Andy & Elisha

Birthright, by David Needham

2011-12-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Birthright intrigued me before I even started reading the book. The title worried me a little – do I know who I am? What if I’m one of those Christians that doesn’t know who they are? What if this whole book is going to point out all of my “Christian” failings? What if, deep down, I’m not good enough to be a Christian?

Oddly enough, those fears were real. My brain knows that you can’t earn salvation or be good enough. My heart knows it most days too, but somewhere in this dark place in my mind, there’s a little nagging voice that will always say, “You’re not good enough.”

I’ve always struggled with this – this belief in Satan’s lies that I’m a failure. In the last five years, God has done amazing work in my life, bringing healing to this area of self loathing: a bible study on Galations affirming that I can't earn salvation, my husband’s continuing grace in my life, my family’s love and support – everything in my life has been speaking to me that I am loved and forgiven. In fact, I’ve even seen progress in my life and walk with God - proof that I’m growing and maturing in my walk with the Lord.

But, somewhere, unresolved, was this little seed that was still planted in my mind, reminding me that I will never be good enough. “True,” I told it, “but I’m forgiven. I may not be good enough, but Christ has paid my price.” This always felt right, but it never erased the quiet doubts that others would see me and view me as the failure that I knew myself to be. There was always the thought I was messed up inside – trying hard to don Christ’s love, even living in His Spirit – but still broken inside.

And then I read Birthright – not that I am completely over hearing the nagging thoughts - but now, I have seen my new identity. One I think I knew was there, but that Satan kept lying to me to cover up.

I knew that if I abided in Christ, he would help me resist temptation and, more than that, not desire sinful things, but to realize that while abiding in Christ helps, He has done more than that for me – He has literally given me a new nature. To believe that, to my very core, takes the fear that who I really am will come out and be seen by all. It changes it to a belief that I am a new creation in Christ. One that, yes, will be tempted by sin, but one that is no longer a slave to sin. In light of my new nature, I am not only a sinful person who is forgiven and trying hard to love the Lord and live in His Spirit, I am a child of God who delights in His Spirit and who is free from my old sinful self.

David does a better job explaining it than I can summarize, but I suppose the imagery of an adopted child is what I imagine - a girl from the streets who is adopted by a wealthy and loving family. She will always worry that the friends of that family will forever to see her as the street girl she was; no matter how many pretty clothes she wears or how perfectly she speaks, no matter how vehemently that family proclaims her as theirs, that nagging feeling will linger in the back of her mind. But the child born to that family, will never have those doubts and fears. It would never cross her mind that she didn't fit with her family - she is their child and is confident in her identity.

And that is what Christ has done for me. I am no longer that street girl. I am the child born of God. That nagging feeling can leave, because I am more than adopted, I have been given a new nature, and have been made a child of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 -

"If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away; behold, the new has come."

A Story of Grace

2011-09-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

I hear the steady sound of breathing as my husband sleeps... His warm back is pressed against mine. The darkness of the room is deep as I lie cozy beneath the blankets, pondering what she has asked of us... of me. She wants us to share our testimonies. She asked us to tell how we are different now than we were before Christ.

My testimony... the words burn my heart. What testimony? I have only known unfaithfulness in my walk with God. I have only known failure. That familiar self-hatred eats away at my heart again. You have nothing to share, the enemy lies. You are not a different person. You'll never be like them - righteous and holy. You will never be able to share about how you are different because you aren't and will never be different. You are selfish. You are worthless. You are a failure.

The tears fill my eyes as I listen to the liar. And yet, I hear His voice there too, whispering truth. You are my daughter. You are forgiven. You are washed clean. You are Mine. I have made you holy. I have given you a righteousness that is not of your own. I love you. Your testimony is of Me. Your story is My faithfulness. I will never let you go. I will show you the surpassing riches of My grace so that you will be the evidence of My love.

As His words pour into my heart, banishing the enemy's lies, I listen as He tells my story the way that He has written for me.

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." My testimony is one not of my own works, but of the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness towards [me] in Christ Jesus.

I grab my iPhone from the dresser next to the bed and quietly type the story that God has given me. I will share my story with these women and pray that others will see Jesus in it. I will pray that His grace to me will show others His love for them. I will tell them that I, myself, am not different; It is Christ in me that is.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." - Philippians 1:6

Stolen Time

2011-09-15T09:52:00.000-07:00

It is quiet. The only sound is the anxiety pounding in my head that says she'll wake up at any moment. That beautiful little girl who consumes my life now. The precious little eyes and smile that take up every free moment I possess. The lovely little cheeks that prevent me from thinking about myself anymore...

In my quiet, stolen moment, I pray for a little time to myself. A little time to breathe, to write, to quilt, to shower... what was it like to shower without listening for a little voice? I choose writing. The whir of the computer is oddly calming. It feels so full of potential. The anxiety stays - will I be able to finish this one blog post? Too many posts started and left unfinished these days.

My empty oatmeal bowl sits beside me. I remembered to eat breakfast, this once. Boxes are everywhere on my floor. My attempts to simplify these days have created a mess that is hardly simple. Baby toys are littered between the boxes. I should be cleaning now, not writing, but I'm choosing myself this time, not my to-do list. Even as I write it, I wonder if it is selfish, stealing these little moments and doing something for me. The things that need to be done grow and grow and I find myself shrinking beneath them. And yet, as the shrinking happens, I redefine myself, this child who is growing into womanhood.

I try not to put my insecurities on him. This poor husband who loves me when I don't deserve it. Sometimes my heart wants to put my feelings of self-hate on him. Choosing to create stress in his life in the hopes that he doesn't notice all the things I didn't get done today, again. Even now, in the beauty of Christ's grace, I try to earn love. Even now, after five beautiful years of marriage, I'm trying to win his love that has always been freely given.

In this stolen moment, I'm choosing not to earn this time. I'm choosing to receive love not because I deserve it with my clean house and my clean life, but because love is offered. I'm choosing to be okay with failing. I'm choosing this silent moment for myself and fighting the feelings of worthlessness for doing so.

I hear her little voice in the monitor babbling. My heart is swollen with love for her. This little person I gladly give my sleep and energy to. This little love that fills my life. This child who does not steal my time but receives it freely given.

Going...

2011-07-22T14:16:00.000-07:00

I feel like everything around me lately has been pointing to one thing: world poverty.

It sounds so far away - world poverty. And living in America, it is far away. From our hearts. From our thoughts. From our lifestyle.

But lately, all I can think about is the suffering of people around the world. Of children, like my beautiful Little Miss, dying from starvation.. all I can see is their faces and their pain.

I watched a movie yesterday, while I was sick, about a woman who does relief work in another country and I cried for the children around the world who need what I have to give. I watched a movie about WWII and I cried over the atrocities that were committed against mankind and continue to be committed all over the world under different banners... I read a book about the calling of Christ and what it means to be Christ-like called Radical and I was ready to sell everything and GO before I even finished reading... I read a blog about famine in southern Somalia and knew that I cannot ignore the world's needs any longer... I read a blog about apathy in the American middle class and I cried about how easy it is to ignore the suffering of the world when we have SO much....

I read about a girl who is younger than I am by years and has adopted 13 children and lives with them in Uganda. She not only cares for these children of hers, but she feeds 1,600 children from the community each week. She started a program for women to help them sell necklaces to the US. She provides medical services to the community each week with other volunteers who have joined with her over the past few years. She started a program that sponsors 400 children's education... God is literally changing the community of Masese because of her faithfulness and her willingness to serve. And she is only 23 years old... (amazima.org)

And I sit here in my four bedroom home with more stuff than I need and my very American middle class life and I no longer wonder - I know - that I am missing out on the calling of Christ. I serve my friends. I serve my neighbors. I'm minorly involved at my church. I love people. I seek peace. I read my bible. I pray. I tithe. I support international relief organizations. But my faith is dead because my works mean nothing because I won't go and God has called us to go. My faith is dead because Christ has made it clear that his followers do not accept a mamby-pamby watered down version of Christianity - they take up the cross and they follow Christ to the hungry and the sick and the needy and the orphans and the widows. They suffer for Him. They die for Him. They give up their family for Him. They give up their friends. They give up their desires. They give up their homes. Their comfort. Their pride.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Mark 16:15-18

"And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

Marrakesh with Nate & Ruth

2011-07-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

Marrakesh is one of my all-time favorite restaurants! During my pregnancy I had the most intense cravings for it and probably tried to convince/guilt trip/force my husband to go there EVERY night. I'm not kidding. He tried to control this craving, since it wasn't a cheap option to be fixated on (darn women who want pickles and peanut butter! My husband would've supported that. Spending $50 on dinner every night just doesn't fly with the hubby for some reason...).

Now that the crazy uncontrollable cravings have abated (thank God for NOT being pregnant anymore!), Andy and I went out to dinner at Marrakesh with our lovely newlymarried friends, Nate and Ruth.

Since it was Ruth's birthday the next day, we decided it would be our early birthday dinner celebration for her. It was so good to catch up with them and reminisce on all the little things you discover about each other when you get married... Things like girl hair. Everywhere. In the shower. On the floor. In the sink. On the bed. On the couches. I'm pretty sure that Andy found my hair in the most unexpected places. Welcome to marriage - here's some hair.

Anyway, here's the Hubby who is now fully acclimated to the hair covering I've brought to our life:

The lovely Nate and Ruth (Happy Birthday Ruth!) who are still discovering the joys of cleaning hair from your shower drain:

And my absolute favorite part of going to Marrakesh (besides the lovely hair-adjusted company), the Bastilla:

And my favorite main course, the Delicious Apricot Chicken (yes, Delicious does need to be officially included in the title of this dish):

Any surprising/interesting adjustments that you experienced when you moved in with the love of your life?

Rhododendron Gardens and Wahkeena Falls

2011-07-13T19:21:00.000-07:00

I love being a stay at home mom! I get to invest my time in people I love and enjoy the beautiful outdoors DURING THE WEEKDAY! Since summer lasts for only a few short months in Oregon (and I'm determined to finish off this clinging baby-weight now), I've made a goal to do active things during the day to help shake the weight (42lbs down and only 9lbs more to go!).

Tuesday, I went hiking at Wahkeena Falls (near Multnomah Falls) and we made a quick 1/4 mile hike detour to stop at the Multnomah Falls lodge. It's so great to be active and get out and about. The hike was awesome - intensely uphill at some points - and a fantastic beginning to my goal to be healthier and more active.

Mom, Little Miss, and I at Multnomah Falls!

And then today (see how good I'm doing - twice in three days!), we went to the Rhododendron Gardens in Portland and walked around. It was probably the geriatric version of a hike (light walking) but I'm just glad that I was moving around with people I love.

Aren't our babies adorable in their matching carseat/strollers? This photo makes me laugh because it looks like they're intentionally ignoring each other!

I love my daughter's smile!

Mom and I by the small water feature at the Rhododendron Gardens.

Any new goals in your life?

Fashion Trials

2011-07-12T19:54:00.000-07:00

So my sister and I have decided to be more fashionable. Actually, I've decided to be more fashionable; she has always been pretty hip. As such, we played with her hair from a how-to photo I found on pinterest and ransacked her wardrobe to create this:

Isn't she so cute? I heart her!

2011-07-09T00:52:00.000-07:00

Who knew it was so cool?

I'm only slightly addicted to it. Thanks Nate. :P

Some favorites that I've found over the last ~~seven hours~~ hour of pinterest time wasting:

Source: None via Elisha on Pinterest

Source: whipperberry.com via Elisha on Pinterest

Source: 22lovelyb.blogspot.com via Elisha on Pinterest

Source: frenchbydesign.blogspot.com via Elisha on Pinterest

Source: dagmardaleystore.com via Elisha on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Elisha on Pinterest

I think Little Miss would look pretty stinking cute in the last two!

Blogging Again

2011-07-09T00:43:00.000-07:00

I'm blogging again thanks to my lovely friend Lauren who reminded me that I like blogging and that every post doesn't have to be a production of perfection.

I was putting too much pressure on myself to come up with ~~grammatically correct~~ brilliant marriage advice while being hugely pregnant AND working at a 40hr/week job AND commuting three hours a day AND somehow trying to squeeze Andy, sleep, & food in. Even now just thinking about it all is exhausting.

Now that I've officially erased all memory of those miserable nine months and have replaced them with happy thoughts of Little Miss, I think I'm ready to join the world of bloggers again.

Little Miss at 8 weeks:

I'm glad to be blogging again!

What You Think Is How You Act

2010-07-27T20:47:00.000-07:00

I tried writing several different rules this afternoon and the words just keep bringing me back to this topic. I figured that instead of forcing something out just to have it out there, I'd write what I seem to keep coming back to.

Your Thoughts

Every action begins with a thought. Most people believe that their minds are a private place. We convince ourselves that our thoughts don't necessarily equal a physical reaction and that we have no control over where our minds wander.

However, I'm learning that what you think affects how you act. Your mind is the birthplace for all action. You get out of bed each morning - your mind begins the movement and the reason for movement. You slap someone (hopefully not!) - your mind informed you that you were angry and motived the movement of your hand.

What you think becomes what you do. If you are thinking negatively about your spouse, you'll start treating your spouse negatively. If you are thinking about all the wonderful attributes of your spouse, you'll treat them like they're wonderful. Remember your senior year of highschool? The word senioritis applied because all you could think about as being done with school and moving on to the next stage in life. Your mind was elsewhere and therefore you energy was as well. Your actions reflected this in reduced effort in your studies, general dissatisfaction with your day-to-day activities, frustration with homework, etc.

This mind to action process can be slow sometimes - formed from a collection of thoughts that have been stored over days, months, or years. However, I've never known a thought, if not brought under control, that doesn't eventually come out in your actions.

Consider this - what negative things are you thinking about your spouse? How do those thoughts affect how you treat your spouse?

For example, your spouse leaves a mess of dishes in the sink. All the time. Every time you pass that sink, you are frustrated and annoyed thinking about how lazy they must be to not bother to put the dishes in the dishwasher. The second you begin to think about how this annoys you, you think about how they don't help fold the laundry, or how they don't pick up their clothes, or empty the trash, or keep you informed of their plans for the evening, or.... the list keeps going on in your brain and by the time you see your spouse you're already annoyed and frustrated with them.

These negative feelings can often be based in legitimate concerns, but dwelling on them and allowing your frustration to build can cause resentment and escalate problems.

Instead of thinking and, therefore, venting/discussing your frustrations, try thinking and talking about your goals and what is important to you. Don't let your thoughts control you so that your reactions are negative. Control your thoughts so that your actions are proactive and uplifting.

Consider replacing negative thoughts with the things you love about them and the things they're good at.

I've heard several women mention that they keep a mental list of the things they love about their husband and when they're upset or frustrated with their man, they pull that list to the front of their brain. Then they review the facts: I am in love with this here man in front of me and these are the reasons why. Reason #1...

I like this idea.

There is a part II to this post, so stay tuned for What You Do Is Who You Are.

Whatever is true,

whatever is honorable,

whatever is right,

whatever is pure,

whatever is lovely,

whatever is of good repute,

if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise,

dwell on these things.

Phillippians 4:8

How To Change Your Life & Marriage Forever

2010-07-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

The first step is....well, that might be a little inappropriate, so let's skip to the end result: have a baby. We just found out that we're going to join the world of parenting and have our first child!

I can hardly believe that I'm pregnant. It feels so surreal most of the time, except, of course, when the contents of my stomach become the contents of my toilet bowl. That usually makes it feels less surreal and a lot more physical.

I promise I'll keep blogging about marriage, but I have to admit that I'm sooo excited about our growing child that I might throw in some tidbits about him or her too.

I can't decide whether I want a boy or girl! My sister thinks it's a girl, my mom thinks it is a girl, my husband won't give an opinion because there is no data to support either side and he's the practical kind of person who doesn't offer opinions without supporting evidence, my friend Jeff thinks it's a boy, my friend Katherine thinks it is a girl, and I think I'm having twins. What do you think??

Can't you just see the puppy replaced with our baby??? I can! ::grins happily::

Why Your Spouse is Your Soul Mate

2010-07-12T15:05:00.000-07:00

I'm breaking away from the rules for this post because I feel like it could be a rule, but since it isn't a physical action I don't want to make it an official rule.

Why Your Spouse is Your Soul Mate:

I've seen a lot of women in marriages, especially those who have been married for a long time, who wonder if they married the right person. These questions probably spring from a variety of wells including their own expectations, Hollywood's definitions of a soul-mate, the marriages of their friends, etc.

We fall in love with the idea of The One that Hollywood tells us is out there and who, if you should happen to meet, is the person you're supposed to be with, regardless of whether you're married to someone else or not. I never believed in soul-mates before Andy. I still don't believe in this Holly-wood style of soul-mate.

What I DO believe:

I believe that Andy is my soul-mate - the one I was meant to spend the rest of my life with. I believe that his heart and mine have joined in some cosmic place to complete the other's. I know that nothing except death can separate us and that we were destined, from before we were born, to love eachother.

And I believe that every person's Soul-Mate is the one that they are married to. When you make your vows on that altar and you promise to love them until death do you part, you have just found your soul-mate.

A soul mate isn't stomach flutters, fire-works, or goo-goo eyes. A soul-mate is the mate of your soul. If I were to give it an exact definition, I would say that your Soul-Mate is the person that God destined you to marry.

An interesting way to look at soul-mates is Elizabeth Gilbert's definition in Eat, Pray, Love:

"People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake.... ...A soul mates' purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to your spiritual master..."

— Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia)

I left out a section of this quote that says that a soul mate is someone who is supposed to leave at some point because I just don't agree with that at all. But what I do think is that a soul-mate is drastically different than what we've been taught to think it is. It isn't our perfect fit, but it is God's perfect fit for us.

When we begin to see our spouse as the person that God destined us to be with, our attitude toward marriage can begin to change. When you view your spouse as the only One you are meant to be with, you begin to love them for exactly who they are and not who you think your soul-mate should be.

If you believed with every ounce of your being that you were undeniably and irrevocably married to your Soul-Mate, how would it change your life and the way you do the every day things?

Would you stop thinking about leaving? Would you start thinking about loving your Soul-Mate more? Would you devote more time and attention to them? Would you even allow the thought of being attracted to someone else to enter your mind? Would you stop trying to make them please you? Would you begin to love them exactly as God created them to be?

Would fights be less destructive because there would never be a threat of walking out? Would arguments be more peaceful because you both are trying to resolve them gently so that your life together is more peaceful? Would grudges disappear? Would love increase?

I think it might.

My Soul Mate:

Our Marriage Rules to Live By: Rule #2

2010-07-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Hey Y'all (I picked that delicious phrase up from the St. Paul Rodeo this weekend). Ready for Rule #2?

You betcha. Let's get this buckin' bronco a'rollin. Alright, so maybe I'm not a cowgirl afterall. But, this weekend certainly made me tempted to try barrel racing and that one event where you lasso baby cows. I'm serious. I would rock at it. The winner of the event only makes like.... $37,000 per event... which is only a minor incentive.

At any rate, our second rule has nothing to do with the rodeo, although I should definitely come up with an analogy of marriage based on the rodeo... Maybe something like - if you jump on a angry bronco and he spears you or steps on you, it's your own idiotic fault. Which should tell you that in marriage....

