The Chronicles of Moinia

The Apple House

2011-10-27T04:17:00.000-07:00

One of the best parts about where we live is that we are equally close to big city as we are to full-on country. Especially in the fall, it is so great to be able to drive a half hour and be in little country towns with cute barns and fall foliage. Last week, my friend Maytanee introduced me to this little gem of a country restaurant called, The Apple House. Right on the side of the road in a cute red barn, The Apple House is famous for their apple donuts. So we stopped in for some, as well as some delicious country breakfast, on our way to Skyline Drive. (more on that later)

Annual Smith Halloween Extravaganza

2011-10-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Our friend Maytanee has a father who is...well...OBSESSED with Halloween. She had warned us about how all out he goes for Halloween decorations...but, still, I was blown away. Entire rooms wallpapered in blood splatter. Severed heads around every corner. Hallways of enchanted photos. Incredible.

Plus, the only thing he MIGHT love more than Halloween, is Rock Band. So he combines them into one crazy night. They have the most incredible Rock Band set-up ever. A full stage. Personal monitors. A live-view camera for the crowd. And stage lights synched to the beat. Also. Incredible.

Jared and I didn't have much time to plan out our costumes like in years past. {See HERE for some of our costumes from the past.} So we went to the local costume shop, and got Pac-Man and Inky the ghost costumes...mostly because we knew we could reuse them over and over in the middle school ministry, when we play Blind Pacman. So we made do...and had a lot of fun spending time with new friends, and being impressed by their dads.

Eastern Market

2011-04-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

Jared and I ventured to Eastern Market for the first time a couple weeks ago. Spring was just beginning and everyone in the District knew it and was taking full advantage. It was the nicest day out...a little crisp in the shade and so nice and warm in the sun. I even took off my sweater for a while as we walked through the city. I think that was the first time my arms have seen the light of day since October! But anyway, we stumbled upon Eastern Market, and I must say that it may be my new favorite thing to do in DC. It's kind of like the Swap Meet, but in the middle of a city and with an entire fresh farmers market. The sight of all those fresh local fruits and veggies was so mouthwatering. Don't they look yummy?! People were selling all their arts and crafts (like purses and wallets made out of old books) as well as their homegrown produce and meats and dried fruit and nuts. Including this cute old lady whom we bought some yummy dried mango from. They also have a whole indoor market where you can order meals that you eat right then. Unfortunately Jared and I had just eaten breakfast...but we'll have to go back soon to eat some lunch! I look forward to many more trips to Eastern Market!

Blossoms

2011-03-28T17:38:00.000-07:00

Jared and I went down to the cherry blossom festival today. It is so PRETTY! I've always loved spring...but after today I think I've never known what spring was. In California, we get the mustard that blooms and takes over all the hills, which has always been my favorite. But we never get trees that are taken over by flowers. No leaves...just flowers. It's incredible! Also, I now understand the phrase, "spring has sprung" because it literally SPRUNG! I mean, one day the trees were skeletons, and the next they've exploded with color. Here is an example. I took the picture on the left last Saturday, and the picture on the right today in the same spot. See what I mean?

Here are a few more of my favorite pictures from our walk around the Tidal Basin today.

And here's a little video of the things we saw today...including a sighting of Marine Force One. That helicopter flew back and forth over the Tidal Basin all day. Maybe the Obamas just wanted a good view of the pretty blossoms!

HAPPY SPRING!

Snow Nerds

2011-01-12T14:33:00.000-08:00

Ok so we're back. I wasn't sure if anyone was reading our blog, so I didn't put in a lot of effort to keep up with it. Then I learned while visiting California, that you do read it...and you kind of like it. So there. One little ask. If you read this lovely blog, let us know. That way I will feel like my time is well spent. So leave a comment or something...

Moving on...

Snow is still really cool. We haven't experienced "crazy, keep you inside the house, only eat boxed macaroni" snow like we heard about happening last year during "Snowmaggedon". I'm sure when we experience that kind of snow we might change our feelings towards it. But for now, it's really fun. We got maaaaaayyybee and inch last night, so Jared and I decided to go goof off in our driveway. We are such California Snow Nerds....and I'm an even bigger nerd for making a video of it. I'm slightly embarrassed. I hope it at least makes you smile a little.

Snow Nerds from Alanna Moine on Vimeo.

My family, Cannons, & Jordin Sparks

2010-11-06T21:55:00.000-07:00

My family came out to visit last weekend and it was so good to see their faces. We did lots of fun things together...one of which was visiting the battlefields. If you didn't know, we live only a few miles from the place where the Battle of Bull Run (1 & 2) was fought. Given the fact that Jared and I are history nerds and we only live a few miles away...AND it only cost $3 to visit, I am surprised we hadn't been there yet. But now we can check it off the list. Not only is it a cool historical spot, it also is really pretty and a great place to take pictures....especially with all the fall colors and fallen leaves. So, we had a little impromptu family photoshoot for the Christmas card. We also went for a little hike, climbed all over the cannons (which we later learned is prohibited) and I attempted to teach my 6 year old brother what the Civil War was about. FYI...since living here we've learned that in the south they call these battles the "Battles of Manassas" and they call the Civil War "The War of Northern Aggression." Interesting. Here are some of my favorite shots of the day.

