Technically, he's a preschooler now that he celebrated his 3rd birthday, but Klaus is still having difficulty with making it to the potty, so he feels like a toddler to me.
Here are some words to describe this past Sunday morning's adventure. We were just getting ready for church!
Me: Dressing, hair styling, makeup applying, primping.
Klaus: Pooping (no diaper on, not even underwear on, just long footed pajamas--can we say GROSS?!?!), crying, bathing, washing, rinsing, and washing again.
Klaus: Drying, digging (for church clothes, that is), dressing (in underwear).
Me: Packing bags, selecting proper church footwear (for three daughters), hair-doing, teeth brushing, snack preparing.
Klaus: Peeing (in his church clothes!), apologizing, undressing, digging (for church clothes AGAIN!), unpacking bags to find diaper necessities.
Me: Helping children, avoiding meltdowns, finding (him, on the kitchen counter, pouring honey into the mixing bowl), dripping sticky, feeling tired, watching the clock, recognizing we are going to be late, sinking into despair, holding back tears, talking it out, rising above it and NOT letting it get me down.
Klaus: Washing hands, washing face, washing clothes, undressing (AGAIN!), digging for more clothes, dressing (AGAIN!), putting on shoes and coat.
Me: Repacking bags, finishing touches, collecting children, smiling as we FINALLY get out the door! Feeling proud that for such a busy morning there was no yelling, no being snappy, no crying (on my part). Phew!
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Resolutions.
I like making New Year's Resolutions. They are goals. And goals are good! To the people who pooh pooh resolutions, I say pooh on you! (Not really, I would never really say that).
In 2012 I lost 35 pounds because I committed to reaching my goal. In 2013 I lost 5 more of those pesky pounds that stuck so tightly to my middle. I broke the 120-pound mark which had been an unbreakable threshold for so long. My family and I also reached the 1-year-mark of eating almost completely vegan.
Last fall a friend from church challenged our young women to list a particular number of goals to reach before their next birthday. The particular number was one less than their future age in years. For example, a girl turning 15 on her next birthday would make a list, "14 things I want to do before I turn 15." Well, since I am a goal-lover and list-maker (and had no kids in the room to distract me), I took up the challenge myself. I had to admit to everyone there my age and show them my list, "35 things to accomplish before I turn 36!" I think I was the oldest one in the room! Weird! My deadline: Dec. 15.
Here's my list:
1. Sew cloth napkins.
2. Fix the minivan.
3. Reach Phase 4 of Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live program.
4. Surprise Matt.
5. Finish the 4 Standard Works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price).
6. Follow the Spirit.
7. Watch Les Miserables, the new one.
8. Read "The Strait Path."
9. Paint my fingernails green.
10. Play tennis.
11. Dig 2 more garden beds.
12. Reach 115 pounds!
13. Run a 6-minute mile (this was amended to: run an 8-minute mile!)
14. Practice 1 hymn on the piano to perfection.
15. Be joyful.
16. Have a YW Dance Party.
17. Straighten my hair.
18. Finish "Christlike Parenting" by Glenn Latham.
19. Talk with Matt about Christ.
20. Date with Kian.
21. Date with Abby.
22. Date with Ella.
23. Date with Felicity.
24. Buy new diapers (this was amended to: potty train Klaus).
25. Invite someone over.
26. Give more hugs.
27. Do a Personal Progress goal.
28. Listen to classical music.
29. Give a talk at church.
30. Organize family photos.
31. Go to a party.
32. Go to the temple.
33. Blog about the kids 2 times.
34. Enjoy exercise!
35. Don't eat Halloween candy.
I am happy to report I reached 28 of those goals. It took some planning and diligence. I wouldn't have accomplished that many things if I hadn't made the list of goals. That's one reason why goals are good! And can I just say that "Les Miserables" is SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!? I LOVED it! All the time I was avoiding watching it beforehand so that I wouldn't cry during the movie was just missed opportunities for the soundtrack to play in my head.
Okay, back to resolutions.
I've been thinking that for 2014 I need to make some big ones. I feel like I can accomplish something really grand, something amazing, something BIG! I have learned this past year that I still really enjoy running, not fast running, but long distance running. Maybe I could train for a half-marathon like my sister, Anaise, might be doing.
