We're back! Summer Review :)

Welp, school is back in and summer just ended, which means we are back to posting. We thought we would share with you all some summer highlights. God has really given us rest this summer, as we took a break from school, as well as energy for some fun adventures. Stay tuned for our 3 posts on classes we will be taking beginning with "Do I really know God?" for those of you who would like to journey with us as we process and dialogue our classes this Fall.

We got to be there in Idaho to celebrate!!!!

Jono proposed to Erin in June!

Grace & Easter

On our way to Grace!

Today was our first day at Grace! We recently accepted the position of Assistant Youth Directors at our church, Grace EV Free. We are STOKED for the opportunity to work with the Junior High and High School Youth Group. Our main role will be discipling/shepherding the Core Group leaders, being apart of the teaching rotation, and partnering with the Pastor of Youth Ministries- Jackson Randall. We feel extremely blessed that we get this opportunity at our church and we are looking forward to getting to know the youth and leaders more.

Easter:

We just had Easter with both of our families together at the Mellis'. We had a blast hanging out as family, laughing, chattin', eating good food, and makin' memories. We are both so blessed by our families and thankful for time with them! 

Well, that's all for now! Here are some pics of some recent happenings:

2nd Year Anniversary in Tahoe!

Dave's Bday hike in Malibu

New Years with Erikson's & baby bump
and Bouris' & baby bump

Time with our favorite 3, the Thoennes'!

Date Night!!

Easter time with our bro!

Half smiles and yellow flowers :)

Hamilton's here for a visit

Finals--Pizza--The Desert Map--Hibernation Day

Finals

Keri and I just finished finals, and I wanted to share with you a story I wrote for our Hermeneutics (Greek for 'Interpretation') Final. It's called The Desert Map! (Keri made up a Memory Game!! But that you would have to see in person). Click the link below if you'd like to read it.

The Desert Map

The Weekend Before the Retreat...And After

We had an extra-eventful weekend before we left for the retreat...

First, our little Hume friend "Abby Slawson" who is 2.5 yrs old came a spent the night with us (allowing our friends Nate and Josie, her parents, to go out on a date!). We took Abby on her first pony ride at the Autumn festival for Talbot students, we enjoyed free apple cider, talked with the Thoennes' and listened to Dr. Horner play acoustic guitar. Then we took her home and fell asleep watching "Looney Tunes!" But not before....

Cal & Kenzie/Redwood Camp Dinner

We celebrated Calvin and Kenzie once again for their SoCal Wedding Reception. What a blessing to be apart of further celebration of our wonderful friends. We loved watching them on the dance floor, enjoying their junior high/high school students. Another special moment was watching the Father/Daughter, Mother/Son dance, where they invited all the Fathers and their daughters, as well as all the Mothers and their sons, to dance with them. Click on the clip to see! It was amazing to see their church surround them in support and celebration.

Republica Dominicana

Thanksgiving is going to be a bit different for this couple. We're leaving today at 3AM to fly 5 hours to Miami, and 2 hours to the Dominican Republic. We are both excited and nervous about the trip. Our family (Debra, Mike and Jono) have gone a couple of times, and now we're going together. We're staying in a team house. We'll be helping with projects around the orphanage and school. Thanksgiving day we are giving the Dominican teachers the day off (the only day they get off all year, outside of weekends). In the evening we will cook a huge Thanksgiving feast for them and their families. Friday we get to celebrate Thanksgiving with all the Kids Alive missionaries from around the country. If you would like the ministry we are working with click here. We'll post some pictures when we return!

Someone once compared newlyweds to infancy. As we anticipate yet another new dynamic together on a team in a foreign country, we do feel like babies! There are a lot of new emotions that go into marriage, and remaining a unit while being around others is a learned thing. Pray for us as we venture off!

Wedding #7 (Click HERE for Groomsman dance!!)

Wedding #7, October 7: Calvin & Kenzie

Calvin & Kenzie got married!!!! We were thrilled for them as they came together on this day! As they said their vows and washed each other's feet, it was a beautiful picture of Jesus' love. They both seemed very much present and in the moment! My favorite part was singing a hymn all together at the beginning of the ceremony. I couldn't really sing much of the song because it was so touching to watch & experience the holiness of the moment. God was so present & what a blessing to worship the Lord together for this union. It was obvious how much they love each other. Their reception was a blast. Not only was there a flock of wonderful, godly people (compliments to Cal and Kenzie's character and interests), but those godly people knew how to dance. P.S. check out the link to our groomsmen dance, it was a really fun gift for Kenzie from all of us!

