So we are settling nicely into our new place. I'm not sure why, but having more space is so much more relaxing!!! It's crazy how that works. Here are a few pictures. The place feels almost bare, because we have furniture for a place half the size!!

Dining Room/Kitchen

Living Room

Other side of the living room. Colin has been wanting to mount that TV on a wall forever!! lol. We just gotta figure out how to hide all those wires!

We have had a lot going on lately; Colin has been working back at the City of Portland for almost 2 months now, we're both working for my dad's business on the weekends/days off, we are still helping lead the young adults group at our church, and we are both trying to get back into running and training for up coming runs! Our first run of the year is in just 2 weeks, I finally made it outside for a run last week, it was the first time it wasn't pouring/freezing out! Yesterday I did a 5 mile run at the gym, which felt good since I am only doing the 5 mile course for the Shamrock!


I am still on my book club, so in my free time (which almost non-existant) I have been doing some reading. The last book we read was "Handle with Care" by Jodi Picoult. Good book. She's kind of writer you have to prepare yourself before you read her books, they will tear at your heart strings! Next we are readin "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen. I've heard the name thrown arounda bunch, but have no idea what it's about! Hoping I have some time to finish it :)

Oh my goodness...I have probably started like 3 blog drafts over the last few weeks but haven't had time to complete/post them!

So right now I am sitting on the living room floor of our new apartment!! HOORAY! We have been wanting to find a place with a bit more space before our lease is up in March. So I have been checking online everyday for move-in specials and last Friday I saw a post on Craig's list for a 2 bed 2 bath at the apartment complex next to ours. I went right over there after work and got the tour and found out they were offering 1 month free rent, but it was a move in ready deal so we would have to apply and sign the lease that day. Well, I called Colin and even though he was at work and would not be able to see the apartment he told me if I liked it to do it! (That is not a typical Colin response, he very much likes to be involved in every decision). We are both very excited about it! The price is right, the space is double what we had, it is a top floor with vaulted ceilings and it has a fireplace! I will post pictures as soon as we get things set up, we are in the process of moving our stuff over, which is nice since we have both apartments for a little while. I am going crazy right now wanting to decorate this place!! Patience, I need patience :)

Starting the New Year off right

Colin and I have signed up for our first run of the year. We will be doing the Shamrock Run in downtown Portland. I am doing the 8k (5 miles) and Colin will be doing the 15k (which is about 10 miles). I thought about going for the 15k, but I think the 8 will be just right! I even did my first run of the season last night and made it 4 miles! That's pretty good for not really running since my 1/2 marathon.

So, I received some money for my birthday and Christmas and decided to do a little shopping for myself. But please, someone tell me why it is so hard to find things when you actually have the money!? I finally decided on a few things below.


New pair of jeans!! They are straight leg so I can wear them with my new boots!



Or the jeans would go well with my new pair of flats I ordered from my shoe club. I haven't ordered anything from them in a while so it was fun to have some money and be able to!


I still have a little money that I am hoping to put toward home decor. I would love to do something like the picture wall I found on marthastewart.com, pictured below. But I don't want to buy too much because we have decided to move when our lease is up. We would like a bigger place. I think 2 years in this tiny box is enough ;)

2011!

Happy New Year everyone! This year went by so fast and it was quite an uneventful year, compared to last year...but I can't say that's a bad thing. It was a low-key year. A few of the highlights of 2010 include: Cruise to Mexico, Disneyland Trip, Alaska Trip. (I have been searching our apartment for the camera cord to download the pictures from our trip, hopefully they will be coming soon!).

I took a look back at some of the things I wanted to accomplish in 2010 and I am proud to say that I did most all of them! I read more, got more involved in our church, cooked a little more and finished a half marathon!!! I love writing out goals, I have always been a goal setter. Here are a few for this year:

1) Continue to go where the Lord leads me, in work, church involvement, serving opportunities.

2) Serve more! This has been on my heart a lot in the past year. I want to do more for others and stop being so selfish! (I admit I can be completely and utterly selfish sometimes). Our church has so many opportunities and the Oregon Food Bank opened a new location right across the street from our apartments...so I have no excuse!!

