The Vacation (a.k.a. lots of puppy pictures)

So we, got back from our vacation and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves - mostly, by doing absolutely nothing. We sat and read a lot of books (I made my way through 3 Hornblower novels), relaxed in the hottub, enjoyed the great flavors at High Tides (amazing seafood) and mused over our future.

The highlight of the trip was on Friday morning, when we decided to take Siku out to enjoy the sun and snow, leashless. As many dog owners know, it's hard to find a place to let your dog run free in the city/burbs/anywhere. Especially an extremely curious and hard-of-hearing six-month old Husky who loves to run. Dog runs are OK, but they're not ideal, and since he hasn't had all his shots, we don't take him to them.

Enter a long-lost secret: National Forest Service roads. We found a road that was on the way to Mt. Bachelor that had been snow-cat groomed for x-country skiers, perfectly patted down for a walk. We went in about 100 yards and off came the leash, on came the fun! We saw only two other people in our 3 mile hike - and they were on snowmobiles. Siku ran and ran, jumping in and out of the snow, tackling errant snowballs and generally having a good time.

On the plus side, we learned that he is indeed decently trained and responds to our commands even off-leash. Now, he was no attentive lab who was eagerly awaiting our every word, but if he heard his name, he responded and came to our sides with no problems! At least the last 4 months of training are starting to pay off. We'll definitely be revisiting the NFS roads come summer.

On to the pictures - so you can see how cute our dog is. Notes:
1.) No, he's not for sale.
2.) Yes, he's an all-white purebred Siberian Husky.
3.) No, his coat won't change colors.
4.) Yes, both eyes are blue.
5.) Yes, he sometimes gets away with murder just because he looks so good.
6.) Sometimes he looks like a huge dork.
7.) Sometimes he falls on his face, and it's funny.


The Forest Service Road:



Elisha, enjoying the walk:



Siku, doing his favorite thing:






Siku, jumping after snowballs:






Sometimes he looks like a huge dork:



And sometimes, he proves it:



The closeup:



Finally, our happy, curious, finally leash-free doggie:



And now you're all saying "Please, no more dog pictures." Too bad. They'll keep coming.

A plea for vacation.

I think everyone gets to this point every year, or every six months, or every week...whatever your stance may be, we all need a BREAK. And let me tell you, my vacation-o-meter is off the charts. I need some time off. So bad that I was willing to call my work, tell them I wouldn't be in for the next week, and hop on a plane the next day to go to Hawaii. Prudence and common sense (plus the fact that Elisha was scheduled to work 2 days and wouldn't get some photography editing done) narrowly averted that plan. I mean, we actually thought about this!!

However, the desire still lingers, like a lion stalking an unwary wildebeest. Vacation-fever is like cowbell-fever, there's only one prescription. So, in lieu of a crazy, $1000+ plus spur-of-the-moment trip to Hawaii, we'll have to settle for my parent's house in Sunriver.





It's nice to have parents who own vacation homes that one doesn't have to pay for. So for the next few days, Elisha, Siku and I will be happily lounging in Eastern Oregon, far away from all kinds of things that constantly press on our everyday lives. I think others can sympathize - are there other folks who just HAVE to get away from their place of residence to actually become un-busy? We find ourselves constantly filling our plate with things to do if we're home on the weekend, so much so that a weekend really doesn't feel like a break, it feels like the work of the week with different stuff going on. Instead of work, we're running errands, or cleaning, or trying to come up with something else to do. A weekend with a fireplace, hot tub, good books and good company sounds just like what the doctor ordered.

Oh, and we're already planning our next vacation, and all of you ski/snowboard enthusiasts should join in. Whistler/Blackcomb is holding a weeklong ski/snowboard competition/party and has some great rates - about $200 per person (US) for a 3-night, 4 day stay + 2 day flex lift ticket. We'll be there, will you?

Cooking!

I've decided, in an effort to be healthy and more fiscally responsible, that I need to learn how to cook. It was a painful decision, recognizing that it will involve going grocery shopping (which I compare to undergoing painful torture) and time management (of which I am notoriously hopeless). However, being healthy is important to our overall life, so I'm off on a new adventure (or at least I'm trying to convince myself it will be an exciting adventure so that I have the courage to tackle this new and intimidating thing). With that said, if you have any good recipes that are healthy (and easy!), please send them my way.

