Happy Together!

On September 10, Kurt and I celebrated 15 years of marriage. We decided together that we would celebrate in a thrifty way. At first we just planned to go out to dinner. I didn’t think that would be too bad, but really wanted to mark the occasion with something a little more special and out of the ordinary.

I decided to surprise Kurt with a “Trip Down Memory Lane” to all the places we’d been “Happy Together!” It started with a  card explaining to him that we would be literally driving to all the locations. With the card were 15 envelopes (one for each year of our marriage). Inside each envelope was a clue to a location (i.e. Where we first met, Where the girls were born, etc.).  After he opened the envelope we would drive to that spot and talk about our memories of that time or place. Once there we took a picture of the spot – even if it wasn’t there anymore (Like the Bellevue Red Robin where we had our second date. It is now a Neiman Marcus.)

On the last card, it said, “The rest of our lives…”. We had the best time together, remembering where we’ve come from and dreaming about what lies ahead.

We truly have been so happy together!

Some pictures from the night…

	Our first date
	The church where we were married (remodeled, but still there)

Our first house
	Here’s to many more years together!

Fabulous 40!

As my birthday was drawing nearing all year, I had been dreading the moment when I would officially turn (dun, dun, dun, duuuuuun) FORTY YEARS OLD. Why it was bothering me so much, I can’t fully say – just the stigma of it, I guess. I don’t think it has had anything to do with ‘looking’ older. I mean really (if I can say it without bragging) I feel like I look better at 40 than I did at 30. No, the issue has been more ‘being’ older.

Well, to celebrate my birthday Kurt and I took my two best friends and their husbands (Bryce & Elke and Kyle & Terra) out to a big Sushi dinner in Bellevue. Afterwards we went to a fancy bowling alley (with all kinds of music, lights and big screen TVs) and we just had a blast together. Being in the company of these people was so easy for me. Family is a huge blessing and I love my family deeply, but these are people in my life that I have CHOSEN to love. I am so grateful that they have CHOSEN to love me, too. What a special night it was!

Also earlier in the week, Terra had taken me out for a day of pampering. After a yummy lunch and a stop at Starbucks, she treated me to a pedicure at Gene Juarez! I joked with the lady doing my pedi that I was a Gene Juarez virgin. ;)

Elke had surprised me with a beautiful book filled with affirmations (my love language) from all kinds of people I’ve known throughout my 40 years. She had collected the thoughts, memories and verses secretly and then presented the book to me and sat with my while I read them and cried. It was so special and so humbling.

My Mom & David sent me birthday money and My Dad & Joan sent earrings that Dad made for me. Lots of other friends have blessed me with various gifts and lunches/dinners out, even a special canoe ride on Lake Washington. Oh, and let’s not forget that Kurt’s birthday gift to me is a trip to Hawaii still coming in January!!

It’s crazy how blessed I have felt. So on this side of the birthday, I’m thinking… if ‘being’ older includes becoming more aware of how loved you are, then it must not be so bad after all.

Thank you to everyone who helped make my 40th so very special! I love you all so much!

I fought the school supply list… and I WON!!

If you know me well you know I love a good bargain. Well, today the inner cheap-skate in me showed up in full force and the whole family learned a lesson in Economics.

Looking over the “recommended school supply list” from the school district, Kurt and I were thinking about how much money we would end up spending if we were to go to the local office supply store to buy everything on the list. Of course we always end buying other things while we are there – they call those impulse buys, right?

I got to thinking, we buy new school supplies every year – what happens to them all? So I decided to hunt around the house and see what we had left over to try and reduce the amount of things we would need to buy.

I was APPALED at how many pens and pencils I found! Even glue sticks, which I seem to always be out of, we found MORE than enough for what was recommended. We had wide rule notebook paper, erasers, rulers, pencil boxes, pencil pouches, binders, tabs for the binders, headsets, flash drives – you name it, we found it… IN OUR HOUSE!

The final cost for our school supplies this year… FREE!! Woo Hoo! I can’t tell you how happy this makes me. :)

Now I recall my Economics professor in college telling us at least once during every lecture that “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” I admit, there WAS some cost involved in hunting down the supplies at home. My time, they’re not brand new, they aren’t as cute as some of the newer designs, the mess we made in the process that needs to be cleaned up, etc... However, the same college professor also taught us that “Cash is King!”, and for now at least, I am happy to have kept a little extra in my pocket. :)

Birthday Sleepover

Since we are going to be gone camping on Ashley’s birthday this year, we let her plan a sleepover with two friends the week before our trip.  She chose her good friend Mackenzie and her long-time BFF Taylor.

The girls had a great time goofing around together and staying up late to watch movies. They gave her great gifts that were very fitting for a 12 year old girl.

Time is moving quickly and I can’t believe how much our beautiful Ashley has grown up!

Annual Roosevelt Camping Trip

In August we took our annual trip to Lake Roosevelt. We were going for just 10 days this year (a short trip compared to some past years). Bryce & Elke were not able to join us this year because they were on a mission trip. The Ducoings were there as usual and this year we also invited some friends from church, the Gomes family.

The weather was not very great this year. In fact the first night we were there we had an AMAZING thunder and lightning show – like nothing I have ever seen before!! We all ended up huddled in the camper. (The Ducoings hadn’t arrived yet).

Michael and Kate were seriously beginning to question us because we had been going on about how great the weather is and how nice Roosevelt always is and how much we enjoy camping there. Well… long story short we did get some good weather for the trip, but mostly it was just an *off* year I guess. Ah well, we still had a great time relaxing.

We were able to get all of the Gomes kids up on skis which was great fun.

After watching Kurt and I wakeboard, Michael wanted to give that a try. After just a couple tries of getting up, he totally got it and went like crazy! We were all blown away by how well he did. I still can’t believe it! He even attempted to do the Macarena while wakeboarding!!

Once the Ducoings arrived we got right to the usual tubing, frog hunting, wakeboarding, skiing fun. We missed out on the rope swing this year, though. We did go once with the Gomes, but the water was too low. We never did go back again (besides… it just isn’t the same without Bryce!). The kids all made some friends with other campers there – Makenzie and Chandler. The food was awesome and the sun even showed up enough for us to all get tan. :)

It was a really great trip – soooo many pictures to share. Here is an album…

View Full Album

It seems like it was all over way too fast! Can’t wait until next year!!

Hike at Wallace Falls

We've have had some record breaking heat here in the Northwest this summer. I believe we got up to 107 one day!! Youch!!
Rather than sit around the house boiling to death, we thought it would be fun to spend a Sunday afternoon hiking up to the lower falls at Wallace Falls out past Gold Bar.
It was a rather long hike for the girls - about 5 miles round trip when it was all said and done. But it was really beautiful and the girls really enjoyed taking a spontaneous dip in the swimming hole when we got to the lower falls.

Farewell for now, Grandma Kirk

On July 2nd my Grandma Kirk passed away after a brief battle with bladder cancer. I was able to go to Santa Barbara to help my family celebrate her life as we had a memorial service for her at her long time church - St. Andrew's Presbyterian.
It was so nice to be together with family and to hear all of the great memories of Grandma Kirk and the impact she had on so many people.
I will forever be grateful for the amazing woman she was and for the legacy she has left for me to carry on in my family. A legacy of loving Jesus and pointing people towards Him.
I will miss you for now Grandma, but look forward to seeing you again in heaven one day.