Love is color blind

The favorite red shirt...

... goes great with the favorite blue leggings, favorite lavender skirt, and favorite black snow boots...

... and the favorite dancing partner.

Jonah joins 'em.

When your loose front teeth won't tackle a cookie...

... go for Plan B.

When you can't beat 'em?  Join 'em.

Dates with Mom RULE.

Feeling Corny! (or, how to freeze corn for the winter)

Free corn, just picked that morning!

 
The father of a friend of mine works with an organization called Second Harvest to help secure food for local food banks.  He calls around to local farms to see about crop donations and occasionally winds up securing more than the food bank (or the local mission) can use and calls in the troops to come haul it away.  Which we are only too happy to do.  ahem.

My sister-in-law, Melissa, and I were able to put away enough corn for the winter on Monday, thanks to that farmer's generosity.  We had such a good time praising God together while we worked to see that our "lamps don't go out at night!" 

Everyone helped shuck the corn.  What a great opportunity to teach the concepts of working with a happy heart, finishing a task, and working together as a family to help take care of each other.  (This is also one way we teach our boys that they will someday be responsible for providing for their families.)

Roman and Jonah keeping at it

 

Lily, Annabelle, Jonah, Roman and Mary-Beth

Grandma (my mother) came to help with round two, after a lunch break

Blanch the corn for 3 or 4 minutes.

Cut corn off of cobs, then measure it into freezer bags.  Fill until just covered with water, then seal, doing your best to remove all the air.  The water will help combat freezer burn.

Even baby Ellie-Anne did her best to help.

I think this was my favorite part of the whole day!

Look at God's bounty!  Isn't that wonderful?  What a blessing it is to be able to put away this much corn.  We all had the sense that something more important than "free corn" was going on, and the children knew that they were a part of it.  And more importantly, they knew Who provided it and were more motivated to help, learning their first tangible lesson about giving God the glory. 

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Jonah's first original composition...

And how it made her feel...

Some just can't see the forest for the trees

More of what I was talking about Tuesday.  Only she says it so much better! 

Child rearing is soul winning... or not (an article at the LAF website.)


The more I hear, the more I read God's word, the more I realize how little I know.  This issue of just how deep is the job of child rearing is heavy on my heart lately.  There's so much more to it than just making sure the children get breakfast, naps and Jesus, not necessarily in that order, keep their rooms clean, darken the doors of the church twice a week and recite all their AWANA verses perfectly.

No, it's so much more! 

I'm trying not to be militant about it, realizing that God in His vast tenderness brings us all to the same point but at different paces.  He doesn't expect us to have it all figured out (thank you God!) and He doesn't expect us to affect a complete black-and-white transformation in EVERY area we're not getting all at once.  (Super duper thank you, God!)

No.  Can't be militant.  But it's SO important!  Please read this woman's article, you'll see what I mean.

Almost Wordless Wednesday

A note from Ashley, quickly and quietly scratched into the frost on a thawing bag of last year's pumpkin.  Life just doesn't get much better.

Canned some strawberry jam

If you're a canner, don't throw away the foam you skim off your jam.  It goes great on biscuits at snack time!

Completely different subject, but I had to chuckle when I looked at this photograph.  See how neat and tidy Jonah's area is, and how spread out Mary-Beth's set-up is?  Their bedrooms, indeed their personalities, are very similar to what you see going on with their snack situations.

Jonah's very ordered.  There's one way to get from point A to point B - fast.  His room is neat and tidy, he straightens it himself sometimes twice a day.  He has a place for all his things, and likes for the day to go a certain way.

Mary-Beth is so different from her brother.  Order?  That's something you do at a restaurant.  She doesn't walk anywhere.  She skips, twirls, dances, hops, anything but walking.  The right place for her things?  Anywhere in the house will do just fine, thank you.

I wouldn't change a thing.

Cheap thrills

If only all forms of entertainment were this innocent, and this much fun.  Thank you, WinCo, for the cheap thrills.  You're almost as fun as when the garbage truck comes on Thursdays.

