AMAZING NEWS!!!!!

HUGE NEWS FROM THE HIPPEN HOUSE!!!!! We're going to have a baby!!!! Ok, wait, before some of you choke on your snacks, and spit your pop across the room, let me explain..... we're adopting a little baby boy, who's due to be born on Valentine's Day.

Our niece, Stephanie, has a brain tumor, and as she was starting to doctor for that this past summer, she found out she was pregnant. Due to her medical complications, and her young age, she is not able to keep the baby herself, and so recently Ed and I prayed about it, thought about it (a LOT), and decided that we're ready, willing, and honored to take the baby in, and raise him as our son. We're so thrilled about it, while also being concerned about our niece's brain surgery, which will occur about 3-4 weeks after she delivers our baby.

It's amazing how God watches out for His children, of all ages. Sure, there's human will and choices that sometimes take us down other paths that might not have been a part of HIS plan. But once that's beyond reversal, God takes care and blesses us to the best outcome to Glorify HIM. God is so good! We're still going to be praying for Steph's safe surgery in March, her health and strength now as she finishes up the last several weeks of her pregnancy, and we'll be praying for God's guidance, love, and blessings upon our little boy as he enters this world. Please pray with us, that he is born strong, safe, and happy... coming home with us to our family, who will love him, cherish him, and raise him to the best of our ability.

God works in mysterious ways... HE is so amazing, and we can only do our best to live as HE would want us to.

Praises to the Lord... you just never know what's in store for you when you walk in HIS light!

The Day After...

'Twas the night before Christmas.... oh wait, that already happened. I should have said 'Twas the day after Christmas... there, that's where we're at today. ha. It's back to work for Ed and I, and the boys are sleeping in, I'm sure. We had a super weekend, with a trip to Wisconsin to see my side of the family. We even were enveloped in a blizzard while at my brother's place on Sunday... we were storm-stayed there, and learned we could improvise just fine, with cereal bowls for my contact lenses, and Stu's scrubs for pj's. The kids weren't phased in the least, and we all had a great time. After all, if you're going to be stuck in a blizzard, might as well be with family, right? It was a great time!

Although this week has less on the schedule, and the office should be fairly quiet all week, we still have a few things on our agendas for the weeknights. Ben has a hockey game tonight, and tomorrow night I'll have to sew a couple baby blankets for my niece's new baby. Then it'll be off to Minnesota for Christmas with the Ed's family, and another fun gathering. I wonder if we'll get stuck in a storm once again? It could be worse, we could get stuck at home and not be able to see our loved ones. At least we have our health and happiness, and aren't held back from enjoying life, right?

I hope your mid-holiday plans include laughter, love, and all the blessings in the world!

Christmas Traveling...

It can come with good and bad points, but mostly traveling at the Holidays is somewhat of an adventure. I'm sure that will be the case later today! We already are adding "new and exciting" (not) elements to this year's version of Christmas Traveling, by having the dogS come along. I emphasize that there are two furry friends coming along for the ride this year, since they will certainly dictate where, and how often, we stop for potty breaks. But on top of that added factor of joy and festiveness, we'll also be heading straight into a whopper of a snow-storm, if the regional meteorologists are accurate (so then again, maybe we'll have clear skies all the way). There are predictions and forecasts of 6-8 inches of snow to fall along the way as we trek east today.... oh joy! Well, I have a couple books on cd for myself; Matt has his "Season 5" of Friends, and Ben has a couple new movies to throw into the other dvd player. Ed can pick up a copy of a hunting magazine, and as long as we have diet coke and sunflower seeds, we should be golden.

It won't matter what the road conditions are like, or what the atmosphere within the Suburban is either, because it's the destination and the activities once we get to where we're going that make it all worth it! Celebrations this Holiday Season are to be cherished, and not rushed, or stressed over, or worried about. So as you go in whatever direction you're headed, you should focus on RELAXING, REVIVING, AND REVELING IN THE REASON FOR THE SEASON! Just enjoy yourself, and embrace the moments that mean the most!

Merry Christmas!!!

Oh The Weather Outside Is Frightful...

But what else can we expect in the middle of December in the heart of the frozen tundra? ha. I have a hard time complaining about the weather, because we CHOOSE to live here.... with that said, if the wind would just slow down a little bit, or pull out of the sub-zero temps, I wouldn't argue with that. I do have to say I LOVE the amount of snow we've gotten so far. I really like the gently falling snow, and watching it accumulate and pile up in the store parking lots. It's just not Christmas if the grass is showing, and the birds are fluttering. Nope, give me a big snowbank in my front yard, and I feel the spirit of the Season.

Other cold-weather things I'm learning to adjust to, are things like becoming a HOCKEY MOM.... I said I'd NEVER want to be a hockey mom, and knowing that Ben is now in 6th grade, I figured I was well past that stage of it even being a possibility. NOT SO! He caught wind that a neighboring community wanted to invite kids from our town to play in their Park Board League, and so Ben jumped on that bandwagon, and in fact, Matt is taking him to Hockey practice even as I type this. So there will be many opportunities in the not-so-distant future for me to sit in a cold (COLD) hockey arena and watch as he learns a new sport. He's so excited about it, but I am not looking forward to the perpetual chill!

Christmas is sneaking up on me... I have about half my shopping done, and am realizing I'd better get busy, or the other half might be left undone, if I'm not careful. So, as I wish you all a Merry Christmas and safe travels this holiday season, I also wish you ease and joy in your shopping adventures. Don't sweat the small stuff, and just keep the real spirit of the season alive in your heart!

More cold weather

How is it that people complain every year, around this time, when the snow starts falling, and the wind starts blowing, and we all have to plug in our cars at night? How can we complain about something that's chosen by us (we choose to live here, in this climate)? How can we complain about something we have no control over? It's because we've become accustomed to getting things exactly as we'd like them, without any discomfort or unpleasantness. In other words, we want a perfect world. But if you ask me, a good ol' winter storm IS perfect. I mean, people are worried about global warming, so as an offset, we get an whopper of a blizzard. Sounds balanced to me. I'm probably the minority in this neck of the woods... I LIKE a good strong winter storm (as long as I'm not driving in it, and my loved ones are safe and sound). But it's a brisk awakening to our senses, and it's so fun to play in the snow (or watch the kids play in it).

As you move into the beginning of December, I hope you find yourself able to enjoy the snow, embrace the season, and stop complaining. :)