Laura's Louisville Life

praising God today for...

2012-01-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

346. a day off timed just for the adversity today has held
347. green noses that don't always equal ear infections for little ones
348. the refreshing promise of fellowship gathered tonight
349. faith that is found in the Light of Christ where there is no darkness or deceit
350. God showing me that He is at work as others see His changes in me
351. a husband who willingly started his day in a hurry
352. tow insurance
353. ones far away trying to help us here
354. the Lord's conviction of sin as we seek to be made more like Him
355. giggles that are of the uncontrollable sort
356. chatting all day long with my sweet girl
357. prescriptions finally filled
358. another year in seminary paid in full, praising God for His provision
359. Matt's textbooks purchased, ready for study
360. unexpected warmth
361. public libraries with just the books I'd hoped for, waiting for me to enjoy!

always more to see

2012-01-22T13:22:00.000-08:00

322. for a willing and wise supervisor to oversee Matt's Applied Ministry class this semester
323. one more week of everyone home each evening, before the semester begins
324. those who kindly buy lunch though unexpected
325. coupons which help, this week I'm excited to find one for $1 off Crock Pot liners, one of my favorite winter cooking helps
326. creativity in meal planning
327. the opportunity to encourage those who've been faithful yet haven't seen earthly "results"... God is in control still
328. Matt's clarity and Spirit-filled sermons through Jonah over the last few weeks
329. life as a two car family (when one goes awry the other is especially helpful)
330. stories from the past, reminding us that though things change God is eternal and unchanging
331. the opportunity to welcome others into our home for a meal
332. Moriah's Sunday afternoon nap, in her crib for a normal nap rather than in the car
333. safety when the van's problems happened, we were able to cruise right into the parking lot of our mechanic shop (without myself, Moriah, and a van full of groceries stalling in the midst of city traffic on roads without shoulders)
334. Monday off to have the problems assessed without needing transportation to work
335. sweet tea
336. knowing that there are some who not only espouse solid theological thought but actually live it out when the rubber meets the road, lately we've been blessed to read many writings by the Wilson family in Moscow, Idaho (I've read one of Nancy Wilson's books Matt gave me for Christmas regarding the role of a wife, just finished their daughters "Loving the Little Years" and am currently reading Douglas Wilson's marriage book... Matt is reading ND Wilson's "Notes From the Tilt A Whirl")
337. giggles from a sweet girl enjoying time with her daddy, yesterday it included time in a fort sitting on his lap reading books
338. for Moriah's growing vocabulary that let's us know what she wants/needs most of the time, though we're learning that our vocabulary must include some responses that don't fit with her clearly articulated desires
339. Crock Pots
340. babysitting swaps which make date nights more frequent and affordable
341. Seminary Wives classes starting so soon
342. an unexpected vacation from work as the family travels
343. like mindedness
344. an abundance of weddings and babies in our broad circle of friends and acquaintances, all occasions for celebration
345. library story times, ours always include books, songs, and Moriah's favorites: bubbles at the end along with the "sleepy bunnies" song in which tiny little children lay down pretending to sleep, then wake up hopping like bunnies - so precious

always more

2012-01-17T18:06:00.000-08:00

I'm continuously recognizing all of the graces that draw me to see the Lord in my midst...
302. safety in spite of storms
303. sirens to warn
304. basements for safety, even comfortable finished ones
305. a basement picnic enjoyed by little ones
306. the ever increasing vocabulary of my chatty little girl (Matt thinks she's taking after my mom and I!)
307. painting fun with Moriah
308. bubble baths and the last splashes Moriah insists on before it's time to get out
309. spontaneous hugs and deliberate kisses from her in the midst of life, in those moments I'm amazed that a 17 month old knows how to love so well
310. a generous gift
311. sharing sincere words, showing others that we're coming from similar backgrounds while hoping in Christ to bring about transformation and change
312. fellowship cultivated naturally through the Holy Spirit's work
313. that Christ comes to us, all the way, when we have nothing to muster
314. neighborliness... sharing help, asking for help, meeting simple needs that bless
315. children who are never bothered by runny noses
316. trips to the library with little ones
317. the simple fun of someone else's train table
318. seeing the Lord in complete strangers (a family that seemingly had been grown by adoption today and their Godly interactions together)
319. the Lord's work in weaving together so many stories, we feel like it's a coincidental small world, though that cannot be the only answer
320. books that bring about serious thought and laughter too, recommended reading "Loving the Little Years"
321. my husband who treks up and down the stairs outside in hot, cold, rain or shine to do our laundry, he serves us well

still so thankful

2012-01-13T12:58:00.000-08:00

I haven't forgotten to be thankful for all of the Lord's goodness to me... I have been behind in recording this thanksgiving, so I'll catch up though it will be "hodgepodged" together since it's been awhile :)

247. two weeks of holiday vacation paid
248. thoughtful employers who are so generous and know Moriah and I well

249. the joy of gift giving and knowing a small token was well received
250. extended family time, the longest we've been in Kansas City since moving to Louisville, four years ago
251. the joy of grandmas spending time with our little girl (the only grandchild on both sides thus a bit spoiled!)
252. free laundry and assistance with it (my mom is a laundry queen if there could be such a thing)
253. watching Moriah invent toys during our visits to various places, my mom's baby Jesus from her large-ish nativity was scooted around and around the kitchen table tractor-style (I think Moriah missed Mr. S. and his tractors)
254. a whirlwind day of catching up with faraway friends who I wish were nearer
255. sharing glimpses of young married life with one who will be in this place just a few months from now
256. a friend who would make quite a drive to visit and eat deer stew
257. the Lord's work in ways that I never would've predicted, isn't it just SO good to know that He does know better, even when we think we may understand a circumstance we can see
258. hearing testimonies of the Lord's work in action, real families loving and serving those in the local church in big and sacrificial ways, what an example of faith in action
259. servant hearted leaders, who would stay in the nursery on Christmas morning when other workers didn't arrive
260. Christmas dresses, tights, and bows

261. Crown Center at Christmas time, perfect for nostalgic memories and the fun of showing Moriah new places (an aquarium will be opening there soon, and I can't wait to visit Kaleidoscope with her some day, or even go ice skating, we're also looking forward to a meal at the Crayola Cafe)
262. the special foods of the holidays, carefully prepared just once a year
263. the relaxed entertainer, so much for me to learn
264. easy conversation with kind teenagers, refreshing
265. the gift of hand-me-down suits for my preacher husband, very helpful
266. all the dogs Moriah could hope for everywhere we went in KC, lots of excitement and smiles as she "met" them all
267. tasty olive oil to cook with
268. generous giving, though not the meaning of Christmas
269. a new camera to capture these sweet moments when I can grab it in time
270. preaching that is sincere and of the Lord
271. the arrival of a long awaited and greatly desired baby boy, God has answered many prayers
272. the end of teething for now, all teeth through one year molars are in
273. a reunion with Matt
274. the mutually agreed upon decision that we'll probably never prefer to travel apart again
275. Moriah's sweet and all consuming love for her daddy, just what the Lord desires our love for Him to look like

276. cooking with my mom
277. cookie decorating with Moriah for the first time, she was very careful and after tasting a cookie didn't want to stop the fun she was having :)
278. visiting family friends, thinking of memories with my Grandma Phyllis and Grandpa Harlan
279. great grandparents who can enjoy Moriah in good health
280. the kindness of our church members, who love us in so many tangible ways
281. a handcrafted end table from cherry wood, the loveliest furnishing that we hope to keep always
282. singing to the Lord even when we're not sounding the best from an earthly vantage point
283. discovering new music that draws us to worship
284. a fresh smelling home, thanks to a Scentsy gift
285. apple cider and oatmeal cookies on a cold day
286. a pile of hats on a little girl's head, just for fun around the house anytime she can
287. real conversations

288. the desire to give with generosity
289. new glasses arriving soon from an online retailer, only $25!
290. stocking up on diapers and wipes, two things I don't like to cut it close on
291. knowing that the Lord gives us just enough for now, desiring to respond in thanksgiving rather than worry
292. living faith openly
293. fellowship that is sincere
294. watching the Lord work among those who are living their lives outside the ministry bubble we often know, such faithfulness in everyday families who seek and serve the Lord
295. little ones playing together
296. sharing meals
297. helping my husband in the littlest of ways, praying that the Lord makes me a blessing
298. books that open our minds to greater things than we knew before (just read Kisses from Katie)
299. a month of a normal work schedule
300. painting with my sweet girl
301. listening to Moriah talk about doggies, blueberries, Miss Owl, and teddy bears

Christmas read alouds

2011-12-06T11:30:00.000-08:00

These have been some of our favorite read alouds for Moriah this year... while some may be most appropriate for her young age, I think many will be well loved in years to come too! Each of these books focuses on Christ and his birth rather than other more secular Christmas traditions, which we've chosen not to emphasize in our family, though each family is free to make their own choices of course.

Baby Blessings Christmas
I like that each page has a colorful illustration and a short segment of the nativity narrative in a child friendly rhyme. For children a bit older a short prayer is also included as well as a follow up question for discussion. It could be read in one sitting or read page by page each night. We're thankful for Matt's co-workers at the bank who gave this to us for Moriah last year.

My First Christmas Carols by: Tomie dePaola
As a former teacher Tomie dePaola stories rank as a classics in children's literature, and I've always loved his realistic illustrations. This is a great board book of Christmas carols as three are carols of the faith "Silent Night", "God Rest You, Merry Gentlemen", and "Away in a Manger" while the other three are secular ("Deck the Halls", "O Christmas Tree", and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas") but not Santa related which we appreciated.

The Little Drummer Boy by: Ezra Jack Keats
This book is full of charming illustrations as well and follows the Christmas song exactly with no added text. While I realize this song is a likely fictional, at least not found in Scripture, I've always loved the sentiment of it. I also can't help remember the Bob Segar version my dad LOVED to play when I was little from his A Very Special Christmas CD (the first CD I ever remember in fact, the interview linked above was from 1989... I would've been 5, too funny!)

This is the Stable by: Cynthia Cotten
This book is a children's progressive story (that may not be exactly right terminology, I can't remember!) and starts out "This is the stable, dusty and brown, in a quiet corner of Bethlehem town." adding on each page a new element from the star through baby Jesus. I love the rhythm of the story and also that the illustrations seem more accurate in my mind than most pictures of a very light skinned baby Jesus. The three kings or wise men in this story also look more exotic than some which seems like a more realistic depiction as well.

Mortimer's Christmas Manger by: Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman
What a fun twist on a Christmas book! As you read this story you'll meet Mortimer a mouse who explores a creche in the home where he lives. As he overhears the Christmas story read aloud he realizes that the bed he's made in a manger really belonged to baby Jesus :) A sweet and fun story as well.

all good gifts...

2011-12-04T07:56:00.001-08:00

211. that even sickness passes quickly
212. for a healthy baby girl over the last 16 months
213. teeth emerging after the difficulties that come with them in little mouths
214. our glider that makes comforting her comfortable for me
215. babysitting swaps with a sweet friend, date nights are possible without the additional cost of a babysitter
216. resting with Matt, doing nothing more than reading in one another's company
217. first birthdays and the thrill of a baby discovering cake :)
218. baby legs with ruffly socks and patent leather shoes... very classic in my mind

219. good books to read aloud with Moriah
220. quality music performed without the compromise and for God's glory, "Behold the Lamb of God"
221. lighting that matches music as it's played... especially when the lights suddenly shone as the musicians sang of the angels appearing and singing to the shepherds
222. considering our light in heaven will radiate from the True Light, wow
223. homemade cheesy potato soup
224. an unexpectedly warm day, perfect for taking a walk as a family
225. lovely nativities and ornaments made around the world and sold in our local fair trade store
226. homemade Christmas potpourri for the stove, that I'm excited to try
227. watching squirrels scamper with Moriah
228. the relief medicine can provide for fevered babies
229. blueberry muffins from my childhood "Fannie Farmer Junior" cookbook
230. Christmas cards arriving from near and far
231. the process of thinking about the Lord's work and composing a Christmas letter to share

232. wrapping gifts and the joy of surprising others
233. purple corduroy overalls with ruffles and a Peter Pan collared shirt
234. tiny tiramisu for treats
235. locally made marinara sauce from Lotsa Pasta
236. a husband who chooses to know my heart even when I struggle to communicate it well
237. catching up with friends far away
238. much needed naps
239. new light bulbs after becoming used to a half lit room
240. watching Moriah learn

241. the opportunity to encourage with Truth as we think through it together
242. a helpful devotional to draw my thoughts to the Lord's work in all of life, currently reading this one called "Contentment" but also recently finished "Joy"
243. asking "who is God?" as I read familiar passages in the Christmas story... seeing Him in the Word as He makes Himself known always
244. a thoughtful brother who loves being an uncle (or so it seems!)

245. God's protection over those I love during a car accident, showing His mercy
246. songs conveying Truth with creativity while requiring thoughtfulness, listen to "I Will Find a Way" at the bottom on a video link, then read the interview for background info about the fascinating song

choosing to notice

2011-11-28T18:13:00.001-08:00

I've found that most of the contents on these lists are very normal, life moments, ones that I might otherwise pass right by, and too often do. Thinking thankfully challenges me to praise God and not whiz through life blind to Him and His very good work all around me. I want to live these days well and remembering is part of that for me...

183. rainy day naps
184. a baby who will nap at the same time
185. the glow of a Christmas tree
186. assembling the pre-lit tree correctly for the first time ever! all lights on :)
187. Moriah's interest in the angel on our tree and with each nativity
188. Moriah's newest word "geeze" (aka "Jesus") as she holds each baby Jesus in the nativities we've collected
189. noticing the strange phenomena of rain through the eyes of a little one marveling at it
190. exercise and the productive work of it
191. ironing for my husband to serve him in small ways
192. trail mix! the great snack of Cheerios, pretzels, m&m's, raisins, and cashews
193. mini pumpkin pies and homemade whipped cream
194. the generosity of believers who welcome us into their homes even on holidays like Thanksgiving
195. discussions of accountability with serious questions showing care and bringing about godliness in one another
196. the voice of a baby who's just discovered it
197. owl pajamas on my sweet girl
198. singing Christmas songs and thinking of Christ born as a baby
199. God's providence in an early Christmas bonus, just the right amount at just the right time, He knows our needs even before we do
200. bonus points = free pizza
201. reflecting on past goodness as I re-read old Christmas letters
202. proclaiming the Lord's work now as we are testimonies of it
203. 6 days in a row off work
204. Christmas crafts in planning stages
205. gift giving for those who've been an especially "big" blessing
206. the promise of bulbs blooming in days to come and the joy of watching their transformation
207. the opportunity to be Moriah's first teacher
208. for the many temptations the Lord has protected me from in His strength and wisdom, not my own
209. warm socks
210. a hard working husband who's finished his semester's school work

Photo Card

2011-11-25T16:11:00.001-08:00

Love Hope Faith Religious

Turn your family into a holiday card this season.

View the entire collection of cards.

30+ reasons for gratitude lately

2011-11-20T17:28:00.001-08:00

151. so many blessings they're hard to remember... thus I ought to be recording them more frequently!
152. a week at home, every night
153. a job that has taught me everything I know about flexibility, good for me to learn as routine is my comfort
154. Matt who is gentle in helping me live outside routines, but kind to tolerate them when they help us most
155. Trader Joe's and new tasty treats... chai tea mix and personal apple dumplings for a Friday night at home date
156. shared interests with dear Matt who enjoys sitting together in the quiet of turning pages as we read, maybe more than I do!
157. a healthy and BUSY baby girl

158. my little girl and her mouthful of teeth
159. lengthy cuddles and a basket of board books during an avoidance of napping today (by Moriah, not me!)
160. the thrill of Play-Doh for little hands
161. watching Moriah catch and scoop bubbles and plop them into her little bowl in the bathtub... her actions were very deliberate and intentional, though no bubbles were actually transferred
162. the joy of whispering with Moriah who likes to whisper back

163. a print shop on campus with a laminator I've learned!
164. preparations for a meaningful Advent
165. the new tradition and collection of objects for our Jesse Tree
166. the opportunity to buy gifts for others, especially Matt who I'm not able to surprise as often as I'd like
167. memories of the past from saints who've lived many years with the Lord
168. thank you notes scrawled onto simple paper in recognition of a church's gift to one in need

169. an middle aged son at church even without his elderly mom, coming willingly without her Godly influence
170. a feisty older member who's decided to take her prescription (for a sinus infection) so she can join us next Sunday to worship... she held off on her medicine for most of the week we were told

171. twins
172. a break from weekly classes for both Matt and I, every night at home!
173. hospitable strangers inviting us to join a Thanksgiving celebration
174. photobooks that capture memories

175. chai tea and apple cider, my favorite cold weather warm drinks
176. learning from my husband as I proof read his papers for class
177. recognizing more of God's big picture work in His Word after a Seminary Wives class devoted to surveys of the Old and New Testament
178. the excitement of new classes ahead... for me "Redeeming the Time", "Intro to Biblical Counseling" and "Spiritual Life of a Minister's Wife"
179. an extended visit with family ahead
180. to help Matt with joy in the Lord as I serve
181. conversations with a mentor and friend who's remained faithfully consistent over many years
182. rejoicing in the Lord's work

abundance

2011-11-09T17:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't updated this list in what seems like a long time... hoping to remember all the little things that I don't want to miss as I thank the Lord for every good gift He gives...

126. generosity of family = two yummy weekend lunches out at Bluegrass Burgers and Lotsa Pasta
127. watching Moriah love her far away family every chance she gets
128. the spontaneous "please" Moriah is saying when she needs a bit of help these days (opening her cup to get the last bit of milk, getting down from the picnic table after climbing up bravely, or opening a toolbox of Mr. S' that latches shut!)
129. the joy of motherhood as an opportunity to serve the Lord all the time, I didn't always feel this way as the first few sleep deprived months are far more exhausting than I was prepared for initially... I think it's the sowing and reaping principle come to life
130. comforting Moriah and knowing that the Lord somehow uses my hugs, and arms to hold her as calming to her little spirit (before motherhood I always worried that I might not have the "magical touch" I witnessed from other moms with my own child)
131. the friendly dogs who romp on the dog hill at our lovely Cherokee Park
132. little children playing with one another without hindrance, even though they may be strangers... just amazing, probably the community we all ought to long for and have with other Believers, more to look forward to in Heaven when all is made right
133. friends who became moms right about the same time as me!
134. enjoying the company of those friends at the zoo with our little ladies
135. kindness of a friend and an amazing memory resulting in a yummy surprise chai tea
136. smooth outings with three children, I didn't think it would be possible :)
137. giggles of little ones together... heard during a "You Make Me Wanna Shout!" dance party last night... not the "witching hour" in this home for once
138. cooking a "real" dinner during naps just to make it possible
139. the calming help and mood booster of fresh air! I'm becoming old when I just want to go outside "to enjoy the fresh air"
140. toy tractors driving through the grass
141. the automatic fun balls bring to playing with children, especially in a racquetball gym
142. friends who will walk in the evening, even though it's dark (back to #139)
143. a new recipe for tasty pasta
144. the acquired tastes of life post-college: mushrooms, coffee, kalmata olives, tomatoes, fresh herbs, tiramisu, mangoes, winter squash, sweet potatoes, celery in soup, pimento cheese, onions on hamburgers, creamy tomato soups, pesto, and the list could go on...
145. sharing recipes with friends
146. praying with Matt and knowing we seek the Lord together for our wisdom and guidance
147. Trader Joe's and the fun of a new grocery store with unique extras
148. financial provision in the most amazing ways... an extra $100 then a car repair that wouldn't have been afforded otherwise, "overtime" pay for recent extra hours that will help with a Thanksgiving worthy feast
149. the potential for a long Christmas Break from work, just like my teaching days... WOW!
150. knowing that the Lord knows all things and has most lovingly ordained them, we are safely in His keeping

pardon the lack of pictures, I'll keep working on it!

more of His goodness...

2011-11-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

112. children playing happily together
113. the potential of exercise while holding a little baby (thanks again to Mommy and Me at the Seminary)
114. the surprise of long naps from little ones who needed rest
115. cuddling to read books at any time of day (not just bedtimes!)
116. the Spirit who is our Helper as Jesus promised
117. the last of my hardest Seminary Wives Class quizzes tonight (Dr. Schreiner is a New Testament scholar, he thinks they're easy!)
118. the fresh feeling of a clean house
119. smooth outings with three children, I was overwhelmed at first, but the Lord's grace has been sufficient always
120. "pleee" = "please" from the mouth of our sweet girl
121. adorable purple corduory overalls from a very nice children's store thanks to Matt's generous co-workers
122. tasty breakfast options on an early morning at work
123. visits from more family members who don't like to be away from Moriah for too long
124. a job with holidays off, already looking forward to three leisurely days for Thanksgiving
125. the sweet companionship little children offer one another through tender hugs and kind kisses

why be thankful?

2011-10-31T11:23:00.000-07:00

I just read this quote in a book I'm reading chapter by chapter whenever I have time, called The Attributes of God by A.W. Pink. I started out reading the chapter titled "The Knowledge of God" and have skipped around from there reading both "The Faithfulness of God" and most recently "The Goodness of God" where I found this quote...

"'O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men' (Ps. 107:8). Gratitude is the return justly required from the objects of His beneficence; yet it is often withheld from our great Benefactor simply because His goodness is so constant and so abundant. It is lightly esteemed because it is exercised toward us in the common course of events. It is not felt because we daily experience it." from The Attributes of God, page 60

This seemed like a very timely chapter for me as I seek to be more aware of God's abundant goodness to me. Join me in thanking Him as "we daily experience it", both big and small. If you're looking for a brief book to read in addition to Bible Study I'd highly suggest this one, each chapter is about 2-3 pages long and full of material to lead your thoughts to the greatness of God in His infinite perfections.

grace upon grace

2011-10-30T16:58:00.000-07:00

81. the Word which provides us with more than enough spiritual food and "does not return void"
82. baskets of clean laundry
83. the feeling of starting a fresh week
84. visits from far away family

85. the generosity of others
86. the Lord's work on behalf of His people, even using unbelievers in accordance to His plans
87. eating brunch out at a yummy place, Wild Eggs, for my Louisville readers :)
89. sharing meals with Matt, our choices are great compliments to the other's preferences, and then there's more to taste
90. apple cider with extra spices to make it extra good
91. roasting a pumpkin whole for the real pumpkin puree
92. pumpkin bread for my husband, the farmer who gave us the pumpkin, the church member who let us fish in his pond, and our family visiting next weekend
93. Moriah's first fishing trip in the midst of a lovely fall day, beautiful property, and her grandpa too!
94. catching two little fish, a nice reward for the leisurely "work" of casting, reeling, and hoping
95. unexpected chili, sandwiches, and chocolate cake from kind people
96. great blue herons, so majestic to me
97. wild turkeys
98. a buck on a hill top with the sun shining behind him and fall trees in the background
99. crunching leaves under our stroller on a walk
100. excitement from baby girls, coming in the form of squeals and smiles

101. peanut butter m&m's, glad my dad shared his sweet tooth with me!
102. Rotel queso, reminds me of many college dorm nights... not a healthy snack every day, but a funny recollection now
103. Monday off work, makes recovery from the weekend possible
104. a husband who listens, thinks seriously, and shares with wisdom

105. church members joyfully giving to our first Operation Christmas Child collection
106. the Lords conviction, leading us to be more like Christ
107. lives that are changed and set apart by Him, for His glory
108. answered prayers in healthy pregnancies of friends who've longed and trusted God for His plans
109. Graeter's ice cream, "some of the best you've ever had... I promise" has been told to too many family members over the last four years in Louisville
110. just enough time to get out the door and on our way, even when the atomic clock changed earlier than scheduled for daylight savings time
111. bows on baby girls

more to be thankful for

2011-10-26T08:48:00.000-07:00

61. a husband who accompanies me gladly on nanny overnights
62. an employer who lets us use her washing machine/dryer during the workday for Moriah's laundry (saves our quarters!)
63. a good morning with a happy three year old
64. the joy I watch from combine harvesters, cherry pickers, cement trucks, and other large vehicles while on the road with a little guy
65. a mellow baby girl to care for
66. working out with kind ladies who all desire to glorify the Lord with our bodies in the midst of a full life aside from "Mommy and Me" hour at the gym :)
67. the changing sounds of little babies as they learn all it means to talk! sing-songy gurggles are music to my ears
68. wild red curls on my baby girl's head... called "mad girls" by a teenage cashier when we were out and about one day, made me laugh a lot
69. meals that make plenty so that we have a week of freezer dinners already on hand
70. pacifiers to help soothe little ones in a pinch
71. beautiful autumn weather for playing at a park and spending time outside before cold winter air arrives to stay
72. preparing for a guest in the form of my dad coming to stay for a long weekend!
73. cleaning out a disheveled closet and enjoying the satisfaction of visible change
74. watching my husband grow in trusting the Lord each day while clinging to His Word, so thankful for his leadership
75. timely encouragement straight from the Word and food for thought from my counselor/friend
76. catching spit up early... not always a success!
77. sleeping through the night, Moriah's on the mend without such a runny nose to wake her up
78. going to bed early
79. a free gym and exercise class - back to #66
80. more welcoming friends in a community group over a pot-luck meal/feast!

life and life abundant

2011-10-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

51. the Lord's power, most obvious through His Word and the Holy Spirit, which changes my perspective and values to be more like His, all for His glory and my joy
52. creation's interdependence, as I heard birds chirping in the trees I noticed the perfectly timed berries growing to fill their tummies, if He cares for them how much more does He care for us
53. consignment stores in abundance here, perfect for virtually all of Moriah's wardrobe needs
54. thoughtful and generous friends
55. my ring sling carrier which allows me to tote Moriah around while letting me remain free to use both hands for carrying a laundry basket or pushing a vacuum!
56. the recipe for a sparkling sink: clorox and hot water soaking for an hour, scrubbing with baking soda, rinsing clean, then a quick spray of Windex for shine
57. a much needed and very restful morning with a sweet girl, pajamas, breakfast, and books on the couch cuddled with a blanket - can't beat it :)
58. God's grace providing tenderness all night long while caring for a sick little one
59. humble teachers
60. friendly faces I recognize out and about, things like this make me feel at home in a funny sort of way

more of His goodness

2011-10-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

26. slow starts on weekend mornings
27. spontaneous but intentional kisses from a baby girl
28. friends, to reconnect with whenever I'm given the chance!
29. rejoicing in the blessings of others, like a recent engagement of a dear friend :)
30. the best chocolate chip cookies thanks to a circulating "secret" recipe! (hint... bananas not eggs)
31. the comfort of pajamas
32. the wisdom of many compiled in stacks of great books
33. opportunities to teach my daughter bits of self-control even from a young age, with hope that she will ultimately surrender her will to the Lord
34. a job which gives me opportunities to remember Christ's words and purposes in molding us as we serve others
35. tucking my baby girl into bed with a blanket I made just for her
36. the simple fun of a pumpkin patch with tractors of course! (and little boys in tow)
37. friendship found in lots of places
38. play dough in little hands
39. a husband who is my best friend
40. a kind guard dog, who is actually just a Golden Retriever (on duty as I nanny overnight away from home!)
41. a mild mannered daughter (a specific answer to many prayers for a "peaceful" baby!)
42. organized exercise as infrequent as it may be
43. crock pot dinners
44. generous giving which blessed us (a kind church member gave us cash to go out to eat!)
45. the yummy lunch we enjoyed as a result of #45
46. eyes that are opened to the providence of God as a result of greater dependence and need
47. home (that means a lot, but to explain seems to rob it all)
48. fellowship with Believers who you just met, no other sort of "instant" friendship can be found
49. recognizing God at work, changing me through conviction and a deep desire to repent in a fresh way
50. elated laughter from my baby girl, especially when it comes as she's loving time with her wonderful daddy

a thankful heart

2011-10-14T16:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've been meeting with a Godly woman for the encouragement that comes from wise counsel. The Lord has been very good and very near in His timing during this new opportunity and blessing in my walk of faith. After our meetings, I'm sent away with helpful "homework" to keep my focus upon the Lord and the things He's teaching me. One of my recent assignments was to begin a thankful list in keeping with 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." I'm also reminded of James 1:17, stating "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." Throughout Scripture we are exhorted to be a thankful people, and to remember the Lord, and His work among us. I hope this list will communicate in a simple way my desire to glorify Him as I enjoy Him in daily life. This blog, A Holy Experience, by Ann Voskamp was the beginning of such lists for many, and is also greatly glorifying to the Lord.

