erin.&.jerms

A birthday to Remember!

2012-01-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOSH I HAD SUCH A GOOD BIRTHDAY!

Y'all don't even know.

It began with an amazing Saturday night with friends.

My beautiful Portland friends surprised me at one of my favorite vegan spots for dinner and then we all went to Karaoke!

You guys, I really love Karaoke. A lot.

We had our own private room and I sang Lady Gaga's "you & i" like my life depended on it. All our friends are fabulous at Karaoke so the night was a blast and I wish it could've gone on forever!

The next day was a relaxing one. Jeremy played soccer and I worked on grad school stuff.

Monday morning I woke up to a wonderful breakfast. My husband is the greatest.

I took my sweet time getting ready and was greeted by our wonderful housemates and a bouquet of fruit from my parents. Very cute.

Next Jer took me shopping!! My wonderful in laws and sister in law treated me to a new pair of TOMS and a fabulous lunch at Native Foods Cafe.

After a fun day of shopping we went home for a little R&R with our son.

Then came dinner at Blossoming Lotus. I was so excited because this place is SOOO good! I wore the new tights I got in my Christmas stocking.

We had live nachos which are my favorite, a Thai BBQ salad which was amazing and a raw lemon coconut cheezcake for dessert.

It was a beautiful evening. And the cherry on top of my beautiful day??

We are going here for our anniversary:

BOOM!!! SO EXCITED!!

Thank you to all of you who wished me a happy birthday.

It was very very happy.

Holidays and Thoughts on Family

2012-01-08T01:41:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

It's been a while since we updated you all on our life.

We are enjoying a mild winter in Portland and just got back from 10 days in California with family.

It was so wonderful to celebrate Christmas in Dublin and Sonora, and New Years in Bakersfield.

As usual we were spoiled rotten with gifts and delicious meals while we were home. This year, however, my sister, Jeremy and I did a little spoiling of our own.

For Christmas we had our old home movies put on DVDs for my mom.

On Christmas morning (and throughout the week) we all sat around and watched home movies. Honestly, it was hard to pull ourselves away. It was amazing to see my sister and myself as little girls, to see my parents when they were 28 years old, and to see my nana who passed away when I was only 4 years old.

Needless to say, it was a very emotional Christmas.

It made me think about the future a lot and how fast time goes by.

How simple moments with a loved one captured on a video tape someday might be all you have left of them.

This trip to California was a reminder of how important family is.

Jeremy and I get so frustrated with our jobs and I will worry so much about money and the future, but when I remember our family- I am comforted.

We have such a wonderful and loving family.

I think I'm growing up because for the first time I am feeling like it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have children. Now I'm not saying we are wanting that now or even thinking about it, but when I look at my family and the memories we've shared...I want more.

For now though, we are making some beautiful memories in our little apartment in Portland. Jeremy, Tony and myself are pretty content with our life here and I am so thankful for what we have.

I have no idea what 2012 will bring but I am certain it will be filled with wonderful moments that I will cherish for a lifetime.

Happy 2012.

Our Second Thanksgiving

2011-11-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

We haven't posted anything in a bit so sorry if you thought we were dead.

Well we're alive and well and getting pumped for the Holidays!

This Thanksgiving we flew down to the bay and enjoyed some time with both the Ho's and Agenjo's.

We decorated the tree and tortured the dog.

We hung out with old friends and new babies.

Took some glam shots.

And killed it in karaoke with some of the coolest people you'll ever meet.

The was wonderful and we are looking forward to Christmas!

Where does the time go?

2011-10-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

I just stumbled upon this video we made when we were engaged.

So crazy.

How has it been 2 years since we got engaged?

A lot has changed...but we're still good looking ;)

A year in Blueberry Pancakes.

2011-09-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

A little over a year ago, I was making blueberry pancakes in Bar Harbor, Maine. We were on vacation right before we were moving to Portland, Oregon. That week I was consumed with the anticipation of the unknown. We were supposed to be relaxing and exploring a new place but I couldn't relax knowing that in a few days we would be leaving the place I had called home all my life and moving to a place where I only knew 2 other people. Who would I be there? How would our marriage succeed without the foundation we were leaving? Would I find music in Portland? Would we find jobs? I tried not to think about all of my swirling questions.

I remembered these feelings this morning while I was making blueberry pancakes in our little kitchen. It's been a year since we packed up our things and our cat and drove 11 hours to our new home. It has been a year of new friends and missing our old ones. A year of learning to drive stick shift and stalling in unfamiliar places. A year of growing in marriage and making adult decisions.

This time last year I was so nervous about the road before us. But as we now embark on our second year in Portland, I feel a new found confidence. We may endure disappointments and discouragements or we may enjoy all the fruit of our labor and see prayers answered. Either way, it will be another year of doing life together. We will wake up each morning and be thankful that we have breath in our lungs, a roof over our heads and vegan pizza on our plates.

Thanks to all of you who have been supporting us this last year. We love you big time.

love.love.love.

E&J

Butter to my bread, breath to my life.

2011-08-28T00:51:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have been pretty busy.

We went to Seattle and hung out with Jeremy's parents which was awesome.

Then we came back to Portland with some wonderful friends.

The week was filled with eating out, laughter, and a lot of me trying to keep Jeremy in the dark about his upcoming birthday dinner!

On his actual birthday we went to karaoke with friends.

We brought doughnuts :)

Then The weekend rolled around and Jeremy's fam flew into town including Haley and Stacey!

We had a blast and ended the visit with a surprise dinner for Jeremy.

It was a great night.

One of the presents Jeremy received was our wedding video made by Haley!

After everyone left we watched it.

I totally cried watching it and it wasn't for the reasons I would've guessed.

I watched my dad walk me down the aisle and I remembered what I was thinking and how little I knew then.

How little we both knew.

I feel like I'm far more intimidated by the magnitude of marriage now than I was back then.

It's so huge and definite and sometimes you don't even know if you'll make it through that day together let alone the next year or 60 years.