Another thought that has crossed my mind quite a few times is committing to eating healthy every moment of every day. Sometimes I'll let myself eat a homemade cookie with white sugar and flour even though I know I shouldn't. Sometimes I'll eat some semisweet chocolate chips even though I know they really aren't good for me. Even the "healthy" microwave popcorn is still cooked in oil which I know isn't good for me either. So I could commit to enjoying foods from the following food groups (and nothing else): fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and unrefined sweeteners (like dates and honey). That is how I eat 95% of the time now, but this would be committing to eating that way 100% of the time. I could do it, I know that I can.
Another goal I am committed to already is updating our family's photo albums. I haven't scrapbooked since Abby was a baby! Gulp! I've got A LOT of work to do. I could do it in 2014. I will do it!
What are your goals for 2014? And if you're a resolution-hater, just keep your thoughts to yourself!
In 2012 I lost 35 pounds because I committed to reaching my goal. In 2013 I lost 5 more of those pesky pounds that stuck so tightly to my middle. I broke the 120-pound mark which had been an unbreakable threshold for so long. My family and I also reached the 1-year-mark of eating almost completely vegan.
Last fall a friend from church challenged our young women to list a particular number of goals to reach before their next birthday. The particular number was one less than their future age in years. For example, a girl turning 15 on her next birthday would make a list, "14 things I want to do before I turn 15." Well, since I am a goal-lover and list-maker (and had no kids in the room to distract me), I took up the challenge myself. I had to admit to everyone there my age and show them my list, "35 things to accomplish before I turn 36!" I think I was the oldest one in the room! Weird! My deadline: Dec. 15.
Here's my list:
1. Sew cloth napkins.
2. Fix the minivan.
3. Reach Phase 4 of Joel Fuhrman's Eat to Live program.
4. Surprise Matt.
5. Finish the 4 Standard Works (Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price).
6. Follow the Spirit.
7. Watch Les Miserables, the new one.
8. Read "The Strait Path."
9. Paint my fingernails green.
10. Play tennis.
11. Dig 2 more garden beds.
12. Reach 115 pounds!
13. Run a 6-minute mile (this was amended to: run an 8-minute mile!)
14. Practice 1 hymn on the piano to perfection.
15. Be joyful.
16. Have a YW Dance Party.
17. Straighten my hair.
18. Finish "Christlike Parenting" by Glenn Latham.
19. Talk with Matt about Christ.
20. Date with Kian.
21. Date with Abby.
22. Date with Ella.
23. Date with Felicity.
24. Buy new diapers (this was amended to: potty train Klaus).
25. Invite someone over.
26. Give more hugs.
27. Do a Personal Progress goal.
28. Listen to classical music.
29. Give a talk at church.
30. Organize family photos.
31. Go to a party.
32. Go to the temple.
33. Blog about the kids 2 times.
34. Enjoy exercise!
35. Don't eat Halloween candy.
I am happy to report I reached 28 of those goals. It took some planning and diligence. I wouldn't have accomplished that many things if I hadn't made the list of goals. That's one reason why goals are good! And can I just say that "Les Miserables" is SO AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL AND WONDERFUL!? I LOVED it! All the time I was avoiding watching it beforehand so that I wouldn't cry during the movie was just missed opportunities for the soundtrack to play in my head.
Okay, back to resolutions.
I've been thinking that for 2014 I need to make some big ones. I feel like I can accomplish something really grand, something amazing, something BIG! I have learned this past year that I still really enjoy running, not fast running, but long distance running. Maybe I could train for a half-marathon like my sister, Anaise, might be doing.
Another thought that has crossed my mind quite a few times is committing to eating healthy every moment of every day. Sometimes I'll let myself eat a homemade cookie with white sugar and flour even though I know I shouldn't. Sometimes I'll eat some semisweet chocolate chips even though I know they really aren't good for me. Even the "healthy" microwave popcorn is still cooked in oil which I know isn't good for me either. So I could commit to enjoying foods from the following food groups (and nothing else): fruits, veggies, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and unrefined sweeteners (like dates and honey). That is how I eat 95% of the time now, but this would be committing to eating that way 100% of the time. I could do it, I know that I can.
Another goal I am committed to already is updating our family's photo albums. I haven't scrapbooked since Abby was a baby! Gulp! I've got A LOT of work to do. I could do it in 2014. I will do it!
