'd give a little update.

I've been really busy with work and I decided to take on a second job to get a boost with the monthly burden of paying what seems like an endless stream of bills. So I am now working at Dream Dinners. I help set up sessions for people to come in and assemble their meals for the month, then I follow up behind each group and clean up the stations for the next round of people. It's not a bad gig. It's a great working environment. Great people, very flexible, and easy. It's a change from my normal job of sitting at a computer and logging in numbers all day. It's a good break.

Ben is also looking for another job which will offer benefits because his main employment now does not. So this will help immensely..and be 2 less bills we have to pay each month. Woo hoo! I'm so thankful that I married such a hard working guy. He's willing to do what it takes to make things work. I'm so grateful that he possesses such a willing attitude. I don't have that kind of stamina in the work force. 2 jobs is enough for me!

We are planning on going to India again this January. Ben and I are very excited to finally go back. We missed last year's trip so we are eager for this chance. I'm taking on a bigger role this year on the team so I'm staying busy with many meetings, a lot of which are weekly meetings. I'm enjoying the process though. I love learning the ins and outs of the logistics..which is good since that's technically my title, Logistics Coordinator. A bonus for this year's trip though is my dad has decided to be apart of the team. HUGE deal. I can't even express how excited I am that he is taking this opportunity. It means a lot to Ben and to me. Now it's time to work my mom into going in the near future!

This past weekend my family and many other friends went to the pumpkin patch to celebrate my youngest nephew's 1st birthday. It was a beautiful day! No rain and so much sunshine. Which makes for lots of smiling kids, happy parents, no mud to be cleaned off, and some great pictures. Ben and I picked out our first pumpkins together, which was also our first time to visit a pumpkin patch together...ever. It was a great and fun day overall.



That's all for now!

Hooked

Ben and I are hooked on Threadless.

When I tell people about this place, most people don't know what I'm talking about. So I thought I'd share.

Threadless is a website where you can order t-shirts, usually with very cleaver and funny designs. People can write into Threadless with ideas for new t-shirts and designs of their own, they are voted on and if your design gets picked to go to press...you get paid for it. How awesome is that!

Ben has SO many great ideas for new t-shirts so hopefully we can have some Ben inspired shirts in circulation soon. Could be interesting.

I thought I'd share some of the t-shirt designs that I have purchased...mostly for Ben:

"Birthday"

"Camouflage"


"Fail"

"Lemon Aid"


"War and Peas"

A Night at the Opera

I just bought tickets for Phantom of the Opera. I have LOVED this production since I was a little kid. I actually have had the entire script since I was little. I have a book with all the pictures and behind the scenes production notes from the early versions. I've played the music on the piano for years, listened to the Broadway soundtrack countless times...you could say I'm a Phantom Phanatic. :)

When Ben told me he had never seen it before I knew the next time it came to town we would be buying tickets...no matter what.

2 weeks from today we will be there. The countdown has begun and to gear up for that night...I will be listening to the soundtrack non-stop now.

Celebration of 7's Begins

Aug 7th: Happy Birthday to my nephew Jake! He turns 3 today but we are planning a family party for him on Sunday which will include one of his favorite things...watching planes at the airshow.

Soon to come:

Sept 7th: My 24th birthday. Don't know exactly the plans but Ben has something up his sleeve.

Oct 7th: Happy birthday to my other nephew Sammy! He'll be 1 year old. We'll probably have a big party for him like we did for Jake's 1st birthday. I'm sure a lot of smooshing cake between the fingers will be involved too.

Dec 7th: Ben and I celebrate our 1 year anniversary. Again, Ben has some plans going on that I have no idea about.

Summer Scream Week

It is a week that Ben looks forward to all year. He starts to map out his strategy and plan of attack on the other teams...even before the actual teams are formed. He lives and breathes competition. And the energy overload that comes with a summer camp of junior highers is too much that Ben pretty much can't talk about anything else in the weeks before the event begins.

Ever since he left Sunday morning, I come home to a quiet apartment everyday. Normally I'd love this but I'm getting to the point where I'm used to having Ben there. I now spend nights reading my books (which I can now enjoy uninterrupted) or catching up on some favorite reality shows (which I can enjoy also..without whining).

But most of the time I've been playing with my rabbit, who doesn't really offer much other than a few acrobatic flips and mid-air kicks for some entertainment. It's cute...it's almost like he knows that I'm lonely and he is trying desperately to help.

