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Category Archives: just the two of us

twenty years!

September 3, 2014 Filed in just the two of us

we started dating when i was a sophomore in high school.
actually… he was my first date i ever went on.
i remember it more than any of our other dates.
it was when i was a freshman… i was 14 years old.   oh. my. word.
but i broke up with him after a month or two because i was young & wanted to date other boys.
all the boys.
that lasted… not too long.
by the next summer we were together… forever.  🙂
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we got married sooner than we would have planned but babies bring situations up a notch.
there we were… 18 & 20, married, baby on the way and moved to Illinois all by ourselves.
we knew no one but each other.
craig was a junior in college… full time student athlete at Northwestern.
i worked as a temp at the college until Lauren was born.
afterwards i went back to work and craig watched lauren by himself.
(student athletes cannot work during the school year – NCAA rules)

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we found a church right away.
and we think… THAT was a huge strength to a young couple.
i didn’t want to but he knew we should be a part of a church.
he found one and i remember i was at my parents visiting and he said over the phone “i went t a church today that i think you will like”
and we went from then on.
we met our friends that changed our lives there.
it was a special place to us.
and it happened slowly over the 10 years we were there.
but that place was safe and we grew in our faith, our marriage and as parents to our kids.

he graduated.
we moved to a “nice” apartment… oh boy we thought that place was awesome!!!
two bathrooms! two window AC units! a patio!  an elevator to get to the second floor!
we loved that apartment.
he got a job in Illinois and we decided to stay & not move back to kansas like we had always said we would do.
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we bought a house and fixed it up room by room.
we had scott.  then sean.  then talby.
we had THE BEST time raising our kids in that little white house.
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we found out we were pregnant with annie the day after we came home from our 10 year anniversary trip.
we were in shock.
good news of course but 5 babies in 10 years was a lot.
our house was getting full.
we started looking for what was next.
it ended with moving back in kansas.
we knew that was God because we wanted to go someplace new.
God thought we should come back home…. so we did.
2 weeks after annie was born we moved to kansas.

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we bought a big 100 year old house that had space for 10 kids if we’d have had them.
we remodeled every room again just as we’d done in IL.
we enjoyed our time together working on the house too!
our kids grew.
and grew.
i started a blog and began writing about our everyday life.
after 7  years of loving that old beautiful home… we moved out.
we decided very quickly that we would move to the rental farm house so that we could be close to our kids new schools and run my business from the old house.
what an adventure!
it was crazy but it felt so right it wasn’t even funny.
god gave us complete peace about that decision.
we LOVED that farm house.

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we loved having so much family time just being together outside.
it was a great place to be.
we stayed there two years.
and then we moved again.
we bought a house in town… close to everything… something we owned… it was time.
and here we are.
20 years of marriage.
our daughter whose being essentially forced us to make a decision 20 years ago if we were in this or not… is a sophomore in college!
she is now older than we were when we got married and had her!
and she is awesome.
we are proud of her and how well she is doing at school.

twenty years is a lot.
but it feels like we just started… there is so much fun yet to be had!

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he is my best friend and he lets me know i am his.
he is so funny and he makes me feel like i am VERY funny.
he is patient, considerate and thorough.
he is the hardest worker.
he’s helpful & grateful.
he takes care of me and his family like an expert.
i am so proud to be his wife… i can’t believe i am so lucky.
He didn’t leave when he could have.
he has always been right here.

thank you mr. duerksen.
for making twenty years feel like a cake walk.
i love you.

add a comment

Sunday Faves – Free Education, Homegrown Veg & Love to Admire | ss_site_title - […] Image Credit: Megduerksen.com I really hope I’m writing similar words in 15 years time So those were my favourite posts this week – please share yours with me in the comments, I’d love to check them out!  […]

Shelby Shreck-Beck - I absolutely LOVE this post!!! It is evident that you two love each other so much just by looking at the pictures. This is so refreshing to see when so many marriages today end in divorce. It is obvious you have something special and over the years took the time to nurture it and as a result you have 5 beautiful children and a strong marriage. Congratulations!!!

tracy fisher - I absolutely LOVE your story!

Kris - Happy Anniversary! My husband and I will celebrate our 21st anniversary next month and our oldest is a sophomore in college too! I love how happy you two are and how you said the first 20 yrs were a piece of cake. I feel the exact same way. People said it would be hard at first but it sure hasn’t been so far! I just heard on the news this morning how young people aren’t getting married anymore and don’t see the point. That makes me sad. Maybe they should read your post 🙂

Melissa - Happy Anniversary- what a beautiful post about your beautiful family! Blessings!

britt - amazing. Loved this post. Congratulations.

Tami - Wow, 20 yrs is a long time! Congrats to you guys and many more to come! I stumbled onto your blog about 6 years ago and peek on here time to time when Im not so busy! Your daughter Annie was a toddler when I first started reading, she has really grown up now! I love how colorful your blog is and its Christian based which I love. Many years of happiness, blessings and faith to you guys! xoxo

Chris - Happy Anniversary!! I love your story!! Thank you for sharing it!!

Amy - Thanks for sharing. We have two babies 18 months apart, 2 and 8 months old, and it feels like we’re in this weird twilight zone where nothing will ever exist besides diapers, Sesame Street, baby snuggles, and cleaning up messes. It’s good, but it’s great to be reminded that this is really just one stage of our lives, not the sum total of our lives/marriage. 🙂 Congrats on 20 years!

beth larson - I love your love story, thank you for sharing it. And can I just say that you were cute at 18 and 20- but you are both cuter now!

Amber - Happy Anniversary Mr. and Mrs. Duerksen! May God bless you with many more years of happiness together!!! I enjoy peeking in on your life and catching up with what yall are doing. I view you as my online friend far away, even though it’s totally one sided and that’s kinda wierd. Hopefully one day I can come to a Craft Weekend and meet you in person! Keep up the wonderful inspiration!! Thanks for making me smile!!!!

Kristin S - I feel like a total blog stalker, but I’ve read this post a few times already this week. Marriage is to be celebrated! God’s faithfulness is reflected at each point you described.

You are living my dream. I’m 43 and single. It never dawned on me back in college that I wouldn’t be sending my kids to college at my current age like my peers. It’s weird.

Thank you for sharing, Meg. I wonder what God has planned for the next 20!

Tiffany - Wow! What a lovely tribute, and a beautiful life you have created together! You are blessed! 🙂 Happy Anniversary, friend!

Tanya H - I love it! Great photo collection!
We just celebrated 15 years and I put together a digi scrapbook page of photos of us on or near our anniversary thru the years. 🙂

debbie - I love you blog! I love this post! Isn’t God amazing in the way he leads and guides our lives and blesses us with the right life partner! Marriage isn’t always easy but focusing on the blessings and all the positives makes us realize all the blessings we have to gether as a couple! Have a wonderful day and wishing you many more years together – 40 …60!

Jessica Shrock - Love this post! Congrats to you and the Mr.

Sherry - I’ve read you for years now. I’m with the others, this was one of my favorites. I really like your family. Like a lot.

Jen - I absolutely loved this post! (Tears ran down my face as I could feel the love) Congratulations on 20 years! It is awesome to know that not only do you love your husband but you like him as a friend too. You should feel proud of the amazing journey you are on together. Here’s to 30 more!

ranee - i love this post…congrats on 20 years! My husband and I just celebrated our 10 year anniversary this summer…this made me even more excited to look forward to the next 10!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - Well, this is the happiest post ever. It almost unsicks me. Almost…

I love this line: there is so much fun yet to be had!

And in one of those pics Lauren and Scott look SO much alike! I don’t think I’ve ever noticed that before with them.

I like your family very much.

Jenny B. - What a sweet, sweet post!! Happy Anniversary!!

Kelly - Way to go on 20 years! Kelly

Mrs. H - Happy Anniversary!

Stacey - Thanks for making me cry! WOW, you two look better each year! Congrats on 20 yeras and such an awesome journey. And 5 beautiful kids!

Abby Stanger - You are such a delight! I have followed your blog for several years and enjoyed hearing about your family life from the beginning! You inspire me to be a better mom, wife and working woman!

Kelly Sites - What a beautiful story and life. You guys are super cute!!!!!!
Congrats!!!!

Tessa - Congrats on 20 years! I realized after reading this post, that I need to take more pictures with my hubby and I. We have plenty from our younger years but hardly any recent ones. I guess 3 more kids (we have 4 all together) in 4 last years will do that to you! 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration!

Susan A - Greetings from Illinois! Super-sweet post! Love all of the pictures. Happy 20th to you and your hubby!! You are both so blessed with a beautiful family and I love following your blog. Thank you for sharing your talents!

Tracie M - Congrats on 20 years and blessings on many many more! I applaud you for choosing the hard way, marriage and family when you were so young. Well done! I keep reminding my unmarried friends that marriage is a choice, to love that person when when you don’t feel like it. It can be a tough road but it’s oh so worth it!

Kristin - That was beautiful. Congratulations, and happy anniversary!

angela - Love this walk thru 20 years! What a blessed life! You are amazing and have more talent in your little finger than I have in my whole body. Heard a GREAT quote that you may like: *I want my marriage to be more beautiful than my wedding.*

chrissi - so many good things about this post. my favorite, your husband found you two a church. that kind of says it all. …and it shows. your smiles say it all. congratulations!

Carrie - Beautiful

gretchenee - You always inspire me, but I think this is THE BEST. I love seeing strong marriages in action. Happy 20th! We celebrate ours in May and I’m more in love than ever!

Elizabeth Cannata - Darn you! It is 8:18am and I am drinking my coffee and trying to start my day. Now tears are running dowm my face, makeup and all. It is ok because reading your story gave me hope. It is so refreshing to hear about a family choosing life instead of abortion. You are all so blessed and I hope the blessings continue until you all go straight to heaven. Congrats on 20 years!!!

tasha roe - congrats! what a beautiful journey the two of you have been on!! wishing you many more years together!!

Gina - Wow! Twenty years is quite an accomplishment these days especially considering your start!! I know because my marriage started the same way. Thankfully (only God!!) we are on our 31st year!! 🙂 This is one of my favorite posts of yours. I love all the photos through the years!! To God be ALL the glory!!

Cara Yeh - Happy Anniversary! It was so fun to read your story… (And see all your hairstyles!)

Heidi Jo the Artist - Happy Anniversary! Isn’t marriage an amazing journey!? Cool to document it, your kids will appreciate it someday, if not already today. Many blessings for many more happy years together!

Gevay - Happy Anniversary! Lovely story!

Michelle Deckert Richmond - Happy Anniversary to a beautiful couple….now and then. Michelle from Canada.