But tonight we laughed with friends in a city that we've lived in for almost a year and I reflected on all that we have done in our partnership.

We have yet to see the fruit of our labor but we know that we're better for it all.

We're still growing a lot and becoming better spouses and it is really tough.

But I'm proud of where we've come from and the road we've taken ownership of.

This is our story together and as individuals and we are ready for whatever comes next.

love.love.love.

e&j

Still movin..

2011-08-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry...I'm slow at this thing.

We've been super busy with lots of company.

We've enjoyed visitors from Santa Cruz and the bay and a couple weeks ago I got to see my fam in VEGAS!

It was SO good to see my cousins. Two of them, Maria & Nina, had both been living in Spain. I hadn't seen either of them in almost a year! We had a blast together.

I am totally asleep in the picture but it's still a great shot of everyone.

You're probably familiar with this girl.

Uncle Allan was very excited about this.

It was amazing to see everyone though unfortunately, Jeremy couldn't make the trip.

But we toasted him at dinner and celebrated.

These past few weeks have been filled with company.

This weekend we go to Seattle to meet up with Maj & Faj Ho and then we get to celebrate Jeremy's birthday in a week!

What a month!

love.love.love.

The Ho's

What's New With The Ho's

2011-07-30T14:09:00.000-07:00

It's been far too long since we've updated those of you interested (which may only be our mothers) on our recent happenings. Last month we ventured back to the bay for some much needed time with family and friends. We danced at a wedding, ate bread at Tartine and enjoyed a barbecue with the best people.

It was crazy to see all my friends pregnant or carrying babies. We had a blast!

We then returned to Portland for some beautiful summer weather. We went berry picking with friends have had lots of snuggles with Tony.

Next week Erin heads to Vegas to meet up with some family.

More updates and pictures to come!

The Hohengartens invade Canada

2011-06-22T15:41:00.000-07:00

Where can you find delicious food, beautiful hikes and tons of attractive people?

Why, Vancouver of course!

Vancouver, British Columbia that is.

We made the 5 hour drive up to Vancouver last weekend and had a blast!

After checking into our hotel, we road our bikes to Stanley Park.

The path around the park was so beautiful.

The next day we went to a vegan bakery for breakfast and then to Granville Island.

We really enjoyed walking around the market and the beautiful island.

After the island, we visited "the drive". Here we had a delicious lunch and walked around cool little shops. My sweet friend Dalene recommended that we visit the Sweet Cheribim Bakery so we stopped by. It was so delicious! I had a nanaimo bar which is a very Canadian treat- so good!

We walked around downtown and saw the damage done by the rioters. There were tons of love notes written to Vancouver all over the damage. A lot of the people we met were deeply saddened by the rioting and the damage, this seemed to be a wide spread sentiment...

We walked around Gastown which I guess is kinda like old town?

It was there that I encountered my first Mountie.

We had a blast!

On our way home we stopped in Seattle for some lunch at our favorite place: Wayward Vegan Cafe.

After that we got some treats at Pikes Place including Turkish Delight which I very much enjoyed!

It was a fabulous weekend- we can't wait for more adventures!

"The HohenGARDEN"

2011-06-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

Well, we are real Oregonians now.

We have our very own garden!

We had been talking about growing a garden for a while now but it was Jeremy who finally executed the plan.

Jeremy made the planter box out of scrap wood and we got the other materials from the portland nursery.

Jeremy cleared a space in the yard while Tony and I supervised ;)

We spent a really long time at the nursery trying to figure out what we could grow.

I really wanted to grow artichokes but we decided to start with some vegetables that were a little more difficult to murder.

We planted tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, thai peppers, basil, thyme and cilantro.

We even did a little gorilla gardening and planted some lettuce in another corner of the yard.

We are very excited to eat whatever our garden grows.

We will keep you posted on when deliciousness it rears!

The Best Day.

2011-06-04T22:07:00.000-07:00

Today was, in a word, perfect.

The day began with us waking up to sunshine and 80 degree weather.

We lounged in the back yard for a while and soaked it in.

I then gave jeremy a hair cut and we were off!

We road our bikes to Lloyd center and took the Max to the PSU farmers market where we enjoyed samples, people watching and popsicles.

Next we road across the Hawthorne bridge and got to see all the boaters out enjoying the sunshine.

We road east on Hawthorne to one of our favorite spots: Por Que No.

We sat outside for a bit and enjoyed delicious agua frescas and ran into some friends with whom we enjoyed some tasty food.

After we let our food digest, we road back home.

Let me tell you that a tummy full of guac and beach cruiser moving up hill is a bad combination.

But we made it back and relaxed for a bit with our baby.

I found strawbs growing in the backyard.

And Jeremy started drawing up the plans on some planter boxes.

We then headed off to our local coop to grab some much needed supplies.

Once home, I made some crostini with the bread jeremy brought home from the bakery and topped with some delicious pesto also made by my huz.

While we snacked we made some tasty dinner of grilled asparagus, pizza and salad and enjoyed it while sitting on the deck out back.

Perfect end to a perfect day.

OH WAIT!

We also enjoyed homemade ice cream sandwiches made entirely by husband, assembled by wife ;)

Now we're watching pirate radio and snuggling on the couch.

So yeah, a pretty perfect day.

Feel free to come up for a visit and we'll try to duplicate it :)

love.love.love.

E&J

Real Life

2011-05-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

It seems like a lot has happened in the past few months.
While at the same time it seems like nothing has really happened.
Life was a bit of a rollercoaster for a little while...
I got an email about a month and a half ago telling me that I did not get into graduate school.

I was a lot more disappointed than I thought I would have been.
Graduate school was our motivation for moving away from friends and family and moving to rainy Portland.
I was ready for my career to start. I was ready for a change. I was ready to take control of my life.
And then with an email it all suddenly seemed over.
What now?

