wading ever deeper

Menu Plan Monday {my first official!}

2010-03-08T13:54:00.000-05:00

Monday, March 8
Waffles
Salmon Patties, Green Beans
Turkey, Mashed Sweet Potatoes, Salad

Tuesday, March 9
Oatmeal, pears
Leftovers for lunch
Cheddar Ranch Burgers, french fries

Wednesday, March 10
Eli's 5th birthday!
Birthday bacon, eggs, and muffins (with a candle on the birthday boy's, of course!)
Lunch out wherever Eli chooses
Super Simple Burritos, black beans, birthday cake and ice cream!

Thursday, March 11
Cinnamon Apple Toast
Country Style Ribs in the crock-pot, salad
Leftovers for dinner

Friday, March 12
Waffles, yogurt and fruit smoothies
Turkey, cranberry, and almond salad
Super Easy Chicken, Cream Scalloped Potatoes, Salad

Saturday, March 13
Cheese Toast
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches (light lunch before the big birthday party :- )
Pizza

Sunday, March 14
Waffles
Sunday lunch at my in-law's house
Turkey 'n' Biscuits

Last night I spent alot of time on one of my favorite blogs - http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/ and found lots of recipes to try this week! I am going to try to create links to her recipes, but just in case I'm not successful, you'll know where to find them and who gets the credit! My husband really enjoyed the salmon patties at lunch today, and our almost 5 year old loved them (especially with the fresh dill "sprinkles" on top!)

While during my more organized weeks I have been in the practice of planning dinners, this is the first week I've planned for all three meals of the day for the entire week! Not only that, but I also went to the grocery store and was home by 9:15 this morning - with both boys! I have to say I feel very "together", and I like it!

reason #573,962 that my husband ROCKS

2010-02-15T13:54:00.000-05:00

ok, so i feel like JUNK. i don't know if it is a nasty cold or the flu, but either way, it stinks.

i've had to take eli to the ER two out of the last three friday nights due to asthma/pneumonia. the stress of watching our son struggle to breathe has been tough. grandma has been extra challenging lately. i think all of the extra mental challenge has made me more physically susceptible to illness. and here i am.

back to the title of this post. my sweetheart went to the grocery store for me today. he also made dinner last night, took care of grandma, and did the dishes yesterday. oh, and made sure i got a 3 hour nap! not only is he helping me in practical ways, he brought me a care package from the grocery store! how thoughtful is he?!

cheerful yellow flower, super soft kleenex, chicken noodle soup, & chocolate eclairs! now THAT is a care package!

I love you & I like you!

2010-02-09T11:41:00.001-05:00

One of my favorite blogs is http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/ I read every post, and when I get a few free moments, I look through the archives. I'm grateful to Laura (the author of the blog) and other God-loving women like her who take the time to regularly post words of wisdom, challenge, and inspiration for the rest of us. I've pretty much given up magazines since discovering the amazing world of blogs!

So, since I'm trying to post a little more frequently, I thought I would join up with the other Heavenly Homemakers blog readers and write my first ever, "Gratituesday" post. Then I am going to take adavantage of the few moments I have to nap on this rainy morning. Moments for which I am extremely grateful :- )

This morning I got to see what seemed like a little glimpse into the future. I had put a kids praise and worship cd on in Eli's room for him to listen to while he got dressed. (I love that he dresses himself now - that alone could be my Gratituesday post!) It had been about 15 minutes since I had heard anything from him, which if you know Eli, you know is odd, as he talks approximately 12 hours out of every 24. I knew he was dressed, since I had poked my head in his room shortly after asking him to get dressed, to make sure things were going smoothly. So, not knowing what might be going on at the end of the hall, I went to check things out. He was sitting in the chair in his room, just listening to the cd. He looked totally peaceful and relaxed. And mature. I was struck with the thought that someday Eli will be my friend. Sure he might still ask for advice from time to time, but I'll just as likely as him for advice in 30 years.

