Engraved On His Hands

Peace

2011-11-10T14:30:00.000-05:00

Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our stronghold. Ps 46:10-11

This verse has been such a stronghold for me of late. The Lord is with me, I don't have to make everything work out. I can spend the last dollar I have, not make the right decision, or lose my temper. Those things don't thwart God. He takes care of His people, and I am His.

Sudden Terror

2011-09-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

A few nights ago, I had a nightmare.

In the dream, I was at a friend's house with my children. Brian had to run an errand, so he left in the van and had to wait for him to come back. Our friends had recently moved into this house which was comfortable and nice, except for the roof and attic portion. There were many unfinished openings that led to the attic. A horrible faceless monster lived there and It continually let down a noose to snare the foot of any inattentive person. I was astonished that my friends continued to live in this house. In fact, they carried on as if nothing unusual was happening. Worse yet, I found that as I stayed there and visited with them I became distracted and was not watching my son. Numerous times the Evil in the attic nearly snared his foot to draw him into the attic and consume him. Finally I fled the house with the children.

When I woke up, I couldn't shake this dream because I realized that this nightmare was a reality-- we do have an Enemy who roams about, seeking to devour us. I also realized that I am just like my friends in the dream: distracted and forgetful of the very real and present danger. Brian and I prayed for Iain that morning and I've been praying frequently since then for him, that enemy would not ensnare him.

A friend passed this word of comfort along to me:

"Do not be afraid of sudden terror

or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,

for the Lord will be your confidence

and will keep your foot from being caught." Proverbs 3:25-26

Thank you Lord, for that promise. Please make it so for my son. Thank you for reminding me of the vigilance of our fearful Enemy. Thank you that you are on our side. Please protect Iain. Give me wisdom and watchfulness to keep him from danger. Help me not forget that this world, normal as it seems, has a lurking Enemy. Thank you that You protect us from him and that he is powerless against You. In Jesus' name, amen.

Whose kingdom am I building?

2011-09-09T12:29:00.000-04:00

"Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven and let us make for ourselves a name..." Gen 11:4

Reading this, I have to ask myself a hard question: how much of my discontent in my life really boils down to this, to seeking my own glory? A lot, if I'm honest. Yes sometimes my circumstances are difficult. There isn't enough time or enough money to do what I want. But there is always enough to do what God wants, if I'm seeking his glory instead of my own.

Please change my heart Lord. Help me not want to establish my own kingdom and my own glory. Thank you for forgiving me and loving me. Amen.

Mila Evangeline

2011-08-15T21:22:00.000-04:00

My beautiful girl is here! She is a bigger blessing than I could have imagined. I'm so enjoying nuzzling her soft sweetness. My heart is overflowing with love and joy, despite the fact that I have more responsibility now than I know how to handle.

Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.
² It is vain for you to rise up early,
To retire late,
To eat the bread of painful labors;
For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.
³ Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
So are the children of one’s youth.
⁵ How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
They will not be ashamed
When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
-Psalm 127

It is a blessing to know that just as she was a generous gift from God, He will also take care of us, even when I am too weak. So instead of thinking about all the things that I can't do, I'm just going to rest and know that God is my help.

Sleep in safety and peace, sweet girl. God has got you.

Waiting

2011-08-06T19:44:00.000-04:00

All Nora's words

2011-08-05T19:23:00.013-04:00

The doctor's office asked us how many words Nora knows. We gave them a guess: maybe about 70.

But that started us counting all the words Nora says. We didn't count anything she says when she is just repeating what other people say; we kept it to words that she's really mastered, knows what they mean, and uses in regular conversation. The current count is 175! We read somewhere that the average 2-year-old knows 150 words. Nora is only 1 1/2 years old! What a verbal little girl we have!

Here they are, in no particular order:

mama, daddy, Iain, baby, blanket

get down, no, yes, sorry, please

thank you, church, bye bye, hello, night night (goodnight)

diaper, wipe, messy, yucky, pretty

bow, have it, go, let go, see you later!

Friday, Jesus, book, Bible, peepo (peekaboo)

Peekaboo (our dog), rabbit, sheep, chichen (chicken), cow

moo, sobbies (strawberries), toast, milk, water

thirsty, Mila, sister, shhh, come up

more please, hungry, Word World, watch (as in look), watch (as in wristwatch)

look, riding, whee (swing or slide), ball, bosch (baseball)

jammin' (pajamas), dress, shoes, on, off

dog, funny, quack-quack (what a chichen says), ee-i-ee-i (farm), hat

glasses, eye(s), nose, ear, mouth

kiss, belly, feet, toes, hand

head, hair, all right!, wuv you, pants

hurt self!, broken, oush! (ouch), dolly, sleepy

bug car, truck, outside, flower, wash

this bear, eat, uh oh!, munch (lunch), phone

nana, stinkies, cracker, hot, ships

cookie, apple, bike, read, stop

help, oh cool!, giraffe, monkey, lion

hippopotamus, gentle, Nora, sit down, fall

clean up, here, open, bop bop (drink), horses

bounce, bouncin', gabbage (garbage), fish, aweshome! (awesome)

shirt, chin, cheeks, guys, house

take that, talking, train, close, deer

chair, seat, gun, bird, airplane

coming, bite, good, growl!, light

ambulance, fasht! (fast), goin', chop!, drivin'

what's that?, done, do it!, elk, other one

fix, hit, now, aw!, covers

game, clothes, tiger, food, cryin'

kick, stroller, pen, climb, strap

doctor, how are you? good, run! yay!

Humbled

2011-07-28T19:16:00.000-04:00

We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. --Oswald Chambers

These words opened my eyes today. I realized that in so much of what I do, I'm striving to get good enough at it to not be dependent on God. I feel like I should be able to clean my house, raise my kids, cook good meals, minister to friends, disciple my children, and love my husband all on my own strength. I am disappointed in myself when I try my hardest, fail, and have to stand with tears streaming down my face imploring the Lord for help. I didn't realize that I was trying to escape dependency.

I look around at everyone else and I feel exceedingly deficient. They don't seem to need to pray find their odd shoe, or break down in the grocery store trying to decide which toliet paper to buy. Then there are the people who seem to go above and beyond-- they have beautifully decorated homes, children who are well-mannered and well-educated, they are debt-free and running successful businesses.

I have so many ideas. I want to write. I want to take pictures. I want to create a beautiful home. I want to teach my children. These things are good, and are part of my calling. But they aren't the point. God isn't waiting for me to get my act together. God wants me to wait on Him and cry to Him, even though it hurts my pride.

I've spent a lot of time lately telling myself "It's only a season, it's only a season." But dependency isn't a season. It is my life. And I think I'd better get used to that, instead of fighting to prove that I can do it all by myself, and of feeling that I should do it by myself.

What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. -- Oswald Chambers

Surprised Again: Proof That Our God is Not Small

2011-06-06T14:29:00.000-04:00

So as everyone who knows me, or has seen me lately knows, I am pregnant with our third child! Marvelous, mysterious grace of God!

He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD! Psalm 113:9

We know we are expecting a daughter in a little less than 10 weeks time. Here is a note I wrote for facebook to announce our choice of her name:

So we've finally decided on a name for our daughter. We like to name our children based on the meaning of the name, which can be challenging. There are so many names that are beautiful that don't have a meaning we like and names with wonderful meanings that are just impossibly ugly.

After talking about what we wanted this baby's name to mean we kept coming back to the idea of abundance or overwhelming fullness. As most of you know, we aren't supposed to be able to have children, and Iain was adopted as an embryo. His birth was the result of many tears, prayer, pain and money. But God remembered us, and a healthy boy was born! Elinor was a surprise after 6 years of infertility and we thought: God is good. Look how he has turned our sadness into joy. But little did we know that God planned to do more than we could ever ask or think, and we found ourselves expecting our third child. This verse kept popping into my mind:

"Surely your waste and your desolate places
   and your devastated land—
surely now you will be too narrow for your inhabitants,
   and those who swallowed you up will be far away.
The children of your bereavement
   will yet say in your ears:
'The place is too narrow for me;
   make room for me to dwell in.'
Then you will say in your heart:
   'Who has borne me these?
I was bereaved and barren,
   exiled and put away,
   but who has brought up these?
Behold, I was left alone;
   from where have these come?'"
Isaiah 49:19-21

We laughed in disbelief over Elinor's birth, we struggle to process the overwhelming gift of this new child. We feel stretched thin and inadequate to hold this gift in so many ways. And we feel deeply blessed that the Lord would deem it good to give us a new baby. Truly we can say:

"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

So we began searching for names that meant abundant, full or rich. We came across Horeb (horrible!) and Revayah (revile?). Then we came across this psalm:

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
         So are the children of one's youth.
   How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;
         They will not be ashamed
         When they speak with their enemies in the gate. Psalm 127:4-5

How fitting that this psalm out of any of the other instances of the words full or abundant would be the instance of the word full that prove to be our baby's name. The Hebrew word is melah. We are naming our third child:

Mila Evangeline Douglas
"The Lord has filled me with his good news"

"The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people..." Luke 2:10

We look forward to meeting Mila (pronounced with a long e sound, meelah) in person somewhere around August 11, 2011.

"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
         You have anointed my head with oil;
         My cup overflows.
    Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life,
         And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever." Psalm 23:56-6

Our Joie

2011-06-06T13:51:00.002-04:00

Nora is now 17 months old and big for her age. She's in the 80th percentile for weight and 77th for height. After all the trouble she had gaining weight in the beginning we are thankful for her robust health now. Robust is a wonderful word to describe our daughter. She has a zest for life and a fearless determination that is both a blessing and a curse. She loves babies and cars and the two men men in her life: Daddy and Iain. Her vocabulary is immense! As I recall, Iain was still fairly quiet at this age, but Elinor is adding multiple words a day now. Here is a sample:

Daddy
Mama
Ee-ya: Iain (sometimes you can hear the final consonant)
Mee-wa: Mila (Daddy has taught her this word even though she has no idea what it means)
baby
bop-bop: drink
bwankey: blanket (she is nearly inseparable from this lovey)
ba-car: bug car (she loves to "count" VWs with Iain as we drive around town)
fWOWr: flower
hungwee: hungry
pwettee: pretty
peepo: peekaboo (the game)
pee boo: Peekaboo (our dog)
bosh: baseball (This is the name of Iain's favorite player. Whenever a game is on TV Nora says: bosh!)
uh ho: uh oh
oosh: shoes
foo: food
ish: fish
mo mee: more, please
ba: ball
ni ni: goodnight
hew wo wo: hello
hi
bye bye (she will say this automatically if I say "Talk to you later!")
NO!!!!!!!!! (she loves this one)
Yesh: yes (sometimes accompanied by both arms straight up in the air)
Oush: ouch
dentl: gentle (we've been trying to teach her this as she loves to wrestle and hit!)
eye
no: nose
mou: mouth
whee: slide
gey dow: get down

She is our little firecracker! We love her sparkle and vibrancy and pray for wisdom on how to direct her strong will into the Lord's will. I love that she'll always be strong and not be afraid to tell people no, something her Mama isn't very good at. She is a great argument for genetics as she takes after her Great-Grandad, Grandpapa, and Daddy in looks and personality. She is her Daddy's girl and it is a delight to see them enjoying each other so much. We are so blessed by our little surprise!

Life, Interrupted

2011-06-06T13:27:00.000-04:00

Its time to come back to the blog. Yes, I'm busy. No, I'm not sure who reads this. But I have a terrible memory and I need to express what God is doing in my life. So I make no pledges of fidelity or regularity in posting, but I am not dead yet and neither is this blog. :)

Tomorrow is Iain's 5th birthday. What a sweet celebration. It's just good to sit and bask in the goodness of the Lord that I have a smart, funny, sweet son who loves trains, tow trucks, ambulances, and VW Bugs. A boy who is as full of contradictions as I am, wriggling and complaining in church, and yet also making up his songs of praise to Jesus. A boy with chocolate eyes and an electric smile. A boy who loves his two sisters with all his heart even though the youngest hasn't even arrived yet. From roughly 80 cells created by strangers, to a freezer, to my womb, to the contemplative little boy that I hug and kiss every day, who tells me he loves me "a million eighty-four, a million eighty-four, a million eighty-four" every night at bedtime.

Thank you Lord Jesus, for remembering my son and watching over him all the days of his life. Thank you for this beautiful gift of love and grace to me. Help me to teach him Your ways. Amen.

Worship 24/7

2010-09-16T10:10:00.000-04:00

"I think I find most help in trying to look on all the interruptions and hindrances to work one has planned out for oneself as discipline, trials sent by God to help one against getting selfish over one's work. Then one can feel that perhaps one's true work--one's work for God--consists in doing some trifling haphazard thing that has been thrown into one's day. It is not a waste of time, as one is tempted to think, it is the most important part of the work of the day--the part one can best offer to God. After such a hindrance, do not rush after the planned work; trust that the time to finish it will be given sometime, and keep a quiet heart about it."

-- Annie Keary, quoted in Elisabeth Elliot's Keep a Quiet Heart

Summer Sampler

2010-08-30T18:41:00.000-04:00

Here are a few highlights from our crazy-wonderful summer:

Uncle Allan and Aunt Christine visited with cousins Daniel and Fiona. Aren't baby feet the sweetest?

Iain turned 4! We had a party at the park and Mama made a firetruck cake for the big day at home.

We camped at Yellowstone and drove through the Grand Tetons. I got to see my Uncle Greg on that trip!

Iain played T-ball for the first time and LOVED it!

We traveled, swam, went to a baseball game (Elinor's first!), visited with friends, enjoyed fireworks, and...

painted the house!

It was a full summer, rich with blessings.

Quiet Days

2010-08-30T15:18:00.000-04:00

I have the blessing of having my husband home during the summer. He is a teacher so although my kids are still too little for school our life runs by the school calendar. Summer is a bit of chaos. We cram in travel, visits, projects, and enjoy a bit of spontaneity, albeit with a well-stocked diaper bag in tow! Throwing the routine out the window can be a little slice of heaven, but it is only enjoyable for a season.

So while I'm a bit wistful for summer's joys, I'm welcoming a return to quiet days.

I've been enjoying my new breadmaker quite a bit. I got it at a yard sale (another summer delight!) and it has proved invaluable. The house really does smell amazing when it is baking and everyone loves the bread. Somehow I was under the impression that a breadmaker was a complicated device. It isn't.

Last week I managed to get all of Brian's shirts ironed for school, as well blueberry pancakes and muffins frozen for breakfasts.

Of course today is Monday and it looks like a cyclone has hit the house. I'm beginning to learn that this isn't a failure on my part, but just the nature of life. Things move from order to disorder. And there is something fulfilling about being the person in life who brings order from chaos, and leaves the places you have been more pleasant and homey than before you were there.

So now it is time to be off. Time to tend my crying baby, tuck my oldest in for naptime, and tackle the mess. Today my heart does it with it joy. Some days, I plod along, crying to the Father to help me keep plodding. Each kind of day is a sacrifice of praise.