Weddings!

We have been blessed to have been apart of sooo many of our friends getting married this year! It was been special to attend weddings now that we are married. Who would have thought we would be able to reflect back on our wedding (and vows!) so many times, while rejoicing with our friends who are entering in to the same adventure. From northern california, to wheaton, to central california.....we have been all over the place since we have been married. 7 weddings so far.....1 more to go Dec. 30 when Brendan & Rachel wed. Here they are:

Wedding #1, April 3: Kelly & Tyler Orender

Dave and I got to help out with all the details. I put together the slideshow and it was so much fun to help and be apart of. We loved watching their honest and free love for one another. One of my favorite parts in the wedding was when Kelly walked in with her dad. When she walked in and saw the crowd of people stand for her she started laughing in unbelief and surprise at the reality of what was before it. It was so sweet! Also, I loved that the climbed a tree to jump off the leap of faith together! We love Kelly and Tyler and hope for more times with them in the future! She is a special friend and was my roommate at Mount Hermon! Good times :)

Camping

We love camping, and hope to go on more camping trips!! Here are some highlights of our 3 camping trips thus far (actually I don't think I took pictures of Dave and I's first camping trip in Mount Baldy, so I included going to "camp" at Mount Hermon instead):

1. Camping in San Diego with Graden, Elle, Bri, & us:

Elle & Graden, too cute :)

Visitors!

Oh how we love to see our friends! We have been so lucky to have people come visit us!! However, we got a Guestbook a little late, so we need you all to come back and sign it!! Here are some of the pictures we have of our visitors that have come :) If you haven't visited us yet, we would love for you to come!

C & B and Dave building our planter and cabinet

Our Cousins came for a visit to Universal Studios

Kristin's Wedding

Kristin's Wedding was such a blessing. We loved watching the love between our cousin and Aaron throughout the ceremony and reception. It was such a beautiful day to share in! Check out the video we put together on facebook of little clips from their wedding. Here some highlights:

All the cousins!

Since April...

Wow, so much has happened these past few months! Here is a quick update since our first post. We hope to be way more consistent now that we have our blog up and running.

APRIL:

-We had all of the Mellis' extended family in town!! It was so fun to have everyone in town as we celebrated so many different occasions. One of those occasions was our SoCal Wedding Reception. We felt so special getting to share in another time of celebration with those of you who live in SoCal.

Today, the blog begins

Well, after a wonderful and long week of many friends, interviews, home organization and shelf building, lots of cleaning---God is still God, He hasn't changed. My mind feels like mush, but my heart is really happy. Keri and I are looking forward to a short sabbath tonight (or "fika" as they say in Sweden) and the Easter celebration tomorrow. Thanks to everyone who came over, you each are such a reminder of God's creativity and thoughtfulness.

I cannot comprehend Easter. Since childhood it has been tied to egg hunts, pastel colors, chocolate in various forms, a rabbit/flowers, and some churchy symbols trying to compact an immeasurable message into a party favor. It still seems soaked with meaninglessness when I look at these things, and my taste for it's empty calories has died away. If I haven't emotionally connected to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus on a daily basis throughout the year--why am I trying to force it into one day (or even a few). (and are chocolates going to help that?) If Christianity, or any spirituality, is about a moment, if it is about a singular experience, some epic transcendent exchange,--it is not about the one we make with God sometime in our life--it is about the quiet moment when Jesus committed His life to God through death, holding you in Him. I cannot try to desire anything in Jesus without presuming His experience on Him, and through Him on me. I need to stop looking for my own, and let His be mine. What am I waiting for now? Jesus, I rest in You--You accomplish all that You've asked of me. This is so disconnected from tomorrow for me--I do not know how to celebrate it. It was Your moment, and You decided to include me. The ignorance of celebrating this with bunnies is contrasted to how impossible it is to give you my life. There, my friends, is a dichotomy God brings to the human condition--we are saved from a world that doesn't realized the lavish graced God's given--and instead of shouting miracle, we give chocolate candy. When God celebrates our obedience, we only celebrate our pleasures. Oh, God, You've worked the resurrection in me, work the same lavish grace around me--all Your experience is ours. And Easter, make it immediate in our heart.

Here's a list of all the wonderful people who stopped by this week: Brent, Ruth, Te, Nick, Liam, Lauren Brendan, Rachel, Connor, Sherianne, Riley...there may have been more, but those are immediately on my mind.