day{7}: adventures!

Anything, everything, little or big becomes an adventure when the right person shares it.

-Kathleen Norris

One fabulous and very exciting thing about entering into a lifelong partnership with someone is all of the memories you will make of the adventures you take along the journey of your life together.

I'm so blessed to have married a man who matches my passion for

seeking and {embracing} new experiences.

In our 4 years (in April) of marriage we have shared many great adventures, big and small.

Here are just a few that come to mind:

A handful of camping trips involving long hikes, cliff jumping, swimming, sun burns and rum and cokes in plastic cups at Soda Springs.

Our random last-minute getaways to the Ocean (usually Lincoln City or Rockaway Beach) with Honey in tow, of course. All we need is a big blanket, a football, a good book and a full picnic basket.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was (thus far) the trip of our lifetime. We were honored to attend our friends' wedding there, and enjoyed a week of sight-seeing, shopping, swimming, surfing, sunbathing, and of course, parties. This vacation gave me a very strong desire to do more international travel. It was my first trip outside of the country and completely eye-opening. If you never leave your home country, it's easy to shut out the world all around you, because it's "unknown." But there is SO much more to see, and I know I have barely skimmed the suface...I need to keep racking up miles and grow a financial "nest-egg" for travel.

(i'm the blonde haired one falling into the middle...)

White-water rafting trips. It's been FAR too long since we've done this. In fact, the last time we did was when Gary proposed to me (on the banks of the Salmon river in a stuffy tent....fitting, right?!). We both grew up rafting and are definitely going to want to continue the tradition with our children.

Snowboarding trips are almost always an adventure in themselves. If we had better cash flow this winter, we'd be hitting the mountain every dang weekend...LOVE the sound of snow fast under your board and your coat flapping against you in the cool breeze...

Trips to the river in the heavy, dense heat of summer. These would be greatly improved with the purchase of a boat (a WAKEBOARDING boat at that!) but we make the best of them. We swim, hike, cliff jump, play a game of ENDLESS fetch with Honey and sometimes, just float. I'm excited for summer river trips with Kai!

In Seattle, it was always such a treat to ride the Ferry. Gary and I began and ended some of our most memorable date nights with ferry rides. On a sunny cool day, NOTHING beats the Seattle/Sound beauty.
And while I'm on the Seattle subject, we also spent several hours canoeing on Lake Union, which was fun, a good workout, and (sometimes) kind of scary!

And then there are the even smaller adventures, like family walks around the neighborhood, trips to the store, parties with friends, weekends with relatives...nearly everything becomes an adventure with an (almost) 6 month old.

I know I'm leaving some out.

But really, we are only getting started.

I asked Gary to give me his "adventure" bucketlist of sorts, and this is what I got:

• basejumping (skydiving off of a cliff--I have no desire to SKYdive, but I would, however participate a nice scenic basejump.)
• Spend a couple of weeks on a {remote}tropical island--"where we have to catch our own fish, you know and live like they do on Lost."
• Backcountry heli-boarding (Whistler, preferably)
• Go on a week long white-water rafting/camping trip
• Rent an RV and travel down the California coast line and "stop off every so often and ride my dirt bike."

Here's just a {few} of mine:

• Go backpacking all over Europe.
• Visit a tropical island--preferably not an over-commercialized crowded one, but not as remote as "Lost."
• Take that trip down highway 101, but not for dirt-bike riding, for WINE-TASTING!!! (Napa Valley, anyone?!)
• Spend a month exploring the East Coast, from NYC all the way down to Miami.
• And last but not least, go back to Brazil.

As for right now, we can only dream (about the big one's, anyway...)

but mark my words...

we will spend the next {several} years

crossing things off our life list of shared adventures.

After all, the real adventure lies in not WHERE you go,

but WHO you go with....

We don't know where life will take us,

but it's a guaranteed adventure,

because we'll be {together}.

{6}:Falling in love all over again...

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person.

Mignon McLaughlin

I fell in love with a wild, free-spirited boy, who eventually twisted my arm into calling him boyfriend.

I fell in love, at 21, with my unexpected  fiancé.

I then, fell in love--all over again, with my husband.

I fell in love with a hard-working man, who takes pride in his trade and in being the provider for our family.

I fell in love with the devoted, {FUN} Father of my son.

I fell in love with my soulmate.

And in all of the days in-between, I wake up and find a million reasons to fall in love, all over again, 

with {our} life.

There is no more lovely, friendly and
charming relationship, communion or company
than a good marriage.

Martin Luther

{love}5: keeping it simple.

We enjoy early mornings on the porch,

fresh corn, going barefoot, blueberries

and strawberries and raspberries,

sleeping without nightclothes or covers,

the long evenings and the texture of

the low western sun on fields that are

still green. -Donald M. Murray

You are the author of your love story.

Celebrate it, just as it is....just as you are. 

Make your life a special occasion, in it's everyday beauty.

Don't overlook the joy that is present in the everyday, honest simplicity.

