tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11858807738342227032024-03-05T04:44:11.948-08:00left bowerKrystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-42369765404421780352009-02-14T06:11:00.000-08:002009-02-14T06:56:12.476-08:00Start your bidding!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://tarapchakfamilyblogauctions.blogspot.com"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTLtRsTYhS08UFhAuTL7im2MymqJ4VaRAyPPom8DaKZaUHpNAnjkAraHC26L-1S492Q0_xLQBZJnXFqDksoddYndWxICCylbIXjOVmoWytFBqh9gFXFEYS9frQEaORWShhj1fDVWBApfI/s320/tarapchakfamilyauctionBLOGBUTTON.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296197479842947906" border="0" /></a>Let the bidding begin!! Today is the first day of the silent auction to benefit the Tarapchak Family Children. The proceeds from the auctions will go to <a href="http://tarapchak.wordpress.com/4-the-kids/">an education fund</a> which was previously set up for the Tarapchak kiddos.<br /><br />Browse the master list of auctions taking place <a href="http://tarapchakfamilyblogauctions.blogspot.com"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">here</span></a> and you'll also see more details listed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Up for auction RIGHT HERE TODAY is an adorable </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">navy blue tote with a trendy floral liner (perfect as a purse, pool tote,or diaper bag) filled with lots of great professional beauty products!</span> </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WO1TD8w-m7DISoB6_zyFuBEOsTuZmnEix22V-HufssEAFQbE6srfzEpz-2UW6Y-8ybOMqjYV03SfU696QIrZuvHakN2-c6MNhIgeEDOK0e3Qsk0oru9gKyrxPQ6EKCjhBvV1TYYdYLOt/s1600-h/100_3749.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WO1TD8w-m7DISoB6_zyFuBEOsTuZmnEix22V-HufssEAFQbE6srfzEpz-2UW6Y-8ybOMqjYV03SfU696QIrZuvHakN2-c6MNhIgeEDOK0e3Qsk0oru9gKyrxPQ6EKCjhBvV1TYYdYLOt/s320/100_3749.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300107369142368786" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Products inside tote include:</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">FUSION ENERGY OF BEAUTY HAIRSPRAY<br />RUSK BRILLIANCE SHAMPOO<br />RUSK BRILLIANCE LEAVE IN CONDITIONER<br />KENRA NOURISHING HAIR MASQUE<br />AVON HONEY & VITAMIN E BUBBLE BATH<br />FUSION VENT BRUSH<br />OPI NAIL POLISH<br />CREATIVE NAIL POLISH<br />PINK NAIL FILE<br />BIOLAGE HAIR CARE SAMPLES<br />BATH AND BODY WORKS SWEAT PEA MINI SET<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br />Take time to celebrate you! This package has all you need and is perfect for Valentine's Day!<br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-size:85%;" >(Est. value of tote & product: </span>$60<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">)</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hair products donated by hairstylist Mimi Anglin; Tote and Bath and Body Works product donated by Jenny Lusher</span>.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Bidding will continue through Sunday, Feb. 15 at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard time.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >100%</span> of the proceeds will benefit the Tarapchak kids!</span><br /><a href="http://tarapchak.wordpress.com/4-the-kids/">Flat donations may also be made to their fund on an ongoing basis.</a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Bid in increments of... $5.00<br /></span><div style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);"><strong><em>Place a bid by leaving a comment to this post.<br /></em></strong></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">Cash, check or money order will be accepted.<br /></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 102, 102);">PayPal will be accepted, with additional PayPal fee charges added on.<br /><br /></div>I MUST have a way to contact you in order for your bid to be valid. The winning bidder will be notified the evening the auction is done!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-78521836913117582192009-02-11T18:07:00.000-08:002009-02-11T18:28:01.522-08:00The 4thThis is the first blog tag I've received and it's a pretty neat one, I have to say! Thanks Arminda for getting the ball rolling. But I must say, I keep so many pictures in my folders that I'm scared to find the 4th pic in my 4th folder. Let's see how this goes!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjCI49dtaarDSvqd-N_rsyvQufoTjWwwEqhGVibdFV3B6j-g1Hai8NjD1kOs5W8ITPu9AQ8WdehiVUnC53LJiLWbcPXYiFynhj-n0J5R25jacL-Sc_Qm6t7V_eZl1N-OlLuYp5nr_TzDf/s1600-h/DSC01129.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikjCI49dtaarDSvqd-N_rsyvQufoTjWwwEqhGVibdFV3B6j-g1Hai8NjD1kOs5W8ITPu9AQ8WdehiVUnC53LJiLWbcPXYiFynhj-n0J5R25jacL-Sc_Qm6t7V_eZl1N-OlLuYp5nr_TzDf/s320/DSC01129.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301727245655216402" border="0" /></a>Well, 2009 happened to be my 4th folder...and this was the random pic! Making the boys smile into the sun just didn't work! Huge no-no in photography, I understand. :-) But we were happy to have sunshine this day.<br /><br />Lil Brudder was not happy about the size of our snowman, even though he didn't help much in the building process. His class from school built this one (below) earlier that day, so ours really didn't measure up! He was so pumped when he came home from school that day and so energized. What awesome teachers for bundling all 12 of them up, getting them outside and taking advantage of the warm morning!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwESxFL61asr0_ItwIbvg6L_r0es5wp0RHWOZY2zzQsylfWTLAn0eTneOxt6CEJQi0_m2M54NAcZdsam9hsQx07YZLGBdbcZjN42OuGaLX6vGV0M7lrfXH_0rvGxRzszYxCFE7UsmJ1vww/s1600-h/Hubler's+snow+play.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwESxFL61asr0_ItwIbvg6L_r0es5wp0RHWOZY2zzQsylfWTLAn0eTneOxt6CEJQi0_m2M54NAcZdsam9hsQx07YZLGBdbcZjN42OuGaLX6vGV0M7lrfXH_0rvGxRzszYxCFE7UsmJ1vww/s320/Hubler's+snow+play.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301728135640793362" border="0" /></a><br />Your turn...I tag <a href="http://haybeebaby.blogspot.com/">Haylee</a>, <a href="http://karenamundson.wordpress.com/">Karen</a>, <a href="http://holtsboys.blogspot.com/">Carrie</a> & <a href="http://thelinakfamily.blogspot.com/">Kelly</a> and anyone else who wants to jump in on this one! Who doesn't love their family photos, so you can't help but have fun digging through and finding one!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-27028055248816578972009-02-10T14:16:00.001-08:002009-02-10T14:31:48.054-08:00Wake Up Call!Since the new season of Extreme Home Makeover, we have spent several Sunday evenings watching the new episodes as a family. Generally, we budge on bedtime and make it a family time, since the boys surprisingly enjoy the show so much. They get so excited when the new house is revealed and the boys are pretty moved by the heroes' stories who've been chosen for the makeovers. But I think they've seen Ty Pennington yelling into the megaphone one too many times.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy57JCK4mcPod0SuI-DrTfIsq0QPIYk8F4lqFTeVTwFETBZlbZCv0M9eVZZpvm17GiXWj225oLX_GylJRDgqPeYI11wZVTRyTIsj4Niw-I-aaI5v0dauWfGxbK2LcUjDPg3lcJ8hKw_TJc/s1600-h/Sympdblekit-02.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 238px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy57JCK4mcPod0SuI-DrTfIsq0QPIYk8F4lqFTeVTwFETBZlbZCv0M9eVZZpvm17GiXWj225oLX_GylJRDgqPeYI11wZVTRyTIsj4Niw-I-aaI5v0dauWfGxbK2LcUjDPg3lcJ8hKw_TJc/s320/Sympdblekit-02.