Born in the Year of Courage, written by Emily Crofford
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. This work of fiction is based on the true story of a Japanese teenager who was shipwrecked in the 1800s, rescued by Americans, then unable to return to his isolationist country without being put to death. The boys and I all enjoyed the book.
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze, written by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis and illustrated by William Low
Read aloud for Silas and Devon. This is the fictional story of a teenage boy and his mother as they move from the Chinese countryside to the city so that the boy can begin a coppersmith apprenticeship. The boys and I all enjoyed this book.
The Cat Who Went to Heaven, written by Elizabeth Coatsworth and illustrated by Raoul Vitale
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The story of a Japanese artist who is commissioned by a priest to paint a picture of Buddha. He chooses to include a cat, an animal who previously had been denied Buddha's blessing, in the the work of art and risks having the painting and his reputation destroyed because of that choice. None of us were crazy about this book.
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, written by Eleanor Coerr and illustrated by Ronald Himler
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The story of a young girl who faces leukemia, a disease she acquired because of the atomic bomb America dropped on Japan during World War II. Quick read that the boys and I liked.
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, written by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.
The author recounts her experience of having a stroke, the eight year recovery process, and the things she's learned from the ordeal. The book was too science-y and New Age-ish for my taste, so I ended up skimming some chapters, but it was very interesting to read through her description of having a stroke and I admire her determination to recover completely, no matter how long and hard the process was.
p. 121 Nothing external to me had the power to take away my peace of heart and mind. That was completely up to me. I may not be in total control of what happens to my life, but I certainly am in charge of how I choose to perceive my experience.
p. 146 My anger response, for example, is a programmed response that can be set off automatically. Once triggered, the chemical released by my brain surges through my body and I have a physiological experience. Within 90 seconds from the initial trigger, the chemical component of my anger has completely dissipated from my blood and my automatic response is over. If, however, I remain angry after those 90 seconds have passed, then it is because I have chosen to let that circuit continue to run. Moment by moment, I make the choice to either hook into my neurocircuitry or move back into the present moment, allowing that reaction to melt away as fleeting physiology.
They Loved to Laugh, written by Kathryn Worth
I don't remember where I heard about this book, but it's been on my personal "to read" list for a long time. It reminded me a lot of Understood Betsy, which I've read to the kids twice and loved each time. It's the story of a solemn, orphaned girl who moves in with a not-so-solemn family. I enjoyed it.
p.82 The girl sighed wearily. "There seem to be many things that can go wrong with a web in the weaving, Aunt Eunice."
"Yea, many things. As with the web of life itself. but thee will learn to avoid they difficulties and failures in both if thee determines on patience and perseverance."
The Orange Outlaw, written by Ron Roy and illustrated by John Steven Gurney
Silas set up a library in our living room for several days, complete with our own library cards, books organized in alphabetical order by title, and a book drop. This is the book I checked out, part of the A to Z Mystery Series. It was a quick read after I crawled into bed one night and I enjoyed it, though it's obviously written for kids. I like mysteries and alliteration, so a mystery series with alliterative titles will probably make me happy.
Designated Fat Girl: A Memoir, written by Jennifer Joyner
The author shares the story of sixteen years of food addiction, her attempts to lose weight, the variety of ways her obesity impacted the lives of herself, her husband, and their children, and how she came to the decision to have gastric bypass surgery to help her drop down from her high of 336 pounds. Regardless of how one feels about that particular surgical procedure, her story is candid, heart-breaking, and interesting.
The Confession, written by John Grisham
I love Grisham's legal thrillers, but hadn't read one in a long time. I enjoyed this one. This particular story involves a crime that included sexual assault. Just a heads up for those who aren't comfortable with that.
Henry Reed, Inc., written by Keith Robertson
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The story is written as the journal of a boy who lives overseas with his parents, is spending the summer in America with his aunt and uncle, and consistently finds himself and his friend Midge in the midst of various adventures. Silas and I thought it was fine and Devon just started it.
Save Me, written by Lisa Scottoline
The fictional story of a mother forced to choose between saving her child's life or the lives of others and how her choice impacts her family and community. I felt fairly neutral about this book.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
I LOVE OUR HOUSE #7
Six people live here. That's twelve feet (well, more like ten at the moment, but that won't last long) constantly coming and going through the three entrances to our home.
This is our floor and the door in the background is for the bathroom. You can get to the bathroom from any entrance to our home without ever walking on carpet. Oh, how I love that! Does that mean we do a lot of sweeping and wiping? Yes. I love that we can see grime and moisture tracked in so that we can clean it immediately, rather than having it get buried in or soak through carpeting.
This is our floor and the door in the background is for the bathroom. You can get to the bathroom from any entrance to our home without ever walking on carpet. Oh, how I love that! Does that mean we do a lot of sweeping and wiping? Yes. I love that we can see grime and moisture tracked in so that we can clean it immediately, rather than having it get buried in or soak through carpeting.
Friday, October 26, 2012
WINCO, COSTCO, & FOOD STAMPS
I was a Costco shopper back in college and the early days of our marriage. Then one year I opted not to renew my membership, primarily because the location of the nearest Costco was totally out of the way. Since then I've been a Winco shopper. If you want the lowest prices, without having to check ads or clip coupons, then that is the store for you. They also have a gigantic bulk department, which I love, love, love.
Several years ago I started clipping coupons from the Sunday paper and using some sites that helped me find the best deals at a few drug and grocery stores. I still did 95% of my shopping at Winco, but I hit a couple stores every Sunday morning for a few smokin' deals. I didn't pay for shampoo, conditioner, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, over the counter meds, or various other things for years. In fact, many times I earned money by taking them out of the store. I did pay for other items, but they were dirt cheap. I never spent more than a quarter for a bag of pasta, fifty cents for mustard, or four bucks for a block of Tillamook. I'm a generic kind of shopper, but everything we were getting for free or cheap was name brand. We had four to five people in our family and my grocery budget was $300 a month. That included all food, toiletries, paper products, and diapers. (Let me discreetly add that, thanks to the downsides of heredity, one of those categories required a much bigger budget than most people would think. Do you read me?) It was wonderful!
Then grocery prices started climbing. We kept our budget the same, but cut out some non-essentials. They kept climbing. We made some more cuts. We were still eating well, though, and it was fine.
Eventually it became hard to stay in the budget, so I bumped us to $350 right around the time we moved last year. The extra wiggle room was nice, but now we live 20 miles from the closest Winco and it's a hassle to go there. Shopping locally, however, is too expensive. As for my couponing, I haven't clipped a coupon in a very, very long time. The days of that being worthwhile are long gone for me. The deals now are unimpressive and require printing out various internet coupons, so I'd just quit doing it. It wasn't cost effective.
So we decided to try Costco again last spring. We figured I could still hit Winco occasionally, once a month or less, but we thought it may work to make Costco be our primary store. There's a Costco near church, which makes shopping there really convenient. We knew some of their prices were lower, others higher, and many comparable to Winco and we figured the money saved from cancelling our paper subscription and the time and gas money saved by not travelling to Winco may balance out the things that were more expensive. Additionally, we knew they had low gas prices and we thought that would be icing on the cake.
We gave ourselves some extra in the budget for the first couple months, as we knew it would take a while to adjust to buying the large packages of things there, but planned to be back to our regular budget within three months. Then I lost my milk supply when Teebs was five months old. There was no way we could take $70 of Kirkland formula from our $350 monthly budget for seven months. So I bumped us to $400.
But Costco just isn't working out for us. I'll explain why, but first let me say that I like Costco. The employees are friendly, the shelves are always stocked, they have great prices on a lot of food and non-food items, I love being able to grab several cans of olives (or whatever) at once, and it's handy to not have to fill multiple bulk bags.
The problem is that there are so many things we buy that Costco doesn't carry, which means I still have to go to Winco on a regular basis. Other things are a great deal at Costco if you're brand loyal, but still way more expensive than a generic brand at Winco. And other things I simply don't need in Costco quantities. So, I'm actually making more shopping trips now than I was before. That just doesn't work for me, at least not in this season of life. We also started running out of grocery money before the end of the month when we were shopping at Costco, which had never happened before.
Ironically, the thing most people say is better at Costco than Winco is produce, but I actually had Costco produce go bad more quickly than Winco's. Go figure.
One totally superficial complaint? I hate their milk jugs. A lot. I've never had more milk spilled in our home than when we started buying those jugs.
Vent over.
So, what now?
