Journey of a Radical Mama

For now...

2009-10-22T19:09:00.000-07:00

Well, I have to take my last post back and regretfully admit that I just do not have the time I wish I had for this blog right now. Right now is the time that my 18 mo. old toddler needs all of my attention during her wakeful hours and my home and husband need me during her sleeping hours. When she is able to entertain herself for longer stretches of time, maybe I will get back into the swing of things.

For now - best wishes and I will hopefully commit back to this sometime in the near future.

Updates and Getting back on track

2009-09-29T13:15:00.000-07:00

This is my attempt to get this blog rolling again. I have NO idea how it's going to look this time around, but figure that this is just my outlet for anything that might be on my mind for the day/week. I have been gone from this for a long time because, well, I just really didn't feel like organizing my thoughts this summer. But, I do enjoy the times that I am productive enough to get something jotted down, so I am going to give it a try again!

Time is especially limited for me, these days, because Vienne is down to just one nap a day - a short 1 hour and 15 minute nap, at that. Naps are basically the only time I have to get a lot done - ie: make and eat lunch, tidy up, maybe get a workout in (yeah right), read my Bible and journal (ahem), check and respond to emails, get some cooking done/started....and, yeah, blog. haha. I have a friend (ahem, Lacey) who, in my opinion, seems like a super woman to me with two kids (one being a newborn this summer) who has already started a regimented workout routine, knits amazing projects, makes skincare products and sells them on etsy, cooks for her family and roommates, does housewifey things, and manages a blog a few times a week!!! I am utterly perplexed and humbled by what she gets done. How does she do it...well, I'm planning to ask when I can get her out here for a visit. I am a pretty organized person but there is NO WAY that I could get done half of what she gets done. I feel like such a lazy ass.

Ok, anyway, enough of that. :D

Updates. How about some updates about this family of mine. Well, this week Vienne will be 17 months old! That is crazy to me. She is quite the fun little lady with loads of personality - aren't they all? She is completely buzzing all about the house now, full of creative insights each day. We have discovered that this girl loves to organize, loves to clean (I'm serious...hand her a rag and she will wipe any surface), loves to play dress up, loves to dance, loves loves water and the outdoors, loves her soccer ball and is learning to kick it...especially on the beach...and much more, of course. She is still pretty shy and hesitant out in public, but is opening up a bit more each time. She is not really talking or doing many of the "normal" things kids do at her age, like pointing to her nose or body parts when you ask, trying new words, running, or eating lots of foods, for example. Of course, we are not concerned about these things, we have come to learn that Vienne does things in her own time...she is a watcher. She soaks it all up and then one day she just lets it all out, at once. I know she is listening and watching and learning a ton and she responds very well...but she doesn't seem to feel the need to prove anything to us yet. She is still very petite, as well which just tells us that she will be a small girl. At 16 months, she was only 18 lbs. but, as the doctor said, she is developing just fine.

Anyway, so that's Vienne.

As for our family, we have a vision of some big changes ahead. Mark is making some huge career changes which will give us the opportunity to move to Portland when things really take off. Right now, the job is kind of slow-going but we are hopeful and prayerful. We have listed our house and if we don't find buyers at the time that we want to move, then we will look for renters. All of this is in God's hands and we are striving to remain faithful to His provisions and His will for us. It has been a stressful summer to say the least, but we know we are well taken care of.

As a housewife, during all of this change and stress on our finances, I have been doing all that I can to manage our food and household expenditures in a frugal and wise manner. I have been brainstorming for frugal meals and ways to keep the household going in an affordable and health-conscious way. Not just because of finances, but more out of the heart to keep our household safe and healthy as well as lessen our carbon footprint, I have been making further adjustments along with the rest. For example, I finally purchased my first 50lb. bag of bulk wheat berries to mill our own flour for baked goods, I have finally started making all of my cleaning products (save dishwasher and laundry detergents...which totally bombed for us...such a bummer....will try new recipes soon), shopping mainly at our local Farmer's Market throughout the summer, using whatever scraps that the critters left behind of our sad little garden...etc.

These past few weeks I have finally really been getting into sprouting and I think I will write more on that later. Fun stuff!

I've also been dealing a lot with my health lately and I think I will write a post on that sometime soon for anyone who can relate to hormonal imbalances as well as digestive issues. Woohoo.

For now, I will bring this update to a close and insert a few recent pictures.

starting to love her books

soccer on the beach!

playing dress-up in one of mom's shirts (what a distressed look, huh?!)

going out for our 4 year anniversary!

anything can be a phone

picked up a rag and literally started cleaning the car! that's my girl!

more cleaning....start 'em early!

dress up in dad's shoes

BIG weekend for Vienne!

2009-07-06T12:25:00.001-07:00

I know this is turning into a blog mostly about Vienne lately....but, that's what mostly dominates my mind anyway!

So, this weekend we had quite a few big firsts from her.

1. I laid her down for her usual afternoon nap on Saturday before we were to head over to a 4th of July bbq. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of those random fluke days that Vienne decided to skip her afternoon nap (she does this from time to time). The days she chooses to do this, she typically lays in there, in the dark, and "chit chats" to herself for a half hour and then cries and whimpers for the next 30 minutes. I usually make her stay in there for an hour. Well, this day she was in there for the entire hour giggling, singing, and chattering LOUDLY the entire time. I mean giggling so hard I could have sworn that someone was in there tickling her! Finally, after the hour was up, I went in there (in frustration at her) and found her standing up and bouncing on her mattress! This is a first, people! This is the first time she has sat up from the laying position and then continued to pull herself to standing! No wonder she was laughing with glee the entire time. She was so proud! All I could do was laugh right along.

2. My girl is walking! Well, not entirely confidently all around the house. But, she is solidly 'island-hopping' - like from the table to the chair to the cabinets to the wall and so forth! No more needing mom or dad to steady herself and hold her hand! Check out the video of her walking between us but just using us as stopping points. Pretty exciting! We finally started baby-proofing the house this weekend.

3. Vienne might be proving to be an artist! Maybe like her mommy? So, during one of her naps this weekend, I pulled out some paper and pencil to sketch a bit. I left it laying on the couch that afternoon. Once she was up, I left her playing in the living room while I cooked (living space and kitchen are one huge open connected space where I can watch over her....love it!). Anyway, I look over and find that she has picked up my pencil and brought it over to the paper and started drawing on it! First off, let me clarify that we have never taught Vienne how to use a pencil yet. We've never played with crayons or anything. So, as you can imagine, I am just overwhelmingly shocked that she has succeeded to not only pick up the pencil and hold it the right way, but to also put the writing end onto the paper and then continue to draw with it! She covered the paper w/mostly scribbles....and not once did she touch the couch or cushions with that pencil. Well, after she was finished and I picked that paper up.....look below at what I discovered on it!!!
NOT KIDDING! Do you see the two stars??? Two!! Crazy, huh?! Now, I must admit that I have been pretty reserved in boasting any exceptional behavior from her until this point. I even admit that I used to think that she might just be behind most of the 'typical' kids her age. She has never exhibited the need to rush forth with anything, prove anything, or acquire new skills quickly. But, now I'm starting to rethink things about her. I am wondering if she is just that quiet smart little one who sits back and really watches everything. I've always known that she is extremely watchful and observant, I guess I just never put it together that she was actually learning so much from that watchful behavior! I am excited to see what else she pulls out in the months and years to come!

First Steps

2009-06-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Vienne Juliet is 14 mo. old today.

My little baby girl is pretty much walking now! Very exciting times in our home. She's been walking, holding onto our hands for a few months now - but now she is walking back and forth between me and Mark! And, last night for the first time, she let go of the edge of the table to walk towards my open arms! That was huge! Any day now I know she is just going to let go and walk towards something that she wants instead of towards my arms of security.

She has also been sleeping on her tummy every night and naptime and now I find her on her hands and knees once she is awake. Perhaps she will finally start crawling after she is walking!? That would be funny! Or at least this position is teaching her to sit up on her own....finally!

As far as first words, Vienne has been saying "Mama" and Dada" for quite some time and also says "num num" on occasion and just added "Bob" to the vocabulary. "Bob"? You ask? Oh yes, Bob is one of Grammy's puppies.

Vienne has been mimicking me more and more, which has been totally cute. She now picks up her comb and tries to rub it on her head. She has picked up my makeup brushes and shoved them at her face. Last week she started using her spoon quite accurately. And, of course the organizational skills of hers continue to grow and grow. Have I mentioned these? This girl loves to organize - to put things away, in their place or at least some new place she has assigned them. Rarely does she make a catastrophic mess because she is always putting things in containers and back up on shelves and in little holes. Yes, of course we have covers on the outlets! Her favorite toys are tupperware containers and boxes along with tiny little objects to sort in the boxes and then shut them away with the lids. The other week we were in a little health food store and I set her down on the ground to walk along a shelf that was at her level. The shelf was filled with display boxes of granola bars and such. A normal baby would probably pull everything out of those boxes and strew them all over the floor. Nope. Not my Vienne. She re-organized those boxes in her own terms - removing bars from one box to put them in the next. Not one granola bar was on the floor, nor even on the actual shelf....each of them were in different boxes from their original spot. It was so funny. Of course, I had to put everything back where it belonged before we left - but I was quite impressed.

Growth-wise, Vienne is still so very small. I'm not really concerned because she still has a decent amount of chunk on her thighs, belly, and cheeks. I just wonder when she will have a growth spurt! She is 14 months now and can still fit into 9 mo. size clothing! And last night I just happened to check the tag on one of the jammies she regularly wears...it is size 6 mo.! I put it away for principle's sake! And, man oh man, her feet have never grown!! She still wears a size 2 shoes! That is the same size she was wearing a year ago! Surely saves on the pocketbook! But it's kinda weird, isn't it? At her 12 mo. checkup (which was actually at 11mo.) they said she was "perfect" so I'm not going to think twice, I guess.

And I think that about sums up June for us! And, here's a video of those first steps last week along with a few cute pictures!

Summer finally arrived here on the Oregon coast!

Getting my girl out to enjoy the beach she lives at

Organizing garlic into the jars while she eats lunch on the counter

Took a morning walk to check out the low tide and the tide pools around Haystack Rock

Being coy

Vienne Updates - June '09

2009-06-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

Well, this past week has been full of a few new things from our precious little girl.

Last week, while visiting Grandpa in Portland, Vienne took her very first 4 steps on her own, away from her Daddy's secure hand. It was very exciting and showed us that she may just be closer to fully walking on her own than we thought! She has grown very skilled at scaling the walls and really only needs one hand on the wall or furniture to get around. I think it's more for her own security than anything else...like she doesn't realize that she really can do it on her own. One characteristic I've really been noting about this little girl is that she is in no rush to acquire a new skill...or at least hasn't been up until this point. She takes her own leisurely time and doesn't need to prove anything. It's funny. Most kids I see are just so dang determined! She's totally skipped the crawling stage...and if I haven't mentioned before, we've already gotten a lot of flack about that one! Like you can control whether they crawl or don't! It's funny - this girl can pull herself up to standing position and pretty much navigate around any obstacle as long as she can have a grasp on one edge of it...but, if laying on her back she canNOT sit herself up to save her life! When on her back, she is like a beached whale flapping her arms until you sit her up or pick her up! Isn't that weird?? I know she'll learn it on her own, soon enough...but it is strange. She'll be walking on her own soon, but won't even know how to sit up on her own....like a turtle flipped on it's back!

Well, along with this new realization that she is sooooo close to walking, she has just actually given up the interest in scaling the walls in preference to holding our hand and walking her all around the house, in circles, back and forth. It's terrible and tiring. And, of course since I am not game to do this for more than one loop around the house, she has begun to reveal her first selfish tantrums! I experienced the very first full-body fit just the night before last. It was sooo strange for me to watch! Let me explain - this girl has been sooo mild-tempered and easily consoled and distracted. Now, she knows what she wants and it's all that's on her mind and she will scream to get it...finally showing that 'determination' that I thought she lacked! I was a kindergarten teacher for like 4 years...I've seen my fair share of fits, so I don't give in too easily. I just stood over her and watched her thrash until she calmed down, panting and gasping for breath. Then I held her until she was breathing normal. Once she was calm and content, I let her walk just a bit. But, I want to nip this in the butt as soon as I can...I am not one who will placate her through her tantrums and give her what she wants. But, man oh man, it is so ugly to see this new side of your child! I should also add in, though, that that night we discovered a new tooth that just broke through the surface that day...thus, most likely explaining her dramatics and moodiness. Poor girl.

