From the Barry Patch

$100 Hearts At Home Curriculum Giveaway

2011-07-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

Want to win $1oo to spend on books and supplies for homeschool? Then click here and sign up to win $100 from Hearts at Home from The Crafty Classroom (also an awesome site for fun craft ideas and more!). Hearts at Home is owned by a Christian homeschooling mom of two girls. They have super fast shipping - same day/next day on all in-stock orders. They have a wide selection of curriculum at affordable prices. Right now they are having numerous sales including 30% off Apologia curriculum... I'm hoping to get this for our science unit! and also planning on getting Mystery of History for our Social Studies. I can't wait for school to start! (But my kids are sure enjoying summer!) Hearts at Home also has two sister sites: Homeschool Giveaways (who doesn't like something free?!) and Curriculum Share a really neat idea to share books with other homeschool families.

Just like Daddy

2011-07-24T14:16:00.001-07:00

Tobiah is always wanting to be a helper and to be doing just what you are doing...

Yesterday it was shaving like Daddy

"Look at me! Me shaving!"

Day at the park

2011-07-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

We try to get down to the park as often as possible in the summer during the week to enjoy the splash pool. We usually meet up with our friends the McMillins to enjoy the water, sun, and fellowship.

Isaiah is often coming up with new games and activities.... this one: see how many kids I can hit with the water spray!

And Jana just loves to lay around and be cute

Welcome Baby Jana

2011-05-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

On May 17th we welcomed our newest family member... Jana Ruth. She was 6 lbs 8 oz, 19 in long, and absolutely perfect. I had invited my best friend and her family for dinner and had it mostly ready when my labor started (about 6pm). Thankfully they were able to watch kids until my parents arrived. My dear friend and neighbor, MeeSook, drove me to the hospital and provided support until John arrived 16 minutes before Jana was born. He was about 2 1/2 hours drive away when I called when my labor started, and she decided to wait until her Daddy was there. (and no, he did not speed at all on the way! )

Parade time... again

2011-05-09T09:15:00.001-07:00

Parade time again...

This time Isaiah and Lydia were invited to ride with a relative:

L-Bow the clown in his cool jeep

We had an exciting time trying to find L-Bow's jeep amidst all the parade entries in the staging area. Fortunately I knew what color his Jeep was... bright red! that made it a bit easier to find.

Cool balloon hat, and ready to rock.

practicing waving with new friends

On our race down to the end of the parade route... about 2 miles.

Tobiah loved the mascots and the big trucks... but not the pirates

Enjoying the sun...

just being cute... and then, when Isaiah and Lydia finally came by...

there was a sudden downpour!

Hoping the next parade isn't quite so wet!

Science Experiment

2011-04-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Day one of Isaiah's new science project... growing Triops. Right now we are just trying to get the water to the proper temperature before adding the triop eggs. It will take almost a day for the eggs to hatch and about several days before they are full grown (about 2-3 inches). Hopefully they survive! This will be a good lesson for following directions and learning to take care of living creatures.

Fun Family Day

2011-03-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

There was a fun local festival that had a lot of kid-friendly booths, craft areas, the firetruck and ambulance...

and a spot where you could learn about bugs (always a favorite with our kids)

Enjoying the show, fruit from the Farmer's Market, and a balloon animal from...

...my long lost cousin! Actually L-Bow the clown really is my cousin. I never really lost him, just hadn't seen him in awhile!

Surprise Lake and Deception Falls Hike

2011-03-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

In August (yes, I know it is now 7 months after the trip!) we took a grand hiking adventure on the Surprise Creek and Deception Falls Loop. 4 days, 3 nights and nearly 18 miles! First stop: Surprise Lake. We ended setting up camp in the dark, and had many mice visitors during dinner hoping for a few crumbs.

The next morning (while John broke down camp) I set out with 3/4 of the kids, got on the wrong trail and ended up losing one of Tobiah's shoes down a very large hole between a couple of boulders. Thankfully he still had a good pair of strappy sandles that were actually descent for walking!

Our longest and toughest day ... tackle Pieper Pass.

Hard work riding in a backpack!

Can you guess the mountain in the background?

Spirits are always high after reaching the top, a couple of granola bars, and beginning the trip downhill.

Our fearless leader leads the way.

Second stop... Deception Lakes. Nasty mosquitoes. But smoke sticks made it bearable!

Having fun throwing rocks and trying to splash Daddy

Yet another log "bridge" crossing before reaching our third campsite near the Upper Deception Falls.

Tired, dirty, but only a 1/4 mile left to go!
The kids and I waited at Deception Falls Interpretive Trail while John hiked back up the road to fetch the Suburban. Definitely the scariest part of the hike... crossing Hwy 2 with 4 children and walking about 200 yds from the end of the trail to the Deception Falls area along the highway.

The End
Where will our next adventure be?

Squaw Lake

2010-08-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is the first of our family backpacking trips. We went to Squaw Lake. We left our home just before 5.... PM! and got to the trail head at 7:30. Thankfully there was a campsite about a 1/4 of a mile in, even then we were still setting up camp and cooking dinner with headlamps.

Yes, we all did fit quite well in this lovely 3 man tent. Very cozy!

Good thing I have a strong husband! He carried most of our gear, I carried Tobiah about half of the way in the kid carrier and our clothes and some of the food/water. Isaiah carried kids clothes and a sleeping bag. Lydia carried camp sandals. And Rayna carried her sweet little self almost all the way up the trail. She hitched a short ride here!

Isaiah, the super hiker!

Who could resist playing in two inches of super fine trail dust?

The lovely swimming spot on Squaw lake

Silly girls, silly faces!

answering the call of the wild...

mmm.... oatmeal! So good when you're camping!

