My Story

I have been wanting to write about the changes in my life for a little while now, but haven't had enough time/energy to sit down and do it. Hopefully my kids will nap long enough to allow me to do it now. =)

When I was 5 years old, I became a Christian. I have a detailed memory of playing in our basement and suddenly dropping to my knees and telling Jesus that I believed in Him and wanted Him to come live in my heart. I believed God sat on the clouds and wrote my prayers down in a little notebook He had. Everyone had their own prayer notebook that He kept.

Growing up, I knew right from wrong, although that's not to say I always followed it. In high school I was called a hypocrite often. I didn't drink or smoke or do drugs, but I gossipped, judged others and had very physical relationships. Looking back, I can see how hypocritical I truly was. Don't you just want to kick yourself for things you did as a teenager sometimes? I do.

In college, my faith grew a bit because I wasn't in my home church and I was trying to "discover" God for myself. I was finding friends who were challenging me and helping me grow in life. They are so dear to me now as we have been with each other through life's turns and obstacles, always coming out stronger than when we went in.

I still knew right from wrong, and was actually following it a bit more, but I wouldn't say God was the center of my life even then. Through marriage and, especially the birth of my children, He started to pull me toward Him more.

Fear and anxiety are strong fighters, though, and they liked first place in me. I am, by genetics, a worrier. Anxiety attacks kept me from sleeping well. I could make up a horrible situatino for anything. I pictured cops showing up at my door to tell me Tim was dead. I thought of Noah falling down a flight of stairs and breaking his neck, or being kidnapped. I imagined Ellie dying of SIDS or being smothered by her big brother "hugging" her. I let these fears and pictures play over and again in my head and they ran my life and my body. If you have never had an anxiety attack, they feel a bit like a heart attack. Racing heart, pain through the left arm, shortness of breath. I actually went into Urgent Care when I had my first one. They put me on anti-depressants for a couple months (until I decided to stop them cold turkey - not wise.) Apparently anti-depressants are the only treatment for anxiety.

Tim sure is a trooper. He deserves an award.

Then this past December I heard a song from Sara Groves' Christmas album called "It's True." You can listen to it here. The chorus always gets me:



It's true
Kingdoms and crowns
The God who came down to find you
It's true
Angels on high
Sing through the night
Halleluah


I remember crying the first, well, almost every time I listen to it. I have always known that God cares for me but it really hit me at that moment. God cares for me. He loves me so much He came down to find me. When I can't even love myself, God still does. Does this thought blow anyone else's mind when they think about it?

Wow.

That's when I felt a stirring in my heart but didn't know exactly where it was going to go. I started reading my Bible more and we started in a small group working their way through the book of John. It was so refreshing to really dig into God's Word and discuss it with others. I started listening to pastor's programs on the radio, such as Truth for Life with Alistair Begg, Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram, Walk in the Word and Revive our Hearts with Nancy Leigh DeMoss.
Then our friend, Matt Nash, gave us the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan, who I'm sure you're tired of hearing about on my blog but too bad.

It's my blog. =)
I was hooked from the Preface on as Francis Chan challenges the readers. The second chapter is called "You Might Not Finish This Chapter." It helped to crush my fear and anxiety, leaving that first place in my life and heart open for the Lord. Chan gave Scripture after Scripture that dealt with worry and anxiety and fear. It's a sin. A serious one, too, because it takes our trust away from God. My friend, Rachel, pointed me to Philippians 4 a long time ago and called it "The Mental Health Chapter." So true. When I start to worry even a little, I immediately try to recall that passage. I don't know it word for word, but enough to remind me where my trust and hope needs to be.
I felt myself starting to change- and for the better!- as Tim will tell you. About a month ago we were talking about it and I told him that I feel as if I'm coming to know God for the first time. He told me it's not uncommon for many people to fall away through the years and have God call them back.
This change, however, is also what's been challenging the things I listen to, read and watch. The post a couple below was not to make anyone feel judged or guilty for what they may watch, but to just bring up a point that I've been convicted with. Tim and I joke about how much more conservative we've been feeling, along with our craving for expository preaching/teaching.
My old friend, Renee - not old in years but in that I've known her for years, since we were around the age of three I think - gave us a Third Day CD last summer after she and her husband stayed a night with us. On it is a song called "Born Again" and I'm going to leave you with the video that has the lyrics because the song sums up what I've been through in recent months.
Below that video is a song from Brandon Heath called "I'm Not Who I was" because, praise God!, I'm not the same girl I was 15, 10 or even 2 years ago.
If you have a blog I would encourage you to post your story, your "Salvation Story." I, for one, would love to read it! If you don't have a story but would like to start one with God as the author, please email me at tan.ross@yahoo.com. I would love for you to know the peace that the Lord has brought to my life.

Are You Captive?

"See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." - Colossians 2:8

Hmmm, right? Where am I going with this one?
Lately I have been thinking about entertainment. What I watch, what I listen to, what I read, etc. What goes into my mind and subconscious, whether I'm intentionally and intensely paying attention to it or even just having it on for "background noise?"
I'm sure to offend some of you with the following thoughts, but I am just trying to make you think here.
We don't have television, which I know I have mentioned on here before. We use our computer to watch movies as well as shows that are online. The amount of tv we have watched has gone down drastically because of this. Then, by choice, it has dwindled even more. We have wrestled with ourselves and each other as we wade through this process of deciding what is good for us to watch and what we should cut out.
Thankfully, "Scrubs" is now done because I don't think I could continue watching that in good conscience and we only have one more season of "Lost" left (and that doesn't even start again until January 2010!) We could drop "House" and not have it make a difference but I don't know if Tim can give up "Fringe." He likes the sci-fi X-Files-ishness to it (did that make sense?) I, on the other hand, usually read while he watches it because it tends to leave me with bad dreams at times.
That leaves "Wipeout" which is just a summer show. A funny one at that, although I think it was better last year. This season people know about the different events ("the big balls", "the sweeper", etc.) and they WANT to do it still to conquer it.
How about them movies?
We don't watch them much anymore and they have to come recommended by certain people for us to see them.
I guess I'm becoming more challenged to be aware of what I'm taking in. I don't want to just sit on the couch at night and "veg out" to a show that contains half-naked girls, people sleeping around, sex jokes, drugs, alcohol is fun and other ideas that leave me feeling like I wasted a half-hour or more of my time.
I also am not big on reality shows anymore. Oh, there was a time when I was...until just a couple years ago. But now I can't stand the thought of "The Bachelor" or "The Bachelorette" and how pathetic these people look by thinking they're going to find their true love on a television show. I hate that on "American Idol" the producers pass the untalented people on through to the judges so that they can make entertainment out of it. I hate thinking what that does to the people who actually think they have some talent and they've been encouraged! And we all sit at home thinking, "Wow, they really thought they were good?!" Well, who can blame them for getting their hopes up if they've been encouraged on to another round.
And this whole "Jon & Kate Plus 8" drama...goodnight! Tim and I watched a few episodes this past year for the first time. I couldn't believe the way Kate treats Jon with such disrespect and as if he was one of the kids. I know that some of it can seem worse due to editing but, if you were watching your own show and didn't agree with the way you were portrayed, wouldn't you say something? Or stop doing the show? Which, in my opinion, is what they need to do. Stop the show. Focus on your marriage then your kids. It's not a hard decision if your priorities are straight. After earning up to $75,000 an episode for a 40 episode season for how many seasons now?, it seems like you would have some money saved up to be able to quit and find a normal job. She's a nurse. They're always in need in the medical field. And he needs to step up and start being a man. OK, so that's my rage on them.
On to the serious stuff.
I heard this said on Focus on the Family a couple weeks ago when they were doing the movie reviews (May 22, 2009.)

"I believe our Lord and Savior is not anti-entertainment, but He is very much anti- those types of entertainment that glamorize the very things that He died on the cross to save us from."

Do you think God is pleased with what you're watching on tv? I know He couldn't be with some of the shows Tim and I have watched over the past few years. When I look back, I'm ashamed of some of the things we've wasted time viewing.

Oh, but Andrea, you're being so "righteous"...so "holier than thou"...you're taking the Bible so literally.

