Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had enjoyed time with your loved ones! The Sommers family had so much fun (as always!) 

My parents went to Albany to get my favorite pizza (YUMMY-thanks parents) and then we proceeded to EAT! my stomach is still recovering (time to get back on plan starting now!) and then sister got me all dolled up for Christmas Eve services. She is so talented with hair and make up (new career move perhaps deetie?)

Christmas Eve services were great, although deetie wasn't feeling well, so no Sommers family picture in front of the tree. :( 

We then came home and continued to eat and open PRESENTS! but we always read the Christmas story from the bible first, which I love! Also funny story during church we took communion and when my sister passed it to me, so passed it like SUPER fast, I couldn't even put the cup back fast, it was so funny, we both cracked up laughing (oops-now I remember why we always sat in the back!).

I got a vaccum from my siblings so I'm so excited to clean! LOL! I think that officially means I'm old! ha!

We then ended up playing games like all night long (way past my bed time-again I'm old!) and we played Krebs (or is it Kreps?) but me and sister didn't do very well. Oh well. 

We finally went to bed and when I woke sister up on Christmas morning I said "Hey, so there was a strange man here last night and he said 'ho, ho, ho'..... we opened santa gifts and then Kevin and his new girlfriend (who is great!) went to her family for Christmas and then we proceeded to eat and sleep (notice a theme at the Sommers house?) ha! 

So much fun! I hope your Christmas was equally fabulous!

Here's to a great 2018 and now its time to get back into the working out regime! LOL!

Update on my job! 5 months on 11/26

Nystrom & Associates, Ltd.

7 hrs · 

"Let our hearts overflow with thankfulness..." - Colossians 2:7

Have a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

Due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we will be closed Thursday, November 23rd and Friday, November 24th.

Nystrom & Associates, Ltd.

I LOVE my job! AND my boss made sure that we knew that a nativity set would be put up behind the front desk and its like a kids play set, but its SO cute! 

Also I had lot's of positive interactions with patients yesterday. One of them told me she always appreciates that her don't make her feel crazy and I told her that everyone (myself included) have stuff they go through, but it just warmed my heart that she told me that.

I also had another guy tell me I do a great job in front of one of our doctors! And then we had another patient tell me and another receptionists how much she likes all of us at Nystrom. 

Don't get me wrong though, there are tough days/times working in mental health, but its so rewarding when I see people graduate from our chemical dependency groups. I just had one guy graduate who we all loved and he was so super nice, but he said he would visit every so often and would come check out our new building in Sartell when its open next summer.

So things are good at the job front after almost 5 months!

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Happy bday to me! I'm 33! Yikes stripes!

Also Happy Thanksgiving! So much to be thankful for.... family and good health! 

#33isgonnabegood

2018 Olympics skating season update

I say how on May 4th I wished for Tessa and Scott to skate to a star wars themed free dance for this olympic season, well they aren't, but they are skating to


(DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!)


Moulin Rouge! Which i LOVE! eeekkk!!!

Is it Feb 2018 yet??? Yes I realize I live in MN and our winters are brutal, but this girl is excited! Also I passed on a trip to Hawaii so I could stay home and watch the olympics. Yup, I'm crazy! :)

Thrive Conference 2017

So you may have seen my most recent post (before this one) of how I describe my introversion (is this a word sister?) and after having gone to the Thrive Women's conference in my back yard (literally!) I want to change that. The theme was audacious love, and audacious means to be bold and daring and I'm going to try very hard to not be so shy and quiet. I know that this won't change overnight, but I'm just so inspired, by my girl Lysa T (it's Terkherust, but that is so hard to spell, so whenever you see Lysa T you know who I'm talking about). I feel like God speaks to me through Lysa. She is going through a rough patch with her marriage and she was speaking from Genesis (and I was like "Really Lysa, Genesis-that's one of those every Easter, every Christmas kind of messages that most people know about, but she really talked about how that devil is so slithery and likes to bring us down and I'm starting to realize that this is very true for myself. I tend to be very hard on myself. I just started a new job and its been a rough transition. I need to listen to the Lord telling me that I am doing just fine and not listen to Satan telling me lies.

