Pat's Run

Two years ago a day like this last Saturday would never have crossed my mind.  Never.  Husband and I had started to run so I could start losing the baby weight and help deal with stress of losing my dad a few months prior.  About two weeks in I broke my leg.  A stress fracture of serious proportions and I was subsequently diagnosed with osteopenia (the precursor to osteoporosis.)

What a crazy time.

I was just trying to heal, build bone mass back up, and gain confidence not only in myself but also in the bones that carry me along.

Finally, this last January I had enough.  I had to start doing something.  I was the heaviest I had been. Ever. Time do something about it. For my family is nothing else.  So, I started walking (Husband was still running and doing SO well) and we changed how we ate.  Good thing started happening. Husband ran in the Pat's Run  (4.2 miles) last year and wanted to do it again.  He encouraged me to do it, too.

I was scared.  For so many reasons.  But finally I said I would do it and stepped up my time working out.

My goal going into the run was to NOT have 20 minute miles.  Most of my workouts I averaged a 15-17 minute mile so I felt pretty good going into the race.  Husband and I started together but because he runs I knew I would just find him at the finish line. It was a good challenge. Husband beat his goal time of 40 minutes by 2 minutes!  I was so proud of him.  I finished in 1 hour and 7 minutes. YAY!!  I was pretty excited and may even attempt to do it again next year.

Our kids want to do the kids run next year.  That will be fun.  

Jesus on the cross..

On Wednesday, I started to read Miss L her Bible lesson for the day.  The title was something like, "The Sun Goes Dark."  Basically, it was the set up for Jesus going to Calvary, his crucifixion, and death.

She says, "Oh, I love this part!" in almost a giddy fashion.

A little disturbed by her excitement I ask, "Why do you like this part?  He is in so much pain and he dies."

"Oh, I know.  But it's the part where He takes our sins away!  That's the best part!"

Perspective.

I learn a lot from my children.

Cherished Conversations | Kindness from Wisdom

Today, when compared to other days, was an odd day for us.

We woke up much earlier than normal and took Daddy to the airport.  Saying good-bye is always hard but for Miss L it is the most difficult.  She's sensitive and she is so very attached to her daddy.  It's hard when he is gone even just for a few days.  It takes her awhile to recover.

We eat breakfast later than normal on these early morning adventures to the airport because we come back to a bagel shop near our house which is a treat for the girls and a good distraction.

As we were talking, laughing, and eating an older gentleman entered the door behind us.  I noticed Miss S wave to someone as did Miss A.  The gentleman came over and and said, "It's so nice when young ones want to engage with people rather than hide behind mama."  Let me clarify, my girls have those "hide behind mama" moments often but today they were feeling especially social.  He talked to each one of the girls and even listened to Miss S as she babbled a few coherent words and then a whole bunch of nonsense even though it was quite apparent it all made perfect sense to her.

Next, Miss L dove in and told him all about school and how she is finishing kindergarten and looking forward to first grade.  He made some comment to her that didn't quite apply to our homeschool environment (I don't remember what it was) and Miss L just said, "Oh, I'm homeschooled."  Without missing a beat or looking shocked he said, "Well, you'll probably get a better education that way!" and continued to talk to the girls about school and a whole host of other things.

I was floored.  I was NOT expecting that response at all.  BUT I was thankful for it.  People generally look at me like I have horns growing out of my head when I tell them we homeschool.  Others have a few curious questions and move on.  Few have ever had this kind of response unless they homeschool as well.

He was a kind man.  His kindness had an impact not only on my children but also on me.  I'm not trying to put down public schools but trying to remember the kindness of people that the Lord places in my path because it is easy to focus on the harsh words from people... I want to remember the kind words, too.

So, thank you, dear gentleman... you made this mama's hard morning a little easier.

2013 | Book Review

This last Friday a group of people that I know all got together to share and talk about the books that we read last year.  It was so much fun!  I loved the diversity and the challenge to read some things that I may not necessarily think about.  I thought I would list our books here for possible future reference or for anyone looking for some book recommendations. I did note on a few if the person sharing really loved it or particularly disliked a book.  Also, at the end there is a short list of other books not read by anyone last year but were additional recommendations to go along side other books or from the same genre.  I put first name and last initial are more for my reference.  If you happen to know these folks then you can ask them more questions on their reads.

My List

• Honeysuckle, Creosote, and Trainsmoke by William O. Cook
• 100 Cupboards (100 Cupboards, #1) by N.D. Wilson
• Dandelion Fire (100 Cupboards, #2) by N.D. Wilson
• The Watermelon Man by William O. Cook
• Unbroken:  A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (Yes!)
• The Chestnut King (100 Cupboards, #3) by N.D. Wilson
• A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
• The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (hated)
• Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
• Fit to Burst: Abundance, Mayhem, and the Joys of Motherhood by Rachel Jankovic
• America the Beautiful: Rediscovering What Made this Nation Great by Ben Carson
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• These Old Shades (Alistair, #1) by Georgette Heyer
• Longbourn by Jo Baker
• Let Us Keep the Feast: Living the Church Year at Home by Michelle Allen Bycheck, et al
• Indoctrination: Public School and the Decline of Christianity in America by Charles Laverdire, et al
• Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Yes, I read a cookbook!) by Michelle Tam
• An American Bride in Kabul by Phyllis Chesler
• Devil’s Cub (Alistair, #2) by Georgette Heyer
• Why Christian Kids Need a Christian Education by Douglas Wilson

Gail H.

