Sunday afternoon adventures

Last Sunday, Greg had the idea that since it was a beautiful, sunny day; that we should go for a drive after church.  We picked Long Beach, since we haven't been there in quite some time.  Maybe even a couple years.  Since Celeste hates the car seat, we've just been sticking pretty close to home since she's been born.  But, that gets kind of boring after almost a year.  We ventured to Portland a couple weeks ago and had NO crying, the whole day.  Yay!  We feel so liberated!

But, back to the drive.  I packed up a lunch which we quickly threw together to eat at the church and then we'd be off.  This all worked out well and we drove along quite swimmingly for many miles.  We had just reached the Naselle/Astoria turnoff when we heard a loud clunk.  Being the conscientious husband and driver he is, Greg pulled over to check for damage.  Sure enough, we heard a loud hissing as our back tire  quickly deflating.  He took this as an opportune time to teach the kids how to change a tire and we were quite thankful it was a sunny day rather than a rainy one.  A local lady stopped by and assured us that the Les Schwab tire shop in Warrenton was open, and if not, Costco would be.  So, instead of going to the beach as planned, we turned around and headed for the tire shop (on the little donut spare).  The Les Schwab was closed (as predicted by Greg) and so we went to Costco.  They wouldn't even look at the tire without us being members.  They did check the donut's air pressure, but that was it.

James checking how tight the lug nuts are

We then pondered what to do.  It's quite a long drive home on a super-busy highway.  We didn't want a Costco membership, but the membership lady assured us that we could buy one, get the tire checked out/fixed and then cancel it.  Hmm.  Not sure we supported that idea either.  We finally decided that maybe we should give them a try again.  It's been 7 years since we had a membership, and our life situation has added 3 more kids, so maybe we should see if we could try it again.  Last time we had one, we had bought tires and then got the membership "free" because of a gift card from the tires.  In that whole year, we didn't buy hardly a thing.  We even went to the store a couple times and came out with nothing.  It's still almost an hours drive to our nearest store, but we'll see how it goes.  We paid for the membership and then Greg went around and had them take a look at the tire.  Sure enough, the hole was too big to fix, so the only option was to buy a new tire.  Our checking account was rather depleted as I had just paid a bunch of bills (and wasn't expecting to buy tires), so we then didn't have the funds available to even buy a tire if we wanted to (which of course we didn't).  Since they don't take Visa, we ended up just driving home on the donut, rather slowly and stopping frequently to let the line ups of traffic pass us.

Dad showing Luke where the spare tire is

It was already getting dark when we left Costco, so no beach for us that day!  We did have some good family time, and got some good visiting in on the drive (which is a favorite thing to do when out with your husband and children anyhow).  We were probably less than a mile from the beach while sitting there at Costco, but extra driving just wasn't a good option, nor was driving overly slow in the dark either.  Then Celeste decided she was sick of the car seat and fussed most of the way home too.  Oh, well...you win some, you lost some.  Life's just like that!  

After wandering the store, I prayed that if this was a sign that God wants me to explore this option for our grocery situation, that He would give me the direction and strength to do it.  I know buying bulk is a good idea for a larger family, but figuring it into the budget requires brain power, and finding creative ways to store it in a home with little to no storage does too.  I pray that He'll show me how to make these two things happen if this is a way to make things run smoother for the stage we're in.  Plus, they have awesome fresh roasted coffee at the Vancouver store where we'd be going the majority of the time.  That'd be a bonus!

Elise trying to smile for the camera but the sun is a bit distracting.  Thankful this happened on a sunny day

Greg already checked out car rentals and was able to find one for $20 cheaper than the previous one we had reserved for our trip in February.  So, we're saving money already.  He wants to keep a tally and see how much we actually do save for the amount we spend (on things we normally buy anyhow). Just walking into the store made us both kind of nauseous with the blatant expose of consumerism and cult-following, but we're trying to remain open minded and just use what we need and not be distracted by the spend, spend, spend more mentality.  I'll keep you posted!

