BOOKS I FINISHED - JUNE 2013

Unspoken Abandonment: Sometimes the Hardest Part of Going to War is Coming Home, written by Bryan A. Wood

Kindle freebie.  The author starts by describing a panic attack he had, then backtracks to tell the story that led him to that point and how he moved past it.  He shares the journal he kept while serving as a soldier in Afghanistan and the struggles he faced after coming back to the States.  Needless to say, he witnessed and experienced some very difficult things and profanity is used frequently in the book, so steer clear if either of those things would bother you.  If you can get past those two things, then I think the book is an excellent way to better understand those citizens of our country who put their physical lives on the line to protect other people, then often end up struggling with or sacrificing their emotional and mental lives because that choice. 

p. 164, For every one person that would say something positive and kind, two would have diarrhea of the mouth and not know when to shut up. (My mom is the only person I've ever heard use the expression "diarrhea of the mouth", so it made me chuckle to read it.) 

p. 169, (quoting a friend) Because, I learned something a long time ago: if you try to do only for yourself, you'll only get so far in life.  If you reach out to touch other people, you can fix your own soul and move further than you can ever imagine. 

p. 169, (quoting a friend)  Hurt, sorrow, sadness, all that (stuff) is easy to let go of.  It fades in time on its own.  When we lose someone we love, we miss them and it hurts terribly, but it fades.  We move forward in life.  Anger on the other hand, is like an anchor.  It doesn't let you move forward, it holds you right there in one spot.  No matter how hard life tries to move you forward, anger keeps you trapped.

Cracker!: The Best Dog in Vietnam, written by Cynthia Kadohata

Silas and Devon each read this on their own and both asked me to read it.  So I did!  It's the fictional story of a dog sent to Vietnam with the Army, told both from the perspective of the narrator and of the dog, and provides a glimpse into the lives of military canines and their handlers.

The Spiderwick Chronicles #1 - The Field Guide, written and illustrated by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Read aloud with the bigs.  Three siblings discover some mysterious activity and creatures in an old house they've moved into.

Tiny Titan - One Small Gift, written by Ann Yurcek

Kindle freebie.  One of the author's children was born with a genetic disorder that was life-threatening and whose medical expenses put them in a dire financial situation.  I found the book tedious after a while, but I appreciate the author's desire to share their struggle and how they made it through a very trying time.  

The Dark Frigate, written by Charles Boardman Hawes
Newbery, 1924.  This book just about killed me, but I finished it.  Lots of talk about boats and pirate behavior, plus lots of speaking with accents.

When God Whispers Loudly, written by Chris M. Hibbard
Kindle freebie.  Super quick read that reminds us to keep our priorities in line.

SILAS' BIRTHDAY, PART TWO - 2013

Silas kicked off a year of mononumeracy with a pretty fun day.

First up?  The traditional doughnut breakfast with Dad, including a cinnamon roll-ish thing.

And a jelly-filled concoction.

They came home and the day went along as usual.  At some point we decided to take his birthday outfit pictures.  We took a bunch, but the older you get, the less you want the general public to see some of your goofiest antics.  So, here are the two shots I have Silas' permission to post.

The pose he came up with last year.

And a new one.

 We had dinner a bit later and his request, as per usual, was Italian sausage with bowties, along with spring delight, cheddar and sour cream Ruffles, and baked BBQ Lay's.  

Next on the birthday schedule were cards and gifts from immediate family and any that came in the mail.

He happily started with cards.
 

Then he happily moved to gifts.

Before the night was over, Silas and I headed out for the traditional ice cream date.  Evidently he'd never had a banana split, so that's what he ordered.  Evidently the person at the counter thought we were sharing it, as she gave him two spoons.  He put them to use as tools to announce his age.

Then the ravenous beast dug in.

We went  home, the evening wound down, and his birthday was over.

6/27/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for basketball tournaments.

What is one thing that you're thankful for?

SILAS' BIRTHDAY - 2013

ADVENTURES FOR TWO KIDS

Four of the last five days involved me parenting only three of the little Ws.  It never ceases to amaze me how much family and household dynamics change when one person is gone, regardless of which person it is.  It's neither better nor worse, just different.  

