Farm Fresh

We're still alive...

2012-01-21T12:04:00.003-06:00

It has been a busy month. I wish I could blog every day because so much happens that I want to share with others or even just keep for myself for the future. I love looking back at my old posts and rediscovering those moments. I love reminiscing happenings I had long forgotten. I want to blog for myself and for my babies and for my family and friends who don't see us on a regular basis, but sometimes, it just gets to be "one more thing" and gets to be too much.

Christmas was wonderful. We had a crazy week after Christmas with family here from out of town and many for dinner every night. I loved it but it was tiring at the same time.

The week after New Year's was tiring for other reasons. My best friend's mom died suddenly and my heart just hurt for her and her family. I didn't do much other than love them the best I could and be there and listen but it was a wearying week just the same. I can't imagine how exhausted she was.

I just haven't been feeling the best or having the energy and motivation to do much more than the bare necessities (assuming food is a necessity, and a path through the house). Sometimes it takes all my energy just to answer the phone. I'm so thankful that even though I haven't been running my home the ways I would ideally want to, I have been able to be so patient and loving to my chiddlers, and this last month has been probably my most mellow yet (i.e. no loss of temper).

We're redoing the guest room and making some big changes in its hospitality.

The girls and I are taking the train this week to see my sister and family in Colorado. I am so excited to be able to surprise them. It's their Super Summer Challenge Surprise. We'll be out there for five days. It will be a wonderful trip, if I can find the wherewithal to get ready for it. :-)

We had five inches of snow yesterday so now I have to help the chiddlers get ready to go o!ut in it to play

Random bits

2011-12-28T11:11:00.001-06:00

The girls spent Christmas morning writing their thank you notes so they would be ready to pass out after they opened their gifts.

Denton turned 16 months on Christmas Eve. We're still breastfeeding and he's never been sick. Coincidence?

I'm a huge fan of peppermint coffee creamer, even if it does have soybean oil in it.

Cadrian has a new favorite Iowa State outfit that I'm afraid is going to be worn every other day. (and that's just because I make him wash it, otherwise he would never take it off).

I started something called The Tens List for Bible reading in April. Yesterday I just finished reading the entire Bible for the first time! I've started a book called Crazy Love.

Our kitty Goldenmane is 14ish weeks and likes to spend time in laps and inside the Christmas tree. She also has a purr you can hear in Colorado. Her favorite place to sleep is in the scarf drawer.

Aviana can do some magic tricks with her new magic set. It's pure joy to watch her blossom.

I cleaned out the guest room. It's never looked so good (if you ignore the ripped wallpaper, green shag carpet, dated furniture and the torn and sullied duvet cover.)

Brielle is super sweet even when her face isn't covered in tea ring frosting.

Cadrian's favorite games to play are "Bad Guy Fight" and "Roughhouse". Aviana loves the paper and pencil version (probably because we don't have the branded game) of "Battleship". Brielle enjoys look and finds, like Where's Waldo? or 1001 Wizard Things to Spot.

I read the first Hunger Games in less than a day. I'm a little afraid to start the next one because of the amount of time I'd have to ignore my family. But I can't not start it!

I organized the storage and got rid of a bunch of stuff. That felt pretty good. I'd forgotten one should actually be able to walk into a room.

Aviana can't wait until our 'sewing for 18" dolls' books come in at the library. She can't wait to make Laura Hope Grace Lacy some clothes. (I hope it's EASY!)

We still haven't had any snow. Cold without snow just isn't fair.

Countdown to Christmas

2011-12-20T19:39:00.006-06:00

I saw a fabulous idea for an Advent calendar on Pinterest, so I made it.

You make little cards from cardstock and fold them over ribbon stapled to the back of a picture frame. I just so happened to have a frame that was newly glass-less, so I was all set.

You clothespin the cards to the ribbon so you can't see what's inside. Aviana and I decoupaged clothespins with scrapbooking paper, but it turned out that the regular sized clothespins were way too heavy for the ribbon.

I used some mini clothespins that happened to have a summer theme, but ah well. On the inside of the cards you write an activity for the day.

The blog I read this on ((The original post is here)) suggested using post-its, so you don't have to re-make the cards every year, and it gives you flexibility to change up the activity if something comes up at the last minute. Is she brilliant or what?!

A few of our activities were ice skating...

and making popcorn strings...

do our Advent candles...

make Christmas cookies...

and go see Santa.

Even though Aviana made all the cards for me, I've since then found some K&Company paper that had beautiful vintage Christmas numbers. I did feel a little guilty about covering up all her painstakingly placed stickers, but I do love the calendar all the more with its new Victorian feel and matching numbers.

Funny family

2011-12-18T19:21:00.004-06:00

Last night Aviana asked me to tell her a story from my childhood. So I started telling her about one of my childhood houses and some of the games we would play there and some of the activities I remembered doing there.

After a few minutes, she said, "If that's the story Mama, it's more like an essay!"

Too true, too true. Called out on my plotless story by my seven year old!

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The children asked for ice cream after dinner. I told them they could have pickle ice cream.

They thought for a few seconds, and readily agreed!

I guess pickle ice cream is better than no ice cream.

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Cadrian hid his stuffed animals behind something and told me:

No budee see 'em dere! No buddee can eagle eye 'em!

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Brielle calls our sweet friend's sweet baby "Jewelry-a".

Her name is Julia, but I'm kind of fond of Jewelry-a and call her that in my head...

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"Aviana," I said, "A dirty old sock is not a very good bookmark."

"Mama," she replied, "a dirty old sock is better than NO bookmark."

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SIze matters

2011-12-10T16:04:00.002-06:00

I saw an adorable elf hat pattern in a knitting book. I knew I just had to make it for my one year old sweet boy. Only it had me making cables.

I've never done cables. I've been knitting for about two years now, but I've never done cables. Or color changes either. Or anything with true shaping, like a sweater. Or anything else that requires a lot of attention...

But this time I thought, I can do it. So I watched a couple of how to videos just to reassure myself, and soldiered on. I went out and bought special yarn, knitted a size swatch because I wanted to make sure it would fit him, and began.

The hat turned out ok (except for the very first cable turn).

Oh, and except for the fact that it didn't fit Denton! It was too big for ME! I have no idea where I went wrong (unless I mixed up centimeters and inches or some crazy thing).

So I tried again. This time-- was pretty cute!

Now if I could just get him to keep it on for more than eight seconds.

Smart Bottom Kids

2011-12-05T19:25:00.008-06:00

When I find something that I love, I feel compelled to share it with others who may love it too. While messing around the other day, I ran across an Etsy store called Smart Bottom Kids (and with a name like that you know it has to be good right?)

The shop owner, Darcy, puts together craft kits for you and your kids to do together. Darcy is a former elementary teacher and has a seven and a five year old (kind of like me :-) so one would think she's pretty much a genius when it comes to small child craft kits). (Turns out she is.)

I ordered the Christmas Ornament Banner. It was a little pricier than I would normally spend on a craft, but I love to support Etsy shops and I love to do crafts with my chiddlers. I don't relish the setting up and cleaning up part though. I was hoping the kit would take care of the setting up.

I wonder if Darcy would come and take care of the cleaning up too...

I wasn't sure what to expect when I quickly got the kit in the mail. She said all would need is scissors, but is that really all I would need?

A great big resounding YES!

The kit came with everything clearly labeled in nifty little packets. Even the craft sticks were labeled "glue spreader". Her proportions were extremely generous, we would actually have enough sparkles and decorative paper left to make an entirely different garland, all I would have to do is cut out the ornament shapes.

It was perfect for two children--it came with 2 each of several ornament shapes.

It was also the perfect size craft for them--they were almost to their crafting limit by the time they finished their last ornament. It was also wonderfully sparkly, and especially for the five year old, whose favorite color is "glitter", this was another perfect.

This guy helped by playing nicely in his chair and

also finding, and subsequently, emptying, my wallet; having a dirty diaper; getting into other various and sundry mischief.

I originally hung it here,

but then we moved it to the archway.

( I am just posting this review because I want to, not because I've been asked to or given anything free ;-))

Mama's Daybook

2011-11-28T23:28:00.002-06:00

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...frosty

I am thinking...I should really be in bed

I am thankful...to spend time with my brother and new sister

From the learning rooms...elving and Advent

In the kitchen...Chicken tortilla soup was a big hit tonight. Not a smackeral left

I am wearing...a bright striped sweater jeans striped socks and Ugg knockoffs.

I am creating...Christmas gifts--also knitted an elf hat for Denton with a CABLE--too bad it ended up being too big for KEVIN! (and I did an accurate gauge swatch, so I have no idea what happened)--also got a spinning lesson Saturday!

I am going...to my mom's again tomorrow

I am wondering...if I'll be able to get my hair highlighted this week

I am reading...the fourth Harry Potter book--I'm reading the books then watching the movies after each one. Fun times.

I am hoping...this week continues to be wonderful

I am looking forward to...more "Telestration" and laughter tomorrow

I am hearing...Kevin shuffling papers

Around the house...keeping up with the clutter

One of my favorite things...watching my children grow--how Aviana wants to be with grown-ups so badly and truly can hold her own

A few plans for the rest of the week: being in the arms of my family

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

A repurposed sweater :-)

Are you kidding me?!

2011-11-22T07:35:00.004-06:00

How much do you spend on Christmas?

It's out of control.

I googled "stocking stuffers" and was hard pressed to find a single item on the lists for less than $10. If people really go by these guides you see in magazines and on line this time of year, and you put just a few things in the stocking plus some really inexpensive items like the ritual toothpaste and toothbrush (c'mon, I KNOW I'm not the only who has gotten a new toothbrush for Christmas every year of her life), that's $50 just on the stocking. That's JUST the STOCKING!

Then what do you put under the tree? Googling "real simple gift guide" turned up some ideas. Costly ones. A twenty dollar gift? A fifty dollar gift? How many gifts do you put under the tree anyway?

If you're spending $100 per person on Christmas presents for everyone in your family, that can add up pretty fast. My guess is for the average American $100 per person is on the low end of the Christmas budget.

My guess is your child already has plenty of toys. Plenty of things with which to occupy himself. Plenty of clothes. Plenty of love and affection. Ask yourself why you're doing it.

Then what about your families of origin? Are you buying your parents presents? Siblings? Their spouses? Nieces? Nephews? Are your kids "buying" for their cousins? Do they really need all that stuff? Do you? Ask them what they think of what you got them last year. Do they still use it?

Do they even remember what it was you spent four trips to the mall and hours agonizing over to give them? Is is worth your time, your money, your emotional investment to shower all these people with gifts?

What about the paper boy? The hairdresser? The mailman (less than $20 by law)? The kids' teachers? Piano teacher? The garbage man? Seriously?! You're forking over another $100 just in tips or "little appreciation gifts"? How many "#1 teacher" ornaments can someone put on her tree anyway?

WHY do we do this?! It's the season of giving. Sure. According to whom? The retailers? The catalogs? The people anxious to make a buck and pump up the economy?

Jesus gave us the ultimate gift of his very life and breath. So that's why I should give a Buddah Butter Dish to my quirky office mate or a Bear's Head Staple Remover to my assistant.

Grandchild tee shirt for Opa

The wise men (who, by the way, likely would have numbered many more than three) brought three gifts to toddler Jesus (which would mean they all didn't give something). Because He was BORN! Because He is the light of the world! Because He is our Savior, not simply because it was a certain date near Winter Soltice. Jesus birth isn't even celebrated until 300 years after His birth, death, resurrection and ascension. It's nowhere mentioned in the Bible to therefore give gifts to your fellow man to honor Jesus' birth, or because the Magi did it.

Sure I'm a bit on the outer fringe with my opinion. But I'm not the only one. (link is to an excellent article outlining why you might want to consider scaling back)

We've done some alternative things to show people that we love them without going crazy spending and shopping. One year we gave everyone a gift curtailed to their interests in their honor to Samaritan's Purse. You could also help people in real need at Compassion. Another year, I bought gifts at second-hand stores or from friends getting rid of some of their items. Second hand gifts have the bonus of less packaging too. Generally we make gifts--like a personalized wine bottle label, a calendar with pictures of the grandchildren, a mantle scarf, ornaments...Use your imagination (or steal liberally from the internet like I do).

Second hand Animal Train for Cadrian

I'm just trying to get you to think about why you do what you. I want to help you see that just because that's what "everyone else" does or it's the way you've always done it, doesn't mean you have to keep doing it that way.

You may think it's Bah. Humbug. But truly it's Merry Christmas. Even without the excessive show of gifts.

Mama's Daybook

2011-11-21T16:18:00.000-06:00

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...cloudy, 50's; so far, it doesn't feel like November

I am thinking...those Best Buy deals might be worth the craziness this year!

I am thankful...I get to see my husband every evening

From the learning rooms...making a puppet theater

In the kitchen...I have a menu made! (*insert applause here*) Tonight we're having BBQ Pork Sandwiches with leftover pork roast

I am wearing...pink knee socks, my favorite long and lean jeans, a long sleeved purple shirt & purple 3/4 length sleeve purple sweater cardi with one big button

I am creating...some knits...

I am going...We went to presentation day today

I am wondering...if I'll be able to get my hair highlighted this week

I am reading...finished Patriots (a how to survive the end of the world book in the guise of a novel. The writing is extremely detailed but intriguing) and am in the middle of Playful Learning (bought it--that says a lot!) and The Bourne Dominion. (I enjoy the action and trying to figure out what is going on and going to happen, but think this will be my only Bourne book)

I am hoping...we get to make some new friends when we go to "Doughnuts and Chat" at the local retirement center on Saturday.

I am looking forward to...Thanksgiving!

I am hearing...Children giggling, quietly

Around the house...keeping up with the clutter

One of my favorite things...Baby bummies

A few plans for the rest of the week: We will be going to my cousin's for Thanksgiving. We also are going to the gym (three times hopefully!) and to set up a room at church this week.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

Sir Cutie Patootie

14 November Daybook

2011-11-14T09:05:00.003-06:00

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY
Outside my window...warm, windy, cloudy rainy--although I can't really see out right now as I'm in an interior "business center" in a hotel far from home!

