Finding Me.

Birthdays make for a Wonderful Week!

2012-03-12T12:09:00.000-07:00

So, today our entire household is sick, but that doesn't mean it can't be a great week. This week was truly a special one.

Little Things That Made This Week Wonderful...

Tuesday, my little Charity turned three. I cannot believe how big she is! We celebrated by taking her to Disneyland. She was delighted, and it made for an extra special day for all of us.
We had some lovely sunshiney weather this week. The sun always makes me happy!
On Friday and Saturday, we took a sans kids road trip with some good friends of ours down to LA. We spent Friday night at the Magic Castle, watching magic from Japan --- A- MAZING! Then, Saturday afternoon we spent eating french macarons, driving around Beverly Hills trying to find celebrity homes, and ended our trip eating lunch at the most fantastic restaurant, Bottega Loui. I highly recommend it if you spend any time in LA in the future!

Here are some instagrams from our great week:

A Week of Wonderful and Nutella Frosted Cupcakes!

2012-02-27T00:04:00.003-08:00

This was a really fabulous week. Lots to be thankful for. Plus, it includes cupcakes topped with Nutella buttercream frosting! That can't be bad, right?

Little Things That Made This Week Wonderful...

Last weekend John had the privilege of being the magic entertainment at the CMA Pacific Northwest District's Youth Conference (or DYC) in Portland, Oregon. While there, he reaped the blessing of leading eleven students to Christ!
On Monday I had a great Starbucks date with a girlfriend who is a fellow youth worker. We gabbed for a good two hours about students, marriage, relationships, and ministry... a perfect outing!
I'm so happy for the little peeks of spring weather out here in sunny California! I put my flip flops on for the first time in months this week!!
Tuesday is John's day off, and this week we had lots of extra fun baking with Charity Tuesday morning as she had her first experience with making cupcakes. She loved it, and couldn't keep from sticking her fingers in the batter!

cupcake coma. :)

...We made the cupcakes with just a simple yellow cake mix, but the nutella buttercream was fantastic! Here is the basic recipe.... I adapted it from a combination of several I found on the web, and just went with the ratio of ingredients I felt was best.

Nutella Buttercream Frosting:

- 1 stick butter, softened

- 1 13oz jar of Nutella

- 1 cup powdered sugar

- pinch of kosher salt

- 1 tbs. vanilla extract

- 2 tbs. milk or cream

Beat together until smooth.

Pipe in piping bag or just slather it on the cupcake to enjoy!

A Week of Wonderful Returns!

2012-02-20T00:09:00.000-08:00

I missed doing this side of my blog. This "the glass is half-full" portion of my posts. We all need a little optimism now and then, and hopefully even the most hectic of schedules and lifestyles shouldn't deter me from taking a moment to write down what I'm thankful for in the past week.

I'm revamping it a little, though. Formerly my list was "Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful". While I agree that we should be able to find at least ten things in every DAY to be grateful for, the requirement added an unnecessary stress on my part and was one of the factors which kept me from the consistency of this post. Henceforth, it shall simply be,

Little Things That Made This Week Wonderful...

It doesn't get said enough: I have a really amazing husband. He makes everything about my week better.
Charity says the funniest things these days. As her vocabulary grows, her understanding of the things around her increases, and her skill in sentence forming furthers, we get some amusing statements. She always keeps me laughing.
I had a great Valentine's day with my sweetie. Kid-free afternoon, food, movies, chocolate, and just relaxing. It was blissful.
Silas is literally smiling and laughing all the time. He brings sunshine into the room and keeps my heart forever smiling.
Friday I got to spend a lunch at Chipotle with some wonderful gals from our youth ministry. Always a treat to be with the girls.
When I picked up Charity from the preschool at church this morning she told me, "I learned 'bout JESUS!" ...oh my heart!
Today was a refreshing Sunday. An encouraging message at church in the morning, and ended with dinner at a friend's. Can't complain.

Did you find your week to be wonderful as well?

An Explanation

2012-02-09T00:12:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

It is no mystery that I have been slightly MIA from the blog world in the last 8 months to a year. Honestly, I have mostly been discouraged to write... In truth, I've been feeling incompetent in comparison to the thousands of mom blogs out there featuring these women that seem to possess super human skill as multi-tasking mom goddesses of craftiness, organization, culinary skills, and design capabilities. Just poke around the blogosphere. There are scads of these things out there. I don't want to pretend to be one them.

I realize some of this comes from the average mom's sheer desire to be able to pat herself on the back for a job well done at the end of a hard day with her children... "look what I can do!" "look at how I mastered this project"....as much as I love gaining inspiration from all these blogs myself, it all becomes a bit defeating... until I remember that nobody is perfect and we all like to put up a form of facade when we display ourselves to the rest of the world.

So I have determined, that as much as I do like to pass on my discoveries or creative achievements on this blog in hopes that others will be inspired as well, ultimately I desire this space to be one that reflects more my imperfections rather than my "perfections".... and if anything seems to reflect perfection, I can only pass blame to that sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit within me. Every peanut butter sandwich made and every project completed and every happy day can be attributed to his mighty work. But I don't want to forget that I am a fumbling human being. I am saved by grace alone. I am otherwise a big mess. We all need to be able to see that the world isn't full of super-moms and over-acheivers, and near-perfect parents. Most of my days are pretty gritty.

I have been bottling up a lot of things that I have longed to share here over the past six or so months.... from fun creative posts to simple matters of the heart... perhaps it is time to let loose.

More later on this week. I hope.

Grace and Peace,
Maribeth

Happy Nose

2011-08-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

Currently, my house is filled with sweet scents. Sniff.... ahhh.... Last night, I put in a new round of my wallflowers around the house. I just love these home fragrances from Bath and Body Works, and whenever I use them, I find myself a little happier in my surroundings.

Some my favorite wallflower fragrances to use:

kitchen spice
creamy nutmeg
sandalwood vanilla
leaves
sweet cinnamon pumpkin

....And from the looks of things, there are even more wonderful new seasonal fragrances for this coming fall at Bath n' Body. Ah, sweetness.

On days like today...

2011-08-17T17:31:00.000-07:00

...And it has been one of those days. You know, the ones where every thing that happens spends you... till you think you are totally depleted, and then the day gets harder and you find out what it means to be stretched to your limit. I think it's God's best form of character building. Perhaps a little cruel, but effective, nonetheless.

Silas is teething. This equates to torture of all in our household. His normal happy temperament has been replaced with whininess, little to no napping, and power struggles during feeding times. He screams and whales a lot. In addition, the little guy suddenly is refusing his bottle. Being a mother who loves the parent-child bond that comes from nursing, this would normally not be the end of the world. However, this Friday we have scheduled Silas and Charity to go to a babysitter's for the day so John and I can meet up with some friends for a non-reschedualable get together down south. Thus, frustration and worry ensue. With that, Silas was up before the sun was this morning and his sister followed within an hour. And no, I haven't gotten a nap since.

Charity meanwhile is being her typical two year old self. Testing every limit and pushing all the boundaries. A daily struggle that keeps me in Christ's throne room on a regular basis.

Enter in the moment when the day gets harder: As I'm spoon-feeding Silas his formula/breastmilk/cereal mixture in an attempt to give him some nutrients, he is finally calming down for a moment when I hear a deafening SMACK from the hallway. Dropping the bowl I run to see my little girl sprawled on the floor. She starts screaming as I realize that she has slammed head-first into our big sideboard. After the tears slightly subside I sit her on the table to observe the damage and see the largest egg-sized purple bump I have ever witnessed forming in the middle of her reddened-forehead. Oh baby girl!

....Now, let's face it: I realize that many people have had harder days. I'm sure in a few years I will write a post with incomparable sufferings. Nevertheless, it's just been one of those plain, simple, hard days that fry your nerves and test your sanctification.

Then I read a devotional from Tenth Dot today, and it puts me right into the place I need to be... Thank you Lord.

Psalm 37:8

Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret--it only leads to evil.

Proverbs 19:11

A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.

...And alas, even before I finish typing this post, my poor little Silas wakens in tears from his nap--an hour earlier than he should have. It's these little things that can cause me to either choose to lean on Christ, or snap. Every human being had challenges today. I am no different. But I am thankful I have a Supernatural Power to lean on amidst these challenges. Thanks Lord, for the little things to keep me humble and make me strong.

A Much Needed Vacation

2011-07-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

Summer's almost over, but not without some good family vacation!

From John's magic bookings to his two weeks of youth summer camp, to ten days in Taiwan, and multiple business trips, he's been gone and I have been flying solo more this summer perhaps than not. I'd say that John's time away has totaled near a month within the last two and half months. Needless to say, I have gained a lot of parenting experiencing juggling two kids on my own!

It has been exciting to hear about everything God has been doing through John and the youth ministry and his magic ministry. The Lord is good, and we are extremely thankful. And in response to all of this "good" busy-ness, we are so excited and ready for the coming week...

Tomorrow afternoon we set off for a full week beach trip with my entire immediate family. It's been quite a project to simply get the four of us packed for this adventure! But I can hardly express my excitement! And look at how lucky we are:

Sixteen of us will be jammed into this lovely five bedroom beach house right on the shores in Oxnard, California. Our family of four, my parents and my two sisters and their families.... oh man is it going to be wonderful.... and get this: 8 kids all under the age of 6!! Boy are we going to be busy! But I can't wait.

How I need this break to relax and reconnect with family in a way I haven't since I can't remember how long. So perhaps I will be reporting from Oxnard next time you hear from me!! ...Off to the sand and the waves, let's hope I don't get my annual summer lobster burn!

Lovely spaces. Beautiful places.

2011-06-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Isn't this so refreshing and cheerful?!

While it's sophisticated in style and has luxurious pieces,

the bright yellow brings a note of light playfulness and comfort.

Perfect inspiration for summer.

...Take delight in the spaces around you!

"Nogurt"

2011-06-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Yogurt is one of Charity's favorite things. She calls it: "Nogurt". Don't ask me why, but she cannot seem to properly pronounce her y's yet. Nonetheless, she loves the stuff. Asks for it multiple times a day. We are always buying more yogurt.

Last year, I wrote a Making the Ordinary Extraordinary post on yogurt. You can find it here. But I just had to add this additional commentary to that post in that I recently discovered the BEST yogurt ever (in my opinion), and it would only make my Extraordinary yogurt recipe all the more extraordinary. I'm sure you have seen the commercials for Dannon Greek.

Seriously. This stuff is off the charts. And I personally prefer the vanilla and honey flavors.... can't quite get a liking for the sour plain stuff (but can be good if you stir in a fruit puree!). A lot of "Greek" yogurts that I have tried lately claim that they are rich and creamy and thicker than traditional yogurt, but most of them seem to fall short and be pretty much the same to me. Not this stuff. It's heaven. Super gooey thick. Yet somehow light and creamy all at the same time. Don't ask me how they do it. The vanilla has a fresh, true, creamy vanilla taste, and the honey flavor after you mix it all up is like a sticky treat! Not only that, but greek yogurt is by far more healthy than traditional yogurts. I'm not an expert, I just know this is good. It's slightly pricier than the yoplait $.78 cup, but I think it's well worth it! Use this in my yogurt post and your tummy will be oh so happy! I love this stuff with berries, in smoothies, or with granola and fruit... Man, is it good!

It's time to take my song back!

2011-05-22T15:18:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, during some casual conversation with my husband, John said something that caught me off guard:

"You don't sing anymore."

The phrase just hung there. The accusation hit me like a punch to the stomach. ...I don't sing anymore?! But I couldn't tell him he was wrong. I really don't sing much anymore.

Anyone who has known me at all beyond the last three years would be very aware of the appalling nature of this statement. Those who know me well would be doubtful of its truth. In my youth, I was a person who practically made my living out of singing. I had been involved in choir throughout high school, studied singing in private voice lessons for over thirteen years, I almost majored in vocal performance, and I have participated in a variety of worship teams over the last eight to ten years. If anyone knew anything about me, it was that I was a singer! ...And yet, I couldn't deny John's statement. My everyday life is not filled with music and song in the way it once so frequently was. I can still say that I love to sing, but I'm not humming a tune through my day or belting out ballads at any given moment, which once was a very regular occurrence for me.

So the conversation haunted me for a number of weeks. Where has my music gone? How could I, of all people, not be singing? Has the daunting job of housewife, mother, and homemaker really stolen the song right off my lips? Perhaps this was the painful truth of the matter. Joyful music has been replaced with mundane routines, exhaustion, and redundant preschool television theme songs (not the kind of music I really want to be singing throughout the day... I get enough of them already!).

Next thing I know, I've found myself right back to why I started blogging in the first place: Being a full-time mom, though wonderful, has the tendency take me on such an altering journey that I lose my sense of self. I think this happens to the best of us. That is why we hear of those women who have "let themselves go". The priority of children has mom putting herself on the bottom of the priority list. It isn't long before pajamas are our daily uniform, the make up drawer goes untouched, and we start getting our meals from fast food and the freezer isle. I promised myself I wouldn't become that person. Yes, some days it's okay to take a break and wear pj's or have quick easy meals, but may that never become the norm in this household. I want to live life with more fullness than that. I want to honor the person that God has created in me by taking on life with both arms open. And in doing so, it ultimately benefits far more than just myself, I do it also as a model to my children. I want my kids to take pride in themselves as well. They will only learn that from the day to day life that I portray to them during their childhood.

That being said, this all has motivated a change in my everyday perspective. John often tells me that one of the reasons he fell in love with me was for my infectious optimism. Unfortunately, the wear and tear of my day to day seems to sometimes soak up all that positive thinking far too much of the time. It's time to take my song back!

Prayerfully moving forward, I'm seeking Holy Spirit strength to reclaim my song. It's time to wake up in the morning and look forward to each wonderful, tiring, busy, and exciting part of it. Why? -- because my Savior gave me breath today, and I'm fortunate enough to have the delight of my children's faces and the tender love of my husband. That's enough to sing about by itself, and my life's blessings don't stop there! Thankfully, that's part of why I have this blog -- to record and remind myself of life's little blessings.
...They are all a part of Finding Me.

Lovely spaces. Beautiful places.

2011-05-19T16:39:00.000-07:00

....Think I'd like to steal away to here for an afternoon...

...A nice retreat from the noise and wildness that is mothering a two year old and 5-month old. If you need me, you'll find me here, iced tea in hand.

*Photo courtesy of anthropologie.com

My Third Annual Mother's Day

2011-05-09T16:58:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been at this whole mom thing very long. I still have a lot to learn and require a lot of grace, but Mother's Day is arguably becoming one of my favorite days of the year. Personally, I feel that it is a day that permits me (and others) to celebrate the thing that I have come to take immeasurable pride in: the raising of my children. This is what makes me "mom".

