This was totally his idea ........

In case you can not read what the fine print says " We have been busy with the recount" Matt wanted to send these out to our friends and family for Christmas this year. Not exactly what I thought but it works for me this year.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Love
Matthew and Melissa

We never know where life may take us.........

But I'm so glad no matter where the Lord make take us I have this man standing by my side.

Matt - This post is for you today because I probally don't tell you enough how proud I'm of you and all that you do for our family. You meet our needs each and everyday before you even think of yours and I'm truly so thankful.
You have a heart of a servant, you fill my life with so much joy, you make me laugh, and no matter what we are doing I'm so glad it's with you.

I'm so lucky to be the girl who gets to carry on your last name and to be able to marry my best friend and spend the rest of my life with you. You are a gift this Christmas just having you back in my life.

M

Nine Years Ago Today ...........................................

This little guy was born at 5:59pm at Mercy Hospital nine years ago today. I thought he was never going to come and when he finally did it may the last three days of being in pain all worth it( Thank you Sunday Burquest). Even though I was very young at the time when I had Carson God showed me each and everyday about the joys of being a mom and how nothing else on earth is more rewarding then raising a child.

I love you Carson and I'm so thankful that God gave you to me. I could not ask for a better son in the world.

Happy Golden Birthday!!

Love

Mom

This little man is on his first Missions Trip

My first missions trip was to Jamaica when I was 17 and now my son who is only 8 gets the opportunity to work with the team from LWCC and travel to Kingston for 7 days and work in the schools, local churches, do a soccer and volleyball camp and tell others about his faith in God. If you think of Carson in the next 6 days please pray for him and the work that he is doing over there.

M

I promise I will get better at blogging .......................

Ha it really been that long since I blogged last ............................yikes to much has happened since then so I will just give you an update on a couple your questions

1. We had a blast meeting Mayor Rudi or should I say Matt was in hog heaven that he got his pic taken with him. He actually asked me if we should use the pic for our engagement pic - not funny :)

2. Matt and I cancelled our trip to Florida over Thanksgiving - not good timing and to much going on for work for both of us so hopefully we can go soon ( To start planning the wedding0

3. Carson left on Saturday morning for his first missions trip to Jamaica and I have only cried

3 times so far. What can I say I love that little guy and have spent hours upon hours pouring into his little life. He told me a month or so back that God told him while he was there that he was going to change his life forever. Now I can remember being 8 and I do not remember the Lord speaking to me that clear. So Matt and I are so excited to hear all the amazing things that God did when he returns ( Dec 6th)

For those of you who know my little Tanky please pray for peaceful nights sleep for him - since he has been struggling a bit

4. Matt and I are taking are Christmas cards with Carson this week so you should be seeing them in the mail.

5. We had a great Thanksgiving this year - spent it at The Richmann's which was a little different - I deffinately missed my sisters- but open to having new traditions.

6. Not engaged yet - but hopefully soon!!!!!! Keep you posted !!!

7. Pic on the right is a picture of Sunday Burquest and I at Michael and Brie's wedding a couple weeks back - it was soooo much fun!!!

Guess where I'm going tonight ..............................

Matt and I were invited by some very special friends to attend the " 2008 Lincoln/Reagan
Republican Party with special guests:
Gov Tim Pawlenty, Congressman John Kline, Congressman Michelle Bachmann, Norm Coleman and Mayor Rudi Giuliani. It is being held here in Mpls and we both are sooooo excited to go. Or should I say Matt is absolutely thrilled beyond measure to go since the man loves loves loves talking politics................... let me rephrase that not just talking sometimes but debating.
I'm sure it will be a great time, but I have the feeling that Matt will make me stay until he has talked to every person :)

Love you Mr. Richmann - can't wait to enjoy a wonderful evening with you!!!!!

My Heart is Sad and yes sometimes I hate Facebook to

So I wanted to comment on something my sister said today on her blog ( Since I have two sisters - It was Leslie who said it) the cute on in the green and white sweater

Leslie wrote this on her blog today : i see all these photos from parties i'm not at, and weddings of people from LONGGGGGG ago, with friends that were friends equally long ago, and i wonder why i'm not in them. not invited, not mentioned, not even a thought.

I to Leslie hate FaceBook sometimes - Hate not going to parties and having the greatest clothes, and the best vacations like everyone else is taking - or so it appears.............................

But for those of you who don't know my sis I'm sorry to you who have never invited her to your so called parties or lunch dates and sorry you did not invite her to your wedding cause you guys are missing out. Shame on you to the person who said those people are my friends and why are you going out with them. Who gets to decide who is and is not your friends? And really do you think it will all really matter when we get to heaven ????

