one of my favorite things...

when i act goofy, i talk in a southern accent.  it's a habit, thanks to erin elizabeth.  that's just how we've talked to each other since 4th grade.  "i'm I-talian, i take a hog to the fair (hick accent) hahaha.  anyway,  this is one of my favorite things about ohio.  when the storms come in.

the air cools off, it gets really windy and it smells like rain.  i just LOVE it!  here you go...

poodle's birthday

Des turned 4 on Wednesday!  And i just loved this video.  Watch his little tail just wag...  :)

ipad

yep.  i've been saving up all of my money in my little jewelry box on my dresser since december.  with birthday and christmas money and my target discount, i got the new ipad.  i love it.  i highly recommend them.  especially if you don't have the money to buy a mac laptop.  i take it every where with me.  


and here is my little poodle boy interacting with it.  we put on a dog video on youtube.  haha!  he touches his nose to the ipad and the screen moves all around, etc.  he's so smart :)

O death where is your sting?

I surprisingly wasn't incredibly homesick yesterday for Easter. We went to Ekklesia for service in the Hult Center. It was a beautiful service! And Pastor Wes preached it, sister. And brother.

 our church rented out the Hult Center (where they usually have orchestras, ballets, plays, etc.) in downtown Eugene.  We just had one service and invited the entire town.  It was incredible.  It opened up with the children singing about 3 songs.  One of my favorite little girls kept saying "Hi Mommy, Hi Daddy"  about every 2 minutes.  it was soo cute and HILARIOUS!  kids were jumping off of the front row bleacher and hitting each other, and the yelling "Jesus Saves".  haha.  It just made me think of us, His children, His bride.  We are still being refined, and yet, He still loves our praise.  know what i mean?  more on that later.

Paul and I started hanging out with these people on sundays, well we hang out with them a lot more than just sundays.  but they moved here from Alabama to be missionaries.  pretty amazing.  We call ourselves the beautiful mess.  our mission is just to love the city of Eugene radically.  particularly the Whiteaker area.  so on sunday, we had an Easter feast for the homeless.  it blessed my heart so much.  and some of my kids from hosea (the homeless shelter that i volunteer at) were there!  and it was so nice to fellowship with them and sing praises to Jesus with them.  if you wanna know more just ask.  here is a short video of what my sunday looked like.  Paul is in the hunter green serving food.  i am in pink and talking the whole time.  i didn't know that my friend Ethan was recording. it's a bit embarrassing, actually.

birthday gifts

i just want to share with you how AWESOME my birthday was this year.  i was so worried that it was going to be the worst birthday of my life since i'm so far away from everyone that i know and love.  let me just tell you, it was a GREAT birthday!  i had approximately 6 packages in the mail.

i received so many beautiful cards that made my heart squeeze so tight because i was so excited.

the knapps sent me some good madcap. yum.

mom and dad sent me a whole bunch of goodies.

amanda sent me a bottle of wine.

amers and molly sent me the most beautiful yarn wreath and most exciting birthday mail package i've ever gotten.  it had molly's stickers all over it!

and chels sent me a GORGEOUS apron that i am loving to cook in!

my wreath.  i have to display it in my living room!

apron that hangs on display in my kitchen when it's not on me while i cook.

my camera was dead when everything came, so this is from paul's blackberry.  coffee, wine, i'm borrowing mom and dads gps, turbo tax, and she sent me some oil of oregano - a great thing for me since i'm allergic to antibiotics!

a taste of the beautiful box molly and amers sent.  i wanted to show you all of it, but i don't want you to see their address... no no no.   gotta protect my molly girl. :)

THANK YOU for an amazing birthday.

she's coming!

i have a best friend.  and she's coming to see me.  it couldn't be more perfect timing because hubby has to travel with the baseball team that week.  


let me just tell you... she is the most incredible woman that you will EVER meet.  you can read a little bit about her heart here.  her name is amanda.  i call her loty girl.  do not call her mandy. no sir, she does not like that.  she is my david and i am her jonathan.  


