Chloe, our little spark

Well as most of you probably know by now (because I couldn't keep this news off of facebook and instagram), we have officially adopted Chloe. For those of you who may not know who Chloe is let me fill you in...

This is Chloe.

And this was her first night in our home. :)

She's a one year old doberman, one ear flops and the other stands straight up (one of many characteristics that I find adorable about her), she's a skinny petite little thing that loves more than anything to be close to you, put her big paws on your leg, arm or even face if you let her, who's cropped little tail is always wagging, sits directly on your feet and loves to gaze up at you with those big brown eyes, loves food of ANY kind (after all when you go without, you're up for anything) chew up toys (no matter how durable you may think they are), runs as fast as the wind, and has the most genuine and sweet little heart that I've ever seen in an animal (well besides my Bella girl, that is). I'm a little in love if you can't tell!

Chloe has consumed most of our lives this past month. If we weren't with her we were certainly always thinking about her. We were connected with Chloe through the dog rescue group that I volunteer with - Street Dog Foundation. They knew that we were doberman lovers (after all Bella is at least 1/2 of my heart) and called when they found her. She was dropped off at Shelby Forrest. We think she must have been living in the woods for weeks. When she was found her ribs showed, she had ticks, and worst of all (but we didn't know at the time), she was heart worm positive. How can someone dump such a sweet little girl? I mean look at this face!

I will never understand this and pray that those people are shown more mercy and grace by our God then they have given.

Michael and I just knew that we should foster Chloe from the minute we saw her. I'll never forget meeting this wild little skinny doberman and then looking down at Bella who's my calm, mature princess (who also has notably not skipped a meal.. :) and thinking WOW. How can we really go from this to that? We're so used to Bella who is for the most part poised, trained and in her little routine.

We thought and prayed about it and decided to take Chloe in and let me tell you it was an experience for the first 2 weeks. I've never realized how mentally and physically draining fostering is. It's something you just have to experience for yourself. It took some adjusting for Miss Bella too although now I don't think Bella could imagine being alone again.

After she started heart worm treatment, which was pretty rough on her for a couple of days, we found friends that were interested in taking Chloe for a 2 week trial. When the day came that they picked Chloe up I literally felt like I was giving away my own child. I was a hot mess the entire week... crying, calling Michael and my mom, etc. When it didn't work out with the family I couldn't wait to get her back. From the moment she walked back in that door (and we realized she was in heat... what an experience that was... never thought I'd go to Target to get Depends for a dog) we knew that we couldn't let her leave again. Bella was instantly happier. That week she had been moppy around the house. We also kind of felt like a little spark was missing.

In the 2 weeks since we've had her back she has learned to wait patiently for her food, share toys and even bones (which is a BIG deal around our house) with Bella, sit when commanded, walk on a leash, and give kisses. :) She took her last heart worm treatment yesterday so now she can really run and play again! Yesterday was also a big day because she was adopted into our family as Chloe Ann Jacques. (Oh yea Mike... I gave her a middle name too) :) We celebrated with a "Welcome Home Chloe" peanut butter cake from Three Dogs Bakery, a ceremony with Streetdog, a sweet poem and a bag full of goodies!

We are so happy to say she's ours. Here's some pictures from our little celebration.

Waiting on cake!

First family photo but certainly not the last. We love our girls!!!

So proud to be her mama!

First experience with cake was a success. She couldn't get enough. Don't worry, Bella got 1/2 too. :)

I hope we can give Chloe the forever home that she so deserves. We love her so much & think that she loves us too! If you are considering fostering or adopting, DO. You don't know how big of a difference you can make in a dog's life and how much it will impact yours.

Love,
R & M

Sign. Sealed. Delivered.

I'm so excited to announce the our investment house is officially SOLD! There was a lot of hard work put into this house. Congratulations are in order! :) 

I am so incredibly proud of my husband. Not only for his work ethic but also for his passion... for what he does, for his family, his girls (Bella and Chloe... More on who Chloe is a little later this week), friends and most importantly his passion for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I told Mike recently that I have seen God working so much in his life (and in my own)... It is truly a blessing. My heart is full of joy. There is nothing more attractive to me than seeing my husband lead our family and love on me & our girls. Now, that is what I call sexy! :) 

I love you more and more everyday Michael Jacques. Just thought you should know. 

"I thank my God every time I remember you." Philippians 1:3 

Love, 

Rach

Simply Be

It has been quite some time since I have posted on the ole blog... about a month to be exact. Where has the time gone? It seems like I am always so busy running from point A to point B, checking off things on the "to-do" list, making sure Michael and Bella have food to eat so they don't starve... okay that was a little dramatic but you know what I mean. It seems like our culture is all about doing more and being more and that the busier we are, the more successful or productive we will be and feel. I am 100% guilty of this as I suffer from the "can't say no" over-commitment complex. I stay busy because I don't know how to simply just be.

