one common life

spring fever

2012-02-02T11:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, I realize it's February. Only Groundhog Day, actually. And apparently that clever little groundhog thinks we'll have six more weeks of winter. Ugh. So not what I wanted to hear.

I'm itching for warmer weather and springtime turning into summer. I always considered myself a winter lover with the snow, cozy fires, holiday, etc. And then I had a toddler. Now winter = cabin fever, bundling up, running out of cheap/free activities to do around town and LOTS more energy (uh, him not me).

Now that we have our own place, Tim and I are both excited about making the outdoors our own. I have plans for a porch swing on the front of our cape cod and painting the shutters dark grey and the front door a playful colonial yellow (something on houses I've always envied).

Well, that's just the front. One of the big perks of this house was that it was already landscaped. So nice. Just making it our own personal style is the ticket for getting us to do any sort of "home project".

Of course, Tim is loving the idea of a sweet deck out back, complete with grill and outdoor seating. We L-O-V-E grilling. I actually cook so much more in the summer because I can send Tim outside with a few things and the fresh produce is endless.

A built in fire pit is definitely going to happen. Who doesn't love a good fire in the summer while kids run around and get dirty catching fireflies?

The biggest project (besides the deck of course, which I plan on having very little to do with:)) would be a vegetable garden. Since we've rented for so long, the idea of investing time and money into a garden was silly. I tried my hand at a few container herbs here and there, but we've always loved the idea of our own garden. Tim's not so much a huge veggie lover, but I definitely am - especially home grown. We get all starry-eyed thinking of our family working together in the garden and our kids learning the value of working with your hands. I'm sure it'll turn out that perfectly. :)

Until then, we know we're going to join the local CSA for the months of April & May when you wouldn't be getting too much out of your own plot anyway. Lots of greens & root vegetables. Yum. I enjoy the surprise of different produce each week and having to figure out how to prepare it. Last time we did this, we got some pretty interesting things, tryed lots of new veggies and learned a lot!

I'm always good at making lists and then just looking at them. Hopefully, we'll get some gumption and actually get around to all of our big plans. But right now, it's February. Hm.

Pinterest balance

2012-01-29T18:55:00.000-08:00

I probably spend more time pinning ideas on Pinterest than I should. It's a great resource for inspiration and tutorials. The problem is: I've maybe done less than a handful of the projects I've marked.

You're probably thinking, "Court, what's the problem? You don't work, you have a new house, blank walls, a creative mind, and Pinterest as your resource! Get going already!"

Those are exactly the problems. Along with knowing I'm one of the most indecisive minds I know of. And the notion that now that we own our home, I have to decorate everything like I've always wanted to. That puts a lot of pressure on me.

In my own mind, of course.

I'm easily overwhelmed.

I want every space to be perfect.

I want to be incredibly, cutely organized.

My taste and style changes almost annually.

*sigh*

You know it's bad when my DH is kindly suggesting, "I'm ready for this house to finally get put together."

I know, I know! Meeeeee too.

I'm having a brain fart.

I need to take it one week at a time, maybe one project/improvement a week. That's going to require planning, doing, budgeting, and deciding. Oy.

We're also in transition in this house since we decided to shuffle some bedrooms for the new baby coming in August *eeee!:)* and that has led to closet purging, reorganizing, possible paint color changes, and really wanting to give attention to our master bedroom. We have a pretty small living space in the main part of the house, so some innovative toy storage is underway as well.

In reality, it's a productive day for me if I a)keep Isaac entertained/happy/learning, b)my family fed with healthy meals, c) laundry, dishes & regular household chores maintained, and d)my sanity with keeping up with Bible studies, blogs, Zumba classes, and just SLEEP.

Now my conscience kicks me in the rear and says, "What about all this simple living mumbo jumbo you preach about?"

You're right. It matters no more that my house is perfectly decorated, organized, or updated. I shouldn't worry about the way the house looks as long as its walls are filled with laughing people and great food instead of professionally framed photos.

Balance.

I've got to find a way to balance my creative energy and desire for aesthetically pleasing spaces with the true beauty of a home: how its inhabitants use it.

December in Our Home

2012-01-24T12:03:00.000-08:00

Isaac turned 2! We celebrated with a baseball party and Mexican food (duh).
Made some fun keepsake ornaments with the bean's profile & super easy Scrabble ornaments for anyone I could think of.
Ugly sweater Christmas party with the youth group. I'm usually so proud of my husband. *sigh*
Craig & Lindsay came to visit.
Flew to Virginia for Christmas with my family.
Took lots of goofy pictures of a goofy kid making goofy pictures. I do NOT know where he gets that.

November In Our Home

2012-01-13T18:23:00.001-08:00

Clif notes: We moved into our OWN home, Tim turned 29, we were out of town for 3/4 weekends of the month, Ministers & Wives retreat, Thanksgiving in TN with family, where I ran my first 5K. All of this and somehow we managed to "flip" a bathroom.

Dangit, Katie.

2012-01-13T18:14:00.000-08:00

Alright, I didn't feel so bad about being so behind on blogging since I'd at least blogged in the last few months. But, like Katie, I've had a few gentle nudges to keep blogging and keep my long distance family up to date with more intimate moments besides, "Well, let's see what else is new..." phone conversations. In true orderly fashion, I'm going to have to update you on November-December but that will be quick seeing as I don't really remember much!

Funny things, blogs are, because they tend to weigh more heavily on the writers themselves when they're not updated regularly. Like we've made some sort of virtual commitment to journaling our life and sharing with others. It's half and half with me. I write to appease my readers - let's be honest, my mother and sisters - but I trudge along knowing that I would regret not capturing these days with pictures and thoughts.

So Katie, thanks for getting the ball rolling and back into blogland. I also love reading your posts and you are an encouragement to me - even miles away and with a fairly fresh friendship! (Say that three times fast.)

October In Our Home

2011-11-16T10:35:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe how fast this year has flown by! I look forward to this season every year with the anticipation of the seasons changing and upcoming holidays. This year, I realized that Tim and I have never put up a Christmas tree in the same place twice since we've been married. Phew, am I tired of moving!

October was a fun month for us, full of firsts. It was absolutely beautiful, weather wise, here in central Indiana. It seems like the leaves just took their sweet time changing colors and held on for dear life, giving us a good month to enjoy them.

I'm a sucker for seasonal traditions and the person who is caught saying, "We HAVE to go pick pumpkins-we do every year!". We didn't exactly pick pumpkins this year...the traditional way, at least. We didn't make it to the pumpkin patch before it closed for the day so we took Isaac to the "patch" at Home Depot. He loved it just the same, and whatdya know-cheaper pumpkins. We did, however, make it to the apple orchard. I can't believe I've never picked apples before! (Mom? At least I don't remember?) The day we went, it was actually too warm to really enjoy it, but the cider slushies were a huge hit. Isaac picked a ton of apples, but he had a blast pulling the wagon and having Aunt Sarah lift him way into the middle of the trees.

Look at how much he's grown in a year! In the first picture, he's really just propped up against the big wooden apple and I jumped away quick enough for the picture.

Next up was the big wedding day for Tim's brother. I was excited about a fall wedding (I've secretly always wished we'd gotten married then) and our whole family was very involved. Sarah and I *successfully* baked, iced, transported, and displayed all 200 cupcakes for the wedding - go us! For real, though. It was no small task. Tim and I were both in the wedding party and Isaac was the ring bearer. Well, at least he was acting the part. He made it down the aisle carried by Tim (not the original plan) and then screamed as my mom took him off the stage for the duration of the wedding (also not the original plan). Oops. He cheesed it up big time for pictures and danced like a fool at the reception, so I guess nobody has any proof that he was a mess during the actual ceremony. Well, except the videographer. My parents flew out for a long weekend for the wedding, which was so nice. They were a huge help with Isaac and it was fun for Tim and I to have both our families to celebrate a great wedding.

After things calmed down a bit (and we finally finished the leftover cupcakes), I grabbed a borrowed chicken costume from a friend and took Isaac trick-or-treating while Tim was in bed with the flu that I'd had a few days before. Isaac caught on really quickly and he even had to be reminded that we don't need to say "trick or treat" whenever we want something. He was hilarious dressed as a chicken (as I would think most people are) and it was actually the first time I'd been trick-or-treating since I was probably his age.

That same day, we closed on our first home.

Let me repeat that.

*Ahem*

After almost 4 years of renting 5 different houses, we finally bought a house. The one we'd always wanted.

And we are SO. EXCITED.

Prepare for more "in progress" pictures and posts to come *hopefully*. We're already moved in and starting to slowly chip away at our loooooong list of things we'd like to do to the house. It has great bones and no major things that have to be overhauled, so we're just basically making it to our liking.

Ya know, the fun stuff.

September in our home

2011-10-02T19:18:00.001-07:00

This month was busy and productive! The weather in Indiana couldn't make up its mind between summer and fall, so we danced in a little of each. It's the start of my favorite season of all and the end of a hectic summer.

Isaac kept us on our toes (pun intended)and ended up with his first(of many, I predict)cast. He literally woke up with a fractured ankle from getting his foot caught in his crib slats the night before. Who knew!? Of course, I graciously received the Mother of the Year award when I was convinced he was just making a big deal about his foot falling asleep. I mean, HOW can a child literally wake up with a broken bone when he was fine when you put him down? Well, if that doesn't give you a taste of my son's unpredictability, then I don't know what does.

He actually did surprisingly well on it, and was running around hours after getting the cast on. I put the leggings I made for his crawling stage last year to good use as a cover for his cast. It kept it clean(-er than it would've been without one) and was pretty cool, too! People in the stores and such kept telling me, "Did you know he's missing a shoe?" because they couldn't tell by the way he was walking that it was in a cast! Kids are adaptable, I tell ya.

The very same day Isaac got his cast on, he caught his first flu bug. I'm talking the diarrhea, vomiting, fever, no appetite, "my baby's dying and I don't know what to do" kind. I'm very thankful it was a weekend and Tim was home to help cuddle and clean up. Blech. Most pitiful sight I've ever laid eyes on, that little guy.

While we were at home snuggling a sick and limping little boy, Sarah ran away on a boat. We all hate her. I usually don't let her stand next to me from the months of March-September to avoid any racial assumptions people may have of the two of us. ;)

Once Isaac recovered from his "go big or go home!" weekend of glory and testing our parenting skills, we got back into our normal weekly routine of storytime at the public library. I decided to try moving him up to the 2-3's class and see how it went. Oh, my! He loved it! Structure, listening skills, motor development, themes...it was heaven for both of us. It's so great to have a quality library program for little ones. He learns the songs so quickly and sings them over and over at home or in the car. It's so fun to see him learn. Our refrigerator is filling up quickly with "art projects" that only a mother & daddy could really appreciate.

I mentioned the enormous amount of cupcakes that Sarah and I are making for the big wedding later in October for their brother. It's going to be a lovely fall wedding! We decided to showcase, er, practice some of our cupcake flavors for the couple's shower we hosted and let the bride and groom approve for themselves. Our red velvet and snickerdoodle cupcakes with dulce de leche frosting were a hit! *Sigh of relief.
Now, we have to master the piping and figure out how the heck to transport 200 cupcakes a few hours south. I may feel more pressure than the couple themselves for this big day. My two jobs: make, transport & display 200 cupcakes and get the ring bearer down the aisle. Dressed. Prayers appreciated.

We ended the month with some pretty fun "firsts" for all of us. Isaac got his first "real" haircut (i.e. that didn't involve Mom trying to sneak a few snips in the bath tub when he wasn't paying attention) and now looks five years older. Be still, my heart.

We also took the plunge(or leap of faith) and seriously, actually, this time for real, started the home buying process. If you know our area at all, it's the latter. We couldn't be happier about our choice and how the Lord worked out every single detail to make it happen. We haven't closed or anything yet, so I'll post pictures when it's official!

Happy Fall, Ya'll!

cupcakes

2011-09-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

i have a thing for cupcakes.

i even love the word.

cake. lots of frosting. two bites max. yummm.

i have a soft (sweet) spot for most baked goods and can honestly finish a pan of brownies by myself in record time. thank God for Zumba.

this october, my DH's brother is getting married and the dessert of choice is - cupcakes.

cupcakes have become so popular in events like weddings, and the creativity is almost endless. what color papers? what flavor cake? how MANY flavors? fillings? frostings? sprinkles? dustings?

you really could go on and on. they can be as simple or as detailed as you wish.

this wedding is a fall wedding and the bride has given me permission to be creative. with the expectation to please both taste buds and the eyes. *awkward laugh* simple enough.

fortunately, autumn is a cinch when it comes to flavors. pumpkin, spice cake, apple, red velvet, carrot, almond!

i'm only in the inspiration stage for now, but about a month out i'll be baking on a schedule and freezing them until D-day. guess we'd better start eating out of the freezer now.

thanks to Pinterest, i'm feeling some major vibes from these flavors:

salted caramel cupcakes found here

vanilla almond cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting found here

apple pie cupcakes found here

pumpkin cupcakes found here

and the groom's favorite:

red velvet cupcakes found here

i'm still undecided about how to decorate, although i know simple is best. no spreading frosting with a knife (pleaaaase *eye roll*). piping will have to be mastered, and perhaps a tiny bit of cinnamon & crystal sugar dusting. dark brown papers or white papers? and should i include carrot cake and a basic vanilla?? what about a chocolate with chocolate cupcake? oy.

the bride has an adorable idea for a "sweets" table where the guests can choose their cupcake of choice, along with an assortment of festive candies arranged in glass containers. she's even DIYed a banner to hang above the table.

my goodness, where would we BE without Pinterest to fuel our fires??

probably flipping through bridal magazines like I had to do. you know, back in the day.

Kingdoms in Conflict

2011-07-27T10:53:00.001-07:00

This is a pretty heavy subject to post as my first in awhile. Go big or stop pretending you're a blogger, right?

A few things have led me here. First, our senior pastor has been preaching through the book of 1 Peter. Such a lovely little book. So much to take in in only five chapters, that it's taking us a few months to wade through it. Each line is just saturated with deeper meanings that you might miss if you just blow through the text.

Secondly, I have been mulling over and trying to piece together, in my very small and oh-so-not-politically-savvy brain, the presidential address and the debate over how to handle the nation's debt. Man. It has me troubled. What a big decision! Many say that this these speeches were merely to fill the awkward silence between now and D-day, but there are a few things that both inspired and troubled me.

Because neither party is blameless for the decisions that led to this problem, both parties have a responsibility to solve it.

Totally agree.

The entire world is watching. So let’s seize this moment to show why the United States of America is still the greatest nation on Earth –-

Agreed.
Wait, I take that back. Greatest nation on Earth? Hm. I'm sure at one point, Romans felt the same way. #historyrepeatsitself

(Yes, I just used a hash tag.)

Regardless of your political standpoint on our current president, future candidates, the proposed solutions to raising the debt ceiling, or debt in general, we all have to face facts. This will affect us. And once a decision is made, we will have to accept consequences, good or bad.

What does this have to do with 1 Peter?

At this point in the game, a lot. We as Christians are responsible to help make decisions with our government, but also for our reactions to the the final decisions. More often than not, separation of church and state has proved its failures. Let's remember that the world IS watching after those bills have been passed.

We are active citizens with influence in two kingdoms.

Those kingdoms are often in conflict. How do we handle it?

How are Christians to respond when those in authority over them demand that they do something that would compromise their faith?

The Bible says to submit to authority. However, submitting does not mean compromising. It means we accept any punishments or consequences for obeying Christ in the midst of a worldly government.

1 Peter 2:13-25. Go read it. Or google it. I'll wait:)

So how do we respond to these verses?

First, we need to do just that. We need to RESPOND. In the United States, we are very free people. We have privileges and rights that give us a HUGE advantage for Kingdom purposes.

