Pork in orange sauce

Pork in orange sauce (from The Tapas cookbook)

2 T olive oil
small onion, sliced fine
1 ½ lb pork, cut into 1 inch cubes
¾ c orange juice (preferably fresh)
grated rind of two oranges
¾ c chicken broth
2 green chiles, chopped, or 2 tsp chili paste
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 T cilantro or parsley, chopped
2 tsp corn starch
1 T cold water

In a large skillet, heat the oil. Saute the onion until soft and golden. Place aside.
Add the pork to the pan and cook, turning until it is browned on all sides.
Combine the orange rind, orange juice, broth, chile, garlic, and cilantro or parsley, and pour over the pork. Bring to a boil and add the onion slices. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Mix the cornstarch and water; add to the sauce and allow to thicken.
Serve with brown rice.

In honor of Independence Day...

Could you pass the Citizen Test?

Thankful Thursday

My Bible memory verse this week is Numbers 23:19:

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

Wow. That's amazing. I am so glad that God does not change his mind, is true to His word, and keeps his promises. That would definitely be the difference between God and man!

This week I am thankful for:
--incredible growth in our Children's Church. I pray for more teachers, so that we can divide the "older kids" (5-10) group into 5-7 and 8-10.
--My wonderful children, and who they are becoming in Christ.
--Fresh summer foods--can't beat blackberries and peas straight from the garden!
--My parents' 40th wedding anniversary
--A flexible work schedule, especially during the summer (though it's not as "off" as everyone expects)
--Our great vacation to Mexico
--Being home and seeing friends again!

For more thankfulness, please visit Iris...or post your own!

CVS deal--0 out of pocket!

I don't think I've ever had a "pay nothing out of pocket" trip before--it's a bit of a trip! While in reality it cost me $4 (in ExtraCare Bucks), I'm still happy about providing for my family without much money being involved. I did get a $5 off of $25 coupon that I tried to figure out how to use, but in the end, I'm saving it for another week.

2 Chex mix, 2/$3
1 Kashi cereal and 1 Kashi granola bar, 2/$5
1 CVS pantiliner $0.99
1 gallon of milk, 2.99 (what I really came in for)
2 Sure deodorants, 5.98

Total: 17.97 plus tax

minus:
2 $1/1 Chex mix (printable)
2 $2/1 Kashi (from www.kashi.com; register, and use the back button to print a second)
$1 Sure deodorant (5/11 smartsource)

subtotal: 10.97
Minus: $10 ECBs from before, $1 ECB from spring spending
OOP: 0!

Earned: 3.99 ECBs
Plus Sure rebate (from 5/11 smartsource) for $3 (I ended up earning $1 minus postage for the deodorant!)

So all together, I spent $11 (in ECBs) and earned 3.99 ECB + $3 rebate. Not bad considering we were completely out of milk (which was $3 of the $4 I spent)!

Wordless Wednesday--Santiago Sunset

Keys to the kingdom

I'm glad Jesus gave Peter the keys to the kingdom and not us--we'd probably lose them!

Tonight the boys were playing "pizza delivery" on their scooters, with the back shed as the store. One of them pushed the button and locked the door behind them...and we have no idea where the key is for that door. It's probably inside the shed itself, as we've never had a reason to lock it. The irony is Patrick spent the day arranging and organizing the shed, and now we can't get in!

It makes me wonder, what else do I have keys for that I've locked myself out of, just by losing the keys? Jesus has promised us lots of great stuff, and sometimes, I think the biggest obstacle is myself.

Help us find the keys, Lord--both to the shed and to your Kingdom and its power here on earth.

Travelogue part 2: Celestun

Saturday we went to Celestun, an estuary where flamingos, other birds and tons of seafoood live.

We were picked up by a tour van, then picked up three other individuals--another American and two women from Spain. The ride to Celestun was twisting and turning, but our tour guide Antonio did a good job of telling us about the towns we were going through (including his hometown, Uman). Antonio went on the boat ride with us, and did a great job telling us about what we were seeing, and it was fun to hear it in two different languages. Patrick was hooked at the cormorants in a row--he wasn't sure he wanted to go, but he was hooked. The flamingos were so graceful--they looked like they were skating through the water, and they were beautiful in flight.

We went through some mangroves too, first by boat and then on a small trail. There was a small cenote (natural spring) in the middle, but it was so mosquito ridden, that we all made a beeline back to the boat!

We then went into the small town and had lunch at one of the hotels on the beach. For "tour group food" it was great! Then we had some free time on the beach--there were TONS of shells--so many that it was hard to walk. We collected a bunch to bring home for the kids. The water was very shallow--in nearby Progresso, the pier goes out 5 miles to get to a depth where the cruise ships can navigate.

The return trip was uneventful, though Antonio told us about a free concert that evening that sounded interesting. So we returned to the B&B, showered, and went looking for the concert, without success. We had asked one of the assistants at the B&B for a dinner recommendation, and decided to try it out. The food was awful, but the singers were great! We did stop by an Oxxo (7-11 type) and got some snacks, then headed back to bed. A long but fun day!

Island of misfit toys

We had an all church picnic today. In true RVC style, it threatened to rain (in the pre-service days, I think it rained or threatened to at every gathering!) Maybe it was because no one else from our life group was there (nap time + softball + vacation + moving), but I distinctly felt like we/I don't fit there. It's definitely a group of young, cool, beautiful people, and I'm none of the above.

So guess instead of Patrick and I having re-entry, I'm having church re-entry. It probably doesn't help that I haven't actually been to the service in several weeks (out of town last week, I was teaching this week and the two weeks before, and I couldn't get everyone out of the house on time for 1st service). Everyone is friendly, but I just don't fit. Not that I'd fit better anywhere else. I love doing kids' church and all the kids, but I'm not a toothpick, early twenties, "in group" person. We (at least I) should not be leading a life group--we have the slowest growing (currently a negative growth rate, with people moving) group.

Thanks for the reminder, God, that we're not supposed to fit anywhere here on earth.

Travelogue, part 1

So a week ago Wednesday, we hung out with the kids in the morning (and finished packing), had their favorite lunch (Steak and Shake, on the barstools), then dropped them off at a friends' house. They've spent a lot of time there, so they pretty much said "bye, Mom" and were off playing.

We made it to the airport just on time and checked a couple of bags (a rare thing for us). Luckily we were flying on Continental, who is not charging for checked baggage. They also still serve food--we usually fly NW, who only serves beverages without charge.

We arrived in Merida around 10 pm, then waited in a huge line for Immigration. We were behind an American who has a vacation home there, so she gave us suggestions of what to do in Merida. Behind us was a group of teenagers on a mission trip. An hour later, we pushed the button to see if we'd be inspected at customs (nope), and went to find Roberto, the driver who was picking us up.

Roberto was easy to pick out--he was taller than most Mexicans...and he only has one arm :) He quickly recognized us and we were off to Casa Santiago. We chatted with Frank for a while, and discovered that his son went to the rival college! Small world...(it'll get smaller in a subsequent episode...)

Our room was nice, but it was a little disconcerting--totally unplugged! No TV, no internet, no radio, not even an alarm clock! Luckily (?) the birds were wide awake at 5:30, so there was no chance of oversleeping.

Friday morning we got up, enjoyed our continental breakfast, then set off to explore Merida. Dante, one of the assistants at the B&B, tried to help us get a SIM card for Patrick's phone--but even though we had it "unlocked" before we left, it didn't work. So limited phone time with the kids, since without a Mexican card, we were roaming at $0.99/min plus fees...

First we checked out our neighborhood, including changing money, Santiago Park and some local shopping. Patrick bought a lightweight shirt called a "Guayabera", and I got a female version. We also got Panama hats after several stores, were very much well used. We checked out the Macay, a modern art museum,
as well as the Anthropological museum. By then it was raining (well, pouring), so after changing more money (did I mention it's a cash society? Credit card acceptance was rare.) and catching some of a Lord of the Rings movie(the line was very slow at the bank), we took a taxi back to our hotel (we were about two miles away by now).

