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wrapping up december

December 30, 2014

well we are at the end of the year already?
it feels super weird to me.
and like everyone else… this past week of celebrating has been a blur.
but for the most part it’s been the good kind of blur.
we decorated gingerbread houses.
i cheated a little and bought them pre-built from the bakery at target.
but what matters is we did it.
and even BEFORE christmas this year?!

the most fun addition this year was the Air Head Extremes rainbow stripe candy!

and the Alpha Bits cereal was a good idea but it turns out there are hardly any N’s or S’s which is annoying.

they have so many jokes and voices and stories together that make each other laugh constantly.
and they were cracking each other up this day.
(of course they fight too but it’s so much more fun to capture them laughing)

we had several family christmases… and i took a few pictures at my parents because my dad got me a wide angle lens!
it’s so fun to play around with!

my mom made a big dinner for us all!

cousins in their new socks!

and then my kiddos in new jammies on christmas morning.
sleepy faces ready for breakfast and gifts.

we pulled off surprising talby with this piano!!
craig and the boys went and loaded it up… hid it behind a bunch of other things in the garage till christmas eve.
then pushed inside after talby went to bed.
i did no work other than find it… i am so grateful for strong men.
i googled around and found out it’s over 100 years old!
it sounds great to us and talby remembers so much from her lessons in the past – i was shocked!

craig found a ping pong table to go over the pool table. 🙂
and now there is a ping pong championship on the line!

every family does christmas in their own way… your gifts, traditions or ideas may be different from ours and that is O K!
we do one gift of something they want (like a kindle or new phone or speakers or a piano)
and then “stockings”
and somewhere along the way… the actual stockings became gift bags.

lauren

annie

scott

talby

sean

and i got some beautiful gifts too from lots of lovely people in my life.
🙂
i felt quite spoiled.

this year my kids hit a new phase in their sibling life.
they EACH picked meaningful things for each other.
ALL of them.
i was so proud to watch them open gifts from each other… and see their faces when the brother or sister liked it.
that’s the good stuff.

and you guys!!!
my mailbox has been BURSTING with christmas cards from YOU!
i read every one of them and announced the state (or country) when we opened them.
annie was my helper.
it was really sweet and i appreciate all of them.

reading all your notes made me remember why i love blogging.
and refreshed to keep going.
t h a n k y o u.

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Rachel - I have the Nikon version of that lens and love it. It is making shooting our renovation so much easier! Glad you are having so much fun with it.

Juli - Meg, where did you find the afghan laying across your chair/couch? The colors are fabulous. Please don’t tell me it is vintage. The vintage ones I find are never that pretty! Thank you!

Kristine - I sent a card but no note! Yikes. I’m qtsmom on Instagram! It was the rejoice card with two teenage boys- The Clines!
Duh! I was just so giddy about sending a card to my fave blogger!
On another note, the look on your face looking at Annie and Olaf…so hilarious!
Thanks for sharing your family Christmas traditions!
Happy New Year!

Tabitha - Fantastic gifts! Can you tell me where you got Talby’s “Love” shirt? It’s awesome!

jennibell - You are such a FUN mom — yea! You truly inspire me to be “better” (more available, more fun) and your blog helps with the ideas because they just don’t come to me easily/naturally.
Happy 2015 Meg!

Andrea @ This Pug Life - Fly Away Home was one of my favorite movies – brings back memories!

Kelsey - Another request for the horse (unicorn?) hat source! I love it and Googled to no avail last night.

Amy - It looks like a great Christmas! Gingerbread houses are such a fun tradition. 🙂 Blessings to you and your sweet family in the New Year!

Library Momma - Meg! Lovely ideas. When did you start doing gifts this way? This is very enticing to me as we are trying to teach our young children life is family, experiences, traditions, not “stuff.” Santa is till alive and well in our house so this is slightly a delicate balance.

Amber - It looks like you had a lovely Christmas! I’m curious how you handle gifts between siblings. I’m preggo with my fourth and I’m just not sure how to handle it. My kids are too young to have the kind of money to purchase gifts on their own. It’s a struggle I have right now to keep a handle on how much we spend and yet teach them to enjoy giving as much (or more) than getting. I. Not really sure they can make each other something yet either. Or maybe a scribbled picture is enough? I’d love your two cents. Happy New Year!

Janine - Gorgeous piano. PLEASE do not paint it! I know you love painting everything but give restoring the wood a try. A simple first step is to clean it with Murphy’s oil soap and then make your own mixture of equal parts lemon juice and olive oil and polish it up. You will be amazed at how gorgeous the wood looks after that. And if it still looks worn out after that, then resort to paint *shudder*!!

Katherine - I, too, want to know where to find a hat like Annie’s!

Gevay - Happy New Year!

Dawn - Funny how stocking gifts can get away from you. Stocking shopping is the most fun. It looks like you had a Merry Christmas. Happy New Year!

Meredith - Hi Meg! Happy New Year’s Eve! Could you please tell me where you found Talby’s ‘be awesome today’ sign? Thanks!

Lori - I’m happy you got so many cards and had a wonderful Christmas! Happy New Year to you!

Amy - It looks like your family knows you well! Where did you find Annie’s horse hat? My daughter bought her own horse this year and would flip for that hat!

Tiffany - Loving the Ping Pong Tabletop, such a good idea for indoor fun that helps you get off your bum.

mary - bravo on how you do your presents!
i think that is how it should be done, my mom tried that way
years ago and some very spoiled siblings had an all out fit
and yes after they were in their 20’s.
happy new year to you and your whole family meg!

jamie - LOVE THIS! i need to add so many things to my amazon wish list! and can we talk about the {annie} soundtrack? i love it!

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fondue party

December 29, 2014

every year craig’s side of our family has a fondue night at christmas.
like… craig’s WHOLE life.
kind of a fun traditional that i am glad they still keep up.
several people on IG asked for more information so they could do this with their family.
i will try my best to help you out.
it’s not really MY thing so i may miss some details.
we usually host which means i make sure my house is clean and there is space for every one.
then the other family members bring the food and set it up.

there is usually one pot of oil and one pot of broth to cook meat.
we have steak & chicken cut into small pieces & shrimp every year.
occasionally there have been chicken nuggets or meatballs too.
then bbq sauce, ketchup, cocktail sauce, A1 and…. i can’t recall what other sauces.
i think you could have any sauce you wanted.

there is always a cheese fondue.
this recipe would work fine or something like it.
we dip bread and veggies into the cheese.
someone cuts the bread into cubes with an electric knife.
this is the place i have a hard time staying away from.
melty cheese and bread.
YUM.

someone makes a caramel dip and a chocolate dip for fruit, marshmallows and angel food cake.
(this is the kids favorite area)

and then everyone brings their christmas snacks from home too like muddy buddies and sugar cookies.
this year i didn’t bake ONE single thing so i purchased cream puffs and eclairs from the freezer aisle.
it counts for something. 🙂

We have all kinds of ways to make this work.
we have an Oster Fondue Pot that gets used every year…varies what is in it though depending on the needs.

the oil is always in a wok like this: Aroma Electric Wok

this year my sister in law put the chocolate and caramel in her new Crock-Pot Hook Up Connectable System.
i totally want to get that system!
amazon seems to be out of reasonably priced crock pot hook ups to link to but i found them here at walmart.

the cheese dip was in a ceramic dish on a Hot Plate.
it works!

we have LOTS of Fondue Forks to keep track of which food is yours.
although some people still like to steal your meat if you don’t get to it quick enough.

You want to make sure that cords are out of reach from children to avoid burns… obviously.
we have even taped down cords in the past before we had an island with electrical outlets.
safety first for all of your guests.

do you have more questions?
do you have suggestions for us – something that your family does differently?
what kind of food do you see missing?
let’s hear it!

AND lastly…. check out this peanut butterscotch fondue!!!
we are making this one next year.
🙂

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Sue Linse - We also do Fondue every Christmas day. Have tried to do it at the table, but too many people so I want to try the island idea. For meat sauces, we also have honey mustard, horseradish sauce and teriyaki. For the chocolate fondue, we include maraschino cherries, pound cake and clementine oranges. Fun tradition.

