Instagram: Living

Two weeks worth of Instagrams are getting dumped on you all today (or should I start saying "ya'll" since I'm going to be a Southern girl here soon? Or will I be considered and East Coast girl? Do they say y'all in Florida? ...I have so much to learn...)
Aaaanywhoooo, I hope you enjoy this massive photo dump. Even though it's been busy and stressful, it's been really fun as well.




















My grandma Bop (Bobbi) an Doc came down to visit on a Sunday afternoon. We wandered the farmer's market and the Olympia Pier with them and my family in the gorgeous sunshine! It is so true, that there is NO place on earth more beautiful that the Northwest on a sunny day.




At the farmers market we discovered a "lost-and-found tree", which was primarily covered in binkies! =P




SPLURGE DAY
What is a splurge day?
Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappachino with Caramel Sauce




Happy birthday (last week) to my awesome, actress sister Abigail. She hit the bit 18!








I got a super special lunch date with my hubby to celebrate our two year engagement anniversary! <3 And to just spend time together...
We ate at Anthony's Homeport restaurant. I had some of the best clam chowder ever. And since it was sunny, we got to sit on the patio looking out over the port. ...sigh... <3 <3




And we visited the place where Travis proposed at Captial Lake. <3




And I hit a curb and got a flat tire! And my awesome hubby put on the spare, drive it to the shop and it got replaced for less than $100...sigh of relief!




And the packing began...scary!












My aunt, uncle, and 4 cousins and family friends and their four kids just finished riding their bikes across the USA! Yes...all twelve of them ranging from age 8 (!!!) to age...ummmm 30+. =) Virginia Beach, Virginia to Whidbey Island, Washington
We surprised them on the side of the freeway on their last day of riding! It was so good to see them and cheer them on.




Their tandem bikes...6 of them!!! With all their gear hauled on the back.








The amazing gardens at my Great Aunt and Uncle's beach cabin in Marysville. Family reunion time. =)




More. Packing. More. Mess. More. Packing.




Happy birthday to my hubby! 21! Woot! <3 <3




Can you guess what this picture is of?




Leftovers of the BEST white shrimp pasta I have ever made...EVER. FOR REALZ




Once again...happy birthday with pumpkin pie. =)
(His favorite)




Goodbye to my trusty favorite pair of flip flops.
Dear flip flops,
I love you...please don't take it personally. You have served me well, but it just wasn't worth the space to take you the 3000+ miles to Florida.
RIP




Sad, sad day.... I love these girls. <3




Movie with an awesome friend. Go Jeremy Renner. =P lol.




Lunch with my mom, grandma, and aunt! <3 (the bike riding aunt - see above -)




Empty cupboards...we moved out of our apartment an into my inlaws house for four nights.




#thankfulsweetness




#shereadstruth




#shereadstruth




#shereadstruth
My last two weeks...instafied! =P
Haha! I just made up a new word. =)
Be blessed!
<3

Alphabet Week 9: III

Welcome to the iiiiiiii edition of...
*drumroll please*



First Word that Pops into My Head:
Iguana - hahaha!

People I Know:
Ian - I know three! A coworker, a swim lesson kid, and a youth group kid. =)
Ilonka - Travis' grandma

Colors:
Indigo
Ivory (I love this color)

Favorites:
iPhone
iPad
iPod
i...anything =)
Ironman (Just from "The Avengers" - I haven't seen the Ironman movies yet...I really, REALLY need want to...)
I Love Lucy - Hilarious!
Instruments
Ideas =P (Am I getting a little to theoretical here?)

Dictionary Word I didn't Know:
Hackmatack - Woods, dense forest of interwoven shrubbery of tamarack or other conifers
...interesting...

Food:
Icecream...I want some SOOO bad! It's been like a month since I had any on my free day
Iced Tea (I need to make some...)
Iced Coffee (with milk, no sweetener - my drink of choice since the sugar fast /\ /\ /\ )
Irish Cream - One of the best coffee flavors out there!
Italian Salad Dressing
Ice


=) This was more entertaining than I thought it would be...I mean, come on. How much can you do with the letter "i"?  More than I thought, apparently!
Be blessed.
<3

Alphabet Week 8: HHH

Welcome to another edition of...




First Word that Pops into My Head:
Home...
*tears*

People I Know:
Hannah - I know a few, but am not close to any of them
Hailey - I know a couple sinking cute Hailey's in the youth group
Hans - Yep...one of my fellow youth leaders' brothers, who happens to be a pastor
Heather - I have two bosses named Heather as well as one of my very closest friends
Hunter - Yep, Hunter. Another kid from youth group

Colors:
Hether
Heliotrope
Han Purple (Seriously? Who knew this was a color name?!?!?!)
Harelquin

Favorites:
Home
High-Dives
Hellos (not goodbyes)
Handbags
Hubby!!!
Helium Balloons

Dictionary Word I didn't Know:
Hackmatack - Woods, dense forest of interwoven shrubbery of tamarack or other conifers
...interesting...

Food:
Honey
Hummus
Habenero Peppers
Ham
HAMBURGERS!!!
Hashbrowns
Hazelnuts
Hot fudge
Hot Chocolate
...yum


=) This is always entertaining...at least for me. I hope it is for you too!
Be blessed.
<3

Instagram: Craaaaazzzzzy Awesome Week

Day hike with the youth group!

Beautiful re-gram from my sister Anna. These are all flowers from my parent's gardens!

#SheReadsTruth this week - I'm loving Proverbs!

Ice skating with wonderful friends!

Then we went to Krispy Kreme. That is the doughnut I would have had if I hadn't already used my free-day for the week. So I had Coke Zero instead.

I watched "The Dark Knight Rises" with my husband and sisters! So fun and so good!