The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that naturewill reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. Galatians 8:6-10

Little Girls Are Tutu Fun

2010-08-26T12:38:00.002-04:00

So, how has it been with you?

2010-08-07T21:17:00.003-04:00

Iain has turned four, and is going through a marvelously funny phase. He is trying to figure out the world and his interpretations are often just a bit off. After playing in his room for 10 minutes, he will come up to me, and in all sweetness and sincerity, ask "So Mommy, how has it been with you?" I love this fledging effort to communicate and to show interest in my life.

Other favorite words of mine:
wegular (regular)
'tend (pretend)
stunk (skunk)-- it is surprising how often this word comes up when you're talking to a boy!
mooshy (kiss)
El Nor (Elinor) I think this sounds like her luchador name.
Nowa (Nora)
popiskles (popsicles)
passage (package)
kirch (church)
guhl (girl)
dinostore (dinosaur)
andimals (animals)
tached (attached)

His best little stuffed buddy, Henri, has become Iain's son, as has Piglet. Piglet wears on of Nora's old onesies that reads "Mommy's Wakeup Call". Currently Henri is wearing a plastic bib and we have been told to be careful how we hold him, because he just ate.

Iain heard a knock knock joke recently and got a big kick out of it. Then he made up his own:

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Iain.
Iain who?
Iain Douglas.

We both thought this was pretty funny, but for rather different reasons.

He also enjoys singing loudly to his sister. I think it is sweet that he wants to soothe her, and though his technique is a little unorthodox, she seems to like having him yelling in her face. His favorite song to sing is "Noly Boly Alice" which is a corruption of my cheesy nickname for her, "Nora Borealis".

Lately he has been having regular conversations with Daddy. They usually start out with "So, what should we talk about?" Recent topics have been firetrucks, ice cream, airplanes, mountains, trains, and the river.

Elinor is now taking formula in addition to breastfeeding and has also been eating baby food. She finished an entire jar of peas in one sitting at lunch today, which is a first for her. She is small for her age, but is finally putting on some weight which we are very glad to see. She loves people and her absolute least favorite thing in the world is to watch someone (especially Mommy!) walk away from her. She knows her own name, and the words mommy and daddy. She can sit up by herself for (very) short periods of time.

The biggest news in Nora's world is that she can move herself purposefully now! She has a funny little inchworm crawl that I'm sure will very soon morph into full-on crawling. I can't believe she is mobile already. Look out world!

Gratuitous Baby Photos

2010-03-20T19:50:00.004-04:00

Most of these are quite old. Time to do another photo session!

Spring in the Foothills

2010-03-20T18:55:00.004-04:00

A few weeks ago we went for a nice little walk through the foothills to Camel's Back Park. It is so nice to see spring coming! I love living in a place where I can enjoy the turn of seasons.

The trees are all budding, and a few in our neighborhood are even starting to blossom already! I must find time to finish pruning our fruit trees here in the next few weeks.

Three brave adventurers! A baby is such a fun conversation starter. Everybody wants to know how old she is, and if Iain likes being a big brother, and tells us how pretty Elinor is.

We took the Red Fox Trail up the hill. Iain did a good job keeping up-- our boy is getting very big!

In the photo above you can see the Capitol dome in the distance. I love Boise. You can walk in nature within sight of downtown.

Still snowy in the mountains! After we climbed over the Camel's Back, we descended to the park and played on the playground for a bit, which of course made it all the more fun for Iain!

The struggle for order

2010-03-20T13:11:00.009-04:00

Being a homemaker is a challenge for me. It really takes a lot of skill to do it well, but it is a job with little training, few incentives, and little respect. As someone who thrives on the approval of others, it can be a tough row to hoe. Maybe this is one way that God is starving that human-pleasing side of my personality.

With a new baby life seems especially overwhelming at the moment. So in a grasp for sanity, I created a home organization station on the side of my fridge.

I'm hoping that this will help keep me on track. No more losing the calendar or not looking at it for days, no more scraps of paper with "to-do" scrawled in crayon, buried under a pile of old mail. Since it is in itself a giant to-do list on display, I wanted to pretty it up a bit to encourage myself. The elements of the organization wall are pretty simple. My calendar, some scripture verses, a daily to-do list, a weekly to-do list, and our menu plan for the week.

I created a master to-do list of things that I find myself writing down on my lists every day and added things that ideally should be done each day. I know that I won't get everything done, but it gives me a goal to shoot for. I'm hoping I will fall into a routine and that things will run more smoothly, but if it doesn't work, I'll change it. Motherhood is teaching me to be flexible, and learning to keep house teaches me to keep experimenting with things until I achieve some level of mastery. When I first got married, I quickly became frustrated when I discovered I didn't have the skills of a woman of 50. Now I know that housekeeping is an art and a skill, and like anything else, you get better with practice.

I used magnets to keep the list on the fridge, and I taped down a piece of scrapbook paper I like to serve as a frame. I printed it front and back, so I reduced my paper waste. I put check boxes next to each task, and also added a section for Iain's chores.

I got some coordinating card stock and choose Bible verses that either encourage or exhort to display in this clear magnetic photo frame.

I found some pretty magnets to coordinate after a lot of hunting around.

This is my weekly menu plan. This is a tried and true household tool for me.

Here are the things that should be done on weekly basis (if not more frequently, but hey, we're taking baby steps here).

Domestic bliss. I hope so at any rate!

A New Baby!

2010-03-04T15:25:00.008-05:00

I can't believe I haven't logged into this blog since November! But it makes sense, because I pretty much stopped doing everything in November. The last months of my pregnancy were very difficult due to Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction which causes severe pelvic pain. Mine was so bad that couldn't tolerate standing or walking for much longer than 5 or 10 minutes at a time. It is already becoming a bit of a vague memory, which is amazing, because it was extremely painful.

Our miracle baby, Elinor Joie Douglas, arrived on January 22, 2010. She was 8 lbs, 5 oz. She was born on the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. What a testimony to the power of God! He truly does set the days and dates, as well as open and close the womb.

Her name means: God has given us light and joy! The verse we chose for her is Psalm 30:5b: "Weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning."

Here is her birth story.

On the evening of Thursday January 23 Brian and I were watching television together (The Office, I think) and Iain was safely tucked in bed when... pop! Gush. I said that I thought my water might have broken. Brian said he didn't think so. I called the doctor. I read the internet. We decided to wait and see. After about 30 minutes it became apparent that we needed to go to the hospital because my water had definitely broken. I was excited and scared and there was a lot to do. We called our friends, the Goodwins, who had kindly agreed to watch Iain when The Time Came. We got Iain out of bed and explained to his groggy little self that we were going to the hospital to get his little sister. I don't think that sank in. After Stormy came to take Iain, it was off to L&D Triage for us. They confirmed my water had broken and we were off to our own room.

The only problem was that my contractions weren't coming regularly or with any strength. So we waited through the night at the hospital. I walked the halls, I tried to sleep. At 6am our wonderful friend and doctor, Dirk Carlson, came in to check on us. We started a low dose of pitocin and waited some more. Now I was having some contractions!

After 6 hours of induced contractions, I still had not dilated at all. I was probably hitting a 7 or 8 on the pain scale. We tried an epidural as a last ditch effort to see if it help me to dilate. No dice. At 1pm we decided to go with the c-section. I'm considerably more relaxed in this picture as I'm enjoying the effects of the epidural.

At shortly after 2, Elinor was here! Papa got to hold her right away, much quicker than with Iain.

And of course, Mama got to have some snuggle time too.

When I got to recovery, Elinor was already there, screaming her little heart out. This is a sound that has become oh-so-familiar around here! After they finished checking her out, I got to hold her for the first time.

They put a sweet little bow in her hair at the hospital and everyone told us what a beautiful baby she was! She has pretty blue eyes that I just love:

After several days in the hospital recovering (which went great-- I think I'm pretty much to 100% now) we brought our little girl home.

We are so thankful for this baby, completely unexpected, nearly inexplicable. We look at her and are in awe of God.

Brief autumn recap

2009-11-05T21:34:00.003-05:00

I have been increasing tired and having trouble getting around, but we still managed to have a little autumn fun in the past few weeks. Iain loves to cook and was very excited to help me make and decorate these sugar cookies.

He also throughly enjoyed pumpkin carving. We read "My Happy Pumpkin: God's Light Shining Through Me" before we carved it, and Iain took it as an instructional manual for the whole procedure. He turned the pages and told us the steps to follow.

And here is the finished result:

On Halloween we went to the Reformation Celebration at church. I was so busy, that I didn't get a chance to take many pictures, but here is Iain as a train driver and me as a medieval lady.

Holiday Food Fest

2009-10-28T11:18:00.003-04:00

I think this looks like fun. I will probably at least follow along and check the blogs. If I get super ambitious, I may even cook something! I know. My eyebrows are climbing into my hairline too.

Here is the schedule:
Thanksgiving & Fall Desserts November 5th hosted at Hoosier Homemade
Thanksgiving & Fall Dishes November 12th hosted at Tasty Eats at Home
Gifts of Good Taste Novemeber 19th hosted at Getting Freedom
Holiday Cocktails, Mocktails, & Appetizers December 3rd hosted at Simply Sugar and Gluten Free
Holiday Dishes December 10th hosted at Gluten Free Easily
Holiday Desserts December 17th hosted at Life as Mom

As everyone who has read this blog for a while knows, I love Thanksgiving and Christmas. So I'm excited to have some seasonal reading and some inspiration for new dishes. Some of the hosts are gluten or sugar free, but the recipes are open to all kinds of cooking. Happy Christmas!

Nesting: Part 1

2009-10-27T19:34:00.003-04:00

I don't remember ever feeling a strong urge to "nest" with Iain, but it may be that my memory is faulty. At any rate, I'm absolutely chomping at the bit to work on my little girl's room, but it involves moving heavy things around, a definite no-no for me right now. We've been very blessed by the Lord and our friends to receive a number of things secondhand including our changing table, some clothing, our bedding, a bouncer, a highchair, 2 strollers, and a car seat. We also purchased our crib off craigslist and a swing from a yard sale.

Nevertheless it is easy to covet the brand new items, magazine-ready nurseries, and the slew of matching equipment that is on display at Babies-R-Us. I really wish my heart wouldn't go there. It is such a disrespectful discounting of all that God has done and the practical love of Christ that my brothers and sisters have poured out on me.

I am so thankful to have what we need for our precious little girl. God is so good.

At any rate, the first and only thing I have accomplished for this girl's nursery (I promise we are working on a name for her!) is recovering an ottoman. I'm really rather pleased with how it came out considering my general sewing ineptitude and the reckless fervor that came over me when I decide to attempt this project. I was inspired by several blogs (readers, don't get any ideas!) and decided to take apart the crib bumpers for the fabric to recover one of the black ottomans that currently reside in the office. I was pleased with this since I already have the crib bumpers and didn't intend to use them in the crib, and I already had the ottoman. So if the grand scheme failed, I wouldn't lose anything but time.

Ok, here are the before and after shots:

Oooh, just realized that is a bit blurry. I do really hate using my flash. Anyway, that is the remaining ottoman who has relocated to our living room. I recovered its twin.

Well, there's my first project for our little girl. I basically made a paper pattern, cut and sewed the fabric to fit, and then had Brian help me staple it on (our staple gun is very heavy duty and I couldn't manage it on my own). Overall, I'm pleased with it, and when she outgrows it I can pull the staples out and have two black ottomans again.

Autumn Mist

2009-10-06T16:32:00.003-04:00

We had a lovely rare fog this morning, so the boys and I decided a little trip to the Greenbelt was in order! It's so fun to see Iain developing friendships.

It was pretty chilly this morning. There was even snow on the foothills.

We saw some geese gliding quietly in the fog. They were beautiful, but the the boys were so excited that they quickly scared the birds away!

Just a hint of fall color in the cottonwood trees this morning.

Iain and his buddy had fun "taking a race" down the Greenbelt. I walked as fast as I could and jogged a bit alongside them-- hopefully I won't feel that later.

Of course when we got home, we had to have some hot "tocolate" with "marshmelons." Yummy! I love autumn, and I'm thrilled that we've settled in a place that has it!

Lord of the harvest

2009-10-03T17:47:00.006-04:00

The LORD will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest. Psalm 85:12

We've had a cold snap here lately-- the first taste of fall. With my new internal heater, I'm only too happy for some cooler weather. Alas, the cold has killed our garden. I harvested the last four zucchini yesterday. For novice gardeners we had a great crop and we learned a lot. We planted onions, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, basil, cilantro, mint, pepperchinis, and strawberries. Our apple tree bore loads of apples, but they are sadly infested with worms. Next year we will be better prepared and spray in the spring.

I made fresh salsa, zucchini grinders, zucchini muffins, zucchini bread, and pesto. We had the blessing of sharing our abundance with friends and neighbors too. Next year I hope to learn to can and make more of our harvest last through the winter. I do have about 18 cups of shredded zucchini and some pesto frozen. We are also hoping to plant more variety and a much denser garden to increase yield and keep weeds out. Iain is very firm that next year he wants to have corn! I'd like to plant pumpkin and bell peppers as well. Next year our strawberries and rhubarb will be more mature and hopefully we will see more fruit from them.

It has been amazing to see food coming out of the ground in our backyard-- truly more than we were prepared to handle. What a blessing and such a wondrous testimony to God's loving care for His people and His world. It was great for this city girl to get a taste of the rhythm of the natural world this year.

The Big Reveal

2009-09-16T11:13:00.003-04:00

Yesterday we went to the doctor's office for our ultrasound. Baby looks beautifully healthy, praise God! It is so amazing that a whole new person can be formed in 9 months in such a small place. The complexity of the human body is mind boggling, and day after day, healthy babies are born all around the world. God is so good. It is hard to describe how blessed we feel to have our own special little one.

Well, you are probably wondering if we saw what baby's gender is. We did. It's a girl! We are all very happy to have a new little girl for our family. Mama is very excited to buy dresses and bows and Iain is looking forward to holding his baby sister very carefully. Papa is already calculating wedding costs and planning to protect her. :) None of us can wait to meet her.

We haven't decided on her name yet, so we'll keep you posted. I feel her moving all the time and I can't wait until Brian and Iain can feel her too. We are so blessed to have our precious baby girl!

Dear Heavenly Father,
You have been so generous and kind to us. You have given us far beyond what we could imagine or deserve. Thank you for keeping our precious little girl safe and strong. Thank you for giving us our dear son-- protecting and keeping him. Thank you for our family. You are the God of the unexpected, the champion of the weak, the one who turns tragedy to joy and darkness to light. We love You and long to worship You all the days of our lives. Praise Your holy name. Thank you for remembering and caring for Your people and covering them with your covenant of love and mercy. Help us to begin to love others with a portion of the love that You have loved us with. In Jesus' name, amen.

One day at a time

2009-08-26T10:59:00.003-04:00

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

I have a problem with worry. It stems from perfectionism and my personal preference to have things planned out. It is good to have a plan, but I need to remember that MY plan is not the one that keeps the universe running.

