Dairy Fest 2009 (aka 5th Anniversary Trip)

We had a lovely anniversary retreat, and besides all the rest, relaxation, and hot tubbing there were dairy products a plenty (no baby with milk sensitivities to nurse= lots of ice cream). We left our kids Friday morning and went straight to Starbucks for the creamiest drink I could find. I made a fool of myself getting every last drop of whipped cream out of the cup.


After that we set out for our cabin, stopping for an hour or so at a winery and then again at a grocery store to stock up on food for the weekend. We are food people and any good celebration has lots of the best food around. WH cooked for me on our honeymoon, and he did most of the cooking on this trip. The first night he made grilled chicken stuffed with basil and havarti and wrapped it all in bacon. Ahh...it was wonderful. We had filet mignon the next night, along with every kind of dairy I could fit in. Yogurt. Chocolate. Icecream. Milk. Cheese. Cinnamon rolls. I read no labels, I just ate.

We were trying not to smile too big. Unfortunately, we look a little melancholy. Really, we had a great time!

We thought the weather was abnormally cool over our honeymoon because it stayed in the 60's (remember, this is mid-June), but even with the lack of rain this time around it was pleasant enough to keep the windows open all day. The cabin was situated by a creek and we have great memories of listening to the water rush by. I loved revisiting this favorite vacation spot, just so we could reminisce about all that has happened since we were last here, and how we never would have imagined we'd have three children or be living near WH's family, at a new church, in a new town. I'm sure if we go back to that cabin we'll have just as much to say in the next five years. (Well, maybe not three more kids. But then again, who knows?)


We were ready to see the children when it was time to go home, but the weekend away was just what we needed. We finished conversations! We ate whole meals without getting up from the table! We didn't have to cut up food that wasn't our own! We slept through the night, and past 7am! Oh, and we vacuumed out the entire car while the three car seats were gone! Thrilling. (Just kidding...okay, no I'm not. We really did clean the car on our anniversary trip.)

We hit the ground running when we got home. My very kind sister-in-law, who had 9 children (my 3 and her 6) all weekend, washed all the kids' clothes and that was a huge help. We are getting ready to spend a week in Florida with my parents and family, and also hope to bring my little sister back to stay with us for a while, so there are lots of preparations to be made. I'm off to get some last-minute sewing done.

Home

We're home...had a fabulous and restful time but I'm hitting the ground running with lots of catching up to do before we go out of town again on Friday. This next trip will be 9 days long and will require a little more planning and prep. I'll try to write a glowing report soon about our anniversary trip because several of my friends were asking how things went. (Although, it was an anniversary trip...what kind of info do people really want to know?)

In the mean time, my friend Ashli is having surgery tomorrow to, Lord-willing, remove her cancer (or discover her diagnosis is not as bad as they first thought). Please pray that God would have mercy on her family. My brother did a photo shoot with Ashli and her kids and here's a picture to go with your prayer:

5 years and counting

Five years ago I married a man who was more wonderful than I could have imagined. I thought he was fabulous when we were engaged, I learned that he was truly amazing once we were married, and now that we've had a few years to grow I know that he couldn't be more perfect for me. Not perfect (have to throw that in there for reality's sake, and just so that he won't think I'm lying about everything else) but closer than I deserve, and my true love. Or, "sweet love" as my neice once called me before we got married. She said those were the best two words you could put together, and that's what WH has been calling me since then.

I was thinking about it just now, and we've only had one anniversary out of five where I wasn't pregnant or had a newborn. This year, we have a 7 month old who we are leaving with family so that we can go away to our honeymoon cabin for the weekend. We thought about taking him, but he is just about to start crawling, and he's getting to be less of a baby that you just park somewhere. He wants to be entertained. At one point WH said, "If we took him it would be a really sweet time to spend with just him." Then he smiled and said, "Hmmm, guess that's not really the point of an anniversary trip, huh?" But knowing he was willing and even happy to have the baby come along made me love him all the more.

At the very beginning we decided to take turns planning our anniversary celebrations. The first year he planned, the second year I planned, and so on. We haven't always gone away, depending on our circumstances. One year we didn't even go out to dinner until July, but that's life. We also watch our wedding video every anniversary, just for kicks.

