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HERE WE GO…

November 17, 2018

On Instagram this week I mentioned how I was missing my blog so here I am.
there’s too much to cover if I make myself go back and write about everything I skipped so I am starting with today.
I can tell you WHY I stopped blogging. There are several reasons – time, bigger kids, different season, etc.
But I think a huge part of it was feeling like I had no more words.
My energy for words was gone.
You’ve heard the saying “little kids – little problems, big kids – big problems”
For awhile… parenting big kids really felt like a punch in the gut.
The emotional energy being poured out all day every day took all that I had.
It’s not been a smooth & easy path so I really felt like I had no words left to say at the end of the day.
I felt defeated & exhausted.
I certainly don’t have it all figured out now but I have been able to find a new rhythm.
It sounds crazy but what has brought back my energy has been taking of our sweet foster baby this past year.
He is all light & joy & fun all day long!
Caring for him has been life giving for me and helps me smile 100 times a day.
He’s brought our whole family closer getting to love on him together.
There’s plenty of stress that comes along with foster care too (because of all the adults not Tiny) but with so much happiness surrounding me it is so much easier to handle the highs & lows of foster care, parenting and life!
So that is where I am today. It may change tomorrow… who knows?!

Here’s a bunch of pics from the past few months!

Our daughter Lauren had a baby in July! He is so much fun!
His name is Lowry.
It’s weird having a baby at the same time as your daughter… but weird is not bad. 🙂
Tiny’s favorite thing in the whole world is lawn mowers.
And getting to sit on it with Craig is better than anything!

who needs parks when you have a mower?

On my 43rd birthday I was serenaded by waiters singing mariachi and it scared Lowry!

Tiny can walk now (when he feels like it) and reading books is the way to his heart (unless you have a lawn mower…)

we
we celebrated Tiny’s 1st birthday! He came to our home when he was 6 days old.
He did not like the cake, was confused by the singing but really loved the new ride on toy that plays music.

Talby has had a full season of volleyball.
I’ll post all her volleyball pics on another post but these were from a tournament day where they won everything and played with Tiny inbetween all their games.

kansas views… at the end of my block.
I can’t take the cuteness!!!!

I got to spend a weekend at the Craft House with these friends.
I love these girls!!!

Sean’s (#53) also had a full football season… more pics to come on that too.
He is a senior so football is over forever.
SO SAD!!!!

Craig & Sean went to a Chiefs game.
That’s A LOT of red!!!

Annie turned 14 – WHAT IS LIFE??
How is this possible? She is just a tiny baby… how can she also be 14?
She and my dad share a birthday so we sang to them both and they sang to each other.

we made Tiny a crown out of the chip bag at Chipotle.
and wore him out with all of our birthday shopping.
i love wearing sleeping babies!!! their little kissy lips breathing baby breath on my neck??? HEAVEN!

Annie started basketball and has had 4 or 5 games already!

Talby turned 17.
She’s the sweetest kid!
NONE of her birthday gifts arrived in the mail on time so she had birthday WEEK – getting different packages each afternoon after school.
we went to dinner with the whole family to celebrate…not quite as easy now that we have another baby (Lowry) and a toddler who doesn’t want to sit at the table (normal). But it was wonderful to be all together none the less.

Lowry & Tiny are 9 months apart.
Tiny is smallish/average for his age and Lowry is a tank.
They are so cute together.

So that is my post easing back in to blogging.
I want to FINALLY answer the loads of the questions I got about foster care.
There were over a hundred and it overwhelmed me. Foster care itself overwhelms me on certain days…
so I gave up on the post.
but I will do it because there are kids out there that need a grown up to stand up for them.
It can help more of you consider foster care or helping a foster family so I will do it.

And as far as Tiny’s future with us… in the next week we should know a lot more.
I love him.
forever.
he’s changed our lives, our hearts and our family.

and he just woke up from his nap so I will be done with this post.

thanks for reading for all the years!

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Michelle - So great to hear from you, Meg! I’ve been reading along for years…

Rebekah - I am giddy that you’re coming back to the blog!! Yay!! Your pictures and words always bring me joy and I know it’s the joy of Jesus shining through you!

Patti Mullican - Thanks for blogging! I love your blog and instagram feed and I am so inspired by you as an artist, mom, Jesus lover, etc. Blessings on you and yours this Christmas season! P.S. I hope you do a gift buying guide this year – I always end up purchase at least one or more items from your list! LOL

Karyn - I am glad you are back! Will you please post one of your gift giving or stocking stuffer ideas for Christmas! I love reading them.

Jenny B. - OH, wow!! This post was bittersweet for me. I mean, not really bitter, but there was a tinge of sadness because my oldest just turned 14, and he and Annie were so little back when I first started reading. Sigh… To quote you — time is a jerk. 😉 Also, Sean has changed SO much. He looks so grown up now! This just tells me I need to follow you on Instagram! Hello! Why have I not been?? I miss blogs, but IG is good too… Congrats on your grandbaby, and I hope things go well with Tiny and your family! Thanks for the update!

Beccy - Congratulations on your new Grandbaby!!! Parenting is not for the faint of
heart. Looking forward to your foster care post.

