Married and Merry

Best bike ride. ever.

2012-02-03T16:30:00.005-09:00

What's better than a long bike ride with the hubs on a perfect 70-degree day? A long bike ride with the hubs on a perfect 70-degree day... along the ocean's coast! It was so beautiful. Just take a look at our view the entire bike ride...

This is me being super tough :)

...and my version of something I like to call, "bike yoga"

Sunrise

2012-02-03T16:10:00.006-09:00

Nolan and I were woken up by the horses the other night and couldn't fall back asleep. So, we decided to make the most of it and go watch the sunrise! It was absolutely gorgeous....peaceful....serene....and so fun to be up before everyone started stirring. We topped off the morning with a delicious breakfast & even saw some deer....how blessed we are to have weekends!

Horses...

2012-01-20T11:05:00.003-09:00

I went out this morning to take some pictures of the horses. I really can't believe that I can just walk outside my door and see horses. Love it. Anyway, here they are....in black and white. I love these horses so much. They are such beautiful animals...

Gardening

2012-01-20T11:00:00.003-09:00

Nolan loves to garden. Yep, it's true. And, he's really good at it! And, it just so happens that Nolan's best friend, Tyler (who just moved to the bay area), loves to garden too! Ha. It's really quite amazing. So, the two of them the other day got carried away and planted a lot of seeds (thanks cousin Erin for the gardening Christmas gifts)! You gotta see this...it's precious....errr, manly I mean...

Hiking

2012-01-20T10:54:00.003-09:00

Nolan had to work on MLK day so I decided to take a long hike, which turned out to be so awesome. I went on this hike where you can see both the ocean AND the Bay once you reach the very top. It was gorgeous, and peaceful, and I thanked God for all the good things in life, including my delicious PB&J sandwich. Sometimes I forget to be thankful for the little things. Here are some pics from my hike...

the Bay

and the ocean!

and me!

La Playa with the hubs

2012-01-14T20:17:00.004-09:00

Nolan and I went to the beach today...yes, the beach in January....and it was divine. We are trying to take advantage of the good weather and there is no better place to do so than the beach! So, we packed up and headed out....and lots of hours later we came home...rested, relaxed and sun-kissed. It was nice. Here are some pictures from our day!

I love him...too much to describe.

Staff Retreat

2012-01-13T10:41:00.010-09:00

I spent the past few days in Monterey, CA with my staff...and it was awesome. Every year the middle school and high school ministry teams take a staff retreat to recharge our batteries and gear up for the year ahead. Not only does it recharge our batteries, it also is an amazing time of bonding and that is just what we did. We laughed, we joked and we took a lot of pictures! I am beyond grateful to be working with this incredible team of people....sometimes I can't believe that this is what I do for a living. Thanks God.

This is me and Elizabeth, one of the gals from my team...she's a peach :)

This is me and my dear friend Sus, she is also on my team

This is Sus, Heather and I (Heather works for both the middle school and high school team)

Me and Sus

Below are some fake yoga pictures...

Robby

Elizabeth

Sus

Chris

and me! Isn't our team fun???

The whole clan...

On the last day of our retreat we saw a whole pod of dolphins...look at them surfing the wave!

Kitchenaid

2012-01-06T09:12:00.002-09:00

A kitchenaid stand mixer was something I only dreamt about, thinking maybe someday, 20 years from now, I might get one. Well, my generous parents gave me one for Christmas!!!! I just can't believe it. What a gift! Anyway, here I am with my new black Kitchenaid Stand Mixer....the picture isn't the best quality (it was taken on my phone)! Thanks Mom and Dad for this incredible gift. I really am so grateful....and excited!!

The Cabin

2011-12-30T10:55:00.007-09:00

It's a tradition in our family to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas up at our cabin in Big Bear, CA. We drove up (from Las Vegas) on Saturday and came home on Monday. It was really nice to have our family all together. I hope your Christmas was wonderful!

Outside the cabin...Mom and Nolan

Annual Christmas Eve Bingo!

Mom and I by the fire!

The Hubs and I!

Every year the Moms buy the guys and girls matching pajamas....here we are!

Cousin Erin and I

We got Cole a head scratcher! My Aunt assumed the position of "head scratcher"

Another tradition in our family is re-gifting this crazy red, white, and blue t-shirt that was originally given by my Grandma Baker several years ago. If you are the proud owner of the shirt and you have to give it away, you must come up with a theme. My parents gave the shirt to Cole this year and the theme was "Candy Man." We gave it last year and the theme was "Funnel Cake Man," which came with a box of funnel cake mix. It always offers up a good laugh.

Cole the Candy Man!

And, "Miracle Man," one of Lauren's dogs

Cole & Nolan

2011-12-30T10:36:00.008-09:00

My little cousin Cole, pretty much grew up with three girls (my sister, my cousin, Erin, and me). We didn't realize and I don't think he realized how much he missed out on until Nolan joined the family. It used to be Cole complaining about how bored he was....but this trip, it all changed! While all the girls were in the cabin playing games, cooking, reading or relaxing, Cole and Nolan were outside playing in the snow, sledding, building a snowboarding ramp, etc. It's like Cole's adventurous side is finally able to breathe! Not to mention, it's really sweet watching my Husband bond with my little cousin. Here are some pictures of their fun...

I went out and had some fun too!

Christmas with Grandma & Grandpa

2011-12-30T10:18:00.005-09:00

We spent Christmas with my Dad's parents before heading up to the cabin. It was really nice! Mom and I had a really great time cooking together...our first course was my Mom's famous seafood chowder (so goo-oood), our second course and main entree were Salmon fillets with a yummy glaze, lemon vinaigrette asparagus, and a delicious salad. Although the food was incredible, the time spent preparing it far outweighed the taste! After dinner we opened up some gifts, Grandma and I played a little piano, and we topped the night off with some talking and loving on each other. I love my Grandparents and as always, it was really nice to spend time with them.

Mom and I with our Salmon Fillets

Seafood Chowder

The Family

Playing piano...something so relaxing and peaceful about playing the piano

My Grandparents gave my Dad this really cool bracelet...it was really special

Father and Son...I love this picture

Father and Daughter.....For Christmas Dad got me these white cowboy boots, similar to these cowboy boots I used to wear when I was little. Such a thoughtful/meaningful gift and SO cute too since I love cowboy boots. They are being sent in the mail, so I will post a picture when they get here!

Horses...

2011-12-21T14:47:00.002-09:00

...in the morning light. One of my favorite things.

