Funny

I saw this in an article I was reading and laughed out loud!

"Come to our breakfast. We’ll come to your fire.”
— Volunteer firefighters’ fundraising T-shirt

I heart Marshalls

Black, waist length, one button, single-breasted suit jacket. The original price tag: $480.00. The price tag when I bought it: $39.00. I love it!

I also scored at the Nearly New second-hand shop downtown with 2 nice skirts, (one good winter and one formerly too expensive Ann Taylor), and a courderoy blazer: $34 total. Budgets cause creativity!

Happy 5th Birthday!

J turns 5 today...how did that happen? When did this sweet little boy get so big? I am grateful that I was able to spend the first 5 years of his life so close to him, to watch him grow and learn and become a very fun and very animated nephew. Happy Birthday my bright eyed buddy!

Moving

Short update -

So we went over last night to see our new apartment and start planning our move. It wasn't ready. Duh. So Matt called this morning and told them and supposedly they sent a work order out. I guess we'll see tonight. It's a good thing we still had a home to go back to...hopefully we can start moving in this long weekend. My sis gave me a good idea to have the rent prorated since it wasn't ready when they said it would be...if it's still not done tonight we might look into that.
Have a wonderful weekend!

China 2

Another email
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I know that many of you have been viewing the devastation that has taken place in Sichuan, China a few days ago. A number of you have contacted me and I wanted to let everyone know that we are just as shocked and saddened by the loss. Thankfully, my parents and I were not near the quake areas.
The quakes were in the Central - Southwest part of the country where I have quite a few friends. I've checked on all of them and they are are all reporting in. One couple who I know was very, very close to the epicenter but they are safe. I, being in Beijing, was about 1000 miles away but my building started swaying. To give you a little perspective, it would be like feeling your 27th floor apartment in New York city moving because of a quake in Mobile, Alabama. It was a big one indeed. Please be lifting up the country as well as the people who have been affected. There are many believers in Sichuan and my prayer has been that they would show love to their neighbors in this challenging time.
I know many people have had varying opinions on the country as of late, but I hope very much that many of you will consider the 100 million brothers and sister over here as part of your own family. And when family is in a rough spot - you help help out family. :) Thanks for your thoughts, prayers and support!

Ben

China

I received an email from a friend of mine over in China (working with Food for the Hungry) that I thought I would share with you all regarding the recent earthquake and aftershocks. Please keep them in your prayers!
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I spent yesterday in a city called Jiangyou and I am going back there today with an entire truckload of supplies. The day before yesterday I went to Dujiangyan (the city with the collapsed school with over 900 students). We are working with a group called HuaMei (A local group of believers affiliated with the 3-self ch**rch). The destruction is tremendous, but it has been wonderful to partner with the local 3-self in those areas and watch them bringing hope to their own people. Please continue to lift us up and those working in the hard hit areas. Please lift up HuaMei as we will be going to two different cities today with supplies. My teammate, Jim Hicks, is going with them to DeYang and I will be returning to work with the local pastor in Jiangyou. There is still no water, power, or gas in most of the hard hit cities. Please pr*y peace over the people in these areas. I will also try and update my journal on our website. Please lift us up here in Chengdu as we are still feeling aftershocks and I feel like I am out salmon fishing with Grandpa Bob on a small little boat. It's hard to sleep soundly at night with the swaying that sometimes wakes us up. Psalm 46:1-3 has been reassuring.

Jared

Once a midwesterner always...

Hopelessly Midwestern

Honeymoon Pt V - Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Oil slicks from the hold still come out every 5 seconds or so

Honeymoon Pt. IV - Water :-)

Matt loves waterfalls...

On our drive to the North Shore

View off a Waikiki pier

Series of 4 - Blowhole progression

Series of 4 - wave progression

Beautiful Hawaii colors...oh wait

Honeymoon Pt III - Mountain views

views on our drive to the North Shore - Oahu

view from our Maui hotel room

hiking in Maui

Maui mountains

Oahu mountains

Honeymoon Pt II - Foliage

Peace plants in their natural environment...mine sort of looks like that

A cool flower we found on our hike. We almost got blown off the mountain in order to get this shot!

Bird of Paradise

Hybrid Hydrangeas

Pretty purple flowers (that we spent 1/2 hour taking pictures of!)

Neat red flower

This thing felt like and looked like rubber
Cool looking plant I forget the name of

Beautiful blue flowers

Honeymoon Pt 1 - People pics

We tried to make the man in the back a little skinnier...

Entertainment on Waikiki

At a park in Oahu

In memory of Mobile, AL- April 2007

Hiking on Maui (holding the tree so I don't get blown away!) I'm not generally known as a tree hugger.

Honeymoon pictures

So these are finally ready. I'm going to try to post them in categories but we'll see how that goes. I must also apologize for the lack of pictures of the two of us - the holder of the camera (not me) has a preference toward nature, not people! Enjoy! :-)

Tag, You're it

My sister tagged me so I suppose I'll answer these for fun...

If I were a shoe, I'd be flip flops
If I were a city, I'd be Oberamergau
If I were a season, I'd be spring
If I were a car, I’d be a Ford F150
If I were a vegetable, I’d be a green bean
If I were a fruit, I’d be an orange
If I were a color, I’d be cobalt blue
If I were furniture, I’d be a foostool
If I were a country, I’d be Aruba
If I were a beverage, I'd be water
If I were clothing, I'd be a pair of zip off hiking pants
If I were weather, I'd be partly sunny w/a chance of rain
If I were a dessert, I'd be warm chocolate brownies
If I were a plant, I’d be a Peace Lily

Happy Belated Valentine's Day!

Wedding 3