Christmas Letter 2012

Greetings!  As this year comes to a close, it gives us time to reflect on the past.  In doing so, we hope that we have gained some wisdom and become more as Christ would want us to be.  Some lessons seem harder to learn though, so it’s a good thing we’re all a “work in progress”.  We are so thankful for forgiveness full and free through Jesus’ birth, death and glorious resurrection!

We’ve been occupying our time this past year mostly tending to the needs and wants of our 4 little ones (sometimes hard to discern the difference).  There just isn’t much time left after that!  With it come a lot more laughs and a few more grey hairs.

So, here’s Luke (7), “I like this time of year.  We get to stay inside and do fun things like projects and crafts.  I like to make cookies and cakes and bread and stuff like that.  I like school, especially writing stories in my journal and doing speed drills in math.” (Mom’s note: we rarely bake OR do crafts.  He does love it when we do though!)

Luke was a ring bearer in  Greg's cousin's wedding this summer.

James (5), “We are having a good time.  We are just having a good time.  I like to play with my cars and Legos.  I am learning to read and do my math with toy cars.  I love Christmas because it’s Jesus’ birthday and we get presents.”

James at the wedding (he didn't want to be in the wedding)

Elise (3), “I don’t know what to say.  I am wearing my sparkly dress that looks like a Christmas tree today.  I think that Santa should only bring presents to the poor children, because the rest of the kid’s parents can buy them some.”

Elise, flower girl extraordinaire

Isaac (14 months), “Da, da, do, da!”  (and “Dad” and “Mam”)  He’s busy getting into everything possible and destroying it (happily, I might add).  He screeches if anything doesn’t go his way, and is working on a couple more teeth (hence the screeching).  It’s a good thing he’s so cute, as it is much easier forgive his lack of social graces!

Isaac, glad finder of someone's forgotten cup

Greg has been busy all fall working on putting in a sauna for us.  We are so looking forward to that.  In this rainy climate, we must take extra measures to stay warm and comfortable, and I’m sure this will help.  I have just been sticking to the basic daily stuff.  It seems like the messes never end, the dishes never stop and the kids don’t quit growing.  Keeping up on it all is enough for me, as well as getting in our daily doses of schoolwork, reading, going for a walk, and playing.  We also enjoyed one nice dose of Canada in August, and a short dose of Florida (for Greg’s Grandpa Davidson’s funeral) in October.

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Wishing you God’s Peace and Love now at Christmas and always,

Rachel and all

Words, confusing old words

Do you ever have words that mean just opposite of what you think they should mean?  Words that you may have either learned the definition wrong when you were a kid and it's still backwards in your mind?  Or maybe they just sound like they should mean something else?  I have a few of them, and here they are and what they mean.

Amateur - to me it should mean "expert".  It sounds like something fancy, something good.  And when you put the appropriate French accent on it, it sounds like something quite fabulous and amazing. 

Benign/malignant - these are tricky for me.  Benign sounds boring and mundane (which it is) but I've always been confused.  To me, as a kid, malignant rhymed with stagnant, and so then I'd put them in the same category.  I knew that benign was pretty much the opposite, so then thought that benign was the bad guy and malignant the good.  (As a kid hearing adults discuss people's health issues).  I still get them mixed up.

Literally - This word messes me up still also, due to a misinterpretation as a child.  I always got it mixed up with "literary" so in my mind, it meant the same thing.  Still today, when I hear someone say "literally", I think they are talking about a hypothetical situation, such as one might find in a book.  I usually think that they are over-exaggerating whatever it is they are talking about, and that whatever it is they are telling me really never happened quite the way it's said.  A sentence such as, "I literally ate the whole box of chocolates" would be interpreted in my mind to say "I felt like I ate the whole box of chocolates" rather than "I can't believe I really did eat the whole box of chocolates".  It gives the benefit of the doubt in many cases, so actually improves some situations, but is a detriment in others!

Lucid - I don't think I knew what this word even meant until nursing school.  To me it should mean "loopy" or "out there".  Not what it does mean which is, "Showing ability to think clearly, esp. in the intervals between periods of confusion or insanity."  Or maybe it's that most people who are described as lucid are generally confused; I didn't know which it was, the sane or insane part!

That's all I can think of for now.  Do you have any words that you always get mixed up?  Or don't mean what you think they should?  Please share!

