Out with the old...

Throughout this year Brad and I have been purging some old and very outdated things and adding some new items to our home and lives. Brad and I are not big spenders, but we've been budgeting gradually for a couple of items. The first to go was the couch!
We've had this couch in our lives since the fall of 1996. That's right folks, for over 12 years! It was in Brad's college apartment for 2 years, in my apartment for another, and in our home (as a married couple) for 9 years! It was the ugliest couch, but really, really comfortable...that's probably because once you sat down, you could never get up. Our youth group students were pretty sad to see it go, but it eventually made its way to the basement of one of our students. So if we (or Tika or Bobbi) miss it, we can still visit it!
We weren't sure what kind of couch we wanted, but after finding this one at Ashley Furniture for 45% off, we bought it. And it was our VERY FIRST major furniture buy of our marriage. That sounds really sad, but we have been blessed with so much that we really haven't needed to make any big purchases. And we had NO CLUE how expensive furniture could be! But God is good and has always provided all we need...and we REALLY love it!

The next thing to go was our comforter and bedding. (Sorry, I don't have any pictures of the previous bedspread.) The ladies in our first church hand-made a really pretty quilted comforter for us, and I really treasured it. But after 9 years of washing and use, it was getting pretty faded and worn out. So after many months of shopping, we found this GREAT bedding set for 70% off! Yahoo! We added a mirror, picture frames, and some candles, and it was a brand new room.
And the last thing *sniff, sniff* to go was our beloved Isaac. This is the 2nd Honda Accord that we've said good-bye to in our marriage. He was a GREAT car. We were really sad to see him go, but we really needed a van.

So we upgraded from a 90 Accord to a 97 Honda Odyssey...who is affectionately named Homer. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE my mini-van! I love running errands with him and having the extra space! And even though he's an older model, he fit our budget and our need.

But recently, sometimes in the very same breath, I am both praising God for His goodness and wonderful provisions, and am frustrated and complaining with what I've got. Recently another friend bought an Odyssey, and I was SO EXCITED for her because I have loved ours. But a few days later, I began to think how nice it would have been to have a newer model or one with fewer miles. I could feel myself become unsatisfied with what I had. And the discontentment bug began buzzing around my ear like a pesky mosquito.

And in my Sabbath Rest time this week, I was reminded that our attitude is a lot about perspective, and I realized that I had lost mine. I let my eyes wander to another person's stuff and began to be envious. I also forgot about those who have far less than me. And after some confessing, gratitude wells up again in me, and I am at peace again.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33

A second honeymoon

For the first time in almost 3 years, Brad and I spent 6 glorious days and nights together WITH NO CHILDREN! We have done a couple of 1 or 2 nights away, but nothing this long or this far from our children. And I have to say they were the most wonderful 6 days of the entire year.

I love my children. I sacrifice so much of who I am and what I want for their good, their learning and growing, and their spiritual, mental and emotional development. And I just really like being with them, playing dress-up with Sammy, running to stop Caleb from playing in the toilet for the 10th time that day, and just being their mom. Most days, though, I find myself being 90% mom and about 10% wife. And with them being so young, that will continue to be a daily battle. But for 6 days, I was 100% wife, and it felt really good.


After spending a day and 1/2 with my parents, we left Bismarck and headed to Colorado. We decided to take the 14 miles scenic highway near Spearfish, SD, and it was definitely worth the drive.


Then we had a short stop in Windsor, CO with the Tomans, and then it was off to the MOUNTAINS!!! We arrived at Estes Park (the east entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park) by 8:00 a.m. (Brad woke up at 5:30 that morning at the Tomans and wanted to get up and leave right away...and I was like, "We have no children, and we're on vacation!!! Why are we getting up at 5:30!!!" "To see the mountains," was my husband's reply. A very sleepy Tina was also pretty surprised by our early departure as well.

That first day, we must have hiked 12-15 miles...most uphill several hundred feet. We started at Bear Lake and hiked to Dream Lake, Nymth Lake, and finally Emerald Lake. It took us almost 4 hours to hike up to those lakes, but definitely worth it. The above picture was from Dream Lake.


Our next stop was Alberta Falls. Again, a beautiful hike to some beautiful waterfalls...which happen to be my favorite thing to see in the mountains.


After that, we took a shuttle back up to Bear Lake, and (after getting some AWESOME advice) hiked down to Bierstadt Lake. This was one of Brad's favorite stops.


Even though I tried hard not to think about the kids, it was hard not to think about coming back with them some day. There really were quite a lot of hikes we could have done with them. Sprague Lake was a level hike that our stroller could have easily done. This lake we came back to at least 2 different times.


There really is something about mountains. Almost every vacation we have taken in our 9 years of marriage has been to either a state or national park. And even though I would love to go to the ocean or to Hawaii or on a cruise someday, there is something about God's incredible and majestic mountains that I just never get tired of.


Didn't this elk pose nicely for us?


This final picture was a Lake Irene. It was nestled behind some hills, and it was very early in the morning when we arrived there. The reflection was really amazing.

Colorado buddies

One of the main reasons why Brad and I chose Rocky Mountain National Park as our vacation get-away was because of our dear friends, the Tomans. We didn't meet Bret and Tina until we had lived in Brainerd for over a year...and that still makes me cry over all the games that could have been! *sniff, sniff* Anyway, they moved last November to Windsor, CO, and as we loaded boxes into their moving truck last fall, we talked of visiting them the following summer.

And that's exactly what we did. We spent a full day and two nights with them before entering the park and another partial day and night before we headed home. We had a GREAT time and were able to get a few games in...

...just look at Brad's sinister smile...

