A week Away

Whew!
The last week has been a LONG one, as I was out of town for most of the week to Orlando for a work trip. Work trips are an emotional roller coaster for me, as I dread leaving Keira till I get on the plane, then I usually have a great time while I am gone for the first two days, and then after that am waiting anxiously to get home. I love being able to experience new things, however there is nothing like family!!!

When I am gone I use the free time as my sanity time to recharge for when I am at home, and have many more duties to do. :)

I got home LATE Friday night, and Keira was already asleep. I didn't even make it to bed, but rather fell asleep on the couch while talking to Austin, and proceeded to sleep the whole night there.

Around 7:30 am I heard a sweet little "Up, mommy!" and then...."Hair-Pane, come back!" (Interpretation: You came back on your airplane!). Keira and I then had a WONDERFUL little cuddle session as she climbed up onto my lap and said, "Love you" and gave me a big hug. Priceless!

One of the great things about being gone for a few days is that I notice little things that she is doing that I think I normally miss in the everyday monotony. When I got home I noticed that she crinkles her nose in the _CUTEST_ little way when she is trying to be extra sweet (or convince you of something). It absolutely melts my heart when she does that! I also noticed that she is talking _VERY WELL_ now! She is consistently using 4/5 word phrases that are clear to understand. We were leaving the house on Saturday, and she said, "Diaper bag mom"....as she thought I forgot it on our way out. What a smart little girl!

One of her favorite places to go with me now is Target to get a "Hogog" (Hotdog). She shrieks and pumps her arms in the backseat as soon as she can spot the Target sign from a 1/2 mile away. She thinks that Target is a glorified hotdog stand, and it is essential that we pick up a hotdog each time. I figure for 85 cents as a trade off for my sanity is well worth the price! She then munches on her hot dog as I shop. I have become a HUGE target fan in the past month or so as I have started enjoying the hobby of couponing, as they usually have 1) great coupons 2) great sales and 3) I can combine a manufactures coupon! Yesterday we went and my bill of $57 was $15 when we left. I was ecstatic, and came home and told Austin...who just thought I was a bit nutty for being excited about something like that! :)

As for Florida: I had a couple firsts. I tasted alligator for the first time, which tasted alot like chicken, only more tender. I was really surprised that I LOVED it! I also had the BEST steak of my entire life, at a place that smokes their steaks. I had a 24 oz ribeye which I ate every bite of! I was quite proud of that accomplishment! :) I also saw the last launch off of the Shuttle Discovery, which was actually quite anti-climatic. It was cloudly in Orlando, which is about 50 miles from Cape Canerval, and so we only briefly saw it. However, the experience was still cool to know we were watching history be made!

Well, I am going to cut this short. Thanks for reading friends!!!

Snow=Slow weeks and Crazy Love

Hello All!

I keep thinking of things that I want to blog, but never seem to have the time/energy to sit down and actually get things put down on paper....err the screen! :)
So,here is the latest update on what has been going on in my life/ and my thoughts on it.

First of all:
The last couple of weeks have been insanely slow for us compared to our normal hectic pace. I have actually really enjoyed being home more, and just relaxing, reading, and spending time with Keira and Austin. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not a home body, so this is very unusual for me! I told Austin that I am learning contentment...it's that or my iron levels are severely low; which could be the case since I have been WIPED OUT lately, and cannot get my energy back! Speaking of, I have actually started taking vitamins to boost my iron, so hopefully that will solve my tired issues soon. :)

One of the things that I have been doing on my sabbatical at home is to read the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan. Any one who claims to be a Christian...actually no matter what you claim, you should check it out. It is a great book, and challenges us to think for ourselves, but to be on fire for GOD as he deserves nothing less than that! It has been a great challenge/conviction for me! The part that has stuck out the post thus far to me is this paragraph:

"Put into perspective the brevity of our lives...In about 50 years (give or take a couple of decades) no one will remember you. Everyone you know will be dead. Certainly no one will care what job you had, what car you drove, what school you attended, or what clothes you wore."