The next day, we had our neighbor look at the tire and sure enough, it was too damaged to fix (the belts inside were torn too), so we had him take an old tire of ours and mount it on the rim so that we can use that one on the van. He has one of those handy machines that does that, which is pretty nice.  Then, Costco called us back as they had some questions about our account, and the lady said, "Were you the people whose car tires were slashed?"  "No, ours was just a road hazard, thankfully."  She says, "Well, someone else that day needed tires because their tires were slashed and the vandals had written "home wrecker" all over the car in spray cheese!"  Yikes!  No, thankfully that wasn't us, although perhaps the recipient deserved worse... Who knows!

3 year old grinning

All's well that ends well.  No buying of new tires, and thankfully Greg had saved our old ones for a use such as this.  He then mounted one of our studded snow tires under the van so that if something of this sort happens again, we have a full size spare to use rather than the tiny one.  In 8 years of owning this van, that is our first flat, so we can be very thankful.  I can't recall that we've ever been left stranded either.  It's been good to us and doesn't owe us anything. 

Saddle Mountain in the distance

Nadine's Corny Cluck Soup

It must be the week for chowders.  Here's another favorite from my late Aunt Nadine Kurtti.  It's also in the Kurtti cookbook (my favorite cookbook,  in case you hadn't noticed yet!)  This one uses ingredients you will usually have on hand too.  I like that!

Nadine's Corny Cluck Soup

2 T. butter

6 cremini mushrooms, sliced (I just use white ones), you can even leave out if you're not a mushroom fan

1 med. red or yellow onion, chopped

1 clove garlic

2 T. flour

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. ground black pepper

approx. 14 oz. chicken broth

2 c. half & half

2 pkg. frozen white sweet corn

approx. 2 c. cooked chicken, chunked

In saucepan, melt butter (Dutch oven if you have one).  Add onions first, then mushrooms, stirring until tender, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic; cook 1 min.  With wire whisk, whisk in flour, salt and pepper, cook, stirring until bubbly.  Stir in broth and 1/2 & 1/2; heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat, add corn and chicken, heat through.  Makes about 8 servings.  For variation, you can also add red potatoes after liquid step, letting them cook before adding corn and chicken.

PS.  If you haven't guessed, I use stock pictures for these soups.  Like I have the time or talent to take good ones myself!

Random thoughts of life these days

A few quick thoughts.  In no particular order.

Saunas are great.  We built one a couple years ago and besides the therapy (for Greg) of building and tending the fire, they are just so relaxing.  Ours is rather rustic with no running water and an old wood stove, but it's so good for the mood and the body too.

I just love listening to my husband singing.  Or talking.  Or preaching.  Anything where I hear his voice.  Back when we were long distance dating by phone, I remember thinking "I could listen to this guy for the rest of my life."  And yes, I still never tire of it.  He's out in our sun room right now singing to some 90s Hal Ketchum and it's music to my ears to hear him sing.  He's working on a leather project with some evening tea and life is good.  

The kids are in bed after their usual shenanigans, which brings me to the next point...

Isaac and his (very awful but humorous) bedtime routine.  He comes out of his room every night for some reason or another, which is usually a good thing because if he's in there then he's pestering the big kids.  Tonight after 6 seconds of the music turning off (which was when they were supposed to stop talking) he comes out and says, "I can't sleep" then "Luke keeps saying "shoisicnsighsi" to me."(shhh) Then finally Greg gave him a pretend spanking to which he actually started to cry (tears and all) and then realized it wasn't real and started laughing, "Dad gave me a fake spanking!"  Then finally he falls asleep on the couch and I carry him to bed once again.  I love that little guy.  It's so hard to be tough on him when he's so cute.  Here he is a different night after falling asleep IN his pillowcase.

Sometimes problems, if left long enough, take care of them self.  Like the check engine light that finally goes off because you never checked what the problem was.  Or the aquarium that was given to you for an aquaponics project that never developed at least 2 years ago.  And then one day it's freezing cold and your kids throw a bunch of huge rocks into it and smash it up and then it takes care of the problem.  That's the life these days.

