tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16335798042300398202024-03-13T22:24:34.401-04:00the windle familythe windle family: blogging about our life and adventuresKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-70711732537544495112016-07-28T16:41:00.003-04:002016-07-28T16:42:02.236-04:00one year houseiversaryIt's been a year since we signed on the dotted line and bought our home sweet home--- a year that included some renovating and many hours of dreaming, planning, fixing, and memories.<br />
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(So many people have asked about our two front doors. Finally, I decided to look it up. Our house was built in 1850 and is a Pennsylvania German Two Door Farmhouse. It was built as a single home, but had 2 front doors to maintain symmetry. These specific kinds of farmhouses are only found in Southeastern PA and some parts of Jersey and Delaware.)</td></tr>
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When we bought our house a selling point was that there was no need for renovations, especially because I was 8 months pregnant. I said something to Aaron like - "I would love the blue trim paint changed and the wallpaper removed." About 36 hours after purchase, one wall came down and then another. There are serious perks to being in a family of contractors. There was a month of renovations that included removing wallpaper, removing walls, exposing brick, adding fans and lights, adding a half bath, refinishing the floors, and me hormonally fretting that we wouldn't move in before I had Eliza. Looking back, I'm so grateful that we did the work before we moved in. An open concept with kids makes life so much easier.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">night of settlement - bye, bye wallpaper</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wall between living/play rooms</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">other side - after</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sweet green fireplace and living/dining room before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">living room- before</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">living room - after(ish)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dining room before</td></tr>
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The next few months we spent finishing the half bath, focusing on our outside property, and trying to survive our sweet baby girl and her reflux. Aaron and his brother trimmed multiple trees, removed two major hedgerows, removed random fencing, and finished fencing the yard. This spring they ground all the stumps in the yard and Aaron started cleaning up the fence line. I planted grass, put brick around our flower beds and attempted to keep the gardens weed free and alive.<br />
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We have big dreams for our house like a master suite and a big, bright kitchen, which includes removing more walls. We have projects on the docket for August that include re-roofing our back addition, fixing our mudroom area, and moving the laundry to our second floor. If we've learned anything, its that old houses take lots of work. <i>We bought a lifetime project, but we love it</i>.<br />
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There were things that made us fall in love with our home from the minute we first laid eyes on it --- the beautiful wide plank floors, the double fireplaces, the big, bright rooms and amazing backyard. The sweetest surprises though, have been what we've discovered since moving here. We live in a historic town and have front row seats for the Memorial Day parade and a triathalon in the fall that comes right down our road. Each season has been amazing seeing what plants pop up out of the ground. I have a black thumb and, therefore, couldn't be more grateful for the incredible perennial gardens that we have. Last summer, we discovered blackberry bushes all over the property. This year I'm determined to pick them before they die and maybe make some jam. When we were house searching, location was a big deal and this house has delivered. We are so close to everything including our church, Everett's school, walking trails, 2 local orchards and 3 great towns. We live in horse farm country, but are only 5 minutes outside the nearest big town. A year later and we're more in love with this house than the day we first saw it.<br />
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We're grateful for the help of family. Grateful for this big dream of ours that has been more than we could've ever asked for. We're hopeful that it will be a place that friends, family and our community would feel welcome and that we will accumulate so many sweet memories as we raise our family here. One year down, 50 more to go. ;)<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-3956313620351925252015-08-30T15:27:00.000-04:002015-08-30T15:27:17.373-04:00Eliza Scout & the craziest 42 minutes of my lifeI'm pretty sure I felt like I was in a movie. You know, the crazy kind that are only made up in someone's imagination. Thursday night around 7, I looked over at Aaron and all we could muster was, "did that just happen?"<br />
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Let's backtrack. Baby girl had been teasing me for 10 days with false labor and talk of being 3 centimeters dilated. I went to the hospital once for high blood pressure and almost another time with contractions. My due date was quickly approaching and so was Everett's first day of kindergarten, so Thursday morning I was anxious to know if the doctor thought baby girl would be here soon. He wasn't sure, but offered to strip my membranes to see if it would kick start anything. He also let me know I was 4 centimeters. All day I was in pain, but no contractions. I was feeling pretty defeated. I was also feeling pretty restless with my body hurting and starting to wonder why I asked him to mess with anything. </div>
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Both boys took a long nap and were slow to wake up. Everett got up and was still tired, so we relocated to the couch to read books. Aaron had gotten home and was messing with bills at the dining room table. We were sitting and looking through Where's Waldo when the chaos began. Out of nowhere, I felt a pop and then my water broke. I knew the feeling because my water broke with both boys and I took off racing out of the living room. We just had the floors refinished and for whatever reason it made sense to just go run out the open back door onto our patio. As I stood there, I immediately had a contraction that was 2 minutes long and felt like a 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. I yelled to Aaron that he better call his mom right this instant and got on the phone to call my doctor. I got the answering service and then an even worse contraction and then I promptly told him he better have one of his brothers meet us at the hospital. After another wave of crazy contractions, Aaron realized how serious the situation was. In a matter of about 5 minutes, Aaron got both boys dressed and loaded into the car and I climbed in too. </div>
