Long walks with the double stroller

Spare time is something Pete and I have had little of in the past year and a half. With our move to Portland in 2008 and the start of nursing school...life has been busy. One great thing about my nursing program is that I get the month of January off. So this past month I can finally say I had some spare time and it has been wonderful.

As February approaches I reflect on some special memories from the past four weeks....making more healthy dinners at home, going to the gym daily, sleeping in, deep cleaning, catching up with friends and family, weekly small group with our friends Jeff and Kelly, shopping (maybe a little too much ;) )leisurely reading, cuddling up with my man on a week night to watch a favorite show, and walking with Pete and Nellie to Peet's coffee in the morning. These things may sound simple, but they are all things I too easily take for granted when I get caught in the race of life and loads of homework.

Another big joy of this past month for me has been the two different nanny jobs I started for boy/girl twin babies. One set is 10 months old and the other is just about a year old. As many of you know I love twins and getting to spend spare time with twin babies is absolutely amazing. We have had a beautiful winter here in Portland with unexpected sunshine so I have taken many long walks with the double stroller pushing happy babies up and down the streets of Portland. These walks have allowed me to do lots of thinking and take in the small details of life that I let slip by on a regular basis...I admire unique houses and the variety of trees here in the northwest...I've tried out new coffee shops and strolled through lovely parks...I stopped and chatted with an elderly couple who thought the babies were the most adorable things they ever saw.

These walks have given me the realization that no matter what stage of life..it will be busy and even stressful at times. It is up to us to find a way to stop and take in the details and the beauty of the world and people around us. Time goes by too fast to let these opportunities float by. Make time for a long walk, make time to have coffee with a friend, make time to spend an extra 15 minutes with your companion having breakfast. When you don't have time, MAKE time for the priorities because you never want to look back on life and wish you would have. This January, even though I haven't been in class, I've done a lot of learning. Learning and thinking about what is really important. I usually feel most satisfied at the end of a day when I accomplished everything on my to do list. I am starting to think that a day filled with simple moments of peace is what really puts a smile on my face. :)

MAKE TIME!

Hats off to Molly

We just wanted to give a "shout out" to our sister Molly! She has been part of the music side of "Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" since this past June 2009. We are so proud of her. They had their last show last night. Great things were said about the staff-we are honored that Molly was part of this. She worked so hard and we know great things will come for her. :) Go Molly!

If you want to see parts of the last show check out: http://www.tonightshowwithconanobrien.com/

"Honk if you love Jesus, TEXT if you want to meet him"

My friend Kelly told me that the Oprah show on Monday was about the tragedy of texting while driving. She told me it was a great show and Oprah urged all viewers to take a pledge NOT to text while driving because it can be deadly. It is called the NO PHONE ZONE Pledge.

I'm embarrassed to admit that I have texted while driving on more than one occasion. Then today at the gym, I saw the follow up Oprah about this issue. Viewers were calling in and saying how they had taken the pledge and were giving awful examples of what has happened to them or their loved ones from texting while driving. Statistics prove it is worse than driving drunk.

So I have officially taken the pledge today. I never want to text again while driving. I am putting my phone deep in my purse or in the back seat of my car while I am behind the wheel. Another good point was made on the show... think about NOT texting someone else who is driving (if you know before hand that they are). This may cause them to check their phone and text back.

Be on the look out and make others aware of this issue because it can save lives. I heard "real" life stories today that scared me. It only takes once. Please MAKE the pledge along with me!

Here is the link to the pledge on Oprah's web page:

http://www.oprah.com/questionaire/ipledge.html?id=4

LIVE what YOU LOVE

Snowboarding has been in the air in our neck of the woods. Pete has been up to Mt. Hood Meadows three times this past week. I accompanied him one of those times. It was this past sunday evening for a night boarding session. It was my first time up on the mountain this season and I truly have forgotten how much I love snowboarding. I am so thankful to my parents for getting me into it at a young age.

