Summer Fun

This year we decided to trade our regular Mammoth trip for a trip to Sequoia National Park. I had never seen the Sequoias and was taken with them the whole time. They really are huge! We got to stay in the Holden's new RV and it was a treat to be nice and warm every night. We also got to hang out with Jenny's new boyfriend Josh who was very nice and helpful the entire trip. It was fun to camp, have no cell phone service, enjoy God's creation, and some good family fun around the campfire each night.

Hiking by a waterfall on the way to the cave.

We got this crazy idea to try to get all of us on the 2 person float. It was comical from beginning to end and a great memory. However, any time I thought we were coming close to the rapids I would say, "Panic, panic." All I really wanted to do was jump off, but luckily Jake was there to keep me on the floaty.

The whole Holden clan (including Josh) on the last day of our trip. What a fun week to remember!

New York, New York! Tammi and I decided to splurge and use our summer to visit New York City. Tammi did a great job using the maps to plan out our 4 days and we definitely saw just about everything! Here we are at LAX about to depart. :) Jake was a good sport and dropped and picked us up from the airport.

Serendipity! I love frozen hot chocolate and can't wait until I get to have it again. The mint flavor was delcious!

On our way back from Serendipity and Time Square we got caught in a huge rain storm. Who knew rain could actually get you wet? Us Californians have no idea. :)

Empire State Building.

My personal favorite on the trip: The Statue of Liberty. I was in awe of her the whole time. What an amazing American icon. It was well worth the hour wait in the security line.

TV, Fireplace, and the Butlers

Tadaaa....finished. David did an amazing job and Jake was an excellent assistant. Now we officially have our TV over the fireplace. Horray!

P.S. Sorry this is out of order. Scroll to the bottom for the correct sequence. What can I say? Don't try to clean and update the blog at the same time :)

Putting on the TV wall mount.

You're almost done honey!!

Now that's what I call a drill!

Hmmm... what tool should I use from my handy tool bag??

The first couple cuts into the wall brought good news. I guess the cable was already in the wall so we didn't have to cut a hole in our bedroom to feed the cable line in. That left David and Jake with less work. Yeay!

Happy 29th!

Since my b-day was on a Monday and I am lucky enough to have the summers off, Tammi and I went to Disneyland to celebrate. I picked California Adventure as my park of choice and had so much fun spending the day at the Happiest Place on Earth! Tammi did the driving and decorated her car for my b-day... what a great best friend!

One of the funniest moments was parking at D-land. I joked with the parking attendant and she not only gave me a "Happy B-Day" button, but also gave Tammi one with an arrow pointing at my button. All day, ride attendants were asking us about our buttons and one guy even called us the Birthday Twins. We ate up all the attention (and Tam was a good sport) !

We both got drenched on the rapids ride, why did we want to go on it????

Ready for home!

Joanna and Tammi

Friday I had a pedicure b-day party. It was very fun and relaxing. We all sat on the patio, soaked our feet, painted our toes, and ate dessert. I am blessed to have such wonderful friends and a husband who let me have them over. It was a fun night.

Stephanie and Sarah

Jen and Tanya

Amy and Rechelle

Cindy and Me!

Our toes came out pretty cute! I bet you can spot mine...they are the infamous "finger toes".

Happy 2 Year Anniversary!

We are so thankful for 2 years of abundence in marriage! We praise God for how He has blessed us in our marriage and in our relationship with Him. We look forward to many more!

1 Corinthians 16: 13-14
"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."

Blog Catch Up

Well, my Blogging Friends I have been a serious Blogger slacker! It's been months since I've updated our blog, but now with school out and summer underway, I am on it! So here are some pictures to catch you up on our lives the last few months. :)

I did it! I am now an official master of Education. Hooray! Look at my proud husband! I couldn't have finished without all of his love, support, encouragement, and grocery shopping. :) He is amazing!

Joanna, Sarah, and Candice came to the hooding ceremony. I love my friends!

