Jeffrey and I celebrated our 1-year anniversary of being married last Saturday. We had a perfect weekend away at our dear friends beach house on Hood Canal. (Thank you Cline's! The other Cline's, with a "C".) These are some photos of our fun time.
But, as a side note, it was more than a fun time. It was a reunion! He'd been out of town for 10 days, prior to our trip, so....how do I say this....a mini-me may be on the way. I'm joking!! But not really. Who knows. We are open to being parents any time now, but aren't really trying. If you get my drift. What else do you expect after being away from your love for 10 days?!
Anywho.
It was a great weekend. We did lots of sleeping in (does 7am count?), took lots of naps, ate yummy meals, had yummy drinks, and had some really thoughtful, defining conversations. I so love life with this man.
Coming from the girl who always wanted to be Pocahontas, my favorite part was getting in the canoe and paddling to the other side of Hood Canal. This is about a mile of water we covered, each way. We put in right before sun set, and made it back by dusk. Every slice (push? stroke?) of the paddle was a moment I was made for. I need more of those times in my life! It's doing something together that requires genuine work, with beauty all along the way.
All photos are from my iPhone, unaltered. Enjoy!
Olympic Mtn. Range in the background
we conquered it
the last morning
Lilac plant - smelled a-mazing
happy to be on vacation
Jeff introduced me to Citizen Kane - such an interesting story.
Congrats if you've made it this far through the post. I know it's a long one. Thanks for sticking with me!
Have a wonderful Good Friday and Easter weekend.
We have so much to be grateful for!
Adventure isn't missing,
Rose
xo
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
This morning I was reminded that there's a very real connection between
I would've forgotten it's St. Patrick's Day except that when I left the house this morning I saw that everyone here in downtown Kirkland is walking around wearing green. Not only that, it's a gorgeous spring day. So everyone is out, with dogs and green leashes, green earmuffs (it's still quite cold), and I even saw someone driving a green 90's Ford Taurus. Coincidence? I think not.
And I'm home, unintentionally revolting against the holiday by staying in and blogging, eating a burrito and drinking a Belgian beer. Kind of a fun one too...New Belgian Brewing Co. comes out with a seasonal beer, every season. Winter's was called Snow Day, and Spring's is called Dig. I dig it.
This morning I was getting ready for church, and thinking about a shirt I own, and the story surrounding it, and thought I'd tell it here on my blog. It's kind of fun. It has to do with when Jeff and I first got together about two years ago.
This shirt is one of my favorites. It's a black & white baseball tee with red leather numbers stitched on the back. 5's are my favorite number. A couple years ago I saw that number everywhere I went. I even got a new license plate and the numbers on it ended up being 555. I wasn't even suprised. Plus, 5 means grace, which is such a great word.
So I was out shopping, right around the time I was really starting to dig Jeffrey Kline. It was when he was always subconciously in the back of my mind, if thoughts of him weren't already making their way to the front of it. I was starting to admit to my closest friends that I was crushin'.
Anyway, there used to be this shop in downtown Kirkland (now about a block from where we live) that sold clothes that reminded me of someplace trendy and sunny (Vegas & Miami come to mind). I was familiar with it because I had done some design work for them, but the styles of clothing they sold weren't really my thing. But one day, I guess I though I'd check it out. I searched & searched and the only thing I liked was this baseball tee. I tried it on, I loved it, I bought it at 75% off, and it had 5's on the back. Perfect.
The thing that makes my eyes cross happened next. I looked at the tag to see what the brand was.
the shirt
Jeffrey Kline.
That's right. My future husband's name was on the tag of my 55 shirt. .....what? To me, that is odd. That is downright weird. He doesn't own a tee shirt company and is not affiliated with this shirt in any way, other than the girl wearing it was going to fall in love with him someday.
Am I the only one that thinks this is crazy? Call me sentimental, but.... it gets better.
Once Jeff and I got together, I told him about this story and the shirt. He then proceeds to tell me that his baseball number growing up was 55. His nickname was Double Nickels.
I'm telling you, you can't make up coincidences like that!!!
That's my story! On that note, have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day.
Spring is almost here! It was a gorgeous weekend here in Kirkland. I didn't get any pictures because I was out & about all weekend, so busy!
My highlight: on Friday we had a couples dinner at our dear friends, Jon & Renee's house. There were four couples, an amazing meal, good wine, inspiring conversation and TONS of laughing. We've been going through the "Five Love Languages" at our church small group, and on Friday we focused in on how we best communicate appreciation to our spouses. It was so good to be reminded that our men need to know we as wives trust them and respect them. And for the ladies, we want to be encouraged by them on an identity level, as nice as it is to be told how pretty we look. (Note: being a brat does not inspire these kids of words from them. :) It's so nice to have friends we can be totally real with, and leave feeling more encouraged than ever. I'm so grateful for that.
