6 years of wedded bliss!

Six years ago this week, I married the love of my life. We chose the last week of October because of the beautiful scenery here in the Ozarks. We were once again able to enjoy God's amazing creativity displayed in a Missouri autumn as we enjoyed a fabulous weekend getaway here.

Last summer, Hubby was awarded this getaway package from his employer for displaying excellence in the workplace. Thanks to his hard work throughout the year, and the gracious offer of my in-laws to watch our kids, we were able to enjoy two, kid-free days of amazing food, luxurious accommodations, and inspiring scenery. We indulged in a relaxing pace and were able to truly relish each other's company without the interruption of little ones. It was the best anniversary gift ever!

Thank you, Babe, for all you do for us. I love you!

100th Post!

And here it is...100 things you always wished you knew about me:

1. I was born in Kansas.
2. I have only lived in 2 states: Kansas and Missouri.
3. I lived exactly the first half of my life in Kansas, and now exactly the second half of my life in Missouri.
4. I have visited 31 of the continental United States and Alaska.
5. I have been to 4 other countries (Mexico, Canada, Jamaica, and France...and England if you count landing at the airport for a layover.)
6. I am the oldest of 3 girls.
7. I am a PK (preacher's kid).
8. I HATED being a PK when I was younger.
9. I have come to appreciate being a PK as I've grown older.
10. I have worked in almost every capacity in the local church (part of being a PK).
11. I was in a "beauty and talent pageant" in grade school.
12. I did not place in the top 3.
13. But I did learn a really cool "dance" routine to On Top of the World by The Carpenters.
14. I remember most of the actions to this day.
15. I had a "Dukes of Hazzard" lunchbox in grade school.
16. My most cherished toy as a child was my Mrs. Beasley doll.
17. My mom threw it away when we moved and told me it got lost. (I was in 1st grade.)
18. She bought me a replacement for my 30th birthday.
19. I played volleyball and basketball in high school, although I wasn't any good at either.
20. I took piano lessons from 2nd grade through college.
21. I played the trumpet in jr. high and high school.
22. I own a guitar, but don't play.
23. I would love to learn to play the guitar.
24. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music.
25. I have done NOTHING related to that degree since I graduated college.
26. I went to Bible college, so I also have a B.A. in Bible.
27. I have used that one since graduating.
28. I am a Type A person and a perfectionist (typical firstborn).
29. I have always been a perfectionist...not sure when the Type A thing evolved. I definitely wasn't that way in college!
30. I appreciate clever wit.
31. I tend to be a bit sarcastic.
32. That's not always a good thing.
33. I have dark brown (naturally), thick, curly hair.



(Kayren, this is for you!)