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5301296144630599074" border="0" /></a>Yesterday I was checking over my breastpump to make sure it would still function after several years of storage. So of course, the pieces that you see here were all revealed and the boys were fascinated by them. I didn't tell them what they were for because, well...they didn't ask, for once! But soon enough they were running around the house using them as spaceships or doing their best Ty Pennington impressions, yelling "Good morning such-and-such family!!" into them.<br /><br />"Oh boys...once you see what those are really for, you truly are going to get a wake up call of your own!" <br /><br />I know the questions are going to continue to flow once the baby is here, just as many have been asked during this entire pregnancy. But it's been entertaining to see what sparks their minds and how creative & couth we can be with the response! Hopefully we'll have some news to share within the next 2 weeks and we'll see if the interrogation tapers off a bit.Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-56349791082530822152009-02-07T09:01:00.000-08:002009-02-07T10:17:55.746-08:00Pamper Me Beautiful!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVwzh7LN5tQ7tiPG-eXE1Xl5JuJ8bdZ-mgUlZ8HsSwQrUUNRWWVcZuLr4D0LCzKPLP_ineuvLMVomS2LmbqbhGGORW4nU0DjjSzf2rf5Uo4tYIPdN4wqRYfJFnY1oxjTmnjyECrMwW6Yq/s1600-h/100_3748.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVwzh7LN5tQ7tiPG-eXE1Xl5JuJ8bdZ-mgUlZ8HsSwQrUUNRWWVcZuLr4D0LCzKPLP_ineuvLMVomS2LmbqbhGGORW4nU0DjjSzf2rf5Uo4tYIPdN4wqRYfJFnY1oxjTmnjyECrMwW6Yq/s320/100_3748.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300106940603787954" border="0" /></a><br />Thank you to my friends, Mimi Anglin (my favorite hairsylist!) & Jenny Lusher for contributing to the <a href="http://tarapchakfamilyblogauctions.blogspot.com/">Tarapchak Family Auction</a>! Below is a description of a great tote they'll be auctioning off on my blog <span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">next weekend - (February 14 & 15)</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);">!!</span> This item is one of several items to be auctioned, where the proceeds will go to benefit the Tarapchak kids' education funds.<br /><br />YOU can be a part by blessing this dear family AND win a great pampering package!! Place your bid by including it in a comment on THIS post. At the end of the day on Sunday, Feb. 15, the winner will be announced and you'll be contacted to arrange payment. Pick up is the preferred delivery method, but shipping can be arranged.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Up for auction is an adorable </span><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">navy blue tote with a trendy floral liner (perfect as a purse, pool tote,or diaper bag) filled with lots of great professional beauty products!</span> </span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WO1TD8w-m7DISoB6_zyFuBEOsTuZmnEix22V-HufssEAFQbE6srfzEpz-2UW6Y-8ybOMqjYV03SfU696QIrZuvHakN2-c6MNhIgeEDOK0e3Qsk0oru9gKyrxPQ6EKCjhBvV1TYYdYLOt/s1600-h/100_3749.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3WO1TD8w-m7DISoB6_zyFuBEOsTuZmnEix22V-HufssEAFQbE6srfzEpz-2UW6Y-8ybOMqjYV03SfU696QIrZuvHakN2-c6MNhIgeEDOK0e3Qsk0oru9gKyrxPQ6EKCjhBvV1TYYdYLOt/s320/100_3749.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5300107369142368786" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(204, 51, 204);font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-family:lucida grande;">Products inside tote include:</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);">FUSION ENERGY OF BEAUTY HAIRSPRAY<br />RUSK BRILLIANCE SHAMPOO<br />RUSK BRILLIANCE LEAVE IN CONDITIONER<br />KENRA NOURISHING HAIR MASQUE<br />AVON HONEY & VITAMIN E BUBBLE BATH<br />FUSION VENT BRUSH<br />OPI NAIL POLISH<br />CREATIVE NAIL POLISH<br />PINK NAIL FILE<br />BIOLAGE HAIR CARE SAMPLES<br />BATH AND BODY WORKS SWEAT PEA MINI SET<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 0, 204);"><br />Take time to celebrate you! This package has all you need and is perfect for Valentine's Day!<br /></div> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 0, 204);font-size:85%;" >(Est. value of tote & product: </span>$60<span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(153, 51, 153);">)</span></span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hair products donated by hairstylist Mimi Anglin; Tote and Bath and Body Works product donated by Jenny Lusher</span> </span>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-27248414980394365862009-01-27T20:14:00.000-08:002009-01-27T20:35:38.642-08:00Get the Word Out!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTLtRsTYhS08UFhAuTL7im2MymqJ4VaRAyPPom8DaKZaUHpNAnjkAraHC26L-1S492Q0_xLQBZJnXFqDksoddYndWxICCylbIXjOVmoWytFBqh9gFXFEYS9frQEaORWShhj1fDVWBApfI/s1600-h/tarapchakfamilyauctionBLOGBUTTON.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 182px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTLtRsTYhS08UFhAuTL7im2MymqJ4VaRAyPPom8DaKZaUHpNAnjkAraHC26L-1S492Q0_xLQBZJnXFqDksoddYndWxICCylbIXjOVmoWytFBqh9gFXFEYS9frQEaORWShhj1fDVWBApfI/s320/tarapchakfamilyauctionBLOGBUTTON.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296197479842947906" border="0" /></a>Just wanted to post a special request from a friend over at <a href="http://itsmejen.blogspot.com/">it's me jen</a>. In memory of our friend, Stefan and as a way to bless his wife and kids, Jen is hosting a silent, online auction. Here is the official site with more details about the <a href="http://tarapchakfamilyblogauctions.blogspot.com/">auction</a>. She has invited each of her crafty friends to participate by offering a product of their talent in the auction. The proceeds will benefit Stef & Sandi's kids, by helping fund their education.<br /><br />Not being so crafty myself, I won't have a talent/product to share in the auction. But I definitely wanted to get the word out to anyone who...<br /><br />1) May want to contribute some fruit of their creativity to the auction.<br /><br />And<br /><br />2) Will participate on the weekend of February 14 & 15!<br /><br />There will be some great products and I personally am going to be working hard to win the Custom Rag Quilt that will be offered by my friend Jen. You can fight me for that one if you want! Let's get a friendly bidding war going...I dare you!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-66507241904429220202009-01-05T13:19:00.000-08:002009-01-05T13:56:24.436-08:00A "Heartwarming" StoryYes, I believe I really am the most lame blogger around at this point. We had much going on in December, but definitely no more than the rest of the busy world of bloggers.<br /><br />Christmastime was great and I can't believe it's come and gone already. Many memories were made and it was so much fun to celebrate Jesus' birthday in that way. We did make our way back to Iowa for about 9 days and spent time with both my family and Brent's. What a blessing that we've been able to celebrate with all of our family members for 2 years in a row. We hope that continues...it becomes more difficult though, from what we hear.<br /><br />One thing we hope to do, as long as Iowa continues to have snowy Christmases, is to do some sledding as a family. One day we'll upgrade to skiing there...yes there are places to ski in Iowa. Enough to teach a kid anyhow...but it's by no means Vail!<br /><br />This is where the heartwarming story comes in. (I quote heartwarming because it's such a great word and I heard it out of the mouth of our 11 year old friend the other day. He was describing the movie "Bolt" to us and said "There are a couple heartwarming scenes in it!" We thought that was so sweet to hear a boy describe something that way. I'm sure there were plenty of other adjectives most 11 year old boys would use!)