What are your goals for 2014? And if you're a resolution-hater, just keep your thoughts to yourself!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
What we're thankful for about each other
We're reading quotes, poems and scriptures about thankfulness during homeschool. We're having FOH lessons about gratitude (that's our family's acronym for Family Night; when Kian was younger he called it "Family O'Hevening.") We're hearing talks at church about Christlike love, service and gratitude. And we're soon going to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, Thanksgiving! So tonight at FOH when it was my turn to give a lesson I wanted the kids to recognize that they are one of Matt and my most blessed gifts. After reminding them verbally that we love their unique selves and that they are what Matt and I thank Heavenly Father for each night in our prayers, we played a game where we anonymously wrote what we appreciate about each other and then I read them aloud. Here are our thankful responses. You can probably tell who wrote what.
Daddy: His funniness. Being loving. How he accepts us as we are. His school. His majesty's usefulness. Working hard.
Mommy: Her happiness. Being kind. That she does laundry every day. Her work. Her queenly cooking. Selfless service.
Kian: His crazyness. His computerness. How he is growing up to be a responsible young man. His babysitting. His technological aspect. Intelligence and righteousness.
Abby: Her giggles. Her compassion. Her lovely, musical singing voice. Her Barbies. Her ability to not be constantly yelling. Her way with writing words to create fantastic stories.
Ella: Her crazyness. Being myself. Generously sharing her snacks with family and friends. Her kindness. Her ability to share snacks. Her playful manner.
Felicity: Her red hair. Her helpfulness. She is trying hard to learn to read even though sometimes it is boring. She's a good cleaner. How she's a good sister. Her beautiful red hair.
Klaus: That he is a baby. His cuteness. When he sings his loudest. His laugh. His Thomas movies. His love of trains and silliness.
What we love about the world: It's animals. It's bigness. Living in the country and breathing pure air. I live on it. That global warming doesn't progress too fast. Opportunities to learn and grow.
What we love about the gospel: Jesus Christ. It's wisdom. God answers sincere prayers! Jesus Christ. That it is relatively easy to understand. We can serve and become more like Jesus.
Bonus response to unprompted category "Possible future resident:" That it is not a man-eating giant. ??? (What can I say? He's 12).
Then we made a Family Fun Night jar with 52 ideas written on popsicle sticks for fun activities to do together each weekend. Ideas like:
* Watch Mom's favorite movie when she was a kid
* Craft Night
* Ding Dong Ditch
* Invite somone over who is lonely or elderly and play games
* Play Bananagrams
* Ella's choice
* Write life lists
* Dance Party
* Game Night with friends
* Build a blanket fort
* Make a family movie
* Build a train track using ALL of our train track pieces
Thinking about trains... Here are some pictures from this summer when my family visited some park in some state between here and Utah (Nebraska?). It had a train we could explore so Klaus was really happy! And we got to ride the train with Auntie Sara and Grandma Randi to Salt Lake City!
Daddy: His funniness. Being loving. How he accepts us as we are. His school. His majesty's usefulness. Working hard.
Mommy: Her happiness. Being kind. That she does laundry every day. Her work. Her queenly cooking. Selfless service.
Kian: His crazyness. His computerness. How he is growing up to be a responsible young man. His babysitting. His technological aspect. Intelligence and righteousness.
Abby: Her giggles. Her compassion. Her lovely, musical singing voice. Her Barbies. Her ability to not be constantly yelling. Her way with writing words to create fantastic stories.
Ella: Her crazyness. Being myself. Generously sharing her snacks with family and friends. Her kindness. Her ability to share snacks. Her playful manner.
Felicity: Her red hair. Her helpfulness. She is trying hard to learn to read even though sometimes it is boring. She's a good cleaner. How she's a good sister. Her beautiful red hair.
Klaus: That he is a baby. His cuteness. When he sings his loudest. His laugh. His Thomas movies. His love of trains and silliness.
What we love about the world: It's animals. It's bigness. Living in the country and breathing pure air. I live on it. That global warming doesn't progress too fast. Opportunities to learn and grow.
What we love about the gospel: Jesus Christ. It's wisdom. God answers sincere prayers! Jesus Christ. That it is relatively easy to understand. We can serve and become more like Jesus.