So here we are, then and now. All my wedding pictures are on a disk somewhere deep in a box, so all I have is us, a week before we got married:

And on our honeymoon (look how young-and thin- we look!!!):

First anniversary- We went to a dumpy little cabin found on the internet. Made us both grateful our honeymoon cabin was so fabulous...we obviously did not have the same luck here. There was a hot tub but the hot water heater was so small that in order to fill it we had to boil water. Both of us had gained about 30 lbs, and I was close to giving birth to baby #1 (sympathy weight?). He also had pretty bad heartburn along with me. Very empathetic husband.

Second anniversary- Trip to Lexington, VA where we stayed in a fabulous bed and breakfast. It was wonderful. We left Coop with WH's Mom, but it was only for a night. Not a great picture...it's all we've got.

Third anniversary- WH planned a fun evening out where we went to four different places, working off the theme of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." It was a lot of fun. No pictures...I always take my camera to these types of things but often forget to pull it out. Here we are a few weeks later:



Fourth anniversary- Some good (great!) friends in town watched the two older kids (I was pregnant with Baby T) and we had about 20 hours to ourselves. I made a little "Choose your own adventure" booklet and WH had about four different options for how we would spend our time. We ended up going out for a nice dinner, coming home to watch our wedding video (although by this year we both had a magazine while we were watching it), slept in and had a lazy breakfast, and then went to the art museum before picking up our kids.

Fifth anniversary- We'll be dropping our kids off Friday morning and won't be returning until Sunday night. It's the longest we've been by ourselves in over four years. Can't wait! God is good.

Keeping House it is not

A book review by Wendy Shalit

This was a great quote from the review: Will it be enough? The feminists never talk about this, but making dinner for a man you truly admire is not the same as sweeping around a man who is marooned on the couch, drunk and watching episodes of “24.” The former woman feels a part of something greater than them both, whereas the latter woman is serving someone who is only serving himself. Of course she feels oppressed. But it is not the patriarchy or unequal vacuuming that is the enemy of a peaceful, clean home; it is selfishness and superficiality—in either sex.


To read the full review of the book Dirt, click here.

Off to clean my own house and make dinner for the man of my dreams.

In sickness and health

Yesterday was a turning point for me, and I now have the hope that I will be fully recovered by this weekend. I have never experienced a headache/neckache like I did for the last week. At first I thought it was a migraine, but my ears were also killing me, and it lasted for 8 days. Do migraines last that long?? No pain medicine was touching it, but thankfully, a friend from church recommended a natural remedy that worked wonders. Before I tell you about it, a little background.

I have always been immensely interested in health and the human body. My favorite book as a child used to be the Reader's Digest volume The ABC's of the Human Body. And now you know I've always been this boring. :) My Mom had one of my sisters at home when I was almost 14 years old, and that sparked an even greater interest in natural health and birth. We've since had all our babies at home, and that is the option we are most comfortable with and it works for us. When I was in highschool I even took a few intro to pre-med classes and bought a pre-med textbook to see if it was something I was really interested in. The time commitment was the clincher, since I was sure I wouldn't have enough time to commit to med school (nevermind that I seriously lacked the science requirements) if I was going to get married early. Little did I know that I would actually have time to complete that before God sent along my husband. But I digress.

So, interest in health, especially natural health, brings me to today. I am not convinced there is one right health solution for everyone, whether it be drugs or natural remedies. I think I was able to get over an ear infection and something else (who knows what) through a heavy dose of vitamin C, garlic, grapefruit seed extract, and acidolpholus (with some kefir added in for good priobiotic measure). My father-in-law is in the hospital with pnemonia and I know he is really grateful to be able to treated and know he is on his way to recovering (as is all of his family!). Health and health solutions can never be a one-size fits all because God has made our bodies so intracate and then throw in there all varieties of diseases and illnesses and it's complicated. So I would be hesitant to say, "This always works..." (about drugs or natural remedies) and I really don't believe in any kind of natural miracle cure or health food. God is sovereign over sickness and health, and this last week has been such a reminder that it is God who gives and takes away illnesses. As much as I was doing to promote wellness, it is all in His hands and we are at His mercy all the time. There's nothing like being sick for a week to make that clear.

