For those of you who have seen me in the past 3 months...you probably already know about my anxiety over 2009. Matt is graduating and I have no idea what to expect of all that is coming next.
We have some hopes, and some preferences...but mostly we know that we are committed to doing what God wants...however hard that may be.
That's why I've decided that for the month of January I will be praying and fasting...praying for our future, for the next step, for a job that would fit Matt well where he could grow and learn and invest...and fasting because it's that important to me that my heart and focus is right. It's that important that I lay aside my wants...and allow God the opportunity he needs to work in my heart and my dreams.
So, if you think about us...please pray with us. I know it's going to be a good month, and I can't wait to share more about this journey as we go through it.
Love.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
10 things I love at Christmas
in no particular order.
1. Putting up my Christmas tree. It just doesn't feel like the Christmas season has began until the tree is up.
2. Christmas music. And I will admit, I was never a fan of Christmas music until a few years ago, but now I love it! Although it can't be listened to until after Thanksgiving.
3. Baking. And all the yummy smells that fill my home.
4. Snow. Although I haven't had a white Christmas in 4 years...I know I will again one day.
5. Christmas cards. I really do enjoy sending out cards...but even more than that...I love opening the mailbox and seeing Christmas cards and pictures and stories of friends.
6. Presents. Getting is fun, but I like keeping a list all year long of things to get Matt...so it's really fun when I get to start buying them.
7. Children. I love having Christmas at home, because the fact that my younger brothers still get soooo excited about the day, makes my day that much better. And now Myka gets to add to that excitment as well. (I've seriously caught myself wondering if she'll like what we got her?!! Of course she will...or at least the wrapping!)
8. Church. My favorite service all year is usually the one right before Christmas.
9. Family. We've been blessed each year to be able to see family during the holidays.
10. Christmas movies...we have a few favorites, but Christmas is not complete without watching It's a Wonderful Life (my dad's all-time favorite!)
what are some of your favorite things?
1. Putting up my Christmas tree. It just doesn't feel like the Christmas season has began until the tree is up.
2. Christmas music. And I will admit, I was never a fan of Christmas music until a few years ago, but now I love it! Although it can't be listened to until after Thanksgiving.
3. Baking. And all the yummy smells that fill my home.
4. Snow. Although I haven't had a white Christmas in 4 years...I know I will again one day.
5. Christmas cards. I really do enjoy sending out cards...but even more than that...I love opening the mailbox and seeing Christmas cards and pictures and stories of friends.
6. Presents. Getting is fun, but I like keeping a list all year long of things to get Matt...so it's really fun when I get to start buying them.
7. Children. I love having Christmas at home, because the fact that my younger brothers still get soooo excited about the day, makes my day that much better. And now Myka gets to add to that excitment as well. (I've seriously caught myself wondering if she'll like what we got her?!! Of course she will...or at least the wrapping!)
8. Church. My favorite service all year is usually the one right before Christmas.
9. Family. We've been blessed each year to be able to see family during the holidays.
10. Christmas movies...we have a few favorites, but Christmas is not complete without watching It's a Wonderful Life (my dad's all-time favorite!)
what are some of your favorite things?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I am my mother's daughter
and yesterday...I made my first batch of Almond Roca candy
getting all packaged up (so we stop eating it!!)
and ready to give!
I'm really enjoying making and baking gifts this year! Are you making anything special this Christmas season?
...and I made 3 other posts today...so read em all...
getting all packaged up (so we stop eating it!!)
and ready to give!
I'm really enjoying making and baking gifts this year! Are you making anything special this Christmas season?...and I made 3 other posts today...so read em all...
homemade gifts
I spent most of Sunday and Monday making these cute hats for my nieces! I can't wait to see a picture of the girls wearing them!
our weekend
I have some blog updating to do...
First, on Friday night Matt and I put up our tree
then we watched Love Actually...we got it our first christmas together and it's become a tradition ever since.
and on Saturday we headed to the park with Myka...she loved her first ride in a swing!
First, on Friday night Matt and I put up our tree
then we watched Love Actually...we got it our first christmas together and it's become a tradition ever since.
and on Saturday we headed to the park with Myka...she loved her first ride in a swing!
a little christmas blog cheer...
and an exciting post coming later tonight! stay tuned. 
also...i read today that Myka's eye color should be pretty much set (although it could technically always change) but i think we have a blue eyed cutie! who would have guessed??
