Sound Off

Funny pictures

2012-01-25T22:11:00.001-06:00

Josh was reading some Janosh to Obi. Obi has my iPod touch...oh buddy, please don't chew on it...it's not a teething toy!

Goofball!

Patrick's parents brought this ^ cute outfit for Obi when they came to visit in July. It fits now! Patrick said I should put it on him every day for the next 4 weeks because after that it won't fit anymore. Silly Obi is growing so fast. I was trying so hard to get a good picture of him, and he was chasing me around the room. I couldn't get away from him and get the camera (big DSLR with a flash attached, no less) into position in time before he would catch up to me. He loved this game!

Obi is going through a phase where he loves to climb into baskets. I was doing my weekly laundry and he kept climbing into Eden's basket and "unloading" it for me. Thanks. I guess he'll grow out of this phase by the time he's...nah...nevermind, even Zeke still climbs into baskets/boxes/etc. Tirzah asked if I would take a picture of her and "Obee-DI-uh".

Is there something wrong with this picture???

I bought Micah a pair of Dockers for Christmas, but they were the wrong size. It turns out that I can't buy the size he needs (32x34), so I returned them. I bought this shirt (the one I'm wearing) instead, but he's not impressed?? And Eden either?? Jealous kids! Haha...actually I couldn't care less about Halo Reach. He can have the shirt (I asked him to give me his best frown for the picture). He's trying to talk me into exchanging it for some other game shirt. ::sigh:: The kid doesn't understand that I don't love to go shopping at the mall.

Caleb's 11th Birthday

2012-01-25T21:58:00.000-06:00

Caleb turned 11 years old a week and a half ago, and I am only just now managing to blog about it. (And he didn't even remind me yet!)

Caleb, at 11 years old you

~are in 5th grade

~get your schoolwork done efficiently and mostly on your own

~make all A's (is it too easy for you?)

~love to write

~enjoy reading, especially Donita K. Paul

~have had some of your work published on Mrs. Paul's website

~always memorize your Bible verses for RAD (Wednesday night church program) without any help or prompting from me

~have been staying up later (like 10 p.m.) and still usually get up early (like 6 a.m.)

~may not be getting enough sleep ;)

~like to play Halo Reach on the Xbox 360 (blech!)

~like to watch Phineas & Ferb on Netflix (yay!)

~build really cool Lego things and share them with your brothers (sometimes)

~chose pizza rolls and bagel bites for your birthday dinner

~hoped we would get you the Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword game for your birthday (but we didn't...sorry buddy...by next year's birthday it will be less than 1/2 the price!)

~had a great birthday and a really good attitude anyway

~invited 3 of your favorite friends over to hang out all night long (I think you would have invited the whole church if I would have let you)

~have a ways to go to catch up to me and Eden in height...

Caleb, I love your smile and your imagination. I love that you share your feelings with me. I look forward to watching you grow inside and out through the next year!

Updating

2012-01-21T12:14:00.000-06:00

One of my most popular posts on my blog is one with free instructions for a pocket diaper. I wrote them a loooooong time ago. I've published several of my own patterns since then, as well as sewn over 1,000 diapers for sale! I decided that the old faux fuzzis pattern really needed an update and some polishing. So I did it. I left it where it always was because it gets referred by a lot of message boards, but you can click here to go see it for yourself.

I am also in the middle of updating my regular patterns. I want to make them available for download, so when someone purchases a pattern they can print it and get started sewing right away. This means that I have to reformat the layout of the pattern for most efficient home printing. I am also updating the pictures and text so that everything looks neat and organized and clean. It's a lot of work right now, but in the future it will save me SO much time. The worst part about all this is protecting myself from file sharing. Once people have a digital copy of the file, what will prevent them from sharing it with friends? Probably nothing more than their own code of honor. I have decided that this is really the best thing for me to do, even with the risk.

Add to that all my regular duties...and reading through the Bible in 90 days...and preparing for taxes (taking inventory, listing expenses, etc)...and you can imagine that my head is swimming. Yeah, I'm pretty much not getting anything done. :)

Cosleeping

2012-01-13T07:53:00.000-06:00

These guys bring "cosleeping" to a whole new level...

The funny/ironic thing is, Micah sleeps in a full-sized bed. For a long time, Malachi has been cosleeping with him. While we had our Christmas tree up, we took the smaller couch downstairs and Micah decided to sleep on it instead (poor Malachi). So wouldn't Zeke and Josh just join Malachi in the bigger bed??? Nope. Four boys sleeping on couches instead of in beds. Crazy!

Obadiah at 9 months old

2012-01-12T10:05:00.000-06:00

Obi is such a star! I should have written this a week ago...

Obadiah, at 9 months you

~weigh 20.5 lbs and are 28.75 inches long

~walk very well

~climb the stairs (and other things that you shouldn't)

~put everything in your mouth

~discovered the toilet paper roll. I thought you were going to unroll it all, but you paused to taste it instead. You didn't think it tasted very nice, so you left it alone after that. Thank goodness!

~string together consonants like "ma-ma-ma" and "da-da-da" and do a good job of trying to repeat us. If you start with "ma-ma-ma" and we say it back to you, then you will repeat us again. You also understand exactly what I mean when I ask you if you would like some milk.

~love, love, love your siblings. The louder they are, the better.

~love to be put to sleep by Micah or Caleb

~gave up your habit of taking long naps, and resort to 45-min naps. Much to my chagrin.

~sleep a couple long stretches at night, then get up every hour from 4 a.m. on

~sleep in my bed, I don't even try to put you in your own anymore

~think the duplos belong to you and you only

~demonstrate your ownership of the duplos by crawling inside the container and playing

~scream, yes scream, at everyone else to leave you alone when you are playing with your duplos

~put everything in your mouth..I know I said that already...but you do

~sometimes you swallow the things you put in your mouth that you shouldn't. Gross.

~don't like pureed vegetables. Not carrots, not squash, not peas, not green beans, not mixed vegetables, nothing. But you will eat whole peas, fresh baked sweet potato, and other foods that are soft enough

~refuse pureed meats too (but hey--I don't blame you--those are gross, too!)

~love all grains and insist that if the kids are eating it, you should be too. Including toast, cereal, bagels, etc. I don't know how you do this.

~have only one tooth on the bottom, and it's not even all that sharp! It came through on New Year's Eve. That is the latest any of my children have ever gotten their first tooth. Congratulations, kiddo, you continue to amaze me.

~love to drink from a sippy cup--either a traditional spout cup, or with a straw

~love water

~love baths

~love to dance to music

~love watching Diego with Tirzah

~understand the concept of object permanence. If you have it, and we take it away from you, you let us know (by a temper tantrum) that you know the object continues to exist. Bummer!

I think one of the most amazing things of all about Obadiah is how much he is loved by his older siblings, especially Micah, Eden, and Caleb. They adore him. They all seek to help him, and all of the older kids would do whatever they could to protect him. (Malachi and Tirzah don't necessarily have that concept down yet, lol). I will watch their relationships with amazement as they grow into adulthood. What a blessing Obadiah is to all of us!

[I have been having trouble getting my camera to focus. I have no idea if it's user error or if something is wrong with my camera. I've tried different settings, but it doesn't seem to help. I don't have a whole lot of time to tink around with it. So this is what you get.]

[Insert Clever Title Here]

2012-01-10T18:07:00.000-06:00

Ohhhhh...I have thought up at least 4 different blog posts to describe the weather here right now. I also thought up creative titles for each of them. And I can't decide on one. So you will get the post without the cleverness. How's that? =P

We are having an unbelievably mild winter. We had one snowstorm in November that blanketed everything and we were sure it would stay until spring. It melted the week of Thanksgiving, and we've only had trace amounts of snow since then. The temperatures have been warm. It is hard to believe that these pictures were taken yesterday and today. Today it was 52 degrees F when I sent kids outside to play. Unreal!!!

Josh is lying on the ground, and he's not too cold. It is warm enough to do that. Well, and he's wearing snow pants too. There is still some ice in our backyard because it is almost completely in the shade for the entire day (during the highest part of summer solstice, the shade doesn't even cover our deck).

For some reason, Tirzah loves digging in our garden.

Yes, I asked Malachi multiple times if he wanted a coat on. He assured me he was "hot". He was running a LOT, and he was coming inside regularly. They broke all the stalks from the sunflowers and used them as javelins.

I am really loving this warm weather!

Warning...the rest of this is pretty much a "sound off". I guess I had it building...
There are the pessimists out there who are spouting climate change (their nice term for global warming), and it's the only thing that puts a damper on this weather for me. I really get so sick and tired of the way they take data and twist it to present gloom and doom for the future of mankind. ::sigh:: Seriously? Yes, we may be in a drought. Yes, there may be more severe weather during the next year. Yes, bad things may happen. They always do, don't they? But my trust is not in a world that is falling apart, nor in mankind to save it. My hope , my trust, is in Christ.

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."
(Romans 8:18-25 ESV)

Let me say this again...the pessimistic scientists of our day take data and twist it to present gloom and doom for the future of mankind. They present to the reader only the data that proves their point. They compile it into neat little charts that try to show patterns with which we can predict something that is going to happen in the future. They try to use correlation of different types of data to show causation in ways that it really shouldn't and would take someone with a statistics degree to unwrap. And get this--their "data" comes from a whopping 150 years of recorded data. (No matter if you believe in a young Earth or an old Earth, 150 years is too short a time to make conjectures on what the current weather pattern really is.) It's frustrating! It is my belief that there's very little we can change about the way we live that will have a positive impact on our environment. How do I know? Where is my proof? Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease."

For once I would like to pull up the weather and hear that there is no snow and are temperatures are warm because all the cold air is stuck in a holding pattern over Northern Canada and there's no wind to push the stream further south and hold it there. No other conversation about the theories of how this relates to climate change, hotter summers, more violent storms, etc. Ok?

Book Review: Just In Case You Ever Wonder

2012-01-08T20:09:00.000-06:00

Just In Case You Ever Wonder is a sweet little picture book by Max Lucado. The book is available as a hard cover, an ebook, and best of all, as a board book.

[The copy I reviewed was an epub version, which I was able to read using iBooks on my iPod Touch. The biggest negative about this format is it did not grab my children's attention. Well, except for a few minutes during church it managed to captivate Tirzah. Generally, though, they require a traditional book.]

In this story, a parent assures his child of his love. That the child is created uniquely and is also loved by God. Lucado is masterful at creating pictures from mere words. As the words dance off the page, they wrap the reader in a warm embrace.

One thing I love about this book is the voice can come from either birth parents OR adoptive parents. So if you have an adopted child (or would like to gift this to a family who has adopted), the words will still apply...maybe even making a necessary and firm impact of your love. [The most narrowing description is that the child is small and its eyes are closed the first time the parent meets him/her.] Very sweet.

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from booksneeze (Thomas Nelson publishers). I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: 4 Days to a Forever Marriage

2012-01-08T19:27:00.002-06:00

4 Days to a Forever Marriage, by Dr. Gary & Norma Smalley is a new book published by New Leaf Press, just released in October 2011.

This book is small, but its size is deceiving--it is packed FULL of great information. I admit (sheepishly) that I kinda thought since the title has "4 Days" in it, that was some kind of prediction that I could finish the book in a literal four days. Mitch picked up this book and read it first, before I had a chance to. He did read it in just a matter of days. It took me much longer. Every time I would start reading, I would hit a nugget or quote that I just needed to savor. I even jumped in and used #4days2forever to tweet a couple times (and I don't even know that much about tweeting! But it was fun!!).

Dr. Smalley has a long history of providing incredible resources to families. In this book, Gary and Norma have compiled a wealth of experience and wisdom in a format that is appealing, easy-to-read, and inspiring. It will feed you simple ways to invest in your marriage in a positive and constructive way. It would make a great gift for any married couple--wedding or anniversary.

Hear from Gary and Norma yourself:

I received a complimentary copy of this book from New Leaf Press. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Sharing

2012-01-06T08:27:00.002-06:00

Friends of ours have almost all of their 4 kids grown up. Their oldest son is also a Micah, so we have always called him "Big Micah" to differentiate from our Micah. Although our Micah certainly isn't little anymore, he still loves Big Micah as much as he always has. :) Mitch was at their house on Wednesday night and came home with a bag of children's sunglasses. Pretty much a bag of treasure in our house. This was the conversation this morning:

Malachi: Mom, do we get to keep these glasses?
Me: Yes, those our ours to keep.
Malachi [holding one specific pair of glasses]: I want these to be mine.
Me [in an upbeat voice, trying to encourage him positively]: They are for our whole family to share.
Malachi: Good, I will share. These are mine.

It's easy to laugh when it's a 4-year-old. But adults aren't any better, you know. David wrote in Psalm 24:1,

"The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein"

Yet we don't really think about things being God's. It's more like, this is MY stuff, MY house, MY car, MY money, MY job, MY children, and so on. Sure, I'll share, give some of MY money to missions. It goes another way, too. I've always disliked fundraising. I don't want to ask you to give YOUR money, YOUR time, YOUR resources for MY cause. This is messed up!

A missionary friend told me recently (when I was up against the thought of fundraising), "God's economy is not our economy." She holds a better perspective of Psalm 24:1 than I did. I challenge you to change the way you think about the blessings you have been given. Shake it up a little. Give in faith, and ask in faith. If you need some help with this, Managing God's Money by Randy Alcorn is a good place to start.

Share.

15 years ago...

2012-01-04T12:09:00.000-06:00

I didn't wear a white dress and he didn't wear a suit.
We didn't have a bridal shower or a bachelor party.
No groom's dinner, either. (I didn't even know what that was.)
There was no reception for guests and no white cake.
We didn't go on a honeymoon.

We did have
~family surrounding us and supporting us in love
~a simple bouquet of white [silk] roses
~an exchange of Christian vows
~rings, a token and symbol of our vows
~God, with His outpouring of grace and forgiveness

What makes a marriage? I can tell you with complete certainty it is not the things that we didn't have at our wedding 15 years ago. I do not regret not having any of those things. I don't miss them at all.

I will not even attempt to write in one blog post what has filled hundreds, if not thousands, of books. What makes a marriage? For us it has been plain and simple: Grace. God's grace was with us then and it has sustained us until now. Yesterday we marked our 15th wedding anniversary. It is hard to believe that time has gone by so quickly. We had a wonderful dinner together and enjoyed our time holding hands and grinning at each other like a pair of newlyweds. Our conversation was full of laughter and lingered long after we stuffed ourselves and our leftover food had grown cold. It was very, very sweet. I couldn't have planned a more perfect way to spend our evening together. Grace.

Way back years ago when we were at Sauk Rapids Alliance Church (which is now Bridge Community Church) and Troy Bondy was the youth pastor (we love Troy and Deana), we used to sing a song by Bob Gillman. I sing it even now:

Bind us together, Lord, Bind us together
With cords that cannot be broken.
Bind us together, Lord,
Bind us together,
Bind us together with love.

Kettle Corn

2011-12-29T16:37:00.000-06:00

My kids have fallen in love with kettle corn, and I have to admit I love the sweet/salty taste too. Unfortunately for them, I am unwilling to pay for a bag of popped popcorn...at least not very often. Today I found a recipe on allrecipes.com and tried it out. It turned out great! One of the commenters had a significant change to the recipe, so I will add them in to the instructions here for you.

Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Ready in: 20 min

Yields 10 cups

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup white sugar (brown sugar will yield a more caramel taste)
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn kernels

Use a large heavy pot with a lid (large enough to hold all that popped corn!)

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat, with three kernels in the pot. When all three kernels pop, add in the sugar and popcorn ("sprinkle" the sugar evenly across the bottom of the pan rather than just "dumping" it in, likewise with the popcorn). Cover, and alternate shaking the pot for three seconds and let it sit on the burner for three seconds. Once the popping has slowed to once every 2 to 3 seconds, remove the pot from the heat, add salt to taste, and continue to shake for a few minutes until the popping has stopped. Pour into a large bowl, and allow to cool. Clumps will break up easily after the popcorn has cooled.