Anyway, let me tell you about who was gone and what they were doing. 

Silas was gone for three days. A friend of his invited him along for an annual "man-cation" he and his dad take, so I dropped him off at the friend's house on Monday morning for a trip to central Oregon. He camped, went fishing, made a bunch of survival bracelets, skipped rocks over in the river in the booming metropolis of Spray, looked for fossils in ... wait for it ... Fossil, hiked the Painted Hills, looked for petrified wood, ate at a couple restaurants, found cool rocks, discovered evidence of an unofficial shooting range, checked out emus, cougars, peacocks, antelope, and other critters, and stopped at the Bonneville Dam Museum.  We picked up a super happy and slightly tired kid from Bible study on Wednesday night.  

Devon was gone for one day.  One of the church grandmas asked if she could have him for a day, so Tim dropped him off on his way to a basketball tournament Friday morning.  He drank a strawberries and cream frappucino from Starbucks, watched Monsters University at the theater, ate at a couple restaurants, watched a bit of the Beavers playing in the College World Series on TV, saw a couple hot air balloons, played on an iPad, watched Storm Chasers, successfully hid from the church grandpa when he came home, and went swimming.  We had a very happy and slightly tired kid delivered to our home about eleven hours after he left. 

 

WINNER - NEPALI SCARF

Congratulations to SheilaK!  You are the winner of the beautiful Nepali scarf from Simone Coster and Trades of Hope!!

If  anyone would like to learn more about how Trades of Hope is helping women around the world to get out of poverty, then please check visit Simone's website or Facebook page.

6/20/13 FORMING FAMILIES - YARD SALE (FUNDRAISER)

Brandon and Becky are friends of ours who are waiting to bring one of their children home from Ethiopia and this weekend they're having a yard sale as an adoption fundraiser.  If you're a bargain lover, supporter of adoption, or simply someone who's looking for something to do this weekend, then please swing by their sale and see what treasures you can find.

WHO: Brandon, Becky, and you

WHAT: Fundraising yard sale

WHEN: 6/21 & 6/22, from 8:00-3:00 each day

WHERE: 2735 NW 153rd Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006 (just a smidge off the intersection of Hwy 26 and Cornell) 

WHY: We're called to look after orphans.  For some of us that means helping to cover the cost of others forming their families through adoption.  If you bring something home, then they can bring someone home.

Brandon and Becky will be doing another sale in the fall during a neighborhood yard sale event, so I'll let you know when that one rolls around.  If you have items to donate for their fall sale, then touch base with them about getting those items to their house.  If you don't know them, then let me know and I'll get you connected.

6/20/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful that Tim is done with school.  

What's something that you're thankful for?

IT'S OFFICIAL

Tim is done with school!!!!

Now he keeps applying for jobs, we wait for his license to get processed, and all the things that we couldn't get done while I basically single-parented for the last several months will start getting taken care of.  Woohoo!!

MENU - SECOND HALF OF JUNE 2013

We tried three new recipes on the last menu, so let's start by talking about them.

* brunch egg bake - This was delicious!  A yummy breakfast casserole that doesn't have potatoes or bread. Not that I'm opposed to either of those things, but I just wanted an egg and ham casserole that didn't include them.
* Swiss mac and cheese with smoked sausage - This was good, but I suspect we're more likely to opt for the lazier version of just making rice cooker mac & cheese and tossing some sausage in it.
* lemon garlic tilapia - Easy, yummy, tastes more like basil than lemon or garlic.

And here's the menu we're eating from now.

BREAKFASTS
* doughnuts x3
* oatmeal with brown sugar, cinnamon, milk, raisins, fruit, huh-koe-pee milk, and energy mix as optional toppings x8
* cranberry granola
* scrambled eggs (ours are always made with a ton of chopped spinach and some cheese)/toast
* Rebecca's granola/yogurt & blueberries
* lemony sour cream muffins/strawberry spinach smoothies