For the love of...(drum roll please)...Fuvvys

I don't know why it's taken me until kid #4 to figure out that I don't have to dress my babies every day.  I cringe at the amount of time I spent dressing and undressing my kids each day.  Oh sure, I occasionally leave them in their pj's all day, but it was the exception rather than the rule.  When Elise was a baby, an older lady at church said to me, "I don't know why people spend all that time and money putting clothes on their babies.  Back in my day you just left them in a sleeper until it got dirty and then changed it."   I took note and left Elise in a sleeper unless we were going out as a tiny baby, but was putting her in clothes each day by the time she was this big.  But, with Isaac I've been leaving him in his fleece pj's (known as "blanket sleepers" to our parents) and it is so much easier on everything.  Makes diaper changes easier (zip, change, zip) and they are roomier than pants for using cloth diapers (which we do at home), they are warm, their socks can't be taken off for cold days, the fleece repels water when they inadvertently splash/spill/dump water everywhere, they don't get chilly if their covers come off while sleeping.  Just simply amazing!  Here's the attempts at getting some pictures of my wiggly, busy rascal who is the recipient of this new protocol.

In our house we've always called these "fuzzy pj's" or "fuzzy's" but Elise has always called them "fuvvy's", so now that's what we all call them too!

Isaac turns 1

Well, our baby has now turned one (in September, but I'm late as usual writing about it).  This means he is walking, starting to talk and getting into plain 'ol mischief from sun up until sun down!  This little guy sure does make the messes and wreak havoc on our house, but he sure is cute too (which makes it much easier to forgive his misdeeds).

Isaac loves hats.  As you can see by this picture, he even wears two at a time sometimes.  He steals whom evers hat he can find and plunks them on his head.  He loves climbing and has now figured out how to get up on chairs so this means he can also get on tables and counters too!  (And falling off them of course!)

This was at his birthday party.  We couldn't get a smile out of him for anything as it was evening and he was getting tired.  I have to remember to have daytime parties for 1 year olds. (I remember Elise being in tears with a plug in her mouth throughout her party.)  Grandpa and Grandma Staudinger made it for the party, which was nice, since they have never been to any of our kids birthdays before.

Here's hat boy again.  He's also a shower crasher.  No one in the house can take a bath or shower without him trying to climb in with them.  If he's denied, the tears are pretty loud and long!  Most of the time it's just easier to let him in the shower, even if it means he gets more than would ever be necessary.  He also loves to be outside and cries if the other kids go outside without him.  He loves wandering about, helping Dad and just following the other kids.  Here he is in their car.

Here's one of Isaac in the new hat Kristie K. made for him.  She makes new ones each year, and we received them when we got back from our trip to Florida recently.  I think that they are just sooo cute!  He wouldn't smile for the picture though!

Lastly, here's a picture of Isaac with his cousin.  They were together in FL and were so cute in their little suits.  They tried to play together, as well as boys that age can.  Most of the time it was just one of them stealing toys from the other though!

It's a great milestone to turn 1 year old, but it also means more teeth (no fun), more adventure (more injuries), and more love (also more hitting people, in his attempt to play with them).  The only words he says are "Da" and "Mam".  The other night when I was rubbing his back before bed, I stopped to see if he was asleep.  Just then I heard him say, "Ma'am, Ma'am" as if to say "excuse me, Ma'am, you're not done yet..I'm still awake!"

My Gregory

It seems as though there are a million things to think about each day, and I regretfully think about too many trivial things (Well, could keeping track of diaper changes be classified as trivial?  Mundane at best!)  Anyhow, one thing that I daily regret is how little I think about my dear husband in relation to all the other things that occupy my mind in any given day.  I love him dearly, and think he's absolutely perfect for me (thanks to Divine Intervention as I can take no credit for such a great fit as we are) in yet I find every evening that I fall short in telling him how much I appreciate him, showing him how much I appreciate him and spending as much time as I can with him despite other distractions going on in our house. 

