Making Life Beautiful, Today

2012-02-05T07:00:00.001-06:00

A year and a half ago, Luke got me a new bike. I helped him pick it out, a cute bright red bike with a blue and white floral seat. And it came just in time for my birthday. So I rode it for the first time in front of the family and Luke's sister Rachel and her now husband Brett. I was a bit embarrassed riding in front of everyone for the first time in probably over fifteen years, but it was fun!

Of course, when I got off and we were chatting, my dear Rachel and Brett sort of casually mentioned to me about the picture on the side of my bike, and they were chuckling. I looked down and literally was aghast. Meaning, I was like, "Oh my goodness, I never noticed that, I can't ride my bike ever again that way! What am I going to do?"

So let me just show you what was on my bike....

Notice anything? Anything at all?

Fortunately, just this past weekend, my brother in law came to town, armed with a solution. He figured out that he could remove these panels and all would be well. But I did come up with a few other solutions after the fact.

What do you think?

Or....

just a thought...

A Date Done Right

2012-02-03T15:07:00.000-06:00

My husband is amazing, and I don't tell him that enough. I don't tell you that enough either, but mostly I just don't want you to be jealous, so it's for your own good.

You might be jealous today, but you'll just have to deal...

Last week I was texting our babysitter for an unrelated thing, and Luke said, "Ask her if she's available for Saturday night, I want to take you on a date." And she was (yay!). It made my heart go a-flutter, because typically we are so last minute that we call around for babysitters the day of, or even the night of. But he was planning ahead! And all of a sudden it was our high school dating days again...

Luke just got a new bike, and I have a new bike (which is a whole other story), and he suggested a bike-riding date along the river. I said, "Sure!" (which if you don't know me, was a huge stretch, and it was even more of a stretch that I didn't debate him about it, or discuss all the dangers...)

Saturday came, he loaded the bikes in our super-awesome-way-cool minivan. He even packed a satchel with my favorite prosecco, along with very classy red plastic cups, because that's the way we roll. And off we went, down by the river, riding into the wind.

And it was fun...really fun. I'm so glad we did it. I love how Luke gets an idea and follows through with it. He's so great at starting traditions with our family.

*And I must mention, after the bike ride, Luke took me to a lovely restaurant where we immensely enjoyed a five course meal (that was a first for me) and wonderful conversation.

A date done right.

a poem

2012-01-27T14:59:00.000-06:00

landis, you sing and dance
and lately, you wet your pants.
four weeks of skittle treats
and yet you hold your own
(or not)
your teacher says that when you're twenty
you'll be fine and potty plenty.
and so your undies to the shelf must go.
(for now)
i guess if it means you're still my baby, i'm happy.

Preferences, Number 2

2012-01-21T15:02:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I'm pretty sure the wait for this post is probably not worth it, but oh well. Let me just say that potty training a little boy is a whole new ball game, but we'll save that for another post...

I could write many posts (and I have) on this issue, but none of them are coming out right. So the following is my abbreviated version (and yes, it's still kind of long)...

First...The story I told in the previous post may have more to do with doctrine than preferences, but the point for me was this: whether preference or doctrine, I still need to make sure I'm loving the body of Christ and others, and that the banner I'm carrying is for Jesus, and not just for a doctrine or conviction. I need to make sure I'm not compromising on the big stuff, but also not looking down in judgment on those that are still working their way through new doctrines or convictions. God is at work, and we are all in different stages of that work, right?

Next...on the issue of preferences (i.e., personal choices and convictions that are not clearly delineated for us in God's Word); let me give you some examples (not exhaustive) taken from my pastor's sermon series entitled "Thinking Biblically, Living Graciously" (which I highly recommend you listen to here).

~Entertainment: what movies should I watch/ is TV or cable okay/ what about playing cards or pool/ computer games/ video games, etc...
~ Exterior Personal Appearance: what should I wear/ how about jewelry/ make-up/ hair--to dye or not to dye, highlight/ (I'll add: body piercing, tattoos)
~ Music: what kind of music is okay/ what about the type of music in a worship service-hymns or choruses, worship team or not
~ Parenting: will it be dating, or courting, or betrothal...:)/ "time-out" or not
~ Education: how should I educate my child? homeschool, private school, public school, military school,
~Birth Control: yay or nay/ what kind
~Birthing Options: hospital/ at home/ at a birthing center/ in a car (just kidding)
~Medical Issues: Life support/ Immunizations
~Politics: should I be a democrat or a republican/ should I say the pledge of allegiance
~Holidays: santa? Halloween? easter bunny?
~Food: what foods should I eat...raw or cooked? processed or not? etc...
~Environmental issues: are you green, or light green, or neither
~Money: how much debt is okay/ savings/ giving/

So I'm just giving you this short list to give you an idea of the decisions we all make day in and day out, that are preferences and personal convictions, but that may not be clearly stated in Scripture.

"What's the point?" you may ask? To help us evaluate our convictions in light of Scripture, and to make sure we are being careful not to lift up our own preferences in such a way that we are insisting it is the Godly standard for everyone.

Some Scriptures you may refer to are: Romans 8-9 and 1 Corinthians 8, to start (you will find many more that are encouraging in these areas as you begin to look into it).

I'll leave you with one final quote from my pastor,
"If we spoke as much about the Gospel as we do about our personal opinions, we'd have a great impact. I suggest to you that's what we need to do."

Preferences, Part 1

2012-01-06T15:00:00.000-06:00

(an introduction to a series having to do with preferences and convictions, and how they affect our lives...)

I've told several people this story over the years, and even though it's been 10 years since it happened, I still get a little choked up. It's one of those "I wish I had..." memories. The memory of a regret that I can do nothing about, except learn from it.

The day I graduated from college, I remember sitting on the corner of my bed and crying. It had sort of hit me all in one moment that I had sacrificed something in college for the sake of something else. See, there had been a turning point for me religiously, if you will, the end of my freshman year, where God had changed my heart in regard to a certain Biblical doctrine. After this change, I started to separate myself from the friends I had up to that point, merely because they were on the opposite side of the fence in this doctrinal issue. My excuse was simply that I wanted to associate with like minded people, have deeper conversations, etc. But reflecting upon it three years later, I knew I had been wrong.

The newfound belief was good; I believed it with all of my heart. But in reality, I was judging my friends for not having the kind of knowledge I had. And I started to see them not as people to love and grow with, to toss ideas around with, to challenge, to encourage; I saw them as getting in the way of my own growth, and I saw them in some ways as lower than myself spiritually, because they hadn't come to the same revelation.

And more than that, I realized I had elevated a personal conviction above my love for Jesus. My life was more about the conviction itself, and less about Jesus; spreading my love for Jesus, and obeying His call to love God, love others, and go make disciples.

more to come....

The Mundane

2012-01-04T07:53:00.000-06:00

I started off the day today early, with a little boy who thought it was time to wake up first at 4:30 am, and finally at 5:30 am. So I made the most of it and got into the Word. And now I'm chuckling over how the spiritual meets the mundane--how my heart and mind can be wrapped up in God's word, and in the next moment I'm knee deep in life. For me the mundane today is potty training. Yep, I'm attempting it. I have no idea how this will go, but as we speak Landis is wearing his cute Thomas the Train undies. And I have to keep insisting he call them "undies," since his sisters wear "panties" so that's what he keeps saying.

So in this earthly day, I leave you with a verse the girls and I have been discussing, and one I've been praying for Naomi, and for myself...

Psalm 119: 57, "You are my portion, O LORD."

New Years Resolutions

2012-01-01T08:31:00.000-06:00

*from the archives...

So I thought I'd share my New Year's Resolutions with you all...maybe it will keep me more accountable...here's the list:

~Wake up every morning at 5:30 am and work out

~Use hot oil treatments on my hair regularly

~Drink 8 glasses of water a day, with squeezed lemon for cleansing

~Apply anti-wrinkle cream two times a day, no exceptions (I'm pushing 30)

~Cook only wholesome meals, no frozen foods whatsoever

~Avoid fast food, even if kids have to wait another 2 hours for lunch (it's healthier)

~Never scold my children, never, never

~Massage Luke's shoulders and feet every night

~Mop the floor 3-5 times a day (for germ's sake)

~Put photos in albums as soon as they arrive home from Wolf Camera

~Use every opportunity in life as a teaching moment for my children

~If I wake up in the night, take it as a cue to pray for 1 hour

~Practice the piano for 2 hours a day

~Clean out my kitchen sink twice a day

~Clean and organize the garage

~Clean the windows once a week

So, what do you think? Totally do-able...

Not!--so here's the real list:

*Play with my children more

*Drink only one Dr. Pepper a week (really really hard for me)

*Keep a prayer journal

This year's motto: Keep it Simple!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T09:23:00.000-06:00

Life got busy-ER just after I got re-inspired to blog! And I'm figuring, if mine is busy, so is yours--way too busy to read any of my deepest thoughts! So once life gets settled down to a new year, I'll probably start broaching some thought provoking topics.

Until then, go have a wonderful Christmas with your family, celebrating our Saviour, Christ the Lord; thinking not only about His birth, but His life and death and resurrection, all to save sinners like you and me! I'm thankful for the hope I have in Christ...and I hope you are too!

At my husband's request, we are doing a family grocery shopping trip today. I told him I didn't think it'd be as fun as he thinks, but it'll be an experience, right? And I think the most important thing today is sticking together, instead of splitting up. No dividing and conquering for us--we're conquering as a team today!

The Lord bless you and keep you!

Time Out

2011-12-15T06:51:00.000-06:00

So, this is not the next post I was planning to publish. But it's on my heart and I feel like I need to take a time out and think about it. Literally, my kids should probably give me a time out.

I've been really rude to my kids lately. My tongue has always gotten me into trouble, but lately I've noticed a slew of nagging remarks coming out of my mouth, none of which is uplifting or encouraging. As soon as I rudely address the issue at hand, like the messy room, the lack of "kindly" sharing, the rude words to each other, I notice the countenance drop, and the anger rise. Honestly, I'd get angry too if my mom was nagging me like that (and for the record, I don't ever remember my mom nagging me the way I nag my children).

Truly, I'm stirring up anger in my children. How wrong is that? It's wrong. I have these precious little creatures before me, learning from me (and oh baby, do they learn from me--do I ever say anything nice?) And here I am teaching them that God says to "be kind," and that it's a sin to be angry.

James 3:10 says, "Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so." period.

So, all you sweet mommas out there. I venture to say some of you struggle with the same thing. So how are we gonna speak to our little blessings today?

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8,

"Love is patient, love is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

how could anyone be rude to these sweet chickadees?

What if...

2011-12-13T10:33:00.000-06:00

What if I start blogging about controversial things, will you still read?
What if what I says rocks your world, or makes you mad, or makes you wanna slap me, or makes you wanna cry, or does nothing for you?
What if what I say is true? What if it isn't? Will you call me out on it? Will you?

I read blogs...not a lot, but some in particular. And some people have no problem laying it all out there. You know, saying exactly what they believe, and why. I know I do this some. But I'm not gonna claim that I've ever rocked your world, and that's not the point either. (of course really in truly, I hope Jesus rocks your world, and that's about it.) And I don't know if anyone else has ever rocked my world either. But I've definitely been challenged and encouraged, and that's good.

I think my heart is testing the waters, wondering how much I can write on these public spaces. Other people seem to have no problem, and sometimes their content offends me--but that's okay, right? At least they have guts to sort of "lay it on the line," come what may (although I'm not so sure some who do this are ready for the other side of the issue).

So, all this rambling to say...
What if I get more real with you? Will you still be my friend?

I'm just starting to think we need some reality checks. I need some reality checks.

But I want to remember,

"Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person," Colossians 4:6

It's been a long time...

2011-12-12T14:22:00.000-06:00

Hi there. My name is Gabrielle. And sometimes I blog. Lately, not so much. Which is why I feel the need to introduce myself to you, in case you forgot, since there hasn't been a new blog post since October 23rd.

Sometimes the more I put off writing, the harder it is to get started again. I'm not really sure what causes me to go in phases where I'm writing like a maniac, and then I'm dry--bone dry. It's not that I haven't been thinking about anything, in fact it's probably the contrary. Maybe I've had too much on my mind to put it into words. Or maybe, just maybe, I've been tampering around with a world that involves less computer, less internet surfing, and more time with things I can touch, feel, smell, and love. I don't know, just maybe.

I have missed it, in some ways, but in other ways, I'm wondering if my blogging world is drawing to a close. If maybe there are other things to do with my time. But I've always been a writer, I've always kept a journal (I have loads of filled up journals on my book shelves), and so I hate the thought of not having an outlet, and sort of a public one, where maybe one or two people out there can read my thoughts (kinda scary too).

Anyway, I guess this post is just to say "Hello out there, I'm still breathing, and so is my family..."
There may or may not be more to come, but at least I've broken the ice again.

from the trenches

2011-10-23T22:05:00.000-05:00

My heart keeps wanting to write an encouraging post, something uplifting for you mommies, wives, and women out there living real life...but I keep getting stuck. That's so sad, right? I think I've been hit with a case of the "realities," and it's easy to get bogged down by it; you know, the self-pitying thoughts that can so easily rage through our souls as women...So here's coming to you from the trenches, loosely controlled thoughts that often times wander around the confines of my heart (not to worry, the encouragement will come at the end...)
~ my kids don't appreciate the way I love them
~ how come they always imitate my bad habits, and never my good ones?
~ why do cats have to poop too?
~ how many pairs of shoes does my husband own, anyway? and ties, seriously?
~ nothing I do matters, it all has to be done again tomorrow anyway
~ why won't God just answer my prayer right now and make the baby go back to sleep?
~ can't what I "want" ever match up with what I "need"?
~ why even bother being nice to the children, they only notice when I'm grumpy
~ no wonder so many women work outside the home, when they get home their house is in the same shape they left it...

come on, you know you've thought at least one of these thoughts before, keep it real...

Be Still and Know, the LORD is on Your Side....

and then this song starts playing, and I'm soothed, comforted, relaxed. God is doing a work, indeed. He's been revealing Himself to me, and revealing my sin in my daily life, and in my attitudes and actions in my family life. But in the midst of the battle (and it is, isn't it?), God is on your side. If you are trusting in Him as your Saviour, He is on your side. What a comfort! We aren't battling God, we are battling our sin, and satan's desire to keep us from God.

So take comfort, sweet ladies, rest in Him. Be steadfast in Him, firm in your faith. Believe He is doing His perfect will, and obey Him.

just a little dress-up to brighten your day

Polly the Hunter

2011-09-29T08:00:00.008-05:00

this post is dedicated to Mercy, who really enjoys talking about pets...love you Mercy...

Polly, watching Baby Einstein with Landis.
We pride ourselves on having smart pets....

The other night, after staying up rather late not wanting to go to bed without my husband (who was out of town), I finally retired for the night (does anyone ever actually say that anymore?) and went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. Casually, I opened the cabinet door, only to discover I wasn't the only one retiring for the night. Lo and behold (I actually do talk that way), there was a huge, ugly cockroach apparently already brushing his teeth with my toothbrush!

In any normal circumstance I would have jumped up and down and screamed for Luke, who would have come to my rescue and killed that nasty thing. But, if you will remember, he wasn't there. Hence, I shakily tried to smoosh that thing with one of the hairspray bottles, only it slithered out all creepy like. So I slammed the door, screeched, jumped up and down, and grabbed my purring, innocent, fluffy kitten. She's an amazing little bug hunter, I tell you, so this was a job for her.

Stealthily, I opened the cabinet door, and threw in the kitty. Yep, some might think that was mean. But what's the good of having a kitten if you can't use her in time of need? At first, she fell out. But not without a glimpse of that sucker, and seriously, she jumped straight up and back in (like 3 1/2 feet up), and promptly returned with the fatso hanging out of her mouth. Holding her head up high, she jumped down and pranced out. Seriously. She did.

And I shut the door and washed my hands. Oh, and I threw my toothbrush away and got a new one.

Moral of the story: Obviously....always have a back-up toothbrush. And maybe spray your house for bugs, especially during a drought.

My cup

2011-09-25T14:36:00.000-05:00

here's a little blog post just to annoy the Newton boys who can't understand

why we Newton girls always blog about coffee cups...

Early this week, as I was loading the dishwasher, one of my favorite little coffee cups slipped through the gap and plummeted to its death, the handle breaking off into 2 pieces (or so I thought). Instantly, my thoughts were ushered back to the summer time when Naomi was in my kitchen, and her words came back to haunt me, "Gab, be careful about putting your little cups here in this spot in your dishwasher, because they might slip through and break." Lesson learned.