The trickiest part of this recipe for me was cooking it too long--the first batch I did I left on the stove a little too long because I couldn't actually hear the popping inside. I put on a movie during the second batch...silence is golden, they say...and could much more easily hear the popping. That probably won't be a problem at your house, right? ;)

My tips:
Grab potholders before you begin. The pan I used has handles on each side--it was difficult to hold the lid on and shake at the same time. Naturally everything got hot! The original recipe says to stir in the sugar and popcorn kernels. Trying to stir that made a big mess. Seriously, you're going to be shaking it. Just make sure that when you add the sugar and then the kernels, sprinkle it evenly over the bottom of the pot. That will do it. Once the popcorn started popping, I did have oil coming out from under the lid a little bit, so I kept a rag close by to wipe the side of the pot in the quick 3 seconds I left it sitting on the burner.

Another Christmas Post

2011-12-29T12:51:00.002-06:00

Here I go again...blogging in my head...before I forget THIS one too, here are some more photos from Christmas!

Micah: "Mom, seriously? When are we going to open presents??"

Eden and her Aunty Holly (who just got married to Kyle two weeks ago--congratulations to them!!)

Obadiah loved opening presents. We didn't buy him anything, because he really doesn't need anything. (except Mitch bought him some new nuks--yay!) My friend Barb made him a little blanket with tags all around the perimeter and also a block the same way, with a bell in the middle. He LOVES the block. So we wrapped it back up for Christmas. Why not, eh? We knew he would love it. :)

Malachi gets credit for finding Tirzah's favorite gift--some soft boot slippers. She has pink winter boots that she loves to wear around the house (clomp, clomp, clomp). Well, you can guess that Mommy doesn't love her wearing her boots all around the house. Malachi found these on clearance at JCPenney...$7.99. Perfect!

Caleb loves Donita K. Paul. I bought him (used) each of the 5 books in the Dragon Keeper Chronicles. He gave away book 1, DragonSpell...but I'm not going to tell you why. :)

Malachi got a little western outfit, complete with double shooter cap guns. TOTALLY fun.

Later we opened presents from Kathi and Patrick all the way from Germany. We miss them sooooo much!

Kathi sent Obi this cute stuffed duckie and everyone had their own letter from Kathi, each with a puzzle piece below. Such a lot of thought went into each letter! She sent lots of other gifts, too, but I didn't take pictures of everything.

Patrick's family picked out a GREAT book for our family. It is hilarious. Kyle put on his best German accent and read it to us while we all giggled (and groaned). Oh, you want to know the title of the book? "The Story of the Little Mole Who went in Search of Whodunit" by Werner Holzwarth & Wolf Erlbruch (If you search for the title on youtube, you can see a similar version of the book...the translation is a little different than the one we have, but you can get the idea)

They also sent us two new figures to add to the Nativity Crèche they started for us last year. Such a beautiful set!

We had great food and good fellowship. We opened more presents from Paul and Marilyn (and have thoroughly enjoyed the games). We are very blessed!!

The Christmas Story

2011-12-27T09:24:00.000-06:00

When I watched this video with our kids (or this video on Vimeo if you are in Germany...thanks, Kathi!), God impressed on my heart the feeling that Christmas is really about the great Rescue Plan and to really understand what that baby in a manger means, you need to look at the whole story. From reading The Jesus Storybook Bible with our children, to reading through the Bible in 90 days, this has been pressed deeply into my heart. Out of that, I bore the idea of an object lesson using presents to tell the story of Christmas. (If you have seen Resurrection Eggs, you may know where I'm going with this.)

I gathered a list of items that I wanted--pieces of the story that I wanted to tell--along with verses of scripture that coordinated. I have specific reasons why I chose the scriptures that I did, but there are MANY different options. It was hard to choose. I didn't want this to take too long (it took a little over an hour for us to open them). If you were doing something like this with your family, you could do one present per day, you could add in a couple different themes to get the number up to 12 and have the "12 Days of Christmas", or some variation.

I had each of the items wrapped as "presents" and numbered so we would know which order to open them in.

1) Creation I had a children's board book that had a wonderful poem about creation in it. The book was very quick to read. The verse I printed was Genesis 1:31a "And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good."

2) Sin or the Fall of Man In this box was a plastic snake and an apple. Scripture was Genesis 3:1-6. "Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made.
He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

3) Death enters the world We know from scripture that death did not exist until the fall. So I chose a sword to represent killing, but also handcuffs to represent the chains of bondage to sin man is now under. The scripture we read was Romans 5:12-14 "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come."

4) Unrighteousness and the Law In the next box was the Law (a copy of the 10 Commandments) and "filthy rags"...one for each person to drape around their necks. We read Romans 3: 10-12,
"as it is written:
    “None is righteous, no, not one;
       no one understands;
       no one seeks for God.
    All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
       no one does good,
       not even one.”"

5) Prophets (The Great Rescue Plan) I could have divided this into two parts. But in this box was a flashlight and a crown. We read two scriptures (and I certainly could have added much more), first was Isaiah 9:2,

"The people who walked in darkness
        have seen a great light;
    those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
        on them has light shone."

Next was Jeremiah 23:5, "“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.""

6) The birth of Jesus The kids had been looking for baby Jesus under the tree where he is every year, but they were disappointed to not find him there this year. Caleb was especially disappointed. I was pleased that it just so happened that Caleb was the one to open the box with our baby Jesus doll. Each child took a turn holding him. The scripture we read was Luke 2:1-14,

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
    And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
    “Glory to God in the highest,
       and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

7) The Crucifixion In this box we had a wooden cross, nails, a hammer, a notepad, and a pen. Each of us (age 6 and up) took a turn writing one sin we have personally committed and we "nailed" it to the cross. We read three scriptures (I chose these to tie into the ones we had already read): Isaiah 53:5

"But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed."

Romans 5:19 "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."

Romans 5:8 "but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

8) The Resurrection In this box was a "tomb" I had created using a shoe box. I lined the inside of the box with black paper and covered the outside with gray duct tape. I left a little opening at the back and a larger opening at the front. There was a flap that could be pulled out of the way to see inside. When the children held the tomb up to let the light shine through the small opening in the back, they could barely see enough inside to see that it was empty. Also in this box were the keys to the handcuffs from box 3. We read 1 Corinthians 15:14, "And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain." and 1 Corinthians 15:20-22, "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive." (again, my choice of these verses tied back in to the verses I chose from the beginning)

9) The problem of sin continues This box has a gun to represent the problem of sin still existing. This wasn't where you thought I was going next, right? But it is so true...Jesus has come, we have been freed from sin, but sin still exists and bad things still happen. So what is going on here? Did the Rescue Plan fail? I had printed a lot of scripture for this, but in the end I didn't read it all because too many kids had the wiggles. But I had chosen Romans 7:15, 21-25, "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate...So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." Romans 8:20-25, "For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." And Philippians 1:6, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

10) Christ is coming back I wanted to put a letter in this box that said "I am coming back for you", but in the end I didn't feel comfortable writing it. I did include new, freshly ironed, white strips of cloth to contrast the filthy rags we opened in box 4, to represent being clothed in Christ's righteousness. We read Revelation 19:6-9, 11, 16

Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
    “Hallelujah!
    For the Lord our God
        the Almighty reigns.
    Let us rejoice and exult
        and give him the glory,
    for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
        and his Bride has made herself ready;
    it was granted her to clothe herself
        with fine linen, bright and pure”—
    for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
    And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war...On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Revelation 21:5a "And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” "

Will you be at the marriage supper of the Lamb, clothed in fine linen, bright and pure? If you are not sure, take time to read back through each of the scriptures I posted. Realize there is nothing in yourself--no merit worthy--you are clothed now in filthy rags. Put on the righteousness of Christ, bought and paid for by him, given freely to those who don't deserve it. We pray for each of our children that they may choose to turn from sin and trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins. I know, at least in America, the statement "Jesus is the reason for the season" is an overused cliche. It is true, he IS the reason for the season, but I think many people do not understand what that reason really is. It is not just about Mary giving birth to a baby and wrapping him in swaddling cloths and lying him in a manger. It is so much more...

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-25T18:33:00.000-06:00

Our wonderful Christmas celebration began with an object lesson initiated by the following video. I'll post more details later, but I want to share the video with you now:

Don't Tell!!

2011-12-24T10:23:00.000-06:00

We did our Christmas shopping a little differently this week. Taking advice from another large family, we divided our kids into two teams.
Mom's Team: Eden (12), Zeke (8), Malachi (4), Obadiah (8 months)
Dad's Team: Micah (14), Caleb (almost 11), Josh (6), Tirzah (2)

We had a suggestion box where kids have contributed ideas for each other for the past couple weeks. I opened the box and made lists for each team. We set as a rough goal something fun, something useful, and something educational for each person. But it was just a guide...we didn't stick to this plan strictly. Mitch and I each had other guidelines--not to expensive, not too many parts, and not too much noise. :)

We split our teams and did our shopping yesterday (maybe next year we will pick a different day). It went over fairly well, but Mitch's team did need a little rescue from mom. Once my team finished, Eden babysat for me at home while I tried to help Mitch complete his list and cheer their spirits.

Coming home again was the part we didn't prepare for so well. Too many chatter boxes wanted to tell about the presents they had bought. Some of them were a little too young to get it. This is the conversation we had this morning...Mitch and I listening/responding from our bedroom, the little guys out in the living room (a "shout" away).

Zeke: MOM! Malachi told Josh what his presents are!
Mom: Did he tell him everything? What did he tell him?
Zeke: Yes, he told him everything!
Malachi (remember he is shouting): Nuh-uh! I didn't tell him about the ball for his pet!

Oye. We just laid our heads back and laughed. We deciding the snooping, secrets, etc, is just part of the fun and will be a part of Christmas as long as there are gifts. (But we still encouraged them that they really should not, that it steals joy away from the giver.)

Tirzah has horns

2011-12-22T11:07:00.001-06:00

Tirzah's hair is still very thin and I can hardly do anything with it. Today I put little ponytails in it because *I* think that's cute on her. She likes it, too. They usually slide out within an hour or two. After wrestling with Zeke for a little while, she climbed up on my lap. Apparently Zeke wasn't done wrestling, because he was still touching her as she did, and her ponytail holder slid out into his hand. Tirzah began to cry and trying to put the offense into words said, "He did that!" And Zeke's response?

"Mom is putting your horn back in, then you can chase me again."

Man! What a way to kill it for me, you know?!

Ok, maybe it's not cute...but I don't care, it's fun anyway. But horns? Really, Zeke??

Does God sleep?

2011-12-20T09:26:00.000-06:00

Malachi was sleeping on the couch when Mitch woke up this morning. They were chatting by the time I got out of the shower.

Malachi said to Mitch, "I was the first one up, right, Dad?"

Part of the discussion moved to when God woke up. Malachi thought that maybe God was up before he was. Mitch said, "God never sleeps."

Malachi said, "Yes he does. Jesus was asleep on the boat!"

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

2011-12-20T09:22:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I was cutting up velveeta cheese for my ridiculously yummy and unhealthy chicken wild rice soup. Micah walked by, and in all his 14 years he apparently has no experience with velveeta. He asked me, "What is that stuff?" Then answering his own question, he continued, "Cheese butter?"

I laughed. How do you describe velveeta? "Cheese butter" seems to be an adequate description!

Anyway, here is my recipe (typed from memory):

Chicken, cooked and cut into cubes, as much or little as you want...I usually have around 2 cups of chicken breast
1 cup uncooked wild rice
1 pint half & half
6 strips of bacon, uncooked
1 medium onion
10 oz of Velveeta Cheese (or 1/3 of a 2-lb block)
2 (10.75 oz) cans condensed cream of potato soup
1 (14 oz) can chicken broth

Cook the wild rice according to package directions (I recommend finding some native Minnesota wild rice!)
Fry bacon strips, reserve some of the grease
Cook the onions in the grease until they are tender (you could also cook your chicken in here if it isn't already cooked...I throw mine in to get the full flavor, even though it's already cooked)
Add rice, crumbled bacon, onions, and chicken to a pot. Add in the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer for 1/2 hour to an hour, stirring regularly. Be careful not to let it go too long, as the milk will burn on the bottom of the pan. You can also put this in a crock pot on low.

I wanted to take a picture, but I completely forgot by the time mine was ready. Next time!

At 8 1/2 months....

2011-12-18T21:35:00.000-06:00

Obi is absolutely determined to follow his older siblings standing on his own two feet!!!

Using Quotation Marks to Write Dialogue

2011-12-15T15:04:00.000-06:00

Micah had the following assignment, and his answer made me giggle. Apparently he completed it while I was with Obi at the chiropractor on Monday. (And pardon me if I don't take time to correct his punctuation and spelling).

Write a conversation--either real or imaginary--which contains at least five questions. Practice using punctuation and paragraph form for direct quotation.

"Ben do you like nacho cheese?" asked Micah with searching eyes.
"No," Ben anserwd with a smile on his face.
"Ben," Micah asked, "do you like shushi?"
Before Ben could answer, Mrs. E said "Micah, what are you doing?"
Micah, now stiffiling a laugh, answered, "a homework asignment."
"No," Ben said with a straight face, "no, i have never tried it."
Micah then asked Ben, "do you like watermellon?"
Ben answerd with a quick answer, "yes."
Micah asked Ben a final question, "Ben, do you like Dr. Pepper?
"Yes," Ben said, "second favorite pop!"

Allowance

2011-12-13T12:32:00.001-06:00

We have tried different methods for giving our kids an allowance. This is the method we finally settled on: each kid "earns" 25 cents per year of age, per week. We keep track of their weekly allowance in a spreadsheet. They put 50% into savings, give 10% to church, and the remaining 40% is theirs to spend. We also do this with any cash gifts they receive for birthdays and Christmas, as well as income they earn from other ventures. The money is kept in our own checking account. When we go shopping, we pay for the items, but save the receipts and deduct the amount spent from their allowance spreadsheets. This has worked well for our family.

Last night Mitch was working on the spreadsheets. He called the kids in one at a time to let them know how much they had in their accounts. He called Malachi in and said, "You have $27 in your account."

Malachi ran from the room yelling, "Hey Guys, I have twenty THOUSAND dollars in my account!"

Whoa! That's quite a payday!!

Update...again...

2011-12-11T20:23:00.000-06:00

I am running on low steam tonight with a brewing caffeine headache, but I really don't want to neglect my blog.

Well, the throw-up virus (or "stomach flu" as some people call it) has continued to worm its way through our family oh-so-slowly. For the 3rd Sunday in a row, I had someone throwing up. I am now the only one out of 10 who hasn't gotten sick. What baffles me is how we can go 3, 4, 5 days--even a whole week--without anyone sick at all, then all of a sudden someone is knocking on my door in the middle of the night. :( It's crazy!

The kids have been real troopers. The older kids have been good buddies to the younger kids, helping them get to us if they need help, even sometimes helping them get a bucket or get to the bathroom! They know the drill really well by now. The older kids have also managed to get their schoolwork done in spite of interruptions.

Obadiah has been the hardest one of all, and it always is. He has had a runny nose/cough since before Thanksgiving, and that really bothers him. The teeth that the doctor saw almost 3 weeks ago have not emerged, in fact I don't think he's made any progress at all on them. He has tried out "biting" me while nursing and it was painful nonetheless. He had a turn at throwing up AND now has diarrhea. We've had multiple wardrobe changes this weekend, if you know what I mean. He continues to work on standing up in the middle of the room, and does it all the time. Still no steps for me, though. :)

I mentioned a couple weeks ago that I started the 90-day Bible reading plan. That is going really well. Mitch and Eden are trying to keep up with me. I'm already looking forward to doing it again next year sometime. In addition to reading my Bible, I've been reading Elyse Fitzpatrick's Give Them Grace, and I HIGHLY recommend it. Mitch is reading that one with me, too, and I am so glad to be on the same page with him. We also read Sheet Music by Kevin Leman together. Whew! What a fantastically exciting book!! I read some very unfair negative reviews. Apparently this book is not for every (married) couple. Mitch and I found it to be fun and rejuvenating for us. We also read 4 Days to a Forever Marriage together (and I need to write a review). It was also a good book...maybe more palatable for a wider audience, if you know what I mean. ;) Do you recognize the common theme here? Reading together with Mitch has been an incredible way for us to connect and strengthen our marriage. It came when I least expected it!!