And then there's our little 5 year old, who most days is the ditziest member of the family.  She doesn't pay attention most of the time, so her information is rather skewed and not very accurate.  But, lately I've been noticing a change.  She's getting it!  ('It' being how the world really works, not how she imagines it does). Last night at supper the kids were talking about how to get wood from the trees on one side of our ravine over to the house.  She suggested a big, huge conveyer belt would make hauling it the easiest.  But then added, "Since we don't know how to make one, it would be a good idea to go to the airport and have someone there teach us how."  So she does know stuff!  Yay!

Sleeping baby in polka dot cupcake fuzzies.  Who can resist?  You may recall my post from when Isaac was about this age, how fuzzy pajamas are just the best uniform for a baby.  Cozy warm, no socks falling off, easy to change a diaper and oh, so cuddly!  I just love them!  All those cute outfits can go bye, bye.  I do like fleece pants, a long sleeved onesie and a fleece vest for the best winter clothes outfit, but these pjs simply make life so much simpler.  And I'm all about that!

 There's some things in a parent's life that are just a bad combination.  I laugh about them, because we go through the same thing with every child at about the same time.  Like a baby in the bathroom.  Nothing good can come of a 1-2 year old in a bathroom unattended.  Unrolling toilet paper, digging in the toilet, filling the sink to overflowing...you know what I mean.  Or a toddler on the computer chair.  Nothing good can come of that either.  It's usually just dumping something on the keyboard, but it could be hitting all kinds of buttons causing mixups to files and whatnot.  Sometimes (usually) falling off the chair because they are standing up and leaning way over.  Another one of those bad combinations is kids and dark colored juice.  How come they alway spill (as seen in this picture)?  It's beet/carrot/apple today, but it could easily be grape or cranberry.  Whenever it's dark, it will be spilled!  Although milk does get spilled pretty regularly too, I must admit.  Even Greg spilled it recently just after he had taken the jug away from one of the kids to avoid another spill.  We all had a good laugh about that and it sure keeps us humble!

I just have to include this picture too.  Just one of my favorites of Isaac.  He's just so cute these days, with his love of warm cereal.  He also loves pantakes and cockadoodledoo (pannukakku).  There's always arguing over who gets to sit by Celeste at each meals, so you can see in this picture that Luke made name cards to stop the squabbling.  What's with that anyhow?  Squabble over every stinking, little thing.  Color of cup, plate, silverware, sitting spot, amount of food put on dish, etc.  We seem to have a lesson about it at every meal too, but that doesn't help.  I'm trying to slowly eliminate all things that are different and replace them with identical items, but that still doesn't work.  The clear glass coffee cups I bought recently have a smaller handle than the old ones, and now they're fighting over who has to have the small handled cups and who gets the large handled cups (even though the cups are identical).  Ugh!

This next picture is of our $150 pen.  It finally died after 10 years of use and kicking around our house.  So how did we pay that much for a measly pen, you ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  Back when we were expecting Luke, my cousin had suggested hiring a doula for his birth.  I called many different ones and was only able to get in touch with 1 out of all the ones I contacted.  (We had prayed about this and wanted a Christian one, who this lady claimed to be).  So, we tried to make connections with her to meet her.  She and I talked on the phone and emailed, but had a hard time setting up a day to meet and go over everything. Luke's birth was fast approaching, so when we met up with her the first time, we just paid her the down payment ($150)  to avoid having to try to connect again (this should have been a red flag, but since we didn't have any other options, we continued down this path).  She was having marriage troubles too, and had to bring her 3 rowdy kids over when she came to meet us because her husband flaked out on picking them up that day.  Well, sure enough, she became even more difficult to reach.  Her phone got disconnected so she promised me she was getting a pager.  In the meantime, she'd borrow her dad's cell phone.  When I actually called the number, I got her dad, who knew nothing of this plan.  Remember, 10 years ago, email at the library was a common form of email usage/checking.  That's how she and I were contacting each other.  She never did get that pager and Luke's due date was 1 week away by now.  So, I told her that it was too stressful to have her in our birth plan (because of inability to get ahold of her), and that we were 'firing' her.  She refused to give our money back (it was non-refundable as per the paperwork, but she also did not hold up her end of the contract) so we consoled ourselves with, "Well, we hope she bought some groceries for her kids and at least we got a pen out of it all!"  Sigh.  Some things just weren't meant to be.  We went on to have a different doula with Elise's birth and it was a wonderful experience.

