BOOKS I FINISHED - OCTOBER 2011

FOR SCHOOL

Caddie Woodlawn, by Carol Ryrie BrinkRead aloud for Silas that I pre-read and he listened to CD. The stories in this book come from the life of the author's grandmother. It's similar in style and setting to Mandie and Grandma's Attic books. Silas enjoyed it, frequently laughing throughout the book.

FOR MYSELF

White Chocolate Moments, by Lori Wick
Tammy loaned me this book after reading my comment last month about non-cheesy fiction that doesn't have gratuitous sex scenes and I enjoyed it. It's the story of a girl who is raised by her grandfather after the death of her parents. Conflict in the family and her own insecurities cause problems as she enters adulthood, but reconciliation is found in later years as she matures and as people's lives are changed by Christ.

Raising a Soul Surfer: One Family's Epic Tale, by Cheri Hamilton & Rick BundschuhI saw this online when I was reserving Soul Surfer, which I read last month, and put it on hold. It was pretty much what I expected - a family member using something that happened to their family as an opportunity to tell their own history. Not a bad book, but it didn't do much for me.

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced, by Nujood Ali & Delphine MinouiThis is the true story of a Yemeni girl who fought to get out of the abusive arranged marriage she was forced into. Quick read, good story.

The Hiding Place, by Corrie ten BoomI try to read this book ever couple years. In case you're unfamiliar with it, the author's family, who lived in German-occupied Holland, hid Jews in their home during World War II. As a result, her family spent time in Hitler's concentration camps, with she and a sister spending the longest time. It's an incredible story of a commitment to do what's right, the love of family members for each other, the ability to see good in the midst of horrific circumstances, and a faith that God is bigger than anything we face.

10/27/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the flexibility in our schedule that homeschooling gives us.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

HANDYMAN

We picked up a crib on Sunday night and I wanted it put together yesterday. I started assembling it, but needed someone to hold a piece for me. I called Devon in and he held the piece while I put in one screw. Then I was done. Why? Because Devon turned into Mr. Handyman and assembled the rest of the crib himself. My involvement was limited to holding one piece for him and double-checking the tightness of the screws when he was done. So thankful for helpful kids!

34 WEEKS

Due dates are based on 40 weeks. Full term is 37-42 weeks. I've always gone 41 weeks. I'm now at 34 weeks.

I'm feeling a bit like I'm at 54 weeks. I'm guessing that has something to do with being 35 years old this time around.

BABY BLESSING

A little group of friends and family got together yesterday to bless me with some baby stuff. Being super responsible, I charged my camera batteries the night before and set my camera on the counter so I'd remember it. Being less responsible than I thought, I completely forgot to bring the camera with me. Fortunately, Tracy snapped a few pictures of the decorations with her camera.






Aren't all those "W" onesies cute?! Michelle, who hosted the gathering, had flowers out, candles burning, a ton of great food served in white dishes (I love white dishes!), and had decorated the living and dining room beautifully. It was wonderful!

We're so blessed by everyone who has been showering us with things, both practical and fun, for the 6th W lately. Thank you!!

10/20/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that the unpacking and organizing is almost done.

What's something that you're thankful for?

CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!!

Christmas is right around the corner. Can you believe it?! In an attempt to encourage everyone to plan ahead and to avoid the chaos of the malls and big stores, I thought it would be fun to plug some of the smaller businesses that we like.

As long as the business sells something suitable for gift giving, then it doesn't matter what kind of things it sells - big or small, ready to wrap up and stick under the tree or perfect to tuck in a stocking, consumable or keepsake.

The first rule is that you are not allowed to toot your own horn. We're only sharing the places & people we like doing business with as customers, not advertising our own companies.

The second rule is that you can't link anyone whose product or service you've never used or experienced yourself, regardless of how great you know they are. Fair enough?

I'll start ... and hope I'm not forgetting anyone.

It's Annmade For You: website - Ann's site has a variety of hats, but you can show her a picture of any hat or describe what you want and she'll be able to make it perfectly. She recently made a custom hat for Naomi, based on the things Naomi liked in hats she saw online, and it's super cute!

Knittin' Peace: etsy site - Robin can sew, knit, felt, etc. I have a quilt she made for Naomi & a bag she made for me. I've also purchased aprons from her, both off the rack and custom orders. Everything has been fantastic.

Ocean Breeze: etsy site, blog, Facebook page - Linda's jewelry is beautiful and affordable. She's great at making custom orders and is willing to tweak items already on her site, such as switching from silver to gunmetal.

Smarty Bars: website, Facebook page - Elisha makes some gluten-free, wheat-free, soy-free, vegan and raw snacks. They're bite-sized and super tasty!

