Homeschool check-in

Anybody else still homeschooling even though it is the week before Christmas?   We are still plugging away, but it is a modified schedule. I didn't want the magic of the holidays to be lost to the busyness of our schedules, so I reduced our school load to the equivalent of half-time, and have been engaging the kids in seasonal crafts and activities (think cutout Christmas cookies, themed coloring pages, directed painting, and ornament making) and giving them plenty of easy education assignments. 

Today we are using magnets to practice building words (the older one) and counting (for the littlest one).

We also practiced  writing our letters and numbers using the Write-A-Mat double-sided learning mats from Melissa and Doug. I love their products as I am sure you will see in the future. The magnets are also from them.  You can get the washable mats and crayons here.

Even though these mats are technically for 4 years and up, my three year old uses them appropriately and enjoys them a lot.

As you can see, the 2 year old uses them a little differently, but still really enjoys them, and it is always good to expose the little ones to numbers and counting as much as you can.

As we push closer to Christmas, we want to make sure we are taking the time to focus on the true meaning of the season as a family. Our movie-time selection today is "A Charlie Brown Christmas" which includes the story of Christ's birth, our family devotional this evening will include a passage from the Christmas Story and tomorrow we will be making a hand print nativity scene. We will be employing our "school" skills, such as listening, sitting still (for a reasonable amount of time), discussing, following directions, and craft skills.  So all that is to say that you can focus on enjoying each other and enjoying the season and not worry about missing out on schooling. You'll still be teaching them even in the fun activities like these. What better way to review colors than to go see Christmas lights or ice some cookies, right? :)

Maybe if I call it Meal-plan Monday...

Can I get my act together enough to get these posts written on one dedicated day? Nope. I really can't. I am so busy in this season of my life that I just have to get to it when I can. Not to mention the fact that I have been crying my eyes out since Friday, and trying to hide it so my little ones don't get freaked out. Although my eldest (3) did notice I was sad and offered to get me a band-aid for my feelings. Isn't that sweet? 
Anyway, right now my kids are happily playing princess dolls, so here I am, sharing the meal plan for this week. It's still flexitarian, and I am happy to report that we are loving eating this way. The food is so tasty, and it's filling, so we aren't starving. Also, we feel like we have more energy. :)
I will say that I do tweak all the recipes that I mention, so I can't always vouch for the recipes as they are on the other blogs, but they are a very good starting point. So here you go, my flexitarian meal plan for a family of four with 2 small children in the house.

Frugal Friday: The Tuesday Edition

Good Gracious, I cannot get my act together with blogging. I've been elbow-deep in research lately, and completely forgot to post the meal plan for this week.  Researching what, you may ask?  Nutrition mostly. I finally figured out why I have these crazy horizontal ridges in my nails and why I am was so tired all the time. I have a magnesium deficiency and am way too low on B vitamins. I added a magnesium supplement and a B complex to my regimen and have completely overhauled our diet. I already feel so much better. My feet don't have the crippling pain in them anymore, and I have about 4 times as much energy as before. I've also started dropping weight like mad. I lost 4 pounds since yesterday. Seriously. I am quite okay with that benefit :)   So, all that is to say that you will see some very different items on the meal plan this week. Let me know what you think if you try the recipes, too. I am really enjoying eating this way, but I know a "flexitarian" diet isn't for everyone.  And of course, always check with your doctor before starting any diet plan or supplement regimen. I am also monitoring my nutritional intake at www.livestrong.com . 

Mea culpa....

I have been so derelict in posting. I'm sorry if you've been popping over to see my recipes or meal plans and have got nothing but bupkis.  We've been having a season of absolute craziness here.  We kind of hit a wall financially, and it was bad enough to make us panic momentarily...but God is so good, and He provided a second job for DH. So he has tacked on another 22 hrs + to his already busy schedule, and we have all had to make some big adjustments to our schedules.  But we'll be able to make our bills and still eat, so we're very thankful. 
I've also been busy with planning a special Christmas party for the ladies at church. We'll be having a traditional tree trimming party that should be a lot of fun. Yesterday, I made a bunch of those cinnamon applesauce ornaments that we've all been seeing on pinterest lately. My house smelled so cinnamon-y that it was almost too much. Almost. But word to the wise...if you are going to make those suckers,  make sure you use a really good non-stick pan. A pizza pan works well. The ornaments I baked on that came out great, but the ones that I put on my cookie sheet...not so much. They got stuck in a serious way.  By the way, I am now in the market for a new cookie sheet. LOL :)
In getting ready for the Christmas season, the church is also busily preparing for our annual Candlelight service in the park. Every year the church rents out the park on the beach and does a special outdoor service. The community really seems to enjoy it, and we end up with a few hundred people attending. I think that is pretty good for a little church of 50. We've had some big changes since we put this shindig on last year, so we have been restructuring a bit. That means new responsibilites for some, and more responsibilties for others, but I am confident we can pull this off well.  I am, however, trying to figure out what to do with my kiddos during that service.  They are so little that they really can't be expected to sit still very long and certainly not be quiet for a somber service. I'd prefer to keep them home but I am very much required to sing with the team, and my family is a little too far away to come out and babysit.  And, really, who else can you ask to babysit on Christmas Eve? It's a dilemma. I may have to sing the first part of the service and then drive them home. DH would have to hitch a ride home after the service and he'd have to set that up in advance...I wonder who we could ask. See? I have had quite a bit on my mind, but I digress.
 I have also been busy planning activities for my little ones for the advent season. They are already so excited about Christmas, and I want to make it as special as possible.  I am sure that leaves you wondering; "what does a Pastor's family do about Santa?" Well, let me tell you what we do. DH and I have come straight out and told our girls that pretending that Santa Claus comes to our house on Christmas Eve is a really fun game people play at Christmas time. We still do all the regular Santa-related activities, like going to see Santa and having a picture with him,  putting out Christmas cookies, and watching holiday movies, but we're honest about it. We avoid lying to our kids, but we don't want to rob them of the joy of  pretending either. It's a delicate balance, and every once in awhile we have to slip in a gentle reminder, but our kids are quite happy with knowing it is a game.
Hmmm...what else can I slip in to this very hodge-podge post?  Oh yeah, meals. We were out of food earlier this month, and had no prospects of getting more any time soon. But a lovely caring person (okay it was my MOM!)  shared out of her own pantry and got us through until we got a paycheck. It has still been very lean, but I am thankful for Mom's generosity that ensured my kiddos were well fed.  I am also very thankful that this should be the last month that things get that lean.   Hooray for hard-working husbands and a God that provides.