I am thinking...it's stinkin' hot in here!

I am thankful...for my dear friend's healthy pregnancy! Praise God. (Just typing that made me tear up again.)

From the learning rooms...
Thanksgiving : one of our current favorites-- Thank you, Sarah: The Woman who Saved Thanksgiving

In the kitchen...breakfast buffet prepared by someone else. At home I have a menu waiting and all the ingredients ready to go, so am excited about not throwing together last minute meals this week!
I am wearing... yoga pants, a longsleeved tee, a sheen of sweat and sparkly nail polish

I am creating...toddler pants and girl legwarmers from old sweaters

I am going...back to reality today--after a girls' weekend of relaxation, lots of coffee and talk and a movie marathon

I am wondering...how Denton did without nursing for 50 hours (as of now, it'll be longer when I get home)

I am reading...Crazy Love --well, at least I've been carrying it around with me for several days with the intention of starting it. I'm also re-reading the Harry Potter books and then watching the movie after each one. Fun for me!
I am hoping...my kids readjust to me being home with no fits or tears

I am looking forward to...snuggles and kisses and warm bodies on my lap

I am hearing...this squeaky ('puter) mouse

Around the house...more organizing, purging, maybe getting the carpets cleaned

One of my favorite things...a small person running to me with his or her arms outstretched

A few plans for the rest of the week: several stay at home days...

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...(I'll try to remember to post this when I get home)

Are you tired or lazy?

2011-11-09T19:24:00.003-06:00

This was the subject line in an email I received from a trusted faithful woman. It's supposed to be motivational as she's doing a series on moving from lazy to self-disciplined which is a good thing. In truth, her email was rather encouraging, and as well as honest.

But it was the subject line that got my attention and my point is that our worth isn't measured by what we accomplish.

We live in such an achievement oriented society. It's ridiculous.

Now granted, I have moments of selfishness and times when I want to do absolutely nothing. Sometimes I give in to the urge like yesterday when I watched several episodes of a show on Netflix without even knitting or mending or nursing while doing so. Sometimes I don't.

But I don't think that makes me lazy.

It's frustrating because I look around this house and all the picking up that needs to be done, the vacuuming, the wiping, the corner scrubbing and flat surface dusting.

Here are some of things I did today:

Picked up and put away several things in my creativity studio

Made bread

Read aloud for a really long time with many many interruptions and

Kept my temper

Made Italian stew with fresh vegetables from my garden

Played a learning game with my girls

Made a couple of fabric covered magazine bins out of a diaper box

Cut up some tomatoes and put them in the freezer

Sharked the kitchen

Had a Jingle Bell Rock dance party with my boys

Roughhoused with my children

Organized a couple of cabinets

Did all the dishes

Now--the chiddlers are all in bed. I am done. Tired. Mentally worn out. Ready for some relaxing. But there is still a ton to be done. Everywhere I look there are things to put away at the bare minimum, not to mention the cinnamon in the bathroom sink or the shredded cheese on my kitchen floor.

If I don't do it, am I lazy?

Thankfully, God loves me with an overwhelming love and doesn't base that love on my achievements, paltry as they may be. If I can only truly grasp that concept, really 'get it' into the core of my spirit, it would be a lot easier to let go of what I haven't gotten done.

(pictures in this post are purely gratuitous)

Thankfulness

2011-11-03T17:24:00.003-05:00

1. Learning to get along and not throw tantrums when I don't get my way. (Yes, I'm still learning)

2. An understanding (mostly) and patient (usually) husband

3. Play outside afternoons

4. Spending time with friends

5. Not having to cook

6. Crafts all over the house speaking of creativity

7. Building blocks

8. Fish lips from the one year old

9. Unbridled exuberance

Daybook

2011-10-31T14:28:00.003-05:00

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...Sunny, cool--gorgeous October seeing itself out...

I am thinking...store bought milk is gross

I am thankful...for my milk co-op so I only have to go to the farm where we buy milk every couple of months

From the learning rooms...memorizing the countries in Europe. Because she wants to.

In the kitchen...homemade bread...also thankful for a bread machine.

I am wearing... argyle socks, jeans, purple shirt w/ a purple sweater cardi

I am creating...knitted gauntlets

I am going...to get back into the habit of making menus. This fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants thing is driving me batty.

I am wondering...if I'm hearing God right, why isn't my husband in agreement?

I am reading...How Children Fail **** (four out of five stars)

I am hoping...to resolve some mental confusion

I am looking forward to...Daylight Savings Time being over (and wishing it would never change--just one more way the government is exerting control in our lives IMHO)

I am hearing...Cadrian talking to himself as he plays with his trains.

Around the house...laundry--the usual...

One of my favorite things...Denton backing up into my lap with a book he wants to read together

A few plans for the rest of the week: we went to the milk farm today, Bible study Wednesday, playdate Thursday. Yes, playdates are more for me than the children.

Here is picture for thought I am sharing...

What an amazing country we live in.

2011-10-28T11:35:00.004-05:00

photo credit: Getty images

Lady Liberty celebrates 125 years today. She's been welcoming the world to our great nation for a really long, long time.

This book made me cry a little.

Most of us will never know what it's like to leave your home and move somewhere completely unknown. Most of us will never HAVE to learn another language. Most of us will never know what it's like to not feel completely safe in our homes, or to not have enough food for your family and be able to do nothing about it.

Most of us are descended from those that did. And we've gotten complacent. We've gotten soft. We've gotten lazy.

We are allowing our rights to be impinged upon little by little, bit by bit and are thinking it's for our own good.

An example would be that we allow the Fourth Amendment to be violated every time we fly.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."

The TSA guy didn't have probable cause to take away my lotion or force me to dump my water. We PAY the airlines to destroy the Bill of Rights with our government's approval by disarming us and forcing us to submit ourselves to useless, Communist-esque searches. Our ancestors came here precisely for the freedoms we're supposed to be able to enjoy in America.

Today on her birthday, celebrate the freedom that the Statue of Liberty represents.

Every day, think through what those freedoms actually are and stand firm in the rights granted us by our Constitution.

(oh yeah, and learn the Constitution.)

Remember what John Adams said, "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other. "

And watch. Be aware. Pay attention.

2011-10-19T20:47:00.000-05:00

one of my favorites

2011-10-02T19:14:00.002-05:00

I love this kid

2011-09-29T19:00:00.003-05:00

For a while, we were a tiny bit afraid he would never talk.

Trust me. That is not a problem.

I love getting pictures of this boy's brain. He tells me everything. (yes everything) he is thinking.

And he's sensitive too. When I have to get stern with him, he'll be so crestfallen and sometimes run to his room crying. He'll pop back out in a few minutes with that sweet grin and "Gaw-rwee, Mama! Gaw-rwee!" (he substitutes the hard" g" sound for "s" and"j")

After getting in trouble for getting lotion all over the bathroom, Cadrian is eager to prove his lotion worthiness every time we're in the bathroom together, which come to think of it, is frequently. He'll ask me if he can use it and then show me, "Ghee Mama? Dist one pump? Ghee? Dist a wittle bit!"

We got a new McDonald's in our town and every. time. we drove by it (which is a lot since it's right by the turn off to the library) he would say, "Unca Donald's almost build!"

He loves to go get the mail for me. "By my ghelf!" I asked him if he was going to be a postman when he grew up and deliver the mail. He thought about that for a minute, and then said, "No be postman wike Dewr-wek.(our cousin) Be fawr-mewr wike Papa!"

(He just started calling Kevin Papa sometimes. We don't know why, since we always call him Dada)

The best though, is the first time he'll see me dressed for the day, and he'll light up and say, "I wike you in dat Mama!"

The Ick.

2011-09-28T23:01:00.003-05:00

We've all had it for about a week now.

Denton despite the green goo oozing now and then from his eyes and nose, is a happy little totter-er. He insists on walking a few steps when he first lets go of whatever he's holding on to and then plops to his bummie. He holds his hands up in a finger splayed "stick 'em up" position as he totters. So stinkin' cute.

Cadrian just mostly has the runny nose, but occasionally wants extra cuddles so he'll tell me he's "gick" so I'll scratch his back and nuzzle him. Then he's off to the next thing--especially if it includes sand or dirt or both.

Brielle had pretty much dodged the bullet, with the exception of Saturday when she was too sick to go to Aunt Katie's bridal shower, ("Mama,"she asked plaintively from the couch, "will you doe det my fancy dress?" she couldn't get up but she she sure wanted to be at the shower!) but now she's lost her voice and fell asleep on the couch when she should have been coming in for dinner. She at around 8 pm. and went straight back to bed.

Aviana has had me up in the night with sore throats and ear aches. She seems fine during the day, singing as she's puzzling, playing and reading a new Little House book every day (she's in the Rose years right now) but awakens shrieking in the night. I'm praying she sleeps through tonight; I don't think I could take another day of this.

Kevin, bless his heart, has worked out in the rain or sun with a stuffed up face and aching head, treating cattle, combining, baling hay, fixing--the endless jobs he's conquering every day. If he feels as half as cruddy as I do, I don't know how he finds the strength.

And me, I pulled together the energy to go to Heartstrings this morning, which was a blessing because I realized I would get a migraine if I didn't get to the chiro stat, so since I was already in town it was a piece of cake. Relatively.

The kids waited in the toy room for a while, then about 1/2 way through they came to the exam room where the doctor suddenly looked up and quipped, "Wow! This room just got...populated!"

Approval

2011-09-23T21:12:00.002-05:00

We met up with some home school friends today. When we arrived, it was beginning to rain and we saw a teen (tween? whatever.) boy in the yard spinning in circles shouting "I love the rain! I love the rain!" My girls were giggling at his delight and wanted to join in.

That moment has stuck with me all day. I am pretty sure I would NEVER have done that as a teenager. I cared too much about what other people thought of me. I was too insecure. I was craving the approval of others and never wanted to get negative attention for my behavior. Even if I felt like dancing in the rain, I wouldn't have, unless I knew the others would approve.

I've always been somewhat of a free spirit and that was hard, not fitting in. Not being the same as the others. Not liking the same things. I also wanted to do things my way and that was hard too, when others wouldn't cave to my will.

I would be myself only within a certain range, only when I was pretty sure it would meet someone else in my peer group's standard for my behavior.

What a gift that mom is giving her son. To give him the confidence to dance in the rain, to be who he is, to be how he wants to be, to be crazy and silly in front of his peers, to play.

Thankfully, I've outgrown that and now dance and sing in the rain and don't care who's watching.

September

2011-09-18T20:46:00.003-05:00

It was rainy and cold today--perfect day for napping and movies, snuggles and stories. It's been wonderful weather the past several weeks. We've been loving out side time and can't get enough of this September weather.

Canning

2011-09-14T19:12:00.006-05:00

In my imagination, I would have a well stocked larder like this:

But in my reality a day of canning went like this: After getting the baby down for his morning nap at 9 a.m., I went out to pick apples. With muchísimo help from my 7 and 3 year olds who think they can operate the apple picker I haul a five gallon bucket inside. Now, my original goal was to can 56 quarts of applesauce, because then we could have a quart a week, and since my mother-in-law's canner holds 7 quarts, I wanted to do multiples of 7. I figured a five gallon bucket of apples would fill 7 quarts. I also figured that I would be done peeling coring and slicing since I have a handy dandy machine by the time Denton got up from his nap.

Can I just say? Sometimes I'm wrong. Very. Very. Wrong.

By lunchtime I had 3 and a half quarts full of applesauce; even with the apple peeler-corer-slicer doing the peeling, coring, and slicing and my Vitamix doing the pureeing. I'd used up all my apples and thankfully Kevin offered to pick me more.

Finally, by the time Denton was down for his afternoon nap, I had filled all the jars.

My mother-in-law had showed me how to use the pressure canner when we canned tomatoes together and it seemed very straight forward. It's an awesome canner that she got for a wedding present in 1962. (Wedding presents have changed somewhat in the ensuing 40 years, haven't they?)

She graciously had made sure the rubber ring was at it's full width by boiling it so had given it to me not installed in the canner. Trouble was, I didn't know where to install it. Even more troublesome, I thought I did.

After messing with the fool thing for 45 minutes, and reading the instruction booklet eleventy-seven times, I called Kevin to see if he could help me. That would be a big negative. Although his mom put up gazillions of quarts of produce every year his whole growing up life, he had never helped her. Suddenly, I noticed a small illustration that seemed to show the rubber ring going in the lid, not on the pot and voila, we could make the canner close and seal.

I happily canned my applesauce. Or so I thought.

When I took my lovely quarts out of the pressure canner around 5:15 p.m. the little button on the top of the jar lid still went up and down! They hadn't sealed! ALL THAT WORK and I still hadn't done it right!!

I called my mother-in-law who by now was off work and on her way home to see if she could stop over to see what I had done wrong this time. I was very near ~~meltdown stage~~tears when she kindly informed me that it sometimes can take up to 24 hours for them to seal; they don't just seal right away.

"OH." I said, sheepishly.

And sure enough, I now have 7 quarts of applesauce canned in sparkling jars.

I had 1/2 a quart left over that the children devoured for dinner. Which is all they are going to get, ever, because after all that work, NOBODY is going to be eating that applesauce.

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

Today I canned seven quarts of green beans, without much fuss or ado. It was much simpler because I had already snapped most of them (the children helped one day and I had a friend over who helped another day) and they were waiting in the freezer.

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

I think there is a learning curve with this, but I do think I am really going to enjoy providing home grown produce for my family all throughout the year with the beauty that is canning.

When you walk into my house

2011-09-10T07:30:00.000-05:00

I love...

my Cherry Cobbler wall, old barn windows, my family, photographs I took,

sparkly Valentines all year long, the children's art line, and coming home.