For dinner, we hit Casa de Frida, and discovered a favorite--chilis en nogada. Basically it's a poblano (not spicy) pepper stuffed with meat, rice, and fruits with a pecan sauce. The duck in mole sauce was great too.

By then we were past tired (as I am now),

We're back!

We're baaaaccckkkk....talk about an unplugged vacation! No phone, internet (except the 10 min limit at the conference twice), or even TV at the first B&B. It was very nice :) The kids had a great time, but were more than happy to see us. I'll probably do a travelogue over the next couple of weeks, but in the meantime, here are a few pics...

Bloggy break

We´re in Mexico, so I´ll be on bloggy break until June 30th (no internet, tv or phone where we´re staying; talk about unplugged!). I think I have enough wordless wednesdays for the next couple of years, though...

Wordless Wednesday--Strawberry picking

Too bad they weren't very sweet (the strawberries, that is...)

Top ten signs my experiment today probably didn't work

I rarely talk about work on here, so for a change of pace, I will :) I've been trying to characterize how (or if??) two proteins interact with each other using a yeast two hybrid system. Basically, you put tags on the DNA for the two proteins you want to study, then put the DNA into yeast cells. *If* you feed the yeast the right food AND the proteins interact, the yeast turn blue. If they don't interact, the yeast stay white. I'm putting the second set of DNA in now. I'll try and translate into cooking terms...

1. I didn't have enough of one of the DNAs I want to test (I ran out of flour).
2. My buffered lithium acetate was missing the buffer.
3. The carrier DNA stuck together as a blob instead of mixing into the samples (the butter is still in a big chunk in the bottom of the bowl).
4. I ran out of plates (not enough cookie sheets).
5. I'm not sure how long I heat shocked them (I either over or underbaked them).
6. When I scaled back the experiment to accomodate #1 and #4, I forgot one of the controls (oops, forgot the chocolate chips...though I have some of that combo from a previous experiment).
7. H&H were "helping" me with the final step.
8. Four and a half hours of sleep is not enough for me.
9. I'm going on vacation and would like to be done with this before I leave. The more you want it to work, the less likely it is.
10. Most of the time, research just doesn't work!

But you have to be an optimist to be a scientist...and sometimes the "oops" experiments work out better than you expect!

Paperwork in order

Passports, meeting registration, e-tickets...check.
Will, medical release forms...check.
Reservations for places to stay...check.
Places for the kids to stay...check.
Itinerary...mostly check (somewhat flexible, but there is a general plan).
Packing...gotta do laundry first.

Being ready to go on a trip...not even close! It's as much mental as anything. It's a long time to be gone from the kids, and while I know they'll have a blast at friends' house and grandma's, I'm going to miss them! It's strange leaving all these permissions--medical release forms and making sure all the legal stuff is in order. Not the kind of stuff you want to think about, but need to.

And my calendar is completely out of whack, since Monday was "Sunday part II". Hope I don't forget to go to my haircut appt tomorrow afternoon!

So if the blogging is thin, that's why...I might schedule some posts, but we'll see how packing and everything else goes!

Ten things you should know about the Strawberry Festival

It's Strawberry Festival weekend! It's a fun time in the "big" city--if you live close, I hope you'll join us sometime--we're always up for another funnel cake :) I know it's not Tuesday, but here are some tips...

1. The best place to park is at our house. Pretty much you won't get closer without pain.
2. BYO water bottle. We'll have our fridge stocked if you need one!
3. Tickets for food are 50 cents each--prices range from 1 ticket (cheap drinks) to 24 tickets (a whole pumpkin roll).
4. If you don't want water, Mt. Zion has iced tea for 1 ticket, and Tri-Kappa has cans of soda for 1 ticket.
5. The grounds are non-smoking--yipee!
6. If you actually want to eat strawberries, try the tractor people's "the works"--cake, ice cream and strawberries for $4 (just outside the grounds, so it's cash). The ice cream is homemade, and cranked by an old time tractor--worth watching while you eat.
7. BYO chair if you want to enjoy the entertainment.
8. There are picnic tables and hand washing facilities.
9. One of the churches in town usually does a free drawing for a great playhouse. Definitely register.
10. If you only eat one thing, it should be Norvell's BBQ--it's what we ate 11 years ago tonight...at our wedding rehearsal dinner! We sent my uncle down here to pick it up. Somehow he found Norvell and got the food back...dinner was only an hour late :)

Thankful Thursday

Lots to be thankful for this week:

--Our insurance is NOT dropping the local hospital (at least that's the word on the street). Yipee! That means not driving an hour for a 5 minute OB appt (or to deliver the baby) for the next five months!

--Henry has made fast friends with the boys upstairs.

--Henry is very excited about the summer reading program (at least he was until I got on him for drawing all over his record card). He's been wanting to read books left and right (so he can check off another box)--and they haven't all been easy readers. Yesterday morning it was a Bible story book, and the only words he got hung up on where Philistines and threw...not bad for not having started school yet!

--I got a new camera (with a lens that opens--mine died) and Patrick got a 3D lens to go on my work SLR camera.

--The kids (especially Harmony) are getting excited about going to Grandma's house while we're in Mexico.

--Jen's family had a good time on their vacation, and are back--we missed them!

--For a great strawberry crop this year.

--Harmony did a beautiful job in her dance recital (much better than the rehearsal). We'll definitely be sticking with that studio if she decides to continue--there were several pieces set to distinctly Christian music, and she prayed with the girls before the show.

--That Patrick and I have flexible jobs, so we can take time to go strawberry picking (pictures later :)) or just hang out with the kids.

--That even though Patrick has gone to part time work, somehow we're still able to afford everything--we haven't cut back our tithe, mortgage payment (we pay a payment and a half every month), or child care spending (the three biggest "chunks" of our budget--though we have been more careful with groceries, eating out and gas (woo hoo to not commuting as much!)).

Thanks, Lord for providing good friends, jobs, and abundantly giving to us. Help us be good stewards of all of it.

Yup, that's me...

Works for Me Wednesday--Parenting

Parenting is hard. You're on 24/7, and the "instruction manual" is lacking details (I don't recall the Bible discussing potty training). And if you mess up, you mess up someone's life--not something to take lightly.

One thing that's helped us is parenting partners. When Henry was 2 and Harmony was a newborn (and for the next year or so), we regularly hung out with the neighbors across the street. Since we've been back from sabbatical, we've done a lot with Jen's family, and more recently, the family who lives upstairs.

What's great is that we have someone to share frustrations with, bounce ideas off of, and trade childcare. For example, last night we had seven kids at our house--our two plus Jen and Charlie's girls and the boys upstairs. The kids had a great time, and it allowed the parents to do important things without helpers. (Believe me, we've had our share of kid free time in return!) Sometimes kids will listen to another trusted adult more than their own parent, and if we can help foster those relationships with people we know and trust (instead of with a stranger down the street, who we may or may not agree with), all the better!



Things that help make it work:

1. Kids of similar age. They don't have to be *exactly* the same age, but similar enough that they play together.
2. Similar parenting philosophies and strategies. Once again, they don't have to be exactly the same, but they're similar enough and compatible enough that we have common ground rules.
3. Similar schedules. The family we used to hang out with, we don't spend as much time with them because their life is on an earlier schedule (they're heading to bed when we're heading out to play).
4. Geographic proximity. Henry is loving having the boys live upstairs (though it may be a little TOO close--they want to play every second of every day!)

So what works for you?

One more strike, and I'm outta here

Last night, I went to bed too late. Then I woke up at 4 because Patrick still wasn't in bed. Henry fell out of bed and hurt himself at 5:30, then crawled in with us...I never sleep well with three in the bed and the cat was climbing all over me, so at 6:15 I moved to Henry's bed. 7:20 and Henry's rarin' to go for the day...ugh.