So, first I'm going to write a bit about what he does all day.  When I met him, I had no idea what a machinist was.  (Works on a machine?)  I still don't understand many of the aspects of his job (way too much math for me), but do know more about his skills and trade.  He's worked at 4 different shops since we've been married, and a few before that too.  He worked for GM Proving Grounds in Arizona a long time ago, and then for a polyurethane company that made all kinds of rollers.  One thing they made was rollers that roll the money in ATM machines.  Then he worked at Plastic Engineering where they made all sorts of things out of plastic.  Display cases that you see in stores for different products, etc.  When we moved up here, he got a job at Paul Shurman Machine, and there he moved onto mostly heavy industrial parts.  Lots of pieces for the windmill power generators out in the Columbia Gorge, as well as rebuilding pieces for the Bonnyville Dam and other dams along the river.  He build parts for the Hood Canal Bridge (Tacoma) and lots of big, big heavy stuff.  Now he's working at Williams Precision Machine and does lighter stuff again.  He builds custom forklift attachments, heavy duty electronics boxes (for police and EMS electronics), and recently built some parts for boats in the Israeli Navy! (he'll probably find lots of corrections in the information I just provided, but that's the gist of it)

Recently he built a cover for our chimney area from when we put our woodstove in.  This he machined, by taking a flat piece of aluminum, programming the computer to "carve" (machine) out the outline of some Haida salmon.  Pretty cool how he did it, and then he spray painted it black and then hand painted the fish in authentic colors.  He's now making a sauna out in our shed, and I'm excited to see how it turns out.

I guess because I don't see him at work much, I miss alot of what he does in a day.  He sees my "office" every day and can tell if we've been productive or not.  I feel like he has a much better view of my days than I have of his.  He calls me pretty much every day on his break, and I love it.  Lots of times we don't have much to say, but I appreciate the call anyhow, as it's just one more chance to connect in our often-busy-crazy days.

We borrowed our neighbor's canoe this summer for a glide around Kress Lake.

And for the amount I hate small talk (see previous post), this guy loves it.  He is great at it (which is such a blessing to me in a crowd) and usually sees groups of people as a challenge and game rather than dreading it as I do.  He's an awesome communicator in so many ways, which thankfully make up for my lacks in those areas.  When he and I first started talking (on the phone) back in the day, I remember thinking, "I could listen to this guy talk all day" and I still think that.  I could listen to him read a boring manual out loud, and I'd be a happy girl!

And, here's the man himself...
















I'm starting a book study this fall with some other ladies called, "The Busy Homeschool Mom's Guide to Romance" by Heidi St. John.  Hoping this gives me some fresh ideas to keep him second in my thoughts all day (after Christ), despite these little people in our house who are so much more demanding and needy it seems!

Dressers galore

I have developed an obsession with dressers.  Not only are they fun to find and buy, but they are such a great way of storing stuff, especially in our house which doesn't have much storage.  Every day I am filled with joy when I can put things out of sight, and have them somewhat organized.  So, here's their stories...

This is our first one we bought.  I was looking for a "baby dresser" before Luke was born and came across this one at a garage sale.  The lady wanted wayy too much money for it, so I was torn whether to buy it or not (since it was absolutely perfect!)  My mother-in-law (in her wisdom) said, "why don't we hit a few more sales and then come back and see if it's still here?"  Well, we did...and the lady's teenage kids were manning the sale.  The mom had left no prices on the dresser so I made them an offer, they accepted and and we loaded up the dresser and got out of there.  I have loved every moment of owning it.  My father-in-law made the changing table to match it as a baby gift when Luke was born.  Sooo love both of these!

This next one we acquired for free since we've moved up to WA.  It was my cousin's (2 boys) dresser growing up so was not only covered with stickers when we got it, but also dings, dents and in general rough shape.  We put a coat of paint on it, and brought it back to decency.  I've been looking for new knobs for it, but unfortunately that size are hard to come by (2"), so I gave up looking for now.  The boys have put their own set of stickers on it, so it's back to boy glory again!

This next one, I just love.  It's in my spare room (going to be my girl's room someday) and I have mostly white furniture, so wanted a dresser that went with that.  I happened to see one that was perfect in little old Kalama on a rainy weekday at an antique store.  When I stopped to inquire about it, it met all my needs perfectly.  I didn't have the money with me, so told the lady I'd be back to buy it later that day.  Unfortunately, I didn't leave my name and number, nor a "down payment", and the store owner sold it to someone else before I came back through town that day.  Hard lesson learned!  I looked and looked and finally found this one at a Goodwill store, many months later.  The bonus to this one (over the other) is that it has one extra drawer.  I was also able to get a much better price because one drawer was broken.  It only took less than 5 minutes with some wood glue and clamps and we were back in business.  Love this dresser too.  We keep movies and games in it.

