Lagic...

What the New Year May Bring

2012-01-16T03:22:00.000-08:00

Hello 2012!! We've been expecting you.

Many people have been dreading the year 2012 because of the belief that the world is going to end. We do not share this belief although we do feel that this year is going to be full of life changing events for us. There is a huge possibility that we will be moving this year because Sumalee has to go back to sea duty, however, she has also applied for an officer program so she may get commissioned sometime and we may have to move either way. We have also been working so hard to pay off our debts and may possibly get them paid off this year. We also have a huge remodeling project for our house which we will pursue whether we stay or move. In just 5 months, we will be married for 2 years!!! We can't believe how fast it's been, especially since most people never thought our marriage would ever last this long. Then maybe later in the year, perhaps we might try to have another baby, who knows. We also plan on taking a nice vacation in the summer time so we can visit our kids in Kentucky. It's going to be an exciting year!!

Baby's First Christmas

2011-12-30T21:16:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was one of the best we've had so far. We spent Christmas Eve with our brother Brian and his wife Jamie, Jamie's brother's family, her aunt and uncle and a few guys from Brian's work. We had a wonderful dinner and then we spent it opening presents. Summer seem to enjoy playing with wrapping papers and boxes more than anything. Then on Christmas day, we spent it at Thea's house (she's our honorary mother) and ate a feast, played bowling on her video game console, played a board game, laughed a lot and had an awesome time. Finally, the day after Christmas, we went shopping at Goodwill and enjoyed their after Christmas sale, .99 cents on all their blue tags and 50% off all color tags. We spent $30.00 on tons of clothes for the entire family including our mom Suree. After our shopping trip, we finally opened up our presents in front of the warm fire place. David bought Sumalee a Keurig coffee maker, she's been eyeing this since it first came out. Sumalee bought David a set of push up bars and a ton of snacks. We bought our mom a North Face jacket and she bought us a Professional Series 600 Kitchen Aid mixer. This thing is a beast!!! We both had a week off (David had a little more than a week off) for the holiday season and it was so amazing to be able to relax and enjoy our family. We didn't give Summer a present because she's so young but we did give her lots of quality time with her mom and dad which is worth more than any toy. In a household where both parents work full time, she doesn't get to see us as often so this week was heaven for all of us.

Turkey Time!

2011-11-29T00:17:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, Sumalee had to work so we decided not to do anything. We just didn't want to go through all the hassle of cooking a bunch of food just for the three of us (Sumalee, David, and Suree). However, when Sumalee came home that night, she was surprised by a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. We all got to enjoy a beautiful dinner as a family and Summer got to experience her first Thanksgiving. Moments like this are priceless and we are thankful that we have such a warm and loving family. We are thankful for the roof over our heads, jobs that put food on the table, our health and the love we have for each other.

Happy Birthday David!

2011-11-13T11:49:00.000-08:00

Dear David,

On this day 31 years ago, you were born and I am so happy that you were because without your existance, I would not be complete. It is an honor that I get to celebrate this day with you and make you feel like the special person you are. You mean the world to me and I am so grateful that you are mine. I love you with all my heart and cannot wait to celebrate many more birthdays with you.

Love,
Sumalee

P.S.
Did you enjoy your stay at the B&B? : )

Engagement Anniversary Year 2

2011-11-09T10:57:00.000-08:00

Two years ago, we took a chance on love. We followed our hearts and made sacrifices so we can be together. It was one of the easiest yet hardest thing to do. It was easy because we have never felt this type of love before and knew without a doubt that we were meant to be together. Hard because being together meant hurting those who are important to us. It was a struggle between one's heart and conscience but in the end, our hearts won. So on this day, we thanked each other for taking a chance and for not giving up on each other when things got tough, for staying hopeful when the world was against us and for trusting in our hearts that everything will work out as long as we have each other.

Thank you for changing my life....
Thank you for accepting me for who I am...
Thank you for waking me up...
Thank you for helping me become a better person...
Thank you for believing in me...
Thank you for loving me...
Thank you for taking a chance on me...

Our engagement picture taken at Balboa Park in San Diego, CA

Spooky Zombies!!

2011-11-01T21:13:00.000-07:00

We have a weird obsession with zombies and love to watch zombie shows and movies. We also love to read zombie books and like to talk about survival methods we would take if the world was full of the walking dead. We even tried to audition for a zombie extra in a low budget zombie movie that was being filmed near us. Sumalee was pregnant at the time, how cool would that have been, a pregnant zombie!!!

Last year for Halloween, we both decided that it would be pretty cool if we dressed up as zombies. What was even cooler was the fact that we dressed up as Mormon Missionary zombies. With our name tags, our white tops, and our backpacks, we set off into the world to eat brains!!!! Well, fake ones anyways.

This year was a little different because we just had a baby. Most new parents like dressing up their newborn as a cute little ladybug or a princess. Not us....we welcomed our little baby into our zombie loving lifestyle and dressed her up in tattered clothes, painted her face white with black smudges and splattered her face lovingly with fake blood. She was the coolest little zombie baby on the block. We were so proud of our zombie baby and our zombie family. We don't know how many more years we can get her to dressed up like this before she wants to dress up like a princess but for now, we are going to continue the zombie tradition until she no longer wants to participate.

Letting Go

2011-10-20T21:10:00.000-07:00

Fall is finally here and the air feels crisp with the trees slowly losing their leaves. Fall is a necessary part of life because it allows for old growth to wither away in order to make room for new growth in the Spring. Fall is a season for us to shed away, let go, change direction, come to terms and whatever else we need to do need to let go in order for us to have a new beginning the following year. It is a good time to reflect on the things that are most important to you, the person you are and the type of person you want to be. After you've figured this out, the next step is to think about what is holding you back and make the necessary change. Hopefully, by the time Spring rolls around, new opportunities will await you.

On a side note, we got to experience a corn maze for the very first time and it was even more memorable because it was also a first for Summer. Will she grow up to love Fall as much as we do or will she favor Summer because that happens to be her name. It's certainly is too early to tell but we are definitely curious.

Imagine....

2011-10-10T16:17:00.000-07:00

Since we have been together, we have experienced the type of happiness that only true love can bring. Sometimes when we are thinking about our life and our future, we will try to imagine what our life would be like if our relationship did not exist. Would we have found each other if things were a little different? We we still be living the same lives?

We have thought long and hard about this and what would seem like an easy task is actually painful to do. Since we are both hopeless romantics, we feel that we would have found each other no matter what because we are destined to be together. It would just be a matter of when...

What is easy for us to imagine is our future together. We envision a life full of love and joy. We have so many plans and cannot wait for them to become a reality. We've already accomplished so much and it's only been two years! When we are together, we know that we can succeed in just about anything in life. We know that the paths we have to travel won't always be so smooth and honestly, most of the roads we've travelled on so far have been unpaved and rocky but by struggling through, we have learned to rely on each other which makes us stronger. We expect there to be curve balls in life and what matters is that you don't give up.

Our June Baby

2011-10-06T21:39:00.000-07:00

On June 24th, 2011 at 0950, we welcomed a Summer Scarlett Lilly into the world weighing at 6 lbs. 15 oz. and 21.5 inches long. For nearly a year, we waited to meet this little person and we were not disappointed. She is perfect in every way. It's been over 3 months now and we still cannot believe that we made her. When she smiles at it, our hearts just melts away. One of the newest and greatest things we look forward to now is cherishes the special moments we have as a family.

We Did It!!!

2011-05-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

We finally found some time to work on David's anniversary present and this is what it looks like. It was a little hard for him because he had absolutely no idea what the picture looked like because the present was given to him all broken up in a Chinese takeout box (we love Chinese food). However, he knew that it was one of our engagement picture because he recognizes the teal color dress. He has never finished a puzzle before so he was very proud. We are going to try to work on this puzzle every year as an anniversary tradition.

One Year Anniversary

2011-05-03T09:35:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that one year has already gone by. It seems like it was just yesterday that we said our vows to each other yet it feels like we've been together for eternity. We've learned a lot about each other this year and we've come a long way in terms of understanding and accepting each other's strengths and weaknesses. We've carried each other through some hard times and because of this, we have become extremely close, emotionally and physically. When people try to bring us down, we just brush it off and continue on our merry way, but stronger because we have each other to depend on. Not only are we soul mates, we are best friends, we are life partners, we are confidants, we are everything to each other.

This year, our anniversary fell on a Monday which means that we had an entire weekend to celebrate this milestone. We exchanged our gifts Friday night. We decided to give each other traditional anniversary gifts and for the first year of marriage, the theme is paper. David bought Sumalee a book she had been wanting to read for a long time (The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson) but has put off because buying because the only copy published right now is in hardback. She just didn't want to spend money on a hardback book knowing that the money can be spent elsewhere. He also got her flowers for the entire year from Flowers to Go, one bouquet per month and a beautiful card.

Sumalee gave David a custom made jigsaw puzzle with their engagement picture on it but he has to put the puzzle together to find out what picture it is because she gave it to him in a Chinese takeout box (she will give him the real box later) and a lovely card. On Saturday, they spent time together at home and doing various things around the house and watching romantic movies in bed.

On Sunday, we decided to go to the Olive Garden for dinner because this was the place that started it all. We sat in the same booth (it just happened that way, we didn't ask for it!) and even ordered the same dishes. It was magical the way things turned out. Monday night, on the day of our anniversary, we cuddled in bed together and watched another romantic movie. Being with each other was the most important part of the celebration and we got exactly what we wanted.

Year one gone, an eternity to go....

When Love is Lost

2011-04-24T22:16:00.000-07:00

Lately, it seems that everywhere we look, marriages are ending, lovers are parting, and all love is lost. Married couples no longer seem happy. Spouses will find any excuse to stay at work longer in order to avoid going home. Is marriage really that bad? When we hear people talk about how horrible their marriage is and the long list of flaws in their significant others, we always feel so sad at how let down these people are. We love being married to each other and always feel so grateful that we are fortunate enough to have found our soul mate when we did. We both cringe at the thought of being without each other and what our life would be like. Our marriage together has afforded us opportunities for love and life like no other could have.

Our marriage is not perfect, no marriage is but the couple has to be willing to work at it and compromise. Whenever we hear other people talk about what it is that their partner is or is not doing, we always ask ourself internally, how have you contributed to this issue? Is there anything you can do to make it easier for the other person and yourself? Relationship issues are rarely caused by just one party therefore blaming the other person for the failed relationship is not going to solve anything. Playing the blame game doesn't do anything other than cause more issues and resentments. The mature thing to do is address the issues and try to come up with an agreeable solution, something that both people can be happy with. Love is not lost overnight and believe us, if the issue is sex related, there is definitely an underlying issue on why she's holding out and he's not getting any.

We believe in love and marriage so much that we hope everyone can be just as happy as we are. There will always be bumps along the road but going over them with the one person you've sworn to love forever is the best part about life's challenges.

Happy Birthday Autumn

2011-04-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

We would like to wish our daughter Autumn a happy 10th birthday! She is a sweet girl who is exceptionally smart for a kid her age. She is beautiful and kind and absolutely adored by her two younger brothers who look up to her. She is very outgoing and likes to participate in activities such as choir and riding on horses. She is one of a kind. We love you Autumn and wish we can see you more often.

Pet People

2011-03-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

Since the death of our beloved pig Pepper, we have been longing for another pig to replace him. We had been searching on craigslist and various mini pig breeder sites for that one perfect replacement but haven't found one yet. We often felt bad for Oscar our dog because he has no one to play with when we are both gone and the weather hasn't made it easy for us to take him on social outings. Then approximately two weeks ago, Sumalee was perusing through the pet section on craigslist and found a beagle that needed a new home because the owner was not able to provide the care he needed. We immediately thought to ourselves that this could be a good addition to our family. We called the lady up and met her at her home. Oscar did not waste any time getting to know his potential brother. We ended up staying a lot longer than we had anticipated but when we left, we took home with us a new family pet, now named Duke (we changed his name to fit his English Beagle heritage).

Duke

Duke eating his first piece of raw chicken!

Duke is a character. He makes us laugh and he's great with Oscar, they've become best buds. Our house is a little fuller now and even though the dog poop has doubled along with the amount of food consumed, we love it. There's twice the mischief too, sometimes we wonder what the hell were we thinking because beagles are one of the most stubborn breeds out there and now we have two of them! We would still like to get a mini pig but that is going to have to wait because they are ridiculously expensive.

We looked at some pygmy goats recently because we found a post on craigslist for two free pygmy goats. They were so cute and adorable but we did not take them home with us. We new we were in over our heads this time. We didn't have the proper fencing in our yard so we had to walk away but there is definitely going to be goats in our future.

Ted and Fred

However, we did get four more chickens so our one chicken, Danae can have some friends to snuggle up with at night. We had upgraded her coop to something bigger that would accommodate all five chickens. Unfortunately, the first night of being in it, they didn't understand how to get up into the house and just stayed in the run and a bastard raccoon got a hold of Danae. It was horrible and devastating for us because we raised her from a chick so we were quite attached to her. David would give her worms every time he took an egg from her because he felt guilty. We both shed tears of grief over her but the craziest part was, we didn't know what to do with her remains....do we eat it or do we give her to our dogs (they are on a raw diet and eat chicken consistently) or do we just bury her? We raised her for eggs but she was essentially our pet. If we had raised her with the intention of eating her, it would have been different. Now David is reluctant about raising more chicks because we just get too attach but Sumalee convinced him that it will be okay. In the meantime, the other four are doing okay but we've taken all sorts of precaution since. That raccoon however, is going to die if it comes around again, that is a promise.

After you've read this far, can you determine that we are pet people? We didn't know we were until we started getting more and more!! We both had pets before but for some reason, we are more passionate about them now. We want to have a petting zoo one day and open our very own dog park. David thinks we should get a turkey next. We saw some baby turkey at the store and they were so cute. We want to build a pond on our property and raise ducks. If you happen to come over to our place one day and notice all the animals, don't be surprise because we absolutely love animals!

The Power of Love

2011-03-11T00:23:00.000-08:00

They say love is the greatest gift anyone can ever give and receive. It has the power to bring warmth to the coldest heart, lift a spirit that is down, and completely transform a person from old to new. Miraculously, love can also heal physical and mental ailments that has been lingering for years. Love is like a drug, it leaves you in a state of high and you just can't get enough because being happy is so addicting. Loving someone gives you a sense of purpose when you wake up everyday. It makes your heart so full, you feel like you are about to burst! Love can make the most cynical person become optimistic. Love can slow down the aging process. Love can make you see the world in a whole new light. Love can remove prejudice and stereotypes. Love is powerful in its purest forms.

Romancing at The Loft

2011-02-24T00:21:00.000-08:00

It's rare for us to go out and spend money when we have so many expenses. However, this does not mean that romance in our life is lacking either, just the opposite, we just find ways to do it without the cost. For example, on Valentine's Day, we made a delicious gourmet meal together and enjoyed it in front of our fire place. It was a very romantic evening that could have cost us over 70 dollars if we had gotten the very same meal at a restaurant but instead, it probably cost us 20 dollars for all the ingredients and our estimation is on the high side! But every once in a while, it's nice get all dressed up for a date out in town.

For President's Day, we both knew we had the day off but didn't know what to do with it. We normally just hang out at home and maybe do some work around the house. We didn't want to waste the day away either so we decided that going on a date would be the best way to utilize the day. Once that decision was made, we could hardly contain our excitement. The next few days were spent planning and we decided to go to The Loft because it overlooked the bay and the food is pretty good. We also wanted to just walk around the quaint little town, we took Oscar with us so he can enjoy the walk too. David found an awesome coupon for The Loft (buy one entree and 2 drinks, get the second entree free) so that made the outing even better because we like saving money. We also went during lunch time because lunch menus are usually cheaper than the dinner menu (another way to cut the cost but not the experience). David ordered the salmon fish and chips and Sumalee ordered crab cakes. Our food tasted so heavenly we almost had an orgasm. We are still drooling over it days later. We had so much fun talking and laughing, it was the perfect start to our date.

Crab Cakes

Salmon Fish and Chips

After our meal, we took Oscar on a little walk but that was short lived because it started to rain on us, typical Washington weather. We can't wait for summer, there's so many outdoorsy things we want to do. We went shopping at an antique shop and found a really cute antique stroller, we are planning on buying it the next time we head up that way. If it is still there the next time we visit the store, then it was meant to be that we buy it.

Then we went to Sluys bakery and ordered a raisin cinnamon roll and cream cheese roll and enjoyed them at a coffee shop across the street from the bakery with a cup of white chocolate steamer and a green tea chai latte. Well, at least Sumalee enjoyed her treat, David wanted to save his for later. We finished the day off at the mall by walking around and window shopping. The day was so perfect that nothing could have ruined it, not even when we realized the bag that contained David's cream cheese roll was empty because the dog decided he deserved a treat too. Which by the way, he's only alive because we were so elated with happiness, but he did go to bed without his usual dinner as his punishment. We hoped he enjoyed it as much as we would have, damn dog! Oh well, another reason for us to go on another date and visit the bakery in the future.

The day could not have been more perfect and it just shows how important it is for couples to spend a night out and take a break from whatever it is that's going on at home. Even if there's nothing going on, it is still good for the mind, the soul, and the relationship.

If you are interested in taking your significant other to The Loft, click on this link for a free entree coupon. It's worth it.

Happy Birthday Bryson

2011-02-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

We just want to wish our youngest son a happy birthday, he turns two today and wish that we can be there to celebrate it with him, we hope that he enjoyed the book we sent him. He is so sweet, adorable, extremely polite and soft spoken, at least compared to his brother. He is growing up so fast and soon, he will be an older brother to a little baby boy or girl.

