Trading Sadness for Rainbows...

I've been really emotional today. I think I'm suffering from the "vacation-is-coming-to-an-end" blues. 

We left Sean's dad's house in Bend this morning. Looking at the mountains out of the back seat of the Yaris made me reminisce about all of the memories we've made and awesome experiences we've had in the past 8 days. I'm not quite ready to go home yet.

As we drove through the lava fields and visited the Dee Wright Observatory on the McKenzie pass on our way to Eugene, it began to snow! Isn't it amazing how the temperature can be 95 degrees one day and below freezing the next? God is awesome.

We spent most of our day in the car (Bend to Eugene to Salem to Portland). The rain seemed to feed my sensitive mood and I felt really silly for being so emotional all day. Just as I was praying for the Lord to help me be thankful for what I've experienced instead of sad for what's ending, I saw one of the most beautiful rainbows I've ever seen. A few hours later we saw another one. And another. And another...

My God is greater than words can express...

Earth-Friendly Oregonians

Have I mentioned that I really love it here in Oregon?

One of my favorite things about Oregon is how earth-friendly the people are around here.

For example:

• everyone recycles
• lots of people ride bikes around town instead of driving (Portland has the highest number of bicycle commuters in the nation)
• most coffee places use compostable cups made from 100% recycled material
• shampoo containers can be refilled at local salons instead of being thrown in the trash
• many people use natural water sources for drinking water
• no one litters
• most of the population takes advantage of the abundance of outdoor activities and respects the land
• you can return empty glass bottles and aluminum cans for a cash refund
• there are lots of local businesses here and they're heavily supported
• Portland's public busses are powered by John Deere compressed natural gas (CNG) engines
• the public toilets at the state and national parks are Phoenix toilets (composted with Cedar chips)
• The Oregon Green Schools organization helps set up and maintain permenant waste reduction and resource efficiency programs that improve school environments and communities
• Portland has the most green buildings per capita

I really respect Oregonians. They're way ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to respecting Mother Earth and reducing their carbon footprint.

Go green. You'll help the earth and yourself.

New Day

Music and lyrics by Robbie Seay Band
Experience by Allison, Aaron, and Sean

I’m gonna sing this song
To let you know that you’re not alone
4am. Sharing the crisp Oregon air. One driving the Yaris, one sleeping, one praying for the day ahead.
And if you’re like me, you’ll need hope, coffee and melody
Salty snacks, Dutch Brothers coffee, and Robbie Seay.
So sit back down and let the world keep spinnin’ ‘round
Half-way there. Winding mountain roads. Fleeting glimpses of the challenge to come.
Yesterday’s gone and today is waiting on you to show your face
Laced up. Last chance to pee. Leaving Yaris behind.

And it might not be the prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
Forest fires. Splintered trees, God’s power on display.
But it’s a new day
Ah, baby it’s a new day
The Oregon wilderness awaits.

And it might not look like a beautiful sunrise
But it’s a new day
Ah, baby it’s a new day
We’re ready for the challenge.

I’m a pilgrim soul
I’ve traveled far and come back home
And this land is hard and cold
for those who long to love
Dusty breezes. Blistering sun.
Following in the footsteps of a man returning home.
And I know it might seem
That the world is crumbling
Ancient volcano beneath our feet. Scrambling on what remains.
But it’s me and you dancin’ in the kitchen at 2am
And we’re still alive
Nourishment, energy, laughter beneath a tiny shade tree.

And it might not be the prettiest thing that you’ll ever see
But it’s a new day
Ah, baby it’s a new day
Snarling spire just above.

And it might not look like a beautiful sunrise
But it’s a new day
Ah, baby it’s a new day
Should we turn around now?

It’s the calm of the storm that comes blowing in
Fearful.
It’s the spring time sayin’ ‘I’m back again’
Determined.
The clouds roll back, cross the moonlight
80 feet to go.
Me and you, Love,
One step at a time.
Everything’s alright
9,184 feet.
Just layin’ in the rain with nowhere to go
Laughin’ and we’re spinnin’ and I hope that you
Remember this day for the rest of your life
Breathless.
Me and you, Love,
Everything’s gonna be alright
History recorded.

