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thankful thursday.

Published by Aubrey


well it’s snowy and cold and we’ve been in the house pretty much all week. so this is a good discipline to remember what i am thankful for. there is still lots. here are a few.

  • new boots that are keeping my feet warm and dry and they look pretty good too. if i do say so myself.
  • the path to purchasing a new house remains clear and all things are moving along smoothly!
  • the opportunity to be home with my kids everyday.
  • encouraging words from friends.
  • carmel delight fiber one cereal.
  • a husband that thinks outside of the “normal world” box which therefore encourages me to do the same.
  • lots and lots and lots of decorating inspiration online. gets me so excited!
  • His Word that continues to gently steer me towards Him each and every day.
  • His forgiveness.

And you? What are thankful for?

kitchen envy.

Published by Aubrey

self admitted i am slightly obsessed with finding furniture, new decorating projects and creative storage options for when we move. i am a focused woman. found this pic on one of my fave blogs. the inspired room. i love the bright and clean feel of this kitchen. and what i really love are the open shelves. we are need extra storage space and i love the look of dishes sitting out in the open. so i am thinking of doing this. what do you think? is this practical?

House Beautiful

moving on. and i’m okay.

Published by Aubrey

redbluewhite
as i looked out the window of the plane yesterday morning, down at the pacific coast with LA sprawled out beneath me i had a unexpected but welcomed feeling…closure. i LOVED my time in LA this weekend. it was refreshing and relaxing to have some time away with Brian, although we actually didn’t spend that much time together:) i truly enjoyed reconnecting with friends who love and care about me, who know me well,  who i can laugh with and just be me.  ahhhh….it was a breath of fresh air to be there. oh yes, and the sunshine. love. love. love. but as much as i enjoyed my time there and was sad to say good-bye once again. i was okay. i feel as if God gave me the weekend to say “i gave you much in chico. your time was good. and much came out of it. but now it is over. i have much to give you in indy, maybe even more.” so i left with some sadness but more than anything i felt closure, a surprising sense of peace as i close one door and open the next. excitement. thankfulness.

p.s. the wedding was beautiful but didn’t hold a candle to the beautiful bride. she had that “wedding day glow” and a smile that lit up the room the entire evening. the groom was calm, cool and collected and couldn’t keep his eyes off his bride. loved it!  it was awesome to be a part of their day.

Thankful Thursday…a day late.

Published by Brian Barela

I’m on my way to LA for the weekend to celebrate a marriage between two of our friends. I’ve been looking forward to this wedding for a long time. Obviously I’m excited for our friends to spend the rest of their lives together. It has been awesome to watch God change and grow them both over the years. It has been a privilege for us to be a part of the process. Selfishly, I’ve been looking forward to this date since the day we moved from California for it was the date I knew I would get to see friends again. Get a taste of our old life. A life that I still miss greatly even though I’m so excited and hopeful for what is next. So I’m thankful for a lot right now. Thankful for the opportunity to go to this wedding, thankful for friends that are fun and encouraging to be with, thankful for time away with Brian and parents who willingly watch our kids. I’m thankful of our job that we get to be a part of peoples lives in such a unique ways. Where divine appointments lead to deep friendships.

So here’s to a weekend of reunions, lots of a laughter, creating new memories and two people having the day of their life!

wisdom beyond my years.

Published by Aubrey

Come look with me

one of the many things i considered a blessing during our ohio stint was the opportunity to be a part of a women’s bible study at my parents church. it’s a smaller group of women whom the core of them have meeting for several years. there is a unique bond between them that i was welcomed into right away. i am among the youngest of the group, along with my sister-in-law by about 20 years. then there is my mom and a couple other women in there 50’s. after those ladies, the rest of the group is in their 60’s and 70’s. the older ladies are what make the group go. their insight and wisdom is well beyond my years. most have lost their parents, some have lost their husbands, they all have lost fellow members/friends of their bible study. they have experienced fruitful years of marriage and hard years of marriage. they have raised kids and grandchildren. some who are serving and loving the Lord and others who have walked away and they pray for faithfully. they all have unique personalities, strengths and weaknesses which they openly talk about. they are funny and even sarcastic at times. which i love.

i have learned a great deal from these ladies over the last 7 months. i have learned and witnessed it is possible to walk with Jesus over a lifetime, even with it’s ups and downs. i have learned that i will never reach a point in my relationship with God where i have it all have figured out. 40 years from now i will probably still be praying for some of the same things i am today. lastly, i have seen that there is a joy and peace that comes from walking with the Lord through years and years of trusting Him and seeing His faithfulness. these women have encouraged to keep going. keep pursuing. keep trusting. keep believing.

it is worth it.

He is worth it.

shelf worthy

Published by Aubrey

Had a little time to myself yesterday with some gift cards to use. One was for TJ Maxx. I always find fun little treasures in their kitchen section. I usually don’t have the money though to do anything about it. Yesterday that wasn’t the case. So I took my time perusing the aisles, enjoying the fact that I was by myself. No one was pulling things off the shelf, fighting over the cart or wanting to go to the bathroom AGAIN! It. Was. Just. Me.

As I took my time sifting through odds and ends of kitchen stuff I found this little beauty. A bright orange teapot. I don’t have any other orange in my kitchen and honestly I don’t even drink tea. But I love it and it makes me smile. All for $3.99. Not bad. I think it will look great on the shelf I built out of crates. Remember these? Can’t wait to fill up my shelf with more treasures!

5 on friday

Published by Aubrey

1. A highlight of the holidays was getting to hang out with my bff since 4th grade and her family. We get to see each other maybe once a year but always when we see each other we step right back into life together. That’s how you know you are close friends. We still know what each other is thinking. We are ok with silence when we are together, although we are pretty much talking non stop. It warmed my heart to see the instant connection our kids had with one another and us with each others kids. I’m thankful for the time we had together. Looking forward to the next time already. Here are some pics…

nye ames

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2. Got new running shoes today.This just makes me happy. Look at these beauties. Time to increase the miles. Races are coming up in a couple months. I’m excited!

3. My friend Amie, who I mentioned above introduced us to the Magic Tree house series. It’s a series of stories about Jack and Annie and who go on these great adventures together as they read books. I’ve been enjoying reading these books aloud to the kids and have been surprised how well the books keep the kids attention.

4. Clementines are my latest obsession. We all love to eat these sweet juicy little fruits. Like the girls eat 3 a day each! Quick, easy and healthy snacks. Have you noticed the cute little crate these babies come in? I know my obsession with crate continues. But how can you not love miniature crates! I’m collecting these for some sort of organizing for our new house. Love!

5. I came across this blog this week and wanted to pass it along. Moneysavingmom.com has all kinds of goodies and helpful hints for any family. This week I downloaded the audio version of Jerry Bridges Pursuit of Holiness.  Score! I think it is still available. If you are interested, click here.