a beach girl + a country boy = ♥

Merry Christmas 2010 from
Ollie & Mr. Chubbs

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

It’s hard to believe that the holidays have already past and 2010 has come and gone!! 2011 is bound to be an AMAZING year!! Justin and I are looking forward to this year as we grow closer to each other and to the Lord.

our tree!

December was FULL of incredible moments with dear family and friends! We spent the two weeks prior to Christmas on the high seas with my parents and sister cruising the Pacific coast of MEXICO!! Christmas and New Years were spent in Kentucky! It could not have worked out more wonderful to get to spend such quality time with both of our families!

I was very fortunate to get out to California for a week in early January to see my family and friends!! The weather was AMAZING!! However, I was highly amused by the men and women I saw walking around Fashion Island mall in parkas, scarves, and ear muffs.... PALLEASEEE people!!! Y'all don't know what cold is in Orange County!! ;)

the view from my parents' home in Laguna Beach, CA...
PARADISE :)

The end of January signified my existence reaching a quarter of a century!! 25!! I remember turning 16 and being soo excited about college and “adulthood” etc. Now, I’m in my MID-20’s and I kinda want time to slow down! Ha! As a kid, summer vacation felt like an eternity and weekends felt like years.. but NOW life just seems to pass so quickly and I often need to remind myself to “slow down”!! The fast-track-multitasking-rushing-efficiently-busy-Californian in me still exists here in Kentucky, which can frighten many of the slower-paced-take-your-time-have-a-sasparilla-and-just-enjoy-the-ride type of company I am often in. I have already had multiple people mention they are “scared” to drive with me! ME! I am a very safe driver.. just wanna get from A to B “efficiently”… is that SO bad?! I will admit, getting pulled over twice in one week by the Kentucky police is not a claim I am proud of… but I will say that there seems to be more “grace” from the armed patrol officers in Kentucky versus Orange County, California where I was often pulled over for my window tint, a flower lei around my mirror, or looking “young and suspicious”… at least in KY I know they really just want you to slow down and be cautious… and I can do that! ;)

Just for fun… here are 11 THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2011!!

1. Graduation in May with a Masters in Counseling from Cincinnati Christian University.

2. Our 2-year wedding anniversary in June!

3. Several weddings of incredible friends and my cousin Russ!!

4. Spending time in CA with Justin & my family and our friends (Angels baseball games with daddy!!)

5. Planning a possible mission trip back to Paarl, South Africa!

6. Getting more involved with “The Happy Church” in Eastern KY!

7. Visiting friends that live out of state!!!

8. SUMMER in KY with our family and friends here!!

9. Adding more “little touches” to our home!

10. Growing in my faith... especially in the areas of trusting Him and working on my pride!

11. Having mini-adventures with Justin on the weekends! Exploring Cincinnati, mayyyyyybe go camping (eek), etc.

me and Shell in MEXICO!!

the 2 AMAZING men of my life!!

I have so much I want to write about! In a year and a half I moved across the country leaving everything familiar behind, started grad school, got married, bought a home and two dogs, and experienced a REAL winter!! God has brought me through every challenge and hardship in my life, and as I reflect on my past, I can recognize so many of the places He had His hand in directing and guiding me. Moving to Kentucky was one of those times!

This time of year in Kentucky is absolutely breathtaking. The leaves change from greens to spectacular yellows, reds, purples, and oranges! Growing up in Southern CA, I never was able to witness such a magnificent start to the fall season. I’m still getting used to the drastic change in weather. I LOVE FALL! It means a comfy hoody and jeans, pumpkin spice lattes and walks around the neighborhood admiring the gorgeous scenery. Winter is on its way... but one cannot dwell on the bitter cold approaching when the crisp air of October and November mixes with the last of the summer sunshine and blue skies.