Andy is so enthusiastic about this "new" Elisha, that he giddily subscribed me to "Cooking Light" Magazine. Apparently, he thinks that I'll join him in his love for cooking. So far, I haven't had the heart to tell him that I'll probably never EVER love cooking the way he does. But I didn't have the heart to ruin that cute enthusiastic smile he had when I told him I wanted to learn how to cook.

Let me present some evidence of my new endeavors!

Exhibit A:



This is the first part that needs tackling - I'm going to clean the fridge, organize it, and catalog what we have so that I know what I need to get from the grocery store.

Exhibit B:



Tonight's first endeavor. Our very brave friends, Craig and Lauren, have offered to be my test subjects for the night. I'm not sure if our friendship will survive after this or, at the least, if they'll ever let me cook for them again. Please pray for them.

Exhibit C:



This is dessert. Seriously, how wrong can it go? I didn't aim at the very complicated recipes while starting out. I figure I should tackle a little bit at a time. ;)

Exhibit D:



Like I said, I'm not going for complicated. This little cookbook was given to me by my mother when I moved out of the house. Sadly, this is the first time it has ever been opened. Still, the cover says "quick and easy" and when it comes to cooking, that little line had me hooked.

On a different note, I'm trying to figure out how to keep plants alive. Suggestions?

Here's what they look like when I get them:



Then they digress to something more like this:



And then hope starts fading when they look like this:



(this was once a beautiful orchid....)

And they end in their doom, in the garbage can, and all I have left is this:



Some people want to save the world, but I'm still working on trying to save a few plants first. Once I get this plant thing figured out, maybe then I'll take on the world. :)

I need to be more bloggy.

There you have it. Inspired by my high-school friend Allison, I have decided that I need to be more bloggy. Despite being preggo and doing many fancy remodeling projects on their house, she is still able to blog regularly. Perhaps I just need a more interesting life with which to blog about.

Wait. I have a motorcycle (interesting), snowboarding hobby (interesting), a job (somewhat interesting, wait I serve homeless people, so it's interesting), a wife (very interesting, in a good way) and a puppy (very interesting, in a cute-yet-destructive way.) I have things to blog about! So why am I not? The answer: I'm lackadaisical. I must change this. I must share silly things about my everyday life with the world. So here goes. Put my English skills to the test, and see what I can come up with.

First, a picture of my hair(thx Macbook webcam!):


Yeah, bet you never saw that one coming.

Second, a picture of my puppy:


He's much bigger now, that was a month ago.

Third, a picture of my inaugural motorcycle ride for this year (the first purely-for-pleasure):



And uh, yeah. As more interesting things happen, I guess I'll ramble on about it. Elisha and I are going to Sunriver this weekend, so there should be something interesting there. Like...uh...well, we'll just have to wait until we're there to tell you.

The dreams of a bibliophile...

These photos make me want to cry and laugh and dance. I have deep feelings for libraries and my heart skips a beat thinking of visiting these wondrous places:

25 Things

We did these silly "25 Things" Questionnaires on facebook and I thought I would post them here too. Enjoy!

Elisha's 25 Things:

Nobody can be exactly like me. Sometimes even I have trouble doing it."
-- Tallulah Bankhead

1. I hate drinking plain water. It's gross. Unless, of course, it's piping hot - then I'll drink hordes of it.

2. The grocery store makes me feel ill. I try to avoid it at all costs.

3. I have had my license suspended three times. :)

4. When I was a child, I wanted to be a road construction worker so I could play in the street.

5. I have never been a road construction worker.

6. I can do the same thing for days on end. I tend to become a little hyper-focused sometimes.

7. I subconsciously abhor routine. I can't seem to to do things the same way two days in a row.

8. When I read, I have to finish the book in one to two sittings. If I don't, I'll stop reading the book and probably won't come back to it.

9. I spend much of my day inventing imaginary worlds in my mind and dreaming about being in them. I think that's why I love fiction so much - because I love reading about other people's imaginary worlds.

10. I was born and raised in California. When we moved to Oregon, I refused to make really close friends for 3 years because I was determined to move back. I still miss the sun.

11. I have always wanted to live in another country. I still do.

12. I like mud. I used to play any sport that allowed me to get ridiculously muddy because I thought it was so cool to be muddy. I still have issues restraining myself from jumping in mud puddles.

