Blizzard of Books Reading Review

Here are the books I have read so far for the library's Blizzard of Books adult reading club (complete with prizes for every 5 read!) I thought I would keep you guys updated in case any strike your fancy and you feel like a good read.

*Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock - it's the last in the Restoration series. They're Christian suspense, easy reads. I wouldn't say to read them before you die someday, but they didn't feel like a waste of time either.

*Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber - I really enjoy Debbie Macomber's books. This one didn't disappoint. I like that her characters feel like real people to me, not the untouchable and idealistic personalities that can only be written.

*Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon - I highly recommend reading the Mitford series and then travel on to this one. They're so good.

*Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott - Pass. Unless you like reading books in which the author claims God is a woman, fetuses are not babies which makes abortion ok, and having numerous sexual partners gets you through life. These are her beliefs that the rest of us Christians should accept into our lives, in her opinion. You can find this one at your local Christian bookstore, ironically.

*The Trophy Wives Club by Kirsten Billerbeck - enjoyable. A light read. Very girly. I'm waiting for the sequel to come available in the library. (Side note: Daniella, I could see you enjoying this one!)

*A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - He also wrote The Kite Runner, which I recommend. I would also encourage you to read this one. I think I might have liked it a bit more since it's from the perspective of a woman. You will learn much about Afghanistan history and culture and you will appreciate your life. To quote my friend, Jen, who pestered me to read these books until I relented, "If I had to use one word to sum up Kite Runner, it would be redemption. If I had to pick one word for A Thousand Splendid Suns it would be beauty. You'll see why." You guys can now go find out for yourselves!

*Stealing Buddha's Dinner by Bich Minh Nguyen - I just finished this one minutes ago. I would actually highly recommend it. It is the memoir of a woman whose family migrated from Saigon in 1975 when she was 8 months old. They settled in Grand Rapids and the book recounts how she felt being Vietnamese and growing up in blond Dutch country over here. For those of you who live/have lived in West Michigan, you'll recognize many of the streets, stores and places she talks about, which makes it fun to read.

*Girl With a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier - Blah. It wasn't the most horrible book I've read but I was fairly bored through most of it. I've heard the movie is kind of dull as well.

*Firstborn by Robin Lee Hatcher - I thought this one was a decent read. It's another Christian fiction so you can probably guess the ending just by reading the back of the cover.

*Brushstrokes by Laurraine Snelling - See above description for Firstborn and insert here.

In my Trader Joe's bag lies even more books waiting to be read. I'm going to take the rest of today off from reading as well as tomorrow because I'll be visiting my friend, Rachel, and her boys for the day. Thursday will resume nerdiness. =)

Has anyone read any of these or have any other recommendations to throw out there?

Tube-ular Ellie

Does anyone else remember the phrase "tubular" from the '80s? Or was it early '90s? Oh, well.

I took Eleanor in to see the ENT specialist yesterday. She has so much fluid behind her ear drums that they (the ear drums) barely move. Her hearing is perfect, however. She passed that test with flying colors. The specialist kept telling me it's a problem with "her plumbing" of the ears. She has enlarged tonsils and adenoids and so nothing is able to drain out properly from what it sounds like. It explains why she's a mouth breather and a snorer. There is a large possibility the tonsils and/or adenoids will have to come out in the next couple years.

The solution: She is having surgery to put tubes in her ears on Friday morning. I understand that this is the fastest and most common surgical procedure and that I know at the very least five kids that have, or have had, tubes.

Yet I am still nervous. She's nine months old and they have to put her under anesthesia. I'm a wreck, quite honestly, when I think about it. What mom wouldn't be? I didn't go under anesthesia for the first time until I was almost 23 years old and it was a gas mask for my wisdom teeth. The only other time was when I had my D&C after my miscarriage and that was through an IV and then I was almost 24.

But nine months? I need prayer, people. Please pray for Eleanor - that she will be safe and that this will help her. Also pray for me (and Tim), that our nerves will be calmed and that we will continue to place our child in God's hands and trust Him with every moment.

Noah will be going to my parents' house tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon and will be spending the night. We already had plans to go there this weekend for a baby shower that I'm attending and so he'll just get a longer stay. I know this will be good for him because it has been a long time since he has had one-on-one time with my parents and they have missed each other.

I will give an update on Friday to let you know how she's doing! Oh, and on a side note - her first tooth appeared! Tim was the first to feel it Saturday night when she grabbed his finger and bit down on it. It explains the rough nights she has been having recently.

Time is Flying

Eleanor turned nine months old last Monday (the 19th.) I was going to write a little update on her then, but decided to wait until after her well-child check-up this morning.

First of all, time moves much faster when you have two kids. I thought it sped up when I had Noah, now I'm pretty sure we're on warped speed. My baby is nine months old! Can you believe it? Technically, in less than three months I'll have a one year old. I don't know whether to cry about how quickly she's growing up or cheer that we've almost made it through this first year. On her birthday I have a feeling I'll be doing a bit of both. =)

We visited her pediatrician today. Dr. Warmoth is fantastic. If you live in the Grand Haven/Spring Lake/even Muskegon area, I would highly suggest him. He is patient, knowedgeable, and really interacts with the kids, which I feel is a pretty important quality to have if you're going to be a pediatrician. Anyways, it was not the best of visits and it started while we were in the waiting room.

I had brought along a blanket to set out on the floor and put her on it with some toys. The girl is active. She doesn't just sit. If you're trying to just hold her on your lap - it's not going to happen. She twists and turns and flings her upper body back to look at you. She grabs for your hair, jewelry, ears, etc. If you turn in her direction, you'll find her face centimeters from yours before she tries to cover your nose with her mouth. We try to constantly have something in her hands so she's not destructive.

So she is sitting on her blanket playing with her toys when along comes a little boy who is probably about two years old. He stops and crouches down to look at her and babble. His mom comes behind him, grabs him up and tries to politely tell him not to play with the sick baby: "See the poor baby. She's sick. Look how sick she looks honey. You don't want to touch her."

My baby is not sick. She's here for a well-child visit. She has no runny nose, she's not coughing or sneezing. She is also sitting in the healthy child area and not the sectioned off sick kid area. I don't tell her this because (a) I'll probably never see her again so does it really matter? and (b) I don't know her or her boy and don't want him touching Ellie anyways. Maybe he's sick!

I continue watching Ellie play as the little boy comes from another direction and tries to hug her. His mom again snatches him away (which I am relieved by because that means I don't have to pull Ellie away while trying to explain that he really shouldn't hug babies he's never met) and explains again not to touch the sick baby.

At this point I tell her that she is not sick, she's here for her 9 month check-up. Thankfully, they are called in for their appointment before she can respond. Saved by the nurse. Although now I am wondering if I have a sickly looking daughter.

We're called back and the nurse takes Ellie's measurements. Her head is in the seventy-fifth percentile (she and Noah are big head babies - I know this personally because I pushed them out.) She weighs 17 pounds 1 ounce and has dropped from 50th to 16th percentile. She is 27 1/4 inches, putting her from 75th to 35th percentile. Later, Dr. Warmoth tells me this is not uncommon as the first 24 months are spent kind of all over the place for some kids on the growth charts.

When Dr. Warmoth came in we talked about how she is doing developmentally. I had questions because by this age Noah was crawling, pulling himself up on furniture, and walking around furniture. Ellie is not doing any of the above. I don't want to compare them though because I know every kid is different. She does, however, sit unassisted for really long periods of time (which she has been doing since 5 months) and yesterday she started going from the sitting position to laying on her stomach and she decided to become an inchworm overnight. This morning I sat her down on the floor, she pulled herself over until she got on her stomach and then took off across the room like a caterpillar. Not quite crawling, but pretty darn close. The baby gates are going to be coming out soon enough. Dr. Warmoth said that he's seeing more and more kids not pulling up onto furniture until 10 or 11 months and expects her within the next 6 weeks to have mastered that.

Here's the bummer part of the visit: she has her fourth ear infection in four months. We've had one a month since October. They're always double ear infections, too. So now we have a referral for the Ear Nose Throat Specialist to talk about tubes. Yippee.

Other than all that stuff that I'm so sorry to have just bored you with, here are the things we love about Eleanor:

*She is a chatterbox. She does Mama and Dada and recognizes me and Tim while saying it. She's not just babbling. She also does Baba for bottle and Nana for Noah, although that's a new one she's still working on. She is constantly talking or screeching to the people and toys around her.