<br /><br />Back to the story...last Christmas and this Christmas, my family went sledding at a popular hill in the town I grew up in. Last year, we noticed one particular boy being really kind and helping Little Brudder walk back up the hill. He would also hold the sled while our little guy hopped on. This boy took him on a ride down the hill and eventually, he even let L.B. use his sled a few times. We thanked him and thought it was so sweet that he would take the time to help our little guy out. He told us his name was Christian and all of us were just touched that he was so nice, when he could have been enjoying his own time with his friends.<br /><br />This year, we went sledding at "the hill" again as a family. There were only a handful of other kids there this year. After a couple of runs down the hill, a few of us noticed one boy that looked a bit taller and older than the Christian we met last year. He was being so polite watching out for the kids, sharing his sled and helping them back up the hill. After a few minutes, I asked him what his name was. It was Christian! That town isn't a huge town, but we were surprised to be back there on the same day. We all laughed and told him how nice it was for him to be helping the kids out again. My mom and I both mentioned that maybe he was our little angel on the hill. :-) It's so nice to see young kids out there who look out for others and not only for themselves! What a great lesson to remind our boys of...we pray they will look out for others in the same way as they mature!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >2007 - Christian and L.B. chatting up the hill</span> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7pfpQHcb48qORBTyu2HTKI_iM4NWYJf8b_4hT23-h6u4SZocbDBzRcQ54niatXJsjv9E4wPe8G277RjG5RQ6GNo_N2I7Xg4_hjUWPyerL13SH2NZF_cRfIlPjzuQZxiAQyo6ekvB6rSC/s1600-h/DSCF4454_edited.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7pfpQHcb48qORBTyu2HTKI_iM4NWYJf8b_4hT23-h6u4SZocbDBzRcQ54niatXJsjv9E4wPe8G277RjG5RQ6GNo_N2I7Xg4_hjUWPyerL13SH2NZF_cRfIlPjzuQZxiAQyo6ekvB6rSC/s320/DSCF4454_edited.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287930807613597010" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" > 2008 - Christian (in the same purple hat!) and L.B. going back up the hill again. </span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjruzsgZKFnfi1IKk4pGgxFxjC4Ks8nQEUpUfNBAwZgrKtYVNVm9u_H4gG5zIUScG2QQBr7ft4fbyWd7AHbYW6xQhX_tflLqdX8OpFrmDsyRr9fTN2iOhJOzSbNcjQmLQL9R_rBESqf2Yb/s1600-h/IMG_6409.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjruzsgZKFnfi1IKk4pGgxFxjC4Ks8nQEUpUfNBAwZgrKtYVNVm9u_H4gG5zIUScG2QQBr7ft4fbyWd7AHbYW6xQhX_tflLqdX8OpFrmDsyRr9fTN2iOhJOzSbNcjQmLQL9R_rBESqf2Yb/s320/IMG_6409.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287931234994616498" border="0" /></a>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-91892251652855317932008-11-22T16:20:00.000-08:002008-11-22T16:38:19.784-08:00Music of the SeasonWell, I've been a bit silent around our blog lately and possibly for good reason...possibly not. I've had some very up days and surprisingly very down days lately. This has kind of taken me by surprise during a pregnancy that I've expected to be full of glow and bliss. The hormones and emotions that are so common during pregnancy are hitting me harder than they did with my other pregnancies. Not to mention more anxiety. But God has been good and is walking through these days with me and showing me how to deal with the sometimes sleepless nights and the somewhat down days.<br />With Thanksgiving approaching next week (my most favorite time of the year...probably even my fave holiday!) I have had so much to focus on with a thankful heart. For the past month, our women's Bible study at church has also been about Prayer and Praise. We are reading through each Psalm, writing down attributes of God and noting how He turns the negative things into positive praise and focus on His sovereignty. It's been a great exercise to keep my mind on God's truth and off the lies that sneak in when I'm down or anxious.<br />With much to look forward to this week and over the next month, I am also getting so excited to pull out the Christmas music and start playing it non-stop! I usually restrain myself until after Thanksgiving, but Walmart and certain other stores I frequent have left me at their mercy to listen against my will! I do feel for those poor employees that have to hear to it for 2 months straight! Thankfully, I get to CHOOSE which songs I listen to! <br />Brent and I are big Casting Crowns fans and bought their Christmas CD several weeks ago. Can't wait to pop that one in and wear it out. I'm also checking out Mandisa's songs on iTunes and reading how great her new release is. Saw that Harry Connick Jr. has a new Christmas CD out...it's only $7.99 on iTunes...maybe there's a reason it's so cheap. We've all had fun with "When My Heart Finds Christmas" and the boys love a few of the songs on that one.<br />So what do YOU know? What's worth picking up to listen to these days and what's worth leaving for Walmart to put their employees over the edge this time of year?Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-37079334381916831312008-10-12T08:09:00.000-07:002008-10-12T08:37:40.659-07:00Taking in some TunesLast week, we were blessed by our friends, Stef & Sandi, when they invited us to The United Tour...Steven Curtis Chapman & Michael W. Smith on stage together sharing their music! They have never performed together on tour, so that was pretty cool to be there on the opening night.<br /><br />Being long time fans of both artists, Brent & I agreed that Steven Curtis Chapman still has the most impact on us. This is partly because of his <a href="http://www.stevencurtischapman.com/blogs.htm">family's amazing story</a> of hope and how they are boldly choosing faith in God during a tragic event in their lives. He shared why he believes that God is still calling him to sing and tour...he wasn't sure he'd be able to continue that career after the loss of his youngest daughter. We and countless others are so thankful that Steven and his family are still sensing God's plan in their lives. They have been a HUGE blessing to so many already!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT9_9qABtEINvHHjMLCbU_STHNMiGOm6xnHovpx95IPQnUWKH6Bnn8jLOtYZsyZymGyNp0EknLyvkQrS3YTdREV-tuZ0pGtsIdwrOsstJnDhrkWwbKNVHVEMrqZaaP_g9gHjdFb6A7BOf/s1600-h/DSC01010.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT9_9qABtEINvHHjMLCbU_STHNMiGOm6xnHovpx95IPQnUWKH6Bnn8jLOtYZsyZymGyNp0EknLyvkQrS3YTdREV-tuZ0pGtsIdwrOsstJnDhrkWwbKNVHVEMrqZaaP_g9gHjdFb6A7BOf/s320/DSC01010.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5256286987760612354" border="0" /></a>The 2 artists are also bringing their older sons on tour with them to play back up guitar & keyboard. It was neat to see the duos displaying their musical ability!<br /><br />It was a blessing to hang out with Stef & Sandi, especially in the midst of his fierce battle with cancer. Please keep praying for <a href="http://tarapchak.wordpress.com/">Stef</a>, as he's in the middle of radiation treatments and much pain right now. Thanks Stef & Sandi, for making it a fun night and blessing us, even in the midst of your trials right now!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-18264631709672141132008-09-25T06:20:00.000-07:002008-09-25T06:35:06.384-07:00Free Download!So there's finally a new song on the playlist over there. Thanks to this <a href="http://www.itickets.com/">site</a>, I got a free download and I'm liking it! I've heard a lot of Lincoln Brewster, mostly on our local radio station, but I haven't "picked up" on him yet. But I am liking this song...Today is the Day. Get this song free (and a new one every week) when you have an account with them.