The Days of Our Lives

We’re 7 months into our school year and it’s a blessing to say that it has gone very fast. It seems that in the not so distant past I was taking the girls first day of school picture. We’ve settled into a solid routine, though I strive to keep it fresh here and there so that I don’t put them to sleep.

Lea has been growing butterflies. She received a butterfly growing kit as a gift for Christmas, so we incorporated the kit into her insect-butterfly cycle unit in Science and she’s been having a ball checking on them every day as they change and morph. They look pretty gross in the stage where their skin is stretching and bulging as they shed. Sort of like little mini hulk hogans busting out of their skin. Ewww.

Love had an idea as they studied constellations to string yarn around thumb tacks to shape out the constellations that they studied. It was even sweeter to gaze out at the stars the other night and see them point out the Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt.

 

 At their last co-op class, they ventured to South Korea and learned about their unique culture and dined on seaweed!

 

 

In our after-regular-school-hour time (school for the homeschooler never ends), they’ve been learning how to make homemade baby food and trying some new recipes.

I wanted to kick myself after realizing how simple and easy it is to make homemade baby food. With both of my girls I took what I thought was the convenient route of running to the store to purchase baby food. Making your own baby food is simple, quick, and easy.

For baby cereal, we grinded up brown rice and added to a cup of bowling water and mixed in a little expressed milk. Our little man loved it. The girls have had fun making pureed carrots and apples as well.

These have been the routine days of our lives for the past 7 months and its been a joy thus far. As we near the end of our first school year, my heart is full of joy and peace as I think back over how God has blessed us in numerous ways day after day. He has shown Himself through answered prayer and provided for us in times when I didn't even realize I was in need.

What sweet days they have been...

Timberrrrrrr!

The timber company made their way over to our property last week and began knocking down trees and making way for the driveway and location for our home.

I'm amazed at how well the hubby calculated which trees to knock down. The path that is emerging from the trees that have been knocked down help shape the driveway and house clearing. If I would've tried to select each specific tree to be knocked down it would have turned out to be a maze I'm sure. I'm very directionally challenged and find it easy to get lost. If it wasn't for the orange markers on the trees that remained, I would have been all turned around.




Clearing for the Driveway

A portion of the house clearing



 

Big Monster Timber Equipment

We are just a wee bit excited and tickled by it all...

No SuperWoman Here

A few weeks ago I blogged about how I’m a work in progress.

As a Christian I mean (I’ve “arrived” at being a wife, mother, and ultimate friend……sike). Seriously though, I really am a work in progress. I can’t type that in dark enough ink. In part of my testimony in coming to Christ (I’ll have to blog maybe on that one day too), I’ve shared in the past with anyone that would listen how for years growing up in the Church I did a very good job of fulfilling the “good girl that’s saved” role. It took a long time of looking to the Bible as my mirror to see the darkness within my Spirit. For me at that time in my life, salvation was only skin-deep and to be totally honest that wasn’t much of a salvation at all. Today, part of my passion within my spiritual walk is seeking to know the Lord way beyond the superficial, I went to Church on Sunday in my best dress and read a Bible Verse and looked real spiritual doing it.

After coming to know Christ, but before I started delving into scripture to seek out God’s expectations for me as a Mother, I wore a super woman cape. I strived to do my motherly tasks in my own fleshly energy. As you might expect, I wore myself out a lot, both mentally and physically. As I learned that apart from Christ I could nothing and God’s power is made perfect in my weakness, I found that if I left my super woman cape in the closet, I worried less. Without the cape, I leaned and depended more on God than on myself. I’ve tried to pack that old cape away, but somehow it keeps climbing its way out of the storage chest and onto my back somehow.

I really do start out every morning with the right intentions. Believe me, I do. Study and meditation in the Word. Check. Prayer time while reflecting on what I just read. Check. Mental commitment of allowing the Lord to bless my words, my thoughts, and actions. Check. Sarcastic tone from kids coupled with complaining, and whining over their dislike of breakfast. Frustrated emotions erupt and thoughts of locking myself in the room for the day begin to fester.

As this scenario plays out in my life, my superwoman cape comes out to find me. Thoughts of doubt regarding God’s control over my life settle in and try to make a home in my mind and spirit. Slowly, I start to take the day in my own hands and without fail, I end up looking like a frazzled, uncontrolled, ill spirited mother….with a super woman cape on.

