Getting in the Picture

I enjoy scrapbooking.  I wouldn’t say I’m naturally crafty or talented at it but I do enjoy sitting down with pictures of my kids and arranging them in fun, colorful ways to capture the memories of their childhood.  But whenever I get to the pages where I want to include pictures of each child with Andrew and myself, I always discover someone missing…… ME!!!!

Are there any other moms out there who find this to be true?  Do you ever look through pictures of your kids and find that you spend more time behind the camera than in front of it?

I was very conscious of my aversion to the camera and very aware of the times I would purposefully dodge the camera. 

The reason – because instead of capturing the extra baby weight, the unkempt hair, my lack of make-up, or less-than-fashionable wardrobe, it’s just easier for me to stand behind the camera and capture each milestone my kids reach.

But recently I read an article that challenged me by asking the question, “do your kids care?” 

Do your kids care about the extra pounds you may have gained while carrying them inside you? 

Do your kids care whether or not you’re able to stand in front of the mirror for 15 minutes that morning to make yourself presentable?

Do your kids care that you haven’t been able to afford new clothes recently?

The only thing your kids really care about is that you are their mom.  We aren’t going to be around forever and someday a time will come when we aren’t able to be in our children’s lives anymore.  At that point, it is vitally important that we leave behind memories and photos for our children to hold onto and cherish. 

I want my kids to be able to look back on their childhood photos someday and be able to see their mom.  To see that I was, at one point, young, active and every bit involved in their lives.  And the thing that I realized is that whereas I see pictures of myself and start picking apart all the negatives, my kids look at pictures and just see their mommy. 

So here’s my challenge for all of you.  Don’t dodge the camera.  Get in front of it!  Capture memories with your kids for them to keep even after we’ve past. 

 

Confessions from an imperfect mom

Yesterday was just “one of those days”.  You know the kind, right?  When things seem out of control and you can’t get anything to go right.  I posted on my facebook status:

“You know those moments where you laugh because otherwise you'll cry? Yup, having one of those moments right now.”

Today a friend came up to me and thanked me for it.  Why?  Because, especially as moms, we tend to forget we are not the only ones who have bad days.  It was refreshing for her to know she wasn’t the only one who had those days where you all you feel like doing is crying. 

So today, let me just put it out there just in case anyone is feeling like they’re the only ones who struggle ….. I’m not a perfect mom! 

There have been days and situations where, instead of keeping cool and calm, I completely fly off the handle and have to go back to kids to seek forgiveness because I didn’t respond and act as I should have. 

There have been times when I have locked myself in the bathroom (because it’s the only locking door) and dissolved in tears.

There have been moments where I have been completely clueless to know what to do or say and all I can think of is to cry out to the Lord a single word…. “HELP!” 

But I have to be honest, amongst my times of wanting to give up, I get glimpses of sunshine that show me I must be doing something right. 

Like when Adam and Emma thank Andrew and I for making their dinner every evening, or the random hugs around my waist with “I love you, Mommy”.  The smiles, the giggles and the snuggles. 

I realize I’m certainly not perfect and there are many things I’m working on daily to improve, but when I see my kids playing contently together, laughing together and loving each other, it helps me realize that despite my missteps, the good far outweighs the difficult.

I know it’s easy to focus on everything that’s falling apart around us and all the things giving in to chaos, but take a moment (because that’s usually all the time we have) to catch a ray of sun so you can confidently tell yourself, “I must be doing something right”. 

Where are we now??

This past weekend my husband and I packed up our kids and took a much-needed trip to Eastern Washington to visit my grandparents.  While we were there we decided to take a bit of time one evening to drive to my aunt’s home for a quick visit.  My grandma gave me the directions and we set out on a short 15 minute drive to her home.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that having directions in hand means very little since I have a tendency to “take the scenic route” to places.  Ending up at the ferry docks in Mukilteo in an attempt to find I-5 from the Alderwood mall seems to come to mind.  This adventure seemed to prove no different. 

Let me start by saying, this is a very small farming town.  There are not many roads which means, less options to take a wrong turn.  However, I managed to make several.

Our “5 miles outside of town” ended up with us in the next town 10 miles away.  We turned around, called my grandpa for some clarification on a street name (which had him asking astonished, “You’re where?!”) and we headed back. 

