Sweet Baby: Mushy-Gushy Anniversary Edition

It's hard to describe my feelings for Sweet Baby

(the mutual nickname that hubby and I call one another).

 All I know is,

my heart still skips a beat when I look at him,

I admire him, respect him, trust him,

 have fun with him,

and love him more now than I did 12 years ago.

----------------

Oh, No- Not E'en When First We Loved

Oh no -- not e'en when first we loved,
Wert thou as dear as now thou art;
Thy beauty then my senses moved,
But now thy virtues bind my heart.
What was but Passion's sigh before,
Has since been turned to Reason's vow;
And, though I then might love thee more,
Trust me, I love thee better now.

Although my heart in earlier youth
Might kindle with more wild desire,
Believe me, it has gained in truth
Much more than it has lost in fire.
The flame now warms my inmost core,
That then but sparkled o'er my brow;
And, though I seem'd to love thee more,
Yet, oh! I love thee better now.

-Thomas Moore

-------------------

Our wedding day in a nutshell...

 It was a  sunny and beautiful winter day, which in and of itself was pretty miraculous since the weather was pretty intense for most of the month of January-more than average snow that year. So much so, that I remember worrying if we were actually going to have to postpone the whole thing. But, as it turns out, it was the most beautiful day that winter.

(Not kidding!)

We never got too wrapped up in "the day."  But, at the same time, we knew that we wanted to do something that Jenna could take part in before we all started our lives together. So, we set out to plan for a smallish morning wedding which included a trip to David's Bridal where I picked up a dress for $99.00. I even got free alterations because there was a smudgy spot on the hem (which came out easily)-Score!  I ended up making a vail for myself for twenty bucks.

Years later, I would say I had a nice dress. Not awesome, but nice- at least I'm not filled with dread over it! It had these tiny pearls sewn all over the top that gradually dispersed throughout.

  

 An honest wedding critique would make mention of the Horrible Hair Incident of 2000-complete with over bleaching and breakage that required emergency corrective coloring a week before the big day. Even then, I still walked down the aisle with brassy, yellowy hair that was pulled into a high pony tail like Pebbles Flinstone, and pinned down with 50 noticeable bobby pins--a total nightmare. Thankfully, John didn't seem to mind or notice. 

Probably the biggest and most ironic wedding day bummer was the photography/ lack of it. I have over 15K pics on my hardrive, but do not have any decent wedding shots. Poo! I saved myself a bunch of money by not hiring a serious professional, but boy do I regret it! Trust me, don't skimp on this, girls!!!

 Better memories would include a surprise visit from my friend Jill who popped in to do all sorts of finishing touches like making a memory box, & punching out thousands of paper snowflakes. She did this "just because." I was so touched.

The day of, it was just my six year old and I for most of the morning; We were talking and sitting listening to quiet jazz while I curled her hair. At one point, my mom popped in, and sang, "O Happy Day" to us and headed to the church---> sweet, random memory. The best memories however, all involve John: his smile, his voice, his tears. We both cried during our vows, during communion, and when we sang "How Great Thou Art." Precious.

Our cake was a gift from friends. I wanted Johnny's favorite flavor combination, chocolate with raspberry filling. It was simply decorated with a thin, pink ribbon wrapped around the center of each tier.

We didn't give each other a full face cake-smash, but John did get a sneaky swipe of frosting on my nose.

Here's where it all went down...oh the memories!

 Even though our wedding was on the modest side, we knew we couldn't compromise our honeymoon. We just knew we had to put life on pause and just be a couple for a few days.  I would never encourage any bride to skip or postpone a honeymoon, even if it's a few days- you really need to do this. That special time is designed to bond, decompress, and dream and plan. We left church around 12:30, and were on the road by one.

In total, we drove for five hours and talked, prayed and laughed the entire time. We spent the next few days in a wonderful B &B in Arlington, Vermont.  I spent a lot of time in Arlington as a kid, dreaming about the husband who would one day bring me there. And there I was! Plus, John loves the history of the NE so he was stoked. The place was beautiful, the area is historic, the antiques are plentiful, and the views: just lovely.

