This weekend, Carl and I went to our first wedding as a married couple. And, it just so happened that it was at Nestldown, where we got married. Regardless of where the wedding was, I think I would have been reflecting back on our big day… comparing the details, and mentally pressing the replay button in my mind. Being at the same location obviously enhanced the experience. I was antsy to walk down the trail to the ceremony site, reliving the glorious walk with my Dad as we approached the redwood grove and our friends and family, standing to await our arrival and walk down the aisle. Then, to stand under the arbor by the lake, which had now lost all its leaves… and to think, this is the spot where it happened – where we said “I do.”

Three months have gone by, and sometimes it’s still hard to believe that we’re actually married – that God answered this long-awaited prayer for both of us. Standing in that redwood grove, turning around and looking up the lengths of the trees to the rays of sun peering through, I was reminded again that God does hear and answer the deepest longings of our hearts.

I must say, we started off the New Year just right. First, a solid breakfast at one of our favorite spots in the city – Ella’s. Next, a visit to the Golden Gate Bridge… just to say “hello” and because it amazes me every time I see it.

Sportin’ our new Christmas beanies, of course. (Mine is a Sarah Baer original!)

Then, a hike along the coast, just north of Santa Cruz, and a picnic lunch on the beach.

But to top it off, we got to enjoy a special and spontaneous dinner with my godparents (Steve & Margie) and Margie’s 107-year-old dad. 107 years. (I thought that was worth repeating.) Although he’s lost his hearing, we were able to hear fascinating stories from him by asking questions via an “Etch-a-Sketch.” Stories of him taking a 30-day journey across the Pacific, from Seattle to Korea, to start missionary work, followed by his beautiful descriptions of his first impressions of the country. Stories of his language lessons, and finally, how he fell in love with his Korean wife by writing her letters (per Korean customs) and planned their wedding in 2 days with only $20. We were in the presence of a gentle man of God with a wealth of life experiences and history, just waiting to be told. Truly, a gift to be with him, and a wonderful way to start our new year.

Carl and I went BIG this year for New Years Eve. We joined the masses in San Francisco with a group of friends, and had a great time. Unless you couldn’t tell from this picture, Carl found every noise-maker he could find to help ring in the new decade with some uumpf and passion. Nice work Mr. Hekkert. And, Happy New Year everyone!

Over the past month at work,  I’ve been immersed in C.S. Lewis’s writings. I came across this quote today, and thought it was more than appropriate for posting, as we reflect on the gift of Jesus this season. Merry Christmas!

“Did you ever think, when you were a child, what fun it would be if your toys could come to life? Well suppose you could really have brought them to life. Imagine turning a tin soldier into a real little man. It would involve turning the tin into flesh. And suppose the tin soldier did not like it. He is not interested in flesh: all he sees is that the tin is being spoilt. He thinks you are killing him. He will do everything he can to prevent you. He will not be made into a man if he can help it.

What you would have done about that tin soldier I do not know. But what God did about us was this. The Second Person in God, the Son, became human Himself: was born into the world as an actual man—a real man of a particular height, with hair of a particular colour, speaking a particular language, weighing so many stone. The Eternal Being, who knows everything and who created the whole universe, became not only a man but (before that) a baby, and before that a foetus inside a Woman’s body. If you want to get the hang of it, think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.” — C.S. Lewis, from Mere Christianity

When Martha and I were roommates, we agreed on many things. One of them was that we’d have Jimmy Fallon over for dinner. Another thing was that every Christmas, we’d play our favorite Christmas CD – The Muppets Christmas with John Denver.

So you can imagine the sheer delight when I discovered the two of them together. The only disappointment was that Beeker did not appear in this rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas… but I’ll let it slide.

Enjoy!

On this cold day in the city, I couldn’t help but think back to the warm, tranquil days we had in Puerto Rico.

After our time in Old San Juan, we started our beach hopping on Vieques Island, just east of Puerto Rico. Rather than following the guidebooks’ advice of taking the $100 flight, we opted for the $2 ferry ride, like the locals. (After the sticky, sweat-inducing waiting area at the ferry terminal, we could see why this was not recommended… but it was a good cultural experience.)