Christmas-y

2011-12-21T14:34:00.008-09:00

We have found a lot of joy in the Christmas season this year. We've gone up to the city a few times, opened up a few gifts, gone for a few hikes/walks, enjoyed time in front of the tree at home, and relaxed. It's been really nice and really mellow. Just what we need in this time!

Hiking with views of the Bay and Stanford

Our Christmas Tree

Nolan's brass knuckles mug

Mustache cups I got from my friend, Susan

Gift certificate for spray paint!

Macy's in the City

One night we went and saw "A Christmas Carol" at the American Conservatory Theater...it was awesome...really well done

The Union Square Christmas tree

Pretty City with gorgeous lights

My good lookin' hubs

Before going up to the city

Crafts & Cooking!

2011-12-21T14:28:00.004-09:00

Fun craft nights and yummy cooking! Tis the season...

Cinnamon Swirl French Toast

Winter To-Do List

Glittered nails...thank you pinterest

Homemade Mustache Ornaments...for some reason my small group of 8th grade girls have an affinity for mustaches and the phrase, "stranger danger," so this was my Christmas gift to all of them

These are quite possibly the best cookies I have ever made....I would explain them as "chocolate lava cookies"

A homemade Christmas wreath

Christmas Fun!

2011-12-11T12:43:00.005-09:00

It's Christmas season and there are a lot of fun things to do! We got our Christmas tree this past week and decorated it (while in "footie" pajamas, of course)! I made some homemade eggnog (compliments of Maggie Lee)! And, we also went ice skating! It was a fun Christmas-y week!

Our tree! (Can't beat Home Depot's prices...)

Eggnog....drinking out of the moose cup from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation!

...and the bowl...

Hooray!

Hubs + Me + Tree

This is us ice skating...I look really scared, because I was...

Here I am...skates and all!

Thanksgivin'

2011-12-02T09:12:00.010-09:00

This year we spent Thanksgiving in the Bay Area! Nolan's parents came in from Colorado, my parents came in from Las Vegas and Nolan's brother and his wife came down from Berkley. It was awesome and even more awesome that we all get along so well. A family in Menlo Park (that we know through the church) gave us their home to stay in for the weekend! Can you believe that? They were going out of town and offered for us all to stay together in their home. It was really great. We played games, talked, ate lots of food, went to the ocean, and more. Here are some pictures from our time together...

Hanging out outside

Me and Mom

The Girls...From Left to Right, Sam, Maggie, Me and Mom

My friend Susan joined us for Thanksgiving too! Sam, Me and Susan

Ping Pong games...Nolan couldn't be beaten! Grrr.

Dad playing ping pong

The infamous turkey hat!

Maggie and Ryan jumping on the trampoline

Mom made the gravy for the first time and it turned out delicious! She had Grandma's tips and tricks to help get her through!

The Dads carving the turkey

Later that night on Thanksgiving, we had a PJ Competition...it was pretty fierce.

On Friday we took a trip out to the ocean...to our favorite little spot, the Moss Beach Distillery

My parents came back with us on Saturday to stay at our place. We went for a walk and noticed all of the colorful leaves!

The End!

Weekend in Carmel

2011-11-18T10:29:00.008-09:00

Nolan and I were able to get away for 2 nights and three days in Carmel, CA. It was so needed and one of the most sweet times Nolan and I have had together. We went for walks, strolled around downtown Carmel, coffee shops, breakfast cottages, out to dinner, walked along the beach and just spent really good time together. Here are LOTS of photos from our weekend away!

One morning when we went for a walk, the sun was shining through just enough to light up the waves

The Carmel coast

In our little bed & breakfast

Down at the beach

Out to dinner...we were randomly selected out of all the tables to be the "table of honor" and we were given 2 free appetizers & dessert! How cool is that?

Back down on the beach...the second day the sun really came out

3

2011-11-18T10:17:00.004-09:00

On Nov. 1st, Nolan and I celebrated 3 years of marriage! Sometimes we can't believe all that has happened in three years. Life seems to zip by, that's for sure. We know that three years of marriage, or any years of marriage for that matter, could not have been possible without God. He has truly shown us how to love one another in the good times and the bad. It's not always easy, but with each day we have found ourselves more in love with God and more in love with each other. And the more I know about life, I can't hope for anything better. On our actual anniversary we went out to dinner in Half Moon Bay. My Mom and Dad surprised us and had two desserts sent to our table...it was really special.

I love that man...

Yummy dessert!

The morning of our anniversary, I pulled out all of these items I have saved from our dating years, engagement season, and our wedding. It was really fun to look through everything...

Wedding invitations

The ring box

Our wedding favor

Nolan wrote 12 cards, 1 for each day of our honeymoon....so fun to have these and read through them!

Work

2011-11-18T09:01:00.003-09:00

I really really love my job. It is the greatest thing. I love the staff that I work with, the leadership that leads us, the tasks we set out to complete and our overall mission; to share God's love with people. It is seriously such a great fit for me in this season of my life. Although we get a lot of work done, we get to have LOTS OF FUN doing it. What could be better? Part of my job is hanging out with students. We believe that by being a part of a student's life and showing them the love that God has shown us, we can actually lead them into a lifetime of knowing & following Jesus. So, on Wednesday I picked up one of our students from school and we went to take pictures with Santa! On another day, one of my co-workers and I decided to dress up for one of our meetings...the best part was having a serious conversation while dressed completely ridiculous. Anyway, it has been quite a while since I really enjoyed my job, so I thought I could celebrate with you all!

I think this Santa is the real deal...

I mean, how could you NOT take us seriously?

Fall

2011-11-18T08:41:00.006-09:00

The Fall season for Nolan and I has consisted of craft nights, bike rides, pumpkin spice lattes, cozy blankets, slow Saturday morning walks, and so much more. We absolutely love fall. Here are some pictures from our days...

Homemade Crafts...a fall wreath!

Bike Rides

Drawing...

Fall decor...the best!

Halloween, Part 2

2011-11-18T08:33:00.003-09:00

We had a pretty mellow Halloween...I made chili, we watched the Charger's football game, Nolan made his own carmel apples. It was sweet, simple & fun.

For my work I went with the easiest possible costume...a cowgirl!

Here is me and my friend Susan (we work together)

Nolan's costume...isn't he beautiful???

Homemade carmel apples...yum!

Halloween, Part 1

2011-10-31T08:58:00.004-09:00

The ministry I work for put on a Halloween Carnival on Saturday for middle school students and it was incredible....We had a "Live Angry Birds" demolition course (Nolan painted the angry birds), a contest to see who could spit a live cricket the farthest (gross!), a photobooth, a bounce house maze, pumpkin painting, cookie decorating, bobbing for apples, a dance party and more! We had a great turnout and of course, lots of fun! Here are just a few pictures from the evening...

