{About Me}

Life is a journey. We never know where our path may lead and sometimes the unexpected ultimately leads to Him.

Hi.  My name is Kristen and this is my blog where I pen some of my life's journeys, thoughts, and inspirations.  Truly, it's my inexpensive scrapbooking-fix.  I love to take pictures, capturing memories, those beautiful moments in my day that I never want to forget.  It's also my writing-fix, a place where sometimes I come and let it all hang out.  I might be quiet and shy in person but I feel much and my journaling purges my need to express.

In 2004 I joyfully married the big Buckeye loving fan, Mike. He is an alumni of The Ohio State University as well as his dad and his sister now too. The Buckeye fever runs deep in the veins of this family.

Being married to me means Mike puts up with (and does it well) things like my yarn addiction which is thickly rooted in my passion for knitting and crocheting. I mostly create hats. They are my favorite.

I also enjoy taking pictures, so much to the point that I try to call myself a photographer but really I am just an amateur. But it's a strong goal of mine to continue expanding my knowledge in this incredible field of art. What a gift it is to capture our lives and keep the memory fresh forever.  And I desire to do it well so that those pictures freeze the precious moments, emotions and all.

My educational background is in Massage Therapy and I am proudly licensed by the State Medical Board of Ohio.  A current goal of mine is to set up my office right at home so I can continue in my privileged work while still allowing me to devote my time as a mother and wife, first and foremost.

Mike and I have been blessed with one beautiful miracle of a daughter, our little Cayman Cindy. She was born March 8, 2008 with a brain condition called Hydrocephalus, among many other complications. Nearly all of her medical care is at the U of M hopsital. *pause* Yep, that's right. This Scarlet and Gray family enters Wolverine country quite frequently. It's a funny ironic twist to our story.  While our living room in Ohio is completely decorated around the Buckeye's colors Scarlet and Gray, the front of our refrigerator is plastered with doctor's business cards all with a bold maize "M" on them. But really, there is no medical facility we place our trust and confidence in more than the Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan. They are amazing and our daughter is alive today because of their expert care.

The journey we have encountered as a result of Cayman's condition has been unexpected, but has brought with it some of the greatest rewards. She teaches me to see, notice, invite, and experience my life with an essence of wonder.  As my heart learns to see, with eyes wide open these experiences, the more God changes my way of thinking to a perspective where joy flows purely.

Mike and I welcomed our second dream come true miracle, on January 20, 2011.  Our son Kobe was born.  I appreciate the miracle of his life and the way he came to us.  We prayed deeply, seeking God's guidance and timing for the wisest moment to expand our family. There was lengthy discussions we had about having more children and whether it was safe for me.  Our hearts were open to adoption.  But we mostly wondered if adding another child to our family was the best decision with all the extra care Cayman needs.  The longing deep in our hearts to have another baby, to see Cayman as a big sister, never ceased.  It felt like a closed book laying on a coffee table, unshelfed. I had closed it, willing for God to teach my heart contentment if He showed that His plan was for Cayman to be our one and only.  But I teetered on the ability to shelf that book and begin the journey of contentment in it. So there it laid on the coffee table of my heart. Before I could shelf it I needed to feel certain of His will for that to be done. I understood it seemed risky to embark on another pregnancy journey but our faith also was placed in the One that if He wills it then we can trust in His working Hand. Besides fervent praying, Mike and I also scheduled an appointment in the high risk department for a pre-conception counseling appointment. We had many medical questions we wanted answered first before our hearts could feel settled on 'shelfing that book' or maybe, just maybe we would find hopeful signs that having more children could be a part of our bright future. The impatient side of me felt disturbed when I discovered the first opening for such an appointment was in three months! But we booked it and waited.  And continued to pray.  As the appointment drew near, so did the longing for another child.  I began to vividly dream about having a baby.  The very thought of it consumed my days.  I began to crave foods that I did when I was pregnant with Cayman.  So one morning morning I took a pregnancy test because I just could not ignore those intense cravings I was experiencing.  The likeliness of a positive test felt slim though and I mostly counted it to my insanity for even considering it.  We were taking the measures to prevent pregnancy, or so we thought. I wondered if it was all just in my head and I felt foolish for allowing my desires to have such an impact on me.  Laying the pregnancy stick on the counter next to the bathroom sink, I calmly washed my hands not expecting life to change in any second. Glancing over at it, my tired eyes grew wide as two lines appeared, a positive pregnancy sign! Could it really be?? I am pregnant!! I grabbed Mike out of bed! He just had to see it for himself!  Later that morning I phoned the doctor's office and in a giddy tone I spoke, "Um yeah, you know that pre-conception appointment I have...well, I need to make it a post-conception one."  (lol)  And that is the day when I got my sign from God, the granting of this mama's next dream come true!

Mike and I warmly welcome you to our family's blog - Live Life in Wonder.  It starts with a certain way of thinking. So much of life is lived in the world of our minds.  Throughout the day we have hundreds of thoughts about life as we encounter it. 

Albert Einstein said, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

Abraham Lincoln said, " We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."

Perspective.  It's a choice. 

Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. - {Romans 12:2, The Message}