Getting back into the groove!

Wow...so sorry for the past couple months. Life got a little crazy on us and the blog suffered as a result. I guess to get us back in the groove again, I (Trevor) thought I would just update you on what we've been up to lately for those who haven't been keeping up via other methods!

• Addison celebrated her first birthday.The party was a blast, though I think we crammed about 4 hours worth of party into about 2 hours. We had a costume party for the kids, it was adorable as the ages ranged from under 6 months to about 9 years all in costume! Addison LOVED her first bite of cake. She got TONS of new toys which she really needed as she was really bored with what she had. After the party, Addison went trick or treating with some of her cousins which was a lot of fun, the kids costumes were a hit with the neighbors.
  

• Addison has a great new babysitter, Bethany, who watches her on Wednesdays and Fridays (her Grandma Jeannie still does Mondays). She loves all the extra attention.

• We learned that last December was no fluke for our eBay business as it spiked again in mid-November. The increase in business means a boost in income for us which is SO helpful. We plan to pay off the 0% interest loans we used to get our new house up and going in 2010 with that money. We are so thankful for God providing for us.

• Things are going very well with our rentals. We are thrilled with both of the couples we selected which is a HUGE blessing. It was a rocky year as landlords, but we've learned a lot in the process and hopefully we'll make some good money back when we sell the homes.
  

• Now that we are settled in our house and at our church (Eagle Brook Church, SLP campus), we realized it was time to get back involved again. We joined a small group in the fall. Our friends Matt and Rachel wanted to find a group as well so we went to GroupLink at EBC on a mission to find a group that we could join together. We found a great group that meets less than 10 minutes from our house and all the couples have kids so we are all in the same boat. Its really nice. Initially Addison did NOT like that we were leaving her in a strange basement with some strange kids watching her. We think it was a combination of separation anxiety and being in a strange place. She's adjusted now though and is playing downstairs with the kids really well! We are enjoying having some adult time and making some new friends and deepening our faith!
  

• The holidays were a flurry as always for us. We spent Thanksgiving with my family. It was filled with lots of fun times as always! Then we went back to Appleton again in mid-December to celebrate Christmas with my family. Its rare we get to see that much of my family so its always a treat when the holidays come around. Addison loved all the new, unique foods she got to try for the first time! We just returned from a long weekend of Christmas celebrations with Meghan's family. We were thankful we didn't have to drive four hours in this crazy storm so it was a good thing that it was time for Meghan's family to have Christmas this year! Addison LOVES presents. Not so much what is in them though...she loves playing with them and ripping them open. Once they are open, she's less interested! haha After we show her what it does though, she loves all the new gifts.

The final push...

There isn't much time left in the Twins season. With the football season kicking in Meg and I thought we should take a final opportunity (only our second time of the year) to catch our favorite baseball team live in action.

Keep an eye open for us if you watch the game tonight...we'll be cheering loudly for our favorite team that is just barely hanging in there for the division. We are excited for the game, this will be Addison's second game and she's MUCH older this time so hopefully she'll enjoy it! Its going to be late night though...

Quick update

Man...its been tough to get out here to update lately. I was just in California for work...my first trip there in months. Though I don't mind traveling for work, its certainly less enjoyable when you have a baby back home that you miss! This weekend is Addison's dedication at church. My family is in town starting tonight so they can be there for it. Coincidentally, Patrick and Susan are here from the UK too so almost everyone on both sides will be here for it, how fun! Tonight we are going to Buca di Beppo or as my dad calls it, "The Italian place where you can walk through the kitchen". Tomorrow night Meg and I have to make a steak dinner for the family which was part of an arrangement we made after entering a baseball pool with the family. My dad paid our admission fees with the stipulation that if we won, we have to do dinner for the family. Well we won ($500+) so now its time to make good on the arrangement. We have some really tasty looking Filet Mignons in the fridge from Costco...can't wait for tomorrow night! Good thing I got a new BIGGER grill!

Issuing a Challenge...

to myself (Trevor). At Eagle Brook last night it was Bob's first weekend back after taking some time off to get refreshed, work on his book, and come up with some new ideas/material. For those of you that have not attended EBC in the past, Bob is a tremendously gifted speaker, and once you leave the church you realize just how inspiring his speaking and topics is. They are wrapping up the John's Best Friend series that has been going on all summer. We've missed a lot of it due to being out of town or just being busy...something I am sad about. How is it that summers get SO busy anyway.

This weekends sermon was about the Holy Spirit and how vital it is to our faith and how we can get it to move more in our own lives. I came to realize sitting there that I don't allow time for God to speak to me. I have filled my life with activity and noise and it drowned the voice of God out. Having an infant in your life makes you change your priorities but sadly I think in changing mine I've cut out a few areas that I shouldn't have and allowed other areas to stay that aren't needed. I rarely found the time to get into God's word in 2009 (it was good at times and embarrassingly poor at others). Its sad to admit that, but its the honest truth. I love God, I know he's working in my life but I don't give him the kind of time needed to have a real relationship with him.

I am going to challenge myself to get back in the word again though...no more excuses. I am sick of being ill-equipped to handle Satan's attacks. I've found a change in my attitude and clearly a change in my priorities and I am working to change that starting today. It probably means sacrificing some sleep in the mornings but change requires some sacrifice. I am taking a few days away from facebook as well to help me figure out my priorities better. Honestly I just need to use my time better and put the big rocks in the jar before the little pebbles. My big rocks are my faith/relationship with God, my wife, my daughter, my extended family and friendships, and my job. I wanted to put this out there so that its not just in my head...if others know about it I am more prone to follow through! Thanks for listening!!

Oh and for those that like pictures...here is the cutest one of Addison to date. At the park on the swing:

Back on our own...

Well the craziness has started to settle down. In the past 3 months we've had a HUGE rollercoaster of craziness that has kept us SO busy we didn't know what free time was. In that time we:
- Lost our renters in IL (spent thousands redoing inside due to their damage)
- Bought a new house in MN
- Found new renters in IL (signed the up to a 2 year contract...thank you Jesus)
- Moved into new MN house
- Spent weeks getting new house livable (it was a foreclosure)
- Work/vacation trip to Paris and London
- Lost renters in Rochester (We'll miss you Bristol's)
- Found new renters in Rochester (1 year contract, hopefully there for 2)
- Plus tried to maintain somewhat of a social life

Now with all that behind us we finally feel like we can take a breath and enjoy life again. We have a weekend camping trip (in a cabin...not trying camping with a 9 month old) at the end of the month that should provide some much needed relaxation time. While we just had a long vacation in Paris and London, we spent so much time sightseeing that we didn't get to really relax much. We are really looking forward to meeting Addison's newest cousin who should be born in the next month (to Krista and Bill, my sister and brother in law). And then after that its the start of the football season which should bring a lot of excitement for us like it always does. The rest of the summer and fall promise to be lots of fun and relaxation. We are so thankful to be where we are and even though its been a crazy summer, our God has taken great care of us and we know he'll continue it.