This was a fun trip. About 6 miles (not counting the at least two miles of continuous laps around the campsite by the kids) and a little drizzly on the last day, but it kept the mosquitoes and flies away!

Overheard...

2010-06-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

talking about growing up...

Lydia: "When you're grown up you can buy lip gloss!"
Isaiah: "When you grow up you are complex."

Birthday!

2010-06-09T07:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Lydia's 5th Birthday! She, as usual, requested a princess party! We did have a quandry with what to do since half of the guests coming are boys....?

Why Princesses and Pirates, of course!

Somebody was sneaky and blew out the candles before the Birthday Girl could. Can you guess who?

It was a fun evening with friends, and celebrating my sweet Lydia's 5th Birthday. It seems like only yesterday she was so little... and now she's growing into a little lady! I love you Lydia Grace!!

This is what we've been up to...

2010-06-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

We attended a train party for my best friend's son's late Birthday celebration. A lot sunnier and warmer than the last time we got to ride the little trains (in December!)

Isaiah has been a little spoiled riding the Amtrak train... so this wasn't exactly thrilling for him! :) But he did say he had a fun day with his friends.

Tobiah was thrilled, however!

My sweet Rayna

Tobiah loves his bunny

Lydia has become an expert at cooking Hamburger helper, the common staple when Daddy is in charge of dinner on nights I have to work.

Rayna loves all bugs, and is an expert at finding even the tiniest ones! We had some ladybugs in a jar, now about half a dozen are flying around in our house because Rayna kept taking the lid off to let the crawl on her hand!

Isaiah being goofy... he has lost one more tooth this week. And tomorrow he is done with 1st grade! :) We are all looking forward to a fun summer together!

And one more sleeping picture of Rayna... yes, she really did fall asleep in the toybox. And yes, we really do have a bed for her!

Women's Tea

2010-05-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a Women's Tea at a local church with my sweet girls and my best friend and her mom. Lot's of yummy little sandwiches and sweet treats. At the end we had our pictures taken by a local mom, Joy Farr.

Rayna in her favorite sparkly dress

Lydia, my purple princess

I am so blessed!

Keeping the tooth fairy busy...

2010-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Tooth #1 kicked out by Lydia in a tussle, tooth #2 pulled out by Dad.

sleepless night

2010-03-10T08:24:00.000-08:00

Last night Tobiah had a slight fever just before bed(our thermometer was not working, so no precise temp.). Woke up kind of restless around midnight, then again at 3:30... this time burning up! We gave him Tylenol and snuggled, I dozed off and the woke at 4 to find him staring wide eyed and starting to tremble all over. He has not responsive and was having irregular breathing. His skin paled and his lips turned kind of blue. You would think being a nurse I would have been a little more level headed, but it seemed that all my medical expertise went right out the window when my baby started having a febrile seizure. Thank the Lord for a calm husband and praying Grandparents! Tobiah had his first trip to the ER, was not happy with their method of taking temperatures but with a little extra Motrin got his temp back down. He's fine, we'll just be keeping an eye on him and be praying that this respiratory virus doesn't cause any more trouble!

...At least somebody gets to get a little rest! I stayed awake to make it to a meeting this morning at 6am only to find out when I got there, that it was canceled and changed to 2 pm. So, no nap today either! Oh well! time to go do laundry and start homeschool.

"Praise be to the Lord for He has heard my cry for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Ps 28:6,7

Social Studies

2010-03-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

Can you guess who Isaiah studied about in Social Studies today?

our week...

2010-01-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

Tobiah would love to spend all day in the water if he could!
We went to pick up a toddler bed for Tobiah from a freecycle post and came back with this, too! Not that we really needed it, but the lady asked if we wanted it right in front of the girls... so one look at their wide, pleading eyes and I knew it was coming home too!
Beautiful bowling buddies
Isaiah's new read... the Hardy Boys. He started this weekend and is already on chapter 9! Ah, a book lover after my own heart!

Happy Birthday Rayna Pie!

2010-01-13T19:08:00.001-08:00

After the kids went to bed, John and I decorated for Rayna's 3rd birthday. Lots of balloons, and streamers in the door.

See! There really were girls under there!

In the morning, we awoke to Rayna peeking over our bed and her tiny little voice saying quietly "Hey! I'm awake! And there's balloons!"

Happy Birthday, my sweet Rayna!

another gingerbread creation!

2010-01-13T18:30:00.000-08:00

We assembled and decorated a Gingerbread house the afternoon of New Year's Eve. The kids' favorite part?... I'll let you guess! : )

Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Nash!

my funny boy didn't get to help decorate, but he did help eat!

the girls took decorating very seriously

hangin' out with Dad

2010-01-13T18:18:00.001-08:00

Tobiah taking a break and watching some NFL with Daddy

Merry Christmas

2009-12-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

We had the pleasure of hosting Christmas dinner at our home this year! Originally, only Uncle Steven and Uncle Daniel and Auntie Erica were to be expected for dinner, then John thought it would be fun to invite the Nash family to join us too! All in all there were 15 of us... and for those of you who have been in my home know how cozy it is with just our little family! It was fun though and a great time to visit and enjoy good food and good company. The big bonus to me was having a house full of Aunties and Uncles to corral, chase and entertain my 4 children!

Daddy and Uncle Steven took Isaiah, Lydia and Rayna to the park to run off excess energy before the big dinner. That enabled me to bake some gingerbread to make...

...a gingerbread log cabin (great-gramma's tradition) and they kept very busy decorating all the people, trees, snowmen, and even a Christmas train!