We get so distracted by the pressures the world puts on us, and allow ourselves to become tangled in our own selfish web, heavy with the stress of work, money, bills, taxes, status, traffic, redundance....

You know who us "grown-ups" can learn a lesson from?

Kids.

Children are so resilient. They are the seekers of beauty in a dark world,

and experience love in it's purest form.

One of the greatest joys I had over the last few years working in the schools as a counselor was hearing the joy, innocence and hope in the voices of children.

Here is a short collection of some of my favorite heartwarming love quotes by children (found here):

When my grandmother got arthritis she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore,

so my grandfather does it for her all the time,

even when his hands got arthritis too.

That's love.

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.

Love is what makes you smile when your tired.

Love is when someone hurts you

and you get so mad

but you don't yell at them

because you know

it would hurt their feelings.

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents

and listen.

Love is when Mommy makes coffee for my Daddy

and she takes a sip before she gives it to him,

 to make sure that the taste is ok.

If you want to learn to love better,
you should start with a friend you don't like to play with.

When you tell someone something bad about yourself

and your scared they won't love you anymore.

But then you get surprised

because not only do they still love you,

they love you even more.

Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne

and they go out and

smell each other.

Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt

and he wears it

every day.

During my piano recital, I was on stage and scared.

I looked out at all the people watching me and saw my Daddy waving and smiling.

He was the only one doing that.

I wasn't scared anymore.

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody

most of your french fries without making them give you any of theirs.

My Mommy loves me more than anybody.

You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.

Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.

Love is when your puppy licks your face
even after you left him alone all day.

Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet

and she doesn't think it's gross.

You really shouldn't say "I love you" unless you mean it.

But if you mean it, you should say it a lot.

People forget, and it's good for them to get reminded.

Perhaps we just need to be still and just sit and listen.

Love {is} all around us.

Just ask a child.

All {4} Love: Celebrating the small stuff.

FAMILIAR ACTS

ARE BEAUTIUL

THROUGH LOVE.

-Percy Bysshe Shelley

Too often I take for granted the {little things} that Gary does for me on a daily basis.

Just sitting down to write this post I am overwhelmed at all of the small stuff that my husband does that I really just kind of expect that goes by without much appreciation.

Like how he...

holds my hand in church, rubs my (perpetually sore) neck without being asked, gets up with Kai at the crack of dawn to let me sleep in, holds me in a hug extra long and super tight, tells me I'm beautiful when I need to hear it most, is supportive and has encouraged and validated my decision to put my counseling career on hold to stay at home with Kai, sends me little random texts when we're apart to let me know he's thinking about me, brings me a surprise beverage when he's out-and-about, lets ME pick a dvd to watch, kisses me unexpectedly, offers to change a REALLY poopy diaper, insists that I go take nap (I must look reallllly tired), offers to cook dinner, gives me his coat when I'm (always) cold, tells me he's proud of me, covers me up at night after HE'S hogged the covers, offers to take Kai so I can have some "girl" time, and my {favorite}, tells me I love you out of the blue.

Spend a few minutes and think about the small stuff that your significant other does for you. Not only does it overwhelm you with love, it really inspires you to focus in on the little things...as the giver and the receiver.

Gary sent me this picture during a long hitch he was working down in the Gulf.
Made. my. day.

 "The great doing of little things makes the great life."

Eugenia Price



{LOVE}3: More than a "meal"

Gary & I {in Rio} at the BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL wedding of our dear friends, Mike & Marina.  

Food can look beautiful,

taste exquisite,

smell wonderful,

make people feel good,

bring them together,

inspire romantic feelings.

- Rosamond Richardson

There is something fabulously romantic about the {event} of eating.

Something wonderful happens when two people allow themselves to slow down and {savor} not only food and drink, but each other's company.

Dining--REAL Dining involves the lost art of {conversation}.

Too often meals together become routine. We stuff our faces in front of the TV, computer screens, cell phones, morning paper before running off to the next thing in our busy lives.

I am guilty of this. Sometimes you can't help it--you have not choice but to rush.

But we need to make a better effort of slowing down and {lingering} over breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The memories of meals that I treasure {with Gary} are many.

Noisy corner booths in crowded cafes for Sunday brunch

Cooking together--at home and enjoying our efforts {together} at the table. No TV, no hurry to clear off the table and do the dishes...often times opening that second bottle of wine...

Dressing up and dining out...not at Applebee's. A {splurge}. Maybe for a celebration, maybe just because.  Heels, perfume, lip gloss and the diamond cross necklace he bought me for my birthday.

Grabbing coffee...or even better, gelato--and not rushing away to drink or eat on the go. Sitting down, enjoying small pleasures...dragging out their rich, sweet flavors with long laughter-filled conversation.

A chocolate milk shake with {two} straws.

A huge hunk of chocolate cake too rich to eat alone.

Make everyday eating an {experience.}

Be adventurous.

