Two Years Ago Today - 01.30.09

Two years ago today, on January 30th, 2009...

You stood below my window then texted me and told me to look outside.

You ran up my stairs with roses in hand.

You asked me to be yours.

01.30.09

Two years and one day ago today, you asked my dad's permission to pursue me.

And you have done just that everyday since then.

Thank you for choosing me.

Thank you for loving me.

I love you, Cole!

-Laura

PS-Then a year later, he did [this]...

Valentine's Day Decor, What the What?!

While I have never been a huge Valentine’s Day Hater, I have never really been the holiday’s biggest enthusiast. (Especially since I have not been able to find the original candy hearts. Boo.) Either way, for some reason this year, the house seemed like it needed a bit of cheer after the delightful Christmas tree was taken down and the January gloom set in.  So I put on my creative hat and put together these fun and easy (and kinda corny) Valentine’s Day decorations. 

Yes, this is made out of book pages. My apologies to The Analysis of Flannery O'Connor.

Hung above the TV

Paper Hearts - Just like 1st Grade!

Sewing Paper... Weird.

Paper Heart Garland above the Staircase

Closeup



-Laura

Simple as Pizza and Beer

Last night, we had to honor of hosting Carrie and Everett for dinner and games.  We had homemade pizzas, brownies, and topped the night off with some Settlers of Catan.  I photo-documented the night primarily for my mom and sisters - my kindred spirits in the homemade pizza department.

Pepperoni, Olive, & Canadian Bacon 

Before

After

Canadian Bacon & Pineapple

aka Cole's pizza of choice. 

Before

After

Chicken Feta Pesto Feta Garlic Olive and Feta

aka, MY pizza of choice.

Before

After

 Oh, and THE brownies.

Yummy. Now it's time to hit the gym. Mom, Kelly, and Kelly, this is just a feeble attempt to get you to come visit us. :)

-Laura

Secrets to Dating on a Budget

Being newlyweds and with Cole in grad school, I'm sure you can guess that we're not exactly "rollin' in the dough." (Except for tonight... we had homemade pizza and I can assure you that I was rolling in the dough...)  That said, with limited disposable income, we have had to get creative with ways to "date on a budget."

Sidenote: I am blessed to have married a man who continues to woo and pursue me even though we are on the other side of "I Do." He does, indeed, treat me like a princess.

Anywho... I compiled a list for all of my newly-wedded (and oldly-wedded) friends who are, like us, trying to keep dating their spouse without breaking the bank.

1. Adjust your expectations.  While it is not necessarily acceptable for spouses to cease any form of romantic adventures once they cross the altar, it is very different than when a couple is dating. For example, I know many unmarried guys who are nearly penniless because they spare no expense on their girlfriends. They may be able to do so when they have parents paying for school, taking care of health insurance, etc. (Not that those are bad things for parents to do...) But that girl may be in for a shock when, once the couple marries and the cost of insurance is a reality, it makes an extravagant night out quite impossible.  But I digress... All I'm saying is that it should not be expected - by either spouse - that a date night must cost a fortune. And it should not be assumed that if it doesn't  cost an arm and a leg, then their spouse must not love them as much as so-and-so's husband who took his wife to the ballet last week.

2. Two Words: Happy Hour.  Though we often fail to plan ahead enough to arrive early to a restaurant, Cole and I really like to try to make it in time for Happy Hour at a given restaurant.  Not only are there excellent prices for menu items that, only an hour later, will be twice their current price, but it's the same food made in the same kitchen. And who needs to eat a full restaurant portion-size anyway? This way, you save your wallet and your waistline.  Last night, my husband surprised me and took me out to the cutest restaurant in Hillsboro, The Venetian. I had been wanting to check it out... It is your standard bistro fare, and it was delicious!  We even had a magician come up to our table and do some tricks! We highly recommend that place!