*She is still a bit of a diva, but either she's getting better or we're just getting used to it. She's demanding.

*She has Tim completely wrapped around her finger.

*As I said before, she is active. Until this inchworm thing, she would lay on her belly and then spin herself in circles with her arms. She looked like a bottle in the Spin-the-Bottle game. She also loves her Johnny-jump-up or whatever the modern name for it is. Her feet look like a ballerina's when she jumps because they go out to the sides when she pushes off and then as she comes down, she lands with them perfectly turned out and heels together, knees bent. Then she pushes off again and again and again.

*She is just an absolute joy to our family. She is a challenge as we learn her personality, which has been so different from Noah's yet at the end of the day we're so thankful for her. She belly laughs like Noah does and speaking of him, she cannot get enough of her big brother.

*We get many comments on her eyes and the shape of them. I had noticed they were different when she was a newborn and a nurse had commented once on her "beautiful eyes. They're so unique." Well, who knows what to expect when you hear the word "unique"? Anyways, I listen to people comment on how they don't look like mine (or Tim's if he's around, and then they look at me for an explanation of why that might be. I don't know but I can tell you that Tim IS the dad!) Our friend, Kerin, was over last weekend and finally placed a shape on them - teardrops. I don't know what side of the family they come from, but we think they're beautiful.

So that's our Ellie. Yesterday I cranked up the heat for a couple hours and put them in their bathing suits and we had our own "beach party" in the kitchen with a picnic for lunch. It was a good way to beat the cabin fever for a little bit. That's why she's wearing a bikini in the above picture even though it's the end of January. Also - you can see at the top of her head a little bit her very first ponytail. I am trying to post more pictures from our fun, but blogger is being difficult so they'll have to wait for another time. And yes, Deidra, I must have a thing for chubby baby bellies in bikinis because I did get Wyn her's and now Ellie's. Next up is Sophie!

It Never Fails...

So it has been a week since I've blogged last. For some people that is not a big deal, but for those who are like me - who like to write and find release in doing it - it feels like a long time. I felt out of touch with life last week. Tim worked really long days Wednesday and Friday and had Tuesday and Thursday off. On Wednesday and Friday nights he did not get home until 10:00pm (they were working almost 2 hours away.) On those nights I would put the kids in bed and have about 2 1/2 hours all to myself...to do anything I wanted. The difference between this and naptime is that with naptime, I have no guarantee of how long it will last or if they will even sleep. With bedtime, they go down quickly and I know they're asleep until morning (except for those random cries out for a binky from Ellie.) On Wednesday night I spent the time writing. I worked a bit more on my novel. I also wrote up a couple...articles? I don't really know how to describe them. They're just little 3 page thoughts I guess. On Friday night I read. It was wonderful.

I have been reading a lot lately. After all, I have the Blizzard of Books at the library going on so I constantly have my nose in a book. Last Thursday I turned in my first 5 and went home with a box of chocolates.

They're gone.

Tim helped.

No, really, he did. We also threw out the last three because they were coconut and we don't like coconut.

Our friends, Unty and Kerin, came over Saturday night. They brought over some ingredients and we combined them with what we had and made a Mexican buffet. It was yummy. After the kids went down we made funnel cakes with a mix my sister had bought me for my birthday. That was an adventure but they turned out just like at a carnival. Greasy and delicious.

Today Jen and I spoke at Calvin College. Every year for the past three years we have talked to the interim Women's Health class about sex. We share our past sexual/physical relationship stories and talk about God's forgiveness, the importance of boundaries and accountability partners, and that if you haven't had sex - don't until you're married - and if you have or are - it's not too late to stop and start over. I think it went well. Every year on our way to the car afterward, we criticize ourselves, praise each other and lament on how the previous year seemed to go better. Then we remind ourselves that every year we have the same conversation and if just one woman has been touched, it's worth it. We spend time leading up to the morning praying that God would open hearts and guide our words and that's all we can do. The professor asks us back each year so we must make some type of impact. The girls are then required to write a response paper and the professor sends us their papers for us to read. We then are able to take their thoughts or questions and use them to help shape our talk for the next year.

On a different note. I got a package in the mail today from a close friend from college. She sent a very sweet note with it and in it pointed out all the neat ways that God has been providing things for us - little things especially. It prompted me to reflect on some of those ways and how cool God really is. I wanted to share some because I thought maybe it would prompt your heart to also reflect on the little ways that are easy to go unnoticed that God has provided in your own life. Maybe you can take the time to thank Him.
*We did not think we would be able to buy a Christmas tree this year because they are expensive! Seriously, I had no idea since we hadn't bought one for the past two years. Our realtor sent us a card in the mail for a free Christmas tree from a place in Grand Haven. We had a beautiful Douglas Fir (my favorite and we've never had one) for Christmas.
*Tim brought home roses in December for me. He had a coupon for a free dozen and when he went to get them, he found out the coupon had expired the week or so before (that's what happens when he forgets things.) He persuaded them to honor the coupon and they did. He's good when it comes to bargaining/bartering/haggling (is that what they call it?)
*Speaking of those three words above, Tim had to file a claim for a new cell phone. I accidentally washed his (the one time I forget to check the pockets in his jeans - thank God we have insurance on our phones.) No one told us that he had 30 days to file the claim. We were waiting for some extra money because we knew it was going to cost $50 to file it. When he filed the claim just after the New Year they told him he was outside of the 30 days. He talked to a manager and fought his case and they honored the $50. After all, if it's not written anywhere on the paperwork and no one tells you, how are you supposed to know? So that saved us the cost of a new cellphone
*An old friend from high school asked if I wanted a pair of jeans that were too short for her. They were my size and so over the weekend I got a package in the mail with a new pair of jeans! They fit perfectly and are a brand I could not afford myself at this time. Thanks, Bekah!
*We thought we were going to have $50 to live the next two weeks on - and that would have to cover groceries and gas (with Tim driving to GR every day.) I had one day of panic mode, but I was also PMS so the hormone center was already pretty much in hyper-overdrive. The next day I again gave it over to God telling Him I had no idea how He was going to pull this one off, but I couldn't wait to see it. In my head I was making a mental note of where to donate plasma and what things in the house we could sell off. Sunday brought about an email for an interior designer wanting Tim to paint her and her husband's master bedroom this week on his days off. And again God has provided.
*Before we painted the kids' bedroom, we were visiting our friends, Chris and Rachel. I was trying to describe the color I was envisioning to Rachel and she actually had a scrapbook paper (with birds on it even!) that she showed me. It was the exact color I was trying to describe! She ended up giving it to me, along with another piece that had birds on it that look like the ones I wanted on the tree mural. Tim took in the one piece and had Sherwin Williams color match it for the paint for their room and then Rachel came and painted her birds (that the scrapbook paper ones looks like) on the tree I painted. Recently I framed the two pieces of paper as artwork for their room and it looks great on the wall.
*And last for now, but certainly not least, I'm just getting very sleepy, the friend that sent me the package (Kelly) had sent some facial products that weren't working for her skin. One of the products, a skin revitalizer, I already use and know it doesn't make me break out. The other one is a foundation primer that I have yet to try.

What is a little way that God has blessed you?

Free Baby Food at Meijer!

Even though I make my own baby food, I still keep an eye out for good deals because when we travel it's easier to just bring some jars along.
That is why I was super excited to find Beechnut baby food on sale at Meijer this week 4/$1. I heard there is a coupon in a recent Smart Source insert that was $1/10 jars, making them a total of $1.50. I have that insert but it didn't contain a coupon! Bummer. So I decided to look on Beechnut's website to see if they have printable coupons.
You have to sign up for their e-newsletter (I have a separate email account for coupons and junk mail) and you get a coupon for $1 off 3 products. You can print this coupon twice. My Meijer let me use the extra 25 cents from the coupon (since it's only for 3) toward another jar so I ended up with 8 jars of baby food for absolutely free!
If you have the $1/10 coupon AND the two dollar off coupons, you could spend $1.50 for 18 jars of baby food, which would make them eight cents each!

