lots and lots of pictures from the weekend.
three of the girls flew to kansas…two from california…one from alabama.
two of the girls drove from oklahoma.
the rest of the girls were local within 30 minutes.
three of us went to the airport to pick them all up…there were even some tears of joy upon meeting in real life.
craig is a super star and took all of our kids to his mom's for the weekend…with the stomach flu.
all the blogger girls stayed at my house.
i have lots of beds….a little known fact apparently.
everyone had their own mattress.
we must be mattress hoarders.
my dining room that turned into a game room decided to become a craft retreat lodge this weekend.
we fit in there so well!
all the sewing machines were on the pool table!
it was like the room was made for it.
on friday night we made our first craft led by julie.
we used this tutorial by little miss momma.
they turned out so cute.
almost everyone chose a different color.
you need to make this!
kimberlee didn't have on lipstick so we had her use her necklace for lipstick.
lots and lots of chit chat while we were crafty.
and i see waffle's paw at the bottom left corner of this picture.
he was by our sides every minute….loving the the attention from the ladies.
there was so much good food.
cindy made breakfast on saturday.
we got to sleep in….a requirement made by me.
don't you hate going places for a "retreat" and then have to be at breakfast by 7:30 am??
there was even a sweet little baby in attendance!
after cindy filled us with crepes with fresh fruit and quiche we loaded into a 15 passenger van to go antiquing.
we debated about decorating the van with bunting……
so fun.
we are any stores DREAM.
a van pulling up with 10 women to shop???
we were met with big smiles.
9 out of 10 ladies left with new found treasures.
cole with his mama picking out all the best doilies.
i took them to my favorite antique store…Bearly Makin It.
so much to choose from.
if you are in kansas….you should go.
heather found silverware for her party planning business.
a total score!
anyone need a milk jug???
loving the sunshine!
all the ladies took turns holding sweet baby cole.
it was our pleasure.
he hardly made a peep the whole weekend.
and everyone had envy of julie's gorgeous hair….it is soooo pretty.
on saturday in kansas we had a really odd extremely warm day.
we were so grateful for it.
can you guess what i bought from all these goodies? ha ha ha
after a sonic happy hour run we made it back to my house for more crafts.
the ruffle pillow tutorial heather taught us with is here.
3 women had never sewn on a machine before.
they ended up being ruffle making rock stars!
they did fantastic.
ashley's machine made the best ruffles…we all waitied for our turn on her machine.
no one knew what the secret was….but it worked….no gathering required.
i love being around people who love technology as much as i do….
threading a needle….
the third craft was embroidery hoop art.
we were given lots of examples that we could make or we could make our own design.
amy's was amazing.
we stayed up crafting and listening to frank sinatra on pandora and eating tiramisu until 2 in the morning.
kimberlee made breakfast on sunday.
there was frosting involved.
YUM.
another great thing about crafty girls weekends….women clean up.
always.
there were cameras everywhere.
and fabric everywhere.
dreamy.
and my brass lamps from the thrift shop. :)
there is a peek at amy jupin's ruffle pillow.
i am in love with the ruffle pillows…i want to make a hundred of them.
and her turquoise flower necklace is also in the picture.
these were all of our hoops together…not all finished but all together.
mine is the one right
here under these
letters.
trying to set up our cameras for a group shot….caught kimberlee being silly.
jana (no blog….yet) and amy jupin.
jess and julie.
ashley and cindy (also no blog….YET).
cindy came with ashley so she didn't have to drive alone and show up to a house full of women she had never met and be trapped with us if she didn't like us…
turns out we LOVED them both!
very much.
heather, cole and me.
amy (my neighbor) and kimberlee (my cleaning partner)
and that was that.
they went home with their suitcases full of new crafts, antiques, julie's messy flowers and full tummies.
and i haven't stopped smiling since.
God gave me blogging.
He gave me a gift that i get to continue opening when i meet new friends from all over.
God is so awesome.
my mind feels full of creativity.
my heart feels full of love and friendship.
my body feels too full of cinnamon rolls and cheesecake.
the retirement center has been missing me.
my bloggy friends left just in time….we are snowed in here and it's FREEZING.
my house has never been this cold.
i am bundled up in a blanket with many layers and hot coffee and i am still frozen.
