Lately...

...I feel like I have something to blog about every.single.day, but just never get around to it. I know it's the battle of every blogger out there. Trying to get all of life's "stuff" put down into words is tiring at times. And half the time I wonder, who really cares? Or what is someone going to think if I say that? Not to mention the ultra-slow uploading of pics that I suffer through on a daily basis. (One of these days I need to take a pic to show you how we get one measly bar of internet reception from a neighbor...sitting in the freezing cold sunroom with piles of blankets in the middle of winter. Not ideal, but we're cheap and we know it.)

Anyway, There are so many things I want to share that I haven't yet. I constantly have blog titles running through my head, dreaming up the next big post. I usually resort to daily happenings and events. But, there is SO MUCH more I would love to have time to write about.

~My journey of finding myself in Christ. I went through a major identity crisis a few years ago. I DID blog once about it last spring, but not many details. Some of it stemmed from my family splitting up 5 years ago. Some of it came from my fallout with a sport I devoted most of my life to: volleyball. And the rest of it came from my never-ending self criticism. I did not handle either situations well, and as a result was brought to my lowest. But God used that low point to bring me at his feet, and I would love to be able to express what the experience was like, and what it has taught me.

~I would love to share my favorite recipes, as well as tutorials on simple sewing projects. I'm kind of a procrastinator (ok I'm a BIG procrastinator), but I DO finish a lot of my projects...eventually. :)

~As you may have noticed I am usually reading a few books at a time (posted in the sidebar). The list is constantly changing, but I haven't really blogged about them. They have ALL taught me valuable lessons. I wish I could share how so many of them affected my life directly.

~I have not posted a single article about being a youth group leader. There are SO many funny stories I could share!! However, my main concern is that my readers may finish thinking, "ummm guess you had to be there...".

~And finally, I would love to post more on what it's like being a part of Greg's family trucking business. I don't punch in the clock and work like he does, but I see how it affects Greg on a daily basis. It certainly has it's ups and downs...and it's like no other 8-5pm job out there. But, it has really become a ministry in so many ways. I wish I could share the successes and struggles.

Hmmm, this is starting to sound like a New Year's resolution or something. Seeing as I already struggle with follow-through, we won't go there. But nonetheless, those are things I hope to write in the future...

Christmas (part 2)

So, I love Christmas parties...and we definitely had our share of them this year! But, to be honest I did not anticipate just how much work it is once you have a baby. I had this Norman Rockwell picture in my head of bringing Kensie to her first family Christmas celebration. Everyone would ooo and awww at her. We would be the smiling, happy, new family excited to bring this newest little member along with us. And well, it would be perfect.

What I forgot was that Kensie still needs to nap at certain times and eat at certain times. Well, with a bazillion aunts, uncles, grandparents, and cousins around...it was pretty much impossible. I found myself annoyed at others for not understanding Kensie's need to sleep. I wanted control of the schedule and it just never worked out right.

After several parties that went the same way, you can imagine how excited I was to have Christmas Eve and Christmas morning all to ourselves! Just the 3 of us. We were a VERY tired bunch, but here's some cozy, real-life, at-home pics Christmas morn...

Some of the other craziness these days....

Greg's brother #3 (Curtis) was married Monday night! It sure made for a busy weekend after Christmas, but so fun....I love weddings! I love dressing up. I love seeing family and friends all at one time. I love reminiscing about our wedding day nearly 5 years ago now (wow..that long??). And I LOVE seeing my hubby in a tux....grrrrrrrrr. :)

5 good lookin' brothers....

I'm particularly fond of the last one on the right though :)

Welcome to the family Alicia...another girl to add to the clan! :)

Christmas (part 1)

What a whirlwind it has been lately. Christmas has never been so busy for us! So fun, but extremely exhausting! Here's a quick recap...



We were blessed this year to get a fresh perspective on the birth of Jesus. We volunteered (or I should say we were roped in...and later showed excitement) to play the role of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus. Thankfully there were no speaking parts! Our church did a first-ever live nativity scene. It was really cool how it turned out. People entered the church, where there were live animals and shepherds who led visitors on a short walk to get to the manger scene. On the way, they told the story how an angel appeared and told them the news that Jesus was born. Greg and I were to simply act like typical new parents. We offered scraps of food to our visitors and chatted about what it must have been like back then. Little girls and boys ran up to offer baby Jesus (Kensie) little leather bracelets they had made at the craft tents. It was such a precious time for us. I kept thinking just how dirty everything must have been for Mary and Joseph. And why on earth did Joseph stick around when he had absolutely no part in creating this child? Was Mary's delivery a hard one or easy one? How much did Jesus weigh? And how did it really feel for Mary to look into the eyes of this amazing child of God?? So neat to see it in a fresh new light.

