Sometimes by Step

Facebook of Colton

2011-10-26T10:33:00.001-07:00

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2011-01-26T13:23:00.001-08:00

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Elijah James

2010-12-31T05:50:00.000-08:00

I am fully amazed at how God showed up the last couple days. We stand in awe of what the Lord has done! Our journey has been a miracle! We can't explain everything about the last couple days because of privacy, but Lord willing, soon we will be able to. Just to bring you up to speed... Middle of October we were matched with a birth mom-C. We were so excited as we awaited the arrival of this precious boy. Beginning of November, C has the baby and decides to parent. We were devastated but knew this was not our son. A good friend reminded me maybe this happened because we are to pray for M and baby P. So that is what I do every time the Lord brings them to my mind. Immediately we asked to be put back in the match book and extended our search to other agencies. Very soon after we sent out our applications we started getting calls from other agencies but none of the situations were the right one. Then Dec. 16th, the night before we headed to TN, we had a conference call with a birth mom right here in the valley. We were thrilled to be matched again. This time we had more time to get to know birth mom (she was due Jan 25), or so we thought. We got home from TN and has the baby Wed . Decides to parent. This time it was even more of a shocker because we thought surely the Lord would not allow us to lose another baby. We both took it very hard.I told several friends we were out of hope so to hold onto what they had for us. The only thing that helped was listening to worship music, reading scripture, and praying. We just could not understand why God would lay parenting and adoption so heavily on our hearts to take it away. So the very next day, which if you are keeping up with dates was yesterday, we received a call from our original agency. They had a baby and wanted to know if we would be interested. I couldn't even breathe for a couple minutes as I sobbed. I called Matt. We both agreed this had to be our son. There was no doubt in our minds. A couple hours later we had Elijah James in our arms. It started to snow when we were on our way to get him. There were so many other things that we are still in shock at how big the Lord showed up for us. If birth mom M had not gone into labor early and decided to parent we would not have been able to say yes to Elijah because we were already matched. He certainly has big plans for His son Elijah that He has entrusted to us. I am beyond amazed that He would allow us to parent this perfect little boy. It's amazing how one minute we are so lost and can not figure out why and the next minute the Lord is like "see I told you I knew what I was doing!" We fell in love with him the minute they put him in our arms. It's 6am and I probably slept 2 hours last night because I really couldn't take my eyes off of our blessing. Thank you to all who have shared in our journey, we truly could not have done this without all your support and the hope you lent us when we had none. Right now I am going to just go stare at our little boy a little more...
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Rubios Night!

2010-09-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Mark your Calendars! Sunday October 24th 11am-9pm stop by for lunch, dinner, or both. Bring friends, family, strangers to our Rubio's night. Bring in this flyer and we receive 20% of the profit for our Adoption! It's that easy. Thanks for your support!

Click here to download flyer

Adoption Auction

2010-09-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Yes it has been a while. It's been almost a month since our Adoption Auction. It was a huge huge hit and God blessed us immesenly. We are so grateful to all who helped out, donated, prayed, and supported us.

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Raffle Items

2010-08-06T19:55:00.000-07:00

2 Starbucks Gift Baskets full of coffee items worth over 70$ a piece!

Certificate for Landscape Design Services
Good for 1 initial consultation, measurements of existing property, 1 completed design with a review meeting, 1 revision of design based on subsequent changes from review, and a hard copy of final plans based on
revision. Value = $500-$5000 depending on scale of project.
Dave Shuck
Senior Designer
[M] 602-502-6058
[O] 480-654-5186
[F] 480-659-7865
www.nativeoutdoorslandscape.com
nativeoutdoorsdave@gmail.com

10 tickets to the Jester'z show

6 passes to the Arizona Museum of Natural History

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So long farewell

2010-07-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

I am a teacher. I have been a teacher at the same school for 7 years. This year I make a move.

I love the school that I have been at for 7 years. I love the students, I love the staff, I love everything about it so when presented with a new job opportunity it was not an easy decision. I prayed and prayed and decided not to take it but the minute I hung up the phone I did not have peace. So I immediately called the principal back and asked some more questions. A few days later I got my answer. I would be resigning from Gilbert and teaching for Imagine.

I will be teaching Junior High and High School resource. This will be a change but the Lord has always placed a desire to work with older kids on my heart.

I am so sad to leave Canyon but I know this is the path the Lord has set before us. It has been amazing to watch him confirm this decision. He is providing more salary and an adoption stipend! Praise Him!

I started to read the book written by the CEO of Imagine Schools and instantly was in tears. I'll write more about the book when I finish it but let's just say this is where I am meant to be. The philosophy speaks to my soul.

So I am excited, scared, hopeful, ready to spread my wings. I met some of my best friends here. I also met my husband through Canyon. There are so many people at Canyon Rim that have taught me so very much. It's amazing! Canyon gave me wings, now I am ready to fly.

Raffle

2010-07-20T17:27:00.000-07:00

100$ gift card to Canvas on Demand

Raffle Item

2010-07-20T17:25:00.000-07:00

1 Family Session with

Chalice Leaman Photography

Raffle Item.....Stylin Sheers Gift Certificate

2010-07-16T14:47:00.001-07:00

Another RAFFLE item

2010-07-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

$20 gift card

Nyberg Adoption Auction Fundraiser

2010-07-16T13:35:00.000-07:00

We have been overwhelmed with the amount of support for our Adoption Auction! Seriously God is soooo good! I will publish a final list of the companies/individual involved but wanted to give everyone a PREVIEW of what we will be auctioning off! You are NOT going to, I repeat not going to want to miss out on this event. I am so tempted on some of these items to bid myself!

