the start of a new adventure...

then...
& Now

Handle with care...

We leave on Friday for Colorado and Costa Rica on Wednesday morning at 12am. Since Michael is a world traveler he had filled every page in his passport and we needed to get more pages. We sent his passport in expedited over two and half weeks ago to get more pages added. A simple and speedy response would have been to send it back with the added pages, right? Well they sent us a letter saying the U.S government was going to keep his passport because it was damaged!! Hahaha, right? Joke? I should have expected this right, nothing is easy with Michael Paine. We were in SLO when we got the news so after calling numerous passport agencies and the L.A embassy to make an appointment to get a new passport all the doors continued to slam in our face. Finally after much rejection we found a private agency in L.A who could see us on Wednesday and get a new passport to Michael in 1-3 days. We left SLO tuesday night after a short visit and arrived in L.A at 2am! Today we spent all day gathering Michael's documents, getting new passport pictures, an official U.S seal, and driving through dowtown L.A traffic at mid-day to hand this infamous minella folder you see in the picture to a man sitting in a office building on the seventh floor. So, $400 dollars later we are still planning on leaving the country Wednesday to escape the skysraping, smog infested, cluttered streets of L.A (I have been living on the central coast for too long). We will keep you posted about the much awaited adventures of the Paines and their travels:)

Summer

sister in law Christine & her lil man Josiah

Klondike's in the Village, Josiah loved the entertainment

Ma & Pa Paines backyard, Michael has a new project on his hands

um ya...enough said

Paine Family father's day

Ragged Point (this is a very special place to us)

The boys!!

So Michael and I have counted 8 places we have lived since May, talk about living out of a bag and your car for two months. I don't know how people do it. There is nothing structured, organized, normal, or predictable in your life when you are unemployed, without a home, living in 6 different cities over a 60 day period, and can't seem to even find a different shirt to wear because that one is always on the top of your bag (maybe no relevance, but thought I'd throw it in). Some days I hate it and some days I am thankful for where the Lord has us...together. I think that has been the most constant thing in our lives these past few months, having each other. I have a tendancy to do things on my own or think I can, but the Lord has been showing me it is better together. That is our little saying, "betta together"! Here is the short updated version of our summer so far:

• bass lake over the fourth with great friends. I think we all left with chaffed hands and knees and bruises from tubing. It was Michael and my first time wakeboarding and we both fell in love!
• Jen & mom weeklong bonding & spoiling time: spa, massage, hair cut in beverly hills, shopping, movies and eating out (don't think it is like this everytime I go home, this is the first)
• Paine family adventures in Oceanside, enjoying our 14 month old nephew, camping in san simeon, the beach, the park, and pool for a week. Since Michaels siblings live out of the area when we all get together we like to hang out 24/7. I am not use to that because I have always lived near my family so we would hang out and do our own thing. I really appreciate how Michael's family values quality time and loves to be together.
• SLO, we came up for a few days to visit with friends & to celebrate birthdays!
  
• We leave July 24th to August 28th for Colorado (five days) and Costa Rica (1 month)

Our time in Costa Rica will be spent in Uvita and Pavones on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. Our expectations are, each other, Jesus, and beholding beauty around us!! We will have the internet so we will be blogging, I promise!

We Are Alive!!

I am not quite sure if anyone reads our blog still, since it has been months since I actually wrote anything.  It seems a bit trivial to try and fill in the gaps of life so maybe start with today:) The Lord is so faithful in our lives.  He does not leave us as we are because He desires to make us holy and blameless and above reproach.  Usually, always this comes from trials and tribulations.  Michael and I know we have such a great hope in our Savior we can endure and persevere through anything our marriage encounters.  If I could encapsulate our lives in one word it would be transition.  We are currently living with a friend off Hwy 166 in Santa Maria.  We are retreating in her families beautiful home surrounded by hills, horses and cows.  We will be there until the end of the month and then July holds a lot of adventures as well. I think I will tell them as they come.  But we are so grateful for our friends here on the central coast.  We have such amazing friends who have been praying, supporting, and encouraging us during this season in life. PRAISE THE LORD that He is such a giving gracious father. 

Easter with the Devlin's

Jesus??!

In the first three chapters of John these 

are all the references about who Jesus is 

He is...

The word 

The beginning

God

Son of Man  

Through Him all things were made; 

without him nothing was made that has been made.

In him was life, 

and that life was the light of men.

The word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

He is the One and Only, 

who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

"Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."  

The man on whom you see the spirit come down and remain

 is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

"Rabbi you are the son of God; you are the King of Israel"

"Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days."

RACE DAY

Race Day Cheerleaders

Accomplished, a bit achy, proud, and wondering what is next.

I reached my goal with 4 minutes to spare.

Would I do it again? Yes. All I can say is I perfected the back stroke and I am thankful for my strong glutes!

In order from finish to start...

my biggest fan

finish line in view

transition to bike

coming out of the lake

my girls at 8am

Lake Lopez Triatholon

Less than 48 hours until my first triatholon. I am experiencing a jumble of emotions from anxious to excited to anticipatory to fearful. Yesterday my tri wetsuit came in the mail and I thought I would try it out in the pool at the gym. I lasted about 8 laps and then I stripped it off as if I was in the race (I have never experienced so many odd looks:) Although I felt so bouyant and light in the wetsuit I know it will help me out a lot for the swim. I just can't stop thinking about you Jason, when you got hit in the face on your first triatholon....Michael seems to frequent this memory often as I have been training. Don't worry I will take one for the Paine team. I know there will be so much adreniline saturday I am hoping I will forget I am jumping into a lake and possibly even forget I am swimming. As you can tell I am most nervous about this part. I feel confident about the bike and since the run is the last part I will have to push through the fatigue and give it my all. Michael and some of my friends will be coming out Saturday morning to cheer me on, thanks guys!!

I would covet your prayers for rest the next few days, strength and endurance during the rest, and an injury free first triatholon!