My Wandering Thoughts

Following the Same Conductor

2012-02-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

My husband recently took a business trip for six days. The kids and I missed him but we sort of fell into a different routine of things than normal. We were like an orchestra that was suddenly missing an instrument. We stumbled around for a day or so but then, like good musicians would, we changed the beat a bit and fell back into a rhythm of sorts.

I noticed, at first when my husband returned, we were playing to the beat of different drummers if you will. I had to step back a bit and let my husband take on the responsibilities that he usually carries. It always takes me awhile to adjust to this. It's like that musician jumps back into the orchestra still playing to the same beat as when he left and the rest of the orchestra is playing something different. We all regrouped, of course, and started playing our beautiful Geer family melody but it took some adjusting for sure--perhaps on my part more than anyone.

There are some things that my husband and I do to stay on the same page when he travels that I think help make this adjustment period easier and quicker. One thing that I do is I text or email him pictures and updates about the kids and I throughout the day. Now, of course this isn't a constant stream of information to the point of being annoying--I only do that when I'm really trying to make a point--but I give him enough to still feel connected with our normal everyday life. Another thing we do is talk on the phone every evening if possible; even if it's just a quick, "I love you, good night." The most important thing that we do is that, despite playing different songs or variations for awhile, we follow the same conductor. We stay close to God even though our routine has been disrupted. When we come back together, it's easier to get back into sync because we are both looking at the same conductor patiently moving his arms to the beat of the song. This is not to say that we don't stumble around a bit at first during the song change of course but because we've stayed connected, we can look at the stumbling with a bit of humor rather than frustration.

I love my husband and I love that we can stay close even when he's far away. Kevin, I'm so glad to have you home. :)

Everyone Has A Story

2012-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Today, I went clothes shopping for my husband and daughter. I took my two-year-old with me and made sure to put a package of fruit snacks into my purse to pull out at just the right time. We went through the Starbucks drive through (thanks to a gift card from my husband). After that, we proceeded to the one department store that was closest to home and then the consignment store to look for a "spinning dress." When the shopping was completed, I came home, made lunch for myself and four kids, and then encouraged them to finish their jobs and school work. That put us at about 1:00 and the day continued in more details and comings and goings.

What I didn't think much about today, is that everyone else had their own stuff going on at the same time as I did. Somebody somewhere woke up in a hospital this morning. Somebody was clothes shopping at the same time and place as me. Somebody didn't have a gift card and so couldn't go through the Starbucks drive through. Somebody received a promotion today. Somebody celebrated a birthday. Sometimes I live my life so self-focused, I'm afraid I miss out on a lot.

It's easy for us to get wrapped up in our own lives and not notice those around us. It's easy to forget that everyone has a story when we are so involved in our own. Jesus is a perfect example of living His story while at the same time, paying careful attention to other people's stories. In fact, His mission, the purpose for His story, was to impact other people's stories. As we become more Christ-like, shouldn't that be our mission too? Unfortunately, we tend to get buried in the pages of our own sadness, happiness, or routine and forget to interact with others.

Here are some questions that I am asking myself:

Am I so wrapped up in my own story that I am not a part of other's stories?
Is my routine so busy that I am not taking time to see other people around me and listen to their stories?
What can I change in my schedule, routine, or attitude so that I can better appreciate and enter into other people's stories?
If I am a part of other's stories, am I a having a Christ-like impact on them?
Whose story can I intentionally become a part of?

He's Changing Me

2012-01-11T19:37:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite books at present is a book that my friend gave me, entitled Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. It is the fictional story of a woman named Katherine written in the form of her journal. The entries begin the day she is sixteen years old and continue until after she is married and has children of her own. Though it is fictional, it is written with the purpose of the reader learning life lessons from it--not solely for entertainment purposes. One thing that impressed me about this book is the way the character grew and matured in the Lord. As a reader, and someone looking at the whole picture, I could see a huge change in her from the time she was sixteen to the time she was married with children. Yet, in her journal entries, she often lamented her immaturity and lack of spiritual growth.

