Family Principles from Scripture

I'm really loving this kind of thing right now. I remember one time asking God why, if raising children is so important, He didn't tell us more about how to do it. I have to laugh at myself about that now, as I am discovering the vast amounts He has to say on the subject!

Guitar Hero

I couldn't resist this one...

My cousin Chad works for Guitar Hero. He's actually the one who programs the jewels to match the music, as well as the light shows in the background. I grew up playing with this kid. It cracks me up to watch this, and this. (He's the guitar player in both)

Summer Evening

We had the best time outside tonight. I wish I could transport you to our backyard for the night. It's quiet here, and you hear the birds chirp and dogs bark from the other side of the ravine behind our neighbor's yard. The air smells sweet with pine needles and grass and wild flowers, and it's warm without being the slightest bit muggy or uncomfortable. Colorado summer evenings are heavenly.

Nick entertained Hannah by kicking her Backyardigans ball high into the air and knocking down dead tree branches for a good hour. Audrey played in the sandbox and looked at pine cones. I enjoyed my $3 garage sale find - a lounge chair.

We have everything we need, we're realizing. Our house isn't big, it isn't fancy, and it is far from perfect, but if we can have peace like this here, we are very blessed.

Honor

A while back I talked about reading John Bevere's Honor's Reward. Here's an interview with him about that same subject. This is a principle that we try our best to live by. It's difficult, and sometimes we do it better than other times, but I just feel this is such a rich teaching, full of daily application. Part one and part two.

Question Authority

Kim has written yet another very insightful post. Some of the reading I have been doing lately has pointed to the value of being under authority, and I'm been meditating on that. We have many authority figures in our lives, and being under their authority brings certain protection in each case. For example, submitting to police officers (the law) brings physical safety as we don't drive too fast. This first one is usually not too hard for people to swallow. In addition (and maybe harder), submitting to the pastor and elders of your church as your spiritual authority brings protection spiritually (and keeps you from doing stupid things!). Submitting to your husband as the head of your home brings personal protection - protection from having ungodly attitudes, from mean people, from having to carry the burden of a role that is not ours to carry as women.

God doesn't ask us to mindlessly, brainlessly, and without question follow every word of those in authority. In fact Paul asked the churches to examine every word they were taught and make sure it lines up with Scripture. We as wives have input that our husbands desperately need, if they are to become all that God has for them (they also have similar input for us!). We see things they don't see sometimes. But questioning authority must always be done with respect and honor for the position of the one in authority.

Alright. I'm done with the soapbox for today. Would anyone else like to borrow it?

Nick and I were talking last night following an appt with Dr P. Dr P wants me to teach Nick how to do more things around the house to take some more stress off of me. Nick really wants to help, but he has some concerns. It will take some time for us to work out what this means for us. He already helps, especially with the girls, a whole lot.

In the midst of that conversation, I said something that surprised me. I told Nick, “I like my work. I don’t want you to do it all, even if you could.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, an internal dialogue started. I like my work? Doing dishes, laundry, picking up toys, feeding small children? I like vacuuming, dusting, continually wiping down tables and counters? I never used to like those things.

During my Dr P appointment last night, we were talking about what it takes to be an adult, the incredible amount of things that are required of us, including sometimes giving up things we love for the good of our family. He talked about how what is required of us goes far beyond our own ability to sacrifice, and into the territory where God must give us the strength to do it. He made a remark about what I’d given up to be a mom (meaning worship ministry). I gotta say, though it feels wrong in some ways, it also felt so good to have someone acknowledge that. I miss worship ministry. I miss it deeply. I don’t yet understand the direction of my life, because I felt certain that God had led me there, and then just as easily led me away. I am doing the right thing being home with my children, but it still hurts sometimes…oftentimes…

But I like my work? I am finding there is a satisfaction that comes when you faithfully do what God has asked of you, whether the task itself brings deep joy or not. The task of worship leading brings me joy. Dishes do not. But the fact that I faithfully do the dishes because it is part of what God has asked of me, does bring me some joy. I never realized that before. Helping my children get dressed and making things for them to eat is satisfying to me. Since when? I have no idea.

I do get tired. I do get disappointed. I do need help and breaks and most importantly God. But, I like my work. Amazing.

Good for the soul

These people just completed an international adoption of two boys from Africa. It's not their first adoption, but I am loving watching the process. What a gift to a child who needs love! I have never been particularly drawn to adoption, to be honest, but this kind of story makes me think about it for the first time.

Merry Christmas from us

You would not believe what it took to get this picture. Actually, if you have kids, you probably would believe it. Audrey is currently in full-blown toddler mode, including the arching of the back and the screaming, "WALK! WALK!" anytime we set foot out of the house. In this picture I am trying, (rather unsuccessfully, I might admit) to conceal my utter frustration and disgust with the situation, seeing as how the money, time and effort involved in making us all look like this at the same time ought to qualify us for some kind of award. The least we could do is be able to get a good picture of it to remember it by.