I also have a problem with depression. I think I am beginning to see a partial link between these two problems. When I am busy teleporting myself to the what-ifs of tomorrow, next month, and 2012, I see enormous obstacles and future failures, and I lose heart. I lose hope.

I have often associated this verse strictly with money, but it has broader implications too. I need to hold my plans and dreams lightly, whether for the day or for next year.

"Give us today our daily bread."

I have my daily bread. I have what I need for today: financially, emotionally, spiritually. I may not yet have the grace that I will need for the future-- but neither do I need it yet.

I find the short view to be helpful in fostering my faith and contentment. My God has never failed me, though I have often been impatient and frustrated with Him. Looking just at today I see a new day, with new mercies and familiar responsibilities, that He has equipped me for and will walk me through. Today is enough. If it is a troubled day, then it is difficult enough to get through this one day alone. If it is an ordinary day, the shorter view shows me how much I have to be thankful for.

Looking just at today, it makes it easier for me to sit in quietly in peace, resting in the Lord's care and provision for that moment.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

2009-08-17T13:01:00.002-04:00

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/17/showcase-35/?scp=1&sq=ozymandias&st=cse

The link above is to a New York Times photography blog entry that depicts the state of many of Sadaam Hussein's former palaces. They are opulent rubble heaps. The blogger aptly references Shelley's poem, Ozymandias:

OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them on the sand,
Half sunk, a shatter'd visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamp'd on these lifeless things,
The hand that mock'd them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare,
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

I was struck with a similiar feeling when we visited Westminster Abbey for the first time, and walked over graves whose markings were obliterated. Being buried in the abbey is one of the nation's highest honors, and yet there are bones there that no one can identify.

How fleeting is the success and praise we so desperately strive for here. Isaiah 40 and Psalm 2 are mighty passages that showcase the strength of the eternal God. Here are some selections from Isaiah 40:

⁶ A voice says, "Cry out."
And I said, "What shall I cry?"
"All men are like grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the field.

⁷ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.

⁸ The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever."

²² He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth,
and its people are like grasshoppers.
He stretches out the heavens like a canopy,
and spreads them out like a tent to live in.

²³ He brings princes to naught
and reduces the rulers of this world to nothing.

²⁴ No sooner are they planted,
no sooner are they sown,
no sooner do they take root in the ground,
than he blows on them and they wither,
and a whirlwind sweeps them away like chaff.

²⁵ "To whom will you compare me?
Or who is my equal?" says the Holy One.

²⁸ Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

I'm going to meditate on that promise today. Lord knows I have no earthly might or prestige to invigorate me. Maybe that will help me to see His power and strength.

Thank you Lord for being mighty over all the rulers of earth, whether they bow the knee to you or not.

Baby Update

2009-08-17T12:30:00.002-04:00

As I sit here in bed with what I deeply hope will be a quickly passing stomach bug, I find myself with time for a few blog posts.

I am 16 weeks pregnant today. Time has been passing much more quickly the second time around. I know from friends that this is common as your first child tends to take a lot of time and focus away from being pregnant. But I am still experiencing a lack of comprehension that this is happening. I am beginning to wonder if I will ever feel pregnant with this baby, or if I'll still be somewhat surprised when the doctor produces a newborn from my nether regions!

Generally everything has been happening earlier: my stomach is expanding more quickly, my joints are loosening, and I really think I have felt baby move quite a bit! This is shocking, since I didn't feel Iain until sometime after 20 weeks, but there it is.

We are working on names, but have yet to find anything that we love. The naming process is complicated by the fact that Brian and I really love to choose names that have a significant meaning. All too often the best meaning names have some truly terrible monikers attached.

And yes, we will be finding out whether baby is a boy or a girl, and we will let you know! That should happen sometime next month.

Lastly, I feel completely overwhelmed by the medical costs of having this precious gift from God. They are completely beyond our ability to pay. Please pray that God will grant me peace and faith in knowing that He will provide for us and for baby.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for this new gift of life. Thank you for entrusting him or her to our care. Please give us wisdom and grace as we raise the children you have richly blessed us with. Strengthen our faith, help us to hope in You alone. Pour your redeeming love over my children. Please save and protect them both. Give them tender hearts that desire You above all.
In Your precious son's name, amen.

Psalm 113

¹ Praise the LORD.
Praise, O servants of the LORD,
praise the name of the LORD.

² Let the name of the LORD be praised,
both now and forevermore.

³ From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets,
the name of the LORD is to be praised.

⁴ The LORD is exalted over all the nations,
his glory above the heavens.

⁵ Who is like the LORD our God,
the One who sits enthroned on high,

⁶ who stoops down to look
on the heavens and the earth?

⁷ He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

⁸ he seats them with princes,
with the princes of their people.

⁹ He settles the barren woman in her home
as a happy mother of children.
Praise the LORD.

How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.

2009-07-19T16:04:00.004-04:00

Brian preached on Joseph and Judah in church this morning-- what a beautiful message of love and redemption for the losers who just can't get it together, no matter how hard they try. (You can listen to it here if you like.) How often I put myself in that category-- and wear it as a badge of shame. But that's not right-- it is my only glory. As Paul says in Phillipians 3:

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith."

O Lord help me to stop trusting in myself-- Help me to accept myself as flawed and broken and to see any good thing that does happen as a testimony to Your grace and glory, and not the beginnings of some broken runged ladder that I can try to use to climb to You.

But I still struggle with how sanctification fits in-- how does one strive to be like Christ without relying on that performance to please God? Reading in 2 Corinthians 12, I wonder if thorn in my flesh can be my yet uneradicated sinfulness? Maybe God doesn't take it away to remind me of how much I need him? Can that apply to this verse? I've certainly never thought about it that way before. Here is the passage I'm thinking of:

"Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

So here's to walking or limping rather, in weakness, and praying that the Lord would accomplish all His purposes to His glory.

Baby Bean

2009-07-15T16:10:00.005-04:00

This photo is quite old by now. It is our 7 week ultrasound. You can't see much in it at all, but we were so happy to see even this little bit as our little one seems to be developing well so far, praise God. Yesterday we went to the doctor for my 11 week appointment and got to hear baby's heartbeat for the first time. Thank you Lord!

This whole pregnancy stills seems very unreal. Last time we had to work and pray and strive so hard just to get pregnant-- it seems impossible that it could just happen. I almost feel because I did nothing to make it happen. I guess that just shows what a hard time I still have accepting God's love and graciousness.

I've had lots of pregnancy symptoms so far: nausea, dizziness, shakiness, acute sense of smell, fatigue, mood swings, strange food cravings. Now they seem to be settling down a bit in preparation for the second trimester. I'm thrilled to be getting off early. I'm beginning to pick up parts of my usual work again-- even cooking lunch today and a cake last night. Nothing like being under the weather to make you appreciate feeling good and going about your routine again.

And we're baaaaaaaaack.

2009-07-08T14:11:00.002-04:00

It has been a very long time since I've written on my blog. On one hand, I really don't like that because it means there is a gap in our little collection of family memories, but on the other hand, I don't mind so much, because sometimes you don't have much to say, or life intervenes with more pressing cares than journaling.

But a lot has happened since I last wrote here-- we're slowly settling into our new house, we've planted a vegetable garden and have 3 chickens, my mom and sister came for a visit, we traded our enormous 4 poster bed for an old Jeep, we went to San Francisco.

And we got the biggest and best surprise of our lives. God has opened my womb and we are expecting a new baby in early February. This news is so amazing that we still ask ourselves if it can possibly be true.

I really feel that this baby is a miracle, given all the damage inside my body. This child is such a special gift from the Lord. I wonder what purpose he has for this new person? I'm so excited for Iain to have a little brother or sister. He doesn't know yet, but has lately been praying for "a new buddy for our family." He came up with this idea all on his own, and the timing is good!

So we are rejoicing here. I've been so thankful for summer break as Brian has been home to take care of Iain and household chores while I've been sick. Morning sickness started at about 4 weeks with this baby and I've been pretty tired too. I'm looking forward to being finished with the first trimester and going about my regular routine again.

I'm throwing the good girl off the bus.

2009-04-06T00:33:00.004-04:00

God is teaching me a new thing-- and it is actually just the gospel. It stings a bit to see that I too am still needing spiritual milk, but that is of little consequence.

Doni's recent blog post on self-sacrifice really gave me a lot to chew on. She basically posits that God isn't always calling us to sacrifice because Jesus has already sacrificed for us, and that any sacrifice we do make ultimately should not be about us, but about him. She points out that often when we make a sacrifice we are doing it to earn God's favor and to prove to ourselves that we are better than others. I know that is true of me.

Anybody have any thoughts about this? How do we balance God's gracious fatherly love towards us with running a good race, or worshipping God by making our lives into living sacrifices? How can faithfully worship and serve God (out of adoration and not just sucking up!) ? How can we live for eternity and for others in an honest and non-works based way?

I'm longing for freedom in Christ. Freedom from guilt. Freedom to serve in a meaningful way that is not all about me. Freedom to worship in a way that isn't all about me. Freedom from self. Freedom from works and self-righteousness. Lord please remove the wicked selfish desires of my heart. Take away the longing to worshiped, adored, and approved of. Take away the desire to be good in order to be loved. Take away the fear of man. Please replace these desires with the desire to worship and adore you. Replace it with the desire to approve of what you approve of. Grant me the desire to love you so much that I want to be like you. Give me a fear of you. Set me free Lord Jesus. Help me believe in the sufficency of your death. Help me believe that I am dead to sin and alive in Christ, no longer bound by the law. Make me a perfect piece of your creation, fulfilling my purpose and bringing glory to you by joyfully doing what you created me to do in full contentment and peace in you. Help me to fear nothing and to jump unabashedly through the air into your arms, knowing that they will catch me. I believe I am yours. I believe that you love me. Help me walk daily in the confidence that I am your precious daughter, bough with the highest possible price, and that no one could ever approve of me or love me more than that. Amen.

Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe

2009-03-23T01:38:00.004-04:00

Today was not a good day. If anybody was giving out "best mom" awards, today would have disqualified me for sure. I was impatient and irritable. I didn't use my time or my words well. I didn't cherish my son. That grieves my heart. I just clicked over to Noah Steven's blog again this evening and it reminded me of how much I have to be thankful for. Noah was born about the same time as Iain, but Noah died last year. I know that we all have less than stellar days as parents, but it is good to be reminded of the precious and fragile gift that our children are. I pray that God would help me steward my great gift tomorrow and all the days thereafter. I'm thankful for the gift of God's grace and forgiveness, which are new every morning.

Nothing new under the sun

2009-03-23T00:05:00.000-04:00

Speaking of the lower classes:

"It's so consoling! It's such a delight to know that, when they suffer, they don't feel! Sometimes I have been quite uneasy for that sort of people, but now I shall just dismiss the idea of them altogether. "

--Miss Dartle. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens

This line caught me while watching Masterpiece tonight. How many injustices have been justified under this cloak? Slavery, social discrimination, abortion, the Holocaust? But we mustn't worry about the grief or trials of that particular kind. After all, they aren't human.

A New Home for the Douglas Family

2009-02-18T22:32:00.007-05:00

We're under contract on a HOUSE! A perfect little house for us, right in the city, with a nice backyard and washer dryer hookups! Here it is:

Welcome to our home. This is is our new living room.

Here is the dining area.

The kitchen.

The hallway, complete with two friendly faces.

I have more pictures of the bedrooms and the bath, but blogger was giving me grief about posting them right, so it will have to wait.

And the backyard with plenty of running room!

We're hoping to close March 17th. Buying a house at this point was so far beyond our expectations or even hopes. This is just a phenomenal blessing from God. Thank you Lord for blessing us over and above what we could think possible.

We're just thrilled to pieces!

My Thoughts Exactly

2009-02-18T16:30:00.003-05:00

I was surfin' some of my favorite frugal blogs recently and ran across this post on money choices from Simple Mom. She quotes JD Roth as saying “You can have anything you want - but you can’t have everything you want.” I've found that to be true in terms of time and money. We have to make choices and those choices result in our individual unique lives. For me staying home has been a major time/money choice and it definitely does change the way our life (and budget!) look. Sometimes I'm tempted to regret that choice, but only when I'm looking at the wrong things. No, we don't have matching furniture. No, we don't go out to eat. Yes, I have to do my laundry at the apartment laundromat. Yes, we have one car and my husband cycles to to work everyday. But that is no reason to feel deprived. I get to spend every day with my two year old son. I see every smile, hear every laugh, and catch every tear that falls. We are able by God's grace to pay our bills. My husband has a job he loves. We are very rich.

Beautiful Vulnerability

2009-02-17T21:00:00.002-05:00

Lately I have felt the Lord calling me to be his feet and hands. To love the unlovely-- and not just in Africa, but the unlovely in my life. You know, those people who have problems, the ones you can't stand, the ones with the messy lives that seem way too complicated to sort out. And I'm being convicted about how very little I actually do that as I write this. Faces are coming before my eyes, and all I can say is: Lord, I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Help me do better.

This necklace was a gift from Brian for my birthday. It is what I want and need to have as a Christian, and as a mom who struggles with infertility-- an open heart. My heart is being called and awakened towards little ones in foster care who are broken and abused and seem too messed up to help. With each story I hear, the passion to serve them grows in my heart. But fear has come too. How can I help them? They're too far gone, they've seen too much, their future is too uncertain. What about my own son? And the Lord has answered me:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

I cannot be the Rock that those kids-- or anyone else, for that matter-- need. God is their Rock and their comfort. He is the only stability for anyone. Those of us who come from loving homes or good financial backgrounds can be deceived into thinking that is where our stability comes from. But God is big enough for any fears or problems and if I can point the way to run to that Rock that is higher than all of us, then I have helped someone find rest. Anything else is all too temporary.

Along with this, he has helped to realize that loving people is painful. There is no way around that, except not to love. There are no risk-free relationships. There aren't any guarantees with biological children, let alone children who are strangers who have been hurt and abandoned by those who ought to love and care for them more than anyone else. So loving foster kids won't be easy. And there are times when it won't feel nice or be pretty. But being vulnerable and open to being hurt to minister love and comfort in the name of Christ is a beautiful thing.

This was from the bulletin at church several months ago and I taped it above my desk:

"By Your command, O God, I want to meet each person today, not just as an interruption to my plans or an obstruction to my will, but as a never-to-be-repeated life, made in Your image, in whom I can meet the very person of Jesus Christ."

Lord, please help me to see the opportunities you give me every moment of every day to love the people you have put in my life. Help me not to be too lazy or selfish to do that. And Lord if you call us into foster care ministry, please give us the wisdom, strength, and deep reserves of love that we will need to do the job.

I hope that we are able to foster at some point in the near future, but even if that door closes, I know that this compassion the Lord is laying on me is for a purpose. I will wait on him as patiently as I can and strive to serve him where I am until he shows me what that is. I am comforted by the beauty that vulnerability to the Lord has brought in my life. I didn't choose the path of infertility, but I have learned so much by walking it. So now I can say: Lord, I am open to your plan, whatever it is. You know what is best. I trust you to take my weakness and make it strength. That is what my birthday necklace symbolizes to me. An open heart to people, and an open heart to the will of God. When I wear it I hope it will remind me of all of this, which I am all to prone to forget.