I'll work on that analogy. It will come to me.

2. Do Not Lie

This should seem like a pretty easy one, right? We're not all pathological liars. We don't answer questions like "What do you do for fun?" with outlandish responses like:

"I ride lions in africa on the weekends. And then on the weekdays I heliboard down mountains all over the world. In the evenings I write best-selling novels about my near death encounter with sharks in the Oregon ocean."

"Wait, do sharks even live in Oregon?"

"Of course they do. They're angry ol'e fellows too. They bit my leg off."

"They did? Then what's that [points at leg]?"

"Oh that? That's my amazing prosthetic. You can't even tell that it isn't real. Cool, huh?

Right. Unless you've been diagnosed as a pathological liar, most people try to be ~~mostly~~ honest. We tell the truth - most of the time. But in a way, I think people in marriage struggle with lying more than our single-counterparts. Think about your day - how many times do you lie to your spouse in the following ways:

"What do you want to do tonight?"

"I don't know."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No."

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Does this make me look fat?

"....."

Okay, so the last one was a joke. Hopefully. :D

When we realize that we are telling eachother these lies which don't even seem like lies, we can communicate about them instead of shutting down with non-answers or lies. In some cases, we lie because we don't want to hurt the other person's feelings or we don't want to get in a fight or we don't want to admit that maybe we don't even have a good reason for being irritated. No matter what our reason was, our answer is untrue (unless, of course, it isn't untrue and you really aren't thinking about anything...).

Maybe our truthful answers might sound something more like this:

"What do you want to do tonight?"

"I really want you to take me on a fancy date, but I don't want to look needy and I know we're tight on money. So maybe you could just rub my feet instead?"

or

"I really want to just relax at home, but I don't want you to feel like I don't want to spend time with you. I've had a hard day at work and I don't really want to go anywhere tonight, but I don't want you to be disappointed with me."

"Are you mad at me?"

"Yes. I'm raging furious mad, but I can't remember why now. I remember it was really important and you did something that really made me mad. But now that I can't remember what it was, but I'm just going to be mad and not tell you why. Then it will look like what I'm being mad about is really important."

or

"No. I'm not mad. But I'm hurt and I don't know how to put my feelings into words. Maybe we could talk about this later when I've processed it a little more?"

"What are you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about how annoying it is when my sunburn starts peeling. Am I growing freckles?"

or

"I was thinking about selling my i-phone and buying the newer cooler version."

"What's wrong?"

"Everything. I feel like everything is wrong. Are we drifting apart? Do you still love me? Our house is a mess. I'm tired of working. I want to have more free time. I don't want to do laundry. I'm tired of worrying about money. Our dog is acting lethargic - do you think she's sick? I'm really hungry - I haven't eaten all day. Why? I don't know, I just got so busy I forgot to... I want to travel. I feel like my dreams are being bombarded by reality. Will we ever do anything with our lives? Are we doing what we're supposed to be doing?"

or

"Wrong? Hmmm... I guess I have a headache and I'm kind of annoyed about this situation at work. That's it. I guess I'm just tired..."

"Does this make me look fat?

"No comment. This question can only go from bad to worse."

My guess as to why we lie is that it is too complicated and difficult to tell the truth or perhaps it is that at the moment we're being asked the question, we don't honestly know the answer.

Whatever the reason, when we lie, we're shutting down communication and we're closing off our hearts and minds from our spouse. If the way you fall in love is to share your heart and mind with one another, it would seem to follow that the way you stay in love is to continue to do so.

My challenge is to tell the truth in love to your spouse at all times. If you can't do it in love, then tell your spouse that you want to talk about it, but that you aren't ready to do so yet. There is nothing wrong with postponing an answer until you are ready to share. However, remember that sharing your heart and feelings is how you stay close to your spouse when things are difficult. If you bottle everything up inside, you may be deceiving your spouse which is hardly different than lying.

The truth will set you free. It will help your marriage grow together in the midst of the trials and frustrations. It will help you know your spouse when it is so easy to live only as separate room-mates instead of one soul. It will release you from the chains of unspoken feelings which can begin to choke you and, therefore, your marriage all too easily.

"Do not lie.

Do not deceive one another."

Leviticus 19:11

This amazing photo was taken by our good friend, Nate Yaro, at our fourth of July celebration this weekend. You can check out his photography here and his daily blog about what God is teaching him here.

Our Marriage Rules to Live By: Rule #1

2010-06-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

Somehow Andy and I created an unspoken agreement to always follow a set of undefined rules in our marriage. We never really sat down and said, "Okay, here's our rules. You better not break them." It was more of a mutual understanding that we reached without ever really having a conversation. And yet, the rules are still applied in our marriage to this day although they've never been officially discussed.

When I've analyzed other marriages, I find that most problems usually come down to one or both partners breaking some or all of The Rules. Not that all marriages will have the same rules, but these are things that work for us. The decision to live by our rules has saved our marriage from a lot of pain and frustration. Talk to your partner about your marriage rules. What things can you do to help your marriage become more peaceful and loving?

1. Fight Clean -

Assume the best of your spouse. If you feel like their intentions were negative or hurtful, assume they weren't. Never start a fight from the assumption that your spouse did something intentional to hurt you. Changing the way you think is a BIG step in preventing problems from ever arising. If your partner does something that hurts you, discuss it but from the perspective of believing that your spouse would NEVER do something to intentionally hurt you believing that his/her desire is to make you feel loved to the best of his/her ability.

Never EVER say anything mean, derogative, or insulting to your spouse. Even if you are angry and you want to. Don't do it. You can disagree and argue without throwing in pointless and mean comments. Name calling is never okay.

Don't bring up the past. "You never help me do X," or "You always act this way when X," or "I can't believe you did X again." If the goal in marriage is to get along and be happy together, why are you throwing your spouse's past mistakes around like you've entered a poo-slinging contest? The goal isn't to see who has more poo to fling, it is to clean the poo up and use it to fertilize the soil. If you view past mistakes as ammo against your spouse, you need to fix your mindset - not your spouse. We all make mistakes. You've made mistakes. Your spouse has made mistakes. It doesn't matter who has made more mistakes or whose mistakes are stinkier. Just put your back into it, shovel the stinky poo up, and leave it. Harping on another's person mistakes only creates distance and coats you both in your own failures. Forgive and move on. It doesn't mean it didn't happen; it just means that no fault, failure, or ugly problem is more important than showing love to your spouse. It just isn't.

Try not to raise your voice. I almost said "Don't raise your voice" because it should be a rule, but unfortunately it is a rule that is all too easy to break, which is why I said "Try not to raise your voice." Andy has never raised his voice at me. Ever. I can't say I've reached that same level of calm and control, but I'm certainly getting better. It's hard to raise your voice angrily at someone who won't get loud-mouthed back. What I can claim is a definitive rule - Never yell at your spouse. Yelling matches solve nothing and create lots of hurt feelings. This is a lesson in self-control for those of us who struggle with controlling their anger and frustration. However, it can be done, so learn to take your tone and simmer it down to a reasonable conversational level. This will help fights end much more quickly than the ones that are laden with screaming and yelling.

Remember that NO fight is more important than your marriage. Even if you're right. Even if you're wrong. Even if there is no right or wrong. There. Is. No. Fight. More. Important. Than. Your. Marriage. Let me say it again: there is absolutely no fight that is more important than your marriage or your spouse. [Note: I'm not talking about cheating or abuse in this section. If you are being abused, get somewhere safe.] Can you honestly name one problem that is more important than the long term health of your marriage? If you can, then you don't value the health of your marriage enough. There is no argument worth having if it will cause long-term animosity between you and your spouse. When both people enter arguments believing that winning the argument is not more important than loving their spouse, the conversations are respectful and loving - filled with listening, discussing, and working together to find a solution that is amenable to both people. If, in an argument, you realize that mutual agreement can't be reached, choose to postpone making a decision while you both think and pray about the answer or choose to humble yourself and let the other person "win." Going to your parents for Christmas or her parents? Going to buy a house or travel the world? Going to play video games or sit and cuddle? Going to do the dishes or going out with friends? Going to buy a new car or going to save money? She never picks up her clothes? He never puts away his video game cords? She likes to keep the house warm? He likes it cold? None of these decisions are more important than caring for and loving your spouse.

When fighting and/or arguing remember these principles:

Love is Patient. Love is Kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude. It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no records of wrong. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres.

I'll be posting the rest of our Rules To Live By periodically over the next week or two!

How To: Have Fun at Home with Your Spouse

2010-06-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

Aren't you all so very excited to listen to my three long years of married wisdom? See, my wisdom told me that you would be, which is why I'm going to enlighten you with a post chock-full of all the interesting things you always wanted to know. [BTW, the expression chock-full came from people saying choke-full which I think is an appropriate sentiment of my pompous statements].

Blah Blah Blah.

See aren't you impressed? I know so much about marriage it's unbelievable. Be inspired.

Okay, seriously though, I am excited about today's post since I think that it will be something that lots of couples can do and enjoy.

How To: Have Fun at Home with Your Spouse

So Andy and I have discovered that the economony sucks (You too? Really? Oh, I knooow. I can't believe it either). We've also discovered that it would suck a lot less if we had money to spend because everyone is trying to offer deals since the rest of the world isn't spending money either. Winning the lottery would help, but, unfortunately, winning the lottery isn't an option if you don't buy lottery tickets... I can't believe it either, but apparently you have to actually buy a lottery ticket to win. Ridiculous, I know.

So my lovely husband and I have been successfully (and sometimes unsuccessfully) trying to find ways to entertain ourselves at home in rainy (did I mention it was RAINY in June?) Oregon. Here's some of the things we've come up with:

1. Cuddling and Talking - After a while of being married, I think we all tend to get into activity ruts. Conversations go something like this:

Elisha: "What do you want to do tonight?"

Andy: "I don't know. I don't really feel like making any decisions. Work was really long today."

Elisha: "Oh, I'm sorry. Well, why don't we watch [insert favorite girly movie here]?"

Andy: "Yah. That sounds great. I'll think I'll go blow people up instead on [insert favorite video game here]."

Okay, so this conversation varies and we often throw around ideas like playing a board game or baking dessert, but sometimes after a long day working and cooking and cleaning, the few hours that you have left in the evening just don't seem like enough time to do much of anything. It is too easy to fall back on movies, tv, and video games. So, in our exhausted states, we've been trying to do less TV and replace it with more relational activities - like cuddling. :D

I'll admit that my girly side loves cuddling and talking. Andy's manly side has a harder time just sitting and doing nothing, but once we get started on a good topic, we can talk for hours. It makes me feel like we're dating again when we're just sitting and shooting the breeze together.

So the first activity, which doesn't sound like an activity at all, is to sit and come up with interesting topics to talk about together. Be intentional and discuss things your know your spouse is interested in and likes talking about. However, beware of Elisha's conversation-starting mistakes:

Wife: "Honey, let's sit and cuddle and talk."

Husband: "Okay, what do you want to talk about?"

Wife: "Umm.... my quilting class?"

Husband: "Interesting... Want to play my new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle video game with me instead?"

You might laugh, but this is an almost exact replica of a conversation that Andy and I had this week. In the end, we did play TMNT together and had a blast going back to the good ole days of arcade-style games. And then we cuddled in bed and talked about my quilting class. ;) So maybe it wasn't a mistake because we ended up having fun together, but it was probably a bad way to start a long romantic conversation.

2. Go For A Walk - Just do it. Even if it is raining. It can be a lot of fun to walk in the rain. Wear a raincoat, put on your galoshes, and just go for it. Maybe even jump in a puddle together.

3. Bake Something - Cooking is not my favorite thing. To be honest, I don't really like it. But I have a lot of fun with Andy while donning an apron, turning on some good dance music, and baking up a storm. This is not a good idea if you don't want your waist size to enlarge, but then again, cookies make good gifts, so give them away!

4. Invite Friends Over - Friends always make everything fun! Invite friends over for food or games or food and games. It is always a fantastic way to spend your evening laughing and talking with your favorite people (or new people!).

5. Start a Home Project (and finish it) - I know this sometimes sounds like more work, but doing projects together can be so much fun with the right attitude. Paint a bathroom, change the oil in your car together, or find some other hobby/project that you can both work on together. Even if it isn't something that inspires you and gets you excited, it is good to work with your spouse and do things together. Some of Andy's and I best times have come when we're working on some project or doing something I don't enjoy.

In the same vein, sometimes just hanging out with your spouse while they work on some project of their own is fun. Andy sits and keeps me company while I'm quilting, so I guess it's only fair that I keep him company while he works on his motorcyle. This isn't quite as exciting as working together, but I love having Andy around when I'm quilting and I know he feels similarly about me being around when he works on his bike. Maybe grab a book and just read while he/she works on their project. Having Andy in the same room while I work on my projects makes me feel valued and happy - it says to me that he loves me enough to simply chill with me even if we're doing separate activities that he's not interested in.

Okay, that's all my brilliant (or not so brilliant) ideas. I'd love to hear what other people do at home to entertain themselves and bond with their spouse, so please comment with your ideas!

{via}

Mucho de la blogs!

2010-06-19T22:04:00.000-07:00

Now that we've decided to focus our blog on marriage and more specifically on our marriage, I've created a new blog for my quilting endeavors! As if I really needed another blog!

You can keep up with my quilting life at:

ElishaQuilts.blogspot.com

And just in case you've forgotten, you can also follow along with my reading adventures at:

ElishaReads.blogspot.com

We'll be posting marriage related stuff soon!

A change in direction

2010-06-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while I evaluate why I'm blogging. Most of the time I think I just enjoy the act of writing. I used to keep a journal, now I keep a blog. It really hasn't been a huge transition for me except that my posts aren't quite as personal as my journal entries.

Personal things are things you don't share with anyone, right? Personal things are things you keep to yourself... or at least that's the view that I've had in the past. I think I'm nervous to show who I am on my blog - the icky, the grouchy, the helpless, the fickle, etc. I'm only willing to show the things I like to do and things that don't affect me on a deep personal level. I've made a few exceptions here and there, but have always shifted to lighter subjects directly afterward.

After analyzing this, I've realized that I don't want to share only the artificial things, but I'm not sure I'm ready to share the inner-workings of my soul. After discussing this with Andy, we've decided that we want to share about marriage. We want to share the joys of marriage and the struggles. We're hoping that our experiences will encourage others in their own marriages and/or present a story of an honest marriage that is seeking to love eachother and the Lord more everyday.

Some days I'll post about the things going on in our marriage - the wonderful, the difficult, and the just plain normal. Other days, I'll post How-To's: the things we've learned to do in our marriage that makes fighting more peaceful or divying responsibilities less complicated. I'm also thinking of having guest bloggers from every stage of life post about their marriage experiences.

The goal of this change of direction in our blog is to encourage those of us who are married, someday will be married, and anyone who is in the life of someone who is married. Marriage affects us all. Our marriages now will affect the lives, character, and marriages of the future. I believe that marriage is so much more than simply waking up next to someone everyday for the next 80+ years. I believe it is so much more than just "getting by." I believe it is a holy calling to present an example of Christ to the world - to show, in our love for our spouse, the love of Christ for his church. As such, I think it is worth discussing and sharing.

So look forward to lots of blog posts about marriage!

[Side Note: I think it is great that we named our blog - AndyandElisha. It is so fitting to smush our names together into one long name when discussing marriage. We're no longer Andy AND Elisha, but AndyandElisha. We're one unit. One enitity.]

If you are interested in guest blogging about marriage, please email me your ideas for a topic you are interested in at: elishacatts(at)gmail(dot)com.

Morrocan Sweet Apricot Chicken

2010-06-14T20:02:00.000-07:00

What is a husband to do when his wife desires apricot chicken from the "local" Moroccan restaurant, but said husband has no money to buy said chicken? Why, he gets creative in the kitchen. And makes some home-brew apricot chicken that I would say rivals the original. I don't write down most of my crazy kitchen experiments, but this one I'm committing to memory.

P.S. - don't bother looking for pictures, we ate it all before that was even a remote possibility.

Inspired by Marrakesh, DELICIOUS:

- 2.5lbs boneless/skinless chicken THIGHS
- 2 cans (14oz?) Apricot halves in heavy syrup (drain the syrup)
- 1 12oz can Apricot Nectar (Kerns)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1.5 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 lrg onion, sliced into strips
- ground cumin
- garlic salt
- sliced almonds
- corn starch

-cous cous as a side dish

Preheat oven to 400*

- Place chicken thighs and onion strips in greased 9x13 pan.
- Rub the chicken with the garlic salt & cumin (to taste, just a nice light covering.)
- Mix together apricot halves, nectar, honey and minced garlic.
- Pour the mixture over the chicken
- Top with sliced almonds
- Place in oven for 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, drain the majority of the juice and place in a saucepan. Return the chicken to the oven.
- Mix together 1.5tbsp corn starch and 4 tbsp COLD water. Pour into saucepan.
- Stir sauce together until thick (a few minutes.)
- Pour some sauce over the top of the chicken and serve. Sauce is also good on top of the cous cous.

Lap Quilt

2010-06-14T09:46:00.000-07:00

This is the deal with quilting: You start a project. Then you go to quilt class and you start another project. But you see this beautiful fabric that you can't resist, so you start just one more project. And before you realize it, your quilts that don't have due dates never get finished and you have added another unfinished object, aka UFO, to your list.

Which is why this quilt has been sitting in my "to be finished" box for months. I started it with the intention of giving it to a friend, but as I worked on it, I decided that it just didn't fit their personality and that I simply did not like it AT ALL.

I can't, in good conscience, give a quilt that I dislike as a gift. So it sat...and sat...and sat...

Determined not to fall in the trap of my fellow quilters (from my quilt class) who have upwards of 100 unfinished quilts each, I was determined to get myself in gear and finish this quilt - for better or, most likely, worse. Since I didn't want to waste any more resources (batting, binding, backing), I opted to make this large quilt a very small lapsize duvet cover. It seems a little pointless to make a duvet for a blanket that small, but I just happened to have a small lapsize blanket that was BRIGHT orange from my wondrous college days at OSU and was the perfect fit for this quilt. Thus bright orange blanket now looks like this:

And if I ever need my college colors back for a football game, I can simply pull it out of the duvet cover and bring it along.

At least it is one less UFO that is sitting in my to-be-finished box. :D Now I have only three UFOs waiting to be finished...

MT Swap quilt!

2010-06-10T21:57:00.000-07:00

I got my MT Swap quilt and it is sooo cute!!

See pictures:

Isn't the hand-stitching beautiful?

I'm trying to decide where to display it and I love it so much that I want to put it somewhere everyone will see, which is why I'm thinking of using it here:

Unfortunately, I don't want to cover it up with the candle thing and I can't figure out else in my house to put it where it will be visible.

Thoughts?

Thanks to my amazing swap partner at http://plannedpurlhood.com/ who is actually an Oregon resident as well! Yay for Oregon women who like Modern Quilting. :D

I love the fabric!! Isn't it gorgeous?!