And it just might be the prettiest thing that you’ll ever see

It’s a new day
Time to descend.
Ah, baby it’s a new day
Stumble, slide, skurf.

If you look outside
To see a beautiful sunrise
It’s a new day
Summit gets smaller.
A new day
Steps get heavier.
It’s a new day
Will it ever end?

I’m gonna sing this song
Not far now…
To let you know that you’re not alone
Three friends and a Yaris.
And if you’re like me
Sprawled and together.
You’ll need hope, coffee and melody
Wasted and alive.

Listen to New Day at the band's website.

Highlights of Driving the Oregon Coast:

• mountains to our left and ocean to our right
• the Tillamook Cheese factory
• driving by the 35 bazillion cows that produce the milk that makes the cheese for the Tillamook Cheese factory
• jumping the fence at a roadside ocean viewpoint so we could sit on the rocks, watch the waves crash, and feel the ocean spray our faces
• feeding and petting the domesticated squirrels at The Devil’s Punchbowl (and listening to Aaron’s plan to bring Jesus to the people there)
• driving through 83 Tsunami hazard zones
• zooming around in the teeny-tiny Toyota Yaris
• listening to Robbie Seay sing as we drive
• laughing at Aaron and Sean as they try to figure out a way to convince Tonia and me to move to Oregon with them
• passing 13 post offices before we actually stop to mail a bunch of post cards to our family
• figuring out how to pronounce Yachats (fyi: YAH-hots)
• sharing Marionberry Cobbler a la mode with Aaron and Sean at the Historic Drift Inn Café in Yachats
• watching Aaron jump a massive crevice (or crev-ASS as Sean calls it) at the Devil’s Churn
• visiting the Heceta Head lighthouse and capturing some incredible photographs
• picking and eating blackberry after blackberry along the path heading down from the lighthouse until our tongues hurt
• enjoying wine, Tillamook cheese, and fresh blackberries for dinner as we watch the sun set over the Pacific Ocean

Robby Seay's song, Rise, has been a good reminder for me to enjoy everything around me, take it all in, and simply take time to just slow down and refill.

Slow down, be still

Let go, we will

Be here, be now

Slow down, be still

Breathe in, refill

Be here, be now

Slow down, just breathe

Be still, believe

Be here, be now

Slow down and see

It's all you need

Be loved and free

A Little Alone Time...

I found a moment to escape from the guys this morning.

This is the first time I've been by myself in 4 days and I'm soaking it up. 

I'm sitting outside at Bagels By the Sea with a cup of coffee, Sean's laptop, and an internet connection. I'm as happy as a razor clam. That's a local favorite.

On my walk to the bagel shop this morning, I took a minute to call Sam and Toby. I miss them like crazy! Sam told me all about his upcoming trip to Iowa this afternoon (Mike and the boys are going to visit Mike's parents while I'm away) and Toby babbled a bit. I think Toby was more interested in the cell phone than talking to me.

Mike said that it was a good week for me to be on vacation. Between the large amounts of rain Charlotte has received in the past few days and the death of Sam's beta fish, it's been a not-so-great week. Rest in peace, Amy the blue boy fish.

Today we're driving down the Oregon coast in search of more adventures. Hopefully we'll end up in Eugene at Sean's mom's house tonight. Tomorrow is our big hike on Mt. Thielsen, so I'll post again on Friday. 

If you have a moment, please pray that we have a safe trip up and down the mountain tomorrow. I hear it's a pretty tough hike to the top of Mt. Thielsen...

Mountains and Ocean...A Great Combination

Sean, Aaron, and I hiked 8 miles of the Oregon coast today. The trail was extremely wet and muddy, but very beautiful. I’ve never hiked a mountain where I could hear waves crashing below. It was awesome.

At the end of our hike, we came across an old bunker used to protect the US coast from the Japanese in World War II. It was cool, but a little creepy. Between the Lewis & Clark Expedition and World War II, the Oregon coast is full of history. I love it!

We took it easy this afternoon. After 3-and-a-half long days of adventuring, we needed the afternoon to relax and nap.

Tonight, we went to dinner at Mo’s Seafood Restaurant at Cannon Beach. There were lots of people camping and building fires on the beach. That’s something you can’t do at the beach in Charleston, SC where I grew up!