So, this week has been interesting...pushing a little toother forth and enduring many little fits. It's hard to get much done now when she's awake cuz she's so moody if she doesn't get to walk about, holding my hand. Eventually, I just sit her on her bum, or leave her holding onto the couch and tell her that if she wants to walk that she needs to do it on her own. Yeah, that's not getting across to her too well...but, that's my mentality! Anyone have any suggestions for how they've dealt with their baby's tantrums??

Through all of this, Vienne surprised us the other night by sleeping fully through the night! What a treat for me! So, despite the fact that she is breaking a tooth forth, I am going to go ahead and start weaning her from her one night time feeding...which, I know, is against the books. "They" instruct you to wait til their body is not going though anything traumatic, but I think she is ready and I want to follow through with what she accomplished the other night by doing it all on her own. So, that's my new endeavor...maybe this Mama will be more refreshed and rested through the days! yay!

Here are a few pictures...

This is my "mild baby" - the one who sits on the counter and plays with garlic cloves for 20-30 minutes while I cook. But, this is soon to change, I am learning!

So close to doing it on her own.

Bored with that...now wants my hand!

Starting to whine and getting close to a possible fit...

This is her yelling for me since I walked out of the room...haha

Playing 'pat-a-cake'

Love and Respect

2009-06-08T11:15:00.000-07:00

Mark and I have been reading Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerich. Interesting book. If you're not familiar with it, it focuses primarily on the passage from Ephesians 5:33 which states:

"However, each of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."

Those who know the Bible are familiar with this passage, especially if we are married. But, have we fully digested what it truly means to "respect our husbands"? For me, respecting Mark has not been difficult to do, so honestly, I have found myself only mildly embracing this 'instruction'. But, the book points something out that struck me: the fact that our husbands value respect not as much as they value love but as much as we women value love. If they were given the option between receiving love or respect, they would choose respect. To me, that is a foreign thought as a woman. Love is so much more important to me.

What has also become an interesting topic with some other ladies I know is the concept of 'unconditionally respecting' our husbands. As we enter the marriage, I assume that we hope for and expect unconditional love, as Christ loves us...do we not? To be loved despite our follies, our irritating habits, our past...etc. Right? Well, that's exactly what our men need from us with respect. To respect them despite their mistakes, their choices, their behavior...etc. This entire concept was brought up in my ladies' Bible study and I was sadly disappointed to discover that the other ladies did not view respect this way. Their respect for their husbands is conditional and they seemed pretty firm in believing that was acceptable. It made me so sad.

Of course, respecting our husbands, unconditionally, is not an easy task at all times. Yes, they will make poor choices, they will behave in ugly ways...we will not always like them. But, as Christ loves us despite all that we've done and continue to do, so are we to aspire to treat our husbands in the same light. It is an act of obedience not of feeling, sometimes. The scripture does not say "love your wife as you love yourself when it is easy to do and the wife must respect her husband only when he deserves it". And, Christ does not love us only when we are perfectly following Him, nor does He call us to love others and treat others kindly only when they deserve it. He instructs us to love our enemies, to love the unlovable...all the more, we should be loving and respecting our husbands, should we not? The point of all this is not to say that it is easy. No. Of course it isn't. If it was easy to do then the Lord wouldn't have to make such pointed instructions for us, now would He? These things are difficult sometimes, yes. And, no, we cannot always do it on our own. One girl in my study said that if her husband cheated on her, she would not be able to handle it and she would leave without looking back, knowing that is against what the Lord asks of us. Of course, I believe that is what we would all initially feel. Of course, we would not be able to handle it. But I have been embracing, more and more lately, the awesome power of our God. In saying that 'we cannot handle it and we would just give up', we are limiting His power. No, we cannot handle it, but HE surely can. And, when we rely on Him, He works the impossible. Dealing with infidelity is not something that I am familiar with in the least bit and I cannot say that I know how I would respond to it. But, in knowing what I know now and seeing the testimonies of the Lord's work around me and in other seemingly impossible marriages, I know the restorative power of Jesus and that He can work the impossible when we let Him. So, in that light, shouldn't we respect our husbands unconditionally, with the same reliance on our Heavenly Father? It's an act of obedience and obedience does not always feel "fun" or easy.

So, what does unconditionally respecting our husbands actually look like? Well, this is something I'm still learning. And, it is hard to think about. I'm trying to come up with something terribly disrespectful that Mark or any husband could do...and then ask myself how I would respond and how could I respect that. With my flesh?...no, that's impossible. Let's see...let's say my or your husband chose to do something very dishonest. Are we supposed to respect that action? No, I don't think that's what it's saying. I believe it's like the call to love. You know how you've heard the saying "love the person, hate their sin"? I think that's how it's supposed to be in respecting our men. Respect him for who he is and who you married. Right? Does this make sense?

I started reading this Love and Respect book with admitted cynicism. But, obviously, I am gaining much more out of it now, than I thought I would. I guess bringing it up as a discussion topic with other women started to give me insight to the truth of it and how we, Christian wives, need to freshen up on the instructions the Lord has given us. I desire a fabulous marriage...and I, honestly, believe that I do have one. But, I want more! We need to always be growing and pursuing new heights in the Lord. In all respects, Mark and I are still 'newly weds' (4 years) - so we have lots of growing to do! I want to be a power-house couple that emanates the fragrance of Christ!

Anyway...stepping off my soapbox now. Those were my current jumbled thoughts on this and I needed to unload them after the difficult discussion I had with the ladies at my study. I would love to hear other thoughts!

When Mark Dresses Vienne...

2009-06-05T15:43:00.001-07:00

It always gives me a fun chuckle when I emerge in the morning to discover that I forgot to lay out clothes for Vienne, which left my color blind husband in charge of dressing her for the day! Today, we have a darling little peachy-pink dress with brown trim, layered over a strawberry pink undershirt with darker pink polka dots and finished off with plum purple fleece pants with striped cuffs. Doesn't actually look that bad in the picture...he has managed to pull of worse...but it was just silly enough for me to share. He literally thought the colors here were brown, green, and blue. Not really sure how that would've worked together, anyway...but man oh man this color-blindness of his keeps me on my toes! Isn't it great?!

How Does My Garden Grow...

2009-06-01T12:11:00.000-07:00

We did it! We finally got our garden veggies planted last night! Mark built this beautiful raised bed over a month ago and we have just been waiting to find the best and most affordable way to fill it with good soil. We finally got a truckload in it yesterday. We planted mostly cool weather veggies, since we live here on the coast. We have a mesclun blend of greens in those first few rows, then some rainbow chard, a winter squash, a summer squash, a row of carrots, a row of beets, some broccoli, and sugar snap peas growing up the lattice against the far end of the wall! Fingers crossed that everything grows well. We had a very very small little garden in our last home....but this is my first real vegetable garden and I am so excited to see how it turns out. Man oh man, if we can get away with eating veggies only from here and not have to buy produce for a while, I will be so ecstatic! Lord willing, I am diligent to tend to it regularly with loving care!

And, now we are just waiting for an opportunity for more soil to fill the area to the right of the garden bed in which we can plant grass seed! Then, Vienne and I will have a little side yard to play in during the summer! Oh I do hope that this works out and that we can grow the grass quickly. Soil is so gosh darn expensive!

And, finally, we will finish this area off with a compost bin that Mark will build from scrap wood. Then I won't feel so guilty about throwing food scraps into the garbage and we will have compost for our garden!

This is how my garden is growing!

God's Pharmacy

2009-05-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this to me...and you may have even seen this before, but I think it's soooo cool!

It's been said that God first separated the salt water from the fresh, made dry land, planted a garden, made animals and fish.... all before making a human. He made and provided what we'd need before we were born. These are best & more powerful when eaten raw. We're such slow learners...

God left us great clues as to what foods help what part of our body!
God's Pharmacy! Amazing!
A slicedCarrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and radiating lines look just like the human eye... and YES, science now shows carrots greatly enhance blood flowto and function of the eyes.
A Tomatohas four chambers and is red. The heart has four chambers and is red. All of the research showstomatoes are loaded with lycopine and are indeed pure heart and blood food.
Grapeshang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape looks like ablood cell and all of the research today shows grapes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.
A Walnutlooks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere, upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds on the nut are just like the neo-cortex. We now know walnuts help develop more than three (3) dozen neuron-transmitters for brain function.
Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like thehuman kidneys.
Celery, Bok Choy, Rhubarb and many more look just like bones. These foods specifically target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23% sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet, the body pulls it from the bones, thus making them weak.. These foods replenish the skeletal needs of the body.
Avocadoes, Eggplant and Pearstarget the health and function of the womb and cervix of the female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows that when a woman eats one avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds unwanted birth weight, and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound is this? It takes exactly nine (9) months to grow an avocado from blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science has only studied and named about 141 of them).
Figs are full of seeds and hang in twos when they grow. Figs increase the mobility of male sperm and increase the numbers of Sperm as well to overcome male sterility.
Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the glycemic index of diabetics.
Olivesassist the health and function of the ovaries
Oranges,Grapefruits, and other Citrus fruitslook just like themammary glands of the female and actually assist the health of the breasts and the movement of lymph in and out of the breasts.
Onionslook like the body's cells. Today's research shows onions help clear waste materials from all of the body cells. They even produce tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes. A working companion,Garlic, also helps eliminate waste materials and dangerous free radicals from the body.

8 things

2009-05-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

Just another one of those silly little questionnaires to pass the time...

8 Things I Am Looking Forward to:

1. Sunny weather

2. Planting my vegetable garden and getting a grassy yard area growing

3. Anyone to come and visit us!

4. Getting my hair trimmed soon

5. My grape kombucha to finish brewing

6. What the coming year may hold for us

7. Throwing Lacey's baby shower

8. Meeting my little niece that is brewing inside her belly!

8 Things I Did Yesterday:

1. Cleaned up the house

2. Threw a mini temper tantrum over Vienne's 30 minute (WAY too short) nap

3. Visited Mark at work

4. Had a friend come to visit and chat about homebirths

5. Rejoiced over Vienne's 2 1/2 hour afternoon nap to make up for the morning one.

6. Realized that she's in the depths of painful teething still

7. Made a lame dinner

8. Watched 'Dancing with the Stars'

8 Things That Bring Me Peace and Comfort

1. Reading

2. Quiet morning time, on the porch, in the sun with an iced coffee

3. Staring at our ocean and breathing in the salty breeze

4. Spending time with my mom

5. Good worship

6. Prayer

7. Knowing that I've been productive

8. A date with my husband

Back from my hiatus...

2009-05-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Took a bit of a break from writing, in the last month. Here's a catch up of things in a nutshell...

