What a year! 2008

2008 was quite the year for us!! We had many blessings, lots of love, and a few trials along the way to make us stronger. We took a belated honeymoon, built a house, got a new dog, and managed to pack in many fun times and memories with family and good friends! We are so thankful for all of our good friends and family that helped us along the way for yet another year. You guys are the best! We hope 2008 was full of blessings for you as well! And wish you an even better 2009! Here's a recap of just a few of the memories from the year:
2008 started with tons of snow and ice. We were glad to get away in March to Hawaii. We spent a week there on the Pride of America cruise ship. It was fun to get away and enjoy the warm weather!! As soon as we got back home, we started building our house . It was quite the test of strength and wills. In May, we took a short break from the house and went to my cousin, Tracy's, wedding in Oklahoma. It was fun to see everyone!
I was fortunate enough to get to spend some of my summer vacation surrounded by kids I love. Here is a pic of Maddox, Cooper, Jaden, and Isaiah when we went swimming at the Nevada pool. I also got some fun time in with Morgan, Colson, Myah, and Maysen! They are all tons of fun!! We also got our Goldendoodle, Dakota, over the summer. He too is tons of fun!
We spent quite a bit of the summer waiting on trusses to come for the house. We were definitely excited when they came in! The Peasley boys came to hoist them up! It was quite the sight!
Rusty was a groomsmen in Brad Greene's wedding in July. We are thinking this may be the last Northwest Iowa wedding!! It is a long drive up there... but the reception was a blast!

What a year! 2008

We finished July by celebrating Rusty's 30th birthday! August started with me heading to a wedding. We had hoped to be moved into our house by this time but had to move to a temporary apartment instead (one we will not miss!). Rusty stayed home to work at the house while I went to Ottumwa for the wedding. Shortly after, it was back to school time and the hours spent working on the house were crunched... Made for a stressful fall! We missed ALL of the ISU football games this year, although I'm not sure we really "missed" out on too much!
Labor Day weekend was spent painting the house. Mom, Holly, and myself painted the entire house in about a day and a half! They were a HUGE help!!
In September, my cousin Amy, her husband Jeff, and their little boy Drew came up from Oklahoma to put our kitchen cabinets in. We absolutely LOVE our cabinets and we were so fortunate to have them be able to come up and do it for us. We love these guys!
Gabe put in nearly as many hours to the house as Rusty did. Here they are working late into the night. I think they worked on flooring until 4 am this night! Crazy boys!

What a year! 2008

October was busy. We had several house projects to finish up but had several other things on the calendar as we weren't planning to still be building!
Here we are at Rusty's cousin's wedding. It was at Reiman Gardens and was beautiful!Mom, Hillary, Holly, and I took the kiddos to Thomas the Train in Boone.
October also marks Race for the Cure. Holly and I went with Jen and her family to help celebrate Jen's mom! Tosh's family was unable to come but we were celebrating her as well!
October 31st, we got moved into our house! Gabe brought the boys over and he helped Rusty finish up some jobs. Holly brought Maddox up and we took the three boys trick-or-treating. Was tons of fun to have them all there to help get us settled into our new home!
To celebrate moving out of the apartment (finally!) and to thank everyone that helped with the house, we had a builder's party in November. Holly helped cook food and the kids loved the caramel apple bar.
We finished the year with several Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations in November and December. Hope you all were as blessed as we were this year and wishing you a blessed 2009!

Merry Christmas!

Pictures of some of our Christmas celebrations. We didn't make it to everything this year but it was nice not to be AS rushed around the state like normal!
Christmas at home before we started the Holiday Tour..... Dakota got some nice gifts!
Christmas Eve we spent with extended family at mom's then spent the night at Holly's. Maddox didn't quite understand the concept of leaving cookies for Santa and thought he should eat them instead.

