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new puppy.

December 12, 2012

so…i kind of have forgotten about the big camera.

not really… but i really haven't had much to take pictures of this past few weeks.
with annie's broken arm we have been laying very low.
and it got cold outside so we've been inside a lot.

this our aunt & uncle's new puppy.
she was the sweetest little thing… so tolerant of annie and the little cousins.

close up.

coming in for her own close-up…

there were five dogs at the house that day.
it was dreamy for annie and talby.
they are big dog lovers.

but after spending a few hours with that sweet puppy…
i am reminded how i am not quite ready for one at our house just yet.

but i would love for waffle to have a friend.
someday.

does anyone need a puppy sitter?
i know two girls (and their mom) who would be up for the job.

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Dana Banana - We are getting a new corgi puppy in January. I would totally your girls to be our puppy sitter!

Carol S. - Meg, do you stay in touch with Laura Phelps? I believe she is from the town with the school shooting in Conn? Can’t stop thinking of her, have missed her blog very much. Lost my computer email addresses awhile back and hers was among it. Any chance you could let me know if you know anything? I understand if you’re a tad busy and not able to respond. Prayers lifted.

Laura - I NEED A DOG SITTER!! TOMORROW!!!!!!! CAN THE GIRLS GET HERE BY THEN???
yeah.
being new to dog ownership, I forgot that when I make plans to be gone ALL DAY LONG…the dog still needs to go out.
get a cat.
I never have to worry about the cat.
I dont even know where the cat is….

BriBedell - It’s only tough in the beginning for a little bit. You know like a newborn 🙂

Carrie Lea - You can always adopt an older dog. Lots of dogs out there that need good homes. Forever homes. Because the humans who got them didn’t realize they were a lifetime commitment.
I need a dog sitter this summer. Want to drive a few hours and stay in SW MO for a week? 🙂

sosimplysusan - Awww, what a sweet diversion! Puppies for a day– the best kind! 🙂
Thought I’d mention they have some cute handmade arm slings on etsy. That might brighten her day to have something a little more stylish and fun. I had shoulder surgery in Sept. and am still doing physical therapy, so I really feel for her!!

alicia @ la famille - uuuuuuhhh, nope. we tried a puppy…two months after we had a baby. can you say DUMB! ya, it didn’t work out so well. this mama almost lost her marbles. then her brother, uncle jesse, inherited a new dog! yay for uncle jesse!!
maybe we’ll try again. but i’m pregnant again. (the norm) so in about 7-9 years, we’ll consider it.

Alyssa - That last pic is the best! I love puppies but I do not like cleaning up after them!

Leah - I want that puppy! I love puppies, although they are so much work. But so darn cute!! My dog is from Kansas, by the way. 🙂

Samantha - We could use a dog sitter in July but we are in Missouri not Kansas 🙂

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tuesday.

December 11, 2012

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i took annie in for her re-check this morning on her cast.

she is not an easy patient.

we both thought this was going to be just an xray and i wasn't thinking they would need to take off the cast for that but they did.
there was LOTS of screaming and crying…. LOTS!!!
not because of too much actual pain but mostly from sheer panic and terror of the unknown.
i almost started crying too.

but it is healing really well thankfully.
and she got a new christmas colored cast and can't wait for Santa to sign it!

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how are you doing on your christmas shopping?

i have…. hardly anything done.
i think i have 4 gifts done.
ugh.
and none of those four are my own children.
i can feel the christmas melt down coming on already….

i am struggling with finding my christmas spirit this year.
boo.
i need to find it.

tell me what to get my kids and that would help. :)

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this past week or i have been using my awesome recipes section of the bloggy big time!

i have made cream puff dessert…

crescent chicken…. cheesy potato soup…. spicy tortilla soup…. noodles with ham…

spinach artichoke dip… pancakes... glazed apple bars…

and i am making my mom's mint brownies soon!

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last night i played Mexican Train with my kids.
does your family play board games together? do your kids sit quietly while they play?
because mine do NOT.
they squirm and sing and stand up and sit down and stand up and spin and squeal and every other little annoying thing you can thing of while we sit and try to play a game.
oh yeah…and they fight too.

but it's stil better than being a zombie in front of the tv so i'll take it.

here is a visual list of some of our favorite family games here at the Duerksen House….

Mexican Train
it's a game of dominos but a bunch of people can play it at once.
my kids LOVE this one.

Blokuseven i like to play this game… but i NEVER win!

Farkle
craig loves to play this with the kids…

Zingo
oh my goodness my younger kids LOVE this game so much!

Guess Who Extra
fun fact: we have this game and have never put the batteries in and they don't care!
they still play it all the time even without sounds and lights!

Uno
everyone likes UNO… how could you not?

Memory

even though my kids are older i can still challenge them to Memory.
it was the best game we played when they were preschoolers.
i think this game is amazing for their minds!

Sequence

my older kids like this one
and craig & i play it with chicago dave & jenny EVERYTIME.

Scene It (Disney edition)
we always agree to this game when we don't have the energy
for the bouncing squirming craziness at the table.

Sorry
it's a classic game!
i played and my kids love it too!

Apples to Apples Jr.

this is probably their FAVORITE game of all of them…
and for the grown ups too.

HedBanz

we don't have this one but they asked for it for this christmas.

Memory Challenge Holiday
and this one looks like fun…
it's for ages 6+ so it must be harder than the original Memory.
i think it will go in my amazon cart.

Holiday Scrabble

and this one will too!
it looks fun and different and i want to challenge their minds with spelling and math whle we have "fun"

so… maybe that gives you some ideas for gifts at your house?

do you have a favorite family game that isn't listed here?

please share!

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i guess i should go out for my run.
sometimes it's such a chore to get out there!
and cold!
i wish i had downloaded new music yesterday with fast internet… it takes 8 minutes to download one song off iTunes out here with our farmy internet!

ok… i will go.
i will.

ready….. set…. GO.

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Andrea - LOVE mint brownies! I have been searching for the recipe forever! Thanks for sharing!

Merlin - If there’s any way for you to reply and let me know that the Phelps family are ok in CT….I enjoyed reading her blog and hearing about her delightful family. I am praying that they are ok today, I think of them often and miss her posts. I know you are friends and hope you can get a message of support to her from a former blog reader.
Thank you.

BullyMama - Too bad for Annie – I went through that last year when my son fractured his thumb skiing – cast on and off 3(+) times. Thankfully he wasn’t upset but it just seemed like such a long drawn out process. He fractured it while going off a jump so everytime we went to the Dr. together I told him that I loved all of this one on one time I was having with him…a sure way to get him to be a little more cautious 🙂 He’s having a tooth pulled tomorrow so it’s another “hot date” for us!!
Thanks for the game ideas – looking for a present for twins that are turning 5 and Zoingo looks perfect for them.
Favorites at our house are Scattergories, Phase10 and Monopoly which I have no patience for. Thinking about Sorry and Clue for Christmas.
A little Christmas shopping done which is good for me, I’m a procrastinator but it is tough to be last minute when you have to mail things across country…that stresses me out!!
Enjoy this holiday time, it will never be as magical as it was when we were kids and as much as we know that we can’t help trying to recreate it – we shall do our best to make it magical for our kids (which I’m pretty sure you do!!)

Rachel - Bananagrams! Monopoly deal…both of them! Yahtzee…scrabble slam!

Amy - Loaded Questions is SO much fun! My family is huge into board games, and that is our favorite! Everyone can play, young and old. The adults love Beyond Balderdash, but you have to have your thinking cap on for that. 🙂

Barbara (WA) - You already know this but you are So Blessed to have kids who “squirm and sing and stand up and sit down and stand up and spin and squeal.” Such fun and love and great memories for them all! Awesome! I’ll be no help on the gift ideas since my sons are now in their 30’s – they have Amazon wish lists that I buy from, online, done (hubby, too!).

Jayne Barbour - I just got these for my three daughters and I think they will love them. I want to play with them myself:)
http://www.hearthsong.com/woodland-fairy-home-and-fairy-dolls_p3452.html#ReviewHeader
So sorry to hear Annie (and you!) had a rough appt. So scary:(
Good luck with the Christmas spirit. Maybe some music? the movie Christmas Vacation? How about watching It’s a Wonderful Life. Ahhh.
Good luck:)

Lee Ann - I think I saved myself 20# by not making those brownies until yesterday. How do you resist? I cut them into really tiny, little squares and put them in the freezer. Every time I walk by it’s, “just one bite”. 🙂 So yummy!

Lisa Lichterman - We like Rummikub and Scattergories 🙂

Melanie - You might already have this, but we’re getting our kids a ping pong table! and a chalkboard to keep score.
When my youngest was four, he fell down a spiral staircase outside and landed on his head. Seven staples while he was papoosed in the er. You probably heard him screaming in Kansas!
Merry Christmas!! Breathe Jesus in, garbage out. :0) This time of year can be crazy.

