I just finished my "snack pack" that included 6 pretzels, 5 mini, spicy cheese covered "toasts," and 4 surprise-seasoned, crunchy worms and I'm regretting my decision to read some blogs instead of grab lunch before boarding the plane. It was a classic moment of 8 year old logic - "I wasn't hungry then..." Well, I'm hungry now and I'm scolding myself using the classic mom line "You should have eaten before we left. I told you to eat something because you would be hungry later." I appreciate that my Mom, like all good moms, attempted to install that good sense in my little brain, but I'm afraid her efforts have not been 100% successful.

My regret is only intensified by the smells wafting back from first class. I'm sitting 2 rows back from the iron curtain that separates the uppity ups from us regular folk and I watched with a little smirk on my face as the flight attendant snapped it shut. The only problem with this particular iron curtain is that it is not iron at all It is, in fact, made from fish net... I think (this is an Alaska flight) The problem with fish net is that you can see through it. The problem with seeing through it is that I just watched the butler flight attendant serve what looked like Thai chicken satay on a bed of safron infused wild rice with steamed asparagus and fresh picked Washington berries.



Ok, so maybe I didn't see all that detail, but that sure sounds good, doesn't it? To make matters worse, he was serving the delicious looking entree on real plates with real flatware and real stemware. None of that spork and 3 ounce plastic cup non-sense
for the folks in rows 1-5.

Meanwhile my neighbor is engaging in some sort of airborne yoga and drinking tomato juice (I cannot stand tomato juice) and I just popped in another piece of gum and tried to pretend it's a delicious Washington berry. It's not. Maybe I should have brought my new lipstick that for some reason smells like chicken stew. Or maybe I should have eaten some lunch before boarding the plane....

Some of you may remember last year's pumpkin creation post. You may also remember The Pumpkin Artist's 2007 pumpkin creation:


"Matt's Molar"


And now....
(drumroll please)
...I present the 2008 Pumpkin Creation from The Pumpkin Artist:


"Stan"



The Artist, himself.

John's sermon in Crossroads on 10.12.08

God's Prescription for Worship - Malachi 1
(Click to stream, ctrl click (or right click for you PCs out there) to download)

My husband gets to preach for the first time tomorrow! Our fellowship group pastor, Rick Holland, is out of town this weekend, so he asked J to fill the pulpit. I'm so excited for the message! He just did a practice run for me and I'm already convicted. He's chosen Malachi 1 as his text and his title is:

"Three Symptoms of Apathetic Worship"

If you think of it, will you pray for him? - that God would use him to clearly communicate His Word, that he would be humble, that he would be transparent, and that hearts will be moved to repent of apathetic worship.

By the end of the week, you should be able to download the audio HERE. I highly recommend that you do!

...the freezer and then forget about them.

Tonight was my friend, Kellie's birthday party. It was so fun! Thanks for throwing a great party, Diedra!

(I didn't get very many good pictures of the guests, but I'm hoping my friend Michelle will post some of hers.)

...Fall-themed crafts!


Pumpkin Candle Holder

1. Cut out the top of a small (about a 5" diameter) pumpkin. Determine the diameter of the cut by the size of the candle.

2. Clean out the inside of the pumpkin.

3. Insert a pumpkin scented candle
(I used the Pumpkin Gingersnap Soy Harvest votive from Target)

4. Light and enjoy!

I went to the dentist again today. Why? Because I'm told that's what responsible adults do. Besides, I had scheduled the appointment
way back in March at my last cleaning.



I understand that regular cleaning is important. I'd rather have regular cleaning than a root canal, but I'd prefer it if my regular cleaning were as pleasant as it sounds. What could possibly be painful about a cleaning? Does it hurt when you take a shower? No....well not unless
your shower head is a pressure washer.



Part way through my "cleaning" the hygienist noticed that I was feeling a bit "uncomfortable" so she asked me if my gums were a bit tender. "Uh huh" I responded with her hands still in my mouth. "Hm... are you brushing at the gumline?" she asked in a teacher tone. Call me crazy, but maybe the tenderness of my gums has less to do with my brushing habits and more to do with that sharp metal hook your raking across my gums. I mean, seriously, is it really necessary to use a sharp metal hook? Can't they figure out something that cleans
without drawing blood?



I'm a fan of plaque-free-teeth as much as the next gal, but I'd also like my gums to stay intact.Is that too much to ask?

I'm a fan of...

Autumn Trees



Soft Frozen Lemonade (I realize this would normally be associated with summer...but I love this treat year round!)



Pupmkin Spice Latte AND new this year at certain locations Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino




Snickerdoodles (yes, partly because I like saying the name)



Fall colored flowers



Apple Cider



Psych

Watch full episodes online HERE

We had a full Labor Day weekend! Last night we got to go to the University of Tennessee football team's chapel with
Rick Holland and John MacArthur.





After the chapel we drove out to J's parent's house and had a nice evening with them. Then first thing this morning we got to go to our nephew Danny's 2nd birthday party!







Then we headed on to the UCLA/Tennessee game
and ran over a nail on the way...





UCLA won in overtime. It was a great game!

My wonderful sister was born today x years ago. I admire her for SO many reasons.

She loves and lives for her Savior
She is an awesome wife and mom
She is a killer cook
She's a mad quilter
She's all around cool.
She is someone I want to be like.



I LOVE YOU AMY!!!!!

By the way...
I posted current listening and reading HERE

I haven't posted for a couple of weeks because we've been on vacation.