Now it's time for bed...

In Search of The Goonies...

I can’t believe we get to spend 10 days in this beautiful place. I haven’t found one thing I don’t love about Oregon.

Yesterday we picked up our rental car (a Toyota Yaris) and drove the scenic route to the Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls. We wanted to take a corny photo of us with the car.

How’s that for corny?

We ate a late lunch at another branch of McMenamin’s (the place where we ate breakfast yesterday). The cool thing about McMenamin’s is that the company buys old, rundown buildings that no one else wants, renovates them, and makes them into historical and interesting places to visit. McMenamins Edgefield (where we went to lunch yesterday) used to be a poor house where all of the residents farmed the land and grew their own food. When the poor house closed, McMenamin’s bought the land and transformed the poor house into a hotel and added a winery, brewery, herb garden, and restaurant. The food, wine, and beer were fabulous. Everything we ate and drank was made on site.

We left Portland for Seaside at 7:30 and arrived at 9pm. We did some grocery shopping at the local SafeWay and crashed at Sean’s dad’s vacation condo at Seaside beach.

This morning, we woke up at 6:30, took a stroll on the beach, and ended up at Bagels By the Sea for coffee and breakfast.

After breakfast, we drove 10 miles north to Astoria in search of the Goonies :) We had a great time driving around the town looking for landmarks from the movie. We also visited The Column, spoke with a few friendly locals, and laughed at the dozens of sea lions sunning on the fishing docks. While Aaron and Sean enjoyed some great beer from Rogue Brewery, I drank some really good coffee from the Astoria Coffee Company.

The Column in Astoria


The Barking Sea Lions

After spending most of the day in Astoria, we decided to take advice from the locals and visit the South Jetty. Words can’t describe how incredible the view was. Sean got some great photos while we were there.




Sean offered to take our First Wedding Anniversary photos tonight, so we ended the day at Cannon beach (3 miles north of Seaside). The view was breathtaking. Here are a few of our favorites:



I made shrimp scampi with linguini for dinner and now we’re attempting to watch The Goonies. I have a feeling we’ll all be sleeping like babies in less than 20 minutes.

Tomorrow we’re doing an 8-mile hike on the mountain trails that overlook Seaside and Cannon beach!

Our Journey to Portland, OR

WOW.

Our first day of vacation was crazy.

Here's a quick overview:

• Our flight from Charlotte to New Orleans was quite bumpy. We flew right over Tropical Storm Fay and she made our flight 20 minutes longer than expected. We exited the plane in New Orleans at 2:18pm Central time. Our flight to Denver began boarding at 2:05pm. That created problems.
  
• When we got off the plane in New Orleans, we realized that our next flight was leaving from the other side of the airport. Our plan? RUN.
• Because we had to go to another concourse to catch our plane to Denver, we had to go back through security. How convenient. I took my shoes off, shoved my backpack through the scanner, picked everything up, and ran through the airport shoeless, clutching my belongings. We missed our flight to Denver by 2 minutes.
• The United Airlines agent re-routed our trip through Dallas, TX instead of Denver. We were scheduled to leave New Orleans at 4:45pm, but we caught an earlier flight at 3:30pm. No time for Louisiana gumbo or red beans and rice :(
• There was one toddler on our flight from New Orleans to Dallas. Guess who she sat directly behind? That would be ME. She kicked, screamed, and whined for the entire flight. I kept giving Aaron the I'm-on-vacation-and-can't-deal-with-a-screaming-child look. He just laughed. Good thing the flight was only an hour and fifteen minutes.
• When we arrived in Dallas at 4:45pm, we put ourselves on standby to catch the 6:30pm flight to Portland. Because we missed our flight to Denver, we were scheduled for a 9:05pm flight to Portland which would put us there at 11:30pm west coast time - 4 hours later than our original scheduled flight. All 3 of us were able to get onto the earlier flight at the last minute.
• We sat on the runway in Dallas for an hour waiting for a thunderstorm to pass. The pilot said we should wait for the "squirrelly winds" to die down before we began our trip to Portland.
• Once we finally got into the air, we chased the sunset for 3 hours. I think God changed all of our flights yesterday just for that time I would spend praising Him and His beauty. It was simply magnificent.
• Sean's friend, "Super Sean" picked us up from the airport and took us to dinner at Deschutes Brewery and drove us around town. We didn't go to bed until after midnight (3am east coast time!).

