ITS A NEW DECADE

I received a card today that said, 

That makes me laugh but turning 40 years old does not bother me. For starters I don't feel older just wiser. I have learned a few things in the last 10 years. I may have a few wrinkles but still have my own knees and hips...I'm not that old. 

When I was a kid, (maybe even when I was 32) I thought 40 was old. It's just a number and today I'm proud to own it.

Celebration Time

1. 4 days in Jamaica

2. Lunch with my friend Susan

3. Orchestra concert and ice cream with the family

4. My darling husband planned a party with friends.

It is true...I am one lucky girl.

I prefer to call it so blessed!

Wouldn't it be great to have something "deep" to add here. What do I plan to accomplish in the next 40 years or even the next 10 years? What are the great life lessons I have learned? 

Instead I hope I can just get the laundry done tomorrow.

Wishing you all another day filled with God's greatest blessings...just look, they are there.

There may be pictures added later

Jamaica, Yeah Man!

What an incredible five days I have had! Have you had an experience that exceeded any expectation you've ever had? Well, I just did.

Back in June I reminded my darling husband that my 40th birthday was going to sneak up on him since the fall is an all consuming season for Chris. I have been told that I shouldn't hint at what I want, men need it spelled out. I told him I wanted to be celebrated.  Shortly after that conversation he told me to get my passport. (wow it's going to be a BIG deal) You see I haven't ever been out of the country, except just across the borders of Canada and Mexico before a passport was required. Good thing he gave me plenty of time because I had to order my birth certificate before I could fill out the government paperwork for a passport. Never fear, it all arrived with plenty of time to spare.

So even though I knew I was going out of the country my expectations were low since the budget was low. The other thing he told me was I would be going with a friend, an UNNAMED FRIEND...not my handsome husband. Oh I loved the suspense and surprise aspect of this gift. By the time mid October arrived and softball was over this "single mom" of three active children was in dire need of a get-away. This man that I love delivered. Wow!

I don't know that there is anything from my list of 101 in 1001 days that I can check off but none the less it was more than I expected. Here's a rundown of my most wonderful birthday trip...

Wednesday the 17th
-Fly to Orlando-there was a lengthy layover and delay in Chicago
-Chicago had a big storm that created a difficult landing.

Thursday the 18th
-Fly out of Orlando early in the morning with Danielle Kirgan, destination Montego Bay, Jamaica
-Check in at the 5-star Secrets St James, we were in the pool before noon

Our preferred club pool and the ocean just beyond

Our beautiful room

View from our balcony

Friday the 19th
-We had to get to the pool early since most of our day would be taken up by massages facial and hydrotherapy. As you can tell this was going to be a week of tough decisions.

Mel and Danielle 

Our beach

In our sitting room before going out for our French dinner

Sailing

 Saturday the 20th
-We hit the pool early.
-Sailing lessons when the wind picked up around 11am
-Lunch at one of the 9 restaurants on locations
-We took an expensive ride into the city for some shopping. I am glad we did it, otherwise I would have always wished I had but next time we won't waste the money.  Truly, the airport had everything the city shops had and we would have avoided the $60 taxi fare
-By 7 pm I was in bed with stomach cramps, etc. Still today I am suffering some issues. I hope I didn't bring home a friend from Jamaica in the form of a parasite.  EWWW!

Add caption

Snapshot of going into town 

Daisy our taxi driver...yep on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of the street

Sunday the 21st
-I slept in while Danielle hit the gym.
-We had a quick breakfast
-Danielle got one more hour in the pool while I finally did some reading.
-Our shuttle left the resort at 9am and our international flight headed for the US at noon.
-Dinner at my favorite place: Season's 52

Monday the 22nd
-My last day of vacation.
-I ran and read before heading to the airport for a long day of traveling back to Omaha.

Was that more than you really wanted to know? It'll be a great reminder of my 40th birthday trip to Jamaica. Trust me I saved all the details for my scrapbook.

Birthday Week

It's here, not my actual birthday but my birthday WEEK! Love celebrating birthdays! This year mine is being done right. My most fabulous husband is sending me on a trip with a dear friend, Danielle Kirgan. I left my house in Omaha today at 1pm. I crawled into bed in Orlando at 2am (1a at home). Tomorrow morning we will be at the airport by 730 am ready for our final vacation destination...JAMAICA!