Now that I have caught you up, I will try to be more diligent in working in some time for blogging. I will feature some of the things we are doing for the advent season, and definitely the meal plans and special recipes we are using. 

Frugal Friday! Weekly Meal Plan

Goodness, I cannot believe that it is Friday again. This week has been ridiculously busy and it pretty much flew by. We made some good headway on our diet/nutrition/exercise plan, and I started using livestrong.com to track my calories because it has a much larger database than the government one. It's super-easy to track my meals now, which should make it easier to succeed...But I digress. You're here for my cheap-o meal plan. So here it is!   It's not very diverse because we are so short on cash, but it's nutritious and keeps our bellies full, so we're thankful for it.  Enjoy, and as always, if you want a recipe leave a comment, and I will get back to you.

What-I-Made Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash!

Here I am again, faithfully posting! Aren't you proud of me? ;)  (shameless, I know. LOL) It's time for me to share another recipe for What-I-Made Wednesday. Today's selection from the meal plan is Spaghetti Squash. This is a new one for me, so you are going to see photos of the inaugural squash-ing.  As you know, we're trying to shed a few pounds while staying healthy AND spending very little. That is a tall order, but I'm committed to it.  Having spaghetti squash instead of regular pasta is an excellent way to do all of that. It's only 33 calories per cup as compared to 222 calories in regular spaghetti, it is full of all sorts of vitamins and minerals, and it's pretty cheap. Even down here in the waaaaaaaay-south, it's only $1.88 /lb. The squash I used tonight was only about 2 pounds, so it wasn't very expensive. 

I didn't know how to cook a spaghetti squash, so I went to my trusty advisor Pinterest. I typed in "how to cook a spaghetti squash" and lo-and-behold there was a plethora of options.  My favorite was a link to a you-tube video with a microwave method! Yay! I love that I didn't have to heat my house up in the 90 degree weather. So I will share that link with you so you can share in my happiness.  Here you go!

Basically, you just take your spaghetti squash, stab it a bunch of times (like when you cook a baked potato) and put in a microwave-safe baking dish. Stick it in the microwave and zap it for about 12 minutes for a 2 lb squash, rotating it halfway through. Let it stand for 5 minutes or so and then slice the end off. Slice it down the middle and split it open like so.

Remove all the seeds and stringy guts parts from the center, and then use a fork to shred the inner flesh of the squash. It'll look like spaghetti. Surprise! :)

And that is all there is to it, really. I had some beautiful pasta sauce made with ground turkey in my freezer from last week's spaghetti night, so I thawed that on my stove top while I was microwaving the squash and making the steamed broccoli.  So, I added my sauce to my squash, topped it with a little grated Parmesan, plated my broccoli, and capped it all with a beautiful slice of Texas Toast garlic bread.

Yum! That's a good dinner anywhere folks! I have to tell you, that 4 hours later I am still full, and that just doesn't happen with pasta. DH really liked this too, and actually asked if we could switch permanently.  Yep! :)  If you would like my recipe for my pasta sauce with lean ground turkey, leave me a comment and I'll gladly share. Enjoy!

Frugal Friday: Meal Plans for Next Week

Friday is my grocery shopping day. That means we went from our empty pantry and feezer to nice and full today. This makes me happy. :) On Thursday nights I take time to plan out my grocery list and meal plan according to sale items and what I have in my kitchen. I know that some people look at multiple stores and store hop, but I just don't think it is wise for me because we live paycheck to paycheck.  I stick with one store that offers us gas reward points for using their store card, and the rest I get at Sam's Club. My weekly budget for 4 people is 100 bucks. That has to cover food and toiletries/laundry items. Down here in the waaaaaaaaay-south it is very expensive to live. Housing and food prices are ridiculous, so 100 bucks really doesn't go as far as you might think. I am very careful about what I purchase because it is important that my kids get as much nutritious food as possible.  So here is my weekly meal plan. If you want a recipe, just give me a shout and I'll get it to you. :)

So there you go! Enjoy!

