Oskar Henry Culver

HE'S HERE!!!! His name is Oskar Henry Culver, or Oz. His parents are Greg and Megan Culver, and he was born on Saturday October 23, 2010 at 6:48 p.m. He was 7 lbs 10 oz and 20 1/2 inches long. He has lots of dark hair, beautiful skin, and, so far, dark blue eyes. We've all been excitedly waiting his arrival. It was time and, apparently, he thought so, too. His timing was perfect. Jon, Kelli, and the girls were here from Thursday till Sunday morning. Jon and Kelli went to eastern Iowa overnight and had supper with Greg and Megan on Friday evening. Oskar must have heard aunt Kelli saying they had to leave Sunday morning and he made sure to arrive in time to see them all. They, along with Tabbi and her boys were all at the hospital just before he arrived. Jon and I and Alex and Corriene were there all afternoon waiting patiently...sort of. Within a couple of hours of entering the world he had met all his grandparents, two aunts, and four cousins! Very cool, indeed!!!! They went home from the hospital on Monday, and Greg is home from work this week. Next week I will go and help her since Greg will be going back to work.
Jon is off work this week and next so he's catching up around here...getting our new computer running the way we want, grinding dies, odds and ends, but NO CRADLE WORK since it is complete and occupied by a sweet little man.
We're just so glad Oskar and Megan are healthy and well. God has been so gracious...again...

Thought for the day

Guess what I started reading again today..."The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life" Can't help it, it's a wonderful book. On fb today one of my friends had a quote by Hannah Whitall Smith..."It is of vital importance for us to understand that the Bible is a statement, not of theories, but of actual facts. Things are not true because they are in the Bible, but they are in the Bible only because they are true." One of my favorites!

Joy

I'm making progress on my cat in the hat cross-stitch for Soybean. I'm about half done with the tie then all I have left is the hat (which is really tall).

Thought for the day

I've been thinking a lot lately about joy. It has seemed elusive lately. I think that's due, in part, to all the tough news we've had this summer. What is it that brings joy? What is joy, really? I believe joy is different from happiness. Happiness may be more the result of circumstances while joy comes from a deeper place. Joy can abide and survive in spite of circumstances, but it may require some action on our part. I heard (or read) that in order to have joy we may have to rejoice. Being thankful, renewing the mind in the truth, and offering a sacrifice of praise are actions that we have to choose. So we need to actively rejoice in the face of our troubles. It is not only the right path to follow, it is a powerful weapon against the enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. He is completely overthrown and left powerless when we rejoice and trust the Lord.

Perry the Peacock

I miss my garage. And my driveway. And access to my vehicle. It's only been a few days and I'm whining, I know. It will be great...eventually. By the time we get it done, I will REALLY appreciate it...almost as much as Jon!
Tabbi and I took the boys to the zoo on Sunday. The weather was completely perfect. It wasn't very crowded. We saw some of the animals we didn't see when we went last time. It was a great day. It think it seemed especially good just because I needed it. There have been so many sad and hard things this summer that it was time for fun. The most memorable moment may have been Tru's outburst while chasing a peacock..."Curse you, Perry the peacock!!!" Hysterical!!

Thought for the day

"When you attempt to live by your own religious plans and projects, you are cut off from Christ, you fall out of grace. Meanwhile we expectantly wait for a satisfying relationship with the Spirit. For in Christ, neither our most conscientious religion nor disregard of religion amounts to anything. What matters is something far more interior: faith expressed in love." Galatians 5:4-6 The Message
And I love this list of the fruit of the Spirit from Galatians 5:22-23. In NASB it reads "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness. faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." In The Message it reads..."He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard--things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely."

Hope

"Chuck" came back last night, and tonight I got to see the new "NCIS" and "Parenthood". Such fun!! Really have to get to bed earlier, though. Skipped swimming this morning...just could NOT get up.

Thought for the day

Thinking a lot about hope these last few days. As humans we have a great need for hope. We NEED to believe that the good is coming. And, truth is, we have legitimate cause to have hope. We belong to the creator and sustainer of the universe, and He loves us with a love that is so much greater than any we can imagine. He is on our side. How's that for hope???

Full Week

Okay, three funerals in one week is a little over the top. We did have the chance to be with Jon's family who we hadn't seen in a long time, and that was wonderful. We also got a chance to celebrate some lives that have been lived in the light of God's grace, and it was good.

In better news, our builder is planning on starting demo work on our concrete tomorrow. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate.

Wishing you all a great week...I'm going to try to stay in touch better...

The Need to be Thankful

We are planning on traveling to Jennifer's funeral next week. My feelings are a mixture of sadness and excitement. It will be so good to see everyone, but such a sad time. Tabbi is planning on riding with us...almost like old times. I'm sure we'll need to be aware of all the possible pit stops along the way :)


Thought for the day

We have so many friends who are going through such hard things right now...Dan's family, Marcus and Crissy, Erika, and all the Lukes. All we can do for them is pray. It reminds me that I have SO MUCH to be thankful for. And so do you. There is a quote in one of my devotionals that I like..."If your cup is sweet, drink it with grace." Don't look for trouble; don't worry about what if; don't flaunt your blessings. Receive what the Lord gives you thankfully, humbly, and with a hand that holds all things loosely. All we have is His; it is simply put into our hands for a little while to be used for His glory. It is His to do with as He sees best. Lord, have Your way, do Your will, and rule and reign in all things.

