Halloween

(edited 11/01/10)

Dinner with some great friends and then we sat around the firepit drinking hot cider.

Our great crew of kiddos trick or treating and the Moms and Dads didn't even have to walk with them.

White puking pumpkin

Dragon Pumpkin...in honor of Auntie Angie

Cannibal Pumpkin

Cute kitty cat Pumpkin

Happy Ghost Pumpkin

I'm not really a very big fan of Halloween but the family carving party is pretty fun.  Chris is really the expert!



PUMPKIN PRAYER:

Dear Jesus, as I carve my pumpkin, help me pray this prayer:

Open my mind so I can learn about You; 

(cut the top off the pumpkin)

Take all my sin and forgive the wrong that I do.

(clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see;

(cut eyes)

I'm sorry for the times I'ce turned up my nose at what You've given to me.

(cut a nose)

Open my ears so Your Word i will hear;

(cut ears)

Open my mouth to tell others You're near.

(cut the mouth)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do!  Amen.

(Place a candle inside and light)

Change is Good

Life is ever changing and isn't that a good thing?
Just about the time I think it's getting easy I have a surprise.
In case it wasn't obvious in my writing,
fall 2010 was a little over whelming for the Raabes.
The most stressful part wasn't even blogged.

It's post high school softball season so
Chris has started writing again
and we are working on marketing for the book.
Change is Good

Comets soccer has ended as well as Sizzle softball
so I am working on year end parties and fund raising.
Reagan is talking about what sport she can play next.
Change is Good

Dance never ends!
Ok, so that doesn't change.

Scrapbooking has become a thing of the past
My poor client is going to fire me if she doesn't
get something fabulous in the mail SOON.
The worst of it all....
I've had TWO scrap weekends cancelled.
Change would be good.

So you might think that I have some time to myself.
Well...

My aunt is moving from Kansas
to a townhome in my neighborhood.
This is no small feat. 
I have found an assisted living facility
which she refuses to live in.
I have found a townhome
that hopefully meets her needs.
I have secured movers, trucks and boxes.
I have talked to doctors, attorneys, accounts and finance managers.
I have signed paper work.
I have made decisions that I didn't know I was qualified to make.
This is no small feat!
Change is Good.

Today I shifted gears to a loved one in the hospital
Healing can begin but only with change of lifestyle.
Change is Good.

Not that life should be easy or boring
Life is not static, it's ever changing
Thank you God for a life that shapes me and molds me
into something I never knew I could be.

Date with My Daughter

Emma and I really needed a fun night out. 

We laughed

We ate cookies

We took lots of pictures

We even saw a "private" moment between 2 llamas.  (yikes)

Emma and SL

cello performers

Michelle and Melanie

Some of my favorite things...

my daughter

fall

pumpkin patch

hot drinks

friends

We were pleasantly surprised to run into our friends,

certainly a topper to an already great evening!

New Pictures

Sorry friends, these are quick snapshots of pictures we had taken this week of my beautiful daughters.  Please excuse the blurry dark condition of these photos.

Let me start by saying we went in to get a black and white picture of Chris and Reagan to complete my wall of pictures in the living room and a large picture of the girls for the family room.  Here's the problem, the lady tricked me...she took too many great pictures of the 3 subjects that I am a sucker for...my girls. 

seriously...LOVE this picture.  18x28

it's going to look amazing on my wall.

This one is going on Chris' desk.

There are also pictures for the grandmas but I can't show them here, they have to wait until christmas.

LoVe GrEeTiNG CarDs

Lately I have displayed a lack of ability to mail off cards in a timely matter so it is to my great surprise to open my mailbox and find birthday cards BEFORE my special day.  Reading greeting cards is something I really enjoy, so much that I sometimes hang out in the card store reading and laughing.  

  The card I got from my mom-in-law today was perfect for me.

Linda knows I blog and look to see who has visited and who has left a comment.  BTW, not many comments lately.  :)

Tonight I have a house full of kiddos playing Rock Band.  Tomorrow you will find me at the soccer fields watching Reagan in her final soccer tourne of the fall season.  I am hoping for a yummy carrot cake when we get home.  Maybe Chris will even remember candles but just a few.  (38 candles may be unsafe.)

