A New Sister!

Last weekend I flew home to Montana to visit my family, meet my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Kaci, and take Drew and Kaci's engagement photos! Having grown up with all brothers, I love the idea of having another sister-in-law and Kaci is a sweetheart! She's the perfect fit for Drew and fits into our family so well! I'm excited to get to know her better.

While up there, I was also blessed to go with my Mom, Nanny, and their best friends, Wendy and Deanna to Spokane to see "The Little House on the Prairie, The Musical." It was such a cute, wholesome show and very well done!

However, the highlight of the weekend was definitely taking Drew and Kaci's engagement photos. I'm realizing more and more my love for photography - it is a fun, creative outlet for someone (me) who spends the majority of her time with her nose stuck in a book! So, with no further ado, though most of you have seen the photos already, here are some favorites:













To see more photos of this cute couple, click here. I can't wait until their wedding on June 19, 2010!

In other news, I probably won't be posting much in the new future, because finals are looming before Jonathan and I! In addition, I have my first full (though fake) trial on Monday. Your prayers are much appreciated!

One more thing: as I look toward my younger brothers wedding, I'm reminded of a very typical wedding verse that was read at our wedding:

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ~1 Corinthians 13:4-8

May we all be reminded of what true love looks like - towards friends, family, and our spouses.

Blessings to you all!

Family Time

Wow, I've been slacking on blogging lately! It's been a busy few weeks! After Jonathan and I visited the orphanage, we took a two day trip along California's Coast, stopping in San Luis Obispo, at the Hearst Castle and in Monterey. I've been wanting to see Hearst Castle for years and since we could be starting our last year in California for a while at least (depending on jobs), now seemed the perfect time to visit! The castle was extravagant and incredible to behold, but honestly, I thought it was too much, too gaudy, and too dark. It was neat to see, but I am so glad that God has us here in our little one bedroom apartment. I must note, however, that the pool was amazing!!! It reminded me so much of the incredible spas in Europe!

The entrance to Hearst

Outdoor Pool

Indoor Pool - like a Roman Bath

After our two day excursion, we made a quick visit to Jonathan's family. It was so good to see them again (it'd been too long) and catch up on life. Jenn and I got to take a girl's day, shopping, eating, and getting pampered. It was wonderful!

Then, Kevin and Carol treated us to a fun day trip around the area. We got to visit Columbia State Park, an old mining town and enjoyed a lovely tea at a quaint tea house. Then we spent some time on some windy roads up to Daffodil Hill - a gorgeous private property full of daffodils with winding trails in between. Our last day there, we got to visit Grandpa Schmitt at his house! It was so good to see him up and about. While there, we saw evidence of God's hand in the details. Although Grandpa is in the same house he's lived in for years and can hardly get around, God is still surprising him with His creation. On top of a set of wind-chimes, a hummingbird had built it's nest and laid two little eggs. The eggs were about the size of jelly-belly's and the nest was tiny and perfect - it looked like it was made out of woven cat hair and was so neat to see! It was so good to see Grandpa still finding the little simple joys in life!

In Columbia State Park

Carol's still shorter than Kevin, even on a step ;)

Jennifer, Jonathan, and Kevin

At Daffodil Hill!

We were back in school and at work for four days when we got to head to the airport to pick up my Aunt Hope and Cousin Madison! It was so so so good to see them! Wii made some great memories and filled our weekend with Wii jokes. Our favorite was Hope's name for Wii Fit. She called it Wii Fat! Jonathan and I are still laughing as we make Wii jokes!

My family has always joked that I should have been Hope's daughter because we are so much alike - we both love to plan, like schedules, love to laugh, and try to do things right the first time. Our family often calls us "The Anointed Ones" (with a laugh of course ;)). We had a great time discussing our similarities - I enjoyed (as I always do with Hope) talking with someone who actually understood the way I thought and felt, and who had similar quirks and gifts! She truly is an inspiration, a role model, and an amazing friend.

