Thoughts on the Year...

Happy New Year!!!

I was thinking about this past year....the ups and downs and everything in between. I realized the last few years have been so good and so bad... Yet in some areas they have been better than good. Instead of feeling bad about those bad decisions, situtations etc...I should feel blessed. I'm so blessed...so this year I decided to reflect on all the blessings God has given me.

*a wonderful, romantic, loving, Godly, kind, sweet, understanding, supportive husband.
*good family
*great friends
*two amazing church families
*answered prayers
*good hobbies
*pretty good health
*financial support
*healed relationships
*great memories
*a wonderful dog
*a nice to place to live
*a dependable car
*grace, mercy,and forgiveness

....just to name a few. God is so good and I'm so blessed. I choos to look at the good and praise Him, when there is bad I can rely on God and the people He has blessed me with and move on. This next year I feel is gonna be different in so many ways...I hate to make resolutions(they are hard to keep) but these ones I know I can keep.

*attend biblestudy regularly and do the homework in advance.
*journal daily
*exercise daily
*prayer time daily
*get pregnant
*weekly dates with my hubby
*spend even more time with family and friends
*no coffee
*pay off debt
*be more compassionate and loving

>God, I commit this year to You! Everything I do, say, plan, hope for...is Yours. I know You are God and You work all things together for good to those who love you and are called according to Your purpose. I choose to serve you and love you no matter what. Please give me the strength I need daily...please God help Jeph and I with all the things we are committing to. We give this year to you....We love you and thank you so much for all your going to do and all you have done.

Amen

Update!!!

Hey there, I have been so busy I haven't blogged in awhile. So much has been happening. I'll start with the weekend after Thanksgiving...Jeph and I had volunteered to help at the quiz meet saturday so we were there all day being quiz masters and Jeph had to lead worship, so from 7am-5pm we were at the camp for that. Then with the storm coming in...we had noone at our Civil War party...so our friends Matt and Crissy came over and we had a steak dinner and watched the BEAVERS beat the Ducks!!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!!! So Sunday was full as always and then the storm hit. We ended up driving down the coast with friends and experienced some awesome waves and wind...of course amazing Thai food! We got home and decided to watch a movie"Facing the Giants" (great movie!!!) By 11pm no power and it did not come back on for 2 days. We played games by candlelight, cooked on the bbq and were cooped up with my mom and dad(in law), Alex(exchange student), Scott and Jess(brother and sis in law)and a niece and nephew...it was fun but exhausting and tiring. :) Thank goodness for family to hang out with during the storm! ;)
Once the storm was over the week was met with my serious cold...so I missed bible study X2 and a Christmas party and the weekend was no time to rest. Friday we were supposed to head over to Portland(date night to a hockey game) we did not go. Saturday we went to Portland for my grandpa Bobs memorial, then it was off to Sarah(sis in laws)birthday dinner at Reinlander...all while sick. :( To top it off Sunday we were supposed to go to the Seahawks game...but I was so sick. You know how sick I must be if I don't go to a Seahawks game!!!
By Monday I was glad the weekend was over and very bummed about missing the Seahawks game. :(
On a good note...we got our tree decorated and lights are up and it looks and smells like Christmas. :) It turns out our young adults bible studies are gonna have a Christmas party and I'm so glad. Especially since I wanted to do it but I have no time to plan it myself. So the next week and a half should be festive.
It's Wednesday morning and I'm not really sick anymore....last night we had dinner with Scott,Jess, and kids...we got to hang out and it was so nice. :)
The rest of the week is busy but I'm feeling optimistic about it. I will post some holiday pics soon!
Have a good week!

Thankful

I have been spending the last few weeks busy, busy...I have got to spend lots of time with family and all the people I love. I have been able to put some issues with some certain people behind me..forgive and then move on. I'm so thankful for that...I've been so thankful for the weather lately, enjoying the fall leaves and crisp football games have been so wonderful!
As this year is starting to come to a close....I find myself more at peace, more relaxed, more grateful, more focused, and so much more happy and content.

