Clams and Kites

Caley and Amelia are in Astoria for a few days. My mom sent us some pictures and it looks like they're having a great time! They've gone clamming, kite flying, carousel, swimming, and just hanging out with Grama and Papa. But also giving my parents a run for their money, especially around bedtime. Two girls in the same room for night-night = lots of giggles! Here are some pictures of their time away. Thanks Mom and Dad!!

Running and Gardening

Today was a wonderful day. My mom was here and instead of taking just Caley back to Astoria for a few days, she took Amelia too at Caley's request. I know by Monday I'll probably cry because I miss them, but I very much enjoyed the afternoon off today. It was so peaceful. I think it's healthy to have time away from the kids, but I'm glad I get to spend almost every day with them.

This afternoon I went running at Edmonds beach. It was beautiful weather and the salty smell of the water perfectly complimented the scenery of the beach and ferry. I love running. It's so uplifting. When I'm running I feel free, strong, healthy, and I can get lost in my thoughts behind the cool music. Today I listened to "Lifter" from Podrunner. It's my favorite track. About 45 minutes in there is the best music and I always get a big smile on my face while running to that part. I can't even describe it.

After running I got some new plants for the garden, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, lettuce, and kale (seeds). I made a few more stops before home, and even then it was only 2:30. Usually if I need to stop somewhere it takes like 4 hours with getting the kids in and out of the car over and over.

I got home and planted the new plants. Here's what my garden looks like now. We have had a steady stream of spinach, red and green lettuce, and radishes the last few weeks. I'm very much looking forward to the sugar peas and tomatoes now. When the radishes are done, I hope to plant some more late summer crops.

Thank you Jesus for helpful parents who give us a break now and then. Thank you for your provision. Thank you for blessing us with the gift of children.

I'll leave you with a little surprise...a new widget to your right! :)

Laundry: The woman's drug of choice

Garden Day!

I'm so excited to post this!! Last summer I decided to start a garden, but it was a little too late and I had no clue what I was doing. So I started by making a compost bin and getting the soil ready. We've been composting since then and it's working well. The bins are now behind the fence because they can get pretty stinky. They're also very heavy. I'm not sure what to do when I actually need to move it to the garden.

In April I planted some seeds and waited, waited, waited. I planted lettuce, swiss chard, spinach, green beans, radishes, zinnias (flowers), carrots and sugar peas. About a month ago we started getting some bean sprouts, a bunch of radishes, some spinach, sugar peas, and a bit of lettuce. And lots and lots and lots of weeds. There were so many weeds it looked more like a weed garden. Every few days I'd spend a while outside picking weeds, but it was taking forever. Bill would also yell, "How's your weed garden coming along?" (I didn't take any pictures of the garden 'o weeds because it was really embarassing!)

But today my mother-in-law, the greatest of them all, visited and went to town pulling the weeds. We also transplanted some of the spinach sprouts and she gave me some onion sprouts. She also built a lattice for the sugar peas. Now the garden looks ship-shape and I can't wait to reap the fruits, I mean vegetables, of my/our labor. I even got a first crop of radishes for a salad! Woohoo!!

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

I've been meaning to blog about Caley's first ballet "recital"! Read about it on the "Caley's Classroom" blog.

Caley's Daddy Date

Bill was able to take some time off this week and last. One afternoon he and Caley went on a date and had a great time! Here are some super cute pictures.
They visited our townhouse that was Caley's first home. Look at the shiny siding!!

This is at Emery's Garden, a nursery in Lynnwood. Actually it's more like a nursery/farm with free roaming peacocks and chickens in coops.

They visited a park on 164th st in Lynnwood and Caley tried her hand at taking pictures of Daddy.

Mother's Day Tea Party

You may remember reading about our tea party from last year. This year it was an extravaganza. My friends and I invited several moms with young kids and had a great time visiting in the sun, drinking tea (or apple juice for the kidlets), eating yummy snacks, and watching our kids run and play. I hope this becomes a Mother's Day tradition. The weather cooperated beautifully and so many people helped pull it off, from lending tables and chairs, to sharing teacups, saucers, and decorations. Thank you friends! 

