Heather Ozuna

Moving!!

2009-09-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

BIG NEWS! New Blog

Hey guys! No I have not died:) Yes I will still be blogging.. but I will not be posting here anymore!

With a new name, a new married life, and lots of awesome things happening.. I have plenty to blog about! So check it out: heatherpepin.blogspot.com

The wedding pictures are back and I've made my first post. Go check it out!

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

We're all moved in.. It was totally wierd at first but we got used to it pretty quickly. So far we haven't found any major quirks about living with each other (like everyone said we would). But I think that's because this is both of our first times out of our parents house and we're deciding together how we like everything to be. Although I did learn that all of B's shirts have to be washed inside out and hung to dry! Who does that?! I get the inside out thing for printed shirts but all of them hung to dry?! I told him I'll do it but I just can't guarantee I'll be doing that until the day we die.. haha! Everything has pretty much found a place in our little love nest. My next project is decorating. The walls and windows are all bare and it's driving me crazy.

Our wedding decorations have been recycled into home decorations. Recycle, Reuse...

This is the first meal I made Brett in our home. A turkey sandwich for lunch!

Mom showed me the ropes of grocery shopping.
Everything in my fridge is so much smaller than the sizes I'm used to my Mom buying for our big family. It's wierd.

I came home from a long day at work and B had candles lit, the table set, and was working hard on delicious homemade barbecue pizzas (his specialty). He's going to spoil me!

That's what's going on at Casa Pepin right now.
The adventures and memories just get crazier and sweeter everyday.
Updates are sure to come!

Siblings

2009-08-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

I got to spend a whole day with my amazing siblings! Now that the apartments getting settled in and livable they came over to spend the night:D We had so much fun. First we took Ellie to dog beach. I love it there. The dogs are so hilarious! Then we came back to the apt where we rolled out the pizza dough and made personal pizzas. After the pizzas we made some chewy, fudgy, delicious brownies and put ice cream over them. Then the night was finished of with a few episodes of Hannah Montana. The next morning we made chocolate chip pancakes.. my favorite. Madison was so funny. For some reason she can not walk without stomping... which I'm sure our down stairs neighbors enjoyed. I had to keep reminding her to watch her feet. By the next morning she had heard it so many times she finally responded with "Heather, I'm not used to living in a hotel!" Hahaha she calls it a hotel. Love it!

Working On It

2009-08-10T15:02:00.000-07:00

I am soooooo behind on updates! Getting back to reality is a time consuming thing. With all of these transitions and changes we're like 2 fish out of water... but we're having tons of fun! Updates to come!

2009-07-20T13:13:00.001-07:00

We're married! The wedding was AMAZING. We spent a fun day at Disneyland and now we're off for 8 wonderful days in St. Lucia!! We miss you all and can't wait to share all of our adventures:D xoxo Mr. and Mrs. Pepin

Honeymoon!!!!!!!!

2009-07-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

I'm getting more and more excited for the honeymoon as the wedding approaches. I can't wait to go on a great adventure with my new husband, off to see a new corner of the world, zip lining through the forest, playing in waterfalls, horseback riding on the sand, watching sunsets in a hammock, touring a volcano, snorkeling with turtles and dolphins, eating until I can't possibly eat anymore at our all-inclusive beautiful resort, and most of all I really can't wait to live with another culture for a week. I'm so excited to meet people that are nothing like me, to hear stories, to barter at the local market, to have someone show us all of the local spots.
Seriously can't wait!!!!

2009-07-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

Waiting on emails from the other side of the world = no sleep.

But I have had fun going through old pictures of me and b.
I forget how long he's been around. How much he is a part of me, my family, my memories...
I can't believe as of this Saturday it's forever.
How cool is that?!?!?!
Pretty darn cool if you ask me.
Then it's more memories, growth, laughter, love,..
forever with Brett sounds like the best thing EVER.

Forever is coming quickly but for now.. it's time for bed.
Wedding details with my beautiful and amazing momma in the morning.
Then it's my last day at work before the big day. WOOHOO.
Good night Hong Kong. Thank you for emailing me back.

Oh and here are a few old pics (because a post just isn't a post without some eye candy)

Engagement Photos

2009-07-12T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm losing my mind.
I made this post on May 27th.
You would think after spending forever uploading pictures it wouldn't take me 2 months to notice I never actually hit the post button.

Now that we're 5 days away from the wedding.. Here are our engagement photos.
Hey.. better late than never! Enjoy:)

2009-07-10T00:32:00.000-07:00

It's July 10... 12:32 am

We're 8 days away. SINGLE DIGITS!!!
oh. my. heck.
Brett tried so hard to stay up and work on some last details with me.

He woke up about 20 minutes ago and shrieked "they've arrived!"
I said "Brett who's arrived?"
He says "the guests! they've arrived with the remote!"

... then his head flopped over and he was out like a light.
My little pooper is pooped.
Can't wait for that vacation!!!

Romance

2009-07-08T00:37:00.000-07:00

Romantic nights in a season of wedding planning...
9 months ago our nights were full of adventurous dates, fancy dinners, roaming San Diego.

Fast forward. We're now a skip and a hop away from the wedding and our nights consist of things like...
Tangling ourselves in christmas lights as we label, test, and organize them.
or, cutting and melting fabric to make flowers.

Actually, I must admit, I'm totally loving it:)

^^^ That's SIX boxes of christmas lights in the background!

YAAAAHHHooooooooooo!!

2009-06-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

We're officially less than a month away!!!
Everything is falling together perfectly and I'm feeling extremely blessed. I've been itching to update but were in full force operation wedding and every spare moment is filled... I LOVE IT! I'm doing my best to fully enjoy the little time I have left of being engaged. We're having a blast on this wedding roller coaster... updates soon:)

Black Plastic and Thick Glass

2009-05-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

One of my dear friends is graduating college!
... and I had the privilege of shooting her graduation portraits.

Wedding planning has been consuming every thought and spare moment of every day lately and this shoot was a much needed break.
I just can't explain what happens when that camera is in my hands.
For a brief moment I lose my flesh. I lose my worries, my concerns, my opinions, my struggles..
I take shelter behind black and something happens deep within my soul.

Grass is greener, skies are bluer, smiles aren't forgotten, and pain is not unseen.
I take shelter behind black plastic and thick glass and wait for God to meet me there.
There He takes my hand and opens my eyes, showing me what He's made, what He sees, what He wants seen.

I've been given a gift and I've wasted a lot of time doubting, worrying, and feeding my insecurities with it rather than thankfully taking it, shaping it, and growing it.
Handing photography over and letting God take it to a level that will impact, effect, and infect people with glory for God has always been a dream but I've never been ready to take that risk. Afraid of failure, I've never been ready to hand it to Him and trust Him to make it happen.

Well.. I'm done. I'm handing over my fear, my doubt, my anxiety, my insecurities.
Life's too short and God's too big.

I don't know what's around the corner and what role photography will play in my life
but this I am sure of... It's His to do with what He wants. And I'm ready for it!

Can you say BEAUTIFUL?
Thanks Aub for letting me capture your sweet beauty.
Love you forever xoxo

Mr. Easy Bake

2009-05-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

During a recent trip to Target we decided to take a walk down the toy aisle for fun. As were passing the girl section Brett stopped and peered down one of the aisles. After a long stare he says "did I ever tell you I had an easy bake oven?". I guess I'm not all that surprised considering the sweet tooth this boy has but I couldn't help but laugh. He was peering down the aisle because the easy bake ovens caught his eye and he couldn't believe all the options that have developed over the years. We went back to the easy bake aisle where we found unisex ovens (brett's was pink) and all kinds of packets to make all kinds of food. I'm sure most men would quiver at the thought of admitting that but he didn't care at all. And in that moment as I watched him eye all the glorious easy bake options, he was the cutest thing ever.

Brett and the easy bake "manly choice" complete with blue and faux stainless finishing...
Just ignore the little girl on the front. Easy bakes are for men.

Hot Waffles and Jacuzzis

2009-05-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Ok so this date is a little outdated now but as I was looking through pictures that I haven't posted I found them and we just had too much fun (as usual) not too post.

They're the peanut butter to our jelly (extra pb for lauren), they're the grease to our bread balls, they're the reeses to our blizzard, and they're the boba to our frubble.

She gets me, he gets him, and we're so thankful that we've been blessed with them as friends during this unique time in our lives... A time that no one can really understand until they're there.. and thankfully they're there with us!

oh and here's a little sneak peek of where it's all going down on August 7th...
I think they booked it because they heard they had free waffles.

Bon Voyage

2009-05-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

B and I got our passports!
Now we can get married, quit working, pack our backpacks, and travel the world.
...I wish

I guess we'll just have to get married, and go on a totally sweet 7 night honeymoon.
Wait... I never made a post about the honeymoon did I? Oh boy thats-a-comin!

We Turned 4!

2009-05-16T23:52:00.000-07:00

A few fun things happened while I was MIA for a month.
One of them was that Brett and I turned 4!

We had our fourth anniversary!
YAY! and of course we spent it at Disneyland.. Is there any other way?
I love Him so much. I can't believe it's been four years. The time has flown by at an alarming speed and it's getting even faster as the wedding approaches.
From here on out we will have wedding anniversaries to celebrate.. of course knowing us we will still celebrate our date-iversary. We love a good reason to celebrate!

Grad Party cont.

