Coffee, summer, tears and weddings

As I'm sitting on our couch this morning, in a quiet house, laundry spinning in the background, I realize how thankful I am that God provides us with these quiet moments. We are all such busy people, so it's nice to enjoy quiet moments, especially in the summer, with a hot cup of coffee :) My parents just left yesterday morning after staying with us for a week, and right before they arrived Ben and Katie were here for 4 days. So it's strange having a quiet, more empty house again. I am thankful that God provides us with little joys in life, that always remind me of His presence. I can't not sit here, enjoying the sun pouring through the window and not think of Him and His goodness. So for coffee filled summer mornings...I am thankful :)

I also realize how much I love weddings! After having one of my own, I also love going to weddings more so than planning them. A month before we got married last year, I totally was ready and understood why people hop to Vegas and elope; there is just so much stress in planning the wedding as the bride! However, now I can just sit back and enjoy celebrating my friends' weddings and bask in their joy! Evan and I have had the blessing of a big, tight-nit set of friends, that were in our wedding, and now we are in theirs. In January we "walked down the isle" again in Katelyn and Charles' wedding and now, a week from tomorrow on 08/08/08 we get to do the same celebrating Ben and Katie's wedding! I am so thankful that we have such amazing friends who want us to share in their happy day by being in their wedding. For good friends, I am so thankful!

Weddings are just the epitome of joyous occasions for me. I love the flowers, I love the anticipation of the bride walking down the isle, the look on her face and even better the look on the grooms face. (again this is more nerve racking when it is you walking down the isle and everyone's eyes and cameras are glued to you!) It is just so special and almost always makes me cry! I love it!

Lastly, a funny thing happened yesterday...I was actually even MORE emotional than normal and I have no idea why. I was at work, doing stock in the back of Ann Taylor, listening to a country station when Chuck Wicks' song "Stealing Cinderella" came on. I usually have tears in this song, but this time I just started crying uncontrollably...it's just such a sweet song. Than another new song came on by Crystal Shawanda called "You Can Let Go". She's singing about her Dad and different stages in her and his life and their sweet relationship/friendship. After those two songs back to back I literally had to run for kleenex because I was totally balling!! I guess sometimes you just need a good cry!

Here's a video of the "Stealing Cinderella" song. I couldn't upload the actual video, but this is still good!

Weekend Pictures

Elk farm and the Sisters Mountains
Hiking the beautiful Metolius River
Sunset over the Deschutes
Anthony's seafood restaurant on the Deschutes.


Just a few pictures from the week with my parents so far...I will update more later!

Fun, Fun Weekend

Evan's cheese board!
Evan and his beautiful cheese board a la Whole Foods


So Ben and Katie arrived on Friday and tried to show them all the fun things Bend has to offer! We bbq'd Friday night and Saturday we floated the river! It was so relaxing and so fun! Afterwards we had our first official catering job and they helped us plate and finalize all the food! Everyone at the party loved us and one person even asked us "where did you go to culinary school? Evan's answer was "mom's kitchen" and I would have to agree! Sunday we went to church on Art Sunday and listened to an amazing sermon on how the arts are meant to symbolize God and how we can learn so much from artists! Afterward, we went and saw The Dark Knight. It was one of the most amazing movies Evan and I have ever seen. There was so much depth and character development, it was just unbelievable! It was such a fun weekend celebrating Ben's 25th and hanging out with good friends who are getting married in less than 3 weeks!

On Thursday, my parent's will be here and I hope to show them how great Bend is and how we have grown to love it!

As a side note, Evan and I have a new email address for the both of us: evan.lynds@gmail.com

More to write later!

New Blogger

Settler's of Catan...the most amazing game that we are so addicted to that we had to teach Ben and Katie. In the pic are our friends Kip and Kristin.
Ben and Katie and their amazing homemade ice cream cake for Ben's 25th!

Well, I finally broke down. I guess it was in part because I spend countless minutes a day catching up on everyone else's...I got a blog! Evan and I are always so busy and doing something fun and crazy up here in Bend, that I thought it was time that we started a blog as another means of keeping in contact with our friends and family. I will warn you or at least be honest, that even though it is "our" blog, I will probably do most of the updating :) Life is great right now, the weather is perfect, and we just ended a fabulous weekend with our great friends Ben and Katie who spent the weekend with us as a surprise birthday present for Ben. We are so excited to celebrate their wedding coming up on 08.08.08 in Santa Cruz! We are blessed to be in their wedding just as they were in ours! Also, My parents are coming up to visit on Thursday and are staying for a week, so it will be nice to show them that yes, Bend does have summer and no it doesn't snow right now...ok that's all for now! Ciao!