Finally found the correct street and started looking for the next road we were to turn on.  Up and down the road we drove, looking everywhere for the correct street.  Turned down one but ended up being a very bumpy dead end.  Called back at my grandparent’s house and talked to my grandma, “It just smells like onions out here!!”  

Thankfully, she stayed on the phone with me until I found the correct road and YES! found my aunt’s house.  We had a lovely time with them and made it back to my grandparent’s home with no trouble.

So what should have been a 15 minute drive turned into 45 minutes.  But does this really surprise anyone?  I just had an adventure!!

You know your house is small when….

I’ve always known my house was small.  We live in a tiny (870sq. ft), two bedroom home.  Yes, and we have three kids…… with one on the way!  We are a little bit squeezed for space.  But one of the fun things to do while living in a small house is recognizing the unique things that we get to experience that those who live in larger houses don’t. 

So, in honor of one of my favorite comedians, Jeff Foxworthy, today we have -

You know your house is small when….

You know your house is small when you can vacuum the entire house without moving the plug-in to a different outlet.

You know your house is small when you can paint the entire exterior of the house with barely over 2 gallons of paint

You know your house is small when you have absolutely no use for a baby monitor

You know your house is small when you look at other houses and realize you don’t have enough furniture to fill even half of it.

You know your house is small when you have to turn the tv down to volume number 5 to keep from hearing it in all the rest of the house.

 

Feel free to add a comment with your own take on “You know your house is small when….” 

Amazing Race–Hike #2

Last weekend the Nature Chicks completed the second hike of the United General Amazing Race!  The hike was at Sugarloaf Mountain in Anacortes and it was beautiful. 

At first we were unsure of whether or not we would be able to go out and hike because of a thunderstorm that rolled in only a couple hours before we were scheduled to head out.  But thankfully the rains past just in time affording us perfect hiking weather. 

There is just something about walking through the woods, listening to the scattered rain drops on the trees above that is absolutely relaxing and wonderful.  I realize, being in late June, we expect to have the summer sun and warm temperatures but I do prefer the coolness of the Pacific Northwest…. makes for a more comfortable hike as well.

 

Our hike began around Mt. Erie although we were actually going up to Sugarloaf. 

 

 

A couple pictures from the hike…

 

 

 

 

At the top of the trail we got to experience a breath-taking view of the San Juan Islands.  Pictures don’t even do it justice because the view was absolutely amazing…

 

 

 

It’s true, we live in an area with 7 + months of rain, very little sun and temperatures barely surpassing 85 at the hottest, but when you look at the beautiful nature around us it makes the mild weather all worth it. 

 

Stay tuned for Hike #3 coming up!

Best Diaper Rash Cream Ever…

….And it’s not a name brand you buy at the store!!! 

I have been dealing with a constant diaper rash on Katie Jo for a few weeks now and I feel like I’ve tried just about everything.  Creams, ointments, air drying… none of it has gotten rid of that nasty rash! 

I was getting a bit frustrated because the rash would start to get better but then get completely bad again.  So I went on Pinterest.  Yes, Pinterest!  

I found a blog from a mom who has walked in my shoes when it came to diaper rash and she found a trick that worked wonders.  It’s so simple but it is working amazingly!!

Are you ready?  Mix one part Vaseline to one part corn starch.  It’s completely messy to make but mix it until it becomes a paste consistency. 

There you go!  I told you it was super easy and guess what?  It’s working!!!  Less than 24 hours and the rash is tons better.  I don’t think I’m ever going to buy diaper rash cream ever again!

Kid Necessities

Have you ever stopped to think about the things in your home you just can’t live without?   It may seem like an odd question but it dawned on me just how many things, aside from the standard: food, water, clothing, shelter; end up as basic necessities. 

Here’s the list of my household staples:

Peanut butter and jelly – I started making my kids different lunches for a while and after a week they were in tears, begging me to fix them PB&J. 

Camera – Have to capture each moment. 

Wet Wipes – In the house, in the car, in the diaper bag…. you need them for everything!!!

Bath toys – Can you really have a bath without toys?

Crayons – It’s the preferred method of coloring plus, an Altoid tin of crayons in the diaper bag ensures that I can easily have the kids entertained no matter where I go.

Cheerios – Did the Cheerio company really understand how important they would end up being to nearly every infant in America?

