Christmas: Round 1 - A Very Boboth Christmas

Yesterday was simply wonderful. C and I celebrated our first Christmas together… he made us a special breakfast, we read through Luke 2, opened gifts, and relaxed in front of the classic movie, “White Christmas.” Ah, it has been so long since we have had such a relaxing day!

We headed out in the afternoon with Everett and Carrie to go see the Portland Zoo Christmas Lights. Unfortunately, there was zero parking available. So we went out to dinner at the Macaroni Grill (thanks for the recommendation, Lisa!) and went to a showing of the newest Narnia movie, “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” in 3D. Ooooo… Aaaaaaah… (Admission reminded us why we rarely go to movies in theaters!)

Anywho, it was a wonderful kick-off to the great celebration week coming up.  As I write this, we are driving through the beautiful Gorge (thank you, mobile internet) heading up to our good ol’ stomping grounds in Spokane. We are so excited to spend this next week and a half with family and friends.

I better go… gotta get back to our freestyle rapping competition. Pretty sure I’m winning… (although C is clearly dominating the beat-boxing category.)

Our next travel game?  Seeing who can do a better Creed impression. Followed by singing through the alphabet - coming up with a new Christmas song for each letter of the alphabet.

Don’t you wish you could travel with the Boboths?

Merry Christmas Eve Eve!

-Laura

Simply Incredible

Dear Husband,

Congratulations on successfully finishing your first semester of grad school... and finishing with flying colors! You amaze me. You are so smart, so disciplined, so brave.  I am so proud of you...  SO proud... and thank you for spending the first two days of your break cleaning the bathroom, doing all the grocery shopping, making the bed, doing all the laundry, and blessing my socks off when I get home from work.  You blow me away with the creative ways that you love me.

I loved our lunch date yesterday, our dance party last night, and our pasta party tonight.  I love spending time with you. I love being silly with you. You're my favorite person ever.

I am excited for our first "Christmas" tomorrow morning (albeit early) and for all of the Christmases to come.

I love you, CB. You're my hero.

-Laura

A Very Special Day

Everyone has someone in their lives (either past or present) that has affected them dramatically.  As I read through students' application essays, one of the prompt options is to write about someone who has impacted their lives.  90% of those essays are about the student's dad. It has been remarkable to see the consistency with which the Papa-figure shows up in those essays.  They have affected these students' lives either by their presence or by their absence.

Not surprising. There have been studies upon studies done about the impact that a father has on the lives of his children... so impactful, in fact, that the presence, or lack thereof, of a mother has an exponentially smaller impact. (I think my mom is an exception, however :)  

Anywho.... just because I love being one of the statistics, my dad has been incredibly impactful in my life too! He was and is the bedrock of our family. He has led our family oh-so-well with an unparalleled sense of humility and tenderness. He has loved my mom ever-so-faithfully for 29+ years. He has worked tirelessly to support our family, finance our educations, and provide a comfortable life for us. 

My Dad is amazing.  He is a leader.  It does not matter where he goes or how long he has been there, it only takes a matter of minutes before complete strangers are asking him to be this committee's chairman or that group's president etc.  His mere presence commands respect - not in an "I'm lording my awesomeness over you" sort of way; but rather in a servant-leader sort of way.

My Dad has shown me Jesus.  Time and time again.  Whether it was by faithfully teaching it to us, or whether it was simply in the faithful way that he lives his life: my siblings and I know the Gospel and love Jesus more today because of this man.  Also, he is so extremely thoughtful and does things like this and this. 

I will never forget my wedding day. Dad paused just outside the doors of the sanctuary before he walked me down the aisle; he squeezed my hand firmly, and said - with tears in his eyes and an uncommonly shaky voice - "I love you, Lollie. You ready?"  My sweet protector, defender, and hero - I love my daddy.  