Coffee date with my husband!!! Isn't he handsome?

And, believe it or not, there are actually SEVERAL photos missing. Yep...I've been on Instagram a-LOT this week.

So go ahead and follow me if you want to check them all out.

My username is alesha(underscore)blessed

Hope you have a blessed week!

Thankfulness

What am I thankful for? How often do say thank you? How often do I say thank you to God?

Today I am joining up with Erin from Sweetness Itself to list why I am thankful.





Thankful List:

Travis
{Marriage is an amazing and beautiful gift! I dreamed about my wedding and my husband for most of my childhood, yet I could never have imagined how beautiful,challenging, and fulfilling it is. God really knew what He was doing when He said, "It is not good for man to be alone." And boy, did He make it good for man and woman to be together. I am so thankful for His blessing of marriage.}

Our Church
{As frustrating and challenging as working at a church can be, and as incredibly difficult it can be to serve under certain people, I am so thankful for a godly church that teaches the Word of God. If being a part of a church was not hard sometimes, then it would not be worth it. It amazes me how much God used the church to shape my thinking, my beliefs, my attitude, and my desire for serving Him.}

Vision
{The importance of vision has become so incredibly clear to me over the past months. I am so thankful for God's calling on our lives to move to Florida. He has told us that it will be hard, that we will be broken. But He will break us so that His Spirit might be poured out through us. He assurance that He is working in our lives, that He is working through our lives, and that He is working in the world around us is SO reassuring. I fear nothing, because I know that He is in control and has a plan. Praise God that He has called us according to His purposes and that He is working for good in us.}

My Family
{I almost cry thinking about this one. I have grown so much in my faith through them...both them being challenging and through them sharing their lives and walks with God with me. They are my - our - biggest supporters and dearest friends.}

Sunshine
{Who isn't thankful for the sun? Or maybe it's just because I currently live in one of the cloudiest and rainiest places on the planet, but the sun makes me smile. I am so thankful for the sunny days God gives me. And think about it...why do sunsets never grow old? And forget just the sun, light itself is essential to our lives. And God, who is light, not only gave us just the right amount of light, but He made it beautiful too. Isn't He good?}

Jesus' Righteousness Credited to MY Account
{This is so beautiful, so mysterious, so humbling. He chose to not only forgive my sins by DYING on the cross, but He credited all His righteousness to my account. THE SLATE ISN'T CLEAN! The slate is full of the righteous perfect works of Christ Jesus with my name claiming them all. The records show that I am perfect in God's eyes! The Father sees Jesus, in all His perfection, when He looks at me. And I did NOTHING to deserve it. I am amazed, humbled, and thankful. What an I do but love Him with my life?}

Somewhat are you thankful for?

Be blessed.
<3 br="br">

Goodbye

Did you know that I enjoy writing? Writing poetry? I wrote poems constantly when I was in upper elementary school. I don't write them often now, but sometimes there is no better way to express yourself.

I wrote this back in April when I was really struggling with the thought of telling my siblings that I was moving to Florida. I felt God very gently remind me that I would have eternity with them in heaven, and then ask me if I could give Him my few short years here on earth to serve Him.




It is incredibly hard to wrap my brain around that, but I am trusting God that He will give me the grace and strength I need to live on the other side of the country from my family.

This was written to be a song...it hasn't quite made it there yet. But here are the words. They are a comforting reminder to me when I get very sad about moving.


Tears slip softly down my face
As I watch you drive away
Have you ever noticed how everything goes silent when you feel alone?

No longer there to laugh with me
No longer there to cry or sing
Have you ever noticed how the world feels empty when you're left behind?

But i know a day is coming
When we will never say goodbye
And although I am not there with you
During these moments here on earth
Don't cry, just think ahead to what will come
This life is just the beginning
We have eternity ahead

Written words and photographs
Just simply aren't the same
Have you ever noticed how hearing their voice just makes you miss them more?

What if someday it's not you
But its me who says goodbye
Have you ever noticed how much harder it is when you're the one to leave?

But i know a day is coming
When we will never say goodbye
And although I am not there with you
During these moments here on earth
Don't cry, just think ahead to what will come
This life is just the beginning
We have eternity ahead

But I know that I am heaven bound
This is earth is just a passing place
A day is coming when we'll never say goodbye
So if we hold on tight to Jesus
I know we'll see Him face-to-face
The best is yet to come in heaven - eternity with no goodbyes
Be blessed.
<3

Friends, Friends, Friends

Hello again! Curious what I've been doing the past week?

Well, be curious no more. =)

THE SUN IS FINALLY HERE!!!

I'm loving the new #SheReadsTruth plan in Proverbs. God is speaking! 

I started working on our wedding scrapbook! I'm super excited!
Be looking for more posts about this.

Our dear friends Daniel and Laura were back in Washington and we got to lead worship with them again!
I'm so excited to move to Delray Beach, Florida and help them with the church they are starting. God is good!

Our first two bags are packing and flying back to Florida with Daniel and Laura next Wednesday!

And we had a late night Cold Stone "date" with friends.
(For those of you who have never experienced the joys of Cold Stone Creamery...I pity you.  Let me just say...an extra 2% butter fat makes a big difference...a delicious one anyways!)

All Lovin' No Oven - Sub brownie for whipped cream
Heavenly! Although seriously...all their ice cream is amazing.

And to top off the night, Travis and Jonathan decided to try this juice...yummy...but tangy. The group had mixed emotions about this juice.

(It was purchased during a Safeway run that may or may not have been caused by my constant itching due to running out of allergy medicine two days prior. - Note...I am currently itch free and back on allergy medication.)

What have YOU been up to this week?
Be blessed!
<3