We're currently sitting at the coolest breakfast place ever. It's called McMenamin's and it's an old elementary school that's been transformed into a hotel/theater/restaurant. The coffee is the best I've ever had (yes, even better than Starbucks) and the fruit is incredibly fresh.

Our plan for today is to make a quick trip to REI, pick up our rental car, hike up to Multnomah Falls, and end up at Seaside on the Oregon coast.

(Sean's photo from a previous trip to Multnomah Falls)

Check back for daily updates on what we're getting into in Oregon :)

GO!

And we're off!

Our plan for today is to fly from Charlotte to New Orleans to Denver to Portland. If all goes as planned, we should arrive in Portland at 7:30pm (10:30 east coast time).

Are you ready to go on vacation with us?

Get Set...

Ship Hobbes off to stay with the grandparents. Check.
Do laundry. Check.
Pack the suitcase. Check.
Go to the bank to get cash/traveler's checks. Check.
Mow the lawn. Check.
Clean the house. Mmmm...not yet.

We're almost ready to go.

Tonight, Aaron and I are taking my yummy Vegetarian Chili over to the Lyons' for dinner. I'll soak in the time I get to spend with Tonia (before I'm stuck with 2 men for 10 days), enjoy the ever-growing Asher, play transformers with Cooper, and simply enjoy the first evening of my vacation.

All that's left is to book our rental car and get on the plane. Ahhhhh...

On Your Mark...

I'm sitting in the shade on the back porch with Sam. He's listening to his Kidz Bop Dance Party 6 music (the worst children's music ever created) on his headphones (thank goodness) and I'm enjoying the beautiful weather.

I haven't been able to come up with much to blog about this week. All I know is that I miss my sweet kitty and I'm ready to get on a plane on Saturday morning. Well, almost ready.

This afternoon and evening will be full of:

• grass-cutting and yardwork (so we don't come home to a jungle in 2 weeks)
• laundry
• packing
• house cleaning

Sounds like fun, huh?

I called my mom yesterday morning to check on Hobbes. She said he's having a blast and, at the precise moment I called, was pouncing on and chasing around her partially blind cat, Sampson, who is twice Hobbes' size.

Hobbes also loves Casey, my brother's Jack Russell Terrier.

Just for fun, here is Hobbes' Christmas photo from almost 2 years ago:

Don't you just want to squeeze him?!

Sowwy, Sin

The boys and I went to the playground to have a picnic with some friends today.

Toby didn't have a very good time. He threw multiple tantrums, almost launched himself off of the swing, refused to eat his lunch, and whined for most of the morning. I hope this isn't the beginning of what they call "the terrible twos." It's too early for that. Then again, it'll always be too early for that.

When I told Liz about our day, she looked at Toby and said, "I think you should say 'sorry' to Mrs. Allison."

Toby looked right at me (with that sweet, innocent face), batted his eyelashes, and said, "Sowwy, Sin."

For the past year, I've been teaching him to call me "Alli." He calls me "Sin." Go figure.

Little Monkeys

Of all the photo shoots I've had with the Corbetts in the past 2 years, this one was by far the most successful.

Aren't they precious?!

Here's a fun photo of Austin eating dinner:

I LOVE those crazy Corbetts :)

A Vacation for Hobbes

My wonderful parents came to stay with Aaron and me this past weekend.

We went hiking at Anne Springs Close Greenway, shopped, watched a lot of the Olympics, and went to Elevation on Sunday. When Mama and Daddy left to go back to Charleston yesterday afternoon, we sent Hobbes with them.

Instead of leaving Hobbes at home by himself and asking our neighbors to take care of him for 10 days while we're gone to Oregon, Aaron and I agreed that a little vacation to Charleston would be good for Hobbes. He loves going to my parents' house because he has 3 other cats and a dog to play with (uh, terrorize might be a better word) and a big house to roam. I was sad to ship him off, but I know he's better off at my parents' house while we're gone. He'll come back completely spoiled, I'm sure.