U-G-L-Y

Nothing like a Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium, the 3rd largest city in Nebraska on game day!  As far as today's game, I hope there really is never anything like it again.  It was one of the ugliest football games I have attended in YEARS!  Not only did Nebraska play poorly but they were out coached.  The officials were not the greatest but honestly when you drop 3 touch down passes, who cares how bad the refs were.  The family was going to sell the 4 seats for this game which would have paid for the whole years worth of football tickets, looking back I think that would have been a good idea.  :)  Actually, I still had a great time..I just love college football.  The best play of the day came in the 4th quarter when we had a 95 yard return for a touchdown.  I was hopeful that play would jumpstart our team, no such luck. 

A huge thank you to my father-in-law for staying home with my hubby and daughters to watch the game from the couch so I could take in the game day atmosphere again.  I love you guys...and not just for your season tickets.  :)

The Year Was 1997

I am refering to the last time I shopped for apartments, until today.  The girls and I hit the road looking for new living arrangements for my dear aunt who will be moving to Omaha in the next few months.  Believe it or not, the ammenities I looked for in 1997 were much different from what my aunt needs in 2010.

Even though the girls were not overly excited to listen to the leasing agent and me chat about square footage, monthly rent, garages, bathrooms and mailboxes but they did enjoy discussing our findings at the end of the day. 

I'm not sure that I will be making the final decision about where or when Aunt Delma moves to Nebraska but it is a pleasure to do some of the foot work to get her here. 

Middle School Dance

Need I say more?

Reagan and the Ripstick

Ever since Reagan spent some time in GI with her friend K, she has wanted a Ripstick.  Here she is showing off her brand new toy that she purchased with birthday money.  This is 3 minutes after the thing was taken out of the box.  Way to go Reagan!!

As you can see she is dressed and ready to go to soccer. 

This weekend they are playing in the Toyota Cup. 

So proud of our girls, they played hard and scored lots of goals. 

The Rat is Wearing Down

Back in the day I was a sprinter, never did I pretend to run long distance, I simply do not have the staying power for distance.  I remember running the mile relay and wondering why on earth anyone would really want to sprint ALL the way around the track.  Well it was early this August when I heard the gun go off that started this race.  You could call it a "rat race!"  School started August 11th but before that day Chris had meetings and if I remember correctly softball started early as well.  Shortly after school started, Reagan was knee deep in soccer and softball.  Olivia started preschool.  By early September, Chris' team was playing games, Reagan was practicing and playing games on two teams.  Emma and Olivia were dancing.  I was running kids here and there, volunteering, scrapping for clients, starting up bible study and wondering what I had forgotten to do for the day. 

It is now October 3rd and I can smell the cheese at the end of the maze.  As it turns out, I can run the distance races as well.  This week won't be any less chaotic but I know soon we will be eating family dinners together every night.  There's something about all five of us coming together at mealtime.  No matter what has happened during the day, we first thank God for His blessings and know that together we can work anything out.

Emotionally and physically I have broken down but spiritually I have remained strong.  The poem "Footprints" really hits home.  In my weakness God was right there beside me and when I couldn't run the race any longer He carried me until I was strong again.  I will finish this race!

Enjoy your first week of October.  Take the time to notice the changing leaves and cooler temps.  Don't forget to water and dead head your mums...that's a reminder for me mostly.  Until next time, I may see you at the ball field, soccer field, grocery store, between here and school or the dance studio just don't peek in my windows...that will really freak me out.

Smores Galore

I love this picture!

  Fall...everything about it warms my heart.  The colors are breath-taking, the cooler temps are so welcome after months of heat and humidity and breaking out the fire pit for smores is a great family activity.

Really Chris, do they need to be on fire?

No you won't find of picture of me eating a smore...don't like them.  I enjoy sitting around the fire and watching the kids get covered in melted marshmallow and chocolate but that's where it ends for me.  Tonight however, I did eat a couple apple slices with a piece of dark chocolate.  Now that was yummy and in my mind somewhat healthy.  Really I can justify about anything.

Just a Playdate

I am a SAHM.  If you aren't familiar with that term it stands for Stay At Home Mom.  Being able to stay home with my children is a blessing that I do not take lightly.  This is a calling, not just a crazy idea to cut our income in half.  There is a badge of honor that SAHMs or SAHDs wear but from time to time I feel like I am looked down upon for choosing to follow this calling.  Staying home is my greatest joy.