Samantha Adams - Annie and Talby NEED socks from Little Miss Matched if they don’t have them already. I swear, they were MADE for you and your girls! 🙂

Tracy Fisher - you make me feel better. i have one present wrapped. no tree up yet. maybe i’ll hang the stockings tonight. but i do have my one frames piece of art i made in 2004… it says… “The best gift around any Christmas tree is the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other.”… That makes me feel good. -tracy

Michelle Whitlow - Poor Annie 🙁 We’ve gone through that. My son had that same cast! Broke his leg the first night of hockey practice when he was 4 1/2…had a full leg cast for 7 1/2 weeks. Santa did sign it with a ‘SC’ 🙂 Thankfully this ‘phase’ will not last forever.

Maegan - We love Settlers of Catan! It has expansion packs and all. However my oldest is six, so it’s still a little much for my kids. But I found out there’s a Catan Junior, so it’s coming to our house for Christmas! Since we’ve never played the junior one I can’t attest to its awesomeness, but if it’s anything like the big version, I know we will like it.

Melissa - Meg: Go check out the Clover Lane Blog – she has loads of great xmas ideas. Also, I LOVE amazon prime – everything ships for free (that is prime) and in record time. WOOHOO>

Laura - GET THAT CHRISTMAS SPIRIT ON SISTER!!!!!
dont worry about the shopping
I have done NONE
nada
NOTHING
it will happen..
we love the game of Life and someone ALWAYS CRIES
lots of fights
name calling
blaming
good family fun

Molly - My daughters love Headbanz. They also asked for Twister Dance and Fibber. My older daughter asked for the barbie with a camera and for Blingles. For the first time I have almost all of my shopping done! Yay!
I am sorry for Annie’s broken arm. Having broken both my arms and collarbone I know how scary it can be. Hope she heals soon. Cool that her cast is red and green and that Santa will sign it.
OH and I love World Market, too. I love their jewelry too.

jen smith - do you have your kids make lists? i never made a list growing up but my husband’s family changed all that. we all make lists so that whoever buys for us knows just what we want. makes the season so much easier.

April R - Heal fast Annie, so sorry you were frightened…
We agree – Cutting a cast off is scary. My son has broken his arm 3 times (all before the age of 7!) so after all that “Danger boy” is no longer scared of having a cast cut off. I still cringe a bit but hopefully we won’t go there again!
Wits and Wagers (we love this one, it ends up being funny) and Rukus (fast, easy card game) and we have a wooden set of tangrams that is pretty cool. Wish we played more 🙂
Merry Christmas and I pray you found your “cheer!”

Mia - Our new favorite is Herd Your Horses board game. There are a few variations to the game so you can make it a bit easier or harder depending on the kids playing.
Let the boardgame chaos begin!

Stacy M. - Well I am going shopping today hoping to get some gifts bought. I am doing the gift of four this year with our kids. One thing you want, one this you need, one thing to wear, and one thing to read. That sound make it easier! I hope. And I will still do stocking stuff.
We like to play pickle. It is fun and the older kids like it. Also did you watch Parenthood last night?! Oh my gosh my eyes are swollen this morning from crying so much. Best show on tv!
Merry Christmas to you and your family.

Waffle-Wednesday - We are so old-fashioned. We like Chess and Backgammon and Yahtzee!
Those brownies look amazing! Yum!

Kim M - Our family’s favorite game is Ruckus! So fun! crazy, fast ,loud. Our WHOLE family can enjoy it!! And often our 4 year old (our youngest) is the winner! Love your blog!

Angie - Guess Who, Uno and Sorry were regulars here when my now teenager was younger. Of course at 14 she isn’t much into playing games with us anymore. If it doesn’t include texting or an Ipad, she’s not interested. My two youngest are still too little to play so I don’t have any game buddies these days.
Sorry she had such a scary time with the X-ray and cast. Bless her heart. I love the Christmas Colored Cast though. That is pretty cool

Lindsay - Qwirkle – so much fun for the whole family!!!

Mary Vaca - It won’t help you this year, but a few months ago I started taking pictures of things my kids said they wanted with my iPhone, that way when Christmas came around I didn’t have to remember or think. It’s also come in handy as relatives and godparents have asked me what to get… I just text them the picture and tell them the store… voila!

Beth - I don’t have the Christmas spirit yet either. Maybe we can find it together?
Having a cast cut off is SCARY! I don’t blame Annie for being upset (and you, either). Even though you know it’s not going to hurt you, it’s loud and hot and dusty. Just scary.
Have you heard of the game “Things”? It is our family fave right now. It gives you a prompt “things you don’t want to take on vacation” (for example) and everyone gives an answer — could be genuine, funny, totally out of the box. Then the “reader” reads them all and everyone else takes turns trying to guess who said what. VERY fun. We love playing games together!

donna - my kids all 6 of them love catch phrase. we have a lot of fun playing that one.

tinaehb3 - I wish I could have been her x-ray tech. That’s what I’ve done for the last 17 years 🙂 Hope her little arm gets better soon!!

Molly B - Headbandz is awesome. . .you guys will love it! Praying for your Christmas mojo to come back : ) just keep swimming!

Lori Austin - Dang it. That poor sweet girl of yours. This whole cast thing STINKS.
Glad to hear it is healing well though.
I too am really struggling with my spirit this year. We have had TONS of
germs at our house in the past few weeks, hardly any shopping done, finances
are tight, etc, etc. Trying so hard to focus on the REAL reason for the
season and get into the spirit.

tanktop - Buy the family Left Right Center. It comes in a little tube by the board games.
So much fun. My kids like to play with pennies instead of the chips that come in it.

Amschmitz - I have 5 kids also and this year we’re following something I saw on Pinterest. Each kid gets 4 presents…..something you want, something you need, something you wear and something you read. They are actually excited about it and I feel much less stressed! Focusing more this year on doing christmas projects and baking together and focusing less on gifts:)

Lee Ann - Your poor girl! Praying all of the pain (and drama:) are over soon.
So, I’ve read every blog post you’ve written 🙂 And every year I think I should try your mint brownies – except I can’t have gluten. So this afternoon we made them gluten free. Pass the word that subbing gluten free flour worked! And the brownies are to die for! I can’t wait to try them frozen.
oh! And my girls do cart wheels between their turns when we’re playing games. Drives me nuts but I put up with it for a while 🙂

Jamie M. - We LOVE Ticket to Ride, Five Crowns, and Left, Right, Center.

Carrie - zingo, the classic go fish, and I am joping the game HIss will be a hit. I will to also get the game rat a tat cat. I am thinking about apples to apples but I am fearful it is too hard for my 5 year old.

Tanya - The picture of Annie makes me want to cry. Poor sweet girl 🙁
I love the game Sequence! Love it!
I really want my kids to be game players for the exact reason you mentioned ~ attack of the TV zombies. They’re 3 and 5 so we’re getting started now.
This Christmas is Mickey Mouse Yahtzee Jr 😉

dcgraber@cox.net - Adam and Jill do not fight; at least not in front of us. Unless they play Farkle. That game is off limits! Seriously! We love to play Sorry with the grandchildren!! Our favorite game is Telestrations. Sooooo fun!

alicia @ la famille - here’s my opinion on getting your christmas shopping done way early: you’re gonna buy way more than you should. there’s just all the time between the early crazy shoppers and christmas…you wanna BUY! it’s just fun. so, you not being done might actually be saving you loads of cash.
how’d you like that for a reverse psychology, huh??
and apples to apples jr?? i looked at that and didn’t know…but i love to buy a game at christmas. this might be the ONE! thanks 🙂

Terrie - I feel for Annie…I kind of freaked out when they cut my cast off 9 years ago.
Seems like they should give a body some warning about what they are going to do don’t ‘cha know!
Love almost all your games! We love family game time!
Have you ever played Phase 10? It’s a fun one.
And my son and his friends got me hooked on Settlers of Catan.
I hate Monopoly ( I know, it’s un-American ) but I love Settlers!
And I must make your mom’s mint brownies! I looked at the recipe the other night
when I was looking for the margarita recipe again!
Yup, got my friend hooked on them now too! 🙂
Happy Shopping…I’m not done either. Maybe I’ll see ya at the stores!

tiffany gardner - Your sweet girl! I’ve been thinking about her as I gear up to do some crafts with my kids over the break… I’ve been wondering how she is able to do all your fun crafts! I’ll keep her in my prayers!! I’ve felt the same way about this season. I’ve always LOVED this time of year but this year.. I’m just exhausted! I’ve had major dental work for the last few months and it’s really getting me down. Trying to chase a baby and keep up with my two older ones… I need to change my attitude and start getting grateful!!! Going to just decide to do that now ! Get grateful! And I have to say… I really am grateful for your blog. You are my friend… even though you don’t know me. I am grateful for the encouragement you give and the real part of life you share too. Thanks.

Morgan - Headbanz in an awesome game. We play it as a family all the time. Be sure to get the kid version. The adult version is really hard! We will play the kid version with all adults even.

Darcie - Have you heard of the Andrew Peterson Behold the Lamb of God album/tour? Buy the album! Best album ever for getting me into the REAL spirit of Christmas. Hands down! I’ll never view Christmas the same – such a good reminder. And who cares about gifts? (I mean, besides the kids…) Hope it smooths out for you and you’re able to enjoy it all, even the shopping!

