Ordinary Days

Menu Challenge

2012-01-24T12:52:00.000-08:00

I'm entering a contest on my friend Julie's blog, and I have to put my menu for the week. Eh...

Not feeling too inspired.

Monday: ( yesterday) Cold Cut subs with chips - Rich brought them home
Tuesday: Cobb salad with Buffalo chicken breasts and blue cheese dressing
Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner- Pancakes, sausage and Fresh Fruit
Thursday: Italian Sausage with onions and peppers+ Cheesy polenta
Friday:spaghetti and meat sauce
Saturday: Homemade Pizza Not sure what kind yet but at least one cheese
Sunday:Classic Chicken Stew

Now to see what I need to get at the grocery store. I have most of what I need, which is good, trying to use up what I have first.

Jesse Tree

2011-12-27T07:08:00.000-08:00

This year I made a Jesse Tree to celebrate the Christmas season, starting on Dec. 1st. We all enjoyed spending some quiet moments reading our devotionals that started in Genesis and ended with the birth of Jesus. During this busy time of the year, it was nice to take the time to focus on the true reason for Christmas.

Next, I'm looking at making ornaments to change my Jesse tree into a Jesus tree for the 40 days of lent.

Finally...

2011-12-06T05:17:00.001-08:00

I don't know why I haven't been able to publish my post until now. I've been trying to publish the post below since I wrote it. Now if only I could find the camera cord to Sim's camera, you would see what else I have been busy creating since Nov. 12.

What I've Been Up to!

2011-11-12T20:08:00.000-08:00

I've been busy... So many projects to do with the holidays coming. I've crocheted a jumper for Naomi, I now just need to find a matching shirt. I've sewed her a jumper, I'll try to take pictures of her in her dress tomorrow before church, and I've made some Thanksgiving art...Every day has a pocket that we fill with an index card on which we write what we are thankful for. We've done variations of this before, but I'll be able to take this piece out year after year and reread what others have written. Naomi's "translated" skribbles...Simeon's 8 year old writing...what Rich and I hold dear. It's nice to give thanks as a family. I've also made a couple of pairs of slippers, but I decided to take pictures too late tonight, and they really look much nicer on the "models". Will try to post more pics tomorrow.

Homeschool Room

2011-10-19T09:56:00.000-07:00

I thought I would share pics of our homeschool room. I think its my favorite room in the house. Forgive the messiness, we are in here quite a bit, its hard to keep this room pristine!

Authentically Me!

2011-10-04T05:07:00.001-07:00

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately: thinking about why I do the things I do, why I react certain ways in certain situations, why I think certain thoughts about myself, why I feel emotions at different times.

I'm realizing more and more that my self worth, my self image, who I think I am, is based on such fleeting things. I allow superficial comments, instances and perceptions to shape and mold who I am, rather than looking at God's word, and finding the truth. God created me! God doesn't make junk! Does that make me perfect, absolutely not, but maybe I should be fixing my eyes on the truth, rather than what goes on around me.

Recently,I started to study Priscilla Shirer's Resolution for Women. In the chapter called "Intelligent Design" she says,

" I've often based my self-worth on some second-rate, inconsequential detail or assumption- like the way I looked, or the clique I fit into, or the way I measured up to a culturally set standard- to determine the type of woman I should be, to dictate the kinds of things I spent most of my time thinking about and and majoring on."

My friend, Denise, in her new blog,, writes:

" So, I'm going to attempt to live a bolder life and do and try things that I might just fail miserably at. But I will have tried. I will have pushed myself out of myself and maybe just learned that I'm ok even if I'm not perfect. Because, really, if I ever attained this warped idea of perfection (which is mostly about physical temporary things I can't ever find lasting contentment in), then who would be able to relate to me anyway? When I see a gorgeous, talented woman, I'm more likely to run the other way rather than befriend her. There are probably a lot of lonely gorgeous, talented women who could really use a friend! Maybe if I can get over all of this insecurity nonsense, then I'll actually be able to BE a friend, one who befriends out of love and not self-obsessed fear."

That is so ME! Both these ladies have described what I have been thinking lately. I can't tell you how often I experience fear and anxiety about what people are going to think of me. I mean, I know I'm a people pleaser, but this is crazy. Often, its not even about pleasing people, but about what people are going to think of me. Oh my word!

For as long as I can remember, I have had people make comments about my physical body. I struggle people. I struggle with my weight. Some of it is emotional eating. Some of it is lack of exercise, and some of it is some hormonal imbalance. It hurts and stinks. But I think I have let people's comments on my body affect how I am inside too. Just to give you an idea of things that have been said that have shaped me:

In elementary school, I wrote a speech about wanting to be a gymnast or be in a circus, not sure which, a friend had told her mom, and then reported back to me that her mom said I was not skinny enough to do that profession.

In elementary school, I was dancing around in the cloak room, and two girls, friends, told me that my bum jiggled when I danced.

In grade 4, my pediatrician, told my mother I was overweight, and needed to exercise more, I got my first exercise video.

In middle school, we went on vacation with family, we went to buy a bathing suit, and I tried on a two piece, my aunt and uncle chuckled at my belly protruding....needless to say I bought a one piece.

In high school, I was asked how it felt to be, " fat like you are."

In college, a guy friend told me he preferred to date skinny girls.

As a grown and married woman, I had an Uncle use me as an example as to why a woman shouldn't be a firefighter. " Would she be able to carry her, down the stairs."

CUTTING WORDS! I let these words decide what I should and shouldn't do. I decided that I wasn't very good at sports. I decided that I didn't like to dance. To this day, I will only dance in the privacy of my own home.

I get nervous about about meeting people and what they will think? I get nervous about seeing people I haven't seen in a long time. Why? Because I had lost a bunch of weight, met these people, and now have gained some/half the weight back. What will they think?

I've avoided pictures like the plague, not even wanting to look at myself, for fear of disappointment and anxiety over how I look.

There are times when I consider NOT going to see people or getting together with people because of my self consciousness.

BUT I'm realizing that I am so much more than my weight and my insecurities. I always knew that, but now I'm beginning to act on that. I don't want to limit myself anymore. I want to live this life God has given me and enjoy it. I want pictures to document my time with my kids. I want to laugh and dance around! I want to enjoy my family and the people I'm with, regardless of what they think of me. Perhaps even finding the confidence to call them out on any future insensitive comments.

I want my life to be based and built on more than what other people think or say of me. I am so much more than that. I want to believe that who I am and what I look like, is more important than what magazines and tv and other people have to say about who I am and what I look like.

I'm choosing to believe that God made me good. That God has made me special and for a specific purpose. I'm choosing to believe Jeremiah 1:5

1. God formed me
2. God consecrated me
3. God appointed me

" Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations. "

Lest you think I've only ever received negative comments, I haven't. I'd like to thank my aquatics activities instructor in college, who encouraged me and spoke truth to me, when I doubted myself. I have a husband who has known me at my skinniest and at my heaviest and has always told me I was beautiful and special.

I'm resolving to be ME! In all my talents, gifts, faults and vices. I'm resolving to try my best, to step outside of the box I've built around myself, letting God give me glimpses of who He has made me to be, as I stop looking at the inconsequential, and superficial values I've been trying to attain.

I'm resolving to be AUTHENTICALLY ME!

Scrape the Plate Good!

2011-09-22T09:37:00.000-07:00

So, I've been reading Priscilla Shirer's book The Resolution for Women. In it, she describes how over a delicious chocolate cake, and some awesome girl talk, she realized that she was not living her life to God's fullest. She was discontent, and rushing through, not savoring each moment like she was the chocolate cake she was partaking. I so can identify with her.

Today, during the live simulcast, she was joined by 2 other women and all mentionned LOVING chocolate. Her cousin was touted as being the queen of chocolate ( or something to that effect) and so I said that I would use my blog to post my favorite chocolate recipe, and hopefully, some of the women will join me in sharing their favorite chocolate treats!

It's hard to live lives of contentment. Let's remind ourselves to savor our lives, both the good and the not so good, as we do some of our favorite treats! Without Further Ado:

DOUBLE DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup of cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
6 Tablespoons oil
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Mix all ingredients until well combined. Pour into an 8x8 greased pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.

* For frosting chocolate cakes, you could go with a chocolate frosting, but my favorite is cream cheese frosting and my family's favorite is peanut butter frosting.

Oh, and just because I'm in the mood and I had typed this up for my sister today, here is another chocolate recipe!

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
2 T salted butter
6oz semisweet chocolate chips (1 c)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs separated
2 T sugar
1/2 c heavy cream

1. Make a double boiler by setting a metal bowl on top of a medium saucepan filled with a couple inches of water. Add the butter to the bowl and then set the heat to low. When the butter has melted, add the chocolate chips. When the chips are melted, add the vanilla. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks.

2. In separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form softpeaks. Stir egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

3. In another medium bowl, combine sugar with the cream, and then whip the cream until stiff. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate.

* Mousse will be quite soft at this point, but will definitely set up to a chilled pudding consistency after its been in the fridge for a while.

Hopefully back in business!

2011-09-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Well, after the last repairs, my computer would only stay on for 20 minutes, so hopefully, this last repair will be a success.

The past two weeks without the computer have been good. I can still check my e-mail, facebook, etc. with my itouch, but I do love a full screen.

Anyway, school is going well and we are halfway through our third week. I am loving My Father's World curriculum. I love the book basket recommendations, the activities and the flexibility we have.

I'm at a loss of what to post right now, but stay tuned. I have a few ideas floating in my head. I'm looking forward to hopefully posting more regularly.

What we've been up to.

2011-08-19T04:38:00.000-07:00

It has been crazy around here. Naomi has hit the terrible 3's, and has kept me on my toes. We have had water poured on the laptop, i-pod flushed down the toilet and the cordless phone throne into the pool, as well as deliberately pulling down her pants and peeing on her bed. I don't know what has gotten into her, other than finally processing and maybe voicing some displeasure at our recent move, coupled with some developmental changes and a new sense of independence and individuality. Whatever it is, we are hoping that this phase is a short one, and we can get back to enjoying our spunky little princess without the fear of destruction and extra laundry. On the flip side, Naomi has me laughing with some of her expressions. Pretty please with a cherry on top being one of them, but my favorite is her cupping my face in her hands and telling me that I am the best mom in the whole wide world. Melt my heart! I'm also enjoying her participation in school. While I haven't received her curriculum, I've improvised, and she is enjoying her A is for apple week, as well as practising her French.

Simeon started school earlier this week. I finally received all of his curriculum and he begged to start the next day. What a nice change from the complaining and begging at times to go to public school. Our first few days have been nice, intensive,but enjoyable. I am still "learning" the curriculum I've chosen, but am happy with the flow, content and skills being taught. Simeon has been so thoughtful lately, it has really made being around him an extra pleasure. I'm so thankful for these glimpses of what a kind, generous and helpful man he is becoming. How can I not melt when receiving a picture that states his love for me?

Trisha has been busy with work and being an extra in a movie. She seems to be enjoying it. Wednesday is the day she is moving into her dorm on campus. She is really looking forward to that. Tomorrow, we are having a last hurrah party for her and her friends. Speaking of which, I need to get baking!

Finally, Rich and I have been busy around the house. Last weekend, my mil took the kids overnight, and it was nice to spend some quality time together. We watched a movie on Saturday night (My Date With Drew- an off beat documentary about a guy who gave himself 30 days and a small budget to get a date with Drew Barrymore), had a nice breakfast on Saturday morning, followed by a very productive blueberry picking session. 13 cups in an hour. I just love the wild blueberries. It was nice to then run some errands without worrying about a child not wanting to follow, nor having to buckle and unbuckle out of car seats. We were very glad to see them afterwards though. It was a little weird to not have either of the little ones with us.

As for me, well, home school is something I am passionate about, but the first few weeks always drain me, as I look to find balance and some kind of routine that works for all of us.

God has been speaking to me frequently, in the small ordinary moments, which just makes him feel that much closer and involved in my life. This morning, I was asking God about some things I've been thinking about. Some things I've been reevaluating and questioning, wondering if I was following His will for my life or not. I just was so thankful for his answers. I love when I ask God a question, and then, whether it be in the bible or in a devotional he answers. In this case, the answer came as a confirmation from Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest the date being Aug. 19th. It was nice to read that introspection and self consciousness is not a sin, but rather a tool that can lead us closer to Jesus as we turn to Him, for His wisdom and discernment. I am so thankful for a God who wants to be involved in the intimate details and situations in my life!

What I'm learning...

2011-08-03T06:08:00.000-07:00

It's funny, how God has been teaching me through the land. I have been researching how to prune and take care of the blackberry bushes and apple tree we have on our land. Here are some of my thoughts.

Pruning helps to cause a tree or bush to be more fruitful, more effective at what it does. When pruning, we take away branches or canes that suck life out of the plant,and cause it to bear little or mediocre fruit. Pruning causes the plant to channel its energy more effectively into the parts that will bear fruit. God does the same thing. He may remove things in our lives,things that are in and of themselves not bad, but that may hinder our ability to bear fruit for the kingdom. Things that left untouched, may cause disease or attract pestilence. Pruning in our lives is always for our own good.

As I was in the process of cleaning out/pruning our blackberry patch yesterday, I was attacked by the thorns on the bush. Blackberries are VICIOUS! I was wondering if I could make a parallel between the brutality of the blackberry bushes and my spiritual life, and it wasn't long before it came to me. So many times, I lash back at God as He prunes. He's simply trying to make me better, but I get all angry and bristly with Him. It's like the blackberry bushes. As I pull on the dead canes, to make room for the new ones, as I attempt to trim and make them more productive, they scratch and tear and prick. It doesn't stop me from my task, but doesn't make it pleasant. I wonder if God ever wishes we would simply let him prune without lashing out in frustration or sadness? It certainly would make it more pleasant for Him and for us, if we let Him work without getting all bristly and thorny.

Finally, as I was sitting, attempting to do my devotions this morning, I listened to Naomi, almost three yelling at Simeon, " Me do, I do it, I can do it!" I was reminded off how often, when God is trying to teach me something I have that same toddler attitude. I want to do it by myself. I don't think I need anyone else's help, direction or guidance. I was once again challenged, to watch my attitude when someone approaches me, trying to teach me something.

