Merry Christmas!

Family and Friends!

This time of year we celebrate God’s amazing gift of His son! And because of that gift we are able to celebrate all the other wonderful gifts that He blesses us with day in and day out.

Approximately 2 & a half years ago we began a journey to Kansas City where Paul would study intensely at KUMed in Anesthesia. Now, as of December 15th, we are officially done and moving on to the next stage of our lives. Yippee!

Paul has done amazingly well. I am constantly surprised and grateful for his diligence, discipline and, throughout it all, love for the Lord and me. He’s been recognized time and again by doctors and nurses for his “smarts” and respect. Now, after hours of free labor in the OR, long days and late nights of studying, and practically no social life, he’s approaching freedom! Once we move back to Lincoln he’ll continue studying for boards and take those sometime in January. Then, in February, he’ll start his new job with the AAPC (a group of Anesthesiologists and Anesthetists). God is good!

Over the past two years I have been working for a mortgage company where I was blessed to learn several positions the last and most rewarding as a Career Coach. Now that chapter of my life is closed and I move on to a new position within the St. Elizabeth Hospital Foundation. I will be a Secretary there, learning the ins and outs of fundraising, donations, grants, etc. Once again God has opened doors and blessed us indeed!

And maybe the biggest celebration, at least in terms of personal growth (heehee), is the new addition that will be joining us in person next June! We are taking the plunge into parenthood! It’s been an amazing 12 weeks so far! Enjoying every moment and looking forward to finding out whether we’ll be having a boy or a girl. We’ll keep you posted.

Other than that...it’s just a great journey of marriage, laughing at our dogs, enjoying life, and learning to love the Lord more.

Merry Christmas everyone!
And may you celebrate BIG this season as we have so much to be celebrating!

Paul, Kristin, little one on the way, Adah & Mac.

grad class of 2006

Woohoo! They all received their diploma's last Friday night at a nice little dinner in celebration of the 2006 graduating class of Certified Nurse Anesthetists! Only 5 days left in KC then we're headed for Nebraska...home sweet home!

Nebraska vs. Oklahoma = COLD!

We bought tickets for the Big 12 Championship game before we even knew who would be there just hoping that this would be Nebraska's big year. Well, they made it and so did the Sooners but it wasn't quite the finish to the big year that the Huskers had hoped for. And it was COLD!

Paul's parents came down, Jason and Jesse some other friends from all over (Nebraska fans of course) and then some friends of Paul's from work (unfortunately Oklahoma fans...just kidding we love them).

We all had a great time freezing our little tushies off and were able to walk away smiling...sort of. LOL

the little one

Some of you already know but now I have a picture to prove it...we are expecting our first little one next June! I'm 12 weeks along now and just finished my first trimester on Sunday! I've been so blessed to feel great...no morning sickness (cross my fingers)...and enjoying every minute of it.

A few weeks ago we went for the visit where we'd get to hear the heartbeat. This is what we got instead! :) (it's a picture of a picture b/c I don't have a scanner so you may have to squint).

First snow...

Our first snow, of the season, started as an ice storm and the next day progressed to beautiful snow flakes blanketing our area in about 6-8 inches of snow! Mind you, the ice did not miraculously melt as the snow fell so it was pretty nasty for awhile...but beautiful all the same!

the ice begins...















great time to make cookies!...















blanket of snow...















It was beautiful! I love the change in seasons...although I was very happy to be snuggly warm inside! :)

Sara Inspired Living Space

One of my passions is decorating. I'm constantly rearranging, decorating, moving things, trying new things, organizing, etc. Recently, after viewing my friend Sara's cozy new abode, I decided my living room needed touched up. Here's a few pics of what I ended up with.

Arizona

About a week ago Paul and I returned from a wonderful vacation visiting family in Tucson, AZ. We met our new niece, Ryleigh Lynn, for the first time, who is already a year old! (She looks so much like my brother!)

Had a great time enjoy my brother, Dave, and his beautiful wife, Susie.














We took my brother's new jeep out on a 19 mile off-roading adventure in The Gap. It performed very well and we enjoyed the beauty of the mountains and the wildlife. (Pictured: Dave, his nephew Michael, Paul and me)

We watched my older niece, Sarah, in the pig-tails in green to the right of the pic, crush their opponents with a 48-6 victory!

All-in-all it was fantastic and we would have loved to have more time. Wish they were closer!

Sisters...shopping...stars

This past weekend my most favorite sister came to visit with her adorable friend Rachel. They arrived at our house Saturday night and left Tuesday after a fine lunch of Edamame and Pesto Chicken Pizza from The Cheescake Factory! Bliss! Sunday all four of us (Paul, Nikki, Rachel and I) went to YJ's Snack Bar for a delicious brunch. On the way home it was decided that Nikki and I would get matching tattoos!!! We both love stars so here's what we got.
Her stars are brown, orange and robin egg blue. Mine are Red, mint green and brown. We love them. Then we took Rachel down stairs at the same place and got her noice pierced by the same girl that did mine...Steeny.