Halloween means dressing up our sweet dogs “Ollie” and “Mr. Chubbs” and getting together with our wonderful neighbors for the annual Lura Woods Court Cul-de-sac Cookout and passing-out-candy-extravaganza!! I am blessed to have a mom that still sends us goodies from all the “dog boutiques” in Orange County!! Packages from “Gigi” are ALWAYS a TREAT!! :)

Thanksgiving here includes BIG FAMILY GET TOGETHERS and lot’s of homemade cooking!! This is something quite foreign to me, growing up where we spent our Thanksgivings in Palm Springs with a catered meal and time spent around the pool and on tennis courts. To my surprise, that would not be how I would always celebrate this holiday, and I can’t say that I’m disappointed. Thanksgiving in Kentucky is absolutely AMAZING!! My family has flown out the last two years since I’ve lived here and they are on their way for their third year in just a few weeks!! I am counting down the days until their arrival!! My life will feel complete again once we are ALL together! What a blessing to have such a HUGE family on both sides that ALL get along so well!! Looking back on my first Thanksgiving, learning how to make a broccoli casserole and some type of dessert (my cooking back then consisted of steaming veggies and microwaved concoctions) was quite an adventure! Justin of course wanted to use TWO sticks of MARGARINE (not butter mind you) in everything we made… a big NO NO from how I cooked in California with the aid of close friends who are far advanced in the field of “wellness and nutrition”.

Going from California to Kentucky for me has meant a tremendous decrease in the availability of “healthy” food… I think one of my biggest adjustments in the move (besides family, friends, and the beach) would be the loss of my absolute favorite indulgence: FROZEN YOGURT :( I googled locations upon my move here and found that my closest options were Dairy Queen, Coldstone, and Baskin&Robbins… but NO “fro-yo”… the withdrawals have been painful. But I make sure to overdose on every trip back to California… never seems to be enough!!

BUT AT LAST!! I found a NEW frozen yogurt place 30 minutes away called “Yagoot” (Pinkberry-ish) and weekly trips are made!! Justin rolls his eyes every time an empty cup is left on the kitchen counter. Most Kentuckians do not understand why one wouldn’t just get a "normal/regular" ice cream… they sadly don’t get IT. Most would consider it insane that I carve out time to make that drive… Do I care? No. It’s worth it!! ;) And for a moment, while indulging in frozen yogurt bliss, I am back in Southern California with my sister on the sands of the West Coast together eating our favorite treat. It’s truly fabulous to finally have a little taste of home each week!

NOW that I have touched on the things from California I still long for… let me clarify that I LOVE where I live in Kentucky and (almost) everything about my life here! Granted, like I said, I miss my family, friends, the beach and several other California entities, but overall, I would not want to start my married life anywhere but here: Union, Kentucky, USA! And I am sure people wonder (because locals here continue to ask): “How in the world do you like it HERE?!” and “WHY would you leave Southern CA to come HERE?!” and “You’re going to DIE in the winter!” and “WHAT made you come to KENTUCKY of ALL places?!”

Drum roll please!!!!! and NOW for my response to the world… let me tell you WHY!! ;)

The man that stole my heart and has protected and honored it from day one is from here!! My husband, Justin Newman is the finest man I know (after Jesus Christ of course) and makes me want to be a better person every single day. His love for the Lord is incredible and contagious to all those around him. Growing with him has absolutely changed my life! I never dreamed I would be so lucky to find someone like him! The Lord opened up the doors for me to get to experience life away from everything I knew in Southern California, and as challenging and scary as the adjustment was and sometimes still is, I am beyond grateful for this move and for the changes I was brave enough to make. I can remember back when I was praying and pondering over whether or not to move, and everything inside of me was overwhelmingly saying to GO! The people of Kentucky are by far the kindest and most humble and gentle people I have EVER met. The realness and genuine hearts of the people here have blown me away. It’s a completely different culture from what I grew up around, but I love it! It’s been refreshing and encouraging for me to discover such a unique mentality and way of life here.

So here we are, starting our life together in Kentucky. Two people from two very different backgrounds but that both desire the foundation of our family and our lives to be built upon Christ. We don’t always see eye to eye because of the differences in where and how we grew up, but it’s allowed for some hilarious experiences and been such a FUN and AMAZING adventure so far. :) I hope to not only share the ups and downs of life through this blog, but also want to encourage people to take chances, step out of your comfort zone, and trust that the Lord’s will for your life is far better than you could ever imagine.