• Look Homeward Angel by Thomas Wolf
• Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
• The Earth Abides by George Stewart
• Christianity & Liberalism by Machen
• Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
• Slave Narratives by Frederick Douglass
• Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• The Juvenilization of American Christianity by Thomas Bergeler (Last Chapter was the best!)
• Wordsmithy by Douglas Wilson
• The Beauty Myth by Naomi Wolf
• Best Loved Poems
• Cross Talk by Michael Emlet
• Number 44 The Mysterious Stranger by Mark Twain
• Salt (She thought it was rather boring)
• Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin
• True Grit by Charles Portis
• God's Gift to You by Charles Spurgeon
• Loving God with All You Mind by Elizabeth George
• The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard (she wants to read this every year!)
• Vanity Fair by William Mackpiece Thackery
• The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
• Blink by Gladwell
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
• Narnia Chronicles
• The Odyssey by Homer
• Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
• Experiments in Criticism by C.S. Lewis (fairly academic)
• Till We have Faces by C.S. Lewis (best ever!)
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (hated)
• The Devil in the White Cith by Erik Larson
• Lilith by George McDonald
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X
• The Histories by Herodotus

Laura S.

• Winter Study (Anna Pigeon, #14) by Nevada Barr
• Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
• My Antonia by Willa Cather
• O Pioneers! (Great Plains Trilogy, #1) by Willa Cather
• Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins
• Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins
• Silas Marner by George Eliot (Loved!)
• Cross Talk by Michael Emlet
• The Adults by Alison Espach
• Absalom, Absalom! by William Faulkner (hard to read and did not finish)
• Gotta Keep on Tryin' by Donna DeBerry and Virginia Grant
• The Confession by John Grisham
• The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (loved)
• Eventide by Kent Haruf
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• brave New World by Aldous Huxley
• Unplanned by Abby Johnson
• The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
• Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber
• Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
• A Brother's Journey by Richard B. Pelzer
• The Letters by Luanne Rice
• Peony in Love by Lisa See
• Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

Kate F.

• Babywise by Gary Ezzo
• Toddlerwise by Gary Ezzo
• Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
• First Time Mom by Kevin Leman
• The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family by Dave Pelzer
• Breath by Martha Mason
• Parenting in the Pew by Robbie Fox Casteman
• Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
• A Separate Peace by John Knowles
• Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Fostering Cayden by J.V. Fink
• An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler
• The Blue Cotton Gown: A Midwife's Memoir by Patricia Harman

Zack F.

• His Excellency by Joseph Ellis
• American Sniper by Chris Kyle
• The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Fostering Cayden by J.V. Fink
• Six Sigma by Roland Cavanagh
• Suze Orman's Financial Guidebook by Suze Orman
• Cicero by Anthony Everette
• Project Management for Dummies
• Letters to the Soviets by Alexander Solzhenitsyn
• The Fall by Albert Camus

Katie F.

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• My Friend Leonard by James Frey

Kortnee H.

• Treasuring God in Our Traditions by Noel Piper
• The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller (read twice!)
• The Complete Book of Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheila Kitzinger
• The Lies Young Women Believe and the Truth that Sets the Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss
• Chosen by God, by R.C. Sproul
• The Shack by William P. Young (started and did not finish...hated it!)
• A Classical Christian Education book by Wilson (could not remember title)

Nancy S.

• The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness by Tim Keller
• The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
• How Now Shall We Live by Charles Colson
• Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
• Tess of the D'Ubervilles by Thomas hardy
• Term Limits by Vince Flynn
• The Four Loves by C.S. Lewis
• Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly

Doug H.

• Echos of Eden by Jerram Barrs
• Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'engle
• The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
• The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker
• A Cry for Justice by Jeff Crippen
• Mending the Soul by Steven Tracy
• Why does He do that? by Lundy Bancroft
• No Longer Under Bondage by Barbara Roberts
• In Sheep's Clothing by George Simon
• The Emotionally Abused Woman by Beverly Engel
• Center Church by Tim Keller
• The Mind of the Maker by Dorothy Sayer
• Spiritual Formation by Henri Nouwen
• Eat this Book by Eugene Peterson
• Light in August by William Faulkner
• In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
• Call of Duty: The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee by Steven Wilkins
• The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
• King's Cross by Tim Keller (?)
• The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
• Barn Burning by William Faulkner
• Ballad of the Sad Cafe by Carson McCullers
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
• The Enemy Within by Kris Lundgaard
• Living the Christian Year by Bobby Gross
• Temple of the Holy Ghost; Revelation; and A Good Man is Hard to Find (Short stories by Flannery O'Connor

Side Recommendations

• The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick
• The Boy in Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
• Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• 1984 by George Orwell
• The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation by Joseph Ellis
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

Reading Begets Reading

I have been consuming books like literary food since late last year.  I have already read seven books this year and just started my eighth this morning while on hold with a company.