I got to see Rachel and Brenton after the graduation- I know she doesn't like this pic, but it's all I have. Sorry, Rach!

Joanna was an amazing encouragement throughout the year!

After the graduation, the next day we celebrated Mother's Day. For Mother's Day we packed a picnic breakfast and ate at a park near by our home. I found Mother's Day t-shirts at Old Navy and my siblings, Jenny, and Jake were nice enough to indulge me for our moms. It was too funny seeing us all wear our shirts. It was a beautiful day and nice to sit and enjoy our families.

All the sibs together!

Viva Las Vegas! Jake and I packed the car this week and headed to Vegas for 3 days to celebrate our anniversary, my b-day, and finishing my masters. We toured the hotels, watched the Bellagio's fountain shows, and ate yummy food. Our new favorite dessert: Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity. It was so yummy we ate it 2 nights in a row!

The ceiling in the lobby at the Bellagio. Just breathtaking!

Jake and I also splurged and saw "O"at the Bellagio Friday night. It was an amazing show and well worth every penny spent to sit so close! We even got a little wet!

What you didn't learn in college...

Click on "HQ" in the lower right corner after video begins playing for better quality.

Easter and Friends

Friday, Tammy, Sophia, and Ashley came up and visited. We had fun going to lunch, waiting forever at Home Depot, and watching Miss Sophia walking. Her funny faces are a crack up. Thank you for driving up for the day...I love us!

Joanna and James welcomed their sweet baby- Tyler James on Wed. He was actually born on his due date! We had fun stopping by the hospital to get a chance to hold him. What a joy!

Rechelle, Claire, and I had a blast taking a stroll to a new restaurant and eating yummy frozen yogurt. Delish! The best part of the day was watching Claire eat a lemon. Her face was too cute!

Jake made me an Easter basket and hid it so I had to find it. He knows I love any fun surprise that's interactive. Thank you, Husband!

I love my sister-in-law!

Doesn't Jake look handsome in his tie?

Connie, Jake, and Jenny

Fixing, painting, and yes, moving in!

So it's been 4 weeks of fixing up the new place, packing, and moving in. Before we moved, with the help of our family and friends, we painted every room in the house (even the baseboards thanks to my mom). Every color turned out great except for our bathroom. Apparently "Calming Retreat" is pseudo for light pink. Since I'm over painting at the moment, it's going to stay for the time being. Thanks to our amazing family and friends we are settling into our new home and getting used to the neighborhood. We appreciate everyone's help SO much! Thank you!

Before the 30 trips to Home Depot, hours of painting, pipes breaking, cleaning, packing, moving, and settling in. We're so thankful... and still are. :)
I love my husband..he is a cute dork!

What a happy little painter (or maybe a messy one)!

I think the shirt says it all.

This was the end of weekend 1- yes, we're still smiling.

Before we painted, we primed the walls.

Here we are on weekend 2. Jake had tunnel vision most of the time, but once in a while I got a laugh out of him.

Jenny painted the bathroom, spare room, and the kitchen. She was amazing!

Connie did an awesome job on the kitchen!

Painting the living room with Gary and Jake.

I decided to paint the fire place a deep brown. However, I think it turned out too close to "poop" brown. As we get furniture in, I think it might look a little better. Any feedback would be appreciated. :)

Weekend 3: Moving in! Here are the girls taking time out for a spontaneous dance party!

Jordan of course took a picture of himself. He looks well rested and ready for more work!

Homeowners!

Welcome to our new condo located in Lake Forest in the Foothill Ranch area. We are giving Jesus all the glory and praise for making this gift possible. He lead and guided us to this cozy condo and made it happen in perfect timing. We are overwhelmingly blessed by Him and by all of our family and dear friends' prayers and support. Thank you! You are welcome to our new home any time and for any reason!
This is our amazing realtor Don Hall (http://www.firstteam.com/OfficeDetails.aspx?ofc=185). He is a wonderful man with great wisdom, patience, and compassion. We are indebted to him for helping make this condo a reality. If you need a realtor, he truly is a great man and fellow believer. Thank you Don!