Speaking of the Civil Wars...how good is this song?

I guess it's official

2010-10-25T12:24:00.000-07:00

Fall is in the neighborhood.

2010-10-22T17:44:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided to take a little stroll around our neighborhood to take in all of the new colors that have taken over our quaint little street. Apparently, I've been hearing that we are having a late fall season because only about half of the trees have changed colors, and they are just now starting to drop their leaves. Anyway, I think it's incredible, no matter when it fully arrives. We've never experienced a real fall, so this is really exciting. It's so pretty! PLUS, the air is crisp and clear...and today I wore a scarf, a hoodie, and my Ugg boots. Probably my favorite thing to wear...

We are starting to get a little nervous for winter. I mean...Fall in Virginia is about the same as winter in California. So we are entering uncharted territory. But for now we will just enjoy the fall colors around Primrose Park (our neighborhood). Hope you enjoy them too!

873 days.

2010-10-06T13:57:00.000-07:00

Jared and I have now experienced 873 days of pure wedded bliss.

The other day, Jared was trying to find our blog (typical), so he google searched "Jared and Alanna" and he randomly came across this blog post from the 2nd shooter at our wedding featuring a ton of our wedding pictures. She got a couple of the details wrong...but some great pics of such a fantastic day!

So I don't know if I'm feeling extra in love with my hubby today...or if it's due to the fact that I've been listening to cheesy 80s love songs all day (seriously, "Air Supply" Pandora station is so incredible)...but I felt like sharing the post and some pictures with you today. Enjoy!

Our Wedding Day

Jared, wouldn't you agree...baby you and me, got a groovy kind of love.

The Civil War

2010-10-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

If you didn't know...the area in which we live in Virginia is rich in Civil War history. The two Battles of Bull Run were fought a couple miles from our house...therefore, each summer there are a couple of Civil War festivals in the area. When we heard about this, we couldn't pass it up. I knew this would be some of the greatest people watching ever...and boy was I right. These people are AWESOME! And, they totally go all out in their costumes and in character. Not gonna lie...I was a little embarrassed for them...but it made for a great afternoon when Kendra was visiting, and I had a very delicious pulled pork sandwich. It also was a great place to break in my new camera...and try and learn how to use the video. So here are some of my favorite shots of the day...AND a video of some of the festivities. (notice how scared I get at the end of it).

Jared and I are contemplating bringing this first act out to a middle school event. Not sure how well it would go over...or if it's morally ok to pay someone for the right to poke fun at them...just a consideration.

Summer Visitors

2010-09-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

This summer, it was so much fun to have some of our favorite California friends visit us on the East Coast. We had a blast showing them around our new home and having them be a part of our new church. In fact, both Kyle and Nikki led worship for our youth services! So fun to have a little piece of home here!

When Kendra was visiting, she was suggesting that we need to have some sort of "Guest Book" for everyone who stays with us. I thought this was a great idea... So, I decided that instead of having a guest BOOK, we would have a guest WALL. So, I'm going to frame a picture of each of our visitors in front of the Washington Monument on a wall in our house. I'm so excited about this new idea. Here are our first members that came out this summer! We are looking forward to other confirmed guests... Kyle (again), Nick Toth, the Tafallas, the Trudeaus, the Johnstons, the Bergersons....let me know if you want to be included on this list...AND on our guest WALL!

We went to Baltimore this Summer

2010-09-14T19:13:00.000-07:00

As usual, most of our travels revolve around Baseball, Food, or History... This particular trip was mostly motivated by baseball.

We started the day off by taking a stadium tour of Camden Yards, where the Oriole's play. Camden Yards was the first of the "new" stadiums and so many newer stadiums have copied their designs and ideas. Therefore, it is really cool and beautiful... HOWEVER, one of the stadiums modeled after Camden Yards is Petco Park in San Diego...and they basically took the idea in Baltimore and improved upon it 10 times over. So, as cool as Camden Yards is, our view of it has been tainted by how AWESOME Petco Park is. That...and the fact that our tour guide was an old bitter man who's team hasn't had a winning season since 1997, made the tour less than impressive. Another thing that was disappointing about visiting the stadium: I have YET to find a shirt that says, "Baltimorioles"...I thought for sure that SOMEONE working for the team was as clever as me, and I would find it in their team store...but, ALAS, I am still more clever then the Baltimorioles organization. I guess I'll just have to make my own and sell the design to them. :)

Unfortunately, it was also about 100 degrees and like 95% humidity the day we decided to venture to Baltimore. So, we ended up spending most of our day in Barnes and Noble, reading magazines and enjoying the free air conditioning. Which, is a perfectly acceptable way to spend a day...just not when you are seeing a city for the first time.