DINNERS
* leftovers x2
* tacos x2 
* rosemary white bean sandwiches/strawberries
* do-it-all chicken/rice/tomato slices/carrot sticks
* shrimp with garlic lemon vinaigrette/peas and corn/rice
* Italian sausage with bowties/spring delight/cheddar and sour cream Lay's (Silas' birthday choice)
* quinoa broccoli soup
* spicy pesto chicken/rice/strawberry and pear green salad
* tomato, feta, and barley salad/carrot sticks/cucumber slices
* burgers (bbq)/fruit salad
* tropical salad with Hawaiian chicken (bbq) instead of bacon/toast
* church bbq
* crockpot ziti/Leslie's salad

SNACKS & DESSERTS
* produce
* nuts - pistachios & roasted almonds
* popcorn
* hummus for veggies
* orange creamsicle cookies (we never got around to these last time)
* ice cream

FATHER'S DAY - 2013

The little Ws with the leader of our pack.  Father's Day weekend was a perfect time for their season of school-induced dad deprivation to come to an end!

DEVON'S BIRTHDAY, PART TWO - 2013

Devs entered his last year of single digit living this year and his day was filled with some W-style birthday traditions.

The day started really bright and early with a doughnut date with Tim.  He indulged in a powdered sugar covered, lemon jelly filled concoction.  He tackled it head-on.

And he struck a pose.

Then he came home for a day that was pretty ordinary.  Until evening, that is.  We all sat down for the dinner of his choosing.  Sausage balls, which he often requests, fruit salad (strawberry, pineapple, kiwi, mandarins), cool ranch Doritos, and sour cream cheddar Ruffles were on the menu and it was delicious.

Silas had given Devon a scavenger hunt as a birthday gift, which was an awesome gift for the little W who most loves to hide or find things.  He had hopped on Mapquest earlier in the week to scope out various locations around town, written up eight different rhyming riddles for clues, then Tim helped him plant the clues, along with a variety of snacks, the previous day.  So the three oldest male Ws tackled the scavenger hunt when they were done eating - Tim chauffeured, Devon figured out clues and hunted for the hidden things, and Silas came along to watch his plan unfold.  Here he is with his first clue and snack. 

At a local park with a new clue wrapped around another snack.

By the time the guys returned from the scavenger hunt it was time for opening gifts from family and cards that came in the mail.  He flashed some cash.

Then he collapsed in exhaustion from the strenuous labor of unloading every single ribbon we've ever owned, all of which were used in a gift that Naomi packaged.  

Needing some nourishment from the hard job of opening gifts, he and I took off for our traditional ice cream date and he inhaled a cookie dough blizzard.  Actually, he ate a ridiculous amount of food at dinner and had to take part of his ice cream home to toss in the freezer for later.  

The day was wrapping up, but we had one more tradition left.  The birthday outfit.  He put it on and we had some fun taking pictures.

Hmmm ... evidently Blogger now warps vertical pictures to make them horizontal.  Awesome.  Oh well, at least you get the idea, even if Devs now looks really squatty.  

And on that note, with lots of laughter, the birthday boy hit the sack.  

DEVON'S BIRTHDAY - 2013

6/11/13 WORTH REPEATING

The only predictable thing about humans is their unpredictability.

~ Ted Burdett


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The whole point of Christianity is realizing that you will never be good enough on your own. It's not about following the rules, it's about realizing that no one can ever follow all the rules. That's why we need Jesus.

~ Leanne Brown


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Owning less is far more beneficial than organizing more.

~ Joshua Becker in Don't Just Declutter, De-own at Becoming Minimalist

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The best bridge between despair and hope is a good night's sleep.

~ E. Joseph Cossman


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There are people who say this to me:

“You should enjoy every moment now! They grow up so fast!”

I usually smile and give some sort of guffaw, but inside, I secretly want to hold those people under water. Just for a minute or so. Just until they panic a little.

If you have friends with small children — especially if your children are now teenagers or if they’re grown – please vow to me right now that you will never say this to them. Not because it’s not true, but because it really, really doesn't help.

We know it’s true that they grow up too fast. But feeling like I have to enjoy every moment doesn't feel like a gift, it feels like one more thing that is impossible to do, and right now, that list is way too long. Not every moment is enjoyable as a parent; it wasn't for you, and it isn't for me. You just have obviously forgotten. I can forgive you for that. But if you tell me to enjoy every moment one more time, I will need to break up with you.

