Sweet On Chip: life with wife

Hollywood homebase.

We made it back to Burbank last week, and we have much to share of our holiday season.

New photos from Christmas and our recent time in Santa Monica are now available in the Sweet on Chip photo album on Facebook.

Merry Christmas from Brian and Chipley!

This is the cover of our 2009 Christmas card. Some of you will be fortunate enough to receive one this year (either in person or through the mail). Others (due to the Obama economy) will not.

But for those of you who don't receive a hard copy, here is our digital holiday greeting to you.

Merry Christmas from Brian and Chipley!

And let us adore Him.

M-I-C-K-E-Why? Because it's Halloween!

 
Nothing can bring out the kid in me like Disney.

Well, that's not quite true...a lot of things send me soaring back to childhood.

Still, the House of Mouse holds a very special place in our marriage, as it was the site of my marriage proposition to Chipley.

That's why we were eager to visit Disney World's paternal prototype. And what better excuse can you have then Halloween time?

For me, Disney IS Halloween. Their awesome villians. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Disney's Halloween Treat.

Need I say more?

So on October 21st we trotted down to Anaheim for a one day, one park pass to Disneyland.

Here's some pictures from our experience.

Burbank precipitation.

Today we've been experiencing precipitation in Burbank.

All day long.

Which is about only the second time we've had rain since moving out here in April.

We'll try to get some video up soon, but for now this pic will have to do.

But I guess Albert Hammond was right when he wrote "It Never Rains in Southern California."

But when it does..."It pours".

Chipley entertains a stray.

This is a funny and interesting story. 

When leaving my place, I saw a girl trying to get into another apartment. I could tell she had been traveling because she had a suitcase and backpack. She looked exausted. She asked me for help and explained that the friend she was in town visiting had given her the wrong keyes. She told me just got off the plane and just wanted to take a shower, and her friend wasn't getting off of work until 9pm.

It was 4pm.

Compassion came over me, and I invited her to come to our apartment, and use our bathroom. She accepted, though I was a little hesitant to bring a stranger into my home (which was also a total wreck), but I prayed everything would be okay.

The blessing of the Albertson's manna.

My wife is truly unique.

For instance, Chipley's obsessed with peeling off adhesives (warning labels, brand stickers, DVD wrappers) and popping bubble wrap.

Also, she has a strong dislike of pennies.

And she loves fresh bread.

Just out of the oven, steaming hot.

Today, I witnessed this characteristic first hand.

Church going at the Oasis.

Brian and I are still visiting churches around the LA area. One that we really like is called the Oasis.

We especially like the worship there, and it reminds us a lot of Healing Place back home. The building looks like it used to be an old theater, so it has an old time look on the inside.

The Pastors are Phillip and Holly Wagner. Holly has a great testimony and shared a few years back at the HP Woman's Conference.

Seeking employment.

Over the summer, Chipley has been going on a lot of job interviews.

Some have led to promising leads, and others have fell flat.

I've really been rooting for her, as I think she's on the verge of landing exactly where God wants her to be for this season in our lives.

She'll probablly kill me for posting these, but I can't help but share these.

I think my wife looks hot great as a professional.

 

Year one.

On August 9, 2008, history was made.

Two lives were forever entwined in a life of matrimonial bliss.

Or so the story goes.

Now, 12 months have elapsed since that pivotal day, and we are still going (and growing).

Our first year together has been anything but normal.

Following our honeymoon, Chipley plunged into her last semester of college, a season wracked with studying, more studying, homework, extra studying, and finals.

After Chip's graduation, the holidays hit, and then the groundwork for our California relocation lingered on the horizon.

Because of the impending move, we were basically in a holding pattern for two months.

Now we've been in Burbank for a little over four months, sliding backwards down the slope of time as we arrived at August 9, 2009.

So, that's really where all the time went.

And now here we are.

Still together.

One year strong.

A lifetime to go.

And so our story continues.

A Day of Fleshly Failures, pt 2

On Sunday, July 26, the entire universe turned against the newlywed McCollister's, with a four-pronged attack.

We were vanquished in Van Nuys.

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2. The WALMART

We have not seen hide nor hair of a WalMart since moving here. But Chipley located one online near the church.

After traveling back down the freeway, we followed our Google Map directions to a large warehouse that had a WalMart sign out front.

It resembled more of a K-Mart on the inside.

I winced as I placed my hand on the no doubt germ-infested handle of the shopping cart.