I am just so thankful for a God who cares about me, and will meet me in the mundane everyday tasks, to teach me about Him and about myself!

Bounty!

2011-07-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

As we were driving around our new stomping grounds yesterday, Rich turned the van around and pulled over to the side of the road. I wondered what he was up to, until he came back to the car with a handful of blueberries. He boasted of bushes loaded with wild blueberries.

This morning, with the kids in tow, we went picking. In under an hour we picked 10 cups of blueberries and left plenty on the bushes. I'm thrilled to not have to go to the blueberry farm this year. Instead, we got our berries free.

We do have blueberries on our own land, but they are in a very wet and boggy area. After talking this morning, I think, we are going to try to move the bushes to a drier,sunnier area, and see if they will produce more berries for us. If not, we'll buy bushes and have our own blueberry patch.

I'm again, so thankful for how God provides. How He knows what thrills us, and indulges us with so many of His blessings. I mean, He doesn't always give us what we want, but other times, He goes above and beyond our wildest dreams.

I was reminded of times with my grandparents this morning too. Traipsing through the woods berry picking with them, at their cottage. I can do this in my backyard...CRAZY!

I think the best part of the trip, was when Simeon stated he could see himself berry picking with his kids in 20/30 years from now! Be still my heart! My son is enjoying and planning on continuing the legacy of berry picking. Oh, how I hope that I can partake in berry picking with my son and grandchildren!

Even as I write this, I realize, that I also hope that my son, and grandchildren will share in a spiritual legacy. My prayer is that the love for God, His word, His ways is also passed down through the generations. That they would expeience the love of God's bounty, not only physically, but also spiritually.

Thank you Jesus, for the blessings of berry picking!

Musings...

2011-07-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading Oswald Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest, yesterday. What struck me is that God is more interested in the process than the end results, where as I am more interested in results than in the process. I've been reading Ann Voskamp's blog http://www.aholyexperience.com/ . I'm fascinated by her relationship with God and her willingness to partake in every moment of the here and now. She has inspired me, and with Oswald Chamber's promptings as well, it is what I am asking God to help me do. I'm asking that He help me to live fully in the moment. To be aware of Him throughout the "ordinariness" of my day. I want to enjoy the process, rather than missing the gifts of now, for the hopes of tomorrow. We'll see how I do.

Today's blessings:

I'm looking forward to a woman's craft night in a couple of weeks. A lady I met in my home school group has invited me to partake in this bimonthly get-together of crafts and chit chat. I'm hoping to make connections in my new town. The neat thing is that most of the women are also homeschooling moms, so I'm also hoping that a few of the women have boys the same age as Simeon. I'd love for him to develop some closer relationships.

I'm just amazed at how this move has brought some opportunities my way, things I've been hoping and praying for, but didn't know whether or not God would allow. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the treasures He has prepared for me.

Finally, years ago, I had perfected my kettle corn recipe. It's not something I made often, but it was a nice, inexpensive summer time treat. The problem came when we changed our old stove for a glass top stove. I could no longer make my kettle corn. Well, the house we bought had a propane stove. I've been looking forward to trying my hand at kettle corn again. I finally indulged this afternoon while the children were resting. I figured it would be a nice treat for snack time. The verdict is that the kettle corn is just as good as I remember it. If I had a camera, and we hadn't eaten it all up, I would take a picture for you. Maybe next time I make some I will. Following is the recipe, if you want to try your hand at it.

Kettle Corn

1/2 c. popcorn kernels
1/4 c. canola/corn/vegetable oil
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 t. salt

Heat your oil in a pot over medium heat. As you are heating, place 3 kernel's of corn in your oil. You'll know that your oil is ready to go when all three kernel's pop. Pour your popcorn in the pot, and then top it with the sugar and salt. Put the cover on and shake. I shake for 20 seconds right on the burner, and then off the burner for 5 seconds, until the popping has slowed significantly. After the popcorn is done, I transfer it to a bowl, so that the sugar coating does not burn. Let it cool and toss to break apart the popcorn and enjoy! It's a quick, sweet and salty treat, that reminds me of the fair.

The Move...

2011-07-28T06:28:00.000-07:00

Rich and I have finally done what we have talked about for the past 11 years. We bought our first home. What a blessing it has been. We had all kinds of things we were hoping for, and honestly, for a while, I was not sure that we were going to be able to buy a house. What with the financial restrictions we put on ourselves ( the bank would have loaned us far more than we felt comfortable with). Living in New England comes with a price, especially when close to major metropolitan areas, but God has blessed us abundantly.

On July 16Th, we moved to our little homestead. It's a 4 bedroom 1 1/2 bathroom house on 1.57 acres of land, agricultural land. Rich and I are thrilled with being able to expand our tiny garden. We are looking at getting apple trees, raspberry bushes, strawberry plants, high blueberry bushes rhubarb and more. Some of the bonuses we have found since moving is that we have a walnut tree, that we will be able to harvest, or at least try to harvest. We also have some blackberry bushes on the perimeter of the property.

It has been so exciting and exhilarating to spend time outside with the kids, working on our land. The people who sold us the land had planted some tomato and pepper plants. We had told them that they were more than welcome to the fruit, since they planted them. ( They live across the street) I also had told them, that I really didn't have the time or energy this year to work in the garden. I've been trying to get the inside of the house settled and ready for the upcoming home school year. ( as a side note, I now have a home school room that I'm thrilled about.) Anyway, I felt so bad at how awful the garden looked that I took the kids into the garden and we did some weeding. It took a lot less than I expected to restore some order, and it was so fun to do with the kids.

Some of the highlights of the past week:

1. Introducing the kids to caterpillars and to the joys of those furry little creatures. Naomi was much bolder than Simeon, but preferred holding the caterpillar only if she had a garden glove on. She did however enjoy petting it. Simeon on the other hand, wouldn't try holding it without a glove and barely managed to pet it. Ah, the beauty of caterpillars.

2. Picking blackberries from our own bushes. Blackberries are just coming into season here. I noticed yesterday evening that there were a few berries that were ready to pick. In all, we probably picked about 10 berries, but Naomi LOVED it! Simeon doesn't like blackberries, and Rich doesn't really care for them. It was so funny and exciting to hear Naomi say that she wanted to go blackberry picking today.

3. Understanding a little more about what God does and why. I've been researching how to care for the lone apple tree and the blackberry bushes we have on our property. I have been reading a ton about pruning. It's interesting to me,that in order to get more fruit and better quality fruit, one has to prune the tree/bush. Lately, God has been prompting me to give something up, and well I have been a little resistant, without really knowing why, its just not something I've wanted to give up. Yet, here I am realizing, that He wants to prune that area, so that I can be more productive and efficient. Never thought I'd learn more about Jesus by buying a house, but I have and I'm just so thankful for His grace amidst the chaos and ordinariness of my days.

Negligent and Inconsistent

2011-05-17T05:06:00.001-07:00

I have been negligent and inconsistent with this blog, and for that I apologize. Things here are going well. Naomi and Simeon are keeping me on my toes. Simeon has recently finished 2nd grade and is enjoying a freer schedule. We are continuing reading and science throughout most of the summer. He has also discovered a love for basketball this spring. Its been fun shooting some hoops with him. Naomi is one verbal little spunk ball. She has an answer for everything, and we are working on what is appropriate or not. Trisha is getting ready to graduate from high school and is looking at starting University in the fall. Where did the time go? She was in 2nd grade herself when Rich and I first married.
Rich is busy at work. The big news however is that we put an offer in on a house. We are waiting to hear from the sellers to see if they accept our offer. We are hopeful and yet trying to keep ourselves from getting too excited. There are still home inspections to pass before this is written in stone.
I will try to update a little more frequently. Maybe I can use some of my nervous energy by keeping the blog up...then again, there is some decluttering to do, in case we do move!

Strawberry and Chocolate Stuffed French Toast

2011-02-10T15:25:00.000-08:00

I wanted breakfast for supper and wanted to be inspired. I saw a recipe with this title, read it and then made it my own with what I had at home. Verdict? YUMMY!

8 slices sandwich bread ( I used whole grain)
3 large eggs
1 C of milk ( I could have used 1/2 a cup and it would have been sufficient)
4 T cream cheese
4 T semi sweet chocolate chips
8 oz strawberries, sliced ( I only had 5, but 8 would have been better.)
powdered sugar for sprinkling

Spread 1 T of cream cheese on 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle each of the 4 slices with 1 T of chocolate chips. Place enough strawberry slices to cover the slice of bread. Place the 4 remaining slices of bread on top to form sandwich. Combine milk and eggs. Preheat skillet. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture until sufficiently coated. ( If you like your french toast soggy, use the full cup of milk and soak the sandwich until saturated.) Cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Devour!

So Proud!

2011-01-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

I'm so proud of Simeon. Today he did a cumulative test on all we have learned in Botany over the past year and he did pretty good. Considering he is in 2nd grade, getting 74% on a test that included information from last Spring is GREAT! Way to go Sim! We are looking forward to finishing second grade studying space/astronomy for science!

I'm also proud because today, he learned to tie his shoes. I've been pretty easy going about it, but it has been bothering Rich, AND Simeon is almost 8. He took up the initiative on his own today and he now knows how to tie them on his own. He just has to practice to get it down pat, and figure out how to tie the laces tightly.

My little Haitian munchkin is turning in to a young man. Time goes way to quickly!

What Is My Word?

2011-01-19T06:15:00.000-08:00

A fellow blogger,Wendy, posted a word that was going to be her focus for the coming year. I liked the idea, and have been thinking of what my word could be. There are two words that I have been thinking on. I'll share one of them for today's blog, and the other one in a different post.

Consistent: always acting or behaving in the same way; continue to happen or develop in the same way

Here are ways I hope to live up to the word consistent:

In my marriage: I want to make a point of spending time with Rich doing things we enjoy together. Too often, once the kids go to bed, I get on the computer and before I know it, its bedtime. I'd like to remedy that by being more consistent in engaging in mutually interesting activities, puzzles, music, games, TV show we both enjoy, etc

In my exercise:I'm a great starter, but not so good at following through. I want to be more consistent, and part of that is making attainable goals for myself and not being all or nothing. I'd like to get 30 minutes of cardio and 20 minutes of weight training at least 4 times a week, preferably 6.

In my spiritual life: Again, I'd like to make sure that my bible is being read and that I'm spending time in prayer everyday. I seem to do okay during the week, but weekends, when I think I'd have more time, but it is often the weekend, where my consistency fails me. I have also committed to Beth Moore's Scripture Memory team this year. The goal is to memorize 24 Scriptures in 12 months. So far so good, but I want to continue to be consistent over the next year. It doesn't take much to throw me off my game, and I need to make sure that this area of my life is a priority or else everything else falls apart. I SO need Jesus.

In My Home: Keep up with the laundry, the dishes and the overall care of the home. I tend to start a cleaning routine and do well for a couple of weeks and then fizzle out. It doesn't take much to distract me and get me thinking of something else. I'd like to be more consistent in the overall care of my home.

In My Parenting: This is a big one. I have great ideas, start them, and then fall short of completing them. I'd like to make sure I'm engaging my kids more regularly, outside of regular parenting and home school. I'd like to play outside more often, have more dance parties, bake more with them, do more crafts and art activities. I want to do more out of the ordinary things with them, making special memories all year long, rather than simply during the holidays.I also want to be more consistent in my discipline, in remaining calm and uninvolved emotionally, so that my yelling decreases and my effectiveness increases.

With Myself: I'd like to do more of what I enjoy. Take a baking/cooking class or two, finish a book series I've started, buy clothes that make me feel good, plan more girls nights out, develop more friendships. Too often, I give my all in other areas of my life, and then have nothing left, and feel drained.

There you go! One of the two words I'd like to focus 2011 on.

Baking Report and Snowstorm traditions

2011-01-12T05:05:00.000-08:00

I am so excited and thrilled with the progress of my sourdough. Yesterday, my starter was bubbling away, completely happy with growing. Tonight, will mark the beginning of the fourth day of my starter. I can't wait until this weekend. I think the first baked good I will make is sourdoughwaffles. They sound intriguing to me and my children love waffles. I've also been pouring through my recipe book, looking for sourdough bread recipes. Oooo, I can't wait!

In other baking news, I'm making another loaf of my rye raisin bread. It was a hit, and we loved it, so I have some dough proofing as I type.

Yesterday, I also made some dark whole wheat rolls. They were so yummy and sweet. The crust was soft however, and Rich and I are quite partial to a crusty, french dough style crust on our rolls. The solution is easy, I will bake the rolls at a higher temperature, for less time, with a steam bath. I can't wait to try it again. I froze have the dough already shaped, so those yummy rolls are but a few hours away on any given night of the week.

Finally a question. Today, snow is being dumped on our heads. School has been cancelled and the outdoors is a beautiful white. Years ago, on such a snowy morning, I decided to make some cinnamon buns. Once they were made, I waded through the snow to my neighbors homes and brought them homemade cinnamon buns. It has become a tradition that I enjoy and look forward to. I was thinking of forgoing the tradition this year, but just writing about it has convinced me to head towards the kitchen. A snowstorm is just not the same without the smell of homemade cinnamon buns.

Do you have snowstorm traditions? Anything you plan on doing when it snows. I'd love hear about your snowy days.

Sourdough Starter

2011-01-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

Before Naomi came home, I was making sourdough bread regularly. A friend had given me some starter, and I was doing fairly well at keeping it going. A precious baby girl changed all of that. I have been itching to get back to baking with sourdough, but I don't want to spend the money on buying the starter.
I've always been one to enjoy some playing and experimenting in the kitchen,and so yesterday I set out to make my own sourdough starter. I'm hoping it will work. I had tried before, but that batch was an epic fail. I'm hoping that the detailed chapter in the King Arthur's Whole Grain Baking will make all the difference.I'll try to chronicle my progress with the starter.

