Av's Game

On Friday, April 18 we got the chance to spend an evening at the Disneyland Hotel because my company held a training class there on Thursday and Friday. That Friday Andy got a last minute phone call from his good friend, Dave Walker, with an offer to accompany him to the Avs playoff game that he had tickets for... in Denver. Ofcourse, he couldn't miss that!

So he came out to the Dinseyland Resort after work on Friday and we enjoyed some time at the Hotel. We ate at Hook's Point, which we had never been to before. We didn't realize what a nice restaurant it would be! We were very happy with it. We enjoyed the sights and environment around the hotel that evening and then had breakfast at Steakhouse 55 in the morning - which we will probably do again. It was not busy at all! There were families pouring out the door of Goofy's Kitchen, just next door for the character breakfast. We walked right into Steakhouse 55 and enjoyed a GREAT breakfast in a very elegant environment for about the same price. I know, I know... not all of you could skip the character breakfast. And we look forward to the fun of sharing the experience of character breakfasts with little ones some day. We're just enjoying the peaceful, quiet breakfasts at the resort for now... because I doubt we will get many of them once we have kids.

Being goofy in our room at the Disneyland Hotel...

After breakfast, Andy was off to the airport to meet Dave and go to the game...

The Avs won and Andy had a great time. In addition to spending time with Dave and his wife & kids, Andy also got to have a late lunch with his parents before he flew back home.

In the mean time, I stayed at the Disneyland Resort and Mom, Dad, Staci and Mike drove out so that we could celebrate Mom's birthday at Downtown Disney. We had a fun lunch at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen and then had portraits drawn of us. I'll post pictures of that when Mom and Dad send them to me (Don't forget, Mom & Dad!).

Cougars vs. Quakes

On April 1st the APU Cougars baseball team played Rancho Cucamonga's minor league team, the Quakes. We had fun attending the game, but unfortunately the Cougars were not victorious this year.

HIS Dreams...

While sorting out stuff for a garage sale the weekend before last, I picked up an old Avalon CD from my parents' house and have been listening to it in the car. There's a song on there that I don't remember hearing before. I'm sure it has everything to do with the stage of life that I'm in now versus where I was when I listened to the CD ten years ago. The words really spoke to me.

You taste the tears…
You’re lost in sorrow.
You see your yesterdays
I see tomorrow

You see the darkness
I see the spark
You know your failures
But I know your heart

The dreams I dream for you
Are deeper than the ones you’re clinging to
More precious than the finest things you knew
And truer than the treasures you pursue.
Let the old dreams die
Like stars that fade from view
Then take the cup I offer
And drink deeply of the dreams I dream for you.

You see your shame
But I see your glory
You’ve read one page
I know the story

I hold a vision
That you’ll become
As you grow into the truth
As you learn to walk in love

Let the old dreams die
Like stars that fade from view
Then take the cup I offer
And drink deeply of the dreams I dream for you.

I am so thankful that God is in control of my life... and that His blessings so far surpass what I could imagine for myself. So often I look back and see situations so differently than how they appeared when I was going through them. His hand is always evident. He consistently astounds me with how He ties up loose ends and brings things together to work so perfectly. As I battle with myself over issues that have no eternal value, he is working all things together for our good. My prayer right now is for the wisdom to let go of the things I cling to and take the cup He offers!

28

We went to Bishop and Mammoth with Mike and Staci to celebrate my birthday this past weekend. Staci and I learned to ski (or atleast the very beginning of starting to learn to ski!) and Mike and Andy hit the larger slopes. A very kind friend offered to let us stay in his home in Bishop, so we had a beautiful little cottage in the mountains just a short drive from the ski area. It was a very relaxing trip and we were sad to have to leave after just a few days!

Our 5th Anniversary

To celebrate our 5th anniversary, we ate dinner at the Napa Rose. It's a California cuisine restaurant in Disney's Grand Californian hotel. It's been the top rated Orange County restaurant for a few years now. Andy arranged for us to eat at the chef's table, which was really fun. The chef specially selected each course of our meal and we received special attention throughout the dinner. We got to watch them prepare meals and they talked to us all throughout the dinner. It was a very special evening...

Oh, yeah... and the desserts were wonderful!!

Andy sent me roses at work on Friday to start off the weekend... they were beautiful! Two dozen pink and white roses. They were perfect! He's such a romantic guy... I'm so lucky!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is a special day. Tomorrow I will have been married to the love of my life for five years. Five years. How can it already be five years?

Now, in light of eternity, that may be a drop in the bucket. Compared to those around us that taught us what marriage is and how to have a successful one – we’re not even close to catching up. We have been so blessed to have so many beautiful examples of godly, successful marriages surrounding us and teaching us… and we don’t take it for granted in the least bit. Our parents on both sides of our family, as well as all four sets of grandparents are married or were married until the Lord took them home. Honestly… how many couples do you know that are so fortunate? Certainly not many.

The Day we met...
Speaking our vows...

A more recent shot from our last trip (at Versailles)

Although five years may not seem like a lot to some, it is a lot to me. It means 1826 days of the euphoria that being his wife creates in me. It means 43,829 hours of being loved and cherished by my soul mate. It means 2,629,440 minutes of joy in my life that I lift up thanks and praise to the Lord for allowing me. I am blessed!

Sorry for the lack of posts!

We have been boring lately, haven't we? Not a lot of pictures to show for the last month - but hopefully that will change soon. It has been an eventful month for us - just not the kind that you take pictures of or care to document in detail. I got sick at the end of February with pneumonia, which I'm pretty sure led to pleurisy - so I spent a lot of time in bed for a little over a week. Andy has been working on some very complex client issues that have kept him in the office until late in the evenings and on some weekends. We have needed any spare time to catch up on rest. There are a lot of fun things coming up in the next two months, though - Easter, our 5th Anniversary, my birthday, skiing at Mammoth, a cooking class at Disney's Napa Rose Restaurant, a trip to Vegas, Blythe and Peter's wedding in Montreal... there will be pictures coming soon. I promise!