mommy in the mist

our little family

2011-07-29T00:38:00.001-04:00

I have always intended this blog to be for my own personal use as well as to share our life with our family that is spread across this country. This one's for the family, sorry if it's boring to any (most welcome) onlookers! If it seems like mommy-brag, it's not; we're a mess! But a very thankful, happy mess.

Jack:
He's talking so much more now, I was a little concerned for awhile. It's like it finally clicked and he just started repeating everything anyone said. His grammar is horrid and he loves to speak in this really low voice, which makes for a very amusing combination; you can imagine.

He's strong-willed and says "no" to everything but doesn't usually mean it. If you tell him to do something, instead of asking him if he wants to, he will usually obey without much of a problem. Usually. Sometimes he needs a little convincing.

He loves to swim but has no idea how, and he loves to go under water. We had a close call at a neighbor's pool a few months ago. I was watering some plants and letting him put his feet in on the side. I turned around and he jumped in. I looked over and he was in the middle of the pool under water. He was only under briefly, but it was still scary. I jumped in with my clothes on and pulled him out. He coughed a minute and then smiled and said "Me went under." Like he was proud?! And it didn't scare him in the least. I guess they both need swimming lessons. Sigh.

He's totally potty trained. After a complete poop disaster on my birthday at June's house (almost included picture but had second thoughts) and a few other set backs, and there's the time when I gave up completely. But just like the talking, something just clicked. Now he goes on his own, whenever he needs to. Yeah! He's still in a pull-up at night. If anyone knows any reusable, waterproof training pants that aren't those loud plastic ones, I'd love an alternative!

He's got a big appetite and occasionally breaks out in song or dance if he really likes something. I have a video of a recent muffin song and dance that I'll try to post sometime. I have no idea how big he is or how much he weighs, but he is about the same size as Acacia.

He loves to play the drums or the guitar, or the air drums or air guitar. When we have our Friday night youth group he hangs out on the stage singing into the mic and playing the air guitar or sitting at the djembe. I wonder if anything will become of it... whether I should encourage it or just let it go and see what happens.

Acacia:
Acacia Joy. Her name means guileless. Guileless and joyful.. a beautiful combination and it totally fits her. She places a very high importance on telling the truth and usually sees things as either black or white. Her mom, um hum, has been known to be somewhat prone to hyperbole. In situations with something that is unknown, she chooses to believe something positive. She thinks Spiderman spins webs for disabled spiders and florist delivery trucks bring flowers to people who are unable to grow their own.

She spends a tremendous amount of time writing cards and lists of all sorts, her grocery lists are my favorite, and sometimes I do actually use them. She especially likes writing long, difficult words and sentences. I haven't taught her how to read or write yet, so it's all phonetically spelled and her sentences rarely go only from left to right. She also likes to draw and has very recently been drawing detailed pictures of specific things like her sitting in my bed reading a book. I love watching her inner artist emerge.

She's been really into sign language lately, I've always loved sign language and I think it's so cool that she's enjoying it. She loves to teach Braj signs she knows when he comes home from work. She's also devouring the Little House on the Prairie chapter books and thinks if we have a baby girl, we should name her Laura... or perhaps Whipped cream. If it's a boy she wants to name him Yikes. Scary, huh?

She loves to build and she asks Braj everyday what he built at work that day. She'll listen while he explains all about digging footers and all sorts of other engineering things. Then later I'll catch her explaining it to Jackson over some legos. They get along so well and it delights me to watch them play together.

She's still having the vomiting spells every other month; in fact, we had one today. It always starts first thing in the morning and she vomits every 30 minutes until I give her Ondastron orally or take her to the ER. I know it's not viral because of the consistency and Jackson never gets it, but that's what the pediatrician always said. So I took her in to see him today while she was still puny. He called her "frail and gaunt" not the two words anyone wants to hear their daughter described as; he seemed genuinely concerned and wants to do some testing to find out what is causing this. He seems to think it is something called Cyclic Vomiting or Abdominal Migraines. I think that is a likely possibility but I'd really like to figure out what the trigger is. There is no cure or solution to cyclic vomiting and our pediatrician says there are no triggers, but I think there must be. She's a little on the small side to begin with, only 30 pounds at age 4.5. I'd like to see her put on some weight and maybe get a little bit stronger. She's very active and eats well; I just think that if maybe she had a little extra meat on her bones the vomiting spells wouldn't make her quite so "frail and gaunt". I don't know.

Well, all this and it's only a small fraction of what's actually going on, but at least it's a snippet.

Sidenote: I have more pictures from our North Carolina beach trip that I will post next. Sorry it's taken me so long.

june in texas

2011-07-19T16:35:00.000-04:00

Hey, look! I'm almost current! Almost!

The kid's and I took a short trip to Texas in June to see my parents and to attend the Fredricksburg wedding of a good friend. Here's a few favorites:

Acacia's new favorite. Douglas the armadillo. Not road kill.

Are these not beautiful? Total boot envy. Too bad they were like $800 or something!

I thought all the crazy people dancing on the side of the highway

lived in Miami and worked for the Gold Buyers??

Fantastic. Just perfect. Lawnmower turned mailbox.

Shoepf's BBQ.

This incredible pit somewhere a few hours from Waco, I think.

You bet I brought my camera, this place was a gold mine!

Just throw the meat on my tray, please. No plate necessary.

Sign of Texas: A cooler full of Shiner Bock

Best brisket sandwich ever.

And if my family wouldn't have stopped me, I would have finished off that cup of barbeque sauce.

In case you forget where you are, there's a sign above the register.

For my brother's birthday we all went to see Stomp. The kid's LOVED it!

Just part of the family. Mom and Dad, both brothers, and my kids.

Such a special time together!! Thanks Mom and Dad!!

sanity restored!

2011-07-07T16:42:00.000-04:00

I couldn't have picked a better blog post to go out on then "on staying sane". Little did I know I'd be diving into my first trimester right after that post.

I've replaced my computer time with nap time for the last three months and it has been so good. This pregnancy has been awesome and strange. I've been nauseous but with very specific cravings. I went from Chick-fil-a ploynesian sauce... to mini bagels with cream cheese and imitation bacon bits... to just the bacon bits, please... to sucking on limes... to mass quantities of salsa... and it continues. I still throw up some, but it's usually just when I bend over, drink water on an empty stomach, or clear my throat. Seriously. Strange, right? Weirdest part... I have not been able to stomach dark chocolate. And that has been a serious problem. Until today. Which may be why I decided to jump back into the blog-o-sphere; ahhhhh, chocolate high!

Well, enough pregnancy ramblings. Although I should mention that baby #3 (let's call him/her "tres") is due Christmas Eve and we have decided to wait to find out the gender and let God surprise us on that special day. We may or may not name the baby Jesús de Maria Emmanuel Mills. ;)

I am celebrating a year with my camera! I got my gently-loved Canon 20D for my birthday last year and I have had so much fun with it. I've even been second shooting/assisting with my good friend and awesome photographer, Heather Funk, on some weddings. That has been an awesome experience and I have learned a ton from her. I'm processing my wedding photos so I can put them on a website. I'll keep you posted.

On that note, here is a few pictures of life the last three months.

Acacia making herself and Jackson a goldfish sandwich for lunch on a day that I was feeling super sick:

Dressed up and on our way to a wedding:

A very good daily reminder:

Building class at Home Depot. The first Saturday of each month. The kid's have loved it! Best to bring your own hammer and wood glue as there are never enough to go around.

Another Home Depot class creation. I let Jackson plant some Rye grain and it did wonderful. Acacia planted some beautiful velvet flower seeds that didn't quite make it.

How we've been spending alot of our time lately. The playhouse remains unfinished, but the kids don't seem to mind and I certainly don't either.

on staying sane

2011-04-12T15:17:00.000-04:00

I had my favorite 14 year old come over this morning so I could escape to my go-to smoothie place and have an hour, uninterrupted, to review Titus 2 (see re-post from yesterday). She is such a blessing.

After sipping my smoothie, I came away with this main thought:

"Thank you, God, that you value my sanity."

I think God put that in Titus 2 because He knew we, as moms of littles, are prone to run ourselves into the ground.

Call it the martyr complex, or some twisted religious idea, but sometimes I think that I am supposed to be totally exhausted and overwhelmed- and so I am. Just. so. intense. all. the. time. My dad told me once, "Make sure you pace yourself, honey. Motherhood is not a sprint." There are no emergencies. Take a deep breath, Shannon.

How do I do that? How do I stay sane? With a traveling husband, and two small children, and potty training disasters, and a house that is never as clean or organized as I want it to be, and a nosy neighbor, and never ending dishes in the sink???? How?

I don't know the answer; I'm asking the question.

I'm hoping that by prioritizing prayer time, regular exercise, occasional planning dates with Braj, and embracing proper perspective/ gratitude... I may begin to claim some amount of sanity. But I'm welcome to suggestions.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

To assist my sanity, the last couple of days I've decided to grab my camera when I normally might have started screaming. This is what I see. Daily.

1. Jackson is always sticking his dirty hands in my buckets of grain. I finally took a container of rye (which I never use) and let him take it outside. It didn't make it all the way outside. And now we have rye growing all over our back yard.

2. Making pizza last night. LOTS of help. Jackson threw the flour all over the floor and then started zooming his cars in it. Acacia joined in and brought the legos in a grocery bag. Jackson emptied the bag. Result: flour, legos, cars, mini pizzas, 2 small children, one mom all in the smallest room in the house. Fresh flour and the smell of homemade pizza covering us all. And flour footprints showing where children trying to sneak off without helping to clean up went.

3. Braj travels for work which is hard. But it makes the nights he is home so much sweeter.

4. I love this shot. In our favorite bedtime book, the Big Picture Story Bible, there's a part where the "gospel is spreading throughout the land". So, this is Jackson "spreading the gospel". Then they like to stand up and "spread the gospel" all over their map.

a dwelling curator

2011-04-11T16:04:00.004-04:00

*This is a repost from April 2009. I'm back in Titus today, trying to remember the goal and the priorities... so I thought I'd give everyone the opportunity. ;o)

a dwelling curator

I woke up before the kids this morning and God greeted me with the most beautiful sunrise and refreshing ocean breeze. I sat on our front patio and sipped some decaf hazelnut latte and dove into Titus 2. I've been craving some wisdom/ direction as a stay-at-home mom of two little ones and I knew Titus would lend a hand. This is what I gleaned (in the order given from verses 3-5):

Verse 3 says, "teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live." The Greek word used here is hieroprepes. It is the only use in the entire Bible. This is the definition:

Appropriate for sacred persons, venerable, fitting for one involved in hallowed work. To conduct oneself in a manner appropriate for one who lives in the realm of the Divine, walking in the presence of God.

Does that blow your mind or what?! Being a mom is a sacred service to God.

We (young, stay-at-home moms) sometimes have to be reminded/ encouraged to:

1. Be sane. Sleep deprived and up to your ears in diapers with spit up all over your shirt can cause irrational behavior. God knew that.
2. Love our husbands and children. Not always as easy as one would think ;o)
3. Voluntarily place limits on our own freedom. Gulp. This has nothing to do with Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate, by the way. Ice cream helps me achieve goal #1.
4. Be pure (modest). This doesn't mean we have to dress frumpy. See #2.
5. My favorite. Be a dwelling curator. My Bible actually says "be busy at home" but I looked it up in Greek and a dwelling curator is a closer translation... with a Shannon spin.
6. Be kindhearted.
7. Adapt to our husbands. This is a very good way to act out #2.

photo contest to win a stroller

2011-04-05T14:58:00.000-04:00

If you have a minute, please vote for Acacia and Jackson's photo in a contest from BabyGizmo.com. They are awarding one 2011 BOB revolution stroller, a super tough, off-roading, jogging type stroller.

The contest was to take a picture that would "win BOB's (the stroller's) heart." I think my kid's capture everyone's heart, but I'm a little biased. ;o)

Vote here, contest ends Saturday. Thanks!

consider the lilies...

2011-04-05T14:31:00.000-04:00

Look at the lilies and how they grow.

They don't work or make their clothing,

yet Solomon in all his glory

was not dressed as beautifully as they are.

And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow,

He will certainly care for you.

Why do you have so little faith?

Luke 12:27-29 NLT

In our barren rental-house yard two beautiful lily stalks appeared in the most unlikely, unnoticeable part of the side yard; next to peeling peach colored paint and some stray wires that look like they used to be attached to something. Obviously, it got me thinking.

Beautiful yet totally unaware of it's surroundings. It didn't refuse to bloom because of it's hideous location. It didn't demand to be replanted in a neighbors yard. It just bloomed. I think it bloomed just to remind me that if God cares enough to make flowers, He will certainly care for me.

“What is your name, little flower, for I never saw one like you before."

The tiny plant answered at once in a tone as golden as itself,
“Behold me! My name is Acceptance-with-Joy.”

“He has brought me here... I, too, will look up into His face and say,
‘Behold me! I am thy little handmaiden Acceptance-with-Joy.’”
--Hannah Hurnard, Hind's Feet in High Places

::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: ::: :::

My discovery of the lilies got me looking around for other signs of fruitfulness and beauty. I found mangoes and loquats that hang into our yard from the neighbors. The loquats are delicious and we are all eagerly awaiting the mangoes to be ready, looks like its gonna be a bumper crop!

I wanted to introduce the newest member of the Mills crew, but unfortunately Miss Nessly is no longer with us. She went back into the ocean via the commode. But for about a week, we did have a pet. And it was fun. We may try that again sometime.

Dinner + Silent Auction this Saturday night!