Rushing the season

My brother, Luke, and his wife, Melissa, will be hosting Thanksgiving this year.  It's their first holiday Out On The Farm with a nice big dining room to fill with family.  Between their 6 and our 5, plus whomever else comes to share the day, it will be a home full of love and thankfulness.



Yes, I'm already looking forward to Thanksgiving.  And yes, I do realize it's only August but I can't help it.  Fall is my favorite.  My favorite, y'all!  What's not to love?  The cold mornings with hot coffee, the rain, the cozy evenings together at home, the leaves, the family get-togethers, the autumn decorations... Did I mention it's my favorite?



Today I'll be getting my home ready for fall decor.  Storing all the summer stuff, cleaning the areas I usually decorate, probably forcing myself not to haul out the fall stuff.  After that, I will finally finish those napkins - I will!  (Again, I'll post about that later - I will!)  I've had a shoulder wrap on the knitting needles for almost a year, so today, in anticipation of the cooler weather, I'll use my earned free time to work on finishing that wrap.  Can't wait!



I'm so thankful to be home, not having to be rushed after a long day at work like the old days when it was just Ashley and me.  I can putter and dote all day long.  Thank you, Father, for my home and family!



Have a fantastic day!

My brother and sister-in-law have moved Out To The Farm, as the children say.  They're coming into town for errands today and then stopping by for a visit.  I've been happily straightening and polishing in anticipation of their visit.  I did the daily sweep this morning rather than this afternoon so I know baby Ellie won't be snacking on anything she shouldn't be.  ;-)

Getting all my work done this morning so I can sit and visit and not worry about not getting things done.

I know there will be much horseplay by the 5 cousins and I don't want to miss a moment of it.  I think we'll have tuna sandwiches for lunch.  With many pickles.  Tuna just isn't tuna for Ashley without copious quantities of pickles.  I agree with her.

I enjoy Melissa's company so much.  Ashley said it best a few minutes ago: we aren't friends because we're family.  We're friends because we can be.  Because the Lord has brought us together as sisters in Christ and I couldn't be more thankful.

I know Melissa and I will talk of God and of His unfathomable grace.  We'll marvel together about how God moves and leads.  How He reached down into the muck that we called lives and saved us from ourselves.  We'll energize each other, galvanize each other's resolve to point others to Christ with our lives.

Enough sitting at the computer.  I want to finish up a few napkins (will post about that later) before everyone gets here.  Have a fantastic day!

The perfect Mother's Day *snort*

The "It's all about me" version:

* Coffee's already done when I wake up. (Usually is, Dan's up with the chickens. Oh, don't worry. I totally know where my bread's buttered.)

* The children would bound out of their beds in the morning and say "Happy Mother's Day! We're so thankful for you and all you do, Mom. The cooking! The cleaning! The precious gift of life! You've let us live this long despite finding our toys in the toilet and our coats on the roof. We just couldn't wait to sing your praises this morning. How can we ever do enough for you today?" Yeah, I know. I was laughing half way through it myself. Usually they just shuffle out and mumble, "Can we have cereal?" so anything besides that would be acceptable.

* Breakfast out! Like, at a restaurant! The kind with napkins and silverware that aren't wrapped together in plastic. Food that comes out on plates instead of in bags. We never do that.

* Mom-only time all. day. long. I'd hit the book stores, the yarn shops, get a pedicure, sit at the coffee shop and knit, sit and read over lunch. Then I'd browse about a dozen different stores - slowly! - without yanking one thing from some child's hands and putting it back on the shelf. Yuh-huh!

* Nap! No, I mean for me. Nap for me!

* Cook dinner for the fam. I love to cook, so it's not work for me. But I'll *ahem* let someone else do the dishes.

* Go straight to bed and read uninterrupted until I fall asleep.

Riiiiiiiiight. Okay. Now that I'm done dreaming, this is what will probably happen on Mother's Day.

* Coffee's done when I wake up. (Thanks, honey!)

* Children shuffle out and say, "Can we have cereal?" while they're still rubbing their eyes. Sigh and be thankful that at least one thing in life is predictable.  Whisper a prayer to God that I have them.