So I'm going to start telling Satan to just leave me alone.... outloud. I'll keep you updated. If Lysa's messages from this weekend make it onto youtube, I'll be sure to post them.

I was just realizing too how emotional I get right after the speaker issues a challenge at the end of their message and the bad comes out to play and then the speaker gets emotional and that sets me off EVERY SINGLE TIME, since I was a kid this has happened. And it still happens today. I think its the Holy Spirit truly convicting me. I used t think it was annoying, and would try to not cry, but now I'm just like "leave me a lone satan and let me cry!". And just a note to bring kleenex to the next one Kristin! LOL!

Hope you all have a beautiful rest of the weekend and let's have a great week! 

PS How crazy is it that Lysa T was in my hometown (and this is her second time in three years!!!) We're meant to be besties. My friend Lori and I saw her get in her get away car, and I wanted to say something or shake her hand, but I was too nervous. Of course! when she just said to be audacious, I couldn't do it. See-this might take a little time to put into practice! LOL!

this is me.....

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/21765054_1977494385819400_1848996757786351098_n.jpg?oh=9a697ac273df117be3747618c286560e&oe=5A3ECCBF

Happy Fall y'all!!!

Sorry I've been so bad about posting!! LOL-not much has changed!

The new job at Nystrom and Associates is getting better and I just love Fall! And the MN Twins are in the play offs!! EEKK! they play a one game do or die match against the Yankees of all teams (ugh, I just despise them!) and I hope they make it further! fingers crossed!

Also DWTS just started and its now officially the 2018 Olympics figure skating season! and all of the fun holidays and my birthday are almost here! YAH!

How are you?? please update me.... maybe you're better at it then I am!

last day at SCMG :(

So 06/22 was my last day at SCMG. So sad to have to say good bye to so many friends. It was tough. Karen got me some diet soda from the pharmacy (they didn’t have diet dew) so she said to embrace change, and I go “they didn’t have diet dew, did they?” and she responds with “nope!”. LOL! I’m gonna miss her!

I worked with Karen and Karla on my last day. I fed Suzanne’s fish Freddy (I better get updates on him from you Snuzzie!)

I said good bye to my call center girls upstairs (Patti, Shirley, and Heidi!) no tears-yah!

Then Dr. Donnelly and Dr. Mueller said good bye. KJD shook my chair while I was on the phone and I almost screamed. They were both so sweet. BBM even said he wanted to figure out a way to quarantine my desk so I had to stay. Dr. Tjaden was so sweet and said she wouldn’t allow me to leave. A couple days earlier she wouldn’t even sign a rep’s ipad unless I stayed. LOL! I’m gonna miss my doctors! Dr. Donnelly was so sweet since hearing that I was leaving he did everything he could think of to get me to stay including giving me sad eyes, telling me NAL was out of business. We have such great docs!

Even one of the nurses that I don’t get along with so well was sad, which kinda surprised me. Everyone on facebook was so nice to me too! It makes a person feel good.

Karen made sure that she was my last phone call, so that was funny!

My supervisor wanted to say good bye, but said that I could leave early, since it was slow, but she wanted to say good bye first, but she wasn’t anywhere to be found when I was told I could leave, so it was a bummer to miss her. Karen said later that our supervisor was so teary eyed, which made me sad.

All around it was a great last day. Sad to say good bye, but I’m so excited for new job at Nystrom and Associates that I start on Monday 06/26. Please pray! I get so nervous, excited, anxious, etc.

Happy belated May the 4th (aka Star Wars Day!)

May the force be with you... get it?? I'm totally a star wars nerd. Here are some awesome posts I found through the day...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_AA-5TXkAESQaf.jpg

OH MY GOSH! What if Tessa and Scott (my favorite ice dancers) skate to a star wars program for the olympics next year?? I would FREAK out!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_AjBu4U0AESUVu.jpg

and the Backstreet Boys as Star Wars Characters! Love Nick Carter as Princess Leia! If I ever have kids I want to plan to have them on May 4th and if I had twins (one girl and one boy!) what names would you guess I would pick?? LOL!!!!