Big Step

Tim's meeting yesterday did not go as we thought, BUT it was a very clear closed door and obvious answer to prayer. Aaron (the guy he met with) would like to hire him on as permanent full time but can't past the house they start next week because he doesn't have work lined up after that. He works with 10 builders and, with our present economy, none of his builders are building right now. There is a second part to it as well in that to put Tim in the position he wanted to, he would have to let go of the guy who is there now. This was already an ucomfortable feeling for Tim because he knows the guy from college and Aaron does as well. Aaron is going to be talking to the guy this week to find out if he's serious about staying on and if he can maybe start working a little harder.
Talk about a closed door.
Now this is where it gets really interesting for both Tim and myself. We felt nothing but peace after finding all this out. When Tim told me on the phone what happened, at any other time in my life I would have started crying, hyperventilating, freaking out and stressing about how we're going to survive. Instead I got off the phone with him and said, "Ok, God. You know. I don't. You have always provided, and I know You will continue to, so we'll see how You are going to work in this." I didn't rush to the computer to check out jobs online or call a friend (or my mom) and vent about everything.
I just started trusting Him. After all, Tim has work. That in itself is amazing - especially in his line of work and the fact this is Michigan. As he and I talked last night we realized that with the crew he has been with for the past year, they have 3 houses lined up starting in February. That should carry them through to May. Tim has had two former clients whose interiors he painted for side jobs call him in the past couple weeks and want him to paint the exteriors of their houses this summer. So, really, he has work provided through the summer. He and a couple of the other guys are going to sit down again with the "boss" and talk numbers because the $5/hour paycut won't work for any of them since they all have families to provide for, but maybe they can meet somewhere in the middle.
I don't say this to brag "look how good a Christian I am because I don't worry" because I do struggle with worry. I worry about everything from Tim getting in an accident on his way to and from work. I worry about my kids: are they developmentally where they should be? Why isn't Ellie crawling yet? Is Noah being nice to kids at preschool? Are kids being nice to him? I worry about myself: is this tightness in my chest a heart attack or just anxiety? If I eat this cookie dough am I a failure?
I tell you this to show that God can grow us! He does grow us. I've never in my life been able to respond to any financial or job situation without severe anxiety attacks and tears. Yet yesterday, I felt His peace - truly felt it and was calmed because I took my worries and gave them to Him. All I can do is live today moment by moment knowing that He holds my tomorrows.
And if I can do it, anyone can so there is hope for all of us worriers yet.

Tasty Treat Tuesday

Are you ready for this? It's deeeeelicious! We have had it for breakfast, and when we're in the mood, we have had it for dinner and made it a heartier meal by serving it with some scrambled eggs and sausage or bacon. I don't think it's healthy, but it sure is tasty!

Puffed Pancake with Fruit Sauce
4 eggs
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. milk
2 T. sugar
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 1/2 T. butter or margarine
2 T. sifted powdered suga
1/2 t. cinnamon

Topping
3-4 c. fresh or frozen fruit of your choice (the recipe actually calls for blueberries but we usually make it with frozen strawberries - yum!)
1/2 c. water
1 c. sugar
1 t. lemon juice (I don't think I've ever actually used lemon juice and it still came out fine)
2 T cornstarch mixed with a little cold water

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat until smooth at medium high speed of electric mixer. Place batter in freezer while skillet is heating.
Place butter in a 10 in. oven-proof skillet; place in a 425 degree oven for 4 minutes or until butter sizzles and skillet is hot.
Pour batter immediately into hot skillet. Bake 27-34 minutes or until puffed and golden. DO NOT OPEN OVEN BEFORE 25 MINUTES. Combine powdered sugar and cinnamon and sift over hot pancake. Serve immediately with topping. Use whipped cream if so desired.
For topping: Steam berries with water until soft. Add sugar and lemon juice. Continue to cook about 2 minutes. Wisk in cornstarch mixture - just enough to thicken slightly. Stir until thick and bubbly.
This recipe is from the Grand Rapids Baptist Schools Cookbook: Volume 2.

My word of caution: REMEMBER that the pan, having been in the oven, will be hot for a long time afterward. I have burned myself a few times in the hurry to get everything served and grabbing the pan without thinking. Please think. =)

I Love This Book

One of my goals for 2009 is to finish reading the Bible. I'm reading it straight through from Genesis to Revelation because that is how I read any book. Right now I am in Proverbs (this is a goal that is ongoing from last year.) Yesterday I came across a verse that made me jump for joy. Ready?
Proverbs 16:31 - Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life.
I have quite a few strands of gray woven into my brown hair. I have always said that as I age and gray I don't want to highlight, dye or cover it up. It is expensive and time consuming to keep up! I have watched my mom do it for years, both with at-home kits and salon appointments. In October I had my hair highlighted at the Douglas J institute in Grand Rapids. I did this because I had a coupon for a free service and who would turn down FREE highlights, when they're normally upwards of $50 minimum. Tim has always supported my plan to gray gracefully (since it saves him money in the end.) Every once in awhile I wistfully wonder if I should pick up a box of L'Oreal at the grocery store. I never do and now I at least have a verse to back me up in my graying. My grays are the start of my crown, or maybe they start at my crown...

I also came across another verse yesterday that I have heard before, but you know how it is when you read it at a time that God has really prepared you for?
Proverbs 16:3 - Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Now, I'm not going to go all Joel Osteen on all of you and say that we should strive for wealth and worldly success because I don't think that is what life is about (Right, Renee? Renee loooves Joel - and that is complete sarcasm.) But isn't it nice to know that the Lord's hand is in what we do when we ask Him for guidance and follow? I was checking out the verse in Tim's Bible because his is a Study Bible and has little footnotes at the bottom and for this verse it says: Commit. Lit., roll. Roll your burdens on the Lord; although they may cause you anxiety, they are not too great for Him.
It is such a refreshing reminder. "Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing...nothing is too difficult for Thee." (Did anyone else sing that in church?)
While we're on a spiritual post today, I'd like to ask for prayer for a few things.
1. Our friends, Josh and Sara Troast. Sara is 28 weeks pregnant with her second baby, a boy who will be named Jacob. She is starting to show strong signs of preeclampsia. She had it with their daughter, Elaine, and delivered her at 30 weeks. Please keep the health of Sara and baby Jacob in your prayers as well as guidance for the doctors in making decisions.
2. Tim has a meeting today for work. His job could be changing as he might start working with another crew. We're praying for a good interview today as well as guidance in the decisions ahead. The crew he has been working with were told they were going to have to take a $5/hour paycut and, after looking at our budget, we simply cannot live on that. We would be scraping by just to pay our bills, gas and groceries and we don't even have debt! However, with this new job, he gives up being self-employed which means, above all, he couldn't take off work to do side jobs and that is where he makes good money and builds contacts.
3. Hmmm. I thought I had another one. I guess it slipped my mind if I did. Oh, well. I would appreciate your prayers on the first two and will keep you posted on God's answers. Thanks!

My Heart Will Go On, Leonardo...

Create your own FACEinHOLE

My friend, Jen, sent me a picture of her face in a Twilight advertisement. I jumped on the website and made some creations of my own.
I am sad to tell you that in high school I saw "Titanic" three times in the movie theater.
"Neeeeeeaaaaarrrrrrr, faaaaaarrrrrrrr, whereeeeeeeeeeeever you are, I believe that the heart does go ooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn."

One Good Thing About Winter

I was telling this story to Tim the other night and he got a kick out of it, especially the fact it gave him something to laugh at me about...because that's what marriage is all about, right? Laughing at each other's oddities.

When I was young, my sister and I often played with the neighbor girl, Sarah. Often means every day in the summer and as much as possible on the weekends during the school year. I grew up on ten acres of land and Sarah's family had probably about the same amount so we spent our days exploring and playing in forts.

There was one game in particular that I remember well. We would go up to a small tree and pretend it had buttons on it. These buttons would take us to whatever land the chooser decided. We would then explore the land and head back to the tree to find a new land.

Stephanie and Sarah would groan when it was my turn to pick the land because they knew one place that we would inevitably have to travel to.

Book land.

That's right. Book land.

With overwhelming excitement (on my part) I would press the buttons and say "Book land!" and we would twirl around, our eyes closed, only to open them again and find ourselves in a land full of books wherever you turned.

Book land was always cut short as Stephanie or Sarah would run back over to the tree to push the buttons to travel somewhere else.

"So you're fantasy land was a library?" Tim laughed.

This is what a nerd I am. This is how much I love to read. My childhood was spent either playing outside or reading books indoors. My dad would become so frustrated as our family vacations in Florida were spent with me on the sand, my nose buried in a book. What can I say? I hate salt water. If we were at Lake Michigan I was in the water the whole time. Gulf of Mexico? No, thank you.

