Date Night!!

Tonight is a big night!! Jordan wanted to take Asia on their first official date. He was so excited...he's been talking about it all week. This morning he told Asia he had a surprise for her, and she's been waiting all day to go to the theater for the very first time. He's taking her to see "Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs".



What will I be doing tonight you ask??? Well, I have a date too......



Try not to be jealous:)

The Advent Conspiracy

Let's celebrate Christmas while keeping God's perspective!

'Tis The Season

I can hardly believe Christmas is right around the corner...what happened to November? Well, lets get everyone up to speed, shall we? We have been busy filling up our days with celebrations, goodbyes, and bringing many things to a close as the year ends.

We said goodbye to some of our close friends who decided it was time to move on to new experiences. They left beautiful Colorado for beautiful Hawaii! We are excited for them, but sad to see them leave. We miss you already, Dan and Erin! We also have been celebrating with many birthdays, anniversaries and the excitement of two precious friends buying their first homes! Congratulations to the Jensens and the Rosenhahns!! Last week I wrapped up my winter Bible study at church that I so dearly loved and Jordan finished his last assignment for this quarter of classes! PHEW!!

Every other free second I get, you'll find me at my sewing machine....my new, beautiful, sewing machine! I was thrilled when my in-laws gave this to me for Christmas this year. I have always wanted to get into sewing and now I can sew until my little heart (and hands) can take no more:) I have been taking some chances with shades/curtains for the windows, pillows, a shower curtain in Asia's bathroom, some new wall hanging pocket organizers in Asia's room, a few other small crafty/organizer type things.....and some delightful gifts that I'll be giving all the women in my family this year for Christmas. I think I'll be ready for a break from needles and thread when it's time for us to head to WI in just a few more weeks!

'Tis The Season for family, friends, and a little craziness!!:)

Update on Little Bug

I thought I would take a moment to update you all on little miss Anastasia...AKA....Little Bug. I'm not sure why I started calling her Bug. Maybe it was because I was always told that my dad called me Bug when I was little, or maybe because when Anastasia was born I thought she looked a bit like a cute bug?? :) Either way, you'll find me often calling her Bug more than I do anything else.

Let's see...where to start. Well, as you know she just had her 2nd birthday and all sorts of "big girl" things have been happening. We made her crib into a big girl bed and I couldn't believe how emotional I was about it. We also decided to take the rocking chair out of her room. We had been rocking with her in that chair every night since she was born! She rarely would fall asleep in our arms anymore, but if it looked like it might happen, I have to admit I'd let her...I just couldn't resist. But, typically that would just be the spot where we'd read our bed time stories and then off to the crib she would go. Well, now we just sit on the floor next to the bed to read our stories. Although, more and more I am catching Jordan laying in bed with her telling her stories about Princess Anastasia.....so adorable...she loves it!! What else......well, she has been potty trained during the day for about 4 months now and boy is she miss independent when it comes to that! Her famous phrase around the house is "No, I do that all by myself!" Every morning she uses the potty and always insists on taking her jammies and undies off by herself. She tries really hard, but at some point she usually still needs my help. And shoes!! She loves her shoes!! She will put them on and take them off many times throughout the day....she's getting pretty good with that! My favorite thing though, is when she tells me she wants to play in her room all by herself....she's been doing this for about the last 2 months and it's so cute how she plays. I'll be downstairs making lunch or reading a magazine and I'll listen to her on the monitor talk to her babies..."No baby"...."Oh, sorry baby"..."This way baby"..."Let's go to the store baby"..."Go in your bouncy seat baby". And as I write I am listening to her sing to her babies, "Twinkle, twinkle little star...how you are....up in the sky like a diamond." :) She is such a little person it amazes me! I can't get over how much they grow around this age. It is so much fun to watch!! OH...and lets not forget about her talking....her never-ending, non-stop talking! Jordan says he burns calories just listening to her:) I guess she is a girl after all. One day she said an 11 word sentence!! I know, I know...that's the teacher in me talking, but it was pretty great:)

I adore this little girl so much and I'm loving every moment of her growing and learning!!