We started vacation by attending the WORSHIPGOD08 Conference at Covenant Life Church in Maryland. We had a great time being refreshed by the Word, encouraged in our ministry, connecting with old friends and making new ones.


We got to go up to Gettysburg on Saturday and then spent Monday-Friday in DC. Have you ever been to DC? It's such a cool city! I think we did everything a couple of tourists can possibly do in 5 days. You think I'm kidding? I'm not. Here's the list (bearing in mind that there was a LOT of walking/sightseeing between each major stop):

Monday - Arlington National Cemetery, dinner at Old Ebbit's


Tuesday - The Ford Theater, The Peterson House, The International Spy Museum, The National Archives, dinner at the Washington Harbor, and the Iwo Jima Memorial


Wednesday - The Holocost Museum, The Library of Congress, taxi ride with an 81 yr old driver (eek), dinner and evening monuments stroll with Kim



Thursday - National Air & Space Museum, trip to the Pentagon, dinner with the Kauflins


Friday - Room service breakfast and check-out, Capitol tour, Capitol Baptist Church, National Cathedral, Alexandria, dinner at Gadsby's



As you can see, our vacation wasn't exactly restful, but it was very relaxing....and educational.

If you know me, you know that I'm a dog person. I'm really an all-around animal person, but I especially enjoy dogs (much to my sister's chagrin). You know all about our dog, Fritz (a.k.a. Fritzstoferson, Fritzgerald, Fritzmas, Brutus or Bubba) from reading yetanotherblog...I really should get back to my TGIFritz theme.

Well, I came across this blog called BARK a while back and have been following it ever since. I've been resisting making mention of it on my blog out of a fear that you all would realize how much of a dog nerd (derd?) I actually am.



This photographer, Erin Vey has many things going for her. She has a cute house and style, she lives in my home state, she has an AWESOME Great Dane (I've been nagging J for a Great Dane for going on 3 years now. The man has super-human resistance.....mostly to Great Dane sized yard ornaments in a LA sized yard), AND she is a FANTASTIC photographer. Really. She's great.

Today's photos are so great that I absolutely had to share them with you. I'm a sucker for puppies and this puppy just about slayed me. I mean, look at him. And the name? Augustus? C'mon. Killin' me softly. This is certainly not helping my puppy fever, but I do love looking at her photos.

Some of you may be wondering if I would pay to have pictures taken of The Fritz. You mean, would I pay a session fee starting at $250 for pictures of this dog?




I think the real question is would anyone actually take money to photograph him? Maybe if he were sleeping or drugged.

We made it home safe and sound, a day late, but safe and sound. We had all kinds of fun with cancelled and delayed flights and an extra night in Vancouver. Those of you who followed johnandlis.com know that we had a fabulous time on the cruise! You'll also be happy to know that our 5th anniversary was wonderful - I didn't fall overboard or break out into hives (...yes, I broke out into hives on our 3rd anniversary thanks to some unknown food allergy.) Apparently, we did a little too much relaxing because we're having trouble getting back into the swing of things....

Here's a little goodie for you in the meantime

Just on the heels of Resolved, J and I get to go on the annual Grace to You cruise to Alaska! We're both exhausted from our VERY full schedule over the last couple months and are looking forward a relaxing time aboard ms Statendam. We were invited to be a part of the music team and are thrilled to do so!
The timing of the cruise is great since it's our 5th anniversary this Wednesday....I'll let you know if we have yet another crazy anniversary story, like me falling overboard or being eaten by a rogue and athletic orca whale. (I just realized I never published the posts I wrote on our 3rd and 4th anniversaries. They were actually quite smooth compared to the first 2. I might still do that.)

In the meantime, you can follow updates on www.johnandlis.com

It's finally here!! We're in Palm Springs and the conference starts tonight. Read conference updates at www.johnandlis.com and www.resolved.org

We got to spend Saturday afternoon/evening over at my Sister's house while my Parents were in town for baby Abby. Here are a few shots from the day...

J and I are up in Meadow Vista, CA doing the vocals for the Resolved CD.



Check out our progress at www.johnandlis.com

Lukas did a fantastic job photographing Matt & Sarah's wedding!

You can see some of HIS PICS HERE


Below are the ones from my camera ... thanks Mom!

Matt & Sarah's wedding was just beautiful! It was such a privilege to be a part of it. Arranging the flowers was an exhausting, but really fun experience. I couldn't have done it without the help of some sweet friends - Michelle, Tricia, Rachel, Diane, Stephanie, Kathleen and my wonderful Mother! THANK YOU all so much!

"Thank you" also to Jessica, photographer par excellence, for the lovely pictures....

Mom and Baby get to come home today!

Meet my new little niece!!

Abigail Ruth
8 lbs 12 oz
21 3/4 in long







Welcome, little girly! I love you already!

Michelle and I had fun throwing a shower for our friend, Sarah, on Saturday. Kellie opened her perfect party home for the occasion and we had about 15 guests.

Sarah's is going to use classy greens and whites in her wedding, so we decided to use the same colors.








The lovely bride

MENU
Chicken Salad with Curry
Open-Face Cucumber Sandwiches
Cream-Filled Strawberries
Raspberry Scones
Lemon Mascarpone Ebleskiver Shortbread
Strawberries & Cream and Jasmine Green Flowering Tea
Coffee
Virgin Mojito with fresh mint and lime


Naomi, Megan, Gillian, Stephanie


Dr. Simons, Sarah, Mrs. Mills, Mrs. Dixon


Mrs. Salinas, Mrs. Bloomfield, Dr. Jones, Katherine

Now I don't know about you people, but I'm really not a fan of shower games. We did, however, play 1 game - Make-Your-Own-Veil Contest. I played this game at Audra's shower back in the Fall and thought it was actually pretty fun.
We gave each table a stack of white tissue paper, a bag of silly decorations, pipe cleaners, scissors, glitter glue and tape. Here are some of the results...






