Hangin with the Sideris Family

Ryan and I have known Pat and Gayle Sideris for 6 years now. It is crazy that I have even been in Portland for that long, let alone have known my "new friends" that long! Thursday was Pat's birthday and a group of us went to dinner and then the 4 of us headed to Cirque du Soliel. I have been waiting to go for a few years now so I was so excited! I loved it. They seemed to like it too, but I know I was way more into it than the guys were....they even admitted to falling asleep in the last ten minutes. I still can't figure out how that is possible, but Ryan said that the ribbon dancing was just too soothing to stay awake :)

On Saturday, I had a date with Gayle and Simone. I was excited to spend some quality time with both of them. Simone was such a smiley girl, more than I had ever seen her smile before. She is starting to react to people's voices and is SO strong. It was nice to see Gayle get a chance to relax and tell me all about motherhood! We don't get a chance to sit down and visit as much as we would like to. That night, Pat joined us and we headed to Tigard for steak and potatoes with the Browns. Jimmy and Kathy finally got to meet Simone - their grand goddaughter as they called her :) We brought Rock Band with us and introduced them to our latest hobby! Here are a few pics from the day/night.

Must see...

I just watched what is now my favorite movie - I say for now because I tend change my favorites a lot - It is called Dan in Real Life. I had been wanting to see it ever since I saw the previews and have been needing a good "life" movie. I loved it. It is a comedy about love, life, family and all of the crazy things each of those can bring. It is completely down to earth and I laughed out loud (by myself by the way), cried a few times and caught myself smiling through most of it. A perfect combination.

I have been missing my family A LOT lately and find myself emotional at times for a number of reasons. This movie was just what I needed and I would highly recommend it. Steve Carell, the main character, has such a great sense of humor and it is natural humor, not the forced, scripted humor that you find in most comedies. He reminds me a lot of my dad for so many reasons...that's a compliment by the way Dad. Not necessarily his looks, even though they do kind of resemble each other in some ways, but more his personality. In the movie, Steve constantly tries to relate to his 3 daughters after his wife passes away. It made me realize just how hard it must be for dads to understand us girls/women sometimes. Good thing we have mom to help translate when needed :) Then again, their are those things Dad understands more than anyone else....and he does give the worlds best back rub! "Back rub, Back rub!!" Moral of the story, I miss and love my family very much and I feel very lucky that I have both sides of the equation to put up with me!

PS- For some reason, I think that if you put together Steve Martin, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell and Richard Gere you would come up with my dad...weird I know, but whenever I watch movies with these actors in them, some part of them reminds me of him. Dad, you must have been an actor in a past life! Mom, you are a lucky lady...being married to a movie star and all :)

I Wish...

A little Sunday morning daydreaming....wouldn't it be nice??

Best Music Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI

Check this out...It's my favorite! Make sure you watch the whole thing. It's an oldie but a goodie - still makes me laugh everytime :)

Wine and Roses - Thank You

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

Now that the dust has almost settled and I am starting to get things back to normal - whatever that might be :) - I wanted to finally post a few pics from Wine and Roses. I know I have already talked about it with many of you, but it went really well and I was very pleased with the outcome. The look of the Stott Center and the way that the decor turned out was more than I had imagined it could be. I was SO excited to finally see it all come together. My favorite part of the entire event was seeing the looks on people's faces when they entered the gym. It definitly didn't look like the place that we will play basketball tomorrow night! I loved it.

Working on this event was stressful, tiring and a lot of work - but I had so much fun seeing all of our work pay off and I loved what I was doing. The event was very successful in terms of money. We went over our fund raising goal and raised $60k more than last year. The best thing was that people have been talking about how enjoyable it was. I wanted the event to be successful, but also something people would look forward to next year. Everyone keeps giving us a hard time in the office, telling us that we have set ourselves up for much more work next year...which I am sad to say is already being talked about this week! Our Athletic Director loves to give us VERY LARGE goals, which I enjoy because I love a challenge, but it can be intimidating at times. I am looking forward to taking a day off next week, or two or three :) Let's hope I can do it!

I want to thank everyone for being so supportive of me throughout my learning process this year. Their were so many things that were new to me this year and I'm sorry for boring many of you with "work talk"...especially in the last few months. Thank you Meg for checking in with me and being so supportive of everything I am doing. It means so much to me. I love my book! Thank you Mom and Dad for coming to the event again and supporting me. It meant SO much to have you there, even if I didn't get to see you very much. Just knowing you were there allowed me to stay much more relaxed than I would have been. You have helped me throughout all of this more than you probably know. Sorry for keeping you up so late! Thank you Ry for understanding and putting up with my late nights, especially when I didn't plan on spending so much time at the office. I appreciate you being there for me and for showing that you were proud of me over and over again. You looked super handsome! I love you.

Also, I know my boss or anyone in my office probably doesn't read this, but they understand that I like a challenge and a few of them have pushed me and helped me to make this event what I imagined it to be this year. I could never take all of the credit for pulling everything off. It has been so nice to have a good "coach" in the office to help me decide what I want to get out of my job. So many people, hours and volunteer help went into this process and I wish everyone knew how thankful I am for everything.

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!

Sideris Baby on the Way!!

I just got a phone call from my good friend Gayle Sideris and found out that she will most likey be having her baby girl today! They are naming her Simone Alexis Sideris and she will be born at St. Vincent Hospital in Beaverton, OR. Gayle has been such a trooper throughout her pregnancy and is VERY excited to move on to the next step of being a Mommy. Please say a prayer for the Sideris Family today as they go through this amazing experience.

