MERRY CHRISTMAS 2009

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It was SO nice to have the whole family home, even though a blizzard was looming, and we knew we would be stormed in for the durations.

Noah LOVES Legos! He can build like there's no tomorrow! He's got a little bit to learn about sharing though... whenever Ben wants to build with Noah, Noah has a fit! It could be big brother's approach too, I suppose, since I think Ben misses the lego-building days from time to time. ha.

Ben lettered in Golf last year, and so the Letterman's jacket was a slam dunk in the gift list this year. He was pretty happy, although I feel like 2014 is a lifetime away. I'm sure it'll come faster than I'll be ready for.

What do you get for a college kid who already has it all? Laundry soap. ha. Well, the cash that was taped to the front of the jug did produce this great smile from my oldest son! It was a fun Christmas of smiles, laughs, and tons of fun!

There's Noah building like crazy again! Ed and Noah construct tower, after tower, after tower!!! So much fun for daddy and son alike!

After the gifts were all opened, and the hype of the festivities had worn off a little, we all settled in for a Christmas movie (one of many during the weekend). The funnies part of the lounging scene was Noah sitting in the box... he CHOSE that, and was totally comfy in that little cozy cardboard nest. I think he had a few legos in there that he was secretly building with between action scenes. ha.

My favorite gift was the awesome wine glass rack that Ed built for me, which we hung above our kitchen counter. His craftsmanship amazes me repeatedly, and I love him for his detailed work. He had fun making it, and it looks great in the kitchen! Now my collection of coffee mugs can now spread over to the wine glass sector of drink ware. ha

As the snow kept falling and falling, we realized we wouldn't be going anywhere, anytime soon. This photo was taken on Christmas night (Friday) and we didn't get to start snow blowing our drifts away until mid-day Saturday (and then it kept snowing and blowing, so we have a little to re-do later today). It was quite a storm, and I have a hunch that there will be more like it in the coming weeks/months this winter. I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas, and that your upcoming New Year festivities will be filled with laughter and joy! I know all of us in the Hippen house feel truly blessed and filled with cheer!

Halloween Raking at the Hippen House

Our sunny weather was NOT going to go un-noticed... and so we donned the warmer hats and grabbed the rakes, and headed out to the back yard.
Noah thought it was fun to peak around the tree, and tried to get my attention (no, I didn't get much of the raking done myself, as you can imagine).

It didn't take Ben and Noah long to figure out what to do when a huge pile of leaves was right at their feet.... so they plunged in... but is Noah on that pile by himself???

NOPE... there's Ben under all those leaves! The boys were laughing so hard!

Happy Autumn! Hope you all have a fantastic Halloween!! We sure are enjoying our weekend!

Where to begin??

I haven't updated my blog in far too long... so I figured I better do it. I have had an amazing time recently, and would love to share it with you.

I have been on a fantastic ride of surreal, awe-inspiring, and satisfying joy lately, with the increasing buzz about my book! I have been honored to be included in a few book signing events recently, as well as attending a book club's discussion of my book. Now that was scary going into it, because I wasn't sure what the discussion would lead to. Would someone think my book was too honest, or two closely inspecting my life or my past? I guess when it comes right down to it, I wasn't sure how people would judge me, after reading where my life journey had taken me along the way. I was pleasantly surprised that it was only with the most loving and supportive embraces that my book, my story, was discussed. It was determined that I was a typical young adult, and I was able to share how my normal insecurities led me away from the path God had waiting for me, and led me instead down my self-created meandering journey of fumblings... while all the while knowing (although mostly not consciously) that God was waiting to set my course right, and turn me into a better direction for my future.

I have maintained all along that my goal for writing my story has not been to become some rich, famous author (although a little plumping of the family budget would be a nice bonus), but rather my goal has remained this: to take the experiences of my past, use them to share hope for others who may be struggling, and to use my life as an example of how God's unfailing love can and will be there when we're ready to embrace Him.

I do hope that my words, my thoughts, my soul, can help someone, somewhere, somehow. Maybe it has already, and I'm just not aware of it. But regardless, I praise God for the opportunities I have been afforded, to meet new friends, share His Glorious love, and let my light of joy shine brightly.

Thank you to anyone and everyone that has walked along this life journey with me (during the good, the bad, the ugly, and the phenomenal), and may you all find a joy so robust that you shout it from the rooftops! God Bless, and have a terrific Autumn (or winter, as the temps here in North Dakota are already that cool).

Living Life with GUSTO!!!