Today I am so grateful for the blessing of truly liking my children. Of course I am overwhelmed with love for them, but I also happen to think they are pretty cool people. People I look forward to being friends with in the future. The future that will be here in what will seem to be the blink of an eye.

update on my big plan - a.k.a. PURGE.ORGANIZE.CLEAN. {2010}

2010-01-24T22:14:00.001-05:00

i started out with gusto in the purging of our extra "stuff". the kitchen was my starting point, and i actually haven't completed it yet. i have, however, gone through all of our appliances, gadgets, and glassware, evaluating along the way what we actually use and need, and what was just collecting dust. i reorganized a few cabinets so that things are stored closer to where they are used. i culled the number of coffee cups we own to a reasonable number, considering the number of coffee/tea drinkers in our home. next up was our ridiculously excessive amount of Christmas decor, since we were putting away Christmas stuff anyway. we had seriously scaled back on decorating this year, and it was such a relief! i strongly encourage anybody who feels bogged down by the holidays to re-evaluate how much decorating they do, and whether or not that detracts from the season for them. i packed several boxes of useful but non-essential things to give to Valley Rescue Mission. and then i called them. and they picked up our excess stuff that was making me feel crazy from our front porch. how cool is that?

then, one lovely day when eli had gone to play with his best friend, i tackled his room. wow. i really tackled it. there are now 7 crates in his room, one for each day of the week. the six that aren't being used are stored in his hugmongous toy box that my dad made for him. in theory, i will swap out the crates each day, giving him a few fresh toys to play with everyday. my goal is to fill the crate with: an activity to do together, a puzzle, a creative something, a "boy" toy, and something educational. there are a few things that stay out all of the time - blocks, trains (of course!), a few trucks, his Leapster, and some arts and crafts items. he has gotten so much better about cleaning up his room. probably because it isn't the world's most daunting task! even better? he enjoys playing in his room for longer periods of time. it's awesome.

this is eli's room, "before"

and the, "after" {!}

we are currently in the process of converting our dining room into a family room/baby jail : ) baby gates are up, but there is still lots to do. more to come!

to blog or not to blog, that is the question

2010-01-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

i swing wildly back & forth on this in my mind all of the time. it's a good thing i haven't started talking to myself about it (yet), as ritchie is starting to get concerned at the frequency of my one person conversations. i love the idea of sharing my thoughts and ideas with others, but at the same time, the dishes need to be done. which leaves me feeling like it's a pretty self indulgent activity. i guess it's all about self control and time management. as well as the ability to be okay with not blogging every day, or even every week. i would like to at least post a new entry a couple of times a month, though. this is such a fun way to capture and share our family's life. so, the answer will be: to blog!

{but blogging sporadically, as time allows!}

my big plan

2009-12-29T21:58:00.001-05:00

i'm way behind - on laundry, on housework, on photography work. but, i have a plan! i am purging our home of unnecessary belongings. then, everything will be given an assigned place. and everyone who lives here will eagerly put things back where they belong immediately after using them (i'm so kidding). just like with weight loss, i know that the hardest part will be the maintenance. but once there is a system in place, i know life will be easier. i've had it before and i miss it! i feel ahead because not only have i decided to this is, i have actually started (and it's only december 29- i'm ahead of new year's resolutions)! i have completed 7 kitchen cabinets and 4 drawers. i washed the glassware we are giving away and have packed it in boxes. i've reorganized our coffee cups and glasses so that the coffee cups, filters, and coffee are in the cabinet above the coffee pot. all of this tidiness makes me giddy. i am not so sure ritchie gets this about me, which is okay. once i get the whole job done & maintain the orderliness for a few weeks, he'll remember that we once lived in such a manner. he'll see the muscles in my shoulders relax, and the glow of contentment on my face, and he will see that i really am a bit ocd. my tendency towards neatness and order have simply been thwarted by multiple big life events. i'm getting back on track :- )