Jen Dahl - this is awesome. congrats on 20 years and a beautiful family – every one of you has a smile that lights up a room. looking at your family grow through the years was really, really fun. photos are SO important in telling our stories! thank you for sharing yours…

angie - meg… i’ve been following your blog for years… gotta say… LOVED this post… it made me tear up! what a trip down memory lane… seeing all of these pics in one spot from over the years… happy anniversary to you and mr. duerksen! what a journey… wishing you many more years of happiness!!!

Renee - I love everything about this. Lovely posts like this are what blogs are all about!!

kelly - Megan, I luv your story….. Happy Anniversary and way to rock 20 years.

Jennifer - Sweet tears and smiles as I read this. I love my story of marrying my high school sweetheart 26 years ago — at 19, and loved reading your story too. Happy Anniversary!

Erin - Happy Happy Happy 20th Anniversary!!!

Heather - Absolutely beautiful. Everything. And so nice to see people staying committed to each other and their families!

Tina - Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful love story. We need our world to see this kind of Love. Congratulations!!

Sarah Kirchmann - Seriously, Meg! What an inspiration!!!

Jenn - Congrats on your 20 years. I have been married for 18 years. I too married at 18. It’s not always easy, especially when kids come along. I’m very lucky to have him. It doesn’t feel like 18 years. It’s just flown by.

Carol S. - So sweet. Jealous you have all these wonderful pictures in one place! Bet that was no easy feat. but very worth it. College athlete at Northwestern, who knew? Best wishes for many more. With the last one home a hs sophomore, I’m seeing glimpses of our future with just the two of us…looks good since there’s joy at every stage.

Kate - You have a wonderful story. Congratulations.

Angie B - What a sweet, sweet post. Made me tear up a little; thanks for sharing. And, unrelated, you sure have worn a lot of hairstyles over the past 20 years! I think I’ll probably keep rockin the side pony til I die.

Janelle - Oh…sitting here at 5:30 a.m. a little teary eyed! SOOOO sweet. You and I both wore the SAME wedding dress!!! I got married in 1995 so it must have been a popular style around then 😉 Fun to see Meg! Congratulations!

Rachel - What a lovely post and I loved all the hairstyles – had a few of them myself!!! Happy anniversary.

Charissa - Best post! Happy 20.

Leslie - OH my. I loved this post! I got engaged at 18 and married my husband when I was 21, and we’ve been together 12 years now. I love hearing about couples who “grow up” and “grow old” together. And I love your blog!

Tiffany - That made me smile, Happy 20th Anniversary!

r - You are so lucky to have such a great marriage and a friend in your husband. Wishing I had the same.

laura oyler - love this! happy anniversary! i can’t believe you lived in the farm house for 2 years….felt like you were there for just a minute!

Ashley - This post makes me all kinds of happy! Love you two together!

Tricia - Happy Anniversary!!! I love that you got to grow up together. Hope that the next 20 years are just as much fun as the first 20!

Julie Friesen - Congrats on twenty years, Megan and Craig! It was fun to read your “history”. You two are so cute together! I need to take more pictures with Andy… seeing all of yours makes me think we don’t have very many together. Enjoy your day!

Jenna - Awe, love your story! You are an inspiration to me!

Michele - This was one of neatest things you’ve ever written. Happy 20th Anniversary! I just shared it with a friend.

Renee - wow. i don’t know you personally, but this gets me choked up. We’re 4 years and 2 kiddos in and i LOVE being married. seems like it’s easy to talk down about marriage on the internet these days. your joy in your marriage is so refreshing. and encouraging. just, wow! i can’t wait to have been married for 20 years 🙂 thanks for writing.

Stephanie - Oh, happy anniversary! I love your story. Your family is so relatable (we have seven kids and got married early), and I love reading about you all. This post brings tears to my eyes as I’m missing my husband who has been gone most of the summer. Here’s to many more years together!

Helen - I remember the first time we met you was at a Community Life (AKA Care Group)intro at church. I was in awe of you with your five kiddos, Annie was tiny. What a blessing you have been with your absolutely honest blog. I love reading about what you have thought to do next. You are an amazing woman, and your man is too. My man thinks he is a great guy. Glad you moved back to KS, and even though we hardly ever talk, know I am enjoying you from afar, sort of.
God bless you two and your great family!

Meg - Happy 20th Anniversary! What a beautiful and touching story of faith and family. You are an inspiration.

Juli - Awww, how sweet! Thank you for taking us on a walk through your family album. You are all adorable.

Jenny J - What a beautiful love story. Love reading your blog and enjoying the journey you are having with your beautiful family, god bless 🙂 x

Jodie - Congratulations!

Angela - Happy Anniversary to you both! I loved this entire post and the pictures! I too was married young with a little one on the way and we’re still happily together 23 years later.

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Happy anniversary! I love every picture!! Thank you so much for sharing your journey with us.

Katie - What wonderful blessings through the years… love is awesome.

Pamela - What a great post, looking at your journey together through all those pictures. It is my wedding anniversary tomorrow, 21 years. September’s a good month!

Jessica Wheeler - Now that is dripping in sweetness…Thanks for sharing! God is SO good and evident in your journey:) love from Bama!

nakcus - What a beautiful story! Happy Anniversary!

Christy - Congrats on 20 years!! Thanks for sharing your story and the pictures. What a great post – one of my favorites!

kelli - This is gorgeous. I love your love story. It gave me goosebumps. Congrats to you and the beautiful, happy family you’ve made together! Hope you’re celebrating big-time! xoxox

ellen patton - What a good life you’ve had!

Jenny - I’ve been a reader for a long time now and I think this is my favorite post you’ve ever written! I LOVE IT! Also, I would love to know how you organize and archive your pictures. Would you do a blog post sometime about how you do that? Or if you’ve written one in the past, id love to read it! Can you point me towards it?

Also, confession time: I went to the Making Things Happen conference in March 2013. One of the questions that we really had to dig deep on is what is a dream job. Like – what would we really really want to do if nothing stood in our way. And my answer was to have your job! A shop, blog and host craft weekends at a home where people come and stay and I can invest in them, help them create memories and teach them! Hope that doesn’t all sound weird to say – just wanted you to know you truly are an inspiration. It is my goal to do something like you do once I raise my babies and have a little more time to focus on creative endeavors!

Lisa - I love this post today! Happy anniversary… what a great story you both have. A testimony about making things work through the good and hard. Have a wonderful day celebrating 20 yrs!!! Something to be very proud of!

Julie - Congratulation – what a love story. Thank you for sharing it and all the photos too. You are a beautiful family.

Necole@seriouslysassymama - I met my husband when I was 14, and we have been together every since.

Whitney - Oh Meg! I love every bit of this story! I don’t know you in real life, but I’ve been reading for years and feel like I do 🙂 Happy anniversary! You have such an adorable family.

Karen in NYC - Meg, This post is really special, especially because of all the photos, including from the early years. And, I realize it is totally not the point of your post, but it’s fun to see your hair styles through the years!

HJM - Such a great story! Your family has beautiful smiles. 🙂

Amy - One thing I loved about this post…besides your amazing love for each other…Craig’s 2 hairstyles and your 20+ hairstyles. 🙂 Congratulations! You are an amazing example of what marriage should be.

Anne Cucchi - Love following your blog! Happy 20th Anniversary…We’re celebrating our 30th today. September 3rd is one lucky day!!!!

Heidi Durant - Love this. Me and my Mr. were married young also. Going on 14 years. I love to read stories of marriages that are strong and successful. Thank you for sharing a glimpse of your journey!

Angie - thank you – thank you for sharing your life with us. This was a wonderful way of demonstrating your love. Very romantic and touching (i cried). When do we hear from Mr. Duerksen. I would love to read his point of view..
Happy Anniversary – May God bless you and your family.

Marsha Kern - Best wishes on 20 years, you guys make a wonderful and cute family here is to lots more!!!

Linda Johnston - Thank you for sharing your journey!! Its beautiful. Full of love, joy and hope. What an inspiration! Happy Anniversary!!!

Nicole - I absolutely loved reading this! Thanks for sharing your story and such fun pictures! Blessings & Congrats on 20 years!

Jamie - What an inspiration! Thank you for sharing your journey. Your family is beautiful!

Jessie - Wow! This really hit home. We are contemplating a move back to Kansas from Denver and I keep looking for *signs* that the move is right for us. This post felt like a sign…..but….it’s KANSAS.

I keep telling myself how hard it was to leave home in the first place. Then, I take an afternoon walk and see those gorgeous mountains and I can’t possibly move back to Kansas. Then my 2-year-old cries b/c he wants his Grandma (in Kansas)…..

Today, your post was my *sign*.

Thank you!

erin - congrats!! Happy 20 years!! I hope my 20 years with my man (we are newlyweds) are just as fulfilling as yours!!

Heather - Precious story! Happy 20th!

Livlife - Hi Meg!

I’m a long time reader, but I don’t comment very often. I just wanted to say that is one of my favorite posts you’ve ever written. I love hearing about your family and the early years and seeing all your old photos. This post just felt so full of love, it was moving and beautiful.

Congratulations on 20 amazing years.

kelly - loved every bit of this. thanks for sharing!! happy anniversary.

Sarah Wolfe - I’d say he’s a keeper, but I bet he thinks the same about you too 🙂 Loved the walk down memory lane and all the pictures. Happy anniversary!

Jenn - I’m crying! That is so awesome. I knew most of your story…but to have the pictures and it all told in one go….just awesome! Congratulations! 20 years is a very big deal.

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so much to talk about!

March 12, 2014 Filed in just the two of us,me me me,sports

there is a lot going on over here.
so much that i am feeling a strong desire to climb into bed and sleep for dayssssssss.
but i don’t have time to do that.  ha ha ha


1. Scott’s basketball team won Sub-State so they go on to play for the State 3A Championships!!!

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the first game is tonight!
i am trying to be calm about it… but on the inside i am all a mess.
my stomach hurts.
i hope he gets to keep playing all week… that they win and win and WIN.
State Tournament is SO MUCH FUN.
we are playing in the same gym where Craig played his State tournament and i was a cheerleader.
great memories are made there.

2. talby’s team won their tournament last weekend!  first place!!!

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those tournament days get long but it is really fun to see them get better and better.
and i LOVE watching talby working towards something she really enjoys.
volleyball is a fun sport to watch.
i can almost picture her as a tall high schooler jumping up and slamming the ball down with scary speed.
🙂
she watched lauren play for years and wants to go to State like she did.

3.  ummm….. we bought a house on monday.