I recently took a trip to Palm Springs, CA to see my brother. It was absolutely gorgeous. Stunning mountain views, palm trees, and the breeze was incredible. Here's a picture of my view each morning. Here's a picture of my brother, Jake, and I. Trust me, the coffee tasted better with this view. :)

They say the mountains that surround Palm Springs provide a sense of spiritual healing. The energy there is hard to describe. The way of life even more indescribable. I wasn't over concerned with checking emails, running errands and planning out our vacation for 2014... I simply enjoyed what God had given me... what was right in front of me. And everyone there seemed to be doing the same thing! I had a bit of culture shock. Although, I've been to California before it felt different this time. Maybe I noticed the smaller things or maybe God was pointing them out to me. Let me show you what I mean.

While we were visiting Laguna Beach for the day, I watched this lady (in the 2nd picture above) stroll along the street wit her dog and come up to this little shop to get her gourmet cheeses and perhaps dinner for the night. (I was enjoying my gelato in the same shopping complex that she came into... I have a weird obsession with gelato and people-watching for that matter). She brought her adorable dog with her because, well, they all bring their dogs everywhere. He sat there and patiently waited on his owner to come out from the shop. Not tied to a leash, or anything. I thought this was pretty cool so I snapped a picture. I liked sitting there and picturing what her life must be like. Even if she did the same things I did during a normal week (which I can bet she doesn't), she sure looked like she was enjoying her day and living in the moment. And even the dog seemed different. He seemed at peace and enjoying his life too. We saw more dogs on the beach and they had the same look. Relaxed and taking it all in. Wouldn't it be neat if we could do this every day? Here are a couple more pictures from Laguna.

Next is our experience at the Mexican restaurant. See below!

This is a picture from a fabulous Mexican Restaurant off the main strip in Palm Springs. It was a neat Mexican restaurant that seemed like it was inside but although it had walls, it was all open sky. And the live music put everyone in a great mood. I SO WISH I would have snapped a picture of the lady I'm about to tell you about. She seemed to be in her 70's... maybe even early 80's. She had white hair, a thin frame and wore a smile that made you want to know more about her. She was dancing with a tall, thin, young guy with dark black hair. He was Hispanic. My brother, my mom and I couldn't stop watching them. At first we thought maybe he worked there and was being nice to dance with her. But then they went back to a table and proceeded to talk and laugh before getting up to dance to the next song. We couldn't figure out the situation but it didn't matter. What mattered is that she was having a night to remember. She was enjoying every bit of it. The air, the music and her gentleman. How often do I take my nights for granted? Too often to count. This lady left a lasting impression on me.

And last is Jaclyn - the ranch owner from Morango Valley. Jaclyn moved out West after a divorce in 1986. She raised her kids in the dessert of Morango Valley and has built herself a lovely place with mountains and desserts as her scenery. But let's not forget the 30+ horses, 50+ chickens, 3 dogs and cat that she feeds every single day. She runs the entire ranch by herself. On top of that, she gives horse rides for tourists (like us) where she welcomes them into her world for 3 hours of bliss. This was no tourist adventure, let me tell you. As we rode along the mountainside it was so peaceful and I couldn't help to think what her life was like either. Simple. Beautiful. And more than anything enjoyable. She loves what she does and truly lives life to the fullest each day. What an inspiration! Here are so more pictures of us riding horses. This was incredible!

These 3 women, among other moments I experienced while in California, got me thinking about how I don't take the time to truly enjoy life like they did. Whether it be culture thing or a personal thing, there are no excuses. We control what we control and I know that what I can control is my priorities and my schedule for the most part. A great friend of mine left me with an email ending in this quote below.

“What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what gets you out of bed in the mornings, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”
Pedro Arrupe (1907-1991)

I don't think I need to add anything to this beautiful quote. I'll simply say this...

I think this is something we all struggle with today. From elaborate weddings, showers and events that we feel like we have to plan, trips we feel like we need to take, constant home improvement projects, striving to keep up with trends in clothing, social media, and the like... what are we living for? I don't know about you, but I'm really kind of tired of it. I feel that I'm in my happiest place when I have time to sit on the back porch with Michael and Bella and feel the wind and sun on my face, when there is nothing on the "to-do" list and I've had time to mediate on things that are most important in my life. Most importantly, when I've spend time in God's word and he is teaching me what pure joy and peace truly looks like. It's then that I can really seize the day and really live.

My happy place. :)

I am determined to simply be and I hope you all can find time to do the same.

Love,
R&M

Tea Cup Theology

I am reading such a wonderful book that I wanted to share with you.