2011-03-30T18:51:00.002-04:00

wedding photography slideshow

2011-03-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

As I have previously mentioned, it has been so much fun working as an assistant and as a 2nd shooter with my good friend, Heather Funk. I put together a little slideshow with some of my pictures from the last few weddings.

Weddings are awesome. It's hard not to think of the Bible's references to the church as the hopeful, prepared bride and Jesus as our eager groom. Soon and very soon!

maternity + newborn photo shoot

2011-03-10T21:51:00.000-05:00

I had the privilege of taking some maternity photos of my friend, Stefanie, recently. Two weeks later, I had the privilege of taking pictures of her precious daughter, Lauren. Still trying to get the hang of a maternity shoot, any input or feedback or tips are appreciated.

I didn't plan as well as I should have for the Baby pictures, so I ended up doing a bunch of close ups of the baby's face. I'll be better prepared next time. But it sure was fun!

And sweet Lauren:

I love my bohemian surfer girl

2011-03-10T16:15:00.000-05:00

pictures only

2011-03-04T15:46:00.000-05:00

I can't bring myself to blog about Jackson's potty training exploits, or how I've rearranged our home office/ multi purpose learning space, or how much chocolate I've eaten recently, or how Acacia is teaching Jackson how to talk (makes for some very funny dialogue!), or how much fun I've had shooting weddings with Heather the last two Saturdays.

Nope; no time for a big blog post right now... but I can upload a few pictures of us at the horse park just up the street. Acacia is not wearing lipstick, that's from her busted lip the night before. Right after it happened, on our way to get ice from the gas station, she said to Jackson, "Bubba, what are you thankful for today?" Broke my heart, sweet thing.

there's two kinds of people in this world...

2011-02-22T23:19:00.000-05:00

those who like to swing high, and those who don't.

special project: playhouse

2011-02-15T17:36:00.000-05:00

When I'm under stress or if I feel overwhelmed, I create. It releases tension for me. Especially if I'm building things that require manual labor.

I have several projects going right now.. :)

project #1: kids' playhouse

Our natural playscape isn't coming along the way I'd envisioned it. I'm not following very many of my 10 Ideas for a DIY Playscape. We don't plan on being in this house very long and it doesn't make sense to tear up the weedy grass to plant my dream garden or build a small hill, or install a rock monolith. So, like everyone else, we make do with what we have; and improve as we are able.

But we can build a playhouse and take it with us when we leave!

inspiration website:
a place imagined

inspiration photos:

photo 1: Braj and I spent a summer building these houses for Amor Ministries in Juarez, Mexico. We've always wanted our very own.

photo 2: Love the way it's situated and the Japanese style. LOVE the bamboo. Can be used for a very long time, not just a preschool playhouse.

photo 3: Love the climbing wall idea and that it is a little quirky but still easy to build.

Construction, phase 1:

to be continued...

recipe: chicken & dumplings

2011-02-09T21:13:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted a recipe in over a year. It's not because I haven't made any food. It's because I haven't made anything good. Yes... all year. This one deserves a post. It's basically Rachel Ray's Chicken & Dumplings Recipe, with a few slight modifications (no celery, no peas, scratch dumplings).

Acacia's just finished another fight with the stomach bug (those who know her remember that her little tummy is her weak point. She's had numerous ER trips because she cannot stop vomiting once she starts. It turns to thick black tar bile very quickly.) She managed to fight this bug without an ER trip. Makes her mama proud. Chicken & Dumplings was her first full meal and she gobbled it up.

Make it. Seriously, you'll love it. Both of my finicky eaters (yup, I never thought I'd say that) ate a bowlful.

Chicken & Dumplings
1.5 pounds chicken breast
1 T olive oil
2 T butter
1 potato, peeled and diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp poultry seasoning (didn't have, used thyme)
2 T flour
1 qt. chicken broth

Dumplings:
2 cups fresh ground whole grain flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp garlic salt
dried italian seasoning ( about 1 tsp or so)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup milk

Mix dry ingredients. Make a well. Pour in oil and milk. Mix together.

Dice breasts into bite sized pieces and set aside.

Place a large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, and vegetables and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes. Stir broth into the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.

Reduce heat to medium/ medium low while mixing the biscuit ingredients. Rachel says to use boxed Jiffy mix- add 1/c cup warm water and a handful of chopped parsley. I use my ol' standard Bread Beckers Easy Drop Biscuit Recipe listed above.

Drop tablespoonfuls of biscuit mix into the pot, spacing dumplings evenly. Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings 10 minutes. Remove cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit.

Note: After steaming the dumplings, I turned the stove off, kept the lid on, and took a 15-20 minute walk with the kids. It was perfect and thick when we got back.

2nd Note: The biscuits are awesome as a side, too. I add some shredded cheese (about a cup) and bake for 10 minutes at 425. Great with other soups or chili. We have them when we have chicken arugula salad, too.

construction/art double birthday party

2011-02-05T16:12:00.000-05:00

Because Braj and I both love to build things and work with our hands, the kid's are pretty into building, too. Acacia is really quite an introvert and announced that she wanted a cake, but didn't want any friends over. I want to give her plenty of room for being an introvert (although it is TOTALLY foreign to me), but I didn't want to eat the entire cake by myself... so we compromised. We can make a cake together, but we have to invite friends over to share it. Deal.

And that's how the birthday celebration began. And because I'm not into adding stress to my life, we decided to to a very cheap and super laid back semi-construction theme, dual birthday celebration.

For the evite, I found a design I liked on pingg, created by artist Shelby Healy, who also has an etsy shop.

I dressed both kids in thrift store overalls, $3 for both. The cake was red velvet cake mix with white icing, and a rainbow sprinkle trail. The Jeep is stuck in the middle and the digger is scooping up the sprinkles.

In lieu of traditional party favors, each child got a home depot nail pouch with their name on it. Each pouch contained a roll of masking tape, a mini tape measure, a paint brush, and a couple lollipops. Total cost per pouch was about $3. And presto, they had all the tools they needed to make their own fun.

Their job was to work on the shell of the kid's playhouse. We had spray bottles with paint (which turned out to NOT be washable... oops!) around for them to use. They were very busy spraying, painting, measuring, and taping whatever they could. More about the playhouse coming up in the next post.

christmas- part 4 of 4

2011-01-30T22:05:00.000-05:00

Almost there! Last Christmas post!

Moving on to birthdays, playhouses, 1st horseback rides, and other fun stuff... but first.... fun with my parents on those quiet days between Christmas and New Years.

There was some snuggling, some reading, some ashes ashes we all fall down, and very very very few pictures taken. But beautiful memories were made nonetheless.

christmas- part 3 of 4

2011-01-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

Hey, I think I'm making some progress here. Almost finished with Christmas updates. Whew!

Christmas Eve service at Calvary Chapel Miami Beach. The kid's choir sang "Go Tell It On The Mountain!"

Rick told the congregation that the words of this song are the words of those first shepherds that heard the great news. Acacia took her role as shepherdess very seriously and you can see her using her shepherd's staff to pull in the lost and straying sheep. A little different from last years performance! I think I may have a performer on my hands after all!

christmas- part 2 of 4

2011-01-24T15:31:00.003-05:00

Christmas part 2 of 3 is from our day away. Braj and I headed up to Boone for some much needed alone time to rest, enjoy each other, talk, listen, process and catch up.

We stayed in the Treehouse Suite (yes, my husband knows me very well!) at the Inn At Ragged Gardens in Blowing Rock. It was dreamy.

Yep, this a gingerbread exact replica of the Inn and the grounds. Someone had fun making this.

Some of the best "oh yeah!" and "a-ha!" moments up there. Remembering. Listening.

God's reminder to be faithful in the little things; little things like laundry, wiping snotty noses, feeding a family. Realizing that my daily life is part of the journey, and part of the joy. Not a distraction or hindrance to God's plan.

Remembering where we came from.

This is the building where Braj and I first raised our hands in worship. Where our souls sang with rest of the college hippy congregation and a few migrant workers, "I found Jesus!" Where we decided that our lives could have purpose, direction, meaning, and joy if we'd stop living for ourselves and start living for the One who made us.

christmas in pictures- part 1 of 4

2011-01-20T15:15:00.002-05:00

I'm trying to crank out a few posts to catch up. I can't figure out how to upload my edited photos from lightroom; so rather than waiting until the pictures are just right, I'll just stick the iphoto versions up there. I know there is a plug-in but...but...but... all that takes TIME!

We had an awesome pre-christmas celebration with Brandon's family. The red velvet birthday cake for Jesus was definitely a highlight.

the rest of the thanksgiving pictures, miami style

2011-01-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Almost every year that we've celebrated Thanksgiving in Miami we've had a big 4th of July type celebration. Grilling out, beach side or pool side, lots of friends around, maybe some salsa music. This year we had awesome Thanksgiving food instead of the grill, but there were still lots of friends and a great water balloon war.

acacia with her "wampanoag braids", they're not indians, ya'll.

acacia and her new friend, grace, coloring pictures of wampoanag people. not indians, ya'll.

classic.

And the following are from Jackson's hugging extravaganza.

I don't know who liked it more, Jackson or the teenage girls. :)

insufficient but grace abounds!

2011-01-07T16:19:00.004-05:00

My dad refers to getting cash out of an ATM as playing the lottery. He jokes that he endured several unlucky years before finally winning. Now he wins regularly. I've had my share of losses at the ATM, too. NSF. Insufficient Funds. Oh, that's the worst.

There are times when I feel like I have NSF stamped on my forehead. Actually, I guess it would be NSMS... Insufficient Mommy Skills. I find myself totally lacking in many areas of motherhood that seem to come so easily to other moms I know. I realize that comparing myself to other moms is no good at all. People have different strengths, different areas of weakness, yada yada yada. I try to tell myself these things. But I wouldn't describe my weaknesses as "areas that need improvement", or "places where I fall just barely short of the goal". No, I'm talking about complete wipeout-mud in the teeth-dragging along the ground-brutal KO-you shouldn't be here, honey, just go home- that kind of insufficient. It's not my children that make me feel insufficient, my kids are awesome. It's the rest of the job. The having it all together part. Guess what... I don't. I might never have it all together. I'll probably always feel insufficient. Not because I have self confidence issues. Because I actually am insufficient.

** the section above was written over 2 months ago. I'm ready to finish it now, and move on!**

I've been drowning in the guilt my insufficiency, my weak areas. Dragging myself down with the weight my inability. God has been faithful to attempt to encourage me. Verses like "My grace is sufficient for you, My power is made perfect in weakness" and "Jesus did not come into the world to condemn the world but to save the world" have been comforting me but I was not really listening or letting His words soak in. I was still overwhelmed by my insufficiency.

Until last Sunday. We stayed for the second service at church because we teach the teenagers during the first service. The role of a pastor-teacher-prophet is a very wise part of God's design. Somewhere in the middle of Robert's sermon, he brought up Moses. Moses, a shepherd, listening to the voice of God in a burning bush. God, giving clear, detailed, specific instructions to someone who couldn't hear or believe because he was so focused on his inability. Moses threw back several what-ifs... as if God hadn't thought through His plan all the way. God patiently answered Moses and encouraged him, at first. Finally, God says, "Okay, Moses, you've heard the plan, now go!" Moses (unable to comprehend anything but his own insufficiency) said, "O Lord, please send someone else." Then the clincher, exodus 4:14- "Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses." Yeah, that sort of caught my attention. I think the way Robert put it was something like, "Moses, SHUT UP!"

I had been telling God (and myself, and Braj) for two months how much of a mess I am and unequipped to be a good mommy I am, how hard the daily grind can be and how unfair it is, and me me me me me me.

I'm so glad God finally broke through my naval gazing (Elisabet says that, Robert's wife... anyone else ever heard that expression?) and said (lovingly), "SHANNON, SHUT UP! I AM WITH YOU, NOW LET'S GO, WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO!"

Tremendous relief. Amazing grace.

Well, now that that's off my chest, I am free to blog more and post some pics. I've got some good ones coming up.

my ungratefulness meets a first s'more

2010-11-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

I went into last week with ungratefulness. I didn't realize it until I was trying to explain Thanksgiving to Acacia. "We thank God for everything He's given us." I gave her my sunday school answer- "like our family, and... and, um, uh..." I was stumped, I couldn't think of anything else. What do I have to be thankful for? Maybe if life was perfect, I could be thankful; but my kitchen is seriously cramped and the sink is tiny, the multi-purpose room I'm sitting in right now is overrun with chaos and I don't know what to do about it, everything is not just the way I want it. I know; I'm horrified by my attitude, too. I am only thankful for the things that I can have my way. Gulp. Dangit. There it is again, my selfishness revealed.

Then I listened to this; oh, and I read this. And I realized what gratitude was, and I chose it.

Blessing #0001 God's grace when I need it the most.

And so the weekend was off to a good start. Thanksgiving day we spent with some very good friends. The entire day. Noon until 7pm. It was delightful. And I only brought a couple things and didn't have to think about housekeeping or hostessing or turkey or hassle.

Blessing #0002 Friends that help share the load.

For the remainder of the weekend we decided we wanted to escape just a little bit, but we set some parameters. It couldn't be far away, it couldn't cost more than $50, and it couldn't be too much hassle, and we had to be back for church on Sunday. Impossible, you say? Nope! We found out that Oleta State Park has rustic cabins for $50 a night. They are very simple, but they had two things we were looking for: a fire pit and beds.

We quickly packed up the car and drove the 15 minutes over to the park. Checked in, got firewood from the ranger and hit the trails. Yes, hiking/mountain biking trails... in Miami. I know, weird. Well, hiking trails lined with sea oats and mangroves. And some of the trails led to the inlet beach, so I guess that's kinda awesome.