No pictures tonight, just a brief update.

Prayers for safety in travel and for my family at home. My favorite people in all this world stayed at home, I hope they have a great week. Love you guys!!

Going to bed without proofing this at all.

State Softball Champions 2012

Dannelly, Raabe, Kerkman, Naidas

About five years ago we moved from GI to Omaha. Chris went from being the head varsity coach at a Class A school to the head jr varsity coach at another Class A school. From my view there are 2 major differences in JV & Varsity...time commitment and pressure to win. I was so happy to have Chris in a position to still run his team but not have every decision dissected by people who may know but usually didn't know what they were talking about. (I am thinking about a couple "super parents" as we like to call them.)

This year Chris became a Varsity assistant. While he still enjoys it, as a spouse I will say it's a little more time consuming. Let me be honest here, my fantastic, lovable, always willing to help husband does not have very good boundaries! (UNDERSTATEMENT) For the third year in a row Millard South High School made it to the state championship tournament in Hastings, NE. For the second consecutive year MSHS left the city of Hastings as Class A State Champions. I am so proud of all the girls and coaches!

I don't know if you can see it in the background of this picture but these girls not only won the championship game but they did it in 4 innings with a score of 12-1. That is pretty impressive.

This week would normally be the time that our family learns how to live together again as survivors of high school softball. Truly, it does take a little bit of adjusting to make it all work. This week is a little different. Chris has parent-teacher conferences which means he will be home late every night and I leave on Wednesday for my birthday trip to JAMAICA! Yes, I really just said Jamaica...I can't believe my hubby was able to pull off this surprise. Can I say that I am so happy to be turning 40?? So the following week we will learn to be a family of 5 again.

Blessings to you all!

The COLOR Run for Fun

It's my BIRTHDAY MONTH! 

Yes, I just said that. I love celebrating whatever...whenever possible so it only makes sense that I would "milk it" when it comes to my birthday.

As I mentioned in a previous post, an AZ friend of mine challenged me to a 5K in the fall to celebrate our birthdays. Unfortunately, Kim was not able to fly out for the run due to a nagging foot injury so I encouraged a couple local friends into joining me at the Color Run in Des Moines, IA.

The Color Run is not for serious runners.

Below records our day of fun.

Crazy socks, headbands, and fairy wings!

This is what (part of) 27,000 people waiting to run looks like.

The race was to start at 1pm but I didn't make it to the start line until 55 minutes later.

Kimberly and Melanie waiting to run

On the run we took a pit stop for a photo

The color bomb party post the fun run!

My buddies Kimberly and Susan

I really did have a great time Saturday however the over abundance of participants made it difficult to actually run. My only suggestion would be..."WALKERS, STAY TO THE RIGHT!!"  :)

Since the weather is turning colder now, I don't anticipate anymore fun runs and races in the near future for me. Hope I find something I can do in the spring.

Family PARTY

 The Raabe's turn out for food, family and fun!

 Two of Reagan's cousins gave the yummy kind of gift.

She's pretty excited! Thanks Lisa and Kelly

 It doesn't matter that it was Reagan's party, this little guy always steals the show.

We love you little Levi!

Deep thinking...

We are so blessed to have such a rich support of family right here in Omaha. Thank you to everyone who made it over for dinner last night. I'm sure Reagan will put the money and snacks to good use!

HaPpY BiRtHdAy REAGAN!

Happy Birthday my sweet Reagan. I always say this but I can't believe how the years have flown by. Truly I didn't think I would make it through that first year of her life and now look at her...beautiful, talented, a wonderful personality, funny and low maintenance.  We love you RGR!

Nothing says good morning like a peanut butter cupcake and a cup of hot cider, right?

One of my favorite parts of my girls' birthdays is creating a yummy treat for school. Reagan wanted the same thing she had last year so I "fancied" them up a little.  I think the kids at school will have fun eating soccer balls on a stick.

I started with Joe-Joe's from Trader Joe's.

no hydrogenated oils, HFCS or MSG

Next I put them on the stick and refrigerate.

Typical almond bark also has hydrogenated oils in it so I use Ghirardelli white chocolate. 

