This Dinner is My Celebration

This Dinner is my celebration of what we have achieved today.

Lessons learned, books read, tag played,

We worked together to set the table.

paper plates, plastic cups

Dan took Ari on a run so I could finish dinner.

We stop, we sit, we laugh.

We tell highs and lows of the day.

We make Finley eat 5 more bites.

Jude tells a joke.

Ezra offers a word of wisdom.

Ari throws food.

We hear about a dental case from Dan.

No one person takes up all the time, but we hear from all.

We achieved so much. One day at a time.

I Love and Enjoy You No Matter What

As the To Do list piles up and laundry needs to be done, it's easy for me to be impatient with the process of parenting.  We've been talking about goals at the breakfast table,  areas in our character we want to grow in.

Finley-not yelling, Ezra-not complaining, Jude- not hitting, and me-not snacking so much.  We try to help each other through out the day.

It's easy to get fixated on all the things I need to teach my kids and train them in.

However, I don't want to just be focused on how to fix my kids.

I want to make sure that every day I truly enjoy them.

I think that looks different for every parent.

For me, that means taking the time to sit down and read a good book with them, go on a walk, or lay on their bed talking before bed time instead of rushing away to clean up the dishes.

It means my daily routine has to have some give in it and that I find my joy in the little people around me instead of seeking to escape to my phone.

It's a good goal.

The greater meaning in housework, diapers, and laundry

Jesus brings order into the chaos of this world, bringing His peace, rest, and meaning to this life.

He has given us the sweet gift of being a carrier of this message.  As you change a diaper, you are restoring order.  As you take dirty clothes and make them clean again, you are reminded of how He makes us clean again.

As we restore order to our homes and make peaceful places for our kids to grow, learn, and play; we model for them what Jesus does in our hearts.

God has put before us daily, menial tasks as mothers and I fully believe with a little mindset change we can find joy in the small things.  They do have eternal purpose.

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, Col. 3:23

Developmentally Appropriate Tasks

Disclaimer: This probably isn't the safest but it's how we let our boys help us put up dishes. Ha! 

                                                                                                               












This morning I debated whether I should quickly unload the dishwasher  or have the boys help me.  

I decided to have them help.  

I assigned Jude, my three year old, the job of unloading the silverware and Ezra, my five year old the job of putting all of the plastic items away.  Ezra quickly got busy while Jude just pulled out items in the drawer and proceeded to make a bigger mess.  

As I watched, I realized this was not defiance or laziness.  Jude was overwhelmed and I had given him too big of a job.  He needed me to walk him through where the forks, knives, and spoons went.  We proceeded to do the job together.  He would do one and then I would do one.  We had fun.  He thought it was a game.  

I am glad that I didn't "stick to my guns" and make him do it by himself.  I had assigned to him a task that he was not developmentally ready for and I had not thoroughly trained him in it. 

Fathers (mothers) , do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.  Ephesians 6:4.  


God doesn't leave us and say "figure it out! You are on your own!" 

 My kids are social people just like me and when we work together, work becomes enjoyable. 

 Figure out ways to work alongside your kids without doing the work for them.  This will take your relationship to a deeper level.  

Give yourself freedom to reevaluate and assess how you are parenting while you are in the middle of the actual project.  Talk and discuss what is going on with your kids.  

Let's make our kids feel useful and not frustrated when it comes to tasks!     

Cures for mind wandering while mothering

I recently listened to a Ted talk on NPR that talked about how we are never happy when our mind is wandering.  It sucks the joy out of the particular task we are doing and makes us melancholy.  You can go to Trackyourhappiness.org and an alert will be sent to your phone to ask you to rate your happiness and then it will ask you what you are doing.  After a few days it will give you a "happiness report" of when you are happiest the most!
Most people were least happiest when their mind was wondering.    

As a mom it is easy to let my mind wander when I have lost vision and focus for why I am doing the often mundane tasks I am doing.  Here are a couple of tips that have helped me "get back in the game".

1. Reading books and blogs that inspire me as a mom are tools that refocus me.  Facebook and Instagram definitely don't do this.  They definitely send confusing messages.  But I can pick up an awesome book and read a paragraph or two and I am reminded of the "why" for what I am doing.  Some of my faves are:

* The shaping of a Christian Family by Elizabeth Elliot
* The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
* Inspired to Action (blog)
* The Art of Simple (blog)

2.  Getting up before my kids get up.  When I have time to schedule out my day and write down some goals, I can stay focused.  When I spend time with Jesus, I get happy!

