Shortcuts

Warning: This is completely rambling and random. I vomited it out in an attempt to calm myself down. Proceed with caution and lack of judgment please. :-)

I woke up this morning with a mild sense of panic and unease. The reason for this is simple: the month of May is going to be crazy busy for us. Along with the regular busy-ness of May (weddings, graduations, Mother's Day etc.) we are completing loan documents, moving, and preparing to go on vacation. I also made the mistake of committing to helping with a communal garden.
I have been trying so hard the past few months to be more organized and scheduled. I have done well with budgeting and keeping our grocery costs low. I have been making a lot of home made food in order to be more healthy. I have been trying to involve the kids in more creative play and activities. But honestly, all of that does take time, energy, and planning.
I realized this morning that in order to make it through the next few weeks we are just going to have to take some shortcuts.
- Nathaniel gets to keep his "ba" (pacifier). There is no way I am going to try and wean him off that thing with all of this going on. He is completely attached to it and even comes and asks me for it holding up his hands and saying in a pitiful voice, "need ba!"
- We have been doing good at scaling back the TV watching. Until this morning when I had to email a scanned 30+ page document - one.page.at.a.time. The boys sat in front of PBS kids for a good hour and a half. They seem ok. It may be they put in some more than usual hours in front on the 1 eyed babysitter in the next few weeks.
- Our cupboards are bare. I have not had a spare minute to do my usual online sales search or menu plan. (Of course I could be doing that instead of blogging!) The only time I see being able to go to the store is tonight after the boys are in bed. So what to have for dinner? I see a few extra nights of $5.00 pizza in our future the next few weeks. I think that we will also be having more packaged snacks and meals.
- Cleanliness. Oh my. You should see the state of our house. Packing with 2 curious boys is a lesson in patience. As soon as I pack a box it gets unpacked by a curious boy who wants to know what is inside and wants to play in the box. As I try and get the extra stuff done I am neglecting making beds, folding laundry (just pull it out of the basket of clean clothes!), and dusting. I figure over the next few weeks I am doing good to keep the dishes washed and laundry done.

The one area that we cannot short cut is that of patience and grace. Aaron and I have promised to treat each other (and the boys) with extra measures of both in these next few weeks. Things are going to be crazy. Things are not going to get done the way we are used to. But if we can reach the end of the month having loved each other well then all will be fine, despite the extra TV and food with partially hydrogenated oils. :-)

Loving the earth!

Yesterday after a gigantic hailstorm Jeremiah got to go outside and try out his new boots in water. Something about watching my little boys splashing around in water and making new discoveries makes me want to take care of this earth we live in.

Laundry excitement

Some days I wonder at the person I have become.... I am now a cloth diapering, veggie growing, clothesline drying, bargain hunting, probably homeschooling mother. Don't get me wrong, none of those things are bad. I just didn't think they would ever be me.
I have been waiting for months for my bulk supply of store bought laundry detergent to run out so that I could start making my own. Seriously, I was so excited about this I could hardly stand the wait! Yesterday was finally the day.
I mixed 1 cup Borax, 1 cup washing soda, and 1 grated bar of Dr. Bronner's pure castille soap.
That's it!
Here is why I am excited.
1. This is environmentally friendly. All of the ingredients biodegrade in water and so no chemicals are being dispersed into our rivers and streams. Dr. Bronner's soap is made with no animal tallow. I think it is important to care for our earth so I had been spending lots of money on biodegradable detergents (mostly Method products) which leads me to:
2. This is cheap! Each boxed ingredient was about $3.00 as was the soap (I think, my sister in law bought it for me and I still haven't paid her back). Since I only use 1 Tablespoon of the mixture for 1 load of laundry this should last for a long time! On one blog I read the financial break down of this mixture was less than 10 cents per load!
3. It's easy! Really. Just like the cloth diapers ended up being this is a cinch. The most work I had to do was grate up a bar of soap. Even I can handle that.

Last night I actually had fun doing a few loads of laundry to try this stuff out. It is crazy the things that get me excited now a days. My teenage self would cringe.... Smile.... Now I really want to learn to sew....

Meet Bob

Aunt Moni and Jeremiah outside the Build-A-Bear Workshop after getting "Bob."