Quilt Class & My Soap Box

2010-06-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

Quilting seems to be a hobby whose participants are mostly women over the age of 40. No men tend to frequent quilting classes and very few young women find themselves involved in the quilting world. My quilting class yesterday was like cozying up on an outdated floral-print couch at your grandmother's house while your grandmother bustles around making tea, listening to your problems, cleaning the house, and being generally productive. While you sit there sharing your woes, this busy little woman is accomplishing the world and still making you feel listened to and appreciated.

[STEPS ON SOAP BOX]

Yesterday I realized our generation is losing the graceful art of being productive and entertained... of being busy but calm... of being efficient but relaxed.

I walked into quilting class at Quilting Delights unsure of what to expect. Would I feel alone? Would I be ostracized for being so new at quilting? Would I feel like a child in a room of adults - seen and not heard? Instead of feeling any of these things, the experience was like walking into my grandmother's living room and finding myself put to work and feeling happy that I was helping. It was as if I belonged in that room of women 20 to 40 years older than I. As we sat around sewing, we laughed, talked, joked, and simply enjoyed eachother's company. I soon realized that these women had discovered one of the secrets of happiness.

As I sat there, intently sewing my fabric together, I pondered why my generation feels so different. What changed? When did we decide that work and happiness are mutually exclusive? I realized that something happened in my generation that has never happened before and which has changed the social makeup of our world - the introduction of technological media.

I appreciate TV. I appreciate the internet. I appreciate facebook. I obviously appreciate blogs. And yet, when I stop and think about it, if I removed all of these from my life, what would I do in my free time?

And my answer is:

I would be productive.

I would quilt. I would read. I would cook. I would garden. I would paint. I would draw. I would play the piano. I would play the guitar. I would clean. I would do laundry (God forbid!). I would go for walks. I would interact with my neighbors. I would interact with my friends. I would pray. I would read my bible. I might even listen to God instead of tuning Him out while I watch a movie or stumble though the internet or check my facebook or...

When I take away all these things, I find that I start becoming the kind of person I want to be.

I want to pass on the skills and knowledge I have to my future children and I can't do that if we watch tv at night instead of sewing together or playing games as a family or cooking or singing or dancing or reading or gardening... Our generation is going to lose (if it hasn't already) the skills and talents of the generations that have gone before if we keep turning to modern technology to entertain us. We will lose the art of entertainment and simultaneous productivity if we separate entertainment as activities in which others entertain us and productivity as that which is required to get by.

And now, I realize why no one in my generation quilts. Our generation was too busy watching TV to learn the skills of our parents and grandparents. We were too busy playing SEGA and Nintendo and Playstation. Instead of sitting around as a family and playing games, we were sitting and watching a movie.

I strongly believe the lack of quilters in my generation is due directly to the introduction of TV, video games, and the internet. Perhaps the women's rights revolution contributed in part, but I think that has less impact than the rise of technology as my generation's primary form of entertainment.

But, as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord [and find joy in being productive. :D ]

[STEPS OFF SOAP BOX]

Anyway, now that I've ranted. I'll share some of the photos that Becca took at quilt class!

Me Quilting!

Becca's mom, Pam, cutting her squares to size.

Becca's AMAZING mad skillz! She finished most of her quilt face in one day!

This photo isn't from our qulit class, but it is the pattern that we'll be doing for the August class that Pam is teaching! Go Pam! Isn't Pam's quilt so pretty?! I love the colors that she choose for the quilt!

I also signed up for the July class and I'm so excited about the pattern that month! I'll post pictures of it next month!

New Dining Room Table!

2010-06-02T09:23:00.000-07:00

Isn't it pretty?!

Why yes it is. And you want to know whose table it is? Well, let me put your mind at ease - it's now ours.

Macy sells this lovely table with six chairs for $1573. When Andy and I started looking for tables about a year ago, I begged him to let me buy this table from Macy's at the Annual Sale for $1200. He disuaded me telling me that we should get a table that was more affordable and that we didn't need this particular table. I reluctantly agreed, albeit somewhat disappointed, knowing that we didn't have the money to buy it.

And then, yesterday, we came home with this table. Only we didn't pay $1573 or $1200 - we paid the whopping price of $350.

[FYI - Our table is a pretty cherry wood color]

You may be asking yourself, "How did Andy and Elisha find such a beautiful table for such an inexpensive price?"

Behold, I will reveal our secret:

Craigslist.com

We discovered this gem on craigslist for ridiculously cheap and decided that since Mandy and Ian will be moving out (sad...) and will be taking their beautiful table with them (also sad...), we would need a new table to put in our dining room. And voile - here it is.

We heart it. ♥

Painting!

2010-06-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung and apparently so has decorating enthusiasm. Now that I'm full of this abundant and unexpected urge to nest and make my house homey, I've been daydreaming about what to do. Here are some of my thoughts:

For the downstairs bathroom, I fell completely in love with this idea I saw at Clyde Commons in downtown Portland:

We went out on a double-date a few weeks ago with our lovely friends, Craig and Lauren wherein I happily discovered this inventive wallpaper idea. [BTW, I wouldn't recommend this restaurant for it's food or its learn-to-be-skinny portions, but it does have a super eclectic Portland-y atmosphere which is awesome].

Unlike Clyde Commons, I only want to do one wall of our bathroom in this fashion, so I'm trying to decide what colors to do the rest of the bathroom.

I was thinking this color might be nice:

Or this:

Or this:

And finally, this:

Go ahead and vote for your favorite!

Beauty all around us...

2010-05-27T13:23:00.001-07:00

Isn't this a stunning photo?

I didn't take it, though I wish I had. I simply stumbled upon it while surfing the web via StumbleUpon. I thought it was a photo worth sharing.

Enjoy!

In Order to Fatten My Friends

2010-05-25T12:45:00.001-07:00

Yes, I think as being a self-proclaimed food lover and semi-rotund individual, I must equalize myself not through dieting or exercise, but by converting all of my friends to the dark (and tasty) side. Therefore I have whipped up some new culinary delights to wow your tastebuds and enlarge your waistlines. Beware, they're good. Like, cream of the crop good. You have been warned. (also note, these dishes were not intended to go together...they just happened in the same week.)

#1: Sweet Thai Yellow Curry

1 14~oz can coconut milk
1 14~oz can chicken broth
1 large onion
2 tsp red curry paste
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
2 tbsp canola/vegetable oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 bunch green onions

1.5lbs (or more) of the meat of your choice - chicken, shrimp, fish works well
Salt & Red pepper flakes to taste
Serve over Jasmine rice or cous-cous

Step 1: Dice your green onions into rounds, and your large onion into strips (think fajitas.)
Step 2: Pour canola oil into a large skillet, heat and add the onion strips. Saute until lightly browned.
Step 3: Add curry paste, mix with onions and stir for about 30 seconds.
Step 4: Pour in chicken broth & coconut milk. Add all other spices and ingredients except the meat.
Step 5: Cook for 5 minutes on medium, stirring ingredients in and tasting curry for the proper flavor (this is where you add the "to taste" items.
Step 6: Add meat (cut into bite-size strips) and continue cooking until meat is fully cooked.
Step 7: Enjoy served over rice or cous-cous! (Cous-cous is particularly good with sauteed onions & carrots with some dried cranberries thrown in.)

#2 The Best Freakin' Cinnamon Rolls...ever. Cream-Cheese Infused, you heard right...
Dough:
4 cups flour (plus extra for kneading!)
2 cups water (heat to 105-115* F, use a thermometer!)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp yeast
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Filling:
1 8oz pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon extract

1/4c sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon

"Frosting"
Brown sugar
Whipping cream

Step 1: Heat the 2 cups water to 105-115* F. Add 1 tbsp sugar and the 1 tsp yeast, stir together AFTER HEATING.
Step 2: Mix dry dough ingredients together.
Step 3: Add liquid mix to dry mix, stir together, cover and set aside for 1-2 hours (until doubled in size.)
Step 4: Soften cream cheese in microwave and add vanilla & cinnamon extracts. stir together until a frosting-like consistency is achieved.
Step 5: After dough has risen, pour onto floured surface. Flour your hands and add some to the dough until it is no longer sticky to handle.
Step 6: Roll dough out with floured rolling pin - 1/4" thick and about 16"x12" is what you're looking for.
Step 7: Spread cream cheese mixture on the rolled out dough evenly.
Step 8: Fold dough back on itself - 3 times lengthwise like an envelope, then back to make a square.
Step 9: Roll dough back out until it is 16"12" and 1/4" thick or so. You may have to continue adding a little flour to prevent it from sticking.
Step 10: Mix the 1/4c sugar & 1tbsp cinnamon and spread on dough.
Step 11: Tightly roll dough (as tightly as you can) into a log.
Step 12: With a SHARP knife, cut into 1/2" rounds.
Step 13: Place rounds in a greased 9x13" pan
Step 14: Bake for 350* for 15 minutes and check. If browned on the top, prepare the topping. If not browned, return to oven until lightly browned on top.
Topping: Mix whipping cream & brown sugar (approximately 1part whipping cream to 2 parts brown sugar) to make a gooey syrup. Consistently should be roughly that of liquid soap.
Step 15: Pour topping over rolls and bake for another 5 minutes.

You don't know how delicious and fattening these suckers are. Reader beware...you'll be dreaming of these.

Le Pouf!

2010-05-24T15:12:00.000-07:00

This tutorial from Design Sponge is so cool that I thought I would share it with everyone! I'm now excitedly planning on making my very own "pouf."

Tutorial: Making a Pouf

Here's a photo of the pouf from Design Sponge's website:

MT Quilt Swap, Finished!

2010-05-23T19:41:00.000-07:00

I finished my quilt for the Modify Tradition Quilt Swap!! I made it a little bigger than the guidelines, which call for a quilt the size of a large place mat, and I'm happy I did. I couldn't figure out what on earth you would use a mini quilt for and I just got so frustrated with the rules that I nearly made a complete full size quilt.

As I was unaware of the rules when I signed up for the quilt, I didn't realize that we were swapping MINI quilts. What am I going to do with a doll-sized quilt? Give it to me cat?

At any rate, I decided to make mine similar in fashion to a baby quilt. This way, at least, if my swap-ee is like "What the deuce should I do with this shoddy example of quilting?" she can just give the quilt to someone she knows who is having a baby girl or wait until she has a baby.

When you're cuddling in a blanket, you aren't judging the quilting know-how of the quilter. On the other hand, when your quilt is the size of a computer screen, you see all it's faults and flaws. Not to mention, my quilting isn't up to the standard of wall-hangings yet (I did sign up as a beginner) and, therefore, I think it would be irrational of me to attempt one... yet.

So, with that said, here are the photos of the quilt:

The full quilt:

A detailed look:

I decided to go with a unique way of binding the quilt that I actually made up on the spot [dangerous - as the last time I made a quilting technique up on the spot it pretty much failed miserably]. Instead of sewing the binding to the edge of the quilt and hand-sewing it to the back, I simply cut my backing a little longer than my quilt face. Then I folded the edges over the front and machine quilted the folded backing on the face of the quilt. I kind of like the effect and it was a lot less time consuming than the normal process.

Andy snapped a photo of me ironing my current quilt in process. I like the photo, but I'm pretty unhappy with the quilt and I'm tempted to scrap the whole thing. Happily though, Andy captured this very Elisha moment.

Becca!! And Sisters!

2010-05-20T14:44:00.000-07:00

Becca is one of my closest friends and an amazing photographer. And as such, there was no one else on my list who I could even think to want to do our sister-shoot for my mom's Mother's Day gift.

After only a little arm twisting, [I mean, seriously, I would not be excited about doing a shoot with me as the subject. I am undeniably a camera control freak. No joke.] Becca agreed to be tortured and take photos of Taleah, Chantel, & I.

It was a blast (after I stopped trying to look at every photo that Becca took and I desisted from trying to ~~steal~~ borrow Becca's camera every minute or two). If you could hire any photographer in the Portland area, I would definitely ~~forcibly coerce~~ recommend that you choose Becca. She has a crisp and refreshing style and has a natural gift at photography. Not to mention, she is super fun and easy to relax with - which makes having your photo taken feel so natural.

Anyway, enough raving. The pictures speak for themselves.

Thanks Becca! You can check out her website here.

The Little Things We Do

2010-05-19T18:04:00.000-07:00

Go check out my guest blog on photography featured on my dear friend Lauren's blog - The Little Things We Do .

[FYI- click on the photo to take you directly to the my fantastic words of wisdom]

Fill in the Blank Friday

2010-05-07T22:41:00.001-07:00

My lovely friend, Lauren [who has an awesome blog at http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/], does these fun "Fill in the Blank Friday" posts every - you guessed it - Friday

I haven't posted one of these before, but since it is about my absolute favorite subject (well, right after how wonderful my husband is), I figured I might as well play along.

So here we go:

1. My favorite book growing up was: The Mark of the Lion series, by Francine Rivers. It is probably the only book I've read more than twice. Actually, I'm pretty sure I read it every other week throughout my entire adolescence.

2. The funniest book I've ever read was: I haven't really read that many "funny" books, but the Anne of Green Gables series completely captivated me and etched a perma-smile on my face whenever I read it. I found myself frequently finding a long-suffering family member and holding them prisoner while I shared amusing quotes and sections from the books.

3. The one book that has truly changed my life is: Obviously, the Bible. However, if I choose another book I think I would choose Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge or Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers.

4. If you're looking for a real "tear jerker" you should probably read: My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult. I bawled. Snotty yucky bawling.

5. If I could meet any author living or dead I would want to meet: LM Montgomery - Her writing makes me feel like we're soul-sisters.

6. The next book on my "to read" list is: The Iron King, by Julie Kagawa

7. If I was snowed into remote cabin in the woods and could only choose three books to bring with me I'd bring: Eeek! I can't pick just three... Maybe three series??? Or three hundred?? Okay, I'll try to narrow it down. The Anne of Green Gables series, Redeeming Love, & Ella Enchanted. Ugh. I'm literally forcing myself not to make a ~~ridiculous~~ long list of all the books that I would stack around this imaginary cabin.

If you'd like to play along, just fill in the blanks on your own blog (or in the comment section!) and then link back here using by leaving a comment.

Ciao!

Quilting Swap!

2010-05-05T13:39:00.000-07:00

So I'm doing my first quilting swap and I have to admit I'm a little nervous about it. Thus far, all the quilts I've made have ended up in the hands of family members and not under the critical eye of fellow quilters! eek!

One of the things I love most about quilting is the creativity and diversity amongst quilters! I'm always so inspired when I see what other quilters have created with only fabric and thread.

Below are a few photos of quilts (made by more talented hands than mine) that I am inspired by.

I love One Block Wonder Quilts -

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Yay for bright colors!

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I heart circles!

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I've recently been obssessed with mixing grey with bright colors! So fun!

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Note to my wonderful swap partner - I love bright colors in my quilts, but I also love the subtlety of soft colors together. I love wonky quilts and I love structured quilts. Unfortunately, this means that I don't have much direction to give you when it comes to designing a quilt. However, I can tell you the things I definitely do not love.

I do not love pink. Even though you see it in the pictures above and I can appreciate it when others use it, I simply cannot even begin to think about cuddling up with a quilt that has pink in it. :(

I do not love batiks.

I do not love anything that looks like tie-dye.

That's it! I can't wait to see what you come up with

I promise I'll post pictures of the quilt I'm making and the quilt I receive!

Mawwage is what brings us together today...

2010-03-03T21:39:00.000-08:00

A little late is better than never.

Which is why you'll be seeing photos of the beloved Mandi & Ian's ~~December~~ wedding events below.

Mandi & Ian are the lovely people who are brave enough to set up camp and make their home upstairs. They're my favorite. :)

Mandi is the kind of girl that everyone loves and no one dislikes. You just can't. It's impossible. I tried. And failed.

Ian is her stubborn, yet genius, husband who was a goner from the first moment they met. They're madly in love.

Together, they make a perfect couple, and perfect housemates, and we love living with them.

Andy and I at their rehearsal dinner -

Ian's parents - Mr. & Mrs. Stan Oberst

The NEW Mr. & Mrs. Ian Oberst -

Matthew Crews analyzing the algorithms of life. And women. Or maybe woman.

Said woman (a.k.a Hillary) sniffing... lip gloss??

Our token bachelor - Lane - who (for all you amazing single women out there) is an amazing guy. And who I'm going to find a woman for. Soon. I just haven't met any single women who are good enough yet. Please send applications via email. ::winks::

My amazing in-laws. You can't have them. They're mine. [And our Virginian friend, Heather, who is making weird faces off to the right. Heather - come back to Portland! We miss you!]

The Wedding Day:

Nice hair Mandi. ;)

Apparently Mandi was shocked and appalled at how much sparkling cider we brought. Bubbly-making. :)

She's so pretty!

Heather. I ♥ her.

Hillary - looking like a super model. As usual.

Our fabu hair dresser! Thanks Casey! Urban Colorz Salon

The below photo thanks to Chris Becerra photography - here's a pic of all the girls all dolled up.

Mandy, Me!, Mandi, & Hillary

On Libraries

2010-02-24T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Library has revoked my privileges. While many of you may jump to the conclusion that my delinquent self must have accomplished some great feat of mischievousness to have my library privileges suspended, it is in fact due to something infinitely less interesting and more frustrating.

Damascus has refused to pay taxes that will give their over burdened tax-payers access to the one of the few reliefs we have from this world - reading. Unfortunately for my reading addiction, I live in Damascus.

[Beware of rant to follow}

Honestly, when we pay some $5,000+ a year in property taxes (which is high even for Portland standards), they should bloody well include a library card. Not only am I outraged by this public service that we've been denied, but so are many others. The revolting decision to remove our library access was made by officials and nary a Damascus citizen consulted.

[Rant somewhat bated below]

I can easily continue on about politics and the deficiencies in our system, but I will be succinct and simply say that I'm disappointed that our city values reading and continued education so little that they are unwilling to pay the measly fee that would ensure that their people have access to the library.

Perhaps I'll stage a peaceful protest demanding our library rights back. I'm ready to grab my picket and start marching against this injustice, following the example of those written about in books I no longer have access to.

The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing. - John Adams

The Things that Make Me

2010-02-22T10:57:00.000-08:00

Things that make me...

...feel bubbly inside: Andy

...sad: forgotten and discarded children

{via}

...smile: old couples in love

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...angry: mean and unkind comments

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...want to dance: Matt Nathanson's music (and watching Jordan & Tatiana)

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...feel at home: tea

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...catch my breath: lightning storms

...laugh out loud: discussions on bodily functions

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...sick: rape

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...feel longing: string concertos (especially Antonio Vivaldi)

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...relax: quilting

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...anxious: performing

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...feel joyful: sunshine

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...frustrated: politics

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...disappear: reading

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The African Queen Quilt

2010-02-17T20:12:00.000-08:00

For some reason, all these fabrics make me think of Africa - a modern Africa - but they're so wild and tribal looking that I feel like I'm transported to another part of the world. As such, I've decided to name this quilt "The African Queen." Unfortunately due to bad lighting, it renders the blues bluer than the teal-ish color that they are in actuality. You'll just have to imagine.

Fabrics by Moda & Michael Miller & other misc designers. I'm excited about how the quilt is turning out.