time

2009-07-13T22:53:00.004-04:00

i am so not surprised that i abandoned my blog for months and months. i have always journaled in such a sporadic manner. it did me a lot of good to read my last post about honor. i wish i could say that i've been living that lesson, but unfortunately, i don't feel i have. my relationship with and care of grandma are among the many things on my list of duties that i feel are lacking these days. there is so much i want and need to do, and so much that i want to do so much better than i am currently managing. pretty much everything, actually. i'm not trying to be down on myself, i'm just trying to figure out how to manage everything on my plate, and feel like i'm getting it all done at least halfway well. i am searching. i've been reading a couple of books, and have found a quite inspirational blog that i've been following. i think perhaps that a large part of this overwhelming feeling of lack of accomplishment is adjusting to our newest family member. aaron james was born on february 17! he will be 5 months old this weekend. the time flies by even faster the second time around. he is a happy, sweet baby, who love, love, loves to be held. since he has joined us, we decided that my nursing career is on hold for now. ritchie is being enormously patient with me as i try to juggle responsibilities. the plan is for me to assist him by helping him edit images. the problem is trying to fit that in between my other jobs (eli and aaron!) i am on a quest to get aaron sleep schedule more solidified (ok, he has no daytime schedule. i am so thankful that he is pretty consistent at night!). once that happens, i am confident i'll be a higher functioning human again!

Honor

2008-11-16T22:15:00.005-05:00

At the top of my blog, I mention that I am a "caregiver". My 86 year old Grandma lives with us. She really doesn't require a huge amount of care. She is pretty darn self sufficient when I think about it. Mostly, the energy she has required of me since she moved in this past April was of the emotional/mental variety. There aren't alot of multi-generational homes around these days - at least not that involve my generation, which means I've had no examples of how to balance young family with my "old lady". We felt very strongly led to invite her to come live with us this past March, and she was here (from Ohio) by the middle of April. It all came about very, very quickly. We don't have any regrets. We knew there would be many challenges. I have been overwhelmed and stressed often. Very often. I have cried. I've snapped at my husband due to stress he wasn't the cause of in any way. I have worried that this might not be the best thing for Eli. I have questioned our decision - but only briefly.

I recently checked out a book at the library about care giving, published by Focus on the Family. I haven't read hardly any of it, and it was due back today (which means I'll be taking advantage of the library's one day grace period once again). The beginning of the book teaches alot about the need for the caregiver to take care of themselves. Yeah, yeah - I know. Just like mothers of young children (check) and nurses (check) are told to do all of the time. You have to take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Thanks to my very supportive and tuned-into-me husband, that happens in our home. I am so grateful. A little later in this book though, I got to a paragraph that really impacted me. It was about honor. It was just what I needed to read. God tells us to honor our parents. Not, "honor your parents if it's convenient/if they are perfect/if it is easy/ if they are appreciative/if they are sweet". Just like the saying, "love is a verb" - it's an action you choose, not based on emotions you feel - honor is something I am to do just because it pleases God. I spent a couple of days meditating on this and praying about it. I decided to stop complaining about a ministry that God clearly led us into. I decided to start honoring my Grandma - who I love very, very much - and I'm so grateful to the years of service she dedicated to me, my sisters, and cousins. How tragic would it be if we invited her to come be a part of our home, and then I spend the entire length of our time with her talking ugly, cracking jokes, and rolling my eyes about things that she said and did? I knew all about her idiosyncrasies before we asked her to come live with us. There were no surprises. Maybe some things are a little harder to live with than I imagined, but still, no surprises. My ugly attitude was really a poor coping mechanism to deal with the stress of lifestyle change my precious family was undergoing. I have such a peace now, and I am so very grateful that I checked out that book. I didn't get far at all, but I read exactly the part I needed to.

Oddly enough, the last week and a half or so - exactly since I spent some time dwelling on "honor", Grandma has been so sweet, understanding, and pleasant. Sure, there are still a few typical Grandma-isms every now and then. But wow - what a sweet week and a half it has been. I actually went downstairs tonight for about an hour - just to hang out with her. We talked and enjoyed each other's company. I am very thankful for the lesson I am learning about honor, and pray that I will learn it thoroughly and live it daily. God blessed me with a Grandma who showed me the best love she could when I was vulnerable and in need as a child. What a blessing to have a husband who has given me the opportunity to return that show of love to her in her time of vulnerability! How could I possibly squander this opportunity to serve Father by serving her? This should be the easiest ministry of my lifetime - giving back to someone who so freely gave to me. Thank you, God, for intervening in your perfect timing. Thank you for stopping me before I hit rock bottom. Thank you for gently teaching me this lesson. Please continue to deepen my understanding of honor, and show me ways to practice this commandment.