I had thought about our Father-Daughter dance for a good majority of my life... Which song should I choose?  Which one would mean the most?  Which one could I hold it together the most without crying?  I thought that I may choose something like "Butterfly Kisses," or "Cinderella," or something uber cliche like that.  However, when C and I got engaged, my Father-Daughter dance song was the easiest decision of the entire planning process!!!  You see, it was my dad that taught me to swing dance. In our kitchen. Often after doing dishes together.  Or any time for no apparent reason.  So we did an awesome swing dance... and I still cried a little.

So, Happy Birthday to one of the most important people in my life!  Thank you for modeling what a godly husband and father looks like.  It really helped me know what to look for. :)  Thank you for faithfully teaching us Christ. You have been a beautiful representation of our Heavenly Father. Thank you for disciplining me so that I wouldn't be a booger. Even though I still am sometimes. Thank you for reminding me to "be a lady," when I wrinkled and contorted my face and making grunting, snorting noises.  Sometimes the desire to be a lady was superseded by the desire to make my little sister laugh.  I love you, Dad!

(Growing up, Dad would lift us up to put the angel on the top of the tree... no matter how old we got)

 Hiking to Hot Springs in Fairmont, BC

Spring Break 2010

July 10, 2010

Father-Daughter Dance

I make no apologies for the length of this blog.  As I reread through it, I still didn't do him justice... I could ramble on and on.  My dad is an amazing man... and he makes turning 50 look good!  I love you, Dad!!

-Laura

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas!!

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE this time of year??  Though the mountain of dishes nearly exceeds the cookies yeilded... it is always absolutely worth it. Now my biggest problem is finding a place to store them all!

Cookies Galore!

Ah, a happy kitchen, indeed!

Stayed tuned tomorrow... there is a very special birthday coming up...........

-Laura

What was she thinking??!!!

Being newly married and enjoying this life of newlywedded bliss, we are not particularly in a hurry to settle down and procreate just yet.  Perhaps, if the Lord wills, someday we may; but it is not in our immediate plans. Well, that was an interesting segue into what I had intended to write about...

I think about the following subject often throughout the year, but during this particular season it is especially at the forefront of my mind. In the Christmas narrative - detailing the not-so-glorious arrival of the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace, perhaps the character that strikes me most is that of Mary, Christ's mother.  As I sat at breakfast the other morning with Cole, we talked about how crazy this time of year must have been for her. (yeah, yeah, yeah... I know Jesus likely wasn't born on December 25th, but work with me here!)

What must she have been thinking?  I can't even begin to imagine what would have been going through her mind... An illegitimate pregnancy? Public scorn? Wait, the Holy Spirit will come upon me?? Nevertheless, her teenage response to the news of her impending pregnancy was astounding and mature beyond her years. She said, "I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled."  She was undoubtedly scared, but answered calmly and faithfully.

Anywho, one of my favorite, favorite Christmas songs (aside from the traditional "O Holy Night" and "O Come, All Ye Faithful" - because you just can't beat those) is this song sung from Mary's perspective.
Check it out. It's catchy :)  If I ever played Mary in a Nativity, I'd sing this.



Sweet Savior, thank you for giving up Heaven to come meet us here - you could have left us on our own, but You're here...  Emmanuel, God with us. There is no greater gift than this.

Merry Christmas!

-Laura

A Simple, Well-Deserved "Thank You"

In case you haven't heard, my sweet husband is a stud.  Never before have I seen someone so dedicated, so disciplined, or so smart... He gets up early and stays up late studying and spends the majority of his days in class - and yet, he still finds time to take out the trash, help out with the laundry, and treat me like a princess.

For example, today found me bedridden with a migraine.  And, though he is up to his neck in finals, he made time in the middle of his coveted study-time to come home to make sure I was doing ok and resting comfortably.  Awwwww...

I have been blessed beyond what I deserve with this man... Thank you, Lord, for my sweet husband, my prince charming, my hero, my dream-come-true.  Thank you, Cole, for working so hard for us, for being such an amazing husband and student, for your wisdom, and for leading our family so well.  I am so proud of you and I love you more than you can imagine... you are truly my greatest earthly treasure.

