When We First Met: We Never Knew

Michael,

When we first met, we never knew...

...we would design and renovate houses together.
Better yet, you never knew I'd want to design and renovate more than one house together. 
We never knew we would have 3 kids by age 30.
We never knew that our children would be best friends and fight so much. (age 2 can be very difficult to work with!)
I never knew you would bake more chocolate chip cookies than Chips Ahoy.
You never knew (but only hoped) that I'd enjoy matching your bike socks.
You never knew that you could care more about hanging out with our family than going on a group ride.
I never knew what it looked like to dine on a dime, and make magic come out of the cupboards.

We never knew that going out to dinner together, just the two of us, would be a well sought luxury.

We never knew what was in store. In seasons of abundance and seasons of drought, I'm so thankful to be in the midst of learning what we never knew.

P.S. I was just wondering if in 20 years I'll be saying things like...

You never knew how gratified you would feel to bring me coffee in bed each morning.
We never knew how much we would enjoy our summer getaways to France.
We never knew that our small children would make such wonderful adults.
We never knew, in our 30's that when we waited so long to buy that "dream" house, that what really mattered was the journey...the dreaming...the exhaustion...the patience...and realizing that having each other is what matters most. And by golly, we can even make a run-of-the-mill shirtwaist house cool with a little time and money.

I really hope those summer getaways really happen.

Love,

Kris

photo.

Kids: Get the Giggles

Tegegne, 5
Hensley, almost 2.5

Tegegne and Hensley, 
You two were having so much fun with a spray bottle tonight. Hens, we don't hear that good belly laugh often and it was awesome! Of course, as most things caught on video...this went on for at least 10 minutes before we decided we should video it. I love it when you kids get the giggles. Laughter makes the world go round.  

Love you so much,

Mom

Memorial Weekend: Cousins Galore

Lydia, Rowan, Tegegne, Orien, Ava, Olivia, Maddy, and Hensley 

Chasing kids calls for a break! (Me, Grandma, Mom, Tarah, Christina)

Grandpa Ben is a good playmate.

Hens spots Daddy from afar, yells to him with delight, and does the run and jump into his arms!

Christina, Lydia, Aunt Donna, and Noah by the Lake

Tarah and Andrea

Hal and Grandpa Orville

Fieldsy's Quilt Time with Daddy

...and with Gramma Debby

Aunt Deanna and Christina

Erica, Cela, Andrea, and I

Boys will be boys 

Grandma telling jokes!

Zane is quite the athlete!

And so is his sister Gracie.  

Hensley and Orien are a month and a half apart and quite good buddies! 

Everyone loves Grandma Ileen. She had the kids do a scavenger hunt, and really knows how to create good fun!

The Dunivent Family Reunion 2013 was quite a success. Antioch Park, Shelter II was a great spot for our afternoon and evening gathering. 

Highlights included: 
Michael and Bob's 2 hours of pitch and catch. 
Delicious food.
Tegegne's long game of soccer. He was the youngest player, but stuck with it for hours.
Grandma Ileen's scavenger hunt for the kids.
The kids loved watching the goslings on the lake. 
Hensley's bubbles with the little ones, swinging with Grandpa Ben, and eating all afternoon.
I enjoyed chatting with the gals, and eating all day. (Like mother, like daughter.)
Everyone was glad when Uncle Eric arrived later in the day from St. Louis. 

That gathering was on Saturday. Then yesterday we enjoyed our Supper Club, and walked with them to the Celebration at Liberty Memorial. Picnic with our friends, topped off with a fireworks show. Fieldsy, you didn't even cry at the loud cannons. And you laid on me and watched the fireworks (you're such a good baby). Tegegne sat on Shanna's lap during the show, and wrestled with Tyler and Alan, played games with Nate, learned to grass whistle with Devon, and sat with Larison and Daddy. Hensley had her very own sleep over at the Condo with Grandma and Grandpa. 

Long weekends are the best.

Weekend: Wrap Up

Photos courtesy of Aunt Erica. 

Our Children: Joy

Dear Children,

You are true joy to Daddy and I. Fields, you'll be scooting around the house soon. Your rocking and squealing are so cute. Tegegne and Hensley, last night we had the front and back doors open letting the rainy breeze freshen up the house. You two ran from front to back over and over with much laughter. Later we sat on the front porch for 2 hours. We were so peaceful and content. It was the calm before the storm.

We love you.

Mommy

I Am: Your Mother

Tegegne Dena,

I am your mother.
From the center of my heart,
I am your mother.
I love your whole being. Every single part.

I am your mother.
I'll be here through it all.
If you stay short or grow really tall.
If you are mad at me or are in the big game and drop the ball.
I'll be here for you.
I am your mother.

We were born on different continents.
Our blood lines are not the same.
Yet your heritage I'll share with you.
Your story, your life, your name.

