Year in review

2010 was the year of
change!

We ushered in the New Year by getting married!

6 days later we moved from Maryland to Hawaii.
In February, my good friend Meg came to visit and we had an absolute blast! We survived the Tsunami and a crazy hike and celebrated her birthday! I was sad to see her go!
In April, we adopted Milo and pretty much have not stopped laughing at his antics!

In August, we had the pleasure of hosting a wonderful house guest, Lynda. We celebrated my birthday with a trip to the beach, a piece of Ted's pie and dinner at the Dixie Grill!

In September, I traveled to San Francisco to meet up with some of my close friends, Meg and Alicia. It was a short trip but it was fun! We had a great time exploring a city that none of us had been to before. We loved riding the cable cars!
In October, we dressed up for Halloween and carved a pumpkin. We had a great time passing out candy to kids and then going around with our neighbors and their kids.

My parents came to visit in November and I was so excited to see them! We had a blast showing them the island and it really boosted my spirits to have them here!

In December, we attended in incredible marriage retreat. You can read more about it here - I recommend it for everyone!! If you want to attend at 1/2 off, click here. Although, we weren't able to be with our families on Christmas, we are so thankful for Skype - it's a way to be with the family even though we couldn't physically be there. We later celebrated Christmas with a party at the neighbor's house. We're a crazy random bunch but we're the family that none of us had this year.
This year has absolutely flown by, I can't believe it! It doesn't seem like I have been married for a year - the time sure does fly! I feel like each year goes by faster than the one before it. I'll admit, all the change that happened this year has been difficult. Most of this year, I struggled with being homesick and lonely. I praise God, for my wonderful husband who has been so patient and loving, I couldn't have gotten through this past year without him. I don't usually do New Year's resolutions but being the introspective person that I am, the New Year is always a time of reflection for me. 2010 was the year of change and I want 2011 to be the year filled with Joy and living a full and abundant life! May it be for you as well!

The Plague!

While my East Coast family and friends have had bitter cold weather and even snow, here in Hawaii we have had a lot of rain recently. Before November, I could count on one hand all the times it had rained at my house on the Western side of the island. All that rain really greened up the desert that we live in - so we actually have nice green grass for a change! I love the rain, so I haven't minded too much - at least up until now! All that rain brought a lot of mosquitoes.... :( . We have never had a problem before but now everyone I know is covered in mosquito bites! We are fine during the day but at night they come out in droves, it is not fun and we are taking drastic measures (everything except bathing in Bug Repellent) to try not to get bit. My granddady put dryer sheets in his hat in the summer to try to ward off the mosquitoes - so tonight we followed suit.

I'm wearing one in my ponytail...

and Joe taped one to his shirt!

We look awfully silly but we'll try anything! We've even shut all the doors and windows in the house and turned on the AC - that's a big deal for us frugal folks - this is only our 3rd time ever using the AC here and hopefully it is worth it!

A lot has been going on here, stay tuned for an end of the year recap post tomorrow!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Our first ever Christmas card!! I got my parent's card in the mail the other day and we both used the same verse without even knowing it! How funny!

Although it's great to be in Hawaii, my heart is in Maryland this Christmas. No matter where you are, I hope you have a blessed Christmas! Enjoy the holiday and remember the reason we celebrate this season.

"How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart,
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?"
- Downhere

Merry Christmas, friends!

The Proposal :)

I'm a sucker for a good proposal story, always have been! My husband did an amazing job planning our proposal, I think that's why I get so touched when I hear of other neat stories. I came across this sweet thoughtful proposal today & thought it was worth sharing! Of course I cried, you just might too, so have a box of tissues j,ust in case. You can read more about it here.

We're ready!

Bring it on Christmas, we're ready! I think this is the first Christmas in a long time that I have not waited until the last minute to buy gifts. I am usually that person who is buying Christmas presents with the other crazies on Christmas Eve but not this year! It's probably due in part to the fact that most of my Christmas presents had to be mailed, but hey that's beside the point. I somehow even managed to get the presents wrapped and in the mail before the deadline for them to arrive by Christmas, it's a miracle indeed!