Another Milestone

2009-02-09T15:45:00.003-05:00

Today is the first day of Potty Boot Camp in our house, and at nap time it looks like things have gone pretty well. Iain has gone on the potty successfully 5 times and has only had one accident. I've been plying him with plenty of chocolate milk and we've spent a good deal of the day in the bathroom (he has made 24 trips to the potty so far today). The day has been a "happy day" according to Iain, so that makes me feel good. We've been watching potty videos online, coloring potty pictures, playing games, reading stories, and having special potty day drinks. And going to the potty every 10-15 minutes. I've been stuck to him like a senator on a stimulus bill all day and I'm feeling pretty worn out even though it is only two o'clock.

After his first success "I did it, mommy! I did it!" we called Daddy at work, Nana, and Grandma and ate graham crackers shaped like his beloved cars. He has been wearing new big boy underwear with trains or cars on them all day, and we are only on the third pair. We lost the first pair in the enthusiasm of that first success when tossed his underwear for joy into the air only to have them land in the newly filled potty. Whoops. :) I also gave him a new Curious George book that we read while waiting for It to happen. So it has been a happy, but tiring day. And naptime is over very soon!

What's for Dinner?

2009-02-04T20:08:00.002-05:00

I am often baffled about what to make when I do my weekly menu planning, despite the fact that I've been in charge of making dinner for nearly 8 years! We tried this black bean soup tonight and it is a winner! It is wonderfully flavorful and fairly inexpensive to make. Sadly, I wasn't able to get a picture before we ate it tonight.

I've often found that the key to cooking recipes with many ingredients economically is part planning and part improvisation. Earlier this week we had burritos, so there was some overlap in the ingredients. And sometimes I just improvise a bit. Instead of buying a sweet potato I used carrots in this recipe.

I served it with some leftover tortillas that I baked in the oven to give them some crispness for dipping. It would also be good with a salad or quesadillas.

Here is the recipe: http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/006252black_bean_soup.php

It came out awesome!

Heartbreak in the Theatre

2009-02-01T22:01:00.004-05:00

While my sweet husband watched the Super Bowl, I took some time off and went to see a movie downtown. I decided to see Slumdog Millionaire, a story about an impoverished Indian boy named Jamal who makes it onto Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He answers so many questions correctly that he draws suspicion and must defend his knowledge to police. That is all I knew about the film before I went to see it. I was completely unprepared for the emotional earthquake I was unleashing on myself. The film focuses on Jamal's childhood in the slums as an orphan. Nothing good happens. Watching a five-year-old orphan being tortured is not something that this mama's heart can take. This film has a happy ending, and is worth seeing, but it is not easy to watch.

The worst part is that while this film is fiction, the suffering of children world-wide is not. And they don't get a happy ending. God continues to fill my heart with compassion for orphans, but I feel so powerless. My empathy does nothing to help them and is a painful burden to me. Not that it is anything to compare with what these children actually live through. I'm asking the Lord to help me find a way to help them. Please pray with me that he will help me find an outlet for this burden he has given me.

I see that I am not the first to feel this way. Psalm 10:

Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak,
who are caught in the schemes he devises.

He boasts of the cravings of his heart;
he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

In his pride the wicked does not seek him;
in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

His ways are always prosperous;
he is haughty and your laws are far from him;
he sneers at all his enemies.

He says to himself, "Nothing will shake me;
I'll always be happy and never have trouble."

His mouth is full of curses and lies and threats;
trouble and evil are under his tongue.

He lies in wait near the villages;
from ambush he murders the innocent,
watching in secret for his victims.

He lies in wait like a lion in cover;
he lies in wait to catch the helpless;
he catches the helpless and drags them off in his net.

His victims are crushed, they collapse;
they fall under his strength.

He says to himself, "God has forgotten;
he covers his face and never sees."

Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.
Do not forget the helpless.

Why does the wicked man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
"He won't call me to account"?

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.

The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

This is my comfort. I think I need to meditate on this:

But may the righteous be glad
and rejoice before God;
may they be happy and joyful.

Sing to God, sing praise to his name,
extol him who rides on the clouds
his name is the LORD—
and rejoice before him.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing;
but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land. Psalm 68:3-6

Making Do

2009-01-28T12:37:00.006-05:00

I start so many days discouraged and often I allow that discouragement to rob me of my creativity and zeal for my job. Thankfully, this is something I am beginning to see in myself. So I'm trying to be intentional about fighting these feelings. I'm convicted as I'm writing that spending the 20 minutes that I ostensibly "don't have time for" to do devotions in the morning would probably also help and save me lots of mope time later.

Today the scenario is less than ideal, as it always is, isn't it? Really it is the rare day that emotions, desires, finances, to-do lists, and our frail flesh combine to bring a smile to the face. I had to babysit today, my back is still sore, the house needs attention, there is a pile of laundry to do, and I really need to do my menu planning and go shopping. It is also the end of the month, so I need to make every dollar count. So let's be real. What can I do to glorify God today? What can I be thankful for? This is where I need to train my thoughts to run, instead of on all that needs to be done and all the complaints I have.

So today's strategy for fighting off my depression is Making Do. I do this a lot actually. It is a really important skill to have if you want to live within your means. After picking up my little babysitting charge we came back home to try to make something productive of the time. As I was making them a snack and cleaning the kitchen I noticed a sad solitary banana quietly dissolving into brown mushiness. I was tempted to berate myself for allowing it to go to waste when inspiration struck. I used my new immersion blender (thanks, Santa!) to blend the banana and two oranges together with some milk. I supplemented snack time with some of it and froze the rest in an ice cube tray so I can grab them to whip up smoothies for breakfast some morning. I've heard of people doing this with baby food, so why not smoothies? (I threw some frozen raspberries in to make enough to fill the tray at the end.)

Next up was Making Do with my time. I can't get a lot done with two active children underfoot, it's true, but I can get something done. So I did. It is amazing what you can accomplish in little bits of time. My kitchen is clean and one load of laundry is folded and the toys are all put away. After a morning of babysitting, I'm satisfied with that.

The next challenge was lunch. The boys had toast with jelly for breakfast, so pb & j was out. That's usually my stand-by lunch when the cupboards are getting bare. Instead I baked two potatoes, mixed up a can of tuna, and popped some popcorn. They split a cup of applesauce for dessert.

Making Do makes me grateful. It helps me use what I have and appreciate it. It gives me a chance to use my creativity. And gratitude and creativity were sorely needed in my heart this morning. Thank you Lord, for the necessity of making it work, even when it isn't ideal.

Inauguration Day

2009-01-20T11:35:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting here watching the Inauguration and I'm struck, as many people must be, by the sight of political rivals embracing. Of course, it is for show, but it is amazing. In so many countries this show of unity is impossible. In so many countries and in so many times past, political rivals strike and kill one another with no regard for the safety and happiness of the people of the nation. Thank you, dear Lord for the peace of our country. You have blessed us so richly here. We have day to day peace-- we expect and take it for granted. Our lives are stable and our standard of living is one of the highest in the world. Please forgive my complaining heart for the very few things I don't have. Please wash away that sense of entitlement that I and so many of my compatriots have been born with. Forgive and release from complacency and the idols of personal peace and affluence. Help me to use this peace and stability to further your kingdom, not to feed my flesh. Thank you for forgiving me for my sins. Thank you for your graciousness to me. Praise your holy name. Amen.

The struggle to trust

2009-01-04T16:15:00.005-05:00

Last night I started reading The Strength of Mercy by Jan Beazely. I found it so compelling that I couldn't put it down until I'd finished the book. It is one family's testimony of adopting a child from Romania and even, to their surprise, starting an adoption agency.

But the happy ending in this book is not what not what encouraged me most. It was the story of one woman, one family, struggling and wrestling to pursue God's will and to trust him wholeheartedly, despite painful circumstances; intermingled with the powerful words of comfort that the Lord sent from Scripture, really stirred my spirit and encouraged my heart.

In particular one sentence from the introduction really caught my heart. "This book is a testimony to God's faithfulness and to the strength of His mercy even just for one child.... May His mercy move your heart and take you further than you ever thought possible."

Even just for one. It is so easy to feel overlooked and forgotten by God, but he cares for each person individually and will work his plan. As I, and every other person on planet earth can attest, his plans often cause us pain and difficulty, yes, even death. But he never ceases caring for his people. He never forgets us.

Here is a selection of other words that leapt out at me during my reading last night:

"The LORD Almighty has sworn,
'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be,
and as I have purposed, so it will stand.'"
Isaiah 14 :24

"Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him..."
Job 13:15a

"These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open."
Rev 3:7

The fact that God is our heavenly Father means so much more to me now that I have a son. I hate so much to discipline him, but I know it is my responsibility to train and nurture him, setting the safe boundaries by which he can grow into a healthy adult. I do cause him pain and suffering, but truly only with his good in mind. But he can't understand. Not yet. So he just has to trust me and obey, and one day it will be clear to him. I thank God for the overwhelming love he gives us for our children, because this is a taste of how much he loves us. He delights in me, more than I delight in Iain, the son of my longing, the son of my tears and struggles, the joy of my heart. I love to bless my son, and I rejoice over him with singing. God loves you that way too. He does. Don't forget it. Trust him.

"Just like Abraham, who tried to produce an heir before God's hand moved in supernatural blessing on Sarah's womb, most of us have tried at one time or another to manipulate God's will to make it fit out time frame, our desires, and our purposes. This manipulation can be so subtle that we may not realize what we've done until it is too late. Then we find our flesh has given birth to an Ishmael. " p. 57

That passage fits me like an pair of jeans. I am daily driven by my impatience to try to push things along a little quicker, to get on with it, get over it. But we learn so much in waiting on God. In our time in England we marveled at the general good behavior of dogs. They are welcome on buses and trains, and allowed to run off-leash in parks. They aren't allowed in shops though. I can't tell you how many times I saw dogs sitting patiently waiting outside stores, completely free and untied, just looking into the shop for their master. I never saw any amount of temptation move them, not the length of time, the multitude of other people walking past, enticing aromas, or other dogs. I remain amazed at their patient obedience. It seems a strange model to take for oneself, but how I need to be more like those dogs!

Today is Sunday, of course, and Brian and I were both powerfully moved by the service today. The entire order of worship resonanted deep in our hearts, nearly every piece already embued with meaning from past lessons. What a blessing it is when God speaks so powerfully and clearly and you feel the Spirit burning inside.

The Text for Reflection and Preparation:
"And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you." Genesis 45:5

or as Joseph later says to his brothers :

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive". Gen 50:20

The Opening Prayer:
Open our eyes, O God, to Your presence and action in our day, that we may see how you are active in preserving life and providing salvation in the midst of the worls'd violence and rebellion, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Call to Worship:

Elder: Praise the Lord!
People: Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give glory
because of your lovingkindness,
because of Your truth.

Or as, Brian and I have sung in the past:

Non nobis, Domine, Domine, non nobis, Domine
Sed nomini tuo da gloriam.

This song features prominently in the film version of Henry V, which is deeply significant to us. If you are interested to know why, you can read Brian's article about Henry V here.

Then we sang Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (who can stay dry-eyed for that one?) and In Christ Alone, a song that will always remind me of the struggles and joys we experienced in the UK.

And then after the confession of sin, Shelton Woods preached this sermon about Joseph. (Choose the January 4th sermon.)

All of this adds up to an overwhelming word of comfort from the Lord as we have recently been thinking, talking, and praying about buying a house here in Boise or pursuing an adoption, and have been praying for several other people in our lives that are hurting, especially in this same area of infertility. He see us. He knows us. He has a plan, and nothing is impossible with him. We may go through pain and suffering and defeat and failure in 2009. Everything that we trust in other than the Lord may come tumbling down, but I, with Paul say:

"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord". Romans 8:38-39

2008: Year in Review

2008-12-31T17:28:00.008-05:00

Here's a summary of the highlights and lowlights of 2008 for our family. I've included my personal prayer requests at the bottom. If you have any of your own, feel free to leave them in the comments (or e-mail them to me) and I will pray for you too.

January: Job hunting for Brian. We were scouring the internet and praying fervently that God would provide a job for Brian at the right time. This is the month that we found out that Foundations Academy wanted to fly him out for an interview.

February: My 27th birthday. We celebrated with a trip to Paris! Brian flew out to Idaho just before our trip and sent off his signed contract from the post office inside the Louvre. We had the wonderful news that my sister in law was expecting, and then came the blow that she had lost her triplets.

March & April: Exploring the UK with the growing awareness that we weren't there for much longer. We were surprised to find how very at home and comfortable we felt in a place that was once so foreign and scary. I wrote my first issue of Keepers of the Home.

May: Leaving Brighton for the last time. We shipped 6 boxes and had more than our full allowance of luggage, trying to carry back memories of an experience that had shaped and changed us, deeply not wanting those changes to disappear or memories to fade. We had a curry and some wine our last night at home with our two dear friends Anthony and Christina. Christina took us to Gatwick the next morning, faithfully helping us to carry everything through the airport. I remembered all of this incredibly vividly when we dropped her off at the airport here in Boise yesterday.

June: My mom had surgery, my brother graduated high school, Iain turned 2, and we celebrated 7 (!) years of marriage right back where it all began. It was surreal, eating our anniversary dinner at the Denny's where we had our first date. We had such a nice visit with our families after being away for so long.

July: Moving to Boise, Brian's 29th birthday. We took Brian's brother Austin with us as we traveled very slowly north, visiting as many people as possible on our farewell lap of the east. It was especially good to see my Uncle Greg, who I see very rarely, as he is practically my only contact with Dad's family anymore. He reminds me so much of my Dad that I tear up every time I see him. It felt like the filling of a void for him to meet Iain. Our stay with him was like a homecoming to me, a reconnection to part of my past that was once vital and now lost. (My dad passed away in a car accident when I was eight.) We stayed in Nashville after that, visiting Allan and Christine. Brian, Allan, and Austin headed out to Boise in the van while Iain and I stayed in Tennessee for a week. After arriving in Boise, our apartment wasn't ready, so we stayed with the Stutzmans and the Goodwins for two weeks. Finally on the day after Brian's birthday we moved in, but without any furnishings. The mover debacle was a definitely a low point in the year.

August: Our things finally arrived! The folks at Foundations had lent us the basics to survive. After many delays and loads more money, the moving truck finally came, leaving us with mountains of boxes. Brian began teaching at Foundations. I find a job babysitting.

September: We finally settled on a church home, All Saints Presbyterian.

October: Foundations has it's foundation dedication art project at the new building site. Iain becomes a big boy and says "Bye bye binky!"

November: Adam came for Thanksgiving.

December: Christina's visit, which I have yet to blog about, due to being busy visiting!