May the 4th be with you, and also with you!! (isn't that like a church line???)

woah. this video made me really think.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6md638smQd8

I'm pretty terrible at witnessing- shy, quietness doesn't usually equal being a minister, but this makes me sad and really want to tell the world about my faith. Does anyone else struggle with this or is it just me???

Happy Easter!! He has risen, He has risen INDEED!!!

I love Easter! So great to celebrate the birth of our Risen Savior! we celebrated today as a family, I am so blessed that we are all Christians in our household.

The Easter bunny came and hid us kids gas giftcards, thanks Easter Bunny and mom and dad! LOL! we also celebrated my parents being married 37 years ago on 04.11. During the nap time portion of the day (we usually start with lunch, then hang out, naps and leave) we were asking mom about there wedding, like who was all in it and the ceremony details and how they met and dated. Even though I've heard most of it before, its still fun to hear how they met, dated, and got married.

We also played with Casey our dog (aka baby sister!) and just hung out, so fun!

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter and remember what Christ had to endure for our sins.

Please watch this video, its from a passion play that is a family favorite, love this song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2Q5rg4AhvI

wise words from Lysa TerKeurst

Do you ever catch yourself getting into a funk because of the way someone looks at you or talks to you or maybe even the way they choose NOT to talk to you? We feel put off, and then we put on a ratty robe of rejection and wear it all day long.

But I don’t want to keep being a slave to my runaway emotions and assumptions. I don’t want my days to be dictated by the moods of other people. And I really don’t want the rejections of my past feeding my propensity to feel rejected today.

I want the kind of emotional stability I read about in the Bible:

“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17 ESV)

I love the thought that God is in our midst and that He will quiet me by His love.

Yes, please. I’ll take an extra-large order of that every morning. Today, instead of allowing off-kilter interactions with others to cause a downward spiral of wonky feelings, let’s ask God to quiet us with His love.

Lord, we are predetermining that no matter what happens today or how people react to us, we are going to stand on the truth that You love us. Your love is a fact that doesn’t change, not a feeling that sways with situations. May Your love settle us and bring out the best in us today. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Isn't it amazing how we can feel so rejected by people?? Help me Lord, to remember that you love me no matter what, and that is the most important love I can receive from anyone. I so needed to hear this today and maybe you do to. Blessings friends.

Love, Kristin

Doing Lent Together Challenge

So I joined a facebook group that is doing a lent challenge of not giving up food or anything like that, but giving up malicious talk and gossip. This is something I struggle with, so I joined and have noticed that I've been doing better, but today was a struggle, I can remember some moments of not saying what I was going to, but today took a bad hit, ugh.

This was one of the posts, which really resonated with me. It talks about not just not saying mean things, but not even think them. This hit home, even though I might not say the bad words or thoughts, I should not even be saying them.

https://scontent-ort2-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16641021_687170154787821_8659602295170089042_n.jpg?oh=b4596ebc0507add388c00e807605644d&oe=59609B47

take a look at this post....

If you are on FB, you should consider joining, its called Doing Lent Together Challenge and every day there are three posts with a quote, bible verse and a prayer. Its based off of a book by a Christian author named Karen Ehman and the book is called Zip It. I don't have the book yet, but the daily posts are great reminders, so check it out!

Happy Friday!

my week off was HEAVENLY!!!

so I puppy sat for my parents last week (while they were in Florida) and it was so wonderful! I've now experienced what its like to be retired and I cannot wait. Only have 40 more years to go! LOL!!!

It was just nice to take a breathier, but going back to work after a week off is SOOOOO hard. ugh. could use some prayers, I'm sure reading my emails alone will take forever.

Lord help me to remember to just breathe and I started a challenge for Lent (not lint-which is what I thought it was called when I was a kid-LOL!) to not say bad things about others. So if you catch me gossiping or talking bad about others call me out on it please. This challenge is so needed for me, its so hard, especially in customer service.