When I went to the Post office today to mail Christmas presents, I only had duct tape to close my packages. The gentleman in the car next to me, gave me his brand new (and barely used) roll of packaging tape - he wished me a "Merry Christmas" and a "God Bless" and he was gone. It was so thoughtful, his kind gesture made my day.

The tree is trimmed, lights are hung, presents are all bought (and after a marathon wrapping session they are now all wrapped), packages have been shipped and Christmas cards have been mailed. This is one for the record books!

The aftermath of the wrapping extravaganza!

These are all for Joe! I went a little shopping crazy but still managed to stay (mostly) within budget. ;)

Even Milo is ready for Christmas- he loves hanging out with his new Penguin buddy. And no, that was not purchased with Milo in mind, he just happened to take a liking to it.
Our first Christmas ornament. Penguins and palm tress - always a perfect combination.

Happy Birthday!

I hope my dear friend, Alicia, has a most Happy Birthday, today! So wish I could be there to help celebrate! Enjoy your day, friend!

Love and other drugs

I heard this story the other day & thought it was worth sharing.

Drug Problem

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the adjoining county and he asked me a rhetorical question, “Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?”

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young: I was drug to church on Sunday morning. I was drug to church for weddings and funerals. I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults. I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a lie, brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke ill of the teacher or the preacher, or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap if I uttered a profanity. I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flower beds and cockleburs out of dad's fields. I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair the clothesline, or chop some firewood, and, if my mother had even known that I took a single dime as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in everything I do, say or think. They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and, if today's children had this kind of drug problem, America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drug us.

A Weekend to Remember

A year ago this weekend, Joe and I got engaged! It's almost hard to believe, the time has flown by so very fast. It hasn't always been easy but it has definitely been rewarding. We celebrated this weekend by attending "A Weekend to Remember", a marriage conference/retreat put on by Family Life. When we signed up for the event, I didn't realize that the date corresponded with our engagement anniversary but it was pretty cool to be celebrating it during the event. There were about 400 people at the conference from every walk of life- some people were engaged, the was a couple that had only been married for 7 days and there was even a couple that had been married for 58 years! It was all around an incredible weekend! I laughed so hard, our speakers were so funny but I learned a lot too. With me being the emotional sap that I am, I even shed a few tears (no laughing, Meg!) - I knew I was in trouble when they were passing out tissues at the door at one of the sessions! :) It was a great time to reconnect with Joe and the topics that were discussed opened up doors for some interesting conversations. We were able to reflect on this past year and figure out what has been working and what areas still need work. I can't say enough good things about the weekend - the conference was really well done - we learned a lot and had fun too! We didn't sit around and sing Kum-by-ya or hold hands or break into small groups - it was just Joe and I (with a whole bunch of other people) listening to some hilariously wise speakers.
I highly recommend this conference to anyone who is engaged or married - no matter if you have been married for a short time (like me) or a long time, it will change your marriage! If you (or someone you know) is contemplating divorce, I recommend you attend this conference before making a final decision, it is really eye-opening. It is worth every penny, and more. If they have an event here in far-away Hawaii, they will certainly have one in your state (or not too far away - you can see a list here). I'm afraid this is starting to sound like an infomercial, sorry friends, I just want everyone to know that (a) I had a great time and (b) I believe in the value of marriage and I really respect what Family Life is trying to do with these conferences. When I think of my family and friends, I can't think of a single couple that would not benefit from attending one of these weekends (and yes, that includes my parents). I feel so strongly about this, that I signed up to be a group leader. If you want to go to a conference, you can sign up with my group and get 1/2 off the registration fee (and no, I don't get paid for this, I don't get anything for being a group leader). You can attend any conference, in any state, with the discount rate. You could even come visit me in Hawaii and attend if you want :)! I might even let you stay with me! :)

If you want more info, you can e-mail me & I'd be happy to share more about our experience. If you are interested in attending a conference and want to sign up with my group, the group name is: TheCrispins and the link can be found here. Feel free to pass this onto anyone you think would like to attend a conference.