So many times, I wonder if those suffering for the cause of Christ in other countries are thinking of Americans who believe and just WISH they had the same freedoms they did. Oh, to speak freely about how God is working in your life? And to be able to meet PUBLICLY to worship? And disciple? And serve people ADMITTING it's because Jesus commanded? And to pass out Bibles, let alone CARRY ONE??

Our senior minister, Bob, said it best.

"The worst that can happen is that we make someone really mad."

You're right. I've probably done that pulling into the parking spot before they did, but I wasn't worried about that.

Bob finished his sermon last Sunday mentioning that prayer is the second half of this Kingdom's strategic plan. We need to pray for our brothers and sisters who are living in the parts of the world where persecution is a reality.

He challenged us not to pray for the persecution to be removed, but for the presence of persecution to reveal God's glory.

That's a hard prayer to speak. Of course, we want it easy. We live in America where we think, "They have no right! How dare they persecute!" Well, the fact of the matter is that it exists. And we have a responsibility to react to it. And it may not be to stop it, but to USE it.

So, as our leaders make a great decision next week, I hope you pray. Not that the problems would go away. But that we may be able to respond to the decisions in a way that glorifies God and furthers HIS Kingdom.

You may not agree with much or anything President Obama has ever stated, but he is absolutely right about one thing.

The world is watching.

(several references & notes adapted from Bob Bell's sermon "Kingdoms in Conflict" on July 24, 2011)

checking in

2011-07-22T16:51:00.001-07:00

I'm still here. I check my blog, hoping somehow I've forgotten that I wrote another post since May. Nope. Hm.

I have plenty to write about, and probably a few pictures as well. Just never get to it. I think this happens, eh, about 5 or so times a year.

Let's call it the dog days of summer.

right now i am...

2011-05-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

:: watching the breeze swish in the trees outside, remembering how powerful the wind can be.

:: loving my friends for who they are.

:: wanting to be a part of something bigger.

:: looking at a house with toys everywhere & instead of complaining, being grateful for those toys & the little sticky hands that scatter them about.

:: heading to virginia, arizona & michigan this summer!

:: patting myself on the back for making exercising a habit!

:: waiting for God's perfect timing.

:: enjoying the beautiful weather.

:: surprising myself with my desire for the Word.

:: looking forward to being at home in Virginia in 3 weeks!

:: feeling grateful for safety from harm's way.

:: hoping that i can be used where i am.

run for the hills

2011-04-26T11:03:00.001-07:00

Tim and I just came back from our trip to Boulder, Colorado. This was our trip as a gift to ourselves, an early anniversary present, second honeymoon, a trip we'd better take now before more siblings get married & we have more babies. We were pumped. Boulder is a town that fits our personalities and interests, and it's always a place we've wanted to visit.

The trip could've been better. In fact, it could've been a lot better. Not because of our planning, the weather (that was actually pretty rainy & chilly), the company, things to do, etc. Because when we left for our trip, we had recently learned we were on our way of becoming a family of four. I was between 6-7 weeks along and this was one of the best surprises I'd ever had in life. Since it was a little more work to get pregnant with Isaac, we were beyond thrilled that this pregnancy had just snuck up on us.

When we came home, we weren't pregnant anymore. The sparkle in our eyes was dimming, the disappointment had set in, and I was just plain confused. We'd had a miscarriage. Something I really never envisioned happening to me. (Who does?) Talk about putting a damper on a great trip. Not much R&R.

Looking back a week ago, I still have some frustrations and questions. Probably will for awhile. My intention is not to drag this out and write a "woe is me" post that everyone will comment on and feel sorry for. I know I have little to complain about with my beautiful baby boy at home & a very strong possibility of success in the near future. That's not what this is about. I was wondering why God would pull my heartstrings like that....surprise, you're pregnant. now you're not. What?? In most situations, I try to find God working the details. I was confused, angry, upset, disappointed and desperate last week. I just wanted to run for the hills. So we did just that.

God works in mysterious ways and I have never had any intention of revealing his mystery. It's just not possible & that remains one of my favorite things about our Lord. He is Sovereign and will not be figured out.

Maybe God sent us away to the mountains by ourselves to rest.
Maybe He knew we'd need each other and only each other to make it through the week.
Maybe He knew the towering red rocks against the deep blue sky would speak to me in that moment, as a symbol of His control and power.
Maybe He wanted us to remember that it's not up to us.
Maybe He needed me to change the way I loved my husband.
Maybe He needed me to change the way I mothered the son I do have at home.

Maybe He wanted me back.
Back from somewhere I hadn't realized I'd wandered off to.

All in all, we have begun to heal and move on. There is plenty of silver lining to shine through. In perspective, I know there are several (or more) of you out there who would take this tiny tragedy in a heartbeat compared to what you've suffered. I know that I am blessed to have a child already. This isn't about that. It's about God working in a way that is unclear to us now, and me trusting that He is good.

Because He is good. He wouldn't be anything else.

Psalm 72:3
Let the mountains bring peace to the people, and the hills, in righteousness.

too hot

2011-03-23T18:19:00.000-07:00

our weekend went like this:

Friday night, we all go to bed like usual. Isaac had been asleep since 8pm, and not a peep out of him since. At 2 am, we hear him through the baby monitor almost panicking. Sometimes, this isn't a big deal because he tends to have night terrors & wake up a little disoriented. It's remedied easily by sticking his paci back in and he slumps back down asleep. This time, when I picked him up, I immediately noticed how fire hot he was. I set him on the changing table to undress him from his long sleeve pajamas and noticed his jerky body movements and lack of responding to me. He was having a seizure. I woke Tim up with a stern, "Tim, get up." Tim noticed the situation and we headed out the door to the ER.

Turns out, he had a febrile seizure. A seizure completely brought on by sudden spikes in temperature. He had an ear infection. His second ever! No complaining, no tugging on the ears, nothing. Sheesh, kid. Give your mother a heads up next time.

We were all back in bed by 3:30ish Saturday morning, and Tim & I were comforted and thankful that everything was fine.

Saturday afternoon, we head down to Tim's parents who live about 25 minutes away to visit for a bit. Tim laid down with Isaac for his afternoon nap. An hour later, he emerges from the back bedroom and hands Isaac to me with an unsure tone in his voice. It was happening again.

Maybe 5 mins later, we were once again at the local ER after denying the 100 mile an hour speed we got up to in the jeep. If we weren't at the ER for one thing, I was certain it would be another.

Isaac's temperature had gotten up to 104.5 and this time I was worried. Two seizure episodes in 12 hours? Were the seizures too close? Would they now have lasting effects? My mom brain kept running...

All in all, it was concluded that the antibiotics for the ear infection and the Tylenol/Ibuprofen regimen we started hadn't had time to take effect yet, so it was simply fever related. Of course, we slept (or didn't sleep) like brand new parents that next night...checking on him whenever he made a peep. Tim's sister came to help do rotations since Tim was preaching the next day.

Isaac is back to normal, like nothing ever happened. We're hoping this weekend will just be a bad memory & rite of passage for us as newbie parents in the ER at 2am. I'm more thankful than ever for God's protection over us (mostly when Tim was driving to the ER both times) and that we are all able to go back to living life as usual. I know not everyone is so lucky. We are blessed with our little boy back.

Right now I am...

2011-03-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

:: watching my son grow up faster than i care to accept.

:: loving how curly his hair gets when he's sweaty.

:: wanting to feel content.

:: looking at my new Food Network Magazine & earmarking several smoothie recipes.

:: heading to bed to rest up for Zumba class tomorrow morning-solo. jeeps.

:: patting myself on the back for making two loaves of homemade bread, kale soup & two pizza crusts all in the same day.

:: waiting for the weather to decide to stay warm!

:: enjoying taking isaac outside every change we get to play.

:: surprising myself with new habits.

:: looking forward to our "second honeymoon" vacation to Boulder in 30 days!

:: feeling grateful for the basic provisions.

:: hoping that i'm doing my best each day.

40 bags in 40 days

2011-03-14T11:26:00.001-07:00

i'm a fan of organization. note: i didn't say i WAS organized. but i try. and it's an aspired dream to have systems & bins & plans in place for everything, especially as our family will continue to grow.

i came across this blog about how organizing and purging your home of junk and unneccessary things will slowly help simplify your life and make more room for God. totally on board! i take no credit for this idea; i'm simply jumping on the bandwagon. but it's a neat & organized bandwagon, so there's plenty of room for me.

the gist:
there are 40 days of Lent, the season before Easter. make a list of 40 areas in your home & each day, you will go through and sort, organize & clean that area. done.

the point:
simplify your life. we store most of our stuff, thinking we'll use it someday. in reality, if we can't find it or have access to it, we may as well not own it. it's just causing more frustrations and clutter than anything.

the list:
i mentally walked through the house and listed every area that needed to be purged (our closet, nightstands, clothes storage, hall closet, desk, pantry, etc.) i was very specific about some things, knowing that if it's too big a job, i won't do it in a day. remember things like your wallet, purse, refrigerator, car, etc.

i'm a few days shy of starting on Ash Wednesday for Lent, so maybe I can tackle 2 or 3 small areas to catch up. maybe all the extra stuff that i decided we didn't need can go in a garage sale this spring or donate to Dove Harbor, a women's shelter ministry in the area. it's just not going back in the house!

Rainy Day = Library Day

2011-03-09T12:15:00.000-08:00

I finally have access to the public library. Hallelujah! Isaac & I took a trip there today since it's raining and he is one to need out of the house or a change of scenery once a day (so am I!). He enjoyed running around and pulling books off the shelf more than anything and can spot a Baby Einstein book amongst a hundred board books! I was impressed. Needless to say, we came home with quite a haul. I learned from our last trip not to bring home books with flaps, pop ups, etc. They will be found and eaten. Repeatedly.

My picks:
1. Read It Before You Eat It (inspired read by my sister)

2. Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker (for those Zumba nights when we all eat dinner at different times)

3. Project Runway -Season 6 (for when I'd rather not read or thing, but just sit. and relive the days of the Bravo Channel)

Isaac's picks:
1. Baby Einstein's Baby Animals (he picked this one up and wouldn't let go of it so we had to check it out to avoid a tantrum)

2. Mommies Say Sssh by Patricia Polacco

What are you reading?

Bean Muffins

2011-03-08T06:37:00.000-08:00

Yes, these sound strange. Even gross in a health freak sort of way. Never fear, I wouldn't do that to you. This recipe was introduced to us at a MOPS event about healthy eating & a girlfriend of mine said her son almost begged her for them daily, so I had to whip some up. They turned out wonderfully & before I could even explain that they were made with beans, Tim had gobbled some up and declared his affection. Well, no need to spoil anyone's fun. Glad you like them, honey. *smile*

I made this in a mini muffin pan and just adjusted the baking time. I also added some sweetener (agave, honey, sugar, etc.) just to sweeten it up a tad.

Bean Muffins

1 can light red kidney beans OR 1 1/4 c. home cooked beans
3/4 c. skim milk (or almond, soy, etc.)
2 egg whites OR 1 egg
1/4 unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/16 t. ground cloves

Drain & rinse beans. Puree beans in food processor, gradually adding milk. Pour bean mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, applesauce and brown sugar. Measure and combine dry ingredients seperately; add to bean mixture. Stir until just moistened. Fill muffin pan & bake at 400 for 15 mins.

Optional: adding raisins & nuts. I opted out, since I made these with someone in mind who is short on teeth:)

about learning to see what's right there

2011-02-19T17:37:00.000-08:00

alright, friends. i have a lot going on right now. several things are a-stewin' in this head of mine, which always seems to come in waves. so in advance - hold on, it's random and a bit lengthy.

if you remember several months ago, i said i believe God planted a small seed of a desire to see a successful women's ministry begin to take shape in my local church community. God is faithful and has been continuing his good work. this post is partly mental notes for me to document how this whole thing is taking shape, even if slowly, and partly to share my excitement with you (because how can I keep God's work a secret!?). aside from anything i could ever try to plan & execute myself, i'd love to tell you about the topics stirring around in my head & heart as well.

-started reading(yes, lofty goals!)a book called The Forgotten God by Francis Chan. definitely rethinking (or even paying attention for the first time) to the role of the Holy Spirit in me as living and real, and not just a Sunday School answer.

-Zumba. continues to grow & i love love love hearing the excitement by several participants who are slowly growing in their addiction *evil laugh*. it's working! bridging the gap between healthy physical bodies & healthy communities and souls is narrowing.

-this is a big year for my church community, in my opinion. tim & i have now been here 3 years and feel like it's time to dig into the trenches & get serious about making a change. i'm expecting it to be uncomfortable for many, and we're learning to be okay with that. it always amazes me how God sets things on our hearts individually & then we have those "me too!" moments. we're also starting to make our "church community" as outside the walls of our congregation where tim is employed.

-our current church community is looking towards figuring out what discipleship means for them. it's an uncomfortable conversation at times, and involves some looking in the mirror and admitting that most of the time, we're not doing it. in order to do my part, i've decided that along with the help of the Holy Spirit, i'm going to attempt some matchmaking of my own within the demographic i know best - women. by matchmaking i mean taking what i've learned from previous discipleship groups that have worked well & providing opportunities for women to connect with each other - OUTSIDE of kids, husbands, work, etc.

i have the privilege of being connected to our church body by default - i'm a pastor's wife. people have to be nice to me, know who i am, involve us, etc. however, i need to remember those who may walk into the building looking for that connection. what is there? "hmm, do you have kids? no? um..well, services are at 9 and 10:30. won't that be fun??" (sad, but true.)

-tim and i have been faced with the reality that Anderson might be a long term home for us. we've complained for far too long about how this city has nothing to offer the twenty somethings for entertainment, culture & recreation. we've done a half ass job, to probably be pretty honest, about investing in this city as the Lord's holy ground. too long we've lived in a "one day" state of mind and dreaming about the next trendy town we live in with lots to keep us entertained and endless ministry opportunities. well, i feel as if a veil has been lifted and that place we always said we'd live intentionally and make our mission field is right. freaking. here. Anderson is a special town with financial strife, poverty, hopeless people, and an education system that is below par. who are we to decide we're too good for this place? and what cool city park or trendy cafe can replace good friends that would do anything for you & live life with you?? God needs us here. we try to remind ourselves when we have frustrations about our present location that if we don't stay and give hope, who will?

well, i don't ever promise great literature or clever crafty tutorials, but i hope that you find encouragement & comfort in reading about how God works through a crazy world, even if it's just the small realm of my own reality here in a seemingly hopeless city in central Indiana.

God bless. enjoy your time with loved ones this weekend & make sure they know you love them.

wanted:

2011-02-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

new pillows for the couch in the EXACT colors i need. now if i only had an extra $160 for all four...

God prepared us, even then.

2011-02-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

This is an old blog post from 2006. Tim and I weren't even married yet. I found it wandering around my own blog and thought it was interesting to see how something I wrote almost five years ago applies to my life in the present. This is often how Tim and I have been viewing our years here in Anderson, the big town with little hope. There certainly wasn't much "pulling" us to Anderson, but we were every bit shoved out here by God telling us to stop complaining about the church and BE the church. We don't necessarily consider ourselves 'missionaries' in the vocational sense, but maybe we should.

what is a missionary?
october 26, 2006

this morning's devotion has been sticking in my mind so clearly today. many times i've had to reread things in order to really process what it's saying, especially in the morning and today was no different. along with having to explain it to myself to make sure i understood instead of just read, i connected it to....be surprised.....a teaching strategy.

i've often taught a lesson about the pioneers and the California Gold Rush. there were many things that "pulled" settlers out west, things that enticed and were attractive to men and women alike that gravitated them West. Things such as harsh conditions and failure in their original homelands are categorized as things that "pushed" them.

again, we have conditions that attracted them "towards" something and conditions that repelled people or "pushed" them from behind.

in church words, we could say some were "sent" and some were "called". make sense?

missionaries are often persuaded to present their missions using graphic stories, outstanding statistics, and desperate faces on their slides and displays. don't get me wrong, needs have to be met and sometimes we have to have that certain heartstring pulled inside ourselves in order to feel motivated at all. situations have to appear desperate enough in order to "call" people to them.

however, Oswald Chambers challenged me this morning to look at it a different way.
missionaries are sent. they might feel called, but i believe that in fact, they are commanded by a force BEHIND them. they are not sent by the people who need them. they are pulled towards them, but sent by Jesus.

the most important part of the whole missionary equation is the command. don't go because they need you. go because you were told to go.

fix the "pulls" as a result of the "push".