WOW. That is all I can say about that. That was a great thing for me to read and think about, as I have always heard "life is short, flies by, etc". However, putting it in terms of 50 years (which is only 2x what I have currently lived) really puts it into perspective about how short of a life I have left...and that is considering that I actually live to be an old person (which is definitely not a guarantee, especially with me!)

As stated directly after that paragaph, "This can be terrifying or reassuring, or maybe a mix of both". Exactly my sentiments. This is so reassuring to me, as I naturally an the type of person who has to "keep up with the Joneses". My personality has always been one to want to "fit in but be spectacular...all at the same time". I have come to realize that to do that, you put alot of unneeded stress on yourself! It is alot of work to always have a car, house, clothes, kid, job, etc, that not only meets my own unrealistic standards, but also what I "think" everyone else expects! I am realizing how much time and energy I often waste on things that don't really matter. Whenever I start wanting a newer house, or feel the need to shop because I need "the newest ________ (fill in the blank)", I just remind myself that in 50 years NONE of this will matter. For me, it has been a great way to put things in perspective. I realize most of you who are reading this are probably thinking, "Duh, Ellie...did the lightbulb finally turn on?!" However, for me I have "known" all of this for a long time, however actually internalizing it for myself is a new and wonderful thing! :)

This statement is terrifying to me in a sense because it reminds me that I only have a SHORT time here on Earth. I feel moved more than ever before to make that time worthwhile. I need to be using that time to serve and share the love and truth of Jesus as much as I can, regardless of what other's think!

Whew! After that whole speech I am not saying that I don't think we should enjoy our time on this Earth...rather make good Long term decisions, and make the most use of our time here! I am learning it is always a learning process, we are never perfect, but that is not an excuse for continued failure. :)


Well...I guess I am going to have to cut this post short...the hubby thinks it is his turn to use the computer! ;)

I will post shortly with some updates on Keira, and also what one of my other new hobbies is. :)

Crossroads

Do you ever feel like you are at a huge crossroads and wish that you could see the future to know that it is going to turn out ok? I know that is not possible...and actually am happy that we can't see the future. However, sometimes it seems like it would make things so much easier!
Right now this is where I feel like my life/mental state is.

Keira will be turning two in a week, and I am sad/happy all at the same time. It seems like just yesterday she was born, yet so much has changed in that time! I have had alot of friends as of late who have gotten pregnant/had babies, and it really makes me wish that I was going through that stage again. However, at the same time I do not think that I am ready to move onto the "second child" stage yet...as I just LOVE having our little family of three. I almost wish I could just go back and relive the past two years over...as they have been absolutely wonderful! (Not sure what my deal is tonight...I am very reminiscent, which is not normally me, but writing always seems to be good for that!)

There are many other changes going on right now as well. I am in the process of transitioning to a new position in my company where I will be working at the office 3 days a week instead of 5. This is something that I have wanted, begged God for, and yearned for since the day that Keira was born. However, oddly enough rather than be exuberant for this, I am SCARED. I am scared to move out of the position that I know well, to a position that I am less familiar with. I am nervous about failing, or hating what I am doing, or losing my status in the company, and having to start my career over. However, at the same time I feel that this is a door that GOD opened wide for me, and I need to take advantage of it, and spend more time with Keira while she is still little! All of these changes have been great in the fact that they are teaching me to 1) not worry 2) trust God, as HE is in control and has obviously given me this opportunity. I AM very excited about being able to spend more time with Keira/ and ministering to others by being in the office less.

Some other exciting things that are going on right now: I have just started doing a bi-weekly Bible Study with a close friend of mine. I have always wanted to have an accountability partner for devotions, but have never actually had one. I am so excited to be able to build into her life, share my struggles and joys with her, and grow closer to God through this!

I have also been very encouraged by some other women in our church who are pursuing business ventures. For awhile I was very discouraged in our church as I felt like I was one of the few women pursuing a career as well as a family. I felt like there was no one who I could share my situation with, without being judged for being a working mom in the business world. However, whenever we thought about going somewhere else God made it very evident that he wanted us where we were...by giving us opportunities to serve in the church, or reach out to new attendees, etc. It is wonderful to see how God is blessing! We are thoroughly enjoying serving in the roles that we are able to, such as AWANA, nursery, and fellowships, and it is great to have some like-minded friends who I things in common with as well! In my mind Christian friends who I am able to go through life with make life 100% better, and I am so thankful that God has placed people in my life to encourage me, and be there through all of the curves life throws at us!

