Posted on July 17, 2008 by Shanda

What a crew! I’ll tell ya, I received many God BLESS you’s (from old ladies) today when I was out and about with these children o’ mine today. My xanga pal, Alyssa, has inspired me (without knowing it) to put the boys in matching shirts. . .she says it’s easier to keep track of them when they are dressed alike. However, as true as that may be, I also found that it makes the children and me much too noticeable! Those who know me personally know I do not like standing out in any way! But I must admit, it WAS encouraging to hear “What a beautiful family!” and, “They are not only beautiful but WELL-BEHAVED, too!” Oh my! God bless little old ladies and their heart-felt encouragement! And God knows, I needed it all.

I came home tired to the bone, but it was good for us to get out for a while (and away from cleaning!) Jacob and Ethan had their teeth checked by an orthodontist. . . .who said they still have a good year or two before they need to start braces. Then, we went to the Post Office so I could finally MAIL JOANNA’s BIRTHDAY BOX (Joanna, are you back from vacation yet or what’s the story???) and return Jacob’s bow (he’s the family violinist), which needed a re-hair.

I had the greatest time at Kohl’s. Why? Because I replenished kitchen stuff! I bought more kitchen towels, dishclothes, and little gadgets (a strainer, some scrapers, tongs, etc). I also bought myself a very yummy smelling candle~”clementine”~I do enjoy citrus scented things. Now, my old kitchen towels can be used as rags, most of them already look the part.

After Kohl’s we went to Cosco, where I picked up a photo order. We also ate lunch together and bought the basics like laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, milk, etc. David, of course, ran away whenever he saw free samples and then the lady in charge of them would sit and say, “Where’s your mother?” until I could get the cart over to approve of his snack. Caleb got to buy a Thomas DVD with his birthday money. The DVD case has buttons on it that you can push, to hear the sounds of the different trains. Yes. Seems like everything makes noise these days. That’s what I’ve been listening to ever since. Peep Peeeeeeeeeeeeep!

When we got home, we were all thrilled that our book order FINALLY arrived, after 2 weeks of waiting. I’m attaching the link to the one I ordered for myself. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing for me to read with the emotions of pregnancy coursing through my veins. I cried through a good portion of the book! (yeah, I already read most of it, while the children were “resting”.)

Jacob and Ethan just got home from walking down the road (in bare feet and still in the matching clothes) to the neighbor’s vegetable stand. They were to get cucumbers and also to give them a jar of strawberry rhubarb jam. They came home with the cucumbers AND 3 big zucchini, they told me the neighbors were very thankful for the jam and gave the zucchini to me for free! These 3 join the 2 I already have in the fridge. Guess I’ll be making LOTS more muffins?

THANKFUL~ for the convenience of shopping in a town that has all the stores I need so close together!

Okay, time to go light my candle and work in the kitchen. . . . . .

Have a WONDERFUL afternoon/evening everyone! God bless you all and I hope your dinners turn out great tonight! I think I will set the table extra pretty, just for fun . . . I’m sure my husband and children will notice, even if they don’t say anything about it.

peace and joy as a homemaker

Posted on July 16, 2008 by Shanda

Photobucket ”

So much to do! So much to do!

I’ve been having so much fun thinking about my family and my home. I cannot tell you how content I feel as I concentrate on what I believe is God’s highest calling for me~ to “look well to the ways of my household.” In my mind, I feel like all the pieces are finally falling into place, leaving me with so much peace and joy as a wife, mother, and homemaker.

Sure, I get tired and I lost my temper several times yesterday. . .but, what I mean is, IN GENERAL, when all is said and done. . .I have no feelings of discontent here in my home. However, God has been showing me some areas that I do need to improve on.

First of all, this house is getting cleaned and organized. I’m sure there are systems in place for women who want to organize every room of the house but I don’t need any system~the children and I are JUST DOING IT. With seven people living in this house I cannot tell you how much STUFF gets brought in the doors. It’s enough to frustrate anyone! I have no mercy right now on extra stuff~it is going right back OUT the door (to be donated or thrown away). My advice to every young mom out there: DO NOT TAKE FREE STUFF UNLESS YOU REALLY TRULY NEED IT. NEED. NOT WANT. That goes for toys, books, clothes, furniture, and any other stuff. You will just end up cluttering up your home.