Celebrated my 31st birthday. Celebrated our Risen Savior on a stormy day. Seth and Lacey came to visit. Tried to finish a crochet project. Gave up on said crochet project. Tried a new naturopathic doctor. Found inspiration for my yard.....finally. Started planting flowers and herbs and preparing for a vegetable garden. Planned for a compost bin...waiting for wood to build it. I started making kefir. Finally and officially switched from using paper towels/napkins to cloth. Finished my collection of cast iron pans to replace my old yucky ones. Vienne started cruising around the house, holding onto walls and furniture...but not yet walking on her own. Vienne claps to music and excitement. Vienne started 'dancing' in place when we say "let's dance!". Vienne celebrated her first birthday! My baby is ONE! Threw a huge birthday party for her...and she got spoiled rotten. Made lotsa yummy foods for the party. Grandma Lynn came to visit...Aunt Kate and Uncle J came to visit...it was a big weekend. Vienne broke out with small weird blisters on her cheek, eyelid, and finger. Thought it was chicken pox. It was not. Vienne also experienced her first bout of a runny nose and a fever...still not sure if it was a bug or teething. Mark found an opportunity for a new job, in addition to real estate. Mark took his online classes. Mark passed his final exam. Mark is now a certified (licensed?) mortgage loan officer...on the side. I found hope for actually being able to move out of here some day sooner than I thought. We sold our new car and bought an old one. We are looking into listing our house. Simplifying. Honored my mother on Mother's Day. Vienne started sleeping longer...til 8:30 a.m.! Found Vienne sleeping on her tummy for the first time in her life. Discovered that Vienne likes puzzles and putting things away. Continuing to attend my Bible Study even when I feel things are awkward. Started hanging out with a new friend and her 2 kids. Read a few books. Got challenged to be thankful for my illnesses. Here's some pics of things I mentioned:

Scaling the walls...

Getting caught playing with the filling...

Her new squatting position...

my front walkway finally getting spruced up...

potted flowers...

our garden bed and potential side yard...soon to be filled with grass and veggies!

playin' with my sis in a hat shop...

Aunt Kate and Uncle J's visit...

walking around in her birthday party dress...

singin' "Happy Birthday"...

other yummy treats - a rhubarb and lemon mousse tart...

considering eating her yummy organic, naturally sweetened 'Birth'-day cake...

playing with a new wooden toy...putting the balls away...

my beautiful, precious, wonderful gem of a baby

31

2009-04-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my 31st birthday and even though I was recovering from the flu, I think we made the best of it. It was a quiet family day...with some of my most favorite people. Mom was here visiting which made for an extra treat (and helping hand while I was sick!). Mark bought me a beautiful bouquet of my favorite flowers - tulips, of course, along with a sweet card offering himself as my personal slave for the day (like he isn't already!). He managed to surprise me with a new mattress topper for our bed, which has been getting a bit sunken in and old. He convinced me and mom to take a short walk with Vienne while he pulled out the mattress topper and covered it with lovely rose petals. So sweet. Then we all went to a favorite restaurant in Gearhart that I haven't been to in a long time - Pacific Way Cafe. Homemade tomato basil soup and a hot pesto chicken sandwich on their fresh baked french bread...mmmm....delish! The sun even came out to kiss us on our cheeks for a bit.

After that we came home and Mark began to dig out an area of our yard for our upcoming garden while I read a book and V took her nap.

After she woke up, Mark made me a lovely meal of seared salmon that had been marinated in thai spices and then drizzled with a ginger cilantro dressing, atop coconut brown rice with a fresh salad. He's so good.

After dinner, we enjoyed some sweet time with our beautiful babe. Once she went to bed, we pulled the mattress topper out to the living room and made up a makeshift bed and watched a movie by the firelight...while Mark gave me a back rub. (btw, Slumdog Millionaire really is a good movie!!).

It was a sweet and quiet birthday. Thank you dear husband.

Vienne gifted me with precious cuddle time for a solid 20 minutes...the best stuff ever!

Rubber ducky...did you know...

2009-04-05T10:47:00.000-07:00

Here's a disappointing fact I just learned from my 'Natural Solutions' magazine:

The iconic rubber ducky gets up to 50% of its weight from phthalates, chemicals linked to cancer, early onset puberty, and obesity.

I supposed I could've already guessed this but it's still disappointing and frustrating to learn the facts. We have a friend who collects rubber duckies and finds joy in sharing them with our daughter. As I've spoken of in an earlier post, we try to steer away from most plastic toys...but, hey, I'm not a Nazi about it, either. No more playing with the dearly loved adorable ducky, though. I need to be more alert and careful to what random objects she is choosing to play with. Just a heads up for all you moms who care about this stuff....which is, I hope, all of you!

it's raining...

2009-03-21T15:41:00.000-07:00

it's not pouring, but sometimes it sure feels like it when your heart is hurting.

Lately I've really been wanting to write...to ramble my current slam of thoughts. I'm still so new to this whole blogging thing. Sometimes, I write with abandon...laying my vulnerability out there for all to see. Though, recently I've found myself to be reserved, actually caring what others might think when they read this. I once had a friend accuse me of always being negative (I had been having some rough times....ya know: a miscarriage, lost my job, my best friend, at the time, went crazy...just simple things really) and it has instilled in me the fear of ever expressing too deep of feelings/thoughts that might relay an attitude of being 'negative', too often. I don't want this blog to be my 'Woe is Me Session' (yuck) but I have to be honest and admit that this winter has been a hard one for me. Actually, let me rephrase that....this period of my life since moving out to the beach, away from any close family or friends, has been the hardest season of my life. Each year here presents new trials, usually with relationships, that I must forge through...always leaving myself to ask the question: "what is wrong with me?" Before moving here to get married and live with my husband, I never had such relational challenges. One of my closest girlfriends pointed out to me, today, that it is most likely due to the fact that this is the first time I have lived away from my family and any close dear friends. I have had to survive on my own, I suppose. So, maybe I stink at discerning who would be a good new friend!? haha. I am such a relational person. I truly cherish my friendships. I have a quality about me that works for and against me, at the same time: I don't guard myself and I invest quickly. I give my trust very quickly and am not afraid to be vulnerable. As you can see, this can typically be a good quality to have in a friend, but it has also led to much pain. You'd think I'd have trust issues by now....Lord knows I wish I did! Sometimes I actually wish that I would guard my trust and heart a bit more protectively...I get hurt and often vow that I will not entrust myself to someone so quickly the next time. But, I always fail. I get excited, like a little girl, to meet someone new (geesh, sounds kinda desperate, don't it?). Anyway, now this sounds like I keep allowing myself to get my feelers hurt...that I must be some overly-sensitive girl who can't hold a friendship...and maybe that is the case...?? But, deep down I don't feel like that is what it is. I have just met some disappointing people on my journey of living out here. Mark has continually warned me that coastal people are a different/challenging breed. But, I acknowledge in the same breath that I, of course, have my own hang-ups and these relational trials have served to teach me a new revelation about myself that I must submit to the Lord and grow from.

So, yeah. I have been feeling a bit blue lately. My health has become a big challenge again and that is a daily struggle that I try not to let get me down. Mark and I are currently wading through an issue that I struggle with and everyday I look at him and sometimes feel myself thinking that he deserves so much better. Financial struggles are finally hitting us and we find ourselves asking what is next? ...should Mark find a new career? ...could we/should we move away from here (fingers crossed!)? My spiritual walk is the driest it's ever been - I want to feel Jesus so badly right now, but I struggle through the muck to even believe that I am capable of feeling Him. And, this place is stinkin' lonely. I am a stay at home mom. I love my job but I need companionship in the baddest way. But, this week I found myself stunned from another let-down friendship. My heart is aching and bewildered. Boohoo. Woe is me.

It's raining...but I know it's not pouring. It's not pouring because these are mild trials in the grand scheme of it all. I know that. It doesn't make it all hurt any less. But, when I hear about another friend's current trials I am put in my place and shown how challenging it really could be. But, right now, I am still aching. I am in my muck. Am I over-reacting...am I over-dramatizing? Perhaps. But that is how I feel. I wear my emotions on my sleeve, in plain sight for all to see. If I were to sit here and write out some emotion-less post about food or health, I would not be true to myself and my current frame of mind. So this is

where I'm at.

I started re-reading Captivating by John and Stasi Elderidge the other week. Yes, it is a very trendy Christian book, but it is still worth the read and I highly recommend it. It points out how, too often, women struggle with feeling like they are not enough yet, at the same time, that they are far too much. Holy cow, I soooooo relate to that, don't you? I catch my thoughts wandering to places, thinking: "I'm not enough of a serving wife"..."I'm not a patient enough mother"..."I'm not a thoughtful enough friend"...to..."I have too many opinions"..."I react with too much emotion"..."I over-think too much". Can anyone else relate to this? Anyway, so this book is great because it delves into those struggling thoughts and begins to reveal to you, as a woman, that you are neither too much nor lacking but that you are just right, for that is how God designed you. This is the briefest summary of just

a portion of this book...but all that to say, it is pretty darn encouraging especially for the struggles I am currently facing.

I have to keep re-realizing that while I do the best I can to learn and grow to be a better, loving person, I am still me just as Jesus created me and some people will embrace that while others will reject it. I thought/expected friendships to be opportunities to embrace each other's differences, quirks and all - a striving for unconditional love and acceptance. And, I still believe that's how it should be. It is a sad world for those who do not view or treat friendships in the same light for their relationships will be lacking.

I am left dwelling upon one of my most favoritest quotes that I relate to in a very intimate way:

Then the time came when the risk it took

To remain tight in a bud was more painful

Than the risk it took to blossom.

~Anias Nin

To my true dear friends: May we continue to blossom into the beauties that God designed us to be...quirks and all...and love each other, unconditionally, for them.

My dear husband and best friend for life

Mi Madre, who has loved me unconditionally since I was in her womb

Lacey Jean, my bosom buddy - though, I'm more bosom and she's more booty...maybe we should be 'bosom booties'?

Katy, my beautiful dear sister and one of my closest friends

Becky, my adopted sister in Christ and friend who tells it like it is (we're at a costume party in this pic)

Brooke, my lifelong friend since childhood - we shared Barbies and played chipmunk

...just to name a few.

I'm here...

2009-03-10T11:15:00.000-07:00

I realized that when I am uber super busy and have soooo much on my mind, I have less to write about. Even when I have the occasional moment to write something. I sit and stare at the computer and try to filter through what sounds most interesting. I procrastinate. And, then I neglect to write on here, altogether. I need to just sit down and pour out my thoughts...this is my journal, right? I need to keep reminding myself that I don't have to have anything eloquent to say in order to post a blog. Who cares anyway, right?

So, instead of focusing on one topic, I thought I'd just recap what's been going on over here...just to organize my thoughts, if anything.

Well, there was the Bachelorette party weekend for my sister in Lincoln City. The Baby shower for my dear friend in Vancouver. The pondering of ideas for a career move for my husband. The stressful dealing with a recurring ear infection that turned into a rash pouring out of my ear....that revealed that I have frickin' candida after visiting the naturopath 2x and going to urgent care. The stress over a new diet that I have to adopt and new recipes to find without sugar, dairy, wheat, and most fermented foods.....ugh. Trying to remain faithful to my commitment to the season of Lent. Working through some emotional stress in our marriage. A very intense weekend of wedding festivities, from a Rehearsal dinner to venue setup to arranging floral bouquets to calming the bride to walking down the aisle and choking up over the fact that my dear sister finally found her Prince Charming in the most wonderful man, named Jeremy. Visiting our best friends who have moved into a community house with another family in Portland, see here for their new blog.

And, now...now, we have absolutely nothing on our plate for the next few weeks. And, that feels great. Because, now I need to focus on my family. I need to focus more intently on my health. This nasty rash on my ear (gross, weird, I KNOW!) still needs to clear up. I need to figure out some appealing foods that I can eat that are safe while trying to wade through the ridiculously hard battle against candida (yeast overgrowth in your body, for those who are unfamiliar with it). I have been diagnosed with candida before and I just despise it...I despise that it is supposedly sooo prevalent and sooo easy to fall prey to and sooo hard to kill. I question the diagnosis at times...but I guess I have nothing else to go off of. I suppose I should write a more complete post on what exactly this crazy thing called candida really is.

But, I realize that after listing the stresses of my pa

st few weeks I should close this with something positive. Some things to be thankful for amidst the hardships. So, here goes...

Today I am thankful for:

~ The time change, for now Vienne is sleeping in 'til 7:30 by the new clock and the rest of our days are working out much more smoothly.

~ On that note, she has also been a great sleeper lately and if you are a mother you know how crucial that is.

~ My new time in the Word that I have discovered each morning.

~ A loving and amazing husband who took complete care of our daughter while I hopped around fulfilling wedding duties all weekend

long...who loves to help me in the kitchen...who vacuums on his own whim...who rises with Vienne in the morning to spend precious daddy/daughter time while I sleep...who counsels me in wisdom when I over-react with selfish emotion to outside circumstances...who sets an example of selflessness to me...