Alright. Enough ranting.

Hooray for the process, right? They won't be little for long...and all that jazz. ;)

I have lots of fun pictures to post in the next few days. For now: goodnight.

P.S. Audrey is holding a candle from the Christmas Eve service we had just attended.

Santa Comes to Black Forest

Tonight we had one of my favorite experiences in a while.

*Truth in advertising statement: We tried to do too many things today. This led to cranky kids, rather burnt out parents, late dinner, and a few things I wish I could do over. It was not a perfect day, far from it. However, I don't feel like talking about that. And this is my blog. And you probably don't want to hear about that anyway. So I'm going to tell you this cute little story which was the best part of the day. Thank you.

About two minutes from where we live, is the center of the old "town." It has a fire station, a one room schoolhouse, a general store, a couple other small store buildings, a feed store, a church, and a community center. Most of these are actual log buildings, close to 100 years old. The community center actually hosts an "acoustic society" every other Friday night. People bring their banjos and things of that nature and they do a sing-along from what I can tell. We totally need to go sometime.

On the sign for the community center this week, it said, "Santa arrives, Dec. 1, 7pm." Well, a quaint little town gathering with Santa was right up my alley. We would have forgotten to go, except that we drove by there right at 6:50, heading to get our tree. We decided to stop.

A group of probably 150-200 people of all ages - babies to 90 year olds, waited in the center of town to light the Christmas tree. A choir of probably 10 people, complete with the warbly soprano, and the very low bass led us in Christmas carols. Their director was a fireball of a lady with white hair who was probably 75. The older couple who has the "keys to the forest" got to plug in the lights on the tree, and everyone "oohed and ahhed." Then, lights flashing, came the fire engine. Santa and Mrs. Claus were riding in the top, waving to everyone. They pulled into the community center and all the kids lined up to see them.

We reached the front of the line and Hannah buried her head in my shoulder when Santa talked to her. Mrs. Claus said, "Sometimes they'll come to me?" And Hannah gladly sat on her lap, and told her what she wanted for Christmas. A baby, she said. This is news to me. The whole time, the choir continued to sing carols. A guy with a banjo stood in the back and played occasionally. The director played a few chords at a time on the old upright piano, alternating with waving her arms to keep tempo. There were hot drinks and cookies, and the firefighters and paramedics hung around in the back, enjoying the festivities.

It was just the cutest thing. Like something from a movie. I could almost imagine being there when they did that long ago, for the children...who still come...70 years later.

So, Nick and I have decided that when we're 75 or 80 years old, he's going to grow a beard and we'll go around as Santa and Mrs. Claus. He likes to remind me that he is, after all, St. Nick. Oh, brother.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Dinner was a smashing success, I must say. I should have followed my instinct and turned the heat up on the sweet potatoes so they were a little softer, and it was difficult to have everything more than just lukewarm by the time it was on the table, but it was....delicious. And completely gluten-free!

Turkey, gluten-free bread stuffing with dried cranberries and water chestnuts, fresh cranberry sauce, green beans with sauteed almonds, maple-orange mashed sweet potatoes, and gravy with thyme and thickened with rice flour. Not pictured here was another dish - maple thyme acorn squash.

The most amazing thing about all of this is, Nick and I keep saying how we can eat a ridiculously full plate and we don't feel sick! Thanksgiving is a day to be sick, right? I mean, what's Thanksgiving without feeling bloated and gross and almost achy afterward? You can make delicious food that is good for you!

Anyway, if there are certain recipes you're interested in, let me know. I almost always find things online and then adapt them.

Hope you all had a great dinner, and great time together as a family!

Quiet day

I suppose it's the calm before the proverbial storm, but today is a quiet day. There are tiny snow crystals falling silently out my picture window. All my usual blogs to read are relatively quiet with holiday preparations. I need to do dishes, bake, clean my kitchen, and vacuum today. The three inches of snow and my Jetta's older tires will probably deter me from coming up with an excuse to leave the house. I'm beginning to really value this kind of peace. The girls thrive on it, when I keep my tone and attitude positive. They get nice, long naps and lots of personal attention on days like this.

Tomorrow we get to enjoy the bustle of my parents' house and cooking with my mom and sisters. The boys will either play guitar hero or go out to shoot air soft guns, or both (these are "brother activities" that Nick finally gets to participate in, since he doesn't have any brothers), the girls will run around eating, chasing dogs and cats, watching Pooh, and generally getting underfoot.

Friday I'm making dinner here, and it looks like Luis and Elya will be joining us. Luis was the best man in our wedding, and Luis and Elya are engaged to be married 08.08.08. :) Elya is early in the Dr P diet, and a diagnosed celiac, so I am happy to provide a place where she can safely eat Thanksgiving dinner.

