Grandpa Max

Today my phone rang and it was my sister letting me know that my dad had been trying to get a hold of me.  I knew what this meant as my Grandpa had been ill.  Hearing my dad say that he'd past was so very surreal because I had awoken around the time he'd past and felt I needed to pray.  My heart was beating fast and I know he'd awaken me to say goodbye.  See, I'm the oldest grand on my dad's side. I have spent many days and nights as a child going to their home.  I still smile each time I tell about how special it was and is to go there.  Grandpa was always so happy to see me.  His plump cheeks so easy to kiss.  He was a quiet man but you always knew he loved you.  He loved to hear how you were doing and what you'd accomplished.  He was a very proud man. He was an observer a lot of time but always watching with a smile on his face. I will never forget when my sister Amy and cousin Lisa and I were staying with them one summer we talked Grams and gramps into taking us to the movie "Cocktail," and oh man I think gramps's cheeks were flushed through the whole thing.  He laughed when we got out of it because he couldn't believe he took his granddaughters to see that...hahaha!

Gramps I will never forget the little things you did, the fresh popped popcorn, the ice cream runs when we were visiting, the awesome yard to run around in, the farm, the raccoons,the fishing stories, the war stories, the glider in the yard and the very many visits on that blue glider. 

Godspeed Gramps for I am so very proud to be your granddaughter.  I love you.

Do You Hear What I Hear

It's an exciting time of year around our house as it is in most homes.  It's time for family, friends and celebrating the birth of our savior.  It's time to STOP...stop running, stop shopping and to savor the time we have to be with family.  I love the laughter that comes with Christmas. The smells of all that surrounds us.  The traditions of Prime Rib on Christmas Eve with my family and Fondue on Christmas day with Brad's family.  I love taking it all in.  The cousins running out to greet you when you drive up the driveway. I love watching my children count their presents and wonder if it's time yet.  I love their Christmas outfits and the look on my daughters faces when they slip into their Christmas dress.  I love watching my mom read "The Polar Express, " to all the grands in their new jammies and listening for the bells to say Santa is near.  I love watching as they clear couches and chairs to run to their designated beds when they finally hear the Bells of Christmas. I love the early morning wake up calls with the excitement that Mr. C has been here and I love when my mother in law has gifts dropped all over the yard as if Santa had an accident flying over her house.  The kids looks are priceless.   I will so miss this time with my littles soon enough so I will sit back and watch, soaking it all in.

I wish everyone a very blessed Christmas.  May you have time to savor the birth of our Savior and savor the chance to stop and just be.  Listen to the sounds around you for the giggles won't just becoming from the kids but also the adults as they watch and reminisce about their days of being the center.

I'll leave you with a song sung by my little Ella and her preschool class. My nephew Chase is in it as well.  

God Bless you,
Marci

Happy 60th Mom!

Dear Mom,

I want to take time today to thank you.  Thank you for showing me through your actions that you love me.  I never doubted your love for me the whole time I was growing up and that says a lot about the type of mom you were and are to me.  I thank you for always going out of your way to make the little things happen.  I thank you for showing me what a wife should do for her husband and what I should expect in a mate.  Thank you for not being afraid to be affectionate in front of us because I thought it was really cool that you and dad were a rock.  Thank you for my Christian values, for making me go to church on those Sunday mornings when I wanted to sleep in as a teen.Thank you for teaching me to put the Lord God Almighty at the head of my home.  Thank you for always being honest with me even when it might hurt sometimes. Thanks for never giving up on me even when I had pretty much given up on myself at times. Thank you for sacrificing things so that I could have the things I thought were important at the time. Thank you for giving me three of the best siblings a person could ask for and for always stressing the importance of our bond, you were right.  Thank you for showing me how to care for my babies...you were a superb role model.  Thank you for being the best Grandma you know how to be.  My children will remember times with grandma fondly and that is so very important to me. 

Today, on December 16th 60 years ago the most important female in my life was born.  I thank God he chose you to be my mom, for I know I would be not half the person I am without you.

Love, Marci

It's in the Little Things

Thanksgiving came and went with a blur..it's so sad how time flies when you are having fun.  It was such a treat to have everyone here to celebrate and give thanks for everything.  It was truly a wonderful time. I really am blessed with amazing aunts,uncles, cousins, parents and sibs.  A girl couldn't ask for anything more.