I also had a great time with Madison. She is growing up so quickly and is turning into quite the young lady. Hope and Cort have done such a good job with their kids. I can only hope our kids turn out half as great as they have turned out. Madison is thoughtful, considerate, fun, mature, and silly. We had a blast. I must say, however, that although she is 12, she looks 15 and it was often hard to remember she was 12 and still liked some "kid" things, especially since she is so mature for her age!

While they were here, we crammed a lot in, but still had time to rest. Their first night here, we stopped at In-n-Out and then stayed up late talking. On Friday, while Jonathan was at work, Madison joined me in class, and then we had a girl's afternoon, touring Malibu (Country Mart, Lumber Yard, Serra Retreat and the Beach), visiting Calabasas and getting manicures! Friday evening, the four of us (we included Jonathan this time) went to visit some dear friends, Bill, Linda, and Whitney. They showed us around their beautiful home, took us out to an amazing dinner, and made a wonderful dessert. The night was full of laughs!

Enjoying the beach and tide-pools!

Paparazzi Free Zone

On Saturday, Jonathan and I volunteered at Westside Pregnancy Clinic, while Madison and Hope slept in and got ready. Then, the girls hit the road again, visiting Paramount Ranch, The Grove, the American Girl Place, and Beverly Hills. Wii had so much fun! ;)

Paramount Ranch - part of the set

Thanks for treating us to treats at the American Girl Cafe, Nanny!

On Sunday, Madison and Hope joined us at church. Jonathan is an usher, so it was really nice to have someone sitting with me during the first half of the service! When we returned, we headed to the beach, where we taught Madison to Boogie Board, built sand castles and soaked in the sun! When the wind and water got too cold (the ocean is pretty cold right now), we headed to Pepperdine's pool and hot-tub! We wrapped up our evening with homemade pizza, a little bit of Wii and Easter Eggs. Talk about an amazing time!

Building Sand Castles

On Monday, Hope and Madison left. One thing Madison had wanted to do while here was to see a star! Right before they left Malibu they saw Viggo Mortenson at Starbucks! I know it is just a person, but I was so glad they ran into someone!

Though we did many great things with the girls, my favorite part was just having them be a part of our lives, talking, laughing, and living life together! I love you two!

In other news (probably some of the BIGGEST news as of late), my little, okay, my big brother (younger than me, but way bigger than me) popped the question today! The ring is beautiful, but it sounds like the girl, my soon-to-be sister-in-law is even prettier than the ring (on the inside and out)! I can't wait to meet her and spend years getting to know her. I'm flying up the weekend after Easter to meet her, see Drew for his birthday, and snap some engagement photos! I CAN'T WAIT and am SO EXCITED for them!

Drew and his beautiful fiance, Kaci!!!

The beautiful ring! Good job Drew!

Okay, that was long. Now it's time to say night night. Thank you Lord for my wonderful family and the blessing that they are to me!

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. ~ James 1:27

For the past year, this verse has come up in my life every time I turn around. It clearly tells us to care for orphans and widows and to not be polluted by the world. In my life, the latter point has often been emphasized - "be in the world, not of the world" - but, although I've read James 1:27 many times, I somehow never truly cared for orphans or widows myself. I know very few widows or widowers that need care, but the world is surrounded by orphans, begging for love, attention and care. The US does not have orphanages because kids go straight into the foster system, so it is difficult to care for orphans when you are not quite ready to be parents (foster or adoptive). I was having trouble figuring out how was I supposed to care for orphans without adopting a child or taking in a foster child? I loved kids and the idea of kids being without parents broke my heart, but how was I supposed to help now? I knew I could help financially, but that just didn't seem like enough (plus we are both paying for and going to school and only Jonathan is working - ie. we aren't loaded).

From this initial knock, God continued to knock on my heart. Jonathan and I had always said we would adopt someday - that desire was increased, but I still didn't feel like it was enough. As God continued to knock on my heart, he made his direction more and more clear: I could help orphans by practicing adoption law and helping couples open their arms to orphans as a forever family. Hopefully, one day I can do this completely pro bono - helping families adopt who could not afford all of the adoption fees!