girlfriends

2008-11-09T17:52:00.002-05:00

it is so amazing to be surrounded by supportive, loving women in my life. i had the sweetest baby shower today, which i admit i had a hard time getting geared up for mentally. i felt guilty having a shower for a second baby, and well, it's always hard for me to be the center of attention. but, it was so, so nice to sit and have a roomful of some of the dearest women i know share in the excitement of the new baby God is blessing us with. it is sooooo different the second time around . . . when pregnant with eli, i spent tons of time getting things ready, and right now i guess i feel kind of behind in that department. i spent far more time planning every little thing about his room, and picking out just the right things he would need. of course, i didn't have anything baby related at that time, and now really, i just mostly need to pull things out of the attic and wash them. i'm sure that contributes to my relaxed mentality. so today, it was just great to open all the treasures friends and family had gathered and brought to me to use for our sweet aaron. it was nice to concentrate just on aaron for a little while. it seemed like this shower was so early - at 25 weeks - compared to eli's shower - at 35 weeks - but really it was perfectly timed. as always, God knows what He is doing! i needed this shower to be today - to make me aware of the excitement that i have, and motivate me to get things ready. i imagine i'll be organizing some things tomorrow - getting ready to transition the eli's room from just sleeping room to also being his playroom . . . and turning the playroom into a nursery! move some things around, pick out colors and paint, and get those precious baby boy things out of the attic to wash and organize! so, i'm grateful to have girlfriends that made this shower happen - that didn't let me say no. i'm grateful that due to the hectic holiday season, they thought it best to have this shower early. i'm just plain grateful.

too relaxed?

2008-11-07T09:47:00.002-05:00

i'm wondering if i might be feeling too relaxed in general - not stressed enough to be motivated to get things done before aaron gets here. i have a long list of things i'd like to accomplish in both eli and aaron's rooms before our wee one arrives, and i've done, well, almost nothing. and the holidays are nearly here. and after the holidays, well, i have one month before everything really needs to be done, just in case aaron decides 37 weeks inside of mama is long enough - like his big brother did. maybe it's because aaron is baby #2, and i know that setting up the nursery is really not necessarily a need. sure, i need to have the littlest clothes out of the attic and washed and have some diapers and wipes on hand. but well, that's really all i NEED. the rest is strictly for my aesthetic pleasure. maybe that is it - i see it as something for me, so i've shoved it to the bottom of my to do list! that sounds pretty much like me these days! i may have just found the motivation i needed - how therapeutic is my blog?

So much better!

2008-10-24T15:52:00.002-04:00

It's amazing what a little bit of time (less than 3 hours) away from my normal routine does for my spirit. Don't get me wrong. I love my life. I love my Eli's sweet voice as he chatters to me all day - even when he calls, "Mama" 5 times in less than 90 seconds. I love rattling around in our house with every one here - Eli, Ritchie, and Grandma - and yes, even the dog I can't seem to bond to as much as I'd like. And about 80% of the time, we are all here. It's a bit unconventional, but it works for us amazingly well. But sometimes, I just need to be either alone or away. To get lost in thought, without anybody making any requests of me for longer than 5 minutes at a time.

So, the blues set in yesterday - and my intuitive mate picked up on them right away. He asked what was wrong, which prompted me to figure out just what was wrong. As always, he understood, and quickly encouraged me to plan an escape. It helps so much just to know he understands me, doesn't take offense to me needing my space now and then, and then makes me get off of my butt and do something about the situation.

I laid out my clothes last night, and set my alarm for 7:30. I woke up at 6:40 because I was so excited about my little time away. I laid in bed and tried to figure out if any place I would want to go would be open at 7. I kept drawing blanks, so I laid in bed until about 7:20. I was out the door by 7:45. Just moments after our sweet boy climbed in bed with Daddy. I was hoping Eli would sleep in until 8:30 or so, so that Ritchie would get to as well. I always feel guilty when Ritchie has taken over morning duty for me and Eli gets up earlier than usual. I offered to stay home for a little while longer, but Ritchie shooed me out the door. I'm glad.

