Article 12

September 29, 2011, 11:14 am

I have decided to start blogging about me and my little turkeys lives since so many people we love live far away from our sweet little northwest corner in the world. So to catch everyone up to what we have been up to, I am recapping our last 2 months! August and September have brought about some signifigant changes to our simple life and made my schedule very full! I will have to take a picture of our family calender one day because it is quit comical and I anticipate it becoming complete chaos in the years to come! All that to say, I am embrassing the changes with open arms and excitment as Hutch and I begin to watch our precious babies (and they're not babies, but that is what I like to call them) grow and begin to find their wings in all kinds of fun and exciting new adventures. We are loving this season of life.

Kampbell Elaine said goodby to bottles and hello to sippy cups! It may not seem like that big of deal, but Kampbell being my third, I cherished every moment of feeding her a bottle. She was down to just an evening bottle, and I knew it was time to say goodby to our faithful friend and she was the bravest Kufahl yet to let it go! Her Daddy & I may have had a much more difficult time than she ever did, but this was the last bottle our baby girl took & of course I had to take a picture of her!

My parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on August 6th! These are my beautiful sisters the night we had a surprise party for our parents... one is expecting & one had just delivered! We are in the crazy season of babies right now.

What a treasure I have in my parents. They have been a true gift to me and my sisters. I am so proud to be apart of this family. Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!

Korbyn Audrey started Kindergarten! We attend a wonderful school where Korbyn is at school 2 days a week and I homeschool her the other 3. I am loving having such precious & rewarding moments with my daughter as she learns & grows each week.

I turned 30! Yes, I did and I am admitting it to the world. Oh my, what a wonderful birthday 30 was. Hutch had a surprise party for me with all my closest friends & family... love! and then he whisked me and our dearest friends away to Kansas City to celebrate my 30th & my Rachel's 29th! We love Kansas City with the Anderson's & it has become "our spot!" We laughed a lot & ate so much it is almost unthinkable! I won't lie, my little Rachel can put the food down and where it goes... a mystery. I will cherish these memories the rest of my life.

A family first... our first family of 5 vacation! We packed up and headed out to Big Cedar in Branson, MO. We had such a great weekend. We sat by the fire and roasted marshmallows for smores every night, we put together puzzles, rented movie after movie, went swimming & horse back riding, cooked out, and took the kids to an indoor waterpark. If you have never been to Big Cedar, I recommend it! It was perfect for all ages, & created with "family" in mind.
We had a wonderful weekend celebrating our precious little family. Hutch and I are blessed to call these little ones ours! Such sweet memories.

We welcomed in our tiniest friend yet Olivia Layne! She is beautiful like her mommy, and Korbyn & I are in love. The Lord recently moved my dear friend Jessie to NWA and I am blessed to have such a precious friend so close.

Kash's best bud turned 5! Happy birthday JW.

Cowboy day at Preschool. Can you tell how much they love each other. This pictures makes me laugh.

Go Cyclones! Korbyn is playing soccer this Fall & we are loving our Saturdays cheering her on. The Cylones have won their first 2 games & and look cute as ever on the field.

My Lucy is a player! She is a natural with the ball & may I add, SUPER SPEEDY!!!

Mimi & Papa (my mom & dad) came to Korbyn's first game of the season. We love us some Mimi & Papa time.

There is no happier time of the day in our house than "bath time!" Here are my sweet turkeys in their towel wraps after a long bath! I love them so much.
Happy & busy was August & September. We look forward to the cooler weather coming soon.

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Annie!

October 15, 2011, 8:14 pm

≫ Next: Turkeys all over my house!

≪ Previous: Article 12

Welp, we did it. We took the plunge, we did the dreaded "don't" and we got the kids a dog... dun, dun, dun. Meet our Annie. She is a 6 month old bloodhound that we adopted from the Bella Vista Animal Shelter. She and Kampbell act just alike. I feel like I have twins! They both put everything in their mouths, they eat anything & everything off the floor, they take long naps, they require our complete attention, they make a huge mess when they eat, and they both poop a lot! We are adjusting to life with Annie, and she seems to like her new home with us. Annie was abused and taken from her home to the shelter. We stumbled upon her and instantly fell in love with her. She is so funny. She is a typical bloodhound. She loves Korbyn & Kash, she wants to lick Kampbell whenever possible and Kampbell cries every time Annie is near and when she's away Kampbell yells out "Awanie, NO! It makes me laugh.

Annie isn't allowed on the furniture, but this was the first day we brought her home. Annie sat next to Kash and then...

she decided the chair and Kash made the perfect nap spot! Poor Kash ended up moving because Annie took up the entire chair!

Welcome home Annie! This was your first and last nap on my red chair.

Annie makes a great pillow!

Kash & his preschool class visited the Bentonville Fire Station! Hutch is super dad and always does this field trip with our kids.

Hutch took Korbyn & Kash to the BHS football game Friday night. This is usually a Kash & Dad thing, but this night Korbyn was invited! She was thrilled to tag along with her favorite boys. She got all dressed up for her date and wanted her hair fixed like the big girls, so a side pony/braid it was! She and Kash are growing way too fast. How do I make them stop?!

My Lucy!

They make me so happy.

A fun night out with Daddy, it's my turn next!

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Turkeys all over my house!