Calming Body Effects

1 - 60 Minute Therapeutic Massage ($65.00)

2 - Two Week Unlimited yoga passes($29.95 each)

Simply Knot Photography

1 hour photo session ($250)

Gift Certificate to Daisy Bowtique

1 Woman's 1 hour massage with Cathy Could

Chicky Poo Photography

1 Family photo shoot (worth $175)

Cookie LeeJewelry

A scrapbook kit which retails at about $35

Melissa's Photographic Art

Melissa Wood, Photographer

Melissa J. Wood Photography

1 photography Session

Babysitting Package from Ally (cpr, first aide certified, teacher certified)

1- 4 hour escape

1- weekend escape

Adoption Auction Dinner

2010-07-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

Dinner/Auction Support Letter

2010-07-16T11:52:00.001-07:00

Dear Friends and Family ,

Our names are Matt and Ally Nyberg. We are a young married couple eager to start our family through adoption. When God told us to proceed with adoption, we realized that we would have to come up with the funds necessary to bring our child home, so we have embarked on a few different fundraisers. We just had a yard sale that many of our friends and family helped out with. It was an amazing success and we are overwhelmed with God’s providence! All the proceeds went straight into the “Baby Nyberg fund.”

Our next idea is a dinner with a raffle. Which brings us to the reason for this letter. We are hoping you would have the ability and call from God to help us. Anything you would be able to donate would help enourmously.

Not only would you be helping us but, it will be a good way to gain new or grow your business. Your donation and company information will be published in our auction program as well as added to our blog. With donations from generous individuals and/or businesses like yours, we can bring Baby Nyberg home.

We thank you in advance for any help you are able to supply for our adoption auction. Thank you for your time and consideration. If you have any questions or wish to speak to me directly, please feel free to contact me at (480) 241-0582.

Thank you for your support and God Bless!

Sincerely,
Matt and Ally Nyberg
(480) 241-0582
Email: allynyberg@gmail.com

Vote for Davyn!

2010-07-08T17:18:00.001-07:00

http://www.showusthecow.com/vote.php?id=97

Unanswered Prayers

2010-07-06T07:23:00.001-07:00

I am sitting in the physical therapy office with Edna right now and the song Unanswered Prayers came on. There have been so many times in my life that I tell God what I think should happen. I know He looks down and just laughs. Lately we have been praying so hard that the Lord would bring us our baby now. But it is through this waiting that He is shaping us. Thank you Lord for the reminder that you always know best. Today I pray for wisdom and guidance not for what I want. It's always a good reminder to keep trusting Him.

Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers...

FAQs

2010-06-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

Recently we have been getting a lot of questions about our adoption. So we decided to post some of those on here for everyone.

1. How long will the process take?
We turned in our paperwork in January, started classes in March, and Home Study in April. Our home study and classes finished in May and we submitted our letter July 11th.

In all our classes they have told us about a year... but we have had many friends adopt through this agency and it was really quick for all of them. Our case worker told us if it's a year she gets worried, if it happens in a couple of months that's super quick, if it's about 6 months she thinks that's good timing.

2 Peter 3:8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

God knows the baby He has planned and it is all on his time table. We just have to remind ourselves that a million times a day... every time the phone rings... and every time we pass the room that will one day be the nursery.

2. What did you put on your child desired form?
God has given us a heart for children of all abilities and all cultures. After praying hard about what God was leading us to put we decided any gender, any race, some other things we were a little more conservative about.

3. What is an Open Adoption?
An open adoption is when the adopted child has the potential of developing a one-on-one relationship with his or her birth family. We will develop an adoption covenant with our birth parents as to what this looks like. It can be anywhere from exchanging pictures every so often to having our birth family over from time to time. I am so excited for our child to know their heritage and have more people to love on them.

4. Aren't you scared about the birth parents changing their minds?
Of course we are! Once we get matched the birth parents can change their minds at any moment until they sign the papers, which can happen 72 hours after birth and our agency gives most moms about 7-10 days. but once an adoption has been finalized according to law, the placement is considered permanent.

If we are matched and our birth parents change their minds we know that, that is part of God's plan. Therefore it is all in His hands.

I am sure there are a million more questions that we can't even answer but we are excited by the process and please by all means ask away if you have any more questions... this is one topic I love to talk about (in case you couldn't tell ;).

Updated Pics

2010-06-26T14:00:00.000-07:00

Just some updated pictures of the boys and Avery

Our Letter :)

2010-06-26T13:56:00.000-07:00

Going in the Book

2010-06-11T13:46:00.001-07:00

We had our last home study on Tuesday and yesterday Renee our fabulous case worker presented us. She called us in the afternoon to let us know we have been accepted into the adoption program. So last night Matt and I ran out to make copies of our letter to take to her today. It's amazing to think that at any moment we could get a call. I'm overwhelmed with this journey God has had us on. It has been full of blessings and trials. Each day I feel a little closer to the Lord as I lean on Him for guidance, a little closer to my hubbie as we discuss parenting topics, and a little closer to our little one. God has a plan in it all!

CFCA class

2010-05-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is our beautiful class from Christian Family Care Agency. We have grown to love these people and look forward to the future with them. Can't wait to see what God has in store for all of us.

Ally wants to share Phoenix’s hottest deals with YOU!

2010-05-25T15:29:00.001-07:00

It’s your lucky day! Ally Nyberg has discovered amazing Phoenix area "daily deals" at SnagAndSave.com and thinks you’d enjoy these exclusive savings too.

Snag exclusive deals and save up to 75% off the Valley’s best dining, activities, day spas, events and more! (And be sure to sign up for the FREE e-mail alerts so you never miss a deal!)

Check It Out!

(This email was sent at the request of Ally Nyberg. You have not been added to our "daily deals" e-mail alerts mailing list.)

Group on baja fresh

2010-05-21T08:24:00.001-07:00

Hey check out this great deal from baja fresh!
http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1326201

Lovin our kids

2010-05-19T16:37:00.001-07:00

We had our second home study today. it was about our personalities. i got all teary-eyed as she talked about our personalities being good for adoptive parents. Its not a surprise that matt and I balance each other out but Iam so proud that he is a sensitive man and not afraid to show affection. Our case worker said it will be great for him to show a little girl how much he loves her. I lost it! Can't wait to see my hubbie loving on our kids.