Well, enough for tonight.

Salmon Cheddar Chowder

This is another easy one.  And it's delicious.  It can also be found in our Kurtti cookbook (from Susie Staudinger, pg. 21) if you have it.  I make this fairly often.

Salmon Cheddar Chowder

2 c. diced onion
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
1 1/2 c. water
1 c. diced celery
2 c. diced potatoes
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. dill weed
1/4 t. pepper
1 pint canned salmon with juices
2 c. milk
10 oz. shredded cheddar cheese

Saute onion in butter.  Blend in flour.  Add water, celery, potatoes, salt, dill, pepper and simmer about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.  Add salmon, milk and cheese and heat through on low so cheese does not curdle.  Serve.

Blender (gluten-free) pancakes...dreams do come true

Since the summer we've been trying to eat more gluten-free after discovering that gluten was the source of Elise's tummy aches and moodiness (she is a new girl...a happy one).  I hope that we can return to eating normal again someday, but for now it's required learning some new eating habits.  Ones that don't break the bank preferably and are still nutritious to boot.  A friend introduced us to blender pancakes/waffles and we now do them at least once each week.  There are dozens of recipes out there for them, but here's what we do (after experimenting with various methods/proportions).  If you can tolerate gluten, adding 1/4 c. rye flour helps the phytates in the oats break down better to make them more digestible.

Blender Pancakes or Waffles

The night before you make them, mix together:

4 c. old-fashioned oatmeal

4 c. buttermilk or kefir or yogurt (thinned with water to pourable consistency)

Put in a bowl and stir until combined.   Let sit out on counter overnight or up to 24 hours.  I've also tried soaking them right in the blender, but often it's a hard workout to blend it up the next morning as it's a very thick consistency.

In the morning, put in blender in this order (you want liquids on the bottom for best blending):

1 c.  milk/kefir/liquid of some sort

4 eggs

2-3 t. salt

the oatmeal/buttermilk mixture

Blend thoroughly.  Pour back into bowl, add:

4 t. baking powder

1/4 c. melted butter or coconut oil

Stir gently and then fry as per usual on your griddle or waffle iron.  You can also add a bit more liquid if it seems too stiff.  Sometimes I have added the baking powder right to the blender and it's caused a huge amount of foaming so that it overflows the blender, so now we add it last.  You can also add the butter right into the blender if you want too.  If doing Trim, Healthy Mama, I believe these would be an E but you likely would want to ensure you use 1% buttermilk or kefir and reduce butter to just a few tablespoons. (I'm not an expert though).

These are very hearty pancakes and this size of batch feeds our whole family of 7 (one being a baby who doesn't eat much, but she still loves them).

Basic Green Soup

This soup was published in Reader's Digest magazine.  It's super healthy and fairly easy too.  Add more rice if you like.  Change up the veggies if you like.

Here's the article: The Soup that Changed my Life
Here's the recipe:  (I tried to copy/paste it, but it wouldn't format properly for me)
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/basic_green_soup.html

Our laundry system

With all the constant revamping of everything else, laundry is one of those things that is still going well.  We typically tackle it every Thursday, so that if we hang dry stuff, then it is all dry by the weekend.  In the summer I like to use the clothes line (my quiet meditative time) and in winter we either use the dryer or a clothes drying rack by the wood stove, depending on the life situation of the day.  I'm not going to say this is the only way to do things, just what happens to work for us.  I know some people would rather throw a load in each day, and that's fine too.  I like to get it done on a consistent basis so then I don't have to worry about anyone running out of anything.  I also then know I only need 1 weeks worth of clothes for each person in our family.  (We of course have more, but that is the minimum)  So here's what we do:

1)  Bring all the hampers to the kitchen where we sort it.  Isaac (3) does this, and it's the perfect job for a sturdy little boy.  I use these empty baskets to put all of the to-wash clothes into once their ready to go.

2)  Elise (5) or Isaac (3) does the stain treating.  We just use diluted Dawn dish soap in water for stain treating, which is cheap and quite effective for getting greasy stuff out (and fairly safe for little kids to be spraying around).