Well, the first time I paid $3 a blade for a package of razors at Costco I realized that my disappointment in the fact that I can't get them free (or make money off them) at the drugstores and my unwillingness (until now) to pay $1 for them there was something I was going to have to get over. Yikes! I'm not convinced that Sunday coupons would be worth the cost of a subscription at this point, but I am going to start watching the drugstore ads again for non-food items. I just need to go back with the realization that the glory days of drugstore shopping are over and shift my target prices accordingly.
Our Costco membership still has several months left on it, so I'm sure we'll still pop in for some things and we'll keep getting gas there, but I don't think we'll be renewing our membership. I'm glad we gave it another try, though. Now we know. In another season of life we may feel differently and start shopping there more regularly again, but Winco works for us now. If only they'd open one closer to us!
Incidentally, we recently qualified for food stamps and our grocery budget increased significantly. We were given our benefits after this month had started, but our caseworker recently called Tim to let him know what we'd be getting next month. Ummmm .... $900. What in the world?! Yes, I know it's a screwy system when an employed family can easily feed itself on a fraction of what the state will allot them when they're unemployed. Yes, I'm also thankful that we know how we're going to feed our family each month until Tim has full-time employment again.
But $900? Just for food? When we're currently spending $400 for food, formula, diapers, toiletries, and paper products? Yes, I realize we could go all organic, but I can't justify that. Personal conviction and no judgement toward those who use food stamps that way. I'm really not sure, though, how else we could possibly spend that much money, unless we ate steak every night. Goodness gracious! So, what will we do with all the excess money? I don't know. We may buy some extra non-perishables. We'll probably let most of the extra sit and let the state keep it. I'll definitely allow myself a little more wiggle room in our budget, which will be nice for my brain when it's time to plan a menu, but I'm not going to go nuts just because I can.
And that's the latest update on our shopping habits. Exciting, isn't it?
Several years ago I started clipping coupons from the Sunday paper and using some sites that helped me find the best deals at a few drug and grocery stores. I still did 95% of my shopping at Winco, but I hit a couple stores every Sunday morning for a few smokin' deals. I didn't pay for shampoo, conditioner, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental floss, over the counter meds, or various other things for years. In fact, many times I earned money by taking them out of the store. I did pay for other items, but they were dirt cheap. I never spent more than a quarter for a bag of pasta, fifty cents for mustard, or four bucks for a block of Tillamook. I'm a generic kind of shopper, but everything we were getting for free or cheap was name brand. We had four to five people in our family and my grocery budget was $300 a month. That included all food, toiletries, paper products, and diapers. (Let me discreetly add that, thanks to the downsides of heredity, one of those categories required a much bigger budget than most people would think. Do you read me?) It was wonderful!
Then grocery prices started climbing. We kept our budget the same, but cut out some non-essentials. They kept climbing. We made some more cuts. We were still eating well, though, and it was fine.
Eventually it became hard to stay in the budget, so I bumped us to $350 right around the time we moved last year. The extra wiggle room was nice, but now we live 20 miles from the closest Winco and it's a hassle to go there. Shopping locally, however, is too expensive. As for my couponing, I haven't clipped a coupon in a very, very long time. The days of that being worthwhile are long gone for me. The deals now are unimpressive and require printing out various internet coupons, so I'd just quit doing it. It wasn't cost effective.
So we decided to try Costco again last spring. We figured I could still hit Winco occasionally, once a month or less, but we thought it may work to make Costco be our primary store. There's a Costco near church, which makes shopping there really convenient. We knew some of their prices were lower, others higher, and many comparable to Winco and we figured the money saved from cancelling our paper subscription and the time and gas money saved by not travelling to Winco may balance out the things that were more expensive. Additionally, we knew they had low gas prices and we thought that would be icing on the cake.
We gave ourselves some extra in the budget for the first couple months, as we knew it would take a while to adjust to buying the large packages of things there, but planned to be back to our regular budget within three months. Then I lost my milk supply when Teebs was five months old. There was no way we could take $70 of Kirkland formula from our $350 monthly budget for seven months. So I bumped us to $400.
But Costco just isn't working out for us. I'll explain why, but first let me say that I like Costco. The employees are friendly, the shelves are always stocked, they have great prices on a lot of food and non-food items, I love being able to grab several cans of olives (or whatever) at once, and it's handy to not have to fill multiple bulk bags.
The problem is that there are so many things we buy that Costco doesn't carry, which means I still have to go to Winco on a regular basis. Other things are a great deal at Costco if you're brand loyal, but still way more expensive than a generic brand at Winco. And other things I simply don't need in Costco quantities. So, I'm actually making more shopping trips now than I was before. That just doesn't work for me, at least not in this season of life. We also started running out of grocery money before the end of the month when we were shopping at Costco, which had never happened before.
Ironically, the thing most people say is better at Costco than Winco is produce, but I actually had Costco produce go bad more quickly than Winco's. Go figure.
One totally superficial complaint? I hate their milk jugs. A lot. I've never had more milk spilled in our home than when we started buying those jugs.
Vent over.
So, what now?
Well, the first time I paid $3 a blade for a package of razors at Costco I realized that my disappointment in the fact that I can't get them free (or make money off them) at the drugstores and my unwillingness (until now) to pay $1 for them there was something I was going to have to get over. Yikes! I'm not convinced that Sunday coupons would be worth the cost of a subscription at this point, but I am going to start watching the drugstore ads again for non-food items. I just need to go back with the realization that the glory days of drugstore shopping are over and shift my target prices accordingly.
Our Costco membership still has several months left on it, so I'm sure we'll still pop in for some things and we'll keep getting gas there, but I don't think we'll be renewing our membership. I'm glad we gave it another try, though. Now we know. In another season of life we may feel differently and start shopping there more regularly again, but Winco works for us now. If only they'd open one closer to us!
Incidentally, we recently qualified for food stamps and our grocery budget increased significantly. We were given our benefits after this month had started, but our caseworker recently called Tim to let him know what we'd be getting next month. Ummmm .... $900. What in the world?! Yes, I know it's a screwy system when an employed family can easily feed itself on a fraction of what the state will allot them when they're unemployed. Yes, I'm also thankful that we know how we're going to feed our family each month until Tim has full-time employment again.
But $900? Just for food? When we're currently spending $400 for food, formula, diapers, toiletries, and paper products? Yes, I realize we could go all organic, but I can't justify that. Personal conviction and no judgement toward those who use food stamps that way. I'm really not sure, though, how else we could possibly spend that much money, unless we ate steak every night. Goodness gracious! So, what will we do with all the excess money? I don't know. We may buy some extra non-perishables. We'll probably let most of the extra sit and let the state keep it. I'll definitely allow myself a little more wiggle room in our budget, which will be nice for my brain when it's time to plan a menu, but I'm not going to go nuts just because I can.
And that's the latest update on our shopping habits. Exciting, isn't it?
Thursday, October 25, 2012
10/25/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for a blossom on the mum Stephanie gave me back in February.
What's something that you're thankful for?
What's something that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
10/25/12 WORTH REPEATING
“Keep doing the hard things until the hard things become the easy things.” Isn't that the essence of discipline? Choose to do the hard things — even when you don’t feel like it — and eventually you’ll develop habits so that those things are no longer a struggle.
~ Mandi at Family Your Way
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I watched her face as she invited us in. It was pure joy. There was no shame. It was as if she was honored we were there. What? You mean she wasn't all “I’m so sorry I don’t have a rug, I've been meaning to repair my concrete floors, try to ignore the fact that 12 of us sleep in a three room house the size of your family room"... How many of us do that on a daily basis when we sheepishly invite someone into our homes?
There was absolutely none of that. I cannot even imagine a word of ungratefulness even coming out of her mouth. She was simply thrilled we were there. I want to be like that. When I invite someone in, am I more worried about what they think of me and my stuff or do I put the focus on people? That is Hospitality.
~ The Nester at The Nesting Place
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Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy. ~ Howard Newton
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Corrie Ten Boom likened forgiveness to letting go of a bell rope. If you have ever seen a country church with a bell in the steeple, you will remember that to get the bell ringing you have to tug awhile. Once it has begun to ring, you merely maintain the momentum. As long as you keep pulling, the bell keeps ringing. Forgiveness is letting go of the rope. It is just that simple. But when you do so, the bell keeps ringing. Momentum is still at work. However, if you keep your hands off the rope, the bell will begin to slow and eventually stop.
~ This is all over the internet, but I can't find any site that states when or where she said it. It's a good quote, though, so I'm posting it without a direct source.
********
Instead of convincing your friends and family to live like you do, lead by example. Demonstrate the benefits of your lifestyle choices by living fully. Answer questions without preaching, help people without focus on personal gain, and love regardless of circumstance.