Things I could've never known about what makes this day special until I became a mother myself:

There is a reason bigger than Hallmark for why we celebrate moms: Theirs is one of the hardest jobs on the planet.
This day is not just about being appreciated by your kids, it's an opportunity for you, the mom, to take pride in the daily grind of what you do that earned you that title, "Mother"
If marriage requires selflessness, than mothering requires even more... In the last three years I have learned on vastly different levels what it means to be self-sacrificing.
You never knew your capacity to love was so great until you have your own child.
Because I am now a mom myself, I can truly praise my own mother in deepest gratitude on this day.
Mother's Day proves that there is value in every diaper changed, every sleepless night, every wound mended, every discipline given, every carpool trip, every homework assistance, every meal cooked, every lullaby sung, every hug given, every unacknowledged effort, and every day you are on your knees praying for your children...

...Sometimes the job of being mom can leave me feeling like my hard work goes unnoticed, that the things I do have little merit compared to what I saw myself one day achieving, and that by the end of the day I have accomplished so very little. There are times that I question the value of what I am doing when the framed piece of paper with my name on it that says "Bachelor of Science in General Ministry" could have been better used as a dust pan to clean up the food spills of the day.

Constantly, however, I am reminded -- by the glow in my daughter's eyes and grin on my son's face -- that what I do is priceless... eternally significant. God grants me grace every day through the preciousness of my children to remind me of how meaningful my stay-at-home-mom-job truly is.

They are the reasons I am allowed to be honored on this special day.

Thank you, Charity and Silas, for your innocent love.

"Her children arise and call her blessed..."

Proverbs 31:28

Two is the Beginning of the End

2011-03-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

"...One day when she was two years old she was playing in a garden, and she plucked another flower and ran with it to her mother. I suppose she must have looked rather delightful, for [her mother] put her hand to her heart and cried, 'Oh, why can't you remain like this for ever!' This was all that passed between them on the subject, but henceforth [the girl] knew that she must grow up.
You always know after you are two. Two is the beginning of the end."

- Peter Pan, J.M. Barrie

On Monday, Charity turned two. May baby girl is no longer a baby, and yes, I am beginning to accept that fact that she must grow up...

And alas, we have officially entered the infamous "terrible twos"; though, admittedly, it seems as if Charity has already been in this phase for several months now. She already is fully capable of being a complete tantruming mess when she chooses. Nonetheless, she has suddenly become a big girl. It is as if on her birthday something in her little sub-conscience told her that now it is time to grow up. Perhaps Peter Pan was right, 'You always know after you are two."

She says her "pleases" and "thank yous", she holds my hand when we leave the house (and quite insists on it), she has an enormous vocabulary that grows daily, she is already learning her shapes and colors, and she knows she is suppose to have a plate and a fork when she sits down to eat (and if mom forgets to provide her with her grown up place setting, she is sure to let her know)!

What a change from a year ago: When we gave her cake for her birthday last year, she was covered in frosting. This year, her cake was on a plate, and she was using a utensil. Even more impressive is that almost all of it made it into her mouth rather than onto her face!

But perhaps what took me aback the most was the other day when we were attempting to leave the house, and Silas was extremely upset about being in his car seat. As John and I were scrambling around to get things together to get out the door, Silas was screaming, and Charity quietly made it her own prerogative to go over to his car seat and calm him down. She knelt beside the seat and began rocking him gently. Then she graciously offered him her toy bottle. Her attempts to sooth her baby brother in fact worked--almost instantly--and I practically cried as John and I stood back and watched in surprise and delight while Charity cared for her baby brother. It was such a precious moment.

She really seemed quite grown up.

...Next thing I know, I'll be handing her the keys to our 17-year old Kia.

I've become one of "those" parents...

2011-02-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

You know: That parent who knows more about children's entertainment than the latest Grammy or Academy Award winner... One of those parents who looks forward to Sesame Street each morning and new episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse... A parent that knows the names of every Barney and Friends character and has the PBS kids show time schedule memorized? Do you know those parents? I'm one of them. Seriously, the songs that I get stuck in my head are not the latest top radio hits, but theme songs from preschool television shows. Listen, I'm not kidding... I even harmonize with Elmo whenever he comes on the screen singing "Elmo's World"! I never thought it would happen, but as sure as rain falls, it did.

And finally, how I know I've become one of "those" parents: "Playhouse Disney", the Disney Channel's preschool program that runs each morning, became "Disney Junior" yesterday, and I was excited about it. Yes, this is the kind of event that gets me charged up and tickles my toes... not the latest Twilight movie or a weekend sale at Macy's, but the premiere of Disney Junior to the Disney Channel. And believe me, it's a big deal around this house, because my whole morning's schedule falls around Disney show times. (Every morning, when Charity wakes up, she says "Mickey!" and expects to watch her show).

Most exciting about this new Disney Junior is the arrival of an all new show, "Jake and the Neverland Pirates", featuring Captain Hook himself and his band of swashbuckling pirates. And it's arrival couldn't have been more timely, as Silas is becoming our own little Peter Pan with his Neverland-themed nursery, and Charity has recently been exposed to this charming tale as well. Sadly, I can already sing along with the show's theme song... (one of those parents). But I love that they are incorporating a Disney classic into a kids' TV show. I mean, how cute is this?

Yes, I'm THAT mom. If it makes my kids happy, I'm happy. It's the simple things that delight a parent, really.

A New Family

2011-02-07T18:18:00.000-08:00

It's warm today for this time of year. 68 and sunny. But I don't mind. In fact, I rather like it. It's nice to have the warm sun streaming through the windows, brightening up the home, reminding me that there is life beyond these four walls. I don't get outside of the house much these days.

Here is my excuse for this hermit-like behavior:

Our brand new baby boy, Silas John Paul, was born on his daddy's birthday, December 20th, 6 lbs. 3 oz., 18 inches long, at 8:24 am. He is seven weeks old today--and that is how long it has taken me to get back onto my blog. Any of you parents out there know how time consuming and restless caring for a newborn is... and I have a rambunctious toddler on my hands to add to the work. ...Alas, even before I finished typing that very sentence, my sweet tiny son awoke from the content slumber that he was in with discomfort and screaming... And this is why I don't get out of the house too often: baby care and feeding 24-7, changing diapers, providing snacks, cleaning spit up, picking up toys, laundry round the clock, putting little ones to sleep, and enduring many forms of tears and whining (including my own) ...This is my new life.

Obviously, this leaves little time for luxuries like internet surfing and all-important blogging. But that's alright, really. As much as I miss my old "normal"... the new "normal" (though exhausting) has its abundant joys and I know will reap great rewards.

Every time Charity sees her baby brother, she has to give him a kiss. And every moment Silas depends on my care. And every day I watch my husband hold and love on my children with adoration. I may have taken on a very full and demanding lifestyle, but oh how joyous and fulfilling...

Far and Few Between

2010-12-19T00:53:00.000-08:00

I really get sick with myself when so much time passes between blog posts. I will often have a great blog idea or something I want to post to readers out there, but then getting around to sit down and type it out just doesn't occur as often as I would like. I'm not the type of person who can just whip something out on a whim (though admittedly that is what this post is), each post takes time, energy, and heartfelt thought.... then obsessive review. Just ask my husband how long it takes for me to write a blog post. I am a perfectionist at heart which all perfectionists out there know both the blessing and the curse of this "condition".

Nonetheless, I don't like it when I leave my blog unattended. Even if no one is reading... I like to think that somewhere out there some people care on a regular basis what I have to say.

Truth be told, I just have been too zonked out with this pregnancy to make the effort. I am now 37 weeks gestation, which is officially full-term, and I am so ready to be done! I never thought I would make it this far, as Charity was born at 35 weeks, but I guess every baby is different. If any of you follow my pregnancy blog, you know that our little boy is breech. I honestly think this has a lot to do with why I haven't had pre-term labor. With his head not pushing down on my cervix, my body doesn't have nearly the need/urge to dilate like it did before. I won't go into any further details about labor, other than to say that I just wish it would be over with. I want to meet my son. Yet now because he is breech, we have to have a c-section. This was not my choice, but at this point there is no other realistic option. My cesarean has been scheduled for Dec. 29th, but we shall see if I will make it that far. I am still convinced that with my luck, we will have a Christmas baby. Certainly that would be fine too. I just want a healthy child.

I can tell even as I write this post that my pregnancy hormones are uprising as I consider the frustration I am under due to the unknown. If I was 37 weeks pregnant during any other month of the year, I wouldn't be so anxious, but because it's Christmastime, it has me wringing my hands like a crazy lady. There is no way to plan for any holiday festivities effectively. I couldn't even make plans for my own husband's birthday this year. I hate that. But no matter how much I dwell on the inconvenience of our situation, there is nothing I can do to change it. This baby will come when he is ready.

I'm trying to hang on to what few Christmas traditions I can this year, as so little can be determined. I hope you all enjoy your holiday festivities in the coming days and weeks and can savor even the mundane, predictable rituals that you experience each year... because believe me, I wish I could share in a little bit of the predictable.

Why I Am In Love With Autumn: Reason #5 - It Rings in the Season

2010-12-04T00:38:00.000-08:00

Need I remind you that there are still two and a half weeks of autumn left, even if it is the Christmas season? ...Ah, but that is the biggest reason for why I adore the season of Fall so much! The festivities of fall ring in the holidays and are the perfect beginning to the most wonderful time of year.

My first time hosting Thanksgiving went marvelously. The turkey was scrumptious, the desserts were delectable, and the company was even better. How I love being surrounded with family for this holiday. It truly is something to be thankful for. And what I love so much about Thanksgiving is that it is the kick-off to the Christmas season. Frankly, what better way is there to begin the Christmas holiday than with a feast of thankfulness?!

I am a Christmas dork. If you thought I was a nut for autumn, you haven't seen me around Christmas. John complains every year that I don't allow Christmas music in the house until after Thanksgiving, but believe me, by the time Friday rolls around, I am decking the halls and belting carols at the top of my lungs!

...However, it killed me this year because I came down with a nasty cold right on Thanksgiving, and it really got the best of me in the days that followed. Where I would normally be putting up the tree and breaking open the eggnog, instead I was lying on the couch hacking away with no energy to be excited about the holidays in the way that I wanted to be.

So I may have gotten a bit of a late start on my Christmas jollies this year, but you can now rest assured that if you enter the Hinton home from now till the end of December (and probably later), you will be enveloped with all the comforts, smells, and festivites of Christmas. I will offer you the Christmassy beverage of your choice, whether that be egg nog, a holiday tea, or apple cider or a cup of peppermint coco... and you will have a tasty holiday treat to compliment your beverage. You will hear Christmas tunes gaily ringing from our speakers, and the fireplace will be glowing while the tree is twinkling. The home is complete with festive fragrances as well. I have mistletoe hand soap and fresh pine candles and a spiced cider wall plug in. I am, however, still surrounded by all my Christmas tubs of decorations, but hopefully in a few days those will be empty and our home will feel complete and ready in decor. I just love decorating for the holidays.

Still be aware, nonetheless, that I am expecting our little boy to be born any day now. I am now 35 weeks gestation, and within days of when Charity greeted our world. Yes, she was a month early. So I don't know if our little man will be here before or after the Christmas holiday, but in knowing that the time could easily be around the corner, I am attempting to fulfill all my Christmas traditions while I still have the ability to do it. Besides, the effort is worth celebrating my Savior's birth into our human race. Without that fact, all of these traditions and festivities would just be a bunch of hoo-ha. Christ's birth is the very finest reason I can think of to celebrate in such a lavish manner. This truly is the most wonderful time of the year.

Countdown to Thanksgiving: Only 3 More Days!

2010-11-22T23:57:00.000-08:00

Whew! I'm getting anxious and excited about everything that is approaching...

While I still haven't nailed down that perfect dessert, I did accomplish a lot today. After completing a very thorough two-hour shopping spree around the grocery store, my refrigerator is stocked for Thanksgiving... almost. I'm a little terrified because the most essential & precious (need I say ridiculously tasty)Thanksgiving herb, sage, was sold out at our local Winco. They didn't even have flat leaf parsley. I'll be checking other stores and returning tomorrow to see if I can retrieve my precious herb or the stuffing just won't be the same!

Beyond our massive grocery store excursion, I have completed my "Thanksgiving Day Game Plan" list so that I am fully prepared for the efforts that are about to take place. I figured this was the best way to ensure that I didn't miss any details on the big day. I first wrote out all the different dishes and desserts that will be prepared in my kitchen, complete with oven temperatures and cooking times... a staggering 12 dishes! (Am I nuts?!) Then I proceeded to type out my detailed 3-day schedule... Observe the madness that will be commending in my household all beginning tomorrow:

Thanksgiving Day Game Plan

Two days before…

· make cranberry sauce & refrigerate
· print off all recipes, organize
do any final shopping

The day before…

· remove pomegranate seeds & make salad dressing
· make seasoning salt for turkey
· make pie crusts and chill
· prepare stuffing: cook & combine dry ingredients, refrigerate
· bake pies and pumpkin tart
· Set table, clear counter top
· Get out designated serving dishes

The Big Day…

· Wash Turkey
· Prepare Turkey stock
· Roast turkey thighs for gravy
· Make gravy, refrigerate
· Get out ingredients for cider
· Prepare cracker cheese platter for lunch/appetizers
· Have mom make corn pudding
· Set out and organize all ingredients for each dish

Three hours before dinner…

· Preheat oven to 425 °
· Make herb butter
· Season and stuff turkey
· Put turkey in the oven
· Finish prepping stuffing
· Make cider & apple water
· Make “stuffing” mix for apples

1 hour before dinner…

· Check turkey temp
· Make seasoning for green beans
· Begin peeling sweet potatoes
· Put John on mashed potatoes
· Start roasting sweet potatoes 15 min before bird comes out
· Make sweet potato glaze
· Have mom start green beans
· Start heating gravy
· Pull out bird, tent and let rest 20 min.
· Turn down oven heat, bake stuffing and re-warm corn pudding
· Prepare salad and baked apples go in oven
· Serve feast!

...I'm already tired just thinking about it! However, at least I now have a plan all laid out, and I can go into the rest of the week confident that I know what I'm doing (or can at least act like I know what I'm doing!)

It all starts tomorrow! Say a little prayer for me and wish me luck, friends!

Countdown to Thanksgiving: 5 Days Left!

2010-11-20T23:33:00.000-08:00

Am I possibly going to have enough time to pull this off?? The infamous Thursday is looming around the corner...

John's parents arrived this evening. I think we all feel like now the festivities can begin. My favorite thing about Thanksgiving is that it is truly a holiday that centers around family.

Today, in preparation I am researching dessert recipes. I'm really stumped for what I'm going to make, because there are just too many good options. One dessert has already been set in stone for Thanksgiving in this family, whether I like it or not. It's pecan pie. Three years ago I made my very first pecan pie with a recipe taught to me by my sister-in-law, Elizabeth.... who, I might add, is a proficient baker. She knew how to make her dad's favorite pecan dessert, so as soon as I managed to master the recipe myself, it was never coming off the holiday menu. There is only one problem with this situation: I am personally not a fan of pecan pie. So I asked myself, "Why would I go through making an entire Thanksgiving feast to not enjoy a dessert at the end that I truly love??" Why?" Well, I just won't have it. I have too much of a sweet to tooth to undergo such a travesty, so indeed, an additional dessert must be made.

