Happiness is Christmas with the Ekhoffs

Christmas with my family is happiness wrapped up in more happiness wrapped in the arms of a baby seal. It is perfect and lovely. We have traditions (staying up late, going to the capitol building to see the Christmas tree, sitting in our assigned seating, etc). But sometimes we like to mix it up a bit. This year was spaghetti for dinner and epic Nerf gun fight with all family members (including my mom and my dad).

From my 89 year old grandmother to my unborn niece, I can safely say: my family fills my heart so full.

Happy birthday Oliver John!

Four years ago a little man entered this world and changed all the lives around him. My nephew, Oliver John, came into the world at 9 lbs and continues to leave an even bigger mark. The moment I met Ollie I was in love. I can't even imagine the overwhelming love that his wonderful parents must've felt right away. If you know Ollie, then you've been swept away by his charm, his Ekhoff smile, his Dudley cheeks, his big blue eyes, his AWESOME red hair, his sense of humor, his intelligence, and of course, his incredible dance moves. He is the perfect mixture of his mom and dad and his own little self. I am constantly amazed by the funny things he says, the kindness he has towards strangers, and the wonder and imagination that resides in his body.
Ollie is going to change the world. He is a force to be reckoned with. He will leave everyone with a smile on their face and joy in their heart. I'm excited to see what he grows into and I'm pretty sure he can do anything he wants to.
When I visit Boise one of the first things I look forward to is a big hug from Ollie. His eyes light up and he runs towards me with that big smile. He is infectiously joyful. Sure he can be a serious grumpypants sometimes and he is even great at that. He is truly good at everything he does.
I'm pretty sure that Ollie is the greatest kid alive. But that will soon be tested when his little sister is born in April. She will most likely be just as incredible as him. And I think she'll make him even more awesome because he will be the perfect big brother. If he's anything like his dad, he'll play the part of tormentor pretty well but will also be protective and deep down loving and caring. I'm pretty excited to see him in his new role. But I guarantee he'll win her heart just like he has won everyone he has met.
Ollie you are the most amazing thing in this world. I love you more than you'll ever know. Thanks for being our little sunshine. :)

Ollie at 1 week old and for his first Christmas

Ollie this fall

Thankful for a break :)

I think I've finally burned off all the calories I ate for Thanksgiving. Holy cow it has been a week! But holy cow was it a Thanksgiving! An Adams Thanksgiving is a little different than an Ekhoff Thanksgiving. Here's a quick rundown:

• Adams: 20 lb turkey for 4 people Ekhoff: 20 lb turkey for at least 10 people.

• Adams: Shrimp cocktail for apps. Ekhoff: Julie and myself sneak olives.
• Adams: Buffet                              Ekhoff: Pass it around
• Adams: Mashed potatoes are mostly mine. Ekhoff: I have to share 20 lbs of mashed potatoes with Julie & Rheanne. Oh and the rest of the gang.
• Adams: Quiet conversation Ekhoff: I mean c'mon we're a bunch of former thespians and comedians. We talk, a lot, and loudly.
• Adams: We nap afterwards Ekhoff: Nap and games afterwards. We all try to beat Josh in Scattergories but he cheats.

Basically, they're different but both awesome. And with both Thanksgivings I eat way too much, laugh a lot, and sleep a lot. I love my whole big family.

And this week has truly made me thankful to be getting a week long vacation in a city I've been dying to see since I was a little girl. I head out for a day and a half in Boston early Saturday morning. Then on Monday morning I will be taking my first train ride ever and it's to the Big Apple. When I was preparing to leave for Ireland, I really earned it with a tough week at work. And it never fails, this week has been tough. Just a wild, weird, rollercoaster week at work.When you get your degree in social work you also get your degree in "multiple hat wearing". And I have worn oh so many hats this week. Realtor, exterminator, heavy lifter, shoulder to cry on, fixer, calmer-downer, friend, authority figure...bah! That's too many. So next week I take off my social work hat collection and put on my pretty crocheted beanie and walk in a Winter New York City Wonderland.


Ahhhh...

Embracing each day

• 3 days until Thanksgiving
• 12 days until I leave for my Boston/NYC trip
• 15 days until I find out if I'm having a niece or another nephew
• 34 days until Christmas with my family
• 41 days until 2012

These are all events that I'm pretty excited about. It's fun to count down to those exciting days. I counted down the days until my high school graduation, college graduation, my wedding, and my trip to Ireland. It gives a sense of excitement in the air. As a kid I loved counting down until Christmas. I love it when that countdown reaches the single digits. It truly is exciting. And it make those long days not seem so long when you see them get smaller and smaller and less and less distant.
However, I've recently had a shift away from countdowns. It pains me almost to see those days just disappear. I'm still very excited for all those above events. I'm especially excited to see those days get smaller and smaller if it means I get to see my family. But, when you are given a different type of countdown it puts all other countdowns into perspectives.
My dad was told he most likely has three to five years with this disease and then the disease will win. That is a countdown I don't want to see. I don't want to see those days disappear, but they do. Every day that goes by that I am not with my dad, is one less day I get with him. The truth is, fun countdowns make us want those days in between to disappear. I think countdowns minimize those days in between because every day is a gift. I know that may be corny and cliche but it is not cliche when you are faced with mortality. It is not cliche when all you want to do is slow          down             time.
But I can't slow down time. I'm given 24 hours a day every day just like everyone else. And no matter what I do those 24 hours will run out, those weeks, months, and years will run out and at the end of it I'll still be praying for more time.
So here's my challenge to myself: To not count down until the next big event but take every day as a big event, as a blessed gift to cherish. This has been hard for me lately. Instead of using the potential of every day to its fullest, I find myself wanting to curl up and pretend it is all a bad dream. I lack the energy to do what I know my dad wants me to do and that is to be a part of this gift that God has so graciously given to me. So I haven't figured this out. But I do know that I don't want to count down the days, I just want to be a part of life and for those big events to be a part of it. Because in life we revolve around those big events but it's those days in between that have so much potential for beauty, wisdom, and memories. I want to be a part of those more instead of looking so much ahead.


*Sorry for the poor writing, sometimes writing when I'm emotional causes me to not express everything I want to say the most eloquent way. But thank you for taking the time to read my ill-organized thoughts.

I will run...

Have you ever seen something so dear and loved be taken away from those that are precious to you? I have.

I've been thinking about running lately. I used to love to run. I ran a lot being a gymnast and it is freeing. I love pushing my body to the limit and feeling the soreness the next day. Every gym teacher I ever had asked me several times to join the track team. I always said no because either I was too busy with gymnastics, or had quit gymnastics and was over sports for awhile. The point is, I used to be able to run, a lot and was pretty good at it.

Fast forward a few years, now running is undeniably one of the most painful things to do. It's not the physical exertion or the exhaustion. Those I welcome. It's the insane itching I endure. I always thought I was crazy and was making it up but I know several others who have the same problem. It's not an itch that is solved by creams or scratching, it just makes everything worse. I have almost passed out from it at times. After a lot of research I've found a possible explanation. Exercise allergy. Seriously. It has to do with body temperature and how your body reacts to it. I break out into little red hives (and only make it worse by the scratching I do!). Though apparently an antihistamine can really help, I'm still a little scared to try because believe me, it is not fun.

