Or at least my blog is!! Last week I mentioned some exciting changes coming to this blog. Click over here to see what I’m talking about!
And then be sure to bookmark me because I won’t be writing from this site anymore. Over and out. 10-4 good buddy. Niner.
B and L have been taking speech classes for the last several weeks in an effort to correct some sounds they are having trouble with. They both say an “F” sound in place of “Th” such as, “My birf-day is coming up” or “Time to take a baf.” So we’ve been practicing a lot of words, including counting from 30-40. I’m happy with their progress, and I feel like, for the most part, it’s really just a matter of breaking some bad habits.
They were getting ready to walk out the door for school, and I did my annoying-mother check list: Do you have your hat, gloves, lunch money, homework, etc. I then asked if they have their speech-homework ready. Lydia looked at me and in a very exasperated tone said, “Mommy, today is Wednesday. We only have speech class on Tuesdays and Fursdays.”
Some exciting changes are coming to this blog. . .stay tuned!
I spent 9 months living in Israel after my first year of college. During that time, I attended an Anglican church. The church was so different from the one I had grown up in, but I quickly grew to love it and I still have a deep appreciation for the many things I learned by being a part of that congregation.
During that time, corporate prayer and confession became a very meaningful part of worship to me. I discovered that something powerful happens when the whole congregation stands together to confess our failings as humans and our desperate need for Jesus. The time of confession was followed by a time of petition before the Lord for our community, our neighbors, ourselves, etc.
This weekend, I came across a book of prayers and petitions. As I was flipping through it I was deeply moved by the beautifully written prayers. The thought occurred to me that it would be nice to write one of the prayers here, in an effort to unite our hearts in praying for our neighbors in Haiti. I find that when I am overwhelmed with a situation (such as the devastation in Haiti), it is helpful to have a written prayer to help me say what I can’t find the words for on my own. So I encourage you to join with me in a petition before our Mighty God:
Lord Jesus, fulfillment of the covenant, Lord, have mercy.
Christ Jesus, shepherd who seeks the lost, Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, light in our darkness, Lord, have mercy.
Israel’s God is faithful from generation to generation; therefore, we present our concerns before the Most High:
That all peoples would open their hearts to be quick to forgive and ready to seek reconciliation, we pray to the Lord:
That all nations respond to the cry of the hungry with effective aid and productive policies, we pray to the Lord:
That victims of natural disaster- earthquake, flood, windstorm, drought, heat, or cold- receive the help they need to rebuild their lives, we pray to the Lord:
That boys and girls who have disappeared and youth who live in the streets find shelter and a warm welcome from people who care, we pray to the Lord:
That the community of the Lord Jesus Christ reach out to those far and receive them with joy.
God of heaven and earth, you seek out the lost until they are safe. Draw us and all our brothers and sisters close to your side. we ask this in the name of the Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus our Lord.
My youngest daughter, Ellie, is charming. She regularly comes up to me and says sweet things, like, “Mommy, I chuth love you” or “Mommy, I chuth wanna snuggle wif you.”
She’s pretty laid back. Definitely the most laid back of my offspring.
And she’s very girly. She loves dresses, toe nail polish, and jewelry.
After looking at these pictures, you might be shocked at what I’m about to tell you. But the truth must be told, so here goes:
Apparently, there was a little incident yesterday in the church nursery. A reliable source (Ellie) told me that Abriley (a darling, red-headed, 2 year old) was playing with a puzzle that Ellie wanted. Ellie asked her for it, but Abriley said no.
I suppose a well-trained child would have said, “No problem. You have fun with the puzzle and I’ll find another toy.” But that wouldn’t make a blog-worthy story, no siree.
Ellie wasn’t taking no for an answer, and well, Ellie hauled off and punched Abriley. Right in the face. There was blood. Abriley’s lip was busted open and her eye had a mark on it too.
I saw Abriley being carried out of the nursery with blood on her mouth, in search of her mother, and I thought, “Poor thing, I wonder what happened.” How was I supposed to know that my daughter was responsible for the mayhem?
Sigh. I’m trying to raise her right, y’all, I really am. But there are some things beyond my control. What happens in the nursery is only one of them.
Normally I keep things pretty light-hearted on here. But, today, I wanted to take a few moments and reflect on another issue, one a little more personal.
Last April I put away my scale. I took it from its place beside the bathtub, crammed it under the bathroom sink, put the trash can on top of it, and I haven’t seen it since. 
Does that seem unusual to you? Maybe it is. That moment was pivotal for me in a battle I’ve been engaged in for as long as I can remember. A number of things led me to that point and I wanted to record them here.
If this post feels terribly boring to you or you don’t feel like reading the rest of it, I’m okay with that. But I hate to lose readers, so feel free to click below to be redirected to something much more fun than this discussion:
The Greatest Moments in Sports History
Okay. Now that I’ve weeded out my lesser dedicated readers (is anybody still out there? Am I talking to myself here?), I want to talk about the reasons why that scale is under my bathroom sink, and not in a more prominent place in the bathroom.