In the midst of rebooting my love for reading I realized that I had been lacking, and had been for years (even while in full time ministry), consistency in reading a book that I claimed had such influence in my life... the Bible.  Oh, that is so hard to write.  So humbling and so true.

Sure, I have been in churches where we were reading the Bible together and we all had plans.  Honestly, I never made it.  This was after several attempts over the years at several churches just to clarify for those readers who are familiar with my church going history. :)

On October 21, 2013 (there is no significance in the date) I looked around on the Bible app I have on my phone, YouVersion.  There were all sorts of plans and I took some time to read through the descriptions.  I was looking for one that would help me succeed in the endeavor and one that was not too overwhelming. I found one. You know what?  It's great.  It's working!  I have a reminder on my phone that goes off during naptime (it's quiet) just in case I haven't managed to read it yet.  Honestly, nap time is the best time for me.  The kids are resting and I can relax and take in what the Lord has for me on that particular day.

I found that reading more has helped in my reading what is most important.  So, as I read in parenting books that "sleep begets sleep" with babies...I find that reading begets reading, too.

I actually have a challenge to finish my plan early so that I can join my husband in his Bible readings so we can be reading the same thing on the same days.  I know, I should just start over and it does makes sense.  Luckily, I have a husband who also understands that I want to finish the goal of reading through.  So, we'll see if I can finish early??

Reflections | 2013

I have been meaning to reflect on 2013 for the past 29 days.  It seems the thing to do in the world of blogs. 2013 was quite a strange year -- I should have also reflected on 2012 last year but was in such shock in the last month of 2012 and the first few months of 2013 that it wasn't going to happen.  But I can look back on things now with different eyes.

2013...

...was the year I had to learn to walk through life without my dad.  For 34 years he was my greatest fan.  For many of those years he was my sole companion and best friend.  2013 rang in just as I came home from his hospice center where the funeral home had just picked up his body.  Fireworks were going off all around me.  It was a brutal reminder that life was moving on without him.  Time did not stop.  The world was not in shock or weeping with me.  I didn't expect of all that to happen.  Oh, but I really wanted that to happen.

...was the year that I learned to plan a funeral.  And that you can fire the people you are working with.

...was the year that I saw my husband live out an aspect of our vows (for better or for worse) in a very tangible way.  I never doubted that he would but this is where I saw love pour forth from a man who already shows me an abundance of love that I do not deserve.  I had no idea what I was doing nor did I really want to do anything.  He waded through bureaucratic red tape and whatnot.  You know, all the stuff that comes from a parent who had three government pensions and an outdated will.  Sigh.  He is my knight in shining armor.  He tackled it all without flinching or even being asked.  He just did it knowing I was struggling to even get up and feed our family.

...was the year that we sold not one but two houses.  My dad's house which took five days to sell and our rental house which took...much, much longer.

...was the year that we started our homeschooling journey.  Miss L started kindergarten.  It has been an amazing journey and just like I loved being there for her baby milestones I love that I get to be a part of these milestones as well.  Sure there are days that I want to pull my hair out.  But more often than not we have a good time.

...was the year that I started running.  I wanted to lose the baby weight that has accumulated.  Instead I broke my leg and was diagnosed with osteopenia.

...was the year that we lived in a hotel in San Diego from mid-September until the end of January 2014.  It has been an adventure for sure.

...was the year that we took our girls to Disneyland for the first time.  It was amazing!  One of my favorite memories for sure.  It was in part thanks to bad weather and our cousins Lindsay and Emily, too.

...was the year that I had actual physical health issues once we entered the one year time period since my dad got sick.  Breathing issues that warranted a trip to the ER among other things.  They started just after Thanksgiving which was when my dad was first admitted into the hospital  Oddly enough, all subsided after the new year passed.

...was the year that I learned that I still love to read.  It's a beautiful thing and I am sad that I lost so much time with so many good books.  I am also thankful that I am surrounded by such well read people.  From the end of August until the end of the year I read 23 books of varying genres, topics, and of course length.

The year had highs and lows... as do all years.  Some things this past year were more significant than others. We had our normal vacations and fun.  My family always makes me laugh and we love being together.  At the end of the year, whether it was particularly hard or we seem to breeze through in our ordinary lives, I know that I am extraordinarily blessed.

Knock, Knock....Housekeeping!

Once upon a time, a long long time ago... okay, okay... the summer of 1999 (yikes! 14 years ago!) I worked in our nation's first national park, Yellowstone.  It was nothing as exciting as being a park ranger but rather I was there to clean rooms at Old Faithful Inn as part of a summer project with Campus Crusade for Christ (now Cru.)  It was a summer that impacted my life in various ways and apparently is still bearing fruit in other areas still today.