When the sun started to set, we headed back to the cabin, started a fire and roasted hot dogs and finished up with s'mores. It was perfect. The joy and delight of someone's very first s'more is something awesome. The kids fell asleep and Braj and I enjoyed the quiet and the fire and using the old lantern that has mostly just been a decoration. We talked, we watched the fire, we sat together, and we were quiet together.

The s'mores were such a hit that the next morning we lit up the fire again and had s'mores for breakfast.

Jackson followed them up with some cold beef lil smokies sausages. Barf-o.

I have to add this one. This is the face I got when Braj said, "smile like a princess."

november and still going to the beach

2010-11-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

If there's anyone out there in frozen tundra (michelle... you out there?) don't be hatin'. Remember, we endure long, humid, hot summers to be rewarded with awesome falls and winters.

Chasing seagulls.

Fuzzy, I know, but still... so sweet.

Nothing quite as good as sand in the toes.

I'm trying to practice with backlighting and lens flair.

I don't quite have it down yet... way underexposed. But learning.

We met the cutest family there, enjoying the sun and trying avoid getting pooped on by the seagulls.

Playing with aperture.

The highlight of our beach visit for Jackson... "truck! truck!"

The top pictures were yesterday evening, we went back this morning for breakfast on the beach.

Shadow dancing.

God surprised us with a few beautiful things this morning.

Jesus Loves U written in the sky- upside down, but still true!

I don't have photoshop or lightroom, the ocean really was glistening this morning.

saturday fun

2010-10-30T13:19:00.000-04:00

I wanted to try out some different locations for photo shoots- I've offered to take some family pictures of a few friends- so I practiced on Acacia and Jackson to get the creative juices flowing.

I styled the kids a little and we hit the laundromat up the street.

The people doing their wash there were very friendly and one guy asked me if I'd take some pictures of his little girl and his baby mama, because "Ha ha ha, I like yo' style!" I take that as a big complement coming from a dude with awesome dreadlocks down to his waist.

This one looks alot like my dad as a boy, "Frankie!"...

things I love: a list

2010-10-25T14:02:00.000-04:00

jesus, yeshua
braj
my kiddos
dark chocolate
tuberose+patchouli
moss
adventure
isaiah 58:11
old cj-7s
getting people outside their comfort zones
making things beautiful
pumpkin spice lattes
candlelight
really old quilts- especially the sick blanket
lavender+balsam peru+vetiver
70 degrees
blue skies
forests
limes
fellowship
grey
worship music
trying new things
working with my hands
chili
being outside
anthropologie
dancing- when no one's looking

before & after yard

2010-10-15T15:22:00.000-04:00

Okay, so it's not exactly a playscape, but we're trying to work with what we've got without spending any money- like most people.

It does have a few basic elements. Here's my list of 10 ideas to get you started on your own playscape.

+ Two strategically planted clusters. A sunflower valley arch and a gourd vine nook.

+ While not a true path or circut, the bamboo reeding provides just enough barrier to give the space some flow.

+ An herb section that the kid's can get into. Acacia loves to bring out some kid's scissors and a bowl and "harvest".

+ Stumps for sitting, mixing, and balancing.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I cut the bamboo reeding in half so it would wrap all the way around the side of the pavement.

The herb garden. Acacia was in the middle of harvesting when I took this, you can see her bowl on the stump.

This is the gourd vine nook/hut that doubles as a dirt pit for digging and finding worms. Gourds are extremely fast growing.

The sunflower valley arch. It is somewhat of a boundary since we don't have a fence.

The "path" from the screen door, around the corner to the paved clearing (and trampoline if you need a quick jump) and off into the field. Jackson gets it. He just goes back and forth with that car as long as he's outside.

The safe zone. Pavement to gourd nook, across balance beam log to sunflower arch to the sink and back to the beginning. Not exactly a fence, and I still have to stay outside with them, but at least I'm not running into the street screaming. Well, not as often, anyway.

an update in pictures.

2010-10-11T16:26:00.001-04:00

yup, still swimming :: fearless with floaties

- I was about to take this picture of them looking out at the ocean when a seagull squaked right behind them.-

CCMB student ministries event :: thrift store prom & concert

:: Braj with tat sleeves for a night::

a first haircut :: long layers

:: many, many, many neighborhood walks ::

charity walk :: to stop child trafficking

a miracle :: the honor of witnessing Cade's birth

more about Cade's birth on June's blog.

before & after house photos

2010-10-05T16:17:00.000-04:00

Welcome to our tiny but cozy home!

Main Living Area

Before:

Right before the yard sale:

After:

Dining Nook and Entrance

Before:

After:

Kid's Bedroom

Before:

After:

And still a work in progress...

Converted Garage

(guest room, home office, homeschool supply, storage)

Before:

After:

ya know

2010-09-25T15:49:00.000-04:00

The first time I met Grandpa Query was during a quiet, southern dinner with my soon-to-be in laws. Everyone was very polite and wanting to get to know more about me. While I don't remember any particulars, I'm sure we all had a nice conversation. I did my best to be presentable and tried not to say anything stupid.

As the evening went on, somehow I ended up in the corner of the couch next to Grandpa Query. Best spot to be in these sort of events. I can't remember if he showed me how he could pop his false tooth out before or after we started to get to know each other.

He started into this wild story about his teenage years. There was some sort of competition, like a Sadie Hawkins race or something. So the boys lined up and started running and Thelma (his bride of 60? 65? years) was chasing him and finally caught up with him. And that's how their story began. Well... something like that anyway.

It's not that I don't vividly recall sitting there listening to him tell this story... it's that I could hardly understand what he was saying. His southern drawl is soooooooooo thick, his vocabulary is soooooooo full of Grandpa Query-isms, and after every sentence he said, "ya know..." in this perfectly fitting way (accent on the yaaaaa) - it was like listening to quantum physics. Well, not exactly... but something like that.

"I understand the words that you are saying, but I've never heard them put together like that. So... a "frog strangler" is a very heavy rain? Okay, got it... please continue."

Grandpa Query passed away this week.

I imagine that he is delighted to be listening to some truly amazing stories from the Master Story Teller Himself right now. I'm sure Jesus speaks fluent Query and it's quite possible that there is a whole new list of vocabulary that is being distributed in heaven right now.

I love you Grandpa. Thank you for helping me feel so welcome and comfortable in the Mills family. Thank you for letting Jackson slobber on your remote and thank you for giving Acacia rides on your "donkey" (his walker). Save some barbeque for me. I will miss you until I see you again.

sort of moved in

2010-09-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

We got internet yesterday and our bedroom is box-free... other than that it is still total chaos around here.

I'm really trying to unpack and nest but there are boxes EVERYWHERE!!! In fact, there are so many boxes that it feels like something from an episode of Hoarders. Minus the cats.

Since neither Braj nor I are even the slightest bit inclined to hoard, we are having a big, huge, blowout, everything-must-go, priced-to-sell, yard sale this weekend. Please pray that many people come and buy all of our stuff; cuz once it's outside, it ain't comin' back in.

The main reason for the sale is to clear out some space, but we are also planning to use the yard sale money to purchase the few things we need for this house. Like this:

The backyard is incredible. Incredible in a blank canvas kind of way- the entire lot is .25 acres without a single tree. Not incredible in a sherwood- forest-meets-tropical-jungle-paradise kind of way. But it will be fun to playscape. Here's the before shot:

And here's my plan:

+ That's bamboo reed fencing around the west side of the patio to avoid my nosy new neighbor. $23 for 16 feet of it at home depot here.
+On the far east side is a curvy mammoth sunflower bed with salvaged tropical hardwood logs as sitting spots along the perimeter. My neighbor just cut down a fantastic large tree. Her loss, my gain.
+The square area next to it is our bottle gourd vine hut. I'm growing the gourds up tomato cages in four corners and linking the cages with long sticks or whatever I can find.
+Of course, our prized kid's kitchen sink is already hooked up and in full service. I have a fat stump from the salvaged neighbor's tree planted next to it as a mudpie prep area.

ahhhh... rental kitchens!

2010-09-03T09:23:00.000-04:00

Moving day is tomorrow and I am trying to tie up loose ends today. Yesterday I took the kids to the beach because we all needed a diversion. The house is looking great, thanks to my insanely hard-working husband and a couple of his friends.

There is, however, a problem area.

The kitchen.

Narrow, galley-style. Tiny sink. Faux-marble countertop and backsplash. Faux-wood cabinetry. Terrible hardware that magnifies the cabinetry (easily replaced). Mismatched appliances, some white, some cream. Breaker box is sort of in-your-face.

BUT... it does work, and it overlooks the back yard. And that door leading to the yard that you see... is an original and has this cool flap down window thing that feels very farmhouse-y.

Inspiration photos:
Pegboard for storage... Julia Child-style. Also think paining the whole thing white might help brighten it up a little.

Anyone ever tried using tin roof flashing as a magnetic backsplash? I wonder if I could do it on top of existing veneer?

Can you paint over veneer? I could chalkboard paint over the backsplash. Just leave the countertop maybe? Any ideas welcome.

our 10th home

2010-08-30T16:31:00.000-04:00

Since we got married in December 2000, we have lived in:

1. The little limestone house in Texas
2. Camping in Mexico
3. Studio apartment in South Beach
4. Leaky but adorable back cottage in Miami Beach
5. A tent in the Amazon jungle
6. The upstairs apartment of some good friends in downtown Miami
7. The community house... an experiment gone wrong
8. A carriage house blocks from the ocean
9. Our first grown up house
10. and now... what will we call it... Beauty On The Inside, I think.

Our rental house sold, as we knew it would when we moved here, so we're off to the next place. The rental market is nuts and we hard a hard time finding a place. But, God provided... as He always has.

The entire inside and outside is peaches-n- cream. Tasty, but not my favorite color. It has ZERO curb appeal. Not a plant in sight.

The inside has totally grown on me. I can see past the peaches-n-cream and have embraced the tiny footprint. And... it has a wood burning fireplace. With a giant art deco mantle. Hello Christmas!

We decided to paint. Ben Moore- Rockport Gray- it's the same color we have in our Florida room. I LOVE grey, always have, always will. It is not a dreary or sad color to me... it is crisp, refreshing, cozy, and very, very happy. Especially when paired with white. Love it. We're painting the bedrooms as well. We stumbled upon some free carolina blue for the kiddos room and I'm hoping to spread the grey love to our room as well.

The kid's room, the only room that's finished:

children inspire art: link to a giveaway

2010-08-14T16:57:00.000-04:00

I found this website, Children Inspire Design, nearly a year ago and check their blog periodically to see what new things they've come up with.

We're using this awesome tree as the inspiration for most of our new church building's children's section. I think we might reproduce it HUGE and in 3D. Awesome, right?

I'm also totally in love with this world map. Although we scored a huge wall size one at costo the other day that will do the trick for us.

And one of the more unique things they have is the Global Child Compassion Collection. They're hosting a giveaway this month! Go check it out and leave a comment to enter.

Build a natural playscape in your own yard

2010-08-12T10:56:00.003-04:00

My love for natural playscapes stems from my very fond childhood memories in the creek by our house (until we found a bra there one day... ewww), and from going to the plant nursery with my dad on the weekends. I finally got my hands on this great book by Rusty Keeler and it has opened up a whole new world for me.

The main point of Natural Playscaping- Making use of an entire space by creating simple, engaging, natural areas using trees, grass, paths, and plants for children (and me, too) to discover and explore and play. It is a craft. And I am loving it. Sooooooooo much.

Here's 10 ideas for a do-it-yourself backyard natural playscape :

1. Create secret path circuits. A figure-eight trike track, a balance beam trail, a willow tunnel. Maybe add a random small gate; kid's love opening and closing doors.

2. Build a hill. Doesn't have to be big. 3-5 feet high is plenty. You can put your slide here if you want to, or build a playhouse on top. Or just have a hill. Perfect for the center of one of your paths.

3. Plant strategically and in clusters. Create hiding nooks, small rooms, and secret spaces. Sunflower houses, a maze of corn, a cluster of bamboo to shield a sitting spot.

4. Large scale natural elements. Fallen trees or giant boulders for climbing and sitting.

5. Plenty of sitting areas. Stumps work great for walking on, resting, as a table, to make mud pies, etc.

6. Moving Water. Kids love moving water. The book has some awesome ideas for this one. But I personally love my second hand kitchen sink installed at kid height and hooked up the the hose.

7. Use what you've got. Integrate existing plants and architecture. If you have a long wall... install side-to-side climbing grips.
8. Let them get dirty. You can wash them off later.

9. Smellscapes. Plant herbs everywhere. Every nook and space can have a smell. Use herbs instead of traditional groundcover.
10. Soundscapes. The book has some awesome ideas for this one, too. Outside is a great place for making music!

Most information, but not all, taken from

Natural Playscapes: Creating Outdoor Play Environments For The Soul

By Rusty Keeler.

For more interesting ideas for playground alternatives and natural playscape ideas, check out this blog.

what's goin' on at the Mills fun-house.

2010-08-08T16:41:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the prayers for my bro and his wife and their new girl, Banner. They are still in Zambia, still needing prayers but they DO have Banner. There is paperwork, meetings with people that have to sign the paperwork, meetings with other people that have to check the paperwork, more paperwork, flights to change because it has taken longer than they expected... etc. But... they do have Banner and she is the most precious little girl. I'm not at liberty to post pics yet, but I will as soon as I have permission.

We're moving. We're not sure where, but this darling house finally sold. We celebrate our 10th anniversary this December and we are moving into our 10th home since our wedding day. I find comfort that God Himself is preparing a place for me. A permanent, perfect, dwelling place. Until then... I am a sojourner. I'm glad to have to reminder that this world is NOT my home.

the belated but promised colorado pictures

2010-08-08T15:19:00.000-04:00

“What is your name, little flower, for I never saw one like you before."