Recently

2011-09-09T20:34:00.005-05:00

Reading Last Light by Terri Blackstock.

Buying a generator.

Building and stocking a storage pantry.

Wearing my poet shirt I got in high school.

Trying to talk my husband into a wood burning stove.

Researching composting toilets and water sanitation systems.

Reading How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It. (TEOTWAWKI)

Harvesting some veggies from the garden.

Freezing them plus more I bought from real gardeners at the Farmer's Market.

Falling in love with Backwoods Home Magazine.

Implementing the Two Minute Tidy.

Not stressing about the state of my home. (it's been a beautiful thing)

Brushing off the sand from my bed (see the post about the two sandboxes :-))

Designing our Christmas photo card.

Getting ready for my brother's wedding.

Noticing that I am up before the sunrise now.

Making stuff with my sweet girl.

Spending a lot of time outside.

Preparing to make a lot of applesauce.

Learning how to can tomatoes. (And hopefully applesauce)

Loving my first cup of coffee and my second and frequently third (and even, sometimes, fourth) (I tell myself, hey, it's better than the Diet Dew habit!)

Watching Mysteries of the Ancient World

And snuggling with my husband under a yummy fleecy sweatshirt blanket free from the seed corn salesman.

Playing in the sand

2011-09-06T16:39:00.003-05:00

Dada made a sandbox.
He plans to make a digger like these too.
See that tiny reddish blob right in the middle? That's Denton--He crawled all the way from me, to the sandbox. It has quite the appeal.
Of course, it means I have to give baths more frequently now :-) and comb sand out of hair quite a little bit. But the delight we see is worth it.

Oh and the industriousness!
And there was enough sand left over that Dada made another one out the back door.

Number Four Turned One

2011-08-30T10:12:00.001-05:00

Lots of help opening presents...
and a cake of my very own!

Priorities

2011-08-29T21:52:00.003-05:00

This morning at the gym, I parked my gravel-dusty 2000 Mercury Mystique in between a sparkly newer model BMW and a shiny new Lexus. I noticed, but that was the extent of it.

I am so thankful that the total cost of all of our vehicles, including the '98 camper--which is pure luxury to us-- is less than that Lexus. I am so thankful that we put our emphasis on what is in our hearts, not what is under our bums when we are driving down the road. I am so thankful that we focus on seeing each other, not through a pricey windshield. I am so thankful we concentrate on reusing, remaking, saving, making do, instead of making a car payment.

I am so thankful for this husband of mine who is completely beside me in these lifestyle choices, which can be counter cultural. I am so thankful for this family of mine God has allowed for me to teach our priorities to.

More on Amish Values...

2011-08-22T07:01:00.001-05:00

There is a lot about the Amish lifestyle that is appealing to me, chiefly among the reasons are the sense of community and self-sufficiency I feel like is inherent to their way of life. When I read the Amish diaries in Country magazine or a newspaper column in my old hometown weekly publication, I always feel a little wistful about how their lives are different from mine.

I enjoyed the book Amish Values for Your Family. I received a book to review and one to give to a reader from the publishers, and am excited to send it your way.

The book is divided into four sections. Each chapter starts with an Amish proverb which in and of themselves are worth noting and posting round your home. The chapter consists of a little short story of an Amish family, sometimes combined with information of the world we live in, statistics and such. The main anecdote is followed by "Road Map: Getting there from here", which is made of tangible ideas you can apply right now to make your life look a little different, a little simpler, a little more Amish, if you will. The chapter ends with a a section called "In their own words..." which are amusing peeks into the Amish life.

The four sections are:

1. Children are Loved but not Adored

2. Great Expectations

3. Daily Bread

4. Letting Go

The section that probably meant the most to me was the first. I found several nuggets I could apply to my daily life, that I should apply to my life. These Amish women and men put me to shame in their application of God's word to their lives. The chapter aptly named "The Mud Hole" was startling in the reaction of the mom when her covered-with-mud boys interrupted her baby's nap (again).

One of my goals in life is to be able to react "wordlessly" when my day doesn't go as planned because of the precious little blessings I ought to be putting first in my day. A quote from the "Road Map" is "it's quite possible that you are trying too hard to accomplish one thing and altogether missing the more important thing. The good is often the enemy of the best." The author suggests to dig for the humorous part of the situation.

In another chapter, she suggests having a "to-be" list instead of a to-do list. I plan to implement this as well. Write down the big overarching goals in your family. For example one of mine is "To live close to God, my family and the earth." Keep this in mind as you approach the minutia that invariably comes up in your day.

There are so many tidbits one could apply to one's life. I would recommend reading this book bit by bit and let the ideas swim around for a while. If you try to read it all at once, you could end up with an inferiority complex (ahem, like I did). I don't purchase books very often, but I would buy this one.

If you'd like to see how to apply Amish values to your family, and own a copy of this book too, you can enter my giveaway by leaving a comment. Tell me what you want your family legacy to look like, what you see as truly important, your overarching goals in family raising.

Press release as follows:

Suzanne Woods Fisher is thrilled to announce the release of Amish Values for Your Family, her latest non-fiction release. "It offers loving ways to bring your fractured home back to life-Amish style. Read it and apply generously! It’s a beautiful book-funny, charming, soulful, and beautiful." -Mary Ann Kirkby

Read the reviews here.

To celebrate the release of Amish Values for Your Family, Suzanne has teamed up her publisher Revell Books to giveaway a Kindle, and with Bill Coleman (the amazing photographer used on Suzanne’s book covers) to give away a signed Bill Coleman original.

One Grand Prize winner will receive an Amish Values Prize Package (valued at over $200) and includes:

* A brand new KINDLE

* A Signed Bill Coleman original

* Amish Values for Your Family (for KINDLE)

Click on one of the icons to enter. Winner will be announced on 9/2 at Suzanne’s blog. Be sure to stop by the blogs on Suzanne’s blog tour – many have copies of Amish Values for Your Family to give away.

But, wait there's more! Suzanne is running a Bill Coleman caption contest during the month of August on her blog. Title one of Bill’s gorgeous photos for a chance to win a print from Bill’s Amish Photo site and/or a copy of Amish Values for Your Family.

A Volcano Party

2011-08-21T22:10:00.006-05:00

Me and my boy...

Everyone getting their hands wet in preparation to make...

clay volcanoes

Aviana and her bestie by the volcano target for a "throw the lava bomb" game...

volcano sand art

The classic baking soda vinegar experiment with a secret ingredient

(of a dab of dish soap with red food coloring)

Coke and Mentos geyers

and cake.

Three down... one to go...

2011-08-19T21:36:00.007-05:00

This little guy turned three.

He chose to go to the family "zoo-eem" (museum) for his family date, and have a green cake.

He got his wish.

The next day, this sweet girl turned seven. She wanted a bow and arrow and a fashion doll with a dozen outfits.

She wanted to go to an aquatic center for her family date, and a chocolate jelly roll cake with coffee ice cream. Her wish came true.

Three weeks later, this little darlin' turned five.

She wanted to go to Incredible Pizza and have a cake like the one in Richard Scarry's Please and Thank you Book.
We aim to please (even if the cake was a little melted)

When this sweet baby turns one next week, we think he will be happy if we sit on the floor all day and play with him and let him crawl all over us.

And we're pretty sure he'll be satisfied with breast milk for dessert.

Currently Reading...

2011-08-15T21:53:00.001-05:00

Why yes, I am an eclectic reader...

Cruel and Usual Punishment--written by a Muslim woman from Egypt, she tells the truth of what Islam is trying to accomplish through immigration and high birth rates. She tells the truth of what Islam really is--and it ISN'T a "religion of peace". Islam is not only a religion -- It is also a political and legal system. She tells the truth of how Muslim women are forced to live, what their law really allows to happen to them, how the law dehumanize women and girls, even baby girls, and what the Muslim agenda truly is. She tells this truth in spite of the fact that Islamic scholars agree that those who criticize Islam or choose to stop being Muslim should be executed.

I, for one, am grateful that she risks her life to publicly speak out, so we in the West can know the truth and act on it. You need to know too.

Amish Values for Your Family--I was sent a copy of this to review and one to give away--watch for the review and giveaway in a week! In the meantime, check out the author's website for an even BIGGER giveaway, and an overview of the book.

From Dead to Worse--the eighth Sookie Stackhouse vampire novel--I would call these 'beach reads'. Light, fluffy, adventure, romance, quippy, and of course, supernatural beings; what's not to love? This series is definitely PG-13, but a lot of fun.

Bringing Up Girls--I thought I would give this Dr. Dobson book a go in spite of the underwhelming reviews on Amazon. So far, I agree with everything he has to say about how so many girls grow up not feeling lovely and how important dads are in their lives. So far, I agree with the problems girls are facing growing up in the 2010s one of which is how our culture over-sexualizes women, teens, and the newly invented "tween". (I mean, have you seen the short shorts they are selling for 10 year olds!? Cover up your babies, ladies!) So far, it doesn't seem like it's going to be a lot of new information for me, but I think I'll enjoy it.

Still missed

2011-08-14T20:29:00.000-05:00

The Farm Fresh Birthday Bash 2010

Recently heard:

Cadrian, age three: "No wike Gwandpa in heaven. Wike Gwandpa in Grandma's house!"

Brielle, age five: I wish Grandpa would come back from heaven and give my balloon back to me.

Christmas 2009

Square Foot Gardening (SFG)

2011-08-13T20:33:00.002-05:00

The pumpkin on the left is taking over that whole side of the garden. The tomatoes are as tall as I am in some cases and have fruit. They just need to turn red.
Here you can see (from left to right) lots and lots of tomato plants, corn from when Brielle planted some corn seeds in a paper cup, a sunflower, potatoes and that pumpkin.
A purple pepper. It tasted great--not like a red pepper, nor like a green pepper. I guess you'll have to pick a purple pepper for yourself.

This little baby...

2011-08-12T19:38:00.006-05:00

is closing in on one.

I love Denton as a baby. He's soon to be a toddler. Soon to be running off in the other direction and cackling while doing so. Right now he's a baby, and I love it. He's no longer that tiny heavy yet light bundle that depends on me for everything, who nurses himself into oblivion and sleeps for an hour or so.

Now he nurses for a minute and then he's off to the next thing. He crawls and climbs and scoots and holds on the couch or wall or semi-stationary sibling to aid his cruising.

He says "uh-ohhhh" and "mmmmama!" and "da!" and "vvvvvvvv" whilst crawling along pushing a car. He signs "eat" and waves bye-bye.

He loves his brother and sisters and the dogs and kitties. He loves to feed you and be right in the middle of everything. He loves to sleep in between Mama and Dada and often sideways. He loves to be toted around with nearly any willing party. He loves grown up buttons like the remote or the printer. He loves to splash in the bath.

He does NOT like to be picked up against his will, or being made to lie still for a diaper change. He is also not a fan of smushy baby food meat or being sat upon.

To make him laugh, put him on your head, belly on the top of your head. Or kiss him under his chin, in that fat little soft spot that barely qualifies as a neck. Or let him feed you. Giggles galore guaranteed.

Thank you God for this precious blessing. Our fourth farm fresh baby--our delight.

We're all still here...

2011-08-11T21:55:00.002-05:00

This was after Aviana and Kevin's baptisms at the beginning of July...

In between then and now we've had four birthdays, a trip to MO (the girls) and MN (Kevin, Denton and me), assorted visits to and from friends, much ado, some tears, many smiles, tons of giggles and nuzzles, a bit of tiredness, volunteer work, and not a lot of inclination to blog.

I'll be back soon--I miss you too!

I've got a long ways to go...

2011-07-16T13:00:00.005-05:00

To wit:

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:

■ Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

■ Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly,master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, ﬂips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast.

■ Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.

■ Regularly learn and play new sports

(From Crossfit.com)

I'm learning a lot! I'm enjoying my gym time. I'm actually excited about challenging myself and getting there. I think I can see changes in my body composition already. It's fun.

I can tell my energy is already up--for instance, we had people over here until midnight last night, and after cleaning up a little went to bed. Then Denton was up before 7, and I'd already doze-nursed him a couple of times. I still feel great and it's quiet time. I haven't even thought about going to take a nap.

I'm loving it!

Square Foot Gardening (SFG)

2011-07-10T20:50:00.007-05:00

So you may remember I have been in the past a gardening fail...

However, this year I may have turned the corner. I discovered Square Foot Gardening. My uncle gave me his book, and I fell in love. It's a little different from simply raised beds and it's working really well for me.

Words to the wise though: Even if your husband is sure that the manure behind the bed is completely composted because nothing is growing in it, you would be wise to check it first before you combine it with your Mel's Mix.

Chances are it is full of weed seed and has not been heated enough to be fully composted, which thereby completely defeats the purpose of mixing it with vermiculite and peat moss to have ideal soil, because you'll STILL have to weed!

But you'll be able to keep up with it, and due to the beauty of the grid, you'll know you're not pulling up your baby plants.

Also? Broccoli looks nothing like red root pig weed. Don't bother carefully weeding around it because then your dad will say, "What's that weed you're so carefully tending there?" And you'll say, "Isn't that broccoli?" And he'll have to say, "Sorry sweetie, that looks nothing like broccoli."

Besides, that broccoli was from old seed and was never going to grow; which brings me to tip number three.

Don't use seeds from 2006. Or 2004. Especially if they've been stored in the garage. Even if you think there might be a chance they'll sprout, and you may as well since you have them on hand, you're really just wasting your time.

Keep these little tips in mind, and you may just grow something and it won't be so overgrown with weeds that you can't even find what you planted. You'll be able to make Texas Caviar with cilantro from your very own garden and rosemary potatoes fresh from the yard!

You'll be so proud of yourself you may just forgive yourself for tending to a pigweed for a whole month and not even knowing it.

early June

early July!

I think we've made progress

Giving me a complex

2011-07-08T14:08:00.006-05:00

A couple months ago, a guy I know at church put his hand on his belly, while looking at mine, and asked, "So when's the big day?"