I find myself often doing the same thing. I get so frustrated when I repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Discouragement can come easily when I dwell on my many shortcomings but reading this book gave me another perspective. If I step back and look at my life from the time I was sixteen until now, I have grown, matured, and changed drastically. It is an encouraging reminder that God is continuing his work in me--constantly teaching me and molding me into the person that He ultimately wants me to be. Until I reach heaven, I will not be that completed person and that's what this life is, my journey towards heaven to be with my Lord, Savior, and Friend.

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord--who is the Spirit--makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image." 2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT

*If you're interested in reading the book, there is a free audio-version here http://librivox.org/stepping-heavenward-by-e-prentiss/ or here http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/book/stepping-heavenward-by-e-prentiss.

Best Friends

2012-01-06T21:14:00.000-08:00

I love being married to my best friend. Are you married to your best friend? Because people are always changing, learning new things, and in different phases of life it is easy to lose that friendship and just be living two lives side by side--especially with the busyness of children and their activities, work, bills, pets, house upkeep, other friends, and the list continues.

My husband and I are intentional about staying best friends--here are some of the things that we do:

We find things in common that we like to do, and we make time to do those things together.
We stay interested and engaged in each other's work lives. So if my husband is reading a book or going to a conference, I try to join him. He stays engaged at home with me and the children and loves it when I send him updates throughout the day of things that are happening.
We talk about deeper things than the weather and not just about our children, though we do talk about them a lot! For instance, we might discuss politics or our Bible reading for the day.
We learn new things together like a game or a new hobby. Recently we've started geocaching which is a fun whole family activity. Now we are on the hunt for a new board game.
We give each other space to have our own individual hobbies.
We pray together.
Sometimes, we read a book together--and I do mean we read it out loud together! It's been awhile since we've done that one but it was a great experience that we will repeat.
We have date nights and actually get out of the house without children.
We laugh together.

What are some things that you do to intentionally stay best friends with your spouse?

A New Year--A New Hobby

2012-01-03T10:03:00.001-08:00

I have never been successful at making New Year resolutions. A few years ago I finally made it my New Year resolution to NEVER make a resolution again because they just made me feel like a failure. I have been successful at that one but I still feel like I am missing something when I don't make a resolution.

This year, following my wonderful husband's example, I decided to take the opportunity to learn something new. For some reason, I've been wanting to learn how to knit. My mom gave me a book, DVD, and starter kit for Christmas. I bought some cheap yarn at Walmart (which I probably won't do once I learn the basics) and I started.

So far, I have learned how to cast on, knit stitch and cast off. I am now making a practice scarf just so that I can learn the knit stitch really well before learning the purl stitch.

Surprisingly, it's sort of addictive. There is a therapeutic rhythm to knitting. There is something calming about the repetitive motion; the organization of it. It is almost mentally relaxing--definitely not physically relaxing though. My shoulders tend to stiffen up and I've discovered muscles in my wrists and hands that I previously didn't know existed.

Knitting is a detailed process. It takes time, creativity, and thought, especially when making something with a detailed pattern. I love the picture of God knitting me together. "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." (Psalm 139:13 NIV) He has a plan and though I am not a completed project I trust Him that His pattern for me is perfect. I'm excited to see the way He's daily changing me and looking forward to someday being the finished product.

Learning something new has been a fun approach to the idea of a New Year Resolution and I already feel successful! Here's a picture of my practice scarf so far.

Yes, I know I'm using the wrong yarn for the pattern. It's not bulky enough for the pattern and the size of needles that I'm using. I know there are some holes where I dropped some stitches--don't know how to fix that yet. It's definitely a work in progress (just like me) but it's good practice and my daughters will be vying for it no matter how it looks.

A New Viewpoint for Christmas

2011-12-29T23:50:00.000-08:00

We traveled over the pass for Christmas after all being sick with the stomach flu and postponing our trip for two days. The trip to my parents house was uneventful, we made one stop for dinner and spent way too much money at a restaurant when not many of us felt like eating. A half hour later, our family of six invaded my parent's three bedroom, one bathroom house. My parents, our family of six, and my grandma stayed at this house with one bathroom and much of the time my brother, his wife, and his two kids were there as well.

