shower blessings

Sweet Pea and I had our first baby shower yesterday, and wow, were we blessed.  My mom, niece, and sisters really put on a great party.  Sweet Pea got so many wonderful presents! Necessities, music, cute clothes!!  We have another shower next Sunday and another on the 31st.  Yesterday was a long, tiring day for us.  It was great, but also difficult not having daddy.  When we were getting ready, there were feelings of both excitement and sadness.  Excitement for the shower in general, but sadness in that I always expected Joe to help me get ready before baby showers... And then to be waiting with open arms afterwards ready to put stuff together.  We are definitely not at a loss for support, with all of the people that came out for our special day, I know there are many people willing to help us out with anything we need.  Tomorrow we have our 30 week appointment, where we will hear all about the third trimester and labor - eeeek!  Baby Gaga reports she is nearly 4 pounds and 16 inches long.  However long and healthy she is, I just want her to be here and healthy!

July 2007   |    Waseca MN

I look at this picture and think about how we were together only less than a year, but yet we were that happy.  How did that happen so fast?  And then I think, I have been that happy for a long time... and now?  With our daughter on the way, that earthly happiness will be felt again soon.  This photo is taken by the lake in Waseca, on a trip to Mankato.  The lake is so beautiful, and we have driven past it many times since then, on the way to Joe's family functions.  This one was his niece Katie's baptism, she will be 5 next month!

Halloween 2008  |  Peg & Jake's

Joe loved Halloween, and he loved dressing up.  He enjoyed going all out, but didn't spend much money on it.  The mask, he bought - the rest, we had.  The hat is from the Goodview Days parade, when I was on The Bar float, and the clothes were just around.. and old flannel shirt and pair of overalls.  And if you think this mask is bad, the mask from Halloween 2010 is worse!  We didn't do much for this Halloween, since we were expecting.  But that was more special - we were at our house for the very first time, and handed out candy to trick-or-treaters!  It was really a great time, and I was looking forward to more Halloweens taking turns handing out candy from our porch.

"I'm doing this for your own good."  That was the theme in Pastor Brandon's message at church today.  How many times do we hear this in times of pain (dentist) or disgust (eating our veggies), and we think - "No you are not, you are just torturing me!"  When we hear God telling us "I'm doing this for your own good," it is usually a more difficult situation than when another human tells us.  Usually, when God says it to us, it is a life changing experience he is talking about, and hard to stomach.  The scripture used in the message was Mark 10:17-22, from "The Rich Man" .... As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  "Why do you call me good?"  Jesus asked.  "Only God is truly good.  But to answer your question, you know the commandments: 'You must not murder.  You must not commit adultery.  You must not steal.  You must not testify falsely.  You must not cheat anyone.  Honor your father and mother.'"  "Teacher," the man replied, "I've obeyed all these commandments since I was young."  Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.  "There is still one thing you haven't done," he told him.  "Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.  Then come, follow me."  At this the man's face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.  A few verses down is the parable, "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God." (v25)  I try to reflect on my own "richness" - this doesn't only mean your monetary richness.  Even further down, Jesus says, "I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property - along with persecution.  And in the world to come that person will have eternal life.  But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." (v29-31)  This is a little scary to think about; however, God is the author - he is our creator, and he is in the best place we could go after life on Earth, and if we want to be with Him for eternity, we have to follow what he wants us to do.