Birthdays

Today is my other halfs' birthday! I can't believe how quickly time is flying by.This year is going to be just as fast if not faster with this new job of his. 

Time flys when you are having fun. 

And being the ambassador is pretty dang fun, so far :)

This next year of life will be one for the books. I foresee; graduation from college, recording time in the studio, babies, SLO living (and lots of it!), more sky diving, setting world records and many more adventures! I am so stoked to spend it with you and experience it all by your side.

I am SO, terribly glad you were born!

This year we went on an early picnic for lunch since I thought he a business meeting later in the day. The meeting was canceled and we ended up with a long beautiful day to our selves, in the sun, with yummy food.

Tough life ;)

Our little picnic reminded me of when I was a kid and would go exploring with my best friend caitlin until we found THE spot to set up our 'club' house. Well it is safe to say that today we found our spot and will return as frequently as possible! Rolling lush hills, with a creek nearby, and tall oak tree! heaven on earth I tell you!

Plus this time of year is gorgeous. The wild flowers are blooming, butterflies are swarming, the breeze is light, and the sun kisses my skin luring my freckles.  

Inaugural Dinner & Ball for the Officers of the Elks

Over the weekend we got some spring cleaning done and regular chores around the house. Nothing too exciting, but definitely more relaxing than work and the daily grind.

However, Saturday night we were invited by our landlord to attend a ceremony for the swearing in of new officers in the Elk's Lodge. Not just invited, Bentley was asked to be the Master of Ceremonies for this event. Now, I have to admit I had NO IDEA what the Elk's Lodge was or what they did before Saturday night. 

All I knew was that there was an Elk's Lodge in the town I grew up in.... I grew up in a mountain town near Yosemite and my idea of what the 'lodge' was, consisted of a huge tavern filled with hunters, hanging around a bar swapping hunting stories and tips, with high ceilings and elk heads hanging from the walls from past hunts. Not to be rude or anything, I was just really ignorant and hadn't the slightest clue!

I am pleased to tell you that I learned a lot Saturday night. The Elk's are a nonprofit organization built to support their community through service. 

How awesome?! 

What a far cry from hunters bragging about their biggest kills over drinks!!!

 There is an annual fee to be apart of the Lodge and you have to be invited by other members. So it may seem a little stuck up from the outside looking in. But really, it is full of wonderful people looking to serve in their community and find their niche. 

Our landlord is one of them, she was actually one of the new officers being sworn in. She is such a doll. Sweet to the core, that one! We really lucked out in the landlord department.

San Luis Obispo has one of the largest, active Elk's Lodges in the state. 

SLO is full of serviceable locals, so eager to give back to their community.

Just one of the many reasons why SLO is so happy. :)

It was a great way to spice up the usual weekend routine and get all gussied up. 

Now I'm on spring break and get to celebrate Bentleys birthday tomorrow and welcome some of the Murdock family to our neck of the woods. What a wonderful Tuesday it will be.

This is our first time having them on the central coast!!!

AND it is just for fun, no weddings, births, or baptisms needed to get them here ;)

School... and Babies

So I have a lot on my mind about babies.

I feel the need to get it all down so that I can make room for my studies... My brain just works that way.     (if you could see my to-do lists you would be amazed at what little details I write!) 

Bentley and I are getting serious about bringing our first sweet babe into this world! Not like tomorrow or anything that soon, unfortunately. However I am going to stop by the birth center next week to check it out and probably rent books from their library. 

Babies and library books- best of both worlds :)

I plan on an all natural birth, preferably in the water with a midwife. I am still undecided if I want it to be at home or at the center. Maybe after a visit to the birth center and talking to a few midwives I will make up my mind with certainty. I know the answer will come to me, I have time to think.  I am open to going to the hospital, in an emergency... but that is really the extent of my desired involvement with hospitals and birth. 

More importantly I have always felt that bringing a new soul into this world naturally, in a calm & familiar environment, with as little stress as possible, never breaking that strong connection between infant and mother, is the absolute healthiest way to do it. Who needs an epidural? Let the oxytocin flow! Everything inside of me tells me it is the best way for me. Not for everyone, true, but for me it is instinctual. I have always been  super opinionated about drugs, doctors and the 'business' of being born, ever since I heard my birth story.  I'll just leave it at that....

You can look into it for yourself and make an educated decision. 

 Im looking for a wonderful midwife too so if you have any recommendations let me know! I am tickled just thinking about it. Bentley and I are so ready. 

There is one little thing standing in the way.... My Bachelors Degree program with WGU (Western Governors University) is not finished yet, not really even close. And the last 12 weeks of my program include student teaching! I can't exactly student-teach with a new born on my hip. So I will probably end up student-teaching with a belly-bump. Because patience has never been my strong suit and Bentley has been ready since... always. :) And even then, it's a ways off, but I am a PLANNER, I like to at least 'feel' that I have control of everything (haha) 

So here's to the beginning of a very exciting journey! 

I consider all the reading and investigating I've been doing (and will continue to do), the same as... Well...

...A positive pregnancy test. :)

Spring is here

Well technically it is still 4 days away, but with this gorgeous weather I wouldn't know the difference! It has seriously been just a dream here the last week. (knock on wood) There was a little bit of rain the week before, but since then it has been 70 - 80 degrees with a light breeze to blow away the morning fog. The fields of wildflowers in full bloom are just around the corner. Mustard flowers EVERYWHERE!