Tim has learned to live with and accept my book fetish. He even encourages it at times, helping me to look for old books at antique stores that might interest me. He can't understand why I would want to own old Nancy Drew books because "they don't look very old or interesting" to him but to me...oh, to me Nancy Drew symbolizes summers in the library looking for new ones to be returned. It was a young girl's way of being a detective and catching the bad guys. He won't let me buy the Nancy Drew books yet. I'm still working on him.

When he comes home and finds me reading a Karen Kingsbury book, he knows that most likely dinner is not on the table, Ellie's diaper has not been changed and Noah's movie may or may not be on repeat. There is almost always a clump of tissues next to me on the couch that have been soaked in my tears. I'm trying to change, people, I really am. I'm trying to limit to naptime and bedtime but sometimes when you start reading during naptime and get all caught up in it....

Anyways, one of the things I love about January through March is that our local libraries run a winter reading program for adults. For every five books you read, you get a small prize and a chance to be entered for the Grand Prize. The small prizes are things like a box of chocolate, a containter of nuts, a certificate for a free car wash or video rental, etc.

Today I went to get my first books for the reading program. I chose:

*Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock - It is the fourth in her RESTORATIONovel series. I read the first three and then forgot about this one until I saw it today. Unfortunately, they didn't have it on the regular shelf but they had it in large print. Again, how desperate am I? I'm reading a large print novel because the regular one is checked out.

*Thursdays at Eight by Debbie Macomber - I really liked her Shop on Blossom Street books. They included a lot on knitting within the story lines. I thought I would give this one a try. It's about a small group of diverse women who meet together for breakfast on, you guessed it, Thursdays.

*Home to Holly Springs by Jan Karon - I enjoyed her Mitford series books. They are so funny and yet always have the life lessons woven in. This is the first in her spinoff series about Father Tim.

*Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott - This one I'm actually least excited about. I was not crazy about her book Traveling Mercies. She is very funny, yes, and very honest and raw. However, I found her spiritual beliefs to be kind of pick-and-choose-what-you-like-about-the-Bible and focus on those. I figured I would give her another try to see if her thoughts on faith have changed or if they remain the same.

Now I am off to read! It's naptime and I have a little over an hour before I have to wake them up to head to an appointment. Now I have to figure out which one to start with...

Tasty Treat Tuesday

At the suggestion of Daniella I have decided to try making Tasty Treat Tuesday a weekly feature.
Today's Tasty Treat is actually a meal and you can find it on my other blog (click on the link and will it take you straight to the post with the recipe.) It is super yummy, easy to make, and healthy.
Let me know if you try it out and how you like it!

Can It Really Be 2009?

Wow! What a whirlwind year this has been!
I have been thinking about what I learned this past year. Here are some things I have come up with (you can pick and choose, obviously, which posts you want to go back and read):
January - God can speak through others to tell you what you need to hear. Read this for proof.
February - God has provided me with a fantastic husband.
March - Kids tend to mimic just about everything...including giving their toys time-outs.
April - Don't ever expect your second pregnancy, labor or delivery to be like your first...but you can love your second child just as much as your first and in a way that is unique to the individual. Welcome, Eleanor.
May - Research before going just anywhere for a haircut. Although, if you're very brave (or dumb) you can be like me and do the "Recession Special" haircut and do it yourself! (Although when I did this in November it turned out to be my favorite!)
June - I cannot reach perfection. Also, I still think running is dumb.
July - There is spiritual battle all around us.
August - Cloth diapers are not only easy, but very economical. So is making your own baby food. I can't believe I was ever intimidated by these things! Although after trying a couple different kinds, I would highly recommend the BumGenius 3.0 for cloth diapers. It's a one size fits all (6-36 pounds) so you make your upfront investment and never worry about buying diapers again!
September - I don't need a million dollars to be happy....just $400,000. =)
October - Many times God will give you a perfect afternoon that makes up for the day you want to run away. He never gives us more than we can handle, right?
November - God is in control. God is faithful. God provides. There are times when God speaks directly to your heart. I need to keep listening and especially overcome this writer's block.
December - Christmas this year just amazed me. God amazed me. He reminded me of how much He wants to be in relationship with me.

I also was reminded of how important family is all throughout the year. We were blessed to be able to take a trip in Ohio that allowed us to visit with Tim's parents, Randy, Deidra and Wyndham. We took a vacation over Labor Day with my family. We took two trips to Virginia and were able to not only visit with lots of family members (and even meet some!) but stay with Jeremy, Carrie and their kids whom we really have enjoyed being able to spend time with.

It was a year of babies for us: we brought Eleanor into our family. We welcomed Sophia into Randy and Deidra's. Eli joined Matt and Stephani and Emma. Silvia made her appearance into Jack and Kelly's. Our friend, Sara, announced her second pregnancy. I mourned a niece or nephew as my sister miscarried and rejoiced with them at Christmas when they announced their current pregnancy. I checked Lydia's blog for news of Beatrix's birth. I will check Lacey's in a few months for news around her expected little one. We also watched with joy as Matt and Jeana became parents to Emma, the precious girl they have long prayed for and waited to hold. What fun it has been to watch their family adapt and transform.

The internet has brought about friends both new and old. I have reconnected with my old friend, Renee, who I have known for YEARS but didn't stay in touch with after she moved in high school. We stay in close contact now through Facebook and phone. I am so thankful for God bringing her back into my life and for the ways in which she has challenged me. There are college girls that I didn't know well who I feel I have formed blog-relationships with. Just check my side-bar for any number of them! And I have even made new friends through blogging - like Daniella!

Even though I love music but am not musically talented in real life, I can still be a rockstar. =) We spent New Year's Eve at the Lewis' and lost track of time while playing Guitar Hero/Rockstar or Rock Band or whatever the heck it is. I just know it's great fun and, depending on the song and how serious I take it, I can sing well enough for a 90% or bad enough for a 65%. Or I can fail out. But that's ok. Because I'm a rockstar, baby! Plus, I can tear it up on the guitar.

God has blessed us with so much in 2008. We have had our share of difficult times that He has brought us through and taught us during. We have had our share of blessings. He is ever faithful and because of Him and knowing He never leaves us, I welcome 2009.

Pictures from Christmas

Here are a few pictures from last week. My sister and brother-in-law both had to work on Christmas Eve, although my sister only had to work a half day. My sister's mother-in-law usually watches Kailyn but my mom took her for the morning so she and Noah could play together. They made a gingerbread house and Kailyn hosted a tea party in the playroom upstairs.
My mom was the first victim of the tiara and feather boa. Kailyn, dressed in her stylish purple cat glasses, took frequent trips to the "store" (bedroom across the hall) for necessities such as ice cream and also to Home Depot for wood.

She dressed me in a fireman's hat and sweet '80s glasses.

Even Uncle Tim joined in although he was able to escape costume.

I think Ellie was disappointed the food wasn't real. It's her first tea party, though!

This was the best picture I could get of the three of them on Christmas day. I wish Ellie's teeth would come through so she wasn't such a waterfall of drool.

We actually went to the beach in Grand Haven for a few minutes on Sunday. Ellie and I stayed in the car while Tim tried to take Noah for a closer look at all the ice. They didn't last long. It was a very cold day. The waves were much bigger than we thought they would be although you can't tell from this picture.

New Blog!

My good college friend, Jen, and I decided to start a blog. It's meant to be one of accountability for a healthy lifestyle. Whether to you that means weight loss, exercise, healthy eating or whatever - it encompasses all of them.
We decided that we're tired of sitting around talking about how we wish we could lose weight, tone up, eat better, etc. Yet we realize that accomplishing these things are easier when you have someone alongside you. We assumed others probably feel the same way, so why not all connect together over this world wide web?
You set a goal. For instance, my goal is to work out three times a week. Every day that I work out I'll leave a comment on that day's post saying what I did for exercise. This way, because I know that Jen is going to expect me to reach my goal, she is holding me accountable even if it's not in person.
We're also going to feature recipes, healthy snack ideas, exercise tips and whatever else is suggested by people participating with us.
It's kind of like a Weight Watchers or fitness program except that it is free.
Are you trying to lose weight or lead a healthier lifestyle, too? Most people choose some type of health related New Years Resolution. If you are, too, join with us at Beyond Bottles and Burpcloths! If you know others who could use some encouragement, motivation and accountability, tell them too!
I just posted for the first time today and haven't had a chance to really work on the layout and set-up so excuse us as we navigate our way through this for a couple weeks.