Yesterday I baked my first loaf of Raisin Rye Bread. It was delicious fresh, but I was tickled pink with the toast it made this morning. The first time I had Raisin Rye Bread was 2 years ago at an Inn Rich and I had visited. It was so good, but I just hadn't found a recipe for it. I'm so glad that I found this recipe. We will be eating more of this bread in the near future. I'll try to post pictures of my next loaf and entice you all with beauty of this loaf.

Simeon and Naomi after Church Christmas pageant a few weeks ago.

2011-01-09T17:10:00.001-08:00

Scones and the Next Michael Jackson

2011-01-08T10:23:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Rich's homecoming this morning with drop scones. My aunt gave this recipe to my Mom when we were little, and we have all been enjoying this little clouds of fluff ever since. They are best right out of the oven, with a bit of butter and homemade jam. Our favorites are homemade raspberry and blueberry.

Scones
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
pinch salt
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1 scant cup of milk

Cut butter into first 4 ingredients,until coarse crumbs are formed. Add milk. Mix until just moist. Drop on ungreased pan by Tablespoonfuls. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Now for the next Michael! Simeon just LOVES to dance. During his recital last year, the dance company performed a Michael Jackson medley and he just loved it. He has been obsessed with the music and dancing of Michael Jackson ever since. The only rule I have is that there is to be no crotch grabbing. The spotlight of Christmas this year is that Trisha bought him the Wii Michael Jackson game. Since Naomi had a pic spotlighted on the blog yesterday, I figured I'd give you all a glimpse of the next Michael.

Forgot the pictures...

2011-01-07T16:07:00.001-08:00

Last night I started a 2 day process pizza dough. The dough is SO yummy. I was all set to post pictures of my beautiful pizzas, but the ranks were hungry, and my mother in law was invited for supper and we were all so excited about Rich coming home...and well...no pictures.

Posting what I'm cooking/baking on my blog has been inspirational though. The problem is trying to keep eating healthy AND keep baking. I was hoping to make something special for Rich's homecoming in the morning, but I don't have all the ingredients to the fancier recipes. I'll have to settle for some type of muffin, or maybe some scones with my homemade jam. Whatever the baked good is, I'll try to get pictures up.

In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these pics of little miss and her Christmas crafts. I was more intentional about doing some crafty things with her around Christmas and she absolutely LOVES it. Everytime my mother in law comes over she shows off her work. I guess crafts are a hit with her. So without further ado:

Tea Time

2011-01-06T17:40:00.000-08:00

My friend, Ruthe,came over for tea today. It was so nice to get to see her again, as our lives have both gotten busy, and we have neglected getting together. What goes better with company and tea? Something SWEET! So I tried another recipe from my Whole Grain Baking book. This time, I made Crumb Coffeecake. One word: YUM! It was absolutely delicious. While the recipe did include both some unbleached all-purpose flour and some bread flour, the majority of the flour was Whole Wheat, both of the pastry variety and of the white wheat variety. It was delicious, my friend had no clue it was whole grain until I told her, and it was a hit with the kids. Lest you think I would indulge in the rest of those goodies all by myself, I'll have you know I didn't keep all of the cake. Ruthe went home with some for her family and I brought my in-laws some of the goodies. Definitely a make again recipe. I think Rich is looking forward to tasting some of this after he gets home tomorrow night.

Banana-Oat Pancakes

2011-01-05T06:06:00.000-08:00

My cookbooks arrived yesterday. I ordered Whole Grain Baking by the King Arthur Flour Company, as well as Once a Month Cooking: Family Favorites. Both Cookbooks look great, but I haven't made anything out of the Once a Month Cooking yet.More on that in later posts.
After Rich left yesterday, and the kids were put to bed, I started pouring through the Whole Grain Baking. My, oh my! I can't wait to try some of these yummy recipes and play around with healthier whole grains for the family. This morning was my first try. Please forgive the blurry pictures. I guess I need to work on my picture taking skills. Overall, Naomi and I liked the pancakes. Simeon said he didn't like the texture of the pancakes. He described them as mushy, but I found them moist. He is a hard one to please when it comes to food textures though.

Yield: 10 pancakes

Ingredients:
3 small(9.5 ounces)bananas, mashed
2 T ( 1 oz) unsalted butter, melted
1 T lemon juice
1 T sugar
2 eggs
1 C ( 3 1/4 oz) oat flour (used a coffee grinder to grind old fashioned rolled oats)
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg

Stir together the mashed bananas, butter, lemon juice, and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat in the eggs.

I guess this is where I realize that I don't read instructions too well. Though the recipe states to mix the rest of the dry ingredients with the oat flour, I went ahead and added it to the wet ingredients. Ha!

Whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a small bowl.

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir the batter just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Check to be sure the batter is thin enough for your pancakes: you may need to add a touch of milk or water. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes before using.

Heat a nonstick griddle if you have one, or a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron. If your surface is not nonstick, brush it lightly with vegetable oil. when the surface of your pan is hot enough that a drop of water sputters across it, give the pan a quick swipe with a paper towel to remove excess oil, and spoon the batter onto the hot surface, 1/4 c at a time. Let the pancakes cook on the first side until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the cakes, 3-4 minutes. you may need to adjust the heat up or down to get the pancakes to cook through without scorching the surface or being too pale. When the cakes are just beginning to set,

flip them and let them finish cooking on the second side, until they're golden brown on both sides, about 1 1/2 minutes more. Serve the pancakes immediately, or keep them warm in a 200F oven.

For two pancakes, this recipe packs in 18g of whole grains, 6 grams of protein and 3g of fiber. Not bad if you ask me! Yummy too!

Culinary Adventures

2011-01-04T05:55:00.000-08:00

I love to bake and cook. I have been in a rut for the past TOO LONG. I miss making menus and buying from organized grocery lists, knowing exactly what to cook, and yet, I have had no motivation. This balancing game of housework, child rearing, homeschooling, trying to exercise, and keeping up with my relationship with Jesus is just too much! BUT, I have felt the passion and desire rekindling, and so I've enjoyed some experimenting in the past few weeks. I've often thought to take pictures of the process, but it hasn't happened. Hopefully it will soon. I'm actually considering taking some cooking classes that I have found close by. They are kind of pricy, but oh, the thought of perfecting my baguettes and the thought of learning how to make sumptuous homemade pasta is SO alluring. In the meantime, I'll share some of what I've been up to, and will try to get some pictures up the next time I bake. One of the things I've been doing is cooking with more whole grains. I'm actually waiting for a whole grain baking book, and I hope it comes in the next few days. Who am I kidding? I hope it comes today, so that I can revel in it while Rich is gone to Philly for work this week. There's nothing like pouring over a cookbook.

Okay, I've made:
Orange Cranberry Muffins
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
Applesauce Banana Muffins
Homemade Potstickers
Banana Blueberry Bran Muffins

All were YUM! All had mostly healthy ingredients, and my kids ate them. Yeah!

Our Adoption Story

2010-10-17T17:12:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the quality of the picture, I'm not sure why my camera did such a nasty job. This picture was taken on Naomi's second birthday.

As long as I can remember, I've wanted to adopt. I used to joke with a friend in college, that we would both remain single, and open a home for children with disabilities, adopting them all. Ha! Anyways, I've also suspected that I might have issues with conceiving, considering my cycles were never regular.

I met Rich, and we soon talked marriage. He told me from the get go that there would be issues growing our family. He had had a vas in a previous marriage. That said, we opted for a reversal, and talked to my Dr. about my fertility issues. I was then diagnosed with PCOS.

Rich went through the reversal 5 months after we were married, 6 months after that, we were told that the reversal was a failure. We felt like we were in a pit. I had always dreamed of also carrying children and nursing my children...what was going on.

I prayed and prayed. I could have named at that time EVERY SINGLE miraculous pregnancy mentionned in the Bible. I pleaded with God for a miracle. I also prayed that if pregnancy was not HIS will for my family, that He would change my heart.

One day, as if it was written in Bold and Underlined, ALL the passages about the orphan and fatherless. I was gung ho! Let the adoption adventures begin.

It took a little more time for Rich to be ready. While he was open to adopting, he was also considering ways to start a family biologically. We spoke about the financial repercussions to our choices and what we wanted. One day Rich came home and told me that he was ready to adopt. He said that adoption was EVERYWHERE! TV, Radio, Newspaper...God was surrounding him adoption stories.

For some agencies Rich was too old. For others, I was too young. Rich had previously been married. We didn't have enough money. The list of things went on and on. One day, while praying and looking about the living room, I looked at a carving a friend had brought me back from the country of Haiti. It was a Madonna and child. I began researching adoption in Haiti. I found a photolisting and looked at the requirements. Haiti seemed to be the country for us. Within a few months, we were going through our homestudy and gathering the documents for our dossier.

I'll never forget the day I "found" Simeon. I was looking at our placing agencies photolisting, and came upon Simeon's picture. He seemed so peaceful and serene. Rich was not due to come home for lunch that day, and I was begging God. How could I wait until the end of the day. To my surprise and delight, Rich came home for lunch, late. I ran out the door and actually fell and skinned my knee. Rich was busy asking if I was alright, while I was frantically trying to get him into the door, to the computer to see the picture of Simeon. Within the hour, our baby boy was put on hold and we were expectant parents.

3 months after finding Simeon, I was able to go visit and spend some time with him in Haiti. I'll never forget the moment I held Simeon in my arms. I describe that moment as the moment I became a mother. He looked up into my eyes and smiled. My heart melted, and I was changed. Before leaving Simeon in Haiti, I cried and cried. God blessed me with the opportunity to meet Simeon's birthmom. After meeting her, I was still heartbroken over saying goodbye, and as I sobbed, I heard God ask, " If she can give him away for a life time, how much more can you entrust him into My arms until I give him back." What could I answer, my leaving was still difficult, but I thought of that encounter with God often.

Things began to deteriorate in Haiti, soon after my return to the US. Our US placing agency left us, and took all the money we had prepaid. We were left with staggering child support fees for the orphanage and the rest of the legal process. Many times I asked God where He was, and why it was so hard. I was reminded that God had a plan. In April, 9 1/2months after beginning our process with Simeon himself, we brought him home. What a great day that was.

5 years later, we were in a position to adopt again. We wanted to return to Haiti, but after the difficulties of the last adoption, we decided to be wise about our agencies and asked around. There were two agencies that were recommended to us. To our dismay, NEITHER agency would work with us. One agency was closed to incoming parents completely (laws had changed and they could not process adoptions fast enough, to make room for new adoptions) and one agency refused us because of Rich's biological daughter. ( I believe this was God because I knew for a fact of a couple that was adopting through this agency that was carrying a bio child.)

We decided after much trepidation to go forward with a domestic adoption. A couple of months after being ready with our agency, we were matched with a young woman who was due with a baby girl in just 6 weeks. God's fingerprints were just all over this adoption. From providing friends with me to stay with in the city in which she was being born, to friends in our home church providing free airfare for my trip. Naomi was born, and she has been with me/us ever since. Again, I"m flying over the details, but the agency we worked with has since closed and we were very blessed to be able to finalize our adoption. Not many couples that worked with that agency had such happy endings, many of them in fact suffered from crushed dreams.

Adoption has been a blessing! If I had to do it all over again, knowing the hardships and obstacles that would arise, we definitely would. Even now, given the resources, I'm sure that we would adopt again. The thing is, adoption while joyful, is also wrought with loss and sadness. Its a delicate balance. A balance that I am learning everyday as I love on the two blessings that God has blessed me with!

Canine Addition

2010-04-18T13:27:00.001-07:00

Well, after talking about getting a dog for a few years, and talking ourselves out of it, we adopted Sealy yesterday. She is a sweet and sensitve dog, who loves to play, is great with kids. She's part hound, and walking her is somewhat of a challenge. She's already getting better, but when she gets a whiff of something, she's off and trying to run. A little over 24 hours since she came home, and I'd say we're smitten.

Naomi loves her from afar for the most part, but we have found her using sealy as a pillow and trying to kiss her gently. She greeted her from her nap wiht a wave and a, " Hi, doggie."

Simeon is in doggie heaven. He has so wanted a dog for so long. Poor dog is going to die of being overly loved, pet and brushed. He keeps wanting to teach her tricks. I keep telling him that he needs to wait until she sits, lays down and comes consistently. I wouldn't change their dynamic for the world though. He was hurrying us home from church because he wanted to see his dog, he missed her.

Easter Pics!

2010-04-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

Recent Pics...

2010-03-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Open letter to an awesome husband!

2010-02-23T07:16:00.000-08:00

Dear Rich,

You are such an amazing man. I love how involved you are with the kids. How you take time to really savor and enjy time with them. Somethimes, I'm in such a rush to tick things off my to do list, but you remind me of the gift of time. Thank you! You know, we often tell Trisha that God will surpass anything she could ever dream or imagine if she surrenders to Him. How TRUE! You are so much better than any quality or person I would have ever dreamed up for a husband.

I know that you are a little nervous about the lack of overtime and travel. I know God will get us through another rough patch. You know, I read today that experts say that 78% of ALL second marriages end before 7 years. I am so thankful for a God who moves in our lives and brings us and grows us together despite those scary statistics.

I LOVE YOU Rich! I look forward to many more years of discovering what God has in store for us. What an adventure He has set before us.

Jessie

Just an Update...

2010-02-06T18:40:00.000-08:00

Well, altogether we have raised $1646 dollars. I am continually amazed at everyone's generosity and support. We are looking forward to a bakesale a week from tonight. May I encourage you to actively seek news on Haiti. Heartlineministries.org has a great blog with up to date stories of what they are doing there. While the major news networks have gone onto other news stories, the real story of Haiti and its rebuilding and healing is VERY MUCH new and recent, it will take years to rebuild, and we must not forget!

Phil, thanks for the shout out in your blog post! We appreciate your support!

THANK YOU!

2010-01-30T06:10:00.002-08:00

I just want to thank all of you for your generosity in supporting Simeon's readathon and Heartine's Haiti ministry. As of today we have $1426 raised. The majority of it has been/ will be donated to Heartline, while some people chose to donate in Simeon's name to charity's of their choosing. The numbers are still coming in, and we have been given the opportunity to be part of a bakesale with all proceeds going to heartline. It simply amazes me to see how God has used the desire of one little boy to help his country of origin, to mobilize such aid in such a NEEDY time! Again, THANK YOU!