It's "What-I-Made" Wednesday!

Can I hear some applause? I am actually posting twice in a row! woohoo!   :)  Okay, now that I am finished patting myself on the back, I can fill you on the title of my post. Like I said in my post yesterday, I got a nice little organizer for my blog and was able to come up with some ideas for posting regularly. I thought it might be nice to share some of the recipes I made in the past week. I enjoy blogs like those, so I figured "why not?" 
As I have mentioned in the past, Pastor's don't make a whole lot of money and we actually bring in a whole lot less than most. Because of that I have to use all my magic-frugal-wizard skills to make sure we can eat healthfully AND on the cheap. Now, I'm not saying it's always possible to have perfect meals. Sometimes it's not. I have a big ol' box of Ramen noodles in my pantry for when things get tight. That's when the kiddos get the nutritious stuff and DH and I just fill our tum-tums with those dorm-room staples. :) But anyway, God is good and right now, though we're down to our last 3 bucks until Friday's paycheck, we have exactly enough to eat well. 

Yesterday, I welcomed fall with a beautiful pot of Barley Beef Vegetable Soup. I love soup so much. It instantly transports my mind to images of pumpkins, changing autumn leaves, cool temperatures, and that wonderful fall smell that I enjoy so much.  So even though it's still near 90 degrees here in the waaaaaay-south and the humidity is about 100%, I just lived in denial made the soup anyway.  Here is a picture of that little pot of heaven:

I know: the picture is wicked-dark (you like my New England-speak there?) but I'll work on that in the future.  The recipe is pretty simple and the results are oh-so good. I encourage you to try this one. It is very high in nutrition but low in calories and cost. The 4 of us ate it for lunch yesterday, dinner yesterday, and we'll have it for lunch today too. :) The soup actually freezes very well, but I forgot to soak the beans for the meal I had planned and therefore had to feed everyone soup again. My bad! No one minded though, because this soup is so good.  Here's the recipe:

2 boxes low-fat, low sodium beef broth
2 small cans V-8 juice
1 beef bouillon cube
1 can of water
1 bag frozen mixed vegetables (sans Lima Beans...yuck!)
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbs veg. oil
1/2 lb extra lean stew beef
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 cup Barley
a sprinkling of Mrs. Dash Table Blend
a generous dash of dried Basil (I don't always measure. sorry)

Cut your stew beef into 1 inch cubes, and slice off any fat they might have left on it. Add your veg. oil to your soup pot, and heat on medium high. Add your beef and cook it until cooked through, stirring often. Add your onion and cook it until it is translucent, then add your garlic. Next, throw in  your V-8. Tomato products are fabulous for helping you get the beef off the bottom your pot. Then add in your broth, water, bouillon, spices, and veggies.   Once that comes to a boil add your barley. Reduce your heat to medium and let the whole thing simmer for about 40 minutes. Make sure you leave your wooden spoon on top of the pot so it doesn't boil over. :) When the barley is cooked, the soup is ready. Let it cool a little and enjoy. Mega-nutrition in a tiny little package.

Enjoy the soup, and if you are lucky enough to be above the Mason-Dixon today, enjoy the beautiful fall weather for me.

So...I'm not good at this yet. :) Let's catch up.

If you are one of the few who follow my Blog, I offer my deepest, most heart-felt apologies for not posting anything in about a millennium.  So often I say to myself, "Self, you need to get on there and update that blog you crazy nerd." I inevitably agree with myself, but obviously I do nothing about it. Truthfully, there has been so much going on in our lives that I really can't share with the online universe yet. So, it was a little taxing to try to come on here and try to mentally sift through it all and find something I could tell you about.  I'm sure you are now wondering what spurred me to finally pop on here. It was the lovely email I received from Erica over at  Confessions of a Homeschooler. Among many others things, she offers these beautiful little planners and organizers for Blogging, and today's email sent me a link to the 2012 and the 2013 versions. It was inspiring, really. (You can get them for yourself and check out her great site here.) So now, armed with a plan and a schedule in my home organizer (my giant pink binder that pretty much keeps this house running) I have come up with some ideas for posts this month. But first, I have to take care of business...I owe a book review to the wonderfully kind and patient folks over at Bethany House. Hopefully, they'll let me continue reviewing their books despite my tardiness.

 So, finally, I give you my thoughts on "To Love and Cherish" by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller. 

The book is described as following on Tracie Peterson's website :

When Melinda Colson's employer announces they'll be leaving Bridal Veil Island to return to their home in Cleveland, Melinda hopes her beau, Evan, will propose. But Evan isn't prepared to make an offer of marriage until he knows he can support a wife and family. Evan works as the assistant gamekeeper on Bridal Veil but hopes to be promoted soon.
Letters strengthen their love, but Melinda remains frustrated at being apart from the man she wants to spend the rest of her life with. Then she learns of a devastating hurricane in Bridal Veil and knows she must give up her position as a lady's maid and make her way back to Evan.
The destruction on Bridal Veil is extensive, meaning every available person is needed to help with cleanup and repairs. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but Evan seems even busier than before, meaning she still never gets to see him. Has she given her heart to the wrong man?
And when Melinda overhears a vicious plot against President McKinley, who is scheduled to visit the island, is Evan the one she should turn to? Will Melinda and Evan ever get the chance to stand at the front of a church and promise "to love and cherish"?

