Colorado Trip Photos

Special thanks to Lila and Amy, who accompanied us on our recent trip to Colorado and took most of these photos.

Colorado Trip (67 photos)

Thank you, God!

*Please note: This post contains a wee bit of sappiness and much rambling. If such things cause you nausea, repulsion, or disgust, please feel free to discontinue reading.*

David worked late last night, with the Assembly in session to pass the state budget. I had fallen asleep before he got home, but woke up when he walked in the front door. After chatting with him about the evening and our upcoming trip, he fell asleep...But I was unable to follow suit, excited about our plans to see my family this week and thinking about what needed to be done, and then, reminiscing...

Five years ago this night I was also pretty excited and sleepless. I couldn't stay in bed for the joy and anticipation of what I was going to face the next day -- my wedding to my beloved. I couldn't believe that God had brought David into my life...that a man like him even existed, much more that I would love him so, and he would choose me as the one with whom he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

(On a side note, 7 years, 3 months ago tonight was also a pretty sleepless night for me...Thinking about this boy I had been getting to know was just too much to allow me to rest...That sleeplessness, and a dear roommate's encouragement, prompted me to get out of bed and write him an email, asking David out on our first date!)

Now, (at least before I snuck out of bed to write this post), I lay beside this man, my husband of the last five years, my hand resting on my stomach where our fourth child grows, and truly, I am amazed and awed by the One who gives such good, sweet gifts.

I am also amazed at how God has changed David and I in the last five years. He has taken two young, in-love, but independent beings and melded them into one...I think of all the ways our hearts and thoughts have changed during this time. It truly is a work of God...and yet He is in no way finished with us yet...

I think of David - amazing five years ago - absolutely inspiring today. He loves so fully, so self-lessly, so consistently and persistently. This man is a product of the day-by-day grace of God working in his life. He strives to love as God loves...a truly humbling and inspiring gift in a husband.

And with this all, I eagerly anticipate tomorrow, next year, the next 50 years, if God so chooses to keep us on this earth for that long. Seeing the faithfulness of God over these last years, and throughout history, gives me such hope and joy in what He will accomplish in the future. Though it may contain difficulties, pain, trial and tribulations of any sort, I look forward to what God has in store for us on this earth...and even more so, an eternity with this awesome God.

And, I look forward to seeing how God continues to change David and I...to mold us into the children, the spouses, the parents, the friends and family that He wants us to be. I pray that we will grow in His love and faithfulness...and that we would care more about the lost and dying world around us, that we might more fully and eagerly reflect and point them to the One that created them.

I expect our Danny to be waking up soon, so I'll leave my ramblings here and sneak back into bed...Actually, I hear him now...

Joyfully and thankfully,
Christina

Photos from Tahoe

Weekend at Tahoe (15 photos)

Nearly Five Years...

Can you believe Christina and I have been married for nearly five years? Although our anniversary isn't until July 20, we'll be heading up to Tahoe this weekend to celebrate a few days early.

As we look back over the last five years, we are thankful to God for his abundant grace in bringing us together and blessing us with a great marriage (and cute kids). I'm especially thankful for the tremendous gift of Christina, who is an awesome wife, mother, and friend. It gets harder and harder each year to imagine life without her. And, last but not least, we're thankful for all your support, love, and friendship.

For all of you nostalgic types, here's a slideshow of our wedding photos. More photos from before and after our wedding ceremony are available here.

Online Shopping Tip #1: Research, Research, Research

When the mercury hits triple digits and you have three kids in diapers with naptimes and bedtimes to think about, online shopping becomes a very attractive alternative to traditional shopping venues. Even if you don't have kids, online shopping can be much more pleasant and often less expensive than driving from store to store in search of a certain product at a certain price.

Over the past few years, we've (hopefully) become a bit more savvy at finding deals online. In this upcoming series of posts, we'll share with you a few tidbits of our acquired wisdom in hopes that it might aid you in your shopping endeavors.

Tip #1: Research, Research, Research

Before you buy anything whether online or in a store, take a few minutes to make sure you're not buying junk. The following are a few resources you might want to consult:

Amazon.com: Regardless of whether you ultimately make your purchase on Amazon, the Amazon customer reviews are a great resource. Look for products that have 4 or 5 star ratings, but also skim the actual reviews for further guidance. (Hint: Try sorting the product category results to see which items are bestselling or have the best customer ratings.)