As a side note, I'm often tempted to liken these lists to a favorite tear off calendar I used to buy year in and year out... "1,001 things to be happy about" it was called I think?! While I really enjoyed the calendar and found many uses for those pages (some involved being an RA in my dorm during college, others involved letters to friends, etc.), they weren't aimed toward praising God as the giver of all. Though my list may have many mundane and simple joys, I pray that it will be apparent that the Lord grants each blessing, and I'm thankful to see Him pointing me towards eternity in these joys.

So, let the list begin with today...
1. the Word which enlightens my heart and brings change
2. wisdom of others who have studied and learned at length then choose to teach in a humble way, I'm a benefactor in my Seminary Wives classes, most recently with New Testament scholar, Dr. Tom Schreiner
3. a husband who knows my heart
4. patient listening ears to the big and small moments of my days
5. Friday morning grocery shopping at a semi-leisurely pace
6. the kindness of strangers towards me, especially when they open doors, and help in general ways as I tote a sweet toddler to and fro
7. another month of bills paid while trusting the Lord
8. neighbors who enjoy our little one and gladly babysit
9. the opportunity to serve with Matt a small and faithful congregation of saints in the Lord
10. new friends who have already offered sincere fellowship, prayer, and accountability in a time when all are desperately needed
11. watching my baby girl learn, each moment holds a new fascination
12. the changing colors of fall leaves and a tiny bouquet of them we collected today
13. a place to call home which includes a public library within stroller-walking distance
14. gracious librarians who understand my late charges
15. my mom who is a friend (she always has been, though she didn't aim to be during times when I most needed a parent!)
16. four day work weeks
17. the blessing of shifted priorities and the opportunity to serve my family primarily in the home
18. the joyful sacrifices Matt makes on our family's behalf
19. generous and thoughtful employers who make work a joy
20. the love God has given me for children He's crafted
21. God's work throughout the world, we find ourselves in the midst of Believers from every continent (except Antarctica) in our Seminary apartment complex alone!
22. that God would desire to use His people to accomplish purposes He could certainly bring about without us
23. music that teaches Truth
24. a budding reader (a toddler who loves reading!) in our home, cuddling with books as she points and motions for more is an indulgence I'm glad to accept 25. a husband who leads, and our home without TV (this is good for us, and may not be for all)

a three ring circus of sorts...

2011-08-17T16:17:00.000-07:00

This week I've started nannying full time again... while I've always been "full time" this summer has been more leisurely as my employer was on maternity leave after the birth of her baby girl. She's just gone back to work and is getting into the swing of things again, as am I... with three little ones now, instead of only two :) Today life looked like a three ring circus, though it was filled with much joy. Realizing this makes me seem as old as I feel, I really don't notice how tired I get until I sit down (at nap time) and feel sore getting up again! So if you'd been a fly on the wall today you could've enjoyed this wild scene, and you might have awarded me the grand prize on "America's Funniest Home Videos" if only there had been a camera filming us...

I decided to try a new method of painting with Mr. S. while Moriah napped this morning. I thought he'd like it, but didn't anticipate quite how much he'd love it! We filled small spray bottles (think travel sized hairspray bottles), with water and food coloring. This was a wonderful idea from Pinterest which has been my main source for fun from my nanny bag of tricks! I thought ahead enough to fill the bottles only half way so that our painting couldn't last too long (all good things must come to an end), and to take our project outside for completion. So Mr. S. sprayed and sprayed one, two, three giant pages of white art paper from his Melissa and Doug easel. Then we used three more pages of typing paper. Then baby girl MK woke up. Mr. S. walked with me as we carried her outside to drink her bottle while the fun continued! As we were out of paper, I told Mr. S. he could spray the grass and mulch around the yard since he was loving it. As I watched him spray he pointed to a rose garden near the back of his yard and asked to spray there. He was still within my sight, so that seemed fine. I could see him working to loosen the top of the spray bottle and told him that he was welcome to pour the remaining water mixture out. What I couldn't see from such a distance was that as he worked to open the bottle, he sprayed himself in the FACE... with RED food coloring! He looked like he was bleeding as you can imagine :) So I came to terms with the fact that the mess had already been made and we'd work on cleaning it up next. As I sat feeding baby MK her bottle a strong gust of wind blew one of the wet paintings over MK's head! Now this sweet baby girl was wet with the combo of blue and red food coloring and water spray! Oh my goodness, how wild :) I immediately consoled her, and wiped her clean only to realize that her very sweet white eyelet outfit had been stained. So at that point I wasn't crying, because my employer is SO kind, but I was really prepared for the worst. We all went inside after weighing down the remaining paintings. Praise the Lord, Dawn dish soap removes food coloring from skin with ease. I'd just cleaned off Mr. S.'s face when his mom came out from her home office to hear of our adventures. (We text throughout the day and I'd just sent her a message saying, "Be prepared for a good laugh when you come out for a break")

So I'm sure an eventful morning like this is the norm for many stay-at-home moms, but it felt quite wild to me! I think my idea of "calm" will be ever evolving as three little ones, three and under teach me how to stay on my toes and think ahead, from their perspective! In other news, Moriah slept through the adventures which was a blessing to me... though she boycotted her afternoon nap today throwing pacifier and owl (that she sleeps with) out of the pack and play in the midst of irrecognizable baby jabbering. This afternoon we enjoyed a bit of water play on the deck, although our strawberry milk excitement overshadowed the fun of water so we went in early to enjoy our special treat! What a day to say the least :)

homemade fun

2011-07-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

As Moriah has grown, I've really enjoyed providing opportunities for her to play in helpful and fun ways! As a former teacher, I'm always curious as I read about developmental stages and milestones, which I know isn't the case for everyone :) I've enjoyed reading a few books that give me ideas from time to time, and also enjoy browsing blogs and Pinterest for other suggestions. The following ideas have been Moriah's favorites, and were all easy and very frugal (if not free!) Maybe your little one would enjoy this sort of fun too...

Our most recent fun game involves an empty milk carton and clothespins (or "doll pins"... without a metal spring). I simply cut an opening in the side of the milk carton and removed the lid. I also covered the edges of the hole with masking tape so that they wouldn't scrape Moriah as she reached her hand in and out. The object of this game is for your little one to drop a clothespin in the top of the milk carton and then remove it at the bottom after it fall through from the hole in the side. Remember babies learn in simple ways!

This is a helpful activity for your little child's fine motor skills, and fitting the clothespin through the relatively small hard is easier said than done for tiny hands. I made this for Moriah about a month ago (or more) when she was 10 1/2 months old or so. I showed her how to do it a few times (for maybe 10 minutes or so?!), and helped her by tipping the carton so that it was easier for her. She didn't have much success with it then, independently or not, but LOVED to hold and carry around the clothespins. While we've had it within reach of her since, she hasn't noticed it much and maybe played with it one or two others time at the most. Then, we had friends babysit this weekend while Matt and I went on a lunch date. They told us that Moriah crawled over to the milk carton and dropped the clothespin in right away to show them! I was shocked and hadn't seen her "new trick" in person at that point. When our friends left, Moriah was very interested in her new found skill and played with the milk carton and clothespins over and over uninterrupted. She's been happy to play with them for the last couple of days as well, and works independently now. She likes it most when I cheer for her after the clothespin falls in, and concentrates to complete the task.

It's amazing to watch as she's just at the point of indepedence while still being challenged a bit. (If you're a current or former educator you'll recognize this as Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development" which I just checked on wikipedia to make sure my memory hadn't failed me!) This is right when learning happens and mastery is being gained. Matt and I have both shared that we can almost see the wheels spinning in her mind as she plays with toys like this. I originally found this idea here, from The Imagination Tree blog.

battling anxiety

2011-07-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

As Matt and I have discussed his recent anxiety, we've been graciously reminded that thankfulness to the Lord helps us combat anxious thoughts. Paul explains in Philippians 4:5-7...
5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Why thankfulness? In finding ourselves thankful to the Lord, we are recalling His past goodness to us. We are reminding ourselves that as He was faithful in the past, He is unchanging, and will be faithful even now in the midst of any circumstance that might otherwise be causing us to worry.

For Matt's belated birthday gift I made him the following gift which I hope will be helpful to our whole family. On each rock we are recording the small detailed ways that the Lord does indeed answer prayers all around us! Many times we are able to remember the ways the Lord worked in big things (meeting our spouse, providing a job, helping during a move, etc.) but we overlook His care in details that are easier to forget. My hope, is that we will write on our rocks His work and His answers in our midst. When our glass vase gets full, I'll transfer those answers into our journal and discard the rocks, buying more blank rocks to record more of the Lord's work. Sure, we could start with a journal and skip the rocks altogether, but a visual reminder is sometimes just what I need.

Here's the process:

the supplies I found at Hobby Lobby

some of the more "monumental" answered prayers of the past to start us out

I originally saw the idea for a Blessings Jar here, (at I Can Teach My Child) and thought it might be a great family tradition for the holidays. I hope to use this idea with Moriah and our children someday as well, in a more family worship way, in a living room etc. For now, Moriah would eat the rocks, throw the rocks, and break the vase so it will stay on the dresser in our bedroom instead :)

things I love about Moriah... right now :)

2011-07-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've been reminded lately that there are many small and seemingly insignificant details about life with Moriah that I love! I don't want to forget these moments, and while they aren't huge developmental milestones they bring me such joy as her mom. I hope you don't mind my sharing. Again we praise the Lord that I'm with her and can enjoy each of these small things throughout the day. This is just what the Lord desired for us as a family, and we are thankful.

~her serious "ma-ma!" if she's restless as she falls asleep and thinks she needs me... this often follows the sound of her pacifier as it falls to the ground
~the click of her little tongue as she plays from time to time
~her sweet cuddles with her new tiny baby doll my mom gave her for her birthday (we're trying to capture a picture or video of her, it's SO adorable!)
~her enthusiastic grunts when she's ready to eat or sees something in particular that she'd like to taste... yesterday it was a peach smoothie, oftentimes lately it's been watermelon or at dinner cheese cubes or black olives (we're working on sign language and manners, but things are more urgent for her at the moment and she'll have none of it!)
~her love for dogs as we saw when she played with Grandma Nancy's Yorkie, Lucy and Grandma Theresa's German Shepherd, Pyper

~a mischievous sideways smile she flashes each time she's pulled up and wants us to notice her accomplishment!

~the funny thought process she must go through as she sees a bow lying around (because she's pulled it out) and tries to lay it on her head, knowing that's where it goes, but not sure how to make it stay

~her attempts to "learn" body parts with me as we name them and point... I think her favorite is "tongue" which she readily sticks out and grins

a book lover in the making...

2011-07-11T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been to our home, you have no doubt that Matt and I both LOVE books :) While we own many books that we haven't read yet (not for lack of interest I assure you), I think it's safe to say that either he or I have read most books on our shelves. There are even a precious few that we've both enjoyed :) Oftentimes one of us will try to "sell" our most recent favorite read to the other, but we've come to terms with our differing tastes lately and instead concede to read lines, paragraphs, or pages out loud to satisfy the desire to share a good thing! As a result of our love of books, Ms. Moriah can't help but find herself to be a book lover too, right?! I know it's never good to force interests, but a love of reading can be tailored to any age or personality so while we wait to discover what she'll enjoy on her own we're having fun finding our own favorites as we read to her. These are her most loved reads lately...

All Asleep... I picked this up a Half Price Books soon after Moriah was born and loved the rhyming text (I am a former Kindergarten teacher who could talk for awhile about the pre-reading benefits of rhyme!), and whimsical illustrations. This is the perfect bedtime story which we read nearly every night. Moriah's favorite parts? When I read "Whisper softly, take one last peek the babies are all fast asleep" in a whisper voice!

Big Red Barn... a classic! We don't own this book as a board book (it is stashed away in our storage unit with my farm animal books in a bin), but did enjoy it from the library. I renewed it many, many times as it was the longest book Moriah has been engaged by to date.

Am I Big or Little? I found this book in my early days of teaching at Tuesday Morning while browsing with my mom. I think I was initially attracted by the red headed little girl. Now I love reading this sweet story to my own little red head :) The little girl in this book is asking "Am I big or little?" to her mom who explains that while she's big enough to do some things, she's still little enough for others. So sweet! It reminds me as I read to enjoy the moments now with Moriah as my baby before she's all grown up and these days are behind us.

Teddy Bear Teddy Bear... another Half Price Books find :) Moriah likes the rhyme I think, and also seems to enjoy the illustrations (she's even giggled while reading with me). I remember singing this song and jump roping... the final pages of the book explain the motions to the jump rope chant which we'll enjoy in a few years I'm sure!

A Good Day... we spend a lot of time at Half Price Books and before Moriah was born I was very concerned that I didn't have a board book library for her, so I started buying them frequently! This book caught my eye because it was written and illustrated by Kevin Henkes who is a favorite children's book author and illustrator (look him up... Chrysanthemum, Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, Owen, Julius Baby of the World, etc.). This story is simple and sweet and the illustrations remind me a lot of wood carvings which enchant me.

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes came from a Scholastic Book Order (which is miss from my teaching days!) before Moriah was born. What a sweet book it is full of baby illustrations portraying children all over the world. In spite of their different homes and clothing each baby has "ten little fingers and ten little toes"... at the end enjoy reading about the next baby born "who was mine all mine"

As I started this post, the list of favorite read alouds grew and grew. I'll have to add another follow up post in the days to come with more of our most loved books. I'm so thankful that Moriah enjoys reading and hope that she will continue to be a reader throughout her life. Happy reading!

learning lessons

2011-07-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

Most recently Matt and I have found ourselves in the middle of hard lessons that the Lord is kind and patient to teach. Our prayer is that we are learning as the Lord teaches, even if our learning is slower than we'd wish. Since moving to Louisville we've found ourselves enjoying life "on our own". We've been able to live comfortably in our own apartment decorating it and enjoying it just the way we've chosen. We've been thankful for many blessings from the Lord during our time in Louisville, including stable jobs which have provided for us to be living debt free. We've been diligent in the ways we're able, and have been proud of ourselves. And that is problematic. While we do acknowledge the Lord's providence and goodness, we've also remained proud of our hard work and accomplishments, as if we've done these things on our own. This is most certainly NOT the case! The Lord is the giver of all good things, and nothing has come to us if not from his hand. Such an attitude also causes great pressure... that we must keep up and maintain these things. Matt especially has been overwhelmed by this pressure lately. While he may have been a worrier for much of his life, these days have been much harder. Anxiety had consumed him in some ways (the Lord however keeps us all in his care), and he had not been sleeping many nights. His weight loss over the last few months is also obvious, though I didn't realize it since it was a gradual process. After a night without sleep things became very difficult. The Lord was good and protected us all, no one was never in any physical danger though emotionally speaking it seemed terrifying. Many good and godly friends supported us with prayer, phone calls, and company. Currently Matt is doing well. After our week of vacation with family in Kansas City, we returned to Louisville well rested. Matt has been talking with our family practitioner who is pursuing testing to determine high levels of calcium in Matt's blood. This physical problem exacerbates emotional ones, the doctor explained. In the meantime we're learning...

Independence and making it "on our own" is not all it's cracked up to be. When difficulty comes we're also "on our own" in a sense as we're distant from family who know and love us most. (We are so thankful to the Lord for the many good friends who are with us here in Louisville and offer endless support. He is good at all times and has shown Himself though them most recently.) While everyone has difficulties of one nature or another, we should never assume the rough parts of others are enough to keep us at a distance. No one has it all figured out! We realize that to rely on anything more than the Lord is idolatry. The Lord does provide family for us all, these people have known us longer than anyone else (even our spouse if you're recently married like us!). They have known us longer, and in some ways DO in fact know us better. They support they offer is indeed unconditional and comes graciously. How arrogant we were to think that being "on our own" would in some ways be better. Sacrificing autonomy (which can be selfish autonomy for me many times) may pay big dividends in sweet love and support in the most difficult days.

We're thinking about these things and the wise words we've heard from Wendell Berry while discussing these issues with him. The Lord has the wisdom and freedom to calling us as He sees fit in the future. We are more open than ever to humbly considering what it may look like to return to a place that is more familiar than new. We are thankful that the Lord teaches us every day.

remembering and thankfulness

2011-06-29T08:02:00.000-07:00

Today I enjoyed a morning walk with Moriah. We strolled through the neighborhood between our apartment and the seminary's campus. The homes are lovely and the sidewalks are old, which gives us a lot to see with some bumps along the way! As we walked up to the campus I noticed a couple of girls reading their Bibles and journaling while sitting in a sunny spot on the sidewalk. I realized that a church camp most be using the campus as its venue. My thoughts were quickly confirmed as Moriah and I made our way onto the main square and saw students everywhere. Some were sincerely studying the Word and praying intently in spots allowing the solitude I'm sure they were encouraged to seek out. Others were in larger groups, and one even made a comment that "this is a church camp, doesn't it look like I'm talking to Jesus" as his on-looking leaders tried to disperse the group surrounding him.

Watching these students my mind was quickly reliving days when I'd been in similar situations. First as a student myself, I remember being sent out to have "quiet time" before the camp day could begin. Journaling was always helpful to me and I had a variety of journals over the years which accompanied me on camp excursions. Many of my old Bibles also have notes in the margins to remind myself of particular insights pastors shared, or truths the Lord was confirming to my heart. Then as a student ministry leader, I spent a few (three or maybe four?!) summers with students trying to spur on their pursuit of the Lord, all the while organizing games that might be entertaining, fun, and or gross enough without too much danger (usually that was our downfall). While games were not my cup of tea, I enjoyed helping a team of interns like myself as we developed journals for students, questions for small groups, and room assignment so that everyone was comfortable with at least one good friend. I don't know the eternal significance of that behind-the-scenes work, and I've often talked with Matt about it. Since I have no solid conclusions I won't go into that train of thought. Rather, I'll trust the Lord and His providence. That He was at work somehow in spite of us as fumbling interns who assumed much and misspoke often while trying with great weakness to teach about Christ.

*I really wanted to include an infamous "brown t-shirt" Summer Jam picture here of my favorite interns and myself... I tried and tried to no avail though I'm not sure why it didn't work!?!

These days were full. The times outside basking in the sun while seeking the Lord seem to have passed so quickly now. I don't think I knew then what a precious time I was afforded. But as I walked home and saw a homeschooling mom to five in her screened in porch I realized that I need not wish for tomorrow while missing the joys of today. This is a common and repetitive lesson in my life. I find myself thankful now, knowing that some day I may look back on our seminary life and think "wasn't that a sweet time... better than I ever realized". I'd rather know today that this life is a gift of God's grace and is to be treasured as a pointer to Himself and His abundant goodness.

our days...

2011-06-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

It’s been quite awhile since I’ve added to my blog. While I usually find myself reading other blogs almost daily, I don’t often have a lot I think “blog worthy” myself! I have a few ideas now, and hope to try and blog each week on my day off so that those of you who are far away will have an easier time glimpsing into our world.

So this has been a typical day lately…
Moriah is waking up at 7am hungry! She doesn’t give me much time before it’s obvious that eating takes priority over a diaper change or even getting dressed for the day.

Our mornings are usually filled with playing around the house, going on a cool summer walk, visiting with friends and their little ones, or heading off to work (where we often go out for the morning – library, park, etc.). When I work we have a 30 minute commute which allows Moriah time for a cat nap.

On Fridays I’ve found the morning to be the best grocery shopping time. We try to get to Kroger early, around 8am-8:30am so that we can finish there and head to ALDI by 9am when they first open. Their selection seems best early, and we’ve found ourselves in a funny ALDI Friday morning crowd with most of the same (elderly) faces week after week. Needless to say, ALDI shoppers are remarkably friendly and I usually leave feeling like Moriah is a mini celebrity after speaking with so many people about my baby, her big brown eyes, chubby cheeks, and curly red hair!

Depending on our morning (and whether or not she’s had her cat nap), Moriah usually naps for about 45 minutes or an hour at 11am. During this nap I’m able to pick up toys, wash or put away dishes, or unload groceries if we’ve been home.

When Moriah wakes up it’s about lunch time! She eats very well these days… I’m hoping to post some of her baby food “menus” soon. Mr. S. is also a big eater, so lunch is usually promptly served and eaten within the span of only a few minutes – seriously!

After lunch we find more time for playing or running errands if we’re home. This is also the time Mr. S. typically wants to head outside to play when I’m working, so although it’s the hottest time of day we don’t stay out too long and Moriah has a chance to sport her sweet summer sun hat.

Moriah’s afternoon nap is very consistent and offers her the rest she always needs by this time of day. She doesn’t always go right to sleep, but usually does and most often sleeps for two hours or so. Mr. S. also has an afternoon nap, so most days they both sleep from 2pm-4pm. When I work I fill nap time with The Martha Stewart Show for an hour, then my current book (I hope to update you with some reviews) for the next hour. I also clean up the playroom, do laundry, and dishes. If I’m home, I clean up, iron Matt’s clothes, and read as well.

At home, Moriah wakes up to play for a bit before our evening is in full swing. If I’m working we get things cleaned up and play (as calmly as we can) for the last hour or so before we head home at 5pm.

Moriah eats at 5pm-ish or as soon as we get home. Then I cook dinner while she finishes off her finger foods with an ever-increasing independence. It’s a good day if dinner is well timed and on it’s way to the table when Matt walks in soon after 6pm. If Moriah’s finished eating and cleaned up, it’s an even better day. And if the table is set and dinner has made it there while staying warm, it’s a BIG jackpot for me, haha!

After dinner it’s time to clean up and give Moriah a bath. This summer our ever-other-night bath routine has become just about every night after sweating, swimming, and playing in ways that seem to make even a baby girl a bit dirtier. After Moriah’s dried off and ready with a night time diaper, we enjoy two or three stories together (I hope to review some of our favorites soon), sing a song, and pray before we lay her down to sleep in her crib.