I didn't post much about Keira this time...she is a book in and of herself lately. I will try and post soon about all that is going on with her. :)

Thanks friends for reading!

Diehm Diaries 2010

I have been “wanting” to get a Christmas letter written, but had not found the time to do it until today. Consequently, our annual Christmas letter this year will be an “e-letter”. Never hurts to go green right?!



I love writing these letters as it gives me a chance to look back over the past year and summarize the events, the struggles, and the milestones. 2010 has once again been a year that has flown by. Austin and I are now beginning to realize how fast time flies. Once we had Keira it seems like time has sped up tenfold! It is a good reminder that we need to be making the most of every opportunity to live for JESUS. Our time on this earth is fleeting!



In January of 2010 our precious little girl turned ONE! She began to walk the day of her birthday party…and hasn’t stopped moving since then! This year has been great fun with her, as she has developed so many new skills. Her vocabulary is expanding at a rapid pace. Everyday she will suddenly say new phrases. One of her newest is, “Oh my goooodess”. We have discovered that she has a very motivated, passionate personality, which makes for fun and challenging days! She also has a very sweet side that she gets from Austin. She is a fun mix of both of our personalities, and we are enjoying the adventure of parenthood to the fullest! She goes to “Ama Jane and Papa’s House” about 3-4 days per week while we work, ( my parents) and visits “Ama Lea” and her other “Papa” quite often in the evenings. (Austin’s parents). She loves to dance to “Papa Dwight’s” country gospel music. She will run into his office and blare it while dancing….I am not so sure about the genre choice, but it is very cute! At “Ama Lea and Papa Steve’s” she walks in the door and loves to get a “nac” which usually involves ICE CREAM. :)



In March, I went to Lake Tahoe for work, and Austin joined me for a weekend. We were able to ski “Heavenly Resort” on the edge of Lake Tahoe. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I would love to go again! The main run at the resort was named, “Ellie’s slide” which I thought was pretty cool!



In May, Austin and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary. We are so thankful that God brought us together. It seems like we have been together forever, but just met at the same time! We didn’t do anything big this year, as we are planning to go on a cruise for our 5 year. :)

In June, we took a small vacation to Kansas City. It was wonderful to just get out of town for a few days. We took Keira to a waterpark, a Clifford exhibit, and also went to the Federal Reserve Bank and watched them process money!



In August, my sister Charis, got married. It was a wonderful day and we are so happy to have another man join the Oswald clan! :) We also went to the Offutt Airshow for the first time. Keira loved seeing all of the planes!



In September, we made the annual trek up to Sioux Falls, SD for Lifelight Christian music festival, which is a weekend of Christian concerts and thousands of people. We opted to leave Keira at home this year, since she is so mobile. We had a great time camping, and spending time worshiping in the outdoors with Charis and Nate, and Charity.



In October, we hosted our annual harvest party which was a blast! Keira was a "meow" and loved her costume. We also took her to Vala's for the first time. She discovered that smoked turkey legs were GREAT! Dad hardly got to eat any of his! :)



The last quarter of 2010 has been a whirlwind, of work, play, and life in general! Austin and I are leading Sparks at our Awana club this year for the first time. We work with about 15 K-2nd graders each Wednesday night. My mom is also helping, so it is a fun family affair! We are really enjoying the opportunity to serve and build into the lives of some of the younger kids in our church!



Austin continues to work at Council Bluffs Savings Bank, which he loves. We are so blessed that he has a stable job, with great hours. His company is very family orientated, which is a huge blessing as well! He is currently the Teller Supervisor, and also a Personal Banker.



I (Ellie) continue to work for Perigon Networks, which is a webhosting company. I continue to enjoy my job, as it is always a learning experience, and there is never a dull moment! Since we are a small company I get to fill many different roles including Billing Manager, Human Resources, and I just recently became Vice President of the Corporation. I love the position, as I feel like I am in a comprehensive business internship everyday!