~ That my sister is happily married to a most amazing young man whom I am proud to call Brother.

~ That we can buy the foods we need to eat healthy.

~ And, I am always always thankful for this beautiful place we are privileged to live in and this most precious daughter I have been blessed with...check out that face!

Lent

2009-02-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

So, I guess today is the start of the season of Lent. To be quite honest, I have never really given much thought or care to this religious tradition and I don't really know why. The more I've been reading up on it and considering it, I realize that it may just be something that I should attempt to put into practice this year.

For those of you not familiar with Lent, it is basically a 40 day long period of fasting and/or prayer before Easter, The Resurrection of our Lord. The 40 days represent the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, when He was tempted by Satan. The practice of Lent is to prepare our hearts for celebrating Christ's resurrection. This year, it starts today and ends on April 9th - my birthday! How appropriate to choose to start a fast that will be culminated on the celebration of my birthday! Well, I think so, at least! ha.

Ok, so I've really been pondering what I should choose to 'fast' from for the next 40 days. There is one thing I am addicted to that I know, full well, distracts me from spending any time with God. What's that? Oh man, you're looking at it! The ding dang computer! I have a severe addiction. It started to grow exponentially as I've become a stay at home mom....I am desperate for contact with the outside world!! "Somebody, please email me...talk to me....anything" - that's my inner plea each day. But, I sadly had to ask myself: Am I as desperate for contact with my Savior? hhhmmmmm....for awhile I've kinda been avoiding this question cuz I know the answer! I've let myself get into that 'rut' that we are all too familiar with, from time to time. And, one thing that really detracts me from taking this question seriously is my addiction to the computer...the internet. Ugh. I sit down with my breakfast, look at my Bible, and then longingly look over at this damn thing and say to myself: "ok, I'll just check the email very quickly, otherwise I know I won't be able to concentrate until my curiosity is satiated". So, my quick check of the email turns into 30 minutes of aimlessly wandering around the internet...and then, whoops, Vienne wakes up. No time for Bible reading. And, thus my cycle goes. Pathetic, eh? Yes. Yes, I know it is.

Now, I realize that I have to be realistic with how I choose to go about this. I know that I cannot go 40 whole days without popping on here. So, I have decided to choose a time of day that I typically am on here and refrain so that I may turn that time into devotion time. Breakfast time will be that time.

So, yeah. I guess...well, since I spent most of my free time today writing this, that I will have to start tomorrow. One day late. Oh well. At least I spent today thinking about it...that counts for something, right? hehe.

If anyone who reads this (all 4 of you!) has chosen something for Lent as well, please share! Let's keep each other accountable!

New Tricks

2009-02-23T14:20:00.001-08:00

They make me giggle.

Eat Your Vegetables!

2009-02-16T19:37:00.000-08:00

I often get asked for easy tips on eating healthy. One of my main focuses, for a healthy diet, has always been on vegetables. You've always heard it from mom: "Eat those vegetables!" An abundant array of colorful veggies should be our main source of vitamins...not synthetic bottled supplements, filling your body with fake junk that is barely absorbed. If your vitamins are not made from whole foods, then they are synthetic vitamins, which your body isn't capable of fully absorbing (so, check your source of vitamins!). Not only are you wasting money on those bottles but your are also wasting effort and energy that it takes for your body to try and process them. (Read here for more info from one of many articles on this topic.) Though, as a side note, if you feel that you are still lacking in your diet and need to take a multi-vitamin, I highly suggest a good whole food vitamin: check out 'New Chapter' vitamins - it's the brand of prenatals that carried me through my pregnancy. They are sold at most health food stores and at great discounts online.

If you are eating your vegetables, like our ancestors always did, then you won't have such a dire need for supplements...but, most importantly, your body will be enriched and healthier than ever before! Have you ever asked yourself how our ancestors got their nourishment? They never bought it in a bottle. They got it straight from the right foods.

So, when I first started my journey towards a healthier lifestyle, I knew that I needed to start incorporating a much more colorful array of produce than what I was eating before. The more colors of veggies that you eat, the more nutrients and vitamins your body will be receiving. I was instructed by my naturopath to try and eat 6-8 different colored veggies with each meal. Phew! I was overwhelmed by this idea! The main thing that intimidated me was having to constantly prepare all of these vegetables. I hated chopping veggies and rarely made a salad beyond torn lettuce and baby carrots. But, then I learned the simplest piece of advice for staying on top of this crucial necessity for my body:

Buy 6-8 different types of vegetables, of varying colors. For example, I typically try to buy what's in season, first of all, but a good basic assortment usually consists of: carrots, celery, kale, red cabbage, broccoli, red or green peppers (if in season), zucchini, and maybe tomatoes (if in season). Darker greens have more vitamins in them. Then chop a small portion (like a 1/4) of each vegetable and store them all together in a large container in the fridge. Voila! Now, you have this large mix of freshly chop vegetables always on hand to mix in with anything. With this mix, you may toss a handful in with some lettuce or spinach leaves and have a salad. You can saute it in with scrambled eggs (add some goat cheese and it makes for a fab-o breakfast!). You may saute it up with some sausage or chicken for a quick lunch or dinner - get creative with the seasonings or sauces. Or you can steam a handful of the mixed veggies....eat that with butter and S&P as a side with your main course or toss it with some pasta or rice or soup! Once I established this easy discipline of making sure that I have a container full of freshly chopped veggies always on hand, it makes it sooo much easier to make sure that I am always eating a wonderfully balanced meal and that I am getting those nutrients that I need. My biggest set back beforehand was just the prep of always chopping vegetables when I wanted a salad or something. I'm lazy. When I'm hungry, I want to eat now. This wonderful habit helps to give me my food now and give it to me healthy. I would say that my large container of chopped veggies lasts us about 3-4 days...so, that's only chopping like twice a week! Not bad. Anyone could handle that!

I personally believe that above all other ways of eating, this is one of the best and easiest ways to get started on the healthy track. Don't get yourself overwhelmed by lacto-fermented drinks or eating low-fat or even with books like Nourishing Traditions if you are new to these ideas. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE that book, but it is not always for the beginner. Most people that I come across that say they wish to eat better are usually looking for an easy answer. This is my easy answer. And, I believe that once you start incorporating these veggies in with your meals, you will start decreasing the amount of other unhealthy things that you may have previously chosen or eaten with your main courses....ie: packaged/processed foods, foods w/saturated fats...etc. And, of course, I always have to recommend going organic...but, I do know that many people who wish to eat healthier or are new to all this are still not willing to pay for organic items. So, if it comes down to that and you think you just can't afford organic or it's just not the priority for you yet....still buy all the veggies and know that you're doing so much better than before! I will write my thoughts on sacrificing for the higher prices of organic foods some other time.

So, to go along with your new colorful salads, I thought I would include a new favorite salad dressing of mine. I don't typically buy dressings - too much crap in them. We usually just use EVOO and balsamic vinegar, but I came across this recipe and it has made my salads oooohhhh-sooo-yummy!

Honey Mustard Dill Dressing

3 TB EVOO

2 tsp. dried dill or 1 TB of fresh chopped dill

1 TB Sherry wine vinegar

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. honey

S&P to taste

Whisk altogether, and you have it!

Lovely Day

2009-02-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Despite the surprise of a 5:30am wake up call from our daughter ... I have determined that it is going to be a lovely Valentine's Day.

A scrumptious breakfast of scrambled eggs with parmesan and fresh basil,

homemade cinnamon raisin bread, and luscious red grapefruit with a hot cup of coffee...

A lovely homemade Valentine from my daughter (with daddy's help)...

A beautiful bouquet of my favorite tulips waiting for me, in a vase...

A sweet Valentine from a friend, hanging in my window...

The bright happy sun shining down on us this morning...

A weekend with my husband home...

More fabulous bread baking in the oven...

A cute new red shirt to wear on this day of hearts...

A wine tour through our little town and dinner following, to look forward to...

Happy loud giggles from the most beautiful daughter ever...

Yes.

It is going to be a lovely day.

I pray your Valentine's Day is just as lovely.

Kombucha Baby!

2009-02-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

So, I first got addicted to kombucha by drinking 'GT Dave's' brand of kombucha drinks which are bottled with pure fruit juices and are extra super fizzy. I love kombucha, not only because it is soooooo healthy for me (read here for health info on it) but also because it gives me that 'fix' for any cravings I might have for juice (which is packed with sugar...too much natural sugars are even bad for us) or for pop. After spending about $3.50 per bottle (I know...SICK), I realized that I needed to be making this stuff myself. Thankfully, my dear friend Lacey gave me one of her 'bucha babies and I have been a 'bucha brewing fanatic for a while now! My one hesitation about brewing it myself was knowing that home brews do not taste like what I buy from the store...and that's the kind that I like! So, once I started, I was determined to make my kombucha fruity and just as carbonated as the store-bought brands. I've done a lot of reading on different kombucha sites and never really found instructions for the results I was looking for. Sooooo...I started to experiment, myself. And, after a few trials, I've finally successfully done it! For a few weeks now, I have been brewing and bottling incredibly yummy, fruity, fizzy kombucha! So far, I've made it with cranberry juice, pomegranate juice, dark cherry juice, apple juice, and grape juice (my fave!).

A lot of my friends already know how to brew kombucha and there are tons of instructional sites out there for it...but ever since I started giving out my fresh kombucha starters to other friends and writing out the brewing methods, I decided to document it here, along with my new bottling methods.

So, here's what you need to start:

-1 kombucha scoby or 'baby' or starter that is kept in at least 1+ cp. of previously brewed kombucha tea. FYI: "SCOBY" stands for 'symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeasts' for those who wanted to know and get on with the lingo!

- A large pot for making the tea

- 16 cups of water

- 6 black or green tea bags *you need the caffeine for successful brewing *stay away from flavored teas because the oils can harm your scoby.

- 1-1 1/2 cups of plain white sugar

- A large glass bowl, glass container, or beverage dispenser like you will see in my pictures (about a gallon or bigger)

- cheese cloth or light weight cotton towel and string or rubber band to cover the bowl with.

For bottling:

- About 8-10 grolsch style or flip-top bottles

- Fruit juice of your choice. I would steer clear of citrus juices for I'm not sure how they would turn out with the kombucha. Sounds gross to me. Try cranberry, apple, grape, cherry, peach, pomegranate, or ginger...etc.

Here we go:

Start by boiling 16 cps. of water. Once it is brought to a boili

ng, turn the stove off. Slowly add in 1 - 1 1/2 cps. of plain white sugar and let the sugar completely dissolve for about 10 minutes. Then add in the 6 tea bags (black or green....or 3 of each) and let steep for 10 more minutes. You're basically making a huge pot of sweetened tea.

After 10 minutes, discard the tea bags. Now let the tea cool to room temperature. I take it off the stove and let it sit for a few hours until cooled.

Always keep your new scoby with about 1 cp. of brewed kombucha tea that has been reserved from your last batch...this helps start the fermenting process. In this picture, I have removed my newly formed scoby and reserved it with about 1 cp. of newly fermented kombucha tea....it is set on a plate while I clean out the the glass dispenser. I add in the cooled tea that I have just made and then gently slip this scoby into the tea, along with this reserved kombucha tea.

Next, cover the top with the cheese cloth or towel and secure with a string or rubber band - this prevents dust from settling on the tea while it is fermenting. You will notice that your scoby might float around for a while until it settles and a new scoby starts to form.

Place your container in a warm dark place to ferment for about 7-10 days. I place mine on the top shelf of my pantry closet. The longer it sits, fermenting, the more vinegary it will taste.

After the 7-10 day mark, check your kombucha tea. You will notice in my picture how a new layer of scoby has formed on top...this is exactly what you want! Taste your 'bucha. If it has a light cider vinegar taste with soft carbonation, it is ready. If it is still flat, then let it sit for a few more days. It needs to be carbonated to be ready. It will slightly taste like hard cider.