I felt defeated and lost and poor Jeremy was trying to keep up with my crazy spiral.
There were a lot of bad days.
Days where I asked Jeremy if we could move back to the bay area.
Days where I cried to Jeremy and whined to God; I wasn't playing music that much, I wasn't going back to school, I was far from my friends, I could barely drive our stick shift and I felt purpose-less at my job..

This went on for a couple weeks.
Then one day something happened.
My boss asked if I would lead a group for teenage girls over the summer.
I gladly said yes, at first just to be cooperative, but then I felt something.
I think I can accurately describe it as a physical change. I felt a little lighter.
A few days later the sun came out. It was amazing.
We went for a long bike ride together (jer and I...not my boss and I) and it felt like medicine!

I started driving to work by myself and feeling more confident with the stick shift.
I was playing music more and recording songs. (check out my most recent recording below)

I played my first open mic!
Slowly but surely I began to realize I was coming back to who I was.

I had been begging God to fix my life and before I realized it, it had happened.
I don't know how and I can't put my finger on the exact change but everything just looks brighter.
Our marriage seems stronger.
We as individuals seem stronger.

In the last few weeks God has not only blessed us with sunshine and joy but Jeremy was offered an apprenticeship at a local bakery.
Though he doesn't love waking up at 3:30AM (!!!!), he is learning a lot and enjoying his experience there. He has been extremely busy these days: he is watching Aiden two days a week, volunteering at our local coop, climbing at the climbing gym and trying to get a job there, volunteering at the nearby raceway and still booking weddings to shoot!
Needless to say, our time together lately has been sacred.

Throughout the last several months, I have been reading L. B. Cowman's Streams in the Desert. Something that gave me strength was a passage about waiting. This poem by J. Danson Smith really encapsulates where I feel we are in life right now. We are waiting on God, with excitement and joy, for whatever is next.

Waiting! Yes, patiently waiting!

Till next steps made plain will be;

To hear, with inner hearing,

The Voice that will call for me.

Waiting! Yes, hopefully waiting!

With hope that need not grow dim;

The Master is pledged to guide me,

And my eyes are unto Him.

Waiting! Yes, Expectantly waiting!

Perhaps it may be today

The Master will quickly open

The gate to my future way.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! still waiting!

I know, though I've waited long;

That, while He withholds His purpose,

His waiting cannot be wrong.

Waiting! Yes, waiting! Still, waiting!

The Master will not be late;

Since He knows that I am waiting

For Him to unlatch the gate.

.Family.

2011-04-10T23:33:00.000-07:00

We recently enjoyed a wonderful visit from my parents.

Maj & Faj with the lovely Portland Convention Canter... & sun!

Jeremy & Aiden admiring Multnomah Falls

Maj & Faj at Multnomah Falls...Maj is cold.

We had a blast!
I was very proud of myself- I did not cry when they left.

I think it's getting easier for me to be a grown up.

It has been a tough adjustment though.

I miss my family and a twelve hour drive to see them seems like a million years.

But Jeremy and I are becoming each other's family.

On our wedding day, we told one another that we would and now we really are!

It's so strange for me to not be in the bay area and not be near my family...
And to not be an Agenjo!

But I see the daily transformation of this relationship and I'm so happy that we are in Portland.
We're pretty thankful.
Our family rules.
Soon we'll be in San Diego with the other half of our wonderful fam.
Photos to follow!
xoxoxo
erin.&.jerms

Absence Makes The Heart...

2011-03-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a busy week in France.

It was a trip filled with wonderful people and beautiful scenery.

I was so thankful to have the opportunity to go but I really missed Jeremy.

For me, being away from home has always been a reminder of how wonderful home is.

Now that I have a husband, being away is a reminder of how wonderful our marriage is.

Sure, we have hard times and moments where we need some space...

but France is a little too much space I think.

However, taking that space allows us to come back together in a new way.

Our reunion at the Portland airport was glorious.

We both feel so refreshed and anxious to spend time together.

It's a great feeling to have someone to miss and it's an even greater feeling to not have to miss them!

love.love.love.

erin&jerms

Why We Love Our Little Family.

2011-03-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

Erin is leaving for France on Monday.

She has been recording some worship videos for the ministry she is serving out there.

This is our attempt at recording a serious, worshipful video.

Instead we ended up laughing a lot and trying to keep a cat quiet!

Also pretty worshipful ;)

one year!

2011-03-18T13:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we drove to the Oregon coast and celebrated our first year of marriage.

It's amazing that it's actually been a year.

It went by so quickly!

Here is a lil som'n som'n that jer put together of our wonderful weekend.

Enjoy.

Almost a Year...

2011-02-15T12:49:00.000-08:00

We've been married almost a year and it's been a whirlwind.
A really great whirlwind but a whirlwind just the same.
We've celebrated.
We've mourned.
We've moved.
we've argued.
We've laughed.
We've been silent.
We've really gone through a lot in our short 11 months of marriage and we are better people for it.

We went to a marriage forum last week at our church here in Portland.
We met another couple who in a year; met, got pregnant and married. They were explaining to us how different their lives looked than they had once pictured but how happy they were.
We listened to a man talk about how he communicates with his wife and how after 30 years of marriage they still don't quite have it right.

All of these interactions really encouraged us.
It seems like the general consensus on marriage is that it's wonderful.. and really hard and scary and beautiful and meaningful and sometimes you're totally lost.

Last night we had a wonderful Valentine's Day and rented The Kids Are Alright.

I really enjoyed it and there was a scene that really stuck with me.
Julianne Moore comes before her family and says some profane yet eloquent words:
(spoiler alert: this may give away some of the plot..)

"Your mom and I are in hell right now and the bottom line is marriage is hard. It’s really fuckin’ hard. It’s just two people slogging through the shit, year after year, getting older, changing — fucking marathon, okay? So sometimes, you know, you’re together so long you stop seeing the other person, you just see weird projections of your own junk. Instead of talking to each other, you go off the rails, and act grubby, and make stupid choices, which is what I did. And I feel sick about it because I love you guys, and your mom, and that’s the truth. And sometimes you hurt the ones you love the most, and I don’t know why. You know, if I read more Russian novels… Anyway… I just wanted to say how sorry I am for what I did. I hope you’ll forgive me eventually. Thank you."