Becca Groves - I’m so glad you are posting on your blog again! Thank you for sharing this way! And I will be praying for Tiny this week with earnest prayers, for him and for all the adults making the decisions for him. And especially praying for you. Love and Peace to you.

Toni :0) - I have always loved your blog. The colors, the family, the babies, you are just fun and so inspiring. It brightens my day. Thank you for being a flashlight 🔦 in a depressing world. Look up Kristen Hampton on Facebook. She’s funny and joy filled and she will explain the flashlight. It’s because of you that we love Jim Gaffigan and got to see him last summer in person. God bless you for fostering Tiny. 💜

Andrea - Loved the post. Love your blog….love to follow you on insta…. update us on Tiny. Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Rachel Jeter - MEG! So glad to see you back on here blogging. Sometimes I browse thru your old posts. I’ve loved your blog since 2010! Praying for you guys on this foster care journey. What a blessing you are to Tiny and no doubt Tiny is blessing you. Lots of love from Arkansas and hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

Lindsay - So happy to see you back! Looking forward to more blog posts! ❤️

Erin - Love to you, Meg! Long time reader who is praying for you all and so thankful for each time you do share.

Linda - So happy to see you blogging. I know what you mean by having no energy after dealing with big kids! Wow it is tuff. But I love your blog and the happy spirit it always has. Glad you are back!

Dana - So good to see you on here, Meg! We have 6 kids and our youngest is 4, so I’ve always looked to you to have a glimpse into what life could look like in the future. I completely want to do what you’re doing when all our kids are bigger, too- foster a baby! I know I would end up wanting to adopt, but I’ll leave that part up to the Lord. What you are doing is so important! I too have been a little bit disillusioned by foster care and DHS, but these kids are the ones who lose when we give up because it’s too hard. Keep up the super important, life-changing, good work!

CathyMA - Love this update Megan ❤️

Michelle - I saw one or two other people say this, but I also have been reading your blog forever and I’m wigging out at how big your kids have gotten! Congrats on making it through (I feel like we all need congrats on just getting by sometimes.)

Michelle - Welcome back, Meg! I don’t feel like you’ve been too far because I follow you on Instagram but this was a lovely update and I was grateful to read it. I hope this week brings the best outcomes for everyone involved. Not sure there is such a thing, but as close as you can get it my wish for you and Tiny. xoxo

Kelly - I loved “catching up”. I pop back into my blog and I do love it when I do it. Blog as much or as little as you want! Kelly

Heather - I’m so happy you’re blogging again! I have followed you for YEARS and always look forward to reading your posts. They are real, encouraging, and always helpful, from parenting to paint colors! 😉 I look forward to your Christmas gift ideas for teen girls each year and my girls get great gifts from your suggestions.

I’ve had the hardest parenting year of my life. I’m raising two teenage girls (15 & 16). And while they are great girls, teenage years are HARD! I found myself wishing for the days of sippy cups and Dora the Explorer. But God is good and makes good of all things. Lifting your family up in prayer!

Blessings,
Heather

Kayla - I can complete relate to your reason for stepping away from blogging because I have done the same thing. We have 6 kids and blogging about our lives was easy and fun when they were little. Now they are big-ish….and I feel like I can’t share “their lives” or candid moments anymore without their permission. I also had to pick and choose my words carefully, which made it more like work than fun! But, I am happy to get an occasional glimpse into your lives – from someone who understands the struggle!

jennibell - I’m so glad that you are blogging!! I’ve missed you so much. . .but know how seasons change and all that. I’m rarely on Instagram but have kept up a bit through that. Great post. Happy Holidays!!!

Debbie H - Thanks for the post, Meg! LOVE all the photos! You must have even gotten out the BIG camera for the flowers and butterflies! 🙂 . Pray for you and Tiny that the best decisions are made. . . although I know from experience the system sure seems flawed. Hugs! And thanks for sharing yourself with the “rest” of us. So great to have you “back”. Happy Thanksgiving to your entire family. We all have so much to be grateful for. xoxo

Melissa - Are you going to adopt Tiny?

Lorri - Welcome back to this wonderful home you have made here on the Web and invited all of in for a visit. Thank you for sharing your home, business, family and journey these many years. Please know total strangers are out here rooting for you and your family, and sending prayers to all. God bless.

Tracy - So happy to read your stories again!! Makes me so happy! Can’t wait for the next post 🙂

Lisa - I feel like a creeper saying this but I randomly discovered your blog when Annie was like 4 years old! Which means I’ve been following your life for 10 years. The internet is a weird place. But I do want you to know your blog and Instagram and family has been an encouragment to me. Even your story of getting pregnant with your oldest. My 17 year old is pregnant and due soon. Your story encourages my mama’s heart! Also your comments about big kids is spot on. So thankful their stories don’t end during those teenage years. Xoxo

Beth - Love this and bless you for fostering!!
Nice to read about what you have been up to lately. I’ve been reading since tabby was like 3!!!

Shannon - Thanks for posting Meg. As the parent of four kiddos 13-24 I needed to hear this. I thought I was tired when my kids were little, but I had no how emotionally exhausting it is to parent big kids. Hang in there and know you are not alone!