3) The diet I was on for a while was short-lived, I think because I was trying to make too much of a drastic change, this year I want to make small changes (more veggies, less carbs!) for overall health1

4) Last year I completed a half-marathon, I haven't ran much since! So in 2011 I want to try and sign up for shorter runs every other month, starting in Feb or March! That way I keep on going! Maybe I will end the summer with another half marathon....or even a triathlon...we'll see :)

5) I want to start a side business coordinating weddings! I was the girl who had her wedding planned from a young age (I am a planner!), it's kind of sad that my wedding is done with...so I can still get my fix of weddings by planning for others! I got a book and I'm looking into certifications...and I need experience. If you know of any one getting hitched and they need some help send them my way!

Those are the major goals...for now. Wishing everyone out there a blessed and happy new year!!

December!

It is my favorite month of the whole entire year! This month is filled with so many fun events, the birth of Jesus and my birthday ;) I finally ventured to the mall today to cross a few items off of my Christmas list, it wasn't as crazy as I thought it might be. Call me crazy but I absolutely LOVE going to the mall during the holidays! I only ended up with one gift so I will be venturing out a few more times, I only have 2 more weeks to shop, since we will be leaving for Alaska the week before.

Colin has been a bit of a scrooge. I love decorating for Christmas, but we both decided not to go cut down a tree since we would be out of town for a chunk of this month. When I told my co-worker we weren't getting a tree she kindly brought me a fake one to borrow. I was excited (normally I'm against fake trees but a fake one is better than none). Apparently I was mistaken, Colin thought that by not cutting down a tree we wouldn't be doing any decorating whatsoever....um, you're not getting out of it that easily!

So all evening I put up the tree and other decorations while Colin sat on the couch and vocalized how he was not going to help me with anything....that's fine got it up myself, thank you very much.

Despite Colin's scroogeness for Christmas decorating he has the right idea of the season, as I type he is volunteering at our church's cold weather shelter for the homeless and has told me he doesn't want anything for Christmas except money donated to World Vision or other charitable organizations. Wow, I really married a great guy, didn't I?? Although, I really love the commercialized Christmas stuff (tree, deco, shopping, holiday food), helping those in need is really what I should be focusing on! I hope everyone takes some time to think of and serve others this holiday season!

Ready or not...here come the holidays!

Cannot believe Thanksgiving is only days away!! It feels like the holidays kind of crept up on me this year, especially since just a couple weeks ago we were in Disneyland enjoying 102 degree weather (and, I was enjoying it!). (Pics from trip below!) It would be weird to live somewhere that doesn't have much change in seasons, I LOVE sunny hot weather but I don't think the holidays would feel the same without cold, gray, wet, miserable weather. lol.

So since I haven't felt ready for the holidays I decided to decorate our place just a little early. I only decorated our table, we decided not to get a Christmas tree this year since we will be gone- we will be in Alaska the 17th -27th. So I felt decorating early would be warranted :)


Scented pine cones! I smelled them when I walked into the grocery store and couldn't resist!


Chopped these red berry things that I bought an a clearance sale after Christmas last year... not sure if they are suppose to be cranberries or what


DISNEYLAND!!


The Fam out to dinner!


At the San Diego Zoo!

So much to do, so little time!!

It has been a while since I last updated the blog!! We have been so busy lately. Colin and I have been leading "small" group for young adults at our church this fall (I put small in quotes because we have almost 30 people in the group!). It has been pretty awesome, we are making some great relationships and growing closer the Lord everyday. In the beginning we were both a little hesitant to be in leadership positions like this, but wow, it really has been great so far! We are excited to see were it goes as we continue on!

Last Sunday I completed my first half marathon!! I don't think I could have picked a harder one to do for my first. The first 3 miles were almost completely up hill! And on top of that it was POURING, and windy and cold. It was almost totally miserable. But about half through it I started feeling pretty good and when I finished I felt so accomplished! I think it will be a while before I do another but I am definitely glad I did it!!

Today I am spending most of the day packing for our California trip! We leave bright and early tomorrow morning! I can't wait! I so need a vacation!!!! We're going with most of my family to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday. We will be staying in Oceanside which is in between San Diego and LA. We plan on going to Disneyland, the San Diego zoo, shopping, hanging out with family and relaxing by the pool!! We'll post pictures soon :)