she is coming in just a few days.  and i need to share a little secret with you.  i have been counting them down, one by one.

yep that would be a paper chain.  you tear a ring off one day at a time.

you may think it's weird or unhealthy, i don't know.  i just need her in my life.  i honestly don't think i could live without her.  she is literally my left brain - or my right brain - whichever side is better, that is what she is to me.  i don't know if it's good or bad, but it's just the way it is. i'm just telling you the truth.

when i am processing things, i can't do it without her.   i honest-to-God cannot make a judgement or conclusive decision without talking it out with her.  the Lord put her in my life for a reason.  she is my other half.  and i love her deeply.  i would do anything in the world for her.

and when she is driving home late at night, hundreds of miles away from me.  you know what i do?  i worry. i worry that something crazy might happen... i can't even talk about it because i have a big GULP swelling up in my throat just thinking about it.  so, guys, you know what else i do, i pray for her and her safety until i fall asleep.  i don't know what i would do without her.  i don't even want to think about it.

this special girl is coming to see me and my hubby and just a couple of days.  and we are sooo very very excited.  she is more a part of us than she even realizes.  i love you loty girl. get here safely and quickly.  because i hate living without you close by.

minority

the more that i talk to women, the more i realize that i am a minority.


the close men to me in my life have loved me unconditionally.  they have empowered me.  they have never used my weaknesses for themselves.


i have never been abused physically, sexually, verbally or emotionally.


thank you Daddy, 


thank you Brother,


thank you HUSBAND.


and thank you close guy friends. 


and thank you JESUS.




Thank you for believing in me, supporting me, and empowering me. thank you for encouraging me and listening to me.  thank you for protecting me and teaching me.






and it's not fair that i am the minority.  every one of us deserves to be loved like this.  and with this blessing of being loved liked this, how can i not use it to love and empower the majority of other women who are victims of abuse.  




we need more men like these men in my life.  you men, are sadly, also a minority.  




let's go out and share this love.  there are so many people in desperate need of it.

dog pee on my curtain

i love my dog.  i don't know what i'd do without him.  i spend more time with him at this point in my life than any other living thing.  i don't know if that's good or bad.  but that's the way it is. and i love him.  he's my sweet sweet boy.

he was abused before we got him.  i can't talk about it because i will start to cry.  it just breaks my heart that someone would do something so awful to something so helpless.  but he's alright.  he's healing.  and he knows that he is deeply loved here.  we are his home.  but my heart swells with love for this little guy.  

this little guy has grown such a personality.  he used to just sit in a corner and shake.  he didn't even know how to jump up onto a couch.  and i love his little personality.  this is my favorite pose of his.

he puts his little butt up in the air and it just shakes so fast, back and forth, because he doesn't have a tail.  so his whole butt shakes.  i love this dog - this dog with no tail.  we keep his hair long around the little nub that is his 'tail' just to give him more confidence.  but he's perfect.  and usually when he's in this stance, he does this cute little high pitch bark letting you know he wants to play.

my house is a mess because of him.  but i don't care.  i love it.  he's so funny. and has so much personality.  you would never guess because he is so timid.

but he can be ornery,  this little doggie.

yep, that's pee on my curtain.  grrrr.  it makes me mad.  i don't know how to clean it off.  any ideas?  and i also don't know when he did it so i can't even get him in trouble for it.  

gosh i love this poodle.

traveling.

we're traveling today.  going home for Christmas!

photo of paul from his work's ugly christmas sweater party.  

trav, you're getting this sweater for christmas!

and this guys is traveling on a plane for the first time!