This book is the second in the Bridal Veil Island series. I didn't read the first book, "To Have and To Hold" but "To Love and Cherish" was written in such a way that it didn't really matter. The setting was the same but the characters were all different, so I wasn't lost in some previous plot, nor did the authors have to rehash the plot of the previous book. I like that. It annoys me when the first half of books I'm reading are catch-ups to other books...but I digress.  I felt the characters in this book were very likable, though they seemed fairly modern to me. They presented interesting points of view on marriage and how men and women see things differently.  The thing I didn't like about this book was that I didn't get the sense of history I usually get from Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller's work. There was certainly some mention of historical markers, but I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more. Over all, I did enjoy the book and if I were to have the chance to read the third book in the series I would certainly do so.


And that's it for today folks. The littlest one just woke up from her nap and is now snuggled up in my arms. That is wonderful for my mommy-heart, but it makes it super-hard to type with any kind of accuracy or speed.  My plan is to post more tomorrow. If I do, make sure you cheer for me. :) What an achievement it would be!

Worst Blogger Ever Right Here!

I last posted in the beginning of July...July!!! It's near the end of August! What is wrong with me? Oh, that's right; I'm busy as heck! ;)   I have been filling in for the Sunday School director while she is on her 3-4 month vacation (ahem, yes, "month" is the correct word here), doing nursery every Sunday (yes, "every" is also the correct word), and homeschooling the kiddos... that is all on top of the regular Bible study we host here, the baked goods I prepare for said Bible study, all the housework and errands....I'll stop now, I am making myself tired.  But I will do a quick review of some of things we've been dealing with this past month.

As you know, I had switched over G-Pants cloth diapers for DD2. That was going pretty well, and I was pretty much used to the yuckiness :).  So notice I used that good ol' operative word "was" in that sentence.  DD2 had a MASSIVE growth spurt. Massive!!  She now fills out a 5T/size 5 very well. She is only an inch or so shorter than her big sister. This means the XL g-diapers no longer fit.  Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!  So, we're back to disposables and have not saved all the money I had hoped. But we did pretty much break even on the cost of the diapers, so I can't complain (too loudly anyway).

Along that same vein of bodily-function related topics, DD1 has decided she is not going to be potty trained and is trying to overthrow her potty-opressors (aka Mommy and Daddy).  Her tactics have included misinformation campaigns ( "no, I don't have to go peep-peeps"), rioting (No, No, I won't go! *tantrum tantrum tantrum),  and my personal favorite, going off the grid (Me: "Honey, where are you?"  DD1 from a closet or under the bed:  "Uh, Mommy, I poop-pooped. Can I have a diaper?").   So, there are many accidents with this child who could certainly do this if she was inclined to do so. 

On the homeschooling front, things are going very well (and certainly better than potty training). DD1, loves hearing the read-alouds and gets so excited over the projects we do.  For one of our stories the first week we planted a bean in a jar with some damp paper towels. She loves this science experiment and we check the plants progress every day. She still jumps up and down proclaiming how well her plant is growing. And it really is growing quickly. It's pretty huge up there on the top of my fridge. I think it's trying to reach the skylight.  She (DD, not the plant) is able to read and spell some sight words, and has a great grasp on counting 1-20 forward and backward. We're still working on cutting with scissors, but I think she'll get that very soon. Pretty good for barely 3!

In other news, there is a hurricane headed straight for us. :) Isn't that fun?  Seriously, we're considering evacuation if Isaac is expected to become a Cat 2 storm.  I used to far more adventurous, but now that I have these sweet little people to care for, I err on the side of caution. People here probably think we're nuts because they've all been through Charley....but that's okay. I'm willing to look foolish in this case.  So this week will be spent in preparation. I'm not sure if we'll drive or fly, but I will have to mkae some lists on what to pack for each situation.   That being said, it will probably be awhile before I blog again, which is a shame because I am behind on my book reviews. I will say this; Dee Henderson's new book "Full Disclosure" is one of the best books I have ever read; ever! So when it comes out read it. ;)

Book Review: "The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis

It's book review time again!  This time I selected "The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis. I think I was having a fit of homesickness when I chose this book. I don't usually read the Amish novels unless there isn't anything else...Sorry! I have read some of Beverly's previous works, and honestly she usually does a pretty good job with it. I truly enjoying reading about roads and landmarks and people that are familiar to me. (I spent all of my teen years in Lancaster County, so when she says the main character exited the turnpike at Morgantown and filled up at the Turkey Hill, I get a little excited because I can still see those places in my mind's eye.)

Anyway, here is the description from Beverly Lewis' website (http://www.beverlylewis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239:home-to-hickory-hollow&catid=15&Itemid=136)
Amelia "Amy" DeVries, a 24-year-old violinist, is disillusioned with life and love after the collapse of her long-running romance. Weary of endless rehearsals and performances, Amy sets out on a road trip through the Pennsylvania mountains. She leaves her cell phone behind so life's demands can't intrude on her solitude. She doesn't know, nor care, where she will end up.
When her car breaks down deep in the mountains, Amy realizes the flaw in her "no cell phone" plan. She abandons her car and walks the winding roads, searching for help. Following the smell of woodsmoke and the sound of music, she finds a rustic log cabin. There she meets a young Amishman--and through him a community--that will change her life forever.

