Yay! Christmas is over! Don't get me wrong, it was wonderful, but I am so glad that it is over and we can get past the commercials and advertisements around every corner! I'm already looking toward the new year and planning my resolutions (next post?).
I did end up decorating, but wasn't finished until about 3 days before Christmas. It helped with my holiday funk I was in. I was also overruled by my husband - we ended up with a tree and stockings. It was okay and since our focus was on GIVING instead of getting, Christmas was different. The boys made gifts with me for each of their siblings and daddy. And then each made a cookie to put in stockings. I purchased some bags of peppermint sticks and stuffed satsuma oranges (a tradition in my family) into their stockings as well. Daddy even went all out and made his gift for me, a wooden shelf for my bathroom! It was a nice, peaceful holiday.
Where the guilt and excess come in is the gifts from other people! We love our family and are thankful that they want to bless our children with gifts, but it was a lot this year! One set of grandparents dropped of a pile of presents that exceeded any other Christmas before, another set sent Amazon gift cards. Combine that with the gift cards from aunts and uncles and other assorted relatives, our children were rolling in gifts and dough! So much for a modest holiday.
Now, I can choose to look at this as God blessing our children for sharing their Christmas money with those in need (we didn't tell anyone in our family about that) or I can chalk it up to generosity. Either way, it was a lot of money and stuff!
And what does a responsible parent do with these gift cards? Save it up and persuade the children to really think about what they can combine the money for, hoping they will choose to spend it on something for their bedroom or home? Encourage them to use it gradually throughout the year? No, I let them spend the Amazon gift cards on toys! Lots of toys! After all, that is what the money was intended for, wasn't it?
At about midnight last night, long after the last "order it" button had been pushed at Amazon, I started to regret my decision to indulge my children. I let them choose and shop because the gift wasn't from me, it was from someone else who wanted the kids to spend it on fun stuff. But do I have to do what is expected? I am the parent, am I not? Letting them have everything they could want cannot possibly be good for them in the long run! I was irritated enough (with my own overindulgence) that I hopped back online and almost canceled their orders.... until I realized that these were gift cards and there is not much else that can be done with them. If they had not bought toys, they would have bought something else that either I had coerced them into buying (and they would not enjoy or appreciate) or something that I would not approve of. Either way, the gift cards would be spent. I can't save them up in a bank account, the will not accrue interest, the things they purchase will always be extra because it is just that - a gift, not a necessity. A gift is meant to be extra, to be special and a luxury, right? The orders stayed.
I will insist on "Thank You" cards from each of my children to the gift giver.
My husband's suggestion for next year is to let each child choose one thing, then spend the rest on things that they may need throughout the year or discuss a big purchase to be made that will be a communal gift for them. That cash they received is going in a bank account! This situation, combined with our desire to be givers at the time of year, has given me a lot to think about when it comes to birthdays and gifts we give to our children throughout the year. I'll talk more about that in my new year post :)
Anyway, hope your Christmas was peaceful, meaning full and above all, an abundant blessing!
Monday, December 27, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Merry Messiahmas!
Hanukkah has come and gone. Part of me is sad and part of me is relieved that there are no more nights with fried food and gifts! I know that we started some really good traditions this year with our "8 lights, 8 lessons" and I am excited to see what next year brings in both inspiration and learning. I'm not really sure if I am ready for Christmas now. Maybe the next 2 weeks will afford me a break and I will get my energy (vigor, zest, joy) for celebrating back!
I did end up decorating with cedar garlands and I love it, even if they didn't last all that long and now I want to replace them all. I am a little disappointed that most of my white lights needed fuses changed and so I didn't bother to haggle with them to get them up. And I did decorate our front porch a little. It sounds like my husband really wants to keep doing a Christmas tree, so this afternoon we will dig the plastic one out and decorate it. I'm glad that he is taking an interest in the holidays. That is totally not his style! I have been wavering on the tree decision for a while and its good to have him make a call on this one. I've also decided that while we don't teach our kids that Santa is real and bring them gifts, we will let them watch most holiday movies, since it is about the same as letting them watch Narnia; both are stories about imaginary characters, but our kids seem to understand that these things are not real, just fun. That has helped me ease up on the "Christmas Gestapo" role that I was falling into!
We've also come up with a plan for Christmas day. We gave our Christmas money to World Vision this year, which the children are proud of and feel good knowing that they helped so many people. They know that means no gifts on Christmas and were slightly disappointed about that, but they were being troopers and keeping a stiff upper lip about it. Then I realized that Christmas doesn't have to cost us more, it can be free. We can help others and still give to each other. I have a sewing room full of craft materials and fabric and paints - there is no reason why we can't make something!
I am really proud of the boys and their willingness to focus on giving this year. They have such big hearts, if you can get them away from video games and Star Wars for a moment! Each boy took a moment with me to peruse Design Mom's blog for inspiration. I have tons of craft books, but all are packed and these projects have all been done for a very small amount or nothing, tested by her own children and reviewed by the recipients :) Over the next couple weeks, I will spend an afternoon (while the baby is napping) with each boy, working on their gifts for their family. I'll post pictures when we are done. The only one not going along with this plan is Dad, but we will excuse him since I don't think there is an arts-&-crafts bone in his body!
What are your plans for the holiday season? Have you seen this list posted in the Anchorage Daily News? Its worth printing up and posting on the fridge to bust the winter blahs! Merry Christmas!
I did end up decorating with cedar garlands and I love it, even if they didn't last all that long and now I want to replace them all. I am a little disappointed that most of my white lights needed fuses changed and so I didn't bother to haggle with them to get them up. And I did decorate our front porch a little. It sounds like my husband really wants to keep doing a Christmas tree, so this afternoon we will dig the plastic one out and decorate it. I'm glad that he is taking an interest in the holidays. That is totally not his style! I have been wavering on the tree decision for a while and its good to have him make a call on this one. I've also decided that while we don't teach our kids that Santa is real and bring them gifts, we will let them watch most holiday movies, since it is about the same as letting them watch Narnia; both are stories about imaginary characters, but our kids seem to understand that these things are not real, just fun. That has helped me ease up on the "Christmas Gestapo" role that I was falling into!
We've also come up with a plan for Christmas day. We gave our Christmas money to World Vision this year, which the children are proud of and feel good knowing that they helped so many people. They know that means no gifts on Christmas and were slightly disappointed about that, but they were being troopers and keeping a stiff upper lip about it. Then I realized that Christmas doesn't have to cost us more, it can be free. We can help others and still give to each other. I have a sewing room full of craft materials and fabric and paints - there is no reason why we can't make something!
I am really proud of the boys and their willingness to focus on giving this year. They have such big hearts, if you can get them away from video games and Star Wars for a moment! Each boy took a moment with me to peruse Design Mom's blog for inspiration. I have tons of craft books, but all are packed and these projects have all been done for a very small amount or nothing, tested by her own children and reviewed by the recipients :) Over the next couple weeks, I will spend an afternoon (while the baby is napping) with each boy, working on their gifts for their family. I'll post pictures when we are done. The only one not going along with this plan is Dad, but we will excuse him since I don't think there is an arts-&-crafts bone in his body!
What are your plans for the holiday season? Have you seen this list posted in the Anchorage Daily News? Its worth printing up and posting on the fridge to bust the winter blahs! Merry Christmas!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
The deadline
It looks like I won't be completing my notebook for the challenge. I'm a little disappointed with myself, but at least it got me drawing again. I can say it helped waken my desire to create again. Maybe I will continue working on it and magically have it done before the January 15 postal deadline. Maybe not.
*shrug* I can't say I tried all that hard. When is it ever a good time to do this kind of thing? Are my days of being able to sit down and finish a project (or start one for that matter) over? I don't seem to have time to sew, yet have a room full of fabrics and patterns and ideas in sketchbooks. I don't have time to paint, but have buckets of bottles, cups of brushes and stacks of canvas. I need to create! This is something that I long for but never seem to have time to do.
I drag my kids everywhere with me - the doctor, the store, the theater. Perhaps there will come a day when my office will be organized and I can bring my children in with me. The sketchbook will be waiting for me.
*shrug* I can't say I tried all that hard. When is it ever a good time to do this kind of thing? Are my days of being able to sit down and finish a project (or start one for that matter) over? I don't seem to have time to sew, yet have a room full of fabrics and patterns and ideas in sketchbooks. I don't have time to paint, but have buckets of bottles, cups of brushes and stacks of canvas. I need to create! This is something that I long for but never seem to have time to do.
I drag my kids everywhere with me - the doctor, the store, the theater. Perhaps there will come a day when my office will be organized and I can bring my children in with me. The sketchbook will be waiting for me.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Giving
Last week, after my last post, I pulled out the World Vision Catalog that has been sitting on my desk for.. what seems like months, but is probably only 1. I reminded each child that we were not going to be celebrating Christmas like we have before. I encouraged each one to pick out gifts for another child, somewhere across the world, who goes without most everything that our family has. Some kids live in huts, some work all day for pennies. Some are orphaned or are living with sick and dying family members, maybe their mother or their little brother. My 3 oldest boys looked through the catalog for a few minutes and then they started calling out things they wanted to get for other kids. "Soccer balls so they can have fun!" "Clean water, mom. That's what I want to give" It was really moving to hear my children, who are like so many of us and think about themselves 99% of the time, choosing to give instead of have more.
Our little order form is filled out and waiting for me to glean the money from savings accounts and pay checks over the next weeks. My hope burgeoned that this year, we would be the light to someone else, showing them who Messiah is by giving instead of asking, yet again, for more. I slipped the form under my laptop, waiting for a money order or a moment to order online. I was so excited to have my children on board with refocusing our holiday!
And then the little whispers of doubt started to creep in..... Am I cheating my kids? Will they forgive me when Christmas comes without presents for them? Should I get them one thing? Should I only take the first step this year, phasing out Christmas in exchange for Hanukkah? I didn't see how I could honor God by giving to His son, and still pursue all the worldy practices of this holiday.
And then an answer to the ache in my heart, my friend shared a post from another family that has been doing the same thing, giving instead of getting, for 10 years now! I cried for quite a while after reading this post. It was a comfort and an affirmation to me.
As we approach Hanukkah, I prepare myself for some big teaching moments. I don't plan to give our children lavish gifts each day of the feast, but instead, we will have lessons centered on a theme for the day. Some days, they will receive a gift; other days, they will give a gift or perform an act of charity. Keep praying for us, that each one of us in our family will be transformed into Messiah's image during this season.
Our little order form is filled out and waiting for me to glean the money from savings accounts and pay checks over the next weeks. My hope burgeoned that this year, we would be the light to someone else, showing them who Messiah is by giving instead of asking, yet again, for more. I slipped the form under my laptop, waiting for a money order or a moment to order online. I was so excited to have my children on board with refocusing our holiday!
And then the little whispers of doubt started to creep in..... Am I cheating my kids? Will they forgive me when Christmas comes without presents for them? Should I get them one thing? Should I only take the first step this year, phasing out Christmas in exchange for Hanukkah? I didn't see how I could honor God by giving to His son, and still pursue all the worldy practices of this holiday.
And then an answer to the ache in my heart, my friend shared a post from another family that has been doing the same thing, giving instead of getting, for 10 years now! I cried for quite a while after reading this post. It was a comfort and an affirmation to me.
As we approach Hanukkah, I prepare myself for some big teaching moments. I don't plan to give our children lavish gifts each day of the feast, but instead, we will have lessons centered on a theme for the day. Some days, they will receive a gift; other days, they will give a gift or perform an act of charity. Keep praying for us, that each one of us in our family will be transformed into Messiah's image during this season.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Considering coverings
I just started wearing a head covering yesterday. I've been considering it for a while, over a year now, but it took a friend of mine admitting that she was considering wearing them more often for me to decide to do it too. It's always easier to do something if you're not alone, isn't it?
My friend traveled to Israel recently for the first time, where she wore head coverings out of respect for the orthodox Jews. She looks wonderful in them! There is a part of wearing a head scarf or wrap that makes most of us "Americans" think that the woman wearing it as part of her culture or religious beliefs must be oppressed. I think we may have it wrong.
