Christmas Party

Dave and I at Coffman Engineers Christmas Party!  What a blast!

More Pumpkin Ball

The Pumpkin Ball

http://picasaweb.google.com/the.nw.photobooth/PumpkinBall2010#5532076713736397490
Click here to view pictures of Dave and I at Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery's 2010 Pumpkin Ball!
Who says Dave can't smile!?!?!

Snow White

These are photos of a bouquet of flowers Dave bought me to say "I LOVE YOU!" in December.  One morning the sunlight was gleaming through our kitchen window and I just couldn't help but grab the camera and take a whole bunch of pictures.  I hope you enjoy them.

He buys me flowers from the Davenport Hotel Florist Shop.  They are very reasonable prices and they are the only place he's ever purchased flowers from that last more than a couple days.  I had this bouquet for at least two weeks-minus a couple that died, but the majority of the flowers lasted quite some time.  I should also mention that this bouquet was 2 1/2 feet tall!

16 Years Baby!

Our Anniversary this year, like it has in the past, fell on the night of Dave's Office Christmas Party. We had a wonderful evening filled with food, laughter and dancing. Coffman Engineers Christmas parties are always a blast! Dave, being the General Manager, was Emcee. He did a fabulous job, he had all of us laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt! Nerds DO know how to have fun!

The 'long arm' shot...

Happy 16th Anniversary Babe!

5479 Days!

Today is our 15th Wedding Anniversary! Whoopee!

We had a wonderful time this evening reminiscing about the years gone by. I am SO thankful to the Lord for bringing this man into my life. To be my very best friend, companion, lover, mentor & head of our home.

When you've been together as long as we have, & you write stuff down, you begin to really see the "Big Picture" and it's very cool.

In the last 15 years.....

Dave survived a major auto accident

gotten in 4 fender benders

had 4 ER visits

got braces (me)

survived unemployment with a child

had a cholecystectomy, rhinoplasty, tonsillectomy, & abdominal reconstruction followed by a vasectomy!

remodeled, on our own, 2200 square feet

bought and paid off 6 vehicles

3 speeding tickets

visited 9 countries

had 3 different gym memberships

helped save a mans life

been apart, at one time, for 50 days

made it through 12 years of my sickness

made it through a failed personal business

on our 3rd camera

payed off Gonzaga University student loans

home schooled, collectively, for 17 years

helped start a church

4 trips to Disney

helped a family member start a restaurant

had 3 kids within 23 months

had 3 kids in diapers for over a year

helped a man in Africa financially so he could take care of his parents & get married. He later named his first son David.

had no cable TV for over 10 years

mourned the loss of a beloved friend

been debt free 3 times (3rd time must be the charm!)

bought 2 diamond wedding rings

only made one 911 call

lived with a family member

lived in 6 homes

took 1 severance package

worked (Dave) approximately 7500 hrs. of OT

& it goes on & on & on........

The most BEAUTIFUL part is how I can look back over the years and see the LORDS HAND on our lives. We've gone through many difficult times but we have also been able to enjoy so many wonderful blessed times. They all add up to OUR LIVES. Our lives orchestrated by HIS loving hands.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you," says the Lord, "thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

PS~ Dave bought me the wool sweater I am wearing in the picture on our honeymoon. I wear it every anniversary!

Our Weekend to Remember

Wow! I am still on cloud 9....no maybe cloud 10!

Last week we found ourselves looking ahead to a weekend without the kids (thank you G & G Ruff!) so we decided to head to Sandpoint, Idaho, and stay up at the lodge at Schweitzer again.

Road trips are always awesome for My Man & I. We love to talk together. Usually these are the times we make large decisions for our family as well as spending time exhorting & encouraging one another. The Lord has been so good to us. We also spent time thanking Him and talking about Him, His Word, & His people (you!).

Friday night was hard because I got sick. I must have gotten into one of my intolerances at lunch. We went to Mizuna, which is the only place I can eat at, and I've never gotten sick there before. I knew it was my intolerance & not food poisoning because I get a massive migraine and nausea until around 4 am. It's like clock work. With that horrible evening aside we drove down the mountain Saturday to the little town of Sandpoint, parked at the public beach.....& rode bikes all day! Now this may not seem to be a big deal, but IT IS! I have not done anything like this since I was 16 or so. That's the last time I rode my/a bike. (My Mom melted it! That's a story for another blog!) And most of you know that the last 15 years I've either been with little kids OR really sick OR spent money on bikes for kids! My Man bought me a new bike a couple weeks ago & this was my first bike trip. We had so much fun! I really felt free & healty again which is SO awesome for me. Saturday night we headed back to Spokane for church and then headed back to Sandpoint after. That night was much nicer. Jacuzzi, home-made hummus pizzas in our room, little glass of wine....it was amazing. Sunday we drove down the mountain, & quess what? We rode bikes all day! We rode around Sandpoint and then headed south towards Couer d'Alene. We stopped at Round Lake state park and biked around the whole lake. You should have seen the hills I climbed! Then we drove farther and visited Farragut state park and biked around there. We continued to Couer d'Alene and again, rode our bikes all around.

Absolutely wonderful! And I'm only slightly sore today.

Highlights:

Lunch by the Statue of Liberty with our feet in the lake

Racing Dave to the Sub, I lost of course!

The weather was superb. Low 70's and sunny!

Fish Hatchery

Talking politics

Sandpoint Farmer's Market. We had Italian green beans for a snack. Fresh picked, sweet, crunchy & about 10 inches long! No kidding. We shared them with some kids riding bikes that were very curious as to what we were eating.

Fake waterfall we drove to see

The views

Getting locked out of the resort and our room. Our room keys got deactivated while we were in the pool so we had to walk around in our robes until we could get back in.

Fart Bikers. Someone had made a stencil of "gas" and spray painted "farts" coming out the backside of all of the painted road symbols for Bike Lane!

"Freds"

We live in a beautiful part of the country!

Sipping mint tea

Bike jumps

LOVE

Having My Man say he was so proud of me!

Thank you Lord for My Weekend to Remember!