We also stayed for the Oriole's game that evening...but the Oriole's suck, and there were like, 40 other people in the stadium. So we left around the 5th inning to venture home to wash the sweat and stink off our bodies.

SO...everyone has been telling us how great the Inner Harbor is and what a cool city Baltimore is, so I guess we'll have to go back again when it's not a million degrees.

Now you know why it's taken me so long to blog about this day...because it was pretty much average. But here are some pictures of our day anyway!

Summer Camp

2010-08-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

I know it has been forever since I blogged. I'm not going to bore you with all the excuses...I'm just going to catch up.

First on the catch up list is Summer Camp. We went to Summer Camp a couple weeks after we arrived in Virginia. There were some things that were very different than other camps we had been to...and there are some things about Summer Camp that are universal to any camp, any where.

I'm just going to tell you about my favorite moment of camp:

Well, some of our favorite new friends that we've met, are a group of dudes who are college-age who also happen to be in a band together, called Restless Street. If you are a friend from California, think Brothers at Sea, but with a much larger pre-teen girl fan base. Anyway, they also were counselors at camp, and needless to say, the middle school girls were big fans of this.

So, my super creative funny husband came up with a challenge for these guys. They each had to choose a middle school boy to become their mini-me and on the last night of camp they had to dress up their mini-me exactly like them and come to dinner together. Let me just say, that they definitely rose to the challenge. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

They were such a hit that night, that they got brought up on stage. We were very proud!

So in conclusion, Summer Camp was great. Although a lot was different that we were used to, it was a great time to get to know all the new faces and actually learn names and get to know students and volunteers better. AND...a ton of our students learned a lot and made many new commitments to their faith. Can't complain about that!

Here is a picture of all the leaders and middle school students our church brought to camp!

Wild and Wonderful

2010-07-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

So far, I think yesterday might be my favorite day since we've been in Virginia...and actually we spent most of it OUT of Virginia...and in West Virginia...whose state motto is "Wild and Wonderful". It is still incredible to us how easy it is to get to a new state on the East Coast.

Appropriately, we spent our day being "wild and wonderful" and taking a scouting trip for a middle school Tubing Adventure we'll be going on in a couple weeks. We wanted to test it out and make sure it would be fun and safe and so we could be better prepared. So we grabbed some of our new favorite people, Travis and Carly, and headed to West Virginia to float down the Potomac River in an inner tube.

It was SO fun and relaxing and beautiful! We floated down the Potomac to where it met the Shenandoah River right where Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland meet.

It was so pretty floating down a river surrounded by mountains full of giant trees and herons wading in the water next to you. I even saw a snake on a rock eating some sort of amphibious creature. Of course I couldn't take my camera in the river, so I couldn't take pictures...but when we take the middle schoolers I am DEFINITELY getting a waterproof camera or maybe renting a waterproof casing for my camera. But here is a google image of exactly what it looked like...in fact, we floated under that bridge.

We thoroughly enjoyed the exciting rapids and the great conversation with our new friends during the calm areas. When we got to the pick up point, we were some of the first ones there, so we decided to be wild and explore some of the surrounding areas, and we found such a pretty waterfall. I was so sad I didn't have my camera...next time.

On a side note: I know it's ignorant...but here is what I pictured West Virginia folk to look like:

And I'm not gonna lie...I definitely saw a bearded man wearing dirty overalls and no shirt, standing next to another bearded man with a crazy boot tan and a Wu-Tang Clan shirt...but most other people were fairly normal.

So, ANYWAY...after we were done floating down the rapids, we had definitely built up an appetite, so I used iphone to find a nearby restaurant...and we stumbled into the most incredible place...historic Harper's Ferry. We had floated by it in the river, but I couldn't tell exactly what it was from the river with the trees blocking most of it. Well, you might remember learning about it in history. I know Jared and I are a little bit of history nerds...and luckily Travis and Carly are a bit too...but hopefully you are too. In the late 1700s, George Washington selected this small strip of land where the Potomac meets the Shenandoah River to be the location for the Federal Armory, where they made most all of the weapons for the USA. Then in the early 1800s, Lewis and Clark went there to get all their weapons and supplies for their journey...including their collapsible boat.

Then in 1859, the abolitionist John Brown (you probably remember him from US History), led a raid on the armory with the intent to steal weapons to give to the slaves in Virginia and start a slave revolt. He was unsuccessful and he and his men took refuge in the firehouse there for a couple days until Robert E. Lee led some of the army to take care of him. Brown was captured, convicted of treason, and hanged nearby. However, this is said to be the event that catapulted the south to secede and the Civil War to begin....and Harper's Ferry was very instrumental in the Civil War. Being a border town, it changed hands 8 times, and the Armory was consequently burned down.