In missionary enterprise the great danger is that God's call is effaced by the needs of the people until human sympathy absolutely overwhelms the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, the conditions so perplexing, that every power of mind falters an dfails. We forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary enterprise is not first the elevation of the people, nor the education of the people, nor their needs; but first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ- "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations."

Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

For today

2011-02-06T19:31:00.000-08:00

Outside my window: it's dark, yet surprisingly bright with all the snow on the ground.

I am thinking: about paint colors for the main bathroom. And how i'd love to own a house and do what i wanted, but that takes money and commitment. Neither of which i have.

I am thankful for: my husband, who lets me sit in the recliner and hog the computer. during the superbowl.

From the kitchen: I have potato soup planned to feed our small group tomorrow, and i must stop making desserts.

I am wearing: my pajama pants from Goodwill. that's right. well, and a tshirt. geez.

I am reading: nothing printed, except for the occasional cookbook.

I am hoping: that spring comes quickly and isaac's nose will stop running. :(

I am creating: an opportunity for change in my eating habits (a continuous effort, since i am a lover of all desserts)

I am hearing: the Super Bowl wrapping up, and the click of my husband's camera as he attempts some night shots.

Around the house: we are slowly purging out the unnecessary and organizing!

One of my favorite things: is my little boy's laugh.

A few plans for the rest of the week: First night of our new small group, zumba class, MOPS on Thursday, and hopefully getting back into the routine of going to the Y after so much snow has canceled everything i look forward to!

simple cleaning recipes

2011-01-31T20:22:00.001-08:00

my last post was intended to give you a few simple cleaning recipes that i've bookmarked and used, but i ended up ranting and raving about our messy closet. messes bother me. obviously.

so here are those recipes i wanted to archive for myself and share, if you haven't already discovered how simple cleaning can be without chemicals and yucky stuff.

Floor cleaner:
In a bucket of hot water (or plug up the kitchen sink like I do), add one cup of white vinegar and a drop of (hand) dish detergent. Add a pinch of borax if you have ant problems. The borax creates a slight natural residue on the floor that acts as a repellent for ants.

Drain cleaner:
Pour half a cup baking soda down the problematic drain, chased by one cup of white vinegar. The soda & vinegar will react. When fizzing stops, pour a kettleful of boiling water down the drain.

Coffee maker:
Pour one pint vinegar in the water reserve and top off with water. Run the coffee maker through a brewing cycle enough to make one cup. Then turn the machine off and let sit for an hour. Turn it back on and finish brewing remaining liquid. Rinse thoroughly and brew a pot of water only to get rid of any vinegar-y taste.

get out the shovel

2011-01-31T07:48:00.001-08:00

i've been reading a few books on simple homemade cleaning recipes & organization methods in an effort to finally get our house under control and not have to stash things behind closed doors when we're having company (a bad habit that i am very guilty of). maybe it's my post-nesting nesting stage, who knows. maybe i've just had enough. we took a trunk full of clothes & other items to Goodwill the other day and it's barely made a dent. we have way too much stuff in "storage" for a family of two & a half.

poor tim has fallen victim to this purging streak of mine when i was throwing out an entire garbage can of junk that had collected in the student room at church. i've cleaned out my car, i've purged even isaac's clothes of things we don't need, even with the chance that another kiddo could wear it one day. after our Starbucks date, the caffeine kept me up til 1am scrubbing floors, sorting clothes, packing away maternity clothes (woohoo!) and baby items, and wiping down furniture. i may have kept him up, then, too.

if you want to know the real truth about someone, look in their closet. tim and i share a (smalllll) closet in our bedroom and we each have our own dresser. tim even has a storage unit for just his tshirts (color coded if you must know-i had to practice putting them away in the correct drawers). we have a lot of clothes. it's a weakness. it's a lot of fun to be married to someone who likes a good sale at the Gap Outlet as much as you do, but it's brutal on the lack of closet space. we both keep sorting & folding, resorting & refolding in order to make it a little easier to live with but it's a vicious cycle. we even try to switch out winter/summer clothes to help with space. even with purging my clothes of the "let's be honest, court, you're probably not going to fit into that ever again" voice in my head filling bags to send to Katrina's, i still come out stuffed to the brim. we really just need a bigger closet. but for now, we'll have to go with what we have and make it work. i read in a book recently, "if you can't even find it, then you may as well not own it." good point.

tim's side

my side
help!

2011-01-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

if i had places to wear skirts & boots, like super trendy NYC coffee shops and such, I'd probably have a pair of legwarmers for every day of the week.

unfinished [ok, fine. never started] projects for 2011

2011-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

image source

i have great ideas. i'm really lousy at following through with them. if i had more space for sewing & organizing all of my supplies, i'd do it more. if i wasn't so impatient, i could actually do a project the right way. if i wasn't someone who needed instant results, i'd be a better crafter. if this, then that. blah dee blah.

i have a whole year in front of me to, if anything, make christmas gifts for next year. i'm not kidding, it may take me that long. sometimes i do get sudden urges to craft and make a mess of things (which actually is a hard thing for me to do after spending so much time tidying up).

i'd say you can hold me accountable, but that's a joke. even still, here's what my brain is saying i will accomplish with my creative hands this year:

-reapholster the guest room headboard
-sand & paint the guest room nightstand
-finish fabric covered bulletin board
-paint wooden benches for the backyard
-attempt to sew something for myself to wear
-make a few christmas/birthday/mother's day gifts
-learn to crochet and NOT give up before three rows
-paint the bathroom (only if we sign another lease...i'm tired of fixing OTHER people's houses)
-purge & organize the house, room by room

i'll keep my list small at this point. don't hold your breath, but send creative vibes my direction!

Believe it.

2011-01-13T12:40:00.001-08:00

Things I never thought I'd do. New Year's resolutions. Craziest idea yet.

I wasn't quite sure what to give as the title to this post. Any of them qualify. But it's true. I am actually a real live Zumba instructor. They're letting me teach other people how to exercise! Yes, they're crazy and they have a LOT of faith in me.
If you've known me for any length of time longer than six months, you probably quickly learned that I am NOT (but seriously) the athletic type. I dabbled in dance in MS, then volleyball in HS. That's it. No intramurals, pick up games, anything. I was that girl who told the teacher she was on her period so she didn't have to run the mile. (Does that even matter?) I was the girl who took a C in P.E. class because she didn't want to dress out. I was the girl who stressed out about youth group games because I wasn't sure what to expect and if it required any sort of athletic ability, I was sure I was doomed.

Enter Katrina.

She asked me to go to a Zumba class in our area probably 4 or 5 times before I actually went. I had probably run out of excuses. I dragged myself there and actually made it through a class. The next day, I could hardly use the stairs I was so sore. But I had loved it! And it was so much fun! And I had worked out for an HOUR!?

That was in late October.

Not even three months later, Katrina and I are two weeks in to TEACHING our own Zumba class at church. And 43 of you actually took us seriously that first night.

It's been so much fun to see how God's been working in my life the last few months. It's amazing how He places people in your life to be your motivation, courage, and partner. I'm telling you now, this is something I'd NEVER EVER EVER thought in a million years I would be doing. And I absolutely love it.

As each month passes since I gave up my salary-paying job to stay at home and focus on my family & home, He has blessed us.

Katrina has played a huge part in that blessing. I'm pretty sure I'm here for comic relief and suggesting a few old school DC Talk songs. She came up with the idea of starting our own class in order to educate, encourage, & enable women in our church community to live healthy & active lives. So far, it's a big hit. Our prayer is that we can build a community of women to have fun together & make ourselves a priority so we can give back to our families a healthy & happy mom/daughter/wife/sister.

This is one of those times in my life when I think about if I had had the chance to "look into the future" a year ago and see myself on a stage in a Zumba tank doing the Beto shuffle....I would have DIED laughing. And then gotten really scared.

under her spell

2011-01-05T13:20:00.001-08:00

hands down, my favorite cookbook ever. so far.

tim's probably already tired of me saying over (and over and over again) how much i love this cookbook and how i was impressed that i could reproduce her recipes so easily. he'll never say it, though. i might stop cooking.

not only are they great recipes, but she's a great gal. she takes wonderful pictures, lives on an *amazing* and beautiful ranch in Oklahoma (one day) and loves the stuffing out of her kids and cowboy husband. i mean, c'mon. i dare you to find a reason not to love her. she's not afraid to use real butter. see, told ya.

visit her blog (where i first discovered her talents) at www.thepioneerwoman.com

*HUGE thanks to my favorite sister-in-law for this *slightly hinted* christmas gift!

a new 2011

2011-01-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

new year's resolutions aside, i think we're all ready for changes when it comes to be this time of year. we've gotten through the holidays and are now settling in for the winter (if you're in the midwest like me). once the busyness of the holidays wear off, we have a little more time to reflect on where we are and what we're doing. this time last year, i was still recovering from having a baby and was starting to crack through the shell of discontentment with my life, my body image, and my priorities. i still have a great way to go, but looking back, i can say that 2010 was filled with great and wonderful things.

in 2010:
-i spent the first 4 months enjoying maternity leave from teaching, figuring out routines for our newborn, and trying to catch up on sleep.
-tim bought a used Land Rover Disco, only to have it totally by a policeman unfit to drive. enter tim's dream car plan b, a Jeep.
-finished teaching the final 7 weeks of the school year with no real plans to return, honestly.
-i bought a sewing machine. and used it a few times.
-we joined a CSA for the spring and had loooooots of lettuce & greens to eat.
-we moved again. thankfully, we are in a great mold-free home on a full acre. marley is very grateful.
-i planted herbs. and watched most of them die.
-isaac traveled on a plane (twice in his first year!)
-my middle sister was married the end of June in the sweltering heat (and i mean that with every ounce of me).
-we spent a week in the Outer Banks of NC with family (isaac's first trip to the beach)
-we visited Grandma & Grandad in Ann Arbor (tim and isaac's first trip to A2)
-isaac learned to sit up, then crawl, get 6 teeth, then walk before his first birthday (just barely).
-i became a Pampered Chef consultant (to feed the bank a bit and my habits a lot)
-isaac moved to the toddler nursery at church (maybe only a momentous milestone for me).
-i attended a zumba class.
-2 months later, i am licensed to teach a zumba class! (yes, i'm for real)
-Blum family comes for Christmas

in 2011:
-tim and i will TRY to plan a trip for just us before more babies, weddings, etc. come along
-i will start teaching a Zumba class at church with Katrina!
-Port Hope trip is already underway for this summer, and plans are to plant apple/pear trees in the orchards for the years to come
-we will consider adding to our family of 3:)
-tim and i will do our very best to eat organically, locally, and all around healthier.
-i will continue to procrastinate on projects that involve a sewing machine.
-i will read actual books, not including magazines or blogs.
-isaac will continue to amaze us and perfect his "gets it from his mother" strong willed personality that will keep us on our toes (and laughing).
-tim and i will go mountain biking TOGETHER.
-we will continue our journey at Bethany, loving our kids more and more every day.

Happy New Year, everyone!

if i had the time...

2010-12-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

...i would make these.

Mary's Prayer

2010-12-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

I've never read something that says what I have felt (in a millionth of a fraction)as a mother quite like this. Like I said, Isaac was born about a week before Christmas, so there was no way not to think of Mary and how she must've felt about her new baby. And on top of that, add the humiliation, fear, embarassment & sea of unanswered questions she still had.

Mary’s Prayer

God. O infant-God. Heaven’s fairest child. Conceived by the union of divine grace with our disgrace. Sleep well.

Sleep well. Bask in the coolness of this night bright with diamonds. Sleep well, for the heat of anger simmers nearby. Enjoy the silence of the crib, for the noise of confusion rumbles in your future. Savor the sweet safety of my arms, for a day is soon coming when I cannot protect you.

Rest well, tiny hands. For though you belong to a king, you will touch no satin, own no gold. You will grasp no pen, guide no brush. No, your tiny hands are reserved for works more precious:
to touch a leper’s open wound,
to wipe a widow’s weary tear,
to claw the ground of Gethsemane.

Your hands, so tiny, so white—clutched tonight in an infant’s fist. They aren’t destined to hold a scepter nor wave from a palace balcony. They are reserved instead for a Roman spike that will staple them to a Roman cross.

Sleep deeply, tiny eyes. Sleep while you can. For soon the blurriness will clear and you will see the mess we have made of your world.

You will see our nakedness, for we cannot hide.

You will see our selfishness, for we cannot give.

You will see our pain, for we cannot heal.

O eyes that will see hell’s darkest pit and witness her ugly prince . . . sleep, please sleep; sleep while you can.

Lie still, tiny mouth. Lie still, mouth from which eternity will speak.

Tiny tongue that will soon summon the dead, that will define grace, that will silence our foolishness.

Rosebud lips—upon which ride a starborn kiss of forgiveness to those who believe you, and of death to those who deny you—lie still.

And tiny feet cupped in the palm of my hand, rest. For many difficult steps lie ahead for you.

Do you taste the dust of the trails you will travel?

Do you feel the cold seawater upon which you will walk?

Do you wrench at the invasion of the nail you will bear?

Do you fear the steep descent down the spiral staircase into Satan’s domain?

Rest, tiny feet. Rest today so that tomorrow you might walk with power. Rest. For millions will follow in your steps.

And little heart . . . holy heart . . . pumping the blood of life through the universe: How many times will we break you?

You’ll be torn by the thorns of our accusations.

You’ll be ravaged by the cancer of our sin.

You’ll be crushed under the weight of your own sorrow.

And you’ll be pierced by the spear of our rejection.

Yet in that piercing, in that ultimate ripping of muscle and membrane, in that final rush of blood and water, you will find rest. Your hands will be freed, your eyes will see justice, your lips will smile, and your feet will carry you home.

And there you’ll rest again this time in the embrace of your Father.

an excerpt from Max Lucado's God Came Near

suggestions welcome

2010-12-08T12:20:00.001-08:00

Ok, I need some help with this "closet". I have no idea what to do with it. It's not really a closet, but more shelves and storage in a doorway...yes, weird. we walk through it to go from our hallway by the bedrooms through to the kitchen/office area. the closest thing to it are the desk & pantry.

i'd love to use it practically, for storage maybe, but what does one store in a pass through closet on the way to the bedrooms?

i wanna hear what you think! do i make it decorative or functional? really, i'd love both. the opposite wall from the 2 shelves has nothing, but not really any room for coat hooks since we walk through it.

help!

in the spirit of christmas...

2010-12-08T11:23:00.000-08:00

What are 7 areas where you can be happier with LESS??

advent calendar tutorial

2010-12-02T09:01:00.000-08:00

I have to give credit to my friend Jennifer of Laineybug Creations for the inspiration of this calendar. The above picture is the banner she made for the hospital door when Isaac was born last year. It reads "Baby Isaac" and has a blank tag in the middle where we filled in all of his stats. It made it easy for visitors to find our hospital room, and we now have it hanging in his room. So when I wanted to make a simple advent calendar, I used this banner as a jumping off point.

