all work and NO play

For those of you who we haven't had a chance to catch up with, here is what we are up to in P-town.
     I took the manager spot at the espresso stand, but told them it was temporary. I worked fifteen days straight and started school...rough start! Currently I am training a new manager and two new girls. I have been able to stay on top of homework, but Kyle and I haven't seen much of each other. That would be why the Sunday adventure we posted took place! I have one more week of ridiculous hours then I get a week with only twenty-five hours so I can have my life back a little.
     Kyle has already been consumed with school. It's not even midterms yet. When I am home, he is usually at school, or at the kitchen table with papers everywhere and his nose in a book. He has been great about cooking (which he calls, or makes me call, my mom or dad at least once a week with questions), and cleaning. He made my dad's chili and it tasted almost exactly the same!
    Taylor...well, i think she loves how busy we have been. If I have time i put things all across the couches so she won't lay on them, but since I don't she has that guilty look and panic on her face every time I walk in the door. At least someone in our house gets to be lazy.
    Working nonstop at the espresso stand has done one amazing thing in our lives here in Pullman though. Some of you know, and most of you don't, because nothing is set in stone as of now. In two weeks Kyle is meeting some big whigs from Bechtel. This is one of the largest engineering/construction companies in the world. There is a rather large engineering firm here in Pullman, and every morning like clockwork the engineers come in to get their coffee and chat about cosmo, facebook, grandkids, Mexico...you name it. I love them, and apparently I have won them over in a big way. Several of them only come in when i'm working, they all tip (and wink). The amazing thing this has done is given Kyle an in into the engineering world here at WSU. They all have asked me to write his name down for them, and one of them is meeting with Bechtel and is head of external relations. In a short version, his job is to tell companies who to hire, and who to take on as interns. Today he gave me an invite to pass on to Kyle for a meeting with this company on February 7th, before the career fair. This is a HUGE opportunity. I have since been told their first choice for interns all come from WSU, because four of their top people are alumni. Also that he may be sent to any number of locations around the world. The largest number being sent to London. Kyle also applied for an internship in Forks, WA. If all goes well, this summer we could be on the west coast, the east coast, or a foreign country. We are ecstatic and looking forward to whatever happens. Please keep Kyle in your thoughts and prayers as he goes for this! Be proud. He's getting the hang of this grown up thing. I swear. Well, this is our life right now. It's busy and crazy, but somehow we are making it work. In the middle of it all we are still just blessed to be together on this crazy adventure that is life.

                                Love, us

Little Mud on the Tires?

Today I woke up at five a.m., went to work, checked out a new church, sat at home. Normally when we both have time to spend with each other it is spent doing homework or watching something on hulu. I would be lying if I said Kyle and I were in great moods this afternoon. So, I talked him into going with me to Palouse Treasures. This is a two storied trove of other peoples unwanted things...that for .49cents of course I NEED. Kyles finds: Soccer ball for taylor- .49, and binoculars-10$(What?! They are practically brand new). Lisa's finds: two books-.89. After our adventure in the thrift store which consisted of looking at old records and picking out new chew toys for taylor, we headed home. In the two minutes it takes to get home, I begged Kyle to go to daily grind and play board games with me, or a park, or even Rite Aid. Worked like a charm. Kind of...this is what we did...

this is pullman right now. rainy.

     We drove to a park and walked along the flooding creek and played soccer with taylor until the .49 cent ball popped. 

hope no one was in there!!!

After this happened we got back in the jeep and drove around Pullman. Kyle decided this was a good time to use his new treasure... 

my creeper husband. 

Kyle watched people along the road with these bad boys. One man I'm pretty sure was not all there, but Kyle thought it was hilarious to drive back by him and stare some more. He looked like he had a "beautiful mind" if you get what i'm saying. On we drove until we came to THE trailerhood of Pullman. It was amazing. Three rows of amazing. 

this beauty is for sale. yessssss!

this is classy. so classy. 

As we were driving through we had a conversation that went a little like this: L-"hey kyle, do you smell that?" K-"what?" L-"i think our car is overheating?" K-"no?" L-"oh, must be what trailerhoods smell like." Then there was an awkward silence followed by laughter because I have no filter, and those are definitely people's homes. It really did smell like burnt i don't even know what. Kyle was about to pee his pants with joy when we came across a trailer for sell. It was only $10,000. It even had a hitch attached. Wonderful find. NOT. Further along we came across the classiest trailer in the trailerhood. It was bright yellow to match it's flame fence. I was a little jealous of whoever owned this stunning home. *for those of you who don't know me as well as you think you do. As I am typing I am laughing, because this whole day was ridiculous (but fun), and this is me being sarcastic. 