Sadly, I put the poor little cup on my counter and left it there, not knowing what to do next (how can I throw away the cute little cup Mercy got me at the Goodwill?).

Fast forward to a couple days later, and my dishwasher starts giving us trouble, refusing to drain. Luke did what he could, to no avail. Thus, Mr. Repairman was called, and after many minutes of tugging, hammering, tapping, and pulling, out came the water pump, and out of that came the third broken piece of the coffee cup. Mr Repairman called, "Here's your problem." I had to laugh as I handed him the cup so he could drop the little piece into it.

Naomi, you are a smart little housewife. I miss you.

Boys

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

In the almost-two years I've had a boy, there are definite clues that raising boys is a whole different ballgame than raising girls. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that there are other moms out there who are discovering the same thing. I don't know, I'm just thinking...

So here are a few wise, astute, perceptive observations I've made, just to illustrate my hypothesis:

Girls walk.....Boys gallop (or jump, or saunter, or go limp, or dart)
Girls eat with a fork...Boys hold the fork in one hand and smash the food in their mouth with the other...
Girls color...Boys make marks
Girls talk...Boys yell...
Girls splash-splash in the bath...Boys dump the water out of the bath
Girls wipe their faces...Boys smear them...
Girls wear sunglasses...Boys break the arms off sunglasses
Girls count the steps they walk down....Boys bypass that by leaping over them
Girls pucker up and kiss...Boys slobber and drool kiss (some things never change)

But to counteract all of this, Boys...
...snuggle
...wrap their arms around your neck for the biggest squeeze ever
...are quick to say "sorry" (likely because they need this word more than anyone)
...say Thank You every time
...like to help in the kitchen (if it involves dry rice and spoons)
...bury their head in your shoulder and drink in a long smell (seriously, does it get any cuter than that?)

And a new motto I've claimed, although it is definitely not tried and true, and will not work every time...
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!"

He kept swiping the spray bottle we "train" the kitty with...finally I just set
him up at the sink and let him spray til his heart's content (which is never)...and
he proceeded to spray himself in the face for like 20 minutes...spray, spit, spray, spit...

A Follow Up

2011-09-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Before Cinderella even came into the picture, Amaleah and I had a sweet conversation. She told me that a friend of hers at school still believed in Santa, and that she had told this friend that each family's parents do things differently. She had been quite concerned about her friend, and "didn't want to hurt her," but at the same time, she "didn't want to lie." I so appreciated knowing how she handled this. She told me that she knew eventually her parents would tell her the truth, but she knew that was their job and not hers.

As our conversation continued and I encouraged her for being so sensitive and wise in her response to her friend, I reminded her why we never told them that Santa was real. We always want them to know that we tell them the truth, and we never want to confuse them or make them doubt us in other things. Several friends over the years have told us that when they found out Santa wasn't real, it actually made them doubt whether God was even real. How did they know that one was real but the other wasn't? Maybe their parents had been lying about everything, they wondered.

Granted, this is probably not the story with most children, and probably most children come through unscathed--they come to the age where they can sort through the real and the fairy tale, and they move on in life. But that's the path we've taken in this whole fairy tale thing.

Of course, after this deep and heartfelt conversation with Amaleah, now I'm faced with having to gently tell Julia that the Cinderella was a fraud, a fake. Better yet, I think my sweet party-throwing friend should be the one to do it.

True Confessions

2011-09-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

At our house, my little girls know that Santa Claus isn't real. They've always known this...in fact, when Amaleah was 3, we went to a grocery store, and there was Santa, waving and being all friendly, and she said, "Mommy, why is Noah here?" (you know, Noah and the ark?) They also know that I'm the tooth fairy, as much as I've tried to keep it a secret. I never really tell them, but they can see the smirk on my face and they know it's me. So we have all these issues straight. Or so I thought.

Until my sweet friend went and had a princess party for her little girl, complete with a real, live Cinderella and everything, who, may I add, stayed in character for almost 3 hours...seriously. Well, as the night went on, it dawned on me more and more that Julia really thought this Cinderella was real. My suspicions were confirmed when Amaleah came up to me and said, "Mom, Julia thinks she's really Cinderella!" She had told Amaleah, "At first I didn't think she was real, but now I know she's real!" And then, when Cinderella slipped off up the stairs after her final good-bye, worried Julia said, "Mom, how's she going home? Is she gonna crawl out the window?" And of course, this Cinderella must come to her birthday.

So now I don't know what to do about this sweet little cherub girl (she really looked that way tonight). I've never had this dilemma. I told Amaleah not to say anything, because I was quite enjoying this childish wonder. And now I understand in a small way why people keep that Santa secret going and going.

all I had was my phone camera, so the quality
is terrible...but I just had to capture this memory.

Family Heirlooms

2011-09-09T15:47:00.000-05:00

I pulled my handy-dandy mixer out this week, and was flooded with memories...I got a little sentimental over this little household gadget. When we lived in North Carolina, over 4 years ago, my caterer-neighbor had a crisis and came pounding on my door..."Gabrielle, I'm hosting a party in a couple of hours and my mixer broke! Can I please, please borrow yours?" So she did, and it saved the day as well as her fluffy mashed potatoes. I remember her telling me how wonderful it worked, and that she's always getting a new mixer every couple of years. It was funny to me, because it was totally a $30 mixer, since we couldn't bear to register for one of those expensive ones when we got married, for fear that all we'd get was a mixer and nothing else! (I still think it was that day of whipping that permanently placed the mixer on the high setting, but no worries...)

So here I am today, with my 12 year old hand-mixer--a faithful mashed potato whipper. I use nothing else! I can't bear those hand-held potato mashers, which all my brother-in-laws swear by. They must be whipped, and only with my little Hamilton Beach mixer. What will I ever do without it, when it goes to kitchen appliance heaven? Do they even make these things anymore?

The first picture Amaleah took, I had a very grumpy looking face (maybe that's how I always cook),
so I had her take another one so I could look more pleasant...

The New Normal

2011-08-27T09:46:00.000-05:00

We have a new normal around here, although it's still taking some getting used to.

Landis had to feel a part of this special day too.

I'm finding it so hard to believe I have two school age children now-a Kindergartner and a 3rd grader! This year, we decided to do something a little different--our children are attending a University Model school, which is a private Christian school that partners with homeschoolers--two days a week in school, three days a week at home.

I have found in my life that balance is essential; when I lean too heavily on one side, I get overwhelmed, legalistic, weary; and this applies to so many different things. And so for the education of my children, this model seems balanced to me. And while we still make education decisions one year at a time, for this year, I'm thrilled.

My children have been delighted with their new teachers, and so have I. The communication between the teachers and parents is wonderful--they have been so helpful and informative, adding so much to my knowledge about teaching. We are still making adjustments to our home study days as I work my way through new curriculum...and as if I needed some comic relief to this new choice, one child is already down with Strep throat, ha! Well, maybe we will get all our sickness out of the way at the beginning of the year...

Summertime Fun

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

As every summer of mine promises to be, this summer has been no exception--full of family, swimming, traveling, late nights, and a few little surprises here and there. (nope, I'm not pregnant, for those of you who only think of surprises as equalling "pregnancy"--I'm one of those people too.)

Just after we got settled into our new kitchen, a cute, dirty little white kitten showed up at our door, hungry and snuggly, begging for a home. This isn't the first time we've had cat-beggars at our door, and historically, we've always said NO. But this one was different somehow--probably because I had two little sympathetic girls begging to take in this poor little kitty, "We have to Mommy! Look at her!"

So one day, we were content with Peter--our old, lovable, orange cat that has been with us since marriage. And the next day we gain a frisky, snuggly, somewhat sick kitty. Who knew? But we decided, after bathing this sweet little thing and discovering that her grey spot on her head could never be scrubbed out (she was born with it, apparently), that it must be a sign...white and grey, the color of our new kitchen? This cat was meant to be ours...

Thus, we begin a new era in our lives--the world of two cats. Seriously, I never thought we'd do it...

Peter and Polly--Pretty much, Polly tries to pounce on Peter, anytime, anywhere, and Peter responds with
an annoyed meow, and begs to be let out. We're hoping that soon they'll be snuggling too.

Chatting with Children

2011-07-23T14:39:00.000-05:00

My sweet little 8 year old up and started folding clothes for me--not once, but twice this week, without even being asked. And she did a super amazing job, so neat and crisp. I'm still working on the 5 year old--of course, I think back to when Amaleah was 5, and she was definitely just learning the ropes, so all is well.

But in the meantime, we were chatting, and she said,

"Here Mommy, you fold Daddy's undies, I don't want to do that..." (with a little grimace).

To which I replied, "Well, someday you might have to fold your husband's undies, you know."

And she said, "Well Mommy, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!"

The Big Reveal

2011-07-09T14:25:00.000-05:00

I feel like I've been in a hole, and I'm climbing, little by little, back into the real world.

So, after....

59 cheeseburgers*
47 chic-fil-a sandwiches
103 taco cabana breakfast tacos
7 little ceasar's pizzas
oodles of boxes of mac n cheese
and just a tiny bit of whining
We have officially resumed life as a normal family, with a working sink (that just so happens to be in the kitchen), an actual oven, and more space than we dreamed possible.

Before:

After:

*these numbers may not necessarily portray exact calculations....:)

Wisdom, in all it's ugliness...

2011-06-07T16:32:00.001-05:00

No, of course wisdom, the wisdom from Above, is not ugly. In fact, it's quite lovely; it is "first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17) When was the last time you thought of wisdom like that?

The ugliness I'm referring to is all the drama I go through to get this lovely kind of wisdom. For me, at this very moment, my cup overfloweth...Let me explain. I can't seem to make a single decision right now without cringing and doubting and wavering. I have soooo many decisions to make, some of them big, and some of them small. Umm, hello, I'm a mom; so I'm sure maaaaany of you know can relate.

For example:
"Mommy what's for breakfast?" (uh, I don't know yet, oh know, it's starting!)
"What are we doing today, can we go swimming?"
"Are we having swim lessons this summer?"
"Are we staying at this gym or going to another one?"
"Can we please go play in the front?"
"Can I have some gum or candy?"
"May I play on the computer? or the phone? or watch a movie, or turn on a cd?"
"Can I play in the water area at the zoo?"
"Have you chosen the lights yet for the kitchen? or the knobs?"
"Do you want that shelf here or here? or not at all?"
"Did you chose a paint color?"
"Are we homeschooling next year?"

Okay, perhaps you get the idea. I can only handle so much! Just the other day at the pool, when the kids asked, "Can we get in now?" I furrowed my brow and said, "Ask your dad, I can't make another decision today!"

Maybe I should just say "yes" to everything my kids ask, or "no" for that matter, and simplify. Or maybe I should be better about scheduling our meals so they are predictable and all I have to do is look at the list (hey wait a minute, who am I kidding, our refrigerator is in the living room right now!) Or maybe I should not be so picky about the silly light fixtures!

Or maybe, just maybe, God has answers in His word to all, even all, of my tiniest worries. And that's why I'm thrilled to be studying James, hoping to learn wisdom in making even the littlest decision. I mean, why wouldn't I want to makes decisions that are "pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy."

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God,

who gives to all liberally and without reproach,

and it will be given to him." James 1:5

Landis has decisions too..."hmmm, should I go
through this door, or not?"

Wisdom and the sink...

2011-06-02T13:50:00.000-05:00

As Mercy and I primped in front of the bathroom mirror this morning, she chuckled, looked down at the countertop and commented, "I was just thinking about all the things that are on the sink right now." I couldn't help but laugh, and then I ran and got the camera. Honestly, it's my new normal so I almost didn't even notice it (and for Mercy to notice it, that's big--love you Mercy.) It really is quite comical--here's a left to right description: an iron with it's long, swirly cord; a towel; cosmetic bag; sunglasses; silly bands; dirty dishes; a cup with paint brushes; jewelry; a curling iron; clean dishes draining; sunscreen; toothbrushes; fingernail polish remover; a scrubber; and a few other things....real life, people. (I did clean it up this afternoon, mind you.)

So we had a good laugh, and internally I delighted in having Mercy home for the summer. We decided (after she suggested) to read through the book of James together--individually in our quiet times, and then we'll discuss what we're learning as we go. So, I've been trying to give it an overview this week, trying not to stop to study the details yet (although I have a few times, I can't help it). What amazes me so much is how God led me to this book--because without knowing it at the moment I landed in James, I am in desperate need of wisdom right now (which is precisely the theme of James).

So here's to Mercy, to wisdom, to the summer, and to a new kitchen...

8 Years and 1 month

2011-05-22T16:22:00.000-05:00

Her birthday may have been one month ago, but it's still on my mind--I'm so baffled that I actually have an 8 year old! And not just any 8 year old, an Amaleah.

Amaleah~industrious, hard working, likes to work with her hands--that's what her name means, and I'm pretty sure we hit the nail on the head when we named this little worker bee.

Some observations I've made about this little 8 year old girl:
~pretend play is all but gone (with a few lapses into the past when begged by her younger sister)
~her perky little ears can hear everything...
~often she'd rather be in with the adults than playing with the little ones; she enjoys listening to our conversations (and piping in every now and then too)
~she wants to be an integral part of the kitchen...and is demanding more and more adult responsibility, like chopping and dicing and stirring really hot things (I'm starting to realize that a tiny little cut here, or a small burn there, with supervision, are part of life lessons, and I can't protect her from dangers forever)
~enjoying more alone time, but appreciates special time with mom (or grammas)
~steps up to the plate when asked to "be in charge," and quite likes it (much the the chagrin of the younger sister)
~loves to read...would read all day if I let her
~no interest in cartoons at all...there's always something better to do
~loves to play the piano
~always has something on her mind she wants to talk about...often it's something creative and inventive
~has a sense of humor and can usually take a joke, and dish it out as well!

not too old for Easter eggs, even if she did have to wait
5 minutes for the younger ones to go first.

I'm so thankful for my little Amaleah. My prayer for Amaleah is that her natural gifts and desires to be industrious and productive would be used to bless and minister to others. I pray that her love for the Lord Jesus would become more and more real, and that she would listen to His Spirit as He ministers to her heart. I pray that she would desire to read her Bible more and more, and that she would understand what she reads.

The "After" Pictures

2011-05-19T14:18:00.000-05:00

So this is my closet after I pulled everything out, rearranged, and reorganized. I still hope to add a few decorative touches along the way...I told Luke if he's ever looking for me during one of these hectic days, he should look in here. It might become my inner sanctum for the next couple of weeks...

Pretty amazing, if I do say so myself (the difference between the old closet and this, I mean). What surprised me the most is how much leftover space I had, and how many empty baskets I came up with that I still have yet to use! It's amazing what happens to space when you put things where they go.

Total cost: $14.00 ($10.00 for the hanging organizer from Walmart; $3.99 for a wire basket from Goodwill)

Stir Crazy Momma

2011-05-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

The cozy camp-out, Ma Ingalls feeling has just about warn off, here at kitchen remodel central. And more than likely when you see me two months from now, I'll be a bit pudgier--yesterday, we had fast food twice, count it, twice, in one day! And realistically, that's probably not the last time it will happen. I've been cooking, don't get me wrong, but now I have to dig to the depths of my cooking experience. And it's not that fun anymore, I'll tell you that. (once again, I whine not; I know I'm getting a brand new kitchen--a blessing indeed!)

So, instead of cooking fancy campfire meals, I've gone a little crazy with cleaning out closets and reorganizing! I'm not kidding. No one warned me about the boredom that would come without all these rooms. So, with too much time on pinterest, searching the web for decorating ideas for this new kitchen, I've gotten the "re-do everything" bug. This week, it started with my closet/sewing storage area.

And there's more to come, believe me. With a few bumps in the road with the kitchen project (like plumbing issues that have to be taken care of, waiting for certain experts to come to take care of their jobs, etc), the rest of my house better be lookin' good by the time this kitchen is finished.

the right side of my bedroom closet. before.

the left side of closet. before.

the mess my husband came home to for two days straight

For your waiting enjoyment, I'll save the "after" for next time...just to create a little suspense in your life.

Life in the Living Room

2011-05-07T21:21:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling a bit like Ma Ingalls these days, living in a one room house...(in case you haven't heard, my kitchen is gutted and under construction)...of course, I still have the luxury of sending my children to their own room for bed, but other than that? We live in the living room. It's sort of a weird feeling-I can't really complain or whine about it, because, hello...we're building a brand spanking new kitchen! That's a luxury, and I'm well aware of that. So, here I sit in my wee little corner, which I've dubbed off limits to pretty much everyone else in this household, by yelling, "That's my corner...get out of there!" (sweetly, and tenderly, of course.)