Knowing what he meant, I innocently responded with "What do you mean?" and let him stumble around until he passed off that he was asking about Denton's first birthday.

A few weeks ago, someone I haven't seen in a while queried, "So how are you feeling?"

"Just fine," I answered. "Why?"

Startled, she replied hurriedly and in a very small voice, "oh. no reason."

(In case you haven't noticed, people always ask the pregnant people how they are feeling, and ask regular people how they are doing.)

Yesterday the librarian flat-out asked me when I'm due. And she wasn't talking about my books.

NEWS FLASH, PEOPLE: I. am. NOT. Pregnant.

As a matter of fact, I weigh only 3 1/2 pounds more than I did when I got pregnant with Aviana, almost 8 years and four babies ago.

As I'm whining about all this, my ever helpful husband reminds me that muscle weighs more than fat.

Pregnant pause. (pun intended)

"Thank you, dear."

It is true though. I had to order the largest size offered of bridesmaid dresses for my brother's wedding because of my waist measurement. Unless I consciously suck in my tummy or wear a corset (where could I find a corset, incidentally?) I look about five months pregnant. Discouraging.

I'm going back to the gym--made it three times this week. I'm switching up the workout with crossfit. I'm still not eating (much) sugar and I'm still off soda. I'm drinking lots of water. And I'm trying not to develop a complex about this or get too worked up about it.

So if you see me, please don't ask me about expecting. Anything.

Thank you, my fragile ego appreciates it.

Mother Blessing

2011-06-25T21:09:00.006-05:00

I'm planning a mother blessing (some say Blessingway, but please don't call it that.) for a dear friend and am thinking about birth--babies--blessings...I'm getting so excited.

I hope tomorrow will be as meaningful and wonderful as I am striving towards.

I'll give you a sneak peek (identifying details changed, of course)

(Isn't that the sweetest baby bummie ever?--It's Aviana's, who just lost her third tooth today; one of her top front ones which definitely makes it look like I'm saying farewell to that baby forever...)

I love bellies and babies and birth (and words that start with B) (and parentheses, apparently). I have a dream of someday being a midwife.

Right now with four small children and one of them very attached (to the breast) is not the stage of life when I am feeling like I can begin that journey, but I love being around expecting women and supporting them, watching their glow and inner growth as they bring a new soul into the world.

In Spanish, one of the ways to say "give birth" is dar la luz, which literally translated into English is "to give light."

Indeed.

I think so too.

2011-06-22T21:01:00.003-05:00

I now believe that television itself, the medium of sitting in front of a magic box that pulses images at us endlessly, the act of watching TV per se, is mindcrushing. It is soul-deadening, dehumanizing, soporific in a poisonous way, ultimately brutalizing. It is, simply put so you cannot mistake my meaning, a bad thing. ~ Harlan Ellison, Strange Wine

Changing Church

2011-06-20T19:57:00.002-05:00

I just finished an amazing book called Finding Organic Church. I'd never heard the term before, but I was looking into "house church" and came across it in my library's system.

It. Is. an. Amazing. Concept.

Most likely that's because it's from God. :-) It's church like in Acts. It's church with God as the author and designer, when men get themselves out of the way. It's church like the ones Paul planted (and you may have noticed, they were not without their problems). It's not perfect, because anything with us involved never is. It's just more Him, less us. NO one teaching, everyone listening to God's leading. Living close. Living raw. Living Him.

It's hard to describe because we think of church as a place we go. We don't think of church as a way of being. We've completely altered God's plan for church. Googling "Organic Church" will bring you to many places that can tell you about it more eloquently than I, but I'll give it a try (with my notes from the book), since you're here anyway.

Organic church is basically a group of Christians who are living as a shared-life community under the headship of Jesus. Not a Bible study, prayer meeting, song fest, pot luck. No one dominating. No one passive. No one leading.

The church meets to reveal and display Jesus Christ together out of a real, experiential life-giving encounter with the Lord.

I so want that.

I would think that it wouldn't be possible, except the author has been living it for the past 20+ years.

I love my home church, don't get me wrong. But I do think that institutional church isn't what God has in mind for me anymore.

I'm just waiting to find out what exactly His plan is.

A Question of Youth

2011-06-11T21:12:00.006-05:00

Alexander the Great inherited his kingdom at the age of 20 and went on to conquer the rest of the civilized world at the time. In fact, he cried when he was told there was no one left to conquer. He must have possessed some amazing leadership skills to have his men fighting for him for 10+ years.

Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were 20 when they inherited their throne. They were given a raw deal to be sure, ill prepared and a kingdom already set up for failure. I'm not sure it could have turned out much differently. But still, to trust 20 year olds to run a kingdom!

Look at the average 20 year old today. What is expected of him?

I think we are failing our youth.

And now for something different...

2011-06-10T06:50:00.000-05:00

photo by daisywu1

Purple slides and dances, sways soothingly and silently. It doesn't draw attention to itself as it billows into the room, but everyone notices just the same.

Purple was born on a grey and cloudy spring day, the wind blowing, its eyes closed, the edge of blue straining to find the sun. Purple grew.

Purple takes me to Italy. We go cliff jumping into azure seas. Purple takes me to the desert. The shadows of the canyon are purple as they beacon relief from the squinting heat. Purple takes me to the willow. I lie on a quilt beneath undulating branches as purple and I watch the smoke puffs high in the blue wisp and sigh.

Purple likes dusk. Purple joins pink and red to stand and wave as long as they can, until their arms are decidedly sore and they're out of breath with the exertion of good-bye.

Purple wishes for summer ripe tomatoes. It wants to eat them with cottage cheese or perhaps a bit of salt, but certainly wants to bite solidly into the fresh flesh and try to not let the juice run down its chin.

Most people don't notice the garden gnome hiding behind purple. Purple is a little embarrassed because it likes to have its picture take with gnome wherever it goes.

Clanging, banding trolley cars aren't purple. Nor are bellowing bulls or bleating butting goats. Cawing fighting blackbirds aren't purple either but they wish they were.

Purple is a box of marbles, with a piece of chalk on a string for drawing a perfect circle. Purple wants to win all the shooters and loves to look at the swirly plasticine within and wonder how it got there.

Purple is a song of the evening, a lilting tilting reedy song. A song that desires company by the bonfire crackling , in the patio furniture cicada buzz. A song that rises in the summer waxing to rest a sticky day.

Purple is a peacemaker welcome wherever it goes, enjoying the company of princesses-to-be and those who never received their gilded invitation. Purple invites others in and offers more. Purple draws one to its Creator, shows the world Who made it.

Thanks very much to Karen Burke of Rip the Page! for the writing prompt.

Book Review

2011-06-09T15:35:00.003-05:00

I get a lot of offers to review books because, well, I love books. I don't usually take the publishers up on them because I also don't have a lot of free time. I only have time to do what I love, or, as the case may be, read what I love. So unless a book looks really intriguing, I generally just say no, thank you.

This is a book you'll want to say yes to: The Second Messiah by Glenn Meade . It's an archaeological murder mystery action conspiracy book. Thoroughly entertaining. Even better, it's got no bad language, or anything else to negate the enticing plot and characters you'll love to get to know. I'll let you read the plot synopsis at the link, but know that I give it a hearty two thumbs up.

Hello again...

2011-05-30T20:47:00.004-05:00

It's been a while! We've been on vacation and just generally busy.

My Life in Lists

2011-05-17T20:40:00.006-05:00

praying for our Compassion children

Praying for my live-in children

What's in my recipe box

Tens list--what I'm reading in the Bible

An old schedule of what we did that day; I'm trying to figure out a semi-permanent routine...

The dates our co-op picks up raw milk.

Brielle's thankfulness list.

The states Aviana needs to collect all 50 state quarters

What we've named the calves this year

quotes and notes from books I'm reading

books to put on hold and websites to look up

the girls' measurements

my thankfulness list

scriptural blessings to pray for my children

our grocery list and Aviana's "grocery" list

Colossal fails

2011-05-11T11:13:00.002-05:00

The homemade granola I made was amazing. As was the yogurt. Scrumptious!

The créme freiche on the other hand: colossal fail. And this was the second time I tried to make it.

I'm trying to teach the girls about reflexes. I found mine in my knee easy peasy. They were intrigued by how my leg kicks out without my making it happen. I pretty much beat their knees black and blue for fifteen minutes (ok, slight exaggeration) and STILL did not once make any of their feet kick.

Maybe they just don't have any reflexes.

Cadrian and I have been having a battle of the wills regarding picking up the Tinker Toys, for the last hour. We were going to go to Target...

I participated in a "Craft It Forward" on Facebook, but I totally lost my list of who I need to send my stuff to--if that was you, would you please remind me, so I don't have to have that be one more fail today? Thanks ever so!

2011-05-10T08:56:00.001-05:00

I love this quote. You can buy this silk screen version here.

As you go about your day, remember--make up your mind to be happy. Choose joy.

Saving Souls and Decorating

2011-04-26T21:32:00.005-05:00

Are you familiar with the Salvation Army?

According to Dave and Neta Jackson, authors of Hero Tales, "The slums of East London were a sad place to be at this time (the late 1800's). It was said that every fifth house was a "gin house" with special steps to help even the tiniest children reach the counter. By five years old, many children were alcoholics. Some even died.

But the street corner preaching of the Salvation Army worked. In fact, so many people came to know Christ and stopped drinking and gambling that business began to slow at the gin shops. The owners, who had been getting rich by selling alcohol to these poor people were not happy and did everything they could to stop the street-corner preachers. But God would not let them stop the work of the Salvation Army."

I think the mission of the Salvation Army has changed somewhat in the ensuing hundred-odd years, but it's my understanding it's still a Christian organization, still helping the poor. That's God's work right there.

Another reason why I really like the Salvation Army is you can score superfab deals like these:

Make me feel like I have a grown up bedroom now! We need a headboard and some grown up decorations on the dressers, like I dunno. Candles or statues or something. What do people put on their dressers anyway?

And for the record, we did not get the baby at the Salvation Army. He came with the room. :-)

Favorite Quotes of the Moment

2011-04-25T19:58:00.006-05:00

But first to dream and then to do,---isn't that the way to make a dream come true?~~ Meindert DeJong, The Wheel on the School

I found the stork picture here

I do not understand how anyone can live without one small place of enchantment to turn to. ~~Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings

I liken our marriage to a once great civilization that was sacked by a horde of Viking dwarves. ~~??

Thanksgiving always precedes the miracle~~Ann Voskamp

On every level of life, from housework to the heights of prayer, in all judgement and efforts to get things done, hurry and impatience are sure marks of the amateur.~~Evelyn Underhill

Wherever you are, be all there. ~~Elisabeth Elliot

God gives gifts and I give thanks and I unwrap the gift given: joy. ~~Ann Voskamp

I would feel more otimistic about a bright future for man if he spend less time proving that he can outwit nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. ~~E.B. White

People think the FDA is protecting them-it isn't. What the FDA is doing and what people think it's doing are as different as night and day. ~~Herbert Ley, former FDA commissioner

Books impacting me right now:

1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp

Sweet Deception by Joseph Mercola, M.D.

Premeditated Parenting by Steve Nelson

Play Ball!

2011-04-23T20:38:00.003-05:00

I just love these baby giggles. And the little girl growling and toddler chuckles aren't bad either :-)

Sugar

2011-04-22T17:00:00.003-05:00

So you may remember I gave up sugar for Lent?

Here's all the sugar Kevin had to hide from me.

Just kidding. He's going to spray sugar on his fields (if he can ever get IN the fields).

Lent is basically over and I'm trying to decide what to do now. I am feeling more and more convinced that I need to make some serious changes to my eating.

Have you ever heard of the Paleo Lifestyle? That's essentially eating as our hunter/gatherer predecessors did. It would be no sugar and no gluten, lots of veggies and meat.

I also did a nutritional typing test on mercola.com, which seven months ago, identified me as a protein type, but when I just retook it, said I was a mixed type. Nutritional typing is helpful for achieving optimal health. Which of course is what I want.

Plus I need to lose at least 13 more pounds to get my BMI out of the overweight category.

I want energy without resorting to coffee.

I don't want food to be a constant thought in my brain.

I want to eat foods that don't mess up my insulin.

I want to feel well, and I want to be healthy and young, with amazing immunity in the long run.

I believe that the right foods can do it.

I'm pretty sure giving up sugar has been a good start. No food from a box is a good start. Nothing with more than five ingredients is a good start. Food the way God made it is a good start.

But where to go from here...

Baa, Baa Black Sheep

2011-04-17T19:50:00.004-05:00

Or whitish grey as the case may be...

The shearer sits a sheep on its rump so it is quiet and still. He's amazingly fast and doesn't nick the sheep skin a bit. I had no idea how much fleece I would be getting when I asked our neighbor if I could buy one.

Two bags full.
That's a lot of fleece.
Especially for a girl who had to google "how to wash fleece" and doesn't know how to spin.
But when I learn, and get a spinning wheel. I'll be ready!
That's not a sheep. That's a Great Pyrenees named Ranger, and some kids: mine and a mama goat's.

More signs of spring

2011-04-06T21:00:00.002-05:00

A Day: In Status Updates

2011-04-01T20:37:00.003-05:00

Dark. Bad. Quiet. Good.

Apple muffins: YUM! Shredded knuckle: Not so much.

School started promptly at 9:00. First interruption: 9:20. Not bad!

Denton actually says Ga-Ga.

I want a friend in Alaska.

Brielle's sunflower sprouts are amazingly resilient.

B: I don't want to help Tadrian! He always drools on my hand!

Why do I not feel as awesome in my apron as my grandma looked in hers?

I like big equipment as much as the next girl, but the third hour of "back 'oe" "back 'oe" "back 'oe" (repeat. and keep repeating...) may have turned me off of excavators for life.

Too bad this sour cream isn't actually sour cream.

Loving our new mealtime prayer song.

Quickie Mop doesn't begin to describe it.