And this is the mess that is my sewing area:

You can see the edge of my beautiful Bernina Artista 165 that was my Christmas/Birthday/Anniversary present. I ♥ it.

On Empathy

2010-02-12T22:37:00.001-08:00

In response to my last post, I've received a lot of comments, concerned emails, and friends asking me with a too serious face "Are you doing better?"

I suppose I should explain my feelings in a more descriptive manner. To start off with, if you ask my husband or my friends how they would describe me or what they like most about me, they'll usually say something along the lines of "her upbeat attitude" or "the energy she brings to life." And if you asked me how I would describe myself, I'd include the words energetic, silly, and fun.

And 99% of the time, I feel alive and enthusiastic. I know that every person in the world has days when life is just hard or that enthusiasm with which you greet each morning is a little duller than normal. We blame it on work, on stress, on a lack of sleep. But honestly, I don't have many days when I feel even these minor "downers", well enough experience depression.

I've had many friends who have struggled intensely with depression - and before last week, I never understood. I sometimes felt like shaking them and asking "How can you not be in love with a world this amazing and interesting? There is beauty and life everywhere you look - you just have to pay attention."

But on Monday, a little more than a week ago, I experienced what many people struggle with on a daily basis. I felt, for the first time in my entire life, the consuming void of depression. And knowing, from experience, that talking about these things can encourage others who have struggled similarly, I blogged about the experience while feeling mostly compassion for the people in my life who feel like this every day.

I strongly believe that everyone in the world faces a daily battle. For some people, it is merely getting out of bed and getting on with life. For others, it is an addiction or a secret selfish sin. But I know that each person wakes up and has to fight their own Battle. I've found that I not only feel compassion towards people fighting (or losing) their battles, but empathy. Perhaps it is my overactive imagination, but I put myself in the shoes of others, and I see how they see the world, and for the most part, I can't say that I would have made different choices if I had walked in their shoes.

Which is why in the past, if I had thought about depression, I never understood how a person could feel nothing. On a regular day, I have a million emotions jumbling around on my insides. I feel strongly. I feel deeply. But, until last week, I had never not felt anything.

I now understand how consuming depression is and how, when you're depressed, you don't want help. You don't want to stop feeling the nothingness. You just want to disappear underneath your bedsheets and never move again. I get it.

Which was the point of my last blog, to shout out to the world, that I get it now. I empathize. I sympathize. I understand.

When someone comes to me and says "I just feel depressed lately," I can say to them, "Girl - I know what that feels like. It feels like this, this, and this." And we'll connect and we'll talk about what it means to be human and to face the difficult things in life. We'll be able to direct one another to the great Warrior who will shelter us in the shadow of His wings.

I suppose if there is one thing I want to be in this life, it is a person who loves people. And I'm not sure that you can truly love someone if you can't empathize with them. I think that with empathy comes acceptance and then love. When we begin to love the people in our lives and accept them with their faults and flaws and not despite them, I think we are one step closer to understanding Christ's love for us.

That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The Battle on the Inside

2010-02-03T12:08:00.000-08:00

It's so hard when it doesn't come easy.

On Monday, I felt empty and dead inside- as if there was nothing worth the effort of doing. I imagined myself giving up completely. I imagined not going to work again - not getting out of bed - not moving. I imagined my life slowly disappearing until I was an unknown sitting on the side of the street holding out a cup - not really caring if anyone noticed me. I imagined the blank look in my eyes never going away and just sitting there after having lost everything - empty. I played a Dixie Chicks (Patty Griffin) song in my head -

I came home in the evening

Sit in my chair

One night they called me for supper, but I never got up.

I stayed right there - in my chair.

There's a whole lot of singing

That's never gonna be heard

Disappearing every day

Without so much as a word

Somehow ...

It was the first time I understood how people allow themselves to just disappear inside. I believe that it may be the first time I have truly felt depression without a good excuse. What's worse is that I didn't want to stop being depressed. I let myself wallow in the rainy place in my mind and I didn't try that hard to find the Sun.

After a day of listlessness, I wrote poetry describing the emotionless pit into which I'd fallen. I forced myself to work out and I flip-flopped between pushing myself until I could feel something and slowly dragging my feet, one foot in front of the other.

I came home and crawled in bed, covered my face with the blankets, and found I couldn't cry. I couldn't feel anything.I skipped bible study, even though I felt (which is the most amazing thing) God pushing through my fog of depression encouraging me to go. And I just laid there. Depressed.

I am fortunate that God gave me my husband whose name, Andrew, literally means "Man-Warrior." My amazing man-warrior came and held me in his arms, teased me gently, and made me smile - fighting off the emotionless clouds that had filled my skies. He listened while I explained that I felt depressed and I didn't know why. He listened and he encouraged me, but more than that - he made me feel. As I lay there in his arms feeling loved and encouraged, I realized that most people don't have their own personal warrior to fight the battles that they've given up fighting. I wondered how many people just gave up and walked around dead inside.

Perhaps they deal with it by pushing themselves so hard that their achievements cover the emptiness they feel. Maybe they deal with it by just giving up or drinking it away. Maybe they cover it with busyness. Maybe they deal with it in poetry or exercise or church or music or dance or decorating or cleaning or cuddling with their husband.

I'm ashamed to admit that I couldn't deal with it alone - that I was content to wallow alone in my room. I'm ashamed to admit that I rejected God's help and his prompting. I'm ashamed to admit that I didn't do it on my own - that I needed Andy.

And yet, I'm learning that we need eachother and that needing one another is not a liability, but a source of strength. Perhaps if everyone in the world had someone who helped them, the world would be a healthier place. In so many ways, I feel like a failure for not going to God with this and dealing with it - just God and I. My mind makes me believe that resolving this privately with God would have been the "holier" response. And yet, our God is a God of relationships and He has given us eachother for a reason. Even more so now, I believe that God has called us to support eachother.

In many ways, if I imagined a spiritual battle where the Enemy had injured me, Andy was the comrade who pulled me back to the Healer. He was the warrior on the battlefield who fought with me and supported me when I'd fallen.

Which leads me to wonder, in the spiritual battles we all face, who are our comrades? Who do I support when they're struggling? Who am I neglecting to carry when they've been wounded? Who is walking around in my life feeling dead inside and I've not noticed? Who do I need to carry back to the Healer who not only heals our wounds, but gives us life?

And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

2nd Corinthians 12:9

Perhaps this is my call to arms. Perhaps this is the beginning of me noticing the battles that are being waged around me and choosing to support and fight alongside the warriors in my life. Perhaps dying inside is the beginning of living..

Sitting Thinking Wishing Dreaming

2010-01-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

It seems these days that there has been much pondering swirling around in my head. Where is my life headed? What am I doing of value? What can I do that will have lasting meaning? What is God calling me to?

These thoughts, while jumbled together with my natural impulsiveness, have created wild urges to sell everything - our house, our cars, our furniture - and live in another country while doing something meaningful like running an orphanage.

I keep thinking about the world and the suffering in the world. I keep thinking about the children who are sold into the sex trade. I keep thinking about children whose parents would rather let them die than keep them. I keep thinking about what I can do.

What can I do? I feel so helpless. I feel so useless. I feel stuck.

I know that one individual can make a difference, but I can't bring myself to believe that it could be me. I know that sometimes it starts with taking one step, but I can't bring myself to believe that one step will get me anywhere.

And yet, "with man these things are impossible, but with God all things are possible." So what does that mean for my life?

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Sunriver with Becca

2010-01-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

So this post is extremely delayed in coming, but Becca and I went to Sunriver in October and were surprised with a dash of snow that forced us to stay an extra night instead of driving over the pass in my little Honda Civic.

We went spelunking through some caves and had a blast playing with our only light source, a lantern, and the fun textures of the dark cavernous tunnels. When we emerged from our caving expedition we exited to a world being covered by snow. It was so much fun and so random - which is probably one of my favorite things in the world.

We giggled and laughed and generally had an awesome time. Not to mention, Becca introduced me to Sonic which has the best milkshakes ever! Awesome. :)

This is us "chasing the light" as we tried to capture the last few moments of sunlight before the sun disappeared on our way over to Sunriver.

Spelunking!

The "light at the end of the tunnel" was so surreal and angelic. The picture below doesn't begin do it justice.

I'm surrounded by light!

Exiting into a winterwonderland

When we were snowed in, we made and subsequently destroyed a puzzle. ::grins::

On our way back to Portland, we stopped off at Trillium Lake for a bit to take some pictures and walk around.

Kristin's Birthday Quilt

2010-01-03T14:57:00.000-08:00

This is the quilt I made for Kristin for her birthday on New Years Eve. I think it's my favorite quilt I've made to date (or maybe it ties with the one that I made for Chantel - I haven't decided yet).

I heart quilting!

Life is Full of Good Intentions

2009-12-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

I have so many projects that I want to work on this year, that I'm making a New Years Resolution (gasp!) to finish them by the end of 2010. I'll post about them as I go.

Here's the list:

1. Make Christmas stockings for next year

2. Make this really cute bag by Artsy-crafty-babe -

[photo and bag made by Quilting Barbie]

3. Make a cute Christmas tree skirt -

4. Decorate and paint the house (especially our bedroom!) -

[not exactly like the picture above by ikeafans.com]

5. Plant a garden and put a fire pit in the backyard (if our lame HOA allows) -

[photo via Eichler For Sale]

6. Make cute pillows for the couches -

[photo via Be Present Be Here]

7. Do some photography to hang around our house and in our bedroom -

[photo via Andy and Elisha in/around Bend]

I think that's all the projects I want to work on [for now]. Unfortunately, some of these endeavors require having many dollars, but we'll see how things go this year and hopefully we'll be able to tackle many of them!

Anyone have suggestions on how to do some of the above on a really tight budget?

On Quilting

2009-12-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

Naturally, I'm a bit rebellious when it comes to anything that I "should" be doing. For example, I should blog about Christmas related stuff. And I should blog about all the awesome things that have happened lately (as mentioned in the previous post). And I should post the new blogs about the books I've been reading lately on my awesome new book blog - www.elishareads.blogspot.com.

But instead I'm going to blog about all sorts of randomosity.

Like this ridiculously cute quilt from Cluck Cluck Sew -

You can find her awesome tutorial on how to make the adorable quilt above here.

I'm pretty sure I'm mostly in love with the fabric - American Jane, by Moda - but the pattern is pretty cute too. I'm thinking I'll make my next quilt with this pattern. We'll see.

I've decided that cute fabric completely makes (or breaks) whether I like a quilt.

Speaking of quilts, this is the quilt I just finished for Mimi as a Christmas present.

[Note to the Reader: Andy informed me that this post was too negative and self deprecating and that no one really wants to read about all the mistakes I made quilting. So, I've deleted my rambling about the mistakes I made and have decided to post what I learned while making this quilt.]

Elisha's life lessons in quilting:

1. Ironing is not optional, no matter how much I wish it were.
2. Your math teachers were right, you will eventually use math in real life. I just wish they had been wrong.
3. You cannot make a quilt look good if you sew it together like a pillow. [yes Becca - you were right, it was a ridiculous idea]
4. Crazy quilts fit my personality better than traditional patterns
5. Staying up all night quilting = sewing through your finger
6. Borders on the front and back of a quilt make it difficult to put all the layers together
7. Cutting your fabric the right size to begin with makes the end result much prettier
8. Maintaining the same seam allowance is not optional
9. Having a new Bernina sewing machine = priceless!

I'm not sure if I mentioned, but Andy's thoughtful and amazing Christmas present to me this year was a fantastic Bernina sewing machine! I still don't actually have MY sewing machine, but I've been borrowing a lender machine from the Bernina dealer by our house until mine comes in. All I can say is - WOW! It is so beautiful and makes quilting 100% better.

I think I'm spoiled with the best husband in the entire world. He loves me. :)

I'll post pictures of its beauteous-ness when I post pictures of the quilt I made for Chantel for Christmas. Yay for quilting!

Merry Christmas!

There is Much to Post About

2009-12-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

...like Mandi and Ian's wedding (you can find the beautiful pictures and a slideshow on Chris Becerra's blog - http://becerraphotography.blogspot.com)

...did someone say Bachelorette Party?

...Mandi's bridal shower which I have fun and awesome photos of!

...the beauteous quilts that I've just finished (no pictures until AFTER Christmas. ::winks mischieviously:: )

...And much more!

Stay tuned for posts of awesome-ness!

Three Years Ago Today...

2009-12-09T10:47:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my friend Lauren (thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com) who shares the same wedding date as Andy and I (yay for December 9th!), I've decided to post photos of what Andy and I were doing three years ago. So here's what we were doing on December 9th, 2006.

[All photos are courtesy of AJ's Studio - Thanks guys!]

Being ridiculously silly!

Kissing (of course!)

More kissing

Shoving cake in eachother's faces!

Dancing!

More kissing! (sensing a theme here? ;D )

Hugging our friends:

And yet, more kissing:

Praying

Drinking??

Toasting

Man Dancing

WCS Dancing

Chicken Dancing??

Getting beautified:

Playing video games??!

Rock Band? Seriously boys have more fun. :)

The best part of the day? Celebrating it with the people we love.

Anniversary!

2009-12-09T09:52:00.000-08:00

Andy and I have officially been married for three years today!! I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by. They say the first few years are the hardest and if that is true then Andy and I are going to have the most amazing life together because these last three years have been pure bliss the whole way.

Thank you Andy for being the love of my life, for loving me and living everyday to show me you love me. Thank you for being a man I respect AND love, for making my heart come alive in ways I didn't know it could, for loving God first and showing me His love for me through your actions everyday.

Thank you for being patient, wise, and kind. Thank you for your being you! I love you Andy Catts and I'm looking forward to countless anniversaries to come knowing that every year I'll love you more than the year before.

You - I love. ;)

Three Years of Awesome

2009-12-09T08:49:00.000-08:00

It was on this day, three years ago that I said "I do" to my most beautiful and amazing wife. It was a day of bliss, friends, dancing and memories that I will never forget (to be aided by pictures when I'm senile.)

And here I sit, feeling much the same. Each day may present it's own challenges, and those can be many. Nobody said hard economic times and the challenge of figuring out what your life should look like at age 24 was going to be easy. In fact, I feel I can confidently say that education as a whole (a good 17 years of my life) has no real clue how to prepare our youth for what they will face when they are "grown up." But that's OK, it's part of life to figure it out on your own.

The good news is, not much has changed in our marriage since that first day. I love my wife more and more each second that passes, and every time I see her smiling face, I can't help but smile. She is my constant companion, and she will follow me anywhere, even if it means braving sub-freezing temperatures all day for a canned food drive, after working a full week!

Some say that the first three years are the hardest years of a marriage. If they are the most difficult, then I am really looking forward to the future! I am so blessed by God through Elisha - we get along so well, we know each other beyond words, and we really never fight. I know, right? You're thinking that it is impossible - but it's true. I can't explain what a blessing that is. Sure, we have our disagreements, but we always work together to solve them.

So, as I usually do, I'm just rambling on and on about something, but I'll get to the heart of it. Thank you Father for the wonderful gift that is my wife. There is no one better in the world for me, and I have only excitement for the rest of our lives that we get to spend together.

On Fishing

2009-12-06T17:32:00.001-08:00

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. ~Henry David Thoreau

A Blog for Becca (finally!)

2009-12-03T13:22:00.000-08:00

Dear Becca,

You have kindly pestered me for months for a bl0g, and I even though I proposed "best-friendship" to you (equipped with BFF necklaces and all), you still require more evidence of my commitment to our friendship. Therefore, I'm finally writing you a blog - all for you and all about you. Happy now?

I suppose I should write things like "Becca is so great" in this blog, but I won't because that would be pointless as you already know how great you are. :P

I do however want to tell you that your photography rocks (which may have a smidge to do with the person who was your awesome photography guru). Do you like how I just complimented you and me all in one sentence? Smooth.... Although, these days you rock all by yourself and do not need a guru since you've become your own guru of awesome. Kudos.

Becca, I am glad we're friends.

Yours Truly,

Mrs. E. Catts

I read too much to blog...

2009-12-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

...but I created a new blog anyway. At least this blog is only about reading, so maybe I'll blog more afterall! We'll see!

http://www.elishareads.blogspot.com/

The 8th World Wonder - The Public Library

2009-09-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

Have I mentioned that I love the library?

For those of you who are ignorant, as I once was, let me enlighten you to the beauties of the public library.

First off, it is a room, or series of room-like structures, filled with books. BOOKS people - pretty much the most amazing, awesome, awe-inspiring, incredible, stupendous, and perfect inanimate objects to ever grace the earth. And it is a building filled with them.

Secondly, every book in the room can be taken home with you - for FREE. I'm starting to believe that impossibly wonderful things are actually possible. While there are unfortunate drawbacks (you have to return the books), you can actually extend your enjoyment almost indefinitely by renewing and rechecking out books that you love. If however, you're ~~lazy~~ normal and you don't want to waste time renewing the same book over and over again - no problem. You can just keep it and they'll just charge you for the cost of the book. Seriously - you get to try the product out before you decide if you want to keep it! How many places let you do that? Not satisfied - no worries. Just bring the book back within your allotted 2-3 weeks and you won't be charged a penny.

Thirdly, if they don't have the book(s) you want, they will go out and scavenge for them and bring these shining beautiful books back to the nearest and most convenient library to you, where you can check them out, once again ladies and gentlemen, for free. :D

Finally, not only are books, movies, magazines, and other random media free for your perusing, but they have free passes to local educational entertainment such as :

1. The Portland Art Museum
2. The Children's Museum
3. The Japanese Gardens
4. OMSI
5. etc

I'm not kidding. You can get FREE passes to any of the above and more by doing nothing more complicated than calling your local library and reserving them for the day you want to go. I may sound like an advertisement for the library, but guys, it sells itself. Can I dare believe some place so amazing actually exists? Yes, I can - because it does.

In short, I heart the public library. If the government is going to take my money and put it toward something, I'm not going to complain if it goes to the library. That, my friends, is actually a worthwhile investment of my money (and yours!).

Finding peace, and trying to understand the world

2009-09-30T09:10:00.000-07:00

Just what is it about complacency that makes my life more difficult? One would tend to think that when things are going your way, when they are as you expect, that life would be so much better. After all, there's nothing unexpected or untoward to complain about - things are just peachy! And while my life definitely isn't perfect at this point, it is certainly great - I have a fabulous wife, house and a decent job that pays the bills.

Why is it, then that I find myself wondering more and more about my disposition and my perspective on life? I'm reading through the Psalms right now, and I can't help but feel like we would be so much closer to God if we just had more struggles in our life, if things weren't quite so easy. Then we wouldn't think that we had it all together, we'd realize that God is in control of everything, and that He is directing each and every step we take.

Hard times make us rely on God. Hard times make us look at every event, big and small, and attribute it to God's greater plan - for what else could it be? As humans, we have nothing else to explain it (unless you go with random chance.) Disaster in my life? God's going to use it for good - that's who He is, and that's what He does! But when everything is going well, we trudge along and minor inconveniences (such as lousy drivers on the freeway) annoy us to no end.

