Life of de Partee

What are your Dagons?

Fri, 17 May 2013 11:57:22 -0400

I decided this week to start in the OT for my reading since I typically spend more time in the NT. I chose 1 Samuel, and have learned some cool things through the book so far. Today I read chapter 5. The Philistines have just captured the ark of God and have placed it in the temple with their god Dagon. The next morning they find Dagon face down at the base of the ark. Then it says in verse 3: “they took Dagon and put him back in his place.”

I read in the faithlife bible app which allows me to read with a commentary below the text. I found the commentary so interesting for this verse. As you can see, it highlights Dagon’s weakness as a god. He was so inanimate that they actually had to physically stand him up. Ridiculous right?

Or is it? I started wondering this morning what Dagons I run to and trust in before I myself lie prostrate before the One True God. The daily anxiety I’ve been facing lately is trapping and torturous at times, and I’m beginning to observe in my own life the weak idols that I tend to run to for deliverance BEFORE God. Things like food, shopping, tv, Instagram, Pinterest, decorating my home, exercise, status, a perfect image, to do lists, and it goes on and on and on. I even run to my husband first a lot of times, and every time I end up finding that these idols are not the solutions. They might help for a little while, but in the end, these things all lie lifeless and in need of God themselves.

No thing, person or therapy is going to fully fulfill us besides God. I’m reminding myself to not be foolish as the Philistines were. Day after day they picked Dagon up and reinstated him as ruler of their temple. And day after day, the god they put their trust in fell to the ground. I pray we realize sooner than the Philistines that the God above is the ONE TRUE GOD and the only one who can truly help us. May we fall only at His feet in worship, knowing that He is our help.

Love you all. Talk to me! Tell me how you’re doing. Are there any gods/Dagons in your life that you keep picking up? Destroy them and fall at God’s feet!

To My Mothers

Sun, 12 May 2013 16:48:25 -0400

Well I had a LOVELY post written up to honor my beautiful mothers, but then the computer crashed and I lost it. Oh well. I will try again:)

Today is a day that we gush about, pamper, and serve our mothers in order to make them know how much we appreciate the work they’ve done to care for and love us. However, the more I think about it, the more I want to lobby for a “Mother’s Week.” Maybe next year? They deserve so much of our respect and love for the ways they’ve nurtured us and made sure we are the people that we are today. Thank you Moms across the world! You’re all so under appreciated, and I want you to feel stinkin special today. I watched a couple kids this week, and I was exhausted after 3 hours. What you do day in and day out is amazing. (INSERT APPLAUSE).

So on mother’s day, I found it only fitting to celebrate the two women in my life that I am able to call “Mom”…. well… one I call Terry, but maybe the longer Nick and I are married, I’ll call her Mom:)

Mom, you are my best friend. Since I was little we’ve been pals. You and I were the girls of the family, and at times I would hover around you so much that you’d have to practically shove me out the door to get me to go play. I’m so glad that our relationship has been nourished and has been able to grow to what it is today. You’re the woman I aspire to be as a wife and mother, and I am SO thankful to have that. In church today while Phil was praying about the moms, he mentioned that some of the congregation may not have had a good relationship with their mom. I cannot imagine what that must feel like, and that just made me squeeze you tighter. Every Mom is faced with the choice each day to wake up and love their children well. Thank you for choosing to love us. I am so grateful for you Mama.

As Phil was reading Proverbs 31 today, these verses painted a vivid picture of the woman you are. And by the way… I’m not the only one who sees. On a regular basis I have people telling me what a great Mom I have. You’re a gem, a rare one, and I love you.

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.” (Proverbs 31:25-26)

Now to Terry, my MIL. I remember the first day I met you. I immediately felt like family. Probably because you hid behind the door and jumped out to scare me:) You’re a woman after my own heart. A lover of laughter and full of spunk and sass. I feel like I’m at home with you, and that’s a gift. You have always made me feel important and loved, and I couldn’t ask for more from in-laws. You’ve raised the most godly and respectable boys, and I’m so blessed to be able to be married to Nick. Thank you for sharing him with me.

I so highly respect your dedication to studying God’s word, and I am inspired by you to dig deeper into it. You are a beautiful woman, and I love you so much! Thank you for welcoming me in and loving me as your own daughter. Hope your day is truly blessed today.

LOVE YOU MOMS!