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Our new house is 8 minutes to the hospital. (PRAISE THE LORD!) I was screaming pretty much the whole way. My contractions were now coming 1-2 minutes apart. Aaron said he started thinking that we may actually have the baby in the car on the way, but was acting calm. Meanwhile, our poor kids were sitting in the back seat trying to figure out what in the world was going on. In between contractions I would look back and say something like - "Mommy is okay, baby sister is just coming!" I'm not sure they were convinced. I was positive everyone was driving slow on purpose. Didn't they know I was about to have a baby and in the car if they didn't hurry?! After what seemed like forever, we pulled into the hospital and my doctor called me back. I let her know I was in crazy pain and the contractions were a minute apart. We pulled up to the entrance and I stumbled out mid-contraction yelling to the valet guy to get me a wheelchair. I hobbled over and sat down while Aaron got the boys out of the car. He left it there running and we headed inside. At this point, I can only imagine how we looked. Me screaming in pain, Aaron pushing me in the wheelchair with 2 little boys running alongside us. Ridiculous. Also, sorry valet guy.</div>
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Whatever I said to the doctor must have made an impression, because she was standing there with a team of nurses waiting for me when we rolled into labor and delivery. Everything happened so fast that Aaron's family wasn't able to get to the hospital yet, so one of the nurses took Everett and Graham into a side room to watch a show and color. The next 20 minutes are a complete blur for me. If you ask Aaron he'll say, " I've never met that person before" referring to my behavior. I told them I wanted an epidural, which I and everyone else clearly knew was not going to happen. I am positive that my screaming was heard by everyone on the floor. (oops?) They were able to get an IV in me, get the contraction and baby monitors on and check me. I was 7/8 centimeters and yelling that I couldn't do this and trying to rip the monitors off because they were "too tight." Aaron was calm and just kept holding my hand and telling me to breathe. Five minutes later (after being at the hospital for only 15 minutes), I knew I had to start pushing. 2 contractions and 3 pushes later and there was our baby girl on my chest. I could not believe it. WHAT JUST HAPPENED?! From my water breaking on the couch, to pushing Eliza out was 42 minutes. That's less time than it takes me to make dinner some nights. After laboring with both boys for 12 hours after my water broke, I am still in shock how everything happened. </div>
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Ten minutes later, Everett and Graham came into the room to meet their baby sister and see that their Mommy was alive and well. A nurse let them know I was a superhero, which they thought it was awesome and I felt like one after all that craziness. The crazy, scary, painful, wild birth was all worth this insanely sweet face that came out. Eliza's clavicle broke in her quick entrance. We're thankful with all that could have gone wrong, that was the extent of the damage.<br />
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Eliza Scout --- you were worth every single one of those crazy 42 minutes. We are madly in love with you already.<br />
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-21323637232150479962015-07-09T21:27:00.000-04:002015-07-09T21:27:07.640-04:00home sweet home.A year ago, I wrote <a href="http://aaronandkristenwindle.blogspot.com/2014/06/bring-on-adventure.html"><span style="color: #741b47;">THIS</span></a> post and in it I said,<br />
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<i>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Molengo; line-height: 21px;">If we've learned anything though, it is to wait patiently on what God has for us. And waiting is hard to do." </span></i><br />
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And it has been. I'm certain that no one, least of all me, thought that a year later we would be still adventuring in Aaron's parents' basement. We thought we would find that home early fall, but early fall came and went. We decided to hunker down for the winter and continue to save and search for that infamous home we'd been dreaming of. Our realtors started calling it our unicorn home. Aaron's mom was diagnosed with colon cancer in December. We could clearly see God's plan and purpose for her and us in living with them. Winter was hard, but we continued to believe in the Lord's timing and provision for us. All spring we searched for that home. We only found one home that met what we wanted and it didn't work out. The months began to run together. I started to become discouraged. And then, one Friday night at the end of May, we found it. It's a beautiful, old red brick built in 1850 with a barn and a few glorious acres. As I got out of the car, I could hear 'this is the place' ringing in my ears. It was in the perfect location, central to everything and exactly what we'd been looking for. There were reminders of my childhood home everywhere I turned with old radiator heat and the red brick and the honeysuckle growing in the backyard. It was like there was a little piece of Pittsburgh right there in the middle of Chester county for us to live in. And as we walked around, I knew. This was the place. Surprisingly, Aaron agreed.<br />
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In the past year, the waiting was hard and so was the uncertainty, but the Lord was good to us. He continued to provide abundantly for our needs. He knew that we would be there to encourage, help and distract Diane through surgery and (almost to the exact day) her hard 6 months of chemo. He knew that house wouldn't show up on the market until May 29th and didn't give us desire for anything less than what we'd been hoping, dreaming and praying for.<br />
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So, as of today, we are homeowners once more. We bought a house that will hopefully be ours for a long time. Our daughter will be born here. Our kids will start school here. We hope to grow old here together. We will have new memories, new adventures, and certainly more challenges. We are so grateful for this last year. We are so grateful for the Windles and their love and generosity in sharing their home with us. We are grateful for the way the last year stretched us and challenged us. And more than anything we are grateful that this year has shown us with complete certainty that <i>home is found with each other and not in a place</i>.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-85003708907434343212015-05-22T12:28:00.003-04:002015-05-22T12:28:41.137-04:002.5 and totally his ownGraham...<br />