Intense gel icing

can I have some sprinkles, too?

Hmmm... how can I decorate this one?

There! Perfect!!
(there really is a gingerbread man under all the sprinkles!)

Isaiah shows off the finished project

Rayna had a story from just about all of her aunties and uncles

Princess Lydia and King Daniel pose for a royal portrait in between adventures and rescues

Master builder Isaiah wastes no time in assembling his town

Come and play in the coloring castle

Lydia engrossed in a new game

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

May God bring you much joy in the new year to come!

A New Christmas Tradition

2009-11-22T10:53:00.000-08:00

I just read about a neat way to celebrate the coming celebration of our Savior's birth. It is called a Jesse Tree. It is similar to doing an advent calendar but uses a tree instead. Each ornament represents a different story (starting at Creation and ending with Jesus' birth) and each Bible passage shows how all the Old Testament points toward the coming of Christ the Messiah. I think it is an exciting way to teach about God's wonderful plan and purpose spelled out in the Old Testament. I plan on making one each day with the children and reading the Bible story that goes along with it. I first read about the Jesse Tree here, and I found all the verses and pictures for ornaments here from the RCA (Reformed Church in America). I'll put up pictures of the kids and their ornaments when we get them made.

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:1-2

Field Trip

2009-11-08T07:28:00.000-08:00

The first Friday of every month is "Free First Friday" at our local museum . I have been intending to take the children since the Spring when I first found out about Free First Fridays and some how always managed to miss it! But this week we made it! The museum centers mostly around local history but also has rotating exhibits. The exhibit on display was "Women's Votes, Women's voices" which although an important part of our country's history, was not very exciting to my 2, 4, and almost 6 year old. They did love the Victorian house display of a home from the early 1900's, the old general store, the bank vault and most of all... the model railroad! It is a "not exactly to scale" model of the Great Northern Railway including several historic railroad routes in the Cascade Mountains. It cost two quarters to make it run... and praise the Lord there were two quarters in my jacket pocket that I didn't know were there!

After watching the train for about 15 minutes (it did 5 loops instead of the normal 3! another miracle!) We wandered through the Pangborn exhibit (first non-stop flight over the Pacific), Coyote's Corner (a little room just for kids to explore and enjoy) and headed down stairs to the Apple Capitol of the World exhibit. The exhibit had an early cleaning, sorting and packing line complete with catapault that Isaiah really wanted to see in motion. Lydia was rather sad that they only had pictures of the Apple Blossom royalty and no Princess dresses on display :( but has decided we should go back during Apple Blossom when they will put some on display.

And of course we had to get a picture with the coyote. (Click on the picture and you can check out Lydia's favorite prize sunglasses from the Harvest Festival!)

I spy...

2009-11-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

Autumn colors

2009-11-02T14:35:00.000-08:00

Leaves collected on our last outing and crayon shavings made for a fun fall craft to decorate our windows. You can find the link here for directions. The children LOVE to sharpen crayons, or anything for that matter. Isaiah tried to trim his fingernails with the pencil sharpener the other day... that will not happen again, I guarantee! They had a lot of fun and I'm sure we'll be doing more melted crayon crafts soon,

wrestling season

2009-11-02T14:31:00.001-08:00

Rayna helped Daddy get his gear ready for wrestling season.

another climber in the family

2009-10-28T15:10:00.000-07:00

Bath time?

2009-10-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

Somebody couldn't wait for a bubble bath.

Fair Time

2009-10-10T14:47:00.001-07:00

In September John and I took the kids to our local fair. (I wrote this up once before and something crazy happened when I went to publish and the whole thing got deleted! So we'll try this once more. I know, a month later! My life as a Barry... late as usual : )

Isaiah's favorite: tractors, eating ice cream and the rides.

Lydia was really hoping to see a fair princess but we were never able to spot one : ( She did however find a car she really liked. Can you believe my first car was painted this exact same color? I loved that car!

Rayna adores any type of animal, whether stuffed or living, and would have gladly stayed in the barns all day. She had fun petting the sheep, bunnies and goats and would giggle every time the geese honked at her.

Lydia and Rayna had soooo much fun on this ride. They made me smile every time they came around in their hot air balloon giggling and waving so exuberantly!

It was so nice to have a whole day out all together as a family!

My sweet husband, exhausted baby and me!

A Box of Sweetness

2009-10-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

To Gramma's house we go!

2009-10-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

In September the kids and I took the bus up to my parents house to visit while Uncle Andy was home.

Tobiah had fun running around every where with hardly any limits to where he could go!

Lydia spent half an hour playing Cinderella and left Gramma's steps sparkly clean!

Rayna couldn't get enough hours on the excavator. It's built for bigger kids and a little tricky for such little hands and arms so sometimes she would hop off and...

...help load it up!

Isaiah waiting for Uncle Andy to walk by. We had a massive squirt gun fight... not sure who won, but even Gramma got some good shots in.

First Birthday

2009-10-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Tobiah turned 1 at the end of September... and we celebrated with chocolate cupcakes!

