If It Weren't So True...

Received this video link from a friend. Post-modern-ish churchy people...what do you think?

"Sunday's Coming" Movie Trailer from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Funny? Convicting? Offensive?

Quelf: Obey the Card.

While in California, I got together (sans baby) with some friends for a good-ol' night of game-playing fun. The objects of entertainment were the zany shenanigans prompted by the board game QUELF. I had heard about how much fun this game was, and my inaugural round did not disappoint. The creators of this game surely were on a drug-induced mind trip when putting together the random assortment of tasks and challenges found here. In a good way, though...kinda like a Saturday morning cartoon let loose in your living room.

If you are a social games kind of person (unlike my husband, the strategist, who refuses to play Apples to Apples), the hilarity that ensues from a night of Quelf antics will keep you laughing for days!

Amanda had 30 seconds to stuff as many items into her clothing as possible.

Daniel had to find a hat with a chin-strap and wear it the rest of the game.

My turn!

Amanda became a human pretzel, having all appendages attached to neighboring opponents.

Have you tried this party game? Any others you dare to recommend?

Happy Half-Birthday To You!

Rolling over...check.
Starting solid foods...check.
Giggling...check.
Looking all cute and stuff...check.
Half-birthday party with Grandma Donna...check.
SIX MONTHS of sweetness....check!

(Thank you, Miss Sarah, for the yummy cupcakes!)

Daddy Dearest...

I knew you would be a great father when you cradled that teddy bear in the empty nursery.
And, I was right.
When you walk in the door after work, Kendall's face lights up like it does for no one else.
You are the best partner in parenthood I could ever ask for, and our little girl is going to soon realize how blessed she is to have such a wonderful daddy.
Or maybe she already does. :)



And, to my OWN "daddy", who has loved, encouraged and spurred me on for thirty-three years, Happy Father's Day! I'm so glad I get to spend this day with you and give you hugs in person. On behalf of Derek and I, the laughs and memories you supplied us with over the years make us two happy kids. We love you and are proud of you!

California or Bust!

It seems like we were just there, but that was waaay back in February. I can't even believe how different Kendall is now- it will be a totally different experience! We have been reading our "California 1-2-3" book with the baby in preparation (and to indulge me in reminiscing of the "homeland"). This will be Kendall's ump-teenth airplane ride...and third cross-country trip in six months. She'll be eligible for gold member status soon, I'm sure! :)

Our first stop is in beautiful Monterey, which Chris and I last visited on the weekend of our engagement! We will be attending the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach- one of THE most picturesque courses in the world...yet, there will be no pictorial evidence we were ever there. Bummer...no cameras (or phones! Gasp!) allowed. Kendall and I plan on spending a lot of time at the Trophy Club pavillion. You know- tipping back some champagne and watching the players on the big screens. This should alleviate Chris' fear of Kendall squawking at the tee box as Tiger is teeing off :)

Then, it's on to Stockton just in time for Father's Day and, subsequently, Chris' Sunday flight back to Duluth. We'll be video-taping Kendall's Dedication at First Baptist Church that day so Dad can share in the special day, too. Don't feel TOO badly for him...his girls have a few surprises up their sleeves to make his day special!

Blabber Blabber

Yep- she's found her voice, and takes EVERY opportunity to use it!
Her favorite buddy to "talk" to is Luna.

By The Numbers. Or...Not.

So, AOL featured an article on birthday numerology recently and, since my birthday is rapidly approaching, I thought I'd check it out for fun (I'm the person who always flips to the back of a magazine to read the horoscope just to prove how inaccurate it is. I know- lame.). And, once again, PROOF that numerology is a bunch of boo-hockey (catch that reference, anyone?). Here is the read for birthdays on the 8th:

You're an "ideas person" when it comes to dreaming up new ventures, and you back this with business and money savvy.

This is wrong, wrong, wrong in so many ways. First of all, I am not an "ideas" person. I hate ideas. Not the ideas themselves, but the brainstorming process. I distinctly remember literally throwing myself on the floor during one of our Crosswalk staff meetings after debating what food would be best to serve at an event. Just tell me what to get and I'll get it. I'm the do-er, not the planner. Secondly, when it comes to business and money, there are many adjectives I would choose before "savvy"! Thank God I married someone who enjoys the responsibility that finances involve- it was the greatest thorn in my side during my single years.

I would re-write the tag-line this way:

You are cool simply because you were born on the 8th. 8 is your favorite number, and for good reason. You always celebrate your birthday on the 8th and are quick to check the school calendar to see if this falls within the school year, during the summer, or on the last day of school (win!). You are a well-balanced person, enjoying birthday gifts almost exactly halfway till Christmas. Everybody loves you.