Progress is good, though; and mostly it's fun...grabbing the laundry basket, heading out the back door, walking around my garden, to the other back door to do the laundry. And back again with the wet clothes (I'm kind of particular about which clothes are put into the dryer) to hang in the bathroom (where we also do the dishes). Pulling out the leaf of the table to cook (and then back again so we can walk)--we've had tacos and spanish rice, cream of potato/carrot soup, ravioli with sauteed zucchini...right now I'm kind of intrigued by making this whole thing work and not always picking up chic-fil-a...sort of a challenge for me.

What's most in danger of driving this momma crazy is the noise...the make-shift kitchen's not so bad...but the noise! Three loud children, bouncing balls, doing hand stands, chasing each other through the living room and down the hall and back again; combined with the noise of ESPN...my high aspirations of reading to my dear children tonight a lost cause--just didn't have it in me.

the "kitchen," or what's left of it...

cooking in my make-shift kitchen, the living room

the girls washing and drying dishes in the bathroom

...and lots of wasted time on etsy, to be sure...:)

It's an Off Day

2011-04-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

Everything about today has seemed off. My alarm didn't go off--at least I don't think it did, but I'm suspicious that I turned it off in a groggy state of unconsciousness. Hence, no Bible reading, early morning sipping of coffee, feeling of preparedness for the pitter patter of feet as they hit the floor running. No, it was me fixing breakfast in my PJ's, or rather, telling Julia how much cereal to pour (cooking breakfast is her new excitement in life). It was me trailing behind Landis and collecting his spilled cheerios, chasing him down with his shoes before he ran outside, confiscating the bug spray that he was sucking on behind my back, and packing up the rest of my utensils into a big box. So today, may I say it again, is an off day.

I'm sure many things have contributed to this, one of the main things being that our kitchen is going "under destruction," tomorrow, as Amaleah likes to call it. So my pantry is in my living room, and don't ask me where everything else is (I'm not sure myself). Of course, I could have gone to bed earlier last night, and therefore may have been alert enough to hear my alarm this morning.

But if I'm true to the truth, mostly I think it was the lack of being in God's Word. Seriously, I have felt myself falling back on my own strength for things today, things like parenting with a gentle and kind spirit. I felt myself literally having to pull those somewhat kind and slightly gently words out of the depths of my soul when I was speaking to one of my children about something this morning. And it dawned on me how much I have grown to depend on the Lord for the details of my life, and how when I abandon His Word I truly can feel it (although, truth be known, He definitely has not abandoned me, whatsoever).

A little devotional for you, from a verse that was mentioned to me by my dear sister in law...

"...walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with

joy; giving thanks to the Father..."

(Colossians 1: 10-12a)

So...what this means for you and me, simplified:

1) grow in Him (read the Word--don't give up on it)

2) KNOW that you as a believer in Christ are filled with His glorious power (the Holy Spirit!)...awesome.

3) that power is strong enough to give you patience (to face the circumstances) and longsuffering (with people) and joy (through it all).

4) Be thankful....period.

Summer Sandwiches

2011-04-22T10:54:00.000-05:00

My new favorite sandwich is this chicken, tomato, basil, olive, and goat cheese sandwich I found in a Williams-Sonoma cookbook. I mean really, can there be a better combination of ingredients? A big mouthful, to be sure. And one I keep on craving. So here's to you and your late-spring, early summer cooking...keeping the kitchen somewhat cool and your tummies full. Not to mention the amazing conversations you'll have in the meantime, at the table with good food.

Chicken and Olive Sandwiches

1 slightly soft French baguette (not the hard crispy kind)
2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (roll in olive oil and S & P; roast on a baking sheet in 425 oven for 20-25 minutes; wrap in foil after removed from oven to keep moist); slice crosswise in slim slices
3 T. olive oil, for brushing bread
1 smashed garlic clove, for rubbing on bread
4 oz. goat cheese
1/4 cup kalamata olive tapenade (or just chopped pitted kalamata olives)
3 ripe Roma tomatoes (or your favorite), sliced
leaves from 1 small bunch fresh basil
freshly ground pepper

Cut bread on the diagonal in 4 parts, and slice each horizontally. Spread with oil and rub garlic all over. Broil in oven for 2-3 minutes, just until slightly crisp, not browned. Remove from oven. Spread goat cheese on top and bottom of each sandwich, then layer the rest of ingredients on the bottom half of each sandwich as follows: olives, chicken slices, tomatoes, basil leaves, pepper. Repeat. Eat. Repeat. Eat.

*Obviously, this recipe is easy to change to your taste, as I've done. But it's a wonderful palette to start with.

Gospel Conversations

2011-04-11T15:29:00.000-05:00

I'm feeling challenged lately to mold the conversations I have with others into Gospel-centered conversations. Admittedly, I don't think I'm very good at this gospel conversation thing...yet. But God is faithful, and I know He's pushing me to greater things.

Along with the conversations I have with women about our day to day life, which is important and necessary, I'm realizing it needs to be seasoned purposefully with reflections on God. I can certainly go a whole day with the church without ever having asked anyone what God is teaching them lately. Does this ever happen to you?

Some questions I've come up with to help me (and hopefully you) get a start on the idea of digging deeper into each other's lives are:
1)What has God been teaching you this week?
2)What ways can I specifically pray for you?
3)What are you reading these days? (from the Bible, or other books)
4)How has the Gospel been impacting you lately?

just to name a few...and really, so far that's all I've got. We can help each other out in this area, right? Give each other good ideas for conversations, and then dive in and use them. So here I am, posting these ideas...now I've got to use them.

But as I've been thinking through this, I realized that if I'm going to ask a personal question of others, I need to be ready to answer the same question!

Gospel conversations with Naomi...a blessing

Rebuttal

2011-03-30T23:27:00.000-05:00

A few days after I posted the Get Real (part 2) post, I came home to a rebuttal. Literally. I was out at Bible study, and when I got home, the supposed-to-be-asleep children came running down to greet me, and to escort me through the freshly cleaned house.

~ the floor had been mopped

~ the playroom had been cleaned

~ the toddler bed was gone (i.e. put away in the attic)

and most importantly, this...

May I remind you that previously, the patio looked like this...

Apparently having your husband read your blog isn't a bad idea, although I promised him I really wasn't trying to make anyone feel guilty...it was just reality. Of course, he did it all in love and good spirit, and so did the children. So this is my reality--a really awesome family.

A funny for you Monday...

2011-03-21T15:06:00.000-05:00

So without fail, it seems like Mondays hit me in the face and before I know it, I haven't gotten around to meal planning yet. Seriously, I'll go through the morning, and then the thought will hit me, "Oh yeah, I have to cook dinner. Great. What are we going to have tonight?" And of course, we don't get home til 5:30 so it has to be something quick and easy, or already prepared. Ugh, why don't I plan better?

Today, I went to the freezer thinking, "I'll pull out some meat and go from there."

But then I found a large freezer bag full of something. Hmm, this looks like it could be a meal. We'll try this.

I put it in the sink to thaw, and seriously, still had no idea what it was (although I was thinking perhaps it was roast and potatoes and carrots).

Then Luke came home for lunch. "What's that?" he said.

I chuckled, "Umm, not really sure. But it's for dinner."

He laughed too, "Oh, freezer surprise!"

*Since then, after pushing my finger around on it, I noticed some beans. Oh yeah, carnitas and pintos. We'll have tacos!
**moral of the story: label your freezer bags

Get Real, Part 2

2011-03-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

So yesterday, I ranted and raved about women, me included, attempting to challenge us to be more real with each other and to stop putting on airs. Now that you're feeling guilty about this, lighten up and look at my house this week. You'll feel much better, believe me.

yes, there's a griddle, a book of wallpaper samples,
and a roll of paper on the ironing board. usually there's
a cat there and I have to dust off all his hair before I iron.

the shoe basket on many occasion is filled up to
the top of the table, seriously. it is an actual chore:
empty shoe basket. obviously not this week.

so my washer started spilling forth water yesterday,
all over the laundry room floor. nice.

the playroom. yes, there's a jogging stroller in there.
no, i don't jog. no pretentions there.

yes, there's a bed in there. what, you don't have a bed in your playroom?
so we're behind on putting things in our attic, what's it to ya...

there's always something on the stairs to take up. i'm the one that started that
bad habit--not taking things up right away, but letting them stack up
and taking them all at once. now all my kids do it. time saver, right?

the garage. enough said.
wait, not enough said--yes, there's old tomato plants from the fall hanging from
the ceiling; someone told me to do that to help them ripen. they've been ripening
there for five months. tomato salad anyone?

the backyard. so before you go getting all dreamy about my lovely gardening
posts, take a good look at what i walk out to. the wood used to be in a neat stack,
but i have kids. who can resist a good stack of wood? the grill never gets covered.
the cover lays nicely in a pile next to it. and yes that's a random chair. not even mine.
used to be on the street for trash until my sister in law rescued it from the
neighbor's yard. and it has a mate. lovely. i knew it'd be stuck in my backyard for
a long time. knew it.

yes, that's a stroller i haven't put back together again, after
it got sprayed by a stray cat, and we had to wash it.
now it's full of golf balls.
thanks to my father in law, sister in law, and my children. long story.

Alright, so do you need more? I can post more, really. But maybe you get the idea.

Now go and be real. Seriously.

okay, one more picture for those of you who were craving more...

yes, my babies are messy too. no, i haven't trained him to eat neatly with
a spoon. yes, he throws food, bowls, cups, and utensils.
we're working on it, okay?

Get Real, Part 1

2011-03-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

Recently, a dear friend posted a blog about her real life...no pretentiousness or keeping up with Better Homes and Gardens homes; just photos and descriptions of a normal day. And I loved it, and was challenged to do the same thing here on my blog. I've realized in recent months that sometimes as women, wives, and mommies what we're not good at is being real with each other.

It seems like we like to pretend that our home life is pretty perfect...that our houses always look like the way it did when you came for dinner last week, or that our children always pick up their toys, no problemo. We want those on the outside to think we have it all together, even though we don't and we know it.

Sometimes we even go so far as making new mommies feel like they're doing something wrong because they can't figure out how to shower, dress, clean their house, grind their own wheat, put food on the table, or go to church for that matter, by the time their newborn is 2 weeks old. And what's the point? To make ourselves seem to look better (even though it's a deception). We like to appear like Super Mom (who ever came up with that term I'll never know).

And to get more nit-picky about this issue, when was the last time you shared some real struggles you have as a mom or wife with a friend? Not gripy, complainy issues, but real issues. Issues of normal life that perhaps make you vulnerable, not so Martha Stewart-ish after all. Have you told a new mom lately about how messy your house was when you had your first baby? Hmmm..

Well, these are just some thoughts to get you chewing on, and tomorrow I'll post the pictures. Pictures baring it all, so to speak...

Cilantro Pesto

2011-03-12T20:15:00.000-06:00

Here's a recipe that I used this week to make use of my cilantro. It's one I had back in North Carolina that reminded me of South Texas.

Cilantro Pesto
1 cup fresh cilantro
1 cup fresh italian parsley
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves (or to taste, depending on your sensitivity to spice)
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine first five ingredients in food processor, and pulse to process, all along slowly drizzling in the olive oil.

Ideas for Use:
Toss with pasta
Spread on sandwiches, or baguettes

Use on Pesto Chicken Pizzas (recipe to follow)

A Note About Spring

2011-03-09T13:53:00.000-06:00

my cilantro garden

My garden has been calling to me now that the spring weather is upon us (at least here in south Texas!). Of course, I usually can't hear the persistent cry of the dry flower bed or the weed-stricken vegetable garden; I'm a reluctant gardener, and usually turn a deaf ear to such things.

And while I was reminded by Luke's mom that gardening doesn't make you more Godly (easy for her to say, she's good at both!), I do feel a sense of persuasion to do it for the children. It's such a neat experience to cultivate, plant, water, weed, and see the literal fruit of your labor! And it's such a hands-on learning experience, without having to come up with a "hands-on" experience, if you know what I mean.

So, we embarked on our spring garden this week. We turned over the dirt, scooped out cat poop (my nemesis, if my dear neighbor would just stop feeding the stray cats!), fertilized (as if it needed it), got grossed out at two bright green grub worms (note to self: grub worms are bad, check on what to do about them), water, and planned.

We have cilantro in abundance this year. I planted one little plant two years ago, and it kept coming back, so I added 3 more little plants in the fall and oh my goodness, do we have a fresh smelling garden! We're in cilantro heaven! It keeps reseeding itself and blooming in all sorts of odd places (my kind of gardening). But I don't mind, because around here we use cilantro all the time (cilantro recipes to come).

Simple gardening is best for me, so here's the simple plan:
~pick two vegetables to cultivate
~add one more herb, probably rosemary (can't believe I haven't planted that yet)
~work on adding perennials to new-ish kitchen window flower garden

Those who are with young...

2011-03-07T14:03:00.000-06:00

For all those mommies out there who might be...
~ nursing your family back to health after a week of sickness
~struggling with exhaustion
~at the brink of losing all your patience, or worse yet, losing your temper
~tripping over mounds of laundry
~tired of serving and eating bananas, rice, applesauce, toast, and potatoes
~missing out on quiet moments with the Lord

Isaiah 40:11,

"He will feed His flock like a shepherd;

He will gather the lambs with His arm,

and carry them in His bosom, and

gently lead those who are with young."

I'm sure you guessed that this was me last week, and when I did capture one quiet moment to open up the Word, seriously this is what the Lord showed me. And yes, while I'm not necessarily an advocate of this method of reading Scripture, I literally opened the Bible to this page and here it was. And I was comforted. And that is all I needed for that very moment.

Julia's sick mat

Husband's Delight

2011-02-24T14:54:00.000-06:00

I feel like I've posted this recipe before, but I can't seem to find it. And since I've had so many people tell me that their husband loves this recipe, I'll post it (for the first time, or again, who knows...) Enjoy!

Husband’s Delight

8 oz. wide egg noodles

1 lb. ground beef (browned and drained)

1 onion, chopped and sauteed in about ¼ cup butter

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cream cheese

1 Jar of regular spaghetti or marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese (or parmesan)

Cook the noodles and drain. After you saute’ the onion in butter, then add in saucepan first the cream cheese, and when it is melted, the sour cream, until all is melted (cooking on low and then removing from heat while finishing stirring).

In a 9 by 13 pan layer:

1. Noodles

2. Spread the cheese mixture on top

3. Meat

4. Spaghetti sauce

5. Mozzarella cheese (or parmesan)

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Gab’s Pantry Variation:

Substitute Penne Pasta (or whatever kind you have) for the egg noodles; green onions for the regular onion; 1 jar of Tomato-Alfredo Sauce (a creamy red sauce) for the spaghetti sauce. Just as yummy!

Shoes without straps

2011-02-21T14:37:00.000-06:00

My baby girl turned 5 last week. Five years is a big milestone, at least for this little Jewel of ours. For weeks she's been telling us exactly what she wants for her birthday, "Shoes without straps!!!" For her, this ushers in a whole new "grown up" world; a world in which she's traipsing along behind a big sister, who gets all of these things first, you know.

So, I've been under some pressure to find the perfect shoes. I mean, when my little dreamer has her heart set on "shoes without straps," what if I chose the wrong ones? But she assured me, it didn't matter what color, as long as they "didn't have straps." Okay then. Oh, and she also reminded me to "check the Gap at the mall and the Gap at the Quarry." (yeh, this girl gets around.)

I bought two pairs just in case (which was a feat in itself, since it's suuuuper hard to find strapless shoes size 11), and sure enough, one of them must be returned. But the new ones are already scuffed...off with the old, on with the new.

the silver shoes literally have holes in the front...

When I think of my little Julia, and the delights her little personality brings to this family, I think of warmth, comfort, things that stay the same. She wears her favorite shoes until they have holes in them; she wears her favorite shirts until they are past donating; and she still loves to snuggle and read her favorite books. She's getting older, but her little world still revolves around make believe and dress-up, cooking with play-dough and watching Dora. She's still a little girl, and I'm going to enjoy every bit of this 5th year--it flies by so fast and before you know it she won't be pretending anymore.

She's growing out of her favorite old shoes, but making memories in new ones. I think there's going to be a big box in the attic labeled "Julia" for all the things I just can't let go of...and I'm sure some day as I sift through it, the memories of these dreamy little days will flood my heart.

I love my jolly Julia.