Here are the supplies you'll need:

-Scrapbook paper (I used 4 different coordinating colors. You can use more or less, depending on how uniform you want your calendar to be)
-9 feet of 1/4" ribbon (I found mine in the scrapbooking section at JoAnn's for $1 a spool)
-Glue stick
-Hole punch
-Scissors
-Ruler & pencil
-Letter stamps & coordinating color ink pad (optional)
-Craft punch (optional)

1. Choose 3 coordinating colors (optional if you want all one color) for the tags themselves and 2 colors for the numbers & background.

2. Fold the paper in half, and then in half again.

3. Cut the piece of folded paper in equal parts. You should get four in each piece.

I glued the insides of the paper to itself (glue white to white) to make it a little sturdier.

4. Cut 25 rectangles of coordinating colors to use as the backgrounds for the numbers. You will also need circles for each numerical digit (one circle for the 2 and 5 in "25"). I used a craft punch, but you could use scissors if you wanted.

5. Assemble the pieces in the pattern that you choose.

6. Use stamps, markers, or whatever you choose to number each dot on the cards. Then put the Scriptures in each card. There are several books and online resources for finding Advent Scriptures.

7. Using a hole punch, make holes in the corners of each card. Use the ribbon to tie each tag together, making sure to tie a ribbon on each end for hanging.

Hang it somewhere you'll see every day. We have ours in the kitchen doorway where we can see it while we eat breakfast. I even considered wrapping it around our Christmas tree like a garland. Either way, enjoy!

starting advent

2010-12-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

my mom always had an advent wreath on our table growing up. the one with three red candles and one white, for the last Sunday or Christmas. we jumped around several different denominations and churches when we were young, finally finding a home in a Christian church in Virginia. so needless to say, i've had a lot of experience dabbling in other church Christmas traditions. my paternal grandfather was a clergyman in the Episcopal church and i think we, at one point or another, have attended Presbyterian, Nazerene, United Methodist, Church of Christ, and Christian church. whew. i'm pretty sure all we've concluded from our "church shopping" as we always called it whenever we moved somewhere new, was that if a church honors the Lord, follows Jesus as Savior, and believes the Bible is God's inspired word and LIVES IT, then they're ok with us. or me. i guess i shouldn't speak for the rest of my family.

not to get into unnecessary discussions about denominations, blah blah crappity crap.

my POINT is... i've been aware of the celebration of advent since i was a kid. (sorry it took me so long to get there).

now that tim and i are parents, we have been forced to step back and really evaluate how our life looks to others. we realize that our children can be told what's important a bazillion times, but i'd rather them KNOW what's important because they see us making priorities. one thing that tim will "soapbox" about is the hype and ridiculousness that is Christmas gifts. how is our celebration of Christmas really any different than someone who doesn't follow Christ? oh, er...*awkward silence. i guess it's not.

enter, advent calendar. not the cardboard calendar where you get a piece of chocolate when you open each numbered door (which i loved dearly as a kid), but one that really hits home with the anticipation of Christmas. that's what we all love about the holiday anyway. so, instead of anticipating gifts and Santa and getting, getting, getting we hope to create a season of celebration and wonder and excitement for celebrating the coming of a baby named Jesus. we're still decorating like crazy, playing Jingle Bells, and buying gifts but the excitement will hopefully come from a different perspective.

it's only the first day, but already, i love it. we worked on our homemade advent calendar together (that's a first!) and i think it turned out pretty good. each day has a Scripture to read. we've decided to get up early (ok earlier than isaac), eat breakfast together (meaning i need to actually make it) and read that day's verse as a family. whoa. that's high expectations for us. today's verse was Romans 13:11-14.

this time of year brings back strong memories for us, since our isaac was born about a week before Christmas. we had the anticipation of a baby in real life. i never payed attention to the words of songs like "Mary Did You Know" and "What Child is This?" like i did last year. the wonder and anticipation of a baby is pretty amazing any month of the year, but near Christmas it just seemed escalated. i would wonder if what i felt was just a smidgen of how Mary did when we was too swollen and tired to put up her Christmas tree. or ride on a donkey. whatever.

i'd love for you to follow along with us as we go on our advent journey as a family. i'm not even going to dare to say that i will blog about each day, but maybe in the next 24 days i will have a few to highlight. this has also inspired me to change up the breakfast menu a bit. i have several omelettes, fruit & oat scones, and an apple & sausage breakfast casserole (interesting) planned to get us away from the pancakes/waffles i usually depend on.

happy december, everyone! may you see Christ this Christmas.

4. anger

2010-11-19T19:57:00.000-08:00

This blog post from a frequently visited site on my list is just great. Read it.

Let Nothing Stand Between You

3. laundry

2010-11-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

As I was sitting here trying to choose something to be thankful for, I remembered that I had laundry waiting to be changed over and I complained about it. How selfish! Let me complain about how I have clean clothes and towels waiting downstairs in my less-than-a-year-old front loader washing machine. Come on, Court. So I am thankful that I can do laundry any time I want; I have clothes that need washing in clean water that's fully accessible at any time of day, and I have a family that is active and gets their clothes dirty.

I suppose I should be thankful for the dirty dishes, too...that will be waiting for me tomorrow.:)

2. growth

2010-11-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

Not only am I thankful that my little boy is healthy and growing like a weed, learning new things every day, but I am thankful for my own growth. I've said before that I live a life of seasons, and this last year has definitely been a growing year for me. I guess becoming a parent will do that to ya. I've had to stretch beyond myself and make my life about someone other than me. The sad truth is, I should have been doing this all along. As a follower of Christ, I should have been living my life as a way of pointing to Jesus, but let's be honest.

This last year, I think Tim and I both have been re-evaluating a lot about ourselves and the way we live. We've tried to be intentional in everything we do, whether it's what we eat, who we are around, or what we spend our money on. We've had to make some major adjustments because of Isaac, but I really don't think I would change any of them. I love the challenge of trying to live more simply, more intentional, with more regard to others and the life that Jesus has come to give us. I've grown in many ways this year, and really feel like I'm finally starting to taste the fruit of this life we live for God. And it's good stuff.

serving thanksgiving a little early...

2010-11-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

So I have been encouraged by several Facebook friends and bloggers that have started listing one thing every day in November that they are thankful for. I'm a few nine days behind, but it will give me something to blog about daily and maybe even solidify how blessed I already know I am.

1. Grandads

This was taken the weekend of my little sister's wedding at home in Virginia. Dad wanted Isaac to try the pool, and of course, he loved it. Isaac had a disposable diaper on and it kept swelling and swelling with the water. By the end of their swim time, Isaac was practically bottoms up from the floating diaper.

is currently reading...

2010-10-29T19:06:00.000-07:00

I don't get to go to the library very often, since we now live outside the city limits and the PUBLIC library isn't accessible to me. *whatever* Since tim has a library card with the church, I ask politely like a little girl wanting her daddy to take her to get ice cream and we make a trip.

This is what I came back with:

I'm really excited about this one. I've been wanting some really fun, intentional family traditions to start while Isaac is young and I think we will enjoy this one. You can make or buy an ornament for each day of Advent. There are devotionals to do with your kids, songs to sing that go along with that day's theme, and devotions to do with other adults as well. As a kid, we always had an Advent wreath so it's special for me, too.

This one looks really good, too. The topic of Advent had me thinking, so I picked this up.

Before you think I'm going to get all femi-Nazi on you, it's quite the opposite. But not in a spine-less, weaker link sort of way. I first heard of this author when a friend and I attended the True Woman conference last month. One of those things that change your entire perspective.

I honestly never thought I'd be reading this, just because I never thought I'd be a mom of boys. So glad I am. :)

i agree...great gift ideas!

2010-10-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

Check out one of my favorite blogs, Passionate Homemaking. In this post, she raves about great gift ideas for this Christmas and...gasp! she mentions The Pampered Chef! I love her blog about being frugal, natural, and Christ centered with her family so I was very proud to see our products on her top lists as great suggestions!

Oh, and let me know if you want any of the great stuff she suggests;)

my absurd, make believe, "if only" wish list

2010-10-25T19:53:00.000-07:00

i suppose i can label myself as a list-maker. it's nice to simplify and gather thoughts all in one neat, little column on a petite sticky note. i make to-do lists all the time, grocery lists, wish lists, idea lists, etc. i have a tiny spiral notebook entirely dedicated to lists. in general. i try to keep it with me in the instance that i need to jot something down or make a list of something i need to remember later. i doubt it really lends itself as a useful organizing tool for me, considering the fact that it's buried underneath messy paperwork on the desk right now. to each his own.

tonight, i felt like i just wanted to make a fun list. a list that isn't reality, and is a little bit materialistically (is that a word, court?) aloof. feel free to practice the art of giving if you feel so inclined. and if you're simply a reader, feel free to chuckle a bit.

this is my "i simply must do something with this money tree in my backyard that won't stop growing..." list:

1. A dutch oven (or two) like this one. I'd probably need a purple AND a green one.

2. A lifetime supply of these. And any other brand is just not the same.

3. A bright yellow one of these. They just look so fun. And ergonomically fancy shmancy designed and stuff.

4. This would actually be something Tim and I would both love. In all seriousness. And a couple extra thousand bucks. But ya know...it could happen.

water

2010-10-09T10:16:00.001-07:00

I'm never so sure if things line up in my life according to God's planning it that way, or if I'm just convincing myself that it's so. However, I am a firm believer in the practice of prayer & spending time and energy getting to know our Creator. Since I've gotten (a little) better at turning an ear towards God's leading in my life lately, I find God in the details. Everywhere. I knew He was there before, but mostly just in the major panics or blessings that would catch anyone's attention. Nowadays, I'm delighted to find Him in the every day happenings of life as a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.

Our adult small group has been (slowly) working through a film series called Blessed Earth by Dr. Matthew Sleeth. We're eating it up, just because it gives us an excuse to blab on about how important it is to recycle and reuse napkins, but mostly because it's so good at teaching how "following Jesus is good for the planet". It takes the trendy green movement and makes it intentional for the life of the church. Good stuff.

Our last session was entitled, "Water". Long story short, we were sent home with the assignment of trying to be more aware of how fortunate we are to have free access to clean, drinkable water 24/7. We searched the Scriptures for mention of water and took note of how Jesus even called Himself the "Living Water". We were challenged to post a verse somewhere near the sink, shower, etc. to remind us of God's thorough connection with water. I chose Psalm 65:9,

"You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it."

I'm telling you all this because on Thursday of this last week, our well went out. We didn't have water when we woke up, and the issue didn't get resolved until about 7:30 that evening. Isaac and I were at home all day without running water. No shower, no washing dishes, no doing laundry, and no...flushing. the. toilet. I made sure that I stopped to use the restroom when I was out running errands since I wasn't able to use it at home. It was definitely annoying and frustrating, especially since we didn't know the extent of what needed to be fixed, etc. but it definitely made me stop and think immediately about what we've just been studying.

Water.

Not only did God want me to think about it in my mind, but to feel it physically for a day. Without water, there is no life. Of course, in our readily available society, you can go buy almost anything you'd ever need, including water. But I didn't that day. I (tried) waiting patiently until it was fixed, and then continued to thank God for being my Living Water. That evening, I remember being really thirsty and being truly thankful for being able to just turn on my faucet and fill my glass.

God's in the details, guys. He may need to turn your world around for a day to make sure you're really thankful for what He's done...even if it's just reminding you that you're damn lucky to have running water. Just like your mother used to say, "There are kids in the world who don't have vegetables to eat, so be thankful!" Listen to her. It's true.

Plus, moms are always right. Psh.

9 months

2010-09-24T19:18:00.000-07:00

it wasn't my intention to let so much time slip by between posts. it never is. ah, well.

i always feel like i have to have a picture to start with in order to get my thoughts going. it's quite intimidating to me to sit at the computer and just...blog. i don't know where to start. and do you really want to hear random thoughts? or should i always have a "subject" to be writing about?

i've been trying to be really good about documenting isaac's milestones. problem is - i'm about 8 months late. better late than never, i suppose. we're well into month nine, one that i am discovering is full of independence, personality, and fun things like teething and first ear infections.

unfortunately, this is one of the very few good shots we got, since isaac was dealing with said ear infection at the time and was not happy that i kept removing the rocks from his mouth every ten seconds. too bad, kiddo. i'm not changing those diapers.

jeremiah 17:8

2010-09-09T12:29:00.000-07:00

my sister, ashley, recently finished up a nice little project that i had intended on doing myself one day but she got done much faster (and probably much better!) than i could have. she's currently in limbo with teaching jobs with the rest of america, so when she popped over for a visit one saturday, i "suggested" her doing these for me. i was so impressed with the result! she did it all free hand, and i love that it's one of a kind!

i've always loved that saying and the meaning it has for our family. we've both fallen in love with the symbolism of a tree in many ways. his latest tattoo (below) fits him perfectly.

jeremiah 17:8 is disguised in the roots of the tree on his arm and reads,
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.

i love praying for and dreaming about how tim has the great opportunity to be an example of a true man of God with his little boy. the men of the Church at large have a big calling and responsibility to stand up and be steadfast, anchored in the Word of God & rooted in love. the symmetry just jumps out all over the place when we start comparing trees & spirituality.

i pray that isaac will grow straight and tall as he gets older. that he will be rooted in faithfulness, love, and Truth. i pray that he will be able to be an example of a real man and produce fruit that gives all the glory to God. i know i have a big part in this as his mother as well, and i'm not going to pretend it's not intimidating!

for now, tim and i are going to try our hardest to tend to the little "acorn" God has given us, and remember that we have been chose to help raise one of God's disciples.

in which i can't quiet my brain

2010-09-04T19:08:00.000-07:00

first of all, let me give credit where credit is due. i'm at starbucks right now, enjoying my first pumpkin spice latte of the season. by myself. on a saturday night at 10pm. ahhh. my husband is awesome and letting me have time to just be myself and enjoy time reading, blogging, and indulging in highly over-priced caffeinated beverages. i mean, that's why i married him.

i have a lot on my mind and heart lately. most of it has to do with "dreams" of what i can do to get involved even more in our youth ministry, get involved in my own ministries (at home, with friends, etc.), and how to encourage those around me. it's been amazing at the time and energy i've been blessed with now that i'm not working full time. i feel like i can minister full time. whether that comes from not taking advantage of my working years and seeing them as ministry, or just not being in my "niche" is irrelevant. at least right now.

in this season of my life, i have found God putting many new opportunities in front of me to dream and plan, write, read, study and just learn about the ways i can minister and be ministered to right here in Anderson, Indiana.

a couple of things i've been brewing up lately:

-planning a fall girls' retreat for our students and challenging them to be the women they are growing up to be
-getting to (really)know the women that help us out at Bethany & finding ways to encourage them
-start a late Bible study with a few girls & inviting some we don't
-being accountable to 9 other women (some in South Korea!) about reading the Scriptures every day
-praying about & seeking opportunities to earn a small income while doing something i LOVE (like writing?)

this may seem like a small list to some, but i have to start small. i'm amazed at what mental energy was somehow buried underneath the burden of working full time and the frustration of not having the time to dive into what i wanted.

i am embracing this new season in my life as my new full time ministry. little did i know what there really is a lot to it!

disclaimer: by all means, i am not saying that working full time is a burden or am looking down upon it. i live a life of seasons, and right now for me, this is not what's best for my life. i often miss the pride and respect of being able to say i'm using my graduate degree and making a respectable income similar to my husband!

also, i know this picture doesn't have much to do with the post, but it's by far my favorite recent family pictures, taken today when we visited our first apple orchard of the fall season:) ok, it's really just because i like to brag about how stinkin' blessed i am with my two boys.

a family adventure

2010-08-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

tim finally cashed in his father's day gift IOU and found a child's carrier pack. we headed to Mounds State Park in Anderson to try it out. it was a gorgeous day and isaac didn't even notice that he didn't have lunch until 2:00 because he was so busy just looking around and giggling when either of us would "run" with the pack on our backs. his favorite thing to do was either lean as far as he could to one side so he could watch Marley walk the trails...or pull our ponytails out.

what goes around..