Amanda - Small Home Big Start - So much fun!! We do cheese fondue every couple of years for my brother and sister’s birthdays in December. My fav things to dip in it are bread (obviously), sliced apples and blanched broccoli. The leftover cheese is great cooled in the fridge and then grated over steamed broccoli and cauliflower as a gratin. This is the recipe we use: http://smallhomebigstart.com/2012/02/cheese-fondue.html

Kimberlee Jost - I love this so much. It makes me want all of my cousins to live near me so that I could gather them up for a party like this. Hmmm…maybe I’m going to have to adopt some people. I think I know who and it involves Circles. 🙂

Rebekah - Meg, you needs tripod so that you can take pictures and actually be in the picture and not just show your face at a weird angle!!

Jennifer Andersen - A chocolate fountain would totally fit in there. Love the whole idea. Well done.

Amanda - Our family loves fondue too. It’s the time and conversations that you have that make it such a nice option to a regular meal. We like to end our meal with a round tube of refrigerated biscuits. Take one biscuit and place an unwrapped Hershey kiss and wrap/roll the uncooked biscuit dough around it. Then cook it in the oil fondue (no fork required just drop carefully to not get burned by oil). When done, it is like a doughnut with melted chocolate in the middle. Roll it in powdered sugar or regular sugar. Yummy!

lisa - What a FUN tradition!! All of those choices sound super yummy. My one thing is how do you make sure that the meat is cooked through!!? & that no one eats undercooked chicken? My under-cooked & raw-chicken-sitting-out-at-room-temp-too-long anxiety wants to know!! {sigh – lol!!}

Tiffany - Traditions, big and small, are such a sweet way to bring family together. Thanks for sharing this one.

Michelle - i have zero experience with fondue so please forgive my ignorance. Does having to cook the meat cause a big hold up in the movement of the supper line? Also is the meat seasoned with any salt or other seasoning before it’s cooked? this seems like a really fun idea, just trying to wrap my head around the full concept. Thanks!

vanessa schroeder - My family used to do this but sitting around the table. If your piece of food you dipped into the pot fell off the stick we had to give the family member on our right a kiss on the cheek! Sometimes we got Grandma & Grandpa to approve hugs as the cousins got older!

Kelly - We got SMART this year after learning from a chaotic celebration last year and since a bunch of family lives in town we split up the “kid present night” from the “grown up present night”. We got a baby-sitter and my mom treated us to million dollar spaghetti, a terrific salad, rolls, etc. and caramel fondue for dessert. We used to do that a lot as teenagers in our house but hadn’t had the fondue in ages. I thought the cream puffs in your photo were one of our favorite dippers at first – the toasted coconut covered marshmallows! Super yummy! I know it is over the top but I also like brownies dipped in fondue. Angel food cake is probably my favorite though so yay for that! Fun tradition! Kelly

Emily - Thank you so much for sharing this family tradition. I’m always looking for fun things to do with extended family when they come to my house to visit. What a great memory to create. I will be looking up those woks and crock pots. Thank you for all the info!

chrissi - we were just talking about having a fondue party. your party looks like so much fun. reminds me of growing up with lots of cousins and kitchen chaos. the best kind of memories.

Julie - Yum – my first and only cheese fondue was tried in Switzerland many years ago. Such a fun way to eat. I have to ask though, what is a muddy buddie?

Janel - I love love to do Fondue… Another fun alternative
is using a Raclette Pan. You can even find Raclette cheese for this very purpose. You basically grill thinly sliced potatoes on top and underneath the grill you melt your cheese in single serving pans. When the potatoes are cooked and cheese melted, you plate your potatoes and pour melted cheese over top and eat. Repeat repeat repeat…

I have done thinly cut meats and veggies to change
It up. What I haven’t done yet is fruit..I think that would be fun!

I purchased my Raclette pan on amazon
And googled my way thru for the best outcome.

Have fun!

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christmas at our house

December 23, 2014

well… i waited for the cleaning lady but wasn’t able to take pictures afterwards.
then we had a two big groups of company.
and lots of other things.
then today the sun is hiding behind gray skies but it’s clean enough and when i started taking pictures most of the kids were asleep.
but here is our home all decorated for christmas.

annie is begging to decorate the gingerbread houses.
Home Alone is finishing up.
i am supposed start dinner.
but Waffle found a skunk last night…. so i get to bathe a dog right now.
whatever you are doing right now i will trade you.

anything.
please?

ha ha ha

feel free to ask questions.
i will answer them. 🙂

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

Q: where did you get your gingerbread houses? They look like a perfect gift to a child packaged like that!

A: target in the bakery section.

Q: where do you keep your toaster and mixer?

A: it’s kind of funny actually… i didn’t include the picture because the cabinet door was open but i will include it here for you.

island
we keep the toaster IN the middle drawer and all the bread in there too.

then when the toaster is being used… we plug it in under the counter and leave the drawer open while in use.
when done… unplug and close the drawer.
and then there is no bread box on the counter either.

Q: How do you keep them clean? Are they the ikea ones with the washable slipcovers?

A: Yes they are from ikea. we bought an extra set of slipcovers (thinking ahead….) and we have washed them all once since april.
they clean up really nicely! we are happy with them!

Q: Did you buy all the bulbs in your boxes at the same time or have you been gathering them for a while?

A: i have been collecting for many years. I just pick them up at the thrift shops when ever i find them.
and the santa mugs i have also been collecting for many years.
now they are priced higher which is so annoying so i never pay more than $5 and even that is high in my opinion. 🙂
Q: My question (is not house related) but I LOVE to know what people are reading; including magazines, blogs, devotionals, in their Bibles, and books.

A: i have been reading anything at all. SAD.
but i always check in with Shannan to find out whats good and what to read next.

Q: …that green beadboard wall! Did you trim the edges with moulding or just cut an even edge?
And that tinsel tree, I assume it’s vintage?

A: the tree is not vintage. crazy right? I’ve had it probably five years or more though.
there is no brand on it though. 🙁
and for the green bead board… we just cut it evenly. there is no trim piece.
And we have one more board to cut in half and put on the top before the wood trim.
Q: it looks like the back of that gray dresser backs up to an open railing. Is the back painted too??

A: i have mentioned about 5 times that i want to just quick paint the back but i never have gotten around to it.
but yes it should be painted. i agree with you. 🙂
Q: I LOVE your basket with blankets in it……where did you find it?
A: tjmaxx 🙂

Q: My question…..You have a basement…..(stairs)….I am dying to know what you are doing with it….
A: we do have a basement.
i never go down there. there are no windows. and there is carpet. and unpainted wood.
it’s hard for me.
ha ha ha
just kidding.
it’s a finished basement. there is a pool table, a sectional, a projector screen and an xbox down there.
the basement doesn’t need me.
🙂
i am sure we will make it more “us” but it’s not on the top of the list of projects right now.
Q: What is the square footage of your house? The main floor looks open and spacious!
A: i don’t even know. 🙂
i never asked.
im sure craig knows but i don’t.

Q: Are you ever worried something is going to fall victim to those precious big dogs with those long, waggy tails?
A: Not really. They don’t jump up on stuff and nothing is down low for them to get into. 🙂

Q: Wondering about gray paint on your wall. What is the name of it?
A: Seashell Gray by Valspar (sold at lowes)

Q: How about the pennants over your kitchen sink? Are they fabric or paper? Did you make them or buy them? Where from?
A: i bought them two years ago from Leslie Padgett’s etsy shop Salvage 517. (currently empty)
they are made from vintage christmas tablecloths and there is sheet music sewn on them too.

Q: what is the shade of green that you painted your dining room cabinet?
A: Catnip by Valspar

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Jen Sullivan - I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your family picture on the wall!! It is such an amazing picture!!!

Katrissa Howard - Hi Meg!