3.  I make clear boundaries when it comes to social media.  There is nothing like getting sucked down a black hole when you decide to check FB for a few minutes and then you totally forget what you were doing before! Ha!

I want to be in the moment with my kids.  I know as an adult there is nothing worse then when I am sharing something with another adult and I can tell that in their brain they are just somewhere else.  I would just rather not share with them! I always want my kids to want to share their lives with me!

What are some ways that you stay focused on the task at hand?

Slow Family Living

Lately, I have been intrigued with making life with my kiddos a constant, steady, but unhurried pace.  I want to not idolize business and I want to connect with their little hearts.  I picked this up at the library a few weeks ago. You know when you read a couple of pages of a new book and it just grabs your heart, like yes! I want this!  That's how this book is.  Bernadette Noll gives 75 practical ideas about how to slow down as a family.  She also helps cast the vision of why we should do this.

Here are a few of my favorites.....

1.  Slow Sports- Her three kids were on three different soccer teams and they were at different practices every night of the week causing them to not be able to eat dinner together.  They dropped out of these leagues and joined up with a few like hearted families every Wednesday night and played family soccer.  Everyone played, the kids loved it, and then they all had dinner together afterwards.  My favorite part was that she got her exercise in too, which is such a hard thing for mamas.

2.  Slow Holidays- Instead of practical tips, she has you evaluate why you practice certain traditions.  She asks....What messages did you get as a child about what the holidays should look and feel like? What messages do you get now from society and from friends and family about what the holidays should look and feel like?  What feelings do you want to pass on to your children about holidays?  It is so important to think about why we do things!  I never want to be a mom that just goes through the motions but I want to do traditions the come from the heart.

3.  The Family Lemonade Stand- She talks about the important of just being outside on your front porch/sidewalk and how it gathers community.  Dan and I have found this to be so true!  When we hang out in the front yard, our neighbors who never come out, come talk to us!  It's fun, relaxing family time that doesn't involve the stress of getting yourself together for company.

In Final thought, this is a great "read before you go to bed" book.  It's not too deep and leaves you with fresh ideas, and a renewed vision for family.

Colorado in pictures

Our New Fave for Dinner

Dan and I's new favorite for dinner is The Big Vegan Bowl. It is so yummy and filling and leaves you feeling just great after dinner. Full but not stuffed. It's the perfect summer meal!

The Big Vegan Bowl

Source: ohsheglows.com

Course: Main Course

Prep Time: 25 Min
Cook Time: 30 Min
Total Time: 55 Min

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato chopped into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas drained and rinsed (about 1.5 cups)
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 large carrot peeled & julienned
• purple cabbage or vegetable of choice, shredded
• couple handfuls greens for the base (optional)
• hummus lots of
• sliced avocado
• hulled hemp seeds.
• crackers

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Spread out the chopped sweet potato on one sheet. Drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon of oil or so and toss the potatoes until coated. Sprinkle with fine grain sea salt.
3. For the roasted chickpeas: Drain and rinse the chickpeas and then place on a large tea towel and pat until completely dry. Discard any skins that fall off. Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Rub them around with your hands until lightly coated. Generously sprinkle with fine grain sea salt and your favourite spices. I like to use garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, and salt. Toss gently to combine.
4. Place both the sweet potato and chickpeas into the preheated oven. Roast for 15 minutes at 400F and then remove both. Flip the sweet potatoes and gently roll around the chickpeas. Place back in the oven for another 15 minutes or so, watching closely during the last 5 minutes. When the chickpeas are golden and the sweet potatoes are lightly browned on the bottom and fork tender, they are ready to come out.
5. Meanwhile, cook the quinoa while the roasting is going on. In a fine mesh sieve, rinse the quinoa and then place in a medium pot. Add in 1.5 cups of water and stir. Bring the mixture to a low boil and then reduce the heat to low/medium and cover with lid. Simmer, covered, for about 14-17 minutes (you can check after 13 minutes), until all of the water is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy. Remove from heat and leave the lid on to steam for another 5-10 minutes or longer if needed. Fluff with fork.
6. Assemble the bowl: Add a couple handfuls of greens into a large shallow bowl. I had some leftover Best Kale Salad so I used that for my base. When the roasted veggies and chickpeas are done, allow the chickpeas to cool for 5 minutes and then add them on the salad followed by the sliced avocado, hummus, shredded veggies, and hemp seeds. See picture for how I plated it.
7. Serve immediately and enjoy! You can use dressing if you'd like, but I don't usually bother. If you have leftover sweet potato and roasted chickpeas, you can place them in the fridge. Reheat in the oven at 400F for about 5-10 minutes.

