2011: A pretty amazing year!

I thought I would take a moment and think about the past year.  So much has happend! We purchased our first home, found out we were going to be parents, had our first Christmas in our new home with a wonderful visit from my parents and so much more.  I am so thankful for all the wonderful things that have happend.  I can't wait to see what 2012 will bring!

Happy New Year everyone!!

How Long Has It Been????

I realized the other day it's been way too long since I have blogged. Between work and living life in the beautiful MN fall weather, I'm afraid I haven't been great about posting. So much has happend over the last 2-3 months. I can't wait to share it all. For now...I am still alive!

Happy Fall!

A Virginia Vacation: Day 1

I'm currently back home in Virginia for a couple days of rest and relaxation. I love being in my old home, in my old room and driving on the same streets I once took my driving test on.

Today was filled with laughter, friendship and SHOPPING! My mom and I, along with our friends, took a trip down to Leesburg, Virginia.

We had fun looking at cute little boutiques, searching through antique stores and grabbing lunch at the Georgetown Cafe and Bakery Shop.

We also had a blast visiting the outlet mall and finding new treasures that we DIDN'T need:)

Here's to good times with friends and days of rest (and fun). More pictures to come!

Weekend Recap

FrIdAy.......

I said goodbye to Harry Potter. Matthew and I, along with my dear friend from work went and saw the last Harry Potter movie...at 12am!:) It was great--and fun to see the final chapters in the book come alive.

SaTuRdAy......

We slept in and enjoyed a nice restful day at home--these a few and far between, so I made sure to enjoy every minute. Saturday evening Matthew's sister and her husband and son moved back to the Twin Cities from Des Moines, IA. We enjoyed a nice family dinner with them--we are excited to have them closer to us.

SuNdAy....

We went to church, had a lunch date at the Good Earth, and enjoyed a couple of hours together at the mall.

Maybe not the most interesting weekend...but I am sure thankful for them!

Relaxing in Red Wing

Matthew and I had the chance to get away for our Third wedding anniversary. We explored the town of Red Wing, Minnesota, and stayed at the beautiful St. James Hotel. We even saw the lengendary size 638 1/2 Red Wing Shoes Boot. We loved Red Wing and can't wait to go back. Here are some pictures of our trip:)

Our beautiful room!:)

We tried a new ice cream flavor here: Salted Carmel --so delicious!

Two of my favorite things: Matthew and Shoes!!!!

Surrounded by Blessings

It has been awhile since I last posted--lots of unpacking (getting internet!!) and settling in has taken place over the last couple of weeks. I am finally able to sit back and work on a post.

These past few weeks I have found myself overwhelmed and in awe of God's blessing and provision in our lives.

On May 21st we moved into our new home and it couldn't have had a more wonderful day. No, the weather wasn't great, yes there was a lot to do but we were surrounded by our friends and family who made our move so easy we still can't believe it. We love you guys! Thank you for all that you did to make our day easier and one that we will remember forever.

I know that I have been promising pictures of our home--I will put them up as soon as we are done unpacking--for now here is a sneak peek of our living room area.

Now..back to unpacking.....

Moving Day

We are finally in our new home. I am without internet for a bit, but will update with pictures and a recap as soon as I can:) So thankful....so blessed!

3 Years ago today.....

On May 17, 2008 I married my best friend. I am so thankful for the past couple of years and I am so excited to see what God has in store for us.

Happy Anniversary Matthew--I love you:)

Closing Time!!!!

We are officially homeowners!!:) We are so excited and thankful for this wonderful blessing. Yesterday was a long day for Matthew and I. We woke up early, made a stop at the bank, did one last walk-through of our townhome and waited to hear whether or not we would be closing on our home at 11:30am appointment.

We stopped at our local coffee hangout and enjoyed some waffles and lattes while we waited.

11:30a came and went--we finally got a call around 2p saying that we would not be closing that day. Matthew and I were dissapointed but knew that we needed to be patient and continue to follow God's leading (not closing=no house).