2009-05-16T23:15:00.001-07:00

"make a post about my foot"
"what do you want me to say?"
"just say the skins a little peely but you like it"
"hmm.. ok"

Dear Lafawnduh (Lauren's Foot),
I like you. I like your cross tattoo. You have 5 toes, they aren't polished but it's ok... and your skins a little peely, .. but i kinda like it.
Love,
Hilda (Heather's Foot )

ManLove

2009-05-16T22:51:00.000-07:00

Our special boys... We're at a grad party right now. Lauren and I are sitting on the floor 2 feet apart. The 4 boys are squeezed closely onto 1 couch. (Notice the manlove cuddle between brett and luke.. they're in love!)

Who woulda thunk?

2009-05-16T11:24:00.000-07:00

Almost directly in the middle of this picture is a building. An apartment complex that I lived in when I was really little. The place I met Aubri, the place Genieva lived first, the place where home videos of me throwing tantrums on the floor were taped, the place where my fondest memories of my Dad were made, the place where Tony was introduced into my life, the place where I remember watching lightening in the parking lot with my grandpa.

Fast forward 18 years..
I'm standing on a hill looking into the past, playing all these memories in my head. I stand and smile a moment longer before I turn to the house behind me. Today's the day. My wedding dress is ready. A girl only wears one wedding dress in her life and mine is ready and waiting for me. Waiting in the house on the hill. The same house that looked over those same apartments and chubby cheeked girl 18 years ago. Who would've thought?

I'm such a sentimental sap lately.. I just can't help it. My chubby cheeks couldn't help but smile.

and I say HEY! HEY! What a wonderful kind of day.

2009-05-15T22:36:00.000-07:00

The other night B and I were talking to some friends about shows we watched when we were little. The first show that came to my mind was Arthur. I LOVED Arthur. I watched Arthur religiously. I'm pretty sure I can still recall ever single episode. It was totally a family thing too, we all loved Arthur. At the first sound of the theme song we all came running from our rooms to watch. You would think the love for the show would dwindle as years went by but... no. Being the oldest of 4 there was always someone in the appropriate age group to be watching Arthur.. so the love continued. It's been a while now (about 5 years. I'm 22.. you do the math) but after that conversation I was totally reminded of how amazing of a show it was!

Is it weird for 2 almost married adults to put the Arthur DVD's on their wedding registry?

... I think not

You got to listen to your heart
Listen to the beat
Listen to the rhythm, the rhythm of the street
Open up your eyes, open up your ears
Get together and make things better
By working together!

I Want You To Be My Love

2009-05-14T09:53:00.000-07:00

B ran into this video the other day and knew I would love it.
He showed it to me and of course I loved it and have watched it multiple times since.

So I thought I'd give it a little blog love.
You have to actually watch the video. The song is beautiful but it's the video that completes it.
It's beautifully filmed and just so darn creative! Enjoy.

Busy Busy Busy

2009-05-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been over month since I've posted!

...and after some persistant nagging to update the blog here I am.

Everytime I think to myself "wow the wedding is x amount of weeks away. I'm officially going at full speed now".. It gets even faster. Lots of exciting things are happening and I'm falling more and more in love with my hubby to be with each day. Thankfully I have these next 2 days off to get some things done, and on that list is to update the blog with all the fun things going on in my little corner of life:)

P.S.
She, my maid of honor, and beautiful sister comes home today and I couldn't be more excited! Things are about to get a lot less hectic and a lot more fun as she begins to bear some of the wedding weight haha.

Thankful

2009-04-10T20:51:00.000-07:00

On this day a long time ago The God of the universe, creator of all, allowed himself to be nailed to a cross in order for us to know Him and have everlasting life. No matter how long ago it was, our need for His sacrifice is the same. The moment His blood hit the ground the wall between us and our maker was destroyed allowing us to enter into a real relationship with Him. He chose to travel a path that forced Him to take on all the sins of the world, that separated Him from the Father, that nailed Him to a cross until He bled and suffocated to death. He chose to travel this road so that we would never have to. What kind of God comes to earth, takes on the form of a human, and dies so that we can know Him. What kind of God dies?

While on the cross He died for you. You personally. He thought of you, He knew your name, He knew what every day would hold for you. He knew you, He knows you, He chose to die then so you could know Him now. If you're reading this and your carrying the sin in your life. If you're burdened, if you're ashamed, if you're guilty, if you're heavy hearted. Let it go. LET IT GO. Your sin is no longer yours. It's already been taken from you. He took it for you, on this day, a long time ago He took your sins and nailed them on the cross so you could be His. So be His.

"and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed."
1 Peter 2:24

The storm moved in tonight. As the sky turned black and the water began to hit the ground I couldn't help but thank Him for the road He chose to travel so that I didn't have to.
A road of torture, suffering, and sacrifice...
But it doesn't end there...
In 2 days He did something that changed the world forever.

Living in a Field 4

2009-04-10T16:39:00.001-07:00

A storm is a brewin'

Living in a Field 3

2009-04-10T16:16:00.000-07:00

I always heard fishing consisted of waiting and waiting and waiting patiently for hours until the fish decides to nibble.

Here that is definitely not the case. We have caught (and released) over 70 fish between all the people in our group. Brett had his first fishing experience today.
First, he baited the hook, cast the line, and about 8 seconds later was reeling in a fish! So I tried and the same thing happened. We both caught our first fish!!

Living in a Field 2

2009-04-09T21:41:00.000-07:00

We took a little walk this evening.. but then it got too cold and dinner was ready:)

Living in a Field 1

2009-04-09T17:47:00.000-07:00

I've traded life in the city for living in a field for a few days.

It's beautiful here. I only get 3 days of this and I plan on soaking up every last drop of it.
I have absolutely no cell reception and I love it. But amazingly enough I get great internet signal! I'm so excited to spend these next three days taking photos, talking to God, eating, finding adventure, laughing with my family, and loving my future hubby.

I'm also excited to get so much time to catch up on blogging!

Having a Ball

2009-04-09T14:44:00.000-07:00

The theme of our wedding has caused my eyes to be opened to the wonderful world of all things vintage. While creating the feel of our wedding I did a lot of research on vintage pieces trying to figure out which were most appropriate for our vibe. Well.. I have a feeling my new interest is going to be something that sticks around long after the wedding. I have fallen in love with the grimy, magical, whimsy of vintage collections. One element of our wedding is jars. I'm on a constant hunt for jars. I pop into every thrift store I pass for a quick look for some good jars. When I first started looking into jars I came across a jar collectors website. I perused the site and quickly learned a few things about jar collecting. First I learned that the "it" jars to collect are Ball Jars. I was immediately captivated by these jars. Every jar hold so much history and the good ones are the most beautiful blue color. "Ball Blue" to be exact. I'm a sucker for history, color, nostalgia, and it was no surprise that I fell so in love with these jars. I bought my first Ball jar a couple of months ago but it was the common clear jar and it was missing its original zinc lid.

Brett and I heard of a private estate sale happening in Poway this morning so we decided to pop in and check it out on our way out of town. We walked in and I about drooled all over my shirt. There were so many neat little treasures for such great prices. After some browsing I turned the corner and lifted my eyes to a cabinet. My eyes began dancing as they focused on all the stunning hues of "Ball Blue". I carefully picked my favorite, because I couldn't afford to buy more than one, then cradled it in my arms for the remaider of the time.

I'm so excited to have my first blue Ball Jar... I say "first" because I'm already searching for the next:) It's so cool to have such a piece of history.

Countdown

2009-04-07T15:28:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it... we're getting married!
Now don't worry, this isn't my first realization of our marriage...
It's just so around the corner now that it actually feels like it's happening! I'm so excited!!!!!

The dress is bought, save the dates are sent, decorations are collecting, new furniture is being stored...

I now give you an STD..
short for Save The Date:)

14 and weeks and 4 days left... but who's counting? ;)

Sneak Peak: Luke & Lauren

2009-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Officially my favorite photo shoot ever.

Here are a few teasers... but trust me..
you aint seen nothing yet!
These two are fabulous and fierce! More eye candy to come...

Fun Friday

2009-03-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

What a fun day! We took Matt down to Coronado to show him a little bit of San Diego! We had so much fun acting like tourists! Then to top it all off... a delicious cheap buffet dinner at Viejas!!

This us staring in awe at the Coronado mansions...

The male models and their sweet shades.
(They all bought new ones and were very excited)

In search of the haunted hotel room and the wonka hall..

Any time Grant disappeared all we had to do was find the nearest flowers and he was sure to be found! hahahaha

Anza Borrego Desert

2009-03-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the shots from our second photo adventure.
We started out on a designated trail but soon set off to hunt for more flowers.
We attempted to let the GPS guide us to coyote canyon. I have never been able to enjoy the luxuries of GPS.. In fact, I think they're down right annoying.
They coax you into believing they have it all under control.. then, once you put all your faith in them. BAM! They go and get you lost. It's like they know you are mindlessly following their directions and are amused by seeing how far off course they can take you.
But in this case, it worked out for the better.

After a little off roading in the Lexus we ran into all kinds of flowers untouched and full of color.
We found ourselves on the desert floor, swimming in dancing wildflowers surrounded by mountains made of rich red dirt while thick puffy clouds floated above us letting the sun peek out every now and then to kiss our cheeks.

What a day.

^^^ Grandpa unloading gear while Brett plays with the ants!! lol

A little late..

2009-03-17T00:34:00.000-07:00

I have an amazing Grandpa. He is so much fun and we are so much alike in so many quirky ways. We both have an unhealthy passion for all things Disney. My Grandpa took me to my first hardcore rock concert.. I believe the name of the concert was Bloodfeast. He wears awesome jeans and know awesome things. I think I inherited my love for photography from him. After my Grandma died we went through tons of pictures and in so many of them my Grandpa was found in the background meddling with the camera. Fast foward about 35 years and it's the same scenario. Family gatherings, BBQ's, graduations... there's Grandpa, in the background meddling with his camera. We have started going on photography adventures together and these are some of the shots from our first adventure. We went another adventure last week. I'm going to try and get those pictures up tomorrow but in the meantime here are the ones from last time. We had so much fun meeting and chatting with all the lovely people of OB

This woman was F-I-E-R-C-E. Fierce.
She was ripping the head off her fish and de-boning them all by hand!
She loved the camera attention;)

This bird wouldn't leave the fierce woman's side. He was enjoying the freshest sushi in town!
(Note the fish blood on his beak. Ew.)