When I'm tired I make stupid mistakes. I have a lot of experimental stuff planned for today, so that's a bad combo. My new policy is when I've made the third stupid mistake, I call it a day and go home...start over tomorrow.

I'm already on number 2...I forgot the kids' lunches when we went to school (strike 1!), then I forgot my keys (why do maternity clothes not have pockets?? Strike 2!) Wanna take bets on how much longer I last?

CVS victory

So I may have failed Menu Planning this week, but I passed at CVS :)

I went this afternoon and got:

2 boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios (3/$9)
2 boxes of Lucky Charms (3/$9) (The kids will love me)
2 boxes of Fruity Cheerios (3/$9)
1 box of Nature Valley Almond bars (3/$9)
4 SoyJoy bars ($1 each)

Total: $25.00

Coupons:
$5 off of $25 (got on a previous order; I've also gotten from the machines)
2x0.60 off HN Cheerios (Printable here)
$1/3 GM cereals (From newspaper, I don't recall the dates)
$.65 off Nature Valley bars (Printable here)
BOGO SoyJoy from All You (March or April?)

After coupons: $15.15

Paid with: 11.97 of previously earned ECBs
Out of pocket: 3.18

Earned: $10 ECBs for later

So considering ECBs as real money, I got 7 boxes of cereal and a box plus four snack bars for 5.15. Less than a buck a box! You can see other people's CVS runs at www.moneysavingmom.com

Menu planning Monday....a failure

I know that if I don't have a plan, it spells bad news for the week. And I don't have a plan. There is tons of food in the house, but I have no clue what we're eating...other than working on stuff from the freezer and trying to not eat out.

So if you're inspired, send some my way!

Monday:
L: Harmony got leftover mac and cheese, Henry got a ham sandwich. They both got cantalope, strawberries, and chocolate milk.
D: Homemade Pizza (we made two, as we had two extra kids for dinner)

Tuesday:
L: Leftover pizza, fruit, veggies and milk
D: Breakfast (I have tons of eggs and bacon that needs to be used)

Wednesday: (Here's where we run into trouble...)
L: Grilled cheese, veggies
D: Curry chicken with veggies and couscous?

Thursday:
L: Remaining pizza
D: Some kind of pasta with salad

Friday:
L: ??
D: Strawberry festival!

Saturday:
L: Strawberry festival!
D: Middle eastern dinner party at a work colleague's

So if you're feeling inspired, send some my way...Though the Strawberry Festival gets us off the hook a little...we got $5 free per person from work, but that's not going to even be close. At least I know where our eating out budget is going this week :) I think I'll be reading everyone else's menu plans for some ideas!

Melodic Monday--The Ants go Marching

In honor/memory of the ants that tried to invade our kitchen (ha! I won! Vinegar works!), living room (it's not all out war yet) and bathroom (why are they in the bathroom??) to get out of the rain...

The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching one by one,
The little one stops to suck his thumb
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching two by two, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching two by two,
The little one stops to tie his shoe
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching three by three, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching three by three,
The little one stops to climb a tree
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching four by four,
The little one stops to shut the door
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching five by five,
The little one stops to take a dive
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching six by six,
The little one stops to pick up sticks
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching seven by seven,
The little one stops to pray to heaven
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching eight by eight, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching eight by eight,
The little one stops to shut the gate
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching nine by nine, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching nine by nine,
The little one stops to check the time
And they all go marching down to the ground
To get out of the rain, BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching ten by ten, hurrah, hurrah
The ants go marching ten by ten,
The little one stops to say "THE END"

Tag!

The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
1. Each player answers the questions about themselves.
2. At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.
3. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

Q. What were you doing 5 years ago today?
1. Doing research with summer students
2. Marveling that Henry could walk
3. Listening to Henry's first word, flower (wha-wha--very Boston)
4. Demoing what is now our bedroom (used to be a kitchen)
5. Wondering when I'd finish the quilt I'd started

Q. 5 things on your to do list today (well, Monday)
1- Finish the learning objectives for a case study I want to publish
2- Find some books I want to check out for my Freshman Tutorial on InterLibrary Loan
3- Start a bunch of stuff for my experiments on Tuesday
4- Go to Walgreens and CVS
5- Figure out a menu plan for the week

Q. 5 snacks you enjoy
1- Double chocolate oatmeal cookies
2- Peanut butter rice crispie bars with chocolate frosting
3- Take5 candy bars
4- my version of strawberry smoothies
5- popcorn (plain, airpopped if I'm being good; SmartFood if I'm not :))

Q. 5 things you would do if you were a billionaire
1- Build RVC a new church facility
2- Pay off our house and hire people to finish it
3- Set up an endowment for some favorite charities
4- Stay at home, home school (maybe in a coop) and write children's church curriculum
5- Have a lot of fun randomly giving money away

Q. 5 jobs you have had
1- Library aide
2- Community ed instructor (foods classes for kids)
3- Sample lady/costume character for a grocery store
4- Grant writer's assistant
5- Professor

Q. 5 people you want to tag
1- Jen/Blessings
2- Jen/Mexican Masala
3- Jan/Midsummer Meanderings
4- Kelsey
5- Mindy

Harmony's dress rehearsal

It was the first time on the "big stage". They did well at the beginning, but lost it after the "running with ribbons" part...

Learning another language

In less than two weeks, Patrick and I will be in Mexico, sans kids. I've had one semester of Spanish in college and two years of French in high school--just enough of both to confuse them. And Patrick knows enough Spanish to request the table by the window at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

But I don't think that's going to suffice for the three days we'll be touring on our own there, so I've been working on learning some more Spanish.

What I find interesting is that they teach you how to ask the question--"Donde esta el cuarto de baño?" but not how to understand the answer. I have no idea what the response would be--how do you say, "The third door down the hall, on the left hand side?" Maybe we'll need to hire a translator!

Isn't that true in our prayer life too--we're awfully good at asking for things, but pretty poor in hearing the answer. Good thing we've got a translator, the Holy Spirit.

Lord, help me to listen as well as talk when I pray. And thanks for sending us the "great translator", the Holy Spirit, who can speak our language as well as yours. Help us listen and obey.

Thankful Thursday--Protection

Psalm 5:11:
But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

This week I'm thankful for protection and provision.

Thanks for protection from the tornadoes and thunderstorms.
Thanks for Your protection, as we hiked on trails immediately after a storm.
Thanks for protecting this pregnancy.
Thanks that you will provide a substitute for me at work, so I can actually take a maternity leave (unlike the two weeks I took with both previous kids).
Thanks that you are working out where we can have this baby--if not here, at the place you want us to.
Thanks for the opportunity to share our house with another family--Henry has been so blessed by playing with their boys!
Thanks that Harmony is loving her dance class--help her to still love the idea of being on stage when she's on it next week.

Thanks for Iris and all the other praises raised through Thankful Thursday!

Top ten signs you might actually be pregnant

10. Your running pace goes down by a minute a mile every two or three weeks.
9. Strange foods suddenly sound great.
8. None of your summer shorts fit.
7. Snacks are a requirement, not an option.
6. Your shirts are suddenly too short.
5. The floor got further away.
4. You can't sleep on your stomach anymore.
3. You're not supposed to sleep on your back.
2. You have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.
1. Strangers ask when you're due.

Guess we better tell the kids soon :)

Menu planning Monday

Well, it's legally still Monday for a few more hours! And if I don't get a plan, we'll be in trouble soon. Right now we're dealing with hiking trip left overs--specifically bread and ham (the packages were open, so we couldn't donate them). We also have four open containers of peanut butter (I brought new jars from our stash at home to the hiking trip) and eighteen eggs. So mission #1 is to use up that stuff! We'll be eating lots of strawberries, since they're ripening right in our front yard!

