MIA

Well it seems as if December is flying by and we have been nowhere to be found! As it turns out, we did ditch our laptops and cell phones for a few days and headed north for a retreat with all of the Crossroads' pastors and their wives. It's a rare occasion that we are all together in one place, so we just soaked it up and truly enjoyed the company. God did some amazing things to restore and refresh us all as we look forward to the new year and it was just what everyone needed.

On another note, the house that we stayed at was UN-believable! A very generous family allowed us to stay in their (very large) home and it was like stepping into the pages of Pottery Barn. And even though I meant to take more pictures of our beautiful abode, I guess I was too wrapped up in relaxing. Oh well. But I did manage to get a couple of shots of my favorite room in the house... how much would you love to be the kid who sleeps in this room???


And yes, those bunk beds are on both sides... 8 in total! I'm thinking my parents need to build this in their future retirement home when all of us kids bring our kids over for family vacations. Hint hint!

Our other favorite place in the house was the basement, complete with ping pong, pool, shuffleboard (kind of... I'm not really sure what the table version is called) and a play room full of toys that Jake certainly enjoyed. And while the boys played, I took the opportunity to have a little bit of fun with my camera!

Here's one way to look at this game...

And here's another, more fun way...
And here is where I had the most fun! We learned a group version of ping-pong where everyone circles the table and hits the ball, drops the paddle, and circles to the other side. You're constantly running around and around and everyone gets a turn. In a still frame it looks like this:

But I slowed down my shutter speeds and captured these:

Oh the things that entertain me! Anyway, that's my excuse... that's where we've been. And quite frankly, if I had my way, I'd go away like that at least once a month. Being disconnected in this ever-connected world sure is nice sometimes. And then I come home and blog about it! Ha!

Holiday To-Do's

Well, we all know that the holidays are a big to-do, but along with that comes a growing list of actual "To Do's"! I am actually quite proud of the jump we have on ours this year... my shopping is 75% done, the gifts that I have already purchased are wrapped, the tree is up, the outside lights are lit, and the house is decked out with holiday cheer! Aside from a couple of presents to buy, packages to mail, cookies to bake, and a lot of raking (uh, we skipped that whole annoying part of autumn), the only thing left to do is Christmas Cards! And lucky for me I learned that Shutterfly is going to help us out with them by doing a special for bloggers! I have used the site before to order prints, calendars, and other photo gifts, but their Christmas card collection is uber-cute. I'm pretty indecisive so by the time I narrow it down to a favorite it might be New Years! But here are a few of my favorites:

I could put the many faces of little Jake on this one:

Or a cute family photo on this one:

I love how classic the black and white cards look:

And I love that this one ties in the true meaning of the season:

There are all kinds to choose from, some of them have pictures on the inside and out, and all of them are customized to your liking. Check out the entire collection here! As soon as we get our Christmas picture taken (another thing on that holiday to-do list) you better believe I will be placing my order! And to all of you bloggers, make sure you check out this awesome promotion, so that you can jump in on the fun, too! It's like an early Christmas gift to yourself!

Of all the "To-Do" lists that I have in my life, the holiday edition is definitely the most fun to complete!

Black Fri-... errr... Thursday Night???

Last year was my very first Black Friday experience and I have to say, I was hooked. There's something about the energy in the air... it's almost like the same electric buzz that travels amongst the racers before a marathon. Almost. I didn't buy much last year, but I did learn a lot and knew that it needed to be added to my list of annual traditions.

So it's around 5 PM on Thanksgiving night and I am a wee bit bummed that none of my Black Friday shopping plans have panned out. My sister had been in town the year before, but sadly we were apart this year. The gal I had been planning to go with had found some good sales earlier in the week and wasn't really sure if she'd be going in the morning or not. I had not really made a back-up plan and flipped aimlessly through the ads, wondering if I should just go it alone the next morning.

About 30 minutes later I see have a missed call from my friend Crystal. She had not left a message but I'm guessing that she had called to wish me a happy Thanksgiving. Even though we were over at the home of friends, I decided on a whim to call her back. Boy am I glad I did. Our conversation went something like this:


Crystal: Hey, Kim! So I know this is kind of last minute, but do you remember that outlet mall that I told you about in Kenosha, Wisconsin?

Me: Umm... yeah, I think so.

Crystal: Well, they open at ten tonight so I'm going to go up there if you want to come.

Me: Sure! Sounds fun!

I think my prompt reply may have shocked her!