I just found this very real.
Every married person knows marriage is tough but I hope that people also see how wonderful and important it is.
If you are reading this and are single or are engaged I hope this doesn't freak you out like it would've freaked me out a few years ago.
I've learned that the bumps and tough stuff you deal with in marriage are what give your marriage character and endurance.
I also have to say that I know I couldn't be married without my God and Savior guiding me every single minute of every day.

There are a million more things I could say about marriage.
But I'll just simply say that I like it and I think I'm a better person for it.

xoxox
erin&jerms

Happy 2011!

2011-01-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

I can't believe 2010 is dead and gone.

Such an amazing year!

Now Jeremy and I are celebrating a new year in Oregon.

A year that will hopefully bring school, joy, new friends and lots of trips to visit family.

We're so looking forward to this next year and are praying that God will lead us every step of the way!

Here is a brief summary of our 2010:

Happy New Year & Many Happy Returns!

xoxoxo

The Ho's

Christmas time in Portland!

2010-12-20T20:38:00.000-08:00

The twinkle lights are up, Christmas cards have gone out, and Bing Crosby's voice is filling the house.

Love it.

We're so excited for our first Christmas together and all the treats we're going to eat!

We can't wait to fly home for Christmas tomorrow.

So excited!

More to come.

xoxox

Thanksgiving & Christmas Aspirations

2010-11-29T22:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

We had a fantastic Thanksgiving with family.

We braved the long snowy drive to the bay area and enjoyed an Awesome-town dinner with both the Ho's and Agenjo's plus lots more.

Including Moose, my mom's new puppy!

Then we drove East to Sonora to spend time with the Ho's.

It was so nice to just relax with family and enjoy Joyce & Donn's amazing food and hospitality.

Now that we're back home, it's back to business.

I start a new job tomorrow which we are very excited about.

I also have very good intentions of getting Christmas cards out soon.

My main priority, however, is getting stoked on CHRISTMAS!

I made a list of every Christmas movie I want to watch before the season is over:

(in no particular order)

1. White Christmas

2. Muppet's Christmas Carol

3. Elf

4. Love Actually

5. Meet Me in St. Louis

6. Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas

7. Home Alone

8. Rudolph the red nosed Reindeer

9. It's A Wonderful Life

10. Nightmare before Christmas

11. The Santa Clause

12. Miracle on 34th Street

13. Christmas Vacation

14. A Christmas Story

15. Holiday Inn

16. Scrooged

17. Christmas in Connecticut

18. Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I am determined to watch everyone!

Let us know if you have any recommendations.

Merry Christmas :)

Vegan Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our time spent at Sherwood Cooperative this weekend.

There was so much amazing vegan food- we loved it!

This day hecka ruled!

Now onto California for our next Thanksgiving :)

We love him

2010-10-26T23:54:00.000-07:00

This cat may be the closest we ever come to having a baby.

We love him.

A lot.

Animals seriously are amazing.

Everyone should have a Tony.

We love him muchness.

love.love.love.

E+J

Northwestern Adventures!

2010-10-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

We've been taking in a lot of Portland and Seattle lately.

We've been playing with Aiden lots. He's super cute and loves Tony.

We went to Sauvie Island this past week.

It's this really beautiful area in North Portland.

There's farms and pumpkin patches and tons and tons of open land.

The weather up here has been beautiful so we took Aiden for a bit.

Super fun.

This past weekend we went to Seattle.

It's pretty awesome that we're only two and a half hours away.

We got to see Vince and Brittany and explore beautiful Discovery Park.

Brittany took us to a bombdotcom restaurant called Portage Cafe.

We ate a lot.

We had an awesome weekend and we can't wait to go back!

My parents come in a couple weekends and we're stoked.

So is Tony.

He misses his grandparents big time.

Come visit us soon!

Erin's food blog

2010-10-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

It's time to put all these food photos to good use.
Follow the new blog!

http://soimarriedavegan.tumblr.com/

Our Portland Home

2010-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

It has taken us a couple weeks but we have finally moved in to our new home in Portland, Oregon.

Here's the tour!

First- the kitchen.

We have a dishwasher, people! So exciting.

We also have an amazing giant pantry that actually holds all our stuff- we are in love!

Next, the living room.

This is a huge space and we've had fun decorating.

We hung wedding photos on the wall and got an awesome-town sectional!

The TV is actually in the fireplace but we'd like to hang it eventually.

The bedroom-

No curtains yet.

This is our super red bathroom.

I thought I would not pick it up so you get the sense that we really live here.

like a real tour..

And of course the Pièce de résistanc- the laundry room!

PTL.

We are really enjoying our new place.

Come and visit soon- you can snuggle Tony!

Whirlwind

2010-09-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

So a lot has happened in the past month.

There was Houseboats, which had been my main focus and task for the summer.

It was a great success and we were glad to see it come and go.

Then we both became unemployed (which was our own choosing I should add).

After that we had an entire week to pack everything we own and get it out of our little apartment.

We officially moved out of our first married apartment, took Tony to the kennel and flew to Maine.
Not to move there but to work a little.

As luck would have it, one of us is very talented and was asked to shoot a wedding in beautiful Maine.
The other just got to come along.

We stayed in an adorable one bedroom cottage in Acadia National Park.

A.K.A

the most beautiful place in the United States.

For reals.

Jeremy did a fantastic job and the bride and groom were thrilled with his work.

The next day we picked up his family from the airport and the five of us are now staying on Mt. Desert Island in beautiful Maine.

We then flew home from Maine, made a quick and very unfortunate stop in Atlanta (thank you, Delta), and were home with just enough time to see some wonderful friends before driving up to Portland, Or the very next day.