This next one is Greg and my dresser.  My talented father-in-law made it too, after we were shopping for one and figured that we'd rather pay him to make one than pay someone else.  I think it ended up being an anniversary gift though, and we really appreciate it.  I had hoped to clean the top off before I took the picture, but of course that didn't happen.  My goal would be to one day have it clean always, but that's just not the way life goes these days!  This is also the dresser that little Lukey (3) pulled every drawer out of  (they are on sliders) and pulled over on top of himself.  Thankfully the dresser fell to the side and hit a door jam so that it didn't fall the whole way.  It's now bolted to the wall so it doesn't happen again.  I also now can't ever rearrange the furniture in our bedroom.  And I looove to rearrange furniture!  :/

This next one used to be Elise's and was painted/decorated by my Mom.  She loves painting stuff, and had found this at a thrift store and painted it up.  Unfortunately, little girls have wayyy too many clothes, and we had to upgrade Elise recently to a larger one.  This one got moved to the bathroom where it holds hair things and various other random stuff.

This one made me so happy too.  It's a bit boring to look at, but when I was shopping for it, I needed specific dimensions (to fit our laptop) and it fit the bill perfectly.  And I found it in Kalama.  And I didn't wait around, I just bought it.  I love the wood grain of it, and it works well to hold our books that we are reading right now, as well as other stuff.

This next one I found at a garage sale, and it's absolutely perfect for it's need.  It holds tapes, cds and records and each drawer is the perfect size for each.  It's rather boring but sturdy, and suits it's purpose well.  The cd player also has to be at the side, since the cord isn't long enough to center it on the top.  Oh, well!

This one I got at Goodwill too.  It had rather funky colored pulls, but I spray painted them all gold (since I already had gold spray paint) to unify it.  It's also rather ho-hum, but works for toys, toys and more toys.

This cabinet came as an answer to prayer.  I had been needing something to keep our homeschool stuff in the dining room, but my criteria was quite specific.  It had to be narrow (to fit in the width and not cover the nightlight), it had to be shallow so we could get by it.  It had to have doors to keep babies out and it had to have tall enough legs so that the register underneath wouldn't be covered.  I prayed about this specific need, and one day Greg's aunt called me and asked if I wanted this chest.  I said "yes", sight unseen, and here's what I ended up with.  Greg's own Grandpa Somero had built it for his aunt, and she was moving to FL and wanted a family member to have it.  It is absolutely perfect, and was FREE too!

This is my latest new one (and hopefully last one, as I don't have room for (m)any more).  It's Elise's new clothes one, and I absolutely love it.   I paid a bit more for it than I would have liked, but I figured that was okay, because most of the others were either free or very cheap.  It was already painted up, so that saved me refinishing any as well.  She loves it as well, and it fits all her girly clothes like tights and slips and 40 pairs of underwear!

Art of Conversation II and Time Spent

Lately I've been again pondering conversation.  You may recall my previous post here which is still quite accurate (in my humble opinion), but I'll add a few more thoughts today. I've been in a couple social situations recently where there has been excess quantities of "small talk". Now, perhaps I'm over-analyzing the subject, but I guess I just don't know what to do in these cases.  I'm really bad at making small talk.  And, I'm really bad at listening endlessly to small talk.  It's so lame and meaningless.  

This came after I was recently approached by an older lady who came to talk to me after walking away from a conversation that she labeled "shop talk".  She said that she could hardly stand there and listen to "shop talk" as it was so pointless.  She said that she had worked out of her home for many years when she was younger, and regretted the amount of time that it took away from the two things that were of so much more value- faith and family.  She went on wondering why people spend so much time in meaningless conversation that doesn't do the body or soul any good.  I really appreciated her candor and have been wondering how to be a person who pursues deeper conversation in those awkward yet frequent "light" social settings.

One thing I have come up with is (especially on Sundays) is to talk about the sermon at church.  Ask more questions, talk about the areas that were encouraging to you, or that you really needed to hear for the week.  Another is to ask how each others spiritual life is going.  In fact, in our pastor's sermon this past Sunday, he mentioned how many of us are eager to share our health struggles and work struggles and life struggles, but somehow don't want to share our spiritual struggles.  He said how frustrating it is for a pastor to hear round-a-bout of someone's spiritual challenges (usually much after the fact) and not be able to help.  The family of God is there to help and lift up each other, so let's take advantage of it.  Not only to ask for help, but to praise Him also for what He's doing in our lives.