Thanks Kellie and Michelle!

1 trip to the market....3 green and white arrangements!

The one to the right is the practice arrangement for the upcoming wedding. I'll be adding Sahara Roses for a little subtle pink contrast.

Flowers used:
Avalanche Roses
Hanging Amaranthus
Vibernum
Hydrangea
Butter Yellow Stock
Lemon Leaf

I get to do wedding flowers for the first time in a couple weeks. I'm SO excited! Thank you Matt and Sarah for the opportunity!



Today my wonderful friend, Michelle, accompanied me to the market downtown for a wedding flowers prep day. We had such a great time!

The day started altogether too early for a Saturday morning, so our first stop was Starbucks for caffeine and scones. We made it downtown pretty quickly and survived a trip to the ATM in an "interesting" part of town. The market was absolutely wonderful! This is a great time of year to go see all the early spring blooms like lilacs and lilies. Both the main market halls were filled to the brim with beautiful blooms even mid-morning after the retail florists had come through.

The day was definitely a successful venture. I got a good idea for prices and vendors and came home with some great "practice" flowers and supplies. Sarah has chosen some beautiful flowers for her event. We're doing a monochromatic white/green simple elegance look. The ceremony will be in the rose garden at a local hotel.



I LOVE this idea for lining the aisle - so classy!




Michelle is also really good at putting photo collages together from events...so instead of trying to make my own, I thought I'd just borrow hers (thanks, Michelle!)

Some of you may already know the tragic story of the Honda Passport. For you, this post may be a bit boring.

You see, back in March of 2005 we bought our second car. This was a long-anticipated, much-needed purchase and we were very excited to make it. We knew we wanted an SUV because of the type of gear we haul and we both liked the Honda Passport. We found a 1998 model at a local used car dealership and began the process of testing it for purchase. We looked up reviews online, we had our mechanic inspect it, we drove it on surface streets and highways, we looked up the Carfax report. Everything seemed to be good. So with a little nervousness, we signed the papers.

3 months later, the transmission started shifting hard. 17 months and many more problems later the Passport died. Then began the saga of trying to pay it off and get rid of it. For nearly 1 1/2 years it's been sitting in our driveway as a giant leaf collector and expensive security system. In December we paid off the loan and today we sold it.

J found a used car buyer nearby who was interested in buying it for parts. The guy came by around 6 this evening and inspected the car. He had a really cool tool that we wished we had back before we bought the Passpoop. This tool revealed that it had been in at least one accident that required major body work. Would have been nice to know. Long story short, we signed some papers, he gave us some cash and like that the nightmare was over....well, almost...the dang thing is still sitting in our driveway. They'll be back to tow it away within the next few days.

Good riddance...


We are SUPER thankful for the new SUV we were able to get this past November.

Hello Merjeepees!!


See the difference?

I was a lame wife this year on J's birthday. For many reasons, which you don't care about, we didn't get to have a propper celebration of the day J was born. We didn't even get to have cake! Well, we decided that yesterday was as good a day as any for birthday cake...so thanks to my friend, Betty Crocker, I whipped up J's favorite cake - lemon cake with lemon frosting. We invited our dear friends, the Anthony's, to come over after church last night and enjoy some In 'n' Out (or Inside Out, as my nephew called it) and lemon cake.

I had baked the cake before we left for church and planned to frost it when we got home. I turned the pan over onto my cake stand to remove the first layer of the cake... which broke in half.

"Not to worry," I thought to myself, "you can't see the bottom layer of a layer cake."

So I layered on some frosting and grabbed the top cake layer which essentially crumbled as it came out of the pan. Sigh.

"Ok. Don't panic...just cover it with frosting"

The frosting only made it worse. Before long it looked more like a pile of leftovers than a cake. Then Michelle came to the rescue and did her best to recover my mess. Here was the result -

(the sign is courtesty of Ryan Anthony - no he's not a kid)

Here was the song that went with the cake pile.

Heppy berfday to you!
Here's a big pile of poo!
Heppy berfday dear Johnny
I really do love you!

The cake actually tasted really good and we had a great time with the Anthonys, laughing at the pictures in the post below. We're going to make up for all of the birthday lameness by taking a birthday trip to Disneyland next week.

J did get some great gifts. Probably his favorite was from Matt, who sent him a Walther P22 Pellet Gun. Oh. Boy.

Today is my husband's birthday. There is so much I could say about my wonderful man - he is truly a gift from the Lord to measly ol' me. I am so thankful that the Lord saw fit to bring us together. I love him so!

Happy Birthday Johnny!

Ok, ok...for those of you who are itching to know what's happening with the curtains, here's a quick update.

What I didn't tell you in part 3 was that the brackets for the new curtain rod I bought held the rod only about 1 1/2 inches away from the wall. This is a problem for 2 reasons -

1. Grommet top curtains need more room at the top in order for the pleats to hang correctly.
2. The vertical blinds apparatus extends about 3 inches from the wall. This means that the curtains get caught up on said apparatus.

So today I stopped at my local Linens n' Things and got new expandable brackets. You'll be happy to know that this was a successful venture. The new brackets fixed that problem. All that's left is to finish the curtains.....sigh.

