i posted a ton on our shutterfly site. so much easier to upload whole albums versus trying to figure out how to choose which pix to upload on the blog.... :) so you'll have to check it out... :) that will get you up to speed with whats going on over here.
there ya have it.... the updates so far. hopefully the album descriptions will give ya the gist! :)
i'll be posting some random thoughts and stories soon too! so check that out late-a :)
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 18, 2008
a whole bunch of ramble but hopefully i make a little sense...
i always think, 'oh i need to post on the blog....' time has gotten away from me. life is hectic but today i made the decision to slow down and rest and do things like update my blog.
i sit here, with the sun shining through the window after two days of crazy rain and i am amazed. just sitting and focusing on the simple things in life is such a treat.
it is the holidays. there are still presents we wish we could buy but have run out of money. there are things to make for the classroom. there are still decorations that never got up. there is still our advent calendar that never got filled but we have all enjoyed opening up the doors to count down...
and then i think.... its not about what is behind the doors of the advent calendar. its not about the presents we want or wish we could afford to give to someone else. it is about Christmas. the birth of Jesus. i know it is cliche to say that. but this year it has really soaked into my inner most being. i have been changed so much this year in my walk with the Lord. I have learned to trust Him more. Learned to give things to Him that are out of my control. it has been such a blessing i my life. in our home. eric and my relationship has become stronger as we walk more and more together in making decisions based on what God wants in our life.
we have joined a young marrieds group. we had gone on a retreat with the group this past summer. it has been perfect. things all happen in God's perfect timing. we so needed a group like this. everyone is gifted in certain unique ways that have enriched our lives and taught us more about Christ and following Him. We recently had our Christmas party at our house which was a blast to be asked to host! we had about 12 couples, two sets of twin boys both under 11 weeks old, and our girls too! it was a full house literally but also figuratively speaking, in that it was full of uplifting conversation, a great deal of laughter and to be surrounded by people that are so genuine and real has been so fabulous! we are so grateful for these group of friends and our leaders.
through out the holidays i often think of the days ahead and the times we have booked on the calendar to see one another and exchange time together and gifts we have bought for one another. i cant help but think of the family that is not here on earth, or not here because of distance.
caelan says to me out of no where,
"hey mom i don't have school saturday so can i go see uncle ed?"
(my uncle lives in texas)
i so wish we could see everyone. i so wish i could buy you all something special to let you all know that we love and appreciate you. money is tight for so many.... but it warms my heart that my girls have focused so much this year on time with family. they talk about everyone at some point during the day. random times too.... kate and abby, they speak of you often... uncle duff and aunt yuki they have always loved the fun cards and we have saved them and bring them out each year...
thank you. thank you to all of you. we appreciate you. we are so blessed to have you in our lives.
going back to my thoughts on focus. i focus on family and friends. those that aren't here on earth. i cant stop thinking about my gran and poppa, and my grandma stenson who was a fabulous baker. it is always so weird to go through each holiday knowing that they aren't here. it is very sad. but i have to hold my head up and realize that they are in heaven and there is no greater place then that and i will see them again, in that great place. and how awesome that day will be when we all get to join Jesus.
anyhow, this has been a whole lot of rambling. a whole lot. so forgive me. i think all of our minds are a million places during this time of year, especially with all the chaos.
i hope you are enjoying your holiday season. hug your family extra for us. know that you are appreciated and we and so blessed by family and friends like you.
thank you, and merry merry christmas and may the new year bring great things to all of you...
-megs
i sit here, with the sun shining through the window after two days of crazy rain and i am amazed. just sitting and focusing on the simple things in life is such a treat.
it is the holidays. there are still presents we wish we could buy but have run out of money. there are things to make for the classroom. there are still decorations that never got up. there is still our advent calendar that never got filled but we have all enjoyed opening up the doors to count down...
and then i think.... its not about what is behind the doors of the advent calendar. its not about the presents we want or wish we could afford to give to someone else. it is about Christmas. the birth of Jesus. i know it is cliche to say that. but this year it has really soaked into my inner most being. i have been changed so much this year in my walk with the Lord. I have learned to trust Him more. Learned to give things to Him that are out of my control. it has been such a blessing i my life. in our home. eric and my relationship has become stronger as we walk more and more together in making decisions based on what God wants in our life.