Ben is having a blast and I can't watch him have fun. I want to be there so bad but I just can't take work off...well, I could but it's not the easiest thing to do. I find myself realizing how much I love coming home and having him there or just knowing that at some point during the day I get to see him, Summer Scream weeks throw off my routine. :)

Only two more Ben-less days. Good thing because I've got a tired and worn out bunny on my hands.

What is Love?

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth' Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily - age 8

'Love is what's in the room with you're at Christmas and you stop opening presents and listen.' Bobby - age 7

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore' Cindy - age 8

'My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7

'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.' Mary Ann - age 4

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' Karen - age 7

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.' Mark - age 6

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

Currently Reading...

The Shack. I'm almost done, only a couple chapters left.

I know there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book. Church leaders slamming it for it's off-beat theology, others claiming it to be life-changing and a book that brought God into a new light.

However to interpret this book is up to the reader themselves. You may be one who knows about the controversies and puts up a great defensive barrier before even picking up the book. Or you may be one who approaches the book as purely fiction, a good read...and nothing more.

I chose to pick up the book with an open mind. I deliberately chose to not read any reviews or listen to any one's conversations regarding the book so that I wouldn't be influenced either way. And I'm so glad I did.

Even though I'm not completely finished with the book I have a pretty good grasp of the concept and direction the writer is going. But I kept reminding myself...this is fiction.

If you haven't read the book and you wish to, you might not want to read the rest of my post...I wouldn't want to spoil too much or even be one of those people whose insights enable other's thoughts on the matter.

Throughout reading the book, as I said before, I intentionally kept my mind open to all possibilities. Sure, the author might have some interesting takes on God, Jesus, The Spirit and many other things but I didn't want to discredit him and shut it all down before I actually gave it a little more time and thought. I'm not saying I agree with him totally..by any means. But there are some very valid points and some truth in his writing which were encouraging to me as I read them. Those feelings that he portrays the main character, Mack, having are feelings that I have felt before. Those questions that Mack so genuinely asks are questions I think most people have cried out wondering what the answers were.

It took me a bit of time to get passed Mack's first meeting at the shack. I'm sure many people were stumped by his encounter. At first I laughed. Of course the author feels he needs to be politically correct. Woman, black, Asian, middle eastern...and later on Hispanic, all rolled into one to create the Trinity and other attributes of God.

But then I thought. Why not? I kinda like the spin the author took on it. It took me awhile to get passed it but I thought, I'm glad he didn't limit the image of God. Putting the image of God into writing and into an actually picture is impossible anyway. So I'd like to think the author did the best he could, to make God a tangible image to a very hurt and lost man (Mack). I'm sure some people would totally argue with me on that because it is a little out there...but that's what happens when I keep an open mind. I don't like putting God in a box and limiting Him on how He can show Himself to others.

There's so much more to the book that I could write about and maybe after I finish it I'll post again. But for now I'll just end with:

This book is a good read. It is fiction. People can take from it what they wish. If they feel moved by what he says, great. If they are angered at what he says, that's fine too.

I've heard that many church pastors and other leaders have requested their congregations to read this book. For what reason, I don't know. It puts pressure on people to dig for some great meaning and inspirational enlightening and it elevates the expectations for a book. A book that wasn't even meant to be published in the first place, it was just to be for the writer's family and friends. He was encouraged to get it published by those close to him. It wasn't meant for the public to pick apart and criticise. So I don't think he had a preconceived agenda to change people's vision of God or their beliefs. He simply just took what was going on in his mind and heart and put it onto paper.

If I were given that opportunity I'm sure my vision of God and my jumbled thoughts on my life and my life with God and all the questions I have...well, some people may think I'm a little wacky and out there too.

Undo

Wouldn't it be great if life included an "Undo" button?

When you think everything is going great, then something happens. Something stupid is said and you make yourself seem like a complete fool. Or something hurtful comes spewing out of your mouth and it was never intended to translate the way it did. Or in a fit of anger you do incredibly irrational things, resulting in embarrassment.

These are times where I think an "Undo" button would be very helpful. Actually there are a few keys on the keyboard that would be useful. "Backspace", "Delete", even "Home"...basically any keyboard function that will take me immediately back to the beginning or to the specific place where things went wrong and need to be corrected.

If only it were that easy.

Dream..on the way to be...Coming True

When you are a kid, a common question you are asked is: "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

I'd have different answers to this question throughout many years but the most consistent answer I had was, "To be a wildlife photographer in Africa." That was what I wanted. My dream was to work for National Geographic.