October 19, 2011, 8:14 pm

≫ Next: Just one more picture... I promise!

≪ Previous: Annie!

My children have been very busy! It seems as soon as I clean up one mess, another one has already begun somewhere else. Kash LOVES his animals and they seem to make their way all over the house. It isn't unusual to find animals lined up from the bottom of the stairs to the top, and all over every inch of our house. Kash knows where every animal is at all times, and there are a certain few that never leave his side. These "favorite" few have also made it to everyone of Korbyn's soccer games this Fall. Oh, to have such faithful friends as these! Today I worked around the animal trains, trying to clean our wood floors. This was an almost impossible job, but I did succeed at only knocking down a few Safari friends along the way, and don't think I wasn't reminded a dozen times to watch out for the animals by my favorite three foot little man!

Korbyn will conclude her Fall soccer season next week. I am sad that it is over, but delighted to not have to drag my one year old back to another game. I almost injured her severely this year, while enjoying a good conversation with another mom and temporarily forgetting I had a third child. Off Kampbell went walking right onto the field, all while almost being trampled by her own, very fast, big sister who was in the middle of a great break away.

Pretty Kampbell at Korbyn's soccer game.

Homeschooling has it perks! and one of those is that we finish our school lessons quickly and have lots of time to play! Monday Kash stayed home from preschool to have adventures with his sister! Monday's adventure was scaling the long iron fence that lines our property. As I began to notice the playset sat still, I went out on our deck to see where my turkeys were... and this is what I saw.

Korbyn is scaling the fence in a hot pink princess nightgown! such a girl. Neither turkey has shoes on, and I can barely see them from where I am. I holler out, and of course they start laughing and moving their tiny feet quickly back up the fence! To have a best friend that sleeps over every night, is willing to go anywhere you go, and thinks you hung the moon... oh the life of my Korbyn and Kash!

This was the result of a good fence scaling!!!

A little rusty, but another memory made!

Kampbell Elaine has found her voice... and her opinion.... and her moody side. These days she is being the biggest turkey in our house and we are all ready for her to stop it! Kampbell is the smallest Kufahl, but she might just run the show. One of her favorite things to do is walk around the house in Korbyn's shin guards. It makes us all laugh and she thinks it makes her extra special (well, we kinda think she is)!

This week I was the "Lunch Helper" at Korbyn's school. I was so excited to eat lunch with her. We had been talking about it all weekend, and both of us were counting down the minutes. As I waited outside the lunch room for her to come down the hall, I can't explain how my heart leaped out of my chest when I saw my curly headed baby girl, all smiles, proudly walking with her class towards me. We greeted each other with monster hugs and she escorted me to her table with her little friends all gathered around. We had a blast. This was a special day for Korbyn and I. We were equally proud to belong to one another.

I love this picture of my Lucy.

Remember how I said my turkeys have been busy? well, we ended tonight with a good game of "Let's hide from Mommy because it's bed time and we don't want to go to bed!" I love this game (can you hear the sarcasm in my voice)! So after being patient and letting the game continue on until I was no longer willing to play, this is where I found Korbyn...

and second time around, her partner in crime!

If they weren't so stinken cute they would be in so much trouble!
Happy Fall to our friends and family and I hope something this cute and wonderful comes out of your dryer someday soon!!!

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Just one more picture... I promise!

October 31, 2011, 1:24 pm

≫ Next: Barn Yard Cousins!

≪ Previous: Turkeys all over my house!

How many times have you taken picture after picture of your kids, hoping to get the perfect picture where each child is looking at the camera and smiling?! Welp, my luck hasn't been top notch and it never fails if one of my children is smiling and looking at me, the other is looking at the one smiling or at something random! and don't forget how incredibly nice I am as I threaten my children with suckers and spankings all in the same sentence! Oh, my life as a young mommy with my precious young babies.

Fall pictures TAKE 1-6!

TAKE 1- yeah Kampbell!

TAKE 2- hooray Korbyn

TAKE 3- This is my favorite!

TAKE 4- Kash is possible hacking up hay & Korbyn is so angry

TAKE 5- No one is looking at me... why?

TAKE 6-

Korbyn keeps the same smile, Kash has his eyes almost completely shut & Kampbell is fixing to walk away!

I will miss these days won't I!!!

We met some of Korbyn's kindergarten class at the Pumpkin Patch for some fun! Once a month, her class meets to let the kids & their families fellowship & since it is October, the Pumpkin Patch was a fitting choice. Here are some of her classmates and their siblings! I love that no matter what Korbyn's class does at school, siblings are always welcome! Kash is gearing up for next year.

Papa & Mimi surprised us and come down for the weekend! These are my happy turkeys with their favorite guy!

My mom is super crafty... imagine that! and she helped Korbyn & Kash carve their pumpkins that they picked out at the Pumpkin Patch! She is so much fun!!!

A job well done!!!

Mimi brought all the K's skeleton pajamas and of course they glow in the dark! This is Kash and Korbyn in the bathroom with the lights off, loving how they glow in the dark... they are making their scary faces!

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha to you ( I just said that in my deep, scary voice!!!)

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Barn Yard Cousins!

November 10, 2011, 8:33 am

≫ Next: A month of firsts!

≪ Previous: Just one more picture... I promise!