I'm sure there is still bad stuff in there but shh, don't tell me.  

Yep...pretty bad!!

Alright, this gel is working much better

And here's the finished product, ready to go to school.

I can't wait to have lunch with my birthday girl today.

Lord, You are good. Thank you for the amazing gift of our daughter, Reagan. She is a blessing to this family. I pray that she will continue to seek you out and learn about the love you have to offer everyone. Watch over her today and bring her safely home. In your service. Amen

JT

Today I find myself constantly praying for all those who are suffering today from the loss of their friend and loved one, JT Butrick. Friday morning JT was struck by a car as he was walking to school, his life on earth ended that evening. This kind-hearted boy attended the same middle school as our oldest daughter which means my husband had him in class last year.

Last night Emma struggled with what to feel and say. Today there will be so many kids in that same boat. Dealing with ones mortality is difficult for all of us but for a middle school child it is just too much to really understand. Please join with me in praying for the students, staff and faculty at school today.

Happy Birthday Oma

Today is a special day...it's my mom's birthday.

The majority of our family birthdays are in the fall. In case you have not caught on to the crazy schedule we keep from August to November let me say it again...WE ARE BUSY this time of year. Because of that birthday celebrations can be a little difficult to squeeze in with out of town family.  We won't see mom today but we will call and sing "Happy Birthday" to her. Gosh, we might even buy some cupcakes to eat them in her honor.

Today marks another monumental event. Today 12 years ago Chris, Emma and I were at a football game in Glendale, AZ watching the Independence Patriot band take the field when in a blink of an eye our 18 month old slipped from our grasp. Emma's little body zipped through the LARGE opening on the bleachers and fell 10 feet to the asphalt below. There are no words to describe what I felt in the next 60 seconds. Without anyone knowing what was going on, Chris and I flew down the stadium to retrieve our baby below. It is funny the things your brain allows you to be aware of and the things that are blocked out. We both recall hearing a woman yell at us, "No Running!" She had no idea what had happened, not even the people sitting around us knew.

We got to the bottom of the bleachers (which were open in the front) and made our way to our crying baby below.  I remember right then and there praising God that she was crying, that meant she was alive. Adrenaline took over and Chris picked her up, not even thinking that she could possibly have a spinal injury.  Blood was gushing from her head, Chris began to freak out and miraculously I was calm. (This is a role reversal for us.) God gave me strength to move forward. Within seconds we were surrounded by Chris' coworkers, someone called 911 and the ambulance was on it's way. The Richeys were the first people there to help. We met Andy and Becky through supper club at our church. Later Chris and Andy were coworkers and baseball coaches at IHS. Becky asked what she could do first. I sent one person in search of my purse and shoe and then I had Becky call the prayer chain at our home church, Christ Church of the Valley. I knew then, and still do, that calling on the power of our Creator and Redeemer was the most important step in Emma's recovery.

In my memory the next hour of time is filled with waiting, worrying, hurrying and many brief stories. We waited for the ambulance while the doctor at the game wanted us to just drive Emma to the nearest hospital. Again God gave me the strength to tell him, "no, we will wait for the ambulance so we can go to Children's hospital downtown." Once the medical team arrived, Emma and I hurried down I-17 with the lights and sirens blaring. Chris followed in a friend's vehicle. The paramedic cut off Emma's brand new (never worn before) outfit and said she definitely had a broken clavicle. I also remember trying to calm Emma by singing "Jesus Loves Me", something that worked in the past. She said, "no singing mama." Aw, a little comic relief, just what I needed. Thank goodness the school colors were red and blue because my dark red shirt was covered in blood as was my face, hands and arms.

We rolled into Phoenix Children's Hospital at 19th and Thomas. The doctors surrounded Emma and took her away from me. There was something about seeing her go behind the curtain without me that I couldn't handle. In fact, right now as I type this I am overwhelmed with emotion again. Oh my God is good. Never once did I question him, I certainly needed him. Right as the chaplain began to walk this sobbing mother into the waiting room my husband raced in the ER doors. His face was grief stricken asking what happened? I was so confused. I said (probably with some attitude), "Emma fell through the bleachers." He thought she died because I had been so strong and suddenly I could barely walk. I don't recall laughing about that until later but it is funny.

