N is for Nephews

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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 So I am totally stealing this N post from my sister. I have been mulling over what to write about that begins with N since I was supposed to do my N post on Saturday. Good thing she came up with Nephews or I was going t be clever and do "N is for Nothing!"

So I have 5 Nephews... not counting friends children that I have adopted as mine. Xander (Michael), Taylor, Nathaniel, Colton and Noah. I will get to meet each of them for the first time in 10 days! I will meet Xander first in Seattle. His Dad has been good enough to let my sister, Debbie, have him that day so that we can meet him. He will be 5 in October. I haven't had many interactions with him, but my family assures me that he knows who I am... probably from all the crocheted goodies he gets for Christmas!

Taylor will be 3 in September. This little boy is adorable. My sister-in-law tells me that he adores my crocheted goodies as well and even refuses to wear any hats other than the ones that I have made him. 

Nathaniel is going to be 3 in December. This little man is the one I am closest to. We talk on the phone at least once a month. I love hearing him say "I love you so much!" I've been told that this little guy can pick me and Jeff out of  photo. He knows my voice. I cannot wait to meet him. He had a conversation with Jeff the other day...

Nathaniel: I go bye bye in daddy's car go see Jeff and Sarah.

Jeff: Do you know where I live? its a long drive!

Nathaniel: I go bye bye in daddy's car go see Jeff and Sarah.

It was the sweetest thing I'd ever heard. 

Colton just turned 1 in January. I don't hear a lot about him since his parents don't have internet to keep in touch in the way Kari does. I've been told he is a beautiful child. He will get a new baby sister in July. 

Noah.. Noah was just born in January. We were all hoping he would be a girl... but God made him a beautiful little boy. Taylor is his big brother and they are so cute together.

I have 10 days to go until I get to see my family. I hope the next 10 days go by quickly.

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge, so be sure to take a look because she will be having a giveaway when she reaches 20 followers!  

M is for Memories

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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As it comes closer and closer to May 1 when I will make my first trip back home in almost 7 years I can't help but to think about the past... think about all the memories I have either cherished or somehow forgotten. 

I remember staying up late with my sister, Kari, when we were kids playing barbies. It would be so late and we would be so tired so we would tuck the barbies under our pillows and lay down to "rest our eyes". Somehow we always managed to fall asleep and wake up with barbie imprints on our faces. 

I have a step-sister who is about 3 months older than us and the three of us had so much fun together. Sun bathing in the backyard in our under clothes or camping on the front porch... and then having it rain on us! In the last week or so I began to remember the memories we wrote on the wall inside our bedroom closet as teenagers... Yes.. ON THE WALL! I spoke with my step-sister, Debbie, last night and we talked about the wall. It contains all our declarations of love for boys we went to school with and who knows what else. She told me our parents know about it now and laugh about it... they probably would have skinned us for it back then! I told her I have to add my new and only love to that wall when I come up there. I can't wait!

Today's memories though center around Jeff's Grandma Duncan. She passed away and went home to her Lord two years ago today. Her passing was hard on me as she was a second granny to me. I loved her as my own since I had lost all my grandparents by 2005. I sat with her through most of her last days and I truly miss the woman. I cannot wait to reunite with her in heaven some day. 

There she is on the left... this was Christmas 2007... one of the last we had with her because she spent her last Christmas at the nursing home... refusing to come and celebrate with us in 2008. I miss her smile, her laugh and her hugs.

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge, so be sure to take a look because she will be having a giveaway when she reaches 20 followers! 

L is for Love

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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The bible tells us that we only know love because God first loved us. God has love us before we were ever conceived in the womb... before the foundation of the world. He chose to love me even when He knew that I would sin and the bad choices I would make.  

I've learned a lot about love in the last 7 years. Jeff and I went to a marriage conference held by Dr. Gary Chapman, Author of "The 5 Love Languages". This conference was amazing and I learned that loving someone is a choice. Marriage is hard and learning to live with someone who was raised differently than you is extremely tough. But loving that person is a choice you make.

Jeff and I had a rough start. We separated two weeks after we got married... or rather, I left him. I was gone for almost 6 months. We had to learn to communicate and to love each other... even when one of us ground on the other person's last nerve. Jeff has been by my side as I dealt with deaths in my family and his, an illness that almost took my life and many other rough patches. He has honored his vow to love me in good times and bad, sickness and health. I make a conscious effort to love him daily... because that is what God has done for me.

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge, so be sure to take a look!

K is for Kari

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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I am sure I have talked about her some here on my blog... but I would like to tell you a little more about my twin sister, Kari. Kari was born 3 minutes after me almost 27 years ago. I would say she was a surprise to my parents but really we both were the surprise since the doctor told her she was going to have one big boy... not two small identical girls! 

so identical I can hardly pick myself out of this photo!