34. I have brown eyes.
35. I'm not telling you how much I weigh.
36. I've always been a bit prone to tripping over "nothing".
37. I hate mornings...with everything in me.
38. Autumn is my favorite season.
39. I like winter...until Jan. 2, then I'm done with it.
40. Christmas is my favorite holiday...followed by Thanksgiving and Halloween at a close second (even though having Halloween as a favorite holiday may be considered taboo).
41. I love candy corn, but only the week before Halloween. I don't care for it any other time of the year.
42. My favorite candy is dark chocolate peanut M&Ms.
43. My favorite dessert is pretty much anything chocolate.
44. I eat something chocolate almost every day (even if it's a few chocolate chips out of the freezer).
45. I inherited my chocolate-codependency from my mother and her mother.
46. I don't understand the point of desserts that aren't chocolate...unless it's pumpkin.
47. I would rate pumpkin (pumpkin pie and other desserts) as "almost chocolate" in my book.
48. I like to cook, but I LOVE to bake. (And I HATE to cleanup--whether it's cooking or baking!)
49. I love Mexican food.
50. I must have the dishes done and the kitchen cleaned up before I can relax for the evening.
51. I don't really feel that I can start my day unless the beds are made.
52. I used to work out regularly, but it's been pretty sporadic since the kids were born.
53. We own a treadmill, but it's not currently usable.
54. I would love to start running again regularly...I'll get on that some day!
55. I like all types of music, but my favorite style is probably big band/swing.
56. My favorite TV shows currently are The Office and Chuck.
57. I don't really have a favorite movie...I have several, depending on the genre.
58. I traveled with a ministry team the summer after college.
59. I taught drama ministry at my church for 7 years.
60. I've taught workshops on drama ministry and leadership.
61. I wrote a book on drama ministry with two of my closest friends.
62. I still talk to my two best friends from college almost every day.
63. One lives within 5 miles of me.
64. The other lives within 15 miles of me.
65. We were all addicted to Beverly Hills 90210 in college.
66. I haven't seen the new one, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't like it.
67. My "longest-time" friend is Lora at My Blessed Life.
68. We've literally known each other since we were a few months old.
69. She's the one who convinced me to start blogging.
70. I love to read.
71. I keep books and magazines stashed throughout the house (and in our vehicles) in case I can catch a few minutes to read.
72. I could get lost for hours in a bookstore...new or used.
73. I'm a bit compulsive when it comes to reading...I MUST reading everything from beginning to end.
74. I will finish a book, even if I don't like it.
75. I read magazines cover-to-cover, like a book.
76. I have a theory that if someone took the time to write, edit, and publish it, it surely must be worth reading (that is obviously not always the case!)
77. I love to write...mostly musings on my own life (as evidenced here on my blog).
78. I worked for a Christian publisher for 10 years.
79. During that time I worked on magazines, devotionals, Sunday School curriculum, web content development, youth ministry materieals, marketing pieces, Bible study materials, and more.
80. While working on a teen magazine, I had the opportunity to interview artists like Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, Jennifer Knapp, Third Day, and The Katinas.
81. I once had dinner with Jennifer Knapp at Zios.
82. I tripped and fell right into a puddle while walking with Audio Adrenaline (remember the whole "klutz" thing?)
83. When I got back to the office and told my friend, she told me I had something stuck in my teeth (which would have been there since lunch, and therefore throughout the ENTIRE interview with Audio A).
84. I am currently working on a series of children's books.
85. I hope to send them to a publisher next year.
86. I didn't get married until I was 30.
87. I knew my husband for 8 years when we married.
88. We met through friends in college.
89. Our friends set him up with my roomate.
90. They only went on one date.
91. We became friends years later through a weekly Bible study.
92. Six years later he asked me out.
93. Two years after that we were engaged.
94. Our anniversary is this Sunday.
95. We are going away for 2 nights.
96. The in-laws are coming to stay with the kids....woo-hoo!
97. We have two amazing children...Little Miss and Little Man.
98. We have a dog.
99. Hubby got him for me when we were dating.
100. It's really hard to think of 100 things about myself!
     

Designed for Life 2008 Women's Conference

"Life is full of surprises." That sounds so cliche...until you encounter one of those surprises.

Last week I attended our church's annual women's conference. (Thus the reason for my absence here.) Now, I'm not typically one for church women's gatherings. As a not-so-frilly-girl, I've come away from more than my share of women's gatherings feeling like it just "wasn't for me." But for some reason, I felt like I needed to go this year...and surprise! I'm really glad I did.

The speakers were phenominal. Vera Kasevich of Hillsong Church in Kiev, Ukrane, has an amazing testimony and passion for empowering women. She and her husband pastor in Kiev as well as in Moscow, Russia. We also heard from my friend Casey Gibbons, the wife of our youth pastor, Scotty Gibbons. Casey also has a tremendous story of God's faithfulness in her life and an amazing heart for girls and children.

For me, the highlight of the conference was being challenged (and I do not use that word lightly) by Christine Caine of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia. Put simply, Christine is a combination of passion, humor, and the power of the Word of God all rolled into a small Greek-Australian woman. She is an tremendous speaker and an amazing woman.

In addition to the powerful speakers, the conference held The World's Largest Baby Shower where nine new and expectant mothers from the local pregnancy care center were showered with gifts of strollers, rocking chairs, bedding and nursery decor, baby clothes, and baby supplies.

Two women were honored through the "Be a Gift" Foundation for their faith and courage in the midst of adversity. They were given makeovers and a shopping spree. One family was given a kitchen makeover (complete with new dishes and a fully-stocked pantry), while the other family received a 5-day getaway and a check to cover expenses for their son's medical treatments.

The conference participants also agreed to sponsor 500 Haitian children through Mission of Mercy to launch their ministry in the country of Haiti!

This was not your mother's women's conference! Gone are the days of blue-haired ladies sitting around knitting and sipping tea. Apparently, the new face of women's ministry is all about empowering women to live up to who God has created us to be. Now that I can get into! (The chocolates and chair massages are nice, too!)

I am definitely looking forward to next year's conference. If you're looking for a reason to visit the Ozarks next fall, this is a great reason to come. I can give you great tips on things to do in the area!

What's been your biggest surprise in recent days?