I guess I'm a glutton for punishment because I decided it was a good idea to make new drape shades for my kitchen windows. The good news is that these were actually pretty simple and are very close to finished. I would have finished them today if I had bought enough ribbon....again with the math problems.

I'll be posting pictures soon.

I love when the weather warms up enough for the flowers to start blooming. I suppose if I were a real gardener I would have planted seeds and bulbs for these beautiful blooms back in the fall, but I didn't. I simply went down to the Home Depot, chose the prettiest blooms and brought them back home to my flowerbed. I love when the front bed is full of colorful flowers - it makes the house look inviting and warm.


Michelle - Do you see the ranunculus?


Sunny Yellow Tulips


Purple Kale





Beautiful Hanging Basket from Mom Martin!


Purple Kale, African Daisy, Indigo Pansy, Purple Stock

Sigh......

Are you ready for the next chapter in the curtain saga? I've gotten 2 panels "done" and the hemming actually turned out pretty good...as long as you're standing at least 4 feet away. It was very time consuming since the fabric was so long and heavy, but it wasn't as difficult as I expected it to be. Same story with the grommet top - not easy, very time consuming, but do-able. So what's the problem you ask? I'm apparently much worse at math than I thought I was because:

1. After several calculations using a calculator, the 2nd panel still turned out 5 inches too short! 5 inches is not something you can wink at...nope.

2. I had to buy the fabric from 2 different Joann's stores and when I went to buy fabric for panels 2 and 3, I had a pretty frustrating experience with the fabric cutter manager and got kinda flustered. I thought that I had gotten just enough fabric to do 2 panels including the seam allowances, but I ended up being about 7 inches short. Which means I had PLENTY of "extra" fabric and could have made the 2nd panel more than 5 inches longer.

Meanwhile, the studio has a curtain over the window and a short curtain over half the slider. Sheesh.

Stay tuned for the next riveting chapter in:
"Lisa's Ridiculous Attempt to Re-Decorate The Studio."
Coming soon to a taco stand near you!

(Cue the trombone Waaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaa)

Can I take a minute to brag on my husband? He produced this promo (and the previous 2 as well). It's awesome. Every time he does a new project I'm so impressed! You'd think I'd start getting used to it after 5 years, but every time I'm amazed at the massive talent and genuine humility my precious husband has. And you know what else? He's really cool....

Registration is OPEN and filling up fast! Go to RESOLVED.ORG and sign up NOW!



Video - Adam Hildebrand, Brian Touhy, John Martin
Music - John Martin
Mix Engineer - Darius Fong


Resolved Trailer 2007

Last weekend we drove up to Three Rivers, CA for our Third Annual Fab Friends Frenzy in February (yeah, I know...the name's gotta change, even though our friends are fabulous and so was the weekend). Many things have happened in our lives since our college years -- we've gotten married, had kids, moved to different cities and different states (we miss you Fritzs!!!) and changed jobs -- yet this weekend, we enjoyed sweet time together, cherishing the memories from the good ol' days and encouraging each other in our current challenges. What a joy it is to have friends who love Jesus and who love each other. I'm thankful for you, Fab Friends!



Fab Friends 2008, Three Rivers, CA



Fab Friends 2007, Newport Beach, CA



Fab Friends 2006, Frazier Park, CA

Thanks to all of you who helped out with your votes on fabric choices. Although it was helpful to have your opinions, I did not listen to you....not even you, Mom. I do love the black and white damask and am starting on new ideas of where to use it, but with the help of my designer extraordinaire friend, Shannon, we chose the paisley fabric. Shannon came over to look at the room and the fabrics in context with the wall color, furniture, and art ideas and helped us realize that the paisley would offer the most interest and give it a real designer look.

I got the fabric from a store, which shall remain nameless, no thanks to an unhelpful 80-year-old-Madge. The fabric happens to be a decorator fabric, which means that it is extra wide - nice feature for making curtains, but it is also extra heavy and thick - not so nice feature for an amateur sewer (I can't even call myself an amateur seamstress). I've sewed and ripped out something like 15,000 seams.

(This is exactly the look on my face...I feel your pain, 19th c. lady)

The main problem is that I'm trying to use a blackout liner that is very stretchy, slippery and thick. The combo of the fabric and liner is just too thick for my machine....or my brain - not sure which one. I actually broke a needle because I'm having to pull on the fabric to feed it through. I hate to do it , but I'm going to scrap the liner and just attempt to hem the fabric. At this point, I just want the curtains to be done. But, like a fool, I also decided to do a grommet top instead of a rod pocket, because apparently, the project wasn't hard enough for me yet. I'm intent on the grommet top because I love how it looks, but we'll see if I can accomplish it or not.

Are there any home-ecy types out there that know a thing or two about making curtains and also live near me? I would love some advice and/or help. For that matter, I would not turn a way a volunteer curtain maker.... I'll make you Ebelskiver pancakes!!

The rest of the room is coming together and I'll be posting pics once everything is in and finished.

Today I got to host a brunch for the ladies in our Bible Study. So fun! We enjoyed lots of food and had a great time hangin' out.
I couldn't have done it without my wonderful friend
and culinary partner, Michelle.



Here was the DUH-licious menu:

Coffee (of course!)
Acai Green Tea
Blooming Jasmine Green Tea
Orange Juice
Lots of Fruit
Skillet Fried Canadian Bacon
Frazzled Eggs (fried in oil)
Apple Spice Filled Pancakes with Maple Whipped Cream
(Click HERE for the recipe)



Filled Pancakes are now my new favorite breakfast. I can't wait to try other fillings like lemon-mascarpone.....mmmmm. They are really fun and somewhat simple to make. The most time-consuming part is making the batter from scratch...but it is well worth it.

