4 In My Journey/ Welcome

Happy Birthday to the Blog!

Somehow, one full year has passed since I started this blog. I wouldn’t have even realized this if it weren’t for facebook “memories.”

Before I launched this blog, I remember feeling afraid. I didn’t know if I could do this.

I’m not very tech-y. This computer stuff is forcing me to learn a new language.
I’ve never considered myself a writer and I didn’t know if I had anything to say that people would care about reading.

However, I launched this with unanswered questions. With the fear and unknowns still lurking.

Faith isn’t figuring out what we’re able to do, it’s deciding what we’re going to do – even when we think we can’t. -Bob Goff

Have I messed up? SURE!

Have I felt overwhelmed at times? Definitely.

Have I written things I’d change now. Yes!

Do I always know what to say? NO!!

There was a time this year that I was stuck. Not inspired. Nothing to say. I wanted to write SOMETHING, but I sat in front of my computer with nothing. I walked away, discouraged, wondering if I made the right choice starting this journey.

But then…

I took time to read, took time to listen and learn…and the inspiration came back. I’ve found that as long as I take time to receive and allow others to pour into me, I’ll have something to give to you!

I think that’s how life in general is.

We need to take time to rest, to receive, to listen and learn or we get discouraged and burned out.

I have NOT perfected this “resting and listening” thing!!! I’m taking it a day at a time. If I fail today, I get a new start tomorrow! (We all do…YAY!)

So, the question is, one year later, am I glad I started this blog, this journey?

100% Yes!

If you are reading this, THANK YOU! Thank you for taking this journey with me! Thank you for your support and encouragement; for commenting, liking, and sharing. It means so much. I’d love to hear from you. What have you liked reading on here? Do you have any questions? Any feedback on what you’d like to me to write about? Please leave me a comment!

September 1, 2018 By Kathryn

3 In Marriage/ Memories/ Peek into our Week/ Traveling

The Perfect Day in Chicago

It was August 6, only three days away from Ted’s FORTIETH birthday and I was feeling guilty that my mind had been on every other detail of our lives except his big day!

I’m not one of those people who loves planning celebrations. It overwhelms me. However, there are people who LOVE it and are GOOD at it – my sister Krista is one of those people. (If you have a big celebration to plan and don’t know what to do, FIND a person who loves this stuff! It’s SO amazing at the creativity people like my sister have!)

When I told Krista that I didn’t have much planned for Ted‘s birthday, she went into ‘overdrive.’ She suggested so many amazing ideas. Most needed more than three days to come together – but we were able to come up with a perfect day in Chicago for him – including an overnight stay at her friends gorgeous Chicago lakefront condo!

So, we scheduled family and babysitters to watch our kids, and on Ted’s 40th birthday, we headed into the City.

My sister, Krista, and me! Look at that amazing view from the condo!

First, we just took some time to enjoy the fabulous condo, then went to explore the beautiful city.

We started near Soldier field …then walked around

Buckingham Fountain…

the Crown Fountain…

and the Bean…

By this time, we needed some food. There was a hotdog stand close to the Bean, but they were all out of Chicago dogs. When in Chicago, you must try a Chicago dog!!!

We walked into Garrett’s to try some of their amazing popcorn – a Chicago favorite!

We kept walking all the way down Michigan Avenue, until we reached Sprinkles cupcakes. Sprinkles makes the world’s best cupcakes!

Krista says that Sprinkles cupcakes are proof that God loves us.

After enjoying every single bite of those cupcakes, we walked along Lake Shore drive.

After walking a few minutes, we found DIVVY Bikes to rent and road all the way back to where we were staying near Soldier field. It.was.BEAUTIFUL! We stopped riding for a few minutes when we reached Adler planetarium because from this spot, we could watch the glorious sunset over the City and Lake Michigan.

With Divvy Bikes, you can pick them up and drop them off at any of their locations around the city, so we parked them in a spot near our condo and went for a swim in the pool. Then we got ready for dinner.