I'm getting better at cutting your hair.
Your dark handsome skin needs a thicker lotion than mine.
Besides that, our lives are the same.
Cheese, you'll take it or leave it.
You savor a treat,  and even decide to save the last bite for the ride home.
You are smart. Intuitive. And generous.
I am proud of you, my son.

I am blessed to be your mother.

(Photos are oldies but some of my favs. You were such a little guy.)

Dear Children: Remembering Every Last Drop

Dear Children,

You'll all be big eventually, right? Are you going to grow up? I mean, it's fine if you choose not to. You're dad and I will be thirty in a month. Maybe we should hit pause on life. Okay, never mind. Keep growing, and we will too. But let's not miss out on a single moment together. 

Will you remember your childhood...our back yard bon fires, cranking out the homemade pasta noodles, dancing in the kitchen?  Will you share stories together, these memories with your children? Of course you won't remember it all. My prayer is that you'll at least remember this. "Our parents cared for us, and wanted the very best for us. Our childhood was sweet, and adventurous, and full of love." 

Your dad and I will grow old too. In order to not forget...here's what I'd say about today...
Fields, you turned over! It's January 19th. You are 4 months old and 5 days and you figured out that you can push your momentum to one side and turn over onto your stomach. A true life skill, and we saw you do it for the first time! What will it be next, baby boy?

Hensley, tonight at our bon fire you said, "Sing, sing!" You love to sing and sway your little body. You are charming us with your facial expressions and are a true ham. Your personality is really coming out and it's been seriously fun to watch.

Tegegne you chimed in responding Hensley's request around the bon fire with this dear song..."I will draw a ring around the moon. I will draw a line from star to star. I will sing a pennies worth of song, just to tell you how in love we are." Earlier today you swept the floor (so well!), soothed Fields with kind words and his pacifier, and you and I had this joke going about a king and a dinosaur and my King Jesus. 

And Michael. I loved laughing with you tonight. Over how I fluff my bangs all the time. You always catch me doing it and were teasing me. I was so embarrassed. We couldn't quit laughing. Giggling like children, really. Thanks for that. 

If only we could remember every last drop of sweetness. I'll go to sleep with gratitude...

(Ha! Or I'll write a few more blog posts, because I don't have a lot of time in the day to do this sorta thing.) 

Mom

Family Function: And Fur Coats

Dear Tegegne,

Hi cutie bug. Do you like your lines? You've gotten several complements on them and I must say I'm getting much better at your haircuts. Especially since you get way impatient and I only have 3-5 minutes (Unless dad is home. Then you'll sit for like 20 minutes.) You loved time at Big Sky and were in your snow suit half of the time.  I'd like to chime in with Olivia's mom or Skippy Jon Jones mother and say, You wear me out, but I love you. I just started singing to you during your bedtime routine and last night it was the sweetest. (Because you played with my hair while I sang.) Thanks for being such a patient big brother to Hensley. Dad and I love watching you two goof off together.

Hens,

We matched on Christmas eve. I promise I won't make you do this in middle school, but I've gotta admit I loved wearing our red dresses and fur coats together. Besides the family (and eating all day long), your bunny and thumb are your favorite things in the world.

Michael,

Thanks for a wonderful two weeks together. I wish you didn't have to go back today. We've had a great time watching HGTV + Modern Family, dreaming up what house we should buy next (because we've been watching too much HGTV and want to do more projects!) hosting parties, laughing at the kids, enjoying Baby Fields chubbiness and new sounds, etc, etc. I love our new night stands you made me. Thanks for being such a present man of the house. There is much joy in the family when we are all together.

Love,

Mom

Baby Fields: With Uncle Eric

Sweet Fields,

You had a great Christmas, especially with Uncle Eric. He spent lots of time playing with you and laughing. You two had a good line of communication going. I caught some of your time together on video. 

Another amazing gift from your dad was a set of plates from Aunt Erica. I was so surprised and absolutely love them.  Her work is available here and here. Coffee never tastes so good than when it is drank out of one of her mugs. Also helps when it's coffee from here!

Love,

Mom

P.S. Hensley is "helping" me write this blog post, and saying "Eric" over and over. She is also holding the candle from my bedside and swaying while singing her version of this song..."Light one candle for love, one bright candle for love. He brings love to every heart, He Comes, He Comes!"

Merry Christmas, Love The Joneses

Merry Christmas! 

(Baby Fields was sleeping when these photos were snapped, but he told me to wish you good tidings!)

Advent: Peace with One Another

Advent 2012 - Week two.

Peace within ourselves.
Peace with one another.
Peace in our communities and nation.
Peace in the world.

Here's a thought from our friend (and pastor) regarding this season.

Advent – A time for Presence, Intention, and Sharing

by Tim Keel

I love this time of year. It is the season of Advent! It is a time when routines change, music changes, when people begin having parties – all in anticipation of Christmas. In proclaiming my love I might also be in the minority. Many people do not love this time of the year. They hope merely to survive. It’s easy to understand why. Christmas can be incredibly stressful and difficult for so many reasons.