Jonathan and I had already been planning to take a missions trip as a couple and spring break seemed like the perfect opportunity. We just didn't know where we would go. As we prayed about where to go (knowing we wanted to have an orphanage involved), I met a wonderful graduate from Pepperdine Law (and a Tri-Delta) who was heading up a Haiti trip (at the time we were sure we were going to Haiti). Chandra learned about my interest in adoption law and my desire to help orphans. She suggested I become a "fan" of Grace Children's Home on facebook- an orphanage her Mom (also a Tri-Delta) helped at. As I visited GCH's facebook page and website, I was hooked. Not only was this orphanage providing a home to children, they were teaching the children about Christ and teaching them to walk with Him. In addition, they send most of their kids to private school, so they can learn English and excel academically. The public schools in Mexico are inadequate and cancel school at a moments notice. When we were there, they canceled school because it was too windy. So, in an attempt to help the children from Grace excel and do mighty things for the kingdom, they have worked to get private donations to help the children attend the best schools.

I realized that we could do something to help orphans now. Although the US doesn't have orphanages that need help, there are orphanages just over the border, only three and a half hours from beautiful Malibu.

When Haiti didn't work out, we knew we were supposed to go to GCH. As I told my Mom about our trip, she was so excited that I told her she should join us. To my surprise, she booked a plane ticket! Then I invited other Pep Law students to join me and laughed when another Jonathon said he was on board.

You've got to pause for a second and look at the little details in the story above - God's tapestry of my life is so incredibly unique and intertwined. I initially met Chandra because of Haiti - she told me about Grace. Without being interested in helping Haiti, I would have never learned about Grace. In addition, she and her Mom were both Tri-Delta's, which was my college sorority (as was the director of Grace). Though the Tri-Delta detail didn't lead to any of it happening, I couldn't help but recognize it as God's confirmation and finger-print on the journey - something to at least smile at. I would say it was a funny coincidence, but I don't believe in coincidence - I believe it was God showing me that he pays attention to all the little details!

Crossing the border into Tijuana was a shock - I could not believe that people lived like that just minutes from San Diego. I suddenly realized how blessed I was to be born in America and understood why people would risk their lives to hop the border.

However, visiting the orphanage was such a joy and blessing to us. (I only hope we actually helped the orphans, too). Our first day there was spent playing with the kids and getting to know the place. to meet the kids, click here.

Alma and I, not long after we met

Jonathan and Alan, not long after they met.

In the evening, Jonathan and Jonathon told the boys Bible stories in English. The kids who were relatively proficient in English translated the story into Spanish for the house Mom, who only spoke Spanish, and for the younger boys. The guys chose the stories that were behind the boys' names (for example, Isaac and Jacob). It was so neat to see them sharing the Bible with piles of boys on their laps, listening and participating attentively! At the end of the night, our guys decided to close out in prayer - so many of the kids volunteered to pray. Their prayers, though simple, were precious. "Thank you God for Jonathon 1 and Jonathan 2 and that they came down here. Please bless them. Amen."

The next day, my Mom's cold got worse, so she laid down, while the Jonathan's helped tear out a sink that had leaked and molded. I played with the kids. In the afternoon, we go to join them for a 45 minute walk to Yugo Ranch. It was such a beautiful walk and the kids were so precious. One girl really opened up to me and talked about a time she ran away. I wish I had been thinking more so I could tell her about the Prodigal Son - maybe next time. At the ranch, we painted faces, did crafts, and ran around!

On the way to the Ranch.
Jonathan was so good with the boys! He'll be a great father one day!

Over the next couple days, Mom and I helped put together scrapbooks for each of the kids there and cleaned out a storage shed (I couldn't believe how dusty it was - I think I breathed dust for days afterward), while the guys worked on the sink. They did an amazing job - everything looked great and worked perfectly, even though it was a bigger project than anticipated! We continued to live life with the kids and ended our time there praising Jesus (Jonathan led on the guitar) and hearing about his provision.

I was so glad Mom decided to join us - the trip would not have been the same without her and she was so good with the girls, who really were trouble at times!