<br /><br />Taken straight from Psalm 118:24 -<br />"This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it."<br /><br />Learned this one young, but it's so true that no matter what our day holds, we can trust that God made it for a reason and we can be glad! What a great song to hear each morning...especially the ones when we're dragging. I probably won't be doing any jumping around to it as I get ready though...can you envision that with my growing belly?<br /><br />"And I won't worry about tomorrow, I'm trusting in what you say...today is the day."Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-23949543790461388502008-09-22T18:34:00.001-07:002008-09-22T19:07:55.589-07:00Birthday Boy<span style="font-size:100%;">Little Brudder just celebrated his 4th Birthday! Seems unreal...he's such a big kiddo now. And we're gonna keep him for a while longer. Especially if he keeps being so sweet and fun! <br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">We had some fun making big of his day as a family!</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Big Brudder gave him his present the minute he woke up. He was pretty excited for his Brudder.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Opened presents & cards on dad & mom's bed in the morning.</span><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-k8bQKU1tWYDIA_Bzlu_CiwjBdXUhEpMUmmB1n5XEcJwtE3EtVHYayvoUiFitVwMo9ayjiSitf1EpK1YE245tv8Y3HptkeG9G2EWxh37FMxq3TqKv5nrjpFZEtENVCg1q30v2w0gKyhlK/s1600-h/DSCF5811.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-k8bQKU1tWYDIA_Bzlu_CiwjBdXUhEpMUmmB1n5XEcJwtE3EtVHYayvoUiFitVwMo9ayjiSitf1EpK1YE245tv8Y3HptkeG9G2EWxh37FMxq3TqKv5nrjpFZEtENVCg1q30v2w0gKyhlK/s320/DSCF5811.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249026524025649410" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Had lunch at Friday's and was treated to a BIG birthday sundae!</span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUc_AxRIdVJy9hyphenhyphenxCO1XCg8uvIBrynEztmPrEYk5iGhqbbhneQYQOaG19Xv4xKkQAoMKvk-d-8P1yxKUuFtMWGNVvZVwEJKk0sel8sDVKLw6j5_B8mxkPwoK3IBi99sl5yuQ05Di0VQ2L/s1600-h/DSC00855.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSUc_AxRIdVJy9hyphenhyphenxCO1XCg8uvIBrynEztmPrEYk5iGhqbbhneQYQOaG19Xv4xKkQAoMKvk-d-8P1yxKUuFtMWGNVvZVwEJKk0sel8sDVKLw6j5_B8mxkPwoK3IBi99sl5yuQ05Di0VQ2L/s320/DSC00855.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249026856025197506" border="0" /></a>Was scared to death by the servers while they sang to him. Every single server came out from behind him to clap & sing. It was super loud! Nearly made him cry...but when they walked away, he recovered well by diving into the sundae! <br />(I think the big man sitting behind us was going to cry too! He had to cover his ears, because he was just as scared when the commotion started. Kinda funny)<br /><br />We're so blessed by this boy...God has definitely made someone special in Little Brudder. We hope he never forgets it!<br /><br /><table style="width: 100%;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody></tbody></table><br /></div>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-4049259058033529252008-09-22T18:15:00.000-07:002008-09-22T18:54:21.909-07:00Uninvited project<div style="text-align: center;">A new project was dropped onto Brent's plate after the storm. Our awesome Bradford pear tree that gave us so much great shade needed to come down after some wind damage. This thing was so tiny when we moved in 9 years ago.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtnpz5p4MKAlS3P1q9xCaDG9I_TUSnAH5VSiuFcXGZuk4uYYEm8Zc8C-jRFBOLwDzTbgcP2DXWXLIhiaN19T5jvmLNpcJC7YXPW9llvGHsiJnPSWOrbvCwaKNiQ1hka-3qhiXu96gfmlg/s1600-h/house005.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJtnpz5p4MKAlS3P1q9xCaDG9I_TUSnAH5VSiuFcXGZuk4uYYEm8Zc8C-jRFBOLwDzTbgcP2DXWXLIhiaN19T5jvmLNpcJC7YXPW9llvGHsiJnPSWOrbvCwaKNiQ1hka-3qhiXu96gfmlg/s320/house005.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249019733417030498" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">1999...little tree on the left side of the house</span></span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />These trees are known for getting really big and full. Also known for splitting easily.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vR7_aouwZWOe8YlpRPumMK3V5_gtndQVIri320iSK27hJrkZWURGiweE1g8X-wwXrkZqYRAFfLv0mihXuivTev21c2NoA16UfZ8TDxz7VZb8pChganbbhK3k1BYEFUa02h-BZR7v7Zsf/s1600-h/DSCF5809.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vR7_aouwZWOe8YlpRPumMK3V5_gtndQVIri320iSK27hJrkZWURGiweE1g8X-wwXrkZqYRAFfLv0mihXuivTev21c2NoA16UfZ8TDxz7VZb8pChganbbhK3k1BYEFUa02h-BZR7v7Zsf/s320/DSCF5809.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5249020508291266258" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">2008...after Brent had already cut 1/2 of it away</span></span><br /><br />I am mourning the loss. Couldn't plant much under this tree because it took all the light, but it was best thing for reducing the electric bill in the summer. We can already tell a BIG difference on these 85 degree days. I dread next summer!<br /><br />Attempting to see the positive...<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:100%;" >1) We have a new house. Okay, at least a house that can be seen from the street now.<br />While it was on the market last year, it was kind of funny to see the listed picture. You thought we were selling a garage with a bedroom above it.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">2)We also have firewood...holler if you need some bonfire wood.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">3) Brent is now a pro at running a chainsaw. He didn't lose any of his limbs, thank God.</span><br /><br />Any ideas of things to plant in FULL sun?<br /></div>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-71845242358201529562008-09-16T19:30:00.000-07:002008-09-22T18:52:44.611-07:00After the storm...We've had an exciting weekend and now things have somewhat calmed down. Our crazy effects from hurricane Ike have put some things into perspective for me.<br /><br />We had finally purchased a stove, after shopping around for a day or two. Took our business to a smaller appliance store here in town, b/c we heard they have great service. They price matched also, so we wanted to give them the business, rather than to the monster chain stores.<br />However, when I heard it would still be another 4-5 days before they delivered our stove, I had a meltdown. I reconsidered taking our business to a chain that could deliver when I wanted it. Total wake-up call of how much I am a part of the "me" society that we're plagued by. At least I could say I was trying to look out for the good of my family and our eating habits. But I still wanted the stove when I wanted it.<br /><br />Then Sunday came and the storm rolled in. We've never had a storm like that...75 mph winds...no rain...just crazy winds. We woke up from our naps that afternoon to part of our maple tree down in the backyard. The power went out right when I woke up and we spent a lot of time outside wondering how long the winds could keep blowing. Enjoyed dinner out with our friends and realized that even if I had my stove when I wanted it, it would be in vain at this point. Sources were telling us the power would be out for up to 7 days.