Things I'm thanful for
* Gods provision, power, love, grace, mercy, forgiveness
* my loving patient husband
* all of my family
* good, genuine, honest, loyal friends
* wonderful church families
* football
* good coffee
* beach
* Tillamook brand dairy products
* shopping
* the holidays
* multiple chances
* the hope of a new year with new things.


I am thankful for the holidays finally being here...I'm looking forward to decorating our home, tree, baking, christmas parties, carols, weather, family gatherings, candlelight service. I'm so thankful that Christ was born and that we can celebrate the season all month long.

In Memory of Bob

This past month Jeph and I took a trip with my dad and stepmom to Anacortes Washington(2 hours north of Seattle) to basically say goodbye to my step grandpa. His name was Bob and he was closer to us then either of our own grandpas. He died friday October 19 2007....we didn't get our chance to say goodbye but he knew we were coming and he was excited to see us.

We spent the whole weekend being with Alice (his wife) who is my step grandma....she's the kind of person who when she meets you...brings you into the family and you feel like her flesh and blood. :) It rained off and on all weekend...we spent time with Wendys(stepmom)step-siblings(Bobs kids) and we had a nice time. On the way home...we stopped to take pictures of one of best spots in Anacortes. This picture is of us...on Fidalgo Bay. We took it to remember all the good times we had with Bob. He will be missed!!:)

I just wanted to encourage anyone who reads this, to tell those you love that you love them, hug them before you say goodbye, and don't rush around to much during the holidays who knows it may be the last holiday you spend with them.

Christmas was the last big holiday we spent with Bob....we had a good time but Jeph and I are both wishing we hadn't had to rush around so much. So slow down...take your time....and cherish every moment you have with those you love.

Boundaries

So I have been having some severe issues with a couple of family members. There is nothing like having a conversation that is so inaccurate and hurtful. I have figured out with the help of a couple of friends talking out this problem that I have some messed up boundaries. I am a people pleaser so much that sometimes I let people dictate what I say and do to prevent nasty conversations like the 2 I had last week...even though I felt 100% right about my own decisions.
It's true I have toxic people in my life and I don't handle it well. So one of my friends gave me this great article on how to deal with toxic people..I have put my favorite tips on here to hopefully help anyone else out who may have to deal with this..including a quiz to let you know if you are a person in need of boundaries.

Seek safety in numbers: If you know that a certain friend/family member tends to infect you with their negative moods, plan a group activity so you will be surrounded with others as well. Or arrange to do something...play a game, go to a movie, go shopping, rather than sitting around talking.

Visualize a wall: When toxic emotions are heading your way and you can't exit the scene or do anything to stop them, imagine that there is a shield or wall around you. You'll still hear what the other person is saying, but the emotions behind what they are saying won't get under your skin.(we'll see about that.)

"Let's talk about solutions": If your friend/family member starts complaining, say you want to help but that it makes you feel frustrated to constantly hear all the negative. Then offer to swing the problemsolving mode to them-it's best to say,"that's too bad, but what are you going to do about it?"This sends a message that it's their problem and you're not going to take responsibility for it.

"Tell me why this is so important to you": This question often silences boundary pushers on the spot(or at least causes them to stop and reflect)allowing you to take back a sense of control.

ideas to focus on:
It's probably not you. (I don't know why but I need to hear that.)When you get upset it's easy to think it's your fault and that your to sensitive. But if you feel uncomfortable with someone you need to trust your intuition.
Don't make someone else's problem your own. Try to distance yourself mentally from a negative person.
You can handle this: Take a deep breath, then silently repeat"I'm not riding their emotional rollercoaster" You'll remind yourself that you're fully capable of protecting your boundaries without making your friend feel emotionally abandoned.

Quiz:
I have trouble saying no to people.

I consistently feel tired after being with negative people.

My mood changes significantly depending on the person I'm with.

I often feel flooded with bad feelings when hearing about other's misfortunes.

When I'm with others, my entire focus is on them, rather than me and them.

I actively avoid people I should deal with-at work, for instance-because I'm afraid of how I'll feel.

If you checked one or two not to worry. More than half...you are highly sensitive. So put yourself mostly first. you may need to learn to come to your own emotional rescue before other people's moods engulf you.