In the previous post, I listed all 30 books Simeon read along with their authors! Be sure to check it out!

Books Simeon Read for Haiti Fundraiser

2010-01-30T06:10:00.001-08:00

1. The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash by Trinka Hakes Noble
2. King Bidgood's In The Bathtub by Audrey Wood
3. It's Not Fair by Amy Crouse Rosenthal
4. Owen by Kevin Henkes
5. Snow Day! by Patricia Lakin
6. Snowmen At Night by Caralyn Buehner
7. The Little Snowflake by Steve Metzger
8. A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza
9. One Fish two fish red fish blue fish by Dr. Seuss
10. Curious George Goes to a Costume Party by Margret and H. A. Rey
11. Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans
12. 47 Beavers on the Big, Blue Sea by Phil Vischer
13. Caps For Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
14. Bubble Gum Bubble Gum by Lisa Wheeler
15. Sledding by Elizabeth Wintrhop
16. llama llama mad at mama by Anna Dewdney
17. Snow Day by Barbara M. Joosse
18. Bat's Big Game Retold by Margaret Read MacDonald
19. The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
20. Clams All Year by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
21. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann
22. The Big Snow by Beta and Elmer Hader
23. The New Baby by Mercer Mayer
24. Curious George Goes to the Beach by Margret and H.A. Rey
25. The Treasure by Uri Shulevitz
26. Peter's Chair by Ezra Jack Keats
27. Ernie's Little Lie by Dan Elliott
28. BIGMAMA'S by Donald Crews
29. Daddies by Janet Frank
30. Tawny Scrawny Lion by Kathryn Jackson

Simeon's Fundraiser for Haiti

2010-01-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

Dear Family and Friends,

As many of you know, we adopted Simeon from Haiti almost 6 years ago. The earthquake has hit us hard, as we wonder about his birthfamily, as well as missionaries we support there, and countless children in orphanages who need food water and medicine. The biggest need right now is money to buy the basic needs mentionned above.

Simeon has been asking what he can do to help, and this is what we have come up with. Starting tomorrow, January 15th, 2010 and for the next two weeks, Simeon will read as many extracurricular books as possible. We are asking that you would consider sponsoring him an amount per book. No amount is to little. At the end of two weeks, we will post the titles of all books he has read on my blog: http://jessie-ordinarydays.blogspot.com . Along the way we will try to post video of Simeon reading some of his favorite books.The money we raise will go to hearlineministries.org . They run a children's home, prenatal program, a sewing program, as well as a few other ministries in Haiti. John and Beth Mchoul have been working in Haiti for 20 years now. We are asking that all donations be done via paypal http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=11132599 on January 30th, 2010. This money will go directly to heartline's earthquake
relief fund.

For more information on that, see Http://haiti-relief.org . Please let us know how much you have pledged at randjmills@myfairpoint.net so Simeon can see how just a little effort can make a big impact.

With many thanks,Rich, Jessie and Simeon

Reading the Book Madeline by by Ludwig Bemelmans

2010-01-20T11:04:00.000-08:00

Painting Like Michelangelo

2010-01-20T10:55:00.000-08:00

We read about Michelangelo in art this week. One of the things we looked at was the Sistene Chapel. We discussed how it took Michelangelo 4 years to paint it. So, we decided to try painting upside down. It was a neat activity!

Mystic Aquarium

2009-10-19T16:24:00.001-07:00

Rich had a business trip to Mystic, Connecticut, and the kids and I were able to go along. The hotel was right across from the aquarium, so it was really convenient. The kids loved the animals. I think the belugas were our favorite. We got to watch them be trained and fed. We also got to watch a couple of sea lion shows, as well as pet some sting rays, and play with some crabs. Simeon now knows how to tell a male and female crab apart, as well as how to tell from the penguins beads whether they are male or female and what their "name" is. Bedtime was a nightmare, and so we decided to roll with the punches and party. We ordered UP from the hotel tv and shared chocolate cake in bed. It was a great time. You know, one of those times when its exactly how you thought motherhood would be.

School Projects from a few weeks ago.

2009-10-19T16:18:00.000-07:00

burden baskets, canoes, birch bark box, a basket, Spanish dubloons, and a parfleche.

School Projects...

2009-09-23T06:10:00.000-07:00

We have continued to learn about the discovery of the Americas and the Native Americans. One of the books we are using is called More than Moccasins. It has a bunch of crafts and activities to suppliment the book learning we are doing. In these pictures, you see the wigwams we made, the southwestern Pueblo as well as some weaving mats. Did you know that the Native Americans in New England used Potato stams with berry ink to decorate/stamp their baskets...We're learning all kinds of neat things, and having fun in the process!

First Official Soccer Game!

2009-09-23T05:54:00.000-07:00

Simeon started soccer with the rec center on Saturdays. The first few weeks were practices, this week we had our first game. He LOVES to run. Poor thing scored in the wrong teams goal right off the bat, but now makes sure he knows which direction he should be scoring in. I'm hoping that we get his asthma under better control in the next little bit, so he can enjoy the running more. The asthma doesn't stop him, but I struggle with seeing him gasp for breath as he's running around the field!

Break Me Outta Here!

2009-09-23T05:46:00.000-07:00

I love going to get Naomi after a nap! She is just so sweet and talkative. On this day, she was dangling her legs through the bar, chattering away. I wish I had captured the smile of when I first walked in the room! I love my little princess!

In other news, we had her one year appointment at the dr's. Apart from the shots she needed, everything is going well. She has quadrupled her weight already, can you believe that? She is 25% for head circumference and weight, and has shot up to the 50th percentile for height.

As we were telling the dr. what Naomi is up to lately, she confirmed my "fears", I am in real trouble when it comes to this kid! Naomi is learning very quickly, and definitely reaching developmental milestones which are beyond her brief 12 months. She is advanced. She's a smart little cookie, who likes to climb, and communicate. She loves books and will go to them when you prompt her. She still loves sucking her fingers and snuggling her blanket.

Thank you Jesus for the gift of Naomi!

Projects...

2009-09-14T05:39:00.000-07:00

Rich has been redoing out bathroom for the past week. The floor was rotting, so we gutted the bathroom completely, are now putting in a bath/shower combo, rather than our old stand shower and are making the room bigger. Needless to say, things have been chaotic around here, especially since we only have one bathroom.
I needed to do something to keep my hands and mind busy. I took out some leftover yarn from baby blankets I had made for friends, and decided to make Naomi a hat. I'd never crocheted using two different colours, but really like how it turned out. I may have to get some colours I like more and make her a brighter hat for winter, I also want to try to make some mitts to match the hat I've already made! I think both the hat and the model are just precious, if I do say so myself!

The tooth fairy's visit.

2009-09-14T05:34:00.000-07:00

Simeon has had the central incisors loose for quite some time. About two weeks ago he lost the first one, and two days ago he lost the other. I must say I think he's cute without his two top teeth! Wouldn't you agree?

Homeschool has begun!

2009-09-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Simeon is starting his third week of school today and has been doing really well. The first week he was really motivated, last week, not so much. The first three days were like pulling teeth, what he could normally do in the morning, he dragged until 2 in the afternoon. Friday was a great day full of motivation and we were done in no time flat. I'm hoping that he remembers that HE has the power to determine how long our school day is. We are doing a whole year based on the "cowboy and indian" era of American history. Last week we made a teepee out of cloth and some smaller ones out of paper. We also studied about the vikings and Leif Erikssons trip to North America. We've made some paper and carboard 3d maps and have been having fun overall.

Characters

2009-09-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

I love my kids, but boy do they have character! The photos are just further proof! Simeon loves to dress up, and "act". Naomi, she's my little dare devil. Just turned one and already climbing...let the "fun" and adventures begin!

Happy Birthday Naomi!

2009-09-07T05:05:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Naomi's 1st birthday! I can't believe how quickly a year has gone by. It seems impossible for my baby to be one already. We had a great birthday party with family. It was really laid back, and the birthday girl enjoyed eating her cake and playing with her new toys. Thank you to all who spoiled her. She will be styling in all the new clothes she got.

Naomi at one is one little spunk ball. She definitely has personality.She makes her likes known with laughter and smiles, sometimes laughing and giggling so much that she is gulping for air, while when she is discontent, you can hear screeches and fussing. She has mastered "the stare", and if she doesn't know you, she lets you know that she is checking you out and trying to judge your character.

Some of her favorite things are Simeon, ( he can always get her to laugh) swinging in her new swing, (thanks Nana) and her blankie. That child LOVES her blankie.

She is now over 20 lbs and loving her New Britax Boulevard. She is still rear facing for now,but she loves to sit in it and just relax. I wish my seat in the car was so plush and comfy. She looks like she's sitting in a recliner. It's so funny to me to see how far she's come. She was discharged from the hospital, needing to use a car bed, because she was so small and wouldn't pass the carseat test, and yet, she has caught up to her peers and is in a big girl carseat now! AMAZING!

For the longest time Naomi only had her bottom central incisors. In the past week, her top two central incisors have cut through and the bottom lateral incisor on the left is getting ready to cut through. She has been a wee bit cranky, but has also spent more time sleeping, which is fine. She's going to be really cute with her new pearly whites!

Finally I'll end with a picture for comparison. At Becky's last year, we took a picture of Naomi with a Bitty baby so you all could see how small she was. Here is the original post with that picture! You'll see in the pictures above, just how much she's grown in a year! If you cut and paste this address into your browser, http://jessie-ordinarydays.blogspot.com/2008/09/what-doll.html , you will see the original picture of Naomi and the bitty baby doll.

Happy Birthday sweet girl! Mommy and Daddy love you and are so proud of you! God has blessed us with your presence! You are one of His good and perfect gifts!

Adoption Shower

2009-09-04T05:11:00.000-07:00

It has been my pleasure to watch God move in our friends', Jon and Jolene, life. God orchestrated our meeting a year ago, and I've been able to help, encourage, pray, cheerlead them on their first adoption journey. Next Saturday, they will be flying to Ethiopia to meet and be united with their son! I am so stinking excited, you would think it was one of my adoptions.

Anyway, my friend Jen and I planned a "mini-shower" that was last night! It was great to see Jon and Jolene again, to bless them ( along with some of our other friends)with toys and clothes for Talo.

Jolene, if you read this, your family is just beautiful. I can't wait to see a picture of the three of you, not you and Jon holding a picture frame, but really your live sweet boy smiling beside you! God's ways are perfect!

Much love and prayers for you both! Jessie

First day of school!

2009-09-04T05:03:00.001-07:00

This picture was after I asked Simeon to go brush his teeth before starting school. After getting Naomi dressed, I went to check on Simeon and the picture is what I found. His explanation: I need to shave before school. I don't think he would have gone so far as to use a real razor, ( since he has a plastic one)but I can't be sure and I'm glad that I walked in when I did!

Monday was the first day of our homeschool year. Simeon is in first grade. I was really a little nervous about it. Last year was a real struggle to get him to do the work some days, and all summer he talked about not liking school . I prayed about it and just got ready for a struggle, but much to my surprise there wasn't any. I was greeted by Simeon coming to my bedroom early Monday morning, telling me how excited he was to start! Yeah for having a good attitude!

This year we are studying the "Cowboy and Indian" era of American history. We have made a diorama, 3d map and played a Native American children's game. I think we are both enjoying the projects. We are also doing a science journal this year, following a formal art curriculum, and beginning our French curriculum. Our days are definitely full, though school only usually takes up about 1/2 a day. As for sports, Simeon is taking Saturday soccer, will be starting a boys dance class which includes tap, hip hop and jazz and will probably be doing gymnastics at the recreation center in town. Nothing like keeping busy!

Seems like...

2009-08-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Pictures are : Naomi sucking her toes on the back porch.
Simeon before his beach themed dance class
Naomi's birthday doll- from scratch!
I only get to posting every month or so. Summer has been busy around here. The garden is not doing as well as I had hoped, then again, the weather has been wonky, we have been able to eat some fresh zucchini, parsley and potatoes. The tomatoes, both cherry and regular size are starting to ripen. Hopefully the end of the summer will make up for the lack of growth earlier this season.

Naomi is growing leaps and bounds. She is starting to stand more and more on her own and is walking while holding onto someones hand. I was just telling Rich the other day that she is going to be our dare devil. I have found her on more than one occasion trying to climb. I'm a little fearful of what walking ( or running) will do for our lives in the near future. It's hard to believe that in less than two weeks she will be one. Time sure does fly. We are so thankful for her presence in our lives. She brings lots of smiles and laughter.

Simeon is growing as well. We went to the ped's last week, and found that he has grown 3 inches in the past year. He is tall and lean. He took dance this summer and now is thinking of whether he wants to take formal dance ( boys class being tap, jazz and hip hop) or gymnastics. Either way, he has dance director and gymnastics coach asking for him. I think he'll excel at whatever he chooses. We will be starting school on Aug. 31st. Simeon isn't too keen on that, but I'm looking forward to a great school year. We will be doing American Story I by Winter Promise, which is a history based program on the Cowboy and Indian Era of American history. I'm looking forward to building teepees, Conestoga wagons and all kinds of other neat projects. We will also be tackling our first formal year of French and art.

Trisha is doing well. She has her driver's license now, which means she is constantly asking for the car. She is also single once again. School starts for her again next week, and I think she is dreading going back to earlier bed times and early mornings. Alas, such is life!

Rich and I are doing well, though tired and run down lately. We got away for a few days in July at a wonderful inn in the New Hampshire Mountains. We went on some long walks and enjoyed being kid free. It wasn't long enough though. It seems that we are pulled in so many directions that a couple of days is simply a drop in the bucket.

On the Move!

2009-05-25T04:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry the lighting is so poor, but I didn't want to lose the moment!

Where does time go?

2009-05-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

I've kept meaning to blog, and yet days slip by with no blogging. The past week has been kept busy. I have planted 3 of my planned 6 vegetable and herb gardens. So far I have bush beans, slicing cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, carrots, and broccoli planted. I also planted some chives around my rosebush.