Saturday and Sunday we get two more days to be together as a family! The girls are pretty much well, so church might actually happen this week.

Off to go start my day. Peace and thankfulness...

Thanksgiving

A lot of people hate it. It's one of my favorites.

I think I like it so much because it's simple. Eat food, be together with people you love, be thankful. No presents, no deep spiritual meaning that you feel like you somehow miss in the trappings of the celebration, just be thankful.

I have much to be thankful this year, as always.
A husband who loves me and who I love
Two beautiful, healthy little girls
A cat named Moses
A house to live in
Two (at least somewhat) working cars
A church that has weathered the storm and come out worshiping God more than ever
Good relationships with extended family

Lately, I've even begun to appreciate getting older as a gift. I love that I'm learning to be comfortable in my own skin. I have spent much of my life apologizing for the person that I am, and just this year I am beginning to see the person God made me to be. Obviously, there are many more years for God to develop that, but I can see the beginnings, now that I'm 27 years old. I can finally actually call myself a grownup. This is okay with me.

Anyway, I plan to thoroughly enjoy cooking and baking the next few days. No stress, just enjoying making a fun, delicious, thankful experience for my family.

Games for 2 year olds

I came across this link tonight, so we decided to try teaching Ring around the rosy to Hannah. It was hysterical! Thought I'd share a video. This is another link with fun things to do. We laughed and smiled together a whole lot tonight. :)

Pumpkin Carving

Hannah actually kind of understood what we were doing this year.



















Audrey didn't care. But pumpkins are pretty cool.















This proves once and for all: I am a nerdy piano teacher. And it was fun, too.










Hannah helped get one handful of the pumpkin guts out, then she was done.

Apples and Pumpkins

We visited the Happy Apple Farm last weekend.

Hannah was concerned about the pumpkins laying all over the ground. She decided they needed to be put back in the box. I don't know why my head is cut off in the picture.

Piles

I had a revelation today.

First, a little background. For all three years of our married life, we have had piles of papers in the kitchen. Bills, mail, magazines, you-name-it. It gets piled on the kitchen counter. I have always hated this. Here I am, miss organized, and my kitchen always looks like a mess. So I was reading a blog today (currently I can't remember which one. If I figure it out I will add the link.) She recommends starting a new habit on Saturdays. Just as an example, she said, "say you want to file 5 papers every day after breakfast." A light bulb came on. That would solve the problem!

Then, I started thinking about the problem itself. My mom ALWAYS had a pile of papers on the counter when I was growing up. It is something I am used to. Organization, however, never was my mom's strong point. She would tell you that herself. Another piece of the puzzle is the fact that in my brain it is Nick's job to take care of the finances. This includes the millions of bills (okay, not MILLIONS, but it sometimes feels like millions)

So, here's the revelation: organization is not Nick's strong point. It's mine. I have every skill I need to come up with a system to fix this. Nick will love it. I will no longer have piles on the counter. We will be able to pay all our bills on time all the time, because we will know what's due when and where the bill is.

I have been living with something when I have everything I need to fix it. Duh. Do you have anything like this? I really believe that God gives families the skills and talents needed to allow for success. This includes the kids - not just the parents. Hannah already has an incredible gift of organization as well. Hers may surpass mine because I will encourage her in it. I hope it does. And not in an obsessive compulsive way - in a way that gives life and finds order out of chaos.

Be inspired also today - what problem do you have that you or a family member has the talents to fix?

On playing outside

Hannah requested we go outside today. I don't really remember the last time she asked.

It's funny. Of late, I have not thought of myself as a particularly outdoorsy person. In the past year (or two!), we have done more tv watching than I care to admit. As we were playing outside today, I was thinking of all the things my siblings and I did outside as kids. When I was really young and we were living in California, we would spend hours outside - chasing chickens around the backyard, working in the garden, digging "streams" with the hose, riding bikes on the patio...the possibilities seemed endless. When we moved to Colorado we lived for a year out here in the forest before moving into town. We had an "Indian Camp" complete with teepees made out of small fallen trees and old sheets. We also built a stage by nailing boards between two trees and throwing sheets over it for curtains. We would take our old red wagon and give each other "tours" around the five acres. When we did move to town, I would spend hours in my garden.

So, not only have I been missing the outside, I've been missing my own creativity!

When I got pregnant with Hannah and then had to recover from the c-section, it changed the way I related to the outside. Suddenly everything seemed uncomfortable and full of germs. Even the way I moved seemed to change. Does anybody else relate to this? I became an old lady! :)

Add to all of this a dumb fear I have always had of looking silly or undignified, and you have a recipe for someone who does not spend much time outside. I think one of the most profound things on TV is Bert and Ernie. They have this one episode in which Ernie is talking to an elephant on a banana. He encourages Bert to try it. It goes something like this:

B: I don't want to. I'll look silly.
E: Silly's fun, Bert!
B: I'm not really good at that kind of thing.
E: Just try it.
B: I'M JUST NOT EMOTIONALLY SECURE ENOUGH FOR THIS, ERNIE!