West Mountain Inn, honeymoon 2000

http://www.westmountaininn.com/

*Check them out! Our stay could not have been better. Seriously.

Romantic.

Ok-backstory.

The thing is, the story of George and Mary is one that we've always identified with: their courtship, their early years,  all of it. Plus,we just love the movie (It's A Wonderful Life). When my dad gave me his blessing to marry Johnny, he told me that that I was marrying a man with an old soul, with integrity he could respect. I married George Bailey. Only better-because he's real.

"My beloved is mine, and I am his."

Song 6:3

Parcelicious!

Don't you love when packages come in the mail!

I know what I'm doing today.... configuring my wall of fame.  I think I need smaller margins.

A Day in the Life.

And so it begins....



Sweetness...

...And delicious quiet.

Never, never, never plan for quiet. What you will get is chaos. Guarenteed. The scones will burn, the dryer will catch fire
or in my case today, your kids will wake up and find your favorite tube of lipstick. I have found that toddlers have a sixth sense. It's the one where they know mom is up, and the Honey Nut Cheerios are calling their name- at five in the morning. In the dark. And I've just poured my first cup of coffee.  So, it's better not to assume the quiet time will happen. I just roll with it when it does. And when it does, I drink it in like a sponge in the tub. Like I did today. And it was wonderful.

...And so it begins.

"My life is goooood. I lovvvvve it."

Last night's dishes. Oh yes. Awesome, I know. I usually can't relax until they are done. But I passed out cold somewhere between ten or ten thirty last night in a state of sleepy oblivion. It's all good, though. I take sleep when I can get it. And sure enough, the dishes were there in the morning, like a pimple on your wedding day.

(ugh.)

Hey! But wait, Sonshine!

His Master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.' Matt 25:23

(Now I'm motivated.)

"Lets do this!"

lipsticky

(worth it!)

Grace on my heart today

If I were to beat a drum parenting-wise, the one I'd pick is the drum that beats the loudest for Grace. We all need it so bad! And we never seem to run out of opportunities to practice flexing the grace muscle.  Forget daily application, sometimes we need it hourly  minute by minute!  I think a step in the right direction toward this end is recognizing that we are all--each of us--in need of grace. We need to get it, we need to give it, particularly when it comes to the tight-knit context of a family.

 Families are little communal social experiments, they really are. You can have ten kids all living under the same roof, with the same parents, house rules, values and so on, but at the end of the day, you will still have ten unique individuals with completely dispositions. This is no different for us. We have six very different people cohabiting under the same roof, each trying to get their needs met and navigate the many personality maps that we all have. They say familiarity breeds contempt, so the potential is there for the home to be a pressure cooker of sorts; daily head butting, self-centeredness, thoughtlessness-all things that everyone deals with, have the potential to create a family-style toxic soup if it isn't kept in check by the application of grace. The more we model grace, the sooner it becomes the primary language spoken in the home.

There was a time when I thought that researching  personality types was a waste of time. We all had one personality -type, and it was a sinful one. Case closed. I don't know how well this approach equipped me to relate or attempt to minister. Actually, strike that,  I do know.... I wasn't equipped! Being a new christian, I thought my parenting style needed to look one way. The way where I laid down the law, and my obedient children would consistently comply. Imagine my surprise when this method wasn't working for me.  I was certain that everyone else had tapped into a deeper spiritual parenting truth that I wasn't privy to. I was sure that I was the only one at church with a loud and unorganized home. In retrospect, I see how silly this whole notion was, considering we human beings are really good at letting people see what we want them to see- which is the glossy, airbrushed picture. The real picture is almost always very different. And along with the nitty-gritty of a real life household, there is  the deep sense of disappointment and feelings of failure when we perceive that our homes aren't perfect. Such is life when we operate outside of the grace of GOD. How freeing it is to acknowledge that God is the only One capable of making spirits and attitudes change. And HE is the only One incapable of disappointing me! When this clicks, I am free to cut people some slack, because I am all too aware of my shortcomings and in need of their grace in return. And I begin to look at the specific needs of each individual in a different light. Each deserving of different approaches, specific efforts.