Birthday scare and surprise

2009-09-03T13:40:00.000-07:00

Monday was my Birthday. I took the kids to the park with my close friend MeeSook and her children to enjoy a fun filled morning. About an hour into playing I turned around and my little 2 yr old Rayna Pie was nowhere to be found. I ran all over the park (which isn't too large) asking every one if they had seen her and no one had. After a frantic call to my husband at work, I called 911 and am amazed that I was able to give them all the info they needed. I so desperately wanted to run up and down every street nearby to find my baby but had to stay with my three other children. MeeSook said she would run off towards our apartment to see if she had gone that way. All the while I tried desperately to qwell the overwhelming thought that some evil monster had stolen my precious little girl and I would never see her again constantly crying to God for help. The police pulled up, John called again, my children standing there with wide questioning eyes, a question from the police officer, everything hazy and noisy and terrifying and then the glorious words... "they found her!" And I glance up as my dear friend MeeSook comes running back with my baby girl! Oh the joy to see her! I looked at my phone later and realized the nightmare had only lasted 12 minutes... but it was the longest most heart-stopping 12 minutes ever. Thank the Lord for kind neighbors who recognized Rayna and picked her up and sat outside on their porch to wait for us to come get her. Thank the Lord for my dear friend MeeSook who valiantly ran off in search of her and found her with the kind neighbors. Thank the Lord for the quick response of police officers. Rayna is fine after her walk (almost made it home!) but is still sad about what happened and will often say "I'm sorry for running away, momma!" Lesson learned? I hope so. reason for leaving... in her own words... "I wanted to go get my ball"

On the lighter side:
Lydia (on the phone with mom after shopping with Daddy): Mommy, can you please go in your bedroom and close the door?
Me: um... ok
Lydia: and leave out some wrapping paper and tape.
Me: sure. How much do you need?
Lydia: The size of a toaster.

so, it wasn't much of a surprise when I opened my present... but it was pretty funny! And I am really happy with my brand new toaster... now I can safely make toast ( I LOVE toast!!!) without having to worry about my 11 month old coming into the kitchen while I am broiling the toast!

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." Ps 5:12

Slip 'n Slide

2009-08-05T09:48:00.000-07:00

We spent Monday morning at MeeSook's house enjoying the sun, water and friends.

Little Mommies

2009-08-05T09:44:00.000-07:00

The girls with new slings for their baby dolls

Lego creations for Uncle Steven and Uncle David

2009-08-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Isaiah and his creations (and his new Transformer from Grandma and Grandpa)

(Left, built for Uncle Steven) X-115 amphibious rescue truck that can go super speedy when you put a motor on it. (Right, built for Uncle David) Blue Racer Truck that goes 140 mph. Comes equipped with special lights. WARNING: do not put too much diesel in truck or the lights can explode. Also glows in the dark.

Beautiful feet

2009-08-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

10 months and walking!

Tobiah is now toddling all over the house trying to keep up with his big brother and sisters

sweet little girl toes

(new dress from Grandma)

little girls love walking in their mommy's shoes... I remember slipping on my Momma's shoes and shuffling around pretending to be just like her. It's a good reminder that little toes will follow where I lead. God, please give me the wisdom to lead these little feet and hearts to you. Help me to daily be an example of your love.

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!"" Isaiah 52:7

crafty creations

2009-07-07T15:18:00.001-07:00

We spent the morning of the 4th making patriotic crafts from one of my favorite sites. Lots of coloring, snipping, gluing and glitter!

Rayna spent about 30 minutes carefully using the glitter paste. She is very meticulous when it comes to art.

By the way... the glitter we found is soooo cool. (actually found ours at Walmart) it is already in glue and comes with these cute little brushes that are attached to the lid, so the kids don't get all goopy... well, ok their hand doesn't get goopy just every other body part! : )

...and what would a craft be without googly eyes?

"I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." -Psalm 121:1,2

cherries!

2009-07-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

My parents brought us three large boxes of cherries, so for the last couple of days we've been been busy! The kids helped get all the cherries ready for canning... pulling stems off of the cherries and packing them in jars. They all helped but Rayna was probably the biggest helper! She filled up half of the bowl by herself.

And of course we've been eating them for almost every meal

My good helper

I can say that it really was a blessing to have the kids help with the cherries. I canned 21 quarts of cherries, and that makes for a lot of cherry stems to pull off! hmmm... what should we do next? strawberry or raspberry jam? Peaches? Whatever we do... I'll be looking forward to having my little ones share in the process.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." -Colosians 3:23,24

A great day for splashing

2009-07-01T19:48:00.000-07:00

We visited the neighborhood park today to let the kids play in the wading pool.

Bathing beauty

Even though the water is straight out of the Columbia River (very cold!) Tobiah loves crawling in the water... and will go until his nose is just about underwater.

Lots of fun toys

Best buddies ready for a dive!

Uncle Andy

2009-06-14T22:43:00.000-07:00

We had my parents and my brother over for dinner tonight. The kids and I were really excited since we haven't seen Andy since Christmas. He is going to Western and was home on break before summer quarter starts up.

Tobiah sampling some banana bread

keeping busy before dinner

Uncle Andy very graciously balanced playing wireless sports with Isaiah and becoming a climbing wall for Lydia!

Park day... sort of

2009-06-13T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today we went to Rotary Park to enjoy a picnic with my best friend, Krista-Lynn, and her son. The children quickly scarfed down their lunch in order to get to the main attraction... the water feature... sneaky sprinklers, drippy flowers and umbrellas, a couple water cannons and misting water pipes beckoned in bright colors. John has the camera again, but you can see what the park looks like here at my friend's blog. They played for maybe half an hour before we saw lightening striking over the hills to the south. Hmmm... lightening, water, big metal pipes sticking up in the air in the middle of an open area... not a good idea. So we packed up and headed over to my friend's house where according to Isaiah: "She has lots of cool toys!" We got to play for a while before catching the bus for home where we all enjoyed a popsicle and a nice rest time!

Happiness

2009-06-13T19:25:00.001-07:00

Hi Daddy! we love you and miss you! We are praying for you everyday!

Great-Grandma made reversible vests for all the children for Lydia's Birthday. Aren't they cute?