**My sister was in town and took some pictures of our little family...thanks Jen!

Signature Sin

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you." Psalm 51:10-13

These verses were in my Bible study last week and the words keep playing over and over in my head. I have had a hard week dealing with my emotions and letting the daily tasks of life overwhelm me. I feel like I can't get it all done...there are just too many directions in which I'm being pulled. The end result is me sitting on the couch staring at the wall and just not caring about anything. I know I should be able to live with the craziness of life and still love Jesus with all my heart, but instead I go go go until my batteries run out and all that is left is a blurry memory of a week or even a month at times.....all the while not really living and experiencing life the way God has intended me to. I call this my "signature sin". I heard that term a few months back and I love it because it really makes sense for me. The amount of time always varies, but the end result is always the same...a screeching halt followed by the weight of the world on my shoulders. Anxiety sets in, worry, guilt, pressure, and I just throw my hands up. Do you ever feel like you struggle with the same things over and over again...no matter how hard you try to avoid it? Well, these verses have been so encouraging for me. I especially love "Restore to me the joy of your salvation..." While I'm in moments of victory I want to be able to rejoice and thank God for allowing me to experience joy, not worry about the next time I will fail. I am going to keep taking one day, one hour, one minute at a time and asking God to restore to me the joy of His salvation. It's so worth it!

Happy Birthday Little Bug

Yesterday our little baby girl turned 2! Not so little anymore:( All day long I was remembering that morning in 2007. I wish for just a second I could go back and hold my brand new baby girl again. How precious, perfect and pure...there is no better feeling. Two years later we are celebrating with cake and new toys. My little baby is now singing her own birthday song and making us laugh at how she covers her face with icing. These days are just as precious, and it won't be long before I am wishing she was two again. Oh, I love my little bug! Please don't grow up...

Happy Birthday Anastasia Grace!!

A beautiful weekend ahead...

This morning I saw the most beautiful sunrise....I wish I had grabbed the camera. The mountains were purple and the sky was all shades of red and orange. There is something so comforting about the sunrise, don't you think? I've never gone to bed and worried about the sun not coming up the next morning...it's always there! Hosea 6:3 says, "Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; His going forth is as certain as the dawn." This verse brings such peace to my heart...to know that God is going forth every day on this earth and showing himself in different ways to those who love Him....it is as certain as the dawn. We can expect this from God!

I hope you enjoy the beautiful weekend and pay attention to your sunrises!!!

After all that said, this is how my morning started.......



I'm feeling better now:)

Coffee Talk

I try to get up early each morning to have some quiet time before my day starts. I always seem to have better days when I make this happen. I do my Bible study, pray, or just drink my coffee in silence and think:) It's nice...usually!?!?!

This morning I'm feeling a little discontent with life. For some reason, thoughts of college are flooding my mind. Looking back everything seemed so easy...and fun!! In college I learned what it was to have a personal relationship with Jesus and He seemed SO big in my life. I always felt like God was near me, like it was easy for me to feel His direction in my life. I think in Christian lingo we call it "on fire". I felt on fire for God! This morning, on the other hand, I feel like I'm having to blow as hard as I can at the ashes just to keep the little flame going.......blah!!!!!! I try not to take for granted how blessed I am to be able to stay at home with my little girl, I really try! And I truly, truly love being a mom and wife. I guess it's just hard to feel important or used by God when my day consist of trips to the potty, cleaning up trips to the potty, wiping noses (and if you read my blog a few days ago you know how many times I do that in one day), making meals, cleaning up meals, playing with play dough for what seems like hours at a time, and whatever else I can do to keep a 2 year old occupied until daddy comes home. I know, I know.....there are hundreds of thousands of moms who do the exact same thing I do every day and always seem to have a smile on there face. My only explanation is they just must be faking it! No, no...I'm only kidding:)

I read 1 Timothy 6:6-7 this morning. "Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world."


After discussing this verse with Jordan, I'll leave you with his interpretation. He started by telling me the Greek word for contentment means self-sufficiency (remember, he's in the middle of his third Greek class so he always has to start with that:)) But then he went on to say that contentment is to not seek more than God has given us. God's sufficiency should be sufficient for me and I should rely on God to provide what I need. I can only find contentment when my heart is desiring eternal things. Even when our emotions tell us one thing, it's important to remember what God is telling us in his word.....Truth!

Time to start my day.....

A-CHOOO!