St. Theresa's Prayer
May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God.
Let His presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing,
dance, praise and love. It is there for each and every one of us.

Randomness

Lately I Like/LOVE:
-to watch Law & Order SVU re-runs, Gossip Girl, New season of One Tree Hill
-my black boots I got for Christmas
-anything and everything graphic design at work (new hobby)
-to download CD's that aren't played on the radio
-Camisole pj's
-Sonic's Watermelon Creamslush Smoothies
-skirts with tights
-the book I'm reading "Come Back"
-Ryan's sweatpants
-Rockstar Drums
- Super addicting!
-getting auction items for my work fundraiser in Feb.
-warm mittens...so cold here
-when friends visit my office for coffee, lunch or just a "hello"
-Better Homes and Gardens Magazine -such cute ideas
-painting my fingernails
-Solitare on my Treo

Things I could live without:
-the hunting channel...sorry Ry
-RAIN! and/or snow/sleet/hail...it's just not the same as home
-Watching the news
-The Wind- especially when Ryan is working
-Junk Mail
-Grey's Anatomy re-runs...End the writers strike!
-not getting enough sleep
-people being rude for no reason...smile!
-being in the airport for a bit - no more layovers
-LAUNDRY...I love clothes, but I dislike putting them away :)

The Little Things

You know how you have those days/weeks that just seem to be loaded with stress? I know it's all relative - one person's stress is another's holiday and people might look at me and wonder why I am the way I am - but I've had one of those weeks...and it's only Wednesday (not to mention Monday was a holiday..ha). I was talking with Grandma Brown this past weekend and she told me that everything is going to be fine if I can learn not to stress. Like my mother in law said following that comment...telling me not to worry or stress is like telling me to stop breathing. I was just born a natural worrier - thanks mom!

With a major event coming up at work and a VERY busy month ahead of me, I decided to do a little research on stress. I found that it takes a million years for one gene to change in our bodies. One million years! Physiologically, we're the same humans we were 300 years ago. But look at how things have changed in that short time. Some things make life easier now: washers and dryers, transportation, abundance of food, electricity, etc. But some things make life today more insane: cell phones, traffic, increased population, TV, busy schedules. I heard a statistic that we make more decisions in one day than people used to make in a year. No wonder I'm stressed out :)

Research says that since we can't change our genes, we have to create a map to navigate this crazy life. What can I do to try and stay on top of the stress so it doesn't affect my health and happiness (and those of others around me when I can't sleep and wake people up in the middle of the night..ha)??

My mom always tells me that the only person that can change the way I feel is me. SO, I'm going to focus on working on the little things that can make a big difference.

1. Take my Vitamins - I made a vow to remember to take my medicine and vitamins everyday in order to help myself be as healthy and as full of energy as possible. When I don't feel good I start to think I will never get anything done.

2. Eat More Often - I would really like to get into the habit of cooking "real food" more often for Ry and I as well as eating more throughout the day at work. Even if I don't have a lot of time and it is just a granola bar, there should always be a few minutes to take a break.

3. Notice. I need to try not to let the stress overtake me. It is helpful when I am able to recognize the situations that cause the stress and notice them coming my way. Sometimes I take on more than I can handle because it just feels right, even when I know it will cause more stress later on.

4. Get it off my chest. Stop saying "I'm fine" when I talk to friends, family members or co-workers. Sometimes just getting it off my chest can help unload some of the burden...even if I think it is just something little or silly.

5. Keep my sense of humor. I will try to see the irony and humor in the things that I can not change. Going through life without as many smiles as normal is never fun.

6. Ask myself, "What's the hurry?" Have some fun. Sometimes I feel like we just miss enjoying the moment. I'm only 24. Everything happens for a reason and their is a time and place for everything.

7. Take a deep breath. Lately I have realized that sometimes I just need to get away, even if it is only for a few minutes, to be with myself and my thoughts. The internet suggested take to take a walk, meditate, lock yourself away in a beautiful bath, or go to church. Find the peace and the silence.

8. Keep it simple. Simplify all of the things that I am trying to do. Do I really need to worry about trying to finish unpacking a few random boxes in the office right now? No, they will still be there in a few days...even though walking by and looking at them sitting there bothers me :)

9. Drink water. Everyone gets on my about staying hydrated, so I am going to try and do a better job of getting on myself so they won't have to.

Our First Christmas

Christmas was different this year than anything I have ever experienced. We spent a short time in Colville before the holiday and Christmas and the rest of our time in Tigard, OR with the Browns. SO, it was my first Christmas away from Colville! I have to admit, it was very hard for me to get used to the idea ~ but Ryan was very understanding and we had a wonderful time with both or our families. This Christmas we were able to... bake cookies with the girlies and see them open a few presents, see both sides of the family in Colville within 24 hours (thank you for changing your plans for us everyone), watch my brother make his own snowboard park in the back yard, go bowling with my grandma on the Wii :), eat my mom's Christmas dinner (she is a great cook), spend time with Taylor and our niece from Hawaii, watch Kaley witness her first snow (which she couldn't take her eyes off), play Guitar Hero on Christmas Eve for about 4 hours after everyone had went to sleep, play dress up with Tara and Audrey, watch a little football of course, eat turkey dinner (thanks Jimmy for catering to my distaste of ham), take a few naps ~ and most of all...spend time together. Thank you for a great first Christmas Ry. I love you and I look forward to making more of our own traditions.

Special thanks to Meg for encouraging me to post Christmas Pictures! Some of these pics were sent to me from my mom and sis but I wanted to share them with everyone. Happy New Year!