Sue - Loved this. Thanks for the update! Thanks, too, for the confirmation that parenting big kids can be as draining as it has been for me! Will look forward to more whenever you’re able to post. Absolutely love seeing and hearing about Tiny.

stephanie ackerman - love EVERYTHING about this post..love you more and love #tiny even a little bit more than all of that #auntiesteph

liz c. - So fun to see a post from you, and so many beautiful photos. Tiny and Lowry are both darling. Sending good wishes to you and your family.

Tiffany - My energy for words was gone. – Sheesh, I hear you. But delighted to hear that you have more energy and looking forward to the Foster Care information.

Kristen - I’m newish here. I started following your Instagram because of Selah Signs. Visiting the craft house is on my bucket list! I didn’t even know you had a blog. But I feel like I could have written this. Except for the foster baby and the first grandchild. I have a kid who recently turned 17 and another who is 13. And another teen in the middle. I used to keep a blog too. And in this different season of motherhood, there’s just not words. But I sense God is doing something big. I don’t know what it is yet, but maybe it will come with a return to my blog.

Susan - So glad to be reading this!

Amanda - Life at Cloverhill - Lovely catch up. Nice to see everyone is doing so well 🙂

Melissa - Welcome back!

Cara - So glad you are back!!!!!

Rachel - So lovely to read your words again – I’ve missed your blog 👍😄

Jennifer - Welcome back! It was the perfect post. Thank you!

Kim - Just wanted to say “you’ve got this”. I don’t have teenagers yet but my 3yo is giving me a run for my money. Glad you came back to this space, it will be here when you have time for it. No pressure. 🙂

Kathi - Thanks for the post! I’ve missed you, Instagram just isn’t the same as a good old fashioned blog post:)

Lynette - I am so glad you posted. I so enjoy your words and your pictures are always so colorful! I have five kids, ages 5-16 (17 at the end of the month) and while the teen years are so much better in many ways than I anticipated, I love my teen girls, it is also such a challenging parenting season. We are so busy and life is full of weighty issues. In some ways teens feel just as needy as toddlers but their needs are more emotionally draining. I find myself completely done in at the end of most days!!! Mommying is hard. 😊 So inspired by your foster care story. It’s always been a dream of mine to be a foster mom.

Michelle - Thanks for sharing! I loved seeing all the pics!

Rachelle - So glad you are back. Much love and light.

Lisa Anderson - It made me so happy to read this post. I’ve missed your blog. Thank you so much for being honest about the big kids, big problems. I feel ya and sometimes I think I’m the only one having problems. It’s good to be reminded I’m maybe normal. Love your beautiful family and adventure with Tiny. Thanks for giving us the time!

Emily McNulty - Thank you for blogging again! I sure have missed you🌻

Kimberlee - I hope it felt good to write that. It felt great to read it! ♥️

Sara Neufeld - So good! Love reading the update! Reminds me of the old days when I read your blog every single day and Annie was a preschooler! Time just flies on by. Have a great weekend!

Shanna - Loved loved loved this wonderful update! It’s so beautiful to see this season of your life and all the joy you bring to it!!

Rebecca W - Thanks for posting all these years!

Jenn - Loved reading this post and seeing a bit of family life – thanks for sharing!

Laura - I loved reading this! I love your blog and I have missed it 🙂

Astrid - <3 Thank you so much for returning and sharing bits and pieces of your life with us. I truly have missed reading your posts. (PS…you helped to inspire me to paint our stairs in rainbow colors <3 )
I'm looking forward to reading more of your posts and learning more about foster care.

Amy - Yay!! I’ve missed your blog. Thanks for sharing!

Rita - So nice to catch up a bit! Good luck with it all!

Angela - This made my day!! Your family has grown so much! I was thinking about all your wonderful Christmas posts today while I was putting up our tree. So glad to see you back at it!

Catherine - Welcome back!!! So nice to read a post! Thanks for sharing so much! Life can keep us really busy and trying hard to figure out all that comes our way. ❤️❤️❤️

Kelly - Love all those sweet pictures and all the color and rainbows we know you for!

Rachel Boers - So glad you are “back.” Yes, life with “bigs” is a challenge, and in a different way than the physical exhaustion that came when the kids were little. And the stakes are so much higher too! Its not always easy (or right!) to ignore that and act like everything is fine, yet you have to respect their privacy at the same time, which can feel deceptive. Not to mention there is a grieving when kid after kid leaves the nest. Every year there is a new normal, not just for me and my husband, but also for the kids left at home. I’ve said to my husband over the past five years, “I just don’t know how much more change I can take!” It’s a season of transition, and while it’s necessary, and, in the end, good, it’s also still messy and JUST PLAIN HARD. But I’ve learned that I can’t let it steal my joy, and it looks like you’ve learned that too! There are still lots of great things happening, of course, and I am getting better at being content in this season of life. Please keep writing!

