It's the Little Things.

Well, it is Monday evening, and I have yet to post anything for the day.  But figured, it was better late than never right?

I feel as though our weekend started earlier than normal and lasted an exceptionally long time, which I suppose is a good thing right?  Minus the fact that I am TIRED and extremely excited to sleep in my bed tonight.  But before my head hits the pillow, let me share with you a few of the little things, or maybe I should say people, that made our lives truly delightful this past week!

I smile as I think about it all...Peter's brother, Mark, has been here since the middle of April, and THAT has been such a blessing.  And as many of you know, Peter is from Ireland, hence visits from his family are truly treasured.

So not only has Mark been here visiting, but Peter's other brother, Stuart, came for a visit for just a few days!  He flew in on Thursday night and he left this morning!  The visit was WAY too short, especially since he hadn't been here since we got married nearly THREE years ago.  And I should also mention that  Stuart wasn't just coming here to visit family, but he was also here to see his film play at the Seattle International Film Festival (So proud of him!!).

Anyhow, I don't want too say too much about the brothers because that deserves a post of it's own!  Needless to say, it was a highlight to be amongst them.

The weekend was filled with a stop off at the Ram, a bbq at our house on Friday, a quick trip to the Hood canal on Saturday, and a night out on the town on Sunday.

We picked Stuart up late Thursday night, but figured we should stop for beers on the way home from the airport, so we did.  And one of his most treasured places is the Ram in Northgate and one of his most beloved beers is Hefeweizen.  So we of course went to the Ram and he of course drank Hefeweizen.  And we went to bed late!

On Saturday, we ventured out to the hood canal.  And all of it was fabulous, except for the part where I forgot my camera - so I had to make do with Peter's phone!  Not the best quality, but better than nothing!  The boys went paddle boarding, while I went kayaking.  We had a fire, roasted marshmallows (I think I was the only one that did this!), and the boys went for a late night swim. And we all went to bed late!

And then last night we ventured down to the Uptown Cinema in Queen Anne and watched the British short films that Stuart was a part of!  The place was packed and there was even a Q&A session with Stuart afterward.  We went for drinks after and began our journey at T.S. McHugh's, then traveled onto Ozzie's (BEST Karaoke bar in Seattle, but we didn't sing anything!), stopped off for a late night snack at Dick's. I felt like I was in college all over again!!  And ended the night around 2:30 in a hotel room downtown (Please note - this WAS planned!).  And we all went to bed late.

And this morning we woke up fairly early to take Stuart to the airport.  It all went by so fast!  And I am tired because as you know...we went to bed late.  And when I say late, I don't just mean 11 or 12, I mean 1 or 2.  Now, I know I am still in my 20's, but my 29 year old body just isn't use to that!  And I have been feeling a little sluggish all day - so I will be going to sleep soon.

But, before I fall asleep, I have ONE more thing I want to say.

PicMonkey is amazing!!  And they would definitely take the cake for my second favorite thing this past weekend! Thank you for stepping up when Picknik stepped out!  I am still getting the hang of all things photo edits and collages, so please bare with me.  But I did take full advantage of my day off today update the blog format, while I attempted to figure out PicMonkey (it's easy to use, but there are so many things to choose from!!).

Life truly is about the simple pleasures, and I was simply pleased today!  I created a new blog header and a button, and a special thank you to all of those tutorial creators!!  They were such a blessing to me.  And now, I would have to say that I am slightly obsessed, and I am sure I will continue to change things as time goes on - so be warned!

Stay tuned for more blog updates...

xoxo,

Malia

p.s.  Maybe my next task should be to create a signature?


Linking up with Finding Beauty...

Special Encounters.

So every Sunday my siblings and I get together for Sunday dinners. This past Sunday wasn't much different than any of the others, but my brother shared a special story of a special encounter. An encounter that I was actually jealous of! And no he didn't meet a famous person or even catch a glimpse of one, but rather he met an ordinary woman named Sandra. I will try to do this story justice and truly put forth my best effort to capture my brothers amazing storytelling ability!

Me - QUEEN of asking questions.."so how was your sunday?..anything interesting happen?"
Bro- "well i picked up a homeless woman"
Me - "UMM...WHAT??" (LOADS more questions ensued)
Bro- "well she came up to me right after church and asked me if i would give her a ride over to the U district"
(he said he hesitated for a bit, but then said uhh..yeah sure! ALSO please keep in mind Brady attends a church in Ballard, and there were LOADS of people this woman could have asked...i absolutely LOVE that she asked him!! and i absolutely love that he said yes)

the conversation continues...

Bro - "she told me she would find me...and as I was ready to leave she was nowhere in sight...didn't quite know what to do, and then all of a sudden she comes running over to me. so she climbs into the truck and off we go to the U district.
ME - extremely jealous by now because this woman seemed interesting and i LOVE hearing people's stories..."bro tell me ALL about her...what was her name? her age? what's her story...how long has she been homeless?"
Bro - "umm..her name was SAndra, she was probably in her 30s, but looked ALOT older than she really is with gray hair...she was asking me questions about myself, but didn't wait long enough to hear the answers or she couldn't remember the answer I gave her and asked me the exact same question a moment later..."

example...

Sandra - so what do you do for a job?
Bro- I am a stockbroker
Sandra - can you take me to the Sacred heart church? So what do you do for a job?
Bro - I am a stockbroker

By this part of the story I am roaring with laughter because I know just HOW much my brother absolutely LOVES questions...(sarcasm noted) and I know just HOW much he loves when people don't listen to him and ask the SAME question more than once (sarcasm noted again)!! I truly wish I could have been a fly on that car wall.

ANYHOW an amazing conversation ensued with my siblings after brady told us this story. I realized that I absolutely have such a HUGE heart for homeless people and really anyone suffering with mental illnesses. I truly believe EVERY single person has a story and quite often people don't get the chance to tell their stories, nor do they have someone willing to listen. Brady kept asking the woman, Sandra, why she didn't have a job...why she wasn't employed. she said she had tried, but no one would hire her. Brady couldn't believe this and truly thought the woman was lying and simply not trying hard enough, while I found myself wanting to defend the woman and the countless injustices homeless people face.

My heart was beating faster, my palms were getting sweaty. I just said ...you have no idea bro! none of us have any idea what it is like to be homeless! It would be sOO hard to get a job. I mean who is going to hire someone without a physical address? Who is going to hire someone that doesnt have regular access to a toilet or a shower? Who is going to hire someone that only has one outfit to their name? THINK ABOUT IT! How are we actually helping these people get a leg up? Is the system helping them? Is it individuals? Is the church helping them and the people within it? Reminded me of a book I read called Under the Overpass...read it!

Needless to say it was an interesting Sunday dinner and I am thankful for my brothers special Sandra encounter. so much of him was tested that day...his patience, his genorosity, his willingness to give of himself, but as Hebrews 13:2 says.."Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it." who knows maybe Sandra was an Angel, and I am proud of my brother for rising to the cause when he could have easily turned her down and sent her off to a more willing participant. I love stories like these...