3. Movie Matinee.  If you absolutely must go to a movie in theaters - which we avoid like the plague - then aim for the matinee. It's 75% of the regular cost to see the same movie. And hey, when it's over, you're done in time to catch Happy Hour!

4. McMenamin's Grand Lodge.   Sorry, out-of-town readers, this tip is just for locals. McMenamin's Grand Lodge shows movies for free! And you can drink beer in the theater. Ok, that's just cool. We have seen Megamind, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and last night we saw The Social Network - all without paying a thing! Well, we did pay for the popcorn.

5. Talk.   Call me crazy. Call me a starry-eyed newlywed. But after a long week of running back and forth and work and studying, I love a quite night at home just talking with my man. Asking each other random questions to learn to love each other better - ie, How did you feel loved this week? How can I love you better next week?    No TV on, laptops closed. Just talking. PS - It's free and rewarding as ever.

6. Park It!  Today was the first day of sunshine in what has seemed like eternity!  So, armed with our trusty aerobie (courtesy of Brian and Kelly Marie!), we took off to the park to toss it around.  We ran around that park for an hour... laughing until we were gasping for air.  Exercise. Laughter. Free. We think it is so important to have fun together.

There are a million other secrets that I'm sure you've dreamed up... and I'd love to hear them!  I just wanted to pass along some of the fun things that we have found to do when we want a "night out."  But then again, a night in is always nice too :)



Happy Dating!

-Laura


PS - I'm working on a fun Valentine's craft and I can't wait to show you!!

Missionary Cereal Granola

The summer before I entered the 8th grade, my family and I went on a mission trip to Ecuador for 2 weeks. We stayed with Tom and Lois Fulghum - who were missionaries in Quito working with HCJB Radio (among like a zillion other ministries).  It was an incredible 2 weeks.

One of the more minor ways that I was impacted by that trip was with this recipe.  Lois made this for breakfast - to be eaten with milk or yogurt, but always with fresh fruit juice made with fruits that I could hardly pronounce and had never heard of. 

I was recently reintroduced to the recipe and had to make it!  So here you have it... The delicious (and surprisingly easy) Missionary Cereal - (more commonly referred to as granola).

Missionary Cereal
 
12 C. Oatmeal (not quick cooking - the OLD FASHIONED kind)
2 C. coconut
2 C. chopped nuts - the best are pecans (Confession: I omitted these since my husband and I are not fans of nuts in cookies, cakes, granolas etc. FYI, my mom just cringed a little as she read that, I'm sure.)
2 T. cinnamon
1 T. vanilla
1 1/4 C. honey
1 1/4 C. oil
 
Mix dry ingredients well. Cook honey and oil together over medium-high heat, stirring til steaming hot. 

Pour over oats mixture and stir to mix well. Spread in 2 or 3 9 x 13 pans, or one very large roasting pan.
Bake for 1 hour at 275 degrees, stirring every 20 minutes. 
Add raisins after granola has cooled if you like. (Which I didn't because, well, we don't like those either. Mom cringed again.)

I  3/4'd the recipe because there are only two of us and we simply won't go through it and because I failed to plan well and only had 3/4 the amount of oatmeal required. Oopsie.  Also, all I had was the quick oats - bad idea. It didn't "glob" up like granola is supposed to do.  And next time, I'll probably add flax seed and wheat germ to add some more nutritional value to it. (Mom just un-cringed. And sighed a sigh of proud accomplishment at having her daughter FINALLY see the value in both flax seed and wheat germ.)

Anywho, there you have it! An inexpensive breakfast cereal, snack, etc... 

Thanks, Mom!

-Laura

PS- I'm listening to [this] right now and it's phen-om-en-al. (You know it's good when I spell it out in syllables!)

Wonderful Waterlogged Weekend!

This past weekend, my wonderful hubby whisked me away to the beach for a weekend of relaxation and refreshment. After a busy and tough week, it could not have come at a better time...