I am a part of a Women's Christian Book Club that some girlfriends and I started about 2 months ago. We are meeting once a month and doing brunch, chatting about girly things, prayer requests and discussing our book. The first book we chose wasn't that great so last meeting we decided to start over. We picked "Calm My Anxious Heart" by Linda Dillow.

What an awesome choice! I am only mid-way through Chapter 2 and I am already in love with it. Last night I literally turned off my Kindle and said, "Wow" out loud.

One thing from the first chapter that I really loved was her analogy of each woman being like their very own special tea cup (hence her paragraph title, "Teacup Theology").

Picture credit: http://www.handmadepotteryart.com

Some may be dainty with lace pattern trim, others may be bold with funky patterns and some may just be plain and solid as a rock... unbreakable. We are all designed differently. And each tea cup also holds a different amount or portion. God knows exactly what we need to fill our cup. What I have in my cup will look different than what my friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers have in their cups. The cool thing about it is that God fills our cup with our portion. He knows best and knows what we can handle. So instead of wishing to be like another cup and have what the other cups may be holding, we need to learn to trust God and be content with what he has given us.

I know right? Easier said than done. Even Jesus asked for a different portion in his cup in the Garden of Gethsemane (when was praying to God about his crucifixion)

"And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:39

But later when he went away again and prayed he said, "...My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." Matthew 26:42

So how can we expect to do this? Just like Jesus did. By taking our cup handle and lifting it up to God. After all, every tea cup has a handle. And I am so, so thankful that through the blood of Jesus, we do.

I am so looking forward to continuing this journey to contentment with this book, God, and some good girlfriends! I can't wait to finish reading and I'll definitely share more. Hope everyone is having a great start to Holy Week and is focusing on the cross... the one thing that truly matters in this world.

Love,
R & M

More than just a house.

Today is the day that our investment house goes on the market!(For those of you who may not know, Michael and I officially closed on a foreclosure property on February 8th with the intent of flipping the house and selling it. This was by all means Michael's idea and one that I was skeptical of at first... more on that later.) Here's a picture of my man in front of the house and for sale sign!

I am one proud wife. :)

This journey has really produced a number of emotions for the both of us: fear of the unknown, excitement, stress, joy, a little bit of sadness (sadness during the loss of his grandmother nanny and reflection back on the good ole days when his grandfather was starting their family business), humility, and unexpectantly a lot of love and appreciation for one another. Let me start from the beginning.

Michael has always had big dreams and big plans. I enjoy listening to what he wants to do and I do believe in him 100%. His passion and his drive are qualities that I admire in him. One of the most serious fights we have ever gotten into was involving this investment house and that's because... it was about money... dun, dun, dun (you know what sound I'm going for right?) It's what we were told couple's fight the most about in premarital counseling and something we knew we'd have to continually work on because we are both so independent with our money. To add to it, I am conservative and risk adverse and he is not conservative at all and is very comfortable with taking risks so that makes it even more interesting. It made me nervous to take out a loan to do this. Hey, I blame it on Dave Ramsey. I still carry cash that I get from my envelopes each month. :) Michael assured me that he knew what he was doing. After all, this is his career. This was lesson # 1 for me: Trust in God and submit to your husband. As much as I wanted to fight back and say no, we can't do that... it's just too risky, (okay well I did say that), I realized that this is something that he really wanted to do. And something that he says that is so sweet and touches my heart every time about why he wants to do these things: "I'd love to be able to make money in order to give more money back". Who can argue with that? Plus, God commands that I let Michael lead our family. "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:21-24 So, after one big fight and a lot of discussion and prayer, we decided to take out a loan and begin the search for the right foreclosure.

Michael looked for the house for months and finally found this one. I don't know what I was expecting... a house with maybe a little bit of work needed like paint and light fixtures? Boy, was I wrong.

Words cannot describe the condition we found the house in... nor the smell. So here are some pictures to show you what the house first looked like.

FRONT

BACK

DOWNSTAIRS LIVING AREA

DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM 1

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM 2

UPSTAIRS LIVING ROOM

KITCHEN VIEW FROM ENTRY WAY

KITCHEN VIEW FROM DINING AREA

DINING AREA

UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 3

UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 3

UPSTAIRS BATHROOM 2

UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 4 (OR OFFICE)

UPSTAIRS BATHROOM 3

UPSTAIRS MASTER

UPSTAIRS MASTER

"BOY, DO WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT FOR US..."

MICHAEL AND I DAY 1

I know what you are thinking... there is no way you could pay me to live in something like that. What hit home the most for us is that there really are people living like this today. And in case the pictures didn't do it justice, this is before the old mildewed clothes and dog feces was on the floor. How many times have I complained about my house because I didn't have the perfect mirror for the entry way or the right window treatment in our master bedroom? I know, I know God... "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life--in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." Philippians 2:14-16. This is a daily struggle for me and one I intend to work on.