Then we went for Thai food! What a great ending to the day! But I guess we watched Skeleton Key as well before the night really ended. Then on Monday I worked while the girls shopped but I met up with them at The Legends where we shopped and just had a good time...finished of our time there with some yummy soup from Panera!

Of course every time my sister and I are together we must dye our hair and Rachel had never dyed hers so it was perfect timing!

My insides...

Yesterday I caught a glimps of a spider web on my way to work. It was one of those huge ones with a respectively huge spider sunning smack-dab in the middle. I was amazed at how it seemed to be suspended in mid-air. I've always been facinated by these little orb weevers. Here's what got me...this little spider does exactly what it was created to do all day long knowing nothing else and never even thinking of doing something opposite of what it was created to do. Oh, to be one of these creatures...never wandering away, never making willing and thought out choices to go against God's plan for me. How I long to be exactly as my Savior has created me...to sing and dance for joy because of His great love and mercy! The comforting thought in all this is that He takes me back every time I wander...His arms are open wide...every time.

I've been reading Fresh-Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson (as mentioned in previous blogs). The following quotes from her captures some of my insides as well.

Each longing in my life that I have discovered, or that has discovered me, drives me to confront a truth that I might not have confronted otherwise: I need God. I am thirsty for God. Desperately thirsty.

God is the only One big enough to hold our longings.

Through it all...all these longings...theses undeniable longings...they all point me to Him.

Photo by CountryDreaming/Flickr

Pierced through the.........NOSE!!!

Last Saturday Paul and I took the bike down to the River Market Coffee House for a Mocha, then to KUMed, and then to FreaksonBroadway! We waited for a bit and then the cutest little, pierced and tatted girl, named Steeny, pierced my nose. And let me tell you...I love it! And I love Paul for taking me down there, holding my hand, and then telling me that it looked good. I'm married to the greatest man ever!

For all you wondering what it's like...it's really not that bad. It's more of a weird sensation having a needle go through your nose and then just kind of hang there until Steeny put the little stud in.

Oh, so fun! The pics not that great b/c it's off my phone but you get the idea.

Longing

"For when all is said and done, there is only this to say: No matter how sweet the event, how consoling the moment, there is always a deep longing within us that cuts like a knife. It is a yearning that stirs even when (or perhaps most often when) the air is flooded with sunshine and the sky dazzles us with color and light. Then this unutterable loneliness that we feel is in no way justified. Yet in the midst of our gratitude for the beauty of created things, we know in our very bones that there is something yet to be given. The emptiness is the mark and reminder of God. By this sense of what is not, we know what is and what is yet to be."

- Fresh-Brewed Life

Pastel Sky - Photo by MikePhoto25's/Flickr

Journal

I've been reading this book Fresh-Brewed Life by Nicole Johnson. Last night as I began reading this quote struck me.

"And the day came when the risk (it took) to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." -Anais Nin

So, it got me thinking about life and how real I've been with myself and God. Let me just say...I've been hiding. You know how you finally take a minute to breath and that little voice inside you gets your attention? He finally got me to listen for a few minutes last night and answer the questions that I've come to hate and love all at the same time. "Are you making a difference?" I've come to hate that question because it usually gets my attention when I'm not doing anything worth while. I don't think I'm making a difference and I don't think I've been investing my life in things that matter. Ouch, that's pretty painful to admit and express. I usually spend the whole day just thinking about what I want to and just being selfish. Oh, sure, I have my minutes and maybe even a day or two when I think about the lost and the hungry but those are few and far between. I'd hate to meet my Savior face to face and not be able to tell Him how I loved and served Him. But here's the beautiful flip side to that questions...the part that I love...it gets me to a point where I actually do something worthwhile. I finally "start over" again and seek His face. And you know what's the greatest part? He meets me there every time with open arms ready to teach me how to live for Him and be a part of His story.

Cute girls...

Last weekend I headed to Lincoln to spend time with my family to celebrate my grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary which was earlier this summer. I never get tired of seeing my family. This time was especially fun because my sister was back from Spain where she spent 7 weeks of the summer. Usually when the three of us girls get together we end up laughing so hard someone falls over and we all about pee our pants! (but not really) I know, I know...too much information but I love them! Aren't they cute?

Lawrence

A few weeks ago my friend Sara and her daughter Bella came to KC from Des Moines to hang out while her hubby was in AZ. We had a great time eating Thai food (of course!), getting coffee and tea, shopping at Whole Foods and the Lawrence Coop (The Merc), watching foreign films like Ameli (which is spectacular), and just talking in general.

Let your heart take courage!