Of all the stuffed animals to choose from Jeremiah chose a turtle. He named him "Bob."

Jeremiah and Aunt Moni make out Bob's birth certificate.

Jeremiah proudly shows off Bob & his birth certificate. Bob is now Jeremiah's constant companion and Jeremiah is often heard exclaiming, "I love Bob!"

No pictures but good memories

One time when we were visiting my parents Oma took Jeremiah to the kinderboerderij. When they returned and they were telling me of their adventures I asked my mom if she had taken any pictures. She replied by saying that she thought about taking the camera but decided that she just wanted to enjoy the time with Jeremiah and not worry about taking pictures, so she didn't. I have often thought about that. It is true that sometimes when we are doing something with the boys I get so distracted by trying to get good pictures to "capture the memories" that I forget to just sit make and make the memories. Sometimes I am so busy snapping away with the camera that I forget to be present and active in the moment with my kids. I forget to interact with them and enjoy them and be more than just the person behind the camera.
Yesterday I made a conscious decision to not bring the camera with me on our outings and just imprint the memories in my head. So here is what I would have taken pictures of if I had my camera:
- Nathaniel chasing excitedly after the chickens in my friend's yard.
- Jeremiah clinging to my leg afraid of the chickens in my friend's yard.
- Nathaniel & Jeremiah digging happily in the dirt helping us plant corn seed.
- Extremely dirty knees and hands!
- My friend Faith on her big red tractor plowing up the ground for our communal garden.
- Jeremiah and Nathaniel in the soft evening light squating by the fish pond in our new yard.
- Jeremiah running around his new back yard watering the plants.
- Jeremiah standing in the middle of his new room looking around with excitement and a little bit of confusion.
- Miss Pat's kind look and genuine excitement at knowing that we are going to care for the home she has cared for.

Random Stuff...

These boys love their uncle Chad & aunt Cherise! Well, they love all their uncles and aunts, they just get the added bonus of being able to see Chad & Cherise more often. Nathaniel has an extra special liking for uncle Chad and insists on being close to him when he is around. Last Sunday in church he demanded loudly that uncle Chad hold him so half way through singing I gave in and walked him the 3 rows forward to where Chad was sitting.
It was made known last week that the expected baby is a GIRL! I am so excited that Jeremiah & Nathaniel will have a little girl around to love on and champion. And of course I am more than thrilled to finally have an excuse to buy little girl clothes. hee hee

This is how much Jeremiah loves his books.
I used to fall asleep reading after lights out when I was a little girl....

Jeremiah has decided to help Nathaniel as he demands more independence. The other day he was helping Nathaniel get around the house (as if the kid hasn't been walking for a year now). Nathaniel thought it was hilarious. As for independence: Nathaniel's favorite new phrase is a stubborn, "oo it SELF!" The days of quickly plopping him in his seat at the table, brushing his teeth for him, or getting him in and out of the car seat are over. This is the stage of development where I sorely lack patience and have to constantly remind myself that while I could do things quicker and easier he does need to learn himself.

Aaron is back at work after a wonderful spring break. We all miss having him home during the day but now know how great our summer is going to be!

He is risen indeed!

At Highlands we have a tradition of going to Mrs. Linda's house for Easter lunch and then smashing confetti filled eggs (casacrones) on each others heads. This year it was 100 dozen eggs. The boys loved it! Nathaniel walked around to everyone he saw saying, "smash, smash, smash!" He did not like it however when the egg actually broke and he had to find another one. Jeremiah had a blast chasing around with all the kids. It was interesting to watch him follow 2 bigger boys in particular, wanting to play with them but being rebuffed as they constantly ran away from him..... The trials and heartbreak of learning social skills....
Easter is one of my favorite "holidays" yet this year the season of Lent has flown by with very little notice from me. I have let myself get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our lives and have not been disciplined in taking time to reflect on the suffering and resurrection of my Savior. And yet the power of the knowledge that Christ truly is risen filled my heart with joy this morning!

What a week!

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
Oh fear the Lord you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing!
Psalm 34:8-10

I have not slept much this week. From the original disappointment of losing the bid on the first house, to spending the week wondering about whether we would find another house, to finally making an offer on a 2nd house, to getting the 2nd house and now thinking about the logistics of moving - my mind has been spinning!