Mary Byberg - welcome back xo you were missed

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happy pics

April 3, 2018

these are instagram accounts i follow that make me smile and inspire me.
click on the photo and it will take you to their IG account. 🙂

I am positive you are feeling more happy than you were one minute ago after seeing all these beautiful pics!
and i hope you enjoy following their instagram feeds.

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Laurie - You make me smile!! Thanks for the inspiration! I love new feeds to inspire me to create

Alisa Workman - We follow some of the same accounts. It’s always great to have color in your life.

Heather - Love these! I love colorful pictures in my instagram feed, thanks for sharing! Do you follow @studiodiy? I feel like you would love it / it fits in with all these other ones!

Lorri - Such sunny goodness – thank you for sharing! They will be a definite lift, just like your IG feed is. 🙂

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photos of the week

May 10, 2016

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the peonies have been blooming.
which always means rain is coming.
and it has.
so i made sure to cute what i could before they are mushy.
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checking out the local green house! FullSizeRender (14)
curious chickens.

weekend basketball.
all year round.

donuts!!!
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she’s a grumpy old bird.
her feathers match her personality.

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and speaking of eggs….
i bought this little Egg Cooker recently and WE LOVE IT!
we can have hard boiled eggs within minutes!
we have eggs for days with all these happy chickens and my kids love hard boiled eggs.
just fill the bottom of the cooker with a few tablespoons of water and turn it on.
and in a few minutes… hard boiled eggs!
easy, healthy breakfast or snack!
no pot watching. no oven preheating. no thinking. it’s mindless.
and i like things like that!!
and it’s tiny and takes up very little space in your cabinet!

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multi-tasking.

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track meets.
talby is a triple jumper, long jumper, high jumper, hurdler and runner.

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talby worked hard on her hurdles this season and won FIRST PLACE at League!!

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scott is a high jumper.
sean throws shot put, discus and jav but the one meet i was able to attend of his… got rained out just as he began.

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Treat Yo’ Self!

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piano practice after school.

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mornings are hard.
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lots to plant!
i got all of my pots planted on saturday.
now i have a bunch of perenials to get in the ground!
i love gardening season!
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we expanded the chicken coop fenced area.
i’m pretty sure they LOVE it!
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loving this book “Looking for Lovely” by Annie Downs.
it’s really good!
i think we’d be friends. 🙂

these four girls broke the school record in their relay!

all my girls were home for craig’s birthday.
i like that.
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all the 8th grade girls after they won the League Track Meet.
and so smiley because track is now over!

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my lady friends!!

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my favorite chore.

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waffle is a total weirdo.

it’s been a pretty good week.

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favorites from the internet | - […] Meg posted about this egg cooker. […]

Renee - Can I ask a rude question? How much do you spend on flowers each spring? I would love to recreate the impact you give, but have no idea what to expect financially. Do you shop around? Buy the cheapest? Or just splurge?

Kari - Your peonies are gorgeous! We have some in our yard, but they’re always covered in ants. Despite their beauty, I have to restrain from bringing them in because I’m afraid of bringing in a bunch of ants. How do you keep the ants off of them/get them off of them before you bring them in?

Tobi Layton - What a fun post! And, on a personal note, it brought back memories! I used to triple jump, long jump, and hurdle for the Swathers! It was fun seeing pictures of my alma mater!

Lynne - OMG I can’t believe that you have a pet named Waffles. We have a cat named Waffles because he waffles from good to evil at the drop of a hat. What kind of dog is Waffle? OH by the way your peonies are beautiful.

Rebekah Wales - I’m so glad I’m not the only one whose children like to recline on the kitchen counter. 😀

Andrea - I love it when you post random pictures!

Kimberlee Jost - The peonies with your Grandma’s cow…I have looked at that picture at least 10 times. Something is drawing me in. I want to live in that picture. Shop print?

Mary - Can you please tell me where you got your adorable frayed jeans. Love them!!!

Crystal D - We bought the egg cooker in November and it is amazing!! One of my favorite appliances. We’ve used it over 25 times and only once had an undercooked batch (I don’t think I used enough water). I cannot give it enough “5 stars”

Kathi - I also love your pictures! Could you blog about your chicken coop and how you tend to your chickens? We are considering chickens, neither of us has any chicken experience. Any tips?

Sarah - I love your photos. You inspire me to get behind the camera more often. Also, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know your friend Jana. She’s co-teaching one of my classes and she is so very lovely and insightful. 🙂

jamie - HAHA the waffle photo made me laugh out loud almost snort! can you imagine having that in your shop as a canvas??!? and HELLO with the egg cooker it’s now in my amazon cart where has that little thing been all my life. the COLORS of all your flowers are just so stunningly beautiful and happy. your photos inspire.

meg duerksen - Julie- the alarm is slightly obnoxious but it’s no big deal. We have always had perfectly cooked eggs! It’s totally a great appliance!

Julie Cross - So excited about the egg cooker but when I looked at the reviews on Amazon, people hated it. Do you think the alarm is annoying? Or that they undercook? Just thinking that they might have improved it since those yucky reviews. Thanks!