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1

laundry mysteries

2009-05-31T14:21:00.000-07:00

It seems with every load of the childrens' laundry there is always some mysterious item that when found I think... "How did that get in here?" Today:

The bandaid was on Rayna's finger earlier in the day. But the cucumber...?

What is the craziest item you've found in your laundry?

Bowling with Daddy and new tricks learned

2009-05-31T10:24:00.000-07:00

John took Isaiah and Lydia bowling this week. They had one six pound ball for the kids to use... and even though it took just about all they had to heft and hurl the ball they loved it! Especially having time with Daddy!

Isaiah got a strike!

Children can be very resourceful in obtaining what they want. Rayna has recently become very independent and wants to do just about everything "By myself!" from using the potty, to putting on clothes and shoes. Since she is such a tiny little pumpkin she is not able to reach the faucet to wash hands or brush teeth without help... even standing on the bathroom stool her little legs and little arms just...don't...quite...reach. That is until she figured out to get the "bear chair" from Boppa and stand on tippy toes... then she can reach the sink "by myself!"

And this little stinker!... is standing up and getting into everything! He can now reach the edge of the dining room table and the desk. Drawers and cupboards are no longer safe. My poor spider plant is often the victim of his chubby little hands.

But he is so happy with his new tricks he has learned!

Rhubarb season

2009-05-22T14:40:00.000-07:00

Lydia and I baked a cake with some rhubarb from our neighbor. Here's the recipe:

Rhubarb Custard Cake
1 box yellow cake mix
4 C diced rhubarb
1 C sugar
2 C cream (or half and half)

Mix cake mix according to package directions. Pour into greased 13x9" baking pan. Sprinkle rhubarb on top of cake, sprinkle sugar over rhubarb (I used about 3/4 C), then pour cream over top. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Cool for 15 min before serving.

It is a yummy cake with a creamy layer of custard that forms on the bottom that compliments the tangy rhubarb! Enjoy!

simple living

2009-05-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for New Years' resolutions, but have decided to try to be as frugal as I can by buying used (or getting free!), recyclying/repurposing, and to also try to make as many products/items as I can. Now I am far from being a tree hugger, but I do believe God gave us this Earth and wants us to be good stewards of it. I have been inspired by Lindsay's blog Passionate Homemaking and her desire to "live simply in order to give generously". As John's desire to help the people of Costa Rica and Nicaragua grows, so does my desire to be the best steward of what we have so we can be generous to those in need. I have had fun searching for ways to cut costs and learn to make do with less. We do cloth diapers and wipes, cloth napkins and rags in place of paper napkins and towels, I have learned to make my own laundry detergent, mayo, ketchup, creamsoup substitute, and even end up coming up with my own ideas... like what to do with a batch of bread dough that I forgot to add yeast too?... make crackers! We will be eating off of these crackers for a very long time (my bread recipe is for four loaves!).

So here is my latest attempt at cutting costs and making my own laundry detergent:

Powdered laundry detergent:
1 bar grated Fels-Naptha soap (can also use Ivory or Zote)
2 C Washing Soda
2 C Borax

mix ingredients together and store in and airtight container. Use 1 Tbs per load (2 Tbs for heavily soiled loads)

It smells great and works great too!

Apple Blossom Time!

2009-05-02T13:37:00.000-07:00

This morning we packed a lunch and walked about five blocks to find a seat along the parade route this morning for the Apple Blossom Parade. I was a little concerned about taking four kids to watch a parade... but they did awesome! and they had so much fun! Lydia loved waving at all the princesses. Rayna really enjoyed the dogs from the Humane Society and the horses from the various rodeos. Isaiah loved clapping in time with the marching bands and checking out all the cool cars... "especially the purple one that changes colors!" Tobiah would wiggle and bounce with the bands and float music and got pretty excited when a bright red tractor chugged by. We made it almost to the end of the parade until Rayna said in her tiny little voice "I have to go poopy, Mama!" so we piled the girls into our wagon (our jogger was stolen this past weekend :( ) with the lunch box and all the "extras" I seem to tote around where ever we go and bumped along home. They did really great and I had a fun time with them, waving at princess clapping with the music, and pointing out all the cool floats. So here are our votes for best in show:

Tobiah: anything with loud music or bright flashy colors!
Rayna: Doggies!!!
Lydia: Marysville Strawberry Festival float... the pretty princess dresses
Isaiah: Tacoma Daffodil Festival traveling float... the baseball float!
Mama: The really cute Teddy bear picnic float (with bubbles!) from...? I forgot to look at the sign!

one of the local churches (Calvary Chapel Fellowship) was handing out bottled water along the parade route. They had put labels on saying: Living Water. And had verses about Jesus and the forgiveness He brings. Lydia wanted me to read the verses to her before she took a drink which included "Jesus said 'Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life'" Then when we got home and after our climb up stairs to our third floor apartment Lydia asked for her water bottle. She held it up and proudly said : I have water from Jesus!

Baby news:

Tobiah loves to get around in his birthday suit and is most happy with not a stitch of clothing on!
New skill: climbing in the buff. I'm thinking he may be walking by Lydia's birthday (June) so I'm sure it is only a matter of time till he joins a new sport... streaking! : )

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things." Ps 107:8,9

2009-04-21T09:04:00.000-07:00

Update on John: He made down to CR safely and we got to have a Skype call with him last night before the children went to bed. (for those who don't know, Skype is a program you can use on the computer to make free calls... and you can also have video calls!) They were excited to see Daddy and it was a challenge to have them speak one at a time. It is very difficult to hear if more than one is making any amount of noise!