Some of us woke up EARLY Christmas morning to watch Maddox open some gifts. Some of us slept.....Christmas day at mom's. Morgan and Maddox got lots of loot! Everything Morgan opened was: "Just what I always wanted!!!" It was cute!That afternoon we drove up to Boone and had Christmas at Rusty's dad's. Colson wasn't into the gift opening but Cooper definitely was! Coop and Rusty finished the night by playing basketball.

Crafty

Last year I started working on my "crafts" as soon as basketball season started. I have no idea where the time went this year but I didn't start feeling crafty until yesterday! I got a few little things done.... not bad for a couple of hours....

Practice run on the magnet board.... little one for Jackson's room because his daddy requested I make Jack something for his room. I love taking requests! :) My version of a Christmas card holder:

And some of the 50 magnets I made to go with it:Scarf I made to go with the new coat/hat Rusty got me for Christmas:

Board for Holly to hang some of her many necklaces from:

Christmas Cookies

In preparation for Christmas, we made cookie goodies at our house the other night. Hillary and Morgan came up and Gabe & Ang brought the boys over. (Gabe opted to watch the ISU/Iowa game rather than make goodies). Here are some pictures of Jaden, Isaiah, and Morgan working hard on their Christmas cookies.

Functional Family Celebration

Grandma K, Aunt Peggi & Mickey, Amy, Jeff & Drew all came up for Christmas last Saturday. We have yet to be successful at getting a picture of all of the kids looking at the camera at the same time.... but we are getting closer! :) Less tears this time than last...
Dakota loved having all the company and getting lots of "people food!"

Love

Mostly Rusty (ok, and Dakota) posts. And wedding posts from "Show Us Your Life."

It's Simple

Blessings (some from Rusty!) :)

Basketball in January

Snow Day

A Month of Blessings

Basketball

Dakota Loves Fall

Rusty's Nobel Peace Prize nomination

Wedding Reception

Wedding Party & Flowers

Happy Birthday, Rusty!!

Ledges

Wedding Dress

Happy Anniversary!!

INSPIRATION

Amy's blog is so fun. I love seeing the pictures and updates as to what they are doing. She has an amazing talent for capturing life's precious moments on photograph and sharing them with everyone else. I don't promise to have as nice of a blog as she does, but I'll try to keep everyone updated on our sometimes way too busy lives. Stay tuned...

Fireside

Rusty built our home in 2008. We moved in on Halloween and have been working (ok, meaning to work) on it ever since. Here are posts of projects as well as Kelly's Show Us Where You Live carnival:

Dakota's Space

Movers & Painters

Ornaments

Christmas Decorations

Christmas Tree

$5 Couch Makeover

Crafty (Wuvit, Magnetic Picture Frames)

Small Towns (Update to the coffee table dilemma)

Master Bedroom

Din Din

Turf

Mitigation

Living Room

Kitchen

Nest Update

Stimulus

Decorating Style

Family

Spending time with Family.......

Celebrate Life

Funny Valentine

Reading Nubs with Maddox

Kev's Birthday

Wild Things (Jaden, Isaiah, & Maddox)

More OK pictures

Jett

Oklahoma Christmas

Thanksgiving Photo Op

November Blessings

Flowers In Her Hair

Slumber Party: Maddox Style

Colson

Chugga Lug Lug (Maddox Birthday Party)

Happy Birthday, Maddox!

Maddox on a Saturday

Mo's Music

One of the Best Weeks ever!

Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Again!)

Please, Mom. Heidi's House!

Happy Birthday, Jett!

Wisconsin Dells

Happy Birthday, Jett!

Happy Birthday, Morgan!!

Twofer

Border Days

Another Graduation

Going Green

Quotable

Great

Honey Do

Famsick

Famtime

FamilyFrozenInTime

February Weekends

SNOOOOW

Merry Christmas

Functional Family Celebration

Food

Recipe Posts from Hickstionary (please note I'm collecting recipes for my work in progress cook book. Here's a sample page. PLEASE send me your recipes (with pictures!)):

Chocolate Eclair Dessert

Dirt Cup

Peanut Butter Balls

Chicken with Apricots

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Caramel Apple Spice (like Starbucks!)