Lori - Love your photos! They are so bright and happy! Looks like a pretty good week to me 🙂

stephanie - I love all your pictures! The daisies and peonies especially. I just moved to Utah after living in the southern half of the US (desert and Gulf Coast) for my entire adult life. Can I just tell you how thrilled I am that I now get to grow peonies?! They are my favorite and won’t grow in the south. So now I’m in the club! lol

cathie w. - These ‘random’ tidbits of your life are some of my favorite posts!! Love all the color and thoughtful musings. Have a fabulous week!

Chris - I love when I come to your site and there’s a new post full of pictures. They inspire my morning. Love the bright pink peonies. We only have white, which are beautiful, but those pink…

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this week

April 3, 2016

i have been attempting to write this post for over a week but my computer is being dumb.
there seems to be a window right now where it’s working so i write. 🙂

my mind has been consumed with thoughts and planning for Camp CREATE coming up next week.
and shopping for it.
and prepping for it.
all while being a mom and that kind of stuff.
so… here are a bunch of phone pics of things that are going on recently.

best shirt ever (from hello apparel)

i finally put up the cow bust that was my grandma’s.
it hung on the side of her sink and she used it as a towel holder for as long as i can remember.
i always loved it.
and i was so happy to have it for my home.

working from home… a project that will come out in september.

annie’s first spring break.

we went to a Rend Collective concert.
have you heard of them?
we listen to them allllllll the time with our kids and some of the songs are sung at our church too.
my Rend Collective pandora station is one of my most favorites.
in this picture… i was watching the lighted beach balls that were bouncing around the crowd and never even saw that they put panda heads on. HA!
i was looking through the photos and asked “what in the world?” to talby & annie and they said “yeah… they did that for a long time mom”
oh.
i guess i was distracted.
so funny.

still trying to eat healthy.
a battle i feel i may never win because – cookies.

H.O.R.S.E. in the driveway.

spring break dinner out that just happened to be on St. Patricks Day which made for a lively crowd. (aka: drunk)

saturdays with no sports or major events are my faaaaaaavorite.
and the dogs like it too.
ha!
they get so many more opportunities to make me spill my coffee.

my friend Jenny sent me this ADORABLE wood sign for my house!
and i found a spot right away so i could see it everyday!
she has so many cute handmade signs in her shop.
i love every. single. one!

this was Easter morning.
WHAT?
we haven’t had snow in two years in our area of kansas.
and on Easter sunday annie came in our room and shouted “IT SNOWED A TON!???!” and threw open our curtains.
we were shocked!

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it was so bizarre to have all that snow!

this was the most i did for Easter for my kids… everyone got a small chocolate bunny.

i have been “collecting” random pretty state or flower plates for a few years for maybe someday doing a big mosaic project.
but recently i was thinking of getting new dishes at home but dreading spending money on dishes that would inevidentally end up broken since the kids do all the dishes at our house… pro/con.
i realized i had tons of these dishes… they are fun to look at….they are unique… they cost .50 – $1.00 at our thrift store… i could just use these as our plates instead of buying a new set of fancy dishes.
It’s more my style anyway… eclectically unique/colorful/vintage/modern twist.
so now they are our everyday plates!
and i love them!

camp prep – making name tags.
making projects.

planning for camp looks a lot like this.
at several different stores.

and at camp since we are together for several days we give everyone their own cup.
it helps keep track of which drink is which, cuts down on dishes and it’s cute!
lots of people asked on Instagram where i got them… you can find them RIGHT HERE.

the same grandma that had the cow in her kitchen also used the phrase “happy plate” when we were good eaters and could have dessert.
and let me tell you… i was a really picky eater and they ate weird stuff.
i challenged the happy plate at every meal.
but i loved her tapioca pudding and usually ate enough to get it.
so i saw this plate in OKC and loved the memories it brought up.
and bought one for me and one my sister too.
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marshalls and tjmaxx are my weakness.
i love finding stuff there!
like this rug… i have even brought it up to the register but haven’t bought it… yet.
it’s just so darn cheery!

my mom found me this awesome tank on Zulily.
could it be any more perfect for me?!

all that snow melted immediately… like by 5:00 it was GONE.
and spring is definitely here in kansas.
my chickens are loving the nice weather.
as much as i can assume a chicken loves anything.

i found some fun stuff while thrifting the other day.
i don’t love green glass but i love when i find something unique and that water jar was just that.
but really i just love thrifting in general.
and the flowers were from Dillons.
because it’s a nice addition to any friday.

scott went on a college visit last week (HOW?!) and these clouds were on my drive home.
deep blue and moving so fast.
i tried not think of them as some kind of metaphor for this new stage of life with my oldest son….

we got our baby fix holding craig’s cousin’s baby on friday night.
he was dreamy… never made a peep.

and my last pic for today… this was the scene i walked into after my house had been cleaned.
it’s all so C L E A N!!!
i smiled for an hour!
i have lots more i want to share but who knows what my computer will do the next week.
and camp starts in three days!
there is laundry to wash, beds to make, art supplies to organize, margaritas to make!
it’s going to be a very good week!

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Mindy - Love Rend Collective and can only imagine the energy live and in person! I love Marshall’s and TJ Maax as well – you never know what you might find there. And your tulips – lovely.

