Ahhh...the lovely liquid sunshine of Oregon!

I'm currently visiting my sister in the lovely state of Oregon. And I'm trying to figure out what all this wet stuff falling from the sky is...oh yeah, RAIN! I remember rain! :-) All kidding aside, we do get rain in Sacramento (although we've had some lovely, sunny weather there recently). Oregon wouldn't be the beautiful, green state that it is without all the rain, though, so it does serve a purpose!












I'm loving hanging out with my nephew, Ben, and getting to know him a little bit. He's much more fun now that he's almost 18 months old (last time I saw him was in June). Here's a recent pic of the little cutie:

















I'm thankful for my family, and for the opportunity to spend time with them this week!

Fa la la la la, la la la la!

I couldn't help it...I gave in early this year! My favorite Christmas songs have made their way into my daily listening repertoire, and my head is full of visions of sleigh rides, chestnuts roasting on open fires, and of course, a silent, holy night in a little town called Bethlehem.

I used to wait until after Thanksgiving, but now it's more like the beginning of November. So I get two whole months of Christmas music! And I love it!

How about you? Are you listening to Christmas music yet?

Happy Birthday, Little Brother!!

It's hard for me to believe that my brother Nate is 27 years old today! I'd like to share a poem I wrote about him when I was a senior in high school, oh-so-many years ago:

"Little Brother"

I was three and a half when
they brought you home from the hospital.
The third child.
The first son.
My first and only brother.
Sweet, chubby babyness.
I held you in my three and a half year old arms;
my baby brother.
Up through the reckless toddler years,
the motorcycle, He-Man, and G.I. Joe phases.
Now you are thirteen;
athletic, strong.
No longer my baby brother,
but many memories to cherish.
And more memories to make.

And we have made many great memories together since that poem was written...all-night, spur-of-the-moment drives from Sacramento to Portland, exploring the small towns in the foothills outside Sacramento, traveling to Israel and Egypt, movie watching and board game playing, shopping at Whole Foods Market, discussions about the Bible and Christian living, playing with the best cats in the world (Skipper and Gilligan), and the list could go on.

Nate is one of my best friends, and I count it a great privilege to be his sister. He loves the Lord with his whole heart, and desires to live a pure and godly life. He cares about others and seeks to serve them. God has great things in store for him, and I can't wait to see how God is going to use him in the years to come!

I'm also excited that Nate is moving back in with us at the end of November (he lived with us for a few months when we first moved here in 1999, and again for about seven months a couple years ago). He makes a great housemate (and I like having someone to help me carry in the groceries)!

I love you, little bro. Thanks for being you!