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There's so much to say about this kid. His personality is SO big. He is so unique, so funny, and such a rascal. He is headstrong and independent. The phrase "marches to the beat of his own drum" was most certainly made for him. He plays just as happily alone as he does with Everett. Graham loves to accessorize. He is quite opinionated on what he wants to wear. His favorite color is "neen" (green) and he insists on wearing his choice of belt, hat, maybe a mask, and sunglasses daily. Case in point:<br />
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His shoes are always on the wrong feet, mainly because he insists on putting them on himself and he legitimately believes they belong there. There have been multiple occasions where I put his shoes on for him and I'll look an hour later and they are back on the wrong feet. He knows he is 2, but often says he is 5 just like Everett. He also thinks he plays soccer like Everett and shows up to his games in cleat and "ball shorts" as he calls them. Graham is a daddy's boy. Every morning he asks where Aaron is and then cries when I tell him work. He won't sit still to watch any kind of television, except Star Wars, which we found out he will sit for the entire 2 hour movie. Let's just say we've been watching a lot of that trilogy lately. Graham is a problem solver and insists on figuring things out on his own. He MUST put on his own pants and shorts and shoes. He isn't interested in help. He finds ways to get jobs done, whether pushing a chair across the room to rinse something off in the sink or climbing on the dining room table to get to the chandelier. Graham loves being outside. Most mornings he wants to go out as soon as he's awake and then we have to force him to come inside at night. I never knew such a little person could have so much personality. I love it. <br />
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Mr. Independent - we are so in love with you and all your antics. Life is exponentially more fun because you're in it.<br />
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-39767251591465872542015-04-20T09:20:00.000-04:002015-04-20T09:20:01.375-04:00and baby girl makes 5Back on Easter, we announced that the Windles will soon be a party of 5 come September. Not only that, but we're evening out the numbers some and having a sweet baby girl!<div>
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From the very beginning, Aaron and I both thought we were having a little girl. I was so sick the first trimester, so much worse than with the boys. Add in a rough winter and by the time 12 weeks rolled around, I wasn't quite ready to announce the pregnancy. We decided to wait until we knew the gender to make an announcement. Thankfully, Aaron's cousin is an ultrasound technician and was sweet enough to let us know what we were having at 18.5 weeks, which was 2 weeks before my scheduled ultrasound. I wanted to announce it to my family in person over Easter. I started thinking that it'd be fun to send them on an easter egg hunt to find out. I bought a golden easter egg and hid it with the kids easter eggs for their easter egg hunt. I filled it with pink glitter and then let my family know it was hidden in the yard somewhere. It was fun watching their reactions. My parents have 4 grandsons (after having 3 daughters), so I think everyone was surprised and excited! As we were taking the pictures of the boys I asked them if they knew what the pink meant. They had no idea, which was hilarious. They're both excited about a baby sister and have had a lot of practice with their 2 baby girl cousins, Lyla and Adelyn. </div>
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Baby girl - we can't wait to meet you and love you dearly already! </div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-84078307592012777762015-03-03T15:41:00.002-05:002015-03-03T15:41:58.667-05:00a hand full (five years) of Everett. <br />
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I can't believe it. It's been 5 years since Everett made me a mama. I remember his birthday and the days after so vividly. I remember wondering how we were going to do this. The truth is, some days I still wonder that, but I also wonder how in the world I got so lucky to have this sweet boy as my own. He's a mama's boy through and through. He looks like me. He's wild and crazy like his daddy. He has grown into his role as big brother and loves Graham so well. There have been countless mornings that he wakes me up to watch the sun rise with him. He loves listening to worship music and playing with legos. He is so smart and loving. He has the best dimples. He expects everything to be easy for him, so we've started learning what perseverance is and how sometimes we have to keep trying until we get it. He is a great helper. He loves playing with his friends and cousins. He says the funniest things, often sounding like a 50 year old, not 5. He is still shy at first, but also loves to have everyone's attention. I'm so grateful that he's mine. I'm so grateful for the gift that he is to us. I'm so humbled by the responsibility to raise him in this world. <br />
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Everett man,<br />
Never stop being the funny, wild, kind kid that you are. You are a gift to everyone that knows you, especially me. I'm praying that in this year full of transitions you will know how important, loved and precious you are to us and to the Lord.<br />
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I love you dearly,<br />
Mama<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-47561985985720350342015-02-04T21:44:00.002-05:002015-02-04T21:59:11.823-05:00lots of love - Aunt BarbLast Wednesday, I got a call from my dad. My Aunt Barb passed away unexpectedly from a flu related heart attack. I was left reeling. It was shocking and hard to even fathom. My aunt had never married and, therefore, treated my sisters and cousins much like her own kids. We were the pictures on her desk at work and the stories she told her girlfriends. She was the aunt that, as a kid, always bought us the cool toys and took us cool places. As an adult, she and I bonded over our mutual love of history, Downton Abbey, well manicured nails, and my 2 little boys. As I walked around our little home, I found signs of Aunt Barb everywhere --- a christmas card from her still sitting on the windowsill, an album she made Everett of her visit to our house and numerous toys and gifts she gave the boys. As the week went on, I thought about all the things that my aunt meant to me and I realized I wanted everyone else to know those things too.<br />