Last time we visited, the toilet broke. My husband spent a whole day helping my dad fix and replace the toilet. We helped my parents get to know their next door neighbors better by traipsing through the front yard to use their bathroom multiple times. It was quite an adventure.

Well, this time, my two year old woke me up at around 5:30 a.m. because she had to go potty. We went out of our bedroom to find the toilet backed up into the bathtub and my parents looking through the phone book for a plumber. Luckily, there was a potty chair for my two-year-old to use so when she was relieved, I put her back to bed. Then my ten year old woke up needing the bathroom so my parents drove her down to the church to use the bathroom there while I stood watch in case anyone else woke up needing the fascilities. By the time they got back, my grandma was ready for a ride down to the Church and so was my ten year old. Then my other two kids and husband woke up and needed the bathroom. We shuttled people to the church for the morning and a couple of the boys used the backyard. Thankfully, we found a plumber that came early and fixed the toilet.

This could be a blog about a terrible morning--to wake up to all of this chaos when really I just wanted to use the toilet and crawl back into bed. But I would rather take my grandma's viewpoint and I hope I always do. When we were in the "shuttle" on the way to the bathroom in the morning, she said, "Well, I guess it's these kind of times that make for a good story later."

Little Blessings

2011-09-18T00:08:00.000-07:00

I know that children are blessings from God. I have four of them and they are incredible! Sometimes though they are an incredible challenge. In those challenging moments with my children, it is hard to remember to be thankful for them and the blessing that they are. Because of this, I decided to think about each of my children that God has given me and look closely at what God really gave us when he added that child to our family.

When He gave us our first child, Morgan, he gave us responsibility, routine, amazement, self-reflection, sweetness, and consistency. What a lot of things to add in to our lives! With Connor came strength, honesty, creativity, playfulness, and an unquestioning love for God. Meara brought us laughter, unexpected surprises, more hugs and kisses than we could have ever imagined, and overflowing joy. Then came Kyla. She brought wonder into our lives just when we thought we had everything figured out. She added abundant energy and activity and, amazingly enough, more laughter.

Looking at this list, I see how full our lives are. Each child really is a blessing from God. The next time I am cleaning poop off of the floor, telling them the third time to do something, breaking up an argument, or fixing another scraped knee, I will remember to thank God for my blessings.

Summer

2011-07-09T21:53:00.000-07:00

Ha Ha! I have to laugh at myself. I was just messing around with my blog page and the settings and all that stuff and accidentally published my post with just a title. I guess that's one way to work through writer's block--I sort of feel obligated to say something now.

I do love summer. It is a busy crazy time for our family but the sunshine just makes everything seem more bearable. I was raised in eastern Oregon which is sort of desert area but right next to the Columbia River. There is wonderful sunshine all year around despite the temperature. Even after living in Northwest Washington for most of the past 16 years, I still have not found a love for the rain and the constant cloud cover that we endure for the majority of the year. I rejoice when the sun shines and and absolutely love traveling and experiencing 90 degree weather. My children, on the other hand, have lived here in the Northwest all of their short lives and when the sun shines and it's barely 70 degrees, they are eating Popsicles and looking for shade--it's hilarious.

I will enjoy the sun this summer but as the Northwest fall and winter approach, reminding myself to depend on the Lord to be my sunshine, is an important thing to do. Habakkuk 3:4 says, "His splendor was like the sunrise: rays flashed from his hand where his power was hidden." Psalm 84:11 says, "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." Not to say I won't enjoy the sun fully at each opportunity but, this summer, fall, winter and spring, I need to remember to focus my attention on God and not worry about the clouds in the sky so much.

God's Promises

2010-08-05T10:53:00.000-07:00

Traveling through the Middle Ages with my children this year is an exciting adventure but it is also becoming a faith-building one. Because we were learning about Mohammed, we went back to the Bible, our Truth, and found the story of Abraham and Ishmael. Even though Ishmael was a product of Abraham's impatience, God promised to bless him and turn him into a great nation. Today, we see God's promise being fulfilled. God keeps His promises even when we are impatient and untrusting. God keeps His promises even when we stubbornly attempt to do things our own way. It's amazing to see.