Lauren - Your love story is amazing, Meg! The fact that your love story started so young and is still going this many years later (and is stronger), well, that is just inspiring 😉 Thanks so much for sharing with us!
Michelle - Wow, we have very similar stories. Your words are so well put. My hubby and I just celebrated 14 years of marriage last week. We have been together since I was a Sophmore, he was, and is still, my only boyfriend. I found out I was pregnant in August after I graduated high school. I was 17. A painfully sad time in my life. Such a change of plans in our lives, and my parents not supporting our marriage- they didn’t even attend our wedding, its nothing short of a miracle that we are still together and loving each other more today than ever. We have in a sense grown up together, and changed in so many ways, God has definitely kept us together through it all.
Anyhow, I just wanted you to know, that I have loved your blog since the day I found it. I appreciate your honesty, and am glad to hear someone else say the things I feel. Raising kids, a daughter who in so many ways is more like my sister because of our ages, is tough. Your blog is such a happy place, even on the bad days their is a rainbow around somewhere 🙂
Vonda - Meg you and your family are awesome. I don’t know if there is a perfect love story. I think some sound that way, but we all have things we go through…some things we think we would change, and then we look at what we have and smile! 🙂
Val - Your response to JR’s comment was perfect. It’s what I would expect…I love your blog. Live life happy…that’s what it’s all about…can’t let those that aren’t get you down. Thanks for the happy reads.
Val - Hi Meg,
I tried to email you, but I can’t get it to work! I had a question about your Africa pictures. I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I used some of them for a school presentation on malnutrition in Africa. I will have a resource page with your blog name to credit the pictures to you’re okay with me using some of them.
Thanks! Please email me back if you are okay with it!
(P.S. I’ve been a loyal blog reader for over a year and love it!)
Sugar Mama - Meg, We have even more in common now than I ever thought before. I read your “love story” and mine is about the same except I got pregnant while in highschool. It was scary… and not what I ever expected for my life at the time.
And the chameleons? Love them!
Susan Freeman - John Rambo came to my blog too and left an ugly comment. I posted about it today. I hope that you will come to visit my blog and read my post in praise of American Women. This is my first time to your blog and I am glad that I found you, despite the fact that it was under such distasteful circumstances. Your post is so charming and what great fish your kids created!! Love your blog and will return often.
Love,
Susan and Bentley
xxoo
Karen - Meg;
I have been reading your posts for a few months now, and you are great because I can always count on you for a lift in spirit and a reminder of how great life really is. That is such a gift that you have to be able to inspire so many people in that way.
I just read your love story, and I found it so touching and real and beautiful. Thankyou for sharing something so personal. I guess that’s why I read your blog. You give us all yourself. Thanks.
Heather R. - Love the pictures. Rainbow chameleons make me happy, too. 🙂
Lisa - Ok, now have to go read your love story, sound wonderful.
p.s. I got a comment on my blog once that was rude and nasty, only unfortunatley it wasn’t a spammer, it was my EX husband!! lol!!! notice emphasis on the “EX”!! He and Mr. Rambo would probably love each other, hehe!!
Thanks for always putting a smile on my face, I never miss a post from you 🙂
Carol S - Darn, those turned out cute! I must be too old to know that kids book though. Hungry Hungry Caterpillar I recall which was similarly colorful?
jen - Yep. You got spammed Meg.
Jilly - Leo Lionni and Eric Carle are favorites at our casa…even though they are all teenagers!
amanda - Ladies, don’t you get it? John Rambo is using classic reverse psychology. Now none of us “American women” can stop thinking about him and with a name like “Rambo” you know he must be a hottie! jk, I get comments like that a lot in the “spam”, though they are mostly about owning my own business or finding a mail order bride, none quite as interesting as Mr.Rambo, aka, Rocky 1,2,3,4,5 and 6. 🙂
nic - make that irresisIble. spelling, shmelling.
nic - ah, art projects like these make my heart sing. (do you paint alongside your kids? because i would totally be making my own curly-tailed chameleon right here. irresistable.)
Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I love your love story. God is good isn’t He!
alyssa - wow. I loved your love story. you did so good! so honest. so God-honoring. I think you should repost it here.
sara's art house - LOVE the chameleons!!!! I will def copy this..
merlin - Now, this is a craft that I might be able to do (if you provide the chameleon template), so perhaps you could add it to your list of craft projects for the crafting weekend.
Maybe you could have a crafting weekend just for the non-crafty readers, I read through the 800+ comments and was relieved to know I am not the only one.
Yes, your mission could be to gather the lost and uncrafty souls and encourage us, the others already know how 🙂 We NEED you.
Courtney Walsh - Do you ever almost dip your paintbrush in your coffee instead of the paint water?
I noticed the coffee cup right in the thick of it and remembered the time I did just that. lol 🙂
Love these!! They are sooo cute!
Lauren - Meg your love story brought tears to my eyes.
Thank you for sharing what God can do even through the tough…not so pretty….situations in our lives.
Aimee - Rambo seems like a spammer…I doubt he’s even read your blog. Twerp. 😉
Thank you for sharing your love story…I love hearing it, especially because it’s not “typical.”
Laura Phelps - I’m doing this project RIGHT NOW
seriously
now
after I make some coffee
Holly Cox - Hey Meg….
If you ever actually speak with John Rambo, not that you’d want to, You can tell him that I said {{really loud}}:
SOME MYSTERIES SOLVE THEMSELVES!
If he’s ever experienced any of his complaints about American Women, his attitude makes it very clear as to why he would have been treated that way. 🙂 Just a thought!
<3 Holly C.
Juliann - Megan – awesome love story! You did a great job sharing that; being vulnerable and honest. YOU ARE GREAT!!
also, I would love to see a guest post by Mr. Duerksen to John Rambo as to why American women are great 🙂
Lorie S. - I just saw your blog yesterday and am in love with it. I am so inspired. I sometimes get down on myself for being a stay at home mom and do I really make a difference??? And the answer is YES!!!!! What would happen to our homes if there wasn’t the mom to hold it together. I look forward to ready tomorrow.
Emily Zimmerman - Hi Meg!!! Love love love your blog!!! When I saw your post about not being able to host 870 people for a craft weekend, I thought you were exaggerating. Then I scrolled down and saw 871 comments on your post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW!!!! You are so loved!!!!!
Phebe Roberts - Hi Meg,
Don’t know if you remember me but I was the one who forwarded the vid. Asian pineapple cutting! 🙂 Anyways, just wanted to share what you and lovely fam. inspired my 5yo son to accomplish this morning. You can see it here http://blossombucket.blogspot.com/2011/02/inspired-to-paint.html
Thanks a zillion + some
Janine - This is a great idea. And it’s educational too since it goes along with reading a book. I may do something like this next week when I have to watch my nieces & nephew.
I enjoyed reading your love story. So sweet.
Oh and the John Rambo thing – what strange spam! I missed it yesterday.
Lori in Iowa - Wow. It was refreshing to read such an honest and inspiring love story. My own love story has a twisted road but at the end was something amazing.
Thanks for the honesty.
Heather - Love the chameleons! Love your love story! Love your blog! John Rambo has some major issues, but it was great laugh. Wonder where he meets his American women for him to have those views!!?
Paula Montalvo - Meg, John obviously hasn’t read your blog AT ALL. If he did he would realize that you are a great Wife, Mother, Cook, and cute to boot! In a nutshell……….He’s off his bloody rocker!!! It was a good laugh though at how nutty people can be. Love the chameleons and the great rainbow colors! Blessings <3 Paula
happygirl - Thanks for not deleting the “funny” comment. I LOVE the colors. They really brightened my day today. And I needed some brightening. <3
Leah - I loved your love story! And you know what? It’s REAL. Real life. Sometimes I think there’s too much romatic fantasy out there. And those couples who have that, end up not working out (not all … just some). What works is what’s real. Like your story. Thank you!
Candy - Meg-I just read your love story and it brought tears to my eyes. I can see the love in your eyes and your husbands. It is such a sweet thing. I love how God can take something, that at the time, we feel, will destroy us, and make it something awesome and wonderful! Thank you for sharing your story, it spoke to my heart.