The Blissful Stitcher: etsy site, blog, Facebook page - Heidi can embroider just about anything, can sew some items if what you need can't be found anywhere, and makes cool, woven monograms. She's been great to work with each time I've ordered a custom item, both for personal use and for an event I co-planned.

The Custom Soap Shop: Facebook page - Michelle makes a ton of different soaps (standard bars and fun shapes), body butters, lotions, etc. that I've both given and received as gifts.

Now it's your turn. Leave a comment with the name of the business, website, and any information you think would be good to add for those who are ready to do some Christmas shopping. You don't have to have a Blogger or Google account to leave a comment, so everyone can join in the fun.

RANDOM, RANDOM, RANDOM

Bags - Remember the sneak peak I gave of the embroidered money bags I ordered for the kids? Well, they're all done .... and they're awesome!!! Check them out at The Blissful Stitcher. Just don't mention them to the little Ws, as they won't see the bags until Christmas.

Corn maze - Getting settled into our home is taking all my extra time & energy these days, so I haven't blogged about our annual trip to Baggenstos Farm with my dad. My sister's family is in the country for a year, so they came along with us this time. It was a fun day, but I haven't loaded any pictures yet. You can, however, see plenty of shots on my dad & sister's accounts of the trip.

Hair - There is no longer any funky hair at our house. Silas wanted to keep the "I-5" for a whole year, but I cut him off at 9 1/2 months. I don't mind the funk at all, but I was getting really tired of maintaining it. So, we're back to normal hair until our house is put away and I'm no longer pregnant.

Refrigerator - We've been here nine days and I still haven't figured out where to put stuff in our fridge. It's a side-by-side unit, which I've never had, and I'm not understanding what makes people love them. Feels so cramped. Want to assure me that I'll eventually figure out how to organize my food in it so that I can once again know where everything is?

MENU - SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER 2011

Due to the fact that we moved in the middle of the last menu, there were a couple nights & mornings where plans got tweaked. We basically stayed on track, though. My biggest complaint is that I didn't get to make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, so I've thrown them in the mix again this time because I'm craving them like crazy!!!

BREAKFASTS
oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, raisins, and energy mix as optional toppings x4
Tam's granola (crockpot) x8
blueberry sour cream pancakes (double batch & freeze half)
Alton Brown's granola
yogurt streusel muffins (double batch & snack on extras)
breakfast casserole

DINNERS
leftovers x3
tacos x2
pork chops in sour cream/rice/peas & corn
olive & feta pasta/broccoli
grilled Hawaiian chicken/rice/tropical salad (yes, this is about the third time on the menu, but it keeps getting bumped)
garlic chicken (crockpot)/couscous/salad
salmon chowder (Tim's catch)/refrigerated biscuits
chicken salad sandwiches/raw veggies
chili dog casserole/peas & corn
quinoa & black beans/lemon garlic cucumbers
Asian orzo chicken salad/salad
potato soup (double & freeze half)/toast
cracked wheat & rice pilaf/chicken & green bean stir fry

DESSERTS
ice cream with toppings & cookies (a "celebrate your house" gift)
cinnamon rolls made with refrigerated crescent rolls (Silas thought this up & is making it)
pumpkin chocolate chip cookies

FOUR PLUGS & SOME BLESSINGS

I just wanted to plug some people that made our home purchase possible. I'm not getting any sort of reward for giving you their info. I'm just thankful for them and figured their expertise could be useful for some of you. Their websites are linked in green.

Tom DeVilliers - realtor
West One Properties Group/Keller Williams Realty
503-594-0805

Steve Berger - mortgage
Envoy Mortgage
503-698-5800

Ross Hulbrock - inspection
Apex Home Inspections
503-650-8999

These three men and their co-workers who we dealt with were great - gave us regular updates, answered all our questions quickly, etc.

I also want to plug the program we used.

USDA - home loan
100% financing

And, now a couple more neat things about this process, though I promise to start talking about other stuff after this post.

* Our earnest money was gifted to us. Not only is that a blessing in and of itself, but it's the same amount that Tim had to pay in tuition for the classes he's required to take this term for his new job. Coincidence? I think not.

* We were told the washer & dryer would not be included with the house, which was totally fine. We bought a set on Craigslist in the week preceding our move, then discovered upon getting our keys that the washer & dryer were left after all. Now we'll get to sell one set and put the cash toward school debt or pay the surprise forward and give a set to someone truly in need of one. Either option is great.

* We ordered a chest freezer last week. It's a splurge, but a practical one and the only one we're making. I ordered it one morning and that afternoon someone told us they'd planned on getting us one. In fact, they'd looked at the exact one we had ordered. So, they reimbursed us the cost of the freezer. I've missed having that extra bit of storage space for stockpiling deals and cooking meals ahead of time. It's not here yet, but I'm excited about that gift!