My original thought was that I will simply make either an apple or pumpkin pie in addition, and then choose the alternative pie flavored ice cream from Dryers, so that I get a little of everything. And if you have never had the Dryers Pumpkin or Apple Pie flavored ice creams, I beseech you, go and pick up a carton and have some for this Thanksgiving! They are to die for!

As my search for the perfect Thanksgiving dessert has continued, however, I am tied between three equally fabulous options:

Ginger Pumpkin Tart
...has a ginger cookie crust, and the pumpkin filling is made by whipping together pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and sweetened condensed milk... yummy!

Stuffed Baked Apples
...a quick, easy dessert (can't beat that), that sounds oh-so scrumptious. Basically an apple pie inside out: a hollowed out apple stuffed with all kinds of yummy goodness and baked in the oven. Serve a la mode, and you can't go wrong!

Cranberry Cheesecake Pie
...a cranberry cheesecake filling with additional fresh cranberries nestled inside a flakey pie crust... I'm sorry, but I don't know what about that doesn't sound good!

So there you have it... If I was cooking for a crowd, I would probably find a way to simply make all three, but alas, with only four people around the table, I simply cannot justify so many sweet calories. I'm going to be finalizing my Thanksgiving menu tomorrow (which I will discuss in tomorrow's countdown post), so after I take a few votes, hopefully I'll have this decision nailed down... I wish I had enough time and enough mouths to make them all... but I don't need to commit Thanksgiving suicide!

Please, cast your own vote and tell me your opinion on which dessert I should make! Sweet eats, everyone!

Countdown to Thanksgiving

2010-11-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

Preparation for the big holiday at the end of this month has kept me away from blogging all month.

...Okay, and normal life plus pregnancy has gotten in the way of posting as well...

But the Countdown to Thanksgiving has already begun, and it's only a week away. How do the holidays approach us so quickly? It seems like yesterday I was staring up at the hot sun begging for fall to begin.

This year.....**drum roll**..... I'm hosting my first Thanksgiving (gulp)! Truth be told, I'm actually very excited about it. We trade off holidays between families each year, and this year Thanksgiving was to be spent with John's parents. The original plan was to fly out to them in North Carolina, but after we learned of our pregnancy, we realized there was no way I was to be flying during my third trimester with my early labor history. Months ago when we made these plans, I was truly terrified at the idea of cooking the infamous Thanksgiving meal. However, as the holiday has been approaching, and as my homemaker instincts have really kicked in in the last months, I'm truly excited for the big celebration of gratitude and food! Don't be fooled, I'm still a bit nervous at how I'm going to be pulling it all off, but I'm up for the challenge.

So.... with only six days remaining till Thanksgiving, I'm going to attempt to blog each day as I countdown and prepare for my first big holiday hosting. You'll get an inside look on something I'm gearing up for as the holiday approaches and maybe it will be an inspiration for the way some of you celebrate this year.

Yesterday, I put together a sweet little "Thankful Jar". ...Something I wish I had thought of at the first of the month. Nothing fancy, just an old mason jar tied with some rafia. You could make yours however you want. I've cut strips of orange paper and each day this week, I'm filling the jar with things I'm thankful for (and encouraging my family to do the same) as they come to mind. It is my plan to read through the many things we are each grateful for around the Thanksgiving table this Thursday.

Practicing a discipline of thankfulness, I believe, is important beyond just this one time of year, but taking time to reflect on the things that bring me gratitude is certainly valuable in making the most of this once a year holiday.

I also found a product that offers this practice of thankfulness for children in a darling way:

...A sort of advent calendar for Thanksgiving, this darling decor from Pottery Barn encourages kids (big ones too) to write down something they are thankful for and place it in the appropriate day's pocket for each day of the month of November.

Either way, be practicing thankfulness before and after Thanksgiving this year.

Why I Am In Love With Autumn: Reason #4

2010-10-27T22:43:00.000-07:00

My morning mug: Pumpkin Ginger Tea.

This tea is like fall in a cup, and I truly can't get enough of it.

Let me do a little product review for you:

A rich, beautiful black tea
It is part of a line up of fall teas by The Republic of Tea, and it can only be found seasonally at Cost Plus World Market (my all-time favorite store).
It can be purchased in-store only for $10.99... perhaps a bit pricey to some people, but worth it if you love tea!
Comes with 50 bags of tea, so this will last you a while!
The initial flavor is ginger, but then the overwhelming flavor theme is the pumpkin... it's like sweet, baked pumpkin running all the way through each sip. Then it has all the notes of traditional pumpkin pie spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.
As an avid tea drinker, I give this one 5 out of 5 stars. It has stellar flavor!

Let me also offer a few tea preparation suggestions:

Because it's a black tea, it can be brewed with water at a rolling boil. Some other types of teas, like green and white teas, require the temp to be just under boiling.
To retain the heat of the water while brewing, I cover my mug with a plastic lid or a plate. You may even want to pre-heat your mug.
I brew my tea for 4 minutes. Anywhere from 3-5 minutes is fine, but if you brew tea too long, it becomes bitter.
I also prepare my tea the way my mommy taught me, and the way she learned in England: with milk and honey, NOT cream and sugar. In my opinion, it's the only way to drink black tea! (but don't use nonfat milk, it's too weak and not creamy enough)

The taste and comfort of this tea screams fall and all the flavors that you crave during this season. Drinking it practically begs you to do so in front of a fire with a blanket or on a brisk autumn afternoon when you need to take the chill off. What better way to be put in the fall mood than by curling up with a cupful of this to enjoy sip by sip?

Why I Am In Love With Autumn: Reason #3

2010-10-23T13:06:00.000-07:00

I realize this may sound a little self-indulgent.... but can you blame me?
...One of the reasons I love the autumn season is because my birthday is part of it.

I have fond memories of many birthday celebrations growing up. We look forward to our birthdays as children much more than we anticipate them as adults. Whenever October rolled around, it meant my birthday was coming soon. It also meant the most awesome festive cupcakes that my mom would make for me to deliver to my classmates. (Wish I could find you a picture, so you could all see these show-stopping treats!) They were adorably garnished with candy corns and orange and yellow lollipops on chocolate icing. Talk about festive!

But in all seriousness, I hope that even as grow into middle age and elderly years, I will always enjoy my birthday as opposed to dreading getting another year older, which seems to be the trendier attitude these days. Instead, I see it as God's graciousness in getting me through another year and giving me another year of life.

This year's birthday was a good one; it was yesterday, and my husband treated me very well by giving me a day without Charity and a day of spending time with him. We shared a lovely breakfast together, went to the movies, did a little shopping, had some pizza for dinner, and ended it with a pleasant, quiet time at Starbucks before picking Charity up at the end of the day. A simple day of simple activities, but all things that I never get to enjoy anymore as a full-time mommy. This, of course, made it extra special.

...So three cheers to getting older and having another excuse to celebrate! I love autumn!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-10-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

Charity calls for her "mama" all the time now. It took forever for her to use this word with understanding, but now I'm loving it.
Going to the pumpkin patch this week really was fabulous. Plus I got three very unique pumpkins for our outside entryway.
Finally, I got to complete my festive fall decor for the season. Decorating feeds my soul!
John and I have been enjoying watching a lot of "I Love Lucy" this week. We're currently watching the season that covers their European trip, which contains some of the best episodes written!
It was a warm week, but I'm optimistic because the forecast for all next week is in the 70's and cloudy... yay for fall weather!
John watched Charity for three different mornings this week and let me sleep in. What a darling... it was wonderful!
This Sunday's church service was really great. Everything from the sunday school hour to the main service... God gave me a good dose of truth that I really needed to hear, and it's always great to walk away from a Sunday feeling encouraged and challenged.
Yesterday I also enjoyed the smell and sound of the rain falling. I know I won't be excited about rain in a few months, but right now, it is really cozy and refreshing!
Made chicken chowder on Saturday -- a family favorite... and I get to enjoy the left overs tonight! Yay for yummy left overs!
We had a great youth leader meeting at our home after church. I hope our awesome volunteers felt as encouraged as I did after our time together.

Why I Am In Love With Autumn: Reason #2

2010-10-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

The Colors!!

No need to mention that oranges and reds and golds are among my all-time favorite colors on the spectrum anyway. I love to dress in beautiful warm colors, I love to decorate with them, I love just about everything that has to do with these delicious hues.

The colors of fall speak warmth and coziness to our psyche. These colors make me comfortable. I love driving down the street and seeing all the colors of the changed leaves. Hues of fiery orange, rich goldenrod, warm cinnamon, and deep burnt red... it's like nature's poetry.

I especially love orange. To some it's an ugly color, to others it's extremely trendy. But I love it so much that I actually have walls in my living room and kitchen painted a rusty orange, I follow a whimsical blog called "How About Orange", and every fall season I like to invest in some wonderful orange accessory. Two years ago it was a fabulous fiery scarf, last year it was a great new orange top. This year, as my budget is penny-pinching, it was a simple, fabulous bottle of shimmery orange nail polish.

Perhaps the color of autumn will inspire you this season as well! So wrap yourself in warmth, and enjoy these rich hues of nature before the sting of winter takes them away.

Not Every Day Can Be a Good Day

2010-10-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days. Sometimes my hard work as a mom doesn't feel all that appreciated. I suppose, however, that I cannot blame that on my 19-month old. It was yesterday that Charity decided to literally bulldoze everything she came in contact with, thus destroying my clean home (it's a wonder it ever stays somewhat neat around here!) And whenever she was removed from the area that mommy wasn't okay with, she would wine and tantrum. Lovely.

While naptime is usually a welcomed relief from days like this, yesterday's nap did not provide much relief, as she only napped for 50 minutes as opposed to her usual 2 hours, thus resulting in a tired and fussy toddler on top of the whining wrecking ball that I already had. Joy.

I realize motherhood and parenting in general cannot be filled with perfect days and angel-like children... in fact, those days are the rare ones. This truth doesn't alter the fact, however, that those less-than-perfect days make me want to cry and hide in my room for the entire afternoon, pretending that I am not a mother. This is even more the case while enduring pregnancy = a tired, sore body and raging hormones.

I can say that there was at least a pleasant intermission to my toddler's "off-day" when daddy came home and we took a trip to the Pumpkin Patch. That place truly delighted her...

Of course, her delight in the Pumpkin Patch also meant her utter disapproval and breakdown upon leaving. So for a short hour of my day, I got some relief from my emotional child, then it was back to mood swings and whining.

It's all a part of a parent's day-to-day, I realize. Days like this cause me to seek the wisdom of Solomon who wrote, "Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools" (Ecc. 7:9). It's far easier to get provoked and angry, even if it's towards a toddler who is just trying to learn the ways of her world while making a mess of things. Instead in response I must lean on the Holy Spirit for that fruit of patience which he promises, and attempt to not be a "fool" of a mother. Lord, grant me strength.

So far today, Charity has been a bit more pleasant... I'll pray it lasts, and be thankful for the trade-off.

Charity's Fall Photo Shoot

2010-10-12T16:28:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun getting fall family photos last week.

Here are some of the cutest ones.

For a more complete album, check out my facebook pictures here.

yay! fall leaves!

My lil' punkin

"Where's Baby Brother?..."

"...There he is!"

The winning family photo!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-10-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

This week truly has been a wonderful one. It's October, which means pumpkins and fall in full swing... hurray! It's been eventful right up to this last weekend as well.... So allow me to recall the week's best...

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

All day Monday, I was able keep the windows open, never turn on our AC and enjoy the fresh fall air blowing through our house.
All day Tuesday, I was able keep the windows open, never turn on our AC and enjoy the fresh fall air blowing through our house.
...All week long, I was able to keep our windows open, and enjoy the fresh air.... hurray for saving on electricity all week!!
Last Monday was the first "cool" day we had seen in months, I celebrated by making my first batch of apple cider of this year... I now feel like fall is officially in season!
I made my very own chicken stock for the first time ever this week. It was awesome to have the pot simmering away all afternoon... all the chicken, veggies, and herbs cooking made the house smell like a holiday feast!
This has been another good week in the kitchen. I am loving cooking regularly again and expressing my creativity in this way while enjoying it with my taste buds.
We went to Picture People this week and got some great family photos. I'll make a post of some of these pics soon... or you can find them on my facebook album as well.
I got a start on my fall decorating this week! Decorating is so energizing and theraputic for me.
Yesterday at church was amazing: John had the privilege of baptizing 9 different individuals, and a total of 7 people made first time decisions for Christ... an amazing day for the kingdom!
Yesterday after church. John and I went out with some of our youth students and had wonderful Chipotle for lunch and then we topped it off with a first time tasting of a deep fried Snickers bar from Hotdog on a Stick at the mall... fried chocolate: so bad for you; but oh so good!

Why I Am In Love With Autumn: Reason #1

2010-10-07T00:15:00.000-07:00

The WEATHER.
Not too cold, just cool, crisp and refreshing. Ah, the weather of fall.

Can I just say, we have had such a long and hot summer here in sunny Visalia, and I have been dying for it to feel like fall for quite some time now. This week I finally got my wish, and it has been oh so fabulous-o.

There are so many reasons to appreciate the weather that comes with fall. Anytime the season changes and the weather alters, it puts me in a good mood. I think God intended it this way. Change is good for the human soul. You gain a sense of renewal. With cooler fall weather comes a change in wardrobe, a change in atmosphere, and a change of the smells in the air. I love the crispness of it all. I love the sweet smell that a cool autumn rain will bring (such as the aroma that I am currently enjoying out my window). I love the cleansing zing that you get from breathing in that cool morning air you can only get this time of year. And there is nothing like that chilly, refreshing breeze that runs through the air, licking your hair.

In addition, going along with my love of fashion, with the drop in temperature comes the opportunity to wear cozy sweaters and my all-time favorite accessory: scarves. I truly have a scarf fettish. I have dozens of them hanging in my closet for every occasion. So you can imagine my delight at finally being able to adorn some of these little beauties.

When it's cooler outside, it makes you want to bundle up inside. Light a fire, have something hot to drink in your favorite mug, curl up in your fuzziest blanket. And then, let the sounds of wind whipping or rain pattering or leaves rustling soothe your soul. Nothing beats that atmosphere. I am a sucker for the comfortable and the cozy.

Ah yes, there is nothing quite like the weather that accompanies this season: Pleasant and serene while having a bit of bite!

So Many Weeks of Wonderful...

2010-09-26T23:58:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't been as consistent on these Sunday posts as I used to be; let's just say life has gotten busier since the summer ended. But that doesn't change the fact that I still have so much to be grateful for and so many wonderful moments worth remembering. As the weeks have run together, this time I am simply going to create my list of little blessings from an array of things over the last several weeks. Hope it gives you reason to find joy in your current life as well!