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it was time to not be renting any longer.
this house came up and we jumped on it… 9 months ago.  🙂
we have known a long time that we were headed here but we are living in a very small town and i didn’t think any more information needed to be said until the deal was done.  it is just the respectful thing to do.
but now the papers are signed and this is where we will be moving in a month or so.

it is a new-ish home and has been beautifully maintained.  this house was very loved and cared for.
as much as we both would have LOVED an old farmhouse to fix up… that is just not something that is for sale around here.
we looked and looked.
and to be totally honest… we would probably have died from all the work while still maintaining the craft house and raising our kids.

i actually feel a little sorry for this pretty house itself because once our brood moves in… it won’t know what hit it.
we have owned it a little over 24 hours and there has already been dr. pepper spilled and a cardboard shot put thrown… flying through three rooms.  (i didn’t handle that very gracefully)  this poor house!  it’s probably crying out of fear of what is to come.

it is not in the country but it does have a field behind it and it is on the last road of town so it “feels” like the country…. almost.

now… only 1008 more decisions and projects and jobs to do over the next 4 weeks.
i am feeling about full to the brim with overwhelmed emotions.
this is a wonderful home that we are thrilled about.
this is nothing to get overwhelmed about.
i know this.
but moving and painting and answering my kids 50,000 questions while still doing the regular everyday stuff for life and work is…. a lot.

i guess that means i need some more time with jesus and exercise.
🙂
jesus will restore and calm me.
and the exercise will get all the anxiety out… so i don’t bury my face in a party size bag of pb m&ms with a margarita in both hands.

we plan on making changes to make it more Duerksen-y.
rainbows every where!!  right???  ha ha ha

we are very excited about moving into town and starting our new adventure.
i mentioned to craig that we have had a house each decade of our marriage.  Our Illinois first home was our 20’s house.  then we moved to Kansas and bought the craft house when craig was 31 and i turned 30 shortly after.  Now this is the house for our 40s.  he has a 40th bday coming up in one month.

we already love our 40s house.

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Jenny B. - Congratulations! I bet you’ll have lots of fun making it more “Duerksen-y!” 🙂

Jenn - Congratulations on the new house…that’s always so exciting!! Many blessings to you and your sweet family as you start a new journey in your beautiful home.

Mindy - Wow – congratulations on all the sporting team victories AND on the new house!! I will be anxiously following along to see all your decorating lovliness that will be happening as you settle in. Jesus and exercise will definitely help you through : )

Deb Meyers - I predict you will move beyond rainbows in your 40s house (you’ve probably gone there already in your head) and soon everyone will be copying your new direction. Can’t wait to see what you do, Meg.

Congratulations and God bless each Duerksen,

dm

rachel hood - ok, doesn’t it look like the guy in the background of picture of you and scott at the basketball game (to the far right) is getting his bum pinched! also, love your blog-congrats on your new house! can’t wait to see the decorated version!

Rach - Congrats on the new house. Your brain must be buzzing with fun things to do to it.

lauren - oh the pages that turn…hesitation sometimes…then full on sprinting with smiles so wide we catch bugs in our teeth! you’ll hit your stride in this home too. i’m so excited for your kiddos! adventures = memories and memories are forever. take care duerksen family!

CathyC - Congratulations Meg! I am so happy for you. Can’t wait to see how you put your stamp on the new house!

Lisa - Yes – what about the chickens and dogs and kitties and won’t you miss your cows across the way??? 😉

ira lee - yeah!!! that house is beautiful! can’t wait to see what you do with it! and i know life is crazy- cray-zy!!! but you will get there. i hope (and i can totally see it happeing) the main living area goes from outdated beige to beautiful bright white! =)

beth - soooo happy for you….but worried about the chickens?

Kerri - My goodness – I thought I had a lot going on right now! Saw that Hesston won last night; state tournament time is so exciting and it’s awesome to play at the Sports Arena. Good luck the rest of the week!

Colleen - Doesn’t matter where you are, but who you are… and the who of you is very good…all will be well and keep up the exercise now matter how crazy the house gets… its the only way to survive motherhood! love the new digs..

Jennifer - Meg,
Your blog has been one of my happy places for a very long time. Thank you so much! Are you going to paint the kitchen cabinets? I’m dying to know. :).
Jennifer

Andrea - Congratulations!!!! It looks like a lovely home and I can’t wait to see you make it your own……..one day at a time!!!!

Christy - Congrats on the house and everything else! I can’t wait to see all the changes you make.

So….has anyone else noticed the butt pinch in the bottom right hand corner of the second photo? I wonder if they read your blog. Too funny:)

gina - moving is no fun, but it will be nice to not rent any more. Guess looking at the big picture helps us all survive a move. yay for all of your kids and i hope Scott’s team continues to play well. Have fun!!!

April R - congratulations and best wishes!
you’re right on about the Jesus time and exercise 🙂

and I’d like to say a big huge awesome “way to go”
for the extra couple of inches on Talby’s volleyball shorts.
Volleyball is a fun game to play and watch – except for the
booty shorts! just a couple of inches more fabric plz people
so we’re all watching the game! 🙂

kristen - So exciting! I too look forward to seeing what you do. I love it when peoples’ homes reflect them and their family and not the next decorating trend.

amanda - please tell me the chickens will be making the move too???

Whitney - I saw your Facebook pic of the house yesterday and could not wait to hear more! What a great house! Can’t wait to see what you do to it! 🙂

chrissi - what a whirlwind week for your family.
congratz on the big games and the new house.
she is a charmer.

Laura - Actually, you CAN RENT FOREVER. Sadly, I am proof! HA

congrats dear friend! now get out the paint and pom poms…can’t wait to see your talents take over that place!!!! xo

Adrienne - Oooh! We have just kind of decided maybe it is time to stop renting and buy a house. Glad you beat me to it so I can see your transformation!

And rainbows? Yes please!

Michelle Whitlow - Such a cute house!! Can’t wait to see how you rainbow-fy it! hehe

KirstenP - I love love love the kitchen!! Lots of cupboards and counters and a place for the kids and hubs to sit and keep you company while you create.

Tiffany - Congrats on a new home to love. And one suggestion, prayer and then a list. Maybe it will help so you don’t feel like a juggler with 1,000 balls in the air.

Jen - Very happy and excited for you and your family. So many wonderful, happy thing happening. Good for you! Yes, exercise and talk to Jesus! Best wishes. Your new home looks wonderful.

Jerusalem - I cannot wait how you put your lovely stamp on this home! My first question is – about those cabinets? Are you painting?? They are screaming aqua to me. What are they screaming to you? Whatever it is I am sure it will be pefect! Prayers for tranquility in the midst of the wonderful busy!

Andria - I can’t wait to see all your blog posts on how you will transform the house in your great decorating style… Exciting! Congrats!

Heather S. - So happy for you – but I WILL miss seeing all the cool parties and and fun you had at the farmhouse. C’est la vie! Another adventure for you and fun for us all to watch as you make it your own. Enjoy!

Gina - Yea, yea, and YEA!! So excited for your family!! Can’t wait to see you put your stamp of the house!! 🙂

Alisa - Congrats on everything – but as a long time blog reader I am most excited to watch the house become truly *yours*. I am seeing white cabinets in that kitchen with turquoise bar chairs and globes on top of the cabinets…Am I right?

beki - I can’t wait to see how you make your house YOU!! I can already see the colorful pots and blooms on those front steps 😉 Congratulations!!

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this week.

October 5, 2013 Filed in just the two of us,random,Uncategorized

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my birthday week was wonderful.
my girls made me sweet cards and picked some cute kitchen utensils for me and a candle and lotion.  🙂
my cake caught on fire from all the candles that were lit… oh my.

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sean found a snake while taking out the trash.
everyone came running to see it.
i am so glad none of my kids are scared of things like bugs or snakes.

spiders don’t count.
everyone should be afraid of spiders.
everyone.

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we found some pumpkins at our garden center.
i think picking them out is so fun… i like to see ALL the choices.
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check out the big brown and orange pumpkin!
she is pretty.
and the weirdo green/black gourd?    odd.
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THANK YOU for so many orders in THE SHOP this week!!
i have so much fun playing with all that fabric and so glad you like it too!
there are still pillows to choose from and the canvases are on sale until October 15.
Use the code FPFG15 for 15% off canvases.
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a few weeks ago i hurt a muscle in my back.
i haven’t done any kind of exercise since.
so i was going to head back out for a run on wednesday… i thought i would take a selfie to document this big occasion.
i have a self timer app and it takes four in a row with three seconds in between.
the left picture is pic number one… the right is pic number two, etc.
our kitty leapt up onto my shoulder and scared me so bad!
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mr. duerksen and i are away for a long weekend celebrating our 19th anniversary a month late.
our mothers are watching our kids so we could do this… thanks Moms!

we started off with the Lumineers concert.
we met friends for dinner before too… so much fun.

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trying to get a group photo in the dark with a flash and the phone turned around was almost as bad as a cat jumping on your head.
so funny… great memories.
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Lumineers are still new… still fresh.
they came out IN TO the crowd and played IN the crowd.
that was pretty sweet.

mr and i are having the best time.
we may or may not have already watched 6 episodes of Homeland…  we are WILD like that.
and we are eating good food.
and smiling a lot.
AND finishing conversations!!!
that is a big deal… talking it out till we want to move onto a different topic.  with all those kids at home this never happens.

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ok… i want to hear who your favorite concert has been.
cause i decided yesterday i want  lots more concerts in my future.

WHO do i need to go to?!

happy weekend.

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add a comment

Heather - The. Polyphonic. Spree. Enough said.

The lovely one - Rascal Flatts. Best concert EVER.

Kim - Could you send me the self-timer app that you use? I would love to have something like that, as I use my phone for almost all my pictures now….thanks!

jennifer - First of all I love that final photo of you and Mr. Duerksen. You both look so happy and relaxed!

Second… concerts. I saw Charity and Josiah from the Head and the Heart in a tiny venue in Seattle last year (The Tractor Tavern). AMAZING. I would love to see the whole band play sometime if just those two were that good! I have heard their shows are super awesome.

Lori - Sounds like you had a great birthday celebration.
One problem…..you HAVE to put a warning at the beginning of any blog post that contains snakes. EEEEKKK!!!

Melissa - You NEEd to see U2. Hands down the best concerts ever. Bruce Springsteen was pure fun too

j - Last summer my husband and I went to Austin for his work. We went to a place called Stubbs BBQ. There were a couple of bands playing that night. We stood in the crowd of mostly college students, listened to music and had maybe, one beer. It was one of the best nights I have ever had.

FLWendy - Happy Birthday Meg!! I think you’re next concert should be Michael Buble! Such a wonderful show! I love the pic of you and the Mr.

Darcie Perrin - Hi Meg! I would LOVE someone to give me anything from Red letter words! I thinks Dees shop is so beautiful and having the words from scripture on my wall keeps me aware of where my priorities are!
I actually think I may be giving some of her work for gifts this year! ( and yours too. The farm girl in me is loving the cow canvas)

Kate - I love Kid Rock in concert – he is my very favorite bad boy!

Rochelle - Taylor Swift is the best entertainer! Lots of costume changes and different types of dancing and acrobats. And she does a third of her concert from a revolving stage at the back of the theater for the cheap seats. I’ve been to two of her tours and they both beat every other concert I’ve ever been to for best ever! Almost worth the money!!