The Ministry of Motherhood: A Book Review

I recently finished the first book on my Fall Into Reading 2008 list. I had read The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson and was anxious to read this "follow-up" book of hers as well. As always, Sally's message both encouraged and challenged me in my role as "mom." I knew I would like this book as I always love reading her blog, I Take Joy.

This particular book, however, seemed to really "hit me where I am." I could especially relate to one paragraph in the introduction:

"I realized with the passing of each day that spiritual and emotional
maturity in the lives of my children would not just happen because I wished it
so. It would not just happen as a result of the passive example of my being
good. Effective emotional, spiritual, and social training in the lives of my
children would have to be both intentional and planned."

With a preschooler and now a toddler, my days are increasingly busy. Most of the time I feel as if I'm barely keeping up, and often I'm just falling behind. At the same time, I realize how fleeting the time with my children is and I want to do all I can to pour into them. I want to give them so much more than just knowledge. I want to give them the foundation they need to realize and experience their own faith in Christ, to meet the world with the truths of God's Word, and to develop social skills to help them feel comfortable with themselves and confident with others.

Sally does an amazing job of outlining the truths that she and her husband strove to impart to their children. She doesn't do it with a "you-have-to-do-it-this-way" attitude. But she does give you the tools to recognize what values are truly important and how to effectively communicate them in your family. Even if your children are older, Sally's book is a treasure of information. Many of the ideas and suggested activities that she lists are for older, elementary- and middle-school aged kids.

This book will not be for everyone. It's not an "easy-road-to-parenting" type resource. Not everyone will agree with her approach, and I realize her ideas won't work for every family. But I think it will challenge anyone who reads it to stop and consider the level of intention that goes into their everyday parenting. I know it's definitely done that for me.

Awards and Link Love

A couple of weekends ago, I was honored with two, yes TWO blog awards! I'm FINALLY getting around to posting about them and passing along the honors:

Lora at My Blessed Life gave me this:

Here are the rules:
(1) The winner can put the logo on their blog.
(2) Link the person you received your award from.
(3) Nominate 7 other blogs.
(4) Put links of those on yours.
(5) Leave a message on the blogs you’ve nominated.

And Kayren at Everything's Coming Up Daisies passed this along to me:

Rules:

1. Mention the blog that gave it to you.

2. Comment on their blog to let them know you've posted your award.
3. Publish these rules.
4. Share 6 values that are important to you
5. Share 6 things you do not support.
6. Grant the prize to 6 people.

Here are 6 values that are important to me:

1. Honesty

2. Faithfulness/Commitment

3. Integrity

4. Strength of Character

5. Sense of humor

6. Patience

And 6 things I do not support:

1. Obama

2. Abortion

3. The liberal agenda

4. Stupidity

5. Cruelty (in word or action)

6. Arrogance

Since Lora and Kayren both awarded the same blogs I would have, I wasn't sure how to pass them along. That's why it's taken me so long to post this. I've been RACKING MY BRAIN trying to figure out what to do! (My blogging circles are fairly small...but I'm working on it.) So, instead I will simply give you a few blogs that I enjoy visiting (on that rare occasion that I have the luxury to just surf the internet and read!). I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I Take Joy

Under the Bell Tower

The Menu Mom

Simple Mom

Your Homebased Mom

And FYI...I am nearing my 100th post and working on my list!

Yummy Microwave Meatloaf

Several years ago, when I first moved into my own house, one of my best friends gave me a cook book of her favorite recipes. I use many of them, but one in particular has become a family favorite....Microwave Meatloaf. We LOVE meatloaf, but when I was working I rarely thought to make it in enough time to bake for 45 min to an hour! So, imagine my thrill when I discovered that I could make our fave dish in under 30 minutes! And on top of all that, it's really YUMMY, too! So I thought I'd share it with you all...

Microwave Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1.5 lb ground beef
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped onion
1.5 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup your favorite BBQ sauce or ketchup


Combine first seven ingredients and mix well. Pack mixture
into a 2-quart microwavable dish. Microwave on high for
5 minutes then cover with BBQ sauce or ketchup. Cover and
cook another 15 minutes
or until done. Enjoy!

I know it's Tuesday, but just to prove that I really DID do a menu this week (and so Hubby knows what to expect this week), here's our menu for the upcoming week:

Monday--Microwave Meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans
Tuesday--Some sort of takeout since we are having our furnace replaced and the water has been off all day!
Wednesday--Sloppy joes, sliced baked potatoes, salad
Thursday--Slow Cooker Turkey, sweet potatoes, rolls
Friday--FAMILY NIGHT OUT!!!
Saturday--Spinach Artichoke Pizza with salad
Sunday--Cook's Day Off


If you would like any of the other recipes, just let me know. I'd be happy to post them!