Ten Things That Made the Past Weeks Wonderful:

I have really enjoyed my time in the kitchen the last few weeks, so much baking and cooking going on in that kitchen... it's wonderful!
Charity literally makes me laugh every day. She lights up my life.
Lately I have been extremely thankful for certain qualities in my husband and my marriage: I really love that we are so like-minded. I am thankful that we both graduated from the same school and that we both share the same theology in our thinking and the same philosophies of ministry. It's so refreshing to be able to look at life and appreciate it, knowing that your partner shares the same perspective and appreciations. I am so blessed.
Last weekend, I went on a women's retreat; one of the best I have ever been on! It was so refreshing! Our speaker was amazing, worship was fabulous, and I really enjoyed being able to get away on my own for the first time without husband or baby. (Plus, I have an amazing husband who took care of my little girl while mommy was gone getting refreshed... once again, what a great guy!)
I bought a new book! I am still yet to begin reading it as I am in still in the middle of The Hole in our Gospel (which I am loving, by the way), but I am eager to soak up its information. It's called Kitchen Table Counseling by Muriel Cook of Multnomah University.
Fall has officially begun! It may not feel like it yet, as the weather has been forecasted to go over 100 this week, but my calendar verifies that indeed, fall has begun!
This past week, our family was able to have a truly unique and treasured experience, we took my Grammy and mother to Disneyland. Now, John and I may go to Disneyland all the time, and my mom goes rather frequently as well, but my precious 88-year old Grammy had not been in nearly 15 years, and it was such a memorable treat to have four generations together at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Last night, I made the most scrumptious pear-walnut dressing to top our salad of greens.... it was truly exquisite, and so exciting to make something that tasted so stinking great. You can find the recipe here. The only changes I made was that I used olive oil because grapeseed oil was too expensive, and I added a little white wine to the pan to sweeten it up even more.... YUMMY!
I got two huge bags of hand-me-down clothes from my sister this week for Charity. This is awesome because she has totally outgrown most of her current wardrobe... yeah!
Tonight was our church's annual Western Night. Fabulous BBQ food, chili cook-off, great desserts, and all kinds of fun cowboy related activities, plus live bluegrass music! We know how to have some good old-fashion fun at Parkside. :)

So much more has happened in the last several weeks that I can rejoice about, but this was just a smattering of things for you. Hope you all have a fabulous week ahead! Count your blessings!

I'm Becoming Betty Crocker

2010-09-17T01:16:00.000-07:00

I guess my nesting hormones have taken over, or something. I think I also am constantly craving tasty baked goods. Not to mention I'm always looking for another creative outlet.

I've always enjoyed time spent in the kitchen, but lately I've been on a baking kick set into over-drive. I just finished a cookie marathon practically, and in the last month I can't even begin to tell you how many different baked treats I've pulled out of my oven. Just a few weeks ago I made an orange pound cake, followed by two loaves of my very first attempt at bread: Apple Blueberry Zucchini Carrot Bread (sounds ridiculous and overloaded, I know, but it was scrumptious!), and then it was a batch of scones and a round of croissant rolls.

But get this -- In less than a week, I've whipped up over four different types of cookies! Yesterday alone I made two of the four. What has come over me? I got so excited about making cookies, that I started giving batches away to the neighbors and people at John's office. You'd think it was the holidays at our house. Yes, the nesting hormones are in strong and baked sweets is my latest pregnancy indulgence, I guess.

Though I must admit, I am also very impressed with myself. I managed to achieve all that baking while parenting my ever-busy 18-month old toddler (who is a bit of bull dozer to everything in her path right now). Not only that, but I still have the tenacity to don my apron again next week. I have two more baked treats in my queue: Fruity Strawberry Bread and Savory Palmiers.... and sometime next month I'm already planning on pulling out my famous fall-time dessert of Apple-Pear Crisp. Needless to say, this drive encouraged me to think that if I can be in the kitchen all day on my feet while pregnant and still enjoy myself... somehow (though I know the two aren't really related)... I'll figure out how to juggle being mommy to two tiny munchkins. Everyone says it's going to be hard, and I don't doubt it.... but I know I can do it too.

So, out all of this big baking extravaganza, I figured I ought to at least share with you my favorite creations. It comes down to two: Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies, and Strawberry Rosemary Scones. These two treats are so unique, yet wildly delicious. I know what some of you may be thinking, "Earl Grey Tea... in a cookie? Strawberry and Rosemary... do those even go together?" ...But I can't even begin to tell you how good both of these are! Both of these recipes I got from Food Network chefs and you can even watch videos of them being made on the Foodnetwork website. Both are also insanely simple. Perfect treats for a tea or a brunch or just for whenever...

Click on a link to make one of these bad boys!

Earl Grey Shortbread Cookies
Courtesy of Claire Robinson

Strawberry & Rosemary Scones
Courtesy of Giada De Laurentis

Eye Candy... For my creative soul!

2010-09-15T16:17:00.000-07:00

So I'm an interior design junkie, and I love anything with beautiful textiles and fabrics. Today I was surfing the internet for some curtains for our baby boy's room, and while these are nothing near what I am looking for for that purpose, I stumbled upon some photos on this delightful little blog called "Covered in Curtains", and I just had to share them with you.

I mean, come on, isn't that just a feast for your eyes?? I love the modern Indian vibe that both of these designs lend as well as the vibrant colors.

...It's just this kind of decadent stuff that gets my creative soul yearning!

My Old Stomping Grounds...

2010-09-11T16:59:00.000-07:00

Every year when September rolls around, I find myself remembering what it was like to go back to school and attend Simpson each fall. I think enviously of all the 20-somethings moving back into their dorms and starting up a new class schedule. Then my heart begins to ache, and I am reminded of how much I miss being a college student.

This morning I woke up thinking about Simpson. How could a single location come to hold so much meaning and value to me?

My husband wrote a great blog post on his reminiscing of Simpson back in January. Especially if you're a Simpson alum, it's worth a read: "Missing a Season"

I had a high school history teacher once tell our class that college was the best years of his life. Thinking that sounded strange, I had no idea what he meant. I now can fully empathize with that teacher's statement. Please understand, it's not that I would trade it back for the life I have now, because believe me, my life is pretty darn fantastic. I have experiences and joys now that I could never posses while being an undergrad. But in a sense, the same is true in reverse. There were certain joys and experiences that I didn't realize I would only posses as an undergrad.

I miss that my closest friends lived down the hall or across campus, and it took only moments or minutes for me to see them. I miss sitting in a classroom where my mind was challenged to think about concepts that were beyond anything I had ever considered before. I miss engaging in discussions with my professors and classmates over issues of theology or how our western culture of Christianity and ministry can negatively affect the other cultures that we attempt to reach. I miss being challenged to consider a faith that was different than the one I was raised with, but richer and more profound than I could have ever imagined. I miss sitting down with a Biblical text, and dissecting every word and meaning -- looking up the original Hebrew and studying the cultural context of the passage and the story of the author -- which would cause me to discover something completely new out of a passage I had read over a hundred times before. I miss reading a book that would enlighten my intellect and sharpen my faith. I miss going to chapel three times a week where when I worshipped the Lord, I could do so so freely that whether I was out loud and passionate, or reclusive and private, it didn't matter because every other student in the auditorium wanted to experience God in the same personal way. I miss dorm life. I miss dorm meetings, outings, and activities. I even miss dorm check ups where your room had to meet the clean standard of the floor RA. I miss studying with peers as well as late night worship sessions with them. And even if the food wasn't always spectacular, I miss that for three meals a day I could share eating with friends and peers around a table in a buzzing cafeteria.

When we graduated, I remember several of my friends (including myself) saying that we thrilled that we would finally be able to direct our own schedule. But frankly, sometimes I think we're worse at directing our own schedule than having someone else do it for us. I miss the daily grind. There was something comforting about knowing exactly what to expect and where I needed to be each day and what was required of me. It was satisfying to know exactly what I needed to accomplish each day, and to know that when I achieved that, I could be content with my performance for that 24 hours. I miss the routine. The predictability.

My life today is far from predictable. Life raising a toddler and dealing with pregnancy at the same time dispenses plenty of unexpected, but thrilling, turns of events. And while I used to think that real independence came after college, I'm pretty sure I had more time to myself then than I may ever have now. Aside from the fact that I'm sure I'd be totally lost if I attempted to re-enroll in Simpson classes again, that season is one that no longer fits my life... and miss though I do, I know it's not suppose to fit my life now anyway. It was a preparation ground, not a long-term lifestyle. Sometimes I hate admitting that, but it's true.

That being said, I certainly have to be grateful for the preparation... for my life today wouldn't be where it is without my time spent at Simpson. So may this be an ode to the place and season that will always hold a treasured place in my heart, and warm memories from my past... thank you, Simpson, for giving me my today!

Anxious for Autumn

2010-09-08T19:34:00.000-07:00

Crisp, crunchy leaves, scarves and sweaters, pumpkin patches and hay rides, hot apple cider and homemade applesauce, warm colors and rich smells...

...I have never been more ready for the season of fall to begin as I am this year. Maybe it's the pregnancy hormones, maybe it's the need for a change, but the anticipation is so intense, it's literally making me bonkers.

I love the fall season; everything about it and everything that it brings. It is my favorite season of the year (save for that short month of December in which we celebrate Christmas). Some of the best food comes in the fall. The fragrances are the most delightful. The colors that are attributed to fall -- rich oranges, deep reds and browns, golden yellows -- they are all my favorite colors on the spectrum as well. And I love busting out fall fashion and wearing cozy sweaters and dawning my scarves. Just the warmth and festiveness that comes this time of year makes my heart dance and my soul sing!

It's been a long summer. A long, hot summer. And finally... FINALLY ...a glimmer of hope. The weather forecast today finally reported temperatures in the lower 80's. I'm ready to see the trees change into their autumn attire. I want to begin making my famous apple cider and take Charity to the pumpkin patch.

I think part of all this anxiousness comes from the fact that I am already experiencing some discomfort in this pregnancy, and I want my favorite time of year to hurry up and get here so I can enjoy it while I still have some mobility and am not completely miserable yet. I'm nervous that I'm going to be in physical agony a lot sooner this time around.

So, I know that Labor Day is suppose to be that sort of last celebration to bid summer fair-well...
...I'm ready to ring in autumn.

Little Things That Make Disneyland Wonderful

2010-08-30T22:54:00.000-07:00

So, I know I've been sort of slacking lately on my "Week of Wonderful" posts, so this week I figured I could change it up a bit. Last week, we took our little blooming family to Disneyland, one of mine and John's favorite places, and it's hard not to fall in love with the magic of this place, so, I figured that I would list out some random reasons -- outside of the obvious -- for why I think Disneyland is so wonderful...

Ten Things That Make Disneyland Wonderful:

I love that when I walk down Mainstreet, I get to enjoy the music of Music Man, Oklahoma!, and Hello Dolly.
The best corn dogs in the world can only be found at the small fire truck on Mainstreet.
I love how Mickey can give kisses and wiggle his nose when saying hi to little kids.
The Ragtime pianist is probably one of my favorite street performers in Disneyland.
Even if it's not worth paying for it, you can't beat the smell when you walk by the churro and popcorn stands in the park.... I guess they do that on purpose!
Disney cast members treat each guest as if they are their most special visitor.
Besides Hawaii, the Dole Pineapple Whip (which is incredible) in Adventureland is one of the few places you can find this most refreshing and delightful dessert treat!
Disney is the master of details, for instance, the trash cans throughout the park match each individual land they are located in.
The Baby Care Center on Mainstreet is one the finest family services the park has to offer. The spot is a haven from tired feet and little tears. It provides a private nursing room, nice changing room, high chairs, a quiet play area, and some of the nicest cast ladies in the park you will ever meet.
It isn't a complete trip to Disneyland without finishing it off with ice cream. It may just be Dryer's ice cream, but when it comes from Disneyland, somehow, it's just better.

I'm sure I could have listed at least 20 things I love about Disneyland, but we'll stick to my list of ten for now. And, as a P.S., I have to give honorable mention to California Adventure Park's new evening show, "World of Color" it is worth every minute waiting for a fast pass or every penny spent on a meal ticket to see this extraordinary feast for the eyes. It's like the water show at the Bellagio meets all the magic and innovation that Disney has to offer.... truly spectacular!

A Message To My Baby

2010-08-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Dear Baby,

Yesterday, we got to meet you on the ultrasound machine, and guess what?? We found out that you are a boy! Your daddy and mommy were so surprised and so excited! Last week we went to see a friend who is a sonogram tech and when she looked at you, you were very shy, but she thought maybe you were a girl, so when we found out that you were a boy it was such a nice surprise! Your daddy got especially excited. He asked the technician, "Are you sure? Really?!" several times. We are so happy to have a son, baby, and we are so excited for Charity to have a little brother!

The best part, though, was simply that we got to see you in there. We got to see you moving and we got to watch you wave your hands and see that miraculous spinal chord that always takes my breath away. God is such a miracle worker that you are just perfectly growing there inside me! I don't know how He does it, but I love Him for it... and I love you!

Now comes the fun of buying blues and greens, ball caps and polo shirts, toy trucks and trains. What a change to our family having a little man in it will bring! We cannot wait to have you a part of it!

To put the icing on the cake, today was the first day I felt you kick! Thanks for saying hello!

Love,
Mama

To read more posts like this, check my pregnancy blog here: http://dearbabyhinton.blogspot.com/

And my blog of letters to Charity here: http://dearcharity.blogspot.com

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: How I stay hydrated in Visalia's 100+ degree summer weather

2010-08-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, this is an "Ordinary to Extraordinary" post you are going to just love! Are you ready for this?
Water.
Yep. I'm going to make ordinary, every day water into something extraordinary and fabulous. Didn't think it was possible to do that? I aim to pleasantly surprise you. Let's face it, plain old water is pretty boring. I know "they" say you should drink eight glasses of water a day, but frankly, I have a hard time consuming so much of such a boring beverage. This amped-up version of H20 at least helps me get closer to that elusive eight glasses. Not only that, but this is an excellent and healthy way to serve a beverage the next time you have guests.

I originally got this idea from my mother, who is a master at making simple things special, but I have come to find that there are a myriad of varieties that you can make of this water. And I literally make a pitcher of this several times a week... sometimes just so I can have something refreshing to drink while I'm around the house. So, I'll start with my favorite version, what I call "Fruit Water".

Start with a simple, clear glass pitcher. You'll want to show this off!
Choose from a variety of fruit options. I always use citrus. Some of my faves:

orange
lemon
lime
strawberries
raspberries
blackberries
kiwi
peaches
apple
grapefruit

You can use any or all of these fruits. Or just try one or two on their own! Get creative with your own combination.
Keep it visual. Slice the citrus into big discs. The strawberries are best sliced so that they are in triangle shapes. Leave things like raspberries and blackberries whole.
Add your water and ice.
I recommend letting the water sit for a little while before serving so that the flavors of the fruit really have a chance to infuse the water. You may even want to chill it in the fridge for a while.