What I liked
As I said earlier, I like that I can picture the setting in my mind's eye, having lived there for so long. It's a lovely setting, and I am pleased that she chose that area (where she also lived) instead of another Amish Community, like the groups in Ohio or Indiana. I also liked that the author obviously did some research into new territory. There were references to difficult musical concepts and classical Master's and their pieces, as well as the nuances of musician's individual styles. I appreciated the effort.

What I Didn't Like
This book didn't really seem to follow the usual pattern of the other books I have read by Beverly Lewis. It seemed to focus more on the "Englischer" more than the Amish community and it made it flow a little awkwardly. I believe the usual draw for her work is the sampling of the quaint simplicity of the Amish people and their way of life that the story gives you, and I don't think this book really supplied that sampling.  I also felt that the pace of the book felt rushed, and that made the love story seem less providential and more coincidental.


To summarize, I think that the book is an ok read, and if you are already a fan of Beverly Lewis, you will likely be more forgiving than I was. Since I already don't care for this type of book, I was probably a little cynical in my view of it. If I were to read the next book in the series (which I likely will not) I would hope to see the storyline put back in the farmhouses and fields and less in the head of the Englischer.

Gee, Diapers!

I've been diapering the littlest kiddo in cloth diapers for about a week now, and I have come to the following conclusion; I am super-mom.  Just kidding!  Actually, there has been a sort of evolution of thought that has occurred here. The first day, the little one decided she needed to poo a few extra times, just for good measure, and I pretty much gagged through the entire dump and swish process. The next day, I gagged just a little less. A week later I don't gag anymore but I do groan inwardly a little bit. (who doesn't?!)  I don't particularly enjoy putting my hand in the toilet. That said, I actually think it isn't too bad and if I ever have another baby, I just might cloth diaper from the beginning. 


I'm using gdiapers, which is actually what they call a hybrid system. If I wanted to I could switch out my cloth insert for a flushable/biodegradable/compostable one. As it is, that would kind of defeat my whole purpose in cloth-diapering, which is to save money. Contrary to popular belief, Pastors do not make alot of money. In fact we make bupkus from DH's salary (definition of bupkus: a paltry sum; very little; a minimal amount) so it is very important that we save money wherever possible.  Now, we live in an area where overhead is high (our rent eats up half our monthly pay! YIKES!) so I was hesitant at first to make the switch. I was worried the water and electric bills would eat my savings and make all those gaggy moments go to waste. But after doing the math I realized that we would still be saving about 1200 bucks a year on diapers, so I went for it.  The nice the about the gdiapers is the gpants are reusable. You don't have to throw those little suckers into the wash every time, and when you do wash them you can just throw them into your regular load and dry them on low. The liners (the vinyl thing that holds the cloth insert) can be machine washed, too, so I throw them in with the cloth inserts and then hang them to dry.  Those cloth inserts are the parts that amaze me. My kiddo really made them gross, so when I threw them into the wash at the end of the week, I expected them to be smelly and stained when I took them out. But I was wrong. I added some Clorox 2 Free and Clear in there and they came out fresh and with no stains at all. :) And the gdiaper people weren't kidding when they said that the hemp gets softer everytime you wash it. I want a pillow made out of these suckers. They're very soft. Oh, and the other nice thing about this system is the flushable liners that go over your cloth. They catch (most of) the poo and you flush it away. that way you don't have quite as much mess on the cloth to clean up. I like easy and I like when messes go away, so it is a winning combo for me.   Oh, and one more thing: they are so cute!!! I picked out a bunch in this color:





I'd have put up a picture of the little one wearing these sassy little numbers, but the last thing I need is The Man saying "Hey Weirdo, why are you posting a picture of your little kid's butt online?" So, that's a photo that never happened. ;o)  But you can go to http://www.diapers.com/ and check these out yourself if you are interested. That is where I ordered mine (I love their fast, free shipping!) and I had a good experience. Here is the link to the gdiapers page:   http://www.diapers.com/buy?freetext=gdipbundles1b&viewheader=n

So, there is my adventure.  Oh, and one more final thought: my Granny cloth-diapered and she had 6 kids...someone ought to go and kiss that woman' feet! That's a whole lot of nasty nappys! (I wondered how long she gagged?)

A Birthday, a break, and a burger

DH turned the big three-o today. Right after midnight he started feeling achy and “weird” I told him it was because he was OLD now. LOL.  (Don’t lynch me, I’m not serious!)  He felt weird because we were up late doing laundry and cleaning up the little one’s toys. I FINALLY ordered some toy organizers and my new best-friend, the UPS man, brought them to me at supper time last night. After the kiddos went to bed we slapped those suckers together and I got going sorting, purging, and putting away little dress up shoes, costumes, ten-million stuffed animals and dolls, Mrs. potato heads, and  3 different types of blocks.  DH helped rescue toys from the recesses of the house and kept me company. All this happened while the kiddos slept soundly in their beds 4 ft away. Well, Kitty-cat did wake up once. She gave me this look that said, “See, I KNEW you  played with my  toys after I went to sleep.”  Then she rolled over and kept snoring. J