2010-08-20T20:31:00.000-07:00

my grandmother sent me this picture a few months ago when i was complaining about not getting sleep with a new baby. she wanted me to "note the tired eyes" that my mother had when she was so enthusiastically feeding me.if you didn't already know how much i resemble my mom, this picture is a great example. i'm about six months old here...it was Christmas in 1984.

what were YOU doing for Christmas in 1984??

fighting for morning

2010-08-16T04:17:00.001-07:00

i've never been very good at carving out dedicated time each day to read my Bible. i just don't sit down and read, period. i know it's a weak link in my day and my journey in faith, but i'd just accepted the fact. tim, on the other hand, is very good at this. he is a reader, and is usually very consistent with finding time to be alone with God. this is one of the many reasons i know the Lord made us for each other. in some instances, you couldn't find two more people as opposites but complements of the other.

recently, i've actually wanted to get up early and start my day with reading & having time to myself. maybe it's because if i let isaac be my alarm, i'm not ready for the day & don't feel prepared to meet him every morning with a joyful attitude. i stumble around, trying to get him changed, get him breakfast, and wake up myself all at the same time. it's still taking tim and i some adjusting to get used to the fact that 8am is really sleeping in!

i feel like i need to be up and prepared to meet the day before my family so that i can almost pave the way for how the day starts for them. if i'm grumpy and tired, then that will definitely rub off. if i've spent time with God, praying for my family, and ready for the day...it's amazing how much more productive and prepared i feel. i usually get more excited when isaac finally wakes up and i'm ready to start a good day.

with any new endeavor to become closer to Christ, i've learned to expect the enemy to throw a fit. he will now try to throw kinks in my plans and make me feel frustrated and stupid about what i'm trying to do. ever since i've tried to get up before isaac and get my morning started with prayer and reading, i've noticed a few things:

isaac has successfully slept through the night since 8 weeks old. occasionally, you'd have to go put a pacifier back in or cover him up, but that's about it. just this last week and a half, he's been waking several times and may have to be rocked or nursed back to sleep.

our chocolate lab, marley, has had a weird issue with getting sick at night ever since she was a puppy. it's usually not very often, but if we wake up to her getting sick, we just know it's another day. it involves taking her out, cleaning up, getting her water, getting back to bed, etc. in the last week or so, she's gotten sick three times, sometimes several times a night.

needless to say, tim and i have not been getting good sleep lately. call me crazy, but i'm not looking forward to 6:30 am when i've been up with a crying child and sick dog that night. i haven't slept well and i don't feel like getting up any earlier than i have to. i know this is the enemy trying to tell me i don't have the energy to get up and spend that time with my God.

i'm telling you all of this because maybe somehow that keeps me accountable. whether i'm up to spend time in Scripture or i'm just praying for my family and friends or i'm writing and thinking about something i read somewhere, i need to prepare my day. i've never ever been an "up earlier than i have to be" person at any point in my life so this is a new season for me. i'm excited to see how God will use it and i hope you're encouraged to start your days off with something besides that last minute cup of coffee on the way out the door.

When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.
Marcus Aurelius

Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.
William Blake

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

one day...

2010-08-14T05:01:00.001-07:00

building a home

2010-08-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

God's been working on my heart lately about really taking my roles as mother and wife seriously. not that i thought he was kidding before, but i've realized the peace and satisfaction that i get from fulfilling these two roles and i want to make sure i'm being the best i can be at both of them. at this point in my life, i know that my main priorities should be at home, making it a place of refuge and encouragement for T and of learning, love, and safety for I.

i never realized how accountable i would be to God for the way i handle these two roles. just like teaching at school, i feel like i am solely responsible for the atmosphere i create & the attitudes and characters that are built as a result. i'm trying not to be too 'old-fashioned' or sound as if i'm against any working mom (i was one for a short time) or wife who wants to earn her place as a financial contributor. sometimes, i don't like depending on T to be the breadwinner. i have earned two college degrees, a full time job position in the public schools, and a paycheck that is quite comparable to my husband's. i'm learning to let him provide in financial ways so that i can provide in other ways that i couldn't quite as well as if i were still working full time.

i want to briefly share the journey that God is putting me on as new mother and a wife of a minister. i'll go up against anyone who says those roles aren't challenging and sometimes frustrating. i'd also argue that they can be the most rewarding. they are roles blessed by God and to be taken very seriously.

i've found another blog (surprise, surprise) that i love dearly. it's called passionate homemaking and she writes about Titus 2:4-5 where he instructs women to be the main keepers of the home, and what a Biblical thing that is. check out her blog...it's pretty incredible. stocked with all sorts of great recipes, diy natural cleaning products, articles that make you think, and best of all...how God is tied into all of it.

ok, back to my point. in one of her posts entitled, "homemaking is about people" she used this statement. i feel like i need to post it somewhere and remind myself every day of why i'm choosing to stay home, a choice that is sometimes looked down upon or questioned in an economy such as the one we face today. This statement explains exactly what my goals should be:

The point of being a keeper at home is to provide a haven for a godly family to thrive, to offer hospitality to fellow Christians and non-Christians alike, and to provide a place for the church to meet.

-taken from Caroyln McCulley’s Radical Womanhood

wow. so much packed into one statement! more on that later... thoughts?

f-f-finally

2010-08-10T17:25:00.000-07:00

i can breathe now. we have internet at our house. like, the legit kind you don't steal from your neighbors and hope the signal's strong enough when you turn on your machine. i finally realize how much i need the internet. yes, i need it. i do.

here's why, in case any of you out there are wondering, "but court, don't you usually talk about how we need to spend time outside and having real conversations and not watching cable and all that?" yes, i do. i believe all of that too much tv stuff rots the brain and makes us think of mush. however, i have discovered a new appreciation fore the blogging community, the coupons to practically ANYTHING you could think of, and the recipes and immense amount of information to anything that wonders into my muddled brain during the course of a day.

just yesterday, i thought, "hmm. i wonder if i need to be doing anything to treat the seal around the door of my new he washer. i bet i could look it up."

this last weekend when tim was out of town (again), "ok, i'm going to hit up some community garage sales. i'll have tim look up the addresses online at work and tell me where they are. *insert stifled independent woman syndrome* oh nevermind, i'll just drive all the way down there and find out they're really tomorrow. convenient. i guess i'll just drive aimlessly around and hope to bump into some." (btw, i actually did.)

or, "i think isaac has an unusual diaper rash. i wonder if i need to change the overnight diaper covers i'm using or if there's another way to treat it besides Desitin?"

or even, "i need to pay my bills online so i don't have to use stamps and checks."

well what about, "i have a ton of watermelon. what can i do with it besides eat it cut up? or make watermelon juice? (barf.)"

but especially, "i feel like writing."

see?

new every morning

2010-07-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

it's funny how having a small child forces you to become a morning person. i say "forces" on purpose. i am not usually a morning person, except for Christmas mornings and such. little man usually rises in a pretty happy mood about 7am every day, usually singing to us or making bubbles through the monitor. tim and i usually wake up and giggle at him before we "rock, paper, scissors" to see who has to get him. usually, i lose. something about tim having trouble nursing...
it's scary how punctual the little booger can be about getting up in the morning. i really can't complain, since he's a very good sleeper and has been sleeping through the night successfully since about 8 weeks old. since i'm awakened by my tiny alarm clock and have to rise to the occasion of diaper duty, breakfast, and playtime all before 8am i try my best to do it joyfully and enjoy the mornings before i have to shove him out the door to catch a bus or argue over what i packed for lunch.

while we were in North Carolina on vacation with my family after my sister's wedding, i took advantage of those mornings. this particular morning, isaac rose before anyone else in the house had gotten up, including my dad who is usually an early riser himself. i claimed my 'wife of the year' award once again and let tim sleep in while i decided what to do to keep isaac occupied after his breakfast bowl was scraped clean.

um, hello. we are at the beach. i'm a big fan of the beach, but i love it mostly early in the morning and in the evenings. it's not as hot, the scenery is at its finest, and the only people out are the ones who respect the quiet time of the beach at that hour. i grabbed a beach towel and a burp rag (a regular accessory of mine at this point) and isaac and i headed to the beach by ourselves. in our pajamas. i can't even remember if i had shoes on.

it was probably my favorite memory of that vacation. i am reminded (by others and my own perspective) that all too soon i will wish i had these days back. the time isaac and i had out on the beach was priceless. i told him about the way the tide comes in and out in the mornings and evening. i showed him a fiddler crab who was brave enough to come out even in our presence. i let him feel the sand. we sat and watched the dogs play in the water down the beach and giggled about how they just plowed through the waves. we felt how warm the water was and stomped on the bubbles that it left on the sand.

i hope isaac realizes how much God was in that moment. out on the beach in the morning. just he and i. to watch him as he just took it all in. the familiar hush of the waves, the new sensations of the sand and waves. the time he and i praised God together, without saying a single thing. even though he didn't show excitement, he was peaceful in enjoying the beach God created for him to play on. what a special morning. i hope you can find peace, hope, and new beginnings in the mornings of your life. this specific morning in the outer banks with my son will be forever etched in my mind as the morning time stood still and i just enjoyed God.

home again, home again

2010-07-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

i promised pictures, and pictures i shall share. since i've last blogged, we've been to the east coast and back. my sister got married, isaac has now experienced the beach and the virginia heat, and we even managed to survive a flight home at 1am. whew. here are a few highlights of what we've been up to.

i wanted to share this last picture so you could see what a goofy little man isaac is becoming. he is starting to pick up on when mommy or daddy (or whoever else within eyeshot) thinks he's being funny. i love it.

hello? are you there?

2010-06-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

yes, i know it's been awhile. yes, i know i have probably a dozen posts that begin this way. well, tough. it will have to keep waiting. we've just moved, tim's gone to camp and back, insert small crises when he's away, now we're packing up and leaving at 5am to fly to virginia for my little sister's wedding and a beach trip with the fam. whew. so at least you have good pictures when i get back?

a few random pictures

2010-06-03T19:11:00.001-07:00

isaac's learning how to reach for everything in sight...with his hands and feet. he is a little monkey when he's on the floor and gets so excited when something is close enough to kick the heck out of.

this is my new sugar tin. behind it are the two remaining flour and tea canisters that survived my clumsy hands and didn't shatter all over the floor in a million, precious porcelain pieces. this set was from my bff a few Christmases back and they're from Williams Sonoma. they might be my favorite kitchen items, but only because i don't have a kitchenaid mixer. yet. :)if only the tea canister had been the victim, i might have a somewhat "small, but still makes sense" set of canisters.

these are the socks i tye-dyed for my class for field day. this year, each class had colors and we were decked out on field day in our green & yellow. i took pictures of tim helping me dye them in the sink, but failed to take pictures of the finished product. they were pretty cute, and the girls especially loved wearing them super tall like softball socks. we had one of the mothers make REALLY cute hair ties to match. yes, of course, i wore one.

this is a picture of isaac. just because. :)

homemade oreos

2010-06-03T18:56:00.001-07:00

so don't be impressed just yet. this recipe is from Smitten Kitchen(duh) and is really fun to make. mostly because i had a small sense of self-righteousness when i said, "well i made my own homemade oreos" as if anyone ever asked me...but also because i love piping icing onto anything and making tim wander into the kitchen in a hungry, curious stupor.

despite the things i would change about this recipe for next time, we still ate the entire batch in about 3 days. i kept them in the fridge since our house is quite warm without central air and the frosting stayed together the best that way.

a couple things i'm going to change for next time (oh yes, next time):
-tim expected the cookies to be soft or chewy, but much like a "real" Oreo the cookie was crunchy with an icing filling. if it was a soft cookie, it would really be called a whoopie pie. seriously, how fun is that? i have this book waiting in my cart on amazon.com.
-the icing wasn't sweet enough for my taste. remember, i'm someone who craves things so rich & sweet that you MUST have an entire glass of cold milk to wash it down. Deb from SK isn't a huge sweets person, even though she makes plenty of desserts. i think myyyyyy filling will need to ante up on the sugar next time.

honey funnies

2010-05-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

this is one of the snacks that i make that doesn't last even twenty four hours in our house. with just tim and i. not even kidding. i made them last night and tonight, i think we may have one left (and i have plans for it in a few). we both love them and they're super easy to make. i got the recipe from my mom, who used to make them a lot for us as kids (probably one of the reasons my sister developed a fatal peanut allergy later in life - only kidding). they're great for kids (after 2 years, of course)because they can be molded and shaped, like an edible playdough. i just roll (or scoop) them into balls and eat a few with a glass of milk.

ingredients:
1 jar creamy peanut butter
1 bear of honey (or agave nectar)*
powdered milk
wheat bran (optional)

mix all ingredients well. the measurements are really just estimates. i usually end up using almost an entire jar of peanut butter, depending on how big of a batch i make. add powdered milk and honey as you need to make a sticky but still pretty doughy consistency. you need mostly peanut butter & powdered milk, then honey & wheat germ are added for taste and to adjust texture. i add the wheat bran for nutritional value. i've seen these made several different ways and i'm sure there's a hundred things you could add like i did the wheat bran. it's just what happened to be staring at me when i opened the cabinet door.

if you want to roll them into balls by hand, go for it. i have a handy dandy cookie dough scoop from Pampered Chef *dreamy sigh* and it goes much faster. store in the refrigerator.

i might have to try them dipped in chocolate....

*note: i only used half agave and half honey. the light agave nectar that i bought isn't sticky enough to bind everything together, so it's really important to have honey. the agave adds sweetness without so much sugar. i haven't heard anyone say they notice a difference in taste yet!

sk.

2010-05-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

so i've found a new food website that i'm borderline obsessed with. i mean, do you ever watch a tv series so much that you feel like you actually KNOW the characters? as if you could just call them up and talk about their situations they're going through on that week's episode or the feeling that you might just run into them somewhere? this is how i feel about Deb from Smitten Kitchen. she lives in new york city in a teensy but very cute apartment where she takes care of her a.DOR.able baby boy and cooks up with some very interesting and delicious looking recipes, all the while "chatting" with you about her life. i'm a fan.

i've already made her bitter orange ice cream recipe (with adjustments) and am planning on the garlic & zucchini chicken meatloaf for tomorrow night. oh, and the chewy toffee blondies for dessert when we have friends over that evening. hopefully, the ice cream will freeze up nicely (i don't have an ice cream maker) and the meatloaf will be a hit. i'll take pictures later if they both work out.

newly discovered today, she is starting to make baby food for her little man and just started a side blog about that. yay!

that's all, really. i just had to share. although, from what i hear, she's already pretty well known. she was on the top 50 mommy blogs....a goal of mine one day. pffyeah, ok.

terrible (ok, not too bad) tuesday

2010-05-12T15:58:00.000-07:00

(i heard a rule that you're not supposed to start out a blog with apologies, so i'm not apologizing. i'm just saying i haven't updated in awhile and i'm fully aware. so there. i'm not apologizing.)

yesterday wasn't the best of days. it wasn't the worst of days either. i just felt like i could take it or leave it as far as days of my life go. i got up that morning and heard the rain, inside and out. our roof was leaking. again. this time, in FOUR different places. i was sitting on the couch enjoying the news and my breakfast when i heard another trickle of water coming from God knows where. we have a front sunroom on our house that had been closed up for the winter and is now home to my sewing machine and extra couch. the ceiling out there had been guilty of dripping water before, but our landlord brushed it off as gutters that were backed up. temporarily fixed, it now leaks pretty badly in two places...ceiling is sagging a little and mold is showing up. awesome. seriously, though, in times like this i LOVE just picking up the phone and saying, "hey, you need to come fix your house. thanks." most of the time, it's so nice to be renters. yeah, i'm sure we're paying way over what a monthly mortgage would be, but we're not in debt up to our noses (which are now stuffy from the mold in the air) and it's like paying a full time, personal handy-man who will pay to get things fixed. and it's in his best interest. call me John Blum, but i love having that kind of control. :)

predicting what kind of day it may turn out to be, i used the rest of my Starbucks gift card from Tim (or Isaac) for mother's day and got my usual grande non-fat extra hot vanilla latte and very berry coffee cake. yes, that's right. it was a fat $20 gift card and i've already used it all. but i did buy tim coffee once. please.

upon arriving to work, i realized i'd forgotten my lunch AGAIN that week and had to pay for a Subway lunch. i know it's nice to have a dual income household, but literally all the money i make now until the end of the year is paying for childcare for 3-4 days a week, gas to drive 25 minutes one way, insurance that i need to cover the times when Mr. Blue Jaguar decides to rear end me on the way to work at 7am, and the times i have to spend both gas AND cash on buying lunch when i forget mine. argh.

tim and i went grocery shopping (which i actually like to do) and on our way back, as i'm mid-sentence, tim whips the jeep off the road, onto the grass, and across our church parking lot. what the? he saw tyler. of course. our friends tyler & carly were out flying some of their very expensive, very cool trick kites. we spent some time watching them do swirls and turns, flips and dives. tyler even let me try. i actually got the hang of it for a few minutes. it was peaceful to be out there that evening, watching how our friends enjoy the little things in life - beautifully engineered pieces of fabric sewn together & a good wind.

it ended up being a good day, or at least one that ended with God's peace erasing everything that i thought was stupid or that bummed me out that day. and that's how it should be.