We're here!
Finally.
After so much anticipation, so many prayers and so many tears (specifically mine).
We are in Portland.
We know this will take some getting used to.
I'm nannying which is not a personal strength.
We are unpacking and organizing and trying to take in some sights and hopefully meet some wonderfuls along the way.
It's a busy time but one we are hoping and praying that God will bless and enrich as we seek Him in Portland.
Who knows what is next but we are excited!
...and a little tired.
And nervous.
Ok we're a lot of things.

If you feel lead, please pray that the Oregon job market is kind to us and that we enjoy the downtime we have until employment comes to play.

We miss all of you in California and we love you so so much!
Please come visit us <3

This Never Gets Old

2010-08-17T18:14:00.000-07:00

My sister works for Utterly Engaged.

We were featured in this months issue.

The article was written by my beautiful sister, Emily.

So talented.

So smart.

So HOT!

The article mentions my wonderful friends Alana, Dalene and Emily and their brilliant gifts.

We're so lucky to have such great people.

Check Out Utterly Engaged by Clicking Here!

Cat Model

2010-08-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

We leave for Maine in 14 days!

Off to shoot a wedding and enjoy the beautiful east coast.

I've been practicing taking pictures using Tony as a model.

What a winner.

We kinda love him.

Soon I will be shooting people!

....

With a camera.

Photography is not something I am naturally good at.

So I'm hoping I will be able acquire a small amount of skill very soon.

I have some time because Sunday is my last day of work (!!!!)

After Maine we head to Portland to start a new married adventure!

Things are changing so fast but it's all so very wonderful.

We're so excited to go!

We got a Tony

2010-07-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

So you probably remember my post about our friend, Tony.

He is a cat you loves us and comes to play with us every once in a while.

For awhile he wore a collar but then he didn't and seemed to be around a lot more.

After Beau died, Jeremy talked to Tony's mom and she said that he was never around.

So Jeremy asked if we could have him because we love him so much.

She said YES!

So we now have a Tony.

He's teaching me a lot about how cats and dogs are not the same.

I want to cuddle him all the time but I have to play it cool.

I guess cats like you more when you ignore them?

Weird.

Tony is also teaching me that I am allergic to cats.

Unfortunate.

I don't care...I already love him too much to ask him to leave.

Another interesting fact about Tony is that he is not a vegetarian.
Tony insists on having the grossest, smelliest food ever.
Oh, Tony...
Good thing we love you.

So now we are a family of two and a quarter.
I wish I could walk Tony around on a leash so everyone could see him but my mom has told me that that is something that crazy ladies do.
So you'll have to come over and pet him!
He's the best.

I have good genes

2010-07-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

My sister Emily writes for Utterly Engaged and just published their latest magazine where they featured weddings from different generations.

My parent's wedding is in this issue and it's amazing...ly hysterical!

Big hair and white tuxes.

Awesome.

Check it out!

Click here to travel back in time

Growing Up Is Hard To Do

2010-06-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

Today we had to say goodbye to Beau.

My family got Beau from the Tracy shelter when I was in the 6th grade.

These past couple months we watched his health decline.

My mom prayed he would hang on until Emily came home.

He did, barely, and we decided this weekend that we would have

someone come to the house to euthanize him on Monday night at 6pm.

The service is called "heaven from home" and it had a picture on the website of

human hands holding onto a dog's paw.

Today we spent the morning sitting outside with him in the shade.

We were all dreading 6pm.

My mom sat with him under the orange tree into the afternoon and held his little paw.

Around 1:30 he closed his eyes and stretched and then he was gone.

It was such a relief that he went on his own.

We all had a hard time dealing with the decision to put him down.

God's timing was perfect.

This experience has made me think so much about growing up.

I really like some parts...

getting married

not being in school

making decisions that I care about

Some parts I hate...like stressing myself out about money, thinking about health insurance or having to deicide whether or not I should be present when my dog is euthanized.

It sucks.

It all makes me think more about life and death and priorities.

It makes me grateful for the things I have.

I know that we are here and then we're gone.

So fast.

I'm so thankful that Jeremy and I get to do life together.

It is so wonderful to have a partner walk with you through the tough stuff.

I'm missing Beau so much but counting my blessings today.

We have some good people

2010-06-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

I could watch this video a million times.

We are so blessed by our friends and family.

That was pretty incredible day.

I'm glad we did that.

We love you guys.

Wedding Addiction.

2010-06-08T09:32:00.000-07:00

I, Erin, am quite addicted to my own wedding.

But how can I not be?

We had OUTSTANDING photographers and vendors that made our day incredible.

Check out these sites that are featuring our wedding today!

One Love Photo

and

100 Layer Cake

I've already looked at them...maybe 40 times this morning?

Someone, please disconnect our internet!

just in case you haven't seen it yet...

2010-05-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

our wedding pictures are AMAZING!

thanks ONE LOVE PHOTO!

click here to see our slideshow!

where is my basset hound?

2010-05-17T22:39:00.000-07:00

We need a pet.

We can't really have one yet.

I've made numerous requests for a basset hound...
but he hasn't come yet.

Luckily, fate heard our cry.
Meet Tony.

He loves us a lot.
He meows at our door until we let him in to cuddle.

He has a home but we think he's a latchkey kid
-starved for attention.

If you come and visit us you'll probably meet Tony.

He's here a lot.

Though he's not to be confused with my dad... Tony the human.

We love him and wish we could take him with us to our next home.

::stay tuned for info on our next residence::

If Tony's owner is reading this...please don't hate us.
He started it.

a little ingrid for ya..

2010-04-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

We are learning this song for EPIC (youth group) tomorrow.
We thought we'd give you a sneak peak!

They way I am- Ingrid Michaelson

You and Me is lucky to be us

2010-04-15T15:59:00.000-07:00

Married life is pretty wonderful.

We feeling pretty lucky.

(Hense the South Pacific quote...marriage makes me crave musicals)

We've been cooking A LOT.

We spend a lot of time in the kitchen and eat our way through most days.

