Reaching out...

Hubs and I feel like our relationship started at a wedding.  Our dear friend Allison married the love of her life Nick (an Australian) on November 11th, 2000.....and my BFF (her sister) arranged it so mark and I would sit together at their reception.   If not for them, who knows if we would have gotten together!

Allison and Nick went back to Australia and started their life together and had two beautiful and sweet little girls.   We miss them a ton, but luckily they have been able to come to the states at least once a year and stay for weeks at a time to visit their family here.
At one point during their last visit here, Nick was able to go dirt biking with a friend in the valley - and unfortunately contracted valley fever which turned into fungal meningitis.  Of course they didn't find this out until he was back in Australia and very sick...and it took the doctors over there forever to figure out what it was.  He's been so sick and it's been very scary.  They are desperate to save his life at this point and feel that he needs treatment here in the states...except since he's an Australian (allison and the girls are american citizens) he would have no medical insurance.  
They have started a website to explain the situation and I wanted to share it so hopefully we can get him here and get him WELL.
We really love this guy and his family, and we simply can't imagine any outcome other then him making a full and complete recovery from this nasty illness.
There are 22 million people in Australia and Nick is the ONLY ONE there with this disease.

I have no idea how many people read this silly blog - but I felt it was worth a shot to post his story here.  God works in mysterious ways...and we are praying so hard that Nick will be healed!

http://www.millionto1.org/

Please send a shout-out to the Man upstairs for our dear friend Nick and his family!

As Requested...

Hair before...

I'm ashamed to admit that I had to search for this picture and it's almost a year old...so my hair was actually longer then this when I cut it - but you get the idea....it was LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG.
(I donated it which is why I let it get so ridiculously long)

Hair after...

 I always feel like such an idiot taking pictures of myself...

 I really like it...although there are times when I wish my hair was long again so I could just braid it or throw it up in a clip.  It's harder to get out of the way when it's this short - but it seems to suit me.  Hubs says it matches my personality better...ha! 

This is our new house....this is a crappy picture of the place - but it's the first picture I took of it when I was sitting in my car waiting for our real estate agent...before we'd seen the inside (which was a disaster) and before we put in an offer.   Who knew a little over a month later we'd have the keys in our hand!

I have lots more pictures to share...but for now, here's the facts:

It's in Nipomo which is about 15 minutes south of where we live now.
It's on a cul-de-sac which we LOVE.
Most of the neighbors seem to be about our age with kids about Adam's age...awesomeness
It's 3 bedrooms/2 baths...and a 2 car garage which we are absolutely giddy about (no garage where we live now)
We spent all afternoon hauling CRAP out of the place because the previous owners left a ton of stuff behind (will snap a picture of the trash pile tomorrow)
and we have ALOT of work to do...painting, painting and more painting.  Cleaning, cleaning and more cleaning.  New carpets, new flooring, new doors....blah, blah, blah.  It's a project house.  But we're just happy it's not a 2 bedroom 800 square foot shack like we almost bought 3 years ago for more money..ha!  

This house was sooooo meant to be.  I can't even explain all the little things that just fell into place...God seriously had plans for us to live here.  We are so excited...and so grateful.

Stay tuned!