You see, one becomes very familiar with the details and rigors of housekeeping when work is done in one of the busiest hotels in the nation over the summer months.  While I was not the fastest room cleaner in the est I found an appreciation for those who do it day in and day out for years on end.  Not just for the summer, you see.  The solitary work about drove me mad and so management had mercy on me and when they could they moved me into a position of picking up buffalo poop grounds keeping and cleaning public spaces.  I was thankful to be around more people and I LOVED that job.  No, really.

Today I find myself nearing the end of a two month stay at a hotel.  I am always reminded that it is well worth knowing the names of the people around you.  Especially in the service arena.  I'm pretty sure I know everyone who works here from management, to housekeeping, to food service.  They work hard.

However, I will say that our relationships with those in housekeeping are by far the most significant.  We see them just about everyday.  My kids run down the halls in little-girl-screeching-delight when they see Mrs I and Mrs E, the women who run the housekeeping department.  The day that I told Mrs. I  that I had worked in housekeeping for a time she was surprised and asked all sorts of questions.  We talked about the hard work of it all and the difference in how things work here versus what I experienced.  It seemed like that sealed our relationship.  Well, that and the fact that my girls easily endear themselves to almost anyone. HA!  We have had conversations about family, life, church, and other things. We have made great friends here and while we are excited to go home we are sad to leave the people that we have met here.

My girls have this notion that the housekeeping crew will just come home with us.  Yes, I wish.  HA!  We'll take food service with us as well.  My girls even pretend clean after housekeeping leaves and when we come back to the room they do the famous "knock, knock! Housekeeping!" at the the door and then burst into quiet giggles.  If anything it has been a social education for my girls and I think they are doing fabulously.

Fourteen years ago I wondered how on earth my being a housekeeper would have any sort of impact or be of any sort of significance.  I merely thought it was a vehicle to do ministry at that time.  Nope, apparently there would be another reason that would not be fully realized until 14 years later.  I wonder what that summer still has in store for me?

Bookworm Lost

As we start out on this homeschooling adventure with our children I get a little overwhelmed looking ahead to what could potentially be their high school reading assignments.  I start thinking that maybe I should start now so that I may have most of them completed by the time they are ready for high school.  Then I relax (a little) and realize that I should enjoy books with them now that THEY enjoy.

I had to reflect a little on my reading history...

When I was younger (5th-8th grades) I read all. the. time.  My dad could barely keep up.  For whatever reason he didn't ever take me to the library.  Apparently it was just easier to take me to the local book store at the time and let me pick out a book or two.  This was a weekly or a twice a week visit and I would still find days with nothing new to read.

As I entered high school and assigned more reading and finding new hobbies and activities my desire to read dwindled.  It was also during this time that I realized that reading in a vehicle caused motion sickness.  It was something that I had never experienced before but it cut down the time that I normally had to read.  However, I had some phenomenal teachers in high school and felt that I was fairly well read... more on that later.

The story continues into college.  Reading was assigned and nothing for fun.   At this point in my life reading outside of things assigned did not seem appealing.  Anything but reading.  Sad.

I think later I got caught up in reading a lot of heavy spiritual things for classes that I took while I was on staff with CRU.  It's not that they were bad but reading something light and fun rarely crossed my path.  When I married I was introduced to people that were extremely well read.  I could barely hang with them.  I realized that I had also missed out on some pretty awesome classics - Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, etc.  I wondered why?  Then it hit me that my very liberal, feminist (although I love her dearly) high school teacher would not have approved of some of the story lines that these authors presented.  Again, sad.

More and more I am convicted that while I want to produce readers and see the desire at different levels in my girls... I am no longer a reader.  I must recover what was lost.  I've cut down on the time I waste playing games or dinking around.  I am looking into the lists I have made and would like to tackle them.  I am also wanting to find more interesting books for my girls.  I desire to make the library a habit and familiar place for them.

So, readers... suggest books... classics or otherwise.  I'll let you know if I've read them or not.  However, I cannot do things that are overly violent or overly sexual in content... I'll stop and drop anything that are too much in that area for me.  Just an FYI... and thanks for joining me!

Meal Ministry

If you have never needed the blessings of a ministry through meals I say two things... a) blessings to you and b) boy, are you missing out!

However, I will have to say accepting meals from people can be a very difficult thing.  I remember while I was still single and living on my own I had been pretty sick.  A friend that lived two apartments down for me offered to make a meal for me.  In my pride, I thanked her but turned her down knowing full well that I would probably have to go pick something up somewhere because I was not up to cooking for myself.  I met with my mentor very briefly that afternoon and she basically told me that I needed to let people be generous and let them serve.  She challenged me to go back to this friend and accept the meal.  Talk about a killing of pride.  It was a good lesson.  I was blessed by my friend being so gracious and generous.  Plus, I ate a really good meal!

Fast forward to 2008 when Miss L arrived early in December of that year.  Our church at the time blessed us with an abundance of meals even though we lived almost an hour away from where most people lived.  They got creative and it was a blessing for sure.  When Miss A arrived in 2010 we were in a bit of transition but sweet friends put together meals and we were well taken care of during that time.  When Miss S arrived our church really stepped it up a notch with the meals because we were running back and forth to the hospital with her in the NICU.  And even just this week with Miss S in the hospital I find my fridge full of food because of the abundant generosity of the people around us.