::snip::
Your spouse/roommate/friend/parent/child will be inspired by your journey, but they have to take the trip when they are ready.
~ Courtney at Be More With Less The article was specifically about the choice to live simply, but I think this quote can be applied to any lifestyle choice we make and feel strongly about.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
10/23/12 PROVISION
A few weeks ago I started posting things on my Facebook page that started with "Blessings." It's been a way for me to share the various ways that God's been meeting our needs during this season of unemployment and it helps me to keep focusing on positive things. Some of the blessings I've posted have nothing to do with finances, but today I want to list out the way our physical needs have been met over the last several weeks. The random Facebook posts are fun, but it's cool to see everything listed out in one place. Ready?
9/9 - Someone at church tells me I dropped some money, but I hadn't brought any money with me. They muttered something about working a little overtime, winked, and shoves some cash in my hand.
9/9 - Someone starts giving us two dozen fresh eggs every week.
9/13 - Someone stops by with a ton of produce from their garden and fruit trees.
9/14 - Someone offers us some formula samples their baby doesn't need. I go to pick it up and they end up loading us up with a bunch of their freezer stockpile.
9/24 - Someone gives us a box of produce from their garden.
9/29 - We have our annual family pictures taken about six weeks early because we have a coupon that allows us to get them for just a few dollars.
9/30 - Someone sends us home from a party with the leftover pizza.
10/4 - Someone offers to make an oufit for Naomi with the intent of having it be a Christmas gift for her from Tim and I. The outfit has since been completed, along with a matching one for one of her dolls, and it's super cute.
10/5 - Someone has changed the way they're eating and brings us a bunch of food from their freezer and cupboards, items they can no longer eat.
10/9 - We qualify for food stamps and are able to put the rest of the month's grocery budget toward other bills.
10/9 - I receive a Red Robin gift card in the mail from someone who knows I'm hanging out with some girlfriends later in the month, a visit that always includes a meal at Red Robin. I had planned on packing a lunch, which they didn't know, but they wanted me to enjoy a peppercorn burger with my friends.
10/10 - Tim gives me (I pay the bills) money he earned doing some temporary work for a friend's dad.
10/11 - Someone gives us a Freddy's gift card. It arrives minutes after I told Tim we needed a new air filter for the furnace.
10/11 - Someone gives us a jar of homemade plum sauce.
10/11 - Notification comes that the little Ws have coverage on the Oregon Health Plan.
10/12 - We are given formula from someone who's baby outgrew it before using up their stockpile.
10/14 - Someone made too much dinner the previous night and brings a meal to us at church, including cookies. I love cookies.
10/14 - We have a tradition of giving each of the little Ws an ornament when we decorate our tree, ornaments that they'll use as their own Christmas starter kit when they move out. Someone offers to make ornaments for them this year.
10/16 - Someone brings us a Costco package of toilet paper.
10/17 - We are given a bag filled with beef for the freezer.
10/17 - We receive a monetary gift in the mail.
10/17 - Tim writes me a check for his first TSFL income.
10/17 - We are given a bunch of apples for saucing, dessert, and a Freddy's gift card. The gift card comes when Freddy's is having a sale on jeans, which means we're able to buy Tim, who's lost about 25 pounds and no longer has pants that fit, a new pair of jeans.
10/19-10/20 - Our meals from dinner on Friday through dessert on Saturday are taken care of. I don't have to plan, pay for, or prepare any of them.
10/21 - Someone sees a request I'd made on a site I run for our church for some coats to borrow for our boys. They want to buy coats for them, but aren't sure what colors the big boys would want. They give us a gift card and coupon to take the boys coat shopping.
10/21 - Someone delivers a bunch of food items, a few toiletries, and a big filled with hand-me-downs for Tyler. Among other things, the bag includes a coat that fits Tyler (which means the gift card will now be used on two, rather than three, kids), four pairs of shoes (he'd been shoeless all summer and I'd just discovered the previous day that he'd outgrown his only pair of shoes, a fact I'd shared with no one), and four pairs of fleece jammies (not a need, as he has other jammies, but definitely nice during this cold time of year).
10/22 - We're given a coupon, same as the one we used for family pictures and with a later expiration date, that will allow us to get Tyler's one year pictures taken.
10/22 - Someone gives us a Red Robin gift card for fun and a Safeway gift card for needs.
Awesome, isn't it?! Our daily needs are met, our bills for November are almost paid, we have gift cards available for when needs arise, and we've been blessed with some of the fluff of life on top of all that.
Of course, there have been countless non-financial, non-practical blessings that I'm equally grateful for, but today I just want to publicly acknowledge all the ways our physical needs are being met. My prayer is that it encourages you as you trust God to work out whatever hardship you or your family is currently facing.
9/9 - Someone at church tells me I dropped some money, but I hadn't brought any money with me. They muttered something about working a little overtime, winked, and shoves some cash in my hand.
9/9 - Someone starts giving us two dozen fresh eggs every week.
9/13 - Someone stops by with a ton of produce from their garden and fruit trees.
9/14 - Someone offers us some formula samples their baby doesn't need. I go to pick it up and they end up loading us up with a bunch of their freezer stockpile.
9/24 - Someone gives us a box of produce from their garden.
9/29 - We have our annual family pictures taken about six weeks early because we have a coupon that allows us to get them for just a few dollars.
9/30 - Someone sends us home from a party with the leftover pizza.
10/4 - Someone offers to make an oufit for Naomi with the intent of having it be a Christmas gift for her from Tim and I. The outfit has since been completed, along with a matching one for one of her dolls, and it's super cute.
10/5 - Someone has changed the way they're eating and brings us a bunch of food from their freezer and cupboards, items they can no longer eat.
10/9 - We qualify for food stamps and are able to put the rest of the month's grocery budget toward other bills.
10/9 - I receive a Red Robin gift card in the mail from someone who knows I'm hanging out with some girlfriends later in the month, a visit that always includes a meal at Red Robin. I had planned on packing a lunch, which they didn't know, but they wanted me to enjoy a peppercorn burger with my friends.
10/10 - Tim gives me (I pay the bills) money he earned doing some temporary work for a friend's dad.
10/11 - Someone gives us a Freddy's gift card. It arrives minutes after I told Tim we needed a new air filter for the furnace.
10/11 - Someone gives us a jar of homemade plum sauce.
10/11 - Notification comes that the little Ws have coverage on the Oregon Health Plan.
10/12 - We are given formula from someone who's baby outgrew it before using up their stockpile.
10/14 - Someone made too much dinner the previous night and brings a meal to us at church, including cookies. I love cookies.
10/14 - We have a tradition of giving each of the little Ws an ornament when we decorate our tree, ornaments that they'll use as their own Christmas starter kit when they move out. Someone offers to make ornaments for them this year.
10/16 - Someone brings us a Costco package of toilet paper.
10/17 - We are given a bag filled with beef for the freezer.
10/17 - We receive a monetary gift in the mail.
10/17 - Tim writes me a check for his first TSFL income.
10/17 - We are given a bunch of apples for saucing, dessert, and a Freddy's gift card. The gift card comes when Freddy's is having a sale on jeans, which means we're able to buy Tim, who's lost about 25 pounds and no longer has pants that fit, a new pair of jeans.
10/19-10/20 - Our meals from dinner on Friday through dessert on Saturday are taken care of. I don't have to plan, pay for, or prepare any of them.
10/21 - Someone sees a request I'd made on a site I run for our church for some coats to borrow for our boys. They want to buy coats for them, but aren't sure what colors the big boys would want. They give us a gift card and coupon to take the boys coat shopping.
10/21 - Someone delivers a bunch of food items, a few toiletries, and a big filled with hand-me-downs for Tyler. Among other things, the bag includes a coat that fits Tyler (which means the gift card will now be used on two, rather than three, kids), four pairs of shoes (he'd been shoeless all summer and I'd just discovered the previous day that he'd outgrown his only pair of shoes, a fact I'd shared with no one), and four pairs of fleece jammies (not a need, as he has other jammies, but definitely nice during this cold time of year).
10/22 - We're given a coupon, same as the one we used for family pictures and with a later expiration date, that will allow us to get Tyler's one year pictures taken.
10/22 - Someone gives us a Red Robin gift card for fun and a Safeway gift card for needs.
Awesome, isn't it?! Our daily needs are met, our bills for November are almost paid, we have gift cards available for when needs arise, and we've been blessed with some of the fluff of life on top of all that.