I just love this home tour! I came back to it again today because we’re in the (early) stages of a Kitchen/Family Room renovation and trying to shift the neutral color of those rooms from (existing) beiges/off-whites to whites/grays. I remember loving the gray on your walls from these pictures so I came to look at them more closely today. Does the gray tend toward blue at all? Our kitchen cabinets will be white, but the bigger pieces of furniture in the rooms we’re redoing are brown (big sofa, built in bookshelves and black (kitchen table, tv console). I decorate with pops of colors – currently reds and some greens (more yellows in the summer) and also rustic burlap and wood. I’m looking for a gray that will work with both the browns and the blacks and I’m wondering if this is it. It looks like it from the pictures! { I’m not putting the pressure on you to make the decision for me, just curious as to your thoughts!} Thank you so much! I love your blog so much! I feel like you’re a kindred spirit! 🙂

s - Loved the tour – your home is so liveable yet beautiful. Mine is so undecorated and clutter-y- too lived in lol. Thanks for sharing the pictures with us.

jennibell - Love the close-up of Christmas at your house!!! I was showing my husband all the kitchen pics in relation to other parts of your main living area. . .we are contemplating moving and your kitchen layout looks really functional. Thanks for sharing!

iralee poore - so pretty!!! i love that you guys painted everything white! i love the airy open and clean feel but its not boring visually bc of all the pops of color and black/white pops!

Rachel - Glitter JOY. Giggle. I think there is still glitter in my bag from last year from the JOY I brought home.

paige - meg!
i have to tell you, i’ve kept your blog up for days & come back to it over & over…i am smitten with your home & how you’ve decorated for christmas!!
love everything!!
especially your wreath over the chalkboard & how you color grouped the balls. my goodness….
i smiled out loud over & over

merry merry!

kel - Wondering about gray paint on your wall. What is the name of it? We are repainting- I bogged down in the paint samples. I’m avoiding the decision…. afraid to go too dark. I’m sure you have answered this before- but I can’t find it!

Kelly - How about the pennants over your kitchen sink? Are they fabric or paper? Did you make them or buy them? Where from?

Kristen K. - Meg…Merry Christmas!!! At least it’s midnight here in Philadelphia…and all is (FINALLY!) quiet. Whew! So I got to sit for a moment and look at the gorgeous photos you shared with us. Thank you! My favorite thing about your home(s) isn’t really a ‘thing’…it’s that your home reflects YOU and your family, your faith, your real life! Craft supplies in the hutch instead of dusty china that no one uses, photos of joy all around, but not over-the-top fru-fru style…color and Scripture and more smiles and vintage (a.k.a. stuff-with-a-story) finds. Just love love love your style, and the way you tell your family’s story. Thank you for sharing! 😉

beth larson - Meg, Hi friend! Just couldn’t resist telling you that my hubbie got a skunk in a trap today (by accident) and it sprayed and although it wasn’t a direct hit, it’s Christmas and the smell of skunk is permeating our house….hahahaha hohohoho, MERRY CHRISTMAS to all and to all a good night!!! Feeling for you having to deal with a skunky dog too- xox

I hope you got your card~ : )
Beth Larson

Lori - Your home looks beautiful! I’m so glad you shared photos! Merry Christmas 🙂

Lisa - I just love how bright and cheerful your home is. You and Craig have done an amazing job transforming this house to your personalities. I tend to decorate with mostly whites and neutrals but your home makes me want to add color. Merry Christmas!

Tracy - It looks lovely and festive! I especially love your green stools 🙂

Merry Xmas to you and all the Duerksens! I hope our Xmas card made it to you!

Lisa - Love your vintage bulbs and Santa mugs! Are you ever worried something is going to fall victim to those precious big dogs with those long, waggy tails? 🙂

Jill D - I have that same Christmas tablecloth! Passed down from my grandmother and mother. I remember it being used every Christmas when I was a child. Such memories.

Christine - Merry Christmas!!

Love the decorations.
Especially love the green beadboard!
Now sit back and enjoy it!
So So pretty!

Amanda Medlin - I love what you’ve done with your new house and how you have made it YOU. I have a question and forgive me if you’ve answered previously, I went through old posts and couldn’t find it…what is the shade of green that you painted your dining room cabinet? Thanks and Merry Christmas!

Jenny B. - LOVE everything! It looks so homey and Christmassy, yet uncluttered. I know… you waited until AFTER the cleaning lady came! ;). I want to pin every picture! My favorite things… the green beadboard coat rack, your kitchen, the backsplash and countertops (and the bunting!), the little collection of pictures on the wall by the gumball machine, the big basket of quilts (I need one of those!), the computer area with the big D and the 5 and the pictures and the crib spring with all the Christmas cards… 🙂 Sigh… Lovely.

Karyn - I saved the springs from our crib and it’s taking up space in the basement. I was just about to throw it out then I saw the green one by your computer. Now I have to keep mine!! Thank you for all the lovely pictures! I think of you each time I drive I-135 to get from Denver (home now) to Emporia (home home).

Jacci - Lovely 🙂 I really like the way the dining area is turning out. Good choice with the cow print. My question is… did you find a book called The Art of Neighboring at the craft house this summer?? I think I may have left it there 🙂 Merry Christmas, Duerksens!!!!

Beth ann - Lovely! Your hone looks so comfortable, inviting and homey! I was smiling at the progression of kiddos waking up and moving about. No real question than how to I make a stubborn 3 yr old go to sleep so I can wrap presents aaannnddddd have a glass or 2 of wine…. ha!

Kimberly - Love the how peaceful it looks and all the vintage pieces!

What is the square footage of your house? The main floor looks open and spacious! Is the basement completely finish?

Andrea - Meg….one more crazy question…I LOVE your basket with blankets in it……where did you find it?

Andrea - I loved seeing your home all decked out for Christmas!!! I love that your home is neutral, but colorful all at once. I am not sure how you pulled that off but I love it. Your collection of vintage ornaments is so beautiful and I love how you displayed them! (I am copying that next year!) I also collect santa mugs and loved seeing your collection. My question…..You have a basement…..(stairs)….I am dying to know what you are doing with it….I imagine a wonderful big craft/sewing room…..(cause that I what I want to do with our basement)

Happy Holidays!

Jane - I have some Santa mugs and a pitcher that my mom had when we were growing up. I love how you display yours!

Jen - I have some of those same Santa mugs! I love the little display box! I always struggle with how to display them.

LOVE the quote on the chalkboard too!!

Question : it looks like the back of that gray dresser backs up to an open railing. Is the back painted too?? Silly, I know. But I think I would have to paint the back if it was going to be “open” like that. :-/

Merry Christmas to you and your sweet family!

Amy - What a festive house! My favorite thing is the picture of the 5 kiddos in their bathing suits that is above the desk. I assume it’s your 5. I know I can’t see it well, but it looks like such a real life moment.

Tami Vik - I love that green beadboard wall! Did you trim the edges with moulding or just cut an even edge? You always find the best stuff! And that tinsel tree, I assume it’s vintage? Fabulous! Good luck with the dog washing!

Melissa - I just love your home! I couldn’t believe you have 5 kids and your house looks like this so it was a relief to know you have a cleaning lady I was about to ask you if you were born with super powers or you learned magic along the way LOL! I guess having older children helps as well, I have a 5,7,9 so even when they do help I need to supervise or come behind and finish up.
I also noticed you have many drawers and cabinets which is something we lack around here I bet it hides alot of things so I will be looking for storage furniture from here on out!
THANKS FOR THE POST!! 🙂
–btw I am MeliMelsss on instagram 🙂 So glad I found your blog!

Tessa - You have made me love green even more with this post!!!

Julie - Thank you so much for sharing. I adore the boxes of baubles and the wreath. Merry Christmas to you and your Family.
PS: Posted your card the other day too.

Rachel S - One more question…where did you get your gingerbread houses? They look like a perfect gift to a child packaged like that!

Rachel S - LOVE your cute house! Love all the white with your happy colors everywhere. Your kitchen is just perfect and that silver tree (vintage?) is so cute on the counter. One question for you is where do you keep your toaster and mixer? I would love to have more counter space, but we use those 2 appliances (plus the coffee maker) so often that they take up my precious space.
Enjoy your Christmas with the family in your new home. I always love to see your spaces! So inspirational.