Bonus response to unprompted category "Possible future resident:" That it is not a man-eating giant. ??? (What can I say? He's 12).
Then we made a Family Fun Night jar with 52 ideas written on popsicle sticks for fun activities to do together each weekend. Ideas like:
* Watch Mom's favorite movie when she was a kid
* Craft Night
* Ding Dong Ditch
* Invite somone over who is lonely or elderly and play games
* Play Bananagrams
* Ella's choice
* Write life lists
* Dance Party
* Game Night with friends
* Build a blanket fort
* Make a family movie
* Build a train track using ALL of our train track pieces
Thinking about trains... Here are some pictures from this summer when my family visited some park in some state between here and Utah (Nebraska?). It had a train we could explore so Klaus was really happy! And we got to ride the train with Auntie Sara and Grandma Randi to Salt Lake City!
Thursday, November 7, 2013
A glimpse of a story...
As I was turning off the computer tonight before going to bed, I noticed Microsoft Word was open to the newest addition of a story Abby has been writing. I really got a kick out of it and thought y'all might enjoy it too.
Chapter Two
Alexander
I glared across the battlefield. I could see my opponent. I
snarled the name: Poppy. I never wanted to fight but Poppy decided to ignore my
answer. I did not want to surrender and be a coward! I would fight. But for
what? Poppy never told me what he wanted to fight over. Then I saw her. Oh, she
was so pretty. I did not know what made Abigail come out on to the battle
field, but what ever made her do it gave Poppy the upper hand. He jabbed his
sword into my forehead. Blood streamed down from my forehead. I clutched at my
forehead and stumbled away. The pain was unbearable. I could not stand it. Oh,
how my forehead hurt. One of my men helped me back towards the edge of the
battle field. My healer dragged me into his tent, and started to put water on
my wound to clear the blood away. I moaned in pain. One of my soldiers guarded the
entrance. “Let us pass.” An angry voice said, and Abigail came running inside.
She kneeled down right next to me. She stroked my hair, and whispered my name. “Abigail?”
I could not say any more. “Oh, Alexander. Will you ever stop loving me?”
Abigail whispered, with a smile. I shook my head. Abigail took my hand and
kissed it. “I love you.” She said.
What drama! And romance! And bloodshed!!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
My talk in church today
Here's the text of a talk I delivered today in church.
“Lift up your hearts in praise to God;
Let your rejoicings never cease.
Though tribulations rage abroad,
Christ says, “In me ye shall have peace.”
Eliza R. Snow
Is this really possible?
Do you find peace in Jesus Christ when your “tribulations rage abroad?” Or in my case, when Klaus, my 2-year-old son,
rages in the house and yard, do I find peace?
One Sunday morning I was getting all the kids and myself
ready for church (which is no easy task), when Klaus found my makeup bag and
decorated himself with my mascara! I
don’t think I was praising God and rejoicing at that moment. After I had cleaned up the mess and gotten
him ready for church the second time, the kids then told me he was splashing
through mud puddles. I certainly felt he
was a tribulation! But, if I remember
correctly, I did eventually get him cleaned up and we did arrive at church
eventually. But I do think we sat in the
foyer for the rest of the meeting so I could cool off.
I bring this up because I’m a busy mom! I am also a wife, a homemaker, a
homeschooler, a library worker, a YW leader, a gospel learner, a cook, etc.,
etc. When Bishop Jameson asked me to
give a talk on personal peace and peace in our families, I knew I
was going to learn more from preparing the talk than you will learn from
hearing it.
I needed to know how I could obtain peace when I felt so
busy, so frazzled, and sometimes exhausted.
And personal revelation did come! And it came at the strangest moment. Picture me in the cold garage yesterday
morning vacuuming out my crumb-filled car, pondering the list of chores on my
to-do list for the day and also considering writing my talk that evening and
how I could apply the words I had studied about peace to me at that very
moment, when the understanding and the aha moment came to me and filled my eyes
with tears. I had to wipe my noise on my
sweatshirt and I scrambled to write down my feelings on the only thing I could
find which was a wrinkled postcard from my kids’ Highlights magazine!