As we close out 2010, we are thankful for many things. Most importantly, we are thankful for JESUS and that he came to earth, and died on the cross to pay the penalty for our sin. Believing on him alone is the ONLY way to heaven, and we are so thankful that he was willing to pay the price for our sins so that we can go to heaven!



We are also so thankful for the friends and family that God has given us. He has blessed us with many relationships that make life fun and enjoyable. We appreciate the encouragement that you are to us, and pray that we are the same to you!

Love,

Austin, Ellie, and Keira Diehm.

Life is in Fast Forward Mode

One of my friends reminded me tonight that it has been quite awhile since I have posted! It is late (of course) but I thought I would jot a few notes about life as of late. One word can describe it.....CRAZY! I don't know what happened, but we are now busy almost every night of every week, and it is exhausting! I love being involved in every activity that we are involved in, but told Austin that we cannot commit to any other weekly activity. The bad news is Keira isn't even in school, sports, or any activities of her own yet!

To talk about Keira:

She is now 20 months old and more passionate, confident, and determined than ever. My mom and I (ok....mostly my mom) have tried to start potty training her, but after a few days of failed attempts decided to wait for a bit, rather than reach the brink of insanity. Some of Keira's favorite things currently:

1. She LOVES to be outside. She can spot our neighborhood park from 2 blocks away. We try to make a habit of going at least a couple of times per week. She loves to "swing", "SIDE" and just run in general. The bigger the slide the better. We have learned that she is quite the daredevil!

2. Her favorite thing is the "PUPPPY" She hollers his name incessantly, loves to give him rubs, and counts at him to come if she feels he is not behaving. One her favorite phrases is still "PUPPY....NO, NO!" It is hilarious, but I am sure Kenai is wishing I would follow through on my threats of shipping him off to a new home!

3. Keira has also become quite the talker! She really started repeating/ using two-three word phrases, and expanding her vocabulary in the past couple weeks. She loves to say "dat" and point to things until we figure out what "dat" is. :)She says, "I dunno", "I love you", and many other phrases quite clearly. She also loves to dress herself, repeat anything she hears, and sing. She sings the "whoooo,Whooa" part of the Casting Crowns song "Until the Whole World Hears" with perfect pitch. We catch her walking around the house singing it to herself. She will aslo start singing this whenever we say the word, "sing". It is hilarious!

Beyond Keira:

Austin is staying very busy with classes. He is finishing up his second course at Grace, and has about 12 months left in his 15 month accelerated program. He is doing great, and really enjoying school for the first time. I am so happy that he has finally found what he really has a passion for studying (the Bible classes). We have enjoyed spending time as a family on the weekends around Omaha. We recently went to Vala's for the first time, and had a great time! Keira loved it, and I think I had just as much fun!

Austin and I are also leading AWANA sparks at Southview this year for the first time. We are loving getting to spend time and build into the lives of the K-2nd graders that we work with. It is very rewarding and something that we enjoy doing each week! :)

I am staying very busy with work, keeping up on the house, learning how to do payroll for a small company, and making time to socialize with friends, and have some playdates for Keira. I am anxiously waiting for the day where I can work less and be closer to a stay at home mom. Work is stressful as usual, but my goal and the conviction that I feel God has been putting on my heart as of lately is to be content. I realize that God has placed me in the environment that I am in for a reason. I want to make the most of the opportunity that I have and be a good testimony. I feel like it is always a struggle, but I am always praying that God will help me to be bold, not to compromise, and to be a strong, consistent testimony. I would love to cut back to a Part time job somewhere tomorrow, and I often feel like the light at the end of the tunnel is too far away. However, Austin feels it is best for me to stay at my current job, full time for now. I respect his leadership and choose to make the most of my current opportunities and enjoy what God has given to me currently. I am learning to trust God with the future, and not hurry it along! :)

Well that is a brief summary of our lives as of late. It is my bedtime, goodbye till next time!

Keira is 18 months old!

I was browsing the web and realized it has been 6 months since I have put an update on here! I really need to be better at posting on this more often, so that I don't write books every time I am on here! :)

Well, to start with obviously Keira's first birthday has come and gone a long time ago, and we are well on our way to her 2nd! I can't believe how fast she is growing and changing, however I am enjoying the fact that she has seemed to slow down just a bit from the first year, where you just blinked and she changed!