I went to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. It was pouring down rain, but I went inside instead of waiting in the drive-thru line. My time was too precious to squander, and besides, I could run in and out by myself with such ease! I would never want to be misunderstood - I adore having my little sidekick with me. I treasure that he loves to run errands with me, and is so darn easy going most of the time. I treasure it so much that I feel like a nut for ever "needing" time out and about alone or with just Ritchie. But that need remains, in spite of my overwhelming love for Eli and his companionship.

After CFA was Target. That was pretty pleasant, for sure. I couldn't find what I needed for Eli's costume, which was a minor flaw in my little field trip, but that was ok. I went on to Micheal's, and then to K-Mart before heading home.

I was home at 10:15. I have felt calm and centered all day. More patient with Grandma. I've smiled inside and out all day long. Everything has felt just a little sweeter. Eli and I ran errands together tonight, and found the rest of the dog costume components.

On top of all of that, today was a big day for all of us. Ritchie and I had a little surprise party for Eli today . . . a "No more diapers for Eli" party! We had cake, special plates and napkins, a decorated chair for the guest of honor, big boy underwear hanging from the dining room chandelier, and even presents! After the party, we sent Eli off to go potty. He washed his hands with his new soap, put on a pair of underwear, and announced, "No more diapers for Eli!". He got an M & M every time he went potty today. I asked him if he wanted me to set the timer for him to remind him to go, or if wanted to remember on his own. He said he wanted to do it on his own. About an hour after he went potty the first time, he said, "I think I can go make some pee pee now", and off he went to the bathroom. He did that again an hour later - stopping in the middle of playing with play-doh. Then Savannah came over to play for a little while. I encouraged a couple of potty breaks. He would deny the need to go, but Savannah would jump in and say, "Let's go tee-tee" together, Eli!" and off they would go. I wanted to break down and put a pull up on him while we ran errands, but kept myself in check. He did great. I asked him after we had been out for a while if he needed to go, and he said yes. So we found the restroom in Ross. He wanted to back out after we got in there, and I didn't blame him. It wasn't the cleanest of facilities! But, he went. I gave him 2 pieces of candy when we got home for that one. It was a 100% successful day. Before his bath, he took off the same pair of underwear he had started in. So, I'm left to wonder . . . should we have thrown a party a year ago, or is he just finally ready? Guess I'll never know. That's okay. I think we are finally there. With plenty of time to get this completely down before Aaron gets here, I hope! I would love to avoid any potty habit regression this Spring!

Just one of Those days

2008-10-17T20:42:00.002-04:00

It's just been one of THOSE days - and at first I didn't know why, but by the end I had it figured out. Things started out nicely - Ritchie got up before me, so I got to sleep in until about 9, which is such luxury for a mom. Eli was very sweet this morning. I had an appointment at the chiropractor, which always makes me feel better. I was just in a funk. I was sleepy, and Grandma was being a little more negative than ususal. But, I went to bed in such a good place last night (emotionally) - after going on a date with Ritchie and seeing the movie, "Fireproof", as well as finding out that an old friend is pregnant after 9 years of trying - I was feeling so grateful for so many things - . . . I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't just an attack on my spirit - the devil didn't like my heart feeling so full of the Spirit. After all, there is something to the "if mama ain't happy . . ." saying - picking on me is a great way to attack the whole family. So, I felt under attack all day. Eli's chatter, which I usually find precious, was getting on my nerves. And then it went beyond that - he was far more defiant than usual - enough to make Ritchie and I both wonder if he was getting sick. There were a few moments when I thought I was going to snap because I was so tense. But then, Eli and Grandma were tucked in for the night, and I was able to spend a couple of hours with Ritchie. We were working on photography stuff, but that rarely feels too much like work. I just enjoy sitting next to him. It calms me. It probably helped that the room was dark and the house was quiet, but it mostly just had to do with spending time with him. I feel peaceful now, and able to look forward to tomorrow, which is full of festivities. Thank you, God, for creating this man to be my husband. He nurtures my soul with his presence. Thank you, too, for providing the strength to not let the enemy get the best of me today. He got close, but I don't think he ever won.

juggling

2008-10-14T23:44:00.002-04:00

sometimes i feel like a juggling clown in the circus of life! it seems there is a never ending list of things to do, and for every one thing i get to cross off my list, it seems like three more pop up. but you know, i just can't complain. i love my life. i wish certain areas were balanced a little differently, but i'll take this season of life for what it is, and do my best to keep my priorities as God wants them to be. i'm madly in love with my husband, who just gets more handsome every single day. we have the MOST adorable, precious, heart-warming 3 1/2 year old son ever, and i can feel our newest addition moving around inside of me more every day. i love being pregnant, i love being a mom, and i love being ritchie's wife. we are healthy and together - thank you, Father!

oh, my aching feet!