The tiny plant answered at once in a tone as golden as itself,

“Behold me! My name is Acceptance-with-Joy.”

“He has brought me here... I, too, will look up into His face and say,

‘Behold me! I am thy little handmaiden Acceptance-with-Joy.’”
--Hannah Hurnard, Hind's Feet in High Places

acacia. gush alert.

2010-07-26T16:22:00.001-04:00

Ahhhh, this little girl. She's just so stinkin' cute! Sorry, I can't help myself.

This is totally on her own. I didn't even know she memorized a verse in Sunday School. She came out of her room after her quiet time and this is the first thing she said. So I grabbed my flip and made her do it again. Dang, she's cute.

prayer request

2010-07-20T13:48:00.001-04:00

My stud youngest brother and his rad wife are on their way to Zambia as I type this. They should arrive in Lusaka in the next hour or so.

They have two young children, the same age as mine, and they are going to have #3 in the next few days.

Banner Love Roby is living at the House of Moses Infant Rescue center in Zambia right now. Daniel and Lesley, by God's grace and with His gentle instruction, are going to bring her home to Portland.

Please pray for:
1. God's grace for Banner, Daniel and Lesley, and their other children Noah and Abbey that are in Dallas with the grandparents.
2. God's guidance and emotional strength as Daniel and Lesley have to choose one child that can come home with them. They are not assigned a child as is sometimes the case.
3. That Daniel and Lesley will feel God's presence and hear His voice guiding them and encouraging them throughout the entire trip.

*************************************
Did you know...
*There are approximately 1.5 million orphaned children in Zambia.
*Zambia has the highest proportion of children orphaned by AIDS in the world.
*Approximately 75 percent of all Zambian households are caring for at least one orphan.
*Child prostitution is widespread, especially in Lusaka, the capital.
*************************************

More on the House of Moses, here and here and some great flickr pictures here.

home, sweet home!

2010-07-14T17:05:00.001-04:00

The trip to Peru was fantastic. The kids did super great and the team was incredible. We did not use any of the sleeping bag solutions. It was a little chilly at night, so Braj and Acacia cuddled in the top bunk and Jack and I got the bottom bunk. Nobody fell out of bed, it was much cozier than a cold floor, and the kids felt safe having us close by. A very, very smart purchase was a Marsona international travel sound machine. No batteries to replace, it comes with an adapter and is very small. It drained out the wild Lima traffic quite well. We got ours here.

The team:

The town of Santa Rosa, the outskirts of Lima:

Jackson helping sweep:

Acacia passed out stickers saying, "Cristo te ama!"

After being separated to invite local kids to our Bible class, they ran to each other and hugged. Awwwwwwwwwwww.

Acacia, deep in thought. "How does this fit into my reality back home?" How does it?!

Ahhhhhh, Inca Kola and anticuchos!

We took a red eye flight from Lima back to Miami and arrived at about 5 am. The kids and I left for Colorado the next morning. I have over 700 pictures from Colorado. It was a great vacation. I'll be posting them later this week. Stay tuned!

sleeping bag dilemma solved

2010-06-14T15:48:00.000-04:00

Thanks for the input. Final decison:

1. Yellow Peapod Plus. We figure if Jackson refuses to sleep in it, Acacia would love to.

2. Big Girl sleeping bag for Acacia. Love the Rei Kindercone and the Kelty Little Dipper but went with a cheap one from Bass Pro instead. We'll stick a big blanket underneath or pick up an alpaca skin at the market. Mmmmm, cozy!

3. Homemade for Jack. Today I scored a very nice Laura Ashley goose down throw blanket (retail $80) for $3 at my thrift store. I'm going to sew closed the bottom and half way up the side and it should be a perfect cozy sleep sack for Jackson inside the Peapod. The blanket is so crazy soft I might try to crawl in there with him. I think I can even compress it into an extra large ziploc bag. Nice!

15 more days, but who's counting?!

2010-06-09T14:47:00.000-04:00

Our first mission trip with the the ragamuffins is right around the corner! I can hardly wait... except for the packing part.

Mission trip packing is always exciting and a little time consuming for me. But this year I've got extra stuff to think about, so I need your help. We will be staying with friends, inside, but I think the kids will be sleeping on a hard floor. I'm excited about getting them their very first sleeping bags, but good grief... their are so many choices!

I have to confess the the Texan in me really wants matching sleeping bags. But I realize that is unnecessary and they may be better off in their own, individual sleeping arrangements. So, here it is:

1. Pea Pod Plus $80
+ Built in mattress, you can leave it unzipped, folds up easily.
- It's expensive. I will probably never use it again. No telling whether Jack will actually want to sleep in it or not.

2. Thick, quilted sleeping bag $50
+ very comfy, just warm enough, no need for bottom layer or pad, pretty dang cute.
- Bulky. Not sure what to do if one of them had an accident in it. Indoor use only.

3. Kid-sized real sleeping bag $30
+ long term use, good price, more grown-up feel, comes with stuff sack, very transportable
- What do I do underneath this? I need some sort of insulation between the bag and the floor. They will both roll off sleep mats... maybe a thick blanket or quilt? I think a nylon interior would be too noisy, but they have some with cotton/flannel interiors.

Thrift Store Thursday

2010-05-27T22:41:00.001-04:00

June started her very own blog carnival and I HAD to participate.

For more thrifty business, check her blog.

Usually I'm the one that finds the random goodies; that insists on some new project that I don't have time for, that comes home with new treasures. But I've got to give Braj the credit for this one. Honestly, we stopped at the store and I hit the book section. I was specifically looking for some cool coffee table sized books with pictures for the kids. I found an awesome Underwater Life one by National Geographic, by the way.

Anyway, we ended up bringing these beauties home with us. They are incredibly comfortable and very sturdy. I have no idea what there story is. I'd love to recover them and paint them (after Peru); but I don't have any creative ideas just yet. Suggestions welcomed.

back in the swing

2010-05-23T22:54:00.000-04:00

Whew, we made it through a rough patch. Glad to be back. The last two weeks have been unusually full. I'll spare you the whining. Moving on...

Great news: we don't have to move out of our darling rental house just yet. We have at least 2 months before we'll know anything about whether the short sale deal will go through. That means we will finish paying off our debt snowball AND we can continue to focus on the upcoming trip to Peru without thinking about packing and moving. This is very, very good.

Good news: I've been working on children's lessons for our trip and they're coming along just fine. If anyone out there needs 3 45-minute, backyard-bible-club-type lessons in Spanish... just let me know. I'll email them to you. They are all ages lessons, each includes a memory verse and the theme is "God Made It! Dios Lo Hizo!" (creation and His individual love for each of us).

Good news: I just discovered a book that I am really enjoying. It's called The Mission-Minded Family by Ann Dunagan. I'll give you an excerpt.

-At a missions conference in India for YWAM families. The woman assigned to teach the 75 missionary kids while their parents were in sessions took them to the prayer room. The oldest kid was 12, most were very young. She explained what the room was for, and that it was not play time.-

"As the kids entered the room, they quietly took off their shoes and lined them up in rows. A moment later, as I walked into the room, it's hard to explain that I saw. The children were praying for the US, Pakistan, Iraq, and many other nations. Some prayed loudly, some prayed silently, and others were worshipping with their hands lifted. A few were sitting quietly on the red cushions and watching. As I walked over to the area set aside for specific prayer requests, I saw that a little boy had written the word Antarctica in his best penmanship. He had his hand near the word and was praying softly. As I came near, he explained that he was praying for the scientists there to see the beauty of God's creation so that they would know Him."

Real News: The main reason I haven't posted much lately is because God has been doing some serious spelunking in my heart. I've written about Jesus spelunking before. So, here's the deal.
I've never really been a just-go-with-the-flow-and-don't-ask-too-many-questions type girl but sometimes I get tired or overwhelmed or lazy and I just want someone to give me the answers and not have to figure them out the hard way. It's this constant sifting. It's so exhausting. But so stinkin' necessary.
I think that because the culture is growing more corrupt, Christians are terrified of what might happen to, or become of their children. Instead of releasing them to God, a la Abraham, they turn to manmade sets of rules that they believe will give them some assurance that everything will be peachy. The real issue I'm having is that there are soooo many new movements and sets of rules out there that everytime I turn around I'm jumping from some snare or another. It's nuts, ya'll... totally nuts. I think that's why my new book is so refreshing. So far, no red flags and I can enjoy it and be challenged to release my little ones into God's very capable hands for His purposes. His Kingdom, remember... not this one.

Some references:
2 Timothy 3
Colossians 2
All of Galatians, especially 5:1-9

good advice for me today

2010-05-19T22:40:00.000-04:00

"If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Yup, that just about sums it up for today.

Good thing His mercies are new everyday... amen?!

on being 33

2010-05-10T15:51:00.000-04:00

Double whammy yesterday. Mother's day and the big 3-3.

This was my daily scripture- think God has a sense of humor?:
"They will still bear fruit in old age. They will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "The Lord is upright. He is my Rock and there is no wickedness in Him."

Funny or encouraging? I haven't decided.

Turning 30 was fun; it was a new chapter full of potential adventure. My first born was 5 months old and everything was yet to be discovered. 31 and 32 were a blur.

33 I'm putting my foot down. I'm embracing the chaos that has become my daily (un)routine and I am strapping on my hiking boots to walk with God on this messy unblazed trail.
******************************************

Yesterday evening I journaled, "God, will you please still use us? I do not want to be a swamp of your blessings. I want to be a part of your River that brings life. I want to make an impact for Your Kingdom." I decided to give myself a booster shot of "outside-my-little-world-of-little-ones-and-my-own-desires". I spent some time listening to Jay Dangers speaking at a Missions Conference.

Nearly 20 years ago Jay and his wife and their four small children moved to Uganda to serve God by working with the children who were orphaned by war. God developed New Hope Uganda which is still serving God and "bringing the Fatherhood of God to the fatherless." It was inspiring, encouraging, and just what I wanted for my birthday... a reminder of the bigger picture. It also helped me remember to pray for our very good friends, Gabe and Andrea Williams, that live at New Hope Uganda serving God and working very hard.

Here's some New Hope Uganda on Youtube:

saturday fun

2010-05-04T15:23:00.000-04:00

Local mommies:
If you want something different to do before it gets too terribly hot, here it is- explore the shaded paths of Arch Creek Park (next to the horse park on 135th) and have a picnic lunch under the thatched roof shelter. Then head to the new gulfstream park village, just north of aventura mall on biscayne, for a FREE horse and carriage ride! The rides are only available during the month of May on Saturdays and Sundays from 4 until 10pm. It was about 15 minutes or so, just around the park. Both kids loved the carriage ride and there was plenty of room for at least another 3 people if you have guests.

Am I seeking God or just browsing?

2010-04-27T21:56:00.000-04:00

I've noticed a recurring theme as I've been working my way through the Psalms. A desperate-cryingout-pleading-NEED for God. They NEED His direction, encouragement, correction, discernment, and His agape love. They are seeking Him. Night and day.

What I have not seen in the Psalms is, "Hmmm, I guess God might fight into my life... as long as He doesn't try to rearrange anything. I've sort of got everything the way I like it. Could I just have a nonfat version, maybe with some extra comfort on the side. Nothing too heavy, please. Oh, and put it in a cool, designer, eco-friendly cup; something my friends will like." There's no browsing in the Psalms. There are bloody knees from bowing, tear stained tunics, sweat streaming down the head, hunger from fasting, sleepless nights praying, there is dedication. And I want it.

Has this consumer-oriented culture infiltrated my view of God? Do I order-up God just the way I want Him? Do I take the easy and none of the difficult? I remind myself: to follow Him is to deny myself. (Mark 8:34)

I want to seek Him. Not satisfied without Him, only the Real Deal will do. No nonfat imitation for me, thanks. I need real direction, encouragement, correction, strength, forgiveness, agape. I need Jesus. Not a cliche for crying out loud. Not a trinket. Not even positive thinking. Not the trendiest god for the cheapest price, not the Old N@vy version. Jesus, the Real One.

And I want to point other seekers to Him, too. We've all heard the term seeker sensitive. It can be very slippery. Some are genuinely pointing seekers to the Throne of Grace, where everything they've ever needed can be found (forgiveness, agape, restoration, direction). Perhaps the others should call themselves "browser sensitive" just so they don't confuse people.

Browser sensitive is trying to get the sale. It is the misleading sales lady that says you look great in that skirt that is clearly too small and gives you muffin top. It is not providing real answers for real life. It is offering trendy cliches at minimal cost. Nobody has to deny themself, nothing has to change. You can just go on with your life and hopefully you feel a little better now that you have that new hideous too small skirt that gives you a muffin top. Oh, and don't tell her she's got 2 feet of toilet paper stuck to her shoe. Browser sensitive is lame-o.

How about honesty as a strategy instead? Let's shoot people straight. Truth sets people free. Jesus sets people free. Jesus cares about people. Even people that are just browsing and not yet seeking should have to opportunity to hear the Truth.

Here, instead of that hideous skirt, try this on instead:
*God loves you so much more than you can ever possibly even fathom. He knows everything about you and STILL loves you that much!
*Following Him is at it's very core to deny myself. I cannot follow Him while trying to serve myself and give into every whimsy or desire that comes across my path. To choose Him is to unchoose myself.
*The journey with Him will be exhilirating at times and exhausting at times, but it's always worth it.
*The Bible is trustworthy, useful, and complete. I would guess this one is unappealing to most browsers since it is controversial and often counter-cultural. But it is historically accurate, it's prophesies are dependable and many have already been fulfilled, it is consistent and harmonious, (although written in 3 languages by over 40 authors, over 1500 years, on 3 continents), it is scientifically accurate, and it has the power to transform lives for good. You can read more about the Bible's trustworthiness here.