Encouragement

2010-05-19T11:40:00.001-07:00

I received this email this morning from a friend and just thought it was cool...
Hi Ally, This is really random but just wanted to send a quick note of encouragement. Some friends of mine just adopted...You were the first person to pop in my head when I heard the fantastic news. I know you're going through the journey of taking classes, preparing, etc and it can seem daunting. God has such big things in store for you and the little one that God will place in your life. As someone who is adopted, I'm always SO in awe and cheering on those who take a step of faith to adopt...last night, we were reading Ephesians 1. I just love verse 4-5...'In love, he predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will." Can't wait to see the journey unfold. Just know that there are others who may not see you very often but that are cheering you on!

Cousin Fund

2010-05-15T11:18:00.000-07:00

Our dear sweet nephews and niece decided they wanted to help us bring home baby Nyberg. Here is what they created...

So sweet

My Friend Edna

2010-05-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Several days a week I go to visit my friend Edna. Edna has been a family friend for years. She lives in TN but is a native to AZ and missed the desert. She owns a home here too so she came to stay here for a couple months. About 2 months ago she broke her hip. My mom knew we are raising money for our adoption so she mentioned to Edna that maybe I could come help her out a couple days a week. It is such a sweet time together. I help out with household chores and a few other things but my favorite part is when I am done she just wants to sit and talk. She is such a dear sweet lady. I am very thankful for our relationship and for what God is teaching me through our relationship. She has such a gentle encouraging spirit and I pray some day I may be able to look back on a life well lived with gratitude.

Update

2010-05-15T10:47:00.000-07:00

Our classes are going really well and we have a our 2nd home study this next week. It has been such a blessing going through a Christian organization. Every step of the way is ordained by the Lord. We were told the other day we would be able to be in the book after June 17th. Kind of crazy to think it will be here soon. We have finished our first draft of the letter. Our garage sale made $2,000. It was so much work but so very worth it.

Adoption garage sale 5/7-5/8

2010-05-01T16:18:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder next weekend is the big adoption garage sale!
May 7th and 8th 5am-1pm
Higley and Warner 2680 East Brooks Street
Gilbert, AZ 85296
Hope to see you there!
Love the nybergs and the guards

Garage Sale

2010-04-28T07:24:00.002-07:00

We are having a garage sale with our friends Ryan and Lindsay Guard so we can both raise money to adopt our babies! If you have anything you were planning on getting rid of and want to donate it to our sale, let us know and we can arrange it. If you'd like to help out, you are more than welcome. We would LOVE to be able to tell our baby that so many people came together to make this happen!

Start Time:	Friday, May 7, 2010 at 6:00am
End Time:	Saturday, May 8, 2010 at 1:00pm
Location:	Ryan & Lindsay's House
Street:	2680 East Brooks Street
City/Town:	Gilbert, AZ
	View Map

God's provision

2010-04-28T07:24:00.001-07:00

We also had an amazing display of God's provision yesterday. I won't give all the details but even as I write this I am overwhelmed and humbled with the way God provides. We are affirmed this is where He is leading us and He keeps reminding us in ways that are beyond any human understanding.

Classes

2010-04-28T06:34:00.001-07:00

So we've been a little behind... I always have such good intentions.

We had our 3rd class last night. Last night we talked about the joys of adoption. Our caseworker led the class and we were constantly thanking the Lord for her relationship in our life. She is a wise Christian woman. I am beyond thankful we are not walking this road alone. The class was a reminder that birth moms go through some of the same emotions we do as adoptive parents. We also were reminded that our job not only as adoptive parents but as followers of Christ is to share His love with those around us. Such a simple, yet profound reminder. I desire to show God's love to birth moms even if they do not chose to place their child with us. That was a huge idea for us to get our minds around that a birth mom can change her mind at any time in the process until she signs the papers. So we will love on her and show Christ's love even if she does not place her most precious gift with us... it's all in God's plan.

Week 2 classes were on infertility and loss. Wow what a class! I am amazed at God's work in our life in this area and the lives of our classmates. What an amazing God we have that He can make beauty out of such difficult times.

Week 1 was Adoption Laws. We learned all about the legal side of adoption.

We feel so blessed to be a in a class of people that are so open and loving. Literally each week when we walk in you can feel the presence of the Lord. Calming our anxious hearts and guiding us towards what He has planned. We have started to pray for our birth mother and pray for all the other birth moms involved in this process. How beautiful to know that these babies are being placed in Christian homes and the gospel will be spread further.

Let the Journey Begin

2010-03-13T05:52:00.000-08:00

Ironic title for a journey that God has had planned all along...

Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans...

Isaiah 1:17

Growing up I always knew I would adopt. I can very vividly remember having a conversation with a friend on the playground when I was in elementary school and finding out she was adopted. I had no clue what that meant at that time but I knew that some day I would do it. She described how when she was 3 she went to live with a new family that had lots of love to share.

Fast forward several years to my 25th birthday. My mother had told me if I ever got to a point in my life that I wanted to adopt on my own she would completely support the dream God has put on my heart. Unbeknown to me I would fall in love with an amazing man that same year who had the same desire for a large family and lots of love to share.

DEU 4:9  Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not 
forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as  them. long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after

From the minute God told me I would marry Matt we started to dream of our family. Stubborn me wanted nothing to do with have children naturally. I felt there were so many children in this world needing a family. I began to pray and God slowly changed my heart. Over the past year we have ran the gamet of emotions attached to building our family.

Months went by and I assumed this was God's answer to our prayers... we were meant to only adopt. God placed several people in our path to encourage this step. It's been truly amazing to see how clear this direction has been. Having been given this calling we attended a class on foster care/ adoption and started the initial paper work.

Then one morning I found out I was pregnant and lost the baby the same day. It was one of the worst days of our lives.

Romans 12:12

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Matt and I have been all over the spectrum of emotions. The first couple days were filled with disbelief and denial. Then it turned into anger. There were days when I couldn't even talk to God. The total God thing through this all is that whenever I am alone all I want to listen to is Worship songs or read the word. I can't always find the strength to sing the words but my heart resonates with each word.