Between my three sisters and I we have nine babies all together! It has become a family tradition to have a "theme" Halloween each year! This year the babies were barn yard animals. In the past we have been The Wizard of Oz & Alice in Wonderland. Each year it becomes more difficult to convince the older ones that they don't want to be a Super Hero or a Princess, but instead that they want to be a "Barn Yard Animal!" I'm not sure how much longer my sisters and I can pull this off, but until our children insist on being what they want, a theme Halloween it will be!

Korbyn- The Bunny, Georgia Grace- The Owl, Hank- The boy Chicken, Hudson- The Puppy, Kampbell- The girl Chick, Kash- The Horse and Slate- The Dog!

These are our newest babies! My niece Dru McClayne- The Lamb & nephew Knox-The Mouse! Aren't they yummy?!

Hutch and I and the kids spent a long weekend in Oklahoma City for Halloween with my parents, my sisters and all nine cousins! When we visit, Hutch "chills" in my parents theatre room (I guess it is good for him to do nothing every now and then!), the kids run wild, and I love to hit as many thrift stores as possible! This trip I "junked" with two of my sisters, Nichole & Laynie, and my Mom. Laynie & my Mom are not big fans of "junking" but they entertained Nichole and I as long as they could. We had a so much fun laughing at only things we think are funny, and finding lots treasures along the way. I have to be honest and tell you I don't miss Oklahoma City, but I miss the people who live in Oklahoma City everyday. Spending all day with my sisters and Mom just confirmed how much my heart aches for them. Okay, enough of the sob story! After a long day of junking we met back at Laynie's house for burgers and chaos! If only you knew how crazy a house can be with so many babies ages five and under!!!

Skeleton cousins... 7 of the 9!

The oldest 4! Georgia Grace, Kash, Korbyn & Slate

Slate & Kash are serious buds! They call each other all the time & scream like girls when they are finally together again.

Nerds!!!

The girls: Korbyn, Georgia Grace & Kampbell

They really are getting big!

Each Halloween we take all the kids to Storybook Forest in Edmond. This is such a fun place, with all your favorite childhood stories set up in real life for the kids to see! The only downside is the l-o-n-g car line you have to wait in. The best time to go is during the week, not the weekend, just a FYI!

Mimi & her barn yard babies at Storybook Forest.

Well, Korbyn has an Uncle Josh that she kinda loves, a lot! She adores him & may secretly want to marry him! He might as well be Prince Charming! He is perfect in her eyes... and she lights up when he is around. I love this picture of the two of them, her face says exactly how she feels about her Uncle Josh! Oh, to love someone this much and be loved back even more.

The hubby!

After we spend some time in OKC, we then make the long drive home for Halloween festivities in Bentonville. We make our usual stops at friends homes, and then participate in Fall Fest with our church.

My little family.
This is the first family picture Kampbell is looking at the camera and smiling! I love her happy face.

I LOVE HER! My happy girl!!!

Korbyn wore this same costume her first Halloween! This chick may be a little more chunky, but I love it!!!

I am not sure how this happened, but the littlest one is on the bottom of the pile! Korbyn & Kash seem to be enjoying this moment... Kampbell not so much.

My kids with some of their favorite friends!

K + A =Besties!

I adore this picture of my trick-or-treaters! I want to always remember them like this.

Hope your Halloween was as sweet as ours was!

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A month of firsts!

December 6, 2011, 8:54 am

≫ Next: Yummy Snickerdoodles!

≪ Previous: Barn Yard Cousins!

November was a busy month for me! My family and I had several "firsts," and here is one of theme... Kampbell finally learned to go down our stairs! Hooray! She has spent many days yelling from the top of the stairs at Korbyn & Kash, but this day she did as she was taught and went down the stairs backwards! I would like to take all the credit for her great accomplishment, but I will have to say thank you to my Mom who spent a week with us recently and would turn Kampbell around over and over again, until one day she did it! Kampbell is my most independent child yet, and this was all about her doing it all by herself. She rarely will let me or her Daddy help her do anything, as goes the stairs and her learning to master them! Way to go Kampbell Elaine, we are so proud of you!

She is proud of herself... can you tell?!

Another first:

After leaving my two oldest to themselves for several minutes, with markers, this is what I found!

"Look mom we're Indians going into battle, & we painted each other with war paint," says Kash!

Oh sweet mercy! Not only were my little Indians ready for battle, but they used a permeant marker!!! That's right, I said PERMEANT! So... I did what any great mother would do, I sent the Indians off to battle & then gave them a swimming lesson in the Great Tub! Followed by a body scrub with eye makeup remover (thank you to the inventor of that stuff)! Needless to say, my Indians are not using markers much these days!

Hello Cowgirl! I just couldn't resist this yummy bear in her Daddy's cowboy boots! Kampbell LOVES shoes, she calls them "sha-ooos," and she insisted that her Daddy set her inside his boots. She really thought she was a big girl in such big sha-ooos!

A BIG first:

I hosted Thanksgiving at my house for the first time this year! My family of 5, plus my parents, 3 sisters, their husbands & 6 children (that equals 19 people!) came to my house to celebrate Thanksgiving! It was very busy and my house was very full, but we had a wonderful time being together!