Tasty Treat Tuesday

Like my Triple-T title?
Noah and I have stumbed upon a yummy and healthy snack this week that I thought I would share. You'll need an apple, peanut butter, honey, oats and an apple corer.
1. Core the apple, making sure to leave it whole (for instance - don't use the corers that also slice the apple.)
2. Mix some peanut butter, honey and oats together. I don't have measurements because I just eyeball all of it and use more or less of certain items. Your goal is to have enough to fill the space left by the core of the apple....leading to the next step...
3. Fill the middle of the apple with the peanut butter mixture. Pack it in tight.
4. Slice the apple crosswise.
Voila! Apple rings with a yummy middle.
This snack can be messy and it might take a couple times making it before you get the right combo and everything. The first time we made it I didn't stuff the middle enough and so when I sliced it, the filling pretty much fell out of the rings. In this case, we just scooped up the mixture with our apple slices and enjoyed it just the same!

Pop!

We had a pretty great Christmas. Just one piece of exciting news from the past week - my sister is pregnant. Some of you may remember me posting and asking for prayer back in September as she miscarried. She has a daughter who is two years old. Kailyn was a high-risk pregnancy, and after the miscarriage, Stephanie's doctor is again paying close attention to her. She is now 7 weeks along and has already had two appointments, an ultrasound and has another appointment this coming week. Things are looking great so far and she is feeling very sick, which is always a blessing and a curse when you're experiencing it.
Tim and I were able to go on a date Tuesday night. It was the best part of the entire week I think. We used some Christmas money to go to dinner at Tomato Brothers, one of our favorite restaurants. They have the best breadsticks you will ever taste. It was soooo good. Before dinner we went over to the outlet mall and I updated my wardrobe thanks to some birthday money. I haven't clothing shopped for myself since the weekend I found out I was pregnant with Ellie, so that was a long time ago. I did go once at the beginning of my pregnancy to get a couple shirts but that was it. Anyways, we found some great deals at the outlet mall and I came home with three sweaters, a long sleeve shirt, a tank top for next summer (or to wear under a sweater or cardigan now), and a cami. I know money doesn't buy happiness...but it sure boosts the self-esteem when you can wear some clothes that aren't covered in spit up or have holes.
Christmas day was beautiful weather. We spent some time sledding, riding snowmobiles, playing in the snow and inside we played the Wii and visited. I beat my sister in bowling but my mom killed me in tennis. She does have an advantage since it's her Wii.
My birthday was yesterday. The big 2-8. The older I get, the less exciting my birthday is. It just becomes like any other day. Tim really tried, though, to make it feel like it was a day off for me. He insisted on getting the kids' breakfasts, cleaning up, etc. so that I could just sit and do what I wanted. Unfortunately, my dad had to work and my mom had come down with the flu and had quarantined herself to their room in the basement so it felt kind of weird but that's ok. We came back home in the afternoon and met the Nashes for dinner at Applebee's. They gave me a great birthday present - some food from Trader Joe's (I have never been to one so Jeana was giving me a "preview" for when I get a chance to get over to the one in Ann Arbor) and the Sara Groves' Christmas CD, which is great! It really is a wonderful CD. After the kids went to bed last night Tim let me pick what movie to watch. We had borrowed "Music & Lyrics" from Matt and Jeana awhile ago and hadn't watched it yet so I picked that one. It was cute. It's one of those movies that's good for snuggling up with the one you love, but don't expect it to lead to any thought-provoking discussions. Just a cutesy movie. However, I will confess that I do love '80s music and, as a result, I will leave you with this clip from the movie. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!

We leave tomorrow morning to spend the rest of the week at my parents' house. I will probably take a break from the internet to enjoy time with family and friends so I just wanted to jump on real quick tonight and wish everyone a wonderful and merry Christmas.

May it be filled with laughter and love.

Remember the true reason we celebrate - not for presents or Santa Claus or an excuse to eat another huge meal with lots of cookies and desserts. Every Christmas morning since I was young the first thing I do when I wake up is sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus. I have started this tradition with Noah as well. Take the time to marvel in the precious baby that came to offer us salvation.

I'm looking forward to sharing with you a fun announcement when I return (no - I am not pregnant or moving or any big life change!)

On a side note, the tree we had this year was free from the realtor who we worked with in buying our house. It is my favorite tree that we have ever had and, sadly, because we travel for our holidays we actually took it down tonight. We always have the only tree thrown outside before Christmas day. It's quite pathetic.

Merry Christmas!

We WISH You A Merry Christmas

Today was Noah's Christmas program at preschool. My parents drove over for the morning to watch and then visit and have lunch afterwards. Tim took the morning off work to go to it. Actually, he and all the other dads were there. I think just about every kid had grandparents there as well. For there being 15 kids in the classroom they really had a packed out audience in the church sanctuary (his preschool is at a local church.)

I was a bit nervous before they started. After all, this was his first performance. I wasn't sure if he was going to run out and sit with us instead of participating, if he would stand there and cry, or stand there and do nothing or if he would soak it all up.

He soaked it up.

By the last two songs he was belting them out. I really don't mean singing, just yelling the words at the top of his lungs. I like the little girl next to him that just enjoyed jumping up and down. All the kids did great. No tears. After the first song, there was a kid who thought they must be done so he started running to his parents but they said, "No, go back up" and he did. He kind of had a "Oh, yeah. I forgot" look on his face.

We had cookies and punch afterwards and were given the Christmas presents our kids made us. Noah presented us with a medium size pretzel coated in glitter. Tim hates glitter and the mess it makes in the house so he whispered to me to ask if we had to bring it in the house. Of course! What was he thinking? Sure enough we got home and hung it on the tree and, thank God for the tree skirt, because there is a good size pile of glitter underneath where the pretzel is hanging. But Noah is so proud of it and I am so proud of him.

And, yes, between the emotions of Christmas and watching my little boy get older and PMS, I did actually cry during their first song. In a discreet way, of course.

They opened by walking up the aisle ringing their little bell wreaths and singing "Jingle Bells." They then sang it again after they were positioned up front.

This next video is not the best visual quality but is so that you can hear Noah. He's the loud one.

Dear Fitting Room Mirror

Dear Fitting Room Mirror,
I do not like the games you play. It should be your job to make me look good when I am trying on clothes. Yesterday you failed miserably.
The moment I walked in with my three shirts I knew it was not going to be a fun time. I looked in the mirror and my face looked horribly pale and dark were the circles under my eyes. You made me look washed out in the first sweater and chunky in the second. Is it possible to even have that chub there? I thought to myself. Let's not even talk about the third shirt.
How is it that I could try on that first sweater the day before and it looked great? Then when I come back to use my gift card it looks blah? I am glad I tried the sweater on again since you are apparently lied to me the first time. Or maybe you lied to me last night.
What is with your lighting? It made me look sickly. I cannot possibly look like that in real life. I won't accept it.
My husband had just been telling me the day before that it looked like I was losing weight and when he hugged me I felt thinner. I had been feeling thinner as well when my jeans started to hang a bit. You did not get this memo apparently.
Now it is possible this is not all your fault. I am supposed to have a "visitor" coming soon and in preparation of the arrival I have been eating a bit more sweets than usual. I believe there might be some bloating as well as my jeans have been feeling a wee bit snug. But, really, can't you lie to me a little?
I'll be back, Fitting Room Mirror. This isn't over.
Sincerely,
A Disgruntled Woman

It's True!