Kristen - We love Spot It! It travels well too. So sorry about the unexpectedly hard doctors appointment.

s - Love apples to apples!! We like monopoly although I shorten it a lot…like the game ends when I cant take it anymore!! We also like to play black jack – how bad is that for a family game??

Kelley Jones - Another vote for Spot it. We first played at a family reunion with varied age groups. Everyone seemed to like it. My oldest daughter broke her arm 3 times over the years–all in different ways and places. Cast removal was always scary. Hugs to you and Annie.

the.mrs - Kanoodle! We stopped by the toy store and the girls played with the sample game and I could hardly get them out of the store!!!!
http://www.creativekidstuff.com/kanoodle.html

Gretchen - I love Farkle, but unfortunately, I’m the only one who does in this family. Not really a one person game. 🙂
As far as the gifts go, I NEED to get some little boy toys. He has ONE gift under the tree and his sisters have at least three each; and trust me, he has noticed! 😉

Becky - you really inspire me to run. when i get too busy that’s the first to go…and you do it OUTSIDE in the COLD!! rock star. all done with our Christmas. we open gifts this sat because the next week we’ll be driving back home. hate the stress…cannot wait until it’s over. shame.

angie - Thanks for letting me know I’m not the only one behind on shopping. We find these games cause the least amount of fighting in our house with 4 kids (13,11, 8,8): Ticket to Ride, Quirkle, and Ruckus (card game).

BeckyB - I feel so badly for Annie – it would be scary for me too!
Our fav games are Balderdash, Bezzerwizzer and Five Crowns (card game). A really crazy card game is Fluxx but could be frustrating for little kids because the rules change with every play. Pictionary is always fun for all ages. I’ve ordered ‘Word on the Street’ and ‘Wizard’ card game for this year. Thanks for sharing lots of good ideas…

Heidi of Operation Organization - ‘Clover Lane’ Sarah recently had her daughter guest post ideas for what to give teen girls – maybe that will give you some shopping inspiration? 🙂
http://www.memoriesoncloverlane.com/2012/11/guest-post-from-abbey-affordable-gifts.html
this year my 7 yr old is all about remote controlled gadgets and our 4 yr old is getting all sorts of star wars action figures.
thanks for all the game suggestions – we love to add new ones to our collection each year )the grandparents will be giving our boys the delux ‘guess who’ game you recommended!
Cheers!
~H

Georgia - Me and my husband play board games.. Battleships, monopoly, scrabble (although were both rubbish at spelling so it ends up with made up words and swear words.. ooops)
I miss you christmas DIY gift idea’s, thats how i found your blog a couple years ago! x

Tawny - I bought Quelf for my boss and her family. It looks silly and fun!

shar y - Apparently, Headbanz is great, according to my g-kids, and adults like it too. Especially, along with adult bevarages!
I had to have a cast cut off of my wrist earlier this year. It is very scary worring if they will cut too deep! Go Annie!

Diane Hutchings - All those games look so fun! We’re having our first baby in June, and we can’t wait until he/she is oldenough to play games as a family!

Kate - OK, here goes:
Lauren – iTunes gift card and the book Hinds Feet on High Places
Scott – KU gear
Sean – shirt that says ‘my last name is awesome’
Talby – her own baking supplies – her own bowls and measuring spoons
Annie – her own gardening supplies 🙂
Love you. Hang in there

Leadia Jarvis - Oh, poor Annie – and you!
I am right there with you on the Christmas meltdown. I feel super Grinchy this year – like my heart might be about 600 sizes too small, haha!
We are the same with games as well. Lots of distractions and interruptions and insults and fighting, but like you, at least it’s a break from watching their eyes glaze over on the video screens. We like almost all of the games you have listed. The older kids have really started getting into “Scattergories”, although Eliza (who is 10) sometimes needs a little help. If you hit a Goodwill you can usually find Outburst Jr. for $1.99. I don’t know if they still make it (?) but this game is a HUGE hit with all of us. There’s also one called “Beat the Parents” that’s a lot of fun. One of my girlfriends with a lot of kids also recommended a game called “Scavenger Hunt” – it looks super fun so I think I’m going to order it as a family present!

Julianne Brimner - I have 4 gifts bought total. Our big gift is flying our son who is in the Navy home for Christmas. That is all he wants and me too. Fave new game for our family is Spot It. Fun, fast and even our eight year old loves it. I know Target has it.

Alice H - Our favorite card game is PHASE 10. And Headbandz is so fun! Hope you get that for them for Christmas. We also like Catch Phrase!

Alice H - Do the WANT, NEED, WEAR, READ for your kids and throw in a SURPRISE from Santa. That way they only get 5 gifts each. I am doing that this year and I budgeted myself for $150 per kid, I have 3. And I only went over budget just a little bit.

Lori H - We love Bananagrams! Similar to Scrabble but it moves much faster. Now Scrabble bores me to tears. Apples to Apples and Would You Rather are both good. If you can find it, Rat a Tat Cat is an awesome card game and was awarded some Parents Award. One of our favorites!

Tanya H - Our kids’ very favorite game is Loaded Questions Jr. Their second fav is Apples to Apples, if that gives you an idea. We don’t even have most gifts planned, much less purchased. And it doesn’t help that our kids are asking for things there is NO WAY they’re going to get. My daughter did finally ask for a hula hoop and a new jump rope, assuming walmart still has them in the middle of winter. 🙂 Our kids are getting MP3 players tho, and a $15 gift card to Amazon for more of their own music. Was that at all helpful? 🙂
I agree with the trauma Annie was dealing with- I broke my arm when I was a kid and was WAY more scared for them to cut the cast off than anything else in the world! 😛

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getting away for a bit…

October 27, 2012

we took the day to hit our favorite nature spot.
it was so needed.

God creates so much beauty all around us.
and the fact that it doesn't stay the same…that we get to watch leaves change and plants go dormant…
it a gift to us everyday.

oh i love that baby girl.

dorky waffle was having a blast getting filthy.
his usual.

i came home with two more heart rocks for my giant collection.
yay!!

annie decided "clams" would be the PERFECT show-and-tell item to bring to school.
so she filled a water bottle full of closed up "clams".
and she was hot which is why she isn't wearing her shirt. :)

i like getting away with mr. duerksen…even if it is with a tribe of kids too.

absolutely beautiful day.
completed with pizza for dinner!
yay for no cooking.

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Casey - Lovely photos! I think what I love most about fall is how God can make all things beautiful…even when they’re in the process of dying.

Tiffany - So much to say… 1) Looks like a beautiful place to expolore. That’s one of our favorite things to do as a family, and I’m so thankful MN has wonderful state parks for that. 2) Oh what I’d give for the warmer weather it sounds like you have. Snow hasn’t even stuck here yet, and I already miss the warmer weather. 3) We were just up in Duluth at Lake Superior and were looking for heart shaped rocks along the lake. We didn’t have any luck… Fun to hear you have a collection. 4) YES to pizza for dinner. Not much better than no cooking! Glad you had such a nice get-away! You deserve it!

Allison Pfefferkorn - I am about 99% sure the first picture of the red leaves is poison ivy. I only say 99% because where I live we have posion oak not ivy. But it looks exactly like that. Hopefully none of you are allergic or none of you touched it.
It is a beautiful leaf, but oh so bad if you are allergic.
Beautiful pictures. They all really captured a reconnecting and peaceful time.

Juliane - Gorgeous day. Love that you can get away as a family and take some beautiful photos in the meantime. Pulling memories into art-making is always the best. Our personal lives always flow in and out of our creativity.

Wendy - Love the heart shaped leaves (7 pics up from bottom) … they go with your rocks. <3

Aby - Absolutely beautiful. Places and days like that refresh the soul. And its a great reminder of how its the simple things in life that really do matter. Thanks for sharing!! As always!!

Sarah - What a beautiful peaceful place! I love that it really looks like fall, but it’s warm enough to be out in shorts and t-shirts(or not :-)). Here it looks like fall and feels like winter!

jacki - Felt like I took a walk right with you! That animal bone/spine things must have been an interesting find too.

denise@victory rd. - lovely photos.
i need a day like this. to stop and rest and breath in deep.

Branded Photo Booth - Now you will realize how great is our God. The beauty of nature, trees, flowers etc. we need to thank him for all.

Valerie @ Chateau a la mode - Aren’t those just the best days…just hanging out enjoying nature…for free…heehee! Love all your pics. P.S. I have a big dorky dog too and she is just a big dorky love! Looks like Waffle is that way too. Happy Sunday.

Sarah - I just love your photos…brings back memories of my childhood growing up in the woods…especially the wooly bear!

melodee - your pictures are always just so amazing!

Lisa - Love days like that! Also love that Annie went shirtless! Haha! 😉 Love all the pictures.

Christina - Love this post! And the picture of you and Annie?! Wow…so beautiful!

karlene - that looks like a great day!!!

tiffany gardner - Love all the photos! Yes… God is everywhere! Like me having the opportunity to meet you TODAY!!!!! I had no idea you were having a craft weekend or that we were coming to bearly makin it… until today! I’m sure it seemed weird to you but honestly it was So super cool for me to see you. You are the first blog that I ever found… not long after my daddy died from Alzheimer’s disease. You constantly challenge me to live in the moment, let the little things go (with my kids), and CREATE!!! I am STILL so pumped. It will stay with me every time I check in with whatever!

kcandeakromm@gmail.com - Did you go visit Manhattan wearing a KU shirt?

