GOODBYE, APRIL!

last night, i was scrolling through my instagram feed and told travis that i love instagram because it's like a little journal of my life. those little squares reflect life's little in-betweens, the things i usually wouldn't slow down to notice but have now become essential to my every day. this month has been a blur, and i can hardly believe may is just around the corner! while things have been insanely busy as the semester winds down, i'm happy to announce that the end is in sight, and summer is almost here. praise the Lamb. 

our april has looked a lot like adding some finishing touches to our home, taking motorcycle rides together (LOVE!)...

...getting back into the habit of establishing a regular quiet time in my day (it's always the first thing to go, and i want to make it a habit in my life)...

...a quick visit home, including some FABULOUS photoshoots and a celebration of my dad's life on the tenth anniversary of his passing...

...our family visiting for a few days over their spring break and a trip to disneyland together (WOOHOO!)...

...and more learning about each other, making the most of our time together when we have it, my first Pedro's Taco experience (THE BOMB), a baby shower, dreaming about where we're headed in the next year or so, and evaluating how and where we're investing our time and love into. i feel like we're in a constant season of growth and refining, and there are days where i'd really like to be done with all of that. but, God never promised us a comfortable routine and security. He has only promised that He's already ahead of us and that He holds our life in His loving and faithful hands. and that's all we need. 

i hope you all had a wonderful month - cheers to may! 

follow along with daily bits of life on instagram: @debbie_gilley

the holidays in instagram

whew, did anyone else feel like we just whipped through the holidays and were hurled right into the new year? december is just one big blur to me, but thankfully, my iphone was there to capture little moments that i might have otherwise forgotten. 

it was our first christmas together, and though not everything went like we had planned or maybe wanted it to, it was nevertheless magical. there is so much joy in decorating your home for the holidays together, walking around Naples & Torrance to see the christmas lights, snuggling in for endless holiday movies (i feel like i didn't watch enough and am tempted to keep watching them through January ;]), and listening to every christmas song at least a dozen times throughout the month. most of all, i was reminded of how deeply deeply blessed we are. even when things feel rough, we still have food to eat, time to be together, a roof over our heads, and family and friends we love. 

top left, clockwise: jen hatmaker is my jam. seriously, grab her books; my DIY christmas wreath!; i LOVED receiving so many holiday cards from my clients this year! it brightens my heart to see touch and feel these images; that one time my husband came home from work with this gorgeous bouquet in his hands (husband points, am i right?)

top right, clockwise: we might not have a backyard, but we have a backstep and a little greenway so hey, why not eat lunch outside on a sunny december day?!; wrapping up the semester with projects, finals, and coffee; we strung these lights in our bedroom for kicks, and i swear they are not coming down now - we love 'em!; my last day of BLAST - what a truly awesome experience! 

top right, clockwise: mornings are my favorite; a solo sunday at church; our best friends rachel & ryan came to visit after christmas and it was THE BEST. we adore those two and are so grateful for them; oh just jen, messing up my life again in ridiculously good ways.

top right, clockwise: driving home to visit the family for christmas; the american river and old town folsom gave us a beautiful afternoon date, where we also scouted out some apartments and places to move this fall - we're excited! 

top right, clockwise: we received some of the cutest ornaments for christmas! we can't wait to add them to our tree next year; strolling around Naples (one of our favorite holiday dates); strolling through folsom; we loved our christmas tree this year - that it was standing by the front window made it even better! 

that one time the common head cold visited our house for over a week. we have never eaten so much chicken noodle soup (home made, delish), watched as many episodes of LOST (addicting), or spent that much time on the couch before. needless to say, NYE was almost non-existent and new year's day was nothing but resting and staying home. but, nothing made me happier than having that guy by my side, no matter how congested and sneezy we were! 