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On Monday, we celebrated her for the incredibly important woman that she was to us and I had the privilege to speak about her. I prayed all week that I would be able to honor her in the way she deserved and hope that I did. There is a void that she leaves that can't be filled. It's so hard, but I'm so thankful that I've had someone in my life who loved me like she did.<br />
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{AUNT BARB}<br />
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"Over the years, I've realized that there were things that I could always count on my Aunt Barb for.<br />
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First, I could always count on Aunt Barb being late. We knew that if she said she would be there at noon, that meant she would actually be there around 3. It was "Barb time." My dad often tells me I've inherited the late gene from her.<br />
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Another thing I could always count on my Aunt Barb for was expanding my horizons. Whether it was introducing me to Estee Lauder make-up as a teenager or getting me some kind of unique and artsy gift, she always had a way of taking me outside of my norm. Aunt Barb was always showing up to family events with some kind of intricate Martha Stewart or Paula Deen recipe. So, while the rest of us were making lasagna or cold cuts, Aunt Barb was bringing an arugula salad with pine nuts and goat cheese. The funny thing is that as I got older, I started asking for the recipes.<br />
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But more than anything, I could count on Aunt Barb to love me in very <i>intentional</i> ways. From attending countless soccer games and school events and graduations, she always showed up and supported me. As an adult, I knew that she loved me by the way she continued to pursue me --- she pursued me to spend time with her and came to visit us, even all the way in Philly (and you know how much she hated to drive). She sent letters and cards and little packages for the boys. When I'd talk about Aunt Barb Everett would say, "You mean Aunt Barb who always gets us fun things?"<br />
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When she first got a phone and could text me, she signed her texts like an email: LOL, Aunt Barb. Finally, after a few weeks, I had to ask her what was so funny. She let me know that when she wrote LOL she meant lots of love. I noticed after that she signed all her cards in that unmistakeable font with lots of love, Aunt Barb. And I think that phrase speaks a lot about her life. It reminds me of the verse in Ephesians that says, "Be imitators of God, therefore, and live a life of love."<br />
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Despite the heartbreak of losing her, I am grateful. I'm grateful for her influence in my life. I'm grateful for the 31 years I did have with her. And most of all, I'm grateful for God's intentional love for all of us and that because of Jesus, I get to see her again.<br />
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Love you lots Aunt Barb. We'll miss you terribly."<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-50066961457242382482015-01-05T17:08:00.003-05:002015-01-05T17:08:26.009-05:00year of ImmanuelIn a nutshell, 2014 could be summed up as uncertain. We went into the year uncertain of whether or not we'd be able to sell our house. We went through the process of selling the house and all the uncertainty that comes with that. Then we moved into my in-laws with an uncertainty of how long we would be there before a house would show up on the market that we loved and could afford. Looking to 2015, there is still so much uncertainty; however, I am confident and thankful for the evidence of God with us. <div>
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This Christmas I kept hearing songs and seeing reminders that God is Immanuel, that God is with us. And so, I've been mulling over it, thinking about it, and thankful for it. I've taken some time to look back on all that uncertainty of 2014 and seen so clearly that God was right there with us in those things. When we were uncertain about losing money to sell our house, God was with us. We found out later that our neighbors weren't able to sell their house and another house is just now selling for 40k less than we sold ours for. We were uncertain about moving in with Aaron's parents, but God was with us. My kids have had the joy of spending hours with their Grammie and Pop and their Great Grand pop. We have been able to save and recoup the costs of selling our house. We were here to walk through a cancer diagnosis with my mother in law and provide distraction, noise, joy and hopefully a little help too. </div>
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Looking back I can see with clarity that in my uncertainty, God was with us. I'm so thankful for a God who walks so closely beside me. A God who is so personal and loving and kind in all things. This year I am keeping my focus on Immanuel. I am not going to focus on the things that I still don't know - like where we will live and how soon we will find it. I don't know and for now I'm at peace with that. I don't know what this year will bring in the face of cancer and my mother in law, but there one thing I do know --- He is with us. This year in the good and the bad, I will remember that. I will remember in the heartache and in the joy, that He will walk alongside me in it. I am so grateful.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.handlettering.co/immanuel-godwithus/">Hand Lettering Co</a></td></tr>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-60938571070393775022014-12-24T13:28:00.002-05:002014-12-24T13:28:36.533-05:00a very windle christmas cardMay your Christmas be wild and fun and full of joy - from our family to yours. <div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-51481044835203015192014-11-07T16:48:00.000-05:002014-11-07T16:48:37.324-05:00fall exploringThis fall we've been really intentional about spending time outside exploring. We've spent many afternoons taking walks in the woods with Grammy and exploring the fields and woods around our house. We spent a fall weekend with Mimi and Pop at the cottage in search of trails, bald eagles, and big trees. This fall I've been reminded of how very much I love being outside. Most weekdays I wake up with the sun and watch it rise over the farm. It's the best. One morning, Everett came with me. I hope Everett and Graham will have a love for the outdoors. I hope we can cultivate a sense of adventure and a love of nature in our kids. I hope that amazing creation points them straight to the God who made it.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-29660621533791583302014-09-25T14:31:00.000-04:002014-09-25T14:31:04.367-04:00sayonara summer uniformAs I type this it's raining out and somewhere around 65 degrees. Lame. Fall is here and, as much as I love it, I'm sad to put away summer clothes. Mainly, I'm sad to put away the boy's cutoffs.<br />