Krista - Hasn’t the weather been crazy? Leaves changing & falling but warm enough to play in the water and be hot enough to take off your shirt (LOL love little Annie)

lauren - You reminded me a line from a favorite old song….”there’s so much beauty around us for just two eyes to see…but everywhere i go, i’m looking.’
don’t know how familiar you are with rich mullins. he might have actually been looking at something lovely in kansas when he wrote that!

Jennifer@CupcakesandMudPuddles - Gorgeous photos…glad you guys were able to get away for a day and enjoy it.

steph - awesome pics!
looks refreshing…
and some pretty nice family time!!
ha… and i love that annie isn’t wearing a shirt!
that girl is a hoot!
(she’d get along great with my 6 year old girl.) 🙂

Amy@littleforalittlewhile - Any day that concludes with pizza is a winner in my book! Looks like a fabulous day!

Tracy - Beautiful Kansas!!
And you said it: Yay for no cooking! Amen!

Linda - Such a beautiful day. Only a little jealous that your kids are still in shorts! Amazing photos as always! Love these posts.

Verna Lantz - Absolutely gorgeous! What a wonderful way to spend the day. I cannot wait until I live near water again. Special times always seem to happen around the water. 🙂

Sandy W - It looks like so much fun! Did you know you took a picture of poison ivy? I hope no one got into it.

shannon - beautiful pics as always. love the colors of the leaves this time of year and ending the day with pizza could it get any better 😉
Happy Weekend!

mary beth - Glad you were able to enjoy a warm fall day…they are numbered for sure! Thanks for sharing your pictures with us all, I feel like I got to come along on a fine day in Kansas – love it!

Sara @ it's good to be queen - Amazing photos. Getting out in nature is good for the soul. Happy weekend, Meg!

Peggy in TN - Beautiful fall days are so special. I was thinking, “I sure wish I could take my shirt off when I got hot like Annie did!” It would be so nice to be that free. We have had a gorgeous fall here in Tennessee too!

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paint fight awesomeness!

September 19, 2012

a few weeks ago wendy & tyler of Blue Lily Photography came through kansas.

i had a paint fight with wendy and some friends at our GoPro reunion and wanted to try it with my family.
it was quite an experience.

it was the opposite of everything we have told them before.
which made it hard to accept your brother throwing paint right in your face.
or your mom!

but they caught on quickly.
and it got fun.
and super messy.

why do boys always have to tackle?

annie was overwhelmed.
she was probably about two years too young for this.
she had a really hard time with paint on her face, on her mouth and near her eyes.
it was a lot for a seven year old…she did great for what we put her through.

fyi….it was non-toxic washable tempra paint from hobby lobby.

tyler threw the last jar of paint on us all at the same time.

she hit her limit.

oh my goodness i sure do like that guy.

i told wendy i have always wanted pictures in the sunflowers.
🙂

i got my wish.
even better covered in paint.

we went to pick up pizza afterwards and annie was suddenly happy again.
she ran into the restaurant and pointed to herself and said "oh yeah!!!! OH YEAH!"
she is such a goofy little girl.
cracks me up ALL. DAY. LONG.
i chose to wait in the car for our pizza.

thank you Blue Lily for a super FUN way to do family pictures.
my kids will always remember it.

and i doubt we will ever do normal pictures again.
this was too fun.

have you gotten on the Blue Lily photo schedule?
they go all over the world.
seriously.
asia, coasta rica, new zealand, australia, holland, canada, london, NYC and all over the united states.
they even came through KANSAS!!!

yeah…it was only for an hour but still…they were here.

family pictures are a way to freeze time.
a special treasure of your kids staying that size in your mind forever.
because you never know what a gift those pictures will be….your family right now….just as we are.

what if it's the only ones you have?
that sounds a little dramatic but it's the truth.
capturing your family together is important.
even if it's in a field of weeds throwing paint on each other.

these are a gift.

thank you wendy & tyler so very much.

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Danielle - After seeing your post about the paint fight at the retreat I had my friend take pics of my family doing it! It was so much fun! They are actually younger 4&6 but it went really well, maybe because they are boys? I also did clear ketchup bottles intead so we could squirt each other! It worked great! Thanks for sharing a great idea!

betsy - Best. Family. Pictures. Ever!
Why did I tear up seeing all of your happy faces? That’s weird, right? Right.
Love the sunflowers & sun flare & all the bright colors.
Oh, and just for the record … I’d totally be crying with Annie. I won’t even carve pumpkins because I don’t like to get messy 🙂

Barbara (WA) - The coolest family portrait I’ve ever seen!!!

stacie bowers - you are an amazing and beautiful woman, meg!
i’m so glad i know you.
i hope our paths cross again someday.
these family pics are incredible!!
all seven of you will treasure them forever.
i totally agree with you in doing family pictures because life changes quickly.
much love, stacie

Courtney - I think this would be a DARLING Christmas card. We all need bright colors in the Winter 🙂 This would brighten anyones day! How fun!

Katey Deasy - Yes why do boys always have to tackle. Even my husband still gets in on the action. I don’t think they EVER grow out of it. Great photos. Thanks for sharing. Glad to see your older daughter. Been missing seeing her. She is so pretty.

Michelle - Your blog makes me smile 🙂

Lori - Oh my goodness, your eyes have always been so stunning. I remember Shane D. and I talking about them in the cafeteria in 2nd grade. (Weird that I have that memory but true!) And here they are still so stunning in a sunflower field. Beautiful photos! 🙂

April R - thanks for sharing these 🙂 how fun!
<3 the sunflowers and beautiful smiles and Annie's "oh Yeah!"

sarah j - I. LOVE. THIS.
your kids all look so tall and leggy!

Stacey - Love these pictures! Your family is so awesome! I especially love the pic of you & your husband…..looks like he’s looking at you saying, “I love you know matter what you look like!” this reminds me of my families experience at the color me rad run in Columbus, Ohio….so fun & great memories!

Jen Boyd - Entirely too cool!!!!

Valerie @ Chateau Ala Mode - I would so be just like Annie even though I’m just a little older than seven 😉 What great memories and they are captured forever. Such a blessing.

Angela A - Wonderful pictures of everyone together. Maybe next time everyone of the kids are going crazy you need to drag them all outside with the paint again and let them work it out. I guess that could get ugly (keep Annie inside) but maybe it would work?

Kristin S - As challenging as this was (I’m sure) to meet all ages and personalities, you’ll be so glad to have this memory and these photos!
I love it when all 7 of you are together. I’m sure you do too as they all get older.

Sabrina L - Awesome!! I love these…one day maybe I’ll be able to convince my family to do something similar! We had our first ever family photos taken about a week ago by Blue Lily in Detroit…I CANNOT wait to see them!

tiffany gardner - YOU. GUYS. ROCK.

Amber D. McNabb - That was awesome! Too bad the paint was washable. Your hubby’s shirt turned out great. I would have wanted to keep it and wear it for the memories.

Verna Lantz - That is fantastic! What a special memory for all of your guys, not just the kids. It’s the moments like these that make our lives wonderful. Thanks for sharing!

rebekah - Your photos are wonderful! We had the pleasure of shooting with Wendy just a week and a half ago. Waiting on the pictures is so hard!

Martha - This just makes me smile

Laura - Nov 5 with Blue Lily-Can’t wait! Thanks Meg and your paint pictures are amazing!

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - Beautiful and colorful — a perfect way to capture you and your family!! Love!

donna - I LOVE it. those pictures are priceless. You have such a beautiful family. I was lucky enough to get Tyler and Wendy to photograph my daughter for her senior pictures while they were in Michigan. I was hoping for a family photo session, but 3 of my kids are away at college 🙁 Anyhow, Wendy and Tyler are not only wonderful at what they do, they are wonderful people – we Loved them.

Jocelyn Pascall - Uhm…I love this SO. MUCH. You have a beautiful family and I love all of the colors. What a fun way to capture a moment in time.

christy - LOVE,love the photos! I was just thinking the other day that I have next to NO pictures of me & my son together, let alone one with my husband, son & I. I need to get over my body image issues & just.do.it. Thank you!

Shelley - The most beautiful family pictures ever, seriously looove them! Your smile is as lovely in person as it is in photos! I Sooo enjoyed craft weekend with you, Kimberly and all the others. Can’t wait to do it again!! xo Shelley C

Kate - i’m seeing them in nov and I can’t wait! You are so beautiful Meg. love your face.

Ashley F. - SO much fun!