Choices We Make

2011-02-14T14:44:00.000-06:00

Last week at my ladies Bible study group, I asked for prayer that I would be more faithful in choosing to have one on one time with my children. And since then, I have found that idea to be more and more on my mind (could it be that someone out there is praying for me?). I've been pondering how to do this and when, especially in light of the fact that I savor moments of quiet and rest, where my children are playing happily (sometimes) in their room and I am sipping coffee, blogging (smile).

Yesterday, after a morning with the church, I was ready for an afternoon of rest. The weather was springy and breezy, we had the windows open, and it just seemed perfect for a nap. But then I was faced with a choice...

"Mommy, can I have some time with you this afternoon during rest time. I really have to finish this project and I need your help. It must be done soon, because Julia's birthday is on Thursday."

Deep breath...Of course, yes. Let's do it. So, Amaleah brought her sewing basket and materials down to my bedroom, we pulled out the baskets of trim, and we began to work, first sprawled out on my comfy bed, but then transferring to the sewing machine. And it was sweet--oh so sweet. And so restful! Seriously, I felt restful through the whole thing, and I wasn't anxious to be done and get out of there.

And along with the project, our hearts were bonded in a new way. My little daughter is growing up, and some of our conversation was just that, grown up. And I am thankful I had been preparing my heart and my mind for it, because sometimes you just can't plan for these times, they just happen.

And when our project was finished, we reluctantly went on our way to the next thing, having had such a nice time with each other.

If I could write a cookbook...

2011-02-07T14:56:00.000-06:00

this is the one I'd write...

I first happened upon this cookbook, Apples for Jam, by Tessa Kiros, when I was browsing at a rather earthy store. And every time we went back, Luke would look at the shoes and the outdoor gear, while I would wander over and find myself flipping through the pages of the same old book, mesmerized. So finally, a couple of years ago now, I bought it.

Today as I sat planning my menu, I flipped through the pages once again, cover to cover, sipping my iced coffee, with that same inspired and warm feeling. She's a mom of two and lives in Europe. Her cookbook is filled with pictures of life, her children, her childhood, her home, and of course of the delicious dishes she prepares. Food for her resonates memories and evokes nostalgia of days gone by. She tells simple little stories throughout, which makes me feel like I'm reading a book. And I never get tired of it.

And today as I browsed, I noticed that every single recipe I have tried out of the book has a check-plus on top, which for me means, "This one's a keeper; make it again!"

So if you need a new cook book, I recommend this one; I really don't think you'll ever toss it.

God Walks With Us

2011-02-03T08:00:00.002-06:00

Lately, I've been going through a women's study of the book of Job. We are searching out the Scriptures and looking at Job and his friends--the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's been so good to see how this study is coinciding with life; how God teaches His truth in the midst of our own daily living, and how it often intersects with our Biblical study.

Recently, my local Christian community has been contemplating repentance and God's forgiveness. It seems to be a theme, at least in my neck of the woods (hmmm..a theme in the Bible too?) And in light of circumstances and trials that happen all around us, just like Job's, whether it be a child's serious illness, financial crisis, a natural disaster, or straight up and up sin that leaves devastating consequences, I've been pondering how it all relates in light of God's goodness and the hope we have in Him.

And He brought some light to my burdened thoughts this morning. God will never leave us or forsake us! And that stays the same, even after a believer sins. We confess, He forgives. And then what? Sometimes those sins come with very traumatic consequences, with very real and evident effects. But it amazes me that through that, while God allows the consequences, He walks through them with us. It's such a beautiful picture to me to realize that God, the one who we've ultimately sinned against, forgives us and walks with us in the mess. We cry out to Him, and He answers us.

It reminds me of a sweet sight I saw not long ago, when a parent and child, previously separated by sin, walked along together hand in hand. Oh what love the Father has for us! He walks hand in hand with us even after the mess we make.

So I am praising God today as I see His beauty and the promises He's made for us in His Word. I hope that brings comfort to you too, wherever you may be in your spiritual journey.

Hebrews 13:5b, "For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."
Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

What do you do...

2011-02-01T16:12:00.000-06:00

...when your darling little baby boy gets into the cactus plant...

1) Kick yourself for not digging it up and tossing it the day before like you had intended, when he came dangerously close to getting into it the first time.
2) Attempt to pull out the thorns with tweezers...while distracting him with Hershey's kisses...

when that doesn't work...
3) Get packing tape (at husband's suggestion) and apply it to area, and rip off...

when that doesn't work...
4) Google it...
5) Strip baby naked, apply Elmer's glue all over hand...attempt to keep him still while it's drying...
when he won't stay still...
6) Give him chocolate...
when he spits it out...
7) Give him mint chocolate chip ice cream by the spoonful...

And voila!!! Happy baby....
8) Then, peel off dried Elmer's glue and release baby...
9) And go dig up evil cactus...

Fairy Tales have their place

2011-01-28T08:00:00.001-06:00

Alright, so I don't do this much, mostly because I figure I'm the last one to know about these great books we read, and I'm usually not the one who discovered them, so I feel I oughtn't "claim" them. But I thought I'd share two new books I just recently discovered, that my sweet little girls and I have been enjoying...(and, may I add, Darcie my mother-in-law suggested this...she's the book guru around here, but amazingly enough she hadn't even heard of these books!)

Both books are by Elizabeth Orton Jones. The first book, Big Susan, is about a little girl's doll house whose inhabitants come alive just once a year, on Christmas Eve. The story is so sweet and the illustrations are just delightful! This book is appropriate for children that are still thriving on picture books, although Amaleah loved listening to the story as well. Twig is a chapter book, with wonderful illustrations once or twice a chapter, about a little girl who imagines herself being turned into a person little enough to live inside an empty tomato can. Another delightful little story which involves an elf, a queen fairy and a master magician (although it is very clear in the end that it's not "real" magic, just imagination). Nothing dark or witch-crafty, of course.

These books are available on amazon.com, and are highly recommended by my girls and I for some snuggly, winter reading. There's room for imaginative, un"real" stories in our life, right? (Julia for sure doesn't need a book to tell her that!)

Nostalgia

2011-01-27T14:31:00.000-06:00

Sometimes I think back to life as a kid and almost long for that carefree world again. I look at my own children and envy the freedom they have; the freedom they don't even appreciate; the freedom from bills, paperwork, laundry, meal planning, driving to and fro, and on and on. They look to me and Luke--we take care of all that stuff. It's not even on their radar. That's life for a child.

And even more than that, they have direct access to their parents (hopefully). When I was young, anytime I needed my mom, she was there. I'd either crawl into her bed at night for a long chat, or hang out with her in the kitchen and talk. She always had a listening ear, good questions and plenty of wise counsel. But it was easy, and I know I took it for granted.

Then you grow up, life gets busy, the responsibilities pile up, and all of a sudden that access is gone. Not truly gone--my mom and I text and call each other all the time. But now we have to make the extra effort to have time for those good chats; those times when we can share our hearts and encourage each other; those times that used to happen whenever we wanted, but now have to be planned. Babysitters have to be secured, calendars have to be cleared. That's life for a grown-up.

But when we do make the effort, it's well worth it. Last weekend we set aside a Saturday and spent close to 5 hours together! We shopped leisurely, finished conversations (you know, when you have kids, often conversations get started and never finished!), took our time over lunch at our favorite spot, and savored every moment. Good shopping, good food, and good fellowship. And the first two just wouldn't be good without the latter, you know what I mean?

It was refreshing, rejuvenating. I love my mom! I shared some struggles, and she responded with encouragement. Always ready to support, even if I want to change some detail in my life drastically. "Mom, will you be disappointed?" "Gabby, never. I will always support your decisions! I'm so proud of you!" She's so good at encouraging me and pointing me to God, and I realize what a blessing that is.

Thinking of life as a child is nostalgic. But I'm thankful that my mom is here, and that she's still just as much involved in my life as she ever was.

Sunday Night, 6:40 pm

2011-01-23T21:06:00.000-06:00

I asked Amaleah tonight how it feels to have a daddy who makes homemade pasta. She said, "I don't know, how does it feel to have a husband that makes homemade pasta?" Well, pretty cool, of course! I'd dare say most wives don't go upstairs to change a diaper, and come back down to hear the pasta maker running and see their husband making homemade penne' pasta.

Of course, he's been goin' at this for quite some time. It all started when we lived in North Carolina; he got me a hand crank pasta maker for my birthday...I did it once and decided hands down it was not for me...But it stirred up some sort of passion in Luke, and what once was a now & then thing has almost become a weekly event, and tonight it took 40 minutes from start to finish, dinner served! (no more hand crank pasta maker mind you--we've moved on to the Kitchen Aid pasta maker attachments.)

We agree though that it wouldn't be that fast if we didn't function as a team: he's the pasta maker, and I'm the sauce maker. Tonight's throw together sauce was a lemon parmesan cream sauce. And I'm thankful Luke has grabbed onto this hobby, because it has turned into a very fun family affair.

24/7 Life

2011-01-22T09:28:00.000-06:00

12:00pm/Friday: Landis plays

Laundry Day

2011-01-21T16:13:00.000-06:00

*I'm trying something new on my blog, so bear with me! I want to start posting pictures of daily living, and I'm in the throws of trying to figure it all out, and how I want it to look. Some people are doing it on flickr these days, but I sort of want in on my blog. I'm even doing some html editing, can you believe it?
Anyway, so my blog keeps undergoing changes as I do crazy things and mess things up!

New Shoes

2011-01-20T13:22:00.001-06:00

Yesterday, while the girls were in gymnastics, Landis and I milled around the Goodwill. I was super excited to find a brand new Calphalon pot for a good price. But mostly, I was excited about these shoes...

I love them, and Landis loves them! And they are totally made out of man-made materials, so when he walks they make this suuuper cute squee-eak, squee-eak sound.... I can't wait for Easter!

Luke, on the other hand, had to be more persuaded about these...I'm sure Landis's uncle Miah will need some persuasion too. But I'm sorry, what reasonable mother could resist? So I'm curious, what do other mother's out there think?

Chores in a Box

2011-01-19T13:51:00.000-06:00

The notes I got when I came home last night,
after they cleaned the whole house!

This year, I pretty much just blasted past the new year's resolutions list. Instead, I decided to focus on purposing to make my life and my attitude more pleasing to Christ, in everything. However, there are a few practical things I've been attempting to do differently this year, and in case anyone is interested in the least bit, I thought I'd share.

This last year I hired a house cleaner--we decided it would come out of our homeschooling budget. It was nice in that it freed me up mentally to focus on homeschooling. And while I liked having the entire house cleaned in one day, recently I made the decision to drop that and clean my own house (earth shattering!!!) For one thing, we are about to start some major remodeling on our house, so saving up for that might be wise. For another thing, I felt like my children need to be more involved in housekeeping and to stop asking when the "maid" was coming!!!

So, what have I been doing differently?
1) Living with a dirtier house
2) Assigning one chore per day, per child
3) Being soooo thankful when my amazing husband and children decide to clean the house while I'm out for a girls' night (seriously, this happened just last night, and it's not the first time!)

How does it work?
~I simply wrote out on index cards all the chores I could think of, separately, and put them in an order that made sense. Now my children each pick one a day and sign their name on the back so the next time the other child will do that chore. These box chores are in addition to the normal tasks they do daily, such as making the bed, clearing the table, emptying the dishwasher, or cleaning up toys. The box chores include things like dusting, wiping cabinets, cleaning toilets, wiping baseboards, etc. I threw in some cards for me too, so that I have a chore to do each day as well.

What do my children think?
~They jump to it. It's manageable. One chore seems like nothing to them, but little do they know they are actually doing more than they've ever done before.

Do they get allowances?
~Yes, when we think about it. They haven't gotten allowances in like 6 months though!

How's their attitude?
~Yesterday they decided to fight alot as they were doing their normal chore, so I made them chose an extra card. Nice, now my house is dusted too. :)

Anyway, my house is never "clean" all at the same time, but it's nice to know that something is clean every day. And I think it keeps us productive and not lazy. I'm sure many of you are way more creative than I am, but I've tried chore charts and all that and I never can keep up with them. Simple is better for me.

An Outing

2011-01-15T18:11:00.000-06:00

It was raining outside, but we played with umbrellas inside!

The other day, my family of 5 (plus one gramma) went out to lunch at a little casual restaurant nearby. The atmosphere there is very low key, no servers, seat yourself. Overall, I thought it was a good outing. No one threw any fits, except for an occasional yell from Landis (normal for a 1 year old, right?), the children stayed in their seats for the most part, and it was fun. Near the end, of course I had to clean Landis like crazy (he's in a very messy eating stage), and my bigger children (inspired by their gramma :) started singing a song (which I quieted immediately), and then we made our way out.

But as we left, we passed a little old couple, and after the man glared at me, he said to his wife, although I heard every word, "Good riddance." Oh my goodness! Really? I have to admit, I glared back, and then we left.

But it stuck in my head. Is that what people think of my family? Are they really glad when we leave? I know we aren't the quietest bunch, and I am trying to work on manners, but I honestly thought that particular outing was on the good side of the spectrum...Should I be annoyed at the old couple, or at my children? Or at myself?

But really, I just have to speak truth to my heart in all this and ask myself some questions. "Why does it bother you so much what other people think? Are you training your children for the approval of man?" It's not our goal to please man, but to please God. "Did your afternoon with the family please God? Are you training your children for God's glory?" And then think on things that are true.

And so, while I must admit, I am affected by what other people say about my family, in the end, it's what pleases God that matters.

Challenges

2011-01-10T14:24:00.000-06:00

Aunt Mercy was in town...thus, a fashion photo shoot.

They had a blast posing or "not posing" for Mercy

This morning, with my Bible, coffee, and favorite blanket in hand, I snuggled down in my usual 6 am spot. These times with the Lord have been so refreshing; I look forward to them and treasure them dearly. And as usual, it was good and rich. I'm participating in a study of Job this year, and have definitely been challenged to look at my "suffering" through the eyes of Jesus; to be reminded of His suffering, and of his righteous response to it. And it's been so valuable to study passages of Scripture that bring God's truth into perspective in regards to our trials.

But I'm realizing that His challenge, nay "trial" for me right now is with one child in particular. She has always been a challenge, in the midst of her darlingness. But lately in particular it has been quite difficult. Thus, once again, the morning had barely begun when I was facing a moment with her, and I sent her to wait in our designated discussion room.

First, I retreated to the bathroom for a brief moment of tears and crying out to God. And He flashed before my eyes the very passages I had read this morning (from Mark 14:25-15:39), about Jesus' sufferings and those that betrayed Him (like Peter), and how even though He loved them, they abandoned Him. He reminded me that I am one of those people, and He still loves me and showers me with grace. He encouraged me to be to my daughter what Christ is to me.

So I wiped my tears, and faced the challenge before me. And as usual, I shared the Gospel with her, with variations from my reading today about Peter. And though my words may not have been received with a humble heart, I know God was with me, strengthening me in my weakness, encouraging me to persevere.

Mercy took this one, and I adore it!

New Year, Clean Slate?

2011-01-08T10:50:00.000-06:00

It's the end of the first week of the New Year, and I'm realizing I had high hopes for this week. Hopes I hadn't even spoken aloud. They just came along with the feeling that a new year brings a fresh start, a clean slate. But nothing seemed to be different this week. And for the most part, that is good news. My children are healthy, our home is warm, we are blessed.

But in my heart there was turmoil. Monday rolled along, and I was dealing with the same things: willful, disobedient attitudes in my children, imperfect homeschooling, and a messy house. I don't know what I was thinking, of course these things don't magically change! Maybe it's the information the world feeds us; you know, the idea that we can make our life perfect, control our surroundings, and we can start it on January 1st.

My heart was troubled, deeply. I had obviously put too much stock in what my circumstance bring to life, and had not been focusing on what the Lord brings to my life. He is my rock, He is my fortress. I can turn to Him in the midst of earthly challenges, and I can find rest. He makes everything new. Not my resolutions, not my children, not the books I read or the house that's always clean. It's Him. He is the "new" in my life. Everyday!

So I am challenged to face each day with the newness that Christ brings, and to take the life God chose for me and be diligent with it. To

"make it my aim, whether present or absent, to be pleasing to Him,"

2 Corinthians 5:9

and when trouble comes, which it will every day, remember what it says in Isaiah 40: 28-31,

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

One Last Thanksgiving Recipe, and a story, of course...

2010-11-22T20:25:00.000-06:00

(okay, so this picture has absolutely nothing to do with this post,

but isn't he cute? All I had time to take pictures of, apparently, were him!)

I know this recipe is late, but believe me, you're gonna want to try it, and probably soon. Like Wednesday. The good news is that this recipe stores in the refrigerator well, so you can make it ahead (you just might need to make an extra trip to the grocery store and battle the crowds, but it's worth it baby!)