Just like any good "mom" would, I prepared a folder containing all of Hobbes' medical history and shots records (just in case he needs to see a vet while he's away), more than enough food to last him for the month he'll be gone, an extra dose of flea medicine, and a bag with some toys and his hairbrush. Aaron said I was very thorough. I don't know if he meant for that to be a compliment or not...

Here are some photos of our kitty in the car getting ready to start his vacation:

Hobbes loves riding in the car. He also loves "Mama Rhonda" :)

Ready to go!

Sniffing the great outdoors :)

New E-Mail Address

I've spent the better part of the boys' nap time setting up a new e-mail account for myself.

I have dreaded this day for a long time. For a year-and-a-half now, I've told Winthrop University's network administrator that I'll be "returning for another semester" after each of his threats to axe my e-mail account because I'm "no longer paying tuition."

Please.

My parents have paid more than enough money to that fine institution for me to keep that e-mail address for my the rest of my life - and then some. And, no, I don't feel bad for telling a little white lie in order to put off the annoyances that come along with creating a new e-mail account and notifying everyone of the change.

Five years was a good run for the good ol' alexandera4@winthrop.edu. Today, it is laid to rest.

If you need to contact me, send an e-mail to my new address: aafowler85@gmail.com.

Crowder's Mountain

The boys and I have had such a fun week (and it's only Wednesday)! Every time I think about blogging about this week's activities, I'm too exhausted to think or type. My brain is pretty much fried for the day, but I'm blogging anyway.

Yesterday, the Lyons invited the boys and me to join them for a hike at Crowder's Mountain. I had never taken the boys hiking before, so I wasn't sure how they would do. Sam doesn't like to walk a lot (which defeats the purpose of hiking), but I knew he would be fine as long he had Cooper to play with.

Toby is just plain slow.

Sean and Tonia brought a baby carrier backpack to put Toby in once he was done walking (which ended up being 10 minutes after we left the car). Sean carried Toby half of the way up the trail and I carried him to the peak. Carrying Toby on my back was just like hiking with a 30-pound backpack! It was great practice for our upcoming trip to Oregon (in 10 days!).

Here are some photos from our wonderful day of hiking:

Silly Boys

The Lyons

The boys' first hike to the top of a mountain!

Sweet Asher

Toby and Sean

You know this face!

Almost done!

Exhausted :)

Chocolate Chip Banana-Nut Bread

A few weeks ago, I wanted to make Chocolate Chip Banana-Nut Bread. I couldn't find a recipe for it anywhere. So...I created my own :)

Chocolate Chip Banana-Nut Bread

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 over-ripe bananas
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix first 4 ingredients together in a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl cream together eggs and sugar. Stir in mashed bananas, cinnamon, vanilla, and vegetable oil.
4. Stir in one-third of the flour mixture. Stir in another third of the flour mixture. Before you add the last third of the flour mixture, stir the nuts and chocolate chips into it (coating the nuts and chocolate with the last bit of flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom of the pan during baking). Stir the flour, chocalate chips, and nuts into mixture until just combined. Pour evenly into two 9x5 loaf pans. Bake for about 40-50 minutes.

I love warm banana-nut bread, but I found that this bread is especially tasty after it sits for a day or two (or three if it lasts that long!). To preserve the moistness of any quickbread I make, I always underbake it by 2 or 3 minutes and let it sit in the loaf pan for 30 minutes before I put it on a cooling rack. After the bread cools completely, I cover it in plastic wrap and then wrap it again in aluminum foil.

There you have it - Chocolate Chip Banana-Nut Bread!

God Speaks, I Listen...

Isn't it crazy how God uses the most random opportunities to speak to our hearts?

I took this video of the boys on the playground at Latta Park yesterday...

...and as soon as Toby yelled "WHEEEEEEEE!" I thought to myself, "How often do I respond to God's leadership in my life the way Toby responded to his trip down the slide?"

You see, I've had issues with trust for a long time.

I've had my heart broken in the past. I worry way too much. I have a perpetual "what if" attitude. I have a hard time letting God take control of the parts of my life I can't and won't ever be able to control. It's difficult for me to follow God's lead instead of attempting to make my own path.

None of that is pretty, but it's part of being human. Our job as believers is to take God's hand daily, spend time with Him, and seek his purpose and direction for our lives. I'm getting better at it.