We have had a long week!! It is that time of year...let the nose running begin. Asia's nose never stops running-NEVER! :) Well, I'm exaggerating of course, but she has allergy issues which means any/every season something new causes the flood gates to open. So we deal with that on and off...and now it is cold season. For about the last week she's had a little cold although the last three days we're back to just a simple nose run without a cough. I think I should buy stock in Kleenex! It could be worse of course...or maybe it's just her age? Who has experience in this area?? Is it an age thing? Or will I be wiping her nose for years to come:)

Make sure you are washing your hands and catching your coughs in the corner!!

Thank you for dying, Jesus...and thank you for my eyes!

I was just putting Asia down for a nap, and she prayed "Thank you dying Jesus, thank you God, and thank you for eyes" :) What a precious little person she is. She often will say things that make me think or laugh, but today, she has inspired me to act! I am praying today that the Lord will give me His eyes to see things from a fresh perspective. I get so caught up in the routine of each day that I don't always take the time I need to slow down...to really pray, to really listen. As I write, I am thinking of four friends who have all had to deal with the pain of miscarriage in recent months. I'm thinking of my family and friends who are suffering from different illnesses and heartaches. And, I am reminded of so many people who struggle with day to day life....how do we make it all work! The laundry. The kids. The cleaning. Our jobs. Spouses. Friends. The gym. Dinner. School. Our attitude. And the list goes on and on. Psalm 139 is on my heart. It reads "O Lord, you have searched me and know me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up...you search my path and are acquainted with all my ways...where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in the depths, you are there! For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts...lead me in the way everlasting!"

I pray whatever you may be going through today that God would give you His eyes to see things in a fresh way. Our "tasks" can be full of joy if we remember that the Lord's presence is always with us. The Lord knows you today...enjoy Him!!

Happy (Cold) Friday

Getting ready to go for a walk...

Cheese...she still can't smile on demand:)


My pretty girl...

Just sittin'...

An interesting discovery...

She really liked that smashed spider...

Bummer! Everything is all wet from the snow...

Our Story

Let's back up a little....I'll fill you in on how the Thallers came to be (I know you are all so interested!).

In the Spring of 2004 Jordan and I both were attending San Diego Summer Project with Campus Crusade for Christ. Jordan of course was coming from TN and I was coming from WI. It was a summer shared with 121 other college students from across the country, and we were all learning how to grow in our relationships with the Lord as well as learning how to share God's love with perfect strangers:) SCARY!! We worked at Sea World and participated in many other activities throughout the summer....talking to people on the beach about their faith, outreaches in the community, etc. etc. Throughout this process, Jordan and I became friends. We would go swing dancing on Thursday nights and somehow managed to always be each others partner:) I began to know Jordan as a person that I admired for his faith in God and desire to be a strong Christian man. The last week of the summer, Jordan FINALLY asked me on a date....it was about time! It was by far the best first date of my life. It started at 6 in the morning with a surf lesson in the Pacific Ocean followed by a beautiful day in San Diego....the Rose Gardens where we painted (yes, he bought paint supplies and we painted pictures of the flowers), lunch at the Gardens, a trolley ride, a stroll on the beach, and finally ending at a spot on some cliffs where we talked and watched the ocean.

A few days later, summer ended and we went our separate ways. But it wasn't long before seeing each other again. Jordan and I managed (with the help of our parents)to visit each other about one time ever 4 to 6 weeks.

*An early dating picture...hiking in TN*


We dated long distance for about 9 months before we were planning for yet another Summer Project with Campus Crusade. This time we were heading to Belgrade, Serbia! Let's just say amazing!! Experiencing life in another country was scary, exciting and life changing. God really used that summer to grow our hearts for missions and for each other. I could go on and on about that summer....but this is a long story already. I'll just get to the good stuff:)

*A picture of me from my hotel window...overlooking downtown Belgrade


*A typical lunch...mmmmmm:)