I recently read a book called "When God Lets you Down." This book is so good on so many levels. The author and his wife have lost several babies. Pastor Gee gives his testimony of how God's grace is sufficient for us. He provides numerous biblical examples that explain that trails and tribulation are a part of the walk of true followers of Christ. These life experiences inevitably build character in God's way. This is my desire for Matt and I that we wouldn't allow this experience to define our life but that we would define our life with this experience. God desires for us to grow through this.

There are moments when my heart and arms literally hurt from a desire to hold our baby. I have had dreams about her. It has been a great source of strength to know the Lord has our baby and she is joined by cousins and my grandparents. I was always sad that my grandfather wouldn't be around to see my children, so in some strange way I am at peace and joyful knowing my grandfather saw our little girl before us. Our nephew Zachary has been a source of hope for us as well. He is a physical representation of God's faithfulness. Each time I hold him I am reminded that God keeps his promise.

So we meet in a couple weeks with, Christian Family Care Agency, the adoption agency we will be going through. I am overwhelmed with joy to think of what God has in store for us. For now we are just two people very much in love, following God's calling on our lives with lots of love to share.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:2

State Fair

2009-11-02T15:48:00.000-08:00

On one of my favorite episodes of My Name is Earl Randy commented that , "The State Fair is like Disneyland for poor people!" Earl and Randy were planning to go see The World's Tallest Midget, which Earl admitted was "kind of a scam. Last year, I think the same guy was The World's Shortest Giant."

I agree... it's all trickery!

It's been a few years since I've gone to the State Fair but this year we decided to go because Jars of Clay was playing. My sister, my husband, and I set out in search of some Halloween Fun. Our evening started with a quick dinner of an Indian Taco, some fry bread, and a polish dog on a stick.

After looking around for a while it was time for Audio Unplugged, which is 2 members of Audio Adrenaline and some other very talented members. They were awesome! We jammed out to Big Big House! Then Thousand Foot Crutch was up. They were actually pretty good! Finally Jars of Clay. They are an oldie but truly one of my favorite bands.

Then we hit some of the booths and checked out the animals. Two girls in my small group do 4-H so we stopped in to see them. Some of their animals were on exhibit. They are the coolest girls I have ever met!

After the concert we checked out the world's largest pig, smallest horse, largest horse, and largest steer. Oh the fun! We ended our fair experience with deep fried oreos, twinkies, and snickers. They are way overrated!

Broken

2009-10-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

I can not get enough of this song! Jason Wade, lead singer of Lifehouse, wrote this song for his friend who needed a kidney transplant so Wade flew out to see his friend. When he got there he went to talk to him and the chorus of the song is actually what his friend told him. I could imagine that we are our most broken when we realize we will soon be before our maker.

Sometimes I simply find myself barely holding on…but I’m holding on and that’s the important thing. Christ does not offer us a glamorous easy life but the knowledge that He’s got things in order and working them out according to his glory is more thank OK for me.

Lifehouse – Broken

The broken clock is a comfort, it helps me sleep tonight
Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time
And I am here still waiting, though I still have my doubts
I am damaged at best like you’ve already figured out

I’m falling apart, barely breathing
With a broken heart that’s still beating
In the pain there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I’m holding on
I’m barely holding on to you

The broken locks were a warning you got inside my head
I tried my best to be guarded but I’m an open book instead
And I still see your reflection inside of my eyes
That are looking for purpose they’re still looking for life

I’m falling apart, barely breathing
With a broken heart that’s still beating
In the pain there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I’m holding on
I’m barely holding on to you

I’m hanging on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I’m hanging on to the words you say
You said that I will, I will be okay

Broken lights on the freeway left me here alone
I may have lost my way now; haven’t forgotten my way home
I’m falling apart, barely breathing
With a broken heart that’s still beating
In the pain there is healing
In your name I find meaning
So I’m holding on
I’m barely holding on to you

Been a While!

2009-10-24T12:53:00.000-07:00

So it has been a while since I have written. As you may have been able to tell I am not the best with words and feel so inferior in the area of blogging. But I am over it!

Little update since my last post... Summer was awesome.Summer started with a trip to Disneyland with my sister and the kiddos. We had a great time!

Then I taught Kinder Reading Summer School. I was very nervous going into it, but it turned out to be a fabulous summer! Most my kids left ready for first grade. One parent told me her son was reading everything he could get his hands on including her tampon boxes.

The day summer school ended we headed off on a road trip. Our trip started off visiting the Albuquerque Family then off to Colorado Springs to visit some friends-Dustin, Shannon, and their little guy Shane.

I also surprised Matt with a night at a fancy hotel and golfing the next day. Then it was off to Boulder to visit the Colorado fam.

The end of July we flew to TN to spend time with Mom and Mr. B. It is soooo beautiful there!

School year started off awesome. I have a wonderful group of kids this year and thank the Lord every day for that! The two teams I teach with are an incredible blessing as well. I seriously am beyond blessed!

We also started serving in the Jr. High Ministry at our church. We had been praying about where God would want us and it just happened that our good friend Josh Barton accepted a job at Mission Jr High back in the spring. After months of me whining to the Lord and telling Him I know my gifts are better put to work in High School ministries where the girls are more mature, He clearly told both of us we were to serve in Jr. High. It's a good thing the Lord knows what He is doing. So Kim and I lead a small group together now and LOVE IT! Our girls are so amazing and I am beyond humbled by them. They all have such a amazing hearts for the Lord. I am sure you will hear me rant and rave about them in the future!

Lately we have been super busy fixing up the house. All new flooring, painted a couple rooms, new blinds, new blinds, de-cluttered, and a few other upgrades! It looks amazing! Matt is very handy and has done a beautiful job.

So I think that about covers it. Pray you all are doing well!

I just joined mycharitywater.org

2009-09-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

Dear friends,

I'd like to invite you to check out a new website from the non-profit organization, charity: water.