If you think of it, you can be praying for my sweet man this week as he tackles his 7 finals!

World's Best Future Eye Doctor Studying Hard!

-Laura

Weekend Recap: 2-in-1 Birthday Fun!

Well, due to a busy schedule, last weekend's recap remained unsung... and so this weekend will have to share its recap space on the blog.

Last weekend, we had tickets to the Seahawks game on Sunday... my Schlect grandparents live in Olympia, so we decided to drive up on Saturday evening to spend a little time with them.  It was a wonderful time of great conversation, delicious food, and card games. (At which Grandpa handily defeated us. Standard.) The football game was so fun on Sunday... and since a picture is supposedly worth 1,000 words, I will cease this babbling and just show you pictures of the wonderful day with my hubby.

We had to stop at Safeco field on our way to the game to pay our respects to the beloved Dave Neihaus.

 Beautiful Seattle Morning!

Breathtaking!

Cole's Silly Hat

SO Happy Together!

This week was a whirlwind of finals for Cole and application reviewing for me... it flew by; and, before we knew it, the weekend was here again.  

Friday was my 23rd birthday and my sweet man - once again - just knows how to make me feel like a princess.  He made me a special breakfast and sent me out the door with a kiss. :) My coworkers took me out to lunch - and it was such a nice time.  Then, around 3pm, my coworker and I were startled by a small handful of pebbles being thrown at our office window.  Down below stood my handsome husband with the biggest, beautifullest bouquet of roses and lilies that I had ever seen - but I was more excited just to see him in the middle of my work day!

Due to the fact that Cole has finals coming up this week, I was not expecting to do anything particularly special on my birthday (He has ridiculous amounts of studying to do for his 7 - count that, seven! - finals this week.)  But he surprised me and told me that he had dinner reservations for us.  When we walked into the restaurant and began to head towards our table, I froze. There before me sat my wonderful parents!!!!!!!  They flew down to spend the weekend with us!  Needless to say, I was surprised out of my  mind!   It was great... I have missed them so much!   So we have spent these last two days with them and it has been awesome!  We came back to our apartment and opened gifts.  Can I just tell you how thoughtful my husband is?! I married an incredible guy.  He has made these last 2 years the best years of my life!

So we are off to church shortly and getting ready for another week. Thank you, Lord, for an incredible husband and parents and family and twenty-three years of Your love and grace!

 Birthday Flowers from my sweet man :)

-Laura

Making a List... Checkin' it Twice!

Greetings to all you wonderful readers out in blog-land!

I have a favor to ask of you.  Well, once upon a time, I heard that, once a couple gets married, they are now their own family entity unto themselves. I'm good with that. In fact, I agree joyfully and wholeheartedly. The only drawback: Mom won't write my Christmas letter this year.

So, the first annual Boboth Christmas Letter is in the works!  I can guarantee that it is just about as exciting and sarcastic as this blog.

And now where YOU come in... we have some addresses, but we also do not have a lot that we'd love to have. (If that didn't confuse you, congratulations.)

SOOOOoooooo, if you have moved and changed your address, if you are a newer-ish friend and do not think that we already have your address, or if you are just a regular reader and would like to receive a copy of our - wait for it - First Annual Boboth Christmas Letter, then send your mailing address to lboboth@gmail.com. (That is my email and I promise not to sell your information.)

Ok, that's all...

-Laura

Our First Christmas Tree!

Christmas season has officially arrived at the Boboth household! Tuesday night, my wonderful husband and I ventured out into the western Oregon rain to find our first Christmas tree! Both having been raised solely on real Christmas trees, the "Fake vs. Real Tree debate" was far from being a point of contention for us; and was, in fact, no debate at all.

Since we were without a handsaw to cut our own, we were relegated to buying one from a local Boy Scout troop in the Safeway parking lot. The 10 year-old that helped us provided some of the best customer service I have ever received in my life. And he was adorable as he elaborated on the differences between Douglas Firs and Nobles. We found our cute “Noble” tree, loaded it up in the car (note: not on the car like most trees… this one came in the car J), and headed home to get it dried off and beautified.