Thrift Find :: Paying It Forward

Sun, 05 May 2013 22:35:00 -0400

Today I went to lunch after church with my lovely friend Alyssa. I feel like this girl could be in my family, and I always love our time together. She cracks me up. Anyway, we went to Sushi Hana, got fattened up on some not so raw fish (she did, but not I… not a fan of the intense REAL sushi), and then spontaneously took a trip to my favorite place: Value Village! The weather has been AMAZING, so I’ve been on the hunt for some new shorts to add to my wardrobe. I ended up actually lucking out and finding these beauties that fit GREAT, and they don’t look like booty shorts. I swear there are NO appropriate shorts for us ladies out there. Girls, don’t settle for the bun revealers, go to thrift stores or buy Mom shorts.

Anyway… after trying on a few things, I settled on just the shorts, becauseclearly this shirt wasn’t working in my favor…

Alyssa found several shirts and a clutch, and so we headed out of our respective dressing rooms, but we were stopped by a woman with a question. She asked, “Are you girls buying anything?” Thinking that was an odd question I answered that yes we were going to get the items in our hands. She proceeded to tell us that she had a $25 store credit that was going to expire today, and she’d only found a $4.99 pair of jeans to put towards it. She was pretty frustrated that she couldn’t get a gift card, so she at least wanted to use it on someone else. She proceeded to take us to the register and pay for our whole lot! I was so humbled. I do not accept gifts well, and this was so awfully humbling. I was so blessed by this woman’s generosity. I want to be more like that. She could have easily left the store in a huff with JUST her jeans, and not decide to patiently wait for us so she could use up her credit. Instead, she decided to be a blessing. I told her I’d pay it forward. What a pleasant little surprise.

Moral of the story: shop at thrift stores. The shorts are already cheap, and they may be free! Ok but seriously, be generous, and accept sweet little gifts like this from God. He loves to surprise us. Even in the form of green and white striped shorts.

Love y’all! Have a great week.

New2Me Clothing

Sun, 05 May 2013 04:17:27 -0400

Hey everyone! I wanted to let you know about my secondhand boutique I’ve decided to reboot. I believe I told all you old readers about it when I first gave it a try. I’ve been re-motivated to fill the store, and I’m excited to announce its launch! Please check it out and hopefully you’ll find some pieces that are new to you! Spread the word. My hope is to be able to expand this more and be able to shop more for the store. I’ll keep you posted each time I post new items.
You can find the store here:

Currently

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 00:42:00 -0400

My friend Abi just did a blog entitled “Currently” which contained a mix of things she’s currently doing. I thought it was fun, and feel like I need to do more spontaneous “get to know me” posts. So thanks Abi for the idea. I’m adding a few of my own too. Here I go…

Watching: Drive-Ins, Diners and Dives. Whew that’s hard to say… and kinda sad. I’m watching Guy Fieri on a Monday night… by myself. It’s ok. I’m content! What else are you watching Allison? I’ll tell ya! My phone! Waiting for my love to be done chattin with his buddies so we can facetime. Thank you LORD for technology. I’m really missing him today. He’s in Tennessee (my other love).

Hating: My lack of motivation in regards to cooking. I’m in a rut. I think mostly because I’ve spent this whole month shopping/cooking for one. It’s not as fun to cook for just me. I cook mostly to impress ya know! Kidding… kinda. I’m going to cook a few different times this week for me and for people, so I’m hoping to kickstart my cooking heart.

Loving: Besides my husband who is SO hot and loving and romantic, godly, handsome, rockstar-ish, talented, and darn awesome…. I’m also loving this family pictured above. My sister-in-law Jenna introduced me to the world of YouTube. I knew about it for funny one hit wonder videos, but I didn’t know about subscribing. You guys… it’s awesome. This is really one of the only channels I subscribe to, but this family is amazing. They’re super entertaining, and so encouraging and real. Today’s post made me just laugh, because they’re just dorky and awesome. Call me nerdy, but these people are people I look forward to seeing each day. Meet the Shaytards. Yes you heard me right. Just go watch em. You won’t be sorry.

Feeling: Loungy. I’m sitting on my couch with my feet up on a folded blanket, whilst in my workout clothes…OMG YOU GUYS! I ran 3 miles without stopping today! I’m so stoked. It wasn’t even hard this time. I felt like those little legs under me were on an auto pilot. Ok… side tracked:) I’m also feeling a little down, because I REALLY miss my BFF. We only have 7 more days left of tour! I cannot wait. Next up is studio time for their new record, but at least he’ll be in Portland for that. AH! I can’t wait.

Eating: Nothing. That’s a problem… I’m going to go find something to eat. Wait… no I just ate soy vanilla ice cream with chocolate chips. Maybe I’ll just have a few Juanita’s tortilla chips. Have you guys had these? They’re amazing!

