Not so favorite things...

 Now to write up the blog entry that I intended to write when I sat down at the computer: Lately, I've been itching for a project.  But I haven't had a whole lot of time to take on any major household projects.  So, I've been thinking about potential projects now and again. I'm definitely not a type-A personality or anything like that, but I like to be busy. When we have time to sit down and relax as a family, I like to have something to do with my hands.  And when I am occupied with the work of the day, I am usually dreaming up some grand project in my mind.  I suppose I'm more of a visionary than anything, because most of my grand ideas are just that...ideas.   There's a certain item of furniture in our home that gets in the way of my grand ideas on a fairly regular basis. Our living room couch.  

Sigh...

This couch was one of the few things in our marriage that we bought on a whim.

If you know my husband, you know that he never rushes into a decision.

Even the smallest decisions are usually slept on till morning.

And once he sets his mind to do something, you can count on him following through.  He's a very steady man--married to a very visionary wife.  Makes life interesting...

However, one day in the spring of 2000 when our house was well under construction, we ventured to Owatonna to look at furniture, and we happened upon this couch.  At the time, I was fond of antiques, and this was a replication antique.  My husband did something very unusual for him--he made a down payment on the couch that very day.

Within a matter of days, I remembered the many reasons why I wanted a neutral couch, and I pleaded with my husband to cancel the order.  But a decision is a decision, and his mind was made up.  This couch was destined to be in my living room, so may as well make the best of it.

And we have...

But I must admit that I've been hoping for the demise of this couch since the day it arrived in my living room.

And believe me...

This crazy couch has endured every desecration life can throw at it.

I could tell you, but you wouldn't want to sit on it.

One time I thought it was doomed for sure, and I actually took the couch pillow on the deck and poured several pots of boiling water on it!  It looks almost the same as the day it was delivered--minus 2 buttons.

It won't die.

And to this day, my husband loves this couch.

Now as an aside, I am very thankful for my steady man.  Because I happen to benefit from the fact that once he decides something is beautiful, he doesn't change his mind.  One night, many years ago, in a college parking lot, his eyes toward me changed, and he determined that I would be his wife.  By God's grace, that steady man found something beautiful in me, and he's never wavered.  While I'll never understand his faithfulness to me, I sure am grateful.

Anyway...

This week I got to thinkin' about how I sure would love to quilt and sew and design inspirational wall art for our living room.  We've talked of getting an estimate to reupholster the couch as a compromise.

So, a funny thing happened.  I found a furniture store in the Cities that claimed to have competitive prices and offered online estimates.

I filled out their form and attached a few photographs, and within 24 hours, this quote arrived in my inbox:

The Lord has a sense of humor, doesn't He?

So, I'm thinking I may as well accept the fact that this couch is my lot in life for now.

Funny thing is...  I don't know quite what I'd think if this couch up and disappeared tomorrow and was replaced with my dream couch.  I'd like to think I'd head down to my sewing room and get busy on some pillows.  But sometimes I wonder if I sorta love to hate the couch. 

Good grief, it's survived against all odds. 

It may be loud and harsh and demanding and attract more attention than it should.

But then again, sometimes so do I...

And my hubby doesn't give up on me.  :-)

So, I guess I'll just redirect my attention to other projects.

Maybe some curtains for the guest room...

And I suppose I'll live in peace with the couch.  For now.

Good gifts...

It's been a good week.

Had good health...

Productive days in school...

Another good basketball practice and game for Beth...

A good night of bowling with some cousins...

Good discussion/fellowship in Bible study...

We're seeing prayers answered...

And the Lord faithfully working in hearts and lives.

I still haven't gotten into the habit of hauling my camera along with me on our family outings, so there were some blog opportunities that were missed.  But sometimes it's nice to fully live the moments rather than seeing them through the lens of the camera anyway...

We have many reasons to be thankful.

That said, we are still walking through a difficult time in our extended family.

It is what it is, and God is still good, and we know that--regardless of the outcome--we have a long road ahead.  So, it's one of those things where you just do the next thing and draw near to the Lord and make the most of the many good gifts that God gives each day.