Consumer Reports: For $26/year you can have online access to all of Consumer Reports' great product reviews. If you've never consulted this resource before, you may be surprised how often spending will get you an inferior product rather than a better one. (I have a subscription, so if you're ever planning a major purchase and want to see an article, just let me know.)

Epinions: Another good resource. You won't find a review for every product at Epinions, but when you do they are typically very thorough and informative.

Google: Try searching Google for the particular product and model number you are interested in and add the word "review" to your search. Typically Amazon and Epinions reviews will turn up in the search results, but you'll often find other reviews as well.

Do you have a research tip you'd like to share? If so, feel free to leave a comment.

Save the Smelly Carpet!

This carpet (approximately 7.5' x 5') needs a new home.

By using the adjective "smelly" in the headline of this post, I don't intend to say that the carpet totally stinks... However if one just happens to put one's face close to said carpet, one may detect a slight musty odor that might not rank in one's top 10 list of favorite smells of all time.

But does this carpet's unappealing odor require it to be banished to the dumpster? Say it ain't so!

There are all sorts of possible ways this carpet could be put to good use, including:

• Use it to provide a little extra padding in the bed of that brand new pickup you just purchased.
• Or put it in the garage to create a more comfortable place for your new puppy to hang out.
• Or spray paint it red, so you'll have the appropriate gear handy next time royalty drops by.

The clock is ticking... who will save the smelly carpet?

First one to leave a comment claiming it, gets it. Free delivery for Sacramento residents only.

Piper for $5

This Wednesday and Thursday (June 27-28) Desiring God Ministries is offering all books by John Piper for only $5 each. If you haven't read anything by Piper before, this is a great opportunity to check him out.

As part of my Friday morning Bible study, we've read Desiring God and are currently reading Let the Nations be Glad! I highly recommend both.

If you've read any books by Piper that you would recommend, please feel free to leave a comment.

R.I.P. Sentra

Some of you may remember our old non-air conditioned Nissan Sentra, which Christina used to drive from Colorado to California in 100 degree weather to get to college (and important events like Rodney and Stacy's wedding).

Once we got married and bought the air-conditioned Corolla, the Sentra became my commute vehicle.

Then, just last year, after we bought the minivan, we pawned off the old Sentra on our good friend Andy who lives down the street and attends the same church as us.

Well, I'm sorry to report that the old Sentra may have at last met its demise. But it was in dramatic fashion, at the hands of a drunk driver. Thankfully, no one was hurt. This trusty old vehicle may have even saved someone's life by stopping a dangerous drunk driver in her tracks.

Read all about it and see photos at the Home-schooled Nerd.

$25 Sign-Up Bonus at Prosper.com

Perhaps the 5% return you're making in your high-yield savings account (See "Is Your Bank Robbing You?") is a wee bit too conservative for your taste. You'd prefer to try something a bit more aggressive for a chance at higher returns.

But let's say you don't want to tie your money up in a good long-term investment like a 401K or Roth IRA, since you might be working with a shorter time horizon before you need the money for something like a new car or a downpayment on a house.

You could lock your money up in CDs. Or you could throw it into the stock market and hope for the best. There are, of course, many, many options.

One option you might want to consider is Prosper.com. Here you can lend your money in $50 increments to borrowers for potential annual returns of anywhere from 8% to 12% to 15% to 18% -- you get to pick. Of course, there is some risk that the borrower won't pay you back. But if that happens, rest assured that Prosper at least will send a collection agency after them.

Christina and I have made quite a few loans on Prosper and so far have been very pleased with the way the web site works. Since the loans are 3 years in length, we won't know for some time what our final return will be, but we have a pretty good sense that we'll be doing much better than 5%.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, now might be a good time to check it out. Prosper is currently offering a $25 sign-up bonus for first-time lenders who register and fund a loan within 90 days.

The minimum bid to fund a loan is $50, so this could be an easy 50% return on that money plus whatever you make off the loan. (If you'd like us to get credit for referring you, please use the links in this post or the right sidebar when you sign up.)

Nighty-Night

Hide & Seek

Can you do this?