Terrie - Megan – Love your chameleons!! Wish I was one of your kids!! Or you had been my mom!! I LOVE crafts! I also LoVeD your LOVE story!!! I had tears for you…for what you didn’t have and tears for me…because I was a child of such a beginning…only my mom wasn’t like you. I didn’t get to do crafts, she barely let me in the kitchen…unless it was to do the dishes. I was told I wasn’t wanted…so I applaud you & Craig…for making a family centered on HIM. Your story blesses me like you will never know. I love that the two of you chose LOVE & family even when it was hard! I LOVE our God & that HE has BLESSED your family! I too am Blessed beyond measure…only through Him have I been able to overcome and be a better mother than the example I had. You, Meg, are a wonderful example to your readers!
Jen - Awesome book! My daughter’s preschool teacher asks that in lieu of bringing treats for the students, each child provide a book for the classroom on his/her birthday. My daughter chose this book and we are just about to order it. I will have to have her do this craft as well (she will LOVE it)… gearing up for her *rainbow* birthday party. Yahoo for rainbows!
Karen Gerstenberger - This posting (about your marriage) is one of the many reasons I love your blog…you are REAL about life and REAL about God. Thank you for being MEG, every day, and not putting on airs or trying to be someone else. The world needs MEG – God clearly saw that and made you! May His love continue to bless you and your family. xoxox
Heather - I went and read your story and came back to say IT IS AWESOME all that God can accomplish when we give ourselves and our relationships to Him! It makes me think of “At the Foot of the Cross”, when we sing “now I can trade these ashes in for beauty”. I LOVE that. I feel like I’m still learning that, every day. Thanks for sharing the testimony of your marriage. 🙂
lauren - i personally am just really hoping his real name is john rambo. because that would pretty much make my day. 🙂
Lisa - Beautiful story! Thanks for sharing.
Gevay - Love the crafts! Your love story is beautiful God is amazing and faithful! Thanks for sharing it.
Danielle - Bwahahaha! What do you want to bet John just got dumped by an American woman:)
sara @ it's good to be queen - love this fun colorful craft. How the heck do your water colors stay so nice and clean??? is it because you have girls? or do you wipe them out each time? after one use, ours look crazy…colors mixed, paint all over the whole container, etc.
okay, now i’m off to find john rambo’s comment and read your love story….
Amy - Just read your love story…truly heartfelt. A romantic proposal does not necessarily lead to a healthy marriage. To me a, good marriage is built on love, respect, tenacity, and faith. It isn’t important how you got there. I very much enjoy your blog and appreciate your story. Happy Thursday to you!!
Sarah @ Handbags*N*Pigtails - Ah Fooey on “John Rambo.” This is obviously a person who’s got some issues.
I love your crafty Thursdays. You’ve inspired me to get more involved with my girls, make a mess, and not worry about it! Kids are meant to be kids not perfect robots. And you know what? Im having fun letting loose right along with them. Who knew Id been missing out for so long?;)
XO
Lori H - John Rambo’s comment has appeared in another blog I read, Jen On the Edge. He obviously has too much time on his hands, and thinks any one of us cares! 🙂
Ashley - Some people just like to spam perfectly wonderful blogs. He did give a good crack up to so many, though.
Love the chameleons! I’ll try it here this weekend (or even while trying to cook tonight.)
Off to read your love story!
Angie M - Love your story. Thank you for sharing. I find it hard to share my stories. One day……
RLG - I’ve seen that same post (by John Rambo) on another blog.
Don’t take it personally. Some people are just freaks.
xoxo
Flower Patch Farmgirl - I got the same comment yesterday! ???
I like this project.
I like the title even more.
Elissa - john rambo is …….yup….somethin. i like “jerusalem’s” response though. made me laugh. as always, love your your blog and the stuff you share….
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang - Oh my heavens. I remember a while ago when you were answering questions, posted your wedding pic and mentioned that you would share your story some day.
Wow. Meg, you are truly beautiful. Thank you so very much for sharing your story. Really. Your family is beautiful.
Our God is so amazing.