Karen Gerstenberger - I love this idea…and I believe that Annie will love these photos in a few years.
What a great batch of photos you have there.
I finished my thrift-shop table – the first thing I have spray-painted, due to your inspiration. I put beach glass on the top, and would love it if you would hop on over and take a look. It’s on my new blog:
http://www.abundantlivingaftercatastrophe.wordpress.com
Thanks for inspiring me, Meg!
-Karen

Jenna@CallHerHappy - It reminds me of that Modern Family episode with the muddy family picture. It’s the messy moments we remember most 🙂

Trysha - Fun!! I love your family. 🙂 It’s so awesome to look at your kids and see which one looks like you or Craig.
We’re having family photos done this November. We’re definitely not a “sit Dad on the ground and everyone crowd around him” in our matchy-matchy outfits family. We’ve picked out our super hero shirts and have us a Big Bang Themed shoot ready to go. I really think picking the right photographer is a HUGE deal. It’s more than “that person takes pretty pictures”. Those are the photos that you look at everyday in your own home.

Helen Wall - Love this. And love your family. When did sean get so darned big?!

happygirl - It is so good to see your WHOLE family together. Sweet Annie and your compassion and understanding for her inspire me to be kinder to people. Great pics and it looked like a lot of fun. Cool that you can convince your family to do these things.

Tiffany - What a cool mom you are!

danad@hotmail.com - What a unique and memorable experience!
And if your Lauren gets any more beautiful, you’re going to have to lock her away! 🙂

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last day of summer F U N!!!

August 17, 2012

i was really ready for school to start but feeling like this summer was missing some FUN.
you know…REAL fun.
i felt tired and busy all summer.
and a bit checked out.
at the store i got the last minute school supplies i had forgotten before and as i grabbed the shaving cream that was on my grocery list…i had the idea.

shaving cream fight.
it's been two years.
we needed to bring it back.

after dinner that night i called them out for a surprise.
i was nervous they were going to think they were too old for it.

clearly they were not too old for this awesomeness.
well, scott was…but you could tell he really wanted to come out.
isn't it a bummer to get older and put all these "rules" on yourself?
because are you really ever too old to be in a shaving cream fight?
the answer is no.

i keep a few wet rags nearby for when someone gets it on their eye or mouth.
there were no tears this year or fighting.
YAY!!!

IMG_5775-12

the yard smelled amazing.

waffle really wanted to come out and play.

she did throw it at me.
it wiped off my camera.
and i had it all over my shirt….but that is no biggie.

best picture ever!!!

i sent them to the trampoline which was like i told them to get a third scoop of ice cream!
they were so happy.

THEN i turned on the sprinkler under the trampoline and they cleaned most of the shaving cream off of them.
they eventually went in one at a time and showered while i sprayed down the deck.

it was the pefect last night of summer activity.
they said so many times how fun it was and how awesome all that shaving cream felt.

smile.

at least we ended on a good note.

goodbye summer.
you were too hot and kind of sucky…..autumn i expect more from you!

my advice today:

GO BUY TEN CANS OF BARBASOL AND TELL YOU KIDS TO GO NUTS!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

craft weekend post is coming on monday!
did you think i forgot?
no way…. those posts just always have so much goodness they take a long time to write. :)

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Lisa - Oh cool! We JUST did the SAME thing. I want to show you our shaving cream fun I just posted. 🙂 It’s here: http://www.mooreminutes.com/2012/08/juicy-sno-cones-and-shaving-cream-fights.html Ummm…yes, I’m being “that girl” who puts links to my site in your comments lol… 😉
I’ve been loving your “in the moment” photos and am happy I found your blog! Have a super weekend.

Kristen - LOVE this idea. We did it our last day of senior year in high school and I forgot how fun it was. My kids would love this!

playmobil - I can see that you kids really enjoy that activity and the bonding. I think they will love to do it always.

Jennifer - I always love your shaving cream posts with the kids. Really cute!

kristen - you are such a cool mom!

joyce - That looks like sooooo much fun!! WIll have to try it with the kids

Rebecca W - so fun!

Donna R - My daughter LOVED these pics! What a great way to end the summer.
Anxiously awaiting the craft weekend post! 🙂

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - Looks like a perfect end! Our summer has been hot and sucky too….just waiting for it to end so we can all start over. Still two weeks here till the kids go back to school. May have to give the shaving cream a whirl too : )

happygirl - LOVE THIS. Why did I never think of this when my son was small. This looks like a blast. Thanks for sharing. My grandchildren (God willing) will have a shaving cream party.

Carolyn - How awesome! I was looking for some fun last-day-of-summer activity, and I think this is it! My kids will NOT expect it at all. 🙂 Thanks for the inspiration! Oh- and I loved seeing and hearing all about your trip to Colorado. My husband and I lived in Colorado Springs from 2001-2005 and although I’m glad to be back in Pennsylvania, seeing those pics made me miss Colorado! It is a beautiful state!

Su@TheIntentionalHome - I remember organizing a shaving cream fight for our church retreat one year. We were a small church. . it was received well by some but others had thosse “rules” for themselves.
Here’s our tip. . before the fight. . stick a straight pin in the nozzle of the shaving cream can and then put a lighter to the nozzle so that the nozzle melts and the opening is only a little pin hole now. . that way the shaving cream will shoot really really far.
You are a fun mom. I want to add more fun to my motherness. I am going to steal your idea. . and surprise the kids with this next week. We do not start school til the 27th. . I am so ready.

Joy Foster - Hey Meg! ( said with cool calmness..even though you are like a celebrity/BFF to me all wrapped up into one beautiful gal) WE love shaving cream in our house! My children have autism and this is a favorite sensory activity!! Loved seeing that a favorite activity of ours is one that you chose as the coolest last day of summer activity for your sweet kids!! Thanks for loving on the rest of us by being the Mom God created you to be!
fyi..my husband will often say..Who are you reading/talking about..and i will say.. “Oh, my friend MEG in Kansas” ( said without the stalky~mc~stalkster effect ) :/
ps..i loved seeing your pups in the background of the pictures..Waffle was so funny..and the neighbor’s doggie looked suspicious…wink wink.
With a Joyful heart!
Joy

Jenn B - That’s awesome! How fun!

Michelle Whitlow - I am TOTALLY going to do this!!! How fun!!!

Shannon - You’re such a fun mom!

peta - love this! might add to our summer (Christmas) holidays activity list.
Love Talby’s suit. Can I ask where it is from?

Jennifer W - I could smell the shaving cream while I read this! Where is the outdoor movie blog? I thought for sure that would be your end of summer activity!

Debby - You should make it a Dream Whip or Cool Whip fight. Now, THAT would be awesome – and tasty too!!

elizabeth - Yes I am doing this too. I feel like I didn’t do enough fun things with my kids,but this is going on the to do list for sure!

Ani G W - Ever since I saw this on your blog, we do it every summer. I think this was our third year. My 9 year old and my 4 year old beg me to do it now… My 2 year old LOVED it this year too and cried when all of the shaving cream was gone. Thank you for this idea. It is a tradition now, thanks to you, and one we LOVE!

Angie - My kids would love this although I might use Cool Whip as an alternative to shaving cream. I have a 2 year old and I can see that being an “in your eyes” kind of disaster. Love the pictures. Your right, your never too old for a shaving cream fight 🙂

seriously sassy mama - I think I know what I am doing with the girls the day before shcool. it is perfect that I took the day off!

W - Can remember your post about the shaving cream party two years ago. What a great thing to do before summer ends!

Heather - I have to do this with my kids! Thanks!

Tracey - We do the shaving cream fight too! We haven’t had it yet this year. Last year I got the idea to have them wear their pool goggles during the event so that there was no tears over cream in the eyes. I think their fave part might be the hose down at the end! 🙂

DLG in Mich - That’s an awesome idea! Totally stealing this. Thanks!

Nicole - Sean is seriously the cutest kid ever!! He looks like such a kind person.

Jill - One word! LOVE!

ira lee - we did a shaving cream fight at my daughters 14th birthday party. it was amazing!!!!! so much fun!

Alicia @ La Famille - you are the funnest mom. ever. the end.

Jessica - I need to do this. Looks like a good time!
btw… I found a KU tshirt at a thrift store (in New Jersey) and bought it for my son. He loves it!

Lee Ann - I think we just may have to do this! And after all of these years reading your blog, (our girls are nearly the same age) I still laugh that the girls have so many of the same clothes. Anna has the same swim suit. Always brings a smile to my face.

Kristin - Hmmmmmmm to somehow talk my husband into allowing this to happen. It would be so good for HIM!
What a blast 🙂

angela - Love this. They will remember this for a long time! (We made the mistake and got menthol one time…burned their eyes like crazy!!) Love all the pics! What a fun night!!!!!

Carey - Love it! We had a shaving cream day in toddler time at the library this summer during the reading program. Not quite like this though! At first, my 2 year old wouldn’t even touch it but once my 4 yr old son taught her to put it on herself, well, they were both covered!! So much fun. Thanks for reminding me of this fun idea!!

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last day of colorado.

August 15, 2012

IMG_5651-1

more playtime in the streams.

adventurers.

brave explorers.

and after that….WET.
oops.
we got dry clothes on and headed on towards home.

a m a z i n g.

and the very last thing as we headed home…. RAM crossing!

pretty cool.
up higher on the ledge was the rest of its family.
yay colorado….thanks so much for the memories!!!