Amanda M. - I LOVE your home. I’ve LOVED all your homes! Here’s my question and I think you’ve talked about it before— Those white couches. How do you keep them clean? Are they the ikea ones with the washable slipcovers? I want white couches so badly but, boys. boys. boys. I have two boys that are 5 and 7. I’m pretty sure it would be an issue. Do you wash yours often?

Julie - Your home feels so inviting and charming! So pretty!!

Kelly S, I know your question was directed to Meg, but I’m currently listening to an audiobook on YouTube, “Hudson Tsylor’s Spiritual Secret” and enjoying it a lot. What a simple, incredible faith this missionary to China had! So inspiring!

Andrea - Oh Meg! Thank you so much for the photos!
Did you buy all the bulbs in your boxes at the same time or have you been gathering them for a while? (I’m guessing they come from places like The Barn?)
Also how long have you been collecting the Santa cups?

Lisa - Here’s my question…. Can I hire you to decorate my house?! Please!? I’ll fly you to Oregon to help me! Haha! I really love your style. 🙂

Melissa - Love love love – it looks so pretty. simple and pretty

Kelly S - Cute, cozy and colorful house. My question (is not house related) but I LOVE to know what people are reading; including magazines, blogs, devotionals, in their Bibles, and books.
I’m LOVING The Auschwitz Escape (book), my devo is Awake My Heart by J. Sidlow Baxter (love love love), reading through Bible in chronological order (I’m in 1 Chronicles) and also reading Timothy Keller-Prayer-Experiencing Awe and Intimacy With God (awesome).
Merry Christmas!!!!
Kelly (Pam’s friend from Liberia) 🙂

Meghan - Can I move in?

Tami - LOVE your home, so cozy and warm! Happy Holidays! xoxo

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one week later….

December 19, 2014

alright.
so it’s been a whole week since i blogged.
that’s a long time!
craig said “soooo… are you EVER going to blog again?”
to which i turned and unleashed a long string of LEAVE ME ALONE!!! I AM BUSY! HOW DARE YOU’s on him like a sweet wife does when called out on her slacking.

let’s see… this past week has been bonkers with activities.
just like at your house i assume.
i schedule appointments for each of my kids in december (eye dr…dentisit… etc) and then we do their christmas shopping for their siblings afterwards.
one on one.
we started this a few years ago. shop
half of the fun for them is the lunch stop i think!
in the past 9 days I’ve eaten at chipotle 4 times and Chili’s once.
it’s really sweet to watch them shop trying to decide what their sisters or brothers would like… within their budget.
we do a “matching” program (in a way). i pay for it all and then they pay me back most (70-ish%) of it.
i don’t make them pay it all back to me because i like their big hearts and wanting to get nice(r) gifts for people they spend most days fighting with.
it gives me hope.
maybe they will like each other when they grow up??
🙂

ever since annie was home sick on thanksgiving break we have been recording The Price Is Right on the dvr.
priceisright
she comes home from school and watches it.
EVERY DAY.
it’s such a clean show! (other than the dresses on the lady models….)
and i may or may not get teary eyes when they win the big showcase and they seem like they may pass out.
did you know there is even a MALE model on the show now?!
i think you should watch over christmas break.
bring back all the old memories of summer and being a kid in the 80’s!

COME ON DOOOOOOWN!

JB2
JB1
my girlfriends and i ran in the jingle bell run again this year!
every year we try to think of reasons not to do it but honestly… the spa time afterwards makes any race worth it.
this year i ran the whole thing!
last year i did too but that was purely to stay warm because last year it was 3 degrees!
this year was cold but not like that.
and you would think i would be on an excerise high from doing so well in the run (not because of speed but because of not walking) but you would be wrong in that thinking!
i have a terrible time getting exercise into my day.
but i won’t give up this battle.
i just keep hoping i will become a lover of exercise.
someday….

i have a thing for peppermint.
we are BFFs all the way.
so believe me when i say i have bought so many boxes of these k-cups from target it’s not even funny.
i am stockpiling them.
because they will be gone and i will have to go back to my second favorite flavor of coconut mocha in january.
what i am really craving is peppermint ice cream.
and i DID purchase Peppermint Mini Oreos this week because i plan to make a milkshake with peppermint ice cream AND the mini oreos at some point in the next week.
because it’s once a year and resistance is futile.

two weekends ago craig asked me if i wanted to hang up a new light?
swoon.
that is like whispering sweet nothings in my ear.
so we pulled out the old, dusty, bent up chandelier i got at the barn forever ago, figured out if it still worked and he even took all the crystals off for me!
i cleaned it and painted it and then last weekend he hung it up!

and while he did that i sewed new curtains.
the black and white gingham fabric is by the yard at ikea.
i moved the curtains i had in the dining room into the kitchen.
that big straight lined pattern was SO EASY i said “i don’t ever want to sew anything without lines again!”

on IG people keep asking for a christmas home tour.
that’s a great idea but i am waiting for my cleaning lady to come and then i will take pictures.
she is the best part of my week.
pretty much every week.
🙂
in case you wondered… she cleans the kitchen, living/dining room, guest bath and my room/bathroom.
my kids still have to clean their own rooms, the family room and their shared bathroom.
skills they need in life.
i want them to learn to do the work.
because i still have to clean stuff everyday. all kinds of things!
it feels like i never stop cleaning (you feel this way too right? please say yes!)
it’s NEVER ending.
i appreciate the professional cleaning help every week more than i can explain.

ok…. one last thing today.
christmas cards.
are you sending them?
i used to be a rock star at christmas cards.
but i am not any more.
so IF i was going to send a card it would be this one:

chrsitmaspic-tiff
(this design was on MPIX)

but…. even though i am total slacker in the card mailing department… maybe you aren’t?
if you wanted to send me a christmas card i would be thrilled!
also we have moved twice in three years… so NO ONE knows our address anymore.
and i miss christmas cards!
so if you want to send me your christmas card… send me a quick email at megduerksen@gmail.com and i will give my address to you.
i really will.

(and i f you are thinking WHY would i ever send Meg a christmas card?? i get that and there is NO PRESSURE whatsoever to do this weirdo project. just an idea that popped into my head. i know that not all my ideas are great 🙂 )

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Lynda Anderson - I just moved, too! I’ve received three cards, one was a relative, one was my realtor and one was a friend through whom I order Mary Kay. 🙂 I feel your pain. Of course, I haven’t even started my cards yet … no, really, I haven’t even taken the photo I want to use for the cards. I always send Happy New Year cards. Takes some of the pressure off.

Merry Christmas to you and your family. You are a true inspiration!

Lucy - I am a cleaning lady and I applaud you that you make your kids clean their rooms etc. So many people don’t make their kids do anything. They need these life skills I agree!
merry Christmas and Love the chandelier and curtains.

Patti - You’re so funny…receiving Christmas cards from your faithful followers, even though most are strangers. But I have an idea of what you can do with all the cards you will undoubtedly get. I heard this idea from one of our parish priests, and have practiced it for a few years now. After the holidays, we put all the cards in a basket by our kitchen table and when we say grace, one of our kids picks a card out of it and we say a special blessing for that family. Sometimes the same family is prayed for many times over throughout the year and I always think how maybe God knows they need extra prayers! It’s a fun and wonderful way to keep Christmas blessings going the whole year through. And that being said, “Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family!”

Annette - Meg-
Merry Christmas! I have read your blog for years and don’t remember how I got started. Alot of the craziness that goes on in your life I can relate to. I too have 5 children – 2 boys and three girls. I love anything crafts, I have an Etsy store and love the lord. I was reading your blog for several years before I realized both our husbands work at the same bank.

Keep up the good work with your blogs they are an inspiration to me and literally make me laugh out loud sometimes.

Merry Christmas and the most blessed new year!
Annette

Linda Mullen - Hi Meg, been reading your blog for ages and have loved sharing it with my daughter (especially the art projects you do with your kiddos) over the years! Would love to send you a Christmas card….especially since I am just getting around to that and despairing that once again we’re sending non-photo versions, because really, the tree just got up and we’re looking for last minute gingerbread houses–your blog inspires me and I love your open heart! Best to you and your family!

