Thankful.

I love that it's 60 degrees today, this third day of November. That we live by an amazing park (that they just found three one hundred year old skeletons in), with trees that are exploding with color. I'm so thankful for friends that I can laugh with, for my husband who is my best friend and loves me so well, for friends all across the country with whom I can share life. For my amazing parents who are still praising God and having faith in the midst of a few too many hard things at once. For my brother who cares so much about the world and other people. Way more than I did at 17! I'm so proud of him.

I love living in Denver, with all the beautiful colors and warm fall days.

I'm thankful for my amazing job, with the most supportive boss, honest coworkers, residents who are so strong and determined, sweet children who are doing so well... For the Mission, who encourages and rewards us to live as healthy people. I'm thankful for family, and learning to love and support them as best we can. For the hard decisions and choices. I'm thankful for Bloom - for passionate people and friends. For community, for our house church... For discussions that make me rethink the way I live my life. For realizations that we can only do so much... That the most important thing is to love everyone around the very best we can. Whether that means giving a ride, listening longer than I would've liked (realizing that my job includes a lot of listening), scrubbing the kitchen floor, offering tea at house church, giving grace and grace and grace, over and over again.

I love that it's getting into the holiday season. This year is going to be the busiest yet, but I'm so thankful that I get to be a part of it. It will be different than I would like, but I hope that I can use it as an opportunity to love and be better. And though we're waiting til the first snow to start decorating, I am so excited to make The Flat a cheery, celebratory place with David. Our first Christmas!

Chicago.

Oh, Chicago. We spent the last five days over there in that big, grand city. It was a week(end) of amazing views, time spent with amazing people/couples, walking (endless walking), trees, coats, lazy mornings, (more) sports (than I could handle), conversations, hand-holding... In short, it was amazing.

We stayed with our sister and brother in a little apartment that looked out over this:

And I sat on a couch in a sunny yellow room with my dear, dear friend Jenny and talked. We caught up on nine and a half months of life - months that have been filled with love and new experiences and joy. And then we met Eric... and ate dinner and laughed and played games and drank cider... And it made me want to move to Chicago. Or perhaps they could just move to Denver. It's smaller and much easier to ride your bike across.

And then we ventured up to the suburbs, where my love grew up. We ate Mexican food and drank coffee and wandered through forests (with autumn trees that were a real disappointment). We caught up on life with more friends, and I wanted to soak it all in and explore this place that David spent the first eighteen years of his life. Our time there was short, but so good.

The rest of our time in Chicago was spent walking. We just walked and walked around the city. We ate great food, drank great coffee, bought great shoes and sweaters, laughed and processed and enjoyed being together.

I love fall vacations.

Soul food.

Swedish pancakes are my soul food.

They remind me of warm Sunday mornings, gathered around the dining room table. Fighting over the biggest corner piece with my dad and brother, pouring maple syrup (the fake kind) over the smooth buttery goodness.

They remind me of quiet Saturday mornings, creeping into my grandparents' kitchen where the table is already prepared with grapefruit halves, orange juice, and coffee. Of vitamin holders and newspapers and calm "how did you sleep"s. Of mornings preceded by Rummikub and card games, of quietly reading Reader's Digest in a dimly lit room, serenaded by something on the record player. Always quiet, calm, peaceful. Of the pink room that was once lime green and orange. Of creaks on the stairs and the comfortable change of spending the night across town, up in the hills.

Of the months I spent in Spain, asking my Swedish friends if they loved Swedish pancakes. Of laughter, as they informed me that those were, in fact, German Oven Pancakes, but that they would still make them for me. Of a smattering of English, Spanish, Swedish, German, Basque... And we ate and walked endless miles and got lost and always, always followed the river home to the ocean.

I made some soul food this morning, and my husband understands only a few of the memories that come over me when I eat Swedish pancakes. But he cooks the bacon for me, touching the raw meat that I refuse to, and enjoys the end result with only the enthusiasm of someone who does not normally eat breakfast, but loves his wife and her crazy idea of soul food.

