Italia: On our Way!

It's been almost two months since our sister adventure to Italia, and I still haven't blogged about it!

I'll break it up so this post isn't a mile long.

Beginning with our travels from here to there.

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We flew from San Diego to Atlanta overnight, leaving on the Friday night before Palm Sunday. 

No problem. We were stoked. Although poor Carly was pretty sick. But she had the BEST attitude.

We had this great 10 hour layover in Atlanta beginning at 5am.

So we figured, oh we can go get coffee and go to the zoo and hang out in Atlanta for the morning! 

But then, we realized they were having this crazy thunderstorm. 

Scratch that 'leave the airport' plan. 

Plan B: hang out in the airport.

But there's this airline policy we weren't aware of. This whole 'if you have a layover longer than 6 hours, you have to pick up your bags and leave the airport until you are 6 hours from departure.'

hmmmm..... pouring rain... no hotels nearby [that have shuttles, according to airline people]...

so, we got booted out.

We sure took our time leaving. Riding around and around on the airport tram from terminal to terminal.

Having way too much fun at 4:30am.

Just us.

Eventually we got our luggage and found a spot to park it for 4 hours. Thankfully, their airport has this amazing atrium area where people can wait for people to come to baggage. So we found a little corner and took turns taking little naps while the other one babysat our stuff. 

And took pictures.

At 10am, we were at 6 hours and could check back in! We headed back through security and found our gate. Which wouldn't actually be our gate for another 5 hours since there were like 4 flights through there at first. We found the charger station and busied ourselves with taking plane pictures and playing angry birds on the ipad. 

Thank goodness for the ipad!

Finally, it was OUR TURN! We hopped in line and boarded our plane to ROMA!

 Longest flight ever [or so we thought] but we got to sit in the little two-seater section by the window, which we pretended was like our own little resort. ha. ;) Taking advice from our frequent traveler stepdad, we bought a bunch of candy and magazines for our flight attendants. And let me tell you, we had one flight attendant who was so appreciative and took extra special care of us. Great advice Steve!

Around 6:15am on Sunday morning, Palm Sunday, we broke through the clouds,

and for the first time, Italy came into view!

We were WAY excited to 1) see land, and 2) see Italy.

I love flying at sunrise or sunset. I feel like it's a step closer to the heavenly view. 

In a small way.

At 7am, touchdown ROME!

We made it! Let the fun begin!

Capture the Moment: Caffe Lattes in Italia

our first lattes in our favorite Florence cafe :)

Living Today for Forever

It's 4:00am and I'm wide awake.
The Lord has made himself so real to me over the last twenty hours.

Yesterday around lunchtime, my grandpa went to be with Jesus.
He was given 72 hours the night before.

As I stood by his bedside with my family, I was overwhelmed with the reality that he was meeting Jesus.
Right then.

Just an hour before, I sat at the kitchen table with my mom and grandma and uncle talking about his life and our lives and experiences within life.

And I realized how quickly this life goes and life with Jesus begins.
And life matters. What we do matters.
In terms of today. And yesterday and tomorrow.
But Who we live for is what really matters.
In terms of forever.

Sometimes I lose perspective. I forget that I am living for Jesus today for eternity. Sometimes [well, most of the time] my mind can't grasp the concept of forever. I try and try and I really do love to think about it. But I forget to think about today and forever in the same thought. Sometimes today seems overwhelming and hard and forever seems exciting but so far away. But I think they are more intertwined than that.

I live today because I have the confidence I will live forever with Jesus.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith -- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire -- may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls."
{1 Peter 1:3-9}

I must live in faith today. My faith must be proven genuine so that it may result in praise, honor and glory when Jesus is revealed. What an amazing challenge! The Lord is asking me to have faith that he is who he says he is and that he will do all he says he will accomplish. And one day I will see him face to face. I will meet Jesus! And I will know fully that all he says is true.

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known."
{1 Corinthians 13:12}

Lord, help me not forget. Remind me moment by moment your purpose for your children. I can't wait to meet you face to face, Lord. And oh, what must that moment be like!! But in this day, in this moment, meet me. You know me fully now, and soon I will know you fully. Until that day, Lord, reveal yourself to me bit by bit, day by day. And I will follow you.

Grandpa was so tough, so when I see him smile, it makes me so happy. 

I love that Grandpa has his camera. He was always snapping pictures... never when we were ready for them :).

Capture the Moment

camping at the lake

Rekindling Moments: January

For the new year, I have decided to highlight a special/significant moment for every day.

Originally inspired by a friend, I believe this is such an important practice for everyone.

{This could get a little tricky, since I work nights and sometimes can't tell what day it is... but I will try}.

You try, too!

January

1 - planning our upcoming trip to Maui and dreaming about our next business venture over hot dogs and trader joes garlic fries with J

2 - sweatpants on clearance, a medium iced tea latte, and beginning a new study with the Lord

3 - 36 degrees waiting for me outside of work in the morning and getting an awesome deal on our hawaii hotel

4 - visiting one-week-old baby Joey and watching his mommy and daddy lovingly work together to be parents.

5 - being off work for an entire weekend with J and taking an afternoon nap

6 - waking up early on Sunday for homemade cinnamon rolls, and arming up and treking into Walmart with J and our list of items for our little business in hand... and coming away with little treasures. #walmartisstillcrazy

7 - dreaming of Italy travels with Carly on side-by-side treadmills

8 - amazon boxes piled at my door 

(mostly for our business but I did find a curling iron and good book hidden in there!)