I think it's important that no matter what..you can be there for people but not to the point that you suffer. I think it's important to have boundaries...the trick for me is to find where those boundaries are, not to be selfish, but not to be so drained that I'm draining to my husband and friends. I'm currently reading Boundaries and doing the workbook...I'll let you know if it helps.

Hope this helps somebody else.

Jeph the romantic...

So yesterday was a wonderfully romantic day. Some of you know how romantic Jeph can be. Well, since we started dating Jeph has done so many romantic and over the top gestures.
He has written amazing poems, songs, cards...he has created some amazing collages, art, pics turned into so much more. He has sent me on several different scavenger hunts. This man is truly a romantic!!
Yesterday was the anniversary of the day he proposed 6 years ago!

October 29, 2001...I had gone to Kadee Wiricks wedding shower and when I got back to Jephs place to watch a movie I got there and there was a note taped to the outside of the door....the note sent me to several other places where there were other notes(a scavenger hunt of sorts). I ended up at the new house his parents were building(the deck with a view of the bay/sunset one of our favorite places) he had our song "The Luckiest" playing, white lights, and rose petals everywhere..as I walked out on the deck he was behind me and I turned around...I was just thinking another wonderfully romantic evening. To my surprise he got down on one knee and told me so many wonderful things...he pulled out the ring and asked me to marry him....

I found out later he had already asked my parents and everything...this guy was so good! :)

So Oct 29, 2007...we had a romantic dinner in one of our favorite spots by candlelight, danced to our song and the rest is none of your business!!;)

Thank you God for my romantic and thoughtful husband!!!

Precious Children

Here they are my nieces and nephews....(from left to right) Ethan(3), Jaden(5 months),

Hailey(3 1/2), and Tyler(5 1/2). They are so precious...they are responsible for not only helping me to want kids but being my kids temporarily. :)

I just thought I'd post pics of 4 of the most important people in my life. Whenever I'm having a bad day...they are guaranteed to cheer me up. I have their pics all over my house and they are just so special.

I hope that parents know how important it is to love your kids so much, and to love them unconditionally, with everything you can, and to make them feel like they are the most important person in your life.

Having kids is a blessing and I encourage us all to take lots of pictures and document their lives, love them whole heartedly, hug and kiss them, just talk to them, and be available. How we treat our kids, nieces, and nephews...helps to make them who they are and that's a big, wonderfully hard responsibility. Cherish them because we are all lucky to have them!!

Need Help

I don't even know if this is something to post in a blog. I am having troubl posting my pics to the blog. I have posted pics to my myspace, email, etc...but I can't seem to get them posted to my blogs, profile...so I have tons of blog drafts but I really want pics added to them. It's funny because I think I figured it out at the beginning...but since I started blogging again I'm having trouble. So if someone could give me step by step instruction that would be so great!!! Then I could actually get all these blogs done and with pics. :)

The Calling-Retreat

The Calling

This weekend Jeph and I attended a Young Adults Retreat in Sunriver with our Netarts group. The whole theme for the weekend was the call...answering God's call in all areas of our lives.
Sometimes it seems obvious what God is calling Jeph and I to...and so many times it seems so fuzzy. We find ourselves asking so many questions...is this what God wants? If we don't do what God wants are we going to be punished? Do we have certain desires of our hearts and in the end they aren't what God wants so we will be miserable? Is God's best, not what we ultimately want?
After this weekend I have to say I have a whole new outlook on God's call on my life(Jeph and I both do). We really have come to the realization that God wants us to love Him, love others, and share Him, obey Him, and everything else will fall into place.
Wow, what a concept! So simple and yet we complicate it so much...I really feel now as though there is no distinct thing I have to choose..Jeph and I both will follow His commandments and move forward with starting a family and thats just fine and that makes God happy to see us happy!