Prayer Requests for the New Year:
That God would allow our family to grow with the addition of more children. This is the greatest of my heart's desires, but I don't know if it is really what is best, or what the Lord has for us. But he is kind to listen to our petitions, and gracious even when he says "No."

That I would grow in my faith. I want to live like a believer, every day, in every circumstance and attitude. I find that with every unexpected expenditure, every thwarted desire, every circumstance that doesn't go I as had hoped or planned, like I react like a two-year-old child, with complaints, with frustrated tears, with a lack of belief that my Father knows best what I need.

That I would recognize and embrace my calling in life, nurturing and stewarding the talents and resources that God has given me, being full of contentment with this season of my life, and working diligently at the tasks he sets me to, glamorous or not.

Happy New Year to everyone. Praise God that we are one year closer to glory, and knowing that the fullness of time and salvation has not yet come, let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us!

The Wild West

2008-12-16T14:57:00.002-05:00

Maybe a little too wild. A few weeks ago Brian went hunting and came back with a coot, a mallard, and a jack-rabbit. Here he is with one of the birds, cleaned and ready for cooking.

And here is the stew I made out of the jack-rabbit that I was too chicken to eat. So much for my pioneer skills.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

2008-12-07T22:28:00.007-05:00

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, we went to the Boise holiday parade.

It was fun seeing the Shriners in their crazy cars, the local paramedics doing synchronized CPR on teddy bears to "Stayin' Alive", and even...

Elvis! Everybody knew the king was alive somewhere. We told you Boise was a nice town to live in!

Brian got a real kick out of the logo on this truck. He said it looked like something out of a 70's cop show.

Iain got tired of the parade early so we walked to see the big Christmas tree in the Grove Center downtown. You can't see it in the picture, but he is crying here. Sheesh. You can see Peekaboo in her doggie sweater though. We got stopped every twenty seconds or so by people wanting to pet her and tell her how cute she was. Who know a dog in a sweater could be so popular? We just didn't want her to be cold.

On Monday night we had Mel over and decorated our Christmas tree. Iain was so interested in this and helped us hang ornaments until we were done.

(Btw, Mel, it was severely tempting to post some of those silly pics you left of yourself on our camera. Other friends have not been so lucky in the past!)

And earlier this week we made snowmen out of doughnuts, much to Iain's delight. He loves Raymond Briggs' The Snowman, and getting make a tasty dessert that looked like a snowman was pretty exciting.

Treasure in Heaven

2008-12-07T22:05:00.002-05:00

I really appreciated and enjoyed our pastor's sermon today. It was on christian generosity in light of the humility of Christ. This was so timely for me. With all the decisions we are making regarding our finances right now, they have become something of an idol to me. It's amazing that that can be so, but even when your resources are thin, that fear of losing money can turn into an unhealthy obession.

My hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus' blood and righteousness.

If you'd like to hear today's sermon, please click here and choose the December 7th sermon.

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-12-04T16:38:00.006-05:00

Over Thanksgiving we had the blessing of receiving a visit from a good friend from Brian's college days. Adam was here for a week and we had a great time catching up with him. With all the transition that we've had lately, it was great to be with someone who remembers the person I was 10 years ago! Adam was a groomsman in our wedding and Brian's roommate in college.

We had a fun week hanging out. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving we drove up Highway 55 to see some mountain scenery and to give the guys a chance to do some fishing.

I can't help but like the feeling this picture gives me.

I like that you can see Brian's reflection in this shot.

Iain enjoyed climbing on the rocks and watching Papa and Adam fish. He and I also picked up some nice pine cones that are now part of our Christmas centerpiece.

We stopped in a couple of interesting small towns. This was had the somewhat dubious name of Crouch.

We all got a kick out of this street sign in Idaho Falls. Apparently the Main Street/Wall Street financial divide isn't as big there.

We also stopped for a few pictures at a really pretty trail head. We couldn't get out and hike because Iain was napping in the car.

And just to entice the rest of you to visit:

Iain had fun running around and playing with the snow up in the mountains.

For Thanksgiving we headed over to David and Stormy's house. The kids had a blast playing on the trampoline while waiting for dinner to cook.

The pretty table setting.

We had a great time. The food was amazing and the company was wonderful. We stayed all day enjoying the conversation. Adam snapped this family photo for us.

I hope everybody had a great Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful visit with Adam. He and Brian even got to go to the last Bronco game of their perfect season. They rushed the field and Brian got to touch the WAC trophy. Needless to say, they were thrilled.

The ungrateful debtor

2008-11-25T17:22:00.004-05:00

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

I was recently looking for a few books about thanksgiving to read to Iain in preparation for this wonderful holiday and I found nothing suitable. The books I saw were either about the somewhat dubious historical origins of the holiday or about eating or at best about "giving thanks". But of those few books that actually talked about thankfulness, even fewer mentioned who we were supposed to be thankful to. Most read like "A List of Things I Like". I like my house, my car, my food, my toys, my family. So thanks, whoever is out there, for giving me some things I like.

But what about people who have nothing? Or have a terminal illness? Or have lost something they value deeply? Are they called to thankfulness?

These things I remember
as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go with the multitude,
leading the procession to the house of God,
with shouts of joy and thanksgiving
among the festive throng.

Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar. Psalm 42:4-5

I am in pain and distress;
may your salvation, O God, protect me.

I will praise God's name in song
and glorify him with thanksgiving.

This will please the LORD more than an ox,
more than a bull with its horns and hoofs. Psalm 69:29-31

What are we truly thankful for?

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever.

I'm thankful for his unshakeable love that chose me before the world began. For the heartache He has saved me from and for the heartache He has led me through. I'm thankful for His almighty power which can never ever fail. I'm thankful for His goodness. He is purity itself. How lovely to look at unadulterated good. There is not even the tiniest flaw in Him, and if I think so it is because there are deep flaws in me. I'm thankful for His lovingkindness that loves me, the covenant breaker. The murder, the adulterer, the idolator, the thief. I'm thankful that though this world is broken, it can not break me, because of the One who died and shed His immortal blood for me. Thank you God!

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

And Can It Be, Charles Wesley

Dear Father, Please fill my heart with the true spirit of thanksgiving, this week and always. In Jesus' name, Amen.

For I am with you, says the LORD.

2008-11-10T15:15:00.002-05:00

I took you from the ends of the earth,
from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, 'You are my servant';
I have chosen you and have not rejected you.

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:9-10

These verses have been a big encouragement to me lately-- how much more I need to think on them!

Life is never predictable, and it is my first reaction to begin to worry and fear whenever there is uncertainty in my life. So I'm worried a lot. And that's a sin. I can't begin to describe how harmful worry is to my soul. When I cling to my fears, I rebel against the Lord. Clutching my concerns to my chest, my mind races with how I'm going to deal with it-- how can I fix it? No wonder I'm afraid. I'm trusting in myself.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:4-6

So today I want to cast my cares on Him. He is capable and He is wise. Why cling to my stress and worry? He is my loving heavenly Father.

We have some big decisions facing our family-- as always it seems! Please pray for us if you have a moment and are reading this. We would love to see our family grow, if that is the Lord's will. There are many factors that play into this and due to the much more public nature of blog now than 3 years ago, I think it is the better part of wisdom to leave it at that. If you want to know more for the purposes of prayer and encouragement, please feel free to come to me and ask me privately.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I trust You. You are good and holy. I know that what you do is right. Please help me to remember this each and every day, especially on days that seem dark and scary. I cast my cares on You Father. If You are for me, who can be against me? I know that I am valuable because of You and Your love for me-- and that Your love doesn't wax and wane depending on how well I'm doing at a given moment. Help me to find my security in You. I love You Lord and I thank you so much for Your covenant faithfulness and lovingkindness. Bless Your holy name. Amen.

The Promised Menu Plan

2008-11-10T12:24:00.003-05:00

Ok, so here is the menu I came up with. I'm just listing the dinners because I'm too lazy to type it all out! For breakfast we generally have cereal or toast, and I plan on making some granola this week. For lunch it is usually leftovers or a sandwich.

Friday: Foccacia bread to share at our friend's house
Saturday: Dinner out! :)
Sunday: Pot Roast (we had a lovely visit with some new friends while sharing this meal)
Monday: Sausage roll (thanks Sarah!!)
Tuesday: Beef Strogonoff with leftovers from pot roast
Wednesday: Chicken curry with rice
Thursday: Jacket potatoes topped with leftovers or tuna

There's the sausage plait that Sarah recommended. It looks great! I made it on Friday and froze it. It is defrosting at the moment. I also had enough left over filling for another plait, butI was out of yeast, so I froze it in a baggie for later use.

In other news, I'm feeling woefully discouraged today and am thankful for the prayers of my mother and the encouraging words of my dear friend Christina. It is amazing how much power the tongue has-- to build up or to destroy. I'm going to continue to prayerfully plug along and trust that the Lord knows all that is happening below the surface. Though I see little progress in my life, He is at work, and He never fails.

Rejoicing in the little things

2008-11-07T12:59:00.005-05:00

Those of you who know me know that I am not a seamstress. Yet I had an old body pillow with no pillowcase. I love having a body pillow-- they are so comfortable. When I was pregnant with Iain, a body pillow helped me sleep at night. Anyway, I was pricing pillowcases and I keep seeing them for $10-$15, which seems unreasonably high to me. And the selection wasn't particularly nice. So I dug out my sewing machine and made this pillowcase last week. It cost me a significant amount of aggravation, but it is the right color and made from a soft flannel that it is nice for snuggling. I bought two yards of fabric at Wal-mart for $2.50 a yard and I already had the thread, so it cost me $5 plus my time. So I'm very happy with it.

Maddening Menus

2008-11-06T22:29:00.002-05:00

To make the most of resources, I always plan what meals I'm going to have for the week before I go shopping. Every week I spend at least 30 minutes looking through cookbooks, searching online, or staring into space trying to conjure up meals utilizing what I have on hand and what's on sale. Don't ask me how it is possible for a woman who has been cooking dinner every night for almost seven and 1/2 years to be stumped every week when it comes time to plan a menu. But there it is. So I was wondering if anybody wanted to help a bit this week? :) I actually don't have to cook tomorrow night since we're going to a friend's house. So I could possibly do some baking or freezer cooking to get ahead.

At any rate, I'm pretty well stocked at the moment thanks to a buy one get one free meat sale at Albertson's. We don't eat a lot of meat, especially beef or pork since it is expensive, so this is very exciting.

Here's what I've got:
2 packages bratwurst
1 package ground sausage
1 whole chicken
1 beef roast
2 packs of chicken breasts
2 packs of pork chops
Lunchmeat (also a treat!)
potatoes
fresh spinach
rice
pasta
curry paste
bananas
apples
cream of mushroom soup
diced tomates
canned veg
tomato soup
chicken broth
monterray jack cheese
eggs

So what should I make? I left off some staples and I can go to the store to fill in a few items, but we have plenty of food and we need to eat what we have. If you've got an idea or recipe, I'm all ears. I'll share my final menu plan after I figure out what it is.

Pizza Parlor Fun

2008-11-06T14:29:00.005-05:00

Earlier this week I had the blessing of going on a little "mommy date" with Iain. We went to Flying Pie Pizzeria with the Idaho Mom's Network for a tour and we got to make our own pizza! Flying Pie is considered to be the best pizza place in Boise, and I must say that I agree. Here we are waiting to get started.

They had all kinds of fun hats for the kids to wear while they constructed their pizzas. Iain choose the crown, but it was so big that it looked like a royal rasta hat! He didn't leave it on for too long.

After washing our hands, we got to spread sauce and sprinkle cheese on our pizza dough.

And of course, there was some quality-control testing to be done.

Next came the meat and the olives. Yum, yum! It was very hard for Iain to be patient and not eat his pizza uncooked. I'm actually not sure if he is adding ingredients or taking them off in this picture!

Next we named our pizzas and gave them to the staff to be cooked in the oven. We called ours "Iain's Sampler". Then they gave us drinks and breadsticks and showed us the massive dough mixer. I couldn't believe the size of it. It makes enough dough for almost 200 pizzas, and they make the dough fresh every morning.

Next we saw our pizzas cooking in the oven. Then we got to eat them!

Iain and I both really enjoyed our morning at Flying Pie. If you are ever in Boise, you have to check them out!

Free Snacks!

2008-11-05T15:43:00.003-05:00

I have a ton of things that I'm looking forward to blogging about, but I just have a minute, so I'll share this quickie. I got these for .68 cents today! Woohoo! I really like these fruit leathers for Iain (and me too!) because they're 100% fruit. Sadly, they're also a bit pricey. But I wrote to the company complimenting their product and requesting some coupons and they gave me some coupons for free fruit leathers. So I only had to pay tax on these. Writing to your favorite companies really pays off because you can get coupons for the stuff you love-- and maybe even a few freebies. What a blessing!

First American Halloween

2008-11-01T16:30:00.005-04:00

We took Iain to a trunk-or-treat party on Wednesday night, and being the frugal mama that I am, I decided to make Iain's halloween costume. He is a train-- and a very sad one-- if you can't tell from the pictures.

He actually refused to wear this costume on Wednesday, so we transitioned to a backup. Iain the builder!

Here he is wearing a fireman's hat that they gave him that night. Costume # 3! It was at about this point, while admiring the candy haul, that Iain decided dressing up was ok.

So on Friday he wore his costume without too much complaint.

This was our first time taking Iain trick or treating, and it was such a blessing. I wanted to have a child for so long-- it is such a joy to get to do kid stuff with our son. He did very well saying thank you to everyone. We had dinner with our friend Melody and then walked around the block trick or treating. We all had a really nice time.

Mountain road trip

2008-10-30T21:07:00.010-04:00

Last weekend we drove up into the mountains which are to the north of us. Iain and I were still recovering from a stomach virus and those windy roads were a little tough for us, but we made it and we had fun too.

The first town we came to was Horseshoe Bend. I couldn't believe the size of this stack of logs. Look how tiny I am in comparison! We had to stop and get a picture.

We drove up highway 55, which follows the lovely rushing Payette River for a long time.

The next stop was at Smith's Ferry, which was basically a few houses and a tiny store and restaurant. They had a cool old fire truck parked outside that Iain got to climb around on.

We spent some time taking in the views, throwing rocks in the river and checking out the yellow pine trees. There seems to be debate about whether they are called Tamaracks or Ponderosas.

Then we headed up the road towards McCall, stopping off in Cascade at a diner for lunch. It was so strange to be in an American country diner after living in England. I had biscuits and gravy and Brian had a burger and tater tot fries. There was not a single vegetable to be seen on the menu. Hmm.

Payette Lake in McCall is truly lovely and McCall is a nice town with a compact downtown/high street that you can walk with ease. It would only be improved if there was more of a local population. I get the sense that most of the businesses up there are serving tourists and seasonal guests.

We stopped at a public park on one end of the lake before walking around town. I enjoyed snapping tons of pics while we were up there.

Checking out the dock.

After walking around town, we drove around the lake and found a nice little spot where we could walk through the woods and get onto the beach. Iain had a blast climbing around and I had fun snapping tons of photos.