For one of the BEST meals you’ll ever eat in Chicago (and quite possibly the best meal you’ll ever eat anywhere), go to Girl and the Goat. I love eating with Nate And Krista because they love food like I do! The dishes at Girl in the Goat are small, so that allowed us to order more than one dish per person – so between the four of us, we ordered a LOT of food!! Every dish, every bite, was delicious! My top 5 favs were the halibut, the chickpea fritters, the pork shank, the “pig face” and the goat loin. Oooh sooo good!!!

The chef/owner of “Girl and the Goat” (Stephanie Izard) was the first female winner on Top Chef and has two other restaurants that I now want to try – The Little Goat and an Asian restaurant called Duck, Duck Goat.

After dinner, we went back to the condo and spent the night in our room that had floor-to-ceiling windows of the city! Uh-mazing!

It was a perfect day in Chicago husband, sister and brother-in-law!

We continued the celebration the next evening with dinner at The Turf Room (one of our favorite restaurants in the Chicago Suburbs) with some dear friends!

Dinner at The Turf Room. I’m holding a gift that my friend Lisa made for our new home.

PS – If you are going to Chicago and have more than one day to spend in the city, here are some additional ‘bucket list items’ I would recommend:

get a Chicago stuffed pizza from Giordano’s!
go see a Chicago Cubs game in the historic Wrigley field
go to Soldier field for a concert or football game
Take a ride on the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier
Take an architectural tour by boat through the city
Visit the Sky Deck
Drive north along Lake Shore Drive and Sheridan to Evanston for a gorgeous view of the lake on one side and stunning old homes on the other. Explore Northwestern University. You can even continue driving north on Sheridan into the quaint town of Winnetka to see the Home Alone house.

Leave me a comment with your Chicago recommendations!

August 28, 2018 By Kathryn

10 In Book Review/ Giveaway

What I’ve been reading – and a Giveaway!

We are often fighting in person, what we should be fighting in prayer!

Priscilla Shirer is a great communicator. This book is engaging and full of truth. I appreciated how it reminds me that our enemy is on a mission to kill, steal and destroy. Often times, we are fighting something in person, rather in PRAYER! Start with PRAYER, continue in PRAYER! “Prayer is kryptonite to the enemy.” I highly recommend this book!

Faith isn’t a business trip walked on a sidewalk; it’s an adventure worked out on a steep and sometimes difficult road. -Bob Goff

Bob Goff’s first book, Love Does, was one of my favorite books ever – it had me laughing until I was crying. I was a little nervous about reading his second book – I didn’t think it could top the first. I was wrong. His second book, Everybody Always, DID NOT disappoint! It was funny, interesting and incredibly inspiring! I HIGHLY recommend you read anything Bob writes! I could listen to him tell stories all day, every day! I’ve never met a person who lives as full of a life as him! Bob left his phone number in the back of the book so I plan to call him the week the boys go back to school.

What should I ask Bob Goff?

This summer I’ve been reading a fun book with my kids called “Indescribable.” Each chapter/devotional is less than two pages (which seems to be perfect with the attention span of FOUR BOYS!) Each page intertwines the amazing things you find in nature with God’s word and truth. We’ve all enjoyed it and have learned new things!

I just finished the summer Help Club for Mom‘s bible study, The Wise Woman Stays, which was written with the focus on staying connected to Chris, staying focused on your marriage, staying engaged with your children. Now I am about to start the book for Fall: The Wise Woman Abides.

“Abide in me, as I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” John 15:4 ESV

I love the ‘Wise Woman’ Bible study series because it’s written by a variety of real moms of all ages and all walks of life. It’s PRACTICAL, it’s engaging, it’s relatable, and it encourages me to be the best wife and mom. In this book, there are 3 studies per week, so if you miss a day, you won’t get behind. Each study can be done in as little as 15 minutes. You can also join our facebook group – it’s a bunch of ladies, all doing the same study – interacting with, praying for, and encouraging each other!

I purchased an extra book to give away! If you’d like to join me in this study – leave me a comment and I’ll have my boys draw a winner this week!

We choose TWO winners! Congrats Annie K and Ronda M!

The next two books on my reading list are: The Great Alone and Girl, wash your face.