3)  All kids socks go into a mesh laundry bag.  Our washer eats socks, so this keeps them contained and easier to find all around.

4)  Put on your kitty mask for even more effective and fun times.  Next, move the sorted/treated baskets into the hall lined up for washing.  That's our laundry hall you see back there.

5) Haul the empty hampers back to everybody's room.  I have 6 of those matching, stacking baskets that are awesome for all kinds of tasks.  The one in the picture was just used to clean out the van.  We then read books on the couch all morning and have our focused reading day between switching loads.

6)  After they're dry, dump the basket and everyone folds their own clothes and puts them away.  Isaac needs some help and motivation, but he tries.  I supervise and fold ours & Celeste's.  The kids do the towels/wash cloths.

There you have it.  I wash the kids all in one batch, then the dishcloths/towels/whites in one batch, then our clothes in one batch.  I have a huge washer so this is what works best.  Then if clothes don't get folded and put away, it's easy to find whatever you need if they are still in baskets.

My wise Aunt Susie (who has 7 children and many more grandchildren) told me that wherever she's been to help young moms, the biggest problem with laundry is that people have too many clothes which allows you to get too far behind.  I tend to agree.  Re-wearing clothes saves a ton of laundry.  Reusing towels (with our names on our own specific hook) saves a ton too.  

Buying used clothes is a benefit to laundry too.  You don't have to worry about colors bleeding because they've already been washed.  You don't have to worry about shrinkage, because if they are going to shrink they will have already done so.  You save money by buying them too, and if they get stained and are not salvageable, you can throw them out without guilt.  

How do you streamline your laundry?

The blessings of night waking

I speak from experience.  Years of it.  I speak for mothers whose babies do NOT sleep all night long.  The ones who think there must be something wrong with their mothering or their babies because they can't get their babies to sleep.  Those who are great mothers in yet feel guilty because they can't be the energetic person they once were before they had children.  I'm here to tell you that it's all okay.  You will survive.  You are a great mom.  God sees you and every little detail of your life, and He cares.

I was once a sleep lover.  I had my first baby at 30, so had many years of glorious sleep before that.  12 hours per night - no problem.  Sleeping in - whenever I could.  Work hard, play hard, sleep hard was my motto.  Then along came baby.  My nights were interrupted but that was okay.  I still functioned.  He nursed/cried all evening and then we got one 4 hour stretch before he awoke again.  I did fine.  Baby #2 was worse.  He had eczema from birth and itched and cried his whole babyhood.  He awoke on average 15 times each night and only nursing would console him.  I never got more than 1/2 hour sleep at a time (day or night).  Baby #3 was the same.  She cried non-stop all day.  She was so wound up that she couldn't get to sleep all day.  It was a quick 15 minute nap and then happy 5 minutes and then 2-3 hours fussing and repeat.  Nights were not better.  Lots of crying and waking.

I tried Babywise with #1 and #3.  I tried various "cry it out" methods with #1 too (as recommended by friends).  All we got was 3 hours of screaming and finally a bloody nose from the little guy whacking his nose on the crib rail and a baby who swallowed a gallon of air so that he cried even more in the night than ever before.  I vowed that night that I would listen to my baby and not everyone else who tried to guarantee me sleep, glorious sleep.

Since then, the sleeping has not gone wondrously better.  Right now I'm nursing a 10 month old who nurses for 3 hours every evening, and then still wakes up at least every 2 hours for the rest of the night.  In yet, I'm doing better than I have with all of my other kids.  I've learned that sleep isn't the best thing for us.  Submitting to God's wills and ways is.  Here's what I've learned:

(1) It's not always in the baby's best interest to sleep all night.  According to Dr. Sears: "One thing we have learned during our years in pediatrics is that babies do what they do because they’re designed that way. In the case of infant sleep, research suggests that active sleep protects babies. Suppose your baby sleeps like an adult, meaning predominantly deep sleep. Sounds wonderful! For you, perhaps, but not for baby. Suppose baby had a need for warmth, food, or even unobstructed air, but because he was sleeping so deeply he couldn’t arouse to recognize and act on these needs. Baby’s well being could be threatened. It appears that babies come wired with infant sleep patterns that enable them to awaken in response to circumstances that threaten their well being. We believe, and research supports, that frequent stages of active (REM) sleep serve the best physiologic interest of babies during the early months, when their well being is most threatened."

