Date night [in Raleigh]...

This is the first 5-6 week stretch in years of not at least slowing down for a little Friday night date to relax and laugh and enjoy... (yep: years! -since we started dating in November of 2005!!)...

It's also the first Friday night I haven't had to work since we arrived in Raleigh four weeks ago!

So, clearly, we were beyond thrilled to get some reprieve and go enjoy the city we're calling home!


We started with burritos,


a review of J's current project/ideas,

and about a thirty-minute snuggle-nap on the couch...


It was Heavenly!!


By the time we got out the door it was 9pm. Late for us, but we were already feeling quite refreshed and looking forward to getting out...

Fayetteville Street is apparently where things go down in Raleigh.


There was live music,


city lights,


and a Port City Java that rivaled the one in Wilmington (best one ever in my opinion!).

It's so hard to get our head around the fact that we live here.

And that all of this is about 7 minutes from our little abode!

It was a sweet night. So good to relax and spend some time not-striving.
Very refreshing after such long busy weeks!!
<3

(thanks for all the love and prayers! we're definitely encouraged! praying you are too!!)

week in review...

Sunday 3/6: We had a little post-birthday celebration complete with both families (As & Gs) and some sweet sweet friends!

so much love for these three...

Monday 3/7: I got to take pictures of the Rogerson sisters for class!!! So sweet and so fun. Love them and their sweet Mama Jill [who sweetly insists on feeding me when I stop by before class on Wednesdays]!! ♥

sweetness <3

Tuesday 3/8: We got to play field trip at work... AND I got to hang with sweet Myranda until the sun went down. (Why I did not take a picture with MyMy I'll never know...but at least these little ones are nice to look at!:)

Tiny Tales for Tots weekly storytime + 40 ;)

Wednesday 3/9: Ash Wednesday. I counted the [47] days until Easter and considered some ideas for observing Lent...

prayer journal calendar

Thursday 3/10: I picked up this book Jeremy told me about and read the chapter on Lent. Excellent. I'm genuinely looking forward to this little 47 day journey.

Ancient-Future Time by Robert Webber

Friday 3/11: I watched my friend Claire surpass the goal of $5,000 to fund a clean water well through Charity: Water!! Soooo fantastic!!!!

(screen shot from the phone that morning)

Saturday 3/12: Today! :) ... I discovered Picnik thanks to this post by Danielle B! (not sure if I'll use it too much, since my Photoshop class starts in just 3 weeks!! But it sure was fun to make this collage from our beach visit today!!:)

so much fun in the [chilly] sun with this guy! ♥

And there you have it.

What a week.... thankful for this little day of rest!!!

I may just keep blogging like this as time allows.... it helps me capture the highlights and increases my gratitude for all these neat blessings of life.

Love & Peace!

highlights...

Just enjoying the quiet.

Thought I'd take a minute and share some recent highlights...

playing with Instagram... 

Kinda love it! :)

missing my love (Fri/Sat man-excursion)

[Sweet birthday-supper Thursday with the Alford-fam♥]

catching up with my BFF!

Staying up late to skype with Steph in Thailand was a definite highlight... 

learning that she was soon coming home for a visit was EVEN BETTER!! <3

Prepping for a little extended birthday celebration cookout :)

Thank you Sam's Club! :)

mmmm... a late-morning quiet brunch

Especially nice before a busy Saturday!

Seuss Day at work!!

Rarely do I find working on a Saturday worth-it;

this was a nice exception!

And seeing Sweet Bella (& other sweet friends)
 at T&B's wedding today!! <3

Oh weekends, you go too fast...

Thankful tomorrow is Sunday. 

I pray the weather holds and we have a nice time gathering and celebrating the life of my love.

Good words, Bob. done. (love this guy)

Happy weekend, Bloggers. 

Love & Peace to you.

Charleston road trip...

Sweet weekend away with my love...

we slowed down, 

talked, 

listened, 

read, 

dreamed, 

laughed... 

sweet, restful moments... ♥

Friday evening.. Isle of Palms

Saturday sunrise <3

breakfast-chill-time

http://bluebicyclebooks.com/ 

Dave's 30th birthday oyster roast... mmmm! :)

I knew it was good when I returned ready to face the busy work-weeks ahead!

Really good stuff. 

pure thankfulness in this heart of mine... ♥

feels like Saturday...

[...because I'm off work, had time to spend making and eating breakfast with J, and have the rest of the day to PLAY!! ...wooohoo! :]

So... this fall I've been trying out as many pumpkin recipes as I've had time for.... because they're sooo good of course!

pumpkin muffins (the second of 2 tries:)

pumpkin pancakes... mmm!

pumpkin smoothies...

and today, inspired by Jessi C's pre-Thanksgiving post....

pumpkin french toast!!

and they were a hit! :)

I'm also glad to see that I have myself beat from last year's two treats...
*pumpkin cookies and
*pumpkin choc-chip muffins :)

Yay!!

Happy Thanksgiving-eve!! ♥

PS- In all this pumpkin-recipe-trying, I've learned it's more about the spices than the pumpkin... the spices are definitely the important part! :)

Fun with Silly Bands...

I just love these things... even despite the silly band craze; I just think they're great...

from the pack I sent Steph & Jen in Thailand

...so they could be up on what's really going on here in the US ;)

Steph's sentiments: "I feel so American now"
(yes, she was born/raised right here in SC!;)

And a few pics I've sent to show just how cool Silly Bands really are...

our friend & cousin Katyia after lunch one Sunday

my sweet friend Dejunara from Freedom Readers

The other day I gave one to my little friend Carly (Jill's oldest) and I think it made my day more than hers! ♥

Beach Visits... and a new signature!

Oh the glorious beach... Determined not to take this place for granted! ♥

Finally added my signature too!! (Thanks to my savvy husband!)

I've been oogling over everyone else's for some time now... 

like Mary's...

and Happy Together's...

and Courtney's...

  and most photographers I know :) 

Love it, love it! thanks for the inspiration, ladies!! ♥

beach visits & dreaming...

We've had some sweet weather, and sweet chances to enjoy the beach this season.....

We thought the moon was full when we went kite-flying the weekend before, but just a few days later, we got to see the real thing!!

This glorious view wasn't even the best part....
The really good stuff happened as we laid on the blanket and watched the day fade and the stars begin to show, and we talked and dreamed and considered what to do with our fleeting time and brief lives... 

I love feeling small like I do at the ocean
-and especially under the big night sky!

Life goes so fast. 

It's priceless to slow down and consider the days and options ahead...

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." -Ephesians 2:10

And thankfully (Ephesians reminds me) it's more about 'listening' then planning... 

Here's to slowing down, dreaming big, and following wherever He leads... ♥

daily affirmation...

youtube link

Judging from the over-4-million-views this has been around a little while and you may have already seen it, but in the event that you haven't, it's a Must-See!! :)

♥

kite-flying

A perfectly cloudy evening at Huntington....

We even got to see the mostly-full moon over the ocean before we left!

Awesome! ♥

(my good friend Sammie has a kite story too:)

Thanks to Google...

Thanks to Google I know today would be Swedish architect and artist Josef Frank's 125th Birthday!

Love the way they honor special days with a personalized Google!

more Josef Frank goodness for your viewing pleasure...



textiles...



wallpaper...



furiture coverings...



even lamps...

what a guy!