Now, who's up for some shopping? All this talk makes me want to look for a new skirt. Is that bad?

princess party pics

2010-04-25T22:53:00.000-04:00

Those Puerto Ricans throw a SERIOUS princess birthday party. Acacia was the only blond head in the crowd but she still lit up when she heard the word helado. I figure helado is really the only spanish word a 3year old needs to know.

Here is Lady Acacia in her chamber, awaiting her carriage:

Some party details:

The blond princess:

The other princesses:

And of course, the was cake and helado:

friday night! pizza night!

2010-04-18T21:50:00.000-04:00

Our weekly menu plan includes homemade pizza every Friday night. Acacia is usually my pizza dough helper, but this Friday we let Jackson in on the action, too.

Here's the easiest pizza dough in the world. It makes two medium sized pies. You can do this.

Super Easy Pizza Dough
4 tsp instant yeast
dollop of honey
1.5 cups warm water
~mix and let sit until bubbly. 2 minutes or so. Then add~
1 tsp salt
3.5-4 cups flour (we use fresh ground whole grain soft white. You can use whatever you have on hand, but I'd suggest using at least some whole wheat.)
~knead until mostly smooth, not too stiff~
~oil your hands and the cookie sheet and spread using your fingers~
~top with sauce, cheese, and anything else in your fridge. Our almost always has arugula, yum!~
~bake at 500 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

That's it. No need (knead- bahaha!) to let it rise. Easy as pie! bahahaha. Sorry.

I'm having so much fun with my camera!!!!

2010-04-15T01:18:00.000-04:00

Signs of spring:
The silver trumpet tree is just starting to bloom. Soon it will explode into masses of bright yellow flowers. Possibly my favorite tropical tree.

The loquat tree is fruiting. Yum! Although I did see a lady pull up in her minivan this afternoon to strip it of it's low hanging fruit. Grrrrrrrrrrr.

Acacia wanted to gather "flowers, loquats, and pods"... yup, that's my girl. That basket was a lovely centerpiece until we realized the ants came with it.

The banyan trees are begging to be climbed. Acacia and Jackson gladly accepted the invitation.

a great weekend and an early birthday gift

2010-04-12T14:50:00.000-04:00

Braj gets a big gold medal for all the love he showed this weekend. What an incredible man I am married to.

I had two friends (an old one and a new one) coming in town this weekend and they are both professional photographers. This is Chelsea's photography blog, I'm not sure if the new friend has a separate photography blog or not. We had a BLAST! They were on different time zones so we stayed up way past my bedtime swapping stories and catching up. We walked up and down ocean drive, across Lincoln Rd., they did a fashion shoot with some girls from church. And Braj was super daddy all weekend.

He also decided to slip me an early birthday/mother's day (same day this year!) gift. A very weet new-to-me Canon 20D. It's perfect. Here's some shots of the kids this weekend while I try to figure out my new toy. I love being on the shooting side of the camera. I'm already have a blast with this. Babe, you are AWESOME!

a very unkosher passover and the real meaning of Easter

2010-04-02T00:02:00.000-04:00

We had a great time celebrating passover and thanking God for setting us free from the captivity of our own self-destruction. It was horribly unkosher, although we did have matzoh. We did actually do a Seder and it was incredible. Especially seeing how those traditions were fulfilled in Jesus and His passover celebration (the last supper) with His disciples. Amazing. It takes "this is My body..." to a whole new level. So incredible.

I have no pictures of the event because it honestly didn't even cross my mind. Or Braj's either. Not until after we finished cleaning. But, I do have a shot of the thrift store score Seder platter I got for $6.

Passover reminds me that I don't need an evil Pharaoh enslaving me. I do it myself. I handcuff myself to my intense desire to self-serve. I drag around a slave's ball and chain that is the burden of my quest for "pleasure" and ease.

The mystery of Jesus is that when I surrender my own desires and perceived needs to Him, I find the rest that I was looking for in those things and I no longer need them. This seems to be a recurring theme to me these days, and to other mommy friends of mine.

Chels said it HERE. Alyssa said it HERE.

Chels:

We sacrifice our kids on the alter of self-preservation, self-realization, self-actualization in the quest to find ourselves, to reclaim the cool, independent, innovative, fun women we were pre-kids.

It is clear in Scripture that DYING to ourselves and taking up crosses (aka sacrifice, pain, messes, interruptions, altered schedules, more messes, less me-time) and following Christ is what is required of us. So why do we balk at that as mothers? I must die to my sinful nature every day as a Christ-follower, and to be honest, my sinful nature and selfishness shows up most in my motherhood. So it makes sense that AS A MOM, I MUST DIE TO MYSELF and my sinful, selfish agenda and pride. I must divorce my self-absorbed self to properly sacrificially love and attend to my kids.

Do I still need alone time? Sure! So, I make myself get up earlier (novel idea) than the girls... which means I must make myself go to bed earlier than I would "like" so that I can still be alert and attentive to my kids the next day.

On that note, it's midnight. I guess I should go to bed. Especially since both kiddos have diarrhea and fever. No telling what tonight or tomorrow might hold. Good night!

Feed me, Seymore!

2010-04-01T23:21:00.001-04:00

We are NOT spending any more money on our cute rental house, it is on the market and we'd be nuts to put money into it right now. Besides, we're cracking down on extra spending, because we will be finished with our Dave Ramsey debt snowball in July! (whoo hoo!)

But, we HAD to do something about the mutant dandelions that were trying to take over our front and back yards. I didn't want to spray in the back because it's where the kids play. So, I've been digging them all up everytime we go outside. But the front was totally out of control. From the street, our house was starting to look like an abandoned property which is both embarrasing and unpleasant. Acacia started referring to it as the "field of pricklies".

I'm talking about 3 foot tall spiky dandelions. Everywhere. Our very own Little Shop of Horrors. And we get our grass cut every two weeks. Mutant dandelions. Taking over.

I splurged on some heavy duty lawn spray a few days ago and today I busted out the camping tent for the kids and my very thick garden gloves and went to town. It was therapeutic, fun, and it looks awesome.

Jackson on the drums

2010-03-30T16:48:00.000-04:00

Dude! That kid can JAM!
Here's Jack rockin' out with the djembe this weekend.

Lent and Easter and Passover, Oh My!

2010-03-23T17:10:00.000-04:00

Christmas is easy. Thanksgiving warns you it's coming and the stores won't let you forget. It doesn't creep up on you like Easter does. Yesterday I realized that Easter is in just 12 days and Passover/ Pesach starts in just 6. I've been up to my eyeballs in kid's samurai pants and everything else has taken the back seat. Laundry included.

Plus, Easter is tricky with kids. It's not difficult telling your child the true Christmas story, but it's a little harder talking about Jesus' death on the cross, or the plagues (especially the death of the firstborn) if you are doing Seder. Chocolate makes everything easier. Maybe I'll just get these from here.

"No, Mommy... I want the open sores! Hey... you always get lice, no fair!"

All kidding aside, I found a few great ideas here : 5 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Easter.

This year, I think we will try to include these 2 ideas:

1. Make a miniature lenten garden. It's like a diorama of the empty tomb. Very cool. Well, anything with dirt, moss, succulents, and candles is very cool; but it's even better with the empty tomb. Love this idea!

2. Celebrate a Messianic Passover.
Quote from Ann Voskamp,
"It is about keeping something worth preserving: emblems pregnant with the fulfillment of the New Covenant. It is about the questions that keep time to the beat of our children’s heart: Why am I here? What does all of this living really mean? Where am I headed? When will I be all that I am to be?

Keeping the Passover is significant to all believers in Jesus Christ. This meal is truly the highlight of our year... and our children keenly await celebrating Passover, even more so than any other holiday of the year..."

She goes into more description on her personal blog, here.

We will be doing something on a standard platter for now, but I found this incredible seder plate from Bicarta, in Tel Aviv on etsy. Gorgeous!

I may do a paper plate one with Acacia beforehand like this:

Not Me! Monday... and some pictures

2010-03-22T10:44:00.000-04:00

"Not Me! Monday... being brutally honest and living to tell about it" is a blog carnival from the brain of MckMama, where any blogger-mom who wants is encouraged to "take our not-so-proud moments and spin them around". The idea is to encourage each other when we fall short of our ideals and get a good laugh, too. As my contribution to Not Me! Monday, I thought I'd share a few pictures of my kids enjoying their McDonald's Happy Meals. I know the fries don't break down like they should, and who knows what's in the chicken nuggets... but it was walking distance from the Puppy Palace and we were all very hungry. It was a good day.

I would never dress my son in his big sister's pink chickadee leggings for bedtime. Nope, I'm on top of the laundry. No need for that.

These next pics will not surprise you, and I can't include them in the Not Me! carnival, because I think this is what kids SHOULD be doing. I dug a hole in the planting bed and let the kids fill it with water (Acacia's idea) and enjoy the mud. The only thing cuter than little feet is muddy little feet.

This is just a cute picture of Jack playing with a play chop saw and tool bench at the thrift store. He LOVED it. Proof that you are never too young power tools.

And here is Miss Acacia entertaining herself very well with a connect four game. A brilliant idea I got from the Preschool Daze blog.

BRAJA*KIDS on etsy!

2010-03-13T15:15:00.003-05:00

We have officially decided that we will all be going on the trip to Peru this June. I cannot wait to get back and catch up with old friends and introduce our ragamuffins. In order to earn a little extra money for airfare, I have decided to set up my Etsy shop!

The kid's global fashion line is called BRAJA*KIDS. For now BRAJA*KIDS has only one style. pint-sized gaucho / samurai/ culotte pants, we call them the BRAJA*PANT and I designed them myself. Yup, amde a patterna and everything. They are awesome. Very cool fabrics, a knit waistband, roomy legs, and you can fold them up and button them to make them into shorts. So great.

I have been working hard to organize my fabric stash and make sure I have everything I need to crank out many many pants while Brandon's parents are visiting. (Thanks Mimi and Pops.... you didn't know what you were getting in to, I guess!)

You will see the Etsy button below our family pictures on the left side of the page. That's the link to my shop. We should be up and running soon!

Peter Rabbit & other news

2010-03-10T13:58:00.001-05:00

We've been into anything Beatrix Potter lately. Acacia just loves audio books and spent her daily quiet time listening to them until she poured water into the CD player. The Beatrix Potter collection was her newest favorite. We don't own any of the series but we've borrowed The Tale of Peter Rabbit from the library.

This is how much of an auditory learner she is:
1. She corrected me when I was reading to her. In the audiobook version, the reader has a beautiful, strong English accent. She reads, "Mr. McGregor went back to work." Are you reading it with an accent?

When I read it, minus the cool accent, Acacia said, "No... Mr. McGregor went back to WALK."

2. She figured out by listening to a Veggietales music CD that the voice of Bob the Tomato is done by the same person as Mr. Lunt, the Mexican squash.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

On a totally unrelated topic, I have exciting news! We have officially decided that we will all be going on the trip to Peru this June. I cannot wait to get back and catch up with old friends and introduce our ragamuffins. In order to earn a little extra money for airfare, I have decided to set up my Etsy shop and see if I can sell a few handmade items.

The kid's global fashion line is called BRAJAkids. For now BRAJAkids has only two styles. pint-sized gaucho / samurai/ culotte pants and a select few gaucho pillowcase rompers. I have been working hard to organize my fabric stash and make sure I have everything I need to crank out many many pants while Brandon's parents are visiting. (Thanks Mimi and Pops.... you didn't know what you were getting in to, I guess!)

You will see the Etsy button below our family pictures on the left side of the page. That's the link to my shop. I'll let you know when we are up and running!

we found an awesome new park!

2010-03-02T12:19:00.001-05:00

We had a blast exploring the park next to the horse park on Saturday. Full of lush, tropical plants and trees, and there is even a firepit. We are envisioning a creation-science day for kids followed by a b.y.o. picnic dinner and s'mores and worship around the campfire. Mmmm. Or maybe just skip the whole thing and make s'mores in the microwave at home. Much easier.

a finished project!

2010-03-02T12:10:00.000-05:00

I made a pillowcase dress and matching pants for one of Acacia's friend's for her birthday. Once I figured out how to do it, it was really quite easy. Now, I'm toying with the idea of making some more and some romper-style ones and selling them on etsy to make a little extra cash for our upcoming Peru trip. I can also make some mean toddler-preschool gauchos from upcycled shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts, etc. Over my head or give it a shot?

10 things that made me smile today

2010-02-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

1. A mug of teeccino. Mmmmm.
2. Our cucumber seeds have sprouted!

3. Acacia's Good Choices Jar. A good choice is usually immediate obedience, showing kindness, or being helpful. She gets a warm fuzzy for every good choice I catch her make. When the jar is full, we will celebrate by doing something special. Got the idea here. I keep it vague- could be candy, could be the horse park.

4. Our herb garden is thriving, especially the oregano.

5. Watching Acacia jump.

6. This flower bed. I've had so much fun carving it out and I finished today. Now... what to plant?

7. Acacia's beautiful feet.

8. Kids playing in muddy puddles.

9. Flank steak for dinner; yummy...what a treat!
10. A clean kitchen.
before:

after:

aromatherapy gone terribly wrong

2010-02-22T21:00:00.001-05:00

This is a perfect story for "Not me Monday". And it happened to me today.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday!

This blog carnival was created by MckMama.