And here’s what I discovered! (Read from actual postcard): Peace doesn’t
come from being perfect. Or doing
everything right. We’ll never be perfect
ourselves. Peace comes from knowing our
Savior. Peace comes from following His
example. Peace comes from faithfully
believing Him, studying His word and living His gospel.
What will it take for you to know Him? Do you need to study His word? Meditate?
Serve others? Commit more
fully? Testify of Him? Remember Him?
Teach your children of Him? Pray
more faithfully?
Whatever it is you need to do, just do what it takes to know
Him as your Savior. And you’ll have
peace. Jesus Christ is the key. It’s not--do more yoga for inner peace. It’s not--become financially secure for
personal peace. These two things are
worthy and good and I try to accomplish them.
But the key is Christ. And
knowing Him.
Elder Holland stated: Christ and His angels and His prophets
forever labor to buoy up our spirits, steady our nerves, calm our hearts, send
us forth with renewed strength and resolute hope. They wish all to know that “if God be for us,
who can be against us?” In the world we
shall have tribulation, but we are to be of good cheer. Christ has overcome the world. Through His suffering and His obedience He
has earned and rightly bears the crown of “Prince of Peace.”
(Read from other side of postcard): Can we have peace when we’re so busy? Yes, we can live full lives and be busy but
we need to remember Christ, to know our Savior.
If our schedule is too full of one certain kind of thing, we can get out
of balance and forget the spiritual side.
We need to always come back to Christ.
Remember Him when we’re busy. For
example, we can study our scriptures before doing our daily homework. Or read our scriptures before reading for
pleasure or going online. Or when we’ve
got troubles or struggles or problems, we turn in prayer to Heavenly Father
first before talking to all of our friends about our problem.
Elder Holland, “I know that in times of fear or fatigue,
‘they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up
with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk,
and not faint.’
We receive the gift of such majestic might and sanctifying
renewal through the redeeming grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. He has overcome the world, and if we will
take upon us His name and ‘walk in His paths’ and keep our covenants with Him,
we shall, ere long, have peace. Such a
reward is not only possible; it is certain.”
I know that peace. I
have felt it at special moments in my life like at my daughter’s baptism last
night when I saw my cheerful, beautiful girl radiate happiness and
maturity. I’ve felt it at insignificant
times in my normal daily activities when I have desperately pleaded for more
patience and joy in parenthood. I have
felt it. I have felt the Lord give me
pause before disciplining a child and His Spirit always reminds me that this
child is His child too and that I must treat him or her with tenderness and
eternal patience. These thoughts came
from the Lord because I asked for it because I needed it.
In my last few minutes, I wish to read from another of Elder
Holland’s conference classics called, “The Tongue of Angels” in which he
reminds us to be always aware of the powerful effect of our words on our family
members.
“Negative
speaking so often flows from negative thinking,
including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or
at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see
everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or
happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.
I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: “The spirit of the gospel
is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The
opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the
dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.” 6 We should honor the Savior’s declaration to “be of good cheer.” 7 (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that
commandment than almost any other!) Speak hopefully. Speak encouragingly,
including about yourself. Try not to complain and moan incessantly. As someone
once said, “Even in the golden age of civilization someone undoubtedly grumbled
that everything looked too yellow.”
I have a tendency to talk this way and I recognize that and
I know I can change. One way that helps
is that I’ve put a picture of Laela Christensen on my bathroom mirror including
her mantra which was, “I choose to be happy.”
I see this several times a day as I go in and out of my bathroom and it
helps to snap me out of my negative thinking and recognize the innumerable
blessings I receive through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It turns my heart from selfishness to
gratitude.
Elder
Holland: “Husbands you have been entrusted with the most sacred gift
God can give you—a wife, a daughter of God, the mother of your children who has
voluntarily given herself to you for love and joyful companionship. Think of
the kind things you said when you were courting, think of the blessings you
have given with hands placed lovingly upon her head, think of yourself and of
her as the god and goddess you both inherently are, and then reflect on other
moments characterized by cold, caustic, unbridled words. Given the damage that
can be done with our tongues, little wonder the Savior said, “Not that which
goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth,
this defileth a man.” 5 A husband who would never dream of striking his wife physically can
break, if not her bones, then certainly her heart by the brutality of
thoughtless or unkind speech.