I have also been baking. I've made some homemade pita bread, whole wheat crunchy chocolate chip cookies, whole wheat brownies and more cookies since they were so popular.

Last night, I had my girl's night out. I'm thinking this is going to become a monthly thing! It's so nice to get away and talk and just enjoy each other's company. As mentioned in my previous blog, I made a spa recipe from the book I bought. I changed around the recipe to match what I had, so I'll share it here.

Lemon Lime Rosemary Foot Scrub

1/4 C Epsom salts
1/2 C Sea Salt
2 Oz ( give or take) of extra light olive oil
zest of 1/2-1 lemon
Zest of 1 lime
torn leaves of 1 sprig rosemary

If scrubbing your feet, during a pedicure, they recommend if you have time to wrap your feet in plastic wrap and then placing your feet in a folded towel. Your body heat then creates a mini oven effect, and helps allow your skin to soak in the oil. Finish off your foot scrub with a nice thick lotion to keep your feet nice and smooth and soft.

If you try the recipe and would like to comment, please do. I'd love to hear your reactions whether good or bad.

As for the kids, Simeon is turning 6 Next Weekend. I can't believe my baby is growing up so fast. He has really grabbed a hold of reading and is reading everything. It's fun to be in stores and hear/see him reading the signs.He is gaining such confidence. It's fun!

Naomi is on the move. She has decided that staying in one spot is not for her. Her crawl looks like a cross between an army crawl and an inch worm. She must be motivated however. Simeon's toys or a cat will motivate her to move. She is pretty quick at that. Time to go over the house with a fine tooth comb and see what needs to be moved to make this place more baby proof.

Trisha's taking driver's ed and is constantly wanting to drive. She is also working at a pizza place close to our house. She seems to like it for now. I think she's looking forward to school being out.

As for me, well, I'm reading a book called Crazy Love by Francis Chan. So far so good! Will post more as I find/make the time!

Mom Spa: 75 Relaxing Ways to Pamper a Mother's Mind, Body, and Soul

2009-05-14T16:35:00.000-07:00

I just bought this book at TJ Maxx for $3. It looked like it had some great "Spa" ideas and recipes for skin and hair. I'm looking forward to trying them in the months to come. Last month, I had a girls night out. Everyone had fun, and so I'm organizing another one. I'm thinking of making these once a month nights special and treating me and the ladies to a little something to take the time to pamper ourselves in the weeks before the next get together. I'll let you know how it goes, and may share some of these "secrets".

What are you all doing to pamper yourselves, and get away from everyday stress?

I'm being challenged.

2009-05-11T09:26:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a 90 day Beth Moore devotional on the apostle John. It has been highly interesting and challenging. A few thoughts have been floating around in my head. Do I face poverty, whether it be spiritual, emotional, physical, face on, or do I try to skirt away from it? Jesus faced poverty head on. He didn't look, down, he didn't avoid it, he looked it straight in the face. Why do I have such a hard time doing that? Why, is it, that I have a hard time looking in the eyes of someone who doesn't believe, or live the same way I do?

So, as I've been thinking about this, I'm trying to live my life unashamedly. Jesus loves these people, I need to get past my discomfort and treat them with respect and friendship. It's not like I'm disrespecting these people, rather, I'm just sort of skirting around them, rather than including them in my life. For example, a couple of weeks ago a family was walking on the sidewalk in front of my home. I know them, they used to attend my church. I also know that they are on welfare, and are not "well seen" by the other people in the neighborhood. I know that they are no longer attending the church we used to mutually attend, and have decided to be Jehovah Witnesses. They stopped to talk to me as I was inspecting some flowers that somehow appeared in the middle of my lawn. I just couldn't wait for them to move. I had a hard time looking them in the eye. I was uncomfortable. I was so thankful for Rich coming home for lunch right then and needing to go in. Yet afterwards, I felt horrible. My discomfort came from not knowing what to say. I just needed to listen. By looking them in the eye, taking the time to listen and maybe even engaging a little, I could have given them a small glimpse of Jesus. Ugh...a good thing God is patient and is forgiving! I need another opportunity to look them in the eye.

Another such circumstance came at goodwill when I was waiting in line. A person was buying some clothing, and obviously had a lifestyle much different than my own. I was embarrassed for them. It was like a train wreck waiting to happen, I was watching and yet trying not to watch as I patiently waited to pay for my items. As a second register opened, and I moved up to pay, the person apologized for taking so long. I quickly, with my head down, said, "No problem." Why didn't I look at this person in the eye? Smile? Say, " Not a problem, have a nice day?" Isn't that what Jesus would have done?

All this to say, I'm being challenged to take the time to love on people. To treat them with the same care Jesus treats me! Not easy in this world. But I'm hoping to reach out, one smile, one word, one eye to eye look on. They are worthy, they are created by God, and though God may not agree with their lives, lifestyle He sure does love them...loves them enough to die for them. If He can do that, I should be able to look them face to face!

I'm back!

2009-05-08T05:08:00.000-07:00

I hope...I've had a few post ideas float through my mind, but then I get busy and don't type them out. So, I'm going to try to put blogging on my todo list and see if that helps. It has helped me be so much more fruitful and productive during my days as of late.

What have I been up to? Gardening and baking. Spring has brought with it lots of fun in the garden. My bleeding hearts are blooming. I have the prettiest little blue flowers in my shady garden. My wild rose bush is finally looking healthy after being moved two years in a row. My neighbor gave me some hostas to plant, they were a BEAR to split, but are thriving in all 3 places I planted them. I also was given some daylilies that also took right to their new home. My delphiniums, lavendar and another perennial that I forget the name have survived the winter and are looking like they are coming back to life! I LOVE gardening. Today, I plan on getting some Jacob's ladder from another neighbor and maybe starting the new plot for our vegetable garden. It's amazing how much my gardens have grown in the past 2-3 years. I never thought I would enjoy gardening the way I do. I'm hoping to get some sweetpeas to grow for me this year.

As for baking. Well, in an attempt to regain my health and good habits, Rich bought me a whole wheat bread baking book. So far I have made 2 of the recipes and we have been pleased. I have a recipe for making my own sourdough starter, I just don't feel like I'm in the right frame of mind yet to try it. In the days to come. I have all the ingredients, I just need to decided THE DAY! You know, I've realized just what an art and science breadmaking is and I love that. While yes, it nourishes both my family and me, it allows me to use my brain in ways a little more advanced that kindergarten science and math. LOL

I've also been on a recent sewing kick! I've made both Simeon and I mei tai carriers. As well as a soft crib sheet for Naomi. I'm also planning on hopefully making her a couple of pillow case dresses, and Simeon a superhero cape and a couple of masks. When? I'm not sure with all the gardening and weeding I have to do, but hopefully in time for his 6th birthday at the end of the month.

I guess I'll end here. The sun is shining after a couple of days of rain, I want to get school and chores done ASAP so that I can go and play in the dirt!

In an attempt....

2009-04-01T04:02:00.001-07:00

to keep friends and husbands happy, and to finally break my silence, here I am. I knew it was bad when Rich called me a blogger yesterday. I replied that I hadn't posted in months, and he quipped back with yeah, since December 30th or something...Okay, gotta keep the fans happy.

Not much and yet everything is going on. Let's see if I can do a brief recap of the past little bit.

Trisha is doing well. She just got finished with her highschool musical endeavor. The show of Guys and Dolls was great, and she did a fabulous job being hit on the head with a sugar bottle. Her Cuban dancing was awesome. Looking forward to next year's production. She is finishing up her sophomore year. She now has a boyfriend, and they've been together for a few months. He seems like a nice guy, how can he not be, he's a Canadian citizen. Seriously, Caeman is a great kid, and they are VERY CUTE together. Apart from that, we celebrated Trisha's 16th birthday...where did time go? She is looking at getting a job and taking driver's ed this spring as well as participating in the school's 10 minute plays. Overall, she is doing great.

Simeon is keeping me busy. Homeschooling is going really well. Over the past month I have seen him take off with his desire to write. He often writes me apology and love notes. They are so cute, definitely make me giggle, but I must be strong and not let him sweet talk me out of anything. He continues to take gymnastics on Wednesdays and LOVES it. He is quite good, though he does lack in flexibility. His new passion is the wii fit. He loves that thing and since we are both so competitive, we keep trying to beat eachother's scores. Sim has quite the personality and is quite the instigator. He will say exactly the opposite of what I say to my sister to get a rise out of me or her. He knows how to "play" people and loves to make them laugh. Now I am in trouble with him....GIRLS! He loves the girls, has a gazillion girlfriends, and loves to get a rise out of me...So far, he says he's going to marry Grace, but he also must look good for girls such as Baylee and Shannon. Oie...1 sixteen year old is enough. We are fast approaching his Gotcha Day, he'll have been home 5 years mid April. It seems unbelievable to me! What happened to my little 10.5 month old baby? We are also getting ready to celebrate his 6th birthday at the end of May.

Naomi, well, she's a little doll. She LOVES to eat, and is no longer the teeny tiny peanut she was when she first came home. She enjoys Simeon tremendously, and when all else fails, a few silly faces or noises from Simeon can change her sorrow to laughter. She is definitely my social butterfly. While most babies will fuss and cry when being passed from arm to arm, she seems to thrive. If we are around other people, she refuses to nap, and has to be a part of the fun. It's not so bad, since she remains happy, she doesn't tend to get fussy at that point yet. On March 30th, she rolled over from front to back and back to front at the same time. She doesn't seem too keen on rolling over yet. There are many times when I look at her and think that she will be crawling before she is rolling around everywhere. We are working on sleeping through the night, and are getting very very close! Yeah, I think Rich and I are both looking forward to some solid sleep REAL SOON!

Rich, he continues to be my best friend and steadfast companion. I couldn't ask for a better partner on this journey. He's a great help with the kids, an awesome provider. We are part of a small group bible study and for the past few months we have been doing some FamilyLife couples studies. These have been great because they require a date everyweek. We were really bad about taking that time for ourselves. Now however, we really realize how much we need those times. So we have been having pretty much some weekly dates. It's so nice to get out together. Work continues to be busy for him.

Me...well...I'm just soaking it all in. I had been running since December, but after running 6 miles and taking a brief trip to Canada, I stopped. Rich and I do want to start running together outside, it just hasn't happened yet. I went out with some girlfriends last week and it was really fun. I want to try to do that more often. The best part was going out for supper alone first. It was so nice to sit down at a nice restaurant with a magazine and just read quietly! Yeah for Mommy time! I'm also wanting to do more for the country of Haiti. I've been in touch with an acquaintance who ships donations of various items to different missionaries in haiti, so I've started collecting some of those items to send to her. I am also looking to hosting a Haitian purse party. I will try to post more about my Haiti involvement in another blog post.

Right now, I had better go...I have Mom's group in an hour and have a bunch of stuff I need to do! Hopefully, my next post won't be so far away!

Whirlwind!

2008-12-30T07:40:00.001-08:00

I'm still here...just being kept busy. We have had a wonderful Christmas and are so thankful for God's many blessings. On Christmas Eve we hosted my inlaws for supper and opened some gifts. Christmas morning started bright-okay, dark- and early, with a 4am wake up by both the little girl and boy. I think they are already in cahoots! Simeon LOVED his Veggie Tales Dance Dance Dance game, Trisha was thrilled with her gifts, Naomi, well, she seems to be enjoying her VERY PINK play mat/jungle gym thingie. Rich loved the clothes I ordered, and I was blessed with a beautiful necklace from the kids, and a bible I've been wanting for about a year now. Christmas day was spent nice and quiet, just the way I like it.

We're now gearing up for New Years Eve. We've invited a bunch of friends from church, and are not quite sure how many people or kids are going to show up. The more the merrier, as long as they bring an app or dessert, we'll be all set. New years Day we'll be going over to my inlaws for my father in law's famous spaghetti and meatballs. Should be fun.

I do have a cute video of Simeon, and a great picture of Naomi asleep in her horse jumperoo...will try to get that online sometime soon.

Oh, in other news, we have finally bought a wii, and I must say that Simeon and I are hilarious to watch playing against each other. Can you say competitive spirits?

Happy New Years Everybody!

Thoughts

2008-11-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking on 2 Corinthians 13:10

" This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority- the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down."

This past week or so has been challenging with Simeon. He continues to have a somewhat negative attitude, and will misbehave in ways that just baffle me. Part of it is being a 5 year old boy, part of it is wanting attention that I can't always give him in the moment. As I read this passage, I realized that much of my attitude and discipline have been negative. It seems that God has pointed out that while yes, he has given me authority, He gave it to me to build my children up, not tear them down.( not that I have been purposely doing that) So my challenge has been to be deliberately positive in my interactions with Simeon, EVEN when I have to punish or correct him. Not easy. It seems that God is not only working on Simeon, but my attitude. It's funny how I see my heavenly Father trying to work in me, the same thing I am trying to do in my children. The beauty and other challenge in this...God does it so gently in me, he is so loving and patient with me...I need to be that way with the kids...Help me be more like you Jesus! As John the Baptist said, " May I decrease that He increase!"

Praise God!

2008-11-17T12:14:00.000-08:00

Naomi is doing much better on the Nutramigen. Rich and I were getting a little worried about the price. At the rate she was drinking now, we figured it would cost us $100 every 2 weeks for formula...God blessed us beyond compare though. Our insurance is going to cover the formula at 100%! We are so thankful for a baby that is sleeping better and for his financial provision for the formula! Way to Go GOD!

random news and information

2008-11-11T07:24:00.000-08:00

My plate has been full...Wonderfully full. Between my involvement in Biblestudy, Mom to Mom at our church, social calls, church itself, homeschooling and caring for an infant, add to that cooking and cleaning, and well...I am wonderfully busy.

Rich is doing well at work. Things are busy as usual, and there is no shortage of work. He continues to be a great help with the kids. I don't know what I would do without him. Lack of sleep is not something I do well with. He has graciously taken the night shift on more than one occasion! I am so THANKFUL for him!