August 25, 2018 By Kathryn

3 In Faith/ Motherhood/ My Journey/ Raising boys/ Traveling

Feeling overwhelmed? Read this!

Lately as I’m approaching my bed to sleep at night, a wave of fear sweeps over me. I’m afraid to lay down in the dark because that is when the thoughts begin…thoughts of –

things I’ve done wrong and should have done differently.
thoughts of something bad happening to my kids
thoughts of them getting hurt or dying

Negative, painful, fearful thoughts were weighing me down, making my chest ache. I felt like I was suffocating. I could barely breathe, let alone sleep.

I know I can do something about this. I didn’t need to hold on to these fears and anxieties. I needed to purposely, actively, STOP the bad thoughts filling my mind.

The Bible tells us to:

“Cast ALL your ANXIETY on Him because He CARES for YOU!” I Peter 5:7

I began to pray over my worries and stresses. I prayed Psalm 91 for my children: “… With LONG LIFE with I satisfy him…”

Prayer allowed me to cast my anxiety on HIM. I was literally handing my worry and fear to God.

After just a couple of minutes of prayer, I honestly felt God take the heavy burden off me and carry it for me.

I “saw” (not literally, but in my mind) Him take the “backpack” that was weighing me down and place it on His shoulder!!!

Suddenly, the weight was lifted.

The fears and anxieties were replaced with joy and peace!

I could breathe. I could smile. I could rest!

Friends, give Christ your burden. Your fear. Your anxiety. Your negative thoughts. He wants to carry the load for you! Hand it over to Him in prayer.

The following Scriptures have helped me tremendously. Feel free to print these out and lay them beside your bed. Try to memorize one or two so that you can repeat them when you are feeling anxious or afraid:

Psalm 34:4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

You can also read Psalm 23 and Psalm 91 for further encouragement!

Do you have a favorite scripture, a quote, a book or something that has helped you when you are faced with fears and anxiety? Please share!

Another suggestion is to fall asleep to the sound of music. I love to play this song just before I go to sleep:

August 21, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Faith/ Family/ Finding our place/ House Hunting/ Minnesota/ My Journey

Miracles in Moving

Faith minus vulnerability and mystery equals extremism. If you’ve got all the answers, then don’t call what you do faith.” — Dr. Brené Brown

I’m so thankful that I have a God I can trust. I look back on my life and see His faithfulness over and over.

However, entering new territory, heading toward the unknown, is still hard. Every time.

Why? Why do I fear? Why don’t I rest in the fact that the same God who provided for me throughout my life, will continue to be by my side?

He is faithful, so why do I worry?

There’s a story in the Bible about the Israelites traveling to an unknown place. I can’t imagine being a mama back then – with no restaurants or grocery stores – no guarantee of food for my children. However, day after day, God miraculously provided food for them. Each morning, there was fresh “manna” on the ground. They ate all they wanted.

However, they weren’t sure the food would always be there. God provided yesterday, He provided today, but would He provide again tomorrow? And every.single.day. after that?

Would He always be this good?

Since they weren’t sure, they began to gather as much as they could and store it in their tent for the days to come. However, the food they stored would be rotten by morning. They’d go outside to discover that God had, once again, provided fresh “manna” for them to eat. They slowly learned to trust Him, one day at a time. You can read the story in Exodus 16.

This season has a made me realize – I’m just Iike those Israelites!

I can look back and see how God provided for me (over and over) but I STILL say: “God, will you do it again? Will you be as good tomorrow as you were today?” In my heart, I know He will. But the trusting day-by-day is so hard.

I reflected back on how God miraculously provided for us in Colorado, but wondered if He would do the same in Minnesota?!

For instance, we had to sell our house in Colorado before we could make an offer on a house in Minnesota.

The waiting, day after day.

Will we get an offer…WHEN will we get an offer…PLEASE someone…give us an offer!

The waiting, the trusting…was HARD.

We DID get an offer – A FULL PRICE OFFER!

However, the family who wanted our home, wanted it in less than 30 days.

We had not yet decided on a house OR a mortgage company.

Ted and I talked, prayed, and chose our home Minnesota home, while I interviewed mortgage companies to find the best rate.