Over the past week, while considering how to go about covering my hair, I realized that wearing a head scarf has the potential to really bless us as women! I got excited about it! The first blessing comes from honoring our husbands (and other men around us); covering our hair sets that part of our physical bodies apart only for our husbands to admire, making it a treasure to him and giving him more opportunity to feel honored and to compliment us when we are alone together. What a wonderful way to tell our husbands that we prize them above all others and will reserve our physical appearance for them. By covering our hair in public, we also potentially remove part of the temptation for other men to fall into adultery! *I'm not saying that this last reason is my reason, but one that I have come to consider as a positive to wearing a head covering* Sure, wearing a head covering in our culture can draw attention as well, but what a unique way to share our faith with the world.
A second and very personal blessing comes as we set ourselves apart from what the world finds to be beautiful and instead submit our vanity and desire to be called beautiful aside. We trade the standard of the world for the standard of the Lord, leaving our superficial primping behind for hopefully something deeper. Imagine if you could leave off coloring or styling your hair for public viewing and instead plan for the evening, when you will unbraid your hair for your beloved! Which one is most rewarding?
I know that there are probably many more things to consider to the act of covering my hair, but these are the focus of my choice at the moment. I'm not sure if it will last or not, I leave that all up to my husband. He would never ask me to do something like this, but once I explained that this was for him, he admitted that he thought it was romantic and would make him feel special :)
The first day that I came home with a scarf covering my hair, he told me I looked like a cancer patient! I guess we both have some adjusting to do and I will be experimenting with tying methods that compliment me better. I have a desire to seek out the history of head coverings, since it has not been taught to us "new believers". I encourage you to do the same, if you desire. God bless!
My friend traveled to Israel recently for the first time, where she wore head coverings out of respect for the orthodox Jews. She looks wonderful in them! There is a part of wearing a head scarf or wrap that makes most of us "Americans" think that the woman wearing it as part of her culture or religious beliefs must be oppressed. I think we may have it wrong.
Over the past week, while considering how to go about covering my hair, I realized that wearing a head scarf has the potential to really bless us as women! I got excited about it! The first blessing comes from honoring our husbands (and other men around us); covering our hair sets that part of our physical bodies apart only for our husbands to admire, making it a treasure to him and giving him more opportunity to feel honored and to compliment us when we are alone together. What a wonderful way to tell our husbands that we prize them above all others and will reserve our physical appearance for them. By covering our hair in public, we also potentially remove part of the temptation for other men to fall into adultery! *I'm not saying that this last reason is my reason, but one that I have come to consider as a positive to wearing a head covering* Sure, wearing a head covering in our culture can draw attention as well, but what a unique way to share our faith with the world.
A second and very personal blessing comes as we set ourselves apart from what the world finds to be beautiful and instead submit our vanity and desire to be called beautiful aside. We trade the standard of the world for the standard of the Lord, leaving our superficial primping behind for hopefully something deeper. Imagine if you could leave off coloring or styling your hair for public viewing and instead plan for the evening, when you will unbraid your hair for your beloved! Which one is most rewarding?
I know that there are probably many more things to consider to the act of covering my hair, but these are the focus of my choice at the moment. I'm not sure if it will last or not, I leave that all up to my husband. He would never ask me to do something like this, but once I explained that this was for him, he admitted that he thought it was romantic and would make him feel special :)
The first day that I came home with a scarf covering my hair, he told me I looked like a cancer patient! I guess we both have some adjusting to do and I will be experimenting with tying methods that compliment me better. I have a desire to seek out the history of head coverings, since it has not been taught to us "new believers". I encourage you to do the same, if you desire. God bless!
Friday, October 8, 2010
Birthdays and more
I'm not doing very well keeping up with my sketchbook project. I am now about 2 weeks behind schedule, which makes me a little nervous. I'm hoping that I will be able to catch up during my trip to California for my grandmother's 80th birthday. If I work it right, I will have a wide variety of models to choose from and that might actually help me complete it faster. That is, if the baby cooperates during our trip.
My youngest doesn't sleep very well away from home. I'm dreading flying with him. I have no idea how he will behave. This is the only way that I could talk my husband into letting me take this trip, so I'm kinda stuck with the little guy. I am thankful that I didn't get stuck on any red eye flights, since other passengers seem to handle a fussy baby better during the day. I am also thankful that I will be staying with family members who have had kids and are now grandparents, so they know what it's like and have a good sense of humor about these things. That should come in handy when he is up all night crying! I'm thinking about trying to drug him on the flights! Okay, not really, but I could try benadryl.... I'm not that comfortable with it though. Anyone ever tried Gripe water? Think it would help on the airplane? Any homeopathic remedies to try? If you have any other suggestions, now is the time!
Liam climbing up a box in the kitchen, before he could walk; Liam in the bottom of a serving cart.
In just a few weeks, the little one will be one whole year old! He is quite the little handful, but we adore him anyway :) In just a matter of 2 weeks, he has gone from taking one or two timid steps, to climbing and walking everywhere! I kid you not, this kid keeps me on my toes!
I'm looking forward to cake and cousins and all the fun that comes along with a first birthday. I'm thinking a pumpkin cake! We've done chocolate, red velvet, banana, (all for first birthdays) so I think that this will be a nice change for our little fall baby. Maybe something like this:
Of course, it wouldn't say "Preston", it would say "Liam". I'm sure that I have mentioned that we call him our lion (he's loud, he's ferocious, he thinks he's in charge...). Our nursery, that is not quite finished, will be decorated in a lion theme eventually. Anyway, first birthdays are so much fun! 80th birthdays are quite remarkable and to make it to over 100, well that's just something really special! I feel blessed to get to be present at so many special birthdays this year :) Take care!
My youngest doesn't sleep very well away from home. I'm dreading flying with him. I have no idea how he will behave. This is the only way that I could talk my husband into letting me take this trip, so I'm kinda stuck with the little guy. I am thankful that I didn't get stuck on any red eye flights, since other passengers seem to handle a fussy baby better during the day. I am also thankful that I will be staying with family members who have had kids and are now grandparents, so they know what it's like and have a good sense of humor about these things. That should come in handy when he is up all night crying! I'm thinking about trying to drug him on the flights! Okay, not really, but I could try benadryl.... I'm not that comfortable with it though. Anyone ever tried Gripe water? Think it would help on the airplane? Any homeopathic remedies to try? If you have any other suggestions, now is the time!
Liam climbing up a box in the kitchen, before he could walk; Liam in the bottom of a serving cart.In just a few weeks, the little one will be one whole year old! He is quite the little handful, but we adore him anyway :) In just a matter of 2 weeks, he has gone from taking one or two timid steps, to climbing and walking everywhere! I kid you not, this kid keeps me on my toes!
I'm looking forward to cake and cousins and all the fun that comes along with a first birthday. I'm thinking a pumpkin cake! We've done chocolate, red velvet, banana, (all for first birthdays) so I think that this will be a nice change for our little fall baby. Maybe something like this:
Of course, it wouldn't say "Preston", it would say "Liam". I'm sure that I have mentioned that we call him our lion (he's loud, he's ferocious, he thinks he's in charge...). Our nursery, that is not quite finished, will be decorated in a lion theme eventually. Anyway, first birthdays are so much fun! 80th birthdays are quite remarkable and to make it to over 100, well that's just something really special! I feel blessed to get to be present at so many special birthdays this year :) Take care!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Tabernacle with me for a moment
Sukkot has come and gone. I'm a little sad and a little thankful. Sad that it is over and our time "tabernacling" together has come to an end, but soooo thankful to be home and have a day (or two) to sit in my pajamas and let the kids be vegetables!
The kids took mini courses during the week. They built a "Sukkah", a dwelling, and had class in it one day!
The Feast of Tabernacles is a time for God's people (yep, even you) to join together for one week, vacating their lives and homes, to remember God coming to tabernacle (dwell) with the children of Israel in the desert. It is also a time for us to recognize the Son coming to tabernacle with us! In both occurences, the Israelites needed to see and know God, to experience His love first hand and to get personal with Him. Its important to remember that even though the children of Israel were disobedient and complaining and difficult to discipline, God stuck with them throughout the whole 40 years! He didn't leave, He didn't walk them to the edge of the Jordan and point the way and then let them go on ahead without Him. NO, He went across FIRST! What He SAID, He was and He did!
John 1:14 says that the Word (God's spoken knowledge!) became flesh and dwelt among us. When God came as a man, Yeshua, it was again to help us see Him, love Him, hear Him, obey Him and get personal with Him. Then, being crucified, He came back, being the first to cross back from death and into life! He lead the way, and since then, His Spirit has dwelled with us, never leaving us. How awesome is that?! It is certainly worth celebrating and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to be with other believers during this appointed festival.
Some of our collective children; Kids outside, being kids!
This past week was fun and exhausting. The children were great. I'm really impressed with how well they held up, 11-13 children on any given day, together from breakfast thru dinner. There were tears, but there was laughter in abundance. Friendships were strengthened. I hope the adults feel like they got some of that this week too. I know I did.
Despite all the blessings, I have been struggling with one thing. There is a person in my fellowship that just rubs me the wrong way constantly. I know I am called to love even those I don't like, but this has been especially trying. I am ashamed to admit how much anger I have toward this person, but I know that you will pray for me. Pray for me to have grace and exceeding patience. I have had one fairly well handled confrontation with this person and another not so well handled interaction. It's humiliating, but not in a spiritually humbling way. Its a humiliation that comes from letting a weaker opponent get your goat. One that sparks my desire to retaliate, to tear this person down. I want to put on my battle armor and march in with swords ablaze! However, I know this is not what the Lord would have me do, at least not now. This is where genuine humility comes in, knowing that my God can see the ugly things in my heart. There may come a day when I can speak against the things that have this person ensnared and doing evil, but for now I have to try to speak life and not death, even for this person. That's a hard thing for this warrior to do :)
The kids took mini courses during the week. They built a "Sukkah", a dwelling, and had class in it one day!
The Feast of Tabernacles is a time for God's people (yep, even you) to join together for one week, vacating their lives and homes, to remember God coming to tabernacle (dwell) with the children of Israel in the desert. It is also a time for us to recognize the Son coming to tabernacle with us! In both occurences, the Israelites needed to see and know God, to experience His love first hand and to get personal with Him. Its important to remember that even though the children of Israel were disobedient and complaining and difficult to discipline, God stuck with them throughout the whole 40 years! He didn't leave, He didn't walk them to the edge of the Jordan and point the way and then let them go on ahead without Him. NO, He went across FIRST! What He SAID, He was and He did!
John 1:14 says that the Word (God's spoken knowledge!) became flesh and dwelt among us. When God came as a man, Yeshua, it was again to help us see Him, love Him, hear Him, obey Him and get personal with Him. Then, being crucified, He came back, being the first to cross back from death and into life! He lead the way, and since then, His Spirit has dwelled with us, never leaving us. How awesome is that?! It is certainly worth celebrating and I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to be with other believers during this appointed festival.
Some of our collective children; Kids outside, being kids!
This past week was fun and exhausting. The children were great. I'm really impressed with how well they held up, 11-13 children on any given day, together from breakfast thru dinner. There were tears, but there was laughter in abundance. Friendships were strengthened. I hope the adults feel like they got some of that this week too. I know I did.
Despite all the blessings, I have been struggling with one thing. There is a person in my fellowship that just rubs me the wrong way constantly. I know I am called to love even those I don't like, but this has been especially trying. I am ashamed to admit how much anger I have toward this person, but I know that you will pray for me. Pray for me to have grace and exceeding patience. I have had one fairly well handled confrontation with this person and another not so well handled interaction. It's humiliating, but not in a spiritually humbling way. Its a humiliation that comes from letting a weaker opponent get your goat. One that sparks my desire to retaliate, to tear this person down. I want to put on my battle armor and march in with swords ablaze! However, I know this is not what the Lord would have me do, at least not now. This is where genuine humility comes in, knowing that my God can see the ugly things in my heart. There may come a day when I can speak against the things that have this person ensnared and doing evil, but for now I have to try to speak life and not death, even for this person. That's a hard thing for this warrior to do :)
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Count down - 80 pictures to the finish
I got my sketchbook in the mail on Monday. It is little but still very intimidating, with its 80 blank pages staring at me. I managed to start one drawing in it yesterday, and finished it mostly. I'm still undecided as to what medium to use. Probably pencil and colored pencil, since that's what I have on hand. If I want anything else, I will have to push my way in to my office and dig thru some boxes to find it.