Here's a fun video to get you in the mood for Spring. I lived on a Dairy Farm for years as a kid, and never saw the girls do anything quite like this. Have a great Monday!
Yesterday, I came home on my lunch break. He surprised me by deep cleaning the WHOLE APARTMENT. And by that I mean he bleached the shower to perfection (every flippin' tile and crack), there was fresh paint, vacuum lines in the carpet, windows open with fresh air streaming in, stuff put away, dishes washed, and everything looking just shiny and new.
The cherry on the top was that he made me lunch too. I swear to you, I'm not exaggerating...it was the best turkey sandwich I've ever had.
If you want to know what he did...he did the usual turkey, lettuce, tomato, avocado. Then he added honey mustard and truffle flavored cheese from Trader Joe's.
Oh my.
It was good.
Anyway! I couldn't believe he took his day off to do that for me/us. I feel so humbled by his kindness.
If you're reading this, thanks love. xoxo
Adventure isn't missing.
March along, dear March. We need the sun to come out so we can go riding.
We also want to celebrate our 1st anniversary like we did a year ago - 60 degrees with an open sun roof. If we can't get on the bike, then at least we want to open the E30's sun roof without getting drenched or frostbitten.
After work on Friday, I made it home in time to put on some kicks and a beanie and run to the end of the dock before the sun set. This is literally my front yard and I LOVE IT. That's teeny Seattle in the background.
Saturday was filled with all sorts of fun times. A mutual friend of me & my sister threw Heather a baby shower out in the country. We got some photos taken out in the yard....Heather was just cracking up the whole time, while I was loving hammin' it up. So typical. That's our pretty mama in the center.
I think Heather's going to be the best mom ever. They decided on a name! Little Oliver is set to arrive on April 24th. And how cute is her little black dress? So simple & comfortable. I think she's so beautiful.
Today, more than ever, I wish I had a hidden flower garden. A place that's full of life, but still and safe. A secret place where time stops but everything keeps growing. Somewhere I can rest or work. A place where my senses are alive. I'd climb big trees to the very top, stretch out on the grass, and I'd thread flowers through my hair. A place where I can be, just for a little while.
I've been completely fascinated with this woman for years.
She was around, beginning in the 50's, doing what Bill Cunningham and Scott Schuman hadn't even thought of yet. To me, their work doesn't even compare to hers. Not even close.
In 2007, someone found hundreds of thousands of her undeveloped negatives at a thrift auction house in Chicago and it exposed this incredible talent of hers that nobody knew about. She was sadly no longer living at the time, and so it brought up a lot of unanswered questions about her.
Thanks to YOU, this little blog of mine just hit 10,000 views.
I know that's not much for some of you out there.
But for me, it's golden.
I started blogging back in 2005 as a sort of journal so I wouldn't forget how many awesome people I have in my life, and how many wonderful moments I get to experience.
Honestly, it's more for me than anyone else.
Sometimes I go back and re-read entries and smile.
Sometimes I groan, and wish I had more time to make the formatting just perfect.
Sometimes I'm tempted to delete old posts that are corny and odd, but Jeff says I should keep them up, that they're all apart of what I was thinking at the moment, and so I keep them up.
But I always am in awe of this little life of mine, not because of me, but because of Him.
It's true that I'm grateful for my own life. I'm glad I get to be me.
I'm glad I live right now, where I'm at, with all these wonderful people around me.
I don't assume it's always going to be this way, and I try not to take it for granted.
Most people would probably look at my life and think it's pretty simple and not so exciting.
And there are always more things I wish I were doing.
But what I have are lots of meaningful moments, and I know I'll have more.
But when do we ever know where our lives are going? Never.
All I have is everything that has given my life meaning up until this point, and I have right now.
I'm so glad there's a way for me to document a small portion of all of that.
Thanks for reading and coming along for the ride.
Thanks for every little comment - I love them all.
Adventure isn't missing,
RK
p.s. In honor of 10,000 viewers...here's one of my favorite songs, Ten Thousand.
I need to let my definition of Jesus be redefined.
Have I lost touch with who he is in my life?
The Latin definition of religion is "obligation". That's what happens when we approach the truth from a distance.
These are just a few quotes from Dr. Simon, who spoke at church last Sunday. I've been thinking about it ever since, and am genuinely challenged to become reacquainted with Jesus. Lately, the real Jesus seems out of my reach, but I know he's not. I sense that he's allowing this growing emptiness in me, so that He has something to fill. I have much hope in that. I want to know the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of my experience, the Jesus of my theology, the Jesus of my swirling and changing thoughts, the Jesus of my youth. The only answer I keep coming back to is that in order to encounter the Jesus of the Bible, I have to go to the Bible to find him.