We drove over to the charming town of Seaside and stayed in a cute hotel. From the time we arrived until the moment we left, it was storming so fiercely that the rain was coming in sideways. Even though the weather severely limited our time outside, it was so nice to hunker down inside the cozy hotel, read, talk, and just spend time together. The only rules for the weekend were: no cell phones, no laptops, and no homework.

We set some goals for the coming year, talked about school, our future, our faith... My husband has an uncanny way of making me feel loved and known and pursued and appreciated. We played a lot of card games and had an epic air guitar competition.  Although, after my incredible performance of Journey's "Don't Stop Believing," my husband graciously bowed out of the competition.

Venturing out into the coastal storm, we went to dinner at an incredible seafood & steak joint. Cole had the clams and I had the steak.  Phenomenal.

                                              Before                                                   After

                  

 

Our Cute Room - I loved the bay window!

                                

The crazy adventure came when we tried to head home on Sunday... We had barely pulled out of the hotel parking lot when we were stopped by a flagger on the side of the road.  The main road back to Forest Grove was closed to all traffic due to a landslide.  SOOOooooo.... we had to drive up through Astoria, stretching the normally 1 hour trip into a 2 1/2 hour trip.  Even then, the water was so high at points, the ocean was splashing up onto the road! We were thankful to make it home safe & sound - to say the least!

It was an absolutely wonderful weekend... leaving us both refreshed for a new week and reminding me - once again - what an incredible guy I married!

Happy Tuesday!

-Laura

Finding Rest...

For the past couple of weeks, I have been mildly wrestling with– albeit on-and-off – feelings of discouragement, anxiety, frustration, and just generally feeling overwhelmed.  It has felt as though, at times, I am crushed under the weight of this feeling – I just haven't been myself! Well, last Wednesday, God threw me a lifeline in the shape of a conversation with a good friend.  She listened caringly, spoke truth into my life, and gave me this passage and this passage to read. What an encouragement!

It was upon this passage that the following song was crafted.  This song has become an anthem for me. A hopeline, a reminder of where our hope and our rest must come from…

I am imperfect. And, contrary to what people say, I do not have it all together. I am a cracked piece of pottery… and it is my hope that, only as the cracks become more and more evident, the light of the Potter may shine even brighter.

I hope you find rest today too.

-Laura

Listen to these:
        -All I Have Is Christ - "You bore the wrath reserved for me. Now all I know is grace."

        -Jesus, I Am Resting

One Year Ago Today -01.09.10.- I said, "Yes"

One year ago today, on January 9th, 2010...

You took me to a park and took me by complete surprise.

You wrote me a sweet poem - and recited it to me.

You told me you loved me for the first time.

You asked me to marry you.

I said yes............

Best.Decision.

Ever.

One year later, I'm more in love with you, more captivated by you, more in awe of God's grace at giving me you.  Thank you for asking me to be your wife! It has truly been the joy of my life.

Your proposal was so thought-out, so romantic, so perfect. I loved it. Thank you for making this video for me so that we can relive and enjoy this special moment for years to come! (And thank you to all of our family for making that day so special. And thank you, Zach, for editing this video for our reception!)

I love you, CB, and I wouldn't change a single moment of our life together. 

Love you to the moon...

-Your Wife

In Case You Missed It: Our 1st Christmas Letter!

In case you missed our Christmas letter this year, here is your complementary copy!  If you want to get on the Boboth mailing list, just send your mailing address to lboboth@gmail.com. And now, the first annual Boboth Christmas letter: 

Merry Christmas! We hope this letter finds you well as we celebrate this wonderful season remembering the birth of our sweet Savior! 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. And so we introduce to you: the first annual Boboth Christmas letter!

Wow!  How do you sum up a year in one letter? This year has been a whirlwind from start to finish!  And as we look back over the year, it is undeniable to see the fingerprints of God’s grace and faithfulness all throughout our 2010 story. 