Jennifer - Avett Brothers!! Best concert ever! Of course, if you ever come to Nashville in December, Andrew Peterson’s Behold the Lamb concert at the Ryman is pretty amazing too. 🙂

Heidi DeGroot - You all absolutely need to go see P!nk !!!! I went to see her last Feb in St Paul MN at the Excel Center and she was amazing! I loved it so much I would love to go see her again and again. She definitely puts on a good show. Oh, and the gal who commented about no tickets under 100 bucks—it is worth all the money in the world. I think that’s about what I paid and I was toward a back corner of the arena about 26 rows up and the view was just fine. Plus, she does some awesome things that may let you see her a bit closer;) But, I won’t give it away you will have to go see for yourself.

Rachel S - Hands down, the best concert I’ve been to was Chris Tomlin. Saw him in Minneapolis in April. Amazing!

Rachel - definitely NeedtoBreathe.

Lisa - Please tell Talby that I really like her hand-drawn font on your birthday card, and I may be copying it for a poster I need to make for Sunday School this week. The brown and orange pumpkin – so cool! As are the pictures of kitty jumping onto your shoulder 🙂

Mary - Needtobreathe and Coldplay were my absolute faves – MUST see live shows 🙂 happy birthday and happy anniversary!

beth larson - well…concerts I’ve LOVED in the last few years have included, Lady Antebellum and Little Big Town. OH and my girl —MIRANDA!

Karen S. - What a generous giveaway ~ I’d love to win! Thanks……

Alice H - I cannot believe I forgot to mention Dierks Bentley and Gary Allan. I have seen them 4 times each and they always put on the best show.

Alice H - Dave Matthews Band has been my favorite so far!! He played at the ballpark in downtown OKC. I enjoy any outdoor concert that doesn’t assign seats. I like to be able to get up and move!!

Cindy McAllister - TRAIN….Loved their concert !!!!!

Heather S. - This summer my girlfriends and I went to Starlight Theater in KC to see Train with Michael Franti and Spearhead as their opening act. We LOVE Train, but honestly, the show Michael Franti put on was the best I’ve ever had with a concert. He was all over that auditorium and dancing with people. It was a blast!!! Very interactive and his songs are so fun and upbeat – some of my fave running music!

Necole@seriouslysassymama - Back in 2009 I went to a ACL music fest in Austin. It was awesome! My favorite concert to date was back in 1995 when I saw the Ramones and Pearl Jam. The Ramones are my favorite band, and I had no idea they were playing. It was one of my best days ever up by the stage with 30000 other people singing Ramones music. I would love to see Ray Lamontagne in concert.

NS - Michael Buble! I saw him on your playlist last week. Good choice. He is wonderful in concert! He was just in St. Louis 3 weeks ago (my birthday present 🙂 ).

jen - Philip Phillips. He was SO good!
And I really want to see Pink, she’ll be in my area in a week. Can’t find tickets under $100, so… not happening. But I think that would be a crazy fun concert!

Caroline R. - I’ve only been to a few concerts my self, but the ones I went to were super great- Michael Buble and Coldplay! Coldplay is on a break, but Buble is on tour now… Happy Belated bday!

Tiffany - I thought I didn’t have a comment but as I scrolled down I realized Adele was in the list. I think I would consider camping out for her tickets, she got me through a rough time in my life, and she doesn’t even know, music is good like that. C’mon Adele, bring baby (I’ll watch baby!) double my pleasure, get that message to her would ya? Oh, Happy Anniversary!!! Best Wishes for Many More!

Kate B. - We saw The Lumineers in Lincoln, NE this past May-great concert! When they came out into the crowd, my husband and I were seriously about 4 feet away from them. Yay for 10 minutes of being close to celebrities! The best concert I have EVER been to was Mumford and Sons! They came to the Pinewood Bowl in Lincoln, which is an outdoor theater. The setting was beautiful and the concert was a solid 2 hours of great music. Another great concert is the Avett Brothers! Really cool brothers and I love the messages the share in their songs.

Jennifer - Your hair looks FABULOUS in that last picture!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - 1. I am TERRIFIED of snakes. But not spiders. Still love me, please.
2. Pretty hair!
3. SO excited for this new season of Homeland.
4. Now I just want to know about the good food..you know me, I like hearing about it. Sue me.
5. PCD! Duh.

katygirl - celine dion’s heart of the ocean tour in 1997.
there was even a titanic boat replica.

Dusti - The hubs and I have seen sugarland twice in okc at the zoo and LOVE Jennifer nettles! I’m surprising him in December with zac brown tickets for December 28th!

Jen - You and Craig look so very happy and in love. Love that you make time for each other and nourish our marriage. That is food for the marriage soul.

Concerts??? I was never a Lyle Lovett fan AT ALL until I met my hubby. He hooked me. Saw Lyle in concert a few years ago and he and his big band played for almost three hours straight and sounded great. Lyle has a great sense of humor, too. Have a great week, Meg!

Mindy - That last picture of you and your hubby is SO cute! And your pumpkins on the porch with the chicken – where is BH&G’s photographer?! The last concert I went to was a Steven Curtis Chapman/Michael W. Smith combination at our State Fair and I loved it. Getting lost in a huge crowd of worshippers is good for my soul…

Valerie @ chateau a la mode - Happy anniversary and birthday! All time favorites Paul Mc Cartney, Elton John and Mercy Me. Get to see Bon Jovi next Friday….so excited! I love concerts. So much fun.

Dawn - Love that last shot. You are SO adorable. I can call you adorable since I am old enough to be your mother.
Just sayin.

Breeanna - Happy Happy birthday! This next week is my birthday week! The best concert I ever went to was Mumford and Sons. It was last minute too. My friend texted me on a Monday night and said she got two tickets from one of her student’s parents. 2 hours later we were at the concert! They were the best live performance I’ve ever seen.

Michelle M - I don’t know what you think of country music, but Kenny Chesney puts on a great show! My DH who is not a big country fan loved it.
Glad you are having a great b-day weekend-you are looking hot girl!

Kimberlee - If Adele would go on tour I might die.

Alicia @ La Famille - Girl, I love concerts so much. We’ve been to a lot but hands down favorite? Mumford. And. Sons.

Amazing! Other good ones: John Mayer, Edward sharpe, Brandi carlile (have seen her 3 times), David grey, and joe purdy. We’re going to see The Head and the Heart in a couple weeks. They’re pretty new, not very popular yet but you should check them out. They’re good stuff. New album coming out in a week or so.

On my list: the Lumineers, Adele, Florence and the machine, Mumford forty more times, and the avett bros

Is this the longest comment ever? I love concerts. You hit a big conversation starter here for me 🙂

Wendy - My hubby and I just celebrated our birthdays in August with Depeche Mode concert during a long weekend in Chicago. The concert was fantastic but I loved the down time with my favorite guy even more. I love reconnecting with him away from the daily chaos. So much so that we are scheduled to see Jimmy Fallon in St Louis this month for our anniversary. Can’t wait!

Katie M - Glad you are having fun! We only have one little one and I can totally relate to not getting to finish convos. We recently saw Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and they were AMAZING!!!

Sarah K - Seriously so fun!!! Happy birthday sweet Meg! If you can ever catch an Avett Bros concert, you won’t regret it!

Amanda - Small Home Big Start - Happy Birthday!!!! Sounds like you had an absolutely lovely birthday week.

What app do you use with the timer?

Margaret - Sounds fun!! Have been to 7 Avett Brothers concerts with my hubs..they have this energy…fantastic every time.
Love your blog and reading your chicken posts!

Debbie S - My husband and I flew to Chicago FOUR days after we met to see Dave Matthews Band play at Soldiers Field. Four kids later and we still love to see them play 🙂 And….every woman really needs to go to a Bon Jovi concert at least once. Meow.

Janel - I have seen Fitz and the Tantrums and Neko Case recently. I loved both very very much. I am seeing Gary Clark Jr next week….this year I decided to see all new artists. So far it’s been working out great!

Happy belated Anniversary and Happy Birthday!

lisa - We saw the Avett Brothers this summer and they were amazing! Loved them. Happy Anniversary!

Tara - Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary! My husband and I saw The Avett Brothers last fall….we LOVED it. I hope we get a chance to see The Lumineers!

Dana Marshall - NEEDTOBREATHE!!! oh my goodness, BEST concert of my life.

Angela A - Oh, you were in OKC! I was wondering how you guys were posting pics of the concert on the same day as a friend here!

Kathy - Ok so the pic of you and the Mr … you are simply GORGEOUS! Do you think you might share what you do/use for skincare and makeup in a future post? Pretty please? =)
Kathy

Angie P - We saw the Lumineers open for Old Crow Medicine Show at the Fox Theatre in ATL last August – such an AMAZING show!!! Old Crow is a fun one to see if they’re ever in your neck of the woods. 🙂 (and it was our anniversary date too!)

Jenn - Needtobreathe for sure. You’ll thank me later 🙂

Meghan - Happy belated birthday

lacy - if you’re from Houston,bring afraid of snakes is ok. bring afraid of snakes can save your life here! Dave Matthews puts on an amazing show, everytime! he’s so great!

Anne G. - I haven’t been to any concerts since high school, almost 20 years ago, but want to see Maroon 5 or Dave Matthews. Congrats on 19 years and Happy Birthday to you. How did your run go after a few weeks off. I have a hard time after not running for three days straight. By the way, your top in the last pic, where did you get it?

Margaret - I had never seen Homeland.. Until 2 days ago. I watched seasons 1 and 2 at once. (Got nothing else done) That show rocks!
Miranda Lambert is a great show!,

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nineteen years

September 3, 2013 Filed in just the two of us


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nineteen years married to my best friend.

thank you for making me  Mrs. Duerksen so long ago.

it has been the best adventure.

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add a comment

Kerry - Happy Anniversary Meg & Craig! Hope you guys have many more fun-filled, happy years together – you are an inspiration to us all 🙂 Kerry xx

Mindy - Happy Anniversary and many blessings in the years to come!

Jenn - So awesome! Congratulations!

Sarah W - Happy belated anniversary!!
You two are adorable.

jennyonthespot - Oh friend… congratulations and continued marriage blessings 🙂 My Paul and I hit the big 19 this year too!

tasha roe - happy anniversary! congrats!! you two still have that sparkle in your eyes. 🙂

joanne - love your dress in the second last photo, so pretty

Luisa - Congrats! and You look always fabulous.

Lisa - Love this… Happy Anniversary!

jamie - OH MAN i absolutely love the very first photo. to look back to that moment from where your beautiful family is today. where it all began. love that so much.

Martha - Way tooooo cute! Congratulations! 🙂

Tracy - Happy Anniversary! A special day for sure. Enjoy!