That is the typical rhythm of my day, and it is one I am SO thankful for. The Lord has given me tremendous grace and abundant provision is this calm season, which is centered around Himself, my family and home. I am very blessed for the opportunity to serve God, Matt, and Moriah in these ways every day.

an adoring mother

2011-04-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

These are a few things I especially love about my sweet girl right now... by tomorrow she'll be doing something different I'm sure, but I don't want to forget these precious moments:

~lots of "bbb" sounds as she rubs her fingers against her lips, "raspberry blowing" I guess?!
~"dada" is a common word, "mama" has happened occasionally but with less intention I think, and "baba" too
~when I pick her up in her crib as she wakes up in the morning or after her nap she grabs me and squeezes her little hands so tightly as if she just wants to hold on and not let go!
~when she's been playing on the floor or in her jumperoo and is excited to be held, she paddles her little legs so fast as I lift her up
~her most inquisitive look as she grasps things in her hands, turning them every which way and "studying" with such intensity and often a furrowed brow, I think she's already a lot like her daddy :)
~if she sees a "favorite" toy she squeals then sort of pants, and almost seems to flap her little arms with elation... her favorites now seem to be things that make noise, like Sullivan's Little People airplane and Munchkin Mozart Music Cube, or her Tiny Love sound book, or the wind up toys I've been using to entertain her during tummy time - a little squirming caterpillar and a head bobbing hopping chick
~bathtub splashing is two-fold fun now... kicking with her legs while I recline her to wash her long hair, then waving her arms as she sits up to play while washing her body
~tummy time is becoming less aggravating to her and she's even starting to pivot around as she plays and reaches for things
~when tummy time is over in Moriah's world, she's started rolling (think log rolling) here and there and everywhere... a few times in a row during any one blanket play session
~sweet smiles when I sing, "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" which seem to be all-time favorites
~leaning forward in her high chair to look for Matt when he's in the kitchen and just barely out of sight
~watching her excited smiles each evening when Matt comes home from work and she sees her daddy who is her biggest thrill!
~sleeping on her tummy for the first time this week as she rolls herself over in the night, but stays content with it... no more precious baby gowns, now we're on to big girl footed sleepers
~a new bedtime routine which includes board book reading with mommy and one song then prayer, it seems to help a lot since she has more "wind down" time as we read and less singing time which brought on sleepiness but made it hard to be laid down
~eating lots of baby purees which are of course getting thicker, if she starts losing interest I can always win her over with her seemingly favorite fruit mix of bananas, apples, and pears with flax seed... thanks to the Baby Love cookbook I've kept from the library using all the renewals I can before returning it soon
~watching her face of first time joy with any sort of new fun... her eyes squint and her little nose even wrinkles while a squeal comes out :)
~realizing new sounds as she responds to them for the first time, usually with laughter... shaking a bottle of nail polish was lots of fun
~holding her arms out when she's ready to be picked up and almost "jumping" into our arms
~a messy milky face after she finishes nursing... a bit of a sloppy eater it seems :)

thoughts from a full heart

2011-04-11T11:11:00.000-07:00

I was so excited to visit my old school with Moriah this morning! We enjoyed seeing lots of my former co-workers, who in many ways truly became a "second family" of sorts during our first two years in Louisville when everything was new to us. I also enjoyed talking with some of my former students, only the former kindergarteners who were in lunch... the former third graders were still in class, busily preparing for state testing next week so we didn't want to interrupt their hard work! As I talked with my old students who seem SO big as first graders now my heart swelled for lots of reasons. Some of my sweetest girls were still as sweet as ever and couldn't believe I remembered their names - how could I forget them?! Some of the little boys blushed to see me dote on them again. One little guy kept saying (in very clear English which was amazing after starting Kindergarten with none), "It looks like Mrs. Peery", to his astonishment I looked at him and said "Because I AM Mrs. Peery!" He jumped up and shouted "I told you!" to a near by friend :) One little boy had made his way back from a leave of absence which took him home to Iraq. Their faces and smiles made me beam, and flooded my mind with memories of sweet days and challenges I faced as well.

And two little boys made my heart melt... one little guy has suffered much as a six year old. He has a large family full of brothers (I think maybe 8, but can't quite remember) who range from my age (mid-20's) all the way down to his. One brother is confined to a wheelchair after a terrible house fire years ago which left his body severely burned and permanently disabled in many ways. Their mom who did all she could to care for them, passed away over Christmas break after a long battle with cancer. I spoke with her often last year about this little guy and his struggles to learn, though he had such a sweet and very kind spirit. She gave everything she had to help him in spite of her difficulties and illness. Now as he told me today, "Mrs. Peery my mom died." When I told him that I knew and was sorry, I also told him I know he must be very sad. He replied, "My cat died too." I really wanted to pick him up in my free arm (as I was holding Moriah) and take him home to live with me forever. It's just not that simple, and not possible of course. Another little guy who I grew to love last year after some difficult days involving extreme profanities uttered from a lisping five year old's mouth, was upset today. He had a very grumpy face that I couldn't encourage in spite of my attempts. I found out dad recently moved out of his parents house where this little guy and his brothers had been living with some stability. This dad is trying very hard and is also doing all he can with all he has (their mom left a long time ago and has only been around sporadically though she lives in town). The last time the dad was at school, I was told he cried not knowing what else he could do for an older son who has refused any school work for the last eight weeks. Really... think about that, all day in school, walking in the halls or sitting outside the door because he won't work. Many people have been involved in his life, rewards have been offered no doubt, consequences have been administered, but to a child who doesn't care for one reason or another no one can force productivity.

So as I left, as quickly as I came, I felt a wave of emotion. Guilt in some ways that I could come and go at my free will... I'm not living in those hard times like the little children are, and I'm not teaching among them trying to lighten their loads day in and day out like many friends still are. This has been a sweet sweet season for me as the Lord has blessed me with much... very calm days at work in comparison, only one bright bright child to "teach" as we play, and a sweet baby girl who I can care for all day long myself. I know that this is good and this is where the Lord has sovereignly placed me now, but stepping back for a bit was more gut wrenching in many ways than I'd expected. I was asked, "So, do you miss it?" and "Are you coming back to teach again?" I do miss things sometimes, and of course I don't miss other things. I'm not going back to teach now, or in the very near future as far as I can anticipate. The Lord is calling me to my home and my family... and that is sweet, but hard as I consider the weight of that world. Because who is going to those children? Who is serving among those families? How can I turn away and leave so conveniently? Have I betrayed them? Am I living hypocritically after "preaching" for so long that these are the forgotten places which we can't abandon? I trust the Lord... He knows my heart, and it is full as I read, play, and giggle with Moriah while those little faces are fresh in my mind and still struggling. This is significant now, it wouldn't be any better or easier to leave my own family in a sense to continue working in a way that is the most draining and taxing work imaginable. The answer isn't that simple. The Lord knows the tension, but He is in control and I am thankful.

So, if you're there like many of my dearest friends are, teaching in hard places, take heart. Today is probably feeling daunting to you for many legitimate reasons. But the Lord is carrying you, He is ministering to those little (and big) ones through you as long as you look to Him and proclaim His name in every way you're able. He is working, and your role in that is not in vain. As hard as it may be to believe, someday you may leave... He may give you a new place of ministry (perhaps one you've always dreamed of!), but even then you'll think of times past and wonder how those little ones are doing, and you might wonder how you let it go so quickly. And if you're like me, you'll be trusting God and hoping that you spent yourself as much as you could've and as much as you should've. Let Him sustain you each day, and give Him all praise.

who couldn't smile at these sweet little guys, and their song...

thankful

2011-04-03T08:06:00.001-07:00

I'm finding myself very thankful these days... the list below is just a bit of all the ways God has blessed me this weekend:

~ kind and helpful pediatricians who quickly identify symptoms and provide treatment
~ a sweet husband who does all he can to serve our family
~ an understanding husband who went out to buy a scoop of my favorite ice cream on evening two of a sick baby
~ extra cuddles with my little one, though I'd sort of trade cuddle time to know she was her happy self feeling well again (soon I'm sure!)
~ a spring weekend perfect for playing on the seminary lawn
~ friends all around us literally who bring great encouragement
~ a generous mom who bought Moriah a new big girl stroller (we'd still be using the "Snap N Go" with her infant seat)
~ an amazing public library system here in Louisville... some good books for perusing - "Weekend Sewing" which is full of inspiration, I think bloomers may be in my future! and a baby food making book, also a novel I've been interested in "The Help"
~ my Maya Ring Sling which is so helpful for holding sweet Moriah who just wants to be with mama these days
~ rotisserie chicken, an easy and tasty dinner tonight
~ cheap big rubber balls out in the stores since it's summer, Moriah got a purple one today!
~ homemade yogurt with brown sugar and maple syrup... delicious!
~ Pampers diaper points, we're on our way to earning enough for a Melissa & Doug farm animal puzzle with sounds (I'm stashing them away as 1st birthday presents)
~ a fresh haircut which always feels good
~ Honey Bunches of Oats ON SALE... our favorite cereal is rarely on sale or has coupons, today however I bought a box for only 30 cents after a sale and coupons, yay!

I've also been thinking lately that in spite of many day in and day out parts of motherhood I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have these moments with Moriah. I'm glad that when she's sick I'm with her to comfort and hold her. I'm happy to feed her many new baby foods and see her reactions rather than hear about them from other people who would be feeding her. I'm glad to continue nourishing her as I nurse for a few more months. I'm thrilled to encourage her movements as we "enjoy" tummy time and have mastered sitting up all alone! I'm thankful that my life is slow enough to not be overwhelmed and stressed by the bumps along the way (like a sick baby) in the midst of working as a teacher busy with lesson plans and a heavy heart. I'm also glad to offer a bit of care and love for our little friend Mr. S. and his family as I spend our days together. The Lord has been so good to us in His sweet providence.

if you were there today...

2011-03-06T16:27:00.000-08:00

If you'd been a Turner's Station Baptist Church today you might have enjoyed these moments with me... here's just a glimpse into the little world that we've come to love so much...

*an elderly lady who loves Moriah told me today that "she's as strong as a little horse" after holding our wiggly little girl

*the same lady commented on Moriah's enthusiastic squeals and said "my mama used to say when babies sound like that, 'they're singing in a tooth'"... what a sweet description of a teething baby :)

*one member recently slaughtered two hogs and told us about using all the parts for various types of meat... during the conversation other members chipped in with their favorite parts of the pig (including parts we'd never heard of and still don't know about!?) today at the end of the service the man who has been enjoyed pork in all it's forms opened a small cooler and pulled out a package of meat wrapped in paper like a butcher would prepare it, he handed it to another woman who read the label "liver" and watched her joy! she exclaimed "Well Jimmy Brown, I'm happier with this than if you'd given me a $100 bill!" she changed her plans and was ready to eat it for her dinner tonight

If you'd been with us after church, you would have enjoyed a tasty lunch in the home of two wonderful members who are so welcoming and kind. I brought a "Country Blueberry Dessert" (which isn't complete without whipped cream) that we've recently enjoyed from the Eat Better American web-site. I'd HIGHLY recommend it, and Matt told me today that it's his favorite dessert, next to tiramisu which is saying a lot if you know Matt :) Their company was just as much of a treat as the invitation to join them in their home. While we were there, the man opened a box he pulled out from under a stack of newspapers and told us we might like to look at what was inside. We were presented with handwritten bound books of the church records from 1877 to the present day... seriously! They'd been stored in a vault at the bank until fairly recently when the bank called and asked for them to be removed. I feel like the books should be typed so that there would be more long-term copies of the records, but I'm not quite sure about it. Part of the charm of such a find is the beautiful script, old paper, and smells of it all which would of course be lost in a typed manuscript. I wish I knew more about preserving such things that are rare treasures indeed.

*we also heard about their quick engagement and marriage... only three months after their first date (which was a blind date at that) they were married, about nine months later their first child arrived :) they spoke with great wisdom about the commitment marriage involves and about their joy 31 years later

*Matt was also encouraged when he was told "Well, I can tell you one thing about your preaching - you're a whole lot better now than you were when you started!"

We're so blessed to serve among such faithful and wise men and women. We never anticipated the sweet times we'd have among these who are becoming dear friends.

gracious to teach

2011-03-01T16:49:00.001-08:00

The Lord is so gracious to teach us in His good care... he is gentle and firm all at once, and I am thankful.
Today has been my day off for the week. It was a pretty good day with just a few minor bumps along the way.
*two trips to Kroger since rotisserie chicken isn't ready early in the day... and then they were out, so we opted for a rotisserie turkey breast instead... good but double the cost unfortunately
*making yogurt in the CrockPot is relatively easy it seems like (it's not finished, so I haven't tasted it yet) but rushing to get things done on time at the cost of a sad baby girl, isn't always worth it
*trying to steal a quick second to reply to an e-mail and let Moriah practice her sitting skills isn't the best idea if tumbling over is inevitable and I was too hurried to bring in the Boppy pillow - not feeling great as a mom after the upsetting crash!
*enjoying a long morning naptime for Moriah is only lovely if it doesn't interfere with an afternoon nap... which it did today, creating a tired little one right at dinner time!

The bumps served as reminders from the Lord of my reliance upon Him at all times. I'm realizing that my major struggles with sin as a new mom revolve around selfishness, in it's various forms, and impatience. Oftentimes I have an "agenda" for my day and it just doesn't pan out quite that way! The Lord is showing me that it's okay... Sometimes in my sincere desire to serve Matt, or find a good deal, or prepare a healthy meal I make more work for myself that isn't always worth it if I develop an overwhelmed attitude along the way. While those aims are all good, the Lord is showing me that I can't do it all-and sometimes can't seem to do much outwardly-apart from taking care of Moriah which is obviously crucial :) I was also gently reminded by the Lord this evening, that His approval of me and my days are not based upon Matt arriving home to a neat house with dinner waiting and the dishes washed and put away. Rather, have I filled my day with prayer and rejoicing? Have I shown Moriah the sweet joys of loving the Lord in the midst of all I say and do? Have I remained thankful for the Lord's innumerable provisions? Those realities are much more important in these days as an adjusting mom than all the other details of life. So, I'm thankful to be learning... even if it is a slow process, the Lord is kind. You can always pray for the new moms you know (and for me!) there's much to learn and many adjustments to be made, what a sweet time it is but filled with new lessons each day.

Psalm 25:8-10
Good and upright is the LORD;
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

so thankful

2011-02-27T16:39:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have given me the opportunity to become more settled into our new "normal" life as I nanny for Mr. S. with Moriah along for the ride :) She enjoys her days, have no doubt about that, as she watches the busy 2 1/2 year old little guy and his gentle dog Ruby. Moriah squeals with delight as she watches Ruby, who patiently gets close enough for Moriah to touch (or grab) and then calmly walks away! The biggest perk of this job is the 4 day work week, with additional time off as overtime hours are necessary from time to time. During the past week I worked two extra-long days, that weren't the easiest at times, but was compensated by an extra day off... who could ask for more than that! This week I have lots of potential fun planned with Mr. S. starting with our "In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb" handprint craft. We're also going to keep a calendar together. Mr. S. is a smart little guy who does an amazing job at distinguishing between today and tomorrow (I think his busy parent's schedule has helped him learn time more quickly). Since there are a few long trips for his mom this month having a calendar and looking at the days may help him understand when she'll be home. The "in like a lion, out like a lamb" is also all about weather so I think we'll sketch a little picture of the day's weather on each box and discuss at the end of the month whether or not it was like a lion or a lamb. I've also been browsing a few toddler learning books to find creative activities for our days. I was even able to buy two of them at our favorite Half Price Book Store this weekend! In one book, I read about making a teddy bear parachute, which we'll also try tomorrow I hope. His tall staircase will be the perfect launch site :)

In other news, our family life is seeming to be the sweetest it's been in a long time for me. Part of this sweetness comes from the opportunity I've had to experience so many different "seasons" thus far... I've been a single woman teacher, a married teacher without children, a married and pregnant teacher :) (it deserved a category of it's own!), a married teacher and a mom, and now a married nanny and a mom. These opportunities have shown me much, and given me a chance to empathize with the challenges women can face in each stage. None have been "easy" per se, but in hindsight the Lord seems to show a lot. Now that I have an extra day off each week, I feel like I've been given bonus time! The chores which were always needing to get done can be accomplished with less stress and much more joy. Little projects I might dream up (clearing out books to sell at the used book store, writing in Moriah's baby book, starting to baby proof our house) can be added in to my days. And the most important thing... my perspective is filled with thanks. I know now that the opportunity I have to spend quality time with Matt, do dishes, cook dinners, make baby food, fold laundry, vacuum and swiffer, dust, and keep our home tidy are not opportunities every woman has... oftentimes they must be neglected in order to accomplish other more urgent tasks which may be related to her job or family life. I also know now that these routine chores can bring a sweet order and stability to a home. They can allow me to serve Matt in a way that gives him time for sermon preparation and school work. I can send him off to start his day with fewer things on his plate and that is a joy to me. I can try to offer Moriah a routine which gives her all she needs to eat (an ever growing amount!), time to sleep, play, and learn about her world. This is no small task. I am so thankful.

If I was an artsy person I'd love to create some great painting on a canvas incorporating the verse from Andrew Peterson's song "Planting Trees"... I know this life might not always be as filled with sweet moments as it seems to be right now, and I know that there are still hard moments and hard days, but these words encourage me that my work is glorifying to the Lord and will have eternal ramifications I pray...

"She rises up as morning breaks
She moves among these rooms alone
Before we wake
And her heart is so full, it overflows
She waters us with love and the children grow

So many years from now
Long after we are gone
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless the dawn
These trees will spread their branches out
And bless someone"

Pray for me, that above all else my days would not be filled with busy-ness that is absent of the Lord, I desire to seek Him through His Word and must grow in that priority. All else is insignificant if not fueled by Him that I may bring glory to His name.

life now...

2011-02-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

some thoughts floating or racing through my head tonight... nothing profound, just real, I'll forewarn you

*avocados are now split three ways in our family as Moriah has become a huge fan of tasting them through her mesh feeder, great for her as we eat dinner - sad for Matt as his most favorite food of choice will become even more scarce!

*I'm wondering which first foods might tend to be more "binding" and which might have the opposite effect on Moriah's tummy... any thoughts? I think apples are binding?! what about pears and avocados, maybe they're not so strong either way?!

*having a longer commute has made my prayer time for Matt and Moriah more consistent, my husband and child prayer calendars have also been an excellent resource

*while thinking ahead in some cases is helpful, in other cases only trial and error can be your teacher... putting a 2 1/2 year old boy into the van before Moriah seemed like a good idea (so that he wouldn't be left without a hand to hold in the parking lot while I lifted her into the car) until he wandered around the van and enjoyed pushing buttons - like the lock button! after a wave of panic came over me as I realized my baby and my little nannying charge were in the van with my keys, I tapped on the window hoping I could pantomime pushing the button to coax him into the doing the same... so thankful for a smart little guy who happily opened the door right away, calming my fears and teaching me never to surrender the keys again :)

*charming local toy stores are wonderful and too few these days (head into downtown LaGrange, Kentucky on the historic square if you need a good example), we enjoyed browsing today and even came out with the most perfect small sticker book like my mom used to buy me, today our choice was a construction site sticker book with reusable stickers for the construction scene, at only $1.50 you can't beat it!

*the wise advice of more experienced moms is always good to solicit... thanks to a wise mom Dollie, Moriah is sleeping soundly and without a fuss almost an hour earlier than normal, must be what she needed :)

*Harry and David is a most extravagant treat in my mind, but I've been so thankful to enjoy it twice this year as my mother in law sent me peaches and a market bag for my birthday, and a triple box of treats for Matt and I this Valentine's day - even better for my sweet tooth (but not my overall health) is that most of the treats are chocolates I prefer more than Matt :)

*is curious about my experience jumping into the world of big children's consignment sales this weekend... Little Treasures is in the setting up phase so tomorrow night I'm dropping of my things, Sunday I'm a "clothing inspection assistant", and Monday I'm headed in to the worker's pre-sale... hopefully in two weeks I'll walk away with a check which might put us ahead or at least break even with the great deals I'm sure I'll find (I have a short list... a baby monitor to use in the large home where I'm working as Mr.S. and Moriah nap two floors apart and a Jumperoo for our ever moving little one, if I found irresistible shoes for a walker-in a few months-and some summer play clothes they might be too hard to resist as well!)

*I enjoy my conversations with Mr. S. throughout these days, and he seems to be more talkative when we're driving or out of the house than when we're playing at home with his toys... maybe an argument for exposing children to the in's and out's of life... so today we discussed the wind, he doesn't like it much:
S: "Wind stop blowing!" (while we were picnic-ing in a gazebo at the park)
me: "I don't think it will stop right now, but I know you'd like it to. Who makes the wind stop and go?"
S: "The neighbors, need a tall ladder!"
me: "Really?! :) I think it's God who can make the wind stop and go!"

*comfy clothes, a messy pony tail, and some unwinding time on-line is just the motivation I need before more productive chores can be accomplished over the next two hours, especially when they include scrubbing the shower

*trying to eat a quick nacho dinner-while wrangling a very sad teething girl-and her mesh avocado feeder-before Matt left for class-left my kitchen table a mess to say the least... I'll reward the clean-up with some (or "a") Harry and David treat!!! with that I'm off

change and blessings

2011-02-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

Well, change is upon me again... and maybe I'm getting more comfortable with it, ask me next week and I'll let you know! Tomorrow I will leave my official "teaching career" for now and venture into a new world as a nanny. While my classroom days are over I look forward to teaching a little 2 1/2 year old boy and my darling little girl. This summer we'll add a new baby to the mix :) I know there will be adjustments to make and lessons to be learned. My "teaching" days have been filled with younger and younger children recently, but not anyone quite this young before. Upon our first meeting I learned two crucial details about Mr.S... he loves tractors and cooking! What a lovely combination :) I've been researching the typical development of 2 year olds, along with games, and activities for them. I've been a fan of the blog "I Can Teach My Child" for awhile now, and look forward to using many of her ideas with this little man. I have a pile of things, in my dear husband's office (lacing beads, Mr. Potato Head, magnetic blocks, learning CD's, puzzles, etc), that I can bring in my bag of tricks once I figure out exactly what he's ready for. After visiting his home, I also know he has plenty to play with and lots of room to play as well. Some of my books are organized for our first few weeks together... a typical boy pile with transportation books, and dinosaur books; some Valentine books that we'll read as we do a few holiday crafts; some alphabet and counting books; "The Napping House" which will be perfect before nap time; some favorite character books (like Clifford and Curious George); and finally some easy "I Spy" books.

So with this new opportunity we're rejoicing in the following blessings specifically (some about the job, others about the time I'll have free at home):
~ 9:00am-5:00pm work days, only 4 days a week!
~ on busier weeks for the family I may be needed for longer hours which will be made up with more time off to enjoy Moriah and be home
~ outings to the library's story times, parks, the zoo, etc.
~ a very kind and thoughtful family to work for who have already gone out of their way to make me feel very comfortable in their home with Moriah as well
~ 3 weeks of paid vacation a year... a huge perk :)
~ days with my little one
~ learning baby sign language and teaching it to Moriah
~ getting Moriah back on a well structured nap routine (day care hasn't been the best about this lately when they banned swaddling!)
~ adding fruits and vegetables to Moriah's growing palate (and making them at home)
~ grocery shopping and cleaning on my day off so that we'll have more weekend family time for fun
~ serving Matt by helping our home run more efficiently so that his time in sermon preparation and school work can be maximized
~ maintaining friendships with other mom friends and their babies since I'll have time for play dates
~ visiting my old school with Moriah, and potentially volunteering with some of the students a bit
~ maybe blogging on a more regular basis (weekly perhaps) to share some of my ideas for enjoying both of these little ones and our fun throughout the days :)

I know that in the midst of such blessings there will be hard days that will not be easy... I hope to rejoice in the Lord and remain thankful even then. Please pray for my patience and strength throughout each day and especially as we settle into our new routines. Change is never my favorite, but it almost always promises new challenges and rewards as well.

Two insights from very wise men that have been on my mind lately...
"The place where God has put the wife is the husband’s home. Most people have forgotten nowadays what a home can mean, though some of us have come to realize it as never before. It is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary." ~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (find the entire wedding sermon here)

"Now observe that when that clever harlot, our natural reason . . . ,takes a look at married life, she turns up her nose and says,
“Alas, must I rock the baby, wash its diapers, make its bed, smell its stench, stay up nights with it, take care of it when it cries, heal its rashes and sores. . . ?” [LW 45:39]
What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful, and despised duties in the Spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, O God, because I am certain that thou hast created me as a man and hast from my body begotten this child, I also know for a certainty that it meets with thy perfect pleasure. I confess to thee that I am not worthy to rock the little babe or wash its diapers, or to be
entrusted with the care of the child and its mother. How is it that I, without any merit, have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving thy creature and thy most precious will? O how gladly will I do so, though the duties should be even more insignificant and despised. Neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor, will distress or dissuade me, for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in thy sight. . . . God, with all his angels and creatures is smiling—not because the father is washing diapers, but because he is doing so in Christian faith." [LW 45:39-40]
~Martin Luther, shared by the GirlTalk blog yesterday

thankful for this season

2011-01-09T13:18:00.000-08:00

The Lord is giving me much to thank Him for these days. Rather than finding myself always looking forward to "some day" I've been very convicted lately that I must instead live now and worship Him here. So for me, "here" is living as a wife to Matt who's in Seminary taking two night classes and working full time at the bank... it's also learning to be a mom to Moriah who is an ever-changing and growing little girl (5 months old already!)... and the harder things for me about "here" are being a working mom which isn't something we had planned necessarily, being on a close budget, and living in a sort of funny season as we prepare for the future God has planned while also knowing life is happening for us now - not just later. So I'm finding myself more and more thankful as we trust the Lord now. While I didn't always imagine things to go this way, the Lord certainly knows each of my steps and "hems me in" as Psalm 139 reminds me. So here's the beginning of my thankful list which I hope I can add to throughout the year...

I'm thankful for:

1. Matt who gladly works very hard all day, and has willingly changed his plans to take classes at night, and preach at our little country church... often staying awake or using every free moment to prepare for one or the other of these jobs. He still makes time to enjoy Moriah, listen to me, and be ever-helpful.

