Our Valentine Weekend

Jesse and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day this year. It's about time! We spent our first Valentine's Day in the emergency room when Jesse had a fever of 104*, and then last year, we were both either at work, or in classes or meetings until nearly midnight, after which we weren't allowed to be in each other's rooms because of "privacy hours!" I was determined to set our first married Valentine's Day on the right foot.

Jesse was gone at a DCE Midyear Retreat from Wednesday thru Friday last week, so I took the opportunity to go down to San Diego to visit my friend Emily (I'll work on writing about that on my own blog) I had a wonderful time with Em (my friend of 17 years!) and Jesse was refreshed by getting to be with all his friends from his DCE graduating class, swap stories and share ideas.

Since I dropped Jesse off on Wednesday and took the car down to San Diego with me, I got to pick him up in Irvine on Friday. I arrived in Irvine just in time to join all the DCEs for dinner at Steelhead (which I'd never been to before but is a brewery much like BJ's).It was so good to be near him again! It was hard to resist the urge to cover him with kisses at the table!

We hadn't planned anything in advance for celebrating Valentine's Day together. I'm against any restaurant that jacks its prices $30-60 just for a holiday, so we had talked about putting together a picnic basket and taking it to the park or something (great plans when the weather forecast rain all weekend!)

Little did he know...

Before I drove to Steelhead, I popped into a Cheesecake Factory in Irvine and picked up our favorite cheesecake. Then I drove to the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach and set up the room I had booked days ago with cheesecake, wine, candles, and a basket of gifts. (Don't worry, I didn't spend an exorbitant amount! There was some huge deal going on last week, and I got a great bargain).

Here is our beautiful room!




My valentine basket for Jesse full of corny gifts/notes (Hershey's Kisses with a tag that said "I love your kisses," Fruit Gushers "you make me gush," Moon Sand--like playdoh--that said "you're outta this world!" etc)




Wine and cheesecake!



Jesse was so surprised! It worked out perfectly, actually. While we were at Steelhead for dinner, I whispered that I had special dessert reservations at a nice place at 7:45 (totally the truth!). I drove there, and he was so engrossed in telling me everything that he had done that week that he had no clue where we were until I pulled up and a valet opened his car door! That was when I handed him our room key too. It was perfect!






Actual Valentine's Day was pretty perfect, too. We slept in since we had stayed up late enjoying the pool/spa that was on our floor, and then when we woke up, we checked out and headed to Corona Del Mar.

Corona Del Mar has been our favorite beach forever (ok, except for the one Jesse first asked me to date him and then proposed to me at!). We went there all the time while we were at Concordia. I loved going because I reeeeeeeeeeally miss living near the beach, and Jesse was always happy to take me there because it made me happy. If I took the time, I could probably find 15+ pictures of us there over the past 2 years, but Lost is on in a little bit, and I don't want to miss it :) Anyway, here are pictures of our Valentine's Day at the beach!


On the way to the beach, we stopped by our old haunt, Bruegger's Bagels and bought bagels and smoothies to take with us to the shore. We sat up here on this bench to enjoy the view with our breakfast before going down to the water.




Gorgeous Day!




Happy feet :)



Ok, and this has nothing to do with our romantic weekend, but it cracked me up and I had to share it! Jesse and I were relaxing on the sand, and this guy in a wetsuit walks by with his dog. As we talked to him, we found out that he doesn't surf, he just loves his dog, and his dog loves the water. "But it's too cold for me," the man told us, "so this is our compromise!" I really thought that it was funny that he would go through the effort of walking around in a wetsuit just so he could follow the rules and keep his dog on a leash while letting his dog surf the waves! Talk about devotion...


We enjoyed laying out on the sand, and also walking along the jetti. It was such a beautiful day (forget the weatherman!), things couldn't have been more wonderful.

So happy, so in love!

Time Flies

I know the saying goes "time flies when you're having fun," but it seems to fly pretty well enough when you're sick, too!

It's been an interesting couple of weeks. I finished student teaching on January 16th, but spent the majority of that week sick (teaching with no voice is not fun!) and passed it on to Jesse too. We've both been pretty under the weather ever since.