Anyone that knows me well enough knows my love for old people.
I love them. I think they are the cutest, sweetest people on earth.
This man was walking the street picking up all the bits of trash.
So sweet.

This guy had some amazing art ideas.

This guy rocks.I love the rose on his handlebars and his bright yellow flag!

We are having so much fun on our photo adventures. Brett joined us on the last one. It was an amazing day and I can't wait to get the pics up!

Facelift

2009-03-16T02:35:00.000-07:00

FINALLY.
It is wayyyy too late for me to be up right now but I just couldn't stand looking at my ugly blog any more. Lots of fun things are happening in my little corner of life and this uncreative, aesthetically displeasing, little blog of mine is far from inspiring me to write.

Amazing photo shoot adventure this week. My sweet husband to be is getting more and more contact with that camera and it makes my liver-a-quiver!!
He found it entirely too entertaining to put his camera in my face and click away.
I used a few of his "in my face" pics for my header!

I'm excited about the fresh look. Seems appropriate for all the fresh things happening in life right now.

Updates to come...

Awesome

2009-03-15T18:09:00.001-07:00

I never jumped on the Facebook bandwagon. I just couldn't get into it. I have a Facebook but I rarely check it or update it. I found this video today and could not stop laughing. It perfectly describes my feelings towards its obnoxious nature. Enjoy.

Chris Tomlin: The Rock Church

2009-03-06T18:34:00.001-08:00

Concert was amazing. Here are my favorite shots from the night.
enjoy.

Sail Away With Me

2009-03-02T01:59:00.001-08:00

Brett and I had an amazing adventure day indeed. I'll post more pictures and write more later.. but for now here's a sneak peek. I just uploaded all of my pictures and when my eyes fell upon image 5590 I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. It was a reminder.

God has created such a burning for photography in my heart. It started young and it's only gotten more furious as time has gone on. He has opened my eyes to things unseen. My heart swells when He paints me a picture to capture. I want the images I have taken to stir others hearts. I want them to reflect Him. When I am able to capture more than just an image of what's in front of me.. when I can freeze time and forever document a moment... that moment where my heart was swelling as I heard Him whisper "this is for you"... I can't help but get fuzzy inside. Image 5590 will definitely be going into my "top 10" favorite pictures I've taken. It was a blessing of a moment where He, my heart, and the lens collided and together we wrote a beautiful story in color and light.

"But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says,
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine!
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
Others were given in exchange for you.
I traded their lives for yours
because you are precious to me.
You are honored, and I love you"
Isaiah 43: 1-4

press on.

BALLOONatics!

2009-02-26T23:39:00.001-08:00

Today was a good day. I was going and going from the moment I woke up. Although it wasn't the most relaxing day I got a lot done! And it helped that it was a lot of fun stuff.
Brett and I created our first joint account! Woohoo!.. We sent out a wedding deposit... I finally finished and sent our "save the dates" off to the printer. (PS the save the dates ROCK. We found the idea on the internet and were in love at first sight. I'll post them once I send them out)... Then I was off to a meeting.. Ran some errands.. and once everyone went to bed Brett and I became BALLOONatics!
It's birthday season in my house starting tomorrow. 3 in one week! Tony's birthday is first. Brett and I filled the living room with balloons and put streamers up. He doesn't know but I bought yummy food to make breakfast for him in the morning as well. I tried getting as much done as I could today so Brett and I can have some adventure tomorrow! We shall see where the wind takes us... As long as I'm next to him and I can get my fingers on that camera it will be a good day!

deposit paying BALLOONatics!

"I have a pot!"

2009-02-26T20:35:00.000-08:00

She has a pot! And she declared it loudly to us over a bean and cheese burrito...

She lost her 2 bottom teeth. One has grown in quite a bit and the other has left quite a gap...
Thus forming the shape of her "pot".
I thought it was genius! How did she even notice that?
hahaha.. she kills me.

2009-02-18T13:24:00.000-08:00

I have entered the world of Skype and am so in love!
It is awesome.

Tonight we (Brett, I, .. and the whole family(minus beeba) including the dogs) go to talk and SEE our favorite missionary! We love Andres and couldn't be more blessed to have him as a friend.
He's such an amazing person and is doing some awesome things for the kingdom. We are so lucky that we have gotten to experience this adventure with him and we can't wait for him to come home!

Love Day!

2009-02-16T22:42:00.000-08:00

Brett and I both worked all day Saturday so we celebrated Love Day on Friday the 13th instead!
Despite being super sick we had so much fun! I made Brett the usual dessert mountain full of all of his favorite desserts and a mix with all of our favorite love songs. We spent the day at the zoo. Brett had secretly packed a picnic lunch and we ate our favorite Antonelli's sandwiches on the tree house patio.. it was beautiful. We saw the entire zoo and I had my lens stuck to my eye pretty much the whole time. Poor boy.. I'll sit for 10 minutes easily in the same spot and just wait. He's so good about letting me shoot. He's such an encourager and he never complains. I love him so much! I took a TON of pictures.. I'll post the rest of them soon.
After the zoo we drove to downtown and had a delicious dinner at Bucca Di Beppo. We love Bucca Di Beppo! Then we walked around Downtown in the rain for awhile. It was an adventurous day and we had so much fun.

There were no candy hearts, no flowers, no balloons.
Just awesome animals, a camera, good food, and the love of my life.
A few of the things I love most:)
I loved our love day.
Hippo Love!

We were minding our own business, eating our sandwiches...
This elderly man and a couple of the people he was with walked over and stopped by our table to look at their map. Brett and I were chatting when we were interrupted by a loud fart coming from a few feet away from our table. We tried our best to hold in our laughter!
He didn't even flinch!

Brett built me a bear and surprised me with it before dinner.
It was SO cute. It matched him all the way down to the slim leg/dark wash jeans and aviator sunglasses! He named it Bretthollemew and it came with a little guitar strapped to it. I think this is one of my favorite gifts from Brett. I loved loved loved it.

Bates Nut Farm

2009-02-11T10:20:00.000-08:00

We took our parents to the farm and showed them around. We had a lot of fun planning, looking at animals, walking through the fields, and buying some loot from the general store. I'm getting more and more excited about the wedding! It's all starting to fall together and I'm more in love with the farm every time we go there. It's perfect... It's us. I can't wait to go up again.

Ceremony Option #1: Oak Tree

Ceremony Option#2: Aisle of trees w/ two touching trees that make an arch at the "altar"
(these trees are going to be huge and green in July)

Reception (inside hedged area on left) and the fieldPolk-a-dot chicken!

The most beautiful peacock I've ever seen!

Baaah

eyeheartbargains

2009-02-10T23:04:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows me knows my love for finding a good bargain.

Something in me just won't let me buy $60 jeans and jackets and $20 shirts and $30 pairs of shoes. Bargain hunting is in my blood. I remember being young and shopping with my mom as she hunted for the best bargains. I would follow her around the store watching and learning the art and rejoicing with her in our finds. I don't remember the last time Ive spent over $20 on jeans. I don't even think I've tried on shoes that were over $15 in years. The last jacket I bought was $4. Actually most things I buy are in the $5 range the goal is always under 10. I understand this may seem extreme but if you set the goal it works. I know what I want and how much I want to pay for it before I shop. If it doesn't meet the criteria.. move on! I will always find it somewhere else and it will always be within my price range. Honestly I've never wanted something that I haven't been able to find somewhere else and that still met my goal. Shopping has slowly become a sport over the year and I love the challenge of spending the least amount possible on it. I don't know... with all the people in this world that only have one set of clothes to their name.. with the knowledge that clothes are for nothing but to cover our nakedness... with a job that says you have look like money in order to be successful... with the awareness of how materialistic of a culture I live in.. I just can't succumb to it and I love the challenge of a good bargain hunt!

All that to say... Today was the bargain hunt of all bargain hunts. My mom and I had a shopping date and when you combine the forces of two thrifty women... oh the damage that can be done. Now that the time has come to plan our wedding I knew it would be no different...

Today's Mission: wedding decor
Store's Visited: 4
Item's Bought: 19 different vases, 3 vintage birdcages, and one bundle of wheat "vibe" stuff
Total Cost: $25.23

Woo Hoo!

2009-02-06T22:35:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I posted the video for the Inspire conference we're holding this Sunday. This past week I've been researching some creative things other church's are doing. We want to show some of these things as examples and inspiration for our own creative ministry. Anyway, so as I was researching I ran in to this website designed for creative ministries to share what they are doing with each other. I've been getting a lot of cool ideas from there and today I wanted to check for more one last time before we had our final planning meeting for this weekend. I pulled up the page and found this as the first post!

"The church is full of web designers, painters, singers and kinds of people that would love to get together and use it for God. This is a great example of what a church can do to inspire their members to get involved. Good Work."

Brett was sitting next to me and when I saw it all I could do was start smacking his arm and saying oh my gosh over and over again. Then I screamed and jumped up and down... called Grant (my Inspire partner). Then called my mom hahaha. Probably not as big of a deal as I made it but I totally had a moment today:) I couldn't believe MY video made it on a website as a "something good to do" kind of thing! Awesome!