However, I am going to try to defeat this tiny thing so I can run for a bigger thing. My dad.

My dad loves to run. He was a marathoner and runs almost every day. If you are a daily runner I'm sure you can relate to the love of running my dad has. But now he can't run like he used to, and someday (hopefully not too soon), he will not be able to run anymore, or even walk. That breaks my heart. I was blessed enough to talk to my dad a few days ago and he said that he was running the best he could the other day when he saw others running the way he used to. It was sad for him. But he said that as much as he loves running, he knows that is not who he is. It is not who God created him to be. That in the grand scheme of things, not being able to run anymore is not that big of a deal. I know that it hurts him because he said so but I know that he truly means it when he says there is more to life than what we can physically do.

I know I've taken my health for granted. A year ago this week, I was lying in a hospital bed after losing consciousness three times in five minutes. I was hooked up to IVs and had doctors scratching their heads. It was the first time I felt truly grateful for the health I do have. Now I'm even more grateful. My obstacle to running is big enough for doctors to warn those like me to not run alone because you can faint but not big enough that I can't overcome it, that I shouldn't at least try. I want to run for my dad. I don't want to take something that was so important to him for granted. I want to keep that alive.

My dad and I are connected in so many ways. We have a special bond just like he has with my three wonderful siblings but I know for each of us it's different. I want to make my marathoning, track-coaching, getting-lost-in-the-woods-because-he-ran-too-far dad proud. I hope I can. I think I'm going to need it as we go through this horrible journey.

So starting in the cold fall may not be the smartest. But truthfully, there is not a lot of time to sit and wait for the perfect moment. There isn't a lot of time left period. So I will buy some antihistamines, lace up my sneakers, and pound the pavement.

Puppy love

Dexter never ceases to amaze me with all his personality, cuteness, and love.
His favorite stuffed penguin recently lost an arm after having to take a trip through the washer and dryer. I promised Dexter I would sew it back on. It was over a month ago, but last week I finally did it. They were reunited and have not been separated since...

Here he is cuddling with his favorite non-human best friend.

 

Right now he is currently totally pooped from all the love he gave and received this weekend from our awesome visitors (thanks Cassie, Drew, and Erik for a fun friend-filled weekend). I could not have asked for a better dog. I love my boy :)

A birthday brag for my big sis.

We're adorable.

Dear Julie,
Here is a big old birthday thank you for my big old sister. Julie, I have truly been blessed with an amazing big sister in you. I want to thank you for stepping up when you needed to and in a sense sacrificed much of your childhood so that the rest of us could still have one. Thank you for playing Barbies, My Little Pony, school, and even homicide detective with me every time I asked. And not just played, but contributed and made it even more fun. (I especially thank you for not making all the Kens fight like Josh and Stephen).
Thank you for being a teacher, a playmate, my cheerleader. Even when I failed every time you taught me it was worth trying.

Julie, there have been times that you had to step up into a new role. At times you sacrificed much of your  childhood to preserve ours. Being nearly six and a half years older than me you were more than capable of teaching me my colors, how to read, how to tie my shoe, among many other things. Some of my favorite memories with you are late Christmas Eves waiting for Santa.

Julie, you continue to be the most thoughtful person I know. You might have a tough exterior but I'm pretty sure you're a big old softie. You continue to cheer me on in my endeavors and be one of my biggest supporters in life. When you took me to San Diego as a college graduation present I was floored by your generosity and had one of the best times of my life. And when you stood by me as my maid of honor I knew that I had your support as I married my new best friend. I love being an aunt beside you to Ollie and now Meemo. It makes me excited for you to be an aunt to my children because I know they're getting the best.

You're probably going to hate that I'm bragging about you, but I don't think I brag about you enough. I could go on and on about what you do and how I can look to you for stability. But I can also look to you for a good time. You are hilarious and witty (like all us Ekhoffs really) and I love hearing what you're going to say. You also have one of the best smiles ever so seeing you laugh makes me happy too. Sure you can drive me crazy but I guarantee I drive you even more crazy. We're sisters for goodness sakes! But I love the hell out of you :)

Today the brains of geniuses are in your hands as you teach gifted kids biology and AP environmental science. From the sounds of it, the kids love your sense of humor and teaching style. Just like everything, you pour yourself into them and cheer them on at science competitions the same way you cheered me on (and they win!). It's really not surprising that you're a teacher since it mixes something you're really good at (teaching) with something you love (summers off!)

Julie, thank you for everything you've done for me and our family. Thank you for being all that you are. You were my first hero and you still are my hero to this day. I hope you have a wonderful birthday. I wish I could be there to be a part of it.
Thanks for always being there and for never giving up on me. I love you and miss you so much!
Happy birthday seester!

I love fall and tolerate winter

I'm sick, and stuck on this couch...so you guys get to read my little ramblings. Enjoy!

My last few posts have been pretty heavy. I don't mean to bring anyone down, but when something serious enters your life its hard to write about the silly things Dexter does.
But, just so you all know that I remain hopeful, silly, and all things me..here are some things I'm looking forward to this fall and winter!

• Halloween! I didn't celebrate Halloween as a kid so I enjoy all the new things I get to do. Mainly seeing the trick-or-treaters (pumpkin carving: take it or leave it). We'll be going to a Halloween party put on by someone in my small group and then on actual Halloween day we'll dress back up in our costumes and hand out candy whilst watching 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later. Also, the Halloween Party at work is probably my favorite holiday to celebrate because seeing our seniors dress as mummies, cats, clowns, cowboys, and werewolves is just plain adorable.
• Thanksgiving with my in-laws! I love that despite the family size being incredibly smaller, there is just as much food at an Adams Thanksgiving as an Ekhoff Thanksgiving. Plus that means...
• Christmas with the Ekhoffs! We're thinking about doing something extra special for my dad this year so I'm excited about that. But mainly, just spending the weekend with my family on our favorite holiday. Plus Rheanne will be more preggo with Meemo and Rheanne pregnant is adorable.Speaking of Meemo..
• December 6th Rheanne finds out if Meemo is a boy or a girl. Pretty excited to meet the little one!! But while Rheanne is finding out the sex of her baby..
• I'll be in NYC!! I'm going to Boston for 2 days and NYC for 5 days in December with one of my best friends, Cassie, and her sister-in-law, Michelle. NYC at Christmastime is on my bucket list so I'm excited to skate at Rockerfeller Center, visit the 911 memorial, visit Lady Liberty, go to Ellis Island, see a Broadway play, walk around Central Park, buy Meemo and Ollie a present at FAO Schwarz, take a tour, and visit Parsons School of Design (it's where they do Project Runway). I'm serious about spotting some celebrities too. I'll be sad I don't get to take Brand along but he has to stay here and bring home the bacon. We'll probably take a vacation when he gets his vacation time next year.
• Also, Grandma Louise turns 90 in January so we'll be partying it up like its 1922!