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Loving God more than the things of God

As I spend time with Jesus this morning, the cares of this world fade away. It’s a paradigm shift. Instead of bringing to Jesus all the things I am anxious about for this upcoming week... I instead enjoy Jesus. I delight in Him and He gives me the desires of my heart- peace. 

It really is what I long for. Peace and joy. I want peace with who I am and what I am doing. I want peace in my relationships. I want to be happy- have joy. All of those are found in the person of Jesus.

The big things I was anxious about just seem to fade away. They just aren’t that big of a deal in light of eternity and how I am seated in the heavenly places with Jesus. How He has redeemed my soul and that I am forgiven of all sins. That I am His daughter. Yippee! That He desire to partner with me in His harvest and lead me as my shepherd. 

He cares about what I love and my gifts and strengths and He wants to use them to bring glory to His name. My job is to make His name famous and it is not a dutiful job but one of delight when I am close to Him.

He does not call me to strive but to rest. Out of that place of rest, He speaks. 

Embracing Inconvenience

Jude has a hard time falling asleep. This has been ever since we took his paci away. Those were the days when he used to fall right asleep with his paci! It has been a hard road. I have been pretty frustrated at times and there have been many spankings. We will have a string of good days where he goes to sleep by himself without a fight and then we have bad days. It is a constant pendulum swing. 

Sometimes he gets so overtired that the only way we can get him to sleep is to lay down with him. It is amazing how quickly he goes to sleep because he knows we are right beside him. It’s like it brings him instant peace.

 Today was one of those days and as I lay beside him watching his little eyelids flutter back and forth as he drifted off, I prayed for him. I prayed that he would grow up confident and grounded in who he is and how God made him. I prayed that the sweet spirit that is so precious inside our rough and tumble Jude would be preserved and not tainted. I also prayed that God would give me direction on what to do about preschool next year, what would be best for his personality and what would help him flourish the most and feel safe and secure.

As I slipped out of his room after he fell asleep, I felt thankful. Even though I would have rather had the 15 minutes to fold laundry and start dinner prep, I know that these moments are so special. I know that it is easy for me to forget to pray for my kids. So I am thankful for the inconvenient moments like this that get me back to the most important.

My new found love for Audio

 Here's to continual learning, being inspired,encouraged, and staying in touch with what is going on in the world around me while being faithful to what God has called me to as a mom.  Audio is a lifesaver for this!

When the kids are napping and I am folding laundry or when Dan is giving the kids a bath after dinner and I am cleaning the kitchen, I pop in my headphones, grab my iPhone and listen.   It actually makes me work faster and stay focused on a menial task when I am listening to something interesting.

Here are my faves:

Podcast App:
Mom Bloggers- Inspired to Action podcast, art of simple podcast, Read Aloud Revival
Sermons by John Piper, Jimmy Seibert, Bill Johnson

NPR App:
Diane Rhem- International News Round up, Domestic News Round up- I've found this to be the best way to get a big picture of what is going on without any sensational junk!
Ted Talk Hour
Snap Judgment

Audible & Itunes
These are both great resources to purchase audio books.  Many of the kid's books on Audible have the illustrations to along with the reading which my boys love.  

Overdrive:
This is the free App from the public library.  It has ebooks as well as audiobooks.  While it is not as user friendly as Audible, it is free!!

Here's to happy listening!

Cinnamon Baked Donuts

We had our first Christmas this past Saturday with my side of the family and my sister got me this amazing doughnut pan!  It was such a hit.  It is super easy and they are baked not fried!  The recipe is below the pictures.  Enjoy!

