Vince and Lorissa

A Crisp Autumn Day

2010-11-10T22:34:00.000-08:00

I have always had this love affair with the fantasy of Maine. I think it started when I was young and read "Sarah Plain and Tall." The images of a rocky coast, with the cool blues and grays of the ocean have always been in my dreams and this lighthouse was the perfect spot to experience them in real life.

The night before we found some young locals in an all night diner who told us we had to go visit Portland Head Light. This was the most picturesque spot, and a wonderful way to start out the morning, listening to the waves wash up on the rocks and taking in the crisp, cool air. From now on, when I think of Maine, this is the new picture I have in my imagination.

We left the coast of Maine pretty early, and drove northwest into New Hampshire's White Mountains, where we heard one could experience the most vibrant fall colors anywhere in the United States. Our drive took us by gorgeous lakes and through amazing scenery painted with beautiful colors. While driving through the White Mountains listening to an audio book we simply pulled over whenever we found something interesting to take pictures of, or hike through. It was a spectacular way to spend a crisp autumn day, we even got to see some snow flurries up on the mountain tops.

Our road trip took even us by the remains of The Old Man in the Mountain. As is the way of nature, the centuries had taken their toll on the Old Man's face, he started sagging a few years ago - and then all of a sudden he completely lost it. Now, you have to picture him in his former glory. We missed seeing his regular visage by just a couple years.

And finally, what would a trip through New England be if it didn't involve a covered bridge or two? We found this on serendipitously while we were trying to find our way on some old country roads (trying to find our way sounds so much better than "Had to turn around because we missed our exit, due to not being able to properly read the map.")

We drove across this old covered bridge at the legitimately posted speed of "No faster than a slow walk."

An exercise in spontaneity

2010-11-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

At Vinces request this vacation was a totally unplanned, unscheduled adventure -adventure for Vince, exercise in stress management for me. You see, I am my father's daughter. I don't go anywhere without doing the research first. I like to plan, map out, schedule and otherwise beat out the spontaneity of even the must relaxing of vacations. So, I was convinced to set aside the plans this once and "see what happens." No, prior research, no mapping out the best route, no hotel reservation - yes thats right - no hotel reservations. This was going to be a whole new experience for me and I wasn't sure that I would actually survive.

Day 2 started and we woke up early for breakfast, and then headed up the Massachusetts coast, thru New Hampshire with the vague goal of making it into Maine by evening.

We found some of the cutest villages, quaintest homes, most beautiful views and even a medieval castle overlooking the ocean that we spent most of the afternoon exploring. All of this accomplished without a plan or agenda. I was thoroughly surprised!

This really was the most relaxing of days, I never knew how enjoyable and refreshing spontaneity could be.

I think I'll go to Boston...

2010-11-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

The rain stopped. The day turned out to be an absolutely beautiful, brisk fall day. We started the morning with a cup of coffee in hand - wait - I started the morning with a cup of coffee in hand, as we followed the Freedom Trail through Boston. We got to visit some of the oldest churches in America, Paul Revere's home and grave, the sight of the Boston Massacre, Bunker Hill, Faneuil Hall and so much more.

It was a great day wondering through a beautiful and historic city, stopping occasionally at little coffee shops, an incredible bakery with absolutely amazing canolis, and ending the evening with a cute little Italian restaurant. We even got to experience real Bostonian drivers at rush hour - I have never seen so many people yelling and flipping each other of at intersections - and I lived in LA for several years.

I could have spent days in Boston, it had so many great places to visit, so many historical sights - in fact there were so many historical sights and buildings that the whole city seemed to be covered in plaques. One little brownstone home had a plaque out front reading "On this location in 1823 absolutely nothing important happened."

But we couldn't stay long - we had lots more to see.

And it begins

2010-11-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

Our vacation started out on the humorous note, but isn't this what makes a trip more memorable? Our first mistake was to schedule a flight that landed in Boston at close to midnight, which didn't seem like it would be a problem since our bodies were used to the West Coast time zone. What we didn't know was that our flight from San Diego, with a layover, would NOT have a layover due to delays, which meant no food till our second flight landed at midnight.

So, we landed in Boston at midnight, in a torrential rain storm, not having eaten since bright and early that morning. No problem. We would find someplace to eat on the way to our hotel. Wrong. At 2am, with our stomaches audibly growling for the past 4 hours, we finally gave up and stopped at the only place open - a gas station. And let me tell you - we loaded up. Have you ever tried eating dinner at a gas station at 2am? We made it back to the hotel with chips, cheese dip, Ben and Jerry's, Cup O Noodle, and peanuts. I'm sure the clerk thought we were potheads, oh well.

And so with arms full of junk food, soaking wet and laughing we started our New England Adventure.

A New England Autumn

2010-10-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

Vince and I just got back last week from a few days in New England enjoying the fall colors. It was a beautiful trip filled with American history, a real life castle, tons of lighthouses, amazing scenery, and some very quirky New England personalities!

Should have some photos of our little adventure soon.

Letter from Home

2009-11-05T11:55:00.000-08:00

I got the best letter in the mail today! My brother, Andrew sent me this letter with a great hand drawn winter scene on the bottom. It makes me so eager to be home again! Only 50 days to go....the count down has begun.

I can't wait to be home for Christmas - it has been a couple of years since I was home on Christmas day, so this year is going to be wonderful.

Thanks for the letter, Andrew - it is up on our fridge now beneath our Durango magnet. Love you so much.

Homes of Hope Trip

2009-11-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

Homes of Hope 2009 from Lorissa Medrano on Vimeo.
Vince and I went on a trip to Ensenada with our church to build a home for the Talavera family. This is the 42 home that our church has built over the years! It was amazing to see how fast a home can be built when a group of people works together. All in all it took us 2 days.

Monday at the Zoo

2009-10-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last week Vince and I spent our day off at the San Diego Zoo, and the next day my legs were incredibly tired from all the walking....up hill, down hill, up hill, down hill. The zoo, though, was a lot of fun. We saw some incredible animals, watched a bird show, saw hippos kissing, took a guided zoo tour, rode the overhead gondolas and walked through the zoo's new Elephant Odyssey exhibit.

