from The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

They crossed the desert for another two days in silence. The alchemist had become much more cautious, because they were approaching the area where the most violent battles were being waged. As they moved along, the boy tried to listen to his heart.

It was not easy to do; in earlier times, his heart had always been ready to tell its story, but lately that wasn't true. There had been times when his heart spent hours telling of its sadness, and at other times it became so emotional over the desert sunrise that the boy had to hide his tears. His heart beat fastest when it spoke to the boy of treasure, and more slowly when the boy stared entranced at the endless horizons of the desert. But his heart was never quiet, even when the boy and the alchemist had fallen into silence.

"Why do we have to listen to our hearts?" the boy asked, when they had made camp that day.

"Because, wherever your heart is, that is where you'll find your treasure."

"But my heart is agitated," the boy said. "It has its dreams, it gets emotional, and it's become passionate over a woman of the desert. It asks things of me, and it keeps me from sleeping many nights, when I'm thinking about her."

"Well, that's good. Your heart is alive. Keep listening to what it has to say."

During the next three days, the two travelers passed by a number of armed tribesmen, and saw others on the horizon. The boy's heart began to speak of fear. It told him stories it had heard from the Soul of the World, stories of men who sought to find their treasure and never succeeded. Sometimes it frightened the boy with the idea that he might not find his treasure, or that he might die there in the desert. At other times, it told the boy that it was satisfied: it had found love and riches.

"My heart is a traitor," the boy said to the alchemist, when they had paused to rest the horses. "It doesn't want me to go on."

"That makes sense," the alchemist answered. "Naturally it's afraid that, in pursuing your dream, you might lose everything you've won."

"Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?"

"Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you're thinking about life and about the world."

"You mean I should just listen, even if it's treasonous?"

"Treason is a blow that comes unexpectedly. If you know your heart well, it will never be able to do that to you. Because you'll know its dreams and wishes, and will know how to deal with them.

"You will never be able to escape from your heart. So it's better to listen to what it has to say. That way, you'll never have to fear an unanticipated blow."

The boy continued to listen to his heart as they crossed the desert. He came to understand its dodges and tricks, and to accept it as it was. He lost his fear, and forgot about his need to go back to the oasis, because, one afternoon, his heart told him that it was happy. "Even though I complain sometimes, " it said, "it's because I'm the heart of a person, and people's hearts are that way. People are afraid to pursue their most important dreams, because they feel that they don't deserve them, or that they'll be unable to achieve them. We, their hearts, become fearful just thinking of loved ones who go away forever, or of moments that could have been good but weren't, or of treasures that might have been found but were forever hidden in the sands. Because, when these things happen, we suffer terribly."

"My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy told the alchemist one night as they looked up at the moonless sky.

"Tell your heart that the fear of suffering is worse than the suffering itself. And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity."

"Every second of the search is an encounter with God," the boy told his heart. "When I have been truly searching for my treasure, every day has been luminous, because I've known that every hour was a part of the dream that I would find it. When I have been truly searching for my treasure, I've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepherd to achieve."

So his heart was quiet for an entire afternoon. That night, the boy slept deeply, and, when he awoke, his heart began to tell him things that came from the Soul of the World. It said that all people who are happy have God within them. And that happiness could be found in a grain of sand from the desert, as the alchemist had said. Because a grain of sand is a moment of creation, and the universe has taken millions of years to create it. "Everyone on earth has treasure that awaits him," his heart said. "We, people's hearts, seldom say much about those treasures, because people no longer want to go in search of them. We speak of them only to children. Later, we simply let life proceed, in its own direction, toward its own fate. But, unfortunately, very few follow the path laid out for them--the path to their Personal Legends, and to happiness. Most people see the world as a threatening place, and, because they do, the world turns out, indeed, to be a threatening place.

"So, we, their hearts, speak more and more softly. We never stop speaking out, but we begin to hope that our words won't be heard: we don't want people to suffer because they don't follow their hearts."

"Why don't people's hearts tell them to continue to follow their dreams?" the boy asked the alchemist.

"Because that's what makes a heart suffer most, and hearts don't like to suffer."

From then on, the boy understood his heart. He asked it, please, never to stop speaking to him. He asked that, when he wandered far from his dreams, his heart press him and sound the alarm. The boy swore that, every time he heard the alarm, he would heed the message.

and the winner is ...