I went as far as taking photography classes in junior high and I got my first real camera. It was very exciting. But I realized photography was not easy and it was an expensive hobby. As I got into high school, my interests turned to choir and so photography got pushed back a bit so I could focus on my opportunities that came along with the singing groups I was involved in.

Now that I'm out of school and choir is no longer on my mind, I have taken up the idea of getting back into photography. I love my little digital camera I have now, but I want to graduate up to a digital SLR camera. There are so many things that I'd love to capture and with great quality that a little digital camera is just not capable of doing.

I've been doing lots of research the past couple of months on what to look for in a good SLR and one that will fit my photography style. Like I had mentioned before, photography is an expensive endeavor. The body of an SLR can be in the thousands of dollars, that's not including the price of any lens. Which, if you want to really excel in photography you will want to purchase multiple lenses for versatility.

But I think I finally found the right one for me. I'm super excited too because the one I picked won't break the bank. Woo hoo! And it comes with a lens so I won't have to make too many additional purchases in order to use my camera. I probably won't be getting it for another couple of months still, so I have some time for preparation and saving.

What's even better is that I'll have this great camera before our next trip to India. (Oh yes, Ben and I are planning to join the next India trip again.) So I'll have some time to master this new camera, with the help of my soon to be photography partner and SLR expert...Erin. :o)

So my dream of being a wildlife photographer may not be too far off!! Especially with the globe trekking that Ben and I plan to do, I'm hoping to only get better and better. Maybe not good enough for National Geographic but I'm still optimistic on that one.

Starbucks Snob

Yep..that's me, it's official.

There is a deli on the first floor of my office building. They serve coffee and have a whole array of flavors to mix into any kind of drink you want. It's cheaper too, but I don't get coffee there. Because it's not Starbucks.

There is a 7-11 by my office building. They have coffee there too that is also cheaper. But again, I don't go there. Because it's not Starbucks.

The Starbucks by my work is actually in a terrible location. It only has 7 parking spots and it shares what little space it has with a Chevron gas station and a Mexican restaurant, and located on a high traffic road where Scholls becomes Skyline right off of Hwy 26. An unbelievably small space, but it doesn't stop the throngs of people that flood into that tiny parking lot to get fueled for the day, and I'm not talking about gasoline fuel.

I am one of those people fighting for an empty parking space. You wouldn't believe how aggressive and hostile people can be when they haven't had their morning coffee. Unfortunately I can be just as bad as any of them. I frequent this Starbucks so much that the baristi already know my order when I walk through the door and have it ready before I even pay.

Today it hit me just how much I rely on Starbucks. One of my ex co-workers got a job in a different building on Sylvan Hill but we are still within walking distance of each other. She called my office this morning and said she was on her way to Starbucks before heading to work. I gave her my order and she would be down in front of my building in 10 minutes.

I ran downstairs and there she was. I exchanged the money for the cup of coffee. I just had to say to her, "Wow, you have become my coffee dealer. Nice doing business with you."

So there you have it. I have sunk so low that I refuse cheaper, more convenient, and more accessible coffee.

Just label me a Starbucks Snob...I'm satisfied with that.

Stress Relief

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an
audience, raised a glass of water and asked
'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, 'The absolute weight doesn't
matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right
arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an
ambulance.


In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I
hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued, 'And that's the way it is with stress
management. If we carry our burdens all the time,
sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy,
we won't be able to carry on.'

'As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for
a while and rest before holding it again.
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.'

'So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of
work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for
a moment if you can.'

So, put down anything that may be a burden to
you right now.

Don't pick it up again until after you've rested awhile.

Mini Backpacks and Aviator Goggles?

That is what I dream about apparently.

I had a dream last night that I was in a pet shop. I came to a tank that had 2 hamsters in it. One had a little zip up jumpsuit and aviator goggles over it's beady little eyes. A hamster, with a mini jumpsuit! It even had a tiny little zipper.

The second hamster had a mini backpack on its back...as if it were about to head off to school.

I remember saying to myself in the dream that I would totally buy those hamsters just because of the outfits. They were so darn cute. I think I woke myself up by my laughing.

According to Ben this was a blog worthy dream. So I hope you enjoyed it. :o)

Tired of Being Sick

I don't understand why in the last 4-5 months I've gotten sick so much. It actually started earlier than that. September. It was my birthday and I was moving to a new apartment...in 90 degree weather. I had a terrible cold and was completely miserable. My head and ears throbbed to the point where I was lying on the floor in tears and to those who know me that was a big thing since I'm not prone to tears.