All those thoughts had been swirling around in my (aching) head. And then a friend from church who is not able to take ibuprofen or tylenol because of how it interacts with some of her other medications gave me this tip. If you have ever had a migraine or headache and couldn't get relief, you know that you are willing to try just about anything. She gave me this little suggestion: Try 1 Tablespoon raw apple cidar vinegar in about 6 oz of water with a little honey to sweeten it. Within an hour my headache was gone. I had to do it about every 6 hours, but I was amazed and I feel like I owe her a week of my life I'm so grateful! It may or may not work for you, but apple cidar vinegar has a lot of other health benefits so I don't think there is harm in trying it. Hope someone finds relief from this little suggestion!

So there you have it. God worked through something really simple this week, but taught me some big lessons about His control and sovereignty.

How the mighty have fallen

My sister has a blog. I thought I'd never see the day. When you have a baby this cute you just want to tell the world! We talk fairly often, and we were friends before, but I think the fact that we are both mothers changed our relationship significantly. For starters, even though we are total opposites when it comes to personality, interests, and fashion (she has me beat in all three areas), we have a lot more in common now. I am looking forward to more pictures, more little everyday cute things Eli has done, and more insight into her ever-expanding world. How can you not love the name of her blog? Thanks, Jax.

Pre-Father's Day party

This has been sick week at our house, and I seem to be deteriorating instead of getting better. Not sure what I have, but there are several nasty viruses going around and my brother-in-law has been sick with some unknown virus for over 3 weeks. Hoping I don't have what he has. WH has insisted I stay in bed as much as possible, so he's been doing double duty with the kids. Poor guy. He has a great attitude about it, but I know it's a lot of work. He took them to the park today, and then took all three to the health food store and the fire station (trying to kill time and give me some quiet since my main symptom is a massive head/neck/earache). He also did several loads of laundry and put them out on the line.

Yesterday, when I was still in denial about being sick all week, and operating under the thought that if I act well, then I will get well, we planned a little pre-Father's Day celebration. Next Sunday we will be away for our anniversary so I thought an early special day was in order. WH worked second shift and was home all morning, so it was a great time (except that afterward I fell into bed and slept for several hours). Not exactly the day I was planning, but it was a good breakfast. The kids helped me make Moriah's famous 10-minute donuts, bacon, and a quick egg dish. WH had been asking for donuts for a long time, and since I am usually against anything fried before 5pm, it was a rare treat.

A while ago I ordered a tie from Land's End for $4.99 (now you know how cheap it was, honey), and we picked up some gum and M&M's, just so that each child could have something to give him. When I asked the kids if they wanted to wrap the presents, Coop said, "This is how you do it, Mom. You wrap it in a bag, like one of those bags under the sink from the grocery store. And then you hide it under your shirt and bring it out and say, 'Happy Father's Day.'" I died laughing, since that was, indeed, how they presented their Mother's Day gifts to me. Daddy wrapping, we call it. :)

This was an early-morning pj shot. I used to scoff at people who let their girls have "Pretty Princess" polyester nightgowns. Look how low I've sunk. Look at that lapful of children! (Cock your head...not sure why this picture is this way- weird Blogger thing.)

Changes

I'm working on the look of things around here. Thanks for your patience...I feel like I'm trying on half my wardrobe to see if I can find the perfect party dress. Except there is no actual party date, so there's no deadline (and no end of the changes). Fortunately for all of us, I have very little time to dedicate to the way things look (true in real life as well!) so I think things will be settled soon. There is a vast amount to learn when it comes to html and I'm winging it, which takes a little longer. Okay, a lot longer. I completely understand why some people just hire someone else to set things up for them.

Have a great day!

Work

We are still very young parents, so I don't pretend that we have even 1% of this shepherding thing figured out. Before I had children I remember reading about teaching your kids to work, and thinking, how do I get children who love to work? Doesn't that run against every human instinct? Much of what I read was common sense, all of it required daily sacrifice on the part of the parents, and much prayer.