Hopefully as yucky winter rolls around we all have something fun to look forward to.

Now back to being sick...

Humbly grateful

We had a fun surprise this weekend when Josh's father-in-law, Mike,  invited my dad to a spontaneous visit to his hometown, Moscow, ID. Brand and I were invited to come join them for the day (and then the night). We had so much fun hiking around the Dudley's property on Moscow mountain. It was beautiful and though we probably scared all the animals away, there was definite bear poop, deer poop, and elk poop. The dogs had a blast scaring the grouse (and me!)
It was amazing to see my dad hiking that mountain with hardly any problem. Realistically, he probably should not be able to do that but he kicked our butts (Note to self: get in shape). We had such a good time talking about life and the Lord. Of course my dad brought up some books for us on grace (his favorite subject.)

If you ever want to be humbled here are a few steps:
1.) Ask for it, it's a good step because God delivers.
2.) Hike a mountain with your 64-year-old dad who has an illness that should stop him from hiking a mountain...but it doesn't. And then watch him whoop your butt at it.
3.) Talk to a man faced with the worst and listen to him speak about life joyfully and gratefully and how he sees his prognosis as nothing more than another reason to share the love and grace of the Lord.

Also, the Dudleys are pros at being hospitable. At short notice they took us in when the last and only time we met them was at Josh and Rheanne's wedding 5 years ago. We had fun hiking, cutting down trees for firewood (well Rob Dudley cut, we loaded into the truck), dodging bees, taking shortcuts, eating yummy food, bashing the Vandals in Vandal country to Vandal fans (good-natured fans!), playing Bopit, trying to get cats to run into the wall, listening to Dudley stories, and great conversations. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm really grateful Josh married Rheanne. She's pretty awesome but then to back it up with a great family is just a bonus.

There's a lot to complain about in this world. And man are we faced with it every day either by ourselves or people around us. But it's hard to complain with a family (and extended extended family) like mine. I'm grateful for the people in my life and the joy they bring me. Thank you.

Life

The past month I have been taught the incredible value and beauty of life. A little over a month ago I was given news that would threaten the life of someone I love dearly. As my family and I continue to wait and hope to hear differently, I constantly think of something I feel I have mostly taken for granted: life.
We are given one life. In this one life we are given purpose and a mission. No one life is without purpose. I truly believe that. Ask anyone who has lost a loved one to suicide and you will know that even those who felt that their own life was worthless, that they were wrong. Their life affected many people around them and without that life around, they are missed and cause a great rift in the hearts that loved them. Life is a gift. Life is important. Every life.
Even though I know I've taken life for granted, I've always spent a lot of time thinking about life and how short it is. My dad always said the older you get the faster life goes. He is certainly right. Living far away from my family always gets me because I know life is short and I would rather spend as much time with them instead away from them. But even though I may spend a lot of time thinking of the value of life does not mean always mean I  think of the gift of life. I definitely waste a lot of my time doing things that are, yes, fun and relaxing, but it is time like these that I wish I could spend more of my time telling my loved ones how much I love them. I hate spending so much time and thought on paying bills or how to efficiently run my house. Sure these things need to be done but they do not need to rule my life.
I have been given a greater appreciation of life. Of my life. My families' life. My friends' life. My enemies' life.
I hope that not too far away I can say "wow that was a close one" or "I'm so happy it's not this" but either way, I know that whatever life we have left, whatever life my dad has left; it is valuable, it is a gift, and it is not something to be taken for granted.
I felt like this was a lesson I did not want to forget. I want to be reminded every day the preciousness of life.

This is my reminder. This is "life" in Hebrew. I have been given the gift of life and I have accepted the gift of eternal life.
I hope that my hard lesson can help you value your own life and the lives of all those around you. Spend your time loving, laughing, growing, forgiving, and living.

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.”  -Mother Teresa

Two wonderful years

These last two years married to Brand have been the best two years of my life. Everyday I am reminded of how blessed I am to have married my best friend. As someone who has always been shy about who I am, it is truly beautiful to be with someone that I can be my complete self around all the time. I cannot express how much Brand has been an answer to prayers: both mine and my family. I am so thankful for my parents who began praying for Brand the moment I was born and who continued to pray for me and Brand long before they or even myself knew who Brand was.
So celebrating two years of marriage is not just about me and Brand. It is about the seeds God planted many years ago, the love He cultivated at just the right time, and the endless support from friends and family.
As we enter into our third year of marriage we are faced with heavy hearts as together we face a serious health problem in our family. As we have during our times of richer and poorer and sickness and health we lean on the Father that brought us together and holds us together. I am so blessed to have my best friend constantly by my side during this time of unknowing. To have my best friend hold me and sob with me on the kitchen floor. To have my best friend laugh hysterically with me at our unique sense of humor. To have my best friend pray when I can't speak. To be married to my best friend has been a true blessing and I cannot wait to spend many more years with him.

Brand, I love you more than you know. Everyday I will try my best to be the woman you deserve.

Hope and Life

Bad news can shake you to the core. As you cry, it can make you wish that it is all a nightmare and you pray for someone to press the restart button. Bad news can make your life flash before your eyes and make the future seem bleak and without purpose.

Hope is the restart button. Hope is what tells you to keep on going. Hope helps you sleep. Hope gets you through the day. Hope is the ladder that pulls you out of the hole of despair and grief. Hope is what tells you that it is not time to grieve yet, it is time to LIVE, it is time to pray for an answer...

This is not a time for details, but this is a time for me to reach out to you for prayer. Please pray for physical healing, for a different answer, for life, for hope, for time.

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe in miracles. I believe in HOPE.

Please take this time to hug your loved ones and to say a prayer for mine.

When the time is right, I will give details but right now we are just asking that you pray for HOPE.

Celebrate LIFE and keep up the HOPE!

Be still my coeur!

Brand and I had a beautiful Saturday in Coeur d'Alene, ID. We had so much fun and relaxation! We ate, swam, and then ate some more (Gooey's!!).

At one point I asked Brand if he too felt a little like we were on a honeymoon. He said yeah! I think it was because we were away from the routine, from the errands, and were able to just focus on each other. It was a lot of fun :)

The lake :)

My sweet

Post-swim

Brand with our Huckleberry Gooey!

Me with our Hucklberry Gooey (yes those are two chocolate covered strawberries, yum!)

Conquered!

W00t!