Excited about: May 7th which = NICKO! I’m also really excited that I have a relationship with a personable God. I was just thinking about it today, and realizing that I’m messy. I’m so ridiculously redundant with my sins, and yet God loves me SO much. I was so thankful today as I sat in my car and shed some lonely/emo tears, because God loves me in that lowly and messy state. I just read in Mark today when Jesus says, “It is not the healthy that need a physician, but the sick.” We need Him and He WANTS to spend time with us, regardless of the condition we come in. He doesn’t need us to be perfect. Rest in that peeps!

Ok.. your turn. Email me some of yours! I like getting to know you! Happy almost last day of April!

Not Quite Alone

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 18:40:52 -0400

It’s Sunday today… a beautiful day full of sunshine and cool breezes, and I am trying to enjoy it alone. However, I have this nagging and nervous feeling about alone time, and I really hate it. Being alone is something I don’t do well, but I want so badly to love it. I have many friends who love nothing more than to curl up in their favorite chair on a day off and lose themselves in a book for HOURS on end. Many of my friends are introverts, and I just don’t seem to relate. I am fully energized by people, and in fact am frightened by the thought of sitting in a quiet house with no one to share it with.

God sure does have a sense of humor then having me marry a traveling man, because I’m often times left to face days by myself. I’ve learned to love certain things, like getting to choose which TV program I watch, or getting to tag along with my parents on their dinner dates:) However, the days when I have NOTHING planned are some of the most difficult. I know some of that has to do with me being an extrovert, but I also think that I fear not having a “plan.” I like to be in control of things, and so when a day is completely open and leaves me to myself and my house, I’m afraid I won’t get things done, or will be missing out on something else. Perhaps God allows these time slots to help me relinquich control, and just enjoy some sweet felllowship with Him. Perhaps He’s waiting for my full attention to really breathe His Spirit upon me and share some new wisdom with me. I should be more afraid of MISSING that, rather than being afraid of shedding a lonely tear.

So today, I sit here in my living room on a blanket on the floor reading the Word and typing these random words to you. My butterflies in my tummy have calemed down, and I am deciding to hang out with me today, because in me lives the Spirit of God who NEVER leaves me. My favorite verse, one that I memorized during a very anxious time, is Isaiah 41:10: “Do not fear for I am with you. Do not anxiously look about you for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” He’s not left us. There are never days that we are alone. We may feel like the tangible hug of a friend or loved one is absent, but the Spirit of God dwells inside of us if we have accepted Him. Don’t forget that, especially when you’re feeling lonely.

How about you all? Do you love or hate alone time? What do you do with your alone time that fills you up? Do you have anymore tips for me? Is there any way I can pray for you?

Rachel’s ecstatic joy!

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:29:24 -0400

Rachel’s ecstatic joy!

Pure Joy

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:23:13 -0400

As you all know, once a week I do activities with my friend Rachel. Rachel has the sweetest countenance, and in recent years, she has become a little bit quieter. It’s been my goal every time we hang out to make her smile. Today… I hit the MOTHERLOAD!

Our date yesterday consisted of a picnic at the neighborhood fountain with my Mom, Amanda & Evy. It ended up turning into an entire Solid Rock mommies and babies picnic! It was so fun. The weather has been beautiful, so we just couldn’t help ourselves. Rachel sat quietly on the bench and ate her bagel, grapes and string cheese, while we watched the kids come back to show off their soaked shirts to their moms and friends.

After Rachel finished her lunch, I decided to test the waters (quite literally), and took her over towards the fountain to splash! She was a little apprehensive at first, but I knew she trusted me, so we took it slow.

I looked over and saw the most joy filled face I’ve seen on Rachel probably EVER! She was STOKED on life:) Who knew that a little fresh cold water was all it took. I couldn’t get her to stop laughing and hollering as she reached out and let the cool drops pour over her hands.

Check out my next blog (which should be appearing above this one shortly) to see this in video form.I took a short video of Rachel’s infectious joy, and I kind of can’t stop watching it. I hope you enjoy.

For those who are struggling to find joy, please view this and remember that you have the ability to CHOOSE joy each and every day. We don’t need everything to go right, we just need to choose to find joy in the simple things, and the rest will follow. Practice this today! Love you all. Video coming shortly…

Birthday Surprise #2

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 02:26:30 -0400

To continue the birthday week festivities, Nick told me Monday night that i would need to be ready to leave the house by 7AM the next morning, and my only clue was that the activity would be a little “unconventional.” Six A.M. came fast, and the only idea I had was that perhaps we were going hot air ballooning or something. Instead, Nick rolled over and pulled a tiny box out of thin air. “Here’s your next clue,” he said.

I opened it up and found this sweet hand written note inside. I excitedly got ready and packed an overnight bag with a couple outfit options, not having a CLUE as to where we were headed. We drove towards downtown, and slowly but surely we pulled up to this….