Not complaining.

Our goal is to some day write our own cookbook!

So it's not really goal yet... more like a dream.

But that dream has become more attainable, post-wedding.

We received so many awesome kitchen gadgets and tools...

we are killing it.

We've made curries and breads and ice cream!!!

Yesterday we made a sweet basil ice cream.

I was a skeptic.

But it was really delicious.

Last night we made quiche.

It was SO good.

Super easy.

And yummy.

One of our favorites is homemade pizza.

PTL for pizza stones....am i right people!?

::NOTE::

For those of you who have experienced the horror of vegan cheese,

we bring good news.

Daiya cheese is a revelation!

It actually melts and is pretty much the bomb.dot.com.

Our local whole foods just started carrying it.

I almost peed my pants with joy.

check it out-

http://www.daiyafoods.com/

We are having so much fun.

We will have you all over for dinner just as soon as we get chairs for you to sit in :)

WE DID IT!

2010-03-25T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yes, people.

We are married.

It is pretty crazy.

Our honeymoon was awesome.

We relaxed.

Ate.

Got sunburnt.

Did nothing.

It was awesome.

Now we're home

And it all has yet to set in completely.

We have yet to fully grasp that we are actually married.

But there are indications that, indeed, we are husband and wife.

1. We are living together now.

Big change.

All our stuff is in this small apartment in P-town.

There are a lot of jeremy things and a lot of erin things and they're all inter-mingling.

I am currently looking at our coffee table which has a cosmo mag resting on top of a book called: "Dinotopia: journey to Chandara".

That pretty much sums it up.

I think one of the cool parts about not living together before you get married is that when you are flying home from your honeymoon you're kinda bummed but then you're like "Oh wait!...we get to live together now!"

So you're way less bummed.

We even have a door mat with an H on it.

This leads us to indication number two...

2. My last name is different.

I know that Agenjo's across the globe are grieving the loss but I am a Hohengarten now.

Ho.Hen.Gar.Ten.

This definitely has not set in yet.

Indication 3: Jeremy is wearing a ring.

It's pretty cool.

We'll just be sitting around and then I see his ring and remember... "oh woah! we're hecka married!"

evidence:

4. We own a crock pot now.

I want to figure it out.

It's a mystery to me.

That and the pressure cooker...

and the bread maker.

There is something about owning these appliances that makes me feel very wife-like.

Like I have this new urge to have homemade bread waiting for my husband when he gets home from work.

It makes us excited to cook so much more together.

The last thing is: That kick ass wedding.

Our wedding was nothing short of AMAZING.

We are so thankful and felt so loved.

It was the best day of our lives.

You definitely know you're married when you can't dream about your wedding anymore.

But all wedding fantasies were totally fulfilled with ours!

So good.

We will keep you posted on our lives post wedding and honeymoon.

I'm sure there are more amazing things to come.

A bride and groom's call to becoming expert crafters.

2010-01-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

You learn some interesting things about yourself while planning a wedding.

One of them being that you are way craftier that you once thought.

You suddenly know the lay out of all crafts stores and you are incredibly passionate about burlap.

We have been crafting the crap out of life here at the Agenjo household.

Every where you look there are mason jars, stickers, stamps and receipts from fabric and craft stores.

We've made several trips to Michael's and even picked up a large photo-booth backdrop that we will soon be slaving over.

We are far from finished but have made some nice progress.

We also have been doing tons of stuff to our apartment which is exciting.

And by "we," I mean Jeremy.

He has become very resourceful and has crafted many useful things out of less useful things.

It's really a lot of fun.

It's easy to get stressed out but I think we're enjoying it more than stressing which is good.

And the good news is....

March 13th is SO CLOSE!

Stepping Stones Walk/Run: Come!!

2010-01-26T16:59:00.000-08:00

We are supporting Jeremy's place of work, Stepping Stones Growth Center, at their 8th Annual Walk/Run..

Check out our personal fundraising website!

http://www.firstgiving.com/erinandjerms

And here's more information about the non profit Jeremy works at:

http://steppingstonesgrowth.org/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/San-Leandro-CA/Stepping-Stones-Growth-Center/29338719770

................

a song from us

2010-01-19T22:34:00.000-08:00

Jeremy wrote a song about our families coming together and our future and all things wonderful.

He also got me a ukulele for my birthday and we are having a really fun time playing with it!

Here is our song and the lyrics follow, it's called "overflowing cup":

these two lives are melding

colors clashing all around

lets begin the races

time and space are slowing down

family grows with us

what a funny morphing love

and we're twice the size now

like an overflowing cup

we might have to run away

just to find a little space

but that's why family's ok

cause we'll visit sometimes

we can call sometimes

and spend a while

under the fire

of question after question

and we'll miss those family session

yes, mom, i'm eating

no, i'm not sick i'm feeling fine

no...yes...no..ok..mm hmmm

i'm glad you like the picture

no more comments about my figure

we'll buy tickets and show you around

we think our dog is cute too

we're sick of cleaning up poo

your dog won't be replaced though

jeremy says he don't miss beau

we might have to run away

just to find a little space

but that's why family's ok

cause we'll visit sometimes

we can call sometimes

and spend a while

under the fire

of question after question

and we'll miss those family session

yes, we'll miss all of those lessons

and the vegan misconceptions

and my dads bad indigestion

them not following directions

avoiding grandchild conception

and political inflection

uncle alan's cal obsession

nina's SNL impressions

oh, and how's the sexual tension?

grandma's pissed at the election

and those awkward teen reflections

we'll miss those too

i know it's true

Are we married yet?

2010-01-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

56 days?

ugh.

March 13th, you need to hurry up.

Let me share some truth with you.

When you are dating, you think:

"ok so we get engaged next winter and then maybe we get married after the summer..."

You both have tolerated dating and have decided that engagement will be very similar.

wrong.

it is not.

Here is some truly excellent advice.

Once you get engaged, get married.