Candice - Love your photos! Can you share your source for printing on canvas? Thank you!

beth larson - I loved this post Meg…all the great pictures etc… (my your kiddos seem to be growing in leaps in the last few months). I especially love the last pic of the cute pups in your sparkly clean house! Happy Friday,
beth

Lisa - Oh that picture of you and Annie! Be still my heart!

Jenn - so your rend collective picture…….well first love the panda heads. great…..but second the girl in the picture (her profile) looks like drew berrymore

Lindsey - Love everything about this post!

angela F Conklin - Ok, so i can’t stand it when people say *where did you get that?* and *what color is that?* BUT…………..
Lipstick color in 1st pic please!
AND
tell me about your counter tops. Granite? Marble? Quartz? Color? Make?

Angela conoil@yahoo.com

cornelia krahn - I have 20 of those state plates and I’m moving so I can’t keep them. I’d like to give them to you for all the joy you’ve brought to my life. I live in Wisconsin but will be in Newton this Thursday-Sat. Are you interested?

DLG in Mich - I bought two of those rugs at Marshall’s for the same reason – they make me happy. I got orange and teal and while they make me smile, they don’t wash up so well. The colored ‘ribbons’ come un-tucked from the tan body of the rug, if that makes sense.

Melanie Sidwell - Ooooh you know CU-Boulder is a great college town 🙂 just sayin! Also – I have collected about six of those green glass water jars (found one even with the original yellow lid). I love them and haven’t found any for a few years so I’m quite tickled you found one. I found four at a small town Nebraska thrift store, and two in different stores in Colorado. Coveting yours!

Melissa - “because cookies”… story of my life.

Rebekah Wales - That rainbow hello t-shirt is THE BEST!

Jennifer - Great post! Yes, next week is definitely going to great ;)!

Heather - Love that cow, I have the exact same one hanging beside my sink! Found it at an antique shop for $7 and felt like I won the lottery! Your pictures are always so bright and cheery, love checking in on your blog just to see all of the fun pics. 🙂

Debi meyers - Hey meg.
Pretty lipstick in photo #1!

Since I’m older than you but not as old as your grand mom, as a teen in the 70s in the Midwest I bought a similar white ceramic head to hang my bathroom towel. Not a cow, but another barn animal … Pig? Duck? don’t remember. Has same eyes. I guess they were a thing.

I collect vintage souvenir plates too. Many often have a sticker saying “not food-safe” … And often the original stickers are gone. You don’t want to be eating off a lead-based paint.

Carry on ….

Traci - I love that cute cow! Also, I feel that you are my soul sister in a lot of ways. Lover of color, lots of creative endeavors. I enjoy seeing what you write about here. Carry on and here’s to a happy and creative week!

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24 hours in OKC

March 25, 2016

we woke up on friday morning of spring break last week & decided last minute to go to Oklahoma City for the NCAA tournament games.
no one had anything packed.
we had no tickets to the games.
but we all scrambled together and hit the road.

in less than three hours we were there!
craig and the boys went to find some tickets for the second game in the first round.
scott really wanted to see Buddy Hield play in person.
craig could only find two tickets so he sent the boys inside on their own and then he went to watch the game at a restaurant.
the girls and i wandered around and took silly pictures in front of crazy murals.

we had time to shop at one store that was nearby called Plenty.
it’s such a fun place!
we loved so many pretty things in their shop.
but this trophy… don’t you think some days it would be THE PERFECT gift someone could give you?!

and there was time for dessert too.
BEFORE dinner!
lucky ducks.

the girls and i drove around and looked at giant fancy houses for a few minutes too.
then we met up with all the boys for dinner – Mexican! YUM!
after that we ALL went back to the stadium and had tickets to the second round of games that night.

these weren’t teams we particularly cared about but it was fun to go and do something different.

for the 2nd game in the 2nd half we saw a bunch of empty seats in the third row and we moved on down.
we got a close up view for the craziest game ending shot!
it was tied and everyone’s phones were dead except for mine.. i had 4 % left.
scott said “MOM! VIEDO THIS!” i said “Why?!” (like a true mom)
and then this happened….

SO MUCH FUN!!!

we pretty much decided that we need to go to NCAA march madness games every year.

we had debated earlier in the day not spending the night but thankfully we had gotten a hotel room because the game was over after 11:00!
we got to our hotel room at midnight!
AND we got upgraded because since it was so late they gave our room away earlier
we had ended up in a room that had 3 tvs, a kitchen and a bar AND a conference table with 6 rolling chairs!
the kids thought it was so fancy.
Craig and i loved that we had our own room within the suite!
“Fancy livin’! Here we come!” – spongebob squarepants

the kids went swimming in the morning and played their favorite game of hotel elevator tag
we ate a big buffet breakfast and then it was back on the road.

the next Urban Outfitters catalog models… featuring a broken wheel barrel.
ha ha ha

and this one could be captioned “SEAN! GET OUT OF MY PICTURE!!”

it’s a shame these kids have no personality and they are just so shy.
heh.

we stopped into this shop Pinkitzel… ummmm?
this place was W-I-L-D!
super cute cupcakes though!
and the cutest mugs! this fancy pants one was my favorite.

and then seriously… THIS IS AN UNDERPASS!
it is crazy beautiful.

i asked craig to pull over so i could take this shot.
and i love him for stopping.
i am super curious about this place?!!
obviously because of the white on white Jesus Saves neon lights but also because it was super modern and pretty and well taken care of.
LOVED IT!

and that was our 24 hours in OKC.
we had to get back home in time to watch KU play on tv.
🙂

short & sweet and a seriously good time!
perfect way to end spring break!