    Next we saw a sign for the animal shelter and I was so excited to go play with puppies and kittens. Kyle KEPT DRIVING STRAIGHT. "Hey, kyle. Ky thats it. Right there. Ope up that hill...other wayyyokay." We drove for a few minutes down old moscow highway. We came to a stop when I spotted this barn:

he has to take pictures of structures for a CE class 

There was more then one sign that said private property, and do not go beyond this point. We went beyond that point. First oops. Took the picture, stared at the creepy house with chester the molester vans out front. Wondered if they noticed us taking pictures of their weird barn. As Kyle was turning around in the drive way this is what came out of his mouth: "I better make sure i don't run over their winter grass." There were fields on both sides of us. Then he got really quiet. I realized we weren't moving anywhere but down. Cars should not go down, they should go forward. Quickly...out of private property before chester comes and takes us to his weird barn. More silence, then me: "KYLEEE!" Kyle: "oops?" me: "not oops!!! KYLE!" He tried to get us unstuck which only made it slightly worse. We called our neighbors, Steve and Taryn, and they came to pull us out. While we were waiting we snapped a couple photos for good measure. Then I fondly recalled when earlier in the day Kyle said I was a bad driver. 

mud up to my door. good. 

well shoot. 

We went driving looking for mud puddles to "clean" off the car once we were saved. This took us back to when we first liked each other. Between high school and track practice we would drive and find puddles, or go to the laurel feed store and play with the puppies. This was five or six years ago now. Time flies when you're on the best adventure ever. 

Fortune

During our last week on the west side, we went to lunch with my parents. I received a fortune that literally said this: "A short trip to the Northwest will bring you happiness in the near future." Fortune=fact.
Kyle and I spent the holidays back in Bellingham. We stayed at his parents house first. The first night I couldn't sleep because it felt so strange to be sleeping at their house. Our first Christmas eve was spent with the Ingram's. It has always been our tradition to get together Christmas eve and do presents and finger foods. It's my favorite family tradition because it holds so many memories. Christmas changes, and it is definitely not as exciting, but it becomes something better in my opinion. Now it is more about spending time with each other and laughing. Or in my brother's cases...giving mom a hard time. Christmas morning was Kyle's birthday! 22. He got the gun he had been begging for, and a breakfast made by Brenda. We spent time with his family that day down at aunt Karen and uncle Rob's. I love them. Just throwing that out there. I've never had an aunt, and all of my uncles are gone...Kyle has a lot of them. The following week our good friends Steven and Bridgette FINALLY got engaged. I think I was more excited then they were, but maybe because I know what is in their near (?) future. New years eve was spent at Glens. A local irish pub owned by a cute old man. We called to see if they had a cover and on the other end was the tiny oriental lady "whas a cova? we gawt fray foood an champagne?" There was taco truck. Kyle was in heaven. And I got a reenactment of our wedding kiss. Dipped at midnight. The next morning was officially 2011. This means POLAR BEAR SWIM. Alexa and Caleb Long talked kyle into doing it with them. Really i think it was me saying "you can't say no to those cute faces." He whined the entire time. Ryan ended up going in twice because Alexa worked up the courage to go after the initial plunge into the bay. Tammy and I just enjoyed laughing at them and watching.  We both really enjoyed time with family and friends, and were ready to have our own space again, but sad to go. 

christmas day at the Gadbois

my niece gracie loving the giant box.

my "niece" dixi lee. she got attached :)

christmas eve at the Ingram's

bridge!...never drinking that again

steven and the future Mrs...congrats!!!

happy new year. love, us.

You are peace

As I look back on 2010 all I can think is that it was bittersweet. The bitter: my grandpa passed away two weeks after our wedding. He was 91, but if you asked him he was 92. He is with the love of his life now, who he never forgot or quite moved on from. I guess even in this bitter there is sweet. My dad was diagnosed with cancer. Cancer was just a word until it was someone I loved. I honestly think people only understand it and feel for you if they have been affected by it. At least from my experience, those are the people that ask me how he is, how I am, and remember the important dates and pray. Thank you for that! 
The SWEET: Kyle and I had a beautiful wedding, and the most incredible two week honeymoon. My brother Kurt moved back to the west coast. Kyle got into the engineering program, and his grades are going up drastically. Baby Griff was born healthy and handsome. Steven G and Bridgette FINALLY got engaged, and lastly Kyle and I are slowly figuring out how to be married...which I know is a process that will last years and years. 


As I look forward to 2011 at first all I could think is that it terrifies me. My dad has started treatment and begins double radiation soon. I have no clue what this year holds for Kyle and I. In 2011 I am letting go. There are things that I have tried so hard to fix and understand in the past, and I can't fix them or understand them. I am giving it up to the only one that can. 
"You are peace, You are peace
When my fear is crippling
You are true, You are true
Even in my wandering
You are joy, You are joy
You're the reason that I sing
You are life, You are life,
In You death has lost its sting"
-Hillsong