Friday, May 31, 2013

Thankful Thursday

I have not been the best about Thankful Thursday lately, and tonight as I was about to put my tea mug in the sink and brush my teeth, I felt compelled to hammer out some gratitude.

Sophia has an ear infection, even only a couple of weeks post-operative.  It's lasted for five days now, so she has been uncomfortable and fussy and feverish, poor thing.  Today's only available appointment with the ENT was at 4:45 an hour away.  Well, we decided to make the most of it and headed out to the area early so the kids and I could spend a couple of hours at the children's museum first.  Zach met us at the appointment, and we found a little hole-in-the-wall pizzeria to eat dinner at before throwing the kids in their jammies and heading home.  It's been a long week of a fussy baby, lots of tylenol, runny noses (from all the kids!) and interrupted sleep.  The other night, when Sophia's fever first spiked, I felt so defeated.  Those voices in my head threatened to draw me into that dark place, "You must be doing something wrong.  Why are your children always sick?  Why does the staff at the pediatrician know your name?  Do you not clean your house enough?  Do you not feed your children healthy enough?  Do you not pray with enough faith?"  And I very temporarily felt discouraged and downcast.  But I tell you this to explain that I am thankful, thankful, thankful for God's whispered reminders of truth.  For some lessons from Lysa's Unglued.  I came to Jesus with my little problems..."Jesus, I am discouraged...help me.  Jesus, I am tired...help me.  Jesus, I am overwhelmed...help me."  And those simple words, those simple prayers, those simple shout-outs for help coupled with a reminder to focus on "...whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable..." (Philippians 4:8) brought my heart right back into perspective.  And then I rejoiced.  I rejoiced that I am learning, that I am taking baby steps towards imperfect progress.  So I am thankful for that today.

I am thankful for a most generous outpouring of provision and love of amazing homeschool materials and curriculum and books from a friend at church.  When I first started considering homeschooling, I questioned, "How could we afford the curriculum?"  God has provided for us again and again just this year alone!  I was so overwhelmed and blessed by the boxes that were loaded into my car and the hours (and years!) of learning and exploring that are ahead of us in these boxes for my children and me!

I am thankful that I always, always, always have a second chance and that tomorrow is always a new day.  (I know, I know, you've heard this before, but I continue to be thankful for it...)  My exhaustion from having a sick baby and staying up too late to squeeze in some "me time" is leading me to being impatient and snappy with my children.  At night, as I kiss their precious sleeping heads and pray for their little hearts and lives before I go to sleep, the kind of mama I want to be rises up fiercely in my mind and heart.  And although I often fail to live up to that during the daytime hours, I am thankful that I can keep trudging forward with a vision of who I want to be.  And in the meantime, I am humbled that God's grace covers it all.  What a freeing and life-giving blessing!

Thankful for other fun things in our life, like my in-laws visiting, a trip to the zoo, a night out with my best friend/sister-in-law and brother, a fun party for my nephews, a date out with my oldest son, the library with our dear friends, family over for a barbeque, my sister-in-law getting engaged, and a new show to enjoy when all the chores are done at night.

This is a good, good life.








What are you thankful for today?

Friday, May 24, 2013

Recipe of the Week - Paleo Breakfast Bread

This breakfast bread is a new favorite (for parents AND kids) in our house.  My friend, Kristy, who gives me many of my favorite recipes, gave me this a few months ago, and we have already gone through jars of almond butter making this yummy bread!  It is gluten-free, dairy-free, and includes only natural ingredients!  It is so easy to mix up quickly and throw in the oven just in time for a warm breakfast.  We polish off a whole pan in one sitting.  So if you're looking for a fresh breakfast idea, try this bread warm from the oven and know you're enjoying a healthy start to the day!

(We've heard it's good with some whip cream on top, but we personally haven't tried that.  The kids eat it plain, and my hubby and I like a little butter on top.)

Enjoy!

Paleo Breakfast Bread

1/2 cup almond butter
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. cinnamon

In a large bowl, with a hand blender, mix almond butter until creamy. (You may not need to do this, depending on the almond butter you have.)
Mix in eggs, honey, and vanilla.
Add salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
Mix well with hand blender until all ingredients are combined.
Transfer batter into a well greased, 8x8 inch pyrex baking dish.
Bake at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes (until fork inserted in the center comes out clean).

When doubling this recipe, the cooking time increases, so you'll have to keep checking it.

Happy Friday!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Weekend Joy

It was one of those weekends where we collapsed into bed on Sunday night and said, "Wow...that was such a great weekend."  I love weekends.  But how could I not when my hubby is home for two days and we get to do life together?  That is my favorite.  The kids and I went to my in-laws during the day Friday and they got to help plant the garden.  I took some of my favorite-ever pics of the kids eating watermelon.  Zach and I had an at-home date with Mexican fajitas and a Redbox movie, we went to my dad's house for a barbeque and backyard playtime with family, had Micah's best bud from church over Sunday afternoon (which also included treats from the ice cream truck!), and had our first backyard bonfire of the season in our firepit with some good friends on Sunday night.  In between our fun events, we did laundry, pulled weeds, and even got the floors vacuumed and mopped (I know, crazy that it is noteworthy, but it is.)  Pretty wonderful.  I loved it all.  I could say more, but I'll just show you with pictures instead.






























Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Patio Blessings

As many of you know, the nasty stomach flu has hit our family.  Today is day eight of someone having something.  Hopefully today is the LAST day!  My hubby is at an event for work tonight, so I made dinner early and the kids and I brought it out to our patio to enjoy the beautiful day.  The kids enjoyed some much-needed running around time in our backyard.

I just have to say that this time of year is my absolute favorite for my neighborhood.  Each townhome has a similar tree planted in their front yard that all flower at the same time in gorgeous shades of pinks and purples and whites, and it is absolutely breathtaking to look down the block.  Well, we also have the most splendid tree in our little backyard that is stunning.  I mean, seriously, stunning.  If we are going to have to be sick for a week, at least we can look outside our windows and see THIS!



So I was thrilled to be outside and to enjoy the beautiful evening, soaking up some of the last sun of the day and watching the children race through the lush, green grass under the snowy white tree.  Such a respite from sickness.











As we were finishing eating and the kids were starting to play, our neighbor wandered by.  Now, our neighbor is 84 years old.  She is a lovely woman, but she suffers from some form of dementia or memory loss, so we have the same, repeated conversation over and over.  She asks me if the children are all mine, and if I have two boys and two girls, and she tells me that it is the same as she had...two boys and two girls.  She tells me where each of her adult children currently live, and then she asks if her television is too loud (we are in a townhouse so we share a wall).  I assure her every single time that her TV is no problem at all.  She then asks me what the range is of my children's ages, from youngest to oldest.  So I always tell her that they are between one and six.  And every. single. time, she has the same surprised response, shaking her head with a smile and saying, "Wow, that's a handful!" and then continuing to say, "What a blessing!"  Oh, and we not only have this conversation every time I see her, we have this conversation about a dozen times in every encounter.  It really is the rhythm of our dialogue.  So today, as she sat down on our patio to visit and watch the kids play, our conversation altered a bit from the usual!  She just expressed what a blessing it is to have our house and our yard for the kids to play.  For she had raised four little kids for a time in a city apartment in Chicago, on the second floor, right after the war when times were tight and her husband was a fireman.

Well, for goodness sake, did I ever feel convicted!  I had just been telling my husband that I am so ready for our kids to have a bigger yard to run and play in (since ours is extremely small for suburban standards), and our house is, as most of you know, pretty cozy for a family of six!  And here my neighbor is reminding me what a blessing it is to have a HOUSE, with a front door and a backyard, albeit the size of a living room!  Oh, how blessed I was to have this conversation!  Every time Dorothy re-heard that all of the children were mine, two boys and two girls, from the ages of one to six, she was equally delighted.  I couldn't even count the times she used the word "blessing."  AND she reminded me what a gift my house and my yard are, even when they seem small at times to others or to us.

While Dorothy was there, Ella kept yelling to her and saying hello and asking her questions (like, "What is your cat's name, Miss Dorothy?" to which she didn't know), and she picked some dandelions to bring her.  Dorothy boldly asked for a kiss (which you are just allowed to do when you are 84 years old for some reason), and Ella gave her a kiss without batting an eye.  Oh, I love the innocence of a child!  Ella doesn't know to think twice about Dorothy's repetitive conversations.  She doesn't notice that I say twelve times in fifteen minutes that my children are from ages one to six.  She just sees a person to love.  And she loves her. What a gift.




So tonight, after a sick day at home, spending too much time on the couch wondering when there will ever be order in my house again, a dinner on the patio brought a few unexpected surprises...the beauty of our tree, the reminders from Miss Dorothy, and the refreshing innocence of a little girl.

Happy Spring!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

From Mama to Mama

There is not much sweeter than having your mama present with you when you become a mama.  And for me, I have been blessed with this moment four times over.  Every time we have welcomed a baby into the world, a baby that has made my heart burst and stretch and overflow with the strongest, fiercest, most amazing kind of love, my mom has been there to experience it along with us.  This is no small gift.  So much of what I have learned about being a mom, and what a precious gift it is, has come from MY mom.  From watching her live and love and walk in grace and beauty as a mother.  And from the example she has set, the memories she has made, the values she has instilled, and the joy in which she has done it.  And to have her, my biggest fan, my encourager, my advocate, being there with me as I bring children into this world has been nothing short of joyous.  Knowing that I have her support and love on this mothering journey is a gift beyond description.  Watching her love my kiddos and enjoy being a nana is another gift in and of itself.

So today, I just want to say Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mom.  Thank you for loving ME and for encouraging me on this road that I am now on as a mama.  You have set such an amazing example, and I hope that I can be to my kids the kind of mom you have been to me.  I love you.

My mom with Micah, hours after his crazy birth
My mom, Micah, and me 

Us with Samuel right after his birth

Nana with Ella (Oh, I can hardly stand her bruising after her crazy-position delivery!)

My mom with Ella, Sammy, and me when Ella is 3 days old

Us with Sophia right after her birth, which happened only 15 minutes after arriving in my labor and delivery room!


Happy Mother's Day, Mom!  I am thankful for YOU!