to the owner of this scooter...

thanks for leaving it unattended.  it really made for a great photo!

happy sunday!
a

check it out...

one of my friends is adopting a baby from ethiopia and she has opened an etsy site to help fund their adoption.  you might want to check out her stuff.  it's pretty cute and would make great mother's day gifts, or Easter gift for little girls.


http://www.etsy.com/shop/SimpleSmilesAndMore


happy wednesday!
a

99 things...

99 Things...

Instructions: Copy the list, bold the ones you've done (with explanations if needed), share with friends.


1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyworld
8. Climbed a mountain (several 14ers while i was pregnant with em... i wondered why i was so slow!)
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo (unless you count singing to my kids)
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a thunder and lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (it was closed the 4x i was there)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked (way too chicken)
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (i think)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise (does a dinner cruise around manhattan count!?)
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (pig latin, i'm so proud)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Been to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter (an air-evac)
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (i hiked down it, spent the night & hiked out)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
 
i guess i need to get off of this continent to check some of the other things off of my list.  might be easier if i wasn't afraid of flying.
 
happy monday!
a

wordless wednesday

my girl, still 8 (night before her birthday)

birthday lunch at school (taco bell, by request!)

happy wednesday!
a

wordless wednesday

if only i could tackle everything in my life with as much excitement as this precious firecracker does.  changing the sheets would be so much more fun!


happy wednesday!
a

inspiration

i came across this video today and i think it is the neatest story and wanted to share.  it made me want to do something like this, something to brighten someone's day in the smallest way.
enjoy (after you pause the music at the bottom of the page)!
happy tuesday!
a

i have a confession...

i quit drinking soda.  not only because it's terrible for you and makes me feel a little sluggish (or rather that i feel better when i don't drink it), but because i don't want to drink my calories.  yet another thing that goes along with the gym membership my love got me.

anyway, back to the confession...

i drank a dr. pepper yesterday.  not just a can, but a large fountain drink. as in 32 ounces of bubbly deliciousness.  as in i don't even want to know how many calories i drank (but i figured it out, and won't be telling you, mostly because typing the number makes it real).  but it doesn't count, it was valentine's day and i ♥ dr. pepper.

whew.  i feel much better after getting that out in the open.  enjoy your chocolate (which i didn't eat any of by the way).
happy ♥ day, a little late.
a

wordless wednesday

these beauties are a little spot of sunshine in my living room!
happy wednesday!
a

it's the simple things...

a few of my "simple pleasures"...

snuggles

listening to my kiddos giggle

crafting

reality tv with my honey

oreganos with amy & karla (who really needs to do a blog post, ahem)

wearing flip flops all year

morning coffee at stacey's

knowing that others lies don't change the truth about me or my family

the smell of library books, especially old ones

the valentines decorations that are all over our house right now

the gym, which my amazing husband got me a membership to (by my request, it wasn't a subtle gesture!)

ranger trips to taco bell with my dad and the kiddos (hence the need for a gym membership)

sitting in the big comfy chair in my bedroom and reading with em

sonic iced teas.  which i now get unsweetened :)

daily phone conversations, usually several of them, with my mom

disneyland

taking pictures of my kiddos

my moms group at church

clean laundry (i do a load every day, helps with that)

bbq wars with virgil & barb

rain and the smell that goes with it

daisies

happy tuesday!

a

have i lost you...

i'm still here.  i have been such a blog slacker lately... sorry.  well, actually i'm not.  i have been loving my lack of computer time, it's so nice to sit down at the end of the day and realize that i didn't waste any time on the computer.

we've been having a lot of fun, spending a lot of time with friends and family, traveling (nick has), and enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having here, aka rain! 

have a happy week!
a

prayers please (updated)...

updates in green

there are several people that are close to us that are in need of prayer today.

*sweet zach was just admitted to the hospital, he is dehydrated and acidonic (his kidneys are producing acid).  they are going to be running tests to determine the cause.  sweet boy is going home today!