*photos were taking by yours truly & edited by my better half. personally, i think we're a good team. in my opinion, we make pretty pictures and daggum pretty babies.

playing hookie.

2010-04-27T15:58:00.000-07:00

lindsay's cake.

2010-04-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

this is lindsay's birthday cake. i had a box cake mix in the pantry just tempting me last night, so i did something with it. i've been craving a cake with jam and light icing, so this is my own version. i even used the mint from our herb collection in the windowsill as the garnish.

i decided this cake reminded me of lindsay after i got started making it. it's something i think i would find in a southern dessert cookbook. i baked up a box cake (the one that uses real butter) and added a little cinnamon and nutmeg for some kick. linds and i learned that secret to making pancakes in port hope this last summer. i mixed blackberry jam and real raspberries for the filling in between the two layers. then i made a buttercream frosting, but used buttermilk instead of regular milk (i don't know why i NEEDED to make something with buttermilk). i ended up straying far from the original frosting recipe, but it was delicious. i wanted the frosting a little more gooey than the recipe makes, so i added more buttermilk. and more. it makes the cake look a little sloppy, though. not sloppy, homemade.

so there you have it. a lindsay cake. classy & sweet. raspberry gooey, fluffy, creamy buttermilk frosting-y and all around delicious. i'm enjoying it right now with my coffee. happy birthday, linds. i'll send ya a piece:)

a few short notes

2010-04-26T14:28:00.000-07:00

i'm planning a few meals this week to make at home, other than trying to eat as much salad as possible to keep up with our CSA stock of spring greens. most of these recipes are compliments of my foodie friend Katrina. she has much more time to cook these days, so i take her word for it when it comes to veggie-loving, healthy, slightly different meals.

monday - pasta & pesto, salad
tuesday - barley casserole (finally hunted down barley & tahini so i WILL make this, gosh darn it!)
wednesday - something quick since tim has church...more salad?
thursday - tofu manicotti
friday - who knows.

that's as far as i've gotten. now, if i stick to it is another story. we do have full time jobs, church activities, and a teething baby.

in which i apologize

2010-04-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

since going back to work to finish the school year, i haven't had much time (or energy) for blogging and creating. unfortunately, going back to work made me realize how much of my energy goes into work and not doing things at home. i cook less, i am less ambitious, and i let things slide like the laundry, cleaning out the car, etc. i've never been one to be completely consumed in my job, whether it's because i'm not cut out to be all about a career or because i've never found a job worth being consumed by.

aaaanywho...i will try and keep up with my new ambitions, but right now i'm just looking forward to the next six weeks going quickly!

wish list book club

2010-04-16T13:19:00.001-07:00

as i'm learning more and more about the world of DIY'ers and crafting, my wish list keeps growing. i love the internet for 2 reasons. one, it's an endless abyss of information and inspiration to keep my appetite. one link leads to another; one person references where they got their ideas and son on. two, it's free. well, at least reading the blogs and websites that showcase their recipes and patterns. we really have no idea how big the internet is. what a cool thing we have.

so here's a running list of books i'm looking to acquire one day, whether i find them at Half Price Books, on amazon.com for cheaper, or at the library. i really would rather own them, though.

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking
Who doesn't love bread? and homemade bread is oh, so much better.
The Handmade Marketplace
My new dream job. i would love nothing more than to make part of a living doing what i love and staying home with my tiny.
Blogging for Bliss: Creating your Own Online Journal
Another dream job of mine. i really do enjoy writing more than i thought. not novel-y, fiction story type of stuff, but just expressing my thoughts, discussing things and whatnot. wish i could make money from it.

isaac update

2010-04-16T12:03:00.000-07:00

so i started back at work this week (more on that later). i only worked 3 1/2 days, and then i decided to call a sub and make it an early weekend. plus, isaac had a dr. appointment that i really wanted to be there for. he's four months tomorrow and is doing great! he is in the 50th percentile in both height and weight, an average joe i guess. i was surprised to see he weighed 15 lbs. exactly and is now 25 1/4 inches long. wow. has he really grown 6 inches since he was born? he flirted and laughed at Dr. R the whole time she was talking with me and even showed her how he can roll over. good boy *wink. he had a few shots, screamed profanities at everyone within earshot, snuggled his blanket and just glared at the nurses (and me) from his car seat until we left. the doctor said he was advanced in how much head control he has - nice job, bud. i don't know what that means other than he's not as wobbly as other kids. she said to go ahead and start him on stage 1 foods if we want, but i think since he's doing okay weight/health wise we may wait until the school year's over and he's closer to 6 months. since i had allergy/asthma problems as a kid and my sister is now fatally allergic to nuts, we're going to try and hold off as long as possible. we may try something light here and there just for kicks and giggles but deep inside something's already screaming at me saying, "no, if he starts eating solids that means he's growing up!" and we wouldn't want that.

i wanted to share this picture because it's probably the funniest thing i've ever seen. i guess it could be just my sense of humor or my growing love for my tiny tim, but every time the shirt gets stuck on his head, i just crack up. i mean, belly laughing, tears running down my face, by myself in a room and tim has no idea what i'm laughing at kind of funny. what made it better was the delight isaac had on his face for making me laugh so. he kept just turning his head back and forth like a curious little bird and was so proud of himself. tim ran to get the camera once he came in and found out what i was hee-hawing at. gosh, i hope he has my sense of humor. i see us both running around with our shirts stuck on our heads someday together and tim having NO idea what's so funny.

one day like this

2010-04-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

i first saw this video at a Rob Bell conference in Grand Rapids, MI and it's still one of my favorites. i love the song by itself, but i think the message speaks louder. today in my world, it means that joy can be found in the mundane because God is everywhere and in everything. so enjoy your Mondays.

One Day Like This

Elbow | MySpace Music Videos

he makes all things new

2010-04-08T11:46:00.000-07:00

tim and i(okay just tim) put together this toy chest for isaac. his little playthings are collecting in our living room so it was time to corral them all. it's so boring, just plain white, so i think i want to paint it. something with elephants on it. maybe not his name, so we can use it for the next little ones, too. it's a wood laminate, so i may have to sand before i paint it...?

this other piece was what tim used as a nightstand for 2 plus years. it's god-awful ugly right now, but i was thinking about painting it white and then putting wallpaper in a cool print on the top. kinda chic or no?

looking back

2010-04-08T10:11:00.000-07:00

so i stumbled upon my old xanga site...remember, the blogs before blogspot? i kept it up during college, and i love this particular post. it's fun going back to read about my life and what i was thinking and feeling a few years ago. i'm actually pretty proud of myself in this post...and every bit of it still stands true.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

marrying Joel Osteen
i love the ladies i work with at my internship at Seymour Primary. they have made my internship an absolute blast, always encouraging me and making me laugh. we share in each others' lives (as women can't help but do) and they are the best at giving me the "inside" information about where to apply, who to talk to, what connections they have, etc. i cannot imagine a better placement with a group of women who have been more real to me about their lives, marriages, and children. to them, i'm not an intern - i'm one of them, the one they need to help get "in". we talk about the ways God is moving in our lives through disappointments, emotional rollercoasters, family struggles, job concerns, etc. it's quite amazing how God has placed me in the midst of such a steady group of mentors.

until today, however, when i finally realized how different i was from them.

one of the ladies has just recently finalized her divorce with her husband of 18 years in January, and is going through the emotional roller coaster of where the boundaries now exist in her life and the lives of her children. she has struggled through a marriage of neglect, emotional abuse, and unrequited love and is finally on the edge of finding happiness in her life again. she has made some questionable choices about dating again and has been hit with some recent choices of her ex as well. i have listened and been there to hear the good, the bad, and the "should i know this??". she holds nothing back, and still has the purest heart i've seen in a long time.

another lady, as much as i love her and her advice and protection she's given me, has still to say something positive about her husband. she has a house of 4 teenagers and is just trying to get through the "they all hate me" stage of raising children. her bold and spitfire personality makes for some great laughs in tough situations and a great attitude for dealing with crazy teens, but i just can't sit well on her attitude towards her marriage. we all make jokes about the roles of men and women, especially in marriage, but these are far more deep-rooted than your average 'Everybody Loves Raymond' laughs.

this morning, as i was getting ready for the day and still sipping my coffee, she asked me, "Have you read anything by Joel Osteen? I just love him. He's not all fire and brimstone. And I like that."

i held my tongue to not give her my true opinion on the man and his beat-around-the-bush half truths, so i replied with a vague chuckle and said, "Yeah, he's pretty popular." i was completely taken aback to hear her continue about the reasons she agreed with his philosophies.

for the rest of the day, i couldn't help but think that while i have gained so much in my time with these women, that i feel like they've got it all wrong sometimes.

i'm getting married in less than 5 months, to a man who has given up all security in his life in order to follow after the passions God has set on fire in his heart. he's not only followed his heart, but his mind and is having to deal with some pretty expensive challenges in order to give it a shot. in the last 6 months, he and i have overcome some great hurdles in our relationship, broken down strong walls, and become more raw and real to each other than i ever thought was possible with another person. sure, we joke all the time about "guy stuff" and "girl stuff" and the usual pokes at each other, but i can't imagine the rest of our marriage being "typical" or "wasted". we believe in each other and we know that sometimes, we're all we've got.

by no means, am i claiming to have gotten ANYwhere close to having it all right, but i know what Truth is. and i know that Satan can't steal it from me, even if he tries to sneak into the words and opinions of the people i admire.

i sit there at my desk sometimes, surrounded by all this negativity about marriage...some of it unavoidable, but some of it just plain ignorance. none of it affecting me.

and don't even get me started on Joel Osteen.

the small adventure continues

2010-04-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

i finished my first "gift" project...a nursing cover for a friend i taught with last year who's having a baby boy in june. i am so excited to give my projects as gifts. i look through pattern books and people instantly come to mind when i see different ones. "ooh, so and so would love this!" it makes me excited to create things for other people. i already have a lot of gift ideas i want to try out! sorry, everyone, you're my guinea pigs!

here's the nursing cover i did. pretty simple for a beginning sewing project. i did make some changes to it, like cut the strap about half of what the tutorial said and make the straps thinner to fit the D-rings i had. these nursing covers are so handy and a fun thing to have in cute patterns! maybe i need one for each day of the week...

p.s. sorry the picture's sideways. i couldn't figure out how to turn it for some reason.

i'm a person who has to have quick projects and see instant results, so for right now i'm doing super easy projects i can whip out in no time. plus, it gives me a chance to really get comfortable with my machine. i'm always looking for ways to slowly change our house into a more "earth-friendly" place by reducing the amount of trash we have (diapers being the biggest!)and so i decided that after we finish the bag of paper napkins in the cupboard..it's all cloth. we have a very efficient washer/dryer and since there are only two of us eating meals here during the week, cloth would be perfect. plus, they're super easy to make and so cute! i made the best decision to go with all porcelain white dishes when we got married, so i can mix and match any pattern or color napkins i want to, depending on my mood. my sister is getting married in a few months, and i want to make her an entire set of matching napkins and placemats. seriously, the possibilities are endless.

on my way back from visiting a dear friend in the hospital and her gorgeous new baby girl (seriously beautiful), i stopped at a local sewing shop in downtown noblesville. oh, it was awesome. the whole front of the store is sewing and quilting, and the back is knitting and crocheting. i tried the crocheting thing...eh. they had so many cute fabrics that you can't find at your local JoAnn fabrics, and tons of modern patterns and notions. they also do one-on-one sewing classes and contests and all sorts of things. while i was browsing (i had to buy something), they were doing an easter egg hunt around the store for the holiday. i found a pink egg hiding in the buttons and won...get ready...a spool of thread. haha. now, being a new sewer i was like..um, cool? but apparently it was really good thread. hey, it's free..i'm all for it. i got two yards of fabric, one to make a crib sheet for isaac and one for another nursing cover for me. i was selfish. the fabric was too cute to give away. i also found an easy pattern for really cute overalls for baby boys with giant pockets and bulky cuffs around the ankles as well as boning and D-rings for the nursing covers i was making. i plan on maybe stopping in for some of their classes and really trying to start this quilting thing. my mom has made all of us girls quilts for college, and they are the most special things ever.

speaking of my mother, i can't help but think of her every time i sit down at my sewing machine.or every time i hang the tape measure over my shoulders. or every time i cut thread. it's incredible how much i really am like her. i remember how she looked and moved at her sewing machine, and i do the same things. it's pretty cool. love you, mom:) your creative abilities will live on one way or another!

first projects

2010-04-05T18:31:00.000-07:00

so here are some more pictures of my "first" crafty projects. i wanted to get to know my sewing machine, so i needed a practice project. i just wanted to see what kind of stitches i liked best and whatnot, so i took a small piece of fabric and sewed a bandana for marley to wear. we usually don't put her in anything at all, but she wore a bandana that our groomer put on her for awhile, so i figured she (or tim) wouldn't mind.

confession: i have an odd fascination with squirrels, so it was a must for isaac to have a onesie to represent this slight obsession. i love how it turned out really cute and springy, especially since this is the time of year i seem to see squirrels everywhere.

isaac's first easter (to be contd..)

2010-04-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

baby blues

2010-04-02T10:48:00.000-07:00

i thought i should post a picture of one of the appliqued onesies i did. this one is my favorite, not just for the design but because the color makes isaac's eyes stand out. since the fair traits (dark hair, skin & eyes) are so dominant we were all surprised when he had some gorgeous baby blues. tim says isaac got his favorite physical trait of mine. aw, shucks. *blush*

*disclaimer: remember, i take pictures with my cell phone for uploading convenience. i really did search around the house to see if tim left his camera so i could take better ones. next time?

before i forget...