This weekend was filled with good times, good worship, good food, lots of laughter, and I feel really cleansed and able to move forward once again in the kid direction. Thank you God for an eye opening weekend...it was much needed!
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled." (thanks Marcy)

Week in Seattle

Well...last week Jeph and I were out of town. He had a work conference in Seattle Washington...so we got to go up and stay in a hotel for 4 nights. I had a pretty bad cold most of the time but by friday I felt a little better. ;) Wed night we went to a Mariners game, thursday we had dinner with Janessa and Devin...friday night Josh and Marcy came up. That was fun we ended up walking around Seattle, Pikes Place, and we saw the Red Bull soapbox races...it was such a good time. :)
I realized how much I love to just be with my hubby doing whatever, even if we are alone...we have great conversation, fun singing to our fav songs, sharing our concerns, fears, joys. It truly is a solid, happy marriage...I feel peaceful about that!
We both discovered how much we love Seattle...outside of the Seahawks. It's different than Portland, not as known by us. We are falling in love all over again in Seattle...it has made us just want to rediscover Portland. :)

I'll post pics of our trip soon!

Do Over...

Ok everyone I'm going to try this blog thing over again....as some of you know I tried to start a blog this year and was sort of successful for awhile. Once we started packing, painting, and moving I just felt like blogging was the least important thing. Now that we are basically settled...I'm feeling like I want to blog again and maybe work through some things, get feedback, and share the joyous and not so joyous experiences of life.

So...since the last time I wrote alot has happened. We not only moved into our new place...we sold our house in Garibaldi, we celebrated our 5th anniversary, we have a new niece, football season has started again, and life continues to be so busy, crazy...but we are learning to hang in there; rely on God, rely on others and eachother, and try to enjoy it all.

I hope to keep up on this blog...and I hope you will read and leave comments...it really means alot.
God Bless

Packing, Painting, and Projects...

So it's official we are moving our stuff to the new house. We've started painting and I am loving the colors. I even have the kitchen almost totally unpacked and put away. We have ordered base trim and some vents and now we are just getting things put together. We are really excited to move in so we can do yard work instead of pack and paint!

Thats about it for now...nothing really exciting. I will post pictures this next week.

Jeph and I when we were dating

I was cleaning out a drawer and found this sweet pic of Jeph and I when we first started dating. This pic brought back so many memories, emotions...I'm glad we are done with the dating phase(it was fun)but being married is a much more wonderful phase to be in. We've been together just about 6 years and I wouldn't change a thing about the time we've been together. I like having a history, knowing eachother the way we do now is much more enjoyable.:)
I think it's important to be thankful for your spouse but more importantly to look back at where you were and see just how much you've grown and be proud of what you've built together!

*Thank you God for my husband and the Godly man he's been, please help him to keep focusing on you. Thank you for giving him all the gifts you saw fit for him to have, he's really embracing your call on his life and it's wonderful to watch how your working in him..Thank you for bringing us together and I look forward to the future with him!

One of those months

Well...it's been hard keeping up with blogging. Things have been the same day in and day out. Packing, cleaning, etc...However it's all about to change I will have more time to blog regularly as well as have the time to post pictures. So this is more of a miniblog to let you know whats going on and why there aren't gonna be a lot of new blogs for a bit.
So tonight we are helping Scott and Jess move in to their new house. Yeah!! By next week we should be painting and starting to get our moving in projects done..So there is going to be lots of creative things going on. It's really going to be a process, but we are looking forward to all the space, being closer to everything! We are very excited!!
I will try to get some before and after pics of the new house posted...

Catch Up...

I know it's been awhile since I have written a post...things have been a little crazy. So this is a catch up post. Well since my birthday things have been crazy to say the least. Jeph went away for the mens summit in eastern oregon...while he was gone I did my usual things. On the 18th we celebrated my niece Haileys 3rd birthday with family..that was so fun! The following week Jeph and I spent alot of time helping out Scott and Jess with their new house. On the 21st Jess and I made a fancy birthday dinner for mom troyer, we spent some great time with the family. Since Jeph is now the permanent worship leader at Netarts he spends a few nights a week practicing, I have other things to do. Jeph and I have been spending as much time with Scott and Jess helping them get their new house ready. We had a busy, crazy weekend again...It rained all day, Jess and I worked on cleaning and moving boxes and things over to the new house, Jeph and Scott worked on the deck. That night we went over to Marcy's house to play settlers and we had such a great time.
Sunday was yet another crazy day we had sunday school, church, and then it was off to Portland with Scott and Jess to the Log Home Show...we went to Home Depot and then dinner at Chevys...Yummy!
Now it is the last week of march...Scott and Jess are in a big cram to finish their house so they can get final inspection and get moved in. I have spent most of the week cleaning house, getting the yard groomed(for people coming to look at our house), packing up everything that we don't use daily, plus I've had a bit of a cold.
So as you can see with everything going on I haven't had much time to blog...With us getting things ready to move, painting the new house, and anything else needing to be done. I am hoping to blog our moving efforts as well as pictures of things before/after..so I hope to be writing more soon...and I hope you will come and see our new place.