Book Review: Lord Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room

This is an embarassing confession, but I rarely read books. Not counting reading books to the kids, I really haven't read anything since it was required reading in college, and even then I probably skimmed most of the material. And I was an English major. Doubly embarassing. I read blogs and things online, and have read a few books in bible study, but it's been a long time since I read something just for fun and just for me.

I regularly read the Mommy Life blog by Barbara Curtis and in January she assigned her readers to read the classic Animal Farm and she would lead a discussion. I thought I'd try it, since we have a copy of Animal Farm and it's a very short book. I loved it. All I wanted to do was read Animal Farm and all I could think of was the pigs and the old dog and the hardworking horse. Of course it's satire and many parallels can be drawn between what Orwell was satirising and the current American government. After that, I felt a love of reading I hadn't felt in a long time.

So I read Barbara Curtis' book Lord, Please Meet Me in the Laundry Room and I'm glad I did. It's another short read, and very relevant to someone in my position as a mom to young kids. Among the big ideas in this book, one is that in a mother's life there may not be a lot of time alone doing bible study, there are always interruptions like a screaming baby, a needy toddler, laundry, dishes or dinner to be made. It's a good thing the Lord meets us where we are and sometimes it might be in the laundry room while doing the 18th load of laundry. From page 24, "When I turn my thoughts to God, loading the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, getting up to nurse the baby at night, even changing a diaper can be a prayer. And as I turn my thoughts to Him, I pray for all the mommies like me who are too busy wiping peanut butter and jelly off little faces and kissing owies to maintain the practice of what the less encumbered call quiet time." Since reading this, it's made me look at my daily tasks different and thank God for them. I am thankful I have loads and loads of laundry to do, because it means my house has growing children who have the energy to get dirty while they're playing. This doesn't mean I have an excuse for not doing "quiet time." I spend way too much wasted time on the computer and watching TV, when I should be deepening my relationship with Jesus. 

Barbara also tells her story of how Jesus worked in her life, through her wild young adulthood as a political leftist, to a single mom with two daughters, to a recovering alcoholic. She married her husband Tripp and together they came to Jesus and she learned how to be a good mother (in her words, page 42). Later they had 7 children together, one with Down Syndrome, and adopted three more with DS. She discusses a bit about having so many children and how it's very similar to being a CEO, running a small company and being organized. She also relates the blessing of having a large family. From page 66-67, "Sometimes the amazement [of people upon finding out their family size] is respectful, but sometimes it hurts, as when people say things like, 'I don't know how you do it. My two are enough to drive me crazy.' It's embrassing to hear another mother say this in front of her children--and mine. I was to grab her hand and say, 'Stop! Think! That's not the way it's supposed to be! These children are our treasures!" She then references Psalm 127 which calls children a heritage from the Lord. 

Upon reading this, I was quite convicted about my comments about Caley and Amelia. Life with these girls is difficult at times, but probably more because I am stubborn, selfish, and don't want to be inconvenienced by their legitimate needs as children. I need to be more cautious with what I say, especially when they are around. Actually, I need to be more cautious about everything I say, whether or not it's about my children! I too often speak without thinking. 

The last chapter of the book is about her child with a "little extra," Jonny. Jonny has Down Syndrome. She writes that among the difficulties associated with having a child with Down syndrome, there are many unexpected joys and rewards! After having Jonny, Barbara birthed her last child, Maddy, and years later adopted three more boys with Down Syndrome. Wow! This is a huge reason why I admire Barbara as a mother, Christian, author, and advocate. On page 124 she writes, "What will be your little extra? It might not be a baby with Down syndrome, but surely as you continue your spiritual journey, God will drop something in your lap or whisper something in your heart that will give you the opportunity to grow and change, to enlarge your capacity to love, to teach you compassion, and to depend on Him and love Him more. "

What will be my/our little extra? When I am 90 and look back on my life, what will I see that helped me learn more about God's love for me and plan for my life? I'm guessing it'll be something I can't fathom right now, because as much as I'd like to be in control, I'm not. God is.

