Trick or Treat Bags

This is a late post...but I decided to make some more trick-or-treat bags for my other kids. One kid always had a cute one, while the other had a grocery sack! So I finally bought some felt to make 3 other bags. The one in the back is the original. Lance & the kids designed the faces (can you tell which is Ethan's and which is Katie Belle's?), while I made them into bags. I haven't finished the upcoming new baby's bag, but I think that at 7 months old, she's not going to be needing any candy anyway! Now they are stored away, ready for next Halloween!

Snowman Handprint Ornament

Are you on pinterest yet? It's a treasure trove of great ideas! A friend & I just completed these snowman ornaments for Katie Belle's 3 year old class Christmas party! Kristen each child's handprints this morning, and I made the snowmen! Here was the original idea on pinterest. (Details: A dozen frosted glass ornaments for $5 from Hobby Lobby!

Homemade Gifts of Past years

I'm looking forward to another year of homemade gifts! Mine have partially been made, although not completed. Of course I'll share with you in January! But here are some things I have put together in the past. Last year I made Homemade Vanilla, Blueberry Preserves and a Fabric tote. For a run-down on how-to's, click here for my post from last year.Handmade coasters, soup mix, cornbread mix & granola bars. Find even more of my past gifts, including granola, notecards and other past gifts we've received here: 2009 Gifts, 2008 Gifts, Other received gifts.

It's a Girl!!!

Having family photos made at 20 weeks pregnant was not the most pleasant experience. It took me ages to figure out what I was going to wear. BUT...on the upside, this photo was taken on the day that marked my 20th week of pregnancy. AND on the date of my 9 year anniversary! I will post more later, but wanted to share this fun moment. A big thanks to my sister-in-law, Renee, for filling the box full of balloons!!! (photo taken by tec petaja).

12 Months of Jewell!

Wow. My baby is 13 months, and gearing up to be a big sister! I had fun with the 12 months of stickers. But can I do it again with baby #4? I don't know if I have it in me!!! What was probably the best thing about the stickers is that it forced me to document a baby who has very few photos otherwise!!! What fun we had making faces at each other as I took the pictures. Although the past year was a blur, I remember every one of these days. Enjoy some smiling baby photos! 4 Months: Found those fingers!5 Months: Rolling all around, playing with her feet and her hands, staring at her fingers, and laughing out loud! 6 Months: Drooling, drooling, drooling! Sitting Up7 Months: Army Crawl, Everything in her mouth, mad when toys get taken away and wiggling, wiggling, wiggling! 8 Months: Everywhere! Crawling, pulling up, becoming acquainted with the first 3 stair steps, obsessed with anything crinkly, shiny or off-limits, squirming, blabbering, slobbering & putting everything in her mouth. 9 Months: Moving non-stop! Crawling, Cruising, Pulling Up, Loves to try to eat paper, has accepted that whole "teething thing" like a champ, loves to just watch and laugh at her brother & sister, & eats cheerios like they're going out of style. She hasn't conquered our stairs yet (which KB climbed at 8 months). Has a shiny tooth!10 Months: Saying Bye bye, happy, mama, dada, bible, and hi. She is nodding, shaking her head, standing, crawling up stairs, and has 4 teeth coming in. Has taken a few steps11 Months: Completely walking...I mean running...all over the place!12 Months: Loves books, puzzles, now also says "uh oh" "all done" and "no." Loves gibberish and mimicks noises. Eats steel cut oats with applesauce for breakfast.

Parade of Bible Characters

A few weeks ago, our kids participated in our church's "Parade of Bible Characters." The kids had a blast dressing up and sharing their clues. Katie Belle's costume idea came from Martha. Can you guess who they were?

Katie Belle's Clues (written by my dad)

The Philistines are coming, King Saul is afraid,
He wants God to help him But mistakes Saul has made.
Since Yahweh has left him, Saul goes to a witch
She calls forth Samuel, Who prophesies a switch
To a righteous new King, and Saul's sons will die
In the battle tomorrow, And she did not lie.
So sadly Saul left her, He wouldn't even eat
She was right about tomorrow, Israel would be beat.
WHO AM I?