He had a friend, Mitch, drive him to the airport and (as usual!) made it just in time. But not for the usual reason of leaving late. This time they left with plenty of time... but the car broke down... twice! But they made it and John said that prayer got the car there (and Mitch made it all the way back over the pass too!). A friend met with us just before John left and prayed over John, Mitch, and the car... and John declared that he'll have him pray over car trips every time! Thank you Mike! And thank you Lord for getting him safely down there!

I read this on the Hillbilly Housewife blog this morning and just wanted to share. Hope it blesses and encourages you!

DON’T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK…

Author unknown - sent in by HBHW reader J.Gibbons

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man, who taught at a small college in the western United States . Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his freshman year, regardless of his or her major.

Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.

“How many push-ups can you do?”

Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”

“200? That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300?”

Steve replied, “I don’t know…. I’ve never done 300 at a time.”

“Do you think you could?” again asked Dr. Christianson.

“Well, I can try,” said Steve.

“Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me if you can do it,” said the professor.

Steve said, “Well… I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”

Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.”

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?”

Cynthia said, “Yes.”

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?”

“Sure…” Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut?”

Joe said, “Yes.” Dr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?”

Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their donut.

Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship.

When the professor asked, “Scott, do you want a donut?”

Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own push-ups?”

Dr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”

Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?”

With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten push-ups.

Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”

Dr. Christianson said, “Look! this is my classroom, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow.

Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut?”

Sternly, Jenny said, “No.”

Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut she doesn’t want?”

Steve did ten….Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely.

Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?”

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your push-ups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.” And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!”

Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.”

Professor Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten push-ups for him?”

Steve said, “Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut”

Dr. Christianson said, “Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?”

Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. “Yes,” he said, “give me a donut.”

“Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut?”

Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time, sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut?”

Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”

Professor Christianson quietly asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?”

Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut?”

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. “Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him?”

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a
player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes.”

“Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?”

As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, pleaded to the Father, ‘into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.”

Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile.

“Well done, good and faithful servant,” said the professor, adding “Not all sermons are preached in words.”

Turning to his class, the professor said, “My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid.”

“Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?”

2009-04-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

well, I got behind again! So here is a week of catch up!

Rayna bumped the container of markers off of the table and got down to clean them up... a couple minutes later I looked over and discovered this...

Thank goodness they're washable!

All of the children love to help with the bread... especially the fun parts of punching the dough down, and rolling and patting into loaves.

Daddy and daughter snuggle/nap time

A fun morning at a nearby park with my dear friend, MeeSook, and her three children.

Tobiah loves the swings... especially when pushed by Lydia!

I start them on KP duty early!

... or maybe Tobiah is just so mobile he ends up crawling in there when ever I'm in the kitchen! I am finding more and more little nooks and crannies that are perfect hiding spots for lost crumbs, pennies, legoes, and other various swallowable dangers. We have already found one sticker in his diaper!

The biggest excitement at our house lately... Isaiah is reading! We started on an old McGuffey's reader from my Grandma and when he read through that we visited our local library and he checked out a bag of beginning reader books with his very own library card. He is really excited and tells every one that he can read, and if you stop by our house... chances are you will get pulled onto the couch or floor and hear the story of "Sam the Sand Crab" !

a wild ride on the jiggly washing machine (Isaiah is sporting a new vest made by Great Grandma)

John is heading down to help with the bridges again, so I'll be without the camera for a bit. I'll try to put some pictures up from his work down there. We appreciate all the prayers for him (and us, too!) while he is gone! Thank you!

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. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Phil. 4:4-7

2009-04-04T15:25:00.000-07:00

I've realized while looking through our pictures on this blog that all of them are inside our home... no, we do not stay inside all day every day. We get out quite often, I usually just forget to bring the camera. So when my dear friend and neighbor invited us over for a picnic on Friday morning I made a point to remember the camera!

Little man enjoying the sunshine

fun in the dirt

Lydia especially wanted me to share this picture!

lining up for a strike

Blowing bubbles for Habaya with the nifty no-spill bubble bucket

6 months old..... and eating rice cereal. Tobiah is now officially crawling. Up until now it has been a combination of scooting on his tummy, rolling, reaching, and wiggling.

Sunday excitement

2009-03-31T14:09:00.000-07:00

I had just laid our 2 year old daughter down for her quiet time and was just getting our 3 year old into bed for her quiet time when I happened to glance out the window and see smoke billowing from the neighbors' homes. Lots of thick, black smoke. I grabbed the phone to call 911 and John quickly got on his shoes to see if he could help. By the time he got down the stairs and across the alley it was rapidly spreading to the next home. They had to bang on the door to the basement to let the lady down there know the house was on fire. By the time the fire department arrived the first home was completely engulfed and the second one was quite fiery as well. Thank the Lord everyone made it out safely. Living on the third floor gave us quite the view. Even though it was sad to see the homes destroyed, it provided a great opportunity to talk to the kids about never playing with fire or matches (a young boy started this one!), what to do in case of a fire, how we can help our neighbors in need, and prayer is always a good idea! So much for quiet time... but I know that Isaiah and Lydia did enjoy watching the firefighters do their job!
No pictures, but here's the newspaper's article (and photo): Wenatchee World

Bucket babies

2009-03-28T15:09:00.000-07:00

We purchased this big blue bucket about three years ago and it has been used in many different ways. Block container, toy bucket, and it's current use as a laundry basket (with four children this gets filled up pretty fast!). No matter what the designated use it always ends up containing children. It is a great hiding spot whether covered by a blanket or flipped upside down. However, the upside down method usually results in one or more siblings sitting on top and the one inside becoming quite upset and vocal to escape.

It also becomes a handy train, car, truck, or other vehicle of your choosing to give many rides around the home.

