Operation "Clean the Garage"

I wanted to give a shout out to my parents and make sure they know I think they are the best in the entire world! Not only did they drive down to Portland last weekend to come to Wine & Roses (which I will post pics of soon) and support me, but they were here a few days early because of a work meeting in Olympia so they decided to clean and organize our garage! Something that my mom and I discussed on the phone last week and then they made it a reality. I felt so bad because the 3 of them had to do all of the work because I wasn't home much, but they still insisted on doing something to help.

When we first moved into our home, we thought we had SO much space in the kitchen. But, a few boxes of wedding presents later and the combination of all of our random kitchen stuff that we each already had and we have been hurting for space. It sounds crazy for only two people to take up so much room, but somehow we have managed to do it.

So, instead of taking the extra time to relax like they easily could have done, my mom mentioned it to my dad and they went into what I like to call “Project Mode”. They had everything done in a few days and the garage looks amazing (hopefully I can take some pictures soon! I’m sure you are all dying to see pictures of a garage…haha). Everything has a shelf or space and there is nothing on the floor so I can park in it with ease now! Sorry Ryan for hogging the space! Thank you Mom and Dad from Ry and I…I would love to say that we will return the favor in your garage, but #1 – It is already clean, and #2 - If we tried to go through Dad’s stuff and get rid of anything, we all know he would put it right back! Hopefully we can come up with something that we can do for you guys soon – as long as it doesn’t involve painting, because we all know I’m really bad at it! We Love You!

a creed to live by...

Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others,
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important,
Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart,
Cling to that as you would your life, for without them life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or the future.
By living your life one day at a time, you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give
Nothing is really over … until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect,
It is the fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks,
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold on too tightly,
And the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your Dreams. To be without dreams is to be without hope.
To be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget where you've been,
But also know where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored every step of the way.

-Author Unknown.

Deyna's Day

Ryan and I spent our very 1st Valentine's Day miserably sick with the flu, watching cartoons, talking about how neither of us had really ever been that into the holiday. After that we decided that we weren't going to make a big deal out of it because we agreed that it didn't matter to either of us. The following year, I still thought he might do something even though we had clearly made our choice, but he did nothing...no card, no flowers, nothing. I was a little disappointed because what girl doesn't like flowers, but reminded myself it was our decision. The next day, he showed up at my apartment with roses and asked me out on a date for what he called "Deyna's Day". Valentine's Day was too predictable for him - he knew that I would still be expecting him to do something. Anyone that knows Ryan, knows he can't handle parking lots and busy places/restaurants...so going out the day after Valentine's Day when their aren't as many people out and about is more his cup of tea. Not to mention the flowers were half the price of the day before :) He's a clever little fella. So, that's the story of Deyna's Day that we will be celebrating on Friday!

I put together a little slideshow of pics from us throughout the last six years that we have known each other. It was limited in the amount of pictures that I could include, so I had to leave about a million out :) I love you Ry. Thanks for always making me smile and being my perfect non-Valentine.

A Case of the Mondays...

The countdown is on. When I walked into work this morning, someone said, "Can you believe the event is next weekend? Are you ready for that?" It's no longer a year, month, few weeks away. It's now NEXT WEEKEND. It's funny how time creeps up on you. I was feeling a little sluggish on my way in this morning, but the awakening I got when I stepped into my cublicle, piled high with papers, deposits to be made and random items that will hopefully be just what someone is looking for next Saturday, made me snap out of it and know it's time for WORK. No room for "a case of the Mondays here". I think sometimes I just need a little motivation to get me going and I will hopefully be (cross your fingers) on a roll. Today it will come in the form of a poppyseed muffin :)

SO, for anyone else out there feeling like this week will go on forever and it has only just begun, have a Happy Monday and think of something that will get you through it all. I'm looking forward to a nice, warm bath and a big bowl of icecream when I get a chance!

Work Talk

This is probably the busiest month of the year for me - right up there with the month of July for Ryan and I! I work in Event Planning and Donor Relations for Portland State University and I am putting on a fundraiser on the 23rd, called Wine & Roses. It is a wine tasting event with silent and live auctions, live entertainment and dancing, and a sit-down dinner served by our student-athletes (I love that part). All of the money raised goes to support scholarships for PSU Athletes, so the interaction between our donors and athletes is really important. It's awesome for me to get to be on the other side of things now and do my part to help new athletes pay their way through college! I have worked at/on the event in some capacity for the last 3 years and am now the person in charge this year! A lot of responsibility needless to say, but I wouldn't know what to do with myself if I wasn't busy - us Tripp girls are just that way right?

With a lot of changes in our department this year and the addition of extra staff hours, we have grown the event 3 times the size of years past and have almost 500 people registered to come at this point. I almost fell out of my chair when I realized what our numbers were at today. Without meaning to, I have changed a lot of little things about what the event used to be so I hope it turns out alright. Please cross your fingers and say a prayer for me! I told a friend yesterday that it is like planning a big wedding - just very professional with a lot of activities and money involved! I have never worked with this large of a budget before :) I have been doing fairly good handling all of the stress so far, but know the next few weeks will be tiring and long (I'm sorry Ry for all of the late nights so far and to come). I'm actually still at the office now...don't tell my boss :)

I was just thinking of quitting for the day when I received this e-mail from my boss. It really inspired me so I thought I would pass it on.