Ok...now that I've bored you with a history lesson...I'll tell you other reasons why Harper's Ferry was so great. It was seriously like stepping back in time. Travis and I decided that it reminded us of what we would picture Diagon Alley from Harry Potter to look like. We were secretly looking for Olivander's Wand Shop and Gringotts. It had small narrow cobblestone streets and really old store fronts with wooden signs hanging over the doors. When we got out of the car, I grabbed my camera...only to discover that I left my memory card at home like a moron. So I had to settle for iphone pictures...less than satisfactory. We ate DELICIOUS BBQ in an old converted caboose. There was this man with the most INCREDIBLE sideburns grilling some delicious food outside and we couldn't resist the smell. It was SO delicious. I had a pulled pork sandwich with homemade mac and cheese. So yummy!

After our bellies were fully satisfied, we walked around the old town and browsed the shops and admired the old buildings and even found some people dressed in colonial gear hanging out front of an old boot store. Here are some iphone pictures...

An old tunnel...

The firehouse where John Brown and his men hid out and were captured.

Cute Carly and Travis

The caboose we ate in with the delicious smoking BBQ out front and the man with the sideburns who walked behind the smoke RIGHT as I snapped the pic. So disappointed.

So that was our lovely day spent adventuring, learning, and enjoying the company of new friends.

A day well spent. I look forward to topping it!

We are gardeners.

2010-07-13T12:22:00.000-07:00

Jared and I had a very productive Monday. We totally redid what little landscape we have. It was raining pretty much all day...so we gardened in the rain. It was really fun actually...and probably better than gardening in sweltering heat...so we'll take thunderstorms any day. Here are some pictures of our hard work...and how dirty we got. Also, those cute polka dot pots were a gift from one of my favorite people in the world, Nikki Lalague...and she painted them herself! Aren't they adorable!

HOME: Reflections on our first month on the East Coast

2010-07-08T12:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been one month today that Jared and I started our adventures on the East Coast. This has definitely been the longest time I've been away from family, friends, California, and "home". It has made me realize a few things about life...and you'll have to pardon my cliches for a moment. Although it's been an adjustment living in the hot, sticky weather, and I get lost when iphone lets me down, and everything is foreign...things haven't been too hard. I've only had one emotional breakdown, and it truly had nothing to do with being so far away from anything familiar, and everything to do with the realization at how much it costs to furnish a house.

Before I left California, I had the incredible pleasure of watching one of my favorite people, Katie Reagan, dance in her school's showcase. First of all, she's so talented and beautiful and creative... Secondly, she danced one piece to a song by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros called "Home". (It's a great song...you should download it) I've been enthralled with it ever since, and it kind of sums up how I've felt about our first month in a new place. "We laugh until we think we'll die / Barefoot on a summer night / Nothin' new is sweeter than with you...Home is wherever I'm with you."

I know it sounds completely cliche and a little out of character...but I've realized that as long as I am with my two best friends...Jared and Jesus. I'm not alone or lonely or lost. I'm home.

Now...that's not to say that I don't miss California, or my family, or friends, or Pedro's Tacos, or the ocean, or not sweating all day... It's just to say that I'm happy.

In completely unrelated news...I made some delicious individual sized peach cobbler's from scratch last night for Jared and me in my cute little souffle dishes I just purchased...and they were DELICIOUS!

Ninja Turtles, Spiderman, and Dehydration. What could be more American?

2010-07-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

I must say, that this 4th of July was one of the most satisfying independence days I've experienced. We knew what we were getting ourselves into when we decided to spend the day in the National Mall in DC. We had heard that 3 million people descend on this area that's less then 2 miles long. So because we knew that, we prepared ourselves...and probably OVER-prepared. We wore comfortable running shoes (knowing we'd be walking a ton and not knowing if we'd find parking near the metro station), packed lots of water and cash, and of course camera equipment. Maybe it's because we over prepared...but it was WAY easier and less chaotic than we anticipated. Yes, there were a LOT of people...and yes, it was hot, and yes, we did a lot of walking...but it wasn't unbearable, and we would do it again. It was a really cool experience, being in the nation's capitol on 4th of July. The atmosphere was really laid back and fun. There were a lot of families making a day of it in the park, flying kites, playing cards...and one group even set up a full volleyball court in front of the Washington Monument. So cool! Parking at the metro was free and easy and it was a cinch to get into the city. We spent the beginning of the day walking through The American History Museum, although we decided to come back on a day where there wasn't so many people...museums are so much more enjoyable when you can leisurely walk through without a sweaty Midwesterner bumping into you with his fanny-pack and stepping on your feet with his Tiva sandals. However, we did stop at the Julia Child exhibit to see her kitchen because we had just watched Julia and Julia the night before. (Such a good movie!)

