Millard West loved Michigan Ave

Basically every trip we have ever taken has been due to a kid’s activity. This one is no different. It has been a blast following Olivia and her Show Choir around Nebraska and Iowa for high school competitions. (Have I said this before…if you haven’t attended one of these events you must. It’s like NOTHING I have ever experienced before.) Anyway, Millard West HS show choirs went to the Heart of America (HOA) competition in Chicago. The hype for this event was remarkable. If I’m honest, the actual event did not live up to the cost or the hype. None the less, it was a great experience for the kids and an opportunity for Chris and I hang out in Michigan Ave. Plus we started a great podcast on the 7 hour commute, The Exorcist Files.

Our friend’s FAVORITE pizza place in Chicago is Lou Malnati’s. We agree, I wanna go back! 

Tall buildings and city lights at the Intercontinental Hotel

I’ll be honest, I’ve heard so many bad things about the lawlessness in Chicago, I was a bit nervous about going there. What surprised us was the lack of people. We pulled in at 4:30pm on Friday only to find the streets bare. This has got to be a first. I was a bit worried that Rapture happened and we  were “Left Behind”. Ha We had a great trip and we’re relieved to find the believers still roaming the streets. 

The Bean

Millennium Park 

I spent a little time at the 5-story Starbucks

🌟Reserve Roasterie🌟

Uptown Girls

Oh my beautiful singer!!!

Uptown Girls & West In The Groove

 

Hugs, Kisses and Lots of Birthday Wishes

We love Birthdays

The Raabes do food and birthdays well. I have always made a big deal of celebrating my girls' special days. Now that Emma is out of the house I don't spend the week making all her favorite foods nor do I decorate her bedroom while she's sleeping. I guess Joe would find that quite creepy if I were sneaking in their house with balloons and streamers in the middle of the night. Instead we met at Emma's favorite Sushi place. I made Cherry Brownies and the family came together for laughs, stories and some special gifts. It's such a joy to celebrate the amazing woman she continues to become.

Look at that Glow

I was fortunate enough to be included in Emma's Friend Celebration

Does that mean I've hit a new level of acceptance? We hit up her favorite Taco place in Blackstone, Mula Mexican Kitchen and then walked across the street for Coneflower ice cream. It's was pretty cold to be eating that frozen deliciousness but oh so worth it! Some of these girls I have know for decades while others I met this year. Emma has found some great gals. Missing Emma L and Kaylee

Happy Birthday Sweet Emma!!! Love, Mama

May blessings follow you through life wherever Christ may lead you. 

May love be right beside you, and joy and peace precede you. 

May God's Word light your path each day while grace and patience guide your way.

 

Challenge

Most people are a little more on the ball with their word of the year or new year resolutions, not me. I guess I'm already feeling the challenges of 2023.

This is my word, please do not confuse the word challenge with bad. I don't think I will have a bad year but I think there are some challenges that I am going to face which will be profound. Here I am saying, "I recognize it and Let's do this!"

Be strong and bold; have not fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:6,8

 

Christmas 2022 Photo Dump

Olivia had a solo at the school Christmas concert

MW Christmas Tradition

MWHS choir alumni are invited up to the stage to sing  “Psallite” with all 3 choirs. That’s about 280 voices. It’s breath taking. This is one of my favorite Christmas traditions! Emma went up this year, surprised how well she remembered the song. 

As always, Nana is there to support

The 12 days of Christmas at the office proved to be a lot

A lot of what you ask… a lot of everything!

Here we are on the hot chocolate bar day in our ugly…ur um I mean festive sweaters. 😉

Candle Light Tradition

Christmas Eve services at Christ Community Church ends with singing Silent Night by candle light. Here’s another Christmas tradition I LOVE! 

My challenge each day is to be a light to a dark world. Jesus came so there would be light in a place filled with darkness, sadness, pain and sin. A light lead the wisemen to Jesus all those years ago. May we be vessels of light that attract people to Jesus also. 

Raabe Tradition

I am so thankful to have a family who gathers.

We had good food, laughter, gingerbread house decorating, games and a few gifts. While my kids have always wanted cousins they are fortunate to be the only grandkids/nieces on Christmas Day because they still ALL gets gifts.

These are the hats papa gives

Christmas at the CSF house

Christmas morning Tradition

Breakfast and gifts with just the 6 of us 

And Molly too of course

Gingerbread House Tradition

This one goes back to when we would take the girls home to Smith Center to see my parents. Mom and Dad’s house didn’t have much for my kids to do so we took projects like tie blankets and gingerbread houses. The houses became a favorite with my creative dad. Year after year dad helped us design as masterpiece. Oh dad, how I miss you!!

Chris and Stephen team up to make a chaotic masterpiece including a port-a-potty and fire pit

Holly and Reagan design together

Nana and Emma design beautiful little gingerbread house that would take 1st place of there was a competition 

Angie and Joe built a home for the Grinch or the Hulk, someone green anyway. 

Olivia and I didn’t get a picture taken since I’m always the photographer. Our house was decked out in pastels and ginger. 

1. Ang/Joe

2. Mel/Liv

3. Nana/Em

4. Chris/Stephen

5. Holly/Regs

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

 

She was just 17!