Monday:
L: Ham sandwiches, watermelon (the end!) and pudding
D: French toast, bacon, strawberries and chocolate pudding

Tuesday:
L: Left over french toast, fruit, milk
D: Sausage, green beans and potatoes; salad; strawberries

Wednesday:
L: Mac cheese for Harmony, hot dogs, apples,
D: Monte Cristo sandwiches, strawberries,

Thursday:
L: Ham or PBJ sandwiches, salad, apples
D: Patrick's in charge :)

Friday:
L: Kid's choice
D: Pasta

Saturday (Harmony's recital)
L: Grilled cheese, salad, fruit
D: Probably out with the grandparents

What's on your menu? For ideas, visit MPM!

F/U to Melodic Monday

...and right after I typed the last post, I opened my e-mail, and the devotional from Proverbs31 started this way:

“She’s choking!” Juli’s precious little girl could not catch her breath, so with stealth-like maneuvering Juli pulled her from the high chair, and retrieved the goldfish cracker that was lodged in her throat. For the first eleven months of life this child had only known gentleness from her mother, but today’s crisis called for swift, if not exactly gentle, action. Juli spent the next 45 minutes consoling her quivering baby, all the while she trembled herself realizing how close she’d come to losing her.

Sometimes the Lord treats us the same way. He rescues us from certain danger and yet we see it as the most painful event of our lives! I look back on my life and see moments I deemed devastating, only to discover later they were actually life-giving.

Thanks for the reminder, God, that you're looking at a much bigger picture than I am!

Melodic Monday--Mighty to Save

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me
Everyone needs forgiveness
A kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is Mighty to save
He is Mighty to save
Forever
Author of salvation
He rose and conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears and failures
Fill my life again
I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender

It's hard for me not to cry every time we sing this song. During the first, missed miscarriage we were studying the passage where Jesus says if you had faith as big as a mustard seed, you could move a mountain. We specifically prayed for a mountain to be moved, and it didn't budge.

That's still hard for me to process. Is my faith (and the faith of all the people in our life group at the time) really smaller than a mustard seed? Will God really show up when I need Him? Will He really conquer the grave for me?

It does just trigger a faith crisis for me. I know God has used the situation to grow me in lots of directions and He was very present in the process, blah, blah, blah. It still hurts. I'm having a hard time attaching to this pregnancy, and it's partially because I don't believe that it's really going to result in a live baby. Why should it? The last two haven't. This pregnancy has had a lot less prayer than either of those.

Guess that's why there is the last verse...all I can do is surrender.

Whatever, God. Whatever. Take me as you find me, all my fears and failures. Fill my life again.

The "drugstore game"--rookie edition

I'm relatively new to the "drugstore game"--though I've been playing at Walgreens for a while. The "game" is by combining in store deals, like extra care bucks (ECB's; at CVS) or rebates and register rewards (RR's; at Walgreens), you can get household supplies, personal care items, and sometimes groceries for pennies. (For a great tutorial, check out this site.) The deals aren't quite as sweet at Walgreens, but I like that you get the money back on a gift card instead of as pieces of register paper, that you then need to keep track of and use before they expire (usually within a month--the gift cards are good for a year, I think).

But I started dabbling in CVS this week. I'm not a die-hard, "get out of the store for pennies" person--I'm mostly happy with getting a good deal on something I'd buy anyway.

So here are my two transactions tonight:
#1: Baby stuff (stocking up, both for us and for shower gifts):
2 size 1 Pampers, 56 ct, on sale for 7.99 each = 15.98
2 unscented Pampers wipes, on sale for 2.99 = 5.98
1 Huggies baby wash = 3.49
Total before anything: = 25.45
Plus tax 1.22
Grand total: 27.67
Minus:
$5 of $25 CVS coupon - 5.00
2 $2/2 pampers products coupons (today's paper) - 4.00
$1 Huggies baby wash coupon - 1.00
$3 ECB bucks from earlier - 3.00

Out of pocket (oop) total 13.67

Earned:
$5 ECB on $20 Pampers products - 5.00
$2 ECB on Huggies baby wash - 2.00

So including coupons and ECBs earned (prorated), I spent 10.25 for 112 diapers. That's a little cheaper than the generics I used for Henry, and are more attractive in a gift bag :) And the Baby wash ended up being only $0.50--some people would hold out for free, but I'm ok with a "good deal".

I then went back and used the ECBs I had just earned for a second transaction--Patrick desperately needs a new toothbrush, we're out of AA batteries and almost out of Charmin. I know we could get better prices with generic, but we do have some brand loyalty, especially to Charmin :)

3 Oral B toothbrushes (regularly 2.99) 1.77x3= 5.31
2 Charmin 9 packs (normally $6.99) 4.99*2= 9.98
1 16 pk AA batteries (same $/battery as the sale)11.99

Total before taxes 27.28
Tax 1.07
Grand total 28.35

Minus:
$5 off of $25 CVS coupon -5.00
Duracell peel off coupon -2.50
2 Charmin coupons -0.50
Buy 2 get one free Oral B coupon -1.77
ECBs from last transaction -7.00

OOP 11.58
Earned $10 ECBs

So although I spent $25.25 and $3 ECBs, I earned $10 in ECBs (net), and all the stuff I bought is stuff we can use. And $18 for all of that isn't bad at all, in my book...as long as I spend the $10 ECBs on stuff we need!

It's definitely a game--if you don't enjoy figuring out scenarios and being prepared to either show up at the crack of dawn (I actually went to Walgreens the other morning at 4 am...but it was because I couldn't sleep!) or have the really great deals be out, it's not for you. But it is a good way to save $$ on basic household supplies! If you'd like to see how the pros play, check out the Money Saving Mom's blog--she often has people report on their latest game strategies.

Don't forget to look up

The church hiking trip, organized by our small group, was today! There were big storms that moved through the area last night--luckily it was last night instead of this morning, as they originally predicted.

What it did mean was that there was no electricity. This wouldn't have impacted us, in a no-utilities picnic shelter, but it did mean they couldn't run the cash register, so our admission was free :)

It also meant there were trees over some parts of the trails, other parts of the trails were under water, and some normally "trickle" streams were raging rivers. The guys at the gate actually told us to not hike, since they hadn't surveyed the trails at all yet. We did hang out, play frisbee and football and play on the playground for an hour or so. Henry and Dan discovered "quicksand" on the playground--the sand was so wet that they sunk a good three inches down because the sand was so wet! But eventually we hit the trails.

Henry had an absolute BALL. He was totally loving it. We started with two of the higher (and more moderate) trails, and then we went for one of the "Moderate/Rugged" ones (partially chosen by Henry). They weren't kidding about the rugged ones--climbing up a mini-stream bed, through mud, over slippery rocks and up ladders. Dan chaperoned Harmony--I was very thankful for that, and as he struggled to carry her through a particularly rough spot, all I could see was Jesus carrying us. Cool mental picture (no way could I get a real one!)

At one point, waiting for someone to figure out how they were going to navigate another rough spot, I took a minute to look up and back. It was gorgeous--but I had completely missed it. I was too busy watching each step, trying to stay safe, semi-dry and upright. It was a good reminder to "look up" and see the bigger context of what God's doing around me, even when I'm slugging through something challenging.

All in all it was a great trip--the planning worked out well, we got to know some people and families better, and got some good exercise.

Thanks, Lord, for the beauty of your creation and for the reminder to look up and see what you're doing around me, not just focus on my personal steps.

Things I learned in a committee meeting...about parenting

Today I had a marathon (9-3) committee meeting. We were working on letters of recommendation for students planning to attend medical school/dental school/vet school. The way it works is students ask 4-6 professors for recommendations, which go to the committee. The committee then drafts a "super reference" that identifies themes and uses quotes from the individual references, to give the school a more comprehensive view in a single letter.