This is the look of my new scoby layer....smooth and creamy. Everyone's does seem to look a bit different, as I've learned from other friends. But this is how mine always looks. I'm always proud of my new "babies" that have formed. You may peel this new layer off now and share it with a friend....remember to give it to them with at least a cup of your brewed kombucha tea, as well, to help preserve it and start the next fermenting batch. Then you may start a new batch with your original 'Mother Scoby'. When your 'Mother' starts to look brown and old after a few batches, you may discard it and use one of your babies for your next batch. I have learned that if I don't discard my new layers, but keep them altogether each new time that I brew, the stronger and more vinegary my brew tastes. I prefer a lighter vinegar taste, so I only brew with one layer of scoby each time. This is my preference, but not a rule.

So, once your bucha is ready after your taste-tests, you may choose to either drink it now, straight from the dispenser or bowl....or, like me, you may bottle it with juice for a more exciting drink! For this batch, I chose to bottle with organic cherry juice...NO added sugars.

Make sure to thoroughly wash and sterilize your bottles each time you re-use them. Contamination is one thing to be very very alert to and careful of during the brewing/bottling process. My husband brews beer so, thankfully, we have all the gear for sterilization. Good, safe cleaning products and a bottle brush will also do fine.

Once your bottles are ready, fill each bottle about 1/3-1/2 full of fruit juice then fill the rest of the bottle with your kombucha tea....leave a little room at the top of the bottle for breathing. If you choose to use grape, use less juice....I have discovered that grape is a very sugary juice. The sugar in the juice is what will make your kombucha more and more carbonated (like in beer). Therefore, the more sugary your juice, the more carbonated it will be. If it gets too carbonated, your bottles could explode! This is one reason why I use the grolsch bottles - they are so thick and sturdy and their caps are securely fastened. But, I did have one grape explosion when I opened a bottle one day that had too much juice in it. Grape ALL over my kitchen and me!! So, be careful with the juice and carbonation!

Once bottled, I set my bottles back in the pantry for about 5-7 days and then transfer to the fridge. The longer they stay in the warm pantry, the longer it will continue to ferment. When you transfer it to the fridge, it will slow that process down.

After that week of bottling my kombucha is ready to drink! And look at the head on that 'bucha!! Just beautiful! Perfect! Oh and it is sooooo yummy and refreshing.

I hope this was helpful!

Here are a few other websites that are helpful with kombucha information. I am by no means a kombucha expert...I am learning just like the rest of us. I just wanted to share what I've learned. Check these sites out....or write me a question if you are in the midst of brewing and have one!

www.organic-kombucha.com

http//kombuchatea.tribe.net

www.happyherbalist.com

Chocolate coconut almond bars

2009-02-09T14:20:00.000-08:00

I haven't been making much effort to write lately. But, I was sitting here at the computer nibbling on my new favorite treat and thought that I needed to share them.

Check out these 'power bars'! They are oh-so-yummy and totally give me that "fix" when I need a sweet treat (which is far too often). Thankfully, the ingredients are everything that I keep in my pantry on a regular basis - so I can whip these up anytime. This last time I made them, I didn't want to use all of my precious raw almonds, so I made a mixture of almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds and they turned out great.

This is a great blog btw, and even though I am not gluten-intolerant, she has some fun creative recipes.

a rare treasure, I am

2009-01-21T10:54:00.000-08:00

I read a beautiful devotion in the 'Daily Bread' the other morning. It has stuck with me. I thought I would share.

The focus was on Psalm 139.

"For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed."

There was a quote in this devotional that I just loved:

"...I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creatures that I could think of. For to have been thought about - born in God's thoughts - and then made by God, is the dearest, grandest, most precious thing in all my thinking."

What a beautiful reminder this is, is it not? To 'have been thought about...born in God's thoughts...and then made by Him' ... how could we stoop so low to criticize His wonderful workmanship. God was intentional with us. God was intentional with me.

To be honest, I haven't really been struggling with insecurity for awhile now (what victory that is!)...but I am a woman. I have my moments. When I scour at the new pimple on my face...or frown at the extra pooch on my belly...or roll my eyes at a new picture I see of myself ... I will try and remember this.

I was intended.

I am lovely.

I am loved.

And, so are you.

a few things 'bout me...

2009-01-20T14:09:00.000-08:00

ok...you got me. i'll give in and take part in these little 'get to know each other' games. in response to a few other lists i've already read, here is mine. a list of 20 random things about me.

1. i am an artist at heart. i can paint and sketch fairly well...though i rarely do.

2. i cannot stand mushrooms. yuck! i know that they are slugs that have crawled up on my plate!

3. if i could go back to school i would either get my masters in teaching or become a doula (a birthing assistant)

4. i dream of having a full garden of my own...to have immediate access to organic produce...though, I have absolutely no interest in tending it.

5. i prefer to drive a stickshift...but had to finally give that up for a mommy-mobile.

6. i love talking about the topics that most people are uncomfortable talking about. (poop, sex... to name a few)

7. i have modeled nude for a professional painter friend. (shhh...don't tell. nobody reads this thing anyway).

8. i am shy in large crowds and outgoing in small ones.

9. i am deathly afraid of snakes and deep dark waters.

10. i love every season - sunshine, falling leaves, snow, and blooming buds.

11. i enjoy questioning the norm and researching for my own answers in how to live.

12. i love the star wars and jaws movies...the inner geek.

13. i won 1st place in a gymnastics competition when i was 12. and it ended there.

14. i like to do daredevil things and shock people who think i'm so demure.

15. i am completely ignorant about politics.

16. i love sushi.

17. i want to someday live in a small intentional community that shares a sustainable farm...gardening together, eating together, working together, worshiping together, and growing our families together.

18. quality time with friends is far more important to me than gifts or other languages of love.

19. i hate to be late and pride myself in sticking to commitments.

20. i am too honest for my own good. can you tell?

God's Good Gifts

2009-01-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

One of our 'bathroom readers' is a small Max Lucado book titled Grace for the Moment. I was reading the thought for the day, last week,which was titled 'God's Good Gifts'. It was a wonderful little reminder of how God is always there for us to bless us and comfort us...if we would only receive it. How easily I take these things for granted. How far away I continue to let myself drift. How faithful and patient He is with me~

He has sent His angels to care for you, His Holy Spirit to dwell in you, His church to encourage you, and His word to guide you...

Anytime you speak, He listens; make a request and He responds.

He will never let you be tempted too much or stumble too far.

Let a tear appear on your cheek, and He is there to wipe it.

Let a love sonnet appear on your lips, and He is there to hear it.

As much as you want to see Him, He wants to see you more...

I decided to add in a few of my own~

When I feel alone, He is waiting to be my friend...and reveals to me what friends I do have.

When I am angry, He is patient and gentle and doesn't hold it against me.

When I worry, He shows me that there is nothing to worry about.

When I am fearful, He fills my head with songs and shows me how protected I really am.

When I am exhausted, He reminds me of my amazing husband who is so eager to serve.

When our budget is tight, He still allows us to eat wonderful foods and live in a warm home.

When I am frustrated, He quickly shows me how great I really have it.

When I am discouraged as a new mother, He shows me how incredible my

little baby really is.

When I am critical of myself, He brings about small encouragements through kind words.

And when I drift far away He is always right there, waiting to receive me, no matter what.

"Every good action and every perfect gift is from God."

James 1:17

My little Doll

2009-01-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

"We say that a girl with her doll anticipates the mother. It is more true, perhaps, that most

mothers are still but children with playthings."

~Francis Herbert Bradley~

My Granola

2009-01-11T09:13:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm....mmmm...mmm...mm! I am proud to say that I have created some fabulous granola! And, guess what?! I'm actually willing to share the recipe!

Maple Almond Granola with Figs

1/4 cp. Rapadura (or sucanat or brown sugar)

1/2 cp. pure maple syrup

2 TB molasses

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cp. almond butter (or peanut butter)

1 tsp. salt

1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. allspice

4 cps. old fashioned organic oats

1 cp. almonds, coarsely chopped

1/4 cp. flax seeds or flax meal

1/4 cp. sunflower seeds (or sesame seeds)

1/4 cp. shelled pumpkin seeds

1/4+ cp. unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cp. chopped dried figs

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Mix all dry,

oats -coconut, except the figs together in a large bowl.

Stir the sugar through allspice in a small saucepan over low heat until all is dissolved and mixed smoothly together.

Mix the wet in with the dry, until all is fully coated.

Spread mixture on a baking sheet that is prepared with either butter or coconut oil. I usually need two baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Now add in the figs and bake for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!!

You can use any dried fruit and nuts you have on hand. I had figs this week and discovered how much I love them - and they're a fun different treat from raisins or cranberries.

I am going to turn this recipe into granola bars this week, as well. I am just going to pack all the granola tightly into the baking sheets that are lined w/parchment paper...pressing down until it is firmly packed together. I will still bake for about 15 minutes or less, without stirring. Then, I am going to pull it out and gently lift the parchment paper which is holding the granola and place it on a cooling rack to let it fully cool. Then, with a very sharp large knife, I will attempt to cut it into bars. I will post back to let you know if it worked!

Toys! Toys! Toys!

2009-01-08T08:29:00.000-08:00

Well, the hype of Christmas is beginning to fade and new toys are beginning to mix in with the old ones, only to be soon forgotten. Before it was too late, I wanted to share our convictions on toys and perhaps shed some light on the reasonings behind our particular choices.

My husband and I have opted to do our best to steer clear of most plastic, battery-operated toys. We prefer beautiful wooden or plush cloth toys. We have chosen this route for several reasons:

-Imagination & Creativity - Wooden toys do not do all the work for you. A child must employ their creativity and imagination to bring it to life. Where does a child's imagination go when all their toys do it for them? A battery-operated rocking horse that whinnies, rocks, turns it's head, and swishes it's tail? How can the child imagine and create it's own character for that horse when the horse does it all for them? Wooden and plush toys are simpler. They require imagination. And imagination brews a wonderfully creative, witty, brilliant child.

-Safety & Health - The majority of mainstream plastic toys are actually made of PVC which is laden with harmful toxins like phthalates. With a teething infant, where do most toys go? Her mouth. Here is one article from Mothering magazine (one of my faves!) on this very topic. Or, just Google 'phthalates' to learn it's affects on human health. We have even chosen to give Vienne all organic pure rubber pacifiers...these are the coolest pacifiers out there! They are one piece so there are no crevices for bacteria to grow and every part of it is soft and chewable when she is learning to insert into her own mouth.

-Creating a Peaceful Home - This may be more of a selfish reason on our part, but we do not want our main living spaces cluttered w/piles of neon-colored, loud, plastic crap....that most likely rarely gets used. It is sad to me when I walk into a home and their main living space is over-taken by shelves of toys, plastic pink play houses, a matchbox car race track...every corner inhabited by loud obnoxious toys. Talk about over-stimulation! Mark and I do not like clutter...we cannot function around it. How does a child learn? Focus? With sooo many toys, sooo many options, sooo much noise and stuff going on...I just don't understand how they are able to settle down, imagine, create, and learn.

-Environment - Wooden toys last forever! Plastic toys with batteries often break or eventually stop working. Obviously, when a wooden toy is recycled it is safer on the environment. We know plastics and batteries are not. 'nough said.

-Simplicity and minimalism - We are minimalists...or we are, at least, trying to be so. I've already learned with having just an infant so far, that babies and children do not need much to entertain themselves. Vienne already gets bored w/her toys and would much rather prefer the tupperware in the cabinet, a small cardboard box, a scarf, her shoe...you know what I mean. Don't you? Haven't you found that your children are much more entertained by the things that are not toys? So, why fill your house with extra unneeded clutter?

I've also learned that in making these rules for our home, people are more careful and thoughtful in what they buy for Vienne. It's not just any random cheap toy from the Toys-R-Us aisles that will break in a few short months or never get used. If a friend or family has opted to buy her a toy, it is usually just one very nice beautiful wooden piece that was thoughtfully chosen and will last forever, to be cherished as that one special toy that Grandma or Auntie bought for her. You know what I mean? Wooden or nice plush toys are a bit more pricey...which helps to keep the collection small, keeping the clutter and over-stimulation to a minimum. And, that has greatly helped in keeping our goal for simplicity.