http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/health-concerns/sleep-problems/8-infant-sleep-facts-every-parent-should-know

(2) You can get by with much less sleep than you think.  You'll have to up your vitamins and nutritional status, but you'll survive.  Baby years are short.  You can sleep later.  If your mood isn't optimal, then working on refining that would be recommended.  We all can't just say and act the way we want.  Our house won't be the perfect way we want it.  We then really need to rely on God's Word to show us how to act, think and what to say.  We need Him to show us what to prioritize, what to let go.  It comes down to self-control in so many ways.  Working in the ER really taught me this (although I'm still learning this each day, and it's still not any easier!)   Our patients were all vulnerable, scared, in pain, or on drugs so what came out of their mouths was often unpleasant.  I had to learn not to take it personally, but instead treat them with dignity and respect even if they didn't deserve it.  The same goes for our husband and children.  

Colossians 3:23And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 24Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. 25But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.

(3) Lactational amenorrhea.  Delay of periods signaling the return of fertility.  God specifically designed our bodies so that while we're nursing (at night), we are free of periods and thus the chance of another baby.  When we train our babies to sleep through the night, we cut off this advantage of rest on our bodies.  The hormones that delay ovulation are the highest between 1 a.m and 6 a.m. so nursing at night is essential for this. Women have relied on it since the beginning of time, so let's trust that God knows what He's doing!  I know for some women this is not true, but that is often because of underlying hormonal imbalances caused by our overtaxing world (sex hormones are filtered/stored/released through the liver and our world is full of people with toxic livers.) see my liver post here.
http://www.askdrsears.com/topics/feeding-eating/breastfeeding/faqs/breastfeeding-fertility

Galatians 6:7-9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.   For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.  And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

In my years of sleepless nights, I learned to see beauty in it.  With James, all I can remember was rocking him by the moonlight as we'd watch airplanes go by high in the sky endlessly.  We also have a very close bond that I don't have with my other children.  He and I have been through the fire together.  I did lots of praying, singing hymns and had lots of quiet time in the wee hours of the night.  I learned to be in tune with my babies rather than always relying on someone else's advice/books/self-help blogs.  I learned to be confident that "Mama knows best".  I learned compassion for others with various challenges.  I learned to be flexible.  I like to have systems and routines, but I've learned that it's okay to bend the rules.  It makes everyone happier.  I learned to stay home.  And to like staying home even though I'm a doer and and a goer whenever the situation arises.  I've learned to say no.  I've learned that my kids do best at home (and that Grandma Kurtti was right when she told me that).

I used to continually pray for more sleep, but then I would get very frustrated that my prayer was never answered, when night after night I would just barely eke by.  One friend who struggled with insomnia gave me the best advice for the lack of sleep.  She said to change the direction of my prayer instead to "Lord, give me strength sufficient for the day".  We all want super powers, endless energy, and to be able to get our to-do lists done each day.  But parenting isn't like that.  It's fits and starts, it's the tortoise rather than the hare.  Being in tune with our children demands that we be adaptable and change our course many (hundred) times each day.  It also means resting throughout the day if necessary. 

As with almost all things, I try to think how women through the ages dealt with the same challenges I face.  Instead of trying to be smarter than the past, I want to learn wisdom from the past.   In times past, people didn't have furnaces to keep their houses warm all night, so waking up to feed a baby probably meant they stoked the fire too (a very important part of living in a climate that needs heat).  People didn't have huge houses where they could shift their baby off to another area where they couldn't hear them crying as we can do today, thus any cry-it-out methods were likely not an option.  The whole family lived in one room or 2 at best for the majority of time and space.   Cribs, nurseries and such paraphernalia were only available to royalty, and for those elect few, it was highly unlikely that the royal family even cared for their own children.  They also didn't have to deal with car seat crying and things like that that we are faced with today either.   Their lives generally had more work but less distraction and options in so many ways, so I ponder how can we adjust this into today's schedule of our own lives.