I'm pretty excited for the next few weeks!
Here's why:
1.) Brand is taking me to an outdoor performance of Much Ado About Nothing which will be awesome because I love the Idaho Shakespeare Festival (For you Non-Idahoans..it's brilliant and it's all outside in this beautiful ampitheater) so I'm pretty excited to get my fix which I haven't had for awhile!
2.)Brand and I are going swimming at Lake Coeur d'Alene this weekend and I'm excited to get the HUGE ice cream afterwards :)
3.) Part 1 of our anniversary celebration is going to take place 5 days before in Seattle when we get to see Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance in concert! We're going with my little bro Stevo and his friend and we're pretty excited for the whirlwind day!
4.) Part 2 of our anniversary celebration will take place in Boise! We're going back to B-Town for Labor Day weekend to see family, eat Brazillian, and of course...nervously watch BSU play their opener against Georgia...THEN we'll be taking the 4th to spend time together  in the city we got married and spend a lovely romantic evening somewhere special to us.(We will be taking a break to meet the sibs and friends to do some fantasy football drafting)
5.) Part 3 of our anniversary celebration will happen on our actual anniversary and basically it means I get to eat the best Kobe beef ever. We also get to keep up some traditions we started last year. I'm pretty stoked about it :)


And not in the next few weeks but coming this fall..
1.) Cassie's birthday celebration! Mollie and I always get together with Cassie either in Spokane or in Walla Walla to get the gang back together and rock the world together.
2.)NYC trip!!! Plane tickets aren't bought yet but they might as well be. So excited to see the Big Apple with a few of my favorite girls in the world (Dani, Mollie, and Cassie!)


But tonight..
I have a special date night planned just for Brand. I'm excited to drive him around Spokane blindfolded...so he can feel what it was like when we got engaged and I was blindfolded half the time haha.

Anyway, have a lovely week, fall, year!

Reunited

I've started working out again. Makes me feel old but rejuvenated at the same time.
I wish I could just go for a nice run like most of you but it's incredibly painful and I'm pretty sure it has to do with my low blood pressure. So I've resorted to my 8 years of conditioning in gymnastics to create my own little routine. It's fun to be back in the metaphorical saddle again.

In other news, I've cut down my soda intake to one a day...which has been helpful in the "eating right" department.

In "Brand was right" news...Brand always thought that despite my love of junk food, I wasn't eating enough calories every day. Thanks to a handy dandy Android App (My Fitness Pal if you are looking for a handy calorie counter) I found out that I'm short about 200-500 calories a day! Sheesh! So I've been working on that which is really hard when you're trying to eat right but I'm looking for a healthier lifestyle in all arenas.
Speaking of which...I'm hungry...I'm going to eat some cookies (Thanks mama Adams!)

A Date Night for the Books

Wow! With a title like that we must have done something huge, spectacular, romantic, and something extremely expensive...
Well if that's what you thought then you really don't know Brand and me very well.

As Brand and I near closer to our two year anniversary I constantly find myself finding more things that makes me fall deeper in love with him (ahem...sorry for the cheesyness..that may be the last for this post..I can't promise anything).

So what was this amazing date?

1.) Branderpants made some yummy tacos!
2.) We played Scrabble...at Brand's request...Brand hates board games..so this was out of pure love (P.s. I beat him finally..by a lot! Losing millions of games of Words with Friends on my phone mainly against my brother have finally paid off!) Then this exchange totally proved that we are definitely made for each other:
(Showing him the picture I took of the letters I had during the game that spelled Ass Text)
Me: A message sent from your pocket!
Brand: OR...
Allison: An ancient Mexican people!! (Aztecs)
Seriously..no one else would have given me this comic gold, and no one else would've not flinched when I totally knew what he was talking about.
3.) We watched Dead Alive. Which is the bloodiest movie ever made (seriously, most fake blood ever used in one movie...for instance, the last scene had 300 liters of fake blood) I almost puked a couple times. And I definitely laughed until I cry...I could have not watched this movie and enjoyed it THIS much with anyone else. (Yes we will be owning this movie someday!)
4.) I get to share my love of British TV with him. I didn't think he would enjoy it as much as I do even though he loves the Monty Python crew. But he certainly does! It also proves that we would totally survive in Ireland. (P.S. Check out The IT Crowd...it's brilliant! We are a wee bit addicted. British comedy with an Irish man in the lead? Sounds like good craic to me!)

God really got this one right. He definitely picked the best partner in life for me.
I love you Brand to Caprica and back :)

Full of Contradictions

I married Brand for a myriad of reasons, many of which I try to highlight here because he is amazing and I feel everyone should know that (not that most of you care but whatever). But one thing I like to brag about my husband is his incredibly progressive views on women.

I'm incredibly fortunate that he has these views because I'm a bit...gasp..progressive myself.

I am a woman wrapped in contradictions. I'm a domestic, Christian, progressive, feminist. Not a feminist in the traditional sense (though I do appreciate their advocacy and their incredible intelligence) but a feminist in the sense that I am sensitive to the plight of women past and present and what I can do for them in the future.

That being said...

I also enjoy cooking, cleaning, baking, and will one day stay at home to be with my children (happily!..and my choice!) Today I cooked a lot and had a sparkly clean kitchen at the end of it. In fact, I always have a sparkly clean everything. I clean everyday...a little bit here, a little bit there (it's actually a lot more organized than that but you get the point). However, I think the cleaning is more driven by my OCD than my need to please my husband. I also cook and bake for fun (though knowing Brand will enjoy the outcome is also a fun driving force, because in the end...I love him and I do things that will make him happy). I feel energized after an afternoon of cooking and cleaning.

However, I feel the feminist bit kind of shaking her head at me sometimes.
Why as a college-educated, honors graduated woman must you be so thrilled with these little domestic, mundane tasks that the women before you worked so hard to free you from?
Why did you spend $35,000 on a degree where you get to be socially active and make a difference in the world..just to eventually end up staying at home raising a bunch of snot-nosed brats? (To really piss Ms. Insider-Feminist I tell her that I would've spent more to find the man of my dreams like I did...oh man she hates that!)

Well Ms. Insider-Feminist..here is how I answer you:
First of all, the women before me worked so hard so that I could choose my path in this life. I want to raise my children to believe they can be anything they want to be, even if that means staying at home with their children (yes..my sons will be raised to believe that if they want to be Mr. Mom then good for them!) Also, a part of my OCD and need for control yearns for the simplicity of my domestic tasks. I work in a field that can be incredibly challenging and heartbreaking. Sometimes there aren't answers for the questions that face me. So I like to come home and do those things that I know I have a bit of control over. It can be quite therapeutic (so can a Battlestar Galactica marathon on Netflix..yes to add to the group of adjectives..I.Am.A.Nerd).

Secondly, my choice to be a stay-at-home mom was made long before I met Brand. Thankfully he was okay with whatever made me happy. I know that he values my intelligence and how hard I have worked my whole life to be a good student, a thirsty learner, and a productive member of society. Brand is a man that sees me as his intellectual equal and never doubts my abilities (usually he's the one encouraging me OUT of my own self-doubt). To be a stay-at-home mom does not mean that I have given into the American Dream's ideals or even to some people's version of Christian ideals..it means that I want to take on the incredibly difficult task of being a mom at home. It means that I will put faith in God that He will provide for us with only one job so that I can be close to my kids. However, I know if I decided to go back to work one day..Brand wouldn't hesitate to back me up. And the kids won't be at home forever, and at that time I will get the chance to look at a new journey and to see what God has for me next.*

I.am.not.a.trophy.wife. My husband brags about me..yes about my banana bread and my spinach dip..but he mostly brags about me to others about what I do for a living and about who I am...not what I produce in the kitchen. I am incredibly blessed to be married to a man who was raised by an incredibly strong woman. To be married to a man that believes in justice for women and to be married to a man who looks at me much more than his cook, his maid, and his baby-maker. I am valued way beyond that in his eyes.