This is when he revealed that we were leaving on an 8:30 train to SEATTLE! I’d never ridden on the trains here (only in India haha). What a creative idea! I was blown away, and could not stop smiling.

We had a blast just talking and laughing on our way up. The great part about being on a train is that you get to see parts of the state that roads don’t take you to. There was beautiful scenery, and instead of driving, we were just able to sit and enjoy each other’s company.

Halfway through the ride we headed to the dining car and enjoyed even more conversation over cheap/stale bagels and cream cheese. The car was ALL ours:)

On the train we picked out a random Thai place for lunch, and upon our arrival began navigating the big city of Seattle. There’s something about not having a car to depend on that feels so adventurous!

This was one of the only Thai restaurants we’ve eaten at that even came close to 2nd place to Dang’s. It was delicious, and such a little hole in the wall spot. We were off to a good start!

We took a hike uphill to our precious 1920’s hotel, and settled in for a little while before we hit the town.

We set off next towards Pikes Place (which was just a few blocks away), and explored the old market. We took in the sights and sounds, tastes and smells, and left just BEAMING. It was about 70 degrees, perfectly sunny, and I was with my best friend. It was literally the perfect day.

Our first mission was to find a magnet. It’s a new tradition we started this past year, that everywhere we visit, we pick up a cheesy refrigerator magnet as a memento. We picked out a plastic space needle this time:)

We found this amazing donut stand and got a half dozen assorted treats. This chocolate frosted with sprinkles was DELIGHTFUL! The cinnamon sugar ones were fresh and hot! Holy moly!

One of my favorite parts of Pikes place is their BEAUTIFUL floral arrangements. This time of year the tulips are just GORGEOUS. I wished we had the ability to bring every one of these buckets home.

We made our way out to a park (filled with a LOT of druggies I might add), and took some beautiful photos of the water and mountains, and then meandered on down some stairs and back up a steep hill into this lovely little alley….

Everyone must visit the gum wall while in Seattle. We left our mark.

The rest of the day included LOTS of exploring, and a good amount of shopping. As if an iPad, and surprise trip to Seattle weren’t enough, Nick decides he needs to spoil me more with CLOTHES! Gosh… Nicko… you did well:) Our night ended with a shared dinner at the Palace Kitchen where we were SO excited to just sit down for an hour. We worked hard walkin around that city!

From Palace we headed down to the waterfront to get some homemade ice cream, and then between heavy breaths, we laughed and talked while we climbed 6 of the steepest hills of our life to get back to our hotel. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing and watching netflix in our hotel, and falling asleep to the street noise of downtown!

The next morning we woke up (on my ACTUAL birthday) and headed out for a yummy waffle, and then killed some time at a coffee shop. The weather was yet again BEAUTIFUL! I was soaking it all in.

I’m sorry this was SUCH a long post, but I couldn’t cut any pictures or memories from this post. Nick and I agreed that was truly one of the best weekends we had together as a couple since our honeymoon. We were entirely refreshed (see photo above ha!), and completely fell in love more. There was a moment while we were leaving Pikes place that I looked at Nick, breathed in the fresh air, and welled up with tears because I was SO caught up in this perfect moment. Do you ever have those overflowing joyful moments that you want to freeze frame? That was my entire time with Nick these past few days. My love knows me so well, and made my bday such a special time. I’m so thankful that I have not only a lover but a BEST friend in Nick. Nothing is better than going on adventures with my buddy. I’ve never entered a new year of life so refreshed and secure with myself and my marriage. God is so good. Thanks for enduring this post! Love you all, and thanks for the birthday wishes!

Birthday Surprise Part 1

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 04:26:00 -0400

My sweet Nick was home for 4 days this week, and one of those (today) happened to be my birthday! Instead of just having a fun day on my actual bday, he made it a birthday week! Those events started Monday night when he came home from errands with these:

Next he was upstairs like a cute little elf, wrapping some of my gifts. About 15 minutes later he came down with this…

I was super caught off guard since my birthday wasn’t til Wednesday, but he told me to open up my first “clue.” A clue?! I love this stuff! Here’s what commenced. Just the thought of him putting this all together and thinking this all up is precious.

The inside says: “wishing you a magical birthday!” And then this… The big surprise!

An iPad!!!!!! I had been talking about one. I’ve wanted one to blog on and have as my computer when Nick is gone. I just didn’t think I would get one! The gift was from the whole fam. Thanks Newells and DePartees! I love it!