Ultrasound # 2

2011-02-22T21:44:00.000-08:00

Today we had our second ultrasound at the Naval Hospital. It has been so long since our last one and it seemed like this waiting game has been going on forever. Our little bundle of joy is doing well and he/she seems to be healthy. Many people have asked us about the sex and the answer still remains the same, we do not know. But, we can tell you that so far she weighs 1 pound and 4 ounces which is a little small for 24 weeks but they said it could possibly be because Sumalee is such a small girl. Hopefully, his/her size is not too much concern. We won't know until we talk to our actual doctor. The baby was super active during the ultrasound. The ultrasound tech had to be quick about taking pictures because he/she kept moving so fast. We were both so excited and cannot wait to actually meet him/her.

24 weeks

Goodbye Pepperoncini

2011-02-18T23:42:00.000-08:00

It's been almost a month since we've had to say goodbye to a beloved member of our family. It's taken us some time to accept his death and we've finally gotten the strength to write about him without crying our eyes out. We miss him dearly. Even Oscar misses him very much and chooses to remember him by sleeping in his bed since we haven't removed it yet. His death was so unexpected.

Pepperoncini was a unique member of the family...aside from him being a pig. He was extremely stubborn and pig headed, he was loud, pushy, he only listened when he wanted to, and he was lazy. He pissed us off all the time and costs us a LOT of money. We were told that pigs were one of the smartest pets to have and they can be potty trained in a day. We apparently got a defected one, just our luck...as usual.

Other than all the bad stuff we've just written, he was the cutest little pig anyone has ever seen. He was a part of our family and participated in just about everything our dog did including dog walks, trips to the dog park, the pet store, and road trips. He loved jumping on our lap while we were playing on the computer. He loved getting his belly scratched and would fall over in pleasure. You can see his eyes roll back and a big smile form on his face. He loved treats and would always try to guess which trick you were going to ask him to do. He knew how to sit, spin, go into his crate on command, and dance. He loved snuggling with the dog at night. He was the skinniest pig ever because we were crazy about controlling what he ate since he is a pig afterall. At meal time, it was really fun to watch him eat because his belly would expand like a balloon right before our eyes and then shrink again when he pottied.

It's so sad not to see him waiting for us in the backyard whenever we go out there. We love him so much and wish he was still around. We hope that he's in hog heaven with plenty of yummy food to munch on. Is there another pig in our future, absolutely, but there will always be one Pepperoncini.

His new sweater. Picture taken about three weeks before he died.

His rooting box. We would hide his favorite treats for him to find.

His favorite pleasure was getting his belly scratched.

He loved to smile.

Baths were not his favorite but he still manages to look as cute as always.

He was always exploring for treats.

Valentine's Day 2011

2011-02-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

Love is in the air. At least, in this family, it is. We love celebrating the love we have for each other and will find any excuse to do so. Luckily for us, Valentine's Day fell on a Monday this year so that meant an entire weekend of celebration. It started early on Saturday with a couples massage. This was David's first professional massage, how nice it was to be able to relax and enjoy it just a few feet away from Sumalee. Her bed was way more comfortable than his because they piled on the pillows to accommodate her belly. She practically fell asleep during the massage. Afterwards, we were starving so the receptionist recommended we enjoy the buffet at a nearby casino. It was such a fabulous morning. On Sunday, we had a romantic dinner at home. We made lamb with balsamic reduction (look under the recipes tab if interested), garlic mash potatoes, and sauteed asparagus. We laid out a blanket in front of the fire place and enjoyed our meal there. On Monday, we made pancakes for breakfast, a great closing to our romantic weekend (we both had to work that night).

While at work, we were both asked by our co-workers what gifts we gave our significant other for Valentine's Day. They were a little shock when we both replied with "nothing". We had agreed ahead of time that we would not exchange gifts. It was more important to us that we spend time together instead of wasting money on things that did not matter. We think that sometimes people get so caught up on the gift aspect of the holiday and forget to just enjoy each other.

Next year, forget the gift and spend the money on something you can both DO together. Remember that flowers wilt after a week, chocolate is tasty, but disappears once you eat it all, jewelry is nice, but honestly, are you going to wear it all the time? But the things you do together, the memories you've created, will last a lifetime and probably cost a lot less than a gift.

Correspondence

2011-02-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

Love letters, emails, and cards are extremely wonderful keepsakes when you receive them from your significant other. Reading old love letters can really bring back wonderful memories. Sometimes you forget about the little things that make you smile such as a sweet poem or a quick "I'm thinking about you" email. Technology has made it easier to communicate. Letting your significant other know what's on their mind has never been easier by texting on the phone but the romance may not be as compelling as receiving a handwritten love letter in the mail.

Sometimes, we would leave a card for the other person so they can have something special to read when they got home from work. David went as far as to leave a card and a bouquet of flowers on Sumalee's windshield one day when she was at work. It was so sweet and thoughtful. David enjoys receiving cards and letters just as much as she does and cherishes them just the same. One day we will have to read them to each other while we are taking a romantic bath together.

Emails we've found from each other.

Hey Girlie,

I just wanted to send you a quick note to let you know I was thinking about you. I love you with all my heart and even after I talk with you all day I want more. I can't wait to spend every second of everyday (or at least as much as possible) with you. I want to be with you forever. I love you so much. You are amazing to me and I feel so blessed and lucky to have found my one true love, my soulmate, my everything. I am so happy that I have you. You are my best friend and so much more. I love talking to you and I can't wait to hear your beautiful voice once more. I love you my Beautiful Flower.

Forever yours,

David

Dear David,

If there was ever a time where I had to admit that I needed anyone, it would be now...I need you.

If I had to choose one thing to give up in order to be with you, I would choose to give up everything so that I can be with your FOREVER.

If I had to describe our relationship to anyone in just one work, I would definitely say Lagic. (This is my way of cheating because I am combining two words into one).

If I ever thought that I was complete before, I was wrong because I didn't have you then.

If I had to make one wish, I would wish for us to be happy together forever (world peace is overrated anyways)

If I ever do anything to disappoint you, or make you sad, or upset you, just know that I would never intentionally do so. You mean the world to me and I will do everything in my power to make you happy. Seeing you smile is a goal I have set for myself to accomplish everyday.

Seeing you laugh is something that I treasure.

Kissing your lips is something that I savor.

Being in your arms is something that I cherish.

Being your wife is something that I long for.

Spending the rest of my life with you is priceless.

I want to get to know you better. I want to take the time to know your likes and dislikes. Your hopes, your dreams, and your fears. I want to be everything to you just like how you are everything to me. David Lilly, you are MY hopes and dreams.

Love,
Sumalee

Dear David,

How can you occupy every inch of my mind even after spending so much time with you?

How can you make me smile when you are not even here?

How can I possibly love you any more than I already do?

I think about you all the time David. I was making rounds today and I was thinking about how much I love you and how much you mean to me. There isn't a unit available to describe how much so you are going to have to use your imagination.

I love you darling and I cannot wait to start a new chapter in our life together.

Love,
Your Beautiful Flower

Sumalee Lilly,

How dare you question me on this matter. This is not something that I have any answers on, only questions myself. Never in my life has anyone had such influence on me and my thoughts. As you are fully aware my every thought and dream starts and ends with you. My heart beats in rhythm with your soul. My heart is yours, undeniably yours. I am a man in need. I need you and I long for you. I know that this week has afforded us great opportunities to try new things and spend many valuable hours together. I am so grateful for that and I want to be satisfied with what I got, but honestly, deep down I still feel unfulfilled when it comes to my time with you.

I feel selfish and pushy so I have tried to deny it, but your message to me was the sweetest most beautiful words and they touched me.

I love that I have the same affect on you.

I want you to know that you are an amazing women Sumalee. A minute doesn't pass that you are not the star of my thoughts and meanderings of my mind. I am head over heels in love with you. Enamored in every sense of the word. I have been awakened from the heart and I now know what true love is and how it feels to be freely and deeply loved.

You are my one. You are my everything. I love you Sumalee. I love you more than words. I love you more than the mind can even comprehend. Only a heart of a soul mate can understand the depth of my love for you. You are my best friend. I miss you. I am so excited and ready for our life together. Everything is better because of you.

I am waiting impatiently for the day to come that we won't be separated by work, Navy, oceans, duty, miles, or even walls. I have searched my entire life for you my dear. Now that I have found you I don't want to let you out of my sight. You are so very special to me and I can't wait for us to move into our new home, have a family, travel, explore, live, grow old, and love endlessly together. All things will be new and better because of you. I love you. I need you. I miss you.

I will forever be your yin. I will forever be yours. I will forever love you.

Muah!

David

We have so many more and wish we can share them with you but it's just too many!!! We encourage you to write to your significant other as often as possible because of the impact it can have. Everyone loves to read about how special they are and how much they mean to their significant other. It also helps to reassure them that they are not the only one that's crazy full of emotions. A written profession of love can make a bad day turn to good, turn a frown upside down, bring tears to ones eyes, and melt ones heart. So please, if you haven't done so lately, pick up a pen and some papers, get on your keyboard, and start writing down how you feel. Whether you just press the "send" button or mail it off, it will be received with the same delight.

A Trip to Remember

2011-02-04T22:47:00.000-08:00

Life throws curve balls at you, it's a given. Those who think that they are above it are living in a fantasy land. No one fully expects to be away from their children unless they were given up for adoption and even so, such a decision is still hard. Traditional "nuclear family" is no longer a norm is our society because of the prevalence in divorces, same sex relationships, and single parent families. Being in a "blended" or non-traditional family coupled with living thousands of miles away makes it very hard to have quality relationships with your children. Talking on the phone helps but it doesn't satisfy that feeling of emptiness. Video chat helps a ton but only if the other party allows it. But, being able to your kids in person is one of the most wonderful feeling in the world, especially when it has been so long since you've last seen them. It's amazing how fast time goes by and how fast they've grown within that time.

We were only able to join them for 3 days and we had fun just hanging out in a hotel room building forts and wrestling. Sumalee met the boys for the first time and they all took an instant liking to her. We all had a scare the first night when our youngest had an asthma attack. Before we knew it, there was an ex-wife on the same bed as us and then running out to meet mom in the middle of the night for a breathing machine and being pulled over by a policeman because our exterior lights on the rental car wasn't working. Wow, what a night. By morning, everything was back to normal. Before we knew it, we were dropping the kids off on Monday as we headed for the airport and started the second part of our journey.

The trip was so short but we all needed that time to reaffirm the relationship. We cannot wait for summer because we will get to have them for three whole weeks. What makes it even more exciting is that they will all get to meet their new brother or sister who is growing so fast in Sumalee's belly.

The Lilly Family

It's a....BELLY!!!!

2011-01-31T22:10:00.000-08:00

We finally had some free time this weekend to take pictures of us. It ironic that we are photographers yet we hardly have any pictures of us or our family. It's amazing how much we do for others and neglect the one thing that matters so much....us. So this past weekend, we hung up our newly purchased backdrop, turned on the heater in the studio, set some lights, and had a blast. Sumalee finally has a belly and we wanted to capture it to show our friends and family.

Reminiscence

2010-12-20T23:49:00.000-08:00

The average human brain weighs about 3 lbs. Amazingly, this 3 pound mass can store an entire lifetime of memories; too much for any one person to recall every single detail of their life. Every piece of information is cleverly stored, waiting to be retrieved when the time is right. Some information is used more than others and therefore easier to recall while some may never ever surface from that storage compartment. Some memories are so precious that we think about them all the time and some of them are not so pleasant so we hope to bury it in the back of our mind and not think about it unless we absolutely have to. Unfortunately, sometimes we don't have the option of completely forgetting because our senses are linked to memories. Our senses are used to make memories therefore, it can also trigger them as well. The way something feels, taste, or smell can trigger memories that was made decades ago. It can evoke many feelings from you, causing you to feel happiness, pain, or emptiness.

Autumn happens to be our favorite time of the year. We love seeing the leaves change colors as the air turns crisp. This time of the year just makes you want to sit in front of the fireplace all the time with a cup of hot cocoa while snuggling with your significant other and reading a book. Surprisingly, even though Autumn is our favorite time of the year, it is also the most painful season for us. We both had no idea of the effects from the previous year until those memories were triggered and the feelings of pain, loneliness, sadness, anger, and grief felt from the previous years came flooding back. We were remembering the months we were apart and if you have read any of our posts, you could surmise that we hate being apart from each other, especially thousands of miles apart. For Sumalee, it was the cold crisp Autumn air that triggered her memory. For David, the snow we received this year reminded him of all the snow in Virginia last year and all the feelings that went along with it. Luckily, these were just memories and will hopefully fade with time as we create many happy memories in Autumn. Perhaps, next Autuman, the cold crisp air and snow will trigger some happy memories instead such as our first Thanksgiving we spent physically together (instead of eating Thanksgiving dinner over video chat!). As always, there has to be a balance and not all bad memories are necessarily bad. It's nice to have a reminder from time to time so we don't take advantage of our significant other and to love them with all your heart because you never know what is going to happen in the future.

Blessings

2010-12-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

What are you thankful for? You should probably take a few minutes to actually think about this question before you answer. It's easy to name off an entire list of things to be thankful for but often times, we are naming off superficial things.

Most people do not realize how good their life is and complain at the littlest things that don't seem to go their way. We have become a society where instant gratification is the only way of life. The Burger King slogan, "have it your way", has become the iconic slogan that has caught on to most Americans in more ways than just getting burgers any way you want. As a result, people have taken just about everything for granted. Children grow up not knowing the value of a dollar because they have everything they've ever wanted. These children eventually turn into adults who are greedy and impatient, always wanting more and it better be instantaneous. What would you do if a tragedy struck your life and everything you've ever owned including all the money in your bank account is no longer there? Would you spend your days bitching and whining about all that you've lost or would you be grateful that even though you have nothing left, you still have your life and hopefully the people who love you.

We both grew up in a poor family but we always had plenty at the same time. We were never short on food, we had clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads. Because of this, we understand and appreciate all that we have even though at times, we do forget how good we have it. Money does seem extremely tight at times so we cannot enjoy the same luxury as we used to such as eating out at fancy restaurants or going to the movies. It seems like lately, we've been watching every single penny we spend and we would both remember the days when money was plentiful and we never even blinked at the purchases we've made. Times are different now and even though we've had to change our lifestyle...not necessarily in a bad way...we have learned to appreciate things more and become less materialistic.

We know that we are thankful that we have each other, a new roof over our heads and a new baby who is waiting patiently to be born. We are thankful for the people who love us and support us. We are thankful that we both have jobs because there are so many people out there who don't. What are you thankful for?

We hope that this holiday, you can find something to appreciate because one day, you may not have it.

Rest in Peace

2010-11-29T18:45:00.000-08:00

Two of our chickens died today, Brittney and Shama. They were an integral part of our family and we are sad to see them go. May they rest in peace.

Good bye girls.......

Actions

2010-11-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

Action speaks louder than words...

This is an important concept to remember because people can use words to make you believe anything they want you to believe including the feelings they have for you. Often times, we sensor our words to avoid hurting others or we don't want others to know how we really feel for fear that their view of us might change. Whatever the reasons may be, we cannot rely solely on words to make us believe the message since there tends to be a disconnect between intentions, feelings, actions, and words. How often have you told someone you are doing fine but in reality, something is bothering you? How often have you heard the words "I love you" but you don't really feel like the other person loves you? The same thing goes for caring, how often have you heard someone declare to you that they care about you but their actions speak the opposite?

When it comes to love, people usually require more than just words to make them feel like they are loved. Some people require acts of intimacy, (hugs, kisses, you get the picture), commitment, sacrifices, considerations, and many more. There is no one act that shows how you feel, only constant acts of reassurance in various forms. There will come a time when saying "I love you" becomes a routine. You will say it without even thinking because it has become automatic to you and possibly even meaningless. When this happens, be very careful because your relationship no longer has the pzazzz you once had and if things keep going in this direction, your relationship might need some revamping or else it is going to fail.

It doesn't take much to show someone you love them, just some time, thought, and the ability to follow through on actions.

Happy Birthday David

2010-11-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear David the best husband in the world, happy birthday to you.......and many many many more........

David, the most wonderful man on earth turned 30 and the only thing he asked for on this special day was to spend it with his wife. We actually celebrated David's birthday on Thursday instead of Saturday because that was the only day we both had off and it was nice. It was a day spent together with brownie cake and vanilla ice cream, yummy! Sumalee bought him a fancy metal card holder with his name engraved on top and inside held a picture of her. Now he can look at her whenever he hands out business cards. Then on Saturday, Sumalee actually got off from work early and surprised him at his work, the look on his face was priceless. We went home together and it was a great way to end his special day.

Engagement Anniversary

2010-11-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

A year ago today is the anniversary of our engagement. Our wonderful life as we know it would not be the same if it was not for this special day when David asked Sumalee to marry him. Our engagement was unforgettable and how ever small or grand the occasion was, it should never be forgotten by the couple. One of our goal is to make a lifetime of memories together but what's a memory if you don't actually take the time to remember them? Maybe today, Sumalee will ask David to marry her instead...

Sumalee: David Lawrence Lilly, I love you with all my heart and soul. I can't imagine my life without you. You have made me the happiest woman alive. Will you marry me...again?

Slap Us Silly!

2010-11-08T18:59:00.000-08:00

Why slap us silly? Because we are sooooooo in love!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's cheezy, we know but we can't help it. We are just so darn happy right now, life is great. It's so wonderful to be able to lay in bed with your significant other and gaze into their eyes and see all the love they have for you. Our heart swells with emotions at times and we feel a little overwhelmed. We didn't know that it was possible to love someone this much and what's crazy is this love grows more and more each day. One day, our heart is going to burst!!