I'm right up there with the blogfather! woo hoo!

Oh Thursday.

2009-02-05T23:12:00.000-08:00

My new job can be a little draining. I'm required to be "on" all day. On my feet, meeting, greeting, talking, bending, stretching, drying, cutting, curling, laughing, complimenting, and looking sharp. I have never enjoyed my days off like I have been lately. I woke up with no agenda, threw on a beanie, and a tshirt and headed down to Balboa for some morning tea, time with God, the love of my life, and my camera. We spent the day under a piercing blue sky spotted with white cotton candy clouds and got home just in time for the storm to begin. I loved today. It soothed my soul, thank you Lord.

I;m the apple of his eye! :)

Brett was a good model but then he took the camera and turned on me.
I was so excited I finally got the camera in his hands today. I've been wanting him to pick it up forever. I think he's a natural! I can't wait to get his finger on the shutter again!

More Brett pics..

"There's Probably No God."

2009-02-04T17:53:00.000-08:00

This really motivates me. I saw these pictures on a website today. If some guy can get this plastered on the side of a bus, what are we as a church doing? We must show the world that there is a God. We can think of better ways to proclaim our message. It has to be bold and it has to be outside of our church walls. The hand of the enemy is so obvious in our world. The lies, the brokenness, the emptiness. We have a whole body that is powered and led by a loving God. Why aren't we gathering and making more of an effort to get OUT and proclaim the truth?

Everyday is Sweeter

2009-02-04T12:21:00.000-08:00

"Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. I wouldn't want another life."
"and as you grow in the Lord he becomes dearer. Everyday is sweeter than the day before."
"As you walk with Him it does get sweeter as the days go by."

I pray that I am as faithful and in love with my saviour as these ladies are when I am their age.
How sweet are they?!
The elderly hold such a huge place in my heart...
"If you want to strengthen your faith you need to spend lots of time with the Lord."
These ladies have spent LOTS of time with the Lord. I could sit and listen to them and love them all day long. They hold such wisdom. I consider it such a blessing whenever I get to sit and just listen to stories and hear advice.

Everyday is Sweeter from Marcus Hackler on Vimeo.

Super Snuggle

2009-02-04T10:01:00.000-08:00

For some reason no matter what temperature the rest of the house is, if it's hot outside then my bedroom is a sauna and if it's cold outside my bedroom is a freezer. I considered buying a heating blanket last winter but the idea of sleeping with electricity wrapped around me sorta freaks me out... Thankfully I've found a more natural way to warm up. Anyone that has owned a boxer knows how extremely snuggly they are. They want to sit on your lap, they want to kiss you, they want to rest their head on you, and they want to spoon you. Samba and I have become spoon partners this winter. I love it! I'm always the back spoon due to his dog legs and he's the front spoon. I get to sleep nice and warm and he gets some extra puppy loving. There's a catch to every deal though... anyone who's had boxers also knows the power of their chronic gas. I've been the victim of numerous dutch ovens and morning farts but I'm hanging in there. Maybe this is just preparation for marriage.

Another gorgeous sky

2009-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

little reminders...

Sorry...

2009-02-04T00:32:00.000-08:00

I have a lot of posts that I need to catch up on.
With a new job and lots of wedding planning going on I've been slacking in the blog world.

I've been spending a lot of time with my camera, with God, or with my fiance, friends, and family.
Because I've been so busy I'm trying my best to fill my down time with as many things that keep my heart beating as possible so I don't go crazy!

I'll get those posts up soon!

Hilarious!!

2009-02-03T15:24:00.000-08:00

I saw this video a few weeks ago and could NOT stop laughing!
enjoy.

Cadbury Eyebrows from Nils-Petter Lovgren on Vimeo.

Yayyy!!!

2009-01-24T10:34:00.000-08:00

L&L are engaged!!!!!!
Last night Luke popped the question and Lauren said yes!

I'm so excited Luke let me be apart of it. It was set up so beautifully. I got to hide and take pictures of the moment. It was absolutely amazing. Here's a video I put together for Lauren's Bday/Engagement Present.

Welcome to the club guys!.. Being engaged is AWESOME!

L & L's Proposal from Heather Ozuna on Vimeo.

Inspire 09

2009-01-18T14:05:00.000-08:00

I finished the video and I'm so excited! I have been wanting to start up a creative ministry at church for a long time and it's finally happening. We showed it at church today and I'm praying that there are some creatives that feel led to join. I'm so excited.

Inspire 09 from Heather Ozuna on Vimeo.

EW!

2009-01-17T03:51:00.000-08:00

This morning I was processing all of the marriage retreat pictures in the church lobby. I was happily drinking my boba .. not bothering any flies.

I went to grab it off the table and take another drink when Aaron quickly stopped me and told me to look inside my straw. I looked down and this is what I saw.

I freaked. I almost drank a fly! And I totally would have thought it was a boba jelly and chewed it up.... ew. Thank you Aaron for saving me from fly and saving the mac from the boba that would have spewed out of my mouth when I found the little intruder!

Thursdate

2009-01-15T23:22:00.000-08:00

Brett and I went on a Thursdate tonight. We went out to dinner then went to our spot to talk and hang out. I brought my camera (of course) and tried to take a picture that captured what this place is really like for us. I tried 2 or 3 times and I just couldn't capture the beauty and magic of this place. I changed spots and settings and tried one last time. The picture was perfect!.. and a plane happened to fly by at the same time leaving a perfect little light trail on the upper left corner. I love this photo.. it's my heart.

Filming Inspire

2009-01-14T22:00:00.000-08:00

We filmed the Video for Inspire this afternoon and we had so much fun! Brett was our lovely actor and we got sushi after. Perfect. P.S. I've fallen in love with edamame!!

Starbucks

2009-01-11T04:41:00.000-08:00

Brett and I have started a new tradition. Every Sunday after church we go to Starbucks and talk and read our Bible together. It's ammmmmaaaaazzzziiinng. I love our sbux time. Today Brett experimented with his drink (he was trying to make it cheaper...of course) and he ended up with 3 empty cups and 1 cup of watery gross coffee!

My Dream

2009-01-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my grandma's memorial. The night before, I had a dream.

In my dream I was in a room with family and friends. I was in the corner by myself just watching everyone and absorbing it all in. As I scanned the room and the people my eyes fell upon my grandma. She was so peaceful and even more beautiful. Just standing by herself a few feet away from some family members that were deep in conversation. She herself was scanning the room as well, just absorbing it all in. I only stared in disbelief for a few moments before her stare settled on me. I could do nothing but go to her. Our eyes were locked and it was if I floated to her. No one else in the room noticed or even seemed to exist. We just stared for a few moments. Her face was radiant, she was quiet, she was smiling, her spirit was so peaceful and content; unlike anyone I've ever seen. We embraced and neither of us let go for what seemed like an eternity. It was as if I was being embraced and clothed in eternity itself. The only question I asked her was "what's it like?". She didn't answer, all she did was look in my eyes and smile bigger. Her smile and joy that was flowing from her warm arms through my body was enough of an answer. We held tightly one last time before we let go and she left.

I woke up with so much joy and excitement for the day. The memorial was beautiful and perfect. It was exactly what she would've wanted. The whole day was centered around and glorifying to her perfect and loving savior. I think God gave me my dream last night as a gift... A warm, beautiful, comforting, encouraging gift. I'm so thankful for her life and I'm so thankful that she's safe in His arms for all eternity.

Below are the videos I put together for her memorial:

I Will Rise from Heather Ozuna on Vimeo.

Wish You Were Here from Heather Ozuna on Vimeo.

Socks

2009-01-02T22:01:00.000-08:00

Brett pointed something out about me today that I've never really thought twice about...
My family is loud, obnoxious, messy, and quirky! Realllly quirky. That's why I love them so much!
But.. as Brett and I were leaving to go hang out with some friends I told him that I just needed to get some socks and put my shoes on. He thought I would head to my room but instead I grabbed "the basket" and started digging.

In my house we have a community sock basket. With 6 people (3 of whom all wear the same sock size and style) its impossible to keep socks separated! So.. We have our basket. When someone needs socks they just head to the basket and find some matches!
I know some people that read this are probably mortified at the idea of sharing socks but what can I say.. I don't know anything different. It's just the way we do it around here and I love it!

It's little things like that that I'll miss...

Timing

2009-01-02T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have gotten to be apart of their journey for a long time, It was such an amazing blessing to finally be able to meet her. What an amazing woman. He's had His hand on their lives since the very beginning and continues to bless them today.
Jenna gave Allie up for adoption 21 years ago and they reunited earlier this year! Watch their video here.

Procrastination

2009-01-02T03:55:00.000-08:00

An ugly little habit of mine.
I think when I say "I work better under pressure" it really means I have to work my butt off because I waited so long and I don't have any other choice now.
B had to open at Starbucks this morning so at least I got to say goodnight and good morning all at the same time.

2009... less procrastinating

New Years Day

2009-01-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

Every year B and I like to do something fun on New Years Day. This year we went to Balboa park with my family. We spent most of the day in the Natural History Museum so I didn't take many pictures. Here's one of Maddy by the fountain, I gave her a penny to throw in. She refused to tell me her wish!

This was probably on of my favorite moments of the day.
After Balboa Park my family went home and Brett and I went to La Jolla. He was holding out the camera to take a picture of us and I started nagging about something.
(I wish I remembered why I was complaining so I could justify myself here and not sound like such nag lol).
He started taking pictures while I was trying to be serious.He just kept taking them and laughing.

I finally broke.

I love him so much!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

I love the new year.

I got to spend time with the people I love and worship my creator for the life He's given me.