OK…. here is where i speak from the heart……………………………………………………………………….

colorado was beautiful and i loved being there together.
even when it's not perfect in my famly…or there is fighting or yelling or things not going as planned.

i can be honest and say that vacations are sometimes overrated.
we put pressure on everything to go just right….fun fun fun…..smiles all around.
and you know what…

it doesn't always go that way.

and that's o-k.

no family is perfect.
and neither are we……not even remotely close.
my kids fight.
with each other and with me.
it can get really tiresome.
it exhausts me greatly.

but i love them deeply.

i say this because it would make me sad if looking through these pictures of our trip someone would say "i wish my family was happy like that" or "they always look like they are having so much fun"
and did not think about the reality.
the reality is that we are normal…sometimes happy, sometimes grumpy, sometimes hyper, sometimes loud, sometimes kind and sometimes mean.
you never know with five kids what will happen in the next minute let alone a 9 hour drive.

i am guessing you can relate to that.

i hope.

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Jan Eitzen - Oh, my gosh! Thank you for posting those beautiful pictures of Colorado. We used to go almost every year, but now it’s been way too long. I’m missing it so badly my heart aches. — I always told my kids, “You just wait!” And that phrase has stuck and been a joke for a long time, altho’ I haven’t heard it lately because the waiting is over. Dean and Amy have four beautiful children and I’d forgotten what it was like. When you’re kids start having your grandkids you’ll remember all over again what it was like, but it will be much more funny, cute, and enjoyable the second time ’round. But now, as you can tell from comments here you’re not alone altho’ it feels like it sometimes. Most of the stories in the Old Testament deal with difficult children–even King David was disobedient to God. Another one of my favorite sayings: “This too shall pass.” (I try not to overuse it, but Amy usually knows when it’s coming) 🙂

julia - I meant “bit”

julia - Thanks for that last big Meg – lately I’ve been thinking, why am I looking at this, when I’m on instagram. Everything looks so perfect. I know things aren’t but it’s so easy to pretend when a picture just shows a tiny little bit of life. anyway, I was thinking also when I saw that lake…I bet there aren’t any alligators in there to worry about. Deep thoughts.

Michelle From Australia - Being Australian, we have a 14 hour flight to get to LA. And another 5+ hours AND a layover or two if we want to go to the East Coast of the USA. Which means by the time we get anywhere, good behaviour has just about disappeared 🙁 But fingers crossed come November magic will happen and we will bounce off our flight at LA looking happy. It won’t happen but a girl can dream can’t she??

christine ishmael - My parents took us to Hawaii for a MONTH, a whole month when I was 13 and I was such a jerk the WHOLE time! My older sister likes to remind me of what a jerk I was…I still feel bad for my selfish behavior…we do our best to make things so picture perfect and I’m sorry, kids are moody lil suckers!

karen gerstenberger - We just came home from vacation, and yes, I can relate to that. Bless you for keeping it real.
I have started a new blog, in case you want to visit:
http://www.abundantlivingaftercatastrophe.wordpress.com
Hugs from Karen (Gberger)

ira lee - you are exactly right about that! and i deeply appreciate your honesty. it is hard to have patience and grace when your kids are fighting about something- again. or. they. just. won’t. listen.!!! i am learning to be more patient, kind, and understanding yet persistant and fair with punishments and -ahem- yelling! lol wish i could keep my cool, but after the hundreth fight and its over sharing the stupid ketchup i can totally loose it!! thanks for reminding us that this is life, and we must always strive to be better mommas!!! and i love the pics, wish i was there right now!!

Prairie Jenn - Colorado is so beautiful! I could live there if I just didn’t love the wide open space here so much:)
Love your honesty! Families aren’t perfect…vacations aren’t perfect, but sometimes the photos make it look that way.
Yay for keeping it real:)

Su@TheIntentionalHome - Oh yes. . totally can relate. I wrote a blog post called “Are Family Vacations Worth It?” and I read it before every trip we take to remind me, give me perspective. . .if interested, here is the link: http://www.susoutter.com/2012/02/are-family-vacations-worth-it.html
We share similiar heartbeats. . I can relate.
Your pics make me want to take our family to Colorado next. We were there for our honeymoon 20 years ago (backpacked 6 weeks out west) and I so want to take the kids. And that first pic. . are those colors for real? WOW!! Just amazing!!

happygirl - Gorgeous pics and a RAM. I had to climb a mountain to see one of those. You were so blessed. Thanks for the disclaimer on the fam and your normalcy. 🙂 I kinda thought you may be a normal family, but I appreciate the confirmation.

Christy - The pictures are beautiful and it looks like you had a lot of fun. I love the one of Annie that looks like she is in the Karate Kid pose! And the ones of Talby helping Annie. So sweet!

Kat - *Nods* oh yes I can relate!
with four kids there is bound to be someone in a bad/grumpy/sad/difficult mood on any given day.
You just have to roll with it huh?
Thanks for sharing the reality of every day life, even on holidays!
I also find it exhausts me greatly, but like you I love my kids deeply.

jenrobburton - Beautiful pics, and thanks for your honesty! It can be hard to remember that blogs, Facebook, Instagram, etc. are often only showing the good moments and that everyone has bad days, troubled times and things that don’t live up to their expectations.
Great quote I’ve seen floating around … “The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”
Glad you had a great, if not perfect, trip!

meaghan - HI! so fun to see you in MY state lol 🙂 glad ya’ll had a good time! it’s so gorgeous huh? sigh. i’ve oddly spent summer with my fam in texas. hmmm… hooottttt

Shannon - Beautiful pictures once again! So nice to hear now and then about the reality of family. I already know quite well how family vacations go and I only have 2 young ones so I could only imagine the chaos with 5 growing kids who all have their own personalities.

Elizabeth - I can totally relate! Thanks for such a honest and authentic post.

Jody - Man, I must admit I am tiring of blogs that show us the constant trips they go on, the cute cute homes they have or their outfits for the day – so it is refreshing to read you reminding your readers it’s not all perfect or smiley as the photos lead us to believe. And that there is more to life than showcasing our happiest selves ALL THE TIME – that does not bring any of us any closer…
Thank you!
(I sound like such a cranky pants in this note, Im sorry meg!!)

Michelle B - I love your vacation pictures. Colorado is awesome! We just got back from the Wisconsin Dells – drove there from Northwest Iowa, so a fairly long haul. With three young kids along (almost 8, 6 and 2). And your last comment on this post reminded me of what I wrote on my blog just the other day about our vacation pictures…”And I might have been tired and cranky myself and lost patience with both boys…yup, we are like a real life family and do things like that.” I guess I was feeling like I was showing to much “perfect”. I too get comments from people thinking we are “perfect”. Actually I worry that if people hung out with us in real life – well they might be let down. I try to keep it real on the blog – but I also don’t like to vent or complain about my husband or my kids on the internet. I always figure I have friends and family to vent too if I really need to. My blog is for happy stuff – however people got to know – we are human and a family it isn’t always pretty. So I appreciate you saying what you did in this post. Because I feel you – all so well 🙂

Shar - Expectations, the curse! We all have them and likely as not there will be a glitch. But, that’s okay, we just keep coming back for more. Love your photos and the fact you do keep it real, as mentioned! So, thanks!!

Clementsclan - Ha ha ha, don’t know if you read these comments Meg, but well done you! I could have cried. We haven’t had a stress free family vacation since the kids were little! It seems so much work, for so little reward. But yet we keep on doing it. So it can’t be that bad. Luckily we have short and selective memories! Love the pics, keep ’em coming. Thanks for keeping it real!

jeri - Glad you enjoyed our fine state! I get that you’re a Kansas-girl and not a mountains-girl, but there’s no place I’d rather be than in some sort of mountains.
I agree that vacations are over-rated. I love to travel but not with kids. There is nothing worse than being on a beautiful God-inspiring mountain and have your kids being mean and hateful towards each other. Almost makes me want to throw them off the mountain…aw, not really. Our recent trip to the Great Smoky Mountains was probably the least “painful” trip we have had in a long time.

shiela - just lLllllloooOoovVveEeee the nature n all…gorgeous!

arlene - Loved your post and all of the wonderful pictures. Colorado is beautiful. We have taken many family vacations there through the last 40 plus years…all 1200 mile roadtrips…one way, that is. Would not trade those memories for anything.

jackie grandy - Gorgeous pics Meg. I love the mountains of Colorado. I feel the same way about vacations, especially when you visit family. We’re on vacation now visiting my husband’s family in MN and its great, but trying to coordinate activities that everyone likes is challenging. We have 9 cousins and 4 families to coordinate. It’s almost too much family togetherness. I sometimes feel like my kids are happier at home hanging with their friends and chilling out rather than running around trying to fit everything into a week. To me a vacation is hanging on a beach, sleeping in, being lazy and eating amazing food with family and friends. I want to come home from vacation relaxed and ready for life not get home fatigued and stressed because our trip wore me out. Today I said no to the crazy and packed water park and yes to catching up on my blog posts with an iced tea on the back deck.

Donna R - It’s so easy to look at pictures on a blog and get lost in how perfect someone else’s life is. Thanks for keeping it real! Love that about your posts.