Really?
This is from an interview with Francis Chan at the end of his book Crazy Love (which you really must read if you haven't...or at least watch or listen to one of his sermons on this website.)

Q: What do you tell people who say that you are taking the Bible too literally?
A: If someone told me that I took the Bible too literally, I would really get them to question their own heart. I would ask them if they really believed that we're not supposed to take it that literally, or if it's the influence of other believers who say we're not supposed to. I like to get people to think for themselves and not just go with the flow. When believers are alone with the Word, they come to the same conclusion that I do.
-p. 185, Crazy Love

I don't think the church in today's culture is challenging believers to discern what is in media. Instead, they are trying to find ways to tie in popular culture to their sermons and series to make the church more appealing to non-believers. They might show clips from movies that someone will then be intrigued by and so they want to see the whole thing. This can lead to the viewing of a movie that could contain images and ideas that are not beneficial to a believer.
I have so many more thoughts in my head that I am still trying to form into words or complete thoughts so I'll just end here.
Think about it, though. Really think about it. When you say, "Oh, I'm so addicted to such-and-such tv show and I could never actually give that up" are you actually being held captive by it? Is it drawing you closer into relationship with Christ or farther from?
Thoughts?

The One My Heart Loves

Today Tim and I are celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. He is taking the kids on a walk right now to give me some down time before I start my last-minute cleaning dash (our small group is coming over for dinner and a bonfire.) I decided to watch the video from our wedding while I had the house to myself. It's not professionally done; my grandpa recorded it with his video camera but I am so thankful we have a copy of it.
As I was watching it there were some things I found myself thinking:
*I wish I hadn't worn a veil. I spent most of the time flipping my head to the side in order to get the veil off my shoulder without using my hands. I look like I have some kind of tic.
*I wish I had remembered to hold my flowers lower. There was amazing detail on the waist of my dress and I covered it with my bouquet almost the entire time - in pictures, too!
*I wish I hadn't been so vain as to have a teeny-tiny wart removed from the bottom of the ball of my foot earlier in the week. I limped down the aisle and everywhere else that day because the pain still hadn't left three days later. I guess that's what happens when they freeze/burn an area of your body.
*I wish I had remembered to put the roses we gave to our parents during the ceremony in the fridge the night before. Instead I forgot about them and their heads hung off the stems lifeless.
*I wish I hadn't made goofy faces at friends and family while our pastor was talking. I looked like an idiot.
*I wish I hadn't seemed so nervous standing in front of all the people we love.

And then I started thinking...
*I am so glad we asked my old youth pastor to perform the ceremony. He made it so personal since he knew me well and had interacted with Tim on a few occasions during the course of our dating and being engaged.
*I loved our music choices: my sister-in-law, Deidra, who has the voice of an angel, sang "Ave Maria" while the bridal party was walking up the aisle. I walked to "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" in memory of my grandfather, my mom's dad, who had passed away a couple year's earlier. That was our first big family event since his passing and my family still was mourning him. During the lighting of the unity candle, Tim's brother (and Deidra's husband), Randy, played guitar and sang Caedmon's Call "Somewhere North" while his friend, John, played piano. The song is what Tim sang when he proposed and it's kind of what we think of as "our song."
*I loved my dress.
*I loved having the bridal party walk back out to Benny Goodman's "Sing Sing Sing."
*There are many other things I am glad we did but most of all...

I love who I was up there marrying - who I chose to spend my life with. There is not a morning I wake up and wish I had picked someone else. Sure, there are the rough moments in marriage where we don't feel like we love each other, but that's why I believe love is a choice. Feelings are unstable. Commitment should not be. I wish more people would take it seriously.
So, Tim, I love you. For better or worse. For richer or for poorer (and we've been about as poor as one can get.) In sickness and in health. Until we are parted by death.

"I found the one my heart loves." ~Song of Songs 3:4a

Honoring God?

This post will mostly be for those of you who coupon and I would love to know your opinion so please leave a comment!
Our friends, Dave and Holly, were visiting Saturday night and Holly and I were talking about Targets, coupons, grocery shopping and all that good stuff. She asked me at one point if I was allowed to use more than one Target coupon for a specific item and buy multiple in one transaction. I just realized that sounds kind of confusing so let me give an example:

Last week I had 5 coupons for $1 off Hershey Bliss.
Target has Bliss candy bars for $.99.
I got 5 Bliss candy bars for free in one transaction.

She told me her cashier wouldn't let her do something like this. Later that night after they had left, out of curiosity, I looked at my Target coupons and realize that they say "Limit one offer per transaction." Immediately I felt guilty because (a) I really should have looked at the fine print awhile ago - I just tend to do what the website posts tell me to do to get the most from my money and (b) I'm cheating!
Is it inconvenient to have 5 or 6 separate transactions in a busy store with frustrated non-couponers behind you? Heck, yes! But if we are supposed to be glorifying God in everything we do, is it wrong of us to sneak around the rules as long as the cashiers don't care? I would say, yes, it is.
I know we want to save money. Times are tough! Coupons are great - especially when paired with sales and good deals. We have been able to cut our grocery bill quite a bit due to these strategies. However, when websites are telling me to print a copy out of a store's coupon policies so that, on any given trip, if a cashier gives me a hard time about stacking a manufacturer and store coupon I can whip it out and prove her wrong...shouldn't I be following the same rules? I mean, it might be fine print, but it is written on the coupon and it's my responsibility to pay attention to that. If I want to be a living example to my kids in all things...then it means the small things, too.
I'm going to be more careful about the way I'm using my coupons from now on but I was wondering...have you guys been doing separate transactions? Have you noticed the fine print? What are your thoughts?

Tasty Treat Tuesday Returns

Because Daniella asked for this recipe and it really is a great one for both adults and kids, I'm posting the recipe for Strawberry Scones that I made for Ellie's birthday. For all you who don't like scones - my mother-in-law told me recently that she doesn't like them but she really liked these. They're not dry and crumbly like the usual.

Strawberry Scones

1 c. hulled and finely diced fresh strawberries (we used more than 1 c. and didn't finely dice, just chopped)
2 c. flour
1/3 c. sugar, plus a little for sprinkling
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
A lemon, for zest
6 Tbsp. cold, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 c. plus 1 Tbsp. light cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper, using a few spots of butter or cooking oil to stick it in place (we did not do thisl; I think we just sprayed the baking sheet lightly with non-stick spray.) Set the baking sheet aside.
2. Place diced (or chopped) strawberries on several sheets of paper towel to absorb their juice (did not do this either.) Meanwhile, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and nutmeg in a large bowl. Zest half of the lemon into the ingredients, taking care to remove just the outermost skin and not the white pith.
3. Cut in the butter with two butter knives or a pastry blender until the flour-coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing them gently with a fork to coat them.
4. Make a well in the mixture. Blend the 1/2 c. of light cream and the vanilla extract in a measuring cup and pour them into the well. Using as few strokes as possible, gently stir the dough until it forms a ball. Let the dough sit for 1 minute.
5. Clean and flour your hands and dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough on the floured surface and knead it gently three or four times. Transfer it to the large baking sheet and pat it into an 8-inch circle. Using a lightly oiled pizza cutter or serrated knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges, as you would a pizza. Use a small spatula or pie server to carefully separate the pieces, leaving at least an inch between them.
6. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining tablespoon of light cream, then sprinkle the surfaces with sugar. Bake the scones until the outsides are crusty and starting to brown, about 18 minutes. let them cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, then slide the parchment and the scones onto a wire rack to cool for another 20 minutes before serving.
*Taken from the June 2007 issue of Family Fun.*

Side note: You can easily make these up the day before an event and store them in an airtight container. They are still moist and delicious the following day (or even two.)

I ♥ Coupons!

...and I just discovered how to make hearts while writing text! I might have just upped my coolness a notch which I need since I'm a coupon nerd.

$1.51, people, $1.51. I do have to send in a $10 rebate to Swiffer before I can techinically claim it as being $1.51...but I'm cool with that and so is Tim. It was done in multiple transactions to make the most of the $5 Target gift cards given as a result of buying 2 packs of Swiffers. I still have over $2 left on one of the gift cards.