I'm excited for 2009. BIG things are to come:)
This time of year is such a blessing. It comes with such a fresh start.
It's a time to reflect, see what needs improvement, see how far you've come. It's a time for growth.

I'm setting some pretty big goals this year and I can't wait to get working!
What goals will you set?

Our 4th New Years Kiss!

This was her first New Years staying up until midnight. (She was explaining the countdown)

Family Fun

2008-12-29T18:16:00.000-08:00

Tony is on vacation this weekend so we decided to make the most of it! We got the snow clothes from the attic, threw them in the car, and headed to Laguna for a day of sledding. We had so much fun. My favorite pic of the day is of Peter coming down the mountain in perfect form! And Madison looked so cute all bundled up in snow clothes.. I couldn't help but to take a ton of pictures of her:)

She hates when I take her picture, so I have to sneak them in.
She caught me on this one.

Friends.

2008-12-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Sometimes God puts people in your life that you just need.

It's like they were created perfectly for you.
She's one of those people.

Thank You Debbie!

2008-12-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

This is a special thank you post for Debbie! We've never met but I'm glad that you enjoy my blog. Thank you so much for your gift:) I thought it was so sweet!
Brett and I will definitely put it to good use!

I hope you had a very merry Christmas!

Love, Heather

Christmas

2008-12-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

Christmas snuck up on me this year! With the engagement and being with my grandma so often I totally lost track of time. Last year I was done shopping the day after Thanksgiving.. This year, I started the core of my shopping on the 22nd and was up until 2 on Christmas eve wrapping. As hectic as it's been the past few days I'm so thankful I left shopping for the end. I get so excited about giving gifts to the ones I love but this year an extremely tight budget and a complete lack of time left me with a feeling of no "Christmas Cheer". It's so easy to become wrapped up in the "Christmas Cheer" and buried in boxes and bags of gifts. The past month has been filled with so many blessings. I have learned so much more about Jesus; His grace, His Power, His Mercy, His love, and His spirit. I have felt the powerful love and support that comes from his church body. The past few weeks with my Grandma gave me hours to spend really getting to know Him better. Although I didn't have much Christmas cheer this year by most standards, I feel like for the first time I spent Christmas completely consumed by Him... and that's what it's supposed to be all about right?! I'm so thankful for my Grandma and the wonderful gift she's given me this Christmas.

Julian!

2008-12-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

Luke and Lauren happened to be going to Julian this weekend too!
We snuck up behind Lauren while she was taking a picture of Luke and surprised her:)

We took a walk through the snowy cemetery and took the famous red glove pictures!

Grandma

2008-12-19T18:18:00.000-08:00

This morning my Grandma went to be with Jesus.

The fight is over and she has won.
She is perfect, she is whole, she knows secret things, she is beautiful, she is with her mother, she is with her best friend, and she is in the presence of an all knowing and forever and deeply loving Savior.

Still He proves to be faithful, merciful, perfect, and awesome.
Even now I praise Him with everything I have.

I didn't know it then but this was my last moment with her.

This song has been like water to my soul.
It reminds me of how hard she fought and how perfect and real heaven is to her right this very moment.

If you can listen to the words.
or read the lyrics here

Disneyland!

2008-12-18T23:55:00.000-08:00

Our passes expired today so we had to make one last trip:(
With the wedding coming up who knows when we will be able to afford new ones but I am determined to find a way!

I have beat Brett at this game literally every single time we've played. There was a close call this time but of course.. I ended up winning! You should've seen his face!

Tacky Sweater Party

2008-12-17T19:03:00.000-08:00

I love tacky sweater parties!! Last night was so much fun!

I hear those sleigh bells jingling, ring-ting-tingling too

2008-12-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

Come on, It's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you.
i LOVED the weather today!

My windshield wipers are terrible and it was pouring.. probably wasn't the best idea to turn the camera on:)
I had to end the video abruptly because a cop pulled up next to me and I don't think He would've thought it was the best idea either...

Baking Days

2008-12-13T18:24:00.001-08:00

It was a cold, wet, blustery day and the house smelled of gingerbread.

Hopefully our gingerbread making skills don't relate to our future child bearing skills..
Deformed, arms and legs twisting wrong ways, 2x the normal gingerbread man size...
Disclaimer: This is a joke. We will be happy with whatever kind of children we get! :)

p.s. The second batch was perfect!

Grandma's Hands

2008-12-12T18:29:00.000-08:00

*someone sent this to me today*

Grandma, some ninety plus years, sat feebly on the patio bench. She didn't move, just sat with her head down staring at her hands. When I sat down beside her she didn't acknowledge my presence and the longer I sat I wondered if she was OK.

Finally, not really wanting to disturb her but wanting to check on her at the same time, I asked her if she was OK. She raised her head and looked at me and smiled. 'Yes, I'm fine, thank you for asking,' she said in a clear voice strong. 'I didn't mean to disturb you, grandma, but you were just sitting here staring at your hands and I wanted to make sure you were OK,' I explained to her.

'Have you ever looked at your hands,' she asked. 'I mean really looked at your hands?' I slowly opened my hands and stared down at them. I turned them over, palms up and then palms down. No, I guess I had never really looked at my hands as I tried to figure out the point she was making.

Grandma smiled and related this story:

'Stop and think for a moment about the hands you have, how they have served you well throughout your years. These hands, though wrinkled shriveled and weak have been the tools I have used all my life to reach out and grab and embrace life. 'They braced and caught my fall when as a toddler I crashed upon the floor. They put food in my mouth and clothes on my back. As a child, my mother taught me to fold them in prayer.
They tied my shoes and pulled on my boots. They held my husband and wiped my tears when he went off to war. 'They have been dirty, scraped and raw, swollen and bent. They were uneasy and clumsy when I tried to hold my newborn son.
Decorated with my wedding band they showed the world that I was married and loved someone special. They wrote my letters to him and trembled and shook when I buried my parents and spouse. 'They have held my children and grandchildren, consoled neighbors, and shook in fists of anger when I didn't understand.
They have covered my face, combed my hair, and washed and cleansed the rest of my body. They have been sticky and wet, bent and broken,dried and raw. And to this day when not much of anything else of me works real well these hands hold me up, lay me down, and again continue to fold in prayer.
'These hands are the mark of where I've been and the ruggedness of life.But more importantly it will be these hands that God will reach out and take when he leads me home. And with my hands He will lift me to His side and there I will use these hands to touch the face of Christ.'

I will never look at my hands the same again. But I remember God reached out and took my grandma's hands and led her home. When my hands are hurt or sore or when I stroke the face of my children and husband I think of grandma. I know she has been stroked and caressed and held by the hands of God. I, too, want to touch the face of God and feel His hands upon my face.

Candy Cane Lane

2008-12-11T23:17:00.000-08:00

Brett and I have been going crazy with the starts of wedding planning. We have seen so many places in the past three days. My head is still spinning from all the outrageous numbers that have been swirling in front of my eyes. I decided we needed a relaxing night just the two of us, NO wedding talk. We bundled up. I stuffed the gloves I had bought him from Target that he's been eyeing for awhile now in my purse and took us to Starbucks. We got 2 peppermint hot chocolates and headed to Candy Cane Lane. We walked the hills and soaked in all the lights and laughter. I love nights like these with him.

Painter of the skies

2008-12-11T18:05:00.000-08:00

I know this is a bold statement to make...
tonight was the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen.

I was blessed enough to be in Point Loma at the time. I yelled at Brett to pull over as fast as he could. I told him just to stop in the road and let me get out! He found a spot and stopped.
I shot out of the car like a cannonball!

I only had my PowerShot so this picture does it NO justice. The sky melted into the ocean and you couldn't tell where one stopped and the other started. The water turned glassy and you could see the reflection of it all. I have NEVER seen an orange so bright in my life.

You know a sunset is gorgeous when you get back in the car and you have messages left on your phone telling you to go outside and look at the sky!
He truly is the master painter. Creating pure beauty out of everything He touches.

Just like that...

2008-12-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

Just hours ago someone died in the hospice room across the hall from my Grandma's room...
Just like that life on earth was over. Body and soul were separated.
What kind of life did they live? Who have they left behind? What were their last thoughts? Were they surrounded by family? Were they ever married? What was their wedding day like? How old were they? Did they have kids? Grandkids? What moments in history have they witnessed? What parts of the world had they seen?

God shows me so much while im here. His presence fills this room. Its as if I step into an oasis when I step through those doors. For the past weeks I've spent hours of everyday in prayer and worship with my grandma while her numbered days and broken body dwindle away. As terrible as this situation may seem to the world. Its been a sweet blessing and i cant help but be filled with his joy.

Christmas on the Prado

2008-12-05T21:42:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite Christmas time traditions!!!

This picture sparked an interesting conversation about the interesting ways interesting strangers take pictures for other strangers.

Wedding Party

2008-12-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

We popped the question...

and asked some of our closest friends to stand by our sides on our big day!

Candy Canes...

2008-12-03T23:39:00.000-08:00

It's been 12 days since we got engaged at Disneyland.. 12 whole days!!! Which meant it was time for another Dland trip of course. Thanks to my curiosity and love for watching food being made I grabbed Brett and ran over to the large crowd forming in front of the candy shop window. (There's always a crowd in the window but never one that big). Thanks again to my fine tuned eavesdropping skills... I found out why there was all this commotion. The candy shop was hand making candy canes. "So what?" right?... WRONG! We had conveniently stepped into a rare and magical Disney experience! People had gotten there early to line up for tickets that they would exchange for Candy Canes. I'm hesitant to admit this but Brett and I both immediately fell for magic. We got in line for the next batch and made some new Disney friends. These people were true Disney nuts.. they put Brett and I to shame. At the end of the day we walked away with 5 candy canes (Don't ask how much we payed for these suckers). 2 for us and 3 to give as Christmas presents to our fellow Disney nuts. We had so much fun today and we went back and relived the moment in front of our castle (I call it that now... It's totally our castle after the last trip). Brett cut the day short because he had a little surprise. We grabbed our traditional BBQ and feta pizza at California Pizza Kitchen then proceeded to the theater nearby. Brett had bought us tickets to see it's a wonderful life on the big screen. Believe it or not I've never seen that movie all the way through.. It was awesome!

