us.

In case you wanted to know how we size up to a gorilla.

Europe.

D & I are planning a trip to Europe next summer as a "Hooray I've finished grad school!" celebration. We're going to start planning soon, because if we don't time will just pass on by and it'll never happen! Greece, France, and Germany are on our must-do list. But we're so in need of other must-do's! So if there is a country, place, restaurant, anything that should make our list, please let us know.

Summer 2011...you are closer than we think!

hello my name is auntie.

Speaking of being an auntie, the 4 little ladies in my life have completely captured my heart.  I get a phone call at least twice a week from two of them who tug the phone back and forth shouting, "hi auntie!"  "i love you auntie!"  "bye bye!"  My heart melts every time.

I got a little package in the mail the other day.  Sent from my sister's home and addressed to "Auntie".  I opened it up and this little birdie was inside.  The story is my sister was at the store with the girls and Taylor (nearly 4) said, "Mommy!  Can I get this for my auntie?  I just know she will love it!"  And love it I do.  

I can't even imagine the love I will have for my own one day...

6.

Today is my our nephew's 6th birthday. 6 was a great year for me- I remember. I remember being at Target and telling my sister, "6 is my favorite number". She said, "You just think that because you're 6." But no, all these years later and 6 is still my favorite.

This little guy is our favorite nephew. (he's our only) He is a sponge and can tell you how strong a gator's mouth is, how fast a hawk can fly, and can identify any type of shark or plane. He can wrestle, play the air guitar, and shoot a basketball like no other. He prays over our family dinners, loves his little sis, wants to be just like his dad/Uncle D, and is just the coolest kid ever. He knows what it means to worship and one time spent 20 minutes at the dinner table trying to explain what it's all about. (You can't just sing, like "la, la, la"! It's got to come out of, like, your heart! That's the only way Jesus will hear you if you're trying to worship him! So you can't just sing, but you've got to SING!) He's our little man and we adore him.

Happy birthday, nephew. Uncle and Auntie love you. so. very. much.

butterfly jungle.

This weekend Danny and I went with the rest of our family to the Wild Animal Park.  We've been watching the Planet Earth series for the past few weeks, so we were incredibly excited!  More on that later.  But my absolute favorite part of the day was the "Butterfly Jungle" exhibit.  There were millions of butterflies in this green house.  And this one landed and stayed on my hat for a good 10 minutes.  It reminded me of my Grandma Chico, who loved butterflies.  So worth the 1 1/2 hour line.

neutered.

Do you feel bad for our pup?

We do.

(He's not as happy as he looks.  Oh, and can you see the chewed up edges?  He's that bored.)

PS Anyone else had experience with a neutered dog?  Our vet said 2 weeks with the cone, no walks, and no play.  Does that sound about right to you?

curly.

Yesterday I got a few e-mails with product recommendations.   And last night I showered, spritzed, sprayed, and "scrunched".  And today I am sporting curls.  Already got 3 compliments!  Thank you, thank you!

Tomorrow our little guy is getting neutered.  I am really nervous for him and feel like a mean mom.  We just love our pup and don't want him to hurt.  So, if you think of him tomorrow, say a little puppy prayer.

Am off to start hour 1 of my 14 hour school day.  

Next week?  Spring break!  

(which means that instead of sitting in class for 14 hours straight I will be at home writing my 30-page paper.  hm...)

bump it.

So a few weeks ago I was at Bed Bath & Beyond (because we still have wedding gift cards there) and I picked this up. I have really thin hair so I thought it would...well, bump it.

I was wrong. This product is so not for me. At all. But maybe, just maybe, it's for you?

So if you've ever wanted to try a Bump It, please let me know either by e-mail or comment and I will send it your way. A gift from me to you.

Speaking of hair, the longer my hair gets the wavier it gets (which is ironic, because it should be more weighted down...). I think it has the potential of being less kinky and more curly, so I am on the hunt for a good product. I am not a product girl and think my only must-have is Pantene hairspray. So, if you have a recommendation (on any product, for that matter), please send it my way. Us girls need to stick together!

rest.

This week I'm catching up on it.  It has been a really busy past couple months.  Now for a few weeks of rest....ahhhhh.

In other news, we are 12 days away from celebrating the resurrection of Christ and ending this fast.  Danny and I are struggling.  We are so bored...we eat the same food almost every. single. day.  I try so hard to be creative and have a variety but there's not much you can do when your food is limited.  

Last night after dinner (salad and bread topped with butternut squash, mushroom and red onion...about as creative as I can get) we had this conversation:

me- so what do you want for dessert babe?

D- a brownie!  you?

me- a chocolate chip cookie that is still warm and gooey in the middle!

and we sat there in silence with a sparkle in our eyes...and then I said...

me- so nothing?

D- ya, nothing.

and the spark was gone.

And that, my friends, was our moment of weakness.

I can't wait to meal plan and re-stock my cupboards and taste a variety of textures and flavors again.

Food is beautiful.

And this fast is teaching us a lot.

I'd like to not limp across the finish line on Easter, so please pray for endurance.

to you from Denver.

A little Den Den fix for your Thursday.

