Ian's film project update:

During the last eight months, Ian has successfully completed eight short films. Being that he still has a full time job, a ministry he volunteers for, and a wife, the task of writing, directing, and editing each film has not been an easy one. The experience and process though, has been invaluable to him.

Last week, "The Mystery Box", the first film of the year, was accepted to be screened at the San Diego Film Festival. It will be showing Thursday, September 25th at 5:00pm and Friday, September 26th at 2:30pm. If you are interested in attending either of these showings, $10 tickets can be purchased here beginning September 15th.

Four films remain to be made this year, each of a different genre. To watch for updates of the status of these films check out 12filmsin12months.com.

Home Owners...almost!

To celebrate our anniversary, Ian planned a fun day of visiting the same spots we spent on the day we got engaged. We were going to tour some boats docked downtown and visit some museums at Balboa Park. Dinner at Wahoos Fish Tacos and watching the sunset off the cliffs in La Jolla was also on the schedule.

Plans changed when we decided to put an offer on a house we went to see the night before. An hour after putting in that offer we were accepted to be the proud owners of an amazing house in La Mesa.



This process has been a whirlwind! We are still a little over a month away before we get the keys but in the meantime we are in awe and so incredibly thankful! As we go through this process, we just ask for prayers that everything goes smoothly.

Four Years Ago on a Beautiful Summer's Day...

We got married!!!

So much life has happened during those short four years, and we wouldn't change a minute of it!

The Competition has Begun!

Ever since we got married, Ian and I have had an understanding: working out together is not an option. The primary reason is my competition issues. When we run together, play video games together, or play any game at that matter, I really want to win! This desire sometimes causes tension between us so we just don't. Over the years, I have definitely seen results in the lack of doing anything. For health reasons I have been wanting, no, needing to do SOMETHING.

Well this week we found that something. Wii Fit! The Wii Fit balance board comes with an exercise games such as Yoga, Strength Training, Aerobic, and Balance. The board monitors your weight, BMI, and every movement you make during the exercises. If you complete the exercise correctly, you get more points. The more points you get, more games unlock and you play longer.

Our current morning workout routine: Ian wakes up early and works out. I wake up when he leaves for work and beat his scores. This is what I think is the true meaning of "healthy competition!"

A Day at Paramount

Friday was a fantastic day! To celebrate Ian's birthday season and inspire him for his 12 films project, we took a train to Union Square and then took a cab to the front gates of Paramount Pictures. Our friend Jamie (who was also celebrating a birthday season) took us to meet a friend Brent who works as prop master on the set of "Everyone Hates Chris." He was so gracious to let us intrude on his work day and show us around.

We heard that Paramount was smaller than Warner Brothers Studio, where we had a great experience last year. Could anything be better than getting to go on the Gilmore Girls set? We didn't know what to expect. The experience on Friday though, was by far not a disappointment. Everyone we met on the set was so incredibly kind and welcoming. The first thing we did is get to go a set where they were filming an episode. This filming was not on a live audience studio, so we found a corner on the set and watched on the sidelines. The person who was in charge of sound on the set came up to us and gave us each headsets so we could hear all of the dialogue loud and clear.

An incredible moment for me was realizing who the director was of this episode. Before I knew it, I was just a few feet away from Debbie Allen. If you were a "Fame" fan as I was growing up, you will understand my excitement. Her resume also includes many Broadway Shows and numerous other tv shows. Yes, when she was counting off "5,6, 7, 8.." in her choreographing voice, I was star-struck.

Brent then needed to do a run to the prop house and we got to tag along. It was fantastic! First we had to return a prop gun. The gentleman behind the counter asked if we wanted him to show us around. OF COURSE! We went into the first room where it was filled with hand guns of so many different eras. We held the ones used in Pirates of the Caribbean and then he handed me the one that Angelina Jolie used in Laura Croft. This type of tour is not something I would have expected to be excited about, but it was incredible to see the historical knowledge these people had and dedication they put into safety for the people on movie sets. They even designed guns for movies like Transformers and Star Trek. We then wondered around the warehouse of every prop you could imagine. It was so much fun and we were so thankful for that tour!

The end of the day as Brent took us around the back lot to show us a few more things. We ran into one of the stars from the show, Terry Crews, who plays the dad on the show. His resume includes many movies and tv shows as well. I was so impressed by his kindness. After a long day shooting, he stopped to talked to us for a while, posed for a picture, and was willing to sign an autograph for one of my middle schoolers.



At the end of the day we needed to catch a train back to San Diego. This meant racing to our cab hoping to void some La traffic. We made our train with 12 minutes to spare! It really was an amazing day for us!

Back in 'Dodge'

Back from an AMAZING time in the mountains. Mount Laguna is definitely one of San Diego's best kept secrets. Only 45 minutes away and 10 miles off highway 8, you can feel completely secluded in nature.

We booked three nights at Laguna Mountain Lodge. A bit rustic, but we got a great deal on a detached one bedroom cabin that had a living room, a kitchenette, and a full size bathroom. All bedding and towels are provided! They also allow dogs, which was great that we could bring Darby along for the adventure.

Although we had cell service, free wi-fi, and a TV in our room, we intentionally made the decision to go 'screen-free' this weekend.

So this is what we did without cell phones, internet, or tv:

1. SLEPT. Although the first night was a bit rough with Darby pacing the floor and me fearing there might be mountain bugs crawling on me, the next night we all slept like a log. Multiple daily naps were also in the schedule!

2. HIKED. Friday and Saturday we woke up, had our breakfast, packed some PB&J sandwiches, and hit the trails. Today we were determined to make it to Big Laguna Lake. When we finally got there, it was full of cows. Seriously!



The only other issue, it that we have an urban dog. She would run ahead to find a patch of shade under a tree and then lay there until we caught up. It was a bit exhausting and funny to watch.



After a couple trees we would then give her a little refreshment.



3. READ. Ian brought "The Hobbit" and a film making book. I brought "The Shack" to finish. It have to admit, it was a little crazy to finish that book in a cabin that looked a lot like a shack. On a side note, loved the book! I would recommend it just to get one thinking about how they view God in their life. Then I after prepping some more for Sunday's talk, I started "The Hobbit."

4. LEARNED HOW TO LIGHT A CHARCOAL BBQ GRILL. Really where does one learn this stuff when they grow up with gas grill? Ian and I looked like quite the city folks drowning our coals in lighter fluid when our kind neighbor (after complimenting our dog) let us know you really don't need all that and the coals will eventually turn white and then you can cook.

So there you have it. Our spontaneous weekend getaway. Totally recommend it!

Heading out of Dodge

Ian and I just decided today to book a couple nights at a cabin in Mount Laguna. This comes from us realizing that we have two days off in a row together. He finished his 6th film last night and I was away at camp all last week so we are packing up (including Darby) and heading out of town tonight! No computers, no cell phones, just the three of us wandering around the mountains.