Pencil it is!
As far a theme, I chose "The greatest story ever told..." I had to make a short list to help me focus. I'm a list maker, perpetually, and I have found it has helped me keep the contents of my head in order and in so many ways.
One idea was to draw my way through the bible. I really like that one, but that might be the most controversial and I'm just trying to ease my way back into this. Not to mention, I'm short on time and that is definitely going to take longer than 16 (eek!) weeks. I do plan on doing that one also, but maybe after the new year.
Another idea was to just make it a book of portraits. Each portrait is a picture of a person and what story could be greater than that of every person you know? Everyone's story is of value and interest, however short or sad or carefree.
In the end, it was a simple drawing of my infant son that helped me narrow down my topic. It will be a biographical series, chronicling the life of one person (male), birth to death. I am in a position where my models are all around me in several ages and stages already (my husband and boys) and if I average 4 or 5 drawings a week, I could be ready to mail it in January 1st. I'm going to choose to forgo words of any kind to help me capture the moment for each period. That means I won't caption the pictures or explain in words what is going on. They will just be pictures.
One picture down and....79 to go :) Hope your evening is peaceful.
Pencil it is!
As far a theme, I chose "The greatest story ever told..." I had to make a short list to help me focus. I'm a list maker, perpetually, and I have found it has helped me keep the contents of my head in order and in so many ways.
One idea was to draw my way through the bible. I really like that one, but that might be the most controversial and I'm just trying to ease my way back into this. Not to mention, I'm short on time and that is definitely going to take longer than 16 (eek!) weeks. I do plan on doing that one also, but maybe after the new year.
Another idea was to just make it a book of portraits. Each portrait is a picture of a person and what story could be greater than that of every person you know? Everyone's story is of value and interest, however short or sad or carefree.
In the end, it was a simple drawing of my infant son that helped me narrow down my topic. It will be a biographical series, chronicling the life of one person (male), birth to death. I am in a position where my models are all around me in several ages and stages already (my husband and boys) and if I average 4 or 5 drawings a week, I could be ready to mail it in January 1st. I'm going to choose to forgo words of any kind to help me capture the moment for each period. That means I won't caption the pictures or explain in words what is going on. They will just be pictures.
One picture down and....79 to go :) Hope your evening is peaceful.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Less time
Apparently I read the rules wrong. I don't have a year to complete the sketchbook, I have.... 17 weeks, if it arrives in the mail this week. Huh. That's a much shorter time, so I guess I better start brainstorming and getting a sketch bag together.
17 weeks.
17 weeks.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Sweet summer
Just wanted to share a sweet picture of my littlest one with one of our dear friend's girls. The girls at church fawn over my little guy and in this picture, he is almost asleep, cradled against her chest as she rocks him back and forth on the swing. They're just precious :)
Sketchbook Challenge
I've just signed myself up for a sketchbook challenge. I have one year to fill a sketchbook and even though the book is not here yet, I'm already worried that I won't be able to fill it!
I used to draw. And paint. And make pottery. My life has not been all that conducive to hours of sketching on end, like it was when I was a teen! I browsed (ever so briefly) thru some other artist's posted sketches and got a big dose of intimidation! Of course, these people have gone to school for additional training, and possibly have careers centered on their artistic abilities. I chose to forgo school for life. That's right, I didn't go to school because of so many reasons, but the top of that list is because I couldn't bear the thought of postponing life for school! Silly, I know. I do have to say that I filled those year when I could have been in school with adventures and starting a family (and I'm not in debt up to my eyeballs), so I do feel pretty good about that decision. I guess I will have to remind myself that an artist isn't necessarily made better or made great by going to school, but by doing it.
I'm interested to see what will come out as I start to draw again. 10 years is a long time to be away from a sketchbook! A new challenge awaits...
I used to draw. And paint. And make pottery. My life has not been all that conducive to hours of sketching on end, like it was when I was a teen! I browsed (ever so briefly) thru some other artist's posted sketches and got a big dose of intimidation! Of course, these people have gone to school for additional training, and possibly have careers centered on their artistic abilities. I chose to forgo school for life. That's right, I didn't go to school because of so many reasons, but the top of that list is because I couldn't bear the thought of postponing life for school! Silly, I know. I do have to say that I filled those year when I could have been in school with adventures and starting a family (and I'm not in debt up to my eyeballs), so I do feel pretty good about that decision. I guess I will have to remind myself that an artist isn't necessarily made better or made great by going to school, but by doing it.
I'm interested to see what will come out as I start to draw again. 10 years is a long time to be away from a sketchbook! A new challenge awaits...
Friday, August 27, 2010
Rainy day homeschool fun
Things have settled down around here finally. We are unpacking and doing our best to finish the house at the same time. So far the school year has been easy, probably because we have spent the last month playing catch up from last year. The boys are nearly finished with their math books from last year but, we have quite a way to go with English. At this point, I would love to jump to the next book, but I'm undecided. I worry that we will do the same thing next year and miss the same chapters, which could cause problems later. I haven't even ordered books for this year yet!
Today was wet and gloomy outside, and since I had a lot of work to do preparing for Shabbat, I let the oldest boys run off and entertain themselves. That left me with one preschooler to entertain. Off and on for the past 4 years, I have used "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" to help me get an idea of where each of the boys are before we start a solid curriculum with them. I'm not very consistent with it, at all; I use it as an evaluation reference, flipping thru the last 6 months to a year and looking over what they know, what they should and maybe doing a few of the activities with them if I'm in doubt of their ability in any given area. This year, I decided to try to be a little more proactive, with my 3rd son now officially a preschooler. Little did I know that his small lesson would turn into a game that all the boys would enjoy!
Brody, exploring the clothespins
Today's lesson was a game of sorts - toss clothes pins into a small bucket from a short distance. The point is to refine hand and eye coordination, learn to gauge distance and understand that all our tries are good, even if they don't make it to the target. All good lessons, right? After Brody had a turn at tossing his 10 clothes pins a few times, the older boys asked if they could try. We played the game a couple ways and it seems like they enjoyed it! I'm sure other families have this all figured out and you can search for it online, but here are our versions that we played today:
What you need:
10 Clothes pins for each child. Be sure that they are different colors or materials ( plastic for one child, wood for another). I made the mistake of mixing and matching because some of them were in use on the clothes line... big no no! If at all possible, paint or have the kids color clothes pins in sets of 10 and just keep them around.
2 or more small containers, like baskets with no handles, coffee cans, mixing bowls, etc. If you feel like you need it, use cups for each childs pins.
A line to stand behind. Tape on the floor, a bench, the point is to stand behind it and shoot. The bench worked really well. Each child could stand to play and have a table top to put their pins on during their turn.
Ways to play:
Clothespin missles! The first game we played was something like darts. Brody tossed his pins at the basket, placed about 5 feet away (lengthen this for older kids) from the bench, and we counted how many he got in and how many out. There were no "misses". After 2 or 3 turns, his aim improved and we moved the bowl back a foot. Very easy, but everyone loved it! It was good to see the older boys challenging themselves by stepping further back for the next round.
Clothespin Shootout! Two children stand side by side behind the bench, with their clothespins (different colors!) There are two (or more) containers placed on the floor, one at 5 feet from the bench, the other at 7 or 8 ft. Depending on the children's ages, give them 30-60 seconds to toss their clothes pins at the containers. Clothespins that make it into the nearest container are worth ten points each, the farther container 25 points each. Prizes can be anything you want them to be! Again, so easy and so much fun! If you have a very competitive child (in my house, this is around 4-5 yrs old), its best not to pair them up against anyone for the shootout, but let them win a prize for their personal best of pins in.
There are so many ways that this could be played and so many items could be substituted for the clothespins (and what kid doesn't love to throw things in the house?) I'm feeling a little long winded now, so I think that I'll leave it at that and say that I hope you find a new way to play this with your kids and that you'll share it with me. We had fun and we beat the rainy day without resorting to a day of t.v.! Take care :)
Today was wet and gloomy outside, and since I had a lot of work to do preparing for Shabbat, I let the oldest boys run off and entertain themselves. That left me with one preschooler to entertain. Off and on for the past 4 years, I have used "Slow and Steady, Get Me Ready" to help me get an idea of where each of the boys are before we start a solid curriculum with them. I'm not very consistent with it, at all; I use it as an evaluation reference, flipping thru the last 6 months to a year and looking over what they know, what they should and maybe doing a few of the activities with them if I'm in doubt of their ability in any given area. This year, I decided to try to be a little more proactive, with my 3rd son now officially a preschooler. Little did I know that his small lesson would turn into a game that all the boys would enjoy!
Brody, exploring the clothespinsToday's lesson was a game of sorts - toss clothes pins into a small bucket from a short distance. The point is to refine hand and eye coordination, learn to gauge distance and understand that all our tries are good, even if they don't make it to the target. All good lessons, right? After Brody had a turn at tossing his 10 clothes pins a few times, the older boys asked if they could try. We played the game a couple ways and it seems like they enjoyed it! I'm sure other families have this all figured out and you can search for it online, but here are our versions that we played today:
What you need:
10 Clothes pins for each child. Be sure that they are different colors or materials ( plastic for one child, wood for another). I made the mistake of mixing and matching because some of them were in use on the clothes line... big no no! If at all possible, paint or have the kids color clothes pins in sets of 10 and just keep them around.
2 or more small containers, like baskets with no handles, coffee cans, mixing bowls, etc. If you feel like you need it, use cups for each childs pins.
A line to stand behind. Tape on the floor, a bench, the point is to stand behind it and shoot. The bench worked really well. Each child could stand to play and have a table top to put their pins on during their turn.
Ways to play:
Clothespin missles! The first game we played was something like darts. Brody tossed his pins at the basket, placed about 5 feet away (lengthen this for older kids) from the bench, and we counted how many he got in and how many out. There were no "misses". After 2 or 3 turns, his aim improved and we moved the bowl back a foot. Very easy, but everyone loved it! It was good to see the older boys challenging themselves by stepping further back for the next round.
Clothespin Shootout! Two children stand side by side behind the bench, with their clothespins (different colors!) There are two (or more) containers placed on the floor, one at 5 feet from the bench, the other at 7 or 8 ft. Depending on the children's ages, give them 30-60 seconds to toss their clothes pins at the containers. Clothespins that make it into the nearest container are worth ten points each, the farther container 25 points each. Prizes can be anything you want them to be! Again, so easy and so much fun! If you have a very competitive child (in my house, this is around 4-5 yrs old), its best not to pair them up against anyone for the shootout, but let them win a prize for their personal best of pins in.
There are so many ways that this could be played and so many items could be substituted for the clothespins (and what kid doesn't love to throw things in the house?) I'm feeling a little long winded now, so I think that I'll leave it at that and say that I hope you find a new way to play this with your kids and that you'll share it with me. We had fun and we beat the rainy day without resorting to a day of t.v.! Take care :)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Move over
Tonight is our first Shabbat in our new home! It took us a while to get things ready and finish up those last chores before we could begin, what with all the boxes and homeless items in the way, but we finally made it.
We tried very hard to get packed up before the end of last week ,but it just wasn't happening and we ended up postponing the move to the beginning of this week. It turned out it was a blessing as it took us a whole week to get moved out! It also meant we were able to spend a special last Shabbat in the old house.
It is such a relief to be in and know that we don't have to devote any more time to any other projects, just our normal (someday I assume they will be) routine and work on this house. After two months, having our energies divided between homes was starting to get really overwhelming! Since we moved in last Sunday, there have been drains to unclog, appliances to be moved (and then repaired), and unpacking unpacking unpacking! I've been cooking on a camp stove for the week and it has really made things easier since I can cook right at the table.
Soon school will need to beginning and it life will resume a semi-normal pace. If all goes well, we will have most repairs and decorating finished by the end of the year. I would love to have a housewarming this winter. In the mean time, you can keep track of our progress here.