Congrats to Matt Damon for taking the new top spot in an original and unscientific Heidi Weston poll. This summer's The Bourne Ultimatum was the overwhelming winner of the "Best Sequel" poll, garnering a full 60% of the votes. It looks like I'm definitely going to have to go see it now.

Please take time to vote in my new poll! More important results count on you.

the party weekend

The Birthday Party

Heidi, Dorie and Cori

On Friday night six of us girls went out on the town to celebrate Gabbie's and Darcy's 30th birthdays (Gabbies's was Oct. 10, Darcy's is today, Oct. 29). We ate at a restaurant called La Creperie, in downtown Long Beach. And we had a great time chatting and eating ... and chatting some more. I'm loving getting to know these girls better and better. We should probably come up with reasons other than birthdays to get out without the husbands and kids.

Gabbie, Darcy and Lindsay


The Wedding

On Saturday, friends of ours from our Bible study got married! Ryan and Michelle were married at 1:30 in La Habra Heights. It was a beautiful ceremony with a beautiful bride (and fantastic bridesmaid dresses). They're in Orlando this week on their honeymoon. Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day!

Ryan and Michelle's first dance.

The girls: Darcy, Cori, Michelle, Dori, Heidi, Gabbie


The Homecoming

Mom and Dad are finally home! And on Sunday we partied with the family. We had appetizers and lunch and dessert together, and we got a slide show of the trip, as well as some much-needed family time.

Amy and Hans

David and Rachel

Caleb and Heidi

Jon and Julie (they came up all the way from San Diego!)

best commercial on TV

It doesn't make me want to switch to Kaiser, but it sure makes me think well of their advertising team.

things i learned traveling to florida

1. When tired enough, it is possible to sleep sitting straight up, squashed between two strangers, for a full five hours.
2. Orlando has a very nice airport.
3. Though the weather is disgustingly hot and humid, and often makes you want to jump into any nearby body of water regardless of the alligators that might dwell there, its great for the skin.
4. DisneyWorld could quite possibly be better than Disneyland.
5. It is possible to enjoy the sunrise on the east coast, then drive to the west coast and watch the sun set. Its called the "sunrise/sunset" tour, and we agreed would be a great tour on which to be proposed to.
6. Its hard to keep your directional bearings in a completely flat state. (Florida's highest point is just over 300 feet above sea level.)
7. Therefore its important to bring a map when traveling to new and different places.
8. However, if you DO get lost, there are countless book stores, gas stations and convenience shops to stop for directions or to check out a map. (Just be mindful of shady characters.)
9. The heat and humidity is just as bad on the beach as it is inland.
10. Thunderclouds make for beautiful sunsets.
11. Hammocks are a wonderful way to relax.
12. Vacations should always last at least four days.
13. Catching up with old friends can be sweet music to the soul.
14. 130 pounds makes for a really big Labrador.
15. Dark chocolate ice cream tastes great with peanut butter cups and Nestle crunch mixed in.
16. Air conditioning was one of the finest inventions of all time.
17. Coming home after being away is ALSO sweet music to the soul.

The End

I have come to the end of my time in Florida. Despite the crushing heat and humidity, its been a great trip. Kimberly and I have had lots of time to catch up and hang out, and its felt just like old times. In fact, even the weather here is reminiscent of our lives overseas, and the weekend has felt nostalgic of sorts. I leave for the airport in about half an hour and begin the long trek home. Hopefully I won't be TOO wiped out at work tomorrow. Ta-ta for now!

Day 3 in FL

Today I got to spend some good time with some old friends. In college I had two amazing girlfriends whose friendships will always be dear to me. One of them is Darcy, who moved to Orlando eight years ago. And so its seldom we get a chance to get together and catch up ... but today we had that chance. She and her husband Brent met me for lunch by 1:00, after church, and we spent the next four hours talking, catching up, and eating ice cream.

Me on Brent and Darcy's patio. We tried catching the downpour in the picture, but it turned out a bit hard to capture. But trust me, it was POURING.

This is Darcy with their dog Dexter. Dexter is a a 130-pound Labrador Retriever. He's HUGE, but so well-behaved, he's great to have around.

Brent and Darcy.