(Thanks Mom and Dad M. for my awesome Ebelskiver pan!! Thanks J for the sweet Cream Whipper!! Thanks Beth for my Blooming Tea set!!)



I also had fun doing a flower arrangement in my new vase from Mom and Dad W. I love the vase - it's so elegant. Thanks Mom and Dad!



(10 points to the person who figures out what the post title means)

A couple weekends ago we decided to do some long needed re-organizing, re-thinking and re-decorating of John's home studio. We took everything out and sorted it into keep, toss and sell piles. We took down the old curtains and painted the walls. We organized the keep pile in the room and re-arranged the furniture. Ahhh...progress feels good.

We've dubbed the look "Modern Deco" because we've combined the clean simple lines of 50s/60s modern with a few bold touches of 20s/30s art deco.

But now we're stuck. I had a plan for the new curtains but today we came up with a plan 2. Neither of us can decide if we like plan 1 or plan 2 better. This is a crucial turning point because the fabric will dictate the art for the wall and the rug for the floor. The fabric is also the art deco part of the of the modern deco scheme.

Here's where you come in. The swatches below are very different patterns, though both art deco bold looks, and they take the room in varying directions. Even though you haven't seen the wall color or the furniture or the ideas for the artwork, I'm curious which one YOU like. If you don't like either one, don't tell me because it took too long to narrow it down to just these two! If you do like one over the other will you leave a comment?

A

(Black on Ivory Damask)

B

(Silvery Teal and Rusty Orange Paisley with Black Outlines)

Last Christmas we discovered elfyourself.com and we took the opportunity to elf my entire family. Oh. Yeah.


Mom, Dad, Matt, Katie, Luke, Ethan, Amy, Nate, Beth, Ashley, Isaac, Austin, Lisa, Fritz & John

The short answer is "out." For a full explanation you can look at our family blog at www.johnandlis.com

Speedy Gonzales, a.k.a. my Husband, got our new site up and running!

Check it out!

www.johnandlis.com


(It may be a little sketchy getting to the new site as the servers switch over)

Psalm 62:8

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.

My Grandpa, Henry Belmont Williams served our country faithfully for over 20 years. He was in the Navy, stationed on Guam when the Japanese invaded and he was taken captive. He remained a prisoner of war for 3 1/2 years before he was released and brought back to the States. He stayed in the Navy for the rest of his career. My Grandpa went home to be with the Lord in March, 2002. He was given military honors at his graveside service.

My Grandpa, Richard F. Wist served our country in the Navy during World War II as a Gunner's Mate. He was so eager to fight for our country that he lied about his age and joined the Navy when he was only 17. My Grandpa passed from this life in May, 2007. He was given military honors at his graveside service.

I am so proud of my Grandpas! They were men who sacrificed so that our freedom would be secure. They were men who put their lives on the line so that we wouldn't have to. They were patriots who fought honorably for their country.

Grandma - Thank you for faithfully serving your husband during those many years and enabling his service to our country. You are a godly example of a wife, mother and grandmother and I am so grateful for your impact on my life.

Thanks for the great shots!

www.lukasvandyke.com/blog/

Notice the one of Fritz running....collarless.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with ALL your heart and lean not on your own understanding.In ALL your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path.

My brother-in-law, the Airforce dentist, is also an artist on the side. He makes beautiful paintings, drawings and sketches and as you can see below...wicked awesome pumpkin sculptures.

Matt's Pumpkin Creation 2007

"MATT'S MOLAR"


Matt's Pumpkin Creations Past

"AWESOME PUMPKIN"



"MINI PUMPKIN WINKING"



"THE JOYFUL BUCKTOOTHED ESKIMO"



"THE SKULL"



Creating "THE SKULL"

Every year around Halloween we go up to my sister's house and carve pumpkins with the kids. This year we added carmel apples too. Here's some pics from this year's pumpkin party.

...California

The weather has been AWESOME here the last few days. The mornings have been crisp and cool, the evenings chilly and the afternoons cloudy! I love it! We even got rain over the weekend. It really feels like Fall here in So. Cal and that is a great thing. See, my favorite seasons in this part of the country are Fall and Spring. There is nothing like the freshness of Spring and the cool of Fall. Sure, I like Summer and Winter enough, but for my taste, Summer is too hot and Winter is not cold enough. I like to be able to go outside in the Summer without dying of heat stroke and I like to go out in the Winter knowing that hypothermia could be just a few hours away. Of course, I only like it that cold if the pay-off is snow. Call me crazy. I guess it comes from my Northwestern upbringing. There's nothing like a Washington afternoon just after a storm when the sky is still charcoal gray and the sun peaks through the clouds onto the hills and lights up the turned trees.

It's been just over a week of slow draining and the pool is finely cleaned and put away until next summer. I'm not really sad to see it go. It's been well over a month since we swam and I've been ready for Fall since that day it hit 113°. I'm looking forward to some crisp Fall evenings around the backyard fire pit roasting mallows.



Thanks Easy Set Pool. You were a great Summertime friend providing cool refreshment and aquatic fun. See you next year.

My husband took me to see Wicked on Saturday night. WOW! It was Wicked awesome!

We decided to go on a whim and just happened to find INCREDIBLE seats in the center-orchestra section. Before the show we headed up to the Hollywood and Highland shopping center and had a delicious dinner at The Grill. Our waitress was great and even gave us 2 complimentary tickets for the shuttle to the theater so we could stay parked there.