We tried very hard to get packed up before the end of last week ,but it just wasn't happening and we ended up postponing the move to the beginning of this week. It turned out it was a blessing as it took us a whole week to get moved out! It also meant we were able to spend a special last Shabbat in the old house.
It is such a relief to be in and know that we don't have to devote any more time to any other projects, just our normal (someday I assume they will be) routine and work on this house. After two months, having our energies divided between homes was starting to get really overwhelming! Since we moved in last Sunday, there have been drains to unclog, appliances to be moved (and then repaired), and unpacking unpacking unpacking! I've been cooking on a camp stove for the week and it has really made things easier since I can cook right at the table.
Soon school will need to beginning and it life will resume a semi-normal pace. If all goes well, we will have most repairs and decorating finished by the end of the year. I would love to have a housewarming this winter. In the mean time, you can keep track of our progress here.
Friday, July 16, 2010
pop princess
I gotta share this!
http://www.beckahshae.com/blog/
If you listen to the local Christian rock station, you might have heard a song by her. It is great! She acknowledges the jewish roots of her faith and is a living testimony of what Yeshua is to her :) It's awesome to see the movement in the hearts of God's people! Her song is catchy too ;)
l'heim!
http://www.beckahshae.com/blog/
If you listen to the local Christian rock station, you might have heard a song by her. It is great! She acknowledges the jewish roots of her faith and is a living testimony of what Yeshua is to her :) It's awesome to see the movement in the hearts of God's people! Her song is catchy too ;)
l'heim!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Food for thought 2
I love my new cook book. I love that it backs up all that I know and love about good, healthy food. I love that I will not have to cut out a food group to be happy or content. I love that it has recipes and fun trivia and so much reaffirming information!
In this cook book is a recipe for baby formula! If you read my posts at all, you know how much work nursing has been for me. Finding this recipe is a little bitter sweet - if I had known how to make formula 8 years ago, I could have saved my sons from all the soy commercial formula. Then again, I might not have fought so hard to nurse, nor have the resolve to master it the next time around.
My littlest one has tried the milk based formula that I made, and lo and behold, he is allergic to milk! Just like all his brothers and his momma. This isn't an anaphylactic allergy, more like having hay fever congestion, and eventually the mucus works its way into the lungs. Not fun. So we will try one of the meat stock based formulas. It seems like the only offensive taste is from the coconut oil, which is in all the recipes. I'm going to start by freezing the formula into cubes and adding it to his food, hoping that he will get used to the taste and eventually take it in a sippy cup. At 8 months old, he refuses to hold his own bottle. I may not nurse, but he insists on having his time with me!
Other news: I get to take a trip to the big city this weekend, without any of my children in tow! I'm a little bit nervous, leaving the youngest one behind for such a long amount of time. It's just one day, but it will be the first time I've left him for this length. I also don't care for traveling without my kids, and never fully trust our vehicles to make the trip, so pray for me this weekend! I get to spend time with a special friend for her birthday and if I have time, I might stop by to say happy birthday to a very special little lady :)
In this cook book is a recipe for baby formula! If you read my posts at all, you know how much work nursing has been for me. Finding this recipe is a little bitter sweet - if I had known how to make formula 8 years ago, I could have saved my sons from all the soy commercial formula. Then again, I might not have fought so hard to nurse, nor have the resolve to master it the next time around.
My littlest one has tried the milk based formula that I made, and lo and behold, he is allergic to milk! Just like all his brothers and his momma. This isn't an anaphylactic allergy, more like having hay fever congestion, and eventually the mucus works its way into the lungs. Not fun. So we will try one of the meat stock based formulas. It seems like the only offensive taste is from the coconut oil, which is in all the recipes. I'm going to start by freezing the formula into cubes and adding it to his food, hoping that he will get used to the taste and eventually take it in a sippy cup. At 8 months old, he refuses to hold his own bottle. I may not nurse, but he insists on having his time with me!
Other news: I get to take a trip to the big city this weekend, without any of my children in tow! I'm a little bit nervous, leaving the youngest one behind for such a long amount of time. It's just one day, but it will be the first time I've left him for this length. I also don't care for traveling without my kids, and never fully trust our vehicles to make the trip, so pray for me this weekend! I get to spend time with a special friend for her birthday and if I have time, I might stop by to say happy birthday to a very special little lady :)
Provision
Thank you for your prayers! We seemed to have found a solution to our problem of finding time to work at the house without kids. After a few more days of frustration, my husband suggested that since most of his work is nearly done (the demolition), he can stay home in the evenings with the kids so that I can work at the new house! On top of that, a few people in our family have volunteered their time and service as sitters! God is so good!
I have spent some of the week over there, mudding ceilings and painting the nursery. The only problem has been the weather; the cloudy skies make our midnight sun hard to use as natural lighting for painting and texturing. We don't have many light fixtures up in the house right now! Another week and the painting and texturing should be done.
I feel like summer is slipping by faster than I had hoped. July is usually a month that I spend taking field trips, fishing, and soaking in every last bit of sunshine that I can. I don't know if I will have time to fish this summer, but I have to try. Fish is a big staple in our diets and with all the bad news surrounding our oceans, I get a sinking feeling that this might be the last good summer to stock up. Is that too pessimistic? I pray that it won't be, but I still want to store up as much as I can.
At least we will be in our house by August, when I can start picking berries, making jams and foraging for other winter necessities. Maybe I can even get some garden beds ready for next year!
I have spent some of the week over there, mudding ceilings and painting the nursery. The only problem has been the weather; the cloudy skies make our midnight sun hard to use as natural lighting for painting and texturing. We don't have many light fixtures up in the house right now! Another week and the painting and texturing should be done.
I feel like summer is slipping by faster than I had hoped. July is usually a month that I spend taking field trips, fishing, and soaking in every last bit of sunshine that I can. I don't know if I will have time to fish this summer, but I have to try. Fish is a big staple in our diets and with all the bad news surrounding our oceans, I get a sinking feeling that this might be the last good summer to stock up. Is that too pessimistic? I pray that it won't be, but I still want to store up as much as I can.
At least we will be in our house by August, when I can start picking berries, making jams and foraging for other winter necessities. Maybe I can even get some garden beds ready for next year!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Trying to focus
My husband and I came to the realization last night that I have to scale back my participation on renovating the new house. This sucks. Sorry, but I'm really disappointed. I do agree with him 100%, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating. I really want to help get our new home ready and be a partner in the remodel, but I will have to do it in a different way.
I've been having a couple of teenage girls watch the baby for a couple of hours every day, whenever possible, and then spending that time working at the new house. The problem is that it sometimes takes me all day to get ready to go to the house, or assemble all the materials because I am doing it with 4 little kids under foot either at home or at the new house. I have to work around the baby's nap times, when I can get the most done, but sometimes that doesn't happen until the late afternoon, which puts a real crimp in dinner plans. I still have to prepare all our meals, and my home is really suffering because I don't have the time to seriously clean it, since I'm always preparing to be gone. Basically, everything is getting partially done, but very poorly! This has caused a lot of frustration for me and for my husband, who is working all day and then putting in a few hours at the new house and is not being taken care of as well as he should be. Failing at everything is miserable.
I'm a little resentful right now, so pray for me. Not just about the house, but also about our extended family dynamics, concerning child care. I know that I shouldn't be so mad, and that the Lord has called me to a different kind of job than my husband's. My family would be best served by a mother who is home to feed everyone and keep the home in order, especially during this very chaotic process of moving and renovating. It will also give me time to pack and purge, a job unto itself. Pray that I will have the grace to be the support and not the lead on this project, and that I will find satisfaction in meeting goals of a different kind. And keep my husband in prayer - he is working long hours and mostly by himself. Safety is a top priority right now.
I've been having a couple of teenage girls watch the baby for a couple of hours every day, whenever possible, and then spending that time working at the new house. The problem is that it sometimes takes me all day to get ready to go to the house, or assemble all the materials because I am doing it with 4 little kids under foot either at home or at the new house. I have to work around the baby's nap times, when I can get the most done, but sometimes that doesn't happen until the late afternoon, which puts a real crimp in dinner plans. I still have to prepare all our meals, and my home is really suffering because I don't have the time to seriously clean it, since I'm always preparing to be gone. Basically, everything is getting partially done, but very poorly! This has caused a lot of frustration for me and for my husband, who is working all day and then putting in a few hours at the new house and is not being taken care of as well as he should be. Failing at everything is miserable.
I'm a little resentful right now, so pray for me. Not just about the house, but also about our extended family dynamics, concerning child care. I know that I shouldn't be so mad, and that the Lord has called me to a different kind of job than my husband's. My family would be best served by a mother who is home to feed everyone and keep the home in order, especially during this very chaotic process of moving and renovating. It will also give me time to pack and purge, a job unto itself. Pray that I will have the grace to be the support and not the lead on this project, and that I will find satisfaction in meeting goals of a different kind. And keep my husband in prayer - he is working long hours and mostly by himself. Safety is a top priority right now.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Food for thought
I'm sorry if I come off uppity or critical when I discuss the food I feed my family. I don't want to offend anyone or cause them to feel any animosity or self-doubt. It's definitely not an area that I would call my self an expert in. I eat junk. I take my kids to those golden arches and teach them that there is nothing quite like the combination of french fries and ice cream. I am guilty of letting my kids have goodies WAY more often than is healthy for them.
On the other hand, I do take nutrition seriously. I consider it to be a part of my job, as a mother and wife. I want my family to thrive, to have the best health possible and I sincerely believe that starts with nutrition and what we put into our bodies. For me, it is a journey. It's something that I want to do my best at, even though I will slip occasionally. It is part of the legacy that I can pass on - to eat well and feel well. More than that, I need this personally.
Early in my childhood, nutrition was my mother's focus. She gave us locally raised goat's milk instead of grocery store milk. She fed us oatmeal or other whole grains for breakfast. Juice was a really big treat at our house because we never had it around! Candy? Not likely. It was more like honey sticks and citrus candies from the health food store. We were happy and we were healthy. Sometime around the early years of elementary school, my mom went back to work full time, probably about the time my youngest brother entered school. Things changed, like they will when both parents are working and food needs to be prepared faster and easier. For me, I think this had a lot to do with my gradual weight gain around that age. Coupled with the stress of my parent's fighting, it could be the cause of many of my eating habits that have carried me through adolescence and now adulthood. I don't want to fault my parents, but there is some reason that I am the only child out of 4 who has ever had a serious weight problem. Anyway....
I could go on and on about why I feel spiritually lead to eat better, what the implications are for a biblically diet, but the point of this was to apologize. I don't expect everyone else to eat how my family eats or let it become a point of contention between us. I hope that you understand and know that I am sincerely sorry if this has happened. Peace
Romans 15:13
On the other hand, I do take nutrition seriously. I consider it to be a part of my job, as a mother and wife. I want my family to thrive, to have the best health possible and I sincerely believe that starts with nutrition and what we put into our bodies. For me, it is a journey. It's something that I want to do my best at, even though I will slip occasionally. It is part of the legacy that I can pass on - to eat well and feel well. More than that, I need this personally.
Early in my childhood, nutrition was my mother's focus. She gave us locally raised goat's milk instead of grocery store milk. She fed us oatmeal or other whole grains for breakfast. Juice was a really big treat at our house because we never had it around! Candy? Not likely. It was more like honey sticks and citrus candies from the health food store. We were happy and we were healthy. Sometime around the early years of elementary school, my mom went back to work full time, probably about the time my youngest brother entered school. Things changed, like they will when both parents are working and food needs to be prepared faster and easier. For me, I think this had a lot to do with my gradual weight gain around that age. Coupled with the stress of my parent's fighting, it could be the cause of many of my eating habits that have carried me through adolescence and now adulthood. I don't want to fault my parents, but there is some reason that I am the only child out of 4 who has ever had a serious weight problem. Anyway....
I could go on and on about why I feel spiritually lead to eat better, what the implications are for a biblically diet, but the point of this was to apologize. I don't expect everyone else to eat how my family eats or let it become a point of contention between us. I hope that you understand and know that I am sincerely sorry if this has happened. Peace
Romans 15:13
Saturday, June 26, 2010
So much stuff!
I started packing this week.
