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?