Zoe is Home!

Zoe with big brother, Isaac, in the hospital

Tonight my sister and her husband will tuck their children into their own beds for the first time in almost 8 weeks! Baby Zoe was released from the hospital today and is enjoying his first evening at home with his family. I spoke with Carmen briefly on the phone today and she sounded so excited and relieved to be taking her little man home.

They have not posted yet about going home as I'm sure they're trying to get settled. I know they will continue to have a long journey ahead of them--adjusting their lives, schedules, and home to care for Zoe until his recovery is complete and his strength is 100%. In the meantime, I know they would appreciate your continued prayers and thoughts of encouragement.

Thank you to all who have diligently checked the web site, fervently prayed for Zoe's healing (and strength for our family), and send thoughts and words of encouragement. I'm sure once they're settled, Jim will continue to post Zoe's progress (complete with many pictures!) on the site, so be sure to check back frequently.

We are grateful to God for His faithfulness and His miraculous hand of healing! And we are so excited to watch our little Baby Zoe grow into a strong, vibrant young man! We love you, Zoe!

Know and Tell Friday

TGIF again!!! And it's time once again for Know and Tell Friday, hosted again this week by Kayren...thanks Kayren for all the GREAT questions!

0. If you want to, leave a comment for Heather to let her know how much you missed her last week and wish her well. Hey Heather! Hope you are hanging in there and doing well...I've been praying for you and your sisters' family.

1. Do you have fake plants in your house? Do you like them? No. I used to have real plants, but I killed them all. Then I had fake plants (3 ficuses....er, ficusi?...3 ficus plants), but I HATED dusting them, so we are currently a plant-free house. I figure I'm doing goo to remember to feed my kids and my dog...I don't need to remember to water (or dust) plants as well! (Did I mention I have a bit of a black thumb?)

2. What is the oldest piece of furniture you have that is not an antique? Describe it. Probably the oldest piece of furniture in our house is an old chair from Hubby's grandparents farmhouse. It is a red upholstered chair with beautiful wood etching on the armrests. It was left in the old farmhouse for decades after everyone moved out (the house was occasionally used for overnight hunting expeditions and shelter for bad-weather camping trips). I first spotted the old chair before Hubby and I were dating when a bunch of us when to his family's land for a camping trip. His family couldn't believe I loved it so much, since it had always been "that old red chair" to them. Hubby knew I had always loved it, so about two months before our wedding, he had it brought down and moved into "our" house (which at the time was my house) while I was out of town on a business trip. I still love it!


3. Do you have any antiques? We don't currently have any antiques, although we did when we first got married. We had a 100-year old piano that Hubby bought me when we were dating (our first Christmas together) and an antique dining room set that we bought when we were first married. But 2 children later (and in the same "quaint" house), we've had to sell those to make room for cribs, toyboxes, toys, balls, etc. I would love to get some more in our "next" (bigger) house.

My piano that is no longer mine...sniff, sniff

4. What type of dishes do you use? China, stoneware, Corelle, Tupperware, paper plates?

We use red Fiestaware dishes for everyday. Well, the kids have plastic Dora, Sesame Street, etc. dishes. I do have a set of China that I absolutely love. We got it for our wedding. I think we've used it once. It's currently packed away waiting for the impending move "some day."

My china that WILL get used some day!

5. What is your favorite thing in your house? Probably our leather couches and chair. It's the first furniture Hubby and I picked out together when we were married. And it's the most "lived in" and therefore the most comfortable furniture we have. I love to cuddle up and watch TV, surf the Internet, or blog from our cozy, comfy couch...although the leather gets cold, so we always have blankets close by!

6. Do you like to use lamps or overhead lighting? I definitely prefer lamps. I like the cozy ambiance they create.

7. Are you a pristine white wall person or do you love color? I like color...but I like muted colors on walls. When I first bought my house (which is now our house), the walls were all a light tan color. It was nice, because it was neutral. However, I did have to paint the kitchen a deep red after a few years, because all the tan finally got to me! It works because we have a brick floor in our kitchen...as a matter of fact, that's what sold me on the house!

Be sure to pop over to Kickin' It In Crazyville to see what Heather & Reese have been up to as well!

Happy Friday to all!