My surprise was followed by an already planned night at the movies. We had a cinetopia groupon and I got us tickets for the fancy “parlor” theater. It’s filled with parlor chairs and couches. Not a bad end to my night. Ahhh!

Today was apparently marked Day 1 of my birthday week. I thought...

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:29:26 -0400

Today was apparently marked Day 1 of my birthday week. I thought I was just picking my love up from the airport. Then he said he was starving and that we were going to go get lunch at our favorite restaurant Dang’s. When we arrived I nodded “yes” to the hostess in reply to her, “table for two?” But was refused by Nick who said we already had a table. My parents were sitting in the back at a table set for 7 which meant B & A & E (as we call them) were on their way. What a fun birthday surprise. My bday is Wednesday, but it sounds like Nick has a few tricks up his sleeve to make this week extra special. Gosh I love him. Have I ever told you that?

What would We do without iPhones? I’ve loved no invention...

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 01:43:59 -0400

What would We do without iPhones? I’ve loved no invention more than the FaceTime feature on my iPhone! Well, maybe I like electricity or plumbing a little bit more, but FaceTime is a close 3rd.

I’m doing a new challenge stemming from the book I’m currently reading. It’s called “One Thousand Gifts” and it’s by Ann Voskamp. In this book Ann is challenged to come up with 1,000 things she loves/is grateful for. It sounds so easy, but when you think about it, that is a TON! The things she was writing down were so detailed and yet so simple. Things like the way the sun reflects off soap suds. Or freshly grated spirals of cheese. Through this process she is learning to find joy and gratefulness in the simplest things. It’s changing her entire outlook on life. The negative or mundane things become positive and whimsical.

I’ve recently started to compile my own list and number 3 reads: “making silly faces with nick on FaceTime.” It’s delightful.

Won’t you come on the journey with me to notice a few or 1,000 things you love and are thankful for? Tell me! I’d love to hear where you find joy!

I want to blog more! I mean it. And I’ve said that so many...

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:58:04 -0400

I want to blog more! I mean it. And I’ve said that so many times, I’m beginning to get irritated with myself, but I’m going to say it again. I just found out that the tumblr app now lets me upload more than one photo! Amen! Here are a few of my favorite things this week.

1. My niece Evy. This little girl is a genius I swear. She’s not even 2 yet and she’s been reciting her alphabet. I’m a proud auntie.

2. My best friend. Nicko. I love you sugar! It’s never easy being apart from you, but the way you love me and the way we get to laugh with each other face to face from thousands of miles away is wonderful. So proud of you for doin such a wonderful job and for ministering to so many people with your music. Also excited for you to start school again tomorrow! You’re going to do amazing.

3. Got my hair colored this week by the wonderful Tanya @ Tint. Everyone go see her! She made me feel so beautiful with a fresh look and we always love catching up. This girl and I have been friends for about 8 years. We met at the old salon I worked for.

4. This is my other best friend. My mama. We had a fun adventure to Sellwood to eat yummy tacos at Cha! Cha! Cha! Go if you haven’t been. Then we went to the East Moreland area and drooled at all the storybook homes. And as if she wasn’t already the best friend I could ask for, we picked up chocolate scones and then she sat at the urgent care with me for 2 hours while I got stuff tested and found out I have bad acid reflux. Sometimes moms just make ya feel better. I had to take a pregnancy test at the doc before they could do an X-ray. Ha wouldn’t that have been a funny way to find out? With my mama first? Silly!

5. My go to meal whenever nick is gone. I usually switch up the contents but it’s the same basic concept. Stir fried veggies/grilled chicken over lentils & quinoa and/or a baked sweet potato. Top that delish burrito bowl with some cold grape tomatoes, green onions, salsa verde and siracha and you’re set!

How was everyone else’s weekend? What are some of your favorites from your days off? Love y’all!

Smile :: Fakin it til you make it

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 01:00:41 -0400

I had quite a week last week you guys, I’m not going to lie to you. My fickle little brain has a way of getting distracted. The words and promises of my God that I read each morning get shoved into second place, and my controlling ways take over until I spiral into a complete funk. Anyone else get to this place? I’m finding out that more and more people do.

During one of these terrible ruts I found myself in recently, I was getting all dolled up to pick Nick up at the airport. He was returning from a writing trip in Nashville, and I couldn’t wait to see him. I should have been smiling ear to ear, however this depression-y funk I had let myself slip into kept my expression from looking anything but joyful.

Stepping back from the mirror, I felt sad. That girl I just saw looked tired, worn out, old, and certainly not happy. I drove the 20+ miles to the airport, arrived a few minutes early, and slipped into a spot in the cell waiting area. Checking my lipstick in the mirror, I decided to try something TOTALLY dorky. I smiled at myself, and decided to use that moment to change my mood. The girl I saw in my mirror at home was NOT who I wanted Nick to come home to, so I decided to choose the smile. Fake it even. I plastered that baby on my face so big and cheesy that it made me chuckle as I looked into my own eyes.