Paula S. - Yes! What is that saying again about don’t compare your blooper reel with other people’s highlight reel? Anywhere there are people there will be problems, but many blessings too!

Lennie - Beautiful pics! So glad u are real and relatable!

Toni :O) - I totally can relate and that’s the reason I love your blog like so many others…your honesty and realness…we all get it. I go through life daily wondering if I’m a good enough mom, a good enough wife and a good enough employee. I look at SO many of my shortcomings but then have to realize I’m doing the best job I can do and I know how to do. When it comes to vacations, man it can totally be exhausting vs. relaxing when taking kids along. I always try to keep in mind I’m creating memories and just go with the flow. Someday though, I look forward to those vacations with just my hubby sitting on the beach somewhere enjoying a good book and listening to the water…that’s it, NO OTHER EXPECTATIONS! Cheers!

Sunny Haynes - Oh vacations! Can you really call them that with kids?! The memories are wonderful and you do things that you don’t do in your normal, everyday life but work, stress and breakdowns seem to increase! We are headed on vacation next month but we are going with 2 kids and 4 adults…maybe the extra set of adults will help with the chaos!

Angela - Girl….if I could record the bickering on vacation, no one would read my blog. The end.

Heather - God, I love you Meg. I am having a bit of a down time right now in my life. Nothing big, just on the down swing rather than the up swing, you know. Bit of strife in the marriage, bit of doubt of whether or not I should have ever become a mom, in a rut with where I’m going. And it can be daunting to read blogs and see how much better others are doing things.
We do need to constantly remind ourselves that what we read on blogs, and Facebook, is a polished version. Nothing wrong with that. Just needs to be remembered or your own life starts to feel like a turd amongst diamonds. 😉

Maureen S. - Love out west so much. Great pics as well. We had our vacation this summer at a cottage in WI and had friends and family up as well. Mid week I was feeling very babyish and put out that no one was helping very much. All i was doing was cooking, cleaning and hanging up wet towels. Thought of our house 3 hours away that was all quiet and clean and thought I would like to drive right home and be by myself, now that would be a vacation. I went out on the screen porch where my husband was reading with a glass of wine, completely oblivious to my martyrish state of mind and vented. Felt much better after he promised that he and the teenagers would help more, and laughed about how I would never have lived it down, if I had left them on vacation in a huff. Most of the time, moms just have to rise above it and adjust our attitudes to have a good time!!

Red - This is so, so true! And this is why I keep coming back to your blog. Thanks for sharing that.
And. Just this thought. Recording the happy moments is part of the reason why I blog! I tend to remember the yelling and the grumpy moments and the negative. When I blog I do package it all a bit more positively (because I don’t like to barf the downer stuff all over the interwebs). And I have noticed that it subtly changes the way I remember our lives for the better! I have more positive, happier memories because of the way I write about my life on my little blog for my friends and family to read. And I think that’s a nice side effect of blogging!

stephany - My parents live near Mt. Evans!
We just returned from a road trip to Idaho with our family.
So true what you say…it’s not always as perfect as the pictures.
It’s all part of being a family.
You’re a good mom…and inspiration.

J.B. - When people marvel about how well my kids get along because they see so many photos of the twins in harmony together – I tell them, “If you have noticed, I do not shoot videos.” tee hee
Thank you for reminding us that the ideal we have in our heads is not real life nor is it developmentally appropriate! I shall embrace the chaos and let my selective memory keep our past vacations serene!

Molly - I really like reading your blog Meg. I discovered it through Crystal’s blog, and her blog through her Etsy shop! I like reading your blog because you do keep it very real. I like that. I am an adoptive mom to one special needs girl with ADHD and her older sister who is ADD. Sometimes you want to see the pictures and see what fun the blog writer is up to, but you also like to know that they have issues, fights,etc. within their family and that sometimes it’s hard, but that you love your children deeply. And you keep it real, but fun. I love your craft ideas (my girls love to craft, I really need to make more time for it, and your Sonic happy hours. 🙂 Glad you had a good vacation. I have been to Durango and Silverton CO once. I loved CO.

jacqui anderson - meg, this is why i love reading your blog because you keep it so real. i would totally have seen those photos and thought wow wish our family vacation was cruisy like that!! thanks again for being honest with us xx

ginger - Thank you for your honesty!!!!! Everytime my family goes on vacay with my husband’s family (cousins, etc.) I always set myself up for disappointment!! We are all flawed people and I only wish our vacations could be as great in real life as in my mind. =P

Lindsey - That is why I love you, Meg! You keep it real for the rest for us!

colleen - love this post…and appreciate the honesty… what a neat vacation as I complain about packing for mine which begins Friday… Thx for this post!

allison - Its true, because I can hardly look at the pictures, because they do make me feel that way. I try not to, but I do. Why are we not that happy, content, etc..It is hard.

sarah - Ugh, I’m missing Colorado so much now. Your pictures are great. I grew up there, but am now firmly planted (yet trying not blow away in all the dust storms) in Arizona.
I miss the green, and the trees and the streams, and the sky. I’m so glad you got to spend time with your family, no matter what moods they are in.

jen smith - it’s so easy to compare our lives to other bloggers. when we go on vacation i always wonder why my kids aren’t perfect like every one else’s and then reality hits and i realize that all families struggle with the same things. every other blogger’s struggles mirror my own. as i look at my own blog and our last extended family vacation no one would know that i wanted to shake my BIL and SIL and tell them to discipline their kids, no one would know that we were frustrated that all of our plans didn’t go as planned, or that that many people trying to make a decision on where to eat could be so complicated. they only see the good and that’s why blogs are so great. they help us to remember the good things and not all the other unimportant details. and as my kids grow up and read this blog sometime down the road that’s what i want them to remember too.

Heather - Yes, vacations can be stressful. The best part about taking pictures is that later on, you can look at them and remember the experience of the place and all the fighting and grumpiness that was going on at the time seems to fade away from memory.

Kirsten J - Can sooo relate to that – it wouldn’t be a trip if I didn’t end up crying in a corner somewhere – I’ve even been known to cry in Downtown Disney and threaten to hop a plane home. Yeah, a little dramatic. But the good outweighs the grumpiness. And we never take pictures of those grumpy times so we mostly remember the happy times 🙂

Taryn - Hey Girl! Just couldn’t help but comment…we loved being with you guys during your time here! We loved seeing your family and love each personality you have “under your wings.” I’m so proud of all your processing and the way you love your family deeply! Can’t wait for the time when we can process together face to face again. Love you!

Dawn Gross - amen

Nicole Q. - Well said.

Amy K. - Some vacation I will take a picture every hour on the hour, no matter who is crabby or fighting, so we will remember it how it *really* was! As a bonus, taking pictures of screaming kids might shock them into NOT screaming. =)

Tiffany - You said, ‘it doesn’t always go that way’ …I’d like to add, it almost never goes that way (for us). But it makes for great pictures and good stories. My cousin once shared that with me, that she explained to her older son, don’t let all your memories with your sister be angry ones (due to fighting). And I thought those were good words to share. Happy Wednesday Mama Duerksen.

EmilyK - Have you read “The Happiness Project” by Gretchen Rubin? I’m at work right now and don’t have the text in front of me, but just started to read it last night and one of her points was to make every day count, not just the “special” days. And I think that is something that you actually do! I feel the same way about holidays. I love holidays and think they are important, but so is every other day! (My brother in law gets all upset when things don’t go perfectly on say Thanksgiving…) At any rate, I highly recommend “The Happiness Project.” I’m only into the 2nd chapter and it’s very good!
Thank you for your honesty!

Laine - This is why I love you and your blog. =) Thanks for writing this!

Ashlyn@Pinecone - I can relate for sure! My kids are great on long drives – but lets face it – we all get grumpy and tired. My girls (3 teens) and I took a all girls road trip to Northern MN this summer. It took about 22 hours to get to MN from NY – and we all had our moments. The photos however – make it look like we are happy all the time ; )
Your pics of Colorado are truly gorg! A ram? Crazy!! xo

brooke - unbeleivably beautiful pics. oh my. a trip to colorado is one place i hope to visit. your post was so real. thank you!

Lori Austin - More beautiful pics. Thanks for keeping it real.
Our family can barely make a 4 hour drive…ugh!

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - Meg — Yes, yes, yes!!! Family vacations are what I call business trips because I’m still “working” and “on call” the whole time as their mom – never get a day off from that one and I wouldn’t trade that for the world. It is exhausting, we do get tired and cranky and we do bicker but we also have fun and laugh together too. The fun part of a trip somewhere new is the experience and memories we make — good and bad. It has helped me a lot to change my attitude about trips and road trips lately to view them as adventures and to EXPECT things to go wrong and to expect things to get ugly sometimes, it’s much easier that way when they do and will…much better than when I used to set off on a trip with my family and expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows the whole time. We also throw in plenty of sugar and junk food — it seems to help if I let the rules bend more on vacation and cut myself some slack. xoxo MaryLea

ingrid lapp - I loved the last part of your post. The thing is, when I look back at our vacation pictures, I forget that our 9 year old was a hot mess at supper e.v.e.r.y. night because he spent the entire day in the ocean. I look at those pics and remember how perfect it was to just be a family and be together. Glad you are honest and open, it’s the reason I love your sweet blog so much.