We also came across this Ninja Turtle exhibit. Pretty awesome. So, we spent the rest of the day walking around, trying to stay hydrated, eating good Americana food and enjoying the festival and the very satisfying people watching opportunities!

Our patriotic way to cool down...

Some of the sights of the day... Spiderman flying dangerously close to the Washington Monument... and the steps of the Capitol, crowded with people listening to Gladys Knight sing "Midnight Train to Georgia"

Here's a shot of the Lincoln Memorial at sunset, right before the fireworks started. Can you see ALL of the PEOPLE on the steps?!

And then came the fireworks. MAN O MAN! They were cool. We were sitting in between the Washington Monument and the Reflection Pool in front of the Lincoln Memorial (you know...the water Forrest Gump runs through to get to Jenny), which is where they set the fireworks off from. It was incredible. They explode right above your head and you can feel the boom in your chest. So cool! Here are some of my favorite shots from the fireworks.

Here's a video Jared took of the fireworks...although below it is a better video of Obama and his 4th of July watching the same fireworks as us...although, we had the better view :)

Now, the only REALLY crazy chaotic time was right afterward. Millions of people leaving the same place...sirens everywhere...and we didn't REALLY know where we were going to get back on the Metro (the station at the mall was closed for obvious reasons, and my phone...with my metro map, wasn't working...probably because there were millions of people right by me trying to do the same thing). But we did find a station...and got on....well, I should say SQUEEZED on. I've never seen a more full car. Insanity. It's a good thing I'm not a germophobe because that is a LOT of hands on that pole.

So, we made it back safely and in time for Jared to watch the Galaxy game, and me to take the best shower ever, after a full day of sweating. So that was our day? How was yours? What did you do?

Thunderstorms

2010-07-02T10:25:00.000-07:00

The one great thing about humidity is that it creates awesome thunderstorms in the afternoons. Last week was ridiculously hot and sticky...and our air conditioning crapped out again. So when the clouds started moving in we decided to get some relief from the heat by playing in the rain. Thunderstorms are incredible! Something so foreign to us California natives. It will be sunny one minute and then BOOM...clouds roll in and it starts POURING! I mean torrential downpour. Then, it will only last for a few minutes and roll out. As you can see from the pictures, our street was pretty much flooded...and it only rained a few minutes. But it maximized those few moments. We were SOAKED by the giant drops. It was also fun to see some kids riding their bikes and getting caught in the storm. Oh and to those who are concerned about our well-being...you should know. It has been beautiful weather the last few days...feels like California...AND they came and completely replaced our ancient AC system and it is a very comfortable 73 degrees Fahrenheit in our home....AND we got pool keys yesterday! YES! But I also wouldn't mind another thunderstorm to roll through!

Where the Magic Happens...the kitchen.

2010-06-20T23:37:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of you have been asking to see some pictures of the inside of our new house. I have to admit that the perfectionist in me doesn't want to show you until it's some what set up. I know...I need to get over it. However...our kitchen is pretty much done (although I do want to paint a wall...and my robot painting is still packed somewhere...)

These are the curtains I made from a bedspread I bought from Urban Outfitters. I also must tell you that I hung them myself! Ohhh...and also important to note...that our kitchen is on the 2nd floor, and that door goes to nowhere. It's the door to certain death. There's supposed to be a little patio out there...but our landlord apparently didn't want one.

This is our cute little coffee and tea station. This is also the wall I want to paint...like a gray/blue color.

And this is the view from the other side of our sink area and island. By the way...that bouquet on the island is my wedding bouquet. It survived the moved thanks to my genius packing skills.

So, I hope you enjoyed the tour of the kitchen. I promise, more rooms to come shortly!

The Moines Witness Sporting History

2010-06-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

The Moines are adventurous. Not sure if you know this about us...but we like to be spontaneous sometimes. On the very first day we were in Virginia (last Tuesday)...we showed our adventurous side.

Keep in mind we had taken a red eye...and neither of us can sleep all that well on airplanes. However, the cable guy had come, the electricity had been turned on and our cars had been delivered...so the only options in how to spend the remainder of our day were...nap on the borrowed air mattress we had...OR...witness sporting history.

We chose the latter.

So, we hopped on the metro into DC and decided to venture to National's Park to see if we could find tickets to the sold out game that was happening that evening. I'm not sure if you've heard of Stephen Strasburg...but he's kind of a big deal around here. The Nationals (who have sucked) picked him up in the draft last summer...and people are REALLY excited about him. Tuesday (the game we went to) was his first major league start. Apparently, this is a big deal.

On big games where they sell out (which this day may have been the only game in their brief history) the Nats release $5 day of nosebleed tickets. So we picked up some of those and headed in. We were a couple hours early because we didn't know what the ticket situation would be like...but you would have never known it was that early because there was already a lot of people there and the Baseball Tonight guys were there filming. When we had left the house we were watching Orel Hershiser on the TV talking about the game...and now we were there watching him in person. Pretty cool.