I love this time of year :)

I am counting down the days until spring break! A nice long week off work, 

one of the joys of working for the school district. This time we are expecting family to visit! I have been hoping more of Bentleys family would be able to come down to our little paradise on the central coast. And here we go, some family guests just a week away! Cant wait to show them all over, and experience the things we love about where we live with them for their first time.  

With a family as big as his it's hard to visit everyone. Which basically means we chalk it up to weddings and holiday gatherings. 

But our goal is to get more and more of his family to vacation here. 

It's a win - win

Here is to rising spring temperatures and family visits :)

View from hwy 46 overlooking Cayucos and Morro Rock, luscious green rolling hills on the central coast with a peak of the ocean.

SKY Diving

I jumped out of an air plane 10,000 feet above the ground!
with Sky Dive Pismo

My home looked like a little ant on a beautiful picnic blanket.

I still can't believe I did it. 
I was SO scared, literally. My fear was all over my face. My facial expressions actually made sky diving look painful. I am sure all the guys back at the sky dive shop are having a good laugh! 

You better believe I will be claiming guts and glory from this stunt for quite a while.

I dont even know how to begin to describe what it feels like... 

but I will try

Sky Diving was not what I was expecting what-so-ever. I was waiting for the most insane  tummy tickles the entire plane ride up, but as soon as my Lucky Jeans left the side door of that plane the only thing I felt was adrenaline. 

The rush of a lifetime. 

And pressure, lots of pressure from the wind. 

It felt like the wind was pushing my entire body up into the clouds but my weight was resisting it, or falling into it. Gravity was pulling me back to earth but the wind was pushing me up. My heart was racing almost as quickly as my thoughts, and if it wasn't the jump that took my breath away the view of the central coast was enough. The Pismo Dunes and the foothills are gorgeous from any angle but I have to admit there is nothing quite like real life arial view! 

A few tips from my first jump

1. If you are reeeeally nervous dont drink too much water the day of.... I think thats what saved me from peeing my pants :)

2. open your eyes THE ENTIRE TIME!

3. Keep your chin up, look out at the horizon. My tandem mate said that multiple times beforehand but my mind was going too quick to remember. Looking back on the pictures I really wish I had...

4. Go with a group, nothing like peer pressure ;)

5. Pretend the plane engine went out and the cock pit is on fire! Everyone is jumping off that ride!!!

6. Just think BANANA 

7. Hakunamatata

Now I can't stop thinking about being a bird and want to go again!

But this time HIGHER!!!

I was shaking with fear, nerves, and excitement. 

 

Half way up!

I can do this I can do this I can do this

Oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear oh dear

Eyes finally open 

Here I go taking the reins

    Hmmmm So many turns... what to do, what to do...

 

At the time I didn't know he was also holding the billows just above my hands. Thats how mesmerized I was!  Bahahaha thanks for the allusion of total control during the coast down... probably safer this way!

So thankful for a safe soft landing! Pat ROCKS!!!

Glen Lauterbach is like a second father and one big teddy bear!
He and Leslie went before Bentley and I. I knew that if they went first and didn't back out there was NO WAY I could chicken out.

SLO International Film Fest : Opening Night

I didn't know exactly how big this whole film festival thing was in San Luis Obispo, until opening night. So many people of all ages went and the festival director and president got up and explained what would be going on throughout the rest of the week. 

The first film of the Festival was called Industrial Light and Magic. ILM is a company founded by George Lucas that does special effects and CG for alomst ALL the movies we watch today. It is the leading company in its industry and continues to grow and try new thing. Learning about that process and a little bit of the history of film production was fascinating. We have come SO far from the tornado in the original Wizard of Oz :) 

Robin Williams was in it and was of course hilarious, and Tom Cruise narrated. 

It was amazing!!! 

If you even get the chance to see it I highly recommend it. 

I am not a huge documentary film watcher, but this one I can easily say I loved.

The best thing about Bentleys new job is definitely the free tickets to all the local events. 

I am going to enjoy this SO much.

This year is going to go by faster than usual :)

Stay tuned for more SLO Living....

Ambassador- the first 3 days

Well it literally feels like life for us has changed over night!

In the best kind of way :) 

Bentley has been busier than I have ever seen him before, and it has only been 3 days since announcement of his Ambassadorship. I thought that was impossible for Bentley, he always has projects going on and he works so hard. He has been going 100 miles per hour from celebratory dinners, organizing hundreds of new business cards he has received, local News interviews, radio interviews, telephone calls, Full Sail, running 5k's with me, putting together some of his ideas for the new job and being an excellent husband of course. 

It is sort of funny how hard we have tried to make other things work out in the past and it just didn't come together. "The timing just wasn't right", I would always say. I used to wonder if I actually believed that... or if it was just a comfort thing. 

But now he was asked to open for a local band at Slo Brew and got a call to work with the youth through the School District doing music workshops (or something along those lines) 

We were trying so hard, we got a little discouraged at times. 

And now they are just falling into place. 

(fingers still crossed, prayers still loaded)

All in Gods time. Right?

I only wish I could remember that during my most impatient moments. It's times like these that remind me whose plan really is governing everything and teach me to have a little more faith.

My favorite part about his job is the free tickets to local events!

The first one I am really looking forward to is the Film Festival. It starts this wednesday and goes until Sunday the 10th.

Opening Night Gala, red carpet evenings, movies, and fancy soirées here we come  :)

If you are curious about the SLO Film Festival 2013 click HERE 

Stay tuned for more SLO living :)

That DELICIOUS chocolate cinnamon cake brought to you by The Madonna Inn Bakery