We took her to the doctor this weekend because she has been sick. She still weighs in at a petite 20 lbs. :) She has weighed that since she was 15 months old, so we are not gaining much weight, but she has in height! Lately every time I put a dress on her, it is about 2-3 inches shorter than the last time.

Her FAVORITE place to be now is outside, doing anything, no matter what the temperature. She now stands at the door, and will whine "owwwsidde". She loves to play in the new sandbox that daddy built her, go up and down the slide, and swing on her swing and the "big kid" swing. When we go on a walk to the park she starts screaming with joy and kicking to get out of her stroller when we are a block away. She loves to do everything at the play ground including all the big slides by herself.

In the past few weeks I have noticed that she is really starting to comprehend things. I will ask her questions and she often repeats what I say, or will do what I ask. If I tell her we are going bye bye, she will go to her room, get her shoes, and then find me to put them on, saying, "SHEEEWW" the whole time. She went through a stage for a couple weeks where she insisted on ONLY wearing her Crocs. We had a few discussions about me being the adult, not her, and that she couldn't wear hot pink crocs with her Sunday dress. :) My mom has told me that I started insisting on picking my outfits out at the age of 2, so I am assuming that Keira must be following my "great" example! ;)

Keira is also very good at sweet talking her way out of trouble. If I tell her to come and she doesn't, I will count down. When I do this, she has recently starting mimicking me saying, "Ooone" , "OOOH" and "EEE" and she SLOWLY walks towards me. This makes it very hard for me to keep a straight face!!! :) Whenever Austin tells her to look him in the eyes, she will roll her eyes and look everywhere but to him. When he finally gets her attention she wrinkles her nose and pouts out her lip in surrender. We personally think it is absolutely adorable!

Two of Keira's other favorite activities currently are driving and dancing. Whenever we go to the car, she tries to open up the drivers side and climb in and steer. She is often very disappointed when she has to be "demoted" to the carseat in back. I keep saying she is 18 months going on 18 years! She also loves to dance to her music. However, she does not think it is funny when mommy joins her. When I try to dance with her, she often gives me the "LOOK". When she does that it looks as if she is saying, "Come on mom, you are embarrassing me".

Keira's vocabulary is also expanding. Her favorite phrase to say is "I dunno!" Whenever you ask her a question, she often shrugs her shoulders, turns up her hands, and says "I dunno?!" with quite the little attitude :) Sometimes we ask her questions just to get this reaction. :) Her other words include, puppy (she ADORES him), papa, mommy, daddy, all done, bye-bye, hi, no (which she says VERY clearly) and her latest...MINE.

Well, it is getting late so I will cut this "short" :). We are so thankful to have her a part of our lives, she is an always changing joy! We pray that God will give us the wisdom and strength to raise her in a Godly home, and that she will come to know him early on in life.

We are having her 18 month pictures on Friday, I will try to post some soon! :)

Charis' wedding is also next week and Keira is the flower girl, so I will try post pictures of that as well!

Keira: Quickly Approaching the 1 year milestone!

I looked back through my blog and realized that it was September the last time I posted. In that time, we have had 3 major snowstorms, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, among all of the normal things. Whew, alot has happened! To start with, Keira has quickly become acquainted with this thing we endearingly refer to as "snow". We have had three storms since the beginning of December that have resulted in at least a couple feet of snow. After the first storm we bought a small plastic sleigh and hooked Kenai up to it. We had him pull her down the hill in the sleigh. She had a blast! It was alot of fun for mom and dad as well, as we had the chance to be overgrown kids for a little bit! :)

For Halloween, we had a Harvest Party at our house and Keira was a monkey, and a very cute one with a bow on her head at that. :) She had alot of fun sneaking candy out of the bowl and enjoying all of the people, although she wasn't a huge fan of the costume, which she felt inhibited her ability to move. Afterwards we decided that she may have made a better tiger, as her favorite thing to do is "growl" to get attention. She will do it for any and all ranges of the emotions to get her point across. :)

Thanksgiving came, and we went to Grandma Jane and Grandma Lea's house. Keira had some of Great Grandma Oswald's stuffing, and LOVED it! She ate like a little pig all day, as her menu consisted of mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, apple and chocolate pie, and many other things. At the end of the day she had the cutest little pot belly! :)

Of course we had to show her what Black Friday was all about too! We left her home until about 7:30am, and she then hit the malls with us! She was very good, and finally ended up settling for a nap in the stroller when she decided we were taking to much time! She loved all of the crowds of course, and really thought that it was just one big party, as she sat in her stroller, munching on cheerios and taking in the crowds.