Wish me luck! Let's have a great week!

PS so happy my parents are home, our puppy is such a handful and always needs attention! LOL! I love her though! I used a line that my mom always told us kids "keep playing nicely", which she would say when my brother was about to beat up me and my sister. ha! I kept telling Casey, "You are supposed to be an outdoor dog, so go play- and keep playing nicely!" heehee!! So fun to be back at the house I grew up in, when I walked the dog I would go on all the trails that I went on as a kid, so nice to just get away. I encourage anyone who can to take a week off work, its so refreshing! let's hope it lasts!

check out this message....

so good, so scary, so thought provoking! its called three chairs

http://freegrace.tv/watch-talks

okay seriously, just read this and it is totally what my pastor talked about last sunday....

check it out here:

http://annvoskamp.com/2017/02/how-to-be-intentional-about-building-our-best-word-robe/

and she even talks about Moses and his "speech impairment". Its amazing how God just knows what you need to read.

I forgot in that verse that God says to Moses, "Did I not give you the ability to talk or not? I will give you the words", this is such a great reminder to not put limits on God. He knows what he's doing!

wow-today's message was AMAZING!

and I mean that in a good and scary way....

I will post it when it goes on the website, I think Thursday??

It was about witnessing, which is something that I've always struggled with. I'm uber shy and quiet, so the thought of having to bring people to Christ gives me a lot of anxiety. I like to think of myself as Moses in the Bible and that when he was too scared to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, God sent Moses his brother Aaron, which is kind of ironic for me because my sister Jackie is someone that I've always looked up to (and not just because she's older, because I'm taller than she is!) but because of how Godly she is. So that story really resonates with me, big word for me right sister (she's also the writer/grammar police in the family).

Then close to the end of the message our pastor asked who have you brought to Christ in the last 3-6 months, and my goal has always been to bring someone to Christ. For awhile it was to bring a specific friend to Christ, but our friendship ended a while ago, but I still keep praying for the change to baptize someone that I bring to Christ.

I feel like a bad Christian for not having brought someone to Christ, this is a goal for me though. I do hope that my actions can make me stick out, but I know I need to witness. Does anyone else struggle with this? My family have even bought me Christian clothing, but I just feel like I don't know enough about Christ (even though I've known him my whole life) and because he is not a physical human that I can introduce people to, that is what I struggle with.

What about you? Or is it just me?

THEN...... the pastors wife was talking about how she donated the price of another ticket for her sons field trip and just wrote on the check "scholarship for another student" and it just made me feel so stingy. I've always been very careful with my money, but I know I need to work on this.

Wow, this message was so good that it still has me digesting it and I heard it this morning and its 11:30 at night. I'm gonna post it when its on the churches website. I would love to get your opinion about it.

PS I do think its great that a message has such a profound affect on me and is making me think different things.... so let the discussion begin!

Hard work pays off

It's amazing to me how drained I can feel at the end of a work week. This Friday was different though because one of our physicians assistant was retiring. very sad since she is wonderful, sometimes we as receptionist are not treated very well by other staff, and I've always liked working with this PA. She's very nice and makes sure to explain what I need to do to help her patients.

These last couple of days she has been having lunch with staff just to say good bye, etc and I didn't get the chance to eat with her, so I asked a coworker if I should pull this PA aside, just to say thanks for everything and enjoy retirement. My coworker said that I should, so I pulled her aside and she was so complimentary about my work ethic and how much she has enjoyed working with me. and she gave me a hug, my coworker told me that she wasn't hugging other people over her lunch farewells, and I almost started to cry. It feels so good to be recognized for your hard work. That is why I work as hard as I do. I tend to be very guarded and quiet at work, just to avoid drama, so to even approach this PA was kind of intimidating, but I'm so glad I did.

We're gonna miss you EBW, enjoy retirement! Thank you for being so great to all of your staff!

Anxiety

I think I've had anxiety since I was a young kid. I've always been really shy and quiet and still am to this day.