The conditions were not great, but I found such peace just cruising down the runs without a care in the world-except for the time when I face planted off my toe edge and got snow all down my jacket. :) Either way. . .snowboarding is a hobby that we both have a passion for. Pete is a lot faster than me, but he promises to only go about 500 feet ahead of me. Then he turns and critiques me as I board down the run (same thing my dad always does-haha). We finished the day with warm food and drink in the cozy lodge and then headed home. It was a date to remember.

We are so grateful for the beauty and access to snow capped mountains here in the pacific NW. We hope to see some of you on the slopes yet this season!!

This and That

We've all heard the terms "opposites attract" or "two peas in a pod". There's been times where I've thought Pete and I were more different than alike or more alike than different. Now after a few years of marriage, I don't really look at it this way anymore, I see us as "fitting together" and using our similarities and differences to benefit and inspire each other.

An example of this is. . . we've distinguished that he is a realist and I am an idealist. Our definition of these terms are as follows:

Realist: One who sees things exactly how they are and what needs to be done in order for those things to happen. One who is in touch with the reality of a situation.

Idealist: One who sees things for how they could be. One who dreams big and expects things to go as planned.

You may ask yourself how can a realist and idealist ever come to an agreement or make decisions for their future? Where at first it was a challenge, we have found that our realist/idealist difference compliments our marriage. It is something we often laugh about because it comes up time and time again. Pete keeps things in perspective for me and makes attainable goals for our future whereas as I push him to dream big and not to be too practical. :)

Why do I write about this? Well, I've been challenging myself to accept the differences in people. I think all too often we expect others to be too much like ourselves. Instead of raising an eyebrow or becoming frustrated, I think it is best to realize that God created us so uniquely and we can LEARN so much from each other. I challenge you to admire the differences in your significant other, friends, or even some one next to you in the grocery store.

"Real Men Do Love Little Dogs"

So Pete has gotten laughed at by some for having a little dog. :) Today while reading Glamour magazine (Feb. 2010) I came across a little paragraph/blurb titled "Real Men Do Love Little Dogs". I had to smile proudly!

It read, "Who says a man's best friend needs to do useful things like hunt or herd sheep? Cheers to those dudes who love the affection of a little friend."

I've always thought that-big or little-it is the companionship of a pet that counts. A couple pages later I stumbled upon a new study being done on the benefits of your four-legged friends. They have proved that interacting with animals can benefit one physically and emotionally. The study showed how being around your pup can actually reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. It also said that those who are "petless" can even benefit by hanging out with other people's animals. Amazing!

Ten points for my "real man" Pete and ten points for my pet Nellie!

Jazzed about Juicing

So one of my favorite wedding gifts was our " Jack La Lanne's Juicer". It is really amazing -you literally can stick about almost any fruit or veggie in it (except bananas) and then enjoy a cup of tasty, yet healthy juice. Our juicer has been in the back of our cupboard ever since we moved to Portland and tonight I was inspired to take it out and give it a whirl. Pete actually operated it while I handed him the goods to put in. The juice we created tonight was a blend between red apples, carrots, and broccoli. It turned out really yummy. I'm hoping we can start taking it out once a week for a Juice session. Any one want to come over for tasting? ;)

Happy New Year!

Well 2010 has arrived and one of my new year's resolutions was to start a blog. I have been inspired by many of my friend's blogs (you know who you are) so I thought I would go for it and give it a try. Writing has always been a passion of mine and I am hoping this will be a way to share and "tell moor" about what is going on in the life of the Moormeier's! Please stick with me as I am not much of a techie and I am still learning how to work this blog site! :)

Pete and I are getting back in the swing of things here in Portland. We had a wonderful Christmas with our families and had a great new year's celebration with friends up at a cozy cabin in Washington. Taking the Christmas tree down yesterday was a sad event because the holiday season is over, but it also marks a new year with exciting things in store. I will finish nursing school this year and Pete is enjoying many opportunities at Wells Fargo. We celebrated our one year anniversary of having our puppy Penelope (aka nellie) yesterday. She has enriched our lives greatly. We look forward to some good snowboarding this winter and a possible trip to visit family and friends in San Diego to get some much needed sun.

Pete and I talked yesterday how each year is full of adventures, ups and downs, and new beginnings. We are curious and thrilled to see what 2010 will bring. We hope to share it with all of you!