This is exactly how excited I am on this day!!! This photo was part of a "photo shoot" (it's so fun to say that... but it was REALLY out of my comfort zone to be the target of the camera lens, that why I just went crazy and laughed the whole time). In an effort to get some pix for my upcoming website and the back of my book, I hired a brilliant guy to take some photos... was SUCH a fun time!
My joy is overflowing, because today is the day that I get a large shipment of books... MY book... my PUBLISHED book... from my publisher, delivered by UPS... in a few hours (can't tell I'm excited, can you?). Below is the cover (many of you have seen this already, but wanted to share here in case you haven't), and it's available for purchase through the publisher's website (search by author name... Karyn Gall Hippen), or available from me. If you want an advance copy, just send me the retail price of $14.99, plus a couple bucks for shipping, and tell me where to send your copy (or copies, hehe).

My nationwide release date is set for December 1st... at which time it will be available through amazon.com, other online bookstores, as well as in retail bookstores all over (hopefully). I thank you in advance for your interest, your support, and your encouragement. I couldn't have accomplished this amazing dream, if it were not for the love and support of family and friends, but above all, it's God that has gotten me to where I am today... a strong woman!! I hope you all "Live Life with GUSTO", and embrace the journey. It's not about how hard we have it, or showing our badges of courage to prove our survivability... it's about celebrating the grace of God, and the merciful love with which He gets us through our struggles along the way. To GOD be the Glory!!!

Blessings to all my friends and family... I love you all more than words can ever capture. I am the luckiest woman on earth!

Fun at the Lake

Noah doesn't always look so serious... see, he really DOES smile a lot!! And look at all those pearly whites!!
Noah and Devin (Noah's cousin) were so funny in the cabin... they were running back and forth into PaPa's bedroom, and it was hard to snap a picture of them giggling... at least Devin stopped for a split second for my camera request.

Bouncing on the trampoline was fun with Grandma Karen... too bad it wasn't warmer that weekend so we could have seen them bouncing on it in the water at the lake. Oh well, it was fun this way too.

This isn't MEANT to be a riding toy, I don't think, but it was fun to watch the boys play together. They're still a little young for REALLY playing together, but we can see it'll be a great friendship into the future!

Ben got a dirt bike with all the paper-boy money he saved all summer, and the little boys wanted to sit on it too. You can see that Devin was MUCH more impressed with Ben's new set of wheels, than Noah was... I'm sure he was just thinking "oh great, now Ben won't play with me anymore".

As PaPa was doing a remodel project on the lake cabin, the boys were peaking inside to see what they could see. It was so cute to see them watching inside like that. Fun times always happen at the Hippen Cabin.

Summer fun!!

We treated our family to a pool this year... it's still small and not something I can resume my laps in, but it's fun, nonetheless. Matt even spent some time playing with Noah in it this summer.
We've been enjoying our patio and have eaten outside a few times this season... Noah LOVES the freedom of eating outside and being able to run around between bites of supper.

Ben and Noah are probably the biggest fans of the pool. Ben is really shining as a big brother... he volunteers to play with Noah anytime the weather's warm enough to hang out in the pool. True buds for sure!

Graduation

It was hard not to be able to share these memories sooner (my computer was not cooperative), but I'm thrilled to be able to share these special times now. Matt's graduation was amazing... don't get me wrong, it's not like I didn't know he would graduate, it was never a doubt. But seeing him in the sea of classmates, with his honors ribbon draped around his neck, and wearing his cap proudly, AND hearing him sing in the choir, was more than my emotions could hold back.
I sobbed and sobbed... (I NEVER cry, by the way), and was overwhelmed with pride, love, and joy for my son.

Seeing the three boys together like this was a fantastic moment! God is good... my richest blessings were captured in this photo... my heart rejoiced that day (and still is)!

Hair cut and Home Improvements!

Where did my baby go? He's such a big boy now, with is grown up haircut! Time certainly doesn't stand still, that's for sure.
Noah's curls are history for now. I tried giving him a haircut (he's gotten haircuts twice before from me), and he just wouldn't sit still, so the chances of getting it cut evenly were pretty slim, so the clippers had to come into play. But he keeps rubbing his head and thinks it's funny, so no harm done!

Hair or no hair, Noah's a CLIMBER for sure... especially because he spied the remote control (or Ben's cell phone) in the recliner in this picture. ha. I'm surprised he didn't grab his little kid chair and take it over to the recliner, and climb up on that to get to his destination. Or... maybe he did, and that's why I dropped the camera to grab whatever he was after before he got to it.