We are reading Jotham's Journey for Advent. We really miss our exchange students, Kathi and Patrick. :( We put together care packages for each of them and packed as much love and kisses as we possibly could inside. I'm glad I actually got that done, because that's about all I've been able to accomplish for Christmas! I have a few good ideas, not enough though, and not enough time to carry out any of them to get ready for Christmas. No time for shopping...I just have no idea how this is going to go down. Yikes--Christmas is in only 2 weeks!!! I haven't even had time to take some decent pictures other than the ones I posted a couple days ago. =S Let me say that again--I have no time for shopping and I have no idea what I want to give my kids for Christmas. I have some ideas for extended family, but that's it. Ideas. I want to go to bed now...wake me up in time for Caleb's birthday, would ya? Man, it's tough being the parent!

I think I'm supposed to say more here, but all I can think about is how my eyes feel like they're going to pop out of my head and I still need to grade the kids' schoolwork before tomorrow! So with that, I guess I'll just let it go for now.

Sale at Pampered Cheeks

2011-12-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

Many of my blog readers may remember that I own a cloth diapering business, Pampered Cheeks. I create custom cloth diapers for babies. I have had very little time for sewing the past couple years, and my sewing room is jam-packed with beautiful fabrics that really should be used. Back a few years ago I could justify having such an inventory, but no more. It's time for me to move some of these fabrics on (and possibly free up space for other projects!).

Pop on over to my store on hyena cart and see what's for sale, just click on the picture:

Note that the prices do not include shipping, I will send a separate shipping invoice after the order is cut/packed. I don't have everything listed yet either, and I would love to have any locals come and pick up their orders to save shipping costs. You can even use a coupon code to get MORE savings during the month of December: iluvknits will get you an additional 20% off at checkout!

I have great patterns I created myself through years of work--the One Size Cheekies, Growing Cheekies fitteds, and Growing Cheekies Pockets/AI2.

Some Pictures

2011-12-07T21:32:00.000-06:00

I need to actually write but here are some pictures:

{Installing track lighting over the table}

{Celebrating new lights}

{Decorating the Christmas tree}

{Gathering to read Jotham's Journey for Advent}

Child Care Unionization update

2011-12-06T08:05:00.002-06:00

A judge has blocked the union vote!! Whoo hoo!!! Thanks to Kristen for giving me the link she saw on the news last night:
http://www.kare11.com/news/article/949945/14/Judge-blocks-union-vote-for-child-care-providers-

Here was the rest of my original post earlier today:

I received this letter yesterday from my representative, Steve Gottwalt. I think you'll be able to read it when you click here. My favorite part goes like this:

"The governor has limited this election to 4,287 licensed in-home child care providers who receive state subsidies. If you are one of the 7,000 licensed in-home childcare providers who do not take state subsidies, you will not be allowed to participate in this election. We do not agree with this decision to have 40 percent of the state's providers cast votes which will impact the entire industry, including independent businesses, children who receive care and parents who rely on childcare providers."

Voting begins today, and so far this is the only correspondence I have received. I am deeply concerned for providers throughout the state who are unaware.

Sick

2011-12-01T19:53:00.000-06:00

Well, we have had a "sick" sort of week here. Last week before Thanksgiving, Obadiah ran a fever for 3 days. I took him to the doctor, and he received an "all clear, just a virus" diagnosis. The doctor asked me at least 3 times if he had a rash, but nope there was no rash. The fever broke, and the next day he had a rash...I knew instantly that it must have been roseola.

The doctor said that it looked like he was trying to cut all 4 teeth at once. I can testify that whether it's due to teeth or virus this boy has been CRABBY. Developmentally, he has learned that once we leave the room we continue to exist. In other words, he quickly crawls after us, crying. If he crawls fast enough, he grabs hold of my pant leg, preventing me from getting away again! I haven't seen any sign of those teeth, yet. He has been practicing standing alone, and now pretty much has it perfected. Today he stood in the middle of the room holding only a mouse cord...he didn't pull up on anything, he simply pushed off the ground. After standing for a few seconds, he slowly let himself back down. :) He hasn't taken any steps at all for me though, unless he's pushing a toy around. Oh, and he has a killer grip--he can pull out my outlet covers!!!

On Sunday, while it was still very early morning/middle of the night, Zeke and Malachi both woke up vomiting. That brought quite a sense of dread on me. By Monday midday, Mitch had diarrhea. He made his lesson plans to have a sub on Tuesday. Tuesday was my birthday, and I fully prepared to be sick. I wasn't sick, but I still decided not to go out to eat. The risk was too high. Fundido sauce will be there for another time. :( I celebrated being 29 again, and made a carrot cake. I didn't even take a picture! I didn't have daycare kids on Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday evening Tirzah ran a fever, but there was no vomiting/diarrhea, and Mitch was feeling better. So Wednesday morning I was back to the grind.

So how is it that a family of 10...with no personal space, sharing cups and toothbrushes and you-name-it...escapes the stomach virus with only 3 casualties? I don't know. But I sure do know I'm grateful!!

On Tuesday I felt an overwhelming desire to read the Bible in 90 days. One of my favorite bloggers has done this a couple times, but I have never felt up to the challenge. I did not join the program or any support group, but I am mainly just following the reading plan. I challenged Mitch to join me, and any of the kids who want to give it a try. I told them if they start today, they would read the whole Bible by the end of February. Doesn't that sound incredible?! It does take up quite a bit of my free time, and I am more than happy to let it!

We also got out our Christmas stuff to decorate. We set up the tree, but we can't find our lights. ::sigh:: I'm sure they will turn up, soon! Yay for decorating at a nice, peaceful pace.

Book Review: Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball

2011-11-24T21:40:00.001-06:00

Need a little help getting in the "Christmas spirit"?

Donita K. Paul has written a novella called Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball. This lighthearted novel is whimsical and warming. Cora Crowder and Simon Derrick have worked for the same employer for 5 years, on the same floor, and don't even know each other. Coincidence (or is it?) brings them both to a quaint little bookshop for Christmas presents. They each purchase a book, and upon arriving home find that inside the book is a ticket to the Wizard's Christmas Ball. We follow Cora and Simon as their lives continue to collide, drawing them together and towards the climatic event--a ball that the matchmaking owners of the bookshop arrange every year in order to bring together couples. Unexpected surprises lay ahead, though, because life is rarely so easy as meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after.

It's no secret that I love Donita K. Paul. Her writing is permeated by her love for Jesus Christ and for good Biblical theology. She draws the reader in with fantastical events, and the reader is enveloped in the story and fed to the heart. Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball has a lot to teach about dealing with dysfunctional family members. Two completely different families are presented, and while both families have "interesting" members, the contrast between the way Cora relates to her family compared to how Simon relates to his is stark. I love it when a good story teaches a great lesson. This story warmed me to the core and puts me in the mood for Christmas, but every day is a good day to celebrate the Gospel!

Read Chapter 1 of the book here, and watch this short promo video:

I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T19:45:00.000-06:00

We had a very blessed gathering at our house today!

Our tradition--everyone signs this white tablecloth with sharpie markers. It's so much fun to look back and read the previous years'. Some of our kids have certainly improved their spelling and grammar. :)

We were joined by Paul and Marilyn, Holly and Kyle, Hope and Nate, Tristan, and Selena, and 2 international students from Ethiopia and 2 from China:

The Emersons joined us later in the day for dessert and games, and before everyone started heading for home, we gathered for a group picture (just missing Paul and Marilyn...and Obi was down for a nap):

Happy Thanksgiving!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-23T10:43:00.000-06:00

Footprints in the snow are the evidence of many blessings filling our home:

I so love Thanksgiving! We give thanks every day, but it is so wonderful to gather with friends and family on this special holiday with the purpose of giving thanks to God for His abundant goodness!

What that was all about...

2011-11-22T10:28:00.002-06:00

Ok, here is a little more information on my union rant from Minnesota Majority (I do believe I am one of the selected few providers that will be allowed to vote in the election, though it still saddens me):

Last week, Governor Dayton issued an executive order calling for a vote to unionize childcare providers. If he succeeds in his bid to unionize childcare providers, parents will pay more for childcare services and all taxpayers will pay more to fund childcare subsidizes.
Why is this Happening?
Governor Dayton reportedly made a promise to union leaders to sign the executive order in exchange for their support in the last election. Greedy union bosses want to skim union dues from taxpayer-funded subsidies designed to help poor parents pay for childcare services. And childcare providers are just the beginning. In other states, family members caring for relatives with disabilities have also been forced to join a union.
Is this Legal?
We believe Governor Dayton's actions are illegal on a number of fronts. First, in-home childcare providers are independent small business owners and are therefore not subject to collective bargaining arrangements. Second, the governor has no legal authority to issue an executive order calling for an election. Finally, the election he has authorized is rigged -- only some providers will be able to vote in the election even though all providers will be subject to the union's collective bargaining. Although this is being touted as a “voluntary” union, once the union is formed, under state law, all providers will likely be required to pay “fair share” dues even if they aren’t members of the union.
Minnesotans Should be Outraged!
Recent polls show that 68% of Minnesotans oppose the unionization of childcare providers, but Governor Dayton does not appear to be listening. With your help, we may be able to stop Governor Dayton's actions.
TAKE ACTION
We must act quickly as the vote is scheduled to begin on December 6. Here's what you can do to help stop it.
Send a note to your state legislatures demanding that they protect the rights of independent workers: http://www.capwiz.com/mnmajority/issues/alert/?alertid=53559501&type=ML
Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and help inform people in your community: http://www.capwiz.com/mnmajority/issues/alert/?alertid=11287611&type=me
Attend the rally for childcare freedom at the state capitol on Saturday, December 3: http://www.childcarefreedom.com/childcare-freedom-rally/
Register on our website If you are a childcare provider willing to stand-up against unionization: http://www.childcarefreedom.com/provider-registration/
Make a donation to help us fund a lawsuit challenging the election: https://www.wepay.com/donate/65011
For more information, visit www.ChildcareFreedom.com

Unionization of Childcare Providers

2011-11-22T10:22:00.001-06:00

This might ruffle some feathers, but...well, I need to sound off...

Governor Dayton and State Representatives,

I am outraged by the upcoming vote to unionize childcare providers. This is an extremely unfair election.

I have been a childcare provider for over 8 years. I enjoy running my own business and serving families in Central Minnesota. During my time as a childcare provider I have served both wealthy and poor families, even families receiving Child Care Assistance. I build my business on treating others the way I would want to be treated.

I have always had a successful business and I do not need anything that a union has to offer. Even more importantly, I work for MYSELF and my family and the families I serve, not the government and not for some other entity. I am happy to abide by state laws regulating the safety of children in my care, but a union will NOT increase safety nor provision for these. It will ROB my family of limited resources.

I have VERY strong religious and personal views AGAINST unions. Collecting mandatory union dues is a slap in my face. I have a large family, therefore I can only care for a couple of daycare children. This amount of income is tiny--making only 2 to 5 dollars per hour GROSS (you don't want to know what my net per hour is). Yet this tiny amount of income does contribute to my family--helping to put food on the table and buy clothes for my children. The largest benefit is it allows me to stay home with my children--I am able to breastfeed my baby, provide loving care for my preschoolers, and even homeschool my older children. Getting a job outside my home would have tremendous sacrifices and after the cost of childcare I would have NOTHING left over.

With the unionization of childcare providers and MANDATORY dues, I am now faced with the reality that the tiny amount of profits I do make will be dwindled even further. Or that I will have to raise my rates, therefore passing on the cost to already strapped parents. What a selfish sacrifice the state is requiring!!! This is ridiculous!

Providers should not be required to join a union nor to pay union dues. Providers should not be required to join a union or pay union dues in order to receive child care assistance payments.

Please protect the freedom of small business owners!

Book Review: AB4T Answers Book For Teens

2011-11-21T16:09:00.000-06:00

I just wrote a review of How Do We Know the Bible is True?, and in my review I explained how Micah (my 14-year-old) and I are reading that book together. It's something that gets really intense and I have written a study guide to help him wade through the information.

AB4T, or Answers Book For Teens, by Bodie Hodge, Tommy Mitchell, with Ken Ham, is a book that is written specifically for teens and is kind of along the same lines as How Do We Know the Bible is True. AB4T is a collection of 15 questions and their answers that teens need to know. Stuff like, "If God's really so great, why does He let so much pain and bad stuff happen in the world, like Earthquakes, Floods, and Wars?" The answers get straight to the point.

Recommended for teens age 13 to 17, this book is written on a reading level that your teen will not only understand, but will actually want to read. Creative artwork, fonts, bold text, etc., create visual aids in a modern format that grab the reader's attention. But don't worry--the text is not dumbed down at all. AB4T presents factual evidence, doesn't shy away from counter-arguments, and equips your teen with the information he will need to answer questions from his friends. And again worth mentioning, this book clearly presents the Gospel!

Since Micah is our resident teen, I asked him to write his own impression:

I only read the first chapter, but it made a very good impression for the whole book. I especially like the writing style and depth it has. I enjoy how the book is very easy to read, and the authors have your full attention every word you read. This book is definitely a starter to the Christian theological books.

I definitely recommend this book for teens!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book for review from New Leaf Publishing Group, Master Books. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Book Review: How Do We Know the Bible is True?

2011-11-21T15:02:00.001-06:00

How do we know the Bible is true?
Are there contradictions in the Bible?
Is there purpose and meaning in life?
Is the age of the Earth a salvation issue?

Micah and I have been reading How Do We Know the Bible is True? together since the beginning of the school year. We decided to do this book instead of our regular curriculum.

How Do We Know the Bible is True? is a book of questions and answers by many different authors. Ken Ham and Bodie Hodge are the general editors, and they have done a fantastic job of putting the book together in a logical/sequential fashion. This book speaks to the logical side of my brain, that part of my brain that still longs to do lengthy mathematical proofs. A question is presented, answered/proven, and from then on it is assumed to be true as a basis for answering further questions. This makes complete sense and avoids unnecessary repetition.

Most of the time I read a chapter first, write some study questions, then Micah reads it and answers the questions. This works well because I can integrate it right into his SOS curriculum (by creating a custom subject). It also works well because I can see how much he grasps or doesn't grasp. There have been a few times when I haven't had a chance to get it done before he is assigned the book. It is a great reward to hear him say, "Oh Mom, you definitely have to read this chapter. You are going to love it!" (As if I wouldn't be reading it.) Or, "This is my favorite chapter yet!" (Yes, he said that more than once).

Don't get me wrong, it's not an easy read. My 14 year old loves to argue. In an effort to nudge him in the direction of learning debate, I found this book to be an excellent resource for presenting the polite way to argue. If you can get your brain in the right mood, the book is easy to read. Each chapter swells with information and is presented at a fast pace. The authors do not necessarily write out counter-arguments, however it is understood they are writing to answer common objections. Once I pointed out this writing style to Micah, he got the hang of it very quickly.

This book would make an excellent resource for your home library. It is full of information and more information and information on where to get MORE information! And it's only Volume 1...there's even more to come! Oh, and I am very pleased to add that the Gospel is presented clearly, making this also a good book to share with your skeptical friends who have questions that may seem difficult to answer.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from New Leaf Publishing Group, Master Books. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kathi, the snow is here finally!!!

2011-11-19T18:34:00.002-06:00

What a day! I knew we were expecting some snow today, so I tried hard to get my shopping done last night. I fell short of my goal, so when I peeped outside at 6:50 a.m. to find that the snow had not arrived yet, I hurried to get out the door. I left by 8 a.m. with Micah and Tirzah along. By 10 a.m. we were finally heading home and the snow was just starting to cover the roads and get a little slippery. Not an hour later I received a text message from my friend Kelly telling me that a car struck a pole at an intersection I had just been at--the pole was down and the car was smashed!!! I'm so glad I got done and got home.

To say the kids were excited about the snow would be an understatement. We only had one problem...no winter clothes down yet. All our coats, boots, mittens, snow pants, etc. were still stored in the garage attic. With Mitch's help and everyone pitching in, we busied ourselves with putting away groceries, and cleaning. At some point before the snow covered everything I ran outside and put away all the yard toys (AGAIN--amazing how those little yard gnomes get everything out while we are sleeping), before they got buried. And finally we pulled out the winter stuff we needed. By this point snow was beginning to pile up fast. Here are the pictures:

It could have stopped here, and I would have thought that a decent enough first snow...

but no, it had to keep going! This picture was taken while it was still snowing:

While we were moving things in and out, snow was tracked in on our shoes. I quickly realized Tirzah was picking up these little clumps of snow to eat them. So I told her to grab a cup and I filled it so she could eat her fill of snow.