Even in my own life, I have seen God keep His promises to me. A little over a year ago, my husband was diagnosed with RA. He was in so much pain for awhile that he couldn't move. We were, thankfully, able to control it with medication continued praying for complete healing. Not long after his diagnoses, a person that I just met, handed me a handwritten note. I did not keep the paper, but the message stuck in my heart. I can't even remember exactly what it said but he had written that God had heard my prayers and he had answered them. I struggled with this for a few days. I wanted to believe this message but the human doubts crowded in, "I don't even know this guy. Maybe it's about something else. What if I believe this, and then my husband is not healed?" These doubts and questions swirled around in my head mixing with guilt for feeling the way that I did. Why couldn't things be simpler? Why after all the things I have seen God do, would I doubt?

I finally thanked God for his promise and continued to pray for my husband. I decided to quietly believe and wait to see what God would do.

One year later, my husband went off his medication to see what would happen and to readjust his medication. He had no RA symptoms and his blood tests showed no evidence of RA. Some people will say that in rare circumstances this happens but I say, God healed my husband. He kept His promise to me despite my nagging doubts and questions. My God is a good, loving, compassionate, loyal, amazing God. I am humbled and so thankful that he has blessed us with this miracle.

Nothing Profound

2010-06-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here at my computer trying to make my brain think of something profound that I can blog about. Nothing is happening. I am tired tonight and my mind is completely blank. I think the best cure for this condition is sunshine. That is what I desperately need. I am ready to pull out the summer clothes and the flip-flops but the sun is playing hide and seek.

Though I do appreciate any sunshine I can get at this point, I sometimes think it would almost be better if the sun just didn't shine at all. When I get a glimpse of the sun for a couple hours and then more rain, it is almost more dissapointing than if it had just been rain. Every time the sun teases me and peeks out from behind those clouds, my hopes rise and I think, "Finally, summer is here..." only to be let down a few hours later when the rain clouds again dominate the sky.

I know, I shouldn't complain, and really I don't think I am. I am just saying that I am ready for summer. Aren't you?

One Crazy Day

2010-03-05T16:05:00.000-08:00

The following story contains a diaper and the stuff that happens in a diaper. If you have an aversion to poop and pee and things like that, please read no further. If you do continue; consider yourself warned.

For some reason, I decided yesterday that it was a good day to take all four kids shopping at Winco. Winco, for those of you who may not be familiar, is a large grocery store with cheaper prices--yay! The downside is that you bag your own groceries. (And trust me, when shopping with four kids, this is definitely a down side.) On our way we drove through the Starbucks drive through and I got my grande, extra hot, nonfat white chocolate mocha with no whip. The kids got ice waters. By the time we got to Winco, the ice waters were empty and the bladders were full so our first stop inside was, of course, the bathroom. Waiting outside the restrooms with Kyla, my 12 month old, in the cart, I realized that I should probably check her diaper too. She had a painful diaper rash so I was trying to keep her dry. The older three kids finished and then waited for Kyla and I right outside the bathroom with the cart. I went into the large stall that contained the changing table and proceeded to change Kyla's diaper. Okay, so this is my fourth baby, she's a year old--you would think this would be pretty uneventful...unfortunately, it was quite dramatic.

Kyla was upset the moment she saw the changing table. She despises having her diaper changed any time and the painful rash tripled the normal protest. I laid her down, talking to her gently, trying to calm her. When I opened the diaper, I saw that she was not just wet and it was not just normal poop--it was the kind that sticks in little tiny pieces to the bottom and does not want to wipe off.