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meg duerksen - Cindy i usually shop for my girls at Old Navy & Target. Talby gets jeans from american eagle because they fit her the best. We get lots of sporty stuff as gifts at christmas. I also tend to shop tjmaxx for leggings and hoodies too.

KWolff - I love how your family just up & went because they could! That is a something I hope we can get mastered sooner or later. We tend to over plan things.
I’m trying to “sell” OKC as a vacation destination for our family of six this summer. I haven’t been to Oklahoma since I was in college and that was only for a band trip. Running around with my kiddos would be way more fun (ok, maybe not WAY MORE fun, but still).
Anyhoo – thanks for showing the other side of OKC to us! 🙂

Tiffany - Love the wall and the photos!

Jill - Loved all of your pictures from the trip. I too was so curious about this building with Jesus Saves on the front. I looked it up….here is the link with all of the information about it.
http://oklahoma.uli.org/event/uli-oklahoma-site-tour-jesus-saves/

Cindy - I would love to know where your shop with your girls for clothes! I have a 12 and 14 year old and it’s a struggle to find things for them. Love your blog…thanks for all of the big kids posts!

Kerri - Going to the tournament games is so much fun – doesn’t matter who is playing, just experiencing that atmosphere is great. The Bricktown area of OKC is fantastic. I’m a Kansan, but wouldn’t have been in any hurry to get home for the Jayhawk game. lol

Ellen V R - I know right where that Jesus Saves building is! I did some Googling and apparently it used to be a Bible bindery but it’s been empty for about a decade and someone bought it to turn it into an upscale residence…so if it looked nice, I wonder if it’s finished! How cool!

Linda - I love the spontaneity and the joy that you find in life!

Lisa - I’ve lived here , close to Okc, over 30 years and haven’t seen all those paintings!
When you come back, a neat place to go, is Architechural Salvage, on Meridian.
It’s kinda like the barn, up there in Marion.
Know where I can get 2 tickets to the opening Royals game???

Lori - Super fun! Love that underpass. Wow!

Carol S. - Fun fun post, lucky mom with kids (even boys) that ham it up for the camera!! The paintings are all so amazing!!!! Thanks for sharing Meg.

Beth Ann - So jealous you were able to watch the UNI game – UNI is my alma mater! There was lots of cheering going on in our living room that late, late night! Looks like a fun 24 getaway!

Kelly - Fun mom and dad alert!!!! I love reading about fun family adventures, and it’s great to think ahead to when my own kids are bigger, about what trips we can take.

Marsha Kern - How fun, great idear!

Katherine @ Grass Stains - I’m laughing because you called it a “wheel barrel”! I’ve had whole conversations with people about that … wondering if that’s a regional thing or what. (Do you know that it’s a “wheelbarrow”?) I wrote a blog post about it a long time ago because I was fascinated that so many people call them wheel barrels!

Melissa - How fun!
Rock Chalk!!!

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smiley stuff.

April 30, 2015

with all the piano playing going on over here… i liked this video.
i showed my girls and then said “ok… go play that!”
ha ha ha
they rolled their eyes at me.

this was impressive.
🙂

*************************************************************************************

434ceac7381f4650864b6753f603a643
annie made these cookies last night.
OH MY GOODNESS.
we used Gluten Free rolled oats.

i would like to mess around with it or keep looking for a recipe with less sugar or coconut sugar but until then… dang. these are crazy good.

*************************************************************************************

you guys!
i found these capris at TJMaxx and they are THE BEST!
they are high waisted!!!
my biggest “issue” is my waist and then for so much work out gear to put a big elastic band right ON it.. i may as well wear a shirt that says “Look at my muffin top!”
but then these… they deal with this specific problem!
they are heavy spandex too so you don’t feel like you’re semi-nakey. 🙂

88e038876694accad0ab51380a9489ce

tjmaxx is sooooo hit or miss so i googled them and found them on amazon!
you can order them right here!

90 Degree By Reflex High Rise and Shine Capri

i have black, navy and turquoise. 🙂

i will probably get pink too because… pink.

you can enjoy your workouts (and running errands) with a less noticeable muffin top.

maybe we should just go back to unitards… they are seamless… no elastic…??

no? are you sure?

ok.

*************************************************************************************

this little girl is from kansas and WOW!
she is so funny. so smart. and i keep cracking up at these videos… you will LOVE it!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=551f0143-0000-2a9f-97f5-001a113e8f44&feature=iv&src_vid=XFismjYRcRM&v=D4SmdOHp7cs

*************************************************************************************

i am off to Craft Weekend!
it’s been a long break so i am ready to meet new friends, make crafts, go junking, and eat all the yummy stuff kimberlee feeds me!
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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Carrie - THANK YOU for the leggings recomendation. I got the turquoise pair & they are AMAZING! Off to order a second pair now………

Jen - Oh that piano video is the best! Thanks for sharing that.