I guess another thing that has come to me recently is about time spent.  Our influences, who we influence, our results of what we put into something, how our children behave, who influences our children, how much of a priority different things are.  They all come down to time spent.  The most time spent will yield the results of that time.  Time spent in the Word, will yield the blessings therein.  Time spent in front of the TV, will yield the results of that.  Time spent around bullies, will yield bullies.  Time spent around Godly examples, will yield as such.  Time spent eating junky food, will yield health problems later on.  We reap what we sow.    So many folks (myself included at times) think that by being lazy in certain areas that it will be not be detrimental in the long run.  Bad influences crop up here, there and everywhere; and especially as Christian parents, we can't afford to let them grow from shoots into full grown weeds in our children.  Galatians 6:7  Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.  I think of a former boss of mine, who reiterated to me over and over how much her children were her top priority in her life ("quality time", she quoted) in yet I could not see (as a single person at the time) how that could be possible.  When you spend 8 hours each day working, 8 (+/-) sleeping, add in meals (usually on the run before sports, school), chores and groceries, social events,  etc., there just aren't enough hours left in a day to have much quality time.  Time spent is time spent.  We can't get those moments back, so let's choose to spend them wisely.  A radio program I used to listen to in Arizona focused on "intentional living", and that is what we must do as Christians.  Every choice must be intentional rather than reactionary (after the fact).  Sure, there are times when we have to react after something adverse has happened, but the main direction of our life needs to be intentional.

Here's a few thoughts to close...do what you want with them!

And the most difficult of all...

To quote or not to quote

I hear things quoted pretty often, and am guilty myself of often misquoting things, but here's a few that I'd like to elaborate on, in case you've heard them used.

These quotes are all taken (loosely) from the Bible, and are not only quoted incorrectly much of the time, but also interpreted incorrectly too (or out of context).  

1.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)  ^"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV) For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

This first one has been quoted to me to justify someone's divorce and another person's homosexual lifestyle.  Umm...no and no.  That's not God's plan at all.  If you read the verse in context, you will find that God's plan for these people is the saving of their souls, not their prosperity and fun as is often implied.  Yes, He has plans for His children, but in the end it is the saving of our souls that He's worried about.  If you read the King James Version, it gives a much more accurate picture of not only what this verse means to us, but also what it means to the people held in captivity in Babylon.

 2.

"Moderation in all things, hey?" or "Be moderate in everything".  This has been used to justify plain old sin, lack of convictions, addictive substances, dieting, exercise, and just about everything else.  The real verse  states:  Philippians 4:5  "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand".  It says nothing about encouragement of things that are not edifying to the body or soul all in the name of moderation.   The dictionary meaning is:  "MODERA'TION, n. [L. moderatio.] The state of being moderate, or of keeping a due mean between extremes or excess of violence.   eg. The General's moderation after victory was more honorable than the victory itself."  I guess I would encourage all of us to shape our behavior after this verse below instead (while adding our overall moderation to the list).  Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 3.

"God won't give you more than you can handle" is how it's often said.  Well, I just don't know about that.  It says here that he won't tempt you more than you are able.   Being tempted is much different than having your plate full and being overwhelmed.  Or being burdened by health concerns, job concerns or life worries of some sort or another.  Often I think that we underplay helping others or even believing those who are not coping by saying this incorrect phrase.  If someone is overwhelmed and needs help, then we need to believe them, and either help them ourselves or help them seek help.  Here's the verse itself:
1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

For an example of this, I think of the many people who end up taking their own lives.  Why do they get to that point?  Is it their lack of faith that leads them there?  Clearly, no.  They needed help and it was not available to them (whether due to their own reasons or other reasons).  We often don't know why.   Or I think of a mother with many young children facing yet another baby when her husband is away working long hours.  Is she overwhelmed? Yes.  Is she trying to do God's will?  Yes.  Is she less deserving of help than the young new mother with her first baby?  No.  What are her options?  She either handles it or she ditches everything and everyone or she ends up in the nuthouse.  Was she being tempted?  No.  But she had too much on her plate and needed help.  Or I think of the many people in our world's history who died a painful, slow death.  I think of war heroes, martyrs, childbirth, suffering epidemics.  What was their way to escape?  They didn't have one and had to go to the death with their afflictions.  

I believe this verse is more talking about sin type temptations.  Having Jesus in our hearts gives us the strength to endure temptations that may lead us to sin.  We make choices all along the way, with the Holy Ghost dwelling in us guiding us and showing us right from wrong.  I know that in my life, the times I have ended up in sinful places or doing sinful things, I had lots of time and reasons to get out before I got there.  I chose to ignore those "red flags" and thus ended up where I shouldn't have been.  Sometimes sin happens out of ignorance, but most of the time our conscience is a pretty reliable navigator.