Never realized how good of bunk beds a new bookshelf would be.

It's awfully hard to put on a coat with a baby on your back.

Ooooh--a new L.L.Bean catalog.

Perspective: When I had just a 2 year old and a baby, I thought life was pretty busy and crazy. Now when I have just a 2 year old and a baby, I feel like I'm on vacation.

Does it count as being in a smaller size if you can't keep it zipped all day?

All the chirping birds make it difficult to make yourself heard out of doors. Not that I'm complaining. And if I did you wouldn't be able to hear me anyway.

I adore my UPS man. He always seems to know just what I like.

I just used the word varmit. If I don't watch it, pretty soon I'll be a-settin' on ma porch a'hollerin' fer them pesky critters to git on outta heyar!

Do I need a special spray bottle for olive oil?

Home raised steak.

"Frontier House": reality tv before reality tv was cool. I'm not 100% confident I would have rocked Frontier House. But I would have tried hard. And learned a lot.

I don't have enough time to do nothing when I go to bed at 10.

Composting, Jessica's way

2011-03-27T20:30:00.002-05:00

What is it that compels me to, when googling a recipe for egg noodles, bypass the first five links and click on the one posted by "Hillbilly Housewife?

I'm feeling all mighty today.

Maybe you don't know this about me, but I'm not really a girl who likes to get her hands dirty, or wield tools, or 'work with my hands'. Today though, I wrestled an old snow fence I discovered in the barn we're tearing down into an Aviana sized (4x4) oval. I pounded some electric fence posts into the ground and cut wire. Kevin was there to assist if needed, but I wanted to do it myself.

Then I raked and piled old leaves from my shade garden into the wheel barrow (yep, I actually pushed it!) and dumped them into the bin. Twice. Then Aviana and I dug up some dirt from the pile by the barn we're tearing down and filled the wheelbarrow.

Then Denton woke up.

But still! I made a compost bin by myself.

I told Kevin I wanted to buy some red worms to help it along, but he scoffed and said buying worms is for city people.

Sound bites

2011-03-26T20:11:00.005-05:00

**I have been off sugar two and a half weeks and it has been amazing. AH-Maaaaaz-inG!

God is totally in this because no way would I have been able to turn down molten chocolate brownies over at a friend's house under my own power.

I can't really say what health benefits I'm experiencing, as nothing seems to have changed much. I did notice that I was at someone's house for three hours who has two cats without so much as a sniffle! Usually, I can tell if someone has a cat, no matter how 'clean' their place seems within five minutes because of the itchiness that always starts in my throat and then all the other aggravating allergy symptoms that soon follow. Plus it's beginning to green up around here, and still no allergy symptoms.

**We made some delightful hot chocolate floats today: whisk together 2 teaspoons stevia, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, pinch of salt, then slowly add 3 cups raw milk, heat on medium, then add1 ounce sugarless (no artificial sugar either) dark chocolate chunked. I topped everyone else's with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream, but mine was mmmmmm...delectable.

Another benefit about this sugar free business is that I didn't crave more and more like I used to.

**My Sonlight catalog came!!

**I've been reading poetry to the kids from the amazing The Golden Books Family Treasure of Poetry. I've always liked to write poetry, but I never relished reading other people's. I may have to change my assessment of that since I'm really enjoying our voyage into this book. I also discovered it's impossible for me to read poetry in my head.

**I finished a book in nearly one sitting. It was that good. Unplanned. You really should read it too.

**Today's smoothie: honey, frozen blueberries, spirulina, wheat grass, raw milk and a banana. Perfection in a glass and a perfect purple to boot!

I don't have a Vitamix (ridiculously expensive~!) so you have to make sure you get the wheat grass nice and chopped up fine with only one other thing before you add too much liquid. I found this out because I ended up drinking, well, grass.

**We're visiting a friend's church today. It's family integrated, so this will be interesting...but awesome I'm sure.

**I'm so thankful for my kiddles. I'm reminded of this because of a heart breaking situation.

A dear mentor's daughter needs your prayers. She was 8 1/2 months pregnant, slipped and fell at home. After an emergency Cesarean, baby Margot was stillborn. Now the young mother (of also a two year old) is in kidney failure.

God is a God of miracles.

** I'm working on a schedule. Right now I have more activities than hours in the day, but God will work it out. I'm sure I've mentioned this before because Managers of Their Homes is a fabulous book, and even though I haven't implemented the whole system, I have benefited greatly from just the bits.

We've also implemented Blanket Time for Cadrian during school. We do a lot of read alouds and he gets restless and into trouble a LOT. Did I mention a lot? And it usually involved water.

So for blanket time, he sits on a blanket. :-) With one toy at a time. In the middle of the living room floor. When he starts getting restless, I trade out his toy for something else. It is working out wonderfully! He will last nearly an hour without being a disruption and he still gets to be a involved with us. Brilliant.

Many thanks to my friend Meagan to told me how she institutes that!

The Happy Farmer

2011-03-26T19:58:00.003-05:00

Let the might and the great

Roll in splendor and state,

I envy them not, I declare it.

I eat my own lamb,

My own chicken and ham;

I shear my own sheep and I wear it.

I have lawns and green bowers,

Fresh fruits and fine flowers,

The lark is my bright morning charmer.

So God bless the plow

In the future as now--

A health and long life to the farmer.

~Old English Rhyme

Homemaking

2011-03-22T13:26:00.003-05:00

“The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only–and that is to support the ultimate career.” – C.S. Lewis

Thanks, Abby, for letting me borrow this picture and quote. I love it!

2011-03-18T10:17:00.000-05:00

"Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, you ought to set up a life you don’t need to escape from." ~ Seth Godin

Found

2011-03-17T21:38:00.003-05:00

I found out today that my beloved Mothering magazine has ceased publication. I've been wondering why I haven't gotten an issue since December and finally went to the website today. They didn't notify anyone.

I use beloved loosely--I COMPLETELY disagree with their views on "gentle discipline" and how they often idolize children but love their natural minded-ness with everything else.

I found out today that there is a reason most people don't leave their clothespins on the line all winter. Most of them are totally ruined. Even though I've done it every winter since we put up the clothesline, I guess all the pins finally decided enough is enough. I need to make myself a clothespin bag or something.

I found an awesome vintage suitcase at an estate sale for $1.50! Perfect for my growing stash of fabric. On etsy they go for at least $20, more if they are fancy and decoupaged and such.

Heeey, maybe I should break out my Mod-Podge.

Because I don't have enough to do.

I've been finding that it's getting easier and easier to say no to sugar. My mother-in-law brought over some of her to die for peanut butter cookies today and I was (mostly) perfectly fine with some natural crunchy peanut butter and a banana. I'm not really missing it at all.

I found out that it's fun to grow wheat grass and sprouts.

Today, I found the breezes to be warm, and even though the sky stayed grey, spring is coming. Soon I'll be able to keep my flip-flops on the porch instead of my boots, and better yet even go barefoot. The grass has the slightest tinge of green. Spring is coming.

I found out that it was useless to put Denton in his adorable "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" shirt to take his picture for the scrapbook. He managed to poo all the way up to his shoulder. I should have had him in cloth. And he really should have a shirt that reads, "Kiss Me, I'm Mostly German" anyway.

Signs of spring.

2011-03-16T14:17:00.003-05:00

Signs of spring.

I keep a pussy willow right by my front door. It's one of the earliest flowers to bloom here in Iowa.

It's beginning. Slowly.

I saw some geese too. Geese have to make a real commitment that winter is over.

“One swallow does not make a summer, but one skein of geese, cleaving the murk of a March thaw, is the spring.

“A cardinal, whistling spring to a thaw but later finding himself mistaken, can retrieve his error by resuming his winter silence. A chipmunk, emerging for a sunbath but finding a blizzard, has only to go back to bed.

But a migrating goose, staking two hundred miles of black night on the chance of finding a hole in the lake, has no easy chance for retreat. His arrival carries the conviction of a prophet who has burned his bridges. " ~Aldo Leopold

License a Midwife

2011-03-15T19:15:00.001-05:00

Iowa midwife Licensure Bill Going up for a vote!!

Thanks to all our efforts, we passed Senate committee. This week (maybe tomorrow), we'll be going to the full Senate for a vote! It's VERY important that your Senator hear from you in support of midwife licensure today!

The phone number for the Senate Switchboard: 515-281-3371.

Don't know who your Senator is? Look it up here:
http://www.legis.iowa.gov/Legislators/find.aspx

When you call, say, "I'm a constituent of Sen. __, and I'm calling to urge him/her to support SF 484, a bill to license Certified Professional Midwives."

It's simple! Call today! Together we can make this happen!

If you live in Iowa, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE take a few minutes to support this cause. Please.

Fabulous Friday

2011-03-11T20:55:00.002-06:00

What a day!

Maybe it's the being off sugar and God is blessing me for it--but I have been chock full of energy all day today.

I was up at two with my sweet four year old who just can't seem to get used to her big bed and new bedroom upstairs. I had a headache and took some medicine which had caffeine in it. So by the time the headache was gone, the caffeine (which I haven't had in a couple of days either) kicked in and I could NOT fall asleep. And you'd think, listening to four other people sleep soundly, oh so soundly, it wouldn't be hard to doze off myself, but no. (yes that would mean there were four other people in my room)

So I finally I was convinced it was fruitless to just lie there and I got up and did a little cleaning and went to the gym. The gym! In the dark! Me?! Imagine! I just left a note on the fridge and left the house. I felt like a rebel.

It was an awesome class too.

Then I hit the store. By myself.

By the time I got home it was time for Kevin to get out and do chores. I did a little hanging out with the kiddos amid the putting away of the groceries and such, then we went to story hour. I kept Cadrian on a VERY tight leash, no running out the door or taking his pants off this time! I also bought a lamp for a quarter.

Home again. (and you must keep in mind when one lives in the country, going somewhere tends to be quite the production--you can't just get there in five minutes) After lunch, stories and ado, we started quiet time. The boys were sleeping and I showered.

Brielle wanted to rub lotion on my legs afterward and I allowed her. Then she wanted to massage it on my back, and I acquiesced to that as well. Then she said, joyfully, "I'm like your servant. Except you don't pay me, so I'm really your slave!" Even so, I still enjoyed the back rub.

Denton woke up and the girls thought that meant they didn't have to be quiet anymore. I did manage to doze off while rocking the baby back to sleep.

We had some friends over to play and join in Forced Outdoor Fun, which now that the weather is warming up (she says with her fingers crossed), is muddy but back on the schedule.

Kevin took the middle ones to go get the pizza. We did the bedtime thing. I skimmed a book I might buy, Grow Your Own Drugs. It's a really well written book (and I've read several home pharma books like it), but I still have a lot of questions. Learning from a book is good and all, but I would really like my grandmother in my kitchen guiding me through all this. *wistful sigh*

Now, my energy is flagging and I need to snuggle up in my bed.

Raw Milk!

2011-03-10T15:33:00.004-06:00

Please use the following letter to send to your local representative and newspaper asking others to support this bill as well. Permission granted to copy and paste (amend the last paragraph as necessary if you're writing your representative) Thanks ever so!

Raw milk is milk taken straight from the cow with no processing, no pasteurization, no homogenization. It is milk, ideally that is made from animals fed only fresh, organic green grass and then rapidly cooled to around 36º. It is milk, that literally, is an ideal, perfect food.

Unprocessed milk from clean animals cared for by responsible farmers has amazing properties and fabulous potential health benefits.

Raw milk, and products made from raw milk are, unbelievably, illegal in Iowa.

We believe that it is a fundamental right to produce and consume the foods of our choice. This freedom of food choice includes the right to consume raw milk and raw milk products.

The consumption of raw milk is legal in all 50 states, and yet here in Iowa, one of the states most known for farms, one cannot support a local farmer by purchasing his raw milk. All of Iowa's bordering states allow their residents the right to make their own food choices and purchase raw milk. Driving to a farm and buying milk directly from the farmer will only enhance our local economy.

Raw milk from responsible farmers is not a danger to the public, nor to the individual. Allowing Iowans the choice, trusting in our ability to choose for ourselves what is good and healthful, is what we are asking our elected officials to do.

Please help in our endeavor to support the local farmer by asking your state representatives to decriminalize the sale of raw milk. Ask them to give Iowan consumers the right to choose what kind of milk they wish to give to their family. Ask them to please support House Bill HF 394 as it is written without amendments.

A wealth of information can be found at www.raw-milk-facts.com You can find your legislator here: www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/

Thank you, Farm Fresh Jessica

Unsolved Mysteries

2011-03-10T06:50:00.001-06:00

***The children are happily playing while Kevin and I are installing curtain rods. Why, when we leave the room, does it take them exactly 20 1/2 seconds to find us and commence the hubbub once again just feet away from us?

***I call into the living room from the kitchen while the kids are loudly disagreeing. No response. I notch it up to teacher voice. No response. I holler. Delayed response.

Later, I whisper, "Does anyone want to help make lemon bars?" Three smiling faces rapidly appear into the kitchen. How is this possible?

***Why do two year olds think they need to change their clothes eleventeen times a day?

***The baby is sitting up perfectly well with no toppling or wobbling for long lengths of time. Why, when I go answer the phone or to the restroom, does he suddenly lose his balance and commence wailing?

***Why can I not seem to leave well enough alone?

***Why is the getting out so much easier than the putting away?

***Why is Dada the one treated to the beauty spa on the first day I sleep in for weeks?

***I love to go to church and worship God. I love to go to Pilates and yoga and strengthen my core and do some thoughtful concentration. I always leave feeling so much more rested and centered. Why is it I almost always arrive at these two places, where I will gain some major mental good, breathless, flustered and late?

I don't even to actually know why. I just want it to STOP.

Lent

2011-03-09T14:19:00.002-06:00

We go to an evangelical church that doesn't really have much focus on "church tradition". I've never really celebrated Lent in my life, or Ash Wednesday (which, at 2:30 in the afternoon, I found out this was.) I have been considering quitting sugar anyway, so maybe this would be the time to do it.