As the collection of toys inevitably will grow through the coming years, Mark and I have also established a goal for recycling toys to help keep things at a minimum and to help inspire a heart for giving. So, our current 'goal' is to establish a rule for new toys that come into the house. At Christmas time or birthdays, for every new toy that is received we will aim to choose a few old toys to give away to either a children's home, our church, or a resale shop. We hope to make it a 'fun' event of sharing and blessing others. Hope is the key word. We know that we must be realistic in our goals, but all goals are a challenge and we are determined to try and make this one work. Guess, I'll have to report back as Vienne grows and as I grow my family through the coming years!

Now, I must make one disclaimer before I post this: All of this does not mean that our home is completely free of plastic toys. No. We still will receive gifts and let Vienne play with them for a short while. We are not completely radically unrealistic!

Here are a few more sources that I've randomly selected that offer great info on natural toys:

Mothering Magazine - Wonderful articles for natural mothering

Babies Online - One of many found articles on natural toys

Three Sisters Toys

Willow Tree Toys

In retrospect

2009-01-02T11:18:00.000-08:00

I have not been very good, lately, about keeping up on this blog. I probably have lost the 3 readers that I had collected...but, oh well, I realize that this is more of an outpouring of my thoughts for no one in particular.

Anyway, I thought it would be good for my soul to look back on 2008 and acknowledge my favorite memories. I struggled through the last month of December which tainted my view of the entire past year. This December was pretty much hell, let me tell you....but as for the rest of the prior year, I must embrace that which was good.

~Dude, I had a baby!!! Duh that is, by far, the MOST amazing prize-winning treasure of 2008. She is beautiful and healthy and just fabulous....her strong particular personality and all!

~I have wonderful memories of spending a good majority of last year pregnant. Oddly enough, I LOVED being pregnant...never felt better, healthier, and more beautiful in my life!

~We bought our lovely home....what a true blessing it is to own a home in the quaint little town of Cannon Beach.

~My lovely sister got engaged!!!

~I developed my love and passion for homemaking and started my quest for simplicity and natural living, to the extreme.

~Started building a dream for an independent community with one of my best friends...praying that the Lord might open a door for that in a few years.

~Celebrated my 30th birthday!

~Celebrated my 3rd year of marriage to the MOST amazing man I could find on this earth!

~Made a new friend, here on the coast, who has turned out to be such a true blessing and answer to prayer!

~And, I got a beautiful cherry red KitchenAid mixer to make bread with for Christmas!

Those are just a few highlights that I can remember at the moment. I hope everyone is able to sit back and glance at the good memories of the last year, forgetting the ones that brought you down. Let's look ahead at this coming year with hope and ambition to make it great!

Roller Coaster Ride

2008-12-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

Up. Down. Laughing with glee. Bracing with terror. Twisting 'round and 'round. Waiting for sure ground.

This well describes my past few weeks.

Mark was gone for the last 2 weeks on a trip to Australia with his dad - lucky bum. He's had a rough year, work-wise (who hasn't?), needed the break, and who could pass up a fully paid trip of a lifetime?! I was glad for him to be able to take a respite.

I was not glad for me to be alone for two weeks....with our new daughter....at Christmas time. Thus the beginning of my 'roller coaster ride'. It started off with some intense family issues right before I had planned to run away and stay with them while Mark was gone. After much prayer and shedding of my pride, I decided to go anyway and, praise the Lord, found healing when I thought it wasn't possible.

After a few days, Vienne and I returned to our lonely home back out here at the beach. I appreciate my alone time, though I do not like to be alone at night. Sheepishly, I admit...I am afraid of the dark. It is a fear, I discovered through all this, that grips me tightly. I started to notice strange things happening around my home with my lights. My fears manifesting? My imagination? I dunno. Lights were turning on after I had intentionally turned them off. One light, in particular, really freaked me out. I leave the hallway light on during the nights so that I can see when I go to feed Vienne. At midnight it was on. At 3am it was not. The bulb had not burned out. It was turned off. Freaky. Don't ya think?

The next night, I covered our home with prayers and pleaded God's angels to stand guard at our four corners. I slept well. A rise on the roller coaster ride.

The next morning, the ride took a deep dip down. A loud bang erupted at my front door at 9:30 on Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for church. V was asleep. As I walked to the door, a man stepped in front of my living room window and peered in. Foolishly, I opened the door anyway. He said that he was from Charter cable and tried to make a sales pitch to me. No work order. No badge. No appointment. Telling me I could pay $5 more a month to get more channels. !!!??!!! His eyes were constantly on me. I sensed something strange and managed to turn him away quickly and shut the door. He had told me that my TV would be off for the next half hour as he worked on things. Right. I immediately heard an engine rev up and ran to the window just in time to glimpse a dingy white truck speed out of our neighborhood. I just knew it was a scam. 9:30 on a Sunday morning??!! I started to worry. I called Charter to report it. They didn't have much info to give me since they couldn't contact my local office. I reported it to the police, as well. Of course, now I was worried about staying in my home alone. Was he casing the place? Would he come back? How did he know I was alone? Had he followed me home from my walk earlier that morning? Why my house and no other? Why didn't he force himself in? All questions that could not get answered. A new dear friend of mine insisted that I come and stay with them until Mark returned home. I obliged.

Amidst the flurry of my emotions and fear, the first snow began to fall that day. Vienne and I managed to make it to Betsy and Mike's before the storm really took over. The ride of my roller coaster began to take a turn as I realized the blessing I had in the people around me. In a small town like this, word gets around fast. Soon enough, I was receiving phone calls to check in on me and let me know that all were watching out for this mysterious white truck in town. Friends dropped by my house, while I was gone, to check on the door and window locks. And, I found joy and peace in the realization that I was caught in a snow storm with a friend. I was thankful that the Lord took my fear and a potentially scary situation and wrapped His arms around me and my baby with the love of friends that I have in this town.

My Mark returned home yesterday afternoon. A new wave of emotions has pummeled through my core. Excitement and relief at his return. The comfort of safety and peace in his presence. An odd numbness from the long days of doing it all by myself and trying to keep it together for my daughter. Interest and joy for the stories he had to share. Anger for leaving me alone to endure the mess that transpired in his leave. Disappointment in my attitude and selfishness. Frustration at my inner turmoil. Up. Down. Smiling. Withdrawing. Twisting 'round and 'round. Praying for sure ground.

I am still in the midst of my storm. My tumultuous ride. We leave in just a few short days for Christmas in Boston. I dread the long flight with a baby, the time change on her little system, and her tendency to not sleep in a new place. I just want to stay home and start fresh without any new changes. But, the Lord seems to want to take me on this ride. And, I realize He won't bring me down until I lean on Him no matter what...until I trust in Him and not myself.

While I learn this lesson (for the 179th time in my life!), I take comfort in this verse, always:

"But now, this is what the Lord says -

He who created you, O Jenny,

He who formed you, dear daughter:

'Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name;

you are mine.

When you pass through the waters,

I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers,

they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire,

you will not be burned;

the flames will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;

...Since you are precious and honored in my sight,

and because I love you.' "

~Isaiah 43: 1-4a

Projects and Stuff

2008-12-05T21:05:00.000-08:00

I am proud to say that I have just started to meet some of my recent goals - learning to crochet and collecting glass food containers for my pantry.After a few weeks of frustration, procrastination, and a tangle of yarn, my girlfriend finally intervened and guided my hook and hand in the right direction. Now, I have completed two wonderful winter hats, for myself and for V. My next goal is to make a few hats for Christmas gifts.

I have also ordered the 'Happy Hooker' crochet book and am hoping that it

will inspire and guide me to some new projects!

Last weekend, when I was in Portland I went on a shopping spree at Goodwill

and came out with a few great bargains! I found this beautiful old wooden rocking horse for Vienne for only $7.99!! This is going to be our Christmas gift for her.

What a steal! I found the glass storage containers for about $1.99 each. And, I even

found some cute Christmas decor for $.99 each. I love bargains!

My husband, Mark, just left yesterday for an 11 day trip to Australia with his dad. This will be my first time really alone with Vienne. Last night was the first and it was very difficult. I am still peeling my lids back from my eyes to work on the computer. Poor girl is teething and I think that's what may have caused her to wake so often. I am praying for a better night.

Before my beloved left, he bought me a Christmas tree so that I may be cheered by Christmas festivities in my little home, while he is away. The lights, the fire, the stockings, and Christmas music are really helping. My Love is so sweet and hid gifts around the house

that I am to open each day he is gone. My first gift was a Harry Connick Jr. Christmas CD. If you don't know my husband - he is an uber creative romantic.

Meeting goals. Working on Christmas projects. Singing carols. Baking cookies. And, remembering to rely on Jesus in my lonely moments. This is where I'm at.

Simply Thankful

2008-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

Thankful for my Lord. For my incredible husband. For my most beautiful daughter. For a warm, lovely home. For nourishing food to eat. For so many things.

And for this crazy family of mine...

My mother's lovely table, ready for the feast

Love.

Vienne's pretty Thanksgiving outfit

hhhmmm...my husband

Jeremy. He's special.

If I wasn't in the kitchen, this is where I was.

My sister and her handsome fiance.

Bob.

Grandpa's glasses don't taste so good.

Have you noticed a theme with this guy?

Vienne and Grandpa.

The beautiful couple.

Oh, there's a pretty smile!

Mom and Jak.

Vienne and Aunt Katy.

Me and my Mama.

My family. Yup.

Our sweet trio.

Happy 'Ducken' Day

2008-11-25T12:37:00.000-08:00

Herb roasted duck. Cinnamon and spice roasted chicken. Mashed fingerling potatoes with creme fraische and chives. Roasted beet salad. "Ducken" gravy (duck and chicken - for those who have not caught onto our lame sense of humor). Pomegranate Cranberry sauce. Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu. Wine, home brewed beer, home brewed kombucha. Happiness. Love. Fun. Frustrating cooking moments. Laughing. Snorting. Geeky boys and their pipes. 'Nourishing' obsessed girls in the kitchen. A True "Piscibert-Holbelli" (another reference to our geeky humor) Family Event.

We celebrated a Pre-Thanksgiving Feast with our good friends, the Holberts, this past weekend. They are family to us. Lacey and I share the same passions in the kitchen (and for the home) and so we attempted to create a gourmet feast, 'Nourishing-Style' - but mainly focused on fresh, organic, local and seasonal foods.

Here's some of the stuff we did:

I tried to prepare some fermented gingered carrots, as instructed in Nourishing Traditions...unfortunately, we found that the carrots were just not ready for our

meal on Saturday night so we will enjoy (hopefully) them another time. Supposedly, this recipe is one of the best for introducing fermented foods into your diet. Check out this site to learn more about implementing fermented foods into your diet. I'm assuming these turn out like a carrot sauerkraut. It was super easy to make....here's the recipe:

4 cps. grated carrots, tightly packed

1 TB fresh grated ginger root

1 TB sea salt

4 TB whey (if not available, use an additional 1 TB salt)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pound with a wooden pounder or meat hammer to release the juices. Place in a quart-sized jar and press down firmly until juices cover the carrots. The top of the carrots should be at least 1" below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and leave at room temp. about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.

For the chicken, I used this recipe.

The roasted beet salad was my favorite dish. Here's what we did:

About 6 small red beets

2 crushed garlic cloves

Dash of olive oil, S&P

Bunch of rainbow chard - enough to fill your salad bowl

About a cup+ of candied walnuts or pecans

About a cup of goat cheese

Dressing:

3 TB olive oil

1 TB honey

S&P

Mix dressing ingredients together. Scrub and peel the beets.

Slice them thin. Toss them in the olive oil, garlic, and S&P. Lay them out on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, checking to see that they are getting soft. When you can pierce a fork through, remove them and let cool for a few minutes. Toss the rest of the ingredients together in salad bowl, along with the dressing and top off w/the beets.