Leslie - don't care what those people do - they are not who make you- I had to stop caring a long time ago - stay close to the people who really know you cause they will love you the most no matter what happens

I know you personally and not just cause you are my sister and think there need to be more people like you in this world. There are places you have been that will never be the same - people still ask about you MCA - lunchroom - Sudden Fire - everyone from Osseo- Church - family outtings - birthday parties- Bunco ( those girls love you)

Girl - you are not on the sidelines - you are running your race and your true friends will be cheering you on to say keep going don't let those people get you down!!!!!! Your amazing and I love you for you who really are and thats all that matters

M

Mr Carson

Mr Carson Steven Almquist

So my son wanted me to do a post about him since he said a lot of people don't really know about him :)

Born: 12/9/99

Big Golden Birthday coming up :) and he wants to go to a hotel with 9 of his friends and get an Xbox

We live together in Minnetonka,MN for the next 7 months until Matt and i tie the knot - Yeahhhhhh

Favorite Sports: Football, Basketball, Swimming, Golf, Soccer

Favorite Food: Pizza or Mac and Cheese and he loves Biscuits and Gravy and his Auntie Kelly's house - He says " Mom I love warm meals at Kelly's House " meaning he hates eating on the go like I always make him do

Best Part about 3rd Grade: Science or History

Best Football Team - In his eyes - Florida Gators ( he tells Matt and I he is going to play football for them some day)

Any Big News; He is leaving in 3 weeks for his first missions trip to Jamaica with his Nana and he told me last night that he really feels that God is going to change his life forever when he is there. And that he should go back when he is 18 to work with Pastor Winston Watson for a year before going off to college- Sounds like a good plan to me.

Gotta love this kid - I must give credit to his Nana who has spent a lot of her time raising him like he was her own.

Gotta say I know God has put it in Matt and I's heart to open a Single Mom's home some day to help mom's get on there feet, get a good job, have a decent wardrobe and learn about Christ.

Can't wait and hope that day is soon :)

M

Back in the swing of things ....................

Sorry it's been so long since I have blogged :(

Life has just been busy with school( little man), home work, early bed times, Working at the 5th, and just finding time for me I have not seem to find a lot of time to blog about everything.

So you are probally wondering who are these people in my pics - I have no idea but I saw the picture of The Knot.com and thought " This is exactly how I want my wedding party to look like"( and be on the beach). No formal date yet - since I do not have my ring yet but we are planning May 2009 so keep your calendars open boys and girls. We are gonna have a great time celebrating in Capitiva Island, FL.

M

MBR Superstar

So when I was 12 my sister Leslie gave Matt the name MBR ( his name is Matthew Blair Richmann) Superstar and to this day we are not sure why but it stuck with him.

For those of you who don't know Matt was the first guy I ever dated, first guy I ever kissed ( in church) We dated on and off through high school. We saw each other every week at church, and our familys would get together so we could hang out. I took him to my 9th grade formal ( I still have the pic) But went it came time for college I went off to Christ For the Nations and he went off to TCU and for the first time in our lives we lost touch of each other. We did not lose touch purposely-college was busy, we made new friends, Dallas was farther that Ft Worth. And some how 5 -6years went by and we barely saw each other.

So I was thinking about our story the other day and thatevening Matt and I had dinner with a Pastor from Jamica and he asked us how we met and how we ended up here. I said it was truly the grace that God brought us here today.

To give you the short version of what I began to explain to this pastor is that somewhere in that 5 years that Matt and i drifted apart I had also drifted away from God for awhile. I had gone through some heartache and could choose how I was going to live my life and find my own happiness. I fell away from the church and got into situations that were to big for me to handle. I look back now and I know I could have not picked a worse time to walk away from God then when I did. But little did I know if I would have just stayed faithful to the Lord and keep serving him he was about to open some doors for me supernaturally.

I can still remember the night like it was yesterday that I cried out to the Lord in desperation to help me find my way again and bring me back to my first love ( The Father God) And I can honestly say that night I cried out to the Lord he truly showed me that he was not disapointed in me, and that he does not love me any less for the things I had done up until my life. It was from there going forward that I never strayed away from him again. And here I stand today in complete awe of how good God is and how I saw more than ever how deep the fathers love was for me.

Now many years later he will be the man I'm going to marry and spend the rest of my life with. And let me just say boy am I a lucky girl.

Thank you Matthew for waiting for me.

M

I'm the Blonde

So I could not find any good pictures of my family, and I could not find a good picture of just myself ( since i never seem to carry my camera) so I took this one from my dear friend Kendra.

This picture was taken 3 weeks ago at her cabin up north. We had such a great day together!

Love you Vandervoort :)

M

My First Time Blogging ................so bare with me

So I have wanted to start blogging for the last couple of months and I keep saying to myself that I'm going to do it but haven't. Last night my boyfriend( Matt) says "Hey Bee ( my name means Honey Bee in the bible ) I think we should start a blog and talk about our lives, family, and where God is taking us and I say what a great idea I will get right on that :)

So all of this make take me awhile to figure out since I just got a Facebook and MySpace and I'm 30- so Kelly and Fred watch out I maybe asking you a lot of questions in the weeks ahead.

M