Birthday buddies Bobby, Becky and Heather...is this you?

All Crocked Up.

Dear Crock-Pot,

I'm sorry I let you sit in the back of our cupboard for so long. You went for years without being used. I didn't understand, then, how you longed to help our family in convenience and deliciousness. Now that I've found you, we have a lot of catching up to do. I'm sorry if you've felt tired lately...I've been working you to the bone- every day, a new treat for us to enjoy.

Kendall likes helping, too, since she's such a happy, inquisitive baby in the morning. You've provided us with a special mommy/daughter project! And nothing beats the aroma that gently makes its way into every corner of the house as the hours pass. My husband is quick to exclaim "Mmmm! Dinner smells great!" when he walks in the door after work. And me- well, when I crack open the refrigerator door and see containers of leftovers, I feel like I've done my job as a wife. It's a strange sense of accomplishment, as cooking is a challenge for someone who doesn't particularly enjoy it.

Thank you for providing us with tasty
Baked Potato Soup,
Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs,
Breakfast Berry Bread Pudding,
Chicken Tortilla Soup,
Barbecued Chicken,
Wild Rice Salad with Fruit & Nuts,
Potato Casserole,
Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding, and
Maple Glazed Meatballs.
I snagged a Crock-Pot cookbook from the bargain shelves at B&N, and it has more than paid for itself. We are very excited to experiment some more in the future.

At the risk of sounding totally geeky, we are Crock-Potters for life!
Sincerely,
The Stavenger Family

(Any Crock-Pot goddesses out there? Do share a favorite recipe with us! You say you don't have a Crock-Pot? Go get one! They're, like, twenty bucks, people! What are you waiting for!?)

Blue Eyes.

Blue eyes run in the Stavenger line.
Fortunately for us, they also run in the Petersen line.
(Derek had beautiful blue eyes, like my dad. I wasn't so lucky.)
Kendall was born with them...I hope they stay blue!
Here is my niece, Mallory- amazingly, all I did to this picture was remove the black and white effect from her eyes. The sun caught them just right.
Mesmerizing.

Hey June.

Naaaaa na na, nanana naaaaa!
Can't seem to shake that song today. Could be worse, I suppose.

Ahhhh, I can't believe June has fallen upon us already! And there's so much in May that went unmentioned, like Kendall's dedication at Vineyard Church here in Duluth. It was a special day, as the entire Stavenger family was on hand to celebrate with us.



Oh! And I celebrated my first Mother's Day! It was a little busy since I was leading worship in the morning, and Chris was on-call for surgery, so we went out to dinner on Monday night instead (good choice, since Olive Garden was nearly empty!). I did sneak in a candle-lit bubble bath on Sunday (any type of bathing is a novelty these days!) and Chris and Kendall treated me well with sweet cards and gifts. Have I mentioned that I have the BEST family?!

Between Vegas, Memorial Day and Minneapolis, we certainly met our travel quota for May. On the agenda for June? A big 'ol California trip! We have a date with the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, as well as some Stockton time.

Kendall is growing and changing, now dabbling in solid foods and getting awfully close to rolling over. Her newly found voice is getting much exercise, and she recently decided that spitting is her favorite new pastime. As she gains more independence entertaining herself and napping, I'm giving our book club another shot this month. I've been reading "The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes" by Diane Chamberlain, and have been pleasantly surprised so far. I forgot how nice leisure reading can be!

Enjoying God's Country.

Chris always told me that Minnesota is "God's Country".
After a beautiful weekend at the lake, it's hard to argue with that.
(Until, that is, we spend some time in Monterey this June. It's serious competition!)
The whole Stavenger family was together for Memorial Day weekend at the new and improved Lake House.
Kendall went on her first boat ride, Chris and I got out on the jet ski and had a quick date "lunch" at a local restaurant, and the cousins enjoyed doting on the baby.
We all soaked up plenty of love and sunshine!

Suck It Up and Git'er Done.

I've had- literally- years of tooth pain.
It's been concentrated on the upper right quadrant.
I'm pretty sure my So Cal dentist jacked it up more.
My dentist here has been fantastic.
He removed a wisdom tooth while I was pregnant.
That gave me some relief.
But to finish the job, it comes down to this...
ROOT CANAL.
Day after my birthday.
Hopefully my 33rd year will be tooth-pain free.
(Minus the first few days.)

I gather I'm not the first to have this procedure...suggestions for recovery?