To sum up as fast as I can (hey, I've got baking to do too!),

the story goes like this (in a run-on sentence):

Rachel, Luke's oldest sister, up and got married in October, three days after Luke and I flew back into San Antonio from Hawaii, a trip which was planned way before Rachel even fell in love with Brett (which I rudely reminded her several times); Luke ( as I mentioned previously) volunteered our services to cook for the Rehearsal Dinner, and since our family is stock full of planners (not really, we just leave that to Rachel and Brett) we had a "mock" dinner the month before, at which I served these Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Squares, which were loved and caressed and savored, so on the menu they went; along with Cranberry Pear Walnut Feta Salad (to go along with the run-on sentence), Luke's Amazingly Marinated Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Olive Oil and Lemon Grilled Asparagus, Cilantro Rice, and Sister Shubert's Rolls (which, by the way, if you haven't had these, check them out in the I hate to say freezer section at the grocery, they are amazing!!!) --deep breath--so on the plane ride back from our paradise vacation I completed the list I had been dreaming about for days, made a timed schedule for the final day, and geared up for the craziness of the next few days...that evening we shopped like crazy, the next day I cooked 6 batches of afore mentioned Cilantro Rice, and the next day we cut, snapped, salted, drizzled, checked off lists, packed the car, double checked, emergency run to Sam's, and headed to the Rehearsal, where my helpers (thanks Dian, Stephanie, Mercy, Lindsey, and all the brothers, and of course Mrs. Mollenkopf) helped in amazing fashion to pull off, if I do say so myself, an amazingly relaxed, tasty, dinner for 50.

Okay, I think I might go to bed right now I'm so exhausted just typing that....

So here's one of the dessert recipes which goes well with the season; Steph made this for the actual event, thankfully, and it was Rachel's favorite ( the others I might post later, which include Pecan Bars and Cranberry Oat Bars)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Crumble Squares (found on epicurious.com)

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
1 cup pecan halves (about 4 ounces)
3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Topping:

1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

preparation

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 9x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. Using on/off turns, blend first 4 ingredients in processor until coarse meal forms. Add pecans; using on/off turns, process until nuts are chopped. Add oats; process using on/off turns until mixture is moistened but not clumping. Press 3 1/2 cups crumbs onto bottom of prepared square pan (do not clean processor). Transfer remaining crumbs to lined baking sheet. Bake crumbs on sheet until golden, stirring once, about 12 minutes. Cool crumbs. Bake crust until golden, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven while preparing filling. Maintain oven temperature.

For filling:
Blend all ingredients in same processor until smooth. Spread filling over warm crust; bake until set, dry in center, and beginning to rise at edges, about 20 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

For topping:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Spread evenly over hot filling. Bake until topping sets and bubbles at edges, about 5 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Sprinkle crumbs over topping; gently press into topping. Cover; chill until cold, about 2 hours. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Cut into squares.

Coffee-Muffy, and a Recipe

2010-11-09T14:51:00.000-06:00

Lately, I've been having extra trouble trying to cram all my glasses and coffee cups into my one tiny cabinet. I keep thinking, "I need to eliminate. I must purge!" But then I look at all of my favorite little cups and I just can't seem to part; they each have such sweet little memories.

There's the one little thrift shop find that Mercy brought home for me last summer when she was living with us, and out of which I drank almost every day; the perfect size, slightly rounded lip, the perfect handle, and pretty to look at. But then there's the tiny little blue floral cup that Abi sent me all the way from London. How can I pass that one up? Oh, and then the vintage set of 2 white mugs with a green flower (now sadly down to one due to a crash) which I picked up at a Salvation Army. And of course, not to be outdone by all of these memories, Naomi bought me a green and blue pedestal type cup from the Goodwill this summer so I wouldn't forget her! And then there's the handmade pottery Luke found at a garage sale in North Carolina and gave me for a Mother's Day several years ago. And there's also the cute little green cup Amaleah caught me admiring and then secretly bought (with Daddy's help) for my Birthday.

It's just so fun to have special coffee cups for the ordinary daily cup of coffee, and especially for the impromptu coffee shared with a drop-in family or friend. My sister in law Kristen calls it "coffee-muffy," which we had this weekend when we were lounging around after a trip to the zoo. I started the coffee, defrosted some frozen pumpkin doughnut muffins, and we all meandered in for a cup shared around the kitchen table.

I used to swear I'd never drink coffee...but now I'm so glad I do!

Pumpkin Doughnut Muffins (from Everyday Food)

for the batter:

10 T. unsalted butter, room temp. (plus more for pan)

3 c. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. coarse salt

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/3 c. buttermilk*

1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree'

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 large eggs

*if you don't have buttermilk, just combine about the same amount of milk with 1 tsp. or so of vinegar.

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour 12 standard muffin cups. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and allspice. In a small bowl, whisk the buttermilk and pumpkin. With a mixer, beat butter and brown sugar til light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down bowl as needed. With mixer in low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture, and beat to combine. Spoon 1/3 cup batter into each muffin tin and bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine:

3/4 c. sugar

2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Prepare: 1/4 c. melted butter

Let muffins cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. With one at a time, brush each muffin with melted butter, then roll in cinnamon-sugar and let cool completely on wire rack.

These muffins were delish! And they froze well (to freeze, save the butter and cinnamon-sugar step til after defrosted).

Muffins and Mouros

2010-11-09T13:13:00.000-06:00

The Mouros, our dear friends from N.C. Luke and Cameron did their

residency together, and Laura and I were instant friends.

Amidst the flurry of weddings, traveling, and family living with us this summer, we had a few friendly visitors along the way. And when I say a few, there were two nights in particular that come to mind. On those nights we had 20 people sleeping here. Yep. That's not a typo. It's a memory!

So since Naomi and I love to cook together, why not throw 10 more people into the mix? We needed some spice in our life! My dear friend Laura from North Carolina, her husband, 7 lovely children, and a friend came to town in July and needed a place to stay. So I asked Naomi how she'd feel about a whole other family cramming in with us for 2 nights. It went like this, "If you're up for it, I'm up for it. Totally. Let's do it." And we did.

What a delight! Oh my goodness, it was fun (Tiring, yes, but who cares? Sleep is overrated anyway!). The guests arrived a tad early one night, so we threw together 2 dinners, thanks to Naomi and her pizza-making skills. Most of my family and Naomi's slept upstairs, and then we hung a sheet between the playroom and the living room, and stuck 6 kids in there on the floor, and then the parents on the couch in the living room. It really was quite cute peeking in on the children and seeing a row of little bodies all tucked in with every last one of our blankets and pillows. God is so good! It was like the loaves and the fishes. I mean, who has enough bedding to cover up 20 bodies? I don't, but I did. God just made it stretch; seriously.

So what do you feed 13 hungry children for breakfast (not to mention the grown-ups)? Muffins and fruit. Simple. And then make lots of coffee, and get in some really good conversations with the grown ups. It worked, and it was wonderful. I love how God has given me wonderful friends in every place that I've lived; the kind you keep up with no matter where you are (and Laura is now in Michigan!)

So, the next time you're faced with a whole house load of guests, just remember, the more the merrier. And really, it all works out great.

This is one of the muffin recipes we made ahead and served for breakfast...I can't wait to do it again...

Pumpkin Apple Muffins

(from Epicurious.com, with some changes)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour*

1 cup all purpose flour*

* can use all white flour, that's what I did.

1 T. pumpkin pie spice

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup canned solid pumpkin puree

1/2 cup veg. oil

2 eggs

1 cup apple (peeled, cored, and diced)

Topping

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 T. all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

1/4 cup chilled butter (1/2 stick)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease muffin pans to make 18 muffins. Sift first 4 ingredients. Stir sugar, pumpkin, oil and eggs in large bowl until well mixed. Mix in dry ingredients and apples. Place equal amounts of batter in muffin tins.

For topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nuts in small bowl. Cut in butter with fingers until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle topping over muffins. Bake until muffins are golden brown and tester inserted in middle comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool.

A Little Rice Mixed With Life (a wordy post)

2010-11-08T14:54:00.000-06:00

(the cousins, in normal form...)

It's hard to get back into blogging when you've abandoned it for so long. Part of me wants to call it quits and close up shop. The other part of me has a notebook full of ideas and no real sense of where to begin. It's like an empty journal just staring you in the face, making you nervous about writing in it because you don't want to spoil it. Alas, I feel I must write. My life has been too full of details over the last 5 months to let them slip through the cracks.

I discovered a new recipe this summer (well really, I first tasted it in Spain) when my sister-in-law and her husband and three darling children came to live with us. Her sweet, cuddly, funny, sometimes loud little family lived with us for 6 weeks this summer, and we had many an opportunity to bump into each other in the kitchen. They were good, friendly bumps, mind you...we love cooking together! And so it seems I was always peering over her shoulder, "How do you do that?" or "Don't do that step 'til I get there, I have to see you do it," and on and on. Naomi's an amazing cook, and I savor every moment of learning from her (of course the learning isn't just about cooking--the cooking is just the means, you know?)

So she has this amazing "Cilantro Rice" recipe, that I'm sure she put together out of her own culinary genius. So I watched and learned, and attempted some, but her's was always better. She served it with some amazing beef (I need that recipe, too!), and it pretty much accompanied any other lonely main dish that needed a side.

But then she left. Bummer. Now I have to do it all by myself. So I practiced, like every week. And added my own twists and turns, probably just because I couldn't exactly remember how she did it. And then it got better and better. And then somehow or other my husband volunteered his (my) services to make the Rehearsal Dinner for Rachel's wedding (which was in October and is a whole other story!). And of course, Cilantro Rice got put on the menu.

So all this to say, rice was sort of my life this summer! Mixed with family, lots of family, and some friends along the way. Now, it's totally possible that I've just blown this rice way out of proportion; I mean, it's just rice, right? Suffice it to say, I think it's the memories that came along with it that makes it close to my heart.

So after all this rambling, are you interested in the recipe? Just remember, if it doesn't turn out for you, you need at least 10 people staying at your home, and maybe a few extra visitors here and there to make it really work.

Cilantro Rice

2 cups Jasmine Rice (important)

3/4 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves (peeled, left whole, and removed before serving)

1/2 bunch cilantro (trimmed off the stalks)

juice of 1 lime

3 1/2 cups total of chicken broth combined with the lime juice

1 tsp salt (about, to taste)

olive oil

Process the cilantro with the broth/lime juice. Set aside. Drizzle olive oil into a saucepan, almost to cover bottom. Saute' onions and garlic in oil, til clear. Add rice, stir just a bit, and add broth/cilantro mixture and salt. Bring to a boil, stir, and cover and cook for 13 minutes. Test to make sure rice is done, and add a few minutes if necessary. When finished, turn off burner, and leave lid slightly open on pan to let out the steam. After about 5-10 minutes, fluff with a fork, remove garlic cloves, and serve.

Boy vs Paleta (Popsicle)

2010-10-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

Landis turned one 2 weeks ago, and this is how he celebrated.

At first he was hesitant, not sure if he liked the cold, icy feeling in his mouth.

But, as you can tell, that didn't last long, and it's safe to say that this little man

won the "boy vs. popsicle" battle. It may surprise you that this was my

idea and not Luke's. I'm usually the "that's too much work" kind of person.

But how could we wait until two days later to give him something sweet?

Even though it was my idea, my sweet husband whisked him away and

dropped him in the bathtub for a spray down.

He was just as messy with his birthday cake that weekend! I love my messy boy! And I can't believe he is one. Where does the time go?

2010-10-04T14:51:00.000-05:00

I remember the first time I ever caught anything with my Dad, and it was on a silvery lake in Pennsylvania, and it was a turtle, of all things! For Amaleah, her first catch was a speckled trout, and my Dad was there next to her to see her through too! This time it was salt-water fishing, which I don't think my Dad and I have ever experienced together before. Unfortunately, this particular weekend on the gulf coast of Texas, the hurricane rains persisted, and there wasn't a dry day at all to fish. So finally we had to just make the best of it and get a little wet for this memorable experience. I'm glad we did! It's so fun to see your children doing their firsts, and as they keep getting older, there are always new "firsts!" I cherish these moments as they come.

In other news, Landis is taking his "first" steps...thus, I'm not blogging much.

*Umm, somehow this got underlined and for the life of me I couldn't figure out how to un-underline it...the computer insisted this was underlineable material....

2010-08-10T15:04:00.000-05:00

After a whirlwind summer

of family visits, weddings,

and 3 straight weekends of

traveling, I'm finally getting

around to cleaning out

last years' book shelves

to make room for this coming

Fall school year (which is

creeping up ever so quickly!)

And as a homeschool mom,

sometimes you look back at

the previous year and wonder,

"What in the world did we

do last year?" And the doubt

of whether you did anything

worthy lingers over your head.

Well, I'm determined not to worry over last year anymore...

This is the stack of books I came up with this morning--we read

every single one of these suckers! (and there's a whole other

shelf-full!)

So for all you homeschool moms out there, when you need

encouragement over all the work you're doing at home with

your little ones, just clean out your book shelves and take heart!

Heads or Tails

2010-07-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

Today, the kids pulled out the very-well-used Candy Land game for another day of tournaments. Darcie was here, and I noticed how she flips a coin to get the game started. I've noticed her doing this with my kids in the past, and I always think, "Why don't I remember to do that?" It's practical, diplomatic, peaceable, and not to mention Biblical (you know, along the same lines as casting lots). But I wouldn't expect anything less from her. So here's to flipping a coin!!!

*Notice the blue tape around the edge of the coffee table?

Yeah, that's to protect the wood and finish from Landis's sharp little gnawing teeth...

Feeling the Pinch

2010-06-27T09:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, a missionary from Africa spoke to our church on Hebrews 11 and what it means to be a person of faith. God really used his message to convict me of sin and neglect in my life, in my home, my ministry, my love for others, my eternal perspective. It was a tearful day, but it is sweet to see how God's grace shines through and brings comfort in the midst of conviction. God used it to encourage me to take heart and accept the challenge He brings to my life as I seek to walk in light of His Word.

But reality settles in and I wonder, "How do I go from feeling very convicted, to making life changes, when I wake up the next day and everything seems the same?" I almost felt that day that everyone should be talking about it, that my world should be shaken, turned upside down and twisted into the proper shape. But that didn't happen, doesn't happen. You wake up and life is the same. So I puzzle over how to incorporate new convictions into every day life.

For me the phrase that keeps coming to mind is "feeling the pinch." How can I feel the pinch for the Lord? You know, serve Him until it hurts. Get out of my comfort zone; stretch myself; be okay with little sleep, late nights, uncomfortable visits with hurting people; allow my schedule to change even if it means dealing with a fussy baby; figure out how to get the estranged neighbor to feel loved and important, for new ways to share God's light with her; sacrifice material things to help others. To "be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves," (James 1:22). Really, to keep the eternal perspective at the forefront and remember that we are aliens on this earth and to stop feeling like this world is home, "waiting for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God," Hebrews 11:9.

Are you feeling the pinch?

53 Days

2010-06-24T10:43:00.001-05:00

It's been 53 days since I've posted a blog...I've tried, mind you, but I think I have "blogger's block." And it gets worse the longer I wait to blog! I've wondered why in the world my usually spilling-over-with-blog-ideas mind has come to a halt. It could be spiritual, because I truly have been pondering over deep issues as of late, like trying to figure out how I can live my life in light of God's Word in a more defined way...what does that look like in my family? with my neighbors? with people I run into from time to time at the pool?

Or it could be that I have a 9 month old boy. Is it too cliche' to say, "Boys will be boys?" Because they will, so I've discovered. He keeps me soooo scatter-brained with his constant games of lost and found (the found part being in his mouth) and his acrobatics (up the stairs! Did I mention he's only 9 months old?). I actually lost my purse in a store yesterday (thankfully some honest person turned it in) and his sippy cup (funny, no one turned that in!), and left the van door completely wide open the whole entire time we were at the pool the other day!

Needless to say, for whatever reason, my mind has been bone dry. But I'm trying to moisten it and get these writing juices going again!

List of things found in his mouth:

~roley-poley

~ random bug

~ piece of glass

~ wood

~ feathers

~ beads

~ bandaid

~ puzzle piece

~ wrapper

~ cotton

~ cat food

and on and on and on....

Your Yet Unborn Grandchildren

2010-05-02T10:43:00.001-05:00

Someone asked my recently about a conference I went to a few years ago, and after telling her about it, I began to relive the passion I felt after being there, and as I pulled out my old notes, I got all excited again. So I thought I'd share some of the vision with you, for that's what it was all about!