As I was cleaning her as gently as possible, she was screaming in pain and literally writhing trying to stand up and get away. I finally got her cleaned up but by the time I was finished, she was standing on the changing table, leaning against me, still crying in pain and anger. When I laid her back down to put the clean diaper on her, I realized that the changing table was wet--she had peed while standing up. So I quickly picked her up so that I could dry the changing table. While I was doing that--she peed some more, this time on my leg. So I held her away from me and she peed more on the floor. Then I finally laid her back on the changing table and she peed more on the changing table. She just kept doing it in little squirts--screaming the whole time! By the time I was done, the changing table, her pants and shoes, the floor around the changing table, and my leg were all wet with pee. Somehow, I succeeded in getting a dry diaper on the baby, though I have no idea how I did it. Then, I grabbed an antibacterial wipe from the diaper bag and cleaned the changing table and the floor and got out of the bathroom as quickly as possible mumbling apologies to the mom who was waiting to use the changing table.

The rest of our shopping at Winco was quite dull compared to this beginning, so I'll spare you those details. We succeeded in filling the cart with canned goods, frozen food, and produce and then spent an eternity at the check stand while I bagged it all. We resorted to two carts to take out the groceries and filled the back of the Suburban. As we headed for home, we made two other stops for science fair project supplies. We are studying biology...but that's a story for next time.

Enjoy the Moments

2010-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

Time seems to fly by so quickly. My newborn baby is now one year old. My oldest daughter is soon to be 9. Wow! When did this happen? I am so glad that I have taken time to enjoy the moments along the way instead of constantly looking forward to what is coming next. I will never be able to get these moments with my children back again. I know it sounds cliche but the reason we have cliches is because they are so true. In fact, here are some cliches that have proven true in my 9 years of parenthood.

Take time to smell the roses.
Don't cry over spilled milk.
All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of yesterday.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Every rose has a thorn.
The acorn doesn't fall far from the tree.
Like father, like son.
For everything there is a season.

I hope you enjoy my cliche advice and take it to heart. Time flies when you're having fun--Enjoy each moment!

Parenting

2010-02-11T20:34:00.000-08:00

Right now, the most important thing I am doing is parenting--which includes constantly building a relationship with my husband and my children. Lately, I have been reminded often that my kids learn from everything I do. When I kiss my husband and tell him I love him--they are learning. When I clean up the kitchen and do the laundry without complaining and sighing--they are learning. When I lose my temper and yell at them for losing their shoes again--they are learning. When I apologize to them for my wrong behavior--they are learning. When I am frantically looking for my shoes (Ha Ha!) after yelling at them for losing theirs--they are learning. So, in the hustle and bustle of every day life, the VERY MOST important thing that I can do, is to stay close to Jesus so that in every situation, I can reflect Him to my children. Sometimes, I try to do things the very opposite of that and my relationship with the Lord gets put on the back burner because I am so busy with everything else. If I do that though--my kids are also learning that. What a responsibility parenting is!

Lord, thank you for my husband and my kids. Help my husband and I to stay close to each other despite the busyness of life. Help me to teach my kids to love you with their hearts, souls, and minds. And Lord, please protect my kids from my mistakes. :) Thank you for being my best friend and Savior.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Elohim

2009-09-13T21:54:00.000-07:00

Our kids are memorizing a Bible sound off for school and we are studying Genesis right now. Here is the statement that they have memorized (even Meara my 4 year old). "God is Elohim, the mighty God, who created everything from nothing. When he speaks, things happen just as he says." Wow!

The creation story is one that many of us have heard and read for many years. We know that God created the world in 6 days and then rested on the 7th. It's so easy to read this story about God creating light and separating light from the darkness, then God creating land and sea, and so forth but have you really ever thought about all that God created in that one spoken word? Think about when we study chemistry and learn about all of the atoms that make up everything. Think about the molecules and how they are different in solid, liquid, and gas forms...It would take me a lifetime to try to understand it all and I still wouldn't get everything! Yet, God is so mighty, that in one spoken word he created everything from nothing. When He said, "Let there be light" God created white light which is made up of all the other colors of light. When He created the moon, sun, and stars--just think about what they actually are! All the details that make our world work the way it does, He created in just 6 days.

I can't begin to comprehend a God who can create so much perfect detail in one spoken word. I don't even know how to explain the wonder and awe that I feel at the overwhelming thought of it all. Yet, this mighty God, Elohim, who created the whole detailed world, created every detail of me. This mighty God, Elohim, loves me. This mighty God, Elohim, died for me. Wow!