Michelle - Have I told you lately that I love your blog. Yup – its true. Even when you don’t blog for a week. Because I totally get that. I am down with the cleaning lady too. Merry Christmas Meg!

angela - Sent you an email! Would love to send you a card!! P.S. I have eaten a bowl of peppermint ice cream every. single. night. since December 1. I will go in withdrawals on the 31st!

Tanya H - So, I am TOTALLY showing the paragraph about the cleaning lady to my 9yr old who, after flat out refusing to her weekly jobs today, and then threw a fit about having to do jobs before fun plans, snapped to her father and I that WE never do ANY jobs in the house EVER. Ahem. Are you KIDDING ME??? Sigh…

I too used to rock Christmas cards…but I have spent a good chunk of my day addressing and writing in cards and I’m wondering how worth it is, LOL. Its my favorite thing to get cards, so I should, oh…and its my business…lol, but between three dozen wrong addresses, and the fact that it’s 12/20…this is nuts!! 🙂

I also have to comment on The Price Is Right. 🙂 My husband loved that show as a kid, and when my kids were tiny and he worked weird hours, he loved being home at that time random days, he’d commandeer PBS Kids or Nick Jr to watch that. My kids were never as entertained as he was, haha…

Anyway, good for you on the race…I keep hoping I will learn to enjoy working out too…I try, and I have to believe that’s good enough for today. Merry Christmas, if you don’t blog again before then! 🙂

Heather S. - Meg, I would LOVE to send you one of Christmas cards!!! I have one for you, truly I do. I will pop it in the mail when I have your address. 🙂 Though we’ve never met, I love you like a BFF. 🙂 We are sisters in the Lord & one day I will hang out with you. If not here, then in heaven FOR sure. You are a treasure on so many levels.

Kirsten J - Dude – what an epic blog post! It was like a good catchup over coffee with an old friend 🙂
Listen, I was at my PTA co-president’s house Thursday for our Board meeting/Christmas luncheon and she had so many cards on her mantle. I was a little jealous, because I’ve received maybe…6? And so I commented about it. Leslie says, “well, how many do you,send? I send out about 125-140” ummmm…..let’s see….so far they aren’t even ordered, and so they’ll probably get picked up at Walgreens Tuesday morning and I’ll address them in the parking lot. Ugh. Maybe that’s why. And I couldn’t really whine about the PTA president job being so busy because she’s my co! AND she hosted the luncheon!!! But I’ll totally send you one – email coming.

Kerri Lynne - Several thoughts on this great post: 1) My dad was a teacher and you reminded me of when we watched game shows together over Christmas break – there were LOTS of game shows in those days. 2) IKEA has FABRIC? I still have not made it to the new one in KC, and it’s only an hour away… 3) I love sending/receiving Christmas cards, but will not be doing ours this year until after we return from a 10-day trip to Israel (leaving a few days after Christmas!). 4) Gorgeous chandelier! Oh, saw your son’s name on a list of 3A football honors – congratulations to him!

Alicia @ Investing Love - Your posts are always so beautifully random, and I connect with that so much, that it always evokes in me a completely random comment back…so, here goes:
a. I love the productivity going on, light hanging, curtain sewing…perfect. And the green + black check combo is a TEN!

b. Sophia and Jack have recently become OBSESSED with the Price is Right. I’m like, really!?! Also, Let’s Make a Deal. I’m all, are y’all 86?? But they don’t care…they love it. And they want to go on it and win all the things.

c. I used to have a cleaning lady…when I had a house. I missed her more than my mother when we moved away to North Carolina. Really. She was a godsend. Now that we’re house shopping again I just really hope I can find another good lady. It’s such a lifesaver.

d. I am totally sending you a Christmas card. Totally.

Flower Patch Farmgirl - 1) I did NOT know you and Peppermint are BFFs. What???! Guess what…me and peppermint are enemies. Go figure.
2) I love the dentist idea and one-on-one time. I always take all 3 at once and then we despair.
3) Do you have any idea how many good ideas you’ve given me over the years? Poodles. (That word is courtesy of my mom.)

Carol S. - Love that during this busy holiday period you can not post for a week. That is getting your priorities straight! Then a fun post that was worth the wait. Wonderful time with your kids, can’t get that back. Going slow over here and it’s just fine. With high schooler and college kid a lot of the pressure to create Christmas magic is gone, and I am totally cool with that. I’ve got 4 gifts for each of my two boys, and I’m pretty cool with that…really need one more each…hate for me to have purchased more gifts under tree for me than them! Chipotle gift cards may fill the ticket. Enjoy your blog. Merry Christmas Meg.

Jenn - Love the dining room curtains! That bold gingham grounds everything else in the room. Love! Now, about those Christmas cards. We, too, have moved a lot – four times in four years! I have simply given up. With all the moving no one can find us, and with all the moving I can’t find my address book. So we, too, are cardless this year. Which makes me happy to have your beautiful blog from which to wish you and your family and anyone reading this a very joyous, merry, blessed Christmas and a bright, happy, and healthy New Year! Thank you, Meg, for another year of sharing your thoughts and ideas with us through one of my all time favorite blogs to read. Merry Christmas!

Vonda - Love peppermint lattes!!!! And your house is looking amazing-of course:) I’m thinking your mailman will have a huge santa bag of cards for you;)! Merry Christmas!

jamie - i’m thinking about doing new year’s cards. they seem to be all the rage…

Becky Fouts - boy, am I glad you posted today!!! I read everything you write, and missed you this past week! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Lisa - I love the idea of scheduling appts in December and then taking the kids out to lunch and shop for their siblings! I am totally going to copy this next year. Such a great idea for alone time and help them have fun giving!

Heidi DeGroot - Random question–What kind of vacuum do you use and is it good for the dogs and the kids to clean up all the messes?

Gevay Piercefield - Trader Joe’s has peppermint hot chocolate and peppermint JoeJoes (their version of Oreos) , and my friend gave me Starbucks instant peppermint mocha latte packets today, and Dove makes peppermint chocolate squares and it seems I have a problem too! Sending you an email because I would like to send my peppermint loving buddy a card! Merry Christmas!

chrissi - your dining room…….the best! each detail is perfect. buffalo check in black and white, it just doesn’t get any better. merry christmas, enjoy each moment.

Rachel Jeter - And now, you are going to receive approximately 743 Christmas Cards 🙂 Remember a post on your blog from long ago, talking a little bit about your love Christmas Cards and how you would make Craig bring them home from work? Even his coworkers cards? Yeah, I remember that too. And yes, I do that too. I don’t know why I love them, I just do. May you have the merriest of Christmases with no Christmas Eve breakdowns Meg 🙂
And since I’m commenting, have you done Marta’s “Sugar Detox”?? I feel like you were doing that when I came to craft weekend in May, but I can’t fully remember. Did you love it? Would you do that again? I’m signing my hubby and I up for January. (Typing this while eating Christmas cookies.)

Becky - I’m with on the whole price is right thing! I get totally choked up seeing anybody win anything! sappy people unite 🙂

Jen - Just sent you and e-mail and will totally send you a card! I have contemplated not sending them, but decided to again this year. I am in love with peppermint, also. I love the taste and smell. I am actually drinking a cup of peppermint tea right now. Have a wonderful weekend, Meg!

Julie - Love that chandelier and those curtains. I am hoping to get brave enough to make some in 2015, maybe gingham will be the way to go. Cleaning is never done, and unfortunately it doesn’t seem to matter how many people are in the house either, the mess is still the same.
I too would love a Christmas tour of your house, always so interesting seeing how you decorate for a Northern hemisphere winter Christmas, while we have a Southern hemisphere summer one.

Necole@seriouslysassymama - Peppermint and I are BFFs also.

Barbara (WA) - I totally get the “swoon”!! And the professional cleaning help. A year ago September our son got married in our back yard. For 6 weeks I had weekly cleaners while I worked outside – it was awesome! I have a broken wrist presently but can still dust, darn. And I did send photo cards but then, I can’t bake. or cook, or. . .