I highly recommend this book and Barbara's blog in general. Thank you!

It's been a while since our last post, but I'm working on some good ones. In the meantime, enjoy these pictures of life recently!

Feeling Blissful

Aside from the occasional meltdown by one of the kids, I love life right now. God is so gracious. Right now I'm listening to beautiful piano music, the kids are napping after a wonderful playgroup morning of learning about Jesus and doing a fun project, and right before naptime they were sitting nicely while I did some chores. I love the friends God has placed in my life right now. I love the blessing of getting to stay home with my children and work on little projects here and there. I love that my husband loves me and works hard to support our family, and comes home to play and love on our kids. I love the blessing of a sunny day after months and months of snotty, cold weather.

Things will change, and if I think about those changes too much I get a little freaked out. I hope though I will always remember this feeling of bliss and blessing. Thank you Jesus.

Easter Baskets

When I was a kid I loved Easter. My parents went all out filling our Easter baskets with goodies. Toys, books, stuffed animals, and of course, CANDY!! I was a candy junkie. My brother and I would get up and find the basket and just chow down. Then of course there was the Easter egg hunt, which produced even more candy. I was a candy hoarder (was? to some extent I still am). I would hoard the candy from Easter and make it last until Halloween when the basket would get refilled. I distinctly remember hiding my stash o' candy in the closet and creeping in to get some. I also have a distinct memory of one Easter at the cabin in Hoodsport. I was in 8th or 9th grade, and I remember doing the Easter egg hunt in my jammies from Indonesia. After Easter basket and candy fest, we'd pack up and go to church. It was always so beautiful at church, with the pretty daffodils and lilies decorating the stage and windowsills. Sometimes we'd head to Grandma's for Easter dinner or have dinner with my Grandpa Floyd and Grandma Harriet at our house.

The last few years, I haven't been overly excited about Easter, at least in the same way I was as a child. I just looked around my house and I don't have any Easter decorations up. None. (Unless you count the gingerbread house we made last week that's been picked over, that's one.) We didn't put together Easter baskets for the girls, but they got some things from Great Grandma Ev and Nana and Grama Bales. Caley's playgroup is learning about Easter and the events leading up to it, but beyond that, I haven't done much. Someone told me about a "tomb cake" that teaches about Jesus' Resurrection. Cook a chocolate cake in a bowl and cut out a door and put a piece of cloth inside to show that Jesus came back to life. It sounds like a wonderful idea, it just didn't happen last week during Holy Week.

**I'd like to add that we did this yesterday, and it was a massive tomb cake fail...it didn't cook long enough and when we cut out the door to put Jesus inside (all wrapped up like He was in the story), hot chocolate goo came pouring out. Parts of it were cooked enough, so we just shoved Jesus inside (He got all gooey), acted out the story, and the girls ate the cake afterward. Peter the dinosaur disciple and Princess Atta and Ariel the mermaid (playing the women who went to Jesus' tomb) looked on. Caley understood the story, which is the point, not that it was necessarily pretty. Read more on Caley's Classroom blog asap.**

Caley knows the story of Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection. It's something she learns all the time, at church, at home, and when she hits her sister. She often says, "Jesus died so we don't die." When she sins (and when I sin) it's a perfect time to teach "The Easter Story." If you learn one thing about Jesus, it should be the Easter story. I would feel guilty about not devoting this entire week to Easter-related stories and activities, but we kind of do that anyway. It shouldn't be a special thing to learn what Jesus did for us, we should always be learning about it and contemplating it.

I'm not against Easter baskets, or candy, or bunnies or eggs. I'm not against doing fun things to illustrate Jesus' miracles or holidays we celebrate. But sometimes Mommy doesn't do things quite on time or the way everyone else does, but if the point is still Jesus then that's okay.

We celebrated Easter this year by going to church and hearing about Jesus, hearing testimonies of lives changed because of Him and seeing people baptized. Mars Hill also had streaming services live from the Ballard campus. We watched some baptisms when we got home and Caley asked, "what is baptism?" She saw a little girl about 5 years old get baptized. What an impact for her! I look forward to the Easter Sunday (or any day) that our girls will profess their faith in Jesus and be baptized by Daddy.