Once those big items were decided, we had only 2 and a half weeks before we had to be out of our Colorado house. The mortgage company needed almost 30 days to close on our loan. We’d be in limbo for about 10 days.

Ten days where we’d be ‘homeless’ – 10 days between the time we needed to be out of our Colorado home and close on our Minnesota home.

We asked the Minnesota homeowner if we could get a ‘pre-occupancy’ agreement – letting us move in early. We’d essentially “rent” the home from him until we close. This would save us from having to stay in a hotel for those 10 days, and even more important, we wouldn’t have to move our things TWO TIMES (from our Colorado home to storage, then from storage to our Minnesota home). That would be a lot of extra effort and EXPENSE!

The homeowner said NO. He’d had a bad experience with this before and he would not let us in early, even though he was no longer in the house – the house was EMPTY!

We asked the family purchasing our Colorado home if we could stay for 10 extra days. They said, “no, we have everything on a specific timeline.”

This was so discouraging.

So I prayed. I asked a few others to pray. Ted talked to our realtor to see if he could get the Minnesota homeowner to change his mind.

We waited.

I tried not to get anxious as our moving day approached.

Well, moving day came. Our movers asked us where they’d be taking our stuff. I gave them our new Minnesota home address…in faith, praying we’d have favor and could move our stuff in.

As our movers were finishing and Friday was coming to a close…we heard back from the Minnesota homeowner.

He would let us into his home early!!!

The movers left our home Friday and we met them at our new home on Monday morning at 7:30 AM!

Our Miracle Home in Minnesota!

Thank you God for answered prayer.

Thank you to our realtor who negotiated on our behalf.

Thank you to those who encouraged and prayed for us!

I’m thankful that I follow a God who provides, day after day, year after year, generation after generation.

If you are going through a tough situation, and wondering if God is with you, read this verse:

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NIV

PS – The homeowner really DID have a BAD experience and it’s a MIRACLE he let us in early! Someone had moved into this home a year earlier, requesting a “lease-to-own” deal. After moving in, he didn’t pay rent and did damage to the home and he couldn’t get the renter out. The floors had to be refinished, carpet replaced and walls painted. What a mess! Somehow, in spite of this, we were allowed in early! Amazing!

Feel free to leave a comment about how you’ve seen God provide for you!

August 15, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Family/ Friendship/ Memories/ Minnesota/ Peek into our Week/ Raising boys/ Traveling

Peek into our week(s) in Minnesota * Indiana * Illinois

My first couple weeks in Minnesota were uneventful….it was a whole lot of digging out from underneath a mountain of boxes. Moving is a LOT of work, but our house is beginning to feel like home!

We met lots of our new neighbors and couldn’t ask for a better neighborhood.

Saturday

We had dinner at a restaurant on a nearby lake with the ONE family we know in Minnesota! It was so nice to spend time with great friends in our new state.

Sunday

We piled in the car and drove to Indiana.

The kids were so excited to see their cousins, and equally excited to see the kittens that were just born.

Sunday’s drive was long. What was supposed to take eight hours, took ten. The traffic and tolls going through Illinois reminded us why we moved away 3 years ago.

When we finally arrived, my mom had a delicious dinner waiting for us (thank you mom!)!

Clark, Kate and KITTENS!

Monday

Ted worked and I got to spend time with my mom and sister.

Our kids had an amazing day together on the lake where my mom and sister live. Some of my favorite childhood memories were spent on the lake, and I’m glad my kids get to experience this too!

They are so creative when they are together …. they imagined that the paddle boards were their “ships” and spent the day finding treasure on the bottom of the lake. They were convinced that the sticks and rocks they found were extremely valuable and would make them millionaires!

That night, my sister and her husband hosted a dinner at their house and we enjoyed catching up with old friends.

Tuesday

George woke up covered in toilet paper and “duct taped” to his bed. Since he is the one that likes to sleep the latest, his cousins and brothers thought it would be hilarious to play a trick on him. He woke up with a sweet note and a struggle to get out of bed.

“Love ya George, with a lot of toilet paper.”

