Far From Home

Look at me posting from Vancouver, British Columbia! I am way far away from home at the moment and having a fabulous time. We have spent some time in Seattle and are looking forward to going back there at the end of our trip. We are helping our friends get ready for their wedding and having lots of fun with Dana and Michael. So far the only stressful thing has been the driving (for Brad) - it's kind of scary driving in big cities when you don't know where you're going! The mountains are beautiful and we can't wait to do some hiking and exploring around Vancouver.

Heartbreaking Humidity

Ok, so heartbreaking might be a little overdramatic...but it was extremely muggy and humid on Saturday morning when I ran my first 5k of the year. I must say I'm kind of disappointed with how I did - it was SO hard and I kept saying to Brad every time I passed him (he was there to cheer me on) that I thought I was going to die!

I was very thankful for my two new running buddies and for all the encouragement they have given me. It's much more fun when you're not alone.


On the bright side, I finished the race, I didn't die, I wasn't the last 5k runner, I got a t-shirt, and I beat my last 5k time. So I guess it wasn't a total loss!

I was very grateful that my mom-in-law, sister-in-law, brother-in-law and niece came to cheer me on. I love this picture - I am not actually that sweaty! My mother-in-law poured some water on me after the race to cool me down :)

I have one other funny picture to post, but will have to wait till I get it from Brad's mom.

Brad and I are leaving on Wednesday for Seattle and can't wait! Should be an exciting trip :)

The Shoes Have Arrived

The day of the wedding is quickly approaching. How can I be a bridesmaid if I don't have any shoes? Why can't I just find some shoes that match? Where are all the shoes?????

Yes, I was freaking out. We leave on Wednesday. I needed shoes.

Suddenly Brad appeared in the aisle...he is holding the shoe. It is perfect!

Really? Brad picked out my shoes...and they are perfect?

We get home and hold it next to the dress.

Perfect.

I fall even more deeply in love with my dear husband.

The end.

Blogging Mission

Through my friend Rachel's blog, I found one of her "bloggy friends" (which by the way is my new favorite phrase) and have been reading Becoming Me for a while now. I am excited about this "Blog Mission Tour" and the challenge to create a Blog Mission Statement - click on the picture for more info! Also, a special thank you to Rachel for helping me figure out what "Mr. Linky" means...another new phrase that I'm trying to figure out how to get into everyday conversation...


So why do I blog? I guess it all started because I read the blogs of a few friends who I hadn't seen in a while and I loved being able to catch up on their lives. I assumed when I started that it would actually just be me and my mom reading this thing, but it has turned out to be an amazing way to connect with family and friends.

When I asked myself the question, "Why do I blog?", this is what I came up with:

I blog because I don't want to miss the beautiful moments of each day! I can spend so much time thining about the things that I am looking forward to in life (ie adopting our little baby!) that I forget to take in the beauty of the here and now. Blogging helps me to remember to experience and enjoy the many blessings in my life even while I am "in the waiting" and to pay attention to what the Lord is doing in my life. I love to remember the big and the little stories of God's goodness and faithfulness, and find that I am encouraged when I share those things with others.

Thank you for visiting! I hope you will stop by again soon as I am always looking for more bloggy friends!!!

Truckload of Blessings

This weekend was an exhausting but amazing time of being with some people who truly mean a lot to us. We do not often get to see them, but on Friday we headed to Canada for a very brief but wonderful visit with some of my "childhood" friends. Wayne and Wendy have been close friends with my parents since we first moved from England to Canada (when I was 7...could that really be 21 years ago? Good grief...!) Anyway, we got to spend the evening with them and their daughter, Jen, who is 4 years older than me and was always like a big sister to me growing up. She lives way at the other end of Canada now and so I very seldom get to see her, but she was here for a visit with her dear husband, Dave, and their two STINKIN' CUTE little girls. It was so great to be able to spend some time with people who are more like family than friends.

Saturday morning we headed off for a quick breakfast with Stan and Sue, our dear friends. Sue has been a friend of mine since high school (can you believe she's stuck with me for that long???). Stan and Brad became instant friends once their mutual love of sports was discovered. We went to a Portugese restaurant, which I must admit our stomachs were a little nervous about, but it was great and we had a good time catching up.

Now, I cannot talk about the blessings of the weekend without mentioning this one. On Saturday night, Brad and I drove about 1 1/2 hours to go to a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. By this point we had already driven quite a bit and we were exhausted. We got there and sat on the bleachers looking a bit like zombies. I think we were both wondering what in the world we were thinking coming to a concert after our trip to Canada.

But as soon as he came out...any regret we had vanished. It was amazing. I cannot put it into words. I not really what I would describe as an "easy crier" - I don't tear up at sappy books too often, or movies...but this really got me. Many of you may know that the Chapman's recently lost their 5 year old daughter when she was hit by a car. It has been a devastating tragedy for them. I was of course saddened when I heard about it and had prayed for them. But to hear it from his own lips, to hear about the pain and how it has altered their lives...it made me realize a bit more what kind of hurt they are going through. I must admit, I was surprised by how much he shared and how open and real he was about it all. The most amazing part, though, was that he was able to share about the hope that they are clinging to because of Christ. It's easy to share that message when life is good...but when something so awful has just happened in your life, that is when your faith is really put to the test. I left the concert wondering if my faith would hold up under such difficult circumstances. I hope and pray that it would.

One more little thing that I thought was so cool from the evening - it was supposed to rain and thunderstorm (90% chance), but during the concert they announced that they had spoken to the weather people (not sure who that would be exactly...?) and found out that the storm that was coming had split in two and gone north and south of where the concert was being held. Thanks, Lord! It was a gorgeous night and I am so thankful that we went. I won't ever forget it.

New Look!

Inspired by my dear friend, Rachel, I have braved the world of HTML (hmm, I wonder what that stands for...) and ventured out into the world of blogging layouts. The last time I did this I nearly had a heart attack and I ended up safely back with my comfortable layout...but I have since learned from my mistakes (and gained valuable advice from Rach) and I believe I have successfully changed my layout! Yee haw!