Home Sweet Home

Hawaii really runs through my blood. There's no place else on earth where I feel more at home, where I'm more relaxed and I feel most connected and loved. Today my parents took me and my husband to the Kahala Hotel for a delectable brunch. I must've packed my plate three times with a variety of seafood...raw, fresh and seasoned just how I like it! We took gorgeous photos on the beach and near waterfalls...I'm simply in heaven. My mom will have to shove me on the plane back to Peoria...I don't want to leave my hometown. It's been really great for our marriage...I feel so much more connected to Jeff now that he's had a dose of my Hawaiian heritage and family.

Paradise

Hawaii really is the prettiest place on earth.
Jeff and I are enjoying a "second honeymoon" of sorts in my home state. It's surreal to introduce my husband to the people and places that helped shape my identity...for better and for worse! The beaches are beautiful...hearing the waves lap on the shore while I bake in the sun is so relaxing. It's so good to be home. Hawaii is like second skin to me...it's not perfect but it's such a significant part of who I am and I love sharing it with Jeff. It's been interesting to see him try different foods and be introduced to a whole new culture and way of life. He's been a great sport...And my family's been great and unbelievably generous in gifting us with this breathing space to enjoy each other and the beach!

Ode to Small Group Joy

"It was the sort of house that you never seem to come to the end of, and it was full of unexpected places."
--The Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis

Tonight Jeff and I enjoyed an evening full of joy and laughter with our dear small group friends. It's past midnight and I'm still buzzing on the inside with excitement, amazed at how a group of a dozen wildly unique people with various personality quirks and interests can bond like blood. It's only by God's grace. Our small group is truly our family.

I remember when our group first formed a year ago...Our host, Jada, said, "I just want my home to always be full of joy and people." Mission accomplished, my friend. Our small group isn't even so "small" anymore. It's ballooned to include lots of people who float in and out of the group Friday nights.

Tonight we blared Christmas carols off-key, celebrated Jeff's birthday, and best of all, exchanged white elephant gifts from the Salvation Army. A brilliant idea thanks to our fearless leader, Michael!

I returned home with a gorgeous new set of candles, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" classic, Scrabble, a flower arrangement, and a Tiki light. Jada was pretty inventive with her $10 limit!

Here's to sticking together for many more Christmases to come! Kaya! :)

Dirty

Jeff encouraged me to violate some scriptural advice on his birthday:

"Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh." 2 Corinthians 7:1
"Be ye clean." Isaiah 52:11

Every night I beg him to take a bath or a quick shower. For goodness sake, I'll accept a 2-minute washing! But for some reason he has an aversion to cleanliness and complains on the way to the tub...So on his birthday I told him he doesn't have to bathe if he doesn't want to. (For the record, this makes it two days in a row, which about makes me sick). And Jeff requested that in addition, he'd like me to go to bed dirty as well.
I couldn't believe it. It's really one of my pet peeves that my bed be absolutely clean. And I never go to bed without showering...it makes my skin crawl!

Nonetheless, it was Jeff's day and while he fell asleep with a sloppy smile on his face, muttering, "This is like a holiday..." I tossed and turned and felt the bed bugs bite. It took hours for me to knock out. My greasy hair and unshaven legs were begging me to crawl to the bathroom for a cleansing...but Jeff wouldn't let me go. I hope he enjoyed it because he'll bathe double-time on my birthday!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

35 years ago my mother-in-law gave birth to the greatest guy in the world, my husband Jeff. I really should be giving her a present in exchange for the tremendous gift my husband has been to me.
The other night my hormones got the best of me and I cried while holding Jeff, dreaming of what my life would be like without him in it. It would certainly be missing lots of love and companionship. And who on earth would remind him every day how precious he is and how cute he looks?
I've had a mad crush on Jeff ever since our first non-official date and seeing his messy hair and crumpled laundry in the morning only makes me love him more. It's a miracle that we met, married, and defeated lots of odds to stay together. I only hope our love for one another, our family, and the Lord gets stronger as the years go by.
Happy Birthday, Sweetie!