As we were getting ready to leave, one little girl who captured my heart, didn't want us to go. More than anything, though, she didn't want Jonathan to go. She looked at me and said in broken English, "he not go - he stay with me." She proceeded to run up to him and hug him, saying "mine, mine." When I said, "mine" back, Jonathan said, "both of yours." She disagreed and continued to say "mine, mine." It was so hard to leave her. If we could have adopted her, I think we would have taken her home in a heartbeat, but I know she is exactly where God wants her (plus she has 3 sisters and I don't think our 1 bedroom apartment could handle 4 girls ages 3-11).

While we were there, we also met some amazing couples who gave continually to the orphans. One couple directs the orphanage and has lived there, with their 3 boys for 5 years. Another lives there and is helping construct the Baby Home, which will house orphaned babies. To meet these staff, click here.

The two couples that I got to know best, however, were the "grandparents." One set moved from Calgary to live in a 5th Wheel the majority of the year. They help with organization, fix-it projects, homework, and loving on the kids. They have a few kids over to their fifth wheel every week for dinner. What a sacrifice and an incredible blessing for those kids. The other couple felt that God was calling them to retire in Mexico (talk about trust!). Not knowing a soul, they bought a house and settled in. Within a month, they met the first set of grandparents and quickly became regular volunteers at Grace - helping at least 2 days a week and having kids over to their house on a weekly basis. Seeing these couples live out the Gospel and sacrifice so much was inspiring and encouraging - there are still good, God-fearing people in this world, who care more about others than themselves.

I really don't know how to conclude, except to say that I can't wait to go back and love on those kids again. According to the people there full time - just having people return to love on the kids is so good and heck that's easy! I also hope we can help fix up the place more and maybe help finish the baby home!

If you are inspired to help orphans, there are many resources available - you can go on a trip to Grace with me or support Grace financially!. Click here for more info. Or, you can find another orphanage to visit or support. There are also many adoptive and foster families in the US that could use support and encouragement - I encourage you to find them in your community and love on them!!!

See more pictures of our trip!

Grace Children's Home 1

I don't have time to write a complete post now, but for some pictures from the trip, click here!

Spring Break and Visitors!

Spring break will be here in less than 13 hours! I'm anxiously anticipating a week where Jonathan and I both do not have school or work. It truly is going to be a blessing to just get to be together. However, in typical "us" style, we aren't going to be doing too much relaxing. Saturday morning, we are going to a marriage enrichment session at Pepperdine, then helping a new friend moving and then picking my Mom up from the airport and having dinner with the future Mr. and Mrs. Fouche! Sunday morning, Jonathan, Mom, and I will be joined by another Pepperdine friend on a trek over the border. We'll be visiting Grace Children's Home and spending a little over three days with a few wonderful families and some incredible kids! To learn more about Grace, click here. We're praying that God will use us there to be a blessing in the kids lives and a help to the families raising them. And, we're so excited that my Mom is joining us - it'll be so good to see her and get to serve others with her :)

On Wednesday we'll be driving back to the states to drop my Mom off at the airport and spend the night home. Thursday morning we'll be getting up early to visit Hearst Castle and stay in a cute little hotel in the area. Friday morning (or afternoon, if we're exhausted by this point), we'll head up to Oakdale for a few days with Jonathan's family. I have mixed feelings about spring break. I am thrilled and excited for all the fun things we'll be doing, BUT as I hear of people staying in the library over the break, I have a nagging feeling that I should do the same. However, I rest assured, knowing God has called us to do the things we are doing and will provide as he always does!

We are also really excited because the week after spring break my Aunt Hope and cousin Madison will be visiting us. Madison said she wants to experience the Malibu lifestyle, so we're planning a fun, but not too hectic time with them!!! Eek! I'm so excited they are finally coming!