Terrie - Do we have the same anniversary date?
If we do, I think I forgot that.
But, we have a few more years on you… LOL!!
I wish we had taken as many pictures of us together…
hard to do when you are the family photog.
HaPpY AnNiVerSarY to you!!!

Gina - Awww. Happy Anniversary!! Quite a feat this day and time, even for Christians sadly. What a wonderful example to your children and all those around you!! 😀

Victoria - Happy anniversary! What an encouragement to me as a newlywed! Ya’ll are precious!

Jeannine - You guys are the cutest. Congratulations & Happy Anniversary!

Sarah - Happy Anniversary! What a blessing to your family!!

Lorraine - Happy Anniversary!!!! You two are the cutest!!!!

Vanessa - Wow!! The top picture is fantastic!! My marriage of 12 years is really struggling now. I hope to someday feel like you. CONGRATULAITIONS!!

Colleen - What sweet and wonderful photos honoring your years! Happy Anniversary!

Tiffany - Awwwww. Happy Anniversary!!!

Linda - Happy anniversary!

Alicia @ La Famille - congrats! next year calls for a vacation!!!! also, you are adorable.

Karen Gerstenberger - Congratulations and Happy Anniversary to both of you!

Amy - Congratulations!!! What an incredible milestone!!

Toni :0) - Congrats to an adorable couple! Has anyone ever told you two that you could easily do a toothpaste commercial together? :0)

Ashley - What an incredibly fun collection of photos! Happy Anniversary Duerksens!!!

Lori H - I love all those photos. Happy anniversary to an adorable couple!

Amanda - Happy anniversary Duerksens!! Here’s to fifty more!!!

Kimberlee Jost - You are so cute together.
Happy Anniversary.

PS. Tell the Mr. I’m glad that you and I had REAL plans today. 🙂

Tricia @ The Domestic Fringe - Happy Anniversary. Love all the photos.
~FringeGirl

jerusalem - y’all are precious!! congrats on 19!

Southern Gal - Happy Anniversary to you!

april r - Happy anniversary!

We are celebrating 14 years today <3

Julie - Congratulations – what a wonderful achievement and a great example you are setting for your children and their future relationships.

Kristin S - You two are adorable!

(and what would you do if a boy put his hand on one of your girls’ bottoms? 🙂 )

Stephanie - Brings tears to my eyes. I love your story. My best friend and I are comin up on 17 years of marriage. It’s good to be so in love. 🙂

amy jupin - yay!
i love that you guys are still so in love.
it’s such a testament to how wonderful and important a promise can be.
love it.
congratulations duerksens!

jen - awesome. happy anniversary!

Jen - Happy anniversary!!!

kristi - congratulations Mr. & Mrs. Duerksen!!

Jenny - Happy Anniversary, Meg! Cutest couple!

tara - Happy Anniversary to you guys!

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a little tour…

July 6, 2013 Filed in family fun,just the two of us

we went to my parents for the Fourth of July this year.
it was a beautiful day!

we went to the pool for a few hours.
i even took a little short nap on the lounge chair!
that never happens.

we had a yummy meal that my mom made for us.
while she was working on the grill i took a little photo tour of my parent's yard.

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it's always relaxing sitting outside at my parents.
they have worked hard to make their yard so pretty.
there are birds everywhere and butterflies.

we ate our delicious summer meal complete with my mom's famous margaritas.


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then we headed out for the fireworks show downtown.
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which turned out to be quite an adventure filled with too many total weird things to list.
but it ended with me calling 911 for an elderly man who fell down in the dark and was bleeding all over.
it was such a crazy 4th!

 

then…. we left these three with grandma & grandpa for a couple days.

mr. duerksen and i drove home after the fireworks show because waffle was at home.
we were so tired… i was trying so hard not to fall asleep… and did fall asleep a couple times.
we cranked up 80s & 90s and were singing loud trying to keep ourselves awake.
and laughing a lot.

time together JUST US is refreshing.
we need it.
it is so nice to have a conversation uninterrupted & not have to think about the everyday things like chores and dishes and making dinner even for a short time.
and also because i super like hanging out with him!

scott is due back from his youth group trip any minute.
and life is back to normal.

and that is good too.

🙂

 

 

add a comment

Saundra Fowler - Hi Meg, I have followed your blog for years and I just wanted to say how much I enjoy your gorgeous pictures along with just about everything you do! Your style is so so cool! I have especially noticed how your photos have improved so much over the years. They are stunning! Did you happen to take one of Ashley”s Snapshot courses? I have been wanting to for a long time!

misty tharp - love that margarita recipe. I remember when I was getting stuff to make it for the 1st time {right after you posted the recipe} I was at the liquor store & I was telling them about beer being an ingredient & they were like, “beer in a margarita?? are you nuts??” and now, everywhere you go, the margaritas with the bottle of beer turned upside down in them are all the rage 🙂 I love how everything you do is cool before it’s ‘cool’ {i.e.: martha stewart rainbow cake}

Carol S. - Gorgeous, beautiful, colorful and relaxing backyard. The apple sure doesn’t call far from the tree! Thanks for sharing pics from this special day. I recently moved 9 hours with my family for husbands work and was happy to be back in Chicago last week to see my mom and dad and family. Sitting around yacking with family is the best treat. My mom outlasted both my husband and I and played poker with my boys till 11pm. They said the next day. “Grandma’s the bomb!” and I want to be like her someday! Inspired to get some more color for my garden today. Thanks Meg.

Kimberly Dial - I’d love hanging out in that yard too! Very lovely! Thanks for sharing 🙂

lorel - beautiful – one of my favorite places in the world.

Lorraine Richie - It may be a Harry Lauder Walking Stick Tree, they are so neat!!

Cindy - Do you know what kind of tree that is? The one with the twisty vines and leaves. It is fantastic!

D. Jean - Love the birdhouse. Very cute and it looked like a fun time.

Tracy - Your parents yard is beautiful!! Looks like a wonderful 4th!
So jealous of you alone time with Mr D. So important! My husband and I need some for sure.

Lori H - It is easy to see where you got your love of color! Love their outdoor space.

Tiffany - Beautiful, it looks welcoming and cozy. The margaritas though, they look famous and relaxing.

Valerie @ Chateau a la mode - I LOVE the 4th. Yours looks like it was fun. Glad you ad time with your mister 😉

KirstenP - Meg, your mom’s yard is beautiful and so colorful!
I loved the close-up photo of the shiny, slender, curving leaves
on the willow(?)tree. You could win an award with that photo!

Jen - Your pictures make my eyes happy. All of them are so beautiful – their yard is lovely.
Meg, I want to thank you. I really dislike shopping for clothes for me, but I needed to pick up some new items for my closet. I took our advice and if I saw anything that was even remotely a possibility, I tried it on. And you know what?! Success! I even got a lot of va va va voom from hubby when I did a fashion show for him. Thanks for the encouragement!

Lindsay H - I love her yard! So colorful. 🙂

Stephanie - It is easy to see where you get your eye from, Meg. Your mom’s yard is gorgeous!

dcranney@yahoo.com - Dawn – I was the wedding coordinator for your wedding. I am the Director of Congregational Care now! Meg is my youngest daughter! Fun, huh!
Candice

Dawn - FUMC downtown? Is she the wedding lady?

Dawn - WAIT. A. Minute. I know your mom from somewhere… church maybe?

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new sign.

January 17, 2013 Filed in etsy goodness,just the two of us,things i love

so…. before this post you should listen to this song… Home by Edward Sharp.

maybe open it in another window and litsen to it while you read.

 

ok.

songs is on… ready to go?

 

we moved to this little farm house rental in march.
it's cozy and we love it here.
in case you don't know our back story or forgot…. we moved to be in smaller community, closer to our kids' school and to use the other house for craft weekends.  it was such a big decision but has been nothing less than awesome.

our bedroom at the (now) Craft House was a ridiculously LARGE room.
it made no sense to have a bedroom that big…it was GIANT.
but of course we also got very used to that size of room after 7.5 years.
and now our bedroom is more of normal to smallish size and has also taken some readjusting too.

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and it's just fine.

we got our bed when we first moved to the craft house.
and craig has said several times "i can't believe you haven't painted it yet"

someday…. 
but who has time for that? not me right now.
and it's fine how it is. 

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we have my grandmother's night stands that she had in her bedroom my whole life.
she always had her rotary dial phone where i have my computer.  :)
the bottom part pulls out to give more space or tucks in if you don't want it.
mine is always out and filled with junk… over flowing onto the floor and all around. 
while's craig's is tucked in with nothing on or around it.

that is such a true picture of US.  

🙂

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we have room for one dresser in the corner and we each have a closet.
i decided to hang my jewelry on the wall because there is no other place and because it's pretty.

my jar of heart rocks…such a fun collection over the all the years of motherhood.
my "be intentional" art work was several years ago by Jeanne Oliver.
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what got me determined to take care of our room and make it a priority after 9 months of not…
even though it's a rental…
was because of this sign from Between You & Me…. with the lyrics from a song that remind me of our decision to move and take crazy steps to do what we needed for our family.
as we tried to make those big decisions last spring that song was on the radio at all the right times.
and i would smile and know that we were doing the right thing.

all we needed was each other.
no matter where we lived… we were HOME.

so i hung the sign first and then worked around it with pictures of us over the last 21 years.

we have been married for 18 years but dated for three years before we got married.

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this print from Studio Mela was the perfect touch.

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the butterfly pillows are at target right now.
they needed to live at the farm too. 

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pictures from our first prom, our wedding, our favorite vacations, our 10 year anniversary trip and family pictures all hang here.
this is a special wall.

it's sacred ya know?

marriage is a really big deal.
you vow to stay together FOREVER.  
until you die.
so… it really should be honored and cherished and nutured.
surrounding us with reminders of where we came from, who we are and are becoming is one way to do that.

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between You & Me has a pretty shop filled with signs you will love!

if you go to her shop and use the code WHATEVER you will get 10% off your purchase in january.

that is awesome!!

tara YOU are awesome.

so… go look it over and find the sign that would spark some creativity in your home.

yay for discounts!

yay for rockin' hot marriages!

yay for teeny farm house bedrooms!

 

🙂

 

add a comment

lindsie - Can you please te me what the name is of the green paint in your room…I love it…lindsielou@charter.net

Su@TheIntentionalHome - can’t wait to check out the song. . .my hubby and my song. . the song we danced to at our wedding is You’re My Home by Billy Joel. . .same thought that wherever he is and we are together is home. . .I wrote a post titled 10 Quotes to Inspire You to Create a Home You Love. . reminds me of this post cause #10 is the Billy Joel song. # 9 is a Be Intentional piece of art I made. . .thought you might like to check out the other quotes: http://www.susoutter.com/2012/03/10-quotes-to-inspire-you-to-create-home.html

misty - Loved every word of this blog post. It made me teary eyed, in a good way. I love to hear about peoples love stories & love to hear about GOOD marriages and hear others talk about marriage being sacred. AMEN.
Your room is so pretty. I just loved every single picture. Thanks you for posting this.