After that shenanigan, the kids walked to grandmas (next door!) for a donut, then spent more time on the lake – swimming, paddle boarding, looking for treasure, and riding the wave runner with Ted.

Donuts at Grandmas

That night, Ted and I got to go out on a double date with my sister (Krista) and her husband (Nate). We took their boat to dinner – making two stops, the first one was for appetizers and the second was for dinner at one of their favorite restaurants.

Wednesday

We took the kids to a classic rootbeer stand for lunch and my brother-in-law took them tubing.

Rootbeer at Shopoff’s Drive-in

That evening we spent time with my dad’s side of the family – grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.

Thursday

Ted’s 40^thbirthday

I had been so busy with the move, I hadn’t spent as much time as I needed to planning for Ted’s milestone birthday. However, once I got Nate and Krista involved…they moved mountains to make sure Ted had a memorable day. I’m so grateful for them!

My mom kept our four boys so that Ted, Nate, Krista and I could spend the day and night in Chicago.

My sister (Krista) and brother-in-law (Nate) at Buckingham Fountain in Chicago

The view from the condo we stayed in for the night

It was a perfect day! We walked, visited our favorite sights, got Sprinkles cupcakes, then rented bikes to ride along Lake Shore Drive. The day ended with an UH-mazing dinner at the Girl and the Goat. The owner and chef, Stephanie Izard, was the first female winner of Top Chef. Everything she makes is delicious!

Friday

We met up with our boys and drove to stay with friends for a couple of days.

My friend Stacey and all of our boys!

We had dinner at one of our favorite restaurants – The Turf Room – then came back to the house to eat some Portillo’s cake and sing Happy Birthday to Ted! We loved spending time with the friends who were able to come and celebrate him.

Dinner at The Turf Room. I’m holding a gift that my friend Lisa made for our new home.

Saturday

In the morning, Ted met up with a book club group that he used to be a part of when we lived in Illinois. The guys just finished reading his book and Ted got to meet them for breakfast, answer questions and hear from them what they learned from his book.

That afternoon, we took the boys to Geneva, IL – a quaint town with beautiful old homes, unique stores and a delicious ice cream shop. Then we went to a new park to play.

A cool OLD tree we found at the park

That night we went on a boat ride with friends. There’s a new music venue along the river, and One Republic was playing that night. We anchored the boat and enjoyed a free concert!

Sunday

We said good-bye to our friends and drove home. We had a fabulous time away. We all agreed that we LOVED our time with family and friends.

We are settling back in to our new home in Minnesota and excited to begin planting roots and building community.

August 12, 2018 By Kathryn

4 In Joy/ Marriage

40 reasons…

Happy 40th Birthday Ted! You live a life worth CELEBRATING!

Ted and Luke

Here are 40 reasons I love you:

Your integrity
Your work ethic
You’re hot!
You are strong
You love me well
You are an amazing dad!
You draw the best out of people
You are articulate and an excellent communicator
Your love for reading and learning
You are a great teacher and coach
You are inspiring
You are a strong leader
You’re a man of God
You’ve got a great sense of humor
You are loyal
Your smile
You are a protector – you make me and our boys feel safe when we are with you
You are an encourager
You have a superb memory
Your knowledge and understanding of Scripture
Your love for your family and friends
Your healthy eating and lifestyle
You are an excellent writer and a published author!
You work hard and are a wonderful provider
You are a great listener
You are thoughtful and have self-awareness
You is good…You is kind…you is important (You really are, I’m not just quoting a line from a movie)
You are handsome (did I already say that?)
You are helpful – when you see a need, you jump in and get it done
You are organized and prepared
You are the best laundry folder!
You are intelligent
You are Interesting and insightful
You chose me and keep choosing me, day after day, year after year
You are a man of conviction and stand up for your values
You are not afraid of a challenge
You get the most out of life and encourage others to do the same
You have earned my respect and the respect of others
Everyone who knows you, loves you!
You make this world (and my world) a much better place!!

Leave a comment for Ted on my blog or on Facebook – letting him know what you love about him! Let’s shower him with love today!

