Twinsight 42 of 50: Seize New Beginnings

Hi! This is Joann's daughter, Leah.

2011 has been a very exciting year for me. I have graduated high school, started my freshman year at college, made new friends, and am starting to figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life.

Here are a few highlights from my life...

April- Chloe and I are on our way to Cancun, Mexico for spring break.

In Mexico, I made a friend with a dolphin.

June- I graduated from Minnetonka High School. Our ceremony was held at Grace Church in Eden Prairie.

July- I traveled to Poland with Wayzata Evangelical Free Church. We taught English to families using the Bible.

Over the summer, I enjoyed working at Al and Alma's.

August- I moved into Bethel University in St. Paul. This is a picture of my roommate and I during Welcome Week.

Since I've been in college, my friends and I have learned that study breaks are needed often.



Also, I have learned that Perkins is pretty amazing at 2am.

Although college students like to wear t-shirts and jeans, we can still dress up pretty nicely. My friends, Allison and Rachel, and I attended the Christmas banquet at Bethel in December.



December - As the year ends, it is nice to see our cousins again.

Have a great 2012!

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Twinsight 41 of 50: Have a Blessed Christmas

Lighthouse Media team
Peter Swenson, Dan West, Steve Swenson

Hi, this is Steve, Joann's husband.  Jo has invited me to share the Twinsight this week.

Our family attends Westwood Community Church in Chanhassen, MN.   Each Christmas Eve, Westwood donates its Christmas Eve offering to people in need, both locally and globally.  Though Lighthouse Media (where I work with Peter and Dan) does most of its work in the medical technology industry, we also do work supporting non-profits and ministry organizations.  

For a number of years, we’ve been asked by Westwood to produce the video that introduces the cause/ministry initiative that will receive the Christmas Eve offering.  A few years ago we produced a video that shares about Westwood's partnership in Malawi, Africa, with World Relief.  Sara Groves provided the music. Click here to watch it.

It's a reminder that Christ came for all, and asks us to reach out to all with His love. 

Wishing you a blessed Christmas.

Steve

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Twinsight 40 of 50: Live Life Out Loud

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Hi, it's Chloe and I'm writing the blog this week...but I'm not into the writing thing so I'm just going to share some pics of highlights of my year...

In the spring I was in PINKALICOUS at Stages Theatre.
I was Dr. Wink (;

I also went to the GLEE concert! (In pic: Ali, Mollie, Jackie, ME, Heather, Leah.)
Favorite Part? MIKE CHANG, FINN, PUCK, AND BRITNEY.

This fall I went to homecoming for the first time with my FRIEND Jimmy and Heather and Perry.



Me with Mollie and Mikaylah at the HOLIDAZZLE :D

All in all I had a GREAT year! I made new friends. (In pic: Heather, Meredith, ME, Maddie, and Bree.)
I hope your year was as great as mine and that next year is even BETTER!
Love, Chloe <3

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Twinsight 39 of 50: See Life Through Your Dog's Eyes

Pabby howling, "I'm the king of my world!"

Hey, it’s Pabby, the Swenson family schnoodle. Welcome to my second blog post of the year. In my first post, I featured photos of some of my friends. I’ve been begging to post again, and now I finally have my shot. I deserve at least a couple of guest posts since I turned 50 this year, too…in dog years, of course.

I thought I’d start by telling you about the best book I read this year: The Art of Racing in the Rain which was written through the eyes of a fellow canine, Enzo. He’s observant and smart. It’s a good read and I highly recommend it. He inspired me to find my voice and give you insights into my family members through my vantage point - real, on-the-ground, daily life.

Leah, My Favorite

I’ll start with Leah, my favorite. She pleaded for me to join the family in the first place, named me after her imaginary friend, can find the sweet scratch spot on my back that makes me go wild, and kept every promise that she ever made to our parents about caring for me. Until now. Now she left me to live with a bunch of people who are strangers to me, read a lot of big books, and play with twerpy mice in a lab. And she doesn’t come home very often. Waaahhh! When she came home for Thanksgiving, I gave her many, many kisses but she still left again. Double waaahhh! I’m trying not to take it too personally and resign myself to periodic visits.

Leah and me



Chloe, My Friend Supplier

Through the years, Chloe has been cordial but between you and me, she's not exactly dog’s best friend. This morning she was frustrated that I was barking, and told me to shut up! But the squirrel who got to run all around MY yard was driving me crazy. Thank goodness for my perch (the spiral staircase) that allows me to keep watch on the whole animal kingdom of the area and keep them all at bay. Even though Chlo needs to up the love, there is some redemption because she has really energetic, good-looking friends. They are nice to me and speak to me in high voices which I love.

Chloe and me

Dad, My Maintenance Man

Dad is really good to me. He takes me to Glamour Pets (which is not as fru-fru as it sounds...) to get a big, big haircut when I’m getting too shaggy. And he arranges with our friend, Anne, to take care of me and let me run with the big dogs when my family goes out of town without me. And he takes me to see Drs. Jackie and Craig when I need check ups or swallow bright shiny objects. (Ask me about the quarter...definitely a bad idea in HINDsight...) As soon as dad drives in the driveway, I take my position with my front paws over the back of the couch ready to pounce on him as soon as he walks in the door. He's a good man to have around.