"Guess what's in the box" game

Temporary tattoo booth

The hubs and one of our students

Bobbing for apples

Crickets to spit....yuck

Angry birds that Nolan painted

Getting ready to launch the angry bird

The demolition course

Saturdays

2011-10-31T07:30:00.003-09:00

My fav. Here are some photos from our Saturday. Waffles, walking, fall day and crisp air...

Crafty

2011-10-31T07:18:00.005-09:00

If you know Nolan and I, you know we love our craft nights. My hubs is an artist so he paints while I craft. It's awesome. Here are some things that I worked on. I think the best part about craft nights is that feeling when I am putting everything away...I feel so accomplished!

Fall "To-Do List"

Pretty pumpkins

Burlap table runner

The Girls

2011-10-31T07:11:00.002-09:00

A few weeks ago I took a trip home to spend some time with my family. While I was home I got to see 3 of my best friends from high school. They came over to my parent's house for dinner and catching up....5 hours later, we were saying "goodbye until next time." It really was a sweet time of laughing and crying and feeling connected again. These women are very special to me and we've been through a lot together. Here we are all together...

Rodeo

2011-10-28T13:48:00.005-09:00

Nolan and I went to the rodeo last weekend...it was awesome and reminded us of Colorado! We were quickly reminded that we were still in San Francisco when we saw protestors out front. It didn't ruin it for us though...we felt right at home once we walked in. Cowboys, cowgirls, farmer's tans, trucks & diesel engines....a country vibe. So fun.

Protesters

Look at how huge these horses are!

Mini Horse with mini girl!

Cute rodeo kids

Sharp shooting

Team roping...this is what Nolan did when he was younger!

The hubs

Love.

2011-10-28T13:47:00.001-09:00

I love, love.

The Lake

2011-10-21T06:58:00.005-09:00

My dad got this awesome boat, with a full-bedroom below the deck! It is really a cool boat. I got to see it for the first time this past weekend...and, we took Grandpa out with us so he could see it too! It was so mellow and so nice out there. We cruised over to see the Hoover Dam and back along the mountain looking for big horn sheep. Such a fun and relaxing time!

The Boat

The Skipper (aka Dad)

Me and Gramps

Mom and Gramps getting onto the boat

Me and Mom

Carp fish...yuck!

Look at how big they are!

Grandma & Grandpa

2011-10-21T06:54:00.004-09:00

I spent some time back in Las Vegas this past weekend and got to see my grandparents. It was really nice to be together! We caught up over breakfast and then took Grandpa out to the lake with us. Here we are together!

Food Trucks

2011-10-21T06:46:00.003-09:00

Yes, we went to "Food Trucks" again up in the City. This time they had my favorite truck there, so I was a happy camper. What is my favorite truck, you ask? Well it is called 3sum Eats and it has these lovely little things called Mac & Cheese Rolls. Absolutely incredible. Here are some pictures from our adventure...

The best thing...ever. Mac & Cheese Rolls

Their menu

The Food Truck vibe

The Moon

2011-10-21T06:38:00.004-09:00

I like the moon. I like that the light of the moon is actually a reflection of the light from the Sun. And because I like it so much, I decided to try and capture it in picture...here are the results. Hope you enjoy them!

Puzzle Time

2011-10-21T06:34:00.002-09:00

How long has it been since you've done a puzzle? Well, if its been a while, you should go out right now and buy one. They are the most mindless, relaxing thing to do. A word to the wise, though, when picking out your puzzle, be sure to choose a puzzle with lots of different things going on. A bad choice would be....oh, I don't know....something like a 500 piece puzzle of the same colored trees!

Our "Fall" Puzzle!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-21T06:23:00.004-09:00

Nolan and I have a favorite pumpkin patch here in the Bay Area...it's called Arata's. Not only do they have a giant field of pumpkins, they also have Medieval Knight Battles, a giant Gorilla made of iron, a maze made out of hay bales, and so much more. It's quite the place. It's become a tradition of ours to go out to this pumpkin patch each year and watch a few of the battles...and of course, pick out a pumpkin or two!

This is like the "Master," he was serious. At one point he said, "a blow with one of these swords not wearing protection will kill." Ha!

The battles - notice the two guys off to the left who have been beaten...

Pumpkins

Hubs and Pumpkins

Me and the giant iron gorilla!

Butter

2011-09-11T16:13:00.002-09:00

There is a certain light that I call "ooey gooey butter light," ya know what I'm talkin about? It's this sunlight that looks like a warm sugar cookie....and its awesome....and I love it. I went out the other day to take some pictures of this butter light...

Sailin'

2011-09-04T08:55:00.007-09:00

Nolan and I went sailin' on the bay yesterday and had an absolutely awesome time. The sailing trip was given to us by some friends of ours - isn't that an incredible gift? Thank you Wentz Family! Anyway, it was our first time sailing together, the weather was gorgeous, and it was quite the adventure. At one point I think I asked Nolan the proper procedure should we capsize! It was also really crazy how much the temperature changed from when we started out to when we got into the middle of the bay. My camera ran out of battery just minutes before we started sailing, so I decided to try and take some pictures with my phone....isn't it crazy what phones can do now? We spent the rest of the afternoon up in the City and topped off our adventure with some seafood at one of the local hotspots: Pier 23 Cafe. Nolan went to town on some crab! :) Yay for weekends, yay for sailing and yay for time with my hubs!

Just starting out...

The City...it has a tiny little piece of my heart :)

Going under the Bay Bridge

The Bay Bridge (and the Skipper) in the distance

The Hubs being adventurous and hanging out close to the water...I was white-knuckling it on the highest point of the boat :)

Alcatraz Island (our sailing trip left in the south bay, went up around Alcatraz, out to Sausalito, then to Angel Island and back)

Close up of Alcatraz

Brooke: "So what do I do if we capsize?"

Can you see the Golden Gate Bridge off in the distance?

The Crab Massacre

Babysitting

2011-09-02T08:12:00.005-09:00

Nolan and I babysat last night for two of our most favorite boys. These two are a riot and we always have so much fun with them. We have known them pretty much since they were born and their parents are good friends of ours. We showed up last night with some activities to do while we babysat; paint your own airplanes, a 2 liter bottle of diet coke and mentos. Why the coke & mentos you ask? Well, if you have not tried this, please run to the store right now and buy a 2 liter bottle of diet coke and a sleeve of mentos. When you drop the pack of mentos in the bottle of diet coke, the soda shoots over 20 feet in the air! Be sure to run away as soon as you drop em' in. So fun. Here are some pictures from our time together...