Sniff, sniff

This past week held an emotional moment for me...the series finale of Scrubs.
Tim and I jumped into the show a couple seasons in and we actually own the first three or four seasons on DVD. We have enjoyed Scrubs because it is just so funny most of the time. I think the earlier seasons were better - don't they all start off that way? Was it always clean? No - it's kind of hard to find that on TV now. That is one reason I'm kind of thankful it's done: it gives me one less thing to watch. We don't even own a TV but still find ourselves watching a few shows online. With Scrubs out now we're just down to Lost, House, and Fringe (which I read while Tim watches because it freaks me out most of the time and then I have nightmares.) Although I did see that Wipeout is starting again in a couple weeks and I know we'll be watching that, but it's just a summer show.
Anyways, so watching the last episode of Scrubs was much like watching the finale of Friends for me. It was a bit more intense because I was not actually aware until that morning that it was the series finale not season finale, although it seemed throughout the season that it was coming to it (The Janitor getting married, Ted finding a girlfriend, Dr. Cox and his wife learning to be more open with their emotions with each other, etc.) I am glad it ended the way it did - JD and Elliott together, you learn The Janitor's name (kind of), JD gets his affirmation and hug from Dr. Cox and Laverne made an appearance! If you don't watch Scrubs you have no idea what I'm talking about, but just know I'm very content right now. =)
This is the last few minutes of the finale...when I started to tear up. I just love this song by Peter Gabriel ("Book of Love") and I thought it was a perfect ending.

I also love that the janitor who tells JD "goodnight" is the series creator, what a creative way to end a long run.

Tough Question #2

Lacey brought up a question that I have to admit I hate thinking about:

On the flip side of this discussion (from yesterday - see below)...Is it okay to STOP having babies? Most people today, including many Christians, don't think twice about taking birth control or getting a vasectomy/tubal ligation. Essentially, we're talking about trusting God to provide the right number of kids for our families, right? Whether you're having fertility problems and are dying to conceive, or if you're very fertile and want to say enough is enough. (Like four kids in four years - HA!) I don't have a firm opinion about this, but I've been praying for God to give my husband a strong conviction about it.

Like I said, I hate thinking about this one because I'm scared of what the answer might be! For me, especially on mornings like yesterday, two is more than enough.
I have mentioned on here before that Tim and I don't use birth control pills for various reasons. However, we still take other steps of prevention (although I think the only way you can truly prevent is by absintence. I think some women have gotten pregnant while on all other forms of "contraceptives.") Tim does not want to have any more children. On days when my kids are being great and all is good in the house, I play with the idea of one more but it is always shot down. In my eyes, since we can't agree on it, it's not a go. We also have said we only want two biological children and down the road, if God opens the doors, we do want to add more to our family through adoption.
Our culture has changed so much that I think people from Biblical times and even "the old days" would be astounded to find us even having this discussion. Children were wanted to carry on the family line and the more the better.
Psalm 127:3-5
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate."
About a month ago I read a book by the Duggar family. It was called something along the lines of 20 and Counting. They do not use any form of birth control. They believe that every child God gives them has a purpose and God is not going to give them more than they can handle.
Wow, Lacey, if I cracked open the can of worms, you managed to tear the top right off. I'm sure people will have all sorts of thoughts on this one.
My opinion is...I don't know. I'm not trying to avoid giving one; I just really haven't let myself think about or study it enough to come to a conclusion. I think Tim and I would have to hold many a long discussion on it as well.
I also just want to add this - there are probably people who read these questions and think "Well, who cares? It's not like these things determine whether or not we go to heaven so why waste time on them?" I do believe that the only way we are able to enter Heaven is through a relationship with Jesus Christ.
John 3:14-17 tell us: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
Later in John 5:24, Jesus goes on to say, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
And then in Acts 4:12: "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (emphasis added to verses)
I then believe that once you are in a genuine relationship with Christ, you have a desire to grow and to live according to what the Bible says. This is why Bible Study is important and why it is important for us to be asking questions and be in discussion with each other. Does my opinion on birth control determine whether or not I get into Heaven? NO! But if I want to be growing in the Word, I need people to be pointing out things to me and challenging me to think outside of myself and within the Word of God. I hope that makes sense.
Tim and I have been talking about a lot of things lately, a lot of changes we feel in our lives, but I'll save that for another post as it doesn't involve birth control.
Maybe since April was a break month for me, we'll make May a Tough Question month. And the comment section is now...open.

Controversial Thought

I don't know why, but the other night as I was falling asleep I was struck with a thought.

I wonder how God feels about In-Vitro Fertilization and other fertility help methods.

I asked Tim, who was half asleep and only gave me a mumbled "I don't know. Ask me when I'm awake" answer. Then he perked up a bit and asked what brought that on. I told him I wasn't sure but I started thinking about Abraham and Sarah (who were Abram and Sarai at the time in Genesis 16.) Sarai had been unable to bear children and so she took matters into her own hands by having Abram sleep with her maidservant. This led to all sorts of issues. Later, Sarah ends up giving birth to Isaac in her early nineties (can you imagine! Although I guess people did live longer than we currently do, but still.)
In James 1:27 we are told, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." (emphasis added)
If a woman is having a difficult time becoming pregnant in the traditional sense (intercourse) and God tells us to care for orphans, is IVF wrong? Why do we become so desperate for the things we want that we will take matters into our own hands and play God?
I don't want to offend anyone because I don't know what it is like to have trouble conceiving and I can't imagine that pain. I guess having watched our friends, Matt and Jeana, go through the adoption process and over the past year ease and transition into a family of three after bringing Emma home from China...I have seen firsthand that it is possible to love a child not from your own body as if they were. Matt and Jeana's love for Emma is no different than mine and Tim's love for Noah and Eleanor.
I am not here to say if it is right or wrong. Because I don't know for sure - I'm not God so I can't say what He thinks when it is not in the Bible. These were just more of those thoughts hanging out in my head that made me stop to think. I know they can open a whole can of worms that lead to all sorts of other questions as well, and if you have any, I would love to hear them. Our small group likes to debate and discuss these kind of tough questions and we're not always all on the same page with our beliefs on them either.
Thoughts?

Early Anniversary Celebration

Gotta love the windblown look! And I just realized Tim's eyes are closed! Oh well...

Tim and I will celebrate our 6th anniversary on May 24th. My parents wanted to watch the kids for us overnight so we could get away to celebrate and, after coordinating schedules, landed on this past weekend as the best time to do it. We arrived at my parents' house Friday night and Saturday morning at 8:30 Tim and I were on the road to Birch Run (can you tell we were anxious to get away - 8:30 is fairly early for us to be showered, fed and ready to go on a Saturday morning!)

I know that there are some women who do not like shopping with their husbands. I love it. Tim loves it, too. Well, we like it when we don't have our kids with us. I value his opinion because it's always honest and I want him to like the clothes I wear. I also like that he wants my opinion on what he picks out. So we shopped until we dropped (almost literally) at the Birch Run outlets and did we pick a great day to go! We had a list of things we were looking for and had set aside some tax refund money. I don't have many clothes. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it's not. There are clothes I keep around because "maybe I'll fit into them someday" but Tim is finally convincing me to cut them loose. After all, since having kids, the hips are a bit wider and there are some love handles that are refusing to leave despite my exercising. Even if I could put them on all the way, they probably wouldn't fit the same anymore. I'm also not used to buying clothes for myself. I look and admire all the time, but clothes for the kids always comes first. Tim had other ideas this weekend and I felt like a queen with my new tops, swimsuit and sunhat. I really wanted to find some more classic style tops, too, not trendy so that I can wear them for years to come (hopefully.) We found some pants, jeans, shorts and shirts for Tim, winter pajamas for the kids (for next year), sheets for our bed, bathrobes, and a pair of shoes for me. We tallied everything up last night and found out we had bought $880 worth of items for less than $300. Our favorite deals were:
*2 brown cozy bathrobes from Restoration Hardware - each retailed for $79 and we got them for 90% off - making them $7.90 each. We have been looking for bathrobes since our bathroom is downstairs and our bedroom is upstairs and you have to walk by windows to get from one to the other. I don't like getting dressed in the bathroom when it's all steamy and sticky so I have been running through the house in my towel while praying no one is walking by.
*Bedsheets from Pottery Barn - retail $119 and we got them for $34. They are the high thread count, which we've never been able to afford, and I can't wait to sleep on them tonight after they're washed.
*Banana Republic - We spent $60 and saved over $200. Tim got 2 sweaters and a long sleeve shirt and I got 3 tops.