What does our stash of winter clothes look like? Remember, this is for 10 people, and it makes sense to hang onto the couple of in-between sizes we are not using:

We did a tremendous amount of sorting. Everyone was fully clothed with coat, snowpants, and boots. (Micah needs snowpants, and Malachi needs boots, but we can pick those up soon...oh, and Mitch's boots are not really winter boots and are 14 years old so he will definitely be getting a new pair too). I hung up a couple "extras" for those times when something goes missing. I bagged up a garbage bag of coats that we won't ever use. The little bit leftover, along with spring coats, went back into the attic. It was crazy here for a bit:

Time for fun!

I'm not sure I endorse this activity:

You know they had fun if their cheeks are rosy and they are smiling!

Kathi told me recently that she misses the snow and couldn't wait to see pictures...so this post is dedicated to her! We love you, Kathi!

Check This Out!

2011-11-19T12:01:00.003-06:00

Obi is quite the dare-devil at 7 1/2 months!

I continued to be surprised by his strength and how fast he is growing.

He is SO motivated to be up and moving. Unfortunately, that also means he falls frequently. It doesn't deter him. He definitely has adapted a sense of balance to match his strength so that he can even do this.

Yesterday I was in the kitchen, and Obi was playing on the floor with everyone else, right in the middle of a pile of duplos. I glanced up to see him stand straight up, right in the middle of the room, all on his own, without holding on to anything. He had been on his knees, and pushed off the short box of duplos for a boost. Within a second, he plopped back down on his bottom. He is crazy!!

Pop over to Caleb's blog to hear him tell about the first 2 steps Obi took. ::sniff:: I work from home and I *still* missed his first steps!

Book Review: The Encounter

2011-11-18T14:03:00.001-06:00

The Encounter, by Stephen Arterburn, is a parable reflecting hope and forgiveness that can come through the power of Christ. Jonathon Rush is a wealthy entrepreneur who was abandoned when he was only four years old. He was adopted at age 9, and went on to become the famous person that he is today--rich in money and poor in joy. He is filled with bitterness. Spurned by his pastor, he returns to Fairbanks, Alaska, to locate his mother and learn to forgive.

Stephen Arterburn is a counselor, speaker, and author. He has written over 100 books mainly aimed at bringing healing and spiritual growth. In this book, he takes a different approach to teach through story-telling. The reader is encouraged to look at their own story--even painful ones--from a different perspective, and move towards forgiveness and reconciliation.

I love the idea behind the book more than I like the book itself. First of all, fiction is, in general, very easy to read. Where it may take me 3 weeks to read a non-fiction book, I topped this one off in just a few hours. While a non-fiction read may be more direct and offer practical application, story-telling can reach a different part of my heart and motivate me in a much different way.

This story, however, fell short of the mark. As I have had time to reflect, I have become more and more unsettled with the attempt. The characters in the story are a little too shallow. The back of the book sounds more interesting than the book itself ends up being. It didn't go deep enough and left me unsatisfied. It really rubbed on me that the main character is some well-known entrepreneur ranking close to Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. It robbed the story of credibility (trying to get my mind to believe the fiction was not even possible). But perhaps the biggest criticism I have of all is that I don't feel the Gospel was presented clearly enough throughout the pages. How do we experience forgiveness without really touching the cross? Perhaps the main character, Jonathon Rush, just wasn't there in his walk yet. But why not? Why couldn't it have been written that way? I hate to sound like a broken record here, but a watered-down version of the Gospel is no gospel at all. In contrast, the end of the story is not the end of the book. Mr. Arterburn goes on to write a fantastic application section, including discussion questions. This was a nice touch and I hadn't expected it.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson book publishers as part of their blogger program called BookSneeze. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Fried Apple Pies and more

2011-11-16T20:45:00.000-06:00

Oh boy. I surely am a bad blogger. At least when it comes to being a regular blogger. Or dependable. I can think of all sorts of solutions to this "problem", but I've already determined that it can't be solved so it's just too bad. So anyway, there you have it. I'm always going to be running around blogging in my head all these wonderful ideas and by the time I sit down at the computer every single one of them has flitted into oblivion and all you get is "catch up."

What I'm going to say next is purely for my friends and family back home in Virginia (Tennessee, Kentucky, etc):

I made FRIED APPLE PIES for the first time ever this weekend!!! I was SO excited that they tasted decent. I waited with baited breath for Mitch to come home and try them. And get this--get this--he said he had NEVER had a fried apple pie. Can you imagine??? An entire lifetime without tasting one of Granny's fried apple pies??? Nearly FIFTEEN YEARS of marriage and I hadn't even tried to make them for him?! Oh man!!!

One pie, and he was hooked. Yummmmmmm. He said that now I'm speaking his language!

Granny would be so proud.

Well, except for the fact that only one of my kids was willing to try them (that would be Zeke). But that's ok, it just means more for me and Mitch. And don't ask me how to make them, because I couldn't tell you. It would come out something like this: Cook some thinly sliced apples on the stove with some butter and brown sugar. Make a pie crust. Let the apple stuff cool completely. Pinch off pieces of pie crust and roll out to make little individual pies (as shown). Put apple filling down one half and fold other side over, sealing ends with a fork. Fry in hot shortening (or lard). Sprinkle with sugar if your taste buds seem to need it.

Ok, so that was my big accomplishment on Saturday. Whew! Besides that, I sewed Obadiah a pair of fleece pants (the boy has some nice fat thighs that make the majority of his pants not fit), and set snaps on 8 pocket diapers for him (but I have no idea when I'll actually get these diapers finished).

I am in the process of reading a bunch of new books and need to write at least 3 book reviews already. Ouch! Check out my bookshelf in the right-hand pane to see what I'm currently reading.

The kids and I are plugging along in the school year. For the most part, things are going well. Micah and Eden have really stepped up their note-taking skills. They are learning to take notes on their lessons, and they are taking closed-book quizzes and tests (I do let them use their notes, but their lessons are unavailable to them). Despite my fears that they would fail miserably, they are doing wonderfully. I also feared I would be met with strong resistance, whining about sore hands, etc., but that has not been the case either. I think they will be well-prepared for high school and beyond. Caleb is hanging steady on his schoolwork. He slides through most of it like it's no big deal, and is almost always done before lunch. Zeke is struggling mightily to stay focused and get his work done. He tries really, really hard. He does. I keep telling him we just have to find the right key to unlock learning in his brain. I have been watching him very closely, and I have been attentive to his thought patterns. I believe that he sees things and understands them in very much the same way as I do, so I am trying to pour on the patience. Once he makes those connections, I know they will stick strong. At this point, though, he is distracted by his own analytical thoughts. I totally get that!!! (See the first paragraph of this blog post). Josh is plain-old bored. While Zeke is working hard to get each assignment done, it seems like Josh breezes through his work like it were nothing. His biggest struggle has always been, and continues to be, handwriting. I wrestle on a daily basis with thoughts of if I should move Josh on or not. I leave him where he is for Zeke's sake, and all the while second-guess myself. While I may not move him on in Phonics or Spelling, no books are off-limits. He is welcome to read whatever, whenever he wants (well, except when he's supposed to be doing handwriting, that is). In this way I feel that he will be pushing to learn at his own pace and the phonics work we do will just be a matter of formality.

For all the kids I wish I could clone myself to sit at their sides while I explain each lesson, learning with them, challenging them, and stretching the lesson to the next level. Almost daily my heart feels burdened about this. Micah is good about laying on the extra guilt, too. Just drive that knife in further, buddy. He says, "Mom you never work with me!" (Not true) or "Mom, SEE, I got a 98% on that quiz after you did those two lessons with me!" Ugh.

I am struggling in many other areas too. There is so much I want to do and show them. So much grace I want to pour out. So many things I wish I could take back or undo. Am I getting any better at this, God? It sure feels like I'm getting worse! I have to pull back and remember that my plans for my children are not God's plans. He is writing the story. I don't know how it all works. I don't know how He can take my screw-ups and make something good out of my bad choices. My bad examples seem to multiply as each child passes it on to the next. But I cling to the promise of the Gospel. That He has forgiven. That He makes all things new. That He works everything out for good. I don't need to know how.

I have a tendency to worry about things. I worry about all kinds of things. When I'm reading a story, I am ALWAYS tempted to flip to the back of the book and read the ending. (I am ashamed to admit how many times I have given in to my temptation).

I want to know what the path ahead holds. I sometimes think if I could just understand how it will all play out, I can relax and enjoy this part. Because I am tempted to believe only what I can see, instead of what I can't see. Sometimes my faith seems so small.

This, this is what I keep coming back to. As I let everything else fall away--pressures to teach, to lead, to correct, to discipline--the Gospel remains. For me. For Mitch. For our children. Nothing else is more important.

"God is completely sovereign. God is infinite in wisdom. God is perfect in love. God in His love always wills what is best for us. In His wisdom He always knows what is best, and in His sovereignty He has the power to bring it about." --Jerry Bridges

Book Review: Love Another Child

2011-11-11T08:18:00.005-06:00

I have been reading a lot of books lately! I hope I'm not sending too many book reviews. :) It is something that I obviously enjoy.

When Mitch and I got married, one of the things we talked about was how many kids we wanted to have. I said 4--2 girls and 2 boys. He said 8. I thought he was joking. My sights were set on 4. We had 3 in pretty short order, then we did the "responsible" thing and postponed having more children for a time. A few years ago God began working on my and Mitch's hearts separately in our feelings and attitudes towards birth control. The first time I ever came into contact with a group of women who reject all forms of birth control, I have to be honest that I thought they were all nuts. I began spouting off all the logical reasons why birth control is a "good" idea, and that was the end of that. Or so I thought. But the seed was planted, and a tiny plant that God intended to grow, did. See, God had a purpose and a plan for our family, and it was not to stop with just 3 kids. Or even 4. But after 5 children, we were still contemplating different birth control options. Finally our hearts turned. But that is our story.

Love Another Child by Chris and Wendy Jeub is what I'm writing to talk about today. Let's say you are a married couple, not planning on having another child (or any children for that matter), in fact using birth control, and you unexpectedly become pregnant. What happens now? Well most likely you change your plans and accept this new child with love. Let me say up front right now that this is not a book about giving up all forms of birth control. Chris and Wendy are not trying to convince you to have 8 or 16 children, but to just love another child. They also challenge you to closely examine your reasons for using birth control methods, much as Mitch and I have done, and consider what God might be calling your family to be.

The book is not exhaustive. Chris and Wendy tackle objections such as theories of over-population and general fears that a couple face. They tackle objections due to finances. They relay their own personal journey and how God has worked out their faith along the way. This has some strong limitations--their story is not your story or our story. God will work differently in our lives. But Chris and Wendy acknowledge this and merely call you to reflect on the choices you make. They are not critical or judgmental--in fact they are completely the opposite! They are not legalistic. They recognize that you may have very valid convictions why you should not have another child. Their point is to motivate you to consider the validity of your convictions. Test them. See if they hold up.

Their book also brings encouragement. Why would I want to read it if I've already decided to love another child (and another and another)? In these days of very loud children and complete messes and schoolwork not complete and siblings who seem to never get along, I have to admit that I have been really struggling with the whole "blessings" part of this. I called my friend Kristin one day and in exasperation I said to her, "My children sure don't seem like blessings today!" I really regret saying that. :( I wasn't just letting off a little steam, I was wallowing in self-pity and gathering people together who would agree with me. "It's good to vent once in a while, we know you don't really mean it!" is what you might say. But no, this was not just venting. This was making myself feel better by hurting someone else (my children) with my words and frustration. It was the idolatry of self, and it's a sin. I knew that reading a book which would take the position that children are blessings would help expose and shed light on my sin of self-love. It did.

It is not meant to be the final step on your journey to discovering God's plan for your family. May it be a stirring in your heart.

One final note:
Wendy tells the story of a Wal-mart clerk who says to her, "I go crazy with just my two! Thirteen! I'd go crazy."
Wendy replies, "No you wouldn't...You could love another child."

Could you?

Book Review: Taming the Wild Wind

2011-11-10T16:38:00.002-06:00

My 10 year old, Caleb, has been going to Monday night chats with author Donita K. Paul for a few months now. Every now and then I peek over his shoulder to see what's going on. It is a fun and informative time. This past Monday was "20 Questions" where fans wrote in their questions, and Mrs. Paul answered them one by one. For example, Caleb asked "How fast can Mrs. Paul spin the globe and find her address on it." She answered in a fun-hearted way that she would not disclose her time because of competition. I love that she was polite and jovial in a chat room where people are anonymous and some people ask off-the-wall questions. {I might have been slightly embarrassed by Caleb's ridiculous question. Ahem.} Anyway, another question by a fan asked her advice on writing a book. She replied, "Edit, edit, edit..." LOVE that.

Near the end of the chat, Mrs. Paul made a plug for two of her books, Taming the Wild Wind and Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball. It just so happens that I have Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball here to read for review. ::squeeeee:: I had read about Taming the Wild Wind previously, but had not really been interested in purchasing it because it's only an e-book. During the chat, however, Mrs. Paul explained that she published the e-book on her own, therefore her percentage of royalties from the sale of the book is MUCH higher than it is through a publisher. In fact, she will garner more profit from the sale of Taming the Wild Wind than she will from Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball (whose cover prices is 5 times higher). My interest was peaked. I have several e-books downloaded on my iPod, but I just can't get into them. I thought, well, if I can't get into it, I've only lost $2.99.

Taming the Wild Wind is a story about a young woman, Ida, who is engaged to be married. The book is set in the middle of the 1800s, after the Native American Indians have been removed from their Eastern homes and driven along the "Trail of Tears" to the midwest. Ida and her fiance, John, are missionaries who are traveling to Kansas to start a school for Indian children. Before the book begins, their marriage is delayed, and the couple makes arrangements for Ida to travel alone and prepare things in hopes that John will join her in just a few weeks. Plans for Ida change rapidly in the beginning. It seems that nothing goes as it should. Ida clings to the calling in her heart and presses on in faith.

Through each trial Ida faces, we as readers are privileged to listen in on Ida's prayers and thought life. We observe as Ida wrestles with God's will and His sovereignty. Ida uncovers and deals with her own secret sins. The gospel is clearly presented. Prejudice and stereotypes are boldly exposed. Mingled sweetly with romance, yet seated firmly in modesty, this is a fantastic historical fiction piece. I have always been a lover of pioneer stories (Laura Ingalls Wilder, Janette Oke, etc), and had no trouble falling in love with this book--even being an e-book! This book is short, and is great to pick up and finish in a weekend.

Tirzah is Special

2011-11-08T09:41:00.001-06:00

Malachi: Mom, this blue marker doesn't work anymore. It is wasted out.
Me: Ok, throw it away then.
Malachi: One time there was a black marker wasted out, but Tirzah got it to work again.
Me: Really?
Malachi: Yeah, that's why Tirzah is special. We should keep her, right? We shouldn't sell her to people who don't have markers.

So, if you are a person whose markers have all gone dry, don't expect us to give you our Tirzah! She's special!! :)

Saturday Sewing

2011-11-05T16:05:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I've had a fun sewing project to work on, on a Saturday. Since my hair is too short for a ponytail right now, I have been thinking I should put some of my fabric to good use. I followed these free instructions to make myself a "headscarf". While I was working on it, I thought it would be a good first sewing project for Eden. So this afternoon we began sewing lessons. She did great her first time out! We used these instructions for hers.

My friend Angel has some beautiful headscarves (and nursing shawls, and bows) she made for sale here. The proceeds go to fund the adoptions of their boys from Ethiopia and the future dream of digging a well in the region the boys are from!

Apple Peeler

2011-11-04T09:54:00.002-05:00

So we have this HUGE box of apples, and I have plans to slice the apples and store them in the freezer for pies or apple crisp or even apple butter in the months to come. But the "problem" is that this apple peeler/slicer/corer is so much fun. Everyone wants to use it ALL THE TIME. I have warned the children that they must eat every apple they slice. And they do! I think apple consumption has tripled around here.

