Tahoe with the Azevedo's

We celebrated Gret's birthday in Lake Tahoe! Fun weekend! Poor Gret stayed in the lodge while we snowboarded a half day. We went on the strip for New Year's the next night to ring in the new year. 

Christmas 2006

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love the holidays at home as the house is transformed into a winter wonderland of delicious smells, warm fires, stockings, Christmas trees, Christ's birth! Here are a few pics from home...

Erica's Annual Birthday Party-Bucks 2006

Since we were in middle school or high school I can't remember, we've been celebrating Erica's birthday party at Becca's cabin in Bucks Lake. I look forward to this sweet time with my friends each year. It is saved on my calendar each year! 

Wedding Plans begin... Location Location Location??

My mom and Erica came down to San Jose this week to check out wedding locations such as Villa Montalvo in Saratoga as well as Wedding dresses! I tried on my first set of gowns! So surreal! I think it was even crazier for my mom! She definitely teared up! We waited 5 months to begin wedding plans so that we could settle into San Jose and my new job. So now it's begun! Research, research, decisions, and more! So fun! 

Engagement Party September 24, 2006

Time to celebrate! Invite the friends, Invite the Family and open the champagne, because we're getting married!! Greg's family hosted and put on a wonderful engagement party to celebrate our good news! The party was at Tom and Jennifer's house put on with the help of Kim and Genie! Thanks everyone for an awesome celebration! You love us too well!

Eric, Genie, Ginger and Bree

The home of Eric, Genie, and Ginger: beautiful tulip tree in full bloom in their front yard.

Bree's out front at her place to rest her head on all her pillows.

Greg's Aunt Genie and Uncle Eric have invited Bree into their home until Greg and Bree get married. They are so amazing! I (bree) feel so loved by Greg's family and feel quite welcomed to this huge city whom all I know is Greg's family.  Great start to living in the city thus far. I (Greg) am so happy that my family has opened their home and their hearts to my fiance and that they'll get to know Bree and Bree will get to know them throughout the next year! yea for Eric and Genie!

Do you know the way to San Jose?

One of Bree's favorite places...the yard at home in Biggs.

Biggs or San Jose? 

Beautiful town of Biggs.... Bree's hometown. 1500 friends, pre-schoolers graduating 12th grade with their same classmates, our 10 acre ranch with horses, pigs, cattle, views of the smallest mountain range in the world, The Buttes, harvest moons and so much more. Islands of rice fields, lakes, heat, sports, 1 tiny post office, library, Double H with 1 gas pump, 1 bar-The Pheasant Club, 4 Churches, Grien's market, my dad's office and dirt roads... not much more the small farming town. 

Or, the slightly larger 974,000 folks in Greg's hometown of San Jose. Theatres, Sharks, Downtown, Great Bear Coffee in LG, artwork, architecture, small shops, Santana Row, Starbucks on every corner, bookstores, ethnic foods, mountain biking, great temperature, busyness. 

San Jose it is! We made a choice to settle down in San Jose. Greg has been blessed with a job that challenges him and allows him to use his Cal Poly engineering degree and project management skills. Bree has taken on the amazing challenge of San Jose Young Life that only God can orchestrate and direct. We are leaning in close to the Lord as we are both in positions that are much larger than us.  We're thankful that God has brought us to places that we can use our gifts and serve in areas that bring us great joy and fulfillment in our calling in life. 

Kentucky Family Summer: Big hats, thick accents, bring on the heat

For the first time in my life I was able to go out and visit my Great Grandmother Nettie in Kentucky. She came out to California on my first day of Kindergarten as well as my high school graduation. This was a huge treat! Thank you Grandpa Jerry and Grandma Eva! I traveled out with my grandparents and Aunt Barbara! So fun to be with her and see our similarities!  

Kentucky is beautiful! Rolling green hills as far as one can see, no fence lines in neighbors, just green grass that rolls from one yard onto the next.  Horse ranches with not white but black fences (surprising to me too!) 

We went to visit Louisville, home of Kentucky basketball! Louisville Slugger where they manufacture all the bats for the Major Leagues. Hiked to the Natural Bridge, visited the homes my great grandma grew up in and raised her children in, went on a boat ride on the Kentucky River (pretty dirty river-but still pretty!), and visited Church Hill Downs.... and yes we snuck into the real Jockey's jerseys! My favorite quote from the trip was my Grandma Nettie. With  "Hey! Did you know what?" 