2. The Lord who is never surprised, even when we may take an unexpected to us turn in our plans

3. Moriah who is a joyful and peaceful little girl, her laid back personality and cuddly affection is a sweet blessing to me

4. my job which does allow me to work with Moriah all day, just a few steps away... I also leave most of my work at work, and have little evening stress from my job (while I never want to forget the different life I led in years past as a teacher of children who I cared so much for and thought so much about on most evenings)

5. the opportunity to support others in ministry with our income as we work

6. renting our apartment which allows us to call maintenance if something breaks or malfunctions at no cost to us and with a relatively quick repair time

7. this Seminary and the abundance of opportunities it provides for enrichment of all kinds in our spiritual lives... our godly friends, classes, and opportunities for worship are just some of the "perks"

8. our little church and the simple yet profound faith we've witnessed there in Turner's Station, Kentucky

9. a storage unit which safely houses our extra stuff... mostly my teaching things and holiday decorations, at an affordable price within semi-close proximity

10. a new-to-us minivan my mom and step-dad sold us at a great price when my Cavalier died right before Moriah was born... the ample space for her car seat and stroller are wonderful

11. sticking to my grocery budget and watching the Lord provide exactly what we need for every meal of the week, with a few extras added in - like a tempting box of cranberry orange muffin mix on holiday closeout, and frozen organic cheese enchiladas too - so amazing!

12. a laundry room on campus, and a husband who makes the trek to it almost every other day now as our mountains of clothes have grown with the addition of Moriah and baby messes :)

13. a lovely city like Louisville which is full of charm and unique opportunities in all things, what a great place to call home

Five a Month

2011-01-02T17:08:00.000-08:00

Rather than making big and long-term goals this New Year's I'm going to join Jess at Making Home, and set five measurable goals per month. I'm blogging about them, for my own accountability and to encourage you all to make goals and join me! So after talking with Matt, these are my top January priorities...

1. Maintain a DAILY time of Bible reading... First, I'm going to wake up at a consistently early time every morning, hopefully before little Moriah does (she's been pretty inconsistent lately in her mornings), so that I can read. I'm planning to use the ESV Study Bible's "read through the Bible in a year" plan, but I'll be cutting it in half for a more realistic goal this year. I'm especially excited about the way it's organized... the Old Testament readings from Chronicles through the Prophets is organized chronologically which will help me as I understand the history of the Bible, something that I'm always fascinated by. We were able to visit Clifton Baptist Church last weekend since we stayed in Louisville for Christmas and our little Turner's Station Church service was cancelled. Dr. Schriener's sermon was very exhorting along these lines, check it out here! (just so you're not confused, it hasn't been uploaded yet from what I can tell-I bet it will be soon and would certainly be worth waiting for!)

2. Pray for Matt and Moriah strategically... I've chosen to pray with these calendars (praying for children & praying for your husband) from the Inspired to Action web-site - there are many like these, but these are brief and focused which is what I need right now. I'm going to pray as I drive to and/or from work each day.

3. Accomplish one bit of home keeping work each evening so that our weekends are more open for fun! We're constantly doing laundry these days... so that's going to occupy about two weeknights. On the others I will clean the kitchen, clean the bathroom, and vacuum.

4. Practice playing the keyboard twice a week. I really loved the class I took here at the Seminary which taught Seminary Wives to play the piano/keyboard. Since then, Matt insisted that we buy a keyboard so that I could continue to practice. I also have my music stand situated so now I'm really ready. While I haven't forgotten everything I learned last Spring, I need to revisit it all, before I can hope to add any more. So twice a week would be great for me!

5. Follow our newly revamped and updated budget "to a t" this month. The more closely we stick with it, the more we'll be able to see if it needs any tweaking as we start the new year. We've been blessed to make much progress over the last year financially and hope to continue the trend, so we're back into the swing of our cash envelopes and a written and specific plan. Grocery shopping with cash is always more frugal for me than not!

These are my goals... I'd be thankful for your prayers as I rely on God's grace to accomplish them in my life for my godliness and His glory.

our Christmas open house

2010-12-23T07:51:00.000-08:00

This year, I was very excited to host our first Christmas Open House. We sent invitations to friends that we see often, and others that we don't see as often as we'd like. We planned for people to come and go during the afternoon and enjoyed talking with them all. The treats were easy holiday cookies, and warm drinks which stayed out throughout the afternoon for tasting! *I made way too many cookies, so our co-workers at the daycare and the bank enjoyed our leftovers on Monday!* I remember a childhood friend whose family hosted an open house each year. I thought it was a marvelous idea and have always wanted to do something similar. I'm really thankful that Matt enjoys hosting as much as I do, and was excited to visit with friends in our home too. We're hoping it can become an "annual" Christmas Open House for us, changing a bit each year.

Here are a few pictures for our far away friends, and some recipes you all might enjoy :)

This apple cider recipe came from my friend Lauren, who'd recently made it for another friend Kimberly's baby shower... it's wonderful and simple too :)
Apple Cider
1 gallon apple cider (mine came from ALDI)
1 tsp whole cloves
1 tsp whole allspice
1/4 c brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 orange peel
Pour apple cier into Crock-Pot. Add brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, and orange peel to cider as it warms. Using a loose leaf tea strainer (I'm not quite sure what it's called) add cloves and allspice, then float in cider as well. Serve when warm.

Clementines are always delicious and remind me of Christmas... mostly because Amy is thrilled about the orange in the bread on the movie "Little Women" which they then give away to a family in need. But the orange was a prized Christmas treat to them all. The clementines were also so pretty in this bowl.

Next were the Swedish Thumbprint Cookies. This is another easy recipe that tastes so heavenly!
1 c butter, softened
1/2 c white sugar
2 c sifted all purpose flour
1/2 c jam (I like raspberry)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
Add flour and mix well --you'll use all the flour even though the consistency will seem to change a lot and look pretty thick.
Shape dough into 1" balls and place on cookie sheets.
Use 1/4 tsp to press indentation into cookies.
Fill indentations with jam.
Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown at the edges of cookies. (Mine were a little over done in the picture!)

We also enjoy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies (in the covered cake stand) which I made from a recipe Meghan gave me. I've taken them to work where they've been a huge hit and even made them with my 4 year olds who also loved them. A new holiday favorite for sure!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
dry ingredients:
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

wet ingredients:
1 can pumpkin
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
1 egg

1 bag chocolate chips... I like using the mini ones

Mix dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients by hand until creamy.
(Pieces of butter may still be visible, but should be well incorporated and pretty small.)
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes.
(These cookies don't expand much during baking, and will still look moist even when they're finished cooking.)

The last cookies I made were cranberry pecan cookies which I found in the Taste of Home Quick Cooking 2010 cook book.
1 tube (16-1/2 ounces) refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup vanilla or white chips
2/3 cup dried cranberries
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the cookie dough, pecans, chips, cranberries and vanilla. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

I hope to share more of our Christmas traditions soon... hope the Christmas season has already been a sweet time for each of you and your families.

three months old!

2010-11-02T18:33:00.000-07:00

We're enjoying so many new and sweet moments with Moriah these days as she grows and changes right before our eyes...

~she's becoming quite "talkative" as she squeals and coos throughout the day, when we get close and talk with her, she only gets more excited and chatters away! Matt knows she'll probably be like mom and chatter for many days to come :)

~as she gets excited to see us or over a toy dangling down, she kicks her legs as fast as you can imagine and baby would be able to! she really gets them going and even looks like she's doing the bicycle exercise every now and then

~she wakes up so happy with lots of smiles and giggles, always makes me a happy mama right away as we start the day

~she's sleeping through the night consistently now, sometimes only waking up to get her pacifier back once... otherwise our routine is off to bed around 8:45pm or so and awake at 6:00am for our first feeding of the day

~she's getting a good grip on most anything that comes in contact with little hands, the rattles are becoming the perfect sort of fun for our little one!

~she's so curious as she looks around (holding her head up with lots of confidence!) to see everything within sight of her bright eyes, there's lots she's hate to miss it seems like!

our little church

2010-10-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

We've been attending and serving at Turner's Station Baptist Church in Turner's Station, Kentucky for over a year now! Time has flown, our little world has changed in many ways, but oh these people have been such a blessing in the midst of it all. Some sweet memories include...

*pot-lucks :) Matt didn't really know much about pot-lucks until he "became Baptist", now he thinks they're one of his favorite things... especially at Turner's Station where the food is REALLY good, home cooked, and usually from someone's garden crops - seriously it is, and that is a rare treat indeed

*old pictures... last year I asked one of the ladies to bring some pictures from the church's history to share with us, how amazing! the church was built in 1919 and has been full at some times since then, now it's much much smaller than it was when these members were younger and raising their own families, but they memories they share are priceless and unique

*a surprise baby shower... they coordinated in secret and opened the partitions one Sunday after service (the day before Moriah was born in fact) to reveal a baby shower they'd planned for us, their generosity was humbling and their thoughtfulness was a blessing

*our country drives each Sunday... we see great things that just aren't found in our heart of Louisville neighborhood, deer (including a fawn once), cows of all kinds (even my favorite black and white dairy cows!), horses, tobacco hanging to dry in barns (that's fascinating for me), a blind beagle who lays near the church and lounges in the sun, old cemeteries which enchant me for some reason, and wonderful farm houses, a stream, wonderful wildflowers in the summer, and changing leaves in the fall... I really look forward to showing Moriah such great wonders when she's old enough to realize all the beauty we drive though

*great faith... Matt and I have often said that we've never met more Godly saints in our walks with the Lord than we have at Turner's Station, the simple and profound faith of each person there is astonishing... when one sweet lady was diagnosed with breast cancer last year she replied "God knows what He's doing... why not me!" she was serious, and really that faithful day in and day out, she's currently in remission (praise God!) after doctor's said on many occasions that they'd never had a better patient which she always turned to glorify God as she shared of His sustaining grace at work within her life

*grandparents for Moriah here in Kentucky! each week they ooh and ahh over our little one and pass her around to many loving and always open arms, she has grandparents here too :) they are all very sweet to cherish her as much as they do, and even our tobacco farming friend (who reminds me a lot of Matthew Cuthbert from Anne of Green Gables movies) will hold her throughout Sunday school and do all he can to see her smile!

*generosity... there's a different way of life in the country which often includes sharing in times of plenty, we've been the joyful recipients of farm fresh vegetables in the summer (at one time I had more than 5 batches of zucchini bread and muffins from a surplus of zucchinis we were given), a wonderful fruit basket last Christmas, baby clothes and most recently a pumpkin... I hope we can give to them in our own way that can also bless their hearts

*a pastor's appreciation dinner... we attended a meal provided by Women on Mission at a nearby town's church for all Henry County Baptist pastors, what an example of kindness and service to the body! one woman prepared the meal for 35 of us to enjoy, and said that she was used to cooking like that for tobacco hands as a younger lady... I couldn't imagine preparing that quantity and quality of food ever! they allowed us to enjoy visiting with one another as we ate, and they even held Moriah and shared her with many open arms (all of which were strangers to us, but fellow sisters in the Lord who loved our little one very well that evening!)

We have been so thankful for this experience during this season of life and pray that the Lord will give us many more days with these sweet people. You can always keep us in your prayers, as Matt prepares sermons and teaches Sunday School while working at the bank full time and taking Seminary classes as well. We desire to be faithful to this call and opportunity the Lord has given us now.

I really wish I had some pictures to share, but we don't have any... it's a must that we take some soon!

meal planning... what's working for me

2010-10-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

So with the arrival of baby Moriah and my return to work, I knew I needed to brain storm a more efficient way of meal planning. I think I mentioned previously, that my habit before included flipping through my little notebook of favorite dinners, digging out recipe cards, looking through new magazine and e-mail recipes, and finally coming up with my list of dinners for the week. Then I complied all of that info into a grocery list. So I was meal planning... I could NEVER go to the store without a real list and a plan, I admire those of you who can... I would end up at home with nothing I'd need for a complete meal but that's just me! So anyway, while this "system" was fun for me, it was really time consuming and I wanted to make a change.

I found some meal planning templates on another blog months ago and had them handy. The one I liked best included dinner plans for each day of the week with room for the main dish and three sides (although we never have quite that many). Also each page includes the Grocery List which accompanies those particular meals, all seven days of the week are on one page as well making it easy to review at a glance. So I embarked on my last big maternity leave project and found four week's worth of fall and winter recipes for us to enjoy. I sort of grouped them by days: Mon- chicken, Tues- breakfast for dinner, Wed- meatless, Thur-quick dinner, Fri- dinner out, Sat- Crock-Pot, and Sun- free for a new recipe. This grouping helped my brainstorming as I came up with meals we'd enjoy. The Friday night dinner out usually includes one of our favorite fast and less expensive places like: Qdoba (we have great coupons we bought from friends fundraising for a missions trip), Lenny's Subs, or Chick-Fil-A.

So now on a weekly basis all I need to do is consult my master list... recopy the grocery list onto my note paper, add any other staple foods (lunch items, breakfast foods), pantry foods, or toiletries and head out to the store - so much faster for me! I also experimented this week and shopped on Saturday morning EARLY, after Moriah had her first nursing of the day and had gone back to sleep while Matt was home getting ready for work. I really enjoyed it, felt productive and think I might make it a new habit - we'll see.

So here are our weekly plans in case you're curious or need some new inspiration for your own dinners... let me know if there are any recipes you'd be more curious about. I can assure you, they're all FAST and SIMPLE which was crucial for me these days!

WEEK ONE:
feta chicken, rice and a vegetable (recently it was squash from the CSA)
blueberry pancakes, bacon and eggs
cheese and ham souffle, muffins and fruit
nachos with chicken and avocados, beans and rice
French dip sandwiches, a vegetable

WEEK TWO:
lemon-onion chicken, bed of spinach, cheddar biscuits
*** an example of POOR planning, it took way too long and will be soon replaced on our rotation!
waffles, eggs, yogurt, and fruit
grilled cheese sandwiches and salad
pecan salmon, rice, a vegetable (also recently modified... salmon was expensive so I had some cod fillets instead)
cheesy potato soup, rolls, salad

WEEK THREE:
pesto chicken pizza, side?
egg strata, muffins
sweet potatoes, berry and feta salad
spaghetti, garlic bread and green beans
chicken tortilla soup, cheese quesadillas, cornbread, rice

WEEK FOUR:
hawaiian chicken, rice, vegetable
pumpkin pancakes, bacon, eggs
spinach and swiss quiche, muffins, fruit
ham and cheese crescent roll-ups, vegetable
chili, cornbread

funny 4 year olds...

2010-10-09T05:37:00.000-07:00

This week I made the switch from teaching a 3 year old pre-school class to teaching a 4 year old pre-school class. I quickly realized that there is A LOT of growing up that happens in that 3rd year of life, as the 4 year olds are SO much more "grown up" than the little 3 year olds. So, needless to say, I personally enjoy the older ones more :) My days are now full of more "real teaching" with specific plans that can be successfully carried out and include art time, pre-reading activities, number activities, journal writing, free play (that's relatively independent and peaceful), calendar time, etc. My days are also absent of diaper and pull up changing as all the 4 year olds are potty trained, which is a wonderful skill that I've become quite thankful for already! I've also found that the conversations I over hear among my little ones is much more entertaining:

me: "Do you want to know something funny Miss I?"
Miss I: "What, Ms. Laura?"
me: "I was eating at your papa's Mexican restaurant the night before Moriah was born. I ate a lot that night, I was really hungry!"
Miss I: "That's not funny" (her reply was accompanied by a very straight and unamused face!)

among a few little girls, Miss I from above was part of this group:
"My parents say I'm a big girl"
"My papa says I'm the biggest girl"
"My mom and dad say I'm the cutest girl in the whole wide world!"
I never realized the implications of such comments... they all took them to be very literal and were unsure about how each could be true :)

I LOVE the 4 year olds, and look forward to many more days of enjoying their company. The classroom is becoming more organized (I actually miss being able to go in and set it up in my own way before a school year actually starts!), and more of "my own". Oh yes, another great thing - I get to cook with them every Friday... I think this is what Kindergarten used to be like, when it was fun!

in case you didn't know...

2010-10-06T03:15:00.000-07:00

Moriah is already 2 months old! I'll join the crowd of people saying "time flies"... "I don't know where the last two months have gone!", etc. :) She's such a great baby, and we enjoy new things about her every day it seems. Here's her 2 month old picture, taken right before church on a cool fall morning - the perfect reason to wear baby girl tights!

Blog topics to come...
our new weekly/monthly meal planning
a sweet dinner in Henry County with fellow pastors
friendships in the Lord
more "best of Louisville"

I'll get to those soon - I hope :)

fun in Louisville

2010-09-28T04:30:00.000-07:00

Recently I picked up one of Louisville's magazines called "Leo Weekly" which awards local businesses with the "Reader's Choice" awards each year for the best in various categories... I'll share a bit of it here, with my own reviews! One of the things I love about Matt is his willingness to explore with me, and venture into new things just to check them out. Growing up, my family often went out on the weekends to see new things, or revisit old favorites - we weren't really ever "home bodies" that I remember. Now I've become much more of a homebody at times, which is a good thing I think but even still getting out of the house is just what I need sometimes. I flipped through these lists and marked the things we'd already enjoyed, and also circled new places we haven't been... it'll provide a go to list for future fun!

We've enjoyed:
~the Speed Art Museum (#2 on Best Art Gallery, #1 on Best Museum)... it's FREE which is wonderful, not too big and not too small which provides just the right amount of art perusing for me and also showcases a variety of art from different times

~the Frazier International History Museum (#2 on Best Museum)... not free, but worth a trip at least once, we've visited with our families more times than I can count :) Matt's dad and brother especially enjoyed it as did my step-dad and step-brother, while it's called "international history" it mostly means international war and gun displays! I like the knight's armor that's on display and also the free re-enactments of various historical events that are available during the day

~the Kentucky Derby Festival (#1 on Best Annual Festival) which begins with the huge Thunder Over Louisville fireworks display! it's been such fun to go with friends and pack a little picnic meal to enjoy before the fireworks... we also checked out the Balloon Glow one year, and have visited the Chow Wagon (tons of food vendors all set up in one place)

~the St. James Court Art Show (#2 on Best Annual Festival) which is the BEST and BIGGEST art show I've ever been to... I think that's saying something since I was drug to my fair share of them in Kansas City growing up with my dad (the Westport Art Show, Brookside Art Show, Plaza Art Show, and even one in Colorado on vacation one year!) I didn't enjoy them at the time, but now Matt and I count them as one of our favorite things to do... funny how time changes you :) This art show is amazing to me because it showcases artists of various fame (the art is not all outrageously expensive!) - in fact last year we went with my dad who was in town (and agreed that it lived up to the hype I'd given it) and he bought us a photo which now hangs in our home (it's a lovely winter scene with various birds perched in snow covered trees). This year my mom, step-dad, and brother will be in town for the art show... it's this weekend if you didn't know and I'd highly encourage you to visit! Another great thing about the art show is the location, it's set up among blocks and blocks of Louisville's brick Victorian homes which are pieces of art themselves. So as you walk from tent to tent you are also among some of the most enchanting homes I've ever seen. I'd recommend parking at the Dupont Manual high school which had a reasonable rate (maybe $5) and wasn't too far from where the art begins! If you're looking for fun, check it out this weekend :)

to be continued...

I hope to add a picture in a little bit of my dear Moriah, who provides us with the MOST fun in all of Louisville, being a mom is such a sweet blessing every day!

sweet times with my little one

2010-09-18T13:10:00.000-07:00

You really don't have to read this if you're not interested, and I'd understand... I never really knew why mom's marveled at their little ones quite so much, and now I find myself doing exactly that. It's hard not to notice all the new and precious things my darling Moriah does, and then of course you want to talk about them all. I realize reading this list will not matter to most people, and that's fine... but to me she's such a delight so I'll share it anyway :)

These are some things that I especially love about my little one...
~the way she strokes the back of her hair with her tiny hands when she's sleepy
~how she clings to my shirts when she's nursing
~that she seems to smile most during or soon after she eats, I think I might do the same!
~how content she is during her bath times
~her bright eyes as they seem to examine the world around her, especially when we're outside
~the serious and thoughtful look she often has, I think she's learned from Matt already!
~her desperate look when the pacifier seems suctioned to the roof of her mouth (only for a brief moment) which causes her to look for a hero quickly who might help her
~how she loves to lay on our laps if we move our legs back and forth to help lull her to sleep sometimes
~the way she'll cuddle with me in our gliding rocker after she nurses
~watching her look at books when we read, of course I'm not sure how much she sees but she does look intently
~hearing so many different little sounds that all seem to convey something specific
~her determination as she holds her little head up and looks around for a few seconds before laying it back down

I know it might seem crazy, and that's okay, but all of these moments are so enchanting to me!

a sweet birthday indeed

2010-09-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

This has been a most excellent birthday... much more mellow than my "quarter of a century birthday" last year when my dear husband went to heroic lengths to throw me the only surprise party I've ever had (I'm not one for surprises too often, so he was brave as well!). He thought that being a "quarter of a century" called for grand celebrating, and so we did - friends from here, and friends from all over came including my kindred spirit who FLEW from Kansas City, and my excellent friend Darcie who drove all the way from Nashville; such fun memories. Back to this birthday... without wanting to sound (or to be) materialistic the gifts I've received today have been so perfect for me, and I'm dying to share my excitement:

from Matt:
a mother's bracelet with Moriah's name... I don't rotate my jewelry often unless it's a really special occasion and I don't typically wear a bracelet (my last daily bracelet was broken on some crazy day at school), so this will be my daily bracelet from the web-site http://www.something2bragabout.com/
Here's a picture of the style I chose...

the book written by the Country Living magazine people called "Simple Country Wisdom: 501 Old Fashioned Ideas to Simplify Your Life"

I really love the Country Living magazine, and someday I might like to use more of their ideas in our home, for now I love collecting my ideas and stashing them away... this book is full of so many tips that are right up my alley, everything from de-cluttering your home, preparing a hospitable guest room, and even placing bird feeders in your yard strategically! wonderful, all wonderful :)

a keyboard, which we've been considering for awhile now, we found a great deal I think from Louisville's Doo Wop shop (what a clever name) - so it's set up, and I have my music from the Seminary Wives "Playing Hymns" class, now I just need to remember all I learned and start practicing again. When I took the class, I really enjoyed practicing on the keyboard I leant, it was a really relaxing hobby after work.

some candy... Matt never gives a gift without candy, so I have my fair share of m&m's and Reese's!

from my mom, Nancy:
we really enjoy giving gifts to one another that include lots of miscellaneous little "good things"... this time those included, Wallflower refills in a fresh cotton scent (think Spring!), a "L" charm for my charm bracelet (which I love adding to but don't wear nearly as often as I should because I'm a little self conscious of the clinging sounds it inevitably makes!), and a recipe box

the latest in Martha's encyclopedia series of sorts, "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts"

I really look forward to learning all sorts of techniques for beautiful sewing that Martha shares including lovely embroidery... I'd like to embellish some little things for Moriah if I can learn how, and I wouldn't think of consulting any expert besides Martha These books also make great reference material, so someday I'll stop calling my mom multiple times daily to ask simple questions and start looking my answers up, for now I'm thankful that mom's patient and willing to answer her phone :)

a wonderful multi-purpose storage set from Rachel Ray that will let me carry foods to church events and keep them hot or cold... it's sort of like the Pyrex casserole dish storage sets that have a soft zip up case which carries your food, except this one also came with a deviled egg insert tray, and a veggie insert tray. So those things would travel well without a mess or you could take out both trays and use it for a casserole dish instead... amazing! I'm sure this will be used often in the Southern Baptist life we live, I'm already thinking of our little Turner's Station Thanksgiving pot luck! this was a great QVC find by my mom, the queen of QVC (I promise some of the best gifts she's ever given me have come from QVC, I used to make fun of it, but not any more!)

The BEST gift of all... celebrating the day with my sweet little girl Moriah! We've enjoyed lots of nice time together today, which I do cherish so much these days. We'll get to see Matt a bit earlier tonight as well, since the bank closes early today - an unexpected gift :) This weekend we have plans to celebrate at a little cafe we've noticed since moving here, but haven't ever tried... Cafe Classico near our apartment in the Clifton neighborhood (have any of our Louisville friends been there?), then we'll be off to dessert at the Sweet Surrender for something delicious I know!!!

new mom questions... dinners and house cleaning

2010-09-13T12:49:00.000-07:00

Okay friends in blog-world... this is the last week of my maternity leave with little Moriah. Beginning next Monday I'll return to my pre-school teaching job with the three year olds, while baby girl Moriah goes to the baby room across the hall. I'm SO thankful that the Lord provided this job when He did. It's as close to ideal as we can get right now since she'll be near me all day (I'm even able to nurse on my lunch break), I have much less stress and responsibility than I did as a public school teaching (meaning I come home with more patience and energy), and I'm still helping support us as Matt works through Seminary without any debt. *In other news, the Lord has been very good to us lately and we're almost debt-free entirely (then I'll consider donating to SBU someday when my college is actually paid for)!* So back to the point of this post... I know things will change when I return to work and that our evenings will feel full and time will fly. I'm trying to be as prepared as possible in order to make a more smooth transition for myself and our family. I've been mostly thinking about dinners and house cleaning. I'd love your tips on these two areas of life.

Have you ever made a meal plan of sorts? How does it work for you?
*Before now, I typically thought about tasty dinners made a list of five or six for the week, and then wrote my grocery list from it. Each evening we picked a meal off the dinner list, I had what I needed on hand, and we ate! That took more brain power and time than I feel like devoting these days so... I'm thinking of going through my commonly prepared recipes and sorting them into types of food and ease of preparation. Then I think I'll try to fill out a calendar with meals for an entire month, varying what we're having throughout the month and leaving room to try new recipes from time to time (I still love looking at cookbooks and magazines, so I can't give that up yet!). I hope that will allow me to plan grocery lists for each week, so that shopping on the weekend will be a no-brainer, and take much less planning time in advance. I'm also hoping to jot down five or so specific lunch ideas for Matt and I as we both brown bag it with our jobs. This would ensure that we always have something we could take for the day. I know this sort of planning would be insane to some people, but I thrive with structure and planning. For now, it seems like it might help and if it doesn't I'll stop, that simple! Let me know if any of you have tips that have been helpful for your families.

