While I was cooking....

While I was cooking all day (see below post), Brian and Papa hung the drywall to the playroom.

Once a Month Cooking

My friend Ashley and I just did a marathon 11 hour day cooking... it feels like a marathon when 4 kids are in the house! Here is the fruit of our labor. We followed this website's menu plan. Now you know what we will be eating this month. http://onceamonthmom.com/cooking/menus/

Halloween

Thoughts

As a stay at home mom, it is tempting to think my life is only a bunch of mundane, seemingly meaningless tasks. Some of these tasks include things like: wiping bottoms, cleaning spit up, trying to make a nutritious meal no one will eat, etc. Some days I feel like I move from task to task just surviving- that I am in a constant battle to bring order to chaos. In past two weeks two warriors lost their battles with cancer. Brian and I hired a babysitter to go to one of these memorial services. We feel it is really important to reflect and celebrate those who have past on before us as well as deal with the painful reality of death. Because of these deaths, I have thought about the reality of my every day life. Yes, it is indeed true that I am in a constant battle with chaos and too often I lose that battle. But, there is a truth that is greater than my little struggle. I have two souls I interact with on a daily basis. God has given me the instruments of prayer and the guide of His Word to raise these souls. He has a plan for us and He can accomplish more than I ever could by worrying. Too often I turn to methods and worry instead of this truth. I am afraid of pain and death as well. I worry about what would happen to Hannah and Charis is something happened to us. I was reminded at the memorial service that all of our days are ordained by the Lord. He has ordained every single one of my days and I can trust in Him. Today I remember Cliff Bernard and Beth Rettig for their faith and endurance. They fought as hard as they could and although we are pained-- Death ultimately does not have the victory. We are assured in Christ who was raised from the dead.

Some other pics

Charleston

This is on an old Navy ship.

View from Ft. Sumter.

This is Bob the horse. He was our guide through Charleston.

Picnic on the way there.

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Hannah is Three!

New Pictures

So our camera broke. After 5 and a half years of loyal pictures I am searching for another one. These are the last pictures I was able to salvage off it. Notice the decrease in quality.

Excerpt from Henri J.M. Nouwen

I really like this quote. I have been trying to steal back some time for reflection and prayer. This really hit home for me!

"Once we have committed ourselves to spending time in solitude, we develop an attentiveness to God's voice in us. In the beginning, during the first days, weeks, or even months, we may have the feeling that we are simply wasting our time. Time in solitude may at first seem little more than a time in which we are bombarded by thousands of thoughts and feelings that emerge from hidden areas of our minds. One of the early Christian writers describes the first stage of solitary prayer as the experience of a man who, after years of living with open doors, suddenly decides to shut them. The visitors who used to come and enter his home start pounding on his doors, wondering why they are not allowed to enter. Only when they realize that they are not welcome do they gradually stop coming. This is the experience of anyone who decides to enter into solitude after a life without much spiritual discipline. At first, the many distractions keep presenting themselves. Later, as they receive less and less attention, they slowly withdraw."

The Playroom Project

New door in Hannah's room.

View of the door from the attic.

Getting ready to install the window. The wood is there so they don't fall out.

Framing the walls and ceiling.

Hannah already loves her new playroom.

Some pictures of sweet Charis.

Confession of a Computer Addict

Well, life had been crazy lately. I think part of the problem was information overload... mostly from the computer. I love Facebook, but my brain just can't keep up with what over 300 people are doing in their everyday life. I also was reading a bunch of money saving blogs. They give you tips on great deals for the day and how you can get items for free. It is really a great resource, but they post about 20 deals a day. There is no way I can keep track of that many deals and in fact it makes me feel like every time I buy something for full price, I have failed. One women buys all of her groceries for $40 a week-- sometimes less. I have just come to the conclusion that I cannot possibly do that. So I am taking a fast from Facebook and I think I am going to unsubscribe to my money saving blogs. I hate to do it because I really do find some good tips on there. I guess I just don't want my whole life to be about saving money. Next thing I want to try is to only check my email twice a day. Just thinking about it gives me a bad feeling. I think I really am addicted to all of this stuff. In all my spare moments, I want to run to the computer. So I this is kind of like my confession. Part of the reason I love all of these things is that it keeps me in touch and I love that. But I think I can keep in touch in a more healthy way by having set times in the day when I am on the computer. So, I will probably be back on Facebook in a week, but with more boundaries. Life has already been made simpler without it.

My next post will be pictures of our new addition to the house! Brian and Papa got the door, floor joists, and window in. They will start framing the walls today.

Life!

The house is increasingly harder to manage. Something always is out of place or needs to be done. Our flower bed is a bed of weeds that continue to grow. Toys are missing pieces and are invading our living room. Our back yard is a jungle and until Sunday the grass was up to our knees. Brian assures me he got a "look" from our neighbors. We haven't exercised in a while, but that is okay because we don't have time to eat either. I have about 10 TV programs I have recorded that I will never have time to watch. My Bible reading plan remains untouched. The air conditioning in my car is acting funny. I could list a million other things.

BUT... I have two wonderful little girls I get to spend time with everyday. I am convinced Charis is ofter trying to talk to me, and her smile lights up my life. Hannah is a bundle of energy that I can hardly keep up with, but the things she says brings joy to my heart. This morning on the way to Pre-School she was quietly singing Jesus Loves Me to herself. That brings tears to my eyes. I love Hannah in her little pigtails and I will always remember her with them. I am so proud and happy God has allowed me to raise these precious angels. I have a wonderful husband who is my partner, best friend and the love of my life (although we are in desperate need of rekindling that aspect since having a second child).

AND... I did get the kids in cute matching clothes TWICE last week.

Oh yeah, Hannah made me a Mother's Day necklace at school. I was so excited and told her I was going to wear it. She replies, "No, I am going to wear it".

Charis

Easter

Duke Gardens

Well it was tough getting out the door, but the tulips are only in season for a short time-- so we did it anyway... here are the pictures.