Facebook – A window to the outside, social world

 

These are just a few of my basic necessities.  What are some of yours to add to the list?  I’m curious to hear…

Amazing Race 2012

I’m a part of the Amazing Race!!!!!   Ok, so not exactly the Amazing Race you’re probably thinking of.  Our local hospital is conducting an Amazing Race to promote exercise during the summer.  Here’s how it works….

 

Six hikes are planned out during a 12 week period.  Each team has two weeks to complete each hike.  But it’s not just about the hikes!  Each hike actually has a clue which will help solve a riddle at the completion of all the hikes.  The first team to submit the riddle will receive a $200 gift card to REI!! 

Our first hike was at…

 

This was supposed to be an easy/moderate difficulty but, our team decided to go up an UP ONLY trail because it appeared to be quicker.  Come to find out, the UP ONLY really meant what it said and our “easy” hike turned difficult and extremely steep very quickly.  But we made it to the top and found our first clue…

 

 

The way back down afforded some time to snap some photos….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once back at the truck, we decided to drive all the way to the top to the lookout.  We definitely live in a beautiful area…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plus, we encountered a furious squirrel…

 

 

Next hike coming soon!!!  GO NATURE CHICKS!!!!!!!

One Year Old Already!!

One year ago this amazing little girl joined our family.  I can not even begin to describe the blessing Katie Jo has been and all the smiles she has given us.  She is truly a joy!

 

Katie Jo’s party was definitely a fun event celebrating such an  important milestone with close family. 

 

Katie Jo had fun opening her presents.  Although she got sidetracked with a little toy on this stroller and wasn’t too interested in any of her other gifts.  Not to worry, Adam and Emma took over right away with opening the rest of the presents.

 

 

And what would a first birthday party be without the cake!  She loved it so much she would sit in her highchair and yell until someone gave her another piece.  This is definitely a girl who knows how to get what she wants.

 

 

I am so excited to see what big things are store for this little girl in the years to come.  

 

I love you sweet Katie Jo!!!!

Orangeburst Cookies!!

Tonight I decided to bake up a batch of yummy orange burst cookies.  I absolutely love these cookies so I thought I would share the recipe so you can enjoy some delectable cookies too!

Orangeburst Cookies

2 1/2 C flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks butter

1/2 C sugar

1/2 C brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 TB orange zest

1 C white chocolate chips

 

First cream the butter and sugars together.  Then add the egg and vanilla.  After that stir in the flour, baking soda and salt.  Last, get our your zester and zest a large orange (remember to only get the top layer because the whitish part is bitter) and put in the chocolate chips.

 

 

Of course, after you have it all mixed together you need to clean off the spoon…

 

Set your oven to 375 degrees and bake for about 10 minutes

 

 

Unfortunately for my waistline, it’s impossible to eat just one!

Photo Challenge continues……

Every year over Memorial Day weekend, my family enjoys a weekend of camping up in Marblemount.  We really do live in a gorgeous area and our remote camp area deep in the woods of the Cascades lends for some great photo opportunities. 

 

# 3 Clouds

Many years Memorial Day weekend has included rain and cool weather.  This year, however, we were blessed to have absolutely beautiful weather.  On Saturday, this was the only cloud in our crystal blue sky.

 

 

 

 

 

# 8 Technology

Maybe it’s a bit of a stretch but much of modern technology surpasses my basic understanding.  I know you’re probably shaking your head and laughing at my picture of an outhouse but just consider where this little piece of old technology has taken us!  This was the beginning of what we now consider a huge luxury… indoor bathrooms!! 

 

 

 

 

#21 Pretty Pattern

 

 

 

I couldn’t decide which I liked best so I’m posting two photos for this category. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m still plugging away at his photo challenge.  15 more pictures left so I’m halfway there!!!

The Fun of T-ball Season!

I love T-ball season!!  5 is such a fun, quirky age on its own, but it seems when you get ten 5 year olds together to play an “organized” game, anything can happen. 

I’ve been having such a fun time watching these t-ball games because it never fails, something is bound to happen which brings a smile to your face.

Kids are funny without even trying.  It’s in the innocence that makes each game like a new comedy routine.  From the boy in the outfield holding his baseball cap over his face with his glove, or the sudden dog pile of kids in an attempt to be the one to “catch” the ball – it’s a constant laugh-fest.