<br /><br />Went to the store to get "D" batteries for our flashlights...along with everyone else in town. There were NONE on the shelves. I even knew the hidden spots for batteries in the store...they were cleaned out. I spotted a set on a random shelf and snatched them so fast...I thought I needed to run in case someone mugged me for the batteries. It was a pretty crazy place.<br /><br />Came home and part of our tree out front had fallen on the house. Thankfully extremely minor damage, but we have to sacrifice our shade-bearing tree. So sad about that. Our friends with a small t.v. told us there was no school on Monday. We've never had school cancel for power outages! Brent woke up early Monday to beat the rush and buy a generator. Monster chain stores had none...we had already sent them south for the hurricane recovery. There were 2 for rent. Brent got one and we split it with the neighbors. Powered up the basics... fridge, freezers, T.V. & of course, the Wii. Just the basics, ma'am, just the basics.<br /><br />Friend came over to cut down the small part of tree that landed on the front of our house. He'll come back to help take out the rest later.<br />Boys played & played & played with neighbor buddies.<br />I had a dr. appt. and they still had power! We'll find out whether the baby has indoor or outdoor plumbing in 3 weeks!! Can't wait.<br />Power came back on 24 hours after it went out. We are so thankful, but kept praying for many around us that still didn't/don't have power.<br />School cancelled again today. Tomorrow everyone goes back.<br /><br />Boy, I realized my reasons for meltdown don't pale in comparison to what some people are experiencing down south. We had the tiniest glimpse of what life is like with no power. Add flooding, scarce food & nowhere to call home to that. Wow. We'll keep praying for them for sure. They have a real reason for meltdowns...hopefully they're all stronger than me in the face of those circumstances though!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-29492636948910542692008-09-08T18:54:00.000-07:002008-09-08T19:03:34.182-07:00We chucked it out.You sure wouldn't think that it would be such a tough decision about throwing out food and going out to eat. But that was a hard call for us. Not to mention I was tired and ready to get everyone to bed...a time when making wise choices becomes difficult for everyone in the house...most of all for me! <br /><br />So we chucked all the food out. And we've done a little shopping for a stove. But that's not a quick process either, when you've never had to make that decision for yourselves! We know we're switching to gas and we'll have to put in a gas line for the stove. That probably means we'll be forking out for fast food several more days...ugh. <br /><br />Shopping for major appliances goes like this for me...I need a stove, but I'm having more fun looking at refrigerators. We've replaced all of our appliances except for the fridge and we know that's coming soon. Not to mention, they have a much wider selection to choose from. But I need a stove...I am such a decisive & focused person!<br /><br />Maybe we'll have a home cooked meal by the end of this week...if we're lucky! If I were as disciplined as my friend, Haylee, over at <a href="http://haybeebaby.blogspot.com">HaybeeBaby</a>, our family would be well fed on raw foods. I've been intrigued by her new food choices...she's made it a long process to change over, but I can tell she loves it! She's amazingly creative too, so enjoy all that she creates and concocts in her "spare" time!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-35573000931134744142008-09-04T16:56:00.000-07:002008-09-22T18:53:58.143-07:00What would you do?We came home from soccer practice tonight to indulge in a meal that I had prepared earlier today. I left it in the oven on 200 to finish cooking and joked that I'd probably burn the house down. When we all returned with rumbling bellies, I opened the oven and felt no heat. The heating element/coil/not-sure-what-you-call it had burned out. I felt the dish and it was still hot, but noticed a type of film all over the oven. It sort of looked like there was a fire in the oven. I also noticed the clock was not working any longer...either the oven was completely dead or the breaker was tripped.<br /><br />I called our knowledgeable neighbors to see what was most likely going on. She confirmed that the coil had burned out and that usually trips the breaker. She also said we shouldn't eat our meal, because of the possible contamination by fumes.<br /><br />Normally, I invite any excuse to go eat out. However, I was craving this roast & it was too close to bedtime to think about going out. I also don't have a whole lot for back up in the house...that sounds appealing to this pregnant lady anyhow! So I didn't like the idea of throwing out a delicious (and expensive) roast. We considered that the lid was on and seemed to have protected the food. There was a film on the outside of the dish and it's lid, yet none on the inside rim of the dish.<br /><br />Why is this such a tough decision for me this time around? I've done it before, but usually because I botched it up or burned it. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br /><br />What would you do...would you risk it or chuck it out?</span><br /><br />(We did end up loading up in the van and heading to the boys' absolute favorite place...Mickey D's. But I'll save the food, until I know for sure whether I'll be poisoning my family!)Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-18090202460890381612008-08-27T16:32:00.000-07:002008-08-27T16:57:36.502-07:00New clothes for new lifeJust wanted to post an opportunity to share some spare change and buy some new uniforms for some precious children in the Dominican Republic. <br /><br />Several months ago I posted about God opening doors for us to come alongside Makarios International by <a href="http://theleftbower.blogspot.com/2008/04/adopting-child.html">sponsoring a child.</a> We have been blessed to support & pray for "our girl" and hear updates, not only about what she's learning and how she's excelling in school, but also about how the other children are being impacted by God's work at Makarios.<br /><br />At the beginning of this school year, just like we do here in the States, Makarios has costs for new uniforms for those growing kiddos, among other starting expenses. Consider whether you could help any of these kids through this ministry.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Don't quote me on this, but I believe that <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">$10</span> will help to cover the costs of a new uniform for each child. </span><br /><br />You can simply send a donation to the address listed on the bottom of their <a href="http://www.makariosinternational.org/">homepage</a>. If you have any more questions about sponsoring a child or about the ministry, their people are so caring and helpful...I'll send you one of their email addresses. And while you're checking out their homepage, dive a little deeper to learn more about their passion to reach the Haitians & Dominicans there! It's pretty amazing...God is doing a great work!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-9060788279064695762008-08-25T18:36:00.000-07:002008-08-27T16:59:00.566-07:00Love this computerBrent did a work on this computer...after we took it to the Geek Squad and they told us what to do. But he did the work and now I can log in to my favorite stuff again! I'm pretty excited about a faster computer back in action. Let's see if it actually makes an impact on my blogging frequency. I was ready to send it back and jump to mac...but we're not ready for that price increase quite yet!