However, it is a dying to self to ask for help... to ask for meals... to ask for help cleaning your home...to ask.    Why is it so hard for us to ask?  A former pastor once told me to not ask for help is denying someone the opportunity to learn how to serve others. (He said it much more elegantly)  It was a profound thought.  We don't know how to serve the body of Christ (or others) because people are too prideful to ask or they think that people are not able or will not help.  The fact is that people are willing to help.  Cheerfully!  More than one could probably ever imagine at that.

All of this came flooding back when Pastor H was visiting us in the hospital and asked if the church family could do anything else for us.  I was tempted to just suck it up and figure it out.  But there was an offer of help and this was the area I needed the most help (because grandparents were taking care of kids during the day) all I had to do was...ask...

So, I did.  Boy, were we blessed!

Needless to say, I won't be posting a meal plan this week because we have so much food left over and I still have a couple of from last week that will carry over to this week.

I encourage you to ASK for help when you need it.  When a baby comes... when a loved one passes... surgery...people are willing wanting to help.  While we as a body also need to be on the look out for areas to help people we also need to die to self and kill our pride and ask for help, too.

A Job By Any Other Name

Much of the world would agree that being a housekeeper is acceptable as long as you are not caring for your own home; treating men with attentive devotion would also be right as long as the man is the boss in an office and not your husband; caring for children would even be deemed heroic service for which presidential awards could be given as long as the children are someone else's and not your own.

(from Feminine Appeal, p. 102 - original source Dorothy Patterson, Where's Mom? p.21)

A friend posted this quote on Facebook awhile back and reminded me that we had read this in a book study a couple of years ago.  I pulled the book off the shelf and as I looked through my notes it made me want to read the book again.  Feminine Appeal outlines seven virtues of being a wife and mother.  It was an encouraging and convicting book in many areas.

However, what I like most is how Mahaney encourages women to battle and swat down the vicious lie that the world tells us in that staying home with our children is somehow an underachievement.  As though the world has any place to spew such hogwash.  Yes, it was hard getting used to putting homemaker in the occupation line on a plethora of medical forms.  What would they think?  That was my problem.  Worrying about what other people thought.  I wasn't too concerned about what my God thought.  I was questioning this role that He had clearly called me to fulfill.

I have not arrived in all areas of my new job.  I have been at this whole stay at home thing for almost six years now and it is by far the hardest job that I have ever undertaken.  I find a new joy in it each day with my girls.  I love loving my husband even when I fail miserably.  He is my best friend.  I find more and more that there are women who would love to be in my shoes.  They want to stay home but for whatever reason cannot. I have at least come from worry and anxiety when I fill in the occupation line to sheer joy and smiles when I write homemaker.  I don't need to write domestic engineer or any other silly moniker.  No, I am the keeper and maker of my home and I'm okay with that.

The sad thing is that the above quote is deeply true in society.  Sigh.  It's a sad state of affairs.  So, if you are a stay at home mom or wife... press on, dear one, in the work that the Lord has called you and throw to the side the clanging of society saying that you are not contributing to society or you are somehow an underachiever.  You are the strength of the next generation contributing in ways that are enormous but most will never see nor even remotely think to give a nod for a presidential award.

Longfellow

Stay, stay at home, my heart, and rest;

Home-keeping hearts are happiest,
For those that wander they know not where
Are full of trouble and full of care;
To stay at home is best.

Weary and homesick and distressed,
They wander east, they wander west,
And are baffled and beaten and blown about
By the winds of the wilderness of doubt;
To stay at home is best.

Then stay at home, my heart, and rest;
The bird is safest in its nest;
O’er all that flutter their wings and fly
A hawk is hovering in the sky;
To stay at home is best.


Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

This Is The Day

When you saw the title did the song go running through your head?

Several months ago when this song would be stuck in my head because we generally sing it at the preschool co-op that we attend it would drive me utterly bananas. BA.NA.NAS.  Miss L generally wants to sing it and Miss A grasps that when we sing this song we clap along.  To say the least, it is sung often around here.  I know that it is Scriptural and all...  but the repetition was wearing on me.  I think the Lord knew that I would need the repetition...

...to learn something.

The song now has a deep and sentimental meaning to me.  The Lord used the preschool song to minister to my heart during a time when I needed to be reminded that He was really in control.

When I was finally able to hold Miss S for the first time in the NICU the nurse said to make sure to talk to her about whatever or to sing to her.  We like to sing around here.  My husband is a wonderful singer... I, on the other hand, have a hard time carrying a tune on a silver plate.  But that doesn't generally stop me and I do have my moments of actually singing well.  Anyway.  Sing?  The first thing that came to mind was, This is the Day.  So, I started singing it to her and realized the deep theology (and extravagant LOVE) that was being imparted to me at that moment.  I choked through the rest of the words as I realized my own personal struggles with the current situation this was indeed the day that the Lord had made, had given to me, and I would rejoice in Him, that my baby was alive... I would choose to be glad.