Yesterday’s major accomplishment? Cleaning Grace’s room. She did the majority of the work herself and then I went up there to vacuum. Today we will go through her clothes, toys, and books. What a sense of accomplishment it was, to get that room clean! We even vacuumed under the bed. Every tiny bit was picked up (and she had LOTS of tiny bits).

Today Jacob and Ethan will work on their own room. Things will get done little by little. Each small job, done well, is rewarding. “Rome wasn’t built in a day”.

They are all still doing very nicely with their chores. Ethan is keeping the livingroom clean and vacuumed, while Grace and Jacob are keeping the kitchen clean. Having the main rooms of the house clean is a burden lifted off of me.

I owe “naturalmomma1” a big thank you for giving me the link to “forsmallhands”. I had so much fun on that website yesterday and I ordered a bunch of things for the little ones to use so that they can clean the house, too. They will be put to work! I also bought a game that we can play together, a small kite ( it’s “easy to fly”! we’ll see!) music makers, and some kitchen things just the right size for small hands.

Cooking has always been a huge pleasure for me, so there isn’t much to change in that area, except to continue to cook good, filling, and healthy meals for the family. I also intend to keep the children IN the kitchen, to help with the work as much as they can. More than any toy in the world, they want to be with me “doing things”, and helping me cook is so rewarding for them. When we are together, we are developing that sense of community, family, and unity that makes every mama’s heart sing.

Yesterday I made zucchini bread. I doubled the recipe and used half the batter to make muffins, and the other half to make a regular loaf. You can bake any quick bread into muffins, just remember to take them out of the oven after about 20 minutes. The loaf will take longer to bake. I also spent time cutting up fresh veggies, because my children need to eat more of those things~ carrots, celery, fresh peas from the garden, etc. . . . . .yum.

Nature is another way in which the children and I enjoy spending time together, but I do want to spend more time teaching them. There are so many lessons to learn, just by studying God’s beautiful world. The children know, too, that if they discover something outside, that “mama will want to see it.” Yesterday, Ethan brought me this to look at:

It’s a teeny weeny bee’s nest of some sort. When you look in the hole, it’s like another world.

We thought it was neat, and cute because of how small it is.

And of course, David is constantly bringing me frogs to look at. I don’t have quite the appreciation for them. Did I tell you that last week he put one down in the kitchen and it promptly hopped into a crack (by the dishwasher) and he couldn’t reach it? At one point I saw it emerging. . .only to be scared back in. Grace finally found it a few hours later, sitting by the piano. We called to David, and he ran it back down home, to the pond.

Yes, making jam with a frog in the kitchen is something that keeps my sense of humor alive and well.

I’m happiest when I am serving my family.&nb
sp; I have five beautiful children to teach and train and have fun with. I have a hard-working husband to help, cook for and love. I just want to encourage all of you married ones, if you need some inspiration, to pick up some good books that will give you the extra push to “look well to the ways of your household.” If you aren’t a reader, that’s okay too, just think about these things, read the Bible, pray. . . .I promise you, taking care of your home and family will fill your heart with joy! Because it’s GOD’s WILL FOR YOU. His way is truly the most wonderful, and best, way to live.

Just a few suggestions:

Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl

The Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer

MaryJane’s Ideabook*Cookbook*Lifebook, by MaryJane Butters

Home Comforts, The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelson

“I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” 1 Timothy 5:14

brownie recipe (among other things)

Posted on July 14, 2008 by Shanda

With the past, I have nothing to do; nor with the future. I live now. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Good morning!

