The Great Gatsby

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Summer Lovely

Apple Care done a girl good. Olive was in and out of surgery and is back home resting (and waiting for Josh to restore the software). One day turn around. Amazing. On my way home from the Apple store (drove my own car, first time in 6 months! woot woot!) I stopped by Target and saw more Mara Mi stationary. Fell in love, again.

Mara Mi at Target

So many pretty details. I have a set from the first rollout that I'm still making my way through but I was tempted to pick up one of these. :) Summer is so lovely. 

She's Going In

Olive hasn't been feeling well and she's being admitted to the Genius Bar for some TLC. They say she needs a new hard drive and will have to stay for 3-5 days! =( Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later. Until then, I will try to use the Mr.'s computer but no guarantees. :p If you know Josh, then you know his toys are not up for play. :)

P.S. Cynthia Rowley bandaids!

To Be A Mother

I came across this poignant note while traversing the web yesterday, and it stayed with me.

You hear all these horror stories from the mommyworld with words like "post pardum depression", "hysterical crying"and "it's never going to end" floating around. These words and other common idioms are truly frightening.

So she said, "I got into the swing of things and my heart started to burst with love a little more each day...So the love is there. and it's been there all along. It just took my body a little while to get adjusted to my new role of Mom."


So she says and so it probably is. To all the soon-to-be-mommies (whose numbers are growing by the day!), you can do it. :)

Sheldon + Kristin

Sheldon and Kristin were married this past Saturday at the Knollwood Country Club in Granada Hills. The ceremony was outside and thankfully the weather behaved. It was so fun seeing all of Josh's high school friends and catching up with everyone. 

 The peeps, who have all so kindly welcomed me with open arms.

 And just for fun because I don't think I'll ever tire of seeing these guys in these outfits.

Weddings are such a reflection of the couple. This one was casual, lighthearted, and fun all rolled into one. Just like Sheldon and Kristin. :) 

Happy summer everyone, and hello popsicles, watermelon, shorts, and tans!

Just Married

More to come Monday. Happy Weekend!

Rehearsal Dinner

Quickly before I sleep. A few shots taken at the rehearsal dinner. 

And lastly, that awkward prom pic with the soon-to-be newlyweds. :) 

More to come!

Dinner, Dishes, and Laundry

Those are my three goals tonight. Just call me cray cray! 

Had some leftover salmon and not a whole lot of time. Found this arctic char with mushrooms recipe in an old food network magazine. It was yummy. So yummy, I am passing the recipe off to you.

Baby Update: Aimee just hit the 30 week mark. Hello 3rd trimester! I hear the emotions can go a bit wacky right about now. I'm not sure because I haven't seen her in a few weeks. But I'll let you know after this weekend. :p jk!

Best Manship has Commenced!

The Best Manship has commenced. Happy groom = Vegas success = Josh success.  But now the hard part. Josh is home and we've got t-minus three days to get that best man speech done.

Here's the motley Vegas crew. The groom is the tall guy, center, with the face shag. And Josh is the one with the tucked in, ironed shirt and belt (oh, and the only asian). Love that guy.

We are headed to LA Wednesday night. Thursday rehearsal. Friday wedding. Fun festivities and high heels here I come!

Dads

Me and dad, and blankey. Two of my most favorite things.

 Josh and his dad.

And a picture of trees. Hold on, it'll make sense in just a second.. 

This weekend I found these trees while I was walking around the neighborhood. Oddly, it was a moment of quiet - no cars driving on the street and no noise coming from the apartment windows. I could hear the rustle of the trees and I felt their permanence. 


Just like my dad. My dad is like a big, tall tree. Permanent. Calm. Sturdy. And I love him so much. 


Happy Father's Day to all the dad's who have been big tall trees. 

Baby Boy

Mailbag! Baby shower invite from Blane's mom. 

Loving the location, "grandma's house". I think the lady is ready for a grandchild. :)

Never tire of the celebrations!

From Around the Web

I have a confession to make. I think I'm a hoarder. Computer bookmarks hoarder that is. I can't help it. So many wonderful things floating around on this glorious web that I'm compelled to save them all. A few of my letterpress/paper favorites.

recipes, the old fashioned way.

something i should buy for my nephew (or his mom).

an unnecessary, yet so necessary splurge.

if i were planning a bridal shower for a gelato lover.

for when i get back to it.

when we buy a home, i'm purchasing one of these.

and investing in any of these.

shameless, but as soon as we have kids each relative will receive one of these.

oh, and one of these.

and for you, if you ever publish a book (do it!).

What Happens In Vegas...

Tonight after work Josh is headed to Vegas to celebrate Sheldon's last few days as a single man. As he packed I kept having visions of this.

I am doing everything I can to refrain from saying who I think in Josh's group would be the characters from the movie. Ahh! NEED MORE SELF CONTROL. =)

He is scheduled to return Sunday afternoon. Hope he makes it back in one piece. :p Stay cool inlanders!

Sweet Tooth Wednesday

The dessert table at our wedding. Homemade by the cream of the crop. 

Yum.

Walk on the Wild Side

Every so often my wild side kicks in and a tiny voice tells me to get one of these..

"And she loved the little boy very, very much - even more than she loved herself." - The Giving Tree

Apple to the Rescue

I made a little Apple photobook cataloging our first year of marriage as an anniversary present. It shipped while we were out of town and upon our return there was a note from the leasing office asking us to be more mindful of our trash. Attached to the note was a piece of the Apple packaging. Apparently FedEx had left it on our doorstop and someone took it. I called Apple and they generously offered a free replacement. That was so nice!

Drama over. And yesterday our little gift was delivered.

One day we'll have a whole bookshelf filled with picture books. Makes me happy just thinking about it. =)

Soul-o-logy

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw this picture earlier today with the caption, "Running a little late, got stuck in the corner at church ;)". 