Christmas was exciting this year as it was our first one with Keira! I remember this time last year as I was anxiously awaiting her arrival and preparing myself for the anticipated life change that was quickly approaching. It was great to have her with us and crawling around getting into everything. On Christmas Eve we went to my parents and she insisted on "helping" Grandma Jane play the Christmas Hymns while we sang. She sung at the top of her lungs of course too! She didn't know what to think of the gifts at first, but quickly decided it was easier to let mom or dad open them, and then she would just enjoy the toy that was included inside. :) Aunt Faith and Charity made her a Princess stool that was absolutely adorable! Of course, Keira's favorite part of the evening was chowing down on the chocolate peanut butter cookies that Grandma Jane made. She shared with Kenai quite willingly as well, in exchange for him allowing her to pet him. :)

Christmas Day was a memorable day in more ways than one, as 14 inches of snow fell on Christmas Eve into Christmas Day and none of the streets were plowed. We got up and enjoyed making breakfast and having our own little family Christmas, as we were snowed in and could not go to the family's as early as had been planned. My this time Keira had gotten the hang of opening gifts and she decided that she liked that more than the toys. :) We then headed over to the Diehms for Christmas, with those who could make it. Keira got 1/2 of Toys R Us, but her favorite thing was a little cell phone that flipped open, and she could say "hi" to all who would listen from it. :)

We had some very special guests come and visit for New Years as Kyle, Leighanne, and Hayden came! Hayden had grown up so much, and Keira had a great time playing with her! They were great entertainment for each other, and we thought that was great, as they were pre-determined friends before they were born. :)

Last week I was gone to Reno for work all week, and Keira was very sad. She has gotten more clingy as of lately, and she has decided it is ok for mom to go to work for the day, but no longer than that. It has been great to be back home and have some good cuddle time with her. She melts my heart and love it when she lets me cuddle and snuggle with her, as I know that it will not be long and she will not let me do that anymore! In the meantime, I am taking full advantage of it. I love to sit and rock her and just feel her warm, fuzzy head rub against my chin. :) I have also noticed that she LOVES to read books as of recently. She will gladly sit on my lap and let me read to her. She gets very excited and acts like she is listening intently. It is alot of fun for me, and I am anxiously looking forward to taking her to the library for story times soon! :)

We have also noticed that Keira is quite the social butterfly, as she makes eye contact with anyone possible and says, "hi" while emphasizing the whole word with her mouth movement. She says that word most frequently, although she is quite the chatterbox in her own little language. She loves to talk up a storm, and tell you what she is happy about, or grumble about her complaints.

Another thing that she has started to do recently is to organize everything. I will throw goldfish (her favorite snack) onto her highchair and she will methodically pick them up one at a time and move them to one side in a pile. It is hilarious, but makes me think she is very smart, and maybe a bit, OCD, lol.

Another one of her favorite things is to take baths! She loves to play in the water, and will use her hands to make huge splashes. She also loves to play with all of her foam toys and practice sticking them to the wall. I am not worried about swim lessons for her, as she loves to dip her face in the water, just to test her bravery. She usually comes up spitting and laughing. What a crazy little girl! ;)

She continues to be an energizer bunny who does not like to sleep, however, we are working on this, as she has gotten much better at going to bed with only minimal crying lately. I have tried to start a routine of reading to her right before bed each night and she seems to like this, as she has a newfound love of books. :)

I am making preparations for her first birthday, which will be here in just over two weeks! Time flies, I am excited for her birthday but sad at the same time as things have gone so fast! One of my goals for this next year is to post shorter, but more frequent posts so that I don't forget all of the little things that she is doing. :) I will attempt to post close to her first birthday :)