And just recently has become a sleeping place for our youngest daughter who likes to climb onto the toy box and look out the window. Clean folded laundry was no deterrent to a little girl intent on watching the cars and stars and night happenings.

When she got sleepy enough she just curled up among the clothes and went to sleep!

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

Sick week

2009-03-18T15:06:00.000-07:00

no, not a symptom of the sickness, just a result of a treat from Daddy!

We have all been sick for the last week and a half. Everybody has taken a turn with the nasty head cold. I took the day off on Monday with only a little gentle prompting by my dear husband. Now, I don't have a "job" that I can just call in sick when I don't feel good. Being a momma means you are on duty 24/7 and often times whether you feel like working or not. On Monday I definitely could not do anything thanks to a lovely sinus migraine and fever. John was very heroic and took on the great adventure of taking care of one very sick daughter, one very sick wife, a some-what-sick second daughter and baby boy, and a not-so-sick-but-very-rambunctious 5 yr old son. I slept most of the day... I think... this cold makes thinking and remembering rather hazy.
Since everyone has been ill, we haven't been out at all (and it's been very sunny here lately!) so I had to devise ways to keep the three oldest busy without relying too much on the TV. We've done play dough, Legos, Knex, finger painting, made popcorn balls, read stories, watched Kung Fu Panda and The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything multiple times, colored in the new books from Grandma and Grandpa, and the new favorite... played with lentils! (or cantaloupe beans as Isaiah has called them... no idea why). Yes, it is messy. They tend to stick to bare feet and track all over the home! But it has provided so many hours of intense concentrated playing that it is well worth the extra vacuuming!

Rayna did more eating than ball-making.

Making Strawberry Jello popcorn balls

the favorite new pastime... lentils!

Knex race car built and photographed by Isaiah taken especially for all the uncles to see and admire.

fingerpainting fun

St Patrick's Day kisses

Stitches

2009-03-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

Well, this week has been pretty busy and I just haven't had much time to sit down to type. Our oldest daughter had her first trip to the ER this week. The accident occurred just before bedtime. She tried to flip around off of the top bunk and landed on the side of the bottom bunk bed. We heard a thunk, scream, and looked up as Lydia ran out into the hall with blood covering her face, shirt, and hands. I always figured that first aid training in nursing school would come in handy some day... and it helped that my husband is an EMT. So we got her head wrapped up and cleaned her up a bit and sent her off to the ER with John to get some stitches. She was really calm and quiet through the whole visit, so John just had to get a video of it! : ) Rayna was very concerned while she was gone and made sure we prayed for "LeeLee." Several hours later a very calm daughter returned home with four stitches, a new coloring book and crayons from the nurse, and some special pink strawberry ice cream from a sweet Daddy.
Somehow I think this is only the beginning of such adventures with this daughter. All the more reason for prayers of protection!

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." -Ps. 5:11

Tea Party

2009-03-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

Today we had a much anticipated tea party... with real tea and fresh baked cookies! I think this will be a Sunday afternoon tradition!

Almond Butter Crisscross Cookies
by: Me!

3/4 C Almond Butter
1/2 C butter, softened
1 1/4 C packed brown sugar
1 T vanilla
1/2 tsp of almond extract
1 egg
1 3/4 C flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking soda

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Cream almond butter, butter, sugar and vanilla and almond flavors in large bowl. Add egg, mix until blended.
3. Add flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix just until blended. Roll into walnut size balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten lightly with a fork in crisscross pattern.
4. Bake at 375 F for 7-8 minutes or until just set and slightly browned on edges. Cool for a couple minutes on trays, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
5. Enjoy!

I came up with this recipe when I had an abundance of almond butter! Hope you like it... it works just as well with peanut butter, too!

Coffee Lovers

2009-02-28T21:11:00.000-08:00

Picture by Isaiah Barry

Today my mom delivered the quilt she made for our anniversary. I was very excited and love it! John and I both love coffee, and as you can see she picked the fabrics to suit our taste!
To me a quilt is like a scrapbook of treasured moments. It is a reminder of friends and family who have touched my heart. Fond (and sometimes funny) memories are stitched within the borders. It is a covering of prayer pieced together in every block.
When we snuggle under this beautiful quilt tonight I will have many good memories to be thankful for and many people to pray for. It reminds me of all the coffee dates John and I had while dating, of my first cup of coffee with my Daddy, of Costa Rica, and of our first house... and as I fall off to sleep I will say a prayer of thanksgiving for John, the love of my life, who for the last six years has shared many a cup of coffee. I will thank God for my parents who lift our family up in prayers daily!

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

Medicine

2009-02-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

Today I was a grump. I didn't wake up that way, but I started off missing my prayer time and then one thing led to another and by 9am I was a grumpy momma! Thankfully it was a sunny day and my friend MeeSook invited us to accompany her and her children to the park. Needless to say I jumped at the chance to get out of the house, and my children were glad to go too! As I pushed one on the swings, helped one down the "fire pole", admired a grand collection of sticks, and blew bubbles for all... I realized the grumpies had floated away along with the bubbles. My children's smiles, giggles, and silly antics were good medicine. Tonight as I tucked in my oldest son, Isaiah, I apologized for snapping at him today. He said "That's ok Mommy, I forgive you. Come up here." So I climbed up onto the top bunk with him. As I snuggled down with him he rubbed my back for a few minutes finished with a kiss on my cheek and asked: "There! Don't you feel better now?" Yes, sweet boy, I feel much better. Thank you!

A happy heart makes the face cheerful... A cheerful look brings joy to the heart...
Proverbs 15:13,30

5 months old

2009-02-26T14:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Tobiah turned 5 months old! He is our sweet, happy little guy. Rayna calls him "little man" and can make him giggle soooo much! He squeals in delight when Lydia is around, and listens intently to all that big brother Isaiah has to say!

