Energy Block Flavor...Gross!!

Salted margarita flavored energy shot block-sick! So during Pat's Run we were given these little energy chewy things. We opened and ate them while we were running and  It was the most disgusting thing to be running (hot, out of breath, tired) and tasting tequilla(flavoring), salted margarita chewy things! Not my thought of energy!  Who made that up??! Seriously! Tequilla is not the taste I want in my mouth as I am feeling like I'm already going to die running up hill! haha

Pat's Run 4.2 Miles! We did it!

Greg woke me up at 7:15 AM and somehow (I must still have still been sleeping) that I should go with him to Leland High School to run in Pat's Run. Greg was friends with the Tillman family in high school and this was important to him-in honoring Pat. 

So....we drove over to Leland, (got lucky with close parking!) paid, got a cool yellow jersey and bib with a number on it and within 45 minutes of waking up I was starting a 4.2 mile run! (Do you know how long it's been since I've run! haha) The run went great, was challenging with a lot of hills, but it was really fun. We ran just about the whole thing and had a lot of fun in the process!

Happy Birthday DAD!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR DAAAD! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOOU!!!

Happy Birthday Dad! Wish we could be with you! We love you!!

Mama Mia!!

My old roommates Barb, Cindy and I had a girl's night out and watched the musical Mama Mia in downtown San Jose musical theatre. It was incredible! I have seen in previously in Las Vegas with my roommates Amanda and Brook. It was fantastic the first time and then so great again! 

I absolutely LOVE this muscial. It makes me want to get up and dance and sing! It's the perfect musical to see with a group of girls.  I loved spending time with my old roomies! We need to get together more often : )

House Hunting

Ok seriously! Here's my soapbox for the day.... House Hunters.... stupid show! All they show is $200,000 homes or million dollar apartments in San Fran. Not realistic! And not helping me as Greg quite often gives me a reality check of what a $600,00-$800,000 home will buy us in San Jose. What's that you ask? A small, old, track home. Depressing.

Israel 2008 (To see ALL pics. see album link below!)

Seriously! It snowed in Jerusalem! So crazy...I thought we were going to the desert!

The Temple Steps that were dug up recently.... they continue on deep under the city.

Capernaum

Mt. of Beatitudes

I had to peek through the wall to get this picture. It's the Western Wailing Wall


I took way too many photos in Israel... Here's a link to ALL my pictures. Click Here! (Or type into your browser: http://picasaweb.google.bree.yl

Israel 2008-Ceasarea by the Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

These were the public restrooms years ago....they were very public! It was in the main entrance/walkway to a colosseum used for horse racing!


I had this great opportunity to visit Israel with a group of Young Life staff and friends from Northern California. I really had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be absolutely amazing. I was quite tired by the time I got there because I had just spent weeks in Florida for All Staff Conference and training after that. I brought along my amazing Grandma Pat with me! She is such a trooper!!! 

All Staff Conference 2008 in Florida

ASC 2008 at Orlando World Center! Greg and I had no idea what to expect as we flew to Florida. We had only heard of ASC from our friends Chris and Ashley and when they got back from ASC 2004 they could not stop talking about how fun it was! It was like camp for adults! Everything was new, a surprise at every hour. There were phenomenal speakers that were encouraging us at every corner. We met up with friends from around the country that we hadn't seen in awhile and met so many new friends. There were about 4,000 YL staff there! We can't wait for ASC 2012! 

There were so many surprises that blew each of us away. Young Life is known for excellence in all that we do and when you put every staff person in the world into one room, you can excpect nothing but the very BEST from every aspect! 

When you're entertaining adults that entertain high school students as their job you have to bring in the professionals to get a laugh....so that is what they did. 

*Jeff Foxworthy was there and he hosted "Are you Smarter than a Young Life Vice President?" Jeff Foxworthy is also a volunteer leader at a Wyldlife Club (for Jr. High) Can you imagine having a comedian at your Wyldlife leader!!?! Jeff also gave a stand-up comedy including his Redneck jokes as well as You Know You're On Young Life Staff When... it was funny at first and then he moved onto a more serious note of encouragement and the realities we YL staff and leaders face when working with kids. Kids' real lives, their real hurt, their real pain, their real joys. It was such a gift to hear Jeff Foxworthy (whom I was never a fan of before this trip but now I'm a huge fan : )

*Jack Hanna (a famous wildlife conservationist who is a regular on The Late Show with David Letterman. He came on with some crazy animals, a snake, an armadillow, a mountain lion (Puma). The most hilarious scene came from one of the upfront Club program (funny guys) volunteered his wife to carry the Python snake and the snake proceeded to wrap itself in between her legs and poked out from behind her. She couldn't move and the guy wouldn't grab the snake off of her. It was so awkward and hilarious all at once!! 

*Nicole C. Mullen and Jars of Clay musical guests. 

*6 phenomenal speakers that inspired each of us and affirmed us in our call to Young Life staff.

*Kids shared their stories that have been personally affected by Young Life and their leaders that invested in them and shared with them Christ in huge ways. It was so neat to hear the impact that YL has made on their lives and how visibly important this ministry is in the lives of our high school friends. I personally get to experience this everyday but it was just a great reminder of the mission we're in and how incredible it is in the lives of kids. 

One talented Dad!

I have one talented Dad! One day he decides he wants to make something out of wood. The next day he is incredibly talented and making beautiful masterpieces!  He also made me an absolutely gorgeous Jewlery Box detailed with our favorite song that he used to sing to me when I was little (and still does sing to me). For some reason I can't get the picture off my computer, but as soon as I can I'll post it here! 

