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!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
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!"
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