It's called mycharitywater.org.

The mission is simple. Right now, there are almost a billion people on the planet without clean and safe drinking water. Using mycharitywater.org, you can help change that.

You can start a campaign to use your birthday; to run, swim, walk or do just about anything to raise awareness and money for those in need.

charity: water has a unique a fundraising model: 100% of all money raised goes straight to water projects. Every project is then proved with GPS coordinates and photos, and posted on Google Earth for you to see.

Please watch this short video, and consider joining me.

Ally Nyberg

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sent by charity: water, 200 Varick Street, Suite 201, NY, NY 10014

Blessings

2009-05-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning while at the cabin, Matt came in and said let's go to Cornville. Those of you who have never been to Cornville, AZ are missing out. It's this itty bittie little town near Sedona. But really the best part about it is that there are several wineries there. It's so strange to go from desert, some pine trees, and then vines of grapes. Our favorite winery is Page Springs Cellars. One of my best friends Julia introduced me to it a couple years back. It is a beautiful place! So Matt and I set out on our trek for the winery. It's about an hour from our cabin which made for a wonderful drive. Road trips have become a staple in our marriage. We love to get out and just drive. Although we have only been married 5 months Matt and I have done quite a bit of exploring together. I love this so very much about my husband his sense of adventure and desire for us to grow together. When you are in a car with someone you ultimately have to start talking. Yesterday on our road trip I learned so much about my husband. What a blessing it is to be able to savor these times. The winery was even more perfect than I remember and we sat out on the porch overlooking the spring sharing a glass of wine and cheese. Oh we are so cultured! Ha! After the winery Matt said let's go to Out of Africa. Ok I said! OoA is another fun place in AZ you cannot miss. It's a wild animal park near Camp Verde. We fed tigers(through a fence of course) and fed giraffes that slobbered on Matt. What a fun little Arizona safari! After the long exciting day we headed back to the cabin to grill. Matt's sister, her boyfriend Corey and two daughters came over. Corey's fam has a cabin not far from ours. After dinner we played the Wii for a while. We cracked up watching each other try the various games on the wii balance board. Oh what a day! This definitely has to be in the top ten best days ever! Thank you Jesus for blessings.

Leaf them alone! They're married!

2009-04-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Last night we attended one of the most beautiful weddings ever! My good friend Julia married her high school sweetheart Jimmy. Julia and I have been friends since jr. high and have become even closer in recent years. The wedding was amazing and so much fun!

Julia and Jimmy Bridesmaids Linds, Jamie, Denise

Linds, Denise, Krissy Elizabeth, Michelle, Shasta

The Gotchers Tristan, Linds, Krissy oh and me in the background

Me and my Dad Itty Bitties: Elizabeth, me, Shasta, Sherri, Colleen, Michelle

Famous Butt Shot

The Whites

The Sweeneys (love this couple!) The Johnsons

Mrs. and Mr. Leaf

Jimmy and Julia's Bachelor/Bachelorette Party

2009-04-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

Dylan T-Ball

2009-04-12T11:11:00.000-07:00

St. Pattys Day with the Itty Bitties

2009-04-12T11:09:00.001-07:00

Hall of Flame

2009-04-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

White Wedding Day!

2009-04-12T10:37:00.000-07:00

Tristan and Lindsay White!

Leanne and Grady Root

Gettin our groove on!

Krissy and Ally

Ally and Matt Nyberg

Ryan, Denise, Krissy

The girls - Linds... Julia, Krissy, Denise, Ally, Steph

Julia and Jimmy

Matty has no appendix

2009-03-19T12:02:00.000-07:00

.... and no I don't mean the back of his book! Hello Everyone, Wanted to thank you all so much for your prayers for Matt. Those of you who don't know Matt had an appendectomy early yesterday morning. Sunday he was complaining of stomach pains but went to work fine Monday. Monday evening it started to worsen and by Tuesday evening he could barely get out of bed. Wednesday we made a trip to the dr where he told us it could be his appendix or gallbladder. The ironic thing is his niece had her appendix taken out early this week... so we joked it was sympathy pains. But no it was more! Thursday afternoon we finally got in for a CT scan where the dr. told us he had appendicitis and to go the the emergency room immediately. After several hours in the emergency room Thursday night and into Friday morning he had an appendectomy.

We are home now and he will be here for 2 weeks. I will be here the next week- praise the Lord I have Spring Break. The good thing is that his stomach doesn't hurt like it did before. The bad thing is everything that didn't hurt before hurts now. Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery.

Best Decision We Ever Made!

2009-02-14T11:19:00.001-08:00

Sedona Girls Weekend!

2009-02-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

Ally, Colleen, Shasta, Sherri, Michelle, Elizabeth, and Julia

Hangin in the spa

Walkin in Sedona Sedona's pink Javelina

Hangin out in pjs and relaxing. Michelle and her fancy skirt

The Amazing Bathtub that also has a light show! What a view!

The Boys Birthday Party!

2009-02-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Ashton and his blue tounge Dylan on the bouncer

Christmas with the Horlbecks

2009-02-14T09:55:00.001-08:00

Christmas Day with the Horlbecks Natali and Aaron
The Osuch Family

April and Avery

Maddie and Daddy in the background

Avery our little reader

Ashton Cole

My handsome hubbie

Cheesy smile. Oh she's so cute!

Ashton and Uncle Scott

The kiddos staring out at the rain

Christmas with the Mechams

2009-01-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Opening Presents with the Mechams

Christmas with the Nybergs

2009-01-07T16:51:00.000-08:00

Opening presents Christmas eve with the Nybergs.

Christmas Light Lookin

2009-01-07T16:39:00.000-08:00

When the Colorado Cousins were in town we took the kiddos Christmas Light Lookin.

Christmas Eve with the Beaubians

2009-01-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Last year was my first year to experience Christmas with the Beaubians (Matt's step-dad's family). What a great family they are. We had so much fun opening gifts, eating lots of food, and laughing together. They are a very welcoming fun bunch!