Thanksgiving.

2008-11-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

I know this blog has been a place of romance and happiness lately but in my attempts to make this a place of authenticity I must write what's on my heart tonight.

From my journal...

9/27 Thanksgiving

Dear God,

Tonight I come to you with a tender, confused, and torn heart. I know you are holding her and I know your will will be done, but father why? Why the pain? Why the torture? Why must she suffer so long and hard before you take her home?

I want so badly for her to be with you. I want her to be perfect in you. Whole. I want your face to be revealed to her. I want her to know what it’s like to hold the creator of the universe’s hand and know that she’s perfect. I want this so bad. But tonight.. Tonight I am struggling. As she laid in my arms crying, trying to be ok with the news she’s been given in the past hours, I ask why? I know this is all part of your greater plan but help me to see the big picture. Her lungs have already been poisoned by cancer. She’s already endured weeks and months of torturous chemo. She’s done her share of suffering Father. And now we are told that there’s a five-inch tumor in her brain. I hate it. I hate that there’s something in there close to the size of my hand gripping and mangling away at everything left. It kills me to watch her fight it. It kills me that there’s nothing that I can do. I can see that she’s trying. I can see that she knows it’s got a hold on her. I see her struggling to get the words out but her brain just won’t let her mouth speak it. I could see the pain in her eyes when the nurse came in to quiz her and asked if she knew what day it is and she got it wrong. It breaks my heart to see her slip in and out of confusion. And all I can do Father is ask why?

I brought her some thanksgiving dinner tonight. I can tell she’s trying to be strong. While she was eating I told her how beautiful I thought she was, even in the hospital with no hair she was the most beautiful woman. I told her that I was honored to be told so often that I look like her and that we share the same name. I saw her eyes grow misty before she dropped her fork and started sobbing. Every wall and layer was peeled away and all I saw was her bleeding heart. I could do nothing but get in her hospital bed and hold her. As I rubbed her head I could not help but think about the tumor less than an inch away from my palm. I asked her if she heard from you today Father, she just shook her head no as tears rolled down her face. I told her that that was ok because you told me something to tell her. I grabbed my Bible and read her the verse I had been given earlier today. We talked some more and she asked questions about the engagement and just smiled at Brett. She told us how excited she was that she got to go home in the morning and that her sister was flying in. Conversation slowly faded away and we watched TV together while holding hands. It was like water to my soul when we would laugh together at the show. To hear her laugh.

I could tell she started to get tired and she asked if we could turn off the TV. We just looked at each other in silence and smiled and held hands for a few moments longer. I asked myself what I could possibly do to make this better. That’s when I was reminded. I was reminded that there is absolutely nothing I can do to make this all better. Only you can make this better. And even if your version of better is different than mine, it’s still you our gaze should be locked upon. I opened her Bible and read verses about peace and strength to her. Thank you Lord for showing me the verses to speak. I still don’t know my way around the Bible very well but I’m so thankful that you are bigger than I am. She laid with her eyes closed while I read and she nodded along and hummed in agreement. It was such a gift to see your Word working in someone’s heart right before my eyes. I could see you working in her heart and I could see on her face your peace washing over her. After reading her verses until she fell asleep I kissed her cheek and told her that I loved her. I told her that you were holding her in your arms tonight as she slept. She fell asleep with a smile on her face and your whispers in her ear tonight Father. Thank you.

I know you know this is breaking my heart. I don’t understand why but I’m trying to remember that you love her even more than I do. I know I can be forgetful of your love, strength, and the perfection of your will. I ask you how you could let this happen to her and I plead for you to have mercy on her family’s broken hearts…. But I know that you’ve already answered me. The answer is in your son.

Forgive me Lord for being so forgetful. Forgive me for losing hope for just a moment. I know you know my heart. You know this pain that I feel. You know it and you know it well because you had to let this happen to your son. You watched your innocent son be tortured and killed slowly… and you did it all to save me. You know Father. You know my heart. But without that tragedy the bigger painting would not be complete. Please hold my heart in your hands through this time Father. Help me to be comforted by the big picture even if I cannot see it. Help my heart so that I can be used by you to bring her happiness in the moments she has left Lord.

Today is thanksgiving. I am so thankful for you Father. Thank you for your mercy, thank you for your strength, thank you for your peace, your word, your love, and thank you for your son. Thank you for the cross. Thank you Father.

Even now I believe and praise you,

Heather

isn't she beautiful...

And that... that's your song.

2008-11-26T09:14:00.000-08:00

As if Brett hasn't been amazing enough this week.. I got another surprise!

The surprise went a little something like this:
(we had just left church and it was really late at night. Brett said he would follow me to my house to make sure I got in ok but wasn't going to come inside. We got to my house and he told me he was going to come in for a second because he forgot he had to show me something.)

-He comes in, opens up his computer, and wants to show me a song.
-The song starts and I immediately smiled because one of the first lines is something B says to me a lot
- The song ends and he asks me if I liked it
- I say yes. It was cute because it reminded me of us and things Brett says to me.
- He said good because they wrote it for you.
- I told him that he was funny... but he was also a liar!
- After he realized that I really didn't believe him he opened up the emails between him and the band.
-My jaw hit the floor.

Turns out one of the bands we used to listen to a lot when we first started dating had started a project where they would write some songs for fans...
(You can learn about the project HERE!!)

Brett had sent Max Bemis of Say Anything an email a couple of months ago telling him that he was going to be proposing and gave him a list of things he loves about me (including his famous.. and slightly bizarre "you're the prettiest girl alive and prettier than any dead girl" line). He also wrote that he loved my crazy laugh, eyes, and that my heart is five times bigger than the Grinch's when he carved the roast beast etc.. :)

I could not believe my ears.
Here's my song: Prettier Than Any Dead Girl

Prettier Than Any Dead Girl from Heather Ozuna on Vimeo.

I do realize that Brett is not normal in the things he does for me which is why I'm so thankful that I not only got to be his girlfriend for almost four years but I will now be his wife for the rest of my life! Brett you continue to blow me away. Love you stink!

Blessed.

2008-11-26T00:44:00.000-08:00

It's 12:45 am, I'm sitting with my future husband dreaming about our future life together, and the rain is pounding in a beautiful rhythm on my roof. It's as if it's singing us a song.

Thank you Lord.

I'm Engaged!!!!!!!!

2008-11-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

BIG news......

We're Engaged!!!

Friday, November 21st at about 5:50 pm Brett and I stood in front of Sleeping Beauty's snowy castle when he got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him!!
... and of course I said yes.

Here's the story from both sides:

Heather-
Brett and I go on a date every week. I already knew that this week would involve 2 dates but I didn't really think much about it. We went to dinner and saw How the Grinch Stole Christmas Thursday night. When he dropped me off that night he told me that I had to be ready for Friday's date at 10am. (Brett NEVER tells me where we will be going on our dates, it's always a surprise). He arrived early and was very persistent in getting me to cut his hair before we left (I wasn't catching on). After the haircut we got in the car and started driving North. We stopped in Irvine and ate lunch at Panera then continued driving.

Eventually we arrived at Disneyland and parked. He asked if I could guess where we were going so I made the obvious guess and told him I was kind of surprised because we never get to Disneyland so late in the day (Still wasn't suspicious). We entered the park and started our day. Disneyland days ALWAYS start out with Brett asking me what I want to do first... today, I told him, I wasn't feeling very decisive and asked him to choose instead. He told me not to worry, that he would make the decisions for the day. My indecisevness ended up working out in his favor. He later told me that every ride we want on and place we went was pre-planned!

After going on Winnie the Pooh we headed over to Santa's Reindeer Roundup. Seeing the reindeer at Big Thunder Mountain Ranch is one of my favorite things about Christmas at Disneyland (Brett knew this and wanted to take me there before he proposed). After seeing the reindeer we headed over to main Street to watch the Christmas parade. We walked through fantasy land so that we could go through the castle to get there. Brett wanted to walk around the side and see the wishing well but it was roped off. He tried to get me to go under the rope but being the square that I am I didn't want to break the rules(thankfully). We ended up walking through the castle and stood on the bridge for a minute to look up at the lights. He hugged me and I noticed his heart was beating really fast (still didn't have a clue). We continued walking over the bridge to the big area in front of the castle where everyone was taking pictures. We stopped and he told me to face the castle and close my eyes (brett is super romantic and does things like this all the time... so I still didn't know what was going on).

I heard him run away and then run back. He told me to open my eyes and he started his speech. As he was talking everything got really quiet and almost slow motion. After he finished talking he handed me a red rose then he got down on one knee, pulled out the ring, and asked me to marry him. I thought I said yes but everything was so swirly I wasn't sure if it even came out of my mouth so I said it again. I immediately hugged him and could not let go. Finally I let go and he reminded me about the ring. I totally forgot about the ring because I was so excited. I gave him my hand and he placed it on my finger. I looked around and saw Brian(Brett's brother) and Allie and Aubri my two best friends there taking pictures.

