Speedy Delivery!

Without a doubt, my favorite part of the Mr. Roger's Neighborhood tv show was when Mr. McFeely would bring his exciting packages - delivered with a cheery, "Speedy Delivery!"  (Though looking back, could you create a creepier name for a delivery guy?!?!) But I loved it...  He always brought the most interesting things!

Anywho, around 4:50pm yesterday, as I was wrapping things up in my office, I got a special delivery of my own from someone far more handsome and charming.

Carrying fresh flowers from the local farmers market, my sweet man strode into my office and whisked me up in a huge hug... you'd think he hadn't seen me in weeks!  What a guy...  :)  

Then, this morning (before the sun was up), I got the sweetest text wishing me "Happy 29 Months Together!"   Seriously, he thinks of everything.

Best 29 months of my life, Babe.  

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Cleaning House

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We have a small house.  It’s cozy, and it suits us well.  In fact, I love having a small house. It makes cleaning a million times easier.  I have perfected the art of cleaning our entire place in under an hour.  It is quite convenient because if we have company coming over, I know the few specific places that need to be straightened up at any given time.

That said, I find myself doing quite a few ‘quick clean-ups’ here and there, but neglecting the truly deep clean that is necessary. The bed gets made and the bathroom floor gets swept often, but the shower doesn't always get scrubbed.

Interestingly, I find that same habit in my life.  I spend much of my time doing ‘quick clean-ups’ of my attitudes or my behavior, but neglecting the dirty work of deep cleaning my heart.   On the outside, everything can seem sparkling clean, but inside, there may be shower scum in my heart that has been neglected for far too long. For example, I may temporarily treat the symptoms of disrespect, but ignore the root issue of pride.

I am thankful for the people that God has placed in my life who stick around long enough, or ask the hard (but necessary) questions to expose the not-so-scrubbed-up parts of my heart. And then, lovingly stick around to help me clean it up. 

We could all use a good scrub-down every once in awhile… or in my case, daily. Praising God for His grace: today and everyday.

“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” – Psalm 51:7

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Weekend Recap: Bulldogs and Blessings

Due to the dizzying pace of life lately, the Mr. and I intentionally didn't schedule anything this weekend... so that we could spend some much needed time together.  I love spending time with this guy... It was utterly blissful.

Goofball

The sun was out on Saturday so we were off to picnic at Mt. Tabor - a place in Portland where you are in the city, yet feel completely removed.  We took our Bibles, books, and notebooks and spent a wonderful afternoon just reading in the sun and basking in the incredible view. I truly cannot convey how sweet this time was with my sweet man.

Also, we saw a young couple get engaged and an English Bulldog skateboarding.  Pretty bomb people watching, if I do say so myself.

We came home, got cleaned up, and skyped with our favorite family of three and cheered for the Mariners as they broke our hearts in another loss.

This morning, we were extremely blessed to gather together with our church in a park for our church service.  Yes, church in the park... it was pretty fantastic. Also, it was an excellent reminder of how blessed we are to be a part of this amazing church family.

While Monday comes, yet again, all too soon, we are thankful for this sweet time together and look forward to the coming weekends that will be filled to the brim with family!!

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What did YOU do this weekend??

Not Every Girl Gets Proposed to Twice...

The other day I was doing some cleaning and I came across this beautiful, sparkling ring.  It had been stashed away in my drawer for nearly a year now.  You see, it was with this ring that the Mr. proposed for a second time.

Not that his first proposal needed to be improved upon. (See?) It’s quite comical actually.  But I must backtrack a bit. 

The Mr. purchased my engagement ring and my wedding band at different stores, which meant that there was some custom work to be done to have them soldered together.  (Leaving the 4^th finger on my left hand bare for nearly 6 weeks before the wedding) Also, while we were dating, the Mr. took me out to dinner every month on the 30^th to celebrate the day we began dating.  

It was after one of these such dates, that my man surprised me and took me to Walmart (yes, Walmart, because it was only for 6 weeks afterall…) to pick out a replacement for the time that my real ring was ‘in the shop.’

So ten minutes and eight dollars later, we were back in the car headed home, I assumed.  But then he made a wrong turn… (?)  When I asked him where he was headed, he wouldn’t say.

Sure enough, he took me back to the very place he had proposed the first time, and -despite the wet ground - got down on one knee, and asked me to be his forever, once again.  Blown away by his thoughtfulness and romantic-ness (and spontaneity), I had no choice but to say ‘yes.’  Duh.

I stood there for a moment before I returned to my cleaning, holding the ring and remembering; and I smiled, thankful for this incredible man who has, in our three years together (and even before that), never ceased to creatively pursue my heart.  

Love you, Babe.

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Another Special Day

Happy Happy Birthday to my beautiful, wonderful Mother!!  Love you tons!