Christmas Eve Usery Pass Breakfast

2009-01-07T15:56:00.000-08:00

Each year my family has a tradition of eating breakfast on Christmas Eve out at Usery Pass. The tradition originally started years ago when my grandpa would make Dutch oven biscuits out at Usery Pass. When he passed away it was kind of forgotten but in recent years we have picked the tradition back up and enjoyed our time as a family out in the desert. This year since we were merging families we invited the Nybergs as well as some other family friends to come along.

The sisters

Grandparents havin some fun

New cousins playin with bubbles

My Mom holding Avery and looking at some pictures with Meli.
Uncle Bud and Mary Anne

Uncle James tickling Avery Grace. I love her face!

Kim and James

Mom and Matt

He's got the plans.... and it's a good thing!

2008-12-17T22:12:00.001-08:00

So I know I haven't posted much about the wedding which really does surprise me because I truly am very excited about it. It seems like we have been waiting for this day forever and here it almost is. It's a busy time of year already but I feel very calm, cool, relaxed. Many of my friends that have gotten married tell me they remember this time when you just don't want to make any more decisions. Im there Im just go with the flow... anything from now until after the wedding that needs to be decided I want some one else to decide.

People keep telling me I am the most organized bride they have ever seen... well when you have a year and you've been in as many weddings as I have.. you get the hang of things. Some things we can't plan for though and I am learning that "it is what it is!" I have had the most painful times of my life in the last month, and the most joyful. God is an interesting God! I have been more angry, more confused and frustrated with God than I ever have been. It is so amazing to think the Lord wants me to come to him with all that. I have experienced and intimacy with the Lord over the past month that I have never experienced before. When I come to him pouting and/or angry He looks at me and says child I love you... and I know the plans... I have plans for hope and a future for you and all those around you. Nothing will change who He is! AMEN!

I am looking forward to so much it's really hard to pin-point but for now I am taking in every moment... Praising the Lord for all his blessings... thankful that the Lord has brought my other half to me. I am so excited to watch what He wants to do with us! One thing I am enjoying every minute of is my sleep... enjoying my big bed without a snorer in it. Ha! But truly I sprawl out each night and thank the Lord for this time to enjoy just hanging out with him before I go to bed. I look forward to havin Matt next to me. I truly think it will be exactly opposite when I get married... I will be praising the Lord for the snorer who takes up most of the bed next to me. Ahhhh to think about being with him the rest of my life gives me goose bumps.. Im a blessed girl.

Fireproof!

2008-12-17T21:37:00.000-08:00

So for months now people have been telling Matt and I we have got to go see Fireproof. I made it a goal of ours to go see if before we were married. Last weekend we went with Kim and James to see it. It was an amazing movie. We truly enjoyed it. Laughed a lot, cried a bit, but mainly loved the message of fighting for your marriage. I highly recommend it to anyone-single, married, divorced, whateva! Kirk Cameron does a great job in it. The acting is not the best but has truly come a long way since Facing the Giants. One thing I was torn on was the ending when Kirk Cameron's character is shown kissing his wife... well if you are a Growing Pains fan like I am you will remember his real-life wife is Chelsea Noble. Tonight at dinner I mentioned it to my cousins and they commented about how they had heard that it was not him... truth is it was him but his wife did a double for the character in the movie! What a great testimony to how much he values his wife, marriage, and God! Here is the information off of IMDB about it-

Chelsea Noble as Catherine Holt double
(Noble, Cameron's real-life wife, appears in a scene towards the end when Cameron's character kisses his wife, which was shot in shadow, with Noble disguised to look like Bethea.[8] This was done because, as a Christian, Cameron believes that he should not kiss any woman other than his wife.[8])

My new Camera!

2008-12-17T21:34:00.000-08:00

Ok my new camera as I mentioned in a previous post is a Nikon D60! Oh it is beautiful. I love it. It takes beautiful pictures and I love just snappin a bunch to get the right one. We bought it at a black Friday sale and it is a Birthday/Christmas gift to me. I have been coveting a nice camera for some time now... so I am very thankful to my hubbie-to-be for this beautiful memory catcher!

Peppermint Shakes

2008-12-14T21:17:00.000-08:00

This afternoon we went caroling with our Community Group. It ended up being a few of us but it was still fun. We have been going to this same place for the past several years. It is great to see some of the same faces- we see year after year. Sad thing is that the adults have Alzheimer's and they do not remember us. But it is great to see the joy on their faces as we sing.

After singing we have a tradition of getting peppermint shakes. Lucky for us they were buy one get one free! Wahooo! Peppermint Shakes with the Friends... oh what a fabulous day! We love our time with the Friends... thank you God for amazing friends!

Mommy and Sammi

Daddy and Sammi

Daddy hanging Sammi upside down

Sammi drinking the sacred Peppermint Shake

Oh what cutie!

The Friend Family

BAD Girl's Reunion

2008-12-14T20:45:00.000-08:00

It has been a couple years since I was on high school staff and had these girls but wow they have grown up! We have tried to make it a tradition where we get together and have a reunion of the Brenda Ally D-group... hence the BAD girls! I can not believe how much these girls have grown up. 3 are married... 1 engaged.... 1 in a serious relationship.... 1 living with the guy- well technically Brenda lives with her dog Honey ;) and 1 has a baby on the way... craziness! Frosting Cookies

The Girls

Honey

Jace's First Birthday!

2008-12-14T20:22:00.000-08:00

After the birthday party for Jesus it was off to a little special guy's first birthday! Jace turned one. One of my longest and bestest friends Jenn's son Jace turned one. How fun! It's crazy to believe he is one now. I feel like just yesterday we were celebrating his arrival... how quickly they grow up. Love ya little man!

Jenn and Rio

Before eating cake.

Jace eating his cake.

Rio being silly.