1. The number that came up on the scale was dictating my moods. And not just for a few minutes. If the number was lower than I expected, I was elated! But if the number was higher than I expected, my mood would plummet and I would stay in that place for days. My dark moods were being triggered by that scale, and in the worst moments, I could hardly function.
2. I am raising 3 daughters. I refuse to feed them the lie that says thin equals beauty and beauty equals value. But it’s so subtle. I knew that I had to get a grip on this issue in my own heart before I stood a chance at passing the truth along to them.
3. This summer, I lost a dear friend to pancreatic cancer. For months I watched her life slowly slip away. I watched her husband grieve, and I watched her children walk around aimlessly with a look of shock and disbelief in their eyes. Watching that all unfold gave me a new perspective. This dear friend, who spoke words of life and encouragement to me when I was completely overwhelmed as a new mom, left this world with so much living undone. And here I was, hung up on longing to be a different size. In light of her death, it just seemed ridiculous.
4. Despite what society would like for me to believe, I am not actually overweight. Nope, I will never stand out in a crowd for being the “ideal” body-type (I HATE that phrase!). But, my doctor showed me a chart in her office, and, to my astonishment, I actually fell within the “normal” boundaries for my height and body type. After years of being “big-boned” or “pretty-faced” and comparing myself to my friends who were tiny, I had completely lost perspective on a healthy size. When my doctor informed me that I am not overweight, it was an entirely new revelation to me.
Perhaps there are other reasons that I can’t even verbalize yet. And the reality is that I still have days where I feel like a blimp (those days come around about once a month, ifyouknowwhatI’msayin’). But I have chosen to focus on my health and not a series of fluctuating numbers.
Which is why you will continue to hear me whine about these crazy classes I’m taking at the local gym.
So that’s that. Do I wish I had a flat belly? Yup. (Do you know a woman who has given birth who doesn’t long for a few things to be what they once were?). But I’m no longer driven by that. Will I ever step on the scale again? Probably not (with the exception of the times where I can’t avoid it, such as the doctor’s office). My greater concern is treating my body well through exercise and wise eating habits (some days are better than others. . .do I hear an amen?) and let the numbers fall where they may.
Throughout this process I’ve learned a lot about myself, about true beauty, and about taking care of my body. I could never have learned that from the scale. Which is why it will stay right where it is.
We’ve had our first major snowstorm this year in central Ohio. It’s fun-I’ll admit- but it’s still nothing compared to the snowstorms I remember from my childhood days in mid-Michigan. But, I’ll take what I can get. The combination of the snow and my new camera (Hooray!) has inspired this post. So here goes:
This little yellow playhouse looks like something out of a fairytale with all that white snow! Many mudpies have been made in our little playhouse, hand made by Papa several years ago.
Looking out my kitchen window, this is what I see: a huge cemetery. . .it’s beautiful in the snow!
This kind of weather calls for only one thing: Sledding!!
And where do we go sledding in the flatlands of the mid-west? In our backyard, oh yes we do! The cemetery has some beautiful hills. . .the trick is to find a path without any, um, stones in the way.
And one more, just because I love it:
No, my darling little girl does not have an out-of-control beard. Just a negligent mother who didn’t feel like dealing with pony-tails today.
One of my goals in the next few months is to get back on track with our Family International Night. Our family has been at a busy stage of life where I ‘m just happy to get something on the table at all, and an international meal every week was feeling overwhelming. So we took a little break from it, but this week we picked it up again.
Tonight, we traveled to The Congo for some Nsoso ya Muamba:
Chicken with Peanut Sauce:
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large saucepan. Fry 3 lbs. of chicken, cut up, until cooked through (I used 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts). Remove from oil, then fry:
1 large onion, sliced
1-2 cloves garlic
Add:
1 cup tomatoes, fresh or canned
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/3 cup peanuts, ground in blender, or chunky peanut butter
Stir in 1 cup water until the sauce is smooth.
Add:
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp. celery or celery leaves, chopped
1 tsp. salt
Cook a few minutes, stirring constantly. Return chicken to sauce. Stir to coat pieces well. Cover and cook over medium heat about 15 minutes. If too thick, add a little water. Serve over rice.
As another year draws to an end, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite moments of 2009. Here they are in chronological order (sort of):
January: We had a huge snow fall that kept the girls home from school for an entire week. . .we took advantage of the extra time at home and did lots of fun activities. Here we are getting ready to make snow ice cream!
Also in January, Bryn and Lydia started taking piano lessons. Here’s Bryn:
and Lydia:
February: Lydia and Bryn turned 7. We celebrated with a Fancy Nancy birthday party, including a tea cup cake!
In March Ellie got even cuter and my husband got even hotter. How is that possible?
