Introducing....

Our new puppies!



Meet Gnocci and Pork Chop. Gnocci is the sable colored one with red and white fur and Pork Chop is the dark tri-colored puppy.



This is just the beginning...

Baking Again

I can now say that I'm relaxed enough in our new home to be baking again. I had to arrange and rearrange many things in my kitchen to make working in there most efficient. Isn't it so hard to work in a kitchen where the flow is off? I'm still thinking of moving my toaster to a different counter, but of course, I have to ponder it.

It was great to have my hands in the flour again. I made chocolate chip, raspberry sugar cookies, white chocolate peanut bars, and chocolate peanut butter chip cookies. (Now I'm really thinking of asking for a Kitchen aide mixer for Christmas!) Then I put them all in little bags and forced John to come with me and deliver them to our new neighbors. And since we're the one's who just moved in, they are all new neighbors. It took almost two hours (allowing for lots of small talk) and then we ran home to my lasagna in the oven that was only slightly crispy!

Do they know me or what?

My birthday was a week and a half ago, and I had to show you this...

My mom and my sister gave me the same card! That is SO COOL!!! And since Amber lives in Santa Maria and she mailed hers to me, that makes it extra cool! I think this just shows how the women in my family really love me and know who I am. And I really love the card! They're definitely going on the wall in my office.

OUR NEW HOUSE!

Here it is. Our new house! John and I actually own this thing! Right now I'm still unpacking, but I'm feeling more and more at home everyday. Thank you Lord that you gave us a place to call our own and use for your glory! And thanks Jim and Nettie (our realtors) for helping us find the place!

WE ARE BUYING A HOUSE!!!

Yes that's where I've been for the last month, in the intriguing and unfamiliar House-Buying Land. (That would be an interesting board game.) John and I are still in the zone of limbo that lands between finding the house we want (which we found) and getting to move in. I heard that it's common for this waiting period to last around 2 MONTHS! It looks like we're lucky so far because ours should only be one month. I guess. We're trying to close in the next 14 days. The next thing that we're waiting on is our house appraisal, and I'm not quite sure what happens after that. There's so many things that I'm not entirely sure of, but I'm grasping a good amount as we go. John understands so many things better than I do. That's one excellent reason we have husbands!!!

I tried to learn some of what we might be expecting when buying our first house by watching Property Virgins on HGTV. But I've come to realize that a half-hour show consisting of people looking at houses, negotiating the price, and then happily enjoying their new home, isn't the best teaching tool. Actually that's not true. That show has many good things to keep in mind before anyone should throw themselves into House-Buying Land, and I learned from it! I just have to come to grips that it can't all happen in a half-hour!

At this moment it's actually pretty cool that buying a house isn't as unreachable and foreign as it felt a year ago, or even a month ago when we started looking at houses online. I mean, already so many people have said yes to us; the bank, our realtors, the seller, the inspector... now we just need a few more yes's and we'll be done!

Girl Trip to California!

Two weeks ago, Marissa, Daniella and I flew to California to visit my sister Amber and her family. It was a fun and unique trip because it was just us girls traveling across states together. Whenever John and I take vacations we always comment on how fun it would be to take some of our friends along, and now I've gotten to experience it! I can't believe how sweet and easy-going these two were as traveling companions! And getting to see Amber, Dan, Judah, Caleb, and all of our Santa Maria friends was wonderful, and I was really needing it! We love you Church for Life family!

Daniella and Marissa right before Marissa's first time flying!

Notice the bewilderment over the paper straws and biodegradable silverware at a restaurant in the SLC airport. We couldn't quite come to terms with being earth conscious while our straws melted into our drinks!

Amber took us shopping in San Luis Obispo. The boys did surprisingly well while we dragged them from store to store.

Girls in the West Coast sun!

Marissa and Daniella decided that In 'n Out Burger was the best thing to ever happen to fast food. And I must agree, the burgers were juicy, the menu is beautifully simple, and the fresh french fries were just perfect both of the times we ate there. (Yes, we ate there twice in 4 days. The girls had to see if their second experience was just as delightful as their first, and it was.)
Wow. Now I'm salivating!

Friends, Fun, Oh yeah and Music

What do you get when you add together the following;

• Free music from good bands that love God
• Friends from out of town
• Friends from in town
• And lots of rain?

DOWNPOUR!

It was great to introduce our friends from Butte to our friends here. (If they haven't connected already.) And it was awesome to spend some quality time with the Buttians and Lewistownites we have been missing. I especially loved hearing KJ-52, Lincoln Brewster, Sanctus Real and Plumb!

And if you want to know who these interesting people are just ask me.