San Jose Young Life goes to Woodleaf 2007

We just got back from an amazing week at camp. I loved every minute of camp- no sleep, lots of messiness, breaking down walls with kids, deep conversations, adventure, challenges, and lifetime friendships and memories. 

5 Week Assignment in San Diego

          The night of our Young Life Golf Tournament I left for my 5 week Young Life assignment to serve at Young Life's Oakbridge camp outside of San Diego. Yes that's more than a month away before our wedding (and lots more traveling to come) Crazy? Yes! 

           I served as a Work Crew boss where I got to spend time encouraging and overseeing high school students that volunteer to serve other people their age for the sake of serving Christ and allowing kids to experience the love of Christ. It's pretty incredible to watch high school students give up a month of their summer to serve in the manner they do! Each of the kids on work crew worked very, very long days and trekked through the five weeks with smiles on their faces and a real joy without complaining that could only come from God. We did play a little throughout and one of the days was a beach day.  We even had an all out pancake war in the dining hall after breakfast one day- it was AWESOME!

My first Brent Jones Young Life Open

I served on the committee for the Brent Jones Young Life Open this year. It is the main fundraiser to raise the budget for our Young Life area. This was the 22nd annual tournament. It was held at the beautiful Almaden Country Club. Our golf committee is very talented and passionate for the work of Young Life. I enjoyed serving alongside them: Brent, Jean, Greg, Scott, Scott, Todd, and Kristi. I very thankful for their countless hours of work and planning to make the tournament successful. The day was beautiful and each of the 144 golfers walked away from a great day on the course!

The Adventures of Greg!

Greg riding the rail at Squaw! Sweet picture!

Greg's Division 1 Intramural Championship Team!

This is Greg! jk...Greg took this pic at the Mountain Dew Sports Tour!
Icer Air in San Francisco

Greg being a goofball at club!
Rail Jam Greg and the YL guys set up in San Jose. We brought the snow home from Tahoe and then they built a box and rail for a Young Life event!



Greg is quite the adventurous guy! He loves anything outdoors, athletic, adrenaline, speed, height, technique and challenges! He also has a passion for photography in sports! Some of these pics are him, some are photos he's taken of other peeps! More to come when I can get some pics off his computer!

Tahoe with Friends

Aaron and Ricky

Greg annoyed with Bree ;)

Bree, Erica and Becca
Chris Pletch (and his sister came out from Texas too)
Favorite coffee place! So cozy inside! I love it : )

We bombarded the Eric's grandparent's cabin with 8 friends and Eric Genie and Ginger! We snowboarded, ate, played games and watched movies! So much fun!

Tahoe with my fiance!

Traveling has begun to take a small toll on me as I've been away from my wonderful fiance for weeks now. Greg and I got some quality time together in Tahoe amidst our busy schedules. We love the beautiful mountains, snowboarding and just the time we get to spend together. 

New Staff Training- YL Staff know how to have fun!

I spent two weeks in Colorado at Young Life's Frontier Ranch. It is a beautiful property but it was so freezing! We studied hard- I took two Master's classes from Fuller professors and learned a tremendous amount.  Something that Young Life staff know how to do well is have fun!! So we worked hard and played hard! Here are some of the playful pics! I made some great friends from across the country and world too!

Colorado, Breckenridge, 2 Best friends!

Becca and I headed off to Breckenridge, Colorado (I was on my way to New Staff Training for Young Life) but before the two week intensive began we had to play! And play we did! Greg would have loved to come but he wasn't able to. He and his brother Joe spent some time in Breckenridge a few years ago! It was an absolutely beautiful trip!

Rose will you be our Flower Girl?

I flew out to Denver and spent some time with my cousins Melissa and Steve and their daughter Rose. Rose has this favorite flower shop near her house. At this flower shop she apparently has this little routine. She'll walk to the back of the shop and into the refrigerated room where she'll lift up her shirt to the let the cold air get on her tummy then she dances around and smiles. So precious.

       So I went by the flower boutique and had them make a beautiful bouquet of roses with ribbon hanging off like a princess bouquet. I had it placed in the refrigerated room with a note on it asking Rose to be my flower girl. So... just like clockwork Rose took me on a little tour of her favorite flower shop and she went straight to the back refrigerated room where she soon spoted her bouquet! She was precious! After we went home and looked at her mom's wedding dress and Rose proceeded to dress me up as a bride and herself as a flower girl. I loved my time in Denver with her! 

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?"