Understand that being engaged is wonderful; you're planning your wedding, your getting presents, you're anticipating being together forever...

And anticipating...

no thanks.

The minute we got engaged we thought, "how are we not married right now?"

Though yesterday you loved dating... suddenly the driving from house to house, cooking in one kitchen one night and another the next and saying goodnight each night to one another is terrible and awful and exhausting.

Soon your face will be twisted in agony like this..

And you will be wondering... "Why did we decide to get married 6 months from now?"

take it from us.

short engagement is the way to go.

Parents meet Parents.

2010-01-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

We had a pretty surreal evening last night.

Our parents had yet to sit down and get to know each other and so last night

Jeremy's parents came into town and we all had dinner together.

The Hohengarten's and the Agenjo's.

It was a Hogenjo affair (minus our beautiful sisters).

There was vegan lasagna (and a meaty one as well), bruschetta and a lot of swapping stories.

It was so crazy for us to listen to our parents talking and laughing with each other.

It was really cool and made everything seem very real.

It's pretty amazing that our two families will be coming together because of us.

We talked about Hohengarten roots in Germany and all the Agenjo's in Spain.

It's so amazing that these two families will be linked.

We feel pretty blessed to have such wonderful and supportive families.

(Agenjo family+jeremy photo yet to be taken... decent picture of Agenjo family also yet to be taken)

The best part so far.

2009-12-25T23:48:00.000-08:00

The best thing about wedding planning so far has been our catering tasting.
Last week we met with our caterer in Murphys, CA.
Murphys is this really cute little town north (?) of Sonora.
Our caterer, Karen, works out of this really cute little bake shop called Lila & Sage in downtown Murphys.

Our caterer is so cute.
She is this really lovely woman who talks about food poetically and obviously loves what she does.
When we walked in she was baking red velvet cupcakes and the tiny little shop smelled so good!

Jeremy and I brought his mom and sister along and the four of us sat at this little table eating yummy food and smelling red velvet cupcakes.
We ate homemade breads and spreads and soup and pastries and veggies...everything was SO good!
We got so excited!

Finally finding a great caterer is such a load-off!
We can now envision our wedding guests enjoying our reception and eating delicious vegetarian and (oh yes) vegan yumyums.

Ca'mon March 13th!

Engagement parties and planning planning planning.

2009-12-22T17:57:00.000-08:00

Our families hosted engagement parties for us this weekend and it was SO fun!

We are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family.

On Saturday we had our Dublin party and it was great.

My dad had people taste wedding wines and got everyone drunk.

We listened to Christmas music and drank soy-nog.

Christmas magic!

The next day we went Sonora where Jeremy's family threw us an awesome party.

We ate amazing vegan food all night long and played games.

We also opened PRESENTS.

It all feels very real now that we are celebrating with everyone.

We are getting SO excited!!!

We also booked our honeymoon!

My boss and his wife (Mike & Shelby) are letting us trade in their time share for our trip.

So we are off to the dominican republic.

I know very little about the dominican republic... except that it borders Haiti and there are zombies in Haiti.

So hopefully we will live.

The planning continues...

March 13th is getting closer.

So ready :)

I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.

2009-11-30T22:45:00.000-08:00

We've been getting lots done.

Yesterday we met with a new friend to discuss our invites.

It's pretty cool because she is helping us design them and they should be pretty affordable.

We're hoping for something that looks pretty cool.

Here are some of our inspirations:

We're excited!

Today was also a very productive day.

We went to AAA and talked about HONEYMOONS!!

omg.

is it honeymoon time yet?

ah!

Anyways.

We haven't narrowed it down yet but we'll keep you posted.

The other productive thing that happened today is that I talked to someone about flowers.

Since our venue is so beautiful we really don't need a ton of flowers.

But it's a wedding... so I guess we need some.

We want simple.

Wild flowers and wheat and herbs.

I actually got pretty excited about it.

I'm so ready for March 13th.

So ready!

VOTE FOR US!.....again.

2009-11-19T11:15:00.000-08:00

I know you already voted for us for something..
BUT
if you could put those clicking skills to the test once again we will win a FREE photographer!

My sister showed me this really cool photographer, Caroline Ghetes.
Aside from being a great photographer she also might be my best friend... her favorite book is Redeeming Love.
Kindred Spirits!

We submitted our story and we are now one of three people eligible to win a free photographer.

Please vote for us!

CLICK HERE AND VOTE FOR US!

The trouble with caterers and other people who say they want to work at your wedding.

2009-11-19T00:40:00.000-08:00

Wedding planning update:

venue: check

bridal party: check

registered: check

wedding dress: check

caterer: @#$%$#%!!

Though not quite as frustrating as venue searching, our quest to find a caterer has been a little tiring.

Our first choice: this great vegan restaurant in Sonora.

Super yummy.

Super affordable.

Super bad communication.

We really really want to get a quote from them and it just hasn't happened.

So we wait. Hoping that any day now....any minute...they will email us and our wedding day will officially include some fantabulous treats!

But that has yet to happen so we search on.

Option two: The catering company that is actually communicating with us.

Unfortunately, the things they have been communicating have not been all that helpful.

Now I understand that a vegan/vegetarian wedding is probably relatively uncommon, however these caterers are saying that they are all for it...

They have al said that they have worked a vegan and vegetarian wedding before.

However I am under the impression that this caterer doesn't completely understand what these terms mean.

Example:

(These are paraphrased...)

Caterer: I was thinking about different ethnic stations.....A Spanish station with quesadillas, and miniature tacos with tofu made infront of guests, a fondue station with different types of cheese dips and items to dip..

Me: Thanks so much for the email.

Would we be able to make the fondue station something vegan instead?

Let me know.

Caterer: Hi Erin, the fondue station would be different cheeses with items to dip, such as pretzels cubed sourdough and items such as that, no meat

Me: I know the fondue dipping selection are vegetarian but jeremy and I

are vegan which means we don't eat dairy so if we could have one more

vegan option...something with no cheese or eggs...that would be

awesome

Caterer: Are you trying to avoid the cheese?