Tuesday Tip--Legos

2009-06-30T17:57:00.001-07:00

Wow! It has been too long since I have blogged. Life has been just a little crazy around here. Well it's Tuesday so I thought I would blog about another little tip.

This one's about Legos. My son has quite a collection of Legos started but all of the direction booklets and magazines were spread throughout his bedroom and the rest of the house getting ripped and lost. To remedy this, I found an old three-ring binder and filled it with pocket sheet protectors. Then in each one, I slipped a direction booklet or magazine. Now, my son can flip through his binder to find what he wants and I am not finding Lego booklets and magazines all over the house. It worked great and actually made him pay a little more attention to them now that they are organized. However, we have discovered that holding the notebook upside down does create a small disaster...

Tiffany's Tuesday Tip

2009-05-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

We have a squeaky bedroom door, a new baby sleeping in our bedroom, three other children, and two cats. Add those four together and...well, it's not a pretty picture.

When one of our kids has gotten out of bed in the middle of the night, I know it because our door squeaks as they try to quietly sneak into our room. (When it's not one of the cats going in or out.) Yes, it's nice to know a kid is coming in ahead of time instead of waking up to that staring face and wondering how long they've been watching you sleep but I am definitely tired of the squeak! I will gladly put up with being tapped on, whispered to, jiggled about, or just climbed onto while sleeping just to be rid of the squeaky door.

In the past I used WD-40 on it and it stunk up the house and stopped squeaking for awhile but the squeak has returned. So the other day I remembered a Hallmark movie that I had watched--yes, you heard me right--a Hallmark movie. In it, the main character was a woman who hosted a TV show sort of like a Martha Stuart thing in which she gives her viewers tips on how to do different household projects and all that kind of stuff. She also solved mysteries on the side which is what the movie was really about. Anyway, she was in the airport and a luggage cart had a squeaky wheel. She pulled out a small spray bottle out of her purse and said it was olive oil and sprayed it on the wheels. The squeaking, of course, immediately stopped. It's a movie, right? Of course it worked!

Well, I was desparate for a solution and couldn't find my WD-40 so I tried it. I put some olive oil on a cotton pad and rubbed it on the hinges of my door and it worked! Plus, it didn't stink up my house with an awful smell. So, if you have a squeaky door or wheel try some olive oil rather than running to Walmart to get that stinky stuff. Thank you, Hallmark!

Bloggers Block

2009-04-26T20:01:00.000-07:00

Is there such a thing as blogger's block? If there is--I think I have it. I really want to blog but I absolutely have no idea what to write about today so...I guess I will give the rundown of our busy weekend.

Yesterday we had a blast. We started off the day by going to the Bouncy Place at 8:45 in the morning for Connor's soccer party. Then we headed to downtown Seattle from there to meet some awesome friends who took us to the Seattle Aquarium. It was pretty cool to see all of the fish and otters. The best part was the octopus. We were there at feeding time for the octopus and she was showing off pretty good. Then we went to lunch at Red Robin and headed home. After taking a nap and running to the grocery store, we then went over to our friend's house for their 10th wedding anniversary bbq. We came home, put the kids to bed and then realized that we were too tired to do anything else and went to bed as well.

This morning we took our time getting out of bed and then visited with Kevin's parents a bit. Kevin made us all pancakes and after saying goodbye to Grandpa and Grandma we had church in our living room. We read out of second Peter and sang some songs together and prayed together. I did some laundry while the kids cleaned their rooms and then after feeding the baby I went to have my hair done. When I got home I helped Kevin finish packing while the kids played outside then he left for his four day trip.

Now, I am putting the kids to bed after the girls took a bath and we are going to get up for school in the morning. We have to leave by 7:45 a.m.

And so we end one busy week to begin another...

First Laugh

2009-04-20T21:07:00.000-07:00

There is just something magical about a baby's first laugh. It makes all memory of the screaming, spit ups, and poopy diapers sort of disappear. Kyla laughed last night for the first time. It was so adorable but she hasn't quite figured out how to do it again. She is the most ticklish baby I have ever seen. I was playing with her when she was laying on the changing table and tickled her ribs just right and the first laugh followed.