At our first game of the season one of the moms was calling out, ever-important instructions, to her little boy who was in charge of covering third base, “Watch the ball and get it when it comes to you!” to which he replied with much excitement while looking at the back of his pants, “I have a pocket!!!” 

Or the mom who was asking her son why he was kneeling on the ground at the pitcher’s mound instead of being ready to catch the ball when her son replied, as if she was completely clueless, “I found a worm!!” 

Adam is not without his moments on the field.  At one game he announced he had to use the bathroom while standing on third base.  The next child hit a ball and Adam came running toward home, stepped on home plate quickly before immediately running toward the nearby port-o-potty with the batting helmet still on his head. 

Not only that, but when he was playing the position of pitcher I noticed each time he got the ball and threw it to first base, he would do a victory dance.  Being the kind of mom that I am, I took a video and put it to some music…..

 

 

It’s a fun, new adventure of parenthood having a child involved in a sport.  I’m certainly looking forward to many more years of cheering for my children from the bleachers and laughing at the many blunders still yet to come.

One step at a time

Not too long ago I read an article entitled, “Are you ready for children” and one of the “tests” was the physical test -

“Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes.  Leave it there for 9 months.  Now remove 10 of the beans.”

What’s funniest about this scenario is how sadly true it is.

This is what led me to my 2012 goal of losing weight.  At first I set out on my own to reduce the amount of soda I drank and to attempt to exercise.  But, like many other goals on my list to accomplish, this one quickly came to a grinding halt. 

 

Thankfully, that’s not the end of my 2012 goal.  God knew I could not reach my goal on my own power so He strategically placed me in a small group of women to work through the book Made to Crave.  The book and my accountability partner have made my weight loss goal an obtainable one.

 

At first this journey seemed to be such a struggle for me.  I had given up soda completely, began exercising and eating right but my body just didn’t want to give up any of the extra pounds.  In a fit of anger and frustration I ended up destroying our useless scale and ridding myself of the last of the soda left in our house. 

~I do want to interject right here because I know some of you are freaking out right now, “Why on earth did you have to put a knife through the glorious, delicious Pepsi?” Well, here’s why I had to destroy it instead of just giving it to someone. 

There’s a story in Scripture where Jesus tells a young, rich man that unless he is able to give up all he owns he can not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Let me clarify, this is not saying that unless we sell all our possessions and live poor lives we won’t go to Heaven.  What it’s saying is that you need to be able and willing to give up the things in your life you are holding onto and are unwilling to give up – even for God. 

What is the first commandment?  You shall have no other gods before me.  If there is something in your life that you are unwilling to let go of, you may want to evaluate if it’s an idol in your life.  Something you are putting before God. 

I know this may seem drastic and you may be saying to yourself, “I don’t have other gods in my life” but I would caution you, if you have something - food, a certain drink, a possession, or even an emotional attachment to money - that you are completely unwilling to let go in your life, then take some time to really pray about it. 

Pepsi was my idol. Pepsi had become part of my identity to the point where I just could not let it go.  I knew it wasn’t good for my health and that I would be better off without it, but the attachment was so great I was unwilling to completely get rid of it. 

That’s why I had to destroy the Pepsi.  I didn’t want to be like the young, rich man.  I wanted to be able to put God’s temple (my body) before the soda which meant I needed to completely destroy the temptation. ~

I can not tell you how freeing it was for me to completely release myself from the temptation of soda and the temptation of obsessing over the scale each day.

I have been working extremely hard the past 10 weeks and, although my journey is far from over, I have great news to announce…..

 

I HAVE LOST 10 POUNDS!!!!!!

 

It’s a great feeling to finally begin to see the progress I’ve been working so hard for and I’m certainly not at my goal but I count this as a success. 

One last thought before I close - A few weeks ago while I was having some quiet time with God, I was reminded of the value of my body.  My body is God’s temple.  He created me exactly the way He wanted and made me extremely special.  But I had taken the body He created and I filled it with unhealthy things and allowed myself to get out of shape.  It’s like if I made something special for my kids and they took it for granted and ended up destroying it.  In a sense, that’s what I did.  To think of my body as something valuable that God took precious thought and time to create, gives me the motivation to take care of it.  I hope it gives you the motivation to take special care of the gift God has also given you.