This process, if we start at the first discovery of mold in our apartment last December, has been long. Very long. But I'm so thankful for how it turned out!

10/13/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for the man who just came to hook up our internet. I'm also thankful for ...

* Mike and Tiffany W. (and some of their crew), Jeff and Geeta (and some of their crew), Neil, Pam C., Pam R., Jay, Charles, Roy, and Mike S. who loaded and cleaned our apartment with Tim on Sunday, then unloaded everything at our new house while my big belly and I did a whole lot of nothing.
* the staff at our apartment complex who were so understanding, assuring me that they'd work with us when I was stressed about closing dates and move out dates not coinciding.
* the beautiful African violet that was snuck into our new bedroom on moving day.
* Tammy, who came over on Monday to put my kitchen away, unpack a bunch of boxes, gather the remaining boxes into a pile, and feed me lunch.
* the autumn bouquet and movie night package that was given to us on moving day.
* the wives/kids who gave up their husbands/dads on Sunday afternoon so that we would have plenty of help with our move.
* a house that is totally perfect for our family.

What's one thing that you're thankful for?

LATER, ALLIGATOR

We're moving at 1:00 tomorrow. Can you believe it?! I found out today that we aren't going to have internet until late in the week, so I'll be offline after tomorrow morning. See you on the other side!!

10/6/11 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that I slept well last night.

What's one thing you're thankful for?

SOME FUN NUMBERS

2 flips - We only have to turn the pages of our calendar two more times and we'll be in the month of the 6th W's arrival.

4 days - That's how long until we move into the first home we've owned. Exciting stuff!

10 minutes - We started something new last week. When Tim comes home, we spend ten minutes chatting in our room, just sharing about our days. It's kinda like the 15-20 minutes of "couch time" that others do, but without the distractions of being in the living room and not so much time that it's a huge interruption to getting dinner on the table. It went well last week, though moving-related things and a class Tim's taking have made it impossible this week. That's ok. Life happens and we'll get back in the groove next week. The kids are good at holding us accountable, which is kinda fun.

12 bags - Our kids use regular envelopes for managing their money, but we frequently have to reinforce them with tape or replace them and money spills out if they aren't careful to hold them right side up. Drives me batty, but such is life. A couple weeks ago, though, I had a sudden brainstorm. What if they had fabric bags that were sturdier than paper? How would we label the bags, even if I found what I was looking for?

The answer was clear. I needed The Blissful Stitcher, otherwise known as my friend Heidi. I shot her a note describing exactly what I wanted and she's currently working her magic. I needed four bags per kid - tithe, save, give, and spend - and let her know the color scheme for each little W. She just finished the first bag. Want to see?




These are actually going to be Christmas gifts, so the kids don't have a clue they're being made, but I'm really excited! No more money dropping or envelopes falling apart!!

18 hours - The male Ws stayed up all night last Friday playing video games with each other. The boys have pulled all-nighters before and usually take a good nap the following day to get them through til the next bedtime. This time, however, they could not be woken up. They went down for naps at 1:00 on Saturday and slept until 7:00 on Sunday morning. They were pretty confused when they woke up, not having any idea what day or time it was. So funny!

READY? SET. MOVE!!

It's official. We're moving on Sunday!! We've had several people offer to help, but until now we haven't known exactly what we needed or when we needed it. So I'll tell you what we need and you can let Tim or I know if you're available.

CLEANING
This is usually a breeze for me, but the combo of a bulky belly and some major discomfort I've had lately are making this an area I could use some help. There are a couple options here. One is that there could be a deep clean (scrubbing bathrooms, cleaning window sills, etc.) on Friday and then a final touch (we'll have had to use the scrubbed bathroom through Sunday, floors will need to be vacuumed, etc.) as the apartment gets emptied on Sunday. The other option is that everything gets saved for Sunday. Either way is fine with me, though I will probably be at the new place on Sunday to tell people where to put stuff and wouldn't be able to help with cleaning the apartment.

TRUCKS
We're prepared to rent a moving van and realize the weather may make that the best option anyway. However, there's been chatter about people being willing to load their trucks with our stuff. If you and your truck will be available on Sunday afternoon, then please let us know as soon as possible. That will help us figure out if we need to rent a van and, if so, what size to get.

MUSCLES
We don't require huge muscles, just ones that are big enough to put stuff in or take stuff out of a truck or moving van.

Those are the needs - arms to lift, vehicles to load, and hands to clean. We'll be at church Sunday morning, then will need to eat lunch and possibly get a moving van, so we'll start the move at 1:00. Of course, if you want to help, but can't show up til a little later, then that's fine. Our move last year took 3 hours from start to finish, so we should be done before dinner. If you want to help, then just let us know what time to expect you and we'll give you directions to our current and new homes. Thanks a bunch!