We took a break halfway through and had lunch at a place called Exit Restaurant. It reminded us of a truck stop where the food is good and greasy and they serve breakfast stuff all day. Yum. I love placemats with word scrambles.

After Birch Run we headed over to Frankenmuth. We had dinner reservations at the Bavarian Inn for 6:00 so that we could have time to walk around and explore first but we were so exhausted from walking all morning and afternoon that we only made it to a few stores. We then stopped in to the restaurant and asked if we could just eat early which worked out great! It was a delicious meal and huge! We took our leftovers back to the hotel and put it in their fridge. On the way home yesterday we realized we forgot to get them back out and take them home. Bummer.
In the Edelweiss dining room at the Bavarian Inn. That Bavarian Inn is quite the experience!

We stayed at a hotel in Saginaw and it had an indoor pool and outdoor pool that were connected. The pool was also heated. Tim and I swam for a long time outside which was a lot of fun. I can't say I've done that in the beginning of May in Michigan before!

Yesterday (Sunday) we drove down to the Trader Joe's in Farmington. We have wanted to go a Trader Joe's since first hearing about it from Matt and Jeana, who lived in California for a time (they're all over out there.) Jeana describes it as "the poor man's organic store" and I have been intrigued. I have also enjoyed just about everything that we've tried that friends have served us from the store. We loaded up on groceries for the entire month! Lots of meats and snacks and the best part is that everything is natural or organic. No preservatives or any of that junk. Some prices were comparable to Meijer, some cheaper, some more expensive. I realized that it definitely costs more than just my average shopping trip to Target and Meijer where I can coupon my way through BUT it's much cheaper than shopping at Whole Foods Market or Harvest Health or buying even organic items at Meijer. So I guess it balances out depending on what you're looking for.

Whew, that's a long post. We had a fantastic time together and are so thankful for the opportunity to get away just the two of us. We haven't done that in over a year. We have had two different times away from the kids since Ellie was born, but one was a weekend that we spent with friends and the other was for a wedding and so we were surrounded by family and wedding stuff all weekend. This was great for us to do to reconnect and enjoy just each other.

And the Picture Posts Continue...

Finger "painting" with chocolate pudding...messy but at least they can eat it.

Noah loved this kind of art project.

Caught in the act. What is it about an empty dishwasher that

says "Hey, climb on up?"

Noah and my dad playing in the hotel pool
over Elile's party/Easter weekend.

Noah introducing Ellie to pool water. She wasn't

crazy about it at first but was enjoying it towards the end.

This little guy also goes by the name Noah (although we call him "Baby Noah"

around here) and is the firstborn of our friends, Justin and Carrie. He was born in

early April. Our friends, Josh and Sara, also had a baby boy just about a week

prior and named him Jacob. I love getting a baby fix from these guys!

When I get home from grocery shopping, Tim and I play a game where I make

him guess how much I spent, saved, and how much I paid for certain items. Because I went

during the day last week, I took pictures so that he could still appreciate couponing. This was from Target. Any guesses? I spent $10.30 and saved $28.69!

After our Target trip, the kids and I headed over to Meijer. Can I just first of all say that
my kids are awesome when they go grocery shopping with me. I have heard other moms
talk about how difficult it is for them to go with their kids so I am super thankful mine enjoy it!
OK, so last week at Meijer, you got 2 free movie tickets when you bought 10 Kelloggs items (including Sunshine and Keebler) so when I add in the savings of free movie tickets (which, for an evening show would cost a total of $17), I spent $21.51 and saved $32.46. My goal this year is to save more than spent on my trips. Some weeks are better than others.

I bought a sunhat over the weekend and found it crawling through the kitchen this morning.

Easter

We celebrated Easter with my parents this year. They came to church with us and afterwards we came home to have an Easter egg hunt for the kids (mostly Noah, although Tim was pretty giddy about hiding them) and then had the typical ham lunch. Our ham was gigantic because we didn't buy it until Saturday night so they were mostly picked over (but it was on an awesome sale!) and our freezer is still stocked with leftovers.

I spent a lot of time reflecting on Easter this year. I think it is interesting that so often, in our Christian culture even, we breeze right through Easter. Christmas is surrounded with carols, hymns, Christmas CDs, and steeped in tradition. Easter is the holiday that holds our beliefs where they are and we seem to acknowledge it more with a nod and a big lunch than anything else. If Christ hadn't died for us on that cross, we would still be following the traditions and sacrifices from the Old Testament. It is awesome to think about His love for us.

Eleanor loves getting dressed up. She looked beautiful...even after she found a black dry erase marker that she used on the front of her white dress.

Ellie enjoyed chewing on her bath toys that were in the Easter basket.

Noah loved finding Easter eggs as much as Tim enjoyed hiding them. The "shaky eggs" held M&Ms for him. The "quiet eggs" were empty and for Ellie's playing enjoyment. During his prayer before lunch he said, "Thank you for M&Ms in my eggs and for no M&Ms in Ellie's eggs." Ah, the honesty of a preschooler...

Ellie's first party and family visits

We celebrated Ellie's first birthday a week early because we thought family would have an easier time visiting since it was a holiday weekend. Tim's parents came the Wednesday night beforehand and stayed until Saturday afternoon. My parents came the Friday night before and stayed until Easter afternoon. My sister and her family came just for the day on Saturday. It was a fun time. I went with a more adult menu because since she was only turning one I could get away with it. I was so thankful for the help of my mom and mother-in-law with preparation and cleaning.

We enjoyed our time with Grandma Joycie and Papa Ross.

I took the breakfast pizza (covered with berries) and an unpictured (it was still in the oven) dish of lemon basil eggs over focaccia from an episode of Everday Italian that I saw at my parents' house a couple years ago. We had cupcakes instead of cake. There were strawberry scones that were delicious! They were a "kid friendly" recipe I found in a Family Fun magazine - they were very moist, unlike the typical scone. We also had fruit salad and yummy punch!Ellie loved her first taste of a sweet treat. Cupcakes are a hit! She enjoyed them so much...

...that she wanted Daddy's when she was done with her own!

I'm Back!

After a restful month off blogging, I'm back with the first of many posts. April felt like a long month and the first few days of May have already been event-filled so there are lots of pictures and stories to share. I'll break it up into separate blogs so they're easier to read, but first I just wanted to ask for prayer for my dad. He is a Chrysler employee and, while at their house Friday night, he got an automated/recorded phone call announcing his being laid off. After numerous calls to fellow employees, bosses and union leaders (he had been told that morning that they were going to be working through the bankruptcy process so there was a bit of confusion going on) he finally heard back. He doesn't work for a production plant - he works in the future vehicle process so they're already working on the 2011 prototypes and whatnot - but they can't buy the supplies they need while they're in bankruptcy. His boss and union guy are expecting to only be for a week or two...but we'll see. 23 years with a company just goes to show that nothing is ever stable.
Please keep him and my mom in prayer as they wait out this interesting time.

My Eleanor

Dear Eleanor~

I cannot believe you were born a year ago yesterday. I wanted to write this yesterday but the day didn't allow for extra time to do so. At the moment you and Noah have finished your breakfast and are playing.

I'll be honest with you, Ellie, we had such a rough start, you and I. That spinal headache from the epidural literally had me flat on my back for that first week and there was so little I could do for you beside nursing. Then when I was up and around again it was so much harder than I thought it would be to adjust to having two children. On top of that, you turned out to have the same dairy allergy that Noah did and you also reacted negatively to soy. I couldn't nurse you past three weeks, and although I knew it was the best thing for both of us to transfer you to formula, it still was a difficult transition for me.