Pray for our safe travels, please!

surprises

i'm so thankful for the people who love us.  we got a couple of surprises in the mail this last week and it brightened our whole month.

a candle that smells so good from my mom -  thank you so much mom! we have not gone an hour without that thing burning while we're home.

cookies, a note and a handmade bookmark from one of my best friends, amy.  the bookmark has one of my most favorite verses on it. zephaniah 3:17 'The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.'  thank you so much amers!  you are so thoughtful and encouraging.

flowers

i heard a knock at the door and to my surprise it was the fed ex man holding a box like this...

as you can see, des was very interested in the flowers!

my best friend, amanda, sent me some flowers all the way from ohio.  how awesome is that?  it made my month.  i am blessed beyond measure with some of the most beautiful friends in the world.

and i am such a 'words of affirmation' person it's not even funny

if you can actually read this, i always compare my friendship with amanda to jonathan and david in the bible. yes, she is that awesome of a perosn.  she is my david & i'm her jonathan.

this brought tears to my eyes and came at the most perfect time.  thank you.

i need an iphone.

i was texting with my brother yesterday.  i wish i had an iphone to take a picture of the conversation and post it on here (you know, like the cool people always do on facebook?).  

it started off by me asking him about our economy and if we're going into a double dip recession.  he is the one who was born with the genius brains he has a bachelor's degree in economics , so i ask him [my little brother] questions all the time.  

then we proceed to talk about christmas and when we will be able to see each other again.  then the conversation goes as follows:

Trav: "i don't think i can wait that long to see you"

me: "then buy a plane ticket and come see us"

Trav: "maybe i'll just get a girl knocked up who has a rich dad"

haaaaaaaaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahaha! 

let's be honest, my brother is one of the most Godly men who has ever walked the earth.  he would NEVER do anything like that for a reason like that.  if you know my brother, this is hilarious.  sorry mom, but it's really hilarious because it's completely opposite of Trav's character.

oh man, i love my brother!

so this post would've been much quicker and better if i just had an iphone.  don't you agree.  i'm taking donations :)

dog toys

So does is not a very good eater.  especially with his dry food.  it seems the only time he actually eats his dry food is when he is playing.  so he chases a ball and then runs to his food bowl and drops the balls in the bowl and pushes the food all around until he finds the perfect piece!  oh, my goodness!  it drives me crazy! because i end up picking up his food that splashes out all around his bowl.  what  goofy dog i have.  does anyone else have this problem?

*Right now he isn't eating any dry food.  it's all baby food, when he eats.  please keep him in your prayers.  we took him to the animal hospital on sunday night/monday morning (middle of the night) because he was having trouble breathing.  his larynx and tonsils were so swollen he could barely breathe.  he is on a steroid, an antibiotic and a pain killer.  but the hardest part is making him eat!  this poor guys has been through sooo much, it's heart breaking.  i just want him to have the most fulfilling life a dog could have.*

waterfalls

i missed out on this trip, but these pictures are so gorgeous i had to share them with you so that you will want to come and visit us!  when my in-laws were here, we did a lot of hiking and sight seeing.  on this particular day, i had a job interview (and i got the job - Jehovah Jireh!) so i was not able to come along.  but these waterfalls are close to our house and are breathtaking.

see the rainbow?!

yes, that is real.

'Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’'  John 7:38

Ruth

so i was looking through a box of buttons that my mamaw gave to me and i almost cried when i found these...

yep!  tags that were my great grandmother's!  Her name was Ruth.  Like my mamaw and me.  i love these.

west coast

My first trip to the west coast was absolutely gorgeous! I cannot wait to go back.  We went with paul's family.  it was so great!  here are some pictures.  hopefully this will talk you into coming to visit.

we hiked to the heceta head light house

paul thought this tree was really awesome.

and as the fog started to roll in, i got my 1st glimpse of the pacific ocean!

'For I am the LORD your God,
   who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
   the LORD Almighty is his name.'

Isaiah 51:15

we had the whole light house area to ourselves, but it started to drizzle a little as you can see in the pic above.

glad i wasn't out to sea with all that fog!

the hike back up from the beach... i liked this little walkway.

photo of heceta head lighthouse that i didn't take just so you can know how beautiful it is!

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