Let's not take this verse lightly or use it to minimize someone else's struggles, but rather use empathy and help out when we can.  

I don't claim to be a Bible scholar or anything like it, so if you have a different understanding, please share!  Thoughts?  

(I put in some of my favorite "Shepherdess" pictures for your viewing pleasure.  I absolutely love these old paintings, and wish I owned more of them.  I only own a copy of the first one.)

Random September Update

I'll tell you, there is absolutely nothing exciting about this post.  I just haven't written in a while and figured I should.  Our laptop needs a new power cord, and it's not exactly on the top of the financial priority list, so I have to type on our desktop which isn't the most comfortable. (such hardships, I know!)  Anyhow, we've been working on getting our little Mr. 1 year old to sleep better, which has meant that I've been sleeping better too (sometimes) but am still in need of a good many hours to reach my quota from a year of deprivation.  I'm back taking my adrenal support vitamins too, as I could feel myself back into the lacking area there as well.  Hopefully we'll get back on track here again! (I usually write my blog posts after everyone is in bed for the night, but sleep has been calling me first lately)

We started school again this fall, and are trying to figure out what schedule works the best.  The kids think their best in the morning, but also need to be active in the morning (aka. working) or else they're bored and fighting all afternoon and evening.  We also should be outside in the morning when the weather is so nice, as it has been getting almost hot in the afternoon.  And, I need to get my work done in the morning too.  So, I've been juggling different schedules to see what works best when for this stage of life.  Also, trying to get them to realize that playing isn't all there is to do each day, and that kids need to learn math and phonics, boring as it may seem sometimes.  I try to make it fun and break it up, but sometimes they also just need to buckle down and do it!  ( I told them Dad doesn't exactly like to get up at 0500 every morning for work, and doesn't love all the things he does in a day but still has to do it.  And my job isn't exactly a bed of roses much of the time either, but I still have to do it- not sure if they get the concept though!)  I guess that's what we get after a summer of fun times and lack of work altogether (pretty much so for them, that's for sure).

Greg also hurt his back pretty bad (twice) and has been out of commission for a good amount of time this past month.  Hopefully he's on the mend, but it's been a bit nerve wracking and frustrating for him (and me) not knowing what would/could happen (could he work? would it get better? how long?) in the future.  So far he's missed minimal work, but has to be really careful to lift correctly and stretch properly and go to the chiropractor when needed.  He also is supposed to exercise it a great deal and also rest it a great deal, so finding that balance is difficult.

My cousin's daughters were also in a serious car accident, which threw my head in a whirl for a while there.  The whole week after it happened I was only able to think about them and pray for them.  We were supposed to go to a homeschool workshop and I could barely get food on the table that week.  Thankfully the girls are recovering slowly (the younger girl is now just coming out of her coma, a month later), but it's taken a toll on me (and our whole family) emotionally and spiritually.  Maybe even more so than I had realized.  Greg's Papa is also going downhill health-wise, and he (Greg) has been having a hard time being away from him at this time.  Greg was their first grandchild and has had some pretty special treatment from his grandparents over the years. 

Well, I should get off to bed before my littlest waker-upper wakes me up for the first time tonight.  We've been having sleep issues with 3/4 kids (all the boys) these days so I'm really puzzled what that's all about.  Not sure what's causing it, and not sure what to do about it either.  So, I'll just let them sleep out on the couch if that's what makes them sleep! (well, not the baby...but you know what I mean)

Luke turns 7

It's long overdue, but Luke turned 7 in May.  I've been hesitant to write because I just haven't known what to say.  I just love this boy so dearly, and it seems like often I take it for granted how blessed we are to have such a son.  I won't say that he's "amazing, smart, perfect and wonderful" like so many parents think their kids are.  He's human just like the rest of us, but both Greg and I know we are truly blessed by God to have him in our family.

This boy is our biggest train lover.  From the time he was about 18 months (when he started using a Thomas blanket given to him as a baby gift), he's loved trains.  Anytime, anywhere, any kind.  We've been on a few different ones, and he's thrilled each time we go.  For his birthday, he wanted to go again, so we went on the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad, which was quite fun.  I keep thinking he'll outgrow his love and move on to other interests, but it hasn't happened yet!  He also wanted a Thomas cake, which I made and then the kids replaced Thomas with Toby, as Toby is number 7 (since Luke was turning 7).

