The Life of Sara and Justin

OUR TEAM IS EXPANDING!

2011-04-24T09:15:00.000-07:00

YUP!

You guessed it! The Porter 3 will soon be the Porter 4!

We are pretty excited about this new addition to our family! He/She will join us this Fall... just in time for Eli to turn 2 years old!

I am going to TRY to keep this blog updated.... but I apologize in advance... if I blow it!

Walking Bean

2010-09-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

2010-09-14T13:03:00.001-07:00

decided to get my photography on.

A Big Slide!

2010-07-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Eli

2010-03-30T16:51:00.000-07:00

Eli turned 6 months yesterday.

He is sitting up, eating solids and about ready to crawl.

Our baby is growing up so fast.

We love him so.

The first 3 months!

2010-03-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to a dear friend and Eli's babysitter.... here is a look at the first 3 months of Eli's life!

Jumping Bean

2010-02-25T11:59:00.000-08:00

2009-11-13T21:38:00.000-08:00

ok... so i am really bad at this blogging thing.

last time i wrote... Eli Dean was 25 weeks old in my BELLY.

he is now 6 weeks old... outside my belly.

snap.

it has been an adventure... since the day he was born.

Mr. Eli decided to camp out for 21 hours... and had to be taken out by c-section. He then got to camp out in the ICU for 5 days... while Mom and Dad worried and worried.

But when we finally got to bring him home... our adventures were just beginning!

Mr. Eli has been such a blessing! Justin and I have been learning so much... and loving watching him grow.

He is now 10lbs and probably about 22 inches. Big boy!

He loves to eat and play on his rainforest mat... and I believe he is JUST about to smile at us!

The grandparents are in LOVE with this little boy! SPOILED already!

We are all anticipating the holidays... can't wait to see our little one next to a turkey!

Meet Eli Dean Porter

2009-06-14T05:53:00.000-07:00

Our little boy will be here around September 21st!

We saw pics yesterday... he looks pretty cute to us!

We are both very excited and rather blessed!

We can't wait!

Dinner for us!

2009-06-09T19:46:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months... we have been cooking some crazy menu items! So we decided to post them... simply for our pleasure... due to the fact that we have 2 blog followers. :)

So Al Pal and Jason... enjoy the sites... and we can cook any one of these dishes for you!

fish tacos

brownies pizza

chicken pot pie

chicken soup

Here comes Baby Porter!

2009-04-08T22:03:00.000-07:00

Yup... you heard right. We are going to be parents! Yikes!

Baby Porter is due to arrive the first day in October.

We are very excited, yet pretty nervous! The past 4 months have been full of emotions... excited, freaking out, excited again.... but overall we are very blessed to see our family grow!

The first picture is the 'bean' at 9 weeks... and the second is a pic of Sara at 15 weeks. We will be finding out the sex of the baby at the end of the month... we'll keep you posted.

Surreal.

So, here goes another adventure with the Porters.

Thanks in advance for all of your prayers, love and support as we bring this little bean into this family.

Our New Home!

2009-03-19T16:46:00.001-07:00

We have slowly started moving into our new home.

We are a bit sad to say that we are moving out of our FIRST house together... but VERY excited to be getting away from the house that is sliding down the hill.

We decided to downsize but still go for a great location. We are Downtown Livermore... close to stores, movies and eats!

We are super blessed to be able to call this little place "home".

Spring Training 2009

2009-03-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the whole family celebrated Mom & Billy's 25th wedding anniversary at Spring Training in AZ!

We were a split family some may say... A's vs. Giants!

On Saturday, we went to the A's Stadium and saw them face off with the Giants... and Sunday we ventured to the Giants Stadium to see the full squad battle the Royals.

Grandma and Grandpa got seats behind home plate... so we all took turns going to visit them and to get a closer look at the players.

Jacob got several autographs... and I ate several hot dogs.

It was a great family trip... and we both enjoyed being with the Selph/Linse clan.

Justin and I are READY for baseball now!

I promise.