When you were just two and a half months old, we moved to our house. I feel like there were so many things happening to and around us in your first few months of life that I just couldn't connect with you. I'm sure it will hurt to hear, but most of the time you were just a baby to me...not really mine yet. I struggled with hating myself for not being able to feel that deep attachment to you and wondered what was wrong with me as a mother.

At some point in the past couple months, something changed. It was gradual but it happened. I realized that your cheeks were extremely kissable and I couldn't get enough of them. When your big blue eyes gazed into mine, I melted. You found a spot between my neck and shoulder that you would nuzzle into to snuggle with me and I would feel so content.

You are so fun to watch. Your mouth breaks into a big grin and you resemble a muppet at times, which is great because I have always loved the Muppets. Your laugh is adorable. You wiggle back and forth to dance. You just started saying "hi" and you do it in such a precious voice.

Your daddy has been wrapped around your finger for some time now. He acknowledges it. You are truly a "daddy's girl." When you hear the door open as he is getting home from work and his voice calls out "Hello!" you bounce up and down and then crawl as fast as you can to the door. He loves to hold you and snuggle you.

Noah thinks you're great fun, although a bit of a frustration at times. That can only be expected since he is the older brother. He enjoys making you laugh, even though you two are showing to be a troublesome team at times. If the things you two are doing together now are any indication for the future...your dad and I need to start preparing ourselves now. You hold your own with Noah and are not showing to be a pushover, even though technically you are pushed over by him quite a bit.

As for me...I just love everything about you. From your nosey-don't-want-to-miss-a-moment personality to your already nurturing side (you knew right away what to do with the baby doll Justin and Carrie just bought you) to your big-booty-in-cloth-diapers bottom, you have me captivated. I love wondering what you're going to do next as I watch in amazement at how much and how quickly you have grown in the past year. God knew what we needed by giving you to us for this time on earth.

It is not easy being a stay-at-home mom. There are days when I feel like the worst mother ever because I am so drained and exhausted. You and Noah are worth it, though. I can't think what it would be like to miss these everyday moments with you.

I love you, Eleanor.

Love,

Mom

Break

Sorry I haven't blogged in the past week. No crafts or books or anything. I know that there are many people who don't blog in forever and they never give an explanation why...they don't need to - it's their life! I really wanted to give a warning though: I'm planning on not blogging for the month of April.
I started March by blogging every weekday and sometimes on the weekends. I was the featured blogger for two blogging communities, SITS and the Blog Guild within one week. I exhausted myself with blogging. It has been a busy March!
April is around the corner and there is a lot going on. Easter at our house, Ellie's first birthday party, Ellie's first birthday, a trip to Chicago to celebrate one niece's birthday and the other's dedication. Family will be visiting at times and we will go a-visiting at other times. Fun times ahead accompanied by lots of planning.
Amidst all this, I feel a hunger for growing. Instead of blogging during naptime I would rather be reading a book or listening to Moody Bible Radio broadcasts or watching a Francis Chan sermon. I have broadcasts bookmarked in my favorites from Midday Connection that I can't wait to sit down and listen to. I try to read my Bible in the morning but there are times I don't get to it before the kids are awake and so I want to make sure that during naptime I am digging into the Word. Our small group leader, Dan, was talking recently about how there is preaching and teaching. Preaching is for the non-believers, to lead them to Christ. Teaching is for the believer, to help them grow. Our church is great with preaching but lacks with the teaching. That's why Tim and I enjoy our small group so much - we are actually all hungering for more of God and teaching. We are studying the book of John and encouraging each other in our walks of faith. I need to be taught right now. I need my time in the Bible and I need the teaching from pastors and speakers I respect. I guess I'm feeling a bit Baptist at the moment and in need of a little hellfire and brimstone which is funny because I've always teased Tim about his strict upbringing.
Yet as I spend more time studying, I feel less fear about my future. I trust God more. I have hope and the peace that passes understanding. I know that "this world has nothing for me" as we sang this morning at church in the song "Rescue." I give more and more of me over to Him because I realize that nothing is in my control. I am a sinner...but I am saved by Grace.
It has been interesting to see during this tax season how little Tim made last year. We are well below the median American income. Yet we feel rich. Our bills are being paid, we have no debt, we don't spend time worrying about Tim's work in the future. We know that God will take care of us because He has shown us time and again that He does. We have looked at our wants to see they would be nice, sure, and fun, but not necessary. Our perspective has changed. What is important?
I have been reading the book of Jeremiah. A couple weeks ago I came across these verses (5-8) in chapter 17:

Cursed is the one who trusts in man,

who depends on flesh for the strength

and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

He will be like a bush in the wastelands;

he will not see prosperity when it comes.

He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,

in a salt land where no one lives.

But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes;

its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit.

Where is your trust?

I am sure that over the next month I will jump on and catch up on people's blogs. After all, it is how I stay up to date on my nieces, through Deidra, or friends' pregnancies, which is at least three of you. =) I will also most likely put up a birthday post for Ellie just as I do Noah every year.

Until May...

Thimble Thursday

Looking for a cheap (if you do it yourself) and fun way to decorate?

Try painting a mural!

This is in the kids' bedroom. Rachel helped me with it by painting her little trademark birds, which I happen to be so in love with.

Website Wednesday (belated)

I know, I know...a day late again. Two kids down with colds although Noah is now denying being sick and he is actually starting to sound/look better. So these will again be short, sweet and to the point.
I love crafty websites and it's hard for me to narrow down ones to suggest so if you like them, too, then make sure to check out the links on the right side of the page under the Crafty Little Sites heading. Today's website is the first one I came across however, thanks to Rachel. It's HELLO, My Name is Heather.
Heather Bailey is kind of a Crafty Jill of all trades. She has so many projects and small businesses going on that it's amazing she has any sanity in her. She designs fabrics, has a children's hat business called Noggins, created a hair accessory called Trash Ties, and more.
And isn't this little girl skirt adorable? I'm so glad she has a link to a similar pattern because I want to make one for Ellie someday!
Enjoy!

Tasty Treat Tuesday

Happy St. Patrick's Day!
I love to make some kind of Irish dish on St. Patrick's Day each year as a tiny way to honor my Irish heritage. Last year I made a yummy apple dessert but, sadly, can't find the recipe this year. This afternoon I'm going to make Irish Soda Bread. I found a recipe from allrecipes.com and, although this is my first Tasty Treat Tuesday that I've never tried beforehand, I still wanted to put it on here it because I'll be making it today and it's a holiday.

Amazingly Easy Irish Soda Bread

4 c. flour
4 Tbsp. white sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. margarine, softened
1 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. buttermilk

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
*In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and margarine. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on prepared baking sheet.
In a small bowl, combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk; brush load with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an "x" into top of loaf.
*Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (which could be anywhere from 30-55 minutes.) Continue to brush with butter/buttermilk mixture while baking if desired.

Anybody else have any Irish recipes they like to try out?

Media Monday

OK, here's the deal: I have a 3 year old with a cold and is complaining off and on about his tummy hurting. I have an 11 month old who is bouncing off the walls with energy and driving me nuts while I'm trying to care for the sick kiddo. I have just spent the past 4 days with friends and family members, some entertaining at their place (thanks Dave and Holly!) and then three days at mine. It was a blast and I loved every single minute but now I am realizing how exhausted I am. So these posts are going to be quick and to the point and without pictures so I can try to sneak in a rest time while they're napping. =)

Media Monday (a day late - sorry!)

Stitched in Time by Alicia Paulson is my recommendation for today. She is also the author of Posie Gets Cozy, which you can find in the links on the right hand side of my blog. I can't wait to start on some of the crafts. I would like to make the Birthday Banner for the kids for their birthdays this year. Then I want to make the Nutcracker Doll for my niece, Wyndham, for her upcoming birthday. She just finished her first ballet class experience and was showing me some of her moves on Saturday. After that I want to make the Family Tree with the adorable birds and then move on to any of the other projects. The pictures are beautiful, too.

Check it out!