The funny thing is that when I started typing this blog entry, I had no intention of telling you any of this! 

It's crazy how I can sit in front of the keyboard and it's as if the words just write themselves sometimes.

The theme that has risen up in our home the last couple of days has been:

E D I F Y

We studied the second half of Romans 14 in Bible study last night...

Verse 19 says:

"Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."

Edification means to "build up"...

It is so encouraging as a child of God to have the opportunity to come alongside our brothers and sisters in Christ and do what we can to lift them up.

Philippians 1:27 was brought out in our discussion.  In the ESV, these words jumped out at me:

"standing firm"

"one spirit"

"one mind"

"striving"

"side-by-side"

These words paint such a beautiful picture of what our lives should look like as Christ-followers.

And so ends a blog entry that was supposed to be about my couch!  Ha!

Maybe there was someone out there who was supposed to read these words . . .

A Whirlwind Weekend...

 Last weekend, we had plans for a visit from Mike's brother and his wife. They were coming to celebrate Mike's Mom and Dad's 40th anniversary. Dave and Norma spent the actual day of their anniversary in Hawaii...  

...so this was a belated celebration that we had planned. John and Hwa arrived on Saturday morning just in time for Elizabeth's basketball game. Of course, the weather didn't take our plans into consideration.  The forecast called for up to 15 inches of snow/ice on Sunday-Monday, so John and Hwa decided that they should head back early. So, we made Saturday count.  :-) We decided to head out to Chester's for supper. Here are a few pictures from our night out:  Mike's brother John, his wife Hwa, and Beth Marie:   Hwa, Beth and Norma: 

Beth, Hwa and I:

Dave, John and Mike:

(this is the only picture that turned out of the 3 Amundson men, so John deserves to have it posted on the blog...although I did resist the temptation to enlarge his head...)

John, Hwa and Beth twirling in the hallway:

Mike and his girls in the parking ramp:

 It was a good night.  We are thankful for Mike's parents, and glad we got to celebrate 40 great years that they've shared together.  And I am thankful every day that I get to be married to their son!  I can't believe we're going to celebrate our 12th anniversary this spring... My folks celebrated 51 years of marriage last weekend!  We'll be taking them out for a belated anniversary dinner soon.  I'll have to see if they'll let me take pictures.  :-)
 

Basketball Party!

Last Tuesday we had Team Culvers over for a little party to celebrate a great season of basketball. The party began with supper--the smoked pork I had made was happily devoured by the players.  Then, no party at the Amundson's is complete without a little healthy competition.... It's only fitting, after all, to see who really is the best basketball player in the group, don't you think? So, we brought out Beth's old basketball hoop for a little shooting war.  Da Beast is showing us how it's done: 

Here's Will--look at that form!

And Gabe's. . . form?

And, of course, every party at the Amundson's should include a little personal embarrassment...

After all, Beth could make as many shots as the guys, so we had to make the game a little more challenging to see who was really the best...

so we got out the blindfolds:

(Just between me and you, I think Jeremiah kinda liked his blindfold.  I sorta think he woulda liked to keep it, but was maybe too shy to ask...)

We did come up with a winner--way to go Gene!  Here he is proudly displaying his prize:

A little later, we headed downstairs to see who could dominate the disc golf on the move:

Beth Marie had such a good time hauling this sweet baby around:

Kiernan was amazingly content to be Beth's doll for the evening.  Thanks Will and Val!  :-)

And thank you, Team Culvers, for a memorable year of basketball!   Mike plays with a great group of guys...

I been butt pickin' again...

We were in the midst of some unseasonably warm weather, and were planning for company, so I decided to fix a barbeque complete with beans, coleslaw, fresh fruit and veggies, and... a smoked pork roast: 

Some of you may remember that we served pulled pork at Sam's graduation open house last year. I slow roasted somewhere around 60 pounds of pork butt for that party. I rinsed those butts and patted them dry and brined them in my fridge and patted them dry again and rubbed them down with seasonings and roasted them for 13 hours each in my oven and woke up to the probe alarm in the mornings and shredded them with forks and stored them in my freezer... Let's just say that it smelled really good for the first roast or two... I even snuck a little taste here and there when I pulled the meat. But when I lived with the smell of roast pork in my house day and night for several days, it started to get overwhelming... And by the time I had done that many roasts...let's just say I didn't care if I ever saw another pork butt again. I figured it had been over 9 months and I was probably over it...especially since the plan was to smoke the roast on the grill this time.    

