2009

This year was not at all what I had imagined and truthfully probably not at all what I had been hoping it would be when it started. But in this last year I have learned how very blessed I really am, not measured in the amount of money or things I have but in the things that truly matter. So even in this stressful and trying year I couldn't be happier to be me.
At the beginning of the year I was excited to move to Parker, even though we were sad to leave our wonderful friends and beautiful Spearfish. Excited to meet our new doctor and start trying for a baby, and Super excited to start building our new house. It was sure to be the best year EVER!
Fast forward to today. Since the beginning of the year we did move to Parker which we love, but do of course miss our friends. We did meet our new doctor who is wonderful and did a surgery and some procedures, but unfortunately after the fiasco with our shady contractor who are stuck waiting until we can financially move forward with IVF or adoption. We did build a beautiful new house which we now live in and love, but did get taken advantage of by a bad contractor who we are still dealing with today.
Thankfully I know that God has not been surprised by any that has happened in the last year and that he has a plan for us that is greater than anything I could ever imagine. We have always said that patience is our life lesson and I think that this last year has really been a test for us. There are two ways to look at things. I can look at how everything has gone wrong and set us back or I can look forward with faith and see how God is going to use all these circumstances to do great things in our lives. So instead of being mad we will concentrate on being thankful, instead of being frustrated we will focus on where God wants us to go, and all of that is pretty easy to do when we count our blessings and realize how lucky we are!
As long as I have my amazing husband to love me and God's grace I will have all I could ever need. I will be praying for a blessed 2010 for us and for all my amazing family and friends.
Happy New Year!!!

My Favorite Time of Year

It's my favorite time of year...

Putting up the tree, my grammie's old nativity set, and all of our other favorite decorations! And remembering all the blessings in our lives. We hope you are all enjoying all the magic, peace, and love during this Christmas season!

Our Favorite Place on Earth

We love the Pacific Northwest...

#1 Husband

I have the most amazing husband EVER! I realize lots of women think the same thing but my husband truly is INCREDIBLE!

• He makes me feel like the only girl in the world.


• He goes above and beyond to make sure our family is well cared for.


• He is an AMAZING cook!


• He is literally the funniest person I have ever known.


• He loves God!


• He will tickle my back for hours and never complain.


• He is going to make the most amazing Dad someday and I can not wait to see him holding our babies!


• He is my best friend.

These are just a few of the reasons he is the most amazing man and husband. I love you Max Robert Masters and everyday nothing makes me happier and prouder than being your wife!

Curve Balls

Lately life has taken us in directions we never wanted or dreamed of going. Thanks to a careless banker and a shady contractor we had our budget for the house totally blown. This definitely took away from some of the excitement of getting to this point. When we end up closing next week we will still have a giant pile of dirt sitting in our yard that we have now decided to take on ourselves rather than let the shady contractor anywhere near it. We will owe our parents money which is the worst feeling in the world. But we will be working our butts off to get past all of this and trusting God to help us get through it.
This also means all plans for dealing with the infertility have been put on hold as well as we pay for all of this mess. I know in my heart that our family will grow when the time is right so I try not to get discouraged by all of this.
You never know what curves life is going to throw at you. You can plan and save and think you are in control and have it all blow up right in your face. And for someone who likes to plan and be prepared for any and everything this is SUPER frustrating. But God also knows the plan for my life and will get me through this if I trust and follow him. This is a real comfort to a planner/control freak like myself. So instead I am off to pray, plan, and trust that everything is going to work out.
Everyone keeps telling me that someday I will look back at all of this and realize it wasn't as big of a deal as it seems like. I look forward to seeing that day and knowing we made it there!

Proverbs 3:5

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

I have been spending a lot of time thinking about this verse lately. It is my hearts desire to trust God in all things and follow the plan that he has for my life. So why is it so hard to completely give up control and let God lead my life? What if I REALLY trusted God with all of my heart and didn't question things that my human mind could never comprehend. I can't imagine the amazing things that could happen if I truly let God lead my heart.
I pray that I would trust God with all of my heart. That when I am scared or confused that I would give my fears and doubts to God and trust him to take my life where he would have it go.

Avery Grace

On October 3rd our best friends from Spearfish had a beautiful baby girl and we are so in love with Avery Grace Rauterkus! We were so lucky to get to be there for her arrival into the world. She is the sweetest and most laid back baby I have ever seen. We are SO happy for you Brett and Janelle. We love you guys!! Here are some pictures from our first day with Avery!