Hello World!

2010-11-03T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hello friends, family, and haters, we've missed you. We have been busy moving, unpacking, working, and waiting for the cable guy to install our cable. It's so nice to be able to connect with the world again. We are settling into our new home nicely. The animals are having a hard time adjusting to the hard wood floor and Pepper had a few accidents. Oscar has ran away about four times now, sneaky bastard. We have been trying to put things away slowly. We have a lot of improvements we would like to do to the house. So far, we have installed two new light fixtures and we are painting the living room. The two major projects coming up is a total renovation of the kitchen and turning our basement into our master suite.

Past Dwellings

2010-10-25T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, people are unwilling to let go of the past, especially if the experience was unpleasant. It is amazing how people torture themselves by hanging on to feelings that only seems to bring pain and misery. How can one successfully move on when they spend so much of their time dwelling in the past. Yes, we know, it hurts. Yes, you have a right to mourn. Yes, it sucks, you don't deserve this, blah, blah, blah. Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?

The sooner you let go of the past, the sooner you can live your life and the sooner you can be happy. Opportunities will come to you if you allow it. Especially LOVE.... When people dwell in the past, they can't see the wonderful things that are happening in front of them. They get too caught up on the what ifs (what if she does this again, what if he betrays me too, what if...) and pushes opportunities away. The fact is, no one can accurately tell the future, and if they did, they would probably urge you to live your life regardless of the outcome because if we were to try to prevent all the bad things from happening, we wouldn't be living. Take a chance....learn from the past but don't let it inhibit you. We want you to be happy.

Why Marriage?

2010-10-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Marriage seems to mean something different for everyone. We would all like to think that everyone marries for love but more often than not, love may be second or third on the list. Sometimes, it's not even on the list at all! The number one reason people seems to marry for is security. Financial, emotional, and physical security. People need their reassurance that they are not going to die alone, live comfortably because there's money in the bank account, and have somebody to have sex with no matter how old or fat you seem to become. People want to know that they are going to be taken care of in their old age. It's not a bad thing to want security but it is a bad thing when it becomes the priority. We can't see people in this type of relationship being that happy in the long run because in essence, they are settling for what they think is happiness. Security is only one component of happiness and once that is fulfilled, what happens next, you look for something else right?

Sometimes, the idea of being comfortable can be tempting, especially for people who have been trying to find love but have been unsuccessful. Marry someone with mutual needs or not marry at all. Or would you rather hold out for the rest of your life for that love that may never come along? Sounds pretty depressing doesn't it. We see this type of scenario in movies and novels. A rich girl or guy gives up everything so he/she can experience love and happiness. Be poor yet happy, or be secure and unhappy. A wise person would say that happiness is priceless but I guess when you are poor and starving, security is going to be on the top of the list.

We have been through a lot in our relationship and we know that we can survive anything as long as we have each other. If we needed to live in a cardboard box, we will happily do it as long as we have each other to hold and keep warm at night.

It's a tough decision and people struggle with this everyday but for some, it's pretty clear what is more important to them. Which would you choose?

Hot Bun in the Oven!!!!

2010-10-21T23:10:00.000-07:00

October is a great month. It was just last October that we each discovered that there was someone out there who can bring so much joy and happiness into our lives. It was just last year that we discovered what true love was all about. Since then, we have been falling in love with each other day after day.

This October, we fell in love again...only this time, we are in love with the little itty bitty baby inside Sumalee's tummy.

We found out this joyous news today and we can hardly contain our excitement! We want the whole world to know how happy we are. We are not just your ordinary "cute little couple" expecting our first baby, we are going to be old fashion and wait until the baby arrives before we find out the sex. David is happy and excited just wondering if we are having a boy or a girl. In the meantime, Sumalee is about four weeks along so we have a long journey ahead of us.

We hope to share this love and magic with you and hope that you keep writing comments on our posts because we truly enjoy reading them.

Moving Frenzy

2010-10-14T18:56:00.000-07:00

Wow we are ready to move out!!! Can you tell? The apartment is a mess and there's boxes EVERYWHERE! We are both fairly neat people so living in such condition is driving us nuts. But, the good news is, we are moving out on Monday, just four days away, thank goodness. We are ready to move on. The chicks are growing fast and they need to be outside hunting for worms. The pig needs grass to graze on and more room to run around. The dog, well, the dog needs more places to sniff. As for us, we need some peace and quite. With all the chirping, the oinking, and the snoring (the dog snores really loud), we need a bigger place so we can get away from all the noises when we need to work on homework, talk on the phone, or just want to enjoy the sound of nothingness. At least for as long as we can, until we get another new addition, only it won't be as easy to ignore the sounds of a crying baby. EEK!

The Terminal

2010-10-11T13:09:00.000-07:00

We recently went on a trip, it was a much anticipated trip like non other. But unlike all the other trips, this one did not have the happy ending we were counting on. This was a trip to somewhere but at the same time, nowhere. This trip had a destination but that destination was unreachable. We should have been able to cross off Michigan or Chicago off our destinations list but we couldn't.

We were stuck..... AT THE TERMINAL......

This trip was special because Sumalee's friend Becky was getting married to her soulmate and we were going to be there to capture this perfect moment. It had been over a year and a half since Sumalee had last seen Becky and she wanted to meet the man that has captured her friend's heart. Sumalee wanted so badly for Becky to meet David because they've heard so much about each other. It was going to be special for everyone.

The tragedy started before we got to the airport. David's wallet was MIA and we tore the entire apartment looking for it before we came to the conclusion that it must have fallen out of his pocket somewhere. At this point, time was working against us. The wallet finally turned up, it fell out of David's pocket when we were in his brother's car earlier. So we raced to the airport but we both new it in our hearts that we weren't going to make it. We didn't. Missing your flight is one of the worst feelings in the world. We were on standby for a flight that was leaving the following morning but it wasn't guaranteed but we took a chance anyways. It would get us to Michigan but we would be late for the wedding but there was still a chance that we would be there for the reception.

We spent the night at the USO and in the morning, we went through the check in process only to have one of Becky's wedding gift confiscated for a stupid reason. However, we did get on that flight so we were lulled into a false sense of security. We thought we were going to make it. We were not so lucky on our connecting flight from Chicago to Michigan. The flight was completely full and we did not get on. But we were on standby for the next flight out but by then, what's the use of going? By the time we arrived, we would have missed everything entirely. We thought that it was probably better if we just made the most of our trip in Chicago and just catch our return flight the next day.

All our standby tickets

Talk about wishful thinking. Apparently, if you missed any leg of your flight, the rest gets cancelled automatically. Our only option was to hold our breath and hope that we get on the last flight out to Michigan, and hop back on the return flight or exchange our tickets for a flight home but have to pay a lot of money for tickets we had already purchased. Well, we didn't get on the last flight either. We were stuck. At this time, we were in despair because we couldn't afford to spend any more money. We had spent way too much on these tickets to begin with and we didn't go anywhere or see anything. More importantly, we wanted to go home. We saw a flight out to Seattle that evening and we took a chance. Not only was there room but we didn't have to pay an arm and a leg. First great news we heard since we left on this trip.

We were overjoyed when our plane landed in Seattle. It was great to be home.

Now, about the Lagic part of this trip.

Even though it was the worst trip for both of us, we had a GREAT time. Believe us, we had a lot of time to kill. We went on a date at Chili's, played games, read a romance novel to each other. We laughed a lot about the situation and we tried to look at things on the brighter side. We had each other for company and that's more than we can hope for. Life goes on. As much as you can hope for thing to go smoothly, there will be bumps in the roads. You can either choose to let it upset you and ruin your day or you can try to look at it from a different view.

Marital Bliss

2010-10-02T23:11:00.000-07:00

Six months ago we were joined together as man and wife. We cannot believe how fast time is going by. Within the past six months, we have made so many memories to reflect on and made several big decisions about our future. Our love has grown tenfold and our bond is as strong as the gravitational pull the sun has over our solar system. We've learned a lot about each other, this seems to be an ongoing process because we are constantly changing. It's wonderful to be able to share these changes and self discoveries with the most important person in our lives. Most people will say that we are so into each other because we are in the honeymoon stage of our marriage. Maybe for some couples, this is true but every relationship is unique. We don't really like generalizations because nothing about our relationship is normal and we have a different take on love and relationship than most people do. We absolutely love, love, love, being married to each other. We cannot think of a better way to spend the rest of our lives but with each other.

Long Distance Relationships

2010-09-28T05:18:00.000-07:00

People say that long distance relationships never work. Before we HAD to be in a long distance relationship, we would agree that this type of relationship does not last. Now that we've experienced it first hand, we have to disagree with this fallacy. We've realized that it's not the distance that breaks up the relationship, it's the unwillingness of the individuals to do EVERYTHING they can to sustain the relationship. When two people live apart, they are living two separate lives (ie. separate jobs, separate homes, separate routines, separate everything!). This makes it easy for the relationship to fall apart because you start to put that person in the back burner and develop the "out of sight, out of mind" mentality. Eventually, problems start to arise because all that time and attention is allocated elsewhere instead of to each other and then the relationship eventually ends.

Long distance relationships are challenging and it takes a lot of hard work and dedication from both parties to make it work. This type of relationship is not ideal for anyone but if the couple must be apart, they should be prepared to put forward a lot more effort than if they were physically together. There has to be some sort of compensation for the lack of physical contact but seriously, nothing can replace a lovers embrace or kiss. Nevertheless, there is no excuse for relationships to fall apart when there are so many resources available to us. Technology has certainly made it possible for people to connect without much hassle or even breaking the bank. All that is required is time and some planning, especially if there is a time difference.

Our long distance relationship was not something that we wanted but had to be done and we did everything we could to make the best of it. Coordinating between work, sleep, and any other social activities can be frustrating when your soulmate is living on the opposite end of the coast with a three hour time difference. Whenever there was free time, we were on the phone talking to each other. We don't know how we could have talked as much as we did but we always seem to have something to talk about. We also video chatted just as much because being able to see each other alleviated some of that emptiness feeling...

We even went on dates via video chat. You have to be pretty creative to make things work and that we did. We would read to each other and watch movies and t.v. shows together. Skype has a feature where you can share screens so one person would be able to see exactly what the other person is watching on their screen. This didn't always work though because of formatting issues so we would have to watch the movie or show on our own t.v. but we would do it at the same time. The most challenging aspect is trying to sinc up the audio which we got down pretty good after watching an entire season of Battlestar Galactica. One person would start playing first and the other person will listen for cues to start. We even went to bed together by leaving Skype on. This may seem silly but seriously, it is very comforting to be able to see your significant if you happen to wake up in the middle of the night. It is even more comforting waking up in the morning to your soulmate looking back at you on the screen. If one of us has left the house, we would still leave Skype on.

Looking back at our long distance relationship, we feel that we did everything we could to make the experience less painful than it already was. Even though we were thousands of miles apart, we tried to include each other in every aspect of our lives. There may be a time in our life when we have to be separated again and although we will try to do everything we can to prevent this, we can feel comfortable knowing that our relationship will survive the distance.

Remember that long distance relationship is hard and challenging. The only way your relationship will survive is if both of you are willing to work hard at it. The number one challenge is communication. If you can both maintain communication, you are already on your way to success. Here are some tips for making your long distance work:

Talk to each other everyday (phone or video chat, or both)
Be a part of each other lives by including one another
Be creative! You can still go on dates and be romantic even if you are a world apart
Send each other love letters or cards by post, it's nice to receive a surprise letter in the mail
Send emails to each other
Play internet games together
Read to each other, you can each have a copy of the book and alternate reading to each other
Plan your next reunion together, this will give you something to look forward to
Start a count down, it's pretty fun!
Be patient with each other, you will become frustrated at times and your fuse will be short
Always remember good things come to those who wait...and work hard

Underground Tour

2010-09-26T23:18:00.000-07:00

So in love!

We had the most wonderful days off together and we like to pack it full of fun. We drove to the foot ferry in Bremerton, WA and walked on because it was less of a hassle than driving to Seattle. We wanted to check out the Underground Tour because we heard so much about it from our friends. The tour is about the history of Seattle and takes place underneath the current city now, a city built on top of a city. The tour is highly interesting and worth the visit.

The view of Mt. Rainier from the ferry

Seattle's first buildings were wooden. In 1889, a cabinetmaker accidentally overturned and ignited a glue pot. An attempt to extinguish it with water spread the burning grease-based glue. The fire chief was out of town, and although the volunteer fire department responded they made the mistake of trying to use too many hoses at once. They never recovered from the subsequent drop in water pressure, and the Great Seattle Fire destroyed 25 city blocks. While a destructive fire was not unusual for the time, the response of the city leaders was. Instead of rebuilding the city as it was before, they made two strategic decisions: that all new buildings must be of stone or brick, insurance against a similar disaster in the future; and to regrade the streets one to two stories higher than the original street grade. Pioneer Square had originally been built mostly on filled-in tidelands and, as a consequence, it often flooded. The new street level also assisted in ensuring that gravity-assisted flush toilets that funneled into Elliott Bay did not back up at high tide. For the regrade, the streets were lined with concrete walls that formed narrow alleyways between the walls and the buildings on both sides of the street, with a wide "alley" where the street was. The naturally steep hillsides were used, and through a series of sluices material was washed into the wide "alleys", raising the streets to the desired new level, generally 12 feet higher than before, in some places nearly 30 feet. At first pedestrians climbed ladders to go between street level and the sidewalks in front of the building entrances. Brick archways, as seen in the image to the left, were constructed next to the road surface, above the submerged sidewalks. Skylights with small panes of clear glass (which later became amethyst-colored because of manganese in the glass) were installed, creating the area now called the Seattle Underground. Once the new sidewalks were complete, building owners moved their businesses to the new ground floor, although merchants carried on business in the lowest floors of buildings that survived the fire, and pedestrians continued to use the underground sidewalks lit by the glass cubes (still seen on some streets) embedded in the grade-level sidewalk above.When they reconstructed their buildings, merchants and landlords knew that the ground floor would eventually be underground and the next floor up would be the new ground floor, so there is very little decoration on the doors and windows of the original ground floor, but extensive decoration on the new ground floor. In 1907 the city condemned the Underground for fear of pneumonic plague, two years before the 1909 World Fair in Seattle (Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition). The basements were left to deteriorate or were used as storage. Some became illegal flophouses for the homeless, gambling halls, speakeasies, and opium dens. Only a small portion of the Seattle Underground has been restored and made safe and accessible to the public on guided tours.

One of the first crapper

Descending into the tour.

Let me out!!!

So tough!

What?

2010-09-26T22:57:00.000-07:00

Our family grew again....this time, by THREE!! Gosh, our number is getting up there, we are now a family of seven, and that's just the ones that live here with us. Good thing our new house is big enough to accommodate our large and constantly growing family. Our new babies are the cutest thing in the world, and we are not just saying that because we are their parents.

Meet our newest additions...

Shama

Danae

Brittany

Right now, they are so small and fuzzy but in a couple of weeks, their feathers will grow out and they will no longer look as cute but that's okay because they will start laying eggs for us to eat!

Love Hurts

2010-09-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

Love is such a wondering feeling. You wake up in the morning with a sense of purpose, you always have a goofy grin on your face. You walk around with a bounce in your step and people can automatically tell that something wonderful has happened. When you are with your significant other, nothing else in the world seems to matter. There is no one else in the world that can love you more or you could love more. Life is great... when you are together, otherwise, it just hurts so bad!!!

It pains you to the deepest corners of your mind, heart, and soul. It hurts more than any bikini waxing or hang nail ever could. It hurts more than a blown motor in a classic car or losing your lucky pair of jeans. It feels like you are missing a part of yourself when your love is not with you. When we are apart something is just not right. Funny jokes aren't quite that hilarious as they would be, food doesn't taste as good as it should, and there is always so much you want to tell your special someone (by the time you get home you can't remember all you wanted to tell them). Life is just better with that loved one, that special person who puts the mile in your smile, that lover who knows how to touch you in the warm, tender recesses of your .... umm... heart. If you have been in love, not the adolescent teen sensation commonly referred to as love but more properly referred to as hormones with a side of adoration or sexual tension with a pinch of infatuation, but REALLY in love with the highest highs and the unfortunate, unmistakable, unavoidable pain that comes with it.

As hard as we try to do everything together and be together, there are inevitably times we have to be apart, mainly work and public restrooms. When we are apart there are times when we can't take another second without at least hearing the voice of our lover, these are the moments that we crazily call multiple times just to hear the message on the voice mail with the hope that the other person will wake up or be available to talk even if just for a second. The need to hear and have the other person is so great at times we can't eat or sleep. Love can hurt so bad and you can long for someone so terribly that you would wait up all night just to chat with them on Facebook for five minutes or run four miles just to run back with that special someone.There have been times that one of us has woken up in the middle of the night aching so bad for the other that tears fell from their eyes as they saw two missed calls from their soul mate. Return calls were quickly placed and texts were dispersed, emails and Facebook messages followed closely by more calls until some form of contact was reached. The pain is awful but at the same time so pure and refreshing. It is especially painful for strong minded and independent people to have this need for another. This constant need for each other is indicative of how strong the love is between the two people. It is painful but when embraced can bring your highs even higher. Yes, we are addicted to each other and have started a twelve step program several times and have jokingly talked about attending Lovers Anonymous meetings together so we can stand and point out our addiction.

This is what our LA Meeting dialog would look like:

Hi, My name is David and I am addicted to Sumalee Lilly

Hi David!

Hi, My name is Sumalee and I am addicted to David Lilly

Hi Sumalee!