Because my value isn't in my cleaning skills, my baking or cooking skills, my ability to organize, my performance at work, the way I look, or even the way my husband sees me...it is valued in God and His grace for me. That's why I can be a contradiction because all those adjectives don't really define me...they just help describe how God made me.



*Check this funny blog post out regarding the stay-at-home mom vs. working mom debate...love it! Yes there is some foul-language..I told you I'm progressive people!

Happy anniversary to my favorite couple!

Dear Josh and Rheanne,

The first time I met you Rheanne I'm pretty sure I knew that this was the girl for you, Josh. You brought her to mom's apartment after you both watched me perform in Steel Magnolias my senior year of high school. And, to say the least, Josh, you looked completely ga ga over Rheanne! Which makes sense because you are a beauty Rheanne :)

Josh, I remember the day you came home with Rheanne's engagement ring. You looked so nervous but so excited! You slipped the ring on my right hand because Rheanne and I had similar hand sizes and held it and you said "yup that's right!". 

I remember the day you were going to propose. Dad and I were nosy so we took a day trip to Redfish Lake to say hi to the unknowing Rheanne and the nervous Joshie. We were so excited to hear that Rheanne said she'd be your wife when you asked her on the beach, at sunset, at one of the prettiest spots in Idaho.


 And a little less than a year later...

No wonder your kid is so darn cute...you guys are good looking!

Josh and Rheanne, I admire your relationship. For one thing, you both make each other better people (Rheanne, you definitely make Josh more awesome haha...I think you were just amazing to begin with). I also love that you guys are always completely yourselves. I am so happy that you guys didn't hide in your love cave like so many newlyweds do and that you included all of us in this crazy new adventure. You guys have been a blessing to me, to our family, and to my new marriage.
Josh, you told me when I was engaged what you liked the most about being married. You said that you loved not having to leave Rheanne at the end of the night. That you were home and home was with her.You were so giddy and so obviously still in love with Rheanne.
You guys rock at your marriage and rock at being parents to the best kid around.
These past five years have been so amazing to watch you guys grow as a couple and as parents. I love you guys so much and I'm so happy to have you in my life.
I hope you guys have a fantastic anniversary!

Love,
Allison

P.S..This wouldn't be complete without my demand of another niece or nephew...so go make one :)

Making our HOME look like a HOUSE

So, confession time!

Brand and I have lived in our humble abode for over a year and a half (we spent the first four months of our marriage in a tiny apartment that inhibited us from having the large dog we wanted and due to the close range of all the smokers...frequently smelled like an ash tray). We happily moved to our split level 3 bedroom 1.5 bath with den and yard in January of 2010 (I have to say...I'm pretty sure this house is the biggest house I've ever lived in...even when I lived with my 3 siblings and two parents). However, due to several circumstances out of our control that left us only spending money on food and necessities (and dream trip to Ireland)...this house has remained mostly...blank.

We have two pictures...TWO..pictures up that are actually engagement pictures. We never even got our wedding pictures up because of the cost. But now, that is going to change :)
For our 2 year anniversary gift to each other, we are finally getting our wedding pictures blown up and framed how we want it. Hopefully it'll be the kick in the pants to do the rest of the house.

This is the longest I've lived somewhere since I graduated high school and it does feel like home and I'm tired of these white walls.

Each room is, of course, going to be carefully planned. The only crappy thing is that I cannot paint these walls since we are renting so I'll be adding color here and there.

The room I'm most excited about is the Lair. It is our family room downstairs that is used most frequently for LAN parties (and cooling off in the hot summer because we do not have AC). While all the other rooms will be classy and sweet but still have our style, the Lair will totally feed into our nerdy side. We'll have posters of our favorite movies, fun movie quotes, and of course...a nod to our love/fear of zombies. It will be brilliant! It'll take time and money (time because we don't want to spend all the money at once) but it will be fun. We're not sure how long we'll live here but I'd rather make it home now.

Also, this will allow me to do some much wanted (note: not needed) organizing.

So this will be my project for the next however long it takes me. My dilemma is I see how everyone decorates their house and it all seems to look the same to me. So I'm trying to figure out a way to make it look modern but US. I want one of a kind pieces and things that scream US (without it being obvious like BSU Broncos and zombies). It'll be hard to pull off but I've been looking at thrift stores and hope to hit some markets. Plus, Rheanne is an amazing artist (so is her sister who I'm pretty sure I will be commissioning to do her adorable robot paintings for our children's nurseries when the time comes) so I'm not lacking in the artistic eye section in the family. And when we were in Ireland I was really inspired by the design of the homes and the whole vibe that Ireland gave off. It was a little different and felt it had depth and history to the design rather than just copying the pages out of Pottery Barn. I'm not artsty at all and I don't think I'm a designer but I'm really excited to get started...
Hopefully I'll have pictures as things progress!

End of an Era

Last night marked the end of an era for me. Brand and I, with two of our friends, went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter (in 3D..best 3D ever..really beautiful). I won't go on for long but that I am sad the movies are done just like I was when the books were done except now I don't have any more Harry to look forward to (except hopefully a visit to Harry Potter land!) Basically, the movie was fantastic. Not just as a Harry Potter movie but as a movie in itself. Great performances, directing, writing, etc just a great movie!
I can't wait to see it again, and again and again. I will be perfectly fine with it breaking my previous most-watched in theaters movie XMen (7 times!). I know that's a lot of money but it will be totally worth it!

SO excited!! Brand likes to pretend he doesn't care...but I know he does ;)

So if anyone needs a date to Harry Potter...I will happily go with them.:)
Thanks Harry, Ron, and Hermione (oh and Neville..you are such a BAMF!) You guys rock!