HE HAS RISEN!!!

“On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightening stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen!”  (Luke 24: 1-5)

This story should bring a smile, joy, goose bumps, absolute exhilaration!!   Our Jesus is alive!!! 

This morning when I let our dog outside I just wanted to scream at the top of my lungs to our entire neighborhood, “JESUS IS ALIVE!!  HE HAS RISEN!!!!”   As an adult I feel like I appreciate Easter more now than as a kid.  But then again, as my relationship with Christ deepens, I am more and more appreciative of the magnitude of the resurrection. 

We are all sinners and if Jesus had not come to take our place, we would all be destined for eternal suffering.  There’s just no way around it.  But God humbled Himself to take the form of a man, walk this Earth and ultimately suffer and die on a cross.  The spotless lamb took every sin upon Himself and became the blood atonement for our sins.  It should have been us on that cross.  It should have been us to suffer and die but Jesus did it for us.

But the story of Easter is partly about the death and more about His resurrection.  You see, if Jesus would have just stayed in the tomb then the God we serve would be no different than the other gods of this world.  But our God is not like any others.  Our God is the one and only.  Our God is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Our God is ALIVE!!! 

REJOICE!!!!  We serve a risen God.  He did not stay in the tomb.  Instead, He fulfilled the prophesy and rose three days later. 

HE HAS RISEN!

HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

The battle of Green Beans!

Green beans are a staple in my household.  I’m not a fan of peas, cooked carrots are disgusting, raw carrots just don’t satisfy the desire for something warm on my dinner plate, and corn has too many carbs.  This leaves green beans. 

If I had my way, I would live right next door to my grandpa who has an extremely beautiful garden, which includes fresh green beans right on the vine.  One of my favorite things is picking the green beans, snapping off the end and enjoying the deliciousness of a freshly picked, squeaky bean.  But since I’m currently a couple hundred miles away from those ripe, yummy veggies, I have to settle for canned or frozen. 

My kids generally like fruits and veggies and will clean those off their plate first.  Only on one occasion did I catch my daughter trying to feed her green beans to our dog….. along with her peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

Our youngest, I have recently discovered, is not such a fan of the green bean.  After putting a spoonful on her highchair tray the other day, she proceeded to ignore them completely.  I saw this and tried to hand-feed her one but once the bean entered her mouth her eyes squeezed shut, hands in tight fists and the screaming and crying ensued.  What was going on here?!  I tried again, but when I got the bean close to her she immediately started turning her head and loudly exclaimed her dislike of the situation.

It wasn’t until I grabbed the camera (because that’s just the kind of mom I am….. the kind who grabs the camera to capture these unconventional photo opportunities) that she stopped her screaming and smiled.  Only then would she finish eating the green bean which was left sitting her mouth. 

I got into a rhythm of getting a bean into her mouth and then holding up the camera while she posed and chewed.  In all, we managed to eat about 5 green beans that day.  But it wasn’t without a fight.  

 

When our happy gets confused

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I have been working through the book Made To Crave.  Let me tell you, this book is good on so many levels.  It’s not just about replacing your cravings for food by learning to crave Christ.  It’s more about stripping away the things in our life we use to hide behind so we don’t have to deal with our true struggles. 

One thing I want to share is the concept of what we tie our happy to.  How many times have we thought something like,

“I’ll be happy once I reach a certain wealth.”

“I’ll be happy once I can fit into that particular size”

“I’ll be happy once I find that certain someone”

“I’ll be happy once I get that dream job”

The list is endless!!  It may not even be something we are conscious about yet we can almost always identify those areas in our life we think of as less-than-desirable and then rationalize it as “but I’ll be happy with it when….”

“I hate my body now and it depresses me to look in the mirror, but I’ll be happy once I’m a size 8”

“It depresses me that I’m broke all the time.  Nothing seems to work out and I’m constantly worrying about money.  I’ll be happy once I can have more money"

“I hate being single and on my own.  I’ll be happy once I can get married”

Don’t we all do this at one point or another?  But here’s something to think about.  Now listen up!!  Do I have your attention?  Here it is….

If your happy is missing now, in your current situation, your happy will still be missing when you achieve what it is you’ve been pining for.