Hannah - megan-love your story! i have a slightly similar one…except my guy didn’t stay..and THAT was absolutely god’s blessing…and so is my daughter…we met my husband when she was only one and he adopted her…as she used to say…”we found daddy together…god sent him to us” 🙂
god’s forgiveness is amazing! 🙂
BULLYMAMA - I think the title of your blog is the perfect response to his comment “Whatever”!! Clearly it had nothing to do with you as you don’t even fit into any of the catagories he listed…bizarre and his post was at 3 something a.m. one only can imagine what else was going on with him at hour!!
karen - I think Rambo dude wants to boycott American women because they have already done so with him. HA! Good Riddance!
Great chameleons!
I bought some water colours yesterday..but found no doilies. The hunt is on.
Patty - What great looking chameleons! I just want to know one thing: how do you keep the watercolor pans so darn clean? Thanks for linking.
Patty (Deep Space Sparkle)
Shana - oh! you tricked me with your crazy title for this post!
darn crafts.
but – they are very cute & your story is awesome.
Sarah - thank you fore sharing your love story…a needed reminder that God takes our messes and makes them beautiful. We ALL make bad choices (even as 30-somethings)…the consequences are rarely easy to walk through…only our God could take even them and use them for HIS glory. He is such a GOOD GOD!
Joy - Oh Meg, that was a beautiful love story. Love is hard. You did a good job!
Gabrielle - Meg, I started following your blog when I found its link on We Are the Friesens (I’m a friend and former co-worker of Sarah’s). I too enjoy your crafts, family stories, and sense of humor – but your love story was what made me actually drop you a note. It is wonderful on every level.
Juli - “John Rambo” is most likely the pseudonym of a person who’s a little…unhinged. Why don’t you just take that rant off your “Comments” list? It has nothing to do with your lovely blog, or your lovely self, or any of the lovely women you know.
Heather - I had to go back to read John Rambo’s comment. You know what I have to say about that?
(wait for it…)
Whatever!
Tiffany - Meg Said: God took our two little broken lives that we dedicated to HIM and made beauty from the ugliness we began with.
And Tiffany’s heart just stopped. I got so choked up in it. What a beautiful story. Im gonna ask my husband to read it too.
Karen H. - Snort! Laughing at Hoosier at Heart’s comment!!!
Tiffany - Really John Rambo. Really. Ur readers really rock though, right. I’m off to read ur luv story 🙂
Karina - I sure hope John isn’t coming to Canada any time soon.
Beautiful chameleons! The colours are so uplifting.
Jessica - I just read the John Rambo comment. Bahahahahahaha…totally cracking up right now.
Did I ever tell you that you are my favorite blogger?
Well, you are.
🙂
Have a great day!
purejoy - oh my gosh. i feel like i owe you an apology. i’m pretty much sure that is my brother bob, masquerading as john rambo. that is exactly the kind of rant he makes. completely unrelated to any kind of context to a situation.
my brother, i’m afraid, is john rambo. i don’t know how he found your blog. seriously… does he just blog hop and paste his “thoughts” in every one he comes across??
on another note, completely captivated by your creative prompts and your childrens’ willingness to participate. what a fun activity. makes me want to make my own!
Dawn - Love the chameleon craft! I’ll have to do that with my kids on their next snow day, since I’m sure there is bound to be more!
Katie Sellers - Thanks for sharing your love story!
pam - I love to start my days with your COLORFUL world. So thankful you know the One who redeems all our messes….we all have them. The Duerksen love story may not have started as you wished but I think it’s beautiful up to this point…
As for John…thank God American women are safe!
Lydia S - I read your love story. It made me cry… at work…
I love reading your blog and I’ve never commented before, but I just want you to know that I feel like we are friends (albeit one sided). I just got married this year, and we don’t have any kids yet, but someday I hope I can be as great a mom as you! Laundry piles and all! Thanks for all that you share.
And I really do hope you do a craft weekend. I would be there and we could be real-life friends!
Tracey @7294cottageway.blogspot - Love that project!
Jenny Logan - Those chameleons are adorable!
I loved your love story! You can tell how much you love your husband & family. It made me smile. =)
colleen - Sweet Meg, i lovely love your love story 🙂 Immediately thought of Revelation 21:5 “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said “Write this down for these words are trustworthy and true.” Isn’t it just like our precious Lord to make our ugly,sinful,dead mistakes; new? Thanks for “writing it down!” you blessed me this morning!