You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

On to the story:
Our darling rental house that we have called home for about 6 months is on the market as a short sale. The first two couples to come see it both put in offers. We will see what happens, such a bummer; we really like living here and it's the cheapest rent in town. Anyway, today we had some more visitors that wanted to check out the house. I had an hour to get myself and the kids dressed and the house picked up a little. I lit this essential oil burner in our bedroom (on our bookshelf!!) while running around getting everything ready.

Just before walking out the door to take the kids on a walk while strangers looked around my house, I decided to blow out the candle.

The burner was on fire. ON FIRE! I tried blowing it out and it got bigger. I tried blowing it out again, harder this time. It got bigger.

I screamed, "Acacia come here! Now! Come quickly!" I have no idea why I did that. What was my 3 year old going to do?
She replied, "In a minute, I'm still eating my grilled cheese." Drat! I had to handle this alone.

I grabbed two wet child's washcloths from the bathroom that were sitting on the tub from last night's bath and draped them over the burner. The fire went out for a minute and when I took the washcloths off it came roaring back. I freaked out and quickly envisioned the bookshelf going up in flames and the rest of the house catching on fire. The smoke alarm goes off. I started having heart palpitations. Should I call 911? Where is my cell phone? I have to get this fire out NOW! I grabbed the washcloths again and stuffed one inside the burner, where the candle had been. The other I draped over the top and used that one to carry the whole burner to the bathroom sink where I turned the faucet on. Fire out, palpitations still going strong.

Acacia comes strolling in, grilled cheese crumbs all over her face and says, "Okay, I'm all finished." Realtor pulls into the driveway. I open all the windows in the house to air it out. Greet realtor and evil strangers coming to take my house, and take the kids to the field to play.

Miraculously, nothing else caught on fire. Not the books under the candle, not the books over the candle, not the books next to the candle, not the wooden bookshelf, not even the macaw feather headdress from our Amazon trip that was draping right next to the candle. But seriously, maybe 2 more minutes and all that stuff would have gone up in flames.

All so that I could have the house smelling like lavender and bergamot... for strangers that might want to buy the house that I love living in. What's wrong with me?!

Not me... I would never feel the need to have aromatherapy for people that are going to potentially kick me out of my house. And I would never light a candle on a bookshelf with books all around it. And if I ever had an emergency, like... say a fire, I certainly wouldn't call my 3 year old for help.

chocolate-mulch-dirt birthday cake video

2010-02-19T21:37:00.001-05:00

Just a few minutes of backyard play with the kids. Jackson is doing some maintenance (dragging the broom around) and Acacia is working on a birthday cake. The weather has been beautiful and we have spent a very good part of our week doing just this. These are the days, aren't they?!

cold turkey. it ain't easy.

2010-02-19T20:13:00.001-05:00

I am having a flashback tonight. I had a hard time weaning Acaica exactly 2 years ago. Here is the post from when I knew it was time. Most of my posts from February and March of that year had something to do with weaning. I finally conquered it when she had a bad stomach bug, here's that one. I don't want it to have to get to that with Jackson.

He was down to one or two feedings, usually early in the morning and before bed. All that changed this week when he decided he would see if I would let him nurse around the clock. The first day caught me by surprise and I nursed him a little extra thinking maybe he was getting sick or something. He wasn't. Then he turned into a crazy child. Wanting to nurse all day and night. At the grocery store, at the park, anytime I held him. Lucky for me he can't talk... otherwise I'd be in some very awkward situations.

I know there are moms who are into "extended breastfeeding", that's fine.. but I'm not one of them. I'm glad to go the full recommended year, and that's where I draw the line. And did... today. Poor kid went cold turkey. Kicked it like a bad habit. He's a big boy now. Next time you see him, give him a high five and a pat on the back. He's a trooper.

In other news, Acacia has been making wonderful Lego creations and we have had them as our dinner centerpiece (shout out to my stud bro Clay!), she is so proud. And today I found her dollhouse wardrobe in the yard full of weeds, ahem, I mean beautiful wildflowers.

link to news video of Haitian child-refugees in Children's Home

2010-02-10T20:59:00.001-05:00

Acacia has fully recovered and life is back to "normal", whatever that means. Thanks everyone for the texts, emails, phone calls, and facebook prayers. I am glad to have my giggly 3 year old daughter back to her old self.

We're heading back to His House Children's Home, the local orphanage (that's probably not the proper term, but I don't know what else to call it. suggestions?), tomorrow. If you are interested, here is a video from a local news channel about HHCH and the Haitian child-refugees. If you can't access the video, here it is in print.

In case you need a good cry.

2010-02-08T11:48:00.002-05:00

99 balloons.

It ended up with an ER trip.

2010-02-08T11:36:00.000-05:00

Stomach bugs are such a bummer! At least it wasn't something worse. Her pediatrician ordered us to hit the children's hospital ER on Friday morning. She was crazy dehydrated and her blood sugar was 43 (70 is low). Translation- she was very, very, very sick and puny. But after pumping her little 26 lb body with bags of fluids, she was better.

Doc said to stay on her about the liquids and stick with toast for another day or she could have a relapse. She refuses Pedialyte and Gatorade and popcicles so I finally remembered about SmartWater, what a lifesaver!

On Saturday I needed to disengage from my nurse roll for just a few minutes and so I decided to dig a huge hole in the back yard and plant some silver buttonwood that I've had in pots for 4 years. I hit rock. Which turned out to be part of the foundation. Now there is a huge hole in my yard.

I brought Acacia over to ask some input:

Me: There's a huge rock in the ground and it's too big for me to move. It's even too big for Papa to move. What should we do?

Acacia: Hmm, let me just try.
(hops on top of the rock and grabs a small rock fragment off the top of the pile.)
There! Now it's better!

the latest

2010-02-03T14:37:00.001-05:00

1. Barf-O-Rama

It was Braj and I a few weeks ago; now it's Acacia. She's had her fair share since birth. Some landed her in the ER with an I.V., were hoping this one passes on it's own. Poor little, sweet thing. She's so puny when she's sick. Today I am thankful for Beatrix Potter's audiobooks on itunes (thanks for the gift card, Mimi & Pops!). She's resting in our room listening right now.

Our little muffin in after a rough night in the ER when she was one.

February 4, 2008. Notice a pattern?

2. Kiddos update
Jackson is officially walking on his own now. I love that little stiff legged first walk. Oh, did I say he's walking? I meant to say he thinks he can run and he keeps trying to climb up the oven onto the stove top. Yeah, great, I know. Suggestions?

We have moved Jackson (permanently this time) back into the crib in Acacia's room. They are loving sharing a bedroom and we are loving having ours back. Sometimes Jackson wakes up early, like around 5:30 or so, and I bring him in bed with me since Braj is already at work then. Acacia is always so sad when she wakes up and he is not there. Sweet thing. Both of them.

3. I can't get enough of...
The local home for neglected, abused, or abandoned children that has been temporarily caring for Haitian child refugees that are on their way to adoptive families. After my first visit last week, I headed out two more times (with my own kids in tow!) and we have had a blast there. I was planning on going today but I am caring for my own sick kid today. Maybe Friday... or Saturday... or both! I am very thankful that I already got my dinner routine in order so that I am free to pour out my time at the home and still be able to come home and tend to my own family. I couldn't do both if I didn't have a simple, weekly, dinner menu plan!

how I got to spend my morning

2010-01-28T22:51:00.000-05:00

I went to (local orphanage) this morning with my friend "H". We left our kids with sitters. I had a MARVELOUS time with two darling little Haitian boys. "J.W." is about 3, I think, and "M" is probably about 1.5. They are the last two of a group of about 60 Haitian orphans that arrived into South Florida earlier this week. The rest were already in the adoption process before the earthquake and are currently spread around the country with their new, loving families. The workers did not know the situation with these two. I cried like a baby when we had to leave them.. The younger followed me and it was all I could do to not toss him into our minivan and bring him home with me.

The orphanage is anticipating more child refugees very soon. The director was beaming with excitement (although totally exhausted) over the opportunity to show some practical love to all these precious children who have had such a difficult few weeks (and even longer for most of them). I do not know if the next wave of children are also already adopted or if they will need foster or adoptive families. (Local orphanage) is working tirelessly to find out what the process will be for these children.

After playing with the boys for a while, we decided to actually pitch in and get dirty helping, too. We helped to sort part of the mountain of donations that have poured in in the last weeks for all the new children. It was insane. A mountain of miscellaneous bags of who-knows-what. Brand new name brand clothes, clean but used pajamas, children's books, stuffed animals, baby food, and of course plenty of junk. "Isn't this a perfect time to get rid of that giant light up front yard manger scene? I bet (orphanage) wants it with all they have going on... this will be perfect!" Needless to say, we are sorting into piles labeled "storage", "immediate need", or "goodwill".

We made very little progress on the donation mountain and decided to rally up some more workers and head back tomorrow to finish the job. If you are reading this and you are local- contact me and I'll give you more info. When the kids get here they will need a bath, some clean pajamas, food, and a nice clean place to sleep. It may seem like a lame-o effort considering the amount of work that needs to be done, but as a stay-at-home mom of little ones, it was not only a tremendous blessing to give outside the normal daily grind of giving but to pitch in a little extra where I saw a need. I hope you find something that you can pitch in a little bit of whatever you've got. There's enough work for everyone! Find something you can do locally... or start something!

Miami Herald story on the first wave of kids that came through, here and another story, here.

7 ways to justify Samoas for breakfast

2010-01-26T07:29:00.000-05:00

1. They only come out once a year.
2. They go great with coffee. Especially if you have eggnog creamer.
3. Your 3 year old isn't awake yet. She'll never know.
4. They have coconut... I think that counts as a fruit.
5. It may help you get up enough energy to tackle the mound of dishes.
6. You will be supporting the Girl Scouts. That counts as philanthropy.
7. Your baby is making you crazy and eating Samoas is more gentle than anything else you've thought of this morning.

we just call it, "the gift"

2010-01-25T16:37:00.000-05:00

You can call it being easily distracted, having difficulty focusing or following through... some call it ADD.

It is not having a short attention span. It's having a short attention span to boring things. Other times, I hyper focus, we call this "the zone".

Being a mommy with "the gift" has plenty of strengths (energy, creativity, flexibility, multi-tasking, sense of humor, to name a few); but it sure can make it tough to get stuff done around here! I'm great with big, random, fun projects, but daily dinner???!!! Not so much. Grocery shopping with both kids???!!! I can easily end up with a cart of stuff and nothing for dinner. Enter my newest project: a daily docket.

I compiled several resources and made a few of my own and now I have an AWESOME daily help. Here's some other good printables.

Here's what I'm working with:
* simple mom's pocket docket pages. A gajillion copies of this, printed on both sides. I love the "what's for dinner?" space at the top.
* monthly calendar I found here.
* personalized grocery checklist. This is so very helpful to me. I can email if you want.
* weekly menu plan. We have 3 set meals a week and the rest is up in the air. Monday is spagetti, Thursday is rice & beans, and Friday is pizza. This is great help for our budget, my sanity, and grocery shopping because I always have all the ingredients for these 3 meals on hand.

Anyway, when I took the stuff to get copies made I made an extra set if anyone wants one. You can print your own; but if you want it; just let me know. You can email me or just leave a comment.

Help Haiti.

2010-01-19T11:49:00.000-05:00

As I try to go about my normal life- making cupcakes for birthdays, cooking, laundry, a trip to the park- I can't seem to shake the thought, "why not me?". The news images are seared in my brain, as I'm sure they are yours. It is so overwhelmingly devastating and yet here we are, affected yet unchanged.

image from Reuters

I know there are plenty of reputable aid organizations and all of them could use your help; but if you are interested in helping locally, I have a suggestion:

Calvary Chapel Port-au-Prince and the adjoining orphanage.

Years ago Calvary Chapel Melbourne began an orphanage and planted an adjoining church in Port-au-Prince. The pastor, Seige Poteau, and his wife care for the children and Pastor Seige teaches the church. The orphanage building is not livable, but all the children survived. The church building is damaged beyond repair. None of the church members, including the Poteau's were killed, but many are seriously injured.

Calvary Chapel Port-au-Prince blog.

Calvary Melbourne's site for Haiti's urgent needs.

If you want to donate financially, you can send a check to:
Calvary Chapel of Melbourne
2955 Minton Rd
Melbourne, FL 32904
Memo: Haiti or Seige

Phone: 321-952-9673
Fax: 321-952-1329

CC Melbourne is collecting the following medical supplies:
Guaze wraps
4x4 gauze
Antibiotics
IVs
Mask and Face shields
Gloves
Trauma Kits

There is a team going later this month to assist, if you are interested, you can contact the team leader here.

image from Reuters

Pray for Haiti. Then pray some more. When you're done... pray some more.

Acacia is 3!

2010-01-15T15:04:00.001-05:00

Acacia, my darling girl. You are such a delight and a joy to me. I love being your mommy more than you can possibly know. I can already see that you are a hard worker, a caring friend, a good observer, and one who seeks the Truth. Three is going to be lots of fun for you. One of my favorite things about being your mommy is finding your "work" all over the house after you have gone to sleep. Limes in muffin pans in your play kitchen, way too many clean wipes and diapers in the trash that you have used to diligently clean all your stuffed animals' tushies when you change their diapers, baskets full of an assortment of dress up clothes that didn't make the final cut, play dough stuffed into cookie cutters in the tupperware drawer, butterfly wings abandoned at the door because you couldn't fit through with them on, dead weed-flowers and rocks in your pockets, and all sorts of things in your little purses and bags (christmas ornaments, jackson's shoes, crayons, granola bars, etc.)

