Happy Birthday Grandma Dana!

Addy and I were able to take my mom to IKEA and MOA yesterday. We had a blast...We tried Rainforest Cafe for lunch which was delicious. Then after lunch we headed to Lego Land and rode on the Carousel! We also celebrated this past Saturday with the whole family with cake and presents! The pictures will tell it all.

We love you mom! We are so thankful for you and we had a blast spending time with you!

Shout Out

So today was an interesting day of sorts...Addy is really sick and was up most of the night, so we cuddled most of the night in the single bed in her room.

Ben, of course had work today even though a lot of people had it off. I was having a very overwhelming day and the work I have been doing for my previous employer ended today abruptly, so a lot of thoughts have been on my mind. Ben has been doing a great job of cheering me up today and the past few weeks as the job has been becoming difficult.

BEST NEWS OF THE DAY::: CONGRATS to my hubby on being at US BANK for almost a year and getting high scores on his review!!

The day started out with some bummer news but ended with great news!! I am so proud of my hubby and for all his hard work he does to support this family.

Its amazing how God provides for us and that God ALWAYS has a plan for us even when we don't see it.

Even in the times where you feel low.. HE is there to pick you up.

Congrats again my wonderful husband, I am so proud of your accomplishments at US Bank. You are a phenomenal banker, husband and father.

We love you!

Romans 11:36
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Without a Gripe

I just got off the phone with my Grandma Anita after a nice little chat and felt the need to share about two people in my life that have had health issues but you would never know how much it really has affected them because they NEVER gripe about it.

I will first start off with my Grandma Anita. Many of you know for the last 3 years my grandma has been in and out of the hospital battling with some colon issues and other health issues. She has been to Mercy Hospital, short stay nursing homes, and has ended up even going to the Mayo clinic. There were many times that I got a call from my mom and knew grandma was back in the hospital. There was even one time that my grandma and I were in the ER at the same time.

I have watched my grandma gracefully go through the worst experiences of her life and yet she still comes out on top. There were times that I thought we would lose her because things went so bad she ended up in the ICU. However, Mayo Clinic did miracles. That is why I write about this today. My grandma's call was to tell me about her recent visit to Mayo Clinic on Monday. She got a clean bill of health from the doctor's. She doesn't have to go back for over 9 months! Praise the Lord!!!

I have noticed a difference in my grandma the past few months. She is painting again and most importantly she is cooking again! My grandma makes some of the best food and is always making dinners for Ben and I. My grandma Anita is such a blessing and has such a tender heart for people. Thank you Lord for allowing me to have her in my life.

The second person I want to share about her physical pain is my mom. For those of you who don't know, my mom has rheumatoid arthritis. She has now been battling with it for about 25 years or so. I have NEVER in my life heard my mom gripe or talk about the pain she is in. My mom is a woman that lives her life for others and always puts others first. My mom has helped my grandma through a lot of her pain and bringing her to and from appointments. My mom has never let her pain stop her from doing what she wants to do with her life, which is giving so much of her time to others.

The past few years her arthritis has gotten worse and she has had to have cortisone shots and has had to up her medication. Sometimes, its even hard for her to get out of bed in the morning and yet she moves on with each day without a word of complaint. I don't know about you but any ache or pain I have, I complain about (and probably shouldn't). Recently, my mom has also been working so hard to lose weight and she has lost over 55 pounds and has increased her exercise dramatically (exercise which is very difficult with the pain her arthritis causes). My mom is such an inspiration to me. I pray that one day I can be as great of a woman of God as she is. She is a phenomanal mother, daughter, wife, grandma, and friend. I love you mom.

So as you can see, these ladies live each day to the fullest with out a complaint in the world. I hope that I can learn to live my days like this and to remember that someone always has it a little bit harder than me. I am blessed to have had overall great health and I am thankful that the Lord has protected me from what my mom and grandma have gone through.

If two ladies could make it on top of things after all is said and done; my grandma and mom are those ladies.

I love you both so very much.

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!

Tribute to Some Special Ladies

I have been blessed with ALL girl cousins. It has been so fun growing up with each of them and getting to know each one of them. Each of them has wonderful characteristics that truly make them wonderful women. The best part is they are all godly women that strive for excellence in their lives. I want to share a little something about each one of them starting with the oldest of the cousins to the youngest.

Laura (Ginn ) Krause--whom is married to Jason Krause(aka great hockey fan)
I have wonderful memories of my cousin Laura. She was Scott and my babysitter when I was younger. The best babysitter around (well we really were older and probably didn't need a babysitter it was more just cousin time). As we have gotten older I have participated in bible studies and lots of shared time with Laura which I have cherished. The quality I love about Laura is her boldness in Christ. Laura always stands up for what is right and just even if it sometimes isn't the "IN" thing to do. I love you Laura and blessed to have you in my life.

Molly (Ginn) Kuznia--married to Peter Kuznia(the runner) and has 3 boys
Molly is such a blessing to me. I have grown more and more close with Molly over the last few years. We have participated in bible studies together, family get together and more recently we get our kids together. The attribute I really love about Molly is how much of an encouragement she is. Molly is always positive and is probably one of the strongest/courageous mother's I know. Since I have had Addison, Molly is always there to help me and has great advice. I know if I have a question I can always call on her and she will be there to support me and encourage me through motherhood challenges. Thank you Molly! I love you!