Now, that's my standard "Extraordinary Water" recipe. But check out these other ideas!

Cucumber Water Herb Water

Cucumber gives the water a crisp, fresh taste. And for herb water, you can use several different types of herbs. I actually love to add basil to the fruit water when I have it. You can also use mint or rosemary. Or what about this for a combo: Lemon, cucumber, rosemary, and mint! ...See how limitless your options are for having AMAZING water?! Who knew water could be so exciting? Maybe you even have your own ideas on how to make your water special. I would love for you to share!

Whatever you do, now you can go and enjoy nature's most life giving source more than you ever have before!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-08-15T23:44:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been behind on these. Life has been busier than I anticipated, and a head cold to boot hasn't been the best at keeping me on task, but the point of this week is not to complain about my cold or busy schedule, but to talk about how great this week was!

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

John and I decided to try out the free Netflix one-month trial this week, and I think we're already hooked. Having the unlimited online movies to instantly watch makes us feel like we just gained a massive personal movie library.
I'm slowly starting to feel the movement of the baby in my womb! It's such a miraculous sensation.
On Friday we get to meet our little bun in the oven and find out if Charity is having a baby brother or a baby sister! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it.
Charity is learning new words and concepts every day! It's is insanely fun to watch. My favorite is when she says in her tiny sweet voice, "wraawwk..."(rock) -- and she bobs her head from side to side.
It hasn't been as nearly BLISTERING hot this week as it usually is in Visalia. I think that adds to the wonderfulness this week for sure! Yay for ninety-degree weather!
On Thursday, my friend Sherry (who is the Martha Stewart equivalent in her baking and culinary skills at our church), brought by the most scrumptious loaf of homemade blueberry zucchini bread. I'm not even a zucchini fan, but this bread is delish!
One of my dearest friends in all the world got married on Friday. I am beyond happy for her. (The only thing that is not wonderful about that is that I wasn't able to be there to witness the wonderful wedding event)..... Congratulations Jessica and David!
We took a family outing to Fresno yesterday and went to Chevy's for dinner. Chevy's was my favorite restaurant in Redding, so any trip out to Chevy's to enjoy their endless homemade tortillas and crispy flautas with jalapeno jelly is a fabulous day! Also when we were in Fresno we went to the Disney store in the mall, where Charity fell in love with Pooh Bear...
We had a youth leader meeting after church today. I always enjoy hosting our volunteers at our home. I hope we can give back to them as much as they give to us.
Topping off the week was our family popcorn and movie night tonight. John got an air-popper a while back, and we decided to break it in tonight. Look at the fun we had:

Finally!

2010-08-11T14:02:00.000-07:00

...A mascara that does what I want it to do!

I know this post may seem a bit trivial -- talking about mascara of all things -- but make-up is an important part of the average female's daily regime and it plays a big role making a woman feel beautiful and feminine, an important quality to possess by almost every busy mother... Therefore, I simply must take a moment to say how much I love this mascara! I finally broke down last week and bought myself one of these $7 tubes, but let me say... I've done trial and error with many a mascara product, and this one finally delivers.

Lash Blast mascara by Cover Girl does what its commercials promise. It gives your lashes volume, and it does so without clumping. I can layer as little or as much as I want onto my lashes, and it doesn't get goopey, just nice and full. And with each stroke, it adds volume, so you can control how bold you want your lashes to look that day. It has a great brush for application, too.

One other thing I liked about this stuff is that it didn't take a week of getting used to how this mascara applies without it looking messy until you've broken it in. It may be one of the pricier mascaras out there, but it's a big tube... you get your money's worth!

So, if you're like me, and you are always looking for that perfect mascara, but you keep coming up short, this one may fit your bill. ...That's my commercial for the day.

Common

2010-08-07T09:34:00.000-07:00

"Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?"

Romans 9:21

We all want to be the piece of pottery made for noble purposes, don't we? I think somewhere in our pride we think that we must be God's prized piece.... and, "Oh the plans God has for you!". Not to negate that. God's plans for you are perfect and prosperous. We are assured of this in Jeremiah 29.

...But what if I am only designed for common use? Is that so bad? Isn't the pottery needed for every day, common tasks just as necessary as those designed for nobility?

What if all I accomplish in this life is simple. What if all I do by the day the last page is written is to have loved my God well, respected and devoted my love to my husband, and to have been a consistent mother who reared her children to be decent members of society and lovers of Jesus? ...What if? There is something noble left in that. Even if I never take part in something that is seemly glamourous/great/noble in the eyes of man. If I never lead more than three people to Christ, or change the motivations of an entire generation, or stop the sex trade, or become a renouned author or great influencer..... Even if I have just been made for common use. The fact that I was made for use for the Creator is noble enough... isn't it?

....Just my thoughts for the morning...

Missing Something?

2010-08-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

The last few days Charity and I have been sick, and John has been recovering from jet-lag... thus, putting me a little behind in posts.... i.e. no "Week of Wonderful" for last week. ...But I assure you, it WAS a wonderful week! It included John coming home from Taiwan, and us getting to meet our beautiful 4-week old niece over skype. Not bad, I'd say, even if that was all that happened.

Should have a book review and a "Making the Ordinary Extraordinary" coming up in the next several days... if I keep my act together. :)

A Week of Wonderful

2010-07-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

Man, it's been a while since I've written one of these! The lame part is, almost every Sunday that has gone by since the last Week of Wonderful post I wrote has had me thinking about that week and what I could write.... it just took me this long to do it! :)

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful

What started out as a week that I dreaded because I was going to be alone, has turned into a jam-packed week of visiting with friends and getting projects done around the house. What a great feeling!
I have really enjoyed having the car all to myself this week. Being only a one-car-family, I am rarely the one who winds up with the vehicle, so it has been nice to have a little more independence and go out when I want to.
On Monday, I took Charity to the park down the street where we ran around and played in the grass. We met a young mom and her two year old son while were there; maybe I'll get to see them there again!
John's first several days in Taiwan with the team have already been encouraging and God is beginning to answer prayer as they minister.
I am so thankful for modern technology -- I've been able to talk to John twice a day via video chat. If I can't see him in person, at least I get to see him on the computer screen.
Did I mention that talking on the video chat with John is absolutely free?? You would have never seen that ten years ago.
It is so precious to watch Charity figure out how to interact with her dad on the computer. She came up with a way to play peek-a-boo with him by hiding from the screen and popping up with a big smile on her face. It had both John and I rolling.
I made homemade pineapple grilled salsa with a girlfriend the other day. Then we went to a barbecue together where Charity got to play on the playground. Such fun!
Every night (except for tonight cause it's all gone), I have been able to enjoy a delightful dish of my favorite ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough, before going to bed. It's the little things.
I'm super jazzed because today our dear friend Rick came over to help me out by installing a big shelf in my laundry room, and was Mr. Fix-it for a few other odds and ends. Having that shelf in there makes a world of difference, and I am FINALLY able to organize my laundry room the way I've wanted to... HURRAY!

The Last Month and a Half

2010-07-24T01:22:00.000-07:00

The hiatus is over... "Hello Blog-world, I'm back!" While it's been fun vacationing from the internet and not feeling tied to down to facebook status updates or blog posts and the like, my craving for expression and the recognition that I want to continue my journey towards self discovery has returned, and I miss my blogging days. I realize it has been quite a while (particularly for someone who blogged two or three times weekly minimum). I only hope those who actually have been faithful readers have not lost hope in me. I was not gone for good. No. This summer has simply brought anticipated yet uncontrollable hectic-ness into our lives and the last thing I wanted to fret about was wether or not my blog news was current.

Alas, the last month and a half has been amazing and crazy. Camp seems like a millennia ago, and though August is around the corner, I am beginning to wonder if fall can get here any sooner. And in less than two months, my little girl has already blossomed and changed into a small person who is discovering how to interact with her world more and more each day. Her face brightens the gloom out of any day.

Our two weeks of youth summer camp were both fabulous and very challenging. ...An experience I enjoyed, but may not repeat. At least not for a couple of years. While Charity loved watching all the kids play, kicked her feet in the pool and enjoyed experiencing candy and ice cream for the first time (thanks to the generosity of our students!), the eating, napping, and all around put together schedule that we had at home was completely out the window. This made for a very long and tiring two weeks in the Redwood forest.

Since camp, John has been out of town twice. Currently, he is more than out of town; he is out of the country. He is now four days into his two-week ministry trip to Taiwan with five other individuals from our church. If you are interested in following their journey or knowing how you can pray for them, check out their facebook fan page here. If you are a facebook member, be sure to "like" the fan page so that you can get the updates. On the page you can also view the daily videos that John is posting, which are so fabulous to watch because we actually get to witness a bit of what they are doing in another country as they do it.

...This means that I'm doing the single-mom thing until the end of the month. It's been a little rough being alone with raging pregnancy hormones on the lose, but I've actually survived quite well. Originally I was going to go up to Sac and stay with my parents, as I often do, but it has turned out to be nice to exercise a little independence here at home and attempt to tackle some of my many projects around the house. I'm also blessed to be able to use the wonders of modern technology to video chat with John every morning when I wake up and he goes to bed, and every evening when I am eating dinner and he is eating breakfast. It's pretty amazing to even see Charity interact with Daddy on the screen. Technology today certainly has it's curses, but this is something I count as blessing.

Now that I'm back into the swing of things, I want ensure my faithful readers (and even those who read only occasionally) that I am back into full gear with lots of great blog posts lined up. Including: a book review, more thoughts on parenting and pregnancy, weeks of wonderful, and several great topics of "Making the Ordinary Extraordinary". Be on the lookout for Ordinary to Extraordinary posts on picture hanging, jarred tomato sauce (with a twist you may not expect), and even H2O (who knew?!)

I'm happy to be back in the blogging circut again. Until next time...

"Summertime..."

2010-06-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

"...and the livin' is easy..."

I hear the laughter and squeals of kids playing outside all day long. Girls ride their bicycles up and down our street, and the parks are filled with families. Evenings bring aromas in the air of charcoal and sweet barbecue, citronella and chlorinated pools. Summer is in full swing.

I look forward to the years ahead, when Charity is old enough to experience the thrill of summer, when being out of school is a privilege, and the days are filled with sunscreen and ice-cream sandwiches. I look forward to witnessing the giggles as she and her little brother or sister run through sprinklers and the look of discovery on their faces when we vacation to a new and "exotic land". I look forward to camp outs and movie nights and sunday picnics. Summer is a great time for families.

Summer for our family will be no exception. It is about to get crazy, but I'm actually looking forward to it, and it all starts at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning. At 6 am, John and I leave with Charity for two weeks of youth ministry summer camp, starting with the departure of roughly 20 high school students, and the following week we are bringing up the Jr. Highers. It's going to be wild and fabulous. It will be a first for Charity being in an outdoor environment for such an extended period of time, but I think the timing is opportune as she is walking everywhere and loves to discover. I'm already bracing myself for a potential first skinned knee and new encounters with sunburns or caterpillars. But we're packing lots of sunscreen and first aid, and I've become quite well rehearsed at removing the strange and mundane from her grasp (and her mouth).

July will be packed full as well. John will be gone three weeks out of the month. First for a week performing magic at the Alliance Youth Life Conference in Kentucky and then two weeks later taking three students and two adults overseas to Taipei, Taiwan for a ten day mission trip ministering to the student culture of Ximen Ding, While I am disappointed that I do not get to participate in these exciting events, John's extended absence over the summer probably means I will be spending lots of time with my parents. My regular readers know that those times with my parents are nuggets of gold to me in my life of busy motherhood. And especially in the summer, I'm looking forward more than ever to playing with cousins, splashing in the pool, evening walks in pleasant summer air at dusk, and festive family dinners.

Hopefully when the busyness calms down, John and I can get a little vacation for ourselves as well. Maybe a trip to the coast? Or Disneyland??

It's going to be a fantastic summer! A summer for family.

Oops!

2010-06-09T15:33:00.000-07:00

So much for promising relaxing videos!

Can't believe I didn't check to make sure the Sunrise Earth clips worked before recommending that you take some down time to watch them. Please, go back to my previous Sunrise Earth post now, and watch a video if you want. The clips have been enabled now.

If you really liked these clips you can find more of them on this YouTube Channel. When you are there, simply type "Sunrise Earth" into the channel's search bar.

God and Sunrise Earth

2010-06-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited! I was given some money for Mother's Day from my folks, and last week I used it to order a DVD TV series, "Sunrise Earth". It came in the mail yesterday.

This might sound random initially, but if you have never seen this show on Discovery Channel or HD Theater, it is remarkable. It is produced by the same creators of Planet Earth, but all it is is beautiful sunrises. Nothing else. No narration, no added music, just the symphony of nature in a single location during the waking of the day for sixty minutes. It's like you opened up your window at 5:30 in the morning and looked out over a majestic scene. How perfectly serene.

I came to love this program about two years ago when I started watching it in the morning while doing my devotions and time with God. When I was a teenager, I used to wake up early in the morning in time to watch the sunrise and would sit out on my street with a blanket and a Bible. Not having the energy to rise so early any longer, when I discovered this program it was truly like therapy. One hour every morning, I could sit with a cup of green tea and a bowl of hot oatmeal with my Bible and just meditate in peace. Knowing that some beautiful landscape somewhere in the world was waiting for me to view its dawn was motivation for me to get up every morning and undergo my sacred ritual. This was a holy hour for me. God and I could just be.

It's been over six months since we down-graded our cable package and lost our DVR, which also meant the loss of my beloved daily recordings of Sunrise Earth. So when this DVD set came in the mail yesterday, I was overjoyed. John has been sick all week, so this morning I had to opt out of going back into my Sunrise Earth morning routine so I could take care of him. However, I am eager for tomorrow morning. I have such anticipation!

My daily time with the Lord has been far and few between lately, and I am the kind of person that needs time of quiet reflection. I am very social, but I have always been a person who could be content to just spend time by myself. "I am my own best company," I always say. Since the day we brought Charity home from the hospital, time alone to myself in the quiet of my thoughts is so very rare. Those quiet times are when I can find me again. I have missed soaking them up. So, hopefully something as simple as a DVD will be a valuable tool in helping me spend time with Creator of the sunrise.... as well as gaining a little bit of myself back. ...Looking forward to relaxing reflection and Scripture reading in my near future!

Need ten minutes to just relax? Pick one of these three Sunrise Earth clips and open it to full screen and experience the calming effects of creation greeting the day.