Zeke was peeling his apple and all of a sudden he let out a "Hey!" He turned around, grabbed his pants and said, "Obi is pulling my pants down!" LOL It was very cute, and even though the picture is not the greatest, I had to post it:

Now, could you resist this perfect spiral? Could you? I don't know how you could! Even I, the lover of chocolate and candy and--gasp--pepsi, can't resist the perfect tart-sweet-crunch of this harvest of apples.:

I'm sure I will get a few into the freezer, and I managed to get a few into the dehydrator this morning.

Edited: Apples from this morning all done!

Bathroom Troubles

2011-11-02T14:57:00.001-05:00

Mitch told me this story, and I begged him to take a picture so I could blog about it.

As it turns out, Mitch is the only male teacher down his section of hallway at school. So the special ed department laid claim to the "Men's Staff Restroom". In order to still accomodate, ahem, Mitch's needs, the "Women's Staff Restroom" was converted to a "Unisex Staff Restroom". This conversion was noted with a sign posted on the bathroom door:

Ok, it's a private restroom, so not a big deal right?

Please note that the staff restroom is directly adjacent to the "Girls Restroom". Imagine how many times now the following scenario has happened:

Young elementary girl exits the Girls' room just as Mitch is exiting the Staff bathroom: "Mr. Theis, why are you using the Women's Restroom?"

Then the girls run off giggling while Mitch stands there going "Um, but..." and pointing to the sign posted on the door. In exasperation he says, "Oh, never mind."

He has since given up.

It is an awkward situation to be sure! One that I find extremely giggle-worthy. :)

A Good Day

2011-11-01T19:55:00.001-05:00

Today was a good day. My highlights:

Visiting with a friend I haven't sat with face-to-face for a few months
Teaching Micah about chemical equations (I'm so excited we are getting into "fun" stuff in school finally! At least *I* think it's fun.)
Listening as Obi practiced blowing raspberries and got VERY excited
Having shredded beef tacos for supper with all the right toppings
Using the apple peeler/corer/slicer that Paul brought over along with a huge box of apples (pics will follow, I'm sure of it)--the kids have begged for more and more and more apples!
Pouring God's grace and love and forgiveness out to my children over and over again, teaching them to restore relationships and forgive each other

Behind the Scenes: Family Pictures

2011-10-31T15:25:00.001-05:00

So the day we went to take family pictures, Mitch took along his little point-and-shoot camera and got some "behind the scenes" photos. Some were good, and some were just too funny not to share.

I spent a lot of time doing this:

And the kids spent a lot of time doing this:

It was really cold, and Caleb was less-than-happy to be out in just a sweater:

Finding someone to volunteer to carry Obi wasn't actually that hard--everyone wanted the extra warmth:

Ok, this one is too funny. Who's having a great time? I believe the thought going through my head was something along the lines of why in the world are the windows made so that they are always open?

For example, the outer circle portion of this window is no glass at all:

Zeke LOVES this picture, which he calls the "monster":

New Ledge

2011-10-30T21:32:00.000-05:00

A couple months ago, when we were in the thick of our weekend remodeling projects, Mitch picked up an oak board on sale. While the weather was still nice, I put a finish on the board and at the same time did some of the trim that we need to still put down in the kitchen (I don't know how often you scrub the baseboards around your cabinets, but at OUR house the quarter round down there looks much too gross to put back on). I'm so excited! Here is what we got done:

{Installing the cove molding first}

{Getting everything lined up and just right--measuring twice, cut once!! Oh, and take a look at those corners on the edge of the wall, all chipped and scratched after only 2 months.}

{All done! And with protectors over the corners, too.}

Here's another view:

{It looks amazing--like it has always been there or like it is supposed to be this way. We love it!}

Look what I can do!

2011-10-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

Kisses from Katie

2011-10-21T10:27:00.000-05:00

Since I am on vacation, I have had a few extra minutes to just "surf" the web. Last night I discovered this young woman and I am completely blown away by her story.

I was browsing the FaithVillage resource blog, when I read the following by Ryan Gregg:
"Katie Davis is a 23 year-old American who has adopted thirteen orphans and now lives in Uganda. You might need to read that sentence again."

I spent the rest of the evening browsing Katie's blog and reading all I could (even reading out loud to Mitch). Katie has just published a new book with her story, titled Kisses from Katie. Here is a video to whet your appetite:

Please take a moment to pray for Katie and her children, and consider visiting her blog to see if there is some way you can help further!

Family Pictures

2011-10-20T22:22:00.000-05:00

The schools in our area are closed this week for two days for teacher training. That means Mitch gets two days off, so I planned no school for our kids as well. After some thought, we decided that I should also request the days off from daycare. I am SO glad I did! We made our annual trip out to St. John's for family pictures today. It was a beautiful day, but a little too chilly. We walked all the way out to the chapel and I snapped many pictures along the way. The sights and smells were incredible. Here are some of the fruits of our labor:

Um...this one WOULD have been a good picture, BUT someone put that branch in just the perfect spot. Funny, *I* could see the camera just fine. Why couldn't it see me??

Oh, and after I looked closely at it and saw the face Micah was making ("I was just trying to have fun, Mom."), I gave Micah a stern warning to not make any more faces. Mitch gave him a stern warning about how much "fun" it would be to have to come back out tomorrow for retakes. ;)

Just because we wanted a good family picture didn't mean that we were opposed to "fun":

Rolling down this hill was the BEST according to the kids...

Book Review: Dragons of the Watch

2011-10-18T22:22:00.000-05:00

This is probably the first time in a long time (if not the first time ever) that I waited with great anticipation for the release of a novel. ::grin::

Dragons of the Watch, by Donita K. Paul, arrived on my doorstep late Saturday afternoon. I casually opened the package and laid the book on the counter. Caleb (my 10 year old) was standing nearby. Mitch said to him, "Hey CJ, look at that." He walked over, his mouth dropped open, then he quickly snatched the book and turned to run. Before he could get to a comfy spot on the couch I called out, "Nope, I get to read it FIRST." I was officially declared "the meanest mom in the world." No worries, though, I didn't hog the book. By midnight Sunday I was reading the last page. Now, how do I write a glowing review without spoilers?

Dragons of the Watch is the third (and final?) installment of the Dragons of Chiril series. The synopsis from the publisher goes like this:

"Trapped in a forgotten city, bound by secrets, Ellie and Bealomondore must enlist the dragons of the watch to find freedom.

Ellie knows exactly where she is going. She just wants to experience the pomp and circumstance of a royal wedding, then settle into a simple life with a country husband.

With too many choices, Bealomondore’s future is a tangle of possibilities. He is respected, well-known, and admired among the elite of Chiril, but Wulder demands he narrow his focus and follow his Creator, one step at a time.

Both Ellie and Bealomondore’s plans are thwarted when they find themselves lost in an isolated city. As they discern the needs of a group of wild children and a very old man, clues began to surface and a bigger picture is revealed. With the help of the dragons of the watch, can the two tumanhofers find the way out—and perhaps discover their connection to something greater than themselves?"

You can even read the first two chapters online here. Which is exactly what I did! I have to be brutally honest. When I read the chapters, I wasn't sure I was going to like the rest. It seemed so strange. Why didn't Ellie find it strange? Why didn't she complain? Why did her aunt and uncle just drive off and leave her and expect her to be ok? I wasn't so sure I was liking the way this book was starting off! I shouldn't have worried. First of all, Ellie was quite able to care for herself and I was being too much of a "mother hen". Secondly, her personality and ability to handle her unusual circumstances is explained eventually. I was able to identify my own anxieties while reading the book. I mean, don't we normally expect a book to have a "happy" ending? For everything to work out in the end? Even though I reminded myself of this, I was caught up in the story and found myself feeling a genuine concern and worry for Ellie, Bealomondore, and the other characters. I fell in love with the book, and especially with Ellie. She just might be my favorite character yet out of Mrs. Paul's books that I've read. I may not have her patience nor her purity of character, but there are so many other character traits that I identify with.

Following in the footsteps of its predecessors, Dragons of the Watch does an excellent job of introducing the characters (and therefore the reader) to their Creator (Wulder is an allegorical reference to Yahweh God). Like a rose blooming, the story unfolds to reveal depth and beauty in the hearts of the main characters. Attributes of Wulder mirror our God's, and principles from the Tomes are borrowed from our Bible so that we learn--as if by a parable--how we should order our own lives. Reading from this point of view causes me to feel refreshed, excited, and filled with hope. When I pull myself from the fantasy, close the book and examine my reality, it's like looking at my world with new eyes. I can't wait to hear what the rest of my family thinks.

Dragons of the Watch is a bit different than the other novels. A little more romance, a little less action. The characters are well-developed. The setting is beautifully described. The main story is very, very good. (It isn't just "brain candy", a term a friend of mine just introduced me to). If you haven't read any from this series yet, I recommend buying all three!

Harvest Party

2011-10-18T12:32:00.001-05:00

These guys have been having a good harvest in our little garden this year:

First there was one blue jay, then there were 5.

Then a flock of black party-goers showed up. I'm not sure what kind of bird they are...they have red on their wings, and are smaller than the blue jays.
UPDATE: Thank you everyone who wrote to me! They fit the description of a red-winged blackbird. :)

At first the blue jays tried to scare them off. They even tried fighting each other. Eventually they just ate together and gave up the flight fights.

I'm thankful for the 200mm zoom lens my dad sent me. I took all these pictures through the window, and they turned out decent enough. When I tried to sneak outside (even through the front door), the birds immediately flew away. I'll have to think through my outdoor photography a little better.

Zeke's Birthday

2011-10-18T12:17:00.002-05:00

Whoa! Talk about being behind on blogging!! Zeke's birthday was last Wednesday, and I am BEHIND. Rest assured that I have some things to talk about and will get this all fixed up soon. ;)

Zeke is 8 years old and what a wonderful 8-year-old he is!

When I turned 8 years old my Uncle James gave me a little statue of Strawberry Shortcake with a number 8. It was a special trinket for me. I don't think Zeke would have appreciated the same gift, though.

Zeke, at 8 years old you

~still have curly hair

~have 4 permanent teeth, 2 more growing in, and 2 that really need to fall out

~wear size 8 pants (they keep falling off of you, but we're making it work)

~are in 2nd grade

~love the kittens with all your heart (in this picture you have 5 of them all on your lap sleeping)

~finally learned how to ride a 2-wheeler and pretty much rode your bike every day all summer long

~run everywhere you go, seemingly having an endless amount of energy

~wind up, not down

~are a very good eater, willing to try everything at least once, and enjoy a wide variety of foods

~wear your heart on your sleeve (you're very sensitive about things)

~are generous and thoughtful of others

~are good at thinking things through, but also you...

~are easily distracted

{Hey! I'm not 6, I'm 8!!}

~love to read (finally), especially comic books or anything about Star Wars

~have beautiful handwriting also, and prefer to write in cursive

~love to "fight" with swords or lightsabers

~love to build with legos

~love to color and draw

~just plain love to do anything "fun"

Happy Birthday, Zeke

We love you very, very much!!

Blow out the candle!

Language Study

2011-10-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

Micah is doing a unit on the origin of languages and dialects. He had a cumulative quiz yesterday and this was his mulitple choice question:

The language spoken by the mountaineers of West Virginia and Kentucky is:
Appalachian
an English dialect
Skruztblug
a Franconian dialect

He chose "Appalachian" for the answer and promptly sent me a note asking if he could have "at least some" credit for it. The correct answer is 'an English dialect.'
I want to ask, "What's the difference?" I'm giving the boy full credit. :)

Cleaning off the camera card

2011-10-09T07:33:00.000-05:00

I take a lot of photos. More than I can possibly post. But still, when I have my camera in hand, I'm "blogging" in my head. I don't know why. Maybe it brings purpose to my photos? Also, I have not been scrapbooking like I used to do. Blogging fills a small bit of that void. (key word: small) So anyway, as I clean off my card, here are some photos I wanted to share.

2 weekends ago Mitch installed a new back door. That project is not 100% complete yet, but he got a major part done.

Micah and Mitch worked together on this project. Here they are cutting a new piece for the subfloor that we had to replace.

My hubby is goofy!

Malachi and Tirzah watch as Mitch and Micah slide the new door into place.

On a different day, Mitch made some chocolate oatmeal cookies. He loves to bake cookies.

Malachi and Tirzah are "helping".

Obadiah stood for a very long time holding onto the couch. He didn't fall at all!

The old nursery-new school room has its door removed. We left the hinges on the frame so we can hang the door later if needed. Tirzah tripped over her own feet and hit her forehead right on the hinge. Poor baby!!

We had a cold virus show up right as the weather started getting cooler outside. Typical runny nose, cough, etc. It was pretty mild overall. One morning (Thursday a week ago) Zeke came to me and said, "Mom, it hurts to breathe." I grabbed my stethoscope and listened to his breathing. I'm not very good at this and my stethoscope is not very high quality, but it sure sounded to me like he was wheezing on both the inhale and exhale. I encouraged him to rest as much as possible, which was pretty much torture for my most active boy. That afternoon he spiked a fever, and even fell asleep on the couch. After daycare I loaded half the kids up, including Zeke, and took him to the after-hours clinic. Micah watched everyone else for me since Mitch plays basketball on Thursday nights. Two hours later, we came home. Zeke was definitely struggling to breathe. He had a neb treatment at the clinic (I should have thought of that earlier in the day), a chest x-ray, and a blood count done (such a brave boy having blood drawn from his arm!). She did not see pneumonia, but definitely said he was fighting infection. We came home with albuterol, prednisone, and azithromycin. Kathi, you miss all the fun! By Friday Zeke was feeling much, much better.

'Tis the season in Minnesota for Honeycrisp apples! If you don't know the story behind the Honeycrisp, you should go read it. Here is a wikipedia article. Did you know there was a patent on the apple? I wanted to blog all about it, but where is the time? Not that you wanted to hear my thoughts (again) on patents. The kids are loving the Honeycrisp. I have to admit, they are tasty.

The kittens who visited us on Monday came back every day this week. Sometimes they {apparently} stayed overnight on our back deck. They love the attention they are getting from the kids. They start purring as soon as you pick them up. Such sweet kitties.

This is everyone's favorite kitty, especially Eden. She has named it "Daydream". It is different from the orange kittens. It's fur is longer and fluffier, and more of a blonde color. It is a female, and is the sweetest one in the bunch. I would keep it (and the orange one in the picture above, too) if I could. But I'm not sure I'm really wanting to care for more critters. Cleaning up poop in our backyard has not been fun.

What boy doesn't like toads and frogs? Malachi was crooning over keeping this one as much as the other kids were crooning over keeping kittens!

This kitty is definitely related to the kitty Tirzah had before. So sweet, too.

A different kind of harvest

Josh may be allergic to the kittens, which is another reason not to adopt any right now. His left eye got very red on Monday, the same day the kittens showed up. Since we have a cold virus, I assumed it was pink eye and began putting drops in his eyes. After 4 days of drops, he still had red eyes, but the weird thing was the redness would come and go. It dawned on me that the common factor wasn't only the virus, but the kittens. So I am watching him now to see if the redness comes back. I gave him an allergy pill on Thursday night. On Friday morning, within 1/2 hour of playing with the kittens he had red eyes. I sent him to take a shower and within 2 hours his eyes were back to normal. Later Friday I let him go back out to play with the kittens and he didn't have red eyes all day. He did great all day Saturday, too. Saturday evening after he brushed his teeth for bed he came to me and said, "Mom, my eye is pink again." Sure enough, the red eye is back. Sunday morning it looks a little better, but still a little pink. I'll keep watching him. It's hard because there are too many variables outside of my control. Oh, and he also has a patch of eczema on his cheek, which is weird for him.

"I don't know how you do it"

2011-10-08T12:40:00.000-05:00

It seems that I hear this comment more and more lately: "I don't know how you do it."

I struggle with that for a lot of reasons. First of all, what exactly is "it"? When I sit down and really try to put myself in someone else's shoes mentally, I realize that they have "to-do" lists, demanding jobs, pressures, and stresses just like I have. It is hard for me to imagine how they accomplish the things they do in their lives as well. I don't know any adult sitting back skirting through life without challenge!