Ethan's Clues (written by me)

Jesse's my pop & 7 brothers have I. I left my sheep and arrived to hear a war cry.
You think I'm too young, but didn't you hear? I killed a lion and even a bear.
"We are the Champions" no more he will sing. Because I killed him with only a sling. WHO AM I?

2 of My Favorite Things

#1: Clementines. These are beautifully in season right now. I have to cut my kids off at 4 at a sitting. The other favorite thing: The little bags they come in. For years, this type of bag ended up in the trash! Then, I read how they can be used for scrubbing dishes. BRILLIANT! They work wonderfully, and then you just toss after you use! Do you know this trick? Or am I just late to the party????

Jewell and Me

Do you see similarities?

20 Weeks - It's a Girl!!!

We're shocked & excited!!! I was certain it was a boy. Things will be pretty pink & princessy around here, but tons of sweetness to go around!

Halloween

Like I said, the days are running together these days. Life has been a blur, and trying to squeeze in a nap or 2 here and there. Lance has traveled to Yosemite and Haiti in recent weeks, and I have a growing STACK of papers that I need to attend to on my kitchen counter. Some days, I want to add a few more hours to the day, and then I think..."WHAT? That would be crazy...I'm ready for bed." So, enough of the chit chat. I might post pictures of some of the other things I'm in the midst of. But right now, here are a few pictures from our church's trunk-or-treat.

Our church small group, pictured below. Dr. Brock, Bumblebee Girl and Iron Man!

CSA 2011, October 30

I can't even keep my days straight anymore, so I've lost count of what week of CSA we're on. But here's a picture of today's harvest. About this time of year, I'm ready for the CSA to be OVER. I think a few more weeks!

Jewell is ONE!

Our little sweetie had a birthday! Time flies...And pretty soon we will be welcoming baby #4!

On Motherhood

Perhaps it’s just part of the growing up process, but I had a lot of complaints growing up. My parents were old. We didn’t have a tv. There was never any food in the house. And I never got the toys I wanted. My mother was always so religious. Sure, that’s a simplification. And some of these thoughts weren't that accurate either. But it’s the way I saw it. But in retrospect, those are some of my favorite parts of my upbringing.

Yes, my parents were older than some other parents. But that gave me a perspective that others didn’t have. My mom taught me how to conserve water, how to think about other uses for things before they hit the trash can, she taught me about manners, how to look for the little rocks that show up sometimes in bags of dried beans, and other things that I considered “old fashioned.”

Not knowing what happened on the latest “Full House” or “Blossom” was torture on this preteen, but I was forced to be creative. I played with Fimo, I made up games, I played captured princess outside.

My Easter basket had carob bunnies in it. I brought a avocado & sprout sandwich for school lunch. For dinner, I ate lettuce wedges topped with Nan’s Homemade Ranch (anyone jealous that I know the recipe?). I did like the food, but completely rebelled while not at home. I raided my friends’ pantries when I visited their homes. But I learned what foods were good fuel for my body, and returned to my mother’s way of eating.

I so badly wanted that Easy Bake Oven, but things were simple around our house. I had toys, but I honestly don’t remember many.

My mother knows the Bible like the back of her hand. She spends hours soaking it in. As a kid, I felt the “lessons” would go on far too long. But now, I find myself hoping that one day God’s word so effortlessly flows from my tongue as it does hers.

Now as a parent, I hope I can be the kind of mother that my mom was. So often we hear, “You are just like your mother,” in a voice that’s condescending and insulting. But I strive to be the type of mother she was for me. I love you mom!

What’s your favorite thing about your mom...especially things you failed to appreciate when you were younger?

Gentry Farm

Another wonderful year at Gentry's Farm! I love this place. If you have young kids, and live in the area, you must check it out!!!

CSA 2011, Fall

Well, blogging has taken a back seat to...life. I still do enjoy blogging, but it has been on the backburner in recent days. So, here is ONE of the weeks from this fall. We have been eating lots of stuffed acorn squash these days. And when I don't get around to it, they make great fall table decor!