Even so, it is a significant time of the year. Amidst all that swirls around us, there is a sense that something is different. I believe this is because Christmas isn’t a mere holiday. It is a holy day. There is a deep and true Center to our celebration that is rooted in the revelation of God. At Christmas, we proclaim that the Creator of the cosmos has made himself known by coming to us as a child, Jesus Christ. At long last, God is fulfilling his promise to come and dwell among his people once more, to bring healing and renewal to creation. Immanuel.

In coming to his people as a child, God reveals something about his nature and character that we often overlook. We learn that God’s nature is manifested not by independence and demonstrations of power, but through vulnerability and relationships. The good news is that the God of the universe comes to us as a person.

Anticipating that, we prepare to receive and worship that person – Jesus Christ – during Advent. Advent marks the beginning of the new year for the church. In the same way that our culture begins a new year with fresh resolutions, I want to invite Jacob’s Well to be thoughtful about how we prepare for Christmas this year – that our celebration of the arrival of God in Jesus Christ would reflect the Person whose birth we celebrate. And not just that, but that our actions during this season would reveal the Creator who has come to bring healing and renewal to his world.

To do that, I am challenging us this Advent to be present, to be intentional, and to share.

Our Home: For the Holidays Part I

The Pendleton Heights Holiday Homes Tour was a success. Four hundred and eighty-eight tickets were sold, and children under 12 were free. That made for a steady flow of people from noon to 5 in our house on Saturday! It was quite enjoyable to share our labor of love with family, neighbors, friends, and other folks. Thanks for coming on the tour! Thanks friends and family for giving the tour (we had docents in each room telling history, remodel stories, saying where artwork and furniture came from, etc!) Having people we know and love here made it all worth while. Several families and students from Michael's school came through as well. That made his day! 

Hensley, you enjoyed a special day with Gramma Debby, as you are least interested in greeting many people. Tegegne, you greeted with me and told folks that our house was built in 1905. (but most of the time you entertained people as a cheetah in the front yard). That was until your cousins came. You have talked about Ava non-stop since she left! Fields, you also were held by family and friends all day.  

Thank you so much, Aunt Deanna, for documenting the day!

Love you all and Merry Christmas!

Kristyn

Featured Friend: Friday

So I've decided to do a Featured Friend Friday! Today I'd like to introduce you to a dear friend of mine, Ashleigh. We met at Mizzou in 2002, and I have always wished we lived closer since. When we are together real conversation and laughter fill our time. She and her awesome husband Ryan live in southern Illinois with their beautiful children, Elle, Cece, and Parker. She answered some questions for me below.

1. What are you passionate about? 

My children! Someone once told me that the one job you would do for free is what you should do. I LOVE my "job" as a stay at home mom. My kids light up my world!

Orphans I also love orphans and often think about how we should care for the least of these. I got to help with orphan sunday this past week at my church. I love helping with different organizations and hope to one day be able to adopt a child of my own! 

Crafting: I love making crafts from pinterest...especially when they turn out..I give myself a 50 percent success rate ;)

Reading:  I'm also passionate about reading and love getting lost in a good book! "Same kind of different as me" is my all time fave read! 

Good Cuisine: And lastly I'm passionate about good food...I can't imagine life without enjoying great food! 

2. Tell us about your adorable family.

My husband is Ryan. May will be our ten year anniversary! He's my best friend and knows me better than anyone. I have twin girls that just turned four in October..CeCe and Elle. They are best friends and we are the three musketeers! We always talk about the "girl trips" we are going to plan when they get bigger! And our newest addition John "Parker" just turned one in September. He adds so much life to our day I am not sure what we did without him! 

3. Ryan's a bit obsessed with hunting, right? What is his most prized possession/best hunting trip? (Hasn't he, like, killed a bear?)

Oh yea, if its "brown its down" is his motto! He hunts all types of things...but deer hunting consumes him...I look forward to the glorious day of January 12th every year when bow season is over. During hunting season he's so busy taking "non scent showers" and soaking his camo in dirt wafers and sprinkling doe pee everywhere he walks that the quality time gets cut back a bit...and no i'm not kidding..LOL

Do you have a favorite quote or scripture that has stuck with you?

Up until this year my favorite passage is one my mom would comfort me with as a kid..Matthew 6:25-34 on worry. But this year the Lord has matured me some. I have had the awesome privilege of having a godly Sunday school teacher that is training our class how to "fight" in this fallen world. Our struggle in this life is against so much more than what we see..BUT we are NOT helpless for God gives us power to change circumstances through him!  Have faith for it can protect us...know the word so we can be on the offense..This is what I am trying to apply to my life right now! 

Ephesians 6:10-18

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Thanks for sharing with us, Ashleigh! 

Love ya!

Kristyn