Well sometimes my anxiety can turn into a panic attack and my family are usually the people who help me out when it gets that far for example:

last year I got my annual certified letter from my landlord telling me that my rent was going to increase, this was going to be my third year living there, so I figured it would just go up $10 like it did the year before, but it went up $25 and my parents were in Florida. I freaked out, full on tears imaging that I was going to be homeless, when I have a panic attack I imagine the worst case scenario, I'm not sure why I thought I would be homeless as I know my parents would ALWAYS let me move back home before it even got close to the point, when I had my chest pain I immediately thought that I was going to have to have emergency triple bypass surgery (i'm so dramatic) so I called my parents and first made sure they weren't at Disney World aka the happiest place on earth before I started crying and when I cry it turns into full run on sentences and then dad goes to mom "Here you talk to her!" LOL! he's so funny, but yes my momma is the best at calming me down. I don't remember what she said, but she is definitely the voice of reason in my life.

Well today I got notice about a certified letter, and of course I went to the wrong post office. I was hoping I could pick it up at the USPS that wasn't as crazy busy as the one next to me, nope I was wrong and had to go wait in line at the one I hate. GRRRR. side note-if you know me personally, you know I like to go to stores right when they open, go off my list and get out... so I got my letter from my landlord and I couldn't open it, I was that nervous.

I had to drive all the way to my parents house (20 minute drive mind you) and have my dad open it. so glad that I got it while they were home. Only to find out my rent is only going up $10/month this year and then dad was like "now you have more money to go toward your 401K". LOL! my dad is like my financial guru. Although now I am waiting on my hospital bill and my car is not behaving. oh man. I need a rich guy. any doctors or lawyers out there?? Joe Mauer where are you?

don't get me wrong though, I am very proud of my financial situation I just freak out over my budget and finances in general and especially because everything increases every year, like rent, cable, phone, ugh, so annoying!!

#myfinancesrock #myfinancialadvisorisawesome #hesmydad

scary stuff....beware

so I started getting chest pains this past weekend and had hoped it would just go away on its own. Well, it didn't, so I went to the ER today. My dad had triple bypass surgery 5-6 years ago, so i was very worried for my heart. Turns out my heart is healthy (YAH!), but I have Costochrondritis which could be due to working out too much and straining your chest muscles. go figure, i get hurt for being active and healthy. LOL!

so uber scary to even admit the chest pain, I called my ins companies nurse advice line (side note, I didn't call work because they weren't open yet!) and she advised me to go to the ER, so I called my mom, in tears (of course!) and she took me in and she literally stayed with me all day, until she had to go to work and then my dad came and picked me up. my parents are amazing. My mom didn't even complain once. She's a good one to have, my dad too. I'm very blessed. My dad was joking that they double tagged me today! ha! Its nice to have such amazing parents who are always there for me no matter what.

nothing like having bad health to make you grateful for good health. I think this will definitely help me be better with our patients who come in to the clinic.

I even got to see what our new uniforms will look like when we merge with CentraCare in September and the girl who checked me in looked so cute! phew! and don't even get me started on the doctor! so cute, I think both mom and I forgot to listen to my diagnosis because he was so cute! ha! i told her when he comes back, i'll look at this name tag and you look at his ring finger. Turns out he had a ring, darn it! oh well! good times in the ER with the Sommers family! Last time my parents were there was when my brother had a concussion and he threw up with every step he took! oh man!

To summarize, be thankful for your health!

Good night and God Bless!

prayer time with God = a good counseling session

so I feel like I've been in a prayer rut lately.... I feel like I pray the same thing all the time, but today well today was different. It felt like I talked to God like he was my bestie and it was SOOOOO good. Of course there were tears, doesn't help that its my time this month either LOL! but it was so, so good!

Thank you father for being my best friend and my counselor!

Happy 2017!!!

2016 was a pretty hard year for me. "adulting is hard" a direct quote from my pastor!

Anyway, its now 2017! onward I go!

Prayer and blessings for a great year everyone!

PS Look at me blogging more already! LOL!