Enjoying life as it is

So last year I threw a pity party via blog entry. I'd link it buttt..I'll make you find it if you really want to read it.
Yes, I want to be a mom. There's no hiding that. And I will be someday (FYI: We are not trying at the moment. I get asked almost every day by a strict Catholic elderly lady with some memory problems when we are going to have a baby...complete with a belly patting action..my belly not hers. Well as a strict Catholic, I'm not entirely sure she realizes that birth control is part of my daily schedule...I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm infertile..anyway..)
When people find out we do not have children yet they tell me all sorts of things to enjoy before we have kids. So I've been taking this wisdom and put life into a new perspective.
A list of things I enjoy doing baby-free:
1.) Spending so much time with Brand uninterrupted. I love hanging out with Brand and I know that will change when we have a baby because I'll be with Brand a lot but not without a baby attached or smelling like spit up.
2.) Sleeping. This may be the thing I enjoy the most. I love sleep. I nap a lot. To me: this is birth control alone.
3.) Showering when I want.
4.) Going out to eat. Brand and I made a decision the other day. We could save a lot of money for our future by not going out to eat ...and be really bored. Or we can go out to eat baby-free and really enjoy it because once a baby comes along..it's a different story..so I hear...from many people.
5.) Road trips and vacations. We are SO happy we went to Ireland this year. Because once babies come along that is not going to realistically happen because it's frowned upon to get drunk off of oozo at your uncle and aunt's house in Greece when you have kids.
6.) Seeing movies, grocery shopping, plane rides...etc. All things easier baby-free.
7.) A clean house. I'm a clean freak and I have been told this may be something I have to give up when my offspring come along. What's more important: a super clean house or spending time with baby? I'll take time with baby and I'll just try not to think about the unoiled furniture, the dirty windows, and the baseboards not being vacuumed.
8.) Leaving within 5 minutes of the time that we planned to leave. Babies require a lot of things and those things need to go with them everywhere they go. Plus, I do not get along with carseats. They hate me and at least with Ollie's carseat one side is always tight and the other is always loose and it takes me a good while before they are normal.
9.) My body. I know it's shallow but I will enjoy my pre-baby body. Everyone says I'll go back to my shape after I have a baby. Like they can read the future??! Please I appreciate the encouragement but let me be realistic and recognize that having a baby changes your body. I'm ok with that but I'll enjoy what I have while I've got it (there are a few clothes that I'll be sad to give up when I can't fit in them anymore).
10.) Less worry. I worry...a lot...I can't even imagine how much I'll worry when someone's life is in my hands. 
11.) Sleep. This deserves to be said twice.


So you moms out there, I'm sure you can add like a million more (hello having both arms available!) but I think you can all agree that you'd give up these things time and again if it means to have your bebe. So I'll take the advice I've been given and enjoy the heck out of these things while I can. Because sometimes I think the ETD (Estimated Trying Date) is far away but as Brand keeps reminding...it's really not :)

Happy Independence Day!

This Independence Day rocked hardcore folks. Any time spent with my family is the best time ever and this holiday always has memories attached to it. Also, since I went to Ireland and saw how crappy the Brits were to them...I appreciate our independence a bit more...so this was a special Independence day.
Here are some highlights:

• McCall on Saturday morning with my dad, my lovely, my sister, my brother, and Ollie was beyond awesome! Pancake house, huge scoops of ice cream, and watching Ollie play on the beach was the best.
• Dance party with Ollie!
• Yummy homemade dinner courtesy of my aunt and mom and then hanging out in the backyard watching the dogs and Ollie play.
• Kickball game with family and friends! My team lost horribly but I did score! It was good times in hot weather.
• Ollie's first experience with sparklers and pop its!
• Monday Josh and I got our haircut by his talented sister-in-law and we jammed out to some Sleigh Bells
• The HUGE fireworks show was preceded by hanging out with my handsome, my siblings, and our awesome friends.
• And, of course, Ollie did not disappoint on the comedy..here are some of my favorite Ollie-isms from this weekend:
• "The moon is made of sour cream"
• "Bug! STOMP!" (and stomped on the bug...such a boy)
• "Now I have annergies"
• Darin: Ollie why is your hand down your pants? Ollie: my butt itches! (again..such a boy)
• Me: Ollie where did you get that scratch on your arm? Ollie: I dreamed that a spider bit me in the lab.  (then whenever you asked him after this about the scratch he just said a spider bit me in the lab)
• Ollie was getting pretty spazzy while drinking some Powerade before the fireworks..Me: There's sugar in that Powerade huh?. Ollie: Ohhhhhh yeaaaaaahhhhhh!
• While holding him..Ollie: Where's Aunt Allison? Where is she? I can't find her!..seriously a comedian this kid.
• Josh shared a few of the Ollie-isms I've missed:
• "That song is from Toilet!"-referring to the Twilight soundtrack..he loves the soundtrack because even though the movie sucked it has great music.
• He also knows who the Foo Fighters are..even if its a brand new song he knows what it is.
• Hard rock music is bad music (as in awesome music) and acoustic music is good music (as in for good guys)

So overall this past weekend was fantastic. Its always hard to come back to Spokane when I have so much fun with the family. But the distance definitely makes me grateful for the blessings I have :)

To check out more pictures I took of my time with family...lookie here

Be the change...

"Be the change you want to see in the world"-Gandhi

A simple, frequently quoted piece of wisdom. Unfortunately, there's a lot of wrong in this world. Poverty, racism, abuse, and hatred among other things. If you want to see positive change then the best way to go about it is to be a part of that change, either actively, financially, prayerfully, or being an example of love to this world.

Awhile ago I talked to Brand about wanting to write some blog posts about the many charities, causes, and ministries that are active in Spokane and beyond that we are compassionate about. I felt that maybe it will spark something inside of you to get involved somewhere or maybe it will get you thinking about what is going on in the world outside of our own miniscule lives. It's easy to get wrapped up in bills, work, every day duties, etc..but once you've been touched by the hate of this world and the love trying to defeat the hate...it's not very easy to forget those that live it every day.  So I'll be highlighting some awesome organizations that have chosen to not lie down but to be the change they want to see in the world. I'll be keeping all the information in short-hand form here so take a look as it develops!

So I thought I'd start off with the one nearest and dearest to my heart: 

Meals on Wheels, Spokane
In case you don't know why it is so near and dear to my heart, its because I work here.

Meals on Wheels, Spokane serves the homebound and disabled adults in Spokane. We strive to promote independent and healthy living in one's home and an overall better quality of life. A lot of seniors are  prematurely moved to nursing homes and assisted living. Many decline rapidly after such a move and the truth is, most do much better in their own home. A simple, hot lunch meal once a day can make a huge difference in the lives of the seniors and their families. However, some do not have families or people involved in their life. Some do not have anyone checking on them everyday except for that smiling volunteer. That's kind of where I come in. I visit every one of our seniors at least two times a year. I make sure they are getting all the help they need either with transportation, shopping, bathing, cleaning, and companionship, whatever it may be. Meals on Wheels, Spokane is the connection from their isolation to the services that may help them. Meals on Wheels, Spokane is the only home-delivered meal service in the county that provides this extra service. Because usually, lack of basic nutrition is just the tip of the iceberg. Our volunteers have saved lives, and I've had many seniors tell me that without a home-delivered meal and a smile from a volunteer, they would probably be in a nursing home.  We also provide meals for the weekends, nutritional supplements for our malnourished seniors, and even pet food twice a month for their pets. (This has become my "pet" project. We serve over 300 animals a month. This way the seniors won't feed them their own food so that everyone in the family gets the proper nutrition).