Trisha is doing well. She is looking forward for this trimester to end. Honors history is doing her in. She has yet another boyfriend. While I remember liking a ton of guys at her age, I don't think I had as many boyfriends as her. She is keeping busy with friends and babysitting. ( I wish I babysat now...can you believe she makes between $6-%10 an hour? It pays more to babysit nowadays than working for minimum wage!)

Simeon is doing well. He continues to be the helpful and protective older brother. As soon as Naomi cries as Biblestudy, he runs into the room to check up on her. He doesn't like many people holding her, and wants to keep her all to himself. Yesterday he had to have a flu shot, since Naomi is too young for one. He was so brave. Poor thing, I wish I could make it all better. He was so sad and dejected after it happened. He wouldn't let himself cry no matter what Rich and I said, but you could see he wanted to. The past couple of weeks have been a challenge with Simeon. He has developped quite the negative attitude about school and just anything positive in general. I borrowed one of Kelly's ideas and adapted it to suit us. Simeon is now earning colored popsicle sticks for responding to our requests without complaint or arguement. He is also earning sticks for being positive about school. So far so good. He loves earning sticks, and counting them regularly. Today, he "bought" his first prize with his popscicle sticks, glow sticks. It was so cool to see him excited, and I think now that he's actually earned a reward, he is more motivated to earn more.

Naomi is doing well.She is quite alert as far as baby's go. She loves to watch Simeon play, and responds with smiles and the beginnings of giggles when he talks to her. She loves her baby massage time, and gets all excited when I give her the massage cues. She is trying to engage with us, and often times will let me know that I need to pay attention to her. She is a joy to have around. We are so blessed! As of yesterday she weighs 9lbs 8 oz, and has officially doubled her birth weight. She is now 21 inches long. Still a little peanut, but in the words of our pediatrician, " We can almost say she's chubby." While she is growing well, we have been suffering with little sleep, usually no more than 2 hours at a time, as well as a very fussy baby. Dr. thinks it may be either a milk protein intolerance/allergy or reflux or both. We were sent home with a sample of Nutramigen to try. So far so good. We also have to bring a stool sample tomorrow. I'm just glad that the Dr. took us seriously and is working with us to get Naomi comfortable! Naomi also had 3 shots yesterday. Poor little peanut was wailing like nobody's business. She has been sleepy most of today, and so its been quite quiet around her.

We are looking forward to Thanksgivings long weekend, when we will be heading to Canada to visit my family, it has been a year and a quarter since I was last up. Gas prices being so low (under $2 a gallon in our area as of yesterday) certainly helps!It will be nice to reconnect with family, and for them to meet Naomi for the first time. I can't believe she'll be almost 3 months old by the time we get there. Time flies, doesn't it?

Weekly Videos

2008-11-08T05:25:00.000-08:00

Videos For Home

2008-11-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Pics of my blessings!

2008-10-27T02:53:00.000-07:00

Naomi has been holding her head up more and more, so I decided to try her in the bumbo, doesn't she look ADORABLE? I know she looks so tiny to so many of you, and I realize she really is small for a 7 week old, but she seems HUGE to me. It doesn't seem possible that she will be two months old on Friday!

We really enjoy bath time. At first we used a hammock in the bath, and she would fuss and fuss. Now that we put her directly into the bath, she loves it. I was a little disappointed that I didn't capture the HUGE smiles she was giving Rich during this bath time. I grabbed the camera too late.

Simeon is a great big brother. He loves to hold Naomi, even when she is fussing. It's so funny, if she's crying and he's holding her, he starts to sing, and sure enough, she settles down. This is a picture of simeon singing to her. I love how she's looking right at him. This is typical of these two. They love each other SOOO much! I am truly blessed!

Still Alive!

2008-10-22T11:38:00.000-07:00

I'm still here. I've been wanting to blog for a few days, but just haven't been able to find a down moment to do the typing and put my thoughts down.

The other night as I was up again with Naomi, I was thanking God for so many things. Here are a few of them:

A husband who is willing to go without sleep so I can get a few extra hours and feel human.
A husband who goes to work to provide for me and the kids.
Simeon and his sense of humour.
Simeon's silliness which defuses tense situations.
Simeon's desire to learn and gain knowledge.
Naomi and her sweet little smile.
How Naomi moves her little feet as she drinks her bottle.
The intensity with which Naomi looks into my eyes when we are alone in the middle of the night.
Trisha and how she's open with us.
How easy it is to tease Trisha and end up laughing with her.
Trisha's helfulness.

I am such a blessed woman!

So, what have I been up to?

1.Taking care of Naomi for one. She is sleeping more than she was. She has a somewhat firm routine, and it makes caring for her easier. She still has issues with gas, but that is slowly getting better. She is wearing newborn clothing and is just a sweet little princess. We are blessed in taking an infant massage class together. She seems to like it, as do I. It's a nice time for the two of us to connect.

2. I am homeschooling Simeon and having a blast. It is so exciting to see him understand and apply knowledge. My favorite moment was last week when I was up before 6. He was standing by Naomi, telling her the characteristics of a mammal. ( what we've been learning in science) You have to appreciate his interest at 6 am! Simeon is also taking gymnastics lessons at our rec. center and enjoying that!

Trisha is doing well in school and is involved with the drama club. They have a few activities going on in the next couple of weeks. She just got back from a youth retreat that she enjoyed. She took some wonderful pictures, and I'm thinking she has a knack at photography! She is no longer working, and doesn't seem to mind that. Overall she is just altogether GOOD!

Okay, now that the pics are up, time to go and get some supper going!

Mommy Days: Eau de Puke

2008-10-16T00:26:00.000-07:00

Warning: Content may upset stomachs and cause a mad rush to the facilities!

So when did you know you were a Mom, I mean, really, a MOM? I remember a friend telling me that the first time she caught her baby's puke in her hands, she felt like a mom. Okay, gross, and yes, been there and done that. I remember when it happened thinking,I must really be a Mom now.
Another Mom moment was when I changed MY child's diaper and did not gag, though changing any other diaper in the world is grossness itself. but NOTHING compares to my experience last night!

Simeon had a VERY long day. He was up before 5 and we had our Mom's group in the morning, did school in the afternoon, and then had his gymnastics or JUNEastics lessons. When we got home, he made cookies with Rich, had supper and it was time for bed. Poor little guy was really distraught. He got really upset that he couldn't play with Trisha. (In all fairness she was away at a youth retreat and then her Mom's since last week, so he really missed her.) As he lay down for bed he just started to wail. I finished what I was doing and went in. I sat on the floor and called him to me. He came and we start cuddling. I start talking about all the time he would get to spend with Trisha tomorrow, and poor little guy, (with nothing left in the department of self control after such a busy day with no nap)started to WAIL! Iwas holding him realyl close and the next thing I knew, he's PUKED all over me. Now baby spit up is one thing, but 51/2 year old puke is another. OH MY WORD! I started to laugh and wail myself. Rich came in asking what was wrong and all I could do was say, " Ohhhhhhh, Ohhhhhh, Ohhhhh!" Simeon at this point was giggling, somewhat better than the wailing in my opinion, and Trisha popped her head in and said, " Gross" while trying to hold back laughter. Needless to say, Rich finished putting Sim to bed, while I proceeded to a shower. Can I just say that I wasn't able to keep from gagging?
I did go put Simeon to bed after I smelled better. Poor little boy. He did fall asleep in a better mood... Being able to laugh about being puked on...another sign of mommyhood!

Tales of a Sleepless Woman...

2008-10-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

My wonderful husband let me sleep last night and took the night waking at 1 am and this morning I feel like a new woman! I LOVE MY LIFE, sleeplessness and all. I can totally smile at my day yesterday. I know that this too shall pass, and one day, I will look fondly at these moments, Heck, I already do look fondly at them, though it does paint me as one unstable Mommy!

So I love my baby girl. I love the newborn stage, all except for the sleepless nights. I have always been one to need sleep and lots of it. I was the kid who used to put herself to bed at family parties...I once fell asleep sitting up in a chair at a cousin's wedding ...I NEED SLEEP. So needless to say, the lack of continuous sleep has been wreaking havoc on my body.

Yesterday I had my first meltdown. I had gotten up a few times during the night trying to let Rich sleep. Simeon then woke up early and proceeded to check on me and baby every half hour, well more like 5 mintues. I then got up and could tell that the day was looking awfully bleak. I headed off to the neighbors, where my normally polite son decided he was not going to talk or answer questions, which raised my defenses...everyone is going to attribute his lack of "social skills" on homeschooling...Once back home, I proceeded to cook a gourmet meal, ummm throw together something for Rich and Sim, fed the baby and figured I'd take a nap after I had a nice nutritious meal...okay, more like tortilla chips, salsa and cheese melted in the microwave.

Our lunch goes well, Rich goes back to work and the baby is quiet, though awake. I manage to read a book to Simeon, and put him down for a nap. ( Yes, my 5.5 year old still takes naps, and for that I am VERY THANKFUL!) By the time I leave the room, the baby is asleep. YES! It looks like the planets have aligned for me to get a nap. I lay down on the couch with my favorite fleece blanket, close my eyes, take a deep breath....and Naomi proceeds to scream, and scream and scream some more. I pick her up, and cuddle with her on the couch, but am not comfy. I figure we'll both be comfier(is that even a word, and if it is, did I spell it right?), and so I head downstairs. Well, that was a BAD idea. My little princess decides to exercise her lungs as never before. Diaper is dry, she's been fed recently...I don't know what to do...I'm begging God to help me figure out how to make her stop. I decide to call Rich, and make him promise me that this will one day stop, that I am not going insane, and that she will grow up to speak rather than screech when something is bothering her. He promises all of the above and then proceeds to ask me if I've tried all the tricks in the book. Sway? Pat? Bounce on exercise ball? Walk around (yes, though this is dangerous when sleep deprived I tell you, one trips over her own feet)? The Wrap? No, actually, though I have worn her in the wrap nearly everyday since she's been born, I had not thought of the wrap. Sure enough, she falls asleep in it, so I lay on my back( Have I said yet that I am a stomach sleeper, and cannot sleep on my back?) on the couch. I'm very uncomfortable, but the silence is better than the hysteria of 5 minutes ago, so I turn the food network on and proceed to watch some shows.

I must have fallen asleep for no more than 20 minutes when I hear the front door open. At first I thought it was Rich, who had offered to come home more than once as I calmly (choking down tears and trying to act brave) asked for his advice on how to quiet our crying (hysterically) baby an hour and a half earlier. Then I hear the familiar, " Hellooo?" of our 15 year old who is supposed to be at her Moms. She proceeds to say she wasn't sure whether we'd be asleep, but she was here to get her school stuff and fundraiser things. ( word of advice, if you think a mom (okay, THIS Mom) to a newborn is asleep, please don't show up unexpected, wait until your sure they are already awake! She then leaves. As I continue to try to get comfortable, with an infant head under my chin, and a wrap knot in my back, contemplating how awful the pizzas Emeril is making look, my 5 year old wakes up.

Sigh...no sleep for the weary. Within the hour Rich arrives to the rescue. I then lose it, the tears start to flow and I look like a crazy lady. I feel like a two year old having a tantrum, except my tantrum is for sleep. After supper, I feel so much better. Hmmm...maybe I need to make sure I get more protein and caffeine in my diet. After Bible study, and some fellowship I feel so much better, but we still stop at Dunkin's for a donut...nothing like a little comfort food. Home and bed.

I thought I had ripped them all up....

2008-10-09T07:38:00.000-07:00

Boy did that make me ANGRY! I've been homeschooling Simeon this year and we have been doing really well. Though of kindergarten age, he's working at an end of K, beginning of grade 1 level. As I pulled out a teeny worksheet for the letter Dd, he said," I thought I had ripped them all up!" When asked if he ripped them on purpose, his answer was, " Yes, so I wouldn't have so much work to do." Grrrr...Hiss...make my blood boil and curdle.I can't believe him! Needless to say there was a consequence. What am I to do with that boy?

Survived!

2008-10-07T16:17:00.000-07:00

So yesterday went well, though I never did get back on to update. My day flew by, but I got a ton accomplished. In the evening, Rich had a men's meeting at church, and I had two friends over for supper and cooked! It was a little tricky trying to get Sim to bed early (since he skipped nap) and balancing Naomi, but overall, it went great!

Tomorrow Sim starts gymnastics lessons and is really looking forward to that. It should be fun! The poor little guy was disappointed when we signed him up, he thought the classes were EVERYDAY, and was bummed that they are only on Wednesdays. He continues to be a great big brother, and loves to hold Naomi. He is also very helpful with bath time as well diaper changes. He's just a great help!

Naomi is doing well and was 7lbs even. She is only at the 5th percentile, but is growing well and following a great growth curve, the Dr. is happy. Today was the first time I put on a newborn outfit that actually fit. Funny since she is already a little over a month old. I'm about ready to put away most of her preemie outfits. There are a couple that will still fit, but the others are too short for her. We are starting to get into a good groove and I'm able more and more to read her cues and cries. One thing I've noticed is if she spends too much time being held by others, she gets really fussy. A friend of mine used overstimulated, and I think that captures her state to a t. She still loves my moby wrap knockoff, and is asleep in it now as I type. She is also loving the swing and if she's in the mood, enjoys the bouncy seat with the vibration on. She is such a little joy.

Flying Solo

2008-10-06T05:55:00.000-07:00

Well, Rich is back to work today and I am alone with both kids for the first time. So far so good. I've spent time with God, I've done my suchercharged sculpting exercise tape, started the dishes, tidied up the living room and umm...had breakfast. Will see what the rest of the day brings! I don't know who is having a harder time with Rich going back to work. Me or him? In some ways I'm looking forward to developping a routine, and I know he is missing being with us every waking moment.

Naomi goes to the dr's this afternoon,I'm dreading the shots she needs to have but am looking forward to seeing how much she's grown in the past two weeks! I'll try to post a better update WITH pictures later.

Mom to Mom

2008-10-01T16:36:00.000-07:00

The first session for me of my Mom's group was today, and what a joy it was. There is nothing like getting together with other Moms and being real and transparent. There are 70 women total that have signed up, but we are split in groups of 7 or so. We are doing the Mom to Mom curriculum found at http://momtomom.org Anyway, today, the video discussed who we are supposed to be as Moms and addressed the myths women believe about being a mother. Here are the two that I found I struggle with:

"Super Mom": Since you are "not working," you can at least "do it all" on the home front.