First Assignment at Woodleaf

For months and months Chris Blake and Scotty Hansen and I prepared to serve at Woodleaf on assignment as the Program team. Chris is wonderfully organized and Scotty is hilariously witty and humorous! We headed up to Woodleaf... mind you I was SO exhausted, Greg and I got engaged and my mind had not stopped being in la la land, I had pulled two all nighters to finish my senior project at Cal Poly designing a winery and vineyards complete with a resort and spa, finished packing all my belongings to storage, and with Lacy's help created my program costumes. I was exhausted! God was amazing and gave me a surreal energy to lead songs upfront and awesome events for 400 kids all to break down walls so they could hear the good news of Jesus! Through this assignment I realized I loved being upfront, I loved getting creative and I loved the amount of detail that went into pulling off camp! Woohoo! First assignment with Young Life and I loved it!

Will you marry me? Yes!

"Will you marry me?" "YES!!!"

Greg proposed on the cliffs in Shell Beach.  It was a perfectly chosen location as our first words of love where spoken there years before.  As the sun set and the waves crashed we walked to the gazebo on the edge of a cliff.  We were welcomed by the friendly pelicans looking upon us with interest.  Little did I know this was to be a moment of interest, a moment that would remain pleasantly engraved in my memory for a lifetime.  

           Greg spoke with a shaky voice and a slight nervousness. For a moment I thought to myself, "Is this it? Could he be proposing? No, that would be crazy! I'm finishing my huge senior project, graduating this weekend just graduated, moving tomorrow, and I'm leaving in two days on my first assingment to Woodleaf serving on the Program team..." I quickly graced my hand on each of his pockets and there was nothing there so the thought of engagement escaped my mind. 

            Greg continued to share his heart with me in a depth I had not heard him express before. The sun continued to set, the waves were making a beautiful sound and I was in heaven with the man I loved. As we hugged and kissed Greg dropped to one knee and I quickly asked, "What are you doing?" I was completely oblivious to all the signs of him really proposing! He asked me to marry him and to be his wife. I immediately said, "YES!" I hadn't even looked down until he told me to and there was the most beautiful ring I could ever imagine! 

           Not only were the pelicans watching this wonderful moment, Greg had asked our dear friends Chris and Ashley Blake to capture every moment. Ashley was hidden like the paparazzi in the bushes and Chris was on the cliff with a large zoom. Greg said that we were not alone and at that moment Chris and Ashley came and celebrated the moment with us! 

Kevin and Kristen's Beautiful Day

One of Greg's best friends, Kevin, got married to an amazing woman, Kristen! We absolutely love them and wish we lived closer to them. They got married this weekend at Big Bear which is Kristen's home town. The rehersal dinner was on a boat on Big Bear. It was such a wonderful celebration of their lives together and a ton of fun to be with all of Greg's friends!!

Cal Poly Graduate!

I have a great family! They know how to celebrate people well. My family came down to San Luis Obispo for my graduation from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. My dad rented a house in Morro Bay and threw a great graduation party! I love my family!

Jay and Gret's Wedding

Jay and Gretchen had a beautiful wedding in Lake Tahoe.  Growing up with Jay and becoming great friends with Gretchen, it was an honor to stand by her side on their big day. It was so fun to watch Jay get married. We celebrated well and danced with good friends! Gret was beautiful and Jay was so happy to see his Bride! It was a day I won't forget! 

Greg came down for my birthday!!!

Long distance is not so fun! We miss each other like crazy and are putting a town of miles on our cars to see each other- but it is SO worth it! Greg came down for my birthday which made me SO excited! I love spending time with him!! Here are some cute shots from night! Love this guy!

Bree's 23rd Birthday! Thank you LACY!

My roommate Lacy is so amazing! She is really one of the most talented and gifted people I know. She can make anyone feel like the most important person ever! She blesses me all the time in the ways she lavishes her creative artistry upon me! I love it! Well she did it again! She threw me an awesome 23rd birthday party! (My 22nd birthday we spent watching The Notebook and balled our eyes out the entire night because it was so sad! haha) We celebrated with the Young Life Crew, Old Roomies Vera and Sarah, All my new roomies and some Biggs Crew that were in town! It was a blast!