Neither of us had ever sat that close at a show before and it was a completely different experience. It was like we were a part of the show, pulled into the action and drawn in by every detail of the acting. We even made eye contact with the cast. Speaking of the cast, there was not one member who did not impress us. In particular, the two leading ladies were amazing.

Eden Espinosa as "Elphaba" was magnetic. As soon as she stepped on stage, she enthralled the audience. Every scene she played was powerful but the final scene before intermission was especially captivating. It was a standing ovation, award winning, career-making kind of scene.

After the show we went out to the curb to catch the shuttle back to our car and stood in line with about 60 other people. We watched as the first bus came and picked up all but 15 of us. Then we watched as all the cast came out of the theater, signed a few autographs and headed home. We watched as the theater was locked up and went dark. After about 40 minutes of standing and waiting for the bus, the group of us that continued to wait realized that it wasn't coming back and we would have to walk the couple miles down Hollywood Blvd. to our cars... at midnight... in Hollywood. We all managed to stay together as a group, clutching our souvenir programs and avoiding eye contact as we tried to blend in with the crazies and scaries. You'll be glad to know that we made it back unscathed, though a little shaken.

Save the walk back, our evening was fantastic. You've GOT TO go see Wicked! It's definitely in my top 3 best shows of all time.

If any of you or anyone you know doubt the historical veracity of the Bible, you've got to read this.

NT Christology (i.e. Jesus): mythical? made up?

It is well worth your time to read this post and even to read each linked article. Dan J. Phillips is a skilled apologist and a godly man. I particularly love the article he wrote called, Why I Am (Still) a Christian.

Team Pyro strikes again!

Happy 5th Birthday Ashley girly!!



You're growing into a beautiful young lady!

We had a new little friend come visit, his name is Manny. Manny the Praying Mantis. He showed up on our screen door a few days ago and stayed for 2 whole days. I'm afraid Fritz may have eaten him, but I don't think so because when he was sitting here in the doorway and I pointed him out, Fritz didn't seem to even notice. I'm not sure if he's good at blending in or Fritz is bad at seeing.



Meeting Manny inspired me to write a little story that I'm hoping turns into a kids book. I come up with ideas like this sometimes that I hope will make alot of money without my having to put in too much effort. Any illustrators out there who want to get in on a potential book deal? Any publishers out there looking for the next big hit in children's literature?

So I was sitting at work today when John called my cell. 

"Hey, I was just at Poquito Mas and you'll never guess who walked in." 

"Who?" I asked.

"Rhett and Link!" he said. 

"What?! THE Rhett and Link?" I replied.

Those of you who have followed my blog over the last couple months may remember when I discovered rhettandlink.com (Thank you Rick Holland). I put up just a couple of their genius videos here. 

So today was my opportunity to meet a couple of real life ce-web-rities*. That's right. Ce-WEB-rities*. I know it's only a matter of time until they are big-time celebrities on TV and so I just had to get my picture with them. Not only that, but I think they're pretty hilarious and awesome. 

I think I kind of overwhelmed them a bit. Apparently, I was the first person in the LA area to "spot" them and I think it took them by surprise. I don't normally get nervous about stuff like that, but for some reason today I did. I was just a step or two short of being just like an awkward junior higher who just met the bass player for her favorite band and the only thing she could think to say was, "I'm in a band." Except in this context it was, "I have a blog." What a nerd. But you already knew that....I really am a blerd. 

Here's the proof. 


(I'm kicking myself for waking up too late this morning to have a decent hairdo)

The guy in the background is involved with their new TV show on The CW called Online Nation, premiering Sunday, Sept 23 at 7:30/6:30c pm.  Set up your Tivo season pass for that!

Well, thanks Rhett and Link for taking this picture with me and being cool about it. Cant wait for your show!


* I have to give credit to my husband for this. "Ce-web-rity" appears courtesy of John Martin, JLM Creative.

(No, that's not our car. Yes, I am seriously considering copying the idea)

We talked about going to the beach for labor day, but I don't think we want to brave that drive or the crowds and besides, I heard that it doesn't feel much cooler at the beach because it's so humid. So I think we'll spend the day in the pool instead.

Speaking of the pool, since it's been well over a 1/2 hour since I last ate, I'm going to follow this guy's example and go jump in.

My nieces are starting kindergarten this week. Are you kidding me? It just doesn't seem possible. I'm pretty sure kids these days are starting kindergarten much earlier than in my day. It seems like just yesterday that they were crawling around in diapers.



The girls are starting kindergarten in 2 different states, 1000's of miles apart, but I love that they get to share a common experience. I can just picture them now, taking the phone from their moms and talking all about their teachers, the books they get to read, the kids in the class, and the pictures they colored. I love that they're so excited to go to school but they've both told their moms how much they will miss them during the day. So sweet. Kate told her mom, "Mommy, you're going to miss me when I go to school, aren't you?" I can't relate to what my sisters are going through this week , but I'm sure it's an odd combination of joy and terror, of excitement and sadness. I'm sure they're wishing they could make time stand still for a while and hold off that high school graduation that is beginning to loom over the horizon, while at the same time enjoying all the ways in which their little girls are growing up. They are each growing into lovely little girls and I know they will grow into beautiful women. I can't wait to see what the future holds for my girlies and I'm so proud of my sisters.