Some light saber action fighting

Dirty feet :)

Just before the diet coke geyser

The geyser

Paintin' airplanes

Boys will be boys...

Drawing session

Craft Night

2011-09-02T08:04:00.003-09:00

Every so often (and by every so, I mean a lot), Nolan and I have a craft night. One of the millions of reasons why I love being married to an artist; he enjoys the craft nights just as much as me! Anyway, I decided to make some homemade "Grams Jam," for the first time on my own (without Grams). To my surprise, it was a success! Thanks Grams for your expertise and proper teaching! I gave them as gifts to my new co-workers. Note to self: Jam is such a fun gift to give. Also that night I made some chocolate mustaches on a stick. These were made for my small group of middle school girls. We have this inside joke with mustaches, and when I saw the chocolate mold for them, I just couldn't resist.

Gardening

2011-09-02T07:58:00.002-09:00

So, Nolan has take a recent (but vibrant) interest in gardening. It is quite peculiar, quite precious (err-manly?), and quite awesome. He has been growing all sorts of things, from SEEDS might I add. Watermelon, basil, tomatoes, sunflowers (my fav), and red onions. Each day he wanders out to our deck to check on his plants, water them, and make sure all is right in his gardening world. I would say it surprised me, but in all actuality it didn't. My hubs gets pretty fascinated with things, and once the fascination happens, he's sold. Anyway, here are some pictures of his produce...

Tomatoes

Baby Watermelon

Growing watermelon

Road Trip + Wedding

2011-09-02T06:28:00.010-09:00

Two weekends ago Nolan and I drove from San Francisco, CA to Black Butte, OR for his cousin's wedding. The drive was gorgeous AND I got to test out my stick shift driving skills on the open road. I'm super professional now. The drive, although lengthy, was actually really fun. Nolan and I love road trips together...it always sparks up great conversation and it always feels adventurous....and Nolan and I do well with adventures. :) Anyway, the wedding was beautiful, the bride even more so, and it was really great to get to see lots of extended family. Warning: there are a TON of pictures. If you don't know this about me already, now you do; i love, absolutely love, weddings....in a sense, i love, love. So, that is the reason why there are so many pictures....enjoy!

Driving the ol' green hornet; just starting out

Mt. Shasta - breathtakingly gorgeous

And now...on to the wedding:

Nolan's grandparents

Father & Bride

Maid of Honor/Bride's Sister/Nolan's other cousin

Mom & Dad of the Bride

Nolan's parents - aren't they fun?

Cake cutting - no smashing, thank goodness

The view from reception tables

Me and the hubs...in love :)

Road trip home....a pitstop at Crater Lake

Dogs

2011-08-14T17:10:00.002-09:00

Nolan and I love animals. We just so happen to live in a place where we get to care for different kinds of animals in exchange for a reduced rent. At any given time you may find ducks, chickens, horses and dogs at our place. Today? It's dogs. And these buggers are cu-ute. I've always wanted a Great Dane, but these gals are making me reconsider....just look at em'...

Oakland

2011-08-14T16:43:00.004-09:00

I spent the day in Oakland today & took some pictures as I walked around. Nolan and I love Oakland. Hope you like it too from these pictures!

Flowers

2011-08-14T16:34:00.004-09:00

I went up to Oakland today and wound up in a funky little garden taking pictures of all the pretty flowers. Hope they brighten your day :)

Calistoga

2011-08-14T16:23:00.006-09:00

Last weekend we spent a night away at a Bed & Breakfast in Calistoga (given to us by some friends of ours). It was adorable. Simply put. We stayed in our own little cottage with a fireplace and a front porch. :) Calistoga is just north of Napa, so we hit up a few wineries on our way home. I love California. Have I told you that lately?

This is us out on our cottage porch

These pictures were taken at one of the wineries we visited

Down in the wine cellar

Wine tasting

Giants

2011-08-06T12:47:00.004-09:00

A family that we know (and love) gave us tickets to a Giants night game. So fun. We went up and ate dinner in the City and then walked over to the ballpark for the game. The Giants lost but luckily we aren't those fans that get super upset about a loss. We had such a great time & had so much fun spending some time up in San Francisco.

This is just outside of AT&T park, which sits right on the bay - it's a really pretty area

Me and the hubs inside the ballpark

Nolan drinking hot chocolate :)

Mom Visits

2011-08-06T12:36:00.006-09:00

A week ago my mom came out to the Bay Area (while Nolan was in Colorado) to have a "girls weekend" and to celebrate her birthday. We had an outrageously fun time. I love my mom. I can just be myself around her...she gets me...and she loves me. We've been friends my whole life and its one of those relationships that I know not everyone has; so, it makes me all the more grateful. We did so much - spent time up in the City, shopped around, went berry picking, hung out on the coast, ate seafood, laughed, watched movies, went to church, shopped some more, and just had fun. Here are some pictures from our time together...

This is berry picking at a Strawberry field just off the coast

After berry picking we went over to the Ritz Carlton to sit out and drink hot chocolate on their back patio. There was a bag piper that came out to play which was pretty awesome

This is definitely the BEST hot chocolate I have ever had and ever will have in my life. Definitely worth the $8 :)

Thanks for such a great time Mom!

Farm-y

2011-08-06T11:51:00.007-09:00

Nolan found a giant field of (giant) sunflowers along a highway about two hours north of us. And since sunflowers are one of my most favorite things (and because he is so great), he took me there so I could watch the sunflowers, take pictures and be inspired. And I was. And it was wonderfully farm-y...just how I like it.

These sunflower faces were bigger than my head!

Then we wound up in a semi-junk-yardy place and I wanted to take everything home with me. Instead of taking home a lot of junk, I just took a lot of pictures. :) Bear with me as I post these junky pictures....

And then the sun started to set, and we just sat, and watched. And I decided to practice a little with my camera :)

Grateful

2011-08-06T11:19:00.002-09:00

Sometimes I forget how incredibly blessed we are. Life's struggles and road bumps can sometimes consume me, leaving me with nothing but stress and worry. But then, there are days, when I am reminded to stop and look around....really look around and see how blessed we are. I had one of those moments the other day as we were driving along Highway 1. I was literally thinking to myself, "do we really get to live here?" I wish I stopped more often to think of how blessed I am. :)

Saturdays

2011-08-06T11:05:00.006-09:00

A few Saturdays ago Nolan and I went berry picking at this strawberry field right along the coast. You literally get to pick strawberries while watching waves crash along the beach...It's ridiculous. Ridiculously amazin. After picking berries we wound up at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay for drinks & relaxation. Saturdays are quite possibly the greatest thing on Earth. Love em.

