Thanksgiving Snapshot

A snapshot of our Thanksgiving:

(I apologize ahead of time, we didn't take ANY pictures of the food.... I know, I know... we were just too busy baking, cooking, preparing, and then eating to remember to snap a photo.)


Driving through Napa Valley.... its truly beautiful there.

The guy's scrabble game...

The O-face.

Mustache Movember.

Shiloh playing with her uncle's doodle game.

Baby cows.

Mt. Shasta.

Hope your Thanksgiving weekend was filled with fun, love, and most of all, giving thanks.

Croup.

This weekend Shiloh got croup.  Doesn't that word just sound awful!

She was having some really bad coughing fits on Saturday night, struggling to catch a breathe, so we quickly packed her up and took her to the ER.

2 hours later... Diagnoses:  croup.  Prescription:  cold wet air.

That night she coughed herself awake, crying, and struggling to breathe about 10 times.  It was horrible.  Both Brandon and I were distraught with worry.  Especially since all we could do was take her outside to breathe in the cold night air, or stand by the open window and let the cool air do its work.

Croup, ugh, talk about making me realize how much I love my baby.  Seeing her so sick, and not feeling like I can do much to fix her... that made me realize just how 'not in control' I am.

So many days I try to fit Shiloh into my schedule.  But this weekend, I was reminded that as a mom, I don't want to live that way.  Shiloh's needs come first.  Its my passion to fit my schedule into hers.

{I am happy to report that last night Shiloh did not wake up once... she still is a little wheezy and coughing some... but its seems that the worst has passed!  Praise the Lord!}

Fall Fun.

Its begun to feel like Fall around here...  actually for a while now.

Just down the road is the fun and delicious Avila Valley Farm.  We visited it one October weekend.  Here is Shiloh and us enjoying the beautiful weather, the animals, and, of course, the pumpkin photo op.

Get ready to look at A LOT of photos...  :)

Hope your Fall has been fun... Winter will be here before we know it.  Now I'm off to eat some yummy home-made stew.

Water.

4 years ago I worked at a jewelry and accessories store down in Boca Raton, Florida.  I has just finished my 5 month Discipleship Training School.  I had just spent 5 months living with 8-16 other people, just spent two months living without air conditioning in southeast Asia.  I had just spent 1 month ministering to sex-trafficked women.  There I was, back in the mall in one of the most affluent cities in America.  It.  Was.  Culture.  Shock.

I saw the world differently.

Our store was amazing.  At the time, we were promoting a charity.  Giving money to support others around the world.  My heart was deeply connected to the living conditions of others around the world.  I remember one day, a customer came in, and I asked her if she wanted to support the charity... and she turned her nose up and said that she doesn't give money to help people outside of America, when there are plenty of needs inside America.  She was right, I mean, there are plenty of needs in America.  But her response still disturbed me.

Charity: Water.

That was organization our store was supporting.  To help those in the world who do not have access to clean water.  CLEAN WATER.  This is NOT something Americans struggle with.  This IS something that is a reality for people in Africa and India.   This is not something I can imagine.  This is something that many people in developing nations have to face each and every day.

Check out their 5 year anniversary video.  And check out how you can help.

The 2011 September Campaign. Our 5-year-anniversary video from charity: water on Vimeo.

A day to honor...

Veterans Day.

Its a day to honor and remember our military veterans.  To thank, to give respect, and reverence to those who have served this country, given their time, sacrificed their lives to keep the United States of America a free and safe country.

Veterans Day has a soft place in my heart.  Why?  Because of this man:

Col. Robert Harold Baskett of the USAF.  That's muh daddy!  Isn't he handsome?

My dad went to Virginia Tech as a member of their ROTC, graduating as an officer in the United States Air Force.  He then went on to flight school in Laredo AFB, TX.  Met my momma, and got married.  He got his masters from the University of Florida.  He flew for 15 years (about the maximum the Air Force allows), then served for 15 more years, during which he even taught at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

My brother and I were born somewhere along the way after that.  My dad even worked at the Pentagon for 5 years, before finally choosing an assignment in south Texas so that he could retire our family in our home state.

He followed in his daddy's footsteps.  My mom's dad was in the Air Force as well.  3 men that served our country....  My dad.  His father, Lt. Col. Robert E. Baskett.  And my mom's dad, Maj. Lawrence Prestjohn.  

My dad was the most influential person in my life.  He retired after 30 years of service in 2001.  He spent 1 year teaching high school math, before he lost a quick and tough battle with cancer.  Cancer that was directly related to his time in the flying as a combat aviator in the Vietnam war.  He was buried with full honors at the honorable Arlington National Cemetery.  My dad literally gave his life to serve.  So today, I honor him.

