Best Friends

As many of you know I really have a love for dogs. The dogs that have been in my life are some of my very best friends. I know this may sound stupid but dogs are always there for you and always listen and the best part; they don't talk back.

I truly believe that on any bad day you are having, you can walk in the door and they will make it all better with just a wag of the tail.

The first dog I had as a child growing up was a black lab, Bruno. He was one of my best friends. He went for car rides with me, slept in my bed at night and we went for nice walks together. In 10Th grade, Bruno went to doggie heaven. I sure miss him but he was such a treasure when he was here.

The second dog that came into my life was Stromile. This was Ben's dog that he got when he went to college in Texas. Stromile was lab/chow mix. He was so wonderful, I remember walking around with him in my arms time and time again. He was a great snuggler. Stromile ended up moving out to a family friends' farm so he could have more room to run and play as he was a fun loving dog. This was Ben's first pet. We missed him when he was gone.

The third dog in my life was Henry. Henry was my sister in law, Amanda's dog. Henry was awesome. He loved walks and loved couches. I remember him eating up Amanda's. Yes, it sounds very funny but I don't think it was at the time. Henry was a great dog; he loved life and people.

The fourth dog, Struno our basset hound. We got Struno in our first year of marriage. Ben and I always wanted a bigger dog plus he was so cute with those long ears. I looked at Struno for 2 weeks as I walked by and window shopped at the Pet Store in the mall. Struno got his name from a combination of Bruno and Stromile (Ben and my first pet's). Struno is now almost 5 years old and he brightens my day everyday. He loves his new little sister Addy...he loves to give her little kisses.

Our last but not least, Wrigley. He is a black lab/basset hound mix. We got him from the Humane Society two years into our marriage as a buddy for Struno. He was severely beaten as a young dog in his previous home so we had a lot to work with. He was scared even if I picked up a spoon, he thought I would hit him. Now, he is always by my side, happy as ever. Wrigley loves treats and loves to bark at other dogs.

I really love my 5 dogs. They are some of my best friends. As my husband would say; they are our family.

So if you have a dog; give him a kiss and love him to pieces and enjoy each moment with them!

My Siblings

Today, I would like to share a bit about my four siblings. I will speak about them in order of how/when they came into my life.

Most of you know that I grew up with only one sibling, my brother Scott. He has been such a wonderful brother to me and I have learned so much from him growing up. I remember so many wonderful times with him, from playing sports, to family trips, dating, prom, and even some fighting..haha! The attritbute I love so much about my brother is his ability to lead spiritually with such a giving heart. Scott works so hard at his job for Union Gospel Mission and reaches out to so many kids that need guidance in life or just a helping hand. He does this day in and day out. Then he goes home to his family and deeply cares for them also. Scott I am so blessed to have you as a brother and friend.

The day I was married I gained a sister, Katie(Paxson) Paull. This is Ben's wonderful sister and yes I know.. even better we have the same first name.I prayed growing up that I would marry a man with a sister and I did. Katie has been such a blessing to my life. We have shared so many wonderful times together including our most recent births to our first daughters! The attribute I most love about Katie is her love for life. Each day Katie has a smile on her face, she cares for people and always goes out of her way for everyone. She never talks about herself first but always asks how I am doing. Katie has been an encouragement to me through out my marriage. Lastly, another thing I so love about Katie is that whenever I need an ear to listen, she is there. I am blessed to have her as my sister and friend.

My third sibling, another sister (YEAH!!!) came when my brother was married to Amanda. Amanda is a wonderful person and sister. Again, I always wanted a sister and now I have two! Amanda is such a treasure to our family. Amanda has also recently given birth to their second child, a boy; now they have two children. The attribute I really love about Amanda is her outspoken love for my brother and her children. Since she had a child before me I was able to watch her become a mom and watch how great she did at it. Amanda has been a huge encouragement to me with Addison and has helped me more than words can describe as I went through a trying time with little Addy. Amanda has always been so outspoken about her love and support for my brother. Amanda, I am so blessed to have you in my life as a sister and friend.

Last, but definetly not least is my brother David (Katie's husband). David and Katie have now been married for two years and have a beautiful daughter. David has been such a blessing to our family and he fits right in with all of our bold personalities...haha! The attribute I love most about David is support of his family along with being a man of God. David from the beginging has always had Katie's best interest at hand. He makes sure she is safe and protected. David is another man that has worked so hard in his life so that Katie is able to stay home with her little girl. David always puts his family first and hates to be away from them. David's love and loyalty to his family is so honorable. Another thing I love about David is that he loves hockey!!! As most of you know the Paxson family is all about basketball. So it was nice to have a new member of the family love hockey like I do.



Well, as you can see I have four wonderful siblings whom I cherish more than words can say. I love all four of you so very much and I thank the Lord for you everyday.

Cast your vote

It seems like everywhere you go now there are signs advertising for the upcoming elections. I am really not big into politics and if you know me I really don't talk much about it. However, as I have gotten older I have realized just how important my vote is.