In the past week, we've both made trips to the doctor to try to find out what's going on. I had very swollen lymph nodes around my neck, a terrible cold, and Jesse and I both have sinus infections. We're on the meds now, so hopefully will be on the mend soon :)

I got frustrated yesterday about being sick for nearly three weeks now, and complained that I had been hoping to use this time when I don't have a job to get a lot of things done around the house. Jesse agreed with me that of course it's not fun to be sick, but also reminded me to be thankful for having this time to allow myself to be sick--instead of trying to keep going while I'm feeling this way.

It's a wonderful feeling to be free from student teaching. I loved the experience and the opportunity to learn, but it's so exciting to realize that from now on, whenever I work as a teacher, I'll get paid for it! After four months of full time teaching with no pay, this is an exhilaratingly wonderful feeling!

It's been a long four months. It took a lot for me to be able to let go of being self-supported (I've worked full time since I was 17) and to trust that God would get us through on Jesse's earnings. I've learned a lot about trust lately, and a lot about letting go! I'm so thankful to have Jesse as a husband and know that I can trust in him to provide for me. God does an amazing job of that for both of us, too!

Since I am without a job right now, I will be working very hard in the next few weeks to find positions as a substitute teacher. It's not the most thrilling idea to me, but that's pretty much all that's available this far into the year. I have sent my resume to a couple of private schools, but will also be making trips to different public school districts to get my name on their lists too.

Anyway, please pray that positions will open up for me! Also, please pray that whatever big, bad sickies Jesse and I have will go away soon!

Happy New Year!

Don't think we're crazy, but....we camped out at the Rose Parade this year!
When we found out that we only lived about 6 miles away from the Rose Parade route, we decided we had to do it at least once! Most people we talked to before going laughed at us and told us that it was kind of a one time thing--like we'd get it out of our system after this. We weren't sure what to expect, but I'm so glad we went!

Our friends Kelly Warneke and Jesse Sipan joined us for the celebration, and we all headed out to the route to claim our spot around 4pm the day before. We came equipped with sleeping bags, jackets warm enough to weather a blizzard, hats, gloves, and tons of food. Here's a peek at our car if you didn't believe me!


It was especially fun to be at the parade in person because we actually helped out with a few of the floats! Jesse and I went with a group from church to Pasadena Sunday before last to work on floats. It was a lot of fun. I had never done it before, but Jesse's been doing it for years, so he's a pro!

Here we are working on floats!

The Alhambra float

Jesse and Jesse grilling our dinner

The girls set up camp

Jesse and Kelly

Us


Our front row seats! We were right on the curb and had a great view of the whole parade.
It was so much fun to be there!

There it is!

Christmas

Well, I'm sitting on the couch with a glass of wine and the amazing salad I made for myself a few minutes ago (Jesse's leading youth group right now, and no, he won't mind missing out on this feta-topped balsamic goodness), and nothing on tv is as interesting as my memories right now.

Christmas was wonderful. Jesse and I both felt better in the morning than we did on Christmas Eve, and we were able to drive up to Oxnard to be with my family in time for opening presents. Jesse's mom joined us up there, and we all had a wonderful time!


Our First Christmas Tree!


Clowning up at Mom and Dad's :)


Dad and Mom


My Favorite Christmas Morning Hooligans


Momma B


Our 3rd Christmas together, but...
So happy to be MARRIED this Christmas!

Reminiscing

Jesse proposed to me a year ago today. I get such happy feelings thinking about that moment, those feelings, and the true excitement of beginning our "happily ever after."
I woke up this morning realizing that the "happy feelings" I have these days are far more wonderful than what I felt a year ago. Back then it was anticipation, looking forward to the unknown. Now I know what it's like to wake up in the arms of the one I love, start each day with a kiss, go through the whole day looking forward to being reunited at home, sharing dinner and the evening together, talking about the day's events and the funny thoughts in our minds before curling up together and waiting for morning again.
I don't know how I could love him more than I do today...but I've said that before :)

Today was a very different day from what I expected. Jesse woke up with a sinus infection, and I woke up with what feels like the stomach flu. We spent most of the day sitting on the couch together working on Christmas presents (we only actually purchased 4 gifts this year--the rest are homemade, which takes a lot of work!)
So much for the romantic trip to downtown that we had talked about, or dressing up and going out for dinner...but at the same time, it's still nice to sit next to each other and take care of one another. It's even wonderful to be in love when you're sick!