“Who does this?” I thought. “I probably look crazy opening my mouth and baring my pearly whites.” You know what though guys? It’s been my BEST tool lately. Try it next time you’re sad or afraid or anxious. Go to a mirror, look at yourself, and smile. It doesn’t matter if it’s genuine, I promise you it works! Sometimes it takes choosing the joy very tangibly to get you to realize how much more fun it is to be happy than to be sad.

I love you guys! Choose to be joyful. Fake it until you make it if you have to! Let me know if you have any other helpful tools that get you out of those funks. I’m always up for more suggestions! Email me. TA TA!

Paul and Jenna's Portland Adventures

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:45:44 -0400

I’m not sure if you all understand the obsession that Nick and I have with Paul and Jenna. Most places we go, situations we find ourselves in, or activities we’re doing involve us saying, “Paul and Jenna would love this.” -OR- “I wish Paul and Jenna were here.” Well… last week, our dreams came true.

They WERE here! Our dreams came true. They’ve been planning this visit for several months, and I’m so glad it finally happened. There’s usually hilarious bubbling laughter filling the rooms we occupy together. This picture was a little bit staged, but this is about what it looks like usually.

We spent lots of time eating. Here’s just a few places we went: Lovejoy Bakers, Dangs Thai (THE BEST in the US I swear), Vivace, Deschutes Brewery, Salt and Straw, St. Honore, Cha Cha Cha… Yum. Oh and lots of coffee!

Their first day started at Vivace with sweet and savory crepes + coffee.

Peek a boo.

Followed by coffee and gawking at amazing decor at Ristretto/Schoolhouse Electric. Look how cute these brothers are. They look so much alike to me!

From there we ventured uphill to see the beautiful city views from the Pittock Mansion.

Seriously… I haven’t been up here in years, the view is breathtaking. I’m going to bring picnics up here more often!

BFF’s. If only they lived here!

That night we met up with my parents (not pictured… oops) at Deschutes Brewery, and then headed up to the famous Salt and Straw for Ice cream. Here we are trying just about every type of ice cream they offer. Uhhhh thank you.

The next day consisted of more running around and showing off Portland, followed by an amazing evening with the Newells! Ben… Amanda… And THIS little munchkin…

She was so friendly and entertaining. Love you Evy!

Sadly Friday morning meant “bye bye Nick”:( I took him to the airport, and then we got to meet up with my best friend Chloe! I’m so glad they were able to meet. Here we’re at the South Store Cafe in Hillsboro in the country.

Followed by a productive day of terrarium making. Jenna makes super amazing ones at home. Hers turn out so beautiful and whimsical. She helped me make these tiny ones. I love em!

Just precious.

Their last day we went to St. Honore in Lake Oswego. We dined on AMAZING french cuisine, and grabbed 3 pain a chocolats to go, and perused the lakefront neighborhoods of Lake Oswego.

Yes please!

Well guys, we miss you so much! You blessed our week, and I cannot tell you the joy it brings me that you are our siblings for LIFE. How did I ever get so lucky? Thank you God! Come back soon:)

Happy Birthday Brudder!

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 10:00:37 -0400

My older bro turns 30 today, and I want to honor this amazing man whom I love SO much.

We go way back you and I. We were always little buddies growing up, building forts, climbing on sing sets, and even putting on war paint and running wild around the house. You always liked to egg me on, and you knew JUST how to push my buttons, but I could usually hold my own and would end up pinching your arm til you screamed and left me alone.

You were definitely a sweet older brother, who grew into a “way too cool” older brother with your denim on denim and bull cut hairdo. We could butt heads like the best of them, but I always was blessed by your love and protection for me.

High school and college years we became better friends, as we both had a rebellious side, and happened to also come back to the Lord at the same time. I remember riding back from OSU together in the ole Toyota Camry to go to The Way and become more equipped to handle that campus as believers together.

We walked through each other’s weddings together.

And now we’re starting our families. It’s been incredible to watch you become a husband and a father. You have two of the GREATEST girls. Great job. I’ve watched you lead your family with God as your leader.

Evelyn will grow up with a Daddy who ALWAYS tells her she’s beautiful, and will play with her and love her the rest of her life. You have a tenderness and sensitivity that many men do NOT possess, and it’s a true gift that God has given you. Cry on brother! We love you for it:)

You are setting a good example for Evy as you grow in your walk with Jesus, and I see her respect for you grow because you lead her well.