Our first update didn't come for an hour, finally then we knew she would live however we did not know the extent of her injuries. The waiting room continued to fill with people from school and church.  These people were friends, coworkers and bosses.  Some of them knew Christ and others didn't. In the midst of a large group prayer, right there in the waiting room God showed me the impact this event could have on our friends D & L as well as others who were not with our group. I don't believe God caused Emma to fall so someone else could come to know Christ but I know that God uses situations like this one to share His love with the lost. What a joy it was to find out 3 or 4 years later that D&L had become believers. The credit is all God's but I can't help but wonder if a seed was planted that night.

Within another hour we were able to see Emma. Her injuries were bad enough but nothing like what they could have been. No concision, no broken bones (remember the paramedic), no internal injuries but she did have gravel embedded into her skull. Who knew that a plastic surgeon would be at the hospital on a Friday night at 9pm? Another God thing! We had a terrible night of sleep at Children's then were released the following day.

My next strong memory was Sunday morning sitting on the front row at church. I had never felt so close to God. (Another odd detail, I remember Marcie Demaree playing the piano on stage.) I believe God provided a hedge of protection around Emma as she fell. The feelings of thankfulness and joy still wash over me when I think of all of the "could have beens". And that huge scare on Emma's forehead is a reminder to her that God has a very special plan for her life.

God is Good All the Time!
All the Time God is Good!

Corporate Cup 2012

Back in March a girlfriend from Arizona challenged me to a 5K to celebrate our birthdays. She wanted to get out of the heat so I found something in the mid-west, signed up and sent her the link to do the same. Luckily I talked a couple local friends into joining us.  I say "luckily" because my AZ friend decided to not come. The big race day is in early October and honestly I have not trained consistently for this race.

In the meantime my friend Susan talked me into running in the Corporate Cup 10K on September 16th. Reluctantly I agreed to it thinking I had 10 weeks to get into shape.  Guess what? I didn't get trained properly. Sunday morning I was stressed and dreaded even the thought of running 6.2 miles. We got downtown EARLY (because that's what you do when you are with her hubby Tim) and waited around for the mobs of people to move towards the starting line. 

 Look at all these people.  I think there were around 4,000 in the 10K and 10,000 in the entire event.

I got my shirt, Susan did not. Here we are ready to push ourselves beyond what our bodies think possible. I was so nervous I nearly threw up.

My new running shoes...this will surely break them in.

Got my bib, armed with a GPS chip.

I am proud to say that I finished with a time of 1:20:38. The time isn't the important part of that statement, it's the word "FINISHED." I probably didn't push myself hard enough because at the finish line I felt like I could go a little more. I alternated running 10 mins-walking 5 mins the entire way. So to say I "ran" the race is only a partial truth even though my walking is just slightly slower than my "running." 

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13

My list of 101 Things had "RUN A 5K" which I am doing on October 6th but this counts also.  I love it when I can mark another thing accomplished.

Have a very blessed day and know that with HIS power you are able to accomplish more than you ever dreamed possible.  Not by your strength but by HIS strength.  Peace

We Will Remember

Today I pray for and remember those who have fallen in service to our country. There are many who continue to feel the devastation from the terrorist acts of 9-11-01. I don't personally know their pain but I lift them up to a loving Lord and Savior who does know their pain and wants to comfort them.

Facebook is filled with some breathtaking images of 911. This has always been one of my favorites.

Take a moment to silence yourself and all around you.

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

God has not forgotten us. He was here in the beginning and He will be here until the end. Be still and know that He is God!

Pinterest Finds

I was looking for some fun soccer stuff for Reagan's bedroom and then I ran across this...LOVE IT! I didn't pin it right away because pinterest wouldn't let me, said that it lead to spam.  So I am not trying to steal the credit for this idea I just want to show what I may or may not ever make.  ha

Here are two rooms I found on Pinterest that also peaked my interest.  I don't like everything they did but there are some cool ideas. I already cut a huge circle out of wood to make a soccer ball for R's room so I won't paint the big ball on the wall but isn't that cool? I like the name on the wall in the top pictures and the balls hanging down. What Reagan and I both found interesting was the bed on the clear stand filled with soccer balls.  Holy Buckets!!  What would that cost to recreate?