We are in absolute awe of God's goodness to us! I was skeptical that when we went house hunting on Thursday we would find anything in our budget that we liked and had the space we needed. When will I ever learn that God truly does delight in giving us good things? We walked into the 2nd house on Thursday afternoon and knew immediately that this was the place for us. Well, I knew but Aaron being the wise, practical man that he is wanted to at least check out the structural stuff before committing. :-) We made an offer that afternoon and it was accepted on Friday morning!

Not only do we like this house we LOVE it! We love it more than the house that we lost earlier in the week. It has been well cared for by an elderly woman who is having to move back to California to be cared for by her children. She has lovingly maintained the charm of the old house but made all the necessary updates (like brand new bathrooms!). She is a gardener and the back yard is an oasis of flowers and shrubs complete with a deck, covered gazebo and koi pond. There is even a perfect little spot for the vegetable garden that I hope to have. The house is located in the center of town so we can easily walk to the park, library, grocery store and to friends who live around the block.

God has truly shown His goodness and providence to us. He has worked out details and opened doors. As we have sought to honor Him in our finances He has blessed us with a house in the low end of our budget that is exactly what we need. He has blessed us with a house that we can make into a home to use for His glory.

We will have a real, true guestroom so we expect visitors and company!

Let's Go Fly A Kite

Ahh....spring break!
Monday and Tuesday did not feel like spring break weather with highs in the 40's and snow on Tuesday (no accumulation but still!). Today dawned bright and sunny and promised to be warm so we loaded up the boys and went to the Chickamauga Battlefield park to enjoy the day and fly Jeremiah's kite. It was great!

Jeremiah had a blast climbing up Wilder Tower.

Is there anything more beautiful on a spring day than a boy running through a field with his kite? I think not.

Papa & the boys trying to get the kite up.
(That's Wilder Tower in the background.)

Never to be outdone Nathaniel kept doing his part too.

I would like it known though that I got the kite to go the highest! :-)

Aaron tries to give a lesson on bugs while Nathaniel just wants to wrestle.

"Get papa!!!"

Spinning circles

House Hunting

If you don't follow me on Facebook then I will update you here that we did not get the house that we put our offer on. We were disappointed but had kind of set our expectation up to not get it so we were not crushed. The events of last week have served to push us to that next step of finding a house with a bit more room for us to settle in. Now that we know we can buy something without selling this place first we are inspired to look around and see what we can find. The fact that we won't sell this place does lower our price range a bit so we are prayerfully seeking what is available in town within our budget. (We refuse to be enslaved to a home that we cannot afford!)
House hunting is always such an exhausting process and I admit that I lose sleep as my mind whirls with the pros and cons of all the options that are available out there. House hunting with 2 rambunctious boys in tow makes it even more complicated to try and look carefully at the house. So on Thursday afternoon we will be leaving the boys with the Rapier grandparents and taking the afternoon to look at about 5 houses that we are interested in.
As we search for "the perfect home" we are aware that this world is not really our home and that the house we choose to live in is to be used for God's glory not only our own satisfaction. It is our desire to find a home that we can enjoy and with room to minister to others. We trust that since this desire is from God He will provide what we need. God promises to give us good things and he has shown His promises are to be trusted!

Easter Egg Hunt

We had an Easter egg hunt at grandmommy and grandaddy's house yesterday. The boys loved it and each staked out their own territories on separate sides of the yard so there was no fighting involved. Nathaniel broke out into fits of exuberant joy when he figured out that some of the eggs had candy in them and spent the rest of the afternoon walking around asking "mo cady? mo chacat (chocolate)?"
Aaron is home on spring break this week. What we decide to do this week will somewhat be determined by whether or not we get the house we made an offer on. We should hear today.....