So, his birthday rolled around (far too quickly) and we were all aglow with excitement.  Today was the day!! We were going on a date!  Meemaw and PopPop were coming to hang with the babies and we were going out…alone…only us…with no little ones  in tow.  WOW! Our last date was just about two years ago. I was 9 months pregnant and had been in prolonged prodromal labor for over a month.  You can imagine how exciting it was. J  So today we went to a restaurant that had NO playground and that served your food on plates (no paper sack in sight!) and we looked at one another, smiling, and realized we had no idea what to say! DH did not want to talk about work, and switching to cloth diapers and the latest progress (or lack thereof) in potty training makes poor dinner conversation. We ordered our amazing burgers and sat wondering what to say. We got over the lull and had a great time, but it made me realize that couple communication requires a lot of effort during this busy season of our lives. When two little ones are vying for attention at the dinner table and there are a million things to do to keep our home running, we can simply forget to connect as individuals. DH sometimes works 70 hrs. a week, and I often spend my days elbow-deep in poo (figuratively of course, not literally. Eww! See the next blog entry about my switch to cloth diapering and the adventures in potty training a strong-willed 3 year-old.) so, sometimes talking about our day can lead to less-than-stellar conversation. Not exactly a good segue into an evening of romance and intimacy. LOL.  But after today’s birthday, break, and burgers we have realized that we need to make an effort to bring some more of our inner-selves to the table so that we can connect better.  We’re going to start reading a book together and then discussing it…kind of like a book club only there is just  two people and it meets in our bed. Now that is a good segue into romance!  We’re also going to work on sanding and painting a dresser for our girls.  A project is a great way to connect as long as you can work together on a home improvement project without wanting to kill one another. ;)  A shared experience holds nearly endless fodder for conversation.   Finally, we are going to rediscover some of the things we enjoyed in the past that contribute to who we are as people.  I am a very quiet and reflective soul and I tend to enjoy putting my thoughts on paper. One way I used to do that was by writing poetry, and it was something DH liked to read and discuss with me. I’ll be revisiting that pastime when I can steal a minute.  Here’s a quick one for you;

Hmmm, nope.  I must be rusty; it’s a good thing I am going to work on it! J

Homeschooling: and I don't even wear a cape :o)

As you know from my opening post, DH and I have decided to homeschool our children. We have quite a few reasons for this, but I won't be listing them here right now because, quite frankly, I'm not interested in having to defend them. I say that in the nicest way possible, truly. :o)  But I will talk about how I finally ordered our preschool curriculum this morning. After researching various curriculums recommended to me by other homeschooling familes, we have chosen Sonlight. (http://www.sonlight.com/)

We like that it is a literature based curriculum and that it is highly praised by those who have used it.  We also like that it is a flexible curriculum and we can add to it if we wish. We can also swap something out if we need to. Here are some of the things we will get to work with in the P3/4 core package.

Doesn't that look fun?!

 So, long story short...We are heading into this wonderful adventure of homeschooling, the supplies are coming, and we are so excited!  Are you a homeschooling family? Do you want to be? Tell us all about it! :)

Losing it!

Oh, that title could mean so many things...and depending on the day I probably could mean it in any way you think of. :) But today I am talking about pounds. Extra ones. Ones that cause you to say "Ack!" when you see them in the mirror. Give me an "Amen!" if you know what I'm talking about.   I have always struggled with my weight. I am a big girl with a big frame. I come from (among other things) Norwegian and Dutch people who cannot be called merely "tall." No, with family members who are almost 7 ft tall and solidly built, I think you can imagine I am not dainty.  But really, would you expect a descendant of the Vikings to be small? No way! (Hey, I'm told a mace and a broadsword require alot of heft to wield.) So, I'm 5'11" and carrying around, ahem, a few extra pounds. (and by few I mean a few times a few times a few, etc.)  When I look at my body in the mirror, I am NOT happy with what I see there. Suffice it to say, I look at my post-baby body with it's extra pounds and it Diastasis Recti (split ab muscles) from carrying my ten pounder and I am NOT laughing.  So, I've begun doing something about it.   I realized that I am in control of not only feeding my family, but also making sure they have the proper nutrition and fuel for their bodies. I also realized that I am teaching my girls how they should be eating. If they learn by watching, I was certainly failing them.  DH has been carting around some extra pounds as well. We've been married nearly eight years and the numbers on the scale have only been going up for both of us...until now! I have lost 15 pounds in the last 3 weeks, and DH has lost 8.  Want to know how? Good, because I was going to tell you anyway. :)  There is a tool on http://www.choosemyplate.org/ called the SuperTracker. You can enter in your height and weight and your goal weight and it will tell you how many calories you need as well as how much of each food group you should take in for good nutrition. When we started using this tool, we realized we were eating WAAAAAAAAAAY too much sodium. It's in everything, but when you used canned ingredients or cook with a little salt, it adds up very quickly. I also saw that I wasn't eating enough during the day, so by the time evening came, and the kids went to bed I was ravenous and not making smart choices. I had a lot more holes in my nutrition than I realized. So, using the tracker I have begun to plug those holes, and make better choices. I have begun to see food as fuel and my portions have become more reasonable.  I am actually eating more than I ever did, but the calories aren't empty ones so they are actually helping my body burn the stored energy (ie. my fat!) so that I can trim down.  We really are trying to make this less of a diet and more of a lifestyle change, and so far it's working. We realize that some things we used to eat just aren't worth it, and we make a better choice. I'm pretty excited about it. I like that my clothes are starting to feel loose, and that I am reaching the mini-goals I have set for myself. I also like that I am being a better example for my kids. I don't want them to ever have to struggle with their weight like I have. I want this to be the only lifestyle they remember so they can avoid the health problems that come with poor nutrition and obesity.  The next step to our lifestyle change is to add more exercise. I already keep pretty busy doing the housework and being with my girls, but I am going to need aerobic exercise to get my heart and lungs healthier, and some weights to strengthen some of these crazy viking muscles I've got.  We have an elliptical machine in our bedroom that is currently taunting us from the corner. I am going to get on it and slowly, gradually spend more time exercising.  