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It all started last summer when I was looking for summer shorts for Everett. I don't know what it is about little boys shorts, but they stink. Everything I found had 16,000 pockets, was too large, too long, or too big. So, I did the only thing I could thing of, which was go to Goodwill. I picked out 2 pair of jeans for like 2 bucks each and cut them off at the knee. And thus, my cutoff obsession began.<br />
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This spring I didn't need to go to Goodwill, instead Everett wore holes in 4 of his pants. It was even easier than the year before, because I only needed to cut off the back side of his jeans. I cut off a pair of Graham's jeans and may have cut off a few of mine too. Aaron started looking around and asking what in the world I was doing. No jeans were safe. ;) If you saw my kids this summer, you would've seen them in cutoffs. The kings of cutoffs perhaps, they didn't really have a choice.<br />
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I've learned a few things from cutting off jeans. First, choose skinny or straight jeans or your kid looks like a pirate. Second, mark where you want to cut the pants or you may cut daisy dukes for your 2 year old. Lastly, don't cut all of the pants of a certain size or you will have no pants for the next kid. Life lessons people, life lessons.<br />
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So long cutoffs. We will miss you. Until next year that is...Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-52513302018027576282014-09-11T14:25:00.000-04:002014-09-11T14:25:41.990-04:00two years of the Graham manI don't even know where to start. This boy of ours. He is so much wrapped up into such a little thing. I liken Graham (and really my kids in general) to a volcano. It's like they lay dormant for the first year of life and then year two they explode. Graham did just that.<br />
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<b>This year Graham has been wild, fun, hard, adorable, ornery, sweet, cuddly and crazy.</b> He has had me wanting to just kiss and squeeze him to death and moments later wanting to sell him on craigslist. And then, he looks at me with this sweet face and I am kissing and squeezing him again. It's a vicious cycle. But that face, oh that face. I just melt every time I look at him.<br />
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Graham man,<br />
You are making me a better mama. You're teaching me how to have patience and to pray more than I ever thought possible. You have the sweetest face and the sweetest voice. You love to do what Everett does and then often like to do your own thing. You are curious and strong willed. You love keys and balls and hats. You love holding my hand and, man, I love holding yours. You always want to be working and doing jobs. You seem happiest when you're helping mama. You wander off and don't mind if anyone follows. You look like your daddy and eat like him too. You only use about 10 words, but always know what you want and how to get it. Life is busy and full and better because of you.<br />
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Happy 2 years my sweet baby. I'm madly in love with you, even and especially on hard days.<br />
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MamaKristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-88232534968735003602014-09-09T09:13:00.000-04:002014-09-09T09:13:28.719-04:00so long sweet summerWe had such a fun summer --- so full of family and friends and fun stuff.<br />
Living on Stern Farm with Grammy and Pop. Feeding the horses. Learning how to swim. Riding bikes at Great Pops. Fishing with Pop pop Anderson. Exploring the burgh with Mimi and Pop. A trip to Canada. Learning how to ride a two wheeler. A trip to the cottage. Playing at the pond. Afternoons with cousins at the pool. Catching fireflies. Laying in the hammock. Afternoons at the Youngs. Eating dinner by the pool. Trips to the library. Cousin sleepovers. Picnics in the park. Ice cream dates with the Tulleners. Catching toads. Having a yard to play in and explore. Campfires and s'mores. Saying good bye to the Lusbys. Kennywood with the Anderson fam. Graham's little left arm run. Helping in Great pop's nursery. Getting a niece! Jumping off the diving board. Going to the Steelers/Eagles game. An afternoon of pony riding.<br />
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Summer, you will be missed. You were one of the best yet.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-9112818123562070792014-07-29T08:00:00.000-04:002014-07-29T08:00:05.336-04:00eight yearsLife is half as hard and twice as good with you Aaron. Eight years ago marks the best, happiest, and wisest decision to date. I'm so glad you're mine. Here's to eighty more!<div>
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-52680166593348680632014-07-03T09:00:00.000-04:002014-07-03T09:00:02.562-04:006 years of Marley dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">6 years ago, I was dying to have a dog. We had just moved into our house the month before and I was determined to convince Aaron how great a dog would be. I was also trying to convince him to get a bigger dog. He grew up with dachshunds and I grew up with German Shepherds. We decided on a beagle mix (who knows why) and I found one advertised at a local animal rescue. We made our way to <a href="http://lamanchaanimalrescue.20megsfree.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">LaMancha Animal Rescue</span></a> and fell in love with Marley. He was the cutest little puppy. We also thought he was a she, but it turned out fine. hah. (Read the story <a href="http://aaronandkristenwindle.blogspot.com/2008/05/she-he-whatever.html"><span style="color: #45818e;">here</span></a>)</span></div>
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I loved the name Marley and Aaron agreed. We didn't really know what we were getting into. Marley was the CRAZIEST puppy! He had more energy than any dog I've ever seen. I ran with him, walked with him, and even bought an attachment for my bike that he could run along with me. We spent countless hours training him. We have multiple funny stories with him... like the time he jumped out of our car and ran into Walmart. Thankfully he didn't get any further than the Auntie Anne's pretzel shop in the front of the store. Or the time Aaron went for a run with him and forgot a poop bag. Of course Marley decided to poop right in front of someones house who was home and watching, so Aaron took off his sock and cleaned up the poop with it. Run = over. Also, he threw out his sock. hahaha</div>
