Brief Update

Well, I haven't had a lot of time to focus on blogging recently but I have a few updates. I have been working a lot from home with the clinic, about 25-30 hours a week which has occupied a lot of my time. Oh yeah, and I have a little 7 month old cutie to take care of too!

We have new windows in our house and they look great. They just finished them today. The original windows were 48 years old and really needed to be replaced. My mom and I are going shopping for curtains Saturday for some of the windows.

Tomorrow I am really excited to go shopping with my sis, Katie and her good friend from church Amy. We are going to Medford which I haven't been before. That will be so much fun to hang with those wonderful ladies.

Halloween is Sunday and Addy is dressing up and we are going to visit the grandparents for a little trick or treat fun. Of course, we will be watching the Vikings game too along with having some of my mom's homemade nummy pizza. Ben's mom is also coming to eat with us but unfortunately Dad Paxson is out of town.

However, next week we are going to Michigan to visit Ben's dad. Ben, Addy, Cathie (Ben's mom) and I are going to drive up there and spend some time with him and see where he works. I have been looking forward to this getaway for months now!!!

Well Thanksgiving is coming up and we have lots going on each weekend until then. We are actually going to do some Thanksgiving celebrations with both the Paxson and Ginn side prior to Thanksgiving Day due to some of them having to be out of town. I will be also going to Buffalo Nickel which is my mom-in-laws antique store; we are going to do that the morning of our Thanksgiving celebration for the Paxson side.

Im excited this year also to go cut a real tree with my dad like I do every year with him. This year I am going to bring Addy. Its always a fun time of hunting around for the right tree and then we get some wonderful peanuts and candy canes on the way out!

I love traditions. So excited for this time of year and to start new ones with our little Addy Paddy :)

Renaissance Festival

Ben and I went to the festival back in August for the very first time. We had a blast. There was so much to see and we went on the Dog Show weekend which was great. Just wanted to share some photos from that experience. It was neat to see all the dogs and rescue groups to help with dogs. Dogs are a big passion of mine.

Next year we will probably bring Addy as they have a lot of stuff for children to do there.Enjoy the photos! Ben happened to take a lot of me.

First's for Addy

Time has flown so fast with our little girl. She is already 7 months old. The past few months have been such a blast as she is doing so many new things. Since she is our first child it is all new to us, so seeing things for the first time is just the best.

Some of the new things she is doing:
1. Sitting up all by herself. She is such a strong girl
2. She loves to stand up (of course with our help), she even took a couple steps with my mom's help the other day (I walked at 9 months so maybe she will too)
3. Saturday she actually got into a crawling position on all fours but for now she is just army crawling and moving all over the place.
4. She is now eating graham crackers and today I even tried pieces of bananas. She loves it! So excited for all these new solid foods.
5. Attempting to talk. She actually keeps saying dadda. That is the first word I wanted her to say, so Ive been teaching her that a lot. Now she seems to be saying it alot. She also loves her own voice.
6. She also had her first photo shoot for 6 months of age and we also had a family photo shoot the other day. (photos to come soon)
7. I hold Addy in the front window every morning as daddy leaves for work. This morning she actually waived goodbye.
8. She has two teeth.

First's to come:
1. Carving her first pumpkin and Halloween. Daddy wants to carve the pumpkin with her
2. Thanksgiving- Looking forward to giving her some mashed and sweet potatoes.
3. Christmas- So excited to spoil her rotten and enjoy family time and beging to show her the true meaning of Christmas.

I am so blessed to be able to see all these firsts. I try to catch everything on video for Ben so he is able to see. She also said dadda to him the other day. She just melts our hearts.

In Love With Fall

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.

(Isa 40:8 NKJV)

I don't know about you but I sure love the Fall. It means cool breezes, hot chocolate, sweatshirts, pumpkins, leaves changing color, Thanksgiving, and of course this all leads into Christmas.

We are so blessed in Minnesota to have such great seasons and wonderful scenery. You don't really have to leave Minnesota to see hills, bodies of water, and wonderful towns.

I am amazed everyday by creation and that our Heavenly Father created such a masterpiece. I have been trying to take some time out to enjoy this wonderful season. Addy and I went for a 4 mile walk yesterday and today we played in the leaves.

Each morning I wake up thankful for that cool natural breeze. Our Creator is so amazing!

Living a Legacy

Lately I have been thinking about how I spend my time. I feel like I spend a lot of time on things that don't matter in the scheme of life. I have been trying to contemplate on this as Addy gets older by the day; she will begin to see what I do each day and how I spend my time.

When I look at my mom's, Dana and Cathie(mom in law), I see two women that spent a lot of time in the Bible, helping others, and spending time with others. I feel like this really mirrors Jesus. I want my daughter to see me in the Word and with people and helping people.

In our society today things really get in the way of what we should truly be doing as Christians. I know some things I do too much of our spending time on the TV and internet. Yes, they are great sources of communication but I have found that Facebook can really be a negative thing. Its something like an addiction for many people and for me maybe even too.

So instead I want to start using my time wisely and for good things. I started a little last week by starting to spend time in the Word a little more and also going for walks. I also have spent a lot more time in prayer and have seen the affects of that, even today.

The power of prayer and dedication to the Lord is so amazing and I don't want to miss out on that. I want my focus to be on God, my husband and my daughter. When you get tired as a mom after taking care of your daughter, working 25 hours a week, and taking care of a home and a husband, things get to be a lot. But I believe if I start shifting my focus to God and spending more time with Him and people I just may see a difference in my life.

A beautiful song I really love by Nichole Nordeman talks about being a Legacy and how people will remember me. See below these wonderful lyrics. My goal is to start spending more time with HIM and less on wasting my life with the things of this world because one day those things won't be there only He will be.

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all the who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such 'n such...it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
the temporary trappings of this world


I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon destroy



Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well done" good and faithful one