13. Quotes make me happy. Just stick one to two sentences in those little quotation marks and I'll happily read them. - "A book of quotations... can never be complete."
-- Robert M. Hamilton

14. I rarely ever shower. I always take baths. I love the feeling of sinking into a warm tub of water and slowly letting the world outside disappear. I started loving baths when I lived at home and shared a room and a bathroom with my sister. The only time I could be completely left alone to think and ponder life was when I was taking a bath.

15. I love my scars. I feel like they're the story of my life and adventures. My mom always told me that I would regret all the scars that I've achieved over the years, and at the ripe old age of 24, I still have a fond regard for all of them. And I'm excited about all the future scars I'll add to my accomplishments.

16. I've never been afraid of anything, but failing. And of that, I'm terrified.

17. I like surprises, but really I only like trying to figure them out. I don't actually like to be surprised.

18. I used to sleep with a life-sized raggedy Ann doll until I was in high school. I literally loved that doll to pieces.

19. I think that "Tag" should become an olympic sport. I seriously love that game.

20. I love music. I love dancing to music. I love watching other people dance to music. I love how music "expresses that which can not be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."

21. I'm writing a book. It's a secret. You can't read it. Yet.

22. I want to get my PhD, but I don't know what I want to study. Is it possible to just be a perpetual student in a subject like philosophy, political science, or art, and get paid to do it?

23. I'm allergic to perfume. It's horrible.

24. I love the cello. It moves my soul. I want to learn how to play it exceptionally well.

25. My mom is probably my best friend besides my hubby. I can't even begin to explain how much she means to me!


Andy's 25 Things:

1.) I have a strange yearning to go to culinary school. I think it would be awesome to be one of those people who makes delicious, amazing food that nobody would really think of. I would also like to know what each of the spices taste like, what they go best with, and how to use them properly.

2.) I can't do the same thing (and immensely enjoy it) for many hours in a row. For example, if I'm playing video games/watching tv/reading a book, I have to take a break every few hours and do something else. Snowboarding is an exception.

3.) I have never been to the hospital for myself (except when being born.)

4.) When I was a kid, I didn't tell my parents that I wanted to be a firefighter/policeman/astr

onaut/etc. No, I wanted to be the guy that pumped gas. Shootin' high huh?

5.) When I was in high-school, I achieved my childhood dream and worked for 3 months at a Texaco station, pumping gas. Yeah, it wasn't as glamorous as I thought.

6.) I hate bees/stinging insects. I once broke a window killing a wasp.

7.) I have difficulty sleeping in - I have never slept past about 8:30AM without getting up and then going back to bed. Even if I went to bed at 4AM.

8.) My body has a built-in alarm clock - if I've been getting up at a particular time for say, 2 weeks, I'll usually wake up about 5-10 minutes before my alarm goes off.

9.) I once shot our sheep with a BB-gun. I don't think they felt it.

10.) Speaking of sheep, I am constantly embarrassed by the human condition. Have sheep really makes you think about why God constantly compares us to them - and man, they are dumb! So are we. With all the knowledge, communication capabilities and abilities we have, we should be able to achieve much more than we have. Yet some pinnacles of our society include places like Las Vegas, where one goes to actually play a game they know is designed to take their money. We're really smart.

11.) If I could do high-school over again, I think I would - as long as I knew what I know now. (Middle school, heck no.) I'd worry less about what everyone thought and focus more on just being me. I also would have learned to dance sooner so I wouldn't feel like such a tard at dances.

12.) I am a self-driven person who can be extremely cynical of people who can't quit whining and actually go and try to solve their problems. Yes, I realize that your situation may be more difficult than other people's. So what. Lots of people have problems, lots of people have solved them. Complaining and waiting for someone else to fix them for you doesn't work. /end rant

13.) This is getting more philosophical, and maybe less interesting. But coming up with 25 things is tough. I'll work harder now.

14.) I love Costco. I spend way to much almost every time I walk in the door, but it's so cheap!

15.) If something is a really really good deal, I have a hard time not buying it even if I don't really have the money. It's a good deal! I want it! This may not come again! Arrgh.

16.) I used to vehemently abhor Macintosh computers. That was before I needed my computer to run without problems, and without downtime. (It was easy when my computer was just for playing games!) Now I am an ardent Mac supporter and will never buy a Windows machine again. (Here's to 7 months without a computer crash since I got our iMac!)