Our 2nd anniversary was filled with the most ridiculousness yet. John had been working 5 part time jobs and my job didn't pay that well so money was super tight. It was that awkward week toward the end of the month where every penny had to stretch to make it to the next paycheck. We had resigned that we wouldn't be able to get away and would just try to go out for a nice dinner. Then SURPRISE I got a nice bonus from my employer and we decided to head to San Diego for the weekend at the last minute. I ran home and found a great little hotel on one of those cheap hotel sites with a description that said it was "European Style" city accommodations which I knew would mean small in size and amenities, but the pictures looked great and it was only a few blocks from the water. So I booked a room and we packed up our things to head down.

When we arrived on West St and began watching the numbers. 494, 496, 498, 500. As we drove alongside the hotel we saw banners hanging that listed its different features. "Cafe" "Pool" "Hotel" "YMCA" YMCA?? That's weird. There must be a YMCA in the same building. Odd, but oh well. The lobby was nice enough and the workers were helpful so we checked in and rode up to our floor in the 2nd scariest elevator I've ever been in (1st scariest was in Russia). We stepped out onto our floor, thankful to have made it and noticed that the hall looked oddly like a dorm. We passed a few doors that had signs for toilets and showers and finally found our room and opened the door. Do you know that scene in Christmas Vacation where the family is hiking through the snowy forest to find the perfect Christmas tree? You know how when they finally find it a light shone forth from on high while a choir sang to herald the find? It was nothing like that. It was more like when Eeyore is sitting on a cliff, having discovered one more reason to feel sorry for himself and a dark gray storm cloud appears overhead, pouring rain on him. The room was smaller than a dorm room. It had a tiny twin bed, a table with a tiny tv and a tiny wardrobe. Notice I did not say anything about a tiny bathroom? The bathrooms were in the hall and we would be sharing them with the backpackers and students who had to take bathroom breaks between writing poems and playing guitar. Our quaint European style hotel was actually a YMCA youth hostel. Oh and did I mention that the carpet was soggy? John, immediately seeing the humor, began chuckling and enjoying the irony of the moment. While I stood, shocked and bugged. We wanted to move to a different hotel, but there was cancellation policy and we would have had to pay for the room anyway.

Deciding to make the best of it, we headed out to enjoy the town. After a lovely walk on the water front we made our way over to a great restaurant right on the water and sat down for what we had heard would be a great dinner. The food was amazing. The service was terrible. Our waitress did not wait on us at all. She introduced herself and then didn't come to our table again until she brought the check. Someone else took our drink order, our food order, brought our food and desserts. Since tips stands for To Insure Proper Service and our service was anything but proper, we marked a big fat $0.00 on the tip line. The next stop was a handsome cab ride and on the way John just happened to call up the bank and discover that the waitress had given herself a $20 tip!! Unbelievable! I'm sure she assumed we wouldn't notice. We called up the restaurant manager and explained that the "waitress" had not served us at all and we were pretty disappointed with the experience and then that there was and extra $20 charge on our card. She tried to tell us that sometimes banks charge extra money to make sure the money is there. Uh. I don't think so. Eventually she agreed to refund the $20 and send us a gift certificate by email. Thanks, lady.

After a very uncomfortable night's sleep on the tiny bed we spent a redeeming day at Sea World which is one of my favorite places (I love manatees), and were very thankful to get back home.

For those of you who have been following my blog (all 2 of you, including my Mom) You'll remember that I wrote a bunch of posts about my camping memories in anticipation of the first JLM camping trip this summer. This last weekend was that first camping trip. You see, our good friends Ryan Foglesong and David Zimmer are up at Hume Lake Christian Camps leading the music for the Jr High camps this summer. They're part of a great band called Chasing Cadence with 2 other guys from TMC and are doing a fantastic job! We wanted to surprise visit them and we wanted to camp. So we packed up all our gear including our brand new 2 mantle propane lantern (I love the sound of propane lanterns), threw Fritz in the car and headed up the 4 hour drive to the sequoias. Since we were going to be sitting in on indoor camp sessions we knew we couldn't take Fritz with us, so we dropped him off at doggie heaven in Reedley. Seriously, this place is operated by a retired couple and their daughter on their gorgeous property surrounded by peach, nectarine and plum orchards. They had great kennels and an agility course. After we drove off, we were a little worried that Fritz would refuse to come back home with us.

General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon


I was expecting that there would be alot of funny stories to tell of the ridiculous things that happened, but nothing really ridiculous happened, probably because we didn't bring Fritz. It was a very smooth and easy trip. So I guess instead, I'll just give you the highlights of the trip.

After we set up the site, we walked over to the Christian Camp and sneaked in the back of the big rock concert for the Jr Highers. Those kids were so great. They drank that concert like it was mountain dew and had the energy to match. They screamed and jumped and sang along. Then afterward, they swarmed the guys bringing anything they could find to get an autograph including hats and shirts and posters. We decided it would be fun to act like a couple jr highers wanting autographs and stood with our poster in each line. When it was our turn we screamed (though not as high or loud as those jr highers could) and they both just about fell over. The concert totally rocked and was so tight. We were extremely proud of them. We got to hang out with the band and Ryan's girlfriend in the coffee shop for a while debriefing about the concert. Then after the guys finished serving fries at the roller rink, we all got back together and listened to their album. A MUST BUY!


Our site, Friday morning. We got up at 5:30 to go watch the sunrise over the lake. UH-MAZING. In the early morning fog rises up over the water almost like steam. It's so beautiful. This was one of the things that really impressed John when he came up to Hume as a kid. We forgot to bring the camera though. Doh.


Breakfast Friday morning. Scrambled eggs, bacon and english muffins with percolator coffee (bad percolator coffee) and OJ. Mmmmm.