By way of taxi, we climbed through the lush forests to a remote spot where we were dropped off in darkness (supposedly next to our hotel). We had read great reviews of The Hix Island House, and thought we’d try out our first eco-lodge experience. With the help of a flashlight, our hotel guide led us through the thick grass to our room – in a modern, angular, cement structure with no a/c and plenty of geckos. We soon called the place the Dharma Initiative (if you’re not a Lost watcher, you’ll be “lost” with that correlation). Because it was so remote, the sky was radiant with glowing stars, and the noise of chirping insects filled our ears. The hotel stocked our fridge with breakfast items and fresh baked bread each day, so we could create our own meal and relax on our “jungle patio.”

The next day when we got our rental car, we were told to drive slowly in order to avoid the wild horses roaming on the side of the road.

We lucked out and found a remote white-sand beach where we camped out for the day. That night, we ventured out on the water again, for a kayaking tour of the bio-luminescent bay. Similar to phosphorescence, bio-luminescence is a micro-organism that lights up in the water. As we started paddling, it was if we were paddling through diamonds. Every time our paddles hit the water, it would light up and fish were outlined as they darted away from our boats. As we got to the center of the bay, we hopped in the water to see how the bioluminescence outlined our bodies as we floated around. I couldn’t stop lifting my arms out of the water and watching the diamonds roll off of my skin. Definitely one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced.

Highlights from the honeymoon, you ask? Over the next few posts, I’ll try to do my best to hit the highs from our adventures in Puerto Rico.

Through the help of a friend who was writing the guide for Fodor’s on Puerto Rico while we were planning our honeymoon (what kind of coincidence is that??) we were tipped off to a great hotel in Old San Juan. We stayed at the El Convento – an old convent that was converted into an amazing hotel that faced the cathedral. Cobblestone streets led us past an array of pastel colored buildings to the old city wall and fortress. We loved wandering the streets, trying out the local food (mallorca, anyone?), and seeing all of the “gatos” and iguanas.

View of the cathedral from our hotel.

Our tour guide.

Castillo San Felipe del Morro… and that’s not just good Spanish…that was the name of the fort.

1. We’re married. Woo-hoo!

2. I’m way behind on my blog.

3. I’m so far behind it’s hard to know where to begin.

Rather than making this a 20-page essay of all that’s happened, I thought I’d just start with a few simple pictures. You know, work my way up to full blogger status just bit by bit.

Here are some pictures from the first two days of our honeymoon in Carmel. I was starting to wonder why we were planning to leave the beautiful 75-degree weather, white sand beaches, and crystal-blue waters… and then I remembered. The water here is freezing! We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our honeymoon though. More pictures from Puerto Rico to come!

This song is very appropriate for the final wedding countdown. Four more days! Enjoy the rocker mullets.

Today was Charles’ last day of work after 31 years as a bus driver for Muni. Some of you may remember my previous post about my morning bus driver. Ever since my engagement, he’s continued to stop traffic to pick me up when I’m running late, and he has also offered  a quick snippet of marital advice before I bound down the bus steps in the Financial District. He became a welcome addition to my morning commute.

During one of our talks, I asked him what kinds of books he likes to read. Oh, mystery books. And I like to read Christian books too. My face lit up, as I told him that I was the “Bible Girl” at work. Then our conversations turned to what we were learning and reading. What is it about that feeling, once you discover that you and someone you know both love Jesus? Well, since then, I’ve been bringing him some Christian books to read while he’s on his break too.

So, today was his last day. But my sneaking suspicion was right… he didn’t show up. He told me he might just go straight to his retirement party. I think that maybe he doesn’t like good-byes. In the event that he did come for his last Muni run on the 38BX, I decorated a bunch of candies for my fellow bus companions to give him on their way off the bus.

Charles – I wish you well on your retirement. Thanks for the memories and advice… and God Bless!