2009-02-22T12:29:00.000-08:00

I promise to be a better 'updater' for this blog. I need to take some time out and post all of the happenings in the Porter Family! We have had a wonderful first Christmas together, a fun New Year... mini trips here and there.... and plenty of good meals.

So... this is my promise to the faithful blog readers... I will update more!

In a week.... be ready for the best update of them all! :)

Wedding reception photos... finally.

2008-08-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

I am super duper slow with updates.
I am just getting around to posting snapshots of the reception... this was 2 weeks after we got married. My mom and several friends came together and planned the perfect reception. Justin and I were able to spend time with friends and family in a more casual and goofy atmosphere. I actually was in a comfortable dress and didn't mind snacking on the desserts!
Blue and orange polka dots and plenty of candy.... what could be better. Such a special evening!

We enjoyed the evening so much!

We arrived in style!

Each person enjoyed a cup of coffee or tea!My nephew Nathan was soooooooooooooo excited. Plus he got all the candy he could handle!

2008-07-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

I need to catch up on this thing.

Justin and I went to the County Fair and bet on some horses. This was our first stub... and it was a winner. I would have to say that Justin is a better horse picker than I am!

This was our visit to Alpine Lake. Where ever Justin gets a chance to take a nap... he will. It was such a beautiful day.

ok... so none of my images are loading... so let me do some snooping around and figure out why. More pictures and stories to come.

Today we purchased a Fish Turner

2008-06-25T21:55:00.000-07:00

I feel like we are officially married today. We made our way to Bed Bath and Beyond with our gift cards and purchased a fish turner. For those of you who don't know what one is... it is just a funnier looking spatula. It made me laugh that we have one of those now... but then again... it sure helped when Justin made Seasame Coated Talapia and Coconut Cilantro Rice for dinner. :)
Anyway...people have asked and so I will answer.... here are some wedding pics. :)
This was a beautiful day, a day that we will remember forever. Hopefully this will give you people a look into our wedding day. I will post more, but enjoy these for now.

Fun times in Maui

2008-06-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

We had a blast on our honeymoon. We ventured to Maui... and rested for 10 days!

Our days were full of swimming, fish chasing, boating, eating, drinking and sleeping! We loved it. We saw so many things... the Iao Needle, Big Beach, Wailea, Honolua Bay... even the different islands of Hawaii.

It was so nice to rest after all the plans for the ceremony... but we were still getting more and more excited about the Reception back in California. I will write about that in a day or so.

One of the best things we did in Maui was watching the sea turtles swim... one was as big as Justin! We also hit the local Starbucks and got some Kona Coffee... he loves it. :) One of my favorite things: Sashimi. Raw Tuna. Picture above. YUM!

good times.

believe it.

2008-05-19T12:25:00.001-07:00

we got married!

we are now enjoying the sun in Maui... it's warm, it's beautiful, it's perfect.

The Lake and a trampoline

2008-05-08T23:35:00.000-07:00

A handful of my friends took me to Lake Tahoe for the weekend... and had some girl time before the big day. It was one of the best weekends!

We didn't do anything monumentous... but consider it memorable. We went hiking, shopping, rested, watched movies, ate tons of food, laughed... and ate more! Then we went and jumped on trampolines for one entire hour. Sounds crazy... but it was FUN!

We each took turns doing cartwheels down the hallway, flips on the trampoline, put avocado masks on... bought jeans and had chips and salsa till we couldn't eat any more!

These last few weeks of my single life have been great... I am thankful for my friends and my family! Everyone is so excited!

Justin and I were eating dinner tonight... and he asked me... "are you nervous?" I looked at him and said... no way jose. I'm not. Should I be?

Nervous about marrying the love of my life? Nervous about waking up next to the best thing that has ever happened to me? Nope! This is a wonderful blessing in my life... one I don't deserve, but will gladly accept. I praise GOD everyday for Justin.

Last year this time... oh goodness. I was a mess. But God loves messes... and well... that is just perfect for me.