Heidi and Darcy.

day 2 in FL

Yesterday Kimberly and I spent the day shopping and spending time in the Disney resort. We started at the outlet center and found some great deals at the Banana Republic outlet store. Then we headed over to the Polynesian Resort Hotel at Disney. From there we took a boat on the lake over to the Floridian Hotel, found a hammock on the beach and relaxed and chatted the afternoon away. Then we found a California Pizza Kitchen and had a late dinner. Another great day in hot, muggy, rainy Orlando.

This is the Floridian Hotel at Disney's HUGE Orlando resort. Its a BEAUTIFUL hotel. We saw at least two weddings while we were there.

I sat in water to take this picture.

Kimberly on the hammock on the beach.

Unfortunately, this is the best view we got of this sunset, while we waited for the monorail to take us back to the Polynesian resort. As you can see, it was BEAUTIFUL.

This is me just outside the Polynesian. So Disney in its perfection.

1st day in FL

After flying all night Thursday night, I arrived in Orlando at 6:12 a.m., Florida time. Surprisingly enough, despite having a middle seat on the flight, I slept the entire way. However, 6:12 still felt like the 3:12 it actually was in California ... and I was pretty groggy as I went looking for my one checked bag and calling Kimberly to come pick me up. Sweet Kimberly, the good friend that she is, had forgotten to turn her phone back on from being on silent the night before, and so didn't hear my 30 phone calls or my 3 text messages. She awoke lazily and on her own around 7:15, at which time she realized, to her horror, her mistake, and quickly drove over to the airport to get me. In the end, I only sat waiting for her for about an hour. We mostly laughed about it, and after she got me back to her house she let me sleep for another 3 hours. See, she really IS sweet.

She woke me up around noon, and after a shower and some lunch, we finally got ourselves up and out of the house. Kimberly has lived here about 2 years and still had never been to Tampa, so we decided to drive down there. The trip should have taken about 90 minutes, but due to some seriously bad traffic in Tampa, and having forgotten to bring a map OR directions, it was a couple hours before we finally found a beach to sit on and watch the sunset. We'd had to stop three times for directions, and once for a snack, but by the time we were sitting it was quite pleasant to watch the pelicans dive-bomb the waves and the people strolling back and forth along the white sand. Also, despite all the time spent in the car, it was great catch-up time and the conversation never stopped during our entire outing.

After dinner in a Crab Shack restaurant, we got a bit lost on our way home, too. We finally arrived back at the house around 11, and we both crashed. I slept until 10 a.m.! I guess I needed the sleep.

Today as I write, I'm still in my pajamas and its already 11:31. We've had breakfast and watched CSI. Now we need to shower and head out for the day's adventures. Today will just be girl fun with some shopping, maybe a pedicure and Kimberly's favorite Orlando restaurant. Despite its few mishaps and lost ways, its SO great to be here and get some good time with an old friend. I'll write more soon!

This was the view as we walked out on to the beach.

There's our chairs.

Me on the beach.

Kimberly on a bench outside the restaurant where we ate dinner.

off to Orlando, FL

This weekend I am heading to Orlando to visit my good friend Kimberly. You might remember her from my wedding. (See picture. I intend on getting some more updated photos this weekend.) Kimberly and I lived and worked together in China, and during that time became very good friends. Its funny, too, because the first time we met, we each had a pretty distinct dislike for the other. I'm always amused at what shared experiences with foreign food, a strange culture, and intense ministry situations can do for a relationship. It took us almost the entire first year we worked together to forge a truly deep friendship, but the time and effort resulted in one of the dearest relationships I can claim.

Kimberly works for the Jesus Film, a well-known division of Campus Crusade for Christ. For the last couple of years she has been leading trips into remote areas of various countries in the Middle East and Africa to show the Jesus Film. Not long ago their Mission Viejo office was dissolved and moved to CCC headquarters in Orlando. Unfortunately for me, Kimberly was moved along with her office equipment. And so, though we're no longer separated by an ocean, we're now separated by the entire span of the United States.

This evening I hop on a Delta Air flight at 10:20 p.m. and fly overnight, non-stop fortunately, to Orlando. I arrive at 6:00 a.m. Florida time. Thunderstorms are expected Friday and Saturday. The weather all weekend is expected to be in the high 80s/low 90s (click on the link for proof). And humid. I don't care for humid. But, so it goes. At least I can pull out my summer clothes one last time this year.