A new camping tradition: Roasted marshmallows IN hot chocolate. I have no idea why I never put these two things together before. Apparently, it was only new to me.




Canoes on the Lake with Ryan and Rachel. Not long after this picture we paddled to shore and as John got out of the canoe it tipped, filling up with water and soaking us up to our waists! Of course, Rachel and Ryan came prepared with swim shorts on and they didn't get one drop on them. John and I came in normal shorts and got soaked!


Rachel, Ryan, John, Me & David. SO FUN!!


Fritz, post-doggie heaven.

Oddly enough, some ridiculous thing has occurred on every anniversary that we have celebrated since our wedding day. It all began 3 years ago on our 1st anniversary. We were looking forward to a lovely weekend away…

We had checked into our hotel and were all dressed up for a nice dinner out. The dinner was amazing. It was our fist time to eat at Ruth's Chris Steak House and it was an extraordinary culinary experience. It also happened to be where I had my first official celebrity sighting.  After an amazing dinner we headed to the next event on our agenda: Opening night at The Hollywood Bowl. We thought we had left enough time to drive the 6.5 miles from Beverly Hills to Hollywood. Little did we know! Read More...

I'm married to the man of my dreams. It's been almost 8 years since we met at the TMC Chorale retreat in August of 1999 and 7 1/2 since our first date in February of 2000. It's been almost 5 years since the day he proposed in September of 2002 and 4 years today from when we took our vows, June 25, 2003.



I love my John for so many reasons and I discover more almost everyday. He is kind and gentle yet strong and uncompromising. He is loyal and honest and the truest of friends. He is a man of the Word and of worship. He is an effective worship leader who knows his theology. He is faithful to our church and happy to serve.

He is ferociously talented and genuinely humble. This is one of the things I love best. He can outsing, outplay, outproduce, outlead, outcompose just about anybody but he would always prefer to honor someone else. He never considers a service opportunity to be below him and he submits to what the leadership has asked of him, regardless of style or preference. He has had ample opportunity to brag but I have never heard him take one. When complimented he thanks graciously and is quick to give honor to the Lord and the other musicians involved. When criticized, he does not respond in self-pity or anger, but rather listens, applies any truth and moves on without holding a grudge. I've even seen him giggle when he has been unreasonably attacked.

He is a man of integrity, unwilling to bring dishonor to his Savior or his family. He is a disciplined and hard worker. He is punctual and respectful of other people's time. He is confident in who he is and does not tend to be a people pleaser. He is creative and he is consistent.

He has a hilarious sense of humor and the most contagious laugh. He's able to both laugh at himself and entertain a crowd.

He is a godly husband. He shepherds me gently with understanding and protection. He is loving when he compliments or corrects me. I love that he is not afraid to correct me. He tells me the truth and keeps my feet on the ground, while making me feel treasured. He is ultra romantic and loves to surprise me. He is a good steward of our finances and our home, but he is not cheap or stingy always willing to give to others. On many occasions he has gone without so that he could supply the need of a friend. What I love most is that He points me to Christ. He lives each day as a sacrifice of worship and inspires others to do the same. He is a MAN AFTER GOD'S OWN HEART AND HE CONTINUALLY WINS MINE.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MY LOVE!
Today I love you much more than yesterday and much less than tomorrow...

Nothing like going to Disneyland with 6 kids between the ages of 8 months and 5 years. I've never spent so much time in Fantasyland....

It's a totally different experience with little kids. John and I had annual passes for 3 years and would go at least once a month....but we never had to consider naps, height limits, scare levels, or where the characters were at any given time. I've never left Disneyland so tired, but it was so worth it. To see the kids' faces light up as they discovered each new magical facet of the happiest place on earth was, well, magical!

We gotta get our passes again...

More Pictures

Gardening is great. I've always enjoyed it...but never had much time for it. I would spend an entire weekend working on the yard about twice a year and always end up with little to show for it. But NOW that I'm home in the afternoons I get to really garden! I love it! Below are some pics from this Spring's garden.

March 3, 2007




May 30, 2007

Today is my sister's birthday. I admire my sister for alot of reasons -

She is a great SISTER. She is loyal and honest and tells me like it is. She is generous with her home, her abilities and her love. We can talk about anything from the casual to the deep.

She is a true FRIEND, never afraid to tell me what I need to hear, whether I like it or not : ), always willing to listen and someone I can really count on to be there for the long haul.

She is a godly WIFE. She is an example of tireless service. I love the relationship she has with her husband. They work well together as a team both in their home and in their ministry. They have fun together. They tease each other and they understand each other.

She is an excellent MOTHER. You can often tell the caliber of parenting in a home by the way the children interact with others. Beth's children are so great. They are respectful and obedient, they play hard and love to have fun, they love each other and are excited to be with others.

She is a talented HOMEMAKER. I believe that a woman's home should reflect her love for her family. Beth keeps a fantastic home that is comfortable and welcoming, current and creative. She has an eye for design and is not afraid to put in the work to keep it fresh and interesting. She keeps a clean home, but doesn't get stressed out about the kids being kids. She lets them feel comfortable at home playing with their toys and teaches them how to clean up after themselves. She and Nate are the most hospitable people I know. Always welcoming people into their home, whether they were invited or not, and always ready to share a meal.

She is a masterful MUSICIAN. When Beth sits at the piano, she owns it, from the first note to the last. She is musical, expressive and technically excellent. She is a great teacher as evidenced by how many students would LOVE to study with her.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETH! I LOVE YOU!!