When we were on our way home last week my good friend, Kelly, called and I was able to chat with her for awhile (not much else to do while you're riding in the car.) She said she had thought of me because she was listening to Midday Connection and Sara Groves was on it. The host was interviewing her about her new Christmas CD and they were playing songs from it as well. Kelly said she laughed and cried and loved it and that I needed to listen to it in the archives when I got home.
Last Thursday during the kids' naptime while I started my Fetching (see photo in post below) I listened to it. I laughed and cried and loved it. I loved it so much I listened to it again the next day during their naptime, after I listened to the interview with Fernando Ortega about his Christmas CD (also worth the time.) I then made Tim listen to it with me that night.
Yes, I am slightly obsessive when I find something that really gets me. What's your point? It's like when you put a song you like on repeat when there is a whole CD waiting to be listened to.
Anyways...
One song in particular really got me. I cry every time I listen to it. So I think you should to.
Click on the link.
"It's True" by Sara Groves

Do you ever stop to take the time and be truly in awe of what God has done for us? That He loves us SO much He would come to find us? I think so often we think of God as one of us, as our equal or just one of the gang. He came to be among us, yes, but He is not one of us. We underestimate His glory anymore.
In today's "seeker-sensitive" church culture I think we have taken away the wonder of God. We want Him to be user-friendly and fit our wants and desires. Have we forgotten that He is ruling over us in Heaven? He is so awesome that He cannot even show Himself to us in His true form. He was a burning bush when He spoke with Moses. When Isaiah sees just a vision of God, he has to use the word "like" because he does not even know how to describe His beauty and power. There are no words to describe Him in our language.
Don't belittle our God.
Don't take away from who He is.
Yet be in awe of Him.
His glory.
His beauty.
His mercy.
His love.
His forgiveness.
Then think of the fact that this awesome, wonderful, glorious God came to find you. He wants you to be with Him for eternity. He wants to adopt you in to His family.
Your jaw should be hitting the floor.
Your heart should beat a little faster.
It's ok to be teary or choked up.

It's true!

*If you want to listen to the Midday Connection program with Sara Groves' interview, click here.*

Photo Catch-Up

Here are some photos from our trip to Virginia over Thanksgiving weekend, as well as a couple extras.Luke and Noah in the parking circle for the EPA building.Noah building a tower in the Invention at Play section in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.Ellie's opinion of the whole thing.

My silly nephews, Owen and Cameron, on either side of Carter.

I had the chance to meet my blog friend, Daniella, while we were there. She and her family live not too far from Tim's family members.

Noah taking Daniella's daughter, Charlie, for a spin. She hopped right on behind him!
When we got home, Tim spent the next day washing his paint dropcloths before starting his next job. He hung them over the canopy of the guest room bed to dry and Noah and Ellie thought it was fun playing peek-a-boo with him through the cloths. OK, I love my daughter, but doesn't her head look big here - like it's the same size as Noah's or something? It must be just the picture, though, because although her head is in a high percentile, it's not as big as her older brother's!

And aren't these just Fetching? Actually, that's what they're called. This was my practice one so I could get a feel for the pattern and especially because I've never attempted cable-knit before (which turned out to be easier than I thought!.) I LOVED working on this project. I want to use a different yarn next time and now I know what needs to be done differently (as in, it should be longer on my hand.) Thanks for turning me on to the pattern, Rachel!

I Love a Giveaway!

Go to this blog for a chance to WIN some Land's End prizes. Winners choose from a cashmere sweater, rolling duffel bag or kid slippers. I love free things although I'm not usually good at winning things like this. Random selections don't usually fall on me but maybe they will you! You just have to leave a comment on the post of what item you would pick.

Simplicity

Yesterday was the youth group girls' Christmas party. We held it at my house and combined the jr. high and high school groups; this made it easier on the female leaders: Mandy, Elisabeth and myself. We decorated cookies, had a gingerbread house making contest (high school won!), ate a Christmas dinner of roast, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and rolls and then went caroling.
Eleven girls and three leaders went marching down my street stopping at any house with lights on inside to sing a Christmas song and then yell "Merry Christmas" before heading to the next one. I wasn't sure what to expect. I've never really caroled in a neighborhood, just nursing homes. Do we knock first or just start singing? Will they open their doors?
A few did. The first house we stopped at was my neighbor's. She is a very nice older woman. I think she didn't know what to make of us because she peeked through her drapes but never actually opened anything. Slightly discouraged we went to a house across the road that belongs to the grandparents of a friend of mine.
Her grandpa opened the door and listened while we sang. He thanked us when we finished and watched as we headed to the next house. We had no response from the next house but then the house after, an older woman came to her door and listened. She also thanked us and kept her door open to listen as we walked to the next house. A woman and her young son came to the door, opened it and then disappeared. A moment later she returned with her husband who joined in as we sang "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." He told us how great it was we were caroling and thanked us. We went to a few houses after his, only getting response from one more.
I got teared up at one of the houses, with the elderly woman, as I realized how sad it is that no one knows how to respond to this anymore. First of all, most of the girls in my youth group are either involved in choir or band. They practiced while they were making cookies, deciding who would take lead and who would sing harmony, etc. and sounded absolutely beautiful. I did not sing most of the time because it would have tainted their angel voices. A few held candles (mostly so we could see the song lyrics) and it was like a painting as big snowflakes fell around us. I hope my mental snapshot keeps for a long time.
When we returned we read the Christmas story and talked about what Christmas means to each of us, what the things are that excite us during this time. Most of them said the presents, which doesn't surprise me given their ages. A few lamented the fact their parents said they would be scaling back this year. Mandy and I (Elisabeth had left by this point so she could put her son to bed) reminded them of the importance of Christmas and told them how much we enjoyed the simplicity of it this year due to economic times.
Simplicity.
I love it.
I love that this year I am not stressed out about what to buy for people because most of our family members are not buying gifts for one another. We simply can't. Tim and I cashed in some points from our bank accounts to get a couple gift cards for each other. It was free. We'll spend $5 on each of our kids and that's it. Some may think we're cheap. I don't care. Our kids aren't really hurting for any toys right now as it is. I want to start early in showing them that this season is not about getting things they want. We do love to give gifts, but we aren't going to send ourselves into debt to do it. I want to teach them to be genuinely thankful, not just to say the words.
One of my youth group girls wailed to me yesterday about how we don't have a TV. "Does Noah even know who Dora is?" she asked. I told her that he does and that he prefers Diego. "What about Backyardigans?" she fought back. I told her that he loves his backyard friends, the Backyardigans and watches them at my parents' house. She continued to ask me how we watch certain shows and I told her that there are some we just don't. We have our few favorites that we watch online but that's it. During the winter we seem to spend more time reading, watching movies, I knit, Tim falls asleep on the couch...it's a much quiter time for us.
We like it that way. We spend so much of our time going, going, going. Winter is our time to hibernate in a sense. I'm sure part of is the weather and the fact no one wants to drag their kids out and about when it's cold and snowy. So we spend more time with those in our household reconnecting and enjoying each other.
How can you simplify your life right now? Do you need to? Can you think of the last time you spent an evening sitting on the couch with your spouse talking about your dreams in life or reminiscing about the good old days before kids? =) Tim and I sometimes play a game where we ask each other questions about ourselves to see if the other can answer. It varies from things like "What is my favorite color?" to "What was my favorite vacation that we took together?" or "What do I want to be when I grow up?" As people we are always growing and changing and what might have been our favorites at what time, aren't anymore. Tim and I want to continue to know each other. We don't want to be the people who become empty nesters and look at each other to say "Who are you?"
Take some time to simplify this year. You won't be sorry that you did but you might be sorry if you don't.

Does it bother anyone else...

that Obama picked Jennifer Granholm to be one of his economic advisors?
Seriously - the woman who has helped run the state of Michigan into the ground?
Bad move.

Loads of Fun

Whew! We are on the road from Virginia to Ohio right now. I love having an Internet card because we pretty much plug it into the laptop and can use it wherever we have cell phone reception. Because we have Alltel - which has awesome reception - I am using my internet in the mountains. Nice. It is kind of my escape at the moment while the kids are napping in the back and Tim is singing along with the blaring Relient K music.

We had a great Thanksgiving weekend. This was our first Thanksgiving without a big feast. Wednesday we traveled to my in-laws' house in Ohio. Thursday we had turkey sandwiches and cranberry sauce for lunch and then hit the road for Virginia. We arrived at Tim's cousin's house shortly after 7:00. We let Noah run around for a little bit with their son, Carter, and then it was bedtime. Noah likes having boys to play with because it's all about tag, trains, trucks and motorcycles.

On Friday we went into DC with Jeremy, Carrie, and their boys (Carter, Luke & Brayden.) Carrie's dad is the director of the Environmental Protection Agency and he hooked us up so that we could park in his parking circle. It was free and close to the things we were planning to see - perfect. Carrie took us inside to show us her dad's office and we ate our picnic lunch in there (since the weather turned out to be cold and dreary) and fed Ellie as well. That was fun. You feel like you're in the movie "National Treasure" while you're in there...like there are secret passages and all sorts of things hidden around you. Originally the plan was to tour the White House but Carrie got a call a couple days before saying that they would be decorating for Christmas and so we couldn't come. Bummer. Oh, well. After finishing lunch we walked down to get a picture at least.

