12 years old already!!!!

My dear, Noah....you are my baby that made me a Mommy.  That was truly one of the greatest moments of my life....hearing Daddy whisper to me "it's a boy!".....the best birthday present I could have ever received.  And now you're 12 years old!  It's so hard to believe since I'm only 29!  (hahaha)  Today we celebrated you -- the amazingly tender heart you have, the ways you make us laugh, the smiles you bring to our faces, the joy that can be seen in your eyes, and the way you love Jesus.  I pray this next year is one of the best ever.  I love you sooooooo much!

The birthday decorations -- there are 12 balloons!

The birthday boy chose his favorite supper -- taco bake!  I'll share the recipe another time.  It's very easy and  oh so good!

We had to start eating before Daddy got home from work.  He made it just a couple minutes after I took this picture. 

The goofy cake!  Noah loved it -- looked just like a grill with hamburgers and hot dogs!

PRESENTS!!!!

Pop Rocks and bubble gum from Eli and Joey.

Crunch bar from Abby (favorite candy bar!)

The movie "Short Circuit" -- one of his favorites.  (Super good deal because I found it for $5 at Wal-Mart!  Woo hoo!)

A Wind Flyer -- obviously VERY excited about it.  

A batting helmet for baseball

Awww.....such sweet moments.  It was a fantastic day all around.  WE LOVE YOU, NOAH!!!!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

10 years later - I'll never forget

 This is the view from the fire station by our house this morning.  Such an amazing reminder of what our country has gone through over the last 10 years but also of the incredible sacrifice our everyday heroes have made. 

Where were you when you heard about the attack?  I remember clearly where I was and what I was doing.  I was at home feeding my 9 day old little girl and watching my 1 year old little boy play with his toys right next to me.  You can imagine how emotional I was with my hormones being all messed up!  Tears and fears pretty much sums it up.  I remember calling my mom who was at work and seeing if she had heard about it.  I didn't want to continue watching the coverage but I couldn't take my eyes away from it.  I remember how our country came together and supported each other -- no matter what.  We rose above our political stances -- we were no longer Republicans and Democrats -- we were Americans.  How quickly we seem to forget. 

Today I honor and remember all of our fallen heroes and salute those who continue to defend and honor our country.  I will never forget!

"Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day?  Were you in the yard with your wife and children or working on some stage in L.A.?  Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke rising up against that blue sky?  Did you shout out in anger, in fear of your neighbor, or did you just sit down and cry?  Did you weep for the children who lost their dear loved ones and pray for the ones who don't know?  Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble and sob for the ones left below? Did you burst out in pride for the red, white and blue and the heroes who died doing what they do?  Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer and look at yourself and what really matters?

I'm just a singer of simple songs, I'm not a real political man.  I watch CNN but I'm not sure I can tell you the difference in Iraq and Iran.  But I know Jesus and I talk to God and I remember this from when I was young:  faith, hope and love are some good things He gave us...but the greatest is love." 

-"Where Were You" by Alan Jackson

1st day of school

Not only is it the 1st day of school....but it's the 1st day of school at a new school, with new kids, new teachers, new bus stop, new schedule....and the one who's the most nervous is ME!  The kids are filled with anxious anticipation for a fresh start and new friends. 

 Backpacks and lunch boxes are all packed and ready to go!

 "Back to school breakfast" is all set up.  This year I added something new -- paper cones by each place setting with a note from Grandma Theda and Grandpa Fred and me, plus a candy treat for later.  It was a hit!  And it's something I can do each day.

 Yummmmm....pancakes, fruit, whipped cream, sprinkles.

Heading to the bus!  Abby - 4th grade;  Noah - 5th grade;  Joey - 3rd grade;  Eli - preschool starting next week.

HAPPY 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!!



God never said life would be easy...

This is the most difficult blog post I've written -- mostly because it makes me vulnerable -- but I promised myself when I started blogging that I would be honest with my posts.


It's no secret that Jeff and I have had many ups and downs in our marriage -- specifically in the last few years. From this post everyone knows how seriously I take my marriage vows -- the ones I wrote -- and how committed I am to making my marriage work. There also need to be boundaries and 1 person can only take so much. That's what this post is all about.


Jeff and I are separating. The kids and I are moving in a little over a week to a house a couple miles away that we'll be renting. The kids will be going to a new school and are excited about our adventure. When I talked to them about it, Abby asked "Mom, did you pray about this first?" I said "Absolutely, yes" to which she responded, "ok - then we're doing the right thing." They are wise beyond their years.


We have lost our home in foreclosure - something I've fought with everything I have to avoid. Jeff will have time to stay in our current house before he'll need to find another place.


I would appreciate all the prayers I can get during this time -- especially for the kids -- that they will always know how much they are loved and cherished: by me and, most importantly, by God.

The "S" word

SNOW!!!!! What did you think I meant?! (hahaha) As much as we had already gotten used to seeing the grass and could even smell the beginning of spring, it is March in Minnesota --- so more snow is to be expected!

Our bonfire pit re-covered in snow.....it won't be long before a raging fire will be burning there instead.
The kids were just playing tag yesterday in the front yard and I had just thought about re-filling the bird feeders.....guess I'll wait a little bit longer.

Even though our winter has been brutal this year, there is always something to be thankful for. So today I choose to be thankful -- the snow looks beautiful -- so sparkly and clean, spring IS coming and we got a glimpse of it over the past couple of days.

Dreams

Have any of you watched the show on ABC called "Secret Millionaire"? I've seen a couple episodes and it's an inspiring show. The show features a different millionaire each week -- someone who, for 1 week, will live undercover in a new city and find different volunteer opportunities. At the end of the week, he/she will decide which places to give some of their money to.

The people who run these organizations inspire me. They aren't out to make a lot of money -- they are simply doing what they feel passionate about. Tonight it really has me thinking about what I'm passionate about.....what I feel called to do.

See, I've had this dream for the last 8+ years to open a youth center. My ideas for it have evolved over time and every time I allow myself to think about it --- dream about it --- I get incredibly excited. I've shared my ideas with a few friends who have told me what an amazing idea it is. But I lose the excitement to discouragement when I think about how I would ever make it a reality. I guess the main question I keep asking myself is "How does a person make a dream a reality?"

Any thoughts?

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Green pancakes --- it's what's for breakfast! The comments from the kids when they came in to get their green plates with green pancakes on them ranged from "Oh cool!", "Mom, you're the best!", "I don't like them.", "That just looks gross, Mom." hahaha I love surprising them like that.

Happy St Patrick's Day, everyone! How are you celebrating the day?