Have you ever truly thought about why we teach our children to obey and love God? Of course it's because we love Him, and we desire our children's salvation. But before I went to the Children Desiring God conference in Minneapolis, I didn't necessarily think about the responsibilities we have for future generations, as set forth for us in the Bible. David and Sallie Michael, the authors of the amazing Sunday School curriculum Children Desiring God, began the conference with a seminar about Vision.

This vision is "to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples." It's about pursuing the joy of the next generation, which includes our own children, the children in our local church, the children of the universal church (all over the world), and the children of future generations, those yet unborn (that part in and of itself gives me chills!). It is a "radical and well articulated vision" that is called for, not just teaching our children to "know" about God, or facts from the Bible, but to "love" what is true, to love all those facts with a deep and resolute passion.

In regards to Sunday school, the Michaels shared their deep burden that many,

many churches are just providing "something" for the children, which usually amounts to babysitting while the parents are at church. But is that enough? No! This is the future generation we're talking about! This is crucial to spreading the passionate pursuit of our Almighty God; the challenge is to "aim children at something more than just 'something.' " (Psalm 127:4, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.")

But this vision isn't just for Sunday school teachers right? They are merely helpers to family, and the main vision should start with us as mothers and fathers. Psalm 78:1-11 is an amazing passage which completely explains this vision.

Verses 4, 6-7 say, "We will not hide them (sayings of old) from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and His strength and His wonderful works that He has done...That the generation to come might know them, the children who would be born, that they may arise and declare them to their children, that they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments..."

We want them to delight in doing what is right, to set their hope in God (which is more than just knowing facts, right?), to obey because of that hope, to look at us and see us hoping and obeying, and to put their confidence in God, so that the future generations (Our grandchildren, and great grandchildren! Crazy, huh?) will worship Him.

So mommies, go out today and make His glory known, in your words, your life, your love, your obedience...remembering that it's for now, and later...for future generations!

My little arrows, and representatives of the universal church...

Julia Sleeps...

2010-04-19T20:00:00.000-05:00

One thing that Julia does that I can't do (and oh do I wish I could!),

is sleep anywhere she lays her head.

I've been fortunate to capture it on film, at least some of the time.

I was too late the other day when Amaleah came and told me

Julia was asleep in the stuffed animal chest..I ran with the camera but she woke up!

So here are some of the captured moments...

Yes, this is by the kitchen table..................

sitting up...and this was after I already started this post!

I really do put her to bed sometimes, I promise!

4 P's of Hospitality

2010-04-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

Hospitality for me is not just an occasional dinner guest. In fact, that is more rare for us. It usually consists of out of town guests, whether they be friends or family. Either way, they both require some thought. So here's a shortened list of tips I've gathered along the way....

from no expert, just some good experiences....

1) Plan, Plan, Plan

~ Make a little chart for the days your guests will be there, divided into meal and snack times (including whether you'll be home or out), and fill in the blanks...

2) Purchase, Purchase, Purchase

~ Try to purchase all your grocery needs ahead of time so no last minute runs to the store have to interrupt good visiting time (although a little run to the store with your friend, along with a "quick" coffee, while the daddies watch the kids is pretty fun!)

3) Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

~I've learned through trial and error that making the meals, or portions of the meals, ahead of time and freezing them makes life so much easier! For example, if you're planning to make chicken enchiladas, make the filling ahead of time, and the rice, and freeze, and then all you have to do is assemble; or for breakfast make muffins and freeze, and have hard boiled eggs in the frig.

~Learn a good easy pizza or foccacia dough recipe, and have fun toppings on hand (recipe to follow)

~Something else to think about is whether the meals you're planning are the right ones for that time. For instance, you might know that you make a mighty awesome French souffle', accompanied by lightly grilled asparagus with individual tartlets for dessert...but who are you trying to impress? Make a good, satisfying, simple meal and all will be pleased. Save the fanciness for a late night date with hubby!

and last, but certainly not least (and to complete my P's of hospitality),

4) Pray, Pray, Pray

~ I always have to remember to pray both for the time we will have, that it will be encouraging and relaxing for my guests, and also that my attitude would be gracious and that my heart would not be full of complaining (i.e. "there stuff is everywhere!", or "how much does this family eat?"...)

And remember, "Be hospitable to one another without grumbling,"

1 Peter 4:9

my cute little niece and my kiddos, for your enjoyment!

Naomi's Foccacia Bread

2 c. warm water

2 c. flour

2 tsp. dry yeast

Mix into a slightly lumpy batter.

Add: 2 tsp. salt, 2 c. flour. Mix. Batter should be moist and still slightly lumpy.

Do not knead. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place 1-2 hours. When doubled, transfer to a slightly oiled sheet with fingers dipped in olive oil. Spread on cookie sheet to about 1/2 in. thickness. Prick with a fork. Top with anything (coarse salt, pepper, garlic, fresh rosemary, olives, tomatoes.) Bake at about 375 for 10-15 minutes. (if using as a pizza crust, bake for 8-10 minutes, just until a bit firm, then top with toppings, then bake again.)

Thankful for Visitors

2010-03-26T08:00:00.000-05:00

With racks of muffins and freezer bags lining my counter tops and stuffing my freezer, I've been reminded of the joy that comes along with planning for hospitality...memories of sweet time spent with good friends, and the anticipation of good times spent with family. Yesterday my brother, his wife, their precious little baby girl (hence, my niece), and also my Aunt Judy arrived in town for a visit, and I'm excited. But last week we enjoyed time with Aunt Mercy, and also a visit from a dear friend Julie, whom I've known for a very long time, along with her 4 sweet children.

With racket from all sorts of childhood games being played all throughout the house, it's a wonder that Julie and I even got one sentence finished. But we were ruthless in our desire for deep conversation, and we made it happen, by golly! And it was soooo good. The thing I love about my friend Julie is that I can always count on her for sound, Biblical advice; good questions to probe deeper into my heart to check my motives, and kind encouragement to do the right, sometimes even hard things. And I also love that she loves chocolate cake and coffee...

The time was good, and I'm missing her and other dear friends that are far away. We wondered together why it seems like some of our dearest friends live in other places around the country or even the world. "Maybe it's so we won't get tired of each other," I proposed. Or maybe, just maybe it's so that we draw closer to the Lord than to our human relationships.

the bigger kids having craft time

We Celebrate Half-Birthdays...

2010-03-23T18:34:00.000-05:00

It's hard for this Mommy to believe that Landis is already 6 months old! And while I didn't throw him a party, I do celebrate it whole-heartedly! So, let's just get a little low-down of what this last half- a- year has looked like for our little guy...

He sleeps...(I don't know one

person who doesn't feel this

delight when a baby is asleep

on your shoulder, do you?)

He gets a tooth and cries

(if only I could look so

cute when I cry!)

He eats...they always have

this face at first, don't they?

He has tummy time...(because

every "good" Mommy insists

on this, right?)

(notice the cute quilt made

by Gran)

He still has "snuggle with

Mommy in her bed" time, but

we're working on that!

And he has "just plain

cute time" (combined with

sitting up time)

It's so nice to have a boy around the house!

What do YOU think?

2010-03-20T15:26:00.000-05:00

Recently I pulled out a picture and asked Julia

if she knew who it was, and she said, "Me?"

I can see where she might have been confused...the family resemblance is strong...

You've probably already guessed that this sweet resemblance is her Aunt Rachel...and we miss her...Happy Be-lated Birthday Rachel! We did think about you on your day!

It's the Little Things

2010-03-02T20:23:00.001-06:00

Julia turned 4 just a couple of weeks ago, and by the time the week was over I was (sad to say) glad, because I think all the attention was going to the poor little dear's head! But to finish off the week, the Lord planned a very special little happening in our house...a sweet answer to prayer.

Upon turning 4, Julia (with much eager anticipation) got to rifle through the Birthday treasure chest at church, and came home with the much longed after pink flashlight. Oh the joy! Oh the delight! Oh the light in the dark! She even wanted to sleep with it (and you mommies out there know where that would lead..."I see you Amaleah, can you see me?")

But as all good things sometimes come to an end, the little flashlight was "lost" the very next day, and broke that same little dear's heart. A mommy can take this as an opportunity for lots of little lessons: 1) that's why we need to remember "everything in its place"; 2) all of our material things will pass away and rot, but God's Word lasts forever; or 3) God knows where everything is, so it's not lost to Him, and He cares about even the little things in your life.

Option 3 is the one I chose and here is how the story unfolds...

All through the day Julia wanted to find it, and I kept reminding her to pray about it, and she would not. And all through the day I seriously felt God impressing on me that she would not find it until she prayed for it, and that I needed to encourage her to do this. Near the end of the day, we looked in the van, and I once again asked Julia if she had prayed, because God knows where everything is. "No, but I will now Mommy. Dear Lord, please help me to find my flashlight. In Jesus Name, Amen."

What happened next was about 10 seconds later, I kid you not. We walked inside, I asked her if she had tucked it into any pocket, the "light bulb" went on and she (and all of us girls) ran excitedly to the closet where she pulled out the coat and dug around in the pocket, and pulled out the beloved flash light.

"Julia! God answers prayers! He knew where it was! Thank Him! Thank Him!"

And so we did. I'm not sure who's heart was more encouraged, her's or mine. But no matter. God got the glory! He cares about the details of life, no matter how seemingly insignificant they are, in order that we might see Him and His faithfulness and His control over all things.

Julia and Daddy having a little fun with our iphoto booth!

P.S. The little flashlight is once again "lost."

When Life Converges

2010-02-09T12:00:00.000-06:00

Recently, my wonderful husband traveled with my two girls all the way up to Dallas to purchase a mini-van for our growing family. Yes, I said "mini-van." There was a time in my life where I swore I would never buy a mini-van..."It's too conformist, too 'un-cool,' too 'soccer-mom.' " Well, I take all those things back. The time came, and it came with a vengeance. It's funny how you can change your mind on something, and almost not even remember why you felt the other way! For us, it was three kids that put us over the top. One day I borrowed a friend's mini-van, and I was sold, sold, sold! So if you need a shoulder to cry on about moving on to the mini-van stage, come to me, baby!

But, as we all know, not everything is absolutely perfect just because you have great transportation. My first little adventure in this van with my three darling children went something like this:

"Girls, would you like to go to the park this afternoon after the baby wakes up?"

~ "Yay! Yay! Yay!"

"Everybody go potty, get shoes on, and I'll nurse the baby."

All this takes a bit longer than planned, but we're determined and we're doing it. So out the door, into the van, on the road, excited about the lovely weather...

I start looking at the clock...oh my, it's rush hour, oops, why did I decide to go to the park now?...and the park that happens to be located along-side a highway and a very trafficky intersection? Oh well, we're doing it! We merge onto the highway, and creep, creep, creep...

"When are we going to be there?"

"We're in a bit of traffic girls, we'll be there soon..."

Oh great. construction. 15 minutes. 30 minutes...could it really be taking this long? When does the park close? I think at 6, we'll have a little time anyway. 45 minutes (how can it take 45 minutes to get to a park that's 5 minutes away?)

And then imagine the following things all converging upon each other at the very exact same time:

Julia--"I have to go potty."

Amaleah--"No mom, I reallllllly have to go potty" (followed by shrieks, then tears, then sobs..."REALLY!" (ummm, didn't I tell everyone to go potty before we left?)

Landis--scream, scream, scream

Music--"Before the throne..."

(oh finally, the park, OH NO, Park Closed!!!!!!! What do we do? Just go home, play with neighbors)

Traffic--creeping along

Me- (thinking of my sister-in-law Naomi who I know would be awesome in a moment like this), "You can do it! Squeeze those legs together (Julia--"I want to go potty first! Me first!") Hold it! Hold it! We're almost home (sort of), I see the exit (kind of), the cars are moving faster (possibly)...You can do it!" (cheering all the way home)

We did make it. And played with the neighbors. And went to bed, pooped.

Luke and the girls on the Amtrak

Fashion Tips for Winter

2010-01-20T18:20:00.000-06:00

While I was in D.C. last weekend, I hopped in a cab (well, to be honest, it was more like hoisting the baby carrier in the cab with the frigid wind blowing everything everywhere; trying to close up the stroller with my arms full of diaper bags and coats, and shopping bags on the return trip; but lets romanticize it and say, "I hopped in a cab,") and went to the nearest shopping mall for a little outing with Landis.

While there, I got my lunch (which would have been French crepes if I had seen the shop before I settled for greasy McDonalds over "Texas BBQ") and sat on a ledge to eat. Apparently, everyone in D.C. knows how to snatch a table the moment it comes available, because I certainly was not quick enough. As I ate, I preoccupied myself with people watching. First I noticed coats, but soon grew bored of that, so I decided to observe how many different ways you can wear a scarf. Below are my findings, modeled by Amaleah. (P.S. Is every little girl born with an innate ability to model something?)

The Throw & Go:

(for the sleek, wanna be "cool" guy)

The Sophisticated/Business Over-the-Coat:

(very D.C. diplomat)

The French Dreamy & Airy:

(or: I got too hot and had to untie)

The "30 and Flirty" (or so it seemed), and sometimes sported with a knot...

The Through the Loop

(or: Scarve Wearing for Dummies)

My Personal Favorite...

The Thrifty:

Two in One--It's Both a Hat and a Scarf

(and an awesome floor dance to match...)

So take your pick this winter and wear that scarf well!

The Traveling Sweater

2010-01-16T15:12:00.000-06:00

Last weekend, Landis and I traveled with Luke to Washington, D.C., so Luke could attend a conference for work, and so I could rejuvenate (I did this last year with him, and it was wonderful!) We were there during a huge cold blast that seemed to affect much of America, so layering was essential. As I packed for this trip, I came across this cute, white, hooded zip up sweater with pom-poms all over it in Landis' closet. I had forgotten about this treasure, seeing as how in San Antonio we hardly ever need that many layers. I threw it in the suitcase knowing I would use it, and I did. I got to thinking, "Where has this sweater been?"

You see, it originated in Naomi's household (my sister in law and amazing friend), when she bundled up her 3rd child, Selma, during the cold winter months in Spain.

Then, our dearest friend Lory requested the precious sweater for her 3rd hearty little boy, Blake, and he filled it up quite nicely.

Then Lory in all her goodness, sent me a huge tub of darling little boy clothes when she heard my 3rd was a boy, and low and behold, the darling little sweater appeared, and Landis fit in it beautifully!

(see The Jefferson Memorial in the background?)

So now it has traveled the world. I wonder who it will adorn next winter? Maybe our next new niece or nephew, who is coming in August?

*By the way, the beauty of hand-me-downs is their story, and the memory of the child who last wore it...I always think of who the outfit came from when I put it on my child! And I love that!

All We Like Sheep...

2010-01-14T15:01:00.000-06:00

have gone astray...(Isaiah 53:6)

The week before Christmas, we were privileged to visit a local church and their live exhibit called Bethlehem Nights. It's a living scene of the city of Bethlehem, in which characters dressed in Biblical garb guide each small group through the well re-created city until you come to the angels singing (from top of a really tall building, I might add), and finally to the baby Jesus. This amazing re-enactment is complete with all kinds of living animals...goats, donkeys, and sheep.

That night almost turned tragic, however, when 3 huge, wooly, and unruly sheep escaped and literally charged for the oh-so-trafficky street, just as the children were innocently petting the little animals in the petting zoo while we awaited our turn to enter the city. The shepherd (complete in shepherd guard, mind you) chased after them, while various people tried to rope them in, all to no avail. I was standing there horrified (as every other parent was, I'm sure), thinking of what all the children were about to witness that night, and grieving over how this scene would be engrained in their memory forever.

Thankfully, the traffic came to a haulting stop (probably because hosts of angels were singing), and the sheep took a safer turn and ran for a nearby neighborhood, where they were herded into some helpless soul's backyard until a rescue could be had. Or so we're told.

But all that made me wonder, "What can I learn from this? There must be a lesson here. Sheep, shepherd, running away, destruction..." And indeed, there is. We are the sheep. Before Christ reaches out and saves us, we are running, charging even for destruction. But then Christ, our gracious and loving Saviour rescues us from devastation. Oh what grace!

So this year I'm pondering these things, and reminded recently in my studying of 1 Peter, that we "were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls." (1 Peter 2:25)

1 Peter 2:24, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed."

*illustration by Amaleah

He Is There

2010-01-05T21:51:00.000-06:00

Recently, my mom and I found ourselves out to lunch, just the two of us, with out kids! (thanks to an amazing husband who values his time with his children, and who also understands the sanity it brings me to have a break now and then!)