This post is not by any means meant to offend or hurt anyone but merely my opinion and what I believe.
I am definitely a one sided voter for the most part. I vote republican on every election and yes I supported President Bush each time. There is no perfect president as I am sure we all know.

However, as a Christian woman I cannot help but vote for the republican candidate as the most important issue to me is Pro-Life/Pro-Choice. For the most part, democrats are not for Life or at least they campaign that way. I know in a lot of people's minds that there are way more important issues than this but this is my sole reason for choosing the people I vote for.

Especially after having Addison, I feel so strongly that our leaders believe that LIFE is the only choice and its the right choice.
I know this is a widely debated topic and some may not agree with me but in my mind there is no other way to vote. Why would I vote for someone that believes that it is ok to hurt innocent lives? Especially the most innocent of them all. What about that babies choice? There is ALWAYS someone that would love a child. There are so many couples that cannot have children that would love to adopt.

Addison Rose is the most special gift the Lord has blessed Ben and I with. The miracle of birth should NEVER be taken lightly. I remember seeing Addison right after my emergency C-section was done and thinking how could anyone ever just choose to kill an innocent precious gift like that.
So I encourage you before you cast your ballot during this election think of those little innocent children. Choose LIFE!

Fun Times

We have been very busy lately with weddings, family gatherings, Farmer's Market adventures and the like. Right now I am just going to share some fun pictures from these days.


At Nate and Hannah's Wedding

Sporting her new shirt from Grandpa Charlie

Hanging out at the Farmer's Market

Playing in her Pink Tea Party Set

Trying out food for the first time..nummy

Tribute To Our Parents

Ben and I were both blessed to grow up with parents that were very active in our lives, especially spiritually active. Each of our parents in their own way were examples of Christ every day. I don't think I can say enough how thankful we are to have parents that model the way we should live our lives according to Christ. We have parents that have combined over 60 years of marriage under their belts. Some of the words that come to my mind when we think of our parents is commitment, unconditional love, passion, caring, strength, protection, and support. I would like to talk about each parent and a way that I see Christ modeled in their lives. They may not know that I have watched but each of them do it silently but diligently.

Dad(Ron) Ginn- Many mornings I would find my dad downstairs in the basement of our house that we grew up in. I was always curious what he was doing down there. We had a laundry chute that was right near him and I would always yell down there to see what he was doing. Many times he was in prayer which I heard him do so often. Other times he was in God's word. I always saw my dad in God's word and I saw it lived in his life everyday. You always were an encouragement to me with bible verses you would write or type up and always left encouraging notes. I loved your notes to me. What a blessing to have been modeled this in my life. Thank you dad for this example.

Mom(Dana) Ginn- If you know my mom, you know she is probably one of the sweetest ladies you will ever meet. She daily lives with a ton of pain due to rheumatoid arthritis. However, you would never know...My mom always puts everyone before herself. She is one of the most humble people I know. She has always modeled Christ by giving up her time for others. Whether she is caring for my grandma, supporting my dad, helping one of her kids; she is always there. She is the ROCK of our family. Thank you mom for this example.




Dad(Charlie) Paxson- Like I said before, I have been blessed with in laws(which I hate using the word inlaws..they are my parents) that have some of the exact characteristics of what I grew up with. The attribute that I see everyday in the life of dad is commitment and loyalty. Dad runs a basketball program where he is dedicated to helping young men obtain basketball scholarships for college. But even more important than that; he is guiding these young men to become followers of Christ. As it says in the bible to go and make disciples; I really see this lived in his life. Because of the program he has been dedicated to for many years now; boys have become men by finding their relationship with Christ. Thank you dad for being that example to us.

Mom(Cathie) Paxson- Again, I was blessed with two mom's that have very similar qualities. If you have met Cathie before you know she is a wonderful lady and always willing to help others. She bends over backwards for her kids/grand kids all the time. My most memorable attribute of mom is her knowledge. She knows the bible inside and out. She used to help Ben with our bible projects for college and we had so much fun learning from her. If you are wondering about certain subjects...she knows them. The example of being in the word and coming to know Christ more is lived each day in her life. Thank you for being that example mom.




Ben and I are so thankful for each of our parents. Each day they help us in our marriage to grow into a loving Christ-centered couple.

We love you!

Bachelorette

So tonight is the big night... It is when Ali chooses between Chris and Roberto. Yes, I know I watch the Bachelorette every Monday and have watched every season since it started. Whether it is good or not, I'm addicted. I also make my hubby watch it with me. Thanks Ben!

As I am looking forward to the season finale tonight it makes me so thankful that I don't have to go on a show to find my husband. I don't have to choose, fight, or get hurt by tons of different men. While many girls may think it is great to go on television to find their mate. I chose the harder way.

I had two loving parents that from the moment I was born prayed for my future spouse. What an amazing gift a parent can give a child; prayer. My dad even took me on a special trip to my Aunt Allie's Cabin to discuss the importance of my future spouse and saving myself for marriage for that one special person.