Beautiful autumn leaves.

Fun with sticks!

The mystery tree. (Upon further investigation, it seems to be a Tamarack.)

Beautiful driftwood.

Beautiful blessings.

This is why we love Brian's new job

2008-10-30T20:23:00.012-04:00

As most of you know we moved out to Boise, Idaho so that Brian could take a job teaching 12th grade theology and humanities at Foundations Academy. We strongly believe in the classical model of education and we think this school does it exceptionally well. We're also excited by the vision and leadership of the headmaster, David Goodwin.

Foundations is currently building a new facility that is scheduled to be opened next year. To celebrate the completion of the foundation, they came up with a big idea: an aerial art gallery. All of the students in the school participated in in reproducing five great works of art in massive scale on the freshly poured concrete at the new building site. They used chalk to draw the Mona Lisa, George Washington, Starry Night, American Gothic, and A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.

The kids did all of the work in just 3 hours. They had the local media out, and a local film company produced a short time-lapse film of the event. You can view it here.

This whole thing took weeks of preparation and planning, but it came off beautifully. We feel proud and excited to be part of this school. Brian's class worked quite a bit on Mona Lisa and George Washington.

I was only able to be on site for a short time, since I was babysitting and the wind made it bitterly cold out there. I did snap a few quick snapshots.

I made it back just as the sun was setting, but I didn't have my tripod, so these pictures are pretty dark and blurry! Oops. (Can I just say that I love the classic red barn in the background? So Americana.)

For all of you wondering why on earth we moved out to Idaho, now you know why. To draw the Mona Lisa 30 feet high in chalk. Or rather to be inspired to do and create big things, and to give kids (including our son) the tools to do that too.

Wide open spaces

2008-10-22T01:20:00.003-04:00

A rather interesting contrast between the last two places we've lived:

Combined land area of England, Scotland, & Wales: 88,782 sq. mi.
Land area of Idaho: 83,642 sq. mi.

Combined population of ES&W: approx. 59 million
Population of Idaho: 1.5 million

Happy birthday, Dad

2008-10-21T17:00:00.004-04:00

Brian here again: Today is my Dad's birthday. Someone at work recently asked me who my hero was; I told him it was my Dad. He asked why; I said it was because of his unwavering loyalty to those he loves. I've seen my Dad get figuratively kicked and spat on by the people he loves most. I've even done my share of the kicking and spitting over the years. But my Dad's loyalty is unshakable: no matter how hurt he might be, his love for his family is never diminished in the slightest. He will still fight for them and sacrifice himself for them at any time and at any cost. I need to be a lot more like that.

Here is a picture of four generations of Douglas men on my first Father's Day, just a couple weeks after Iain was born:

Happy birthday, Dad! I love you very much.

Friday Frivolity

2008-10-17T10:35:00.003-04:00

It's Friday! Even as a stay at home mom, I love Fridays. I know that we're in for some relaxed time as a family, whether we're off exploring a new part of town, combing yard sales, or just sleeping in and treating ourselves to a box of day old pastries from our local bakery, we're going have a time of rest together. I also try to do some of my best cooking on the weekend, and tonight I'm looking forward to trying this pizza braid that I found on another homemaking blog. It reminds me of the fantastic strombolis we used to get from a pizza place called Vito's in Fort Lauderdale. We spent many meals with friends there. I'm going to pair it with this marinara sauce. I'm excited to try this recipe and I hope it turns out!

I'll spend the day today menu planning, grocery shopping, and cleaning in preparation for the weekend, but it is very happy work.

And just for fun, because it is Friday, I'm going to have a silly little autumn quiz!

1. Thanksgiving or Halloween?
Thanksgiving. That's a fabulous holiday and I'm always disappointed that it gets overshadowed by Christmas.

2. Halloween or Reformation Day?
Halloween. I know it is not the most spiritual answer, but we celebrate fall on Halloween and don't really bother with Reformation Day. We're Presbyterians, so every day is Reformation Day in this house. ;)

3. What's your favorite hot drink?
Well it used to be hot chocolate with nutmeg, but this fall I've discovered spiced chai tea and it is my new favorite!

4. Pumpkin pie or apple pie?
Pumpkin pie. Hands down.

5. If you could go anywhere to see the fall color, where would you go?
Maybe British Columbia? I bet it is awesome up there.

6. What was your most memorable Halloween (or fancy dress) costume?
My mom made me this awesome fairy princess costume one year and it was so pretty. I got to pick out the fabric and everything. It was awesome. But then she made me wear the next year too since it still fit and that wasn't as much fun. (Sorry, mom! What an ungrateful girl!!) I also dressed up one year as a mom and that was a total bust. I carried my Cabbage Patch doll and had a gray wig and a bathrobe. I think people just thought I was a bum.

Happy Friday and Happy Autumn!

Appreciating the Little Things

2008-10-14T15:07:00.003-04:00

Ok, this is kind of a strange thing to post about, but I am trying foster contentment in my own heart. Here is some snack mix I made today using the Cheerios I got on sale a few weeks back.

Iain and I had some with our lunch and it is pretty good.

If you fancy trying your hand at it, here is the recipe:

Cheerios
Pretzels
Peanuts
Sunflower seeds
Season salt to taste
2 tbsps olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients together, then drizzle with oil and sprinkle on the seasoning. Mix well. Put in a single layer on a baking tray and bake at 275 for 10 minutes. (My house smelled like warm nuts afterwards!) Allow to cool and then store in airtight containers.

I get so bogged down by the things I don't do that I forget to be thankful for what I can do. For instance, I wanted to plant my daffodil bulbs in our flower bed today, so I cleared the weeds and started to dig. I got about 3 inches into the soil before hitting the plastic tarp the apartment people put down to suppress weeds. Not nearly deep enough for my bulbs. So, instead of being frustrated about that, I'm going to be thankful that I cleared away the unsightly weeds. Does anybody know if you can grow bulbs in containers?

So today I am trying to be diligent and to celebrate what I do accomplish. Because constantly feeling like a failure gets awfully darn old.

Fun with Corn

2008-10-13T15:14:00.013-04:00

It snowed on Friday. Yes, snow. On October 10th! This is what the foothills looked like on Saturday morning.

Aren't they lovely? They look like proper mountains with a dusting of snow on them. Snow is highly unusual this time of year-- it broke the record as Idaho's earliest snowfall. So that's a relief, considering we had an Indian summer. I need my autumn fix! No skipping my favorite season!

On Saturday it was cloudy and windy, but it was not snowing. We braved the elements to go to the pumpkin patch and corn maze. Here we are waiting for the pig race to begin. I can't believe the words "pig race" are now on my blog.

You can see Iain is thrilled about being out in the cold weather. Clearly he has more sense than his Mama.

And they're off!

After the pig race, we headed over to the hayride. We were the only ones on it and there was no hay! The tractor also broke down, but they got it started up again. Iain was definitely still dubious at this point, but did show some interest in the tractor.
This is what we saw on our hayride.

After the hayride, we hit the corn maze to get a break from the wind. There were actually two mazes. One cut to look like John McCain, and the other cut like Barack Obama. I personally think the Obama maze looks more like Ronald Reagan. We ended up going in the McCain side and exiting on the Obama side, so we didn't do it right, but we just glad to be out after wandering around in there for an hour or so without a map!

After the corn maze we hit the kiddie activities in the courtyard. Iain especially loved playing in the corn pit, but at first he and this little girl stood in there like this for about 5 minutes. They looked liked little zombies!

Then we all jumped on this giant pillow. It was awesome! Definitely the highlight of my day. Though I felt a little funny being the only adult on there at first.

There was some lasso practice and yeah, that's a lot harder than it looks. They also had some animals, go-karts, and a wicked tall slide.

Overall, it was a fab day despite the winter weather.

Bargain Shopping

2008-10-12T19:22:00.003-04:00

I've had a few people ask me how to do this, so I'll pass along a few tips. I'm no expert at this, but I'm happy to share what I know.

I always thought I was pretty good with coupons and deals, but my friend Marissa opened up a whole new world to me this summer. (Thanks so much Marissa!)

1. Get a coupon stash. To get these good deals you need to start accumulating manufacturer's coupons that you can combine with sales and store coupons to get good deals. If you can get multiple copies of the same coupons, all the better. But for our family, we just get the Sunday paper and I make do with those. I also print coupons from www.coupons.com and other places online. Make sure to check to see if your store accepts coupons printed from the internet before you get in the checkout line.

2. Watch the deals. I look through the ads and coupons on Sunday and I follow several blogs that track the sales and deals. These sites will show you how to combine sales, store coupons, manufacturer's coupons, and loyalty rewards programs. I like:

www.moneysavingmom.com
www.couponmom.com
http://grocerycartchallenge.blogspot.com/
http://www.commonsensewithmoney.com/

3. Read the fine print and know your store's policies. Be sure to read your coupons carefully. Check the sizes, quantities, and styles included in the offer. Sometimes it looks like you can use a coupon with a sale, but a tiny detail will make your coupon ineligible. :( Sometimes you have to buy a certain quantity of an item to get a sale price, but sometimes you only have to buy one. Some stores limit the number coupons you can use in a transaction. For instance, Walgreens doesn't allow you to use more coupons than you have items, so you may need to plan to purchase an extra small item. Don't be afraid to ask questions if a coupon is rejected or a sale price doen't ring up. In my experience sometimes I have misunderstood an offer but other times things just don't ring up correctly and my order can be adjusted. If you are using lots of coupons, be prepared to have the manager called to help with your order. Have the store ad at hand to show them.

4. Set aside some money to invest. Walgreens has a rebate program that gives you your rebates back on a gift card. To begin building up a credit on your Walgreens card, you'll need to lay out some money initially. Every month they offer free after rebate items, but it takes about a month to get that money back on the card. But once you've made that initial outlay you can use that same money over and over to buy the free after rebate items. It also helps to give yourself a little money to spend while you are starting out because it is easy to make a lot of mistakes as you begin learning.

5. Give yourself some grace.Don't fret when you do make a few mistakes. And don't worry if you miss a deal or two along the way. Just do your best and thank God for what he provides for you.

6. Don't succomb to coupon obession. The one problem with following the sales is that you become more susceptible to marketing. This can foster the desire to go shopping or to buy new things that you don't need because it is a "good deal". Limit yourself to buying things that your family needs or would use anyway. Know your prices and don't buy things that you can get cheaper elsewhere without coupons-- at a garage sale, at the dollar store, or your local discount grocery store.

Happy shopping and be sure to let me know if you get some good deals!

Walgreens 10/12-10/15

2008-10-12T18:49:00.003-04:00

Yes, it is yet another bargain post. I'm so thankful to the Lord for providing what we need, and I'm hopeful that other people can benefit from these great sales too. Technically I got all of this for .84 cents!

I got all of what is pictured above for 18.57 out of pocket, and I'm due to receive an 18.12 credit on my Walgreen's gift card for my next shopping trip! Here is how I did it:

Transaction 1:
3 Kotex products for on sale for $9, with $3 in Register Rewards back. (Register Rewards are a coupons that print out along with your receipt after the transaction is complete.)
Minus $2.00 in coupons from the Sunday paper, but you can also print some from coupons.com.
Total $3.77
I paid that with the credit on Walgreens gift card from last time. Total out of pocket: $0.

Transaction 2:
Buy 4 Dove products receive $3 in Register Rewards.
I bought 2 bars of soap at $1.00 each and 2 deodorants at $2.00 each for a total of $6.
Then I had $1.50 coupon for the deodorants from this Sunday's paper.
So my total came to 4.97, which I again used my gift card to pay for. Total out of pocket: $0.

Transaction 3:
One package of Walgreens diapers on sale for 5.99.
Minus $3.00 Register Rewards Coupon.
Total: $3.35, again paid for by the trusty gift card. Total out of pocket: $0.

Transaction 4:
Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation 7.49 (Free after rebate on Walgreens gift card)
L'Oreal Cleanser Towelettes 7.99 (Free after rebate on Walgreens giftcard)
Minus $1.00 coupon from the beauty counter in store.
Parsley .50 Cinnamon .50 using 2/$1 coupon in Walgreens ad
Pert Shampoo 3.49, minus 2.50 EasySaver coupon, and $1.00 coupon from the paper, free
Candle $4.00, no coupons, just a blessing for me and my family to enjoy
Hershey's candy, .39 each using Walgreens coupon (I had another coupon, but I forgot to use it!)
Arm & Hammer detergent, $2.99, minus $1 rebate and $1.00 coupon, .99 cents.
Minus $3.00 Register Rewards coupon and .39 remaining on the gift card. Total out of pocket 18.96, 18.12 in rebates to be credited to my gift card.

Lovely River

2008-10-10T21:53:00.002-04:00

I took this photo as we were out for a bike ride on the Greenbelt earlier this week. Isn't it a beautiful world that God has made? Isn't he kind to allow man the creativity to add to his works?

Woohoo!

2008-10-06T23:29:00.002-04:00

I just got a $23.00 check in the mail from Ebates. They offer a small percentage discount at online retailers. The best part is that you can stack coupons on top of this and save even more. I'm thrilled because I only use Ebates for stuff I'm planning to buy online anyway. If you are interested in joining, check it out at www.ebates.com. And if you do sign up, can you please tell them I referred you (jordannicole20@hotmail.com)? I get a $5.00 credit and so do you!

Bye-bye, Binky!

2008-10-04T20:21:00.005-04:00

Last night was a tremendous milestone for Iain. It was his first night without his beloved pacifier. We prepared him through the late afternoon and evening, and then when it was time for bed, Papa sat him down for a serious heart-to-heart talk. Brian told Iain that he was too big for his binky, and that he wasn't going to need it anymore. Instead Iain would get a special big boy prize. I gave Iain his binky and had him trade it to me for a brand new wooden train. He was very excited about the train, but when he handed over his binky he said "Bye-bye binky" and cried. The look on his face nearly broke my heart. I've been dreading doing this. I was so sad. I think it was as hard for me to see the binky go as it was for him. But happily it only lasted for about 5 seconds and then he was all smiles for the new big boy train!

He played with it for a while and took it to bed with him. Iain slept from 9:30 or so and slept until 6:00, so he did really well. Today he been saying "Bye-bye binky" in a very conversational way, so I think this transition is going to go pretty well. The only mark of babyhood he has left are his diapers. I don't think he is quite ready for potty training yet, but it will be very nice when we don't have to buy diapers any more.

My boy is getting so big! Praise the Lord.

Albertson's sale Oct 1-7

2008-10-01T13:56:00.003-04:00

You can get General Mills cereal for $1.50 a box at Albertson's this week when you buy 10 boxes. The flyer says select varieties and it pictures Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, Kix, Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Total, and Lucky Charms. I'm guessing there are probably a few more that are on sale but not pictured. There's a coupon from the newspaper a few weeks back that is good for $1 off two boxes, and you can print some more coupons from www.coupons.com. I see .55 cents off Cheerios, .75 cents off Kix, .55 cents off Trix, $1.00 off two Chex, and .75 cents off Oatmeal Crisp. Be sure to ask if your store accepts coupons printed from the internet. With the coupons, you can get cereal for .75 cents to a $1 a box! I'm hoping to make it to Albertson's later this week, but I thought I share this deal now so you have time to grab it too!