I think every mom needs one of those secret cameras that you see spies use in TV shows so that these special moments that come and go so quickly can be recorded on camera. You know, the ones that look like a button, earring, or necklace. So often I find myself trying to manufacture the moment again so that I can catch it on video. And as soon as the camera comes out, the kids stop doing their normal thing and the only thing they can say is, "I want to see myself. Can I see now?" Maybe I'll invent Momcam jewelry for moms so that we can start catching the real firsts in our children's lives. :) Unless anyone out there thinks that disposable pots and pans is a viable option--then I just might work on that invention first.

Morgan's Writing

2009-04-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughter Morgan decided to write a paper about each of her siblings. She wrote it from their perspectives. I thought it was so cute. Here is what she wrote:

Hi, my name is Connor. I whine all the time. I love Kung Fu. I like to eat p.b.j. sandwiches. I like legos. I entered a lego contest. The end.

Hi, my name is Meara. I am crazy all the time. How crazy am I? Very crazy! I call my sister Morgan Mommy sometimes and my brother Connor Daddy sometimes. I always fall asleep before my CD is done. The end.

Hi, my name is Kyla. I am grumpy all the time. My sister Morgan thinks I am as cute as a princess. I was two months old when my sister Morgan wrote this. My hair is dark like my sister Morgan's hair. The end.

It is fun to see my younger kids through her eyes. Morgan is adorable and I love seeing how much she loves her brother and sisters.

We'll Laugh Tomorrow

2009-03-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

I had to apologize to my children this morning for my lack of self-control. (I hate it when that happens!) We were all ready to go out the door to church when I couldn't find my keys. My son finally said, "Okay, I hid them!" He went to show me where he put them and remembers in detail how he hid them, but they are not there. Without going into the embarrassing details, let's just say I lost most of my self-control at that point.

I don't know if he put them somewhere else, or if I picked them up last night and put them somewhere. We have looked all of the logical places for my keys and still have not found them so I guess it is time to make a white chocolate mocha and do some deep cleaning.

At least I found the important thing that I lost momentarily--my self control. I had just talked to my kids about the fruit of the spirit last night during our devotions. I guess I was the object lesson this morning to illustrate my statement that I made last night, "We all need to work on growing all of the fruit of the Spirit." Though I am incredibly frustrated at the moment; tomorrow I will probably laugh about this--if I've found my keys by then...

Wonderful Words

2009-03-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

Kids say the funniest things. I thought it would be fun to write some of the things down that my kids have said recently.

We have a new baby in the house--Kyla. Kyla has a very healthy set of lungs. One day she got especially upset and was crying the cry that eventually did not have much sound left but you could tell she was crying because her mouth was wide open and her whole head was red. My 7 year old daughter said, "It sounds like she's running out of batteries." (Sometimes we wish she would run out of batteries.)

Yesterday, I was getting after my son for putting his clean pajamas in the dirty laundry. My almost 4 year old daughter, Meara, decided to contribute to the conversation as she often does. "You have to smell it. If it smells like you then it's dirty and if it doesn't smell like you then it's clean."

Connor, my 6-year-old, is trying to figure out his mommy and new baby. The kids had a friend over for awhile and they were all at the table eating lunch. The baby started fussing so I picked her up and told the kids that I was going to change her diaper then I'd be back. As I was walking down the hallway, I heard my son say to his friend, "My mom knows when the baby needs a diaper changed, or needs to eat, or needs to sleep. I don't know how she knows..."

I love my kids and can't wait to hear what they're going to say tomorrow. :)

A New Old Recipe

2009-03-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

Isn't it great when you rediscover a great thing? I found a recipe the other day that used to be a favorite and then for some reason it got put into the recipe box and forgotten for years. In fact, my kids didn't remember ever having eaten it so I know that it's been quite a few years. I think the recipe came from my Grandma and it is for Taco Soup. I used our leftover taco meat to make it and it worked great! The kids all liked it, which makes the recipe even better. Here is the recipe in case you would like to try something new and easy before it's not soup weather anymore.