17.) I used to think I wanted to be a chemist. I even started studying it in College before it was bludgeoned out of me by Chem-222 labs that consisted entirely of titrations (watching one liquid drop into another, waiting for one to turn pink.) I was extremely bored, and said forget that!

18.) I think my joy in chemistry has been brought back by bartending/making drinks. I love to do it. I think if I didn't need my job, and didn't need to build my resume, I'd totally quit and become a bartender.

19.) My nerdiness has somehow diminished. I used to love reading star-wars books and stuff like that. Not so much anymore.

20.) I love riding my motorcycle. It actually makes me wish I was significantly shorter, so I could be better at it.

21.) I am a self-proclaimed foodie - I love trying different restaurants and exploring the world of food. I just wish it was cheaper. Luckily Portland is a good town for lots of small, independent restaurants.

22.) I love bacon!!!

23.) I like my steak medium-rare. Anything else is a sin.

24.) I hate small dogs. They are ugly, yippy and annoying. I will never own one.

25.) My puppy is awesome, and definitely a heartbreaker. I can't tell you how many people have wished that they could have him. But they can't.

The future

These days we've been making a lot of decisions, revising those decisions, scrapping them, and starting over. After deciding to happily shelve the photography business, we've had to ask ourselves - "what now?" After hours of talking, thinking, and wondering, we've gone around in several circles and decided and undecided on different outcomes for our future. Here's what we've been circling around.

1. Elisha gets a "real job" and we buy a house.
2. Elisha and Andy go travel the world.
3. Elisha and Andy start a new business that makes money.

Option 1 sounded too grown up and boring, but financially responsible. So we seriously considered that option for a while. Option 2 sounded fun and irresponsible. So we seriously considered that option for a while. Then we went back to option 1 because it was more responsible. Then we scrapped Option 1 and 2, and thought about a way to make money so that we could do both Option 1 and Option 2. New business ideas arose and we came up with a brilliant one (which we'll keep quiet for now). We then decided to do Option 3 which would open doors for Option 1 and 2 in the future.

And then, option 4 presented itself rather suddenly and unexpectedly. However, option 4 needs a little background before I reveal it to you lovely blog readers.

First, as my last post might have indicated, I've really been feeling a little "bleh" lately about everything, including God. Andy and I have talked a lot about it, and he has been feeling similarly. We've been praying and reading our bibles desperately trying to "fix" whatever is going on. And we're still stuck in this rut.

Then Andy talked with a friend who asked him what he would do if there were no restrictions on him - what he thinks woud bring fulfillment in his life and bring him joy. The first thing Andy thought of was doing was missions overseas - anywhere. When my husband, whose face was glowing when he came home, asked me what would bring me the most joy in my life and would bring me fulfillment, my answer was predictable - missions overseas.

When I said it, a little spark of joy began to bloom in my heart. I felt, for the first time in the last year or so, hope. I understood the verse when Christ said, "I will give you a hope and a future," for the first time in my life. Going from feeling spiritually "blah" to having a hope and a future ahead of me - a future that God gave to me rather than I gave to myself - made me feel alive. At first, I resisted, like I usually do with God. I made arguments like Moses did when God called him - I'm not spiritually ready. I don't have anything to offer. I don't know where we'd go and how we'd do it. I put my excuses on the table and I realized that "where God guides, He provides." I realized that I may not be ready for what God can and will do in my life, but that I'll never be ready if I stay where I am and I don't submit my life to Him entirely. Perhaps in surrending my inability to God, He'll make me more able than my own preparation could ever make me.

I think I've been wandering for the last year or two looking for my place in the world, ignoring the calling that God has put on my life. I knew when I was 11 years old that God had called me to missions. I've always felt most alive and filled with purpose when I've done missions. I have always known where I wanted to be in my life but the last year or two, I had given it up because I thought that God wouldn't want to use me - couldn't use me. And yet it seems, that maybe He does have a purpose for my life beyond simply existing. That His grace is sufficient for me, for His power is made perfect in my weakness.

So here's a toast to God's future for us - for something beyond what I could imagine. I asked God to shake my world and it looks like He's answering. I just thought it would be shaken a little differently. But then, how can we really predict how God will shake us up?