Again, I was hesitant about the house but Michael was confident and assured me he had everything under control. Have I mentioned how much I love and admire this man?

Weeks went by and we cleaned, power-washed all of the inside and outside walls of the house, got sheet rock done, pulled up old carpet, replaced floors, cleaned, painted, cleaned again, got all new fixtures and kitchen/bathroom appliances, and cleaned some more. This is my version of it... I'm sure Michael would tell you a MUCH longer story. He and his dad were there day in and day out. I'm so proud of him and how hardworking he is. He keeps ME motivated! Love you, Mike. :) Here's some pictures of the "in between" before and after pictures.

MIKE POWER-WASHING

ISN'T HE CUTE?

SHEET ROCK GOING UP

THE BEGINNING OF NEW KITCHEN CABINETS

BATHROOM PROGRESS

CARPET UP

LOTS OF CLEANING

MIKE AND HIS DAD (THESE ARE THE TWO THAT DID MOST OF THE WORK!)

CLEANING CREW!! ME AND MRS. RONDA

BELLA GOT TO COME AT THE END WHEN THE CARPET WAS DOWN. SHE SAYS SHE WANTS CARPET IN HER HOUSE!

Throughout this time I can't tell you the sense of joy I had in my heart and the love that grew even deeper for my husband. I always tell him how proud I am of him because I always am. But throughout this process I hope I told him enough. It's hard to describe with words how much I love him and how extremely proud I am that he is my husband. To be honest there were times that I struggled with wanting to go to the house and clean. Picture a beautiful sunny Saturday morning. What would you want to do? Sip coffee on the couch? Go to the park? Shop? Me too. And for the most part I still got to do that stuff but some Saturdays were sacrificed and after I actually got there I was so glad I did. He needed my help with cleaning. After all, we are a partnership and I know (for a fact) he does things for me all the time that he doesn't particularly want to do(sweet boy). Plus, we had his wonderful parents there to help which made it so much easier. (I have the best mother-in-law in the world... love you Mrs. Ronda). After I would help it felt so rewarding and like the least I could do for my husband who was working on this house every day of the week (including the weekends). He thanked me and appreciated me in a different way than he had before... and we learned to express that appreciation didn't we Michael? :) Yes, I need words of affirmation as does Michael. It's one of our "love languages". If you don't know what I'm talking about, google it! Great book.

Finally, yesterday, we went back to the house to take all of the after pictures. It was even more put together than when I had last seen it. It is truly a place that will make some family very happy and I can see many memories being built there. We went to eat sushi to celebrate and a little TCBY afterwards. :) Here are some of the after pictures!

FRONT 1

FRONT 2

BACK

UPSTAIRS LIVING ROOM 1

UPSTAIRS LIVING ROOM AND DINING AREA

UPSTAIRS LIVING SPACE

DINING AREA AND SOME OF THE KITCHEN

KITCHEN 1

KITCHEN 2 (KNOCKED DOWN THE WALL THAT WAS HERE)

LIVING ROOM AGAIN

PRETTY DECK... MAKES ME WANT ONE!

UPSTAIRS BATHROOM 1

UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 1

UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 1

UPSTAIRS BEDROOM 2 (OR OFFICE)

UPSTAIRS BATHROOM 2

UPSTAIRS BATHROOM 2

UPSTAIRS MASTER

UPSTAIRS MASTER WITH DOORS TO THE PATIO

DOOR TO THE PATIO

DOWNSTAIRS LIVING AREA

DOWNSTAIRS BATHROOM

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM 4

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM 4

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM 5

DOWNSTAIRS BEDROOM 5

VIEW FROM UPSTAIRS LIVING ROOM... NOTICE THE SIGN IN THE YARD! :)

So you see, this was not just about building a house. We learned a lot about each other. We learned even more what marriage really means and how we want to build our family with a strong foundation in Christ... (“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49) That's what Michael and I want for our family... to build our home on a solid foundation that will not waiver... that is all about Jesus.

Michael learned a lot that he will use for his future investment house endeavors, a lot about himself, a lot about me, and a little glimpse of what his grandfather must have went through starting the business... How incredible! I'm sure there is much more he would tell you he learned but the man is not a writer... or a reader for that matter so you'll have to just read my version. :) And I, well, I have learned a lot this past month and a half. I have learned (yet again) how incredibly blessed I am to have such a loving, hardworking and intelligent husband and more than anything how blessed we both are to have family and friends supporting us and a God that has been through every emotion that we experienced, who loves us unconditionally (even when we wanted to strangle each other or walk away), who we can talk and walk with daily, and who has overcome the world. We are both so humbled, thankful and blessed.

I am so glad I got to experience this with you, Michael. I can't wait for our next one! But first, we have a house to sell... and prayers are always welcomed! :)

Until next time,
R & M