Among the cutest animals we saw that day were definitely the hippos (my camera died before we got to them) and then these guys - the koalas and the panda bears, both of which were napping! The San Diego Zoo just had a new baby boy panda born this summer, he isn't out in the panda habitat yet until he grows a little more, I can't wait to go back and see him - who doesn't love a baby panda?

Homes of Hope

2009-10-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Jesus brought us to Ensenada early Friday morning.... no, really, Jesus brought us on his bus.

Once we arrived we unpacked at the YWAM compound and found our rooms - we girls got a great view of the ocean from our bedroom window.

Our church brought down 21 people, ranging from 8 years old to....well, we'll just say grandparent age! Men, women, youth and children all of us with the objective to build a home for a family in Ensenada. Some of us were mechanically inclined, several were construction experts, but most of us were amateurs, or worse!

Then, it was off to the job sight where we met the family that we would be building a home for. They were wonderful, I fell in love with the girls and their cousins by the end of the weekend!

Unfortunately, the first day I did not take many pictures of the construction process because I was busy with a hammer most of the day. I was able to help build the framing, put up the siding and install the drywall - oh, and did I mention I got to operate the gun/hammer that shot nails into the cement foundation? It was pretty fun, I had to install at .22 cartridge and then BANG shoot it off into the foundation... Hopefully I will get some pictures of the house going up from Dick Johnson who was our official photographer for the trip.

The second day, 5 of us from the team put on a toned down version of a VBS on the side of the road next to the job sight. We had crafts, face painting, games, food, puppet shows and best of all, a pinata!

We weren't sure how many kids would show up, but within minutes of setting up we had dozens and dozens of children racing over to us. Final count was upwards of 50 kids!

By the end of the second day, we had a completed house. This is the 42nd home that our church has had the opportunity to build with Homes of Hope in Ensenada - the first for Vince and I, and we can't wait to go back again.

Back from Mexico

2009-10-25T22:53:00.000-07:00

2 days later, one house built, 50 children fed and played with - and we are back home in San Diego. We had an amazing trip down in Ensendada. The first day I helped frame the house, put on the siding and the drywall and the second day I played with all the neighborhood children while the rest of the team finished the roof and the finishing touches. I was amazed at how fast a team of people can accomplish an entire house when we are all working together. It was a blessing to be able to partner with our Father as he provided for his children!

Now, I'm off to bed, hopefully to sleep off whatever little bug I picked up while we were gone (nothing serious - just a bad cold/sour throat/cough thing). Tomorrow I'll see about loading all my photos and writing a new blog posting to show you all - I got tons of fun pictures with all the beautiful and hilarious children, oh, and pictures of the house! See you all tomorrow then. Goodnight.

2009-10-23T07:03:00.001-07:00

Off to Mexico for the weekend. We are building a house with our church - this will be our 42nd house! I'll update you all first thing next week - hopefully with some pictures if the family and their new home.

The Girls... and Joel

2009-10-19T20:09:00.000-07:00

Living in California I don't get to see my family as much as I would like - so I was very excited when my little sisters, Anna and April, let me know that they were going to be in the LA area for a girls conference.

So, friday morning I drove up from San Diego to meet them at Huntington Beach.

From the beach we headed over to a shopping mall to meet up with Joel and Emily for an afternoon of goofing off... we ate, we laughed, we ate some more and even rode a carousel... if only we all lived a bit closer!

Gift Card Giver

2009-10-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

Card Me. The Story. from Gift Card Giver on Vimeo.

Starbucks Instant Coffee?

2009-09-29T00:05:00.000-07:00

Vince and I stopped by a Starbucks tonight (I'm still trying to find some good local coffee roasters in San Diego - because really, Starbucks is not my cup of tea - please excuse a bad pun.... or not a pun because it's coffee and not tea, hmm) anyways, as I was ordering I notice a giant display for a new Starbucks product, Via, the instant coffee packet. Now, let me stop right here to say that no genuine, self-loving coffee shop would ever imagine to sell instant coffee. Yet, as I was ordering and marveling over this new addition, a loyal employee handed me four sample packets of Via and began the scripted praise of this break-through coffee innovation that tastes just as good as the real deal. Again, let me stop right here, this employee said that in taste tests she and the other baristas couldn't tell the difference between Via, the instant coffee, and the fresh brewed coffee that is the Starbucks staple. What exactly should we conclude from this statement? That either, the employees are so coffee illiterate that they cannot tell the difference between instant and brewed coffee, or Starbucks brewed coffee is of such poor quality that even a powdered-just-add-water version can easily compare in a tastes tests. Neither option bodes well for Starbucks, so can I humbly offer to this corporation that they cease and desist selling this product or at the very least, stop advertising it as an equal alternative to their genuine coffee?

I suppose I should at least try the Via packets I was given by this coffee-expert of an employee, and if by some miracle they really are as good as brewed coffee - I will be forced to come back to eat my words. If not, I will continue my search for a genuine local coffee shop with renewed fervor.

Green Thumb Update: becoming increasingly more chartreuse

2009-09-28T23:45:00.000-07:00

I thought it would be appropriate to update you all on my recent blog post on my adventures into the horticultural world. Although things were looking promising the first few weeks and even months, recent events have transpired to undermine my green thumb, and have rendered it a yellowish chartreuse.

San Diego has been hit over the past several weeks with a heat spell that has thrown us into the triple digits on multiple occasions. Needless to say, even my sun loving outdoor plants have had a hard time with this barrage of sunshine and incessant heat, my beautiful black-eyed susan was the first casualty - I have cut her back and hope that maybe she will perk up again one day. The others have all withstood fairly well, and some have even grown, so - maybe loosing one is not so bad?

On to the indoor plants, I had two lovely orchids which I purchased in July and were doing quite well until they very suddenly croaked about a week or two ago. What was I thinking trying to raise orchids in an un-air-conditioned home?

The big hit in all of this, however, has been my windowsill cactus garden, you remember - the ones I started from seed. They just so happen to love a hot house and all this San Diego sunshine. I've got over a dozen miniature cacti growing, and they are finally into the stage where they look like the real deal, little spikes and all.