Of course, there have been countless non-financial, non-practical blessings that I'm equally grateful for, but today I just want to publicly acknowledge all the ways our physical needs are being met. My prayer is that it encourages you as you trust God to work out whatever hardship you or your family is currently facing.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
THE 6 Ws, MY DAD, AND ONE PUMPKIN FEST
My dad arrived yesterday afternoon for his annual "take the Ws to a pumpkin patch" trip. After one year at Sauvie Island and five years at Baggenstos, we decided to try something a little closer to our current neck of the woods. Wooden Shoe, which is hugely popular for their Tulip Fest, started a Pumpkin Fest a couple years ago and we gave it a try this year. Bonus points for having two "pay for a kid, get an adult in free" coupons!
That place is packed out in the spring, but it was a sparse crowd today. I think that's because of a few things - it's still a relatively new gig for them, the weather forecast was cruddy, and there are some other popular farms in the general vicinity. We had a great time, though, and will definitely go back again.
The only glitch was that their corn was really short and adults could see over the top of the maze, but they said that was a flukey thing this year and they're not sure why it was it wasn't as tall as past years. A quick growing corn that grew fast, but not high. The kids had fun in the maze anyway, which is great because corn mazes are the deciding factor in which farms we'll visit. No maze, no visit.
The forecast for today was 60% chance of rain and a high of 52, but we alternated between gray and blue skies, never got rained on, and the temp was 56 when we left. And when did we leave? Five hours after arriving. Yes, five. Five hours of mazes, activities, and eating corndogs and Mt. Angel brats. The kids had so much fun!
Anyway, enough chatting. Let's move on to the pictures.
We, including one W who was pumpkin patching for the first time, posed as soon as we got there, as we weren't sure if the weather would take a turn for the worse. We then proceeded to swing, stand, hang, ride, pose, shoot paint balls, shoot spuds, shoot bigger spuds, shoot bb guns, shoot arrows, sit, ride, climb, slide, yodel, smile, and sleep. Super fun day!
My dad has no less than a gazillion pictures from the day over on his blog. You can see that post here, plus a shorter one he did last night.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
10/18/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful that the two Ws with "count the days til Papa comes" paper chains only have one more link in them. What's something that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
MENU - SECOND HALF OF OCTOBER 2012
We've tried a handful of new recipes lately and here are the keepers.
* buttermilk biscuits with chives and black pepper - I ate almost half the batch. They're that good!
* chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream - A hit with the little Ws
* green bean lasagna - Vegetarian and tasty!
* Hawaiian crockpot chicken - Always a fan of tasty crockpot dishes.
* rhubarb crisp - Our first time using rhubarb and this dessert was good.
* simple roasted broccoli - Pretty much wonderful.
* stuffed portabella mushrooms - Delicious and easy.
Tim's transitioning out out of the meal replacements he's been using most of the day back to regular food and the rest of us are amping up our veggie intake. We've always eaten a lot of produce, including veggies, but we're kicking it up a notch and swapping some fruits for veggies. We're not abandoning dessert, though. I promise you that! We're just shifting some quantities around.
Tim will be eating some of these meals with us, which I'll mark with his initial, but some aren't lean and green enough and I'll list his meals for those nights separately. Some of his meals are repeated, which is why his list looks smaller than ours. Soon we'll all be back to eating the same thing every night, but this split menu is working for now.
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x9
* oatmeal pancakes (from the freezer)
* pumpkin bread (from the freezer)
* Rebecca's granola, as cereal or over yogurt
* egg & potato scramble
DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2 (T)
* potato soup/buttermilk biscuits with chives & black pepper
* green bean lasagna/rice (T)
* stuffed portabella mushrooms/rice (T)
* grilled hot dogs/potato wedges
* grilled chicken salad/toast (T)
* creamy shells with ham & broccoli/peas
* new stir fry recipe/rice (T)
* honey curried chickpeas (crockpot)/rice/roasted broccoli
* meatloaf/mashed potatoes/salad
* grilled corn & bean salad
* Harvest Festival
* dinner out with my dad
TIM
* hearty chicken vegetable soup (crockpot, freezer)
* Hmmmm ... just realized there are some recipes I haven't posted yet. I'll have to come back later to finish his menu.
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* popcorn
* green hummus
* apple bars
* buttermilk biscuits with chives and black pepper - I ate almost half the batch. They're that good!
* chocolate peanut butter banana ice cream - A hit with the little Ws
* green bean lasagna - Vegetarian and tasty!
* Hawaiian crockpot chicken - Always a fan of tasty crockpot dishes.
* rhubarb crisp - Our first time using rhubarb and this dessert was good.
* simple roasted broccoli - Pretty much wonderful.
* stuffed portabella mushrooms - Delicious and easy.
Tim's transitioning out out of the meal replacements he's been using most of the day back to regular food and the rest of us are amping up our veggie intake. We've always eaten a lot of produce, including veggies, but we're kicking it up a notch and swapping some fruits for veggies. We're not abandoning dessert, though. I promise you that! We're just shifting some quantities around.
Tim will be eating some of these meals with us, which I'll mark with his initial, but some aren't lean and green enough and I'll list his meals for those nights separately. Some of his meals are repeated, which is why his list looks smaller than ours. Soon we'll all be back to eating the same thing every night, but this split menu is working for now.
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x9
* oatmeal pancakes (from the freezer)
* pumpkin bread (from the freezer)
* Rebecca's granola, as cereal or over yogurt
* egg & potato scramble
DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2 (T)
* potato soup/buttermilk biscuits with chives & black pepper
* green bean lasagna/rice (T)
* stuffed portabella mushrooms/rice (T)
* grilled hot dogs/potato wedges
* grilled chicken salad/toast (T)
* creamy shells with ham & broccoli/peas
* new stir fry recipe/rice (T)
* honey curried chickpeas (crockpot)/rice/roasted broccoli
* meatloaf/mashed potatoes/salad
* grilled corn & bean salad
* Harvest Festival
* dinner out with my dad
TIM
* hearty chicken vegetable soup (crockpot, freezer)
* Hmmmm ... just realized there are some recipes I haven't posted yet. I'll have to come back later to finish his menu.
SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* popcorn
* green hummus
* apple bars
Monday, October 15, 2012
TWENTY-THREE POUNDS? ADIOS!!
I mentioned several weeks ago that Tim was starting the Take Shape for Life program to help him get back in shape. He weighed about 170 and was very physically active when we met in 1997 and remained so until about 2004. Over the last eight years he has continued to eat the same as he did when he was more active, but the life of an employed adult with a wife and young kids does not allow for the same amount of basketball, racquetball, softball, running, ultimate frisbee, and weight lifting as the life of a single or dating college student does, which means his weight has hovered around 200 for the last several years.
Guys can drop weight more easily than girls, so he's quickly lost 5-10 pounds here and there, but always gains it back. Enough is enough, though, and he decided that a structured program would be helpful. He started TSFL on 9/8/12 and weighed 193 at the time. Today he stepped on the scale and saw this.
That's about 23 pounds in just over five weeks. Wowzers!
Now, I have to say two things.
First, I have sworn I would never have a scale in my home. Females in our culture are obsessed with their weight and it's a very unhealthy obsession. I have absolutely no desire to raise my daughter in a home where her health and appearance are judged primarily by the number on a scale, where every morning she's greeted by something that focuses on her weight. Tim, however, had to have a scale for this program. That was a huge, honkin', hard pill for me to swallow! The compromise is that the is scale tucked away in our bathroom and the boys just discovered it a couple days ago. The kids are not allowed to use or play with it.
Two, your weight is an indicator of your health, but it is not the only indicator. It's not, not, not! It's ridiculous to aim for a certain number just for the sake of the number. I have friends about my height who weigh more than me, but are in far better shape. They eat well, exercise regularly, and look fantastic. It would be ludicrous for them to try and get to my weight just for the sake of seeing a smaller number on the scale. Tim's weight loss is one step in getting him back to a healthy place, but it is not the only step.
Those things being said, I'm amazed at how different Tim looks now than he did about a month ago. He looks 19 again! Well, closer to 19, anyway. He's lost extra chins and his clothes are loose. Oh, the clothes! I wish we'd taken some pictures of how his clothes fit before he started this, but we didn't. Pants that used to be stretched in the butt now hang with excess fabric. Shirts and sweatshirts that used to be stretched in the stomach are now loose. The thing I most appreciate? He no longer snores. Bliss!! He was not a snorer when we first married, but somewhere along the line he became a loud and constant snorer. Probably around 2004, if I had to guess. Obesity, and yes, he was ounces away from being considered obese from a medical standpoint, is the (or one of the, depending on what you read) leading cause of snoring. Twenty-three pounds vanished from Tim means I now sleep better. Woohoo!!