We are very much into each other. We love it when people tell us how cute of a couple we are when we are out in town. Overall, we just love being in love with each other. Yes, we make people who don't understand the love of soul mates want to throw up or yell at us for being too affectionate during a play when we were only holding hands (And we are not scared that you know everyone in town old hag!)

Guys Like Romance Too!

2010-09-23T04:19:00.000-07:00

Who says romance is only for girls? Believe it or not, guys like it just as much even though they may not want to admit it. In most relationships, it seems like romance is the responsibility of the man. The female in the relationship expects it but the execution part of it is rested solely with her significant other. If we look at romance movies and novels, it is the man who has to go out of his way to woo his female counterpart. He has to give her the moon and the stars in order to win her heart but what about the man? Doesn't he want the moon and the stars too? The answer is yes, however, our society's take on gender role has made it so that romance seem like a feminine inclination (ie. chick flick). Boys are taught to play with G.I. Joe and watch action movies and girls are taught to play with dolls and fantasize about the man of her dreams. However, deep down, men like romance too but because our society place such a high emphasis on these gender roles, men have to pretend they do not like it in order to maintain their masculinity.

We do not believe that romance should be limited to either men or women. We believe that couples should take turns doing nice things for each other, the outcome is win-win. In this marriage, we are constantly trying to give each other the moon and the stars. Seeing a smile on his/her face is a daily goal. Communicating how much we love each other through actions is extremely important. It can be something as little as a note that says "I love you" to sending an email with a love poem you've written. Remember that romance does not have to be extravagant, it just has to come from the heart.

Mt. Walker

2010-09-17T18:47:00.000-07:00

Wow! We finally went on our first real hike, it only took us to the end of summer to actually do it but we did. It was a last minute decision so we had to do some scrambling around the night before to get the supplies we needed. A lot of the preparation work was left to David because Sumalee had to work that entire night and he did an excellent job of doing so. We did this hike with the Kitsap Outdoors Meetup group in which we are a member of. This was not only David's first time going out with this hiking group but it's also his first hike with Sumalee.

Mt. Walker is located in the Olympic National Forest and it is one of the more strenuous hikes in the area. It has a 1000' of elevation gain per mile. The total elevation at the summit is 2805', not too bad for our first hike together! The incline going up was very very steep, our calves, thighs, hamstrings, and buns were getting a whole lot of workout. We walked up at a steady pace but we kept lagging behind the group because we were constantly goofing off and taking pictures. We eventually got to the top and the view was so beautiful. We got up there just in time before all the fog and rain rolled in.

The best part about reaching the top was the pot luck....well, there was supposed to be a pot luck, only one other person brought something to share. We brought some salmon and cream cheese dip, he got this recipe from his mother, it's very delicious. We ate this with Wheat Thins. The other person brought guacamole dip with chips. What's interesting about this guacamole dip was that she left the avocado seeds in the dip and it is supposed to prevent the guacamole from turning brown. It was very interesting, we love learning new techniques with it comes to food.

Dreams Do Come True

2010-09-02T16:57:00.000-07:00

We heard one of the best news today...our offer on the house was accepted by the bank!!!!!!!! We have been waiting anxiously to hear if our offer was accepted for a couple of days. The bank was stalling because they were hoping to see if there was a better offer going their way. We knew that our offer was the best because we MADE sure it was the best...we did not want our dream home to slip away and now it is going to be ours. There are other variables that can make the house slip away such as inspection failures so we are crossing our fingers that it will pass. If everything goes smoothly, the house will close on October 18th and we could be moved in by the end of October, just in time to set up our studio for holiday shoots.

We cannot wait to invite people over for dinner parties and get togethers!

We Got Crabs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-09-02T10:01:00.001-07:00

We got crabs!!!!!! Hehe, not that kind silly, the yummy kind!

Last night we went crabbing for the first time EVER with some friends. This is something we both had been wanting to do all summer but never made time for. We wish we had not waited until the end of summer because we had sooo much fun that we are going be doing this regularly. The pier we went to is in Port Orchard, WA and we sort of just camped out on the floating dock for several hours before high tides. Our friends had four nets which we loaded with chicken as bait. We would throw the basket out into the ocean and wait about 15 to 30 minutes before pulling the baskets back up. While we were waiting for the crabs to feast on the chicken, we also feasted on some chicken since Kentucky Fried Chicken was on the way there...we were starving! If only we can cook the crabs right as we are catching them, that would be fantastic! Well, the crabs seem to be hungry because we were pulling them up left and right. By the end of the day, we must have caught about 30 it seems like.

We are pulling the baskets up as fast as we can so the crabs don't climb out.

This thing is huge!

We split up the crabs among the families that were there fishing with us and we took 7 home and cooked 3 of them.

He looks so innocent!

Our sink full of crabs.

Our dinner for the night: heavenly crab curry made with garlic, oyster sauce, curry powder, and onions.

David has avoided eating crabs for a long time because he developed and allergic reaction to it but took a risk eating it anyways because he couldn't resist. Luckily, we did not have to rush him to the hospital because the only reaction he had was a little itchiness in his throat. Not a big deal since the crabs were so DELICIOSO!!

The Best Laid Plans

2010-08-31T03:47:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the best laid plan seems to go awry? We try to plan just about everything because we don't like surprises. The thing we like to plan the most is our future, it just makes sense to plan our future. Understandably, we cannot plan for everything because there are so many variables that can affect our plans. When we think about our future, we tend to be limited to only a few years ahead because Sumalee is still in the Navy and at the mercy of Uncle Sam in terms of where we will be stationed after her shore duty is over. We only know that for the next 1 year and 8 months, we will be here in Silverdale, WA...(unless she gets commissioned, then we really won't know if we will even be here that long).

When it comes to our future, we know that we want to have children but we were not sure when the right time would be. We wanted to be married for a couple of years before having a baby because we wanted to be selfish and take that time to establish an even tighter bond than what we have now. Having children can affect the dynamics of any relationship so we wanted to make sure that we had time to just focus on us. We had decided on waiting three years after being married to start having children. David definitely wants more kids, especially with his soulmate. Sumalee....well, she was struggling with this because she was worried that it would slow her down in terms of goals and ambitions. Well, when Sumalee married David, all that changed. It appears that when you are with the right person, you tend to have a different view on things. Before meeting David, she would have never changed her lastname because she thought that it was ridiculous that women should have to change their name in this modern society. Well, her mind obviously changed on this topic because she is now a Lilly on all her legal documents. Another thing she changed her mind on is waiting three years to have a baby.

We decided sometime last week that we no longer want to wait, we want to start trying now. David couldn't be more excited! We are not in a hurry to conceive, especially since Sumalee has been on birth control for so many years, it's going to take some time for her body re-regulate itself. If it happens, it happens... but it's good to know that if it does, it will be something that we both truly want. There's a huge possibility that our family could grow again sometime next year. It was just a couple months ago that we added a new member to our family. We hadn't anticipated on getting another pet but we did. Sometimes, the best things in life aren't planned, our relationship certainly was not and look at the way it turned out. We couldn't be happier with how things are.

Something else that we did not plan on doing was buying a house. We had been shopping around for a commercial property to rent for our photography studio for a couple of weeks. We found a place but practicality kicked in and told us that there is no way we can afford to pay rent on our apartment and on our studio if we don't make enough sales. In order for this to work, we would have to live in the studio. We tried looking for places that we can both live and work out of but couldn't really find anything to accommodate our needs. Then last week, we decided that maybe looking for a commercial property was the wrong way to go about this so we both decided that we needed to just buy a house. So, we looked for two days online and found a couple of places we liked in our price range and then called up a realtor. We made an appointment on the third day to look at a bunch of houses and fell in love with the first house we saw. We went home that day and called our bank and got the loan right away and made an offer on the fourth day. Now it's the sixth day and our realtor told us that here are two other offers on the house and that we needed to give the bank our best offer today. So we gave them our best offer today and we can only cross our fingers that we got the house. We can see ourselves living here and establishing our family here as well as our business.

From the outside, there is nothing spectacular about the house, as a matter of fact, we didn't even pick this house as one of the houses we wanted to look at originally. We only saw it because our realtor thought we might want to see it and so we thought it couldn't hurt if we just looked at it. It was a good thing we did because once we stepped inside the house, it was instant attraction. The high ceiling, the hardwood flooring, all the big windows, the huge living room, the extremely huge yard, the basement, the garage....it is everything we are looking for in a home. We are looking to convert the basement into a large suite and using the entire upstairs for our business with the exception of the kitchen. The living room is big enough to have three sets up and ready to go if need be. We plan on having a Yin room and a Yang room where we can talk to our clients and the master bedroom will be our office/library. It will be great. We love that the house is not a cookie cutter house. It has a LOT of character and fits perfectly with our personalities. The house is also in a great location in between Silverdale and Bremerton and the price is totally a steal, we will be getting a lot more for the same amount we are paying now on rent. Crazy!

We just have to get the house first...we are currently in a bidding war with two other buyers. Hopefully the bank accepts our offer because we have our heart set on this house and do not want to look at anymore houses because we know that we will not find another one as charming as this.

One Moment in Time

2010-08-23T03:40:00.000-07:00

Have you ever experienced a day where everything was so perfect that you didn't want it to end?

Every so often, we think back to certain moments in our life and wish that we can experience it again. We become nostalgic for certain thoughts and feelings that can never fully be duplicated because it was a once in a lifetime experience. Yet, because these moments were so wonderful, we can't refrain ourselves from wanting to recreate them.

The first time we experienced that "perfect" day was sometime in the middle of October 2009. We actually got to spend the entire day together for the first time and for once, time slowed down for us (time always goes by too fast when we are together). We took a drive out to Port Townsend and ate at Fat Smitty's. The drive out to Hood Canal was beautiful. All the trees that lined the highway were in the process of changing colors. Bright hues of green, red, orange, yellow, and brown popped out at us, reminding us that it was Fall. At Fat Smitty's, we ordered a huge burger and some chili cheese fries. We had fun talking and making each other laugh. It was such a carefree day because we didn't have anywhere else to be. We were able to take our time and not have to worry about anything.

On the drive back, we stopped at the Kitsap Memorial State Park and walked along the beach. Oscar enjoyed being out of the car. We had fun finding weird things on the beach.

Mmmm, fungus!

Oscar is investigating a dead crab.

As you can see, there's absolutely nothing spectacular about this day. It sounds just like any normal day...going out to eat...going to the park...we do this all the time! But the combination of moods, the emotions, the experience of it being the first time we had a whole day together, and time slowing down enough for us to actually savor it, THAT made it a perfect day and extremely hard to duplicate.

There are many other moments in time we wish we can relive but know that it will never be the same. We can only rely on our memories and any other memorabilia such as pictures and souvenirs to help us recall the experience. One of the purpose of this blog is to help us remember those specials moments in our relationship.

We actually plan on visiting Fat Smitty's again around the same time. Perhaps we might be able to duplicate the experience but creating new ones is also our goal.

First Kisses

2010-08-23T02:43:00.000-07:00

Do you remember your very first kiss?

For David, it was in the third grade on the playground at school by the swings. He gave her a peck on the lips and they were declared "boyfriend" and "girlfriend" by their peers, including his sister!

For Sumalee, it was in the second grade on the playground at school by the planters. She gave the little boy she had a crush on a peck on the lips. The little boy was embarrassed when all our friends called us "boyfriend" and "girlfriend".

What about your first kiss with your first so called "love"?

This kiss was definitely different than the peck on the lips in elementary school. There were feelings of nervousness, excitement, and apprehensions because we had never done this before.

David's first kiss was with a girl who lived across the street from him. He was eleven or twelve. It was in her room. She wanted to thank him for helping her mom and she gave him his first real kiss. They became a couple until she moved away.

Sumalee's first kiss with her "love" was when she was thirteen or fourteen and it was in his room. They had met in middle school and became fast friends. He would invite her over to play video games with him at his house. They had started developing feeling for each other and one day, he asked her to be his girlfriend, she accepted. It was one day while they were hanging out in his room that they snuck their first kiss while his parents were on the other side of the house. They were together until her first year in college.

Your first kiss with your one true love....your soulmate?

How could we ever forget this kiss! Memories of our other first kisses seem blurry, mainly because of the amount of time that has elapse and perhaps because the significance of it is not as great compared to a first kiss with your soulmate.

Our first kiss was breathtaking...no really! David stopped breathing for awhile, Sumalee had to remind him to breath. They were on her favorite couch in the living room. She had given up her spot on the couch which already says a lot! This kiss was so amazing and perfect. It was sweet yet sensual but most importantly, it was the type of kiss that made everything disappeared. Nothing mattered at the moment except the feelings we had for each other. This was the kiss that made us realize we are soulmates. With this kiss, we knew that any challenges that may come our way is well worth the effort because this type of connection doesn't happen everyday. What's amazing is that we still feel this way about each other when we kiss.

Happy Birthday Jake!

2010-08-21T02:46:00.000-07:00

We just want to wish our son a Happy Birthday. He is now three years old and growing up so fast, we hardly recognize him. We wish we could have been there to celebrate his special day with him. We did send him a really cool present. A Lego Flashlight and a really cute birthday card, we hope it made him laugh.

The flashlight is powered by a little dynamo engine inside the Lego man. In order to get the light to work, you must crank his left arm until you see his feet light up. We had a blast playing with it at the store and we know that he will get a kick out of it as much as we did...maybe even more! It also makes a great emergency light, you never have to worry about it running out of battery power.

My 27th Birthday

2010-08-15T01:23:00.000-07:00

Wow, another year gone by....

Guess the saying is true, once you turn 21, the years tend to pass you by in a blur. Only this year seems to be different. Why? Well, many wonderful things happened this year. I married the man of my dreams, graduated with a Master's degree, got promoted to E-6, we launched two businesses together, added another member to our family, we started the Kitsap County Canine Lovers group, did a lot of travelling, and so much more. This year was the ultimate year for me.

I consider my birthday a holiday. It marks the most important day of my life because well, that's the day I came into existence. Of all the birthdays I've ever had (besides the one where I came out of my mother womb), this birthday was the best birthday ever because I got to spend it with the most important person in my life. He went out of his way to make this day special for me. It began with me waking up to him making breakfast, biscuits and gravy...my favorite. Then he gave me my oversized birthday card that sings, a bouquet of white mums (these are my favorite flowers), and a present (it's just a teaser to the real one that will be coming later).

This year for my birthday, I requested to go to the Renaissance Fair. I am a geek at heart. We had stayed up late the night before finishing up David's costume. My dress was already done from the previous year, he was going to be a lord and I, his lady. Only, we didn't wear them....at the last minute, we decided that it was WAY too hot and did not want to be miserable all day! We made a good decision because even in shorts and flip flops, we were burning up. When we arrived at the fair, we were starving (what's new?) and craving for some greasy fair food. So naturally our first stop was the food court. What is the one thing you can always find at the Renaissance Fair? TURKEY LEGS!!! So what did we find at this fair? TURKEY LEGS!!!! So what did we end up eating at this fair? TURKEY LEGS!!!!! Yum Yum Yum. Then we walked around for awhile and looked at all the goodies for sale and then watched a show. It was really fun but the sun was killing us. We ended leaving not too long after the show.

Our next stop...the mall, why the mall you ask? Because they have Krispy Kreme!!!!!!!!! Instead of having a birthday cake this year, I supplemented it with some Krispy Kreme doughnuts instead. We hadn't meant for things to turn out this way but glad that it did because boy was it delicious. We bought a dozen mix doughnuts and a root beer float and we were in sugar heaven. I ate two and David took care of the rest : )

Then on our way home, we stopped at Point Defiance Park. We had been wanting to go there for a long time but never had the time. But today was a special day so we made time. The scenery at the park was absolutely breathtaking. We had a blast taking pictures of each other and just having a good time. We even climbed a tree and did silly poses!

At the end of the day, we were both tired and content about the day, about our relationship, and about our life, we had no complaints. Just happy that we have each other and many more birthdays to celebrate.

Road Trip #2

2010-08-13T00:50:00.000-07:00

We went on our second road trip this past Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Had a blast as always. It seems that the purpose of all our road trips start as a necessity to complete a task instead of just a pleasure trip. The purpose of our first road trip was to rescue our car that broke down in Minnesota. The purpose of this road trip was to get our vehicle smog checked in California because the registration expired on it and cannot be renewed unless we took it down to California and had it checked or wait 4 to 6 weeks to submit a paperwork saying that the car was out of state. At this point, driving around for 4 to 6 weeks on expired tags did not seem like a good idea because there are cops swarming around everywhere in this town and we would no longer be able to drive on base. It seemed like a better idea to drive to the nearest DMV across the boarder, take care of business, and drive back, especially since the drive was only 9 hours long. So, on Wednesday night after David got off from work, we loaded up the car with blankets, a pillow, the dog, the pig, and LOTS of junk food and started on our journey to the nearest DMV in California which happened to be located in Crescent City.

We drove in shifts so we can get there on time for our smog check and DMV appointment. Wow was it tough. The body just wants to shut down automatically because it's dark outside. Sumalee has been working the grave yard shift for over a year now and she still gets tired at night. The sun started to rise halfway through Oregon and we both stayed awake for a bit to keep each other company. Then Sumalee fell asleep again which was a bad idea because she was the navigator. David missed our exit so we had to back track. We ended up rescheduling our appointment but everything happens for a reason! We got to hang out in Crescent City for awhile and Sumalee finally got her name changed on her driver's license. Then we got to eat really good Thai food and before we knew it, we got our car smog checked and headed to our next destination, Klamath.