Super Glue

I took Noah to Target with me this morning. Tim wanted to vacuum the floors in the house and I had some errands to run so I figured it would be easier to get him out of the house and Tim's way.
First of all, I am blessed in that 95% of the time, my kids do great at the grocery store (and Target.) There is the 5% in which Noah runs away from me or Ellie is having a breakdown or whatever other random things may happen. But I can count on one hand the amount of times that has happened.
Today is beautiful outside. The sun is shining bright and the weather is mild. I still wouldn't quite call it "warm" but it's not freezing, so I'll take it. We have family coming tonight, friends coming tomorrow and good times ahead. My husband is cleaning the floors and my kids are in a good mood for getting not as much sleep as usual the night before. My attitude today is laid back, relax and content.
Noah and I made it through Target getting the few items we needed. We picked a lane to check-out in and waited behind a woman whose items were being scanned still. A moment later another woman got in line behind us. I was surprised to begin with because there were about 4 or 5 lanes open with one, maybe two, customers in each line. This is unsual because usually they have few lanes and lots o' customers waiting.
Anyways, the lady ahead of me noticed a bottle of soap she was buying had a leak so the cashier had to call a worker to come get another one. Then the woman handed her coupons over, but had forgotten to cut out the ones she had printed off her internet. There were only two. I am still patiently waiting, watching Noah as he looked through the impulse buy items (thankfully, he also knows not to ask for any.) The woman behind me leans in closer to me makes a snide comment about the woman not clipping out her coupons. A bit thrown off, I pretend I didn't hear her because I can't think of how to respond.
A lane opens up and the cashier yells that she can take whoever is waiting next. My items are already on the belt and I'm not in a hurry so I stay where I am. The woman behind me tells me to get in the open line. I look at her and tell her I'm fine. She gives me a dirty look and says, "Well, I'm going to take it then because I don't have all day to wait around." I watch as she huffs and puffs over to the other line. A moment later I hear her start to attack the cashier for not doing something right.
She was through the line and out the doors before Noah and me. In the car I started thinking about her. Do you ever have times where you think about the things you would have said if your mind had been working? It happens to me all the time. I think God turns off my brain and super glues my mouth shut sometimes to keep me from saying hurtful things. Don't get me wrong, I've said my share in my years, but lately it's been fewer, thank the Lord.
I would have told the woman to chill out. I would have told her to slow down a little and enjoy the nice day. I would have said that getting out of the store two minutes faster isn't going to make a difference in the whole of her day. I would have told her that I used to be a hurried, stressed out, complaining, witchy customer waiting in lines ready to jump in the next shortest one, too. I would have then explained how that negative attitude impacts how I'm feeling, my outlook on the day, how my husband and kids respond to me and what others first impressions of me were. I would have then told her how much better everything seems when you just relax and give up the control.
Then I would have danced out of Target while singing Fee's lyrics (or maybe they're Tim Hughes'): "Oh, happy day! Happy day! He washed my sins away. Oh! Happy day! Happy day! I'll never be the same. Forever I am changed!"
Good thing I was super glued or else I would have shattered everyone's ear drums...

Is It October Yet?

I am very excited about this weekend. We have a lot going on, but it's a lot of fun stuff. We're visiting friends tonight. My sister-in-law and nieces are coming over tomorrow (I haven't seen them since early September and Tim hasn't seen them since May - this will be his first time even meeting Sophie!) Sunday brings our friends, Jack and Kelly and their kids, and they are spending the night with us, too! We saw them right before Christmas when they briefly stopped on the way up to Jack's parents' house but haven't had a really good, laid-back, quality visit with them in about a year and a half. Kelly is one of my closest friends from college so I'm looking forward to seeing her and actually chatting without worrying about fitting a phone call in within nap time. =)

There are many things I'm looking forward to this year. Like last year, there are lots of little babies that are going to be popping up in our lives (NOT in this household) and the first is to arrive in the next two weeks from Josh and Sara. I get another niece or nephew (we all have a "feeling" it's another girl but will find out on Wednesday when my sister has her ultrasound) in August. I have multiple friends who are pregnant right now. So exciting!

There are little things planned already throughout the year that bring a smile to my face when I think about them. My sister and I are taking my mom to a luncheon at an Herb Farm over in their area. There will be a speaker talking about gardening and how to make meals out of what you can grow in your garden. It's going to be a vegetarian luncheon made all out of things you can grow and the menu sounds amazing. Tim and I keep dreaming up our garden and what we want to plant. First we're going to have to fence off our side yard since that is the only place we get any sun. Someday we want to remove a couple trees from our backyard...when we have a couple thousand extra dollars hanging around (which will probably be a long time away.) Personally, I am not much of a gardener. I tend to kill plants. This is one reason why Tim doesn't buy me flowers, although yesterday he did surprise me by bringing home some lilies! They are so fragrant you can smell them all in the house. They're absolutely beautiful, too. Good husband. =)

Tim and I are going to take a weekend getaway at some point but the details for that haven't been discussed. We just made sure to put it on our 2009 Goals list. I will very much look forward to when that happens.

My biggest event...the one I comfort myself with the thought of whenever my kids are driving me crazy...the one I call my friend, Jen, with and say, "Is it October yet?"...comes in, well, October. Kelly, Jen and I are going to be having a little "Girls Weekend." No husbands, no kids. Just us and a moms conference. We were roommates during our sophomore year of college so it's going to be a little "reunion" in a sense for us. I attended the conference a couple years ago and really enjoyed it. They haven't been to one yet. We're all really excited for the speakers this year. I think it's going to be a refreshing weekend.

Anyone else have anything exciting they're looking forward to this year?

Friend Friday!

Our Week 2 installment of Friend Friday features Lindsy. We met while attending the same church back in Grand Rapids. I'm thankful that our families have stayed in touch even after moves on both parts, even if we don't see them as often as before. Lindsy knits but it is scrapbooking that I asked her to write about because it's something she does very well. I have a hard time scrapbooking, I must admit. Lindsy also was the one to start "pestering" (or persisitently suggesting) me about using cloth diapers. After hearing from a few other people about them as well, I caved in and am now so glad I did! I admire Lindsy and hope you enjoy her as well!

I am a SAHM of three *very* active little boys ~ they are my main reason and passion behind my scrapbooking *ahem* obsession....errrr...hobby :o) I have been scrapbooking for many years though (well, maybe *many* was a stretch ~ I'm not THAT old), my mom made scrapbooks for my sister and me ~ and we loved to look through them when we were little. Once I was in high school I started my own scrapbooks (someone had to photograph the cat and rat dissections in Biology right?!?), of course I wasn't scrapping in the right way then, so unfortunately those scrapbooks won't last very long ~ however when my oldest son, Griffin, was born I learned how to scrapbook correctly (with acid-free and lignin-free products) and from there it has just grown. For Christmas I make 12x12 calendars for my parents, my sister and my in-laws, I have scrapbooked a couple of my friends' and roommate's weddings (and I am currently working on my sister's wedding scrapbook). I love to scrapbook and I don't understand how people can say that they aren't "creative" enough to scrapbook ~ believe me, if I can do it, anyone can do it! When it comes to being artistic, my sister definitely received the lion's share in our family :o)
I really enjoy being able to make scrapbooks and calendars for people ~ I think the full effect of just how important pictures are to me was when my grandpa passed away in November 2006. It was so comforting to be able to pull out lay-outs that I had made of him and my oldest two boys (my youngest son wasn't born until after Grandpa passed) and now this past August we lost another grandparent (PawPaw ~ I am making a memory album for Nana ~ it is full of lay-outs of Nana and PawPaw when they were younger as well as their children, grandchildren and great grandchildren) and my great grandmother passed away recently. It is so nice to be able to open a scrapbook and see pictures of them and to be able to share stories about them with my boys.
So needless to say one of my pet peeves is boxes and boxes of pictures just sitting ~ what good are pictures in boxes?!? :o) They need to be preserved and their stories told.
Every few months a friend and I get together and do a 24-hour scrapbooking marathon. I absolutely love it! We sleep for about 5 hours (at most) and just talk and scrapbook away ~ without kids, without husbands, without distractions ~ it is great!
I've started to make cards now so I can use up all of the scraps I save ~ I have a hard time throwing away patterned paper and cardstock, so I've been saving it in folders. But now the folders are full so I figured it was time to start using the scraps instead of collecting them :o) Some of my *lucky* family members will be getting handmade cards for their birthdays ~ but I won't say who!