We also have an awesome senior center. We serve the lowest income seniors and many of our seniors are homeless (we are located in downtown Spokane). At the senior center we serve breakfast and lunch. Lunch is absolutely free and breakfast is as low as $1 for members (to be a member you pay $12 a year). We also do haircuts, Wii games (Rose is the best Wii bowler!), birthday parties, Bingo, exercise group, art classes, visits to baseball games, fairs, parks, and fishing trips! So how do we fund all this? Strictly through private donations and grants. We receive ZERO government funding. If you want to help continue the important work visit our website at www.mowspokane.org . If you want to find out about a home-delivery site in your area visit mowaa.org. The elderly are often the most forgotten people in our society. They fought our wars, they raised our leaders, they've lived through the depression and civil rights, and they worked so hard their bodies are paying for it. They've lost most of their family and almost all of their friends. They do not deserve to be forgotten. 

"Thus says the Lord of hosts, Render true judgements, show kindness and mercy to one another, do not oppress the widow, the fatherless, the sojourner, or the poor and let none of you devise evil against another in your heart." Zechariah 7:9-10

Happy Father's Day!

I won't go on forever and ever about the awesomeness of the fathers in my life. Mainly because two of them just had a birthday and I bragged about my dad and my brother in their respective birthday bragging blogs :)

I know how incredibly blessed I am to have the father that I do. My dad works very hard for his family. Even now that he is not financially responsible for the four of us, he continues to do a job that is not his passion and that is becoming physically more difficult for him. My dad, as educated as he is, took whatever job he could to make sure we had food on the table. But he more than just provided food. He sacrificed so we could do sports, theater, and be kids.
But what I owe my dad more than anything is a big thank you for the spiritual role he has played in my life. My dad is someone I can always count on to pray for me even before I ask him. I was in church today thinking about my dad and how if it weren't for him I'm not sure I would have the spiritual life that I do or even the life that I do. Shortly after Brand and I got engaged, Brand told me of the day he asked for my dad's blessing to propose to his little girl. After my dad gave his blessing he said something to Brand that resonated with me. He told Brand: "I have prayed for you since the moment I first held her". That's the kind of dad he is. The moment I arrived he started praying for my future (my parents never knew the sex of their children until we were born, otherwise I bet he would've started praying about my future husband even sooner!). My dad continues to ask me what he can pray for and also tells me what we can pray about for him. I have learned so much from my dad and still have so much to learn from him.

Daddy's girl :)

I am also proud to say that I am the sister of the best new father ever. He's been a dad for 3 and a half years and man is he good! He loves that little boy more than anything in the world and it definitely shows. And Ollie also definitely admires his dad. I love seeing those two interact. It's really neat to see fatherhood in action in the years that I don't remember. In fact I'm kind of sad that I don't remember being a really little kid with my dad because I bet it was a lot of fun! I think you can really see how good a parent is in the tough times. I've seen Josh have to discipline Ollie. He's so loving and gentle with him yet stern. I can't wait to see Josh teach him how to ride a bike, teach him how to ski, and teach him how to be a good person. All this is amazing because Ollie's dirty diaper was the first diaper Josh had ever changed. So he went from a complete newb to stellar dad in a matter of seconds. I also have to say that seeing your sibling take on this all new important role is incredibly strange and awesome. Looking at the guy that once endlessly tease me be so gentle with his baby is very surreal...but I love it :) Oh and Josh here are my two cents..I really think Ollie needs another sibling because more kids need to be raised by you (and Rheanne of course) because they are sure to turn out world-changers.

Josh meets his son :)

And to my father-in-law. I could not have asked for a better father-in-law. He is an incredibly smart and thoughtful man. He opened his arms to me the minute he met me. And every time we see them I feel closer and closer to him. He is caring and I know I owe him a lot for raising such a respectable and smart man for me to marry. (I also can't wait to see him as a grandpa because it'll be great to see this man turn into a big old softie like he does with his grand-dog).

My new family

Basically I'm blessed. I know there are a lot of crappy dads out there and the fact that I have three wonderful ones in my life is amazing.
Thank you dads! I love you all!

Random Thoughts

Sometimes I have so many random thoughts that Facebook and all my Facebook friends fall victim to a pathetic string of closely published Facebook statuses. So instead, I'd thought I'd write a blog post to get them all out.

1.) I think it's sad when people with beautiful accents have to play American characters in movies or TV. Making Hugh Laurie talk like any run-of-the-mill drug-addicted Jersey doctor (without a Jersey accent) should be a crime. That being said, that's just me being selfish longing to hear beautiful accents.

2.) I really love marshmallows.

3.) We have this little girl named Kelly that lives across the street. She is so adorable and symbolizes innocence perfectly. The other day she was lying on the grass looking at the clouds but looked up at me and smiled as I drove away. She's also had a tea party with stuffed animals in our driveway. She is very smart. And I have this small feeling that her parents don't appreciate just how awesome she is.

4.) I'm cold, it's June 16th and I'm wanting hot cocoa and tomato basil soup.

5.) I visited one of my favorite couples today. They've been married for 62 years and obviously still love each other. They also have perfect comedic timing and I laughed a lot just watching them interact. Here's an example:
Husband: (trying to catch his breath from answering the door for me) Sorry, I have to catch my breath.
Wife: He always thinks he has to breathe! (big smile)
AND
Husband: We don't do much running around these days.
Wife: When was the last time we ran? I mean besides to the bathroom.

They were seriously so much fun. Interesting fact about him: he fought in the battle of Iwo Jima and has a well-deserved plaque to honor his service.

6.) My sister and mom are currently hanging out in Europe and have been to Florence and Rome and are currently in Innsbruck, Austria and are about to leave for the Czech Republic. Since they left I keep having dreams of traveling. Last night I went to Russia!

7.) I've been doing things in my sleep again and it makes me exhausted the next day! I wish I did more productive things in my sleep like clean..instead I just get angry at imaginary bugs.

8.) Frances McDormand is my favorite actress. She's awesome.

9.) I downloaded 500 90's songs (50 from each year) for Mollie's 25th birthday party. I've been listening to them every chance I get and it's been awesome. Brand and I have now danced to The Saga Begins (weird Al), rapped to Beastie Boys (whatcha want!), and I've told him how I feel with songs like : Can You Feel the Love Tonight?, All That She Wants is Another Baby, and 2 Become 1 (Spice up your life! Girl power!). 

The End.