As December rolls in and I am decorating and making lists and making more lists and trying to figure out what each of my littles want.   I quickly realize that it truly is in the little things that I do for my hubby and kiddos that matter most to me, acts of service is definitely one of my love languages.  This Christmas Brad and I have decided to not give each other anything so, I've decided that I will do the little things to show him how much I love him.  That will be my gift to him. Little notes, favorite foods, massages, text messages just to say I'm thinking of you and many other little things...you know the stuff you do when you are dating but tend to let slide after awhile. I will also gift each of my kids with the little things like favorite cookies, movie nights with good popcorn, notes in their lunch boxes or under their pillows, maybe a long conversation over hot cocoa in front of the fireplace, the list can go on and on.  I realized that the little things were what matter a long time ago when I was a little one myself.  I remember both my parents doing the little things more than I remember the big ones.  Like, the fresh warm cookies coming out of the oven when you'd get home from school, dad coming into the house with a  fountain pop and doughnut when you were sick or the love notes that would plunk down in your lap when you went to pull the visor down in your car just to tell you how proud they were of you and many more.  I loved those little moments so much as a kid that I want to do them for mine.  So, I'm still I guess on the subject of gratitude this season.  It is in the giving that you receive right? It's the feeling you get when you make someone's day or take a stress from them so they can relax a bit.

If you ever have time and have not done so read the book "The Five Love Languages " by Gary Coleman. You will find out what your love languages are and those of your spouse and kids.  It really helps make sense of how they work and it deepens your understanding of their uniqueness.

Pay it forward,
Marci

Operation Christmas Child

On Saturday morning everyone at our house woke up with a little bit of excitement.  One, there was the first snow that had blanketed our back yard.  They all were looking out our windows in amazement. They were also all dressed and ready to head out to shop for our Christmas project.  We chose Operation Christmas child as our project this year, through Samaritan's purse.  Each of the kids shopped for a child that was their age and their gender.  Their goal was to fill a shoe box full of little toys and necessities.Nate chose workout shorts, workout shirt, a small football, notepad, toothpaste, hard candy and some other odds and ends.  Elaina chose a shirt, a hat, school supplies, stickers and few other things. Brandon chose match box cars, a couple small toys, crayons, play-dough, etc.  Now Ella, she had a hard time letting go of anything she picked out.  We picked out two dresses, sunglasses, toothpaste and dora toothbrush, bouncy balls and beads lots and lots of beads. In each box we put toothpaste and a bar of soap as these boxes go all around the world to needy children.  Our kids are hoping theirs makes it to Haiti.  It was so fun to watch them really shop.  They had a budget they had to stay under so it was very interesting to watch them work together. It was a wonderful way to begin the season of giving. 

These boxes will be dropped off after we decorate and write a little letter to the child.  These toys might be the recipient's first ever Christmas presents. The link is below so that if you are interested in this program you can read about it and print off the labels and pick the gender that your box will go to.  The shoebox drive is from now until November 22nd.  I can vouch that it was really good to see our kids  in the spirit of giving.  If you are in Corning and want to donate to this cause, get ahold of my mom because she is coming out tomorrow with her youth groups donations. Below are the drop off locations and times in the Omaha area.  This is a nation wide drive.  Just click the link and look under Operation Christmas child.

After watching this video my kids were so excited to do this.  They have so much and so many have so little. Get a tissue.....you might have to copy and paste.

http://www.youtube.com/user/SamaritansPurseVideo#p/u/0/WujyVxRZqJM

Have a blessed Wednesday,
Marci



http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/occ/  

The drop off locations for Omaha are as follows:

Westwood Church

13056 Atwood Avenue

Omaha

NE

68144

Get Directions

Hours:
Mon: 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tues: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Wed: 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m., 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Thurs: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Fri: 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m., 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Sat: 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. 
Sun: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. 
Mon: 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

 

Benson Baptist Church

6319 Maple Street

Omaha

NE

68104

Get Directions

Hours:
Mon: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Tues: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Wed: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Thurs: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Fri: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Sat: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. 
Sun: 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. 
Mon: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

 

First Baptist Church

206 E 23rd Avenue

Bellevue

NE

68005

Get Directions

Hours:
Mon: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Tues: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Wed: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Thurs: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. 
Fri: 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Sat: 12 p.m. - 4 p.m. 
Sun: 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. 
Mon: Not Collecting

 

First Lutheran Church

3200 E Military Avenue

Fremont

NE

68025

Get Directions

Hours:
Mon: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Tues: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Wed: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Thurs: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Fri: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 
Sat: 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. 
Sun: 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. 
Mon: 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

 

Calvary Community Church

4400 N 1st Street

Lincoln

NE

68521

Get Directions

Hours:
Mon: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. 
Tues: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. 
Wed: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. 
Thurs: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. 
Fri: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. 
Sat: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. 
Sun: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. 
Mon: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Gratitude

This month in our home is always focused on gratitude.  Every morning before my kiddos get out of the car to go to school I have them say one thing they are thankful for.  I love their responses, some are serious but some are funny.  I tell them that God's blessing are abundant and that sometimes we are so busy that we don't see all that surrounds us.   I love this quote, " Thankfulness is a learned discipline that cures our discontent and fosters joy." It is so very true and I want my children to always have gratitude. 