When Toby was sitting at the top of the slide asking for help, he reminded me of myself. How many times do I ask God for help & guidance and then find his solution "unacceptable"? When I sent Sam to help Toby, Toby didn't like my solution. However, I knew all along that Sam would take care of Toby and get him to the bottom of the slide safely.

When Sam finally helped Toby move down the slide, Toby enjoyed the trip and celebrated at the end. I tend to do that with God. I kick and scream through the entire journey and then when I see I'm okay in the end, I rejoice. That's not fair to God. He deserves to be praised even when we're scared and uncertain of the future. He promised to take care of us. We should always trust Him.

I love sharing the neat things God reveals to me through the boys. So random, but so sweet...

Thank You, TSA

In preparation for our upcoming trip to Oregon (in 15 days!), I've been researching the newest airline regulations for carry-ons. I used to be a world traveler (Romania in 1998 and China in 2000)...but an 8-year hiatus from flying has made my memory a litte rusty. Besides, those darned terrorists have made everything a little more difficult for travelers these days.

This is what I've learned from my research:

• All gel, liquid, or aerosol toiletries I need to put in my carry-on bag must be 3 ounces or less. They must be packed in a 1-quart zip-lock baggie. Each traveler is only allowed to pack one bag of toiletries. This might become a problem if my airline of choice decides to lose my checked luggage.
• Gel-filled bras are allowed to be worn on the plane. Lucky me.
• I am also allowed to bring my corkscrew, knitting and crochet needles, round-bladed butter knife, cigar cutter, transformer robots, and toy weapons onto the the plane. Yesssssssss...
• I'm NOT, however, permitted to carry my ice axe, ice pick, meat cleavers, saber, cattle prod, crowbar, spear gun, sword, billy club, brass knuckles, or nunchakus onto the airplane. Darn. I guess I'll have to pack all of that stuff in my suitcase.
• Did you know that items such as firearms, ammunition, BB guns, flares, gunpowder, pellet guns, dynamite, tear gas and hand granades aren't allowed onto the plane, either? Who knew...

Thank you, Transportation Security Administration. Your thorough lists of what I can and cannot bring on my trip to Oregon has helped tremendously. I can't wait to go home and pack!

Pump It Up!

I took the boys to Pump It Up on Tuesday. We had a blast!

Sam and Toby have been there for a birthday party before, but never for free-play. Since it's been so hot outside lately, I thought Pump It Up would be a great place to go to burn off some of that never-ending energy the boys have.

Toby wasn't so sure about the massive blow-up arenas at first...but he eventually loosened up and had a great time. This is what the boys did for 30 minutes straight:

When Toby got a little more brave, he decided to follow Sam and climb on the middle of the "bouncy track." This is what happened:

P.S. - Toby got the scrape on his chin at the pool on Sunday...not from that tumble!

Before I took the boys to Pump It Up (or Monkey Joe's, which is very similar but larger and more expensive), I had visions of hundreds of rambuctious children running around the gym screaming and trampling Sam and Toby to a pulp.

It's not like that at all.

If you arrive at Pump It Up when it opens for free play at 9:30am, there aren't many people there. When the boys got tired after about an hour-and-a-half of bouncing, we went home, ate lunch, and they took great afternoon naps!

At Pump It Up, Children under 3 play for free and an all-day pass for Sam was only $7! I think we'll put that activity into our weekly rotation :)

I Really Do Want My Own Children...SOMEDAY...

After visiting the playground at Springfield Elementary School in Fort Mill this morning, the boys and I went back to my house to cool off and eat lunch. While the boys ate lunch at the dining room table, I took advantage of a free (and quiet) moment to load the dishwasher and clean the kitchen.

Sam: Mrs. Allison?
Me: Yes?
Sam: Are you and Mr. Aaron having a baby soon?

WHOA. TIME OUT. I know I've gained a tad bit of weight in the past few weeks, but do I look pregnant???

Me: Uhhhh...no. Why would you think Mr. Aaron and I might be having a baby soon?
Sam: Oh, just that baby seat over there. I thought you might be getting ready to bring home a baby.