One of my families favorite meals is breakfast. It never fails that we will sit around the table for what seems like hours laughing & telling stories. This morning, we had Christmas music on the radio & as you can tell from the picture, Korbyn & her Papa were busy dancing to the music. How can you not love someone who seems bigger than life & whisks you away from the breakfast table for a magical dance! The picture is a little fuzzy, but I had to try and capture this precious moment between Korbyn & her Papa.

We put in a fire pit this year. We love it. It was the highlight of our evenings while my family was in town. Every night my Dad & Hutch would make a fire for the kids & we would tell stories and make smores. The kids loved it and asked to sit by the fire every night.

Cousins!

Kampbell & her Aunt Cole. I love my sisters.

My family left, the house was back to normal, and we decided to get the tree put up!

Korbyn is the best helper! Maybe it's a first born thing, but I really couldn't do all I do without her help! She is a precious gift from the Lord to me and her Daddy.

Kash likes to remember where everyone of his ornaments is from and why we decided on that particular one for that year. He has a wonderful memory, and remembers things I can't. It amazes me.

and Hutch finished our tree with our star on top!

Merry Christmas, the Savior has come and set us free from our sin! We have a hope, we have a future. What a precious gift He was and is. We celebrate Christmas because of Him. We love you Jesus.

My precious three.

Korbyn's first:

Korbyn cheered at her first basketball game. She was thrilled! Can you tell? Here she is before we left for the game.

My Kindergartner cheering her team to victory or as she would say "bicktory!"

Alex, Lilly Grace and Korbyn!

I love her, I just love her.

Don't tell anyone, but I secretly hope she wants to play basketball. Oh, there, I said it. I am way too competitive to watch her cheer and not see her diving for a lose ball or breaking away for a lay-up! I really wanted to tell her to watch the game and not play with her poms, but I didn't. I let her enjoy this moment of being a cheerleader, but don't think on the way home we didn't talk about how much fun it would be if she did play basketball! I guess you would have to know me to really appreciate my love for basketball.

No matter what she does, I will be her biggest cheerleader.

Happy December to our friends and family.

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Yummy Snickerdoodles!

December 17, 2011, 4:58 pm

≫ Next: My People in 2012

≪ Previous: A month of firsts!

I made Snickerdoodle cookies a few nights ago & I guess I forgort how much I LOVE them, but oh how I do!

I thought I would share my recipe.

They are super easy and will magically disappear if you have small people that live with you!

Snickerdoodles

Combine & Mix:

1/2 cup butter-softened

1 1/2 cups white sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons of vanilla

In a separate bowl combine & stir:

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons of cream of tartar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a small separate bowl:

2 Tablespoons white sugar

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients until mixed. Roll into balls and toss in cinnamon & sugar. Bake @ 400 degrees for 7 minutes.

YUM-O!

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My People in 2012

January 3, 2012, 8:35 am

≫ Next: Hello warm weather!

≪ Previous: Yummy Snickerdoodles!

This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:14, NIV

The holidays are over and our lives have gone right back to their normal routine. We had a wonderful holiday break. Hutch had some well deserved time off from work, Korbyn & Kash got 2 full weeks off from school (that means me too!) and Kampbell stuck to her normal routine of sleeping and eating!

I enjoyed having life back to how it use to be when my turkeys played for hours on end, giggles echoed all over my house, we took MANDATORY family naps, and almost every night we would watch a movie!

I am reminded more today than ever, how quickly my precious babies days are passing by and how with every day they each seem smarter and stand a little taller. As I brought home new clothes that my sisters & parents had bought the kids for Christmas, I found myself "weepy" as I began to put the old clothes they had out grown into a big tub and label them 5T girls, 4T boys & 12 months girls. I say this to say that in 2012 I won't have a 5,4, and 1 year old anymore. They will be 6,5 and 2 years old. It all just happened so fast... you know the going to the hospital to have my baby, then being so sleepy because I was feeding a newborn every 3 hours all night long, the endless amounts of dirty diapers I have changed and am still changing, the messy faces I clean, the loads of laundry that pile high everyday, and the tiny people who say my name so many times in one day that it would be impossible to count!

This is my life.

They are my life.

I am their "person" and they are my "people!"

I can't think of anything more I would rather do than to love my people everyday of their precious lives. What a gift children are. Whether your people be the babies you have carried in your belly for 9 months, or the babies you have chosen through adoption to be yours, your people are a gift!

The Lord woke me up around 4 am this morning with the word INTENTIONAL. He kept saying over and over, "Be intentional Maegan." I couldn't get it off my mind. I laid in bed for almost an hour replaying all the times I haven't been intentional with my Savior, my children or my husband. I struggled with a heavy guilt as I lay in bed with my sin being right there before me, as if a school teacher had written it out across a chalkboard for me to see. The Lord and I often meet at early, quiet moments like this. He wakes me from my sleep, and His voice seems to be louder than any other time when we are talking, imagine that! So after an hour or so of meeting with my Savior and asking for His grace over my life, I got out of bed, went downstairs, kissed my sleeping mighty warrior Kash, checked on my baby girl in her crib, and then I crawled in bed with my first born. As I held my Korbyn, I asked the Lord for His forgiveness for all the minutes I have let slip by and not been intentional with her. I asked for a second chance. I asked for wisdom once again as I raise my people to be God's people. To love others more than they love themselves, to see the world beyond what they see out their windows, and to love their Savior with all their hearts, souls and minds. Oh to raise such people!