I can go 46 days without sugar, can't I?

Says the girl who yesterday ate a few lemon bars, a couple of Girl Scout cookies and who knows how much else sugar hidden in dressing and bread.

I don't plan on fighting the uphill battle of all the hidden sugars right now (and there are more than you think), but if I can cut out at least the overt sweets, I know I'll be better off. I've been reading this amazing book that has really opened my eyes to what slaves of sugar we have become in this country.

The "experts" will tell you that to lose weight, and be healthy you need to eat fewer calories and exercise more, which seems to make sense. But your body is not a checking account. It doesn't really work like that.

No one is going to sit down and eat 2 1/2 pounds of sugar beets--natural sugar, but we have no problem sitting down and consuming the few ounces of table sugar those beets can be refined into.

I'm going to move into a more whole foods type of diet, and I'll be dragging my family along with me. They can go to Grandma's for their sugar fix!

As for me, I'm going to celebrate Lent by looking forward to my Lord's resurrection and toward the coming spring without being in my generally glazed over sugar coma.

So many projects, so little time...

2011-03-01T22:31:00.002-06:00

A sample of my to-do list

*paint flowers in girls' new room before carpet is installed Thursday

*finish tree in girls' new room before carpet is installed Thursday

*make baby shower gifts before Saturday

*look up million item list of products I may want from Rainbow Resource

*narrow down list to a manageable number

*finish duvet cover

*make other one

*make curtain tie back

*make other curtain

*make butter

*make mozzarella cheese

*play with kids*discipline kids*laugh with kids*read to kids*make food for kids*clean up after kids*make them clean up after themselves*fit in the gym somewhere and

*rest!

Love Letter

2011-02-28T16:06:00.004-06:00

I entered a contest over at The Renegade Farmer. Here's my entry:

I love our farm because it’s a fantastical place to bring up our four children. Where else could they run naked in the yard, cover themselves with mud, wash a tractor with the hose, catch a toad or several, follow a bee or have “tea” under a willow?

I love farm living because it’s gentle. We witness bringing baby calves into the world, hold tiny helpless chicks in our hands, or nuzzle mewling kittens steps from our front door.

I love farm life because it’s slower. Living out in the country means I have a convenient excuse to not have our children in Girl Scouts, piano lessons, skating lessons, soccer, or any of the other ‘good things’ that over involve families and steal time away from their core.

I love living on a farm because it’s more healthful. On a good day, I could go pick the tomatoes, lettuce and spinach for the salad, grill a home raised steak, fry up potatoes from the root cellar and drink wholesome raw delicious milk. That level of perfection still is a fantasy, but the possibility for it to be reality is there, and tangible.

I love living on the farm because we are witness to the life cycles. Our babies are bred here, born here, grow up here and hopefully will live here after we’re gone. The children see the eggs in the hens’ nests, pet the baby chicks, watch them grow and change, and after they aren’t good layers anymore, eat home made, sumptuous chicken noodle soup, and know that’s how it is.

And most of all, I love my farm because it’s where my family is. And being with my family is my favorite thing of all, and makes me truly happy. And I really like to be happy.

Jessica is wife to a fifth generation farmer. They and their four kiddlets live in a 160 year old farm house which is in a constant state of renewal and deconstruction. They raise Gelbvieh cattle, random breeds of chickens, and grow corn, hay, wheat, and soybeans as well as several failed gardens. (There’s always next year!) In addition to her family, Jessica enjoys knowing God, reading, baking, learning, writing, and chocolate.

I couldn't afford to work

2011-02-23T22:30:00.004-06:00

Our local paper just had an advert in for the upcoming school year by a daycare/preschool. It had the prices listed for all their ages which I'd never really looked into.

As it turns out, if my three younger were in preschool/daycare and Aviana were in public school, and I were a teacher (because I am a teacher and taught until the summer I had Lil Miss A), it would cost us $2000 a month in child care~!

$2000!!

Based on my BEFORE tax pay my last year teaching, I would be handing over half my salary to The Little Red Schoolhouse! And then I'd still have to buy gas to drive to school, an updated wardrobe, lunches, and I'm sure our grocery bill and eating out bill would rise because I wouldn't have time to do from scratch cooking.

I couldn't afford to work.

Plus I would only get to see my kids from four (if I left work right away) to seven and on the weekends, which would really be a bummer, and that's only if I never went to the gym or did anything with my friends in the evening. I can't really count the mornings since we'd be so busy getting out the door.

And when would I fit in grocery shopping and cleaning (Not that cleaning takes up a huge chunk of my time--I wouldn't want to mislead you.) and crafting and reading for fun and learning new things?

I couldn't handle it. I'm getting stressed just thinking about it.

2011-02-22T20:48:00.004-06:00

So that little girl yesterday, stomping and crying and kicking the door and screaming at the top of her lungs? In church? Not even our church?

That was mine.

So that little boy this morning, who was wandering around with his goods swinging free, because he threw his pants and undies down from the balcony in church? Our church? Where I have to show my face again?

That was mine.

I just thought you should know.

Family Drawing Afternoon

2011-02-20T14:29:00.005-06:00

The people Brielle loves

Aviana's beautiful princess and prince

Brielle's beautiful princess

My castle--I was going to add a dragon and some more details, but somehow ended up being pulled in about six different directions. (I know, I only have four children, but still somehow the directions are six. At least)

Grandma Joyce's Owl

Aviana's gingerbread boy

Brielle's no cats for Jessica sign (because I'm allergic)

Radical Homemakers part 2

2011-02-18T21:47:00.001-06:00

I had so much to share from Shannon Hayes' book that I couldn't fit in all into one post. The book Radical Homemakers was just that meaningful for me.

Young families find that humility enables them to accept help from willing parents without stigma, or vice versa, reducing their duplicative demands on an extractive economy.

I think there is something wrong with a culture that demands independence from one's family. I think it's good for young adults to have autonomy from their family of origin, but I disagree with the idea that living at home as a young adult means you're a loser. It's sad, really, that old people are put into homes with other old people instead of living with their families, and young adults are forced to try to live above their means or with (sometimes) crazy roommates to make ends meet instead of sharing the family home a while longer.

Pioneering home economists in 1899 created a field in academia so a female scientist could be a full professor, and believed they were making room for women in the American university system, but in truth were pigeon-holing them. And a larger glitch (if it can even be called a glitch, instead of a catastrophe) was they needed to be portrayed as the experts. To achieve this, the housewife, a fixture in American culture, was now demoted to the level of lowly amateur, compared to the professional, salaried, "expert" home economists.

The very ones who were trying to help women find fulfillment instead robbed them of it when, if they chose to pursue a career full of diapers and dimply knees, tomatoes and tiny toes, gardens and stories and dressmaking and cheesemaking, they were disdained.

In the early 1950s the U.S. was one of the healthiest countries in the world, but by 1960, it had sunk to the 13th healthiest...Since then we have continued to fall, so that we are now 25th, behind almost all other rich countries, and a few poor ones as well.

We spend so much money on medicines and doctors and yet no one tells the truth or asks about nutrition. Everyone believes the diet dictocrats so irrefutably. The lack of true nutrition education, the key to real health, in this country is deplorable.

In 2005, editors of The Economist magazine proposed an alternative gauge for evaluating our nations' economic health, one which accounted for indicators such as divorce rates, community life, well-being, and political freedom. It found that the U.S. ranked thirteenth, behind even Spain, where the citizens earned only 60 percent as much money.

See, money can't buy happiness! In fact, it appears to buy misery instead. Pretty sure God knew what He was talking about when He said, "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

Psychologist Michael Yapko observes that when other societies achieve America's standard of living, their rates of depression increase.

I don't think it's necessarily having a high standard of living that causes depression, but what our attitude is about it. If you're constantly in pursuit of the next thing, the new game, the new toy, the new car, the new whatever, you're bound to be unhappy. I read about a study once that said upon purchasing something the happiness level would rise to the same height and drop just as quickly regardless of whether they had purchased a new small dollar item, like shoes, or a new high dollar item, like a car!

True happiness comes from reaching out to others, in serving. Well, truly, loving God first, then serving.

Buying all that stuff consumes more than our dollars, it consumes time too; the New Road Map foundation reports that a typical American now spends six hours a week shopping and only forty minutes playing with their kids.

Maybe they should shop with their kids. :-)

It is ironic that after overthowing imperial/corporate rule in the 1700s, Americans have not only accepted it, but have come to think that it is imperative for the well-being of our nation.

We have become part of a mechanics of government, of lobbying, of powerful corporations (Monsanto would be a classic example of how the corporation rules what a farmer can do with his own livelihood) and we feel generally powerless to stop the relentless push of the machine.

We no longer worry about "keeping up with the Joneses." Instead, we now compare ourselves to those glamorous people we see on television, in movies, magazines or in the music industry. When our societies encourage perpetually rising expectations, and those expectations exceed our ability to met them we feel either aggressively resentful or depressed. Or, in the words of Gore Vidal, "it is not enough to succeed. Others must fail."

We have a serious comparison problem in this country. Personally, it's one of my worst traits. And what good does it for someone like me to see Barron Trump's solid gold nursery, and compare my baby weight to his mom's? None! Normal people couldn't and shouldn't try to live up to the standards of the people who pay more to their bodyguards than my husband makes.

Between 1997 and 2005, more Americans declared personal bankruptcy than graduated from college.

Clearly, many others would agree with me, but much too late to save themselves from financial irresponsibility.

Making careful use of family resources or government programs is not a shameful sign of undo privilege or leeching off the taxpayers; it is a prudent effort to stretch resources father, tighten family and local ties, build a culture or interdependence, and reduce reliance on the extractive economy.

Farmers do take advantage of a lot of government programs, that's why the government has them. The requirements of WIC mean that if you are a one income family with children under five, you probably qualify. It's weird for me because I'm in favor of as little government as possible, and yet I feel like since those programs are already in place, why not?

The following quotes describe my home and life to perfection (or lack thereof, as the case may be :-))

(Their homes) are filled with books, simmering pots, some dirty dishes, musical instruments, seedlings, wood shavings, maybe some hammers or drills, sewing machines, knitting baskets, canned peaches and tomato sauce, jars of sauerkraut, freezers with hunted or locally raised meat and potted herbs. Outside the door, one is likely to find a garden plot or potted tomatoes, fruit trees, bicycles, probably a used car, shovels spades, compost bins, chickens, maybe a wandering goat or other livestock, and laundry blowing in the breeze. These people are producing their life, not buying it.

Enjoying what she has, feeling as though she has enough of what she needs--enough true wealth(family, friends, community, nourishing food, interests, security)--make the products and overtime work-a-day world seem repugnant and utterly unnecessary.

(Radical) homemakers had to become autodidactic, self learners. They had to think independently, embrace general knowledge, work with what they had, make mistakes, find their own teachers, and muster the courage to star from wherever they were.

When many of us picture homes with a full-time Radical Homemaker, we may envision a lush garden devoid of weeds, accented by sunflowers. Maybe some precociously articulated and well-mannered children are gathered around a long harvest table, helping each other study their lessons while a few perfectly made toys wait neatly along a shelf or windowsill. Chickens wander peacefully outside, keeping the lawn free of bugs. the house is kept secure and well repaired by competent hands, there is something delicious simmering on the stove, the dishes are always washed, and there is always time to sit with a mug of tea, study the pristine landscape, and ponder the good life. If such an image inspires you to move forward, wonderful.

There might occasionally be blocks of time (never more than about five minutes) where a Radical Homemaker life can look like this. The remainder of the day is a flow of contained chaos where we endeavor to play a deeper and more mercurial role in our family ecosystem. When working with an ecosystem (as opposed to an office system), the work is never done. Life is always going on. Weeds grow, children express their true nature, the pump for the solar hot water burns out, windows stop closing correctly, chickens wander in the road or poo on your porch furniture, and the best toys have a quirky trait of preferring floor sand kitchen tables to shelves or window sills.

The reduced income didn't matter when she had rest and pleasure. That ability to find pleasure, incidentally, was yet another critical skill each of these homemakers possessed.

Finding joy in all circumstances is an art form few can achieve, but it's sincerely a joy to try.

Many of you will find yourself on the following scale. Keep moving forward, my friend. It's a worthwhile goal, and freedom is yours to be had!

Three stages of Radical Homemaking:

Renouncing--becoming increasingly aware of the illusory happiness of a consumer society.

Reclaiming--the homemakers entered a period where they worked to recover many of the lost domestic skills that would enable their family to live without outside income.

Rebuilding--Their homes had become more sustainable and meaningful places, and now they were applying their talents and skills to bring their communities and society along with them.

And this I love if only because I'm the girl in the middle of a knitting project, several sewing projects, a cross-stitch project, always the cooking and the baking and the improving of our nutrition, the learning and the teaching, and the learning through teaching, a remodeling project, cardmaking and some scrapbook layouts.

"The greatest happiness comes from absorbing yourself in some goal outside yourself, "explains Richard Layard. "Prod any happy person and you will find a project."

Radical Homemakers:

2011-02-17T14:49:00.008-06:00

Reclaiming Domesticity From a Consumer Culture

I tell you what, it has been a long long while since a book has made me think so much, challenged me so much and energized me so much. This book was due back at the library yesterday and as you can see, has about many many places marked in it that I wanted to go back to, ponder over and digest more.

I couldn't figure out how best to portray the goodness within these pages, so I thought I would just share with you passages I found to be the most thought-provoking.

I bring you quotes from the author bolded and my thoughts following.

Mainstream Americans have lost the simple domestic skills that would enable them to live an ecologically sensible life with a modest or low income.

I completely agree with this--it's scary how many people think it's amazing if you make your own bread. Worse than this, most people don't want those skills and think it's beneath modern living to be so "little house on the prairie."

At the other extreme, homemaking was seen as a realm of the ultra-religious, where women accepted the role of Biblical "help-meets" to their husbands. They cooked, cleaned, toiled, served and remained silent and powerless.