<br /><br />In other news...our hermit crabs are still alive, after 2 days. In fact, they both moved to a new "home" the day that we brought them to <span style="font-style: italic;">OUR</span> home! After our day at COSI, the boys found a new shell for them from a random collection here at home. They put them in the crab's containers, we left for a couple hours to run some errands & we returned to find original shells were empty. The boys were so thrilled! Just wish we could have witnessed their moving skills! Little Brudder's actually moved again that night while we slept, after we had offered him yet another shell from the collection. What fascinating creatures!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnbsyw_slKKKWKKqpObyhpxNtzM0iXl59NjlbtOzUl4yv_3W2ICNPE7_N0MKdl5-vTtmdt_kVD1nMbQlc3-eZvam8pc4Uh7LGra3YHm_ZQtGVhOBsWfT-zbIUniEyoUAkGzmS05-b-io2/s1600-h/DSC00775.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnbsyw_slKKKWKKqpObyhpxNtzM0iXl59NjlbtOzUl4yv_3W2ICNPE7_N0MKdl5-vTtmdt_kVD1nMbQlc3-eZvam8pc4Uh7LGra3YHm_ZQtGVhOBsWfT-zbIUniEyoUAkGzmS05-b-io2/s320/DSC00775.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238639777149321810" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">The boys and their new pets - "Crabby" & "Hermit"</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">Wow, we exude creativity!<br /><br /></span></span></span></div>Feeling a bit more energy these days. Felt quite productive today, which hasn't really been the case for quite some time. Now that I have this computer back at my disposal though, the productivity around the house may decrease again. I can still play that pregnancy card, I think. Brent may be on to me soon though! :-)Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-14038329843566364352008-08-23T18:41:00.000-07:002008-08-27T16:58:36.367-07:00Catching up!It's been quite a month full of wrapping up summer vacation! My mom came for her annual Longaberger Bee and stayed with us. It's always fun to have her out here for a few days. She's usually back and forth from downtown Columbus, where her meetings are and then to the Longaberger Homestead, for her big shopping & basket-making day. We did a little shopping while she was here and she also watched the boys for us while we had a date night!<br /><br />We turned around and drove her back to Iowa with us when we took our annual trip to visit our families. A week at the Bower's and a week at the Bailey's...we kept going, but also had some nice "down" days too. More on that trip later...but no promises with the way I'm blogging lately.<br /><br />Back to Ohio for a week of catching up before Brent went back to teach and Big Brudder went off to school for his first time!! We were all very excited for school to start and see what this new world holds for all of us. Our school system does a staggered start where 1/3 of the class begins on Tuesday, 1/3 on Weds. & 1/3 on Thurs. Then they all return to bombard the teacher on Friday! I think the 2nd day was harder for me to let him go than the first.<br /><br />Little Brudder starts pre-K next week and we are looking forward to his first experience there also. We think it will go well, but you never can tell, so we just keep praying.<br /><br />Today we had some fun as a family and went to a COSI Hermit Crab workshop for the boys. (COSI is the kids' science center here in town. It was rated #1 in the US by Parents Magazine recently! A good friend of ours is director of membership there, so we just <span style="font-style: italic;">had </span>to get a membership. :-) It's a treat to go whenever we have a chance!)<br /><br />Back to today...the boys have been fascinated by ocean and water animals for quite some time. After our pet fish bit the dust, they started their request for hermit crabs. So this seemed like a perfect introduction to the creepy, crawly creatures. I signed them up ASAP when we learned about it!. A cool surprise was that each kid in the workshop was going to be taking home a pet crab after the class! The class was wonderful and had a great mix to keep them occupied. It was well worth the investment!<br /><br />We had some lunch there and checked out the outdoor exhibits before catching the Extreme Screen movie. "Fly Me to the Moon" is now showing there in museum length (45 min...just perfect for their ages) and it's in 3D!! I don't know if all their movies are shown like that, but this was a neat one for the boys. Their first 3D movie, so we weren't sure if they'd keep the glasses on. If you didn't, it wasn't near as cool to watch. Kind of blurry and annoying, actually. It was very funny to see all the kids in the theatre reaching out to grab for the flies and other objects in the movie! The movie got poor reviews for the full-length movie, but we thought it was perfect for kids that are our boys' age! We say "Go see it!" if you're even considering it!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-63339173360620410022008-07-20T12:53:00.000-07:002008-07-20T13:23:52.034-07:00Cute & funny<span style="font-size:100%;">These boys of ours are such blessings and have kept us having fun and laughing this summer for sure. I had this goal of posting more frequently this month, but I guess life takes over sometimes. And then a computer goes nuts and won't let you login to your fave accounts. We still have a dinosaur computer to work off, but I don't dare try to upload pics/videos with it. I'd be here til next week. Therefore, no pics with this post. (I love to include pics...because I just love pics!)</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;">Brent has spent much time with the boys lately. It's been so spoiling and has allowed me to have some shopping time and a chance to get things done that just need to get done. I had a doctor appt. last week and ran several errands that day too. Later that night, we were all driving in the van and our little guy piped up out of the blue,<br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"Hey Mom, how was your dr. appt.?"</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I didn't realize that he even knew what I was doing today.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"Great! Thanks for asking! I really like my new doctor."</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">He melts my heart sometimes. My boy that is...not really my new doctor. </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"What was your doctor's name?"</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">He really wanted to keep chatting about this.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"Dr. Raymond is his name and he loves Jesus! That means a lot to us!"</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">I said.</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"Oh. I know a doctor and his name is Dr. Bob!"</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;"> </span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">(The boys </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">love</span><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);"> their pediatrician.)<br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"You're right and he loves Jesus too! That's really special that both our doctors love Jesus."<br /></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">"Yeah. And I love Jesus too! I will love Him for 100 days!"<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255); font-weight: bold;">Apparently that's a long time for a guy his age. He just makes us smile!