2008-10-09T22:10:00.000-04:00

what a fun-filled day i have had - ritchie, eli, and i spent the day with our friend (and ritchie's fellow photographer) kim. we spent the entire day somewhere i have wanted to go for years - scott's antique market. the place is unbelievably huge - two very large buildings, plus more stuff than the average sized flea market outside as well. i wouldn't want to go in july, because the outside portion was my favorite, and i probably wouldn't have been able to enjoy it near as much if it had been warmer!

our day started off with us running late, which neither ritchie nor i can stand. but, the power evidently flashed off for a second between 5 and 7 this morning, which meant our alarms didn't go off. we finally got out the door, and after taking a brief detour through the country on the way to kim's house, we were finally able to pick up kim and make it to our destination. kim was searching for something, but nothing in particular, and it evaded her all day long. thankfully, she was able to enjoy the experience in and of itself though. ritchie was on the prowl for "THE" chair. we've had a particular chair in mind for photography use for months, and knew we would recognize it when we saw it. i just wanted a simple hook to hang my towel on in the bathroom. we searched inside and out at the first building. everything seemed out of our budget (or came in an un-needed set, forcing it out of our budget), or was just not quite right, as far as the chairs go. while i couldn't find my hook, i did find some cool old doorknobs that i thought might do the trick. but i passed them over. we ate lunch, then we headed out to the truck to drive to the second building. outside building #1, we found a pair of great chairs - just what we were looking for! they were very pretty, and $500 for the pair. we really didn't have $500 to spend. the dealer wouldn't split them up. i was bummed. we tore ourselves away, hoping that if we couldn't find anything else they would still be available.

we moved on to the second building. the outside section was much larger, and looked like a place i could spend hours. eli started nodding off in his stroller (an umbrella stroller at that) and ended up napping for a couple of hours - he even slept while i bounced him along on the gravel paths! just as we were nearly finished with the outside section, ritchie found "THE" chair. it was the right size, style, and price. we looked and looked at it. we looked at the one that was very similar at the same booth. we were trying not to be hasty, so we decided to look through the inside of the building in case there was something better. we looked. we found alot of chairs, but nothing nearly as perfect. we went back to get "THE" chair, and happily paid for it. plus, at the same booth i found my hook!

so now, we are home. we were gone for nearly 12 hours. we probably walked for 6. my feet are killing me, in spite of my always reliable doc marten's that have seen me through three trips to europe. eli was the best behaved, happiest, most agreeable 3 year old ever. i really should be even more pleased with him than i am - he totally has me spoiled, and my expectations of him are probably higher than they should be at times. he has exceptional self-control for a child so young, and even though he is normally a whirlwind of energy, when asked to sit for 98% of the day, he does exceptionally well.

so anyway, it was a darn great day. i always enjoy a day with my boys, but having kim with us was the icing on the cake. it was fun to get to know her better, and excellent to have a fellow browser with me - not to knock ritchie's "scanning" style of shopping, but i really enjoyed going slow!

now, i will prop up my feet, enjoy a cup of hot tea, and get ready to go to bed a little earlier than usual. and hope that eli sleeps in late in the morning!

why?

2008-10-09T00:49:00.000-04:00

i wondered out loud a few minutes ago why i was adding yet another potential online addiction to my list of time and mind-sucking pursuits. ritchie said he had just thought something along the same lines . . .

i love keeping a journal, but feel like it is too hard to keep a hand-written journal these days. somehow, it's easier to be interrupted and then pick up where i left off when typing. writing is such a great outlet, and i can keep this as (fairly) private as i like - as opposed to something like the notes section of facebook, which i feel as though everyone i have ever briefly known has access to.

i am convinced this is the best part of my life - the part i will always look back at and recognize as the sweetest. i may be wrong, but just in case i'm right, i want to record it for myself and my family.