{Sara Mize}

1. What is your favorite childhood memory of your dad?

Teaching me how to ride a dirt bike when I was 10.  I remember being so scared, and him saying "We'll take it nice and easy, I'll be right here, I won't let you crash". After a few lessons and I had the biggest smile, you just can't buy that kind of happiness!

2. Most meaningful goal for the next five years?

I'm sad to say I haven't made any goals for this year.  Maybe I should make a goal to make goals?  Ha!

3. What is your favorite item of clothing?

 Layering tank tops, I love them for their extra coverage when tops are a bit lower cut than I'd like.

4. If you could stop only one injustice what would it be?

That there are children in our world that have never felt love, been held, heard someone tell them they are loved and wanted.  Ugh, just breaks my heart.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

I feel so blessed to be right where I want to live for the rest of my life.  I've been lucky to travel to other countries and see other parts of our county, but nothing feels like home, like Oregon.

6. What is your favorite thing to chew?

You know the chocolate pastries at Panera Bread?  Those.  If you've never had one, go get one now.

7. If you could only do one thing every day for the rest of your life what would it be?

Snuggle in bed with my son & hubby.  I cherish Saturday mornings that we all get to hang out in bed watching cartoons.

8. When you think of adventure what comes to mind?

I would love to go on a family trip to Yellowstone.  I went as a kid and remember seeing Old Faithful and my dad getting chased by a moose cause he wanted a really up close picture (another fond memory).  

9. What is the most listened-to song on your iPod (or other music listening device)?

I Will Wait by Mumford & Sons

10. What do you wish you were better at?

Menu planning.  Even with all the ideas I've pinned with Pinterest I still struggle to get weekly menus organized.  

11. How has God blessed you this week?

On Sunday we celebrated my son, Scott's, 3rd Birthday.  It always fills me with joy to have family together.  Its priceless to watch a toddler go bananas over play-doh and logging trucks.  Life is awesome!

12. What event changed your life?
Becoming a mother.  It completely took my breath away, and does often with how lucky I am to be his mommy!

{Holly Sears}

1. What is your favorite childhood memory of your dad?

My favorite childhood memory is when my dad would take me and my sister to the local University when we were probably around 8 and 10 years old and we would spend the day exploring.  We would go to the museum, eat at the campus cafeteria, check out books at the library, etc.  I can’t even remember how often he took us there and at the time I didn’t find every moment of it interesting but I look back now and realize how valuable that experience was.  It really shaped my concept of education at a young age and made it less intimidating and really fun.

2. Most meaningful goal for the next five years?

To feel content and settled with where my family is at in our life.  This is kind of a strange goal because this timeline is not up to me, but to God.  My husband, Sam, and I both believe that currently what we are doing is possibly preparing us for something else, but we don’t know what that is.  It may be to live abroad again or it may be to stay put where we are and feeling good about that.  We’re not sure, but my hope/goal is that in the next 5 years we have that figured out.

3. What is your favorite item of clothing?

Probably an infinity scarf that my sister gave to me last year for my birthday.  Now that the weather is getting colder, I’m about to whip it out so you ladies will know what I’m talking about.  You’ll probably see me in it every Thursday.

4. If you could stop only one injustice what would it be?

There are so many but if I had to choose it would probably be hunger.  I hate thinking about people going hungry.  Cooking and feeding people are two of my favorite things to do.  It’s less about filling their stomach and more about feeding their soul.  When people go hungry I see it as their soul not being filled up and that breaks my heart.

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

My little house in Bush Park is my favorite place to be.  We love the neighborhood and even though our backyard is the size of a postage stamp, we’ve adopted Bush Park as our backyard and go there frequently.  A close second, though, would be Japan.  But this is kind of a trick question because I would only want to truly live there for the rest of my life if I could also relocate my family, friends, hair stylist and Java Crew.

6. What is your favorite thing to chew?

French pastries.  Period.

7. If you could only do one thing every day for the rest of your life what would it be?

Baking.  I absolutely love baking and I’m so blessed that my 4 year old also loves to bake and it’s one of our favorite things to do together.