I think my faith will be much stronger the day I can say I am as devoted, attentive and reliant on God when things are going well as when they are going poorly.

The pursuit of Wisdom

2009-09-20T21:44:00.000-07:00

January 22nd -

"I now understand why I've fallen for SO many stupid guys:

1) no good guys exist."

While pretending to unpack the office today, I found my journals. It was an amusing afternoon reading through my thoughts as a 13 year old girl to present day. Somewhere between then and now, I wrote the above jaded statement about men. Fortunately, for my heart and mankind's reputation, Andy appeared in my life (and my journal some pages later). At which point, I found this scribbled happily at the beginning of multitudes of pages gushing with sappy lovey-dovey stuff:

"So I met my husband-to-be and unless God tells me I'm crazy - wow."

Wow. All I can say is that I'm thankful that God truly does mold us, change us, and help us to grow as individuals. I can't begin to describe how idiotic I was when I was younger. I'm just glad that God doesn't leave us how we are. Although the process can be painful and frustrating, I'm thankful I'm no longer who I was. I now know that I can/will be glad of any pain that I will have to endure in the years to come if it will make me a wiser and more loving woman of God.

James 1:5
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

I think this verse is a double edged sword. I've seen the things that have caused the most growth in my life and I realize that when God gives you wisdom, it comes through humbling experiences.

James 3:13
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom."

Proverbs 11:2
"When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."

While reading through my journals I was torn between a desire to burn the evidence of my stupidity and grabbing labeling materials and marking them all as "Evidence of God's Grace and Loving Kindness."

It's funny because I'm confident that in 5 years, 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, I'll look back and see God's grace in my life all over again and recognize that God has given me more wisdom than I had before and that through the difficult things in my life, He'll have answered the one prayer that is consistent throughout every page of my journal - "Change my heart, Oh God. Make me more like You. Fill me with wisdom and understanding. Lead me in paths of righteousness."

Truly this hymn is the banner that covers my life:

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Morning ponderings on Psalm 106 (NASB)

2009-09-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

Each morning as I wolf down my cereal & toast, I like to have something to read. Given that somehow I run from the beginning of my day to the end, I have made it a point to read the Word during breakfast. It's almost guaranteed. Even though I'm rushed and hurried, God somehow always manages to impress something upon me in the short time that I get to share with Him. Sometimes it's something small, sometimes it's something bigger. I want to try and voice these out, and with my new commitment to blogging more (wait, that's not a new commitment...) I think I can safely share it here. Hopefully it resonates with you...or at least makes you think.

Psalm 106 is basically a rough history of the nation of Israel, all crammed into one chapter. Yowza. Hundreds of years, millions of people. You'd think it would take more than that, but no. And what is it summed up by in the sub-title? "Israel's Rebelliousness and the LORD'S Deliverances." Dang. That kinda sucks for Israel when you think about it. Years and years of history, and what are they remembered for? Rebelliousness. Gotta work on that Israel.

However, the real meat of it is right there in the same sentence. First portion: Israel (People in general) screw up. A lot. Second Portion: God is always there to fix it. Not just once - He doesn't just toss us after the first screwup. That's Deliverances ladies and gentlemen - plural. And the same applies to us.

The majority of Psalm 106 plays like a broken record: Israel forgets God, Israel becomes oppressed, God saves Israel. And what struck me about this is that we're the same way. It's easy to look at the Old Testament and dismiss it as boring, old stories. I know I did that for a long time. The New Testament was much more interesting - it had Jesus, and Paul and all kinds of good stuff. But the OT? Wasn't that just rules, regulations and some stuff in Song of Solomon that you weren't really supposed to read (or understand) until you were married?

After having much of the OT summed up for me in Psalm 106, I came to a conclusion. The OT isn't boring (it is old.) What God is providing for us through the OT is twofold: a warning and a promise. The warning is to not repeat history - God gave everything He had to the Israelites, and they just didn't get it. The promise is of salvation through Jesus' death and resurrection on the cross. We already have the promise - in our hands, tangible and living.

So far, I haven't even quoted any scripture, but now we're there. Because while we often dismiss much of the OT as "old" - it still applies to everyday life, and Psalm 106 especially. So let's get into it:

Psalm 106: 19-25

19 They made a calf in Horeb
And worshiped a molten image.
20 Thus they exchanged their glory
For the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God their Savior,
Who had done great things in Egypt,
22 Wonders in the land of Ham
And awesome things by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore He said that He would destroy them,
Had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach before Him,
To turn away His wrath from destroying them.
24 Then they despised the pleasant land;
They did not believe in His word,
25 But grumbled in their tents;
They did not listen to the voice of the LORD.

Here we see one snapshot - Israel has just gotten out of Egypt - God saved them from intense slavery and the murder of their male children. Kind of a big deal, no? And what do they do? They made a gold cow. Yeah. A cow. That eats grass, farts methane to destroy the ozone layer, and provides tasty steaks. They "forgot God their Savior." How often do we do that? How often do we forget the awesome saving power of our Lord, and throw it all away for the things of this world? Maybe it's not a cow - but it's probably other worldly things. Idols aren't just statues made of gold - it's anything that holds a place in our hearts before God.

This comes into play later in Psalm 106, specifically verses 35-39:

35 But they mingled with the nations
And learned their practices,
36 And served their idols,
Which became a snare to them.
37 They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to the demons,
38 And shed innocent blood,
The blood of their sons and their daughters,
Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
And the land was polluted with the blood.
39 Thus they became unclean in their practices,
And played the harlot in their deeds.

Are we doing this? Are we becoming more worldly in our actions? I know I'm guilty. I know I allow myself to say, do, hear and see things that I shouldn't. Every time, it's a compromise, letting myself be snared by the world. I pray that I will change my ways - to stay clean. Even though I know God forgives me every time I screw up.

What happens next? God promises His wrath (something I never want to face, but thanks to Jesus, never have to) upon Israel. Moses intervenes, begging for forgiveness. God relents, and is still planning on giving them the land of Canaan, a land "flowing with milk and honey." Sounds nice, doesn't it? I don't think I'd complain. However, what is Israel's response? They rejected the land, didn't believe in God, and didn't listen. What a thank-you, Hallmark should take notes.

Again, how does this apply to us? How often do we trust in our own understanding, and push God aside? How often do we look at small things in our life and dismiss all the blessings that God has bestowed upon us? I know I allow it to happen more than I should. This fallen world, Satan and his demons, want us to be dragged down until we can't see the light and hope that is God above. I challenge you readers (and myself) to stand above this, rejoicing in the salvation that God has provided for us - along with the tons of good things that He has provided.

Sounds like we've got a pretty difficult road ahead of us. But if there is one thing to take from Psalm 106, it's the promise of God's greatest gift in Jesus. For the psalm ends with:

43 Many times He would deliver them;
They, however, were rebellious in their counsel,
And so sank down in their iniquity.
44 Nevertheless He looked upon their distress
When He heard their cry;
45 And He remembered His covenant for their sake,
And relented according to the greatness of His lovingkindness.
46 He also made them objects of compassion
In the presence of all their captors.
47 Save us, O LORD our God,
And gather us from among the nations,
To give thanks to Your holy name
And glory in Your praise.

God delivers us from our iniquity. God looks upon our distresses, when we cry out - and God remembers his promise. We are forgiven, we are redeemed, we are saved. And at the end of the day, we should echo the psalmist in verse 48:

48 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And let all the people say, "Amen."
Praise the LORD!

Things I enjoy (also known as things that keep me sane)

2009-09-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

Apparently my wife has started to blog a lot more, given the recent spasm of posts. While life isn't a competition, I am definitely feeling the need to step it up and begin providing our small reader base a reason to read the blog more. I think it might also help me to mull over my own thoughts in written form - something I've never been very good at. There have been times in my life where I kept a journal of sorts, and my propensity to write in it always seemed to dry up quickly.

Rather than learn from my mistakes and recognize that writing/blogging my thoughts just isn't for me, I'm going to keep banging my head against the wall and try to convince myself that this can and will become a regular thing. I may even rely on you, the loyal fanbase, to pester me with questions such as "why haven't you blogged lately?" and "I really wish the internet was full of details about Andy and Elisha's life so I didn't have to ask them personally." (I realize the last statement was not a question.)

So, um, here's another blog post. Not forced, for real. This time anyway.

Some things I have enjoyed lately:

1.) Seeing my lovely wife after 4 days of being gone.

2.) Backpacking the Jefferson Wilderness (post soon to come with pictures)

3.) Not Always Right (Hilarious website

4.) Finding new, interesting and great ways to look at passages of scripture that you've read a dozen times. I think this will always happen - God's Word being alive is certainly true. (Exodus was the scripture, by the way.)

Some things I have not enjoyed lately:

1.) Growing older to the point that I wake up in the middle of the night to use the 'loo. WTF bladder?! 4AM is not a good time for this. Wait another freakin' 2 hours and 45 minutes so I can get more uninterrupted sleep. I'm not even 25 yet. I really, really really don't want this to get worse, but I know it's going to. Old people, don't chime in about my future doom and how bad it will be. I realize it is imminent.

2.) Knowing that I need to eat less/eat healthier/exercise more. Curse my efficient body. So good at retaining, so bad at releasing. Oh, and screw you everything-that-tastes-good-but-is-fattening.

3.) Knowing that I'll probably suck at blogging more, but trying anyway.

Time

2009-09-15T14:49:00.000-07:00

"Who has never killed an hour? Not casually or without thought, but carefully: a premeditated murder of minutes. The violence comes from a combination of giving up, not caring, and a resignation that getting past it is all you can hope to accomplish. So you kill the hour. You do not work, you do not read, you do not daydream. If you sleep it is not because you need to sleep. And when at last it is over, there is no evidence: no weapon, no blood, and no body. The only clue might be the shadows beneath your eyes or a terribly thin line near the corner of your mouth indicating something has been suffered, that in the privacy of your life you have lost something and the loss is too empty to share."

Blonde!

2009-09-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I dyed my hair blonde?!

Love N Dancing

2009-09-14T09:45:00.000-07:00

Love N Dancing. Not "Love & Dancing," but just Love N Dancing. Lame name and pretty much a lame movie, with one redeeming quality - it's a movie entirely about West Coast Swing dancing.

I somewhat suspected the movie to claim that the dance was "West Coast Swing" when, in reality, it was some stupid combination of Lindy aeriels and moves (ie. when Benji Schwimmer competed in So You Think You Can Dance the first year and they gave him a "WCS routine" which was really a Lindy/jitterbug/random aeriels routine.... grrrrr...). However, I was pleasantly surprised to find several WCS pros (Jordan & Tatiana ::sighs dreamily::, Benji Schwimmer & Heidi Groskreutz, and Kyle Redd & Sarah Van Drake, etc) dancing away on my screen with their usual talent and skill.

I made it through the movie solely because there was real WCS dancing that composed 80% of the entire movie. The acting was just interesting enough that it didn't pollute my enjoyment of the dancing, but horrible enough that if the dancing hadn't been included, I wouldn't have made it through the first 15 minutes.

My recommendation: Don't watch this movie unless -

1) you ran out of WCS competition videos to watch
2) you want to laugh at bad acting and directing
3) you are stalking Jordan and Tatiana
4) you are stalking Benji Schwimmer and Heidi Groskreutz
5) you are a WCS pro stalker in general
6) you have nothing better to do, you are bored out of your mind, and you don't mind suffering through a bad script for a story about a girl who discovers the wonder of WCS.

So there you are. Go watch it or not.

[the end]

Mission Impossible: Organize

2009-09-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

This morning my brain = tired. Which is what happens when you stay out until 3AM every morning and wake up at 8AM that same morning. Generally speaking I like to go to bed when the hour is in the PM and wake up when it again reaches the PM. Skipping the AM altogether is quite suitable to me.

Now that I've sufficiently warned you that this post may be filled with typos and runon sentences and things that generally don't make sense (due of course to the lack of sleep mentioned above), we can move on to discussing Operation: Organize, Revitalize, and Design.

This is currently the quilting/computer room:

[yes, I do quilt on the floor]

I'm hoping to get it to the point where it looks something more like this:

I like the organization of the above photo, but I will definitely be removing all touches and traces of all things remotely "girly" (minus the obvious quilting supplies).

I'd love to get some ideas/suggestions/recommendations from everyone about different techniques that have helped them organize, fun crafty ways to make the room "pop", and any other advice or suggestions that might help a girl decorate her sewing room with a modern, ungirly, and fun theme.

1.....2.....3... Go!

106th!

2009-09-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

I made it past my 100th post and didn't even know it! This is officially my 106th post. I know it would have been cooler if I had remembered to make some special post about the 100th post, but this one will just have to do! Here's to a hundred (and six) more posts to be written!

On Community

2009-09-10T09:43:00.001-07:00

Regarding the below post, if anyone is interested in reading about the adventure of two families who have already begun a living-together-in-community-household, my cousin Brittany and her husband, Dan, have already begun to enter the world of "having all things in common." You can follow their adventures at their household blog -

http://theruscliffe.blogspot.com/

Mandi!

2009-09-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Please hold your breath while I impart to you fellow bloggy friends the good news!

Our dear friend Mandi will be moving in with us!! While many of you just read this sentence and wondered how a happily married couple could possible consider having a new room mate as good news, please let me provide some illumination.

First, Andy and I are incredibly social people. We ~~like~~ love having people stay at our house for extended periods of time. On top of this, Mandi is one our favorite people in the whole world and we adore spending time with her. So we're thrilled that we'll have a new member of our family for the next 9 months until she gets married.

Finally, even after she moves out when she gets married June 2010, we're still considering filling our house with people. We are becoming strong proponents of community and we've always wanted our home to be a place where the people in our community feel welcome and at home. We are beginning to believe, more and more, that God created us to be in community with other believers. Not just the "go to church on Sunday and Bible study once a week" style of community, but the living/eating/sleeping/sharing type of community that happens in a family. When we look at the early church we see so much of this type of church community, and we wonder whether we've lost some of the blessings that God intended for the church by separating ourselves into our own private little homes.

We're excited about experimenting in this "home-style" version of community. :D

Yay for Mandi!

Blogging more

2009-09-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

I will blog more. I will blog more. I will blog more. I will blog more. I will blog more. I will blog more.

Maybe if I repeat this little mantra in my blog, I'll actually end up blogging more.

Although, if I actually do end up blogging more it will probably be because wedding season is over and our life is returning back to a somewhat human pace again.

So let's raise our glasses (and our determination) to blogging more!

The Joys of Fabric

2009-09-03T10:03:00.001-07:00

Quilting - oh how I love thee! I especially love this quilt -

Isn't it adorable? I just bought the fabric to make a quilt that will end up being similar, except I'll be using bright fuschia (not pink, ladies and gentlemen, but FUSCHIA) to replace the green. While I don't really enjoy FUSCHIA as a color, my little sister Chantel adores it and this quilt is going to be her Christmas present this year. So I'm simply going to figuratively close my eyes to the color and pretend it is green while I quilt it all together. Here's a picture of the fabric pre-quilting!

Also, I've been dying to post photos of the quilting process, but I'm a little reluctant to because most of them will end up as Christmas presents this year and most of the people who actually read my blog will be the recipients of my quilting efforts.... I'll post as much as I can without revealing too much! For example - this is a ________ (insert offending color name here) that I've been working on recently.

Initially, I was just using scraps from my Super-Awesome-Garage-Sale-Find to practice a new quilting technique. For about 3 months I did not permit myself to spend lots of money on new quilting fabric which meant my quilting fingers needed an outlet and this quilt is the product of said quilting-finger-itchiness. Now I'm running out of my scraps in this color scheme and I'm at a loss about what to do with it. My options, as I see them, are:

1. Make a really cute baby girl quilt and WAIT (one of my greatest flaws = impatience) until someone I know has a baby girl....
2. Add really REALLY large borders and make it a twin size bed quilt. However, who really wants a pink quilt???! Seriously, it's offensive.
3. Add strips of fabric in between the strips of quilted-ness and make it a strippy type of quilt... Still, my largest problem remains, who wants a pink quilt?! Ugh.

I've been informed recently that there are girls out there who like pink (and even some boys!) and that, perhaps, someone may appreciate a PINK quilt, but I'm still struggling to accept that someone might like this color scheme. However, since I have put so much effort into this offensive quilt (it literally has taken more time than all my other quilts put together!) and I really don't want it sitting around the house polluting my quilting space with it's offensive pink pollutants, I'm determined to give it away to some unlucky person. I'm thinking maybe giving it to Andy's grandmother, Mimi (if members of the Catts family are reading this, do you know if Mimi actually likes that one unmentionable color??).

On another side note related to quilting, you may have noticed a brief comment about my: Super-Awesome-Garage-Sale-Find! When you read this, you must have wondered - "What on earth did Elisha find at a garage sale?! It must have been amazing to receive it's own title as the Super-Awesome-Garage-Sale-Find!" Well, my friends, family, and random blog stumblers, this is the story of my Super-Awesome-Garage-Sale-Find:

Once upon a time, some brilliant genius invented the Happy Valley Garage Sales (HVGS). For those of you who are from some foreign land and are unfamiliar with the wonderosity of the the HVGS, it is a gathering of many home-dwellers in the Happy Valley area who open up their garage doors and sell furnishings and nicknacks from the comfort of their driveway. Simply put, one can spend days wandering this garage sale extravanganza and still find deals that will make any garage-shopper filled with glee. While doing said wandering, I discovered a discreet bin of fabric. I perused the fabric thinking to myself, "My! what beautiful fabric options to choose from!" However, the garage sale lady wanted $5 per tiny sack of fabric and that was simply too expensive for scraps I may or may not use. I nearly left the garage sale saddened by the fact that I didn't have such a great store of scraps in my own home to make scrappy quilts with, but instead, I mustered up my courage, fully prepared for a great disappointment, and asked how much the garage-seller wanted for ALL the scraps. Expecting her to quote a number around $100+, I braced myself for her answer. "$7" she said simply. I was stunned. I'm pretty sure my jaw fell to the ground in a cartoon-like fashion. I nearly offered her $10 to make myself feel like I wasn't cheating such a nice old lady (calling her a saint might be more appropriate), but wisely, my garage-shopping instinct kicked in, and I proudly told her I would take it all. While my insides were jumping up and down, I kept my calm exterior as we packed bag after bag after bag after bag of quilting scraps. While I stumbled back to my mom (my garage-shopping partner in crime) with all my loot, her face widened as she remebered the sign that said "$5" for each tiny bag. I'm pretty sure she thought I had just thrown all my money out the window for hundreds of tiny pieces of fabric. I'm also pretty sure she thought I had lost my mind. Until, somehow in the state of my delirious happiness, I managed to inform her that all this beautious fabric was achieved for the low price of $7.

And that, my friends, is the Super-Awesome-Garage-Sale-Find of the century. ::sigh happily:: The End.

evening musings

2009-08-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

I think the real reason I don't blog that often is my life seems boring and rather uninteresting to the teeming masses that populate the internets. But every once in a while, I happen upon a subject that I want to pontificate upon more than usual. As in, usually I just sum it up in a facebook status update, and leave it at that. But I need to say more, and making a bajillion status updates as this continually crosses my mind just doesn't seem like the right way to do this, so I'll put it here.

simply put, I've been pondering one thing:

How do people live without the love of Jesus??