Shannon - Sounds to me like John is doing American women a favor!
Erin Ward - Love it! And love that book. Might have to steal that idea for my classroom. 🙂
Ginny - I just read your love story and it touched me and gives me hope because it reveals the same feelings I have. Just 3 years ago I never would have guessed I would be with a one year old and married. I also have longed for the romantic proposal the lavish wedding that took months and months to plan. All the excitement that builds up with the planning. But at the same time I am happy where I am and what it has brought me and know that God has had his hand on my little family and has brought us and will bring us wherever we are meant to go. Before I felt alone in my feelings because I don’t know any who has felt the same, so to read your story made me not feel so alone. I just wanted to say Thank you. 🙂
Hoosier at Heart - Hmmmmmmmmmmmm, I wonder what John looks like. I’m too afrid to check out his blog. I am happy that you left his comment there for everyone to read and didn’t delete it, what a hoot! Gotta go now, it’s getting late and I need to go get fat and cheat on my husband.
Beth @ Dirty laundry - Hi Meg,
I LOVE your blog. I am constantly inpired by you. I finally decided to try one of your crafts and blogged about it here:
http://wolfepack129.blogspot.com/2011/02/feeling-crafty-yet-grumpy.html
I love the chameleons! I’ve been thinking about doing a craft based on The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which would involve doing a lot of finger painting, letting the fingerpainted pics dry, then cutting apart pieces of them and gluing them together to make a picture. I bet you could do this (I will probably get to it sometime next winter…)
Beth
Beth from odd girl out. - First, John Rambo is an arse.
Second, those chameleons are awesome.
The end.
julie f. - Megan,
You wrote your love story amazingly! What a testament to God and how he has used a “broken” situation and redeemed it into something SO beautiful. You have a beautiful family and God-honoring marriage. Thank you for that example!!
Alysa - what i LOVED was lori in iowa’s comment after Rambo’s comment. too hilarious.
oh, and the cameleon’s – great, fun, easy project. we might pull that book off the shelf and do that today … after all, it’s thurdsay. =)
Shivaun - We should probably warn those foreign girls about Mr. Rambo.
Jenny Joy - I love the chameleons! What a fun project! 🙂
Nicolle W. - I LOVE that craft. I love that book! Don’t worry, I have seen that John Rambo comment on numerous blogs. Weirdo! 🙂
CathyC - Your love story is fantastic!
(I actually think “John Rambo” is probably a 20 something yr old GIRL. Very wordy and female-ish. I don’t know any REAL MEN that would waste their time).
Cathy
Nicole Q. - Fun simple craft . . . i can do this! have a happy thursday – we are seeing amazing temps this week ; I’m loving it!
Peggyrice@gmail.com - Oh, John Rambo;) Have you heard of Chris Lee, the shirtless Congressman? I say we American women start our own boycott of delirious, ridiculous, aging men. Cheers.
melissa rice - How hillarious that He is posting on a womens blog that defies everything he just stated. Meg is creative slender beautiful inside and out adores her family of, ahem, 5!!! Is silly and romantic with her husband and cooks!!!! Geez. I laughed anyhow…
deborah@applesinwonderland - i just posted after poor poor john rambo. i had no idea your “whatever” blog was also a place to find a wife. awesome, meg. you really do it all:)
the gaggle of chameleons, or herd or school or litter…are way cool, too.
Jennifer in VA - Love the chameleons, too busy with school and sports to do Craft thursdays with my kids now – but I’m seeing this as a summer thing for our Summer fun list!
And John?, wow! no. words. But a good laugh – is he real? Or your husband and/or brother’s alter ego, playing a joke on you?
Lindsay - Love these! And I’m sorry, you’ve probably addressed this somewhere along the way before, but are your kids ALWAYS so willing to participate in a craft with you? I’m so jealous, I clearly messed up big time at some point during my son’s 7 years of life!!! 🙂
danielle - what the what is that comment by john rambo?
and happy to have your pretty self over on my blog today. yeehaw 🙂
Kelly - OK John Rambo, boycott American women in favor of what? Mail order Russian brides? Too funny! At least his comment made for an early morning laugh:-)
LOVE the chameleons, by the way.