Did you understand that?!  Let me say it again just in case you missed it.

If your happy is missing now, in your current situation, your happy will still be missing even when you achieve what it is you’ve been pining for.

WOW!!!  It’s true!  God has placed each and every one of us right where He wants us.  If that is the case, perhaps instead of constantly complaining, being depressed, and/or wishing for something else, maybe we should grasp the challenge He has set before you – to learn acceptance, patience and contentment. 

Here are some words from Isaiah 55:8-12

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace.”

On the back of this passage comes another….

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.  Now remain in my love.  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.  I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.  My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:9-12)

Did you catch that?  “So your joy can be complete” We are not supposed to tie our happy to the things and relationships of this world.  We are supposed to tie our happy to Jesus so He can bring fulfillment to our lives and so our joy may be complete. 

It doesn’t matter if you are wearing the exact size you want, or if you make the amount of money you want, or live in the house you want, or have the husband and number of kids you want,  or have the job you want.  These are not the things that will make you happy.  If these are what we are tying our happy to then we will not experience true joy and happiness.  It is only through Christ that we may have lasting joy. 

Here’s my challenge to you – look at your life right now.  Really look at it!  If there are areas that make you depressed, anxious, worrisome, unhappy and unfulfilled, I challenge you to ask yourself, “am I tying my happy to this?” Remember that only Christ can bring pure happiness and fulfillment.

Can you beat the odds?

What a day this has been!  Our country has been thrown into an absolute frenzy over the lottery.  I had to head to our local Fred Meyer for some diapers and never before have I seen the line so long of people anxiously waiting their turn to pick their lucky numbers in hopes of becoming a millionaire overnight.

Although I personally don’t play the lottery, I do think it’s fun to let your mind have a little fun with the question, “what would you do if you won 1 million dollars?”  But let’s just have a little more fun with this and put ourselves in the minds of these folks who are waiting hours at local convenience stores to purchase their golden ticket of wealth.

What would you do if you won 640 million dollars?

First let’s take away 25% for federal taxes which leaves us at 480 million.  Our state currently does not have a state income tax but some states would take even more from lottery winnings.  Still, that’s a lot of dough!!   

Now, since I have absolutely no need for this much money, I would be giving a good portion to two of my favorite organizations – 150 mil to our church and 100 mil to Saint Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. 

That would still leave me with 230 million dollars!!  Next we would pay off all our student loans which would leave us completely debt free.  Since I’m still in school, I’m just going to give a rough estimate of $75,000. 

Then comes the new house.  We definitely don’t need anything extravagant but if I were to choose my dream house, it would have enough bedrooms for each child to have their own, an extra bedroom if anyone needs a place to stay, and a bathroom off the master bedroom.  I would also like to live on about 5 acres.  This would run about $400,000-500,000. 

In the end, after taxes, charitable giving, debt payments and a new house we would still be left with $229,425,000.  I can’t even fathom that!!  The rest would be invested and probably just sit in an account for decades until the kids have all left the house.  At that point Andrew could retire and could take the road trip across Route 66 that I’ve been dreaming of. 

Sometimes it’s nice to let the mind wander but for me, it would be difficult to win 480 million since I’d actually have to buy a lottery ticket to win. 

God’s blessings on 4 wheels

I was told from a friend that I don’t blog often enough (yes, you know who you are!)  so here I am to update everyone on our car saga.  If you remember a while back I explained how we were looking for a bigger vehicle to accommodate our growing family.  So I went on the hunt…

It seemed like I looked everywhere!  I scoured Craigslist, perused the newspaper, hunted the streets but to no avail.  Finally I typed in “Skagit Valley Dealerships” in my web browser and just started looking at all the car dealerships in the area.  Hardly anyone had a three-row vehicle in our price range.  Then I came to one!  A 2001 Suburban was for sale at a Burlington dealership where a friend’s dad worked.  I gave him a call and he referred me to the head sales person.  I do have to say, it’s nice going into a dealership on the shirt tail of a friend.  They tend to treat you better. 

We went in to look at the Suburban but quite honestly, it wasn’t in the best of conditions.  Then the salesman pointed at a 2004 Tahoe and suggested we take a look at it since it also had three rows. 