The answer I've come to is that they don't ever actually live...they exist. And rather poorly, I might add. Working in the job that I have, I see a lot of squalor, depravity and the very needy, in more ways than one. This comes in many ways - drug and alcohol addiction, situations that cause poverty, decisions that cause poverty, and a myriad of other things. But the number one thing I see, every single day, is the need for love.

Of course, this can come across like some hippy post, and I know I'm going to have some people saying "But Andy, you're a right-wing, gun-toting, rush-limbaugh listening capitalist! What's this?" This is different. This is not the need for our pathetic human joke that we call love. This is the deep need, yearning and outcry of the human race for something beyond ourselves, a love that cannot be found on this earth.

The love of Jesus, of the Father, and the Holy Spirit is so much different than anything that can be found here. I don't think words can really express this, but I'm going to give it a shot. What I see in people, every day, is the need to feel worthy, to feel wanted, to feel needed, to feel appreciated, to be taken care of, to be understood, to be held when they need to break down and cry, to be absolutely loved and adored for exactly who they are, problems, screwups and all.

This is what the world as we know it cannot provide. At times, the love of God shines through people - when we love others by doing all of these things for them. But we cannot find is someone who will do all of these things for us, 110% of the time, no matter what we are doing. And that is what sets God apart - He loves us, no matter what, every second of every day. Even if we're cursing His name, or denying His existence.

All I can think of anymore is how my heart is breaking for the world - for those who don't know Jesus, for those who find themselves feeling a yearning for this love beyond anything else they've ever wanted - beyond the need for food, for water, for air, for life. The actions of people on this earth merely support this theory - our entire purpose in life, if not for Christ, is for substituting the things of this world in an attempt to fill this desire. And it never works.

Surrounded by the world, I am struck with a desire to help people find Jesus, to find the final answer in the question that is life. I cannot describe how my heart is breaking for young men and women especially. I see a group that has been told over and over again, by their parents, by their teachers, and by their peers that life is nothing but a great quest for pleasure, for "what feels good." Yes, on the surface that sounds well and good - of course you should want good things for yourself! But oh, how different the "good" things of this world are from the good things found in Christ Jesus.

Pleasure in this world only becomes pain as our generation is realizing that finding a girl, finding a guy, having money, having this car or that house is only temporary. For that house will crumble, the car will be outdated, and odds are good that your relationship with that special someone has deteriorated to a point where you don't even recognize them for who they used to be.

This has all been racing through my mind as I think of some of the people I have met in the last few weeks, especially young women. When I see their predicaments, I feel as if it has penetrated my own heart. I think of my wife, my sister, or my frinds in that situation and it is horrible. Women of the world need a loving Father - one that they can only find in God. I realize I'm rambling on, but well, it's what's on my mind.

All said, I want to help. I don't know how to help, and that's the end result of all these musings - what can I do? How can I, how can we, reach the world with the love of Jesus? We face a daunting task, as the majority of the world wants nothing to do with God, as they have all heard it before, and we Christians are just a bunch of hypocrites, and a place to run when times are tough (because churches are such suckers, and will give free handouts to the needy.)

But what could be different? We've got Big Brother and Big Sister programs, how about a "Great Father" program? There has to be a way to help heal the hearts of women who have been hurt by men, who can't imagine that there are guys out there who love them (not romantically) for who they are - not what they look like. Because so many women have given up everything in hopes of finding this love in the world, and are now desperate and broken.

Can a band of men get together - those guys who raised their daughters right, who told them they looked beautiful every day, who tucked them in at night, who helped them find a dress for the dance, who encouraged them to be themselves every second of every day - and that no boy was worth them if they didn't love them in the same way? And beyond that, the men who love Jesus - and use him as an role-model? Can these guys get together and show women that men can think beyond short skirts and skin?

I could go on and on, but it's late, and I know that it's starting to get jumbled. As I continue to write, more and more pops into my head. But I'll leave those for another musing, another time. But the question foremost in my mind is, how? I know that god is the only one that can answer that question. I want to help. I want to reach these people, to show them the mighty, awesome and amazing love that God is - beyond all that we know on earth.

And what I know, is that our current methods aren't working. We're timid, we're afraid, and we think that just "telling people about Jesus" is the answer. We need to truly reach out - beyond words, into action. Showing people the love of Jesus, and not just by wearing a cross necklace, not joining in on a dirty joke or whatever. We need to do our best to love like Jesus - heart, mind and soul, all reservations aside.

ideas are welcome. please send them my way.

Amazing when you're strange

2009-08-06T19:41:00.001-07:00

Too true...

Decorating!

2009-08-02T15:40:00.000-07:00

I've been dreaming about decorating our house and I've actually been planning it all out before I go on a money spending binge (which I'm trying really REALLY hard not to do) and I've refined some of my ideas since I've started pondering how we should decorate and fill our newly purchased home.

I haven't found one photo that perfectly captures what I've been looking for, but these two photos are the best options that I've come up with thus far:

This is CLOSE to the color I want to paint the walls in our bedroom:

or

My idea is to paint the walls a really bright color and then decorate all in black and white with tiny accents in that are in the same color as the wall.

This is similar to what I've been thinking:

.

However, instead of a boring white wall, I'm going to paint it bright teal like the pictures above.

Also, I'd love a non-couch version of this couch piece that Andy and I found at Macy's to put at the foot of the bed. So cute!

That's all for now folks!

15 updates on our life

2009-07-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

The problem I have with blogging is that once I stop blogging (even for a short period of time), I feel like I have to give a detailed account of everything we've done since the last time I blogged - which is a rather daunting task since endless craziness has happened in the interim. And honestly, who really wants a detailed boring account of what has happened over the last few months (besides you mom ;D ). So to appease my nagging need to update everyone and to make it as minimally boring as possible, I'll update you in a list and if you want a detailed post about anything below, ask and you shall recieve.

1. We found Siku a doggie friend named Sadie and we love her. She's a sheltie.
2. We bought Elisha a pretty motorcycle and she crashed it. Twice.
3. Elisha now has stitches in her eyebrow from effect of event #2 and it makes her eyebrows uneven - grrrr.
4. We still haven't finished unpacking and decorating the house. Although I do have ideas which I will post later!
5. We both work a lot.
6. In support of event #5, wedding season is in full blow. However, we're avoiding it as much as possible, so if you want a glimpse of our recent shoots, you'll need to check out our lovely assistant/intern/friend's (Becca) blog - http://rebeccadryer.blogspot.com/. While the photos posted are entirely hers (isn't she awesome?!), they were all weddings that she has shot with us over the last few weeks.
7. We disappeared to Canada for 8 blissful days of sailing and mentally, I haven't returned yet.
8. I'm almost finished with my third quilt! I really need to take a photo of the last quilt I finished and show you. But that requires using a camera - and I'm tired of working. Sorry!
9. We sold the BMW. ::frowns::
10. But we bought a pretty new honda... I think that's what it is...
11. I love my baby grand piano.
12. I've been on a Mercedes Lackey reading binge. I believe I've read about 20 of her novels in the last 3 weeks.
13. I miss Mandi!!! Come home!!
14. Mandi and Ian got engaged!! Yay!! We will be promptly headed out to go wedding dress shopping when she returns.
15. Finally (although I'm sure there is more to write about that I've simply forgotten), the reason for this blog post is attributed to my darling and decor-inspiring friend, Lauren, who began her own personal/DIY blog which made me excited about blogging again. http://thelittlethingswedo.blogspot.com/. Thanks Lauren!

e

Sometimes, the best things in life aren't free

2009-06-20T07:40:00.000-07:00

While free is a very, very good price, sometimes it's just not worth it. Sometimes, spending the money is the way to go. Something I enjoy is surprising Elisha with the things she loves, and something she's wanted for a very long time is a baby grand piano. Hooh. That's a tough one to just pull out of the 'ol back pocket.

However, sometimes I forget about the amazingness of our awesome heavenly Father and how He loves to bless us in ways we can't imagine. So, Monday morning as I'm perusing craigslist (as I am wont to do...) I find a good price on a nice piano. Hmm. I go to the dealer's website and find an even BETTER deal on a perfect, used mahogany finish baby grand. My interest is piqued.

Skiving off work an hour early, I rush to downtown Portland to check it out, and it is beautiful indeed. Now, it has nothing on the $90,000 Steinways and $190,000 Bosendorfers (What the crap, pianos that cost more than a house!) that were in the store, but it is beautiful, and I know she'll love it. I say I'll take it. Delivery included? Fabulous. You say it can be delivered on Friday, while she's out garage-saling with her mom? Couldn't be better.

I really have to give some props to God on this one - it's a double blessing. Not just one person, but two (if you include Elisha's mom, 3) people got to experience great joy because of this. It's been Elisha's dream to have a baby grand since, I don't know, forever. And she thought it was 5+ years coming because of money. It was like Christmas for me on Friday morning, the anticipation of surprising her with it when she came home. I don't often get to do this, because she's so darn perceptive...

The surprise was totally worth it. Squeals of joy followed by exclamations of "no way!" and more squealing were heard, along with much piano playing, as I had thought it wise to purchase her favorite music (Les Mis, Phantom & Wicked) and have it displayed on the piano. Suffice to say, there is a video of the event, and it should be on facebook sometime in the next few days.

Reflecting the next morning, all I can say is "thank you Lord!!" for the joys and blessings that He bestows upon us. We don't deserve them, as is sure. But I love the way He loves us.

Victory! (And another year of life for NBC/ABC execs...)

2009-05-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

I just want to express how truly excited I am that both NBC and ABC have made stellar decisions, albeit a little late. Despite their almost-epic-fail of not choosing to re-up Chuck(NBC) and Castle (ABC) at the beginning, they have restored my faith in humanity for one more year. While not avid tv-watchers (we don't even have cable/satellite/antenna) Elisha and I are rabid fans of Chuck (best tv show ever) and Castle. Thank you internet, for providing me with the TV shows to watch at my own leisure at no cost. If you haven't watched them, you should. And if you have watched them, you should be rejoicing about the next year of awesomeness that we will be able to partake in.

Nathan Fillion is awesome.

Oh, and by the way...Fox execs, I'm coming for you. Because you killed Firefly. I know this is in the past, but didn't you know there's no statute of limitations for murder?

Motorcycles, Mortgages & Mutts

2009-05-19T09:16:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've penned some thoughts and observations on this blog, but I implore you, hear my fabulous excuses, which will also suffice for updates on our life (to be explained.)

1.) We bought a house.

2.) Did I mention that we bought a house? That is a lot of work folks. Moving, decorating, getting another job so that the mortgage can be paid, all those sorts of things add up!

Okay, so that's it as far as excuses go, but for those of you that have gone through the process, you know it's about as simple and painless as differential equations. Despite all this, we are extremely excited, as it is our first home and we got a stellar deal, and we're loving it! We're now residents of Damascus, OR (Oddly enough, it's where my parent's first house was...) and the proud owners of a 2,452 sq. foot home. Yeah, we don't really know what to do with all the space since we've upgraded from an 800 sq. foot apartment!

So the last few weeks (we closed April 27th) have been a whirlwind of activity, moving and organizing and throwing away those things that you haven't used since you last moved...and God has been generous. Things are a little crazy, but He's never stopped blessing our efforts and showing us just how amazing He really is. In light of the new place, Elisha has decided to upgrade to a full-time job at the bridal store, and has been hired/promoted as the manager of the alterations shop. We're excited, as it means another steady paycheck, but it also means less free time together. Sad. More on this later as we see how it's really going.

I mentioned other things in my title, and I suppose I must hit on them as well. Motorcycling season is hitting full swing, as the weather 'round these parts is hitting well above 70* each day (whoo hoo!) Lane and I have been taking advantage of this and hitting up the backroads for fun. We also coerced Matt into buying a bike, so now the crew is up to 4. We're looking forward to many rides this season, as all 4 of us will be in P-Town all summer long. All this to say, I am extremely excited about my current lack of "chicken strips." (see ref: Chicken Strips)

This means I have pushed my motorcycle to the limits of it's abilities as far as tire-contact goes, which is a pretty big feat for me. It's also kinda freaky, seeing as I'm at the point of needing those fancy titanium knee-pucks so I can drop my weight off the bike even more. Crazy.

On a complete subject change, I think God is really continually teaching me patience. Because holy toledo I wanted to strangle Siku this morning. How a dog is able to do what he did is beyond me. Since Elisha is now working, I decided it would be nicer to take him to work with me than to leave him at home in the backyard. Wrong. He decided, through what method I don't know, to use this as an opportunity to drive me bonkers. Training forgotten, he proceed to take not one, not two, but THREE ginormous dumps inside the building within the span of an hour. Luckily no one else was present to witness this, but it is not really nice to spend your first hour of work cleaning up poop. Oh, and I gave him 3 separate opportunities to poop today as well. Did he poop outside? No, oh no. He ate some grass and looked at me funny. However, God is gracious and he is now being the perfect dog, resting behind my chair as I type this. Lord, give me patience.

That's all for now kids, I'll be back soon. I hope. Amidst my house-things, motorcycle season and dog pooper-scooper duties, I might just be too busy.

Past, Present & Future

2009-04-08T08:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, I've gotten a picture of these three time periods through pictures. All things considered, I'm really looking forward to the next few months as we progress into summer. I've enjoyed (to some degree) Oregon's weird and wacky winter, as we've gotten hordes of snow (yes, hordes - the snow was mongolianlike in it's ferocity and size) compared to what we normally get - it's April and it's still dumping buckets on Mt. Hood. However, I recently got a taste of summer when the weather turned to 70*+ for a scant few days, and it gave me a chance to reflect.

Past:

I was digging through old pictures and found these. Dang, our puppy has grown a ridiculous amount in the last 4 months. These pictures are of the first time we took him up to the snow last December. He's now big and no longer cold (he was shivering that day.)

And then I got to pictures of the present - Lane and I got to go on our first "real" (read: not freezing cold) motorcycle ride this year. We've been out a few days, including a good trip with Ian in Corvallis, but I was still numb by the time I got home. This time, it was warm and enjoyable - plus, when you're comfortable, it's easier to push the limits. We doodled around Clackamas, then headed up Highway 224 into the mountains, turning around at Ripplebrook Ranger Station.

And as far as the future goes, we have so much to look forward to. Barbecue (yes, in the good weather I enjoyed a dinner progression of bbq'd chicken, bbq'd ribs and bbq'd steak. heck yes!) I look forward to more of this favorite pastime of mine (food) slathered in Bullseye and smelling good, accompanied by some corn on the cob (when it gets cheaper, holy schmoly $1.25 an ear in the grocery store now.) We're also getting ever closer to closing on the new house (continue praying that it goes through) along with more motorcycling and more fun with friends. I can't wait for spring to shoo and summer to come in!

epiphany

2009-04-02T12:41:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those? One of those moments where things just become clearer? Well, I just had one.

You know what? I'm sick of myself. This is going to deviate from my previous happy-go-lucky posts that seem to be uplifting or something, but it's real, so there you are. I'm sick of worry, self-doubt and whineyness, something that I seem to be adept at, despite my loathing for said attributes. I deserve to be on this:

That said, I can get off the dang failboat if I just can get around to changing things. Luckily, who I am can only be changed one way. By me, and by God. Okay, so it's up to me. Just me, not anyone else. So me, what are we going to do? We're going to change. Yeah, it's nicer to sit back and complain, but it's better to do.

I'm going to realize that my life is pretty freakin' amazing. I have good parents, good friends and an amazing wife. I've got a job. I live indoors. When I stop and look around, I don't have anything to complain about. So why the rant? I really hope that this opens not only my eyes, but some of our readers as well. Far too often in life we're complaining about something and we hear from a friend "Well, look at so-and-so. Your life isn't that bad." And I always hate that - because I know that I'm being irrational, but having someone tell you that does no good. Well, here's me telling you that my life isn't so bad, and maybe you'll think for a minute that hey, yours isn't so bad either.

With this newfound epiphany, what am I going to change? I'm going to change my outlook, and start changing what I'm doing. I need to start enjoying the simple pleasures in life that I used to love but have forgotten in the drudgery of work, death and taxes (the unavoidable things in life, reference Reliant K.) I need to be childlike. I need to stop seeing things that bog me down and start seeing the things that lift me up. And you, dear reader, please feel free to whack me upside the head with a large trout if you don't start seeing this blog filling with my joyful, youthy adventures.

Insomnia

2009-04-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Insomnia is what happens when you forget that your body is super sensitive to caffeine and you drink two sodas at dinner. Then while insomnia takes over your exhausted brain, this is what you do to entertain yourself. '

1. Surf the web for hours researching quilting patterns and ideas.
2. Pathetically attempt to convince men everywhere to donate their unwanted ties to your quilting projects.
3. Message your other sleepless friend about funny things you've found online (please note the image that Becca messaged me earlier displayed below).

4. Fart around on facebook and look for more insomniac buddies.
5. Edit photos
6. Blog about how you're farting around on facebook while your photos are exporting.
7. Think about trying to go to sleep.
8. Realize your mind is too awake to sleep, and then go back to "stumbling" around the internet.

Happy sleepless nights!

Tie Quilt

2009-03-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

I'm planning/thinking/plotting/scheming on making a quilt out of ties. Unfortunately, the few ties my lovely husband owns are his only ties which he probably won't be keen about donating to my crafty quilting hands. That being said -

does anyone want to donate ties to my project?????? Please?!

Exciting News!

2009-03-26T14:52:00.000-07:00

There have been so many exciting things happening in our life, so I'll keep this post brief and filled with pictures!

First off, my little niece, Zoe Danielle-Lynn Griffith, was born! Isn't she adorable?

I'm so excited! I made her a quilt for her first birthday present. I forgot to take pictures of the quilt, but I'll try to remember to next time I see Robin and the family.

Then, onto our exciting news, Andy and I put an offer in on a house. We're soooo excited! We plan to close at the end of April, and if everything goes smoothly, we'll own our very first home!

Here's some pics that the builder posted:

When I get a chance, I'll try to remember to take some "real" pictures so that you can get a better idea of what it looks like!

We're really really excited about our new home and moving in! I've been having a blast imagining all the homey ways we can decorate.

I'll post some of my ideas later when I'm not so crazy busy with photography, buying a house, etc. Well I'm off to edit Natalie and Kris' wedding!

Inspired

2009-03-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

I was inspired by Zack Arias' tutorials (http://www.zarias.com/?p=123) to try out some fun stuff for myself. Becca (my lovely friend) shot this photo of me in my office. We just propped a light on the ground and then shot away. I think next time I play with this idea, I'll probably set up the whole gamut and have fun with it (and maybe I'll actually do the shooting next time!).

The original looked like this:

Chore Buster!

2009-03-19T14:42:00.001-07:00

So, recently Andy and I have decided to be more responsible and diligent in our house maintenance efforts. Since we haven't had a time to sit down and divvy up chores, I've enlisted the help of the all mighty chorebuster.net to help us out. I spent a little time this morning imputing chores and their difficulty levels and then chorebuster will send us a list each week of what chores we need to complete each day. Hopefully, it will be helpful and not irritating. :)

However, we desperately need to do something about our living habits - see our living room that has Elisha's quilting stuff everywhere?