In that same spirit we speak to the sisters as well, for the sin of
verbal abuse knows no gender. Wives, what of the unbridled tongue in your
mouth, of the power for good or ill in your words? How is it that such a
lovely voice which by divine nature is so angelic, so close to the veil, so
instinctively gentle and inherently kind could ever in a turn be so shrill, so
biting, so acrid and untamed? A woman’s words can be more piercing than any
dagger ever forged, and they can drive the people they love to retreat beyond a
barrier more distant than anyone in the beginning of that exchange could ever
have imagined. Sisters, there is no place in that magnificent spirit of yours
for acerbic or abrasive expression of any kind, including gossip or backbiting
or catty remarks. Let it never be said of our home or our ward or our
neighborhood that “the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity … [burning] among
our members.”
May I expand this counsel to make it a full family matter. We must be so careful in speaking to a child. What we say or
don’t say, how we say it and when is so very, very important in shaping a
child’s view of himself or herself. But it is even more important in shaping
that child’s faith in us and their faith in God. Be constructive in your
comments to a child—always. Never tell them, even in whimsy, that they are fat
or dumb or lazy or homely. You would never do that maliciously, but they
remember and may struggle for years trying to forget—and to forgive. And try
not to compare your children, even if you think you are skillful at it. You may
say most positively that “Susan is pretty and Sandra is bright,” but all Susan
will remember is that she isn’t bright and Sandra that she isn’t pretty. Praise
each child individually for what that child is, and help him or her escape our
culture’s obsession with comparing, competing, and never feeling we are enough.”
In this month’s Ensign magazine, there is an article about a family
from South Africa who received the gospel and how it changed their lives. The father of the family is quoted, “Because
of the teachings of the gospel, I never lose my temper. Sometimes there are provocations, but the
gospel is in my heart, in my head, and in my spirit. It helps me stay calm.”
I’ve written this talk for my personal growth.
I’m thankful that we all have the opportunity to obtain peace by following
our Savior’s example. In the name of
Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Summer is my favorite!
We are halfway through summer! Technically, summer only began 9 days ago on June 21st and shouldn't end until September, but here in Missouri school gets out near the end of May and starts back up mid-August which means our family only has about 6 weeks left of summer.
June was so busy for our family that the month flew by. I worked a lot more hours than normal at the library because Matt was off work and could take care of things at home. It was so strange for me to work four 8-hour days in one week! It gave me a good understanding of how Matt must feel being away from home all day and how good it feels to come home. I just wanted to come home, eat some dinner with the family and then REST after a long day. Of course, it never happens that way with 5 kids in the house and each of them have several questions for me and there are diapers to change and sheets to wash and chores to do, etc, etc.
Working so many hours has also made me more grateful for the AMAZING husband I married. What I have always appreciated about Matt is how he never criticizes me if the house isn't tidy when he gets home from work or if dinner isn't ready he doesn't complain impatiently but instead happily waits for it to be ready. He never judges me; he is always supportive. But the first day I came home from working an 8 to 5 shift and dinner wasn't ready when I got home (and I was so hungry for dinner!), I was so angry and disappointed that I cried! Matt had left a few minutes before I got home to attend a Boy Scout meeting and do the grocery shopping in St. Joseph. As I ordered kids to tidy up the house and pacified Klaus who was as hungry as I was, I had to look around for something to fix and then get it ready. I certainly was NOT patient or supportive. What an eye-opening experience it was for me in terms of recognizing personal faults and being even more grateful for a loving husband.
On top of working a lot of hours at the library this summer, our family has started Harvesting Heroes, a simple business opportunity selling produce and baked goods at a local farmers market. It takes up our Fridays and Saturdays; and with Sundays being full of service in our church callings, we feel like we're laboring all weekend too.
So far, our family business has not earned much in the way of profit. We certainly won't be earning the $2,000 we were hoping to earn to pay for our family vacation at the end of July. However, our kitchen has been full to bursting with extra produce. We have chopped and frozen trays of peaches, mangoes and strawberries. We have so much zucchini and yellow squash, cucumbers and tomatoes that we are eating healthier than we ever have before! Every day I cook meals and make salads to try to use up the veggies and still we have boxes and bags full of more. What a blessing this is for me and my vegan family! The other day I harvested 14 pounds of lettuce! Do you know how long it takes to wash and dry and bag 14 pounds of lettuce?! It was ridiculous and hilarious! There were pieces of lettuce all over the kitchen!