If you lived in a relatively small space would you clean it all at once or divide the tasks? How do you divide them... do you have a job every day? When do you do your cleaning?
*I've been cleaning our apartment well on the weekends... usually Saturday morning while Matt works at the bank or Sunday afternoons. It really doesn't take me long to do the things that seem most important to me, and I just do it all at once even though it can take me awhile to get motivated. These cleaning days have entailed: kitchen cleaning (refrigerator clean out of leftovers, counters, floor, etc.), bathroom cleaning (shower, sink, mirrors, toilet, floor), house cleaning (dust bedroom, vacuum everywhere). As I notice other "deeper cleaning" tasks I add them to the list. So it works well, but takes a chunk of time. I anticipate wanting to enjoy my baby girl as much as I can on the weekends and would love to have my cleaning done at other times... I also know I'll be tired in the evenings and they'll be full too. I'm not sure what might work best. I've also considered joining the GirlTalk blog ladies (C.J. Mahaney's daughters and wife) as they practice a 5am club, though I know sleep is important too. Again, I'd love your thoughts!

As a disclaimer, for those of you who know me well... I often set myself up with ambitious plans that just aren't realistic. I know that about myself, and I really don't want to do that again. I'm just wanting to try new things that might be helpful. Really don't worry about me - I'm offering myself much grace (Matt does too, always!) and flexibility as I try to balance these things!

some super easy recipes

2010-09-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of delicious recipes we've enjoyed lately... in fact, both of them were discovered as we enjoyed meals which were delivered to us by church friends soon after Moriah's arrival! If they're new to me and easy enough for me to have prepared as new mom learning to balance life with a little one, they must be winners :) I wish I had pictures to offer of them, but you'll just have to trust me sight unseen.

Feta Chicken

4 chicken breasts, thawed
1 package feta cheese
oregano
garlic powder
salt & pepper

Cut chicken breasts in half to make a pocket that can be stuffed (think pita bread), and place in baking dish.
Mix about 1 TBSP oregano into feta. You might like more or less, but you want to have plenty.
Stuff each chicken pocket with feta.
Sprinkle any remaining feta on top of chicken breasts.
Add garlic powder and salt and pepper to the tops of each piece of chicken.
Bake at 350 degrees, for about 20-30 minutes until chicken is cooked thoroughly.
*tastes great with rice

Cranberry Chicken

4 chicken breasts (or chicken tenderloin pieces)
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
8 oz French dressing
1 package onion soup mix

Mix cranberry sauce, dressing, and soup mix to prepare sauce.
Place chicken into baking pan and top with sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees, for 1 hour.
Serve with rice.
*I tried to make a quicker version tonight since I had tenderloin pieces and thought they'd cook faster... I wouldn't recommend it as the sauce didn't caramelize quite as much as it had when the meal was delivered to us... the more well cooked sauce tasted even better!

As a side note, it was SUCH a blessing to have meals delivered to us for a couple of weeks after our family left and we were officially "on our own" with Moriah. If you're a soon to be mom, ask friends for meals if they offer to help and let them serve you that way! If you know a soon to be new mom, offer to bring a meal - it will help much more than you probably realize :)

good things for baby

2010-09-02T08:37:00.001-07:00

I had a friend ask for a list of things that I found especially helpful for our little girl... I just sent this list to her this morning. I'm sure other moms who have months and years of experience would have lots of good additions too (leave me a comment!) I know every baby and every family are different so these things might not be as helpful to you as they have been to us. Maybe it will be helpful to some of you as you prepare for a baby to come... (it's a pretty candid list, so don't read if you don't want to!)

so when I first started nursing (during the first week) and things were sore a lactation consultant at the hospital recommended that I buy "polysporin" ointment and use it after each nursing to help me heal... it was great and helped a lot! I also used the samples from the hospital of Medela's lanolin cream (it was some "modified lanolin" I think)... I really liked it because it wasn't quite as thick and goopey as some of the other creams - they also gave me some Medela gel pads at the hospital that were really helpful, you could keep them cool in the refrigerator and put them on after each nursing to be soothing, they were sort of sticky so they stayed in place and could be reused for up to 24 hours I think, I saw them at Babies R Us

once we were home and I was walking in to the living room to nurse her at night, I didn't want to turn on all the lights but I also didn't want to trip, so we bought lots of little night lights to help me see!

nursing in our glider has been so comfortable for me, I'd highly recommend some sort of rocking chair if it's at all in your budget (I was thrilled to find mine at the consignment sale) because you'll be sitting there a lot!

Nursing pads that go in your nursing bra are essential in case of leaks... I guess some people never do, but I have - maybe just have some in case you need them and then you could always buy more... so far I like the Avent brand of disposable ones best

I also bought a regular blue reusable ice pack to sit on during the first week or so when we were home, it was really helpful for the overall sore-ness

Moriah LOVES her bouncy seat! I know some people like swings too, but for a small space her bouncy seat is great and easy to move into whatever room we need her to be in... it often helps her fall asleep if she's fussy and not wanting to sleep, it also has been helpful for me to use right outside the bathroom door in the morning while I take a shower, so I can still see her, but she's safely strapped in!

she also really loves to be swaddled, so the SwaddleMe blankets with velcro to help them stay on have also been great

we started giving Moriah a pacifier a bit earlier than some books recommended, but I figured we can't do everything "by the book" and she's really been happy to have one... it seems to sooth her and help her calm down to get ready to sleep

a small breast pump was really good in the early days when I was "engorged" as the milk first came in... mostly that just means you're REALLY swollen and it's not too comfortable, so if you can pump sometimes it helps you feel relief and it helps get things ready for the baby to nurse

the gowns that you see for babies have also been a night time favorite of ours... it makes things much easier for me as I change diapers in the middle of the night, and also lets little Moriah curl her legs up, which she's always liked to do... sleepers with legs made her really mad because she couldn't get her legs curled :)

Hopefully this is a little helpful, it's so exciting to have so many friends who will have little ones soon!

recent reading

2010-08-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

By recent I mean since summer started in June... this is an overdue post :) So far I've read two books that were in my original stack, and I added a third that wasn't in the stack but I wanted to read (can't pass up good deals at Half Price Books!). Here are the short reviews.

First I read "Living Faith: Willing to be Stirred as a Pot of Paint" by Dr. Helen Roseveare. If you don't recognize the author, I'd encourage you to find out about her. I first heard of Helen Roseveare while reading "Faithful Women and their Extraordinary God" by Noel Piper. Helen was the contemporary example of great faith as she served as a medical doctor - missionary in Africa for most of her life. Next I was thrilled to hear her speak at a Desiring God conference Matt and I attended when we were engaged a few years ago. She is an amazing woman of deep love for the Lord. She has always been highly encouraging to read (she also wrote "Living Sacrifice") as she is very sincere and honest, while she also sets a great example of loving and serving God. This book was filled with testimony after testimony of the Lord's work and goodness to her throughout various circumstances. The testimonies alone would be encouraging enough, but her added insights make the book all the more valuable and challenging.

Next I read "Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl" by N.D. Wilson. This was not a book I'd normally read probably. The author writes with a different style that is a bit quirky at times and could even be called scattered :) What I really liked about this book was the way he writes about very important things with a new perspective. He also makes intense and hard topics fairly simple, in a good way. N.D. Wilson explores many aspects of faith throughout this book in an non-traditional way. I'd encourage you to read it, even if it seems to start off a little different than you expected. Thanks to my dear KS, Hannah for the recommendation!

Today I finished reading "First Time Mom" by Dr. Kevin Leman. This book is written directly to first time moms as they embark on uncharted territory in their new role. He writes a lot about birth order throughout the book, as it is obvious we are now raising a "first born" child, and all she entails :) This is a very practical book with helpful insights. I found many of his thoughts to be wise although I probably don't agree with 100% of them. There were however many "gems" throughout the book that made it a good read.

Bit by bit, I've also been reading some of Jerry Bridges' book "Holiness Day by Day"A as recommended by Kara. It's been very helpful to remind me again and again, that the Gospel is transforming us as believers daily. It is very relevant and necessary that we are constantly reminded of the grace God has lavished upon us, and this book certainly does remind me.

Now I'm moving on to John Piper's book about Ruth, "A Sweet and Bitter Providence".

I hope you're enjoying some good reads too... unless you're a teacher who just started school, and I totally understand that there's not too much "free time" to read in your days now!

baby days

2010-08-19T16:05:00.000-07:00

My days are full of many new joys, here's a run down of just a few...

~ Moriah notices her hands and plays with them a lot, it's sweet to watch her stretch out her little fingers, grab my finger tightly, let go, and do it again
~ she stretches her neck out and lifts her head a little when I hold her upright, unfortunately she can't quite master laying it back down gently so it bumps into me instead - I've stopped wearing necklaces since I worry it will poke her little face
~ baby gowns are our new favorite for night time, Moriah curls her legs up and cross them at her ankles which is easy and comfortable in a gown - not so much in a sleeper
~ Moriah makes a very serious "thinking face" as Matt and I call it, I'm sure it comes from her dear dad :)
~ we just finished Moriah's first growth spurt - or so it seems - she ate every 2 hours for about 3 days, with great fervor... I think her little arms seem a bit more plump (but that's all relative as she is a tiny baby, don't let the chubby cheeks fool you)
~ now we're back to our "routine" eating every 3 hours or so in the daytime, and sometimes waiting to eat every 4-5 hours at night!
~ hiccups really upset her these days, so we've started using Gripe Water when they're at the worst and it really works! this morning she'd been unable to get back to sleep because the strong hiccups lasted 30 minutes... I asked Grandma Nancy to bring Gripe Water to us - as soon as little Moriah saw that the hiccups stopped! she really doesn't like the Gripe Water and usually puckers her lips then spits it out, this morning it seemed like she almost made the hiccups stop to avoid the yucky taste (I'm sure that's not really it, but the coincidence was too funny)
~ bath time is a favorite of little Moriah, she never makes a peep and just looks at us while we wash her little body
~ there are lots of little baby body parts that are easy to overlook... I noticed lots of fuzz between her tiny toes which Grandma helped me clean with a q-tip, now I know to look there when we take a bath :)

a baby story

2010-08-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Well, my last post started out to be Moriah's birth story... but then went in a different direction, so I'll try again now.

On Sunday evening I was "nesting" for sure! Matt and I conned our good friends, Andrew and Christian, into helping us rearrange our storage unit. Our storage unit houses all of my teacher things, and since I've been teaching pre-school we make frequent trips to find things that I "need" for school! It was a very disorganized space and tubs were even caving in... so I just really wanted to nicely organize it. Christian's a teacher too, so she understands :) After we went out for Mexican food (it was the first time I ate the entire dinner portion, even the beans and rice) with the Walker's we rearranged the storage unit in less than an hour... amazing! We came home and rested for about an hour before getting ready to go to bed. I told Matt I thought I was feeling a little different, but thought it was only the same Braxton Hicks contractions I'd been having. He told me that maybe we'd have a baby by Friday... I told him I thought it might be sooner.

I slept on Sunday evening from about 9pm to 11pm when I woke up and couldn't ignore the contractions any more. I started timing them and realized they were about 5 minutes apart, but not very strong at all yet. I honestly thought they'd probably stop so I reviewed our Bradley book and decided to take a shower, eat a snack, and do some little projects to distract myself. I did use the restroom and realized I was bleeding a bit. I called our doula (who we'd just met with for the final time earlier in the afternoon) to let her know what was going on. She told me to keep her up to date. I waited to wake Matt up until 1am, and I just didn't think I could wait any longer... really I just wanted his company more than anything as the contractions still weren't unbearable at all by that point. Matt was comforting to me and we continued timing the contractions. They stayed about 5 minutes apart, but did get stronger over time. We called our doula again around 5am to tell her what was going on. She told us she'd be on her way soon. She arrived at our apartment close to 6am and was encouraging as she told me that it was the real thing and probably wouldn't stop after having been so consistent for the last few hours. We continued laboring at home until about 8am when I asked if we could go to the hospital soon. I was dreading a car ride with contractions and knew that the longer we waited the harder the car ride would probably be. By the time we got everything situated and loaded up we arrived at the hospital around 8:45am I think.

When we went into the Labor and Delivery Triage they checked me and told me I was dilated to 6 cm. Since I was far enough along, I was admitted into Labor and Delivery right away. I continued to have contractions and progressed to 8cm around noon I think. My water was still in tact. The nurse told me to roll onto my side and "rest" for awhile because I was stuck at 8cm and not making too much progress over time. Soon after I rolled over on my side I felt baby Moriah give a strong kick and felt something like a balloon popping in my stomach! It was the craziest feeling ever :) Needless to say, my water had finally broken. While that was "progress" I had no idea how much the pain would increase. Moriah's head was turned in such a way that most of my pressure with each contraction was felt in my back. I was able to find comfortable laboring positions, but after my water broke nothing seemed to provide much relief. I labored this way for what felt like a long time, I think about an hour. I was feeling more and more exhausted and overwhelmed by the pain. I really didn't think I could deliver a baby! After talking with our doula and Matt and the nurse, I asked seriously for some medicine. I was able to have 30 minutes of medicine in my IV ("to take the edge off" as the nurse said) which they'd hooked up to also provide fluids to help labor continue progressing. So for those 30 minutes I was able to rest a bit and felt pretty spacey. The medicine wore off totally and I was back to feeling overwhelmed by the pain. I knew that I would need to push eventually but didn't really feel the "uncontrollable urge" I'd heard so many women talk about. Somehow, my body started pushing anyway. Just when I thought the nurse left to get approval for 30 more minutes of medicine she arrived back with my doctor and a team of nurses ready to deliver our baby! Not what I was expecting. I tried pushing in every which way I could attempt for probably 30-45 minutes feeling really uncertain of my ability to have a baby. I honestly thought I might stay pregnant forever! Finally Matt told me he could see her head as I pushed... that was the encouragement I needed to know that I was almost done and about to meet my baby. At 2:50pm Moriah arrived! There was meconium (sp?) in the water when it broke so they quickly suctioned her mouth and reassured us that all was well. We heard her cry, Matt cut the cord, and delivered the placenta as they rubbed her off. Then we were left alone for our "golden hour" according to the hospital's policy to encourage bonding and skin-to-skin contact right away. Moriah started nursing at that point too.

So while it wasn't totally natural all but 30 minutes of the 14 or so hours were! I quickly told Matt that I'm not sure I could do that again :) I know there were many great things about delivering naturally, but it was honestly a lot harder than I ever could have anticipated. I've been told that by the time we're ready for another baby I will have forgotten some of the less comfortable details... maybe so, but for now they're still pretty fresh! When we left the hospital I told Matt I felt like I was leaving with the grand prize of our little baby, and the moms coming in really didn't know what they were getting into :) This has been very long already, so I think I'll stop sharing and go hold my sleeping beauty. I'll update with more about us later!

a precious baby to love

2010-08-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

Well, our little baby Moriah has arrived! She was born last Monday, August 2 at 2:50 in the afternoon. She weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce and was 19 inches long at birth. Despite her chubby cheeks like her dad (as a baby) she's really a tiny, tiny little girl. When we came home from the hospital Wednesday she'd lost down to 6 pounds, 10 ounces. I'll be excited to find out Monday at her check-up how her weight gain is going and where she falls in the percentiles... to me she's a little one! She has more hair than I expected (only because I didn't have much as a baby) and it's dark too. I think it looks a little auburn in the sunlight sometimes, but I may just be wishful :) It also doesn't help that when we gave her her first sponge bath I used as much soap on her hair as I could've on her whole little body... it came out faster than I expected! So today, before Grandma Nancy arrives, we'll have another bath and be sure to get all the baby soap out :) She did enjoy her first bath as Matt held her and we washed one little part at a time, attempting to keep her wrapped up otherwise for comfort and warmth. Being wrapped up and swaddled is her favorite way to be! I'm hoping to practice using my Moby Wrap soon because I think she'll really enjoy it. The doctor told us an evening walk would be okay if the temperature was below 90 degrees... those days have been few and far between so we haven't really ventured out yet (except a quick trip to Target for some essentials). When we brought her home Wednesday it was the warmest day of the summer... 100+ degrees! (crazy to say the least).

She's been such a sweet baby who has learned to nurse well (we had good helpers in the hospital) when she can be roused from sleep by mom. She sleeps so soundly and even enjoys being awake for little bits of time too. Her face can look very serious (not mad like my mom thought), as she seems to furrow her brow and concentrate... it won't surprise you that she probably gets that from dad! :) We've enjoyed reading little board books together, singing hymns (Jill Phillips is our favorite while nursing), and listening to lots of good music (Mozart Wombsong free download, a Celtic Lullaby CD which was a gift, etc.). Dressing up in cute, cute little girl clothes is also a favorite activity of mom's :) I can't resist a little bow with just about every outfit, although she often makes her serious face and looks at me like it's really not necessary! We're excited to have some baby pictures taken this week with a coupon I won as a door-prize from a Seminary Wives luncheon. I look forward to a new family picture.

Matt has been a wonderful father already, as I knew he would be. He's taken lots of chances to talk with her and tell her all about the world. He's told her about friends near and far we're excited for her to meet. He's explained many things of the Lord as he studies and reads his Christianity Today magazine. He even flipped through the pages and showed her every black and white picture he could find, while explaining it's significance! So sweet to watch :) He loves her dearly and told me the other day that it just brings him so much joy to see her. He hurried to get me last night when he went to wake her up to eat and found her sleeping like this:

He thought her little folded hands were the sweetest thing he'd seen! He's been a very willing helper to me, getting things I need when my hands are full or I'm moving a little too slowly. He's excited to practice his diaper changing skills too!

We've enjoyed introducing her to many friends and visitors so far, but look forward to meeting more in the future. Today my mom will arrive for her week long visit which we're all really looking forward to! I'll have to post more of a "birth story" later... let me just give you a teaser and say natural birth is very, very hard work to say the least :) I had no idea what I was getting into... Grace you are an amazing woman!

37 1/2 weeks

2010-07-25T10:22:00.001-07:00

Here I am today... 37 1/2 weeks into our little baby girl's life and just waiting to meet her for real :) The Braxton-Hicks contractions seem to happen so often, I'm just ready for the labor contractions that will lead to a baby! So our bags are packed, snacks for early labor (popsicles, honey sticks, and Gatorade - maybe even chocolate banana popsicles) and the hospital stay (orange juice for after labor, things for Matt to munch on) are purchased and we're waiting, waiting, waiting.

After I posted this originally, Matt and I started our weekend cleaning... I think I'd call it "nesting" as much of what we did is out of the ordinary for our cleaning routine, like:
~deodorizing the couches and rugs with baking soda cleaner
~scrubbing the refrigerator drawer and shelves
~washing the kitchen floor with a scrubbing sponge and Clorox
~using a Magic Eraser almost all the way in the bathroom and kitchen and also to scrub scuff marks off the walls and doors
I'd like to think that this too is a sign of some sort of progress towards Moriah's arrival, but I know I need to stop analyzing so much! At the very least, I'm hopeful that things will stay fairly clean between now and whenever she makes her appearance so our visitors won't visit a terribly messy house.

I could've been a great many things...

2010-07-18T14:40:00.001-07:00

Well if you don't recognize that quote on your own, I'll help... it's from Little Women, and Jo is the one who says it. There are lots of moments in my life when I feel like it's a fitting response to my thoughts or situation. So it's been a blog in the works for awhile... at least in my mind! Maybe the Lord will use these very different interests someday in different seasons as He desires. Maybe not, it's certainly up to Him and in His wisdom I know I'll never be "missing out" if some are unfulfilled in an earthly sense. Really I don't even know that I want each one to be fulfilled, rather I think the curious side of me just likes to wonder sometimes what it might be like to try it out. I guess I'm more of a "Renaissance woman" than I knew - I think I could attribute that to my dad, if you know him you'll understand :)

So the list goes like this...
~a teacher, and of course, I was and am still teaching in different settings... I sometimes wonder if it would be fun to teach a college class of teachers, or to teach older students (3rd grade was my max), or to teach a class of gifted children
~a pastor's wife... which I'm learning to be a little at a time in our tiny church which is a different sort of situation of course, I'm also thankful for the Godly examples of pastor's wives I've seen for my entire Christian life... Julie, Grace, Dollie, Holley, Rebekah, Deanna, Melissa, Megan, and many more I'm sure
~a librarian, mainly a children's librarian... or to work at a children's bookstore, a quaint one where I could know my customers and make personalized recommendations - how fun!
~a simple server at a bakery or charming cafe... this might be more glamorous in my mind that it would be in day to day life, but I love cooking and being around great foods (mostly sweets) and I don't think I have the skills or desire to be THE baker - but I could work for one and enjoy watching :)
~the director of a daycare/preschool... making the behind the scenes decisions that matter in the everyday would be very fascinating for me
~a historian or museum curator... only if I was working with something that is particularly fascinating to me, EX: Egypt
~a prosecutor... this really was shifted to the other list - things I could NOT be - after my jury duty experience, but it still tempts me to think about it sometimes
~an activities director in a nursing home... I really enjoyed time in nursing homes as a middle schooler/early high schooler, so I volunteered there a lot, when my grandma was in a nursing home for a few weeks before she died I was reminded again that many people lead lonely days and would love to have the company and encouragement of a life shared with others, it would be very rewarding I think and sad at times too
~an educational researcher... again only if I was interested in the topic of research, lots of research is done on things that seem a little trivial to be honest! I'd have ideas for research on all sorts of things... lately, the effectiveness of busing students and also the real long-term impact of charter school education would excite my thoughts
~a curriculum writer... maybe in a church setting for children, maybe for homeschooling, maybe in public schools - I don't really know - just a passing thought

Well I think that's enough of a glimpse into my scattered thoughts... you can analyze that list and figure out what that means about my personality... let me know when you do, because I'm not too sure!

For now I'm so thankful that the Lord has chosen in His wisdom and perfect timing to add to the list "a mom"... we're just counting down for little Moriah's arrival... as I write this I'm at 36 1/2 weeks, hoping to hear about more of my body's progress at our Wednesday's appointment!

36 weeks... wow!

2010-07-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's really late for me but we enjoyed an evening with friends who've come to Louisville from our Kansas City world... what a great and happy mix! So I'm awake now feeling lots of little hiccups from our baby Moriah who's doing well according to my doctor, as I had a 36 week check-up today. While her check-up doesn't predict any sort of time line it was reassuring to know that my body is starting the progress that it will need to continue in order to deliver a healthy baby in the next few weeks, naturally we hope :) So here's a picture of me tonight... feeling pretty big, but you can be the judge of that I suppose!

a special person

2010-07-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

When finishing up our 4th of July theme for the week at pre-school today we looked over some books we've read this week. I have a few patriotic children's books of various sorts, but most had too many words for three year old's to sit through so we looked at the pictures and discussed them instead. The White House was pictured in one book and trying to recall to their minds our discussion earlier this week I said, "Who is the special person who lives in this house? Remember, it's called the White House..." - lots of fairly uncertain stares met my gaze as I attempted to prompt and refresh their little memories. Then one little sweet girl's eyes lit up and she said "Jesus!" It was very sweet to hear that for her, Jesus is the first one who comes to mind when "a special person" is mentioned. I pray He will continue working in her heart and that her child-like faith will lead to salvation in His perfect timing.

being a wife

2010-06-27T15:49:00.000-07:00

As these thoughts rolled through my mind during this weekend, I decided I'd like to add them to my blog. Then I realized that for some, my pleasure in being a wife would be laughable or even absurd. If you feel that way there's no need to read on, it may really irritate you. I pray that's not the case and that most of you reading (who are my good friends in real life, I realize) will rejoice in the Lord's plan of marriage and His blessings in it according to His timing and desires for us.

So that's the preface I suppose...
Yesterday was a really "normal" Saturday, and today has been the same sort of normal Sunday. Throughout this weekend however, I've just been struck with delight as I've lived as Matt's wife. I really don't know why, but I'm especially thankful that the Lord is good to give us feelings which at times DO match the reality we read of in Scripture. Marriage is blessed according to the Lord's perfect plans and will for His people in their individual lives (i.e., not everyone should marry, I know). The world would tell us otherwise, and at times our feelings would cause us to believe these lies instead of the Lord's Truth.

So my "normal" day included dropping Matt off at work then making a trip to the Farmer's Market to buy a lovely new assortment of fresh flowers that I could use as centerpiece on our kitchen table. I ventured into the world of Whole Foods (I'd never been inside before) to buy some dill and whey to use in pickle making. I came home a cooked a lot... real dill pickles (with CSA pickling cucumbers), 3 batches of zucchini bread (with giant zucchinis given to us by a church member), and dessert (a Martha twist on Rice Krispie treats) to share with our friends who were visiting later in the evening. Then, I cleaned our house which had been neglected by a lack of motivation recently for thorough cleaning. I finished it all in time to pick Matt up from work (we're a one car family now), and then go on a lunch date with him thanks to our Groupon find! We came home and enjoyed watching the World Cup (but the US lost if you hadn't heard). We delivered a meal to our friends who are enjoying their newest family member, a tiny little girl! When we came home we ate a very simple dinner (cereal, zucchini bread, fruit salad, and leftover egg souffle). Then time with more friends who came for dessert and great conversations. Today has been more of "normal" life... cooking, doing dishes, doing laundry, etc. Nothing particularly spectacular about this weekend.

In spite of such mundane tasks as some might say (or as I might say even at times), the Lord has called me to these things. He gave me great joy in them this weekend. I am glad that Matt loves zucchini bread and that I could make a ton and freeze some so that he'll be delighted to enjoy it for days to come! I love that I could have a clean house for him when he came home from working so hard to provide for us and our growing family. I'm very thankful that we enjoy similar things (most of the time) and had a great time watching soccer and visiting with friends. He really is my best friend, and spending these sweet days together leaves me with gratefulness in my heart.