The success in this department, and disappointments in others, led me to delve further into the world of succulents. I took some clippings from some of my outdoor plants (some form of a succulent but I'm not sure it's actual name) and have potted them as an addition to the windowsill garden. They seem to be very hardy little fellows and have quickly sprouted roots. I think my next purchases will definitely be more succulents - for they seem quite suited to my particular color of green thumb!

Warnings for Bloggers from E.B. White

2009-09-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

It has been unusually hot in San Diego this past week, and with the excuse of avoiding the heat of my home, I ventured to a local bookstore to "enjoy the air-conditioning." Needless to say, it only took ten or so minutes before I had found a book that needed to come home with me. For some time I had been searching for a compilation of essays by E.B. White, the author of the beloved children's books Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, and The Trumpet of the Swan. Besides these works in children's literature, White has been heralded as one of the premier essayists of the twentieth-century.

As I was reading, I was struck with some of the similarities between the essayist of White's time and our modern day 'bloggers.' Now, I am not saying that many (or any for that matter) bloggers are of the same literary level as Woolf, Owell or White - but some similarities do seem to appear.

The excerpts bellow are all from White's own forward to his collection of essays Essays by E.B. White, published by HarperPerennial, 1992. When reading, it is not a far stretch to replace the 'essayist' with the 'blogger.'

The essayist is a self-liberated man, sustained by the childish belief that everything he thinks about, everything that happens to him, is of general interest. He is a fellow who thoroughly enjoys his work, just as people who take bird walks enjoy theirs. Each new excursion of the essayist, each new "attempt," differs form the last and takes him into new country. This delights him. Only a person who is congenitally self-centered has the effrontery and the stamina to write essays.

I think some people find the essay the last resort of the egoist, a much too self-conscious and self-serving form for their taste; they feel that it is presumptuous of a writer to assume that his little excursions or his small observations will interest the reader. There is some justice in their complaint. I have always been aware that I am by nature self-absorbed and egoistical; to write of myself to the extent I have done indicates a too great attention to my own life, not enough to the lives of others.

Too, true. A blogger must first believe that someone, anyone, even a stranger, is interested in their day-to-day happenings and random thoughts. If you are not self-centered enough to believe that someone is out in cyberspace waiting and even excited to read your musings, you wouldn't have a blog in the first place!

Read on, however, for a warning to all you over-eager bloggers.

I tend still to fall back on the essay form (or lack of form) when an idea strikes me, but I am not fooled about the place of the essay in the twentieth-century American letters - it stands a short distance down the line. The essayist, unlike the novelist, the poet, and the playwright, must be content in his self-imposed role of second-class citizen. A writer who has his sights trained on the Nobel Prize or other earthly triumphs had best write a novel, a poem, or a play, and leave the essayist to ramble about, content with living a free life and enjoying the satisfactions of a somewhat undisciplined existence.

Ah, the pin that will pop our narcissistic bubble - our words are quickly forgotten, our thoughts read and disposed, each entry lasting only long enough to be checked off of someone's google reader list.

Home Improvements?

2009-09-17T20:07:00.000-07:00

I tried my hand at being a.... handy man, hmmm a little redundant. I came home from work and was in the mood to spruce up the house. You ever feel like that? Some days I'm exhausted and just want to sit still for a while, other days I feel like I need to accomplish something, anything.

Item one: trim the trees and bushes, I even got rid of all the little suckers that were growing off of the trees. Afterwards I was crawling with tiny spiders and fluorescent green bugs - the price you pay!

Item two: fertilize and water the plants in and outside - I'll have you know that all the plants are still alive, yes one indoor and one outdoor plant are on their way to being compost.... but if you look and the overall statistics I'm doing pretty good with the green thumb.

Item three: take care of the slow-draining right side of the kitchen sink, or at least try. I felt like a reel plumber afterwards. I removed the p-trap (I've even got the plumber lingo down), cleaned it out, bleached it (ok, maybe overkill, but I don't like germs and the thing really stank), and safely put it back where it came from. Unfortunately the story does not have a happy ending, apparently the p-trap was not the only problem in the plumbing, because the sink is still draining just as slow as it did yesterday - at least I can say I tried.

Coronado Island on Our Beach Cruisers

2009-09-16T20:36:00.000-07:00

Since we moved to San Diego, I decided that Vince and I needed to pick up a hobby that we could do together when we aren't working - some kind of joint activity that wouldn't break the bank if we did it on a regular basis. We went out on a date night and I brought up the subject - and we almost immediately came up with the idea to get bikes to ride around all the many beautiful spots in San Diego.

So, a couple of weeks ago we started shopping around and found two of the cutest beach cruisers down in Pacific Beach, and brought them home with us a week or so ago. I am beginning to compile a list of all the fun places I want to go explore on our new bikes - all the many wonderful beaches, cute little towns, Balboa Park. I love seeing new sites and what better way to enjoy them then riding around on a bicycle in 72 degree San Diego?

My little blue bike!

Next plan - leather colored seat and hand grips, and a wicker basket on the front!

Vince's retro bike - isn't it adorable? I love it and so does he.

Our maiden voyage was this Monday, we strapped the bikes to the back of our little car and drove across the bridge to Coronado Island (technically not an island... since it is slightly attached to the mainland by the Silver Strand, oh well). We spent the day riding around the quaint little town, along a bike path that runs along the beach over half the island, we got to see ocean, beautiful homes, an amazing view of downtown San Diego across the water, lovely coves filled with sail boats and yachts and all of it with a nice breeze and sunshine. I have to say that it was a most beautiful day and one that I will definitely want to repeat soon! Next time I think we will park in downtown San Diego and take our bikes across on the ferry, it is supposed to be a lovely boat ride.

Can't wait to see where we head this Monday! But until then, I'm gonna continue enjoying our evening rides after dinner around our new neighborhood.

I've Got a Green Thumb!

2009-08-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take a moment to announce I have discovered I possess a green thumb! Yes, I know that many of you doubted this fact, as did I. But, recent events have lead me to believe that perhaps I can keep plants alive more than a few days. I have listed the evidence below.