we have joined a young marrieds group. we had gone on a retreat with the group this past summer. it has been perfect. things all happen in God's perfect timing. we so needed a group like this. everyone is gifted in certain unique ways that have enriched our lives and taught us more about Christ and following Him. We recently had our Christmas party at our house which was a blast to be asked to host! we had about 12 couples, two sets of twin boys both under 11 weeks old, and our girls too! it was a full house literally but also figuratively speaking, in that it was full of uplifting conversation, a great deal of laughter and to be surrounded by people that are so genuine and real has been so fabulous! we are so grateful for these group of friends and our leaders.
through out the holidays i often think of the days ahead and the times we have booked on the calendar to see one another and exchange time together and gifts we have bought for one another. i cant help but think of the family that is not here on earth, or not here because of distance.
caelan says to me out of no where,
"hey mom i don't have school saturday so can i go see uncle ed?"
(my uncle lives in texas)
- i said, "no honey he lives far, and you would have to get on a plane"
- i said, "no honey, they live in japan. and we cant go there this weekend."
i so wish we could see everyone. i so wish i could buy you all something special to let you all know that we love and appreciate you. money is tight for so many.... but it warms my heart that my girls have focused so much this year on time with family. they talk about everyone at some point during the day. random times too.... kate and abby, they speak of you often... uncle duff and aunt yuki they have always loved the fun cards and we have saved them and bring them out each year...
thank you. thank you to all of you. we appreciate you. we are so blessed to have you in our lives.
going back to my thoughts on focus. i focus on family and friends. those that aren't here on earth. i cant stop thinking about my gran and poppa, and my grandma stenson who was a fabulous baker. it is always so weird to go through each holiday knowing that they aren't here. it is very sad. but i have to hold my head up and realize that they are in heaven and there is no greater place then that and i will see them again, in that great place. and how awesome that day will be when we all get to join Jesus.
anyhow, this has been a whole lot of rambling. a whole lot. so forgive me. i think all of our minds are a million places during this time of year, especially with all the chaos.
i hope you are enjoying your holiday season. hug your family extra for us. know that you are appreciated and we and so blessed by family and friends like you.
thank you, and merry merry christmas and may the new year bring great things to all of you...
-megs
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
caelan's school thanksgiving party
my sister surprised caelan and showed up to her thanksgiving party at school.... sounds like it was quite a party! she ate a ton! i do mean a ton. they had just about everything but the kitchen sink there it sounds like! :)
thanks ya-ya!
update on griffin.... (friend kari's son)
here is an email from my friend kari (roommate from biola)...
this is also an update to those that have followed other posts that i have written for kari praying for them and their son.... kari would like everyone to continue to pray, and this email put life into perspective for me. remembering what the season is all about. slowing down. and reaching for Jesus in tough times but also rejoicing in the good times. please pray for them as they are hitting another bump in the road.... and please read the email for more info.
thanks, megs
"So as one of my busiest times of year quickly approaches, I have, once again, been shown that my plans/agenda are not always that of God's. In the midst of making our plans for Christmas, attempting to get all presents bought and shipped, getting Christmas pics taken, getting Christmas decorations up, getting Christmas letter/cards written and sent, getting work stuff done before Christmas break...and so on, our little man has, once again, forced me to slow down and change my plans. Griffin has been crabby, tired, not eating well, and ultimately ejecting fluids from both ends for over a week now....
...It was then decided that he was definitely dehydrated and needed bloodwork and a CT scan done....
Fortunately all the labs came back showing that it was probably not a shunt infection or RSV. The CT scan did come back showing that his right ventricle was enlarged more than it had been in past scans. We were admitted for the night and told that Dr. Ruge would look at the scans and make a decision by morning. Dr. Ruge said that the right ventricle is a little enlarged compared to what it had been, but if it were a true shunt malfunction, he believes we would see a significant difference in size. After some much needed IV hydration and TLC from nurses (and alone time with mommy) Griffin was discharged from the hospital tonight. I was told to watch him closely.... I never thought I would be praying that one of my children would have the flu...but that has been my prayer for the last week.