Emily (Shaw) Wiggin-- newlywed to Michael Wiggin (aka Ben's childhood friend)
Emily and I have been very close since we turned about 18. We are 9 months apart in age to the date. Emily has been such a blessing to my life. We have shared so many things together it would be hard to list them all. Emily is probably one of the hardest working women I know. When she sets her mind to something she goes all out! Emily is also such a positive person. She always is making sure other women are cared for and know that they are all special. Emily always has a way of making people feel they are special. I cherish our times, talks and dill pickles chips!!! You are great Emily Mae.. I love you

Sarah White--
Sarah is such a wonderful lady. She has worked really hard in her education and she is right now getting her Master's. The attribute I have always loved about Sarah is her creativity. She has made the most beautiful blanket for Addison and she does it all by hand. Creativity is something I did not get unfortunately. Sarah also helped me with all my wedding flowers and many other projects. I have loved many talks with Sarah and I cherish my time with her. I love you so much Sarah.

Chelsey Shaw--
Chelsey is such a great person. She is one of the most fun loving people I know. Chelsey always has the cutest hairstyles and it always makes me want to change mine. The attribute I love about Chelsey is her artistic style. She is a wonderful drawer. At one of my bridal showers we had to draw a picture of a bride with our eyes closed. Chelsey won that game...It was beautiful. To this day I still have that picture. Just like my cousin Sarah; Chelsey is so creative and I really admire that so much. It has also been fun that since I have been up a lot with Addison in the middle of the night, Chelsey has been up too so I have someone to talk with or chit chat on facebook with. Love ya lots Chels!

Mary White--
Mary is my youngest cousin of the ladies. She is going to college at Bethel right now to be a teacher. Ever since Mary was born she has ALWAYS had a smile on her face. I have loved watching her play sports, going to all her events and spending time with her. As I have gotten older I have gotten to spend more time with Mary and I enjoy each second of it. Recently her and I spent a day with our Grandma Anita helping clean and have lunch. I really love and enjoy how happy of a person Mary is. She is always a pleasure to be around. I enjoy her text messages of encouragement and joy that come and great times. I love you a lot Mary.

Well, I have now shared a little bit of how great my wonderful cousins are. I cherish each of them and those of them that have husbands. It is an honor to have you each as cousins and I hope to grow closer to each of you as the years go by. I love you all.

Tribute to my little sweetie

There is nothing like waking up in the morning to a little girl cooing and her big bright smile shining up at me. I am so blessed to have Addison Rose as my daughter. She is 5 months old today! My little girl is growing up so quickly.

I remember the nights of only 2 hours of sleep when she had colic and would literally scream from 11pm-7am every night for 2 months. I used to think would this ever end. But now it has been 5 months and the time has just flow. Those sleepless nights have gotten me to today. Things get better and better with her each day!

Addy is learning and doing many new things. Yesterday she rolled over from her stomach to back. A few weeks ago she rolled over from her back to stomach. She is such a strong girl.

The favorite part of Addy's day is when daddy comes home. She knows his voice so well it is just amazing to me. During the day her daddy calls her to see how she is and she always grabs the phone from me as she knows who it is.

I love Addison Rose so very much. Its amazing how the Lord picks this one little girl just for us. I cherish my every waking moment with her. I love family time with our Addison Rose. We even went to Como Zoo with her on Sunday. It was so much fun to watch her daddy hold her while we watched Sparky the Sea Lion.

So today Addison Rose, my tribute is to you. I love you my sweet daughter. I am so excited for you someday to know Jesus.

You are my sunshine Addison Rose!

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.

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!

Tribute Tuesday

So I decided to come up with a day that I give tribute to a person that means a lot to me in my life. Of course, I will have to start off with the number one man in my life.

Ben and I started dating 11 years ago this August. We met and began our relationship at Meadow Creek Christian our senior year of high school. Ben and I had a lot of fun that year getting to know each other and watching each other play basketball. As most of you know, Ben was WAY better at basketball as he ended up with a Division 1 Scholarship to Prairie View A&M.

So as college came near, Ben would be going to Texas and I would be staying in Minnesota going to Northwestern College. The long distance relationship was tough but we were determined to make it. Over Fall break I went down to Texas with Ben's dad to see Ben and spend a few days in his world of basketball.

Later that month Ben ended up injuring his ankle which ended his basketball career. It was a very sad time for Ben as he left his dream to come back home and was literally laid up for months before he could go back to college. Since he came home Ben decided after resting for some months that he would go to Northwestern College with me! Much to my delight of course, I was excited for him to be there.

In 2003 I graduated from Northwestern and then in 2005 Ben graduated from Northwestern. Ben asked me to marry him September 2004 in my driveway at my parents house where we had our first kiss. Then he took me to a wonderful steak dinner at Murray's. Ben and I decided that we would wait for college to be over before we got married at the advice of our parents. Which was VERY good advice.

Ben and I were then married June 17,2005 which was a month after Ben graduated. Yep, we didn't wait long! We had a beautiful wedding and reception at Edinburgh Golf Course thanks to my parents and a wonderful grooms dinner at Northland Inn and beautiful video that Ben's parents provided. It was the best any two kids could ask for.

Today, as I write Ben and I have been married for 5 years and we have a beautiful little angel named Addison Rose. Ben is such an amazing man and I am so grateful to be married to him.

He is a kind, caring, passionate, loyal, respectful, protecting, loving, and wonderful husband, friend and father. The list could go on and on of all I love about my husband. He really is my best friend. When I am having a horrible day, only he can make me smile and make things better. He was so wonderful during my pregnancy and birth of Addison as I had a pretty rough pregnancy and birth healing process. He always helped, always stood by my side even though he was working full time.

I am so thankful that my husband has allowed me to stay home with our little girl. He is the provider, the supporter and he works so very hard for us. Addy and I are so appreciative of all he does for us. I am a better mom because of him.

Thank you sweetie for all you do for our family. For being the great husband, friend and dad that you are.

I love you Infinity and Beyond!