Tracy - I’ve read your blog for a loooong time but don’t comment very often but I will definitely send you a Xmas card. You need Xmas cards in your mailbox!! We live in Kansas City and we’re Jayhawks, too 🙂 Now you know me well enough to receive a Xmas card from me! Haha! Emailing you now.

Amy - Your dining room is beautiful! It looks like the perfect place to have a cup of candy cane coffee. 😉 I would love to send you a Christmas card. It is my favorite Christmas card to date because it is our first Christmas as a family of three. Yay!!!

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thursday morning thoughts.

December 11, 2014

i have been quiet… unintentionally.
just doing the mom thing over here.
staying in pajamas far too late everyday, decorating, christmas shopping, going to programs, ball games, getting groceries, etc.

this post may sound a little Stauart Smalley to you but some days it just has to be said.
Stuart or not.

i just wanted to tell you – in case you forgot for whatever reason today –

YOUR STORY MATTERS.

it does.
(i want to grab you by the shoulders and make you look into my teary eyes)

it does. it does. it does.

we all have our own.
we are ALL living different stories and we are ALL at different places.
none of us have got it all together.
none of us are THERE.
none of us have arrived.
if you think you are the only one – YOU ARE WRONG.

we are all messing up… messed up… broken people trying to get through a day without causing too much damage.

your story is your life.
and your story is important.
it’s important to you. to your friends. to your neighbors. to your family.
Telling your story matters…. LIVING it out! don’t hide your true self from your people.
They need you.

God knows all the details.
He knows how hard you are trying.
He knows how much you may be struggling.
He is right there with you.
You are never alone.
He makes you strong.

What if you don’t like the story you’re living?
pick something to change and make your story better! It’s yours!
it won’t change everything but it will be a start.

what if you didn’t choose it for yourself but it’s happening to you anyway?
what if you feel broken and stuck?
what if you are exhausted in your story?

that is where the HOPE comes in.
hope is trusting that God has a plan that is bigger than the “right now”.
because your right now might be really tough – or boring – or sad.
what if this hard stuff is just a plot twist? the place where things get intense in the story?
and what comes out of that twist is something better than you could have dreamt up?
God has a plan that is good and loving (not easy).
we can trust in that hope to say “God i know you see me here and i know you love me.”

All of us have had days where we feel like losers.
or weeks.
or months.
but i KNOW that YOU are not a loser.
🙂
i know it for sure!
You were made to SHINE and you just need to get out and do it.
pick one thing to be shiny today.
smile.
be kind to someone.
make that phone call.
write that letter.
give a hug.
get out of bed.
go for a walk.
start a journal.
read something uplifting.
sing loud in your car.
give something – your time, your heart, your money, your words

YOUR STORY MATTERS.
it all intertwines… your hope, your love, your strength, your story.

isaiah

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Weekend Cheer-Ups - […] I know I need ^^ this, and you might, […]

Angie - Thank you.

XOXO

Jen - I have read your blog for awhile now, and with this post, I feel you were speaking directly to me. I’m a working mom of three little boys who is constantly struggling to keep it all together. I often feel like a failure. I want nothing more than to stay home and raise my babies, but that just isn’t in the cards for me. I feel like a failure as a wife, as a mom, as a person. But reading this today gave me just what i needed. Thank you for ministering through your blog. You are appreciated more than you know by a stranger. God bless you and your family. Thank you for your sweet words.

Sara - Meg, Thanks for your faithfulness to write this. Tears streaming down my cheeks. Overwhelmed in my story with the burden/privilege/weight of having eternal influence. Does that make sense? I’m exhausted. But HE is not.

Erin - Where did you get your “Your story matters” t-shirt…love it….

Louisa - Thank you. I SO needed this today. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Lori - I needed to hear this….thank you.

Tammy - Tears are flowing down my face….going through a difficult time in my life.
SO needed to hear these words tonight. Thank you Meg for taking the time to write this strong and heartfelt message. I know that our loving Father will carry me when I fall, but your post really hit home tonight and I am grateful for it.

Rachel - I really needed this today! It really touched my heart and helped me just let some things go! By the way, where did you get your scarf? I think I NEED it!

Jenn @ EngineerMommy - Love this post. Full of inspirational, thought-provoking ideas!

Carol S. - I first read you were getting “gorgeous” not groceries, lol. I liked that! This sweet post is so much better than one more Christmas decoration perfection post, but I like those too. I’m sharing this with a friend who is sick and down. Thank you Meg for this thoughtful post. I love your kind heart.

Linda - Wonderful post. You always make me stop and think. I love the shirt. Where did you get it?- linda

Ann - I know you are right. But I just don’t feel it. And I am so tired.

Kimberly Dial - Thank you Meg. That was beautiful. Merry Christmas!

karen - Wow, thanks Meg, went straight to my heart, really needed it today….

Barbara (WA) - It is SO hard to believe this is true. Is it?

Diane - Wow. So needed to read your post this morning! THANK YOU!!! Felt like it was written just for me. 🙂 YOU are such and INSPIRATION!!!

Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope you have a wonderful and blessed holiday season!!

Fabulous Friday Flashes…of Inspiration | - […] Now hear this: What Meg Duerksen thinks of you. […]

Kristen K. - Meg…thank you. Thank you for this ‘early’ Christmas present to my soul. 😉 I am sharing it with my 4 kiddos, too, because you so beautifully wrote what I struggle to tell them – and myself! I am so easily caught up in the tiny details of every day, hyper-focused on myself and my junk…and I forget to see myself and life from God’s perspective. His love is enough! And it doesn’t mean life is perfect..some days, the grace given is just barely enough to move forward…but it’s enough. Next week marks the 5th ‘anniversary’ of my beloved mom’s sudden death, and I’m still devastated somewhere deep down. So many days, I just NEED my mom. You know? So today, I will let the tears flow when they must, and I will purpose to praise God – who carries me and loves me – through it all. So thankful for you, and for your heart! xo

heather m. - Thank YOU : ) ♥!
This is something we all need to hear- myself included. Thanks for sharing what God put on your heart- i didn’t know how much I needed to hear it. You have such a gift and I’m thankful for you and your wonderful blog! And “Be shiny today” shall be my new motto! LOL! Happy Friday Meg!

Karen - thanks!

jo guy - thankyou, needed to hear that today. xx

Ashley from Tennessee - AAAmmmmmen Sistah! Love that verse and have since high school.
We need a holiday home tour. It’s so fun decorating a new home for Christmas.
Hope you and your family are enjoying it!!!

Mignon Jones - Please share where you got that awesome shirt!

Jeanie - Thank you Meg. I really needed to hear this today.

Lesley - Beautiful message, impeccably timed. Bless you Meg. xox

Andrea - Meg, thank you. You are so right…..It was good to read this today….. I wish I would have made the choice to be a stay at home mom despite the different lifestyle we would have had, but I will continue to make each day count with my children and let them know that despite working outside our home they are the most important thing to me….thank you….our stories are all important.

Kristin S - Thank you, Meg.

michele m fry - Loved this and love your heart!! Need this t-shirt, I am a therapist and I tell people all day long how much their story matters, would love to wear to work as a reminder too :]

Valerie - Oh Meg, your words are amazing! They speak straight to my heart. Thank you for sharing them. Have a blessed day xx

Victoria - Thanks! Needed these words today.

Bobbie - wow that was just what the doctor ordered. Rather I believe it was ordered by God. Thx

Kathi - Thank you.

Kara Byrne - Here’s my day… mommy mistakes and all…in a blogpost…
https://byrnenlove.wordpress.com/2014/12/11/pray-for-him/

I promise it’s not spam. : )

Michelle Deckert Richmond - Thanks Meg….I did feel like I was the only one who doesn’t have it all together….thanks for keeping it real. And thanks for sharing “your story”….great post…a lot to think about. Michelle from Canada

Lisa - You just communicated this so well! As I sit here praying off and on for a young couple at our church who are working so hard, doing everything they should and nothing seems to go their way. And yet they are still trusting Jesus to provide financially. And they continue to give. And they just had a 2nd baby and are so thankful. But the struggles can be so real. I want them to read this because I know it’s so hard on them right now. And I’ve been there when life seems too much but now being on the other side, I can see the strength and growth that happened during that hard time. And am so thankful for it now. Thanks for sharing your heart. Praying it touches those who need it badly right now!

marnie - There isn’t a person you wouldn’t love…if you could read their story.