 Over time, the LORD, in His grace, has shown me so much of Himself by the many different parenting situations that I have found myself in over the past 19 years. And even now, I humbly acknowledge, that I have such a loooooooong way to go. I haven't even scratched the surface of parenting with grace. But I have, however, learned to recognize, celebrate and minister to five distinct personalities, all with five different love languages. And this is in-step biblically. It is not some broad brushed knee-jerk resistance to psychology.

Unique

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.

Isaiah 43:1

 

For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
1 Cor.13:12

These rich verses is such a gold mine for mamas. The Father identifies with each of us uniquely-specifically. He has, in His Masterful Artistry designed, redeemed and claimed us as His own. Think of it. Our children are His- on loan to us for a short time. As such, I must approach it with the devotion it deserves. Its OK to look upon my children as unique individuals with different needs. I love how God calls Jacob by name, even though He refers to the corporate personification of the tribes of Israel. I love His doting attention. I love thinking about how Hagar in exile, appealed to God in her sorry state, and the Father is identified as The-God-Who-Sees.  And He does. He sees it all and chooses to wink at His children for the sake of His Son. 

Tenderness

 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
   that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget,
   yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; Isaiah 49:15,16

Since I call Him FATHER, sometimes it's hard to wrap my head around the "maternal" attributes of God. It is easier for me to think of Him as a Warrior  (Jer. 20:11) as opposed to the description found here (Is. 49:15,16) Not that He must ascribe to a higher maternal law, since He is the Source of all that is tender, and gentle and compassionate.  These are parts of Himself ingrained in a mama's DNA. When we  intentionally  pay attention to the life lessons that are acquired along the way, we slowly change, by grace, into the image of our Blessed Saviour and Friend, Jesus. And in so doing, we reflect His love to our children.

Breakfast with Vader

Boys live here.

Good Morning, Sonshine!

A right of passage, with no prompting or coaching. Way to go, babe

Anchors

Isn't it sweet when you walk in on your little ones singing their little hearts out, and they don't realize you're there? That happend today when Selah (my three-year-old) snuck into baby Spencer's room and was singing to him as he was waking up. Here's the song:

The best part: I heard this song daily as a little one myself.  I wasn't intentionally indoctrinating my little ones with throw back songs from a better by-gone era, but I guess I did anyway, (out of habit)!  It  makes me smile though, because having family songs is something that immediately anchors me back to a sweet and happy place. I'm glad that the kids already experience this, too.



 Here's family song #2, sung every moring, and the kids know it by heart::

Sing together!
It makes for a happy home.

Hello, snow!

Up here in the Montana Rockies, we typically are two months into winter by now, but this year we've only had little dustings of it--just enough to hide the grass. Well, the delay is over. The snow showed up and  accumulated enough to finally go out and enjoy the sleds! The kids were out for two hours trompsing around in it.



With playtime behind us, we headed in to fill our tummies with something warm. The kids requested the old cold weather stand-by...grilled cheese and tomato soup, and a cup of creamy hot marshmallows ...er, I mean hot cocoa on the side.

A family friend shared this recipe for scrumptious tomato bisque, using stuff we almost always have on hand. The kids inhale it.

*Faces/ designs are best cut into bread that is still slightly frozen. Those string cheese sticks work wonderfully
as bendable "corks" to plug up the holes you've cut.

 Tomato Bisque

6 -7 tomatos, chopped

1 carrot, diced

1 medium sweet onion
(or shallot), chopped

         3 cloves garlic (want more? less?--> go for it)

 2 TBSP olive oil

1 can tomato puree
2 tsp itallian seasoning

3 Cups chicken (or vegatable) broth

1 Cup half and half (dont skimp.)
salt/ pepper to taste

*The key to really developing the flavors in this soup, is to coat

chopped tomatos, onion, garlic, carrot, in olive oil, salt and pepper
 and roast them in a 350 degree oven for 40 min.  This extra step really

makes a dfference!