It's probably  all a wash in the end of the good and bad of it all, but we each must find what works best for our own family's situation, and be confident in that.  There's so many opinions out there, that it's easy to get discouraged when our own baby isn't doing what we think everyone else's is!  So, if you're struggling with waking up (or staying awake) much more than you think you can handle; be encouraged because good fruits will come of it, and you're a great mom!

"...Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not..."

The Biblical account of Jacob and Rachel (and Leah) has always piqued my interest due to my own name.  It also ties in with Matthew's account of the Christmas story, where the wise men visit baby Jesus.  I've often wondered why this was included, and though I don't claim to know the entirety of its significance, I do know that God fulfills His prophecies and His purposes to completion.  It touches my heart that God cared for His children back in Rachel's time, just as He does today.

The story of Rachel begins in Genesis 29, and in the interesting turn of events, Rachel is barren (verse 31).  God eventually did open her womb in His time, but then it was short lived in that she died in childbirth of her second son Benjamin. Genesis 35:16 "And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. 18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem."  

We see if we read the full account of Rachel's life, that she was very sorrowful and sad that she could not conceive for so many years.  She had her handmaid bear children for her (just as Sarah had in years past), but this was not helpful to her own situation.  Why this whole situation played out the way it did (Jacob marrying Leah and then Rachel) puzzles me, but it was all in God's plan for the saving of His people (Joseph in Egypt).

The old Testament prophecy in Jeremiah 31:15  Thus saith the Lord: “A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel, weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children, because they were no more.”

Matthew 2: 16 "Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not."

I write all of this because I know there are many women today weeping for their children (because they are not).  Whether through infertility, miscarriage, abortion, stillbirth, singleness, birth control against their heart's desires, or regrets from not having more children during childbearing years; there is much sadness in the hearts of women today.  We can trust in the same God of Rachel and Sarah and Hannah and Elizabeth and know that God cares.  He IS the Comforter.  He will come to you.  

Jesus says,  John 14:16 "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."  The world cannot offer comfort to a heart that is longing or hurting so deeply.  It cannot offer peace to a soul in despair.  It may offer medical advances or some forms of hope, but it cannot in any way fill that void that is there because a baby "is no more" or "is not", but Jesus can.

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."

Brief Rachel history  and family tree according to Wikipedia

Grocery Shopping Options

So, lately I've been trying to revamp our grocery situation.  This has been hard for me because (a) I don't have much extra brain power to accomplish such a task and (b) I've been doing the same thing for 9 years, and changing it is a bit daunting due to reason (a).  But, with 5 homeschooled kids (who are with me all day every day), it needed to be done.

For the past 9 years, I've gone to WinCo every 2 weeks with a list of 10 meals (1 for each weekday) and a list of all needed items.  I occasionally will go to other stores, but most times don't due to lack of energy and because we don't live in town where I can just run quickly to places.  This trip is exhausting, and with 5 kids, the cart gets fuller and fuller as the years go by.  The plus part is that my 3 oldest are now big enough to be a huge help, but the logistics of it all are quite daunting.  I've considered going every week, but then I'd miss another morning of schooling and in the afternoon I just don't have the energy.  All of our babies have hated the car seat, and even more so in the evening, so that hasn't been an option either.  I could go on the weekend, but just usually have other cleaning projects and home projects that need to be done then too.  Buying in bulk at places such as Costco are difficult too, since I have very limited storage for such items.

So, here's what options I've come up with and tried so far:

1)  Cash and Carry  This is a restaurant supply store with lots of bulk items which is right on Greg's way home from work.  He has offered to pick up stuff for me on his way home if needed, but I wanted to scope out their selection and prices first.  Here's what I found:

-store is small so not so tiring as a big one would be, parking lot is also small (+++)

-bathrooms are easily accessible (found that out on the first trip!) (+++)

-flatbed carts are a bit difficult to maneuver (put baby in stroller and big girl pushed her) (-)

-the workers box up your groceries AND deliver them into your car (big +++)

-some products are in too large of packaging and would be wasted as we can't use them fast enough 

-some prices are better, some comparable, some worse- all in all good

-not much for organic selection (-)

Yes, we will be using this option again in the future.  The neat thing about this is that ever since Greg became the treasurer of our church's Western Mission board, he got a new P.O. box in Kalama.  He randomly has been receiving Cash & Carry's flyer each week and so I've been reading it for a few months now.  The flyer is meant for the people who used to have that same P.O. box, but we've been getting it.  I don't believe this is an accident, and it's been priming me to pursue this option.