I am so happy that my garden has been successful this year. We've had peas, lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, swiss chard, carrots, and radishes. The potatoes and green beans are now coming on! The squash is growing, the tomatoes are blooming, the cucumber vines are climbing up the trellis. Just being in my garden and witnessing the process of growing food brings me so much happiness. I am a wannabe farmer.
Summer has brought with it our first sunburn of the year. Poor Felicity's shoulders were so badly burned one day (I just completely forgot to put sunscreen on her!) that even after the first skin peeling, her skin underneath was redder and sorer than before. And silly Mommy tried to help by lathering them with aloe vera gel with lidocaine. I didn't read the part of the bottle that said do not apply to raw skin! Felicity was crying, I mean really crying in pain, for several minutes about her shoulders burning with the aloe vera gel while I was busy cleaning up a nasty, poopy Klaus mess. Finally, I could help her get the medicated aloe vera gel off and put some of the natural gel from the actual plant on her shoulders which didn't hurt.
We've had a few tick bites this summer but what's been worse this year are chigger bites. I counted 36 just on my midsection this morning. These are like mosquito bites in that they are itchy and red, but multiply the annoying symptoms by 7-10 days! They are itchier and redder than mosquito bites. Sometimes they itch so bad I can't fall asleep! The kids and I have used up a bottle of hydrocortisone cream already. Kian came home from Boy Scout Camp with so many bites (and his might have just been mosquitos, I'm not sure), that after he put the cream on each of them he looked like he had measles! In addition to the bug bites, I think Felicity had a few spider bites the other day as well because three bites on her leg were swollen and hard.
Along with the sunburns and the bug bites, we've had rashes as well! While at a friend's house last week, Ella got hungry in between meals and decided to find a snack on her own. She munched on some berries (she called them nuts) that she found that looked like unripe grapes from a vine in our friend's yard. She shared them with her friends too. The next morning all of the kids woke up with full body rashes, most prominent on their cheeks! The rash resembled poison ivy and was itchy that first day but over time has slowly resolved.
This summer is busier and this summer is itchier than previous summers, but summertime is still my favorite!
June was so busy for our family that the month flew by. I worked a lot more hours than normal at the library because Matt was off work and could take care of things at home. It was so strange for me to work four 8-hour days in one week! It gave me a good understanding of how Matt must feel being away from home all day and how good it feels to come home. I just wanted to come home, eat some dinner with the family and then REST after a long day. Of course, it never happens that way with 5 kids in the house and each of them have several questions for me and there are diapers to change and sheets to wash and chores to do, etc, etc.
Working so many hours has also made me more grateful for the AMAZING husband I married. What I have always appreciated about Matt is how he never criticizes me if the house isn't tidy when he gets home from work or if dinner isn't ready he doesn't complain impatiently but instead happily waits for it to be ready. He never judges me; he is always supportive. But the first day I came home from working an 8 to 5 shift and dinner wasn't ready when I got home (and I was so hungry for dinner!), I was so angry and disappointed that I cried! Matt had left a few minutes before I got home to attend a Boy Scout meeting and do the grocery shopping in St. Joseph. As I ordered kids to tidy up the house and pacified Klaus who was as hungry as I was, I had to look around for something to fix and then get it ready. I certainly was NOT patient or supportive. What an eye-opening experience it was for me in terms of recognizing personal faults and being even more grateful for a loving husband.
On top of working a lot of hours at the library this summer, our family has started Harvesting Heroes, a simple business opportunity selling produce and baked goods at a local farmers market. It takes up our Fridays and Saturdays; and with Sundays being full of service in our church callings, we feel like we're laboring all weekend too.
So far, our family business has not earned much in the way of profit. We certainly won't be earning the $2,000 we were hoping to earn to pay for our family vacation at the end of July. However, our kitchen has been full to bursting with extra produce. We have chopped and frozen trays of peaches, mangoes and strawberries. We have so much zucchini and yellow squash, cucumbers and tomatoes that we are eating healthier than we ever have before! Every day I cook meals and make salads to try to use up the veggies and still we have boxes and bags full of more. What a blessing this is for me and my vegan family! The other day I harvested 14 pounds of lettuce! Do you know how long it takes to wash and dry and bag 14 pounds of lettuce?! It was ridiculous and hilarious! There were pieces of lettuce all over the kitchen!