This was at the Ritz - giant white beach chairs, surrounding fire pits, facing the ocean

Once we got home, we topped the day off with Strawberry Shortcake - fresh picked strawberries, homemade whipped cream & angel food cake...yum!

4th of July

2011-07-10T14:54:00.005-09:00

Nolan and I had a mellow fourth of July, just the two of us. We headed to the beach, over to a street fair, saw Transformers 3 and then back home to barbeque and watch fireworks. The best part was that we didn't even have to fight any crowds; we go to see fireworks directly from our deck! So fun. Hope your 4th was a great one too!

Hangin at the beach

Out at the street fair

BBQing out on the deck

Sparklers

Deck-Time

2011-07-10T14:44:00.006-09:00

With Summer here, that means nice weather. With nice weather, that means lotsa time out on our deck. And deck-time makes me happy. :)

A few weekends ago we strung some lights across our deck so we could continue to be out on our deck even after the sun goes down. It changed the game for us...... We've had S'more nights, barbeques, and so much more. Here are some pictures from one of our nights out on the deck!

Hubs started the fire for us

Roasted some mallows

S'more kisses

Below are a series of pictures we took that made me laugh so hard I was crying....thought you might like to see...

Mom & Dad Visit

2011-07-10T14:27:00.008-09:00

My parents came to the Bay Area a few weekends ago to celebrate Father's Day. We had an INCREDIBLE time & we got to see and do so much. We stayed 2 nights up in the City and one night back at our place. We took the Alcatraz Tour, walked around the Ferry Building Marketplace, took them to "Food Trucks," had a barbeque, played Wii, shot some airsoft, laughed, talked and just enjoyed time together. It was so great. One of the many things we love about my parents is that we can just be ourselves and really relax around them. The weekend was so rejuvenating and rich. Love you Mom and Dad, thanks for coming out to visit us!

At Fort Mason right outside of "Food Trucks"

Off the Grid - aka Food Trucks

An incredible church in the city

On our way to Alcatraz Island

Inside Alcatraz

The view from Alcatraz (the headphone are from the audio tour)

Dad :)

Nolan and Dad playing in the rocks

Nolan and Dad shooting the airsoft gun

One of the days we walked around the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz and stumbled upon these cute little seals on a nearby dock!

Beach Days

2011-07-10T14:15:00.005-09:00

One of our favorite parts about California is....can you guess it?....the beach. We love it. Adore it. Can't get enough of it. So, it's no surprise that we spend a number of our weekends walking along the shore, napping on a beach towel, or at one of our favorite coastal restaurants, Moss Beach Distillery. Here are some pictures of beach days we've had over the past few months.

This is becoming our favorite beach, panther beach, which has a fun little hole you have to walk through in order to get to the beach!

My hubs....I love him.

This is a crazy little trail that parallels the dramatic coastline

isn't this gorgeous

This is right outside Moss Beach Distillery - our favorite restaurant

Yummy-California-golden-butter-light

Gram's Jam

2011-07-10T14:08:00.005-09:00

While we were down in Southern California my Mom and I headed over to Grams' house to spend some time with her and to learn how to make jam and beef jerky. It seriously was one of the best times I have had with my Grandma and Mom. We laughed and joked A TON and of course, made jam & jerky (over 40 jars of jam!). My Grams' jam is the best - yes, better than any store bought kind and definitely better than any homemade I've ever tasted. It was a fun thing to learn and fun to be learning from my Grandma.

My mom and Grandma prepping the strawberries

the beef jerky, ready to go into the oven

cutting the strawberries

cooking the strawberries

letting the jam set

Finished product!

Graduation

2011-07-10T14:01:00.004-09:00

My cousin, Erin, just graduated from Cal State Long Beach with her degree in Education. She is going to be a teacher! Nolan and I are confident that she will be the best teacher out there. She's got such a creative and thoughtful spirit that will truly bless the students she gets to teach. A few weekends ago we headed down to Southern California to celebrate Erin and to watch her graduate. It was so exciting! And, we also got to be there for a big graduation party for both of my cousins, Erin & Cole. Way to go cousins! We are so proud of you!!!

Here she is walking in

She decorated the top of her hat so we could find her easily

This is my two cousins and my aunt and uncle on Erin's big day!

Food Trucks

2011-07-10T13:49:00.004-09:00

Food trucks have become all the rage lately and Nolan and I have officially jumped on the bandwagon and become food truck junkies. We aren't as extreme as some....we don't follow the trucks on Twitter or anything, but we do hunt around for food truck gatherings, drop whatever we are doing, and indulge in some food truck amazingness. We love em. And, we think you should love em too.

A few weekends ago the hubs and I headed up to the City where over 30 food trucks gather every Friday night to deliver some of the most unique foods you have ever tasted. One of the great parts about this particular gathering of food trucks, is that the trucks gather right on the San Francisco Bay. It's awesome. Here are some pictures of some of the food we ate...

The "Snoop Dog" - hotdog, wrapped in bacon, topped with an asian spicy/sweet slaw, truffle flakes and seaweed

Kung Fu Tacos - roasted duck taco with a corn salsa, and a carne asada taco with carrot ginger, red onions and cilantro

Famous Fish Taco

Salted carmel cupcake and red velvet cupcake

yum. you should get into food trucks.

Cole

2011-05-17T18:11:00.004-09:00

My little cousin just graduated from college! ....It seems surreal that all of us 'kids' are growing up, but such is the case. It was a really special weekend celebrating Cole and the man he is becoming. He's a one-of-a-kind guy, so, it goes without saying that I was extremely proud/emotional. He's got a heart of gold, that once revealed, shows his love and loyalty to those close to him. He always keeps us laughing and on our toes. I'm excited to see what the next stage of life has in store for this cousin of mine - I know he's up for the challenge! Here are some pictures from our weekend in Arizona (he graduated from ASU).

Cole and I have a special bond and I think this picture captures that bond just perfectly.