So the whole experience was pretty surreal. People were REALLY excited about this kid. People had signs that said "Strasburg is our Savior" and you should have seen all the flash bulbs that went off when he threw his first major league pitch! I mean the guy got a standing ovation just walking from the dugout to the bullpen before the game even started. Talk about pressure! Just seeing his face as he walked across the field made me want to cry. But he did great! He threw 14 strikeouts...and with every pitch the whole stadium went nuts. It was definitely a cool experience.

We must admit that BOTH of us fell asleep during the game...but we are definitely glad we entertained our adventurous side and went to the game. We'll definitely be saving our ticket stubs and we feel a little bit connected to the Nats now that we've witnessed their history.

Here are some pics from the adventure.

P.S. Go Angels!

Our New Home

2010-06-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

First of all, I'm sorry it's taken me a week to blog for the first time in Virginia. I FINALLY got my computer hooked up with an internet connection. It was a little more difficult than expected...but we are here in the blogosphere now. Anyway, we are obviously still getting settled in our new home. But here are some pictures of our cute not-so-little place.

Our street:

And our cute little Narnia lamp post. How appropriate!

So, here is an update on all things since we left California. It's definitely been humid...which is an adjustment. In fact this past week has been a heat wave apparently...and our air conditioning wasn't working. So we decided to believe that it could only improve from there. And it has...the AC is working now and our house is a cool 75 degrees!
All of our stuff finally arrived on Friday. For the first few days all we had were the clothes we packed in suitcases, our SWEET new TV (which by the way has been monopolized by the World Cup thus far), and a borrowed air mattress. So basically our time has been spent unpacking, taking trips to Target (which is SUPER here...literally), and Ikea, and watching soccer.
So, our adventure has begun...and we definitely have had some adventures already. So check back soon to read about some of the following topics:

Jared and Alanna Witnessing History
Humidity
Getting Lost
Summer Camp
House Decorating Progress
Civil War Reenactments
The World Cup
DC Exploration
Meeting the Obamas
Generally Awesome Things

If you are reading this from California: We love and miss you!
If you are reading this from Virginia: Thanks for welcoming us!
If you are reading this from somewhere else: I probably don't know you...but welcome to our blog anyway.

The soundtrack to a childhood

2010-01-15T13:17:00.000-08:00

A thought has been running through my head lately… the thought is this; what songs remind me of childhood? I think this thought got into my head from watching the NHL Winter Classic on New Year’s Day from Fenway Park. A Moine Tradition is to invite people over New Year’s Day Morning and watch some beautiful outdoor hockey. Now I know no one comes over just to watch hockey, let’s be honest hockey’s popularity is only a small step above Major League Soccer right now, which is why we make breakfast and opened up our new espresso maker. This year’s Winter Classic was in Boston and being in Boston they had James Taylor sang the national anthem and while James was doing his thing, Ali, one of Alanna’s former small group girls and current small group co-leader, paid attention to the TV for 10 seconds and said; “ooooo, I love James Taylor… James Taylor reminds me of my childhood!” She then went back to working on a puzzle and I didn’t think much about it then but her words stuck in my head.

It’s this idea that an artist and their music can bring about memories and it’s this thought that has led to me thinking about my own childhood and if I have any song s or artist or any type of music that brings back warm memories of growing up. The reality I’m faced with when I stop to think back is this; I can’t really think of anything. My parent’s apparently weren’t really into music and to be honest I’m a little jealous of Ali because James Taylor reminds her of something… I got nothing!

Which then leads me to my complete thought that has been in my head all this week… what songs or artist do I want my kids to have remind them of their childhood? I want to think of this now, way before we have children so that the wife and I can be intentional with our children’s childhood memories. My hope is that I can be intentional in planting great music into the souls of my kids during those early years. I want my daughter to have some artist or song to immediately take her back to memories or warm feeling of love and her youth. I want my son to think of his mom or dad or maybe even an exact memory whenever he hears an artist or a song. I want my kids to have a piece of what Ali has with James Taylor.
So the big question now until we have kids to then brainwash with warm childhood memories is this; what songs do we want to be the soundtrack to our children’s childhood?

I love James Taylor and would love to put his melodies in my children’s hearts

For sure Bob Marley and his easy going reggae vibe I want to flood my children with thoughts of an easier time when the world was simply and easy.

There needs to room for Frank Sinatra and his voice

But other than that I can’t think so anything else, I guess it’s a good thing we don’t have kids yet. I still have time to think about the “movie” that will be the life of my future children and put together the ultimate soundtrack.

2010-01-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

This just goes to show that if you take a picture with more than one student, someone is going to ruin the picture.

