rhode trip

Well March may have started like a lion, but it is indeed finishing up beautifully. Brett and I were given a free night stay at a Hampton inn and chose this past weekend for our getaway. It was a much needed break from life and a relaxing way to celebrate my birthday. We decided to go to Rhode Island. We wanted to be near the cost and figured we could conquer the whole state in our two day getaway.

The trip was fantastic. Brett and I drove up Saturday morning and spent most of Saturday in Providence. We went to the Roger Williams Zoo & Park. There we got to see a bunch of animals as well as ride an old carousel. We then drove around Providence for a bit before heading to Newport. Sunday morning we did part of the cliff walk before heading downtown to grab some lunch. Afterwards we did a tour and wine tasting at a local vineyard before heading home. It was crazy to see how different this vineyard was compared to the one we visited in Italy. We hope to visit as many vineyards as we can during our travels.

So, that was my fantastic birthday with my wonderful husband. Along with a great time away from all the commotion, he also gave me a collection of Rogers and Hammerstein movies. My mom is a huge Rogers and Hammerstein fan and she passed her love of the musicals on to me. Oh and speaking of moms, I get to see mine in just over a week. We found a really great deal on plan tickets and are flying to the Midwest next Wednesday. I can hardly wait. I haven’t seen my family or friends since I got married last summer. We plan to spend most of our time in Kansas but are driving down to Oklahoma on Thursday to hang out with all those fun people for a day. Clear your schedule Thursday night. We are all eating Namaste and watching free Randy’s movies!

That is all from me for now. In case you didn’t notice, I have decided to combine my two blogs. If you see a random blog that doesn’t quite fit, then you will know why.

Starting out our adventure

Brett crawled into some children's play area thing




A small part of the cliff walk


I loved the wrought iron

in like a lion

Wow, it has been a while since I last posted. Our time of staying with the girls went well but I am very glad it is over. Since Mark was out of town, Brett had to cover all his building and so was gone every night. We basically had opposite schedules and I barely got to see him. It is nice to have to have my husband back.

Since then life has only slightly slowed down. I have started volunteering every other Sunday with the new iCampus at our church. Our church services are available on iTunes and podcasts through the websites but 4 times a week we have a chatroom open so people who watch the podcast can be part of a community. We are available for them to ask questions, receive prayer, or just be able to converse about the message. It has been fun and I have enjoyed being able to have even the smallest part in someone else’s life.

Last weekend Brett and I invited out life group over for pasta party part 2. It was a blast. We once again made ravioli and just had the opportunity to hang out with friends. The next day Brett and I made fettuccine with the leftover dough. I am becoming a firm believer in fresh pasta. I honestly think it tastes better and it is so simple to make that I want to try to make it more often. I will post a recipe for pasta dough on my other blog for anyone interested in trying it themselves.

This past weekend was a treat as well. Awhile back Brett and I had been given a gift certificate to a local restaurant and movie tickets for a date night. We used it this past Friday and enjoyed a lovely evening out. I finally got to see Slumdog Millionaire and loved it. I highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t yet seen it. Then Saturday we went over to Brett’s parent’s house for a cookout and to watch the KU game. The food was fantastic and my Jayhawks won.

So that is what all has been going on with us. I want to wish my Dad and Brett’s brother Cameron very happy birthdays. We love you guys and wish we could be there to celebrate with you.

The group making ravioli

Hard at work

Our dinner

Jen enjoying her food