GLAM

2011-05-15T16:47:00.004-09:00

For the past few months I have been working with a team at our church planning a girls-only-night called GLAM (God Loves All of Me). It was a night for girls ages 10-18 to come together and 'renew' their minds from what our society tells them (women) about beauty/image/worth/value. It was one of the most amazing things I have been apart of. We had three different speakers: 1. Biblical Worth (what does God say about our worth/value/uniqueness/beauty), 2. Media's Lies (How can we look at the lies media tells us about advertising, 'ideal beauty', and conformity, through God's eyes), and 3. Practical Approach to Health (What can we do on a day-t0-day basis to approach health instead of a certain look/weight/image/etc.). We showed a few videos, learned the Michael Jackson dance "beat it," did a mini-pilates session, ate dinner, danced, prayed, talked, and so much more. It was such a blessing to me and such an incredible night. Way to go God. Here are some pictures before our event started!

birthday...continued

2011-05-15T16:35:00.004-09:00

Here are a few more shots from Nolan's birthday weekend!

This is a family that has truly become an extension of our own family - The Wentz's. They came over the morning of Nolan's birthday to eat breakfast and celebrate Nolan. We are so blessed to know them & they really made Nol's birthday so special!

The birthday boy opening gifts from the Wentz's

Each year Nolan gets to request a birthday dessert. So, this year he requested Pavlova: a meringue berry dessert. It was such a unique request/dessert I just had to take pictures. It would be a great dessert for the 4th of July!

26

2011-05-07T07:20:00.007-09:00

Nolan turned 26 last weekend and to celebrate him we took a much needed weekend away to Bodega Bay (about one and a half hours north of San Francisco); a tiny little town right on the coast. The hotel we stayed in was gorgeous; right on the water, and the weather was perfect! It just so happened that while we were in Bodega Bay, the town had a giant 'Fish Festival' (their biggest event all year). It was super fun. The festival had boat making & boat racing, food vendors, kite flying, live music, etc. We also took a few day trips to nearby towns - Petaluma, Santa Rosa and Healdsburg. We spent some time out by the pool, ate a ton of amazing food, and relaxed. It was so great. Happy Birthday to Nolan! :)

This was the view from our hotel room deck!

Birthday boy and his wife :)

This is Nol sitting out on our hotel deck with the best cookie we have ever eaten - Cookies & Cream from Anthony's cookies in San Francisco

Laying out in the sun

This is us at the Fish Festival - behind us you can see all the people making boats for the boat race!

Here are some of the boats being made

Look at these dragons on the front of this boat - these people were SERIOUS.

This guy was one of the racers in the boat race - yep, he has a radio system to communicate with the rest of his boat racing team

The much anticipated boat race!

This was Nolan's lunch - BBQ Oysters

This was a little bakery we stopped at - Wild Flour Bread. The guy that started this bakery, started cooking bread in his girlfriend's brick oven and his family and friends loved his bread so much they encouraged him to open up his own bakery. In case you didn't know this about me, I LOVE bread. I'm a 'breader' as the hubs says. So, I was extremely impressed with this place.

Some of Wild Flour's bread

This is what we got - a sticky bun...aka: a sticky amazingness.

Here we are sitting out in the garden outside the bakery

Out by the pool being goofy :)

Easter

2011-05-07T06:50:00.004-09:00

It was just Nolan and I this Easter and we really had a good time (although we missed our families). We had a totally relaxed and down-home Easter. We woke up early and hiked up this trail to watch the sunrise. It was the perfect way to celebrate God's gift of victory & redemption over this world. We came home and just hung around our house; watched TV, flew a kite, cooked and ate an Easter meal, played Jenga, ate some more, and opened up packages from our sweet parents! It was awesome. Hope your Easter was awesome too!

Aren't Easter baskets fun and springy?! (These are some of the goodies that our parents sent us)

Nolan riding bareback :)

Flying a kite on our property

It's an eagle kite - isn't that cool?

Goodies for Nolan's Easter basket

When is the last time you played Jenga? If its been a while, you should play, it's awesome.

i heart S.F.

2011-05-07T06:03:00.008-09:00

i like san francisco and I LOVE Saturdays. Put em together and you get one happy camper outta me! A few weekends ago some of our friends passed along some SF Giants baseball tickets to us. The Giants play at AT&T park, which sits right on the bay. So, if the game sucks or you don't feel like watching it, you have a beautiful view of the bay. It's awesome. Nolan and I had such a good time (even though the Giants lost). We got this carmel corn (see picture below) that was literally the best carmel corn I will ever have. If you ever find yourself at AT&T park on the Club level be sure to buy yourself some of this carmel corn, you can thank me later. Anyway, after the game we walked along the Embarcadero and wound up in this market in one of the ferry buildings. They had all sorts of goodies; locally grown cheeses (another favorite of mine), homemade chocolate, local honey, gelato, and so much more. My favorite stop was the Cowgirl Creamery, where I tasted a cheese that changed my life just a little bit: truffle tremor (it's a goat cheese). You can order cheese online from the Cowgirl Creamery, and you should. Welcome to our Saturday...

AT&T Park

Me and the Hubs

Do you see that face? That is the "this-is-the-best-thing-I-ever-ate" face.

I'm tempted to drive up to San Francisco right now and pick up some of this stuff :)

We wore these orange Converse shoes to our wedding reception and now we have turned them into our 'SF Giants Fan' shoes!

The Bay Bridge

Mmmmm....cheeeeeese.

Truffle tremor cheese on the right (my fav), blue cheese on the left (the hubs' fav)

delightful.

This was a homemade S'more that we bought at the market: homemade graham cracker, homemade marshmallow, and homemade chocolate!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

2011-04-23T08:20:00.005-09:00

Nolan and I had never really spent any time down in San Jose. Most of our weekends we escape to San Francisco or Half Moon Bay or Santa Cruz. That is until last weekend. San Jose is awesome! It's really close and has a fun 'city feel' without all the crazy parking & small streets. They even have these 'toilet stations' on street corners (see picture below). We went to this amazing Oaxacan restaurant, walked around a bit and topped off the night at 'Pyscho Donuts' for dessert. Listen to this: the donut place hands you a square of bubble wrap as you wait in line, offers donuts lined with sugary cereals, and has a small theater upstairs where they show cult classics. It was crazy & my hubs loves crazy. Needless to say, it was a good night.

Toilet station

This was the S'more Donut - graham crackers, chocolate, and whip cream fluff...all on top of a donut....sugar coma.

Hoops of Hope

2011-04-23T08:08:00.004-09:00

A few weekends ago Nolan was asked to do some 'performance painting' for a fundraising event in the area called, "Hoops of Hope". Kids from Menlo Park got people to sponsor them for every basketball shot they took; $1.00 per shot, 200 shots = $200.00. It was awesome. Nolan set up in the middle of the courts painting while the kids were shooting and then at the end, the two paintings Nolan had finished went to the kids who shot the most baskets. Nolan painted Dwight Howard and Lebron James & the kids absolutely LOVED them. Here are some pictures form the event!