Kensie was such a little trooper too. We were there for about 3 hours. She was happy when awake and slept in the actual manger for like 45 minutes! Of course when we got home, she showed her true colors :).

Hope your Christmas was grand!

More to come...Christmas parties and another family wedding!! Stay tuned!

How do you get out of a funk?

Hey there. Havin' a pretty bad attitude over here, and just can't seem to kick it. Everything has been bugging me lately. You know, when it just seems like no one can do anything right? And every time you're around people, you just want to tell them to stop being so annoying? And even when they aren't annoying, you still want to tell them to just stop? And then the minute you think you've had enough of yourself (and your bad attitude), you start to actually enjoy the negativity you've been in?? I've been really frustrated with just plain stupid stuff these past few days. I've been impatient with people I love. I can't stop saying negative things. And well, I'm just in a funk. How do YOU get out of it?

On another note, Kensie has been my happy place lately. She is getting so much more expressive, and seems like she is doing something new every.single.day. I love watching her grow and learn the simplest of things (like finally being able to hold onto her toys!).

Even when she interrupts my Sunday afternoon nap because she blew out her diaper so bad she needed a bath....I seem to have SO MUCH patience with her. No matter how little sleep I get, or how much she demands, I can never be mad at her for very long. :) Maybe that's a little taste of how God loves me? Even when I have my pity parties, he just can't seem to get enough of me. Now that's some crazy love.

morning snuggles

**Also, notice the small birthmark on her arm? It just appeared one day. The doc says it will get bigger and bigger until about age 9 and then will fade. I think it's kinda cute :)**

Brought to you by the number 3...

3 more weeks 'til Christmas!

3 easy steps to a fun homemade dove ornament copied from Ballard's Designs (again)

1) Use Christmas piano sheet music to cut out doves --glued to cardstock for extra sturdiness.
2) put a thin strip of glue around the edge and sprinkle with glitter.
3) hole punch top and secure a piece of raffia to hang on tree!

3 things little miss Kensie likes to do A LOT lately:

1) smile

2) sneeze

3) smelly toots

3 month chair picture!

You're gettin' so BIG Kensie!

1 year ago...

We moved into our first home! What a journey it has been...




We started out with a few remodeling projects...


(opened up the entryway)

(opened the space between 2 living rooms)

Learned what it means to snow plow our own driveway...
(no pic sorry)

Did LOTS and LOTS of painting (thanks to my patient and talented hubby!)...

hutch before

hutch and dining area after

Endured the "Flood of '09"...

And welcomed our first baby into this home!...

How thankful we are for this place, and can't wait to fill it with more memories!

Thankful

This whole week I have been thinking of what I'm most thankful for. It seems hard to pick just one, as there are SO MANY things in my life that I am eternally grateful for....a tight knit family, faithful friends, a precious new baby, a loving husband, a home to call our own, and on and on...

But, I would like to focus on one word. PURPOSE. I am so thankful for purpose in my life. I have not always felt this in my past. For a long time I thought my purpose in life was to be the best at sports that I could. Once I thought I attained that, I felt empty. Then I thought my purpose was to look the best I could on the outside. The moment I thought I reached that, I felt hollow and ugly. My box in life was so small, and all I could think about was me, myself, and I.

So getting back to the point. In the last 2 years, I have seen a new purpose begin to blossom. There have been numerous "coincidences" in my life that have led to new and meaningful relationships. God has placed other people in my path when I needed it most, and vice versa. He has shown me that my purpose in life is not about me. Rather, His purpose is all about Him. And, His purpose is to use whatever circumstance I'm in to encourage others toward Him.

So, for now (in practical terms)....my purpose is to be: a faithful and loving wife to my husband, a caring and prayerful mother to my child, and an encouraging and intentional friend to others. And for that, I am thankful. Thankful that my life has meaning because it affects others. Thankful that "coincidences" don't just happen. Thankful that there is a God behind everything that happens in life. And most of all, I'm thankful that He cares enough about a spec like me to rescue me from my sin.

What are you thankful for?