I'm working on Olivia's room right now and finishing up a flower project for our little friend Molly AND doing some vinyl signs for a sweet little baby Rachel. So as you can see, Reagan has a little while to wait.

Today is the perfect temp, I can't help but enjoy the day. Now I'm heading outside to play ball and shoot targets (bow and arrows) with the family. Happy Sunday afternoon to you all. 

40 Favorite Things about Fall

There is so much to be thankful for no matter who you are or where you live. I know there are situations that people live in that feel hopeless but I assure you there is a God who loves you and has great plans for you, even now in the midst of a trial. This week in my Daily Chronological Bible I will read about Job. Some might say that he is a man who had every reason to curse God but instead chose to worship Him. Thank you Job for a powerful reminder.

This October I will celebrate my first 40 years of life on this earth. I can't believe it, even as I type this out. I use to think that was SO OLD...now I know better.  ha ha So I am composing a list of 40 things that I am thankful for this fall. Oh how I love fall, this will not be difficult.

1. Crisp Morning Air

2. Tree Leaves Turning

3. Mums Blooming

4. Decorating 

5. Sweatshirts

6. Husker Football

7. High School Sports

8. Jeans

9. Pumpkin Patch

10. An Ever Present God in My Life

11. Turning off the AC

12. Raking Leaves

13. Raking Leaves

14. Raking More Leaves

15. Reagan's Birthday

16. Soup

17. A Regular Family Schedule 

18. Chris' Birthday

19. Family Time Around The Fire Pit

20. Couple's Small Group

21. Reagan's Soccer

22. Emma's Dance

23. Olivia's Softball

24. Millard South Softball

25. Time to Myself

26. Color Run 5K

27. School Supply Shopping

28. New Teachers

29. Beautiful Colors of Nature

30. Not Running the Furnace

31. Walking to School

32. Walking Home From School

33. Listening to AZ Friends Still Complain About the Heat

34. A New Book Being Released

35. Hot Cocoa

36. Corporate Cup 10K Run

37. Step Into Village One

38. Awana Starts Again

39. Apple Orchards

40. Turning 40 Years Young

I hope you have your own list or possibly this post inspires you to come up with a list of things you are thankful for or enjoy this fall. Share your list so you might encourage your circle of friends to focus on the many positives they have surrounding them.

God Bless!

Painting Again...

Oh how I love to paint, create and design. Sometimes I am a little disappointed that the picture in my head is not the same thing that happens on the walls of the room I am decorating.

Olivia gave me a tall order for her bedroom.  She wanted...
*blue walls
*rainbows
*a sun
*flowers
*a picket fence
Let me start by saying that I like to do whatever the girls want in their rooms after all it takes a can of paint to cover it.  However, I don't like the color blue for decorating in my home, I wasn't going to paint a traditional rainbow or sun just because I didn't want her room to look stupid. Obviously, I didn't tell her that.

We started by finding a comforter that was both cost effective and likable by both Liv and myself.

From there I picked a "blue" out of the fabric, it's more of a aqua. Her walls have been transformed from pink & green to "blue" & green. It took a little lot more work than I expected because I had to SAND the walls first.  I did not love that!!!

I took this picture in the dark while Olivia was sleeping so the blue does not look right.

Another comment on this picture, I'm not sure what I am going to do where the blue and green meet, this is still in the planning stages.

Today Reagan and I enjoyed some QT punching flowers out of paint chips...thank you Walmart paint department. Then we organized them into a RoyGBiv type order.

I just finished sewing together 5 strips of garland from the colorful paint samples. When these land on the wall they will actually be an inverted rainbow. My next step tomorrow will be figuring out where and how I will secure these to her bedroom wall.

I have a "you are my sunshine" sign to make this week. I didn't make these but I will do something like this but probably square.

My errands in the next few days will consist of hitting several junks stores and Goodwills looking for ornate frames to paint in a high gloss bright color. Once again, this is fun!

Next week I plan to finally pull the old picket fence slabs from the garage and put to good use. Oh how I love to repurpose items. It's a cost effective way to decorate and makes me feel good about using someone else's stuff that would otherwise be in the local dump.