Then after the wedding and honeymoon I came to work in early January...and discovered I was breaking out in hives. No big deal, I figured they would go away in a few days, maybe a week at the most. A month went by and I had broken out at least once every day, in different areas and to different degrees of severity. It was miserable, especially since the doctors couldn't figure out what was causing them.

Then just this past week I noticed some little red bumps on my left hand. I thought, Oh great! Hives are back. I pulled up the sleeve of my shirt to see what extent they had traveled up my arm. They just stayed around the underside of my left wrist and the palm of my hands. Odd. The next day I saw a few red bumps on the palm of my right hand. But these felt different than hives and I knew they had to be something different. I took Benedryl and all sorts of medication that I had on hand from my hives experience, but nothing was helping.

I went to urgent care, they gave me a steroid cream but they still didn't know what was wrong. They offered me a business card to a dermatologist office, I called but unfortunately they couldn't see me until May. So I talked to my parent's and they gave me the number to their doctor. I scheduled an appointment with my parents' doctor that same day. When I saw him he said in his 20+ years of experience as a doctor, he has never seen my condition in his life. He even pulled another specialist from his office into the room to check out my hands. He didn't know what it was either. The doctor assured me that he would call a couple dermatologists that he knew first thing the following morning.

I got into the dermatologist around 2pm in the afternoon, expecting to be poked and scraped but he said since my condition had been going on for 4 days now, the best time to do any tests would have been on the first day of the break out. Funny he says that when it's darn near impossible to get an immediate appointment with a dermatologist. Anyway, he still got to examine me and he came up with some sort of an explanation for me. Even though it's not for sure, since he wasn't able to do tests to confirm but he had a good idea that it is a form of Herpes Simplex. I pretty much freaked out at that point, but he assured me that just like cold sores are a strain of "herpes"...that is kind of what I have on my arm and palms. He said it would go away in a couple weeks and to put steroid cream on and it will be fine. Well, I'm glad I finally have an answer to why I was in agony over my arm and palms itching and burning like crazy.

But it does not end there...

I woke up this morning with a sore throat, swollen glands, throbbing head, muffled ears, and achy body. Lovely. I thought I was done with all my sickness. Then I remembered that the dermatologist had said I have a weakened immune system now, which probably helped bring on my arm herpes stuff in the first place.

I just want to be well again!

Funny Stuff Happens at 3am

Last night I had a hard time sleeping. I finally decided to get out of the bedroom around 3am-ish and meet Ben in the living room. My mornings are his nights thanks to a wonderful work schedule.

We sat on the couch flipping through channels on the tv and settled on the comedy channel. There was a comedian by the name Demetri Martin. He was pretty funny. Either that or we were both SO tired that anything was funny.

I'd like to share some of my favorite quotes of his:

“One of my friends has a stutter and a lot of people think that’s a bad thing, but to me that’s just like starting certain words with a drum roll. That’s not an impediment, that’s suspense! What’s he going to say? Car?? …or Carnival?? …Carburetor!?!?"

“A drunk driver is very dangerous. So is a drunk backseat driver if he’s persuasive. ‘Dude make a left.’ ‘Those are trees…’ ‘Trust me.’ "

“I was making pancakes the other day and a fly flew into the kitchen. And that’s when I realized that a spatula is a lot like a fly-swatter. And a crushed fly is a lot like a blueberry. And a roommate is a lot like a fly eater.”

"My favorite fruit is grapes. Because with grapes, you always get another chance. ‘Cause, you know, if you have a crappy apple or a peach, you’re stuck with that crappy piece of fruit. But if you have a crappy grape, no problem - just move on to the next. ‘Grapes: The Fruit of Hope.’ ”

“I used to play sports. Then I realized you can buy trophies. Now I’m good at everything.”

Conspiracy?... I Think So

I've been married for almost 4 months now and I have yet to drop the name Brookshire and become an official Christensen.

This is for many reasons, but the main reason is because it's UNBELIEVABLY inconvenient. I have to change my name with Social Security, DMV, bank, all places that I pay bills to, vehicle registration, voters registration, auto insurance, medical insurance...on and on the list goes. The main ones though are social security, DMV, and my bank.

Well, I called the bank today because I needed to order some more checks and might as well put my new name on them, right? Turns out the bank needs me to come in with my marriage license and my new driver's license with the new name on them.

