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November Already?!

I am absolutely shocked when I look at today's date - already November 6th?!! Time is flying by out here so fast.

I had an amazing time at home for Canadian Thanksgiving and Matt and Sarah's wedding. It was so great to be back in Ontario to celebrate a wedding and a holiday. The whole Team V clan was home for Thanksgiving dinner with Nana and Poppa and Uncle Rick, and we had such a nice couple of days just being together. Matt and Sarah's wedding was a perfect day, and there is nothing more joyous than watching two treasured friends unite their lives under the Lord! Plus it was a blast to get to see all of my friends and to celebrate together. In so many ways, it was like I had never left, and I am so thankful for that. What a blessing it is to have friends so close and united that we can pick up just where we left off months prior. I am so thankful for my girlfriends!!

I was very anxious though to get back to my hubby after 5 days apart. I don't think either of us realized just how much time we spend together until we were suddenly not together anymore! We have found one of the best parts of marriage to be the joy of just doing everything together, so I really really missed him when I was home!

Our stream of steady visitors has now stopped flowing so it's just Mark and I until we come home for Christmas. We are so looking forward to being home, and yes we are very much looking forward to snow and our beloved Ontario! But for now we are enjoying married life and our new adventure, and most of all we are enjoying watching the Lord provide. I have been able to find a part time nanny job which provides for our grocery money (they have to pay me in gift cards to keep it legal), which has been an incredible blessing to us. Mark was also offered a job on campus as Intramural Coordinator, which was timely provision after his previous job opportunity had fallen through. We are learning so much about trust and humility already in just a few short months, and we are so thankful for all we are being taught!

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own". Matthew 6:34

Ontario-Bound!

As I write this I am on an US Airways flight heading towards Philadelphia. Once I arrive, I have less than 1 hr to make my connecting flight to Buffalo which will take me to meet my mom and Nana at the airport! I can’t believe it is already time to head home for my good friend Sarah’s wedding on Saturday! When we moved in August, this was the date that I was looking towards as my chance to see all of my family and friends again, and I can’t believe the day has already arrived! I am so excited to see Sarah and Matt united in marriage and to be home for Canadian thanksgiving!

Time has flown by so fast, especially because Mark and I had some more visitors over the past few weeks! My parents and my brother were out visiting from September 24 – October 4. They spent 7 days in Santa Clarita area with us and then moved north to San Francisco. While they were in our area, we spent time at our apartment, in Hollywood, Beverly Hills and Burbank. We even had a VIP tour with our Canadian friend Mike who works at Warner Bros. studios. It was SO neat to see where so many famous films and TV shows are made. Some of my highlights were seeing the spot where the ‘upside-down kiss’ from Spiderman was filmed, and being able to stand in front of the Jumbo Mart and under the El train from ER. It was awesome of Mike to take time from his busy day to show us around.

We also had our very first star meeting on my dad’s birthday. We went to Charthouse restaurant in Malibu and happened to be eating there the same night as Adam Sandler and his whole family. We got to meet him and my dad took a picture with him. He wished dad a happy birthday and gave Mark a few pats on the back – he was thrilled. He looks exactly the same in person and was very nice. His kids are pretty cute too.

Another very cool part of their visit was the night we spent at the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel on Hollywood Blvd. This hotel was the spot where the very first Oscars were held and is right across the road from Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater (where the Oscars are held now). The hotel was a really neat mix of Old Hollywood and modern glamour. You may have heard of Tropicana Bar, which is their poolside bar. If you’ve seen The Hills or Entourage , then you would definitely recognize this spot. At night it’s all lit up and you can chill on the chaise lounges and couches while they have music playing. Some nights they have a DJ there too. We got to hang out by the pool the next day too, and enjoyed some of their world-famous burgers (mmm so good) for lunch. It was only due to my parents’ generosity that Mark and I got to spend this night with them there, and it was so much fun! The best part is you don’t have to be staying at the hotel to hang out by the pool – Mark and I are definitely going to be back!

The Fro-Yo Phenomenon

Something I have noticed after just a few short weeks in the LA area is that Californians LOVE their frozen yogurt. There are countless chains and stores everywhere here selling varieties of fro-yo and toppings. Maybe it has something to do with the health-conscious nature of people who live so close to LA, but ice cream is nowhere to be found. While Britt was here, both of us were craving some scooped ice cream (Cone Shop anyone??), and we actually could not find any stores that serve that kind of treat! When I made a comment to a friend of Mark's about our desperation to find scooped ice cream, he confessed that he couldn't really understand that desire, and why wouldn't we just head to one of the many, many frozen yogurt joints?

All of this being said, I must confess that I have fully conformed. While my friend Brenna was out here visiting, we checked out a new shop called Tutti Frutti, and we absolutely fell in love. Tutti Frutti offers about 10 flavors of fat-free and low-fat fro-yo, and tons of toppings, all in self-serve style. So you grab a bucket, fill it up with however many and whatever flavours you would like (some delicious examples - cookies and creme, vanilla bean, strawberry cheesecake), and then top it off with anything from cookie dough pieces to fresh diced mango. And the best part is that you pay per ounce - 35 cents an ounce! So when you're all done, you set your bucket on the scale and pay a pretty small price for tons of deliciousness! Brenna's was only $2.30! Another great aspect of Tutti Frutti is that you can sample as many flavours as you like before making your own creation - I think Bren and I both ate a full bucket's worth of yogurt before we decided on what we wanted to get!

Needless to say, Mark and I have already been back!

In case you are interested, here is their website: http://www.tfyogurt.com/

And here is a shot of Brenna and I eating dins on our balcony. Thanks again for your visit Bren! It was so much fun showing you around, catching up, and of course, wedding planning!!

Fifty Dollar Find

We found this couch at Goodwill in LA for only $50! It was really dirty but all it took was a steam cleaner and three hours of muscle and sweat by Tara, and it is almost as good as new!

Apartment Update

Our place is starting to take shape as we slowly collect furniture and get organized so here are some updated pics!

We are being provided for by God and we are blown away daily at how He is taking care of us out here. We can't afford to buy much furniture, but we were able to find a FREE dining table and chairs through the church, as well as a really cheap couch from Goodwill. That gave us enough to be able to get a few small things, like a desk for Mark, from Ikea. It is amazing to sit back and just watch what He is doing for us out here!

Seesters.

Well Britt has gone back home and I am missing her terribly. It was such a blessing to have her here for a full week. Since she left for school in April I have seen her twice but both times have been rushed and busy so this was our first chance to really catch up and spend quality time together in several months. It was so much fun to show her around Hollywood and the rest of LA, as well as just to have time to chill, eat great food, and learn about what is going on in her life out in BC.

Mark and I were absolutely blown away by how much my little sister has grown up and matured in her time at school. She is now a confident, assured young woman who has really come into her own. She was infinitely patient as Mark and I unpacked, shopped for furniture, and generally forced her to live in an absolutely disorganized mess for seven days.

It is amazing to watch someone grow up like that, and to also transition from just a sibling relationship to a deep friendship. Britt, I miss you like crazy and I can't wait to see you again. Thank you for all of the great talks, laughs and memories. Love you tons!

Here are some more pics from our week together, including some of the crazy wildfires that have been raging over the past 2 weeks. The air has been smoky for about a week now, and ash collects on our car and our balcony every day. There seems to be an end in sight though, as the sky is clear blue today and we can see the sun! And don't worry Britt - the Hollywood sign is still alive and well and not burned to the ground.