He has turned into quite a chubby baby and it is hard to believe that only five months ago this precious little one was born at home. He was my second home birth (Rayna was my first, and that is a whole different story!) and may I say that I absolutely loved it both times! I've had the blessing to have two wonderful midwives for the two births and would wholeheartedly encourage anyone to consider a home birth! Ok... so now for the birth story (which by the way, I love to hear about births!) but don't worry, no gory details!

Tobiah was born on a Thursday just a few hours after my midwife appointment. I had been having contractions pretty regularly throughout the morning since 7 am and they were slightly increasing in intensity. At the appointment my midwife, Lori, declared: "You are going to have a baby today!" She didn't want to go home (which was about a half an hour drive away) until I'd delivered a baby because the last time I went into labor and called to let them know... I had a baby 30 minutes later! So I headed home and started making sandwiches for our three other children. I had already called John to let him know that we needed to get ready, and called my parents to come pick up the little ones. Through sandwich making, clothes packing, sheet changing, and last minute cleaning, things were definitely indicating a delivery sooner rather than later so I called to update Lori. John was valiantly attempting to put together the birthing tub but found out about halfway through that some part were missing... so even though we could assemble it, we couldn't fill it with water! By then I decided to just climb into a hot bathtub to help ease the back pain. Soon after that Lori, her birthing assistant, and the student intern arrived and helped John ready the bedroom. My parents pulled in not too long after them. There was quite a bit of commotion as my parents and John got the kids ready to go to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a sleep over. Eventually they were on their way. After Lori checked to see how things were progressing and a couple more really intense contractions I decided I had had enough of the bathtub and had some help to get into the bedroom. Lori broke my water and then after about 2 more contractions and pushing I heard her say "Oh my ... he's breech!" with a little bottom coming first instead of a head! Now when I heard that I really wasn't scared about the baby or myself, I just had this really crazy thought that they were going to stop everything, pack me up in an ambulance, and ship me off to the hospital to have a C-section! And that was not going to happen! So I gave two really big pushes and Lori was able to safely deliver our baby boy. He was 7 lb and 20 inches long, and oh! so beautiful! I had picked the name Tobiah which in Hebrew means "God is good" and Lori said "yes, He is!" It was a total surprise to Lori, the student and me that Tobiah was breech. He had felt and presented the same throughout my pregnancy. But God is good and He safely delivered Tobiah Michael ("who is like God?") into our family!

Since that day Tobiah and his name have been a good reminder to us of just how good our God really is. How He provides for our every need (not wants!), how He forgives us and loves us even when we stumble and fall in our walk with Him! May you be encouraged today that God is good, and He works all things together for good to them that love Him and are the called according to His purpose! (Rom 8:28)

"For the Lord is good and His love endures forever;
His faithfulness continues through all generations." Ps 100:5

Sewing days

2009-02-25T21:59:00.000-08:00

This week I've somehow managed to squeeze out time to work on several projects! Most of it is done during rest time when 3 out of 4 children are sleeping. So far there is one skirt, two pairs of pants, a dozen cloth napkins, and one more pair of pants and two pants tutorials in the making! I have a very skinny 3 year old daughter who is growing out of her clothes quite rapidly, so I've decided to start sewing her new wardrobe! It has been a lot of fun figuring out how to design and sew these different garments (I'm primarily a quilter!) and hunting through my stash to find fabric to suit the project. Plus Lydia loves getting new clothes!

So here's Lydia's new twirly skirt...

And a new pair of purple pants!

Tutorials coming soon for the pants. One for the above pattern, and one made from a recycled sweater or T-shirt.

And with the flurry of sewing going on Isaiah wanted to learn how to sew too!

What do you do all day?

2009-02-17T22:10:00.000-08:00

Being a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) I've gotten that question phrased in many different ways. And some days are so crazy I feel as if Ive been spinning in circles and when I finally stop at the end of the day I look around and there is still dirty laundry in the corner, a basket of clean laundry to fold/put away (ok, usually two!), a half finished sewing project started two months ago, the rug's dirty again, oops, sorry Honey no clean socks! half a cup of coffee on the bathroom counter, a pot still in the sink from dinner (from last night)... What did I DO all day? I think to myself as I sit down after tucking in all four little ones. Then my mind wanders over all the little things that tend to get lost in the mountain of "to dos" ... snuggling with children first thing in the morning, finding a new use for the TP roll, cereal box, flower catalog, instucting a 3 and 5 yr old in the fine art of hardboiled egg peeling, taking a few extra minutes at nap time to snuggle a sleeping baby, making some cookies for Daddy with lots of helping hands, kissing owies, hugs, tickles, giggles, and "just one more book, please!" at bedtime. Ah, so even though I didn't do a lot of "work" today... we had fun! We laughed, we giggled, we sang and read Bible stories. Yes, my house may be messy, but my heart is full of joy!

Big brother Isaiah teaching Tobiah how to use tools

Sweet sisters!

Hooray!

2009-02-14T21:47:00.000-08:00

Yeah! I did it, I finally made a blog! Now I have a place to share what I've been reading lately, new recipes, projects I've completed ( or at least started!), what the little ones have learned at home school, or maybe just some random thought or uplifting quote. Whatever the case may you be encouraged and blessed... or at least get a little smile out of it!
For this evening, some pictures of the random places in the childrens' bedroom where Rayna falls asleep! Yes, she fell asleep in a cardboard box and on their toybox...

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." Psalm 4:8

May you find peace in the Lord!