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At about 1.5 Marley started to slow down the crazy. We brought Kai home, and then Everett, and then Graham. He's slowly become our crotchety old man-dog. He likes to sleep all day on our bed. He loves the boys because they are constantly dropping their food for him. I am hands down his favorite human. He's my favorite dog, <i>most</i> days. He's a good companion. He lets Everett take him for walks. I'm still so glad we rescued him. </div>
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Happy 6 years my Marley dog. Here's to many more!</div>
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-77099260034281989612014-06-18T21:58:00.002-04:002014-06-18T22:02:24.727-04:00bring on the adventure<i style="color: #555555; font-size: x-large; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">"Uncertainty brings fear, but it also brings adventure.” </span></i><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">As of 1 week ago, we are homeless. Not in the sense that we have no where to stay, but just simply that we don't own a home anymore. It was 1.5 years of praying, working, decorating, cleaning, stressing, and simplifying that led up to selling the house. It was a day that went smoothly, but one that I'd never like to repeat. At the age of 24, when we purchased the home, we were under the impression that you <i>always</i> make a profit when you sell your house. Not true anymore. It was a good lesson and also a really hard lesson to learn. We probably didn't understand the enormity of taking on a mortgage payment. The repercussions came slow and steady throughout living there--- things like needing to work when I wanted to be home with Everett and not being able to move for over a year after we wanted to and using a large chunk of our savings to sell the house--- were consequences that we had to deal with. It feels good to put it behind us, like a weight lifted. And, we also feel better about buying a house second time around. We won't rush or make decisions based on anything but what's best for our family. It's a good feeling. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">There is some uncertainty from here on out. We are unsure of where our next house will be or if we'll find it or be able to buy it anytime soon. If we've learned anything though, it is to wait patiently on what God has for us. And waiting is hard to do. We live in a world of instant gratification where waiting for the internet to load is an annoyance, let alone finding a house. But, if we've learned anything from buying our first house, it's that waiting is worth it. Waiting longer to save, longer to find the right house, waiting to find the house God has for us is worth it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">For now, we're staying at Aaron's parents. We're incredibly grateful for somewhere to stay in the in between. We're living in 2 rooms, so it'll be an adventure, but, the Lord really has a sense of humor. I have been praying for a yard for my boys and dogs for the last 2 years. Aaron's parents live on 60 acres of awesome with a pool and pond, fields and woods. We've already loved walking out our back door into a beautiful yard. As always, I'm amazed at the way the Lord provides for us and how often it looks different and better than I planned.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;">Here's to a summer of adventuring and a house that will be worth the wait!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #555555; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 21px;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-4756006842325876232014-05-28T21:44:00.001-04:002014-05-28T21:44:56.424-04:00moving on from morgantownTwo weeks from today, we go to settlement on our house --- our sweet little townhouse in Morgantown that we've lived in for 6 years. Aaron and I bought this house when we were 24. We both worked full time and had been married a little over a year and a half when we bought it. Previous to that, we lived in a tiny apartment and decided buying a house was the next thing to do. I was tired of living in such cramped quarters and wanted a dog. Aaron was happy to oblige. There was so much buzz about it being a great time to buy and we felt like we better buy before the market went back up. It was 2008. After buying our house, the market did a nose dive. Hindsight is 20/20, right? It was okay though. In the next 6 years, we rescued 2 dogs, had Everett, I quit my job and got a better one, had Graham, and Aaron got a new job. We did a lot of living in this little house, a lot of growing, and are leaving with a much fuller car and much fuller hearts.<br />
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We moved to Morgantown so that we could be close to the turnpike for Aaron's job, but it was further from all of our friends and family in the area. We've spent the last 6 years driving 30 minutes for church and playdates and Windle family gatherings. My kids became pros at car naps and transfers. Our cars put way too many miles on them. We found things to love about Morgantown though. I will miss the Amish farm stands and Shady Maple's breakfast buffet. I'll miss being so close to the turnpike and, subsequently, closer to my parents. I'll miss the view out my back deck. I'll miss neighbors and friends in the area. It's a bittersweet move, but an exciting one. We're so looking forward to being closer to our church community, our friends and Aaron's family. We're looking forward to a yard for our kids and dogs to play in. We're looking forward to finding a home to raise our kids in and make lots of new memories.<br />
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It's funny to think how much life has changed in 6 years. I can't wait for all the adventures to come in our next place. Now, back to packing.<br />
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-7034988676425269722014-05-21T08:44:00.000-04:002014-05-21T08:44:10.422-04:00choosing joy & changing perspectiveThis phrase is something I think about a lot. It's something I try to do a lot. Choose joy. It's something that sometimes just isn't easy. This week it's been a struggle to choose joy --- between 2 sick kids and a sick husband, little sleep, spending mother's day getting projectile vomited on, and bumps in the road to selling our house--- it's been hard. So much about this idea of choosing joy is, for me, about perspective. So often it's easier to see the negatives. It's easier to gripe or complain or feel bad for myself than it is to look at it differently. Sure, I would've loved to spend Mother's Day being relieved of duties and relaxing, but the reality is, my husband treats me like it's Mothers Day most days. I'm incredibly grateful. Sure, I would love for my kids to not get sick, but I have the ability to get them medicine and am able to stay home with them. My kids are really healthy and I'm so thankful for that. Sure, I'd love for everything to be easy with this house selling process, but regardless, we have a roof over our heads and a wonderful house to call home. We are able to sell our house and I'm thankful.<br />