Rough Day

It has been a rough day. I woke with a stuffy nose and sore throat. My realtor called me early in the morning to tell me that multiple offers were received on the house, the seller was offering the chance for counter offers, and did we want to try and make a stronger offer? The next few hours I basically ignored the boys while I was on the phone to multiple lenders as well as Aaron. Imagine trying to have a conversation with a loan officer while your 4 year old is spitting chewed up animal cracker into your 18 month old's hair which then causes your 18 month old to scream so loud you are sure an eardrum ruptured.
Finally right before lunch time I just lost it. I started crying so hard that I couldn't talk anymore. Thankfully my realtor is a sweet woman who decided that intervention was needed and she came over to the house. She calmly and simply showed me various numbers and within 30 minutes a good, strong counter offer was drafted and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders.
Tonight our counter offer will be made. For better or worse. It is an offer that Aaron and I are comfortable with and won't streatch our family budget too far. Now God is in control. If we don't get the house then it wasn't meant to be. I think I am ok with that. I told my mom that even if we don't get the house this week has forced Aaron and I to think more concretely about our future and our goals. We have finally had conversations that we have put off for the past few years because we have just been too busy. We will be disappointed but we are a step further in our process.
Of course, there is part of me that wonders what God is up to if we don't get the house. This whole process this week has been pretty miraculous and so I am wondering why we wouldn't get the house.
Now we wait. And rest in God's love and provision.

Pray Pray Pray

God is surprising and amazing.
We made an offer on the house this evening.
Now the hard waiting begins. The seller has 2 business days to consider all offers that we have been informed that there are probably at least 2 other offers in there.
What an opportunity to trust God!
Please pray that our offer would be accepted. Pray that we will have peace and rest in the meantime (we probably will not hear anything until Monday). Pray that we would completely trust and rest in God's plan and care.
Thank you!

All in a dizzy

You will remember the other day I posted about a house that we looked at and loved but couldn't buy. Well, it appears that God is opening the doors for us to buy it, if we really want it. I am not going to go into too many details other than to say that somehow all the obstacles that I thought were insurmountable are being removed one by one in ways I never could have imagined. Really.
Tonight we will go look at the house again to see if we really and truly could see ourselves living there. A contractor friend is going with us to make sure that the floor will not cave in or the roof fly off.
Pray that we will be given wisdom. Pray that we will continue to trust God through every step of this process.
It is still hard for me to believe that the house we initially looked at a mere 2 days ago could possible be ours.

Completely Random Stuff

Jeremiah now weighs 40 pounds and is 37 inches tall! He has grown 1 1/2 inches since September! He is smack dab on the 50% mark for everything, which still doesn't explain to me why the 4T pants are too big around the waist.

Nathaniel's iron count is finally in the normal range!

We made the mistake of looking at a house last night. A house we fell in love with. A house that we cannot buy because our house hasn't sold yet. Aaron is acting completely out of character and calling people we know asking them if they want to buy our house. I have never seen him this excited about a material object and am praying that God will show us how to trust his providence and provision.

Next week is Aaron's spring break so we have been inspired to work our butts off to get this house on the market. We are going to spend the week painting, cleaning, and moving extra stuff to a rented storage unit. Until then the house is listed on Craigslist.

Did you know that I have had the desire recently to have chickens? Crazy. We have started thinking that we would like to have a house with a little bit of property for a garden, chickens and maybe even a goat or two (or a miniature pony!). Nathaniel LOVES animals and has no fear of them (the way Jeremiah does) and I think he would be in heaven with some animals around for him to love on. My dreams of urban living may be put on hold until the boys are older. Also, Aaron really and truly is a farmer and country boy at heart.

Aaron and I attended a mercy ministry training at our church on Saturday. We both feel continually led to minister in practical ways to those that the world demeans and ignores. We are not yet sure what form that will take but are encouraged that our church leadership is making definite moves in that direction. Yet we wonder how our church can really impact our community when the majority of our members do not live in this community.

I have been memorizing this verse:
Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things you wish. But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit. - Galations 5:16, 17, 22 -25

Painting on a rainy day

It has been raining for about 4 days in a row. You can imagine how crazy it is getting in this house with 2 boys who desperately want to go outside and run around. So the other morning I broke out the paints.
Nathaniel did finger painting. Which really was just fun for him to glop his hands around in different colored paint.

Jeremiah did water colors. He has come beyond the smear-paint-all-over-the-page-until-it-is-all-one-color" stage and showed more creativity in use of color and shapes.
Of course a proper painter:

holds one hand up in the air to steady himself...

sticks out his tongue...

and tilts his head. :-)