Boy, it felt nice to drive!  But unlike the suburban, we had not researched the Tahoe at all.  Andrew and I said a quick prayer together and asked for guidance and that if this was the vehicle for us that it would all work together and we would be at peace. 

Let me interject right here though – our previous vehicle was definitely a need.  The car before had over 250,000 miles, bald tires and everything leaked.  We were filling the tires up with air once a month and putting new oil in it every week.  We went to the dealership 4 days before Adam was born and, in pure desperation, financed our Chrysler Sebring.  The day afterward, I woke up resenting the purchase and when we got our first bill I was shell shocked. 

I didn’t want to make the same mistake and was paranoid that we were going to make another poor vehicle decision.  I started praying constantly that God would lead us to the perfect vehicle and help us to know the right thing for us to do.  As a sign that it would be the right vehicle I asked that God would put something blue on the vehicle.  A few days later I also asked that if the vehicle was the right one, that we would be able to purchase it with money left in our pocket.

Now, back to the dealership – Andrew and I sat across from the salesman and just hoped our offer would be enough.  He came back initially with his offer being the entire sticker price.  I very plainly told him that anyone who paid sticker price for a vehicle was an idiot and we weren’t idiots.  (and yes, those were my exact words).  Then we told him exactly what we had to spend on the vehicle. 

They decline and we walked away empty-handed.

But that’s not the end of my story!!  We just couldn’t get that Tahoe out of our heads.  It was irritating that they didn’t accept our offer (which was about $3,000 under sticker price).  In a phone conversation with my mom the next morning I relayed the whole story.  She didn’t want us to lose out on a good vehicle on account of so little so she loaned us a little more and we headed back to the dealership. 

The same salesman was there and Andrew made him an offer $500 less than what we had in our pocket (we wanted to have some to pay the registration, license and tax fees).  Then we waited while he took the offer to the head boss. 

We seemed to wait and wait and wait……

Finally, he came back with an offer written down….. out the door price (taxes and all fees included) it was $400 LESS than what we had in our pocket!!!!

YES!!!!  We accepted, gave them a huge stack of Benjamin's (you can tell most people finance vehicles with how wide their eyes got) and drove away in our new-to-us three-row Tahoe with money LEFT IN OUR POCKET!!! 

Remember, I had asked God for two signs.  One was to have money left in our pocket after we bought the vehicle.  The second one was that there would be something blue on it……

                       THE ENTIRE THING IS BLUE!!!!! 

Bottom line is this: God knew our need and provided us a way to meet that need.  Not only that, but He knew my personal need for affirmation that we were making the right choice and He honored that by fulfilling both of my requests. 

God is good, all the time!!

Weekly Menu Calendar

Don’t you just hate it when it gets to be dinner time and you have nothing laid out, nothing  in the crockpot and you’re left rummaging through all the cupboards frantically trying to figure out what to make for dinner? 

I hate those moments but when I get lax in my meal planning they tend to happen often.  Not fun!  So I decided to do something about it and made myself a cute weekly menu planner for my kitchen.

Here’s what you need…..

Picture Frame (I used an 11x13)

Scrapbook paper

I did get some embellishments but ended up not using them but feel free to get whatever you what to dress up your calendar

 

 

  I used my Cricut to cut out the days of the week but you can use stencils or just write them with pen.

 

 

 

 

If you have one of these little gadgets to help stick the letters on then that’s GREAT!!!  (just make sure to put the letters in the correct way to get the backside sticky and not the front...oops!)  Otherwise, grab your glue stick and get to work. 

 

Now put it all together, slip it into the frame and you can use a regular white-board marker to write your weekly menu.

** Yes, I realize ‘Saturday’ is missing from mine.  I’ll be including it once I recut it and run it through my sticker maker the correct way. 

The Great Car Judgment

With three kids and an equal number of car seats, we are quickly outgrowing our sedan.  Usually with our tax refund each year we plan something fun to do along with paying off bills and storing some away for a ‘rainy day’.  This year we decided the best thing to do would be to find a larger vehicle.  This begged the question: Which vehicle should we get?

At first I was pretty set on a Ford Expedition.   I like the size and the look but after talking to our local mechanic and a CarQuest employee, I discovered the Expedition’s engine doesn’t have much life to it after a certain number of miles and has conned the nickname – Ford Exploder!