One more thing... he shared this with me after I picked him up from work:
A co-worker (who is a middle aged lady) was explaining why everyone is her family thinks that marriage is a mistake for everyone, and is horrible over-all.
Matt replied that he loves marriage, and is really glad to have a wife.
She told him that he's the only person she knows who feels that way and can be sincerely believed. She explained that Matt is genuinely happier than most people she knows, and that his pleasure in marriage is honest.

This is the Lord's work no doubt, and I pray He will always be glorified in our marriage... the world has no answer for His ways as they are "higher" than ours. Trust Him, He is so good.

beet chocolate cake

2010-06-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

I am an extremely messy cook... I'd really like to work on that. My husband, or my mom, could share a long list of kitchen mess horror stories they've witnessed or experienced during my cooking. It's really not good. As I cooked my very experimental beet chocolate cake this evening my kitchen was splattered in purple dye from counter tops and stove top to the floor! I'm pretty sure early pioneers could've and should've (maybe they really did) used beets to naturally dye their fabrics, I'm sure it would work! In the process I also drop so much, Grace I promise this is TRUE! I dropped my food processor bowl today and it cracked. Now I'm really hoping that Cuisinart makes it possible for me to order a replacement bowl only. We'll see. So not only are messes made under normal conditions when you drop things like spatulas with batter they of course splatter. Then I dropped my bundt pan in the process of flouring it... what does that mean, a cloud of flour! So if you came into my house mid-cooking project you would've found, purple beet juice everywhere (including all over me), flour sprinkled all over my black yoga pants, and counter tops covered in a combo of ingredients that may have been spilled during the process. I hope this doesn't discourage you from eating at our home again... things are always clean to start with and end with. The middle just gets messy! Just a confession I thought I'd share. Now I need to check this beet chocolate cake and see how it's doing. It had great potential I think. The following quality ingredients even Martha might endorse... 1) organic milk 2) organic eggs 3) farm fresh beets 4) Ghirardelli chocolate 5) enriched flour - I'm hopeful!

3 year olds... BUSY!

2010-06-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

So I've started my new job as a "teacher" of 3 year old children at a local daycare. Wow! Three year old little ones are very busy, thus I am not sitting too often and I'm getting plenty of time with sitting on the floor and squatting (various Bradley exercises that are unintentionally preparing me for labor in a few months)! If you have a three old please share any of their favorites with me, I feel like I'm still getting to know this age and will be for awhile I'm sure.
So far I've gathered this...
~free play is a lot of fun, for about 1 hour... then they're not quite sure what to do
~music really captivates them, Dr. Jean songs are perfect for this :) I'll be investing in more CD's I can burn from my collection as they are also quickly scratched
~these little ones already know A LOT (in comparison with my more recent experiences in much different areas)... many of them know most letters, all sing the alphabet song, they count very well to about 13 or so, etc.
~art activities are fun and their creativity often is displayed in less structure than I'd expect :) (EX: we make a fish with our foot print, and add cut out grass, rocks, and shells... some of us end up totally covering the fish we started with!)
~sand is more fun to fling or dump than it is to play with at the sand table in the place it should stay
~napping is good once they get to sleep!
~potty training is tricky and is not quite so "all or nothing" as I'd imagined... changing poopy Pull-Ups is also an interesting acrobatic feat for both the child and myself
~listening to new books is fun once we get to the carpet
~meal time is usually good until I insist on putting everything on their plates, even those things they don't really like - spills are also all to frequent :)
~being younger than the rest (only 2), speaking little English, and having a spunky spirit makes one little girl much more challenging than her friends!
~shoes and socks seem to be optional attire for many, they're always the first things to go in any difficult moments
~lining up is almost impossible, or so it seems thus far!
~sharing and taking turns are very new concepts and it's more common to scream when you don't get exactly what you wanted or expected... thus a new phrase in my lingo is "please use your words" or "let's talk to your friend about how you feel"
~being held seems to solve most problems these days, which is a very sweet difference and might be even better in about 2 months when this baby belly begins to shrink :)

I'd really love to hear from you all... let me know what insights you've gleaned from this fun age!

CSA adventures

2010-05-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

I think my blog is a good place to share some information about the CSA we joined this summer. CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and allows members to buy shares of a farm's produce. So we're paying to pick up a box of farm fresh produce every week! The produce varies based upon each farm, the weather, etc. We chose Misty Meadows Farm to try because for the most reasonable price they offered a variety of produce that we were mostly familiar with, along with others that we realized would be new and were willing to try. Matt picked up our first box of delicious food tonight... this is what it looked like (minus the kale which I was cooking with at the time):

So this is what we received this week in our half share (a good size for two)...
kale (not pictured, cooked and ate already!)
swiss chard
head lettuce
peas
strawberries
red onions

I had fun via text conversation identifying the lettuces with Darcie, while also using my on-line resources, Joy of Cooking from Hannah, and Martha's Cooking School book.

If you're interested in learning more about joining a CSA this is a great resource. And the Local Harvest web-site was our starting point for us as we searched for a good fit.

I bought a lettuce knife at Victoria's recommendation to use in cutting my lettuce so that it doesn't brown. I also invested in a salad spinner to store it, and some green bags for my other fresh produce. Those are all additional "investments" but will get a lifetime of use I think!

So this was part of our first dinner to include some of our bounty...

Gretchen sent this recommendation to me for Greens and Beans via Facebook, and I can't tell you how seriously AMAZING it was! I've never eaten "greens" before and didn't know if I'd find them too appetizing... I was wrong... these were so good. *a side note: some of the schools I've worked in serve greens in the cafeteria for student lunches, did you know of diversity in cafeteria foods? pretty fun I think!* I may even buy more kale at the Farmer's Market just to have it again soon :) If I do buy more Darcie also recommended Lemon Kale Chips which sound interesting. I found a Kale-Potato Gratin recipe in the Joy of Cooking which also sounded good. Who knew that there could be so many new foods to try with thought given to one new-to-us ingredient!?

So our dinner tonight which came to me on a whim included: baked potatoes (with cottage cheese for me), asparagus, greens and beans, and cheddar garlic biscuits (not really healthy but a good addition). A really filling and tasty vegetarian meal that Matt also enjoyed a lot! Now I think I'll go enjoy some of our strawberries over cereal for my night time snack.

*one more thing... I found out about a free canning/preserving class being offered in connection with our local Farmer's Market - I'm so excited to go on June 12, we'll see whether or not I can get off to a slow start with canning this summer or if it will have to wait :)

five years with Matt

2010-05-22T18:12:00.000-07:00

Well in case you're confused, no Matt and I haven't been married for five year... about two and a half. So, why five years? Matt reminded me recently that we met each other for the first time five years ago this summer when we started working together at a church in a Kansas City suburb as Middle School interns. Thinking about that now all seems so funny, and if you know us each now we're about the farthest cry from middle school intern personalities, but the Lord had us there according to His good plans (maybe just so we could meet and then get married?!). :) So I thought I'd join Grace and compile a list of lots of fun memories over five years, which will also include reasons I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Matt! (it's quite a hodge-podge of reasons)

~he wrote letters to me even before we were ever dating, the girls in the dorm took it as a serious "sign"... I reassured them that he was just a friend!
~he told me of his desires to be celibate once, the same night I was more sure than ever that I really liked him and wished someday I could maybe just marry someone "like him" - since he had made such a declaration
~the first time we really spent together was at Atlanta Bread and then Borders... we still love Border's dates together... I get magazines, Matt gets magazines too or photography, architecture, or traveling books to browse
~he tolerated lots of interruptions during our evening phone calls while we were at different colleges, there were girls who just knocked during that hour because they knew who I would be talking to! dorm life was crazy sometimes
~he was very slow during our dating days and didn't ever overwhelm me, I think he knew, and I think the Lord showed him, that's what I needed most
~he's always been willing to share his ideas and thoughts with me, I don't always have a lot to contribute but I'm so glad to really KNOW him and listen to the way his mind works
~he really enjoys watching soccer, we spent a lot of time during the last World Cup summer following the games
~he's intense in the greatest way that I really need... he won't let you get by with an "easy answer" and in that way is such a solid man - that was my one word description for him five summers ago when we were eating our intern lunches one day - the more I've grown to know him the more I'd agree with that initial impression
~he's willing to learn and grow, and never shies away from challenging himself... this means that I love hearing all about his newest thoughts and latest favorites (authors, magazines, ideas, implications, etc.) - it also means I usually fall asleep with a lamp on as Matt reads himself to sleep long after I doze off :)
~he's willing to learn about me and grow together with me... I'm a quirky person marriage has taught me, and Matt has been very patient with every new discovery (EX: I drop most everything and have numerous spills throughout the day which he tolerates very well and with great grace!)
~he's passionate and creative, we compliment each other well I think... my mind is a pragmatic one, his thinks about the bigger picture in many ways (art, the nature of beauty, poetry, etc.)
~he likes to learn the names of flowers, trees, and birds and I love to share
~he's stopped to pick wildflowers for me by the side of the road on more than one occasion, like today on our way home from church in fact!
~he's encourages my femininity and enjoys it when I cook, plant flowers, make bouquets, wear jewelry, and paint my toenails... he often says he's a "fish in the desert" when I ask his opinion on these things
~he gladly serves me in many little ways that are a HUGE blessing, he's become our laundry man as he hauls our full laundry baskets up to the laundry room on campus and back again... he fills the ice cube trays every morning (because I spill a lot when I try to)... he often does our dishes after dinner
~he is a leader for our family who I will always gladly follow! I'm reminding him often that soon he'll have a little cheerleader who is glad to follow as well when baby Moriah is born, I know she'll love her dad and he'll continue to lead us all very well

if you're in the mood to read

2010-05-12T14:53:00.000-07:00

This is my list of hopeful reads... during the upcoming weeks, summer evenings, and maternity leave later this fall. It's an ambitious list, but I'm really excited about each book for a different reason, so the motivation in certainly there - I just need to make the time to read them all! It's also an assorted list, some baby or parenting books, some food books, and some books that will be spiritually challenging or encouraging. I really LOVE libraries, so some are from the public library, some I've bought and have been stashing away, and others are from my husband's library (which I often forget all about). Let me know if you've read any that I should move to the top of the stack, for enjoyment first!

baby or parenting books...
The Christian Childbirth Handbook, Vanderlaan
The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, Hogg
(a funny title I realize, but so far it's been a good book!)
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League
Teach Them Diligently, Priolo (only the study guide available on amazon, sorry!)

food books...
All About Canning and Preserving, Joy of Cooking series
(an ambitious aspiration for some of our CSA produce we'll be getting in)
Sara Snow's Fresh Living, Snow (recommended by Victoria and her reading list!)
Real Food, Planck (another Victoria recommendation)

spiritually challenging or encouraging...
*re-reading a few really good ones
*Disciplines of a Godly Woman, Hughes
*Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God, Piper (an all time favorite!)
*The Great Divorce, Lewis
Notes from the Tilt-a-Whirl, Wilson (recommended by my Kindred Spirit, Hannah)
Counterfeit Gods, Keller
Living Faith, Roseveare
A Sweet and Bitter Providence, Piper
Be Still My Soul, Elliot
The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, Burroughs
Holiness Day by Day, Bridges (recommended by Kara at her blog)
The Mortification of Sin, Owen
Corrie Ten Boom biography

No you have no excuse not to find a good book and start reading! I think I could've been very happy as a librarian too... maybe someday :)

health(ier) eating

2010-05-08T14:51:00.000-07:00

Well there's always a lot to learn, and lately we've decided to become more informed about the foods we're eating. We really didn't realize all that we were embarking upon... and probably still don't as it's all very new to us and we're amateurs for sure! We've both been relatively healthy eaters over-all, I liked to cook full meals mostly homemade, we didn't eat boxed meals, we enjoy fruits and vegetables, we didn't eat too many sweets (well Matt didn't, I indulged more so), etc. If it was only that simple! We began to realize that the foods we were buying for economic benefits (they were cheap) were really packed full of additives, preservatives, etc. and that there were certainly better options.
Our baby steps towards healthier foods have included...
~ joining a CSA as explained via this web-site, our first produce should begin to arrive within the next couple of weeks! We've joined with this particular farm, Misty Meadows and really look forward to the new venture
~ evaluating our produce based upon the "Dirty Dozen" and "Clean Fifteen" guides... knowing that some foods are more "worthwhile" to buy organically while others aren't as urgent - this also helps with our budget since last week I went over-board with our first attempt and spent more than we could frequently afford to buying organic produce while still not being able to eat the quantity we'd been used to
~ looking thoroughly at labels on breads to choose the healthiest option for us, still not doing sprouted grains, etc. (I don't know enough yet!), but a baby step to find something that avoids high fructose corn syrup, etc. while still being able to buy it which saves time
~ enjoying organic Greek yogurt as a parfait which is great for protein in pregnancy and better for us anyway :)

This week I was thankful to find a better balance for us as I went back to ALDI for basics that we're not doing organically (some of the produce, milk, eggs, cheese, plain oatmeal that we seem to devour) and then went to Kroger and found the organics we wanted while also making some generally healthier choices than ALDI allowed me in breads, spaghetti sauce, etc.

We hope to explore more as we invest more time and thought into learning about things like...
~ farm fresh eggs
~ local meats (maybe chicken?!)
~ making more breads in our bread maker, if time allows while working and soon adding a baby to our world!
~ soaking beans (should be easy I think, and better for you?!)
~ canning (so I can keep this wonderful produce we're getting all summer stored for the winter when we can't eat it all quickly enough)

Last Friday while on our Barnes & Noble date night I discovered a helpful magazine with great sounding recipes along these lines, and articles which spelled things out clearly while staying simple enough for me... I plan to look into it more too:
Clean Eating

We'll trust the Lord in this area of life as in all others, as He knows what we need, what He provides for us, and how we desire to serve Him as good stewards. So thankful to trust in Him with all things!

the Lord's provision

2010-04-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

"No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what He had promised." ~Romans 4:20

It's very true that the Lord is always at work, even when we're feeling very unsure about a future that we just can't see. He sees all things. He is not bound by time at all. Doesn't that just blow your mind!!! We can't even comprehend that reality, because we are slaves to time in so many ways. So in considering the future, we're often too filled with worry or anxiety as we just simply don't know. Yet again, I'm reassured that the Lord does know. He is not hindered as we are, He is all-knowing and all-powerful. So not only does he KNOW, he can make things happen as He designs them to. He is sovereign over it all, controlling all things by His goodness and grace. And we're undeserving, yet He chooses to let us know Him and His ways as He works.

So lately, Matt and I were praying and thinking about our plans for jobs in the upcoming months. Matt has been working as a part-time bank teller for over a year now and enjoys the bank he works for a lot. They've been really understanding and flexible with his class schedule at the seminary, which has been great. I have been teaching kindergarten this year as my second year in the Jefferson County Public Schools here. Teaching has always been the only thing I could imagine myself doing, but it hasn't been filled with easy days, and it also requires a lot of "take home" working... both real work and emotional exhaustion after difficult days. We knew that things needed to change in preparation for our little girl Moriah in August. We just weren't sure what the changes might be.

Matt found out about a full-time teller position at a branch he'd particularly enjoyed traveling to while a roaming teller. He applied for the position, interviewed (a lady retired after working 50 years for the bank to open up this opportunity), and soon after was hired! So we knew Matt would start working full time this summer, continuing into next school year and begin taking evening classes at the seminary. Not our original plan (although it only adds one semester to his time frame for completion - about 2 1/2 more years), but a plan that would provide for me to find a different job and take care of our new baby in a way that would fit us better. Matt's new bank income and preaching income will cover all of our current bills and expenses and also offer more affordable and better health insurance for him!

I started looking for jobs with many options in my mind... maybe nannying (and bringing our baby with me I'd hoped), maybe teaching more "part-time" in a different type of school (we have great private schools in Louisville), maybe tutoring, maybe baby-sitting the baby's of seminary friends, etc. We had lots of options it seemed like. While I tried pursuing them diligently nothing had quite materialized. I was too discouraged, just really unsure about which things would be best and how to "secure" something - the sooner the better I thought! Over Spring break a couple of weeks ago, I thought I'd look on Craig's List for job postings. Sure enough there were a lot! I called a daycare center which had a posting that was about a month old, not thinking much of it but deciding it could be worth exploring. Sure enough, they were still hiring and told me I could stop by to complete an application and meet the directors. So why wait! :) I went to the daycare center right away since it was my last day of Spring break. I completed their application while I was there, then met the directors who were very friendly. One even knew the principal I've been working for (a good connection to have)! I toured the center which was newly opened (in December) but filling up with children quickly. It was very clean, fresh, and nice. The teachers all seemed friendly and the children were all busy and well cared for. The rooms were big and well-stocked with supplies for lots of learning! I left encouraged and hopeful, but tried to be realistic knowing that it was out of my control. We prayed about the opportunity and waited a few days to hear from them. Praise the Lord they offered me a job, when they called! I'll begin the week after school gets out (no summer break this year) as a pre-school teacher in their most newly constructed classroom. I'll be working 8:30-5pm, full time hours to help provide financially for Matt's Seminary tuition (we're continuing on a debt free track here). Once our baby arrives in August, I'll take a 6 week maternity leave then return to work. Our baby will stay in the daycare's baby room which is only across the hall from me through a big glass window that I can peek in at any time! :) She'll also be given a half-price rate as the baby of an employee!

The Lord's blessings are truly abundant towards us in Christ alone. Then to add that He cares to continue providing for our earthly needs is so gracious and loving. We're thrilled with His most recent goodness. Please pray for us in this time...
~that I'll have energy all summer with pre-schoolers :)
~that we'll be wise is knowing how to pursue health insurance for myself and our baby
~that we'll have financial wisdom with these new incomes, knowing how to balance our expenses in new ways
~that I'll be ready to return to work after my maternity leave ends
~that Moriah will be well cared for, and that I'll adjust to someone else caring for her
~that our new school-year schedule will provide us with quality family time and enough study time for Matt as he works (his classes will be Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7-10pm)

blueberry French toast

2010-04-19T16:32:00.000-07:00

Here is one of our new favorites... I think you'd probably love it, I know we do! The best part of it all, really it's healthy :) Even Mr. Matt who is pretty aware of the health involved in most things we eat, was pleasantly surprised when I told him the simple ingredients included - to have his stamp of "healthy approval" is a really "good thing" as my friend Martha likes to say!

So here it is
(and it can easily be halved, that's what we do, otherwise it serves 8-10):

for the French toast...
6 whole wheat buns, or 12 slices whole wheat bread
8 oz reduced-fat cream cheese, cubed
1 c blueberries (mine have been frozen, but this summer I'll use fresh!)
10 eggs
2 c skim milk
1/3 c honey

for the sauce...
(I've always used blueberry syrup that I found at ALDI, amazingly, so I've never tasted this sauce)
1/2 c sugar
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 c grape juice
1 c blueberries

Grease a 13x9 pan (or a 2 quart round baking dish if you make half).
Cube (or tear) buns and put half in pan.
Add cubed cream cheese on top of buns.
Top with remaining cubed buns and blueberries.
Beat eggs, milk, and honey together then pour over top.
Refrigerate for 8 hours, or overnight.
Remove from refrigerator for 30 minutes before cooking, to stand at room temperature.
Bake at 350 degrees, COVERED, for 30 minutes.
Uncover, and bake 30 more minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

for the sauce:
Heat and stir all ingredients until smooth in sauce pan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat until blueberries burst. Use to top French toast as desired.

life in Turner's Station, Kentucky

2010-04-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

Since about September Matt has been preaching on Sunday mornings in Turner's Station, Kentucky. I really wish I had pictures to help you imagine this amazing little place. It's in the country off of winding wooded roads. The entire city is comprised of one main street with an old post office that is now someone's home. The city also has a two story old brick bank building that closed about 20 years ago, we were told. There's a Christian church right down the road, but I always mistook it for an old school house - it has a bell out front. We've since seen the school house where most of the church members attended in a two-room style of education. Now it's also a house and has unfortunately lost a bit of the charm it probably had in its plainer days. I was trying to estimate the population and did a quick Google search, they claim 1,200 people... totally astonishing to me. I'm not sure I really believe it. If that's true there must be a lot of them who live quiet lives alone on their secluded and self-sufficient farms, never venturing out - because we rarely see a car pass us as we make the drive. Oh yes, this is important, Turner's Station used to be a railroad stop making it a bigger city then. The train still passes through often and we hear it. The townspeople become concerned with the way the railroad company cares for the tracks and the noise they make as they work on them.

We've been blessed deeply by our time there, and look forward to continuing ministry in such a quaint and welcoming place. On average there are about 12-15 in attendance each Sunday for church... imagine that! Really, it's true, and it's probably not like anything else you've experienced before... I haven't anyway. Church begins with "announcements" usually entailing a weather report and praise to the Lord for His goodness in spite of the weather. We sing together as the piano is played. We listen to CD's for our "special music". Matt shares two Scripture readings as preaches from the Word. He's been preaching through the Gospel of Matthew. Pray for him, this week he's preaching from Matthew 12:22... the Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit - expository preaching bring challenges to those who preach no doubt.

Our Sunday School class is held before church, in the back of the sanctuary behind some old wood panel partitions. Then we hear the great wisdom of the most faithful people we've ever met. That's a big claim I realize, but Matt and I both agree. We've heard a woman in the midst of breast cancer say, "Well don't we know He won't do anything to hurt us. We should just trust Him." I've watched her husband grimace in shock as Matt explained that the response of some to the earthquake in Haiti was to ask why God would cause such evil. It was clear that this man had never before considered the like of those thoughts. His response to his wife's suffering through cancer, "Why not us?" They often remind us, and rightly so, that the Bible seems to be pretty "plain" about lots of things. They don't struggle with the complications that theologians almost invent it seems. Rather, their faith is as simple as a child's but as deep and full of perseverance as I've ever seen. Matt has asked on many occasions some hard questions of the faith through Sunday School as challenging passages have come up. Their answers are always clear and direct, never becoming distracted by the secular thinking of so many. They discuss History channel specials about Biblical topics in which the producers mock the truth of Biblical claims, events, etc. To our friends in Turner's Station, they say it takes more faith to believe the outrageous stories and claims made by those on TV than to trust the Bible's straight-forward reality. They've never tried to squirm away from Truth, even difficult Truth. When we discussed sin nature as explained in Psalm 51, some struggled to imagine their infant grandchildren as sinners. As Matt pointed out the Word in various passages and explained the significance of original sin we saw hearts instantly believing God for the Truth He was revealing... not fighting it, not denying it out of inconvenience or a desire to pick-and-choose the easiest theologies.

They lean on the Word and know the Lord in their daily lives. They are such a blessing and source of great wisdom.

There are more great stories about the time-warp it seem like we take as we drive each Sunday from the "city" to the "country" as they call it. There are parts of life I've never known that they commonly experience. I'll have to keep updating with more soon, this is already long I think.

Homemade Cleaning Supplies

2010-04-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for an experiment in frugality I'd highly recommend trying some homemade cleaning supplies! When we first got married, I received a Martha Stewart Homemaking Book which I've enjoyed as a reference for all sorts of things. She recommended some homemade cleaning supplies, so I thought I'd give it a try. She was onto another one of her "good things" in my opinion. So for about two years now I've been cleaning everything with the following...

"heavy duty" bathroom cleaning (toilets, bathtub, counters sometimes)
Soapy Ammonia
1 c ammonia
1 c water
2 TBSP liquid Ivory soap

glass windows (also mirrors and dusting)
Glass Cleaner
1 c ammonia
1 c water

soap scum remover (as a daily shower spray and also while cleaning)
1 c water
1 c white vinegar

counter-top kitchen cleaner (also could be for dusting)
1 c water
2 TBSP liquid Ivory soap

I bought plain spray bottles that I found at the grocery store and labeled. Super cheap and easy to remember what's in each one. While there are some "start up" costs to buying these items, they've lasted me a long time through many batches and refills so it's very, very economical over the long run. The most expensive item to buy was the liquid Ivory soap, but even that is used in such small portions it will last a really long time! As a side note, make sure you'd never use bleach around any of the ammonia-based cleaners. The combination is one that causes really dangerous fumes, don't do it!

Now, as a new experiment I'm trying Grace's Laundry Soap. I'm sure she'd tell us it's not "her" idea, but I got it from her, so to me it is :) I just made it last night for the first time and haven't used it yet, but I figure if it can thoroughly clean Grace's laundry with cloth diapers, a little kid stains, it will do the same for ours! So here it is:

Laundry Soap
1 Fels-Naptha soap bar, grated finely
1 c washing soda
1 c Borax
Mix all together. I plan to sort of "pre-mix" it before I use it, in the following way: use 1-2 TBSP per load, mix with water in a Mason jar right before use and then pour into washing machine as you would use liquid soap normally.

The more amazing thing is the amount of money saved... you can read the detailed breakdown here, but the final cost is 1 cent per load! Seriously, it's true and amazing I think :)

I hope you enjoy the blessings of some frugal finds if you get a chance to try these out. It certainly has been a blessing to us!

a giveaway... but not here!

2010-03-31T17:15:00.000-07:00

My fun friend Grace who is way more creative than I am, is hosting an amazing Giveaway on her blog... you should check it out for lots of cute things:
http://wheelsoffun.blogspot.com/

In other news I've been quite inspired by lots of friends who are blogging more frequently, and I'd love to do the same... right now I just have this list in my mind that comes and goes of ideas, so I'll work on it!
~sharing baby sewing projects, and baby decorating projects
~funny school stories
~yummy recipes we're enjoying (with pictures, that's always better for me!)
~thoughts from great examples of faith in a little country church
~the Lord is always teaching me more
Well, the list seems to get longer as I start it, so I really should use some Spring Break time to "debrief" sort of, look for that next week! :)

why I LOVE Kindergarten :)

2010-03-15T18:09:00.000-07:00

After returning to work today from a week and a half stint at jury duty, I was thrilled by many sweet moments with the little ones, as chronicled here...