I think weight loss is always something to be proud of, whether you use a structured program or simply choose to eat less/better and move more. Either option requires perseverance and self-discipline, which can be really hard. But people lose weight all the time. The harder part, in my opinion, is keeping the weight off, which is where Tim is now at. He has started transitioning back into eating regular foods and out of the meal replacements he's been using for most of his nutrition over the last several weeks. Additionally, it's time to start kicking his activity level up a notch or two. Now that our kids are getting older, it's easier for him to take some time away from the family to get some exercise in or to incorporate the kids into what he's doing. I think the accountability that comes with his new role as a health coach will also help him with this lifestyle change.
I'm still saying "I can't believe how different you look" several times a week, so I'll give you a little peek at the difference. Keep in mind that he's slightly angled and looking at the camera in the second picture, which makes it harder to see how much has changed, but there's no doubt his stomach is significantly smaller than it was five weeks ago.
This is my personal blog, not a TSFL one, but I have to say that I'm really thankful this program has helped Tim to finally get back in his health promotion and fitness managment groove. And, selfishly, that it has helped me to once again sleep in peace and quiet.
Guys can drop weight more easily than girls, so he's quickly lost 5-10 pounds here and there, but always gains it back. Enough is enough, though, and he decided that a structured program would be helpful. He started TSFL on 9/8/12 and weighed 193 at the time. Today he stepped on the scale and saw this.
That's about 23 pounds in just over five weeks. Wowzers!
Now, I have to say two things.
First, I have sworn I would never have a scale in my home. Females in our culture are obsessed with their weight and it's a very unhealthy obsession. I have absolutely no desire to raise my daughter in a home where her health and appearance are judged primarily by the number on a scale, where every morning she's greeted by something that focuses on her weight. Tim, however, had to have a scale for this program. That was a huge, honkin', hard pill for me to swallow! The compromise is that the is scale tucked away in our bathroom and the boys just discovered it a couple days ago. The kids are not allowed to use or play with it.
Two, your weight is an indicator of your health, but it is not the only indicator. It's not, not, not! It's ridiculous to aim for a certain number just for the sake of the number. I have friends about my height who weigh more than me, but are in far better shape. They eat well, exercise regularly, and look fantastic. It would be ludicrous for them to try and get to my weight just for the sake of seeing a smaller number on the scale. Tim's weight loss is one step in getting him back to a healthy place, but it is not the only step.
Those things being said, I'm amazed at how different Tim looks now than he did about a month ago. He looks 19 again! Well, closer to 19, anyway. He's lost extra chins and his clothes are loose. Oh, the clothes! I wish we'd taken some pictures of how his clothes fit before he started this, but we didn't. Pants that used to be stretched in the butt now hang with excess fabric. Shirts and sweatshirts that used to be stretched in the stomach are now loose. The thing I most appreciate? He no longer snores. Bliss!! He was not a snorer when we first married, but somewhere along the line he became a loud and constant snorer. Probably around 2004, if I had to guess. Obesity, and yes, he was ounces away from being considered obese from a medical standpoint, is the (or one of the, depending on what you read) leading cause of snoring. Twenty-three pounds vanished from Tim means I now sleep better. Woohoo!!
I think weight loss is always something to be proud of, whether you use a structured program or simply choose to eat less/better and move more. Either option requires perseverance and self-discipline, which can be really hard. But people lose weight all the time. The harder part, in my opinion, is keeping the weight off, which is where Tim is now at. He has started transitioning back into eating regular foods and out of the meal replacements he's been using for most of his nutrition over the last several weeks. Additionally, it's time to start kicking his activity level up a notch or two. Now that our kids are getting older, it's easier for him to take some time away from the family to get some exercise in or to incorporate the kids into what he's doing. I think the accountability that comes with his new role as a health coach will also help him with this lifestyle change.
I'm still saying "I can't believe how different you look" several times a week, so I'll give you a little peek at the difference. Keep in mind that he's slightly angled and looking at the camera in the second picture, which makes it harder to see how much has changed, but there's no doubt his stomach is significantly smaller than it was five weeks ago.
This is my personal blog, not a TSFL one, but I have to say that I'm really thankful this program has helped Tim to finally get back in his health promotion and fitness managment groove. And, selfishly, that it has helped me to once again sleep in peace and quiet.
Friday, October 12, 2012
IF YOU'RE ANGRY AND YOU KNOW IT, READ THIS POST
I have been struggling with anger about a situation. Lots of anger. I hate the way it makes me feel. I hate the way I've allowed it to dictate the way I talk to the other Ws. I hate everything about it.
I've prayed. I've given myself pep talks. Nothing helps.
Last night, for the first time in quite a while, I felt encouraged, hopeful that I'm moving out of this place of anger I've been stuck in. I wish it would have happened quickly, but it's been a gradual process over the last week or so and after a few months of riding the anger roller coaster.
10/5 - Cheri posted the following on my Facebook wall. "You are always responsible for how you act, regardless of how you feel. Remember that." It was a quote she'd found online and she knew I'd appreciate it.
10/6 - Tara posted the following on her blog.
Mostly, I'm staying close to Jesus, an example of flexibility who received interruptions as divine appointments and used His soft heart and persuasive words to bring glory to His Father.
I want to be like Him.
I was keenly aware that my heart and words around the house lately have done nothing to bring God glory.
10/7 - I shared with Mindy and Carol how I was so angry and letting that anger run my mouth. They lovingly told me to knock it off and encouraged me to post some verses around my house, verses about self-control and choosing to speak kindly.
10/10 - Tammy asked me how I'm doing with my temper and my tongue, if I'd allow the little Ws to speak the way I've been speaking, and what I think I need to learn about myself through the situation. Then she challenged me to be kind, even when I feel kindness is not deserved.
10/11 - Cheri challenged me to sit quietly and ask God to show me what the real root of my anger is, wait until I see what it is, repent, ask forgiveness, and move forward.
10/11 - Tara mentioned something about how she and I are justice girls, people with a strong desire for wrongs to be made right and truth to be revealed. The context of the conversation had nothing to do with my anger, but I realized how much her statement had to do with how I've been feeling.
10/11 - I listened to Judy's teaching from last week's study in Ruth and was struck with her last statement.
When you look at the way you love people in your life, are you one who thinks about your own preferences, your own needs, your own rights? Do you insist on your way? Or are you one who chooses to yield? To let go of your rights? To let go of your preferences? To let go even of your needs for the people you love?
Yielding? Letting go? Nope. None of that going on around here lately. I've been totally focused on how the situation affects me.
Last night I shut my bedroom door, knelt at my bed, and started praying. I already knew, based on Tara's comment earlier in the day, that a desire for justice was at the root of my anger, but I needed to own it, to confess and ask for forgiveness.
Then I sprawled out on the floor and opened my Bible. I was looking for a different verse, but ended up opening to Ephesians and zeroed right in on 4:29-5:2.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Wow! So applicable. Let me break the passage down into smaller chunks and tell you how it spoke to me.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths - Rudeness is never wholesome and I've been rude.
But only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs - Helpful? Well, the way I've been talking has temporarily satisfied my need to release some anger, but that's not exactly what the verse is talking about. Ultimately, it's had nothing to do with others and what they need, but everything to do with me wanting to get something off my chest.
That it may benefit those who listen - My family has not benefited from listening to the things I've said in anger. That's for sure!
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption - I'm confident that things I've spoken in anger and a generally negative disposition toward my family does not please the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine what it would be like to reside in someone who was chronically mad? Pretty sure you'd be grieved.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice - Those who I've talked to about how angry I am would tell you that my anger is justified and/or totally understandable. Logically, it is. But God's word doesn't say to get rid of unjustified anger, while holding on to the anger that has a reasonable explanation. Nor does it say act on our justified anger in a socially acceptable manner. It says to get rid of anger. All of it. That requires being proactive, choosing to stop each time an angry thought crosses my mind and exchange it for something different, something kind, calm, positive, helpful, or whatever is appropriate for the situation. It's choosing, like that quote from Cheri said, to not let my feelings dictate my actions. It's not explaining or excusing my anger, but actively working to get it out of my life. Whew! That feels like a big assignment right now!
Be kind and compassionate to one another - Kindness and compassion have not been high on my priority list around the house lately. I've shown no grace, but have repeatedly put on grand displays of "woe is me". Again, understandable, but unacceptable.
Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you - This is harder. It's the first part that's not about general behavior, but about acknowledging my own flaws, recognizing that God's forgiven me for all the wrong or foolish things I've done, then paying that forgiveness forward. It's choosing not to hold someone's behavior against them. It's acknowledging that I may not have done what they've done, but I've still done plenty of wrong things. This part prompted me to go back and read this post about forgiveness from The Peacemaker again. Good stuff.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children - Naomi gets a big kick out of putting on Tim's shoes, my shirts, or whatever she can get her hands on. It's natural for a child who is loved to imitate those who love them. So, what does that say about me, as God's child, when I'm letting my anger fuel my conversation? Perhaps I'm not spending enough time with the one who loves me? You think? I have the following note written in the margin of my Bible, though I have no idea when I wrote it. "Do I love in such a way that I'd want my children to imitate me?" Not lately! I need to work on imitating God, then pray that my children will see him in me and want to imitate him themselves.
And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us - Notice it doesn't say "live a life of love, except toward the people who make you mad" or "be loving, except for when you need to blow off some steam" or "be loving in one circle of your life and angry in another". It says to love like Christ loves. The end. We'll never be as perfect as Christ, but I could certainly put more effort into loving like he does. Consistently, completely, and sacrificially - that's what was written in the margin of my Bible.
And gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God - Giving yourself up, offering your life to God, sacrificing your will for his. That sounds beautiful and poetic, doesn't it? But it's hard. So stinkin' hard. It's like what Judy said about yielding ourselves out of love. If I can't yield myself and let go of my anger out of love for my family, then I need to do it out of love for God. Because he loves me, despite all my flaws. Because he loves my family, even when I'm in a funk and upset with every. little. thing. they don't do my way. Because he told me to.
So, that's where I'm at. I'm going to choose to shift my focus, even if I have to shift it 5.729 million times a day. I'm going to choose not to wallow in the justification for my anger. I'm going to choose to strive for kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. I'm going to choose to imitate God in the same way our kids imitate us. I'm going to choose to get rid of all anger. I'm going to choose to apologize and keep moving forward when I blow it.
And I'm going to tape some verses around my house, which I didn't do on Sunday when Carol and Mindy suggested it. Better late than never. Right?
I've prayed. I've given myself pep talks. Nothing helps.
Last night, for the first time in quite a while, I felt encouraged, hopeful that I'm moving out of this place of anger I've been stuck in. I wish it would have happened quickly, but it's been a gradual process over the last week or so and after a few months of riding the anger roller coaster.
10/5 - Cheri posted the following on my Facebook wall. "You are always responsible for how you act, regardless of how you feel. Remember that." It was a quote she'd found online and she knew I'd appreciate it.
10/6 - Tara posted the following on her blog.
Mostly, I'm staying close to Jesus, an example of flexibility who received interruptions as divine appointments and used His soft heart and persuasive words to bring glory to His Father.
I want to be like Him.
I was keenly aware that my heart and words around the house lately have done nothing to bring God glory.
10/7 - I shared with Mindy and Carol how I was so angry and letting that anger run my mouth. They lovingly told me to knock it off and encouraged me to post some verses around my house, verses about self-control and choosing to speak kindly.
10/10 - Tammy asked me how I'm doing with my temper and my tongue, if I'd allow the little Ws to speak the way I've been speaking, and what I think I need to learn about myself through the situation. Then she challenged me to be kind, even when I feel kindness is not deserved.
10/11 - Cheri challenged me to sit quietly and ask God to show me what the real root of my anger is, wait until I see what it is, repent, ask forgiveness, and move forward.
10/11 - Tara mentioned something about how she and I are justice girls, people with a strong desire for wrongs to be made right and truth to be revealed. The context of the conversation had nothing to do with my anger, but I realized how much her statement had to do with how I've been feeling.
10/11 - I listened to Judy's teaching from last week's study in Ruth and was struck with her last statement.
When you look at the way you love people in your life, are you one who thinks about your own preferences, your own needs, your own rights? Do you insist on your way? Or are you one who chooses to yield? To let go of your rights? To let go of your preferences? To let go even of your needs for the people you love?
Yielding? Letting go? Nope. None of that going on around here lately. I've been totally focused on how the situation affects me.
Last night I shut my bedroom door, knelt at my bed, and started praying. I already knew, based on Tara's comment earlier in the day, that a desire for justice was at the root of my anger, but I needed to own it, to confess and ask for forgiveness.
Then I sprawled out on the floor and opened my Bible. I was looking for a different verse, but ended up opening to Ephesians and zeroed right in on 4:29-5:2.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Wow! So applicable. Let me break the passage down into smaller chunks and tell you how it spoke to me.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths - Rudeness is never wholesome and I've been rude.
But only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs - Helpful? Well, the way I've been talking has temporarily satisfied my need to release some anger, but that's not exactly what the verse is talking about. Ultimately, it's had nothing to do with others and what they need, but everything to do with me wanting to get something off my chest.
That it may benefit those who listen - My family has not benefited from listening to the things I've said in anger. That's for sure!
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption - I'm confident that things I've spoken in anger and a generally negative disposition toward my family does not please the Holy Spirit. Can you imagine what it would be like to reside in someone who was chronically mad? Pretty sure you'd be grieved.
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice - Those who I've talked to about how angry I am would tell you that my anger is justified and/or totally understandable. Logically, it is. But God's word doesn't say to get rid of unjustified anger, while holding on to the anger that has a reasonable explanation. Nor does it say act on our justified anger in a socially acceptable manner. It says to get rid of anger. All of it. That requires being proactive, choosing to stop each time an angry thought crosses my mind and exchange it for something different, something kind, calm, positive, helpful, or whatever is appropriate for the situation. It's choosing, like that quote from Cheri said, to not let my feelings dictate my actions. It's not explaining or excusing my anger, but actively working to get it out of my life. Whew! That feels like a big assignment right now!
Be kind and compassionate to one another - Kindness and compassion have not been high on my priority list around the house lately. I've shown no grace, but have repeatedly put on grand displays of "woe is me". Again, understandable, but unacceptable.
Forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you - This is harder. It's the first part that's not about general behavior, but about acknowledging my own flaws, recognizing that God's forgiven me for all the wrong or foolish things I've done, then paying that forgiveness forward. It's choosing not to hold someone's behavior against them. It's acknowledging that I may not have done what they've done, but I've still done plenty of wrong things. This part prompted me to go back and read this post about forgiveness from The Peacemaker again. Good stuff.
Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children - Naomi gets a big kick out of putting on Tim's shoes, my shirts, or whatever she can get her hands on. It's natural for a child who is loved to imitate those who love them. So, what does that say about me, as God's child, when I'm letting my anger fuel my conversation? Perhaps I'm not spending enough time with the one who loves me? You think? I have the following note written in the margin of my Bible, though I have no idea when I wrote it. "Do I love in such a way that I'd want my children to imitate me?" Not lately! I need to work on imitating God, then pray that my children will see him in me and want to imitate him themselves.
And live a life of love, just as Christ loved us - Notice it doesn't say "live a life of love, except toward the people who make you mad" or "be loving, except for when you need to blow off some steam" or "be loving in one circle of your life and angry in another". It says to love like Christ loves. The end. We'll never be as perfect as Christ, but I could certainly put more effort into loving like he does. Consistently, completely, and sacrificially - that's what was written in the margin of my Bible.
And gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God - Giving yourself up, offering your life to God, sacrificing your will for his. That sounds beautiful and poetic, doesn't it? But it's hard. So stinkin' hard. It's like what Judy said about yielding ourselves out of love. If I can't yield myself and let go of my anger out of love for my family, then I need to do it out of love for God. Because he loves me, despite all my flaws. Because he loves my family, even when I'm in a funk and upset with every. little. thing. they don't do my way. Because he told me to.
So, that's where I'm at. I'm going to choose to shift my focus, even if I have to shift it 5.729 million times a day. I'm going to choose not to wallow in the justification for my anger. I'm going to choose to strive for kindness, compassion, forgiveness, and love. I'm going to choose to imitate God in the same way our kids imitate us. I'm going to choose to get rid of all anger. I'm going to choose to apologize and keep moving forward when I blow it.
And I'm going to tape some verses around my house, which I didn't do on Sunday when Carol and Mindy suggested it. Better late than never. Right?
Thursday, October 11, 2012
10/11/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful that I was able to sit in Bible study last night. Between five weeks of working in the 1yo class and one week home with sick Ws, I hadn't sat in a Wednesday night service since 8/22. U-streaming live and listening online later in the week are nice options, but it was great to actually be in the service.
What is something that you're thankful for?
What is something that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
FOOD & FINANCES
I just wanted to give a little update on how things are going at our place.
Let's talk about food first. October is our last month of a regular income and we have no idea how things are going to work out next month, so we've been trying to stretch our money as far as we can.