We have so much stuff that has just been piling up around our house for the last three years or so, that its hard to remember what a tidy house looks like. Yeah, its clean, but its cluttered. I have shuffled things in and out of the crawlspace, reorganized, purged... the junk just keeps appearing!
Anyway, I put the piles of things into boxes, brought it to the new house and now I can see my living room again! I'm trying to do the same in all the rooms. In our bedroom, I started by boxing up the clothes that have been flowing out of the bottom of my closet. I have a bad habit of stacking clothes that don't fit or are off season on the floor, and then they topple over, making a big mess for me to wade through in the mornings. It's nice to be able to draw the curtain closed on my closet.
I noticed that many of the things piled on the floor were items that were given to me that I just didn't care for. I've been blessed to receive clothes from a friend, but not everything is my taste or fits as well as I would like it too, and since I'm moving, I've given myself permission to purge the items I don't want. No sense in holding on to things we won't use! That's not always easy for me, to say no to someone when they offer me something like clothes. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I take them even when I don't need them.
So I have one bag going of things to pass on (and many more to be added as I continue to pack) and have just started to pack up clothes that don't fit right now or are maternity clothes that I don't want to wear right now. That's right, maternity clothes that I don't want to wear. Not that they wouldn't fit. It's true, the more children you have, the more your maternity clothes are your regular clothes. That's okay. They're longer, and they cover my imperfections better!
We are getting closer to moving, but we still have a lot to get done at the new house. The deadline is approaching fast. I'm really excited to be moving! I guess I should get back to packing....
We have so much stuff that has just been piling up around our house for the last three years or so, that its hard to remember what a tidy house looks like. Yeah, its clean, but its cluttered. I have shuffled things in and out of the crawlspace, reorganized, purged... the junk just keeps appearing!
Anyway, I put the piles of things into boxes, brought it to the new house and now I can see my living room again! I'm trying to do the same in all the rooms. In our bedroom, I started by boxing up the clothes that have been flowing out of the bottom of my closet. I have a bad habit of stacking clothes that don't fit or are off season on the floor, and then they topple over, making a big mess for me to wade through in the mornings. It's nice to be able to draw the curtain closed on my closet.
I noticed that many of the things piled on the floor were items that were given to me that I just didn't care for. I've been blessed to receive clothes from a friend, but not everything is my taste or fits as well as I would like it too, and since I'm moving, I've given myself permission to purge the items I don't want. No sense in holding on to things we won't use! That's not always easy for me, to say no to someone when they offer me something like clothes. I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so I take them even when I don't need them.
So I have one bag going of things to pass on (and many more to be added as I continue to pack) and have just started to pack up clothes that don't fit right now or are maternity clothes that I don't want to wear right now. That's right, maternity clothes that I don't want to wear. Not that they wouldn't fit. It's true, the more children you have, the more your maternity clothes are your regular clothes. That's okay. They're longer, and they cover my imperfections better!
We are getting closer to moving, but we still have a lot to get done at the new house. The deadline is approaching fast. I'm really excited to be moving! I guess I should get back to packing....
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Summer Fun
School has slowed down for the summer. We have just 2 subjects to work on, Math and Language Arts. Usually we do a lot of activities thru the summer, attending festivals, road trips, museums. We will try to do some of that, but honestly, most of our time will be spent working on the house! I hope this proves to be a summer they will remember, despite it's general lack of "fun". The fun will have to more of the homegrown variety, like backyard games and time with our friends.
Here is a sampling of some extracurricular things we have done this summer:
Eddie has been learning to mow the lawn (supervised of course), and the boys have had a great time shooting bb guns in the backyard with Dad. We also managed to get over to the Kenai River Festival for an afternoon, where we painted some wooden fish, met some mimes and Eddie was kind enough to stand behind the mermaid cut out, while his brother was the whale! What a great big brother. There are lessons in each of these: selflessness, diligence, patience, not to mention the value of hard work. I'm hoping these will be lessons that stick! Perhaps they are learning afterall....
Here is a sampling of some extracurricular things we have done this summer:
Eddie has been learning to mow the lawn (supervised of course), and the boys have had a great time shooting bb guns in the backyard with Dad. We also managed to get over to the Kenai River Festival for an afternoon, where we painted some wooden fish, met some mimes and Eddie was kind enough to stand behind the mermaid cut out, while his brother was the whale! What a great big brother. There are lessons in each of these: selflessness, diligence, patience, not to mention the value of hard work. I'm hoping these will be lessons that stick! Perhaps they are learning afterall....
Daily Miracles
The boys have been so helpful while we are working on the house! Often times they are stuck in the car with the baby, listening to Jim Weiss stories on CD. Hopefully that will change soon since most of the smelly/toxic things have been washed or removed from the house.
Liam kept himself entertained for an hour or so while I worked, and then my mom came to take him to her house. He was so cute, making "L" noises to himself!
We are planning on having a nursery next to the master bedroom and we would both really like that to be the first room finished. It would sure make things easier to have a bed to put the baby down for a nap and a clean, safe place for the kids to play while we work. It would also be nice to not have ask for someone to babysit every day! I need a couple of hours every day to work or I start to feel like I'm not pulling my weight.
If we can get everything torn out and possibly painted and repaired before our tax rebate gets here, we will be able to move on to installing flooring and appliances (and maybe renovate the bathroom!) right before we need to move in. God has gone before us every step of the way with this house and I am trusting that He has worked out every detail.
I can't express how awesome this week has been! From the hardwood flooring that was found, to the materials we have come across, and even the piles of carpet sitting outside, that are right now keeping the nettles at bay, I have seen God move and heard His voice this week. I am so thankful that He has blessed us and He has a plan! I am especially grateful for the time that my boys get to spend with their dad, working on this project. It has been a real blessing to see their faces light up and their attitudes improve just from having Dad choose them for a job! They are so proud to be helping. I have been praying for this for a long time.
Keep praying for us! We are trying to remember to return the blessings when we get the opportunity, letting God use us and listening for His promptings. I pray that you will be listening for His direction and looking for the blessings in your life, however small they may seem :)
Liam kept himself entertained for an hour or so while I worked, and then my mom came to take him to her house. He was so cute, making "L" noises to himself!
We are planning on having a nursery next to the master bedroom and we would both really like that to be the first room finished. It would sure make things easier to have a bed to put the baby down for a nap and a clean, safe place for the kids to play while we work. It would also be nice to not have ask for someone to babysit every day! I need a couple of hours every day to work or I start to feel like I'm not pulling my weight.
If we can get everything torn out and possibly painted and repaired before our tax rebate gets here, we will be able to move on to installing flooring and appliances (and maybe renovate the bathroom!) right before we need to move in. God has gone before us every step of the way with this house and I am trusting that He has worked out every detail.
I can't express how awesome this week has been! From the hardwood flooring that was found, to the materials we have come across, and even the piles of carpet sitting outside, that are right now keeping the nettles at bay, I have seen God move and heard His voice this week. I am so thankful that He has blessed us and He has a plan! I am especially grateful for the time that my boys get to spend with their dad, working on this project. It has been a real blessing to see their faces light up and their attitudes improve just from having Dad choose them for a job! They are so proud to be helping. I have been praying for this for a long time.
Keep praying for us! We are trying to remember to return the blessings when we get the opportunity, letting God use us and listening for His promptings. I pray that you will be listening for His direction and looking for the blessings in your life, however small they may seem :)
Saturday, June 5, 2010
No Apologies
An acquaintance of mine just found out she is pregnant with baby number 4! I'm happy for her and wish her the best, but it seems like she is getting some flack from her and her husband's family and friends! That has really become an irritation for me! I hear that each time I get pregnant and it is SO annoying!
I'm so sick of listening to random opinions flying out of people's mouths concerning pregnancy and children. A) Its not your place to tell someone how many kids you think they should have, B) its just plain rude and inconsiderate to not wish them well, but instead chastise them for having a child! Maybe you don't consider children a blessing? Good. Don't have any of your own! Maybe you think they have too much on their plate? Trials build character and ability, which these naysayers must be lacking or they wouldn't share their opinion so readily.
Some people find raising children to be a wonderful kind of life. No one said it should be or would be easy. No one asked you to donate or pitch in to help raise a large family, and if that is the basis for the criticism (i.e. having a large family that is dependent on welfare), I do agree, but most often that is NOT the case. If you are bothered by children in public place, don't go there! Find other times to do your errands or dine. Children keep this county, and our economy, going!
It is a fact that U.S. has fallen below the replacement birth-rate (the rate at which our future generation will replace our currently mature workforce), much like most of Europe, Japan and China, and will see a major workforce shortage in the next 2 generations and will not be able to support its aging population (that's you, baby boomers!) I personally think that this will allow us to eventually get our federal finances back in line and rediscover our values as a nation, but I could be wrong. In either case, the people of child-bearing age who don't want to have children feel that they are doing the world a favor by not having kids, and I feel that I am by having them!
I won't make apologies for wanting or having a big family. I take care of my children, teach them to be upstanding citizens of sound judgement and compassion. I take pride in my job, and this is the one I am best suited for! You should be thanking me for making the world a better place.
Am I done? No. I'm not positive we'll have more kids, but I wouldn't mind if we did! Am I tired? Sure, but its a good tired, one that comes with a job well done, and I'm not about to quit half-way thru!
Finally, to all the critics out there who ask pregnant women "Don't you know what causes that?", as a woman with 9 children once said " Yeah, we do, and we're darn good at it!"
I'm so sick of listening to random opinions flying out of people's mouths concerning pregnancy and children. A) Its not your place to tell someone how many kids you think they should have, B) its just plain rude and inconsiderate to not wish them well, but instead chastise them for having a child! Maybe you don't consider children a blessing? Good. Don't have any of your own! Maybe you think they have too much on their plate? Trials build character and ability, which these naysayers must be lacking or they wouldn't share their opinion so readily.
Some people find raising children to be a wonderful kind of life. No one said it should be or would be easy. No one asked you to donate or pitch in to help raise a large family, and if that is the basis for the criticism (i.e. having a large family that is dependent on welfare), I do agree, but most often that is NOT the case. If you are bothered by children in public place, don't go there! Find other times to do your errands or dine. Children keep this county, and our economy, going!
It is a fact that U.S. has fallen below the replacement birth-rate (the rate at which our future generation will replace our currently mature workforce), much like most of Europe, Japan and China, and will see a major workforce shortage in the next 2 generations and will not be able to support its aging population (that's you, baby boomers!) I personally think that this will allow us to eventually get our federal finances back in line and rediscover our values as a nation, but I could be wrong. In either case, the people of child-bearing age who don't want to have children feel that they are doing the world a favor by not having kids, and I feel that I am by having them!
I won't make apologies for wanting or having a big family. I take care of my children, teach them to be upstanding citizens of sound judgement and compassion. I take pride in my job, and this is the one I am best suited for! You should be thanking me for making the world a better place.
Am I done? No. I'm not positive we'll have more kids, but I wouldn't mind if we did! Am I tired? Sure, but its a good tired, one that comes with a job well done, and I'm not about to quit half-way thru!
Finally, to all the critics out there who ask pregnant women "Don't you know what causes that?", as a woman with 9 children once said " Yeah, we do, and we're darn good at it!"
Monday, May 31, 2010
Lasagna Gardening
Last year, I planted started a lasagna garden. My mother bought the book for me a few years ago, and like any good daughter, I set it aside with a "huh, yeah" kind of attitude and forgot about it until last spring. I am so glad I have that book! This might be the easiest method for starting a new garden, ever. Its so easy that the idea can be shared with a friend in a matter of minutes and they can be home creating their own garden that same day!
I didn't plant a lot last year. In fact, I only planted potatoes and only because my brother works for a restaurant that had a box of sprouted taters and gave them to me for free! So I rounded up my materials: a pile of newspapers, 2 bales of straw that we had been using for an arrow stop for our targets, and the hose. That's it! No dirt needed, no special ingredients, at least not when you are only planting potatoes. The author claimed that potatoes could be planted on nothing more than wet newspapers, covered by 8-10 inches of straw or hay, kept watered and they would grow.... and they did! I did a 5 by 15-ish section in my garden (that I had previously tried to rototill!) and come late September, I was astonished to find new potatoes under the layer of straw when I lifted it off with my pitch fork. The best part is that they were really clean! Who would have thought?