Scrappy Giraffe Designs - Lindsy's scrapbooking website

Thimble Thursday

This adorable hat pattern is from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing. It is called the Woodland Elf hat. The material was cheap because I bought a different kind of fabric than what the book calls for. This way it's also not so itchy on little ears.

I want to say it took me about an hour to make. I made them about a year and a half ago. I couldn't get Noah to model one for the life of me, but I think it looks a little more girly anyway. That means Ellie needs to watch out because I'm going to be making one and shoving it on her head next winter (which, hopefully, is still a long way off since we're not even really out of this one yet.)

Website Wednesday (A Day Late...)

So I'm late on Website Wednesday, but I spent most of yesterday reading comments until my eyes felt like they were going fuzzy. Today you get Website Wednesday AND Thimble Thursday all on one day. Exciting, no?

Today's featured website is Reprodepot Fabrics. You can buy all kinds of fabric, patterns, books, notions and more. Most have a vintage look to them. There are also many Japanese imports. Some of the fabric are ones that you might need to save up for or splurge on.

I'm sure there are tons of fabric websites out there and if you can suggest any, I would love to know!

Welcome SITStas!

I am so excited to be the featured blogger for SITS today (although I'm typing this Tuesday night.) I hope you all have a cup of hot tea (or hot cocoa, coffee, etc. - whatever your preference!) to enjoy while peeking around my blog. In my opinion, everything is better when accompanied by tea.

If you want to know a little more surrounding the author of this blog: I'm going on 6 years of marriage with my fantastic husband. I enjoy any time I can spend with him, which is something we try to make a priority. We feel the best thing we can do for our marriage and our children is to make sure our marriage comes before them. This way our kiddos are seeing a healthy marriage modeled AND realizing that they are not the center of our lives (in hopes of preventing them from growing up to be selfish stinkers.) And, really, how could I ever turn down time with the man who thinks I'm the most gorgeous woman (he must be blinded with love...)

Speaking of the kiddos, we have two children, Noah and Eleanor (Ellie.) If you have any advice for how to handle "the three's" (which have turned out to be comparable to "the terrible twos"), I welcome it. Seriously, though, my children are a joy in those moments when I'm not wanting to lock myself in the bathroom for thirty seconds of alone time. =) Who knew you could love so much? I would love to post pictures of them besides the ones on the header, but due to crazy laptop problems (see a couple posts below), they are all sitting on an external hard drive at the moment. You'll just have to trust me when I say my husband is a hottie and my kids are adorable.

My faith in the Lord is extremely important to me and I make no apologies for it. He has made me a new creation in Him and I have never known such peace and comfort in life. I am an ever changing work in progress, but my God is unchanging as He shapes me. My marriage is centered on Him and I think the most important responsibility I hold as a parent is raising my children to love and know the Lord.

Because I love to do "old lady" hobbies such as knitting, crocheting, baking and sewing, we are shaking things up a little on this blog and having "March CraftMadness" where all month long different crafty things are being featured daily. As for non-crafty things, I love reading and wish I loved working out. Our family could live in the water if given the option and when summer rolls around we spend the majority of our days outside and weekends at the beach. How much longer do I have to wait, again?

Thanks for stopping by and I will try to reply to your comments as much as naptimes allow me!

Tasty Treat Tuesday

Today's recipe was given to me by my friend, Kelly. I am not sure where she got it from, but she enjoys cooking and baking so it could be from anywhere - a cookbook, magazine, cooking show, her own imagination. I am the type of person that prefers cantaloupe over honeydew, but this recipe is so delicious. You can use it to impress people, as it looks fancy and tastes elegant. It's great with a summertime meal.

HONEYDEW SOUP

3 c. cubed honeydew
1/2 c. white grape juice
1 Tbsp. sugar

*Process until smooth in blender. Refrigerate until chilled. Makes 3-4 servings. If desired, add a couple spoonfuls of the fruit dip (recipe featured below) for a creamier consistency.

FRUIT DIP

1/2 c. orange juice
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg yolk
2 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 tub Cool Whip

*Heat juice, sugar, egg yok and butter on stovetop until thickened. If it doesn't thicken, add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch.
*When thick, add the softened cream cheese. Remove from heat.
*When mixture is cool, add the tub of Cool Whip.

Media Monday

*Warning: Today's post does contain mild language due to the "b" word*

I have referenced this book often and for good reason. It is helpful and full of good patterns. Today's featured book is Stitch 'n Bitch:The Knitter's Handbook by Debbie Stoller. This is the book that really was able to get me started on knitting. She explains things in a very easy way, along with diagrams and pictures to help clarify. It is a witty book as well. And if you are slightly disturbed by the name, you can always do what a friend of mine did and write "complain" on a piece of paper and tape it over "bitch." Same concept.
You can find out more by going to the website. Also in this book grouping you can find Stitch 'n Bitch Nation (also in the knitting section of my bookshelf), Son of Stitch 'n Bitch (offering patterns and projects for men), Stitch 'n Bitch: A Knitter's Design Journal, and Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker (another very good book for those of you who like to crochet.)

And we are not going to take the time to get into which is better - knitting or crocheting. I think both have their advantages...

Has anyone else used this book for any projects?

Lack of Lump, Lazarus, Lukewarm and Love...Crazy Love

I went to my OB/GYN last week to get a second opinion on the lump (mostly to put my mom at ease since she kept calling me about it.) The doctor couldn't find it! She asked me to show her where it was and I showed her the area and she asked if I could feel it, since she wasn't coming up with anything, and I couldn't either. She said either it really was a swollen lymph node or it disappeared. Yea! I was going to post this good news over the weekend except that our computer was giving us problems, leading to the "Lazarus" part of the post title...

Our laptop was infected with a virus in November. It took us until January to realize it had been infected, we just thought it was acting funky. Then I came across an article on Yahoo!'s homepage which was describing a virus that is so bad, Microsoft is actually offering a reward if anyone can lead them to the creators of it. It described the virus and it fit perfectly with what was happening with our laptop. It tricked us into ordering what we thought was a Microsoft anti-virus, but in actuality was the virus. Argh! Any time we tried to download anything anti-virus related or system updates, it blocked them from our computer.

Thankfully, two of the guys in our small group work with computers and have been a huge help to us. Last week we bought an external hard drive and transferred all our pictures, music, documents, etc. over to it. We went to small group early and the guys helped us clear everything off our computer and start it over from scratch. After we came home Tim was up until almost midnight (I fell asleep on the couch) doing computer stuff that is beyond my knowledge to help it start over.

Friday it was working great and I got a new (safe, recommended and free) anti-virus/spyware program put on.

Saturday I came home from the gym and found Tim in a frustrated state in front of the computer. He had tried to download some Bios thing and the computer started being all funky again and then...it stopped working.

Our laptop was dead. Tim was kicking himself. I was trying to not say anything because I knew he felt bad enough. And in actuality, I am quite surprised at how calm I was. I think God has really been working on me because I thought to myself, It's just a laptop. We have all our important stuff on the external hard drive. We'll save up the money and buy a new one and until then I'll just use the one at the library when I need to. The "other Andrea" would have freaked out, crying and lamenting the ease and access to which I had a form of simple communication with the rest of the world. I'm thankful for these changes God is bringing to me because looking back it seemed silly for me to get all worked up over something like a computer.

A couple hours later, the computer started back up again! Everything worked great and we haven't had a problem with it since. Our friend, Matt, said he was glad because when Tim told him about the Bios program crashing it he said he wasn't ready to mention to Tim that those programs either work or they kill your computer for good. It sounded like our's had been a goner. So that is how our laptop has gained the name "Lazarus," which, oddly enough, was one of the passages we studied Thursday night at small group a couple weeks ago.