8. When you think of adventure what comes to mind?

Growing up in Alaska in -50F weather!

9. What is the most listened-to song on your iPod (or other music listening device)?

I Am Set Free by All Sons & Daughters

10. What do you wish you were better at?

Keeping a journal.

11. How has God blessed you this week?

Our 3 month-old daughter Myla’s dedication was last Sunday.  From very early on in my pregnancy, I prayed for our baby to have a heart of mercy and compassion.  In fact, I felt so compelled to pray it that we named her Myla because it means merciful.  Without knowing this, Pastor Fowler’s prayer over Myla at the dedication was the same prayer!

12. What event changed your life?

Marrying my husband, Sam.  He changed my life because before I met him I did not have a relationship with Christ.  He’s sincere and makes me laugh and is hands down my favorite person on this planet.  I love doing life with him.

{Holly Malkin}

1. What is your favorite childhood memory of your dad?

My dad married my mom when she was a divorcee with four kids. They had me a year later, and he adopted my brother and sisters a year after that. I never grew up thinking there was a difference between birth kids and adopted kids, because my dad loved my siblings every drop as much as he loved me. He is very quiet and passive, a hardworking man that never makes a wave. When I was a young teenager, I heard him arguing on the phone with his sister, which he never, never does. She was trying to exclude one of my sisters from a family event and my dad told her that was unacceptable. "She's my daughter," he said. "But she isn't your blood," my aunt countered. Then he shouted, with more passion and conviction than I ever knew was in him, "SHE IS MY DAUGHTER!!" and hung up the phone. He became my hero at that very moment. That time my dad yelled.

2. Most meaningful goal for the next five years?

Is it sad to say I don't have any [deep] meaningful goals for the next five years? I have four kids, my goals are that no one kills eachother or burns the house down! Truthfully, we want to expand our business and get a big dog, but I guess that's all we've really talked about. Oh, and no more diapers!

3. What is your favorite item of clothing?

 My favorite item of clothing is any hoodie or jacket or blanket that can be fashioned into a wrap of some sort. I'm always cold. Probably if I owned a Snuggie or like, a spacesuit or something, that would be my favorite.

4. If you could stop only one injustice what would it be?

Sex trafficking, especially children.


5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

If I could live anywhere, I would pick here, the Northwest. We have beaches, mountains, forests, deserts, and everything in between! All my family is here and I would miss them too much to live anywhere else. We lived in Canada for 3 years and it was really hard on me to be so far from my mom and sisters, especially. Now, if we had a vacation home in Greece that we could visit for a few months a year? That might be okay...

6. What is your favorite thing to chew?

Steak, medium rare.


7. If you could only do one thing every day for the rest of your life what would it be?
I would worship. Even if I couldn't eat or sleep or breathe, I would sing.


8. When you think of adventure what comes to mind?

When I think of "Adventure", I think of the outdoors. Discovering the beauty and mystery of nature--it's one of my favorite things ever.

9. What is the most listened-to song on your iPod (or other music listening device)?

I'm listening to it on repeat right now! Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United. Also loving anything by All Sons & Daughters.

10. What do you wish you were better at?

 I wish I were better at completing things. I always start a million different projects and move on to the next million things before 99% of them are finished, now I have about 800 million things laying around, waiting to get get done. Sometimes I wish I were better at not exaggerating, too.

11. How has God blessed you this week?

With sleep! I love sleep and can't get enough of it. This week I've been getting enough of it!

12. What event changed your life?

 I grew up in a Christian home and lived a "good" Christian life, I knew about God, but didn't really know who He was. When I was 16, He met me in the kitchen of a friend's house after a bible study; I had a God encounter. I'm not even sure how to explain it without sounding like a crazy, but He cleaned my heart out and saved me from myself. That was when the course of my whole life changed. It hasn't always (or ever) been perfect, but God has continued to pursue me even when I've been so unfaithful to Him. It makes me want to jump and shout and praise Him! It's why I'd worship if I could only do one thing for the rest of my life! I owe Him everything, and will never stop thanking Him. HALLELUJAH!