Luke also loves to read and is currently reading a Calvin and Hobbes that Dad pulled off the shelf for him.  I keep hearing giggling from the corner where he is.  He also happens to have one of the best giggles I've ever heard, which I love to hear.  Last summer in swimming lessons he couldn't do anything the teacher asked, as he was giggling too much.  This summer went much better and he's becoming a good swimmer.

Here's another picture of him in Canada with Grandpa.  He had lots of questions about the farm and loved riding on the tractor, 4-wheeler and bale truck, as well as checking on the cows.  He tried milking the cow over at his aunt and uncle's house, which was harder than he thought!

This summer he was also asked to be a ring bearer in a wedding, to which he obliged.  Seeing him in his tux made me think of him when he gets bigger and wears one at his graduation or something, and it was a little hard on a mommy's heart!  He took it all in stride and just performed his duties as ordered  (which was more keeping an eye on little sis who was the flower girl!)

He's (almost) always willing to help out whenever needed, and we're looking forward to starting 2nd grade tomorrow.  He loves reading and math, so hopefully we can just scoot right along with lessons.  We're starting a formal curriculum this year, so we'll have to just see how it goes!  He loves building "projects" and has designed a few things that he and Dad have put together, the latest which was a Lightening McQueen car that fits inside our wagon so that the kids can tow each other around in it.  It works rather well for a 7 year old's design!

Above Rubies article "God Messed With Our Plans"

Here's an article that I've been wanting to share for a while.  It was in the Above Rubies magazine a while back (Issue 83) and I keep hoping they'd put it on their website but they haven't yet.  So, I "scanned" it and am going to post it here.  This girl's testimony is amazing, and is what really made me reevaluate my own convictions (or lack thereof) and research the topic further. (If you can't read it, you should be able to click on each "picture" to enlarge it.)

 

"This wasn't about us anymore or what we thought we could handle or afford"

Kids clothing organizing, sorting and filing

Here's the system I use for my kids clothing.  Other moms likely use something similar, and that's fine but this works well for us.  It's from Amy Dacyczyn's The Tightwad Gazette.  Amy and her family had a goal of living in an old farmhouse, and the only way to do it was to tighten their belts verrry tight!  They accomplished the goal and she wrote a newsletter about their journey, as well as taking in advice from others on frugal living.  It has been compiled into a book which is great easy reading!  Another blogger has summed up much of what she writes about, so that's what I'm including here.  Take note that this book was written in the late 1990's so clothing prices may have gone up slightly. (I don't pay more than 0.50 for clothing, unless it's a nice coat or shoes that I need right away)

"PAGE 270 – THE USED-CLOTHING FILING SYSTEM

Except for sneakers, socks and some underwear, Amy has never purchased new clothing for any of her children. Remember that Amy has 6 children at the time of the writing of this book, so she has about 30 same sized boxes in her attic that have clothes stored in them.

The boxes are marked with the age of the child and the sex. So using her system 5YG – means 5 year old girl; 12YB – 12 year old boy; Trainage – obviously these are the potty training pants and underwear.

Amy collects clothes from relatives that are years older than her oldest child and she stores them away. She is given a lot of hand me downs, so she sorts them by age and sex for future use. When she buys yard sale clothes she will buy only a couple years older than the oldest child. She doesn’t buy too far in advanced because free hand me downs might come along in the meantime.

Also, she doesn’t wait to shop for clothes 6 months before she needs them as she might not be able to find what she needs.

Amy stores the clothes in same size boxes so she can gauge the amount of clothes she has. Amy’s goal is not to have too many clothes for one size, but a “just good enough amount.” Amy never turns down hand me downs from anyone. She sorts through them and keeps everything, just in case she will need them all. Amy doesn’t go through to repair or remove stains at this time as she may be given some clothes in the same size in better shape sometime in the future.

Amy will buy things very far in advance if she is at a yard sale and they have brand new shoes or a new coat on sale. She also tries to choose items that will be in style for a few years.

Book 3, Page 6 – THE KIDS’ CLOTHING INVENTORY

Amy spent about $50 annually to dress her six kids with an average of $8.33 per kid. This includes winter outerwear. Socks and underwear were purchased new. Many clothing items were given to their family by their relatives and many items were purchased used.

Amy kept an inventory sheet on each kid as to what clothes they wore and the sizes along with what clothes that child had in their closet to wear. So for one child she wrote down the number of winter shirts and the sizes. This was to ensure that gaps and surpluses don’t occur. For example, one child ran short on shoes so she knew that in the future she needed to make sure they had enough shoes for the year.