<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Then today, I asked the boys to help me clean up a bit. I was assigning them a task and the big brudder said, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><br />"It would be great if I got to make all the rules around here."<br /></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"Oh really? What one rule would you make first?"</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I asked.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"You would be the one to do all the work around here." </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">I guess that's his idea of a rule.</span><br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"Great. Then what would that make you?"</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">(I was thinking he would answer</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">"A spoiled brat"</span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">as that's what we tell them they'll be if they always get exactly what they want.)</span><br /></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">"A dad."<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Wow, how did he make the coorelation?? The one who does little work ends up being the dad? Hmmm....very interesting! Ha! Obviously, based on Brent's awesome involvement lately, he's not deducing that from our household. Not sure who else he's been watching though! :-)</span>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-53800732201803452492008-07-03T08:36:00.000-07:002008-07-03T08:44:34.937-07:00"New" friend in the blogosphereAs of late, several friends have started blogging and I'm so excited to hear from them! It's really cool that even when you know someone personally, you can get to know them even more through a blog and how they write. God had made people with so much depth...He's made so many sides to each person. <br /><br />Enjoy the writings of a sweet friend, <a href="http://healthewound.blogspot.com/">Heather</a>, and what God's doing in her life and her family's life right now. She's always been one to keep ears open for God's voice. It sounds like He's speaking in His "loud voice" to them right now. :-) And they're following one step at a time. Her <a href="http://aaronconrad.com/">husband's </a>been blogging for quite some time now and now he's got her connected! It's quite contagious, so be careful...you may be the next one to sign on!Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-39952977187002308032008-07-01T18:49:00.000-07:002008-07-01T19:47:14.276-07:00Creation EducationWe're going to rewind a couple of weeks back to our VBS week...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;font-size:130%;" >Operation Space: A Close Encounter with God's Word<br /><br /></span></div>...an excellent week and one of the most memorable each year for our family. Each year the curriculum is written around the truths of Creation Science and how God & His word relate to and fuel our lives today.<br /><br />This year we focused on....SPACE (you guessed it) and the amazing way that God created our planet to be the perfect & only known place to display His glory in His own image - humans!<br /><br />Our boys LOVED it and were so thrilled to start a new day & arrive at VBS each morning. We usually struggle during our busy weeks. So it was "somethin" that they didn't whine & throw fits when we had to get out the door in the am. Clearly the hand of God helping out in our daily lives and drawing our boys to love what they were learning about Him!<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkrysty74%2Falbumid%2F5212191723030491841%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DAeSIHYt83qc" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" height="267" width="400"></embed><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>During the week, our good friend mentioned her son has been listening to a set of CD's called "The Jonathan Park Series." I wondered if they would be more appropriate for older kids, but we picked up a set at the VBS bookstore anyhow. Well...BOTH boys are HOOKED on them!<br /><br />They ask to hear them in the van, no matter the length of the trip & as they go to bed at night. This 4-CD set is packed full of 12 episodes of adventure. While these made-for-radio dramas are classified as fiction, they are based on actual places & scientific discoveries. Brent and I have really enjoyed listening along and have learned a lot ourselves!<br /><br />If you're looking for come good ear-candy for a road trip, we suggest <a href="http://www.jonathanpark.com/store/">Jonathan Park</a> to keep the whole family in tune & learning more about defending our faith in God & His creation!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;font-size:85%;" >(Note some new sites that "grow me" in the sidebar!)</span>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-26256015380381361212008-06-26T20:48:00.000-07:002008-07-01T19:47:38.834-07:00Not by the hair on my chinny-chin-chin<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQzCpxeA9SpC1XHmJLGNK5boNgKXRSjBciwBnGd3PiS9thbsxLjR1JoWsv0TeZY9N17pdY0cz5CQ3pQXrxjohGIk7GffvsMAq1GN97JHcYSqRq2CB_RCrikDKIZXw3j1kb1eUP7nlqjCL/s1600-h/DSCF5467.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQzCpxeA9SpC1XHmJLGNK5boNgKXRSjBciwBnGd3PiS9thbsxLjR1JoWsv0TeZY9N17pdY0cz5CQ3pQXrxjohGIk7GffvsMAq1GN97JHcYSqRq2CB_RCrikDKIZXw3j1kb1eUP7nlqjCL/s320/DSCF5467.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216403512908287458" border="0" /></a>No, we aren't growing facial hair already...if it weren't so bloody, it might look a little hairy though. We had our first encounter with sutures the other day. Poor guy took a good fall (with the help of his brother) and did a chin-plant. He had just finished up his 2nd day of swim lessons and was warming up in his towel. Therefore, he had no arms to catch himself. I can still hear the sound of him meeting the pavement. But we're thankful that his mouth didn't catch the fall. Brent and I were both expecting to see teeth laying on the cement after we picked him up. Thank you Lord!<br /><br />Unfortunately, one of our little buddies just had stitches in his head a few days earlier, but it helped us know a little about what to expect. And unfortunately, this means he didn't finish swim lessons. Keeping us away from the pool is not an easy task. Hopefully we'll be making a splash next Monday, if all heals well. Til then, we amuse ourselves and fake it!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2vhKcjLcE2W2odtVnJoy1ZlofFaJLSnHiEgJakdCIYSB0LVKqRK_VwAr3OaFBNFPJ5RshJGvID414M-CCbgqIIQ5IebZswuiumScv54pHC4oE8JBRRfONi396Zk9wdeY3op-PTqpnyFV/s1600-h/DSC00485.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2vhKcjLcE2W2odtVnJoy1ZlofFaJLSnHiEgJakdCIYSB0LVKqRK_VwAr3OaFBNFPJ5RshJGvID414M-CCbgqIIQ5IebZswuiumScv54pHC4oE8JBRRfONi396Zk9wdeY3op-PTqpnyFV/s320/DSC00485.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216405241362999106" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqF3zUgXtgRabsMIEicvTFNo9m4M8s31yZ6M7-dvMhBBOTCYWOkxRut6olJ8YGOzYJfWDwHOwRvMe_stV0kHGsZcHb8o58N3sPsNUzFQSI6PBUmd9MJEf6bq69-Kuy-5cm2qJ45N-bKDVR/s1600-h/DSC00489.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqF3zUgXtgRabsMIEicvTFNo9m4M8s31yZ6M7-dvMhBBOTCYWOkxRut6olJ8YGOzYJfWDwHOwRvMe_stV0kHGsZcHb8o58N3sPsNUzFQSI6PBUmd9MJEf6bq69-Kuy-5cm2qJ45N-bKDVR/s320/DSC00489.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216405550245222834" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaH4qnqdvTDieI3YYRAk1PmLdViquh1-GV6Ux7RNJKvQjjxxkuRjGyxNXARVXtw0UJjdsfzQMsgF_oPen4Pcho0lBFrXXO63fXhhwG7CA9drJYfMfXcZwWTvU5H1FvmkRdkPiPF46B7oR/s1600-h/DSCF5523.