I realize the statement is meant to affirm and encourage. And to some extent, it does. It is good to be appreciated for the work that I do. But if I dwell on it, the statement presents some problems. First, it allows me to wallow in self-pity. Let me explain. When someone says, "I don't see how you do it," I might be feeling internally exactly the same thing. In moments of exasperation, I wonder how in the world I am supposed to do "it". All these things on my to-do list can never be accomplished! Moments of despair pop up. In those moments, I say things to myself like "Why should all this be on me? Why am I even trying? It's not making any difference! I'm failing miserably." And next comes self-pity. Well, other people can't do this either. I am right to despair.

Next comes doubt. Should I be doing this? Shouldn't I {fill in the blank}? I look for a way to relieve the burden I feel. I use both constructive methods (such as reading books and prioritizing my list, taking things one step at a time) and deconstructive methods (looking for ways to "escape" my responsibilities). Reading books sometimes creates more problems, because such-and-such method worked out so well for someone else, yet it didn't click for our family. More doubt. I look at other large families that have similarities to ours. Our family doesn't look anything like theirs. While some families I look up to are setting examples on how to live life, I feel like we are setting examples on how not to live life. We must be doing it all wrong.

And Oh! the guilt...do I even need to explain? This one is easy. Every wrong thing I or my children do, every forgotten chore, every sinful thought piles up and up and up until a mountain of guilt towers over me.

Or on the opposite extreme, I face pride. Pride in my own accomplishments. I believe that I am doing something incredibly remarkable and I have every right to claim super-mom status. I am doing something better than someone else. Am I really? No. I know the spiritual battles that are waged every day on my heart and many on the hearts of my kids. I am not doing better than others.

Self-pity. Doubt. Guilt. Pride. Enemies that distract me from doing my job. Do they come as attacks from Satan? Or are they just products of my own flesh? Some days I want to blame the Old Liar, but I know that many days my "flesh monster" does a good enough job all on its own without any provocation needed.

Giving into these heart sins robs me of joy, love, peace, patience...well, pretty much all the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)!

So how do I do it? ::sigh:: Some days, especially lately, not very well. I feel like I have been completely emptied of myself. Poured out. I keep fighting and trying and I don't see results. I don't see any changes in my own heart, in my children, or in my marriage. I want to give up. In the middle of the day when 4 kids are crying at my feet, I stare at the ceiling hoping for a cure. When it's quiet and I have time to pray, I beg for help. When an unkind word passes my lips, and whether it felt good to let it slip or immediately felt bitter, I wish I could take it back, especially when I hear my children copy exactly what I have said/done in frustration or anger. In the middle of the night my thoughts constantly turn back to the things that I can't undo or redo or make right on my own. Things are broken...I'm broken...and I can't fix it.

I won't give up. Day breaks and I am met with new mercies (Lamentations 3:23). Strength to keep fighting. I won't be able to do this on my own. My family won't look perfect. I won't look perfect. I have no idea how things will turn out. I have faith that God is working in my life and He will use it for good. But the images of "good" in my head are probably not what God has planned.

Today I won't dwell on the results I don't see. There is not a recipe for a perfect life. Wouldn't that be easy? If I put these ingredients together, bake for the next 18 years, viola! I will have a perfect family and a perfect life. It isn't like that. When I catch myself expecting it to be, I am always disappointed.

There is only grace. The cross. Christ. The good news.

"Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
(Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV)

How do I do it? I don't do it. I try. I fail. I slip into feeding my flesh. I repent. Christ restores. I begin again. He is both the how and the why.

So here I am. Trying to put a brave smile on my face so you will know everything is ok. But it's not really. Everything is wrong because of sin. I'm tired of trying to make my family look the way I think everyone else expects us to look. Let's keep it real. We are who we are. I will keep fighting, yes. Sin is messy. It's a battlefield here.

Oh but I should smile!! Everything is right because of Christ. He has already won the war. There is grace and forgiveness, a promise that He will make it all better. He will wipe every tear. I don't have to wait for some day in the future--joy is mine today!

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
(Psalm 51:12 ESV)

Lord, reign in our home. Let us not grow weary or discouraged in the fight against sin. Help us to keep fighting. Help us to hold on to faith and hope even when it seems we are doing nothing right. Do right in us. We do this by Your power in us and for Your glory. Amen.

Obadiah at 6 months old

2011-10-06T07:58:00.000-05:00

I can't believe Obi is already 6 months old, and I can't believe all the things he can do! Such a strong, smart little boy. I haven't done this for Obi yet (shame!), so I think it's about high time I get on it.

Obi, at 6 months you

~weigh 19 lbs 4 oz

~are roughly 27.5" long

~wear size small Pampered Cheeks cloth diapers only because I don't have time to make mediums (but you may just end up in some girly ones soon out of necessity)...they barely fit

~wear 6-9 month clothing

~have no teeth, but have bit me a few times just the same

~love to chew on anything, and I constantly have to remind people (siblings) to quit putting their dirty fingers in your mouth

~are good-natured and generally tolerant of your siblings (even the Tiz!)

~mostly just breastfeed, have only tried food a couple of times

~think mom is the coolest person in the world

~love to be put to sleep by Micah (with Caleb being a close second) if mom is not available

~think peek-a-boo is the greatest game ever invented

~have a contagious laugh

~outweigh your friend Izzy who is 4 months older

~look a lot like Malachi (who loves you too hard)

~stick your bottom lip out and cry JUST like Malachi if someone scares you, which is just about the saddest thing ever

~sleep all night in my bed and I rarely even count the number of times you get up (too many)

~take long naps (as long as I don't leave home expecting you to nap long)

~crawl on all fours, army crawl, and attempt to "bear" crawl

~can get into a sitting position from a crawl (amazing!)

~and just yesterday you surprised me by pulling up to stand!!!

So of course I had to get to you to do it again so I could get pictures:

A clothes basket is not exactly the best place to pull up, but you crawled over to it and started climbing up. I asked Eden to hold the other side of the basket while I grabbed my camera.

She slipped the basket forward slightly so that your center of balance would be in the right spot.

Then all of a sudden, up you went! Easy as pie.

Until you're tired and it's time to get back down.

That's why babies who are only 6 months old should not be pulling themselves up.

Needless to say, we have to keep a close eye on you!

Distractions

2011-10-03T09:34:00.000-05:00

We're not getting much school done so far today. When the last daycare parent dropped off this morning he came in asking, "Did you know there are kittens all over your front porch?"

These must be related to Tirzah's kitty, who belongs to the farmer behind us and hasn't been back since his last visit. They are well-loved and socialized (obviously not "strays"), so despite the kids' begging we will be returning them home shortly. For now I am enjoying the visit as much as the kids are!

Courageous

2011-10-01T21:54:00.000-05:00

WOW!

Mitch and I were blessed to receive free tickets from a friend to see the new Courageous movie from Sherwood pictures.

It was wonderful! If you get a chance, go see it.

It's hard for me to find the words to say what the movie was about. It had a lot of sub-plots. In our experience, this can be a killer for a movie, but I think the guys at Sherwood pictures did an excellent job of building the story, building the characters, and wrapping it all together nicely by the end. The movie is geared towards challenging fathers in particular to step forward and courageously lead their families to follow God, but everyone will find a lesson while watching. This is where all those sub-plots just nestle in neatly by the end. The movie goes beyond "feel good" and beyond "entertainment" to give a good dose of solid theology and the Gospel is presented LOUD and CLEAR. I appreciate that tremendously! It pulls this off well without getting boring or preachy (in my opinion). The only time I got squirmy was about 15 min before the movie was over. Drinking a large pop wasn't the best choice. The movie is 2 hours 10 min long, and I just about couldn't make it that long with so much pop in my tummy!

The movie received a PG-13 rating for some violence and drugs. While I understand the rating system, this seems like such overkill. This movie definitely does not belong in the same category as other PG-13 movies I can think of (Iron Man 2, for example). The "violence" is mild, and the topic of drugs is handled appropriately and effectively (we do not see anyone using drugs, or even dealing drugs, only carrying them and police confiscating them). We see the full consequences of these "negative" elements. I would be willing to allow any of my children to see the movie, but I think the youngest children wouldn't be that interested in it. I can't wait to let the older ones see it!

Visit the Courageous Movie website for more info. Read the Plugged-In review here.

Sherwood Pictures keeps getting better and better. We love all their movies. I hope they keep it up!

Excuse you!

2011-09-30T08:31:00.001-05:00

In lieu of a spelling test, I assigned Micah a project to use as many of his spelling words as possible in a story. Following is his submission exactly as he wrote it. I guess I don't know what I expected. I just wanted him to use the words {somewhat} appropriately. I hoped he would be responsible enough to get the spelling right (since he was typing it in Word, after all). Grade?? It wasn't a time-consuming effort on his part, but he did do exactly what I asked. I think I need to decide what he's saying first of all...I know some of the words are not used quite right...but I found his attempt humorous anyway...ok, here it goes:

Once upon a time, a Indo-European family, who spoke Sanskrit which came with a hint of Germanic, had a phenomenon. The analytical son, Fred, tried to separate the Semitic languages, Hebrew and Arabic. After failing terribly, the son tried to find the correlation between linguists and philologists, and discovered cheese curds. Fred’s descendant, Fred the third, tried to followed in the foots steps of his Grandfather, and discovered how civilization can express language to isolated people with dialects which express their dominion over peninsulas.

What a list of words!!

I think I may just go back and assign a 'normal' spelling test...

Autumnal Equinox

2011-09-28T10:53:00.001-05:00

My laundry beckons the sun to climb higher, but the sun said, "Not now, I'm sinking lower."

My house now shades the deck fully, when only a couple months ago it was in full sun and we were begging for shade.

The oak tree wears a majestic crown, a testimony to a beautiful summer now turning golden.

She will hold her leaves valiantly all winter long, through every stormy blast.

The sunflowers hang their heads and wait for the birds to come.

The garden goes to sleep and one lone tomato teases us as the sun warms its face.

A quick frost finally convinces our cucumbers to give up their struggling battle to produce fruit but no leaves.

Long days give way now to long nights.

We rest. We wait.

While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”
(Genesis 8:22 ESV)

Real Food

2011-09-26T17:57:00.002-05:00

Caleb (10 years old):

"Why are we having Hamburger Helper tonight? Don't we have any real food?"

A Call for Mercy

2011-09-25T19:25:00.001-05:00

We love receiving the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter at our house.
(Eden especially has a tenderness for reading the newsletter.)

Watch the video, visit www.callformercy.com to read Asia Bibi's story, then sign the petition. And pray.

Pictures from this week (Obi is crawling!)

2011-09-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

Our days are very, very busy. It's hard to stop and get caught up on blogging as often as I think about it!

Tirzah is such a "little mommy". This actually causes some problems. I am amazed by the differences between girls and boys!

Obi is not impressed with her mothering skills. ;)

Caleb and Micah both enjoy putting Obi to sleep, and they are quite good at it. One day Caleb said to me, "Mom, Obadiah is the cutest when he is sleeping. I mean, he's cute all the time, but he's especially cute when he's sleeping." Oh yes, all sleeping babies are adorable!

Mitch bought this airplane to assemble as a fun project for him and Josh.

Trouble maker!

The kids or Mitch (I can't remember which) received a bag of Jelly Belly jelly beans from Marilyn. It was a while ago and we just now opened them to share. So.much.fun. Mitch & I call sharing these a "mini-date".

Obadiah can officially crawl! He gets up on his hands and knees, rocks back and forth, and shoots forward. He could move around quite a bit before he turned 5 months old. But he really couldn't control where he was going. He just knew he liked the movement. Now at 5.5 months he has no problem getting his eyes focused on a target and working his way there. That is, as long as an older sibling doesn't come along and pick him up. Today he crawled through this tunnel thing to get to me.

I didn't think he was going to crawl through. I went around to the other side, behind him, and tried to move closer to him, but that just annoyed him. He insisted on going forward. He got excited again when I moved back around to the original side.

Almost there!

Peek-a-boo!

(Speaking of which, he thinks peek-a-boo is the funnest game ever invented. He laughs and laughs and laughs.)

Our weather this weekend is supposed to be warm(er) and very little chance of rain. We decided it's time to do the door. This part of it is fairly discouraging--getting the old door out and inspecting the floor underneath. We have to get the rotting wood out. We have to make sure that when we put the door back in we will not end up with the same leaks. Part of that will be adding a storm door. But part of it (as I understand it) will be removing some of the deck and making a better path for water to drain. I am biting my tongue. I really want to blame the builders. But it really doesn't matter who is to blame. Can we fix it? What can we learn? Will Mitch later be able to use his skills to help someone else? I am looking forward to having a storm door that I can open the glass on so that air can flow through the screen!

This project will actually take quite a bit of work. Replacing a door is difficult enough in itself. But we also have to replace the door and fix the water runoff issues. Mitch went to buy a piece of plywood and other supplies. He plans to put the plywood over the door opening tonight. But if he didn't want to, I think this is a good plan--the heavy down blanket is blocking the cold very efficiently (supposed to be 40 F overnight tonight). The hole in the floor will catch any would-be burglars! :)

After the new door is installed, we will finish laying the floor. I'm really looking forward to that! We also have to put down quarter round trim. Since the weather is going to be nice this weekend, I may see if I can help by sanding/staining the trim. Lots and lots to do!

Book Review: Espresso for Your Spirit

2011-09-19T14:04:00.002-05:00

Pooped out. Yep, that is a good way to describe me at the end of these fast-paced, jam-packed homeschool/daycare days! My schedule is so full. I often look ahead and wonder if I'll be able to hold it together, or if I'm just winding up for a big *snap* at some point in the future. Do I have enough balance in my life to keep going, or is there a train wreck at the end of the tracks? I thought a good book might be just the thing to balance me out, but I wondered where I would find time to read a book. Hmmmm...

Espresso for Your Spirit, by Pam Vredevelt, to the rescue! With a tagline like this: "Hope and Humor for Pooped Out Parents", I had high hopes that this little book would be just the pick-me-up that I need.

Espresso for Your Spirit is a collection of 28 short chapters that can be easily and quickly sipped down in the time that you have available. Pam tells stories that are captivating and encouraging, either from her own life experiences or from those she has met. She writes from 20 years of experience as a therapist, as the mother of 3 children, and as a pastor's wife.

If you have ever felt like God is not listening, does not care about what's going on in your life, or that He's distant, you might need a good refreshing look at life. Each story in Espresso for Your Spirit is a reminder that God is in control, that He cares, and He is very near. Pam ties in scripture and personal application to help motivate and push you back on the right track. Each story is tied up neatly to give glory back to God for the work that He is doing.

The book is promoted for "parents" in general, but I guess I couldn't help but feel moms will connect more with the stories than dads will. Also I think that it can't help but feel a bit "clinical" at times when Pam tackles topics like depression or tells stories of transformation in a client's life. I noticed myself becoming more analytical instead of just sitting back and enjoying the story. The cure for me was to take it a little slower, savor the story, and allow myself to reflect, rather than rushing ahead to the next chapter.

This book would make a fantastic coffee-table book, gift book, etc. It's perfect for your nightstand, briefcase, or wherever you may find yourself caught with a few minutes to refresh. As a mom who is currently nursing a baby, I think it's well-suited to grab for our 10-15 minute nursing sessions!

I received a complimentary copy of this book for review from the publisher, Waterbrook Multnomah, as a part of their Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Please take time to rank my review so I can continue to get books to review from Multnomah!!

Camping

2011-09-17T10:56:00.000-05:00

Mitch, Micah, Eden and Caleb went camping last night with the YFU exchange students. They went to our favorite group site at Warner Lake County Park. It's pretty rustic--a long walk to pit toilets, no running water, no showers, no electricity. It was also supposed to be pretty cold overnight (low 40s), so I decided I would stay home with the younger kids. I wanted to make the evening fun for them, but at the same time I wanted to work on character training (we have been hitting that pretty hard the past 3 weeks since school started). So I warned them ahead of time that there would be no "screen time". There were some tears (give me a break!) when Mitch and kids pulled away. But we headed to the basement to pick out a board game. We played a round of Sorry! This definitely brought up some "problem" areas of character to work on. I love how a little board game competition can bring out the worst in us (ouch). :) After the game we had a fun supper with very kid-friendly special treats. I bribed the kids with dessert once the table and dishes were cleaned up. Everyone except Obadiah pitched in and helped with clearing the table, doing dishes, and putting toys away. Our dessert choices were cupcakes (left over from Patrick's birthday) or brownies (extras left after I sent some camping). After dessert Zeke and Josh were rewarded with reading some books that we normally don't allow them to read because they don't care well enough for them and pages are falling out. While they reading, I made some dough for sugar cookies for us to cut out this morning. When that was done, it was time for bed. I surprised the boys by asking them if they wanted to "camp out" in our living room. They were excited about that.