After lots of hugs, and crying, and calling family, and friends we found our way to Main Street and watched the Christmas parade. I have to admit... I missed most of that parade. I couldn't stop looking at Brett. We headed over to City Hall and dropped off the rose. As we were leaving Brett had one more surprise for all of us. He had made reservations for the 5 of us at Club 33 for dinner! We went on Pirates of the Carribbean (our favorite ride, perfect for our first ride as an engaged couple) and Indiana Jones and then we headed over to Club 33. Dinner was amazing and we had so much fun talking about the past and the future.

We watched the fireworks and Fantasmic from the balcony of Club 33 in New Orleans Square. Again, I couldn't pay attention. I couldn't believe that this was really happening. I was really engaged to that skinny guy with the long shaggy hair that I met in high school. I couldn't believe that was the same goofy boy who had grown into this amazing, Godly, loving, hard-working, funny, selfless man. And mostly I couldn't believe that I was asked to have the honor of being this mans wife and that he will love me and lead me for the rest of my life. I spent the whole night just staring at him in disbelief. God really does know what he is doing and I'm so glad that He will be the center of our marriage. Tonight was by far the best night of my life. I can't wait for the days to come... Some days will be sweet and some will be harder than we can even imagine... but in the end there's no one else I would rather spend them with. Brett, we have been together 3 years 7 months and 19 days during those days we've laughed together, cried together, learned together, and grown together. On our 1,329th day you asked me to let you make my dreams come true for the rest of my life... the truth is you already have. I love you always and forever... to the moon AND BACK.

Brett-
Almost 3 months ago I decided that I wanted to propose to Heather at Disneyland in front of Sleeping Beauty's castle. Well I should clarify. Long, long ago, I decided that I wanted to marry Heather. 3 months ago I finished my last class at UCSD and decided that I wanted to start seriously thinking about when, where, and how I wanted to do the thing. It didn't take long to decide that I wanted to do it at Disneyland. I had thought about many different options, but nothing seemed as magical as a Disneyland proposal.

Initially I wanted to propose in early October because, let's face it, we've been together for over 3 and a half years and I'm good and ready to be engaged. But as I thought more and more about the details I really felt like God was pushing me to wait longer. I really didn't have enough money for a ring, so I felt like it would be a very smart move to get a second job and save as much money as I could. Also, and probably more importantly, I realized that Disneyland is even more romantic at Christmastime. Disneyland is amazing and magical and romantic all year long, but something about that big giant Christmas tree, countless wreaths, and thousands upon thousands of Christmas lights strung all over the park just makes the park better. Not to mention the snowy, icicly, light-smothered Christmas version of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

So I did my research and found that this year the official launch of "Holiday Time" at Disneyland was on November 21st, 2008. So I decided that was the day. As I thought about it, the fact that it would be this day excited me more and more. What more romantic time of year to enjoy a new engagement than December? (If you can't tell, Heather and I are Christmas fools!). Not only that, but Heather's family always goes camping the weekend of Thanksgiving. We LOVE this tradition because it is the most relaxing, fun, delicious vacation and we both always get the entire weekend off work for it. And this year we'll have nothing to do all weekend but think and plan and dream about our future wedding! Yay!

Ok, so fast forward to early November. Many smelly, late-night Olive Garden shifts and terrible early morning Starbucks shifts later and I now have saved up a good deal of money. I had looked at several places already at different rings, but I never went with serious intentions of buying. But now I was ready. I have nothing morally against mall jewelers, but I have been to many of them and everything always seemed kinda blah. I was looking for a very specific style and no mall jeweler has ever had anything like what I wanted (you can ask Heather about the ring details if you care to know). But anyway, one early November day I moseyed into Jared's Galleria of Jewelry in Mission Valley near Mission Valley Center. Yes, I've heard the commercials. "He got it at Jared!?!?!?!!!?!!!!!" No, that is not why I went there, I simply wanted to check out all my options. The way I was looking at it was like this: Heather's ring is somewhere in San Diego. The ring that she will wear every day for the rest of her life that tells the world how much we love and are committed to each other is SOMEWHERE is San Diego. I just had to find it. With this mentality I felt like I should check out any jewelry store that looked halfway legit.

Now, let me explain one other little thing. I'm a hopeless romantic. I have been for as long as I can remember. So largely because of this, my hopeless, fairy-tale mind kinda always had this idea that when I found THE ring, I would immediately know it was THE ring. Mind you, the intelligent, realistic part of my mind knew this might not be actually how it will happen, but every time I went into a new store I was fully open to the idea that I might look at a ring in their pretty little display case and decide right then and there that that was the ring for Heather. And this pretty much happened. When I went into Jared, I found a couple of rings that I really liked, but something about this ring just struck me like no other. I left to think about it more and make sure, and two days later I went back and bought the ring.

So now we have the date and we have the ring, but I'm sure you're all most concerned with the proposal itself. Duh. That's kinda the culmination of everything. Well basically, we left at about 10:30 AM on Friday November 21st for an undisclosed location which ended up of course being Disneyland. This was unique because normally when we go to Disneyland we try to be there at opening, but this day we didn't even arrive until about 1:00 PM (after stopping for lunch at Panera Bread in Tustin on the way). We also usually end up leaving pretty early. My reasoning for leaving later was because Disneyland is open until midnight on Fridays, and I knew we would be there all night. By getting there later I figured we wouldn't be completely tired by the end of the day (we still were, by the way. We're getting old and rickety).

After arriving it was basically a normal day at Disneyland. Or at least Heather thought it was. We rode rides, ate Isador Boudin's delicious sourdough bread, and even oogled at the reindoor in Santa's Reindeer Roundup. While Heather suspected nothing out of the ordinary, I was constantly thinking in terms of "Ok, if we go here then here then here, we should be coming through Fantasyland to the castle right about 6:00 PM!" It was very important that we came out of the castle at about 6:00PM because that was the time that I had arranged for Brian (my brother), Allie, and Aubri to be waiting with cameras in hand, ready to videotape and take pictures. Oh, and my brother had the ring and a rose. Kinda important.

Before I go any further, let me interject with a few important details. Yes, I arranged for my brother and two of our best friends to be there, and there were several reasons for this. One reason was that I wanted people there taking pictures and catching the moment on video. Also, Allie and Aubri have a tendency to get excited about stuff. I definitely felt like their excitement for us would rub off and make the whole situation very, very exciting. However, I also don't trust anyone to keep a secret, so Aubri and Allie were completely unaware of any details until 2:30 PM on Friday November 21st, when my brother met them at Starbucks and they all left for Disneyland. Furthermore, I did not want to have the ring anywhere on me during our day at Disneyland. How terrible would it be if she found it, or worse, if somehow I lost it on a ride or something. Giving it to my brother to be in charge of definitely alleviated any pressure related to that. Plus I just really wanted my brother to be there with me on the biggest day of my life.

The plan was to be leaving Santa's Reindeer Roundup at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland at about 6:00pm, then head through Fantasyland and exit by the castle by going past Snow White's wishing well on the east side of the castle. Then I would have Heather make a wish and lead her over to the giant compass directly in front of the castle. However, when we walked over in the direction of Sleeping Beauty's castle, I realized that the pathway to Snow White's wishing well was roped off. Panic. Well not really. Only for a second. This was just a little detail I had planned, but was completely unimportant in the grand scheme of the proposal. So we go out through the castle the normal way and we stop on the big compass in front of the castle. I had to make very sure to keep an eye out for Brian, Allie, and Aubri, because they were expecting us to come from Snow White's wishing well, and I definitely did not want Heather to see them prematurely. Once we stopped on the compass I see my posse anxiously looking for us by the wishing well. So I tell Heather to close her eyes and don't move, and I run over to get their attention and motion for them to come this way. I take the ring and rose, and when I see that everyone is in position I ask Heather to open her eyes. I say a few romantic things to my beauty, I drop to one knee, and I ask the question that I've wanted to ask her for a very long time.

She said yes!

At this point we all laugh, cry, take pictures, and talk about everything that has happened throughout the day, and then Heather made some phone calls. We watched the Christmas parade, then we walked down to City Hall on Main Street to drop off the rose so we wouldn't have to carry it around for the rest of the night. After dropping off the rose I dropped a heck of a surprise on the girls: I informed them that in an effort to make the night as special as possible I arranged dinner reservations for the five of us at the elegant and exclusive Club 33 above New Orleans Square. (If you don't know what Club 33 is ask me about it. It's AMAZING and it's a VERY special thing to be able to go inside) When I told them, Allie and Aubri literally SCREAMED with excitement/joy/surprise. (My brother already knew - he had a hand in making the reservation possible.)

Our reservation was at 8:30, and it was about 7:15 at this point, so we rode Pirates of the Caribbean (in our own private boat, I might add), then Indiana Jones, then it was up to Club 33. We watched the fireworks from the balcony at 9:25pm, then after dinner we watched the amazing Fantasmic show at 10:30. Then we ate our dessert and unfortunately had to leave Club 33. It's always a sad moment leaving Club 33. After this we rode Big Thunder Mountain, rode Space Mountain, oogled at beautiful Sleeping Beauty's castle one last time, picked up the rose, and left Disneyland.

It is amazing to me how unbelievably perfect the entire day turned out. I honestly could not have asked for anything to have happened any differently. Even the complication with Snow White's wishing well turned out for the best, and there is no way anything could have gone any better. My brother and our friends made the details all come together and without them I don't know what I would have done. I'm so thankful for Heather's love and God's abounding grace and kindness for bringing someone so perfectly created for me into my life. I would not be the man I am today if it wasn't for her, and every day she shows me what it means to love unconditionally.

I love you Heather! And I cannot WAIT to be your husband!

The Proposal from Heather Ozuna on Vimeo.