Senior Moments

2010-01-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

Had a great coffee with a senior student this weekend and the coffee was ok but the conversation was amazing. I love senior year and all that comes with it. I love doing high school ministry with students and getting to watch the journey from awkward teenager who rides a bike and has no idea how to cook or even order a pizza for themselves, to young adults pondering life and what God has for them in the next chapter of life. With this one student the conversation was about college and how much I was encouraging/ threatening him that he needs to tackle the mountain of college as soon as possible and treasure the adventure of college and then plan out whatever other adventures he might have.

Such adventures include but are not limited to: living in a van, first tattoo, and a year in Africa… all of those can wait till your 22 but get college done so you’re not 23 and still have 15 units of community college left. Joel McHale won’t be there to make Spanish class any easier. I also was encouraging him to get into a 4 year college if he can because I know that community college can be rough and crush the dreams of many a great high school student.

It’s just fun to talk about future stuff and to know that that future is only months away and not a freshmen answering the question of “what do you want to be when you grow up?” with a shoulder shrug and a blank stare. The senior year is an amazing time and I cherish getting to make some memories with graduating seniors every year.

Happy New Year, what feels new?

2010-01-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

As we start another New Year and most everyone feels fat or they feel some form of pressure to be a better person in some way I can’t help but think about all this newest and wonder where it comes from and how come we, as humans like new things so much?

What is it about new things that we like? Why do we like to always have new stuff or put pressure to start over? Do we need to have new things? Do we ever really have new beginnings in the first place? Sure we have a new year and we have to go out and buy a new calendar from some stupid mall cart and we start a new year on January 1st, but what makes January 1st any different then December 31st? Is there something magical that happens? When we have a birthday do we wake up the next day and feel any older? I don’t think so but I like most everyone else love new beginnings. I might not be a complete sucker for New Year’s resolutions but if I’m offered a free scent at the car wash you better believe I get new car scent. Why? Cause it smells new! We love new!!!

With all this newness and it being January 4th I like to try and see if there is any connection with the excitement of a new year and the excitement of a new life. My sister just had a baby boy two weeks ago so this whole new world and new life is everywhere in my life right now and I’m trying to get my head around what I think God wants to teach me in this new season of my life.
If when we accept Christ into our lives we are a new creation, then how do we stay new? I myself accepted Christ back in the summer of 5th grade and now I’m 28. I don’t question my faith one bit, I love God and want more than ever to seek him and his will for my life… but, with that said, I would still like to know where I can buy some new car scent for my spiritual life from time to time? We get to celebrate a new year every January 1st and think of ways to be better people but this year I want more than that. I think New Year’s resolutions are cheesy and dumb yet I love stories of people who have experienced life change. I love seeing people make a change in their lives and become a new creation inside and out.

I guess that is what I am after… I want to feel new and yet know that I am better than just good intentions. I want the best for my life yet even more I want to be the best for my Lord and Savior knowing that it is only though his power that I can experience something even better than life change, I can experience joy! So this new year I am choosing to pursue joy and trying to be a new creation every day.

2009-12-09T16:33:00.000-08:00

Small Group X-mas party

Small group at Starbucks

2009-12-03T21:59:00.000-08:00

Last night two of my small group boys had a JV soccer game against one another, so rather than exclude them from the whole night we did small group with the rest of the guys at a Starbucks near the high school. We met for an hour before the game, started to look at the Christmas story from the gospel of Matthew, sipped on some caramel apple cider and then went to the game. I did the honorable thing and watched the first half on one side with parents and then switched for the second half. The game was pretty exciting, but with two guys playing at least one got to win! After the game I was reminded, once I had taken a few of the guys home, just how much it means to show up to a game and sit with some parents and enjoy watching their son play a sport. I don’t do it as much as I would like but I know the parents are thankful and express it in words. The guys on the other hand usually show it in other ways. Not with words, you might get a forced, “thanks for coming to my game…” out of them but you create an even deeper bond and have something else to talk about and compliment a student on later. It’s really a win, win situation! After going to a game you win so much respect from both parents and students and with that respect comes even greater influence in both of their lives. Its really the quickest way to earn trust and if you show you care they will let you into their lives. Sometimes the biggest relational break through with parents or with just getting to know a small group student better can come from not saying a single word and just showing up with a gingerbread latte and watching a JV soccer game. At least last night it was JV soccer, for those ministers who sit through freshmen girls’ basketball games; there is a special place in heaven for you!

Chargers win 43 -14

2009-11-30T10:35:00.000-08:00

The Chargers got another win yesterday which is really nice but my question of the day goes to the people at Reebok, the official supplier of all things NFL. Look at those beautiful royal blue Chargers uniforms! If you can make those jerseys for all those old guys who aren’t even playing in the game, then why can’t the Chargers do a royal blue throwback game? Someone please tell me this is in the works for next year!!