*ann, my mom's closest friend is having knee replacement at 3:30 az time today.  she has heart problems, but without the knee surgery she cannot lose the weight to help her heart.  the surgery is risky for her.  ann did great in surgery, which was moved up to 1.  pat, my stepdad, stopped to see her and she was in great spirits and was talking to my mom on the phone at 5:30... praise God!

*someone else close to us is having a biopsy at 4 az time.  no news expected until the 13th, please keep praying.

i will keep you updated as we hear.
thanks.
a

reflections...

how is it that time seems to escape us so quickly? today is the last day of 2009, and of the decade, and i have been thinking about what has happened this year and the incredible blessings that we have experienced.  i thought that maybe writing a list would help us to "keep tabs" for the future!  you can click on the link for the post on that topic.

-little miss mae turned eight!

-i gave my testimony in front of my MOPS group... 35 minutes, 80 women, and i wasn't nervous.  God met me right on that stage and carried me through!

-i went on my first girl's trip to vegas and enjoyed 6 hours in the spa and a day by the pool... so fun!

-nick and i celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary!

-nick turned 31!

-nick graduated with his MBA from ASU, there are three posts about that!
           maroon and gold
           congratulations class of 2009!
           saturday's graduation

-emily finished 2nd grade!

-emily got her first stacked haircut!

-ethan had his first buzz cut, or as he called it, his buzz lightyear cut!

-i turned 30 and my amazing family took me to disneyland, my favorite vacation spot (along with nyc)

-little miss mae loved her summer swim team and she did a great job!

-we went camping with friends and family on the fourth and later that month!

-emily started 3rd grade (her first male teacher)!

-i made the switch from discussion group leader to creative activities leader in our mom's group at church!

-we rented a cabin up north with great friends for labor day!

-ethan turned four!

-nick got a promotion at work!

-nick was discharged from the army!

-we went to the sand dunes for Thanksgiving with great friends and my dad!

-nick continues to enjoy his "new" job and the opportunities that it brings!
-i advanced my photography skills and fell more in love with the art!
-i saved our family a ton of money with coupon sense!
-we enjoyed a surprise visit from a great friend!  stop by anytime, acs, our door is always open to you!
-we have enjoyed countless visits with family and loved every one of them!

our year has been filled with wonderful moments and we have many great memories of 2009 to carry with us.
i have some new goals, which i will post later... we have a tradition of a family lunch to review our previous goals and to set our new ones together.  i can't give them away before that!

may your 2010 be filled with blessings and the ones that you love!

happy new year!
the kahler clan

Merry CHRISTmas!

wishing you and yours have a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.  may His peace and love fill your homes and hearts.

peppermint fudge

i don't have a picture, but i probably will post one tonight, i plan on making it later today!  this fudge is super good and is so easy to make.  i always make a double batch, it disappears fast!

Peppermint Fudge

{fudge layer}


3 tsp. butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. baking cocoa
1 tsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

{peppermint layer}

2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. milk
1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1/4 c. crushed peppermint candy (about 10-12 candies)


Line the bottom and sides of a square baking dish with foil. Grease foil with butter; set aside. In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, cocoa, milk and vanilla. Spread into prepared pan. Chill for an hour until firm.
For peppermint layer, beat cream cheese in a small mixing bowl. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, milk and extract. Stir in peppermint candy. Spread evenly over chocolate layer. Chill for an hour or until firm.
Using foil, lift fudge from pan. Gently peel off foil and cut into squares.


A double batch fits in a 9x13 pan.

Enjoy!
a

silly, happy people...

happy thursday!

a

thanksgiving

here are a few pictures from our thanksgiving trip to the sand dunes in california.  we went with great friends and my dad came with us.  we had such a great time and we are now trying to figure out how often we can get out there!  we all loved it!  i have been many times and nick has gone on a couple of quick guy trips, but the kids have never been.  they were amazed at the miles of endless sand and all of the toys!

i'm still being haunted by sand... every time i shut the door on my truck some sand comes flying out from the window at me!  it was well worth it though!

happy december!

a

em getting ready to go on a long ride in the buggy

alex and ethan riding around camp

dad and his rail.  they duned it and loved it (kids especially)

i drove it our last day there... so. much. fun!

a thanksgiving tradition... football

noteworthy...

