Good Times with the Giudices

Robert and I just returned home from a wonderful, relaxing weekend with Ben and Mary in Davis, California. The weather was GREAT, (although at a mere 70 degrees I managed to get burnt to a crisp), and Davis was a lovely spring green. We brought Kai and Molly (the doggies) with us and spent lots of time taking walks, playing board games, eating gelatto, eating food, eating snacks- you get the point:) Mary made a deliciously spicy curry dish, homemade pizza, and we even made pumpkin cookies, which Kai soon found and devoured in their entirety. On Sunday we were able to visit their church with them (which we absolutely loved!), and were really moved by the openess and friendliness of all the people. On our way home we made a stop at the Redding IN-N-OUT and quickly crossed into Oregon where it was snowing and a balmy 35 degrees... welcome home!!!

Bye Bye Birdies

Sad day. Robert and I decided to give our chickies to a woman who already has chickens and a great place for them to roam. We absolutely loved having them in our lives for these past ten days, and will never look at chickens the same way again. They are very social little buggers, and I fell in love with my baby chick. But keeping them in a little pen seemed kind of sad, so we decided to do what was best for the chickens. I spent some "farewell" time with them today and took these pictures/movie clips on my camera. Enjoy! We'll miss you Mama and Baby Bird!

Finally...Bedroom Furniture!

So, after 1.5 years of sleeping in a bedroom with a bed on the floor and plastic tubs for nightstands... we're finally sleeping in style:) My wonderful husband spent our whole weekend painting our room, unloading a u-haul (filled with recently bought furniture), and setting up our room. I tried to help, but one thing God did NOT bless me with is muscles, so Robert did most the heavy lifting, and unfortunately hurt his back. But it was worth it (easy for me to say)! We have a beautiful bedroom now... I think it's the most beautiful bedroom I've ever seen. We even bought a real plant and tropical rug to complete the look. I feel so pampered... who needs the Ritz when you've got Hotel Bennington?!

Chickens!

Sunday was a beautiful day in Bend! After months of snow and cold it crept all the way up to 73 degrees; I even managed to get a minor sunburn sitting outside for an hour! So, in honor of the wonderful weather Robert and I decided to take our pup (Kai) for a nice walk along the river. We walked about 3 miles and as Robert was throwing the ball into the water for Kai, we saw something run by out of the corner of our eyes. Upon further inspection I noticed another smaller, faster object: a baby chick. The larger object turned out to be its big white mama. I called Robert over to the brush where I had found them and we also found 7 dead baby chicks. Being the inconsolable animal lovers we are, we decided we just couldn't leave them there to starve and die like their unfortunate siblings/children, so we wrapped them in our sweatshirts and drove them home in our laps. Sunday night they stayed in cat kennels, but on Monday we went to the local feed store and bought all the chicken essentials. Now they're satiated, hydrated, and living it up in a posh chicken condo:) In fact, the mom was so happy she laid a fat, blue egg for us (that's normal for her breed: Ameraruacana)!

Here are some pictures of our new additions to the family...

Grace Men's Retreat

About a month ago I received an e-mail from an elder of Grace Community Fellowship (our church in Eugene), asking if I would be willing to share my testimony at their Men's Retreat. Reluctantly I agreed and last weekend I found myself in front of 75 men (only a handful that I knew) revealing intimate details about my life. The weekend was incredible. Not only did these men rally around me in support and appreciation for my honesty, but they also became vulnerable and shared about their lives. I have to tell you, there is nothing more beautiful (other than my amazing wife) then a room full of men all singing at the top of their lungs in worship to Jesus. The weekend was full of hugs, tears, laughter, and worship. Never have I seen so many men caring so deeply for other men. It was also a challenging weekend. We were challenged to be better leaders in our family, to start taking God more seriously, and to build deeper relationships with other men (relationships like David and Jonathan). One of the most profound bits of wisdom I took from the Men's Retreat is that the love that we show each other is the tangible experience of the awe-inspiring love that God has for us. Isn't God AMAZING!!!!!

Our home...

Since Robert and I spend most of our free time doing projects around the house, I thought I'd post some pictures of the interior so you can all "visit". I've discovered that Robert, aside from being the world's best husband, a superior chef, a great boss, and just an all-around wonderful guy, is also... an electrician! We bought a really fun art-deco chandelier for over our kitchen table and Robert actually figured out how to hang and wire the thing! ... Although he did make ME hold it while he "tested" the wiring. But I think it worked because the house hasn't burned down yet! Our current project is painting our bedroom. After a year and a half of marriage, we FINALLY bought bedroom furniture (sick of using plastic storage tubs as nightstands!) so we need to get the walls ready to complete the look:) And now that Spring is just around the corner and our yard is defrosting and our grasscubes are melting... I think we have a garden to plan!

So when are you coming to visit???