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts

Source: www.foodnetwork.com

Course: Breakfast

Prep Time: 15 Min
Cook Time: 15 Min
Total Time: 35 Min

Serves: 1

Ingredients

• Baking spray with flour such as Baker's Joy
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• View All Ingredient....
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 extra-large egg lightly beaten
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 doughnut pans well.
2. Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined.
3. Spoon the batter into the baking pans, filling each one a little more than three-quarters full. Bake for 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then tap the doughnuts out onto a sheet pan.
4. For the topping, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter in an 8-inch saute pan. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Dip each doughnut first in the butter and then in the cinnamon sugar, either on one side or both sides.

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December in Pictures

Ezra's turn this year, Jude's turn next year! 

I told Ezra about how when I was little we would all sit on the roof and eat pumpkin pie after we put up Christmas lights.  He was so excited to get on the roof and Dan let him! Eeks! 

Yes, Dan was on that ladder.  He definitely anchored himself to the chimney with a climbing rope to put our lights up.  Go Dan! 

We broke some ornaments this year but we sure had fun decorating the tree! 

I love that smile! 

Jude the Elf

Decorating cookies with Jude is an exciting adventure. :) 

Dan got the boys little snow shovels and they went to town on the front yard! 

Snow Ice cream! 

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Jesse Tree Ornament Exchange

My friend Courtney, who blogs here, introduced me to the idea of a Jesse Tree Ornament exchange.  The Jesse Tree is a special tree you put up on December 1st that serves as an advent to count down the days to Christmas.  Each day there is a special ornament that is accompanied with a bible story that point to the ultimate gift, Jesus!

Making 25 unique ornaments can be tedious and a big task to accomplish alone.  With the ornament exchange each person makes 25 of the same ornament and exchange to make a complete set!  It's also great accountability to actually get it done!

We had a blast at our ornament exchange and I loved all of the creative ideas that everyone came up with in making their ornaments! Most of all, I am excited about the creative way to share Jesus with my kiddos every day of December!

Click here to check out Ann Voskamp's blog for a complete "how to" and templates to start on your Jesse Tree.

Structured Time in a Toddler's Day

Blanket time- O how I love you!

Blanket time has become my saving grace when I need to be downstairs getting dinner ready or need to make a phone call.

I have loved doing "room time"  where Ez and Jude each play with certain toys in separate rooms until the timer goes off but I needed something downstairs as well.

I had read about and heard several people mention "blanket time".  I can't believe I waited so long to try it!  It's amazing! It's so simple, but SO GENUIS!

So...drumroll..... blanket time is where you put a blanket out and a few toys and your child must stay on the blanket until the determined time is over.  Like I said, very simple!

Ezra and Jude think it is a blast.  I play fun music and pull out some toys that stay in our closet.  These are usually toys with lots of parts that I don't want to keep on a shelf where they can be taken down on their own.  Ezra plays on the rug while Jude plays on a blanket in the next room.  They do this for 20 minutes and then switch spots.  That's 40 minutes to get dinner ready!  It's a welcome peaceful time after a usually action packed day.

Here are a few more structured ideas for a toddler's day: 

*room time- same ideas as blanket time but (ahem) in a room

*sibling time- this one is fun to do after they have done something individually.  I pick the place and activity and they do something together.  I love hearing Jude ask me when we get to do "sibling time".  Usually sibling time is just playing with Finley on the carpet and trying to make her smile.

*Centers- This idea comes from trying to teach art to kindergarteners.  I set up a "reading center" "art center" and "helping mommy center".  I keep it super simple.  A few books on the kitchen table, play dough on the dining room table, and one kiddo helps me unload the dishwasher.  Then we rotate when the timer goes off.  The iPhone timer is my saving grace!

I by nature am not a super structured person but I have found that a little structure interwoven throughout the day along with lots of free play makes for a much more peaceful fun day!  Giving toddlers direction to their day cuts out many discipline issues, whining, and arguing.

I know there are probably so many other fun ideas out there too!  Please share!

Every life begins with a story: Finley's Birth

Finley

The night before I went to our neighborhood ladies night, my first to attend. I was feeling exhausted but I really wanted to meet my neighbors so I got out of my yoga pants, dressed up, and went! It was standing room only and I stood for about two hours. I think this helped me go into labor! 

That night I woke up about 3 am and felt like I was having contractions. I woke Dan up and told him I thought I was in labor. I lay in bed for awhile until I realized, this is it! We got up, got ready, and called Jordan who lives in the neighborhood to come watch the boys. We left for the hospital about 4 am. When I got there I was only dilated to a 4. They told me to go walk around for an hour and come back. 