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Thursday was a long day. Aaron was at rugby and we still had about 45 minutes until bedtime. What I wanted to do was put a movie on and plop the kids in front of the tv. I'd had it with the day and the week really. Instead, we went outside and played. The boys rode bikes and played with chalk and we went on a walk. It was the perfect opportunity to choose joy. The perfect opportunity to choose the joy in those moments over the frustrations of the week. And you know what, <b>it was there</b>. The joy was there in those moments that I chose to look at the smiles on their faces, and the sweet moments of sharing between them, and how proud Graham was that he climbed up on Everett's bike.<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #404040; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation. --- Rick Warren</span></strong><br />
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This quote just spoke to me. Spoke into my frustrations and current situations and reminded me of the reality of the hope and promises of God being in all those details, even the hard ones. It reminded me of the temporariness of these things and the assurance of His great love for me. Some days choosing joy is harder than others. Some days I just need to change my perspective. Some days I just need to recognize all of the things to be thankful for. <i>Life will not always be what I want it, but I can choose how I live and react to it. </i>I can choose joy even when it's hard and I can give thanks for the good and I can rest in the assurance that it will all be okay.<br />
<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-35176761266624435172014-05-07T16:02:00.002-04:002014-05-07T16:02:51.245-04:00life magnified (thoughts on Kenya - part 1)Coming back to life in Pennsylvania after 10 days in Kenya has been a strange experience. Life here- the good, the bad, the amazing, the ugly has all been magnified because of what I experienced. My mind felt foggy as I tried to figure out how to process what I had seen and experienced in Kitale. I realized that some of the problem is the excess that I was hit with immediately upon returning. All of the stuff that I allow to compete for time and space in my brain- commercials, email, tv, social media, people, relationships, things. Part of the fog is just simply that my brain is so full all the time that there's no room for just silence, for processing. When we were in Kenya, there were times that I longed for the comfort of home --- times that I wanted a slice of pizza, to not sleep under a mosquito net, or to not have mud on my feet constantly; but, the thing that I quickly realized when I came home was that parts of me longed for that uncomfortableness. Parts of me that wanted the simplicity of life that is so lacking here in the US.<br />
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So, I have struggled with how to tell people about what an amazing experience it was. I've struggled with how to put into words all that we were able to be a part of there. And my biggest struggle has been how to process this and how to <i>respond</i>. Last week, I was looking at my bible app and a verse came up - Romans 12:1. It was such a moment of recognition for me- a moment where even though I still didn't have all the words I needed or the ability to process everything, I was able to clearly see that the Lord knew just how he wanted me to respond.<br />
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I think it was a reminder to me how easy it would be to slip back into life just as I left it, and to be honest, some days I do. But, the Lord is working on my heart. Working on how I spend my days and how I spend my money. He is slowly changing my heart and has used girls in Kenya to remind me that my everyday can be spent dependent on him, focused on him. <b>Those girls longed for a relationship with Jesus in a way that was compelling and desperate and simple.</b> I am praying that as I continue to process this trip and our time there that the Lord would how to love him like that.<br />
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*** This was written 9 months ago. Just this week, I was reminded of my trip and these feelings and spent some time processing. It's in these moments that I'm so thankful I wrote this down as a reminder of their longing for Jesus and their dear hearts.<br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-43754258475028836112014-05-01T10:16:00.000-04:002014-05-01T10:16:11.467-04:00soccer momAnyone who knows me, knows how much I love soccer. I've played since the age of 5 and played competitively through college. Since then, I've played in co-ed leagues and coached, but not nearly as much as I'd like. I supposed having 2 kids in the last 4 years will do that to you. I always wondered if my kids would like soccer too. I never wanted to be that mom pushing them to play soccer just because I love it. For Everett's birthday, he asked for a soccer ball (insert elated Mama here). Mimi and Pop obliged and thus Everett's soccer obsession has begun. He asks almost daily to throw on his cleats and kick the soccer ball around. I mean seriously, that makes me so happy! He wants to take that ball with him everywhere and asks me to play soccer most days. I'm pretty sure he knows it's a weak spot for me. 90% of the time my answer is yes. Last week, he put on his cleats and we dribbled around in our playground area. We took turns dribbling around a seesaw and he loved that we did it together. I loved it too.<br />
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Here's to many more days of playing soccer together with my favorite 4 year old.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-88307050670306948552014-04-28T15:15:00.001-04:002014-04-28T15:15:12.975-04:00the zoo with 2The <span style="color: #38761d;"><i><a href="http://aaronandkristenwindle.blogspot.com/2012/08/we-bought-zoo.html">last time</a> </i></span>we went to the Philly Zoo was a few weeks before Graham was born. It is actually mind boggling that Graham is almost as big as Everett was during that trip. Seriously. How did that happen?! We had such a fun day. We went with Aaron's brother and our sister in laws and his friends to do something different for Luke's birthday. It was the nicest day we've had so far this spring. The boys loved it. Everett's favorite animal there is still the gorillas. Graham liked them all, except a gigantic sea turtle.<br />
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /><span style="text-align: center;">And just for comparison sake:</span><br />
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I swear I blinked and my oldest is a foot taller. I love these memories and getting to have fun and have "adventures" as a family. Special thanks to Aunt Leslie and Uncle Tom for the tickets to go and for Aunt Allison planning such a fun day!</div>