I haven't been to church in quite a while and I soaked up every moment. People around us must have thought we were really going through something with the amount of sniffling I had going on. Whoops! We learned about the soul and it was moving and interesting and worshipful and intellectual. John explained the difference between the will, the mind, the body, and the soul. But this is what brought it home for me. 

"You are not your career. You are not your physical appearance. You are a soul before God and he wants to heal your soul. Whatever is troubling your soul - fear, loneliness, guilt, sadness, anger, bitterness - God wants to breath life back into your soul. Put it in his hands."

Just Saturday I was frantically searching for a dress to wear to some upcoming weddings. Nothing looked good. I haven't worked out in six months and every time I looked in the mirror I was reminded of how out of shape I am. It was frustrating. Maybe if you're a girl, you kinda get me.

The big Holy Spirit pointed my compass north again. "The soul integrates your intentions and functions, so it cries out for harmony and fullness. Sin causes the disintegration of the soul. The neglected, abandoned soul goes awry. The soul reminds us we are not made for ourselves."

Fullness in Christ is so much more than a few pounds and an ill-fitting dress. So silly now, especially when there are real things people are going through. But in that moment, not so silly to silly 'ole me.

"Your soul can be right, when your world is so wrong." 

Psalm 23 ..he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.

Matthew 11 ..and you will find rest for your souls.

P.S. I found a dress right after church. God can sure be cheeky sometimes. :)

A Lunch B[r]ag

One of the perks of Josh working so close to home is he can come home for lunch when he wants. Today he decided to head on over so I opened my newly stocked fridge to see what I could find.

I ain't about braggin folks, but I did not disappoint. :p Close your eyes and imagine sizzling turkey bacon, cheese, alfala sprouts, fresh avocado, lettuce, and tomatoes, on toasted bread slathered in a homemade chipotle mayo. And to top it off, some yummy sweet potato fries fresh from the oven. One scrumptious BLT if you ask me.

I'm the Queen of the World d d d d d! Or wait,  PW is the Queen of the World. :p

Happy weekend peeps. Josh and I are planning on buying wedding presents and I'm on the hunt for a dress to wear to these summer festivities. I hear it's going to be a hot one. Stay cool compadres.

Or should I say, "stay thirsty my friends".

Dinner

Where did this week go? I still haven't gone to the grocery store yet. We've been surviving on what's in the pantry. But off we go tonight. I'm planning on making this salmon with teriyaki sauce. The recipe is so simple I can't resist. 

Just looking at it my mouth is already watering. And my Cabo weight already dropping off. ;)

Savory Sweet Life

Tuesday's with [Grandparents]

Yesterday Josh's grandparents picked me up and took me to PT. Really it was much more than that. They came early, picked me up, drove me to the hospital, waited around for an hour, drove me home, waited for Josh to get off work, and then took us out to dinner.

It was way above what you would ever expect from your grandparents - and they did that for someone who married in. :0 Dinner was rich. I learned of times they shared about Christ with people they love and saw a glimpse of a faith so deep.

What a special heritage I married into.

Waiting in the lobby at the hospital.

Learning about Scotland over steak and salmon.

 And because Grandma Kathy knows I love peonies, these now grace our dining table. <3

"My mother used to tell me that when push comes to shove, you always know who to turn to. That being family isn't a social construct but an instinct." -Jodi Picoult

Celebrating Baby

Saturday was special because we celebrated the coming of Baby with a shower. Getting a whole bunch of ladies together is always a recipe for good times. 

We hung boys names all around the house and hidden somewhere in there was the baby's name. Everyone guessed what they thought and at the end of the shower Aimee revealed the name!

 As favors we had a candy bar and, of course, plenty of sweets to satisfy even the most voracious sugar eater. :)

I didn't finish decorating the cookies in time because I could not get the consistency right for that icing. Notice the upper left cookie with the feet. Whoops! Unfinished toesies!

Linda and the most popular guest (and only male allowed) little Elijah. =) 

Baby pictionary - think yelling, hand waving, cheering, and booing. :) Not a group to take it lying down, I tell ya.

 Nona showing off her win. Any guesses? 

 Two points if you guessed "scolding"! 

And here's the Master of Ceremony aka Game Facilitator Extraordinaire. =)

Future mommies

Sandi (Aimee's MIL) saying a few words through her tears

 Praying blessings over this soon-to-be family of three.

 We'd do anything for this girl. And it's unspoken that now we'll do anything for this baby too. 

Aimee, you know you mean the world to me. And Baby, I can't wait to meet you!

Just Like That

And just like that life is back to normal. Yesterday afternoon we headed up the five towards home and caught up on the last few weeks while we drove. 

I enjoyed being home. It was busy and filled with special moments - time with mom, decorating the baby room, talking with Kylie, dinners with the family, planning a shower, and seeing friends. But it was oh-so-good to have my sidekick back. I just don't function the same without him.

I love this picture. One shot that sums up so much. 

Happy Monday friends. The verse that stuck out in my devotional today, "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more." Psalm 71:14

Home Again

Josh is home and sharing his stories and the pictures that came along with them. 

His travels have given him new perspective on the world and left him a bit worse for wear. United lost his luggage on the way out there. It was such a hassle that he changed his return trip to Delta International where they subsequently lost his luggage as well. :/ 

Here he is skyping with Ojiichan (grandpa) and Obaachan (grandma). Yes, he is fine. Yes, he made it. Yes, he is home safe and sound. This guy is so lucky to have so many people worried about him.  

He is completely exhausted and could barely keep his eyes open when we were driving home. Right now he is sleeping soundly right next to me. I.AM.SO.HAPPY. Sweet dreams everyone.