"My mom wanted me to stop by and tell you guys what's been going on in my life.  I am proud to say I haven't had an accident in the house for 2 weeks now.  For me, that is quite an accomplishment and I believe I've reached a new level of doghood.  Life is so much better for me when I don't poop on the floor.

In other news, I've lost almost all my baby teeth in the past 10 days.  When the first one fell out my dad kept opening my mouth to check it all out.  So embarrassing.

I've also started a real bone.  You know, not the 2-inch one but the 9-inch one.  I like it because it doesn't slip out of the bars of my cage.  And also because I can work on it all day long.  I'm a happy boy.

Believe it or not, I love ice cubes more than any other treat my mom and dad give me.  My mom says I can have as many as I want because it doesn't cost them any money.  Works for me!

The other day my mom took me for a walk and I found a Reese's peanut butter cup.  She told me to drop it but she must be crazy because there's no way I would have let it go.  It was delicious.

Also, my parents have about 500 names for me.  Denver, Den Den, Little D, Monk Monk, Monkey...It really is sort of confusing.

My dad made me some sort of appointment for the end of the month.  Whenever my parents talk about it they look at me with sorry eyes.  What's going on?!

Well, I have a bone to go chew.  I just wanted to say I like my life a lot.  If only we had a yard..."

today is a good day.

Remember when I received this way back when?  Well, today I'll be a part of the interview process for next year's Kerns.  What an honor and privilege to be involved in such an enormous blessing.  

So if you think about it, please pray for the interviewers and the interviewees.  I remember the way I felt walking into that room- they need all the prayer they can get!

Oh, and these are my new shoes...purchased by my pop-in-law.  My response to his offer: "You don't have to do that!"  And his response: "Of course I don't have to do it, but you're my daughter and I can do whatever I want!"  Precious.  I'll be sporting them today in honor of St. Pat, but mostly because I don't like getting pinched.

Today is a good day.  Go enjoy it.

yesterday.

Good morning.

Spring has sprung around here.

Work.

Play.

Good night.

opportunity.

So what's up with this ministry opportunity thing?
Many of you have asked if we are leaving our church.

The answer?
No way.

Allow me to share.

There is a popular youth ministry organization that is re-vamping their vision. They have a huge heart to support, equip, and help those of us who minister to youth. To better accomplish their mission they are bringing in 8 youth pastors from across the US and Canada for a 3-day symposium to help them brainstorm through some of this stuff.

And, well, I got chosen to be the West coast rep.

So next month I'll be flying to Grand Rapids, MI to sit around a table with other people who love teenagers.

Sounds blissful. What an honor and privilege.

I. Can't. Wait.

Oh, and I took comments off this post because it is so not about me. All glory be to God.

bridesmaid.

On June 12 I will be wearing this dress as I stand with that friend as she becomes a Mrs. And I couldn't be more privileged and honored. Oh, and did I ever mention she is the one who caught my bouquet? (Not that it was planned, or anything...)

June 12, 2010...come soon.

make it a gardenia.

Hello.

Have you gotten a chance to read the newest Real Simple yet? It is such a good one. You've done it again, RS! Danny loves watching me read RS. Maybe it's because I cry when I read about the long-lasting marriages of those that have come before me. Or because I laugh when I read that people have served their family a beer and a pudding cup or rice with ketchup in the name of saving time. So funny!

Anyhow, on page 213 is the start of an article called If you're going to stop & smell a flower, make it a gardenia...and 21 other things in life that are really, truly worth your time, according to authors, experts, and everyday people who understand that to-do lists exist only to help you get from point A to point BE. Danny seemed to especially enjoy watching me read this one. The reading was accompanied with "oh"s! and "mmhmm"s! Cuddling up with my favorite childhood book and enjoying a civilized breakfast just seems so charming. But especially attention-grabbing was the idea of documenting a week of my life.

Sometimes I have such an urgency to let my life soak in and enjoy just where I'm at, because this season, too, shall pass. So this week I'll be photographing the mundane details of my waking hours, writing a daily message to myself, and posting my way through it. You should probably join me in the project.

How happy it is to be alive today!

See you tomorrow morn for today's proof of life.

hide and seek.

Last night Danny and I played hide & seek. It is one of our favorite games to play. Once, before we were married, we played in my little 800 sq. foot apartment and I couldn't find him for at least 30 minutes. We get that intense.


Round 1 - Danny stepped outside and waited for a minute to pass by. I looked in the linen closet. Too small. Under the bathroom sink. Too small. Running out of time... So I jumped up (still not sure how) to the top shelf in the closet. I had visions of it breaking and getting really hurt. Luckily, it held me up. Danny couldn't find me for 15 minutes. My feet were going numb. Finally, after the third time he checked the closet, reached up to feel the top shelf and missed me, and walked away, I let it out. All those giggles I had been holding in. I thought it was the funniest thing ever. He couldn't believe I fit up there and you should have seen us trying to get me down!

Round 2 - I stepped outside. Mind you, wet hair and wearing jammers and it was freezing. But I counted to 60 and then tried to open the door. WHAT?!? He locked me out!!! I sat there for 10 minutes knocking and ringing the doorbell. Finally he made it out of his hiding spot and let me in. It was a total mistake and he thought I was just trying to get him to come out. I was almost in tears. Needless to say, this time we only lasted 2 rounds. Once I warmed up we couldn't stop laughing.