Grams & Bapo

2011-04-02T14:36:00.004-09:00

Nolan's grandparents came to the Bay Area for a visit and we got to spend some good quality time with them. It was so special! Good conversations and lots of catching up. Thanks Grams & Bapo for such a great time together! We love you guys.

Bapo and Nolan had some fun shooting Nol's airsoft gun

Art

2011-03-06T13:08:00.005-09:00

The company I work for, Pro Athletes Outreach, had its annual NFL conference in Orlando a couple of weeks ago and what a gift - Nolan and I got to experience it together!

Essentially, the conference consists of speakers, musicians, workshops, small groups and fellowship, all geared towards encouraging these professional athletes to use their fame and fortune to impact lives for Jesus. Nolan was hired to paint alongside the different speakers and worship leaders - visually interpreting their messages & themes. He did such an amazing job! It was awesome to see how much Nol's art resonated with all the conference attendees. And, what a blessing to watch the Lord use Nolan to spread His love, grace, redemption and healing to a crowd that is so hungry for it.

Here is the full and final piece - Nolan finished about 1 canvas per day

This was the first panel to be completed - showing God's welcoming, humble and loving spirit

This was the second panel which was meant to reveal the different 'pains' in our lives; affairs, pornography, anger, unforgiveness, poor self image, etc.

This third panel showed the 'on fire' Spirit for God once one chooses to follow Him

This last panel was inspired by the 31 people that were baptized on the final day - expressing the joy that comes from a new & clean life with God

This is the ballroom where our main sessions were held and up on the screen is our NFL director talking about Nolan's art

This is Nolan explaining the meaning behind some of his images, part way through the conference

Birds

2011-03-06T13:01:00.003-09:00

So, we live in a barn, on a giant farm-like property in Northern California. We care for ducks and chickens in exchange for cheaper rent. Not what you would necessarily expect in Northern California, but it suits us just perfectly! Anyway, one of the many perks to our property is we get to see lots of wild life; foxes, bobcats, various birds, etc. The other day we pulled up to our home to find a giant hawk and a large blue heron eyeing each other down on this fence. I grabbed my camera and snuck down to watch the two. I never realized how gorgeous birds were until this day. Anyway, thought you might like to see....

Can you find the flying hawk?

Saturday

2011-03-06T12:52:00.003-09:00

A few weeks ago, while the rest of the US was experiencing record lows, blizzards, hail, winds and rain - the Bay Area was in the upper 70s and hot! (Don't get too envious - we got payback these past few weeks with non-stop rain)! Anyway, Nolan and I decided to capitalize on the sunshine and soak up some rays at a beach in Santa Cruz. It was so nice. We brought a picnic, laid out, walked down to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk to ride the roller coaster, and eavesdropped on several beach conversations. It was super rad and super mellow! I didn't really take any pictures, but here is one of the two of us sittin' in the sand... we like California.....

New Year in Black & White

2011-02-09T21:24:00.004-09:00

Hope 2011 is off to a great start for you....I think it's going to be a good year. Here are some black and white photos from our New Years celebration in Las Vegas. It was low-key; watching old movies at my parents house, lighting sparklers, and playing games. So mellow and so fun.

Saturday

2011-02-09T21:17:00.005-09:00

Saturdays are my favorite. Have I told you that? Well, I'm telling you now...they are my favorite. This particular Saturday we went out and explored; jumping from the Muir Woods, to Muir Beach, to Sausalito, to an overlook where we watched the sun set over the Golden Gate Bridge. Oh, how I loved the day! Thanks God for making Saturdays and that we get to enjoy them.

San Francisco; the view from Sausalito

Muir Beach

The Golden Gate Bridge

The end to our day...

Colorado

2011-02-09T21:03:00.007-09:00

A few weeks ago Nolan and I took a quick trip back to Colorado to spend some time with the Lee's. We had such a great time - good quality time with lots of catching up and getting down to the real happenings of life. It was so enriching. We got to see where Nolan's brother, Ryan, and his new wife live, got to visit our favorite restaurant (Cosmo's Pizza), had special one-on-one time, and plenty more. Thanks Maggie, Dave, Ryan and Sam for showing us a great time! Here are a few photos from our time together...

Nothin' like Colorado views

The fam

This little ice cream place is right down the street from Ryan & Sam's place - it is amazing.

Coug Time + Cosmo's Pizza = serendipity

These faces are quite common when Tyler and Nolan get together...

We like Colorado...Colorado is where we met....

Guy time....

The City

2011-01-08T11:24:00.007-09:00

Just before Christmas, Nolan and I took a trip up to San Francisco. The city has an instant 'Christmas-y' feel to it. We spent some time in Golden Gate Park, visiting the Japanese Tea Gardens, and just walking around. Then we headed over to Ghirardelli Square to have some dinner and of course, some dessert! It was so much fun!

This lighting was so great I just had to take a ton of pictures.

This is inside the Japanese Tea Gardens

Isn't this bridge crazy?!

Try and figure this one out!

This is what it would look like if Nolan were short....

...and if I were a man....

A Rocky Road Sundae at Ghirardelli Square!

Christmas Season

2011-01-08T11:00:00.006-09:00

Here are some pictures and happenings from Nolan and I's Christmas season. This one seemed to go by faster than usual - anyone else feel that? Regardless, it was still an amazing season of celebrating the birth of our Lord!

The "Moose-Mug" from the movie, Christmas Vacation, is becoming a Lee family tradition!

Drinking Nog & Chopping the tree stump - Nolan's ideal Christmas night!

Our tree!

A new addition this year - a train to go around our Christmas tree! You would think we have kids, but we don't!

There is a neighborhood in San Carlos (just 10 mins. north of us) that has over 50 houses completely decked out in Christmas decorations/lights. We took a trip up there this year and had a blast!

This might have been the coolest gift of the season - it looks dumb, but it has been so much fun! It's like a glow-in-the-dark canvas!

Work

2011-01-08T10:54:00.004-09:00

I work for a non-profit organization called, Pro Athletes Outreach (check us out)! We are a conference based ministry for professional athletes and coaches. It's been a lot of learning and a lot of fun - we're kind of a crazy crew. Anyway, thought you might like to see the folks I work with every day...So, here we are!

Giving Thanks

2011-01-08T10:39:00.006-09:00

I know, it's January, and yes, I am posting about Thanksgiving. I'm a little behind. Oh well! Thanksgiving this year we spent in Southern California with my Aunt & Uncle, Grandma, Cousins and Mom & Dad. It was a great time. My family's gatherings are usually centered around food and this time was no different. We ate and ate and, you guessed it, ate some more. It was great to see everyone and great to get some 'cooking time' in with my mom and aunt. I am grateful for this crazy crew!