Somewhere I have pictures of what the potatoes looked like at harvest. We didn't get many (I didn't plant until the middle or end of June, I think) but they were good. While the hay was off the newspapers, I added a thick layer of leaves that had been raked into piles in the yard, covered them up with the straw again and then the snow flew not too long after that.
I had planned on adding more layers this spring, but since we are moving, I had the burden of clearing my materials and preparing to reseed the lawn. These pictures show how after just one winter, the soil is bare, no weeds, and it was moist and crawling with worms when I took off the layers. The bits that you see that appear to be grass are straw that was left behind.
I am so excited to lay down new beds at the new house! I saved all my materials that I took off.
It really is that easy! I'll only do potatoes this year, but now I know that I can add lots of layers under my straw in the fall and have some really great beds for spring planting!
I didn't plant a lot last year. In fact, I only planted potatoes and only because my brother works for a restaurant that had a box of sprouted taters and gave them to me for free! So I rounded up my materials: a pile of newspapers, 2 bales of straw that we had been using for an arrow stop for our targets, and the hose. That's it! No dirt needed, no special ingredients, at least not when you are only planting potatoes. The author claimed that potatoes could be planted on nothing more than wet newspapers, covered by 8-10 inches of straw or hay, kept watered and they would grow.... and they did! I did a 5 by 15-ish section in my garden (that I had previously tried to rototill!) and come late September, I was astonished to find new potatoes under the layer of straw when I lifted it off with my pitch fork. The best part is that they were really clean! Who would have thought?
Somewhere I have pictures of what the potatoes looked like at harvest. We didn't get many (I didn't plant until the middle or end of June, I think) but they were good. While the hay was off the newspapers, I added a thick layer of leaves that had been raked into piles in the yard, covered them up with the straw again and then the snow flew not too long after that.
I had planned on adding more layers this spring, but since we are moving, I had the burden of clearing my materials and preparing to reseed the lawn. These pictures show how after just one winter, the soil is bare, no weeds, and it was moist and crawling with worms when I took off the layers. The bits that you see that appear to be grass are straw that was left behind.I am so excited to lay down new beds at the new house! I saved all my materials that I took off.
It really is that easy! I'll only do potatoes this year, but now I know that I can add lots of layers under my straw in the fall and have some really great beds for spring planting!
It's ours!
We finally closed on our house on the 28th! I started a blog about the house, called "Our Irish Manor". We've taken the weekend to relax and that proved to be necessary since by Sunday morning, everyone was sick! It started with one boy and moved on to dad and then even I was feeling queasy by the late afternoon. Today, I am feeling back in the game and have spent most of the afternoon working in the yard at the house we have been renting. We've been here for 5 and 1/2 years! I know that it will be difficult to leave when it comes time, but its definitely exciting to know that we won't be tripping over each other or our things in the new house. The idea that it is ours trumps any pangs I have about leaving behind this home for another!
I want to share our list that we made before we started shopping for a house. We had looked around at houses for a month or so and I could see that we were going to have a lot of conflict when it came time to get serious. So we made a list! Let me tell you, this is not a "name it and claim it" kind of thing. That wasn't the idea. We wanted to have a clear idea of what it is that we were looking for before we started arguing about houses and we wanted to honor God by trusting that He already had a house picked out for us, we just needed to be patient and let Him show it to us. We were blown away! The very next day after we made our list, our house was on the multiple listing site! Was it there before and we just hadn't noticed? Or was it reposted, at a lower price, just for us? We don't know, but it fit all the things on our list and even the ones that we didn't put down because we figured we could "work on that later" or they were already a must and didn't require further discussion between us!
You can see that I added two things at the bottom of the list in a different color ink. That is because they were added the following day, after I realized there were a couple more things that I felt were important for me, as far as location. The really funny bit, where I know that God must have a sense of humor, is that there is a man-made lake across the street from us (the swimming?) and we are just up the street from a creek that flows into the Kenai River (the fishing!). Isn't that neat?! God is so good and His provision exceeds anything that we could ask for!
Add my new blog to your reading list so you can stay abreast of our progress!
I want to share our list that we made before we started shopping for a house. We had looked around at houses for a month or so and I could see that we were going to have a lot of conflict when it came time to get serious. So we made a list! Let me tell you, this is not a "name it and claim it" kind of thing. That wasn't the idea. We wanted to have a clear idea of what it is that we were looking for before we started arguing about houses and we wanted to honor God by trusting that He already had a house picked out for us, we just needed to be patient and let Him show it to us. We were blown away! The very next day after we made our list, our house was on the multiple listing site! Was it there before and we just hadn't noticed? Or was it reposted, at a lower price, just for us? We don't know, but it fit all the things on our list and even the ones that we didn't put down because we figured we could "work on that later" or they were already a must and didn't require further discussion between us!
You can see that I added two things at the bottom of the list in a different color ink. That is because they were added the following day, after I realized there were a couple more things that I felt were important for me, as far as location. The really funny bit, where I know that God must have a sense of humor, is that there is a man-made lake across the street from us (the swimming?) and we are just up the street from a creek that flows into the Kenai River (the fishing!). Isn't that neat?! God is so good and His provision exceeds anything that we could ask for!
Add my new blog to your reading list so you can stay abreast of our progress!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
New House!
Well, we are buying a house. FINALLY!! I'm soooo excited to have a place that will be ours! We have been renting since we were first married and while we have been fortunate to live in some very nice places, it is still not quite like having a place that belongs to us.
The house we are buying is big. So big that I wonder how I will keep it clean! And then I remember that our things won't be quite as underfoot as they are now (and we are purging during the move!) and that these children will be doing much more than they are now. It will be so nice to have a storage space that is accessible! And two *squee!* bathrooms! I think I am most excited to have a bathroom that will be predominately "mom's". No more wiping up to sit down!
It feels like this homebuying process has taken far longer than it should. Initially, we thought that the house was unfinanceble with a conventional loan, since it will need SO much work to get it liveable. After pursuing a complicated Renovation loan with a not-so-wonderful bank, we went back to our bank to get that conventional loan. It is a little bit frustrating, considering all the work I put into getting the reno loan, and even more frustrating that the renovations will have to come out of pocket now instead of being financed with our loan, but ultimately it will be better for our family. I can honestly say that it was a struggle to honor my husband's decision on this one! I know he's right, but that doesn't always make it easy to agree with him.
I'm considering creating a blog all about our home renovation. It might be a good outlet during what I'm sure will be a stressful process. I have some dream projects in mind for our new house. I tend to get an idea in my head and then run with it, which can lead to a lot of problems later when things change and then I get my dreams dashed! Keep us in prayer during these final days before closing. We both have some strong feelings about what should be done and how, when, etc. We're surviving, but we really need to be more unified! In the end, we will get there. Pray that we will honor God in all that we do, placing Him before all things. That's when we will have real peace and unity :)
The house we are buying is big. So big that I wonder how I will keep it clean! And then I remember that our things won't be quite as underfoot as they are now (and we are purging during the move!) and that these children will be doing much more than they are now. It will be so nice to have a storage space that is accessible! And two *squee!* bathrooms! I think I am most excited to have a bathroom that will be predominately "mom's". No more wiping up to sit down!
It feels like this homebuying process has taken far longer than it should. Initially, we thought that the house was unfinanceble with a conventional loan, since it will need SO much work to get it liveable. After pursuing a complicated Renovation loan with a not-so-wonderful bank, we went back to our bank to get that conventional loan. It is a little bit frustrating, considering all the work I put into getting the reno loan, and even more frustrating that the renovations will have to come out of pocket now instead of being financed with our loan, but ultimately it will be better for our family. I can honestly say that it was a struggle to honor my husband's decision on this one! I know he's right, but that doesn't always make it easy to agree with him.
I'm considering creating a blog all about our home renovation. It might be a good outlet during what I'm sure will be a stressful process. I have some dream projects in mind for our new house. I tend to get an idea in my head and then run with it, which can lead to a lot of problems later when things change and then I get my dreams dashed! Keep us in prayer during these final days before closing. We both have some strong feelings about what should be done and how, when, etc. We're surviving, but we really need to be more unified! In the end, we will get there. Pray that we will honor God in all that we do, placing Him before all things. That's when we will have real peace and unity :)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Why I dont shop at Walmart
Im protesting. Its silent, its with a smirk, but Im protesting the new Walmart in our town. No one will notice or care, but that is what I am doing.
Walmart opened about a week ago in our town. Its new, its huge and you can see it clear across town at the memorial park! Try it sometime. Go to the gazebo in town, at the park by the Uptown motel (Leif Hansen Memorial Park?) and there is it! Enormous, towering above everything else in our little town, even though it's half a mile away. No missing it, we have a Walmart.
I dont care for Walmart. I dont care for big box stores in general, but my dislike for Walmart borders on detest. I hate shopping there, crammed between rounders with my should-be-convenient shopping cart, run over by other shoppers looking for the Jug-o-soap. Its miserable. On top of that, I get the satisfaction of knowing my money is going not into the pockets of American companies, but factories all over Asia. Sure, Im helping them, but what about all the people in my community?
"But Walmart brings jobs!" I hear people protest. Yeah, they bring jobs, but what about all the people they are putting out of business to provide "jobs". Jobs that don't have much of a future, I might add. Not much potential for moving up, or increasing pay and forget about overtime!
It was the same conversation when Kmart came in. They came, they unemployed, they left. The city was able to get another store in there (wouldnt want to lose those tax dollars!) but can we do that again, with a bigger building!?
Im exhausted with "more". I'm well aware that eventually I will have to go in there for some random plastic "can't find it anywhere else" thing, but for now, I'm protesting.
Update: As of September, I have been in the Walmart one time. We went camping and my husband insisted on stopping there on our way out of town. I only saw the food section, which I was thoroughly unimpressed with, and then made a mad dash out of there. I hear they have organic coffee..... if ever there was something that would lure me in, that is it. I'm still protesting though. :P
Walmart opened about a week ago in our town. Its new, its huge and you can see it clear across town at the memorial park! Try it sometime. Go to the gazebo in town, at the park by the Uptown motel (Leif Hansen Memorial Park?) and there is it! Enormous, towering above everything else in our little town, even though it's half a mile away. No missing it, we have a Walmart.
I dont care for Walmart. I dont care for big box stores in general, but my dislike for Walmart borders on detest. I hate shopping there, crammed between rounders with my should-be-convenient shopping cart, run over by other shoppers looking for the Jug-o-soap. Its miserable. On top of that, I get the satisfaction of knowing my money is going not into the pockets of American companies, but factories all over Asia. Sure, Im helping them, but what about all the people in my community?
"But Walmart brings jobs!" I hear people protest. Yeah, they bring jobs, but what about all the people they are putting out of business to provide "jobs". Jobs that don't have much of a future, I might add. Not much potential for moving up, or increasing pay and forget about overtime!
It was the same conversation when Kmart came in. They came, they unemployed, they left. The city was able to get another store in there (wouldnt want to lose those tax dollars!) but can we do that again, with a bigger building!?
Im exhausted with "more". I'm well aware that eventually I will have to go in there for some random plastic "can't find it anywhere else" thing, but for now, I'm protesting.
Update: As of September, I have been in the Walmart one time. We went camping and my husband insisted on stopping there on our way out of town. I only saw the food section, which I was thoroughly unimpressed with, and then made a mad dash out of there. I hear they have organic coffee..... if ever there was something that would lure me in, that is it. I'm still protesting though. :P
Friday, March 5, 2010
Passover
One of the things that I have been looking forward to over the last year is Passover! Im excited for the holiday, but Im also thankful for the cleaning. Yes, the cleaning! I am so greatful that there is a time set aside each year that is specifically dedicated to deep cleaning my home! I cant explain how the kind of blessing this is, knowing that the rest of the year I dont have to stress, I can just do my best at that time, and be comforted by the knowledge that there will be time that I can tackle all those little things I cant do right now. I can paint the chipped doorways. I can clean my oven! Mind you, I take a month before Passover because it is still a very large job to take on.