2) Walmart.com  It was suggested to me to pursue buying non-perishables online and this seemed to be the best option.  Free shipping over $50 to your home, and no limits.  I ended up spending about an hour online searching for the items (since it was my first time) and buying about 30 things that were on my list.  Here's what I found:

-to get free shipping you have to use the 9-14 day delivery option, so you must order enough in advance to get the items.  I ordered on Wednesday and we did get one big box today (4 days), so that made me pretty happy. (picture of box below)

-once I've ordered once, it'll be much quicker the next time (since I don't have to scroll items, just click and order).  Not sure if I can save lists or not, but it would be cool if I can.

-prices are comparable to WinCo (my best price option), but note that some things you must order in bulk (tuna in a 4 can pack for instance)

Yes, will be doing this again in the future.

3) Amazon Prime Pantry  We do not have Amazon Prime, so I was not able to try this (although I may if I use my free trial someday).  You pay $5.99 for a 4' cubic feet box of stuff from their options.  There is a lot of selection, but to me their prices were extremely varied.  Some pretty normal, some exorbitant.  Since Walmart delivered a much bigger box for free, I think I'll stick with them.  This is a nice option though.  Also, some things can be ordered from just plain old Amazon, but most pantry type items are now in the Pantry.

4) Azure Standard  This is a bulk foods/products privately owned company that delivers items once a month on a truck.  I've been interested in them before, but have never ordered.  I'm waiting for their catalog right now, and if it works out, I plan to order their bulk organic produce each month in the winter.  Things like apples, potatoes, carrots and other more hardy veggies and fruit.  We have an occasional drop point right here in Kalama (must have $500 to have a drop point), so if I can't pick up in Kalama, then there is one in Kelso too.  They have a ton of items available, and some prices are better, some are worse than other places.  Have any of you ordered produce from them?

5) Sam's Club Click 'n' Pull  We don't have a Sam's Club near us, but this is a great option if you do.  Order your items online before 5 p.m. the night before and they'll have your cart full and waiting for you the morning to check out.

6) Costco Many people use this option, but ours is over an hour away and we just haven't in the past.  We have had a membership in the past and then not used it once in the whole year we had it.  But, if you live near one, it's a great option too.  It's a big store, so isn't helpful if your energy is limited.

7) WinCo  This is where the rest of the groceries come from.  Great prices and I just love that store.  They even have kefir, grassfed butter (KerryGold), gluten-free options now.

8) Country Village Any specialty foods can usually be found here for a reasonable price.  They have sales all the time, so often if you wait/plan in advance you can get it for a great deal.  They are super knowledgeable and have helped me with many healthy alternatives and supplements.  Just love that store!  Did you read about Patty, one of their great cashiers?

Also, a lovely lady from our church who recently retired has offered to help me shop too.  Either to come with me or to watch kids while I shop.  I am certainly going to take her up on that offer!  My friend Jessica L. said that when her daughter was a baby, she and another older lady from church would grocery shop together.  Jessica would drive and the lady would help take care of the baby (and teach Jessica how to budget).  This is a great mentoring option, so if there is someone in your community/church that could help you (and you drive/pay for gas), this is a win/win situation.

We buy 1/2 of a grass-fed beef every year, and last year we also raised our own meat chickens, so that has been nice and healthy.  I also buy raw goats milk from a local farm which I freeze so that I only have to buy it every 3 weeks on our trips to the library in the next town.  I also buy our bread at the Franz Outlet on Saturdays when their organic bread is $1/loaf.  If I have freezer space, then I stock up.

So, that's what I've found out so far.  What do you do to save time/energy/money?  Anything I can add here or other options to pursue?