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colorado….gorgeous.

August 14, 2012

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

on the same day that we took the long hike at the Colorado Trail we also took this hike.
very steep and high and making me think i may have a heart attack.
from being out of breath and from the heights at the top.
i think i was so tired from the hike that i couldn't worry too much about the cliff my family was climbing on!

IMG_5536-33
behind her? drop straight down to death.
but smile and don't think about it.
breathe.
deep deep breaths.
IMG_5527-32
i sure do love that kid.
he said over and over on this trip "I LOVE COLORADO!!"
and he meant it.

they were having so much fun jumping and climbing all around.

YAY!!!
here we ALL are in one shot.
rare happenings for the Duerksen family.

we spent awhile shooting around on the basketball court at the bottom of the trail.
(remember?…where i won the game of around the world….i don't want you to forget that)

this boy eats and breaths basketball.

"no smiling. don't do it! don't you dare!"
it works every time.

melts my heart right there!

even in hiking boots!

we enjoyed dinner on the deck watching the sun set into the mountain.
then played Whoonu.
it has to be the prettiest game we have ever played. :)

two deer came up on the driveway again during our game!
so cool.
colorado is awesome.

the next day we went white water rafting but i have NO pictures of it.
i was trying not to be nervous.
i wasn't nervous to do it…nervous to put my kids into it.

and like it has been before…it was nearly dull.
nothing scary.
no reason to be nervous about it.
and the kids thought it was pretty cool (and not dull) so that is the point right?

have you gone river rafting?
were you scared?
or was it like the lazy river at a water park like mine was?

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kim - I’ve never been to Colorado, but it looks beautiful! I just moved to Idaho a year ago, and I love it here! I’ve been white water rafting 5 times! 🙂 I love it. The run we take has class 3 and 4 rapids, an adventure for sure! I have never fallen out of the boat before, but my brother and his friend did (it wasn’t in a rapid, but on what they call “splat rock” where they bring the boat on top of a rock and slide back down) this last trip we took. He got stuck under the boat for what felt like forever but it was probably only 15 seconds. I was totally scared for him and he didnt even want to go on the trip. ha. But he laughed about it, and actually had a great time. Thanks for sharing your vacation pictures!

Sarah - Love the pics! Definitely great to see the whole fam! And Talby has a great jump shot! I hope she likes basketball because she might just be good at it! Rock Chalk!! ;D

Makila - The family shot took my breathe away. I love seeing an entire family in one shot. Love! Great pictures!

Mindy Harris - megan you are really hilarious! just hit my funny bone tonight. the pic of craig like the brawny paper towel guy, on the cliff, is precious. we have good Godly men, we do!
love all these pics. we honeymooned in colorado. have only been back ONCE (in 9 yrs) since. i miss it so!

Jeannette from Plant City - Colorado looks very similar to Jackson Hole, Wy…..we spent a week there this summer and it was beautiful!! Love the family pics, you are truly blessed. My husband and I went white water rafting down the Ocoee River in GA, same place they used for the summer Olympics in 2006 i think. It looked very scary and I was terrified at first but once we got going it was a lot of fun!!

Brenda - I can say also that i love Colorado. It is so beautiful!! My bro and sis-in-law live in Pagosa Springs. Every time we visit I always marvel at God’s creativity and power. How could anyone deny it? Looks like you had a great family time. You may have been out of breath from the elevation. I have suffered from that many times. Thanks for sharing your photos-it makes me want to get there soon.

Shannon R - Colorado is gorgeous. My MIL is originally from there are I’ve been once to visit. I hope to get back. I’ve been rafting only one time. My husband and I went when we visited my SIL when she was living in Uganda. So my first experience was rafting down the Nile River. Don’t worry it’s so rough crocodiles or hippos don’t live in that section. Crazy scary but very fun. Yes, I would do it again. I do have pictures of the last set of rapids. We had to take our boats out of the water and walk around them. Translated it’s called “The Bad Place.”

Lori H - The photos are beautiful, but the one of the straight drop down to death made me nauseous with worry! haha. You are braver than me.

emily - I went white water rafting with my husband and some friends in Costa Rica, the boat flipped four times in choppy brown water, it was the most terrifying experience of my life. It doesn’t help that I don’t really like the water either.

Jamie - whenever i see pictures of your family together i often remember when you shared your wedding photo at the altar and that you remember exactly what you were thinking at that moment. your prayer to god. he has been so good to your sweet family and he blessed your prayer that day. and you in turn have blessed so many people with your sweet spirit, your craftiness, and so much more. jesus shines through you!

Kristi - Love, love, love. I grew up going to my great aunt’s cabin in Colorado in the summers. That state will always have a special place in my heart.

Jennifer - I’ve never been white water rafting, but I bet it’s scary–especially the first time. Beautiful pics and it looks like you all enjoyed some wonderful family time.

amy jupin - i love the fam pic.
i love seeing more of lauren.
she’s gorgeous.
and craig’s dunk?
niiiice.

Alicia @ La Famille - looks like a fantastic trip! great way to end the summer.

julia - how about an airboat ride in the Everglades? Can be fun!

Janel - We have some amazing white water here in Colorado! Some of the most advanced rafting, class 5 which is expert only, are only 45 min outside of Denver. I have done class 4 and one 4.5 run. The last time i rafted the boat flipped once, but I was tossed out twice that particular day. The first time I fell out because we hit a rock just as our guide was explaining that the run up ahead is called the “terminator” and would be our first class 4 of the full day trip. He was explaining how we would maneuver thru etc when I fell out. We also had kayak riders to assist our boat because the river was treacherous, near end of season. I had to swim that run backwards head first. The water was running about 40 miles an hour and I could not turn myself around. The kayak dude stayed with me to the end of the run. I nearly died that morning. Scariest thing ever to happen. The end of the day the boat flipped, we all swam for our lives and I have never been again. Twice in one day and I wasn’t gonna push my luck.
But I am so glad I did love it once and I was good at it too. It is a rush for sure!
If I ever make it to craft weekend, I’ll tell you some more fun stories! Hint hint!

alyssa - My kids talk about our trip to colorado last year all the time. One of their favorites for sure. Ava said everyday we were there that when she gets older she will get married and move to CO…we’ll see. Such a good family bonding spot for sure.

Lisa M. - Beautiful pictures! So nice to see the one with all of you. It seems we don’t get to see the two oldest very often…so nice to see you all together in one picture! So glad you had a nice time…and yes, those cliffs looked VERY scary!!

happygirl - CO is so beautiful. When they were having the fires I just cried. Great pics. Your family is just… gorgeous. I’m a lazy river kinda girl, myself.

shauna - so great Meg!
what a fun trip!

Kristin S - So glad ya’ll loved Colorado!
Very fun to see your whole fam together too.
I love white water rafting but I also love tubing down a river. Chill. Fun. Relaxing.
You have one beautiful family, Meg.

Amy Griffin - You have a BEAUTIFUL Famliy

Stephanie - Gorgeous photos! So glad you had a wonderful family vacation!
We went white water rafting this summer, it was awesome! Level 2 & 3 rapids, lots of fun! You have to work hard through the rapids, great teamwork!

Jamie - Where is CO were you? I just moved to Denver and need some great places to explore! This one would top my list!

DanaD@BoysMyJoys - Looks like it was a great trip, and EVERYONE had fun! 🙂
Those are the BEST!
I know this is off the subject, but I have your BBQ Meatballs baking in the oven right now and that has me thinking… if you’re looking for some blogging inspiration, how about another Duerksen Family Recipe post!
My family always cleans their plates when I make your recipes! 🙂

Lisa - Ps- Colorado is very similar to here I live in the high desert of Oregon. Beautiful mountains, hikes, rivers etc. these pics made me remember how much I love where I live. Glad you had a great trip!

Lisa - 1. Love the family photo you got
2. Impressed with your husbands dunking skills
3. Loved river rafting (love anything to do with being on or in water) but was a little nervous the one part that had huge rapids

angela - Yes, I’ve been. And yes, I was scared. Lovin’ all your pics! So glad you got a family picture…rare for all of us!! Good times! Love it!

Sarah - I love Colorado too.
I went white water rafting there my senior year of highschool (the only and last time I’ve been) and I fell in. It was freezing, but not as bad as I thought it might be. 😉

the domestic fringe - Gorgeous photos! That one of you and your family is great. Glad you enjoyed Colorado. I’ve never been white water rafting. I’d really like to kayak. That’s my water goal.
~FringeGirl

Megan - We went while we were on our honeymoon (also in Colorado) and LOVED it! Super fun and not scary.

Melanie - Thanks for sharing!! Isn’t hiking the best thing to do as a family? Something about exercise, fresh air, and a common goal seems to get everybody in a good mood. . . at least for a while. Love seeing your pictures. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Heather R. - Great pics! We did go white water rafting on the Arkansas…so fun, and cold, and scary. I hope you guys enjoyed your break. 🙂

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