Opening presents.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

2008-12-14T15:50:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Dylan has his first school performance. His school put on a Birthday Party for Jesus! They sang songs, had a devotional with his teacher Mrs. Chapman, and ate cookies to celebrate. It was so much fun to watch. Our Dylan is such a goof though. In between a few lines of the song he would yell out "Hi....." to whomever he saw that he knew in the audience. What a ham! It's amazing to see how much he has grown up though. Holy cow he will be 5 in January. Wow! I am so proud of you Dylan!

Dylan posing with the Nutcracker (that according to Dylan can crack peanuts) before the performance.

Dylan waving hi to everyone.

More of Dylan waving hi!

Ashton with a wooden tree.

Avery with part of the train set.

Caleb James Adams

2008-12-12T21:30:00.001-08:00

I have thought long and hard about this post. I have prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom. I have had to ask over and over for peace and hope. I have been so angry and so sad. My emotions jump all over the place. Last Tuesday our best friends went for an ultra sound and were supposed to find out the sex of the baby. We all have been so excited for them and we were anxiously awaiting the text or phone call. When there wasn't one I was a little concerned. Finally James called me to tell me they had lost the baby. It truly was one of those moments that will remember forever. It felt like a tidal wave hitting me and my knees began to give out. I don't remember much of our conversation. When we hung up I fell to my knees and began to sob uncontrollably. I can not remember another time in my life when I cried this hard. I was shaking. It took a couple minutes to get my thoughts and emotions some what together and then I headed up to the front office to inform our principal. I teach with Kim and needed to find a sub for her for a while. Our principal prayed with me which was such a blessing from the Lord. Then I headed home where I crawled into bed and just sobbed. Matt came home soon after and we just held each other. Matt is James' best friend and we were at a loss for just about everything right now. I wanted to go straight over to see Kim... to just cry with her. I knew though that she needed time with James and her family. All I could do was pray... and pray I did non stop. My heart was broken over losing our nephew, my heart was broken for my best friend. There are so many thoughts and emotions that go into losing a loved one. Over the next couple hours Kim was enduring the hardest day of her life. She is the first to admit the Lord was giving her strength. Caleb James was silently born on Tuedsay December 2, 2008. He weighed 1.6 ounces and measured roughly six inches. James and Kim were given some time with him after he was born... time they will treasure forever. They are learning to get through each day with the Lord's strength and hope. It amazes me how people ever make it through some thing like this without the Lord. My heart goes out over and over to them. We grieve the loss of a nephew... they grieve the loss of a son. Life is not fair... God does not make sense right now... but we hold tight to his promises. Please join me in praying for the Adams.

I wrote a letter to little Caleb because right now I just want him to know how much he is missed and how much we love him.

Dear Mr. Caleb,

There are no words I can say that will capture how much we miss you or even explain to you how much we love you. I can't believe that you never experienced life here on this earth. I never was given the chance to hold you or sing to you. Even though I never had those chances I feel like I already know you because of how much I love your mommy and daddy. You are so very special to them and they love you so very much. Today I walked by all the kids in the cafeteria at school and watched them eating their lunches, laughing at silly things, crying over spilled milk. I was overwhelmed with the fact that I will never see you doing that. My eyes filled with tears and I begin to pray. Immediately the Lord laid on my heart that I will get to see you laughing... in heaven. You are such a lucky boy to have passed this life and gone on to be with the Lord. I can't wait for the day I get to meet you. I can't wait to tell you silly stories about your mommy and daddy, but most importantly I can't wait to tell you how loved you are. You are such a precious boy and so many people love you. Your mommy and daddy have been preparing for you for such a long time. The day they told us you would be coming we cryed with joy. You see your mommy and daddy are such good parents. They would give anything for you. They give so much to all the people around them. They love the Lord with all their hearts and therefore love people so very much. Caleb we will never forget you... thank you for being a joy to us. So when that day comes Mr. Caleb that you hear laughter and someone comes up behind you tickling you... it will probably be me your aunt Ally. I love you so very much Caleb and can not wait to meet you... oh and Caleb if you get the chance say hi to my grandpa... give him a big hug and hang out with him for a while.... he gives the best hugs.

Love, Your Aunt Ally :)

Santa!

2008-12-12T21:05:00.000-08:00

On Thursday we took the kids to Frys for a special visit with Santa. Dylan announced just before we left the house he could not go to see Santa. He had forgotten his list of items he was requesting from Santa at Daddy's house. Therefore he could not talk to Santa. Mommy encouraged him that he could tell Santa a couple things... I guess Dylan remembered a lot of the items because he kept rattling off more items and we had to cut him off. Avery did not want to be on Santa's lap. She was very scared. I was too when I was that age. So fun!

A cute picture before we left the house.

Waiting in line.

I think I might see him.
Avery was not happy! The boys are ok though.
Sad Avery.

This is me meeting Santa when I was young. Hmmm so sad too. It's ok some day she will be ok with him.. but for now he is a big scary guy with a furry beard.

Zoo Lights with Community Group

2008-12-12T14:47:00.000-08:00

We took our annual trip to zoo lights with the community group. We had a good time running around being goofy and it was my first adventure with my new camera. Matt has made me promise that I will still pay attention to life and not just stay behind my camera. I am trying.

Our Fun Community Group!

Trying to pose for the picture.

Not really sure what was going on here.Me and the boy ;)

This is the classic Ryan face... well I guess towards me... saying "I am not amused!"
Oh my gosh same face from his wife! Ha!

So there was a picture of two rams butting heads and Shasta and Ryan are Aries so I guess they butt heads... hmmm not sure again. Chris kissin an ape.

Josh and Colleen... I just love em.

Oh soooo cute newlyweds.

Ahhhh sweet love.

The end of our night. Hmmmm oh what fun!

2008-12-12T08:18:00.001-08:00

Veteran's Day

2008-11-12T10:56:00.001-08:00

On Veteran's Day I got the privilege of hanging out with all my nieces and nephews! Makayla spent the night and in the morning after a slow relaxed getting ready we headed over to my sisters. On the way over Makayla and I had some great conversations on everything from which Jonas Brother is the cutest to when are uncle Matt and I going to get her some cousins! Ha it was fun. Over at Aprils we played in the backyard for a while.