Fall. This time, it's real.

Today is such a beautiful day. It's the first day of fall, and it truly feels that way. I always know that it's fall when I get overwhelmed by a feeling of nostalgia for Basque Country. The months that I spent there were in the fall, and I just miss it at this time of year. The cold (if you can call 70 degrees cold) humid feeling, the way the air smells, leaves twirling from trees, cigarette smoke, clouds, rain... It all reminds me of San Sebastian. Oh, I miss that place sometimes.

I went for a walk this morning (after reading / finishing my book in bed until 11:30am) in one of the two huge parks that are within a mile of our apartment.

Have I mentioned how much I love this city?

[The above photos were taken with my phone. Yes, I love it.]

We booked our flight to California... We'll be there the end of December. It will be the first time I've ever spent Christmas apart from my family. I'm not too happy about it, but I am glad that we can get out there at all! It will have been a year since we have been back to California... I'm often nostalgic for that place, as well. Probably more so than for San Sebastian, as I did in fact live in California longer than three months.

And we leave for Chicago in three weeks! I'm so excited to see the place that my love grew up, spend time with Jenny, enjoy a mid-western fall weekend, and spend time some great people. Oh, and a mini-vacation from work is always nice.

I'll leave you with this. I am so glad to get to wear pants again, after the past four months of 90+ degree weather.

Work.

Today I went with my coworkers and some of the residents to a time where everyone from the Mission gathered together to worship and fellowship. It was nice, and fun, but one part really stuck out to me.

They were giving out awards (5 and 10 years of employment with the Mission). Two of the five year awards were given to cleaning ladies. One of them didn't speak English, so they brought up someone to translate. And I have never been prouder to be a part of this organization (and I'm often quite proud). Where some people would push the cleaning ladies under the rug, never acknowledge their presence or how hard they work to keep our facilities clean, or tell them: "This is America. Speak English" - The CEO of the Mission and all of us honored them for their service. It was amazing.

Time.

David and I watched "The Notebook" this week. The last time I watched it, I was 18 years old and in the very beginning of my first year of college. I had no idea what the next five years would bring. Let me tell you, watching that movie as a 23 year old married woman is a whole lot different than watching it as an 18 year old who has never been kissed.

Labor day weekend was so good. I am thankful for friends that will float around a pool with me for hours, talking about life and love and work, and that inspire me to be greater and do greater things. I love riding my bike around this city with my husband, dodging traffic and enjoying our neighborhood pub.

And I've once again come to my morning off... Warmed by the sun on the couch, with a cup of homemade iced coffee next to me. This is good. And I have homemade lasagna to look forward to tonight at work... Good conversations, quality time with the children and women that I am growing more and more to love.

September.

Is it September already? Time passes quickly and slowly these days. I'm currently enjoying a morning off. I'm working the late shift tonight, and so far I'm enjoying the change. We'll see how it goes at work tonight, though...

My plan: Ride my bike to City Park, with a blanket overflowing in my basket. Take a walk, enjoy the September sun, lay down to read "The Good and Beautiful Life".

Tuesday nights are the best. When friends bring imported ginger cat cookies (for people) to The Flat, we sit around and eat muffins with almost too many ingredients in them and talk about life. About how to be peacemakers; how to bring the Kingdom here to earth; how to really live and love and that it's okay to get angry sometimes. I am starting to love these people that gather in our living room every week, and I'm so glad we get to share our lives. It's crazy to think that I've only known some of them since the beginning of the summer. Most of them, actually. Amazing how life can change.

Amazing how God goes above and beyond our expectations for our lives.

I'm thankful for my husband who holds me up when I can't do it myself. Even if I don't have the words, he knows and is just there.

I'm thankful for gummy smiles and baby laughs, for made-up words and being called "muh-lise".

And three day weekends never hurt anyone!