i don't think i have ever posted twice in one day, but this day is definitely noteworthy.
nick received this in the mail today...

that's right ladies and gentlemen, my Captain, Field Artillery branch, US Army has been honorably discharged and can no longer be called for service.

i am so relieved i cried.  the possibility for him to be recalled was small, but every time we got something in the mail from the Department of Defense my heart would sink.  nobody really knows what it's like until you're there... the moment that your husband gets orders. not something i ever want to go through again.  every time we would get an envelope i would hold my breath, praying that it was only a form letter.  some thought it was silly and didn't understand why i would get so anxious, but until you've lived in that moment and are told that your husband is leaving, is going to be put in harm's way, you will never understand.  it was as if the emotions from the day he was given orders came back to me every time i saw that return address.  that is why today is noteworthy.  those envelopes no longer hold the threat of containing life changing information. they are just form letters.

having said that, there are two sides to this story.  the other is that this is the end of a chapter.  a chapter that nick put his heart and every bit of effort into for years.  it started much before his entering into West Point in late June of 1996, but that is when the real work began.  for four years he studied, marched and trained (and even painted some railings) at one of the best schools in the country.  then to active duty and the daily task of training and protecting this country.  waking in the very early hours to train alongside other men who, like him, had a selfless desire to defend our freedom.  he never had a 9-5 job or a regular work week.  he went where and when he was needed and he never once complained.  not even in the wee, dark hours of april 3, 2003 when emily, virgil and i left him in the parking lot of his office when it was time for him to deploy.  he was only worried about emily and i and his men.  never once did he second guess his decision to join the army.  when he came back as the rear-detachment commander he treated his soldiers families as if they were his own, listening to them and helping them in any way that they needed. 

i am so proud of nick for his service and i am thankful for the experiences and opportunities that the army brought our lives.

"Honest and Faithful".  i couldn't have said it better myself.

a

trade as one

our church is doing a series, subconscience.  our church has always been known for the out-of-the-box thinking and this series is no exception.
a couple of weeks ago our pastor asked if people would be willing to give generously and asked if they would give the shoes on their feet for others.  we weren't at church that weekend, unfortunately.  the response was amazing and over 4000 people walked out of the services barefoot.  bare. foot.  the count is rising as more shoes are coming in, literally by the truck load.  it's amazing what happens with a little bit of perspective.
this week we were challenged to eat only rice and beans for three days and to drink only water out of an aluminum cup.  the idea is that we will realize the endless choices that we, as Americans have and in the process also realize how much we can easily live without.  it's easy to say that you feel for people around the world, but it's another to gain a bit of insight into their real life.  rice and beans doesn't even scrape the surface of the conditions that people live in and with, but we have to start somewhere.  just like walking out of church barefoot.  some people have never owned a pair of shoes.
we were fortunate to have nathan george, the founder of Trade As One, at our church this weekend.  what an amazing story and an incredible heart.  i encourage you to check out the site, watch the message here and maybe order something you planned to buy anyway from trade as one.  the t-shirts are the softest you could imagine and the story behind them is amazing... 10,000 organic cotton farmers in india commit suicide a year.  these farmers have no way to compete with the industrial farms, who use harsh and dangerous chemicals to boost production.  the shirts are made from the organic cotton and are then sent to california.  there, the shirts are screen printed by men who were taken off the streets and out of gangs and given a new start with trade as one.  what an incredible way to help change the lives of people all over the world.
we had the opportunity to see the products up close and personal and the quality is not disappointing.  we are going to do some Christmas shopping from the site, we liked the things so much and found something for almost everybody on our list!
we are blessed beyond measure here in the USA.  the way that people live in parts of our country and around the world, and the trials that they face daily blows my mind.  i can't begin to grasp the struggles that others face.  i can only pray that one small change that i make will have a positive impact on someone else.

happy tuesday!
a

in the army now...

the kids have been really curious about nick's army gear, especially ethan.  he never knew "army nick", he was born six months after nick got out of the army and never saw nick in any of his uniforms.

this weekend nick broke out the bins holding some of his things and the kids went to town.

meet the newest Captain Kahlers...

happy monday!

a