Hopefully we both feel better tomorrow, when we head up to Oxnard to spend Christmas day with my family. We probably won't make the trip to the beach (where Jesse proposed) as we had planned unless we're feeling much better. It's kind of become a tradition. Jesse proposed at the same spot on the beach where he asked me to date him the year before that. We've only been together for two years. How crazy is that?!? Sometimes, I can't remember life before him.

Here's a walk through time with us :)

Merry Christmas!


Exactly two years ago today! Christmas Eve 2006 at my parents' house (a week after we began dating)


Moments after Jesse proposed a year ago today


Back at Mom and Dad's--so happy!


Engagement picture my sister Kate took of us


Our wedding day! Can't believe it's already been six months...at the same time, I can't believe we haven't been married forever!


Six months


On our way to church tonight...sick, but still happy :O)

Merry Christmas!

Celebrating Six Months!

December is a busy month with lots of special dates to celebrate for us. We have December 16th, the day Jesse asked me to date him 2 years ago (how crazy is that? only two years!); our first kiss on December 17th (tmi?); December 24th, the day Jesse proposed last year; and since we were married on June 8th, December 8th is our "6 Monthiversary."

We celebrated our six months of marriage on the 8th. It was a Monday, so I had time to get home from teaching and set up the house before Jesse came home from leading youth group. I pulled our round table to the center of the den, set it with our wedding Lenox (I was corrected by my Ami last time I called it our china. "If you're lucky enough to have Lenox, you call it Lenox," she told me.) I also put out the champagne from our wedding and our beautiful cake top that our friend Nicolene made for us (I know that's technically supposed to be a One Year sort of thing, but we need the freezer room, and I'm hoping to take Jesse to the Grand Canyon to celebrate one year).



Jesse came home to a stereo playing music from our wedding reception, a fire in the fireplace, and a wife pulling a new dish out of the oven. It's so wonderful to be married!


Jesse with our champagne


Our beautiful wedding cake! Too pretty to eat...almost ;-)


Life is wonderful...God is wonderful...Here's to the rest of our lives!

Our First Thanksgiving

What a wonderful day!

Jesse and I were so excited to share our first Thanksgiving with both of our families. We had a full house! Jesse's mom came, as well as my dad and mom, and Jon, Kate and Laura. And both sets of grandparents came! Gramma and Papa Don, and Ami and Papa Chuck were all there to celebrate with us. We have so much to be thankful for!

Here are some pictures from our wonderful day:

Dad, Jon, Mom, Gramma, Kate, and Laura hanging out in the kitchen where all the good food was happening :)


Papa Don, Ami, Bianca and Jesse


Exciting about our first Thanksgiving!


Jesse and Dad carving the turkey


The north end of the table


The south end of the table


Aaaaaand the tryptophan sets in... :)


That's one packed car for the way home!

We had such a wonderful time. I've just been glowing with happiness ever since. I'm so thankful for our wonderful family, and for the fact that we live near enough to all of them to host at our home! We truly are blessed.

True Thanksgiving

I received a call at school today. They announced it over the loud speakers: "Bethany Brubaker, there is an important phone call for you in the office." No one has the number to the school I'm student teaching at. I'll only be there for 2 more months, and anyone that needs to get ahold of me can call my cell phone. As I walked to the office, I was sure that someone must have died.
The secretary met me with a grim face, holding her hands primly in front of her and announced, "I must inform you...your husband has been in an accident."

He wasn't on the other line when I picked up the phone, and when I tried to call him back, he didn't answer. The secretary said that Jesse had made sure that she would let me know that he was ok, but not being able to talk to him myself terrified me. Finally, he called my cell phone, and the minute I knew where he was, I was in the car to go be with him.

Strange how things like this happen. We had had lunch together just an hour before. For the first time since I began student teaching, we randomly decided to meet for lunch and enjoy a little bit of togetherness on what is usually a very long day apart from each other. He was on his way back to the office.

I don't even truly understand what happened, but I saw both of the cars this afternoon--totaled. Jesse is crushed that his car is gone, but I'm just so thankful that he is alive!

Today was a reminder to me of how fragile life is. How precious! Jesse and I have nearly been married for 6 months now, and I don't believe that I take anything for granted, but I was reminded today how blessed we are to have each other, how wonderful it is to be in love, to have someone to depend on like I can with Jesse, someone to laugh with, to share every beautiful little part of life with...and how quickly it can all be taken away.