Birthday Weekend

So I've had the best birthday ever...I spent saturday at tea with the troyer ladies, I had a big troyer family birthday party...complete with a handbag cake, some of my favorite foods, great presents, and games. I also got to spend time with the weber ladies...then on Sunday I went to church; my dad and stepmom came to join us, Jeph led worship(his first time as regular worship leader). It was great! After church we went to my mom and Pauls house for birthday lunch and gifts...lunch and cake was amazing! The gifts were great too! I had the best birthday weekend a girl could ask for...I believe since this was one of my best birthdays ever that this next year will be one of the best!

*Thanks God for a wonderful birthday weekend...please help me to have the best year of my life; complete with no more thyroid problem, a new baby, getting moved and settled, and just good relationships with others, as well as a closer one with you God!
Thank you so much for my wonderful husband, friends, and family...I am so blessed to have such love and support!

Birthday Plans & Friday Wrap Up

Well it's friday...thank goodness. Jeph will be home this afternoon! It's my last day of being 25, yep tomorrow I'll be 26! I'm glad...this 25th year has been my hardest year...with the miscarriages and countless other issues to deal with I'm glad this 25th year is over!!! I wonder what my 26th year will be like? I have big plans for it like: move and decorate our new house, sell the house in Garibaldi, get debt free, get a family car, get pregnant, thats it for now...I'm sure I'll have more goals, and I'll update you on which ones happen. God willing they will happen!
As for my birthday plans...tomorrow Jeph and I are gonna spend the morning together, breakfast etc, I have La Tea Da plans with the Troyer ladies for brunch, and Jeph has some big surprise planned...I'm so excited to see what happens. All in all it should be a great birthday and I'm looking forward to this next year!
As for my accomplishments while my hubby was gone...I did get the house clean, I did get the tables refinished, I did get the 2nd bedroom packed and clean out alot, as well as a pretty good idea of the plan for the next house. I feel pretty good about what I accomplished and I think my hubby will be amazed!
Ok..I'm off to get my haircut...it will be a big change..I'll post pics soon!

Husband gone...it's on!

My husband is gone for the next few days...he's at a Concrete Seminar. Yes, I said a concrete seminar...so I'm home alone. Now I find it hard to sleep when he's gone, and since I stay at home, it's like I'm really alone when he's gone.
I have to find things to occupy my time...like clean house(deep clean), go to swim lessons with Tyler and Hailey, hang out with mom and Krista, be creative, walk the dog, watch decorating shows.
So having him gone is not the best time ever...but I've been praying that God would really bless this time without my husband and that I would rediscover me and the things that add to my life.
Goal while my husband is gone...to clean house, cleanout 2nd bedroom, refinish 2 end tables, come up with decorating plan for new house. I know I'm ambitious, but it's good for me to have some serious goals so I don't waste time, I want my husband to come home and be amazed at all that I accomplished.

So I'll let you know friday night if I got this stuff done before he gets home...wish me luck!

Settlers...Settlers...Settlers

(This picture is of a Settlers game...I won that one!)

Settlers...yes this post is all about Settlers. It's this amazing game that has taken over our lives.
It was February last year at a young adults game night that I was first introduced to this game and feeling like if I played this game it would become my favorite, I didn't play it that night. Much to my dismay a few weeks later around this time last year I gave in and played Settlers for the first time...and of course loved it! What is so great about this game you are probably wondering...well the board changes every game, your strategy changes every game, the people and the way the play changes every game. It's never the same...so of course that makes it an interesting game everytime you play! We've learned there are other expansion packs that work along with the original Settlers...it's quite an amazing game!
If you ever get the chance to play this game you must...If you want to play with me and my friends we would love to introduce you to this new game sometime. Please let me know:)
This game is one of my favorite things to do with others, it's become such an addicting part of all of our lives. I spent last night with my husband and friends playing it and tonight we are having dinner, watching 24, and playing Settlers again...