 But, it was a large pork shoulder, and those take a loooong time to smoke.  So, when midnight rolled around and the pork still hadn't reached the magic 200 degrees for pulling...I knew I'd have to bring it in the house and finish it in the oven.   And, I discovered that I still haven't "gotten over it"...  Ha!  Out of that entire roast, I ate  one. tiny. sandwich.   And that was just to make sure it was fit to serve company. Bummer that my husband enjoys smoked pork so much or I'd just retire... ...maybe I'll just leave the butt pickin' to him from now on.  :-)

My Husband's Obituary

 Well, it's a good thing I posted "pretty pictures" of our yard a couple weeks ago... 'cause it sure isn't pretty anymore.  A few days of thawing have revealed muddy grass, a rotten pumpkin, and a winter's worth of soggy bird seed and doggie duty. Nuff said. Thankfully, my wonderful husband took the afternoon off work to improve the yard situation before company arrives for the weekend. What does that have to do with his obituary you might ask? Let's hope nothing... But awhile back we had this little conversation about obituaries...and the fact that Mike is irritated that they rarely ever say how the person died.  Certainly there are exceptions, but he feels that most often there is a tactful way to say how a person died, and he said that when he dies, he wants his cause of death to be stated in his obituary.  I assume if I go first, my cause of death will also be stated in mine...   Man I hope I die gracefully.   Anyway... So, today I get a note from Mike at work, and it says that he'd leave work around 12:30, have his car washed, after which he would "succumb to poop duty..." Nice. I e-mailed him back and asked him if he would want that stated in his obituary, and he said he would appreciate it.  :-) Poor guy.  He's now working on repairing the stupid plastic gears in our garage door opener.  What a way to spend vacation!   Thanks, Hubby...  I must affectionately say that I hope that I never live to write your obituary.  ;-)

Aches and pains...

I woke up with a sore shoulder the other day... I couldn't quite figure why it was that my shoulder hurt, but it sure did... And then Mike reminded me... It was probably all of the rounds of disc that I played this week... And table tennis... And volleyball... And even bocce ball... Did spring arrive in Minnesota?   Nope. Did I get the new rec room I've wanted for so many years? Nope. A PS Move arrived in our basement this week. And if you've ever used one, you would know that it can get just a little intense.  :-) So, we finally had the opportunity to put our PS3 to good use.  My husband worked on the PS3 a few years back, and as an award, he got one for free.  We use it about once or twice a year...  But we're liking the concept of the Move because it gives us something sorta recreational to do together this time of year.  Sam came over to play...  And he even put up with me while I snapped his picture. I have to say one of my favorite parts about playing with the move is heckling Sam--it's so easy to get into his head with a little "trash talk"... 

And here's my "special" husband. 



And my crazy girl:

 Let me tell you...the move brings out a whole 'nother side to this little peanut.  If you ever have the opportunity to take her on in a game of disc or bocce ball...just give her space. And thank you to my husband who took the time to get "just the right angle" for the picture that he took of me.  I always like to get a nice clear shot up my nostrils to post on my blog...  ;-) 

So, then I didn't feel so bad when I realized why my shoulder was so sore... ...cause Mike admitted that his was pretty sore, too. 
 

Enduring love...