I know what you want more than anything for your birthday is to go the the Letter Factory with Tad and the frog family. I promise I would take you there if such a place existed. You will have to settle for some cake, a balloon, and a big surprise (the dollhouse!), instead. You are so precious to me and I am really looking forward to watching you grow even more this year. I love you, darling.

Jackson is 1!

2010-01-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

You made it, lil' Mister! It has been an incredible year and you are so very, very precious to me. I am crazy about your smile and giggles, the way you wrinkle your nose when you are really happy, your fun- loving personality (as long as it's not nap time), your hugs and kisses, the intense looks you give... like your looking into people's soul, the way you tackle your big sister, the way you light up when someone throws you a ball, your love of water, the laps you make around the kitchen table with your walker, the way you involve your feet in eating, and how you climb into any open box or basket you can fit in. Happy Birthday, Jack. We love you.

This is why I love the thrift store.

2010-01-07T22:04:00.000-05:00

Not cheap... frugal. That's my shopping motto. I don't have any need to load up on junk or fill my house with clutter. When I need something I always check the thrift store first, you just never know. The key is being able to walk out the door empty handed and being just fine with that. It's not coming with me unless it's what I was looking for, useful, or beautiful; just because it's cheap doesn't mean it's a good deal.

On to my story... Acacia's birthday is next Friday and we REALLY wanted to get her a dollhouse with a doll family and basic furniture. Nothing too fancy. I have a dollhouse shell that I have been "working on" for a year (actually, it's hidden in the back of the kid's closet). We just weren't making progress on it and we couldn't find the right family or furniture for it. So we hit the thrift.

SCORE!!!

I found this new- in it's original packaging- Melissa & Doug dollhouse WITH furniture and WITH a doll family. It retails on the Melissa & Doug website for $120. I bought it for $12.95! For real. Don't hate.

Where did you go, December?

2010-01-06T22:19:00.002-05:00

My head is still spinning. It was fun, but definitely fast.

Here's what we've been up to:
1. Thanksgiving in North Carolina was awesome. We even got to sneak up to Boone for a day.

2. The incredibly talented and oh-so-kind Braj installed my curbside-treasure cast iron sink for the kids to play in. HOURS and HOURS of fun already... and it's not even summer. Everyone with small children should have an outdoor kid-sized sink. Everyone.

3. Acacia is totally into Leap, Lily, and Tad... the Leapfrog characters because of two movies, The Letter Factory and The Word Factory. She has been writing up a storm and pointing out short words she sees around. Here's a shot of her chalkboard after teaching herself how to write "pop".

4. I finally finished the Florida room (also the dining room, or the grey room). It's so cozy and functional and we spend a very good part of every day here. Again, a big thanks to Braj for installing shelves and Ikea rods into our concrete wall. Total cost for all shelving: less than $15. Used cans hold crayons, colored pencils, markers, plant clippings, and the like. Wood for shelves is scrap, everything else is Ikea, baby! Oh, not the authentic antique Peruvian textile. That's from the market in Lima.

5. Then there were the big events: Braj turned 32. We celebrated our 9th anniversary with a date; thanks to our incredible baby sitters. Company Christmas party in Orlando. Married Couple's Fellowship dinner. Party for a friend's new baby. Guest speaker for the teenage girls in our youth group. Live Nativity at a local church, with camels. Cookie swap (mmmm... espresso & cardamom dark chocolate truffles). Yes, all of those were in mid-December. See why I didn't have time to write?!

6. Christmas Eve service had the kid's choir; Acacia was so darling. Here's "Feliz Navidad", she starts getting into it about halfway through.

7. Christmas day was lovely; the vivacious and hospitable June had us over for a yummy dinner and we enjoyed a nice stroll around the neighborhood. That's what you do in Miami on Christmas evening. Walk around outside without freezing your tail off. It's great.

8. My parents came down for several days. We had such a great time together. They have most of the pictures, the only one I made it out with is this shot of my mom and I sporting our 3D glasses for the movie Avatar. We got our awesome sitter to come over so we could hang together for some grown up time. Thanks for coming down guys, I had so much fun with you. I love you very much.

Acacia and the marshmallow test

2009-12-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

After seeing the original, I knew we had to try this at home. Our test was only 3 minutes but the whole video is 6.

Commentary:
At about 1:00 she mouths "marshmallow" contemplates it and says, "I'm gonna wait."
At 2:05, Jackson climbed up into the chair next to her and crashed her tea party. "Oops, Jackson spilled Mono's water! It's on Mono's plate!"
But my favorite part is at 3:00 "Uh oh, this is not doing it. This marshmallow is not doing it... It's shaped in pants. Shaped in shorts I guess. Oh, that's okay. We'll just lay it right there on the back."

A movie I'm actually excited about

2009-12-04T07:59:00.000-05:00

Sure, there are more interesting things to post about; pictures of the kids at Thanksgiving, funny stories, deep insights... but that takes time. For now, check out this cool trailer for a documentary that's coming out in the spring.

Babies follows four infants, one from Namibia, one from Mongolia, one from Toyko, and one from San Fransisco, from birth to their first birthday.

Enjoy the preview, and enjoy your baby today, too!

I have to post this recipe. I HAVE TO!

2009-11-22T20:04:00.000-05:00

We have two traditions for Thanksgiving so far. We fry our turkey, and I must make these rolls. The rest is up for grabs. If you can't get your hands on fresh ground, the whole wheat in the stores will work okay, too. Happy Thanksgiving!

2-Day Yeast Rolls
-makes 4 dozen-

2 tsp instant yeast
1 cup warm
1 cup hot water
1.5 sticks butter (3/4 cup), softened
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup honey
3 eggs, lightly beaten
6.5 - 7 cups fresh ground hard red flour
1 T gluten or white flour (optional)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), melted

Day 1:
Dissolve yeast in the warm water in a bowl. Let proof for 5 minutes. Combine the hot water, 1.5 sticks butter, and salt in a large bowl and let stand until the butter melts; stir. Stir the honey and eggs into the butter mixture. Add the yeast mixture and mix well.

Add the flour in batches to the yeast mixture and mix well. Place the dough in a greased bowl, turning to coat the surface. Chill, covered with plastic wrap overnight, or for at least 8 hours. It will not double in bulk.

Day 2:
Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll each portion 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Brush the rounds with the 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick) and fold over, pinch the edges to seal.

Arrange the rolls touching on a greased 12x17 inch baking sheet with sides. LIghtly brush the tops with the remaining melted butter. Let rise, covered with a light tea towel, in a warm place for 2 hours. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

the Santa issue

2009-11-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

Last year Acacia thought Santa was Noah... from the Ark; and we just went with it. However, last week someone asked her what she wanted Santa to bring her this year, so we can't exactly avoid it anymore. I'm trying to figure out how to address this wisely.

We have decided in our house that we want to celebrate Christmas by celebrating Jesus' birth. We want to play down the presents and play up the celebration. We'll do the advent calendar, an advent wreath at the table, a Christmas tree, she'll be getting a nativity set to play with, I'd like to do a birthday cake for Jesus, and I'm sure we'll think of other things along the way. We will explain that people give gifts to show how much they love others, and we will encourage the kids to give gifts to people they love.

I've been trying to find a good kid's book that helps explain the whole Santa issue well. There are some fantastic true Christmas story books out there, and some great classics about Santa... but not much to bridge the gap.

Suggestions are welcome. Here's the only three I've found so far...

Santa Celebrates Jesus' Birthday. I can't see inside this one. Sounds good from the reviews on Amazon, though. Maybe I will see if I can get the CCBR to review it.

St. Nicholas: The Real Story of the Christmas Legend. I can't find an excerpt from this book either. Perhaps another to email to CCBR. I REALLY like that this actually explains who Santa was. My only heisitation is whether it is very catholic. Some of the books out there about St. Nick really go into his sainthood and miracles. Not what I'm looking for.

The Night Jesus Met Santa Claus. This is a story of Santa getting saved. It's a little corny and there are some parts I don't like, but it is creative.

make a simple advent calendar this year!

2009-11-18T14:58:00.003-05:00

By simple I mean ridiculously easy, very cheap, and at least mostly natural materials. Oh, and I have one hour to do it while my three year old helps. Can I get an Amen?

You'll need:
1. Small muslin bags. You can order them online here. Tip- order more than 25 because your toddler will want to help and you'll probably mess up at least one.
2. 1 inch number stencils and spouncers. Unless you have awesome handwriting like Kaite, in which case you can just use a paint brush.
3. Acrylic paint. Before going out for the perfect Christmas Red, check your stash. I used brown and silver because I love the way they look together and I had them on hand. Warning- this does not wash out of clothes but it does wash off the face and hands.
4. Some kind of string or twine or ribbon. I always keep a roll of twine handy so that's what I used.
5. Small suction cup hooks to hang the whole strand on a glass surface. If you don't have enough glass, try those command removable sticky hooks. No need to put a hole in the wall just for a Christmas decoration.

The process:
Just lay out your bags and get to stenciling. I use cleaned out baby food plastic containers for the paint but you can use anything.

Once they are dry, string one side of the drawstring through and hang on any flat surface.

Done! Now some candy canes and some scripture verses or any trinkets you want go inside and you have a gift-a-day advent calendar.

Now go get your baby because naptime is over and your preschooler has paint on her hands and face and needs to use the potty.

Acacia made flowers from coffee filters white I painted. After the paint is dry, poke a hole in the middle and stick a pipe cleaner in. Instant centerpiece:

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Here are some resources for more information on advent calendars, background and ideas.

jackson's first steps and other less exciting updates

2009-11-05T00:12:00.000-05:00

JACKSON:
This boy is strong as an ox. Brandon joked that instead of a walker, we should see if they make Defensive Line Sleds for kids. It's a pretty good idea.

This video was taken about a week ago. These are Jackson's very first steps. Now that he's a pro, he's trying to walk everywhere. Today, he pushed Acacia around in the laundry basket. He walks while holding just my thumbs. It's crazy. But fun.

MOMMY:
This new walking excitement comes at a very good time. I began to notice a lingering pain in my pelvis after carrying Jackson in the Ergo for long periods of time... which I did very often because he slept so well that way. Turns out I basically sprained part of my pelvis while carrying/delivering him, so I need to be cautious how much I bear his full 20 lbs on my hips. Needless to say, we are spending more time at home these days. Although I am not at all a homebody, doctor's orders have been very refreshing. Getting into a little routine with the kids and slowing down some is good for all of us. Now I just need to find a good pilates workout video to strengthen my abs and other core muscles. Suggestions welcomed!

ACACIA:
Is loving learning her letters and sounds. She's always pointing out letters on things and saying things like, "MMMommy starts with an M. J-J-J-June starts with a J." Here she is reading to Mono, who is wearing a swimsuit.

She has developed a strange habit, though. Well, she has many strange habits, but one particularly curious. She phrases everything in a question that begins with "what".
- For example: Instead of "Can I have some milk?" She'll say, "What can I have?" And make me guess.
- Or if she has a particular thing she wants to do (go outside), she'll ask, "What can I do?" If I respond with something other than what she had in mind, "You can look at a book." She'll whine and say, "Nooooo." I have to keep guessing until I figure it out.

This goes on all day. If I try to get out of it, and throw the question back at her, she just repeats it again. She doesn't realize it's a very exhausting game... in fact, I don't know if she realizes what she's doing at all. Strange, huh? I guess she'll grow out of it. She's had other language curiosities. When she was just learning to talk she called herself "Tita" and always spoke about herself in the 3rd person.

worship

2009-11-04T23:19:00.000-05:00

It's easy as a Christian to slip into default mode... that is, to pursue only whatever part of following Jesus that comes somewhat easily to you. For some it may be studying or acts of service. For me, it's application scripture and exhortation. I like a verse that I can take and do something with. Check it off my list, you know... and then feel good about.

"Cast your cares on the Lord." Okay!
"Be patient; bear with one another in love." Got it.
"Do not let the sun go down on your anger." I'll stay up, no problem.

I realize trying to do all of those things in my own strength is not just ridiculous and impossible; but it relies on my strength and personal goodness. Which, let's face it, falls a little short. Or a lot.

Once upon a time, my life's motto was Philippians 3:10, which oddly enough is one of the books full of exhortation! Verse 9 sets the stage by calling people like me out with, "not having any self-achieved righteousness that can be called my own..." Hello, Shannon?!?!

The Amplified version for Philippians 3:10 is this:
For my determined purpose is that I may know Him. That I may progressively become more intimately acquainted with Him; perceiving and recognizing and understanding the wonders of His person more strongly and more clearly....

This is where I've been for about a week now. Totally stuck on this verse. And in worship. Because to KNOW Him is to LOVE Him and that results in WORSHIP. It all just goes together. So, here are some of my current favorite songs that have helped me refocus on Jesus. Who He is, what He's already done for me, and some raw unfiltered awe, too.

How He Loves by JohnMark McMillan
Revelation Song by Gateway Worship
You're Beautiful by Phil Wickham

Diggin' my new handwriting font?

2009-10-23T22:17:00.002-04:00

I found this great site the other day: kevinandamanda.com

She can take your handwriting and make it into a font, for FREE! Hasn't anyone told her that nothing is free these days?

My handwriting is too sloppy to use, so I just found someone else's that I like! I downloaded a few for random use, but she gives a tutorial if you want to change the standard fonts that come on your blog template. As for the header, we don't have Photoshop anymore so I made it in Keynote. I guess it worked pretty well; but it's not perfect.

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All this was a very welcome diversion to dealing with Acacia's 104 degree (underarm!) fever today!!! She's having a reaction to the vaccinations she got on Tuesday, poor thing. Downside- she's sick. Upside- she's very snuggly and cuddly and she took an excellent nap today, which almost never happens anymore.