What was interesting (and somewhat sad) was how many times we talked about parents. So here's what I learned (mostly what NOT to do)....
1) If you're going to get divorced, don't wait for the kids to go to college. It'll still be traumatic, and it might actually be harder on the kids. It definitely is on their school performance.

2) Make sure you still spend time with your spouse, even when you're busy with kids. The kids will move out, and you still want to know that person sleeping beside you when they go. (This is to avoid #1).

3) Love the child you have, not the child you want. If your child loves art and music, don't force them to try to be a doctor.

Corollary to #3: Encourage your child to do what God has gifted them in and called them to do, not what will support a family (or a fancy car).

4) Don't be a helicopter parent. The pre-health advisor shouldn't know you better than your child.

Corollary a: Let your child make their own decisions, within reason.
Corollary b: Let your child deal with the consequences of their action.
Corollary c: Do this over the 18 years you have them so the learning curve isn't too steep when they finally start having opportunities to be responsible.

God, help us make wise decisions about raising our children. Help us give them strong, deep roots in You, yet wings to soar where you want them to go and be who you want them to be.

Henry reading Hop on Pop

This was the first time he'd ever seen the book. For some reason the audio is really soft, so you'll have to turn it up!

Works for me Wednesday--cheap microwave popcorn

Microwave popcorn is pricy--even on sale the cheapest I've seen is $1/3. The bag of popcorn is much cheaper, but I get weary of washing the pan (er, Patrick gets weary of it--he's the dishwasher in the house!)

The answer: homemade microwave popcorn!

Place ~1/4 cup popcorn in a lunch size paper bag. (if you like, you can spray the popcorn with non-stick spray first--I haven't noticed a difference in performance). Fold the top over 1/2 inch, three times. Place bag in microwave; turn on popcorn setting (or 5 minutes, if you don't have a popcorn setting). Stay close; when the pops slow down to one every couple of seconds, turn it off.

If you want, you can eat it straight out of the bag--no dirty dishes at all!

For more Works for Me, visit Rocks in my Dryer...

Wordless Wednesday--First crop!

Menu planning Monday

One thing I've learned from previous attempts at this is it's at best an estimate! Something ALWAYS comes up and scrambles the week's menu, whether it's being invited to someone's house or someone saying "but can we have____ instead?" So large grain of salt with this menu... It's mostly a "clean out the fridge" and pantry from good deals at Kroger in the last week (prices included where I know them)

Monday:
L: Late lunch at SIL's
D: Leftovers at SIL's

Tuesday (Dance lessons):
L: Leftover pizza, watermelon ($3.88 for a whole one--we'll be eating it all week)
D: Spaghetti carbonara (1/2 pkg 10/$10 spaghetti, 1/2 pkg 10/$10 bacon, 2 eggs ($1.18/dozen), spinach salad

Wednesday:
L: Grilled cheese, apple slices
D: Hamburgers ($1.47/lb), hash browns(10/$10 minus doubled $0.50 coupon=free!), corn on the cob (4/$1)

Thursday (Ann in meeting all day, life group shopping for hiking trip):
L: lunchables (10/$10), watermelon, carrots (10 lbs/$10), pudding (10 4 pks/$10)
D: Chic Fila with life group

Friday:
L: ??? Something kid friendly (my kids + three?)??
D: ??? Something using up the diced ham?

Saturday (Hiking trip)
L: Sandwiches, apples, chips, cookies (I'll be making a batch of Monster Cookies sometime on Friday)
D: Probably out

Any suggestions on what to do with a cup of diced ham? I used some for omlettes one day, but there is a bunch left over and I need to use it soon!

For more ideas, check out Menu Planning Monday at Organizing Junkie!

From my friend Abby

My friend Abby from church is due any day now. Her mom died of cancer near Christmas time, and her sister has another, very aggressive cancer too. Here is a letter from Abby:


I wanted to share my sister's story and music with you all. Many of you have been praying for Katie already- thank you! I appreciate your support, encouragement, and prayers throughout the past couple of years.

My sister, Katie, has been dealing with a rare tumor and is undergoing chemo treatment right now. There is an organization that has been launched today, May 23rd (Katie's birthday) that is designed to help Katie share her music, her voice, and her story over the next year.

If you have a bit of time, please check out www.500kin365.org. You will have a chance to hear her amazing music and her story.

Thank you for your support, friendship, and love.

Abby

Thankful Thursday

Tonight we discussed Phillipians 2: 12-13: Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I'm so thankful that Jesus humbled himself to become a human and obeyed to the point of dying on a cross, and because of his example, we can be humble, obey, and have God work through us.

I'm thankful that God works both on our will and our actions--one without the other isn't effective, so it's great he gives us both!

I'm glad that God has a good purpose in what He does in and through our lives.

I'm thankful that our passports arrived quickly, as did our tax refund.

I'm thankful that everything went well in my 14 week check up, and that the nurse/midwife had some favorable things about the places I might have to switch to. I'm trusting God to either fix our insurance situation or provide a new doctor and hospital for me to deliver at.

I'm thankful for all the maternity clothes that friends have shared with me, and that I still fit into a couple of my own and some of DH's pants :)

I'm thankful for the great garden we planted, and what we can learn about God the Gardener through it.

I'm thankful for the awesome Spaghetti Carbonara recipe we discovered...and that bacon was on sale this week!

I'm thankful that I'm figuring out how to play the CVS game. Today I even made money (well, more CVS bucks than I put in) today :)

I'm thankful that I still could have afforded the trash bags, even without the CVS game. God has been more than generous to us!

And I'm thankful that Iris hosts Thankful Thursday! Please share your thanks, and read other's thanks at her blog.

Passports

Our new passports arrived today! We were worried about getting them before Patrick and I go to Mexico in the middle of June, but they got there in plenty of time.

I'm glad they returned my old one--it has my visa from my month long trip to Korea, as well as stamps from the seven countries I visited on my math May Seminar (definitely not the year I went!).

It made me think of Hebrews 11:13-16, especially verse 16: "Instead, they [the champions of the faith] were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them."

What spiritual country is your passport from? Is your home here, or are you longing for heaven?

Treasure!

On Saturday while Patrick and I were planting the garden, Henry was burying "treasure" in the yard. He discovered that some of the "jewels" we used in the Father's Day stepping stones had come loose, and combined with some change from his piggy bank, he was burying it, drawing a map and moving it. He kept looking for the perfect spot, but none of them quite fit his specifications. He moved it so many times, I'm not sure HE knows where he buried it.

Hmm...how many of us are like him, moving our "treasure" from one worldly spot to another? Or have we invested them in heaven?

Dust bunnies and cobwebs

My kitchen isn't immaculate--there are often dirty dishes waiting to be done or a cookbook still sitting out. But it's relatively clean, at least enough to be healthy.

Or so I thought.

I was on a ladder in the kitchen today, and discovered a thick layer of dust and cobwebs over the top of the cabinets. Ew!

Guess perspective matters. I'm sure when God looks at my heart, he sees all the cobwebs and dust that got missed in my last housecleaning...

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me!

What kind of dog are you?

German Shepherd
The Perfectionist

Doggedly dedicated to getting the job done, you don't let silly little distractions get in the way of putting in a full day's work. And after you come home, chowing down on a little grub and taking a little catnap is all it takes to get you up and at 'em for round two, whatever that may entail. Your dogma emphasizes the importance of hard work, and you swim laps around your dog-paddling, time-wasting co-workers. Your cleverness leads to you often being entrusted with some pretty important tasks, which you are always more than happy to sink your canines into. You really dig being outdoors and love a bit of exercise, but you draw the line at the ridiculous stuff, choosing a game of beach volleyball over Pilates in the park any day.

(Not quite) Wordless Wednesday

Plane tickets to San Diego...$800
Admission to the zoo...$118



A picture of the five of us...priceless!

