update on our lives:

Kevin :)

lovely butt shot!

LOVELY!!! :)

We've had a very fun succesful type weekend:

I did my normal saturday morning hike with a friend, came down the mountain picked mike up and we met Casey at the Farmers Market, I happily chowed down a Nutella Crepe, some joe, and picked up fresh tomates, nectorines, and pickling cucumbers, I'm going to try and make my own pickles!

Then came home and made lunch for Mike and I. Casey text and asked if I'd like to come to her Grandma's house where they're living, and pick raspberries, I was overjoyed, grabbed a container and headed over: photos to follow. Her Grandma has an amazing back yard full of beautiful plants and fruits and herbs, I got a small mint root to transplant into a pot, so i could grow my own!

Casey helped me and together we must have gotten about 6-7lbs of raspberries! :) I went to rite aid on my way home and grabbed ice cream so we can delight in raspberries over ice cream. Then came home, packed my heart out for about 4 hours, we're pretty much done packing. Then showered, got all pretty and went out with Mike for a Date!

We ate an AMAZING dinner at Max's Bistro, then saw UP! WOW.... what a GREAT movie... such a good family/ date movie. And bring tissues! Even my husband cried, he rarley cries in movies, this one got him to shed a few tears. It's just a fantastic story of keeping your word, when it counts, being faithful to those you love, and it was just an all around feel good movie, with a TON of laughs :) I give this one two big thumbs up!

Sunday went to church, enjoyed the fellowship of my friends at lunch afterward at Dog House Grill :) Ate a YUMMY tri tip sandwich, the best in town in my oppinon, and onion rings, and my favorite Diet Dr. Pepper. Went Geo Caching with Shak and Andrew, found nothing :(

Then came home and went through all the JUNK and other things in the guest room, made a HUGE trip to the thrift store, many more to come. Then returned a very expensive Swamp Cooler to Home Depot got all the money back for it! YAY!

We then had a meeting at Andy and Sondra's for youth group, which ALWAYS are a blast and another great time of fellowship with believers, and a group of people I feel BEYOND blessed to have in my life. I love you guys so much, and CANNOT imagine working with anyone else as amazing as you all are. You ROCK. God has blessed me so much with you all!

THEN! Went swimming at Josh's house!! And found a tiny frog :) Named it Kevin, saved it from the crazies who wanted to put it on Anna's head. Then crashed in bed, and slept till ten this morning, only to wake up from a sweet text from my husband wishing me a good morning. I then went up and met him at 1130 for jamba juice and a visit to the dog park with our babies. and now I'm here enjoying some lovely worship music, a quiet house, and more boxes to fill NINE DAYS till we move... I cannot explain how insanly excited I am!!!!

A few photos I'd Love to share!

That sweet fluffy mutt is Marco ( Michael's brother) and his wife Casey's new dog! They adopted him on Saturday from the Local SPCA, yay for rescuing dogs! He's SUCH a sweet boy, VERY well trained and just all around adorable! :) To celebrate his new life, we all decided that Charley needed to meet his cousins, Lily and Luca, our adorable dogs, and that a trip to the dog park was appropriate! In the photo above, Michael and Marco, are standing in front of our house, getting ready to get in the car to drive to Woodward Park, ie: The dog park!

Mike and I, walking with our dogs, and Marco walking with Charley

The Two Ruelas Brothers, their wives and dogs :) I love this photo!

And this adorable one, is my sweet Sister Karie, she sent this email to our folks and I, this is her " I CANNOT wait to see you in 10 weeks" Photo. She and her husband live in Cambodia, and are returing in 10 weeks! I cannot wait either Karie, I love you!

Between now and then, my 101 Things in 1001 Days

101 Things in 1001 Days

Start Date: February 28Th, 2009
End Date: November 26Th 2011
Status: In Progress

The out of doors:
1-Start and maintain a vegetable garden.1/1
2-Participate in a community garden.0/1
3-Climb half dome again.0/1

4-Walk at least 3 times a week w/dogs. 0/143

5- Buy & fly a kite. 0/1

6- Picnic more then 20 times in 1001 days. 2/ 20+

7- Sweep the patio once a week. 3/143

8- See the Grand Canyon

Domestic Goods:
9-Buy a good mop.0/1
10-Mop weekly
11-Go all 1001 days without buying a loaf of bread ( failed... :)
12-Make all my own bread (failed :)

13- Buy a big ole soup pot. 0/1

Things I Should have Done Long Ago:
14-Take Piano Lessons for as long as possible. 4/143