About an hour later Crystal is at my door to pick me up... last minute plans are sometimes the best kind. We drive two-and-a-half hours chatting all the way, pull into a prime parking spot at 9:58 pm, are in our first store by 10 pm, make our first purchases by 10:15 pm, and are off to the races. She was right- the outlet mall up there is awesome and full of great stores! Everything was open by midnight and we managed to pop into many of them despite the crowds. I was able to find gifts for people that I had no ideas for and the deals were incredible! By about 2:30 am we had stopped in just about every store that we had wanted to and both had arms laden with bags. After a not-so-quick stop through the McDonald's drive-thru and a stop for gas we headed south for home.

About 30 minutes out we realized that we would be rolling into town right as our Wal-Mart started their sales. Perfection! Even though we could hardly see at this point, we stopped in and grabbed a couple of things in no time. I stumbled into my house at 6:30 am just as Jake was waking up for his morning bottle. It was perfect timing.

Even though it was pretty rough for the rest of the day on Friday, I already look forward to next year. Shopping all night was such fun and truly perfect for a couple of moms who don't like to take too much time away from their kids! And since I had started my list of tips last year, here are a couple to add to it:

• In a mall situation, if some stores open at one time and the others open a couple of hours later, go early anyway! There was no parking to be found after midnight.
• If you choose to shop at an outdoor outlet mall in Wisconsin in November, wear a coat! Poor Crystal told me to bring one and then forgot hers! But she was a trooper and the sales were worth it! We got a good laugh at the folks in line to get into the North Face outlet. They would let someone in when someone left and the only people who could stand the cold were those already wearing a North Face jacket! I guess they must be warm!
• Most importantly: don't think, just buy! I am already kicking myself for 2 items in particular that I passed up. It wasn't until later in the day that I really realized what a loss it was. Seriously... that's what returning is for, right?
• Drive carefully- even in the parking lot. We were baffled by the wreckage from 2 cars that had collided in the parking lot. No sale is worth that!
• If the deal is good, it's okay to buy a little something for yourself. I was pretty proud that I got 2 shirts for $5 each for myself and that's it! But I did see so much more that I responsibly passed up. It is the season of giving after all.

We wrestle a lot with the commercialism of Christmas in this family, but at the end of the day, I truly do love blessing those I love with something that I picked out especially for them. Something that I know that they would love, which we only do on Christmas and for birthdays. And our church is doing something really great this year, too. They have challenged us to give a love offering based on the amount we spend on Christmas, so for every dollar I doled out the other night, another dollar will end up in the offering plate next weekend. The idea overwhelmed me at first, but I realize that it will keep it all in perspective. Afterall, not everyone is as blessed as I am and 'tis the season to share those blessings with others. As my husband would say, we gotta make sure to keep "the main thing the main thing." Santa will always be welcome here, but we will make sure that Jesus comes first. He truly is the reason for the season.

Turkey Day Recap

Last year for Thanksgiving we had a house full of guests. With help from my mom, sister, and father-in-law, we made the turkey and all of the trimmings and had a wonderful time around the table.

This year was a little different. Again my father-in-law was in town, but our other 2009 guests all had other places to be. Knowing that we don't live near family, a sweet couple from our church invited us to gather around the table with their family. Their three boys are all around our age and would be home for the holiday.

What I will say is that the definition of family should not be "someone related to you by blood relation." We sat around that table and laughed, shared what we were thankful for, and ate an equally delicious spread to last year with folks we have only known for a year and a half. Sure it was lacking my mom's famous baked corn and some of the traditional dishes that I grew up with, but it was not lacking in family. After dinner we played games in the family room, the boys all went outside and played their annual game of football, and I perused black Friday ads and searched for holiday movies on TV with the girls. In terms of what Thanksgiving should be, a holiday where you truly focus on your relationships and count your blessings, this year was just like any other. It was perfect.

As for Jake? He was perfect, too. After a few bites of turkey, corn, and a roll (man that kid loves bread!) he showed signs of needing a nap. Mommy was thankful for a baby boy who decided to take a nap about a fourth of the way through dinner so that she could really enjoy the company and not worry about her tornado of a son breaking something... which he almost did about three times. But I digress. Oh, and the kid really loves pumpkin pie!

A big thanks to the Vanderlaan family for being such a big part of our family. We love you all so much.

#1... at last!

Between the turkey coma and all-nighter I pulled for Black Friday, I am just now getting around to the final day of posting what I am thankful for. When putting this list together, I knew that my faith would be first on the list. In the past couple of years, I have grown so much in this area and continually learn what it means to be a follower of Christ. I grew up going to church, so I have always had a good foundation, but since marrying Josh and going to Crossroads I have learned what it means to have faith in action and live by the guidelines set out in the Bible. Biblical knowledge was something that was lacking in my younger years, so I have traded in a lot of my "fluffy" chick-lit type reads to get into the word and meatier reads. I still have a long way to go, but I have seen example after example of God's sovereign power in those who serve Him faithfully.