Vegas in Black and White

Hi friends! Again...I've fallen behind on keeping current pictures up on the blog. This is surely a sign that summer has commenced! We've been getting out of the house enjoying the sunshine and beginning a whirlwind season of travel. First stop....Las Vegas, Nevada, where sunshine and smiles were plentiful! We planned this trip to help Chris' sister, Carrie, ring in her 21st year of life with style, and Grandma and Grandpa Petersen were glad to take on some babysitting responsibilities! (For some more pictures- in color- check out Grandma Petersen's blog!)

Kendall was stylin' for her first dip in the pool!

Grandpa's beard was fascinating and funny!

The girls got out for a trip to the outlet mall. This kid was tuckered out by the end of it all!

The Petersen family.

The brothers at our Margaritaville gathering.

And the girls, dressed for a night out!

Crib with a view! Below is Las Vegas Blvd.

Welcome, Spring.

Hello from bright, sunshine-y Duluth, Minnesota!
At this time last week I was wearing snow boots and drinking hot chocolate as I watched 2 inches of snow fall during the second week of MAY.
Today, it's nearly 80 degrees. It definitely made coming home from Las Vegas a bit more bearable.
Sure, air conditioning would be nice, but we can't have EVERYTHING we want, now can we? ;)
We thought a family outing down to the lakefront for a cold malt shake was in order this afternoon since Chris got home from work early, and it couldn't have been more beautiful.
Roses are in bloom, the lake breeze was refreshing, and a sweet treat hit the spot.
Now, If we could just bottle some of this warmth to use in December...

This was from our porch on May 9th.

We opted for sandals in lieu of snow boots for our date at the Malt Shoppe.

The Malt Shoppe is located along the lake front (Lake Superior).

The Lake Walk Rose garden is abloom!

I really, really don't mind living in Duluth on days like this.

The Apple of my Eye

Nearly four months ago, I was laying in a hospital bed when, in the early hours of the morning, a nurse wheeled you in and said "she wants her mommy!"
It's the first time I felt like a mom.
Now, I love being with you as much as you love being with me.
I will always remember how you snuggle up to my chest and suck your thumb.
I treasure every smile when I appear over your crib.
It's almost heartbreaking how fast you are growing.
My face is always sore from smiling so much.

I am so lucky to be your mommy.

A Mommy's Love

In Your Eyes

In your eyes, Mom,
I have always been the prettiest,
The smartest, the funniest
The one with the potential
To do anything.

In your eyes,
My failures are but
Practice for success
My weaknesses
But strengths in the making
My mistakes
But an opportunity to learn

In your eyes,
I am the strongest
And the softest.
I am the shoulder
The world can cry on
And the rock
It can lean on

In your eyes,
I am the most creative
And artistic
My every stick figure
The Mona Lisa
My every clay figure
David

In your eyes,
I am the most loved and loving
Everyone's best friend
The perfect daughter
The perfect mother
The perfect wife
A beautiful person to know

And when I see myself
Reflected in your eyes
I see someone
Ten times the person I'll ever be-
I see you.

(Melissa Peek)

Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You really are amazing. And everyone who knows you knows exactly what I mean.

A Happy Hour, Indeed!

Excitement is brewing, and about to be blended up in a smooth, cool cup of frappuccino goodness...for HALF THE PRICE! Thank you, Starbucks, for introducing frappuccino "happy hour" from 3-5 p.m. between May 7th and May 16th. I shall be indulging in your caloric creation happily, while saving a couple dollars in the pocketbook. My girlie friends should all be expecting calls for coffee dates next week...

This Ain't No Ordinary Mall.

Hi friends. We have just returned to Duluth after a full day of shopping at the greatest...the biggest...the most fabulous mall there ever was: The Mall of America. Shopping, however, was secondary to visiting with two dear friends just passing through. Mikey and Christa, founders of His Little Feet, were in Minneapolis for a conference, and we got to spend some time with them before they booked it back to Colorado. We had a good time perusing, and did a few NEW things while we were there:

1) We located the home plate of Metropolitan Stadium that existed on the site prior to the mall being built. It was quite the scavenger hunt, but we found it!


2) I nursed while sitting on a toilet. Ugh...I hate the mall.

3) All of us enjoyed testing out the new iPad at the Apple store. Thou shalt not covet, thou shalt not covet...

4) Mikey and Christa met Kendall for the first time- we loved sharing her with them (and, consequently, loved that she spit up all over Mikey and not me).

Love Him or Hate Him...

Football season is on it's way and the Vikings still don't know if this guy will return to lead the charge. I saw this display featured at Barnes & Noble yesterday.

Which would you buy?

Dear U2,

Dear U2,

I thought you should know that you recently lost one of your biggest fans.

My brother, Derek, had been a U2 fan for many years. He owned every album (and single), was often the first online to buy concert tickets, scoured E-bay for rare collectibles, and could quote you the next album release date at any time. He was a passionate fan.