So easily. God really had His hand on the events of today. If I had seen Jesse's car before I saw him and knew that he was ok, I would have expected to be taken to the hospital--or to be told that it was already too late. I can't believe that Jesse came out unscathed--beside a small friction burn on his wrist that he got when the airbag deployed.

We can even be thankful that the other man involved in the accident was such a great guy. He and Jesse were sitting together in a restaurant waiting for me to come pick Jesse up, so I got to meet him. Apparently, he just got back from teaching in the Congo, and is headed to Thailand in January for two years. No sticky arguments or awkward situations. They were both so genuine and warm.

We have a houseful of people coming over tomorrow for Thanksgiving. There is so much to be thankful for! But tonight, what I'm most thankful for, is that my husband is safe, he's at home and unharmed, and that as soon as I post this blog, I get to go curl up in his arms.

Untangling

I started a new blog today. I realized that too often, I'm tempted to write about my thoughts and achievements, when the main point of this blog was to let loved ones know about the things that Jesse and I have been up to together.

Nothing's going to change; I will still be posting here with news about the two of us, but I will also be keeping a blog of my own to share my ideas, newest achievements as a homemaker, latest adventures in the kitchen, and all the crazy things that go on in my head.

I know that some of you are following this blog, so I won't add you to follow my new one, but if you would like to, please let me know!

love, Bethany

time to check out http://happyhomemakerme.blogspot.com/

C'est si Bon

One of my goals for this week is to finally order some wedding pictures so that we can frame a few and put them around the house (and save the other gazillion of them until I have time to scrapbook!). I spent about an hour this afternoon going through our photos and was simply mesmerized by the beauty of our wedding day. It never stops surprising me! We'll be celebrating 6 months of marriage in a few weeks, and I still can't describe how blissfully happy I am to be married.

The days just fly by! This time last year, we weren't even engaged. And a year ago in September, we were thinking we would have to wait until after my student teaching to get married. I'm so glad we didn't! Even though it would be SO much easier to start our married life when I actually had a paying job, neither of us would change things if we had a chance. Yeah, it's hard to live off of one income, but we're making it! We're hoping to be able to put everything that I earn in the future aside so that we can save it to buy our first home. I can't wait to have a job!

I actually cracked last week and went to the mall to pick up as many job applications as I could. I'm tired of not having a paying job, and since I was 15, I've never been without a steady income. Concordia doesn't want Student Teachers to be working--Student Teaching IS our job. But I figured that since I worked full time all the way through college, I could handle both. I'm not sure exactly what kept me from turning in those applications, but I'm thankful that I didn't. This part of Student Teaching is a lot more demanding than the last was. Third Grade comes with a lot more planning, and I also arrived just in time to be part of parent-teacher conferences and report cards. It will be good to learn how to do all of these things, and for now, I just have to be content with that.
January 13th is the projected last day of my student teaching. After that, it's on to filing for my credential, and substitute teaching until I can find a position.
Jesse has been so supportive--and I'm so thankful for that!

We've really been praying for families affected by all the fires in California right now. It has affected so many people that we know, and the speed and ferocity of the fire is terrifying. I'm thankful that other that a lot of smoke and ash, we have not been affected in Rosemead, and all of the fires seem to be far away from our little home.

This last Friday night was a lot of fun. The church had its annual Harvest Festival, and Jesse and I both got to take part. I helped out with a Cake Walk (I had never done one before!) and Jesse stole the show with the dunk tank! Every time I got a break from the Cake Walk, I ran out to see Jesse sitting above a tank of water waiting for someone to hit the target and send him splashing into the water below. It was the funniest thing! I sure wish I had pictures to share with you...but I forgot my camera that night.

Jesse is heading out of town this weekend for a DYG (District Youth Gathering). He is taking some high schoolers with him and should have a lot of fun. I always do my best to keep myself busy while he is gone, and this time, one of my friends is coming over Friday night to keep me company, and then on Saturday, I'm going with my family to see my brother Jon star as "John" in Biola's production of Peter Pan. Then my two sisters are coming home with me to help decorate for Thanksgiving and have some good "sister time."

Sometimes, I hear from friends who have moved off to new places (such as New Zealand, Vietnam, and Texas) and think of how much fun it would be to embark on an adventure like that. And then I realize how wonderful it is to be so close to all of our family and friends--what a blessing! Our life right here is our own little adventure :)

Just because I'm reminiscing...