We are home and I am feeling again as though my life stopped and the lives of those around me have continued on...fortunately it was only for a couple of days this time. I had a couple days of undivided time with my little man and the chance to just sit and hold him (or stand, because sitting was not always working). Does it really take all of this for me to slow down and just sit? Does it really take so much for God to show me that I am NOT in control and my plans may not alway be realized? I did not get to all my schools to meet with students yet this week, I did not get to go to the gym the last two days, we did not get our family Christmas pictures taken today as scheduled, I did not have my Christmas presents shipped yet, I do not have my Christmas letter written - let alone sent, but it is all okay. I do not have control of all of this...what needs to get done will. The other stuff probably really does not matter in the grand scheme of things anyway...will I ever learn...hopefully.
In further updating, early intervention did find Griffin to be a little develomentally delayed and we will start therapy every other week next year. This is mostly preventative so that when he does start to be mobile he will have more symmetry of limbs and control. He is saying dadadada, mamama, constantly making noises, and singing.
Ava and Wrigley are both doing well and eagerly awaiting Christmas. They are continuously pointing out items they would like and I think they are not really discriminating against anything. I think that their final wish list to santa may just read "everything".
I hope that as this season of fesitivity, family time, and fun quickly approaches you are all healthy and are reminded of the real reason for celebration!
Thank you all for your continued love, prayers, and friendships...we are so blessed and I hope to never take that for granted.
Love
Kari (Matt, Ava, Wrigley, and Griffin)
this is also an update to those that have followed other posts that i have written for kari praying for them and their son.... kari would like everyone to continue to pray, and this email put life into perspective for me. remembering what the season is all about. slowing down. and reaching for Jesus in tough times but also rejoicing in the good times. please pray for them as they are hitting another bump in the road.... and please read the email for more info.
thanks, megs
"So as one of my busiest times of year quickly approaches, I have, once again, been shown that my plans/agenda are not always that of God's. In the midst of making our plans for Christmas, attempting to get all presents bought and shipped, getting Christmas pics taken, getting Christmas decorations up, getting Christmas letter/cards written and sent, getting work stuff done before Christmas break...and so on, our little man has, once again, forced me to slow down and change my plans. Griffin has been crabby, tired, not eating well, and ultimately ejecting fluids from both ends for over a week now....
...It was then decided that he was definitely dehydrated and needed bloodwork and a CT scan done....
Fortunately all the labs came back showing that it was probably not a shunt infection or RSV. The CT scan did come back showing that his right ventricle was enlarged more than it had been in past scans. We were admitted for the night and told that Dr. Ruge would look at the scans and make a decision by morning. Dr. Ruge said that the right ventricle is a little enlarged compared to what it had been, but if it were a true shunt malfunction, he believes we would see a significant difference in size. After some much needed IV hydration and TLC from nurses (and alone time with mommy) Griffin was discharged from the hospital tonight. I was told to watch him closely.... I never thought I would be praying that one of my children would have the flu...but that has been my prayer for the last week.
We are home and I am feeling again as though my life stopped and the lives of those around me have continued on...fortunately it was only for a couple of days this time. I had a couple days of undivided time with my little man and the chance to just sit and hold him (or stand, because sitting was not always working). Does it really take all of this for me to slow down and just sit? Does it really take so much for God to show me that I am NOT in control and my plans may not alway be realized? I did not get to all my schools to meet with students yet this week, I did not get to go to the gym the last two days, we did not get our family Christmas pictures taken today as scheduled, I did not have my Christmas presents shipped yet, I do not have my Christmas letter written - let alone sent, but it is all okay. I do not have control of all of this...what needs to get done will. The other stuff probably really does not matter in the grand scheme of things anyway...will I ever learn...hopefully.
In further updating, early intervention did find Griffin to be a little develomentally delayed and we will start therapy every other week next year. This is mostly preventative so that when he does start to be mobile he will have more symmetry of limbs and control. He is saying dadadada, mamama, constantly making noises, and singing.