Shoot! I can't go to the DMV because they have odd hours and the only time that I could go there is on a Saturday (mornings preferably, when the lines are short) and I've been busy EVERY Saturday. So I plan to go into the DMV this Saturday morning, but according to the website there are new regulations to attaining a replacement license. I need my social security card.

So, I call social security. Only to find out, they need my new drivers license. What is the deal?!?

Bank needs my new drivers license, DMV needs my new social security card, social security needs my drivers license. I'm getting the idea that the government is trying to discourage name changes. They certainly don't make this process easy.

And this is the reason I remain a Brookshire...for now.

God Smiled on Me Today...

Last night, while I was doing the laundry, I found a $5 bill. Woo hoo! That will be for my Monday morning coffee on the way to work.

So I grabbed my grande white chocolate mocha to start off my morning. I downed it in probably 10 minutes. Around 10:30, one of my co-workers was going around the office asking for Starbucks drink orders. I figured...hey, why not?

I go up to Starbucks with my co-worker to help her bring back all the orders. While I'm there I pay for my venti white mocha which is normally $4.10. But the cashier I think overheard my comment to my co-worker that I should start a tab at Starbucks because it's practically my home away from home. Well, the cashier paid for a big chunk of my drink! Oh, but It doesn't end there.

While we were waiting for the rest of the drink orders to be finished, we realized there was an extra venti white mocha sitting on the counter for us. I swear a beam from heaven shown down upon it.

So here I am at my desk enjoying the 3rd white chocolate mocha in 4 hours, and I only spent $6 :o)

The Joy of Answering Phones

It's a challenging day at work and I've only been here for 2 hours.

A part of my job is answering phones for the company I work for, but I actually answer for 2 companies since we have merged but are still considered 2 separate companies for now.

Some days I don't mind answering the phones. After all that's what I get paid to do. But today I have no patience for people. So I've made a list of the following things that have grated on me so far today:

• I'm easily irritated by those who don't know what they are calling about in the first place and don't actually speak full sentences to allow me to help them,
• those who don't know who they were just talking to on the phone and want me to figure it out for them in an office full of people,
• people who don't like to go into voicemail and decide to ring back to my desk 3 times in a row because they can't decide what they want to do,
• people who are so ignorant of the fact that we serve OTHER clients and not just them,
• family members of my co-workers who call in several times in the day when personal phone calls are not allowed...period by company policy.
• people who have a cockiness and arrogance that they know everything when in fact they have no idea what they are talking about.
• people who have the audacity to say "I'm from California, can't you do something for me?" (no joke, this actually was said).
• Those who don't let me finish a sentence and decide that I can't be of further assistance to them so they cut me off.

These are just a few things that have bothered me thus far today.

Must go for now, the phone is ringing yet again.

I'm intrigued to see what piece of work will be on the other line this time.

Bad Luck

Unfortunately Ben's car got broken into last week and his wallet and our digital camera got stolen. The reason for my posting this is because I was reminded you can never be too safe or too confident when leaving things in your car. Regardless of WHERE you park. Ben was working at the church, like he does every night. His car was parked where it is always parked. Nothing out of the ordinary. So when I was told this happened at the church, my heart dropped. I guess this kind of thing can happen anywhere and to anyone. I just wasn't expecting it and that's probably when those kind of things happen.

It's sad news for many different reasons.

Being broken into is a jolting enough feeling all on it's own. It's an incredible violation. Panic mode sets in and you feel utterly exposed. I felt awful for Ben. A wallet is a man's life pretty much. And reporting something as valuable as a wallet is so cumbersome. The different avenues you have to travel in order to right the wrongs of someone else's boredom, mischievousness, lack of attention...who knows the reasons behind someones decision to steal.

Then my camera. Oh I was so sad to hear that my poor little camera that is so loved became a victim. You are probably thinking... it's just a camera, so easily replaceable. Yes, yes that is true. But I LOVED my camera. In fact, I loved this camera so much that every time Ben would take it from the house I would give the look. The look that said "If anything happens to that camera, you die".

My first digital camera was one that I bought right before my trip to India. Unfortunately a few months following my return from India, I can only assume that I either left the camera somewhere or it was stolen. But ALL my pictures I took from India are gone because I had yet to download them onto my computer. LESSON: ALWAYS DOWNLOAD.

So because I loved that camera so much, I decided to buy the exact same one right before we left on our honeymoon. I bought the same case that was used on the first one as well. Everything was the same. Well, it got stolen out of Ben's car. Luckily, all of our amazing pictures we took of our trip got safely downloaded onto Ben's laptop but still....no camera.