I will also get to see an old friend from college, Darcy, while I'm in town. She and I were really good friends in college. After she graduated, she joined staff with CCC, and not long after that they moved her and her husband Brent to headquarters in Orlando. I'm looking forward to catching up with them as well.

I'm very much looking forward to my trip. There was a time when I was on an airplane about every three months, going somewhere for something, but now its been a long time since I've done anything like this. Please pray for event-free travel for me, good connection time for me and Kimberly and Darcy, and a not-too-lonely weekend for Caleb. I'll be gone four days and four nights, not returning until 9:30 Monday night.

If I don't have time to update this over the weekend, you can be sure I will once I return.

when the hubby's away the wifey will play

I love to redecorate. And sometimes, I get things in my head ... and they won't go away. Like how it would be cool if my bedroom were a different color. And then of course, if the bedroom were a different color, I should probably paint the bathroom to match. And those cabinets have needed to be painted for a long time. And that door with the peeling paint, that should be fixed.

Well, and besides, wouldn't it be fun to have a new room to go with that new quilt for our bed we just bought?? Of course it would! And Caleb's leaving for the men's retreat this weekend. What will I do with myself for an entire two and a half days?? Maybe I'll redecorate, that sounds like fun! I could surprise Caleb with a whole new room upon his return.

I had originally planned to do all the prep and the primer on Friday night ... but got lured into a trip to Disneyland with a friend instead. We had a great time. I don't regret the decision one bit. Saturday morning I awoke at 9. I took two one-hour breaks during the day, and wasn't in bed until 11. There were little things to finish up on Sunday morning, but for the most part I completed this whole project in one day. Today my muscles are still protesting, but they'll get over it. Here's the story in pictures:

This is the "Before" picture. The wall with the window behind the bed was not going to be painted. Partly because I thought it would be cool to leave it blue, partly because there was no way in you-know-where I was going to move that bed by myself. So I taped the corner to avoid painting onto that wall.

This is the bathroom. Also "Before." See how boring those cabinets are?

This is the bathroom door that desperately needed painting. This was also the one thing I told Caleb I'd wanted to do over the weekend. This was the only thing he knew for sure I would be working on.

This is the door with primer. I got most of that old paint off but it still needed desperately to have primer over it first. It then took me three coats of white glossy paint to get it looking flashy. But, oh, does it look good now!

This is the part I hated the most. I'd rather climb a 14,000-foot mountain than a 10-foot ladder. With every climb up there I kept envisioning "falling and not being able to get up." But there are high parts to our ceiling that no chair would allow me to reach. The walls of the bedroom had to be primered and then painted, so I had to use the ladder twice for every unreachable spot.

I debated about showing this picture to the masses (its less than flattering) ... but what other proof would you have that it was I, and I alone, who affected this room's transformation?

The cabinets are finally red. RED! Every room should have a splash of red. This red is called Cherry Cobbler. It matches the new quilt perfectly. The walls of the bathroom are now Parisian Taupe. Its a lovely shade. Makes me want to eat a baguette.

Well, now that the bathroom walls are done, the door is painted and the cabinets are red, its time to go back to the bedroom walls, back to the 10-foot ladder, and paint the walls. What color do they need to be? How about the color of Hershey's kisses? The color is called Chocolate Cocoa. It demanded to be chosen, merely for its name. Seriously, when I opened the paint can I was almost tempted to take a big drink ... it looked like liquid chocolate. But fear not, I refrained from a Nadia moment, and only put the paint on the walls.

As it started to really go on ... I started to almost laugh at myself. What was I thinking??? We're going to be sleeping in a CAVE. Oh, but I love it! I hope Caleb loves it too. Its rich and inviting and cozy feeling. Well, and it makes me want to eat chocolate. How could this color possibly be wrong?

Here's the finished bathroom. Only as I was taking this picture did I realize I'd completely forgotten the side edges of the cabinet doors. I was extremely annoyed with myself, but too tired to really care or do anything about it. I'll fix it later.

Here it is, in all its glory. The new quilt, which demanded a new room. There's the chocolate brown walls with the blue unpaintable wall. I think it turned out even better than I'd hoped.