10 Things I'm Excited About This Summer

Summer's here which means awesome things are happening! Here are a few things I'm excited about: (in no particular order)
1.)Mollie's birthday!
2.)Dani's birthday! (both parties are going to rock)
3.)Ashley and James' wedding (it will be epic, beautiful, and I will be present to the cutest couple in the world getting married..seriously cutest couple in the world)
4.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2..this is actually bittersweet but it will be awesome
5.) 4th of July weekend with my family! Huge fireworks show at the park, BBQ with the family, kickball with the friends...doesn't get much better than that :)
6.) Reading books outside
7.) Camping
8.) Brand and I have decided to buy an elliptical. A lot of people are selling new ones for cheap on Craigslist because they buy them and then don't use them haha. I'm really excited to get my cardio on without having to put myself through the intense nerve-itch that happens when I run without an elliptical.
9.)  $1 Large Cokes at McDonald's...I take advantage of this as often as possible. Just ask my practicum student who has to tag along with me to whichever McDonald's is closest to our home visits. She's a trooper...I'm gonna miss her when she graduates this week!
Now drumroll please....
10.)Blink 182 and My Chemical Romance concert in Seattle with my better half and my little brother!!! It's the Thursday before our anniversary so it'll be a great way to kick off the 2 year anniversary weekend : ) So we won't be going to Catalina but this will be far better. Blink 182 is Brand's all-time favorite band and it's a lifetime goal to see them in concert. My Chem happens to be my little brother's favorite band and he believes it'll be their last tour. So we shelled out the big bucks (not as big as I thought they would be) to get right in front of the stage standing tickets! We are so going to rock out and I'm going to see two of my favorite guys in the world be in the presence of their favorite bands. (Steve's seen My Chem before but Brand's never seen Blink and I know what its like to see your favorite band in concert...it is UH-MAZE-ING!!!)

So there's a little sneak peek at what is in store for me this summer. Be jealous folks :)

Also, if you can remember...pray for my mom and sister as they head out to Europe for a couple weeks. Lets hope no volcanoes blow-up and ruin things :) Have fun ladies!

Ohana

Memorial day did not disappoint! Even though Josh and Rheanne were out of town Quatchin it up at the Gorge...we still had a great time with everyone else (and we'll see them 4th of July weekend!)
I had a blast with the sweetest, smartest little boy in the world! Ollie has grown up so much and it makes me hate living so far away from him even more. He is so smart and hilarious. I got to push him on the swing, chase him around playing superheroes, push him on the skateboard, and listen to his hilarious observations.
I had great quality time with my mom, dad, grandma, and aunt. I think my favorite part of the weekend was talking to my grandma about my grandpa. We got to go with her to put flowers on his grave (which she's been doing for 40 years now). We also went to her parents and her brother's grave and put flowers on those. She talked about the time she went to Normandy and how she felt when she knew she was walking on the same beach my grandpa had walked on. She couldn't stop talking about him and recounted the day of his funeral. Now, 40 years after his death and she is still in love with him (my dad told me that she had a full-ride scholarship to U of I but didn't tell my grandpa because she knew he would want her to get an education instead of getting married but she wanted to marry him so badly that she didn't tell him until years later!). She also talked to me more about my Irish heritage (when we came over someone robbed my family and only stole the coat of arms and papers to our castle!).I could've talked to her all day and it made me miss home even more.
Going to Boise never feels like taking a weekend off or going on vacation. It feels like going home. I almost forget that we have to go back to Spokane. I pray someday Brand and I can move back to Boise. Until then..we'll be here doing whatever it is we're supposed to be doing here (currently we'll be saving up for another trip to Ireland next year..just us :) )

A Wicked Good Time

Wednesday, Brand fulfilled a promise to me when he took me to see Wicked. It was awesome! I've read the book and knew ahead of time that the play was a lot different than the book. Luckily, I'm one of those people that can love a book and a movie separately even if they are different.
Seeing Wicked made me miss the stage. I love theater! During the production I kept thinking about how chaotic it must be backstage and how much work went into the 2.5 hours that we witnessed. And they definitely kept us entertained. I laughed a lot and my hands hurt from clapping so hard. The choreography was fantastic and the costumes were magical. Anne Brummel as Elphaba was perfect. Natalie Daradich as Glinda was hilarious. Brand told me there were moments of spazzy Glinda that reminded him of me. :)
I'm so glad I got to share my love of theater with Brand. And he loved it too...which was a definite bonus. He laughed just as much and clapped just as hard. Next year I'm planning on going to Beauty and the Beast with the two ladies that had to endure and play along with my B&B obsession as a kid..my mom and sister, Julie. It'll be awesome. Until then, I hope we can go to some local shows this summer. Here's a little bit of our awesome date night at Wicked:

Before the show

My handsome at Twigs for apps and desserts :)

Yummy watermelon margarita

Elphaba and Glinda

Before the show starts!

With the playbill! Making some weird face...

Brand looking awesome

My awesome shoes I got for our fancy date :)

Happy Birthday Josh!!

I love other people's birthdays! It gives me a chance to honor the people I love and shower them with praises. Today is my big brother's THIRTIETH birthday. I had to put that in all caps in case he were to forget how incredibly old he is.
Let me begin with saying that Josh is one of my most favorite people in the world. He is hands down one of the funniest people I know (he happens to share my awesome sense of humor so sometimes we may be the only two laughing but that's only because no one really appreciates how awesome we are). He also happens to be one of the sweetest, kind-hearted men ever. He is a fantastic dad to little Ollie and he is half of my favorite couple in the entire world!

Josh, Rheanne, and Ollie on Rheanne's Grad day. What a good looking family!

We define cool.

But Josh and I weren't always the best of friends. He certainly did not appreciate my arrival two weeks before his 5th birthday. He was the baby and I was about to take his title (though not for long since Stephen was born less than two years later). To this day, Josh knows how to get under your skin (I just have thicker skin now and a better appreciation of his humor...oh and we have Darin to pick on now). He would be so mean to us! But that all changed when he fell in love with Rheanne (awwww!) Rheanne brought out the real Josh that I saw glimpses of as a kid. One time Josh heard me crying in bed one night when my mom was in the hospital. He came in, held me as I cried and told me that everything was going to be okay and mom would be home soon. Far different from the boy that would endlessly tease me but a true representation of the man he would become.

We're adorable.

Josh and I grew closer as we grew up and realized that we were the most alike out of all the Ekhoffs. Our bond was clearest the day I got married and Josh and Stephen gave the speech heard around the world when they left everyone in tears with their touching speech about what it was like being my brother and having to give me to someone else (I'm choking up just thinking about it!) We all knew Stephen would make us cry but when Josh cried...I lost it..it was unexpected and spoke loudly to what we developed since I graduated high school and moved away. It's because of my dad and my two brothers that I found such a great guy. I always knew I'd have to marry someone that could at least match the humor my brothers had (these guys are seriously funny and set the bar pretty high). Who knew I'd meet someone with a perfect mixture of Josh, Stephen, and my dad?

Stephen and Josh making everyone cry at my wedding.

The truth is...Josh is one of my heroes. He gave up school so his wife could finish and raise a child at the same time. Now that Rheanne has graduated, Josh gets to go back to school and I am so proud of him. Josh is one of the smartest people I know (just ask him..he'll tell you what his AP test scores were...Seanna knows too since he tends to rub it in her face). He's not just my hero. I know he's a hero to Stephen and to his little boy. Josh works so hard for his family and he tries his best to be the greatest husband, son, dad, and brother he can be.
I really wish I could be with Josh as he ages into another demographic (THIRTY!) but this little bloggy will have to do :)
Joshie..I love you and I promise never to throw cereal at you again as long as you promise not to make me eat it off the floor :)