Rich just left for work about 10 minutes ago. I helped him carry his stuff out to the truck and then ran inside to get him a towel because he left his sunroof (is that what you call it?) open and it rained a little this morning. It’s a good thing he has leather seats in his truck! He’s working in his new office and he took an enlarged family picture (from the ice cream post) with him today, and he’s so proud of it. He picked out the frame and put the picture in himself this weekend. It made me feel good to see that.

We had such a nice weekend! We went out on Saturday as a family, and to church on Sunday. A bunch of little, but satisfying things were done around the house (like cleaning up and mowing the yard, and another batch of jam!). . . . .

We had a campfire on Saturday night and then another one last night. I took some pictures last night of the kids cooking/burning things~they cooked hotdogs, then marshmallows, and then when everything else was gone, they made “twig toast”. The little boys were so very sticky and dirty afterwards, and I had the pleasure of scrubbing them clean in a big bath when we came back inside **with bubbles**.

Today’s question for you dear ladies is WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT BEING A WIFE AND/or MAMA? WHAT LITTLE THINGS? WHAT BIG THINGS?

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

The incineration of marshmallows.

Jacob burned one so black that when he ate it, there was nothing inside!

My quiet little lady. . . . .see the pond behind her? That’s the swimming pond.

It was hard to get Caleb to stand still for this picture.

Ethan took this one; (for those who haven’t been to our place, see those shrubs behind us? The second pond is just beyond them, it’s the pond that the children catch things out of, but they never swim in it because of snakes).

My least favorite part of a campfire. . . .when the wind blows my way~

Jacob and Ethan did the running back and forth to the house to get things, how nice to have older children!! Ethan made the brownies all by himself. I’ll tell ya, I’m so proud of him. He was determined to bake something yesterday afternoon and he looked through the cookbooks until he found a recipe. I doubled it for him and he went to the kitchen and mixed them up. I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANYTHING, I wasn’t even in the kitchen. The only thing I did was take them out of the oven and they were PERFECT.

Ethan’s Cocoa Brownies (from Betty Crocker’s Cooky Book)

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cup flour
1 cup cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Heat oven to 350. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla until well blended. Blend dry ingredients; mix in. Spread in a well-greased pan, 9 by 13. Bake about 30 minutes (we always take them out slightly underdone). Cool.

“These brownies are dangerous” is what Rich said about them.

The other thing that I am absolutely thrilled about is MY HOUSE WORK. I talked to Rich about how discouraged I was about the endless work and he came up with a great solution. By the way, whenever Rich wants to talk to the kids he has them all stand in a line in front of him at attention. It’s so so cute. So, he got the older ones together (J, E, and G) and announced that they were going to start having their own section of the house to keep clean. He let them choose what they wanted to do. Ethan wanted to be in charge of the livingroom. Jacob and Grace wanted to share the kitchen duty~ Jacob does the dishwasher and counters, and Grace does the table and floor. They will get an allowance for their work and so far, after one day, I already feel a big burden lifted. We will have a bit of work to do, in forming the habit, but I think they will rise to the occasion, especially if they are rewarded with LOTS of praise and some spending money.

We do have to figure out what David can do (he’s 5) and Caleb is 3 now, but there must be something that little guy can do. We ALL have to pick up after our own selves and keep our own rooms clean.

I better get on with my morning. . . .a couple of children are awake now.

Have a wonderful Monday!

Posted on July 12, 2008 by Shanda

Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 beaten egg (preferably in small fiesta cup)
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup oil

~grease muffin tin (this recipe makes between 10-12 muffins) or line with paper cups.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Make well in center, pour in egg, milk, and oil. Gently stir until slightly mixed. Add a teacup full of berries and lightly stir them into batter. Spoon mixture into muffin tins, place in oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden.

Let rest in pan about 5 minutes then tip out over a wire cooling rack. Turn them over and sprinkle white sugar on top. Add a small pat of fresh butter. . . .and watch them disappear.

I made these yesterday and ate one. When I went back to get another, they were all gone. I was disappointed until I found one half eaten on the floor of the livingroom, by Caleb’s choo-choo track. Was is bad that I ate it?

jam mama. . . .