~ Steve Wiens in To the parents of small children: Let me be the one who says it out loud at The Actual Pastor (The whole post is great, and funny, so go read it.)

*****

MOVIES I WATCHED - JUNE 2013

I haven't actually watched all of these in June, but they're the ones I've seen since my last movie list.  A little humor, a little suspense, and a little inspiration make for a good movie list.

How to Eat Fried Worms
Library movie.  I watched this with the bigs for one of our movie nights and we all loved it.  Lessons in friendship and telling the truth, lots of laughter.

Wall-E
Library movie.  I thought I'd seen this before, but I hadn't.  Maybe I'd just seen snippets while Tim watched it, because it was all new to the kids and I during one of our movie nights.  Cute movie.  Generated a little discussion about the importance of doing things for yourself and not being sedentary.

Won't Back Down
Redbox freebie.  Tim and I both watched this one.  I realize it's fictional, but I the thing I liked most about it was seeing people who spent less time complaining about something they didn't like and more time investing their own time and energy to change it.

 

Touchback
Redbox freebie.   A good movie about not dwelling on the "what ifs" of the past and being grateful for what you have.  Tim and I both enjoyed it.

  

Wreck It Ralph

Redbox freebie.  The bigs and I watched this for one of our movie nights. If we have another kid, then I'm pretty sure we'll name it Swizzle Malarkey.  Just sounds cool, don't ya think?

The Impossible
Redbox freebie.  Tim and I started this two hour movie after he got back from class at 10:00 one night.  Late night, but a great movie.  It's a bit intense at times, but that's what you'd expect from a true story about a family caught in a tsunami.  If the big boys are interested, then we'll probably let them watch it.  

A BLESSING ON WHEELS

Last summer Naomi took the training wheels off her bike, which meant she was ready to move from the toddler bike to a regular one. We scoured Craigslist for a free one and I posted on a freebie exchange site at our church to see if anyone had a girl who had outgrown theirs, but to no avail. Summer was winding down, though, so I figured we'd just make do through the winter. Naomi was content and life moved on.

Then it was May and the weather was gorgeous, so I thought people may be going through their outdoor stuff and getting rid of outgrown bikes. I started checking Craigslist again and posted on the exchange site that I was looking for a 20-inch bike, preferably without movie/TV characters on it. I figured something would come along eventually.

And it did.

I received an e-mail on Tuesday from someone asking if my post on the exchange site was for Naomi. I said it was. They responded by asking if she had any color preferences. I told them I knew for a fact that they didn't have any little girl bikes at their house to hand down to her ... and that she loves pink. They wrote back and said we needed to contact them. Contact was made and Tim stopped by their house after his class got out that night. He moved something from their house to our car, drove home, then moved it from our car to our van.

Wednesday morning started off as usual with chores and breakfast. Then I stepped outside momentarily and moved something from our van to our driveway. I came back inside and told Naomi to count to thirty, then to meet me outside.

And she did.

She then proceeded to spend the whole day saying "I can't believe it!", reminding us of the cool purse to hold her things while she's riding, talking about kickstands and hand brakes, and giggling.

Someone felt like God wanted them to bless Naomi, so they went out and bought her the bike of her dreams. How cool is that?!

Striking her "try and look cool" pose with her new bike.

Giddy. Totally giddy.

Sitting on the new bike for the first time.

Sitting on the old bike for the last time.

It takes a little practice to get used to mounting and handling a larger bike and in our family that responsibility belongs to Tim, so they're leaving right this very minute to figure it out in a nearby parking lot. She's pretty excited!!

6/6/13 THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for Benadryl.

What is something that you are thankful for?

GUEST POST: GIVEAWAY - NEPALI SCARF

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED

The following is a guest post from Simone Coster, a friend of mine.  I'm posting it simply because I think giveaways are fun and that the organization she works for sounds pretty awesome.  

As a mom of three young boys there isn't anything that could make my heart heavier than not being able to provide for my little guys.