Update: I did manage to make it to Albertson's. I got 10 boxes of cereal for 12.85! The sale is going on until Tuesday, and it is limited to the varieties listed above. I was disappointed that more weren't included because I could have saved another dollar or two!

Frustrated and far from the mark

2008-09-30T16:10:00.003-04:00

Today has been really irritating me! It has been one of those days where little things keep going wrong and adding up to one frustrated mama. Poor Brian is sick today, so that was not a happy beginning to the day. Iain woke up at 6:30, and I managed to get my kitchen cleaned up (including the floor mopped!) and Iain fed without incident. Today is payday, so the stores in the house are very low. No milk, no eggs, 1 slice of bread-- you get the picture. Still, no problem, frozen waffles for breakfast, leftovers and frozen french fries for lunch. I also found some time to spend with Iain on learning his colors again today. We've only done four so far, despite having started it two weeks ago! As I was doing my daily internet search for bargains and sales, I came across this website (http://thehomespunheart.blogspot.com/) and was immediately blessed and also saddened at how far I have to go. This is is the kind of wife, mom, and friend I'd like to be. But I'm not there yet. Sigh.

So feeling good about having done some work and wanting to do something creative after reading that blog, I decided to work on a project I've had laid aside for a month or so. I would have preferred trying out her pumpkin muffin recipe, but I have no muffin tins, and more importantly, no ingredients. So painting it was. Little did I know this would be my downfall today.

I laid newspaper outside on the grass and got all my supplies out. I left the door to the apartment open so Iain and our dog could enjoy some sunshine and fresh air. I kept a good eye on Iain while I was painting, not such a good eye on the dog. She disappeared and I failed to notice. So then I had to leave my painting project in the grass and hunt for her sans vehicle with a toddler. It didn't work well. Luckily she returned home, limping and shaking about 20 minutes later. I have no idea what happened to her. She's walking on all fours again, so hopefully she's ok.

Then I had to make lunch for Iain while I was involved in a very important phone conversation. While I was distracted he poured first his milk, then his juice, all over himself and the floor. After disciplining him for that, I put him down for his nap and went out to finish my painting, dog safely inside. When I went out I saw that my project was soaking wet! The workmen apparently are doing something to the sprinkler system and they turned it on while I was inside. Sigh. It's only two o'clock and everything I have tried to accomplish today has already been a bust. I need to go and fight yet again to clean this place up! Does anybody else have days like this? How do I come to grips with falling so short of even the simplest goals, let alone loftier ones? Help, Lord Jesus!

Jumping Doggies & Pretty Flowers

2008-09-29T16:34:00.007-04:00

On Saturday we went to Ann Morrison park to watch the Frisbee Fest, or as Iain liked to put it, the jumping doggies. I don't have many pictures because my camera isn't fast enough to catch action shots. After watching the dogs catch frisbees for awhile, we went over to the playground and had a picnic.

Then we headed off to the Idaho Botanical Garden. I love this picture of Brian and Iain enjoying a special moment together.

The Garden has three sections; a rose garden, a woodland garden, and a desert garden. It was really surprising because it seems really small, but the lot is narrow and long.

What a cutie!

In other happy news...

2008-09-26T16:51:00.002-04:00

our boxes from the UK arrived!! Woohoo! We haven't seen this stuff since May. Best of all, my teapot that Christina gave me last Christmas made it in one piece!!! I was so worried that it would break and I love it so much. So there will be some McVittie's eating celebrations soon!

Walgreens 9/26

2008-09-26T16:32:00.003-04:00

I am so excited and thankful to the Lord for providing this deal. I've been practicing getting the good deals at Walgreens, and I'm really happy about this one. I got all this stuff for 5.14 out of pocket, and I'll be getting $16.00 back on my Walgreens gift card in rebates!

Here is the breakdown:
Kashi GoLean Crunch on sale 2/$5, minus $3 in coupons= 2/$2.
Walgreens Diapers Buy one get one 50% off= 2/$12
John Frieda Shampoo on clearance $1.62, minus $3.00 coupon= 2/.24!
Sunsilk Waves Conditioner on clearance $1.50, minus $1.50 coupon= free!
Chemistry Leave-in Conditioner 7.99, minus $1.00 coupon= 6.99 (7.99 rebate)
Crest Pro Health Toothpaste, 3.79, minus $1.00 coupon from Oct. EasySaver and .75 coupon
from manufacturer+ 2.04 (3.79 rebate)
Excedrin 3.99+ 3.99 (3.99) rebate
Plus I used a $5.00 off a $20 purchase coupon that I received via e-mail from Walgreens. If anyone else needs this coupon, let me know and I can forward it to you.

Total=24.13
Walgreens giftcard -18.99
Total out of pocket = 5.41, plus 16.00 earned on rebate gift card

WOOHOO! I'm so thrilled. Thank you God!

An Early Autumn Ramble

2008-09-25T10:03:00.007-04:00

Last week we went for a walk down the Greenbelt. But this time we went away from town and quickly found ourselves on a fun dirt path. The air was cool and crisp, the river was rushing next to us, and the geese were honking overhead. It was a perfect fall walk.

Here's Iain proudly leading the way down the Greenbelt.

The last of the summer flowers.

At the end of the trail. Say cheese!

Getting tired!

All worn out!

Albertson's 9/23

2008-09-21T18:57:00.005-04:00

I'm always looking for a way to make a dollar stretch, and lately I've been enjoying reading some bargain-oriented blogs, particularly Money Saving Mom (thank you to Marissa F. for recommending her to me!) So I've decided to devote occasional posts to budgets, bargains and the like. My apologies to those of you who have absolutely no interest in this sort of thing.

One of my favorite strategies is to shop at the cheapest grocery store in town, but then go and scoop the sales at the other grocery stores. Usually they have a few items every week that they sell for even less than the discount grocery stores do. I went to Albertson's today and managed to get a pretty good deal on some soup, crackers, and ground hamburger.

I got 17 cans of soup, 2 lbs of lean hamburger, 2 bags of goldfish crackers, and 1 plastic tablecloth for $16.44. The tomato and chicken noodle soup are on sale for fifty cents each, the selects soups are 1.00 and the microwaveable soups are 1.25. The hamburger is on sale for 1.99 a pound. The sale on soup runs until Tuesday and if you clip coupons, you should have a stack of Campbell's coupons from two weeks ago that will take a few more dollars off.

Bailing us out or bankrupting our future?

2008-09-20T20:04:00.002-04:00

I woke up this morning to read about the 700 billion dollar mortgage buy-out that the government is planning. Our conservative government. The thought of this makes me sick. Not that I'm not concerned about the economy or sorry for the people who have lost their homes, jobs, or savings. I just think that is unfair that taxpayers and future taxpayers have to foot the bill for other people's mistakes. Lots of people on Wall Street and Main Street got greedy and made bad choices and instead of having to take responsibility for that, my family is going to be paying for it. We struggle to get along within our means and pay our bills and there are lots of families like ours. It is hard enough to meet our obligations without the increased tax burden that has to come with this. And, if the many families like mine cry out, then the government will listen and won't raise taxes, instead passing this increasingly ballooning debt onto my son. We all know how hard it is when you are starting out, and I don't want the weight of our policitian's and businessmen's bad mistakes placed on our children. I know that sounds like empty rhetoric, but I feel very concerned about this. How are they going to have room to make their own decisions and mistakes if they are paying for their parent's and grandparent's?

My only consolation in this is that God is in his heaven, and he is the one who holds the future in his hands; not my bank account, the White House, Congress, or Wall Street.

Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;
he answers him from his holy heaven
with the saving power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.

O LORD, save the king!
Answer us when we call!

Psalm 20:6-9

Blogging Hiatus Over

2008-09-19T17:25:00.004-04:00

Now that the dust has settled (as much as it can in a desert, at any rate) I am announcing a return to the blog. I've delayed coming back for awhile because the thought of retelling a summer's worth of events that including a transatlantic, cross-country move; 2 birthdays; my mom's surgery, reunions and partings; in addition to a fair amount of culture shock was, to be quite honest, daunting. We spent the summer without a paycheck and without a home, but we lacked nothing by God's goodness and grace. Thank you to those of you who have kindly asked about the blog and its long silence. You are part of the reason that I'm getting out of this rut of bewilderment and backlog to finally post again.

This blog has passed through two major seasons with me so far. It records my infertility and adoption story, with all the pain and joy that encompasses and it keeps the record of our two years living abroad in England. There were times that I missed the old blog-- it was smaller and more personal. Sometimes I felt that my persona was lost in a sea of family updates that were probably of little significance or use to anyone outside my family. Yet now I realize that I have a record of a unique season in my life that would otherwise slowly fade into dimly remembered anecdotes. And now that we have moved to The West-- I still think of it that way, in capitals, The West-- no doubt the blog will see a bit of a transformation again. I hope to blend the posts a bit more effectively now that our family life won't be quite as out-of-the-ordinary. Hopefully, I will be brave enough to truly share my heart, my struggles, and my walk with God now that I have given this URL to everybody and their Great Aunt Alice. Because I feel that transparency is what keeps my blog alive and it is a way for me to share and remember the work that God is doing in shaping me. I think that transparency is a vital commodity in Christian fellowship, allowing us to pray for each other, correct each other, and encourage each other.

I would like to say thank you to all the lovely ladies whose blogs I follow. Thank you for sharing your journeys with me. I look forward to catching up with you all and seeing what has happened with you this summer.

Higher up and further into God's grace, whether it brings happiness or pain, so long as it brings us closer to seeing him face to face!

Last Days in the United Kingdom

2008-05-23T06:10:00.005-04:00

We're living in the midst of suitcases and boxes at the moment, but interspersed with the busyness and stress of packing have been wonderful times with friends and last visits to favourite haunts. On Wednesday we had a two visitors from the States and we took them to Seaford Head:

After walking a little way up the cliffs, we drove further on to one of my very favorite spots, Beachy Head. I'd never actually seen it on a sunny warm day before. Unfortunately, my pictures didn't come out, so there are just a few to share here.

Then we stopped at a pretty country pub for Elderflower cordial and Pimm's.

This is the only picture I got of Taylor and Brian!

Yesterday we drove up to Gatwick for more boxes and on the way back we stopped off in Ashdown Forest to see Pooh Bridge!

Iain thoroughly enjoyed the walk down. We collected sticks, saw a toad, found a hollow log, picked up some pebbles and stood on a stump. Iain got filthy and had a fabulous time.

Pooh sticks!

The stump!

Racing our Pooh sticks under Pooh Bridge.

What a lovely place-- just one of many near our home that we love.

We went home and packed some more, visited with our dear friend Anthony, and had supper with our friends Phil and Maria. It was a busy, blessed day, like many we've had recently.

Bye, bye, England! We will miss you!

Sunset at Devil's Dyke

2008-05-12T09:19:00.004-04:00

On Mother's Day evening we drove up to one of favorite places, Devil's Dyke, and watched the sunset. Iain had a blast flying the kite, running free, and staying up waaay past his normal bedtime. But that's what summer is for, right?

Wow, we're going to fly the kite!

A typical toddler picture-- just a blur!
Loving on Papa.
C'mon, it's time for adventures!

Glorious summer freedom.

A Great Week

2008-05-08T14:12:00.006-04:00

The sun has been shining here in Brighton this week, and I've had a growing awareness that we will soon be leaving this country that has been our home for the past two years. So Iain and I have been out and about quite a bit.

Monday was a bank holiday; Chris and Katy Fry graciously gave an open invitation to their home, and we had tea in their garden. I even baked a cake from scratch, which is something I haven't done in a long time and it felt wonderfully fun and creative. It was a little lopsided and the strawberries kept slipping off, but nobody seemed to mind.

Here is our merry band. Me, Ann, Iain, Katy, Chris, Ray, and Mika took the picture. Katy's garden is beautiful. I will always think of her whenever I garden in the future.

Then we took a nice walk to Hove Park, which was full of families, children, grandparents, and dogs playing.

They even had the model railway running and Chris treated us to a ride. Iain was thrilled!

On Tuesday, Iain and I went to Drusillas Park Zoo. He really enjoyed looking at the animals. We stood and watched the squirrel monkeys for about 30 minutes! There were about 20 of them in there and they were pretty entertaining. They leaped about from tree to tree and scrambled up and down the ropes in their pen, occasionally getting to very loud fights. Here is one having some fruit.

Iain's interest in the animals disappeared when he spotted this:

The zoo had a train to ride on! I heard lots of crying about the train after that, because he wanted to do nothing but ride it. Because of that, we only rode it once! Here he is being forced to look at more animals instead of trains. Not too happy.

We had a picnic and some ice cream and played on a playground there. It was a nice day out.

Wednesday we went to playgroup as usual, which Iain always enjoys. We also had Ann over for supper and took her on a drive to see the Long Man of Wilmington and some of the beautiful country back roads that you can only see by car.

Today Iain and went down to the seafront and rode the Volks Railway and played on the playground again. Tomorrow we'll go to Maria's house for lunch. So it has been a very sweet and relaxing week. I feel like I'm saying goodbye gently and gratefully and I'm so thankful for that.

Soaking up the Sun

2008-05-03T17:27:00.005-04:00

For the first time in what seems like ages, the sun has been shining and the weather has been warmish. On Wednesday, we had a birthday lunch with our friend Lizzie, and then we went for a drive in the country. The bluebells were growing en masse in the woods. They make the most etheral periwinkle haze along the ground.

I picked some to take home, but they are so delicate that they wilted on the way.

Yesterday we took a long walk over the chalky clifftops from Seaford to the Seven Sisters. Iain had a blast and we tired ourselves out with some good exercise and fresh air, which we desparately needed since we've had the flu the past two weeks.

Today we went to the Eastbourne Minature Steam Railway again, and stopped along the way to take pictures in this field of safflowers. They are so vibrantly yellow.

Here's Iain enjoying the train again. ESMR is such a great low-fi, really fun place for kids. We spent ages playing at the train table again, and we even bought a train called Douglas for Iain to take home. He is sleeping with it in his crib tonight after playing with it all evening. My precious boy. It is a joy to make him so happy.

Clotted Cream, Cornish Pasties, Wedding Bells, and All That

2008-04-14T08:36:00.006-04:00

A few weeks ago we went to our first British wedding. It was in Cornwall, which is just an absolutely amazing part of the UK. Here is the happy couple, posing for pictures after the ceremony.

Here is Iain "reading" the program.

The best man was our good friend, Anthony.

Here I am with Maria, our pastor's wife.

And with our friend Christina at the reception. She carpooled with us out to the wedding and kept us in stitches the whole time. I'm still waiting for a collection downloadable noises from her. "Sausages!" and "Haaaaaaaaaanbaaaaag" being the most popular.