Jennifer

It seems I was just starting to get to know her. I knew Jennifer when she was a child, but never got to spend much time with her. She became a woman, a wife, and a mother while I was busy with my own family. Thanks to facebook, I was getting the opportunity to connect with her in little ways again...a note, some pictures, fun news about the family. I wish I'd made a greater effort. She was a bright, energetic woman with a wonderful smile. And though our lives were not intersecting much at all, I will miss knowing that she is there raising her twin girls and enjoying her life. She will be missed by so many... We will offer comfort and a listening ear to her family, but that won't fill the emptiness. Only Jesus. Lord, hold them close and make Yourself known to them in ways that touch them deeply and profoundly. Hold us all...that You may receive the glory in every situation.

Garage

We are really going to build a garage! Jon is pretty darn excited! I'll keep you up on the progress with pictures. I hope we don't get too overwhelmed! :) More to come.....

Basement Bathroom

Those of you who know...know that our basement bathroom was in need of some TLC. A major pipe leak proved to be the agent of change. The old floor and cabinet were torn out to do repair and never to return! These are some pictures of what we ended up with.

The floor is actually a much better color in person...grays, blues, and tans. Anyway, Jon's been working very hard and did an awesome job. Thanks, honey!!!

My Last Shower

My last shower was Saturday. Don't worry, I will still smell great. It was the last time there was a shower for one of my daughters...Megan's baby shower. Lots of people were out of town, but we had a really nice group of ladies and Megan, Greg, and Soybean got many wonderful gifts. Showers are really a great idea...such a nice way to help people get started with the new chapter of life. They also make us smell better :)

Thought for the day

There are so many things in life that make no sense to us. I was talking with Joanne Monday evening...Scott's death is one of those things. And yet...but God... We talked a long time about God. Her faith is an inspiration and so brutally honest and uncompromising. In Christian circles today so much is explained away by the view that we live in a fallen world and there are consequences. This view says the very best we can hope for is that somehow God will bring good out of the senselessness. But brutally honest faith says more. It stands in the midst of its pain and tears wanting with all its heart to undo what has happened and says, "My God is in control. Nothing happens outside of His control. No matter what has come my way, my God who loves me has allowed it. He saw it coming and did not stop it. It passed through Him before it touched me, therefore, it will be for my good." Courageous faith does not deny the pain or grief, but refuses to credit God with anything less than complete control of the situation.

Big Weekend Coming

Big weekend ahead! All the Holthe's, some Melby's, and one Culver (with extras) are coming for Megan's baby shower on Saturday. Greg will be home recovering, Trever working, and Jon and Jon will go visit Ron in the hospital. But we girls and children will be partying! Short but sweet...will be quiet again on Sunday.

July 2010

Culver's new house

A family reunion

A trip to the zoo

Megan at her shower

July was a VERY busy month. I haven't posted since early in the month and now it's August. These are some pictures of some of the things that kept us busy last month. Not pictured is a major repair job in our basement that is still in the process of getting finished off. Jon is working on the walls while we wait for the new vanity, cupboard, and floor. I will post pics when we are done.

August is looking just as busy, but I'll try to keep up better! Hopefully, you haven't given up on me and will still check in!!

Bless you all!!!!

Watching "Independence Day"

Yes, I'm watching "Independence Day" again. I can't help it, some movies just have to be watched when they are on. Can you really afford to miss the inspirational speech by the president before the fighters all take off?

Poor Jon has been in the basement for about 7 hours breaking up cement in our bathroom floor so the plumber can lay new pipe hopefully tomorrow. He's just now at 9:00 located a jackhammer, so hopefully the rest will go faster. It will be nice to have my kitchen plumbing back! Just sorry it has taken so much hard work for Jon.

There was a little improvement in an update on Marcus Upton today...the pressure had dropped a little. I hope that's good news. We'll keep praying for a full recovery. Just feel so bad for them all. We really do need each other, don't we???

Thought for the day

Today, I'm really glad that I'm the wife and not the husband!

Wild Summer

It seems like our summer has become kind of a whirlwind. We don't travel much, but in June we went to both Grand Forks and Keyport. It has been a little crazy with trying to finish up the decision process on whether we are building a garage now or not. We're waiting for our last bid to be completed...the estimate looked a little more promising. We still don't know if we're moving ahead with that project or not.

Next Saturday we will be helping Greg and Megan with some moving, and the following Saturday we will be helping move my mom into her new "apartment". In addition, there will be a reunion and Megan's first baby shower still in July. Jon may still be helping with Trever with a his roofing job at some point, and needs to get more work done on a cradle.

On Sunday Tabbi and I took Tre and Tru to the zoo for a few hours. We had a good time, and Tre still wants to be a zoo-keeper when he grows up.