Before I sign off, we also had some exciting news today. Nothing is certain yet, but I got a call from Blackstone about my Phase II placement this summer. They think they have a position for me at Focus on the Family and are trying to get Jonathan an internship there, as well. They had asked if I had any requests for where I wanted to work and why, but made it very clear that not all requests would be met. I really did not think they would consider my request, especially since we had no free housing in the area and they tend to place people where there is free housing, but I said I would like to work at Focus or near there so Jonathan could intern at Focus for the summer. Not only did they consider my request, they shocked me even more by trying to help get Jonathan a position for this summer, as well!!! They asked for his resume so they could pass it on to Focus and it sounds like my placement will partially be dependent on if Focus has a spot for him this summer. I have a pretty good feeling about it, though. I should know for sure by April 1, but thought you would all like an update. We have been praying all along that we would be placed where we could best serve God this summer and were also dreaming big by praying that we would be placed somewhere that would give us a glimpse into the future and possibly open doors for the future. Jonathan and I have talked a lot about Focus on the Family for the last year and dreamed about it, but were never sure it was where God was calling us. Though we know where we are called this summer is not 100% indicative of where we are called for the future, we are excited to at least get a glimpse of what God has planned for our lives. Again, it's not positive that we will end up there, so we really appreciate your continued prayers, but we are excited about the option!

God Bless!

Amazing Women :)

I must admit, when I came to law school, I thought I was going to hate it - it was a means to an end. Thank God I was wrong. Not only do I love law school (well, except during finals), but God has blessed me with incredible friendships. Some of my closest friends in law school are members of my women's Bible study.

At the beginning of my first year, I was blessed to have two wonderful women, Melissa and Rebecca, assigned as my first year mentors. They were in the process of starting a women's Bible study and invited me to join them. Talk about an answer to prayer and God's complete provision!

Rebecca and Melissa

Our small group has lost some members to the real world (life after law school) and added some new members throughout the last two years, but every single one of the girls, without an exception, is a true gift from God. By living a life completely devoted to God, they inspire and encourage me. They are a reminder that God has me here for a reason. I love laughing with them, studying with them, praying with them, exercising with them, and just spending time with them. In addition, they challenge me and help me to become a better person. (As iron sharpens iron, so one (wo)man sharpens another. ~Proverbs 27:17) Though we are all individually imperfect, we serve a perfect God and I am so thankful that he has brought these women into my life to help teach me lessons and to walk through this journey of law school with me.

Though I could tell you a myriad of stories, I don't have time to type them all, but I would like to share two stories with you to show you what amazing friends I have. Last year, around my first set of law school finals, Jonathan was really sick. He had a fever for three days and broke out in an awful rash. He finally let me take him to urgent care. While there, they did some blood work and saw that he had a VERY low white-blood cell count and the few that he had were deformed. They told us that he could have leukemia and that we would need to come back in for testing in a couple days. I remember trying to be strong, but being scared to death. In addition to calling my family, I called these girls. I found out later that they had dropped everything and met in Pepperdine's prayer chapel to pray for us. Normally this wouldn't seem like a big deal, but for all of them to drop everything, in the midst of studying for law school finals to pray was such an incredible blessing to me. I believe that because of their prayers, I was able to focus and keep studying. (Thankfully, Jonathan didn't have leukemia - just a nasty virus!)

Then, this fall as Jonathan and I were planning for the future, one of the options on our plate would require us to be apart for a pretty significant amount of time. I was devastated, but wanted to support him. As I told the girls about it through tears, they prayed for me and later, one of them wrote me a letter and told me that if we did have to be apart, she would come visit me to help me get through the time. It was such an incredible blessing.

These girls are true friends - the kind that most people hope to have in their life. In addition, they are complete servants of God. They are continually taking time from their busy schedules to pray with people, tell them about Jesus, or just help them when they are having a tough time. They have such servant hearts.