I haven’t made jam for two years and I’ve been wanting to. Yesterday I got myself off the couch at about 11 and drove down the road to a fruit and veggie stand. I bought 4 quarts of fresh native strawberries that were just picked that morning, from a very nice country lady who was sitting with an old old lady behind the produce table.

Then, we stopped at the grocery store to pick up a bag of sugar, a box of certo, and a case of jam jars.

I got home, cleaned the kitchen, got all my things organized and made two batches of jam. A batch of strawberry and a batch of strawberry rhubarb.

You should have seen small Grace diving into the warm cup of jam that I set out on the table, with a loaf of soft white bread from the bakery. She tore of big chunks of bread and dipped the majority of it down into the bright red jam. . . .there is just nothing like that warm, strawberry taste. . . .it’s heavenly.

She called me “jam-mama”.

I woke up last night at 12:30 and Rich was not home yet so I called him. His plane had just landed, and he pulled in the driveway at about 1:30. I had the poor guy up at 5 this morning. . . .needless to say, he’s tired but we’re about to go out with the kids and have fun. It is so good to have my husband back home!

Happy Saturday to all my friends~

love, Shanda (jam mama)

Posted on July 11, 2008 by Shanda

Yesterday was so GORGEOUS, a mild, yet sunny, windy day. . . .I felt so energized after days and days of muggy humid heat that I was scurrying around like a new woman! I did some weeding in my flower beds, went to the grocery store, and we even invited friends over for a day of swimming and fun.

Needless to say, after all that extra activity, this morning I am yawning, squinty-eyed, and tired.

However, it’s going to be another lovely day. I went out on the porch just a bit ago to yell at the dog and oh! the air is so clean and clear, there is foggy mist rising from the ponds, the greens of the grass and trees are so bright and vibrant. It’s beautiful. . . .

It’s FRIDAY! I cannot wait for Rich to get home, even though it will be late tonight. He is in Dallas, TX right now. Too far away from me.

To torture myself, I will post some pictures that Jacob took last Saturday of us~

This is when I feel like my real self, when Rich is standing next to me. This is REAL, safe. . . .

When it’s just me and the children~I don’t know~ I’m just basically having fun (or, not having fun, depending on what’s going on), and waiting for Rich to get back to us.

This was yesterday afternoon, after our friends had gone back home~

Some houses try to hide the fact
   that children shelter there:
Ours boasts of it quite openly,
   the signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows,
   little smudges on the door;
I should apologize I guess
   for toys strewn on the floor,
But I sat down with the children
   and we played and laughed and read:
and if the doorbell doesn’t shine,
   their eyes will shine instead.
So when at times I’m forced to choose
   the one job or the other,
it’s good to be a housewife,
   but I’d rather be a mother.

~Unknown

After dinner last night, the children wanted to go swimming. That seems to be our regular habit these days and I love it because the lighting at that time of night (around 6:30) is lovely. The birds are singing their evening songs. I sat in my chair and watched the children have fun. . . . .

I lasted 20 minutes before I just had to run back to the house to get my camera.

Davy- do’s invention:

We aren’t always happy around here;

but Davy’s tears never last long~

It’s Caleb’s little foot that gets me~

Grace was showing me how she goes under water, when Caleb ran by. . . .

And the big boys have fun in their own crazy ways~

GUESS WHAT?

Last night I had morning sickness for the first time.

Although I did not like to end the day in such a way (!!), it was an encouraging reminder to me, that a baby is coming!

No one was here to feel sorry for me, so I just went to bed and smiled in the dark, to myself. It’s true, I’m really having another baby!

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

This is the perfect sort of summer morning, because it’s so cool, to turn on the oven and make homemade muffins. Sweet muffins are fast and easy to make, and you don’t have to turn on a mixer. It’s all handwork and very rewarding, especially when the children have so industriously picked the berries. Grace and Ethan went and picked fat juicy red raspberries, free for the taking, by the side of the road. With a scattering of wild blueberries, the muffins I
have baking in the oven will be scrumptious, with a sprinkle of white sugar on top.