April and Avery

Ashton's picture which he likes to call "Ashton throwing rocks."

Avery and Makayla crusing in their Escalade!

Then we came inside to make peppermint sugar cookies and watch Polar Express... what an awesome day. I love being with my nieces and nephews! They are so gosh darn cute!

Ashton watching the train movie (Polar Express)

The only picture I got of Dylan... he moves fast!

Peppermint Sugar Cookies Nummmmmmy!

Matt and Moo

2008-11-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

Matt with our niece Makayla. He can be so goofy with her.

One of the privileges of having no kids yet is watching my wonderful fiance practice his dad skills on our nieces and nephews. He is going to make such a fabulous dad. I am so thankful to the Lord for such a patient kind-hearted loving soon to be husband because I know someday he will be a patient kind-hearted father to our children.

2008-11-09T17:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember playing the game telephone when you were little? I forgot how much I enjoy the game! Sitting at dinner last night Makayla decided it was a good time to play the game.. we still have no idea where she learned it from. So she started it off saying things like “Hanna Montana rocks,” and “ I love the Jonas brothers.”

But of course uncle matt had other ideas for her sayings… he changed them to “something stinks,” and “these people are crazy.”

We all were cracking up hysterically. I love good laughs like that with family!

Softball Fun!

2008-11-09T16:46:00.000-08:00

Saturday evenings are full of softball fun! I am such a proud softball-soon-to-be wife. I just love watching my boy do something that he truly enjoys. He's really good at it too!

Even before Matt and I were dating I would occasionally go to the boys softball games for some good time with Kim. I still truly enjoy the time with Kim as well. Sometimes its some of the only time we get each week to catch up.

The beautiful Mrs. Adams cheerin on her boy!

My adorable niece enjoying the game.

Soccer fun!

2008-11-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

Saturdays have been pretty busy for us lately. We start off the mornings by attending Makayla's soccer games.

I always knew I enjoyed watching kids play soccer but truly it has become one of the highlights of our week! The kids have improved so much over their season. When they first started they played what we might call "bumble-bee soccer" -They all run around just chasing the ball.

Now at the end of the season they actually have some strategy built into it. But with every kids sport their is lots of humor in it. Like the little boy who purposefully runs away from the ball but always seems to end up being hit by it. Or the little girl who grabs the other players shirts and drags them to the ground. This last week the team we played had two little boys who loved to pretend shot each other and then fall to the ground.. all the while their team mates are running to make a goal. Oh it just cracks me up.

This week Makayla had her first experience where a girl was guarding her. Makayla had not had this happen before so she was very confused when the girl kept following here. We tried to have a conversation about friendly boxing the girl out. Sports are such a great way for kids to learn teamwork, get exercise, and have fun!

Quart Knee!

2008-11-05T21:15:00.000-08:00

I just found out that my cousin is coming into town next week! Wahooooo! I am so excited for her to be here. It was supposed to be a surprise but if ya know me ya know I figure things out;)Ha! I am soooooo excited to see her! Oh and her name is Courtney but I like to call her Quart Knee!

Registry Fun!

2008-11-05T21:07:00.000-08:00

Ok so I remember when friends of mine got married how fun it was to watch them open gifts and think oh how fun.... one day. Well that one day really started this week! Ha! I am so beyond blessed in so many ways... and I don't feel so bad saying bring on the presents(is that bad?) ha! In particular we got this amazing Dutch Oven today in the mail from a couple that lives across the street from my parents. They are so generous! I was shocked. I know my parents are good parents with them but wow! So yeah we are pretty blessed and thankful not only for the gifts.

A few shots from TN!

2008-11-04T19:54:00.000-08:00

At Bristol Speedway

Yep I am marrying him!

2008-11-04T19:44:00.000-08:00

Recently we went back to Tennessee to visit Matt's family and while there I made sure to borrow some childhood pictures of the boy I love... oh he was and is sooooo cute! It's funny how looking back at him as a kid just makes me fall in love with him more.

He still makes this face!

Happy Harvest!

2008-11-04T19:26:00.000-08:00

Friday evening we set out with the kids to Schnepf Farms for a fun Harvest Celebration.

Dylan was a pirate, Avery was a strawberry (although she looks like a tomato, and Ashton was a fireman).

This is Dylan trying to do "peace out"... uncle Matt taught him this ;)

Todally Cool!

2008-09-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Makayla on the horse.
Mr. Toad

Matt and I had an addition to our family this weekend- actually an addition of 30 little friends. On Monday we joined his family at his fathers in Queen Creek to celebrate his father’s birthday. It was a great day! Anne led the horse around the yard so Makayla could ride him. Anne also showed us a puddle in their neighbor’s yard that was full of little tadpoles. Always in teacher mode I asked if I could take some in to show my class. So now we have about 25 here at the house, I gave 4 away to a friend for her grandkids and there are 2 in my classroom. They are such interesting little creatures. Some have legs and are very close to losing their little tails. It’s fun to just sit and watch them swim around. Tomorrow my students and I are going to study some more on the lifecycle of toads… wonder what Mr. Toad would think?

The tank! What a fun home!

Blessings!

2008-05-25T21:30:00.000-07:00

I have had friends that are bloggers and I admire them for their dedication to letting the world know their thoughts and for keeping others updated. I am not eloquent with words and Lord knows that even now I don't have a dedication to keeping others updated but I will try my best. A few blogs here and there... this should be fun!

So here goes blog numero uno... The other night I spent some time with my gorgeous nephews and niece. We had a good time at Grandpa and Grandma's house getting them ready for bed and bathing them. They are such a joy. I could not imagine life without them. God is a good God and brings about things for His good and my family is walking testimony of that. His mercies are new every morning. Watching life through their eyes is such a blessing... Thank you Jesus for constantly growing my view of you and for giving me 2 nephews and a niece to see you through.