I've had this Valentine's post in progress for several days.  So, may as well go ahead and post it--better late than never! . . . ♥ . . . The Amundson's celebrated Valentine's Day as a family this year.   Nothing fancy, but it was a special day. We exchanged Valentines and Mike took his two girls out to Noodles and Company for supper. While Mike and I--obviously--didn't compare notes ahead of time, there was a common theme in the cards that we got for each other:  Always.  It's a theme that's been on our hearts a lot lately... Mainly because, to be honest, we've been seeing marriages crumbling all around us. Sometimes I almost start to feel numb because I feel like I don't have the tears left to grieve anymore for the broken promises and shattered dreams of so many people that we've loved over the years. Love... It never gives up... Never loses faith... Is always hopeful... And endures through every circumstance. Several years ago, I went through a "sign making" phase.  I made this one to display in our bedroom: 

 At the time, it seemed like a nice little token of affection to display in our room.  But there have been several times lately when I've walked into our room and paused for a moment to ponder that thought and give thanks for my marriage...   Forever.  For always.  And no matter what. While I'm learning--over and over again--that there isn't a single marriage that is "untouchable" in this fallen world, I am so thankful for the man that God gave to me.  He is demonstrating that he is committed--for better or worse--and we've had to walk through quite a bit of both lately. If there's one thought that I could leave with all of you as we reflect on Valentine's Day...   Regardless of your circumstances...   If you are swarming with little ones in your home...   If you are short on money or going through health struggles...   If there are family situations that are making your life difficult or complicated...   Whatever you may be going through...  Make time to invest in your marriage.    Never in history have Christian marriages been more under attack...  or more vulnerable to attack.  The evil one delights in broken homes and he's on the prowl...  looking for marriages to devour.  

 

Updates coming soon...

I'm really behind in updating my blog... It's one of those things where we've been pretty busy... ...so there's a lot that I could blog about... ...but we've been too busy.  :-) So, hopefully there will be time later this weekend to catch up a little.  And I'll leave you with a verse that's been on my heart from 1 John: 



Winter's beauty...

 For all that winter is about 2 months too long in Minnesota... ...it is very beautiful... So, it doesn't hurt to take a minute to appreciate it once in awhile, because even the "sticks" of winter sing the praises of their Creator, and are a gift for us to enjoy. Here are a few pics from around our yard today: 

The sky was so dark today, and it contrasted so beautifully with the white of the snow and the brown/orange of the shrubs...

 Beth's little playhouse--waiting to welcome her on warmer days...  And finally:   

Our friend--the disc golf goal--patiently waiting for green grass and summer sunshine... Soon...  :-)

It's February...

According to the calendar, February is the shortest month of the year... ...but in Minnesota, it feels like one of the longest. Winter has lost its thrill by now... ...but the end isn't in sight yet.  February is one of those months where you just kinda find a comfy spot and wait for spring to arrive... 


 At least there's Valentine's day...  I'm not big on seasonal decorating...but I thought I'd be festive and design a Valentine's theme for my blog...yeah, like I needed an excuse to play with my blog design...  ;-)  You'll have to excuse me if I think of lots of excuses to change my blog design in the near future.  I can't help myself.  It is February after all--what else is there to do?  Anyway...   So, we're passing the time and trying to keep warm while we're longing for leaves on the trees and lush green grass... And where we really want to be is on a family outing to the park for a nice round of disc golf! But, there's still a little fun to be had in these last weeks of winter, so Mike and Beth ventured out to play in the snow a bit this afternoon:  

 

And here is my first attempt at adding videos to my blog...

Here's one of Beth Marie's trips down the hill:

Then, one of Mike and Beth going together:

  And finally, one of Mike and Gretchen: 

 (Not sure what Gretchen thought of the experience. :-) Still looking forward to spring, but winter has its amusements...

Easy lunches...

 Now, I must confess that I have a weakness for household gadgets... ...but I've come to the conclusion that no kitchen is complete without one of these:  

(panini press) We purchased ours from Amazon.com last fall or so, and it's been an excellent tool for preparing good lunches and suppers FAST. With just a few easy supplies on hand (meat, bread, cheese) you have a quick and fun meal for a babysitter... ...or a happy hubby at home while you're on a girls' night out!  :-) Well, this week, I was scavenging around the kitchen for an easy lunch for Beth Marie and I. We had a nice hunk of Monterey Jack cheese from Trader Joe's in the fridge...and some left-over tortillas from a recent supper... Mmmm... We shredded the cheese, arranged it in the tortilla, folded it in half and plopped it on the grill. These were some of the most amazing cheese quesadillas we've ever had: 

They only took about a minute, and the cheese was gooey and melted in the middle...