One more view of the room. Do you love it?? I know you love it. I know all you want to do now is go out and paint your OWN room like a cave. You won't regret it, I promise.

rockin' out with Jars of Clay

Last night Caleb and I went to a Jars of Clay concert at the House Of Blues at Downtown Disney. )It was one of his birthday presents.) It was quite possibly the best concert I've been to this summer (of the three). The House of Blues is a small venue, and we had to stand for the entire event. But despite aching feet and a sore back, I fully enjoyed myself. They sounded in concert just like they do on their CDs (my own gauge as to whether or not they're actually good at what they do). And the lead singer was more fun to watch than, than ... a baseball game! (Sorry honey.) The stage was set up with the keyboard and drums in the back corners, which left a huge space between them and the three microphones set up at the front. It seemed a bit odd. But then the band started to play, and as soon as the first song began to play, we learned the reason for the makeshift dance floor. Dan Haseltine, the lead singer, jumps and dances around like he's in a one-man mosh pit! He's all over the place, sometimes taking the mic stand with him, always with the mic in his hand, and singing well all the while. I couldn't figure out if he was a true rock star or missed his calling as a Broadway dancer. Either way, it only took moments to get into the music with him, and I spent the next couple hours singing and clapping along in the sheer joy the music engenders.

If you're not a Jars fan, I encourage you to become one. They've done what few bands are able to accomplish, they've found that balance between having a truly unique sound, and yet mainstream enough to appeal to the masses. They're also very insightful writers, with lyrics that describe every man's most basic questions about life and death, heaven and hell, and the meaning of life.

They're also, for the first time in their illustrious career, releasing a Christmas album! And last night, much to my delight, they sang several songs from the upcoming album (being released October 16). It felt like Christmas! And two things I love in the world are Christmas, and Christmas music. I went online today and pre-ordered the album from their website for just $10! Its a steal, and I recommend you do the same (jarsofclay.com).

If you ever have the chance to see Jars of Clay play in a venue near you, I highly recommend you jump on the opportunity!

monty python days

Sometimes instead of the gym, Caleb and I walk up the hill behind our home to the water tower. Its a good little hike, and it gets us outside in the fresh air. And with the days getting shorter, the walk now includes the sunrise, which is nice.

There are lots of wild bunnies that roam these hills, and this morning as we walked I imagined being attacked by one of these little bunnies like the Killer Rabbit in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. The thought equally amuses and frightens me.

if i won ...

Sometimes I daydream about winning the lottery. And winning really big. Like, millions and millions of dollars. Enough to have LOTS left over after I've given half to the government in taxes and tons away to charities and my church. Then I dream about what I'd do with that money ... I'd buy a house and a new car and a new wardrobe and put tons away for retirement (which would start that week, I think). I'd buy great gifts for friends and families. I'd be really wise with my obscene wealth. I promise.

Then sometimes I think about winning just $100,000. And I find myself disappointed. After all the taxes and the giving, I'd have barely enough for a fancy dinner in Italy! What's the point of winning so little!? And I don't even want it.

I've realized that even in my fantasies I'm greedy. Which is probably why my millions only exist in my fantasies. Yes, they'd make life easier on some levels. But is easier really all that much better? I'm honestly not so sure. After I've gone through the scenarios in my head, and then come back down to reality, I realize that what I already have is pretty good. Not only do I have all my physical needs met, I am rich in relationships and situation, the things money can't buy. The rest will all burn anyway, right?

So, I'm left with thoughts akin to those in the newest cheesy country song, If this is as good as it gets, I'm perfectly happy with it.

New Poll

Please note the new poll on the right. Please take a moment and exercise your right to vote for your favorite sequel of the summer. Results are a matter of grave importance.

The rest of Caleb's birthday

On Saturday night we celebrated Caleb's birthday with my family up at my parents' house. David and Rachel made hamburgers, with buns David made from scratch! Grandma brought the Marie Callender's pies, Joel and Amy brought the drinks, I made lemon bars, Darcy brought a salad, Andrew brought the chips and dip as an appetizer and Amy made sure we had M&M's handy. It was quite the corporate affair, and everyone had a ball.

David and Rachel took care of the main part of the meal ... complete with handmade burgers AND buns!

Perhaps the most fun of the evening was the theme: Transformers! We had Transformers napkins, Transformers dessert plates and Transformers masks. The masks were truly a hit. Every man, no matter his age, certainly has a 6-year old boy living within him. Here are a few pictures, and the rest can be found here.

Grandma and Amy, aka Optimus Prime.