Cole set the tone for the year by kicking it off with an incredible proposal in January. Naturally, I said, “Yes!” - setting in motion the wheels of wedding planning! While I finished up my Senior year at Eastern Washington University, Cole spent the spring delving into the wonderful world of optometry at his dad’s clinic in Grandview. 

In February, Cole had the opportunity to travel to Mexico with his dad on a mission trip to give eye exams and free eye glasses. The trip only served to fuel his passion for eye care, and demonstrate to us that distance truly does make the heart grow fonder.

I graduated in June with Bachelor’s degrees in Marketing Management and Human Resource Management in one hand and a countdown to our wedding in the other. One month later, on July 10, I married the man of my dreams and so was born the newest Boboth family. Thank you to all of our dear family and friends that celebrated that wonderful day with us!

We spent ten glorious days in Maui on our honeymoon learning to snorkel, surf, and manage sunburns.  It was incredibly wonderful and relaxing!  In late July, we moved down to Forest Grove, Oregon, where Cole started the Pacific University College of Optometry in August.  In God’s perfect timing, I got a job at Pacific U as an admissions counselor, recruiting high school students.  It has been so much fun to work at the same place that my wonderful husband attends grad school!

Throughout the fall, I traveled quite a bit for my job, and was relieved when travel season was finally over. Cole has stayed ridiculously busy with school, and he never ceases to impress me with his incredible discipline in his studies. He is doing so well – leaving no doubt in my mind that he will make an incredible eye doctor!

We have been blessed beyond measure in our new life together down here in Forest Grove.   We found a great church family and a delightful Bible study therein.  Cole’s brother and sister-in-law live 5 blocks away from us and have provided a never-ending source of encouragement, joy, and companionship. We are truly enjoying making this place our home. And we love visitors! So, if you are in the area, just let us know!  We are rendered speechless as we marvel at God’s exceeding grace to us this year… and we cannot wait to see what He has in store for 2011!  Merry Christmas!

Love,

Cole & Laura

IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Boboth Baby #1 of the next generation is a girl!  Today my sis-in-law got her 18-ish week ultrasound and it was lacking in *ahem* all the right places.  So I'm going to have a NIECE!!!!!

She is so beautiful already and perfectly healthy!    See?

I'm kindofreallytotallystinking thrilled to be an aunt!  Cole said that I was so excited, people might think that I was the one who was going to have the baby.  I really don't care all that much!  I'm already having too much fun picking out girl outfits for that super awesome kid!  :)  

We enjoyed a celebratory dinner out with the proud parents tonight... what a blessing to have family so close! Congrats, E&C, I can't wait to hold sweet Elsie Rose Boboth! Hurry up, baby!

That's all for now, folks! It's hard to type and do my "I'm-gonna-have-a-niece" dance simultaneously.

-Aunt Laura

Our Top 10 Moments of 2010

Dear 2011,

We are very excited to see what you have in store for us.  We anticipate that this year we will become an uncle and aunt (courtesy of E&C), a second year optometry student and admissions counselor, and hopefully a better husband and wife. 

We will celebrate our first anniversary, mourn the moving-away of our brother-, sister-in-law, and niece, and ask each others’ forgiveness a lot.  We look forward to opening our home for more dinner parties and “HIMYM” marathons. We have some pretty high expectations of you because, well, you see, 2010 was really, really good to us.  It set the bar really high. Just so you know what you have to live up to, here is a “Top 10” sampling of the great hand that 2010 dealt us:

1. Cole pulled off the most epic proposal ever. Hollywood’s got nothin’ on him.

2. He was also able to spend some time in Mexico helping people see better.

3. I graduated from college.

4. Um, well, I kind of married my bestie. Highlight of my life.

5. Ten days in Maui?  Yes, please.

6. We moved into our new home. We LOVE it here!

7. I got my first “big kid” job. Insurance and vacation, holla!

8. Cole aced his first semester of grad school. What a stud!

9. We got to spend nearly 2 weeks at home with family over the holidays.

10. God has proven time and again how good and gracious He is. He is epically faithful and eternally patient.  

He still loves us even though we mess up. A lot.