11 Months

1st of all...Do I need a new header or what? I meant to change that header about a week after I put it up, but never did because I didn't know what to use in its place! Anyone want to make me a header? Feel free to offer your services!!! Anyway...Jewell is 11 months and counting! We had a good start to the photos, but it quickly turned into a little bit of this: Followed by a little of this: And away she goes!

CSA 2011, Week 15, 16, 17

I love the CSA's transition to Fall. Produce keeps longer in a warm, dry place and there is less pressure to cook everything up quickly. Plus, you can always puree the butternut squash and pumpkins for a delicious fall soup. Oh man, I am excited just thinking about some Pumpkin Black Bean soup! But until I do, I will leave you with some snapshots of my CSA the past few weeks. Mid-August, we received: corn, delicata squash, yellow squash, tomato, cucumber, zucchini, cherry tomato, butternut squash, okra, pattypan squash, green beans & banana pepper.On Sunday, September 4, we received: butternut squash, yellow squash, delicata squash, apples, onion, spaghetti squash, pattypan squash, tomato, cherry tomato, acorn squash, cucumber, yellow squash, green bean, okra, and green bell pepper. I made this easy and delicious lunch for myself...Butternut Squash, Edamame & Goat Cheese. SO GOOD.This week (September 11), we received: butternut squash, eggplant, tomato, green bean, green bell pepper, potato, apples, acorn squash, peanuts (I'm boiling peanuts right now!), sweet potato & yellow squash.This week, I'll be making some Stuffed Acorn Squash (stuffed with apples & chicken sausage...Sarah Wilson's recipe...YUM!) What are you excited about cooking this Fall?

Baby #4!!!!

“Only in the event of a medical miracle,” I joked with a friend who asked, “Were we having more?” His response was, “You know…that does happen!” This happened hours before I took a positive pregnancy test.

Yes, It’s true. Baby #4 is due on March 20. And while we are shocked, we are also beyond thrilled at the thought.

This was no accident. I am the youngest of 5 children, with a large age gap between me & my siblings. On several occasions, kids asked, “Were you an accident?” I remember going home one day and asking my mom this question. Her response was, “No honey…You were a pleasant surprise.” Here I am, totally agreeing & understanding my mother’s sentiments.

A few days after my positive pregnancy test, I happened upon this verse, which has never rung so true. Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”

So much about life will be changing now. I had just gotten rid of a huge stash of baby items and maternity clothes that I will now be re-buying. We just purchased a car that will now be less-than-ideal. Our house, which we love & planned to live in for a long time, now seems like it will be cramped with our growing brood (Four teenagers + one 8x6 Bathroom = Yikes!).

We have no idea what this means for our future. Surely there is someone out there reading this who is having trouble getting pregnant and thinking, “Why them? They didn’t even want to be pregnant!” To them I would scratch my head and say, “I don’t know. It doesn’t makes sense to me either.” But I know that the Lord’s purpose prevails. While it’s not the story I would have written for myself, I’m so excited to see how this story unfolds.

My Sweet Katie Belle

This sweet girl is a delight in my life. Truth be told, I had concerns about our relationship from the get-go. Maybe I over think things, but she was a very strong, determined baby & toddler. She operates very differently than I do. If she has decided there is something she wants, she is determined to make it happen. I told myself, "This can go 2 ways...it can be a great strength or a horrible weakness." While I still believe this to be true and will continue to pray over her life, I have such joy in our relationship. Almost daily, someone comments about her sweet, charming personality. She loves to snuggle with me nearly every single day, remarking "Let's Snuggle, Mommy!" The silly girl even likes me to lay on top of her when we say our nightly prayers! She is generous and kind to her friends and her brother & sister. She pats the backs of the "babies" (the 2 years old, who are mostly bigger than she) on the playground. She tells her teacher, "I'll miss you!" as she leaves the classroom. She tells her brother, "Efan, You're a sweet boy. I love you all the time!" I adore her and love to see how she makes an impact anywhere she goes. I love you, Katie Belle!

Togetherness!

Children playing & working together is one of my life's greatest pleasures! They have their moments of screaming & yelling, but I am so delighted when they are sweet to each other!!!