Read all about my amazing mother over here.  Seriously, she's the best.  And, by the way, if I look half as good as she does when I reach her age... I will be perfectly content.   Love you, Mom.  :)

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Father's Day Weekend

As mentioned here, I was unable to spend Father’s Day with my awesome daddio due to work.  We were, however, able to steal away on Friday and Saturday to spend some time with the Mr.’s parents.

Cole and his dad were in a golf tournament on Saturday which meant that I got to spend the whole day with my mother-in-law!  It was such a wonderful time spent catching up with her!  We went on a killer walk, and talked and talked and talked.  I love this woman.

And Saturday night found us at my in-laws’ favorite local restaurant for Father’s Day dinner.  I had this incredible artisan pizza with spicy marinara, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella.  I was in heaven.  And the Mr. and I split this chocolate decadence for dessert.  Of course, I took pictures!

It was a sweet, but all-too-short visit to celebrate the wonderful man who raised my wonderful man.  Thank you, Dad, for modeling so well for my husband what it is like to be a loving, caring, faithful, Godly husband… I know that he is who is – largely – because of you.  Thank you for your legacy of love that we will carry on to our children.  I know Cole will be a great dad because HE has a great dad.

We are so blessed to have two wonderful dads in our lives!!  A happy weekend indeed.

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My Dad

As usual, I am running late.  It really seems to be the way life has been lately. Regardless, Sunday (if you were unaware) was Father's Day.  I spent the day in the car and at work.  BUT, I was sure thinking of my Dad and wishing I was with him.

So... I may be a day late and a dollar short, but Happy Father's Day to the man who taught me how to ride my bike, how to mow the lawn (correctly), how "if you can touch your toes, you can put your dish in the dishwasher", how to do geometric proofs, how to work hard, how to love God, how to lead others, how to swing dance, among many gazillions of other things... and never failed to remind me to "be a lady."  (Goodness knows I needed the reminder!)

I love you, Dad.  Thank you for loving me so faithfully and in the way a daughter should be loved.  I have you to thank, in large part, for the beautiful marriage with which God has blessed me.  I am at a loss for words in light of the significance of your presence in my life.

PS - If you are uneducated about how amazing my Dad is, you can just read: HERE, HERE, and HERE.

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This is Bliss

Do you ever have days when you wish you could freeze time (or at least elongate the moments)?  Tonight was one of those times.  With the Mr.'s odd summer work hours, our evenings together are often all too brief.  I got off work a bit early today and was able to steal a few more moments with the love of my life.  He met me at the door with an armful of flowers and an announcement that I have the night off from the kitchen.  What a guy!

Bliss

I came home to these...

Mediterranean Ravioli = A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.

Dinner Date with my Favorite Guy

 Blessed beyond measure and thankful that the weekend is near!

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A Birth, A Wedding, A Funeral: God's Grace

If there was ever a time when God’s grace was unmistakably evident, it was this weekend.  Three days of a heart-wrenching whirlwind.  A weekend where my heart didn’t quite know how to feel.

Friday dawned with the birth of my beautiful niece – the first grandchild on the Boboth side.  Silly as it sounds, I love that baby so much already; though I have yet to meet her. The joy, pride and love that I felt surprised me, and now it KILLS me not to be there with her… or her parents.  Sure miss that family!

Friday night was the wedding of one of our cousins on the Boboth side. How sweet it was to see family that had come significant distances to be there! After the wedding, we drove up to Yakima where the whole Schlect family was gathering for a funeral the following morning.

The weather was perfect on Saturday as we made our way to the cemetery.  The ceremony went as well as could be and was followed by a reception spent reminiscing about my great grandmother.

My siblings and me with our late Great Grandma

Such an interesting sequence of events: a birth, a wedding, and a funeral. Life's cycle, I suppose.

In it all, however, God’s grace was so very evident.  In the healthy cry of a newborn baby, in a new bride’s glow, in the delicate balance between gravity and levity, in the laughter among the cousins despite the gravity of the weekend, in the sweet conversations remembering Grandma as we lounged around the pool, in a competitive card game, in a 22-person-long table at Red Robin, in the midst of family whiffle ball games, in the middle of a Miner’s burger… God has been so very gracious.

Driving away from this weekend, my heart is full.  What a blessing to be a part of a family where all 22 members not only love each other, but they genuinely enjoy each other’s presence! What a legacy my grandparents have established. I spent much of this weekend utterly in awe of God’s goodness to us to allow this beautiful family harmony.  Driving away, my “family gas tank” has been replenished – I think I can keep homesickness at bay just a little longer. Driving away, I can’t help but praise the God that created this blessed institution of family.

I am blessed, I am humbled, I am sunburned.

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11 is Wonderful!!

11 months ago, I married my best friend.

According to Wiki, at 11 months old, our marriage should be cruising around while holding onto furniture, if not walking already.  Our fine motor skills should be coming along quite nicely and our hand-eye coordination is improving! Also, at 11 months, we can feed ourselves now... look how far we've come, My Love!

Love you to the moon!
xoxo

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SHE'S HERE! SHE'S HERE!