...get to know their latest addition, little Luke...
...that expression came right after his mama made a good move!

...show them our favorite website, games.asobrain.com...

...we're SO SILLY! Instead of playing a REAL Settlers of Catan game, we all jumped on a computer...Bret ended up downstairs on their PC...and played some games on-line. We know, we know...we are gaming freaks!


We had such an amazing and relaxing time! Even though we hadn't seen them for over 8 months, it felt like no time or distance had passed. And I think that's the sign of authentic friendship. Years and miles have no affect on the special bond of true friends.

So, THANK YOU Bret and Tina for a fabulous time...and someday maybe we'll come join you in Colorado!

Yearning for heaven

As I was going to bed last night, I was thinking that life was really hard and that I wish it wasn't so hard at times. Now it's not that I was depressed or sad or anything like that. It was just a complete realization that life is HARD! (As if this should be new to me or something!)

Yesterday was a good day, but a hard one. My MOPS group has play dates during the summer, and we were to meet at a beach/park area yesterday. Some weeks there are more moms than others, but there are usually between 5-8 moms that show up. I loaded up the kiddos and all their stuff (beach toys, towels, snacks, swimsuits, water, sunscreen, etc.) and headed to the lake with a 1 year old (who cannot be unattended because he LOVES to eat sand) and a 2 1/2 year old (who immediately runs straight for the water). I was a little worried at first, but Sammy obeyed really well, and Caleb was content to float around in his baby floaty device. After about an hour, I realized that no one else was going to show up. I enjoyed the time with the kids, but I was hoping for some adult interaction. (Oh, and I forgot the camera so I got nothing for those of you who want to see adorable pics of the kids.)

So I packed them up and headed to church to have lunch with Brad. As soon as I got there and got our lunches out, Brad mentioned that he was invited to go to lunch with 2 other pastors. So I told him to go ahead, and I'd eat with the kids and then head home. I really didn't mind that he went out to lunch, but I had been hoping to spend a little time with him since he was going to be at church until around 9:30 that night.

After lunch and the ride home, it was time for naps. Caleb went down just fine, but Sammy tried EVERY excuse not to nap (and it really isn't very smart to try and reason with a 2 1/2 year old). So I didn't get anything (like laundry, grad school, etc.) done. Then around 5:00, I met up with some neighbors to walk to our nearby park for National Night Out. I was looking forward to having a free meal (yummy pulled pork sandwiches, chips, and baked beans) and walking with our neighbors. But feeding 2 small kids at a park where there TONS of FUN things to do was pretty difficult. We eventually (after a lot of swinging and sliding) got home around 7:30.

Then it was bath time. I really like having Brad home on bath nights because sometimes it gets a little tricky with both kids. Sammy is fine, but Caleb is a little stinker! He tries to climb all over the place and will not cooperate! So after a very wet bath (for all 3 of us) it was time for snacks, books, and bedtime. Surprising enough, both kids were in their rooms and quiet by 8:30.

It was a good day, but an exhausting one...but one that is pretty typical of my life right now. But as I was reflecting on the day, I realized that I really just want my life to be easy...to play with my "perfectly behaved" children...to have a date night with my husband EVERY week...to have a maid do all my laundry and dishes. Okay, so I'm dreaming, I know, but days like today make me really yearn for heaven. I love so many things about this world, but it's NOT our home and this was NOT what God had intended. And even though I would be so sad to leave my children or husband, I long for the day that Christ will call me home. To be in His presence without worry or anxiety or pain is exactly where I want to be.

So, as I live each day, with its joys and struggles, I will try to put things in perspective that this life will be hard, but the next will be far greatly than my wildest dreams.

4th of July fun

Last year Brad and I spent a wonderful 4th of July with a few close friends here in Brainerd. We grilled out at a friend's house, walked to the parade, headed back to our individual homes, and then met again for fireworks later that evening. I was very, very pregnant with Caleb, but despite the steamy weather, I remember having a fabulous day.

This year, I really wanted to do that same sort of thing. Our friends who hosted the get-together last year had recently moved but were visiting over the Fourth. So I decide to also plan Caleb's one year birthday party for that day as well. (Since we were going to be on vacation on his actual birthday...it's a good thing he's young enough not to care!)

So our day began with a parade in Crosby, a nearby town.


If you've ever been to Brainerd's parade, you know that over 100,000 other people are there as well. No joke. Our little Brainerd/Baxter area swells to unbelievable numbers over the Fourth. We had heard that Crosby's parade was shorter, more kid-friendly, and way fewer people. And they were right! Sammy had a great time with her friends gathering candy, and Caleb enjoyed it as well and was pretty tuckered out by the time we got home around lunchtime.


Then the rest of our friends joined us for supper around 6:00 or so. And, since our house is pretty small (especially for the 10 adults and 12 children), we utilized our deck. (For some reason our 14 by 24 foot deck didn't quite seem as big...)

We had a great time getting to know the two recent additions to our friends' families. Baby E.J. was just a couple of weeks old.


And Baby Alistair was a little over 3 months old.


After we ate, we headed inside to open presents and eat some cake and ice cream. My friend Melanie sent Caleb the book "Llama Llama, Mad at Mama" and that turned out to be a big hit for all the kids.


And who could resist a face like this! I added blue food coloring to the frosting, and Caleb had a WONDERFUL time eating it!


Then most of us headed to the fireworks (which Sammy LOVED and Caleb HATED!) and then finally headed to bed.

It was such a fun day that I just didn't want it to end. God has truly blessed us in more ways than I can count. He has provided all we need from food to shelter to friends to family to amazing fireworks. Our God is great indeed!