Soaking up the moment.

The sliding glass door leads out to the back porch.

Our one of a kind gas fire place. Ooohhh, ahhhh...We are thinking since the living room is small, we'll mount a flatscreen above it. We'll see how far the budget stretches. :) On a side note the gray paint has got to go.The kitchen is the first area you see when you walk in the door- after looking at a lot of short sales I am excited about these cabinets. They aren't too bad at all.

This is our main living room/dining room area which extends to a cement back porch. Of course we have an amazing, one of a kind view of the parking lot:). We are keeping the floors since they are in such good condition, but hopefully re-tiling the kitchen and bathrooms. Again, we'll wait and see how far our savings for repairs goes. The two bedrooms and bathrooms are nothing special, but perfect for our needs. Right now we have a one bedroom place, so the extra bedroom is a treat. It will also be home to the infamous blue recliner. Sorry Jake, you can recline in the office.

Cupcake Apron Party

So my friend Tammi and I are really into hostess aprons and have been looking for a reason to wear our fun aprons from sommer designs: http://www.sommerdesigns.com/. For an excuse to show them off, we hosted a cupcake party for our Bible Study girls and had fun decorating while wearing our adorable aprons. I know most men will never understand, but at least my husband supports my antics (as long as he got to eat a cupcake he was happy). :)

Morning Hunt

One of my favorite pastimes is duck hunting. Sitting in the marsh under the pre-dawn light before shooting time brings both peace and excitement. The air gets colder just before the sun rises, which is a phenomenon that probably has a scientific explanation, but why ruin the mystery. Being out in the duck blind filters out worries and creates space for life's more important thoughts. The pictures you see were from a recent hunt with my dad to an area called San Jacinto. It was a beautiful day with the icy wind blowing off the snow-capped mountains. I love being outdoors and look forward to many more days in the field.

A Tale of Christmas

This Christmas Jake and I hit the road for a Family Christmas marathon. We drove up to my mom's house in Santa Maria and spent Christmas Eve eating a special breakfast, opening gifts, having my extended family over for dinner, and then seeing a movie. Then we woke up on Christmas said our good byes and got on the road for San Diego. We arrived safely (thank you God) in the rain storm and headed with Jake's family to his grandma and grandpa's house. We enjoyed the evening eating a delicious roast dinner and being entertained by Jake's cousin's daughter who is a little over a year old. Her dancing was the hit of the night! Finally, the next day we celebrated Christmas with Jake's mom, dad, and sister. Having a special breakfast, opening gifts, and enjoying the day together. After all the fun, I became stir crazy, so Jake and I took his dog Shasta for a walk and then went to my favorite store: Target. We had a wonderful Christmas and are overwhelmingly blessed by our families. Thank you to everyone for making Christmas so special! Here are some pics of Christmas 2008! Jake was kind enough to hold up each tree for me as I picked the best one. Finally, I was satisfied enough to make a decision. That of course made Mr. Holden very happy. :)

Hosing it off before bringing it inside.

The finished product. Tada!

The only picture Jake and I took together during the Christmas season. I failed as the picture taker this year.

Jordan snuggling with his gift.

Noel, looking cute on Christmas Eve after opening gifts.

Hostess aprons! Taryn got my mom the cute vintage green apron, and my mom got me the polka dot, pink apron for Christmas. I love it!

So if you didn't already know, Jake's new hobby (much to my detriment) is smoking pipes. He is all into it. I on the other hand, I hate the idea. But as marriage is about compromise, I am learning to accept it. So, here is my husband looking like Old Man River, smoking his pipe on Christmas Eve.

Brother bonding time. My brother Jordan unfortunately encourages Jake's new hobby.

And of course, my mom had to get in on the action as well. She laughed so hard she inhaled the smoke and then proceeded to have a coughing fit. Oh, mom.