Combine roasted veg. with can of puree and chicken broth,

and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer these together for 10-15 min.

and blend together using a submerssion or upright blender or food processor.

Simmer the last 5 min. stirring in half and half.

I NEVER HAVE LEFTOVERS!

And since Mama likes grilled cheese too, I like to throw together a sammy panini-style.
I like:
Herbed goat cheese
roasted red peppers
fresh spinach
one slice of prosciutto
(And since I don't have a panini maker, I put my dutch oven pot on top my sandwhich as it
cooks up on my stove top grill pan.)

Nummy.

Best homemade play dough recipe that I've ever tried

Today is play dough day! We have all been there before, haven't we mamas? Oh, the salty mess of it all!  All for so-so dough that isn't all that pleasant to handle, crumbles all over the place, and is sure to be tossed within 2 days, tops! BUT we forge ahead anyway, in hopes of making those inclement days a little more fun for our peeps. Great news! Thanks to bestrecipes.com, I have stumbled upon a wonderful  play dough recipe that is actually pleasantly soft, and keeps for three months or so. Here's what you do:

First, we put Mr. Man someplace safe 'n sound so I can putz around the kitchen without worry.

(insert gratuitous, adorable baby shot here...)

Get your ingredients ready! You'll need:

1 Cup water

1Tbsp. cooking oil

1/2 Cup salt

1 Cup flour

2 Tbsp. cream of tartar

Food coloring (optional)

Since I like to squeeze in as much math as I can for my kinesthetic learner, I will typically challenge him to figure out alternative measures for the recipes we try. (For example: "How many 1/3 cup measures will we need to use for a whole cup of water?") *It clicks! -But I digress...

Combine water, oil and salt in a sauce pan while simmering on low heat.

Turn off the heat and quickly wisk in flour and cream of tartar.

You'll note that right away, the flour starts to pull away from the sides of the pan, forming a ball.

Work quickly, you're amost done!

Now's the time to add food coloring. I have found that eventually the colors are best kneaded into

the dough, but at this stage its fairly hot to touch, and should be removed from the pan to cool.

Once you feel that the dough is cool enough for them to touch, have them knead all of those wiggles right out onto the dough.

*You can even tweek your recipe and add those .20 cent no-sugar-added packets of kool-aid into the simmering water to lend color and a pleasant smell, but I will defer this until my princess is over her "everything is to be tasted' stage!

       See? Nothing to it! My guys love it, anyway.

I threw in a little reference to Magic Eraser since I usually keep one within reach at all times!

--->And don't be hatin on my fake wood laminate countertop! I call it "retro" and figure it will be hip again in ten years or so ;)  Tres Chic!

Have fun!

Coffee: A Love Affair

Is it sad that I really look forward to brewing my morning cup of coffee?
 No. Like, really.
It's like a little event (and little events are a big deal up here in the woods of Montana). And the manner that I get to enjoy my morning cup remains a last-minute surprise.

 Sometimes I drink it while multi-tasking. This usually means I need to microwave some heat back into it.

I might do this up to about 3 or 4 times and then I figure I should dump it, because you know-it's probably radioactive at that point. The optimum coffee experience looks like this: it's quiet, and  early enough to still be dark outside, and my coffee is poured and there is something bittersweet nearby to dip- like a chocolate biscotti...(*sigh) Then, I
 get to sit down read and pray quietly. This is h.e.a.v.e.n.l.y.

I have a coffee station- a whole cupboard and counter top which is designated for the sole purpose of facilitating my coffee infatuation. Sure,  cocoa and tea have honorable mentions in the cupboard, but they are mere backup-singers in there. The real star of the show is my whole bean, light to medium roast. The smell in that cupboard is glorious. It has penetrated deep into the wood, and when I open the cupboard, I get a quick aroma of coffee whoosh my face. I'm telling you, it is a multi-sensory extravaganza!

<><> <><> <><>

The coffee and tea cabinet.  My trusty "P" cup is
front and center. It is preferred cup #2.  (The cumbersome wood box is full of assorted teas.)