* little boy: "Who's going to be here tomorrow Mrs. Peery?"
"Me, I'm staying now!"
little boy: "Good!"

*While reading a traditional tale (think "Tortise and the Hare"), we started predicting which event would come next... the cat wanted milk, so the monkey would ask the cow, etc... the river needed rain...
"Who do you think the monkey will ask for rain from? Where does rain come from?"
students: "God!"
little boy: "He just pushes the button!"

*While beginning our informational writing unit, we "shared the pen" and wrote together about the day we built gingerbread houses...
"Who remembers who came to school that day to help us build our houses?"
(their parents, I was going for)
students: "Matt!" (which was also true, and stood out more to them I guess)

*While introducing the concept of maps and globes, we read about different homes all over the world, one mentioned "cement"...
little girl: "What did you say about a house being made out of mint?"
"Oh no, I said 'cement' like concrete, it makes houses strong. What were you thinking of?"
little girl: "I thought you were talking about, you know, 'mints' that make your breath smell good!"

*At the end of the day as we were lining up, one little boy poked my growing belly...
little boy: "Your baby's growing Mrs. Peery, does it move?"
me: "We can't feel it move on the outside yet, and I don't think I can feel it on the inside yet either..." (his mom is having a baby in April, so he's felt it move)
me: "I don't know when I'll be able to feel the baby, soon I think"
4th grade boy: "Ya, Mrs. Peery, I'm not sure when that'll be, I really don't know" (a 4th grade helper in my class, one student from last year, a boy!)
me: "Well Josh I think it could be any time now really"
4th grade boy: "Ya, I think it probably will be Mrs. Peery!"
(since when do 4th grade boys know much about pregnancy!)

This is why I do LOVE Kindergarten :)

encouragement

2010-02-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

We just returned from a wonderful date to the Andrew Peterson concert on campus in conjunction with the Adopting for Life conference. While we didn't attend the conference, we're thrilled that Andrew Peterson was here and that we could buy tickets to enjoy the great songwriter on a Friday evening! Many songs are wonderful of course by Andrew Peterson, but a few struck me more so this evening...
"Cannan Bound" was encouraging as we think upon the great faith of Abraham and the great faith Sarah exhibited as she followed
"The Far Country" was another which focuses upon Abraham's journey of faith and ours today

Then Andrew Peterson introduced Ben Shive, who Matt and I both enjoyed during the "Behold the Lamb of God" tour where we saw them both with others in December. He shared sad news of a close friend's coming death, and sang the song "Rise Up". The lyrics are important and are below...

Rise Up
Ben Shive
Every stone that makes you stumble,
and cuts you when you fall;
every serpent here that strikes your heel,
to curse you when you crawl,
the King of Love one day will crush them all.
And every sad seduction
and every clever lie,
every word that woos and wounds
the pilgrim children of the sky,
the King of Love will break them by and by.
And you will rise up in the end.
You will rise up in the end.
I know the night is cruel, but the day is coming soon
when you will rise up in the end.
If the thief had come to plunder
when the children were alone,
If he ravaged every daughter
and murdered every son,
Would not their Father see this?
Would not His anger burn?
And would He not repay the tyrant
in the day of His return?
Await, await the day of His return.
Cause He will rise up in the end.
He will rise up in the end.
I know you need a Savior. He is patient in His anger.
But He will rise up in the end.
And when the stars come crashing to the sea.
The high and mighty fall down on their knees.
When you see the Son descending in the sky.
The chains of death will fall around your feet.
You will rise up in the end.
You will rise up in the end.
You will rise up in the end.

As the song continued, and I'd heard it before, I was deeply pierced by the darkness which I'm so surrounded by day in and day out in the lives of many little children I teach. I've been so surrounded that it's almost become an unfortunately new "normal" that I often feel desensitized to... that should never be the case. As this song reminds us, we have GREAT HOPE in Christ's death and the power of His resurrection. I wept for my children in a new way tonight, and pray with all of me that they too will know of Christ's victory over the stings of death they have come to face at such vulnerable and young ages. Please pray for them too. Andrew Peterson followed with his song "All Things New"... quite fitting:
Come broken and weary, come battered and bruised
my Jesus makes all things new, All things new
Come lost and abandoned, come blown by the wind
He'll bring you back home again, home again

I was then struck by the absolute passion which was displayed in Ben Shive as he sung, and obviously as he previously wrote these words. His passion conveyed a deep sincerity. Matt and I have been discussing a similar sincerity among many godly people recently... Dr. Tom Schreiner, John Piper, and David Platt specifically. Their messages are hard and deeply challenging, but they are always delivered out of a sincerity and passion (I have no other words for it) which is captivating. No one else could re-package the same words and convey the messages they do. Their lives are lived in such a way that displays the authenticity of their belief... I can gather that from afar in each case.

I pray that as I close my last year of teaching in these tough places, for this season of our lives (with a baby on the way), I would teach and love little children with a sincerity and passion that conveys the Lord's work even in my daily interactions. There is no other option for which we are called as Christians. Some more fitting Andrew Peterson lyrics from "Let There Be Light"...
The work of our hands is the salt of the earth
The music we make is the light of the world
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine

the eyes of the Lord

2010-01-06T14:48:00.000-08:00

^D)">The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.
~Proverbs 15:3

"The eyes of the Lord" - an obvious personification of our great God who is beyond the physical limits of "eyes" that we have. He can see "every place", we realize that He is all knowing, and present everywhere; so of course, His eyes are "in every place". Sometimes I'm all to quick to forget such a simple truth. In the midst of my school days when it seems as if the lives of the little children around me are SO difficult, and I'm caught in the middle of it all - I forget the Lord's good and sovereign hand over their circumstances and my involvement in their little worlds. I desire that as the Lord keeps watch over me and watches, He is providing me the grace, which is all sufficient and comes from Him alone, to respond with kind words, love, compassion, and lots of patience. I desire that maybe He uses some small "good" for His glory, that the darkness of this world full of evil will be for a moment brightened. Please pray that it is so.

Pray for one little boy "A" in my room who was very sick and vomiting often today. The phone numbers we had were all disconnected, except for one which had a recording of someone by a different last name... so we left a message hoping it really was a family member. Hours later, after he had fallen asleep and then rolled over to continue getting sick his mom called. She had no car, would need to take a bus to the school - but needed directions as she didn't know where it was! She asked if we could send him home in a taxi... a 5 year old who was vomiting, in a taxi.

Another little girl "J" arrived today as a new student. She rode the bus this morning all alone with no siblings in our school, after moving here from a city that is about 2 hours away. Needless to say she was scared and crying upon arrival, too anxious to talk for awhile.

Pray also for another little girl "S", who is very troubled as we realize more and more by the day. She has been suspended (the longest suspension our district has - 6 days), sees an out of school counselor, but continues to struggle to function for a full school day. Her "melt downs" are extreme, unpredictable, and long-lasting. From the school's stand point there isn't much else we can do. I know that prayer is powerful beyond all human reason. I know that she attends church and hears of the Lord - pray that according to His plans, he can bring restoration to her young life and the circumstances she lives in.

I am thankful to serve a God who listens to our cries... it is easy to shed tears over these stories and others. I was quickly reminded of the Lord's purposes for me when I watched this video on Dollie's blog. (I'm trying to see if I can include it here...)
hmm - maybe that works? if not, check it out here on YouTube
Its called "The Invisible Woman" and really speaks to the unseen joys and seeming "burdens" of motherhood at times. I look forward to those moments now (knowing we'll be adding a baby to our family around August 11), but also realize that even they won't also feeling rewarding. For now, I'm taking courage from this video as I desire to be used according to the Lord's plans in the lives of 23 little ones at Semple Elementary each day. I wish I could share their names and their little faces, but privacy laws forbid it... if you pray for them our all-knowing God, knows even these little ones who are unknown to you.

pumpkie pie oatmeal

2009-11-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

Matt and I really enjoyed this delicious breakfast Saturday morning... maybe you'll like it too! I'd highly recommend it, especially to pumpkin lovers - Matt thought it was better than pumpkin pancakes even.

Here's a picture of mine:

Follow this link for the recipe...
just it case it doesn't work for some reason, here's the web address:
http://www.goodlifeeats.com/2009/09/pumpkin-pie-oatmeal.html

Oh yes, a PS... if you're like me and have never cooked in (or owned) "ramekins" any glass oven-safe dishes will work, as in my Corningware "French white" from a wedding gift (above) or even a small Pyrex (what I used for two other "ramekins"). I found out this would work thanks to my mom's always on-call kitchen and cooking advice, which saves me every time!

selfishness and God's self-sacrifice

2009-11-01T14:14:00.000-08:00

I've been very convicted about my own utter selfishness lately. I'm too quick to share my complaints or daily difficulties. I'm less quick to ask about the struggles of others or to be prayerful on their behalf. I'm quick to plan things that I want to do, when I want to do them, as it is most convenient for me. I'm slower to consider the needs of others and the desires they may have to maintain their own plans as well. It all showed up yesterday in the simplest scenario.

I'd been invited to a play out of town with a friend.
She wanted us to go together as we don't see each other as often as either of us would like.
She realized she had obligations and couldn't attend the show I wanted to go to.
I didn't want to drive alone, or drive in the dark, or be away from Matt overnight... all things about "me" which made the other show times seem "impossible" from my perspective.
So I asked another friend to attend the ideal show time with me.
We enjoyed the play and began driving home in a rush...
because I had other previously made plans with other friends and Matt last night.
In our rush, I totally forgot that I'd mentioned to my first friend that maybe I could stop by and say hello when the play ended, since I was after all going to be in her new town.
So about 45 minutes into our drive home, she called and asked if I was stopping by as she'd been waiting to go to the grocery store in case I wanted to say hello as I'd mentioned.

Needless to say, because of time changes and a longer play I also didn't make it home in time to keep our plans with other friends - so those were canceled too.
In the end, I upset (and rightly so) my husband, a dear friend, and two other close friends all because I demanded to have things (and petty things at that) MY way. That's a terrible feeling which upset me greatly last night, as I cried and asked the Lord for His forgiveness.

So then God's self-sacrifice comes to mind as He displayed in Christ the most selfless act of dying on behalf of sinners who would lead selfish lives as I have been doing. I deserve at this time, and at all times, His wrath and condemnation and death. However, the Gospel has changed that, for God's great glory to be seen. And how thankful I am for this God who cares to know me, and made a way to do so. I clearly am undeserving as my faults are before my eyes and within my heart every day. He however reassures me that "For our sake he made him to be sin^B)"> who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21) Each day I desire His righteousness to over take my sin more and more, that I might see evidences of grace in the fruit He bears in my life. May it always be so.

why Kindergarten makes me happy...

2009-08-29T12:25:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I'm a Kindergarten teacher again this year. For me this is GREAT news! Kindergarten feels much more like my niche than 3rd grade did. I will say, I enjoyed some parts of 3rd grade, and I'll never have to wonder what it would be like to teach older students since, for a season that God gave me, I did! But this post is dedicated to Kindergarten.

And now here's my list... (maybe it will make you want to teach Kindergarten too)
~my former 3rd grade students act like I'm a celebrity when they see me in the halls, at lunch, or recess... they're happy greetings are much more loving than they ever were last year (distance must make the heart grow fonder for them too)
~my classroom is very spacious
~I have a wonderful full-time assistant teaching with me all day
~I only have 22 students currently
~one little boy went home and told his mom, "My teacher's pretty... she was wearing a new dress today" (I don't know why he thought it was new, I don't think it was!)
~I get random hugs all day long... some of them really like to squeeze you tightly too!
~my students are really excited to learn anything... "Wow! I can draw a 4, yay!", "Look I did it!" while practicing number writing on our white boards
~I get to start every day singing songs like "Rise & Shine" (a school version, not "Give God the glory, glory), "Hello, How are you?", "Days of the Week" (to the Adams' Family tune), "Macarena Months" (and we do dance), "Color Farm" (to Old MacDonald), and "Lettercize" (to the "Rocky" theme music)
~my students are very enthusiastic about learning and using their most polite manners
~guppies and goldfish will be arriving in a science kit for our room this week
~students say "I love you", "I really like school, and I'm coming back" frequently
~one little girl randomly chimes in "You're cute" throughout the day
~behavior problems are much easier to cope with and correct
~their small conversations and comments throughout the day oftentimes make me laugh... "Mrs. Peery I been to your house, really I have" "No, I don't think so J" "Yep, I been there - it's read" "No, J it's not red and it's an apartment" "Oh, well I been there too"... pretty interesting, the same boy also wanted to be line leader one day and told me "I'm the line leader, remember I called you this morning"... I have no idea what he's thinking about most of the time!
~apart from accidents (3 pukers and diarrhea in the room this week), and tiredness (no naps, that makes long days for some little ones) which happen more often in Kindergarten, the students are much more cheerful all day long!

*one amendment... I come home much happier to my dear husband (as in less stressed) than I did before, although Matt knows in some ways Kindergarten is much more tiring... I'm always moving during the day! This is the biggest perk for us both! :)

The Lord was so good to sustain me as He did during 3rd grade. I pray that my students and co-workers saw Jesus in me in spite of my weariness and complaints at times. This year, I also thank the Lord for His grace to keep me and give me perseverance each day as I teach these little ones!

a couple of easy and delicious dinners

2009-08-03T15:03:00.000-07:00

These are a couple of easy and delicious dinners we've enjoyed lately. It's nice to cook at a more leisurely pace without feeling too tired at the end of the day. Soon I'll be back to school though, and I'll look back on these summer days with fond memories!

Both of these recipes can be found on their respective web-sites... my pictures may not look exactly the same as the ones on-line, but just think they're more "realistic"!

This one is called "Alaska Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch Coating" from www.allrecipes.com... my variation was using ALDI's frozen salmon as opposed to fresh Alaskan salmon, but if you have that - go for it! I also made plain white minute rice (I never knew I could cook it in the microwave, which was very quick and easy), and sauteed asparagus too. We really love asparagus!

The next recipe is called "Lemon Shrimp with Parmesan Rice" from a "Taste of Home" magazine subscription someone gave us as a wedding gift. It was a great gift idea, that I really enjoyed and made much use of. Lots of our favorite recipes came from that year's magazines. (In this particular recipe I'd recommend using already peeled shrimp, although I can't find that at ALDI so I use the frozen pre-cooked kind, and we have to take the tails off before we eat it.) I also made a really refreshing "Peachy Iced Tea Sangria" (non-alcoholic) from a "Kraft Foods" magazine this evening. You can see it a little bit in the glass. It's also quick, easy, and tasty!

In a week or so, I'll post pictures of my newly (I'm in the process now) decorated and set-up Kindergarten class. Enjoy cooking if you decide to try these recipes... they may become favorites for your family too!

beach reading

2009-07-22T17:27:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our trip to Destin, Florida with Matt's family. It was so gracious of them to invite us along and provide a great condo for us to all stay in! I had fun enjoying these specifically Florida things (in my mind anyway, they may be related to other places too):

~ sunbathing on the beach
~ collecting seashells
(only a very few in Destin)
~ key lime pie
~ seafood (LEFT: crab legs)
~ boiled peanuts (RIGHT)

I enjoyed time on the beach, and especially reading time in the sun.
Two more books to add to the list of summer reads:

Outcasts United by: Warren St. John
This is a WONDERFUL and challenging read. Not challenging as in reading level, but challenging as it causes reflection upon our own prejudices and stereotypes which are oftentimes incorrect. This book is written by a reporter from the New York Times who follows a team of refugee soccer players from around the world who've relocated to Clarkston, Georgia a small town with a Southern and "traditional" mind-set. It's great to consider the world, the many peoples in it, and the way it is becoming "smaller" in a sense. This was especially fun to read and recall soccer playing days of the past (although I'm glad that they're over)!

Twilight Children by: Torey Hayden
Another book by a new favorite education-related author. This book follows Torey as she takes a job working with people in a psychiatric ward of a hospital. After one of my third grade students was admitted to a psychiatric ward this year I really began to consider what a hidden world it is. In many ways not only is it a hidden world, it is therefore forgotten and lonely to those who are hospitalized. This book shows with clarity the sad and terrible realities which lead children to a variety of mental illnesses causing such an outcome, along with great triumphs as therapies help to heal and mend their pasts.

and here is a picture of Matt and I getting ready
to make our way out to the beach...
check Facebook for more Florida fun pictures

peach season

2009-07-13T16:49:00.000-07:00

Yay for peaches... last year at about this time we "won" a bushel of peaches at a Louisville Orphan Home's picnic (ask me about that sometime). This year, we enjoyed picking peaches at Huber's Farm in Southern Indiana, not too far from our Louisville home. We didn't pick tons, although they were plentiful on each tree we saw (it was hard to resist picking until we saw no more to pick)!

We also couldn't pass up the opportunity to pick some more blueberries since they're one of our favorite additions to all sorts of things. There was an amazing abundance of blueberries in these patches compared to our recent picking adventures in Kansas City.

Here are some pictures showing what we've done with our peaches (I'd estimate that we had about 30 peaches to start with maybe?)...

Yesterday's peach project was properly freezing the peaches for future treats. So we followed these instructions and used Fruit Fresh along with white grape peach juice to store them. Peeling them with the boiling water to ice water method was trickier than expected. We finally realized that things worked better the longer we left the peaches in the ice water. You can also see a Ziplock baggie full of peach waffles we enjoyed last night as breakfast for dinner. They were great with some of our strawberry freezer jam as a topping! I'm sure you'll also notice a massive bag of blueberries... only one of two we so happy to have. Last year we devoured one bag by mid fall, this year's goal is to ration them so that they'll last until next year's picking time!

And last but not least, today's peach project was making two peach cobblers. One we gave away, and the other I'm excited to enjoy in just a couple of minutes. I've realized that I really prefer my cobblers to have kind of a sticky-gooey topping... some (like Martha's) are more biscuit-ish or like a shortbread. Paula Deen's recipe (from her book Kitchen Classics, page 166) is my favorite for this... and it's not healthy at all!

PEACH COBBLER: 1 stick butter 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup self-rising flour (you can use all purpose flour and add baking powder and salt as a substitue for "self-rising") 3/4 cup milk 28 oz can peaches in syrup, undrained** Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put butter in deep baking dish and place in oven to melt. Mix sugar and flour; add milk slowly to precent lumping. Pour over melted butter. Do not stir. (At this point the butter will rise to the top of the batter.) Spoon fruit on top, gently pouring in syrup. Still do not stir; batter will rise to the top during baking. Bake 30-45 minutes. Good with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. **FRESH PEACH MODIFICATION: Clean, peel, and core 2 cups of fruit (can use blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, cherries, apples, peaches, or pears) and mix with 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water. In a saucepan, bring mixture to a boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir often, making sure sugar is completely dissolved. Substitute this for the canned peaches.

All that remains of our "raw" peaches are serving as a decoration before we're ready to add them to cereal, oatmeal, or eat them as a juicy snack. Now I'm off to enjoy some cobbler with my dear and watch "Antiques Roadshow"!

summer reading!

2009-07-06T12:43:00.001-07:00

So far this summer I've enjoyed all the moments I've had to read! The following is a list with a little review of each in case you'd like to join me and read some of these great books... enjoy!

Girl Meets God by: Lauren Winner
I reread this book at the beginning of this summer. I think I liked it even more the second time around. Lauren Winner writes a memoir of her conversion from Judaism to Christianity. It includes lots of great thoughts about faith and tradition.

Mudhouse Sabbath by: Lauren Winner
This Lauren Winner book I'd never read until this summer. It's another great one. Lauren specifically explains Jewish traditions and customs which relate to various topics and seasons of life. Her point in doing so is to challenge Christians to rejoice in the grace of God upon us through Christ our Savior, while also contemplating more thoughtful traditions which can impact our faith in practical ways.

Hope for Children in Poverty edited by: Ronald Sider & Heidi Unruh
This book provides a brief, but realistic overview of children who live in poverty here in the United States. Since teaching in many low socio-economic areas I have begun to consider the impact of poverty in ways I hadn't before. There are so many factors involved in the lives of these children. I'd really recommend this book, as it also offers great articles which highlight real ministries and organizations working to provide aid in various ways to so many children in difficult circumstances. As Christians I do believe we must not turn a blind eye, to this reality of so many.

Mountains Beyond Mountains by: Tracy Kidder
This book is a biography of Dr. Paul Farmer. He is a leading doctor in the fight against TB world-wide. Specifically his story is captivating as he serves amongst the most poor people in the world who live in particular areas of Haiti. His compassion and committment to serve all people with equality should be shared by more. Sara Groves was inspired to write and record her song "The Long Defeat" after reading this book and learning of a many who values all human life in such sacrifical and genuine ways.

Ghost Girl by: Torey Hayden
Torey Hayden is a special education teacher who has written many books about her students and their circumstances throughout a school year. This book is horrifying as it shares the real life story of one little girl she taught. While I think more people should be familiar with the daily occurances of public school life... this book wouldn't be the first I'd recommend because of its really graphic nature. I am looking forward to reading more of her books this summer.

The Penderwicks by: Jeanne Birdsall
A children's book of course must be on my list! This chapter book has always caught my eye because of its charming cover. I wish I'd known of it before, I think it might have made a nice read aloud for my third graders. If you know any children, or like reading children's literature yourself this is a nice book. It's filled with the adventures of four sisters one summer as they're away on vacation. It also makes me hope to someday have a "gaggle of girls" :)

Currently reading...
Radical Womanhood by: Carolyn McCulley
a Biblical look at the influence of feminism in the lives of Christian women

Excellent Women by: Barbara Pym
a fictional story set in post World War II England about a 30 year old single woman and her life

My stack is big already, and still growing with more to read this summer. I'll update with more thoughts as I finish each book!

being at home

2009-06-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

"The place where God has put the wife is the husband's home.
Most people have forgotten nowadays what a home can mean, though some of us have come to realize it as never before.
It is a kingdom of its own in the midst of the world, a stronghold amid life's storms and stresses, a refuge, even a sanctuary."
~Detrich Bonhoeffer

I was just reminded of this quote by Bonhoeffer as I worked on a crafty project for a upcoming wedding gift. There is such truth in the statement! This week I have been thrilled to be at home and to make it a haven for us. Although I didn't follow my "plan" to a t, everything was accomplished. I enjoyed the opportunity to be productive in our home and in ways that could bless Matt. Since I'm home now without having to work (just for the summer), Matt has a break from helping with the laundry and dishes after dinner. I'm glad to relieve him of those things that he also gladly did to serve me during the more hectic school year. I can also use my days to clean the house, run errands, and grocery shop, thus leaving the Saturday totally free (that was my day to clean and buy groceries before... a full day)!!! Although these are really simple things, I am so thankful for the sweet rest and solitude of the days this week. I know that for many housewives, these days would eventually become less of a thrill and more of a monotony. But, from the other side of the fence, it is calling and season to be cherished. Even without children right now, I see great significance in serving Matt this way. I know that with children someday, the significance of being a mother and wife in the home becomes even greater (although it is not always possible). This week has given me much to thank and praise the Lord for. I hope that you can also find much contentment in your season right now and enjoy the Lord's goodness to you! The greatest part is... I have many more weeks of this bliss ahead :) And for now, I'll enjoy our Saturday reading the Word, going on a Border's date (with buy one get one free coffee coupon), enjoying good books, and a taking trip to Shakespeare in the Park (to see "Hamlet") tonight.

*I'd love to include pictures of the wedding gift creation... but, lest my dear friend see it, I'll have to wait until after the wedding to post them! So this picture shows the lovely flowers I bought this morning at the Farmer's Market... I really like fresh flowers on the table :)

big (but reasonable) summer plans

2009-06-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Well "I've got BIG plans" to quote a cute, cute children's book that was read aloud to the teachers at the beginning of school this past year. The point was that a little boy made BIG plans which never quite came to fruition. We were encouraged to plan BIG, but to also be realistic enough to allow for some flexibility. As a Christian, I think of "grace" in those scenarios. I remember contemplating grace a lot in college which was a good season. In many, many ways I need to continue each day those thoughts. I cannot just barge my way through life doing it all on my own, to the best of my abilities, and not be surprised that burn-out comes at the end of that road and that failure is a certainty in time. Rather, I must rely on the Lord who provides me with all opportunities, strength, and ability. He is a gracious God who responds to my failures and falls with compassion, forgiveness, and new mercies each day. So in that light (and with that reminder to myself mostly) these are my summer plans/goals. Aimlessness is not my strength, and without some specific goals I don't usually complete most things I set out for. So this summer I'm trying to be specific, but also gracious towards myself. Matt has also been very helpful in reminding me "not to over do it". I'm hoping for some accountability as I blog about my days, and share progress in these areas.

my plan:
Mon/Wed/Fri morning:
workout "women's fitness bootcamp" free in the Seminary gym, Bible study & prayer time, shower/get dressed, watch Martha Stewart on TV (iron during Martha on Fri), read until I'm hungry and eat lunch...

Tues/Thur morning:
walk on campus, Bible study & prayer time, shower/get dressed, watch Martha Stewart on TV (iron during Martha on Tues), read until I'm hungry and eat lunch...

afternoons (chore time & "project" time):
Mon- clean bathroom, do any CVS shopping (before the deals are gone), 2 loads of laundry
*Mon EVENING- Seminary sewing class bi-weekly (I hope to make curtains this summer)
Tues- dust, "practical pilates" free in the Seminary gym
Wed- clean floors (vacuum, mop)
Thur- 2 loads of laundry, "practical pilates" free in the Seminary gym
Fri- clean kitchen, grocery shop

evenings/weekends:
GREAT NEWS!!! All evenings are essentially free to enjoy dinner, walks, and resting with Matt... that is a great and blissful thought. And weekends will be free also for fun times together like the Farmer's Market, hiking/camping hopefully, local summer events, Shakespeare in the Park, picnics, sunbathing, blueberry picking, day trips, etc.