Yep, sure enough, it was the remote he was after. You can see the satisfaction written all over his face once he got what he was going for.

This is what Ben calls "watching Noah". We were building a deck this weekend, and the sun was glorious!! The warmth must have simply melted Benny, as he SURELY had no clue what Noah was up to, just inches away from him. Of course, I was right there with the camera, so really I had it all under control. ha. But it was pretty funny!

Noah helped Ed pick up once the deck construction was all done for the day. He really loved running around up there. It's going to be a fabulous summer outside for us.

Noah even wanted to find out how a palm sander worked. I had already unplugged the extension cord from the wall, so no danger lurked for my curious little guy. It's so much fun to see him explore, walk around the yard, and just grow up in the wonder of it all. To watch the learning take place first hand is truly a blessing. God is so good!!!

Bathtime Smiles

Noah LOVES bath time, in case you couldn't tell. He loves to "eat" the bubbles, and it's funny to see how the bubble mustache will appear each time he sticks his face in the water.
As I shampoo his hair, I like to see how sudsy I can get it, and he just giggles and giggles! Until I have to rinse it out, that is (that requires water being dumped on his head, and that interrupts his playtime. ha.

It's never very hard to get my little man to pose for the camera... he's smiles and grins 99% of the time!

And then the effects of the warm bath overtake him, and he soon falls fast asleep on daddy's shoulder. 'Night, 'night Noah! We love you!!!

A journey worth the wait!

I don't have photos to add this time, but I wanted to jot some of my thoughts anyway. The last few weeks have been amazing, just as the entire past year has been. I have been recently working on the edits for my book, and it's been surprising, enlightening, and all the while WORTH IT!

My book has been given a new title ~ rather than "Life, Don't Stop Me Now" my book will be seen on the bookstore shelves as "Make Me New" (with a subtitle of "One woman's fight to mend a broken past"). I had mixed feelings about changing the title, but from the suggestions of my editor, I decided to trust her professional opinion and go for it. I guess the marketability and such will work better with the new title, so we'll see how that goes. In addition to the new title, there were a couple other changes my editor suggested, and some were fabulous. Others were hard work, plain and simple. I had to do a lot of soul searching, reworking my thoughts, and rephrasing a few things to better set the course of the story and fill in gaps I'd left in my writing. It's a process, that's for sure. But it's so amazing how fresh, renewed, and great I feel about the journey this is taking me on. In re-reading my manuscript through editing it, I reminded myself how fortunate I am to be in the strong, loving, stable relationship and life I am in now! God is so good!!

I don't know the details and timelines for the rest of the publishing process, but the editing phase goes a few more weeks, prior to being handed off to the design and layout department for their creative touches. I'll continue to keep you posted on the progress, and as soon as I know a release date, you can be sure I'll let you know!!

May the peace and renewal of God's love and grace fill your life today, and send you into a restful and joyous weekend!

My boys in South Pacific

Check out that military stance... maybe Matt's time in the Sea Cadets paid off... he can stand with proper military form when needed. ha (I did have to help him shine his shoes though).

Noah is supposed to be helping his counterpart sing this song in French, but he does a good job of just sitting there on stage and looking cute.

His expression might look like he's hating every minute of this, but you should see him playing with the other cast members backstage... he's the star of their show.

He's doing what he does best... taking it all in, and melting hearts.

Matt's serious side really comes out in this role... Lt. Cable isn't a joker, and Matt's serious enough to pull it off. I'm so proud of my boys!!!

There was also a scene where they kiss, but I just couldn't bring myself to post that one... he's still my "baby" afterall, even though he's legally an adult now. ha. Handsome, great voice, this mother is so proud.

The big HAIR CUT!!!

BEFORE

AFTER

For Matt's upcoming musical "South Pacific", his role of Lt. Cable calls for an authentic military haircut. You can imagine that even back in the 1940's (the time of which that musical is set) there was little room for the shaggy locks that my son has fashioned for many years. So, with a handful of willing cast members, the barber was called in, and they set up the stage to be the traumatic setting for the makeovers. I think Matt was ready for the new look, and he doesn't seem to be too traumatized by it, but it sure was something for him to get used to (and the rest of us that know and love him). He's handsome no matter what his hair looks like, but it was quite a change. Ben called him a "freak", but I think that's just brotherly love in action.

He really didn't want to look in the mirror as his friend Scotty helped with the reveal! But, as Matt knows all too well, hair DOES grow back, and if he's so inclined, he can sport the long curls once again.