One Step Closer

2008-04-25T00:06:00.000-07:00

Today we got our Marriage License! Yahoo!

Ok... so it's not a huge deal. You drive 30 miles to Oakland, pay for parking, walk 3 blocks, fill out paperwork, get called by number, write a $84 dollar check... and boom.... you have a license. You even get a souvenir one just for kicks. Basically it's a piece of paper that needs to be signed by another person saying you have committed to be married under the law of California. But to us... so so fun! We smiled the whole time. Laughed... held hands... kissed... like it was some movie or something. When we finally got back in the car... we shot this pic... and left Oakland. A dear journey... all for a piece of paper. But heck... it made us feel one step closer. :)

Catch Up

2008-04-24T23:49:00.000-07:00

ok... so I was suppose to post these pictures a while ago... and well... I didn't... and now I have people asking me to update! So here are a few of our fun things. For Valentine's Day I got Justin tickets to the Giants Opening Day on April 9th. Soooo.... we packed up some snacks and hit the City... with hopes to ring in the new baseball season with a bang. No dice. The Giants lost big time... and we were sad. BUT... we had our first hot dog of the season... and enjoyed the sun. Justin has mentioned to me that MAYBE he will consider being a A's fan... which I am. We shall see. Our pic is of our tickets. :)

Next picture is of a yummy cake that our friend Kelly made for us. Our good friends Alison and Bryan threw us a couples BBQ... which gave us a chance to see what the married social circle is like. We had a great time with our friends and ate some SERIOUS food. At the end of the day, everyone stood around us and prayed for us and our future together. That meant a lot to Justin and I. We will need great friends to support us as we embark on our lives together! Thanks to all the fun couples who made the day great!

Next is a simple yet goofy pic of Easter Egg Dying. Yes.. it's late... but oh well. Justin and I went over to my parents for the annual Easter Egg Dying evening. Oh so fun. By the time we got there... Billy was already stained by the dye of his "Tye Dye" egg kit. He was head to toe in glitter too... never knew I would say that! Justin purchased his signature egg dye... Camo. Which actually made the Easter Egg Hunt rather challenging. Gina and I were simply on a mission... dye the eggs... and go watch tv. :) But over all... we had a FUN time. This was a great time spent with the Linse's! Here is our pic!

Welcome!

2008-04-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

This blog has been going on for about a month, but I know we will have a few new readers over the next few weeks! So welcome to tracking the adventures of Sara and Justin. We are just 4 weeks out from our wedding date... and 6 from our reception! We are getting settled in our new home... well... i don't get to sleep there yet... but I get to use the new blender, coffee maker and roasting pan! This is an exciting time for us... and for our friends and family. Yesterday I tried on my dress... and well it's just dandy. Justin's suit needs an alteration... and he needs some shiny shoes... then I think we are ready to roll!

We are having a private ceremony with our immediate families on the 16th... and then a HUGE party on the 30th. WE CAN'T WAIT for that!

Over these past few months we have enjoyed preparing for this special time... with our families and our friends. Thank you to each of you who have helped in the festivities!

So... here is a job for each and everyone of you. Be praying. Pray for a sweet time together during these final weeks. Pray that we don't allow the busyness to steal the joy. Pray for our families as they prepare to join together. Pray for guidance as Justin and I prepare our hearts for marriage.

So yeah! There ya go!

We promise to update you on all the things going on these next few weeks... enjoy and chuckle a bit if you please.

2008-04-02T22:58:00.000-07:00

Justin deserved a big treat last Tuesday. He came home with a plaque in hand, with very high accolades. He won an award among his peers at work. I was super proud... and so I made him a cake... and then made him pose for an embarassing picture. What a trooper. They have been very impressed with the work he is doing at his store... especially since he has only been at the store for 6 weeks. He has turned the team around, as well as done well with his sales. He is a true trainer and leader. I am proud. You should be too. Go Coffee Boy.