I could go on and on about these girls, but I should probably get back to work. I'm sure you will hear more about them in many future posts. I hope you all have the blessing of having true friends in your life - friends who encourage you, challenge you, support you, and inspire you. I also encourage you each to be a true friend, putting others before yourself. Though I can't say I do this always (in fact, I fail much of the time), I pray that together we can strive to be like Christ to our friends. :)

Since I've spoken so much about the amazing girls in my small group, I thought you might like to see some pictures of them. We had a bit of a photo session today. I'll post more late, but here are some now:

Top to bottom: Melissa, Kimberly, Katie, Janelle

Left to Right: Me, Janelle, Danielle

Left to Right: Rebecca, Katie, Erin, and Kimberly

Top to bottom: Rebecca, Erin, Me, Danielle

For more pictures, click here.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ephesians 4:9-10

Two Dinners, a Game Night, a Blender, and an Honor

What do all these things have in common? They all took place this weekend. Friday night, our friend Jessie invited Jonathan and I over for a lovely get-together at her house. Her place was a amazing and the food delicious (homemade tortilla chips with amazing dip and chicken tacos). After spending some quality time at Jessie's, one of our Dean's hosted our Christian Legal Society group for an evening of games at his house. We played a never ending game of Uno and Jonathan broke a sweat playing Wii boxing. Any Game Night at the Gash's is a winner!


Saturday evening we had the pleasure of attending Pepperdine's 33rd Annual Law School Dinner. It was held at the Beverly Hilton. One of the hotel's workers told him that the last event there was the Golden Globes! It was an incredible place and the food was scrumptious. We only got one picture of just us from the evening, but you can kind of see the beautiful dress Jessie let me borrow.

Going to the dinner definitely made me proud to be a Pepperdine Law Student. Not only is our school rising in the rankings, but it is staying true to its Christian values and living them out around the world. Our Global Justice Program is having a huge influence, especially in countries like Rwanda and Uganda! And, our moot court and trial teams are winning competitions left and right (many of which include my friends :).

The beautiful centerpieces

My week also had two unexpected highlights! One was a new blender- a Vita-Mix 5200 to be exact. They were doing demonstrations with this blender at Costco and we couldn't resist buying one (thankfully, it was on a huge special and we had Costco Cash). This blender not only makes smoothies, it juices fruit (with no liquid added), makes soup with all raw ingredients (and heats it), makes ice cream (yes, frozen), and cleans itself with just a quick rinse required at the end. We're hoping this new purchase will encourage us to eat healthier when we are on the run, because most of the recipes have tons of fruit and vegetables! And, as a plus, when we have kids, I can puree baby food. ;) One of my favorite recipes that I have to share was a sorbet that they made in the store (I tried to make it tonight, but didn't have enough ice, so hopefully it'll turn out just as good when I make it). The ingredients included mango fruit juice concentrate, carrots, cabbage, honey, banana, and ice. I could not believe that it came out as a tasty sorbet! This is a magic machine. ;)

The second highlight was that one of my dear friends, Tracey, asked me to be in her wedding this summer. I am hoping and praying that I'll be able to get out of Blackstone Phase III early enough to make it up to Idaho for their wedding! Your prayers would be appreciated!

I met Tracey just over a year ago, as she was applying to Pepperdine's Law School. Pepperdine matches current students with potential students, so that the potential students can get a better idea of Pepperdine Law from a student's perspective. Tracey and I were matched - she was one of the only students that responded to my emails saying I was available to answer questions. We had an ongoing email dialogue and then finally got to meet in person when she visited! We hit it off immediately and I was so thrilled when she decided to come to Pepperdine!

When Tracey moved out here in the fall, she had a pretty serious beau in tow. ;) We loved Tyler immediately and knew they were a perfect match. They got engaged on New Years Eve in Seattle. They are and will continue to be a "power-house couple" that is going to do amazing things for God! Together Tracey and Tyler run a couple of non-profits, including Something Worth Doing and A Child's Chance. Something Worth Doing is a "faith based organization that seeks to meet the needs of the world around us" by encouraging people to do something and documenting those needs being met. A Child's Chance was born out of a trip to India. In India, they became aware of Dalit children's need for education (Dalit's are the lowest caste in India). A Child's Chance exists to make education available to the Dalit children. They have already secured teachers and some (though not quite enough) funding for four villages in India. Click on the links to find out more about them!

T & T are an amazing couple and I am so so glad they found each other, and that we get to be a part of their lives :)


I had the privilege of taking their engagement photos. If you would like to see more pictures of this cute couple, you can see a photo book by clicking here.