"Mowing" with Daddy

I try to think about whether I am rushing through my own work in a hurried way so I can get to the "fun stuff," or do I look at my work as part of what God has given me to do each day, and approach it with delight? I am training my childrens' attitude toward work no matter how I look at it...they will catch (and mimic) whatever I model for them.

You have to give him points for creativity!

Other ideas from the article: Include them in every chore you possibly can. Yes, it takes longer. No, it doesn't get done perfectly. Yes, it will cut in to your free time. But they love being responsible for some aspect of their little world. Some of the chores my almost 4 year old helps with include sorting laundry, folding small square items as well as his own clothes, dusting, cooking assistant (he can brown meat with my supervision and WH is determined to teach them to grind the coffee beans and make coffee...Saturday morning coffee in bed anyone?), unloading the dishwasher (he can't reach the high things but he puts dishes on the counter), sorting toys, cleaning out the car, etc.

Coop's days in the kitchen started early

WH has made a point of taking Coop everywhere he can when an errand needs to be run, or a task completed. This gives them time together and is slowly teaching him that work doesn't have to be a bore, especially if you are doing it with someone you love. Life is mostly work, so finding joy in it early is a valuable thing to teach your kids. (Of course, this may be a lot more of a struggle when he's 13...I'm also not pretending to be in a hard stage when it comes to child training!)

Planting seeds for the garden

Sweet A just turned 2 and her attention span isn't quite as long, but she unloads silverware (a smart mom told me to put the silverware in a lower drawer so it would be easier for the kids to reach), is learning to sort clothes into lights and darks, and is my #1 helper putting away clothes. I can pretty much keep her busy while I fold by saying, "Now can you go put these dishtowels away." She just wants to be with us, so we try to give her little tasks.

Making applesauce

The other benefit of having your children work with you is that they are with you a good part of the day. This gives you more opportunity to instruct them and less time for them to strike up an argument or get into trouble. Before Coop was even a year old my Mom advised me to keep him close during the early years. His mind was always running and I had the opportunity to direct that early on, or leave him to himself and then we would both pay the consequences!

Helping Daddy chop wood (always made me a little nervous)

The last thing I remember from that article was that when the kids do get older, it should be the normal mode for everyone to be working, and then when the work is done, for everyone to be relaxing, playing, etc. There are times when Mom needs to be doing one thing while kids work (like nursing, or overseeing something only a mother can do) but that is her work for the moment. If the kids feel like little slaves, then of course their attitudes will reflect that. We want willingness from the heart; I want my kids to jump in and help at church events or family gatherings and not be the ones that stand around watching everyone else work. Of course, this means I also need to be modeling that for them and I find myself preferring laziness all too often. So we're still working on diligence around here, but we press on with faith.

Saturday success

One Saturday a month the YMCA thrift shop has a promotional day where they let the customers fill two plastic grocery-type bags for $4. FOUR BUCKS! I only had a few minutes to shop because I'd saved the thrift shop as the last of my errands, so I could have easily stuffed a few more items in. Even so, I got 17 articles of clothing, most of them name brand. That makes them less than $0.24 each! Why would I ever shop there any other day of the month???

This was a successful thrift shop story. To read a depressing Goodwill story, go here.

We're still trying to get well here- Coop threw in his lot (no pun intended) last night so now we're two men down.

Down again

It's my turn to have the flu we've all been passing around since our reunion two weeks ago. My sweet sister-in-law has the two older kids for the day so I'm hoping a day of rest and not moving much will aid in my speedy recovery. And even though being nauseated is not fun, the fact that this is likely a 48-hour bug is much better than throwing up for 2-3 months (which of course, is always my first thought when I feel the slightest bit sick to my stomach). :)

Birthday Bash

Some people are accusing me of talking too much about sewing in this spot, and that the topic might not necessarily be of general interest. I never promised to be wildly entertaining, or even mildly entertaining for that matter. This is just a hum-drum record of our little corner of the world, and there happens to be a lot of sewing going on here these days. But for you (and you know who you are) I will talk about something else.