2008-03-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

Last Monday we decided that it was time to find our honeymoon suite. So we hopped in the car and headed to Half Moon Bay for the afternoon. After looking at several places we finally found the perfect place! Our families will be able to stay in the same inn... and it will be just perfect! After all the hotel hunting... we decided to head down the coast to meet the Madsen's for dinner in Santa Cruz. On our way... we stopped ten millions times... we couldn't get enough of God's beauty!

So this picture above is one of the stops... not too sure where it is... think Pescadero. It was so beautiful... we sat there for awhile... snapping some photos.

We headed into Santa Cruz had a great meal and made our way home. What a great day we had!

2008-03-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday we headed out to Santa Cruz for a day off. It was wonderful. We did some shopping and then watched the surfers at Steamers. The waves were awesome. At sunset, I took a picture of the Cypress trees... because it reminded me of where we are getting married. We both loved the view.

We then headed to my longtime friend's house.... Anjanette and Greg! We had a wonderful time with them...and enjoyed a great great meal.

We are getting excited for the big day... it's only 70 days away. I knew that thanks to Jason's widgets on his computer. We have a lot to do, but I am sure that it will all get done! The good news is.... our honeymoon is all booked and ready to roll! That brings a smile to my face... and probably to Justin too.

So yeah... just wanted to post the picture... and place something new on the blog. Read Justin's story about us below. Very sweet.

My Story......

2008-03-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

I met Sara.

She smiled.

It was so simple. So innocent.

Yet, I was captivated.

I wasn't expecting to meet her.

Although I had hoped and dreamed....

that someday....I would.

Then I did.

When I least expected it.

She is the deepest desire of my heart.

She is the one meant for me.

Her strengths make up for my weaknesses.

Her voice soothes and calms me.

Her presence relaxes me.

Her words and thoughts inspire me.

She is for me.

I am for her.

It was her all along.

I thank her for smiling that night,

it changed my life forever.

My sweet Sara: It has always been you, I have always loved you.

How we became 'we'

2008-02-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

This is my story: (justin can post his own)

I saw Justin months and months ago at SuperFranks... at my 30th birthday party. Because every 30th birthday party should be at a 'pumped up' chuckie cheese family venue. So yeah... I knew who he was, because my roommate spoke about him a lot. In my mind I was interested... but he had been in a relationship... and yeah. So... I shot him a big smile... which I think won him over... and then waited. A few days later, we ran into each other at church... and mentioned how we should grab coffee and talk about my past trip to Israel. yeah yeah.

He went into class (School of Ministry), and I went out to his car and placed my business card on the window. It said "Let's get together and talk about Israel". (I am so nuts!)

A few days later... he sent me an email... then brought me a present for my birthday... and a few more dates and boom..... I bolted. As normal. Just as things go well... I run.

I headed to Africa for three weeks and prayed about Justin and I. I came home... still rather skiddish and fearful. We spoke a few times... watched some fireworks on 4th of July and then walked away from each other.

One day, I was with one of my friends and I saw him walking out of the church.... and I felt a twinge in my heart... like a bit of sadness. I missed the boy. I was wishing I could talk to him. So... a few days later... I approached him and asked him to go to a baseball game. We had an incredible evening... and slowly my heart was wrapping around his. A few months needed to go by for me to get used to a boy loving me the way Justin does. On August 12th, I really came to a place of healing from past relationships. I called him on the phone... and said "I love you". I had said it one other time... but this came from the deepest place in my heart. I haven't thought any differently since.

Justin fits. perfectly.

That's my story.

It was his idea...

2008-02-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Justin has been bugging me these past few weeks for a 'blog'. I don't think he wants people to 'blog' about us... but I think he likes the idea of a place that we can document our lives. I am a Facebook junkie but there is something about posting your engaged and married life on Facebook that just seems wierd. So today is the day.

I am feeling rather lazy and not motivated to do too much... a blog is a perfect waste of time for me at this moment.

SO whomever shall read this fun mess... enjoy. Our lives are constantly full of adventure. We love our family and are blessed by our friends. And from here on out... this is a cool way for us to keep them all up to date on our lives!