When I was in Florida this past week (which I survived by the way without Jake... barely), my sister and I stayed up late each night and had some wonderful talks. I told her that I was sure that some of my friends probably see me as a "religious nut" these days since I can't help but share my faith and challenge others to evaluate their walks to see how they could grow and become stronger in Christ. What I told her, however, is that after experiencing some incredible moments over this past year, I can't help but to share, because I know there is more. And not just more for my friends, but more for me, too. Because never once in these times that I am proclaiming the Good News do I think that I am better than them or know more than they do. I am the first to admit that I have a looooong way to go, but am amazed everyday by how far I've come. And I have witnessed miraculous things in this town as more and more people have come to Christ. I have seen with my own eyes as alcoholics and drug addicts turn away from their demons and find new life in Christ, men are released from prison and turn to Jesus over their old way of life, and a man who was paralyzed from the waist down after a snowmobile accident starts to move his legs. A boy in our town was struck by lightning earlier this year and after months of the whole town praying, he not only survived, but just returned to school. Amazing, miraculous things and it's all from God above. How can I resist not sharing?

With this being said, I am setting a goal for myself in the new year to write more frequent Christian-based posts, not just to give my readers a little bit of meat, but also to challenge myself to step it up a notch. I know it will be difficult for me as I am not great at sticking with things (hence all of the books on my nightstand that I am halfway through), but I know that God expects more out of me and I am going to honor Him and obey. I can't wait to see what He does in my life in the years to come. I have so much to be thankful for!

Oh, and as for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, both were awesome and I promise to post about it soon. But as for now, I need to go get the boy up from his nap (Jake... not Josh!) and get bundled up so we can get our Christmas tree! It's officially the most wonderful time of the year!

Three More...

I figured that I wouldn't have time to post on Sunday with my travel plans, but I ended up staying so busy yesterday, too, that I am now two days behind! So today you get three things I'm thankful for...

4 - My job. I have to admit that I complain about my job sometimes. Everyone does, right? But at the end of the day I am so very lucky to have a great, steady job that I can do from home... especially in this economy. A huge part of that is probably due to my boss to be honest, as she is a mother of three and very family oriented. And Marriott as an overall company is family-based and really does all it can to help make their employees' quality of life better. I know I won't do it forever, but for now it allows our family to give extra money away to those in need, buy fun stuff for Jake (and occassionally for us), do home improvement projects, and travel when we find the time. We will enjoy the dual income while it lasts, but do all that we can to really live off of one.


3 - My girlfriends. Growing up I moved around a lot, but always seemed to have a best girlfriend no matter where I went. Many of them I am still in touch with, grab random lunches and dinners with when we're in the same place at the same time, and a few I try to see at least once a year. When I moved to Small Town, USA I met so many people, but it did not take long to find a few great gals that have become my family. And the first thing I did when I got off the plane on my current business trip to Miami? Got together with my old "Bachelor" gals for a good ol' fashioned gab-fest (although I have to admit that I really miss the quarterly trips to Disney with this bunch). There is nothing like a girlfriend to tell you that you look cute when you feel lousy, pick you up when you're feeling blue, laugh with til your tummy hurts, or confide in when you need a true friend. And the best part is that there is always room for more!


2 - How could I go seven days without mentioning this guy? Oh Jake, you melt my heart. That's all I have to say about that.


Only one more to go and then it's TURKEY TIME... or National Pie Day as I like to call it. That is truly the most important part of the meal if you ask me!

Five to go...

It kind of goes hand-in-hand with yesterday's post, but today I am thankful for my home sweet home. We literally had one day to find a house when we moved up here, so after weeks of scouring the Internet, we visited about ten in one day. This one was on our "yeah, right" dreamhouse list, but we took a look anyway and fell in love. Our timing was perfect as the previous owners had just closed on a smaller house across town and were in a bit of a bind, so with our first offer, it was ours! We closed in record time, moved in, and have made it our own through many, many wonderful projects and changes. After bringing our son home to this house, I can't imagine ever wanting to live anywhere else. In fact, I have told Josh that if we ever have to relocate we will have to find a way to put it on the back of a truck! So it looks like we'll be staying put for awhile. We bought a home that was much bigger than we need in the hopes that we'll fill it up in the coming years.

On another note, I am posting a picture of myself for little Jake to look at over the next couple of days. Tomorrow I am boarding a plane and heading to Florida for business, sans Jacob and Josh. Let me just say that it's less than 12 hours before my flight and I am still in denial that I have to go. So Jake, if you miss me, here is a picture of me and you to remind you of that mommy-lady that you love so much. I know that your daddy will take great care of you, but please do not grow or learn anything new until I get home on Wednesday. I love you so much!

I hope you're all having a great weekend! If I can't post tomorrow due to my travels, I will make sure to post two things on Monday.