The newest member of our family is due to arrive 11/11/08!

Proof that I finished the mini :)

I can't post the pics, but here are the links:
Crossing the finish line
After with the medal

Top Ten signs summer's almost here

10. School's out (at least colleges)
9. Strawberries are on sale
8. The strawberries in the yard are blooming and have green fruit
7. Patrick's allergies and asthma are acting up
6. The kids go to bed before the sun does
5. The sandbox is a fun place to be
4. Lots of digging and planting going on
3. Sunscreen is back to part of the morning routine
2. The ice cream maker is seeing action again
1. I saw the first mosquito of the season!

What's on your list this week?

Melodic Monday--Every Move I Make by Hillsong

This was the song my kids were singing, complete with hand motions, while waiting for their turn in the bounce house tonight...

Every move I make, I make in You
You make me move Jesus
Every breath I take, I breathe in You

Every step I take, I take in You
You are my way Jesus
Every breath I take, I breathe in You

Waves of mercy, waves of grace
Everywhere I look, I see your face
Your love has captured me
Oh my God, this love
How can it be?

la la la la la la
la la la la la la la la.

Gardening

Today we did some planting in our modest (front yard) garden, and expanded it by a couple of feet (at the rate we're going, we soon won't have to mow!). I also re-seeded grass in some of our (very shady, somewhat wet) back yard.

Working in the garden always makes me think of the parable of the sower. Specifically it made me think about how I can prepare the "soil" around me to be more receptive.

For example, before planting any of the plants or seeds, I first pulled out all the weeds, hoed to make the soil not too compact. If I were a really diligent gardener, I'd test the pH and other properties of the soil, to figure out how to best nourish it. I put down some fertilizer (but not too much)and worked it in. Finally it was time for the seeds--not too many, not too few, spaced at just the right intervals. But we're still not done--you have to cover them with the right depth of soil, and give them some water. Then comes the ongoing process of watering (but not too much), fertilizing, and weeding. And eventually comes the fruit.

Evangelism is probably the same pattern. You watch for spring--when there is interest in new growth. You test the soil, learning more about your friend and how they might be most receptive. You weed (or help weed), and breathe some spirit filled air. The analogy helped me understand why tumultous and "compost filled" times are the times spiritual growth is often seen. Not every seed germinates, and that's part of the process.

And it's exactly that--a process. At the mini-marathon, there was a church handing out little cards about how we're all running the marathon of life, and here are the four steps to ensure you cross theright finish line. They were well done, but my thought was, "this is encouraging to me, but it isn't going to convert my brother." It was just a single seed, thrown on soil that is more concerned about how his knee is doing than God at that particular moment. But who knows--maybe one of the 35,000 people had been thinking spiritually related things as they were running, and it fell on fertile soil.

I guess that's why I appreciate the relational and developmental approach to evangelism our church takes--I don't think they even call it that. Sure, God does do radical things in people's lives and can go from seed to fruit overnight, but the relational model just makes it easier to prepare the soil and nurture the seed.

Thanks, Lord for the sowers, weeders, fertilizers and waterers in my life. Some of them weren't even Christians, and I pray that they find You soon. Help me to be a good spriritual gardener to those around me, whether they haven't yet heard the Good News or are growing in You.

God is in the details!

This evening I went to the grocery store, and managed to resist the Oreos on the endcap. The sale price was only 23 cents cheaper than full price, and we don't *need* Oreos.

But guess what printed out in the coupons with my receipt?

A coupon for a free 18 oz package of Oreos!

Thanks God! Amazing how He blesses us, even at the grocery store!

For more (and more substantial) Thankful Thursdays, please visit Iris! I just couldn't resist focusing on one of the small ways God shows his favor--it's so easy for me to forget or overlook them :)

Top Ten things about classes being done!

10. No more grading!
9. No more meetings that go until 5:30
8. I don't have to *be* at school at 7:30
7. A more flexible schedule
6. Nice day = stay home with kids :)
5. A fresh slate--only in academia do you get to start over every 4 months
4. It'll be easier to eat out after church on Sunday (fewer students around)
3. No more footsteps overhead (we have an upstairs apt that we rent to students)
2. Fewer parties next door
1. Did I say no more grading?

What's on your top ten this week?

Menu Planning Monday...the Sunday night version

So I don't want to talk about how much we ate out this weekend :) Between catching planes and running the race (and recovering), cooking was low on the priority list. But I don't want to blow our entire food budget the first week of the month, so it's back to menu planning! So here it is:

Monday:
L: Weekend left overs (pizza, Chinese), cantaloupe or pears (kids pick), chocolate milk
D: Spaghetti and meatballs, spinach salad with strawberries

Tuesday:
Harmony dance lessons
L: MYO pizza lunchables, cottage cheese, apple, pear or cantaloupe,
D: Grilled cheese, strawberries, broccoli, and carrots, ice cream bars

Wednesday:
Go to grocery store before dinner
L: Ham sandwiches, pudding, grapes, carrots
D: Rotisserie chicken (on sale at grocery store for $3.99), green beans, potatoes

Thursday:
Life group
L: Left over chicken sandwiches, milk, fruit and veggie
D: Hamburgers (from freezer), sweet potato fries (if I can find them), salad

Friday:
L: Homemade pizza (if friends come over) or a picnic
D: Cumin lime pork tenderloin (from the freezer), corn, au gratin potatoes, salad, lilac sorbet

The interesting things are on Friday! Here are the recipes:

Cumin Lime Pork Tenderloin (from Rachel Ray 365)
2 lb pork tenderloin (I buy a whole pork tenderloin when they're on sale for $1.77 (like now) and have it cut into three roasts and the rest as pork chops)
1/4 c lime juice
2 T olive oil
2 T cumin
1 T coriander
2 cloves garlic, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 F. Place tenderloin on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil. Rub in olive oil, then drizzle EVOO over the roast. Mix together the cumin and coriander, then season the roast with it (it will be heavy). Make small slits all over the top of the roast, and stick the garlic in the slits (make sure they're all the way in the roast else they'll burn). Roast for 45 minutes or until 140 F. Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes under an aluminum foil tent. Slice and serve!

Lilac Sorbet Very delicate--tastes like frozen spring! I make the flavored syrup and freeze it for later, so we can enjoy spring later in the year :)
1/2 c sugar
2 c water
1 c lilac blooms, rinsed and chopped

Mix together sugar and water in a pot; bring to boil to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat to a simmer, and add lilac blooms. Let steep for 5 minutes. Cool thoroughly and strain blooms (if desired). Follow manufacturer's directions for freezing in an ice cream maker.

We did it!

My brother Mark and I ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon this morning! We both did really well--he finished at the time we seeded ourselves at, 2 hrs 15 minutes, and I finished at 2 hrs 29 minutes (one minute faster than last year). I was happy I was close to last year, considering everything.

I learned lots from the Mini-Marathon last year. Those lessons were apparent this year too, but the bigger experience was running with Mark.

We were running together at a good pace, neither too fast nor too slow, for the first three miles. Then he stopped to use the restroom, saying "I'll catch up". By mile six (entering the Indy 500 racetrack), I still hadn't seen him. By then, I needed to use the restroom, so I used the ones on the track. I was afraid he'd pass me while I was in there, but there weren't a lot of options--if I waited for him to catch me, then either he'd have to wait for me, or I'd have to try to catch up--and I was pushing it as I was. So I went.

Meanwhile, he passed me. So I ended up spending 10 of 13 miles wondering where my brother was, instead of enjoying his company. I looked for him at the finish line, but didn't see him. I finally found him at the bag claim--I checked to make sure his bag was still there (which it was), and just waited until he came.

