The Promised Update!! (Sorry for the delay)

So life has been full of the most amazing joys I have ever had the privilege of experiencing the last couple of months. As of tomorrow, I will be 11 weeks along in my pregnancy! How fast it goes!! In as little as 9 more weeks, I will be exactly half way through my pregnancy, and will have the joy of finding out the sex of our baby! This will be a first glimpse into the person that God has planned in this little being long ago. (I just love Psalm 139!)

With this journey has come many emotions. I have cried at silly songs on the radio, and when frustrated when trying to get my puppy's nails clipped quickly and safely. I have felt stress and anger when trying to cut back in my schedule to ensure that I receive plenty enough rest and sleep. But most of all, I have felt so very much excitement and joy!!

Yesterday Gregg and I went to our 10 week doctor's appointment. There, we were able to meet the doctor that will with us every step of the way until the actual delivery of our baby boy or girl. We were also given the opportunity to hear the heartbeat of the living miracle inside of my womb, as tiny as it might be right now. What a strong beat it was at 181 beats per minute!! It was a quick minute, but a forever memory.

I am so glad that I get to share this time with my husband! Gregg has been so loving and caring towards me and my sometimes silly desires and needs. He has been making sure that I am eating healthy, and frequently, and is putting up with my countless naps and my early bedtime every night. He's also stepped up and has taken over much of my share of the responsibilities with Ruthie, letting her out to potty more often, and staying up and playing with her every night until she's settled down for bed.

Overall, it has been an amazing time so far! I have been lucky enough not to have experienced much "morning" sickness at all. Although, I do feel a bit nauseous with an empty stomach! I still have so much to read, learn, and prepare before my nine months are up, but I am enjoying each and every second of this time God has given me. What joy!!

Guess What!?...

...WE'RE PREGNANT!!!!!!!!

more to come...

Have You Read It?

Only about 20 minutes ago, I concluded The Shack by William P. Young. What a delightful, yet difficult, read! Young managed to present God's goodness, righteousness, grace, justice, forgiveness, and reconciliation in a fresh and brilliant light. This is a must read for all who crave to see another side of God! How often we forget how multifaceted He is!

I am reminded of how BIG and POWERFUL and GREAT God really is. Through a relationship with Him, there is always something new to learn about yourself, others, life, and Himself.

Read it...I pray that it touches you and brings to light some answers of life's most difficult questions, as it has for me.

Summer Vacation

As I write, I am on the tail-end of my summer vacation with Gregg. What a time it has been!! First, we drive about 5.5 hours to Wisconsin for a Coldplay concert that was absolutely phenomenal! What a great Valentine's Day present (thanks love)! We then left the next morning for Chicago and enjoyed our stay there for 3 nights. While there, we enjoyed a beautiful hotel, wonderful city sites, the vast Michigan Lake, the captivating Blue Man Group (great show!), stunning heights (Sear's Tower/Willis Tower and John Hancock Building), and so much more! Lastly, we moved on to visit family and friends in California and witnessed Kaylyn and Danny's wedding last night as the main attraction. What a remarkable couple!! They were glowing the entire night. I am so very excited for them!!

So, that's our week in a nutshell. I am anxious to get home to Minnesota. I miss the clean, crisp air, friends, our church family, and most of all, my little Ruthie!!

Updates...

Ruthie...4 months

The cousins...Jadey and Addy


I have enjoyed my last two weeks immensely! Gregg's sisters, Misti and Lori, and their kids, Bri, Elijah, and Troy, were in town last week. Then, my mom, Dave, and Jade came to visit this week! I have been really busy with finishing up my spring semester, work, church, and family, but it has been a ton of fun. We have been enjoying parks, lakes, barbeques, and so much more.





Today is Independence Day! I am celebrating with Joey, Katie, Addy, Gregg, and the gang visiting from SoCal. Sadly, it is raining, so we are enjoying each other's company indoors for now. I just got Banana Grams (thanks to Kay and Danny) that I can't wait to play. Hopefully we get to go outside later and at least enjoy some sparklers...





An update on Ruthie: She is growing, growing, growing! She loves to eat, sleep, play, and cuddle. She is such a sweetheart and has her dad and me wrapped around her little paw. Seriously, I never thought I'd be that dog owner. She is just so loveable and is an absolute joy to have in our lives.





Enjoy your Fourth of July!

An Enlightening Moment

So, today I was driving to school and a weird thought about jobs came across my mind. It was a thought-starter...you know, the kind that gets you thinking, and thinking, and thinking, until you've finally made some random connection through it all. Well, I came to the realization that we were truly created to serve one another. Think of work for example. Our jobs were created to live in harmony with others, serving them, and doing our part to invest in the world and/or local community. Think about it. Everything revolves around this central idea. I guess working at a coffee shop is not so bad after all. I am providing a service to others so that they may go on with their day serving others by providing food, clothing, shelter, entertainment, comfort, care, and so much more. It all goes back to serving the community! This is no brilliant discovery, but to me it was a pleasant realization. God is so creative, that even when he created us all with different qualities and talents, he created us to give back to each other, and in turn, give back to the One who created it all.

Keith!!

Tonight I am going to see Keith Urban in concert, thanks to my big brother! I am so excited!! It's been years since I last saw him (my 19th birthday to be exact). Even though my day was blah (tough day at work and I'm coming down with some kind of cold), I am looking forward to a wonderful night. I am blessed! 

One Year!!

The night before our anniversary, we shared the evening together at Paul and Liza's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony, and was a wonderful reminder of how lucky we are to have one another. I have had such an amazing year with my husband!