However, look at the pretty quilt I'm making!!!

I've finished the quilt face, but I still need to do the back and then actually quilt it all together. ::grins happily:: I heart quilting. :)

Okay, I'm still on a mad rampage to finish editing Sam & Laura's wedding. Hopefully I'll get it all finished today. Woo hoo!

More editing

2009-03-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm keeping myself sane by periodically blogging throughout my photo editing filled day. I'm such a procrastinator that I tend to push off BIG editing jobs until the last minute and then I stress and spend hours upon hours trying to get everything finished in time. Boo on me. Anyway, I thought I would share the beauty of Lightroom. This is a before and after of a photo that our assistant, Becca, shot.

Before: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After:

Pretty much I just raised the exposure a bit in Lightroom and did some other minor adjustments and voila! - you can take a photo that is too dark and not usable and make it something that you would be happy to give your clients.

Photo Editing

2009-03-17T11:50:00.000-07:00

Since I don't have time today to compose a witty and amusing post for your reading pleasure about my adventures cooking last week and the subsequent amusing things that have occurred over the following seven days, and yet still feel the burden of our promise to be more bloggy, I've decided to leave you all with a photo.

Since I'm editing photos today, I thought you all might like to see a photo that Becca, our assistant, shot of me at Laura and Sam's wedding in the end of February. Woot!

The Vacation (a.k.a. lots of puppy pictures)

2009-03-16T11:23:00.001-07:00

So we, got back from our vacation and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - mostly, by doing absolutely nothing. We sat and read a lot of books (I made my way through 3 Hornblower novels), relaxed in the hottub, enjoyed the great flavors at High Tides (amazing seafood) and mused over our future.

The highlight of the trip was on Friday morning, when we decided to take Siku out to enjoy the sun and snow, leashless. As many dog owners know, it's hard to find a place to let your dog run free in the city/burbs/anywhere. Especially an extremely curious and hard-of-hearing six-month old Husky who loves to run. Dog runs are OK, but they're not ideal, and since he hasn't had all his shots, we don't take him to them.

Enter a long-lost secret: National Forest Service roads. We found a road that was on the way to Mt. Bachelor that had been snow-cat groomed for x-country skiers, perfectly patted down for a walk. We went in about 100 yards and off came the leash, on came the fun! We saw only two other people in our 3 mile hike - and they were on snowmobiles. Siku ran and ran, jumping in and out of the snow, tackling errant snowballs and generally having a good time.

On the plus side, we learned that he is indeed decently trained and responds to our commands even off-leash. Now, he was no attentive lab who was eagerly awaiting our every word, but if he heard his name, he responded and came to our sides with no problems! At least the last 4 months of training are starting to pay off. We'll definitely be revisiting the NFS roads come summer.

On to the pictures - so you can see how cute our dog is. Notes:
1.) No, he's not for sale.
2.) Yes, he's an all-white purebred Siberian Husky.
3.) No, his coat won't change colors.
4.) Yes, both eyes are blue.
5.) Yes, he sometimes gets away with murder just because he looks so good.
6.) Sometimes he looks like a huge dork.
7.) Sometimes he falls on his face, and it's funny.

The Forest Service Road:

Elisha, enjoying the walk:

Siku, doing his favorite thing:

Siku, jumping after snowballs:

Sometimes he looks like a huge dork:

And sometimes, he proves it:

The closeup:

Finally, our happy, curious, finally leash-free doggie:

And now you're all saying "Please, no more dog pictures." Too bad. They'll keep coming.

A plea for vacation.

2009-03-12T09:17:00.000-07:00

I think everyone gets to this point every year, or every six months, or every week...whatever your stance may be, we all need a BREAK. And let me tell you, my vacation-o-meter is off the charts. I need some time off. So bad that I was willing to call my work, tell them I wouldn't be in for the next week, and hop on a plane the next day to go to Hawaii. Prudence and common sense (plus the fact that Elisha was scheduled to work 2 days and wouldn't get some photography editing done) narrowly averted that plan. I mean, we actually thought about this!!

However, the desire still lingers, like a lion stalking an unwary wildebeest. Vacation-fever is like cowbell-fever, there's only one prescription. So, in lieu of a crazy, $1000+ plus spur-of-the-moment trip to Hawaii, we'll have to settle for my parent's house in Sunriver.

It's nice to have parents who own vacation homes that one doesn't have to pay for. So for the next few days, Elisha, Siku and I will be happily lounging in Eastern Oregon, far away from all kinds of things that constantly press on our everyday lives. I think others can sympathize - are there other folks who just HAVE to get away from their place of residence to actually become un-busy? We find ourselves constantly filling our plate with things to do if we're home on the weekend, so much so that a weekend really doesn't feel like a break, it feels like the work of the week with different stuff going on. Instead of work, we're running errands, or cleaning, or trying to come up with something else to do. A weekend with a fireplace, hot tub, good books and good company sounds just like what the doctor ordered.

Oh, and we're already planning our next vacation, and all of you ski/snowboard enthusiasts should join in. Whistler/Blackcomb is holding a weeklong ski/snowboard competition/party and has some great rates - about $200 per person (US) for a 3-night, 4 day stay + 2 day flex lift ticket. We'll be there, will you?

Cooking!

2009-03-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

I've decided, in an effort to be healthy and more fiscally responsible, that I need to learn how to cook. It was a painful decision, recognizing that it will involve going grocery shopping (which I compare to undergoing painful torture) and time management (of which I am notoriously hopeless). However, being healthy is important to our overall life, so I'm off on a new adventure (or at least I'm trying to convince myself it will be an exciting adventure so that I have the courage to tackle this new and intimidating thing). With that said, if you have any good recipes that are healthy (and easy!), please send them my way.

Andy is so enthusiastic about this "new" Elisha, that he giddily subscribed me to "Cooking Light" Magazine. Apparently, he thinks that I'll join him in his love for cooking. So far, I haven't had the heart to tell him that I'll probably never EVER love cooking the way he does. But I didn't have the heart to ruin that cute enthusiastic smile he had when I told him I wanted to learn how to cook.

Let me present some evidence of my new endeavors!

Exhibit A:

This is the first part that needs tackling - I'm going to clean the fridge, organize it, and catalog what we have so that I know what I need to get from the grocery store.

Exhibit B:

Tonight's first endeavor. Our very brave friends, Craig and Lauren, have offered to be my test subjects for the night. I'm not sure if our friendship will survive after this or, at the least, if they'll ever let me cook for them again. Please pray for them.

Exhibit C:

This is dessert. Seriously, how wrong can it go? I didn't aim at the very complicated recipes while starting out. I figure I should tackle a little bit at a time. ;)

Exhibit D:

Like I said, I'm not going for complicated. This little cookbook was given to me by my mother when I moved out of the house. Sadly, this is the first time it has ever been opened. Still, the cover says "quick and easy" and when it comes to cooking, that little line had me hooked.

On a different note, I'm trying to figure out how to keep plants alive. Suggestions?

Here's what they look like when I get them:

Then they digress to something more like this:

And then hope starts fading when they look like this:

(this was once a beautiful orchid....)

And they end in their doom, in the garbage can, and all I have left is this:

Some people want to save the world, but I'm still working on trying to save a few plants first. Once I get this plant thing figured out, maybe then I'll take on the world. :)

I need to be more bloggy.

2009-03-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

There you have it. Inspired by my high-school friend Allison, I have decided that I need to be more bloggy. Despite being preggo and doing many fancy remodeling projects on their house, she is still able to blog regularly. Perhaps I just need a more interesting life with which to blog about.

Wait. I have a motorcycle (interesting), snowboarding hobby (interesting), a job (somewhat interesting, wait I serve homeless people, so it's interesting), a wife (very interesting, in a good way) and a puppy (very interesting, in a cute-yet-destructive way.) I have things to blog about! So why am I not? The answer: I'm lackadaisical. I must change this. I must share silly things about my everyday life with the world. So here goes. Put my English skills to the test, and see what I can come up with.

First, a picture of my hair(thx Macbook webcam!):

Yeah, bet you never saw that one coming.

Second, a picture of my puppy:

He's much bigger now, that was a month ago.

Third, a picture of my inaugural motorcycle ride for this year (the first purely-for-pleasure):

And uh, yeah. As more interesting things happen, I guess I'll ramble on about it. Elisha and I are going to Sunriver this weekend, so there should be something interesting there. Like...uh...well, we'll just have to wait until we're there to tell you.

The dreams of a bibliophile...

2009-03-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

These photos make me want to cry and laugh and dance. I have deep feelings for libraries and my heart skips a beat thinking of visiting these wondrous places:

25 Things

2009-02-12T14:42:00.001-08:00

We did these silly "25 Things" Questionnaires on facebook and I thought I would post them here too. Enjoy!

Elisha's 25 Things:

Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it."
-- Tallulah Bankhead

1. I hate drinking plain water. It's gross. Unless, of course, it's piping hot - then I'll drink hordes of it.

2. The grocery store makes me feel ill. I try to avoid it at all costs.

3. I have had my license suspended three times. :)

4. When I was a child, I wanted to be a road construction worker so I could play in the street.

5. I have never been a road construction worker.

6. I can do the same thing for days on end. I tend to become a little hyper-focused sometimes.

7. I subconsciously abhor routine. I can't seem to to do things the same way two days in a row.

8. When I read, I have to finish the book in one to two sittings. If I don't, I'll stop reading the book and probably won't come back to it.

9. I spend much of my day inventing imaginary worlds in my mind and dreaming about being in them. I think that's why I love fiction so much - because I love reading about other people's imaginary worlds.

10. I was born and raised in California. When we moved to Oregon, I refused to make really close friends for 3 years because I was determined to move back. I still miss the sun.

11. I have always wanted to live in another country. I still do.

12. I like mud. I used to play any sport that allowed me to get ridiculously muddy because I thought it was so cool to be muddy. I still have issues restraining myself from jumping in mud puddles.

13. Quotes make me happy. Just stick one to two sentences in those little quotation marks and I'll happily read them. - "A book of quotations... can never be complete."
-- Robert M. Hamilton

14. I rarely ever shower. I always take baths. I love the feeling of sinking into a warm tub of water and slowly letting the world outside disappear. I started loving baths when I lived at home and shared a room and a bathroom with my sister. The only time I could be completely left alone to think and ponder life was when I was taking a bath.

15. I love my scars. I feel like they're the story of my life and adventures. My mom always told me that I would regret all the scars that I've achieved over the years, and at the ripe old age of 24, I still have a fond regard for all of them. And I'm excited about all the future scars I'll add to my accomplishments.

16. I've never been afraid of anything, but failing. And of that, I'm terrified.

17. I like surprises, but really I only like trying to figure them out. I don't actually like to be surprised.

18. I used to sleep with a life-sized raggedy Ann doll until I was in high school. I literally loved that doll to pieces.

19. I think that "Tag" should become an olympic sport. I seriously love that game.

20. I love music. I love dancing to music. I love watching other people dance to music. I love how music "expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."

21. I'm writing a book. It's a secret. You can't read it. Yet.

22. I want to get my PhD, but I don't know what I want to study. Is it possible to just be a perpetual student in a subject like philosophy, political science, or art, and get paid to do it?

23. I'm allergic to perfume. It's horrible.

24. I love the cello. It moves my soul. I want to learn how to play it exceptionally well.

25. My mom is probably my best friend besides my hubby. I can't even begin to explain how much she means to me!

Andy's 25 Things:

1.) I have a strange yearning to go to culinary school. I think it would be awesome to be one of those people who makes delicious, amazing food that nobody would really think of. I would also like to know what each of the spices taste like, what they go best with, and how to use them properly.

2.) I can't do the same thing (and immensely enjoy it) for many hours in a row. For example, if I'm playing video games/watching tv/reading a book, I have to take a break every few hours and do something else. Snowboarding is an exception.

3.) I have never been to the hospital for myself (except when being born.)

4.) When I was a kid, I didn't tell my parents that I wanted to be a firefighter/policeman/astr

onaut/etc. No, I wanted to be the guy that pumped gas. Shootin' high huh?

5.) When I was in high-school, I achieved my childhood dream and worked for 3 months at a Texaco station, pumping gas. Yeah, it wasn't as glamorous as I thought.

6.) I hate bees/stinging insects. I once broke a window killing a wasp.

7.) I have difficulty sleeping in - I have never slept past about 8:30AM without getting up and then going back to bed. Even if I went to bed at 4AM.

8.) My body has a built-in alarm clock - if I've been getting up at a particular time for say, 2 weeks, I'll usually wake up about 5-10 minutes before my alarm goes off.

9.) I once shot our sheep with a BB-gun. I don't think they felt it.

10.) Speaking of sheep, I am constantly embarrassed by the human condition. Have sheep really makes you think about why God constantly compares us to them - and man, they are dumb! So are we. With all the knowledge, communication capabilities and abilities we have, we should be able to achieve much more than we have. Yet some pinnacles of our society include places like Las Vegas, where one goes to actually play a game they know is designed to take their money. We're really smart.

11.) If I could do high-school over again, I think I would - as long as I knew what I know now. (Middle school, heck no.) I'd worry less about what everyone thought and focus more on just being me. I also would have learned to dance sooner so I wouldn't feel like such a tard at dances.

12.) I am a self-driven person who can be extremely cynical of people who can't quit whining and actually go and try to solve their problems. Yes, I realize that your situation may be more difficult than other people's. So what. Lots of people have problems, lots of people have solved them. Complaining and waiting for someone else to fix them for you doesn't work. /end rant

13.) This is getting more philosophical, and maybe less interesting. But coming up with 25 things is tough. I'll work harder now.

14.) I love Costco. I spend way to much almost every time I walk in the door, but it's so cheap!

15.) If something is a really really good deal, I have a hard time not buying it even if I don't really have the money. It's a good deal! I want it! This may not come again! Arrgh.

16.) I used to vehemently abhor Macintosh computers. That was before I needed my computer to run without problems, and without downtime. (It was easy when my computer was just for playing games!) Now I am an ardent Mac supporter and will never buy a Windows machine again. (Here's to 7 months without a computer crash since I got our iMac!)

17.) I used to think I wanted to be a chemist. I even started studying it in College before it was bludgeoned out of me by Chem-222 labs that consisted entirely of titrations (watching one liquid drop into another, waiting for one to turn pink.) I was extremely bored, and said forget that!

18.) I think my joy in chemistry has been brought back by bartending/making drinks. I love to do it. I think if I didn't need my job, and didn't need to build my resume, I'd totally quit and become a bartender.

19.) My nerdiness has somehow diminished. I used to love reading star-wars books and stuff like that. Not so much anymore.

20.) I love riding my motorcycle. It actually makes me wish I was significantly shorter, so I could be better at it.

21.) I am a self-proclaimed foodie - I love trying different restaurants and exploring the world of food. I just wish it was cheaper. Luckily Portland is a good town for lots of small, independent restaurants.

22.) I love bacon!!!

23.) I like my steak medium-rare. Anything else is a sin.

24.) I hate small dogs. They are ugly, yippy and annoying. I will never own one.

25.) My puppy is awesome, and definitely a heartbreaker. I can't tell you how many people have wished that they could have him. But they can't.

The future

2009-02-12T13:57:00.000-08:00

These days we've been making a lot of decisions, revising those decisions, scrapping them, and starting over. After deciding to happily shelve the photography business, we've had to ask ourselves - "what now?" After hours of talking, thinking, and wondering, we've gone around in several circles and decided and undecided on different outcomes for our future. Here's what we've been circling around.

1. Elisha gets a "real job" and we buy a house.
2. Elisha and Andy go travel the world.
3. Elisha and Andy start a new business that makes money.

Option 1 sounded too grown up and boring, but financially responsible. So we seriously considered that option for a while. Option 2 sounded fun and irresponsible. So we seriously considered that option for a while. Then we went back to option 1 because it was more responsible. Then we scrapped Option 1 and 2, and thought about a way to make money so that we could do both Option 1 and Option 2. New business ideas arose and we came up with a brilliant one (which we'll keep quiet for now). We then decided to do Option 3 which would open doors for Option 1 and 2 in the future.

And then, option 4 presented itself rather suddenly and unexpectedly. However, option 4 needs a little background before I reveal it to you lovely blog readers.

First, as my last post might have indicated, I've really been feeling a little "bleh" lately about everything, including God. Andy and I have talked a lot about it, and he has been feeling similarly. We've been praying and reading our bibles desperately trying to "fix" whatever is going on. And we're still stuck in this rut.

Then Andy talked with a friend who asked him what he would do if there were no restrictions on him - what he thinks woud bring fulfillment in his life and bring him joy. The first thing Andy thought of was doing was missions overseas - anywhere. When my husband, whose face was glowing when he came home, asked me what would bring me the most joy in my life and would bring me fulfillment, my answer was predictable - missions overseas.

When I said it, a little spark of joy began to bloom in my heart. I felt, for the first time in the last year or so, hope. I understood the verse when Christ said, "I will give you a hope and a future," for the first time in my life. Going from feeling spiritually "blah" to having a hope and a future ahead of me - a future that God gave to me rather than I gave to myself - made me feel alive. At first, I resisted, like I usually do with God. I made arguments like Moses did when God called him - I'm not spiritually ready. I don't have anything to offer. I don't know where we'd go and how we'd do it. I put my excuses on the table and I realized that "where God guides, He provides." I realized that I may not be ready for what God can and will do in my life, but that I'll never be ready if I stay where I am and I don't submit my life to Him entirely. Perhaps in surrending my inability to God, He'll make me more able than my own preparation could ever make me.

I think I've been wandering for the last year or two looking for my place in the world, ignoring the calling that God has put on my life. I knew when I was 11 years old that God had called me to missions. I've always felt most alive and filled with purpose when I've done missions. I have always known where I wanted to be in my life but the last year or two, I had given it up because I thought that God wouldn't want to use me - couldn't use me. And yet it seems, that maybe He does have a purpose for my life beyond simply existing. That His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in my weakness.

So here's a toast to God's future for us - for something beyond what I could imagine. I asked God to shake my world and it looks like He's answering. I just thought it would be shaken a little differently. But then, how can we really predict how God will shake us up?

Grappling with God

2009-01-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a slow learner when it comes to the lessons that God tries to teach me. I struggle and fight against Him. This last year (or three or four years) has been a time of defining what I believe about God, love, and life. And I feel like in all of it, I've resisted what God is trying to teach me. I'm a fighter, and sometimes I pick stupid causes to fight for. I choose to be stubborn about the most ridiculous things. So I've been standing my ground fighting for a cause I don't even know I believe in. I just know that I'm not ready to surrender, and that I'm aching to go another round with God - fully knowing that I'll lose the fight at the first punch.