Here is my favorite - a beautiful purple orchid, that has stayed alive for six weeks - 3 of which I was out of town for - I'm not sure if this is a proof of my gardening capabilities or that plants live longer when I leave them alone....I'll leave you to decide.

Proof #2: A second orchid, this one admittedly is having a rougher time than orchid #1 - but alive nonetheless.

My window garden, newly purchased - and still waiting to be taken out of the pots and planted in the window box. The flowers do wonders to cheer up the front of our house - they make me smile every time I come home!

I finally found some lavender plants - you could not imagine how hard it was to find them. I searched several different stores, many of which I had seen plants in only days earlier. Success at last - and now I get to enjoy the beautiful aroma of lavender wafting through my bedroom window!

This is not exactly proof of a green thumb on my part, it is just a cute watering can I purchased at the hight of my gardening-frenzy. Isn't it adorable? It makes watering so much more enjoyable!

And finally, the beginnings of a cactus garden. Every California home needs its own cactus - and I am faithfully cultivating mine. I've planted a couple of seeds per teeny-tiny pot, and placed them in a greenhouse/incubator on my kitchen windowsill. And today, what did I see, but a couple of green little shoots emerging from the soil - It is an exciting day indeed!

My Wonderful Husband

2009-08-17T11:45:00.001-07:00

Saturday I had some serious baking to do....4 dozen cupcakes by the next morning. But, as the day progressed the cupcakes hadn't magically cooked themselves, and I had to go out - and didn't make it back till 11pm. As I was pulling into the driveway I was trying to calculate how long 4 dozen cupcakes would take to bake with only one cupcake tin.... I was ready for a late night.

But, as I walked into my house a wonderful aroma met me at the front door. The sweet smell of freshly baked goods. My wonderful husband had baked 4 dozen cupcakes while I was out - which I didn't even ask OR hint for. Now, part of the reason this is so amazing is the fact that Vince doesn't bake - I didn't even know he knew HOW to bake! When I asked him how he figured out how to make them, he replied, "You just follow the instructions on the box - it's really not that difficult." I underestimated his talent! Here's to a wonderful man who didn't want his wife to have to stay up late slaving over an oven.

Home

2009-08-13T22:28:00.001-07:00

Vince and I made it back home to San Diego from my brother Joel and Emily's wedding in Oregon. It is so nice to be able to say that - "back home!"

We have been so blessed, we live in one of the most beautiful cities in the country, and we have a wonderful home to call our own! I have loved San Diego for years, and had the chance to intern at a church down here for a year after I graduated from college. When Vince and I were married I moved out of the area but my heart belonged in San Diego. I could never have guessed what God had planned, and 3 years after I first moved to San Diego, I moved back - this time with an amazing husband by my side.

Vince and I moved to SD in June of this year to be the Youth and Young Adults Pastors at Faith Community Foursquare Church. This is the same church that I had the opportunity to intern with back in 2006. The church has been wonderful in welcoming us and making us feel right at home. We get to work with amazing kids from jr high all the way through college, we couldn't imagine a better job!

We moved into a great home at the end of June, in a neighborhood called Clairemont, Sand Diego. Clairemont is a pretty central location in the city limits, close enough to get to downtown or the beach within a few minutes. Our neighborhood dates back to the 50's, and has lots of families and a cute old feel. We are still working on unpacking and setting up home, a few of the rooms are still stacked with boxes. The next big project is sprucing up the outdoors, I had a good talk with Aunt Nelle at Joel's wedding about what plants I should buy. I would love to get some colorful plants on the front of the house, and then create a little garden area off of the kitchen for coffee and a newspaper in the mornings - I can't wait! As the house progresses I'll post photos.

Travels...

2009-07-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

We have been traveling around the US the past few months....hence the lack of updates on our blog. But now we are stationary again and living in San Diego, CA. Internet access and computers are once again available - so let the blogging begin!

Check back soon for updates on where we've been, what we've been doing, and why we are in San Diego!

See you soon.

Taking advantage of a clear day

2009-02-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday was a clear day, so we decided to take a walk in the woods - when you live in Washington you have to take advantage of any day that it doesn't rain. During the fall we had found a beautiful park called Priests Point Park, it has a wonderful rose garden (which we haven't seen in full bloom yet) and trails that take you to the Puget Sound.

This time we took some different trails through the woods. It was a bit chilly but so nice to be outside again. We even found some signs of spring peeking through, I cant wait to see what Washington looks like in full bloom.

All in all, it was a beautiful day and a wonderful walk.

I Love You Jars

2009-02-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

Vince and I have come up with a project I am calling our "I Love You Jars." I don't know about you, but with the current economy date nights have been few and far between, and it has taken a lot of work to come up with new and unique ways of saying I love you without spending much money. This is exactly what we came up with I Love You Jars for.

We both sat down with strips of paper, a pen, and two jars in front of us, one labeled "for Vincent" and the other "for Lorissa." Each of us wrote down things we would want the other to do for us, things that are free or relatively cheap. Things like, "bring home Jamba Juice," "Send me a letter in the mail,""Have a picnic dinner in the living room" or "Leave a note of the top ten reasons you love me on my pillow." You can get as creative, practical or mushy as you want. Anything I wanted Vince to do for me I put in the jar labeled "for Lorissa," and anything I thought Vince might want me to do for him I placed in the jar marked "for Vincent," and he did the same for me.

Whenever we want to do something special for the other person we can just grab an idea out of the jar - the great part is Vince will now exactly what kind of things will make me feel loved and I will know exactly what he would like most, no guessing involved and no more having to hint around! And it all works on a tight budget, you don't have to spend a ton of money to say I love you.

I'll let you know how it works as we start to use the ideas we placed in the jars. As a post note, Vince had the great idea to make some slips up that say "write 3 new slips of paper and place in the jar," that way we don't run out too quickly.

Feeling Sick...Again!