"Performance Pit": What you do determines who you are.

I often think I should be able to do it all, cook, clean, homeschool and take care of the baby without help. Afterall, Rich goes to work, right? Then, not only do I have to do it all, but I have to do it well, and my kids have to perform well. I realize I put so much pressure on myself. Now I've been aware of both of these myths in my life for quite some time, but there's nothing like a refresher to really hit the nail on the head. Since coming home with Naomi, I've been struggling with the Performance Pit and the Super Mom syndrome. I have been putting alot of pressure on myself and expecting alot out of Rich and not giving either one of us any grace. I know I'm struggling with this, but seemed to be in a pit, in need of perspective. It really hit home and I loved when the speaker Linda Anderson said,
"Parenting is rooted in God's grace, not our perfection."

Really truly I knew that, but I needed to hear it. I guess I really needed to hear it, cause later, in a devotional I did ( God's Purpose for Every Woman by Lysa TerKeurst and Rachel Olsen)I read:

"The Bible advises against performance-based love, and advocates grace-based love instead. Proverbs 19:11 explains we should be slow to anger and quick to forgive. The Message puts it this way: "Smart people know how to hold their tongue; their grandeur is to forgive and forget." We're also advised to stop mulling over our grievances. First Corinthians 13 explains that a loving person is not irritable or demanding...

Dear Lord, I need help moving from an attitude of performance-based love to a grace-based perspective."

So what myths are you struggling with? Please share, we can strive to be better moms together!

Time Flies

2008-09-29T14:35:00.000-07:00

I have been meaning to blog, but time just seems to escape me. It's not that I'm horribly busy...that I'm running around constantly or any of that. I have ideas of blog posts, and the next thing I know, its the end of the day, I'm tired and need to go to bed. It's funny, in some ways I am amazed at how much I can get done, and yet, am amazed at how little I get done. I guess it depends on my perspective.

While I was in Little Rock, I was blessed, and amazed to meet Becky's friends. Becky is such an awesome person, as are her friends. It truly was a joy to meet them. I came back telling Rich I wanted more "Becky" friends in my life. Friends who I could just be me with. Friends who will take me and my house exactly as they are, no comments made. I've been realizing that I have such friends. I'm really enjoying deepening and enjoying those relationships.

I was out for a walk today, and saw someone I would consider an acquaintance. She was so happy to meet me and see Naomi. It was really fun, and I'm hoping to have her over soon to develop more of a friendship. God just keeps emphasizing that I need to be more deliberate in my interactions with people and developing friendships.

I guess I just expected friends to be easy to make, like in college. The thing is, in college, we had time to just hang out between classes. We had study groups, classes together. We had lots of time together. As adults with families, we just don't have that much time in common. It takes effort and energy as well as good will to develop those friendships...so here's to more deliberate interactions...AGAIN! I feel like a broken record, but it just seems to be the way God is speaking to me of late.

Home at Last!

2008-09-25T15:46:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been busy since arriving at home. Naomi did great on the flights and slept most of the time. Not a peep from her, which was great...I was so worried about her little ears during take off and landing, but neither seemed to phase her.

Things have been so hectic, I feel a little like I have been thrown to the beasts...Simeon and Trisha were both glad to see me after 2 weeks away, and totally excited to meet Naomi. Sunday we went to church. Oh my word, I thought we would never get out of there. It seems like we were stopped by everyone and their mother, on the way out. It was actually quite comical, and yet, such a blessing. Monday, we went to the pediatrician's. My little peanut is doing quite well growing. She was 5lbs 9oz already. She seems so big to me after getting her at 4.5 lbs...but then reality hits, she is still smaller than most newborns. We are dealing with a little bit of thrush...supposedly common with babies...

Tuesday, we took it easy and stayed home most of the day. Wait, we did adventure out to go grocery shopping. I also went for a nice long walk with Naomi in the wrap. I heart my stretchy wrap, as do most people I meet! I have showed/explained to so many different people about the wrap. It's great!

Today, we went apple picking this morning. Naomi slept through the whole thing, and Simeon expent some of his seemingly boundless energy. He is doing well adjusting to life with mom and baby. Our biggest struggle is keepingn him from smothering Naomi with love and kisses. Reminding him to wash his hands before touching her hands or face. He is a great helper. He has also been gung ho about homeschooling. I'm piece mealing my curriculum. Handwriting without tears for writing, Hooked on Phonics for reading, Math U See for math, and for science we are learning about different types of living beings ( ie mammals, amphibians, reptiles, fish, birds and insects).

Trisha is doing well. She loves Naomi and gets teary when she holds her. School is keeping her busy. She is getting involved with the drama club and getting ready for haunted hotel and the storybook character hayride. She is also considering trying out for the school play. Busy Busy I tell you.

Rich and I...well, we are getting used to interrupted sleep. We celebrated our 8 year anniversary on Monday. We are enjoying parenting our three very different children...15, 5 and newborn...nothing like experiencing all ages.

Okay, here's a picture, cause I know that's what you all want!

Going Home!

2008-09-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

I have been so blessed by my stay in Little Rock. As I sit in my friend Becky's livingroom, I am just in awe of what God has done/is doing. I mean who knew when we first met in an infertility support message board, that I would end up spending so much time with her and her family. Becky and I met for the first time face to face in February '06 in Kansas city. We had so much fun together. At the time, she lived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Rich and I were not ready to adopt again, and would never have dreamt that we would be doing a domestic adoption. God then moved Beck and Ken to Little Rock, and as doors to adopting in Haiti closed for us, Rich and I began looking at adopting domestically, and signed up with an agency in Little Rock, Arkansas. Still, we could have been matched with a woman from anywhere in the US...but God had other plans. All this to say, Becky and Ken, THANK YOU for being God's hands and feet. Thank you for extending your hospitality to me and Naomi. These first few weeks of her life will be treasured, as both new times in my life, but time spent with friends who get it! Thank you for your support when I was homesick and lonely. Thanks Beck for being that extra set of hands. Kaden, thanks for lending your room/personal space to me, Elaina, thanks for your happy go lucky self, and Ken, thanks for "putting" up with me and losing privacy after long days at work. You are all loved and appreciated!While I am glad to go back home, I will miss you all terribly! Beck, I will try to be better about keeping in touch...

That said, court is tomorrow at 2pm. Rich is arriving tomorrow around 11 am. We will be flying home to Manchester on Saturday, and are scheduled to arrive at the airport around 5pm...Sigh...

Thank you Jesus for this journey. If there's anything I've relearned, its that prayer is not the last recourse, but a powerful and effective tool. Thank you for the blessing of Naomi, and the Simon family.

Special shout out to Shey! Thanks my friend for all the running around and phone calls you made on my behalf.I truly appreciate it and have been praying for you! You are a God send and were truly a blessing as you ministered to me.

Nichole...I don't know if you will even come to read this...but thank you. Thank you for the gift of Naomi...thank you for your selfless and painful gift. Not a day will go by that I don't think of or pray for you. I meant what I said, call or text me, I will be glad to hear from you. I will be printing those pictures and mailing them to the agency! Be blessed sweet friend! Looking forward to hearing of the grand plans God has in store for you. You are loved beyond compare!

She opens her eyes....

2008-09-14T15:05:00.001-07:00

What a doll!

2008-09-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

Pictures just don't seem to do justice to how tiny our little princess is. Becky and I decided that a little comparison to a doll would help. The doll is a wee bit shorter than Naomi,but Naomi likes to be curled up....Isn't she just precious!

Big Girl!

2008-09-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Well, Naomi went to the Dr. today and we have great news. She is back to her birth weight of 4 lbs 11 oz. The dr is satisfied and just recommended a normal visit in one month...we will be having a well visit at our pediatrician's when we get home though. By the time we leave Little Rock, she should be able to ride in a normal carseat. Yeah! I can't tell you how relieved I am that she is doing so well. The nurses though well meaning really worried me about how much she should be eating...the dr. said she is absolutely fine. I feel like there's one less thing to stress about.

As for the court date...well...keep praying. The date they gave us was unacceptable, so we are praying that the agency's attorney will be able to work with the judge and get something sooner. Please keep your prayers coming. I'm getting pretty homesick, as is Rich! Thanks so much!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-09-11T06:45:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Richie! Happy Birthday Daddy! We just want to thank you for all you do! For your patience and effort while we are away from you. Both of us miss you and long to feel your arms around us! Thank you for being such a great provider. May God bless you abundantly today. Wish we were with you!

Love,
Jess and Naomi

She's Here

2008-09-09T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken me so long. Naomi Abigail Lyric was born on Friday, September 5th at 11:39 central time. She weighed 4 lbs 11 oz and was 17 1/2 inches long.

Things are going fairly well. Please pray for her to gain weight. She has failed the carseat test and needs to pass. I was able to bring her home with a car bed however.

Please also pray for a quick court date. Right now, the court was giving dates way further than I can/am willing to wait or mooch off of hospitality! We really need a miracle!

THE Plan

2008-09-03T18:53:00.000-07:00

Well, as of right now, the plan is for me to fly to Little Rock Saturday. N has a dr's appointment on Tuesday, if she doesn't go into labor before then. I'm looking forward to meeting her and spending some time with her. I can't wait to write that Naomi has made her entrance...in the meantime, we sit tight and wait...

The toothfairy has come and gone....

2008-09-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

After lots of wiggling and a little bribing, Simeon let me pull his first tooth yesterday. He was so excited. This morning I woke up to cries of, " The toothfairy has come, look what she brought me," and, " I know you're the toothfairy Mom!" It's funny, we've told Sim the truth about Santa, toothfairy, Easter bunny...and yet, we still get all the fun and excitement, and no let down...Yeah for the toothfairy!

Not so Bad!

2008-08-30T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, we went to the picnic and it was great. I am not likely to remember most people's names...um...there were like, over a hundred people there, but it was great. It was so nice to hear other people's adoption stories, and just watch the multitude of kids playing. I think we will definitely try to catch up with this group again! Yeah for putting myself out there, and then having a good time!

Out of My Comfort Zone

2008-08-30T05:46:00.000-07:00

Today we are going to our areas adoptive and foster families picnic. I'm not one who loves big crowds of people, familiar or not, so this is a huge step. I am looking forward to meeting families who look like ours, seeing Simeon make friends who share his life experience. I'm also hoping this will help me get my mind off of the wait. Everytime the phone rings I jump, and stare at the area code before answering. I am so antsy and wrestless, I'm hoping this will help...though I am nervous! Will they like me? Will I actually find people to talk to, or will they already all have their own group of friends...Stay tuned...I'll try to update about the whole experience when we get back!

My Little Helper

2008-08-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Simeon LOVES to help. Tonight, I decided to make some peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. He helped me make them. As I was spooning them onto the cookie sheet, I noticed him doing the dishes in the sink. He's been asking for some time, and I've been saying no, but I knew there were no knives tonight, just the baking utensils. Here are a few snappies!

She's having a giveaway!

2008-08-28T04:44:00.000-07:00

One of the blogs I read periodically is having a "tea time" giveaway. I love this blog because of the simplicity of life her blog displays...I love the pictures, and just like reading about their family! Please check out Christina's blog at: http://hskubes.blogspot.com/2008/08/fall-back-into-homeschool-giveaway.html

Butterfly on Butterfly Bush

2008-08-27T07:05:00.001-07:00

I was getting ready to do school with Simeon this morning when I saw this butterfly. I decided that I just NEEDED pictures of it on my butterfly bush. Such a pretty sight this morning!

Random Pictures

2008-08-26T11:05:00.000-07:00

Homegrown Tomatoes and Freshly Baked French Bread

Cloth diapers: 30 Rita's Rump Pockets and 21 Newborn Prefolds

Better late than never.Simeon's Birthday Cake- Here's Larry as the Pirate who doesn't do Anything!

Too soon...

2008-08-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

Why do kids grow up way too soon. A few days ago my neighbor asked if Simeon had any loose teeth. I was so glad to be able to say no. It just seems like such a big step when they lose their baby teeth. Well wouldn't you know, that the next day IT happened. Sim took a bite out of a granny smith apple and said, "Ouch!" He then proceeded to tell me that his teeth were loose. Sure enough, the two bottom middle teeth are loose.(Sorry for being so non technical Kel!)The right one is looser than his left one. He's been wiggling and playing with it ALOT...and I'm sure that it won't be long before its gone...Sigh...they grow up WAY too soon!

God appointed appointment...

2008-08-23T18:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight, Rich and I brought Simeon to our church's movie slam. They had all kinds of activities planned for the kids, as well as some movies. The night was made complete with popcorn and snowcones...ick! Okay, so all that is all well and good, but what excited me was a meeting with one of Trisha's youth leaders. Jolene...she came to talk about T, but soon realized that we are the same couple/family, that some mutual friends of ours had mentionned. The appointment? Talking about adoption...it was so cool. I just keep seeing God using our journey of adoption, both international and domestic to encourage other couples. It looks like I have come across another kindred spirit in the world of adoption. It seems that God is surrounding me and I'm getting excited. Could there be an adoption ministry in my future? An orphan ministry? VERY LIKELY! Please join me in praying for God's will and His timing...ooo I could so run with this...but first things first...let's get baby Naomi home before I take on such an extensive project!

Waiting...

2008-08-22T16:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm coming clean, I am not good at waiting. I've been driving myself crazy waiting for N to go into labor, and her due date is not for another 2 weeks. The culmination of this craziness came when I awoke with a migraine like no other. It has been ages since a migraine this bad has hit...but I so recognized its symptoms. Not enough sleep, too much pent up stress, not enough release...

God is good though, my friend Katie showed up unexpectedly. Now we normally meet on Friday mornings, but I thought we had cancelled today's meetings. Despite my weakened condition, we spoke for about 10 minutes, but what's best is that she prayed with and for me! She hugged me, told me she loved me and was totally cool with me needing to go back to the darkened dungeon I call my bedroom!