I can’t tell you how nice it is to mix the batter up in my new marigold fiesta mixing bowl!

Have a wonderful day!

(like a shot in the arm)

Posted on July 10, 2008 by Shanda

Thanks to those of you who offered your encouragment to me, in response to what I wrote about feeling guilty that I was not doing more at church. I was getting mixed up, and confused, about what my real ministry is. God used the things that you said to me here on xanga, His word, my own Mama, and also a couple of online articles (which someone sent me the links for) to give me the “booster shot” that I needed.

So, a deep sigh of contentment from a tired mama~ a tired but happy one~ as I press on in my role as a wife, mother, and house keeper.

Here are a couple of quotes for you;

“What’s wrong with rocking and cuddling and answering 100+ questions, and wiping snotty noses, cleaning up throw-up, and playing blocks on the floor? This is kingdom work. And it’s not just something to get through so you can get on to something bigger. This is big.”

“Mary and Elisabeth touched the world by raising their boys.”

“Women have far too long screamed for the place of honor-rather than humble service. It is in the home we learn to be like Jesus. Any woman can be all spiritual with her Christian friends. But the rubber meets the road in the home.”

~ Audry Broggi

Posted on July 9, 2008 by Shanda

Happy Birthday,

dear choo-choo boy~

He did get choo-choo’s for his birthday~ his favorite is Gordon, with his tender, that Jacob picked for him. He also got Alfie and Peter Sam, and the troublesome trucks that giggle when you press down on them.

We already celebrated his birthday on Monday, so that Rich would not miss out (he’s away on a business trip this week).

Caleb stood up in his chair and joined us all in a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” and then, for the first time, blew out his candles.

All by himself.

Why wash the icing off his face, when it matches Gordon?

He’s three now! My beloved little son. . . . . . .

play dough/Jonah study/church stuff

Posted on July 8, 2008 by Shanda

*Edible Play Dough*

2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 cups honey
2 cups powdered milk
2 cups oats
mix
enjoy
(put flour on the table in case it gets sticky)

Davy- do made cookies out of his dough~this is a picture of what he looked like when Mama was taste testing his wonderful cookie. . . . . .he just knew I would love it!

Ethan whistled while he worked.

This is Grace laughing because she threw a ball of dough at her brother.

Leftovers are kept separate from each other, so we can have more fun on another day.

Jonah study:

The other thing that I did with them yesterday was sit them all at the table to read the Bible. I read them Jonah~the entire book~it’s not long. Then, I took a Children’s Illustrated Bible and read the whole story again. Have you read Jonah lately? It is so interesting. Did you know that the King of Nineveh called for a fast (after he knew that God was going to destroy the city because of their wickedness) ~ he called a fast for the people AND the animals? I thought it was fascinating that even the animals were included in the fast.

And we all laughed and laughed when we read about how Jonah “was exceeding glad of the gourd”. (chapter 4, verse 6)

When I was done reading them the story, I had Jacob write a short story, pretending he was the King of Nineveh. Ethan wrote one pretending he was Jonah, and Grace wrote one pretending she was a little girl living in Nineveh when Jonah came. I found a “Jonah and the Whale” coloring page for David and Caleb to color.

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

Rich left this morning for another business trip. He will not be home until Friday night. Please pray for me, I need the strength of the Lord to get through this week in a relatively calm way. I want to try to make some goals for myself and keep myself busy, but also take the time to rest as needed. I am not sick with this pregnancy (so far) but I am feeling very “out of it” and tired. Thankfully, I have my friends to lean on~and it comforts me to know that if I need anything I have a bunch of friends that I can call on for help. And my sister. Can’t forget sissy.

Church stuff:

Spiritually, I am getting a lot of comfort from Job. Specifically, the last chapters in which God is talking to Job about all the things that He has done. He is showing Job how great and powerful He is. I have been hungering to study the bigness of God~through His word and through His creation. The bigger GOD is in my mind, the smaller everything else becomes~people, circumstances, my SELF. I am attaching a link to the book that I’m reading that is helping me along in this study.