Obviously, the author and I don't see eye to eye on this point at all. I feel like I am a help-meet to my husband. As far as power, we had a recent conversation where I mentioned something that a couple of other people in Kevin's life had also said. He got kind of miffed at me, and I called him out on it. He said, "Well, if you say it, it carries more weight. I want to act on what you say." Silent? Powerless? I don't think so.

Home is where the great change will begin. It is not where it ends. Once we feel sufficiently proficient with our domestic skills, few of us will be content to simply practice them to the end of our days. Many of us will strive for more, to bring more beauty to the world, to bring about greater social change, to make life better for our neighbors, to contribute our creative powers to the building of a new, brighter, sustainable and happier future. That is precisely the great work we should all be tackling. If we start by focusing our energies on our domestic lives, we will do more than reduce our ecological impact and help create a living for all. We will craft a safe, nurturing place from which this great creative work can happen.

I love the future this paragraph envisions.

(By the 1960s) The middle class American housewife's life had become, essentially, meaningless. The industrial revolution and subsequent rise of America's consumer culture had demoted homemaking from a craft tradition to the mindless occupation of primping the house, shopping and chauffeuring.

Unfortunately, I think that is what many stay-at-home moms relegate themselves to. They don't see all the beauty of creating sustenance for their families, of sewing practicality, of figuring out how to do it themselves, of saying, "I could make that!" and then trying to do it.

The purpose of higher education should be to prepare students to perpetually teach themselves, cultivate their interests, talents and skills, and ultimately use them to serve their communities in a meaningful way.

I don't necessarily think you even need higher education for this. It's called personal responsibility, people! You don't need a $50,000 university degree to self teach and cultivate your interests--stop watching TV and figure out what you like to do; then go out there and do it, and impact others doing so! Part of the problem in my opinion is the classic public school education and people can no longer think for themselves.

(As women fled the hearth and went to the work place during the last fifty years), our health, happiness and well-being have also dramatically declined. The abandonment of the kitchen, the loss of personal finance skills despite rising household incomes, the relentless increase in busy-ness and the compulsion to replace emptiness and loneliness with consumer products have ups us on a course for an ecological, social and cultural train wreck.

For there to be true social egalitarianism, then the work of keeping a home must be valued for its contribution to the welfare of all.

(As women and men became 'radical homemakers'), they took on genuine creative challenges, tended toward engagement with their communities and made significant contributions toward rebuilding a new society that reflected their vision of a better world.

The choice of these individuals to become homemakers is not an act of submission or family servitude. It is an act of social transformation.

These quotes pretty much just need an "Amen, sista!"

Doubtless, the suggestion of creating a life-nurturing alternative to our existing consumer society still has countless key-punching economists puckering their mouths, rolling their eyes, and trying to persuade their sons and daughters that such an effort is fruitless. These folks go home at night and, sometime between heaving takeout on the table and finding the TV remote, they offer parental guidance, urging their daughters to grow up to continue the fight for fair treatment in the workforce,and their sons to practice their necktie knots so they will be able to comfortably don their daily noose in adulthood.

The thing I struggle with on an almost daily basis, whether it's in regard to homeschooling, discipline, food choices or what have you, is that whenever you are doing something that is different from the majority you are quite often met with puckered mouths and rolling eyes. I just love her word picture.

Our national (now global) economic principles have served only a handful of powerful elites. In the process, it has wrought havoc on our culture, our planet, and on the lives of most who serve it. By rebuilding our home lives according to values of social justice, ecological sustainability, and family and community security, we begin the process of dismantling the extractive economy and creating in its place a life-serving economy that enables us to meet our needs while thriving in harmony with our earth and spirits.

I love the thought of being able to meet my needs while creating my home in harmony with my beliefs and to end up with a family that can change the world for the better. That's what I'm doing, what I'm striving for, and it's just a blessing having someone phrase it so well for me!

Speaking of making bread:

Raw Milk!

2011-02-14T14:39:00.004-06:00

But first a few bits of randomness:

Every time I think the phrase "raw milk" I hear Gollum saying "rrrrraw and Wrrrrrrrrigggling".

It's getting a lot harder to be at the keyboard with Denton my lap--Mr. Grabby Hands is no longer content to just watch.

I'm sad the snow is melting. I like that it's 40º and I can go without a coat, but I had the mud puddle the farm and gravel roads turn into...Let's hope it's not this way until it's officially spring. But it probably will be...

Denton got his first tooth in and his amber necklace did seem to help him not be so fussy during the teething process.

So, on to the topic at hand, Raw Milk.

This is milk that has not had to succumb to the government's requirements of pasteurization, homogenization, and processing. Most people think it was in our best interest that laws were passed in this regard, but really it's only the dairy industry who benefits, because then they can crowd more cattle into smaller places and not concern themselves so much with cleanliness and care for the animal.

I feel bad for the individual dairy farmers--they work even harder than grain and beef farmers, and make less money. The profit margin is almost nil for these families.

In Iowa, raw milk is illegal to sell. Luckily, I live right next to Illinois, where it is legal to purchase from the farmer. The closest one I found is about a 45 minute drive away, but the trip took all morning. I'm not sure how sustainable it will be to to this every other week, but I'm hoping to join a co-op, where one person in the co-op makes the trip for all the members.

The owner of the farm was awesome! He talked to me for as long as I wanted (until I had to turn my attention to the rascals), answering questions about all his industries--they also have alpacas, sheep, goats, horses, chickens, bees and a miniature horse. He gave us a bit of homemade butter balm for Cadrian's chapped cheeks. He held Denton while I carried out our jars of milk to the van. I spoke with his wife on the phone and she was equally as wonderful.

I'm excited about the prospect of being able to give my family the milk God created. I'm excited about being able to experiment with making butter and cheese with real milk. I'm excited to buy my whipping cream already included in the milk. I'm excited to try clabber and buttermilk. I'm excited to provide my family with some of the most amazing, yet simple, food known to man--Raw Milk.

If you would like more information on the benefits, safety and all around wonderfullness that is raw milk, this link would be good place to start. Or maybe this one. They're both really interesting and chock full of wholesome goodness.

Kind of like Raw Milk.

So I even passed up a bite-sized Snickers...

2011-02-12T16:17:00.004-06:00

I've been looking into not eating sugar. Or at least less of it. I know I'm an addict.

Plus I've been reading a lot into the science behind weight gain--it's showing more and more that the "DIET AND EXERCISE" mantra we've been hearing over and over for our entire lives is really not accurate. It's more carbs and sugar that make your body gain weight.

More later from the experts and researchers--back to me now.

I read this awesome list of ideas on how to cut out sugar in your life--I'm not ready to go cold turkey and give it up completely, even for a week or a month. But I do think I can not eat sugar every other day. Because then I can tell myself, "Well, I can eat that(Oreo, Snickers, cookie, homemade chocolate lollipop) tomorrow."

So today, I have been doing really well at not eating any sweets. We'll see how it goes the day after tomorrow...

The book Good Calories, Bad Calories was reviewed in our latest Samaritan Ministries newsletter. I haven't had a chance to read the whole book, but the research is solid. That along with Nourishing Traditions and a slew of other information has convinced me we need to make some serious changes in our diet.

**Note**The above Good Calories, Bad Calories link has great and thorough information on the book, but I do not in any way agree with the blog author's philosophy on God.

And while I'm disclaiming, I completely disagree with the book author's philosophy on capital 'E' Evolution **

We generally eat healthfully and homemade and homegrown, but there is a lot of room for improvement. I'll keep you posted on our journey. I'd love to hear your stories too.

A must read

2011-02-10T08:21:00.002-06:00

I really needed to hear this this morning, and perhaps you do too. Please go read this amazing post.

God is proud of you! What an amazing amazing God we serve!

I'm redeeming myself...

2011-02-08T21:21:00.006-06:00

I would like to thank the authors of Draw~Write~Now for giving me the ability to draw a cow that actually looks like a cow. Now my sweet boy is carrying his Mama Cow around with him literally everywhere. The poor child nearly had to be resuscitated when his Mama Cow picture blew out of the van.

I'm so pleased.

Some day

2011-02-07T15:03:00.002-06:00

I might just miss...

...constantly having someone on my lap or in my arms.

...picking up shed single socks every time I cross a room.

...always hearing someone talking or singing in their happy cricket voices.

...only being able to have one room at a time picked up and clean.

...being able to "fix" my own coffee.

...not having anyone wake up before dawn.

...hand drawn, creatively colored, sticker covered decorations all over my walls and doors.

...little people to make breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and dinner for.

...not having a step stool to put away whenever I go into the bathroom or kitchen.

...tiny handprints on my mirrors and windows.

...winter gear piled up in the entry way, ready for a snow mountain climb at a moment's notice.

...someone eager to go get the mail for me.

I just might.

2011-02-06T08:09:00.000-06:00

I think I need drawing lessons

2011-02-05T17:06:00.006-06:00

My two year old brought me his Magnadoodle.

"Daw! Cow!"

"you want me to draw a cow?"

"Eh!" (yeah)

I'm having a bit of trouble, but I hand it back to him with a four legged creature on it.

He takes one glance and emphatically retorts, "No *snort* *snort*! Cow!"

"Oh, you think that looks like a pig?"

"Eh!"

Attempt number two, still not much improvement. I hand over the Magnadoodle once again.

He looks at me as if I'm joking. "No *snort* *snort*! COW!"

By this time I'm laughing so hard, I can barely see, let alone draw a straight line.

I hand him back this:

I asked, "Is that good?" He kind of shrugged and smiled sympathetically...

I think he gave up on me.

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

In other news, Brielle just was getting a game out of the preschool cabinet and found the sandwich I lost yesterday . Sigh.

It's tough to be me some days.

That's the way it is.

2011-01-21T18:24:00.002-06:00

The kids are pretending to be pregnant and have babies. All three of them. They have babies stuffed in their shirts and are kneeling, facing the couch making loud noises, looking oddly euphoric.

Cadrian asked for help getting his baby back in his belly, and I, without missing a beat, said, "Let's make sure it's head down because that will make for an easier delivery."

Children should be introduced to their siblings in the comfort of their own home. Children should grow up viewing birth as a normal, natural, exciting part of life. Children should personally know the blessing that baby bringing is.

Birth is a part of family life, don't you think?

I don't care

2011-01-19T20:54:00.003-06:00

if his favorite meal is steak with a side of meat, and a potato, fried of course.

I still made soufflés for dinner tonight. They were awesome if I say so myself.

His response: "It's not my favorite."

(Kevin code for 'puh-leeeeez don't make this ever ever again')

I bet he won't like the salmon cudités either.

Maybe it's just food with accents he doesn't care for...

Things I love

2011-01-16T21:00:00.006-06:00

*** my family *** babies: my babies, other people's babies, babies in general *** my church *** sassy shoes *** heat in the bathroom *** potty training nearly being mastered *** repurposing *** Eloise Wilkin (illustrator) *** bobby pins *** cinnamon rolls *** blue eyes *** fleece *** creating *** photographs *** my duvet cover *** purple *** creativity ***

That's a dungeon made of yarn.

*** cuticle oil *** long underwear *** knitting *** books about knitting *** accomplishing dreams *** waking up early and not being cranky *** learning *** my family picture calendar poster *** laughing *** reading *** working at fitness ***

being covered in children

(but not necessarily having three in the shower with me)

How about that?

2011-01-15T21:01:00.004-06:00

I discovered a notebook of lists I had written when Brielle was an infant. Lists like "Notes from Nourishing Traditions", "Christmas Books", "Counting My Blessings", "Games to Get", "Websites to Look Up", and "One Hundred Dreams".

On the "One Hundred Dreams" list (which really only had 61 items, most of them house projects), among many other things I am still as a matter of fact working towards, was "have some boys".

And look, we did!

2011-01-13T07:46:00.002-06:00

I got this from the website a friend shared with me: http://bellybelly.com.au, it was too good not to share.

Birth As A Bowel Movement

Imagine if you will, that about a hundred years ago, people began having great difficulties having bowel movements (BM for short). It all came about because of some very unhealthy lifestyles. People weren’t eating correctly because they were desperately trying to be thin and beautiful. They had malnutrition and took a lot of pills and other drugs to help them become and stay thin. People were so concerned with looking good that they put their health aside to get there.

As a result of this lifestyle, many people had a terrible time having BMs. Some people even died. Something had to be done to save these folks. So instead of changing their lifestyles, people flocked to the doctors to have their problem fixed. The problem became so prevalent that people became fearful of having BMs. Everyone dreaded going to the bathroom because of all the horror stories of pain and death. This normal, natural bodily function was labeled dangerous and hazardous and needed to be monitored and controlled to save lives.

Over time, it became the ‘norm’ to go the hospital whenever someone had to have a BM so that doctors could monitor the process and intervene if they needed to. This continued through the years and is still practiced today. An onslaught of new life-saving technology and machinery was invented for us in aiding people to have a BM. It has become such a common practice to go to the hospital to have a BM that people have become uninformed. They don’t trust their own bodies to have a BM on their own. People are scared to have a BM that having one anywhere besides a hospital is considered irresponsible, dangerous and risky. Even though the old, unhealthy lifestyles, which caused the problem in the first place are no longer practiced, having BMs is no longer considered a normal event. Even the healthiest of people go to the hospital to have BMs out of fear that something might happen. They go ‘just in case’.

So, you have to have a BM and even though you are a healthy man and having a BM is a normal, natural physiological function that your body was designed to do, we go to the hospital. We grab the hospital bag and head out the door in a hurry. During the car ride you get very tense because the cramps are coming on strong and you can’t get comfortable. You try breathing through them but this only helps a little with all the stop and go traffic and bumps in the road. Not to mention that you just wish you could be at home and have privacy. Upon arrival at the hospital, you are wheeled up to a room and instructed to put on a gown with nothing else on (it has a large opening in the back which will show you rear end if you get up and walk anywhere). You are told to lie down so that a nurse can examine you. Then a strange female nurse comes in and explains that she is going to have to insert 2 fingers into your rectum to check the progress of your feces. You obviously feel humiliated because someone you don’t know has just touched a very private and personal part of you.