{ I started Monday March 9Th}

15- Get my SLR Camera working and take more photos

16- Send a care package to Karie's kids. 0/1

17- Make a list of my friends favorite things 0/1

18- visit historical monuments on the East Coast and learn more about the history of this country. 0/1

19- get something made with my families plaid.0/1

20- go to a giants game and eat garlic fries.0/1

21- find the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe.0/1

22- buy a waffle iron

Having Fun:

23-Attend 5 concerts. 0/5

24- Travel with friends to an amusement park. 0/1

25- Send 4 packages to __________. 2/4

-26 Bake cookies for 10 neighbors or friends (0/10)

27- Buy antique Piano Bench for my new piano! (0/1)

28- Get Piano tuned and fixed up

29- Take a book and have a hot drink at the Public House by myself come wintertime.

30- do a puzzle with Michael. 0/1

31- go on 5 weekend trips to new places. 0/5

32-go to Europe.

33- plan a trip to see Scott and Amy

34- Sew a dress! 0/1

Being More Frugal:

35- Spend only this $__ much per week at the grocery store

36- Use only home made laundry soap and dish washing soap
37-Eat out only once a week
38-Starbucks only once a week

39-Pay off the remainder of our credit card debt

40- Learn 10 ways to be more green. 2/10

41- Go one week at a time 5 times, without buying anything but food and gas. 0/5

Wise Things:

42- Go 5 days without saying anything negative. 0/5
43- Give money to ____ .1/1

44- Save Money for & buy a house. 0/1

45-Find 5 ways to save some water. 3/5

46- Turn off lights when they're not needed

47- Use cloths napkins at every meal we're home

48- Donate my time walking for a cause. 0/1

49- practice piano at least 4 days a week

Kind Things:

50-Keep in touch with Donna and Amy

51- Get to know a new Friend. 1/1

52- Leave 20 random notes/ gifts for 20 different people. 0/20

53- Send a card to my cousin Michael for completing his Flight Training. 0/1

54- Host a neighborhood BBQ in the warmer season

55-send flowers to my mom on 4 separate non birthday non mothers day occasions . 0/4

56-give compliments to ten complete strangers. 3/10

57- throw seasonal breakfast's for the ladies in our neighborhood

58- do something kind for the Pastors in my church. 0/2

Personal Goals:

59- perfect a pie crust

60-Have a themed dinner party w/ invitations, decorations, placement cards, party favors ( in progress!)
61- adopt a Cat

62-Read 50 books. 3/50
63- Get down to size __
64- Use weights for arms at least two days a week
65- Take a Tennis Class
66- Eat 2 or more of a fruit and veggie all 1001 days
67- Eat at 10 new restaurants. 1/10
68- Write my lists of memories for each year we've been married
69- come up with 10 healthy new snacks. 0/10

70- Stop using the phrases, " uh-huh, yeah and sure"
71- take a ballet class.
72-learn to drive a stick shift.

73-have 4 girls night for the sisters in our youth group. 0/4

74- Send a letter to my brother. 0/1
75- Have fresh blueberry muffins with my sister at a lake

76- go to Yosemite 10 times. 0/10

77- Visit Donna and Lutz 1/1

78- Frame a photo of Pappa's Flowers and send it to my Grammie. 0/1

Because I love him :

79- Go on 20 creative date nights. 0/20

80- Plan a HUGE party for his birthday each year. 0/3

81- write 20 cards loving and mail them to his office. 0/20

82-dote more :)
83-openly compliment him in front of his friends more
84- buy him 5 random things. 2/5
85- do 10 things He enjoys doing 0/10
86- make his favorite meal 10 times. 0/10
87- plan a camping trip on the coast for the summer. 0/1

88- make him a few totally un healthy breakfast. 0/5

89- stay in the bugs ear in Mendancino again. 0/1

Crafty me!:
90- finish our wedding scrapbook before our 3 year anniversary!
91- Make a quilt! 0/1
92-Make Christmas cards for next two Christmastimes. 0/2
93- Make this for 5 friends. 2/5

94- Start Etsy store ( 0/1)

95- Make something for Tammy's Griffith and send it

96- Learn to embroider 1/1

97-bake a cake from scratch 1/1
98-Send a care package to The Lesueur Girls. 0/5

99- Fill my button jar. 0/1

100- Buy 100 children's books for my children's library. 10/100

101-finish this list & create a new one!

my life in a nutshell

SO happy to be in Montana!!!!!!!!