What a great friend! Thanks Katie! You're the absolute best, and were the words and arms of Jesus to me today! Thank you!

Cloth Diapers

2008-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

Melody asked me to write more about the cloth diapers I made. I don't know how much I can add, since I went to her blog to find the info...but alas...here is what I did.

I made 18 Rita's Rump pockets. I used fleece (alpine and blizzard fleece, when onsale at Joann's, as well as some remnants from some diapers I had sewn for a friend) for the outside, and flannel (good quality flannel found onsale at Joann's) for the inside. For the absorbant part of the pocket diaper, I used a mid quality facecloth, folded into thirds and a layer of flannel on top and a layer of fleece on the bottom. I did not use hook and loop fabric, nor snaps, my plan is to use good old diaper pins. The only problem with these, is that I misread, and did not cut them out with the seam allowance. I'm thinking they are smaller than they are supposed to be, but should work for a while.

I then made 21 flannel prefolds. Once again, the flannel I found on sale. These were easy to make, and I'm hoping that I will like these most. I don't have a cover for them. I'm thinking of using the shell of my pocket diapers for a cover. We'll see how that goes. I'm trying to save as much money as possible, as $$$ is tight.

If I have to redo diapers...ie if I really like the pockets, but they are too small, I'm thinking I would wash the fleece with a waterproofing agent before cutting and sewing, this would ensure that they really do keep baby dry.

We'll see how this all works out. Rich is a little leery of using cloth, but likes the thought of the savings. I'm debating whether I will buy the diaper sprayer for the toilet, or just go with diaper liners....I think what bothers Rich most about cloth is the poop, so liners appeal to him. If I could find them close by it wouldn't be so bad, but the shipping from the stores online has been atrocious, so we'll see!

Finally, I'd post pictures, but my camera died, and we've had no money to buy a new camera. When I finally have pictures of my stash, I'll post them.

Need Your Help!

2008-08-16T07:38:00.000-07:00

So our estimated due date is about 2 weeks away. I'm starting to think of what I need to pack. Who am I kidding, the suitcase is open and being filled. I'll be gone 14 maybe more days.My question is...

What do I NEED to pack for a newborn?

Next question-What projects(cheap- as in no to little money involved) can I do to keep my hands and mind busy during the wait? I've crocheted 1 blanket, did a crochet border around another blanket, sewed 39 cloth diapers, made homemade faceclothes/wipes out of my remnant fabric, set up the crib, decluttered a bunch of areas in the home... Please help me find something to do to keep me busy!

Fast and Slow

2008-08-15T05:22:00.000-07:00

I was talking to N yesterday, and she was saying how little time there is to her pregnancy. TRUE! She also mentionned how quickly time is passing. Hmmm....it doesn't feel that way to me. In some respects, time is flying by, and yet, at the other end of the spectrum, it feels as if Naomi's birth will never come. While we have a due date, N could very well go late. I'm just so ready to have this little miracle be here. So ready to see her. The unknowns are just so hard for me.

While I wait I've cleaned and decluttered my living room, bedroom, kitchen...I've cleaned the plethora of baby gear we've been given, set up the crib...ummm washed all the baby clothes. I've basically kept really busy. The problem, I'm quickly running out of projects! Ugh! Need to find stuff to do to quiet my mind...Now if only Rich would chop more wood, I could pile that to get both exercise and keep my mind busy.

Ressourceful!

2008-08-07T05:17:00.000-07:00

I have two very different children. T, 15, is always asking for things. "Can I get myself some juice? Can I take a shower? Can I have a snack? What can I have for lunch?" Now it drives me CRAZY. At 15, I expect that she shouldn't have to ask and just use common sense. Well, Simeon is the total opposite. I walk into the living room, and he has a whole bag of celery, and he's munching away on it one rib at a time. He wants to do everything for himself, for the most part. Well, this morning, he asked for some yogourt, and I let him get it. When he realized that there was none, he decided he wanted some of my homemade bread. I came upstairs after hearing some crashing to find my cooling racks on the floor, and a big hunk of bread torn out of the middle of the loaf. I don't know which makes me crazier, but I love to see how different two kids raised in the same household can be! Personality has just as much to do with their view of things as environment!

30 Things that make me happy!

2008-08-06T07:10:00.000-07:00

I was challenged by Faith, http://wingerteam.blogspot.com/, to write 30 things that make me happy. Here they are in no particular order:

1.Snuggling with Rich
2.Simeon waking me up with, " Good morning my precious!"
3.Seeing my flower gardens bloom.
4.Harvesting my home grown vegetables
5.The sound my jam makes as its sealing...such a distinctive POP!
6.Looking at my jars of freshly made jam.
7.Walking on the beach at low tide.
8.Blaring a great worship song in the car and having the entire family singing to it.
9.The smell of homemade bread baking.
10.The taste of homemade bread with homemade jam.
11.Hearing people rave about my baked goods.
12.Quiet time reading my Bible in the morning.
13.Crocheting a baby blanket for myself, a friend or family.
14.Watching the first two Anne of Green Gable movies.
15.Watching Fiddler on the Roof.
16.Getting a new book to read.
17.Snuggling on the couch and reading a book with no distractions.
18.Watching Simeon play in the pool.
19.Laughing with Trisha about "boys".
20.Spending time with friends.
21.Seeing Simeon understand a concept in homeschool.
22.Decluttering my home.
23.A freshly cleaned house.
24.Empty laundry baskets.(If only it would last longer)
25.Holding hands with Rich.
26.Snuggling up on the couch with Rich and Simeon.
27."Racing" with Simeon on the beach.
28.Taking a nap.
29.Laughing over the trivial moments in life with friends.
30.Hearing and seeing what God is doing in my life and the life of my family and friends!

So, what makes you happy? If you post your list, please leave a comment so I can go and check it out!

Overwhelmed

2008-08-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been crazy, exciting, scary, and extremely hopeful and joyful. On July 17th, we got the call saying that we are matched with a young woman who is due to give birth to a baby girl on Sept. 4th. If all goes according to plan ( and we all know that plans can change) We will be the proud adoptive parents of Naomi Abigail Lyric sometime in the first half of September. We couldn't be more excited, and have had a great time getting to know that young woman, N, who is wanting to place her baby with us.

I was telling a friend the other day, there are times, when I feel like I pray, and its as if there is a wall to heaven. I know God hears me, but I don't seem to receive any of his answers. Whether the answer be yes, no or wait, I don't seem to have any sense that He is at work. ( I know that I can't base my knowledge of God on feelings, I'm just stating how it sometimes feels). Lately though, it seems as if God hears my prayers and at times answers before I even formulate a prayer.

Here are some examples.

Rich and I had virtually nothing for the baby except a crib. We were blessed in the past week with 2 infant car seats, a bouncy seat, a baby swing, a baby bath, a gift certificate which will cover the crib mattress and crib sheets we need.

Rich and I were thinking that we would not be able to both fly to Little Rock to get the baby. I prayed about a way for it to happen...wouldn't you know, I have a friend who has a free return flight from Southwest that can be transferred to whoever she pleases. Neither her nor her husband will be able to use it before it expires...Guess who was offered the tickets.

I've been wanting some pattern blocks as well as some unifix cubes for home school with Simeon, as well as a primary scale. My friend Jenn, who is a teacher had us over on Friday night. She asked if I could use any stuff for homeschool...Guess what was in her pile of giveaways...everything I mentionned + some books, one being Animal Animal by Eric Carle, a book I've been wanting to buy for over a year.

I'm telling you, I'm overwhelmed at God's grace and goodness. Sometimes it feels like I'm going to wake up and realize that this was all some twisted bad dream, and that my reality is not what I think it is. Why is it so hard to accept God's many blessings at times?

Anyway, I'm enjoying this while it lasts! God is good, whether He blesses me as He has been or not...I'm just so thankful that He is in my life!

It's been a while...

2008-07-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Well, things got busy with company and then recuperating from being so busy, and that has brought me to today. I've been meaning to blog for the past week or so, so many thoughts going through my mind, and yet, I can't seem to find the words to express them clearly.

God has been so good to me. I've been wanting some fresh herbs lately, but I can't stand the thought of paying for them at the grocery store, and we haven't really had the money for me to go out and buy some. Today, we had some friends come over and she brought me some excess herbs from her garden, and a couple of plants for me to plant. It's so exciting! Thank you Jesus for providing in such a simple way. Honnestly, I really felt like it was God, I even looked for cilantro at the grocery store this weekend, and they didn't have any.

I've been thinking a lot about friends, relationships and the like. God has been convicting me of not making a point of keeping in touch with people. I mean, I think of people, I think of calling them or e-mailing them, but rarely do I execute my thoughts or good intentions. It made me wonder if people really know just how much I cherish or think about them. Do they know how much I value them?

Today I made it my mission to e-mail, PM/IM, or call people who I have been thinking about. It felt really good. Later that day I read this in a devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries, Written by Glynnis Whitwer:

" Unhurried women think about how to show love to others - whether it's picking out the right gift, a hand-written note of encouragement, or a phone call. Hurried women wish they had picked out the right gift, written a note, or made that phone call.
Although Jesus was busy, the Bible never mentions Him being in a hurry. Others around Jesus tried to hurry Him up, but Jesus refused to be rushed. He always made time to hold a child, touch a sick man or talk to a woman whose wrong choices ostracized her from others. Jesus could have hurried – He had more to accomplish in three years than we can imagine accomplishing in a lifetime. But He chose to put people over His schedule."

So, I am going to strive to put my thoughts to action, let people know how much I care, and keep in touch. Strive, and try being the operative words.

Laying Down My Life...

2008-07-02T05:58:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wondered if you were in the right place? I mean, sure, I chose these circumstances,but have you ever had the feeling that it was all a mistake. That you weren't up for the challenge that this particular avenue was leading you to? It's too hard, and I don't want to have to deal with this? In a friendship? A relationship? With a family member? Well, as much as I hate to admit this, YES, I have! There is one relationship in particular that brings this up ALOT! In the past year or so, God has given me some insight, and yet I still don't like it, and in moments of crises and great emotional upheaval, I DETEST it...I resent it...I just plain sound like a two year old having a temper tantrum! I often think, what's the point? What I think, say, do, doesn't seem to matter, so why bother? Yet, I wouldn't change the circumstances that have led me here.

So this morning, after a very sleepless night, as I was reading my devotions, I got even more insight. John 10: 10-13

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "I am the good shepherd, The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. the hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."

Okay, so I'm not Jesus, and I realize that Jesus is the Good Shepherd...but if I am a christian, I'm to strive to follow Jesus, and live as he did. In my relationships, I can choose to be like the Good Shepherd,and lay down my life...put aside my ideals, desires, and ways in general,for the well being of the other person, even when I don't like it, when its not convenient....OR I can be like the hired hand and just run away...Well,I want to care, I want to be like the good shepherd, and so that means laying down my life. That means making sacrifice, and that means an attitude change for me. So,though I have no control over certain situations, though I am removed from the decision making process, though I am still effected/affected by results and after effects, I choose to remain. I choose to stand in the gap in prayer.

A woman I respect a lot shared how she had to parent her teen on a different continent from hundreds of miles away. She had to parent through prayer. Her challenge was that if she could do it through prayer alone, how much more impact can we have on our children when we have them in close proximity. So today, as I think over the situation at hand ( Sorry to be cryptic, but I hate when people put out all the details of their interpersonal relationships on their blogs) I choose to take that challenge. In this relationship, though I don't have any direct impact or influence on the decisions made, I stand in prayer, knowing that it will have FULL impact, and is probably the best thing I can do!

The other moment of insight came, when I realized that the enemy of my soul, would love for nothing more than me to give up on this relationship. To grow cold, develop apathy and just not fight. He wants this relationship destroyed...he wants my negative emotions to drive a wedge between me, this person and other relationships I have...It is all the more important for me to Lay Down My Life, Stand my Ground and Pray, watching the Victory that only HE, Jesus, can bring.

Baby Wearing Collection Contest

2008-06-30T05:51:00.001-07:00

I loved wearing Sim, have enjoyed wearing my nephew, and am looking forward to wearing our much awaited and prayed for newest bundle/s of joy. So here's to hoping I win! LOL
Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

BumGenius Contest

2008-06-30T05:44:00.000-07:00

With Simeon, I had contemplated doing cloth diapers. With this baby, we are planning on using cloth. For the most part, I have sewed some prefolds, as well as some pocket diapers, but I am hoping to try the Bum Genius diapers, as I've heard WONDERFUL things about them.

Win a Bum Genius 3.0 Starter Kit from Nature's Child - Wholesome Goods for Mothers and Babies

Divine Appointments

2008-06-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time, okay, a VERY long time, since I have felt like I connected with friends in my here and now life. Often, I share my passion about the world's orphans, my desire to do more, my sense of injustice at the poverty in this world...I want to do something about it...well...for the most part, people kind of smile and nod, and then turn the other way. There is nothing wrong with them, and there is nothing wrong with me...God has just given us a different perspective/mission/passion, about who we are and what we are supposed to do in this world.
Friday morning, I had two women that I met this year in my Mom's group at church over. We are doing a weekly Biblestudy over the summer. Well, it was just wonderful. God has placed me with two women who get what I'm talking about. Who have similar passions, and who are committed to praying and encouraging, challenging and just exploring these issues together. I am SO thankful for them. I am looking forward to seeing where God leads us, and am just overwhelmed with God's faithfulness, as I take steps out of my comfort zone.

Strawberry Picking...

2008-06-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we went strawberry picking with the kids. The berries were great and fresh, but I decided that we needed to go back this weekend so I could make jam. That's exactly what we did today after church. We headed over to the farm and picked berries. There was just one little problem...we OVERPICKED! Rich misunderstood just how much I needed, and I just assumed that he wanted lots of berries. Needless to say, the day has been full with making strawberry jam, rhubarb strawberry jam, dry packing some sliced strawberries for freezing, and now we have a nice amount of strawberries left to eat fresh. LOL...I'm looking forward to this winter when I can have homemade jam, look out the snowy window and think of the warm sunshine and fresh smell of strawberries at the farm....