Thursdate: How the Grinch Did Not Steal Christmas

2008-11-20T23:21:00.000-08:00

I have been waiting to feel the Christmas spirit but I have decided it's just too hot around here to really feel it. I've been trying to force it on myself but it just doesn't work like that. I'm happy to announce that tonight's Thursdate did it for me. I am officially "in the Christmas spirit". Tonight we dressed up and headed down to Balboa Park. We had reservations for dinner under "Gus Chiggins" at 5:30 at The Prado (we can only afford The Prado once a year IF we're lucky so we soaked it in). 2 rounds of hummus, 2 bowls of the best pasta ever, and 1 free dessert later and we were on our way to opening night of How the Grinch Stole Christmas!! It was incredible. It's been years since either of us have been and it rocked our socks off. Brett bought the tickets a long time ago so they were really cheap and we were so close I could touch the stage with my foot and look into the orchestra pit from my seat! Way to go babe! When directing us to our seats they made a joke about our seats being in the "Grinch's armpit" section:) I'll take a green, hairy, armpit anyday. It was phenomenal.

I was really excited that we could eat the flowers on our dessert plate... they were pretty good

Our waitress gave us a free dessert and told us to just pretend it's our anniversary tonight.
It was a vanilla bean Tahitian flan...
Favorite quote of the night from Brett: "It's Flantastic!"

They were very strict about no cameras so I had to take this on my phone...
My foot is touching the stage!

Aye Papi

2008-11-19T23:06:00.000-08:00

We went to Brett's Grandma's birthday dinner last night at Chevy's. I wasn't a big fan of the food.. but we tried fried ice cream for the first time. AMAZING. They gave Laura a sombrero for her birthday but she didn't want it so she gave it to Brett. After dinner B and I had to stop by Ikea. We got there and I was so busy gathering my purse and locking the car door, etc. that I didn't even notice (until we were almost in Ikea) that he was wearing the sombrero from Chevy's! I started laughing and asked if he was kidding and if he was just waiting until I noticed and then we would turn around and go put it back in the car. Instead, he very seriously told me he was wearing it inside. After a few rounds of no you are not- oh yes I am banter. We laughed and proceeded into Ikea (me walking a couple steps ahead of him of course). After awhile I totally forgot he was wearing it until I noticed the long stares (a few from Mexican families). Sorry to anyone in Mission Valley Ikea who may have been offended by my boyfriends odd sense of humor. He means well.

Onion Avenger

2008-11-14T21:59:00.000-08:00

Brett and I made dinner for my dad tonight. I prepped the meal while B was at work so that the whole cooking process wouldn't take as long. Brett usually does the onion chopping for me because I just can't take those torturous and evil little onion vapors. Tonight I was left with no choice but to face the chopping myself. The flood gates were released and the tears immediately came flowing. My first thought was to grab sunglasses to shield my eyes from the vicious vapors. The sunglasses didn't stand a chance against those vapors but I refused to lose. I would dominate the onion. I grabbed a dish towel and a paper towel and created the best possible seal I could make with oniony hands. Good news.. I totally dominated the onion! and I think I found a possible business opportunity..

Thursdate

2008-11-13T23:29:00.000-08:00

What a glorious Thursdate... I am so thankful that I have been blessed with a man that is so in tune with what feeds my soul. He just knows what I need without ever asking. We went to our famous spot. The spot where the best talks happen, where I can feel God all around me, where we can get away from the world for awhile and just be together with God. We watched the sun set. Just after it set Brett ran to the car and grabbed a ton of stuff that had been hiding in the trunk. A picnic dinner, our bibles, and his guitar. We ate Antonelli's sandwiches and talked, then we broke out the flashlight and read our Bible's and worshiped to the sound of the waves and Brett's guitar. Joy.

I thought the night was over but we headed to Ghirardelli's to split a candy cane hot fudge sundae and then proceeded to Belmont Park for a ride on the rollercoaster and a walk down the boardwalk.
Isn't this giddy, ten feet off the ground, stomach dropping, butterfly feeling supposed to start fading a little after almost four years?

I need to figure out why my pictures get totally trashed in quality once I upload them here..

Ex Lax

2008-11-12T23:46:00.001-08:00

Sooooo..... I'm seriously like THE lamest blogger on earth.

There are a ton of new posts below.
My problem is that I write the post and then save it as a draft until I get the pictures uploaded. Unfortunately it takes me forever to upload pictures and before I know it I have a constipation of unposted posts.
So I spend all day uploading pictures and all at once the posts coming flooding.
It's like blog Ex-Lax.
So on that note.. new stuff, enjoy.

He Caved

2008-11-11T22:48:00.000-08:00

... I'll come and see you but I won't sit down.

That's what B told me before he left for work this afternoon. He's been working early mornings at one job then working late nights at the other. Because of the crazy hours our time in the middle is limited. He has to be to work at 4am tomorrow but I begged him to at least stop bye and kiss me goodnight before he went home to sleep. Finally after a few bats of the eye and a nuzzled nose in the neck he caved.

I can't get enough of him. It's the way he makes me laugh. It's the way he smells. It's the corner of his mouth. It's his patience. It's his strength. It's the way he looks at me. It's the way my head falls perfectly at his chest. It's his honesty. It's hunger for life. It's his desire for God. It's the way he pushes me. The way he believes in me.

3 years, 7 months, and 9 days and I still can't get enough of him. Sure some days things aren't all good, there are days that are chock full of the bad and ugly. But at the end of the day... I still can't get enough. I'm still batting the eyes and nose nuzzling in desperate hope that I can persuade him to stay one more minute. Tonight it worked:) Thanks babe.

Saturdate

2008-11-08T23:32:00.000-08:00

What a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day. Today Brett took me to Julian to go apple picking! Turns out apple picking is totally up my ally. Gorgeous green trees dripping in scarlet sweet fruit, with the sight of hills around us, and no other sounds but the sounds of our laughs and children laughing softly in the distance. I was in my zone today. After picking we had a delicious lunch followed by the best piece of apple pie I've ever had and finished with the traditional cemetery stroll. I'm constantly amazed at how well he knows me..

I seriously fell in love with this apple. I thought it was perfect. I just stared at it for like 5 minutes

Brett was trying to find me cell reception so I could text :)

He was making fun of me so I threw an apple at him. Way to capture the moment babe.

We had the most amazing lunch at a little restaurant that looks out over the prairies and hills. I could've sat staring out that window all day.
Mom's was packed so we were forced to eat at the Julian Pie Co. instead. Best apple pie I've ever had! (That's the line for Mom's below)

Dland

2008-11-06T22:48:00.000-08:00

What a glorious day at the happiest place on earth!

It was dead empty, it was sunny, and the Disney magic was everywhere.

A San Diego November Day

2008-11-05T23:24:00.000-08:00

Today was one of those days where I wished we could freeze time and just remain together in that moment forever. We started the day off right eating way too much Chik-Fil-A. Then we proceeded to one of our spots to enjoy our full bellies and the sunny day. Only in San Diego do you go to the beach in November. Our spot was beautiful as usual and we had some really good conversations about God and life and love and dreams (This spot is legendary for striking this sort of talk). I love days like today.

USA

2008-11-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Did You?

Halloween

2008-10-31T23:20:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Halloween has already come and gone! We had a last minute costume change this week so I was up until ungodly hours sewing last night. I won't say who had the last minute change of mind that required hours of sewing and scrambling from me the night before Halloween.... :) It was totally worth it though. We have so much fun during Halloween.

Say hello to Jack Skellington and Sally....

Pumpkin

2008-10-30T23:12:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of the year and I'm soaking up every minute of it! Tonight Brett surprised me with a homemade "Thursdate" dinner for his mom, grandma, and I to enjoy. I was so proud. He cooked a cheese cider fondue, a pumpkin "Ghoulash" (beef stew slow cooked IN A PUMPKIN), and made candied pumpkin seeds and pumpkin shakes for dessert. Everything was delicious. He better be careful with all this good cooking or he might be doing all of the cooking one day.

After dinner we went to a family friends house to carve pumpkins. Brett (in a normal Brett fashion) decided to be different and carve his pumpkin upside down. I (in a normal heather mushy gushy fashion) decided to carve B & H love pumpkins sitting in a pumpkin patch.

Strength

2008-10-24T22:45:00.000-07:00

Strength.

Isn't she beautiful...

Thursdate

2008-10-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Last night was so much fun!! We went on a ghost tour around San Diego with our friends and it was a blast. The boys wouldn't tell us where they were taking us until we got there so it was definitely a surprise when we found out we would be taken on a tour around San Diego (In a limo!!) and learn about the ghost stories for each place that we stopped. So much fun! It was a great Halloween date.

We were searching for room #3327 at Hotel Del. (the "haunted" hotel room)

We found it!!

"There's a halo of orbs around your head"
I think we were the only ones that thought it was dust...
or was it that we were the only ones that were sober?

Supposedly you can see faces in painting...
But "you HAVE to take 2 pictures!!"

The Word

2008-10-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do with B is to gather our bibles, journals, and of course my camera.. and just go sit at Starbucks and read together. I get so much from reading The Word with him. Today was one of those days where the opportunity popped up and we immediately grabbed it and ran.

(Seriously THE MOST attractive thing EVER^^^)

Brett got in on the sunglass action

Butt Sniffing and Warm Sand

2008-10-17T13:51:00.000-07:00

Blue skies, warm sand, crashing waves, big pink tongues, running wet balls of hair chasing each other, butt sniffing, and proud owners meeting and showing off their pups.

I love dog beach. So did Makita... Samba didn't really know how to process the whole thing (He's our socially retarded dog). But we had a great day nonetheless. There's just something so cute about dogs chasing each other in the sand.