Brooke - Love your cozy little room…and your fun wall!! Love that you cherish your marriage. Life is hard sometimes…you have to turn to your husband. Love your art. Super cute.

April R - /\ Ditto katy

Heidi Jo the Artist - Perfect song for this post and for every family! And congrats for staying strong in your marriage through 18+ years! I love to know couples that are still married and have stuck to their vows. Sadly, my husband and I have known so many that haven’t… Love all the pillows and pretty quilt on your bed too, and of course the jewelry displayed on the wall is the bomb. 🙂

Rach - I’m with Craig… I’m surprised you haven’t painted it either. Gorgeous wall. I have one like that too that I treasure and yes, marriage is sacred. I always try to put it first.

Tonya - Love the post….and the quilt on the bed 🙂

Jen - We just decided to take a leap of faith and move to be closer to my husband’s family. We have had a terribly difficult year due to some things that happened between the neighbor boys and our daughters. I have been back & forth on if this is the right decision…my husband built this house we live in and this is HOME. I so needed to read this post today. I will be purchasing that same sign you have in your bedroom. I think it’s a must have for our next HOME. Thank you for the inspiration, Meg!

Corey Bugni - I love this post and the ideas! thanks Meg! I am also crying because I love the butterfly pillows and Target doesn’t seem to carry the same ones anymore. If you have a link to where they are, I would love it!! Have a great weekend.
Corey

Alisha - I LOVE IT!!! You’ve just inspired me. We live in an OLD farmhouse rental as well and our room is just like yours. VERY small and quaint, but just enough. I haven’t done ANYTHING with it because, well, I just didn’t know WHAT to do with it, but I love your ideas of the pictures of the two of you. …and your jewelry knobs. It’s great!

Jenn - THAT SONG… One of my favorites. It played during our dear friend’s funeral slide show last year and every time I hear it I get this crazy mix of joy and sadness at the same time. But definitely more joy for a life well lived with the ones we love!! Very cool print. I love all the photos around it!

Michelle - LOVE. the song, the artwork, the story…everything.
I met my future husband when I was 11 (he was and still is my brother’s best friend), we started dating when I was 15, and we got married when I was 18. Here we are now 18+ years later, and I am still thankful that I get to spend everyday of my life with this man. Thanks for the reminder. It’s inspiring to read of others who have “rockin’ hot marriages.” And you’ve inspired me to finally print out and display some of our favorite pics together, create my own “love” wall.

Dani - I needed this today. My husband and I are making a huge decision about our marriage right now. I don’t want to give up 15 years of marriage and your post just showed me that!
Thank you, MEG!!!

Shelly - Love.Love.Love this post!!! It’s beautiful, inspirational, heart-warming, and sooooo full of love. Thank you! And, I couldn’t help but notice your “Not A Fan” book. Kyle is my preacher. That sermon series was AWESOME!!!! The book is AWESOME!! Kyle is a very special, God-filled human being!!

Tracy Fisher - you said exactly how i feel today. loved your words. and by the way, you and craig have the same side table characteristics and greg and i have… his has a clock and a remote… mine has my life on a bedside table. made me giggle. have a great day. -tracy

katie - what a great idea…i’m inspired to do the same!

Mickie Lara - LOVE everything about this post. The emphasis on family, marriage (and you are always good to remind me about that… we are 21 years too) and home. I tend to get a little too hung up on the house part of the home but you are so right. It is really just wherever we are. Love it!

Jen - Yea for rockin’ hot marriages is right!

Penny - Whenever I refer to something on this blog, I will say to my family, “You know Meg, who has Waffle…” Ha!

Lori Austin - Your bedroom is perfectly perfect.
Love your grandmother’s side table.
This space just seems so happy. 🙂

Amanda Brown - This post is inspirational because I just started working on an art collage for our bedroom! Being married is the BEST, even in difficult times…

Kim Barlow - I know this blog is not about curse words but..girl…you kick a**. XO

Penny - We have been married 29 years and we have lived in small apartments, a mobile home, a very tiny house with three children and then a bigger house. Every single place we lived I made it our home. No matter if we were renting, buying or what. It was our home. And I will tell you I have been happy at every single place we have lived. Now of course I dreamed of our own home when we were renting. I dreamed of a house when we were in that moblie home. But I was happy every place we lived. Now that we have a larger home with lots of space our girls are growing up and moving on. Isn’t that the way life is! Some of the happiest memories I have are the days with our three little girls in our tiny little rental!

Angela A - Oh Meg, the room is beautiful. The decor is so you, the colors are awesome together,and it is such an awesome tribute to your marriage. Thank you for inspiring us to celebrate our own marriages! This year is our 15th anniversary, and we dated for 7 years before that. Our room is sort of us–but you’ve given me some ideas on something to do to honor this special anniversary.

Tiffany - “yay for rockin’ hot marriages!”… You’re too cute! I’m so glad you are both blessed with eachother. Thanks for the reminder about putting marriage first. With two little ones and full time jobs I need reminders often since there are so many other things to do. My hubby and I need to go on more dates.
It was fun seeing a snapshot of your home now. Darling. 🙂

happygirl - I always wondered how the Craft House came to be. I love your wall of memories. I’ve been married 30 years. I agree with the forever of marriage. 🙂

Angie - I totally now want my jewelry displayed on the wall!

lauren - i already knew you were a woman after my own heart…then i saw the ragamuffin gospel on your book pile…amen. i was about to tell my daughter something i read or saw on your blog the other day and i started to say, “my friend….i mean…on this blog i read…” you have a gift for drawing people in and then you give good, real stuff for them see. i may never meet you but i’m sure you’re a great friend.

stephany @ home is what you make it - I listen to this song over and over on repeat. Did it today while running errands with my little girl.
My cousin and his new wife had this song playing as the song after their wedding ceremony on the shores of a lake in Northern Idaho. My favorite uncle, who owns the house and officiated the ceremony, danced up the stairs with my aunt and had tears in his eyes.
Anyway, great song, great memories, great post.
Thanks for sharing!

melodee - wow! your room is great! love all of the details and your always so nice and crisp photos….and your necklace collection…to die for!

Carol S. - Super sweet post. We hit 25 in April. And made a major move this year (from Chicago of all places!) This hits home. Thanks Meg.

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Hmmmm…I sort of love this post… ALOT:) I’m a big fan of investing in marriage. So often the kids come along and we focus solely on them, kind of neglecting our spouse. But when the kids grow and leave its back to just the two of you. I want to cherish my hubby more then than I did on our wedding day. Marriage is so hard and yet one of the best gifts God ever created. Your room is a tribute to that. Thanks for reminding us all:)

katy - favorite. post. ever.
love the music as a background.
love. love. love.

Jacci in Ohio - YYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
🙂
I am SO thrilled you posted photos of the farmhouse! It is PERFECT. So perfectly you! Different… in such a different home… but so you. And that is why I *love* it. And I love your sign. And your voice for marriage.
God has made you rad, rad, rad.

Charly - I smiled throughout the entire song! I now want my hubby to come home so we can dance to it in the living room with a three year old and two dogs running Around us! AND, your bedroom looks great!

Mary - i love how you went with what you had and just made it so, so, so special.
sometimes i just feel like i have to wait until the walls are painted…or the bedding is just right, but NOW is the time to cherish.
now is the time to celebrate.
you’re so good at celebrating the NOW, meg.
i adore that about you.
and i LOVE taras work.
on my list. for sure.
now i want to spruce up our room!
xo

Kerstie Pederson - Yay for you too! 😉 I love your blog!!!!

Aimee - I love, love, love this post. And it’s all so do-able and accessible. Very inspiring.

Mary Jo - I love the butterfly pillows!

Shara - Thanks so much for sharing Meg!! You’ve totally inspired me(along with countless others~) to do something like this. The walls in my bedroom are begging me!

Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - i love that you have reminders of how precious marriage is. the butterflies had me at hello and that artwork is awesome! love tara. very sweet. wondering about the rest of the room. a past christmas present comes to mind;)

tonya - love this post…and the song! i keep our bedroom free of pictures of the kids…just pictures of me and my man!

tara - marriage is a REALLY big deal.
It is sacred. It if FOREVER.
I love the wall of you and your man, and I love that the sign is a reminder of something God has done in the life of your family with the move to the farm house.
you’re awesome. thanks for hanging one of our signs in your home!

Marsha Kern - I love your room and your style, it is perfect! We live in the country too and we love it!

Kristin S - I absolutely love your room! The wall is perfect. I love that you have that prom photo on there. Good reminders of God’s faithfulness.
And now I’m considering simple row of hooks for my necklaces! I forget what I have and end up wearing the same things over and over.
Beautiful, Meg.

Kristina Abel - So funny that you have that sign. My girlfriend and I made wood signs and that’s what I’m putting on mine and hanging in my living room. Thanks for sharing you colorful and cozy room. 🙂

shelby - I need a chenille bedspread like that! My grandma always had them on the twin beds I slept in at her house!

Bopha - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L64c5vT3NBw Please tell me you have watched this! This is where I first heard the song and fell in love. This rendition melts my heart. Love your “love” inspired room-that’s the way a bedroom should look!

Lisa - Hi Meg
I usually don’t comment on your blog because you get SOO many, and I’m not always sure you even see them all, but today I want to.
This post has inspired me. Why is it that once you have kids all the photos are just about kids and family (please understand I adore my kids!!!). My husband and I have bee married for almost 28 years and I still feel sometimes like we are the 17 year olds when we first started dating. I WANT A SPECIAL LOVE WALL like you, and so I shall now have one ;). Thank you!!

Kerry - oh meg…… i’ve read the post 3 times with the song playing in the background. feeling really emotional right now – what a beautiful post. this is JUST what I needed right now. Thank you so much xxx

ann - Meg your room is so adorable, cozy, and full of your personality! Love it all. You are right, marriage is a sacred thing to be honored and treasured. Great post! Hugs from Chicagoland, Ann

Abbie Swartzentruber - Ok Meg, you got me hooked on the butterfly pillows – but I can’t find them anywhere at target.com??? I am gonna have to go searching for them – your room turned out cozy and sweet:)!!

mary - your room is beautiful…you have that decorating gene, that can pull together any place and make it visually pleasing.

ali moll - I love this post Meg! And I love the room! The pics and sign are the perfect finishing touch. You have such a knack for decorating – I LOVE YOUR STYLE! Have a fabulous day! Hugs!

beki - you’re awesome 🙂

jennt - i LOVE you room! It is so vibrant and happy but also so cozy
I am always stumped with what to do with our bedroom…..

lisa - So sweet! Love it. And I love your rocks. I have a jar from my girls, too. I wrote about it here if you’re interested. 🙂 Funny how something as basic as a rock can be so special!
http://thebrighterside-lisa.blogspot.com/2011/10/my-rocks.html

Lennie Jackson - You make me want to redo our bedroom! Great post….I LOVE the prom pic!!!!

danielle - This made me want to stop what I am doing and go make an art wall in my bedroom of my husband and I! Totally doing this! I keep a big landscape above our bed taken on our first getaway from the boys but I would love this also! Beautiful room!

ranee - loved this post and that wall is beautiful! you have inspired me to start a “love wall” of my own!