2010-04-02T06:59:00.001-07:00

i wanted to write down a list of things i want to try and make on my new adventure of being "creative" again. maybe if i share them with you, i'll be more accountable to finishing them. let's be honest- starting them. i have a well-known tendency to get all excited and do nothing about it.

by, let's say, june i want to:

-make dog treats
-make a skirt (from the pattern i can't find right now)
-research cloth diapers
-make isaac's baby food (in a few months)
-grow basil & cherry tomatoes

the list will probably get bigger if i keep going, but i'm a big talker and not so much a doer of those things.

i'll keep you updated on my progress.

marles

2010-03-31T19:12:00.000-07:00

i wanted to pay a tribute to our marley, on who we certainly did practice parenthood before having isaac. she's been super great with isaac since he's been born and has been the source of our entertainment and humor. she's the best at playing hide-and-seek or giving you a high five. we don't ever go a day without feeling loved by our girl when she wiggles between the two of us in the bed in the mornings or wags her tail so hard from excitement to see you that she can't even stand up. she's a good big sister and i feel like she needed to be recognized!

can you do it?

2010-03-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

okay, crafty friends. i love this idea and would like to have one for myself, but i'm not up for paying $41.00 for it. anyone up for seeing if they can make it themselves and send me directions/pattern? i'm not sure where to even start since it would need buckles for the chairs and need to be safe, etc. let me know if you're up to the challenge.

in transit

2010-03-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

i apologize for the delay in new posts...a pet peeve of mine, i'll admit. i faithfully check to see if anyone has updated, and now i join the guilty party.

tim, isaac and i have been visiting family in virginia since thursday. we've partied hard, celebrating my dad's birthday and throwing my sister a wedding shower. of course, introducing isaac to "my world" has been an ongoing event all weekend. he's on major people overload and really only found comfort with people he knew well and weren't shrieking over how much he looks like his daddy. gosh, if i had a dollar for each time i heard, "oh my gosh, he IS tim." tim spent most of the weekend bouncing around with nick and his brother helping out with the meal packaging for haiti that was going on at northside (my home church) and showing off his look-alike son. i was busy getting last minute shower plans together, giggling with lindsay, chopping fruit for our chocolate fondue, and sneaking katie's homemade marshmallows when no one was looking. we skyped with the grandparents (isaac's great gparents) and then let isaac take a 25 minute bath in the sink which resulted in a very pruny (but happy) boy and water eeeverywhere.

i also had a chance to use mom's sewing machine to finish the previous onesies for isaac that i appliqued. they turned out SO cute and i was proud of my tiny step towards a sewing habit. i'll post those pics soon as well. my only regret- i should've finished more at home so i could have more to finish while i was here.

we're getting ready to head back to the airport in about 45 mins, so i really got on here to check flight status...oops. lindsay stopped by on her way to work this morning, starbucks in hand...God bless her. it was good for the soul to be back in the marshlands and refresh myself with the best church family and friends there ever was. the next time we fly into norfolk, it'll be days away from my baby sister gettin' herself a husband and a fun beach week with the family.

i didn't take a whole lot of pictures this weekend, so i'm going to have to wait for mom to share hers. i'm sure i'll share when we have some. adios.

onesies

2010-03-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

first off, i apologize for all of you out there with nice cameras who are shuddering at my photography...i hate having to find my camera cord and upload, blah blah..and since my phone is usually close by, i just use that. tim has a nice camera, so maybe from now on i'll have him take any pics for me.

these are the first few attempts at onesies i'm making for isaac. i love unique designs and that he will be the only little boy with these shirts! i still don't have my own sewing machine yet, so this isn't the final FINAL product. i'm going to get them all ready to finish and take them with me to virginia to use my mom's machine to sew around the edges. then they'll really be cute! i just wanted to share.

new challenges

2010-03-21T13:40:00.000-07:00

i'm excited about spring.

i know everyone usually gets excited about spring, but i am especially this year. not only are we getting into a really fun age with isaac, but just having him in general makes each season feel like a "first" even though i've seen twenty some-odd springs myself. we will be going to watch tim play church softball (a big deal up here)and walk in the park with Marley.

most importantly, we'll be simplifying our life in new ways. tim and i are always looking for ways to do this, because we're ones to easily get caught up in over-cluttering and over-scheduling ourselves. we also get used to nice things very quickly, which leads to a standard of living that i don't want to feel like i have to have. especially if i don't go back to work next fall, we'll have to get used to that without a choice. i have always gotten a unique satisfaction out of trying to figure out a life of simple pleasures.

our new rental house, which is downtown by the way, doesn't have central air. these 2 things alone have changed our lifestyle drastically. we went from a nice full acre of yard to....an alley for parking behind the house with about five cubic feet of "grass" if you pick up all the trash first. needless to say, our neighbors are not people we're used to being around and it's not the cutest house i'd pick to live in. when we had 2 weeks to find a house to rent, we didn't really care about the "no ac" thing...this summer, that may change. 2 advantages - the constant whirring of box fans reminds me of being a kid at my grandparents and our electric bills will be lean! :)

the biggest thing i'm excited about (and will probably need your help with) is splitting a share at a local CSA. in short, it's a local farm where you can pay for a season at a time to get a weekly box of whatever produce is currently growing. you can read more about it here. i love this for many reasons. one, we are supporting a local farm. two, we will be eating healthy things and know exactly where they came from. three, i'll get to live out my dream of having a garden to eat from. this works out great for us as we're renting and have zero land (or knowledge)to even begin a garden. finally, i'll have to use all the vegetables and create new things to eat. this will be a challenge for me, but more for my non-vegetable eating husband. so, if you have any recipes that would be helpful..send 'em my way! i think the first vegetables we're getting are spinach, radishes, red leaf and romaine lettuce, bok choi, parsley, arugula, and baby carrots.

i've tried growing herbs in a box on our deck one year and i remember getting a lot of cilantro and not much else. another thing tim doesn't like...lots of lonely salsa for me that year. any suggestions on plants that grow great in window boxes or pots?

check out www.localharvest.org to see if you have any CSA's near you!

this week in pictures

2010-03-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

now that he's smiling and laughing at us, this exact expression has become our goal. it's past the point of smiling so much that he just opens his mouth and usually squeals afterward. we both agree it's the best thing ever.

as you can see, we're working on sitting up. he still needs a helping hand, if only for moral support. he's concentrating very hard. or maybe he's really considering how he's going to make a difference in the world, like his shirt says:)

ikea's in the clear

2010-03-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

Josh Dorfman, author of The Lazy Environmentalist: Your Guide to Easy, Stylish, Green Living says this about IKEA:

"It’s better to shop at Ikea than a lot of other furniture stores. Ikea works closely with the Forest Stewardship Council to ensure that it sources its wood for its furniture from responsibly managed forests. For a huge company, Ikea is a leader in environmentally responsible practices. There’s still room for improvement but I wouldn’t feel bad about shopping there.Also, I think Ikea’s solid wood cribs and other items are good picks for young parents because they don’t contain nasty chemicals like formaldehyde which can unfortunately be found in other baby furniture lines made of composite wood like particle board."

whew. not like that would stop me;)

i love dirt

2010-03-15T18:27:00.001-07:00

tonight was the first night our new small group got into the Word and started discussing the book of Acts. there was some great discussion of chapter 1 and a lot of sharing about why we were even wanting to be a part of the group in general. we have quite a mix of personalities in the group, which is exciting. one of the biggest questions asked was, "What is church to you?". we all know the sunday school answer, but when we really stopped to answer it honestly it was kind of a reality check.

on a different note, i stumbled upon a pretty neat little book while i was in one of our favorite used bookstores in knoxville a few weekends ago. it goes along with the book "Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv, a book i completely am on board with. it's premise is about how a lot of the problems with kids these days (physically, emotionally, behaviorally) has a lot to do with the fact that kids don't just play outside anymore. when i was a kid, that's all i wanted to do. by no means was i a tomboy, but i LOVED to play outside. i collected snails, built forts, rode bikes, caught frogs in the creek, ran around barefoot,climbed trees,played on the swings, ran through the sprinkler and all that good kid stuff. i will do everything possible to raise my children with a love of the outdoors. mom never allowed us to have video games as kids, and i thank her up and down for sticking to her guns. i think my imagination and kid-like spirit has something to do with playing outside and just imagining. it also promotes a sense of wonder in kids to just ask questions and want to know about the world around them.

i also strongly believe that the earth (just plain dirt) is spiritual. "The earth is the Lord's and everything in it. -Psalm 139:7" We are connected to the earth, live off the earth, and will one day return to the earth when our bodies decay six feet under as mentioned in Ecclesiastes 3:20 (only physically, of course). After all, Adam was created from the dust of the earth ( Genesis 2:7 -the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being). Anyone who has farmed or gardened will probably tell you there's just some sense of satisfaction when you work in the ground. i believe that the greatest testament to God's awesomeness can be found in anyone's backyard. i want my children to learn that peace comes from watching a river roll by or be reminded of God's promises when they see a rainbow. i want them to learn to love and protect the world God gave us and be good stewards of it. (insert hippie green tangent here.)

point is, i could go on and on about why i think it's important for kids to grow up outdoors. also, my teachery side comes out in just wanting to know the answers to silly questions that a kid may just ask you one day:

Q: Why are so many plants green?
A: The green color found in leaves helps plants get energy from the sun. All living things need energy. Plants use energy they get from the sun to make oxygen for us.

think about it...the world started in a garden. point blank, that's where we were created to spend our time - outside, playing in the dirt:)

2010-03-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

he kept begging me to read the article about losing belly fat...i tried to explain that it's what keeps his pants up...

yes, please

2010-03-13T05:48:00.000-08:00

i went yesterday to JoAnn Fabrics and picked out several yummy yards of material that would make really good projects. i also picked up some basics to get me started on my new simple sewing endeavor like scissors, a seam ripper, pins, measuring tape, etc. all i need now is a sewing machine - haha. i'm in the process of looking around and researching what's out there, possibly scoring a great deal on craigslist or finding a great sale in the store. we're also waiting for our tax refund so i can actually go get it...and our new washer/dryer!! (oh, mama's happy.)

this is a picture of a book that i think would fit me perfectly. most of the fabric i bought was in one yard pieces, since i'm not trying to make anything too big, and most patterns have a patchwork-y type of look. i'm still running into the dilemma of every store having WAY too many cute baby girl prints and not very many cute baby boy prints...i'm just not feelin' the spiderman and sponge bob. blech.

i wrote down several books at B&N while i was there to hunt for on amazon.com, so we'll see what i come up with! plus, if i'm going homemade then it will be fun to have someone else's used books.

*if you feel inclined to send this book my way, i wouldn't argue. :)

baby bargains begin

2010-03-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

i bought a fun baby bargain book today at B&N with my gift card, and since i love people sharing tips, i will share as well. i just opened the book somewhere towards the middle, and it's perfect - i have been needing an inexpensive solution for my own diaper changing pad that just doesn't look as "fresh" as it once did.

tip #331

Rather than spending money on disposable changing pads, make your own out of a vinyl tablecloth. They can be cut into generous-sized rectangles and folded to fit in your diaper bag.

genius! i suppose you could always back it with a contrasting color or pattern, hem up the sides and you're good to go!

It is the creative potential itself in human beings that is the image of God. -Mary Daly

2010-03-10T19:15:00.001-08:00

i feel like i've always been somewhat of a creative and crafty person. i know i get that from my mother, who has the talent of an excellent seamstress and graphic designer. she can make beautiful quilts, costumes, stockings, alter a high school banquet dress and create amazing designs using programs on a computer i won't even dare to try and use. she's also quite musical, however unsuccessful she was forcing me to take piano lessons and play saxophone in elementary school.

my favorite class was always art, i doodled like you wouldn't believe on school notebooks and posters, and had quite an impressive wall to wall collage of a certain celebrity heart throb, who for the sake of parties involved will remain nameless. my aunt introduced me to beading years ago, and i would whip up earrings pretty quickly. mom taught me to crochet, and i'm not sure if i ever made anything, but i sure remember doing it alot. i'm now the token christmas cookie baker for my dad, whose fondest childhood memories were of the deep freezer stocked with any cookie you could think of. (i intend to fill those shoes one day.)

i debated going to college to study interior design, but God led me to JBC to study education, a job just as equally creative. i was introduced to Tim, who bought me an art easel for my birthday one year and at one point, owned a few pieces i actually got around to painting. i served on a retreat committee for several years at JBC and worked to design the advertising, decorate the stage, and create interesting aspects of worship. i even asked for a nice camera for christmas and spent a year trying to take some cool photos. stained glass has even made the list.

i've dabbled in a few things here and there, but never really found "my thing" that i do, ya know? i felt like everyone had a "thing". i was alright at a few different things, and i definitely enjoyed all of it. i never really took off with any of it, though. i don't know if it had to do with my incredibly NON-overachiever personality, lack of consistency, or just lack of passion. it's always bothered me, though. why did i find interest in a hobby or creative outlet, and then just...stop?

enter isaac.

i've never been someone interested in a career. yes, i have a graduate degree and have been working full time since college, but it's just not my thing. i don't go in early or stay late, and i don't ever really bring anything home unless painstakingly necessary. i'd like to say my priorities are just so in check that i naturally put family and things first, but that's ridiculous. my dad raised us with the idea that "a job is what you do, not who you are." some would highly disagree with that statement, but for my sisters and mom and I, it meant that he would do anything for us, no matter the financial cost or risk of losing a job. he's still being tested on that today.

now that i've had a taste of being a stay-at-home mom, i feel like i finally have time to figure out who i really am, what i like, and what i'm good at. it's definitely been a slow start, just recovering from everything, but my attitude has changed and my mind's been racing with the possibilities of what i can focus on now instead of work. in some weird way, i feel like having children has given me the assignment of finding out how to make things myself and find ways to make life easier, simpler and more healthy for me and my family. this has dangerously sparked my interest on the creative side of my brain. there are endless ways to be creative and domestic, two things i think i could be really good at if i dedicated myself to it. i'm addicted to websites and blogs of moms who have successfully lived that lifestyle of the cleaner, greener, and super artsy. i have ideas that pop in and out of my brain, just dying for me to get up and get going.

i'm ready to have something in my life that i'm willing to dedicate my all to. i believe with all my heart that the Lord we love and serve has planted every single creative seed in me for a reason. after all, who better to imitate in life than the Master Creator? tim always tells his students "Be Jesus." i'm ready to give life to the ideas and passions in my head and truly, TRULY enjoy what i'm doing with my time. my Jesus and my marriage have set the stage for a very creative version of me that i'm excited to get to know. i want to be Jesus, and that means finding the paint brushes, making a trip to JoAnn fabrics after i make a batch of organic muffins and researching which vegetables grow best in pots.

here's to staying focused and exploring who God made me to be in this world.

a smiling baby, new nightstands and a blue jeep

2010-02-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

alright, i need to get back into the habit of blogging. not just for my few faithful that read, but for myself. i'm bad at scrapbooking and journaling and all that jazz, so this is my way of keeping my memories. of course, from now on i will probably blabber on and on about my little man, but that's expected, right? :)

the above picture is at ikea, one of the wednesday dates with sarah. since i'm at home and she has wednesdays off, we try to make it a point to spend time together. this was our adventure last week, and it was quite productive! isaac did great traveling and being forced to endure yet another shopping trip with his mom and aunt:) as long as we don't force him into his car seat for too long, he usually does pretty good.