Today I proved to be the "least at home" SAHM.  As I pulled out of my driveway at 8:20am I knew there would be very little time at home to take care of household duties, I just didn't realize it would be only 90 minutes.  The last child was picked up from school at 3:45pm.  I really thought having kids at school would mean I could come home to eat bon bons and watch Oprah.  Nope, that's not what I do all day.  Geesh, who knew?

Tonight was pizza night and then everyone outside to play ball.  Oh how I love to just hang out with the family.  We had a blast until we couldn't take the biting bugs any longer.  Even though our family is busy, I am so thankful that we know how to take care of each other and make our moments count.

NiNe yEarS

Today is a big day around our house.  Reagan turned nine years old.  WHAT??  How'd that happen?  We've had my parents here with us since Friday which has been nice but my routine is all messed up.  The house is cluttery, there isn't any milk or bread, Reagan's birthday treats are half done and I didn't fill the birthday girl's room with balloons last night. Some how I still don't think the day is a bust.  I'm taking lunch up to Reags at school which is one of her favorite things for me to do.

Thinking back to nine years ago, our lives were so different.  First of all, I was still in my 20s and probably looked better nine months pregnant than I do now.  We lived in Arizona and it was still in the triple digits the day she was born...it's fall like temps here in Nebraska today.  Chris was teaching and coaching in the high school but dare I say our life was almost boring compared to the schedule we keep in 2010.  Just starting our family, we had only one child and anxiously awaiting the birth of our second perfect little girl.  (Little did we know that the next year would be full of crying until the wee hours of the morning.)  Reagan certainly rocked our lives and we thank God every day that He her to us to love and care for until the day she goes back home.

Holy Buckets, I'm almost in tears.  Now that I have enjoyed that stroll down memory lane, it is time to get my day going.  Give your child, niece, grandchild or neighbor kid a hug today, they will be grown up before you know it.  Blessing to you all!

Do Versus Done

My evening has been filled with thoughts of these two words.  Here's what Merriam-Webster says:
DO
 to bring to pass : carry out


 perform, execute b : commit


 to bring to an end : finish —used in the past participle


 to put forth : exert

 
DONE
past participle of do


Oh I'm sure we all know the definition of these two words but I wanted to fill space in this post.  (Just wanted to see if you are really reading)  ha  I know a better way to contrast these two words. Christianity versus any other religion in the world!  Just to list a couple well known religions: Jehovah Witness...gotta do works for salvation. Mormon...gotta do works for salvation. Muslim...gotta do works. Seventh Day Adventist...gotta do works.  All the cults...gotta do works. Your after life is based on what you DO in this life. The Christian faith is the only one in which it has already been DONE for you.  Here's the big plan...You accept Christ as your savior and BAM! you have a secure spot in heaven.  Sound easy, it is! Christ did the hard part when he took the beatings, hung on the cross and died on Calvary. 
 
There are things in this life that have been left up to me to do...cooking, cleaning, carpool. Possibly I have gotten so use to that role that from time to time I forget that I am not in control of everything. When others have strong opinions about me or my loved ones, I also have to remember they aren't in control of me or my salvation.  They didn't DO the hard work. If I do the best I can to love and serve my God it doesn't matter what Joe Schmo thinks about me or my ability to love and serve God. We serve a powerful God.  A loving God. He would never put Betty Homemaker across the street or Bobby the Boss Man in charge of our eternity. Now that's something you can take to the bank.
 
Chris and I have pulled through a rough couple of weeks. Trials are worth it if you learn something new about your relationship with God. He didn't make this happen but He allowed it to happen. He didn't call us to do his work because we were already equipped but He is continually equipping us to do His work. Satan wants nothing more than to distroy relationships.  Focusing on what you have to DO can distract from what has already been DONE.
 
Now go out and be a blessing today! (not because you have to but because you want to!)


You can find the verse of the day on the right side of this blog.  Today just happened to be this verse.
Hebrews 10:30-31
30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[a] and again, "The Lord will judge his people."[b] 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Love My Husband

I don't want to brag...ok maybe I do.  I am married to an amazing man.  He is the first person to admit when he has done something wrong and he is always willing to give the other person a way out.  By that I mean, if someone wronged him, Chris first of all gives them the benefit of the doubt and then gives them an opportunity to save face.  While these are characteristics instilled in him by his parents he also has refined his actions by trying to have a like mind of Christ. 

Honey, if you read this (and I know you don't) I want you to know how proud I am of you.  You are a blessing to me.  I love you!