That became our mantra of sorts.  I sang that song each morning that I came in to see Miss S and it really helped me to gain perspective on the day.  Our pastor came to visit one afternoon and I shared with him how the Lord had used this simple song to show Himself to me.  It felt childish in some way but so very significant in another.  You know... I was okay with that.

I realized the other day that I had stopped singing this song to Miss S when we got home.  I shall have to remedy that.

Happy Holidays?

Now, don't go getting your tinsel in a tangle because I used the term "happy holidays" in my title.  Hear me out here.

I saw this image on a friends Facebook wall the other day.  It made me think.  While I may not totally "get" Kwanzaa I am sure there are many that don't get why our family does Advent, Christmas, and we actually give more than a nod towards Epiphany.  But as I thought about this image I wondered if I wished someone a Merry Christmas would they in turn wish me a merry/joyous/happy whatever they celebrate?

Little did I know that I would find out a few days later.

I was leaving the pediatrician on Wednesday with our newest one and our oldest one who likes to come help Mama with Miss S.  I was getting them secured in the van when Miss L asked where Miss S was at that moment.  I told her that Miss S was right next to me and that she was okay.  I realized a lady had moved to a bench behind me with the intentions of grabbing a quick smoke in the designated area.  Awesome.  I had basically parked in the smoking section!  This kind lady head me talking, realized I had a newborn, and quickly said she would wait to light up her cigarette until we were underway.  I appreciated her consideration greatly.  She then asked how old Baby Girl was and then wished me a "Merry Christmas."  I wished her one as well and then she replied, "Hanukkah, actually, but thank you."  She was very kind about it.  I engaged her a little about Hanukkah and I think she was surprised that I knew that it had actually started at sunset the evening before.  This whole time Miss L is shouting from in the car, "Merry Christmas!!" Precious and funny at that particular moment all at the same time.

I immediately thought back to this social network image.  Interesting, right?  Basically, I am fine with whatever you want to tell me as long as I can tell you my preference.  However, if I know you celebrate one in particular that is what I will tell you.  However, I do take issue with curbing what people would normally says for the sake of political correctness. Political Correctness, in my book, has overstayed its welcome.

So, from our house to yours...

Merry Christmas!

On a side note, my conversation was of enough time that she never had time to take her smoke break as her ride came to pick her up.  ha ha!  YES!!

And, yes, there will be a post about the arrival of Miss S. :)

Freezer Meals: I'm Done...I think

I'm done.


It's officially December.  I'm huge (in my mind's eye when many others have said, "Oh you don't look like you are due in a month.)  I'm tired of cooking -- to an extent.  And in some sense we are running out of freezer space.  Not entirely.  But there are some other things I want to throw in there and not have to worry about it.  So, I am done.


Not much happened in November.  I technically made two Chicken Pot Pies but one was for that night's dinner and the other I froze.  My mother-in-law (the gem that she is!)  made a double batch of meatballs for us so those are in there.   Yep, that sums up the month.  HA!


However, as I sit here looking at the list there are a couple of things that I can just let the slow cooker take care of for me.  While I tend to use a different recipe for enchiladas I stumbled upon a friend's recipe that I loved while we were visiting with her family earlier this year in Texas.  I can just whip it up, freeze it, and then put it all together when we are ready for it.  Sounds delish.


That may be the only one I really go after from the list.  My cranberry chicken is super easy and really everything I need for it is in the pantry.  I just need to make sure that I am stocked up on everything times two for that.


I'll keep the other recipes around and close at hand for when I need to start cooking again.  I can double it up or some of them may just be easy.  Also, the burrito recipes may come in handy when I am scrambling for something to send with Husband to work for lunch.  He's not picky so I will look at that some more, too.


I need to work on my freezer inventory list as I have some things in there that I am sure that I will forget about when Baby#3 arrives.  You know, like vegetables and some other sides.


OH!  I will also add a few things from Costco.  Chicken nuggets (because the girls are gaga over anything chicken nuggets these days) will be used for lunches mostly but will probably make an appearance with dinner at some point, too.  Ravioli will feed our family 2-3 times depending on how hungry the girls are that night.  Fish for tacos (we love them!) or just to throw in the oven with a side if we are running out of time.


So, I think we have a good start to things.


What now?


Well, we wait for Baby#3.  We thought she might try to make an ultra early entrance yesterday but alas she is content to stay inside a little longer -- with the help of some modern medicine.


I have a lot of the ingredients I need for lactation bars so my mother-in-law has graciously offered to make up a bunch of those for me.  I can bake them up no problem.  I need to get that moving here sooner than later.  HA!


My dad has also said that he would help with Christmas cookies (ahem - I know you are reading this) and he can be bribed with dinner or the promise of chocolate chip cookies anyway.


Welp, here's the final list.  Not fully finished but I took a good whack at it!