So today I started my Passover cleaning. I started with the bedrooms. They are easy and kind of like a warm up for the rest of the house. I get really serious as I move toward the main living areas, being sure to scrub every corner (looking for leaven!). This year I made a printable checklist, which you can have also if you email me and ask for it. I think it will make things a lot easier.
I wrote about this last year, so if you havent read that, you should! My cleaning for Passover is rooted a little deeper than just a need for cleanliness. Shabbat Shalom...
So today I started my Passover cleaning. I started with the bedrooms. They are easy and kind of like a warm up for the rest of the house. I get really serious as I move toward the main living areas, being sure to scrub every corner (looking for leaven!). This year I made a printable checklist, which you can have also if you email me and ask for it. I think it will make things a lot easier.
I wrote about this last year, so if you havent read that, you should! My cleaning for Passover is rooted a little deeper than just a need for cleanliness. Shabbat Shalom...
Sunday, February 21, 2010
When life gives you lemons....
.....make cake!
That's not how the saying goes, I know, but it's still tasty. I thought I would share a picture of the cake I made for my son's 4th birthday.
This is a cake I've always wanted to make, so when my grandmother sent a box of oranges and Meyer lemons from my great-grandmother's citrus trees, it seemed like the perfect time to do it! Normally, when faced with an abundance of lemons, I make lemon curd. I have plenty of jars on hand right now, so I zested and juiced 8 Meyer lemons and froze all of it in ice cube trays. Two tablespoons fill one ice cube space and a tablespoon of zest with another of juice will make nearly one cube. Having those on hand really cut down on prep time for this cake! And the lemon curd from the pantry completed the cake as filling between layers, so making this from scratch was far easier than I could possibly imagined. I found my recipe for this cake here. Let me tell you, the frosting was the best I have ever made, and I'm guessing that's all thanks to the stand mixer that my husband bought me for Christmas!
You cannot go wrong with this cake! I will definitely be making this one again. As a special project, I saved the seeds from the lemons and planted them in trays. My g-grandmother is nearing 102 years old and there is no telling what will happen to her house when she should pass away (which could be years away). Meyer lemons are easy to grow indoors and with any luck, in 5 to 10 years, I will be making this cake again with lemons from my own trees!
That would be a really special keepsake to have around to remind me of my grandmother!
That's not how the saying goes, I know, but it's still tasty. I thought I would share a picture of the cake I made for my son's 4th birthday.
This is a cake I've always wanted to make, so when my grandmother sent a box of oranges and Meyer lemons from my great-grandmother's citrus trees, it seemed like the perfect time to do it! Normally, when faced with an abundance of lemons, I make lemon curd. I have plenty of jars on hand right now, so I zested and juiced 8 Meyer lemons and froze all of it in ice cube trays. Two tablespoons fill one ice cube space and a tablespoon of zest with another of juice will make nearly one cube. Having those on hand really cut down on prep time for this cake! And the lemon curd from the pantry completed the cake as filling between layers, so making this from scratch was far easier than I could possibly imagined. I found my recipe for this cake here. Let me tell you, the frosting was the best I have ever made, and I'm guessing that's all thanks to the stand mixer that my husband bought me for Christmas!
You cannot go wrong with this cake! I will definitely be making this one again. As a special project, I saved the seeds from the lemons and planted them in trays. My g-grandmother is nearing 102 years old and there is no telling what will happen to her house when she should pass away (which could be years away). Meyer lemons are easy to grow indoors and with any luck, in 5 to 10 years, I will be making this cake again with lemons from my own trees!
That would be a really special keepsake to have around to remind me of my grandmother!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Fuzzy Bum
The wool diaper covers I made while I was pregnant are finally getting use! In fact, I love them. I wasnt sure that I would use them at all. I had tried cloth diapers with this baby during his first month and he went thru several in an hour, which discouraged me and so I gave it up but, thankfully we had a day when we ran low on diapers and resorted to cloth and rediscovered how easy these covers make everything! They stay dry, so much better than my fleece lined snap covers, and they are super soft. And did I mention some of them are cashmere? Oh yes. And who among us has not dreamt of having our bottoms cushioned in cashmere? For the price of a bag of sweaters from the thrift store, that no one was going to wear anyway, I have the most lovely diaper covers. I assure you, I chose sweaters that no one would voluntarily wear, so dont lament the sweaters that were sacrificed. Here is a picture of Liam wearing one:
I hand sewed these while stuck in bed with swollen feet during my last trimester, so at some point I will have to finish them properly I suppose. And for each cover I make, there is a matching pair of fuzzy leggings waiting to be stitched together. Here is where I bought my pattern (this is also where I bought the sling pattern).
They have lots of good things, and some are downloads, so no waiting for shipping!
My plan is to use these on the days when I am home and use disposable when I'm out and about, but that could change as he gets older. I am blessed to have a father-in-law who insists on buying our diapers, removing one of my reasons for cloth diapers. I do think potty training will come easier if I use cloth though. Anyway, I'm pleased with the results of this project.
I hand sewed these while stuck in bed with swollen feet during my last trimester, so at some point I will have to finish them properly I suppose. And for each cover I make, there is a matching pair of fuzzy leggings waiting to be stitched together. Here is where I bought my pattern (this is also where I bought the sling pattern).
They have lots of good things, and some are downloads, so no waiting for shipping!
My plan is to use these on the days when I am home and use disposable when I'm out and about, but that could change as he gets older. I am blessed to have a father-in-law who insists on buying our diapers, removing one of my reasons for cloth diapers. I do think potty training will come easier if I use cloth though. Anyway, I'm pleased with the results of this project.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Who's the Boss?
So our drive home from bible club tonight took an interesting turn - in a good way. One of the boys asked why I didn't pick up hitchhikers and I explained that their father has asked me not to, so I don't. We quickly came onto the subject of Dad being the "head" of the family and what that means.
I saw an opportunity and I took it, and began to expound on how Dad being the head of our family is exactly like Jesus being the head of the "body" of believers, since both are made up of many members. And like any body, not one part can function without the head to direct it.
We discussed that the head contains the brain, our thinking organ, and also houses 4 of our 5 senses. The head sees, hears, and smells what is around us and commands the body appropriately, whether it be to run from trouble or to sit and enjoy a slice of cake. It considers all options and then orders (both in the sense of command and alignment) the rest of the body accordingly. It consumes food and water and brings it to the body for dispersal. Daddy does that for the family. He considers all the information around him and then makes a decision that is best for all of us. And Jesus does that for all believers. Not one of us can see what is coming at us in the future, but He can. Not one of us can know the fullness of existence (creation), but He does. Without Him as the head, leading, bring us food, we become like any other body separate from its head - Lifeless.
The one sensation that we share with God is touch. We can feel Him as He feels us. A cheek can feel a hand's caress. We have a sense of what is there and that it belongs to our own body. Touch is by far the most rewarding and wonderful sense. Who turns down a hug? Think about that - not only does He know you, see you, hear you, speak to you, but He FEELS you. Gives me goosebumps!
It was a pretty awesome conversation to be having with my children!
The best part is that one child asked, "Well, who is the heart of our family then?" Well, Jesus is! Not one of us can live without Him.
1 Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, thought it is mad up of many parts...
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 6:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church...
I saw an opportunity and I took it, and began to expound on how Dad being the head of our family is exactly like Jesus being the head of the "body" of believers, since both are made up of many members. And like any body, not one part can function without the head to direct it.
We discussed that the head contains the brain, our thinking organ, and also houses 4 of our 5 senses. The head sees, hears, and smells what is around us and commands the body appropriately, whether it be to run from trouble or to sit and enjoy a slice of cake. It considers all options and then orders (both in the sense of command and alignment) the rest of the body accordingly. It consumes food and water and brings it to the body for dispersal. Daddy does that for the family. He considers all the information around him and then makes a decision that is best for all of us. And Jesus does that for all believers. Not one of us can see what is coming at us in the future, but He can. Not one of us can know the fullness of existence (creation), but He does. Without Him as the head, leading, bring us food, we become like any other body separate from its head - Lifeless.
The one sensation that we share with God is touch. We can feel Him as He feels us. A cheek can feel a hand's caress. We have a sense of what is there and that it belongs to our own body. Touch is by far the most rewarding and wonderful sense. Who turns down a hug? Think about that - not only does He know you, see you, hear you, speak to you, but He FEELS you. Gives me goosebumps!
It was a pretty awesome conversation to be having with my children!
The best part is that one child asked, "Well, who is the heart of our family then?" Well, Jesus is! Not one of us can live without Him.
1 Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, thought it is mad up of many parts...
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 6:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church...
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Find the hidden postings!
I decided to post old entries that were sitting in limbo in my saved drafts. If you scroll back thru, you will probably find some you havent read and maybe even some you will enjoy!
In other news, baby #4 is 3 months today! He smiles, laughs, coos and sticks his tongue out! He's pretty terrific. Even with all the crying :)
In other news, baby #4 is 3 months today! He smiles, laughs, coos and sticks his tongue out! He's pretty terrific. Even with all the crying :)
Saturday, January 16, 2010
New Years
No blog is complete without the writer's New Years Resolutions. Maybe you disagree. Eh.
The big resolution around our house this year is "SAVE MONEY" Not so much because of the national recession, though its a good idea in general to learn to be more content with less and trim the budget, but mainly because we want to buy a house and need to save up a down payment. So we have resolved to
A) Not buy fast food at all - If we can go a month without buying drive-thru food, then we will reward the whole family by going out for one meal at a restaurant.
B) Buy only the groceries that we NEED, which means not buying food at the store just because we are having a craving or the item would save 2 minutes with a chore.
These are 2 little things that have already made a HUGE impact on our budget! I have spent less than $200 on groceries this month so far, which is about what I spend in a week normally. I know, its only 2 weeks into the month, but imagine that if I can keep that up, we can potentially save $4oo just from trimming the grocery bill! And if you add the impulsive drive-thru purchases to that, it probably comes closer to $600 saved in one month. Pretty impressive.
Yesterday we did a social studies project that required no prep on my part and made my children a more involved part of our goal. I asked each child to tell me the difference between need and want (the 3 year old chose to go play in his room, as he is not required to do all projects yet). I then asked the oldest 2 to go look through all the cupboards and cabinets, refrigerator and freezers to see what we have in the house to eat. They named off all that they could. I then asked them if we "needed" to buy groceries, or do we have enough in the house to eat? It was good for them to see that we really do have an abundance of food in our house and Im hoping it will help them understand that just because you want something, does not mean you need it. Edward made the observation that we have enough food to last a month in our house. And he is right! I could probably go a month without buying food. I would have to get REALLY creative with meals, which is always challenging but doable. For instance, last night for dinner we had pizza, but I didnt feel like going under the house (where we have shelves) to get tomato sauce, I didnt have any mozzarella cheese and there was no pepperoni, so our pizza went something like this:
1 lb boule dough (recipe here: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx) , or other pizza/bread dough you have on hand.
1 1/2 tbsp butter
minced garlic (out of a jar)
basil (in the winter, I use herbs that come in the tubes, keeps for a long time, no time to chop)
1/2 zucchini
1/2 summer squash
5 sausage links (the kind that is frozen, pre-cooked. This time it was Banquet, which my husband chose, but normally I buy Johnson Farms frozen breakfast sausages - no BHA, BHT or TBHQ or other preservatives)
3/4 cup shredded cheese - I happened to have used a Southwest mix that was pre-shredded.
1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Roll out dough onto parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal (or hand toss if you are that good)
3. Mix butter, garlic and basil. Spread evenly onto crust, leaving the edges butter free.
4. Slice zucchini and squash into thin slices. Saute with olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Slice frozen sausages, add to squash mix. Continue to cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6. Scatter squash mixture onto pizza crust. Top with Cheese
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to golden. Serves 4
Not hard, is it? You could totally add any veggie or meat to that and it would work. Kids tried some new stuff, we didnt spend any money and it was great!