In 2012 I want to be more intentional with my God. I want to be more intentional with my precious husband and I want to be more intentional with my people, my turkeys, my gifts, my children. I praise the Lord that He is not finished with me yet!!!

Some fun things we have been up to!

Hutch and Jarrod rockin their ugly sweaters or outfits at the Staff Christmas Party! Funny thing is, Hutch is wearing my real, everyday glasses!

Kash was Joseph at the preschool Christmas program

Cindy Lou Hoo and the Grinch at our Youth Christmas parties!

The Studio 412 crew as Santa and the reindeers- amazing!

Korbyn lost 2 teeth. This was a BIG deal!

Korbyn's kindergarten Christmas party

Super heros to the rescue!

They were pumped about Happy Feet!

My little cleaner got her own vacuum

We made forts!

Kampbell loved her fort.

My girls inside their fort! I love how much they love each other.

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Hello warm weather!

January 30, 2012, 2:43 pm

≫ Next: Article 3

≪ Previous: My People in 2012

I am loving the warm winter we are having! Love, love, love it. I am not a cold anything kinda gal, so this winter I am one happy lady! Here's hoping February doesn't bring a snow storm... knock on wood, but you just never know. January has been a crazy and exciting month. My first born, little love, turned six. It's difficult to even type out that number SIX because it seems huge and makes me feel old, and I hate to admit that my little Lucy is six. She is growing like a weed, skinny as ever, and I am loving all the adult conversations we are having these days. Lately, Korbyn is my right hand girl in the kitchen. We have been learning a lot about measurements, thus she loves to pull out the measuring cups and fill them up to the brim as we bake away! I love teaching her and I love that she loves learning. She is a sponge these days. We have been tackling the USA by learning how to read a map, identify all the states and the capitals! She is a wiz and I love it. I'm also teaching myself as we go, but shhhh don't tell her... she thinks I know everything! For Korbyn's sixth birthday we took two of our favorite girls on a road trip to Kansas City! Why Kansas City you ask? Well, why else than to go to the American Girl Store!!!

There it is and there they are, Korbyn & Addey, so very excited to have finally made it!

Eating breakfast at one of my favorite spots on the way to KC.

Meet Sophia, Korbyn's new AG doll!

I have to laugh and tell you that as I was having a panic attack about how much Sophia cost... $105... wowzers!!! by dearest, tiniest friend Ashley says, "Oh Mae, did I not tell you we bought Addey's doll on ebay for $20?" I about called her a very ugly name, but instead I hatefully said, "NO!!!" and forgave her because she's too cute to hate! but you know that old school song, "That's What Friends Are For"... I mean, where were you on that one Ashley!!! Help a sister out! Oh well, there she is Sophia or as I like to call her 105!

We literally played all day and almost all night! We were exhausted, but had a wonderful time celebrating Korbyn turning 6!

A week later we packed our bags and headed to Orlando, Florida for a family vacation on the Disney Dream Cruise ship! My entire family went, minus a few tiny babies... 15 travelers all together! We had planned for an entire year for this vacation, so you can imagine how excited we were as the day finally arrived. Off we went on our first flight towards Florida.

Here is Kampbell Elaine traveling with Elmo and as happy as can be! or at this moment she is.

The four oldest cousins loving Coco Beach before we port for the Bahamas!

In Andy's Room on the ship!

My 3 on the boat! A Disney cruise is all about the kids, so there was never a dull moment as we pretty much ran around all day everyday from one spot to the next! A plus about a Disney cruise is there are characters everywhere and the lines to see them are short and fast! We were in and out in 10 minutes or less every time!

Disney has a private island in the Bahamas. Kampbell and I did nothing but lay around on this day and I loved every minute of it!

It was beautiful here!

I adore this picture of my Momma and Korbyn!

They have been inseparable since the day Korbyn was born. She is a treasure to us and we were so glad to have her and my Dad with us for a week of vacation.

Attempting to get one decent family picture- I was determined!

My kids kept laughing that they were in all white! They thought it mysteriously happened!!! i just didn't have the heart to tell them I planned it.

We had such a fun vacation to the Bahamas on our Disney Cruise! Being with my people was a treat everyday! and we loved being in the warm weather! Nothing like waking up to the ocean every morning right outside our door! I was reminded how BIG my God is! He made the ocean and the seas, He walked on water, He heals the sick and brings peace to the anxious heart. I love my sweet Jesus, I love getting away and getting renewed! I love my precious family, my people! Looking forward to another warm weather vacation soon!

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Article 3

February 29, 2012, 7:05 am

≫ Next: March, Matilda and my bald headed boys.

≪ Previous: Hello warm weather!

One of our dearest friends, Krysta, gave us such a fun gift... we got to go the the PBR and sit in amazing seats..."seats close enough to see the bulls snot sling across the dirt!!!" Look, I know that is kinda disgusting, but I cannot lie, it was such a blast! I want to go again, and again and again. I may be the PBR's biggest fan. Seriously people, it changed my life! We also got to take my youngest sister, her hubs Beau, and my nephew Slate. So, off we went, leaving Kampbell at home with a sitter (thank you in advance for that & a high five for being awesome!!!) for a fun Friday night in OKC at the P....B....R!!!! My Kash Naylor geared up in true cowboy, bull riden, dirt slinging, kinda style for his first trip to the PBR! He looked mighty fine. Krysta bought him his first bull riding vest and spurs and he was especially handsome! He loved the bulls. He counted the 8 seconds for every rider, yelled as loud as he could for the cowboys, and ate way too many m&m's!