2009-02-03T23:20:00.000-08:00

I solved a great mystery today. Vince and I have been getting sick frequently since we've moved to Washington, I have been sick at least 7 times in the less than 5 months we've lived here. We went to work on Monday, both of us feeling pretty bad and our coworkers asked if we had checked our apartment for mold. Now I had been chalking our frequent sicknesses up to our systems poorly adapting to the new climate in Washington, it is a big difference from California weather, but after being sick so often and for so long I was beginning to believe that there had to be another culprit. So, as soon as my coworkers mentioned mold, I decided to do a thorough inspection of our little home.

As soon as we made it home from work I checked our bathroom, closets, , carpet, laundry room and windows....at the winner was the window sills. Our window are lined with a black seal...which apparently made it very difficult to notice the mold growth without an up close inspection. So I grabbed my handy cleaning toothbrush and bleach and went to work, and now that I know about the Northwest's tendency towards mold I'll be bleaching my windows regularly!

Here's to hoping that my husband and I stay healthy from now on and that the mold was the guilty party to our mysterious sicknesses!

Learning to skateboard

2009-01-28T11:54:00.001-08:00

Our nephew Andrew got a skateboard from his parents for his birthday. So first thing Saturday was riding lessons out front. We spent a bit of time trying to get Andrew covered from head to toe in safety gear...and a good thing too, I don't think that he needs any more broken bones. Then Robert and Vince tried showing him how to ride the skateboard without falling off, which took a while for the guys to even succeed at demonstrating!

Not to be outdone by his older brother, Jacob decided he wanted to learn as well. The poor kid was having a hard time sharing the attention with his big brother and kept saying, "It's Jacob's birthday now too!" He learned quickly that the easiest way to ride and guarantee not falling off is to just lay down on the board - it brings the center of gravity to a much easier to manage level.

By the time Vince and I left back to Olympia Andrew was riding like a pro.

Andrew's Birthday

2009-01-27T21:08:00.000-08:00

Saturday was our nephew Andrew's 9th birthday, and we were so excited to be able to spend it with him and the rest of the family down in LA.

We didn't let Jacob and Andrew know we were coming in town, we thought keeping it a surprise would be more fun. When we drove up to the house on Thursday, Andrew was just walking around the corner from school. He had been told that when he came home there would be a surprise waiting for him, when he saw Vince and I he ran to give us a hug and said, "I thought it was going to be a puppy!" I'm not quite sure if he thought we were better than a puppy or not.

What happened to the sunshine?

2009-01-23T15:32:00.000-08:00

Vince and I are so blessed to be able to make a quick trip down to LA. It was very last minute, because we were waiting on cheap tickets - but we are currently in LA with Vince's family, about to celebrate our nephew, Andrew's, 9th birthday in a couple hours. Vince is playing dominoes with Andrew right now, waiting on all his school friends to show up to the house.

Leaving gloomy Olympia we were excited at the prospect of sunshine and warm weather, unfortunately I think we carried the weather with us on the airplane. It rained yesterday in LA as we landed, it has been drizzling all day today...what happened to sunny southern California? Maybe God didn't want us to feel too homesick coming down here, so he let it rain so it wouldn't seem better than Washington! To top it off its supposed to snow back in Olympia when we land Monday morning. We just can't win.

All in all, sunshine or cloudy weather, it is wonderful to be with family. I am so thankful for our weekend trip - it was just the break that we needed.

The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman

2009-01-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across the book, The Zookeeper's Wife, by Diane Ackerman while window shopping at the bookstore across the street (yes, I was so excited moving into my new apartment when I realized that I could literally walk across the street and into bookstore - heaven!).

The Zookeeper's Wife reads like a novel but is in all actuality a superbly written historical volume, complete with bibliographies and an appendix filled with further information on the subjects in the story. Ackerman tells the story of a zookeeper and his wife who hid Jews from the Nazi regime in their Warsaw zoo. Guests are given animal code names as they hide in animal cages and habitats, and animals are given human names all in the effort to deceive the occupying Nazi forces. Their story is frequently accented with intriguing nuggets of historical information on the inner workings of the Nazis and their quest for a resurgence of classical Germany - which not only included a pure Aryan race, but the little know effort to restore native German plants and even extinct German animals. The Nazis truly wanted only 'pure' Germany to remain and were working to remove any traces of human, plant or animal life that was alien.

You will be amazed not only by the wealth of research you will find in this book but by the eloquence with which it is communicated. The story is so intriguing and I am amazed that it's subject matter has not been written about before this point - and I am sure we will be seeing a movie soon in theater's about this amazing true-to-life story.

Trip to the Library

2009-01-16T19:56:00.000-08:00

We just took our first field trip with The YC students tonight. The public library in town was having a grand-reopening party with food, live music, and caricature drawings - and we thought it would be a great opportunity to get our kids acquainted with the library resources. We weren't sure at first if the kids would come with us, but we made an announcement and shut The YC doors for 2 hours and told the kids to walk with us a few blocks over to the library, and they actually came! While we were walking the kids looked at us and said, "This is weird, walking with you guys." Apparantly we are much cooler to hang out with when we are inside a building vs. being seen

We made it to the library, the kids signed up for library cards, several found books to read and we all got caricature drawings made. The field trip was a success - what was I worried about, who doesn't love a party thrown at a library? Maybe we should take them more often!

Don't Forget

2009-01-07T13:20:00.001-08:00

Looking back on 2008 there is just about nothing in it that I had planned for, nothing that was expected, and many things that seemed like a disaster - and the first week of 2009 does not seem to bring any promise of change. As I have been sharing these concerns with God I have slowly been given a loving response. A response that comes in the form of reminders of the miracles He has performed in 2008. I know that in looking back on 2008 I have focused on the disappointments and not on the prayers that were answered after the disappointments occurred.

How is it that we can do this -forget the miracles that God performed in the past when we are faced with a new miracle-required situation? It seems at every turn this is what I am being told "don't forget, don't forget." I go to church and the pastor reminds me "don't forget," I read a blog and I am reminded, "don't forget," I read the Bible and I am reminded, "don't forget," I get a phone call and am reminded, "don't forget," my husband reminds me of a miracle we saw last summer and I am reminded, "don't forget."