We also went to the Museum of American History. I love that the Smithsonian museums are free. I hate that they are free. It is great not having to pay, but everyone and their brother are there as well and it is crowded. We made it through the Innovation and Play section and the history of Transportation section and then called it a day. That particular museum had just opened a few weeks before from being closed for awhile for renovation.

Saturday was crazy busy. That morning Jeremy and Carrie held a brunch at their house. Jeremy's brother, Jonathan, and his family (wife and four kids) came over. Tim's sister, Kristen, and her family (husband and four boys) - in from Tennessee - came over. Thirteen kids. Under the age of eight. Chaos. Fun. I love it even though by the end I'm totally wiped out. Ellie kept spitting up that day. It was my first day giving her peaches so I don't know if her tummy was getting used to them or what. She had a gigantic spit up session while Jon's wife, Shelley, was holding her. It's a good thing Ellie was facing out with her back against Shelley's stomach so she didn't get her, just the floor. After it happened I grabbed a burp cloth, Carrie grabbed paper towel and Shelley stood there with Ellie while we cleaned up around her. It dawned on me at that moment how obvious it is that we are parents because none of us freaked out like childless people would have. No gag reflexes, just calm and control like it's part of the norm. Because it is. We had about a two hour break between everyone leaving and then having to leave for Tim's grandma's 90th birthday party, which was the whole reason we were down there.

Tim's aunt is not known for doing things half-heartedly and the party was more evidence of such. She had it catered and the food was fantastic! Chicken marsala, mashed potatoes that you could put baked potato toppings on if you so desired, crispy green beans, squash, beef tips, and for the kids - chicken strips and macaroni-n-cheese. Two more kids were thrown into the mix from earlier with the arrival of another cousin so there were now fifteen kids under the age of eight running around. Randy and Deidra unfortunately had to cancel their travel plans at the last minute because Wyndham woke up with a stomach bug that morning. We were all pretty bummed and missed them. Tim's cousin, Andrew, has a son that couldn't make it either. Everyone else was there and it was pretty amazing to have even that many people be able to make it. Grandma was excited and held up pretty well for a ninety-year old woman sitting in the middle of a tornado of people.

After getting home, the kids went straight to bed and Tim and I stayed up for awhile chatting with Jeremy and Carrie. We really enjoy spending time with them so that was nice.

Sunday was Luke's birthday and the departure of family members as well from VA. Tim and I wanted to give Jeremy and Carrie some family time for Luke's birthday so the day worked out nicely as we went back to his aunt's house to visit with his sister before they left for Tennessee. After a nice lunch of leftovers we headed into an area outside of DC to meet Daniella, someone I randomly "met" through Angie Smith's blog. We have corresponded back and forth and she invited us over when she found out we would be in the area. She is married with an adorable toddler daughter. We were a bit nervous beforehand - I mean, who really gets a chance to actually meet people they have come to know through blogworld? When we were driving back to Jeremy and Carrie's that evening, Tim made the comment that he wished they lived in our area because they were really nice people that you can feel easy and comfortable with. Thanks for a fun visit, Daniella!

We made it back for the kids to play for a little bit before bedtime and then we adults chatted again for a bit. Tim and I finally dragged ourselves to bed to be able to have some energy for our travels today. We are currently traveling through Pittsburgh and approaching a tunnel. Noah is excited.

I have photos but will have to post them later because most of them are not on our laptop yet. For now, though, I can leave you with one that I had already put on here a couple days ago.

Thanks Jeremy and Carrie for an AWESOME stay! We had a blast.

When God Speaks...

...how well do you listen?
I can count on one, maybe two, fingers the amount of times that I feel I have heard God speak to me in a without-a-doubt-that-was-God-speaking-audible voice. I feel He speaks to me through different ways: music, books, other people by reminding me of things I need to hear or revealing things to me. I do not often hear a voice though. Maybe part of it is because I never know if it's God speaking or me going crazy and having voices in my head.
I have had a rough time lately as I have struggled through my thoughts on church. What is church, exactly? What is the purpose? Is the church (as an institution) what God intended? Is it fulfilling its purpose if it is? And on and on and on. I had a very personal and hurtful experience happen in my beginning college years involving my home/childhood church. It led me into two seperate counseling experiences which led me to forgiving my childhood pastor and overcoming my mistrust of pastors in general. Every once in awhile, however, I can feel the old thoughts coming back and I have to give them over to God again.
Within the past couple weeks I have started listening to Moody Bible Radio station often. In the past I have listened to Family Life on WCSG during lunch times. I love it. Then I stumbed across the Moody station and have found all sorts of new shows and speakers to listen to. It's been great. My sister-in-law, Deidra, also has been sending resources my way of books and articles to read, speakers to listen to, etc. A few years ago she was where I am now in the kind of question asking mode. Anyways, the past week has been great for me. I have let go (again) of bitterness toward the church as an institution. It's not perfect after all and never can be. I think this Sunday I was finally ready and willing to hear what had to be said during the sermon and God spoke to me...through what Paul had to say but more incredibly, through His voice that I could actually hear. As I was listening to Paul talk about how we don't do things through our strength but through God's (he was going over Isaiah 6:5-8) and so what kind of God leap are you going to take, I felt a voice press against my heart.
Write.
Um, sorry God. What? Was that even You?
Silence.
As we started to sing the last set of songs to close out the service, the first one was called "Found" by Hillsong. (By the way, I love Hillsong.)
Write.
There it was, pressed upon me again. Immediately tears came to my eyes.
I can't God.
Not on your own, but you can with my strength.
Enter chin quiver to accompany tears while praying people are too involved with singing to notice me in my little area against the wall.
What if I fail?
Write.
What do I write?
He brought to mind a prologue for a book I started back in September. I wrote it, showed it to Tim and a friend who both thought it was great and told me they couldn't wait to read more, then let fear take over me and haven't touched it since.
Well, ok, God. I'm going to trust You on this one.
"And I found myself in You, Lord..."
(Remember to pause music on the right side.)

Easy Gift Cards

I'm going to throw a little plug on here for two reasons.
#1. Who doesn't need/want gift cards?
#2. It's free and easy.

I was on moneysavingmom yesterday and read about something called Swagbucks. You can read her post here about it or you can see how one woman earned enough to do all her Christmas shopping here.
You register to use Swagbucks as your search engine and then you get Swagbucks when you do a search. Your swagbucks can be used toward gift cards. I installed the toolbar, started searching this morning and have already earned some bucks.
If you want to earn even more, then you can refer people and get extra swagbucks when they sign up. Hence, another reason I'm posting this on my blog. If you decide you want to look into and sign up for this, please use my referral code:
http://swagbucks.prodege.com/?cmd=sb-register&rb=246394
I also like it because I use Google as my primary search engine and Swagbucks searches by Google and ask.com.

I'm off to search for some knitting patterns!

Read This Book

I just finished reading Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers. I read it in college and then again afterwards and now I completed my third time reading it.
It is one of the best fiction books I have ever read. It is heartbreaking and beautiful and...just, everything. I love it. I have read many, if not all, of Francine Rivers' books and this might be my favorite. I think it is.
So go read it. Now. Female, male - everyone should read it.
If you have read it already, what were your thoughts?

I Feel Like...

aldkjfoaihgonadgnounsdogfnweotnewwnrotrotnrtg

Do you ever feel like that? Just kind of jumbled? Like you're running from one thing to the next and the next and you just want to slow down? That's my today.
Life has been fairly calm lately. Just little stuff here and there...but today, ay yi yi. I was late getting out of the house to get Noah to preschool, came home and worked on his quilt the whole time. Then after picking him up I came home, shoved food into them and put them down for some nap/quiet times because at 1:30 we have to leave again, which means I am going to be waking them up from their sleep. I am typing this as I shove food into my own mouth (it's all about multi-tasking, right?) I have to run to the store, drop Noah off at Matt and Jeana's, go to my STATS meeting, tell some kids that their personal talks were rotten (actually, I'll be much nicer than that), go back to Matt and Jeana's, make some toffee for holiday gifts, have dinner, play, put the kids to bed over there, have our Love and Respect Bible study, and then roll on home sometime between 10 and 11:00.

All I really want to do is finish Noah's quilt because I'm so close. Then I want to make a cup of hot cocoa, sit down with my knitting, and put on some music to relax with.