Christmas in Tahoe!

We spent the day after Christmas in beautiful Lake Tahoe at Eric and Genie's newly finished amazing house!! It is really incredible! Joining us was Greg's mom's side of the family! The snow was beautiful! Being with family was great we played games, had fun with a nice white elephant gift exchange, snowball fights, snowmen, snowboarding and resting in the beautiful house! I don't have all the fun pics on my camera! I'll have to get them! 

My Wedding Bouquet has been preserved!! So Amazing!!!

I have never met another person that has the wonderful privilege of having their wedding bouquet preserved. I have seen wedding bouquets that have lost all their color, the petals falling all over the dresser each time it is bumped and a smell that should not be coming from such a beautiful bouquet that brought to life the white backdrop we like to call the wedding dress. The bouquet brings the bride into the color palette chosen to represent a soothing, formal, and rich experience. Without the bouquet the bride sticks out in an unpleasant way. I loved how my bouquet smoothly tied me into the 25,ooo rose petals on the walkway and how it calmed my nerves as I stood alone before the ceremony started. 

So, it was a TREMENDOUS GIFT I RECEIVED AT CHRISTMAS FROM SUSIE-MY WEDDING BOUQUET PRESERVED AND FRAMED!! It now graces a wall in our bedroom and it brings me back to the best day of my life each day that I look at it!  

Thank you Susie for a gift that I will cherish forever!  

Christmas in Biggs

When you have a big family and don't live in the same town, you get 3 posts about Christmas! haha We always enjoy Christmas with my family and love the warmth and comfort of being home. We had a new addition to Christmas this year-Miss Mollie Byers. 

Our First Christmas Together! Christmas 2007

Greg and I live in a cute little condo in San Jose.  Although it is quite cute, it's also quite little! I had all of these grandiose ideas for decorating but when it came down to it, there just isn't enough room! We did have a beautiful tree though and enjoyed Christmas!

So if Greg were writing this... he'd say something like..."Whoa I didn't know so much went into decorating! Do you really need to buy one more thing? Tradition? We have to start traditions now? The tree looks fine, no the ornament doesn't need to be moved for the 10th time. No, you don't need handmade cards and fancy paper...pajamas on Christmas Eve? What? Did you water the tree today? Bree relax it's perfect.... "

So needless to say I was a little OCD about Christmas. I wanted everything to be perfect, traditions to be followed, new ones to begin, photos to be taken, etc. etc. etc. All is well in the Haskell home...just figuring out this whole married thing and gelling of two families : )

Erica's Birthday Tradition- Bucks 2007

Gotta love tradition! Here are this year's annual Birthday celebration pics from Buck's Lake. Happy 25th Birthday Erica! This was also Lacy's first time up at Bucks. Not much snow this year.... each year there seems to be less and less snow. We enjoyed a night at the Lodge and Lace experienced her first Tree Smacker- welcome to the club Lace!

Christmas Tree oh Christmas Tree!! Our first!

Our first Christmas Tree! The day after Thanksgiving I couldn't wait any longer so we went on quite the endeavor to find the perfect tree. As traditional as we are, we did not go out and cut our own tree. I hate the thought of cutting down trees when someone's already grown them for that purpose at a tree lot....so we're traditional but also a little tree hugger-ish!

So we sought out the perfect tree (in the wild mountains off 85 and Almaden Expressway! ha) We ended up finding the perfect tree and even some mistle toe.

We got the tree into my car and brought it home....then realized we needed a stand, bought one, then I see Greg with our kitchen scissors trying to cut off some of the branches!! What! Our kitchen scissors! haha Anyway it was a ton of fun putting it up and transforming our little condo for the Christmas season!

Barb's Wedding!

Barb and I were roommates our freshman year in Fremont dorm together at Cal Poly! She just married her high school sweetheart and I had the awesome privilege of standing by her side on her wedding day! She was absolutely beautiful! We spent the night dancing at her great reception- I had so much fun seeing all my college friends!

The baby has arrived! Miss Mollie!

Travis and Andrena had their little girl yesterday! We are so glad that she waited to come until we returned from our honeymoon. I got to see her today and I'm absolutely in love. She is so small and precious! She has completely melted my heart and I adore her! Love, her Auntie Bree

Newlyweds on our Honeymoon!

Whoever invented the honeymoon is a complete genius! Funny that the planning of the very ceremony of bringing two together as one is the one thing that draws couples apart for months and months (In our case 14 months!) Without our honeymoon I don't know how we could have jumped back into everyday life. I think we would have failed miserably. 

       Our honeymoon was incredible! It provided the space to rest, relax, have fun, experience adventure, and spend time together for the first time as husband and wife. We had so much fun hanging out together, suntanning, reading, snorkeling, 4-wheeling, biking, swimming with sharks, and laughing. I'm so thankful that we took 10 days away to regroup and learn how to be a new family. In the Bible the honeymoon lasted for a whole year- wouldn't that be sweet! 

Bora Bora Overwater Bungalow

(This was not our view... our view went straight out to the ocean without another bungalow blocking an inch of sight!)


If you ever go to Bora Bora or Tahiti you must stay in an Overwater Bungalow. They are incredibly expensive at about a grand a night but it is worth it! At least once in your lifetime. When we arrived in Bora Bora we had to boat to our hotel, from there we walked on very lengthy docks to get out to our Overwater Bungalow. It was breathtaking! We were in awe! The view that surrounded us was the most beautiful teal, clear water ever! We had a glass bottom coffee table that opened up to feed the fish!