So, I am trying my hardest to not forget - to remind myself of the things that God has done, to thank God for the things that He has done and to ask that He give me faith to believe that He is able and willing to do the same for my here and now. This is much easier said than done, because the here and now is so much louder in my mind than the past. It is often able to drown out the voice saying "don't forget." But, I am waiting and remembering and praying, and as I do this the here and now is slowly quieting and the stories of God's faithfulness are taking their place of prominence in my mind.

If you are reading this and you, like me, are facing miracle-required situations then let this be your reminder to "not forget." And in remembering God's faithfulness, may His peace that passing all understanding guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus as you enter this new year.

The YC Christmas Party

2008-12-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

We just had The YC Christmas party last night, sadly not all of our kids could show up because of the horrible weather we've been having lately. So far they say this is the worst winter storm to hit our area in 30 years, currently we have a few feet of snow on the ground.

The Christmas party was great, we played games, had hot-cocoa, ate cookies and brownies and best of all we were able to give a gift to every single kid that showed up. Earlier this month each student from The YC filled out a Christmas wish list and a local youth pastor named Binky and his wife Liz found families to sponsor each and every single card! It was incredible. The women's ministry department of another church brought us twenty or so generic presents that we could hand out to kids that hadn't filled out a list. Thanks to both of these churches every student went away with a present. For some of these students they would not have recieved any present at all this Christmas if it weren't for these two churches. It was incredible to see our kids faces as they opened their gifts around the Christmas tree, they couldn't believe some of the eloborate gifts they recieved.

Thank you to everyone who worked to make Christmas special to so many youth! We are so blessed to be surrounded by such generous hearts.

Go With the Off Brand

2008-12-20T23:43:00.000-08:00

Did you ever wonder about the origin of the brand Scotch Tape? Well I did. I always assumed that it was in reference to the hardworking Scots, or an accolade to the strength and durability of my Scottish heritage. Sadly I was very wrong. Apparently it was nothing more than a racial slur that has stuck through the decades.

Here is how history writes it.

The brandname Scotch came about while Richard Drew was testing his first masking tape to determine how much adhesive he needed to add. The bodyshop painter became frustrated with the sample masking tape and exclaimed, "Take this tape back to those Scotch bosses of yours and tell them to put more adhesive on it!" The name was soon applied to the entire line of 3M tapes. Read the full article here.

So there you have it. Not a monument to our Scottish strength, but an insult to our Scottish sense of frugality. I'm thinking of finding a new brand of tape, the off brands work just as well and are much more reasonable in price.

Advent...the Conspiracy

2008-12-20T17:40:00.000-08:00

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas"

2008-12-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

So, the weather forecast is calling for a snowy Christmas in Olympia this year. We have had several days of snow storms so far, the latest dropped around 8 inches at our place in less than a day. They say that this is the worst storm that has been seen here in years, and the coldest weather in almost 20 years! What a welcome to Washington. Gramma called yesterday to apologize for the weather, she said she has never seen it like this since she and Grampa have lived here. The storm is supposed to clear up a while after Christmas, hopefully we can drive up and see them after its all over with. It does make for beautiful scenery, but unfortunately the city isn't used to these kinds of storms and doesn't have the equipment necessary to clear the roads. So, lately driving has been next to impossible and the town is shutting down around us. Even the mall has been closing early - I can't imagine how much money they are losing shutting down right before Christmas!

Vince and I have been going on adventures in the snow looking for good pictures and enjoying the snow fall. One day Vince and the kids from The YC created a 10 foot tall snow man in Sylvester Park. Unfortunately he was decapitated and deabdomened by the time we came by with a camera the next day....it was a pretty amazing sight when they first made him though. I think that Vince likes the snow even more than I do...it must be those trips to Wyoming that did it for him.

"It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas"

2008-12-05T18:30:00.000-08:00

So, I'm liking the Christmas Carol titles for posts...I wonder what song to use next? Hmmm, maybe I will just have to leave you all in suspense - check back later and see if your guess was right.

After bringing the tree home, Vince and I started the fun decorating process. We started a fun tradition when we got married that any time we visit a new place we will buy a Christmas ornament for our tree, that way our tree will be filled with memories and not just random decorations.

So far we have collected quite a few. Jamaica, Cancun, Santa Barbara, Solvang, Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, Idaho, and most recently Seaside and Astoria, Oregon. We still need to pick up some from San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Seattle and Ohio (we hare a little behind on the shopping...).

I think everyone needs to have traditions for Christmas - otherwise it's just another day. Traditions like listening to Christmas music and eating cookies while you decorate the tree. Drawing names after Thanksgiving and trying to keep it a secret until Christmas morning. Grandma's clam chowder for Christmas Eve, and cinnamon rolls for Christmas breakfast. Or staying up all night Christmas Eve to help Mom wrap all the presents that are hidden in her closet. Hopefully this year no one will have to wrap their own present....Lyndsie is still upset about that one!

I tried to start a tradition last year - Christmas pajamas and slippers to open on Christmas Eve...I thought it would be cute, who doesn't like a new pair of pajamas? Well, apparently Vince thought the pajamas I picked out for him were hideous...and he only just got up the nerve to tell me this year. Oh well, I guess I've got to come up with a new idea real quick! I'll let you know how it goes in about a month.

"O Christmas Tree"

2008-12-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

The first Saturday after Thanksgiving is always the best day to get yourself a Christmas tree. It is like getting a jolt of Christmas right off the bat to get you into the holidays. Vince and had seen a little Christmas tree farm on one of our drives, so we retraced our steps last weekend and braved the drizzling rain to hunt for the perfect tree - not too skinny, not too tall, not too bare and it had to have a nice looking top. After awhile they all started looking the same...but we passed up several good options until we found THE best option. The only thing left was to chop her down and bring her home. Another Medrano first. They don't have any Christmas tree farms in LA, in fact - I think they ship them all in from the Pacific Northwest. There is no better way to get your tree than to hunt for it on a farm and cut it down yourself - another reason I'm loving Washington!

Free Christmas Music

2008-12-04T12:38:00.000-08:00

who doesnt like free music? this family certainly does... thats why i posted this link for free christmas music

Weekend Getaway

2008-11-29T21:15:00.000-08:00

The cute little town of Astoria, Oregon.