I can relate. When did I become so self-conscious?

But today, we just went outside and we played. I taught Hannah to catch a ball (well, I taught her to hold her hands and arms close together so I could strategically drop the ball in her arms. Ya gotta start somewhere!). I gathered up some of the millions of pine cones and threw them toward one area so we can actually mow, and the girls can walk without tripping. Hannah picked at the bark on a tree - the first time she's ever seen that. Audrey looked at pine needles. We discovered a feather on the ground. I showed Hannah how to blow a dandelion puff. We picked wildflowers. We enjoyed the clouds and sunshine.

And I gotta say, this beats being a grownup any day. I'm never going back.

Football Season is here

I have a confession to make: I have a love/hate relationship with football. Okay, so it tends more on the hate side than the love side. Every fall, I am torn.

On the one hand, I love my husband very much, and he loves football very much. Somebody remind me of the algebra illustration that I cannot remember here. If (something) and (something) then (something)=(something) :) At least it should.

Anyway, I grew up in a home where we did not watch sports. My dad enjoys them, but never really followed a team, and neither of my brothers caught the bug, whatsoever. In fact, the thought of Ryan or Nathan sitting in front of a game is humorous to me, come to think of it.

Nick, on the other hand, is from Nebraska. Nebraska is the world headquarters of college football fans. There is nothing like a Nebraska fan in the world. Seriously. When we go back there to visit, the streets are literally empty if there's a game on. Football is what men, and women for that matter, do. When Nick calls his parents, the first 20 minutes are usually a debate about what player is doing well this week, or whether someone will be well enough from their injury to play, or chat about some new exciting recruit. To be honest, I tune it out.

Thankfully, I have a husband who is incredibly understanding about this difference in our cultures. When he watches a game, he will usually chase the girls around the living room, change diapers, referee arguments, and even interact occasionally. He does not yell at people (or at the tv. :) Now that we have DVR (this is BAD - incredibly addictive!) he will even "pause" the game and deal with a crisis. Happily, I might add.

So my issue is, I am a grouch. I cannot figure out for the life of me why it frustrates me so much that he likes this. Yes, it is time out of our weekend, but it's not THAT much time. Every time he watches a game, I wrestle with my attitude the entire time. I go into martyr/feel sorry for myself mode. I hate that I am so stinkin' selfish about it.

Does anybody else deal with this? This is like the one thing Nick ever asks for himself...

Well.

We are refinancing the Jetta! Not a great interest rate, but the payment will stay the same, and I get to keep my car. :) We may still try to sell it, but are planning on saving up money to fix the door, etc. So, a good end to the story. We go to sign the paperwork tonight. That's a relief!

The garage sale was a success. We have sold some of the bigger things on Craig's List so we didn't make a ton at the actual sale, but overall we were pleased with the result.

I went and found Hannah some new clothes at Old Navy Saturday night. Their stuff is SO cheap when it's on sale. Nice. Suddenly none of her 2T stuff fit. Funny how they grow overnight like that.

Church was exciting yesterday. We went to the morning and evening services, which has become unusual for us since having little kids. Pastor Brady seems like a really good guy. His sermon Sunday morning showed some of his strengths, which match up incredibly with New Life's weaknesses. It seems that he will bring a new perspective that is sorely needed around here - both at New Life and in the city as a whole. Wednesday night we get to go to a small group leader meeting with Pastor Brady. Thursday night is a big women's meeting I will attend with my small group. Sunday is church all day again. Choir starts with a huge family picnic next week. Things have seemed so quiet all summer, but they are definitely picking up.

I have to go to the dentist this week. Ew. I inherited my Dad's terrible teeth. It makes for "fun" cleanings pretty much every time.

Somewhere in here, I HAVE to start packing. Even one box would be good!

Oh, my goodness, I love this

From a very long, very good post here:

"These belief systems invade the home and make the family unstable. As home keepers we are supposed to guard the home. These destructive philosophies of life come into the home via the media, the mail, the schools, music, literature, the new laws that are made, and even infect things like the way our food is produced, the way our houses are built, the arts and crafts of our era, and the way our government is run, if we allow it. The home is the last frontier of freedom, where the practices that make it good can be quietly enforced. The homemaker can determine to put what is good and lovely into her life and her home. She has more power to create loveliness in the era in which we live, than the world knows."

What a novel idea...we as homemakers have the power to create what we want to create in our home! This is what women miss when they become bitter and discouraged with their children and their home lives. It reminds me of Proverbs 14:1, "The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down."

I can do this. We can do this.