Foothills of Turkey

Cribworks Kayak

Western Ranch

A Week of Wonderful

2010-06-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

Ten Things That Made this Week Wonderful:

I just have to say that I love it when we have a Monday holiday. That always will make a week start out good!
Memorial Day kicked off the week with a bang as we headed down south to spend the evening and a barbecue with our dear dear friends, the Thompson family, down in Yucaipa.
Tuesday we once again spent at Disneyland with some other close friends of ours from here in Visalia, Eric and Amy. Because it's the beginning of the summer at Disneyland, we got to see the fireworks plus Fantasmic -- and so did Charity! She just loved all the beautiful lights! It was so precious!
I love the corn dogs at Disneyland. Hands down the best corn dog I've ever had, and I got to enjoy them twice in one week!
I am truly SO excited about the newest edition to our family this winter. Every day when I think about it, I am just amazed and thrilled.
I am so thankful because this pregnancy has been MUCH easier on me than my previous one. I am very fatigued all the time, but not very nauseated. I will take a little sleepiness over puking any day!
Friday and Saturday involved a dear friend from college coming down for a visit. I love this girl. And we had good times together even if it was short.
We got to hear from excellent missionaries this weekend at our church, Dr. Dave & Becky Thompson, renowned missionaries within our denomination. What a blessing that they came to Visalia!
Charity makes me laugh every day. I am so blessed to have such a joyful child.
Maybe my nesting hormones are kicking in early, but I did a lot of cooking and baking this week! At least, way more than I usually get to these days. Spending time creating something satisfying in the kitchen is very therapeutic to me. Tonight I made one of our family's favorites: Chicken Chowder with Hawaiian bread.... and I'm stuffed!

Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: turning everyday yogurt into something special.

2010-06-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

As promised, though perhaps a bit delayed, here is my first post of "Making the Ordinary Extraordinary", and I'm super excited about this one! It has been an insanely busy couple of weeks, so this is the soonest I have managed to get to this post, but here it goes!

Today I want to tell you all how you can make simple, ordinary yogurt into something special with incredibly minimal effort. Now, I cannot lie, I totally stole this trick from my mother, but it has become a recent staple in my house; I love it that much. I prepare a new batch of this yogurt almost every two weeks, and I just finished my last one, so it's time to create another one. This is what you need:

2 Parts Vanilla Yogurt
1 Part Lemon Yogurt (I like to use yoplait for both)
Orange Zest**
Ground Ginger (to taste)

Pretty much all you do is mix all of these things together, and viola! You have just turned your ordinary yogurt into something extra special! Then just put it in a sealed container and stick it in the fridge and you're good to go for whenever you need it!!

The quantities of ground ginger an orange zest really depend on how much yogurt you use and your taste preference. For example, if I make a small batch of this yogurt, the zest of probably half an orange is just fine, but if I do a larger batch, zest the whole orange. Similarly, when I am using say two containers of vanilla yogurt and one container of lemon, then I usually put in roughly 1/4 tsp of ginger, but I would start with a light sprinkling of ginger and see how you like it. But believe me, this is such a simple recipe that you will use over and over again, I just love this stuff!

**Now, I want to take a minute to comment on the orange zest. I want to speak to those who have never zested anything before... In my few years of cooking, I have found that for whatever reason, some people tend to be really intimidated by zesting. I think it appears fancy and complicated, maybe even a little unnecessary. Let me tell you, all of these concerns couldn't be farther from the truth! Zesting a piece of citrus fruit is just like grating cheese!... and we've all done that before, haven't we? It really works best if you have a handy-dandy zester tool like a microplane grater (pictured right). But if you don't have one of these, simply use the fine side of your box grater. The only other thing to keep in mind is that when you zest the skin of your orange, you are only skimming the surface! You don't want to grate off the white pith, as this part of the fruit is bitter. But believe, me, this little touch is so worth it, and you will find that you will soon be using your zesting skills in all kinds of cooking! (Try a little lemon zest in chicken or over your green beans, for example). In fact, it is known that there is more flavor in the zest of a citrus fruit than in the juice itself! So don't be intimidated to zest that orange!

Serving Suggestions:

I am surprised at how many things I can add this yogurt to. Aside from simply eating it as a yummy snack, this yogurt has so many uses! It makes a granola and fruit parfait so yummy! Or just try it mixed with fresh berries or fruit--so good! I also love simply drizzling it over some applesauce for an instant, healthy snack. And lastly, one of my favorite things to do is mix this yogurt up with some cottage cheese. I know this may sound strange to some people, but believe me, it is so good. Even if you don't like cottage cheese, you probably will if you try it this way! It instantly becomes a rich and creamy treat that is so good for you too!

Alright friends, hope you enjoy whipping up your yogurt and surprising the world over with just how easy it is to make something so seemingly plain, so very fabulous! Enjoy!

Life is good.

2010-06-03T01:02:00.000-07:00

My house is a disaster. Truly a mess. This discourages me. Atmosphere does a lot to affect my mood. It can literally put me at great peace or send me whirling into a pathetic depression. Perhaps this is why I have such a passion for interior design. In addition to my disaster of house, Charity is getting sick. I've been listening to her snore through her congested little nose for the last hour. Poor thing. We've been traveling literally all week long, and I am finally home sitting on my couch, and I am exhausted.

All these seemingly dismal circumstances could significantly depress me, but the fact is, I count my life truly wonderful: I have a truly beautiful family. I have an insanely loving husband who would do anything for me. My daughter, though currently under the weather, is gorgeous, precious, and healthy... truly my pride and joy. And though it equated in me being utterly spent, I just had a miraculous week that included two trips to Disneyland, time with family, and a barbecue dinner with some of our dear friends down south. My life is good.

If things weren't sweet enough, our future is sweeter. I was thrilled to hear one of the sweetest sounds in the world last Friday. Have a listen yourself...

I'm just eight and a half weeks; due January 7th! We are very excited to be adding a new member to our precious family. Our future is bright; my life is good!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-05-30T23:14:00.000-07:00

It has been a jam-packed, wonderful week indeed! We've been so busy, I never got around to writing any additional posts this week. My optimistic week in revue will show you what I mean...

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

My God is so tenderly gracious with me. Between my constant woes and joys, he proves faithful and kind, gracious and compassionate, patient and abounding in goodness and love. This week, those characteristics of my magnificent God were as evident as ever.
Tuesday started our week of adventure. We dropped off Charity at the home of a church family for a couple of days and left for Southern California. We were able to use John's father's hotel points to stay in a fancy hotel in Anaheim for free.... how fabulous!
Wednesday was mine and John's four year anniversary. I cannot believe I am such a blessed woman that I get to spend each day with someone I am so crazy about. I have a wonderful husband! Here is a picture of our monumental day four years ago:
Our anniversary was spent at the Happiest Place on Earth: Disneyland! What fun we had!
I loved watching little kids and babies all over Disneyland, constantly thinking of Charity while we were there and anxious for the next time that we can bring her along.
John bought me some See's candy for our special day, only my favorite chocolate ever, and I have been enjoying it all week!
We were barely home from our anniversary trip a day, when we packed up Friday afternoon to drive up to Sac for a quick visit at my parent's home. We had a a portable DVD player in the car, so Charity got to watch her prized Baby Einstein show on the way up.... it made the car ride much more pleasant for mommy and daddy!
Even when our visits our short, I always treasure time spent with my family in Sacramento. We got to spend both Friday and Saturday night with both my parents and my sister and brother-in-law and their two girls. They adore Charity, and I love seeing cousins play together!
After church today, we got to make a quick home visit to one of our precious friends, Nikki Hash. She is one of our biggest cheerleaders, and a smile from her can brighten my entire week!
Believe it or not, tonight I am packing for yet another trip down south. Tomorrow morning we leave to spend Memorial Day with some of our best friends in Yucaipa, a small town North of San Diego, and then guess were we're headed again on Tuesday?? -- That's right! Disneyland! This time we're spending it with one of our fellow couple friends, looking forward to doing the magic with them.... and I love being an annual pass holder!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-05-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a week! Alright... let's hone in and find the sunshiny spots...

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

Tuesday night, John had a magic performance at a local college service in town. I was fortunate enough to be in the audience, but the best part is, four young adults met Jesus Christ as their Savior that night!
On Wednesday, Charity decided that she wanted to cuddle with mama. Not normally a cuddly baby, this was such a pleasant and comforting treat! Truly made my week. We enjoyed snuggling on the couch while watching Baby Einstein.
In one week, Charity has gone from hardly walking at all, to walking everywhere. She definitely moves around on her feet at least 75% of the time now; a cute duck waddle... I officially have a toddler!
Another developmental milestone: Charity is starting to use words more! She says "doooow!" (with great inflection) when she wants to watch her "show", and she says "eat" (very gutturally) when she's hungry. I love it! My baby girl is growing up!
I love the $10 gift card that Kohl's sends in the mail! I bought a pair of darling black flats for five bucks thanks to the deal!
John and I had a great time talking theology with some students that came over on Wednesday night.
God is so gracious and patient with me as I beg and plead and ask so many questions. I am so thankful for his kindness and peace in my life.
Yesterday morning, while we were still in our Saturday jammies, we get a surprise knock on the door. It was one of our great friends who had been out of the country for the last three months. We so enjoyed catching up with him and then later we all went out to lunch at Chili's.
This morning, I took Charity to the nursery at church, but skipped out on church myself and went home (I know, it sounds naughty). But it was so therapeutic to have some morning time that was completely quiet. I had a cup of hot tea and dove in the the precious words of God, and enjoyed some encouraging worship music. I think my "church at home" was exactly what I needed this week!
Right after I finish writing this post, John and I are going to watch "The Blind Side". I can't believe it has taken me this long to see it, but I'm really excited about it.

...Alright, friends! TTFN.... I'm off to watch a movie with my hubby!

New Post Series!

2010-05-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

So I've had an idea mulling around in my head for a while now about a new post series concept. I'm really excited about it and eager to get it going to share ideas with you.

I'm calling it, "Making the Ordinary Extraordinary". By nature, I am a creative person and I come from a creative family. I attempt to be creative and artistic in every facet of my life as an outlet, an expression, and even a form of worship and thanks to my God, the ultimate Creative Force, for who he designed me to be. I have found in my short years as a young adult that some people are intimidated by this creativity, and I never understood it completely. I think people feel that they are not capable of being creative, and if they try, they may fail. Therefore, this new post series is a hope to inspire the creative person inside you... Even if you didn't think that person existed! Most of the little tricks I use to make something unique are honestly quite simple. I am not a trained artist whatsoever. I get my ideas from friends, family, something I read or see. So anything from food to decorating, I hope I can pass along some simple ideas from my home to yours that can make the little "ordinary" things in your life "extraordinary".

Look for a future post from this series within the next week!

Baby Proofing

2010-05-19T09:28:00.000-07:00

I know I've mentioned it the last couple of weeks, so I just have to take a moment to put in a plug and mention how much I love these child safety locks. They're called "Tot Loks" and they're by Safety First. They're a little pricey compared to traditional child locks, but believe me when I say, it is so worth the extra money that you would spend on these locks. The installation is a little tricky, but once they are in, they are wonderful! Unlike the traditional push latch, these locks work by magnetically keeping your cabinet door shut. You have a magnetic "key" (that you of course keep out of reach of little hands) that is used to unlock it. This method keeps the doors sealed tight, as opposed to coming partially open where little fingers can get pinched. And the best part is, there is a little lever on the latch that you can use to unlock the cabinet door if you need it for extended use and your cabinet will open like normal. Brilliant, right?

Unfortunately, we had to use the push latch for our drawers, because the magnets don't install properly for these, so it's always a tease for Charity because the drawer comes open about an inch and half. So she can see what's inside that she wants, but she can't get to it! Muwahahaha!

But, seriously, if you are getting ready to proof your house from little fingers, or you know someone who has a rascal on the loose, I couldn't recommend this product more highly. Go out and spend the extra money on the tot loks; they will save your life!

A Week of Wonderful - one day late!

2010-05-17T23:43:00.000-07:00

We lost our internet connection last night, so this week of wonderful is a day late... Hope I didn't bring about any disappointment! It's been a busy week, but I still have optimistic happenings to report!

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

Monday, we left for a pastor's conference in Las Vegas, of all places. I had never been to Vegas before. We were there Monday-Thursday. An excellent speaker, and the time was actually very refreshing.
While in Vegas, we got to hang with some old Simpson friends and fellow youth pastors who are now serving in Hawaii (I know, what a tough job!). It was fun to tour the strip with them and encourage each other in our ministries.
Also at the conference, it was a great opportunity to get to know our children's pastor and his wife better. We got to enjoy a pazookie together at BJ's!
Charity traveled so well! It was a six hour drive, so I'm proud of her! And thanks to the generosity of John's secretary, we had a portable DVD player with us so Baby Einstein came along for the ride!
By Friday, it was nice just to relax and be home.
Our kitchen is finally COMPLETELY baby proofed, as John put latches on the last two drawers on Saturday. Charity was pulling every kitchen utensil out and onto the floor, so it's nice to have that contained finally!
Saturday night we went out to eat at our favorite local restaurant with an out of town guest. At random, one of our high school students offered to watch Charity while we went out. What a nice last minute treat!
I've been on a musical kick all week. It's fun reveling in one of my old passions. So far I've watched Gigi, Hello Dolly, and Funny Girl. I've also been watching youtube videos of my favorite broadway singers at their best, like this one:
Went to the grocery store and bought pita bread and hummus... what a delightful snack!
Charity slept eleven hours last night and took two good naps today... always nice when she decides to sleep well. This means Mama can relax!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-05-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

This week was so excellent, it may be hard to confine it to just ten things! Nonetheless, I shall attempt to suppress my optimism just a bit! :)

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

Topping the list this week is my Tuesday morning. Check out how wonderful this was:
Tuesday night, we got to skype with our very dear friends who live in Redding. It was an awesome conversation with people we miss very much.
John baby-proofed our kitchen this week. It's nice to no longer worry about what Charity is getting into over there.
I ordered a blu-ray movie online for cheaper than the standard DVD. It came in the mail on Thursday. We had fun watching it.
Our friends brought over a Marie Calendar's razzleberry pie for dessert one night, and then let us keep what was left... sweet!
I've been enjoying the leftovers of my curried chicken salad all week!
Because Sunday is a work day for John, we celebrated part of Mother's Day on Saturday morning. I got to sleep in and had breakfast made for me!
My Mother's Day gift "from Charity" was a set of "mommy and me" hair adornments made by my sister (see photo right). If you like them, you should check out her shop on etsy.com.
We played the song portions from the Sound of Music movie for Charity the other night. She really liked listening as mommy and daddy sang the songs to her!
Our youth band lead worship in church this morning, it was really excellent!
(I know, I had to have an eleventh!) My second Mother's Day was wonderful. I love Mother's Day. As mentioned in my previous post, it is swiftly becoming one of my favorite days in the year.

One Year Ago

2010-05-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day, to every woman who has had any part in providing nurturing love to a child. Today is for you.