I found the Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce in 'Food & Wine' magazine.

1 1/2 lbs. fresh or frozen cranberries

2 cups sugar (I used Rapadura)

1 cup pomegranate juice

2 cups fresh pomegranate seeds

In a medium saucepan, combine the cranberries, sugar, and juice. Bring to a simmer and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst (10 min). Scrape the sauce into a bowl and let cool. Fold in pomegranate seeds and serve.

And, finally, for dessert! Pumpkin Gingersnap Tiramisu. For the gingersnaps, I made my secret family recipe...so I cannot share that part! ;) We replaced the sugar with Rapadura and topped it with eggnog whipped cream. This was a creative alternative to pumpkin pie.

We had a grand time and enjoyed every morsel. Now for the real Thanksgiving....just a few short days away!

Through the Window

2008-11-18T14:32:00.000-08:00

I was forwarded this cute story~

A young couple moved into a new neighborhood.

The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her

neighbor hanging the wash outside.

"That laundry is not very clean," she said.

"She doesn't know how to wash correctly.

Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash out to dry,

the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a

nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband:

" Look, she has learned to wash correctly.

I wonder who taught her this?"

Husband: "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows."

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

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others

depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Aha! What a great lesson.

Kick That Cold To The Curb

2008-11-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

So, I woke up yesterday 'wid a code' .... deep racking sneezes and constant dripping sniffles. Miserable. I hate taking over-the-counter medicines that just temporarily cover up the misery and fill your body with junk. I wanted to kick this thing naturally and quick... avoiding, at all cost, spreading it to my family. So, I pulled out some home remedies that were given to me from my naturopath and researched a few other things to try. I woke this morning, breathing clearly through my nose again, ready to go! Weeeeee!

Thought I'd share what I did:

-Garlic Soup. I got this recipe here, from one of my favorite blogs. I'll post it here:

8 cps. chicken broth

25 cloves of garlic (peeled)

1 TB ginger

1 TB paprika

pinch of red pepper or cayenne

1/2 cp. lemon juice

Place all in a pot and cook until the garlic is soft and then eat it all.

**(I only drank half of this and saved the other half for the next day...8 cps was a bit too much for me! Wooheee, stand back: Dragon breath!)

-Ginger Bath: I filled the tub w/hot water and dumped in a few tablespoons of ginger powder...the more the better. (not sure how much I used, but it was a lot cuz I have a huge soaking tub)

**These are the only two things that I did last night that made a huge difference, but I will also post a few other home remedies that have also helped in the past when the cold/flu is truly nasty.

-Hot and Cold Hydrotherapy: After the hot ginger bath...or just a hot bath, immediately wrap your torso with a towel, that is wet with cold water (rung out). Yes....bbbrrrrrrr!! Then bundle bundle bundle with a big warm blanket. Stay wrapped and bundled for at least 30 minutes. The wet towel should be warm by the time you are done...if it isn't, keep it on until you have warmed the wet towel w/your body. The purpose is to get your body to respond to it, warming itself up. This can be done for your children and babies, as well. I tried this on Vienne at 3 months old and she responded much better than I expected. She actually fell right to sleep once she was bundled. She woke much better in the morning.

-Wet Socks: This ones weird too, but does make a huge difference. First, warm your feet in some warm water (I sit on the bathroom counter, with my feet in the sink). Then cover your feet with cotton socks, that are wet and rung out with cold water. Cover the wet cotton socks with dry wool socks and go to bed. When you wake in the morning the socks should both be dry...which is a good sign, what you want! Once you wrap the wet ones with the dry socks and go to sleep, you don't notice the wet socks at all. It sounds worse than it is. This could be done right at the onset of the cold/flu and it should help to boost your immune system and prevent the cold from getting worse. You can also do this one on your children and it really helps.

-Tiger Balm: I keep Tiger Balm in the medicine cabinet for different purposes. Spread this on your chest before bed...for deep chest colds and difficulty breathing. If you are doing this for your child or baby, smear the balm on an old t-shirt or onesie because the Tiger Balm is pretty strong but is totally safe to be used for them, also.

Here are a few other sources for home remedies: (and, please note that I am just sharing information that I have stumbled across, that has been shared with me, or that I've had success with. I am, in no way, a health professional. Please do research for yourself when you are trying at-home remedies!)

www.bulkherbstore.com - They have a page just for sharing home remedies.

www.holisticonline.com - Great information on alternative medicine. You can find info on hydrotherapy here.

www.westonaprice.org - Read more about broths and how good they are for your health.

Learn more and get well soon! Throw out that Nyquil and try some healthy at-home cheap remedies that may just kick that cold to the curb way quicker than you ever thought!

Catching Up

2008-11-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't written in awhile. Not sure why. Lack of creativity, I suppose.
What have I really done this past week?

Spent a night in Portland while my husband learned how to scuba dive. Tried to teach myself how to crochet...with much frustration. Celebrated a new birth. Celebrated two new pregnancies. Bottled some pomegranate kombucha. Baked up a strange batch of banana chocolate chip cookies. Watched an adorable movie (Son of Rambow...you should see it...so cute). Started reading a book on vaccinations...a MUST read for all new parents!! Tried to feed my baby some stewed apples...to no avail, still. Went to my ladies' Bible Study and developed some kindred spirits. Took a long luxurious bubble bath. Planned my sister's wedding invitations. Enjoyed the Stormy Weather Arts Festival with my little family. Took a morning walk with a friend. Dried some autumn leaves for decoration. Baked some crackers. Made some cozy chicken and brown rice soup. Took a LONG walk in the pouring rain. Laughed at my husband. Giggled with my daughter. Lit candles. Switched on the fire. Turned up Ella Fitzgerald. Cozied on the couch. And marveled at our dark stormy weather.

It's been a good simple week.

Incredible Video

2008-11-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this? Or heard of it? I hadn't until this morning. You MUST watch this video! Especially if you are a parent. This made me cry with fear and wonder. Wow.

Go to www.infantswim.com to find more information on this. I wanna sign Vienne up!

precious to me

2008-11-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Oh, I can't get over how much I love these two. I just had to share how cute they are.

Inspired

2008-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

I've been inspired this week. And not just by one thing. What a rare treasure it is to find inspiration...and to find it in more places than one, I am feeling uber blessed.

Inspiration # 1: Finding Joy in Trials -
As noted in my previous post...the other day was a rough one. BUT in the end I found that, for the first time in a long time, the Lord led me to handle it with grace. In my new Bible Study I am doing with other moms, we just started studying James. The first few verses of the book talk about finding joy through trials. I have always struggled over that idea. 'But, Lord, how do I find joy from a colicky baby??...or an angry friend...or ??' It's hard. And all I can say is that I can finally see how the Lord has answered some prayer (things have been dry lately). To ask for trials in order to be sharpened and refined is a difficult request, to say the least. But, I can confidently attest to the rewards. I cannot promise that I will always respond to trials with grace...but oh what a beautiful testimony it is to see the potential I have in Christ. I am inspired.

Inspiration #2: Finding Joy in the Kitchen -
I finally feel like I am coming into my own. This week was my first week of fully diving into the art of true homemaking...at least in the kitchen. As encouraged by my dear friend, Lacey, I have determined to start making everything that we eat from scratch. Reading blogs of other homemakers has strongly contributed to my ambition for this. I have made it a goal to stop buying all/most packaged/processed foods and make them myself. I figure that if I am allowed to stay home with our baby, then I should be doing all that I can to provide the best 'home' for my loved ones. I am not contributing financially anymore and this is one small way that I can lovingly help my husband by saving grocery costs (no more $4 bottles of kombucha, Jenny!). And, on top of all this, I am providing the absolute best health for my family by cooking everything...knowing every ingredient that goes into it all and making it with love and care. So, for now, I have started to make crackers, tortilla chips, granola, cookies, muffins, kombucha...and bread is next (I will soon be posting recipes). And...it's been a blast for me!! I am loving it! I have stopped watching TV during the days or just piddly-dinkin' around on the internet. I am playing my favorite fall tunes from Nat King Cole or Billy Holiday and dancing around my kitchen creating wonderful snacks for my husband and myself! What better way is there to spend a blustery fall day?! I have been inspired.

Inspiration #3: Finding Joy as a Homemaker -
I was recently discussing the art of 'homemaking' with aforementioned dear friend of mine and we were talking about the well-sought after Proverbs 31 woman. Oh, how all of us ladies long to be a wife and mother like that. 'Amen?' I used to read about her and shrug my shoulders and say "well that was then and this is now....and good luck with that!". But, hey, why not find modern ways to incorporate her way of homemaking into our present-day lives? I feel called to this and want to strive to make it a personal mission. God put her in the Bible to serve as an example for us. He knows what I am capable of...what you are capable of...when I put my heart and mind to it. She is my new inspiration.

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

Wow. Let's be inspired.

Officially a Bad Day

2008-10-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

It's 1:39 pm and it's officially a bad day already.

First off, I fed some 3 minute cooked egg yolk to Vienne this morning....as advised in 'Nourishing Traditions' and from other sources. I was very hopeful with this venture. But, it quickly turned sour as V broke out with an allergic rash all over her face...wherever the yolk touched!! Freaked me out! I made Mark come home from work...we just sat and stared at her, watching her breathe making sure nothing else reacted. I just wish that NT would advise that eggs are among the top 8 allergens for babies!! Of course, I didn't know this until afterwards when I was frantically searching the net for what to do and info on it. Thank the Lord Jesus is was only superficial. The rash soon faded and she was acting completely normal within an hour. But nonetheless....

So, this is just a 'heads up' for all you moms who haven't gotten to solids with your baby yet. I would WAIT to try egg yolk!

Well, thennn...I was in the midst of preparing some raspberry muffins to bake...yum. I had soaked the flour overnight, last night, and whipped up the rest of the ingredients

and slipped them into the oven...so excited to try them for the first time. While they were baking, Vienne reminded me that it was her nap time and time to eat. Of course the timer went off while I was preparing her, so I brought her with me to the kitchen to remove the muffins before soothing her to sleep. Let's just say - crying baby in one arm, oven mitt on the other, trying to remove a full muffin tin from a hot oven is NOT a good combination. The entire baking tin fell out of my hands, flopped upside down, and exploded raspberry muffins all over the oven door, the cabinets, and the floor. Of course, I had to put my immediate angers aside so that I could calmly soothe my baby to sleep before picking up that horrific mess. Grrrrrr....

Lastly, I found out some scary news about an acquaintance of ours. She had her 2nd baby this past Sunday. This morning she was taken back into the hospital for an emergency procedure because spinal fluid was leaking into her system! As it turns out, this is from her epidural injection. Very scary there for a moment, but I hear she is doing fine now.

But, this just confirms, to me, why it is best to not be drugged during labor. I had always read about other side effects of epidurals, like:

-babies come out a bit groggy and especially fussy because they, too, have been drugged. The epidural hits your baby's system as well as yours.

-Some are linking epidurals to autism.

And now I hear this news...that it can possibly cause spinal leakage! Hello?!! I strongly urge all mothers-to-be to FULLY research EVERYthing that is related to having a baby. Not just listening to what your doctor says (I, personally, do not trust doctors). But it is important to ask questions and look at both sides! How did using an epidural come about? What are the side affects? Why would you compromise you and your baby with any of those side affects? What is pitocin? What does it actually do to your body?

Read up! You will be grateful that you did!

Well, anyway, let me end this post on a good note. Even though this is somewhat of a rough day, I do know that this, too, is a day that the Lord has made.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers {and sisters}, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete

not lacking anything."

~James 1:2

For the Love of Cloth Diapers!

2008-10-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hey! Did you know that:

Over 27 billion disposable diapers are sold and then put into landfills in the US?

or that

Disposable diapers contain traces of dioxin, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals?! In small quantities, dioxin causes birth defects, immune system suppression, skin and liver diseases, and genetic damage in lab animals. It is banned in most countries...but not the US.