Thought for the day

I'm still reading the E.M. Bounds book on prayer, and it really is an encouragement to pray and keep praying. A quote...
"A ministry may be a very thoughtful ministry without prayer, the preacher may secure fame and popularity without prayer, the whole machinery of the preacher's life and work may be run without the oil of prayer or with scarcely enough to grease one cog; but no ministry can be a spiritual one, securing holiness in the preacher and in his people without prayer being made an evident and controlling force."

4th of July

Tomorrow is the 4th of July!! It doesn't seem it should be here already because our last couple of weeks have been a blur. Our summer has had a lot of travel already, which is unusual for us. One trip to Grand Forks, one trip to Keyport, and multiple baseball games. All that behind us now, I think things will slow down a bit. It's been hard for Jon to even keep the grass mowed with so much running around. We still have a wedding, an anniversary, and a shower coming up soon...then in August a MOST IMPORTANT baby shower!!!!

We had an unpleasant surprise after coming home from NJ. We had a little water seepage in the basement again, and today we discovered that we have a fairly major plumbing issue down there that will require a pro. Yuck. Hopefully, by next weekend everything will be put back in working order. The good news is that only our kitchen sink and dishwasher are out of commission...I can handle that! We're eating on plastic now!!

Tomorrow Greg and Megan will be coming in the morning and staying until Monday morning. Tabbi and the boys will be over part of the day, as well. Trever has been working hard this week trying to reroof their house, so we're praying the rain will stay away and let him keep going!! Jon is on call this week, so who knows how busy he may be! So far, it's been completely quiet, but that can change.

I need to get back to work...more cleaning and some food items to get ready. Wishing you all a safe and fun 4th of July!!!!!!

Thought for the day

There are no answers for some things this side of heaven. That doesn't stop us from asking the questions, however. How, why, why not???? When the only explanation we can see puts God in an uncaring light, we can be sure that we don't see the whole picture. But knowing that doesn't take away the pain and uncertainty. How do we grapple with the big question that no one wants to ask...the question of how can we go on trusting God when the unthinkable has happened? How do we not be afraid of Him? I don't have the answer, and I'm thinking that the only ones that actually can answer are the ones who've faced, experienced, and walked through a great tragedy. I am humbled in the presence of that kind of suffering and courage. God's grace on each of you.

Plans Are Made

Plans are made! We'll be leaving for NJ on Thursday morning and returning Monday night, and the Greve's are going with. I'll let you know more when I know more. We are looking forward to getting there and giving hugs...long overdue.

In the meantime, we have haircuts, a ball game, a vet appointment, mowing, laundry, packing...etc., etc., etc. Maybe we can sleep on the plane :)

Thought for the day

I'm so grateful that God is faithful. I'm glad He isn't moved by my moods, my questions, or my doubts. He loves us and is devoted to us. He doesn't hold us responsible to explain what we can never understand. Somehow, we need to simply trust Him...and keep trusting Him.

Sadness

Happy Father's Day tomorrow to all you dads out there...especially my husband and Jon, Trever, and Greg (in process). It's a good day to appreciate all that you do and are!

It's been a week of sadness and helplessness as we watch friends suffer and are too far away to really be there for them. We hope to go soon, but our presence certainly can never put anything right. We pray, we cry, we hurt, but we cannot fix. Lord, hold them very close.

Sadness makes me stupid. I begin to forget who God is and how much He loves us. I fail to perceive the blessings and beauty around me. I stop praying well. I can't seem to comprehend what I read. So if all I can do is put my head down and cry, then let me cry in Your arms and raise me up again to see Your face.

POOP. There it is. - Vibrant Nation

Okay...I stole this from an email from Joy....but it's very funny! Somehow I can relate!


POOP. There it is. - Vibrant Nation

Logan

Logan's breathing has sounded funny for about a week now...really bad on Sunday. I got her into the vet today, and she has bronchitis. We're not big on spending big bucks on old dogs, but this should be treatable with a little time, some meds, and some tlc. She's going to a kennel over the weekend where they will take good care of her. That will probably be better for her than playing hard with Bailey all weekend!

It's been a pretty good day otherwise...I hope it was for you, too!

Thought for the day

From my journal today...
"...Let Me move through (your life) like a mighty wind blowing away the dust and residue of old habits, fears, worries, and death. Let me settle, live, dwell, and abide in all those places replacing the old life with Myself. You will find these areas clean, fresh, and full of light. Do not allow the wisdom of man, pride, or the lies of the enemy to gain any foothold of darkness. Live before Me simply, as a child, receiving My gifts and trusting My love..."

Fun Times

It was a fun weekend. Friday night we went to Tre's baseball game and saw him do really well...even was part of a double play! Then on Saturday afternoon Greg and Megan came over. We went to Tony's BBQ Bistro in Walnut for supper then they went to her 10th class reunion. Man, we're old. On Sunday Tabbi and the boys came as well and we all went to church then had a big brunch. The rest of the day we played, got motorcycle rides, watched movies, and took care of Logan. I don't think our dog feels good. I think I need to get her to the vet this week.

This week we have some things to get done around here and get ready to travel. We're looking forward to our time at the Holthe's!!! See you soon, guys!!