Thursday, December 4, 2008
new hat for myka
so i wanted to know if i could still crochet...i bought a new needle and tried...i think it turned out pretty cute!
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
christmas picture preview
here's the first and only one we've seen so far...but isn't she adorable!
thanks Gina! click here to check out Gina's photos...they're awesome!
Friday, November 14, 2008
free digital photo books!
Snapfish.com is giving everyone a free photo book from Oprah...all you have to do is click here by midnight tonight...then make your book and order it by Sunday.
Also...thanks to simplemom.com you can check today's blog and get a free digital scrapbook from inkubook...
what a fun thing to make...and they could even make great christmas presents!
i already made my myka one and now get to make another one...have fun!
Saturday, November 8, 2008
baby sign language
how many of you moms (or dads) out there have taught your infant to sign?
if so...what did you think of the experience...did baby pick it up quickly...did it help baby communicate better later on?
and if not...did you consider it...what made you decide not to?
I'd love any and all input!
if so...what did you think of the experience...did baby pick it up quickly...did it help baby communicate better later on?
and if not...did you consider it...what made you decide not to?
I'd love any and all input!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
a first
Myka's first time in a shopping cart! We were at Micheal's and they were so small...I had to try. I think she was so nervous at first, but then she loved it.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Friday, October 17, 2008
find your perfect jeans.
so i just found this website from simplemom.net
you answer a few simple body questions...and in minutes you have a ton of jeans that should fit your size...it's at least a starting point and should cut down on changing room time.
note to add...i'm currently wearing the old navy jeans they suggested. does this mean i may have some sense of style??
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
movie reviews
Matt and I managed to fit 2 movies in this weekend!
First, Death at a Funeral...
absolutely hilarious...but not for the easily offended...it's british...
and second...the diving bell and the butterfly.
it was beautiful, and i think everyone will learn something watching this movie. (and it's in french, so you'll need subtitles)
so watch em, and let me know what you think!
First, Death at a Funeral...
absolutely hilarious...but not for the easily offended...it's british...
and second...the diving bell and the butterfly.
it was beautiful, and i think everyone will learn something watching this movie. (and it's in french, so you'll need subtitles)
so watch em, and let me know what you think!
Saturday, October 11, 2008
just had to share
i gave Myka a bath today and since it was a little chilly i pulled out the bathrobe and booties we had yet to use. i couldn't help but laugh as i got her all bundled up...and then watched as she looked at me with this face...
we soon realized all was ok though...
we soon realized all was ok though...
Friday, October 10, 2008
where have all the good dentists gone?
so i have always loved getting my teeth clean...honestly. after 10+ years of dental work to get my teeth looking the way they do, i have never wanted to even for one second risk losing my smile and therefore try to take impeccable care of my teeth (ok i should floss a little more, but other than that, impeccable).
matt and i both grew up using the same dentist our entire lives, and since we've been in LA we've had nothing but dentist drama. the first place we went was more like a factory...where no one works at the same time...i had to make 3 separate appointments to get xrays, get a cleaning and then talk to the dentist. who has that kind of time?
and then we switched to our current one...who has been ok for the most part except that you can never get in in the 6 month requirement. i end up going about 8 months between cleanings (frustration point 1)...
and now for frustration point 2...i have 7 cavities?? i've never had a cavity in my life until last year and now you are telling me i have 7? 2 on teeth that you "supposedly" already filled last year...WHAT THE HECK?? i'm so confused. and how does the dentist saying "we are going to watch these 2" translate into 5 cavities when it's time to leave and make the next appointment. not to mention that each cavity costs me $98 because i only have the option of getting the white filling that insurance does not cover...frustrations 3, 4, and 5....
i'm getting a second opinion.
matt and i both grew up using the same dentist our entire lives, and since we've been in LA we've had nothing but dentist drama. the first place we went was more like a factory...where no one works at the same time...i had to make 3 separate appointments to get xrays, get a cleaning and then talk to the dentist. who has that kind of time?
and then we switched to our current one...who has been ok for the most part except that you can never get in in the 6 month requirement. i end up going about 8 months between cleanings (frustration point 1)...
and now for frustration point 2...i have 7 cavities?? i've never had a cavity in my life until last year and now you are telling me i have 7? 2 on teeth that you "supposedly" already filled last year...WHAT THE HECK?? i'm so confused. and how does the dentist saying "we are going to watch these 2" translate into 5 cavities when it's time to leave and make the next appointment. not to mention that each cavity costs me $98 because i only have the option of getting the white filling that insurance does not cover...frustrations 3, 4, and 5....
i'm getting a second opinion.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
from the hubby...