I'll spare you the rest.

Needless to say...we're keeping our options open.

We'e had a bit more luck in the past couple days but I just had imagined that these companies would want our business.

That they'd be chomping at the bit!!

Not so.

The search continues...

Honey Fund!

2009-11-17T00:51:00.000-08:00

You can donate to our honeymoon fund here.....

http://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/erinandjerms

.................

Our website is special

2009-11-16T23:47:00.000-08:00

Under construction....

Click here for our website where you can find info about our wedding! Whoo!

This is where you can see our registry (not finalized yet) and who's in our wedding party..

Also, click here to look at our engagement pictures, shot by sister Emily Agenjo!

.....................

our photo soot video!

2009-11-12T00:52:00.000-08:00

not only is my sister brilliant but so is her boyfriend...

so good...
check out this AWESOME.TOWN video

Emily Agenjo rules.

2009-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

My sister (soon to be OUR sister) took some fun pictures of us and they are on her blog....

http://fromiwilltoido.wordpress.com

Check them out!

............

Slideshow

2009-11-03T23:55:00.000-08:00

Click here for all the pictures of Union Hill Inn..

See you in Sonora

2009-11-01T21:46:00.000-08:00

We picked the barn!

After a lot of discussion and debating...and checking out the place with both sets of parents...
We decided to get married at the Union Hill Inn in Sonora.

We're really excited.
It feels so good to finally have this figured out!

Next comes catering...
photographers...
flowers..
ugh.

We have a lot to do before MARCH 13TH (yup, that's our date), but we are so excited.

We'll keep you posted.

See you in Sonora!

love.love.love.
Erin.&.Jerms

Toss up...

2009-10-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

We've found some places we love....

1. Piedmont Community Center
Piedmont, CA.. Wonderful redwoods and a fat hall for our fat party....

2. Union Hill Inn
Sonora, CA.. A 50 acre ranch/farm from the 1800's that is rented for the entire weekend.. Best bonus: the barn..

There's positives and negatives about both, but we want to know what YALL think!!

love.love.love

erin.jerms

......................

Help us find a venue

2009-10-14T16:34:00.000-07:00

We're hoping to find a place that looks like this:

I know some peeps know some peeps who got some barn on lock down.. We'll pay big money for it.. Like, more than $2.... This has been quite a feat thus far for us, having assumed it'd be easy to find some old barn/rustic venues out here in Livermore wine country.. You have any ideas?

love.love.love

erin.jerms

......................

VOTE for us!

2009-10-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

Weddings are expensive.
We would like to have a wedding but not have to pay for one.

So if you go to this site and vote for us, we could have an amazing wedding this bombdotcom house.

Click here, check it out and vote for us!!

Top five reasons you should vote for us:

1. Look. Duh.

2. We're really good at dancing. Come and we'll show you.

3. Sandwiches.

4. One of us is wearing a Snuggie right now.

5. We would vote for you.

Show us how much you like us!

.......................

Planning A Wedding. Part I: Venues and lack there of...

2009-10-10T00:03:00.000-07:00

Whenever you imagine planning your wedding..

Well I guess I should say...whenever I, Erin, imagined planning MY wedding...

I always thought about the dress, the people, the colors, the food...

I never thought about the venue.

THE VENUE.

the FREAKING venue.

It sets the tone of everything.

outside or inside?

formal or casual?

barn or no barn!?!?!

We want a barn wedding... well I should say that I, Erin, want a barn wedding.

Jeremy just loves me and wants me to be happy.

For a long time I've imagined a barn wedding.
so i guess I take that back... I HAVE thought about the venue.

I don't know why a barn.

It just seems country and romantic.

I like old things and family and I feel like a barn is that.

I drive by barns all the time.

Livermore and Pleasanton are full of them!

FULL.OF.THEM.

However there aren't too many available for weddings...

A lot of them have cows in them...imagine that.

So I am calling and driving and emailing and google-ing in search of a barn.

Today my sister and I went to this beautiful winery in livermore.

http://www.boaventuravineyard.com/

I originally said NO WINERIES

....

... but this one has a BARN!

So we'll see.

I kinda wish it was tomorrow so we'd be married and we wouldn't have to think about this anymore!

Not kinda.

I really wish that.

We'll keep ya posted.

in case you're not sure what we look like...

2009-10-06T13:14:00.000-07:00

believe it!

2009-10-06T12:55:00.000-07:00

Mr. and Mrs. Hohengarten.

Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy and Erin Hohengarten.

Mr and Mrs. Erin Agenjo...?

It still hasn't quite sunk it that we are getting married.
We met in Santa Cruz in June of '08.

A bunch of friends were going dancing and I went feeling super awkward.

Jeremy started dancing with me and I felt so flustered.

I told my friends I was leaving and Jeremy offered to walk me to my car.

I was pretty much sold after that.

It has been such a long road and one that, in the beginning, we never imagined leading here.

But we made it.

God has truly transformed us and we stand before Him so excited to begin this new life together.

On September 28th, Jeremy waited outside of my high school girl small group and when I walked out to my car he was there waiting.

He read my reasons why he loved me and put them in a mason jar (a tradition that I started last christmas but one he has continued to bless me with).

Then he said "I talked to your parents..." and with that he was down on one knee tying a piece of string around my finger.

I was so flustered.

I didn't react the way he expected me to...but a moment wouldn't be quite as memorable without a panic attack....right?

The next day I felt like a total idiot.

I waited for him to come home from work and told him how much I loved him and how I was a hundred percent.

I wanted to marry him.

We traded the string in for a ring and now we are on our way!

This is where you can be updated on our lives, adventures and current wedding shenanigans.

UPDATE: We currently have nothing done...

we're looking at march and hoping to have the wedding at our church property.

We'll see.

Thanks for your love and support and please keep us in your prayers during this time.

love.love.love.

E&J