Two lessons: stick together...and somehow, our baggage reunites us. Interesting. I'll have to do the Biblical analysis later :)

Wordless Wednesday

Top Ten Tuesdays--Ten things I love about my church

10. People are "real"--we're all fallen, and people are open about our "junk". It was easy to get support after my miscarriage, because people had been open about the pain in their lives, so I knew who to ask for prayer.
9. People are welcome just as they are.
8. Relationships are emphasized--not only with other believers, but with non-believers, inviting them to "come and see."
7. The messages are relevant AND Biblical.
6. Everybody is invited to "do the stuff". It's not a church where 90% of the work is done by 10% of the people--the goal is 90% of the people doing 90% of the stuff.
5. Gotta love the mission statement--Love God, Love others, Live it out. It's not enough to just know it in your head, moving it into action is important too.
4. Children are loved and taught about Jesus in an age appropriate and fun way. My kids start asking on Monday if it's time for church yet.
3. The worship is well done but not a performance.
2. We pray for each other...and the prayers are answered. Just from our life group, the answers have been amazing!
1. God is doing stuff there--it's very evident in people's lives, and sometimes the transformations are dramatic.

If you want to check it out for yourselves, visit our church website :)

Thanks to Jen for the idea! (And I'm thankful for what I learned at your church...but this is where God's called us to be).

Melodic Monday--Came to my rescue

Falling on my knees in worship
Giving all I am to seek Your face
Lord all I am is is Yours

My whole life
I place in Your hands
God of mercy
Humbled I bow down
In your presence at Your throne


I called You answered
And You came to my rescue and I
I wanna be where You are

In my life be lifted high
In our world be lifted high
In our love be lifted high

We sang this today in church...but I was actually singing the chorus as a prayer for some friends who really need to trust God to come to their rescue...and for Him to answer!

Tuck pointing

I spent this afternoon tuck pointing a section of our porch. It's not hard work, but it's very tedious--first you have to clean out the old, broken mortar. Then you mix up the new mortar, getting it to just the right consistency. You put some on a trowel, then shove it in with a specific tool. A 10 lb bag of mortar, a trowel, and the pusher tool cost less than $10, and the three hours I spent on it will keep our porch from collapsing (at least for a few more years). I didn't do the most beautiful job, but it will be better than no mortar (which is what was there).

Building a house is an analogy used both for our spiritual lives and a marriage/family. Psalm 127:1 says "unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain." The second half of the psalm talks about children being a blessing, and is actually where the "quiverfull" phrase is, so I think I'm ok in applying it to a family.

One set of our friends is in a very hard place in their marriage. Between talking to the wife and working on the tuckpointing, it's got me thinking about the foundations of marriage and the mortar that holds it together.

For a Christian marriage, the cornerstone has to be Jesus Christ. I'm amazed that secular marriages work without that base of faith and prayer. Some of the other bricks are common experiences/memories and common interests. But as we age, those interests can change, and the common memories can fade...guess that would be the house built on the sand in Matthew 7:26.

But what's the mortar, the glue that holds everything together? Looking for the house on the sand passage really helped me--"everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand." So what are these words? Hmm...look a little earlier in Matthew 7:
--Verse 1:Don't judge. It's easy to look around and find greener grass somewhere else, but every marriage has its struggles. It's especially easy to judge our spouses and see their failings, but we'll be judged by the same measure we use by a much more perfect Judge!
--Verse 3: You can't change others, but you can change yourself. It's easy to see other faults while overlooking our own. While sometimes the other person is the one with the log in their eye, we still need to focus on asking forgiveness for our own failings, and fixing what we can rather than pointing fingers.
--Verse 6: Don't throw pearls to pigs. Hmm...how to apply this to marriage. I guess for me it's where do I put my quality time--to I give it to Jesus and my spouse, or do they get the left overs?
--Verse 7: "ask and it will be given to you." Two applications: your spouse is not a mind reader. If you need or want something, you have to tell them. Second, pray for your marriage.
--Verses 9-12: "Who gives their child a rock when they ask for bread?" Do nice things for your spouse. Fill their "emotional bank" with positive comments and thank yous, even if it's for things you "expect" them to do.
--Verse 13-14: Take the hard road. It's easy to stop fighting for your marriage and take the easy route of divorce, but that's not what God wants for marriage.

So what's the mortar? From that list, it looks like not judging others, cleaning up your problem areas, giving your spouse your best, praying for your marriage, and staying committed, even when the going gets rough. Even though it's not specifically in that passage, trust and intimacy are important too (maybe that's in the throwing pearls to pigs too?).

So maybe this is just my fried brain after sitting for three hours in the hot sun, shoving mortar in cracks. What do you think are the bricks and mortar of a marriage?

If you'd like to hear more about what God is showing others, through is word or about who He is, check out More of Him Monday

Kindergarten Round up

Today was Kindergarten Roundup for Henry. He's been saying that he's scared or that he doesn't want to go to school, but I think Round-Up changed his mind. They had six different sessions--we were in the last one for the day. As soon as we got there, they whisked Henry away to a classroom, while we turned over registration forms and birth certificates, then learned about bus routes and other fun stuff. He must have had a good time--he was all smiles when he came out. He said he knew the answer to all but two of the questions (but couldn't tell us what the questions were), and I think he was surprised that he knew several of the future kindergarteners from preschool and other activities.

The bummer is that the first day of school is the day after his birthday, and the open house "meet the teacher" is on his birthday. Maybe we'll celebrate his birthday the weekend before school starts!

Wordless Wednesday--overdue from San Diego

Happy Birthday Party Day, Harmony!

We went to Pizza Hut last night, and the kids had salad bar. The price is based on the age of the child, so I told the waitress that Henry was 5 and Harmony was 4. Harmony replied, "No I'm not, I haven't had my party yet!" She really believe(s/d) this, because on Wednesday at school, she was very upset when people wished her Happy Birthday--because her party wasn't until Saturday! I guess it was ok last year because her party was the weekend before her birthday....

A great time was had by all. 10-noon is a great time for a party; you only have to deal with a couple of hours of "how much longer until the party starts?" (mostly from Henry). We had 10 ballerinas and two basketball players at the house--I was somewhat surprised by the turn out; I expected more no shows, but that was fine. The girls decorated wooden wood shapes with markers and glitter glue, played pin the tutu on the ballerina, had a dance time with Harmony's dance teacher's teenage daughter, ate grilled cheese, strawberries, and cake, and opened presents.

It was definitely fun, but I think we all needed naps afterwards!

Earth quake!

We felt one last night/this morning at about 5:45--the house was distinctly rolling for a good 30 seconds. It woke up Henry and Patrick (who usually sleeps through everything), but Harmony kept on sleeping! Apparently there was a 5.4, with the epicenter at Olney, IL. It wasn't strong enough to do any damage (at least not that I can see in the dark).

Even so, it was a little scary. I can only imagine how Paul and Silas and the rest of the prisoners felt when God sent an earthquake strong enough to break open the prison!

San Diego recap

Better late than never... if nothing else, it gets it in writing so I have half a chance to get it in the kids' journals!

Tuesday (April 1) we drove to Indianapolis and stayed in a hotel close to the airport. We used Priceline and got the Hyatt Place--it was very nice and the people were very friendly. Patrick stayed up all night working, which was a good thing because our wake-up call never came through (oops!). At 5:30, we got Henry up, and Patrick and Henry took the shuttle to the airport for their 7 am flight. I went back to bed, and Harmony and I slept too late--by the time we left the hotel, it was after 9:30, and we didn't get back in town until almost 11. I then realized that I had neither packed her lunch, nor did I have anything to pack at home...nor time to stop by home and make it to class on time! So instead we picked up McD's. Harmony was in heaven, the toy was a princess toy. Meanwhile, Patrick and Henry were bumped off of their MSP-->SD flight, so they had time to eat brunch at one of Patrick's favorite restaurants.

I went to class and tried to get a bunch of stuff done befor picking Harmony up. She had a special treat of Steak and Shake (fridge was empty!) before going to a friend's house while I had dinner with our big name biochem speaker.