Please check back soon for an update on Livie's Rainbow Bedroom. I hope to not disappoint.

Blessings to you all!

30 Questions

I found this on Pinterest and thought I would share it.  Obviously it is not original with me so I have added the link to the blog where you can find more lists/information.  I have not looked at her blog much so if you find something offensive or something that causes you to want to judge me...get over it and know that I am not endorsing the blog. Smile and relax, it'll be ok.  :)

http://cherishinghopesanddreams.blogspot.com/2012/01/30-things.html

This list gives me some things to talk about with my hubby.  It is true that we occasionally get stuck talking about the children, the book, softball or some other mundane topic while we are out on a date.  Don't get me wrong, those are all things that fit into our life but sometimes we need to talk about us and not our responsibilities.

THE LIST:

1. List 20 random facts about yourself.
2. Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.
3. Describe your relationship with your parents.
4. List 10 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.
5. What are the 5 things that make you most happy right now?
6. What is the hardest thing you have ever experienced?
7. What is your dream job, and why?
8. What are 5 passions you have?
9. List 10 people who have influenced you and describe how.
10. Describe your most embarrasing moment.
11. Describe 10 pet peeves you have.
12. Describe a typical day in your current life.
13. Describe 5 weaknesses you have.
14. Describe 5 strengths you have.
15. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? (seriously, I hate this one!!)
16. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?
17. What is the thing you most wish you were great at?
18. What has been the most difficult thing you have had to forgive?
19. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
20. Describe 3 significant memories from your childhood.
21. If you could have one superpower, what would it be and what would you do with it first?
(oh my gosh, we have talked about this as a family, mostly because of the book)
22. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?
23. List your top 5 hobbies and why you love them. (really? I don't have 5 hobbies)
24. Describe your family dynamic of your childhood vs. your family dynamic now.
25. If you could have dinner with anyone in history, who would it be and what would you eat?
26. What popular notion do you think the world has most wrong?
27. What is your favorite part of your body and why?
28. What is your love language?
29. What do you think people misundertand most about you?
30. List 10 things you would hope to be remembered for.

I hope this list gets you and your spouse, loved one or family out of the typical conversations.  I don't know that we will do all of these, it may even inspire different questions. 

ENJOY!!

Back to School

Holy Cow! Where did the summer go? It doesn't seem possible that I should be sending my 3 daughters (and husband) off to school again. I love having the family home for the summer but those summer months seem to be getting shorter each year. Our district ended school the last week of May and started up today, August 15th. What happened to the three month summer?

Ready for school

"Really mom?"

First Day of School

I love that Chris' school brings in the 6th graders in the morning and the 7th/8th graders in the afternoon on the first day of classes. What that means for us is, Chris gets to walk to school with us the first day each year. (He teaches 7th grade).

Olivia and Mrs Lombardo

My baby girl is a first grader this year. I am excited to get acquainted with her teacher through volunteering in the classroom. Olivia's kindergarten teacher, Mrs Mosby was fantastic, I think by the end of the year I will be saying the same thing about Mrs Lombardo.

Mrs Cork and Reagan

I can't say enough about Reagan's 5th grade teacher. I got to know Lauri last year and decided then that we had to get Reagan in her class. Truly, God's hand was in it because after I had been told that she would not be moved into this looping class, it was in the "final hour" I got word that my request was granted.  Hallelujah!!!

Emma would rather die than have me take pictures at school so I bribed her with lunch today before school just to get a few pictures. I had the joy of eating with Sara and Emma at Panda Express (Olivia's FAVORITE place) and then taking the girls to their first day of 8th grade.  Since we were early, I did manage to sneak out of the van and snap a picture at school when no one was looking.

You might think I had several hours to myself...think again.

8am take the girls to school

9am errands with Emma

1045am lunch with Emma and Sara

1130 to the middle school

12-1pm clean the house & laundry

1pm Oma and Opa arrive

2pm pick up the little girls

3pm take Oma and Opa to doc appointment

4pm grocery store

5pm make dinner

6pm family eat

7pm start bedtime rituals

the day is over and for the most part I will repeat it all tomorrow.

I love my life and wouldn't have it any other way.

Oma and Opa getting their post dinner nap