* Go to church and swell with pride as I watch 30 of my favorite children sing and act their little hearts out for their moms. Ignore the fact that one child is picking her nose, since she does it every time, we can't stop her, and we love that girl anyway so what good does it do to embarrass her about it? Just remember not to shake hands with her later.

* Have burgers on the grill at home for lunch.

* DOXA practice at 2pm. We're getting ready for an audition on 5/17 and we're perfecting the 3 songs we've picked. We polled the moms, they were all down with it. We kinda forgot to poll the dad, we're a little bit hoping his wife doesn't slash our tires. If she's mad I'm totally blaming it on Jim. ;-)

* Home by 5 or so for dinner. I'll cook, since I love to, but I'll *ahem* let someone else *coughcoughAshleycoughcough* do the dishes.

* Sit on the back patio with the newspaper and something fun to drink, watching the people I love most in the world play and laugh together. It's not often you see a family that actually enjoys spending time together, so I know how lucky I am.

* Think about my friend Jordan, pregnant with twins, and try not to cry thinking about how long and hard she fought for them, and I'm just so stinkin' happy for her.

* Be thankful we're all together, we're healthy and happy, have very little to complain about.

* Realize how blessed I am, and try not to cry. Why why WHY with the crying! I do have my "mean old biddy" reputation to uphold, after all.

Yeah, you're right. The "me" version of Mother's Day so totally won't happen. Wouldn't change a thing, though. Well, maybe the nap part, but the rest of it? I wouldn't have it any other way.

Just look away

Sorry gang, this one is serious. The scariest thing happened yesterday.

I was in the bathroom installing cabinet doors (and doing a poor job at that) when Dan came in, looking pale and short of breath. He had been playing with Jonah and happened to look up in time to see Mary-Beth teetering by the couch with my kitchen scissors in her mouth! Pointy side in! Pointy side in, man! I think it's fair to say the sight of it shaved 5 years 23 days and 11 minutes off poor Dan's life. The look of fright was soon replaced by a look of "hellooooooooo not-so-smart!"

You see, the scissors were within Mary-Beth's reach because I didn't put them away. I had used them in the living room and gotten up from what I was doing, leaving them on the couch. I know, I know. Talk about irresponsible. We all know scissors don't belong anywhere except nestled in a cozy little drawer rubbing shoulders with the pens, playing cards, spare keys and loose change. You're right, I know you're right. I thought I had pushed them far back enough that Mary-Beth couldn't reach them. It's weak, but it's the truth.

What would have happened if Dan hadn't looked up? What if he hadn't even been in the room? Worse yet, what if Mary-Beth had fallen? Unfortunately I can imagine it all too well.

I have a maddening side affect left over from a depression in my 20's. It strikes me without warning and stops me in my tracks sometimes. I can quite vividly picture any form of death or dismemberment. Car accident, plane crash, drowning, torture... you name it, I've pictured it or had a dream about it, and imagined it unfolding in excruciating detail.

I can hear all the sounds - car engine revving when the tires leave the ground, jet engines roaring, metal buckling and glass shattering. I can feel the movements, or the cessation of movement as would happen in a plane crash. And even imagine the pressure of debris on my body (the images of 9/11 didn't stop when I turned the television off) or how suffocating it would feel to be enveloped by mud or snow. The sting of glass fragments and piercing of sheet metal. Being in my car upside-down in a river, unable to get all the kids out of carseats and seatbelts. The gruesome list goes on and on.

In days past, when fear would strike I'd sit and nurture each horrific scenario from beginning to freakish end with gut-wrenching clarity. I'd relive it over and over again in slow motion, adding grim detail each time. Enough to dement even the soundest of minds. It was a macabre game I played with reality. It was all too easy to overwhelm myself with what if's, nearly to the point of insanity.

I don't get to choose whether or not the fear strikes. It happens when it happens and I can't stop it. The choice is in deciding not to dwell on it. I just have to look away. Just mentally look away. It seems to work for me.