I was blessed to marry a man that his parents did the exact same thing. Ben's parents also prayed that he would marry a godly Christian woman. His parents even made a list of good qualities/attributes to have in a future spouse, which I have read and hope to live up to.

It made me start to think about the same thing for our daughter. It is not too soon to start praying for her future husband. I pray that the Lord will direct her to a man that loves the Lord with all his heart and has Christ at the center of his life. Some may think I am crazy for starting to do this at 4 months of age but the person you marry is someone that you will be spending the rest of your life with. I don't think this is a decision to be taken lightly.

So tonight I will watch the Bachelorette and yes I hope Ali finds love. But in my mind there is no greater love then the blessing of a marriage which Christ designed.


Thank you Ron, Dana, Charlie and Cathie for praying for us all those years and for continuing to pray and be by our sides for this adventure called marriage.

I love you Ben and I am so blessed to have you as my husband.

The story of Addy (AKA--Lack of Sleep)

About a year ago this month we found out we were pregnant with Addison. We were actually about to leave for Florida for Glory Basketball. Unfortunately I would not be able to go on any rides once we got there.

From the get go I was really sick for the first 20 weeks. I was unable to keep any food down and was just nauseated all the time. At about 12 weeks I had a complication that caused me to bleed quite a bit. Ben brought me to the emergency room under the assumption we had just lost Addison. However, when we got there and the doctors ran tests...Addison was still in there; healthy as can be.

After many ultrasounds we found out I had been pregnant with twins but did not know it yet as it was early into the pregnancy. They found two placentas and later at my delivery would find out I had two water bags. It was so sad to hear that we lost one but we were so thankful that we still had our little girl (at that point we didn't know it was a girl yet).

As my pregnancy progressed I was was working about 50 hours a week at work and came home exhausted every night. It was very difficult. I got to the point where I was only sleeping about 2 hours a night as I am sure most pregnant women understand.

Ben was such a huge blessing my whole pregnancy as he pretty much did everything around the house for the whole 9 months since I was so sick and tired. This really was so great.

Well, we began to roll into the month of March, my last month and I was getting so big and feeling so miserable. On March 15, my cousin Molly (who was pregnant at the same time as me)went into early labor. I was thinking, wouldn't it be funny if I went around the same time...

So March 16 arrived, I went to work and then came home... Ben made dinner and then we laid in bed. Ben proceeded to say to me "Katie, we need a plan for if your water breaks." I of course was already packed for the hospital so we discussed what we would do and who to call. Ben went on to say that it sure would be fun for me to go that night because then he could have the start of March Madness off from work so he could watch the opening rounds of basketball.

Well, his wish came true. Shortly after our conversation I turned to him and said, "Ben you are not going to believe this but my water just broke." We started laughing as we couldn't believe after just planning for it that I went into labor. We called our parents right away and then the hospital to let me them know we were coming in.

We arrived at the hospital at 10:30pm March 16, 2010. This was about two weeks early; my due date was March 27. They checked us in, got us in a labor room. I was only about 3 cm dilated when I came in to the hospital. To spare you all the details. I ended up having a 20 hour labor and then I was rushed into a emergency C-section. Unfortunately, after having the C-section the doctor indicated going forward that I can't ever have a natural birth due to some complications. We were just so thankful that our Addison Rose arrived safely...thanks to the advisement of Ben's dad. (who if you didn't know is a neonatologist: baby doctor).

Well, so began parenthood. As most mom's know going forward it is tough the first few weeks. I had a rough go about it with healing from the C-section and having a colicky baby. Addison starting at about 2 weeks until about 2 1/2 months had colick really bad. She was awake screaming from 11pm-7am every night. I was maybe sleeping 2 hours a day for those 2 months. We took her to the doctor as we had no idea what was going on. They limited my diet for nursing to see if she was allergic to anything I was eating and nothing got better.

Finally, after prayerful consideration and many tears we determined Addy was probably allergic to my breast milk. The doctor put Addison on some special formula to help with a sensitive baby and this did the trick. I felt so disappointed as a mom that I could not feed her what comes natural to us mom's but at this point we wanted to do what was best for her health.

So needless to say, I started getting more sleep. Gradually things have become so much better and our little Addison Rose is growing into a beautiful little girl. She is almost 4 1/2 months now. She smiles and laughs a lot. She also just rolled over for the first time the other day. She was so proud to show daddy this when he got home from work.

I do have to say, motherhood and pregnancy is not an easy thing. And for my first pregnancy, lets just say it was an interesting experience. There were a lot of hard times, sleepless nights and times I just didn't think things were going to get better. However, during those nights...I called on Jesus and he was ALWAYS there with me. I also had wonderful encouragement from my husband, parents, and other family members and friends

So this is our story of little Addison Rose. She is our St. Paddy's day baby. She is a miracle; she is our little angel.