Is he not too much! Cutest cowboy I know.

We claim her as ours! "Our Krysta"

Krysta & her mom helping Kash with his spurs.

Mid way through the event, the rodeo clown jumped the fence, and called out Kash's name declaring him to be the BEST DRESSED!!! I know, right, it was too much for my heart. We didn't tell Kash, but Krysta and her mom help make sure Kash got noticed. He was thrilled! He came to life and answered every question, even telling everyone that Krysta was his girlfriend. So much for me, Mom, the one who clothes you, feeds you, birthed you... need I go on!!!

Best Dressed goes to Kash! Woot Woot!

After it was over, Kash got to meet all the cowboys! Oh happy day!

My tough rider!

One of my favorite pictures of the night!

Kash and his best bud Slate

I have to tell you that if you ever find a Krysta hold on to her and don't let go. Krysta has been such a special part of our lives. She was in our ministry at 412 and then began taking care of Korbyn & Kash when they were very little people and then loved Kampbell right from birth! She has loved my babies, rocked them, taught them, made them laugh, and gave me such a precious gift knowing my babies were being loved by her while I was able to get away for a few hours by myself. The very first time I left her with my babies, I came home to a clean house and folded laundry!!! From that moment on we were hooked... what momma wouldn't be! She is not only "our Kista!" but one of my dearest friends. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful person like her in my life. She has spoiled me, and I don't know that I will ever find another one like her to love my babies and I like she has. She is busy at school these days, close to graduating and the days we see her are far less than they use to be, but moments like these at the PBR are ones I will always cherish! Thank you Krysta for such a fun weekend, WE LOVE YOU!

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March, Matilda and my bald headed boys.

March 8, 2012, 9:44 am

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A quick catch up on my last couple of weeks!

#1: My Kash Naylor turned 5!

Holy smokes, yes he did. He wanted a Spiderman party, so Spiderman it was! He had his best buds over for a crazy, chaotic, "Spidy" kinda time! The Lord blessed us with awesome weather, so we played outside. We had an egg tossing game, an egg spoon relay (not sure why I chose so many egg games, but it was fun!) and then tore up some Spiderman cake! Of course, my Mother, sweet Mother of mine, bought Kash a million more animals & bugs to play with... despite me saying he doesn't need any more animals! OH WELL... we now have enough animals to share with the entire state of Texas... just incase the entire state may come over and play someday. You just never know, you must always be ready- which makes me think of Jesus and how we must all be ready for His return & be sharing His love with the people we share our days with as we are out and about, but I won't go preacher's wife on you just yet! Back to Kash! I shared this with Kash, so I will also share it with you.

5 things I LOVE about you Kash are:

1- Your HUGE heart. I love how you are always thinking of others, especially your sisters.

2- You never fail to say "thank you" - literally for everything. I love that.

3- Your smile is the best part of my day, everyday!

4- I love your prayers. You are a world changer, a preacher in the making. You pray like you have been praying for 50 years. You never fail to forget Janet, or Papa, or people you know who are hurting. You never fail to thank Jesus for giving up His life for you. Jesus hears your prayers Kash. He listens when you speak, and I believe you will lead many to know Christ.

5- Kash, you are a mighty warrior. You love to play guns, you love to be a pilot on a plane that is being chased my enemies, but more than that I love that you are a mighty Jesus warrior! You are preparing for battle, and I am confident, the enemy will find you ready! Go get 'em my brave boy and Happy 5th Birthday to you.

Spiderman!

I found a "how to" paint a Spiderman face on pinterest.

It was super easy & fast. I painted all the boys faces.

Spiderman friends!

#2: We bought a puppy.

Meet Matilda!

I have a puppy and an 1 year old, pretty much chaos 24-7 in my house.

Our sweet bloodhound Annie, went to save lives as an FBI agent. No lie! We rescued Annie from our local animal shelter, she went to puppy boot camp, was a crazy good tracker and got some attention by the FBI, & was asked to be one of the 20 US bloodhounds being trained for new recruits. The same program Annie was in, was also training bloodhounds for the FBI, that's how Annie was discovered. We felt like it was a Cinderella story for Annie. We can't wait to follow her and see all the lives she will save.

Thus, Matilda entered our lives. She is a chocolate Goldendoodle!
Korbyn & Matilda share the same curly hair. Love it!

Rachel might love Matilda more than we do!

Matilda is potty training, crate training, don't chew the kids toys training, learning her way around our 2 acres training, and being a good sport about all of it. I might be crazy for thinking I could handle Kampbell and Matilda, and somedays I question my decision, but we are thankful to have a new fury friend to love... well most days we are!!! (Can you hear my sarcasm?!)

This catches me up from where I have slacked on my blogging.

I am a thrift store junkie.., literally. I spend a lot of time in thrift stores finding furniture to restore, or odds and ends to sell. Lately, I have been super impressed with our local Goodwill and their kids clothes. Some crazy out there has been dropping off the "mother load" of boys clothes, and I've been snatching them up for Kash. It seems every time I go, I will scan the kids isle and never fail to find something wonderful. I mean, really, I love finding Gap, JCrew, CP, and Gymboree at thrift store prices. Holla!