In the book, the author also talks about the church and how we are to be a community, a family.

I loved this quote:

“Notice the results if we neglect to see the importance of biblical community. If we privatize Scripture, turning “we” into “I”, we have the following dilemmas:

~I have to go into all the world and made disciples (Matt. 28:18)

~I have to pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17)

~I have to give proper recognition to the widows who are in need (1 Tim. 5:3)

~I have to teach the older men, younger men, and younger women (Titus 2: 1-8)

And somehow, in the gaps of my day, I have to work and make enough money for my family.

Fortunately, these commands are given TO THE CHURCH. It is only on the corporate level that we are able to evangelize the world. It takes financial supporters, mission boards, friends and churches that faithfully pray, and many other people in the body for a missionary to go and make disciples. And to fulfill the command to pray without ceasing, I need the church because I need to sleep every now and then, and I have to go to work. Round -the-clock praying can only be done by the worldwide church.” ~Edward T. Welch

The reason why I found that quote so FREEING is that I still suffer a lot of guilt that I am not doing more for the church. Basically, right now I go to services and work in the toddler room once a month. I am not involved in choir any more.

The funny thing is, I am very secure in what I believe God’s will is for me right now. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that He want
s me (and my heart) AT HOME, serving my family. My husband is so very busy, he has a great job but it takes a lot of time and effort to get his work done. He needs my support, he needs to know that I am taking care of the household and his children while he is away.

With five children, and one on the way, and being a homeschooing mama, I have found that I have almost NO extra time or energy to devote to anything else. I rarely even leave my home during the week, except to go to the grocery store, library, or music lessons for the older boys. I’m so thankful that my friends are so willing to come here to my house and that I can keep in touch with people through snail mail, email, xanga, and phone calls.

I feel so content and happy at home and yet so often when I go to church, I come away feeling so much guilt that I am not DOING MORE~I’m not out soul winning, I’m not out ministering to the needy, I’m not working with children at church, I’m not singing in choir, I’m not doing this or that or the other.

But, I realize, as I read that quote, that I don’t need to do those extra things! I have an entire church family surrounding me. We are all in this TOGETHER. I have my whole life ahead of me, and what I am doing now is enough. My brothers and sisters in Christ can and will do the things that I cannot do right now and I’m so thankful for that. We are not on our own, we have a huge worldwide body all working together, with our head as Christ. The body of believers is a beautiful thing.~ I need to remember that I am not an individual (when it comes to church) so much as one small part of a BODY.

I don’t expect people to understand what I mean by all that. There are things that have happened to me spiritually in the past that have damaged my views of Christianity (making it more of WORKS and less of grace) ~ God is showing me, little by little, that the false things that I learned can be stripped away, and the thing that matters most is HIM. That is why, most of all, in my devotions and meditations, I want to fill myself with Him and His character. . . .to study His LOVE, MERCY, GRACE, His attributes, His creation. There is so much healing there for me. And the more I know Him, the more I love Him.

Dear Older Lady (question #11) “she can laugh at the days to come”

Posted on July 7, 2008 by Shanda

It’s Monday. If you are a new reader to my site, this is the day in which we feature a question from a younger lady on xanga, which has been messaged to me privately. The questions are for any experienced and/or older lady to answer. I came up with this idea after meditating on Titus 2, in which the older ladies are encouraged to teach/encourage the younger ladies. As women who believe and trust in Jesus Christ, we are all on this pilgrim journey together. So often our society tricks us into thinking independently, rather than as a family or community. Let’s unify. Let’s edify one other and show the world we are Christ’s own beloved ones. . . .by our love. Don’t let an opportunity to be a blessing pass you by~whether here on xanga, or in your day to day life.

We all go through hard times in our life. Can you give us an example of when you have trusted God during times of worry and fear?

What Godly principles have helped you through the times of fear and worry? In what ways were you or your family blessed once you were over that worry?

This question made me think about Proverbs 31:25

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”