The things I am thankful for are many but here are some of mine:
* I am thankful for an amazing husband who is my rock and who gets me no matter what.
* I am thankful for the amazing upbringing that I had and amazing role models I had in marriage and parenting.
* I am thankful for baby kisses. Each cheek and then a big smooch on my lips...oh how I will miss those kisses someday.
 *I am thankful for toothless grins just seeing them makes my day a little brighter.
* I am thankful for watching my oldest daughter care for her sister in a way that tells me she will be the most amazing mommy someday.
* I am thankful for the teenager in my home.  I love how everyday you become more of a man and less of a boy.  I do miss those chubby cheeks with hands held up to them when you would ask questions, but I'm in this for the long haul and I can't wait to see what you will become.
* I am thankful for my siblings...they are all a necessity in my life. Each brings what I need when I need it.

*good in-laws,amazing nieces and nephews,  good friends, coffee in the morning while I drive my bus to school and back,date nights and much much more.

"Give Thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

What are you thankful for?
Blessings,
Marci

Traditions

Uncle D being mullet man:0)

Brad and Janelle Sharon and Ozzy:)

Well as we finish off October with Halloween and enter into November; I am reminded of how important it is for our children as well as me that we have traditions for the holidays.  Traditions mold our memories.  They make us yearn for those moments where they know what to anticipate.  In our home Halloween is always spent at Janelle and Ryan's. We usually have soup or something easy then fill our glasses with something tasty and all of us walk around laughing and watching as the kids fill their bags and their cheeks with candy.This year Nate took Ella around and oh did she love the one on one time with her big brother.  This will probably become his new role for a couple of years and I will cherish watching him do it.

  My most favorite part of Halloween is when the kids  get back to Janelle and Ryan's and they go into the office to sort and see what they got.  They also make sure that Brayden and Chase don't have any candy with peanuts since they are both allergic.  It is so very sweet to watch.

 At the end of this month we will celebrate Thanksgiving.  We will begin our festivities on Tuesday with a visit from Charlotte and her crew, the Hoch family, and hopefully the Hanna family as well. Wednesday we will eat Grandpa Hasley's  famous mulligan stew and Aunt Ann's homemade breads. The stew will be shared in many homes around the Midwest as many Hasley get togethers will happen.  Thursday we will have the traditional Turkey but we will have Grandpa's wild rice stuffing that is somewhat of a legacy in it's own right.  We will eat Grandma Rita's famous pumpkin pie and whipped cream and  all of her different kinds of cookies. The kids look forward to the traditions of bread, pie, turkey, wild rice dressing and the aunts, uncles and  cousins.  They look forward to running around the out building, playing football and making crafts.  They love talking about it even now...and it's November 4th.  We will finish the month of November off with a trip home to decorate Grandma Rita and Grandpa Mike's Christmas tree to start the next holiday.  I love this time of year..the reminiscing and the laughter. The time that it takes to do all of this is such a labor of love but one that will be remembered in the Legacy of the Lundquist family. I hope you have traditions in your home. Ones  that your kids will talk about and share with their kids.

Have a blessed weekend

Aging is an art

This weekend I had the privilege to spend time with my grandparents.  I hadn't been able to get back there in 18 months and the minute I pulled in their driveway  I remembered why I shouldn't let so much time go between visits.  My grams and gramps(sans walker) were waiting for me and my Elaina just like they did when I was a child, looking out the door.  A tear came to my eye realizing how fast time ages you when you are in your 80's and your health starts to get the best of you.  Gramps shed a tear when he saw Elaina and I. I gave him a great big hug to say I'm so glad I got to see you again.  Now grams hasn't changed much but I can see by the way she carries herself that her aches and pains have gotten a little worse not that she would ever really complain. I enjoyed my chats with her and listening to her frustrations as well:(

We started off the night with Beef Tenderloin filets that I picked up from Costco(my favorite store).  Gramps has to watch his sodium content and can't have potassium so grams soaked are potatoes for 4 hours so that the potassium would bleed out of it.  I slow grilled the filets and made a salad for grams, Elaina, and I. Gramps gets to just have ice berg lettuce since he can't have Vitamin K as well. Talk about a labor of love that my grams gives to my gramps.  She has to watch everything that goes into gramps mouth and she doesn't typically eat anything that he can't have.  The exception being the yummy salad with all the fixings i made that night.  I bought all of my vegetables from Whole Foods(my other favorite store) except the Butter lettuce(Costco).