I don't remember exactly when in the evening this one happened, but it was precious. Zeke is actually reading (!!!) his library book to Tirzah. Malachi jumped in to hear, too. He did a great job. I am especially impressed because he did it by his own choice.

Trying to get comfortable. Tirzah and Obi actually slept in my bed. The boys got quiet right away, but they didn't really go to sleep until almost 10 pm.

This morning everyone was awake and ready to go by 6 a.m. I am glad I went to bed when they did last night! Even 8 hours of sleep is not hardly enough for me. Ugh. I'm tired! After breakfast was done and cleaned up, we got started with sugar cookies. Bonnie brought us these fun cut-outs. Now I will tell you a secret. I personally don't even like to eat sugar cookies. I don't particularly like cooking with my kids at all. I'd rather just do it myself. But to do sugar cookies WITH my kids is a real stretch. I managed to keep my patience and let go of my perfectionist tendencies and use a nice voice almost the entire time. Whew! (This is the power of Christ in me...)

By the time the cookies were out of the oven I was WAY too tired to make my own frosting. So we used store-bought. But I gave each of the kids a small amount to put on their cookies. Before even 1 min had passed I caught multiple kids licking their knives already. LOL. So I distinguished their cookies from all the others by using blue sprinkles. Just a hint: don't eat the ones with blue frosting.

Forget tasting frosting, Tirzah decided to sample the whole cookie before it was time.

Finally I said, "Ok, everyone can eat a cookie!" They were all very happy to sample their cookies (though Josh says he doesn't like them). Even I thought they taste pretty good. For a sugar cookie. As I was walking away, Zeke said, "This is the funnest day ever." I let out a silent "Yes!" I know it won't last. In fact, he's already whining about not getting screen time yet. So I'd better go and come up with some more fun. Hopefully our family will be home early this afternoon. I think Mitch is bringing home a special visitor--an exchange student from South Korea that we have been hoping to meet since this spring. I'm so excited!!!

1st Haircut

2011-09-15T20:11:00.001-05:00

I found Obi quite distracted enough to be somewhat still this afternoon outside on the deck, so I decided it was time to get the scissors after the crazy hairs on top of his head. He is the first of 8 children that has "needed" a haircut before turning 1 year old. In fact, Tirzah is over 2 years old and still hasn't had her first haircut!

Before:

After:

It may not be very even--those fine hairs are very hard to comb up and hold evenly! I will probably have to do some more after he has it washed. :)

Patrick's Birthday!

2011-09-14T21:58:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday, Patrick!

We had cupcakes. Caleb reminded us which kind we should have. Eden brought it upstairs from "paradise" for me (aka the crawl space). Micah cracked the eggs. Malachi offered (several times) to lick the frosting from the knife. I also overheard him telling Josh, "I bet I could eat this whole thing of frosting!" And I bet he could. The daycare kids were THRILLED that I actually let them have cupcakes, too, rather than saving them for after dinner for just our family. Everyone helped blow out the candle.

We hope you have a fabulous year. "May the Lord bless you and keep you, the whole year through!"

Duluth, MN

2011-09-14T07:11:00.000-05:00

We were invited to attend the wedding of Mitch's youngest step-brother this weekend in Duluth, on the shore of Lake Superior. The young couple was blessed with a beautiful day...the weather was absolutely perfect! Summer hung on for one more. :)

I tried to take pictures, and I did get some very good ones, but I was very busy trying to juggle the baby and keep track of kids (even with Mitch's help). It was hard to get in my "groove." Here are the ones I wanted to share!

The wedding took place at the historic Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. After the wedding was over, we were able to take a tour inside the mansion. I didn't know the history of the mansion, and I asked a few questions as I went through, but after I got home I did a little more research (there was a murder there in 1977). I think it would be fun to go back some day! It was crazy how many rooms the mansion had and how big the rooms were.

The kids would have loved to just play at the shore. I hope next summer we can go up to the north shore for a vacation.

You probably noticed this one already.

I try hard not to take pictures that another photographer has posed...I feel it is a copyright violation. However, the photographer stood on shore (quite a distance away), and had Bobby & Missy walk out to the dock. I hardly think he can take credit for how incredibly stunning they look! :) So I took the picture too.

This is the view of the back gardens and shoreline from the balcony of the mansion.

This is the view of the front door of the mansion.

Nate with Tristan and Mitch with Obi.

We told Josh he really does look like a hobbit. Since his name on our family shirts is "Frodo", Mitch gave him a ring. Hehe....we told him to slip it on his finger...

He disappeared! :)

Hope and Selena

Me, Holly with both babies, and Hope

Bobby waiting patiently

Paul & Marilyn

Karen & Marc

The beautiful bride, Missy

I wish I had gotten more pictures of the wedding ceremony, but at just the next moment, Obi decided it was time to nurse. At the reception I really had a hard time getting the settings right on my camera (and I was also busy chasing kids).

At the reception the photographers had set up a backdrop area for photographs for a scrapbook. They took one "serious" photo and one goofy photo. For the goofy photos, they had an entire table set up with all kinds of fun things (masks, hats, necklaces, etc) for dressing up. This was a very fun idea!

Hope bought Obi and Tristan matching outfits for the wedding. Aren't they cute?! Obi wouldn't sit still. It was SO funny!

Susanna Wesley

2011-09-09T13:39:00.002-05:00

Today I managed to catch ALL of the kids after lunch and had a mini history/religion lesson with them. I spoke about Susanna Wesley homeschooling her children and a little of how her home might have looked and felt. We practiced. :) I instructed the children all to find a place to sit, and to be quiet. Then I left the room. When I returned, they all stood quietly and waited for me to speak. It was lovely! (But I won't expect it on a regular basis...hehe). Next I sat in the corner and put my apron (I had to improvise using my lovely apron received from Donita K. Paul...not quite like Susanna's may have been) over my head. They were all sitting quietly until I took the apron off. Ahhhhh....Oh, and I had Micah take a picture:

We also talked about how it is important not to compare our family to other families in our culture. Obviously we are not like Susanna Wesley's family (not that it would be a bad thing--she also had some help with cooking and cleaning). Just because our friends live a certain way does not mean that we should be like them. I suggested that our standard should be the Bible. Which doesn't happen to say that the children should rise when their parent enters the room or that they should sit quietly while their mother prays with her apron over her head. (I wonder if she ever fell asleep that way? Just once?? I mean, she must have been pregnant constantly since she had 19 kids...I don't know how she could not have fallen asleep at least once.) Ok, anyway I am way off subject now!

It was a fun lesson. I was so glad to have their attention. What a brief but happy moment!

5 months!

2011-09-07T22:05:00.000-05:00

Obadiah is 5 months old! This boy is soooo ready to be on the move. He can definitely move, but not always in the direction he wants to go. He is working hard on putting it all together. And he is very, very strong. Such a sweet little guy!

He is on a generic zantac. If I forget to give it to him (or purposefully skip a dose), he usually lets me know by sleeping shorter periods of time. He still spits up frequently. I am hoping for the day when he is done with that. I am just starting to introduce him to some baby cereal. I have been too exhausted lately to even pay attention how many times he gets up at night. To be honest, he is in my bed 90% of the time, so I just roll over and he nurses and we both fall back to sleep without ever fully waking up. The other 10% of the time I manage to put him to sleep in the bassinet beside my bed (yeah, he's technically too big for it, but it's close and convenient, so shhhhhhh).

During the day this boy will take excellent naps. I can usually get a really long (2+ hours) nap out of him. That is so nice for getting stuff done. The only downfall to this is it is completely unpredictable when it will happen. I can predict with almost certainty when it will not happen--if I lay him down, expecting a long nap, then leave the house to go run errands, he will most certainly wake up within 15 minutes of me being gone! Therefore I now have a small stash of frozen milk in the freezer. He is happy to take a bottle in my absence.

This guy also really likes his siblings (that's a good thing, because he's pretty much stuck with them). Some of them (Tirzah, Malachi) love him a little too roughly. I think he will forgive them. Some of them (Zeke, Josh) carry him around even though I have repeatedly asked them not to pick him up. All of them are good at making him laugh. Micah is good at putting him to sleep, but even Caleb can do it when I need him to--yay!

It's my bedtime, but here are some pictures for you of my rolly polly little man:

No, I Didn't Forget Josh's Birthday!

2011-09-03T13:06:00.000-05:00

Josh turned 6 this week! His birthday was on Wednesday. Poor guy got ditched. All the "usual" people we invite over for cake and ice cream were busy with school open houses. Even Mitch was at school all day and didn't get home until bedtime. So we celebrated on Thursday.

Josh wanted chocolate cake with strawberry frosting. I made my own frosting by starting with a cream cheese frosting and adding stawberry jello mix. It was interesting...but tasty.

I would write more, but I'm gonna go take Josh out on a "date."

First week of school down...

2011-09-03T12:30:00.000-05:00

So I've obviously been veerrrrry busy this week! Last weekend, we decided to tackle the "baby room" and get the floors redone in there before school started. I had put priority on this room over the other bedrooms because there has always been a urine smell in there that has been impossible to eradicate. Mitch agreed, and off we went!

Now, let's back up just a bit. The nursery was probably my favorite room in the house, and here's why: When I had Joshua and was at the hospital, Mitch gathered forces at home and completely remodeled the nursery. I had no idea what he was doing (one of the few times he has been able to surprise me). When I came home and saw it, I literally cried. It was so beautiful. What a great gift!

But it has been 6 years since then. Cribs have gone down, and up, and down again. Shelves went up and came down. The room has changed purposes--nursery, family closet, bedroom, and nursery again--several times. Kids have drawn on the walls, on the carpet, peeled large sections of border off the wall, and {apparently} peed on the carpeting. As much as it still looked like the picture above in my heart, it really needed some TLC.

After some planning on where things would go (and where daycare babies--who primarily use this room--would sleep), we decided this room would be the new "school room." Ah...so it takes on yet another purpose! I went to buy paint, and demolition began immediately. I expected this would be easier than the family room project because it was a much smaller area. There was more stuff in that little room than I expected!

One thing I was very worried about was getting the border off the wall. I had no idea how we would get it off. I used google to find some ideas. One website I read suggested peeling off the vinyl outer layer as much as possible (or roughing it up to expose the paper below). Then they suggested I buy a chemical remover. Or as a last resort (because it's "smelly" according to them), mix vinegar and water in a spray bottle. I LOVE VINEGAR for cleaning. I prefer the smell of vinegar any day to commercial (store-bought) cleaners. Safe, clean, healthy, CHEAP. I jumped on this idea. I sprayed the border, and within seconds I was able to peel it off as if someone had wet down a piece of paper and stuck it on the wall. See? I was SUPER excited about this very easy "trick".

We took two days to do the paint. Instead of buying paint at Sherwin Williams like we had done for the living room, I went to Menards and bought the cheapest paint I could buy. Lesson learned. You get what you pay for! I don't plan on doing that ever again. When we bought paint at SW, we used the business account of a friend who owns a painting business, so we got a significant discount. It cost MAYBE $5 more per gallon of paint than the cheap stuff at Menards. Good paint is well worth the $5. Anyway, it's on and it looks pretty good. The flooring went down. Mark came over to help us again. Then we started moving everything back in!

We decided to leave the door off the hinges for two reasons: 1) It's not needed as a "school room" and 2) The kids have {limited} internet capabilities on their computers in here...no door means more safety.

In addition to housing school stuff, this room also holds our diaper changing area, and Tirzah, Obi, and Malachi's clothes. The closet looks really great in this picture, but I did add some more things to it so it's a little more crowded now. :)

The new paint colors coordinate well with the red and yellow out in our living room.

We were all moved in and ready for school by Monday morning! The room is thoughtfully organized and functions well for what we need. Pretty much anything for school is now stored in this room. Previously I had things stored throughout the house in various (nonsensical) locations. This is a huge improvement! It also is worth mentioning again that I sold many books that we haven't used in over a year and I don't plan on using again. I'm getting really big on letting go of stuff that I don't really think I'm going to use. Sooooo much better!

Mitch discovered the ReStore in our town, so he has his eye on some cabinets/shelves there he would like to hang above where Josh and Zeke are sitting. We have no immediate plans for the mirror, but it is something Mitch wants to hang on to. Josh and Zeke's desks are too short for them. Mitch is going to build me some stilts for the desks to sit on.

In preparation for the craziness of school and the overwhelming list of items to get done each day, I created a family schedule. I helped the kids get used to the idea of a schedule by hanging it ahead of time and also practicing where we could. This is a screenshot of what our schedule looks like:

Making a schedule is not hard for me--it's making it work that's difficult. I am a highly analytical person to a fault. I knew that one side of me would carry this too far, be too detailed, and set expectations much higher than anyone in our family could achieve. So I had to find balance. I told myself many times that we would not accomplish a perfect schedule ever. That little chant seemed to help me. I am surprised by how well the schedule did work. We did not do everything on any of the days, but we did get all the important stuff done, and it worked very well.

Micah, Eden, and Caleb can track all their daily work in SOS. Even the subjects they are doing outside of SOS I have created custom subjects for them to track their work, so it is all in one place. I borrowed a spreadsheet from Devona and created checklists for Zeke and Josh.

So the first week is done. It was crazy and insanely busy. At times I went nutty. I was exhausted by the end of each day. My throat hurt and my voice cracked. I was a terrible mommy and yelled when I got upset (more than once). I was also full of patience at other times. We survived. We all have much to learn. I heard from Micah, Eden, and Caleb that they love Teaching Textbooks. They are all very excited about Spanish. :) Zeke and Josh were begging to do Math-U-See when it was not time for math. We went to the library on Wednesday evening and Zeke found books that he--gasp--likes to read. We are wrapping up the first week with much to be thankful for!

It's Your Kid Not a Gerbil by Dr. Kevin Leman

2011-08-29T12:57:00.001-05:00

Dr. Kevin Leman has a new book called It's Your Kid Not a Gerbil.

If you have never read any of Dr. Leman's books, I can tell you they are full of humor and wit ("Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down!"). In this new book Dr. Leman explores busy family schedules and offers helpful advice for restructuring priorities to bring peace and calm back to your home. I haven't read it yet, but if it is like any of his other books I'm sure it is a great read!

Tyndale House Publishers is having a contest to celebrate the release of this new book. Prizes include an iPod Touch, a prize pack of Kevin Leman books, and copies of this new book. For more information and to enter to win, visit the contest page.

Back to School

2011-08-26T15:23:00.000-05:00

Mitch heads back to school on Monday for a week of teacher workshops and to set up his classroom. School officially starts Tuesday after Labor Day. I decided that school would start for our kids this Monday as well. We have had quite a long enough break!

About a month ago I began preparing for the new school year in my "free time". I got in a groove and sold many of our old books on ebay (ones that I'm sure we won't be using again). I used this money to invest in some new/used books. Here are what the kids are doing this year:

Zeke and Josh

Zeke will do 2nd grade and Josh will do 1st grade.

Phonics & Reading: Josh is an excellent reader. It just comes naturally. For ease, I will teach them both phonics together on the 2nd grade level for at least the first couple months of school. We are using A Beka Homeschool edition. Josh will still use a 1st grade workbook (mainly because that's what I bought for him, and he will still find it challenging enough at times). I will also have him read the 1st grade books. Not because he can't read the 2nd grade books, but as a matter of protecting Zeke's self-esteem. Josh reads enough on his own to be challenged to excel.

Handwriting: I have questioned Zeke many times if he would like to continue practicing cursive writing, or if he would like to switch to manuscript. He really enjoys writing in cursive, so we will stick to that. I am going to encourage Josh to learn manuscript. He almost never writes in cursive and often writes in print. I'm going to go with that bent, and work with him on improving. He does not have the fine-motor control of his pencil that I expected him to have at this point. So I'm going to try to relax my expectations and encourage him to keep practicing what feels comfortable. We are using A Beka for handwriting also, even though I did spend time considering other curricula.