top right, clockwise: mornings; headed out to date night in the midst of a nightmare work week - Travis was scheduled for almost 100 hours in 9 days straight, and has been working non-stop. it's been really rough and has taken away so much of his free time (literally, we wake up, he goes to work, he comes home, and we go to bed), but we made the most of this sunday night with a movie (GO SEE WALTER MITTY), pieology, and drinks (i've never ordered a drink at a bar before, so this was way fun to do together!); more gorgeous flowers that i picked out and T bought for me on our date night; BLACKFISH: watch this eye-opening documentary and think twice about enjoying Seaworld or any animal entertainment show. why are so foolish to try and tame God's powerful and intelligent creatures? heartbreaking and mindblowing.

 here's to a productive first week of the new year! 

xo. 

let's follow each other on instagram: @debbie_gilley

oma and opa's home sweet home

today i'm sharing a few snapshots of my grandparent's home in germany. unlike many people who can just drive down the road to visit grandma and grandpa, my oma and opa are a 12 hour plane flight away, so we only get to visit them every few years. in some ways though i think that makes our time together even more precious. rather than only seeing each other for a few hours here and an evening there, we spend at least 2 weeks sharing life together. we eat every meal together, say good morning and good night, and make a million memories to tide us over til the next visit. 

in january, Travis and i spent two magical weeks with my grandparents. the last time i had visited them was almost three years ago - in other words, way too long. still, i remembered every nook and cranny of their home, and i loved showing Travis all the special places that i remembered as a child. secretly, my grandparents loved watching me bounce around the halls, remembering where the chocolates were hidden and where my siblings and i would play together in the basement.

one morning, i snuck around and captured a few pictures - keepsakes to always remember this home away from home by.

have a wonderful weekend, friends!

home

today i'm feeling awfully restless. maybe it's because i was at work for 8 hours. maybe it's because reality has slapped me in the face. most likely though, it's because this past week i got to get away with my boy best friend and spend 4 days up north, in a place we both call home.

every time i come back to southern california after a little getaway trip with T, it takes me a few days to settle back in. the drive back down the 5 is filled with apprehension, knowing that we're about to face real life head on again - school, work, friends, responsibilities, obligations, the never ending list of things to do. it's only been two days, and already i'm on the verge of feeling drained and absolutely beat.

when we got up north late sunday night, we both walked in the house so energized and excited, despite the fact that the clock ticked near 2am. the house was quiet and dark, yet so warm and welcoming. my mom had left us a plate of cookies and a welcome home note on the counter. travis deeply inhaled and said, 'this is one of my favorite smells.' home smells of escape and refreshment. absolutely nothing could dampen our time up there.

we love the rainy days and the wide open spaces. the endless views, whether it's toward the majestic snow-capped sierras or toward the clear sacramento valley. we love being surrounded by family and finding the time to explore different coffee shops and take long drives to see old friends. we love getting away from the traffic, the bad air, the endless noise, and the hectic pace of life.

to be completely honest with you, there's not much about southern california that i love. for a while, i saw it through rose-colored lenses - everyone fantasizes about beautiful socal, don't they? but after living here for three years, i know without a doubt that i could never spend the rest of my life here, or raise a family here. my soul craves quiet and peace, to be surrounded by God's creation. it is the people down here that have made this place feel like home.

to leave our friends and our family down here makes my heart heavy. we've built a community here, and it is a place where i've been given so many opportunities to grow and to explore. i wouldn't trade my relationships down here for anything. but despite the people, my heart still dreads coming back here. last night, i parked my car on the street and walked toward my apartment complex feeling completely unsettled and uneasy. i don't feel safe here. i don't feel like i belong. this place is not my heart's desire. i truly don't believe that it's the place God has for me, for us. it's been a place of learning and growing, changing and stretching, but it is not home. home is where my love is.

home is by his side, wherever that may be. as much as i love northern california, i hate it when he's not there with me. southern california would not be a welcome place for me if it wasn't for him. for the time being, he makes where i am now endurable, because i couldn't imagine a place without him. no matter where the Lord may take us, i know we'll be side-by-side - and that makes any place the place where i should be.