The last thing we did for school was discuss where food comes from. There are 6 ways to get food: Hunting, Fishing, Grow it, Keep animal (chickens, goats, etc), Forage and lastly, the grocery store. We also discussed how the food/money cycle works between us and the farmers that grow the food. The most important part of our discussion was focused on those first 5 ways to get food. Most of them cost us no or very little money. It is these things that will be the focus of our children's education. We live in Alaska and there is very little excuse for not being able to feed yourself. And what's an education if you learn no skills for caring for yourself? I want my kids to be able to provide for themselves if needed and not be burdened with the modern "convenience" of money and wasted food. Providing for yourself also builds confidence. Its just the beginning to becoming a sure-footed adult.
So our kids will hopefully be more willing to help us meet our goal. They all agree we need a little more space and that means a bigger house. They are getting better at eating what is given to them without complaining also. If we can stick with it, we could have the down payment before summer. It does mean that I wont get to take any trips outside this year (major bummer, since I really wanted to go to Ireland this year) but if I have to choose between a new house or a vacation, I choose the house!
I have an ongoing list of the foods in our house. I may occasionally post recipes I come up with and Im open to recipes you might want to share.
The big resolution around our house this year is "SAVE MONEY" Not so much because of the national recession, though its a good idea in general to learn to be more content with less and trim the budget, but mainly because we want to buy a house and need to save up a down payment. So we have resolved to
A) Not buy fast food at all - If we can go a month without buying drive-thru food, then we will reward the whole family by going out for one meal at a restaurant.
B) Buy only the groceries that we NEED, which means not buying food at the store just because we are having a craving or the item would save 2 minutes with a chore.
These are 2 little things that have already made a HUGE impact on our budget! I have spent less than $200 on groceries this month so far, which is about what I spend in a week normally. I know, its only 2 weeks into the month, but imagine that if I can keep that up, we can potentially save $4oo just from trimming the grocery bill! And if you add the impulsive drive-thru purchases to that, it probably comes closer to $600 saved in one month. Pretty impressive.
Yesterday we did a social studies project that required no prep on my part and made my children a more involved part of our goal. I asked each child to tell me the difference between need and want (the 3 year old chose to go play in his room, as he is not required to do all projects yet). I then asked the oldest 2 to go look through all the cupboards and cabinets, refrigerator and freezers to see what we have in the house to eat. They named off all that they could. I then asked them if we "needed" to buy groceries, or do we have enough in the house to eat? It was good for them to see that we really do have an abundance of food in our house and Im hoping it will help them understand that just because you want something, does not mean you need it. Edward made the observation that we have enough food to last a month in our house. And he is right! I could probably go a month without buying food. I would have to get REALLY creative with meals, which is always challenging but doable. For instance, last night for dinner we had pizza, but I didnt feel like going under the house (where we have shelves) to get tomato sauce, I didnt have any mozzarella cheese and there was no pepperoni, so our pizza went something like this:
1 lb boule dough (recipe here: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/Artisan-Bread-In-Five-Minutes-A-Day.aspx) , or other pizza/bread dough you have on hand.
1 1/2 tbsp butter
minced garlic (out of a jar)
basil (in the winter, I use herbs that come in the tubes, keeps for a long time, no time to chop)
1/2 zucchini
1/2 summer squash
5 sausage links (the kind that is frozen, pre-cooked. This time it was Banquet, which my husband chose, but normally I buy Johnson Farms frozen breakfast sausages - no BHA, BHT or TBHQ or other preservatives)
3/4 cup shredded cheese - I happened to have used a Southwest mix that was pre-shredded.
1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Roll out dough onto parchment paper that has been sprinkled with cornmeal (or hand toss if you are that good)
3. Mix butter, garlic and basil. Spread evenly onto crust, leaving the edges butter free.
4. Slice zucchini and squash into thin slices. Saute with olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.
5. Slice frozen sausages, add to squash mix. Continue to cook for 3 or 4 minutes.
6. Scatter squash mixture onto pizza crust. Top with Cheese
7. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to golden. Serves 4
Not hard, is it? You could totally add any veggie or meat to that and it would work. Kids tried some new stuff, we didnt spend any money and it was great!
The last thing we did for school was discuss where food comes from. There are 6 ways to get food: Hunting, Fishing, Grow it, Keep animal (chickens, goats, etc), Forage and lastly, the grocery store. We also discussed how the food/money cycle works between us and the farmers that grow the food. The most important part of our discussion was focused on those first 5 ways to get food. Most of them cost us no or very little money. It is these things that will be the focus of our children's education. We live in Alaska and there is very little excuse for not being able to feed yourself. And what's an education if you learn no skills for caring for yourself? I want my kids to be able to provide for themselves if needed and not be burdened with the modern "convenience" of money and wasted food. Providing for yourself also builds confidence. Its just the beginning to becoming a sure-footed adult.
So our kids will hopefully be more willing to help us meet our goal. They all agree we need a little more space and that means a bigger house. They are getting better at eating what is given to them without complaining also. If we can stick with it, we could have the down payment before summer. It does mean that I wont get to take any trips outside this year (major bummer, since I really wanted to go to Ireland this year) but if I have to choose between a new house or a vacation, I choose the house!
I have an ongoing list of the foods in our house. I may occasionally post recipes I come up with and Im open to recipes you might want to share.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wrinkles!!
My 30th birthday is coming up. About 2 months off. Last week I noticed wrinkles under my eyes and this morning I see that there are two little lines around my mouth, one on each side of my smile! I dont think that Im just hyper aware about things like that right now, but that they have slowly made a permanent home on my face and are now significant enough to bother me. There must have been a message sent out to every cell that Im going to be 30, we can let things slide! At least they are wrinkles from smiling and not frowning!
I have always said that I wouldn't be upset about growing older. I'm happy that I've survived my twenties! And I love birthdays, mine especially. I am looking forward to turning 30, but who knows - maybe I will be more overwhelmed by it later, maybe not.
I have lived a lot of life before turning 30. I moved away from home at 18, only to come back 2 years later at 20. Since then I have married, had 4 kids, learned SO many new skills (a list would look like Im bragging), moved 7 times, had 7 cars and FINALLY have a bed that doesnt hurt my back. Ive lost a total of 110 pounds and gained a total of 150 (not so proud of that one). I have finally learned how to apologize, how to control my temper and control my tongue. I can save money! I have grown in a lot of ways and learned much more about God. I have had to say good bye to family and friends who have died. Ten years is no small amount of time.
I have a few more things I want to accomplish in these last 2 months, however.
First, I want to take a Hunter's Education Class and get my hunting license. Second, I want a passport and to FINALLY apply for my Irish citizenship. Those are last on my list. Not even weight loss ranks above those.
As for the next decade, I'm already planning and I'm excited. Not so excited about wrinkles, but I'll try to wear them as a badge. I will not accept gray hair yet. Try me in 10 years.
I have always said that I wouldn't be upset about growing older. I'm happy that I've survived my twenties! And I love birthdays, mine especially. I am looking forward to turning 30, but who knows - maybe I will be more overwhelmed by it later, maybe not.
I have lived a lot of life before turning 30. I moved away from home at 18, only to come back 2 years later at 20. Since then I have married, had 4 kids, learned SO many new skills (a list would look like Im bragging), moved 7 times, had 7 cars and FINALLY have a bed that doesnt hurt my back. Ive lost a total of 110 pounds and gained a total of 150 (not so proud of that one). I have finally learned how to apologize, how to control my temper and control my tongue. I can save money! I have grown in a lot of ways and learned much more about God. I have had to say good bye to family and friends who have died. Ten years is no small amount of time.
I have a few more things I want to accomplish in these last 2 months, however.
First, I want to take a Hunter's Education Class and get my hunting license. Second, I want a passport and to FINALLY apply for my Irish citizenship. Those are last on my list. Not even weight loss ranks above those.
As for the next decade, I'm already planning and I'm excited. Not so excited about wrinkles, but I'll try to wear them as a badge. I will not accept gray hair yet. Try me in 10 years.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
LAST attempt..... seriously
Okay, I lied. About half thru the night on January 1st, I had a change of heart on the quitting nursing thing. It would be best for Liam's stomach if I nursed exclusively, so Im going to give it one more week. Im going to do everything as close to perfectly as possible and if things still arent working, then I have to surrender.
Is it so lame that some part of my identity can be so damaged at failing at this?
oh well
UPDATE, January 14:
Im still pumping off and on, but it looks like my supply is finally up! It seems to slack after a day or two of only nursing, but it is easily fixed by pumping when I have time. For the first time ever, I have milk in the freezer thats from me! Im so proud, its silly. 'Bout time!
Is it so lame that some part of my identity can be so damaged at failing at this?
oh well
UPDATE, January 14:
Im still pumping off and on, but it looks like my supply is finally up! It seems to slack after a day or two of only nursing, but it is easily fixed by pumping when I have time. For the first time ever, I have milk in the freezer thats from me! Im so proud, its silly. 'Bout time!
Friday, January 1, 2010
Two Months
Well, a lot has happened (and a lot has not) in the last month. Liam is now 2 months and today is New Years Day. The last post, I wrote about my frustrations with nursing. That very afternoon, I found someone who was willing to donate breast milk to me and loan me her electric pump. She even gave me a list of supplements to take and really good instructions on how to get my supply up. So I have spent the past month trying to adhere to those instructions, putting aside many things (and neglecting my other 3 children) in an effort to get my milk supply up. I was determined.
Thats why it makes me terribly sad to say that I have decided today that Im done trying to build up my milk supply. Im really disappointed with myself, but I realize that after struggling with it for so long, I have to choose: the rest of my life or continue to pursue nursing exclusively. There is only so long that I can neglect my other children, husband, home and school for and it is really starting to take a toll on my overall satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. Every waking moment of my day was consumed with nursing, pumping, taking supplements, drinking tea. If the baby slept, I had to choose between feeding my children, attempting to get some schoolwork done with them, or cleaning to keep the house in a state of semi-order. And the baby only sleeps twice a day for an hour or so! There isnt much time in there for anything resembling a schedule. And I dont deal well with chaos.
So as I put away the Christmas decorations today, wash the last pot from dinner last Friday(!) and promise my husband I will get his laundry done this weekend some time, it is a bittersweet decision I make to not pursue this anymore. My baby will still be healthy and I will have time and energy to put into being a better wife and mother. And I can stop calculating my self-worth based on this one aspect of my life.
I am going to keep up with my supplements. And I did learn that I dont have a let-down reflex (for all you who speak lactation-ese). That is terribly important when it comes to milk production. I really wish I would have had someone to guide me thru all this with Baby #1. Or 2, or 3. But I am coming out of this with more knowledge and a goal that if I ever have another baby, I will use all these techniques to get my supply built up in the first 2 weeks of nursing.
And hey, if I make it to 7 months nursing alongside the bottles of formula, I will have beaten my last record of 6 months. Maybe someday I will get this down.
Thats why it makes me terribly sad to say that I have decided today that Im done trying to build up my milk supply. Im really disappointed with myself, but I realize that after struggling with it for so long, I have to choose: the rest of my life or continue to pursue nursing exclusively. There is only so long that I can neglect my other children, husband, home and school for and it is really starting to take a toll on my overall satisfaction and sense of accomplishment. Every waking moment of my day was consumed with nursing, pumping, taking supplements, drinking tea. If the baby slept, I had to choose between feeding my children, attempting to get some schoolwork done with them, or cleaning to keep the house in a state of semi-order. And the baby only sleeps twice a day for an hour or so! There isnt much time in there for anything resembling a schedule. And I dont deal well with chaos.
So as I put away the Christmas decorations today, wash the last pot from dinner last Friday(!) and promise my husband I will get his laundry done this weekend some time, it is a bittersweet decision I make to not pursue this anymore. My baby will still be healthy and I will have time and energy to put into being a better wife and mother. And I can stop calculating my self-worth based on this one aspect of my life.
I am going to keep up with my supplements. And I did learn that I dont have a let-down reflex (for all you who speak lactation-ese). That is terribly important when it comes to milk production. I really wish I would have had someone to guide me thru all this with Baby #1. Or 2, or 3. But I am coming out of this with more knowledge and a goal that if I ever have another baby, I will use all these techniques to get my supply built up in the first 2 weeks of nursing.
And hey, if I make it to 7 months nursing alongside the bottles of formula, I will have beaten my last record of 6 months. Maybe someday I will get this down.
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