Birthdays. That's a topic of general interest. Yesterday was mine, and here are few highlights:

A camera from my dear husband. Our last camera was fabulous when my grandparents gave it to us 5 years ago for our wedding, but technology is changing so fast, and they don't even make a camera with so few megapixels anymore. It is great for still shots in perfect lighting, but if anything is moving (which my 3 little subjects often are) it is hard to capture much more than the blur.

Three of my sisters-in-law were in town to put together a joint birthday party for my mother-in-law and myself, and they went to great lengths to give me a gourmet yet dairy-free spread. AND I got presents, too! Kitchen stuff, house stuff, and even some homemade all-natural soap.

There was some angel food cake and homemade sorbet:
Some fun and much-needed kitchen stuff (yes, Mom, there are still a few things I don't own):

And happy children all around:

It was a good day.

Sewing Meme

June is Sewing Machine Month at a favorite blog of mine, Sew Mama Sew! They've created a little Sewing Machine Meme to learn more about all the machines out there. During the month they also have great sewing tips and sewing machine basics, which would be great if you are just starting out or want to learn more about machines.

What brand and model do you have?

Brother Pacesetter PC-4000

How long have you had it?

13 years

How much does that machine cost (approximately)?

At the time it was about $2400. I recently checked into the resale value to see if I could upgrade and it was worth a whopping $200. It's worth MUCH more to me!

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)?

Mostly home furnishings: pillows, curtains, slipcovers. I've made baby gifts, clothes, and used it for tons of mending and alterations.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get?

I get on a sewing kick and sew all the time, and then put it away for a few months. Lately, I've been sewing several times a week. But throughout its life I'd say my machine has been used monthly.

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name?

No name. I don't name inanimate objects. I'm boring like that. But I love love love my machine. I've never had a single problem with it. (And just between you and me- I've never even had it serviced. Hoping to remedy that in the next month or two.)

What features does your machine have that work well for you?

I mostly use the basic stitches, although the button-holer makes that project effortless, and there are about 100 decorative stitches.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine?

The machine makes a beeping noise when you back stitch. I can never sew quietly.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it!

I got my machine from my step-mother for my 18th birthday. She asked me if I wanted a sewing machine or a used car, and I decided the car would cost me money, but the machine could be used to make money. :) I've never regretted it!

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why?

They don't make this model anymore.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine?

Customer ratings...I'm all about good reviews.

Do you have a dream machine?

I would love an embroidery machine- that's my dream!

Milestones

This is Baby T at 6 months. He is a week away from being 7 months old, but that's how it goes when you are the third baby. He is still full of smiles, a great sleeper, and when I pick him up he burrows his head in my shoulder, like he's hunkering down for a long, cozy stay. He is almost crawling and is pretty content to play on the floor if he's with one of his siblings. The boy also has hair: he's had three haircuts already! His other 6-month accomplishment is that he just started sucking his thumb. All three suck their thumbs/fingers but never started this late. I'm all for thumb suckers (although I know there is much debate on this).

His little will is also starting to emerge- arching his back to get out of my arms or let me know he's done nursing and piercing screaming if he is tired of playing are two of his favorite ways of communicating displeasure. It starts young.

Right now we are beginning what we call "church training," where we practice sitting quietly for a set amount of time in order to one day sit as a family in church. My expectations for him are very different from what I expect from Sweet A, who is also still practicing. :) As a new 2 year-old, she has to sit completely quiet, but is allowed to have a small toy. Baby T just needs to be quiet, and if he is too wiggly (as in, major flailing) I make him lay his head down on my chest (another advantage to thumb-sucking...built in comfort). I expect we will be working on this until after his first birthday, but the goal is to be generally ready for church by about 14 months. With the other two we tried to practice several times a week so that when Sunday rolled around it would be a natural thing for them to sit through a church service. It's doesn't seem very reasonable to expect a small child to sit that long once a week when they never have to do it at other times (it also seems like a great way to condition them to despise church). I am convinced that learning to sit quietly is a good discipline for children and maybe it will teach them to one day know how to sit and think real thoughts vs. always having to be entertained. Who knows- maybe they'll come up with the next life changing invention!