Ann - My kids put together a simplified version of the Frozen duet & had a great time performing it. Thanks for sharing! Also, ordering the Capri’s today. Love that they are high waisted & don’t make you feel semi-nakey. Have a great week 🙂

Amy Woods - Thank you, thank you, thank you for these videos. I’m watching them on my lunch break at work and oh my, you have helped turn around this poor attitude I am having today!!

Hannah - I LOVE LOVE LOVE those leggings! i discovered them at tj maxx, wore them once, immediately googled the name and ordered 4 more pair!! they are the only ones i feel like i can wear out in public and not look like a whale! HA!

Amber B - I broke my knee cap a few weeks ago and have had to live in leggings with this huge brace so when I saw your recommendation I ordered them super quick! I have to say…I LOVE THEM!!! They are very comfy and for everyone wondering about sizing, I find them to be very accurate. I wear a size 10 jeans and ordered a large — which fit perfect!

Jane - I am interested in the sizing of the capris. Some comments on amazon say that you should order down, another says that they are just right. Wondered what you thought about that.
Thanks!

Dawn - The leggings sound awesome! How do they run size-wise?

Jen - Thanks for recommending the Macey videos. My daughter and I loved them!

Rebekah - My girls and I watched that piano video a couple of weeks ago. AMAZING.

Terrie - How cute is that little Macey!! Macey for President? Anyone??! 🙂
And now…I have to go make Monster cookies…
my son is getting ready to leave for custom harvesting…and these are his all time favorite cookies. So, yeah…I have to make them.
Craft weekend…so jealous! Seriously…if you ever need a helper!
So proud of you for who you are and all that you do to encourage others to find their inner craft self! You have a gift…so glad you are using it to better your little corner of the world…and beyond!

Lee Ann - I have been making monster cookies for years. And then when I went GF 10 years ago I was so excited that they can be GF. They are by far the best GF cookie there is! I have cut the sugar down to 2/3 cup each and they’re still yummy.

Thanks for the heads up on the leggings. I might “need” a new pair. Pink 🙂

Rachelle - Can’t wait to see IG pics of all the new bunting at the craft house!

Betty - Isn’t that kid amazing. I love to watch Macey too!!
I hope she’ll have many visits with Ellen….
just like “apparently” Noa – kids are so much fun!

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sweet potato & black bean chili

March 13, 2015

i rarely post recipes here any more… i think all the food blogs scare me away from it.
but i made this the other night by throwing things together and it was delish!
and of course chili is not your typical spring-is-coming recipe but i always just blog what is current and THIS is happening in my house right now… 70 degrees outside or not. 🙂 Like i am literally eating a bowl of this… in my pajamas at 2:17 in the afternoon right now.

FullSizeRender-22
i had all of this in pantry so i threw it all together. 🙂

after you brown the ground beef you can add your onions to the beef to cook or just toss it all in one big pot.
all the ingredients.

i don’t think it’s possible to take a pretty picture of chili….
but i did clean my stove top just to take these pictures.

stir it up and let it come to a boil.
then turn down the heat to low, cover it and let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.
When the sweet potatoes are tender then it’s ready.
You can add more spice if you need it.
or more water if it’s too thick.
and if you have a packet of chili seasoning… you could use that instead.

FullSizeRender-21
Of course you can top it with cheese, sour cream & chips if you’d like too.
but just avocados is so good too!

here is the recipe all rainbowed and pretty!

chilirecipe

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Nette - Looks delicious – looking forward to try the recipe

Linda - Please don’t stop posting your recipes. My family has fallen in love with your pancake recipe. This chili recipe looks so good.

Mindy - My husband would love this. I make a black bean/ sweet potato chili often but it is a vegetarian version. I love it with cornbread (hello carbs!). I add sour cream on top but your idea of avocado sounds delicious!

Gemma - I’ve always really enjoyed your foodie/recipe posts! We always make your Apple bars in the autumn and your blueberry buckle in the summer months. Please carry on sharing 🙂

Gemma x

Kimberlee Jost - Sounds and looks GOOD!

Rachel - Well, we never got a winter, so I have been living vicariously through winter food. This looks amazing. Thank you for the recipe!

Kristin S - Oh, Meg, this looks delicious! I’m about to embark on a 28-day eating plan that is a beef-once-a-week dealio. Oy. I think the “no dairy” will be the hardest part. BUT I think I’ll try this recipe with ground chicken. Yummy!

sharon / theprincipledtype.blogspot.com - AND avocado on top? licked the screen, died and gone to heaven.

jamie - that looks and sounds so delicious! i know i would LOVE more recipes from you! don’t let all those other food blogs keep you from sharing if that’s what you want to do! and {high five} for cleaning your stove top. not a fun task!

Julie - Looks delicious – definitely something my family will eat come the winter months..

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