My challenge is that I grew up reading the Bible, memorizing scripture, learning Bible stories in Sunday school via felt boards and paper cut-outs of Noah and David, and I am incredibly familiar it all. I want to open it and read it like it's brand new. I want to believe it like my life depends on it. Because it does.
At the same time, I've been reading a biography by Eric Metaxas about the life of Deitrich Bonhoeffer. (DB was a German pastor/theologian who stood up for the Jews while the Nazi party and Hitler were in power. He had a deep Biblical conviction about this. He was apart of a group of people who planned to assassinate Hitler. He was found out and hung for it.) In it, he writes a letter to his brother-in-law about the Bible. These words have taken my hand and are leading me somewhere good.
"First of all I will confess quite simply - I believe the Bible alone is the answer to all our questions, and that we need only to ask repeatedly and a little humbly, in order to receive the answer. One cannot simply read the Bible, like other books. One must be prepared really to enquire of it. Only thus will it reveal itself. Only if we expect from it the ultimate answer, shall we receive it. That is because in the Bible God speaks to us. And one cannot simply think about God in one's own strength, one has to enquire of him. Only if we seek him, will he answer us. Of course it is also possible to read the Bible like any other book, that is to say from the point of view of textual criticism, etc.; there is nothing to be said against that. Only that that is not the method which will reveal to us the heart of the Bible, but only the surface, just as we do not grasp the words of someone we love by taking them to bits, but by simply receiving them, so that for days they go on lingering in our minds, simply because they are the words of a person we love; and just as these words reveal more and more of the person who said them as we go on, like Mary, "pondering them in our heart," so it will be with the words of the Bible. Only if we will venture to enter into the words of the Bible, as though in them this God were speaking to us who loves us and does not want to leave us along with our questions, only so shall we learn to rejoice in the Bible."
Thank you, Dietrich. That helps me very much. I especially am moved by the part that says I cannot simply think about God in my own strength. Because I do - I think of him without inquiring of him to reveal himself to me. He wants to reveal who he is through the Bible. As I read, I often ask for wisdom, answers, peace, revelation, inspiration, motivation!!!...but I rarely ask for HIM. This will change.
Eric Metaxas gave a wonderfully truthful (and humorous) speech at the 2012 National Prayer Breakfast. I think he might be one of my favorite people right now. (The video is below, if you're interested. It's 30 minutes and worth every bit.) He talks about William Wilberforce and Dietrick Bonhoeffer, and how that once they encountered the Jesus of the Bible, they were moved to action and became great advocates for the oppressed, and changed nations.
So there you have it...just some Friday thoughts.
One other thing - I also get to hear Eric Metaxas speak at a prayer breakfast here in Seattle, in April. I'm SO EXCITED. :) :)
Can I take a moment to shamelessly boast about my friends amazing music?
I know a lot of my readers already know (about) the Hallstrom's. We hold their babies, we worship together, some have grown up with them, we tell stories together, we have non-repeatable text conversations (Kate!), we support and encourage each other through life.
But for those of you who don't know of these beautiful people, you really should. The first time I heard their music, it was 7 years ago, in the fall. Tom & Kate had just gotten married, and gave out a mini-album as a wedding favor. I was hooked on their harmonies and words. Then their EP came out, under the name Novalis. The album is Strange Parade. Every.song.is.incredible. And it's on iTunes, so check them out! I can't decide of Johnstown Flood or Saints and Children is my favorite song.
Well, they are a family of Hallstrom's, so naturally they changed their name from Novalis to Hallstrom. Tom & Kate are the heart & soul of the band, but the thing I love is that it's a family gig. Tom's brothers and dad are band members and a huge reason for what they're doing. I love that - I think that's so rare.
They opened this weekend for Classic Crime and we heard a few of their new songs. I've said it before and I'll say it again: they need to be heard by many, many people. There is a message in what they write that reaches into a rich but imperfect past, and tells stories that give hope for now. The words make you think. It was inspiring and so, so fun. (The way Aaron double-fisted those chains was awesome. You'll hear it in their new song: Tallest Tree.)
This last weekend we all went Christmas tree shopping. And here I am, surrounded by my closest friends, from left: Jeff, my husband; Jen, Connie & Christy. I just love these people. Thank you to Allen's Tree Farm for putting up with our loud laughter, questions about your babies and wives, looking at every.single.tree on the lot, and sticking around way too long and eating your candy canes. We like you, and we'll be back next year.
Jeff & I are leading worship this Sunday, so I've been listening through our song set all week. This song is wrecking me! Ugh, tears. Tears at home, tears at work and tears everywhere in between. I'm aware that I'm a wretch. But may I be aware that He made me His treasure.
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