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaH4qnqdvTDieI3YYRAk1PmLdViquh1-GV6Ux7RNJKvQjjxxkuRjGyxNXARVXtw0UJjdsfzQMsgF_oPen4Pcho0lBFrXXO63fXhhwG7CA9drJYfMfXcZwWTvU5H1FvmkRdkPiPF46B7oR/s320/DSCF5523.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5216405779784471698" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Even "Turdee" needs to protect his eyes from chlorine! (We are very literal in naming our pets in this house. One would hope that we could at least annunciate this one a bit better!)<br /></span>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-15078313139924364332008-06-25T19:15:00.001-07:002008-06-25T19:19:55.187-07:00"Donate" a recipe!This post is coming from a girl who doesn't really enjoy cooking, but realizes it's a necessity b/c I have a family. My husband is quite possibly THE most finicky eater in the world (can I get an "Amen?" But he's growing by leaps and bounds in the "expanding your palette arena") So...finding a GREAT meal to make has not been easy for almost 9 years of marriage. I also realize that if we want to socialize, I have to be able to provide an appetizer/goody-of-some-sort now and then at a get-together. Baking...not my forte nor a strong interest.<br /><br />Hopefully that preface served it's purpose to prove that I am not a great cook, yet even I contributed to my friend's work over at <a href="http://itsmejen.blogspot.com/2008/06/calling-all-recipes.html">It's me...jen</a>. Jen is collecting recipes to publish and send out to anyone that would like to contribute. What a great way to gain some fresh ideas for the kitchen. Who can't use a tried & true recipe every once in a while?<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">(</span><span style="font-style: italic;">Brent would like to ask that all recipes omit any cream cheese, cream sauces, tomatoes, green veggies, mushrooms...yada, yada, yada. But if any of the aforementioned ingredients won't be detected...go for it!)</span></span>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-83537197584522217772008-06-13T13:35:00.000-07:002008-06-25T19:38:28.894-07:00Videos...<div style="text-align: center;">Alrighty, this was easier than I thought it would be. Had to post a couple of great videos of the boys. I included them in the slide shows earlier, but I guess they don't play fully when you watch the slide show. They just appear as a picture. Lots to learn here! :-) I've been trying to figure out how to rotate a video.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzG-gXKShHT3D19LFAVrt6mYVfcfufY5666hKD8BQXfgP1ozybj3VwOEuyS-Pl5PtxpSYR3e95FRbM8LiVMiw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >I did too much talking on this video and didn't even let him answer my questions...poor lil guy. Mommy needs to shut her mouth while videoing.</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzy1FrTteZgZSwVGZs76z6nCaorD0lamw6S1QrBMPQmLmK00HeRCmNTJa0tdjG-WDxG7nO709mxYiFX4aY2Iw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:78%;" ><span style="font-style: italic;">Our little TKD master! It was so fun to watch all the kids break their board.</span></span><br /><br /></div>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-502174796877667292008-06-13T12:10:00.000-07:002008-06-13T12:23:31.316-07:00Back HomeWe've kept super busy this week with Vacation Bible School and Safety Town for Braden. So busy that we haven't paid much attention to the news. Several people asked us this morning if our families were affected by the floods in Iowa. We were so ashamed to say that we hadn't heard about it yet.<br /><br />It's not looking good right now. I did call my mom and thankfully my parents & grandparents don't have a lot of water in their house yet. We'll check in on Brent's parents soon too.<br /><br />After looking online, there are so many people affected by the flooding there. The rivers are cresting above flood level. Many cities with any type of river running through them are trying to build up their levies. 83 out of the 99 counties have been declared disaster areas. They keep referring back to the floods of 1993 (which I do remember being devastating for many) and this year is much worse.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwOzkdMvGiawsLl63I0nPHPD6UxdEiPSxQXOzV86yFY2ipZp07-gRTa5_IVN41usf_P9S6AJmfaj5cKVo6y2-ayeQoFbe6LKNaXcJnqFfI8dt-tA8g_j-xVeo6A4tJK9M-Mq9uAq-Gtta/s1600-h/8486138_BG1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwOzkdMvGiawsLl63I0nPHPD6UxdEiPSxQXOzV86yFY2ipZp07-gRTa5_IVN41usf_P9S6AJmfaj5cKVo6y2-ayeQoFbe6LKNaXcJnqFfI8dt-tA8g_j-xVeo6A4tJK9M-Mq9uAq-Gtta/s320/8486138_BG1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211447260810957442" border="0" /></a>Pray for those people if you think of it, because this becomes your life when you are in the midst of it. Pray for their safety and especially for the farmers. They had a very rough spring trying to get their crops planted in the fields. I can't imagine where this puts them.<br /><br />More on VBS later...Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1185880773834222703.post-19828970981080661192008-05-27T12:25:00.000-07:002008-05-27T14:23:17.685-07:00Let's see how this goes.I've wanted to post a bunch of pics for a while, so I'm attempting to post a couple of slideshows today! There are a couple of movie clips included in the slide show, but now my challenge is to figure out the best way to post an individual movie...any suggestions? (Blogger movie vs. some other app?)<br /><br />Braden took TaeKwon Do Jr. this past winter/spring and really enjoyed it. He and his buddy did well, as they were the youngest in their class! The class was offered at a church in town. Three high school students taught the class and did a fine job keeping these guys on track. The coolest thing about the class, in addition to teaching them skills, discipline & respect...they focused on worshiping God and doing their best for Him. Very well done!<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkrysty74%2Falbumid%2F5200777648791435473%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3DTuxDNbTXWXc" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed><br /><br />This weekend, we ushered in the summer season and we are so happy that it's nearly here! Right as we were "closing up shop" at our garage sale, my parents drove up. They had JUST arrived after their drive from Iowa for a visit. They have impeccable timing...this is rare in our family, but we'll take it when we can get it! :-)<br /><br />We are so thankful for them & the memories we get to make with them. They are nature lovers and help to foster our boys' love for the great outdoors. I'm telling you what, my mom can find the details in nature and point them out like no other. I love it. My dad just "loves a little fresh air." Apparently, we don't have that in our house! lol! It was so fun to explore with them at the parks we visited.<br /><br />After shopping a bit at a nursery with my mom, we went fishing at a metro park, hiked at Hocking Hills, then had a cookout with some neighbors. Now I'm fighting a bit of a sinus infection, which usually happens after we go, go, go. But it was well worth all the running and late nights to have quality time with our family.<br /><br /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf" width="400" height="267" flashvars="host=picasaweb.google.com&captions=1&RGB=0x000000&feed=http%3A%2F%2Fpicasaweb.google.com%2Fdata%2Ffeed%2Fapi%2Fuser%2Fkrysty74%2Falbumid%2F5205139396373464513%3Fkind%3Dphoto%26alt%3Drss%26authkey%3D87WGRNRzxuM" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer"></embed>Krystyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15675290113533493431noreply@blogger.com2