I thought I would share something that Matt recently wrote for our church's weekly newsletter. Hope you enjoy it:
Recently, I had coffee with a friend who posed this question, “What does it mean to be a faithful witness as a follower of Christ in today’s world?” My friend is a Fuller grad who just started a pastor gig with a local church, and he is wrestling with the fact that for the writers of the New Testament being a faithful witness, ultimately, ended in martyrdom. Every one of the original “twelve” pretty much faced the same death as their Rabbi. This was the road that early believers faced as they lived life as a follower of Christ in the midst of a hostile and violent Empire. This idea pops-up its uncomfortable head as Paul speaks of “sharing in the suffering of Christ” in his letter to the Romans, (cf. Rom 8:17). What are we as 21st century readers, in the prosperous and influential U.S., to make of these statements?
It is the distance from which we read these New Testament passages that bothers my friend (and it should bother us as well). We have become so far removed from the original setting in which the New Testament was penned, that for us to try to grapple with its original meaning many times is out of our reach, we simply do not have the perspective. If I am truly honest with myself, I have no idea what it means to be a martyr, and the shallow understanding that I do possess will falter before a challenging voice, just like Peter before the rooster crows. However, “with human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” (Matt 19:26, TNIV). Somehow, someway we are still called to be “faithful witnesses,” and the sobering thought becomes that God has not given up on us, and it is by his power and ability that we can carry this out. How, then, can we let 2000 years stand in the way of what God wants from us, his children? The call to be a faithful witness is still valid; it did not die off with the martyrs of old. In fact, it is upon their shoulders in which we stand, they are the foundation in which we can look back and see a continuous line from the teachings of Christ to us today. We, my friends, are part of a movement, a mission; we are members of the Kingdom of God. And, we are asked to be “faithful witnesses” to that Kingdom, and the way we live our lives should be marked with the same commitment and drive that the early Christians had as they faced death because of the message that they witnessed too.
We do not face possible death (most of us who read this) for our commitment to Christ. But, that does not mean that there are not real and substantial challenges in our lives. Early Christians faced death, we face ridicule, abandonment, broken relationships, financial hardship…the list goes on. It is important for us to come to the understanding that their challenges were their challenges and the New Testament speaks into that context. Our challenges are ours, they are valid and real, and if we let it, the New Testament can speak to us as well. For as Paul says in that verse in Romans, “if indeed we share in his suffering…we may also share in his glory,” (8:17) So the question comes now to you, the reader, “What does it mean for you to be a “faithful witness” in your life today, even now as you read these words…
Recently, I had coffee with a friend who posed this question, “What does it mean to be a faithful witness as a follower of Christ in today’s world?” My friend is a Fuller grad who just started a pastor gig with a local church, and he is wrestling with the fact that for the writers of the New Testament being a faithful witness, ultimately, ended in martyrdom. Every one of the original “twelve” pretty much faced the same death as their Rabbi. This was the road that early believers faced as they lived life as a follower of Christ in the midst of a hostile and violent Empire. This idea pops-up its uncomfortable head as Paul speaks of “sharing in the suffering of Christ” in his letter to the Romans, (cf. Rom 8:17). What are we as 21st century readers, in the prosperous and influential U.S., to make of these statements?
It is the distance from which we read these New Testament passages that bothers my friend (and it should bother us as well). We have become so far removed from the original setting in which the New Testament was penned, that for us to try to grapple with its original meaning many times is out of our reach, we simply do not have the perspective. If I am truly honest with myself, I have no idea what it means to be a martyr, and the shallow understanding that I do possess will falter before a challenging voice, just like Peter before the rooster crows. However, “with human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible,” (Matt 19:26, TNIV). Somehow, someway we are still called to be “faithful witnesses,” and the sobering thought becomes that God has not given up on us, and it is by his power and ability that we can carry this out. How, then, can we let 2000 years stand in the way of what God wants from us, his children? The call to be a faithful witness is still valid; it did not die off with the martyrs of old. In fact, it is upon their shoulders in which we stand, they are the foundation in which we can look back and see a continuous line from the teachings of Christ to us today. We, my friends, are part of a movement, a mission; we are members of the Kingdom of God. And, we are asked to be “faithful witnesses” to that Kingdom, and the way we live our lives should be marked with the same commitment and drive that the early Christians had as they faced death because of the message that they witnessed too.