Your charisma and volume seem to always trump the rest of us Newells, and I am SO glad you have it. As annoyingly loud as you can sing Chris Tomlin songs when you enter a room… you’re doing it because you’re so insanely joyful, and it’s contagious. I remember going on the family cruise with you, and I really do not think you stopped smiling the entire time.

Every small pleasure in life becomes monumentally more exciting when you’re around. Thank you for being you!

Happy Birthday Benjamin! We are all so glad that you allow us to be part of your life. I am so proud of the man you’ve become, and look up to you more than you know. God is using you in such unique ways, and you are growing your family in a way that honors Him. Love you tons! Thanks for being my brother.

HAPPY 3-0 you old fart!

Tillamook Adventuring

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:57:01 -0400

My hubby LOVES cheese, specifically Tillamook cheddar. What better way to celebrate this passion, than by visiting the factory right? Nick had the idea the other day, and I gladly jumped on board. I love our adventures, and we hadn’t been to the coast since we moved back to Oregon.

We started out at Cape Lookout State Park. We wandered up the trail a bit and ended up walking down some rocks to a private little beach area.

New tradition I want to start.

He’s always seeing the right frame… I always just like taking pictures of him;)

Found a treasure.

This beach felt like a little oasis. No one in sight, and the sun was WARM and shining on us.

Next we ventured down a little further to Cape Kiwanda and hopped out for a quick panoramic shot.

After this we headed to the Tillamook Cheese Factory! Yum! Cheese samples, tours, and ice cream were in order.

We fell in loaf all over again.

If my memory serves me right, this factory produces about 167,000 lbs of cheese per day! That’s INSANE! It was fun watching the process down to every little detail. Everyone has a job in making sure your cheese arrives to you perfectly shaped and packaged.

After our tour we did what every gluttonous American does at 4PM.. we got an ice cream cone of course! Tiillamook makes our favorite ice cream, so it wasn’t hard to choose Chocolate Peanut Butter from the extensive list. This place was HOPPIN’.

We grabbed a block of cheese, a magnet (our new collection), and headed back to Portland. Thanks for a grand adventure Nicko!

Our West Hills Tour Guide

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:55:00 -0400

Today Nick and I took my lovely grandmother Rosemary on a long overdue lunch date in her old neighborhood. We had told her back at Christmas that for her present we would like to take her out to lunch. Well, sadly because of our touring schedule and several different flus, it took us til the end of March to honor that.

As soon as she got in the car (dressed in Spring colors with coordinating flower earrings), she pulled out her list squiggly written out on her yellow lined paper. The list included about 5 different stops for our tour of the west hills. This was all prepared ahead of time without my knowledge. I didn’t realize how much she was looking forward to a simple outing with the two of us.

The tour commenced and she took us by the Alpenrose dairy where she showered us with memories of every one of her children’s youth activities. Dale’s baseball tournaments, Dan’s dirt bike track, Dave, Denise and Danita’s parades and pagaents. How as a family in the 60’s and 70’s they would walk or drive down for the street to the 4th of July festivities at the dairy.

Next stop was the home on Sweeney Street where my mother and her siblings spent most of their lives growing up. The home where my Grandpa each let us take turns in the garage turning the crank on his old, wooden ice cream maker. I gazed at the large living room windows, beyond which lay the cozy living room with blue carpet where my grandmother would lay out a cool sheet for the grandkids to sit on in the summer time and enjoy our homemade ice cream with strawberries and chocolate sauce. Boy, if the walls of this home could talk. I believe my Grandma did the talking for them today as she showed us picture after picture of their home (originally purchased in 1963 for $14,500) as it transformed over the decades. The same picket fence which my grandpa built years ago stood tall in the front yard, reminding me of many days spent walking through the opening to let Grandma and Grandpa know that we had arrived.

From there, after trying very hard not to cry during our walk down memory lane, we headed down the road to lunch at Laughing Planet. Grandma had already had her chance to glance at a menu at home, and knew right away what she was ordering:) Our conversation continued over veggies and brown rice, and she shared with us many stories of her childhood on through marrying my grandpa. What a delightful woman my grandma is. She endured a rough childhood, sought out the popular crowd in high school, rededicated her life to the Lord just after high school, and married the man of her dreams years later. This woman is packed full of stories and wisdom.

Our tour ended with a drive by West Hills Christian School where Grandpa Forney was a principle for 30 years, and where my Aunt Denise STILL works as the office administrator.

I didn’t anticipate our time this afternoon to involve so many stops and stories, but I am SO glad it did. My Grandma Rosemary is a real treat, and I am beyond blessed to have such a gal on my team. I mean it when I say that too. She is SO on my team. I’ve never doubted for a day that she was praying for me and hoping only the best things for my life.