This 'turkey-leg-hat' was the hot commodity this time around - after looking at it, I'm sure it's no surprise!

Nolan and cousin Cole climbing in the trees!

Mom and Aunt (sisters)!

Nolan winning the Chihuahua Heisman Trophy

Grandma with the Grandkids!

Kitchen chaos - with two turkeys!

Baked stuffed sweet potatoes! Yum!

Even sushi!

Nolan explaining his art

2010-12-18T09:47:00.005-09:00

This is a video of Nolan explaining the meaning behind the art he created at my company's 2010 Baseball Conference. The video starts off with the guy leading worship (Anthony Evans) introducing Nolan, and then Nolan comes up on stage to talk about each panel he painted. (see post below for explanation).

PAO

2010-12-18T09:04:00.006-09:00

I work for an organization called Pro Athletes Outreach. We are a conference ministry for professional athletes and coaches; putting on conferences that encourage athletes to use their fame and fortune to impact lives for Jesus. It's awesome - you can visit our website here: www.pao.org.

Anyway, we just got back from our 2010 baseball conference, which was a huge success! Several athletes and their wives came to know Jesus for the first time, 5 people were (spontaneously) baptized in the hotel pool, relationships were built, and so on. But, I would have to say one of the most exciting parts of the whole conference (for me) was seeing my hubs paint alongside the different conference-speakers. Nolan worked on a mural throughout the entire conference, mirroring his images to the subjects of each talk. It was awesome! He even snuck in meaningful/literal visuals that the speakers referred to such as, a ladder, gardening shears, etc. At the end of the conference, they pulled all four panels up on stage and had Nolan share about the meaning behind his art. Here is the progression of the four murals:

Sunsets

2010-11-20T10:11:00.004-09:00

Here are some pictures of the sunset on our anniversary. I thought it was gorgeous!

Tahoe

2010-11-20T09:43:00.008-09:00

Nolan and I got away for the weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We decided to go up to Lake Tahoe in hopes of seeing some of the leaves changing color and having some colder weather. It was just perfect! In ended up snowing while we were there and the concierge at the hotel we were staying at, upgraded our condo because it was our anniversary! We had an amazing time! Here are some pictures from our weekend away!

Look at these clouds! Aren't they great?!

This is what we do for fun at restaurants...

Yay! for snow!

Pretty leaves changing color!

Can you believe this??? It's a bear paw print!

Two

2010-11-20T09:33:00.004-09:00

On Nov. 1st, 2010, Nolan and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary! It was so special. I can honestly say I love my husband more today than ever before and I am so grateful for that. We have had an amazing two years of learning about each other, living life together, and growing together as one. Praise God.

On our actual anniversary we went over the hill to Half Moon Bay and rode horses along the beach! This was the first time I had ever done something like this and I could not stop smiling! It was so cool. After our beach ride we went up to one of our favorite 'relax' spots called Moss Beach Distillery. It's a restaurant that sits on top of a cliff on the coast, with fire pits and big blankets out on the porch. It was such a special day, full of God's love and relaxation. Here are some pictures from our day.

Halloween , Part 2

2010-10-31T18:13:00.007-09:00

What's Halloween if you don't dress up? Our costumes this year weren't anything crazy, but we still had so much fun dressing up and being goofy. Nolan was MacGyver/McGruber (depending on your age) and I was an 80's workout instructor! We had a blast dressing up. Later in the day I made some famous 'Paulson/Baker' chili and topped it all off with some carmel apples. Yum! Happy Halloween Friends & Family! Hope yours was spooktacular....

Nolan as MacGyver/MacGruber

The actual MacGruber

Fun costumes....

Chili!

Carmel Apples!

Halloween, Part 1

2010-10-31T18:05:00.006-09:00

Nolan and I are both middle school leaders at a local church. The middle school program meets each Sunday and because Halloween happened to fall on a Sunday this year, it made the middle school program EXTRA fun. All the kids dressed up and we just played games the entire morning! My group of girls are craaaazzzzy. They don't even need candy to be crazy so you can imagine how insane it was today when they had plenty of candy in their system! It was awesome. Here is some of the fun that was had...

We played this game where kids & leaders were saran-wrapped to a pole. Here is the fearless leader that volunteered to be saran-wrapped!

Here is a 7th grade boy saran-wrapped!

Coach

2010-10-31T17:53:00.004-09:00

The organization I work for held an event this past Friday night in the Bay Area. It was awesome. The whole purpose of the event was to raise money for our upcoming season of coaches conferences. The night was gorgeous and to add to the ambiance of the evening, my company hired Nolan to do a 'speed painting' throughout the duration of the evening. He decided to paint Coach John Wooden in light of the 'coaching theme'. It turned out awesome. Here are some of the 'in process' pictures as well as the final piece...

Halloween Fun

2010-10-30T11:08:00.006-09:00

Some of you may know this already, but for those of you that don't, Nolan and I love love love Halloween! It's probably partly because we got married the day after Halloween (Nov. 1st) and partly because Halloween festivities/activities are SO fun! Making carmel apples, carving pumpkins, decorating, craft night-ing, baking pumpkin seeds/pumpkin bread/pumpkin bars, and not to mention, black/white/orange are Nolan and I's favorite colors! Anyway, here are some things we have been doing this Fall season...

Brothers

2010-10-17T16:43:00.003-09:00

A family hired Nolan to paint an interpretation of a bible verse incorporating their two sons. The painting is almost complete and it looks incredible! Thought you might like to see. The painting is based on the verse Psalm 133: 1-2, "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes." There are two sons, and each son is painted three times. Hope you enjoy!

Latest Art

2010-10-17T16:18:00.005-09:00

As I mentioned in my other post, two of Nolan's pieces are currently being displayed in an art show in Sunnyvale, California. The theme of the show is "Then Sings My Soul". Artists were asked to create some type of artistic visual that somehow related to that theme. Nolan did one acrylic painting (see post below) and one newspaper burning (see here). The newspaper burning shows the various faces and postures of worship; of a soul singing. He also burned these images on top of the 'Opinions Column' as a way to challenge this idea of who we actually worship - do we worship God or do we worship the opinions and feelings of our society & of others? Very convicting....Reminder: these newspaper burnings are done free-hand with a heated metal tool acting similarly to brush strokes, browning the newspaper until it reveals Nolan's desired image.