This is Jake's cousin's daughter, Shayla. She delighted us on Christmas with her joy, and especially her dancing. What a cutie!

Jake with his sister's cat Harley. We bought him an antler hat which of course he loved.

This is Jake's family dog- Shasta. She is so cute! And yes, I know I look like I'm choking her, but I am not. She wanted to continue on our walk and not stop for pictures. :)

What if this Christmas...

Tammi's B-day Prom Dress Extravaganza!

Tammi's b-day inspired a night out with the girls to re-wear an old prom dress or bridesmaid dress and go bowling. We had a fun time freezing in our strapless dresses and trying to bowl with full length skirts. It was definitely a fun night to remember. Happy birthday, Tam!

My prom date!

I love Tammi Joy!

Getting ready to bowl!

Cindy is too cute!
Bowling in my bridesmaid dress... hey I bowled a 103- not bad! :)

Putting our feet up after a successful night of bowling!

Blog Catch Up...

Now here's a happy shopper.

And...uncontrollable laughter. I love my family!

My mom's holiday Christmas card (pre-laughing).

Sisters!

My Aunt Mary's mean old cat, Kelly. She has it out for me. I know it.

Mom and her Thanksgiving hat. She is a nut! And I love her spunk- :)

Halloween

For Halloween we went over to the Bringard's house for some Halloween fun. Our friend Cody had the idea that everyone should dress up as a song- which guessing each other's costumes turned out to be very entertaining. We had an "Amish Paradise", "Under the Bridge", "Ice, Ice, Baby", a "Rhinestone Cowboy" and more creative ideas. Jake was "Sunshine on my Shoulders" and I was "Calendar Girl". Thanks to the Bringard's for hosting and for the yummy food and games.

Fireproof

Jake and I had date night Sat. and after dinner we saw the movie Fireproof. The movie was very good, had a wonderful message and one that needs to be heard. I know Christian movies are sometimes a little cheesy, but this one is pretty decent and the message makes it worth it. My heart was truly blessed to see and hear marriage and Jesus uplifted by truth. Go see it:) Money and time well spent!

P.S. Coming from a divorced family myself, I know there are some marriages that are meant to end for Biblical reasons-this movie's message gives hope that Jesus can help marriages make it through hard times.

Distractions From Homework

So, I have basically used fall as an excuse to decorate and to be distracted from my homework. Last Sunday I took time out from work, to get all my fall things out from the garage, put it all together, and make the house look warm and cozy. I bought the fall leaves with the lights from Target as my special splurge. At night I turn them on and just feel happy about fall! My second distraction from homework is phone calls. I'll be typing away on the computer or reading some text and my phone rings. Right away I bolt to get my phone and am so thankful to whoever calls me and gives me a couple of minutes away from homework. Pretty much I am easily distracted. I just can't wait for this Master's thing to be over with. :) Oh, well onward I go.

The Great Park...

We decided to change up date night and go and check out the Great Park that was formally the El Toro Air Force base. It was their last night of concerts in the park and they are still giving rides on their huge hot air balloon. We had fun people watching, looking around, looking at future plans for the park (they're going to have a pizza garden, how fun is that?), and listening to some pretty boring blue grass. Now, I normally like blue grass, but this music was a little more classical and yes, it actually put me to sleep. All in all we had fun hanging out together, taking a break from HW and chores, and doing something out of the ordinary.

Waiting in line for the air balloon that we didn't go on. Sad story:(

At the park, they also had some strange entertainment. One act was these people flying model airplanes on sticks while humming on kazoos. Bizarre,right? I thought it was quite strange. Also, they had those people in what appears to be pillow sacks. They walked around posing and rolling around. Personally,they creeped me out, and I think nobody knew how to respond to them. Like I said interesting, very interesting.

Entertaining myself and Jake as always.

The big, orange, hot air balloon- I wasn't kidding. :)

A fun date night out!

Tammi joined us the 2nd day...and gave us some of her sass and competition!