So husband, high five for being on automatic pilot when it comes to locking the front door. But next time please make sure your wife is in the house before you lock out all the bad guys.

PS I just got such an amazing ministry opportunity and I can't wait to tell you all about it once it becomes "official". Yipeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

weekend. weekstart.

This weekend was just beautiful.  Rain, broomball, middle schoolers, Griffith Observatory, Sprinkles cupcakes, catching up on Lost, sleeping in, church, grocery shopping, Petsmart shopping, and an impromptu family dinner around my mom's beautiful dining table.  Ah, just wonderful.

It's Monday morning and the weather is overcast.  I have laundry swishing and swirling in the washing machine, a full and happy pup to my left, and a mini heater at my feet.  Am staying home from work today to study up for a HUGE, SCARY, INTIMIDATING midterm on Thursday.  (I'd rather not talk about it.)

Am off to hit the books.  Cheers to a great week filled with coffee dates, study sessions, sock-wearing, and photographs.

this morning.

grape nuts + powering up for a middle school overnighter.

just the sweetest dog there ever was.

a to-do list that is looking manageable.

art work by husband.

Happy weekend!

day 15.

Am feeling much better today, minus a runny nose.  I blame all the ministry events that took place this weekend.  People like to hug and shake hands and it sure is a great way to share germs.  Good thing I like people!

Today is day 15 of our fast.  It's hard to believe it's been that long already.  It's been an amazing journey so far for Danny and I.  We crave less and less.  In fact, Danny and I have been mostly* craving foods we're able to eat. (like Grape Nuts...which were so gross to us in the beginning but now we love them.)  I found sugar-free/flour-free muffins at Trader Joe's the other day and that was a huge treat.  Oh, and also these veggie burgers that I just so happen to love and would eat even if we weren't fasting.  So bottom line is, we're not only surviving but we're also enjoying!

We're feeling good and strong, yet also "empty".  I sometimes feel like I am eating all throughout the day without ever feeling full.  Maybe it's because this food is going in one end and out the other within just a few hours.  (tmi? sorry.)   We don't own a scale in our home but surely my husband is looking thin.  I, too, am wearing my skinniest jeans (please tell me I'm not the only one who has 2 or 3 sizes of jeans) and even they have a little but sag goin' on.

The hardest thing about this fast is the lack of enjoying food and community together.  We have been wanting to invite over a few different friends but it is hard to do so without involving food.  (Don't worry...we won't invite you over for a black bean, corn, and brown rice mixture.)  That's what I am most looking forward to when this fast is over.  Meal-sharing.  And dessert.  And cheese.  Oh yes.  1 month to go.

Proof that I have always been and will forever be a fan of dessert.

today's menu:

breakfast - strawberries & a banana

lunch - peanut butter sandwich, apple, nut mixture

snack - whole grain crackers & hummus

dinner - whole grain pasta, sauteed veggies & tomato sauce

*key word.

achoo.

Last night I dreamt of rain boots, hotels, having clean wood floors, and flowery-printed vintage wallpaper.

In other words, I'm sick.  Thank goodness my last class tomorrow has been cancelled.  8am-6pm sounds so much more do-able than 8am-10pm.

I think I'm checking out for a day or two as I recover.

Shalom!

our love fern.

These are the flowers Danny got me for Valentine's Day.  2 1/2 weeks later and they are still alive, vibrant, and sweet-smelling.  Danny's best flower-picker-outer.  Did I ever mention we try to buy them weekly?  They make me smile every time I walk into our home.

This weekend it rained here.  I didn't even know it was coming but what a pleasant surprise.  Now all my little tea light holders are filled to the brim with water.  Leave it to southern California, but now the sun is out and shining and you wouldn't even know the streets were flooded this weekend.  Go figure.

This weekend was one of those crazy busy weekends...but that didn't keep it from being one of the best.  D & I went on a date on Friday because we had a little extra money at the end of the month.  He bought me a new dress and we saw the Lovely Bones at the budget theatre.  (It was good and strange, just like the book.)  

Saturday we held a huge purity ceremony for our students and their families.  We had to add more chairs- that's how many people came.  The room was packed and we worshipped and celebrated and honored our students.  Danny led worship & I taught.  We're such a team.  Anyway, it was such a sweet night and I couldn't be more proud of the students and the commitment they made.

Sunday was break day!  We made pancakes and scrambled eggs showered with mozzarella!   There was a dance party in my mouth.  Danny also got a hair cut and we went to a late lunch with a gift card we've had since Christmas.  Sunday night service it was youth-focused so I got to teach and share a bit about what's been going on in youth ministry.  We prayed over students and leaders and parents.  And then the entire church prayed over Danny and I...over our marriage and our home and this ministry that has been entrusted to us.  We walked out of there humbled and encouraged and supported.  There's not too much more I can say about that than I am amazed at the love of Christ and the support we have from our church.

Happy Monday.

PS Bachelor tonight!