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-55632360256419720082014-04-24T16:32:00.001-04:002014-04-24T16:32:13.420-04:00the anderson wallI had been planning a collage wall for years. Right before Graham was born, I ( ok, it was Aaron) finally got a bunch of the frames in place and hung. Over the last 1.5 years I have added more frames and pictures. I found pictures of my Grandma as a young woman, my Grandfather in the Air Force, and my dad, aunt and uncle as kids. I have a drawing of the point in my hometown of Pittsburgh. I have a few of my favorite quotes and a picture of my sweet little boys. The art is some paint mixing that my Gram did. I love it because it has her handwriting on it. Aaron calls it the Anderson wall (my maiden name) because it's full of my family/Pittsburgh/etc. I laugh every time he says it. Maybe one day we'll add more Windle to the wall. For now, I'm thankful I get to look at it so often and see my family that's back in the burgh and all the sweetness that I'm reminded of.<br />
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-24821291325015789282014-04-17T09:31:00.000-04:002014-04-17T09:31:23.582-04:00sure, I've got time.This morning Everett came into my room a glorious 30 minutes later than normal. I asked him if he'd jump into bed and snuggle with Mama to which he replied, "Sure, I've got time." And instantly I was convicted. How often do I tell him, "just one minute or after I finish this or not right now." Why is it always in just one minute? I was reminded that I needed to tell my kid more that I have time for him. I want him to know that he is one of the <b>most</b> important things in my life and giving him my time is one way to show him that. That next time he asks, I can say, sure - I've got time. It's so funny how much I assumed I would teach my kid and instead how much he continues to teach me.<br />
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-39509757600831796882014-04-03T08:32:00.001-04:002014-04-03T08:32:51.493-04:00in search of sunshine and 60'sThis winter is the craziest I can ever remember. 12 winter storms with 60 plus inches of snow. It's the first spring I've really, <i>really</i> longed for. My children were literally bouncing off our walls. This past week we finally had some sunshine and warmer temps. It was glorious. We spent every minute we could outside soaking up the much needed vitamin D. Even when it was a chilly 50 degrees, we just bundled up and played outside. I've never been so thankful for sunshine, park days, and the promise of spring!<br />
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Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1633579804230039820.post-30283184015776465882014-03-17T10:57:00.000-04:002014-03-17T10:59:32.782-04:00K & K do the US of A<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">A few weeks ago, I road tripped across the country with my younger sister Kelsey. She moved back to our hometown of Pittsburgh after 5 years in Reno, Nevada. We drove a lot. We watched Pitch Perfect 3 times. We raced the winter storm Titan (and won). We had a car dance party for about 8 hours straight during our last day of driving, which turned out to be 22 hours long. We ate in-and-out burger. We took lots of pictures. We shared the trip with 3 of her dogs, one of which is a great dane. We almost left her trailer full of stuff in Nevada... and Arizona... and every other state on the way home. We drove by the Grand Canyon and over the Hoover Dam and waved with no time to stop. We talked for hours about plans and life and dreams and nothing at all. It was a good trip, the best kind where I got to just share life for a few days with my favorite little sister. It was full of crazy and I'm so grateful we did it. Here's to hoping we can do it again one day, minus the trailer. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">didn't mind the view</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M0MEqwApptc/UycHNKzcKOI/AAAAAAAAEtI/ITsjNO6Zaew/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M0MEqwApptc/UycHNKzcKOI/AAAAAAAAEtI/ITsjNO6Zaew/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">in-and-out burger newbie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JVaUmMqsX8s/UycHOJxw4YI/AAAAAAAAEtY/h9om38RnjC0/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JVaUmMqsX8s/UycHOJxw4YI/AAAAAAAAEtY/h9om38RnjC0/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">good morning, Arizona</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Route 66</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHd7f-BNqKM/UycHj90mO4I/AAAAAAAAEt8/e5UrXta81HI/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yHd7f-BNqKM/UycHj90mO4I/AAAAAAAAEt8/e5UrXta81HI/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Mexico</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahw-bQ0PAec/UycHk-pty7I/AAAAAAAAEuE/-noXOeMjdbU/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ahw-bQ0PAec/UycHk-pty7I/AAAAAAAAEuE/-noXOeMjdbU/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oh hey, Albuquerque</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colbie</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFN3N-lIPPg/UycHwyxzNmI/AAAAAAAAEug/7sBSkqLctuE/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nFN3N-lIPPg/UycHwyxzNmI/AAAAAAAAEug/7sBSkqLctuE/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my co-pilots</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRPeR5fZCIc/UycH8_FyAtI/AAAAAAAAEvE/Mxn7Md8ck_Q/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GRPeR5fZCIc/UycH8_FyAtI/AAAAAAAAEvE/Mxn7Md8ck_Q/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OOOOOOKlahoma!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MT2BRkS-c_Q/UycHyI1_OmI/AAAAAAAAEu0/w4cQ77TbQ58/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MT2BRkS-c_Q/UycHyI1_OmI/AAAAAAAAEu0/w4cQ77TbQ58/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Louis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VNhMUBpewV8/UycH88tQKEI/AAAAAAAAEvI/Oe2NCK5oRiU/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VNhMUBpewV8/UycH88tQKEI/AAAAAAAAEvI/Oe2NCK5oRiU/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oklahoma to Pennsylvania in 1 day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIoNcqiWacs/UycH-JGLX1I/AAAAAAAAEvU/yWf3w-T-8X4/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uIoNcqiWacs/UycH-JGLX1I/AAAAAAAAEvU/yWf3w-T-8X4/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pittsburgh</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nx3PT-1YTeo/UycH-0V2xII/AAAAAAAAEvY/2DoTyxyX06Q/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nx3PT-1YTeo/UycH-0V2xII/AAAAAAAAEvY/2DoTyxyX06Q/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it!</td></tr>
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<br />Kristenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04265998720705989315noreply@blogger.com0