I was so hungry so we cheated and drove to IHOP where Dan got me eggs and toast. I ate some of it but felt like I was really progressing. We got back to the hospital at 5 am and I was dilated to a 6. They admitted me and as we were walking from Triage to the birthing suite I threw up my IHOP. Oops! Shouldn't have eaten! 

We were in the birthing suite by 6:30 am. I felt like the contractions were really progressing but I was able to stay relaxed. I was probably there for about 30 minutes when I felt like I needed to push. I thought, “no way, it can't be!” because usually I had lost it or felt like a crazy woman before the pushing feeling came. My midwife, Dawn, came in and said go for it and I started pushing! 

I had delivered Ezra and Jude on hands and knees but wasn't able to get to that position in time so I delivered on my side which was actually much better because I could see Finley! It was a wonderful experience, my best birth. I was a much more relaxed mom. I was able to sleep more in the hospital. Ezra and Jude went back to Tulsa for a week which gave me such sweet time with Finley. I watched the “call the midwife” series which just made me giddy with joy to have a newborn. We are so thankful for Finley!

Every life begins with a story: Jude's Birth

Jude 

My due date was March 13th.  I was supposed to get induced on Friday morning March 25th if I didn't go into labor.  I was so bummed about this because everyone I knew who had gotten induced said that the pain of pitocin contractions were much harder and stronger than spontaneous labor and I really wanted to give birth naturally.

Dan and I decided to talk to our midwife about getting induced Monday morning instead.  Sunday would have been two weeks late.  On Thursday at our appointment we talked to her about it and she was okay with it.  I was dilated to a 3 and 80% effaced.  They did a non stress test to monitor the baby's heart rate.  It came back that  Jude's heart rate was decreasing right after I would have a contraction.  My contractions were not painful and were really far apart and infrequent.  I was told that I had to go to the hospital right away to get induced.  I didn't feel like it was explained well to me and I was pretty upset, crying upset, and that is a big deal for me!  Dan really encouraged me and we talked about all the things we were thankful for and how God is so good and this could still be a great birth.  And then we prayed that I would go into labor on my own.  Also at the last minute Dan had decided to come to the appointment which if I had been alone would have been really hard.  I felt like God gave me the phrase "strengthen yourself in the Lord" and that was so good to spend some time praying and getting myself back together emotionally.  God was so faithful to encourage me!

By the time I got to the hospital I was feeling more encouraged.  I was able to skip triage and go straight to a birthing suite which was awesome.  By 7 pm, I was still only a 5 with contractions about 4-5 minutes apart.  

My midwife suggested that if it got late to take a benadryl and try to rest through the night because it could be a long labor.  She also offered breaking water or pitocin.  Hard decision because I was not excited for another long labor! No sooner had she left the room that my water broke on it's own!! Praise God big time! Labor sped up after this.  I was able to really get into the relaxation zone and found a great side position to lay in.  God was giving me some awesome pictures and Dan was running me through some great mental imagery stuff we had learned in Bradley Class.  The contractions were getting harder and stronger but slowly so they weren't making me panic or tense up.  

At 9 pm, my midwife decided to check the position of Jude because I was having bad back labor.  He was sunny side up, head down, and needed to be facing back out to come out.  She tried to turn him manually and in the middle of that I had a really bad contraction.  I lost it at that point and definitely bit two of Dan's fingers.  I lost my focus for about six contractions after that and was saying crazy things.  You can ask Dan for details :)   This was transition and definitely the worst part of labor.  

Thankfully, soon after that I felt the urge to push.  She checked and I was only dilated to a 7 but she said I could try pushing.  I had pushed on my hands and knees with Ezra and had researched some other positions because I didn't like not being able to see him come out.  However, I guess that is my "go to" position because I just got back into on the bed this time, ( not in the bath tub :) much more comfy on the knees.  It felt so great to push and was much easier than with Ezra.  Pushing took about 30 minutes and then came Jude!  10:57 pm 8 lb 10 0z

We came to the hospital with three names.  Originally we had decided on Dax, but I just wasn't sure so we had Dax, Jude, and Caleb and decided to wait until after the birth.  We both felt like we had so much to praise God for.  He gave me the desires of my heart totally!  Jude means praise, so we both instantly agreed on it.