And now here is another inspiration for myself. If you have a pinterest account, (and you should!) you have probably seen this pin:

This is really only funny if you have read the Hunger Games series. I have (and liked it!) so this is hillarious to me.  If you are working toward a weight loss or healthy lifestyle goal, leave me a comment. We can do this together. I will update on my progress every once in awhile so you can see how I'm doing.  Be blessed! (and "May the odds ever be in your favor." lol)

Book Review: "Chasing The Sun" by Tracie Peterson

photo courtesy of traciepeterson.com

It's book review time guys and dolls! Today we're taking a look at Chasing The Sun by Tracie Peterson. This is book one of the "Land of the Lone Star" Series.   Here is the description from Tracie Peterson's website, http://www.traciepeterson.com . (Incidentally, you can also purchase the book there. :o) )

    
"When her father disappears in war-torn Mississippi, Hannah Dandridge finds herself responsible not only for her younger siblings but for the ranch her father recently acquired on the Texas plains. Though a marriage of convenience could ease her predicament, she determines to trust God for direction.
 Wounded soldier William Barnett returns to his home only to discover that his family's ranch has been seized. Though angry and bitter at this turn of events, he's surprised to discover that it is a beautiful young woman with amazing fortitude who is struggling to keep the place running.
Hannah, desperate for help, and William, desperate to regain his family's land, form an uneasy truce. But nearby Comanche tribes, the arrival of Confederate soldiers, and a persistent suitor all threaten the growing attraction that builds between them. Will they be able to set aside their own dreams and embrace the promise of a future together?"

Isn't that appetizing?  I thought so, too. That's why I selected this book to review. I am an absolute Historical Fiction Hog.  My poor husband would become a Historical-Fiction Widower if I didn't purpose to limit my intake. However, this certified HFH has a very big pet peeve. I cannot stand a writer who does not check their historical fact. You can tell when an author has not done adequate research because you begin to see contradictions in their work. I am very happy to say that Tracie Peterson is NOT one of these authors. She very clearly researches well in preparation for her books and she weaves the facts into the lives of her characters beautifully. I don't want to spoil the book for you so I will keep my examples vague.  In this book you will learn a little about the time when a wild Texas belonged, not only to Mexico, but to itself as a republic. You will also hear mentioned the name of Sam Houston, the first and third President of the Republic of Texas and a very influential man in the history of Texas. You will certainly learn something of the Civil War and of the dynamic between white settlers and the Native Americans of the time period who were facing a battle of their own.

So, I think I've made it pretty clear that I applaud Tracie for her historical accuracy. Now I'll mention a few other things I appreciated about Chasing the Sun.  I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Hannah. It was a pleasure to see how she grew and changed in the face of challenge and danger, and how she drew on her relationship with the Lord to keep her focus on what was right.  I also liked that the other main character, William, was very "real." He wasn't one of those characters that either starts out extremely villainous and becomes Prince Charming or one of those annoying ones that has it all together and patiently waits until the misguided female gets it together. He was a more believable kind of guy and that made him more exciting to get to know.   Tracie also did a great job on leaving the ending open to more books in the series, but not leaving you hanging so much that you get frustrated. I don't like cliffhangers, can you tell?  So, thank you very much, Tracie Peterson, for not making me crazy with the ending of the book. I love when it ends with loads of promise and not one speck of a loose end. :o)

And now, to make this as balanced as possible, I'll tell you what I didn't like.  There isn't much, really, but  I thought that Tracie could have described the setting a little better. I didn't get a sense of what the ranch or the town was like. I enjoy it when a writer makes me feel like I've been dropped into the prairie with the covered wagons.  I like to have the scene described so well, that I can almost smell the bread baking in the big iron stove of the rustic kitchen. I want to feel the hot wind blowing the dust in my face and hear the cows low during round up. Get my drift? 

In summary, I felt like this book was well researched and well written. It had deep and believable characters that I will enjoy reading about in future books and the plot was a great foundation for further storylines.  If you're an HFH like me, and you like a good love story I recommend picking up this book.  Enjoy!

Learning....