Northern California is home to the giant redwood trees and Klamath is home to the "Tour Thru Tree" which is a giant redwood tree big enough to drive a car through and Bigfoot. When Sumalee was little, her family went on a road trip all the way up to Washington and on the way up, they drove through one of these redwood trees so we had to do the same while we were down this way.

The next thing we wanted to do was explore a cave in Oregon, we saw signs for it on the way down and thought it would be a fun experience. So on our way back up to Washington, we stopped by the tourist office only to be disappointed. They were closed. : (

Maybe next time...

The next thing on our agenda was to hang out in Portland. We wanted to be able to mark off Oregon from our list of places to visit and we had two things we wanted to do in Portland, eat at Pine State Biscuits and visit Powell's City of Books.

We really enjoy watching to food channel, especially Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. One of the episodes we watched featured Pine State Biscuits as the best place to eat biscuits and gravy. We are NUTS about biscuits and gravy, especially the gravy part. David's nickname is Davey Gravy because he loves gravy that much. As for Sumalee, she doesn't have a cool nickname like that but loves it just as much because she used to pour gravy on EVERYTHING. Told you we were meant to be : ) We've even submitted a gravy recipe on allrecipes.com.

Powell's City of Books was also on our hit list because we LOVE to read. We only wish that we had more time to read. We have a HUGE book collection at home. We have more books than we have places to put them and that's even counting the ones in storage. Powell's Bookstore is a book lover's paradise because it's an entire city block of books. When you step inside, you are in complete awe because it looks like a maze inside. They nine color coded rooms with over 3,500 sections. They offer everything from new to used books and even rare books. You really need a map to navigate your way or else you will become overwhelmed and get lost.

That night while we were driving towards Portland, we almost didn't make it to our destination because we were limited on money and did not want to spend money on a hotel room. We were going to just spend the night at a rest area instead and save some money as well as rest our bodies because we were both extremely tired from driving the night before. Unfortunately, there was not a rest area anywhere near us and we were not that far away from Portland so we decided to sleep in our car at Walmart! The funny thing is, we weren't the only ones with this bright idea. We were surprised at how many people slept in Walmart's parking lot. We were also surprised at how well we both slept!

When we woke up in the morning, we looked a little scary. We were going to go inside of Walmart to use their restrooms but we had to freshen up in the car first. We DID NOT want to end up on People of Walmart! We needed more junk food and more Gatorade to last the rest of the trip. Once we finished grooming ourselves and replenished our supply of junk food, we had to feed the animals. Both Pepper and Oscar ate their food in the parking lot. We drew a lot of attention from people because it's not often that there's a piglet and a dog hanging out together at Walmart.

Once we left, it wasn't long before we arrived at Pine State Biscuits. The place was super small. They only had three tables and a little counter for people to eat on. There were several benches outside for people to sit on because the line gets really long. For such a small place, they do get a lot of action and it's no wonder because their food is absolutely delicious. We ordered some fried green tomatoes, a Double Down (biscuits and gravy with two eggs over easy on top) and a Hash-up (hash browns with grilled onions, mushrooms, ham, and cheese on top). It was to die for. Their menu has many other interesting things on it which we will have to try on our next trip to Portland which is only about 3 hours away from where we live.

Powell's Bookstore was so much fun but our time was extremely limited and we did not get to see all that we wanted to see. However, we did leave with a few books. Sumalee got to buy two books from her favorite romance author Jude Deveraux and David got to buy two books on photography. Next time, we will have to spend an entire day there and bring lots of money. We can easily drop a couple hundreds on books if we are not careful. So, if you happen to be in the neighborhood, you should definitely stop by these places and check them out. You will not be disappointed, we promise, we would not lie to you when it comes to food or books.

The Miracle of Life

2010-08-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

Growth is a natural part of life, so is death. There is beauty in seeing all the changes that happens in each life cycle. One of the reasons we enjoy living in Washington State is seeing the changes that occur in the seasons. Our favorite season happens to be fall. Being able to see leaves on trees change colors from green to red, yellow, orange, and brown is so magical. As we are driving down the streets, these wonderful colors pop out at us and it makes us feel a little melancholy because eventually, these trees will be barren of all their leaves, rendering them naked and exposed to the harsh elements of wind, rain, and snow. But, as vulnerable as these trees appear, they will survive the harshest winters and bounce back in the spring with new life and new growth.

In May, we had purchased a bag full of avocados from Costco. We LOVE to eat this stuff! We love mashing it down for guacamole or putting slices on sandwiches, salads, and mexican dishes. We even like eating it with brown sugar sprinkled on top (yes we know it sounds weird but very delicious!). With all the avocados we eat, we throw away a lot of seeds. Then one day, David told Sumalee about how his mother used to grow the seeds by just putting it in water. Sumalee was skeptical about this because she had tried planting it before but was unsuccessful. We had several empty vases on our window sill in the kitchen, specifically for growing bulbs. He took one of the vases and stuck three avocado seeds inside and filled it up with just enough water to cover the seeds. For weeks, nothing happened but David kept filling the vase back up with water. Eventually, the seeds split in half but nothing was growing yet. We just kept filling it back up with water. Then one day, David picked up the vase and showed it to Sumalee, one of the seeds had started to sprout roots. This was very exciting! The weeks went by and we sort of forgot about it and the next thing we knew, there was a tiny growth that sprung out of the seed. Now, there is a tiny avocado tree growing in a vase on our window sill. What a miracle it is to be able to witness something like this. One day, we will be able to transplant this tree into our own back yard and be able to see the changes in each season. We hope to witness many more miracles together. Everyday seems like a miracle and we have so many things to be thankful for. The number one thing is our love for each other and the ability to share experiences together.

Happy Birthday Oscar

2010-07-31T18:38:00.000-07:00

Well, this is a belated post but a very important one because it is about our beloved family member, Oscar. On July 24th, our dog Oscar turned 3 (21 in dog years). He is no longer a teenager and he is no longer going through that rough stage in his life where he is trying to figure out who he is. We really do love him so much and life without would not be the same. He is sweet and lovable, easily excitable, and somewhat spoiled (because we love him so much). He is a somewhat of a whiner and doesn't like storm drains or garbage trucks. He makes a horrible guard dog because he wants to be friends with everyone. He also gets jealous easily because he wants attention from both his mom and dad. He was an only child for a long time up until recently when we brought our new addition home but it's alright because Oscar would not be who he is without these flaws that make him special.

We had not anticipated on getting another pet but we did, and it may have been too soon because it really has changed our family dynamics but what can we say, we have a lot of love to give and our family is going to grow eventually. We had originally wanted a girl but got a boy instead (mainly because neutering is a lot easier than spaying), life happens and even in a world when you can choose, things may not always be what you expect it to be. We named him Pepperoncini and he has been with us for over a month now. Having a little one around the house is a bit challenging because we had to child proof our home and have to deal with the challenges of potty training. Yes, CHALLENGES!!!!

Speaking of birthdays, we have two coming up in August: Sumalee and Jacob. Jake our son will be turning 3 as well. He and Oscar are practically one month apart. They will love each other when they finally meet, hopefully this winter. Oh how they grow up so fast! It's been so long since we've last seen him, we cannot wait.

Whaling Days Madness

2010-07-30T21:10:00.001-07:00

Greetings fellow Lagic readers. Wow, it feels like it has been forever since our last post but then we just realized that it's only been a couple of days! We have been quite busy since we've last posted but things are starting to slow down now... well, at least this week. We have been putting all of our focus and energy on our two businesses over the past few months, mainly our SD Lilly Accents business in preparation for Whaling Days. Whaling Days was on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th, we have been meaning to write about it but for some reason kept getting distracted by other things.

For those of you who do not know what Whaling Days is, it is a much anticipated event in Kitsap County. Citizens of this county as well as people from all over Washington State and some out of towners flock towards Old Town Silverdale to enjoy the usual expensive greasy festival food, frozen treats, carnival rides, shopping, and of course, take part in the famous duck race. What the heck is a duck race you ask? Well, it is over 10,000 yellow rubber duckies, dumped into Dyes Inlet.

Every duck has an owner who is vying for their duck to be the first to reach the shore. The owner of the duck that reaches the shore first gets the grand prize of 16,000 dollars or a new Nissan truck. There are many other cool prizes too but none that we remember off the top of our heads. Now, one might ask, what do ducks have to do with whaling? The answer, nothing. But, the money raised from these duckies benefit the city. Each duck cost five dollars or you can purchase 5 for twenty. We bought our duck for a whopping five dollars but our lone duck did not win us anything, oh well, that's what you get for gambling. : (

SD Lilly Accents made it's first debut at this event and it was a huge success. Not only did we sell out on most of our products, we had a great time doing it together because we got to spend most of the weekend together. We also passed out cards and brochures for our photography business and reminded people to take advantage of our summer special on family portraits. We lured dog lovers in by having their dog try a sample of our homemade dog biscuits and then we would tell them about our Kitsap County Canine Lovers meetup group. We spent a good deal of our profit on greasy food but that's to be expected when you are at a fair. Who could really pass up on nachos, curly fries, and snow cones? Having a booth at this festival was a great way to jump start our new business and promote our existing one.

SD Lilly Accents will be back at another festival in September but for now, we hope to take some time and relax. Next event should be less stressful since we now know what to expect and we have everything that we need for future events. For those of you living in the Washington State, you should come check out Old Mill Days in Port Gamble. We will have a booth there and a variety of hand crafted things that you may want to purchase for yourself or a significant other.

As for now, we are going to focus on our photography business and each other (we should be updating our photography blog soon). We have many things planned for this month other than our upcoming shoots. This month, Sumalee turns 27 and we have lots of surprises and plans to celebrate this occasion. Will definitely fill you in on it later. For now, we will bid you adieu.

When is the Honeymoon Over?

2010-07-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

When is the honeymoon over? Who gets to determine when the honeymoon is over? We took a poll on Facebook and the answer seems to be unanimous...the honeymoon only ends when you let it end.

When two people are in love because they have found their soul mate, someone to spend the rest of their life with, the honeymoon doesn't appear to end. These people live for each other and everything they do in life is for each other. It is understandable that life happens; work, kids, money, school, they are all a part of life but it's all about setting priorities and balancing everything out. We are both extremely busy people, we have a lot on our plate. Not only do we work A LOT, we also volunteer, have multiple businesses, have two pets, 3 kids we are trying very hard to keep a relationship with, school, a canine social group, and so much more. With everything that we have going on, we have always put each other first and we will always continue to do so because we mean everything to each other. Nothing in life is worth having or doing unless it can be shared with the one you care about most.

Someone who says "the honeymoon ends for everyone" is actually admitting defeat. They are admitting that they have given up on the lack of romance in their relationship and accepted the mediocrity in their marriage. We are sad for these people and hope that they can work hard at rekindling the magic that used to be in their relationship before life got in the way. We treat everyday as if it is the most special day on earth. We continue to do things for each other such as leaving a romantic note in the other person's lunch box or surprising each other at work, and writing love letters or poems. It's the little things that goes a long way in a relationship.

As for us, we have not had a chance to have our honeymoon yet. Since we have been together, we have met with multiple oppositions and challenges that is enough to make anyone want to give up. But, the love that we have for each other is enough to provide the strength we need to make it over any hurdle that comes our way. There are many people out there who would like to see us fail, they are also the same people who have let the honeymoon in the marriage end, the same people who send a stalker to infiltrate a social group for dogs, the same people who falsely accuse us of stealing a worthless laptop and camera, the same people that run away when they see us at Albertsons. It's amazing how much courage one has when they are hidden behind a computer and how much they can turn into a coward when they are nearly face to face with someone they had been wishing ill will for the past several months.

We hope to have a honeymoon soon as things settle down. We want to go everywhere in the world and see everything there is to see. Sumalee has been almost everywhere in the world thanks to Uncle Sam and David has seen the world too but it's different when everything he sees is under the water. However, the experience of exploring another country will be new to her because she will be doing it for the first time with her one true love.

Sweets For My Sweets

2010-07-26T21:25:00.000-07:00

When David first met Sumalee, she could barely handle an ounce of sugar, it would make her so sick that she would want to throw up. She would buy a pint of ice cream and it would sit in her freezer for months and eventually go bad (who knew that ice cream can go bad!). Halloween candy left over from the previous year would be kept uneaten (which is a waste to David, he never lets any sugar get wasted). In contrast, David would buy a quart of ice cream and have it gone within an hour (depending on the distractions), the neighborhood children hide their candy when they see him walking by, especially on Halloween! This unlikely duo of opposing sweet teeth actually worked out well for David because he gets to finish her dessert for her everytime.

As our relationship progresses and our personality sort of blends together as we become one (married couples are seen as units instead of two individuals) we noticed that our minds tend to meld with one another (finishing each others sentences, thinking the other person's thoughts before they even finish thinking it, as well as desserts). Now, baking desserts is one of our most favorite things to do on our days off. David has created a monster when it comes to a few items. Soon after he opened her eyes and introduced her taste buds to a special concoction of Blood Orange Italian Soda and Sherbet, she was hooked. And it continues to worsen as she slowly becomes immune to the unnatural amount of sweets he forces down her innocent throat. From where we were a few months back to now it is surprising to know that sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night and bake cookies and watch t.v. shows while we are waiting for the ooey gooey sweet morsels of delight to be ready for our consumption. Lately the thing that we have been obsessing over is PIE!!!! The round yummy beauties are a fixation on our overworked minds. We often have hankerings for the delicate slices of goodness but due to financial concerns and lack of ingredients rarely end up satisfying the craving. We have found one quick and delicious pie that always does the trick. This wonderful treat is one of our favorites with tartness, sweetness, creaminess, and crispiness all rounded up in one tin. What could this pie be that is so full of everything ending in -ness? It is our version of a Key Lime Pie adapted from www.joyofbaking.com. Pure foodgasm in every bite!

Love Match Made in the Navy

2010-07-20T00:15:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder how a country boy from a small town in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky and a city girl from Los Angeles, California found love in each others arms in Silverdale, Washington? We get this question a lot! Bet you didn't know that Uncle Sam is in the business of match making. Yes, he has been connecting people all over the world since 1775. The United States Navy has opened doors for many of their Sailors, such as providing opportunities to further their education, travel, defending democracy and freedom, broadening personal and professional experiences. But, more importantly, the Navy has allowed people to meet when normally they would not have had the opportunity to. Come on, think about it, why would a city girl from Los Angeles, California ever go to Lawrenceburg, Kentucky? Would these two people ever fall in love if there wasn't a medium that connected the two? Well, there is a possibility but it would have been harder. But, if two people were meant to be together, then things like geography can't stand in the way of true love. We have thought of the many times we could have ran into each other or had been in the same store shopping, or town, or anywhere... but missed each other because we had not met yet or it wasn't the right time? We have ran things over in our head many times and we have thought about all the other ways things could have been but we always end up with the same conclusion...everything that had happened, happened for a reason. Any deviation would have probably given us a different ending...like the butterfly effect.

One day we were talking about antiques, Sumalee had mention a little baby crib she had seen at an antique store in Poulsbo. It was made of wood and needed to be refinished, and it rocked from side to side. Woodworking is Sumalee's hobby so she has a thing for projects such as this. But, there was something about that little baby crib that drew her to it and she wanted it so bad but it was quite expensive and she really had no need for it. In the end, that crib remained at the antique shop waiting for someone else to be in awe of it. Little did she know until that day when Sumalee and David were conversing about antiques did she find out that David had been to that very same antique store and had seen that very same baby crib and he too, wanted to buy that crib even though he had no need for it either. How crazy is this!!!! Out of all the antique stores in Poulsbo, we went to the exact same one and loved the exact same crib. Wow, coincidence...we think NOT! Serendipity, fate, predetermination...whatever you want to call it, it was meant to be.

We also found out that we both have a thing for old sewing machines. In the end, we found each other and we couldn't be more happier. We have thought of all the different ways we could have met each other but realized that things worked out the way it did for a reason and we are grateful that we have found each other in the first place. That antique store has since closed down but the two people who fell in love with the crib found each other. Whatever happened to that crib, we do not know. Maybe someone bought it for their baby or maybe it was sold to another antique shop. It is probably sitting in another antique shop casting a spell on another unsuspecting couple so they can fall in love too.

There is certainly something magical about our relationship. We watched the movie Serendipity not long after because we felt that it was fitting. Very romantic movie by the way, if you haven't seen it, check it out.

Speaking of the Navy connecting people all over the world. A couple weeks ago, we were invited to a bonfire party by a girl that Sumalee used to partner up with when she was doing MMA. Talk about small world, that girl's husband somehow recognized David. Apparently they came from the same hometown and went to the same high school! This just goes to show you that you never know who you are going to run into even when you are thousands of miles away from where you grew up.

Hearts

2010-07-17T21:18:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow romantics and cynics (who are actually romantics at heart but trying hard to pretend that you are not), welcome back to Lagic. We always have stories of love and magic to share and of course, we like to give updates about our life as well.

Todays Lagic is about hearts. Before you decide to continue reading this, we would like to warn you that this story is dripping with corniness. Some side effects may be nausea, vomiting, disbelief, tears, hopefulness, and longing (depending on what your view of love is). So now that you know what the risks are, you may decide to continue reading this post or continue scrolling down for our other posts which may not have as much cheese.

When we started dating, you could really tell that there was some sort of magnetism between us. We felt it, others felt it, there was no denying that there was something magical about our relationship. As the days passed, we spent every waking moment together, not wanting to miss a second because time was precious, David was moving to the east coast soon for a new job he had taken prior to our meeting. This inevitable departure was looming on us. As weeks passed by, we tried not to think about it but the knowledge was always there in the back of our minds. In the meantime, we had fallen head over heels for each other, we were so in love that nothing else existed in the world except each other. One night while we were up late talking, the night we had finally said I love you to each other, we also gave each other our heart. Neither one of us had ever given our heart away before. Giving your heart away is something that is not done often and it is only given to those who are truly special and worthy of it. When an individual gives away their heart, they are trusting that other person to cherish, nurture, protect, and value it because it is the most precious gift a person can give, when you give your heart away, you become vulnerable. Often times, when our heart is given away, it may not be reciprocated, however, in our case, it was a mutual exchange of love and trust.