hehe

Beautiful desert sunset

Dad:

See what Shelly bought to go around the candle holder you got her? Pretty!!

my hot man driving :)

LOVE old barns! and big creepy trees

Old Wheel.

from the red rocks of Utah and Az

to the white snows :)

flowers for my Pappa:

Arizona, Cheba Hut, my beautiful Mother dinging the Bong Bell....lol

our babies

this car ride during Nov to My Mom's in the Bay area was Luca's first big car ride,
2 hours later he'd thrown up 4 times and lost two teeth.... needless to say, this boy doesn't like to ride in the car... :)

my cute co worker ;)

Not Christmas with the smell of that beautiful tree.

love the lights!

Beauty

Christmas 08!

Our Happy Luca Boy on a morning walk!

Where's Maldo!? Nov 08, the work of my genius friend Lindsay Janel Bents!

Karie: This one's for you!

Tammy and Russel's Baby shower!

Another Bear shot for you Karie :)

Never thought I'd say this... but

I really missed Fresno while I was gone on my road trip! Some of you might have thought this would happen, and it did.
About day three of our time in Montana, I was feeling this need, a craving of sorts, for people, & not just any people! I had seen my fair share of people while I was in Montana, but that didn't suffice. I needed my friends from Fresno, my church.
Those who I've spent hours and hours with, laughing, bonding, crying with, being held accountable to, growing with, praising and growing in the Lord with, sharing my burdens and pains with, those who have been there for me since before I even moved to Fresno, those who helped me get through my wedding stress, and who rejoiced with me on that special day, those who have seen me go through job after job, and who have encouraged me through all of that, those are who God has placed in our lives for a HUGE reason.

I needed those people on that day in Montana, not for any specific reason, but becuase those people are my family, my life here. And it's then that my heart began to soften for Fresno, for that HUGE desire in me to get out of this cramped, loud, sometimes unbareable city. I prayed earlier that week, that the Lord would work on Michael's heart if we were supposed to move to Montana, and if that wasn't what He wanted, that He'd work on mine... well, the work began, and it wasn't so much on Michael's heart as it was on mine..
As we pulled into the firmiliar areas of Fresno, my heart swelled. I don't want to move from this place I call home.
If home is where your heart is, then mine is here for now, becuase of my church and the people I love.

currently...

We're currently in Mesa, AZ with my sister and her family, really enjoying ourselves, shopping, munching, making and remembering sweet memories... we're headed out tomorrow, driving as far north as we can, through Utah, hopefully making it as far as Salt Lake, then the following day, we'll continue north, into Montana and stay for four nights, leaving the morning of the third! I am enjoying my time tremendously, it feels so great to just get away from it all, and relax, buy goodies... and be with family and friends :)

We're currently in Mesa, AZ with my sister and her family, really enjoying ourselves, shopping, munching, making and remembering sweet memories... we're headed out tomorrow, driving as far north as we can, through Utah, hopefully making it as far as Salt Lake, then the following day, we'll continue north, into Montana and stay for four nights, leaving the morning of the third! I am enjoying my time tremendously, it feels so great to just get away from it all, and relax, buy goodies... and be with family and friends :)

on the road again...

I am currently blogging from the road... litterally on the road, Thanks to my wonderful smart Husband's phone, we're able to drive thousands of miles, still conected to the world wide net! How fun! I'm looking out the covered wagon, I mean windows, at beautiful rugged, sun capped mountains here in the Southern California Desert, on our way to the Arizon state line and loosing an hour. It shall be worth it! We're going to be in Mesa AZ for two nights, spending time with my beautiful sister, her husband, and their 5 children and some of their children! it will be a trip worth the miles! Then sunday, the 28th, we're headed up from Mesa, through Utah, a teeny bit of Idaho, and into one of the most beautiful places in the grand ole Usa, Montana. If you haven't been, I'd HIGHLY advise you to check it out. Highly. We'll be staying in Bozeman, a cute town of about 50,000 in the winter, spring and fall months, and about 35,000 in summer. A thriving college town, with sweet festivals, a huge awesome farmers market, and characture unlike any other town I've experienced. I am beyong excited to spend time with my mom and husband, showing him around a place I hold so dear in my heart.

I'm praying God gets the glory in our time here on the road. What a gift He has given us... these mountains, this weather, snow, laughter, music and warm memories... Praise be to the Lord who gives and takes away.