August 8, 2018 By Kathryn

13 In Free stuff/ Minnesota/ Things to do in Minnesota

My Top 25 Minnesota Bucket List

Something special about moving to a new state is discovering the things that make that place UNIQUE – the things you can ONLY DO in that state.

I enjoyed discovering the best things to do in Colorado Springs and created a top ten list here, and now I’ve created one for Minnesota. It’s been fun talking to locals, looking on Pinterest, and exploring the “only in your state” website. I’m excited about all the things we will get to see and do here in the land of 10,000 lakes!

1.Hike Minnehaha Falls

I checked this off my bucket list soon after arriving in Minnesota – we LOVED it! Click here to read that post and see pictures.

2. Spend time in St. Paul – Drive down Summit Avenue to see the historic mansions, stop and visit the Cathedral, tour the Minnesota State Capitol Building, then eat a Jucy Lucy at Matt’s

3. Eat Breakfast at Hope Kitchen, then visit the Minnesota History Center

Hope Breakfast Bar is inside a beautiful old fire station and is a restaurant that invests back into their community. The History Center is close by and is a fantastic ‘hands-on’ museum where you will learn more about Minnesota.

4. Visit Walker Sculpture Garden

5. Stop by Cafe Ceres for a latte, then take a walk around Lake Harriet

We visit here over and over and it never disappoints! The lake is pretty, but the historic homes surrounding the lake are even prettier.

There is a 3-mile paved path around the lake for bikes, walking or running. You can also fish or play at a small beach. There are concerts at the Pavilion and a food stand too.

Visit the Roberts Bird Sanctuary or pack a picnic/get takeout and have lunch/dinner at the Beard’s Plaisance park!

6. Ride the roller coaster at Nickelodeon Universe in the Mall of America

Click here to read about our visit and the BEST DAY to go!

7. Visit Como park zoo and conservatory

Take the kids to Como Park across the street for a picnic and to play. Click here to read about it.

Como Zoo and Conservatory

8. Walk across the Mississippi River headwaters in Itasca State Park

9. Visit the Minnesota Zoo

10. Visit the Science Museum of Minnesota

Our family of 6 visited the Science Museum and loved it. I can’t wait to go back!

11. Attend a Minnesota Vikings Game

My husband and son went to a game last season and had a great time. I hope to go soon too.

As a family, we went to see the Vikings practice. Click here to read about that.

12. Explore the Mill City Museum

Click here to read about our visit and what we thought about Mill City Museum

The Remains of the inside of the General Mills Factory

13. Minnesota Children’s Museum in St Paul

All four of my boys loved it and want to go again!

14. See the Northern Lights.

Get as far north and away from lights as possible and wait for midnight, when they tend to shine brightest.

Northern lights

15. Walk across a frozen lake

A frozen lake covered in snow is like a GIANT art canvas! My kids made paths and snow fort. They also shoveled a section for an ice rink.

16. Visit historic Minnesota towns like Stillwater and Red Wing

17. Go Ice Fishing

18. Spend a weekend in Duluth, then drive along the shore to see Gooseberry Falls and/or Split Rock Lighthouse

We finally made a trip here and ABSOLUTELY loved it! Click here to read all the best things to do in Duluth.

Love this place and these people

19. Canoe and/or Camp in the Boundary waters

20. Visit the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum

This place is AMAZING! Click to read my post here.

21. Explore the Bakken museum inside an old Mansion

Click here for peek inside and our review of this museum.

22. Visit the American Swedish Institute (inside a different mansion!)

Click here for a peek into our visit to this magnificent mansion!

Turnblad mansion

23. Eat at all the best restaurants around the Twin Cities.

I’m especially excited about the restaurants on water!

Colita is one of the best restaurants in the Twin Cities

24. Go skiing and tubing at Buck Hill

25. Explore the beautiful parks around the Twin Cities:

– Lebonon Hills Regional Park

– Eloise Butterfly Garden

– Nine Mile Creek

I know this list is only the tip of the iceberg, but I had to start somewhere! PLEASE leave me a comment if there is something I need to do, see, eat or you know of a place I must go.

Have you been to one of these places and have something to say about it, please leave a comment.