Do you want to know what I've been so stubborn about? I don't understand God. I can't put Him in my box. I can't understand everything in the Bible and how it all fits together. I can't match up what I think God should be and what the Bible implies that he is. Does God really give everyone a chance to believe? And those who have never heard about Jesus Christ - what about them? Are they lost because they were never given a chance? How could a loving God allow that to happen? And if He doesn't allow that to happen, and the world can know God simply by looking at His creation, do other religions have validity if they are based on simply seeing that a God exists by the work of His hands and believing in something higher than themselves? And then if you follow that assumption, you are entering a realm that goes against everything that I've been taught. Since Jesus is "the way, the truth, and the life," then has he condemned everyone who has never heard about Jesus? Or has He created another way? And if so, what does that mean? And if not, then have I chosen to believe in a God who could so easily toss the lives of the people he created into eternal pain and suffering?

This issue is plaguing me... eating at me. I'm mad and frustrated with my lack of understanding, with God, with life, with everything. I've drawn back from God these last few months in an attempt to try and grapple with all of this. And yet, it has only left me feeling empty and more frustrated. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind." I feel like I can do the heart and soul, but my mind is so freakishly stubborn and refuses to allow God to reveal Himself to me in His own way. I feel like I need to understand and explain it, if I'm going to believe it. How can I really advocate for a belief if I don't really know what it is I believe? The answer is I can't. And because of that I've drawn into myself and lost that driving Reason in my life - my relationship with Christ. How can I share His love for the world, when I don't even know what it is I believe about Him.

Here's what I know - I know that God exists. I know that I have a relationship with Him. I know that He loves me. I believe that God is good. I believe that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross as a way to redeem us from sin and to establish a relationship with us through Jesus who rose from the dead and overcame sin and it's inevitable effect, death. These things I know and/or choose to believe.

I suppose the things I am grappling with don't matter as much as the things I know. And yet, I feel like they're pivotal. I feel that understanding them defines my faith and whether the God I believe in is who I thought He was. And if He isn't the God I thought I knew, then who is He? Is He good? Or is he so righteous, that in His righteousness He would condemn those who never had a chance to hear about their own salvation? Does God play favorites by choosing some and not others? The Israelites are an example of God choosing a people above all others - what does that say to the rejects? What does that say now to those who have never heard of Jesus Christ? Are they simply the rejected modern day gentiles? Does God love them less?

I suppose I want answers to my questions. Although, I think I want a fight with God and I want to get knocked on my face. It's funny admitting it, but I suppose it's true. I want to know God cares - about me and about the world.

I hope I get knocked on my face - and I hope it shatters my world. I hope that it opens my heart to believing with faith and understanding. I hope it helps me understand God's love for the world and for me better.

I think I'm in for a pretty hard lesson, but then sometimes, we all need a little kick in the pants.

On Siku and Snow

2009-01-26T13:38:00.000-08:00

You may have been wondering - "what in the world have elisha and andy been doing lately?" and "why do they never blog about their lives anymore?" Fortunately for all of my lovely blogging friends, I can answer both questions and set your minds at ease.

First, I'll answer the second question - we are simply the kind of people who, if given any down time at all, fill it up with lots of other busy stuff. Secondly, I've had a bit of blogger's block, and can't think of anything to write that would remotely interest anyone, except for perhaps our dog's feces located in the front yard.

In order to appease my lovely friends who have been wondering what we've been up to, I'll happily elaborate now.

First off, we've adopted Siku (which means Ice in Innuit), a very obedient and adorable little Siberian Husky. See photos to verify cuteness.

It was a little challenging dealing with potty training, but he figured it out quickly enough, and we finally have a puppy who knows to do his business outside. As proud parents of our little guy, we decided to introduce him to the world. First off, as avid snowboarders, he discovered snow. He loved it. And then he got cold, and decided he was very done with the snow. After introducing Siku to snow, we decided that he should meet other dogs. We then forged the unbreakable friendship between him and my sister and brother-in-law's dog, Sara. They love eachother and we love that they keep eachother entertained. They tackle and bite for hours and we sit and enjoy that we don't have to follow Siku around ensuring that he doesn't chew the house to pieces. We've also introduced him to the park, our friend Becca's puppies - Chloe and Ripley, our cat Rimsky (whom he also loves and likes to tackle), and baths (which he thinks were sent straight from The Pit to torture him).

Secondly, we've been loving and hating the snow. Loving = on the mountain. Hating = in Portland.

See photos of loving snow.

See photo of hating snow.

Due to the snow, Andy's work allowed the homeless patrons to stay the night for two weeks. And we, along with other fortunate individuals, got to sleep on linoleum floors while supervising the night-time activities. We hope it doesn't snow again for a while.

In other news, we've been doing a lot of photography work and keeping pretty busy. Our New Years' Eve wedding was lots of fun and our couples this year have been fabulous to work with. However, after much discussion about what we want from our life, we've decided that we will no longer be doing photography as a profession after this coming summer. We want to enjoy photography and we want to have our lives back, and therefore, we decided that continuing with the wedding photography business is not the direction that we want to go with our future. I must say that doing photography as a business has given me renewed admiration for everyone who is doing photography as a full time job. The financial rewards are small, the work is hard and time consuming, and the demands on your time are unending. Therefore, I send kudos and applause to all professional wedding and portrait photographers.

I'll leave ya'll hanging there and post more about our life later. For now, photo editing beckons once again.

Addicted!

2009-01-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

I'm officially addicted to Stumble!. This proves the awesomeness of Macs. :)

Stumble!

2009-01-14T14:29:00.001-08:00

I just discovered Stumble Upon, which is seriously rocking my socks off! The last post was something I found while "stumbling" and then when I came across this, I had to post it as well. I just found this somewhat amusing:

Girls = Evil

2009-01-14T14:16:00.000-08:00

I know the following demeans my myself and all of my fellow sex, but seriously, how funny is this?

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-13T11:22:00.000-08:00

I really only use the term "New Years Resolution" to put a name to the many resolutions I make throughout the year. For the past few months, I've been planning on blogging and writing more, but life's craziness hasn't allowed me much free time for it. So my "new year's resolution" is to write more which includes more blogging. I'm hoping to look back at this year and have lots of virtual pages of words. So one will hopefully find Elisha's (and Andy's!) word vomit located here throughout the year.

Right now I'm curled up in Andy's office down at the service center working on grant writing (well, I was working on grant writing, now I'm lazily blogging). We're listening to new music that we've borrowed from Dan (my music savvy cousin-in-law), specifically at this moment, John Legend. I admit, music transports me to a whole different world. Right now I'm imagining sitting on park bench cuddling with Andy watching the busy world go about its busyness while I'm content and warm, cuddled close to the love of my life. I am, of course, actually sitting in a 30 year old chair in an office whose chartruse walls are pocked and marked and pinned with bright yellow and teal fliers. I don't have a real desk, so the fiber board nailed to the mismatched rickety pieces of wood is sufficing as a typing surface. After about ten minutes of letting the laptop shift and sway as I typed, I decided to move it to my lap. So now I'm sitting Indian style in my cozy 30 year old office chair that 90 percent of the homeless community wouldn't want even if I offered to pay them to take it.

Onto more interesting subjects that don't involve seat cushions. I went dancing this weekend and it was amazing! Mandi came in from Corvallis and we went out to the Sunnyside Grange and did west coast swing until 11PM. Aferward, we decided that we weren't done dancing and decided to meet up with some friends at the Scottish Rite Center for the Portland Fusion Exchange. Pretty much the fusion exchange is the most amazing dancing I've had in years! Everyone mixed west coast swing, blues, lindy hop, and tango together into this fusion of wonder and awesomeness. I have felt like my dancing has been really stale and stiff lately and I haven't really been enjoying going out dancing much, and then going out and relaxing and having fun just added the spark that has been missing from my dancing. I am so excited to go out and do more west coast dancing with the new perspective that I've gained from just loosening up and having fun this weekend.

Have I mentioned that I love Mandi? Seriously, she is one of the most fabulous people in my acquaintance. We spent the whole weekend being girly (translated from Elisha = going shopping and giggling a lot). I love how relaxed I can be with Mandi. I rarely let down the weird walls I build all around myself, but Mandi is the kind of friend who I can immediately just relax with. I stop thinking about the things I should say, shouldn't say, can say, can't say, and I just am. Which is kind of what happened with dancing this weekend - I stopped thinking about the things I should do, shouldn't do, can do, can't do, and I just danced. Perhaps I'm learning something about just being myself and being okay with it.

AND I mad a quilt!!! How cool is that?! I'm officially a quilter. And I'm addicted. On Friday, I hung out with my lovely friend Becca from Bridal Exclusives and we spent the day quilting. She helped me pick out some awesome fabrics and then taught me how to put it all together. I just finished the quilt on Monday and I'm so proud of it. It's basic and simple, but it's the first time I've used a sewing machine and I'm pretty excited about the results. We're going out today to pick out fabric for our next quilting project. I'm determined to rock this quilting thing. So if you all get quilts for Christmas presents this year, don't be too shocked!

Have I mentioned that I love my husband? He's so handsome. :) He's sitting next to me being all oblivious and working hard and I'm just so amazed that such a wonderful man fell in love with me. I feel so blessed and excited about our future and I am so happy and thankful that God "intervened" in our lives and brought us together.

I miss my mom. She's off having a wonderful time in Australia and I'm so excited for her, but I miss her a ton. I'm used to calling and chatting with her nearly everyday and it is so weird to not have her around to soundboard all my crazy ideas off of. She is one of the best listeners and "advice-givers" I know. She always seems to know the right thing to say. I'm just glad that she's only going to be gone until the end of the month!

Okay - I'm off to the fabric store with Becca again! Ciao!

There's a ninja in the house...

2008-11-20T21:47:00.000-08:00

All I can say is: Wow. I'm excited. Let the pictures speak for themselves about the newest addition to our home (garage):

And I love it:

2003 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R 636. Hot.

Lying is bad... but reading Stephanie Meyer's books is fun.

2008-10-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

I lied. Apparently all I can read is Twilight.

Last night, while reading some brain sharpening book by some brilliant author, I decided that I really just wanted to indulge my Stephanie Meyer addiction a little more and I read Twilight, again, for the umpteenth time. ::sighs::

Is there no hope for me?

Inkdeath

2008-10-18T00:03:00.000-07:00

After reading Twilight, I've found that no book can capture my imagination and transport me to imaginary worlds where adventure and untold enjoyment lie. The lackluster I'm feeling towards books includes my recent visit with Inkdeath which, ironically, is about literally disappearing into a book's story. I LOVED the first two books in the series, Inkheart and Inkspell, but that was before Twilight came and changed the allure that books have for me. However, the spell that Twilight has cast over me, making all subsequent books seem dull and uninviting, has not made me want to read less. If anything, I feel compelled to keep reading until I can again lose myself in the wonder of a story unfolding on the pages before me.

Now, after disclosing my very unfair prejudice against all non-Stephanie Meyer books, I have to say that all-in-all, I did enjoy Inkdeath. While I didn't escape into the book, I did enjoy my visit there and found her writing to be tolerably enjoyable, but I think I may have to leave the genre of young adult fiction for a while, and jump back to the world of non-fiction and adult-ish books. Alas, while my young heart yearns for adventure, princesses, dragons, vampires, and other magical and creative creatures of the book world, I may be temporarily ruined due to Stephanie Meyer's ability to weave me into her world and leave me there, yearning for more words to sate the addiction that she's created. So, perhaps, my brain will just have to be sharpened by the brilliant intellect of C.S. Lewis a little more. If I can't disappear into a book with magical worlds, I might as well choose books that will make me think more deeply about God, life, and the meaning of the universe.

So wish me luck as I embark on this new and old adventure of the mind - seeking out truth where it can be found.

Life and all that good stuff

2008-10-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

I have been terribly remiss in blogging the last month or two. I do have excuses. Lots of them. However, in order to figure out what I've been doing, we're going to play a game called two lies and a truth, and you have to figure out which statement is the truth:

1. I've was captured by a dragon and was only recently rescued by my knight in shining armor, also known as Andy.

2. I was at the grocery store and tried an apple and have been asleep until recently when my knight in shining armor kissed me.

3. I have been busy editing, shooting weddings and senior sessions, designing albums, meeting with a bunch of potential clients, picking a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch with the family, reading Inkdeath, and just trying to keep the house clean and stay on top of life.

So what do you think? What have I really been doing lately?

On to more interesting subjects of note, I went to Chantel's choir performance this week and it was awesome! They did a super job. I was so inspired by a violinist they had accompanying them that I've decided to take a violin class. I'm really excited about learning. I've always loved the sound of stringed instruments above all other musical instruments and the violin and cello have always been at the top of that list. So, here's to a noisy home for the next few months while I struggle to learn how to play!

Oh wait - here's a picture of my cute sister doing her choir performance!

Also, I have super exciting news! I recently got a job at a bridal store! We weren't sure whether I would have time for another job (I'm still not convinced), but we figured that once wedding season begins slowing down I'm going to be lacking things to do. So, we decided that it wouldn't hurt to give it a try and see how things go. So far I LOVE the job! I get soo excited to go to work. It's hard to believe because it is the only job (besides photography) that I have ever been excited about. Pretty much, I get to hang out with cool people, help brides find the dress of their dreams, and promote our photography business at the same time. It couldn't be more perfect. They've given me permission to chat with brides about our photography business, which is awesome! The job is even better because it's commission based, so a lot of the girls are easily making more (per hour; not net income) selling wedding dresses than I did at the law firm. So, all said, we're pretty happy about it.

Alas, photo editing pulls me back like a curse of obedience forcing me to succumb.... I'm excited for the season to be over soon!

Bringing home the bacon venison!

2008-10-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

Well, as Elisha lamented earlier, I headed off to hunt the illustrious Mule deer in Eastern Oregon (just East of the Santiam Pass.) I had a great time, though the weather wasn't too friendly. Despite that setback, I brought back some grub for the winter - my first deer. A picture says a thousand words, and as a photographer, I tote that advantage whenever I can! Here's some shots (if any look blurry, it's because the lens fogged up because it was so cold!)

As he fell after one shot:

Victory!

Preparing for the butcher:

Elisha didn't go hunting, but she likes the results:

Urrghh:

Hunting, Church, and Life

2008-10-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

Andy went hunting this weekend and left me to the company of my imagination. Fortunately, my imagination imagined me out with my mom and sister in downtown PDX looking at art galleries, grabbing food and drinks at McMenamins, and exploring the wonder of the Greek festival (which, in the end, wasn't so wondrous). However, we could have been sloshing through muddy fields in the pouring rain and it still would have been fun. It was so lovely having a girls day and just laughing and spending time together.

And then, to my happy surprise, Andy called this morning and said he's returning to me early! Yay for shooting a buck early and coming home to his wife, who has missed him. :D

So I'm off to church this morning with Taleah & Jeremy (we're looking for a church, by the way. Does anyone have any good suggestions for the Clackamas/SE Portland area??). We're trying Eastridge this morning and we'll see how things go. The church looks a little too big for my tastes, but then a big church may not be so bad. I guess we'll see!

And I just started reading Ink Death! Woo hoo! I'm excited to see if it is as good as its predecessors!

Grinning

2008-10-01T17:02:00.000-07:00

Gah. I'm having a bad day. A REALLY bad day. The kind of day where even losing yourself in the world of Stephanie Meyer doesn't help. The kind of day where taking a soothing relaxing bath with candles doesn't help. The kind of day where a long walk to our mailbox doesn't help. The kind of day where you still don't feel better after your mom and sister come over to try and cheer you up. Yup, I'm having that kind of day.

Why? All because I care WAY too much about people's opinions. I get that we're not perfect. I get it. I get that God loves me even though I'm not perfect. I get that life is good and being upset about silly comments from random strangers shouldn't upset my feelings of self worth. I get it. But I can't seem to let that comprehension settle into actually believing and living like I know those things. So what do I do? I sit and stew. And edit photos and stew. And blog and stew. With all this stewing, you'd think I'd have made enough to eat to feed the 5,000. And yet, all I have is an upset stomach and the inklings of an ulcer (okay, the ulcer is a bit of an exaggeration).

What's frustrating is that I can't decide whether I want to laugh at this whole situation, or cry, or punch something, or drown myself in a world of make believe, or scrub the bath tub to a sparkling shiny white. I just want to do something that will help me to stop stewing. What is more frustrating was that I thought all these stupid insecurity issues were resolving only to have them fly back as soon as someone hit the "right" nerve. The right wrong nerve. Argh.

Okay, as much as I would love to keep blogging and start trying to focus myself on something positive, I have endless editing to attend to. Not that I would probably be positive in the rest of this post anyway. I would probably just rant more. If you start a blog negatively, it's hard to bring it back to a positive note. It becomes stuck in negative land. So I'm leaving negative land - or at least I'm going to attempt to.

::grins::

See, I'm already grinning.

The Power of Cheapd

2008-09-26T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yes. Cheap = awesome + personal satisfaction. With the winter months coming, Elisha and I need two cars - motorcycle riding in Oregon during the winter isn't very fun. Wet, nasty and relatively unsafe, I'd rather just avoid it. When a friend of mine started looking for a new car (it was time) it awoke in me a desire I've had for a while - to own an AWD Subaru. Of course, if I had my way, I would have bought one like Ben did - a $20~k 2008 WRX. Alas, I just can't afford it, my budget was much lower. Much. Lower. However, Craigslist prevailed as it always has, and I picked up a beauty (ok, an ugly duckling) of a 1993 Subaru Impreza wagon for $1400. It came with a roof-rack (essential for the snowboarding trips it was destined for.) Other than that, it had few endearing qualities, short of it's subaru & awd-ness. Elisha and I dubbed it the "Mountain Goat."

What was so ugly you ask? I'll show you:

Yes, this is the roof. Sun+ice+snow+negligence = nasty paint. :( Poor Mountain Goat. So, gearing up with my trusty tools (and many of my father-in-law's that I couldn't afford) I set out to fix this problem myself - given that professional paint jobs run $1000-$20,000. Yeah, not going to spend the value of the car on it's paintjob. Anything looks better than what it is.

Trusty Tool!

Sanded to a glossy, err, shine. More of a luster, actually.

All taped up and ready to go!

All primered up.

All shiny after it's first inaugural wash as a black car!

I learned a big lesson about painting cars - fiberglass bumpers do not like 80grit sandpaper. I scratched the crap out of my bumpers. Oops. However, an ingenious idea to the rescue! Spray-on truckbed liner! This stuff is fabulous - I 1/2 wish I had painted the whole car with it!

Preppin' the booty for some truck bed liner:

Pretty bumper.

Nice 'n shiny after it's first wax job this morning:

All done and ready to take on the world!

Now, it's not the best paintjob in the world - I didn't spend 80-zillion hours on it like I should have to achieve a super-duper paintjob. However, for the $100 and 15 hours of work, it's pretty nice. To do it properly would have required another $50 and another 50 hours (Seriously - it's incredibly labor intensive.) Would I do this again? Most likely not - unless I had another junker car that desperately needed a paintjob and I didn't want to spend any money on it. Some neighbors of mine came by while I was painting and asked what I would charge to paint their car - I had to laugh. This job is ridiculously difficult, and I will never question how much a bodyshop charges for painting - it is amazing how much sanding it takes to get it right, and I just stripped it - I didn't go through the sanding process properly (because I honestly didn't care.)

Now I have a car I'm not embarrassed to drive down the street in, and I'm excited to take to the mountain! Yay for cheap solutions and internet-how-to's!