Grampa and Poppy love Ellie

It's really cute how John Bishop and my dad enjoy Ellie together; but not without some friendly competition...My dad was out walking on a Sunday morning at the Bishop's house (good job, dad!) and Danny and Cherith gave Ellie to my dad to walk back. John came out to get his little granddaughter, and she wasn't there! Here comes my dad, just as proud as a peacock, carryin' Ellie down the driveway. I hear John say, "You ole dog! You beat me to it!" What pround boys! I have a feeling this is just the beginning of their friendly competition....there are more babies on the way!

Can't Get Enough...

Of my nieces, that is. I love being an aunt. It's so fun...Going to Arkansas is a blast cause I get to be with my sweet little niece...Ellie! I could squeeze the livin' gizzard out of 'er! I wish that Cherith lived closer so I could take her and watch her and thereby become the favored aunt, but
she's not too far away. Take a look...You'll fall in love with her right away! Pretty as a picture!

We Love Saturdays

Saturdays are pretty fun. We usually sleep in, mosey around the house for a while and I like to make Ryan a nice breakfast. Today it was cinnamon-raisin french toast with blueberries and strawberries. I like the way cooking breakfast makes the house smell. He's so cute. He looks like a happy little boy here...
Then, after a while, we went to work out at the Y. Ryan's swimming is rapidly improving...I'd better watch out....He's gettin' pretty good. Then, we came home and I made us a huge salad with lots of good stuff...spinach, butter lettuce, walnuts, olives, tomatoes, avocados, cheese and chicken (thinly sliced, the way rp likes it). It made us feel quite healthy...Unannounced to me, Ryan filmed me. But, it was a lovely lunch...you might even hear my french cafe music in the background!

Anway, we just love hangin out...especially on Saturdays!

Suprise Visit...Kind of

A couple of months ago, I really started to miss the sisters I lived with in Anaheim. Ryan and I prayed about having Jane come to visit in October, and I was thrilled! I actually had Jane book the flight, because she's so good at that kind of stuff. (She's tiny, but she's really smart, spunky, quick, and cute). She sent me the confirmation and I had it in my mind it was the last weekend of October...Well, I made a boo-boo. I remember thinking how I was going to make this big weekend plan so that not a minute would be wasted...Come Thursday night, I received a phone call and I hear Jane say, "Nat! I'm here! My flight arrived early!" (She meant minutes early...She didn't know how early!) Anyway, I was running around the house like a mad woman, but I made it to airport eventually.

So much for my big plans. It actually worked out great because Ryan was gone to Texas and I had a sweet companion to stay with me. Jane's an LA girl, so she saw some different parts of the country. I'm so glad she drove me around in Anaheim...She was such a good driver and her map skills were excellent (whew!) and...I was definitely a fish out of water! Anyway, She stayed in a real log cabin with a big front porch, wind chimes, a lazy dog named Billy Bob and 2 feisty cats named Frank and Beans. It was so much fun.

We talked and sang and laughed until our voices were hoarse. At the end of our two years in California, we had to give a little quote that described our experience...We both joked that our quotes would be one another's names. I couldn't imagine my time there without her. I remember sharing with her about my feelings for Ryan. I had determined to keep them all to myself, but when I got around Jane, I felt like I couldn't act naturally and that she must see I was bothered and trying to hide something. It was really perfect because I trusted her not to give a girly "ahhh, that's so cute!" , but to pray with me and help me commit it to the Lord.

So, my weekend was so refreshing and sweet. I just noticed that something in me felt so happy after she left. It reminds me of 2Cor7:3... "For you in are in our hearts, for our dying together and our living together."