Pumpkin Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

Gettin' Kinda Chili

Pork Roast

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Banana Oat Muffins

Farmer's Market Breakfast Burrito

Raspcolate Torts

Grandma's Rolling Pin (Pie Crust)

Perfect Summer Meal

Veggie Pizza

Rhubarb Crisp

Banana Bars

Faith

I believe....

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. --John 3:16

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God. --Ephesians 2:8

I've posted some of my thoughts on the Complacency Challenge (you should join!).

Hickstionary posts on Faith:

Work. In. Progress.

I've Been There

Saviour King (music video)

Part 1 (Part of God's story)

Choose Joy

So Long, Insecurity!

Intro to an Intro

Give Me Jesus (video)

There is a Reason (youtube video)

What is there to lose? Beyond Myself

Day After Christmas Freeset (bags)

Hope Is it enough? (forgiveness)

Great in Him How?

His Unfailing Love Waiting

Ephesians 4:15 Destiny

Does God Even Know Where I Work?

Not So Subtle Worry

Comfort Chaos

Gift of Grace (part 3 of 3 on Grace)

A Perfect Gift (part 2 of 3 on Grace)

Gifts (part 1 of 3 on Grace)

Love Forgives (in)courage

Realize Sandpaper

Phillipians 4:8 Big Picture

What You Think About, You Bring About

Ephesians Courts of the Lord

Complaining Update

601 It's A Girl!!

Compassion Blessed

Answers Friday

Matthew 6:26

Friends & Fun

Fun Times with Friends

The Plot Thickens (the one where Rusty kisses a pig)

Mojolocomobo Bakery

Another (basketball) Win

Super Bowl

M&M pictures

Isabelle (almost ONE) and two more of Isabelle

Nick & Jaren's Brood

Saturday of ISU basketball and photography class

Wild Things (Jaden, Isaiah, & Maddox)

Happy New Year

Double Dose (P family)

MJS photos

Cuteness (M&M & Drew)

Go Bombers! (with Meredith!)

Happy Halloween!

Jack Trice

Friday Night Lights

Littlest Cyclones

Labor Day Weekend


Favorite Vacation

Baseball

Yard Games Extraordinaire

Independence Day

Christmas Cookies w/ Mo, Jaden & Isaiah

Everything Else

A landing place for other posts that don't quite fit. DIY? Photography? Quotes? Maybe even Dakota will start showing up in here rather than in other random categories....

A Conversation with Rusty

Distraction (Dakota)

Cooking Onesies (applique shirts and RUFFLES)

Good Night for Hot Cocoa

Dakota's New Artwork

Speed Scrap

Free Fonts from K&A

Dirt Ball Cup

Okay... so it's mostly just DIY for now:

Camera Strap

Camera Bag

Hair Fabric Flower

Windows

Magnet Board/Necklace Board

More Magnet Boards/Heat Pack

More Hickstionary

I used to have all these pretty little tabs across the top of my blog about past topics.... then I realized that was way too much work and TAGS are much easier. So here's some past topics from the Hickstionary. You can search through tabs and use that handy little search box up top to find more! :)

FAITH

FAMILY

FOOD

FIRESIDE

FUN

FOREVER

ODDS/ENDS

Disclosure

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. We write for our own purposes. However, we may be influenced by our background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience. The owner(s) of this blog will never receive compensation in any way from this blog. The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider. This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

Photos

This page hadn't been updated in a LONG time. A lot has changed since this posted. Check out capturedbyheidiphoto.com to see! :)

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I've always loved photography and wanted to learn but was only recently inspired by my cousin to actually do something about it. Looking through the lens makes me see eyes brighter, grass greener and chubby baby cheeks more smoochable.

Be sure to follow my Project 365 blog.

Unless you linked to this from there. In that case, be sure to follow the Hickstionary. :)

Thanks for helping me with my newish hobby. Y'all are so sweet!

(See other Hickstionary posts tagged photography.)

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