Juli - Awesome. Yes, that bed begs to be deep teal. 😉

Angela - Thank you for choosing to declare the truth – marriage is precious and WORTH IT. I have only been married for 2.5 years, but I am thankful for the examples that God has surrounded me with – people I know (My parents and my in-laws have been married for 30 years, my grandparents for 54 this April.) and people I don’t (YOU!). 🙂 Have a beautiful Thursday, Meg!

Amber - Yay for rockin’ hot marriages indeed. I’m all inspired to put up pictures of me and my hubby all over the place.

sam - Love this post. We celebrated our 25th anniversary last year and have had seven different homes in that time. I recently repainted our bedroom and, for the first time in 25 years, am working on making it more of OUR room. I plan to make a similar sign with our marriage vows on it and have been scouring our photo boxes for pictures of us over the past 27 years to do something very similar. So fun!

tiffany gardner - once again… you never fail to encourage. i am so glad that i found your blog a couple of years ago. you truly are a part of my days. my friend who doesn’t know me.
i thank God for you.

Meredith - Seeing your collection of photos of you and your husband makes my heart happy. I should do this in my bedroom too. Also, those butterfly pillows are amazing. I NEED those in my life.

Regina - I love, love, LOVE this post! It speaks my life in every word. We have lived in a rental and in a city that I’m not too crazy about for the past two years. We still have our house in another state (where I would MUCH rather live), but because my husband had a wonderful career opportunity HERE, that is where we are…ALL of us. There was much discussion about only him moving here and commuting back and forth (so that the kiddos could stay in their schools and near friends), but that just felt like we would be “divorced”…NOT an option! Thank you, thank you, thank you for this timely post….a wonderful reminder of WHY we live here, it just wouldn’t be the same without the whole family under one roof…outdated rental or not. Hugs and success to you, Meg!

Dana @ Bungalow'56 - Such wonderful sentiments here Megan. A wonderful post.
Dana

Susan - Thank you for sharing! I have a heart rock collection too! Most of mine came from around the cabin where we stay each year in Colorado.

Shannon - Love those butterfly pillows! You made the perfect space for you and your hubby including family photos and fun signs. As always love all the fun colors you use in your decorating 🙂

Janet C - Love this post, made even better listening to your special song.

Gina - LOVE!! Such a special collection hanging on the wall but the sentiment even better. 🙂

wendi - I love how God uses unexpected things to nail the point he is making. Today He used you.

Flower Patch Farmgirl - I LOVE this! We have never really put much into our bedroom — even here in this new house. It’s always the last priority and I have grown sick of it!
I love that you have your history right there on the wall.
I wish we could double date. You remind me of us. If that makes sense. Marriage is ebb and flow, but HE is my home.
(Also? You’re reading Ragamuffin?????????????? Put it on the list. Or actually, start reading so we can put it on the list.)
🙂

elma - Love this post to!!!
I love her shop to and have the family rules sign and one Christmas one!!

Lisa M. - Loved this post. Thanks for sharing such a personal part of yourself.

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NYC….last one

July 25, 2012 Filed in friends,just the two of us

people have asked me about the apartment we rented.
craft weekend alum Karen lives IN new york city and gave us SO MUCH help with ideas of where to stay and what to do and where to eat!
she rocked.
she shared this blog post with me and that is how we ended up with vrbo.com.
we stayed on stanton st.
it was nice enough and safe enough.
it wasn't fancy.
but it worked great for us to have some space and room to sit around and talk.
 i am a bit of a hotel snob and missed my bed being made for me.
but other than that it was perfect.
memories were made with our friends….lots of nervous laughter when we arrived.
using vrbo you are never 100% sure of what you are going to get.
but it's always worked out great for us. 

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we rode all over new york on those double decker tourist buses.
it was cheaper than cabs and we learned as we rode.
one tour guide had the best thick new york accent that it felt like he was faking it….but it was REAL.
also i got MUCH less motion sick on the top of the bus too.
bonus.
the first day was so hot i thought i might die…but after that day it was fine.
🙂
and i am still alive.
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that is cool and artsy….but also….very weird.
she looks like the costume lady on the incredibles…. (oh you've gotten fat!) 


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dave convinced me it would be cool to rent bikes and ride through central park.
once we got out of traffic it was fun.
i always visualize bad headlines like "mother of 5 killed by a tour bus while riding a rented bicycle in NYC"
i was very worried at first…but it turned out to be great!
thankful it was only two hours though because i had a very tiny bike seat for my not very tiny real seat.
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on instagram i said "name every movie with this fountain"
there were a lot of comments.
this is one very famous fountain.

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the dude in the spandex was doing yoga…alone in central park.
i can promise you that is something you will NEVER see me doing.
yoga alone in a public park in spandex.
nope.

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we headed over to 30 Rock because Dave had scored tickets to Jimmy Fallon!!
jimmy fallon and letterman tickets are through an email process that happens months before the show.
dave worked hard for this trip.

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it was AWESOME.
we are BIG jimmy fallon fans.
his guests were matt lauer and mike tyson!!
i thought this hour was the best part of our trip.
and… jimmy touched my hand.
i haven't showered since.
ha.
it was SO MUCH FUN!

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practically twins.
but mine is way cuter.
when i cut craig's hair he always says "just give me the matt lauer" 

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jenny dressed to match our NBC studio day!

i kept my eyes open for liz lemon all day long… i saw nothing.
blerg! 

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we went to the top of the Rock.
amazing isn't it?
all week i felt like i was walking around in a movie set.

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our last day was filled with more rain….bleck.
but we were troopers.
girls shoes just aren't good for rain.
especially if you are trying to look cute.

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we hugged goodbye at Penn Station and went to different airports home to our kids.

 

i spotted corbin bersen across from me at the airport and texted jenny every thing he was doing.
he's eating soup.
he put on glasses.
he is on his laptop.
now he is having a lollipop.
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poor corbs.

at least i didn't go bug him to his face right?

but now that i see this….i really wish i had gone over and said "hey man…we were LITERALLY just talking about you over breakfast this morning!"

because we were!!

how bizarre and random is that?
we talked about all the shows we watched growing up…starting with brady bunch all the way out to dallas, falcon crest and then later in life… LA LAW.
and there he is!
crazy.

but…i stalked him instead.
what a dweeb i am.

new york was good.
it was overwhelming.
it is a busy, loud, full, crowded place but it's also a LOT of fun.
i never get enough time with jenny now matter if it's a week or a weekend.
i love spending time with them no matter where we are.

but i loved getting back to my kids too.
i really did miss them.
and my VERY quiet little farm.

so… have you been to NYC?
do you want to go?
where are you headed next… where is your next trip?

 

 

add a comment

Penny Smith - You. Went. To. Jimmy. Fallon?!?!?! I use to LIKE you! Hee!! It’s on my bucket list! 🙂

Shana - If you hadn’t told me you were going to blog about that car I never would have known you went to NYC!
Seriously. We have got to catch up!

April R - Thank you for sharing these! I probably won’t get to NY but that was a neat ‘taste’ of it. You guys sure rocked it 🙂
And the photos from the top – the evening city shots – I caught my breath…wow Meg! Those were super!

Andrea - So funny–I give my husband the “Matt Lauer” too! Love the New York pictures…it makes me want to go!

Lacey - We always have to jump into the drugstore and buy a poncho when the rain his us on our NYC trips. Next time I’m hitting a shoe shop for rain boots and a cute umbrella to match! Looks like such a great trip.

Molly - My best friend from high school lives in NYC and reads your blog… because I told her about it! I live in Kansas. 🙂 I’ve been to NYC lots of times and would happily go back. Especially to see my friend!

Julie Kittredge - Oh NYC. I love it! I was there visiting a friend exactly a year ago. She lives in Brooklyn – it was just a weekend trip for me but it was magical and exhilarating and adventurous. I wouldn’t want to live there but it’s an amazing city to visit!! Way busier than Chicago and way different. I expected it to be more similar than it was. Glad you had fun!

crystal - I like your lipstick in the first pic! What brand & color is it?

karen - awesome trip. i loved all your pics. makes me want to go!!

Beth - I got butterflies in my stomach when I saw your picture of the fountain. My husband proposed to me on the steps leading down to it almost exactly 6 years ago! We are planning to go back to NYC this October to celebrate our 5th anniversary. I’m hoping to set up a little photo shoot on those steps. (Want to come back to be our photographer?) 🙂 We love, love, love New York – can’t wait to go back!

Routhie - NYC just isn’t our cup of tea. I like big cities, but it’s a bit too much. Our next trip will be back to Spain to visit my brother-in-laws in Zaragoza. We’re flying into Madrid this time–can’t wait for all the good food, coffee, and [of course] family! My favorite treat was one afternoon, before siesta, we had chocolate and churros for lunch. I needed a couple glasses of wine and cheese afterwards.

aimee - these are wonderful! you did it all!

Alicia @ La Famille - what a trip! i love seeing new and weird things…so fun!

Carolyne - Meg I have loved your take on NYC and will have to nick pick your brain as we are heading there next April (coming from Australia). Have been twice before but with kids which is a whole different trip altogether and it was HOT!!!! Can’t wait until we go because I love that city so much. Thank you for helping me get excited and LOVED your posts.

amy - Our next trips are Italy, Paris and London — all within a month’s time! Wish I had a quiet little farmhouse to come home to! 🙂

Mindy Harris - thank you for the laugh tonite, miss megan. you are a hoot and a half!

Kelly - I like to ride those busses too and look at sweet Craig carrying your stuff in his bike basket. Great husband!
On my third trip to NYC with two girl friends I made (I do like to plan) a “choose our own adventure book” for us for NYC. It was a lot of fun to make and then use there. Kelly

amy jupin - i can almost hear your voice as i read this!
so happy you and jenny got to hang out in nyc together.
yay for bffs and trips with hot hubbies!

Hilary - OMG! I never see anyone famous at the airport or when I go to the city (chicago)…maybe I’m looking too hard! I totally would have gone up to Corbin Bernsen, he’s on my very favorite tv show, Psych!!
What a fun trip, looks like you had a great time!