SOOOO STINKING EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's offical, we're going on a road trip the day after christmas. We're leaving early morning the 26th, driving from here, Fresno, to Mesa, AZ to see my sister and her children, their spouses and children. From there we're leaving on the morning of the 28th, and heading north :)

We'll drive as much as possible, and stay somewhere that night, most likely in northern Utah, then head up into Bozeman that next day. Michael and I are staying at a friends house while we're there... My mom's coming too, she's staying with other friends in Bozeman. I cannot explain how excited i am.

end of story.

Email from my sister :) All is good!

Good Afternoon!!
I am writing to give great news about Brian: he was discharged from the hospital yesterday mid-afternoon; although he was given strict doctor's orders to rest for at least 3 more days, his fevers have stopped and he is on the mend!! We can only attribute this gracious gift to God! He held Brian and I in His hands throughout this very hard, long week. Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in Cambodia. Although it is not a holiday celebrated here, a group of colleagues and I got together to prepare a meal. As Brian rested at home, we cooked the most traditional meal possible with limited ingredients: baked chicken, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. A group of 6 of us gathered to truly give thanks to God for our many blessings. Brian was able to eat 2 small plates of food, which is great because he has virtually not eaten for 6 days. It was a Thanksgiving to remember!!! Today, as I have tried to reflect back on this week, I have really realized God's peace was with me. I am a worrier, and although I had times of complete sadness and tears, I still felt the presence of God in my heart. As I write, I am in my classroom decorating for the Christmas season. I am listening to a CD by an old co-worker of mine, JJ Heller. She is a talented musician, and one of her songs really hit me today. I would like to share the lyrics with you, and hopefully encourage you wherever you are at in this sometimes hectic life.
I have unanswered prayers, I have trouble I wish wasn't there.I have asked a thousand ways, that you would take my pain away.I am trying to understand, how to walk this weary land.Make straight the paths that crooked lie, oh Lord before these feet of mine.When my world is shaking, heaven stands. When my heart is breaking, I never leave your hands.When you walked upon the earth, you healed the broken, lost and hurt.I know you hate to see me cry, one day you will set all things right.When my world is shaking, heaven stands. When my heart is breaking, I never leave your hands.
Please continue to lift Brian and I up in prayer. It could be another week or more until his full strength is regained, and until he is feeling normal again. We desperately need good nights of rest: after 6 horrible sleeps, we are beyond tired. Also, please pray that God would protect me against what B had; all it takes is for a mosquito to bite him, then transfer Dengue to me by biting me. We are trying to take all precautions against this happening. We are also still a bit unsure of what our insurance will cover from all this; since Brian was at 2 different medical facilities, we may have to pay more money than usual. Please pray for God's provision with this; we do have savings, but we were planning on using that to travel to Thailand over Christmas break. I cannot thank you all enough for your encouragement and prayers sent to us during this time. We truly could not have gotten through this without you. We love you all,-Brian and Karie

IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!

This is the morning I've been waiting for ALL year and I'm so bubbily excited i can barley wait until 11am!
The breakfast with my dad that i've been planning turned out GREAT! The pancakes we SOOOO fuffy and hearty and the Pumpkin Latte SO appopriate for this rainy morning :) Anywho, I will hopefully post photos of today's AMAZING festival! Feasting! Beautiful midevil dresses! Booths of all sorts and dancing to TEMPEST!
I honestly am going to pee my pants i'm so excited....
Just kidding!
-Rach

Saturday Morning harvest festival breakfast with my pa!

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions :
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and oil.

Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture all at once and stir just until smooth (don’t overmix).

Let batter sit for a full 15 mins. to allow the flour time to absorb moisture from the liquid.

Pour batter onto hot griddle.

The batter is VERY thick and will need to be spread out into a circle quickly using the back of a spoon.

Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes and cook until second side is golden brown. Makes about 6 pancakes.


*Note: These really come out thick and fluffy! If you want the batter to spread a little easier, you can increase the buttermilk to 1 C. and they will still come out good. Recipe is easily doubled or tripled (I haven't tried it more times than that).*



AND!

Pumpkin Spiced Latte


INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
3 cups hot whole milk
4 teaspoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
6 ounces double-strength brewed coffee
3 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream
3 pinches pumpkin pie spice




DIRECTIONS
Combine the hot milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and pumpkin pie spice in a blender; blend until frothy. Pour the mixture into 3 coffee mugs to about 2/3 full. Pour 2 ounces coffee into each mug. Garnish each mug with whipped topping and pumpkin pie spice.