One friend sent me a note about a month ago and said she would be giving us two dozen eggs a week. Another friend had to change the way she eats and gave us a bunch of food from her pantry and freezer that she no longer eats. Another friend gave us lots of formula samples her baby didn't need and items from her freezer. One lady, just an acquaintance who doesn't know about Tim's job situation, gave us several formula samples from her place of employment. Two different friends have given us produce from their gardens and fruit trees. Another friend offered to let us raid their pantry for dried goods. Someone, knowing I'm hanging out with friends later this month and that the visit always includes a meal at Red Robin, gave me a Red Robin gift card, which means my plan to pack a lunch is no longer necessary. I'm so grateful for everyone's generosity!
Tim had an appointment at DHS yesterday and came home with food stamps. It's a bittersweet thing to have that card. It's a bummer to be in a place where you can't afford to feed your family, but it's a blessing to have access to the system you've paid into and to know how all of your food needs will be taken care of.
As a sidenote, I've been meaning to do a post about grocery shopping, budgeting, and what I've learned since we made some shopping changes in the spring. The fact that our grocery budget just doubled may be the kick in the pants I needed to get that post up. I'll try and do it before the week is over.
Now about finances. As I already mentioned, this is our last month of a regular income and we're not sure how everything is going to play out as November rolls around. Some moments I'm angry and stressed. Other moments I think about the following passage and am simply thankful that we have what we need in that particular moment.
Proverbs 30:7-8 Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
We all appreciate the security of a steady paycheck, but I need to choose to be thankful for the fact we have enough food for the week on Sunday morning or enough food for breakfast when it's breakfast time and not dwell on what we're eating next month or for the next meal. I need to be thankful for my daily bread. Daily.
Tim has subbed three days since the school year started, did a few days of work for a friend, and has one TSFL client. While I'm very thankful for that bit of work, it's clearly not enough.
He has applied for a school job that closed yesterday. The pros? It's full-time, steady work. The cons? It pays about half of what he normally makes. Honestly, I'd rather have a low-paying steady job than a higher paying work that comes in sporadically. Steady numbers are easier to work with and we could figure out what to cut from our budget and/or how much extra work to pick up somewhere else.
He's also applied for another school job, a month-long PE sub job, that closes at the end of next week. The pros? He'd make his normal salary for that month and would have short-term steady work. The cons? We'd be right back in unemployment once Christmas break rolled around.
He's also talking to someone about a non-school job and we'll see how that works out.
So, that's where things are at. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the job situation if and when anything changes!
Let's talk about food first. October is our last month of a regular income and we have no idea how things are going to work out next month, so we've been trying to stretch our money as far as we can.
One friend sent me a note about a month ago and said she would be giving us two dozen eggs a week. Another friend had to change the way she eats and gave us a bunch of food from her pantry and freezer that she no longer eats. Another friend gave us lots of formula samples her baby didn't need and items from her freezer. One lady, just an acquaintance who doesn't know about Tim's job situation, gave us several formula samples from her place of employment. Two different friends have given us produce from their gardens and fruit trees. Another friend offered to let us raid their pantry for dried goods. Someone, knowing I'm hanging out with friends later this month and that the visit always includes a meal at Red Robin, gave me a Red Robin gift card, which means my plan to pack a lunch is no longer necessary. I'm so grateful for everyone's generosity!
Tim had an appointment at DHS yesterday and came home with food stamps. It's a bittersweet thing to have that card. It's a bummer to be in a place where you can't afford to feed your family, but it's a blessing to have access to the system you've paid into and to know how all of your food needs will be taken care of.
As a sidenote, I've been meaning to do a post about grocery shopping, budgeting, and what I've learned since we made some shopping changes in the spring. The fact that our grocery budget just doubled may be the kick in the pants I needed to get that post up. I'll try and do it before the week is over.
Now about finances. As I already mentioned, this is our last month of a regular income and we're not sure how everything is going to play out as November rolls around. Some moments I'm angry and stressed. Other moments I think about the following passage and am simply thankful that we have what we need in that particular moment.
Proverbs 30:7-8 Two things I ask of you, Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God.
We all appreciate the security of a steady paycheck, but I need to choose to be thankful for the fact we have enough food for the week on Sunday morning or enough food for breakfast when it's breakfast time and not dwell on what we're eating next month or for the next meal. I need to be thankful for my daily bread. Daily.
Tim has subbed three days since the school year started, did a few days of work for a friend, and has one TSFL client. While I'm very thankful for that bit of work, it's clearly not enough.
He has applied for a school job that closed yesterday. The pros? It's full-time, steady work. The cons? It pays about half of what he normally makes. Honestly, I'd rather have a low-paying steady job than a higher paying work that comes in sporadically. Steady numbers are easier to work with and we could figure out what to cut from our budget and/or how much extra work to pick up somewhere else.
He's also applied for another school job, a month-long PE sub job, that closes at the end of next week. The pros? He'd make his normal salary for that month and would have short-term steady work. The cons? We'd be right back in unemployment once Christmas break rolled around.
He's also talking to someone about a non-school job and we'll see how that works out.
So, that's where things are at. I'll be sure to keep you posted on the job situation if and when anything changes!
Friday, October 5, 2012
10/5/12 - WORTH REPEATING
*****
When I was 16, I got a purity ring.
And when I was 25, I took it off.
I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it — it wasn’t a statement or an emotional thing. I just slipped it off my finger that day and, before tucking it away in a box, ran my finger around the words on the familiar gold band.
“True Love Waits.” Waits.
What’s it “waiting” for, anyway?
:snip ... but the entire post, linked below, is worth reading:
I just didn’t want to wait anymore – didn’t want to live like I was waiting on anyone to get here.
I already have Him … and He is everything.
~ Grace for the road
*****
Marriage isn't 50/50. It's 40/60 yesterday and maybe 99/1 today... and then tomorrow it might be 20/80.
~ Jyn Meyer
********
It helps me so much if I’m having a rough day (or even when I just want to be extra intentional) to not view it as a long marathon of being awesome. I simply view it as a series of short sprints.
~ Kat at Family Your Way
********
Her life has been such an example of grace – making good choices without allowing them to get in the way of relationships or become rigid rules that take the joy out of food and eating – that I've learned that I can approach this journey in my own time and my own way without trying to live up to someone else's standards or avoid their critical eye. And rather than leading to a standstill, that's motivated me to move forward even more quickly.
:snip ... but it's a good post for anyone who puts thought into what they eat:
Most importantly, consider relationships with people more important than their food choices!
~ Mandi at Keeper of the Home
********
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
~ "Count Your Blessings" in White Christmas
********
This fact is powerful when you catch yourself comparing your methods and outcomes with other mamas (it's a wash--don't do it). When you see the seems-like-she-does-everything pizzaz of another mom, know that she's enjoying a shining moment among many other kinds of moments, and be happy for her. And when you see a mom who might be losing her cool or maybe arranging her priorities differently than you would, assume that there are other days when things shift and she too enjoys that shining moment of everything-feels-just-right. Amen? Amen. Isn't it nice when we don't have the pressure of figuring out everyone else's life for them?
~ Kelle Hampton at Enjoying the Small Things
*****
When I was 16, I got a purity ring.
And when I was 25, I took it off.
I didn’t tell anyone I was doing it — it wasn’t a statement or an emotional thing. I just slipped it off my finger that day and, before tucking it away in a box, ran my finger around the words on the familiar gold band.
“True Love Waits.” Waits.
What’s it “waiting” for, anyway?
:snip ... but the entire post, linked below, is worth reading:
I just didn’t want to wait anymore – didn’t want to live like I was waiting on anyone to get here.
I already have Him … and He is everything.
~ Grace for the road
*****
Marriage isn't 50/50. It's 40/60 yesterday and maybe 99/1 today... and then tomorrow it might be 20/80.
~ Jyn Meyer
********
It helps me so much if I’m having a rough day (or even when I just want to be extra intentional) to not view it as a long marathon of being awesome. I simply view it as a series of short sprints.
~ Kat at Family Your Way
********
Her life has been such an example of grace – making good choices without allowing them to get in the way of relationships or become rigid rules that take the joy out of food and eating – that I've learned that I can approach this journey in my own time and my own way without trying to live up to someone else's standards or avoid their critical eye. And rather than leading to a standstill, that's motivated me to move forward even more quickly.
:snip ... but it's a good post for anyone who puts thought into what they eat:
Most importantly, consider relationships with people more important than their food choices!