If you’d like to read a few tips about fitting in as a Minnesota transplant, click here.

Click here to read the 20 gifts Minnesota Give the world, CLICK HERE.

August 1, 2018 By Kathryn

9 In Colorado/ Faith/ Finding our place/ Inspiration/ My Journey

All of My Feelings were Hurting!

Recently in the middle of the bedtime craziness, my youngest son Luke cried out:

ALL OF MY FEELINGS ARE HURTING!!!!

I tried not to laugh and was able to comfort him that night with a hug.

However, his words stuck with me because throughout the last couple of months, I completely understood what he was talking about:

ALL of MY feelings were hurting! I was feeling sad, mad, worried, anxious, and fearful.

Sad that I have to say goodbye to people and a place I love
Mad that a job was moving us to Minnesota
Worried that we wouldn’t sell our Colorado home or find the right house to purchase in Minnesota
Anxious about all of the changes and everything that I needed to do to move across the country
Fearful of the unknowns

Then I read Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud. It was full of truth and ENCOURAGEMENT and was the exact book I needed during this transition! He put into words everything I needed to hear. I didn’t know if it was okay that ALL of my feelings were hurting. People move EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. NBD!

And then I read:

“When you don’t feel your feelings, you remained tethered to them in some way” Dr. Henry Cloud.

This gave me the freedom to FEEL all of the feelings, to process them, write about them, talk about them, cry over them and pray about them. I also allowed others to pray for me, hug me, remind me of God’s truth and encourage me.

“To the degree we were invested in something that’s ending, we will have to work the grief through our system in order to be ready for whatever is next…

“When you feel grief, you are saying: I am looking this reality right in the face and dealing with it. Grief also means I am getting ready for what is next, because I am saying goodbye to it.” Dr. Henry Cloud

I said Good-bye.

After processing all of the feelings, I said goodbye. Goodbye to the sadness, anger, worry, anxiety and fear. I also said goodbye to the priceless Colorado adventure and looked back with gratitude!

Then I said Hello!

Feeling the feelings and processing them allowed the closure I needed to end that glorious chapter and to say hello to a NEW one! New friends, new opportunities, new memories and experiences.

I will take my memories, my friendships, and what I’ve learned and build on that in our new place. I will discover new things and develop new relationships.

Treat endings with respect.

“Look at the experience, break it apart. What was good about it? What did I learn? What skills did I attain? New knowledge? Take all of that and make it a part of you. It becomes part of who you are. You are now smarter and wiser for having that experience.”

“Face your grief, work through it and let it equip you will make for a good necessary ending.” Dr. Cloud

Thank you Dr. Henry Cloud! I LOVED your book (especially Chapter 12 – Embrace the Grief: The Importance of Metabolizing Necessary Endings!) It said everything I needed as I ended one chapter to begin a new one.

If you are about to have an “ending” of some sort (or know you NEED to end something) – I highly recommend you get this book!!! And maybe start with Chapter 12.

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Have you read this book? If so, did you like it too? Leave a comment!

July 29, 2018 By Kathryn

0 In Food/ Recipe

Yummy, crispy baked potato recipe

Once again, I can thank my mom for creating a recipe that is absolutely DE-LISH! (Thanks mom!)

My boys devour these potatoes. They make great side to nearly any main dish.

Ingredients:

Small potatoes (red or golden)

Panko crumbs

Olive oil

Butter

Parmesan cheese – grated AND shredded

Salt/pepper or any seasonings you enjoy!

Directions:

Pour 1/2 cup of olive oil in the bottom of a 9 by 12 in baking dish

Put a couple pats of butter in (optional)

Pour in 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese AND

1/2 cup of SHREDDED Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of Panko Crumbs

Cut potatoes in half and lay down inside oil/parm mixture

Pour a little EEVO on top.

Sprinkle seasoning on top – whatever you want! I usually sprinkle a tiny bit of seasoning salt, some pepper, and garlic powder.

Put in oven and back for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees.

This might take more or less time depending on the size of potatoes you use. Stick them with a fork after about 25 minutes to see how well yours are cooking.

ENJOY!

July 27, 2018 By Kathryn

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