Then the nurse straps a monitor to your belly to measure the severity of your cramps and stick an iv in your arm. This is very distracting and makes the pain of the cramps even worse. Soon, your cramps become stronger and you are getting very uncomfortable. At this point, the nurses change shifts and new nurse comes in. She says she needs to check you again since it’s been awhile and you don’t seem to be making any progress. She inserts 2 fingers again and shakes her head from side-to-side and gives you a very disapproving look. You have not made any progress. You want to try so badly to relax so you can make progress but with the iv, the strangers, the fingers in your rectum and the negative attitudes of the staff, there are just too many distractions and you can’t. By now your cramps are very painful and it takes all you’ve got to just stay on top of them.

The hospital team decides to insert a wire up your anus to determine if, indeed, your cramps are as bad as you say they are. They again insert 2 fingers to check the dilation and fecal decent. They tell you that if you don’t make any progress in the next 30 minutes, they may have to cut the feces out. This causes you to be even more tense and you have a hard time trying to relax just knowing what may happen if you can’t push it out yourself. After another hour of laying in bed, the female doctor comes in and does yet another exam with 2 fingers because he says he wants to be sure the nurses were doing it right. He feels it is time for you to begin to push. So you are in bed, flat on your back with your feet up in stirrups trying to have a BM and pushing with all your might while the strange nurse and a doctor intently watch your anus. The feces is not coming down fast enough so the doctor decides that your anus must not be big enough for the feces to pass through so they make a large cut in your anus to make it bigger. They also need to use a vacuum extractor to help pull the feces out.

You finally manage (with the help of a large cut and vacuum) to push the feces out. You are in a lot of pain, you’re bleeding, exhausted, spent and humiliated. You feel like something in your body is broken and didn’t work correctly. This must be true since you needed all this help for a normally natural bodily function right? The nurse then pushes on your abdomen to make sure all of the feces has been expelled. This is VERY painful but thank God you were in a hospital or else something bad might have happened. Someone stitches you up and you are given instructions on how to aid your healing.

So, you made it through. You’re alive and that’s what really matters right? Is it though? What about your pain? What about the humiliation? What about the violation of privacy? What about the anger you feel towards the whole damn thing because your experience could have been completely normal and uncomplicated at home?

Now, this scenario is absolutely and utterly ridiculous right? It seems absurd to go to the hospital for something that could have easily, and much less painlessly, been done at home. The same is true of birth. This scenario is exactly what happened to birth (the ‘unhealthy’ habits were obviously a bit different) and many women are suffering, needlessly, as a result. I can attest to the fact that this scenario is VERY common in hospitals today – I have even experienced it with my own hospital birth.

People have been raised to fear birth and to think that it needs the medical community to make it happen. Birth interventions have become so common that people accept them, and every side effect that comes with them, as necessary for a good outcome. And most don’t believe it when someone tells them that it can be so much better if those things weren’t done routinely.

A healthy, informed woman who is knowledgeable in birth had just as slim a chance of dying in birth as someone does while having a BM. All you need to have a safe birth is to be informed and to listen to your instincts (something that is very difficult to do with people watching you – just like it is difficult to have a BM with people watching you!). Birth is safe and simple. Just like having a BM is safe and simple. I need as much assistance while birthing our children as you do while having a bowel movement!

—Author unknown

Quote of the day

2011-01-12T21:24:00.001-06:00

"I'm not arguing with you, I'm enlightening you. You're so smart because of me."

Enlightening? Not so much.

Infuriating? Perhaps.

Shhhh....

2011-01-12T15:29:00.003-06:00

Do you hear that?

That, my friend, is the sound of silence.

It's rare around here, but it does happen.

Cadrian & Denton are both sleeping, the girls are at Good News Club, the steer is successfully corralled back into the cattle yard (I am quite proud that the neighbor & I did it as Kevin is an hour away), and I'm about to start a new book.

All is well at the Farm Fresh Family's.

(It's a good thing you didn't ask me at 8:20 this morning. It would have been a completely different story.)

Pictures that have nothing to do with anything.

You can't always choose

2011-01-09T21:47:00.002-06:00

what will happen to you, but you can choose your response to it.

Today's sermon and then our new home group discussing it was so so very good. We talked about life In Between.

The Israelites left Egypt, a green lush area and were being led by God to Canaan, another area blooming with life. In Between, however, they wandered the desert. They were brought near death many times. They whined. They complained. They cried out in their misery. They were In Between.

I'm not In Between right now, but I've been there. And I'm sure I will be again.

Even though there isn't a Big Thing hanging over my head right now, doesn't mean I don't have a choice to make. I still am choosing my response to the little things.

How will I respond when two children are fighting over who gets to help me at the counter, a third is crying, a fourth is asking over and over where the velcro is, and the husband is pestering me about the same dadblamed velcro while I'm trying to make pizza crust?

How will I respond when the two year old starts his sock and my $1500 vacuum on fire?

How will I respond when the husband promised me he would be in from choring in time for me to make my favorite class at the gym sans children, and then he isn't?

How will I respond when I literally cannot walk without tripping over something from one side of the room to the other and the baby has been fussing all morning?

How will I respond when someone maligns my husband?

It's true, that your character is built in the land In Between. It's true that you have to rely more on God when something big and catastrophic happens and your life is never the same. It's true that you can feel God more, see Him move when you're In Between, you grow more because you know you can't do it alone.

I contend however, that it's those little decisions I make every day that are even more character building. Luke says, "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones."

But if you aren't faithful in the little things, how can you expect your response to the big ones to be any different?

I resolve

2011-01-04T06:40:00.000-06:00

dumb 'puter

2011-01-03T16:11:00.003-06:00

I went to download my pictures.

The printer (into which I insert my memory card) wouldn't turn on.

I couldn't make heads or tails of the mess o' cords behind and in the computer armoire. Perhaps all the dust was obscuring my vision.

I started to pull out cords to try and trace them to the printer to see if I could identify the loose connection.

I pulled more cords.

I pulled out all the cords. The tower. The printer. My poor, underused but very awesome Silhouette. The two power strips. The two extension cords. I noted that an electrical overload is a very real possibility.

I unplugged everything.

I got out my lambswool duster. I dusted. I got out the vacuum cleaner and went through the process of changing to the dusting attachment. I vacuumed. I got out a wet rag. I dusted and wiped. I got out a small jar of water and several Q-tips. I dusted more.

I got out some tape and a Sharpie. I wound up cords. I taped the coils to themselves. I labeled both ends of each cord. I ignored my children in my quest.

I got everything put together again (which really deserves at least a paragraph of its own, but I'll spare you that superarduousness.)

(Yep, totally a word.)

(It is too! I looked it up).

Voila! The printer turned on. It all worked.

Several hours after I had begun, I again got Photoshop up and running. I began the process, once again, of downloading my pictures.

I got an error message.

ALL MY PICTURES HAVE NOW BEEN DELETED OFF MY CARD.

And are not on the computer either.

But at least my cords, which no living soul can see, are neatly labeled and coiled, and the inside of my computer cabinet, which no one often sees either, is dust free.

wow. it really is all about me. :-)

2010-12-29T11:19:00.004-06:00

What a productive day I had yesterday!

I started a new diet.

I prayed with some wonderful friends.

I made lunch for the kiddlets.

I had a little nap.

I read to the girls about some interesting bugs.

I helped the kids make a spider web.

We made a papier-maché bowl.

I made Zesty Burgers for Kevin's party (a ping-pong-palooza).

I made dinner for the kids.

I got them all in bed.

I cleaned up my studio.

I updated Denton's calendar.

I made a sling.

I was still so energized at 1 a.m. I had to get up and eat some cereal.

This morning I went to the gym.

I just got everyone (including myself) a megasnack.

Now I'm going to sit and do a little school with the girls and rock this precious baby.

Incidentally,this post's intention is not that I'm trying to make myself look good. It's just that I've struggled so with my mental health and well-being after this baby, that it is so refreshing and relieving when I feel productive and motivated.

God is good to bring me past my mental road blocks and hurdles and help me feel well. God is so good.

Christmas traditions

2010-12-23T19:46:00.010-06:00

The main tradition the Farm Fresh Family has is not having one. I often seem to be wandering around in the dark.

Although, maybe I am being a little too hard on myself, as we have done some things through out the years in a similar fashion.

One year, I made this advent calendar out of a cookie sheet.

The children take turns adding a number every day. It's fun, but it totally got trumped this year by the one with chocolates behind each day's door that Grandma got for them.

When Aviana was two, we made a graham cracker house.
When she was four we made a gingerbread house from a kit.
And those have been our only forays into the world of Christmas home building.

We make cookies every year.

And eat a lot of frosting.

We put up a tree.

Except for the years when we haven't.

We've frequently visited Santa.

But we missed him this year.

We do seem to often have a Santa Baby.

In years past, we have given a lot of presents.

This year we're giving one present to the children. Total.

We spend time with loved ones. We go to church on Christmas Eve. We read a lot of Christmas books. We sing Christmas carols accompanied by a hot guy with a guitar. We eat ham and fruit salad and Aunt Joan's brunch and blotch and rolls and cookies and green bean casserole and drink egg nog.

I guess we do have a tradition after all. There is always food. We do always make it about family.

And we remember how God sent His Son so we can be with Him eternally.

Farm Family News Flash

2010-12-23T15:10:00.003-06:00

My brother is engaged! Congratulations Corydon and Katie!

2010-12-20T16:07:00.002-06:00

The boys are asleep.

The girls are at a fondue party at the neighbors'.

I made some cookies that did not turn out as well as I would have hoped, but I bet the chiddlers will still like to frost them.

There is a LOT of snow out there.

I went to the gym an hour late for the class I thought I was going to take. So I tried two others that I was woefully unprepared for, but I still had fun.

Now I'm going to try to get a book finished.

Today

2010-12-19T21:26:00.003-06:00

I curled the girls' hair today. And Cadrian's too, as he never wants to be left out.

Peppermint mocha creamer. Coffee. Mmmmm...

Got to church early. Love that!

Our sermon this morning was just for me. God took an ordinary woman and because of her response to God, she holds an extraordinary place in history.

Scrambled eggs and blotch for lunch. Blotch is a Pennsylvania Dutch recipe from my great gram for a coffee cake.

Painted my nails all sparkly.

Hit the gym.

And the grocery. Stocked up on essentials like grapes and potatoes. Got to thinking about when these kids are teenagers... we'll have to garden for sure then!

We started a new homegroup, and today was the Christmas party complete with white elephant gifts and a chocolate fountain and sugar cookie cutouts. I got a head massager and Kevin got a game called Partini-- not very white elephant in my opinion, because we loved them.

Upon arriving home, we were greeted by a thoroughly exuberant six year old who had a permanent tooth coming in. Too bad she has yet to lose the baby one!

Now I think it's time for a head massage.

lately

2010-12-11T15:48:00.006-06:00

So what have I been doing lately?

Reading some books.

Sewing some pants.

Compulsively checking facebook to see who comments on my stuff.

Taking some pictures.

Embroidering some doll faces.

Buying a My Child doll for Brielle--only the only one I could afford is naked, so I have to learn how to make doll clothes.

Dedicating the baby to God.

Searching for matching Christmas Day outfits for the girls.

Score.

Searching for matching Christmas Day outfits for the boys. (no luck)

Having some fun!

Writing and copying the Christmas letter.

Cutting some hair.

Learning how to make a Waldorf doll.

Bossing the kids around.

Making some truffles.

Eating a lot of them.

Joining a gym.

Actually going.

Keeping people out of trouble.

Most of the time.

Putting up some Christmas trees.

And listening to Christmas music, among other things.

Jumping Jacks

2010-12-08T22:04:00.002-06:00

I should have said

2010-12-03T20:08:00.003-06:00

Yes, I know we just washed the window, but making your breath appear on it is so cool, and you have to touch it in order to see properly.

Even though that floor has just been mopped, it's no big deal that you dripped pumpkin cookie dough all over; I love that you're helping.

It's totally ok that you lifted the mixer out of the batter. I know I've told you what would happen, but who doesn't love a cookie dough rainstorm?

It's fine that you knocked over the Christmas tree. Twice.

No, it's not too noisy; it's great that you're STILL tap dancing.

I don't mind that I JUST told you to sit on the potty and when I got distracted you disobeyed and disappeared. I'm so blessed to be changing diapers.

Go ahead and use all the blankets and pillows in the house to make the squishiest fort ever. We don't need to keep anything "nice".

I love that you love me so much you want to be right beside me all. the. time.

That's how much I love you too.

Gratefulness 22

2010-11-22T14:24:00.004-06:00

I'm grateful that when one kid seems to have an off day, it's usually just the one kid.

I'm grateful for a tasty twist on a kid classic.

I'm grateful for nursing.

I'm grateful for potty training getting somewhere--although, this child may be going pantsless for the rest of his life.

I'm grateful for the sense of humor that always was and continues to be a thread that weaves around and knits together the people in this family.

Gratefulness 21

2010-11-22T14:02:00.002-06:00

I'm grateful for my Handsome Husband taking us out to lunch.

I'm grateful I got to take a nearly three hour nap!

I'm grateful I got to go shopping.

I'm grateful for the gift card my sister gave me that enabled me to go shopping!

I'm grateful for new: sweater, boots, necklace and headband and pants.

I'm grateful I was accompanied by only Aviana.

I'm grateful she was so fun to be with.

I'm grateful for Target's pre-Thanksgiving sales and coupons, which saved me a bundle.

I'm grateful that even though "Denton" called me screaming his head off while I was in the check out with the most incredibly inept cashier, he was calmed down by the time I got home.

I'm grateful for the act of putting away groceries.

I'm so very grateful for our many blessings.