~ Mandi at Keeper of the Home
********
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings
~ "Count Your Blessings" in White Christmas
********
This fact is powerful when you catch yourself comparing your methods and outcomes with other mamas (it's a wash--don't do it). When you see the seems-like-she-does-everything pizzaz of another mom, know that she's enjoying a shining moment among many other kinds of moments, and be happy for her. And when you see a mom who might be losing her cool or maybe arranging her priorities differently than you would, assume that there are other days when things shift and she too enjoys that shining moment of everything-feels-just-right. Amen? Amen. Isn't it nice when we don't have the pressure of figuring out everyone else's life for them?
~ Kelle Hampton at Enjoying the Small Things
*****
** This post contains affiliate links and I'm grateful when people use them. **
Thursday, October 4, 2012
10/4/12 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for Faith. She's willing to say life's hard when it is, but is just as likely to share the good things that are happening. Life has thrown a variety of curveballs her way over the last few years, and while she's experienced perfectly normal thoughts and emotions in those circumstances, she hasn't allowed them to make her bitter. She's acquired some handy new skills and is working on a very cute kitchen remodel. She always strives to do what's best for her family, even when it's physically or emotionally draining. She'll admit her flaws and ask for encouragement to improve in those areas. She's an encouragement to those who are struggling with their own weaknesses. She has a great sense of humor and is very hospitable. She loves the Lord, her husband, and her kids.
Who is someone that you're thankful for?
Who is someone that you're thankful for?
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
MENU - FIRST HALF OF OCTOBER 2012
Tim is almost done with the weight loss phase of Take Shape For Life. In an attempt to mesh his meals with our budget, he's often eating different dinners than we are these days That will change once he can add beans back into his diet and we all find a new normal, but we've never eaten meat with every dinner and can't start now. Meanwhile, we're finding some new lean and green recipes that will get added into our regular menus and keeping our grocery budget where it needs to be. Any meal on our regular menu that Tim is eating will be marked with his initial. Otherwise I'll list his meals separately.
Quick stop for two new things we liked on the last menu.
* taco casserole - Pretty self-explanatory. Big hit with the little Ws.
* hearty chicken vegetable soup - Tim's not a big soup fan, but he likes this one.
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x10
* egg & potato scramble (potatoes baked in advance)
* yogurt with fruit & nutty, fruity granola
* snickerdoodle muffins
* oatmeal pancakes
DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x3
* lentils & rice/green salad x2
* Hawaiian chicken (crockpot)/rice/green salad
* lemon Greek salad (barbecue, T x2)
* barbecue chicken pizza/celery & carrots
* marinated salmon (Tim's catch, barbecue)/roasted broccoli/rice(T)
* zesty chicken (crockpot, made two - one for dinner, one for freezer, used carcass for making broth)/couscous/roasted lemon cabbage (T - chicken over spinach x2)
* meatless minestrone (use leftover roasted cabbage)
* quinoa & black beans/celery & carrots
* brown rice & lentil salad over spinach
* chicken vegetable soup (chicken, broth from the zesty chicken carcass, & a random assortment of veggies in the crockpot)/buttermilk biscuits with chives & black pepper
TIM
* green bean lasagna x2
* broccoli chicken Dijon (going to try some of this in the crockpot) x4
* new pizza recipe x4
* stuffed portabella mushrooms
SNACKS & DESSERT
* produce
* popcorn
* zucchini cake
Quick stop for two new things we liked on the last menu.
* taco casserole - Pretty self-explanatory. Big hit with the little Ws.
* hearty chicken vegetable soup - Tim's not a big soup fan, but he likes this one.
BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x2
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x10
* egg & potato scramble (potatoes baked in advance)
* yogurt with fruit & nutty, fruity granola
* snickerdoodle muffins
* oatmeal pancakes
DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x3
* lentils & rice/green salad x2
* Hawaiian chicken (crockpot)/rice/green salad
* lemon Greek salad (barbecue, T x2)
* barbecue chicken pizza/celery & carrots
* marinated salmon (Tim's catch, barbecue)/roasted broccoli/rice(T)
* zesty chicken (crockpot, made two - one for dinner, one for freezer, used carcass for making broth)/couscous/roasted lemon cabbage (T - chicken over spinach x2)
* meatless minestrone (use leftover roasted cabbage)
* quinoa & black beans/celery & carrots
* brown rice & lentil salad over spinach
* chicken vegetable soup (chicken, broth from the zesty chicken carcass, & a random assortment of veggies in the crockpot)/buttermilk biscuits with chives & black pepper
TIM
* green bean lasagna x2
* broccoli chicken Dijon (going to try some of this in the crockpot) x4
* new pizza recipe x4
* stuffed portabella mushrooms
SNACKS & DESSERT
* produce
* popcorn
* zucchini cake
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
DADS & DAUGHTERS CAMPOUT 2012
Last year Tim and Naomi were invited to the first annual dads and daughters campout, but we already had something else on the calendar and they weren't able to go. This year, though, it worked out. Six dads and seven daughters met up at Milo McIver a couple weekends ago and roasted marshmallows, sang songs, caught fish, rode bikes, checked out the bat barn, and did each other's hair ... well, the girls did that part. They had a great time!
Monday, October 1, 2012
BOOKS I FINISHED - SEPTEMBER 2012
The House of Sixty Fathers, written by Meinert De Jong and illustrated by Maurice Sendak
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of a young boy who was separated from his family during the Japanese invasion of China and the long journey he takes to find his way back to his home and family. I had a really hard time getting into this book and it won't make my list of favorites, but it was fine. Silas liked it enough to say he'd read it again. Incidentally, one of the author's other books, The Wheel on the School, also took me a long time to get into and I enjoyed it much more the second time through than the first.
Homesick: My Own Story, written by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Margot Tomes
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. This book is technically fiction, but mostly fact, and I really enjoyed it. The author is an American who was born and raised in China, then moved to America just before eighth grade. This is her story of leaving the only land she knew, a country in turmoil, to live in the country she was homesick for, a country she'd never been to.
The Kite Fighters, written by Linda Sue Park
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of two brothers, one skilled at making kites and the other at flying them, who want to combine their talents for the New Year Festival kite fights, yet birth order and tradition dictate the brother less skilled at flying would have to be the one to compete.
Mission to Cathay, written by Madeleine Polland and illustrated by Peter Landa
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The story of the first Western Christian missionary to mainland China. I did not enjoy this book at all, but I slogged through it. The story was interesting, but the way the book was written has it ranked in my five least favorite school books ... and I'm not sure I even know what the other four books in that category are.
The Big Wave, written by Pearl S. Buck
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of a boy whose home and family are washed away in a Japanese tidal wave. A quick read with lessons in courage, friendship, and priorities.
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage More to Make Us Holy Than to Make Us Happy?, written by Gary Thomas
I'm reading through this book with a group of friends, discussing one chapter each week. The group's on week four, but I finished the whole book and am going back each week to re-read and discuss the chapter the group is on. Lots of challenging things in this book!
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of a young boy who was separated from his family during the Japanese invasion of China and the long journey he takes to find his way back to his home and family. I had a really hard time getting into this book and it won't make my list of favorites, but it was fine. Silas liked it enough to say he'd read it again. Incidentally, one of the author's other books, The Wheel on the School, also took me a long time to get into and I enjoyed it much more the second time through than the first.
Homesick: My Own Story, written by Jean Fritz and illustrated by Margot Tomes
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. This book is technically fiction, but mostly fact, and I really enjoyed it. The author is an American who was born and raised in China, then moved to America just before eighth grade. This is her story of leaving the only land she knew, a country in turmoil, to live in the country she was homesick for, a country she'd never been to.
The Kite Fighters, written by Linda Sue Park
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of two brothers, one skilled at making kites and the other at flying them, who want to combine their talents for the New Year Festival kite fights, yet birth order and tradition dictate the brother less skilled at flying would have to be the one to compete.
Mission to Cathay, written by Madeleine Polland and illustrated by Peter Landa
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The story of the first Western Christian missionary to mainland China. I did not enjoy this book at all, but I slogged through it. The story was interesting, but the way the book was written has it ranked in my five least favorite school books ... and I'm not sure I even know what the other four books in that category are.
The Big Wave, written by Pearl S. Buck
Pre-read for Silas and Devon. The fictional story of a boy whose home and family are washed away in a Japanese tidal wave. A quick read with lessons in courage, friendship, and priorities.
Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage More to Make Us Holy Than to Make Us Happy?, written by Gary Thomas
I'm reading through this book with a group of friends, discussing one chapter each week. The group's on week four, but I finished the whole book and am going back each week to re-read and discuss the chapter the group is on. Lots of challenging things in this book!
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