About one week before we would be heading back to the States, my roommate Sarah and I had plans to meet up with a Serbian girl who wanted to know more about God and the Christian faith (or so I thought). As Sarah and I walked to the park where we would meet this girl, we prayed and discussed how we envisioned our conversation going. Sarah and I arrived at the park and I looked all around....but no girl. We approached a castle which was at the center of the park and I spotted a stuff bear that looked awfully familiar. I remember squinting my eyes imagining that I was seeing things. Sarah push me and told me to go check it out. She began to walk away leaving me with only the smile on her face. Now my heart was racing...what was going on??? So, I finally made it to the bear where I found a card that read "To the love of my life" in Jordan's writing. I remember opening up the card but not really being able to read what it said....I know there was a Bible verse but my eyes and brain weren't working together in that moment:) Just as I finished, Jordan appeared. He said something to me, but I think my heart was pounding so hard I couldn't hear him. He got down on one knee and pushed the little stuffed bear's hand (he had placed a voice recording in it). Of course, the bear said "Ange, will you marry me?" I joined Jordan down on the ground and said "Yes!!". My roommate Sarah had been asked to take pictures of the whole thing....what a wonderful way to remember our special moment! I learned about all the details later and we celebrated the beginning of our engagement in Belgrade.





Whoa...still with me?? My hands are getting tired, so I'm sure your eyes are too.

We decided to get married the following January back at Mission Bay where it all started. We were blessed to have so many family and friends join in our celebration. What a beautiful day God prepared for us!!







We started our lives together out in CO for a few reasons. One reason was that we simply weren't able to choose between TN and WI. We also had spent a little time in Colorado Springs for our training before we left for Serbia and absolutely loved it. I still had to finish my student teaching, and everything worked so smoothly when we began the process of finding a school I could work at. We felt sure God was opening doors and we just went for it! It was definitely a hard decision to be so far from both of our families, but I can see now how it truly made us rely on each other and grow even closer as a newly married couple.

*A few early pictures of our lives in CO




Jordan started work with his first engineering firm, and the following Fall I got my first teaching job. Life was good and exciting. We were constantly wondering where we would go next and what we would do with our lives. Jordan decided to start Seminary in the early part of 2007. He has always felt called to be working full time in ministry and knew this would help prepare him for whatever God wanted in his future.

*With some of the other teachers I worked with...on a field trip


In the mean time, I was starting to get the baby itch. For as long as I can remember I have wanted children and to be a stay at home mommy. Teaching is a wonderful profession and I'll always have a place in my heart for children with special needs, but I was ready for my own:)Well, sure enough...at the beginning part of March we found out we were going to have a baby, due to be born in November 2007.

*Ultrasound Picture


*17 Weeks Pregnant


*Baby-Moon in the Bahamas


*8 Months Pregnant-Hiking


Our lives dramatically changed as we prepared for our baby girl. I'm sure like all new parents, we went through a roller coaster of emotions during those 9 months, but mostly we were excited and ready to love and take care of our daughter. My pregnancy was very blessed as I felt great the majority of the time. Of course those last few weeks I felt like a beached whale, so when I was told at 38 weeks I had to be induced due to Pre-Pre-eclampsia, I was ready! Anastasia arrived after 4 hours of labor on October 30, 2007...weighing 6lbs 3oz. What an angel. I finally understood the love a parent can have for their child. Pure. Beautiful.

*She's Here!




*Grandmommy


*Nana


*Our first Christmas


Since Anastasia's birth, Jordan started a new job which allows him to work from home. He is still working through his Master's degree at Fuller Seminary...one or two classes at a time:) He is on track to finish March 2011. I'm so proud of all that he is doing to support our family and still have time to pursue this degree. Asia and I are very blessed to have a loving husband and father who makes us his priority. I stay at home with my favorite little person and I continue to learn how to be a better mom. It's the best job in this world.

Welcome!!

Well, here we are! I did it! I figured out how this blog-thing works all by myself:) Why I have the energy to be writing and creating a blog on a Wednesday night at 12:01 am (Thursday morning, I mean) that I don't know. But, I do know that living so far away from family and friends is hard. I hope this blog can be a way for you to feel more connected to our lives out here in CO. Although are daily activities are not always exciting, it's the little things that make it all happen! For example:) Today while Anastasia was taking her nap, I decided I would enjoy a little at home spa treatment. I did my nails and then decided it had been a while since I had used a facial mask, so I thought why not! Well, as I was waiting for my mask to dry, I heard Asia waking up. So, I went in her bedroom to get her and as soon as she saw me she said "Mommy you're pretty". What an angel....green mask and all, she made my day! See, wasn't that fun. Everyone loves stories...