Treehouse

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you've already seen this first picture and read about how wonderful my husband is... if not, let me tell how wonderful my husband is!!!

He surprised me with a 3-day getaway to a treehouse bed and breakfast place because he knows how much I love both : surprises and treehouses.  It's a dream of mine to one day live in a tree like Swiss Family Robinson =).  Enjoy some photos that hardly do this place justice.

This was such a special time with my two loves!

Thank you Tonio for always winning in the best-husband-ever department =)!!!

(and best-daddy-ever)

Jesus, I can't imagine life without these two amazing people in my life.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.  I give you praise for your goodness to us.

Love Linz

ps.  If you're curious, here is the website of the B&B : orionbb.com

oh, and did I mention, he bought me a massage too?!!!

Gunther !

Many of you already know Gunther.  He's my faithful travel buddy that I made at build-a-bear in 2002 (no, I was not a little girl, I was almost a university-graduate - ha!)


Well, Gunther is the "groom" to my cabbage patch kid, Rachel Esmeralda (I didn't name her - she came with that name).  I was asked to do the window display for the bookstore, so I went with the marriage theme, since so many weddings often occur in the summer time.

You'll notice Rachel Esmeralda has a white wedding gown on.  I'm not a great seamstress, but I can whip out a doll dress in a pinch (just don't look at the back).

Here is a shot of the final decorations with the books on display.  Sorry about the reflection in the window.

They are holding a book translated from English, called "Sacred Marriage," (English // French) which I highly recommend to any married couple no matter how many years you've been married.

Translation : Did you know... that marriage is mentioned over 100 times in the Bible?  ...that Jesus did his first miracle at a wedding?  ...that God instituted marriage at the beginning of time?  ...that Jesus is going to prepare a wedding feast at the end of time?

A few books and a verse.

More books and another verse.


I've been working here about 2 years, and people stop ALL the time to look at the window display.  I'm hoping this one gives them a better idea of what marriage is and how God intended it.  And perhaps they'll find a nice card and maybe a book or pretty white Bible for a couple that's getting married this summer =).

Love Linz

Flat AUSTYN

Have you ever heard of Flat Stanley?

you can read a little about the book HERE

well, I received Flat AUSTYN in the mail in early January

she came from southern California, so she was used to the sun

she enjoyed all the old statues and monuments

and she came to work with me at the Christian Bible bookstore

a must-see when visiting Nice, France, the Negresco Hotel

the Mediterranean Sea, a little different than the Pacific Ocean

Gunther made a new friend

she came to get a café and a croissant with me and Tonio

she watched Tonio's soccer game

and of course, every country has one

another friend

she really liked Nice's outdoor marché

and Notre Dame, a smaller Nice version

she bought herself a cute t-shirt =)

 

i think maybe UN-flat Austyn might come to visit one day

meet real Austyn !

she made a beautiful display board with all of Flat Austyn's memories

and here is real Austyn sharing with her class about her Flat-Self's adventure in Nice, France

{as you can see, she's wearing her "I Love Nice" shirt - makes me so  happy}

Austyn is the daughter of one of my old university roommates.

I was honored to be in her wedding so many years ago, 

and now honored to be a small part of her kids lives.  

Love you Shauna.

Thankful for opportunities like these.

Seemingly small, but mean the world to both parties.

When is the last time you wrote a letter to a child?

I admit, I have a stack of letters in the "write back" pile.

One is from a child, and I think that one shall be priority.

Love 

Linz