I silently prayed and hoped that somehow we would close--10 minutes later I got a call telling us to hurry down to the Relator office--we had clearance to close!!

After signing on what seemed like every piece of paper in the state, we were handed the keys to our new home.

Thank you to all of you who have prayed alongside of us for this day. We are so happy and look forward to all the new experiences to come.

National Day of Prayer

Last night Matthew and I had the opportunity to be a part of an amazing gathering of a few thousand people, mostly students, who came out to the U of M to observe the National Day of Prayer. The evening was hosted by Pulse Outreach, a group that is called to share God's love with those on the college campuses around our nation. Check out their website at http://www.pulsemovement.com/

The evening consisted of praise and worship, powerful challenges, and prayer. There aren't enough words to express the wonderful experience we had so here are some pictures from the event. It was great to be part of a large, multi-generational gathering with the purpose of coming together to pray and thank God for all that He does for us along with being challenged to live our lives to the fullest for His glory:)

It's all about the kids.....

I have the privilege of working for an amazing organization based in the Twin Cities area. Feed My Starving Children is a Christian non-profit organization dedicated to feeding God's children hungry in body and spirit. Children and adults come together to pack specially formulated meals, at 24 cents a piece, for malnourished children in nearly 70 countries around the world.
94% of all donations go directly to the feeding program.

We have three sites in Minnesota, two in Chicago and one temporary site in Arizona. We also have a MobilePack program which allows us to take our packing operation on the road to various churches, schools and organizations around the nation.

This past week I was able to spend some time in Chicago helping to host our Chicagoland Gala with other FMSC staff. It was such a fun time!! We were able to meet hundreds of people that support FMSC through donations and volunteering their time to pack meals for the thousands of starving children around the globe.

It was an honor to be a part the evening--thank you to all who partner with us. We couldn't do it without you!!

If you would like to learn more about FMSC visit http://www.fmsc.org/

At Work in Chicago

I've been on a work trip in Chicago for the past week.

Yes..Deep Dish Pizza was part of the trip:)

Happy Thursday!

Happy Easter!

I love Easter:) It is a great time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross--He paid the price for my sin and yours. What a gift! The best of it is--He rose and is ALIVE. To me, this is a sign of true love. I will always ask why Jesus would give up His life for mine but it is something I am so greatful for and a message I want to share with everyone that I come into contact with.

Our Easter Sunday started with attending the church that we were married in, followed by a beautiful lunch at Matthew's parents' home. We had a much needed day of rest with good company.

We hope that you had a wonderful Easter!:)

Paint and Waffles

This weekend Matthew and I went to Menards in search of paint colors for the town home. After sorting through the HUNDREDS of color swatches we came away with some different options that we are excited to try in the space. It's been fun to think about how we will decorate, paint and put our home together. I know that it is something that we will continue to work on over the next months and years.

We also enjoyed some time at our new favorite spot, The Buzz Coffee and Cafe in Burnsville. They have an amazing variety of coffee drinks, sandwiches, and a great selection of waffles. It has been fun finding new hangout spots in the Twin Cities area near our church and soon to be new home.

Here's a picture of what we got to enjoy:)

We're buying a house!!!

We're buying our first home--and we are so excited. After almost three years of aparment living, we are excited to have a little more room and have a space that we can make our own.

We started our home search in November and it has been an experience that we will never forget. After a month of searching we found our townhome--only to discover that it was a shortsale property. Not only were we first time homebuyers, we were first time homebuyers hoping to purchase a shortsale home-a complicated combination. (Shortsales are not quick--the process can take up to 120 days and most of the time the sale is not approved)

We have been so blessed to have Matthew's uncle as our realtor. He has helped make this process managable and as well as enjoyable. We are hoping for an April 29th closing date!

We are looking forward to having friends and family over and grilling out on the deck this summer! Our hope is that our home will be a welcoming place for all to enjoy. More to come on our move along with a picture tour of our home.

Getting Started

Welcome to our blog! We finally have a place to keep our family and friends updated on our life. We are enjoying life in Minnesota and can't wait to see what God has in store for us.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."--Jeremiah 29:11