**ikea purchases to date: bed, nightstands, lamps for nightstands, new baby bathtub (a bigger one!), bowls, stockpot(i finally got one, lindsay!), pot lids organizer, glass message board, salad bowl, double boiler, lamp for tim's office, and a lint roller. ya know, last minute "oh yeah, i need one of those" items.

isaac update - our little one (10 weeks yesterday) is doing so well and getting more and more enjoyable every day. he's been continuously sleeping through the night for about 5 days now and is smiling at us when we get him out of his crib in the morning. it's the best thing in the entire world for tim and i to make him smile and laugh. he's more and more active each day and really takes to anything musical. my cell phone ringtones have become a lifesaver in a sticky situation.

he's starting to love bathtime. he is hilarious sometimes when he just lays back with his arms on the side of the tub and enjoys the warm water. he's grown out of the small baby tub we had, so i bought a bigger one that sits in our jacuzzi tub to suffice until he can sit up and use the regular one.

as much as i hate talking about it, i have to share a story about dirty diapers. isaac is at the point where not every single diaper is a bit dirty...he just decides to save it all for a major event - so nice of him. he hadn't had dirty diaper in about a day and a half, so when tim and i headed out for some errands, i knew better than to not leave the house w/ a full set of clothes on hand. sure enough, the blowout happened and isaac was NOT a happy camper. we were in the car at the time, so we had no choice but to pull into a parking lot and change him there. tim's jeep hardly has any room to change a VERY messy diaper (and clothes) so we got creative and leaned over the back seat to change him in the cargo part of the jeep. i'm sure we looked like seasoned parents as we both have our behinds up in the air and scraping poop off a completely naked baby in the back of a jeep. i just started dying laughing in the middle of it all as tim was almost gagging from the smell. isaac continued screaming, i continued laughing, and tim just drove us both home. oh, and isaac wasn't wearing any pants.

car update - for those of you that heard about the highly professional policeman who did a u-turn in the middle of traffic and totaled tim's new (to us)land rover. poor guy had only had it 2 weeks and was livin' the dream before "sargeant can't drive" comes along. now, he's living out his "plan B" dream with a 2000 Jeep Cherokee.

me upate - for the most part, i am feeling back to my normal before pregnancy self. there was a point, however, when i didn't know if i'd ever love the way i looked or felt again. i'm about 8 or 10 pounds away from what i was before, which i think is pretty good with not working out. i have EVERY intention of shedding those last few pounds and more before June 27, when my beautiful sister will walk down the aisle and i have to be in front of God and everyone in a bridesmaids dress. i'm dying for warmer weather so i can start walking! i know i can do it! being a mother is every bit worth it, though...even if i'm still in denial of having to go through it all again.

alright, that's probably enough for now. i have to save stories and such for later entries. hopefully by my next entry, i will have successfully figured out homemade dryer sheets and play silks!

2010-02-20T19:23:00.000-08:00

my little model

2010-02-06T05:43:00.000-08:00

here's an updated picture of isaac (being quite posh if i do say so myself)at 7 weeks. he's changing right before our eyes and developing a little personality - see above photo. :)

i promise to do a real update soon...with words and everything! hang tight. :)

3 1/2 weeks old

2010-01-11T11:01:00.000-08:00

my baby story

2010-01-09T18:25:00.000-08:00

so i'm finally posting. sometimes it gets to the point where it's been so long that just the thought of updating is overwhelming that i'd rather not. either way, i want to be a faithful blogger so i'm going to keep it up!

as you saw in the previous post, our little one has been here for a little over 3 weeks now...crazy. it has been the hardest 3 weeks of my life, but i probably would only change a few things (mainly being getting more sleep).

on thursday, dec. 17th, tim and i were to report to the hospital at 5:30am to get hooked up to IV's and whatnot to get ready for being induced. when i arrived at the hospital, i had already been dilated to 4cm for a few days. when the nurse hooked me up to the monitors, it appeared i'd been having contractions for quite awhile as well. not having been through this before, i hadn't really noticed and just thought i'd been experiencing braxton hicks contractions because they were never painful or worth timing. i started the IV of pitocin to help my labor progress and the contractions continued to get stronger and more noticeable for several hours. around noon, we started noticing that with every contraction, isaac's heartbeat would dangerously slow down. the nurses kept moving me from side to side thinking that he had the umbilical cord tucked underneath an arm or something and hopefully he could be gently moved if i moved. at this point, even though my contractions were getting stronger, i had not progressed in dilation at all. isaac's head was still positioned very high and wasn't positioning to get ready for labor, either. we had battled with the dropping heart rate for a little while and would only get temporary results before it would drop again. the dr. wanted it to stay at 110 or above, and when it dropped to 40...he'd seen enough. with several internal monitors and lots of discussion, the dr. decided that a c-section was the best thing to do.

as soon as i hit the surgery room, about 15 people were there to greet me with quick hands and lots of commotion. at this point, i couldn't feel very much from my shoulders down so i was left to stare at the ceiling and keep breathing. tim was quickly handed scrubs and a mask and was let into the room as soon as i was prepped. he sat at my side and talked me through the whole thing. it was nice to see a familiar face amongst all the commotion. everyone was calm and absolutely wonderful, making me calm and under control through the whole surgery. i felt a lot of pressure and tugging, but kept my mind occupied by trying to think about how lucky i was to get to see my little boy in a matter of minutes! from the moment we decided to do surgery until i heard him cry was only about 40 minutes! it ended up the cord was wrapped around his neck, thus explaining the complications before. we were all relieved the doc had made the decision to deliver w/ a c-section.

once i heard that little cry, i started with the tears as well. it was a mix of emotions that i had been holding in until then, when i knew all was well. while the baby was cleaned and checked, tim followed him upstairs while they stitched me up and finished up surgery. i met everyone upstairs and got to hold my little one with one major challenge....my arms were still completely numb!

i don't remember much the rest of that day except being in quite a bit of pain and being extremely happy as my mom arrived just a half hour after he was born and i was able to spend time thanking God for our incredible blessing that still seemed to unreal to me.

i ended up at the ER the tuesday following his delivery with severe vomiting and a UTI, probably from the catheter at the hospital. throwing up every 5 mins with abdominal stitches from a major surgery was almost hell. i was flushed with IVs and medication to stop the nausea and sent home that night. since then, i've been slowly recovering and trying to figure out breastfeeding - probably two of the hardest things i've done. never being admitted to the hospital for anything, never having stitches or even a sprained ankle, it was very odd to have my mother help me do everything including shower, get out of a chair, and put my socks on.

i've recently been struggling with the disappointment of not experiencing a "true" delivery and being able to have that in common with other mothers that i know, but then i'm reminded that sometimes what's best for my child will not be anywhere close to what i plan for them. God had everything under control and the result was just as beautiful as if everything had been completely natural. with so many people "looking down" on women even having epidurals, it's hard to think that i wasn't able to truly experience childbirth like i should have...or that i was incapable of delivering naturally. either way, i am rejoicing in the life of my healthy baby boy...and what's more dignified than putting your own pride aside to give life to someone else?

12.17.09

2009-12-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

sorry for the lack of narration.....obviously our little isaac warren is here and we are healing and learning to adjust, all the while rejoicing in God's incredible blessings on us! more to come when i'm not sleep deprived and doped up on pain meds!

fast forward

2009-12-07T17:35:00.000-08:00

so the dr. has decided that our son will be born December 17th...about 2 weeks before due date. this is due to several reasons...high blood pressure, swelling, etc. etc. needless to say...we're excited! we are stoked to have him here before christmas. we will, once again, combine our families for a holiday and just surround ourselves with God's blessings on our family. i really don't think many of us have given much thought to actual wrapped presents this year...which is great! our little bundle of joy will be more than enough for years to come.

we had one final ultrasound today to confirm baby's position, size, etc. as part of the final plans. we were able to see a 3d ultrasound, which was incredible. tim's parents were able to come to the appointment as well, so they were excited. the lab tech spotted a head full of hair already! (i've always known this boy would be just like his dad)

i'll have to update later on our staff christmas party tonight....that turned into a surprise baby shower for us! it was absolutely incredible to feel so loved by a church family. we are truly truly blessed to have found this ministry.

here are some of the latest pictures...enjoy!

2009-11-25T09:47:00.000-08:00

i will be out of commission as far as blogging goes for the next few days. we're moving into our new rental this weekend, doing thanksgiving w/ tim's family, etc. etc. don't know when internet will be set up at the new house and all that jazz.

i'll leave you with a couple of other random updates:

i'm excited to have a good 5 day weekend ahead of me
my feet and hands continue to swell by the end of the day
we're in the process of moving (again) but we're both really excited about this new place - more details later.
i continue to get closer and closer to wanting to have this baby - you're all more than welcome to pray that he's here by christmas! :)
my energy level is diminishing
my MRE friends threw me a fantastic shower and were more than generous
they're calling for possible snow on thursday!

love.

34 weeks

2009-11-20T15:27:00.001-08:00

no room in the inn

2009-11-14T10:39:00.000-08:00

i apologize (again) for not posting sooner. it's been crazy around here, and i don't expect it to slow down soon for awhile. we're still in the process of finding a place. the house we really want to rent is still not put back together so we can see it. the realty company that owns it decided to replace all the carpet, paint, trim...you name it. it looks really nice (yes, i peeked in the windows when no one was there)but we're still waiting on the realtor to give us the official tour. once we've done that, he has a couple of applications to weed through, including some people that could possibly be interested in buying the house instead of renting. i've been using my dad's advice by basically calling or emailing once a day since i found the listing and not letting him forget me. he's going to have to either let me have the house or deal with a very irate pregnant lady. i now understand a bit of what Mary went through trying to find a place just to have her baby! i've done everything from send our rental application in early to chatting with him on the phone about his son to pulling the pregnant and i have no place to live card. So i feel like we're on a first name basis and he can't say no:) hopefully the house will be done by Monday and we can get a move on! Literally. in the meantime, we have an apartment on hold if nothing works out. not our ideal choice, but yet it's a nice place and would force us to downsize and live as simply as possible- which we're totally ok with. i only worry about poor Miss Marley not having her big yard to explore. keep us in your prayers that we can get a place and get moved soon....i will not bring a baby home to unpacked boxes! :)

a few college friends had a surprise shower for tim and i (even though he knew about it and helped plan it) and i was blown away! i had absolutely no clue and it was so amazing to see how friends will drive long distances just to be a part of something like that! i definitely felt overwhelmed at how much i love my friends. tim and i really do think that we have the best friends anyone could ask for. it's just amazing doing life together with people you love with all your heart, even if they now live several states away. thank you guys from the bottom of my heart!isaac is going to grow up with so many amazing aunts and uncles, he's not going to know what to do:)

no pictures this week....i'm in the swollen stage of pregnancy, so i've definitely become a little more camera shy. sleeping through the night has become a challenge, since i can only sleep on my sides and i have trouble with my hands going completely numb to the point of pain. i can't wait to sleep on my stomach again....sigh. i'm still measuring about 6 weeks ahead, which means even though i'm only at 33 weeks, my belly is the size i should be at full term! i hope that means i can't get any bigger...i can't imagine it. tim is being so generous by sharing his sweatpants and sweatshirts with me:)

the more we think about it, the more excited we're getting about having a baby close to the holidays. we both didn't really want a christmas baby at first, but just the season of christmas alone is so fun for us that it just adds to the excitement. plus, i'm VERY thankful that i'm not hugely pregnant in the heat of the summer!

well, i should get off and start packing a box or two...that's the rate i can go these days, without getting too overwhelmed by how much crap we have to get rid of or just by being exhausted.

more updates soon, hopefully! love to all.

now what?!

2009-10-24T12:39:00.000-07:00

so....we're moving again. the house that we're renting finally sold (miraculously) and we're going to have to find another place to rent. i really was not worried due to the economy and the fact that there are probably a million and a half houses for sale in Anderson b/c nobody moves here. well, i'm now proven wrong. we technically don't have to be out till december sometime, but i'm not moving then!!we decided to do it now and get it over with.

we only have one prospective house that we're looking to rent and, needless to say, we're REALLY hoping it works out. we can't see it until november 1, and from the pictures it actually looks like it would be just fine..maybe even another full bathroom! i'm just really hoping that we're the first ones in line with deposit and application in hand, that the house is a decent place to live, and that we can just hop on over there without a hitch. we'll see. what timing, huh?

i'm really trying not to be upset about it, even though the timing sucks and moving's a pain and costs money AND the fact that we just finished painting the baby room here. we have very generous landlords who allowed us to paint whatever we wanted, and i'm wondering if that helped sell the stupid thing. some couple probably thought, "oh,look. the nursery's already done and it's so cute! we'll take it!" bah.

ah, well. onward and upward. just waiting for that peace i'm supposed to be feeling. how am i supposed to "nest" and get ready for the baby if i don't even know where my nest will be?

30 week pictures coming soon. i'm getting a little more camera shy the bigger i get...

pictures for heather

2009-10-13T14:03:00.000-07:00

here i am at 28 weeks...and marley at 28 weeks. :) i can't believe i still have 12 weeks to go. have mercy! where will it all fit? it's a wonder i'm still upright.

27 weeks

2009-10-08T13:35:00.001-07:00

sorry for such a blurry picture...i know i skipped a week, too. i honestly don't see much of a difference as the weeks go on in this stage but i still want to keep the motherly folks and faraway friends happy:) plus, this is like my own pregnancy journal.

not much news to share...i still have to get a picture up of the painted nursery for Heather, even though it only has a crib in it. i promise, Heather!

fall is definitely here in indiana. i know that by two things: it's 40's in the mornings and i am in the middle of my annual battle with strep throat. i guess your immune system is a lot weaker when you're expecting so the little ones at school have blessed me with their germs early this year. hopefully this will be the only time i get sick!

tim is FINALLY getting his big half sleeve tattoo next week. i told him to save up the money and get it by christmas, or he never speaks of it again. i was tired of hearing about how much he'd wanted it since we'd started dating 5 years ago (no, i'm not exaggerating)so i set a deadline. surprisingly enough, there's a really nice tattoo shop here in Anderson so Tim set up an appointment. sure, we could use the money somewhere else, but he deserves it. i guess it's his "thanks for pulling over so i could throw up, telling me i'm beautiful, eating taco bell 3 nights in a row, and dealing with my leg cramps at night" daddy-to-be gift:) plus, the guy haggles so much on craigslist, i think he just ended up selling a few things to foot the entire bill. i'm sure i'll have pictures of that when he gets it. i'm pretty excited for him! his son will be proud. and no, i'm never paying for any of my son's tattoos. unless it's a birthday gift. a small one. and it's "mom" inside a heart:)

doctor update & 26 week ultrasound

2009-09-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

so we had our follow up ultrasound today; the one where they wanted to make sure they saw the "stomach bubble". i was a little nervous going in, but my mind was elsewhere since i had to pee SOOOOOOO bad. in order to get good ultrasound pics, they ask that you drink an ungodly amount of water right before your appt. and not use the bathroom. this is uncomfortable for anyone, let alone a woman who is 6 months pregnant! i was actually in a lot of pain and i'm not sure how tim kept a straight face watching me waddle into the hospital with a look of desperation. i couldn't even sit correctly in the chair in the waiting room i had to go so bad. and, of course, you have a couple of pounds of child deciding to take the opportunity to see how bad Mommy really has to go and kick and squirm on top of your bladder. (hopefully, not a preview of attitudes to come...)

we finally took the images we needed..i was allowed to relieve myself (for probably about 10 minutes) and then we proceeded with the enjoyable part of the ultrasound. the lab tech was able to clearly see the stomach bubble (praise Jesus!) and said that everything looked beautiful. i've included some additional images we got today. i have PROOF that it's a boy...and a pretty cool face shot. you kinda have to step back a little and look at the picture as if it were a shadow. i love the ultrasounds...getting to actually see pictures of what i'm feeling. tim and i determined that he is more and more like his daddy every day. every time we take an ultrasound, his legs are crossed and the lab tech said he had very long feet! :) he was also pretty stubborn and didn't like to have his picture taken, turning his face away whenever we got close.

they measured the femur bone once again, and moved my due date up another couple of days to January 1! we'll see how long i can hold out...just hoping i don't spend christmas in the hospital. although, if i am...i think i'd be ok w/ that being the only thing under our tree.

on other smaller notes, we bought and assembled the crib and the nursery is painted. i'll try and take a picture of that soon, once we get things together. it is a very strange realization having a crib in the spare bedroom.

love you all, and THANK YOU for your prayers! we are so blessed to be having such a smooth pregnancy which will result in, i'm sure, a beautiful baby boy!

24 weeks and a baby room!

2009-09-16T15:15:00.001-07:00