Before David left, he knew that he wanted to be with Sumalee for the rest of his life, he wanted to marry her. He knew that he wanted more than anything to have a chance to love her and share his life with her. Once he decided to ask for her hand he started trying to plan it right away. He wanted to do something special for her. He thought about all the ways he could ask her including some romantic, funny, and slightly stupid ideas that he thought she would get a kick out of. He wanted to make it special and wanted it to be significant and symbolic. He Googled a million and one ideas but none seemed quite right. He kept coming back to the same conclusion....... he didn't know what to do. So he gave up, not on proposing, but on the way he would do it. He decided to turn his focus to the ring. Sumalee is a simple girl with elegant style. She is not into extravagance and would have been happy with a cracker jack box ring in the shape of a donkey. She cares about the meaning behind an object more than the appearance of it. She wouldn't care how much it cost or where it came from. She sees past all that and can view the real worth of all things despite the packaging. This fact alone made his decision easier than most and harder than the majority. He just wanted to make a meaningful decision. He searched for only a few days when an old ad in the recycling bin at work gave him the answer. It was a pair of small heart shaped diamond earrings. As soon as he had access to the internet he started doing research into heart shaped diamonds. Prior to the recycling bin miracle David had no idea there were heart shaped diamonds. He knew or had heard of round, square, tear drop, princess, and oval but never heart shaped. Now he was on a mission. Now he KNEW. He knew what he wanted to do. The symbolism of the heart shape to us is clear. David gave Sumalee his heart and she returned the gift with hers. It was one of those perfect moments in life where the whole world seems to revolve slowly around you and all feelings are magnified beyond belief. David wanted them both to be reminded of that moment every time they looked at her ring. Besides, how could she possibly say no to a beautiful heart shaped diamond ring with so much symbolism?

The trail to the perfect ring was a long and weary one. Most decent jewelers didn't have heart shaped rings and if they did they all seemed to have visible imperfections. David was having trouble finding the right ring. Finally after searching endlessly, he had a lead on a great ring. It wasn't until he laid eyes on it that he knew it was the perfect ring. He took a chance with a lead from a friend and found the right one. The only one that seemed quite right. In retrospect finding the perfect ring in less than three weeks is pretty good but at the time it was terrible. The ring he decided on was from Tiffany's and is a perfect little heart, just like the one she gave him. He had the ring. He had the symbol of their exchange. He had it all, except her hand in marriage, but he was going to take care of that very soon.The jewelry lady confirmed what he thought, that she wouldn't be able to say no to this ring! And she was right ;)

Translation: Forever

Three days before he was to leave, he made a reservation at a very romantic restaurant "La Fermata" located across the manette bridge in Bremerton. From the outside, you would never have guessed that it was such a romantic restaurant. You would never even know it was a restaurant, it's that obscure. There's not even a sign and they don't advertise...you just have to rely on word of mouth. Sumalee wore a beautiful black dress and David wore black slacks with a silver shirt. We looked so good together. When we left the house, David had a little silver gift bag with him. Sumalee was definitely wondering about the contents of the bag.

The ambiance of the restaurant was dripping with romance in a rustic Italian inspired decor. Candles were everywhere and we practically had the entire room to ourselves for the first half hour, then more people started showing up. Our waiter, yes, we had our very own waiter, really...he waited by our table the entire time, just in case we needed something....a dash of salt, a slice of butter, a refill on our water, you get the idea. Sumalee ordered the seafood cioppino and David had the duck with a honey glazed sauce. The meal was delicious. Of course, Sumalee is still wondering about the little bag sitting next to her. Finally, he gave the bag to her and what she pulled out was a little blue box with a white ribbon on it. The box was so beautiful, she didn't even need to open it but he told her to and she did. It was a beautiful heart shaped ring. But...David did not ask her to marry him, well, at least not right away. He was afraid that she was going to say no. However, Sumalee wanted to marry him and she actually knew that he was going to propose that night, only she just played it off like she didn't know. When she opened the box and he didn't ask her the question, she casually asked him, "which finger do you want me to wear it on?" and he replied that he wanted her to wear it on her ring finger, and then he leaned over very close to her ear and whispered, "will you marry me" and of course, she said "of course, I'd love to!"

Skeptics and Cynics

2010-07-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

What has happened to us? Why are people so cynical and skeptical when it comes to love?

Love and happiness are two emotions that are most sought after by people. It is the primary theme in countless stories, books, movies, poems, songs, religion, and life in general. Most people have a romanticized view about love. We go through life seeking our soulmate, our one true love, someone that makes us want to be better, because with love comes happiness. People naturally do not want to be alone, humans are social beings that want to be able to trust, love, feel safe, financially secure, and be happy with a significant other. One of the biggest fear in life that most people have is fear of dying alone. So, we go through life hoping that one day we will meet someone special that is able to fulfill all of our needs...love being the most important.

However, somewhere along the path to finding love, people somehow began to develop a certain skepticism about love. Why? Is it because they had been looking for love without any luck so they lose hope and become bitter? Is it because they were in a relationship that went sour? Or maybe in the process of finding love, they have been discouraged because of the multiple failed relationships they had observed from friends and family? Whatever it is, fear seems to be the root cause. Fear of getting hurt, fear of losing love, fear of never finding love, fear that you might someday feel betrayed by the person you care about the most. These fears are absolutely legitimate but they are also very limiting, not just to ourselves but also to others.

When we both told our friends and family that we have finally found the love we had been looking and wishing for our entire life, some were very supportive and accepting of this while others were outright skeptical. Because they "cared" for us so much and they were looking out for our best interest, they tried to reason with us about the absurdity in our feelings for each other. They tried to highlight the negative aspects and played the "what if" games. Anything and everything to get you to think that this relationship couldn't possibly be real or last long because that is how they feel. And because THEY feel this, they think that they have to convince us to feel this way too which is extremely selfish. Understandably, people do not want to get hurt and because of this, they don't want to see others get hurt either. However, love is a risk worth taking. In the end, no one can tell you how you should feel because they cannot live your life for you.

We took a risk and we are thankful everyday that we went with our heart instead of listening to others. Is there a possibility of getting hurt? Always. But to experience this type of love is worth the risk of getting hurt. You never know how the future is going to pan out and there will always be the possibility that things may not work out just like anything else in life. This doesn't mean that we have to stop living. As long as you never stop trying and take things for granted, things should work out.

We urge you to take a risk and stop limiting yourself on life. You only get to live once, so live...

The Heart of Happiness

2010-07-05T00:12:00.000-07:00

"Love is the heart of happiness"

We spent our 4th of July evening at the Silverdale Waterfront park watching fireworks, it was romantic. We snuggled on a bench and talked about our future while all the pretty lights were bursting in the air. Then we walked hand in hand back home. Along the way, we stopped by Walgreens and while we were perusing the aisles, we saw a little card with the most perfect quote, "love is the heart of happiness". This card caught our attention for a couple reasons one because hearts have a special meaning to us, and two because it's so true. We are both so happy now, more than we have ever been in our life because of the love we have for each other.

It is truly unbelievable how we both thought we were happy before only to realize that we didn't know any better. Now that we both know what happiness feels and what true love feels like, we can hardly believe how we could have mistaken it before. The ultimate goal in life seems to be happiness and in order to achieve happiness, love needs to be present. There are so many different types of love out there and people should never be lacking in this department (unless they are one of those people who are miserable all the time and makes everyone around them miserable too). However, the best type of love is between two soulmates because this type of love is meant to be achieved by two people who are made for each other and they can only be complete when they have each other. The bond between these people is unbreakable. This type of love is deep and undeniable. This type of love is what true happiness is born from.

Fumbling Love

2010-07-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our romantic comedy (aka: chick flick) movie date night. We have a huge screen in our bedroom with a projector that hooks up to our laptop. It's like having our own movie theater but more comfortable because we can lay down on our bed and enjoy the show. One of the movies we watched was When in Rome. This one stuck out the most to us because it reminded us of when we first started falling in love. Ever noticed how the characters in these films seem to have it all together and be at the top of thier game until that little thing called "LOVE" happens. Then suddenly these same people fall to pieces and become fumbling idiots. From towers of steadfastness to shambles of ogles. We always thought that this was a type of Hollywood stereotype that is all hocus pocus, smoke and mirrors kind of love stuff that doesn't really happen.......... THINK AGAIN! We have real living, stumbling proof all around us.

What is it about love that does this? We have had our fair share of embarrasing follies. The first and definitely not the last of which was on our very first ever jogging excursion through Oldtown Silverdale. Our very own "Don Juan" was so enamored by Sumalee that we nearly ate dirt by tripping over his feet.... err..... curb? (the story differs a little each time depending on how embarrassed he is or who is listening). Other things that seem to be affected by love besides coordination is sight, appetite, the ability to focus on anything else but her...sleep...stuttering, stammering, and dumbfoundedness... the list can go on and on.

During our courtship we spent a lot of time exchanging words over food and for Sumalee the words never seemed to interfere with the intake of food but for David the food somehow always seemed to be put on the back burner or just forgotten completely because of the intense focus on her. We always come home with leftovers because of him. David has been caught many times with his mouth open and no understandable words coming out. Sumalee has an astounding affect on his vocabulary. She makes this learned man seem more backwoods Kentucky than he really is. Just because David is overwhelmed by her beauty and womanly woes does not make him a dumb redneck. So, if you are introduced to him for the first time and he is not very responsive to you he might be getting over some Sumalee withdraws. (This happens anytime we are apart for more than five minutes, it just takes time and he can operate at a normal level again)

So, going back to sight, David has a staring problem. It is true, he stares without blinking for minutes, hours, days at a time. He is aware of this and even when he tries to stop he can't. He doesn't know why, but he has to stare even when he doesn't want to. And honestly, sometimes this is scary because HE SHOULD BE WATCHING THE ROAD!!!!!!! (WELL, MAYBE SHE SHOULD NOT LOOK SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!) . And besides it goes both ways on the starring thing! There have been times I caught our dear Sumalee looking at me with wanting eyes, the same look she gives a JUICY STEAK!)

(Sorry, this is what happens when we are both writing a blog post together. Usually we try to make the post seem like it's one voice but sometimes, things slip).

Anyways, the movie does a great job highlighting some of the tendencies toward caveman like stupidness and loss of all normal human functions around the adored love. The guy in the movie can contribute numerous falls, bumps, near misses, car wrecks, and other stumbles along the path to love because everything shuts down except for his feelings towards her.

Update #2 on our Growing Family

2010-06-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

We made a decision to go with the name Roxy. It's cute and sassy which we know she is going to be.

Update on our Growing Family

2010-06-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

It has been a month since our announcement that our family is growing but not much has happened since. We recently discussed possible names but have limited them to just girl names because that is what we are hoping for. We even bought a pink dress the other day when we were perusing at a garage sale after our morning workout. Who could pass up an adorable little pink dress that was nearly brand new for 1 dollar?

So far, we both REALLY like the name Emma. Some of the other names we had talked about is Piper, and Holly (not really sure about this because we don't know if it is a good idea to have a first name and a lat name end with a "y"). There were some other names but nothing really spectacular. We will keep throwing out names until we are both satisfied. Any suggestions?

We will also think of some boy names too just in case... you just never know...

17th Annual Day of Caring

2010-06-23T21:07:00.000-07:00

Every year, United Way Kitsap coordinates about 500 to 700 volunteers for a fun filled day of community service. We both love giving back to the community and this year is our first year volunteering together for this event. The project that we chose was at Silverdale Elementary and our job was to paint the playground for their kindergartener students. The playground lacked any color and whatever markings were already on the ground were barely visible. We changed all that by painting hopscotches, four squares, galloping feet, circles, numbers, and alphabets on the ground with fun colors such as red, blue, green, yellow, etc.

During the planning process, we had to think back to when we were in grade school and the games we played. For many of us, games such as four squares are a little foreign because we had never played it before. Then we ran into the problem of size. We had to think "little" because if we were to make some of the squares and circles our size, the children would have a hard time playing in them. In the end, everything turned out beautifully and when the school term starts back up in September, the children will be able to play in a brand new playground!

Volunteering for this project was very rewarding to both of us because we knew that the impact it will have on the children is going to be significant and it is something that will be used over and over again. For us, it was something that we can share together and we are both kids at heart and this project allowed us to really become one for the day!

Romance

2010-06-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Romance portrayed in the media has helped some men become more romantic and it has also discouraged other men from trying to be romantic for fear that they will not live up to expectations. Because our society is so heavily driven by what they see on television, men and women feel that romance has to be a certain way or else it is not romantic. The idea of getting all dressed up and going out to dinner by candle light at a fancy restaurant is romantic, but mainly because we are taught to think that. We too love getting all dressed up and going out to a romantic dinner. However, this eventually gets old and becomes quite expensive depending on your taste in food and the type of ambiance you are looking for.

We are always looking for ways to be romantic without the price. Often times, this requires a lot of thought and creativity from both of us. Since we are both easy going and openminded about everything, being romantic without the expense has become an art. Besides, the most important part about romance is not what you are doing but who you are doing it with so anything can be romantic, it's just a mindset.

A recent romantic outing we went on happened to be at a gas station. Yes, you read correctly, a gas station. We had been getting gas for Tommy (our truck) and saw a sign that said bento box lunch inside of the Shell gas station located on the corner of Ridgetop and Myhre in Silverdale. We were hungry and throwing out ideas for lunch and saw this as an opportunity to try something new. Most people would cringe at the idea of eating sushi from a gas station but not us, we love making new memories. We had actually heard good things about this sushi joint from various people but never had the time to drop by.

When we walked inside, sure enough, there was a hole in the wall sushi joint right inside with some tables set up as well. We walked up to the counter and ordered two bento box specials which came with a bowl of miso soup, assorted sushi, tempura, rice, and chicken teriyaki. We claimed our table and waited for the kind asian lady to call out our number. As we were waiting, we can hear the bells going off as people came in and out of the gas station to purchase their gas, snack, beverages, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. The atmosphere was just great!!! We had such a great time and the food was pretty good! Neither one of us threw up afterwards or had to run to the bathroom so that is always pleasant. We will surely go back on another date at this gas station.

You never know what you have...

2010-06-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

"You never know what you have until it's gone."

This quote/statement is often used as a reminder of the things we no longer have in our life whether it is someone or something. On the surface, this statement is profound but when one actually takes the time to think about it, you might question its connotation.

We have thought about this quote quite extensively, especially in terms of relationships (friends, family, spouse, etc.) and we have asked ourselves, if that person really meant the world to you, if you truly cared for that person like you say you do, why would you wait until he or she is gone before you realized what you have? If you took things for granted and you didn't appreciate it like you should have, then it probably did not mean that much to you in the first place. For instance, think back on your life. Think of something that was valuable to you, how did you treat it? Now think back to something else that did not mean that much to you, did you just toss it in a corner until you needed it one day? The way we treat things is a good indicator on how we value people or things. Often times, we already know what is valuable to us from the very beginning and we will treat these things in a manner that reflects the way we feel.

In most cases, you really would not know what you were missing until you actually had something to compare it to and that is when you would determine if what you had before was better than what you have now or worse.

During our discussion, we have realized that most of the people who uses this phrase actually use it in the wrong context. When we lose someone, perhaps because they have passed away or if the relationship did not work out, we tend to feel sad, empty, or even regret but these are just natural emotions associated with loss because of our attachments to things. However, this sense of loss is different than not knowing what you have until it's gone. People have mistakenly used this phrase in an attempt to explain their emotional sense of loss.

What we would like to point out is if you truly value or care about someone or something, you should definitely cherish it every moment you have. Show that person that they mean the world to you, nurture the relationship. Do not take things for granted because it will not always be there. When we first fell in love, we knew how much we meant to each other and we made sure to always communicate our feelings. We truly value what we have and will always fight for our love. We will try our hardest not to take our relationship for granted and appreciate the little things we do for each other.

Universal Studios Hollywood

2010-06-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

In our first visit to California, our time was a little short, we only had four days to spend together due to a blizzard in Texas which caused all the flights to delay for a day. There was so much to see and so much to do but the most important reason for the trip was to spend some much needed time together. We hadn't seen each other in a couple of months. The second reasons for the trip were to get our engagement pictures done and meet the family. The third reason was Valentines Day! We had the whole time planned and scheduled in advance but all that was thrown out the window when the blizzard hit Texas (go figure a blizzard in Texas of all places almost caused us to miss each other). Nevertheless, we still had lots of fun when we finally saw each other again and the weekend was packed full of fun. One of the things that we did get to enjoy together was Universal Studios Hollywood, our first theme park together. It lived up to the hype and was made even better by us being able to enjoy it together, and of course, (our favorite) the churros!!

Our Brother and the love of his life joined us for our day of fun. It was an exciting first double date for us as well. We didn't get to go on too many rides because we were mainly there to chill and relax. We just wanted to take it easy...and we both don't like crazy roller coaster rides either so we are picky about what we go on. We did get to go on the new Simpsons ride which was a 4D simulator. It was ... doh!.... hilariously fun. It was similar to Honey I Blew up the Kids but we don't want to give the entire thing away. We also saw the Terminator show, that was neat too. We also went on the tram ride that takes you behind the sets and we saw there they were filming CSI (we don't watch this show). Apparently there was a fire a year or two ago and they had to rebuild a good portion of the sets which was cool because they can now use new technology in the construction which is supposed to make it last longer, of course, until another fire happens.