The one thing both parties agreed on was the durability and life of the Chevy Suburban and Mini Vans. 

Now, those who know me know that I lean more toward large trucks and SUV’s as my preferred mode of transportation.  Vans have never been my number one choice and the thought of driving a van causes me to involuntarily shudder.  Although I would never put it past the Good Lord to drop a van in my lap and chuckle because He got me driving the inferior vehicle. 

What I have quickly learned is that when it comes to those who drive mini vans and SUV’s there is no middle ground between the camps.  Those who love mini vans swear by them and will go to great lengths to convince you of the cons of owning an SUV.  Then again, those in the SUV camp would not be caught sight of in a mini van. 

There are many reasons why a Suburban appeals to me but my one hang-up was the increasing gas prices.  I didn’t want to blow my entire budget on gas alone.  So Andrew and I sat down and did some quick calculations.  Andrew manned the computer and I controlled the calculator.  If ever you were wondering, “What really is the difference between a Suburban and mini van when it comes to gas?”  here is your answer….

A 2000 Chevy Suburban has a 33 gal. tank getting a combined total of 13 mpg. This equals $132 at the pump when gas is $4.00 and equals a total of 429 miles per tank.

Now let's figure vans: a 2000 Dodge Caravan, Toyota Sienna and Chevy Ventura have a 20 gal. tank getting a combined total of 19 mpg which equals 380 miles per tank. This equals $80 at the pump with gas at $4.00 but there's a deficit of miles which equal another $10.52 to equal the miles of the Burb totaling $90.52.

I'll spare you the calculations of the Nissan Quest and Windstar but the Quest would cost $93.80 and the Windstar coming in at $100.92.

On average it costs only $38.75 more to pay for the gas in a Suburban than a mini van. This is less than one meal at a restaurant for our entire family.

With our weekly average of 100 driven miles, it looks like we can feasibly fill up once a month and work it nicely within our budget. 

Do you know what this means?  This anti-mini van girl can safely skip into the SUV camp with a clear conscience that my preferences won’t destroy our budget. 

Happy Driving!!

Made To Crave

A few weeks ago I posted about my weight loss goals and how I was going to achieve my goals.  It seems that when we truly want to achieve something which is fruitful, God will put opportunities in our path to help out.  Whether or not we actually recognize and take advantage of those opportunities is purely your choice.

I was faced with an opportunity to keep me accountable to my goals and this past week has been, not only a difficult and emotional one as I learn to manage certain cravings, but a positive one in moving closer to what I hope to ultimately achieve.

Some ladies from our MOPS steering team have decided to form a Bible study and work through the book Made to Crave by Lysa TerKeurst. 

When I went to the first meeting our leader started talking about each of us having accountability partners, checking in everyday with what we ate, our calorie count, sharing our goals, etc.  I literally freaked out inside.  In my head I was thinking, “Oh no!  This is not what I signed up for!!”  But on the other hand I felt God telling me, “You’re right.  But this is what you need”

You see?  Even though I would like to lose weight, I had given up all hope of fitting into a slim size 8 ever again.  It’s one thing to set goals and fail at them all by yourself but it’s an entirely different thing to set goals and run the risk of failing in front of others.  It would be too humiliating!

I ended up coming away from that meeting with my eyes opened to what I really needed to do. 

1)Start eating breakfast each day. 

2)Stop drinking soda altogether

3)Exercise

I am proud to announce today that for an entire week so far I have eaten breakfast each day – some days I have to have my kids remind me.  I have only had a total of 1/2 a glass of soda and I have started exercising. 

I haven’t lost any weight yet but I am positive that this time I’m not going to fail and somewhere in my future, a pair of size 8 jeans are waiting for me.

Looking through the Sepia lense

I think I’ve mentioned in earlier posts how I enjoy photography and am constantly trying to hone my skills and develop new skills. 

(I’ll put in the disclaimer and reminder right here that I, in no way, shape or form consider myself a photographer.  It’s just something I like to do. ) 

Yesterday morning while we were all getting ready for church I decided to play around with the sepia setting on my camera.  I’ve taken many black and white pictures before but have never really done much with sepia.   Sepia does have a fun, antique look to it and it’s kind of fun seeing my photos as if they were taking back to the early 1900’s. 

Here’s just a few of the photos I took…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a wonderful, sunny day!!!