Beef Stew x 1 (from Mom C)
Tator Tot Casserole x 1
Mom C's Meatloaf x1
Stuffed Peppers x 1 (from Mom C)
Husband's Lasagna x 2
Italian Stuffed Meatloaf x 2
My Chile x 2
Veggie Chile x 3
Ren's Chocolate Muffins x 2 (has good stuff like pumpkin, flax, etc -- it's not ALL sugar)
Chicken Pot Pie x 1
Fiesta Chicken x 2
Fiesta Chicken (Green Version) x 2
Spaghetti Sauce x 2
Spinach & Artichoke Mac & Cheese x 2
Green Chile Enchiladas x 3 (or more at the request of Husband)
Spaghetti Pizza x 2
Turkey & Vegetable Meatloaf x 2
Meatballs x 2 (17 in each bag) from Mom C
Brown Bag Burritos x 1 (makes 20-ish)
Chicken Spaghetti (Pioneer Woman) x 2
Pulled Pork x 1 (more if meat comes on sale again)
Breakfast Burritos x 1 (will probably make more - cranks out about 16)
Chicken & Rice (Quinoa) Burritos x 1 (makes about 8?)
Baked Ziti x 2
BBQ Beef & Bean Corn Bread Casserole x 2
Bacon, Egg, Cheese Biscuit Cups x 1
Ham & Cheese Pockets x 1
Sausage Biscuits x 1
Twice Cooked Mashed Potatoes x 2
Cranberry Chicken x 2
Broccoli & Cheddar Soup x 2
Healthy Mama BBQ Chicken x 2
Lactation Cookies x LOTS!


*That is not a picture of MY freezer.  Just so you know.

Coupon Organization

I like to coupon.  It's true.  However, when I watch a particular show about people who are extreme in this area I have a difficult time wrapping my head around the fact that they spend 35+ hours a week cutting coupons, planning, etc.  I will soon have three girls three and under -- I don't have that kind of time to spend and if I did there are other things I would rather do with that time.  That's just where I am with things.  However, with the increase in food prices and our growing family I want to make our dollars stretch.  I have to find a happy balance.  So, I appreciate the coupon service that I subscribe to and the websites that do many of the coupon to product match-ups for me.

Another thing that was taking up a lot of my time was clipping the coupons.  I would tend to clip almost ALL the coupons (minus things like make-up or pet food or other things that I knew we would NEVER use, etc) -- I clipped because I thought, "If I don't it will be on super sale or free and I will miss out!"  It may not have been such a big deal if I only had one copy of each coupon insert.  However, there are week that I can end up with three or more of the inserts.  I didn't want to cut ALL of them out just in case.  Because then after they are cut they were entered into a spreadsheet.  UGH.  Drive me bananas!!

So, I streamlined it a bit.

I purchased a portable file box and some hanging folders.  My simple system was ready to put in place.  I mark the coupon insert boldly with a marker with the date on front.  Create a label for that date on a folder.  Slide them in and there you go.  When I get to where I need more folders I will return to the front of the folder and check those inserts for coupons that may still be good.  However, odds are they will all be expired.  Toss the old inserts in the recycle bin, create new label, and we are good to go.

Honestly, I have over a month's worth of inserts to file.  I have just been lazy lately.  Although, I think with about 30 minutes after the girls go down for nap I will be all caught up.  Easy peasy.

The downside to this method is that you are not as familiar with what coupons you have on hand.  I'm okay with that right now.  However, I can also look through the inserts before I file them to help with that some.  For those that like having ALL their coupons with them in the store just in case this is not the method for you.  I generally just take the coupons for the items that I will buy.  If I find a great deal at the store, I can always go back.  This just helps me stay on budget a bit better.  If I am looking for a particular coupon or if there is one available I simply consult a coupon database that is available through my coupon service and most sites that match up coupons for you.

This saves me the most time right now.  I may go back to the other way some day.  But for now, I really like the simplicity of this method.

Potty Training - Days 2 through 6

I think that days two and three are a bit of a blur.  In a nutshell, I really wanted to quit and go back to diapers.  However, everything in me was telling me that Miss L was indeed ready to learn how to use the potty.  It was very hard to keep up the super-positive attitude when my child was yelling at me and just not happy.  However, we were seeing small victories in her staying dry overnight, during nap (except once), and generally making it to the potty about every other time.

The perk to the method that we are using is that there is a help desk where you can ask as many questions as you like and you always have access to the questions and answers in your thread.  So, you can access them if you need them for future children, etc.  We used this once.  If anything, it was just the encouragement we needed to keep going.  We needed to do something to get her to go more.  I had not done a good job in figuring this out with Miss L.  Husband, on the other hand, found a way on Day 3 and at the time we didn't really care what it entailed.  Miss L loves certain chips and will do just about anything to get them.  For each chip she had to take three sips of beverage.  It worked!  Granted, it basically ruined dinner but we didn't care at that point either.  We were starting to see small glimmers of hope as Miss L was a little less dramatic about sitting on the potty.