Some things that I’ve learned to keep that cape in the closet right where it belongs:

1)      Start out the day with the One who woke you up. Pray, read Scripture, meditate and ponder over what you’ve read, pray over what God has revealed to you through what you’ve read. Talk to God about your fears and concerns. While He knows all of your frailties, verbalizing them allows you to "unload" the mental burdens that you may carry. Its tempting to unload to your husband, girlfriends, or even on a blog. While these avenues that you make take to cast your burdens on can make you feel better as they pray for you and sympathize with you, they can't ultimately bring you the peace that God can. 

2)      If you’re able to recognize the things that tempt you to waiver from being controlled by God, to being controlled by your own, fleshly thoughts (or, negative, discouraging thoughts from Satan), arm yourself everyday with scripture that you can recite to yourself to replace the negativity with the Word.

3)      Whenever you seem to get in an endless, mindless pit of negative thoughts that you know are not of God and you’ve recited every verse that you can muster mental prowess to repeat, just repeat, “Lord, help me” or simply “Jesus” until the thoughts cease. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we do no not what and how to pray for ourselves. As you bring your attention to God by uttering His name, you are recognizing that you need help and that you can't fix a situation within your own power. Its at this very place that God comes to our aid.

4)      When doubt sets in any area of your life that you know God is working, take time to contemplate and remind yourself of who God is. Study the attributes of God. God’s character alone pulverizes the petty things that we allow our minds to get wrapped around, paralyzing us from remaining hopeful in Christ.

5)      Consider what you listen to on the radio and watch on the telly (that’s what people from England call a television. I like to speak with an English accent sometimes). Are you watching a bunch of foolishness on tv that creates mental pictures in your mind that go against who and what God stands for? Are you listening to songs that put down God instead of lifting Him up? Or, songs that lift yourself up (feeding a sense of pride within yourself) instead of God?
 
Speaking of the radio (and, to bring this blog entry to a close cause it sure is long), I’d love to share the lyrics from a song that speaks to lifting up your life in surrender to the One who will never fail us. Even when it seems like we’ve tried all that we can to honor God and our plans are completely falling apart, don’t take things in your own hands and let that cape find its way to your back.

Just lift up your life up, once again in surrender.  Trust Him. He knows what He’s doing.

Lift Up My Life (by Unspoken)

You brought me this far so why would I question You now
You have provided so why would I start to doubt
I've never been stranded, abandoned or left here to fight alone
So I'm giving You control

I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up

Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me

If peace is a river then let it sweep over me
If I'm under fire I know it's refining me
When I hear You calling out I follow now wherever the road may go
I know You're leading me home

I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up

Have Your way in me
Have Your way in me

Take my life and let it be all for You
Take my life and let it be all for You

I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
(Take my life)

I lift my life, lift my life up
I give it all in surrender
(Take my heart)
I lift my heart, lift my heart up
You can have it forever
All my dreams, all my plans
Lord I leave it in Your hands
I lift my life, lift my life up

Have Your way with me
Have Your way with me
Have Your way with me
Have Your way with me

Take my life and let it be all for You

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/unspoken/liftmylifeup.html

5 Reasons...

Almost 8 years ago, my husband got the bright idea that we should take up skiing. My husband has a comical side, so I thought this was one of those moments. Well, he wasn't kidding. I'm married to a very adventurous man and I've mustered up the courage on several occasions to try out one of his daring sports. I decided to put on my big girl pants and took the slopes, only to cry the whole way down the bunny slope on my first attempt at skiing (my hubby was an instant natural mind you). As I was gearing up to release myself from my skis, my husband gave me that, I know you're not about to give up look and challenged me get back on the lift and try again.

Eight years later and I'd like to share with you...

5 Reasons You Should Seriously Consider Taking Up One of Your Husband’s Sports

1)      The location of this sport may take you places that may take your breath away.

 



At the top of a Slope at Massanutten - 2012

I’m sorry if your husband’s favorite sport is basketball and you end up in a smelly locker room.

2)      He may decide one day that everyone gets to skip school so that you can take part in this sport that he loves so dear.

 

Love spending a school day on the slopes

 

3)     You just might lose a few of those pesky pounds you’ve been trying to hard to lose all the while having fun doing the sport.

4)      He may buy you some new gear and you just may look cute in it

 

 





Check out that head band - 2012



You have my sympathies if your hubby loves to swim and putting on a bathing suit isn’t at the top of the list of things that you like to get dressed in

5)      No matter how unappealing his sport may seem to you, if you give it a try you just may end up making a few memories that you can look back on after the kids are all grown that will make you smile

 

Memories we've made over the years...