If you go out, try that new place. Go somewhere for the atmosphere. Sit outside and enjoy the fresh air or sea breeze. {Splurge}, slow down, and savor the moment...

If you stay in (recession-friendly option), eat off of your good china, buy or pick colorful flowers for the table centerpiece, light the candles and dim the lights--challenge yourself with a new recipe, bake your sweetie's favorite dessert...turn the television OFF and the music of your choice ON...

Here's a challenge for me and, if you are up for it, you (whoever you are that is reading) :

Treat at least one meal a day like an {occasion}.

Wherever it may be, {make} it special.

This will take extra effort, like getting up early with your spouse so you can enjoy a hot breakfast together before you rush off for work...or maybe syncronizing your lunch hours so you can steal way to a cozy diner for a bowl of hot soup...or taking a risk on a challenging recipe, and shutting off all outside noise leaving only talking, laughing and the clanking of silverware on your good plates.

Go ahead, make your meal more than a full tummy.

Make a {memory}.

{Love} Day 2: FATE.

Gary & I in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Then we

 sat on the edge

 of the earth, with our

 feet dangling over the

side, and marveled

that we had found

each other.

- Erick Dillard

Do you ever think back to the time you first met, or maybe when you first {laid eyes} on the she or he that you now call your husband or wife?

Some people say they just knew.

I don't know about that, but here's our story:

I played basketball at Columbia Basin College with a wild girl named Beth Alexander who was always trying to hook me up with her brother. I always had a boyfriend, so that never happened.

A couple of years later, I was celebrating one of my best friends' bachelorette party (Tiff!) and happened to be the only single girl in attendance. We were at a little spot called the Towne Crier and I remember the girls asking me if any guy there "caught my eye."

There was one.

I told them not to "look now," but he was "the guy with the shaggy blondish hair behind me in the Hurley shirt and backwards hat."

{Of course} they all turned back to look.

Ever so awkwardly, I glanced back at him and smiled and waved....he looked familiar, but I didn't know why.

Before I knew it, two girls who I didn't know approached me and asked me if I was "taken."

I said "nope. Why?"

They responsed "Well, our friend Gary wants to meet you."

Gary? What kind of old man name is Gary? I thought.

But said, "sure."

Sure enough, it was him.

HE was Beth Alexander's Brother who I was supposed to meet but never did...and he was also my future husband (little did I know!).

I was attracted to him, sure. But the whole night he acted super sketchy around me--like talking to me and then running off. I thought it was weird.

But decided to activiate my {liquid courage} and give him my number and leave the ball in his court.

So I wrote my number on a little bar napkin and marched it over to him and gave it to him.

{right in front of his girlfriend.}

I didn't know I did this at the time (girlfriend?!). But he called me much later that night and apologized for acting like jerk and explained he was there "on a date." hmmmmm. Whatever, I thought.

I didn't put much stock in us ever investing in a relationship, especially since I was moving to Seattle for school in a week.

But he kept calling.

And then he came to visit me in Seattle (this night will forever go down in history as Whitney's worst first impression on Gary and friends. It involved red bull, vodka, a little blue tank top, pioneer square, lots of dancing and getting door checked and denting a car....i'll leave the rest up to your imagination).

And then he moved up to Seattle for Dive School.

And 10 months later asked me to be his wife.

....I learned shortly after I started dating Gary that he had kind of stalked me a little bit at the gym (we had worked out at the same gym for a year or so....it was a busy gym, I guess).

He told me that he always crossed his fingers that he would get seated in my section when he came in to eat where I worked (Red Robin).

And one night, before we'd even met, he sat in a booth at Red Robin and proclaimed to one of his buddies (who reminded us of this at our wedding!) that he was going to marry me someday.

And today, as we re-live the story of our meeting we {marvel} that after all of that,

we found each other.

And laughing, we conclude that this {love story} of ours is living proof that God is not only good...

He also has a wonderful sense of humor.

Day 1 of LOVE: Twitterpated.

Today is January 14th.

In honor of Valentine's day and in {celebration} of LOVE I will post each day, until February 14th:

1) A quote about love, relationships, marriage, life...

2) A short blurb. Maybe quote related, maybe not...

3) A picture. Or two.

30 minutes remain for me to hammer out day 1....so, here goes! 

I climbed up the door, and opened the stairs,

I said my pajamas, and put on my prayers,

I turned off the bed and crawled into the light,

And all because you kissed me good-night.

- Eddie Pola

I remember the early days in me and Gary's relationship. You know, the "cloud nine" phase that consumes couples in the early stages of love...

Twitterpated is what it is.

"An enjoyable disorder characterized by feelings of excitement, anticipation, high hopes, recent memories of interludes, giddiness, and physical overstimulation which occur simultaneously when experiencing a new love...."

(Please check out the rest of this Urban Dictionary definition!)

Here's G and I in our early days....

{Smitten} in Seattle.

Think back to those early moments you shared with your significant other and

 {treasure}

 that "twitterpated" chapter

in the story of your love.