Thinking back to that day, we really didn't get to see that much of the park because we got there a little late and the park closes early during its off season but we did get an annual pass, which was the same price as the one day pass, so we will surely be going back soon. The best part of the day by far was getting out with those we care about, talking, laughing, getting cheese sauce spilled on us, and having a really good time making memories together.

Our Wedding Reception

2010-06-05T23:59:00.000-07:00

After the wedding ceremony guests were encouraged to explore beautiful Balboa Park while the wedding party stayed behind for pictures. There are many things to see at Balboa Park such as gardens, museums, street performers, fountains, ponds, and so much more. Our reception venue, The Prado was located inside the park so our guests did not have to travel far.

We had our own private room that was just big enough to accommodate the size of our guest list. The room was absolutely gorgeous. There were candles everywhere and it had a romantic, classic Spanish feel to it. The bride and groom sat at the head of the table so they can see all of their guests which lined both sides of the long table.

For our appetizer, we had pita crisps with hummus, yummy! We started our meal with some tortilla soup (one of the reasons why we chose this particular menu). The soup was creamier and thicker than any other tortilla soups we've had but it was really delicious. For our next course, we both ordered the salmon, that too was yummy. For dessert, we both ordered the cream cheese flan. The texture was more that of a silky cheesecake than flan but still had the same caramelized topping.

While we were eating, the father of the groom started the toasting session. He welcomed the bride into the family and talked about producing grand kids, wow, talk about the pressure! Then the Best Man and the Maid of Honor went next. They each had said something along the lines of knowing us for x amount of years and had never seen either of us this happy before, which was very true. Neither of us knew what true love was about until we met each other. It was a very fitting toast. Austin thanked us for showing everyone what true love was all about. It was very beautiful and touching to hear such sweet words from those we care about.

You can definitely tell that love was in the air.

Now what's a wedding without the wedding cake? We had a small cutting cake just for us but the real star of the show were the cupcakes we bought at Babycakes. We also had this awesome cupcake tree that the groom's mother helped us decorate the morning of. She did a fantastic job because people did not want to take their eyes off the cupcake tree! It was absolutely stunning.

Not soon after, some people had to go because it was getting late. The Best Man and his girlfriend presented us with a wonderful gift. It was a plaque with our name, the date, and the phrase, "A True Love Story Never Ends," it was so beautiful and so sweet.

The next thing we knew, the Best Man, his girlfriend, his daugther, our daughter, and the officiant disappeared! When we arrived to our car, we received a big surprise.

Who can really get mad when there's blown up condoms and condom packages AND Oreo cookies stuck on all the windows?

At the end of the day, shoes came off, stomachs were full and people were content. Two families are now joined together, the Mahagunas and the Lillys.

Our Wedding

2010-06-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

"You work, you play, and then one day, love happens!"

Today, we were able to share our feelings for each other with our closest friends and family. Everything was so romantic and so intimate. It was held in a somewhat secluded Rose garden at Balboa Park in San Diego, California. We were surrounded by some of our closest friends and family who where there to provide us with love and support. All the way around us were beautiful flowers and the sound of romance coming from our violinist who was there to entertain our guests while they were waiting for the wedding to begin. The rose garden had different species of roses from all over the world, all different sizes, shapes, and colors. Even over the trellis type gazebo were little white roses. We were encompassed by love and symbols of love.

The wedding party was small but more than adequate. The Officiant, Best Man, and the Maid of Honor were all of our closest friends who have known us for a very long time. Monica, the Maid of Honor has known Sumalee for over 8 years and Austin, the Best Man has known David for over 7 years.

To make the wedding even more special, our lovely daughter was able to participate in the most important day of our lives.

In order to get to our wedding site, we had to walk across a bridge which was very romantic. Austin started walking across the bridge first, then Monica, then our daugther, then us. We walked across the bridge together arm in arm to the sound of our violinist playing Cannon in D.

As we neared the walkway to the pavilion, we were surrounded by our guests.

When we stopped in front of our officiant, he started the ceremony by saying...

"Welcome friends and family. We are gathered here today to celebrate love and union between Sumalee and David. Today, you will share with the bride and groom the most important day of their lives. The step which you are about to take is the most important into which human beings can come. It is the union of two people founded upon mutual respect and affection. Your lives will change, your responsibilities will increase, but your joy will be multiplied if you are sincere and earnest with your pledge to one another."

"May you both be granted the patience to listen, the capacity to understand, the compassion to give comfort, and the joy to laugh and to just be yourselves."

"Let your marriage make a home where neither person is ever lonely. Let it offer illumincation and the excitement of shared discoveries. Let it be large enough to endure the difficult times."

"May life's challenges bring you closer together, and may you always be able to turn to each other. "

After this introduction on love and marriage, the father of the groom did a reading.

On Your Wedding Day

Today is a day you will always remember

The greatest in anyone's life

You'll start off the day just two people in love

And end it as Husband and Wife

It's a brand new beginning the start of a journey

With moments to cherish and treasure

And although there'll be time when you both disagree

These will surely be outweighed by pleasure

You'll have heard many words of advice in the past

When the secrets of marriage were spoken

But you know that the answers lie hidden inside

Where the bond of true love lies unbroken

So live happy forever as lovers and friends

It's the dawn of a new life for you

As you stand there together with love in your eyes

From the moment you whisper "I do"

And with luck, all your hopes, and your dreams can be real

May success find its way to your hearts

Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys

But today is the day it all starts.

After this, we exchanged vows that were prepared from our hearts. Of all the things we promised each other, the most important one was that no matter what happened, we will love each other till the end of time which is more than anyone can ask of their soulmate. Without this love, we would have nothing to live for.

After the exchange of vows, Sumalee's brother did a reading.

The Bridge Across Forever

A soulmate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys that fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soulmate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. Our soulmate is the one who makes life come to life.

After the reading, we exchanged rings. As we slid the ring onto the other person's finger, we recited these words.

"With this ring, I give you my promise that from this day forward you shall never walk alone. My heart will be your shelter, my arms will be your home. We will walk together through life as partners and best friends. I promise that I shall always do my best to love and accept you exactly the way you are. With this ring, I give you your freedom and my trust in you. I give you my heart until the end of time."

After we exchanged rings, we had a rose ceremony. In the rose ceremony, our first gift to each other as husband and wife is a single rose which is a symbolizes our love for each other. The groom offered his rose first and recited these words.

"I give you this rose as a symbol of my love. It began as a tiny, tightly closed bud and blossomed into this perfect rose that opened with the warmth of the sun, just as my love for you has grown in the warmth of your soul."

Then the bride offered her rose to the groom as her first gift to her husband and recited these very same words. After this, the officiant said to the bride and groom,

"In remembrance of this day, as a reaffirmation of your love and of the vows you have spoken here today, please give each other a single rose each year on your anniversary. In the best of marriages there are difficult times. There are times of hurtful words, times of neglect, times when we must wait patiently to be together again. Those may be times when the words you really need to speak are difficult. I ask that you remember this moment and that when words fail you, that you place a single rose on your spouse's pillow as a way to say, "I remember our vow," and "I love you". Let this exchanging of roses be the beginning of a lifelong tradition of unspoken love. Sumalee and David, may your love continue to grow. Ladies and gentleman, I know present to you, Sumalee and David Lilly. You may kiss the bride. "

We had been planning this wedding for a long time and it was everything we had hoped for. We were so glad to be able to finally share our love with our friends and family. Even though not everyone made it, we hope that you can still share our love through this blog.

Five More Days...

2010-06-01T10:33:00.000-07:00

We have officially been married for one month now but it really feels like we have been married for much longer. Sometimes we are still in disbelief that we are married because something this wonderful isn't real. Only it is real and we are blessed to be able to experience this type of love that only seems to be real in a fantasy world. A lot of significant things happened this month, lots of great news, lots of achievements, lots of laughs, lots of decisions, and lots of experiences for us to reflect upon. Only these experiences will continue to grow and multiply as our relationship grows.

In just 5 short days, we will be able to do something that we have been wanting to do for a long time which is to share our love and union with our closest friends and family. Since the proposal, we had been anxiously waiting for the day of our wedding knowing that it will be the most special day of our life. Our original wedding date was September 25th. We had made all the arrangements for this date only to come to the hard realization that we couldn't wait that long. Then we moved our wedding date to June 5th hoping that there was not going to be a penalty for changing our venues. There wasn't, so we went ahead and moved the date up and it STILL feels like forever! So, when the divorce was finalized, we couldn't wait any longer, we had to be together, we had to be man and wife, so we eloped. We would have gotten married the same day the divorce was finalized if there was not a 3 day waiting period in the state of Washington. We simply did not and do not care what anyone might think of our actions because this is our life and no one else. When something feels this right and natural, you just have to go with your feelings...and that we did!

We cannot wait to exchange our vows in front of those we hold dear. We are sad that some of our loved ones cannot make it to our wedding but their presence will be with us in our hearts.

Traditional Chinese character for love consists of a heart (middle)

inside of "accept", "feel", or "perceive", which shows a graceful emotion.

Lessons Learned

2010-05-29T16:21:00.000-07:00

During these past couple of weeks, we have learned a few things. We had thought that our life was going to get better and easier once we were reunited and living together but we were mistaken. Our feelings for each other had been strong from the very beginning and it only grew with each passing moment. Our separation made us yearn for each other more as we felt incomplete. No matter how much we talked on the phone or Skype with each other, we never felt whole. We thought that once we were physically together, these feelings of loneliness and heartaches would go away because we would be able to satisfy our hunger for each other. Well, these feelings have not gone away and in some cases, it has worsen. Why is it so painful when we are apart? We can't even stand to be in a separate room from each other. Going to work is the hardest because of the amount of time apart we have to endure without the other person. We are truly addicted to each other. No matter how much time we spend together, we just cannot get enough. Will these feelings wane as time goes on? Well, in most cases they do because the couple has allowed the relationship to slip away by making others things their priority. For us, we believe that we will always have strong feelings for each other because we take an immense amount of time and energy to nurture our relationship.

We know that even though we love each other so much, it takes the efforts of both people to make this a long lasting relationship. As perfect as our relationship seems to be, we do have challenges and the number one challenge we have faced so far is miscommunication. When we are trying to convey a message to another person, often times, we assume that they are on the same page as you. Unfortunately, assumptions have a way of causing issues that could have been avoided if we could just eliminate it altogether. By avoiding assumptions and taking the extra time to communicate your thoughts can greatly reduce any chance of misunderstanding.

Love Dipped In Sugar

2010-05-28T12:39:00.000-07:00

Doughnuts or donuts, however you spell it they taste Great! Little doughy rounds of goodness that nearly everyone loves. Can you say FOODGASM? We can, every time we place a sweet morsel of bready deliciousness in our saliva gushing mouths. Ok, so you may be wondering what all the taste bud tantalizing talk was for? Well, we got a little froggy and decided to go for a run but settled for making doughnuts instead ;) What a great way to spend time with a loved one, making, baking, and eating sweet delicatessens.

We had a blast whipping up a batch of dough but....... we quickly discovered our first try at growing yeast bubbles burst. The second try was a success and soon it was time to let the dough rise, which ended up being our least favorite part of the creation process (and we deemed this to be the reason that most people just buy them).

Then after waiting FOREVER, we had to roll it out (fun), and cut out the big circles (extra fun) because we used a Hard Rock cafe cup, and then the little holes in the middle (super duper fun) because we got to use the cap to a butane fuel bottle. We like being resourceful. After we cut out the doughs into their round shapes, we laid them on a tray and waited again for the second rise. Yes, more waiting...

We also had fun making a skull shaped doughnut, it looks very formidable but taste very sweet.

Then one of us had to go to work (David) so we did not actually get to eat these doughnuts until almost midnight. This ended up being our dinner. When we were frying these babies up, we thought they were going to be as hard as rocks. We got this impression because whenever we dumped out the frying basket, the doughnuts would land on the cookie sheets with a loud thud. Then we started dipping the doughnuts into the glaze we made and then the chocolate topping with sprinkles, we couldn't help but be proud of ourselves because they looked so fantastic.

We began eating the doughnut holes first while we were still glazing the rest of the doughnuts. They are so little so naturally they would be sacrificed first. It was love at first bite. We could not believe how soft they were, especially since we thought they were going to be hard. The doughnut holes were dwindling by the second as we starting popping them into our mouth at a rapid pace. Then we realized that we weren't going to have any for the pictures so we made sure to save two. Then we piled all the doughnuts onto our plate and then sat down on the couch and watched Prison Break season 4. Our night ended with sugar on our lips, two big happy bellies (three counting Oscar's belly), and two hearts full of love.

This was something that neither one of us had ever made before and we were extremely proud of the end result. Baking with your significant other is a great way to strengthen bonds no matter how long you have been in the relationship. There is just something so intimate about cooking together and then eating the things that have been created by love and care. We encourage all couples to take some time out and spend that time with the one you love cooking something you both will enjoy. Remember to have fun and don't take things too seriously. It's not about the food, it's about the bond. If things don't come out right, you can always order pizza.

Our Family is Growing!!

2010-05-24T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we knew this was going to happen one day but we did not expect it to be this soon. It appears our family may be growing soon. We are super excited about the addition to our loving home. We have so much love for each other and feel that this is a momentous occasion and a blessing. It may appear quick, but some things even when unexpected have such bountiful joys to accompany them. We can't wait to swaddle our little one in a homemade knitted blanket that we plan on making together. Even Oscar is excited to have a little brother or sister (we are hoping for a girl!).We are scared but excited, we are happy and nervous, we are prepared and overwhelmed. There are so many challenges that come with a new addition, extra money for expenses, loss of sleep, loss of some personal time, loss of travel freedom, but it will all be worth it to hold that wrinkly pink bundle of joy! We know our kids are bound to have huge appetites just like us, be smart, and be a hand full, just like us. We can't wait to see him/her develop their own personality and make their way in this world with us as his/her guide. It is a huge responsibility that we don't take lightly. As with family we will love them no matter what. We are grateful for the opportunity to be parents together.

We will give you more updates on the arrival of our little joy.

Time

2010-05-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

There are many benefits to living so close to work. With the rising cost of gas, having the luxury of filling up the vehicles once a month is a bonus. Also, if one of us forgets something at home, it's does not take too much time to go back. One of the benefits we have come to appreciate is the ability to have lunch together everyday, whether it is at home or on a grassy secluded patch outside of work. Nothing makes your day better than spending it with the one you love, even if it is only for half an hour. It certainly breaks up the day by having something to look forward to when you get to work.

Today, we enjoyed a homemade chicken salad sandwich with potato salad and some grapes at our apartment. The weather was on the gloomy side so we did not have a picnic outside of work like we normally do. It's a good thing we chose not to because the weather turned for the worst and it is now pouring outside. Our sandwich would have been soggy!

Since we work opposite shifts, spending time with each other has been challenging. Some days, we would only see each other for 2 hours, (usually in the morning when one gets home and the other one is getting ready to leave) and then we would not see each other again until the next day. This has been hard on the both of us because we would miss each other so much that our hearts would ache. Not being able to spend time together as often as we'd like has made us more appreciative of our time together, especially when our day off coincides. We relish in the simple things such as cooking and doing chores together, taking Oscar to the dog park while we run around and do push ups on the bench, or editing pictures for our clients. Sometimes all we want to do is cuddle on the couch and watch a t.v. show. We finally finished watching Battlestar Galactica yesterday, it took us approximately 2 months to get through 4 seasons but we did it. If you have never seen it before, give it a try, the writing is excellent.

We knew that it was going to be hard with both parties having a career but we hope that in two years, things will be better as we make steps to build our business together. In the meantime, we will continue to cherish our time together and appreciate the little things in life that most people take for granted.

Operation Rescue Ghia

2010-05-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

As you know, we ended the Home Sweet Home post with a "to be continued" on the Ghia. When we last left it, it was sitting in a shop somewhere in the little town of Rochester, MN, still weighted down with about 980 lbs worth of crap. The other 20 lbs were privileged enough fly on the aircraft home; socks, underwear, a couple shirts, a pair of jeans, a pair of shorts, a bagpack full of important papers, camera and camera accessories are just some of the essentials in our life. All the other worldly possessions were left behind along with an envelop full of cash in the care of a complete stranger.

We needed another engine and we spent days searching for one. We had several options, we can buy it here, drive Tommy (our truck: full name, Tommy Toyota Tacoma Mahaguna Lilly) to MN and have them install it for us and drive the Ghia back, find an engine close to the shop in Rochester and have them install it and fly out there to drive it back, or tow the Ghia back. All the other options would have been fine but we could not find an engine that we could afford so towing the Ghia back seemed like the ONLY option at the time. The next problem was timing. Between job huntings and coordinating time off together proved harder than expected. The drive was about 25 hours each way and if you think about all the stops for food and gas, you can add a couple more hours to this trip.

Things did not seem to go our way for a little while and the stress was getting to us because we knew that the following month, we would be financially strapped because that is when we had to start paying the full child support and alimony. We needed to have dual income or this will not work. Then, one day our luck changed. A job was secured and we found the time that we would need to drive there and back.

We loaded up the truck with Oscar, lots of blankets for him, lots of food for us, and away we went! Tommy looked so proud with his brand new hitch pulling a trailer behind him. Tommy is the working vehicle in the family and he has done many hauling jobs but this is his first pulling job. He exceeded our expectations.