It's sad news. Ben has been trying to counsel and reassure me. :o) He's actually handled this whole situation SO much better than me and he is the one that has more damage done!

Anyway, we've both come to grips with the fact that we will most likely not see either of our lost items again. So we will be trying to replace everything in the next few weeks.

Something that Ben said to me that I'd like to pass on as well: Be thankful and grateful for what you have but also remember what is really important in life because God just might decide to remind you, He can easily take it all away.

After the Wedding...

It's been a long time since I've last blogged, and I thought it was time to get back into it. There is so much to write about and update everyone on since Ben and I got married. So I will do my best to give a quick rundown of the the "going-on's".

December was a busy month, as most know since that was the month we got hitched. The wedding was so fun. I was not nervous at all. The ENTIRE day I was relaxed and just excited for this once in a lifetime experience. I felt beautiful, the church was decorated perfectly (a big thank you to Cheryl for that!), I was surrounded by the people who are so very important in my life and whom I love very much. It was amazing.

I remember the first thing I said after Ben and I had gone back down the aisle as man and wife. "Is that really it??? It happened so fast! I want to do it again!" Throughout the ceremony I kept thinking, Slow down. I want to remember and relish these precious moments because I don't intend on having them again.

The following day (Saturday), Ben and I went over to my parent's place where his family, and my family including some out of town relatives were all gathered for breakfast and the opening of wedding presents. It was a fun way to spend time with the new in-laws and a great way to send us off on our honeymoon.

After opening all the gifts and hugging everyone goodbye, Ben and I loaded up in his parents little Toyota. We were on our way to Disneyland!

The honeymoon was fun. It was a long drive in a little car but so fun and so many memories. We saw a lot of great places. Our first hotel we stayed at once we crossed over into California was a Holiday Inn (which we decided from then on, that was the staple hotel). Woke up the next morning to fire alarms and firemen knocking on everyone doors. Apparently Californians don't know how to toast English muffins. :o) That was a fun memory. We got to stay in a beautiful hotel RIGHT across the street from Disneyland. We walked there every day. We strolled around Downtown Disney which became one of my favorite places to go. We ate at amazing places. Ben and I rarely go out to eat at nice places around here, only for special occasions. So going out for every meal was a real treat!

We went to Knott's Berry Farm too. I think we became Disney snobs because we weren't very impressed with Knott's after spending 3 days in Disney. Then we went to SeaWorld, where I had never been to before so that was a great time and we got some great pictures. Next was San Diego Zoo. I love zoos so I was really looking forward to this. We took a bus tour around the park first, that way we knew where certain animals were and would be able to walk to them later and spend as much time as we wanted with them. Again, we got some amazing pictures of the animals. The animals at the San Diego Zoo are vastly different than the ones here in Portland. They were so full of spunk and just so much more active. Their enclosures were large and well-kept. It made me sad for our animals here. Of course it could be the weather that makes the San Diego animals more peppy. Sun tends to do that with anything.

On our drive back home we took 101. We wanted to see the coast and possibly stop into some of the coastal cities along the way. We actually ran into some patches of snow but nothing too bad. A herd of elk were also grazing along the road, which caused us to do a radical U-Turn in the middle of the road just so we could go back and get some good pictures.

Wwe also got to meet up with a few people while we were down around the Disney area. We hung out with Kayla (long time friend of us both, and the guest book attendant at our wedding), Holly and Billy (one of Ben's groomsmen), and Andy (Ben's brother). Went out to dinner, went to movies, and other things...it was great to include others and not be the typical exlusive honeymooners.

Over all, it was a great time. We laughed a lot, probably from the hours on end of sitting, driving, and lack of sleep, you name it...the combination made us loony.

Let me just say, Ben and I are good on roadtrips for a while. :o)

One Month Ago Today

...I was on my way to a nail appointment, one of the first tasks of my wedding day.

It's hard to believe Ben and I have been married for a month now. December flew by with the wedding, 2 week honeymoon to Disneyland, Christmas, and New Years..it was a crazy month.

Everyone asks how married life is, and so far it's been fantastic. It's great having my best friend with me all the time. We have already established some daily routines, one of which is drinking tea together and popping in a movie or one of our favorite TV shows. There are some challenging moments of course. Afterall we are two different people who have lived our lives individually for a long time and now trying to mesh together. But it's also fun learning to live with each other.

Ben or myself will probably post sometime soon more details of our road trip to Disneyland. We had a lot of fun and had some pretty memorable moments that we would love to share.

Stay tuned.