On the night of our anniversary, we spent the evening out on the town, literally. We had dinner in downtown Minneapolis, in an old district called St. Andrews. Then, to my surprise, he had a carriage waiting outside the restaurant to take us on an hour tour across the Mississippi River, through the park, and into the city. It was such a beautiful spring night and I will remember it always! What a wonderful way to celebrate an exciting first year!

p.s.: Gregg is certain our driver was wearing a Snuggie :)

Ruthie the Bulldog

So...She's finally home! Ruthie is a sweet, fun-loving pup who loves to snuggle and chase after your toes until she gets a little nibble. Okay, let's be honest, a BITE! She has razor sharp teeth! She certainly loves to play, but even more, she LOVES to sleep! She's a great snuggler and is oh, so cute!!

How Could We Resist???

So, yesterday we drove 2 1/2 hours to pick out the newest member of our family. Meet Ruthie Tisor. She will be coming home with us in another 3 weeks. We can't wait!! She is the sweetest thing ever! I hope you come to visit us sometime, even if it is only to meet our new little girl.

I did it...

I cut my hair off!! It was just so dead and so ready for a new start. It is short! It is above my shoulders and just below my chin. Pictures to come...

No more winter

Today was a beautiful, crisp, and sunny day! I enjoyed this 60 degree weather with my husband, brother, sister-in-law, and adorable niece. We spent the afternoon walking around the small-town of Stillwater; located just before the Wisconsin border. Stillwater had fun downtown shopping and old antique, nick-nack stores. The St. Croix River was just about defrosted and was as still as glass. It was beautiful viewing the trees and buildings through the reflection provided by the silent waters. Then, we ventured off to a little Italian restaurant that has been featured on the Food Network's show Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. I had a lovely meatball sandwich, after they brought me out a new one, because the first was a little bit cold. I was a little disappointed at first, but the delicious food made up for it. I had a nice day. 

Winter Wonderland!

What a beautiful view...





what a beautiful day!

Getting Going...

I have been in Maple Plain, MN for a little over a month now, and I am feeling like things are just picking up. Sure, I've jumped straight into ministry along side my husband, but I have been trying to figure out MY place. So, it looks like it is piecing together nicely. Teaching in Minnesota is going to be a bigger challenge than I thought. God knows best. I have to go back to school in order to be up to par with the competition. I start next week at Crown College on an adventure to complete my Elementary Licensure with a concentration in Middle School Science. I am very excited to get going! Also, I will be starting a new job at the end of this week/beginning of next week. I am the newest employee at Caribou Coffee in Long Lake. I know many of my friends have worked or still work for Starbucks, but you have not experienced true joy in a cup of coffee until you sip on a drink from Caribou. It is truly magical and I am happy to stand behind it as a representative and supplier. Hmm, I feel like one right now!

You Are Missed!

There are many, many, people that I am missing right now, but these girls are definitely near the top! I am loving meeting new people and new students here at Maple Plain Community Church. In fact, I am surprised at how quickly I have come to connect with some of them. Still, I miss my girls. I miss our weekly meetings, and sitting by them at Haven. I miss bumping into some of them at their work around the community, and meeting them for coffee. I am so proud of this group of young women, and I am nothing but excited to hear of their futures as they graduate, go off to college, and discover their hopes and dreams. I've always shared with them that God has a personal and beautiful plan for each of them. I pray that they hold that truth close to them as they move on to bigger and better things. With love!!!

Pictures of our new home!

Our home

the living room...

kitchen

the dining room

the sun room (home of the ladybugs!)

the office

our bedroom

the guest room (there's room for you!!)

the basement/future game room

Asian Lady Beetles

Okay, so I was wrong about the ladybugs. Apparently they are Asian Lady Beetles. A few days after posting my blog, I walked into my sun room and saw a massive swarm along the inside of the windows. They are harmless, but having them in my house kind of creeps me out. So, I had Gregg vacuum them up and take them outside. I did a little research and found that they usually come in through windows and cracks in your home just before the first frost. Basically, it will happen every winter as long as you have imperfections in the structure of your home. Bummer.

Ladybugs

Most people have ants, spiders, perhaps cockroaches, but rarely do you hear of ladybugs, in their homes. Well, apparently there is a large population of ladybugs living in Minnesota. Let me explain. When we were visiting in January, I saved a little ladybug in a friend's home and since we've been in our home, we've had some of our own! Still, I would much rather have ladybugs in my home than those other bugs mentioned above. On the other hand, I wonder if they carry any weird diseases...

Minnesota

We're home!!

I am so excited to be here. After 3 days in the car, I am relieved to be home. The house is coming along nicely. I can't wait to finish the last touches so I can post some pictures. Gregg and I are doing great and we have felt so welcomed into the community! We have had visitors left and right, all of which bring some kind of treat or dessert. It has been so nice! I can't believe the generosity. I miss CA, but I am so excited to see all that God has for us here. I am looking forward to joining our church family on Sunday. Miss you all!

Oh, and if you look closely, the "Welcome to Minnesota" sign is in the background...Yes, we staged it.

Late...

Okay, so I know that it has certainly been a while. I even have some of my friends (Kay and Katie) saying I should be deleted! In reality, I haven't written for a while because there has been so much going on in my life. To get you up to date, I have been let go from my teaching job and am planning on moving to Maple Plain, Minnesota in about 3 weeks! God has truly been evident and present through the whole process. I will explain more soon (really!) and will keep you all updated on the hind sight of the move. We are heading there next Wednesday to finalize things, so we will know more facts and dates when we return.