April was the beginning of softball season. We all loved it, but Bryn got tired of it half-way through and it was a fight to get her to finish out the season:
And Ellie got even cuter:
In May, Ellie turned 3 and got this tricycle for her birthday. Life has never been the same since:
In June, I planted Gerbera Daisies. I just love Daisies, they’re such a friendly flower (name that movie):
Also in June, we headed to Florida for a week of vacation with Conrad’s whole family. I could fill pages with the memories made that week. . .and look at Ellie’s cute pig tails!
In July, we headed to my dad’s in Michigan and caught a Tiger game in Detroit on our way up. A definite highlight of the summer for us!
August: Carla’s wedding. It was lovely. She was gorgeous. I was exhausted. 24 hours later, I wanted to start over and do it all again! I just love weddings.
The morning after the wedding, we hosted the extended family at our home for brunch. I loved every second of it and didn’t want it to end.
September: Another wedding. This time my childhood friend, Christa Keim, got married in a unique wedding that reflected her personality at every turn. It was an absolute honor to be a part of it:
October: We made applesauce. I just love applesauce.
October: I had to include this picture of my girls in their costumes. It makes me laugh every time I see it!
November: We went to Pennsylvania to spend Thanksgiving with Conrad’s family. We also celebrated Christmas while we were there. One of my favorite things about family get togethers is watching my girls interact with their cousins:
December: The first big snow. We woke up to a couple inches of the white stuff on the first Saturday of Christmas break. The girls were outside as soon as they could get bundled up.
Can’t wait to see what 2010 will bring! Happy New Year to you and yours~
Very often we are traveling right over Christmas Eve and Day, but this year it worked out for us to be home. I’m so thankful for the many happy moments we had this year. . .here are just a few:
We made monkey bread for breakfast. I love this stuff, but I think it’s going to be a once a year treat, because I’m having a hard time justifying eating white bread smothered in butter and sugar on a regular basis. It’s the kind of thing that is perfect for Christmas morning, the only day all year when calories don’t count. If you need a recipe, you can find it here.
While the monkey bread was baking, we let the girls dig into their stockings (or mittens, in our house)!
Then we sat down to a nutritious breakfast of monkey bread, omelets, and grapefruit
Breakfast was followed by reading The Christmas Story from the Gospel of Luke and also from a sweet children’s book.
Next was the mass chaos of present opening. The girls each got some books and games, nothing terribly exciting, to be honest, but they got so much stuff from grandparents that we didn’t buy much. (Did you notice Ellie’s footed pajamas? I want her to wear footed pajamas forever. and ever.)
Bryn and Lydia were happy with their new VTech game system and a bunch of new games:
And Ellie loved her new Melissa and Doug toys:
We spent a lot of the day working on a puzzle. So relaxing. The girls helped with it for a little while, but mostly, Conrad and I got hooked on it until it was finished.
At some point in the day we did have a nice dinner: ham, potatoes, green beans, and salad, but I didn’t take any pictures of that stuff. When it was all said and done, we were left with a house that looked like a tornado blew through. But I’m very willing to look past that. . .we had a perfectly relaxing day together with just our girls and I tried to soak in every moment of it. I went to bed very happy and fulfilled. . .what more can I ask for?
I had no intention of waiting this long to update (sorry Aunt Linda), but, well, I have no excuse.
So, we’ve been busy, just like everyone else, but we’re also working really hard to keep life manageable and even fun during this season. Last night we threw a rather spontaneous gift-wrapping party. We called a bunch of friends and told them to bring the stuff they needed to wrap and a snack. We extended the dining room table, put on some hot water for hot chocolate and tea, turned on a good football game and wrapped presents together! So much fun!
I also spent a morning in the kitchen making lasagna and meatballs so that I have meals easily accessible for the next few days. I refuse to spend Christmas day slaving away in the kitchen. I have better things to do, such as snuggle with my kids, read lots of stories, play with their new toys, and drink coffee.
We woke up to snow on Saturday morning and the girls got up, ate breakfast, and immediately starting suiting up to head outside. The older two got dressed all by themselves and Ellie only needed a little help. We sent them outside then watched from the window as they worked together to build a snowman. Conrad looked at me and said, “Wow, this is the first snow man they’ve ever built without me.” And that made me cry. Don’t ask. And then Conrad looked at me real funny-like which made me laugh and the next thing I know I was a blubbering idiot right there in my living room.
On another note,we spent last weekend in Frankenmuth, Michigan with my dad and my siblings and their families. My family is hilarious and every time we’re together I spend a good part of the time laughing so hard that I’m not really making any noise. Good times. We watched entirely too much “Larry the Cable Guy” and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.
While we were there, I gave my brother the best gift in gift-giving history. And I didn’t even draw his name. But you know how sometimes you come across a gift and it just speaks to you and you think, “You know, Christmas just wouldn’t be complete if this gift wasn’t unwrapped on Christmas morning.” Well,I had that moment in the middle of Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago. So, despite the fact that I hadn’t drawn his name, I decided to spend $10 in the spirit of true giving and all things selfless. Here it is in all it’s hilarity:
Because everyone needs an Obama paper doll set. I don’t care who you are, that right there is a funny gift.
I'm a Girly Mom 