So, 2011, there you have it.  The bar is set pretty high.  I sincerely hope you can rise to the occasion; and I have high hopes that you will.

-Laura

Country Livin'

Just a few pictures I snapped during our freezing cold walk.

The Vinyards

A Boy and His Dogs

Mom & Dad Boboth's Place

Us

-Laura

Christmas 2010 Highlights

Musing with extreme thankfulness and awe at God’s faithfulness, we are coming to the end of our relaxing 12 day vacation. I am overwhelmed at God’s faithfulness in providing a job that allows this time off. I am amazed at God’s grace in allowing Cole to attend school. I am blessed beyond belief at the love of our families. Best. Christmas. Ever.

Since our break (and my sabbatical from the blog) has been quite extended – and because I just adore lists – I decided to compile a “Top 20” list of the highlights of our break to keep this blog from becoming too long-winded. Or something like that.

1. The 7-hour car ride with my husband. Rapping contests, Odyssey, and singing at the tops of our lungs – all with my best friend of all. It was pretty rad.

2. Singing “Twas the Night Before Christmas” with the Brennans after an early Christmas – then begging Grandma to keep playing so we could sing with her. Can you say “happy place”?

3. Cooking in the kitchen with my mom and sisters. (Note the plural there. Love it!!)

4. Listening to game after game of Ping-Pong between my husband, brother, dad, and sister. Love family bonding.

5. Christmas Eve Advent time with family. Luke 2 and Linus. Falling asleep to “Elf.”

6. Christmas morning with my amazing family. Egg Dish, Cinnamon Rolls, Crosswords, Euchre, and my hubby – it does NOT get better that that!

7. Christmas dinner with ALL 22 Schlects around the table!

8. Talking with my cousins and realizing what incredible people they’re growing up to be.

9. Talking with my aunt for nearly 2 hours about… well, everything. Her wisdom and humble advice encourage and challenge me. I could have done that all day.

10. Staying with my brother and his wife. Watching Cole and Brian play with their helicopters in the kitchen with the focus and determination of elated 10 year-olds!

11. Watching Cole play with the cousins. He’s going to be a great daddy. Seriously, though.

12. Listening to my dad and his brothers play cards. The Schlects are just a little competitive and a lot sarcastic.

13.  Working on a puzzle for nearly 8 hours straight.  Don’t judge me.

14. A double date with my hubby, parents, pizza, and card games until midnight. Possibly THE highlight of the break!

15. Crashing Winter Conference to see old college friends. So. Much. Fun. I loved hearing from those of you who read the blog. :) 

16. Bathroom sink chats with my sister.

17. Talking with my sister-in-law for nearly 6 hours. Straight.

18. “Christmas Dinner” at Wine O’clock in Prosser. And the Boboth Christmas celebration that followed.

19. Realizing that Sunnyside, or rather the people there, really are my family too. One of the greatest blessings of marriage has been inheriting another incredible family.

20. Our “Girls Day.” Hair, nails, lunch, and a movie with my mother- and sister-in-law. Side note: Tangled is a movie worth seeing.

21. New Year’s Eve with some old college friends. Life-threatening fireworks came at no extra charge.

22. Relaxing with the Boboth family around the newest Shrek movie. J

23. Being reminded -day after day- what an incredible family I have been given and what an incredible family I have married into.  Thank you, Jesus.

It has, indeed, been a great break.  It is with great reluctance that I set my alarm clock tonight for work tomorrow. This time with family and friends, however, has been exactly what we needed. It was so much fun – full of great conversations, a heck of a lot of laughter, encouragement, and card games.  While it is harder than ever to say goodbye, I can take solace in the knowledge that we will get to do it again next year.  So I will sniff back those tears burning in my eyes and look forward to the next time we’re home again.  God has been so incredibly gracious and faithful to us.

-Laura