New Revelation...

I don't have any photos to share this time, but thought I'd jot a note anyway, since it's been over a month since my last post. Actually, saying I don't have photos isn't really the whole truth, but rather, I don't have TIME to upload them. I feel like I'm running ragged the last few days. Usually spring invigorates me, and I feel a sudden burst of energy. But this particular week is not that way at all.

Last Friday, I dropped Ed off at the airport, as he flew away to INDIA (not Indiana, but the country of India... just wanted to clarify that in case you thought I simply had a typo, ha), where he'll be working for two weeks. I thought I was a pretty independent person; self reliant, strong, able to do it all on my own... WRONG!! I need Ed back!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe how exhausting life is when your soul mate, your partner, your beloved husband is away. I have a new appreciation for the military families that have to endure long months without half of their support system from time to time.

ANYWAY... as I was saying, I dropped Ed off on Friday, and have since had to deal with our town having a surge of snow-melt and overland runoff, flooding the ditches and taxing the lift stations. Being at the helm of my community, I had to make some judgement calls and mobilize heavy equipment to get snow moved to allow the water to flow out of town (I mobilized, meaning I made the right phone calls... I didn't actually drive the backhoe) ha. In the middle of that fiasco, my oldest son started having asthma issues, so he needed to see the doctor; my youngest son has a horrible head cold, and he needed to see the doctor; my middle son has a new paper route that he does every morning (when I'd rather be sleeping); and the oldest and youngest have play practice for the upcoming performances of South Pacific, so I'm shuttling them around as well. I have to lead the support group tonight, while at the same time having Noah at play practice... I'll try to magically be in both places at once.

I certainly don't mean to whine or fuss about being busy, but it seems to be mounting in my thoughts today. Maybe yesterday would have been better spent by sleeping when Noah did, rather than doing the TV interview I did as the mayor, and fielding phone calls regarding the spring flood situations in our region. I think the overall message I'm facing, is that I'm not as strong, independent, or self-reliant as I thought I was. Instead, it is only with the love, support, and devotion of an amazing husband that I can do the things I do! Without Ed, I'm a mess!! He completes me, and I don't know how I'd ever live without him! Thank goodness his absence is only for a limited time.

Ed never reads this blog, but if he were to ever read it, I'd simply tell him that my love for him has been deepened and revealed by his recent travels. I have realized how much I depend on him, need him, and how VERY much I miss him every minute of every day while he's away. Whenever our mundane routine gets busy or frazzled, he picks up where I leave off, or vice versa. He makes the hectic pace in which we live, more manageable, and he is the the bright spot in my days. Ed, wherever you are on the other side of the globe this day, please feel my love in your heart, and know that you mean the world to me!!!!!

I hope that all who read this, also have a deep and rich love for someone in your life. Too often we take our loved ones for granted, and don't make the time to tell them how much they mean to us... tell your special someone TODAY, just how much they mean to you (regardless if they took out the trash or not this morning) ha. Blessings to you all... and happy spring!!!!!

Opposite end of the spectrum

Matt's schedule is SOOO busy, he's never home, so in order to plan a birthday party for him, I had to make it a SURPRISE, and he was a little ticked that none of his friends were able to hang out with him last night... but little did he know that they'd all gather at his place afterall.
He was surprised (so he says), and it was a fun time, with nearly 20 teenagers arriving to celebrate my "baby" boy's 18th birthday!! Ben helped decorate, and it was a really neat time.

There was cake.............................

and pizza...................................

And a lot of laughs! Noah fit in perfectly, and was the hit of the party (sorry Matt, he stole your spotlight).

It isn't a guarantee that a mom will be allowed to help her kid celebrate his 18th birthday, laughing and joining the gang of teenagers for the evening... so I was honored that I wasn't banished from the festivities. We even pulled out the baby albums and scrapbooks, and Matt was a great sport, laughing at the memories of his own childhood.

It seems like only yesterday that this handsome young man was born... 18 years ago today... my the joys life has brought in those 18 years! I love you endlessly, Matthew!!! Happy Birthday my son!!!

Pooped-Out Pair

Ed willingly offered to take Noah and rock him to sleep for his afternoon nap the next day, after his big Birthday party! I couldn't understand why it was taking Ed so long, and it seemed like more than a half hour had passed since he'd gone in the other room.................
little did I know it wasn't just Noah that was catching some ZZZZZZZ's. What an adorable photo op'. Daddy and Noah, fast asleep ~ what's more precious than that?!