About some of the changes I have been experiencing in my heart...it's been scary and exhilirating all at the same time. I have been spending more time reading the Bible lately. I'm trying to read the Bible straight through in its entirety, which is actually something I've never done. This morning I started Jeremiah.
Also, in our small group we are studying the book of John. It is so refreshing to be studying the Bible with other people. Tim and I have often discussed how sad/frustrated it makes us that it seems like churches aren't really preaching the Bible anymore. Instead of studying a chunk of Scripture on Sunday morning and talking about how it's applicable to our lives, churches are doing topical studies and then throwing a verse or two in to back it up. I understand why they do this - in order to seem accessible to everyone and make it easy to understand and comfortable for new people to come in and find Christ. Then small groups are meant to go deeper, though I'm curious to see how many are actually studying the Bible or doing life-related studies.
I also finally listened to a pastor that I heard about awhile ago. His name is Francis Chan. Our friend, Matt Nash, has talked about him for a couple years ago and then my friend, Jen, mentioned him to me a couple weeks ago. Last week during one of the kids' naptimes, I watched one of his sermons on youtube. It was called "Lukewarm and Loving It." Wow, did I feel convicted afterward. I would say that I have fallen into the Lukewarm category and it was a wake-up call I needed.
Chan has also written a book called Crazy Love. So far I'm only on the fourth chapter, but it's crazy good. I would highly recommend it. Everything he writes he backs up with tons of Scripture and he really has a heart after God. The Lukewarm sermon is below and is about 40 minutes long but is really worth it.

That's about all the news for here. The kids are doing great. I actually can hear them waking up so I will have to do my Media Monday post later today.
Have a great Monday!

Friend Friday!

Our first Friend Friday features one of my husband's closest friends. They were roommates in college and, after Tim and I bought our first house, he actually rented a bedroom in our basement. We had many metal projects being welded in our garage and displayed in the family room in the basement. I will say from firsthand watching, he has come so far in his experience and talent and we are proud of all the things he has accomplished in just a short time of a few years. He is a blogging machine and people value his advice and opinions. The last I checked his blog (this morning) he had 1040 followers. His wife is a budding photographer and owns her own business, Grace Designs Photography. You can check out her site through a link on the right side of this page under the Craftly Little Sites heading. She took the header picture of Noah and Ellie that was featured on my blog until recently.

I now present to you....

Tim Adam

I am a self taught metal artist, and a certified Mig welder. I started designing modern metal furniture in 2004. I built my first piece in Baltimore with my sister-in-law who is a furniture designer. I found my passion in metal and kept on designing and building. I struggled for 4 years to make a name in local galleries in the Grand Rapids Michigan area.

A friend of mine introduced me to Etsy in February of 2007, and it changed my business. I started creating a jewelry line and have not turned back. In November of 2007 I had to quit my full time job because my passion was becoming a dream come true! I am now selling all over the world through my Etsy shop. I also have wholesale accounts around the country with galleries, museums and salons. I am also a full time blogger dedicated to the handmade scene.

I now live in Louisville, Ohio with my beautiful wife and our Jack russel, Sadie. I am currently studying to be a photographer, so i can be my wife's second shooter in her upcoming weddings in 2009.

Tim's website

Etsy shop

Art Fire shop

Handmadeology

found-handmade

Make sure you stop by Tim's websites!

Enjoy your weekend! Over the weekend I will do a family update to let you know some good news I received this week. Don't forget to stop back Monday for Media Monday as we continue March CraftMadness.

Thimble Thursday

Today's project does not require a thimble, or even sewing, but the name of the post remains. =)





The Umbilical Cord hat.



You can find the pattern in the book Stitch 'N Bitch by Debbie Stoller. This is my go-to book for all help knitting related. She describes everything in an easy to understand way and there are many cute and simple patterns to help get you started if you want to pursue knitting.

Rachel made the hat at the top for Noah. Doesn't he look absolutely adorable in it? I was so sad when his head became too large for it. The middle picture is of Owen, who is the son of our friends Jack and Kelly. That was three years ago. The last picture is Ellie on the day she is born.
The Umbilical Cord hat has become my staple baby gift. It's quick and easy to make, which is always a plus now that I have two small children. Sometimes I modify mine and don't make the I-cord on the top as long and skip knotting it. When knit like this in the color brown (I did one for my nephew, Ross) it looks like an acorn, which has led to it being nicknamed the "acorn cap" in our household.
It's really a fun project!

Website Wednesday

What better way to kick off our first Website Wednesday during Craft Month than with the Mother of all crafty handmade sites?

Etsy.

For those of you who have been living under a rock and have not heard of it, Etsy is a place where you can sell homemade items, buy homemade items or spend hours upon hours browsing through beautiful items. They have just about anything and everything handmade that you are looking for. Food? Got it. Vintage jewelry? Check. Art made of wood, metal, plastic, etc.? Find it there.
I have a couple friends who sell items on Etsy. My friend, Rachel, has an etsy shop. You will find out more about her on a Friend Friday, but her etsy store is where she has sold beautiful jewelry. She made me a pair of earrings and a necklace and I get compliments every time I wear them.
Our friend, Tim, also has one and I tell you what, he has made a name for himself in the Etsy world. If you are ever looking for help or advice when it comes to selling on Etsy, get ahold of him. He has websites and tutorials devoted to it.

Have fun exploring Etsy, but beware - it's addictive.

Has anyone bought or sold anything on Etsy? Are there certain sellers you like to check in on?

Tasty Treat Tuesday

These are so delicious and simple you might find yourself baking them every weekend. That is what has happened for us. No special ingredients needed. They have become a Sunday morning treat around here. They're even better when enjoyed with a hot cup of cocoa or tea (or coffee for you liquid dirt addicts. Blech.)

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscuits

1 3/4 c. flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (I love cinnamon, so I put in as much as I feel like)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter or shortening
2/3 c. milk

1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 to 3 tsp. milk

*Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
*In a medium bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Using a pastry blender (or 2 knives if you don't have a pastry blender, like me) cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk. Using a fork, stir until just moistened.
*Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing dough for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough until 1/2 inch thick. Cut dough with a floured biscuit cutter (or just flour the top of a drinking glass and use that or you could probably use a cookie cutter shape, like a heart or something.)
*Place biscuits 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. (We never do this step - our's are eaten right out of the oven.)
*Meanwhile, stir together powdered sugar and enough milk to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle over warm biscuits. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

This recipe has been modified from the one in the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

March CraftMadness and Media Monday

For those of you who were not aware (probably everyone)...March is National Craft Month.

Don't worry. I don't usually know these things. I just received an email from Jo-Ann Fabrics recently and that's what it said.

Anywho, in recognition of what a fine month it is with crafting (and St. Patrick's Day right around the corner!) I am going to have some fun with the blog. For the month of March, I'm sure I'll still post family stuff now and again, but for the most part...it's being transformed into Craft Blog. This is what I'm thinking:
Mondays will become Media Mondays. They will feature books that are recommended for certain projects.
Tuesdays will still be Tasty Treat Tuesdays. Yes, I know I missed the last couple weeks (again) but this is new motivation. I think baking is a craft, can I get a holler?
Wednesdays will be Website Wednesdays and will feature a crafty website (not like my temporary one but with people who are way more talented than me and actually spend their life making income being crafty.)
Thursdays will be...I'm still trying to think of a creative title but it will feature a (completed) project I've done. This way you can see that if I can do it...you certainly can!
Fridays will be Friend Friday. These will feature guest posts.

Let's get started!

********************************************

Today would be Media Monday. Our first book to be featured is: Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori.
What to do with that random lone sock that lost its mate to the laundry machine monster? Or the sole glove who was without a companion after a long afternoon playing in the snow?
Throw them away?
NO!
See the adorable picture at the top of the post? Make some animals!
Seriously, what child would not adore these little friends?

I have the book, but am sad to say that I have not sat myself down to make any yet. My big project last year was making a quilt for Noah's bed and I wiped myself out with that one. This year I plan on it, though. The book is so beautiful and fun that I will admit that, at time, I pull it off the bookshelf and just look through it. It makes me happy.
Martha Stewart featured the book on her show last year. They look so easy to make.


You can go here for a free pattern on how to make the cuties above.
Enjoy!

Photo from marthastewart.com