I am so happy that my garden has been successful this year. We've had peas, lettuce, spinach, mustard greens, collard greens, kale, swiss chard, carrots, and radishes. The potatoes and green beans are now coming on! The squash is growing, the tomatoes are blooming, the cucumber vines are climbing up the trellis. Just being in my garden and witnessing the process of growing food brings me so much happiness. I am a wannabe farmer.
Summer has brought with it our first sunburn of the year. Poor Felicity's shoulders were so badly burned one day (I just completely forgot to put sunscreen on her!) that even after the first skin peeling, her skin underneath was redder and sorer than before. And silly Mommy tried to help by lathering them with aloe vera gel with lidocaine. I didn't read the part of the bottle that said do not apply to raw skin! Felicity was crying, I mean really crying in pain, for several minutes about her shoulders burning with the aloe vera gel while I was busy cleaning up a nasty, poopy Klaus mess. Finally, I could help her get the medicated aloe vera gel off and put some of the natural gel from the actual plant on her shoulders which didn't hurt.
We've had a few tick bites this summer but what's been worse this year are chigger bites. I counted 36 just on my midsection this morning. These are like mosquito bites in that they are itchy and red, but multiply the annoying symptoms by 7-10 days! They are itchier and redder than mosquito bites. Sometimes they itch so bad I can't fall asleep! The kids and I have used up a bottle of hydrocortisone cream already. Kian came home from Boy Scout Camp with so many bites (and his might have just been mosquitos, I'm not sure), that after he put the cream on each of them he looked like he had measles! In addition to the bug bites, I think Felicity had a few spider bites the other day as well because three bites on her leg were swollen and hard.
Along with the sunburns and the bug bites, we've had rashes as well! While at a friend's house last week, Ella got hungry in between meals and decided to find a snack on her own. She munched on some berries (she called them nuts) that she found that looked like unripe grapes from a vine in our friend's yard. She shared them with her friends too. The next morning all of the kids woke up with full body rashes, most prominent on their cheeks! The rash resembled poison ivy and was itchy that first day but over time has slowly resolved.
This summer is busier and this summer is itchier than previous summers, but summertime is still my favorite!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
5 Quick Things About the Family Since it's Almost Midnight Already!
1. I'm on a gardening kick. I wake up thinking about gardening. I fall asleep thinking about gardening. I dream about earthworms. It is my passion. It's one reason I am alive. I LOVE GARDENING!
2. Abby plans to make lemonade and homemade bread to sell at the market stand our family plans to run this summer as a family business to earn money for our family vacation. We hope to sell surplus vegetables from our garden and fruit and veggies from the local Amish auction. The two favorite names for our business so far are: Harvesting Heroes and Galactic Gardeners. Which do you like best?
3. Kian loves to knit. He learned how to knit at co-op and he really enjoys it! He can earn one homemade loaf of bread for every two dishcloths he knits for me. A win-win!
4. Matt is the best husband in the world. We are more in love with each other now than we were 12 years ago! He thinks I'm the best, but he's actually the best!
5. I'm taking all of the kids to the pediatrician this week for physicals and immunization updates. If you know me well, you might know I haven't done immunizations for five years. Why all of a sudden? It just feels like the right time, that's why.
Thanks,
Rhyetta
2. Abby plans to make lemonade and homemade bread to sell at the market stand our family plans to run this summer as a family business to earn money for our family vacation. We hope to sell surplus vegetables from our garden and fruit and veggies from the local Amish auction. The two favorite names for our business so far are: Harvesting Heroes and Galactic Gardeners. Which do you like best?
3. Kian loves to knit. He learned how to knit at co-op and he really enjoys it! He can earn one homemade loaf of bread for every two dishcloths he knits for me. A win-win!
4. Matt is the best husband in the world. We are more in love with each other now than we were 12 years ago! He thinks I'm the best, but he's actually the best!
5. I'm taking all of the kids to the pediatrician this week for physicals and immunization updates. If you know me well, you might know I haven't done immunizations for five years. Why all of a sudden? It just feels like the right time, that's why.
Thanks,
Rhyetta
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