Confession...and Prayer

God...I need help to stay positive through the difficult times. I feel stuck in this dark place and I know the "way out" so to speak but I don't feel like it's working. I desperatley(sp?) want to think positive through the good and the bad, stay focused on the goals, while enjoying my family, friends, and life.
I need your help to get me back on track in all aspects of my life...

*getting my health on track again(dieting)
*exercising daily
*daily time in the word
*keeping committments(even if I don't want to)
*being a good wife, sister(in-law),daughter(in-law),friend
*being a good supporter/encourager

I just need you Lord in my life constantly, I am in a place where I don't like the rut I'm in, I want out, and I'm ready to do whatever it takes to get back on track! Please help me Lord to daily move forward toward those goals.. Thank you for caring for me, loving and supporting me, I know you will help me get out of this rut and into the next phase of life. ~Amen

Biblestudy and Tea

Today is friday...I attend a women's biblestudy at the Nazarene church, every friday morning. Today was one of those days I did not want to go and so I called Jan(our leader) about praying for me because I was not coming. Leave it to Jan to be the mom and make me go(Thanks Jan)...Needless to say I'm glad I went; everything I needed to hear I heard, and prayer time was so amazing! I really enjoyed myself and it lifted my spirits in so many ways.

Then I ended up at the Bassetts....we had great tea snacks, lots of tea and great conversation. Although I got no house cleaning or anything else done...I got much needed love, tlc, and support.

Who knew when I got up this morning that the thing I needed most was to be present in today's plan God had for me and believe me His plan was much better then the plan I had for myself.

So if you are ever not wanting to go to something (for whatever reason) then I have to say you should probably go because if you don't you will miss out on something wonderful God has just for you!

SEHAWKS and Snow!!!

Ok...so my husband and I have this passion, well pure obsession with football..SEATTLE SEAHAWKS!!! We really enjoying watching them on t.v. but recently discovered having tickets was way better! This is a picture from my favorite game ever...it was Thanksgiving weekend, we played the Greenbay Packers(Brett Favre) and it snowed alot. We not only saw Brett Favre lose to our SEAHAWKS, it snowed the whole game, the ride home was insane and very long, we were freezing but we both just fell in love with game and our team even more!!! The picture below on my blog is of Jeph and his ESPN sign, since it was a Monday Night Game he had to try and get on t.v. I hope you get a chance to see an NFL game...and fall in-love with football!!!

Sick of Being Sick

Ok...so from the title of this blog you already know what it's about.
Thats right I'm sick of being sick...I know it's that time of year but
enough is enough. I take good care of myself, I wash my hands
regularly, I'm not constantly around sick people and yet once again
I'm home with a cold(I think) and lots of aches and pains.
Although sitting on the couch watching movies/reading a good book,
sitting on the floor scrapbooking is fun most of the time..when you
don't feel good and have lots of other things to do it's not fun, as a
matter of fact it's downright boring!!
I have to say although it's boring and frustrating...I do have the best
hubby in the world, he's gotten me soup, lots of liquids, good movies,
magazines, and he keeps calling to check on me. So although I'm sick
of being sick, I'm not sick of him..he's the best. I love you baby!!

Just Getting Started

Hey there everyone, this is my second attempt to become a blogger. I dont' really know what I'm doing but I have wanted to become a blogger for awhile. I know I won't be posting everyday and what I do post is just about things going on in my life(probably boring for some of you). I'm just trying to find more creative ways of doing things, and I thought since I like to journal maybe this would be a good way to journal differently and share it with others. So I hope to see comments of what you think and I hope this is interesting for you as it is fun for me. God Bless

I also have a myspace page if you'd like to get to know me better...that page isn't under construction like this blog right now. :)

www.myspace.com/jephsgirl