As I started to write this post the song by the Beatles popped into my head. 

“She was just 17 and you know what I mean” 

It doesn’t really apply to Olivia’s birthday but you are welcome because I know you now have that song stuck in your head. 

So many fall birthdays in this family! The following pictures will show the story of Liv’s birthday week (or weeks). We had a great time celebrating our girl. 

Saturday morning coffee and quality time together. 

Sunday morning: she wakes up to balloons on the floor, steamers, notes and a birthday sign. 

Sunday Lunch: LaMesa…a girl after my own heart

Sunday afternoon: finally double pierced ears

Wednesday: family dinner at Tap House, strawberry pretzel salad and gifts

Papa’s creativity shared: flying pigs, dinosaurs and so much more 

Friday: Friend Party

her 2 favorite desserts

1. strawberry pretzel salad 

2. cherry brownies

This girl is beautiful on the inside and outside. What a joy and honor it is to be her mama! Thrilled to celebrate her today! 

Lord, give me your wisdom to be the best mom I can be. Draw her to you and allow her to see every day that she is cherished by you and created perfectly for your purpose. Amen. 

Happy 17th Birthday Liv

thankful for you

Our 2022 Thanksgiving Crew!

Dean . Lynn . Chris . Ryan

Helen . Levi . Kelly . Selah . Lisa . Linda . Melanie . Joe

Jael . Reagan . Olivia . Emma . Emma L

Davis' are missing from photo

We are thankful for these peeps

We hosted the great day of gluttony and football, which I enjoy. It gives me motivation to really clean and usually do a couple little projects around the house that have made it from the "to-do" list to the "procrastination" list. Chris has said before multiple events, "you aren't repainting a room!" So I may have done that in the past. I try to keep the projects on the smaller side now. This year it may seem like I redid my fire place for thanksgiving. In actuality, I planned that project about 2 years ago and we finally got it started this November. There are a few things that need tweeked but for the most part I love it! You can kind of see it in one of the pictures. 

I am thankful for the clean house and revamped fireplace.

We had 4 people unable to come at the last minute which brought our numbers down to 19 people and 2 dogs. Poor Bella and Luna were shipped to Nana and Papa's house for a couple days. They cats don't like dogs and I'm not sure how well the dogs tolerate cats. We didn't want to perform a Black Friday burial. We are thankful for good health and well behaved pets

The other thing I really enjoy doing is cute little chalk board drawings or quotes. I started with just a plain piece of black board. Before Emma's wedding I had Chris build an easel. I love it! Now I use it all the time- birthdays, celebrations, holidays, work, husker games. 

I am thankful for Chris' ability to make things and my love of doodling.

Thanksgiving Chalk Sign 2019 above .  2022 below

We have so much to be thankful for even in the midst of really hard situations. I'm trying to focus on the blessings I do have. The world is full of negativity and sin but Jesus came as the solution. We all need a little more Jesus. That's my daily goal. More Jesus!

 

Family, Burgers & Guns

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTOPHER!!!

I love birthdays and I love this guy!

Chris had a great weekend of burgers with the family (and all the fried food he could order), shooting with Joe and game night with his buddies. 

I know it's goofy but I enjoy making chalk signs

 

Penn State Tackle Ended Her Season

She made it to the second to the last game of the season with only 4 minutes of a 90 minute contest left on the clock. The Huskers were leading a very good Penn State team when Reagan had a breakaway. The frustrated (Canadian) Nittany Lion, just as competitive as our #7, was determined to stop Reagan...she did. The tackle came in exceptionally hard as Reagan was striking the ball. Her foot stopped abruptly while her knee continued on resulting in a torn MCL. Devastating yes, but it could have and should have been so much worse. Watch the video below

(sound on)

I am so thankful for NWSL's KC Current player and ex-Husker Jaycie Johnson

Due to another knee injury for Jaycie, she was at our last home game. As the team was celebrating a HUGE win, this previous Husker sat on the field with my girl to comfort and encourage her. I hugged Regs and prayed with her but Jaycie knew all the right things to say as a player to a player.

Teammates (Riss & Sydney pictured) are the best!

That night we left Reagan in the good hands of her roommates. I offered to spend the night not knowing what her physical or mental pain would be that night. My girl is strong, she told me I could go home and come back in the morning for the MRI. As I struggled to fall asleep I prayed for God to be with Reags and give her peace. 

This view makes this mama's heart hurt

Twelve hours later we were at the stadium getting an MRI of her right knee (same one she tore up 5 years ago). What completely surprised me was Reagan's state of mind. She was in good spirits and confident she had not torn her ACL. This kid had the peace that passes all understanding. Where was my faith? That is exactly what I had prayed for and God delivered! Dr Claire, the university surgeon called about 5 hours later. Reagan was right, just the MCL was injured and no surgery was required but her season was over. Recovery is 2 months.

Again, we know God uses all things for good. Our favorite Husker spent the rest of the season leading her team from the sidelines and preparing for a great comeback. She has 3 weeks of rehab under her belt and has already run a few times. She'll be back before we know it, stronger than ever. I look forward to watching him work in and through Reagan. God Is Good!

 

Same game but before the injury. She really is an amazing soccer player!!