Thursday morning I had class at 8 am--Harmony's not usually awake by 8 am; Patrick does drop off on Tuesday/Thursday. So I put her to bed in clean clothes for the morning, and I basically got her up, put her in her carseat, and brought breakfasat to school. I felt bad dropping her off that way, but there weren't a lot of options. Taught my class, ran home to pack, ran back to school to return the school credit card from the night before (which I forgot to actually return--more later), listened to the speaker, made sure things were set for lab, picked up Harmony and drove to the airport. We had the perfect amount of time before our flight, but man, I wanted a nap!

Meanwhile, Patrick to Henry to see the Midway, a retired aircraft carrier. Henry was in heaven, and wanted to go back every day we were there.

Harmony loved the airplane, and was tired--she gets boistrous when she's tired. But no go on a nap. We got to SD at 7:30 pm, and Patrick and Henry met us at the airport. We took the bus and trolley to the hotel and dropped our bags off, then went to a tapas place. Harmony's poor body was still on IN time, so it was after midnight on her body's clock, and she finally fell asleep at the table. I felt badly, but we needed to eat!

Friday we moved to our hotel for the next several days of the trip. Even though I got a great deal on HotWire for our hotel, we were still able to check in really early, which was wonderful.

Next destination: Balboa Park. Not only is it a great park, there are great museums and some restaurants. We explored some of the park, ate sushi and noodles for lunch, and visited several museums. The kids' favorite was the railroad one--and we liked it too. We bought the unlimited pass for Patrick, since he was planning to go back with the kids while I was a the meeting, but were just planning to pay for my entrance fees as we went. But as we were leaving the visitor's center, someone gave us their books, saying they were leaving town and couldn't use the remainder! While there were some that were gone, it was definitely a blessing!

That evening we met some internet friends that have kids the same age as Henry. Henry had a great time playing tic tac toe and straw fighting with Cole and Sami, while Harmony enjoyed Daddy's company. It was fun!

Saturday I took the kids swimming (brr!) before my meeting from 11:30 to 5 (I judged an undergraduate poster contest). Meanwhile, they went to Balboa Park. We met back at the Spanish restaurant for tapas for dinner.

Sunday I ran in a 5K, then we met my brother Mark at the zoo (he lives an hour north of SD). We took the bus tour, then went on foot. Henry really liked the takins (why, I have no idea) so we hiked to the top of the hill where they were and took the tram back down. It was a good day for the zoo--not too hot but not freezing either. Afterwards we went to Ra Sushi for dinner (can you tell DH's definition of vacation is eating good food?)

Monday I went to a session while they hung out at the hotel. Afterwards, we took the ferry to Coranado. Patrick really only wanted to take the ferry over and back, but there was a sandy area right by the ferry landing, and a little girl was playing in the sand and asked H&H to join her. The other mom was from WV and had brought a babysitter, so we compared notes on stuff to do. We took the ferry back and ate lunch at the Fish Market. Harmony and I headed back to the hotel to pack (we moved hotels) while Henry played in the trees. The guys ended up taking a very scenic tour home (walking under the flight path of the planes), so Harmony and I ended up moving four backpacks and three carry on suitcases ourselves. I'm not sure how we pulled that off, but we did.

The new hotel was the W, which was quite hip. Harmony loved the beach ball pillows on the bed, and they both enjoyed the chalkboard in the room. We ended up vegging/taking naps (me) before my dinner meeting. I don't know what they ended up doing for food, but I had dinner at Molly's in the Marriott.

Tuesday morning we went back down to the harbor for one last look at the Midway, then headed to the airport. The security line was scarily long, but we made it The plane rides were uneventful, other than that I desparately needed a nap and Harmony wouldn't let me, and then by the time I was awake, she pouted about leaving for most of the rest of the flight.

We got back to Indy at about 11:30 pm, dropped DH off at a hotel (I didn't want to lose all of Wed morning again), then I drove home. The kids eventually konked out in the car, but it was hard getting everyone up in the morning!

Well, that was a novel! I'm impressed if you read it all!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Birthday!

April 16, 2004:

April 16, 2005:

April 16, 2006:

April 16, 2007:


Happy Birthday, sweet Harmony!

Life in a nutshell: Women's conference

In case you were dying to know, here's my recap from the Women's Conference two weekends ago:

After racing around to try and get to the departure place on time (including rescheduling a meeting and various other contortions), I was still late. It was raining/sleeting/snowing on the way to Chicago...nice relaxing drive, yah right :) But we made it, right on time.

The conference itself was amazing. The speakers were very powerful--the theme was "Run It 2 Win". Lots of great women preachers, with good worship and ministry time. The ministry time was almost too much--some congregations/individuals are a little more "dramatically supernatural" than ours, but God was DEFINITELY doing stuff in people's lives. We saw a demon being cast out, and heard God birthing lots of new life and new projects in people's lives--the sound effects were more than I'm used to, but when people are expecting the Holy Spirit, s/he definitely shows up! There'd be an altar call at the end of a session, and there would be more people at the front than left in the pews--and some of us in the pews were getting prayer from people we knew instead of going up. I got some prayer about the pregnancy, which was very good and powerful.

It was fun hanging out with the women from our church, though I'm at such a different place than all of them. I was rooming with two college students, a chemistry grad student, and a stay at home mom (for one night). Lots of good connections and growing, though. My working (especially as a college prof in the sciences) is much better accepted than it was at our previous church where I felt like I had leprosy, but it's still a little wierd to be the only full time working mom. Wait, I guess Becky W. is a FT working mom too, but I didn't really have any opportunities to talk to her.

I did skip one of the sessions and walked to the mall--it was good to have some alone/God time to process a conversation. Jonell, I have a bunch of stuff I should have said before we left--we'll have to have a coke or lunch and talk about it.

All in all it was a good, refreshing time, but the craziness before I went and immediately afterwards made me question the sanity of going. I'm still trying to get caught up several weeks later (thus the suffering blog :)).

Milestone day!

Henry lost his first tooth. It's been loose all week, and last night it was sitting crooked in his mouth. This morning it was gone--he didn't even notice until I told him to look in the mirror. I figured he had swallowed it, but my mom found it in the bed. He is quite proud of joining all his friends who have lost teeth.

It seems like he just GOT those teeth! Where does the time go???

A Parent's Job Description

Sorry my posting rate in April is awful. Things should calm down soon...I hope! My aunt sent me this, and I thought some of you might enjoy it...

POSITION :
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop

JOB DESCRIPTION :

Long term, team players needed, for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES :

The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily, until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION :

None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE :

None required, unfortunately.

On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION :

Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS :

While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition eimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Where in the world AM I? And what time is it?

Sorry I've dropped off the blogosphere--between the women's conference for church last weekend, a major speaker at work and getting ready for this trip, I've had negative amounts of blogging time. In fact, I dropped the ball on several large items--before I left I didn't get my portion of the tests graded, I forgot to return a college credit card, and forgot to grade an exit exam (that a student must pass to graduate). So needless to say it's been stressful-busy.

Now we're in San Diego. Harmony and I arrived last night at 7:30 SD time. It was a crazy day, with me dropping Harmony off at preschool before she was really awake (she slept in clean clothes for the day and I brought her breakfast), teaching class, a student putting a piece of glass in his hand, running around trying to get everything done, leaving town at the "cutting it close" time, but making our plane. There were no naps on the plane, so Harmony was very tired by the time we got there--Patrick and Henry hadn't had dinner yet, and Harmony fell asleep at the table. It's definitely a case where you wonder if the stress of going is worth the trip.

We're moving to another hotel today which only has free internet in the lobby, so I'll probably be scarce until we return...and I dig back out from under all the grading that's waiting there for me! I definitely have a post (or a series) princesses brewing...