There was an amazing view of the Oregon valley from a hill in Astoria.

Vince on a Coast Guard ship...no, he was not supposed to be there - he thought it was part of the Maritime Museum display!

One of the many amazing houses in this little town on the Colombia river.

Vince and I at the beach, a real-live-ocean beach in Seaside, Oregon.

Vince and I had the chance to go to a marriage conference a couple of weekends ago. We have been told by wise people that you should invest in your marriage at least once a year, whether that is taking a class together, going to a conference, attending a retreat, or reading a book together on marriage. I think it is great advice, probably something you think about more in the beginning stages of the marriage, so we want to be sure make it a practice now that we keep for another 60 years or so.

The conference was being held in a tiny town called Seaside, OR, whose claim to fame is that they are the end of the Louis and Clark trail - there are even plenty of plaques and statues to prove it! It was a beautiful town on the intersection of the Pacific Ocean and the Colombia River. The town is adorable, with tons of little beach cottages for vacation rentals, little shops, an very old indoor carousel and a beautiful beach full of sand dunes and tall grass - I loved it.

Just up the river from Seaside was the town of Astoria, population 2,000....for the past century or so. We visited a Maritime Museum, where Vince was kicked off of a Coast Guard ship, a museum on the history of the town, were we had our own personal tour (because we were probably the only guests that came all day, maybe all weekend!) and a look-out hill were you could see the most incredible views of the town, river and pristine valley.

It was an amazing weekend, we definitely want to go back again sometime when we can rent out a little beach cottage for a weekend. We are so grateful for the opportunity we were given to be there.

Thanksgiving Firsts

2008-11-29T20:53:00.001-08:00

We have now had our first official Washington Thanksgiving, the day was full of first's actually! This was Vince's first Thanksgiving away from family, the first time Vince has cooked a turkey and I think the first time he was forced to watch the Macy Thanksgiving Day Parade (at least until the football games started), and my first time baking pumpkin pies.

The turkey turned out wonderfully. Vince and I spent the day with the Cobler family, and Jon took on the duty of teaching Vince how to cook. It was really fun to watch as Vince tried to retrieve all of the hidden surprises in the turkey carcass! A new tradition in the Medrano family is definitely going to be Vince preparing the turkey EVERY Thanksgiving...I can't quite handle touching the raw bird.

The day ended with us iChatting with both sides of the family, which made it feel like we got to spend at least part of the holiday with them. Technology is a wonderful thing!

A Few Of My Favorite Things

2008-11-14T20:18:00.000-08:00

Listening to the rain fall on my roof while I sleep.
My husband, who finds new ways every day to show me he loves me.
Ella Fitzgerald while I clean (its not the cleaning I love, but the music makes it bearable).
My polka-dot umbrella...and the rain that lets me use it.
The ground under a tree in the Autumn when the fallen leaves look like a colorfully painted shadow on the grass.
White Peppermint Mochas....delicious.
The french press I just discovered in my kitchen, where has it been hiding all these months.
Discovering new favorite places in my new favorite city of Olympia.
My family spread across the country. NC, LA, San Francisco, WA, Idaho. There is nothing better than the amazing times we get to all be together in the same place.
My mailbox, it is like Christmas morning 6 days out of the week. I turn my key in the lock while I anticipate the surprises that might be inside - some days the surprise turns out to be bills, which ruins the fun for a moment until I discover a note from home or a Newsweek magazine.
Nature. I feel like I am discovering it all over again now that I've left the concrete jungle of LA after 5 years.
The library. Have you ever realized just how many books are out there? I could find a new favorite book every week for the rest of my life and never run out of options.
The students God lets me minister to at work. My heart breaks over their stories on a daily basis. I have never more fully realized the extent of God's love for the world than when I get to know his children at The YC.

Seattle in the Rain

2008-11-14T19:10:00.000-08:00

We had friends come to town to visit this past weekend...and out of town guests mean an excuse to drive into Seattle, even if it is raining. All in all it was a beautiful day, you feel like you are experiencing the real Seattle when you view it from under an umbrella.

We hadn't been downtown at night either, and discovered that it makes for beautiful pictures. Pikes Place, the Space Needle, all the little shops, what isn't to love? We even made a stop at the local cheese shop to watch cheese being made while we ate grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese....mmm mmm mmm, nothing better to warm you up on a cold wet day.

Our trip made me think of the move Sleepless in Seattle - which I discovered Vince had never seen (I guess with 2 brothers and no sisters I should have guessed he never had the chance to see this amazing movie!) So, we put it on our Net-Flix and had a Sleepless in Seattle date night. I am beginning to love the rain. It gives you the excuse to curl up indoors with a good book and a cup of tea, or to stay home for a movie night and popcorn. We will see if I'm still feeling this way after another 6 month or so of rain! I'll keep you posted.

My Grandma

2008-11-01T12:31:00.001-07:00

This last weekend we went back to LA so that we could attend my grandma's funeral. I knew that I would have the opportunity to catch up with a lot of family but I didn't realize that so many people would show up for grandma's funeral. It turned out that she had a great impact on a lot of lives. There were easily 250, if not 300 people that showed up to say their good-byes to my grandma.
What I loved about my grandma was how she would light up any time I visited. There was no doubt that my grandma loved her grandchildren. When I would call or visit she would always say with huge smile on her face, "mijo, you made my day to see you." What was even greater to hear was when that same greeting was extended to Lorissa, minus the mijo part of course. My grandma leaves a legacy of what it means to sacrifice for, and find joy in her children.
Thank you again for your prayers for my family and me during this time. Please continue to pray for my grandpa, Valente Sr. I couldn't imagine the feeling of losing your bride of 54 years.

A Walk in the Woods

2008-10-12T16:32:00.000-07:00

Vince and I found a great trail through the woods not far from our home, and we thought we would share the view with those of you who haven't seen Washington yet.