Unfortunately, there are many moms in extreme poverty all around the world that aren’t able to. Some moms are left with the choice of giving their children away, selling them to try and earn money, or stay together and starve. Being part of sex slavery, sweat shops, or raising kids with disabilities alone. For example, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world with a 42% unemployment rate. Every year, approximately 10,000 girls from the ages of 9 to 16 are stolen, sold, or forced into brothels.

I am blessed to be part of a business called Trades of Hope. Trades of Hope offers these women a chance. With the help of Cooperatives, Organizations and Missionaries, women are getting out of sex slavery and supporting their families! They are given a chance to not only survive, but live a life filled with meaning and hope. They are able to work and make lovely items that are being sold, at their asking price, in the United States. They are able to provide food for their families, shelter, schooling, and medical care. Things that I have taken for granted many times.

Being a full time mom and being a Compassion Entrepreneur for Trades of Hope and work as I choose is amazing! I love helping my family and helping a mom across the world at the same time! What other careers give you that option?

I would love to offer a giveaway of one Nepali Aqua Scarf to one lucky winner! To enter, please do any of the following.  Each person may have up to three entries.

#1 Leave a comment on this blog.
#2 “Like” www.facebook.com/simonecostertradesofhope, then leave a comment here saying you did it.
#3 Leave a comment on the above Facebook page, then leave a comment here saying you did it.

The last day to enter is June 19th at 8pm. The winner will be chosen at random and announced by June 21st at 12pm.

For more information about hosting a home or online party or or about becoming a Compassion Entrepreneur and joining my team, please visit www.mytradesofhope.com/simonecoster.

BOOKS I FINISHED - MAY 2013

The Gospel in Ten Words, written by Paul Ellis

Kindle freebie.  Easy reading with lots of good stuff, plus a few things I'm not sure about.  I like that, though - some encouragement in things I know to be true and some challenges to my thinking.

Talk to the Hand: The Utter Bloody Rudeness of the World Today, or Six Good Reasons to Stay Home and Bolt the Door, written by Lynne Truss

I read another book by this author several years ago when I determined to get back in the habit of reading for fun, then blogged a couple weeks ago about a few books she's written for kids.  This particular book made some great points and had me cracking up multiple times.

p. 4, It does, however, have to be admitted that the outrage reflex ("Oh, that's so RUDE!") presents itself in most people at just about the same time as their elbow skin starts to give out.  Check your own elbow skin.  If it snaps back into position after bending, you probably should not be reading this book.  If, on the other hand, it just sits there in a puckered fashion, a bit rough and belligerent, then you can probably also name about twenty things right now, off the top of your head, that drive you nuts.

p. 14, Manners are based on an ideal of empathy, of imagining the impact of one's own actions on others.  They involve doing something for the sake of other people that is not obligatory and attracts no rewards.

p. 18, Basically, everyone else has bad manners; we have occasional bad moments.  Everyone else is rude; we are sometimes a bit preoccupied.

p. 24, Manners are about imagination, ultimately.  They are about imagining being the other person. 

p. 30, Criticism is treated (and reacted to) as simple aggression.  And this is very frightening.

HAVE A SEAT ... OR SIX

We had gorgeous weather a couple weeks ago with temps in the 80s, yet I managed to have a moment of discontent while hanging out in our backyard.  We're about to enter our second summer here and I really want something to sit on while outside.  Last summer we dug out camping chairs if we had guests over or when we wanted to sit on something with back support, but we didn't have any real lawn furniture.  No big deal, I realize.  Definitely a want, not a need.  Yet it would still be nice to have something to sit on this summer.

However,we have no income. No income means no purchasing of frivolous things. 

It's all good, though.  Life goes on.  And on.  And on. 

Until one day there was a post on a site I run for people at our church.  A post offering six free lawn chairs.  Six!  I didn't want to snag them before anyone else ever got a chance to see the offer, so I decided to just let the post sit for a bit and see if anyone claimed the chairs. 

No one did. 

And I made plans to pick them up.

Then my plans were thwarted.

But the chairs remained unclaimed.

So I made a new plan.

And there are now six chairs in my yard. 

 

Those chairs have already been put to good use today and I know they'll be enjoyed all summer.  I'm so thankful for the times when God blesses us with the fluff of life.  Like lawn chairs.