AHHHH. The baby seat. A generous hand-me-down from the Lyons. Sean and Tonia wanted to get rid of the baby stuff that Asher is too big for now...so I offered to take it off their hands for future use. I forgot that we hadn't put it away in the attick yet.

Me: Oh, that used to be Cooper and Asher's baby seat. Mr. Aaron and I are keeping it until we decide to have a baby of our own.
Sam: Oh. Well, I wish you would have a baby of your own soon. Wouldn't that be so much fun?!

I think my husband has been bribing Sam with marshmallows. Hmmmm...

MOVE THAT BUS!

Today was "Reveal Day" at the King Family's new home! Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and thousands of volunteers from the Charlotte area made it possible to tear down the old house and build a new one in just 4 days!

The original time for the "MOVE THAT BUS!" moment to happen was 7pm today. Then the producers moved it up to 1pm since they were ahead of schedule. When I heard that the reveal would happen early, I decided to take the boys to the home site to experience the excitement.

We waited in line for 50 minutes for a bus to pick us up and take us to the house. The boys were so great! They played together and sipped on their water bottles while we sweated and waited in line.

When we got to the house at 1pm, we heard that the producers had moved the reveal back 3pm. There had to have been at least a thousand spectators plus hundreds of volunteers lining the street and crowding the neighbors' yards when we got there! The boys and I couldn't get close enough to see what was going on in the street, but we were able to see the overhead camera sweep by us a few times. The director has us yell, "Move that bus! Move that bus!" about a bazillion times so they could get enough takes on camera to edit it down later.

The last I heard, the actual reveal wouldn't happen until 4pm. The boys and I ended up leaving the home site at 2:30pm. Even though the boys drank tons of water and had a snack under a tree while we were there, we had experienced the energy...and that was good enough for us.

Here is a picture of us when we finally made it back to the car:

The "Envelope System"

Before Aaron and I got married (almost a year ago!), we went through pre-marital counseling with Larry Brey from Elevation Church. Hands down, Aaron and I both agree that the 4 months we spent meeting with Larry before our wedding day was one of the best God-filled and informative processes we could have ever gone though to improve our relationship and prepare ourselves for marriage. I wish we could still meet with Larry twice a month!

One of the many valuable things we learned from Larry was how to budget our money. Aaron and I began our marriage by using the "envelope system" that works like this:

• Make a list of your income for an average month.
• Make a list of all your expenses for an average month (savings, tithes, mortgage, gas, groceries, entertainment, electricity, water & sewer, car insurance, etc...) and allot a certain amount of money for each expense.
• Buy a package of envelopes and label them with the different categories listed in your budget.
• Each time you get paid, cash your check and distribute it to the envelopes.

The envelope system is great because once the allotted amount of money for each envelope has been spent, that's it. It prevents you from spending more than the budgeted amount in categories such a groceries and entertainment but forces you to put a certain amount into savings.

Now, let me first say that the list above is a broad overview of how the system works. Make adjustments as you see fit. For example, Aaron and I pay most of our monthly bills online because it's more convenient for us. When we first got married, the categories I made envelopes for were: groceries, entertainment, savings, tithing, and spending money for both Aaron and myself.

In the past few months, I have slacked off on putting cash in the envelopes and have been using my debit card to pay for groceries, movies, and random other miscellaneous things. As a result, I've seen us stray a bit from our budget.

The "envelope system" has done a wonderful job of teaching us where we spend most of our money and in what areas we need to continue using cash (groceries and entertainment). I love to cook and bake (and also take care of all of the grocery shopping), so it's easy for me to go over our weekly budget for food and household supplies if I don't go into the store with cash. Having a cash budget for entertainment and groceries makes us plan and shop more effectively...and I like that. I love the challenge of stretching our money to make it go further each month.

Aaron and I consider it an honor to tithe and participate in the Dominate Campaign each week. We know that as long as we give God the first fruits of our income, He will bless the rest. God has truly blessed our finances throughout our first year of marriage and I have faith that He will continue to do so.

Even if you think you're doing great with your budget, you should give the envelope system a whirl. Declare two or three areas where you could improve on your spending habits, give yourself a certain amount of cash each week (or month), and see how you do. When you get the hang of it, see if you can lower the budgeted amount of money and still be comfortable :)

This afternoon, I'm going to buy groceries...with cash.