In January of 2009, he purchased tickets for himself and three friends to see your Las Vegas concert in October. It would be his fourth U2 concert experience, a fact which brought him much pride. He had no idea at that time that he would engage in a battle for his life, and would never attend your concert. In March, a rare malignant tumor was found in his leg. Despite aggressive chemotherapy and surgery, the cancer spread throughout his body. By August, it became very difficult for him to walk, and a seizure caused a fractured shoulder. In spite of increased physical challenges, he was determined to go to the concert and mentioned it often. He began to look into handicapped accommodations. When pain became more of a constant, he remarked that “he could catch you on the next tour”. It was the first sign of surrender I witnessed in him.

In September, the cancer had spread to his brain and his illness was deemed terminal. My family was by his bedside on September 30th as he waged his final physical battle. In the early morning hours before he passed away, we turned on his U2 albums, hoping the familiar would bring comfort.

As the day of the October concert arrived, hundreds of Derek's friends dusted off their U2 albums and played them in memory of Derek. Even the grocery store where he was employed turned on a tune and cranked up the volume. He, no doubt, enjoyed his front row seat from Heaven.

Derek respected your band and it's music, not only for your musicality, but for your message. He was a devoted follower of Christ, and loved informing us of the meaning behind your lyrics. The fact that many songs are inspired by Bible verses was not wasted on him. As our large church was packed with friends and family to pay respects, a collection of U2 songs was played, and attendees received a program graphically inspired by your album covers. It was a great day of celebration and remembrance.

I want to thank you for the way you influenced and inspired my brother's life until the very end. We have great pride in the way he lived and the legacy he left.

Sincerely,
Jamie Stavenger

(Rich Baker, Derek, Dan Baker)

Who Needs Sleep?

There have only been two times in my life I wanted to punch my doctor in the face. The first was immediately after birth when she was viciously kneading my belly like a giant pile of dough. The second was yesterday.

I visited my OB-GYN again for yet another round of Mastitis, where she gave me the following news: "It's great that Kendall is sleeping through the night! Unfortunately, because you are prone to this, you can't do that anymore. You'll need to get up and pump." (Definition of "prone"- five cases of Mastitis in four months.)

So...after keeping careful track of Kendall's sleep patterns for the last 26 days and finally getting her on a loose schedule, on which she often sleeps through the night, I can't reap the benefits in the area of sleep. Last night I set my alarm three times: Twice to take an antibiotic and once to get up and pump. And after crawling back into bed the third time to a SNORING husband, I wanted to punch HIM in the face.

To sum it up: Everyone is sleeping in the house but me.

On the plus side, I got to put Kendall in her baby scrubs so we could visit Daddy at the office! Here's a doctor I NEVER mind seeing!

Two Years Down...

...and a lifetime to go.
Two years ago I married my best friend.
I loved him so much that I moved to Duluth, Minnesota.
That's love, people.

Our wedding day seems like so long ago.
Much has happened since then.
I remember being surrounded by the most important people in my life.
I remember laughter and my husband in his hot tux. Yowsaaaa!
I remember my whole family smiling with pride.
It was a beautiful day.
And now we have a beautiful daughter.

Life is sweet.

Mad Culinary Skills.

Looks good, yes?
I have been ambitious lately, planning and cooking more meals now that Kendall can entertain herself or watch me.
The above was a yummy, easy pasta dish.
It was hot and ready at 5 o'clock, in time for Chris to eat when he got home from work...
Except he didn't get out of surgery until 7:00 p.m...
So it was cold and didn't look this pretty (good thing I took a picture!)...
And, because he is finicky about eating leftovers, I ended up eating most of it throughout the week...
Which is why I don't like cooking.

But here is the recipe nevertheless.

ZUCCHINI, CORN, and BASIL FUSILLI WITH BACON
Serves 6 (or two, with one of us eating a WHOLE lot more than the other...)

6 bacon slices (I added more...because it's BACON!)
1 lb fusilli
3 ears corn, kernels cut from cob
1 1/2 lbs zucchini, coarsely chopped
1 (5- to- 7 oz) container basil pesto
Accompaniment: Parmigiano-Reggiano to top

Cook bacon in 12 inch heavy skillet over med heat, turning occasionally until crisp. Drain on paper towel, discard drippings.
Meanwhile, cook fusilli in a pasta pot of boiling salt water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then add veggies to pasta in pot and cook, partially covered, 2 minutes (water will stop boiling). Drain.
Add pasta with veggies to skillet along with pesto and 1/4 cup reserved cooking water and toss. Season with salt and moisten with additional water if necessary.
Top with crumbled bacon and a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.