Ava and Wrigley are both doing well and eagerly awaiting Christmas. They are continuously pointing out items they would like and I think they are not really discriminating against anything. I think that their final wish list to santa may just read "everything".
I hope that as this season of fesitivity, family time, and fun quickly approaches you are all healthy and are reminded of the real reason for celebration!
Thank you all for your continued love, prayers, and friendships...we are so blessed and I hope to never take that for granted.
Love
Kari (Matt, Ava, Wrigley, and Griffin)
Monday, December 1, 2008
chela did this test and i decided i would try it too. after all there were just a few simple questions in order to get the 'results'.... i found it very interesting.... and very accurate...
click on the link to take the test-----> the autum quiz
Thursday, November 27, 2008
thanksgiving
i have sat here, wondering what to write...it is thanksgiving... a time to be thankful.
in church we watched a clip about being thankful and it mentioned things that were going on in the world and how life is pretty tough for people...
we can choose look at the poor economy, the war in Iraq, the elections, the impacts and divisions it made in America...
some have had a loss in their family,the loss of a job, a home foreclosure, a divorce, illness, etc.
what ever it may be, it could be a hard thing to be 'thankful'. i sat and watched the clip and i was reminded of the goodness th
ere is in life. we can't focus simply on what is wrong in our lives, or the discomfort we may feel when things aren't how they "ought to be".it's all about finding the goodness. finding hope. finding peace. finding love. finding that in all things it is so important to keep our eyes on Him.
God is there to help guide us, to nurture us, to give us strength.
we are so thankful. there are so many blessings in life.
our hope is that thanksgiving becomes a season, and not just a day. try and think of things through out each day that you can be grateful for... our liberty. our freedom. family. friends.
what ever it may be, we hope God touches your life and blesses you with His love and grace and extends His mercy on you.
with much love,
eric and meg
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
our big five year old.
caelan... she wants so badly to grow up. she wants to dress like Hannah Montana, she wants to dance and sing and work on the computer... she even picks up the phone and answers it... i keep telling her, be a kid, be a little girl. but she insists on learning more and more every second of every day and she wants to do everything herself. here she is again, i caught her writing some things on our family calendar, and she was also checking off the days that had passed... then i caught her 'loading the dishwasher but she called for help because she couldn't figure out why the door wouldn't close. she amazes me everyday.
i am so proud of her. she tries 100%... in reading, writing and in daily life. she strives to perfection and gets upset when she messes something up. i keep telling her, its ok and she replies:
'yeah, my teacher says its ok for five year olds to spell things wrong sometimes and its okay to mess up, we just t
ry and try again...'
ry and try again...'we are having a ton of fun with our kids! we are sure busy with all the homework though, whew! crazy... they're only in pre-school and kindergarten, what's gonna happen in first grade, yikes!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
'mimi's' birthday... the big 53!
we celebrated my moms birthday after we got home from big bear. i made homemade lasagna, a fresh salad, corn, fresh french bread, and a devils food cake.... all her birthday dinner choices. :)
we loved having everyone over- eric and i love a full house and any chance to celebrate someone! it was a nice evening, and very relaxing. everything was made real simple, we watched a movie, ellen introduced caelan to computer games, which was a blast, she opened her present and we had dessert! :)
riley and caelan each made a card. caelans was all decked out! then there is riley, striving to be different, she looked at caelans before making her own....
her card ended up totally blank with one sticker on the inside....
her response, "all done, i juss wann one ting on it. juss one ting. see."
i said, "riley you need to add more than that."
riley: "nope mom, juss one ting, mom, com'on mom, thass all mom. mimi lub it."
(not to mention you need binoculars to see the sticker she choose)
big bear day.
we went up to big bear (nov 22) to hang out with matt and kendra. (they rented a condo for the week through their timeshare so we went up for a day)we had such a wonderful time! we ate great yummy food, we walked, talked, laughed a ton, skipped rocks in the lake, played with the kids, riley showed kendra and i how to make a sandcastle... the day was filled with goodness. it was refreshing. it is so amazing to have friends like them. such a blessing. it nurtures the soul to be loved and cared for by friends like them.
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