Traditions

2009-11-25T14:35:00.001-08:00

Traditions
I love the fall and although a Southern California fall really just means fire season here, I really love this time of year because of a few traditions that come along this time of year. Here are a few in calendar order:

- Christ-Ma-Halloween – Oct 31st at the house I used to live at before marriage we started a little tradition of celebrating Christmas on Halloween. We put the Christmas lights up, invite friends over, dress festive, make Christmas cookies and cupcake and instead of candy we pass out toys. Each child gets a toy and not some Halloween candy they will never remember. Some of the toys we hand out are actual toys but usually kids get things like turkey basters, logs, old cassette tapes, and really anything that can be bought at a garage sale, the 99cent store or Big Lots. It’s a lot of fun and the families and kids in the neighborhood really enjoy it and look forward to it. Many parents have told us the past two years that their kids who may live 5 or 6 blocks always want to come to the “Christmas House” first before they go trick-r-treating. It’s a great tradition and I hope it never dies… that poor house will be egged for sure!

- Day After Thanksgiving Dinner Dinner – Nov. 27th this year. This is a tradition the wife and I have been doing with the students that were either in our small groups over the years or somehow earned our love which isn’t very hard. We started this when the last batch of small group kids were Juniors in high School as just a fun way to spend a Friday after Thanksgiving together as a community of students that were doing life together. Naturally we can’t eat anything that resembles Thanksgiving dinner the day after Thanksgiving so we eat fried chicken and waffles. Kids bring over left over deserts and we just spend the afternoon and evening together with some people we just really love. Since most of the students are now away at college this tradition has really come to mean something way more than we ever could have dreamed and it’s kind of like a homecoming of sorts for a whole group of students. They come home for Thanksgiving and get to spend Thursday with their family and Friday they get to spend with our family. It’s really great and every year is full of fun memories and great conversations.

- Moine’s Small Group Christmas Party and Tree Decorating Extravaganza. This is a new one, we only started this last year with our new students who being freshmen we wanted to start a new tradition with them plus we wanted to invite them to be a part of the wife and I’s first Christmas as a married couple. First weekend of December we have both small groups, I think 24 this year, over to the apartment and eat homemade chili and cornbread waffles. We also make every student have to bring an ornament for our tree, the more homemade the better! This year will be fun as we let the students decorate the tree with their new ornament for this year plus they will get to find theirs from last year and also put it on the tree. We hope that this tradition will be something amazing and make our family Christmas tree sort of life a yearbook full of memories and amazing students that God has put into our lives.

- Lastly, Party Till Christmas Eve Comes. This is the oldest Tradition and this year will be the 10th installment of this wonderful night. This all started a decade ago with just a bunch of good dudes in my life. It was Christmas break of my freshmen year of college and with my friends also home from college and a senior in high school named Chase and a junior named Ryan we decided that December 23rd really gets the shaft and is over looked as the holiday it should be. I mean people all over this world celebrate Christmas on December 25th and they should. Christmas Eve has equally become important with the whole Santa Claus myth and Christmas Eve church services everywhere. This means Christmas and Christmas Eve and locked into many people’s calendars as important dates but no one really celebrates Christmas eve, eve. I mean it’s important; it’s the eve of Christmas Eve. Without Christmas Eve, eve there would be no Christmas! With this in mind we decided that night as a group that every December 23rd should be celebrated and counted down just like any new year. And this is exactly what we have come to do the last nine years. We come together as men every year on December 23rd and sing our “Party till Christmas Eve comes” song and spend the night together. We catch up on each other’s lives and talk about old times; we remember great memories like toilet papering Doug Fields house and play X-box and drink Martinelli’s and lots of Cactus Cooler. It’s a beautiful thing and I hope I one day get to bring my son to it.

These are just a few of my traditions; I hope to share some pictures with you soon!

Back on the horse again

2009-11-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Back on the horse again
That’s right, I am back to blogging again and when I say “I’m back on the horse” I mean to say I plan on using this blog to capture in words and pictures the next stage in life for me and the wife. We are currently looking for a new church to do full time youth ministry and we could not be more scared and excited all at the same time. Here starts the journey and hopefully I will do my best to narrate this exciting next chapter in the Moine’s life.

Rwanda Meeting highlight

2007-06-04T22:35:00.000-07:00

Actual Conversation

Last night before our Rwanda team meeting Landon was asking me about our other male adult leader, the conversation went like this:

Landon: "So who is the guy coming with us to Rwanda?"

Me: "His name is Chip."

Landon: "Whoa, did he like invent the chip?"

Me: "No, I'm pretty sure he didn't."

Landon: "But, what if he did, I mean that would be cool."

Me: "No, I'm pretty sure he didn't... he's not even Spanish."

Landon: "So he didn't invent the chip, what did he invent?"

Me: "Probably nothing."

Landon: "So this guy isn't cool at all?"

Sorry Chip, I think your cool!