I have a "four cup"  French Press, which is really a two-cupper, by normal people's coffee standards.

I have two cups that I prefer to use. Both are a nice weight, and have sufficient space for me to slip four fingers through so that it will double as a chilly morning hand-warmer.This is important. This means that my cup needs to be light enough to feel the heat through, but heavy enough as not to burn me. If neither of my cups are available, I need to fix the situation or it will severely impede my coffee experience. Yes. I am a coffee snob.

 I probably pay a little more, but I figure it's offset by the creamer that we never buy.

<><> <><> <><>

( best coffee.)

uh-huh!

Glacier Blend, the undisputed coffee champ in my book. Delish!

This one is good too. Check out those glorious oily beans.

I will try anything that isn't Dark roast, of which I am not a fan.

So funny.

Simple and inexpensive Biscotti Recipe:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/137825/Triple-Chocolate-Almond-Biscotti/detail.aspx

Good Morning, SONshine! Have a great Day!

Fruit

This resource that I had in my old bible that really helped me as I was learning about the Fruit of the Spirit.

I like to dig it out and chew on it now and then.

I pray for a deeper understanding of what it means to be functioning in the Spirit of God.

Galatians 5:22,23

Love

Unconditionally desiring the very best for someone,

most clearly seen in my self-sacrifice.

Joy

The deep satisfaction and exuberance that

comes when I embrace God's will and

sovereignty.

Peace

An inner repose and quietness I feel even

amid adverse circumstances; God-given

peace that defies human understanding

Patience

Taking a long-range view of circumstances;

being able to rest even while I endure opposition.

Kindness

A consistent compassion and helpfulness

compelled by my growing grasp of God's love.

Goodness

A deliberate, firm preference of right over wrong;

resisting that which is not morally true.

Faithfulness

Reliable in my commitments;

being a careful steward of what God has entrusted to me. 

Gentleness

Not needing to force my way in life;

humbling submitting myself to God and others-

the opposite of anger.

Self-Control

Able to marshal and direct my energies wisely, 

especially in physical and mental areas. 

Squeaking in a New Years photo...

Have a Hap-Hap-Happy New Year!

Spence

Selah

Gabriel

sorry biggest baby! I didn't tap into my corny camera tricks back then.
In fact, get this---I used FILM when i took pictures of you.

Tips to the Rescue: Homeschool addition

Getting back in the post-holiday swing of things...

What an adventure homeschooling has been! I'm learning so much about my Gabe, the kinesthetic (hands-on/experiential) learner, and myself who, as it turns out, is kinesthetic, too! We are both easily distracted, as well- so planning ahead is a must!  I'm always on the lookout for tools to make learning fun, practical and the environment a natural place for it all.  This can be tricky when there are other younger children that require a lot of your time and attention. So again, it pays to plan ahead, remain flexible, and research as much as I can about how my child learns. It's also important to train the little ones to be self-directed

to some reasonable extent.

Here are a few a little ideas that have proven to be pretty handy for us.

We love hearing suggestions about what works for others! Maybe we could give them a try!

These are homeschool activity boxes for our preschooler. They are labeled Monday through Friday and contain art projects, games, small dollars store toys to keep her engaged so Gabe can get some uninterupted one on one time. It's good to shake up the contents for the sake of variety, and sometimes include age appropriate crafts that are in synch with what her big brother is learning.

The Monday box is filled with coloring and painting mediums

 We make a big fuss about getting out her homeschool box. She loves to feel included in school activities, and has started to associate the idea of learning with surprise & fun---> which means warm fuzzies for me!

Strategy #2
We coordinated quiet book time. Our preschooler can't wait to grow up.
She loves feeling independent and self-directed. So when its time for Gabe to read his books quietly,
it only made sense to present her with the same opportunity. Book time also breaks up the day. It marks the end of our more structured routine, and is a reliable map for the rest of the day.
We have also found that it is good to edit book options every now and then to make selections fresh and interesting- I would like to say that i do this consistently, but truthfully I probably remember twice a month. When I do remember, she definitely notices and has renewed enthusiasm.