Love you Grandma. Thank you for enriching our lives. I so enjoyed our date today.

He's Not Your Prince Charming :: Diane Comer

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:05:44 -0400

I have been selected to be part of my dear friend Diane Comer’s blog team. Diane is married to Phil who is one of the lead pastors at my church Solid Rock. I used to have the privilege of being the Comer’s assistant, and am honored to be part of this project with Diane and a group of incredibly talented women.

Last night was the second team meeting, but my first. I was rather nervous to go, simply because I didn’t feel like an adequate addition to this team. Timidly I replied “yes” to coming, and asked Jodi (pictured on the far left) why Diane even thought I would be a valuable asset. A lot of these women have extremely rare talents and very specific fields that they are working in. BUT, I went, and I’m glad I did.

I want to make you all aware of this blog, so that you can be blessed like I have been. Diane’s ability to paint a picture with her words is something I cherish and envy all at the same time. Clicking onto Diane’s blog is like teleporting into her home, and *POOF* sitting across from her at her table while sipping on a hot cup of tea in her beautiful royal blue patterned china. She just talks to you. I personally enjoy conversational writing, and I think you will all really appreciate her wisdom and ability to communicate years of experience.

Her vision is that of Titus 2. She desires as an “older” woman (wait til you see her…the most gorgeously youthful woman I know), to pour into us younger women, sharing her experiences as a wife, mother, and follower of Jesus.

::Illustration by Hillary Kupish::

I want to invite you to journey through this next series with us especially. It began this past week, and is called “He’s Not Your Prince Charming.” The goal of this series is to walk us women through fears and disappointments in marriage, reminding us what the Bible says about men and women and how we work in harmony together, and learning how to love our husbands more graciously. I think you’ll really like it. Please click here to catch up on the series. It’s about to get even better:)

Also a reminder, please know that you can always email me. I want to know you all, and desire to be a friend who you can share your stories with. Let me know if there’s anything you’d like to hear in this series as well, so I can relay this on to Diane. Her heart is to engage with you women. Thank you!

Thoughts that are TRUE

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 02:17:58 -0400

This is another blog for all of you who struggle with believing lies. As you may know, I’m working through a lot this year with fighting a daily battle with anxiety. It’s a battle already won by Christ, but one that I continually pick up and try fighting again and again. Slowly but surely, I’m learning tools to fight when I’m being lied to and when my thoughts and emotions take a fast track to anxiety.

Just this week I began reading a book called “Loving God With All Your Mind” by Elizabeth George, and as cheesy as it might look or come across, my gosh it is helping me so much. I tend to need things dumbed down for me, because I have a hard time retaining a lot of information at once. I need to take “baby steps” if you will (What About Bob anyone?) to recovery.

This week, my baby step is thinking on things that are true (real). The first chapter Elizabeth talks all about how she battled depression for years. She’d wake up to very dark days, in her “tiny” house, with no air conditioning, and no dish washer. She’d have to spend hours a day washing dishes by hand, sweating, and in turn THINKING. She’d look around and see nothing but negative circumstances. That time spent at the sink became a time consumed with negative thoughts. She was in a dense fog, a depression, where nothing was good enough, and everything was sad.

Do you have those days? I do! It’s hard because at the time it feels VERY real, but once you take the time to dissect those thoughts and hold them against Scripture you’re able to see that they really aren’t true at all.

My homework for the week is memorizing Philippians 4:8 which I believe is a test for our thoughts. The first category we should be thinking on is “whatever is true.” The book challenges me to take a lie or emotion I’m having and decide whether that thought is true. I guarantee you, as you run your thoughts of loneliness, sadness, “I’m not good enoughs,” by this tester, you’ll realize that they’re all lies. Don’t give Satan an opportunity to hold you there any longer. Read the Bible. Find Scripture that combats each lie, and begin to memorize. Make Satan look like an idiot when you say, “No that’s not true! Nice try buddy!”

I hate that some of you have to sigh and say, “Man that’s me. I believe lies ALL the time.” BUT, I want to encourage you that there is hope and victory in Jesus’ name and in God’s Holy word. You just have to choose to find it and meditate on it’s truth.

Love you all! Let me know how I can be praying for you.

Lie: I’m nothing. I’m no one special.
Truth: “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:14

Lie: God doesn’t care about me. He’s forgotten.
Truth: “casting all your anxiety on Him, because He CARES for you.”
1 Peter 5:7

Lie: I keep messing up. There’s no way I’m saved.
Truth: “For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:13-14