Day 4 I stayed home from church with the girls.  I bribed her once again with certain things that she liked to get her to drink so as to afford us more learning opportunities.  It was a hit and miss again as to if we made it to the potty.  But we were getting there.  Still she has amazing bladder control and would just hold it in forever.  In the evening I read an e-mail from a dear friend detailing how she does a trial run to see if her kiddos are ready.  I capitalized on a moment that evening to add a part in to what we were doing.  I took "Mama Moose" through the whole rigormarole and asked if she could do the same thing.  "Yes, Mama!"  Well, she took the moose through it rather than doing it herself.  Quick, think fast!  "Can you show Baby Moose how you do it?"  After talking through it all she finally did it with very little drama.   We were a bit more hopeful by the end of this day.

Day 5 was amazing!  No accidents!  We began the day again with the moose as a reminder which was fine.   I finally had to reel in my little girl and some of her tantrums and let her  know that I was the Mama and she just needed to do as I asked.  That seemed to click with her (most of the time.)  No drama sitting on the potty and she would just go once she sat down.  Since then she is quick to tell me if she needs to go and she knows that even though she may not have to go if we are heading out of the house or just waking up we need to at least try.  Surprise, surprise (not really) she generally needs to go.

Day 6 (today) was the big test as far as I was concerned as we had a standing appointment to make.  <big deep breath>  I asked her to go before we went but nothing.  Okay, no big deal.  At the end of our appointment Miss L was asked if she needed to use the potty to which she responded yes.  Okay!  Now I was wondering how this was going to fly without the potty seat we had at home.  After a bit of drama I got her on the potty facing backward, told her to just put her pee-pee in the potty and voila... she went!  I was SO.PROUD.  I almost cried in the bathroom because I was so proud of Miss L.  No.  For real.

BM's have been another story and we had our first small success this afternoon which was awesome.  She totally gets being dirty and tells us if she has the accident even if it happens at night.  But we made it to the potty this afternoon so I am hoping this leads to good things in the coming days.

All this to say is that I did and do appreciate the model we chose to use.  I like that it's pretty short term instead of unforeseeable long term stuff.  I am not sure that Miss L would have been ready at 22 months as this method claims.  However, we may give it a go with Miss A this time next year.  We'll see.  It's an intense time but it has been worth it all.  I would recommend the method to others with the caveat that something may need to be added or changed for your particular child or household.  However, I do think that it is a good method in general.

Potty Training - Day 1

It's a big week around here.  Miss L is learning to use the big girl potty!

If you didn't know there are about as many methods and philosophies on how to potty train your child as there are on parenting.  Oh my.  Thankfully, awhile back a friend of mine inquired of her Facebook friends about potty training methods.  I just watched the conversation unfold.  There was one particular method that caught my attention.  The Official 3 Day Potty Training by Lora Jensen. I read through the website and waited until we were a little more ready to take the plunge.  Then on Mother's Day this year she offered a discount on her e-book and I bought it.  It was almost half off! It was a really refreshing take on things.  Plus, I am a such a method girl that she just broke it down in "here's what you do next" type of terms.  Jensen also offers personal support once you have purchased the book for trouble shooting.  It's intense but we are hoping to be done so we can make it to church on Sunday.  But there is grace if it takes a fourth day.

So, we had one accident so far and thankfully it was on the tile.  HA!  My dad is here to help with Miss A so I can pay full attention to Miss L.  Which means I probably need to be done with this post, too.  Lunch needs to be made and liquids to be consumed!  We'll see how the next couple of days go.

Has anyone else used this method?  Or do you have a favorite method?

A Legacy of Love

Several posts ago I mentioned that we had traveled to Colorado for a very special family milestone.

Husband's grandparents were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary.  I have to admit that I get a little choked up just thinking about it.  They are an amazing couple and I look forward to telling my children about how their great-grandparents loved so well.

Not long ago we celebrated Grandma Great's (that's how we refer to them to our children) birthday.  Their children had arranged for an a capella group to sing.  They picked one particular song, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, and it took the grandparents back to the days of their courtship.  Grandpa Great had his arm around his bride and tears came to his eyes as he thought on the days gone by and where life had taken them. It was a moment that not many would forget.

So, we fast forward to the celebration of their anniversary and the above moment is etched forever in my memory.  I dwell on it often.  My own grandparents didn't show love like this.  However, my own grandparents didn't love Jesus like this.  I shared with Husband's grandparents what it meant to watch them love Jesus well and in turn to love each other and their family well.  They, indeed, were leaving a Legacy of Love for generations to come.  Their daughters all married and have had long and prosperous marriages.  Their daughters love Jesus.  In turn, many of their grandchildren have married and are showing hearts that are turned to Christ.  While none of the great-grandchildren are quite old enough to be married hearts are tuned to Jesus has done in the life of their family.  It's an amazing thing to see and to be a small part of such a larger family.

When I see Grandma and Grandpa they are not holed up 90-somethings that are bitter at life and only deal with their spouse because they have too.  No, they still attend church, the play cards, and like to be social.  I am pretty sure they have a bigger social circle than I do at the moment.  HA HA!!  I also see a man who still very much loves and cares for his wife and a woman who respects her husband.

This is the kind of legacy that I want to leave my children, grandchildren, and great-grand children.