The tortilla was the perfect mix of crispy and soft...

and that's what I call an easy lunch.  :-)

(With a little seasoned chicken and some taco fixings, it could be an easy supper, too!)

Panthers Basketball continues...

Well, Team Culvers may be done for the season, but Beth's Panthers are still going strong... As I sit here, there's pounding and rattling upstairs.  It's Beth practicing her dribbling on the wood floor in the kitchen.  (We'll see if the china in the hutch survives her first season of basketball.)    

  She loves to hang out in the living room and practice her "rebounds".  Sometimes, Daddy takes time to teach her how to set picks and execute the plays that her coaches have been working on in practice.  It's crazy how fast she's developing her basketball skills--she's learning so much and loving every minute of her practices and games.  Hard to believe the season is already half over!  

Team Culvers' Season Ends...

 Last Tuesday, Mike finished his basketball season with an unlikely "berth" (not birth, right honey?) in the final four and they came all too close to upsetting the #2 seed and going to the championship.  I say all too close because, well, honestly...we wives were ready to be done.  ;-)  It was a long season!  But, there was one picture that I had to upload--it was just too priceless to pass up.  So, in the playoff game last Tuesday, let's just say that the reffing in that game wasn't favorable to our team...   I'll leave it at that and let this picture speak for itself.  :-) Here's Jeremiah's infamous "jump ball": 

Blog design

 I finally took the time to sit down to photoshop last night and play a little bit with designing a new background for my blog.  Not sure if I like the one I made, but it's proof of concept.  :-)  I also discovered that blogger had a lot more fonts available to choose from, and I love fonts.  So, you might be seeing changes from time to time. If it loads funny, just click "reload" and it should be fine. I should be making 6 pounds of sloppy joes for Bible study tomorrow night...  I had the brilliant idea that I should schedule Beth a dentist appointment tomorrow so cooking ahead would be a good thing.  But school is done...and we don't have to leave for basketball practice until 5:30pm, so... I just might have to play a little bit more while I dry some laundry...because I think that the designing of the blog just might be slightly more fun than updating it.  ;-)

Gratitude Journal...

It's 40% off "coupon week" at Hobby Lobby.

For us, this means that--if we're in Rochester--we will often stop by and browse around.  I'm a mother of one little girl...and what can I say?  It's one of our favorite mother-daughter activities.  Sometimes I'll pick up a magazine...  Sometimes a chain for beading...  Sometimes some craft supplies...

I was hoping to find a gratitude journal.

But it had to be special...

I figured I'd know it when I saw it.

I rummaged through the pile of journals.

There were several that were fine, but none that called out to me...

until I saw this one:

 

Mmm hmm...I would say this was meant to be my gratitude journal.  (With the coupon, I paid just under $2! I almost felt guilty using a coupon...) Thank you, Lord...

I went home and promptly copied the quote from Ann Voskamp's book onto the front page--the one about how "I only deepen the wound of the world when I neglect to give thanks . . ."  You can read the rest at this post if you want.

So . . . if the goal is to write down 1000 gifts . . .  Where do I begin?  I mean, I could just start looking around the room and begin to fill the pages of this book, but that wouldn't be meaningful.

So, through the course of the day, when something just jumps out to me as a gift from the Lord, I write it down.  It may be something significant, or very small, but it was something that filled my heart with warmth and thankfulness for that moment.

And so begins my journey to 1000 gifts! I really like the idea of writing down just a few words to remember those special moments in the day. For example, today, Elizabeth and I were doing school.  We sit across from one another at a narrow black table.  As you can imagine, home schooling can sometimes bring tension into the mother-daughter relationship.  This morning, after reading our devotions together, we both leaned in nose-to-nose across the table, and she gave me the most precious little "nose kiss".  I put both of my hands on her sweet little face, closed my eyes, just held her close, and drank-up the moment because I knew it was a gift. 10. Spontaneous nose kiss during school God is so good.