Okay...you know how sometimes the Word just hits you totally new like you've never read it before?!?!

"Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus." Phil 3:12

So, life is a journey, yeah, we fall two steps back and go one step forward. We cry out to Him to please help us see the Light. But the key is to press on! We won't have "obtained" it until one day when we meet Him face to face...for now our mission is to not give up. Each time we are faced with the fact that we feel like a failure or we've suddenly realized we've wasted time, it is then that we must definitely press on!

Be encourage my friend and let your heart take courage!

Parkville

Last Saturday we headed to Parkville, MO to walk the path along the river. Parkville is the cutest little town, about 30 minutes North of us, with shops, cafes, restaurants, antiques, etc. It reminds us of a little mountain town because it's packed with trees and there are houses on the hills and you might just have to see it to understand.

I was just happy to be with Paul and the dogs enjoying God's creation. What a great God he is! It was pretty warm still but the locust were loud, the river was flowing, the birds were singing. It seemed that all of His creation was doing exactly as they were created to do. Oh, to be more like the birds and the locusts!

Pesto and Roasted Eggplant Pizza

Tonight I decided to finally do something with the eggplant in my fridge. I don't think I've ever had it before nor have I ever fixed something with eggplant in it.

So, I looked online and decided to make Pesto&RoastedEggplantPizza. It was very, very yummy I might add. A little time consuming if you're planning on eating in less than 30 minutes but very easy to fix. I will definitely be making it again.

My four-legged babies...

My dogs
Also known as Pooper-Heads, Stinky-Pants, Stinky-Head, Buger-Head, Smelly, Macaroni, Little Adah, Adah-Dog, etc, etc

Mac's butt...it screams "pinch me!"
Adah's little snout and face...perfection!

Each one unique
Heart shaped spots, little white stipes, black and white toenails

They are my babies
I talk to them
They keep me company
A girls best friend, huh?

Green Cords

I must say that ever since I saw my friend Sara's green cords I've been a bit envious and even a little jealous. So, while browsing the deals at one of our local Marshals I spotted some and thought I'd try them on just in case they fit. They fit! And the best part...they were only $15.00! Yes, originally $42.99! I love deals that fit.

Love Alone

No one would love me if they knew all the things I hide

My words fall to the floor

As tears drip through the telephone line

And the hands I’ve seen raised to the sky

Not waving but drowning all this time

I'll try to build an ark that they need

To float to you upon the crystal sea

Give me your hand to hold

'Cause I can't stand to love alone

And love alone is not enough to hold us up

We've got to touch your robe

So swing your robe down low

Swing your robe down low

The prince of despair's been beaten

But the loser still fights

Death's on a long leash

Stealing my friends to the night

And everyone cries for the innocent

You say to love the guilty too

And I'm surrounded by suffering and sickness

So I'm working tearing back the roof

Give me your hand to hold

'Cause I can't stand to love alone

And love alone is not enough to hold us up

We've got to touch your robe

So swing your robe down low

Swing your robe down low

And the pain of the world is a burden

And it's my cross to bear

And I stumble under all the weight

I know you're Simon standing there

And I know you're standing there

Caedmon'sCall

album: Long Line of Leavers

River Market

Mmmm, Mmmm! We met some friends of ours at the RiverMarket this morning for coffee and fresh produce. It was definitely hot and bustling this morning. I haven't been there in quite some time and the size of it was crazy. It's a year round market but the size is significantly smaller when not during the dead of summer. I would love to make this my regular Saturday morning destination.

We were able to get corn, purple sweet peppers, eggplant, avocado, garlic, green pepper, fresh pastries (baklava, sausage something, spinach quiche, and a snickerdoodle cookie from a great, new little bakery right next door to our favorite coffee house down here the CityMarketCoffeeHouse, and pasta! Now this pasta is only sold at farmer's markets and some restaurants. The company is Pappardelle's...we got Cracked Pepper Fettuccine, Lemon Chive Angel Hair, Sweet Potato Pappardelle, and Dark Chocolate Linguine. I've never seen chocolate pasta before. I let you know how it turns out. Each pasta came with a recipe and the dark chocolate recipe tops it with strawberries and ice cream, hot fudge, etc. We also browsed Dutch Flowers, great gerber daisies, but didn't buy today.

...it was a beautiful morning for the market.

Farmer's Market

So I partook in a new farmer's market yesterday, new for me not for them, and then capped off the morning at Whole Foods. All I have to say is YUM-O!!! So many yummy things to eat everywhere I turned. I grabbed some hearty bread from one of the vendors. Only sweetened with her neighboring vendor's honey.

Anyhoo...I couldn't resist a bunch of sunflowers calling myname at Whole Foods... since I do live in the "Sunflower State" and all (only for a little longer, I might add...heehee). Don't they just make you smile?!