Merry 3 days after Christmas!!!

I hope you all had an amazing Christmas and were able, in the midst of huh-bub, to remember why we even have this holiday on our calendars.  My eyes were fogged over on the eve of Christmas just realizing how blessed I am.  Jesus gave me a husband that I somehow fall more madly in love with everyday-I can barely look into his eyes without tearing up because in them, I see many glimpses of Jesus and it just moves me-deeply.

The PDX Normans spent the morning at my parent's always-welcoming home and then the whole clan (well the five of us), went down to Chris and Jen's BEAUTIFUL new home in Albany and spent the remainder of the day with the Normans and the Hurds. What a fab day.  Matt received his dowry from my parents (see below), my husband made me cry by giving me a beautiful thing he made AND a trip to Disneyland (!!!!!!!!!), and I was so generously given the most amazing gifts from my family.

I am off to start my week as a housewife. Lord willing I am productive at this (hopefully pictures to prove it). I am determined to figure out what gifts the good Lord has given me and put them to use.

Merriest three days after Christmas...

This is what made me cry. It is sitting on top of the amazing art he made...

Yes, my husband wraps this well.

His new cashmere scarf.

Another tribute to his wrapping.  And our fave place.
Let's just say I almost burnt the stockings here...

And the Sister's amazing wrapping...

In addition to her MANY other gifts-such as this flower!

As I said...Matt's dowry!

And Sister made this too!!!!

The Normans love you!

One of my mom's dearest friends finds the most awesome things
to send her. Case and point-Betty Boop shirt.

One shopping thing my dad likes (with Home Depot)...
shoes!

Sister's new boots!

This will be used again, and again, and again.

What?!?!? Dad has another Snap-on coat!?!?!?

Sister. She needs her own show.

Buttons, granola and glitter!

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A discovery- button magnets.  Made 30+ on the very 1st sitting.  Here is all you need (and naturally all from Michaels): 1-package of round magnets 2- any buttons you want (vintage is always super awesome) 3-hot glue gun. That's it. Seriously.  I highly suggest this becoming an evening project.   And you must check Miss Echo's blog for some of her fabulous other projects.

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Homemade Granola compliments of Mr. Handsome himself.  He seriously made all of these for our neighbors.   And, if you didn't guess it, the Mason jars had to be the packaging...thank you, mom for picking them up! She has a Bi-Mart membership. Enough said.  Oh, we dazzled them up with a little ribbon, cards, the works.

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GLITTER.

No really. It is back. Not on clothing, but definitely on paper. I picked up a Martha Stewart glitter transfer kit, mainly because I feel completely disabled not having my embosser.  This card is just getting started-it is for Mr. Husband.  And speaking of him...he already fixed the vacuum tonight and now he just fixed an old pharma pen-which is displayed below.  I must say, I so love this man.

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And most of all. Merry Christmas. Truly-to know His love and who Jesus is, is spellbinding. I know everyone is left thinking after the madness of the traffic, the last-minute chaotic shopping, the "Christmas lists," and the Santa Claus in every mall, there must be something more we are living for...

The beautiful thing is, There Is.  His Name is Jesus and He is madly in love with you. If you learn one thing this holy-day season, may it be that. And tons of it. I hope I learn more myself.

xoxoxoxoxo, a very thankful lady

Welcome back!!!

I just got to see two of the greatest, border-line craziest, God-fearing women I know who just arrived back from a six month road trip!  Please...read their blog...it is awesome. This is my ode to you ladies. May ladies take notice of your lack of fear, your trust in your Creator, and your pure joy.  Portland loves you.

Top 30 in 30.

Here it is! My Top 30 from 30 years...what I have learned, what I desire to learn, what I have come to know, and what I love (not in any particular order).

1. The most important question in life is this: The question of a Creator. "It is the one supreme matter on which a man has to be sure, for every decision he makes hinges upon it." Oursler

2. People don't really care what you look like. We all tend to be much too concerned with ourselves to really notice. Thus, only think on how God sees you.  He has the right lens.

3. Disneyland is still (after trips all over the world), the happiest place on earth.

4. True religion is this: to feed the orphan and the widow. And to be unstained by this world.

5. I only read really good books. I don't care about how many books I read, I just want all books I read to motivate me to change, be more like Christ. Thus, I read about 3/year.

6. I don't really love fish.

7. I don't like avocados. Still. It is a beautiful thing for my handsome hubby.

8. I love pizza and Chipotle.

9. I love tingles (the one's that only a Creator could have built into us when something really touches our hearts). 100% sure we are the only species to have this.

10. My top books of the last 30 years:

-The BIBLE

--Same Kind of Different as Me

-Fearfully and Wonderfully Made

-Immunology (dork)

-Gone with the Wind

-Lucy Winchester

11. Wait for the right everything. Exodus 14:14. "I the LORD will fight for you, you just need be still."

12. There will always be a chalkboard wall in our home.

13. I love exposed brick, chandeliers and fireplaces.

14. I like winter vacations better than summer vacations. Meaning: I heart snow and wearing my UGGS. And I don't get tan.

15. My favorite shoes ever are me UGGS (you can ask handsome on that one)

16. I am deeply moved by people. My friends. My family. My husband.

17. My husband is the most beautiful person I know: he is never defensive, always loving and tender, perfectly courageous, and the handsomest man I have ever seen.

18. I like restoration: both with people and with furniture/frames/clothes/etc.

19. I like old things. My theory is if they have lasted that long...they just might keep.

20. I don't need to travel the world because I have no doubt that heaven will be much, much more than I could ever dream.

21. Handwritten letters are still the best.

22. I don't like IPhones (this might get me on some government list).

23. I love people. Knowing people's stories.

24. I love "Lesleys." I have been very blessed by two of them. Both less than half my age.

25. I love coming home more than I like leaving for vacations.

26. I love sitting on the floor: to watch movies, to chat, etc.

27. I love word games.

28. I LOVE hearing about how Jesus Christ transformed someone's life. Hope is oh so real and grace, when allowed in, literally breaks down walls.

29. I am not a huge fan of a lot of $. I have seen people with a ton of it (Aspen)-it surely will take wings and fly away.

30. I am blessed. My parents are God-fearing and beautiful and my sister is the loveliest of lovelies. My husband...I would have waited 50 years for you :) And for all of that, the good and the bad (which God ALWAYS makes good again and will do one day to this whole earth), I am eternally grateful.

Thirty, flirty and thriving!

At least that is what my handsome hubby says :)  So December 1st, was the "big one!" And I flew home from 10 days in Maui...the beautiful thing is I LOVE home. My friends, church, our little place, the vintage books, the fireplace, the cold weather, the comfiest bed in the world, etc.  So blessed to have such an amazing home and be SURROUNDED by amazing family and friends.

I will later be posting my "Top 30"- which is to me a short list because I often have kept "Thanksgiving" journals-they are tens of pages :) I will save you the eye strain and just list 30 (given the birth day and all).  A few sneak peeks of Hawaii pics:

Ell-belle and I in the shore line.

Handsome and I watching the windsurfers.  Wow.

3:45 am wake-up time. Good news is God never sleeps.

Amazing book. Must read-whether you believe in Him or not.  He is "so truly lovely." All good things in me are to His glory...

Also-shout out to my amazing roomies who threw me the best birthday party last night!!! Those pics will be up too!!!