I honor all the veterans.  Thank you for all you've done.  Thank you for all you will do.

That girl...

I am that girl, the one who wears her heart on her sleeve.  

I am that girl who's playlist consists of Muse, Phil Collins, and Taylor Swift.

I am that girl who hates leaving her daughter for more than an hour.

I am that girl who doesn't put milk in her cereal.  Yuck, ick.

I am that girl who will attempt to wear flip flops all year round.

I am that girl who stresses about how her jeans are fitting.

I am that girl who's heart breaks for the lost and forgotten people, but who is sometimes too shy to reach out to them.

I am that girl who actually misses being a student.

I am that girl who still sings and dances in her car.

I am that girl who makes cookies just to eat the dough.

I am that girl who loves that I get to spend 10+ hours each day with my daughter.

I am that girl who wants to be delighted in.

I am that girl who knows she was a Daddy's girl.

I am that girl who understands God's forgiveness.

I am that girl who snorts when she laughs really hard.

I am that girl who doesn't enjoy the 'demanding accessibility' of having a cell phone.

I am that girl who is competitive beyond imagination.

I am that girl who can spend hours doing a puzzle.

I am that girl who envies those with fashion sense.

I am that girl who likes chicken noodle soup on a rainy cold day.

I am that girl who loves puppies.

I am that girl who smiles on the outside but could be crying on the inside.

I am that girl who would rather be on a beach.

I am that girl who is old-fashioned.

I am that girl.

A note to our readers...
{I am realizing this blog is turning into "Kirsten's thoughts".... basically whatever is on my heart is what gets shared on here.  I'll continue to urge Brandon to blog, and maybe he'll do a post or two every once in a while.  And I will continue to share about our YWAM ministry here, its just on my heart to share more of the 'normal' parts of our lives.  And we'll see where it goes!}

Switched.

On Friday we switched.

Switched roles.

Brandon was Mr. Domestic.  I worked.

It was an experiment.  (Yes, ladies, it was my idea.  And yes, it came out of trying to get the ol' husband to understand some things... but no, we weren't mad at each other.)

First of all, I was impressed, as soon as we got up in the morning, Shiloh was fed her breakfast, and dishes were being washed.  :)  Me so happy!

But... we were late to the office.  And Shiloh's nose was running without being wiped as much as it should have been.  Its safe to say that Brandon was getting rather frazzled with her whininess.  But we did make it out of the office safely, no one was hurt in the experiment.

Lunch was interesting.  We laughed as Brandon pretended to be me, in all my glory, and I tried to act like him, "I need my protein woman!"

The apartment stayed messy most of the day.

Were lessons learned?  Yes.  I learned a lot actually.  (Besides not having Brandon try to be domestic...)  And he, well, lets just say I got an extra amazing foot rub at the end of the day.

"God spoke: "Let us make human beings in our image, make them reflecting our nature so they can be responsible for the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the cattle, and, yes, Earth itself, and every animal that moves on the face of Earth."  God created human beings; he created them godlike, reflecting God's nature.  He created them male and female.  God blessed them: "Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Earth! Take charge!  Be responsible for fish in the sea and birds in the air, for every living thing that moves on the face of Earth." 


God created us both, equally in His image.  Equally valuable.  But we have different roles.... such as I will only ever birth a baby, while Brandon won't.  Equal... but different.  Try switching roles for a day, maybe you'll see some of those equalities, and maybe you'll see some of those differences.  We did.  And we appreciate each one of them.  I'll do my part, and Brandon will do his... we compliment each other, and I am thankful for that.

1 Hour

We fell back 1 hour.  1 extra hour.  What can happen in an hour?  Thats 60 minutes.  Or 3,600 seconds.

In 1 hour, over 800 babies will be born.

You could bake a pie in 1 hour.

Watch an episode of your favorite t.v. show.

You could go for a walk, a run, or take a nap.

You could have surgery to remove varicose veins.... yes, in under 1 hour.

In 1 hour, you can take a class and learn something.

Meet someone new.

Your world can turn upside down.

You could tell 10 people that you loved them.

In 1 hour, over 6,000 people will die.

You could tell someone about Jesus.

What can happen in an hour?  Anything.  What will you do with the time?

Really Busy.

Brandon's parents came down from Oregon to visit over the weekend.  When Grandma & Grandpa come for a visit... someone little gets REALLY busy.

Really busy showing off her reading skills.

Really busy going places.

Really busy begging for Chipotle.

Really busy wiping clean the table.

 Really busy eating chocolate fro-yo.

It was a busy weekend for us all.  Everyone had an 8 o'clock bedtime.  Just kidding.  Well.... maybe.