Pruning

This morning before church I sat in the dinning room looking out the window to the north noticing our overgrown bush and wondering when I should prune those branches back.  The bush is pretty scraggly which makes it an easy target for weeds. Timing is everything when it comes to gardening.. 

Just as I need to prune the bush in my yard to rid the dead or unhealthy branches to insure growth, I am noticing that this is a season of pruning in my life.  God's ways are always loving so I know that even though I am feeling pain, He is preparing me for growth.

Not too long ago I wrote a blog entry titled "Change Your World."  I had no idea how much God was preparing my own heart for what was about to come.  In that post I made mention of how God comes at me from so many directions and He did it again.  This weekend I was in Grand Island at our old church for a Beth Moore Simulcast. (LOVED IT!!!) Beth talked about "The Law of Kindness."  How did she know I was going to need a refresher to keep me from saying and doing things I would later regret?  God's attention to the details is amazing.  Kindness is not an action it's a disposition.  When I open my mouth (and I will) I prayerfully ask God to let the words that flow be words of wisdom.

So this week when it warms up a little, while I am in my yard pruning the dead or overgrown branches from bushes and flowers I will be thinking about my Father in Heaven who is doing a good work within me. I challenge each of you to show kindness today.  Not just being nice which can be faked, I mean genuine kindness.

Have a great week.

Going Hard

Reagan knows only one way to play soccer...going all out! 

The girls played a hard fast paced game today.  We all were so proud of their effort!  Another "W" for the girls, 4-3.

Love My 'Skers

Two of my favorite things together...my handsome hubby and Husker Football!!!  Chris and I had a great day watching the Huskers put it to Idaho.  What was I thinking wearing jeans?  It was hotter than heck today!

Brook Berringer #18 played football at UNL in the 90's.  Brook and I got to know each really well during our college years and then the night before the NFL draft Brook was killed in an airplane accident.  I'll never understand why he was taken to Heaven at such a young age.

Today was the 9 year anniversary of the terrorist attack on American soil. 

Change Your World

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.  Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else."  I Thessalonians 5:14-15

This verse and a few others have been in my thoughts each day this week.  I love Random Acts of Kindness but this verse goes beyond a few nice things we can do.  These words from the bible could radically change the world if only people (not even everyone) would embrace the idea of being kind, encouraging, helping the weak and practicing patience.  I'll be honest, that last one really gets me.

When God tries to get my attention, it seems that He comes at me from several avenues.  First, our church has started a campaign called "Double Your Impact." Basically, our church leadership feels a call from God to keep doing what we have been doing but BIGGER!  So I have prayerfully been asking "what does this mean for me?"  I want to meet the needs of others.  I want to show love.  I want to make a difference.  Yes, God uses me as His hands and feet for my family and some times those around me but I'm ready to step out in faith and do something big.

Secondly, I started reading Debbie Macombers "One Simple Act."

She is rocking my world and I love it.

Thirdly, I started a bible study on Tuesday mornings with bunch of ladies from church by Priscilla Shirer.

 Being a big fan of Beth Moore I was reluctant to join this study but already in week #2 I have been challenged and blessed by what Priscilla Shirer shares in both the videos and daily study.

See, God doesn't mess around with me.  He knows if there is a mission He can't beat around the bush. So I am excited to see where this takes me and a little afraid too.  I know the Creator of the universe cares about the smallest of details and won't take me somewhere that He hasn't already equiped me to go but a road map to get there would be nice.  :)

This is a random smattering of thoughts that are not well planned out rather iy is a window into my heart.  I pray that fear does not take over when I am presented with an opportunity to brighten my little spot of the world.

Book Facebook Page

As of tonight there is a The NEW PHENOM3NON facebook page. (The New Phenomenon by Chris Raabe)

No, the book has not been released.
No, we don't have a release date, yet.
Trust me...this blog will be one of the first to release that information!

The good news is that we can start getting the word out about Chris' book and keep interested parties up to date on it's progress. Chris has been burning the candle at both ends, often working 16 hours a day.  There just isn't time to work on the final draft.  Soon, after October 17th this handsome author who I so dearly love, will have time to finish up his literary work of art.  I can't wait for each of you to read The NEW PHENOM3NON.  

The very creative Leah Amirouche designed our book cover and will look something like the above picture.  This isn't an exact but will give you an idea when you are looking on Amazon.com.