We do not face possible death (most of us who read this) for our commitment to Christ. But, that does not mean that there are not real and substantial challenges in our lives. Early Christians faced death, we face ridicule, abandonment, broken relationships, financial hardship…the list goes on. It is important for us to come to the understanding that their challenges were their challenges and the New Testament speaks into that context. Our challenges are ours, they are valid and real, and if we let it, the New Testament can speak to us as well. For as Paul says in that verse in Romans, “if indeed we share in his suffering…we may also share in his glory,” (8:17) So the question comes now to you, the reader, “What does it mean for you to be a “faithful witness” in your life today, even now as you read these words…
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
6 month update
our baby girl is 6 months old!
height 24"
weight 13lbs 15oz
favorite foods: bananas, pears and sweet potatoes
favorite toys: kangaroo, rattle ring and anything with crinkly paper in it
eyes: blue
hair: blonde
favorite activity: jumping and taking walks
favorite song: patty cake
favorite cd: baby einstein lullaby classics volume 2
Monday, September 29, 2008
the rose bowl
so, since we live in pasadena, we were excited to be able to make a trip to the actual rose bowl for a game. it was ridiculously hot, loud and an obnoxious climb to our seats (we sat at the top row...but we were in the shade)...all in all it was a fun adventure. and fresno won! not that we were really cheering for a team.
myka. crashed.
fellow fresnans
myka. crashed.
fellow fresnans
Friday, September 26, 2008
finally friday
so our stay-cation week has been great for Matt and Myka...I've been a little busy with work (obviously, no posts) but I've tried to get as much rest as possible at the same time. This week we did however take Myka to the park for her first ride on a swing...although she's too small for the sit alone ones, she had a great time swinging with daddy. And Matt actually read a novel. I think his words were "it was so nice to read a book without a pencil in my hand and a dictionary nearby". I'm so glad this week has been restful for him. I think I'm rejuvenated more just knowing that.
Tonight we have respective girls/guys night with some friends...and tomorrow we head to the rose bowl for our first UCLA vs Fresno State game...I'm told Fresno is supposed to win?!? I'll post some pics tomorrow!
Tonight we have respective girls/guys night with some friends...and tomorrow we head to the rose bowl for our first UCLA vs Fresno State game...I'm told Fresno is supposed to win?!? I'll post some pics tomorrow!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
where's myka?
myka was playing and when i came back into the room this is what i found.
where's myka??
she's very into peek-a-boo right now.
where's myka??
she's very into peek-a-boo right now.
stay-cation weekend
yesterday was a rest day.
in the morning we walked to target...got a birthday present for our friend Micaiah who turned 2...and enjoyed the wonderful LA weather at his birthday party yesterday afternoon. (hopefully i'll have pics soon)
last night was a nice quiet movie night for mom and dad. we watched apollo 13...it was good. my boss used the trailer in a seminar last week, so i've seriously been watching the trailer for about 3 weeks as i tried to figure out how to get it to play in power point.
this morning we stayed in our pjs all morning and made cinnamon rolls and coffee. yummmm.....yeah, there's no counting calories this week.
and then we headed to the mall cause i had some clothes to return for Myka...we found the cutest halloween costume for her...can't wait until she wears it!
we've got church tonight, and another fun day coming tomorrow...hope all of you had a good weekend as well.
in the morning we walked to target...got a birthday present for our friend Micaiah who turned 2...and enjoyed the wonderful LA weather at his birthday party yesterday afternoon. (hopefully i'll have pics soon)
last night was a nice quiet movie night for mom and dad. we watched apollo 13...it was good. my boss used the trailer in a seminar last week, so i've seriously been watching the trailer for about 3 weeks as i tried to figure out how to get it to play in power point.
this morning we stayed in our pjs all morning and made cinnamon rolls and coffee. yummmm.....yeah, there's no counting calories this week.
and then we headed to the mall cause i had some clothes to return for Myka...we found the cutest halloween costume for her...can't wait until she wears it!
we've got church tonight, and another fun day coming tomorrow...hope all of you had a good weekend as well.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
dodger night
last night was so fun...although not for the dodgers...
Myka lasted until the 7th inning...although she was a little unsure about some of the fans and the crazy things they like to do. (see picture below with friend Patricia)
Myka lasted until the 7th inning...although she was a little unsure about some of the fans and the crazy things they like to do. (see picture below with friend Patricia)
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