But for now....asd;kljfwoaientoiwrengoirngo;irehoginrgoirenogin.

Clap On...

Ellie learned to clap last week. Now she does it all the time, especially when we say "Yea!" or "Good girl!"
You'll want to pause the music on the right and also, I apologize for my singing voice. =)

Heaven in the Eyes of a Child

Last Thursday Tim was meeting with the guys from our small group so I was left to put the kids to bed on my own. Ellie was crabby and tired so she went down earlier than usual. I was kind of glad because then this left me some time to play with Noah, just the two of us.
Later, while going through the bedtime routine, he picked out the book he wanted to read. It was a book of Bible stories and when we were done reading it I decided that I should probably start talking to him more about all of that. I was also inspired by my friend Rachel, who tried to talk to her son about it awhile ago.
I started with Creation and then skipped to Jesus as I could tell I was starting to lose him. I ended by telling him that someday, if he accepts Jesus into his life, he will not only be his friend but that Noah would be able to live in Heaven forever with Mommy and Daddy and (insert names of grandparents, aunts and uncles.) At this point he got very excited.
"And we will be able to watch "Dora" forever and ever!" he exclaimed.
Slightly thrown off, I said, "No. I don't think so. We will get to sing, though. We will get to sing songs to God as much as we want." I figured he would love this idea since he sings all day long.
"No, Mama. We watch "Dora" in Heaven. Together. Forever."
First of all, we don't even watch "Dora the Explorer" at our house so I'm not sure where she is even coming from.
Secondly, as my mom pointed out when I was telling her about our conversation, if we are watching "Dora the Explorer" for eternity than she is pretty sure we're in hell.
Well, I tried, right? It's all about planting the seeds....

Seven Prayers For Seven Days

I would encourage all you moms (and dads!) to read this post and do it with your kids. I have felt convicted lately of not praying enough for my children.

Perfect Days

Well, except for the outcome of the election.
Saturday was beautiful fall weather. I cleaned the inside of the house like crazy - it just felt like one of those days where it should be done. By that afternoon, with the sun shining inside so brightly and everything dusted and swept and scrubbed, my place looked sparkling! Tim did outside work while I was inside. I helped him rake leaves for a bit in the afternoon. We had so many all over the backyard. Of course, by Sunday afternoon, the leaves were getting their revenge already. Today I raked the front yard because the tree in front decided to drop almost all its leaves at the same time this morning. I couldn't even see the grass by this afternoon. I did it so Tim wouldn't have to pull in from work and see all the leaves. I already catch him mumbling out the back door window at the leaves sometimes. He feels so defeated by them.
Today was another good day, except I woke up to find that Obama is our next president AND that the proposals passed in Michigan. I have to admit I was more upset about the approvals of the proposals than Obama. Proposal One was for the legalization of marijuana for medical purposes. I am completely against this because I think that things are going to get out of hand. Proposal Two was for the support of embryonic stem cell research. I am against this for so many reasons that I don't even know where to start...especially after it has been proven that there are stem cells from other areas that are more effective for research! I won't go so far as other people who I have talked to who are convinced that this is all the beginning of the end times but it makes one think, I'll say that. I don't think that we can predict when Christ will return and any guess is a poor one. Every day we wake up brings us closer to the end no matter what else is going on in the world. I do know that Paul and Timothy in the Bible thought they were also living in the end times.
So back to my otherwise perfect day. I worked out. I'm trying to work out 3 times a week. Last week I worked out twice. So far this week...once. But hey, I still have three days left. This afternoon I raked all those leaves so it was almost like a double workout today. Noah works out with me...kind of. He likes to try some of the moves, although he never does the entire thing. It is amazing to me the flexibility that preschoolers have. He was correcting me on some of my lunges! "No, mama. Like this." Then he would perfectly demonstrate it. Maybe he'll be the future trainer of "The Biggest Loser."
I got along with my kids today. That always make for good times. We went on a walk this morning. Noah rode his tricycle and I pushed Ellie in the stroller. When Noah is on his bike we never go very far or fast, but he loves it and I find it nice to be outside in great weather.
I called Deidra and we ended up talking for three and a half hours. It always goes like that. We don't talk often on the phone but when we do it's never for less than two hours. I'm not kidding. Today we talked politics, religion, and a little bit about family. She picks my brain and gives me things to think about. Today she said something that really struck me which I can't put on here because it's still sinking into my head but when I brought it up with Tim tonight he agreed with my thoughts. Let's just say it was one of those moments where you feel like you've been hit in the head and you say, "Oh! That's my problem! That's what's wrong with me right now!" So thanks, Deidra (I don't even know if you're aware of it.)
Monday night Tim was at a Coldplay concert on the other side of the state. Matt won tickets and took Tim with him (it was an early birthday present for Tim, who turns 28 in a couple weeks. I don't know how I'm supposed to come up with something better than that!) He didn't get back until after 1:30 in the morning. I do not sleep well without him. Especially when I'm the only adult in the house. I stayed up for a long time reading blogs and on Facebook. Then around midnight I tried to fall asleep while keeping the nightstand lamp on. Then I realized how ridiculous I was being but was still scared. I decided to read my Bible for a little bit in hopes of being calmed. I'm reading through the Bible right now and am currently in the Psalms. I have to admit, I was a bit nervous to open it because you never really know what you're going to get in Psalms. David might be fearing for his life while hiding from King Saul. It might be a chapter on being in a pit of despair and surrounded by enemies. It might be praise. You never really know. I tentatively opened it to Psalm awaiting me and laughed when I found God speaking directly to me:
Psalm 56:3 - "When I am afraid, I will trust in You."
Sure, the first couple verses start out with him being chased by his enemies. However, this verse makes me laugh because Noah has a CD and DVD by Steve Chapman (not to be mistakenwith Steven Curtis Chapman) that are full of Bible passages made into songs. This, to me, is great because Noah LOVES music and singing and it's an easy way to teach him verses and help him memorize them. On the DVD are videos: they are very early 90s and extremely cheesy, but again - Noah loves them. One of the songs is Psalm 56:3. In the video there is a little girl in her bed and she wakes up because of a thunderstorm. She is afraid and notices her Bible on her nightstand. She reads Psalm 56:3 and then bows her head in prayer. The songs says, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you, I will trust in you, I will trust in you. When I am afraid I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise." There are a couple more lyrics, but not many.
After reading some more Scripture and praying, allwhile having the song run constantly through my head, I turned off the light and was asleep in seconds. Tim came home a half hour later and I briefly woke up but not for long.
I think it's funny how God speaks to us sometimes to tell us exactly what we need to hear.

I Voted

Today I voted after dropping off Noah at preschool. I voted outside of the Republican and Democrat candidates and went third party this year. I felt great afterwards. I get so tired of comments like "I'm going to vote for the lesser of two evils" or the assumption that Christians have to vote Republican and whatnot.
I researched the candidates and found one that I felt I could stand behind. I think that in this election people are voting passionately. I was not passionate about McCain or Obama. I did know I was NOT for Obama, but McCain makes me feel jittery for some reason. I know many people who are passionate toward one or the other. My husband voted McCain; this might be the only time we have voted differently in an election. He thinks I wasted my vote yet at the same time respects why I did it.
I, personally, cannot wait for this election to be done. I think it's going to be closer than what the polls are predicting. Seriously, when are people going to stop looking at the polls? Take a peek back to the last couple elections when first Gore and then Kerry were supposed to have the presidency with no problems. I'm never polled and I don't know anyone who has been so I don't even know where they come up with these percentages!
By the way, didn't Madonna or Barbara Streisand or someone say they were going to leave the country if Bush won in 2004? Why are they still here? I guess Democrats can't always make good on their promises...

Trick or Treat!

Noah was a "painter like daddy" for Halloween this year. Ellie borrowed a dress up outfit from my mom's house and was a butterfly. It was perfect weather for some trick or treating.

Ellie did great and was cheerful the whole time (until we tried to take these pictures then it was a little close to the bottle time - hence the binky in the mouth.) People gave extra candy even though we said she wouldn't be able to eat it.

Noah collected his goods in a paint can and people thought he was cute and creative. Tim and I separated the candy last night after he was in bed. We left him about 5 or 6 pieces and decided to limit to one a day. Yes, we are "those parents." I was telling Tim this week that I don't even know why we take him out since we don't actually let him have candy but he reminded me that it's (a) fun and a way to meet neighbors and (b) the candy is for the parents at this age.