Here are just a few shirts I picked up for Kash.

They are Gap, CP, and Niki and in perfect condition. A great day thrifting and easy on the budget! Get out and dig, you will find a treasure for sure!

Recently my husbands assistant, Janet, was diagnosed with cancer. It caught us all by surprise, and honestly left us shocked for several weeks. Janet is so many things to me and my family. She is my husbands HELPER (oh how she helps him) at work, she is a constant, she is wisdom and encouragement, she is a good laugh when I need one, she is a listener, a shelter when I am frustrated, and everything else you can imagine that a youth minister and his wife and kids would need. More than anything, Janet is one of my dearest friends. She has blessed me daily and when cancer invaded her body, immediately I went into "crazy take care of Janet" mode. My little people and I begin talking seriously about prayer and how God hears us, He listens, He loves Mrs. Janet (that's what my babies call her) and He is the God who heals and can be all Mrs. Janet will ever need. Her cancer has changed us already for the better. Recently, after her first round of chemo, Janet's hair begain to fall out, and being the strong woman she is, she decided to shave her head and get it over with. I was there when she read from God's Word, spoke truth and claimed beauty from the inside out and then shaved her head.

Follow Janet on her blog, it is amazing!

www.janetpate.blogspot.com

You can see her head shaving video and keep up with her journey.

Yesterday at our monthly youth event FUEL, some of the men and youth boys decided to shave their heads to honor Janet. Hutch and Kash were up for the call. Kash was nervous, not over the top excited, but that day at preschool his teacher Mrs. Beth shared with me that Kash had said he wasn't sure about all his hair going away, but because he loved Mrs. Janet so much he wanted to shave his head for her. I also found out the Korbyn has been asking for prayer at school for Janet. I am so proud of my babies. God is using Janet's cancer to teach them a valuable, life changing lesson about prayer. Kash, along with his best friends Judd and Brody stepped up and shaved their heads for Janet. I had never been so proud of these boys as I was this night.

Look at all that hair!

Janet and Kash before.

WE LOVE JANET!

Let the hair begin to fall.

I shave Kash's head at the beginning of the every summer, but never this short.

A mighty warrior.

I adore this picture.

Janet has touched Kash's life, even at the age of 5, and he is joining the journey and praying every day for Janet's healing.

#punchcancerintheface

(my favorite hash-tag ever!)

LOVE IT!

Hutch's turn...

I love what all these mighty men represent.
It was a beautiful sight.

Psamls 121

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Welcome Back!

September 7, 2012, 8:44 pm

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We are back in the swing of life. Summer is over, which for us summer is our busiest season, but I am grateful to have had so much time with my babies going and doing!

Being a student pastor's wife includes so many things, one of them being able to say YES! Yes, I will travel all summer with teenagers, high school & junior high, and I will love every minute of it and smile and be grateful to have had 17 hours on a bus or 6 hours in the air or 5 days in the middle of nowhere to stretch myself, learn more about my weaknesses and unconditionally love God's children (though I didn't give birth to them) like they were my very own! So here is to all my babies, 7th graders all the way to you big Seniors... I love your little faces. You make me so sleepy, you have taught me how to share (Hutch that is), and you have challenged me in ways I never knew I could be challenged! Thank you for another fun filled, busy & exhausting summer! It is always an adventure full of moments I could never imagine, but moments I will always treasure.

SuMmEr!

We took our high school students to Los Angeles for their summer mission trip. I love Cali but will continue to be a visitor (because it is breath taking!), and never a resident (because I loath the traffic). We did so many things while we were there, and had different groups at four different locations every day. My group was at the VOR (Voices of Refuge). This is an amazing team of people who volunteer their time everyday to teach English, life skills, and so much more to refugees.

So... that is what my group did. We gave the regular teachers a break, and we taught refugees. It sounds simple enough, but I never knew how complicated our language is, nor how difficult it must be to adapt to our society. In just a few days, I fell in love with these people and left part of my heart behind with the precious people I had the privilege to teach. I really could go on and on about the VOR but there isn't enough time or space. I will just say that I am grateful for the experience and look forward to returning to California to see my friends soon.

Here are some of the 412 students, our new friends, and some amazing adult leaders!

The 412 Crew!

Gangsters!

A pic with the hubs! He kinda went "Cali" on this trip!

And, notice how I hang out with teenagers all the time, thus I have the "hand on my hip" pose down to a science!!!

We also spent a week in Joplin with the Junior high, camp in Hawkins, Texas, and another 412/7! Happy end of Summer and hello to some down time for the Kufahl family.

A Recap!

(Because I've been gone a few months!)

Kash played his first year of Tee-Ball! Woot woot!!! I mean, what can I say, the sport is kinda slow, I mean really slow and Kash had a good time, but was more concerned about what his snack was at the end of the game then focusing on the ball headed right towards him! Holy cow for a competitive momma this made me want to give him a "refocus" speech after every game, but I restrained and cheered him on and reminded myself he is just beginning!

And... Kash's team won the tee-ball championship!

Here they are the Texas Rangers!

Lucy and I sat through many tee-ball games & after the season was over, we felt very tough!