For as long as I can remember, my mom and I have made it a point to go out to lunch together; it's always been our bonding time..we can enjoy our favorite food together, and then dive into each other's lives with gusto! Admittedly, sometimes when I was younger I dreaded the deeper questions thinking, "what is she going to ask me this time?" But it was always good.

So at a favorite Mexican food place (it's always and only Mexican food), we chatted it up. With lots of topics covered, part of the conversation went somewhat like this...

me: "Landis is sleeping terribly at night. I think we're at the point to let him cry it out. We tried the other night, and it only made me mad at Luke. I don't know why, but when Landis is screaming in his bed, I get mad at Luke...."

mom: "May I offer a suggestion..."

me: "sure.." and so on...

more kid talk, Julia's funny, Amaleah's lovely, etc...

mom: "So, how are you?" (which means, "How is your walk with the Lord?")

me: "Well, I've had like 3 quiet times since Landis has been born. I've tried to keep my Bible open during nursings, but it just doesn't always work. I feel really distant from God. You know, it's like when you haven't talked to a friend in a long time, it takes a while to warm up again, and you just feel really distant."

mom: "But He is still there, Gab, you know that. He's not distant. He's there, believe the truth."

me: "I know...I know...thanks."

Something about that conversation has stayed with me...it was my mom's simple words that just encouraged me. She didn't call me out for not having a quiet time, she reminded me of the truth, and helped me to resist the temptation to start feeling like God wasn't there. And it worked. It brought me back to the truth. My mom is good at that, and I'm so thankful for that.

Cheese and Queso?

2010-01-01T09:23:00.000-06:00

Every Christmas and New Year season I have to have my queso, at least once, but usually twice! This is something everyone seems to have in San Antonio, but when in North Carolina, not so much. When I make chips and queso, I remember what one of Luke's nurses used to say. It was the holidays and she would say, "I'll bring the cheese and queso!" and Luke, driven crazy finally said, "You know, queso is the same thing as cheese..So what you're really saying is, 'I'll bring the cheese and cheese.' It's 'chips and queso!' " To which she said, "oh" with a nervous laugh. So anyway, here's the easiest recipe you'll ever have, and you probably already know it, but just in case you don't.

Queso

1 big block of velveeta cheese

1 can rotel (I choose mild)

1 lb. breakfast sausage

Brown sausage into little pieces. Cube velveeta and put in the crockpot; add the sausage and can of rotel (undrained). Heat on high for 1 hour, then turn to warm for serving. Stir occasionally or the sides will burn.

Serve with chips, not cheese...

Community at Christmas Time

2009-12-27T16:00:00.000-06:00

Our neighborhood, well, our street has an annual Christmas concert that we started last year at our house. We had such a turnout last year that we had to move it to my neighbor's house because his house is bigger. This tradition is unique, rare, and wonderful. The children on Trafalgar Street get together everyday for a week to practice, practice, practice: violins, cellos, piano, and flute. They all prepared solos and then worked together on two pieces. Then we invited the whole street, everyone brought treats, cider, and punch; the children performed, and we sang two Christmas carols as a group. It was so old-school, so 50's, so community, the way Christmas ought to be, right? The joy and love and cheer, minus all the materialism.

I think next year I'll suggest readings from Luke 2, I don't know why I didn't think of it this year! One year at a time, I guess.

Cinnamon Ornaments

2009-12-24T09:03:00.000-06:00

Just in case you didn't have anything else to do on the day before Christmas, I thought I'd pass on another tradition I do with my children. We did this two weeks ago, but if you need an activity to occupy your children this afternoon while you're baking your pies, here it is.

Cinnamon Ornaments

3/4 c. apple sauce

4 1/2 oz. cinnamon (1/2 cup, really.)

about 1/2 - 1 c. flour

Mix the ingredients into a rollable dough, adding flour as needed, but trying to keep the dough brown. Roll out like sugar cookies, and cut with cookie cutters. Place on cookie sheets, then punch out a hole (for stringing ribbon) with a straw. Bake at about 200 for about 15-20 minutes, until firming up. Let cool and harden. String with ribbon and hang on the tree...This smells delicious!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Traditions with Three

2009-12-03T10:24:00.000-06:00

Every year as a family we go pick out a Christmas tree. I can't believe we're already doing it again! So we traveled to the local hardware store and Luke pulled out 20 trees and we mostly said, "No, yuck, that poor tree!" until we narrowed it down to these two. We let Amaleah make the final decision, and the tree is lovely! I love this little tradition of ours, with the girls hiding in and out of trees, and soon Landis will be too. For this trip, he just slept in my sling, which was nice too.

Amaleah setting up for our early Christmas feast (Pumpkin Ravioli) with my brother and his family, since they will be out of town for Christmas.

And this is just a freeby of our cute little Landis, already trying to be like Daddy.

*and, for those interested, I recently updated my flickr page with newer pictures; just click on the sidebar

Pumpkin Bread Pudding and a Tradition

2009-11-24T09:50:00.000-06:00

It's been a very long time since I've posted a recipe, so on Thanksgiving week I thought I'd share one that is very dear to our family. I got this recipe from a friend when we lived in Dallas, and now it's a traditional dish for us. We have it every year on Thanksgiving morning, and we love it. Amaleah always reminds me now that we have to have it for breakfast and not to forget it because it's "tradition." I think children thrive off of family traditions, even if it's something as simple as what we eat every Thanksgiving morning. For me when I was growing up it was homemade cinnamon rolls on Thanksgiving morning. And whenever my mom would even think of not doing it one year, I'd beg and beg and say "It's not Thanksgiving without it!" And she always relented. So here's our traditional recipe. I wonder, do any of you have a recipe that is traditional for your family?

Pumpkin Bread Pudding

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 c. milk

3 beaten eggs

1 can pumpkin puree (15 oz.)

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ginger

1/4 tsp. cloves

5 c. bread cubes (whole wheat is fine)

1/2 c. broken pecans (opt.)*

Stir together the first 7 ingredients. Add pecans and bread and let soak. Pour into buttered baking dish (9 x 13); cover and refrigerate overnight. Take out about 45 minutes before baking, and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until firm but not dry. Spoon into bowls and serve with whipped cream and nuts (this is the best part!)

*Two years ago, I forgot and added the pecans to the pudding, and Amaleah was sweetly disappointed, because she doesn't like nuts, yet she loves this dish...so now every year she reminds me not to put nuts in it this year...

Breaking the Rules

2009-11-07T09:17:00.000-06:00

Recently I was thinking about our life with 3 children, and I started to think about all the things we have done differently with this little darling boy, and it made me laugh. Pretty much, we're breaking every rule out there, but I'm so less stressed out! For one thing, Landis is taking a nap in his swing as we speak...and he does this almost all day for naps! I would have neverrrrr done that with my girls. In fact, when Julia started to fall asleep in the swing I'd wisk her out of there soo fast and make sure she stayed awake for her whole wake time, and then put her in her bed to cry it out (which she faithfully did for at least 30 minutes!) Next, I have about 6 pacifiers laying all over the house...my girls weren't big fans of them, and now they both are finger suckers, and Landis takes a paci, so I make sure there's one with in reach in every room! Now this is not so much a rule-breaking, just a difference. He's still sleeping in our room, he still nurses about every 2 hours during the day, with the occasional 3 hours thrown in there. And, we hardly ever lay him down awake, which will give my mom a heart attack as soon as she reads this (sorry mom!)...

All this to say, we are surviving, and so is he! In the past I really followed the book with everything, and worked hard, with sweat and tears, and getting my girls to take their naps in their beds at a very early age, and had to listen to screams for a very long time, and it did stress me out. And even though I still definitely believe in all that jazz, it just hasn't fit into our lives yet, and I've realized that it's okay. And kind of nice. I think I'm enjoying this baby so much more because it's not making me mad that he's not doing what I want. I've realized that this time around he really has to do what fits best into our family; I can't spend all my time right now training a wee baby.

So, the lesson here is this: enjoy your newborn, enjoy the snuggles, enjoy the quiet when they fall asleep in their swing, and remember that this won't last forever, they will sleep in their bed eventually, and you will miss these days eventually...

The Delivery(s)

2009-10-14T18:41:00.000-05:00

cute little man, eh?

As promised, and before I forget, I will tell my story of my delivery...or two. The first delivery, actually, came just hours before Landis came...our new refrigerator. So in case I'm ever wondering how old my frig. is, just remind me that it was born the same day Landis was....thanks to the help of my parents.

So on Tuesday, Sept 22, my due date, I had a Dr's appointment and she went ahead and swept my membranes. So as to not get toooo graffic on the web, this is just a simple process that helps to get the hormones moving that help further contractions...I was already having tons of contractions and was dilated to a 4, but still nothing going anywhere. So that night, after eating at our favorite nacho and hamburger joint where I stuffed my body with jalapenos in hopes that the spicey wives-tale would do wonders, my contractions did come along. But we went to bed, and I just had really strange dreams all night long, and back pain and cramping. Finally I woke up to Amaleah giving me a back rub at 4 am (completely out of the blue, this NEVER happens), and from then on my labor kicked in. I woke Luke up at 6:30 and told him he would not be going to work that day. I was in real pain at this point, mostly with back labor. So I finished packing, and Luke unloaded the refrigerator, because of course, the new one was scheduled to arrive that morning. We went up and told the girls, and waited for my mom to arrive to watch them. We then headed to the hospital in the middle of a.m. traffic, and I was feeling like crying from the pain (which for me is a sign of being really close).

When I got checked in at 8 a.m., my Dr. examined me (no, Luke is not my Dr., and doesn't do any exams on me, for those of you who wondered but couldn't bring yourself to ask), and I was dilated to a 6. I wanted to try without meds this time (I did it without meds with Amaleah, my first, but not with Julia), and so I went for it. About an hour later my Dr. broke my water to get things moving along, and then when I was finally to an 8, I started pushing. I couldn't help it...without the epidural it was the only thing I could do to help with the pain (not that it helped, it just gave me an avenue to be embarassingly loud and screamy, upon hindsight). All along, Luke was pushing on my lower back with every contraction, because that's where the pain was up until the very end. Finally, at about 10:30 came the real pushing, after probably 30 minutes of the pre-pushing, and then it seemed to take forever to get this little man out! And at this point, I was seriously thinking, "What have I done? I'm insane! Why didn't I get an epidural? I'm soooo stupid!" along with a few accusations towards Eve who made this all happen. But nonetheless, out came that big guy, all 8 lbs. 13 0z. of him, and his wet, blue body was placed on mine (which, believe it or not, was a first for me; I've always asked them to clean the baby up first; and I quickly did the same again...:).

Man, that was hard. My hardest labor yet. But labor is gratifying, whether your drugged up or not, because of that little life that comes from it. And now, 3 weeks later, it seems a mere thought. All that anticipation, and here we are on the other side of it. And all the stories on this side of labor will have to wait for another blog.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

P.S. sorry for the paragraph spacing issues, I can't figure this blogger out!

Landis Arrives

2009-09-24T19:12:00.000-05:00

After much anticipation, and sometimes impatient waiting, our little boy is here, safe and sound. We praise the Lord for a safe delivery and healthy baby. He was born Wednesday, the 23rd and we are home from the hospital now, with the doting sisters hovering all around to admire their new brother...such a novelty, indeed. Of course, that's not to mention the doting parents who keep taking turns to stare at our newest little one. It's hard to believe I'm the mother of 3 now, but so it is, and we are pleased! For more pictures, please see my flickr page; the link is on the sidebar of my blog.

The details: He weighed 8 lbs 13 oz, was 20 3/4 inches long, and super cute...:) I'll make another post about the actual labor and delivery; but I'll just say this, for those of you who have heard through the grapevine that it was super fast and easy, scratch that! But it was good and the Lord gave us a huge blessing, didn't he?

Boy Cousins

2009-09-19T15:36:00.000-05:00

Josu and Malachai

So I have these two cute little nephews who live in Spain who I miss greatly. Of course, they have a little sister who I miss too, but with our new baby boy coming, I'm sad he won't be able to grow up side by side with his awesome boy cousins, not to mention with his awesome Aunt Naomi and Uncle Joshua. And thinking about how fun it is to grow up with cousins, it makes me sad that my children only get to see their cousins maybe once a year, maybe.

And then, to top it off, I long to share these moments with Naomi, one of my dearest friends ever, who happens to be my sister in law. We've been pregnant twice at the same time, and now she is one ahead of me, and we have yet to share these times in person. This is when the rubber meets the road; when you seek to joyfully trust God's will for your life, and yet sometimes it hurts, and we're still called to be joyful about it!

So, in a recent blog post of Naomi's, she shared that she is tender these days as she wishes she could be around for this third baby of mine, and I am echoing her sentiment, and wishing for the same thing. Not wishing God's will was different or that He'd follow my desires, but just dreaming about what it might be like if it were a little different. And thankful for friends God has put in our lives who truly stand the test of time, if you know what I mean.

Naomi and Joshua

P. S. I have 3 more days til my due date, am having lots of contractions, but so far, nothing...

Afternoon Snack Recipe

2009-09-15T17:58:00.000-05:00

We recently had an afternoon snack that I thought I'd share with you. It's really not a specific recipe, there's just a few rules you must follow in order for it to work perfectly...

It must include at least one or more of the following:

1) a fruit, such as raspberries or blackberries (mixed with some sugar and poured in a pan)

2) a grain, such as oatmeal (mixed with a few other things and placed over afore mentioned fruit and baked)

3) a dairy product (such as Bluebell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream)

All of this must be served with love, and must be followed up by a comment from your oldest daughter like this, "The only reason we're having this for a snack is because Mom's crazy when she's pregnant!"

It Takes a Little Time Sometimes

2009-09-08T10:42:00.001-05:00

I have wanted a flannel board for our kids ever since Amaleah was in preschool. About every 6 months I've looked for one on-line and gotten all excited about them, but for some reason have just not bought one, mostly because it was hard to fork over the cash. So this year, once again, I was looking at them at the learning store, and had it in my hand to buy, and I couldn't! I just couldn't pay $25 bucks for felt! So, finally, finally, finally, I bought some felt at the fabric store for like 3 bucks, had Luke cut me a piece of card board, and I literally taped the felt around the cardboard, and my dream has come true...And now, I can use the extra 20 bucks I saved to buy some more pre-cut flannel stories or sets!

Julia loves it!

On the Eve of 30

2009-09-03T23:11:00.000-05:00

Tis true, tis true. Here I sit awaiting this supposedly "fateful" day, the day I say good-bye to my 20's, my youth as I know it, and welcome with open arms my 30's, and all they hold for me. I'm not really sad or depressed, it's kind of exciting. But it's weird, I do admit. I just remember being like 15 years younger and thinking that 30 sounded so frumpy and old, and almost so "in between," kind of like your Sophomore year of highschool. And here it is. But, to make this a super joyful and memorable experience, I decided to make a list of the 30 Most Memorable or Influential Moments in my life thus far, in no particular order...

1. May 1, 1999-- getting engaged to Luke, on Newton Ave

2. Sleeping with a bat in my room at my grandparents house in Pennsylvania

3. My wedding day

4. The birth of Amaleah, our first born daughter

5. The birth of Julia, our second born daughter

6. My dad chewing gum down the aisle on my wedding day

7. Getting kicked in the head at my Wedding Reception

8. Luke and I (not married yet) watching the van we borrowed from my parents roll across the street and into a fence...

9. Singing, and playing piano, in St. Marks Cathedral in Venice, Italy

10. Living with an Australian family for a week in Brisbane, Australia

11. Sunday afternoons with my mom, eating M&M's in her bed during nap time

12. Emptying my mom's sock drawer for all the loose change to pay for a lunch date at Teka Molino (our favorite, favorite restaraunt)

13. Big Bend National Park on a highschool trip, sitting with Luke near a ravine late at night and hearing the wild pigs oh so close to us

14. My first kiss, which thankfully was to Luke, now my dear husband

15. Holding hands for the first time, on a hay ride, which also was with Luke, what a blessing!

16. Piano duets with my good friend Candice--good times!

17. Amaleah entering the hospital room to meet Julia, and saying "Where is baby Julia? Can I hold her?"

18. Walks to the Farmers Market in Durham, NC

19. Dates with my Dad to Houlihans for lunch, and shopping, and even bowling

20. Wearing my Gramma's Wedding Dress

21. Running out of gas in Luke's car in highschool, and climbing over the median in a skirt

22. Camping trip with Luke when I was 6 months pregnant with Amaleah

23. Luke in highschool at Big Bend getting up early to boil water for me to wash my hair (and then me deciding I didn't need to do it, it was too cold outside...I'm so mean! He's so wonderful!)