(Sidenote: Growing up, my dad was always the hero that wrestled with the tree and the strings of lights until the whole tree and room glowed beautifully. The task of putting lights on a tree has always struck an irrationally anxious chord in my heart.  So, since I was 9, I prayed that I would marry a man who would be skillful with Christmas lights – God answered my prayer and then some!)

As it turns out, I married a hero Christmas tree/light-wrestler too! Cole expertly wove the lights into the tree with uncanny ease until our room was glowing wonderfully.  With a Christmas classic on TV (Home Alone) and eggnog in our glasses, we toasted to the Christmas season and decked the boughs and the halls and all that Christmassy jazz. (yes, that is indeed how you spell, “Christmassy.”)

Christmas Decorations: (Wreath, Poinsettias, CINNAMON SCENTED Pine Cones!!!, and the tree)

So now our lovely abode is all bedecked with tree, gifts, wreaths, poinsettias (I know how to spell that word because of my 3^rd grade spelling bee, thankyouverymuch) and all sorts of Christmas cheer. It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  I cannot tell you how much fun this has been to make this place our home. And my heart is ridiculously excited to share this holiday with my remarkable husband. Christmas always seems to be such a romantic time of year… now, much more so than ever since I get to share it with Cole, the love of my life.

After we finished decorating the tree, he wrapped me up in his arms and said, “I have a feeling this is going to be the best Christmas ever… because we’re together!”  Try to tell me that I didn’t marry a gem. I dare you.  Moral of the story, 5 months later, I’m still living in a dreamworld with my amazing man.  I fall more and more in love with him every day!  And I just LOVE this time of year!

Welcome to December and Merry Christmas!

-Laura

Weekend Recap: Thanksgiving Edition

This blog is brought to you by my good friend Tyler. Noting my 8-day absence from the blog, he was in need of an update. And so I present, the long-anticipated: Weekend Recap –Thanksgiving Edition!

This last weekend was a nice and long one.  I got off of work at noon on Wednesday and we packed up the car and drove to Sunnyside to spend Thanksgiving with the Boboth clan. We had a great time on Thursday eating delicious food, watching football, and just spending time together.  In typical Boboth fashion, there were three, count it “THREE,” choices of meat at our feast. The Glockners were wonderful hosts for the beautiful evening, and it was, as always, such a delight to spend time with my awesome new family.

Us with our Cousin Andy and his girlfriend, Angie.

(isn't Cole handsome?)

Friday found all 5 of us headed to Yakima to pick up my brother-in-law at the bustling Yakima airport… we spent the morning in a golf shop looking for golf clubs for Cole, (belated birthday gift) and our outing was topped off with a lunch stop at the legendary burger joint, Miners. Best burgers ever.  That afternoon we play a lot of Settlers of Catan and watched Boise State play an awful game of football. (Heartbreaking wasn’t it, Val?)

Saturday was a Girls’ Day with my mother-in-law! I got my hair cut and we both got manicures. It was such a special time with an incredible lady… I’m so thankful that I get to call her “Mom.” Cole and Everett spent the afternoon playing ice hockey, so I got my in-laws all to myself! I sure enjoyed my time with them!  Saturday evening, Cole and I got to catch up with some old friends from college… it was so refreshing to see them.  Thanks for your hospitality, Josh and Marisa!

We wrapped up our holiday weekend on Sunday with church (Special Sermon Guest: Everett Boboth!), lunch with the Flodins (more family), and a safe trip home.  When we got home, Cole presented me with an early birthday gift: internet!  So now I can blog from home!  What a guy! J

And now we’re halfway through the week… and it’s been an eventful week!  So you can be watching for more updates from the Boboths soon!  (we wouldn’t want to keep Tyler in suspense…)

And although Thanksgiving is over, let us not cease to give thanks for all the blessings that we have received from His bountiful hands!

-Laura