Since manufacturers differ in their sizes, Amy started to measure the clothing to make sure that she would be getting the correct sizes at garage sales. For example, she would measure inseams and also would measure shoes for the correct size. Then when an item was needed she would take a tape measure along with her to a garage sale and it was easy to measure and know that pants and shoes would fit her child.

I think this is a good idea from the standpoint of clothing does shrink after washing, so you may look at an article at a garage sale and think that you are buying the correct size only to find out the item had done some shrinking. Measuring ensures a good fit.

Amy kept a list of the sizes along with the measurements that went with that size so she could make sure the clothing would fit. For example size 2 in pants measures to be an 8 ½” waist (measured in the front) and 11 ½ inch inseam.

Even if you didn’t keep a list of the sizes, but only took an inventory of your children’s clothing you would be able to see if they needed any “new” clothing for a season. Then you would be able to go ahead and buy those items before they were needed as compared to going to a garage sale and buying everything “willy nilly”. Having a plan to buy only what is needed and nothing beyond that will save you money, even at garage sales. Also just because items are cheaper at a garage sale doesn’t mean that you buy your child 10 dresses, 15 pairs of pants and 25 shirts. Money is money so only buy what your child needs.

Having a clothing inventory for every member of the family would be a good idea too. Think of the money you will save by not going out and buying extra items when you aren’t sure if you really need them or not."

http://thepathtofrugality.blogspot.com/

Here's my chart, my apologies for it's sideways presentation.

I keep my chart in my purse and highlight it once a category is filled.  Then I know at a glance what I need at each sale.  The chart also helps so that you know how many hand-me-downs to keep and how many to bless others with.  When deciding numbers on your chart, take into account the season, the age of the child (potty training toddlers need more clothes than big kids), and how often you do laundry.  I wash once a week, so usually have 1 top for each day of the week (5-6 play, 1-2 dress shirts in both long and short sleeves for example).

I also use large ziploc bags for storage, since it takes up less space in our house.  The only place I have to store kids clothes is under their bed, which fits the bags better than boxes do.  As I get new clothes for gifts, etc. (on boy #3 now)  I get rid of any that are worn out or that aren't worn much.  This way the stack never gets too high.

Another thing that is helpful is to keep a box/bag of hand-me-downs that my own kids have outgrown so that I only have to sort and take out clothes seasonally.  Then I sort whatever is in the "too small" box and put it in the appropriate bag at the season change instead of regularly.  Otherwise I'd be digging in 4 "too big" bags and putting away in 4 "too small" bags on a continual basis.

Learning the 5 Love Languages

Recently my husband and I were discussing how some people love to give (and receive) gifts, and for some of us it's nice, but not such a big deal.  We were pondering how to reciprocate to those of our friends and family without shortchanging our own immediate family.  Have you ever been in that situation?  Right now we have 19 nieces and nephews and 4 of our own children.  It's impossible to get gifts for every birthday and Christmas financially, and logistically (not to mention in-laws, out-laws and just plain family)  Add in close friends and you're getting into some pretty high dollars, time spent shopping and such.  

I then remembered that a friend had lent me the 5 Love Languages book for children (haven't read it yet, as my reading time is still quite limited) but it got me to thinking about finding out my own "language".   We found the quizzes online http://www.5lovelanguages.com/assessments/personal-profiles/?profiletype=wives and learned alot.   I am a "quality time" person.  There is nothing I like better than a day spent with those I love.  My favorite days are Saturdays where we go out for breakfast (or have it at home), run errands, fix stuff around home and such.  This reaffirmed why I love just spending time with my husband and kids.  It fills "the cockels of my heart" (to quote my mother-in-law) to just do fun or boring things with them.  I love visiting with my husband as we drive somewhere (as I sip coffee, trying not to spill since I prefer a coffee cup to a travel mug), or yesterday we took the bikes down to the park for a ride (yep, heart overflowing!)

My husband on the other hand is a "words of affirmation" type of guy.  He loves hearing that I love him, and he tells me often all the good things he loves about me.  He is the first to compliment people on whatever it may be, and also likes it when others do that for him.

Anyhow, since learning this, we've been trying to figure out how to "speak" the love languages to those who may differ from us.  There's also "gift givers/receivers", "physical affection", and "acts of service" (father-in-law?)  Although we all fall into several categories, knowing our main one and the main one(s) of those close to us can really help us feel their love and help us to show our love to them.   I'll let you know when I actually read the book what I find out about children!

So what's your love language?  I'd love to know!