24. Amaleah praying and believing that Jesus saved her from her sins

25. My dear brother Kristian tying me up with a belt and sticking me in a trunk and sitting on it (I love you too)

26. Decorating the Christmas tree with my Dad

27. Playing piano duets with my Grandfather, marches mainly

28. Playing Dukes of Hazard with my cousin Jana in my backyard

29. Flirting with Luke in 9th grade to get him to notice me (Jan. 1, 1994, and it worked, I might add)

30. Getting down on my knees with my brother as he helped me pray to become a Christian, when I was 5

Life has been good, and I look forward to seeing how the Lord works and moves in my life as I push on in this journey. He has always been good, and it's a joy to live life knowing Him!

(In honor of my 30th Birthday, my mom made me a blanket, and I love it!)

It's How you Wear It

2009-09-01T20:55:00.000-05:00

So this is how my girls arrived at the dinner table last night... And I actually think the younger one started this whole sunglasses thing (although some could blame it on me, and that's fine too!) What in the world is it going to be like with a little boy around the house? I'm so looking forward to it, and so are they! 3 more weeks and counting!

Homeschooling My Way

2009-08-29T17:18:00.000-05:00

As promised, I come before you humbly offering you my book selections for the year. I started a separate post but tossed it because it was toooo much! So I decided to do this in a series, so as not to bore those of you who don't really care, and not to overwhelm those of you that do! (warning: it's still a long post!)

Let me just say that our school year thus far has been a delight, a pleasure, a joy! After last year, I sort of struggled with knowing if homeschooling was for us, because it just seemed like more of a struggle and a burden than a delight. But we decided to try again this year, and I'm so glad! I feel so much more relaxed about everything, and my laundry is still getting done according to schedule (I know, some of you are saying right now, "Just wait til that baby comes!") But that's okay. I think one of the biggest differences this year is how thoroughly I planned ahead, because I really don't have to think about it from day to day, I just open up my notebook and there it is, exactly what I'm doing today! Most of you probably do this, but if you don't, I highly recommend it! I'm also very grateful for those homeschool moms who are paving the trail ahead of us, because they have been amazing resources for me!

Since Science is fresh on my mind, I'll start with that. The textbook we use is Exploring Creation with Zoology 1: Flying Creatures of the 5th Day, by Jeannie Fulbright (Apologia). Obviously, it is from a Christian worldview (gathered from the title). There are 14 lessons in the book, so I have divided each lesson into 4 parts, which we spread out over two weeks, on Wednesdays and Fridays. I think Jeannie Fulbright comes from a Charlotte Mason-y approach, as she encourages narrating and recording in personal journals, and not testing or filling out worksheets. Why it's fresh on my mind today is because we made 4 different types of bird feeders today (so easy!), and are looking forward to seeing if we get any extra bird traffic in our back yard.

As I wondered whether or not our study of birds was sinking into Amaleah's mind, I found out yesterday at the zoo that her interest is definitly tweaked. She was noticing different details about birds, even the common San Antonio pigeon, and getting all excited about it!

We also read The Burgess Bird Book for Children, by Thornton W. Burgess, one chapter almost every day as the girls explore in the back yard or draw in their nature journals. This book is in story form and makes learning about all the species of birds so natural and enjoyable.

Some other supplemental resources for us this year:

~ Handbook of Nature Study (Anna Botsford Comstock)

~ Usborne Science & Nature Ornithology

~ About Birds, A Guide for Children (for preschool ages)

~ Bird field guides of the Texas area

~ any of Thornton W. Burgess's animal books

Websites I've loved from Charlotte Mason approach:

http://www.simplycharlottemason.com/

http://amblesideonline.org/

http://jeanniefulbright.com/

http://higherupandfurtherin.blogspot.com/

It's Tradition

2009-08-22T21:22:00.000-05:00

Today I am officially 8 months pregnant, and definitely feeling it. The nesting has been taking place for quite some time, but it has definitely intensified recently. For instance, just today I finished organizing baby clothes and stocking them in the attic; cleaned the guest room from top to bottom, including sheet cleaning and the like; and cleaned out both bathroom closets, on a whim... I wonder why all of this always happens right before a baby comes? If only I had this kind of motivation every Saturday.

But back to the reason for this post. It seems to be tradition for me to cram finish some scrapbooking project in the last month of pregnancy. And I just completed my 3rd traditional scrapbooking cramming...When I was pregnant with Amaleah, almost 3 1/2 years after our marriage, I completed our wedding scrapbook (I think it was within the last week of pregnancy). When Julia was in tow, I finished Amaleah's First Year scrapbook (she was almost 3 at the time), and today, I finished Julia's First Year scrapbook, and she is 3 1/2.

Those of you who scrapbook religiously, I have no idea how you keep up. I've decided that the only thing I scrapbook now is the first year of each baby's life, and the rest of the photos just go into an album (and Amaleah has that task right now, because I'm soooo behind in that area too!)

P. S. When my brain is functioning again, I plan a post detailing some of the curriculum I'm using this year, for those who have asked!

Back to School

2009-08-09T17:00:00.000-05:00

We have just completed our first week of First Grade. I would never have dreamed I would be starting school on August 3--it's just a little too "summertime" for me. But, when you have a baby coming right in the middle of the Fall, actually due on the first official day of Fall, you have to rethink things.

This week was really good, even better than expected. With the baby coming in late September, I felt much more pressure to really get organized this year, and it is paying off! I spent almost all summer picking books, ordering, ordering more, and finally planning once those orders came in. It was definitely a process, and sometimes quite stressful for me. I am a very slow planner and organizer, which can be frustrating when I'm thinking, "Why can't I just be done with this?" But oh how relieved I am now, since I literally planned every subject and every week up until December. It would have been nice to plan through May, but that's going a little too far for now!

My goal is to take a Charlotte Mason approach. She was an educator back in the late 1800's who truly believed in educating the whole child, and drawing them into a deep love of learning. Her most basic premise was to use real, "living books," which are NOT textbooks. They might include biographies and autobiographies from the time period being studied, or narratives that draw the listener into the heart of the subject being learned, whether it be about a bird or Ancient Egypt. She didn't want a fact simply told to a child and a child to be forced to memorize it, but the facts should be shared in story form so the child can sort of "drink deeply" while learning. As you read these books, the child then is to narrate them back, or tell the story back to you, and you can record it, or they can, or they can draw a picture, etc. I've found that there are lots of ways to accomplish this approach, and since my lessons are planned out and my copies are made, I feel more able to actually be creative with each new day.

We have been reading great books, and making our own books to slowly fill with information we've learned, definitions, narrations, drawings, etc. Amaleah has loved that part, and even came down from rest time one afternoon with more books she'd made: one for Spanish, Bible memory verses, and a miscellaneous one. Today we started a book made out of paper bags with each page layout to represent one day of creation. This will be a project we pick up every day.

The best part about the Charlotte Mason approach is her insistence on "short lessons." We have been following that, and thus are out of school by lunch. Nice! Now if I can only figure out what to do with Julia during her idle times....

A Little Hoola-Hoop Anyone?

2009-08-06T15:00:00.000-05:00

Recently, Amaleah discovered she is quite talented at the hoola-hoop. With a little instruction from the expert, her Aunt Mercy, Amaleah has now taken over the hoola-hooping roll in the family. It's really quite amazing for a 6 year old, because she can go for more than 8 minutes at a time, and has added some new tricks, like jumping on and off the ottoman while maintaining a twirl...Of course Mercy has to keep up with this 6 year old so the competitions are always on over here. The funny thing to me is what Luke said about it all the other day, "This is what your kids learn when they don't play computer games." I thought about it and decided it was probably true. Of course, we do allow a minimal amount of computer time, but it's so minimal that I can't even remember the last time Amaleah was on the computer. And I'm glad. I love the creativity that goes on when minds are not left to be lazy, and the physical exercize that often accompanies it (because we sure aren't outside right now when the average daily temperature is 102.) So, if you want to figure out a way to get your child off the computer, consider adding some hoola-hoops to your indoor games.

(P. S. At my daughter's begging, I did try it, but it's a little hard with a huge belly in the way...and I'm glad I have that excuse.)

Ramblings in the Night

2009-07-24T01:07:00.000-05:00

Here I am, at 1:06 in th morning, blogging. Mostly, I'm catching up on all the blogs I never get a chance to read, and somehow tonight it seems appropriate. Mostly, because I'm suffering from heartburn, and I can't even lay in my bed propped up without being miserable, so here I am! I never had this with my girls, just with this boy. Someone once told me that if you have heartburn in pregnancy it means you're going to have a hairy baby...we'll see. Both my girls were fairly bald, so I guess potentially I might have a boy who takes after me (I was born with mounds of black hair...and my mom indeed had heartburn...) So anyway, what ramblings can I come up with at such a late hour? Hmmm....

I think I'll ponder motherhood. The past few days have been especially delightful as I have watched my little girls decide they want to be more involved in chores and are looking forward to it! I knew if I waited to push it, they'd come around...no, not really, it actually quite surprises me as I've been wondering if we should pull out the chore chart and the allowance again. But nonetheless, Amaleah led the bathroom cleaning party yesterday, and Julia almost single-handedly folded all my clothes tonight while Amaleah voluntarily practiced the piano and begged for lessons again. Could it be that my little girls are nesting as well? Hmmm, that's a thought.

But apart from them doing work around the house, I've enjoyed their little personalities, and just their presence at home. It's good to just be at home, and hear the sounds they make, even the particularly irritating ones (like the fights). Motherhood indeed is a blessing, and this is my life. My full time job. There was a time, not long ago I hate to admit, where I wanted to tell strangers who asked "what do you do?" something other than "stay at home mom" as an answer. But I realized that this full time job of mine is a job I love, my husband loves, my kids love, and God loves. I'm doing my job, the job He's called me to, and it is good. Hard? yes, absolutely. Pretty much never easy. But that's okay, because God always gives me the strength I need to get through. Even in the very moment I need it and ask...

So the other day when Julia yelled from upstairs a few times, "Mommy, I need you," I was thankful I was needed, even if it was to wipe up the poop that had somehow gotten smushed all over her leg and the floor. Sigh. I'm thankful.

( not the most flattering of pictures for any of us, but a true picture of reality!)

Domestic Goddesses

2009-07-11T08:50:00.000-05:00

This summer has been like a blast from the past; a blast from my college days. Mercy, Luke's youngest sister, has been spending alot of time with us, and is actually living with us right now as her parents are out of town for a month. With the wonders of Mercy come the wonders of her friend Kelcy. Both have become everyday language for me and my girls, so much so that when Amaleah is beading her necklaces and earrings, it's "this one's for Mommy, this one's for Mercy, and this one's for Kelcy."

So recently these girls decided we should have a "sticky bun" day. Well, in actuality they were cinnamon rolls, but what fun we had. They call themselves the Domestic Goddesses, and of course I'm the tutor. I made the dough, then they came and rolled it out and added all the delicious yumminess (lots of butter and brown sugar), rolled them up, cut them, and baked them...then of course ate them. You know you're working with college students when one of them asks if we can make the dough pink or red or something..."No, we'll just keep it like this..."

I'm not sure what's on the menu next, but I'm hoping it will be soon, because it gives me an excuse to gratify my sweet tooth cravings!

7 New Dresses

2009-06-27T11:31:00.000-05:00

Every year, since Luke started residency about six years ago, we've had a formal banquet to go to; an opportunity to see the 4th year class graduate, and more importantly, an opportunity to buy a new dress... It seems, as I think back to all the dresses, that there's a story behind each one of them. And I'm in a story-telling mood...

Dress #1: I left a screaming newborn Amaleah with Dad, and hurriedly picked out a two piece polka-dot outfit from Ann Taylor...that one I wore a lot; perfect for nursing...and Amaleah was still crying when I returned.

Dress #2: The re-use: a sparkly purple dress I had found at Ross for $3...seriously; and I had worn it in New York a few years before.

Dress #3: A shopping trip with Luke's gramma: after I subtly mentioned to her that I needed a new dress, she cheerfully responded by insisting we go together: we shopped, I tried on, she critiqued, she bought. Nice. It was a hot pink, eyelet dress with a halter. I had tried on another one and we were deliberating, but when I came out in this one, she said "Oh that's lovely." I said "I think it's a pretty dress too," and she said, "Oh no dear, I was referring to that beautiful mole you have on the neckline..." So that dress apparently worked with my body.

Dress #4: A trip to the mall and a stretchy black dress with white and pink contrast down the front...The story behind this one is that Julia was a wee little baby, who never took a bottle. My babysitter had to drive her up to the banquet so I could nurse her in the car before bedtime...that was a sight, let me tell you...

Dress #5: I picked up my mom from the airport, she was to babysit that night. I had no dress yet, and 3 hours to find one...So, we stopped at Ross, she stayed in the car with the kids, I ran in, tried on 6 dresses, found the perfect one, and a pair of shoes, in less than 20 minutes. I still like that dress (brown, strapless with a cream brocaide pattern throughout)

Dress #6: Shopping trip with Mercy (Luke's sister) in San Antonio, with a few weeks to spair until the event. We walk into Banana Republic. A random black, silk dress is hanging on the wrong rack, and it is really the wrong size for me, I think, but the total right price ($30...)I try it on, and with a little help from Mercy with the zipper, the perfect black dress was bought. This one I wore to Luke's graduation.

Dress #7: This year, another shopping trip with Mercy, this time to one store only...the Gap. Keep in mind I'm big and pregnant, but the styles these days, like empire waistlines, make it possible to buy non-maternity things and have them work (and make me wonder, "Why would anyone else wear this if it makes them look pregnant?"). And this year, I had a personal jeweler to bead me a coordinating necklace!

Besides the fun dresses, of course the best part is a night out with my husband...

Good Times

2009-06-20T19:42:00.000-05:00

Okay, so the summer is hot here in San Antonio. Really hot. And for a growing pregnant lady, really really hot. But the summer is good, because this is the time when the young Newtons come to town for summer break from college. Life is full! It's busy, crowded, messy, and noisy, not to mention all the extra dishwasher loads going each day. But do I really care? No, because it's full of laughter and fun, good conversations, and good food (if I may say so myself....) And not only am I on cloud nine when they're in town, my girls are too, with built in play mates almost every single day...hence, a good ol' game of Twister, which really exemplifies the nature of our life right now!

To Spain and France and Back Again

2009-05-28T16:29:00.000-05:00

Oh the joys of being with family, especially being reunited with family you haven't seen in at least a year. My joy was definitely made full these past two weeks as we traveled to Europe to enjoy meaningful time with Luke's sisters and their families. I can't help feeling homesick in a way this week as I think of the delight it was to be with my family, who also are my deepest and dearest friends. I could go into nostalgic detail of all the special times I've had with Luke's sisters over the last 16 years, but I won't. Just take my word for it: they are dear to my heart and I wish I could see them more often .

But I'm thankful for the time we had: lots of walks and talks; trips to the park; late night coffee (which never disappointed), pastries and coffee at the local "pasteleria;" loud, noisy children reveling in the fun of being with cousins; amazing food (amazing--Naomi you're awesome!); beach trips; France trip; pasta making; loud, noisy, rambunctious children (did I already mention that?); and the list goes on.

It was priceless, magical (as Naomi calls it), and totally worth the jet lag my children are still suffering from (which translates into middle of the night wakings and early morning rising). We lived it and loved it.

A new day, a very new day...

2009-05-05T21:29:00.000-05:00

Neither of my two little girls will be wearing this cute, blue little jacket. But my son will! My husband couldn't resist the jaunt to the Gap to purchase his first items for our little boy. I can't believe it, and already it feels different, but yes, we just found out that baby #3 is a boy. I'm thrilled and terrified all at the same time. It almost seems like having my first child all over again. I'm gonna need lots of help from you pro's out there. The girls are super excited; they really wanted a brother. Now the hard part: naming him...(amidst other things:)

Thankful for Spring

2009-04-19T17:00:00.000-05:00

This might be one of the sillier reasons to be thankful for Spring, but it's true: No more huge laundry baskets of socks to fold! Flip-flops are back, and this is one thankful Momma. How do you moms do it with tons of children? I heard one mother of six say she used the "sock box" method: once kids are all in "about" the same size sock, everyone wears the same exact socks, so come laundry day, all the clean socks are tossed in the box, and when someone needs socks, he goes diving for two socks, and that's that...We're still in the different size stage, so for now we'll stick to flip-flops!