We were best friends as children. I felt her pain... all the time. My earliest memory was when we were just toddlers... I don't remember how old but Kari was really dehydrated so Mom and Dad took her to the doctor. Since I tagged along I remember the doctor having to give her IV fluids through her foot! I screamed and screamed because it hurt ME!

 

Kari always wanted to pose for pictures... (that's her on the left right)

 

 Somewhere along the way we grew up. When we were 17 she had major back surgery to correct the scoliosis that threatened to cripple her. Two titanium rods were implanted along her spine... she grew 4-6 inches in height during that surgery to become the same height as me! This was a hard thing to deal with. We knew the risks that the slightest wrong movement from the surgeons could injure her spinal cord. I felt her pain as a dull ache that spread down my spine. I spent that night and many other nights with her in that hospital as she recovered from multiple surgeries due to infections. I am thankful she doesn't remember these days as they were very scary.

 

We went to different high schools and her surgery kept her back so we did not graduate the same year...

 

My sister and I have a lot in common now as adults. We both crochet and I think she does beautiful work! She has a 2 year old and a fiancee... I have a husband and hope to start a family soon. And we both will do anything we can to help the other. I love my sister... I am thankful God spared her when she went into respiratory distress the morning after her first surgery.

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge, so be sure to take a look!

J is for Joy

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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One thing I have learned in the last seven years is being Joyful. Not in a happy or giddy sort of way like the definition at dictionary.com tries to explain - "the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; keen pleasure; elation". But the kind of Joy that you feel when your hopes are secured on something more. The joy in knowing when you are done in this world... you will live in eternity with the Lord.  

In the last seven years I have experienced the death of my own Granny and Poppa, Jeff's Grandma who was like my own, the pastor who married Jeff and I (and his parents 30 years before us) and his wife... as well as many other people who held a place in my heart. It is hard watching people we love pass away; but with the joy God has given me it takes the sting away especially knowing that those people had gone home to be with the Lord.  Joy helped me through these deaths, my near death in June 2008, my job loss 6 weeks after returning to work in 2008... Knowing God has a plan for me is a wonderful joy!

I am not going to say that I am the happiest person out there. I know I have my days where even I don't want to be around me. That's the thing about being one of His children... being forgiven for my actions and attitudes.  

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge, so be sure to take a look!

I is for Incredible and Inspire

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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Super happy today... recently I've entered and won a few giveaways, INCREDIBLE! These giveaways feed my love for crochet. Last night I received two of the prizes. I found out this morning I have one coming in the mail soon and one should be coming via email soon. So here are the ones I received last night...

Learn to Do Waffle Weave pattern book I won over at Ambassador Crochet... Thank you!

 Size Q hook and Crochet For Today pattern book I won over at Twisted Strands... Thank you!

Both books look amazing and I hope to complete projects from each!


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I is for Inspire...

When thinking about what inspiration I get to crochet the things I do I like to think about color combinations and how the patterns or colors make me feel. I am inspired by the idea that I am pouring love into each item I make and that the recipient will know the care given.

I've told you before that I believe God has given each of us a purpose in life. I believe mine is to love complete strangers and to share the gift of crochet He has given me with these people. This is the joy I long for each day... so see my work put to good use. Giving the things I crochet to others is why I love this craft so much... and I am truly thankful God has blessed me with the ability to crochet... and now knit!

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge, so be sure to take a look!

H is for Home

I have joined the A to Z blogging challenge. During the month of April I will write a post each day with the exception of Sundays and these posts will correspond with each letter of the Alphabet. You can join by following the link above.

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Jeff and I were finally blessed with our first home just about 14 months ago. It was the second or third house we looked at and I knew when I walked into the kitchen that it would be ours. We made the offer, secured a deal, and signed the closing papers in about three weeks time. 

 

This house is just about everything I wanted. It has a bay window in the dining room, a newly remodeled kitchen with all stainless/black appliances, an upstairs, a fenced in back yard, a garage and its in a good neighborhood. I knew we would make some changes around the place... a new deck outback, build a balcony/deck off the master bedroom so the door leading outside will no longer be the door to nowhere, redo the bathrooms and other miscellaneous projects. 

 

We finished the bathroom "redo" by June 2010 with the exception of putting up the paper boarders at the top of the wall - that project is still waiting to be finished. We finished the new deck out back... I think the original deck was the ORIGINAL from 1978!! And I was thrilled this February when Jeff and I decided to rip out the rest of the carpet in the living room and put down some beautiful cherry laminate flooring just in time for our 1 year anniversary of being home owners! 

 

One thing that amazed Jeff was when I told him this is the first real house - meaning a house that sits on a concrete foundation... one that was built here.I grew up in trailers, manufactured homes and apartments. This was something new to me and I love it. 

 

Realizing you are an adult... a home owner is an amazing feeling. It is another reason I feel that God has blessed us so much. Not that we haven't had our rough times... God blessed me with those too. I am truly thankful for the home he has blessed me with!

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My sister, Kari, decided to join the challenge today, so be sure to take a look!