I also have a plan for literally everything. I keep scissors in the van so I can cut all the seat belts and carseat harnesses if I need to. I know where all the exits are. I sit in the rear of planes and trains, and I have a plan for burglars that just might curl their hair. Lose a limb? Grab it! I'm all over the ice chest! You just can't be too prepared.

So what have I learned?

1. Fear is pointless. It really and truly is! (If I say it enough I might start to believe it.) No matter how many times I chew up a plane crash in my mind's eye, I can't stop one from happening.

2. You just can't be afraid of living. You can try to avoid life, but it happens in spite of you. And a lot will happen without you if you lock yourself away in fear of the what if.

3. If I live in fear, my kids will do the same. That point is probably my biggest motivation for living by #1 and #2. I refuse to pass on this legacy of fear.

I do everything I can to keep my husband and my kids safe. We hold hands while crossing the street. We buckle up for safety. We wait 1/2 an hour after eating before we swim. But Mary-Beth still got her hands on the scissors. One stupid mistake could have cost my baby her vocal cords, or her eye, possibly even her life. And while that scares the hell out of me, I can't dwell on it. I just have to make a conscious effort to evaluate it and decide what not to do next time.

And look away.

Things I've learned the hard way

1. Feeding a baby pureed beets will most definitely have an effect on contents emerging from the business end of said baby in the near future.

2. Always tell the babysitter when you've fed the baby pureed beets.

3. No matter how tall or fast you are, the baby will get to the crumbs on the floor before you.

4. I guarantee you, your toddler can open the dryer door. That's why your skirts are still wet.

5. Don't tell the baby what time you went to bed the night before. She doesn't care.

6. No, your perfume does not mask the scent of spit-up. And spraying it directly into your armpits only works for a few hours. And marginally at that.

7. The baby really does wait to pee until you've removed the diaper. He likes that face you make when you're running for cover. The squeal's fun, too.

8. A baby's cry is on the momma frequency during the night. It's like a dog whistle, the daddy can't hear it. But oddly enough the other children in the house can.

9. Don't wear white shirts until your children are 10 years old. Black is slimming, and the pb&j doesn't show. Neither does juice, coffee, spaghetti, ketchup...

10. I know that if something happened to one of my children, I'd cherish every stain. I'd look back with longing to a time when I could spend an hour alone with the baby each night. I'd dig through the laundry hoping to find a blanket that still has spit-up on it. I'd remember every frustrating moment and guard the memories of them carefully, knowing I wouldn't change a single thing.

There's nothing quite like...

...the smell of coffee and toast in the morning.

...the sound of your kids laughing and giggling together.

...being greeted at the door by your dog, who undoubtedly did nothing all day except sit and stare at the door waiting for you to appear.

...finally turning onto your own street after a long road trip.

...finding money in the laundry, in a jacket, in the couch.

...Jonah outside, pressing his face up against the screen door so that his eyebrows are pushed up into his forehead, his nose looks like a pig's snout and his teeth are bared, yelling "Momma! Momma!"

...new car smell.

...getting a card or letter in the mail.


...the smell of a brand new Longaberger basket, fresh out of its wrapper.

...cheering with Ashley when she does "the perfect, I mean the sweetest cartwheel EV-ver!"

...hot cocoa in front of a Christmas tree with your kids and family around you, 1940's Christmas music playing in the background, snow falling outside.

...the smell of a roast in the oven on a gloomy day.

...the blessed sound of silence when the babies quit crying. *sigh*

...finding a rose from your honey in your car.

...spending an hour on the phone with your bestest bestest girlfriend talking about absolutely nothing, laughing so hard you spit coffee out your nose, and feeling like you could take on the world when you hang up!

...spending an entire Saturday on the couch watching movies, complete with popcorn, blankets and hot cocoa.

...THUNDERSTORMS! The bigger and louder the better!

...the perfect hair day, when it also happens to be a perfect make-up and clothes day.

...realizing you have so much to be thankful for and deciding it doesn't really matter that your windshield is cracked, your crows feet look more like eagle claws, and you're carrying way too much junk in your trunk.

Thank you God for all You've given me when I least deserved it, when it delighted me most, and in spite of the fact that I appreciated it very little.