Dad, me and a humiliating costume

Mom, My Personal Trainer

I’m in really good shape, if I do say so myself. I have an "athlete's heart," the vet says, and quads of steel. I’ve trained my mom to get me outside most days for a walk or run. (Pssst...she’s slowing down. Kind of annoying, but I’m learning to live with it because I don’t have a choice. Really, who else am I going to train at this point in my life?) Here’s how the morning routine goes: I go outside, I eat, I make mom play fetch with me while she’s trying to do sit ups, I watch her read, I follow her to the bathroom, I bark until she comes out, I nip at her heels until she goes to the closet to get her running gear and the proverbial plastic bag, I eagerly await my leash, and, ahhh, I run like the wind. And yes, it’s all about me.

Mom and me

I love Christmas morning because I get this amazing treat - a bone with the beef jelly stuff in the middle that I can fixate on for hours. I'm really not sure what the rest of the fam does, but I'm good.

Gotta run. Figuratively and literally. Licks to you and yours this Christmas. And give your sweet puppy dog (or someone else's) a hug from us.

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Twinsight 38 of 50: Write Memories on Your Heart

Christmas 1998 with Mom, Chloe and Leah

Welcome to the wonderful craziness of  December where real life coexists (and sometimes collides) with the wonderment of the season...day-to-day work pressures intermingled with Christmas concerts and services...homework and finals alongside holiday parties...the pressure to sell wreaths followed by the joy of delivering one to the neighbors...shopping (which at least can start out fun) and hopefully leads to the satisfaction of finding something that will bring a smile to someone else.

You are in for a treat this month on Twinsights because you’re going to hear from my family. Our dog, Pabby, will share his perspective on life next week, and then Steve, Chloe and Leah will each share their highlights from 2011 in the ensuing weeks.

Today I'd like to encourage you to hit the pause button in life and think about Christmas memories that are etched in your mind. In her book, Cold Tangerines, Shauna Niequest writes, “When you’re with someone else, you share each discovery, but when you are alone, you have to carry each experience with you like a secret, something you have to write on your heart, because there’s no other way to preserve it." 

Like me, you probably have some memories that you've experienced with family members, friends and even strangers, and others you've experienced on your own or with loved ones who have passed away. But each of us has a collection of memories of Christmas that is uniquely ours. What memories are etched on your heart? Here are some of mine.

In My 10s
Friends in my home town dropping off plates of goodies because they knew that my mom didn't like to bake. My mom and I filling the trunk with 10-pound bags of beautiful red potatoes and delivering them to friends around the county. Feeling sad that we only had three people in our family and then mom inviting friends with no family to join us for Christmas dinner. Watching my dad take off to go on his annual Christmas shopping trek (to the Citizens State Bank on Christmas Eve morning where the color of the gift was always just right - green). Lying on my bed and opening up my Bible for the first time to learn more about the Jesus I heard about.

In My 20s
Driving into the driveway and bounding into the house after college finals to the familiar aroma of smoked Hangikjot filling every square inch of the air. Hearing about Steve's small town experience of being picked up for speeding on his way up to spend Christmas with our family when we were engaged. (Officer - "Where are you going so fast, young man? ...Oh yah, Bill and Bernice...I know them and Joaaaaaann. Nice family. But I still need to give you a ticket. That will be $20.") Learning to appreciate new traditions with the Swenson family - especially singing carols and playing our instruments (but avoiding some of the Swedish foods).

In My 30s

Watching my dad fall in love with Leah when we brought her to North Dakota for her first Christmas after he had been skeptical about adoption. The joy of having children around. Establishing our own traditions - some from our childhoods and some of our own, like going to the Holidazzle on the night after Thanksgiving to launch the season.

Dad with Leah on Christmas 1993

Chloe on Christmas morning in 2003

In My 40s
The fun of working downtown during the holidays with the decorations, music and activity. Pausing from the normal speed of life to ponder the impact of Jesus' birth on my own life and how embracing His love can translate into loving others more completely. Driving to church on Christmas Eve in 2009 only to receive a call from my mom's doctor that she might not make it, and the four of us surrounding her hospital bed in tears and her pulling through that Christmas and giving us a couple more very sweet weeks.

This is my first Christmas in my 50s so I don't have any memories yet! What I most desire to do this season is to carve out little snippets of time to enjoy a concert, read the Christmas story with our family, and simply have a cup of coffee (or Chai for me) with friends. One of my college roommates, Cheri, wrote this poem that I wanted to share with you. It's so simple, yet so deeply true. 

With college roommates Cheri & Ruth last summer

Dear friend

Come sit awhile with me

The coffee’s familiar aroma

Brings pause

The world’s sadness, our intimate

Brokenness

Always there

But for now, please

Sit here with me, I want to

Laugh with you

And dismiss the seriousness

At Christmastime

We recall,

He comes for all times

Laden with gifts

Our necessities

Comfort,

Hope,

Joy

Dear friend

Merry Christmas!

- Cheri Brady

Blessings on your Christmas season as you cherish old memories and create some new ones.

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