On the flip side, I am amazed at how much balance having multiple children brings. When Coop was a baby it seems like we expected so much of him. Every stage was new and exciting and we were eager for him to get to the next thing. He seemed so smart and capable and we just loved it all, as new parents should! It seemed so babyish to dress him in anything less than little khakis and a button down for church- even when he was 9 months old. Now that we have bigger children in contrast to Baby T, we are aware of- and enjoying more- his babyness. It doesn't bother us as much when he cries...we don't expect him to get over it but we pick him up (not all the time, but a lot). :) I love putting him in boyish smocked outfits for church. I don't even mind waking him up for a 10pm feeding- something I resented and tried to get rid of as soon as possible with Coop. Now I am just happy to have a few minutes of one-on-one time with the baby.

So as with all things, we are trying to maintain a delicate balance of enjoying these children for their childishness, and training them to be self-controlled and mature. And most of all, to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, and mind.

Running with perseverance

I have two acquaintances who are struggling with cancer. Both are mothers of young children. One just found out and has been told she only has a few months left, the other has been fighting for years. I can not stop thinking about them; as I work around the house, enjoy my own children, complain in my mind about how much I have to do. And I wonder what they are doing and what they are thinking as they work through each day with faith and trust that the Lord who brought them this far will continue to walk them through the valley of the shadow of death.

Several thoughts have been running through my mind. God, who is both great and good, designed these trials and their timing, for these women. Sometimes I think of disease and tragedy as nature running its course. God can certainly stop cancer from growing, but unless He intervenes, the cancer will do what it does and so I pray for God's hand to stay and heal. But this view is not giving to God His full glory, because if I truly believe He is sovereign over all things I can trust that He is Lord over every cell growth. He has given this particular trial to these women and He is giving them faith and grace to triumph over sin (sickness being part of the fall) and death. I believe full trust in God's goodness and greatness is the only way to survive in a world of hurt and sadness. I am motivated to keep all this in mind as I work through my own petty problems of the day. I look at these mothers and wonder how I would respond. I know I will not all of a sudden be a great woman of faith when great trials come; what I am will only be magnified under the lens of the trial. That really makes me want to trust the Lord today with my children, trust Him today with my marriage and extended family, and be faithful in the means of grace God has given to make my faith strong. Bible reading, prayer, meditation, the sacraments- all these are means God has promised to use if only I will approach them in faith. But do I or am I so distracted with the mundane and expect I will get around to those things later? Thinking about these women makes me understand the greatness of these means of grace I so desperately need.

So join me in enjoying what God gives for today, in trusting Him to perfectly provide what we need, and in loving Him for His sovereign care over all His children. And pray for Lindsey and Ashli.

This hymn has been on my mind for the last few days:

        Lord Jesus Christ, be present now,
    Our hearts in true devotion bow,
     Thy Spirit send with grace divine,
     And let Thy truth within us shine.

     Unseal our lips to sing Thy praise,
     Our souls to Thee in worship raise,
     Make strong our faith, increase our light
     That we may know Thy name aright;

     Until we join the hosts that cry,
     "Holy art Thou, O Lord, most high!"
     And in the light of that blest place
     Fore'er behold Thee face to face.

     Glory to God the Father, Son,
     And Holy Spirit, Three in One!
     To Thee, O blessed Trinity,
     Be praise throughout eternity!

A productive naptime

From this:


To this:


Goodwill is my new favorite fabric store! A 16x22" pillow for $6 and a naptime. Just a little present for S.

Recovery Monday

Yesterday was full of Sabbath activity and we are going to take it easy. I'm very aware that all too soon we will have school-age children and laid back Mondays won't be as easy to justify. The kids are still asleep thanks to a heavy blanket WH put over their window. Sweet A thinks light= awake, even at 6am, even when she went to bed after 10pm. (Remember that when you are deciding where to put us all, Mom.)

I didn't get around to any sewing on Saturday, but I also didn't stress about my work and rush through it to get to the "fun stuff." So, once again, Sweet A had bloomer-less Sunday attire.

However, here's my newest project:
Maybe I'll be able to post some pictures of the finished project in the next day or so. This placemat and two shirts will soon be morphed into a something for my brother.