Last year was my very first Mother's Day. This day has quickly become among my favorite days of the year. Until you become a parent, you never realize the pride and joy that is held in this invaluable role. I love this day not because it's about me, so to speak, but because it recognizes and pays homage to the thing that we mom's do on a daily basis. We preform the self-sacrificing role as mom without giving it a second thought, while it is the one thing in which lies more purpose than we have ever known before. This is a beautiful and gracious quality that the Lord instills in every loving mother.

One year ago, we dedicated our little Charity to the Lord. One year ago, she was so small. One year ago, though she had only been in my life for two months, my tiny little daughter brought me such a sense of satisfaction in my new role as I was thanked and celebrated. I love Mother's Day.

To all the Moms out there: your role in your child's lives can be compared to no one else. Thank you for your commitment to always seeing that your children received the best in everything. If you are not yet a Mother, take the opportunity to do more than give your mom a card or flowers on this day. Recognize the value that she has had in your life, and let her know. I mean really let her know. She is more than deserving of your praise.

To my Mom: Thank you for the prayers, the tears, the sweat, the pain, the joys, the support, and the love that you have poured into my life over the last 27 years. Thank you for committing to be the person that I could always count on. Thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty. I love you more with every year that God grants me. Know that who you are in my life will always be tremendously valued.

I love you, mom.

A Little Too Close to Home

2010-05-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

My husband found this video yesterday. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made think just how close to home this hits. I had to share it with you.

I hope you enjoy the satire...

Curried Chicken Trial

2010-05-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

One thing I miss doing a lot -- it was one of my passions before Charity arrived -- is cooking. I didn't know how to cook more than macaroni and cheese before John and I got married, but determined to learn because of the good example set forth by my mother, I threw myself into every cook book and food network show I could soak up. It didn't take long before I was cooking dinner every night and really enjoying this new creative outlet in which I could be an artist with food!

However, since my pregnancy with Charity (when I was constantly nauseated and food lost all appeal) and now as a full-time mommy, cooking meals on a nightly basis just does not happen much any more, and John has taken over a majority of the cooking (yes, I have a wonderful husband). So, my kitchen and utensils see less of me these days.

Yesterday, however, was a beautiful exception!

Some of you may remember a "Week of Wonderful" post a few weeks ago, that I mentioned eating a wonderful sandwich at a restaurant that was made of curried chicken salad. I liked it so much, that I just knew when I came home I was going to have to attempt to recreate it. Remembering what I could of the sandwich, I referred to several recipes on foodnetwork.com by doing a "curried chicken salad" search on the website, and then I made it my own. It turned out wonderful! I was so pleased with it, I decided I wanted to share the result with you!

Here is the following recipe. It should serve about 4-6. It makes GREAT leftovers. You may find you want to adjust each of the measurements to your personal preference, but this worked for me:

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked, chopped, & cooled
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbs mango chutney (I used Major Grey's)
2 1/2 tbs currie powder
kosher salt and ground pepper to taste (you can use regular salt and pepper, I just like the fancy stuff!)
cayenne pepper (optional) to taste
1 cup - 1 1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1 can water chestnuts, drained, finely chopped

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, chutney, currie powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper (use the cayenne if you like your currie spicy, I just lightly sprinkled it over mine). Mix till smooth. Stir in chicken, dried cranberries, and chopped water chestnuts. (*another optional add: toasted pine nuts!)

Serving Ideas:

Enjoy as a sandwich with a piece of romaine lettuce on....

toasted bread
croissant roll
pita pocket to keep it more middle eastern!

Great with cheese and crackers, plain with a side of pasta or fruit, or however you usually enjoy traditional chicken salad!

Basically, instead of ordinary chicken salad, made with mayo, grapes, and celery, you're adding curry to the mayo and subbing out dried cranberries for grapes and water chestnuts for celery. ...Turning the ordinary into the extraordinary!

A Week of Wonderful

2010-05-02T21:28:00.000-07:00

Admittedly, this week had some rough spots. Nonetheless, there are always positives to be found in every season, ups and downs.

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

Charity has adopted a new kind of crawl I've titled, "The Crab Walk". She still gets around on all fours, but her legs are kept straight and feet flat. It's definitely a laugh out loud sort of sight.
I am SO happy that I now have three bottles instead of two. One extra bottle makes all the difference... Because Charity now only has three bottles a day, I don't have to constantly be washing bottles to keep up.
This WEATHER makes me want to sit outside in the sun with a glass of lemonade.
We went on a double date Friday night with a couple from church. It was awesome to get to know them a little better.
I've enjoyed getting a lot of creative inspiration this week sifting through design blogs, HGtv episodes, and the like. It's energizing!
Yesterday, Charity and I were privileged to spend some time at a precious tea party birthday for a very special 10-year old.
The sweet smell of the orange blossoms in the air here in Visalia is one of my favorite things!
Last night John and I ate at Chipotle. I think I could eat there almost every day of the week.
I got four other blog posts written this week... I feel accomplished in the blog world!
My Dad turned 60 yesterday. I love him so much. I'm so glad he has been the dedicated father I've cherished in my 26 years of life. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Laundry

2010-05-02T12:53:00.000-07:00

It is the bane of my existence. I will be the first to admit that this is the one area where I have utterly failed in my role as a homemaker. If anyone has any advice on how to better tackle this task, I need the help! I hate doing the laundry.

In an ideal world, I would do the laundry on a regular, designated day of the week, and it would be efficiently executed in my clean laundry room and later sorted, neatly folded, and carefully put away into its respective areas that same day. Sadly, more often then not, it winds up in unsorted piles of clean and dirty and unknown scattered around my bedroom. Shamefully, I must digress that these piles of clothes take over our master bedroom in total probably around eight months out of the year (perhaps I'm being generous in alluding that for the other four months of the year, my bedroom is sparkly clean). When surrounded by such a surmounting amount of clothing, it only discourages me more from completing the ever looming task.

In addition, while in the process of organizing our junk-filled garage, we all know that organization projects sometimes require things to get messy before they can get clean. The junk must come in. There was an overwhelming amount of clothing in our garage. So guess where it all is now? Yep. In my bedroom. Thus, I am totally discouraged by the knee-deep levels of garments to go through.

Charity has some sort of rash all over her skin today (unknown cause until we take her to pediatrician tomorrow). Because of this, I figured it best to not expose her to the other children in the nursery, so she and I skipped church this morning. You would think that this would allow for me to have all kinds of extra time to tackle my big laundry chore, but Charity decided to wake up bright and early this morning. So my energy levels for any type of daunting task completion (save for writing a humorous blog about it) has been depleted.

Well, Monday is "suppose" to be laundry day... perhaps I'll be able to see my bedroom floor by tomorrow night. I'm crossing my fingers.

The Wisdom of Dr. Seuss

2010-04-30T01:12:00.000-07:00

Our beloved childhood author had a lot more insight on life than just rhymes and silly riddles. Read this nugget of truth said by the man who brought us Green Eggs and Ham:

“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”

I don't know that Dr. Seuss intended it this way, but I believe this statement says a lot about our thoughts on God, His ways, faith, and theology in general. As finite humans, I so often see us "challenging" God with our list of questions about life that we demand an answer to. I see this especially with the youth that John and I work with on regular basis at our church.

God is an infinite, all-powerful, limitless being that for some crazy reason is enamored with little mankind. His greatness is beyond our human explanation, but somehow we still dare to interrogate his character, his plans, his purposes, because of our lack of understanding. "Dear child," I can imagine Him saying, "If you only could know that these complex questions are really quite trivial. My ways are far more simple than you realize."

I imagine He looks at us the way we look at our own children sometimes when they throw a fit, or teenagers when they get caught up in some form of drama: "Really, this is not worth getting upset over. If you only knew how trivial this was in light of everything else in life. But you can't recognize that because this is all you know at this point. Your experience informs you, and you haven't experienced as much as I have, so you won't understand until the day that you are in my shoes. Then you will look back at the questions you had today and wonder, 'why was I so concerned over that?'..."

...“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.”
- Dr. Seuss

Cheerio Dust

2010-04-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

No. I don't mean that my cereal is getting old. I mean we're at that point where there is more cheerio dust in the bag than whole Cheerios. Don't you hate it when this happens?

We blow through these boxes of cereal pretty quickly in our house as it has become Charity's go-to snack on a regular basis. I guess it's time to get a new box.

Having easy snacks around is critical as a parent of a toddler. I have found that cheese sticks work great too. Super portable! We're also big fans of blueberries here. They're the perfect snack: self-contained, not messy, just wash them n' go... plus they're loaded with antioxidants and babies love them! They're safe to feed by 8 months old, so what's not to like? What has been/was your favorite snack to give your children?

Keeping Perspective

2010-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

So, I've been casually reading a small book since Charity was born called, Finding Your Own Mothering Style by Susan Besze Wallace. A simple little book for new moms, this book is refreshing to read for the amateur parent. Last night I read a chapter that is completely applicable to my current life situation. The chapter is entitled, "Keeping Perspective - The Woman Behind the Mother"... perfect, right?! So descriptive of me at this time in my life. So, I wanted to share with you some quotes from the chapter that I think are either very insightful or very eloquent at describing the emotion toward life that I find myself facing regularly...

"As you cultivate your parenting style and your new community, it's important to remember the you beyond the youngsters. There are plenty of pastimes that may have to wait for less busy times, but its important to find some time for yourself in this era when selflessness is so often required."

I find this to be so very true. I have often told my husband that I have finally begun to understand what true selflessness means as a mom. It's not about me any more. I have had to be completely self sacrificing if I want the best for my child. At times, it has been easy to want to wine about this, but I know that in this case, "the end justifies the means", and in addition it is a great life lesson that Lord is teaching me about self sacrifice.

"My friend Angela went through a time when she felt busy as a mother but lost as a woman. 'I realized I didn't have to give all of me up. I had to step back and say just because I'm not working doesn't mean I have to let go of everything I was,' she said."

...Busy as a mother but lost as a woman... How much I identified with this statement! This fact was the inspiration for my blog!

"Some moms just want the opportunity to talk politics," (or for me, theology) "to feel valued as an individual with thoughts and opinions, or to simply spend a day unslimed by a little person. If this is you, you aren't alone. Find a partner and stimulate those brain cells beyond Elmo. Have a grown up meal with a friend. If you don't desire those things, consider why. It's worth the effort to connect with your God-given dreams because what you have to offer matters profoundly to your family and your community and continues as your children grow."

And for my favorite quote in the whole chapter:

"Over the years I've come to see motherhood as not defining me but refining me. This insight is key to preserving your identity in these early years. You are still who you were before children, but the process of parenting can make you a better woman."

...I can only trust that as the Lord grows me as a mother, I will be that better woman... a better version of Maribeth. Every day, little by little, He refines me more.

A Week of Wonderful

2010-04-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful:

Mon. - Wed. I spent at my mom and dad's house. A place that always feels warm. Comfortable.
It makes me smile to see how much Charity is adored by her older cousins.
Charity has this new expression: She tilts her head back, raises her eyebrows, and gives a half-cheesy grin... she knows it's hilarious, which makes it hilarious.
My husband came back from his conference spiritually charged. --A great thing!
I spent four days with a friend who I rarely get to see. Our time spent together is always special.
This same friend bought Charity some new shoes this week... a girl always needs new shoes, even the little ones! :)
We can park our car in the garage... finally!
I'm on a soup kick: It was Chicken Chowder this week. Yummy!
The rain was good, but I'm glad the sunshine is back!
On Sundays, I always get to give/get hugs from lots of people I love at church.

Beauty for Ashes

2010-04-21T01:32:00.000-07:00

It's amusing how when I am not at home and in a place of respite, I let go a little more. I go to bed later, I eat more cookies, I take naps. ...And I stay up to write blogs! Staying at my parent's home this week allows for this a bit. Two nights ago something wonderful happened because of this temporary life adjustment.

I was up much later than I ought to have been, and I found myself engaged in an online chat conversation with a friend of mine for over an hour. I got a glimpse into this person's life that night. This woman has not had it easy. Her husband suffers severely from diabetes and is on dialysis. His disease dramatically affects their four person family on a daily basis. To learn more about her story, you can follow it on her blog. This is her current struggle, but it is only one in a line up of many over the course of her lifetime. She is one of those people that you can only stand back and be impressed with. But not because she herself is applaudable, but because you realize how amazing God is to carry someone through so much pain and difficulty with such grace. She is strong because God has made her strong. She is joyful because in Christ she has found joy. She is faithful because even in the midst of times when it does not seem fair that one person should endure so much, she knows through the Holy Spirit that the Lord is ultimately sufficient. And this type of courage and grace not only bleeds out of her heart touching others, but you see this spirit flowing throughout the whole family.

We stayed up till almost 3 am talking. And I learned a lot that night. I was reminded that it doesn't matter how significant or insignificant, how painful or how trivial, God cares desperately about the details of our lives, yet how often do we really (and I mean really) lean on this truth? When we live and breathe in faith that He will provide and sustain, pain is not only endured, it is -- somehow -- embraced. What a beautiful thing. He truly does give beauty for ashes.

"God sent me to...

care for the needs of all who mourn... give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit."

Isaiah 61:3, The Message

A Week of Wonderful

2010-04-19T00:53:00.000-07:00

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful

On Tuesday, we went on a double date with a couple to the movies, AND our friend had movie passes so it was a free date!
Wednesday night was special because I had the opportunity to bond with a very special student from our youth group who I love dearly.
Even more progress was made in the garage this week... the end is in site. Hurray!
Charity's sleep habits have been improving this week. Let's hope this is a more permanent pattern.
I made a double batch of broccoli cheese soup. Great dinner; even better left overs!
Spring weather = love love love!!
When Charity babbles, it sounds likes she's engaged in conversation, even though it isn't english! I love it!
My sweet little niece turned two this week! I got to go to her Birthday party yesterday, which was such a delight. Love seeing Charity play with her cousins. And the birthday girl calls me "Uncle Beff" (as opposed to "Auntie Beth") "...and Cherrity too!"
For lunch today I had a DELICIOUS curried chicken salad sandwich on a croissant. I LOVE curry and this was an exciting new way to eat it! In the words of Rachael Ray, "Yum-O!"
As mentioned before, it is always a treat to escape to my parent's home and relax. So I am enjoying my "retreat-ful" weekend.

Feels Like Home

2010-04-17T00:44:00.001-07:00

I'm sitting in the upstairs guest bedroom of my parent's house. This is one of three guest spaces in their home. This place is huge. The very smell of this place is a comfort to me. No, this isn't the house that I grew up in. In fact, I never even lived in this home once. My parents moved into this house just months before I was married.

Maybe it's because my parents live here. Maybe it's because it is still filled with that which is familiar and nostalgic. Maybe it has to do with all the good food that my mom cooks which aromas fill this place. Maybe it is simply because this home is beautiful, elegant, grand, and serene.... But something about this place makes me feel at home.

John is going to be gone this upcoming week at a conference, and it is my precious niece's two-year birthday party tomorrow, so it made for the perfect excuse to bring Charity and mommy up for a visit with the grandparents.