I read that often and it’s true.

Jenna - Wow, just wow. All of this. I needed to hear and be reminded of. Crying the ugly cry in my office right now. Thank you for posting this today.

Kathy - You’re good enough.
You’re smart enough.
And doggoneit people like you!

Lisa - Thanks for writing this and sharing yourself so openly on your blog.

Stevie - This = awesome and true. Thank you for sharing your story with us!

Vicki - And now I am weeping. Thanks for sharing this. Very timely for me.

Michelle - Amen! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and the passage from Isaiah!

Rebekah Lyon - Loved this! Thank you. And (in the best possible way), right back ‘atcha!

Skye - Thank you!

Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Love you. So much awesome truth here.

Linda - thanks you for sharing this. I really needed to hear it.

carissa fox - I love you.
your heart.
and I love that you share.
thank you friend for shining yOur light!
when I crank up the music in my car today… singing lOud…
shaking off my doubts & faults… I’ll do it extra loud… and think of you.
thank you!

Jessica - Such a beautiful post! Thank you so much! It’s is just what I needed to hear today

Sarah - After feeling defeated and crying the entire way to drop my boys off at school today, then trudging into my office and letting the tears continue, I needed this. I needed to know I’m not alone, things aren’t as bad as they may have seemed this morning, and they WILL get better, I can do something to make that happen. Thank you Meg. The tears are back, but they’re tears of hope this time, not tears of sadness and pain.

Mickie - Somehow you knew this was just what I needed today. This was a morning where we ended up yelling at our son (because he wouldn’t get ready) and he ended up crying and “wishing he had a nicer family!” Sigh… It’s the most wonderful time of the year but can also be the busiest and most stressful. Thanks for the reminder that we can get back up after these moments and be forgiven.

Jennifer - AMEN!!!! I needed to hear this. You are awesome and great too! Thank you, Meg…thank you!

Jan - Thank You, Meg, for sharing this today…it was just what my heart needed! Beautifully said. Waiting on the Lord teaches me so much about myself while trusting in his plan. “You take joy and suffering and make it an offering for Your glory.” Listening to the words of this song iver and over!

Cindy - holy cow that was powerful! thanks so much for your encouraging and lovely words! they were moving!

Kara Byrne - Yep, yep, yep. Needed this today so much. Took the day off because my stress level of being supermom while working PT and husband working overnights has gotten to me. I need to hear the holy silence of the season…without the nagging requests drowning it. Thank you for writing what was on your heart as there are many of us out here that need to hear it. Merriest Christmas wishes to you!!!

Kelley - Thank you! I needed this today!! Getting to be a stay at home mom while my husband works his tail off to support us. Yet we are struggling to make ends meet and I am feeling so guilty for not working outside of the home. Was praying this morning about ways to bring in some income. Thankful for the reminder of hope and trust in our Lord and Savior. And the reminder to start doing something! Thank you! I admire you as a mom and wife and sister in Christ. I know you don’t have it all figured out, but it’s so nice to have a real role model who’s a few years ahead of me in this parenting game. Thank you.

Jack - I think I needed to hear this today! Thank you Meg.

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our gigantic list of favorite movies

November 30, 2014

our family is kind of crazy for movies.
we always have been.
i have loved to watch movies since i saw my very first one…. ET.
i have told craig “movies are my love language”
i love escaping into a movie.
one of my favorite places is a dark theater… two hours with nothing to do but be entertained.
i have even started going to movies by myself because i just want to see one and i have the time.
my plane ride to and from africa had personal tv screens in the seat backs with 100s of new movies to choose from and i thought it was absolutely fabulous! 10 hours with nothing to do but watch movies. i was SO HAPPY.

every year in my kids stockings i add new dvds.
we have a pretty big collection of dvds.
i asked them which were the ones they liked the most out of our choices.
the list was long.

so… maybe this will help you with stocking stuffers?
or an idea for a movie night?

i didn’t add any big Disney movie because we all know about those.
Frozen, Tangled, Toy Story… yada, yada, yada – they are all awesome and everyone knows that.
these are other movies, some new and some old and we let our kids watch these.
maybe you wouldn’t… but you get that choice of course. 🙂

I’m pretty sure that at least 90% of these movies are under $10 too.

Cheaper by the Dozen Jumanji Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

The Parent Trap The Sandlot Shrek

Father of the Bride Night at the Museum Napoleon Dynamite

Evan Almighty Nim’s Island The Little Rascals

Holes Facing the Giants Herbie Fully Loaded

Annie National Treasure The Emperor’s New Groove

Here Comes the Boom The Blind Side Back to the Future

School Of Rock Earth to Echo Journey to the Center of the Earth

Chestnut: Hero of Central Park The Princess Bride The LEGO Movie

Matilda The Goonies Jurassic Park

The Karate Kid Eight Below Around the World in 80 Days

The Pink Panther Ramona and Beezus The Chronicles of Narnia

The Avengers The Secret Life of Walter Mitty Spider-Man

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Harry Potter & the Sorcerer’s Stone Enchanted

my kids are older… these movies are mostly for that next stage after animated movies.
probably the most bad language is in the Goonies… 80’s movies are dumb like that.
but it’s the goonies!!
i had to put it on the list.
what is your favorite family movie?
what did we forget?
is there a movie i need to know about?

let’s hear it.

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Maya hoffmann - i LOVE emperores new grove

Jenny Mullins - I love this list! I feel like my family 11 year old boy and 9 year old girl would enjoy movie nights at your house! We love fairy tales. So here are two movies we recommend Ever After – A Cinderella Story with Drew Barrymore and Mirror Mirror with Julia Roberts.
I also love Little Women with Winona Ryder or any version of this story at Christmas time.
So really I have 3 recommendations.
Thank you for this list, there are few we haven’t seen and I know we will enjoy soon!

Jenn - The Great Outdoors! My whole family loves that movie 🙂

Rachel B. - Apollo 13—my 7 year old and 4 year old love it!

Stephanie - Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. Disney made it and it is based on a true story about a “diving girl” (diving horses off of a pier in Atlantic City) in the 1940’s. Fabulous family movie. Buy it! Watch it! You’ll love it!

Michelle Whitlow - So many of those are our favorites, too! Goonies, ET, Back to the Future, Matilda…etc. In fact, we went to see the Goonies house in August when we were in OR 🙂 I’m getting my son The Last Starfighter & my oldest daughter Quarterback Princess (I probably haven’t seen that one since the 80s!). We’re big movie fans in our house, too! And Guardians of the Galaxy will be making it’s way to our home this month as well!

Sarah - Life has been dreary lately with some teenager drama going on.
I love looking at your blog, with ALL the fabulous color combinations! It helps to brighten my days.
Anyway I just had to tell you how excited I am to start a new quilting project with rainbow colors! When I cut the fabric strips and made a nice pile, it reminded me of your rainbow of colors on your blog.
Thanks.

Brook - My oldest daughter and nieces love The Labyrinth with David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly.

Tanya - ET was my first movie too 😀 I wanted yarn bows in my hair like Gertie. 😉
We L.O.V.E Annie at this house and I just introduced the kiddos to the original Parent Trap this weekend. My mom intro’d us to all of the musicals really young and I plan to do the same thing.
Can’t go wrong with Goonies!!

Tina J - Great List!! Daddy Daycare, Dr. Doolittle, Adventures in Babysitting, the American Girl Movies!

Erin - Thank you for this post. I’m bookmarking it. My kids are 13, 11, 8, and 4. We are always looking for movie ideas (especially for the older 3). I had forgotten about a lot of these!

Jenn - My 13 year old daughter and I just watched Walter Mitty and LOVED it!

Have you seen “The Mighty Macs”? One of my favorites.

s - I love RV.

jaimie - home alone

Debi Meyers - AND … “Little Women” with Winona Ryder, Claire Danes… the Christmas opening is my favorite 🙂

Karen in NYC - Hi Meg, it’s Karen in NYC.