Christian Ways to Reduce Stress
An Angel says, "Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice."
1. Pray
2. Go to bed on time.
3. Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.
4. Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule or that will compromise your mental health.
5. Delegate tasks to capable others.
6. Simplify and un-clutter your life.
7. Less is more (although one is often not enough, two are often too many).
8. Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.
9. Pace yourself. Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.
10. Take one day at a time.
11. Separate worries from concerns. If a situation is a concern, find out what God would have you do and let go of the anxiety. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.
12. Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.
13. Have backups; an extra car key in your wallet, an extra house key buried in the garden, extra stamps, etc.
14. K.M.S. (Keep Mouth Shut). This single piece of advice can prevent an enormous amount of trouble.
15. Do something for the kid in you everyday.
16. Carry a Bible with you to read while waiting in line.
17. Get enough rest.
18. Eat right.
19 Get organized so everything has its place.
20. Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.
21. Write down thoughts and inspirations.
22. Every day, find time to be alone.
23. Having problems? Talk to God on the spot. Try to nip small problems in the bud. Don't wait until it's time to go to bed to try and pray.
24. Make friends with Godly people.
25. Keep a folder of favorite scriptures on hand.
26. Remember that the shortest bridge between despair and hope is often a good "Thank you Jesus."
27. Laugh.
28. Laugh some more!
29. Take your work seriously, but not yourself at all.
30. Develop a forgiving attitude (most people are doing the best they can).
31. Be kind to unkind people; they probably need it the most.
32. Sit on your ego.
33 Talk less; listen more.
34 Slow down.
35. Remind yourself that you are not the general manager of the universe
36. Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before. God has a way of turning things around for you.

Our Kiddos

Ryan and I are blessed to have 3 nieces and 1 goddaughter in our lives and we couldn't love all of them more. You have probably heard me mention them ALOT! In 5 months we will have another new niece or nephew (they find out on the 13th) in Colville, and in about 7 months we will have another new little one in Hawaii! So many beautiful girls that make our lives so much more fun - It will be exciting to see if anyone has a boy! Until we have kids of our own to brag about :) here is an update on our growing families: The Newest Addition: Little Simone Alexis was born on January 26th and is now home and growing strong and healthy with Patrick and Gayle. Gayle did such an amazing job throughout her birth and toughing out a few days in the hospital - even with the bad food, right Mama :) She is recovering really well and I have been so lucky to get to spend quality time with the three of them as they get used to this new life. I even got to have Gayle and Simone as my lunch dates last week! I haven't seen them since Saturday now and I miss them already. It has been so fun to get to spend this time with Gayle. Busy lives and schedules have kept us from seeing each other as much as we would like to. It is so amazing to see her as a mom. She was the 1st person I met when I came to Portland and knocked on our apartment door 6 years ago. Remember that Mom and Dad? I was so nervous in the beginning but then I started talking a million miles an hour and I know Gayle thought I was annoying..haha. The fun thing is that Ryan and Pat have also known each other longer than even we have. They were friends before we ever came along. We have been through so much together and Ryan and I were more than happy to accept when they asked us to be Simone's godparents.
Miss Kaley Pookie: Kaley will be 2 in May and we were so happy that we got to see her over Christmas and recently in Las Vegas at Auntie Megan and Uncle Joe's wedding. She is getting so big and is starting to talk so much more. Her favorite word is "car" which comes out more like "caa" and she uses it to describe EVERYTHING! She calls us "Ry Ry and Auntie Neyna". She is so sweet and funny and I love the time that I get to spend with her. She has the greatest laugh and she is a little ham...she knows she is so funny! She is a big flirt and remembers us now when we see her, which is really fun. I have to admit that I think she has a soft spot for her Uncles. My favorite thing is when she does something funny and then laughs outloud at herself. I love it! She loves to play tag or hide and go seek and do horsie rides with me. I wish we were able to spend more time with the Javier family - we can't wait for the new addition this summer. Yay for another Virgo in the Brown family :) I hope we can make it over the ocean to visit them someday!

The Girlies: Adysen and Bayleigh will be 4 in June (I can't believe it)- right before their new sibling is born. Bayleigh calls the new baby Freddy and thinks it's a boy. Adysen calls her Daffeny and thinks it's a girl. Lately they are really into their babies and just had their first dentist appointments. They told me that they got "big girl toothpaste" and were going to save their "baby toothpaste" for the new baby. Recently, I talked to Adysen on the phone for 45 minutes! Bayleigh doesn't care much for the telephone, unless you catch her on a good night. Every now and then it works...unless she is tired or eating or doesn't feel good or her arm hurts...haha. She is really into excuses right now :) We love them so much and hope they will come visit us very soon....hint hint!