Happy Easter!

Tantrums at Target and, well everywhere

Oh my dear sweet Amelia, where have you gone? You have been replaced by Little Miss Independent in the grocery store, in the parking lot, and so many other places. You want to walk by yourself, where you want to go (which is always 180 degrees from where I need to go). You want to hold the cup and drink, not have a sip while it's in my hand. You don't want to hold anyone's hand while crossing the street, so I have to pick you up, which just makes you more angry. Dear sweet Amelia, I'm just trying to protect you. I don't want to lose you to a crazy car that's driving too fast or a creepy guy looking to snatch up cute little girls in a lamb coat. I don't want you to fall and hurt your pretty little face on the sidewalk. Why don't you see that I love you and want you to stay safe?

It must be the way God feels when I want to do my own thing instead of letting him carry me through. When my stubborness and independence takes over instead of letting my Father care for me as I care for you dear sweet Amelia.

So sweet baby that's not a baby anymore...thank you for showing me how I act toward God sometimes. I'm not angry with you, it's your sin nature...this must be one of the reasons God gave me a toddler, to teach me through you. 

It's Amelia's turn to pray!

A few nights ago before dinner, Amelia prayed for us.

"Jesus, Amen. Yay!! (clapping)"

Lord, I am thankful for messy hands

A few nights ago was "bath night." It is often a struggle giving the girls a bath, because they freak out when I wash their hair, so it doesn't happen as often as it should. Actually, before Tuesday night's bath I can't remember the last time they had one. It was probably when my parents were here a few weeks ago. Does that make me a bad mother? I hope not. They're generally pretty clean because we usually don't let them jump in mud puddles or garbage and I have a system for cleaning the house each week. That and they're related to Bill who's a pretty clean guy so maybe they inherited it. I told my friend with 4 kids that if we ever had a boy I think he'd be pretty clean like Bill. To which she replied, "good luck with that." I think the "clean" days in this house are numbered.

Anyway...during the bath and afterward Amelia just wouldn't cooperate. From splashing and drinking the bathwater, to wiggling uncontrollably while getting dressed, to fighting getting her teeth brushed (I actually had to pin down her arms so I could brush her teeth). Sometimes when the girls are obstinate like this it can make me so angry and I can get really harsh with them. But on bath night, all I could do was smile and thank God that I even have children. I know many years from now I will wish I could still help them with the daily tasks, and many more years after that I will wish they even lived in the same house as me. It's very hard for me to remember this sometimes, when the chore list gets longer with each day and my day isn't going the way I want it. Then it sets that I'm just making it harder on myself because I'm acting selfishly. 

Please Lord, remind me of this feeling of thankfulness. Thank you for giving me a family to care for and dirt on the floor to sweep up. 

I love this poem, my friend Melody posted it on her blog a while ago and it's too good not to pass on.

I heard my Mom say as she scrubbed today,

"I'm thankful for brushes and brooms,

I'm glad to clean my cozy house

That's filled with cheerful rooms."

I heard my Mom say at the washing machine,

"I'm thankful for dirty clothes.

I'm glad that I have a healthy child

Who can play each day he grows."

I heard my Mom say at the sink tonight,

"I'm thankful for dirty dishes.

I'm glad we filled our plates with food

Instead of empty wishes.:

I heard Mom say in her prayers tonight,

"I'm thankful for problems today.

If life never got a little bit rough,

I might forget to pray."

~V. Gilbert Beers

"Precious Moments"

After dinner last night the girls did some watercoloring. Caley thought it was more fun to color her hands, so her art time was quickly over. She, of course, protested and I said "Only babies do that Caley, are you a baby? Babies don't get to do big girl things" while washing her hands. Bill was standing next to us and added, "Caley, if you're a baby you have to wear diapers and sleep in a crib and have a binky. Do you want to do that?" 

And she enthusiastically said, "YES!!"

Reverse psychology--FAIL.