The day after the wedding we explored Cornwall a bit before heading back home to Brighton. Here we are in St. Ives, which was beautiful.

Then we drove down the coast towards Land's End. This is Sendon Cove.

And here is Land's End. It is ridiculously tacky. You have to pay to enter the "village" which consists of tourist shops, a hotel, and a Dr Who "Experience" all in a little compound.

But the view was worth it. It was so cold and windy out there on the coast. It felt wild and exhilarating. I can't imagine what it must feel like in a winter storm. The Cornish coast is one of the most beautiful places in the world. God is so amazingly creative.

Eastbourne Minature Steam Railway

2008-04-10T14:49:00.005-04:00

We recently visited the Eastbourne Mini Steam Railway and we had a great relaxed family day. It was a rare sunny afternoon and we rode the trains, played on the playground, and watched model trains. Iain thought it was amazing, but he took it very seriously. We didn't know that he even liked riding on the train until we got off and he started crying because he wanted to ride again!

Here's a shot of the boys riding the train around the park-- you can see what I mean about the seriousness. It was a really big track all around a lake, over a bridge, under a tunnel and past multiple playgrounds. It was great!

Mama enjoyed the pretty spring flowers!

They also had a couple of Thomas the Tank Engine train tables set up, which kept Iain enthralled. I'm hoping that Brian can build him something like this-- it was pretty simple really, and these tables cost a lot!

Enjoying some of the model trains set up in the park.

Iain thought this slide was a little scary-- it was much faster than the one on campus.

What a great day.

More about Iain

2008-04-01T10:56:00.005-04:00

This may not be terribly interesting to the general public, but from time to time I like to record developmental milestones here on the blog, so that I can look back at these posts when my baby is a grown man and remember what he was like when he was small. He is 21 months now, and is talking a bit.

Current Words:
dada
mama
yeah
up
woooow = wow (he says this so enthusiastically-- it's adorable)
dah = down
duh = dog
ree = read
mo' meese = more, please
truh = truck
ah pin = airplane
augh = Uncle Austin
mmf = woof
mmm = moo
ish = fish
shhh = hush

He also likes to "count" things now. He'll point his finger at random objects and say "wee, wee, wee, wee."

There are other words he used to say that we don't hear anymore like Papa, that, go, amen. Who can say why?

Favorite Toys:
Trucks! I have a little box that I keep his Hot Wheels trucks in, and nearly every morning that is the first thing he pulls out. He gets so excited and when he opens it up and sees all the vehicles inside, he beams with delight. So precious.

His ball. He loves to kick or throw balls around. Our friend Christina came over last week and she and Brian kicked the ball back and forth in our living room, and Iain was giggling and grinning the whole time.

Books. He loves to bring us books to read. His favorites are Happy Dog, Sad Dog; The Very Hungry Caterpiller; Goodnight Moon; Dear Zoo; and Wobble Bear Says Yellow. Brian and I are so pleased that he likes to read.

Favorite Films:
It's gotta be Pixar's Cars, hands down. Not that Iain has seen a lot of films, but he gets so excited about that one. He also likes The Snowman, which will always carry special memories of life in England for Brian and me. Lately we've been watching a lot of Idaho Outdoors videos from Pete Zimowsky, who is a reporter for the Idaho Statesman. Iain especially likes it when Zimo brings his dog along for the adventure!

As far as music goes, Iain like action songs like The Itsy Bitsy Spider; Wind Your Bobbin Up; or Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.

Iain can run now and hardly ever falls while walking anymore, unless he is tired. He can climb up the slide and slide down all by himself at the playground. He is trying to learn to jump, but hasn't quite got that yet, as you can see from this highly entertaining video. :)

My beautiful boy

2008-04-01T10:21:00.011-04:00

How I love my son! I pray that God will give me wisdom as I try to raise him. I'm so imperfect, and this world is so imperfect, and his own little nature is imperfect-- there are so many things that could go wrong. So many things that I can't protect him from. He will know sickness, rejection, pain, and death in this life. These things are common to man, and no one can protect us from them. But how will Iain react when things don't go according to his plan? When there are no easy answers, and when life seems insurmountable? It's my job as a mother to equip him to handle these things, and that's scary.

He's getting older now, so much more a boy than a baby. Time for growing interaction, independence, and serious parenting. My love grows with him, and loving a child has opened me up to a new level of vunerability. No matter where he goes, or what he does, part of my heart will be there with him. I hope that he always knows how much I love him.

Dear Jesus, Please protect my son. Nurture him with your everlasting, redeeming love. Help him not to worship himself or money or status or anything but you. Be his reality, dear Lord. Help me to show him your ways and wisdom. I want the best for my son. Help me to remember that you love him more than I do. Help me to teach him the right things and to make good choices for him while he is small. Help me not to be lazy, but intentional and diligent in my care for him. I give my son to you, Lord. He is yours. You only gave him to me for safekeeping. Help me to utilize my talents and steward him well. Bless him and touch his heart. Help him to call on you from the earliest of days. In your name I pray, amen.

Easter

2008-03-24T16:32:00.005-04:00

We had a nice Easter weekend. We went to church on Good Friday and then out to lunch with our friends Anthony and Christina and we bought Iain some much needed new shoes (his old ones were 2 sizes too narrow-- the boy has wide feet!).

On Saturday we visited Jane Austen's house in Chawton which I was very excited to see. It was cool to walk through and imagine her looking at the same windows, serving tea, and trading secrets with her sister Cassandra.

No photos were allowed inside, but I did snap this one of Iain in the window. I figured they wouldn't mind since he was the subject of the photo.

After visiting her house, we drove to Winchester Cathedral where she is buried. At the time of her death, no one knew that she was the anonymous and highly popular author of Pride and Prejudice.

We've had crazy weather this weekend. On Saturday alone we had sun, rain, wind, hail and snow! It also snowed on Easter and today, but it didn't stick. Prior to this it has only snowed 4 times since we moved to Brighton.

On Easter Sunday we went to church and then enjoyed the church lunch in the back hall. Then we came back home to do an Easter egg hunt with Iain. It was less than a hit, as you will see in the video. It's pretty funny. I apologize for the quality of the video-- I was carrying the camera while trying to wrest eggs from Iain and directing him where to look.

A Very French Birthday: Day 5

2008-03-15T15:01:00.008-04:00

On our last day we visited the cathedral at Chartres. It is considered to be one of the finest Gothic cathedrals in the world. It was much smaller than I anticipated, but the craftsmanship was very fine and there were almost no tourists.

Brian and I were thrilled when Iain noticed a horse amongst the reliefs. It was so exciting to see him interacting with art for the first time.

A Very French Birthday: Day 4

2008-03-02T17:32:00.007-05:00

(I started to post this ages ago... please forgive my slowness!) The next morning we left Paris and headed to Versailles. I took this picture from the parking lot to try to give some perspective to the vastness of the palace.

Iain was none too impressed with the immensity and grandeur of Versailles, but he did admire the drainage system.

The Apollo Fountain.

I've enjoyed reading about Marie Antoinette recently, so I was very excited to see Versailles. Marie was an Austrian and she married the Dauphin at 14. Court life at Versailles was extremely formal and public, with courtiers competing for precedence. Marie had to adjust to life in front of an audience; getting dressed, undressed, waking up, eating--- even giving birth in front of the entire court.

For seven years the Dauphin refused to consummate their marriage and she was mocked as a foreigner and outsider in her own court. Marie took refuge in fashion and soon began outdoing her courtiers at their own game. She bore the brunt of French political frustration, whilst at the same time being reviled as "the Austrian". She was not flawless, but she did not deserve the treatment she received at the hands of the revolutionary mob. So it was with a sad curiosity that I wandered through the gardens and her private apartments.

After the birth of her first child, Louis XVI gave Marie her own private house in a distant corner of the gardens of Versailles. The Petit Trianon was Marie's retreat where she surrounded herself with friends and tried to escape the rigid formality of court life. There she created a small village and allowed her children to milk cows and collect eggs. She excluded courtiers and acted in plays, and tried to create what she imagined a normal life would be like.

Here is the private garden of Marie Antoinette. She held parties and suppers in the building you see in the pictures.

After exploring the gardens we headed back towards the palace-- a fair hike. Iain entertained himself with Papa's hat.
Here is the exterior of the chapel and some of the bedrooms. In it's heyday 10,000 people lived at Versailles.

Chapel interior.

Coming from the dark dining apartments into the Hall of Mirrors.

Marie Antoinette's private apartments, and the door through which she narrowly escaped the murderous mob that broke into the palace.

A portrait of Marie with her three children. Her daughter was the only member of the family to survive the Revolution.

A Very French Birthday: Day 3

2008-03-02T16:29:00.006-05:00

On the next morning, we decided to take a more low-key approach to gay Paris. We started off just across the street from the hotel in the Paris Zoo. Iain was transfixed by the animals.

We saw some animals I had never seen before, including these red pandas. They were incredibly cute and fun to watch.

These mountain goats are nuts! They are just born to climb. This goat could easily get his food from the ground, but apparently it tastes better up there.

After hanging out at the zoo for awhile, we were to the Latin Quarter to see the cafe life of Paris. This part of Paris felt a lot more interesting and less impersonal, with lots of shopping and eating on the pavement.

We heard that the Ile-Saint-Louis was a taste of medieval Paris, so we headed there after lunch. It was more expensive boutiques and long quiet residential streets. It wasn't what we were expecting, but it fit in with the theme of the of our less touristy day.

The Seine.

Brian in front of the Pantheon, where France's most honored heroes are buried.

Then we wandered over to the Jardin du Luxemburg to sit in the sun, people-watch, and let Iain run around.

Here is Iain's first attempt at photography:

After that, we were very tired so we went back to the hotel and rested a bit and then had dinner at a lovely little restaurant down the street from the hotel. We toasted Boise and thanked God for having a new exciting direction in our lives.

A Very French Birthday: Day 2

2008-02-18T09:09:00.011-05:00

The next day was my actual birthday and it was amazing to wake up and realize we had the whole day to explore Paris. As we hit the streets dawn's soft rose-colored light was reaching down and kissing the tops of the buildings and sneaking through side streets.

We decide our first stop would be the cathedral of Notre Dame, so we walked from our hotel to the Seine and down to the Ile de la Cite, which is the small island that it sits on. We fought our way through the most unscenic traffic and wondered if Paris was going to share her magic with us.

Here are Brian and Iain on one of the bridges crossing the Seine.

You can see Notre Dame in the distance!

On our way to the cathedral we passed a small park with a playground and let Iain explore a bit.

These birds built a nest right on the river bank next to the cathedral and paid no attention to all the tourists walking by.

The interior.

After exploring the cathedral we stopped at a lovely cafe for a tea and and an eclair before heading off to the Louvre. Iain's ready for his share!

On the Pont Neuf.
Me in my new birthday hat! It may not be what everyone else is wearing, but I just love it!

Outside the Louvre. The place is massive.

The view fom inside the pyramid.

We spent about 5 hours inside and saw just a fraction of the holdings. But I did see some pieces I'd dreamed of seeing, including this one, the Winged Victory of Samothrace.
And good old Napoleon here crowning Josephine after he'd crowned himself. Notice the Pope sitting behind him!

Iain decided to try on my hat for kicks.

Now for Papa's!

This is what we saw as we exited the Louvre.

We strolled through the Tuileries Garden and enjoyed the twilight.

We walked down to the Champs Elysees and admired the Arc de Triomphe.

Our final destination of the evening was the Tour Eiffel. It is far grander and more striking in person than in any photograph.

This is from the bottom. It is enormous!

Views from the top. I felt quite scared going up the last glass elevator to the very top. It was very windy and cold up there, so I quickly retreated to the indoor obeservation deck and Brian bravely soaked up the view outside.

It was a lovely birthday.

A Very French Birthday: Day 1

2008-02-18T08:22:00.008-05:00

For my 27th birthday we planned a week long trip to France. We ended up coming home early because of car trouble, but we still had a marvelous time. We drove to Dover very early on Sunday morning and took the ferry to Dunkerque. Aside from the fact that it makes me queasy, I adore traveling by ferry. It is so romantic to watch the shore slip quietly away and you really feel as if you are embarking on a grand, glamourous adventure.

Here are Iain and I in the (very) small children's play area on board.

Iain and Papa on deck with the famous white cliffs receding into the distance.

After arriving in France we drove to Azincourt (Agincourt) which was the site of the great English victory of Henry V in 1415. Badly outnumbered, the English handily defeated the French and Charles VI of France named Henry his sucessor, as well as betrothing his daughter to him. William Shakespeare's play Henry V further increased the importance of this battle in English heritage, using it as the compelling backdrop for an epic tale that showcases the glory of an idealized king.

We strolled around the museum, which was mediocre and like many lesser museums had some slightly unnerving exhibits. We were trapped in a darkened room with this thing for about 5 minutes. It's supposed to be Henry V. In reality it is a dummy with a film of an actor's face talking projected onto the head. It had 3-D features and they didn't quite match up with where the actor's actual nose, mouth, and eyes were, so that added to the sense of disquiet. Let's get kids interested in history by scaring the pants off them!

The rest of it was better and didn't leave you feeling as if you'd ingested some kind of illegal substance.

Iain thought this one was cool!

Brian the angry medieval midget!

And here is the actual battlefield. It is so peaceful now that it is hard to believe that so much carnage and death took place on this spot.

We drove to Paris that night through some amazingly snarled traffic and gratefully dropped off to sleep to prepare for the next day's adventures!

And the winner is...

2008-02-15T18:19:00.005-05:00

BOISE!

We're moving to Idaho this summer! Brian recently interviewed at two classical christian highschools in the US, and was offered both positions. After much prayer and deliberation he has accepted a position teaching 12th grade humanities courses at St. Ambrose Christian High School. We're so excited about this school and this move, and I'm so proud of my husband. I know he'll do a brilliant job. I'm so thankful to God for this position. I think the school looks really amazing. You can check our their ideology and curriculum at the school's website.

Now that we know where we're going, we've set a date and bought tickets to return to the States. We're leaving May 25 for Fort Lauderdale. This is both thrilling and sad. It will be great to see friends and family again (and the sun! They've misplaced it here in the UK) but it will be hard to say goodbye to all our dear friends and surrogate family here in England.

God is so good to us. I just can't get over it. I firmly believe that he has created an entire airline for the benefit of my family. Zoom is a new budget airline that has started a non-stop flight from Gatwick to Ft. Lauderdale. They are the only airline to fly this route. And unbeknowst to us, after we booked our flight we discovered it is the very first non-stop flight that the company is flying on that new route. New airline, new route, our two very specific locations? God's amazing providence. What a blessing and wonderful confirmation that we're headed in the right direction.

Our last bit of exciting news is that my sister-in-law is expecting! We're excited that Iain is going to have a cousin (or more than one!). We are thrilled to pieces about this news, as are Nana and Grandpapa, as you can imagine.

As we sing with Iain at bedtime:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
Praise him all creatures here below.
Praise him above ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! Amen.