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!!!

Bye-Bye!

We are having lots of fun saying "Bye Bye" to each other these days!!!!

The Past 10 Months

One reason I loved taking these pictures is that it was a reminder to take pictures of Baby #3, who has very few pictures otherwise! It's fun to take a look back!

10 Months

Well, this is actually like a 10-1/2 month update. These days, Jewell is saying a few words! Her words include: Bye bye, happy, mama, dada, bible, and hi. She is nodding, shaking her head, standing, walking up stairs, and has 4 teeth coming in. A few days ago she even took a few steps!

CSA, Week 15

This week with the CSA we received: green beans, squash, tomotoes, cherry tomatoes, okra, butternut squash, cucumber, green pepper, green beans, dill, cantaloupe & pototatoes. But just take a minute and LOOK at those fruits and veggies. Aren't they gorgeous??? Look at the greens and yellows. God is so creative. Here's a closer look:

Ha

I'm so glad my mom saved this. I don't know if you can read it or not, but it reads, "Mom, I wish that I could go in the kitchen earlier but you told me I couldn't tell or ask you something while you were in there so I decided to write you this note.Can Hannah or someone else come over Tuesday? Yes No Circle Yes or No. If so we have to call them Tuesday morning. Thanks, Carrie. Love Ya!"

Now, as a mother I have a special fondness for the note. I can only imagine what I had done which instigated the command that I needed to stay out of the kitchen!!

What about you? Do you have any funny notes saved from your childhood?

CSA 2011, Week 12, 13, 14

This is the time of year that my CSA posts start falling behind. Here's what we've received the past 3 weeks. (Pictured Above: (Late May) Watermelon, Squash, Okra, Tomatoes, Green Beans, Corn, ZUcchini, Cucumber, Potato, Green Pepper, Cherry Tomato, Peaches, Hot Pepper, CornPictured Above: Corn, Pattypan Squash, Watermelon, Cherry Tomato, Peach, Cucumber, Tomato, Lemon Cucumber, Okra, Green Pepper, Zebra Stripe Tomato, Green Bean, Potato,Pictured Above: Grapes, Onion, Squash, Cucumber, Dill, Peaches, Green Beans, Okra, Bell Peppers, Tomato, Cherry Tomato, Potato, Banana Pepper

Back to School

My babies are back to school. They look so big!

Bible Story Time

below: ritual hand washing in a big bowl, like they did in Bible days. important, because they did not use silverware!Long time, no blog! As you can imagine, things have been busy over here with 3 little ones. This summer has been full of travel & activity, plus....Where Did Everybody Go? Looks like blogger has been taken over by the reign of facebook. But I digress...This summer, a couple of other moms & I got together to have some Bible Storytime with our kids. I looked around for creative ways to teach bible stories. My kids and I like crafts & cooking, so one book I bought was Delicious Bible Stories. It's not the world's most amazing books, but it does have some ideas to get your brain going. So we spent a few weeks each taking a story, craft & meal. We haven't finished the book, but we've had a great time! The kids got to create some hands-on Bible-time food preparation (Hummus, Hearts of Palm, Fig Cakes) and learn some stories (Abraham & Sarah, Queen Esther & Abigail & David. above: the kids making hummus. below: sarah teaches about abigail's hospitality before they begin making their fig cakes. (pureed figs with honey, rolled in nuts or other toppings)Of all the thousands of crafting/kid-learning blogs, I couldn't find any that have Bible-related-crafts. Do you know of any?

Noah's Ark - Games & Friends

We had such a great time at Katie Belle's 3rd Birthday Party yesterday. Yesterday, I a few party pictures. but here are the friends & fun that made it a real party! Miss Betsy & Miss Suzanne had our activities so well thought out. They are some fun ladies! We started out with some crafts, like these shirts, which the kids sponge-painted.Then off to some storytelling & parachute games.
And then onto some singing & dancing...And then time for lunch and cake!
Happy Birthday Peanut!!!