A quick trip to Branson with my family! Here are my little loves. We were able to get a way and get refreshed. We needed it and this was just the right remedy!

Hutch celebrated another birthday!

Kampbell turned 2!
How did this happen?! I know, it took two years and a lot of diaper changes and sleepless nights and tears and fits and I could go on and on! But our youngest baby girl is two!
Kampbell loves Elmo, so an Elmo party it was!
Happy Birthday Kampbell Elaine! You are one loved little bit!

Two Kampbell Truths!

1. Kampbell you are a leader! We call you "Sarge" because you think you are in charge of EVERYONE! I pray God molds you and shapes you into a strong leader for Him. You are growing everyday, and everyday I pray you use your influence to reach a lost world for Christ. Go get em my mighty girl! With the Lord before you, great things you will accomplish.
2. You have a very tender heart. You have such a sensitive soul. The word "no" is devastating to you and you are very easy to discipline for that reason. I love your heart. It is a gift from our Savior. You are a compassion giver & I love seeing you worried about your family when one of us are sad or hurt. You are a precious gift to me and your Daddy.

Kash learned to swim this summer!
Hoo-ray! My mother-in-law has a special gift to teach my children to swim. She spends several hours in the pool with them, and only a few hours later they are swimming like fish! My MIL taught Korbyn to swim and now Kash. One more to go!!!

It was a great Summer! We hope you had just as wonderful of a summer as we did!

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Raising Warriors

September 27, 2012, 12:55 pm

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John 17:15

" I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one."

I could write a book on this one verse. There are so many things I could say and a huge soap box I could kick around for a very long time, but this particular verse doesn't need a lot of explanation if you have small people in your home that call you Momma like I do. The Lord has put a passion in my heart for Mommas. One that will not go away, but lingers in my head all day, everyday. To say I am passionate would be an understatement. I long for an army of mothers to rise up & heed the call that is before them to raise up mighty warriors for Christ. I often refer to my three as my "Little Warriors." My heart is heavy for the day that my little warriors will go off to battle. Although it won't be a battle that will destroy their flesh, but one that will try and capture their eyes, their thoughts, their hearts and their spirits. I am determined to dress my babies for battle. To give them everything I can, through the Word of God, that will prepare them for the day that Satan will try and capture them. Everyday Hutch and I are faced with challenges that break my heart. Ones that only a pastor, a teacher, a volunteer or a Sunday school teacher could ever understand. We are loosing the battle. Satan is winning & capturing the spiritual lives of our teenagers. He lies to them, he preys upon them, and he uses any method possible to draw them in. They are weak, they are young, and they have way to much access to whatever they want. It's just a google search away, it's in their schools and constantly at their fingertips. (I won't get started on how much I despise teenagers having smart phones, but that's for another post.) Whether your baby is brand new, or maybe she's a bossy toddler like my Kampbell, or he just started jr. high or she's at the beginning of her High school years, this message is for you. It is never too early or too late to get on your knees and cry out to your Savior on behalf of your babies. Just as John 17:15 says, " I do not ask you to take them out of the world, but... TO KEEP THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE." There it is, my call and your call. I might have just shouted it! So, this is how I would customize this verse for my family & I hope you do the same for yours.

"Maegan, I do not ask you to take Korbyn, Kash & Kampbell out of the world, but to keep Korbyn, Kash and Kampbell away from the evil one."

How could I not keep them from the evil one. What could possibly be more important?

It just makes me get so fired up.

Remember when you held your baby(s) for the first time?! Remember how you cried, and you laughed, and you promised that you would do everything and anything to provide for and protect them. No matter the cost, no matter the scares it would bring you, or the heartaches. They were yours & you were gearing up for battle. You may not have known it, but you were. You were forever changed that day, but what we tend to forget is that the Lord equipped us to raise warriors on that day. They would lay, crawl and walk through our homes everyday and we are called and we are summonsed to keep them from the evil one.

Will you raise up warriors?

Will you do all you can to keep them from the evil one?

Even if it means being the bad guy, the unpopular parent, raising a child who isn't like everyone else, or teaching your children to love Christ above all else. Why is it again that we exist? Is it not to honor the Lord and bring glory to His name? Is it not to raise up Christ followers who may even one day move to Africa to adopt orphans just so they may know the love of Christ, or start a crusade on their campus for physical purity, or daughters who will not believe the lies that the media tells them, and sons who will not be part of a pornography statistic. This is what I long for. This is what I desire for my little warriors that when the day of their battle is before them that they will stand strong and resist the evil one at all costs. I have to be a momma who gives my children all that they will need for the battle by giving them Christ and His truths everyday. Will you join me?

I will end with this.

Recently, I witnessed the most beautiful picture of Christ through a Daddy and his daughter. The daughter was crushed through hurtful words and lies from the evil one. She was defeated. Her armor was ragged and worn, and she hung her head low, but although the battle seemed to be lost, the Daddy came to her rescue and defeated the evil one. It was a battle! The wounded daughter, the Dad on his white horse, the evil one defeated and the daughter and Daddy wrapped up in one another. I was filled with hope, knowing that their are still parents fighting for their children, even when their children can't lift their own swords and fight, the parents come along side of them and hold the sword for their little warriors. Oh the love! Just like Christ loves you and I. Christ fought the battle for us and won! Join the battle and begin the fight today.

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