Americans spend about 7 billion dollars on disposable diapers every year. If every one of those families switched to simple home-laundered cloth diapers, they would save more than $6 billion, enough to feed about 2.5 million American children for an entire year.

or that

In 1955, before modern disposable diapers were sold and consumed, it was estimated that 7% of babies and toddlers had diaper rash. In 1991, long after plastic disposable diapers dominated the market, the number jumped to 78%.

Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

or that

Disposable diapers also contain Sodium Polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet. This chemical can cause kin irritations and severe allergic reactions including vomiting, staph infections, and fever.

Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste than cloth.

or that

Disposable diapers use 20 times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.

Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste. In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

or that

If you purchase disposable diapers, you can easily spend over $65 a month. You will have spent more than $1,600 by the time you baby turns two (this doesn't include the cost of disposable wipes).

But

If you use simple pre-fold cloth diapers and covers, you will only need a few dozen diapers (in various sizes), which you can use over and over throughout your baby's diapering years. The cost of cloth diapering can vary considerably from as low as $300 for a basic set-up to $1000 or more for organic cotton fitted diapers.

-Info collected from a pamphlet for

www.DiaperShops.com

Gives you a nice guilt trip, huh? Wellll....that, of course, is NOT my intention at all! But, I just purchased a few more Fuzzi Bunz cloth dipes for my daughter and received this pamphlet with them, in the mail. I had to share the info....it was so astounding to me. I mean, of course I knew a lot of this beforehand, which lead us to make the decision for cloth...but the stats are still shocking!

And, let me tell you - we are so very happy with our decision for cloth! Yes, when I first thought about using them I was initially grossed out - thinking what you probably think: "eewwww, I don't want cloth diapers soaking in my toilet and then have to wash them...nor do I want all that work!" Those were the old days...back when we were diapered. But, now they have everything for our modern day needs...we are so spoiled! Vienne has a collection of the cutest cloth diapers in all colors. They are soft against her skin and oh so easy to use! With velcro or snap tabs, they are all one piece. You put them on like a disposable diaper and then just toss them into the diaper pail after use. I have about 23, now, and I think we do laundry every 2-3 days. We are not running to the store every week to replenish her diaper stash....not only saving diaper money, but also saving gas! We also use cloth wipes which are so handy. I keep them w/water in a wipes warmer...nice, soft, and warm against her tush. Everything is tossed together into the pail and ready to be washed. I just dump it all into the washing machine (don't have to touch anything!), soak it in cold water for 30 minutes or so and then wash in hot water. Dry as usual or out in the sun to get out any lingering stains.

For our diapers, we chose to use bumgenius (primarily) and fuzzi bunz. The bumgenius dipes are one-size-fits-all...which means that they snap down to fit her while she is tiny and unsnap to stretch out for a potty training babe! So this means that I have saved from having to buy many different sizes....meaning more money saved. And, if we take good care of them (which we are), then I intend to use them for the next babe (or, you can resell them if they are in good shape)....saving even more! I mean, it all just makes sooo much sense.

Anyway, if you have questions please feel free to ask....or just hit the links that I have included in this post and learn more!

Dedicated Unto the Lord

2008-10-27T12:07:00.004-07:00

Vienne Juliet ~ 'alive and full of life'

(with our pastor at church)

"I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with

inner strength through His Spirit. Then Christ will make His home in your

heart as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love

and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand,

as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep

His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great

to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all

the fullness of life and power that comes from God!"

~Ephesians 3:16-19

Yesterday was Vienne's dedication at church. This is the scripture passage that we chose for her when she was born - a prayer over her life and a reference to the meaning of her name. 'Full of life' - that my daughter surely is!

It is our prayer that we raise her to wholly love the Lord and to choose Him above all else. And, in this prayer and hope, I am reminded to ask myself if I do the same thing that I wish for my daughter? I do wholly love the Lord. But, do I choose Him above all else? How dedicated have I been unto Him? Do I fully understand 'how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love truly is'?? A good question to ask every now and then.

...blown and tossed by the wind

2008-10-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

Last night, I took Vienne on our usual evening walk, at sunset. It is always a quiet walk. A time to reflect and decompress. The air was crisp and still and so we ventured down onto the sand and walked the line of the rhythmic waves. The last glimpse of the sun revealed a stunning pink-orange hue that shed a calming blanket of light over the ocean. The waves were reserved last night, shushing and lulling back and forth. The water had that beautiful silver almost lavender sheen dancing across it. Lovely. I thought to myself "wow. I live here." I had almost forgotten. I realized that I have let myself get tossed around...not only in the bustle of life, but in my faith as well.

As most can attest, being a new mom is all-consuming, to say the least. Recently, I have started to feel such pride for finally finding the ability to calm down and discover myself again...my interests, my passions. But, last night, I realized that I have neglected to uncover the depth of my spirit and renew my passion for Christ. Motherhood hit me hard in the first 3-4 months. I will not lie - I almost didn't like the new role. It hit me by surprise like a sneaker wave. There were literal times where I would yell and curse and cry. Shameful. And, not once, no not once did I call upon the Lord. You know why? Because I was so down deep in my own self pity, letting myself get tossed around, that I didn't even believe that He wanted to help me out. It was one of the first times in my life that I found myself doubting. What a low point. I realized that I had taken credit for all 'my' success during the pregnancy and labor that I subconsciously thought I could handle the rest on my own. Oh, foolish child.

I have just acknowledged all of this in the past month. It is a humble reality.

I am starting a study on James today. How applicable it is going to be. The moment that I admitted my ugly pride and doubt, the Lord has finally been welcome to come in and get to work. We shall see what this journey will reveal.

"But when (s)he asks, (s)he must believe and not doubt, because (s)he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

First Foods

2008-10-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

This week we embarked on the adventure of solid foods for Vienne! After much research we decided to start with avocados. Avocados are considered nature's 'perfect food' - a food in which we could lively solely off of. The high healthy fat content is perfect for babies...especially for our little one who is a bit small.

But, why not start her off with cereal? Well after much reading, especially in Sally Fallon's 'Nourishing Traditions', I learned that cereal is actually the worst food to start baby off with. What?!! I know, I was confounded, as well. As it turns out, grains are actually the hardest food for humans to digest! (for more info on this read here) Hhhmmm...makes some sense when you think about all the gluten-sensitive people you know out there, huh? Well, I guess that grains naturally have an acid on them called 'phytates'. Phytates are what make them so difficult on our digestive system. We, adults, have an enzyme, 'amylase', that helps us to digest these phytates...but it's still difficult even on our adult systems. I guess that babies do not have enough of this amylase to break down the phytates...making the acid wreak havoc on their poor little bodies. Feeding grains to babies too early may lead to grain allergies. I know that most babies seem fine when they do eat cereals...but it's all about prevention. Symptoms develop over time. Don't we want to lay down good foundations for our little ones? I learned that it is best to wait until your baby reaches 12+ months of age to feed them grains.
So, what should I feed her in the meantime? After much searching and reading, Nourishing Traditions and La Leche League both recommend animal proteins as healthy foods to start baby on because of the high protein and iron content. Softly cooked egg yolks have been strongly recommended. For me, personally though, I felt weird feeding her pureed chicken as her first introduction to foods. First off, it just sounds GROSS and secondly I have often felt that meat was a bit hard to digest as well...at least for myself. So, I opted for fruits. Avocado first and then banana. I can't wait to introduce her to more yummy goodness and watch that beautiful little mouth work and squish it all around!
And, now I'm done with my nerdy science talk....off to good eatin' and more exciting things!

All Hallow's Eve

2008-10-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Now that I have a child I keep getting asked "what is Vienne dressing up as for

Halloween?" Well, here is yet another 'radical' thing about me: I do not celebrate Halloween. Explaining this to other moms has proven to be a bit 'difficult'. I often sense that others feel, shall I say, put off...while that is not what I intend. They often respond in frustration and maybe say to me: "it is just fun and it never hurt anyone". I know. I know. I don't judge you. And, this post is not written for that. This post is to just explain where I'm coming from. I don't expect others to agree. I feel that everyone needs to make their own decisions based on their own personal convictions....though, I do believe that it is highly important to be fully informed before ignorantly making decisions.

So, why don't I celebrate this very popular 'holiday' that is a favorite in many households? Well, first off, here is just one of the many informative links out there that explains the history of Halloween. But if you want a short version for my own personal convictions, here it is:

I remember being shown a Chuck Smith video a LONG time ago that researched the history of Halloween. Their research was so thorough and informative that I immediately felt convicted if I ignored it. Knowledge can do soooo many things. So, I learned, (as most of you have probably heard on a simplified level) that Halloween is basically considered Satan's holiday. Witches and satanists and other practitioners of evil LOVE this day and spend the year counting down to this one day. It is the day that they believe that the evil spirits fully come out...the day that they can come fully in contact w/these spirits. They perform rituals and sacrifices....YES, these things STILL go on around us. In present day.

There is also interesting history behind the all innocent 'trick or treating', carving 'jack o' lanterns', and wearing costumes. Things that we typically find harmless. Trick or treating originates from the belief that on this night spirits of the dead would rise out of their graves and come back to haunt their old homes. In fear of this, the people would set out 'treats' to appease the spirits. If a 'treat' was not set out, then a 'trick' or curse was believed to be put on them. They also believed that this night opened the doors of hell for any and all evil spirits to emerge on this night and to wreck havoc. The superstitious people would then masquerade as 'devils' or 'ghouls' or 'witches' to try and blend in with these lurking demons. If they went unnoticed, then they believed that they would not get hurt by these spirits. Silly and superstitious, I know...but nonetheless, that's how people were way back then.

The tradition of carving pumpkins or gourds was also an effort to thwart the demonic spirits. They, oddly, believed that if they carved out an ugly demonic face on a vegetable and placed it in front of their home, that they might scare off these demons. Weird...but...

Thus, this explains the tradition of 'dressing up in costumes...primarily witches and goblins' and the tradition of trick or treating and carving faces in pumpkins.

Now, don't get me wrong...I must clarify that I LOVE the fall. Love love love it. I LOVE harvest. And, quite honestly, I love pumpkin patches and dressing up in costumes...who doesn't? But, on this day especially, I am convicted to not take part. I still go to pumpkin patches....I don't think I've missed going for one single year of my life. Pumpkins mean harvest to me. I decorate my home w/lovely little punkins and dried leaves to celebrate the beauty of this season. If I ever carve a pumpkin, though, I do not carve faces anymore. I might carve a scene or a leaf or something natural...or a scripture verse. If I attend a costume party, I make sure that it is a 'clean' one and that it is primarily not on Halloween night. I have a child now. I know this will be difficult when she is older. And, I do not believe in totally sheltering your children. We will let her attend Harvest parties and discuss fun alternatives with the intention of bringing honor to Christ. I just don't like the idea of participating in trick or treating. Now that I've known the history behind it all, I just cannot compromise. I feel like if I give in, I am believing what Satan wants me to believe about this day - 'that it is just pure clean innocent fun'. I believe, though, that he has pulled a black veil over our eyes and dances in glee at our ignorance while his followers are out there worshipping him in horrific ways on this particular day. For me, it has become a solemn day. Sometimes, I think about kids' lives and/or animals that might be sacrificed while everyone is out having their fun. I often tell myself that I should be especially praying on this day....and I need to stay more committed to that.

The Journey Begins

2008-10-20T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, actually, I've already been on the journey....but, now I am ready to start documenting it. I am excited to start this blog. I have no idea what I'm getting myself into but the unknown is so thrilling. I have soooooooo many ideas stockpiled in this brain of mine, just waiting to get out....and I've been way too lazy to put any of it on paper. If you choose to join me as I journey along, bear with me as I plow through with all the initial topics in my head. I hope for this to be a journal of my walk as a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a steward of this planet, and a child of God.

*I must make one disclaimer, in the beginning though, and make it clear that I am, in no way, a professional of anything. If I write about a new and interesting topic that I am passionate about, I will be careful to provide links and cite my sources.

I am excited to get started and I look forward to meeting new people along the way.