POUNDED

Our month of getting pounded has come to an end. It was great to stockpile staples and enjoy some treats. Here's what we got, including repeats of some items, which was great because they were things we use regularly.

beans - blend
beans - kidney
beans - pinto
chocolate chips
cinnamon rolls
honey
muffins
pumpkin bread
raisins
rice - basmati
rice - harvest medley
samoa brownies
spaghetti
tomatoes - diced
tomatoes - sauce

If you've never given someone a pounding, then I'd encourage you to pick a recipient and rally the troops. Lots of fun and endless options for ways people can particpate. Thanks again to Lisa for coordinating our pounding and to everyone who participated!

THE POWER OF A SHOWER

Back in the early days of this pregnancy, which was also when I was nauseated, exhausted and depressed, Michelle whisked me away for an evening of dessert and chatting. It was a wonderful escape from reality, exactly what I needed at that point. To top off a wonderful evening, she also let me know that she wanted to host a baby shower for me later in the year. All she needed from me was a list of people to invite, as we don't know all the same people. Super thoughtful!

Well, coming up with that list proved the power of a shower.

A shower has the power to make you feel loved. This is our fourth child and I'm a minimalist mom when it comes to baby stuff. Between those two facts I had no expectation of being given a shower this time around. I was totally fine with that. Michelle, however, decided that this baby needed to be celebrated and wanted to host a shower. Loved.

Making a list of the women in my life took a long time. There are so many whose lives intersect mine in big and small ways. Thinking of who they are and how we're connected was awesome. Loved.

A shower has the power to stress you out. We know a lot of people and it became increasingly difficult to trim the list down to a number that would fit in the space we were working with. Would everyone who was invited actually come? Of course not. But, I did need to consider space, which is a little tricky when you easily interact with 100 different women over the course of a month. Stress.

There's no one I don't want there, but who do I invite? Church friends were the hardest to narrow down because they're the biggest source of our friendships. When you go to a large church, have been there for six years, and are well-known it gets a little tricky. The people I've known for years, but don't actually see that often or the ones I chat with regularly, but never about anything of substance? The people I see face to face or the ones who, due to attending different services or having lives that don't naturally intersect ours, I primarily interact with online? The ones in the metro area or the ones within a day's drive? The ones who know me well because my life is an open book on my blog, I'm involved in various things at church, and tend to be just a wee bit chatty, even if I don't know them very well or the ones that I'm close to because we both share our lives with each other? The ones who walk through rough times with me or the ones who I stay pretty light-hearted with? The ones who will be hurt if they're not invited or the ones most likely to attend? Where do I draw the line, because I certainly can't invite everyone? Stress.

I'm not a people pleaser by nature and will have fun no matter how few or many people are there, but figuring out who to invite stressed me out. I mean, really stressed me out.

Anyway, it took me months, but I finally got a list to Michelle. In the last couple weeks, though, I've had a handful of people who weren't on the list ask me when I was having a shower, been asked why specific people weren't invited, etc. AAACCCKKK!!! Exactly what I wanted to avoid, but didn't know how.

That's the power of a shower. To simultaneously make you feel super loved and super stressed.

The solution? Michelle and I talked today and we're just making it an open invitation. If you want to come (it's on 10/22 at 11:00) and didn't get the invitation, then please do not take it personally. Know that I agonized over that list and had to draw a line somewhere. Then invite yourself. Seriously. Just talk to Michelle or I for the location. We'd love to have you celebrate the 6th W with us. If we have enough space, then great. If we run out of room, then we'll say so.

And with that, I'll ditch the stress and stick with the love.

MENU - FIRST HALF OF OCTOBER 2011

Here's how we'll start October off.

BREAKFASTS
oatmeal with brown sugar, milk, raisins, and energy mix as optional toppings x4
Tam's granola (crockpot) x7
almond poppyseed muffins (Costco, no recipe)
pumpkin bread
leftover oatmeal pancakes (freezer)
baked oatmeal
egg & potato scramble

DINNERS
leftovers x3
tacos x2
Tig's black bean chili/cornbread
rice cooker mac & cheese/peas & corn
Papa Murphy's/salad
grilled Hawaiian chicken/rice/tropical salad
new salmon recipe (Tim's catch)/new couscous recipe/peas & corn
black bean & couscous salad/tortilla chips/raw veggies
summertime orzo & chicken/salad
marinated chicken/new potato recipe (need to tweak & try one more time)
vegetable barley soup/garlic bread
Cajun sausage & beans (crockpot & freezer)/cornbread
new soup recipe (flop)/whole wheat drop biscuits

DESSERTS
apple brownies/ice cream
pumpkin chocolate chip cookies