In a show of what is hopefully not a foreshadowing of her future punctuality, Miss Elsie Rose Boboth entered the world today (12 days late), June 10, 2011, at 5:32am. Weighing a perfect 7 pounds, 14 ounces and spanning 21 inches, our sweet niece was born with a beautiful head of dark hair!

Congratulations, Carrie & Everett!  We are beside ourselves with excitement and are absolutely longing to meet that Little One.  Aaahhh, so much love!

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Calling All Garage-Salers!!!

Hello Lovely Readers!

If you happen to live in the Portland/Hillsboro/Forest Grove area and enjoy a good Garage Sale, make sure that you stop by  1737 NW 9th Avenue in Hillsboro this Friday 9a-2p and Saturday 9a-4p!

This is a HUGE multi-family yard sale and all proceeds go to help a family in our church bring their adopted baby home from Rwanda.

To learn more about their adoption, you can read here, here, and here.

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Song of the Week

For many reasons, this sweet song has been my anthem this week.

Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life's tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.

Chart and compass come from Thee:

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

As a mother stills her child,

You can hush the ocean wild;

Boisterous waves obey Thy will

When You say to them, "Be still!"

Wondrous Sovereign of the sea,

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

When at last I near the shore,

And the fearful breakers roar

'Twixt me and the peaceful rest,

Then, while leaning on Your chest,

May I hear You say to me,

"Fear not, I will pilot thee."

I love it.

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June.

Holy Moly.
Can you believe it's June already??

Where DOES the time go??

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Tonight's Dinner [6-7]

Tonight, in an effort to use up leftover ingredients in our fridge, I mixed up some Thai Peanut Chicken Pizza for din-din... it ended up being pretty decent...

Carrots Julienne  

Peanut Sauce/Mozzerella 

Champagne!

The Mr. thought that it would be appropriate to crack open the champagne just to celebrate being married and the ways that we have been so richly blessed.  

I married an amazing man...


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Love Letter {6-6}

Dear Beloved,
Thank you for staying up late with me just talking. Even though you had to wake up über early the next morning. The fact that you make it a priority to listen to and engage my heart makes me feel incredibly loved.  Thank you for holding me and letting me cry even when you don’t always understand why the tears keep coming.

Thank you for never ceasing to creatively pursue me… whether it’s emptying the dishwasher, dancing in the kitchen, or planning surprise weekend get-aways, you have never stopped chasing my heart.

Thank you for working so hard for us… in diligently studying during the school year and in the early-early-morning get-ups during the summer.  Your work ethic amazes me.

Thank you for praying with and for me. 

Thank you for being goofy with me. I have so much fun with you.

I love you to infinity and beyond.

xoxo

Your Mrs.

PS – This weekend, as I stood beside one of my closest friends as she said, “I do,” I happened to look out into the audience from where I stood with the rest of the bridesmaids and, at the same time, you were looking up at me.  You gave me a smile and a wink that gave me the very same goosebumps and butterflies that I had as I walked down the aisle towards you on our wedding day – almost a year ago.  (!) You just melt me.  I love you more everyday.

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Memorial Day Weekend

As mentioned here, in light of the pace of life lately blogging has definitely taken a back seat.  Between weddings, work, and bridal showers, life has just been insane... regardless, last weekend was one worth documenting...

Where do I even begin?  This last weekend was a dream.  Seriously, I could’ve used a pinch or two.  The Mr. and I got to spend 3 WHOLE DAYS with my family. *cue Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus”*  It had been FIVE months since all 7 of us had been together, so –needless to say- this was a welcome reunion.

We got into town late Thursday night and stayed up far too late talking.  During weekends like this one, I find myself fighting sleep to make the most of our all-too-brief time together. 

Rather than bore you with details that no one would really care about, here's a Top 15 List of the highlights of home:

-Four-mile walk with my momma = four-mile talk with my most trusted mentor/friend

-Watching the Mariners beat the Yankees in a 3-game series

-Late night card games - The Mr. DOMINATED!

-Homemade Pizza

-Pedicures with the girls

-Lunch at 5 Guys with the whole family!

-Cooking in the kitchen with my mom and sisters

-Being home.

-Dinner with the Brennan clan – including 2 of my out-of-town aunts!

-Church at CTR

-Roasting hot dogs with cousins at Pondra

-Wicked.  (This could use an entire blog post on its own)

-Lunch with my Father- & Brother-in-Law on the way home

The Boboth/Schlect/Hagen Ladies

Alas, I could wax eloquent about our time home, but time and words fail me. It was a great weekend.

Also, if you think of it, please keep our family in your prayers.  Our great-grandmother passed away yesterday... a truly amazing woman.  These few days have proven quite challenging.

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In case you thought I'd fallen off the face of the planet...

I didn't.

But, I've constructed this chart to explain my absence.  And I have every intention of returning soon. Thank you for your patience. 

In the meantime, you can pray for my hair.


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