Waiting for Daisy

This week I read a heartwarming book called Waiting for Daisy: A Tale of Two Continents, Three Religions, Five Infertility Doctors, an Oscar, an Atomic Bomb, a Romantic Night, and One Woman's Quest to Become a Mother. It was the amazing story of the infertility of Peggy Orenstein, and I recommend it to all. It would also be a great reading group book. For me, what struck me about this book was her brutal honesty about the importance of wisdom in youth. Throughout the book, this late-thirties/early-forties year-old must deal with the fact that the choice she made not to have children in her youth affected her ability to have them once she actually wanted to. In the epilogue she comes to the conclusion that

It touched me. It is quite the challenge, to dream and hope for the future. I am struck by my need to "reckon with my dreams" not yet fulfilled, to find a wisdom beyond my years in order to look back before I move forward. Where do I find the courage to never regret? And how do I live my life in a way that I do not regret. Anyone who knows me knows that I have lots of ideas and visions, WAY more than I could ever actually fulfill. Pray for me, and pray for us, as we decide what to do, when to do it, and how to live with no regrets. 

Family Time

On Sunday we were incredibly blessed by a visit from two of Aaron's siblings: Vanessa and her family and James and his wife. We had a very special time together and are glad to see God's healing hand at work in each and every family member. It was also fun to spend some time with Myles, Aaron's four-year-old nephew and to hear about James and Regi's upcoming plans to move to Hong Kong and teach at an international school there. We are also praying for wisdom for Chris and Vanessa as they decide whether to move closer to Des Moines to be closer to family. We would love to be able to see them more often, especially their adorable little one!

Today was another Tuesday play date with Mikey and Layla. Here are a few adorable shots I got of them at the park!

Drive-In Toy Story 3

This weekend, we met up with some of Aaron's high-school buddies at the drive-in theater in Newton. It was fun to get a chance to hang out with them and watch The Sorcerer's Apprentice and Toy Story 3! Even though it was a late night, we were able to get home before the storm hit, so that was nice!

Breaking news: Defending champs logo change for 2010 fantasy season

All hail the newly updated Blizzard logo! Welcome to Des Moines, and here's to another great season of smashing the opponents.

Carolyn & Ben

June 26, 2010

We were so blessed to witness the marriage of Ben & Carolyn Hinshaw this past Saturday. However, we were so sad to miss out on the weddings of both Tommy Jay & Courtney Bruzas and Jason & Lindsey Norem.  Congratulations to you all! 

We love you!

Adventureland Adventure

Last Friday Aaron and I chaperoned a trip with the church middle-schoolers to Adventureland. It was a beautiful day, and with only seven kids to watch over, we had lots of fun riding the rides and sampling some of the delicious food! We even went to a magic show where the magician cut a woman in half right before our eyes!

Anyways, here are a few pictures I got of Aaron and the kids on the rides and one our friend took of us on the Carousel.

Being with Family

The best part about moving home is that you get to see family pretty much every day. Aaron and I love having six of our adorable nieces and nephews so close. It's a flurry of baseball games, popsicles, and swingsets, and it's all just wonderful! Our lack of photo-taking skills has produced only these few shots, but more to come, I promise!

The Big Move

On June 12, Kent came with a big trailer and packed up all our stuff as we made the big move from Wheaton to Des Moines. For two weeks we lived with Aaron's parents until we were (finally) able to get the toilet put into our house on Sunday. We spent our first night in our own place Sunday night and Wednesday we actually got carpet laid in our bedroom. It is so nice to finally have some semi-finished space to relax in. Here are a few pictures of us working on the house. Painting is my specialty, and Aaron pretty much does whatever Kent tells him to do.

Once upon a time... Matthew Visited

Hey everyone, sorry for the belated updates... It's been a while since I've been on the internet on my own computer. So these next few updates will probably cover the last month or so of our lives, beginning with Matthew's visit to us in Wheaton the week before we moved.

It was fun to see him one more time in Wheaton and hopefully he will be able to come visit us once we get everything settled here.