TGIF

Apparently I didn't have quite enough energy to get me through the entire week this week. I had a hard time getting up this morning and have been walking around a bit like a zombie. My first task on arriving at work was to get myself some coffee, which usually helps pull me out of the fog. But apparently my zombie-like reflexes weren't sufficient to keep me from spilling creamer all over the counter; and then 10 minutes later, after that mess was cleaned up, spilling coffee all over my desk and myself. All this within 15 minutes of arriving at work! While I was cleaning up I noticed a stain on my shirt, which I hadn't noticed when I put it on this morning. I wish I could go home and start over, but I have no choice but to plow through. Its just going to be one of those days. I'm trying to keep from moving around much, waiting for the caffeine to kick in and help heal my zombie-like state. I just gotta get to 5:00, then I can go home and climb back into bed and sleep until tomorrow.

Just outside our condo, in the eaves of the car port, there's a spider that has taken up residence. The tenacity of this spider has left me in awe most mornings for the past month. By the end of each day, her web is mostly destroyed. But every morning, as we head out to the gym, it has been completely rebuilt, in perfect symmetry, ready for another day of trapping yummy flies and bugs. If it were me, I would tire of this circular lifestyle, the never-ending task of building and rebuilding. But I am inspired by the spider. Maybe not enough to rebuild anything, but I'm feeling inspired to redecorate something. A little hard work can result in some beautiful symmetry, not to mention dinner.

I think its odd that I can't write neatly with my left hand. Though it seems to be a better typer than my right. And its definitely the prettier hand, what with its diamond adornments and all. Maybe that's its job? To be pretty. I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that simply said, "Stand Still. Be Pretty." If only that paid well. Anyway, I wish I could do more with my left hand. But for me, the right hand is for function, the left for form alone. I suppose I'll have to be content with that set up.

I'm currently reading a book called "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. Its an interesting book that takes place in the Middle Ages. It follows several key characters whose lives interact with the building of a cathedral in England. The building takes several decades to build, and the ups and downs of the building process parallel the lives of those who are involved with it. Its an oddly fascinating story, one you'd think would be boring, and yet has captivated me. There are pages of description about how cathedrals are built and the theories of the day about building such a structure. I'm almost finished, and I anticipate an ending full of meaning ... something along the lines of how our lives can leave lasting impressions on generations to come, like a cathedral built to stand the test of time. I have a sneaking suspicion the "pillars" mentioned in the title have more to do with the strength of the people who build than the building itself.

I have been somewhat discouraged at myself lately. My progress in the weight loss department has been non-existent for at least three months now. I continue to be encouraged at how I've been able to keep off what I've already lost. But I am still at least 15 pounds from my goal, probably 25 from a doctor's goal. But those last 15 pounds are a stubborn bunch. I suppose its not completely their fault. Though I continue to work out regularly, I've found myself with little willpower to avoid things like M&M's and extra cream in my coffee. Its been just enough to keep me from losing anymore. I'm just so pleased with how far I've already come, its hard to keep going. And yet its what I want! I don't want to settle for good when I can have best. So, slowly but surely, I'm getting myself back on the bandwagon. This week has been the best I've had in months, eating-wise. I'm hoping to keep easing myself back into it, and lose that last 15 by Christmas. Or at least the end of January.

Though Southern California doesn't get to enjoy true change of seasons, we're still sitting on the brink of my favorite time of year: Fall. Though the calendar says we're already there, we're still waiting for the weather to fully turn. I can't wait to pull out the knee socks, the corduroy, and everything chocolate brown. Its a cozy season, without being too cold to go outside and enjoy blustery winds and falling leaves.

Three cheers for Fall ... and for Friday! Happy weekend everyone!

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Today is Caleb's 32nd birthday. And I have a small request for any and all reading this ... It would be so great if you had a chance to send him a quick birthday email (or leave a comment on this post). Let's inundate him!

These pictures are from Sunday's celebration up in Thousand Oaks with his family. Today he and I will celebrate with dinner at El Torito Grill and a few presents. And Saturday we're having a small Hammer family birthday gathering. Talk about a birthday week! And this year he doesn't have to share with my dad, who happens to be out of town (His birthday is Sunday.).

That's three candles for the "3" and two candles for the "2". 32!

It took him a while to get these out, being as how they kept relighting themselves.