Headband...I know, not cute. I didn't want to flatten my hair with a hat (2009)



2009

 

2010

Rough Riding SnowBoarders (2010)



2011



Love & Lea in Slope Sliders (2011)



Lea's first Ski Class - Age 5 (2011)



2012



2012



2012



2014



2014

 

 

If you take my advice and it all doesn’t end up very well, suggest that he take up a sport that you like…..Convince him that Window Shopping is good for the legs!

Coming Home Series - Conclusion

Making the decision to leave a secure and stable income behind is a difficult one to make. Through prayer, study of scripture, discussions with your spouse, and careful financial planning, you can develop a plan with confidence knowing that with God all things are possible. Its impossible to plan for everything, so I encourage anyone forging ahead in this direction to seek God through each and every step.

Once you have developed a plan for your family, execution of that plan is another adventure that requires much faith in where God has led you thus far. As our family is currently in the phase of execution of our own plans of "coming home", I've found myself having to rely and depend on God in ways I've never experienced.

My other advice to any mother pursuing this venture is to have patience. We cannot anticipate God to move or act in our own timing. For us, the culmination of time that passed as God worked and stirred within my heart as I prayed, searched out scripture, discussed the desire with my husband, and developed a financial plan, spanned five to six years. Looking back, I'm thankful for the process that God led me through as he refined, molded, and shaped my heart to do what He desired.

I used to keep a quote up in my office during my "out of the home" working days that said, "Faith that hasn't been tested, can't be trusted". If we haven't had to exercise our faith, how do we know that we have the courage in Christ to weather trials and uncertain days that we go through in life?

I pray that this series has been useful to someone in some way, shape, or form. As God gives me strength and teaches me, it is my desire to pass on what I've learned. I will return to this topic in the near future to relay the lessons learned through execution of our plans.

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6) 

A Meatball Recipe for the Books!

I've tried several meatball recipes and something was always....missing.

I will now look no further. Here's one for the books! Straight from the Pioneer Woman. She hasn't let me down yet!

Ingredients

3/4 pounds Ground Beef

3 cloves Garlic, Minced

3/4 cups Fine Bread Crumbs (I used a mixture of seasoned Italian Breadcrumbs and made up my own by toasting some leftover bread and cutting into small pieces)

2 whole Eggs

3/4 cups Freshly Grated Parmesan (I wish I had some parmesan cheese, but didn't get to add any. Still tasted fantastic without it)

1/4 cup Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced (makes the meatballs nice and pretty)

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

1/2 cup Olive Oil

Top your favorite pasta and sauce with these little, meaty nuggets of joy and you will give your mouth a tasty treat!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/02/spaghetti-meatballs/

Coming Home Series - V

To consider in what areas you can cut back and downsize, here are some things to discuss with your spouse:

1)      Assess your largest expenses. For most those are mortgages, car payments, student loans, and credit card payments. You need to prayerfully consider ways to lower these expenses and assess which expenses you will be able to continue to manage on a single income.

If your vision budget will not cover your large expenses, you will have to investigate ways to eliminate and/or lower these expenses to fit within your vision budget.

2)      In what ways can you decrease the expenses spent on food?

Are there ways that you can decrease your food bill each month?

Ask yourself, how often do we eat out each month?

Can we eat at home less to avoid costly restaurant meals?

Can we pack snacks for the road so that we are not required to pick up fast food?

If you do not know how much you’re putting out on food each month, develop a record similar to your financial budget that shows how much you are spending each month for groceries.

Meal planning is a very smart way to develop a more cost effective plan for feeding your family. With a meal plan, each week or each month you plan out the specific meals that you plan to prepare for each day of the week. With the list of meals, you shop for the main ingredients that you’ll need for your meals, eliminating the possibility of having to get carry out. Meal Planning… another blog for another day.

 

3)      What purchases are you making that are a “wants” instead of “needs”?

Consider what things you purchase out of personal desire versus a want. I’ll save the time listing things as examples. If you do some self-reflection, I’m sure that you can think of some things that you can live without in order to save.

Once you have assessed these areas, you can develop a get-well plan outlining the specific steps you need to take that will help you reach the goals outlined in your vision budget.

For example, if you need to eliminate a credit card bill from your list of expenses make a list of practical steps that can help you reach your goal, (i.e., Stop making purchases that you do not have cash for, pay additional funds in the amount of $______ on your credit card payment to pay it down quicker, etc.)

With two incomes, as your salaries may increase its common for people to just buy more things instead of putting the money into savings or they purchase things on credit digging themselves more into debt. As you go through this process, you may find that you spend a considerable amount of funds on things that you do not necessarily need. As you go through this exercise with your husband, generate executable steps that you’ll need to take to reach the vision budget that you’ve developed.