This is us just singin away...The voice of the filmer is Ryan Pagel.:)

Amanda

This is my sister/walking buddy Amanda. I don't think I've ever heard her not say, "Hey Nat. How are ya?" in her sweet melodic tone. You're usually thinking...Well, if I wasn't fine before, I'm fine now. She's natural--naturally pretty, naturally good at stuff, naturally loves the outdoors, ect. We both have squirrelish tendencies--we like dried fruits and nuts. We also like baked sweet taters and dark chocolate. She's saved my life a few times when I've been overcome with a need for chocolate. We lived together before I got married, which was tons of fun. She's organized, tidy, and pretty much never late. She's not a talker, so obviously I have a few more things to say than her. :p Oh yeah...and I can't forget....she has dimples! Not just cheek dimples, but a dimple close to her eye...you see it when she smiles...it's so cute! Ok I'd better be quiet now...she's probably embarrassed.
But, we have passed many hours walking in the cold, heat, wind, and pouring rain (remember that time at the training? We got soaked!) Most of those times have been building times of prayer, times of which words cannot even describe how precious.
Maybe when we get old, we'll still go on little walks together..I'd like that.

Cap'n Colvin and Private Natalie

This is the infamous Celeste. We were partners serving together as staff members of the campus club last year. But, we go way back. We have a picture of us 10 years ago and we both have short hair. I remember talking with my sisters about who we think is one of the prettiest people we had ever met and Celeste was one of em. She would hate that, but I don't care. She's always got rosy cheeks and a happy bright countenance. She gets really excited about stuff...she loves to be in the middle of everything and no one can have fun or laugh without her.:) Her background is military so we made a lovely combination. The Lord has quite a sense of humor. Growing up, I loved to snuggle and she loved to wrestle. I have this picture here because she despises hugging, and this is one of the few times she has given me a hug. I proudly display it in my living room.

But, don't let her fool you...She is such a softie. She is constantly thinking about things that people need and picking them up here and there and along the way. One time, I opened her trunk and there was this little bike in there. I knew she had bought if for this little girl we both knew. I exclaimed, "Oh Celeste! You are soooo sweet!" She acted mad and said, "I am not sweet!" Whatev. (that's her word). She bought me my fancy onion chopper...I love it!

Poor thing, she was with me during my short engagement and first 6 months of marriage! I remember talking to her about how when I get married, I'll need to ask Ryan about buying stuff and how I was a bit confused about when I should call him. She would just say..."If you want something, buy it. You don't need to ask him about every little thing." I just laughed. I was quite a case at times. She knew if I had a long talk or "words" with Ryan, because I would come to work the next day with puffy eyes. She would just ask, "What's wrong." She didn't accept my, "Uh, nothing..." I thank the Lord for that. We have spent countless hours singing, praying, reading, talking, crying (well maybe more me), shopping, cooking, and eating together. We love each other...we just say it in different ways.

Pagel Girls

Here's a picture of Ryan's mom and me on my wedding day. Ryan gets his beautiful smile from her. It's been fun getting to know her. I remember the first time Ryan told me about her...I was probing for details...anything...what's she like, what color are her eyes, ect...He wasn't much for details. He said, "I think brown." Hmm. When I asked him what things she's good at, he said, "Man, my mom never misses anything. She's good at remembering things and she does stuff like hanging wallpaper and little home projects." Suddenly in my mind, the shoes I had to fill became like snow shoes--I could just see myself clumsily tripping around...and me, hanging wallpaper? What a potential catastrophe! So, I already began to appreciate her before we even met!
So, I met Sharon when Ryan and I were already engaged. She did really well transitioning to mother-in-law, especially considering that Ryan didn't give much notice beforehand on his feelings for me. She's raised 4 boys, (well, 5 including Kim!) and all of them are just as sweet as pie, very cordial, intellegent, and handsome; however, they're still yucky boys and sometimes you just need a girl to talk to! Boys simply don't understand some things. She's done so well, having survived in a house full of them!
I like to call her and just talk...you know, for the sake of talking. There doesn't have to be a reason. She really loves the Lord and she loves to share her experience of Christ with me, which is above all, most precious in our relationship. We pray together about stuff and she's been sharing her experience of her many years of marriage, which is very much appreciated. She's always busy, taking care of people's needs. (She can work circles around me!)
Well, I'm not exactly filling those aforementioned snow-shoes, but I don't think I have to. (Whew!) Sharon and I have a lot in common anyway--we both love Ryan! And, we love musicals, and one day, we'll leave the boys behind and go out to see Phantom or My Fair Lady and drink coffee and eat chocolate in tribute to simply being Pagel girls.