Arithmetic: Both boys have not enjoyed A Beka Arithmetic this past year. Getting Zeke to do his math sheet is about as much fun as getting him to pull out two baby teeth that are hanging on for dear life. He just can't do it. After spending a good amount of time researching and thinking and shopping (literally months), I have decided to teach using Math-U-See. (I take math seriously.) I am very excited about this. I will do Beta with Zeke and Alpha with Josh. Deciding what level to put them each on was the hardest. I am confident about my decision. I've been trying to generate excitement for them by talking about it in small chunks over the past couple weeks.

Extra stuff: Science, history, social studies, etc, are all "fluff" subjects at this grade level. I have some A Beka books that are incorporated into the boys' reading programs.

Micah, Eden, and Caleb

Micah is in 8th, Eden in 7th, and Caleb in 5th grade

Switched-On Schoolhouse: All of these guys will do SOS for Language Arts, History, Science, and Elementary Spanish. Eden and Caleb will also do Bible on SOS. I am going to do some assigned reading for Micah for Bible (starting with How Do We Know the Bible is True?).

Arithmetic: I felt from the beginning that SOS had a weak math program. But I went with it, because arithmetic was one of the hardest things for me to grade (got to love automated grading!). This summer I began digging up some more research and decided on Teaching Textbooks. At first I was just going to do it for Micah and Eden. I bought some used copies on ebay. I assumed that they would not have automated grading. I tried out Eden's (Grade 7) and it DID have automated grading. I began to get excited. Micah's (Pre-Algebra) didn't have automated grading, but the edition released this year would have it. So I sold Micah's back on ebay for what I bought it for, and ordered the new edition--whoohoo! And I ordered Grade 5 for Caleb. I created custom arithmetic subjects for each of the kids in SOS so I can easily track their arithmetic work along with everything else.

Writing: Devona is going to teach the Excellence in Writing course this year. Our kids will team up with the Emersons and the Loucks' to sharpen their writing skills. To balance this with what they are doing in SOS, I removed some of the lessons in SOS that are covering the same topics (I love the flexibility of SOS).

I'm excited they are doing Spanish! Micah really wants to learn German. I do too. We'll get there. Ok, I'm sure all of them want to learn German. But I know Spanish, so that's an easy place to start. There's no rule that says they can only learn one foreign language!

I would love to get the kids interested in Speech and Debate. That's going to take a lot more planning and preparation. I'm no where ready to dive into this. I am going to work on laying a foundation for this throughout the school year (talking about what debate is, how it can be fun, why it is important, watching what some other homeschoolers do, etc), to see if there is an interest among the kids. We'll go from there.

Also since Micah is in 8th grade, I am constantly being asked if we will continue to homeschool through out high school. I even had a clerk at Sam's Club outright tell me he disagrees with homeschooling throughout high school. I really don't care what he thinks! But I do realize this is a very important decision. So through this year we have to make a final decision and a plan for 9th grade. My "pat" answer is that it depends on Micah's desires, his level of maturity and responsibility, and what we think is best for him. If you ask him today, he will tell you he wants to go to public school. Whether he will be ready or not is another thought altogether.

Ok, this post has gone on about long enough. And the flies are bothering me. Time to get back to work!

All I Have Is Christ

2011-08-25T10:09:00.002-05:00

Reading List

2011-08-24T22:51:00.002-05:00

I have a few books here that I'm reading that are really good. I probably won't get a chance to write out a full review because my time is so limited right now. Still, I would like to be one beggar showing another beggar where I found bread. These are good books!

The Big What Now Book of Learning Styles by Carol Barnier. I sought out some teaching tips for homeschooling a highly distractible (ADHD??) 8-year old boy. One of the best sites I found (though lacking as far as web-design goes) was Carol's Web Corner. I wanted more, and I found her books. This book is full of hands-on tips to teach according to your child's learning style. The tips are organized according to subject, so they are very easy to find. I think I'm going to end up buying this one because I don't want to give it back. I have a hold on another of her books at the library.

If I'm Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where'd I Leave the Baby? by Carol Barnier. This book is one I bought because my library doesn't have it. Back in the day when I only had a couple children, I didn't really classify myself as "highly distractible". Unfortunately, I must admit that in this day and age I am just that. I have only read the introduction, but this sentence got me pretty excited to read the rest: Carol writes, "You'll learn the role that God designed you for." Ohhhhh it's good. I would quote more, but there's no time! Moving on now...

Keeping our Children's Hearts by Steven and Teri Maxwell. The Maxwells are those "other" parents...not the ones that would need to read the book immediately preceeding this one. They are the organization gurus of large homeschooling families. I'm not ready to buy "Managers of Their Homes" yet, but I have requested some of their books from the library. This is the first one to arrive (it's always a good sign when there are holds on books that you want). So far, I love it. It is breaking me down and resetting me. I swear I need a reset button weekly.

I'm not just reading, but I also have been getting books on c.d. I think I may have overdone it there. I think it's soooo easy to load them on my ipod, right? Well, that was a nice plan when we were going on our trip. Now I have more c.d.'s than one could possibly listen to in a reasonable amount of time. I've requested anything by Chuck Black. Wayne Thomas Batson also has a series I'm going to try out for the kids called The Door Within Trilogy. Finally, I got Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers after reading rave reviews. That one got me in trouble. It is a 15-disc set, and somehow after I returned them to the library disc 1 and 2 are now missing. Ouch. I tried to keep a tight reign on those, but I think a preschooler or toddler helped them disappear. Oh well, the kids are loading things onto their mp3 players and enjoying them, even if I don't have time. Why oh why don't I have time? We should have played some while we were up until 3 a.m. painting! Wish I would have thought of that sooner...

Book Review: Route 66, A Crash Course in Navigating Life with the Bible

2011-08-24T22:01:00.001-05:00

WOW! Right from the first page I have been excited about Route 66 by Krish Kandiah. This book grabbed me and pulled me in immediately. What is it about and why am I so excited? Read on!

When I was a young adult, I listed "reading" as one of my hobbies. But let's be honest, just about anyone can suck down a good fiction novel in no time at all. Real reading has been a new endeavor over the past year and a half. I am hitting everything from fiction to non-fiction to biographies and research tools. My reading level and comprehension have increased. I have also increased my ability to focus on and recall information I have read. I can read faster now than ever before. Reading is definitely an honest hobby now.

I have always struggled to read more than a chapter at a time of my Bible, and remember or comprehend even less afterward. It can be frustrating. I would go to church and listen to our pastor unpack a passage of scripture, tying it in to the bigger Gospel, making connections to other scripture, and I would just be in awe of how he was able to do that. Maybe a little jealous of his ability to understand the Bible better than I do, and definitely discouraged thinking that I would never be able to unpack it on my own. My inability to bring things together or understand the Bible makes it less interesting to read and, at times, downright boring.

Right off the bat, Krish says,

"God created the whole vast universe with a dozen words, and then put 800,000 more words into our hands. Each word was chosen for a reason....As we look more closely at the beauty of the poetry, the precision of the laws, the passion of the prophets and much more, it is my prayer that our all-powerful God would reveal himself to us and work powerfully in us, so that we can live to please him in every way." (Route 66, p. 17)

It's not boring, it's the most important book that I can read! And I have found an excellent tool for getting over my weakness in Route 66. Let's face it, most of us are very busy. We won't have time (in this life) to go to seminary and learn how to do what my pastor does so well. Route 66 is a tool to help us understand the big picture of how scripture is divided up and ties back together. It is a great place to start if you are like me and feel a little "lost" at times. (Are you one of those people that fan open your Bible and read it wherever it lands? You might need a road map. Trust me.)

The over-arching theme of Route 66 is a "travel guide". Many points are made using word-pictures that have to do with driving, cars, road trips, etc. These form mental images that cement the information Krish presents and helps me remember it later. The book is divided into a 8-week reading course, with 5 days of study plus 1 small-group study per week. Each day ends with a "travel journal" section to put into practice what you have just read. Don't miss this important part--skipping the response will mean that you lose the ability to let this sink in and change your Bible study habits.

While designed to be best used in a small-group setting, the book can also be used for an entire church, or individually. I also think teens would enjoy doing a study with Route 66, whether on their own, for a home-school assignment, or in a small group. If you are really adventurous, there is a guide provided for reading the Bible through in 8 weeks along with reading the book. I don't think I could accomplish that task, but I would love to be involved with a small group reading this book. I am buttering Micah up (14 years old, homeschooling 8th grade) to see if he will join me.

If you'd like more information about Route 66, please visit Krish's website here: http://krishk.com/route66/. There you will find free audio downloads, a sample chapter, and more!

I received a complementary copy of this book for review from Kregel Publications. I was not required to write a positive review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. I'm very grateful for the opportunity to review it!

Good news and bad news

2011-08-23T20:07:00.003-05:00

We had a big storm overnight with some heavy rain. When I got up this morning I inspected the floor and found it very wet around the same area where we spotted the mold. Mitch cut away a large section of the subfloor by the back door. The good news is the moisture had not spread beyond the subfloor of our home.

This kind of work on the main structure always makes me a little nervous. But I'm glad he is handy and can do it!

We put down a mirror to check it all out. There was some minor staining, but nothing that looked fresh and definitely no mold below the floor. What a huge relief!

We discovered that the wood in the subfloor and the door jamb has rotted away enough that it has to be replaced. I paused to wonder, if we had not decided to replace the flooring in our home, how long would it have gone until we found this issue? How bad would it be at that point? Whenever I think about mold in my own home, my heart wants to skip a beat. I immediately think of the Fabry family and all their struggles they have gone through. I also think about full disclosure when selling a home and what that will mean for us. We certainly are not professionals. We didn't seal off the area when we pulled back the floor. We did wet the area down to (hopefully) prevent spores from floating into the air. Then Mitch carefully cleaned it with a solution to kill the mold. It may not be enough, but I pray that it is.

We stuck a kid (or two) down in the hole for fun (of course, telling them to put their feet on the rafters, not the sheet rock below). Mitch went outside to look at something, then came in too quickly and fell in the hole. Thankfully he didn't break anything, but it did hurt.

We used a water hose to find where the area is leaking. It leaked perfectly at both lower corners of the door. It's kind of hard to explain. Since the wind usually blows the rain from the west, only the hinge side of the door is showing water damage inside. The other corner is protected somewhat. Part of the issue is how the door was made in the first place. The weather stripping doesn't match up quite right. Also the back door has virtually no protection from weather--when a storm hits, it hits up against the back of the house hard. Because of the rotting wood, as well as some issues with the door, we have to replace the entire door. Mitch's dad, Paul, suggested we also hang a storm door to help keep the water off the new door.

Now for the bad news. Mitch is out shopping right now. There are no 6" deep doors in stock. If we bought a door today, we would have to go with a wood frame, a conversion kit to make it fit our opening, and only a half window vs. the full one we have now. But we could have it fixed relatively soon. If we can wait on an order to come in, we can have a door hung on the right frame (no conversion). We can get full glass, also. We can pay (significantly) more money and order a door hung on a vinyl frame instead of wood. We decided that since the door is so exposed, it makes sense to go with vinyl frame instead of wood, even though it is more money. Also it is worth our time to wait for a door with full glass rather than half glass. With only one other small window in the kitchen area, I was feeling sad about losing that light. Finally, it will just feel good to have the door hung correctly versus having a conversion kit. One less issue to deal with in installation, and considering we are replacing it due to leaks, it is one less thing to worry about in the long term. Unfortunately, it's going to take up to 2 weeks to get here. We will have to patch the hole in the floor and wait.

The total cost of replacing our back door and adding a storm door is going to cost almost as much as our new flooring cost (a little over $500)! Granted, we got a very good deal on the flooring and we're replacing the door because we have to. But, still. I know it could be much, much worse.

We haven't used credit cards in 4 years. God has brought us through very tough financial times. He has blessed us with an emergency savings fund, but also with enough cash on hand to do these projects. I am humbled at His provisions. It is enough to have the food and clothing we need. He has seen fit to protect us by helping us find an important problem with the structure of our home in a most creative way--by giving me something my heart desired for a very long time. I don't understand why, because I know I don't deserve it. But I am thankful. I am so thankful.

Remodel day 4 and 5...finishing up!

2011-08-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

Well we have pushed through and worked hard on this project! I think we've gotten farther in 5 days than I ever imagined. I keep wanting to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. It feels like I moved into a whole new house! I occasionally shut my eyes, try to picture my home like it was before, then open my eyes to enjoy the surprise all over again. We still have a ways to go finishing up and putting back together, but that's just dessert. The elephant is nearly gone. (To borrow from the expression "How do you eat the elephant in the living room? One bite at a time.")

On Sunday after church Mitch began pulling out the old laminate floor from the kitchen. This flooring has held up well over the past 8 years besides some installation issues, and that was a significant factor in us deciding to go with laminate for this project.

We had been moving furniture around to get it "out of the way" as we worked, but we didn't move our couches and table out of the room altogether. So earlier in the day I had been staring at this empty corner and the idea hit me that the dining room table would look really good there. I know that it doesn't make much sense at first glance. We will have to carry our food a long way from the kitchen to get to the table. But the layout of the room is weird anyway, and I think that having the table over here actually opens up the room and is a better use of space. I think we will get used to it. It's worth a try!

Sunday night we made good progress. Mark came back over and helped, and later in the evening Kelly's hubby Tim joined us. He and Mitch lost a good amount of time in the hallway. Though they tried for a long time, they couldn't get the boards to go together. Eventually I joined in the problem-solving. We knew the floor was uneven, but thought it shouldn't be an issue. We were more worried about making sure the boards were parallel as we joined them to the boards in the main room. Finally Mitch grabbed me a long level and I laid it across the floor so we could measure the height difference. I found the floor was bowed up in front of our room and caused a 3/8" difference! The installation instructions recommend no more than a 3/16" difference. Ouch. We brainstormed some more, and Mitch ended up getting out his belt sander. He sanded the sub-floor down to be level. (It was actually really pretty, too, once sanded). What a mess!

We know it's "weird" according to what you would expect, but we love this layout.

Today, Monday, we had daycare as usual, plus Mitch planned to spend the entire day finishing the flooring. It was a great goal. I am so impressed with what they got finished. He had both Mark and Tim's help again most of the day.

We had 3 butterflies come out of their chrysalises today!

We had one not-so-fun surprise in our adventure. The sight of this made me sick to my stomach. A few weeks ago I noticed some black staining underneath our back door. It smelled musty, so I suspected mold. Once we got the floor up today, we found it. I just don't even know what to say. :( Devona was here helping me with daycare, and she called her dad who builds houses. I spoke with him on the phone and we brainstormed where the moisture could be coming from. It's important for us to stop that first, for obvious reasons! We decided to leave this portion of the floor unfinished until we can fix the issue. I am tremendously relieved that it does not appear to have anything to do with the deck. It is something to do with the back door. I also checked the room directly under here and there is no obvious sign of mold. The paint looks perfect, no weird colors, smells, etc.

At one point I looked over to see Obadiah up on his elbows and knees. Seriously?! This kid is sooooo strong. He's only 4.5 months old! He looks like he is totally ready to crawl. He may not crawl any sooner than the rest of my kids did, but he's certainly trying.

He kicked so hard he flipped over. :)

The guys brainstorming how to do these difficult angles in the hallway. Be sure to oooh and ahhh over the finished product below. This is hard "thinking" work!

Tonight at supper Kelly's baby made a good mess all over the floor. It's more fun to clean up food now--we can appreciate it so much more since we lived with a carpeted dining room for so long.

Mitch finished putting all the trim back on tonight. There are some pieces in the kitchen that we need to replace. We also need to install new quarter round around some of the cabinet bases that didn't previously need it. And transition pieces between the hallway and bedrooms. Don't forget the piece at the top of the stairs, too. He has a long shopping list.

It looks so good!

Time to pack it up and enjoy our home!

I am utterly exhausted. I know I should post some good "after" pics, but 1) I'm too tired to go take more and 2) They don't look that different than what I've posted and 3) It's not 100% complete because we still have to move things back into place and fix the moisture issue by the door. While the flooring is on sale and we can get it, I think Mitch is planning to buy enough to do the bedrooms upstairs. I'm excited about redoing the baby room. I'm a little panicky about doing my sewing room. I have a lot of stuff in here! :)

Now I have to catch up--laundry, preparing for school, book reviews, etc. Yikes!