Taco Soup:

2 lbs ground beef
1 medium onion finely chopped
(brown the meat in a pan with the onion and drain)
Add
1 20 oz can cut up tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup of water
1 15 oz can pinto beans (drained/rinsed)
1 15 oz can corn (or 1 cup frozen corn)
1 envelope of taco seasoning mix

Serve with shredded cheese on top and corn chips or tortillas. (Sour cream would be great on top too.)

Alone...

2009-03-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

Well, this is the first night that I have been home by myself with all four kids. My husband is gone for the night and I am so glad that it is only one night. Kyla, our one month old, is missing her daddy who usually puts her to sleep in the evenings. I finally gave her a bath and tired her out enough that she is sleeping. Now I have to go do the dishes or we will not have a good day tomorrow.

There has to be someone out there who could invent disposable pots and pans. I would be their biggest fan for sure. I had the kitchen clean yesterday and after one meal it looks like a tornado hit or like a whole army ate here. I love being able to throw away paper plates, paper cups, and plastic-ware. I know it's not good for our environment but I tell you what, it sure does help out my personal home environment. So, if anyone out there invents a frying pan that I could throw away after I use it, please let me know. I will be your first customer!

Great thought...

2009-02-27T16:07:00.000-08:00

I am reading the book "The Shack." I have heard a lot about it from a lot of different people. I am not very far into the book yet but I definitely appreciate the author's writing skills. I love reading well written words. I guess that makes me a nerd...Anyway, here is one quote from the forward that I like:

"I suppose that since most of our hurts come through relationships so will our healing, and I know that grace rarely makes sense for those looking in from the outside."

What was I Thinking?

2009-02-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

Why did I start a blog when I have a newborn baby? Did I think that I would suddenly have lots of extra time to sit at the computer? I don't know...but I do know that I am going to set a record for the shortest blog entry tonight. Kyla is very grumpy today and I missed my moment to blog earlier when she was finally napping because I couldn't remember my password to sign in. I think I lose some of my memory every time I have a baby. If that's true, then I don't have much left...

NAK

2009-02-16T20:11:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine recently taught me a new term--new to me anyway--NAK. It means "nursing at keyboard." I must admit I am getting quite proficient at typing one-handed. It seems the only time I have to sit at the computer is when I have to sit down to nurse the baby. I found out that there are other tasks I can accomplish while nursing if I have to like shopping at WalMart with all four kids just for a box of diapers. I wouldn't recommend this but if you don't have a choice--the toy aisles can be very entertaining for the other children for the 20 to 30 minutes it takes to nurse the baby. I can also race Mario Kart on the Wii, help my three year old in the bathroom, and sleep while nursing the baby. Now I don't necessarily think this is a talent worth bragging about. It is amazing though how we adapt to life changes. We just do what needs to be done.

I remember when we had our first baby almost eight years ago--I was overwhelmed and sleep deprived. I had a hard time keeping up on housework. Now I have a newborn, a 3 1/2 year old, a just turned 6 year old, and an almost 8 year old. I think I keep up on the housework better now than when I only had one. Maybe this is an example of practice makes perfect. I am by no means perfect (just ask my husband :) but I have definitely improved and matured and grown as our family has grown.

And now, I have to burp the baby which is a two handed job at this point so I will have to sign off for now.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T20:04:00.000-08:00

Today was Valentine's Day. We celebrated by going to Costco--our first whole family outing since Kyla (our fourth child) was born two weeks ago. We had pizza for dinner to celebrate and I am going to share a box of chocolates with my husband and kids. Kevin (my husband) and I told each other how much we loved each other and we gave the kids bubbles and sweethearts. It may not sound like a very "romantic" day but it was a day of being together and appreciating each other. After all, isn't that what Valentine's Day is about? It seems like every holiday we celebrate has us feeling like we should buy stuff to show the important people in our lives how much they mean to us. I think spending time often goes much further towards accomplishing this purpose than spending money--and it's much easier on the budget.