The next day I took grams for a little get of the house outing since she doesn't like to drive. We ran to Cedar Rapids to Wal Mart to get her laundry detergent for the whole winter and some other things for dinner. We were only gone for about an hour and 15 so that gramps wouldn't worry.  On Sunday morning we got up and went to church. To this day she loves to show off her family and how proud she is of them.  I love to watch grams pray. She has prayed the same since I was a little girl, those hands make me smile just thinking about them. They tell a story that I only wish I knew more about.

Aging truly is an art..after watching my grams take care of my gramps while dealing with her own aches and pain. As a mother, I realize it takes a village to raise my children but as a grandchild I realized it also takes a village to make sure your grands don't get lost in the business of living.  It is our responsibility to help by checking in once in awhile and taking the load off by sending care packages, visiting and getting them out of the house, and just being present in their lives.  If you have aging parents and grandparents take time to check in.  It will benefit you as much as it benefits them and it also is a very important teaching tool in raising empathetic children.

Have a blessed day and make time for a phone call or a letter, sooner than later!

B still and know:)

My cousin Amanda showed me how to take a regular photo and turn it into art work and I'm in love.  I took this photo of Brandon while we were in North Carolina and I love it. It speaks volumes about my B man. He plays so hard all day long but when it's time for down time he does it best.  Ever since he was little he has been a busy busy B as we called him but when it was time to relax he always knew he needed it.  I love that about him.  He really cherishes all that comes with a day.  In this picture they had played hard all day and then all of the a sudden I looked over and he was pulling a chair up to the water's edge.  He just sat there almost like he was trying to make time stand still.  He would do something similar even when he was just crawling. He would go like a maniac and then all of a sudden he would grab his blue dog and watch a little t.v. just to be still. 

Thanks Amanda for the tip. I am going to take my photo's from our trip to Hawaii last year and North Carolina and turn them into art thanks to you.  LOVE IT!

Little bit of this and a little bit of that

I love fall and all the changes that happen, kids start a new year, new teacher,new classmates and new sports. I love making things with apples that make my home smell yummy and I just love the crisp air that comes with a beautiful fall day.

We headed out to the pumpkin patch for the kids day off  from school last week. The kids had so much fun on all that there is to do out there.  We took a picnic lunch and were able to have a picnic right there on a picnic table we found:)   Nate had school that day so he missed out, which I'm pretty sure he didn't mind doing. This was our first trip out there without him and I missed him...

Nate just finished up his football season which he really enjoyed.  He played running back and strong side linebacker.  He also was on kick return team.  I love watching him play a sport he really enjoys playing(to bad he can't find one that he doesn't love :) Now he's on to basketball,the games start next weekend right after his fall break, he loves this stuff! Elaina will finish volleyball which will make her a little sad since she loves it. She started out being a setter but now she thinks she really likes to hit! She is really starting to get her footwork down. She will  head right into Ice Skating for the winter, she has such balance it amazes me.  Brandon has a couple more flag football games and he has earned the quarterback slot which he loves. He loves making good passes and handing the ball of to his buddies.He will start wrestling at the end of this month.  He is so excited to try his new tricks Brad has taught him.  He will be dual sporting like his brother since baseball will start in December for him!  Ella is just enjoying being an active 3 year old. She won't start anything until next fall, thank heavens:)

Have a great weekend and take time to enjoy the little things, it's going to be a beautiful fall weekend. 


Blessings!

Brad and uncle Ryan going over the plays

Brandon taking the hike from Owen Shotkoski

Brayden my nephew

Nate going in for the touchdown!

Touchdown!!!!

They thought this pumpkin was huge!

You're Amazing Just The Way You Are!

This past weekend we celebrated Elaina's 10th Birthday. She turned 10 in late July but that's when everyone is busy so we waited.  We started the night off at Create in Elkhorn where she and her friends made tie dye tshirts and ate pizza. I really enjoyed watching them create their shirts.  They took so much time on them and they really did turn out great! Then I surprised her with a Hotel themed sleepover.  She thought her party ended at Create! It was so much fun to pamper them.  They signed in in my makeshift lobby placed their suitcases in the Super Suite Brad and I concocted and then came to the restaurant for cupcakes and punch served in wine glasses.  They were given the menu for the morning breakfast which was served on Elaina's grandma's China.  They danced and danced that night out in our building.  I truly am blessed with the best daughter a mom could ask for:) She has such an amazing spirit. She is always making sure all of her friends are ok.  She always finds good.  She is an amazing sister, always taking care of her siblings.  Ella worships her.