That’s so funny about Walter Mitty. I saw it in the theaters last year with 16-year-old Ross, and we loved it but felt like we were the only people in the world who saw it.

Your list is great. You and your family would also love these:

Must-See Adventure:
Star Wars (The original from 1977)
Raiders of the Lost Ark

1960s and 1970s Fun:
Freaky Friday — the 1970s version starring Jodie Foster
The Parent Trap – the 1960s version starring Hayley Mills

80s Fun:
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (which includes the swearing that so many 80’s movies have)
Big

Hilarious:
Airplane!

Top Musicals:
West Side Story
Sound of Music
Fiddler on the Roof

Comedies in Black and White:
Bringing Up Baby
Some Like it Hot

The Two Best Christmas Movies in Black and White:
Miracle on 34th Street (the old one starring Natalie Wood as a child)
It’s a Wonderful Life

I have a separate list of great movies to watch with teenagers, that I guess everybody but Annie is ready for.

Sarah - Thank you for this – perfect timing! The Chronicles of Narnia link takes me to the Goonies movie, but I could be doing something wrong. 🙂

Debi Meyers - oh!

“Cool Runnings” about the Jamaican Bobsled team 🙂

Debi Meyers - great list, Meg… Secondhand Lions! Holes! Here Comes the Boom!

If you are a family that enjoys slower, noble, great tenderness against harsh realities: “The Book Thief”, and “The Straight Story” (know your kid. My son at 7 loved it. contemplative)

Musicals:
Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver Twist, Sound of Music, Cinderella (so fun…with Brandy & Whitney Houston)

Boys Adventure:
Mark Twain’s “Roughing It” with James Garner

Christmas:
“A Dog Named Christmas” Hallmark movie
“The Homecoming” (pilot for The Waltons series)

Slightly ‘scary’ movies:
so for older kids, but again, excellent themes.
“Lady In The Water”, “Signs”, and “The Village” (<— this has a bloody scene, but is one of our favorite love stories of all time, and AMAZING SOUNDTRACK).
all 3 have creatures lurking in the dark… jumpy, tense… 🙂

heidi e. - What a great list! And I love the idea of a dvd in their stocking! We just watched Cool Runnings, and it was hilarious! Now we run around asking each other ‘Sanka, ya dead?’… hahahaha

Stephanie - Oh! I LOVED Second Hand Lions. And laughed SO hard at Over the Hedge. Thank you for recommending Earth to Echo. Maybe we will do that for our next family night. I feel like we are running out of acceptable movies. One I loved when I was a teenager was The Journey of Natti Gann. I haven’t seen it since the early 90s, but I love a good adventure.

Rachel - Nacho Libre!!!!!!! 🙂 Mary Poppins!!!!
Great movies listed!

FLWendy - Funny how your list is full of what we have in our DVD library. What about adding some Studio Ghibli films? We have Ponyo, Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro. All great films. My children loved them when they were young and still love them today (late teens, early 20’s).

Brittany - Great list!! Our kids love the Nanny McPhee movies!

Jenn - Father of the Bride 2 and Sister Act 2!!!! Apparently, we love sequels!

Jill - We are huge fans of Christmas movies…. so many! But one that few people seem to know about is “Prancer”. A beautiful movie! You should watch it!

Cathy Shealy - We like Robots (also with Robin Williams) RV, again with RW, You’ve Got Mail, Holiday, Christmas with the Kranks (we actually wore one of these out a few years back). Ratatouille

Heather S. - Our girls are 10 and 12 and we are all gaga here over the National Treasure movies (and desperately hoping they’d get done with number three soon). And yes – totally agree on the bad language with Goonies. We watched it with our girls a year or two ago and just thought, “seriously, what is up with all the bad words?” Such a classic, though!

Stacey - All of those and Secondhand Lions!

Peg Graham - Prancer, Fly Away Home, Little Women, While you were Sleeping…

Amy - It’s super old but my kids think The Court Jester with Danny Kaye is the funniest thing ever. Its free on Amazon Prime. They also love Surf’s Up.

Colleen - Hook is a great film (with thoughts of Robin Williams,) Akeelah and the Bee and Flyaway Home (for Annie)

Southern Gal - You’ve got a great list! We would add Secondhand Lions! Superhero movies especially Thor and Captain America; animated, The Croods, Over the Hedge; Christmas movies Elf and Home Alone.

Libby Herwig - Elf!!!!!!! The first Harry Potter also. We like the rest but they get quite dark.

Angela - These are great! Some are new to us. I would add Mrs. Doubtfire and Star Wars- the original trilogy.

Amy - We love Second Hand Lions and we recently watched Million Dollar Arm and it was great! Thanks for the list!

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family photos!

November 28, 2014

this.
Blue Lily sent us our photos.
and i absolutely LOVE them…. every single one.
wendy you are SO TALENTED!!!!!

TYL_1749 TYL_1776

TYL_1796 ls2 st2 acm2 TYL_2064 mmom&boys TYL_2114 TYL_2025 asm TYL_2159 TYL_2145 TYL_2168 TYL_1997 TYL_2204 TYL_1817 TYL_1889 scott&talby-2
seanH TYL_2225 TYL_2283 TYL_1827 TYL_1916
squeeze

and now i need to order some!!

Blue Lily has made their 2015 schedule.
its WORLDWIDE.
i think you should get on their schedule!! 🙂 🙂 🙂
family photos are such a gift… you never know when life is going to change.
they freeze time.
we will have that night – that hour – forever.
and it was a really good one. 🙂

thanks again WENDY!!!

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Jeanie - Meg, you have a beautiful family! And I have to tell you – when I first looked at the pictures – I thought “where’s Meg?” You looked like one of the kids! How do you keep yourself so young – with so many kids, so many activities, schedules etc? I need your secret!

ellen patton - there’s a lot of love in these photos!

tracy fisher - love. just, love.

Debbie - I never get tired of looking at Bluelilly photos. I agree, all are very nice. You’ll be so glad you have these.

misty - wow! gorgeous! the 4th one down needs to be on a HUGE canvas! You have a such a pretty fam!! Love love!

danielle - These are gorgeous! You guys look great!

jen - Such great pictures! Thanks for sharing them.

Mindy - Beautiful photos done in perfect light. What a lovely family you have and great memories captured.

Kristin - Gorgeous pictures, with so much love shining out of them!

jaimie - beautiful! i love the poses, lighting and the outfit choices…you can tell from the pix what a lovely, tight-knit family you are! happy holidays!

iralee poore - these are simply amazing!!!! i love love love the lighting!!!

bethr - oh Meg, it was so fun to see all these beautiful photos of your family! The outfits, the light, the smiles and connection you 7 seem to share- all so touching!

Amy - LOVE!! You guys are gorgeous!!

Lori - Great pictures 🙂

Diana Yarborough - Beautiful family pictures! We need to do them like this one day!

On a totally different subject, is there a sewing machine you recommend? I really want to get one, but am obviously a beginner.

Leslie Humphrey - Absolutely beautiful – your family and the pictures. The love just oozes from each shot – thanks for sharing!

Stephanie - I have tears in my eyes for some reason. Good pictures do that. Your family is so beautiful and reminds me of my own in so many ways (we have seven kids). I love love love when big families are all captured in one shot–looking happy and in glowing light. You have quite a job picking one picture out!

martha - okay…so I’m just commenting to wish you luck picking your favorite picture! usually there is never a shot where everyone looks good and all of these do! ps. we don’t get a glimpse at your eldest daughter very often- she is just lovely! thank you for sharing your family with us!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - Stunning!!!
The one of the girls together…or you and the boys. Agh! Such pretty people. And the stripes were the right choice.

Kristin S - What perfect light. How did you capture so many great shots at that perfect light?

I love that last one.

Jenn - What stunning photos of your beautiful family! Just lovely! These are indeed true treasures that you will cherish and look back on for years to come. Many happy blessings to you and your family this holiday season. I am a thankful reader whose life is enriched by the inspiration you share. Thank you!

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