I always love it when I come here. I don't have to worry about housework, and I get to enjoy the wonderful cooking of my mother plus visiting with family and loved ones that I care about. These uncharacteristic additional hours of relaxation that are earned upon each stay here, always allow me the opportunity to have a more meditative spirit; a chance to do some self-reflection. I look forward to these times as well when I will be hanging out with my Heavenly Papa. I'm eager to see what new musings I may come upon while here.

...Will share these upcoming musings before returning home...

Baby Einstein is a mother's best friend.

2010-04-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

What would I do without Baby Einstein? It is the only way I manage to get anything done when Charity is awake and active.

...And to my delight, she loves them! I only hope I don't expose her to too much TV... but you do what you can do, right?

A Week of Wonderful - 1st Edition!

2010-04-11T23:48:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a new tradition for my blog:

Every Sunday, I intend to bring the past week under optimistic review as I list "Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful". I've always been an optimist at heart, but far too often I find myself living in the "what-ifs" and regrets of my past... even if it was just worrying about what I ate for breakfast this morning. Sometimes I need to stop and smell the roses a little more often.

So, welcome to the first...

Ten Things That Made This Week Wonderful

I made the bed three days in a row this week... that's a huge accomplishment!
Charity has grown a special affection for her daddy. It's truly precious to watch.
I got a great start on organizing the garage... it's so energizing!
The spring weather allowed for more walks in the sunshine with Charity this week.
I LOVE eating my homemade granola with berries and milk/yogurt in the morning for breakfast.
In cleaning out the garage, I've been able to dig up old things from my past that I had forgotten about; it's almost like Christmas again!
John and I rented a redbox movie tonight. Can't beat an hour and half of couple time for $1!
Charity is getting better at walking. It's so fun to watch her laugh when she tries to walk to us on her own; it's like a game to her!
The vibrant purple lavender in our front yard makes me grin every time I see it!
God continues to be gracious and patient with me in my everyday worries and struggles this week.

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

Amidst all of the adventure and new occurrences that took place this last week, spring cleaning has begun. This fact makes me both energized and depressed. What is it about sunny, breezy weather that motivates one to put on her working jeans and roll up her sleeves for a date with the dust rag?? It feels good to get organized and blow off the cob webs, but I am overwhelmed by all that I want to complete and discouraged by the fact that I need to accept that some of it just might not get done. It's simply not possible to get into a good cleaning groove when it is constantly being interrupted by my sweet Charity. Nonetheless, I have to make the most of every nap and quiet play time so I can get some of the busy work done.

I actually love being clean and organized. However, the satisfaction of living clean and organized doesn't come very often any more. It's another one of those things that I have felt defeated by since motherhood. I imagine this is true of most young moms. But, I'm not going to let that sense of defeat get the best of me! I personally feel that if I can truly get myself to the organized state that I desire, it will give me a sense of freedom to just "be" again. It will give me more freedom to seek out those old passions and dust them off... I guess I am doing a personal spring cleaning as well as a household spring cleaning!

This spring's projects: cleaning out the garage, organizing the garage, organizing our master closet, organizing the laundry room, storing old baby things, and (hopefully) becoming somewhat of a minimalist... throwing out the unused and useless. ...A lot of organizing to do!! So, I feel like I have been cleaning non-stop since Monday. The sad thing is that I haven't even began the above mentioned projects. I'm still busy keeping up with the laundry and the dishes and the..... when did my life become nothing but changing diapers, filling bottles and picking up after my daughter and husband? It's a good thing I love them so much.

A Monumental Week

2010-04-07T13:13:00.000-07:00

This has been quite the week.

From Wednesday to Wednesday it has been pack filled with the exciting and monumental.

To begin, last Wednesday night we sent Charity to a sitter's, and took about 15 youth to The Rock & Worship Roadshow in Bakersfield. The highlights of the show were David Crowder and Mercy Me.

If you have never been led by David Crowder and his band in worship, you just may need to experience it some time. It is truly a heavenly experience. Spending time in worship like that to my God nourishes my soul. I am a singer at heart, so this form of worship comes most natural to me. In addition, it was nice just to be without Charity for the evening. Obviously, a concert wouldn't be the appropriate atmosphere for a baby, but it also allowed me to worship freely.

Then, Thursday night's experience was truly monumental: Charity took her first steps! I noticed her attempting to test her walking legs while she held her sippy cup, so John and I got out our wonderful flip, and we were lucky enough to catch her very first steps on video... check out the genuine reaction:

Then, last Friday, for the first time ever (drum roll, please), we took an overnight trip without Charity. Amazing, right?! We went down to Hollywood with another couple that we have recently become friends with where we lived it up for 24 hours. That night we went to The Magic Castle in downtown Hollywood where John is a member. John and I used to spend evenings at the Castle often before we had Charity. This was the first time that I had been back since I was 6 months pregnant, so a visit was long overdue. This place is exquisite and especially unique because it is literally a 100 year old castle that hosts magic performances presented by the world's most elite magicians. To attend, you must adhere to a strict dress code: coat & tie for men and cocktail dresses for women. How fun is that? Where else do you get to go formal with your sweetie on you arm and have an elegant evening that's not high school prom or the red carpet?! It's truly a fortunate evening for the one that can spend it at this grand place.

There are two amazing things about having 24 hours without Charity: 1. I hold my husband's hand a lot more often without a baby in the other arm. 2. I still missed my daughter painfully the entire time.

Parenthood changes people a great deal, doesn't it? I now must make a conscious effort to show affection toward my husband, and the ball of mischeif that I am so relieved to have a break from is the same little one I can hardly stand to be without. She's been literally attached to me for so long that when she's gone it's as if I'm walking around without my right limb.

Easter Sunday was, of course, magnificent. How can a day in which I remember why I have purpose in life and that I am living guilt free of my sin not be magnificent? The fact that our Savior is alive today (unlike every other faith's greater being) is a monumental truth that far too often is understated for what it is worth. I think those of us who have grown up in the church are just too used to hearing it. For us, it's like being told that the sky is blue.... when in reality it is more like being told that AIDS is no longer a killer. Now isn't that magnificent?

Easter marks for me how much has changed in a year. Last Easter was Charity's first time at church. She was so small and helpless then. And I was so curious about who she was and what kind of personality she would have and who she would grow to become. I am still so curious about all those things, but my insight on the subject has at least grown a little deeper.

what a difference a year makes!

To top it all off, Charity is 13 months old TODAY!

Time waits for no one....

They Say To Know Where You Are Going...

2010-03-29T13:26:00.001-07:00

...You need to know where you have been.

I feel that it may be important to begin this process by looking back at where I've come. Perhaps I'll discover or remember something significant that was long forgotten. Maybe the Lord will reveal just how blessed I am to be where I am at.

The Lord has been faithful in always bringing about growth in my life. He has blessed me with a disposition that (most of the time) has been pretty receptive to growth... but we all have times of resistance, don't we? My time didn't look like everybody's, but I won't get ahead of myself.

I am immensely grateful for the family that God chose for me to be a part of. My two parents are loving, faithful followers of Christ. What a blessing to be raised in such love! Having grown up as the youngest of three sisters, I always have felt the need to compete for approval.

I don't know if anyone in my family realizes that, but now I've just revealed it publicly so we'll see how the repercussions of that statement affect things... oh well. I had the typical "little sister syndrome" growing up. I looked up to my older sisters and wanted to be like them. I'd put on their lipstick and wear there high-heeled shoes when they weren't around. Both sisters were out of the house before I was thirteen, so I did a lot of my major growing up almost like an only child.

It was during those teenage years that the Lord really grabbed my heart and revealed his character to me. As a youth, I became hungry to grow in the depth and knowledge of my savior. Perhaps this is why I am so passionate about youth ministry today... I see what an impressionable age it is.

By the time I entered college I was convinced that the Lord had an extra special plan for my life. But it was in this confidence that came my "resistance" or "rebellion". I had grown up the "good girl" and was very proud of that fact. We are warned throughout God's Scriptures that pride is the fall of man, but the problem with pride is that we are blinded by our own pride, thus inable to recognize when we are infected.

While I (gratefully) was attending an excellent college that I was both excited about and ready to grow at, the opposite sex had got my attention, for me it was one person in particular. And let's just make a long story short by saying that between my own pride and this young man's severe legalism, the self-righteousness that resulted was a rotten stench. I wasn't the type of girl who would resist God by doing drugs or sleeping around, so Satan got to my righteousness. I isolated myself from the world and all things that seemed immoral. It didn't matter if it was a cartoon or a clothing brand or an old hollywood movie. Anything that was remotely worldly was off limits and I sneered at the soul who didn't believe the same. I and my boyfriend were very pious about our conservative belief system. This was my rebellion... During the season of that relationship, I did not recognize myself. I was not Maribeth. I was some legalistic, pompous, self-righteous girl who couldn't figure out why everyone else didn't care about living morally as much as I did. It's a wonder I maintained any friends during those early years of college.

Simpson University ultimately equalled one of the best times of my life. No other time have I been stimulated so intellectually, and challenged to consider global affairs part of my Christian responsibility more than when I was at Simpson. There is no other season in your life where you can live a walk down a hallway from your closest friends. I did some of my best growing there. After the relationship ended with the above said young man, God did a truly amazing work of healing in my life. I began to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit again. I discovered grace apart from the law like I never had before (Romans 6:14, Galations 2:21, Galations 5:4). I discovered the invaluable significance of being culturally relevant for Christ. God used the environment of Simpson to heal me. I no longer feared the world... instead, I saw my God woven throughout every part of it.... yes, even the ugly parts. I loved life again. My identity had been rediscovered.

It was at Simpson where I recognized that God had a call of ministry on my life. It was also at Simpson that I met my husband. People talk about marrying their best friend, and I am just grateful to say that I am as lucky as they. On May 26, 2006, John and I had a beautiful wedding ceremony in Sacramento, California that was filled with family and friends from all over. It felt like a fairy tale. But once I married, I had a new dilemma to face: Real marriage is not as picturesque as the fairy tales. ...As a young Christian woman, marriage always seemed to be the final goal. Well, now I was finally married. Goal accomplished. ....Now what?

I made the mistake of making marriage the final goal.... there was nothing final about it. It was a beginning. I had thrown so much at becoming a wife that, once again, I had to find Maribeth again. I had to come to terms with the fact that just because the fairy tales end with "They all lived happily ever after", it doesn't mean that you ignore the fact that they still continued to live. Let me say, it takes a lot more than romance to make life & marriage work. I think this news comes as a disappointment to a lot of young single women.

John and I had been married just a year, when we left our college town in Redding, a place that to this day holds precious memories of home and friends and wonderful life-changing experiences, to our current home in Visalia, CA. As hard as it was to leave Redding, it was an exciting time for us. It was an adventure. John had been wanting to get involved in youth ministry so desperately. The job that he was holding in Redding (a manager at Buckel clothing company) was so far away from the ministry that he desired to be doing. He would get in trouble for sharing his faith with his coworkers so much to the point where they weren't allowing him to talk about Jesus at all anymore. And we both had been wanting to move in a direction that was with church ministry anyway.

...That was nearly three years ago. It just sounds weird even saying that. I cannot believe it has already been that long. In the last three years we have adjusted to life in small town, agricultural California, threw ourselves into teenagers and youth ministry, we bought a house,

I became pregnant (which then caused my involvement in the youth ministry to go from 110% down to about 8%), and now we are one year deep into parenting the most beautiful, rambunctious little pre-toddler you will ever meet! It has only been recently that I am starting to find my sea legs, getting used to hiring out babysitters, and find a new nitch in the youth ministry again.

It's amazing how even as joyful an experience as becoming a parent may be, you never really realize what freedoms you are giving up. Let me say, it is a lot more than just sleep (though that is hugely significant, I promise). This last year and half was painful for me as I had to literally drop out of everything I was involved in. I was pretty sick during my first trimester of pregnancy, so even after getting through that phase, it made it difficult to jump back in to whatever I was doing. I never fully returned. It's been hard watching my husband go off to summer and winter camps, conferences, and traveling adventures that would normally have me right by his side but instead I kiss him and wave good bye.

...That is what has gotten me to where I am today. I didn't really speak of the various hobbies and passions that developed over the course of my life; those I need to tap back into. But we'll save that for another post another day.

I am learning to accept the changes in my life with pride and joy. I hope I don't seem to undermine the role of parenting in this blog. It is absolutely one of God's greatest miracles. And all who don't want to have children, should really reconsider that decision, but only be willing to weigh out the trade-offs when you are ready.

...It's good reflecting back over my years. Very therapeutic. ...I look forward to writing again. Until next time....

The Problem With Blogging

2010-03-27T16:46:00.000-07:00

I have always found blogging to be a bit narcissistic. I mean, the whole concept is a bit vain, isn't it? -- "Here I will document the ins and outs of my life for the world to see, and they will be so impressed with me". The recent industry of social networking online as whole has been marketed to the individual as very self-promoting..... which, I suppose, is a brilliant marketing ploy because we are such a selfish race.

So while I realize that I am placing myself right into the category that I just labeled as conceited, I hope those reading can understand one thing: I'm doing this as a personal discipline and commitment to myself. That is my main purpose. If others are interested in observing as I document that purpose, then my other purpose and hope is to bring encouragement and inspiration to those onlookers. Therefore, I fully welcome this observation.

That having been said, I hope I don't appear too vain as I continue my blogging endeavor.

The Search Begins

2010-03-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

...Again.

I have often told people that the attempt to discover your identity, particularly in Christ, is among the most important journeys of discovery you will ever embark on.

This all began the other day as I was chatting with a good friend who I am still in the process of getting to know. She asked me, "So what do you like to do? What are you into; what do you do in your spare time?" A typical question when getting to know someone better, right? But for me it was almost depressing. In the moment of attempting to answer what ought to be a simple question, I realized that I had no decent answer...

In the last three years a lot has changed the person that I once knew myself to be. I've moved from a place where those who knew me, knew me well, to a location where upon arriving, the only fact known about me was that I was "the new pastor's wife", a title I had never held previously. In addition, last year I had the privilege of adding a new title to my list: "mom". For all who are parents out there, you know how much a new infant affects and changes our lives. My 1-year old daughter has now pretty much summed up my identity... and by no choice of my own, I have, somehow, lost sight of myself, my passions, and simply "what I like to do". I have been so consumed by "the land of mommyhood", as I call it, that I'm not sure where the original person who began this journey went.

I'm not criticizing the person I have become. Being a mother is surely one of the most gratifying things I have ever experienced. But I realize that in the process of becoming "Charity's Mom", I've misplaced "Maribeth" along the way. It is time for those two individuals to be reshaped into one whole individual while reflecting and maintaining the beauty of both.

So here's to transformation. Here's to new experiences. Here's to a life discovered. ...And rediscovered. It will be a process I will repeat my entire life anyway. But for now, I document that process on a global (albeit conspicuous) platform.