In this first year of ministry, we are in a definite season of learning.  Events and dates on the calendar come and go, and with them come lessons. Lessons on what is expected and what to expect,  on what to do and what not to do, and on how things should and should not be done.  Holidays are most certainly some of those teaching events. Our church does two wonderful community outreaches during the year.  We rent out a park on the beach and host a Christmas Eve Candlelight service and an Easter Sunrise service. It's wonderful to see our small church band together and serve a large number of people from the community.  At Christmas, I was told I was really needed, and I wanted so badly to be involved that I packed the kids up into their double stroller and went on down to the park so that I could sing with the praise team. We figured that while I was singing, DH could sit with the kids in the front row until he needed to speak, and then we could switch. Bad. Idea.  My children usually go to bed by 7 in winter (8 in summer) and by the time service started we were dangerously close to their bedtime. They were tired, and they were in a park (which they love!) and they were not allowed to get down and play. To top it off they could not get to their mommy and there were all sorts of strangers looking at them and talking to them. So guess what happened? You got it; the meltdowns began. First the older one started crying for mommy and reaching toward me, and then the little one cried because she was scared by her sister's panic. Poor DH. Here he is trying to prove his mettle during his first Christmas Eve Outreach during his first year at this church and his children are freaking out in front of a few hundred people.  I looked at him, he looked at me, and I'm pretty sure our faces were mirroring the same expression; panic!  I didn't know what to do, and he didn't either. I was already up front singing and there was no easy way to extract myself, and he was in the front row waiting to get up and speak...finally a church member came to the rescue..sort of. She tried to wheel the kids around to distract them, but the wailing increased. Now they realized that they were without BOTH parents. In what should have been a reverent and beautiful time of music, everyone was trying to pretend that the Pastor's children weren't screaming in the background.  When I finally got done with the music team, and I retrieved my kids they were completely beyond themselves. I tried everything I could to get them calmed down. I took them all the way to the back of the park and proceeded to use everything in my mom-bag-tricks. I even whipped out the portable dvd player.  I would have loved to have put them into the van and left....but DH had parked it right near the front where he was speaking.  :(  Then a well-intentioned church member tried to help by offering my 2 1/2 yr old a lit candle. When I intervened, another meltdown ensued. By the end of that night I was exhausted and completely wrung out, my children were over-tired and weepy, and DH was completely mortified.  So what does that have to do with Easter? Alot! We learned our lesson quite thoroughly that night; no matter how much I would like to be involved in special events, and no matter how much church members might press me to come, I will not be bringing small children to a special service again. Ever. This Easter, DH and I decided that we would not be waking up Love-bunny and Kitty-cat early so that we could drag them to a park where they couldn't get down to play. We decided that even though there was going to be an Easter Egg hunt for the children, it was unrealistic for me to try to handle both toddlers in that kind of setting by myself. And we decided that the worship team could get along without me for that service, even though they said they really needed me.  We learned from the Christmas service that even though it may be expected of me and the children to attend everything and be involved, I do not have to comply. I can do what is best for my family first. And you know what?  It was okay! Not that much was said about us missing the Easter service.  We are learning all sorts of things in this season of our lives, and that is a really good thing. Looking back on that Christmas Eve service, I can honestly LOL.  What a crazy, comical scene that must have been.  I'm sure I must have looked like a caged animal, waiting to run as soon as the service was over. I'm sure it was hillarious watching me thrust toys and snacks and movies at my children in a desperate attempt to get them quiet.  And I KNOW it probably looked really funny that I was all dressed up and struggling to push a tandem stroller through the sand and grass (and fire ants!) at the beach park while little arms and legs flailed out of it, and wailing echoed in the night. Can you imagine it? Are you laughing? I am, too! Now anyways. :)  Yes, Learning...it's a very good thing.

It begins...

     Wow. I've typed and re-typed this first sentence of my very first blog about ten times already. Somehow, when I was reading other people's blogs, I thought it would be so much easier to write my own. :)  Reality check!  Suddenly, when there is a chance that someone might (and I use the term "might" purposely here) be reading my own written thoughts, I am a little more cautious...go figure!  

     So, why am I writing this blog anyway? Pretty much because I feel like it. :)  That, and like I said, I have been reading blogs from other Christian ladies and I have felt impressed to start one as well.  I've titled it "Laughing Through Life" because my favorite verse of the Bible right now is Proverbs 31:25.  We've all heard verse 30 until it rings in our ears, and it's true "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." But I like verse 25 so much more. It says, "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come."  The strength and dignity I have has been well earned, and I couldn't always laugh at the situations we faced, but the Lord has done a good work in me and I have come to place of trusting Him.  I'm certainly not perfect, and I most definitely am a work in progress, but because of the Lord I can face what comes with joy. And to quote my favorite movie , Pride and Prejudice (the Keira Knightley version of course) "...I dearly love to laugh."

     I do quite a bit of laughing. I have two beautiful little girls who are such a joy. My older daughter, who we'll call Big Girl, is about to turn three next month. She loves to laugh, too, and is usually doing something hillarious. She is also unbelievably smart and really keeps me on my toes.  My second daughter, Little Girl, is thirteen months younger than her sister. She is so sweet. She does absolutely everything whole-heartedly and with great joy. She reminds me everyday of the verse in Colossians 3 ("Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord...". I want to be "all in" just like her.   I've been married for 8 years to a wonderful man who loves God, loves us, and loves the church he pastors.  I'm very blessed!

   In this blog I will be sharing about my journey as a mother, homemaker, Pastor's wife,  homeschooling family, and a woman who loves God and loves to laugh. I hope you'll join me in learning how to clothe ourselves in strength and dignity to become the women God desires us to be.