The drive was long, we slept and drove in rotations so we would not have to stop and waste time. The only stop we had planned was Mount Rushmore because it was on the way. We did not want this entire road trip to be all about business even though we had loads of fun regardless of its purpose. It was a wonderful day to be at Mount Rushmore. The sun was out and even though it was still chilly, the sky was really blue and we did not have to worry about any rain interrupting our fun. We stopped at the gift shop and bought magnets for all the states we have been to together. Our goal is to travel anywhere and everywhere and we want to eventually collect all 50 states. We want to see everything even if there is nothing to see; we find beauty in all things. After we were satisfied, we got back in the car and continue to head east.

We arrived at the shop around 11 that night, wow were we relieved. One leg of the trip done, one more to go. We unloaded all the extra pounds from the Ghia and transferred it to Tommy. We had to push the Ghia because it was dead and jump start it so we can drive it onto the trailer. If you were there, you would have been biting your finger nails the entire time if you were to watch us attempt to do this. Fatigue coupled with limited resources, coupled with the notion that we will be driving for another 25 hours was fogging up our ability to think logically. Individually, our brains were only operating at a quarter of what we would normally be operating on, but as a team, we had just enough juice to devise a way to complete the mission. Thank goodness that our body has the ability to do things based just on motor skills because we need it to get home. During the day, the sleepiness is not that bad, but at night, not matter how much we napped during the day, our body just naturally wants to go to sleep because it is dark.

We drove the rest of that night and we were able to get through MN. It took us all day to drive through SC, WY, and part of MT. In WY we had a little scare, we almost ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere, We did say we were in WY didn't we? Anyways, we had a quarter tank of gas and we saw a sign that told us when the next gas station would be. What it did not tell us was that this gas station was no longer operational. So, we got back on the highway and saw that the next gas station will not be for another 60 miles. Well, that needle starting dropping slowly and before we knew it, the fuel light came on, we still had another 30 miles to at this point. Normally, Tommy would be fine but we had many many hills to climb and a vehicle towing behind us, Tommy just required a little more fuel than usual. But, luckily, Tommy came through and got us to a gas station safely. Neither one of us was going to have walk in the middle of nowhere to retrieve gas.

Speaking of gas, we noticed something interesting and thought we'd share it with you so you can save some money on your next road trip. It appears that gas companies have been tricking their customers by putting a higher price on the lowest fuel grade because it is the one that most people normally select. The middle grade was actually cheaper and less likely to get selected because it is in the middle and most people assume that it is more expensive than the lowest grade. Well, we noticed this about half way into the trip and started selecting the middle grade fuel instead. Another reason to pay attention to details.

It took us another night to drive through the rest of MT, ID, and we finally reach WA that morning. We were grateful to see that "Welcome to Washington" sign. Of course, we still had another 5 hours to go before we reached our home and were still under a lot of pressure because we had to drop off the trailer by noon or else they were going to charge us for another day and one of us had to work that evening.

We were successful in returning the trailer with 10 minutes to spare! Wow what a trip. We learned many things from this trip. The most important one being the fact that we still love each other after spending four days confined in a vehicle smelling the way we did. You can only clean up so much at rest areas but nothing beats a nice hot shower which we did after unloading Tommy and the Ghia. The second thing we learned was that no matter how careful you are in trying to watch what you eat, the availabilities of food on the interstate is limited and your body is going to hate you after all the junk you ate on the road. The third thing we learned is that no matter what we do, we will always have fun doing it. Normally, when couples are in an enclosed area such as this for an extended period of time with lack of sleep, someone is going to blow up over some silly things. This did not happen on our trip but if this does happen to you, just remember all the variables that come into play and don't take things too personal. It's not your significant other talking, it's the lack of sleep, the stress, and the enclosed area.

Compromises

2010-05-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Compromise is a basic negotiation process in which both parties give up something that they want in order to get something else they want more. Compromises usually occur in win-lose situations when there is a fixed pie to be divided up, and whatever one side gets, the other side loses. In compromise situations, neither side gets all of what they really want, but they each make concessions in order to reach an agreement that is acceptable to both. The basic way to negotiate a compromise is for the parties to go back and forth with offers and concessions until they meet somewhere in the middle. This way, both parties have actually turned a win-lose situation into a win-win situation and each can walk away without feeling like they have been taken advantage of.

Compromise is essential to the success of any relationship, romantic or non romantic. Parents need to compromise with their children, friends/friends, workers/supervisors, and any one else who they have a relationship with (even if the relationship is not something they wanted). In any relationship where one party display an authoritarian personality (demanding yet unresponsive to the other party, characterized by high expectations of conformity and compliance to rules and directions while allowing little open dialogue with the other party. Authoritarian personality is a restrictive, punitive style in which that person exhort the other party to follow their direction and to respect their efforts and boundaries.) there is bound to be tension and resentment from the other party because the relationship is one sided. No one wants to feel like they are always on the losing end; always the one being taken advantage of. This type of relationship is not healthy and will never last because the other party will eventually say, "enough is enough" and walk away or become destructive.

Imagined yourself constantly being pushed. You are pushed, and pushed, and pushed, until finally, you give up and fall down, or you get mad and push right back until that other person falls down. Now, instead of one person falling down, how about a compromise and both parties can stand up and walk away with a smile on their face... sounds better doesn't it?

It's amazing how much more productive one's life can become if they are willing to sacrifice a little. Isn't that what life and happiness is about? Making some sort of sacrifice? Think about it.

Fun, fun, fun!!!

2010-05-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

This weekend was packed full of fun as we got to explore Washington State together along with our mom. Both of us had been living here for a good while now but neither of us had actually been to the Space Needle in Seattle. So, while our mom was here in town, we took the opportunity to be tourists ourselves while we showed her around. Our first stop was Chinatown because we had just picked her up from the airport and of course, all of our stomachs were in sync and we were starving to death. One of our guilty pleasures is to eat Dim Sum in Chinatown and because we do not venture out that way very often, we make sure to stuff our bellies full of delicious goodness. Then we went to the Space Needle and enjoyed the wonderful view. Wow, the view was so marvelous! The sky was so blue and the trees were so green. Things look so different when you are up that high.

The next day we drove to Leavenworth and enjoyed some good old Bavarian food. The family platter we ordered was packed full of ham hock, chicken, potatoes, sausages, sauerkraut, spaetzle, and so much more. The platter was supposed to feed four but we think that there was enough food there to feed a family of six. Oscar got to eat the leftover ham hock bones. He was pretty happy. We also watched a few traditional Bavarian dances and listened to live music. When you hear the beat, you cannot help but want to get up and dance yourself.

We took some old time photos and had fun pretending that we were getting married in the old west. Mom had a great time watching us make a fool of ourselves acting out these scenes. Then we stopped at a cafe across the street from the studio and grabbed some coffee and gelato so we can enjoy it on the walk back to the hotel.

The next day, we explored the little town further and enjoyed Mother's Day with our mom. Our biggest goal on our last day in Leavenworth was visit the Cheesemongers and try a few samples. Everything was so delicious! We ended up walking out of there with two types of cheese, cranberry-jalepeno and garlic herbs.
We cannot wait to enjoy these on our next picnic with some crackers and summer sausage.

Before we departed from this quaint little town, we had to finish off the experience by eating some bratwurst.
We ordered three different kinds so we can sample them all. We ordered a kielbasa, big Bob's brat, and another brat infused with curry flavorings. Our favorite brat was big Bob's, it was packed full of flavors.

So, as we got into Tommy (our truck) and headed away from the little town towards the Seattle airport, we thought to ourselves that this could not have been a better weekend.

Success is best when shared

2010-05-08T10:08:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we celebrated a great milestone in my life, I have successfully earned a Master's of Arts Degree in Organizational Leadership. According to the U.S. Census, only 10% of Americans have earned their masters so I am very proud to be a part of that 10%. I began this adventure a year ago and completed all my requirements exactly a year later. I did not have a life during this process because when I set my mind on a goal, there is nothing that can stand in the way of my achievements.

During the ceremony, we acknowledged all the faculty members who were there to help us along the way but we also recognized those in our life who were there give us the much needed support, ie. friends, family, co-workers, and significant others. I stood up proudly to applaud my mother and my husband because they have supported me the most during this journey. David and I had to sacrifice many fun times so that I can get my homework done or do some studying. I remember David's frustration at having to sacrifice some of my attention during our Valentine's Day dinner because I had a midterm exam to finish up. I can tell that he was upset by this because it was supposed to be a romantic evening...and it still was because of where we were, but it could have been better if there was not a computer and a textbook on our date with us.

With that being said, my success is also his success. Mark Twain said, "to get the full value of joy, you must have someone to divide it" and I believe this is true about everything in life. So what happens after this? Well, I am not done getting degrees and neither is David. We still have some space on our wall and we both have decided that we want to work on a degree TOGETHER. We really want to take classes together, do our homework together, study together, and well...we just want to do everything together! So, this fall, things are going to get rough again because we will have to split our time up between work, school, and the many business ventures we have as well as our hobbies. I know it seems like with all the things we have on our plate, how will we have time for each other right? Well, everything we do is pretty much together, except for when we are at work but, hopefully, our businesses will take off and we will not have to rely on someone else to pay our bills in the future.

Holy Flatrimony....

2010-05-02T23:17:00.000-07:00

Today, our wish came true...

Two hearts beat as one
two lives joined to make one
forever we will be together
as man and wife...

We had been dreaming about this moment for nearly 7 months and now it has become our reality. Our love was undeniable from the beginning. Denying what we felt for each other was futile. Our journey to get to this point was unbelievably long because of our struggles. Yet, we could not be more grateful because our love for each other has grown with each passing day and our bonds have strengthen enough to allow us to beat any adversity that may come our way. Our wedding isn't actually due for another month but we just could not wait any longer.

Today, true love couldn't be more real as we gazed into each other's eyes and said our vows. Even when it was interrupted by a machine gun sounding flatulence that escaped from our officiant's buttocks. Seriously, the wise old lady conducting the ceremony was very at ease with us and our union. So much in fact that she fully relaxed her bowels and released several audible farts into our circle of love. As I watched Sumalee staring wide eyed at the Old broad, I couldn't help but wonder who in fact let the cheese loose. I couldn't tell at first if she was avoiding eye contact with me because it was her that did the deed or if she was trying to keep from laughing. I forced my facial muscles into the most sincere loving expression I could manage for the remainder of the reading. I almost forgot about the gaseous gesture during the exchange of rings and kissing of the bride. Everything went smoothly and the words that were spoken were beautiful and fitting for our relationship and our path to marriage. The paper work was completed and we were off on our way. As soon as the doors to the truck closed we both looked at each other unsure of whether the other heard it too. We started to laugh hysterically and ended up discussing the fart right away and laughed the whole way home. It was a memorable moment to say the least. Thank you Lady Officiant and the Official tune of Holy Matrimony that you shared with us on our special day. We will never forget it.

Home Sweet Home

2010-05-01T22:08:00.000-07:00

It has been so long since we've last held each other, felt the tenderness of a kiss, and gazed lovingly into the eyes of our soul mate. We have been anticipating our reunion for many months now but everytime the moment nears, something always seems to shatter our hopes (ie, finding a renter for the house, ex-wife being indecisive about when she was going to move out, job searches, car wrecks, getting rid of extra baggage, and lack of money being the biggest issue). It was always heart wrenching to hear that we would be apart for another week, then two, then a month, then no date whatsoever. Our countdown would always reset but, not having a countdown at all was the worst. Well, the human heart can only take so much and we finally said, "Fuck it!" and agreed to a date regardless of anything that may come our way.

Well, our countdown was once again reset and when it got down to 5 days prior to the journey, we could hardly contain our excitement. However, things were quite stressful on the departing end because there were so many loose ends that needed to be taken care of. There was still the matter of finding a tenant for the house, cleaning it out and making it presentable and getting the car that is 39 years old ready for a cross country trip. Getting rid of everything was of the utmost importance because the Kharmann Ghia is a tiny little thing. The idea was to leave with just the essentials (ie. clothes, computer, and minor keepsakes) because we already had everything that we would need to start our life together in Silverdale.

Those 5 days sure flew by! Next thing we knew, it was time to say goodbye to the co-workers and start driving. We allotted approximately four days to get across the country. The Ghia was loaded up to the max, there were things on the inside and things on the top, it's tires appeared flat because it was weighted down by an extra 1,000 lbs of crap (we couldn't bring ourselves to throw away certain things). However, things couldn't be any better, we were finally going to be together.

The drive started good, we entertained each other by talking on the phone. The Ghia seemed to be doing fine going through all the mountains and hills, it was truly a champ. Virginia turned into Maryland, then Pennsylvania, Ohio, then Indiana, then Illinois, then Wisconsin and it was time for a short nap. Our goal for the next day was to get to Montana. Things were going fine that morning, Wisconsin seemed to pass by in a blur, however, just as we were crossing the Wisconsin/Minnesota boarder, the Ghia started slowing down, it didn't seem to have as much power going up the hills. We didn't pay much attention to this because it was weighted down but then it started smoking....If you didn't know, cars aren't supposed to do that.

The possibility of being stuck in the middle of nowhere is a horrible feeling but the possibility of extending our time apart feels even worse. After getting the Ghia to the nearest shop, damages were assessed and a new engine would be required for it to become fully operational again. Nearly half way across the country and nearly halfway to our reunion, we were not going to let this stop us from seeing each other. So, what are the options?

A. Stay in Minnesota and wait to locate an engine and have it installed.

B. Rent a car and drive the rest of the way and come back for the car later.

C. Catch a flight and come back later to get the car.

We went with option C.

For some reason, the Ghia dying actually worked to our advantage because we got to see each other a couple days earlier than planned. Things couldn't have turned out any better. A flight out to Seattle was available that afternoon and we were able to hold each other again by 8:30 p.m. Only this time, there was a permanency in this embrace, we were going to be together for good. The feelings of joy and happiness was not tainted by the feeling of dread like it has been in the past. Prior to this embrace, we knew that the visit would be temporary and that a couple days later, we would be heading back towards the airport for the departing flight. It was hard everytime.

We had been waiting for this moment for so long and now it has become a reality in our life. Our home now complete and our heart is now full. As for the Ghia....to be continued

Talking.......

2010-04-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

Communication. How many times have we heard that communication is the key to this or that? It is one of those things that everyone knows but hardly practices. As a couple it is more important to communicate than any other single act. There are various aspects to communication, but for this post we are going to focus mainly on the simple act of talking. Talking is the key to a successful relationship and is vital for growth as a couple.

We have spent thousands of hours (litterally thousands) talking on the phone, texting, and skype over the six months we spent apart. Even though we had numerous opportunities to discuss our feelings and fears there were still several times that feelings were left unchecked (unsaid) and someone got hurt. This causes issues that could easily be avoided by being upfront.

In every relationship there are challenges to openly communicating. This is especially prevelant when the individuals joining lives have been in long term past relationships. When this happens there will be baggage, no matter how long or short in between these relationships, there will be carry over. Years of poor communication practices or the total lack of communication presents special difficulties. This makes it seem hopeless at times. Don't quit because of an issue. Don't think its hopeless. It CAN be overcome. It takes time and work by all parties involved, but it will be worth it.

Our struggles have been compounded by several situational items. These include CES (Crazy Ex Syndrome), and thousands of miles. The stress alone caused by the distance and three hour time change is disheartening, but once the impact and emotional dredgery of CES is added into the mix..... tears are bound to be shed without open hearts and lines of communication. A lesson we learned (sadly, on more than one occassion) is that the past needs to be left in the past. What we mean by that is this: What has transpired in your love's life prior to you should not be held against them. They love you now and have promised themselves to you. Give them a chance to show you without being torn down and belittled by actions from their personal history. They had no idea you were to be their one. They did not count on you having such a profound impact on their life. They could not account for your feelings before they were aware of them. Trust them. Believe them. Love them. Give them a chance. Let them start fresh. Everyone needs a fresh start sometimes. We all have a past. Let it stay there to be learned from and used to better your relationship, not tear it down.

Is it fair that one person pay the price for a loved ones poor skills in the articulation department? What if one or both of the Lovers have issues with expressing their feelings? Likes? Dislikes? Fears? Jealousy? (Oh boy jealousy is a whole other topic) Self image issues? Ex's? Bad habits? and so many more possible challenges. Yes, we said challenges! Not deal breakers or end alls.

Together by talking as a couple you can grow, develop, and deal with issues as they arise before any crisis is created. Talk about your feelings and insecurities. It is better to clear the air before there are any insane acts of desperation or before it swells and explodes from being pent up. The majority of the time a short exchange of concerns and comforting reassurance will negate any real trouble. The important thing to remember is that it won't fix itself, the longer it sits untamed, the worse it gets, and it is better said now inquisitively than later in an accusatory way.

Show trust and compassion. Have faith in your love and friendship. When bad comes to worse, no matter what, do not act on the selfish, jealous, angry, or hurt impulses we are all bound to feel from time to time. Some individuals.... especially Scorpios.... are more prone to jealousy and other similar feelings than others and need to take extra care not to fall into the mind trap of despair. This creates certain disaster for troubled hearts. Take care to not smother and push away your partner. Trust them completely. We know, easier said then done, but what have you got to lose but happiness? If you are afraid something will, happen think of this "If it is going to happen it will happen anyway". BUT, If you play into your fears they are more likely to come to light. You inevitably push your lover away by your selfish , jealous, fearful ways. Open your heart, and then, open your mouth!

If you care for each other, talk to each other. We can not stress enough how important it is to talk about it and deal with it before it becomes more than it should. Insecurities and jealousy will lead to a road that results in a loss of trust. This is the beginning of a roadblock on the highway of happiness. Please talk to one another and tell your hopes, dreams, fears, and feelings. Love is strong but love coupled with communication is unbreakable.