9 - making Italy dreams a reality by booking plane tickets for our March sister voyage

10 - watching Carly get excited with me about Italy and make us a tentative itinerary

11 - meals with special people: celebratory coffee after applying for passports with mom and sister, heartfelt conversation over lunch with Jessi and lots of laughter over dinner with Dwain, Jaclyn, and baby Evie

12 - being kidnapped by my husband to go for coffee

13 - six hours of uninterrupted daytime sleep

14 - J home in time to share pizza with him before I headed off to work

15 - celebrating Steve's birthday the Irish way

16 - having time at work to snuggle little ones who needed snuggling

17 - getting off work in the morning knowing I am off for a week, and celebrating by having sister dye my hair {don't worry -- i managed to pick the exact same color as my hair color so you can't tell at all}

18 - breakthroughs with the Lord through psalm 123 and acts 3

19 - puppy pile in the backseat of the car on the way home from a cousin lake walk and a kind walmart returns employee after deciding to postpone the business for a bit

20 - hearing my grandma tell me with confidence that she trusts the Lord

21 - watching emma, baker, and ava run in circles around a communal bush

22 - heartfelt prayer time with the Lord for my children

23 - baby snuggles with Joey and Evie

24 - threat of rain and a few [sparse] raindrops on my windshield

25 - a surprise work cancel on a rainy friday night

26 - celebrating five years of marriage with my husband

27 - much needed lazy day home together with a week of vacation ahead of us

28 - a clean clean refrigerator and a clean clean house... ready for vacation!

29 - arriving in beautiful Maui and turning one vacation into three

30 - sunny day on the water with my love ... 

lying out, pool chats, ice cream cones galore, and barefoot beach walks

31 - Maui reunion with one of the most influential people in my life, my high school dteam leader Amy and her husband Brandon who married us

Headed on a Jet Plane

J and I are heading out early tomorrow morning to celebrate life, love and each other 

on the beautiful island of Maui! 

We're pretty much stoked and cannot wait for 

lying on the beach, 

shaved ice, 

our first luau, 

seeing friends, 

and falling in love all over again.

Aloha!

5 Years of Married Us

Today, J and I celebrate five years of marriage.

Incredible to think it all started {officially} just five years ago.

{all photos by the Youngrens}

{here are their blog posts about us!}

 Everything was just right.

Little did we know what we were doing ;).

I love the growth we have shared together.

I love looking back on the experiences we never anticipated experiencing.

But we did. Together.

Every day for five years, we have walked through life hand in hand.

We may not always have been very happy.

But we have always been committed to one another and we have always loved each other.

I'm so thankful for my best friend.

I'm thankful I get to walk through today... and tomorrow.. and the next... with him.

I'm thankful for a Savior who never leaves and who truly has a divine plan.

Happy anniversary honey.

I love you.

Can't wait to celebrate in Maui with you... 3 days baby!!!

Puppy Smiles

Love these smiles.

Nothing like happy puppies :)

Good for the soul.

{fearing} A {un} Filled Home

I have always hoped for and dreamed of and prayed for my family. My husband, my children, my animals, my home, the environment created for my family. And lately, with children being more on the forefront of my mind than in past years {no, none are living in my tummy today}, I have had many more of these thoughts.

But with excitement for children and having a full home comes countless fears.
Part of it could stem from my work as a nurse. I see so many things that can go wrong in pregnancy and birth and having a baby. And I've seen the long-term effects of the challenges that drag on.
But I fear so much.

What if I can't get pregnant. What if my baby is not healthy. What if something goes wrong in the womb. What if I pass on something I didn't even know I had. What if my child gets cancer. What if my child has a chronic condition that requires me to care for him or her every moment of the day. What if I do something wrong that terribly screws up my children. What if they don't see love. What if they don't want to be home. What if I don't know what to do.

Fear is paralyzing. It stops you dead in your tracks and worry keeps you from taking another step.

I used to worry alot. Growing up I was afraid of everything, it seemed. I have come so far as far as fear is concerned. God has shown me He conquers fear and perfect love casts out fear. And so I try to go through my days and keep moving forward and not allow fears or unforeseen worries creep into my mind. Because really, I can't do anything about them!

But this kid thing... my goodness, these are my children I am thinking about. It seems different.

Yet I know God's word is just as true for my children. I know that my {unborn} children are not mine, they are the Lord's. I know if I am blessed to be a mommy he is entrusting these precious children to me for a time. And that is such an honor.

So I rejoice in the blessing of hoping for a full family. A home full of love and peace and joy and laughter. I want to trust the Lord fully with these requests. And each day, little by little, I trust Him more and more.

It's exciting to think about having a family. :)

Joey Jackson Patt

Joey was born December 27, 2012 to my bestie Ali and her hubby Joe.

I of course tottled off to the hospital to see them as soon as she was in her recovery room.

And then waited while family and friends stopped in to visit all week.

One week later, I trekked to her home and visited the Patt family together at home.

Joe, Ali, and Joey.

And it was as if everything was just as it should be.

Ali has been through it, and I have had the privilege of walking with her through the journey.

She and I have both grown and learned many lessons since freshman year of college when we met.

I feel like we've gone through as many challenges as possible.

And yet, there has been lots of laughter. 

Lots of coffee dates. 

Lots of long distance phone conversations and late night bunk bed chats.

A few runs but lots of walks.

And lots of hugs.

Joey is such a lucky little baby to have Ali for a mommy.

I love watching their hearts burst with love for this precious baby they created.

True fatherly love. 

I love him too!

There will be many more visits, many more phone chats and walks and coffee dates.

But it was so fun to watch a few moments happen 

between two one-week-old parents and their one-week-old baby boy.