Julie - I love NYC! And Jimmy Fallon is my absolute favorite! I’ve seen him perform four times, but always in Indiana. I’d love to go to a taping at 6B!
No traveling plans right now, but your posts make me want to go back to New York – like, tomorrow! Thanks for sharing!

Christi - I left a comment on your last NYC post… we just went in December with all the kids. I would love to do another trip sans kiddos. We were going to do the VRBO thing, but I chickened out. Love your photos from the Rock!

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Just because it’s random, just wanted to share that I have seen Corbin Bersen lots at the Pasadena Flea Market. He must go every month. My sister and I stalk him too 😉 sometimes we separate and one of us will text each other if we see him. He looks around at very random, funky stuff. He usually has on sweats and crocs which we think is funny, and he is with his wife too. I think she’s a decorater, hee hee, just thought I’d share. Glad you had so much fun with your friends, it’s what life is all about!

Janine - Thank you for showing me NYC through tourist lenses! I live just outside of the city and don’t go nearly often enough. And I don’t ever really see the sights. You’ve given me ideas to plan a weekend in NYC. Thanks!

Kim - Love NYC! We’ve been several times and are in fact going back this week. It will be the first time we are taking the kids. Can’t wait!

Jill - Loved reading about your trip to NYC. I went last summer for the first time. I was only there a couple of days so naturally I didn’t get to see everything. I definitely plan to go back and spend more time seeing ALL the sights! Such a change from Omaha!!! Glad you had fun!
xo Jill

Jayne Barbour - Had to share my full circle moment:) My husband looks a smidge like Corbin Bernsen (or maybe George Strait?)
see here: http://jayniac.blogspot.com/2012/07/whatta-guy.html
AND he always gets the Matt Lauer cut too!
Love seeing these pics. What a special-and fun!-trip with your fella and friends!

Anita - Hi Meg, loving the photos of your NY trip! That is our next holiday in 5 weeks time…but for 14 whole days without our 3 kids (5,3 1/2 & 22 months)… I thought I would be ready to leave them all for the trip but as its getting closer I am getting more nervous about the little one as he is mummy’s boy. But coming all the way from Brisbane, Australia it’s takes over 20 hours and we just wanted to make it a once in a lifetime trip! Have tennis tickets & Yankees tickets booked already and have a list a mile long of things to do/see. It’s been wonderful getting a tast of it thru your Intsgram pics and now your blog. Thanks so much for sharing…. Even tho all those busy street pics gave me anxiety!! Am I really ready for NY?!

Catriona - I have never been to New York, never even been to the US! I have a fantasy trip to NYC planned in my head, though. By the time I get there I will probably need about a fortnight to get through my ridiculous itinerary!
Still, for now I am really looking forward to a trip to my parents in my home town of Edinburgh, Scotland – such a great place.

Miranda - YES Been to NYC and I LOVED every minute!!!!!!! Did quite the same things you did and I cant wait to go back. Amazinggggg city.

Sheridan - As I mentioned on instagram… I head there in two weeks… So super excited. My brother lives two blocks from central park. So cool that you have been just before me. Have loved seeing your pics. I am leaving hubbie and our four kids at home. Praying that I don’t miss them too much. A much needed break for this at home mumma. So love reading your blog and hope one day to make it to craft weekend… Would surely be the guest who would travel the furtherest… From New Zealand………… 😉 One day…..

Sandy - I’ve been…a couple years before 9/11. Want to go back with my man, my daughter and her boyfriend. I think that would be a great trip! Next on the list though is Grand Cayman in January!! Can’t wait.

Debbie Hargadon - I have loved these posts and the instagram – but wanted to put out my vote for VRBO.com Such a great site to use when you have multi fmailies going to the same place. We have always had outstanding experiences in really great properties. Don’t be afraid!
NYC so fun to visit – you did a few things I have not done in the past but would do on my next trip. I want to travel with DAVE!!! Score for the tickets and the planning! 😉 And yes. . . ahhhh Kansas. . . if only it were NORMAL weather and not 100 every day!
From 65 degree San Jose, CA. . .

Jessica Johnson - Love the NYC. My mom’s family is from Long Island so we’ve been back to visit quite a few times. My parents are there right now actually! Also, I love Jenny’s shirt. And VRBO. We use it ALL the time.

amanda - My husband says the same thing to me when I cut his hair! Ha!
Being from a tiny town in New Mexico and now raising my kids in a small West Texas town – I’ve always dreamed of going to NYC and experiencing really city life. Someday…someday!

happygirl - Your trip looks GREAT. I’m going to get on the ‘net right now and try to score tickets to Fallon for when I go to NYC in Feb. FUN!!

Laine - So fun! I went to NYC on a missions trip back in 2001. We stayed where Brooklyn meets the Bronx. It was an interesting place! But I loved it too. I grew up right outside of D.C. so the craziness was nothing new. Central Park is cool, and that’ awesome that you got to bike through it. I would love to go back to NYC!
My hubby and I have a picture together on the top of the twin towers with the sunset behind us. Less than two months later were the 9/11 attacks. Crazy.

roganne - It looks like you guys had so much fun! I’ve been to NYC once in my life and I want to go back! I feel like the first time you go your neck just keeps craning around and around taking in all of the stimulus overload. But now as an adult I think I would do much better 🙂

Lori H - My one trip to NYC was at Christmas time (not ON Christmas). You should really see it looking so festive. And see the Rockettes Christmas show. Very cool! Love the story of your trip…

jen - love this! i have been to new york city for one day when i was 17 as we passed through driving home to vancouver from our week in myrtle beach, sc. 6 girls in a van, 3 1.2 weeks, down the westcoast, across the south, up the east coast, across the north. epic. but your looked like more fun!! we are headed to ny in two weeks…the adirondacks, cottage country…for my mom’s 60th. a small hop from montreal. big week. big party. i am counting the days.
happy summer to you! xo

chrissi - Thanks for sharing NY. My favorite city!!! Love, love, love it. In my other life I went there a few times a year and it is always a bit different and always a great adventure. New life now and my husband hates it. Your photos made my day.

Patti - I am a born and raised Brooklyn, NYC girl now living down on the farm in southern Michigan…my husband is a native Michigander and i’ve been trying to get him to move to NYC (my mom, sister and most of my family are still in NYC…Brooklyn and Staten Island, Long Island etc)..i’m just not cut out to be a farm girl…I miss my crowds, noise, traffic! lol Looks like you had fun!!

Mollie @ Sprinkles of Life - I LOVE New York! LOVE LOVE LOVE it! My boyfriend and I went there for New Year’s Eve. So. cool! I can’t wait to do it again with him years down that road! Until we go back over NYE though, I need a couple trips just to explore and see more.

seriously sassy mama - I would love to go to NYC. I have never been. I love all your pictures of the city.

Curious Details - Crazy coincidence~a few years back we went to NYC for my 40th birthday (we live in Houston) We love Letterman and I scored tickets to his show AND got to try out for Stump The Band! What in interesting process that was. Made it all the way through to the final round which happened before taping in the Green Room with Paul Schaffer, but didn’t make the final cut. We did, however, get to sit really really close to the front and Dave came and stood “right there” next to us. Really fun!
Your trip looked very familiar. We live in a big city, but New York just overwhelms me. Too much of too much. But, like Vegas..ya gotta see it at least once in your life!

Rachel - I actually lived there for a little while! One night some girls I went to college with were like “Hey, let’s move to NYC.” And I was IN! I had ALWAYS wanted to live there. We were young and single and READY to mingle! Ha! So we packed up a UHAUL, drove from Chicago suburbs to NYC. It was a blast, and I’m really glad for the experience, but so glad to be living in my little rural Arkansas town, population 1500. I would rather have cows and chickens for neighbors and not all the LOUD stuff of NYC. But it is FUN. Lots of good experiences! And only one drive by shooting….for real :/ ( We didn’t tell our parents because we were afraid they would come and take us home!)

Betsy - So we went to NYC for the day and you were there at the same time!!!!!?!! I was looking for famous people all day– didn’t know that the famous Meg was there! (We were there on the rainy day- ick. Went to Rockefeller Center, and since our kids were with us, had to hit the Lego store.) I kept whacking umbrellas with other people by mistake as we walked the crowded streets. Love NYC- but that many people? Take me home, country roads, to the place where I belong… Connecticut! 🙂

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Since we live only about 4-5 hours away Ive been there numerous times. I LOVE it but I will not take my kids until theyre much older. Ive been there at different times of the year too and there are just too many people. Id be a nervous wreck that Id lose one of them.:)
I spent two consecutive birthdays in New York trying to get to the Rachel Ray show. The 2nd time we went totally made up for the first time they cut us off AT THE DOOR (even though we had tickets)saying “We’re sorry…the studio is full. We’ll give you VIP tickets for next season to make up for this.” The 2nd time we got to see Bob Barker and some dude from DWTS and everyone in the audience won $1500 in stuff! My mother in law and sister in law had taken me so they won it all too. Awesome, memorable trip!
We just got home from a family trip down through Virginia…the beach, wild horse islands, historical sites,etc… and in a few weeks hubby and I leave(alone) for El Salvador and Honduras for a teaching/missions trip.

Kim - MEG. This post makes me want to go to NYC right now. I have been twice, and I feel like I saw so much, but now I just want to see it all again, and MORE.
I LOVE NYC. Seriously. I wish I was 20 again, and packed up and moved out there.
I ALWAYS think in headlines too. Family vacations and youth group trips back in the day. FREAKY.

Christine - I want to comment on the whole trip, but I have no time. Let me just say I love your blog. Its awesome.

Michelle - What a great trip Meg! I was totally instagram stalking you while you were there. It looks like a blast!

brandi - i am going to NYC in 64 days (but who’s counting) with four of my best girlfriends. It will be my 3rd trip to NYC. I love it there. Maybe not the smells and herds of people, but I do love the diversity of New York. There’s just so much to do and so much culture. I can’t believe how lucky i am to go with just the girls (while the hubby stays home with the kids). I am glad you enjoyed it. It’s really hard for us Kansas girls to feel at home in the hustle and bustle of the city – but lets be honest, with all the kiddos, it’s still hustle and bustle, just a different kind. 😉

Tiffany - Oh how cool is the blurry photo of you with the umbrella, that looks movie set *ish. I live very close to NYC, prolly a little over an hour and we hardly visit, now I feel like a dweeb. Can’t believe you didn’t say hello to Corbin Bersen, let me find out you’re actually kinda shy, that would be a shocker.

Kristin S - No, don’t stop posting. I’m living vicariously through you on this trip…
I used to go with my dad every other year. Then I grew up. Stink. Haven’t been in over 20 years.

Jana Banana - Looks like a fab trip! Jealous of the Jimmy Fallon tickets, I’m a fan, too! (But then, who isn’t?) Well done on the bike ride through Central Park, that’s not something I would have thought about, but now, if ever we get to NYC, it’s on the list. 🙂

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