THIS is the day the Lord has made?

2009-10-23T22:08:00.001-04:00

I will rejoice? And be glad in it?

I should be folding this pile of laundry and then going to bed. Are those the same clothes in that pile that I've washed, folded, and put away a gajillion times?

I've been a bit grumpy lately. The crying, the whining, the poopy diapers, the micro-naps, the laundry, the I-can't-get-to-anything-because-Jackson-keeps-sticking-his-hands-in-the-toilet, and the cleaning... oh the cleaning.

I haven't been blogging much partly because of my grumpiness and partly because I got Acacia this new movie, The Letter Factory, by Leap Frog and I've been letting her watch it on what was once my computer. It's worth it, though. Great movie; I highly recommend it. She can tell you what every letter is and what sound it makes.

I did manage to squeeze in some DESPERATE time with God the other evening and you know what... sometimes He's just waiting to give us the boost we need. I'm trying to work my way through the Psalms and I just *happened* to come across this awesome verse when I needed to hear it the most:

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,

who daily bears our burdens.

Psalm 68:19

I guess I just needed a little perspective, a gentle reminder of His love, an encouraging word, and maybe even a "check yourself, honey". This IS the day that the Lord has made... I WILL rejoice and be glad in it!

jackson: 9 months

2009-10-20T22:42:00.004-04:00

He's doing great. He's sort of a big guy, but normal as far as percentile goes. He weighs 20 lbs and he's starting to stretch out a little. He eats 3 meals of baby food a day and still nurses, but his pediatrician said I can start weaning him. He hasn't been sleeping very well for the last two weeks. I don't know if it's teething or what. To his credit, he did a little better yesterday and today.

He is a very active crawler, and he likes to stand up alot. I've caught him standing on his own before and sometimes see him creep along the side of the couch, but if I point it out he gives me this huge grin and then crawls over to me and wants me to pick him up. He LOVES being held and snuggling; although he's not into unfamiliar faces these days. He chases Acacia around the house and when he finally catches her he tackles her and snuggles. It's awesome. They both crack up.

I told someone today that I was ready for Jackson to walk; she reminded me that once he learns, he'll probably start running; which means I'll be chasing him. I guess I should remember to enjoy each stage as it comes. I remember that once Acacia learned how to walk she wanted less and less snuggle time. I dug up an old shot of Acacia from when she was 9 months; do you think they look alike?

update on my dirty hippie hair

2009-10-11T21:35:00.002-04:00

Well, I think I went 4 weeks without shampooing; which is a few weeks shy of hitting the official hippie mark. My hair never became dreads... though I have always secretly liked them. This is not me; but what beautiful locks, no?!

I don't know exactly how long I lasted between washes because when I wrote the original post I *think* it had been about a week; but I'm not exactly sure. After Acacia poured the vinegar in her bath I never refilled that squirt bottle. I just used the baking soda rinse. Baking soda mixed with water doesn't clean your hair. Maybe if I'd stuck to the vinegar rinse it would have helped.

It was fine for the first two weeks, but that last one was kinda gross. I tried to make do with some new homemade goats milk soap; but it didn't help. My hair was never noticeably oily, it just felt dirty. So I broke down and shampooed this weekend. And I loved every minute of that detergent fizzing up in my hair.

I think I'll stick to my original plan which is to go as long as possible between washes (a week or so), and then when I wash to use a natural shampoo of some sort. Oh, and get a HAIRCUT sometime soon.

Sukkot! and other Mills happenings

2009-10-06T22:17:00.006-04:00

Last Friday at sundown began my favorite Jewish holiday... Sukkot, which is sometimes referred to as the Feast of Tabernacles, Feast of Booths, or the Feast of Ingathering. It's a little like our Thanksgiving but oh so much more!

Anyway, we built our sukkah (hut) this year for the first time. Well, we sort of built one... we used our carport and decorated it. We had an awesome time munching on homemade pizza (every Friday night is homemade pizza night at the Mills' house) and sharing what we are thankful for and marvelling at how God has provided for us. We got most of our information from the book "The Feasts of the Lord", if you're interested.

Here's some brief points of interest:
There is obviously the symbolism of God dwelling with us as the people would dwell in tents in and around Jerusalem for the week.

During Sukkot there is a water drawing ceremony (water poured onto the altar as a sacrifice) and a lighting ceremony (temple light up with torches). It was during those ceremonies that Jesus proclaimed that He Himself is "Living Water" and if anyone is thirsty they can come to Him. He also said that He is the "Light of the World".

Sukkot was often referred to as THE feast. The big one. Kind of like how we see Christmas. And you know what we do at Christmas, right? Spend ourselves into a frenzy of gift buying and decorating and all sorts of wild activity and indulge. Nothing new under the sun... this is the holiday when Jesus cleared the temple of all the vendors camped out in the courtyard that was meant for non-Jews to come and pray to God.
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In other news, parts of the house are shaping up, thankfully. Here's the sort-of finished dining room/ multi-purpose family room.

My favorite parts are:

1. The grey walls, of course. And they way the grey and brown and white go together!!!

2. The awesome white metal pendant light fixture I scored at the ghetto thrift store for next to nothing.

3. The magnetic chalkboard with my huge calendar. Be warned, though. If you are planning on painting a chalkboard make sure the surface is smooth (yes, like a real chalkboard) or the chalk won't write very well. Imagine writing on a sidewalk versus writing on a real chalkboard.

4. Having space for all the leaves of our table.

5. Another major thrift score. That perfect fold tray wooden high chair that matches our dining chairs perfectly. It's great because Acacia can climb up and down easily but won't fall out if she's squirming. And, I can stick Jackson in it while I'm cooking and let him hang in the kitchen with me to make sure he doesn't stick his tongue in the outlet or try to get in the toilet... both of which I've seen him try.

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And finally... Jackson is making the cutest scrunched face smile these days.

see... cloth diapering really does pay!

2009-09-29T13:19:00.003-04:00

Done deal!

Sold all my cloth diapers on ebay last week (Newborn Kissaluvs, Bummis wraps, one wool pull up, Under the Nile fitteds; in case you were curious), and made some pretty good money. Sunday night Braj and I, along with the little ones, headed over to the Apple store and took the plunge.

Me to salseman Joe: Two iPhones, please.
Joe: You know the apps are incredible... (trailed off)
Me: Do they have any that babysit?
Joe: No.
Me: What about laundry or dishes?
Joe: No.
Me: Change diapers?
Joe: No.

Oh well, maybe in a few years.

First things for my new iphone?
1. Make it Shannon-proof. Kids will get a hold of it. I will drop it. It will get tossed around in my gargantuan diaper bag. I don't care if it is the sleekest thing around, I just want to not be afraid to use it. So I got an Otterbox Defender online. You can find them for around $28.

2. Cool apps. I'm not ready to buy any because I'm still getting the hang of this thing. But here's the apps I have so far. PLEASE fill me in on any other great ones you know of or ones your kids like. Especially helpful are the ones to help me manage the home/food stuff.
- shazam
- pandora
- white noise lite
- mini piano
- doodle buddy
- crock pot recipes
- planets (acacia loves spinning the earth with her little fingers)
- mark on call (interior design)
- calvary radio
- urban spoon

fish in a pickle dish

2009-09-24T22:48:00.003-04:00

Acacia poured my vinegar mixture into her bath water tonight and drank a sip of my baking soda "shampoo"; then asked, "Ewww... what's in my mouth?" Don't worry, I haven't given up. Just a minor set back.

Phyllis, the saying has become true... she is a fish in a pickle dish now.

you always new I was a dirty hippie...

2009-09-21T21:05:00.002-04:00

I don't know if any of you saw the link on Simple Mom yesterday, but her title, "How to Clean Your Hair Without Shampoo" caught my attention.

The truth is, I only shampoo my hair about once a week and condition it every other week... so shampoo free isn't exactly a huge change for me. I just knew that my hair does better on the days I don't wash it; but I felt like I had to wash occasionally just to not be gross. Now I know there is an alternative!

You just mix about a tablespoon of baking soda in a squirt bottle filled with water. That's it. Your new shampoo! That should last you close to a week if you wash daily.

Want a conditioner... another squirt bottle. This one has a tablespoon of vinegar and fill the rest with water. I added some lavender oil so I don't come out smelling like a pickle. Okay, I added lavender, bergamont, cedarwood, & balsam peru (one of my favorite combinations!)

****************

If you are thinking, "Shannon, I knew you we're 'natural' but GROSS!" That's okay. Let me tell you my philospohy behind all things natural/green/organic/earthy.

If it is cheap, hassle-free, easy to maintain, and doesn't complicate my life, I'll try it.
If it smells good, that's a bonus.

*I recycle because it means less trash I have to take out.
* I don't use hair/skin products because the good ones are expensive, and the cheap ones smell funny, and nothing really works anyway.
* I don't shop organic because it's so much more expensive; and dairy cows are no longer treated with growth hormones or antibiotics, and I rinse all my produce in Veggie Wash anyway.
* I do lots of baking with the fresh ground flour, but we buy sandwich bread at the grocery because it's cheap and it's easier for sammies.
* I use the Ergo because it helps me get things done even when Jackson is fussy, and it's easier on my back that holding him on one hip; not because I like carrying around a 20 lb. baby.
* I wear skirts because they are cooler in this heat.
* I breastfeed because it's less hassle than dealing with bottles, and it's free.
* I have natural births (HAD, I mean) because I dig the challenge, and it's cheaper and I love my midwife.
* I have containers of various seed pods, rocks, feathers and things because they make me happy and some even have great stories.
* I keep my locks long and wild because I look silly with short hair and I don't know what other choices I have. Besides I like it long and wild, even if it is frizzy sometimes. And maybe this baking soda/ vinegar will work!

You can call me a dirty hippie if you want, or a granola, a crunchy mama, a moonbeam, whatever. But you have to try the baking soda/vinegar rinse first.

bringing home the bacon

2009-09-20T15:41:00.004-04:00

Sometimes stay-at-home moms want to help contribute to the family income. Especially if there is something specific to contribute to... um, like an iphone or something. Just a random example.

Okay, it's not random. Braj and I both need new phones, ours are both barely still working and over 2 years old (which is ancient in cell phone world). BUT, we're still on our Dave Ramsey budget and there's no extra for cell phones right now.

So, am I going back to teaching? Or a part time barista? Holding a day care in my home? Stuffing direct mail marketing pieces? Nope... I'm selling all my cloth diapers on ebay. They've all already been bid on, so we'll see how much bacon I can bring home by next Friday!

So long cloth diapering, and good riddance. I'll take my Kirkland's signature diapers from Costco, thanks!

Acacia, about 8 months old. Posing with her first package of diposables.

but still so much left to do

2009-09-16T08:28:00.004-04:00

We managed to get one coat of paint up in the Florida room and that's about where our house projects stopped. No, I take that back... Braj also hooked up our backyard with the coolest playhouse w/ swings... and I did some very minor gardening. It's just sooooo hard to get to anything else. My mind is flooded with all the "needs". Monday night after getting the kids down I scampered around the house cleaning up and folding the never ending pile of laundry while my mind was just reeling with a huge to-do list for this weekend.

1. second coat of paint
2. paint the ceiling, too (the creamy yellow is awful with our cool new grey)
3. install thrift store score barn pendant light fixture over dining table
4. ikea bookshelves on either side of daybed
5. curtains up in kids room and our room
6. mirror in the bathroom
7. at least a few things hung on the walls
etc., etc., etc.

I nearly drove myself mad! I laid back and this verse from Jeremiah came to me:

"They have forsaken Me – the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all."

Ahhhhhh! I have become enslaved to my perceived needs which continue to pile up and demand more from me. I think I'll trade that in for some Living Water today; and be refreshed instead.

I can deal with a creamy yellow ceiling a little while longer... but the curtains, now there's another story.

conversation

2009-09-13T20:15:00.004-04:00

... over dinner tonight:

acacia: I need a napkin.
papa: Here you go, honey.
(acacia wipes hands and mouth and gives used napkin back to papa)
papa: Hmm, I don't know why you're giving it back to me...
acacia: Because I'm kind.

in the bathtub (to her koi bath fish):
acacia: Now listen, it's very important that you drink this water. Okay? Do you understand? Okay! (fish swims) Are you making a good choice? Good job!

these are the days

2009-09-11T23:34:00.007-04:00

Princess Tea Party:
We had some friends over for a no-specific-reason princess tea party (thanks Chels! Great idea!) A huge cookie with rainbow sprinkles, pink milk, ballet clothes and Acacia's new set of "butterfly wings" given to her by the 10 & 12 year old brothers that do our lawn.

Poor Jackson, totally outnumbered.
He wound up just sucking his toes for awhile and finally decided he'd rather take a nap. Which brings me to #2:

Sleep Training:
Jackson's sleep habits we're totally out of control. He wouldn't nap at all, he wanted to stay up until 11 at night. Then he'd crash every time we were in the car or if I was carrying him in the ergo at the market. He and Acacia were sharing a room and keeping each other up. It was awful. So, I borrowed a friend's Pack N Play and set it up in our extra large closet and that is Jackson's new home. He's napping pretty good and sleeping much better at night now. We did have to Ferberize though. Poor, sweet, precious kid. I hated hearing him cry but it was over after 2 nights and he's much happier now.

We're leaving super early in the morning to go with a group of teenagers from the church to a big Christian concert in Orlando. Should be fun. We've got the coolest group of kids going; I'm so excited to spend some time with them, a few sibling groups and a few solo teens. I think there will be about 8-10 total.

perspective

2009-09-02T13:38:00.003-04:00

A sink full of dirty dishes:

a sign that you've been working hard all day

...or...

just more work to be done