Happy Birthday to My Beautiful Mother

2008-10-09T19:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to an amazing woman. My mother is not only incredible because she has a dozen children, she is amazing because she has loved and sacrificed for each one of us untiringly. The example she has given of strength in the midst of heartache, trust in the face of uncertainty, courage to take on battles bigger than her, and a constant love for the broken are lessons that have not only shaped her children, but everyone who has the blessing of being a part of her life.

We love you, Mom.

Miracle Backpacks

2008-10-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last week The YC we were visited by a miracle! Our miracle was delivered by a group of men from Reality, a local Olympia church. We were getting ready for closing time when the group of men showed up to our building each carrying several heavily filled backpacks. The men just kept coming through our door, one after the other, each with several bags, each bag a different color and style. When the delivery was done the final count on backpacks was 44! Now, these bags were not just backpacks, no, that would have been amazing enough, but each bag was STUFFED full of school supplies to be given to 44 of our students at The YC.

One of our staff members, Drew, had stopped by an evening service at Reality church and spoke about the work we were doing at The YC and talked about the need for backpacks and school supplies for some of our students from low-income families. Families at Reality promised to bring us 15 bags, but in the end the loving families gave us the gift of 44 bags.

That evening the staff was able to pray over each bag and the student that would receive it, a student who now will walk with a little more confidence at school. We were also overwhelmed to see that several families had even written cards or letters to our students, sharing encouraging words and some even included a family picture!

Watching students receive backpacks throughout the week has been the best part of the miracle. It is amazing to see the excitement on their faces as they pick out their favorite bag and then begin to explore the supplies within. It has been Christmas all week long. Thank you, Reality for showing the love of God to our students in such a real way.

God is good, and He provides for His children!

Trip to the DMV - I need to rant

2008-10-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

I've decided that what the government needs is just a couple of logical people to run things. I'm not even asking for everyone in office to have logical skills - just a few would be fine. This point was proven in excess today while Vince and I tried (unsuccessfully) to become proper Washington state residents. The trouble all started when we pulled up to the State Licensing Office where the visitor parking was closed of for remodeling. A logical person would think that because you have closed off all visitor parking you should provide a temporary lot and signs to direct people to this proposed lot - no, not in Washington. In Washington the government employees decide to mark every parking spot, and several parking garages as "employee only" and proceed to let all non-government employees to fend for themselves when visiting their public offices! Well, being resourceful Californians we finally found a non designated parking spot and proceeded to walk to the state building complex where the DMV is located.

Due to the aforementioned lack of logic in the government we soon discovered that there were no maps of the grounds on the whole capitol building complex, and no signs identify which building held what department. Frustration added to frustration as we wandered the capitol complex for a good 10 minutes in the rain.

Finally, we found the DMV, and discovered that in order to get a state ID or drivers license you must first have 2 documents that prove residency - sounds reasonable. Until you realize that all the documents require that you have either: a home that you own (and proof of insurance), a job that has already given you a pay stub, a utility bill, or to top it all off, a cable bill. Well, Vince has been given a pay stub, that's one document for him, none for me. We don't own a home and so we don't have homeowners insurance, we don't have cable, and our electrical bill hasn't come because we just switched it into our name a few weeks ago! . We do have a renters lease for our apartment, that seems pretty concrete evidence that we actually live here, but not to the government, no - they would rather see that I waste my money on cable every month! What does a cable bill prove that an apartment lease doesn't? Logic people, logic! So, we are now in the dilemma of having no acceptable proof of living in WA state and yet we are required by law to get a license with them because we established residency when we signed a leas (the lease that doesn't count as a proof of residency, yet it establishes residency - make any sense?)

So, I guess we are waiting for an electric bill to come in the mail before we can be legal here. I've honestly never been so eager to get a bill in the mail.

Thanks for listening to my ranting,

The YC

2008-09-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

I thought I would introduce you all to The Youth Connection, better known just as The YC. This is what brought Vince and I up to Olympia, WA earlier this month. The YC is a local nonprofit in downtown Olympia that works with at-risk teens, providing a safe place for youth from the city to hang out, find food and clothing, get connected with resources and have positive role models. The ultimate goal is to help these kids develop the confidence and skills they need for a productive future. The YC has been open just under a year now and part of Vince's role here is to start up support groups for the youth, make connections with the local high schools, and start new programs for the constant needs that are uncovered every week. At the moment, I have the privilege of offering some administrative support to The YC while I am looking for a job. After I find a job I'm excited about continue to volunteer time in the evenings working with the youth.

The staff, volunteers and youth at The YC are an amazing group and we are so excited at the opportunity that was given us to work with them. Vince and I have been praying and dreaming about a position like this and at just the right moment God opened the doors, we couldn't have planned this better ourselves.

Here is the link the The YC website so you can learn more about what we are up to.

The Family Visit!

2008-09-30T12:26:00.000-07:00

There is nothing quite so nice as moving to a new state and having the chance for your family to come out to visit (it also helps motivate you to finish unpacking all your boxes and get the house set up). The Quiz family had already planned a visit to the Seattle area to visit my grandparents but since we had just moved into town we got to see them too.

On Thursday Vince and I drove up to Bainbridge Island and met up with our family before taking the ferry across to Seattle. Once we made it across the Puget Sound we visited to the Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. The best part of the day had to be Anna realizing that her ice cream cone from Pike Place had been melting all over her clothes for the past couple of blocks on our way to the Space Needle.

All in all it was a nice couple of days, after the Seattle visit we all drove up to have dinner with Gramma and Grampa Quisenberry and then on Saturday the family drove down and stayed in Olympia for the night and we got to show them around our new neighborhood. Let's just say that the tour of Olympia was considerably quicker than the tour of Seattle a few days before.

Welcome to Washington

2008-09-25T19:47:00.000-07:00

Vince and I made it safely to Washington and to our new home. This is the view I had all the way through California, Oregon and on into the beautiful (and rainy) state of Washington. Needless to say, I am glad to be out of the car!

We moved up earlier this month and right now are working on getting out new apartment set up and unpacked. For those of you who haven't heard, Vince took a job working at The Youth Connection in downtown Olympia. The YC is a new non-profit that works with at risk teens. We couldn't be more excited about the work we get to do here, but more about that later.