"projects" may include some of these things:
*new cell phone, and new cell phone service when our contract expires (for many of you this is good news as we'll finally be able to complete a conversation without my phone dying 4 times within 5 minutes!)
*prayer cards with Biblical examples of prayer
*new recipes to try (one weekly)
*swimsuit shopping
*consigning old clothes, shoes, tote bags
*Country Living idea: lamp out of old china
*"deeply clean" couches
*make wedding gift
*clip magazine articles and file to reduce clutter of ever growing inherited magazines (mailed by my thoughtful mom)
*take Matt's car in for a check before road trips

books to read:
- Girl Meets God, Lauren Winner (REREAD, in progress)
- Shopping for Time, Carolyn Mahaney
- Mudhouse Sabbath, Lauren Winner
- A Slow & Certain Light, Elisabeth Elliot (REREAD)
- Barbara Pym books (at the recommendation of a friend)
- teaching/school related books
- social justice books

other additions:
~ Vacation Bible School evenings, one week
~ Jefferson County Summer Professional Development, most days one week
~ Kansas City trip to visit family & friends, one week
~ Destin, Florida vacation with family, long weekend

You can pray for my efforts in these areas, and most importantly for my trust in the Lord that He would direct my plans and my steps, and that all rearranging would be considered from an eternal perspective recognizing His control and sovereignty over it all!

the fruits of our labors

2009-06-06T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, that title is probably a bit dramatic but still fitting in my mind. Anyway, I've really been enjoying our "urban garden" this year. We have two containers near our front doors which "pep up" the rust colored door (below). I've also had fun refilling the containers we had last year on our back patio (right), and adding a few more. These pictures were also on Facebook in case you feel like you're seeing duplicates.

My favorite of the flower containers on the back patio is this one containing cat mint - purple breezy looking flowers in the middle, violas pale yellow, snapdragons (not blooming when I took this picture) also pale yellow, and the fuzzy plants that are whitish and just make a nice addition. One of my friends described it as having "wild beauty" I'd agree with such a lovely description. (The watering can is also charming I think... a great $6 Big Lots find!)

We've also endeavored to plant some additional garden areas near our apartment. I found $1 boxes of wildflower seeds at Walgreens recently and decided to invest in two of them. After raking up the dirt and adding some topsoil Matt covered up the seeds I sprinkled in. We've been watering and are thrilled to see sprouts coming up. I'll be so excited if there really are wildflowers under the formerly bare stairwells in our complex. I hope the Seminary would be equally thrilled... but I'm not so sure :) Here's a small glimpse of those spaces...

I'll add an "end of summer" picture in a few months to show how they turned out, well I'm hoping!

Finally, the inspiration for my melodramatic title... I used some of our herbs today from the ever-growing herb garden containers to make herb butter which was a delicious addition to our first loaf of breadmaker bread.

(I found an excellent deal about a month ago when I bought a Pillsbury Bread Machine for $5 at a church rummage sale and finally tracked down the manual and instructions online... thanks to the "breadmaker guru" site.) Today was the first day to experiment with our handy machine and it did a wonderful job! I've been wanting to use my herbs frequently so that they'll continue to grow and herb butter seemed to be just the right addition. So I mixed some chopped thyme, oregano, basil, and chives with some softened butter. Here were the results (aka "the fruits of our labors")...

On an ending note - Does anyone know of something to do with sage? Its growing bigger and bigger because I'm not quite sure what to do with it. Any input would be great!

**many more frequent posts to come, my mind seems full of topics: last day of school; summer Bible study plans; summer goals; and for fun (this is an idea another teacher friend had) compare and contrast "summer Laura" and "school year Laura" :) **

the world... according to my third grade class

2009-05-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

It's been such a long time since I've posted... I couldn't resist sharing an update on my third grade life though. So, here it is:

As state testing has begun and the end of the year is coming, I've been trying to dream up creative (and still worthwhile) activities for my students. I decided during an "ah ha" moment that they could benefit from listening to a read aloud that would be much different than others we've read this year. I saw a review of the book: Three Cups of Tea (The Young Reader's Edition) and knew it would be perfect! My goal is that my students would recognize the privileged position they are in as children in America who are entitled to an education. I hope that by contrasting that with much of the world they would become much more interested in, and committed to their own learning... now and into their future lives. So we began with a little bit of "background" and are trying to build from there. It's been very exciting and interesting thus far!

All of these discussions have centered around our world map and the fascination it's created in our classroom. So we started out by locating Kentucky on our world map... from there:

"Where's the country on the map?... That's where I used to live." (country as in rural)

"Is Mars on the map?"

STUDENT: "If kids in other countries really want to learn why don't they just come to America?"
MY RESPONSE: "If you were a child in Pakistan and you were eight years old and wanted to come to America, how would you get there?" (while illustrating the distance by pointing to our world map)
STUDENT: "Walk."
ME: "Really!?! You would walk across the world? I don't think you could do that. What would happen when you got to the ocean?"
STUDENT: "I'd walk across it." (very serious response in fact, and none of the other students seemed to question it!)
ME: "You can't walk across the ocean. Look here's Florida. If I'm on the beach in Florida the ocean is the only thing I can see for as far as I look in that direction. Even then I'm only probably seeing about this much (showing about one centimeter of the ocean on our map) of the whole thing. How could I walk across it? You would have to fly or get on a boat to cross the ocean. If the kids don't have any money to go to school, then they definitely don't have enough money to buy a plane ticket or a ticket for a ship."
STUDENT: "You could still walk across it." (even still, adamant and unchanging)
ME: "Boys and girls when I tell you things like this I'm not lying. You can ask any adult you know and they'll all agree with me. You cannot walk across the ocean!"

So my goals for the final two and a half weeks of school... identify the seven continents, recognize the United States on a map of North America (the addition of Canada and Mexico would be a bonus!), and locate Kentucky on a United States map. I think we can do it!

The same students also explained to me that if they ever had worked in a sweatshop (as that term came up as part of a list of reasons that children don't go to school in some countries) they would have killed their boss. The comment was made that no one could make them work like that and treat them that way.

Finally, one of the more enlightening moments (a glimpse of hope)...
STUDENT: "So you're saying that these kids around the world can't go to school but they want to, and that we can go to school but we don't want to!? That's AWKWARD Mrs. Peery!"
ME: "Yes, that's what I'm saying... No it's not "awkward" it's really sad that you all feel that way. They would tell you that you're the luckiest kids in the world."

So they are quite interested in the Pennies for Peace program which was briefly mentioned in the book's introduction. I'm browsing that website and thinking about mentioning it to the other third grade teachers, maybe the principal and counselor also. Two and a half weeks isn't long for a penny drive... but it could help! 1 PENNY = 1 PENCIL in those school... we're very blessed, without a doubt.

I'll keep updating with other exciting glimpses into the life of Mrs. Peery's class as they come!
Laura

Fellowship

2009-02-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

This week has given me a lot of time to think and a lot of time to experience "real" fellowship. I'm quite thankful for it, but I've realized some things about myself that the Lord must begin to change. We in Louisville have found ourselves in the midst of another HUGE storm (another because we had one wind storm this fall which caused similar damage and kept us out of school for a week). This time, the storm came in the form of lots of ice and snow. Last Monday night it began and continued. Power went out in most of the city on Wednesday sometime. School has been out since last Tuesday (we'll return tomorrow). And most of the Seminary campus lost power including most of the Seminary apartments. They suggested that students go home if they could, as LG&E (our power company) expected the city to be without power in some place for 7-10 days.

Unfortunately, its not that easy for some people to get home... and its expensive too! The good thing about all this was the breeding ground it created for fellowship. Beginning Wednesday night our small group friends from church became fairly communal in our living situation! Two couples whose apartments didn't have power, stayed with the others who did. Our friends Jeremy and Sarah (who's expecting a baby in April) stayed with us. Among all of us we often shared meals as those who were out of their homes had food they didn't want to spoil... and those who were in our homes were beginning to run out of groceries at certain points.

The Lord really showed me that "small groups" every other week don't fill the Christian's call for "fellowship" at all. In fact, it is a great step in that direction... and I'm so thankful for our friends there... but really we became so much closer through this trying time. No, I don't think I could very easily adapt to a communal life (nor do I think Christ is calling us to). Rather, I do think we must be open as often as we're given the opportunity to enter into such fellowship. We must talk often and openly with one another as Christians (maybe just women have the need to "talk often"). We must share our thoughts, ideas, and questions in order to receive and offer wise counsel and other insights. And most difficult for me... we must leave our "comforts" of an organized home, laundry washed often, a refrigerator and freezer with only "my" food, and time for my family and I to do as we please. In order to have real fellowship we must not think first of ourselves and our conveniences. Rather we must welcome those who are in the body of Christ and think much less of ourselves. I pray that the Lord will conform me as He desires in these ways.

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Philippians 2:1-4

Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Romans 12:13

I will have great memories of this week and all it entailed... walking around the mall to stop our lethargic feelings; eating at Chic-Fil-A and enjoying the perks of free refills, coupons, and WiFi; late night conversations about Reformed theology and ministry futures (until 1am in fact); SuperBowl parties; pot-lucks with lots of friends and very well-rounded meals; the perks of a pull out couch... list could go on!

new home decorating

2009-01-24T19:04:00.000-08:00

The following pictures show our latest decorating additions...
Matt's library shelves are becoming more and more full as each semester passes and his book collections grow. Therefore, we made more room for him, by moving some of my books and a lot of old Bibles out of the office and onto a shelf near our living room/dining room. It fit well in the space and clears some shelves for him!

The next pictures show our new Audubon additions in the bathroom. I really like them. We even found the frames at Hobby Lobby during one of their 50% off framing sales... what perfect timing!

Lastly, I finished my "punch needle" project. The box advertised that it was, "fun, easy, and a quick way to smile"... seems like kind of crazy 1950's housewife marketing... but I'll admit I would agree with all claims. It only took me about one or two weeks to finish as I worked on it in the evenings over our Winter Break off and on. Framing it was a bit harder, but it worked out well. Now our kitchen has a little more life!

These are fun and restful areas of life for me. I'm thankful that the Lord has given me a desire and joy in caring for our home!

Perfect Peace & Rest

2009-01-21T17:17:00.000-08:00

In light of an especially hectic week at school and plenty of future-related thoughts, these songs were especially encouraging tonight at church. The Lord often brings me greater clarity through the singing of His Word and His truths... funny thing, because I really don't even sing-sing (as in singing well, or in choir). Maybe they will encourage you right now too...

"Like A River Glorious"

Like a river glorious is God’s perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth deeper all the way.
- Refrain:
  Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
  Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.
Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do;
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

Verse 3 is especially challenging and settling all at the same time... I know that the Lord is enthroned at Sovereign even over room 213 at Semple Elementary. Tomorrow I must act on that belief and really let myself remain in His care without becoming so upset, frustrated, and full of complains and overwhelmed feelings in the midst of it all. I have such comfort knowing that nothing is beyond His wisdom, and indeed He is Sovereign (all-knowing and all-powerful).

The next song is a new one to Clifton Baptist as of tonight. I hope we continue to sing it more and more often. You can find it on YouTube here. It is written by Aaron Keys and Stuart Townend and is based on Psalm 62...

"My Soul Finds Rest"

My soul finds rest in God alone, My Rock and my salvation,
A fortress strong against my foes, And I will not be shaken.
Though lips may bless and hearts may curse, And lies like arrows pierce me,
I’ll fix my heart on righteousness, I’ll look to Him who hears me.

CHORUS
O praise Him, hallelujah, My Delight and my Reward;
Everlasting, never failing, My Redeemer, my God.

Find rest, my soul, in God alone
Amid the world’s temptations;
When evil seeks to take a hold
I’ll cling to my salvation.
Though riches come and riches go,
Don’t set your heart upon them;
The fields of hope in which I sow
Are harvested in heaven. (TO CHORUS)

I’ll set my gaze on God alone,
And trust in Him completely;
With every day pour out my soul,
And He will prove His mercy.
Though life is but a fleeting breath,
A sigh too brief to measure,
My King has crushed the curse of death
And I am His forever. (TO CHORUS 2X)

BRIDGE
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah, hallelujah,
O praise Him, O praise Him, hallelujah! hallelujah!

I am mindful and especially thankful of the Lord's abundant mercy upon me each day. I will trust Him and continue to pour out my soul into His loving care and faithful guidance.

these are a few of my favorite things...

2009-01-01T11:26:00.001-08:00

I wanted to show you via pictures some of my most recent (materialistic) delights...
First, I'm thankful that the Lord provides for us in big and small ways, and allows us to delight in Him in the midst of it all. I hope that gifts and things will never steal my focus away from Him.

* our simple winter centerpiece... I was excited to fill the "vase" (which was a gift from a student during my student teaching) with rice we had in the kitchen, easy!

* a great towel which is a new addition to our bathroom and began the inspiration to decorate with songbirds (that I miss seeing here in the city)

* the soap dispenser came as a set with the handtowel... I really do enjoy the birds!

* my newest creative decoration which my brother thought was quite creepy... hopefully guests in our house won't, anyway I loved the glass I found for only $3 at a little shop when I was home and decided to incorporate it into our bird bathroom... so I filled it with moss and a fake bird nest with a robin blue decorative egg my mom had! I love it, Matt assures me that he likes it too, which is nice!

* we brought candles back from home at Christmas so I added this one to our bathroom

* since I became inspired by the birds, we found on ebay 2 Audubon bird prints that were a great price (only $15)... once they arrive I'll find two inexpensive frames and add them to our bathroom to complete our project

* Matt's side of the bed now, with a new reading lamp (so that he won't burn down the apartment while trying to dim the light by covering it with a t-shirt... true story, I woke up to him asking me about the smell in our room, which was the smell of a burnt t-shirt and a burnt lampshade!) and little table for his ever growing stack of books to read!

* our Christmas gift from Matt's mom and step-dad... they had one of our wedding pictures blown up and printed on canvas! its a great addition to our room, and the wedding boquet is perfect right below it

* our anniversary present to one another... we had our painting of the bed & breakfast we stayed at on our honeymoon framed, its hanging in the living room now

* my mom gave me a cobalt blue deviled egg platter... I used it for our friends' New Year's Eve party last night, and the eggs were a hit!

* the sugar and creamer set was also a Christmas gift from my mom... I'm hoping to use it soon for entertaining two great coffee drinking friends from Kansas City!

a few other favorites...
* my new stockpot "multi-pot" which dear Darcie hunted down with me... it has a steamer insert and a colander insert, very convenient!

* a punch needle project... kind of like cross stitching, but not really... I'll post a picture when I'm finished with it, I hope to buy a frame for it and hang it above my sink... its been a very fun and restful project

* new clothes from my favorite place thanks to my husband's thoughtful gift for Christmas

* a perfect chai tea mix which we've already so enjoyed:
1 c nonfat dry milk powder
1 c powdered non-dairy creamer
1 c French vanilla powdered non-dairy creamer
2 1/2 c white sugar
1 1/2 c unsweetened instant tea
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp white pepper

ending the year and beginning another

2008-12-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

I've struggled recently to balance in my mind the tasks and things to be done with resting and enjoying our home with my husband. I can become very task oriented as I desire to get things done, without ever realizing that I'm ruining my day in the hustle of it all. Beyond that I'm keeping myself busy with things I've decided to do, not really things that affect our lives in big ways at all, and definitely not things that Matt would prioritize either. Its been exhausting, and its not been good for me or good for us. It has come from a hard that is not trusting in the Lord either. Rather than trust Him to mold me into the wife and woman He desires me to be, I've been busying myself doing things that I think will make me a good wife and woman. Its been quite backwards. I can't do it myself, only the Lord can work in me by His Holy Spirit to create in me the character that is pleasing to Him. While keeping my home is part of His desire for me, there are many other lifetime traits that matter in a different sense... am I patient? gentle? Am I trusting Him more than I am myself? As I read Proverbs 31 today I saw great character traits that this "excellent wife" possessed. In the past, I've often read that chapter and considered the things I should DO as a result of her example, today I realized that while this woman seems like she must have been quite busy... she possessed Godly character.
vs. 11: she was trustworthy
vs. 12: she did good to her husband
vs. 13: she served "with willing hands" joyfully not out of a heart of duty
vs. 15: she was diligent
vs. 16: she was thoughtful
vs. 17: she was strong, probably physically a little bit, but I was thinking strong in spirit
vs. 20: she was generous
vs. 25: she was again strong, but also exhibited dignity
vs. 26: she was wise and kind
vs. 30: she feared the Lord

Finally I was reading a Puritan prayer for the end of the year... I found it especially true:

O Love beyond compare,
Thou art good when thou givest, when thou takest away, when the sun shines upon me, when night gathers over me.
Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world, and in love didst redeem my soul;
Thou dost love me still, in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
Thy goodness has been with me during another year, leading me through a twisting wilderness, in retreat helping me to advance, when beaten back making sure headway.
Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
With thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation, though wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation, I shall not drown;
If I am to die, I shall see thy face the sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot, grant me the grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love, I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial, as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.

God's provision

2008-12-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

As I went to a Christmas Tea yesterday at our church I was encouraged by a testimony which was shared about the Lord's providence and provision. After having a Friday night of some small frustrations, I was reminded that the Lord is always gracious in His provision for us. Then I was able to see so many blessings that He's given us first-hand.

Friday night I was feeling anxious and worried about finances. This month things have been closer than usual budget wise, after extra expenses when family visited, new electronics purchases, etc. I was upset about expenses the weekend would bring, and thought things just might come up short. What little faith I had! Matt was kind and gentle in his reminders that the Lord has been good to provide for us. He helped me think through our expenses and plan for them which put my mind at ease a bit. Its so hard to understand why I can become so "derailed" in faith just because I selfishly wish I had a little bit more (on Friday night, I wanted extra money for us to get Starbucks while we looked at Christmas lights... very trivial).

So the Lord is amazingly good. Rather than leaving me alone in my unfaithfulness He instead showed me more greatly His good provisions. In fact, I'd say He lavished provision upon us in the following ways:
~ we didn't have the extra money to do our "stockpiling" with coupons and the Grocery Game this week, but we had just enough to buy all we needed for a full week's menu (baked potatoes, chicken fried steak, pumpkin pancakes, biscuits and gravy, tuna salad sandwiches, and homemade pizza)
~ we even had the pantry items to make great breakfasts like waffles to eat today and then freeze, omelets which were yesterday's breakfast, and granola
~ another seminary student in our apartments received a trunk full of breads! so he knocked on our door and offered us some great bagels which added good variety to our breakfast options
~ our neighbor below us knocked on our door with a bag of chicken fried rice she and her husband wouldn't be eating since they were going out of town
~ my coupons at CVS allowed me to buy my perscription, a bar of soap, a bottle of shampoo, and two first aid kits for only $5... even the cashier was amazed
~ I then had money left-over to pay for our Christmas Tea tickets
~ we had a free Red Box code for a movie date last night which we enjoyed greatly (we watched "The Visitor")
~ we emptied our change collection and cashed it in to make quarters and had just enough for this week's laundry
~ the $2 left went to buying 2 newspapers for coupon clipping

In all these small ways, that I often might over-look, the Lord showed me His abundant goodness in a personal way. I am thankful to Him for His goodness and grace.

PSALM 31:19
Oh, how abundant is your goodness,which you have stored up for those who fear you, and worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

PSALM 69:16
Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.

PSALM 145:7
They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness,
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

my "first" Thanksiving

2008-11-27T13:05:00.000-08:00

(for some reason I couldn't quite get the pictures where
I wanted them to be, so instead its quite the collage!)

I'm so glad to let you know, that it was a success. My real Thanksgiving dinner prepared apartment style in our little kitchen with sometimes three people crammed in at once! I was amazed that after eating at 2:00pm, and starting to clean up about 2:45 or 3:00pm, it was all finished by 3:45pm! Now we have a refrigerator fully stocked with delicious leftovers, which we'll love to enjoy in the upcoming days.
For our family's entertainment we've had the following outings thus far:
~Matt and Jacob went to the Fraizer International History Museum
~Mom and I went to the malls to find a few more Christmas gifts for my dear husband
~we all went to Bernheim Forest, a enjoyed the amazing holly trees (I didn't have my camera with me unfortunately)
~we've upgraded our technology to the new digital TV converter box (the one public television is talking about)... let me tell you, we can see very clearly now, I'll know how much the antiques are worth when we watch Antiques Roadshow now (before I couldn't read the prices due to the "snow" on the screen), and we also purchased a new DVD/VCR combo as our old one made funny sounds when we watched anything
~we've enjoyed watching "Bella", the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and the dog show which followed... they just finished "Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving" and we may watch Luther tonight
Here are some pictures of the feast...

my mom's deviled eggs and some great rolls

the giant 14 lb turkey, before and after carving

the whole spread, above and to the left... (including: cranberry sauce from a can, sweet potato casserole frozen, Paula Deen's green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cottage cheese, deviled eggs, and rolls)

also something I loved as a little girl, my mom cross-stitched the towel to go into the bread dish, it says, "Give us this day our daily bread..."

Lastly, my mom brought our anniversary present to us early...
I cross stitched this sampler while we were engaged, and we're just now finally able to hang it, since she kindly had it framed.

the Lord at work in me

2008-11-08T08:07:00.001-08:00

This is from an email I recently sent to a far away friend serving in Guatemala... I thought it was a good summary of life now and worth sharing in blog-land too:

My dear friend I was so glad to get your most recent update with the lessons that you are in the process of learning. I too am in the midst of many lessons the Lord is desiring for me to learn, sometimes through difficult days.
(This is kind of long... so you may want to wait to read on, if you're busy right now.)

A short briefing about that:
My school continues to provide me with great challenges every day. Really I shouldn't say "my school", mainly I mean my students. As a whole, they are the most disobedient, defiant, and disrespectful children I've ever encountered. They really don't care to learn much of anything, and they instead occupy most of our moments together in fights of one sort or another. They speak with cruel words (often cursing, and terrible name calling), and fight brutally (we call our recess time, "prison watch"). There is usually a fight every day in one of the four third grade classrooms which has to be stopped by teachers or security guards separating children who would otherwise continue the brawl until someone was bleeding or injured more severely. I've really never known anything like it existed. The students are clearly troubled by many factors in their lives, the most obvious being their homes and families. During a recent personal narrative lesson one student wrote about her "baby brother's daddy" who tried to stab her mom in front of her, another wrote about her cousin being shot in a drive-by and spending time at the hospital with him, and still another wrote about his older brother who tried to set his grandmother's house on fire when he was suspended from school. They are so full of anger it is a very upsetting place. I have seen so clearly that without the Lord's work we would all be in the same situation. I know that without the Lord working in their lives they are headed for great difficulties and a life filled with turmoil.
So as a result, Matt and I were fairly sure that I wouldn't teach there next year. We felt like the emotional and physical energy I spent on school every day wasn't helping our marriage or my general wellness. I still believe that I could never live through a healthy pregnancy teaching there (not that I'm pregnant, but that we'd like to think about that in the next couple of years). Its a troubling place to be. On the other hand, I constantly considered that without Christians in such places there is no testimony of the Lord. I also know that these children need to see adults who lead "normal" and "responsible" lives. I also remember thinking that if I were a "missionary" in title I would expect great hardship and trial, but being "just a teacher" I wanted something more comfortable. That didn't seem to add up in my mind. That with a certain title I felt suffering wold somehow be easier. So then we began thinking more about finances. Right now teaching is providing for our "life" but not for us to pay Matt's school tuition. So we had loans. The loan interest was astronomical and constantly rising (about 10%). So we realized, and had wise counsel that it wouldn't be wise to continue in that direction. So we're shifting our plans. Matt will slow down the pace of his school (taking fewer classes a semester), work part time (a matter of prayer... he's sent out a lot of applications with no response yet), and we'll use his income to pay for school as we go. We may be here in Louisville a little longer. At the same time, also means we need me to continue in a job which totally provides for our "life". Therefore quitting teaching isn't really an option, as the other jobs I'd considered (nannying, etc.) wouldn't be able to provide a similar income. So now I'm seeing the Lord at work in developing endurance within me and a knowledge of His presence that will always strengthen me for each day.

All that to say this is a passage which has particularly encouraging lately and made me think of you as well:
COLOSSIANS 1:11-12
"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light."
A cross reference I also read is very similar:
ROMANS 15:4-6
"For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
We're reading Colossians with our small group and also using some of Sam Storms' book The Hope of Glory to help in application and discussion. I thought these comments of his were also especially encouraging based upon the Colossians passage:
"The goal of this empowerment is endurance and patience, the former a reference to persevering in the face of difficult circumstances, the latter a reference to steadfastness that does not retaliate against those who resist us. Events and trials and hardship tempt us to quit, but God grants endurance. People and criticism and injustice tempt us to seek revenge, but God grants patience."

I was also so thankful to see in Romans that the basis of our encouragement and endurance comes from the Scriptures. It helps me to remained focused as I seek the Lord in study of His Word... knowing that I need it, desperately. And knowing He has given it in order that I might know more of Him and rely fully upon His promises. That is especially helpful in facing each day with God and His purposes on my mind.

Well, this has been long... I hope that this may encourage your spirit my friend. If it doesn't seem to resonate with you now in the ways I might hope, then maybe it is just a testimony of the Lord working in my life, and for that I hope He would also be glorified as well.