How a pale pink sweater changed my life

I've never cared for the color pink.  Perhaps it was because when we were kids, I always got the gift that was "the other color".  I always got the red or purple or blue whatever-it-was and my older sister always got the pink one if we were getting the same thing.  I always thought it was because she was more feminine than I, but didn't complain (since there was no reason to) about the lack of pink in my life.

I did own some hot pink and purple cowgirl boots (yes, just like these) back in the day, when hot pink was hot.  But, other than those (and a few matching clothes to go with them, I'm sure), my life has been rather pink-less.

Fast forward to becoming a parent.  Since we didn't know what our first baby was going to be, I dreaded the thought of mountains of pink coming into our life.  Pink was so boring, so mundane, so "girly".  (We of course had a boy, so those concerns went away, for a while!)  And then I was transformed.

It all happened when Greg and I headed up to northern Arizona for a road trip, and I was many months pregnant with our oldest (9 years ago).  Since we had left the heat down south, I had completely forgot to bring a jacket or sweater with me up into the mountains.  We stopped at the nearest store (JC Penney) and I went in to buy something to stay warmer.  The only thing that fit me for the price I wanted to pay (since I'd only wear it that one time, right?) was this clearance rack pale pink maternity sweater.  Yikes.  It was comfortable though, so I bought it, even though the color was less than perfect.

Well, fast forward now 9 years.  I'm still wearing that same pale pink sweater.  It's been one of my favorites.  I wear it almost every day, rain or shine.  It's pretty much worn out now, although I can't seem to give it up.  I have, in the meantime, learned to love pink.  It is so boring in yet refreshing at the same time.  It's soothing yet cheerful every day.  It's peaceful in my chaotic days.  My spare room is painted bubble gum pink.   My kitchen has all pink accents.  My bedspread is also mostly pink.  Yesterday while I was wearing my old sweater once again, I realized that my shoes, my coat, and my scarf were also different shades of...pink.  And our daughter absolutely loves pink.  She'd wear it on every item, every day if given the opportunity.

Pink is just one of those things that makes me happy each day.  And I'm so

glad I got over my aversion to it.  Aren't these just cute and cheerful?

My own guide to a better birth

With each baby, it seems that I need extra motivation to make changes to help things run more smoothly.  That means that the labor would go "better" and that the baby would be less fussy and more pleasant.  This means reading more books and websites, and talking to more people.  For some reason, this makes the whole overwhelming process more doable, when I have more tools in my belt, so to speak.   Kind of like having more appliances in my kitchen.  I think that I can do fine with what I have, but then I get a new ice cream maker for my birthday, and just don't know how I ever lived without it!

There are things that in the past have worked well, and I'm sticking with them.  After 4 kids, you start to learn what works and what doesn't.  There's always a chance of some random wild card being thrown in there, but for the most part, the process is getting more smooth.  I shudder at my naivety with our first baby, thinking that I was well-educated back then.  Thankfully God does give us more chances, and I'm thankful that He has led me to various resources to help with my own health situation as well as the coming baby's.  It also seems that the more I rely on Him, the more answers He gives.  I should know that, but somehow want to lean on my own understandings and knowledge way too much and it doesn't work so well.

This pregnancy I was able to decrease morning sickness drastically by upping my probiotics and adding lots of magnesium to my diet (unintentionally, but it worked).  This blog helped alot 7 Real Food Remedies for Morning Sickness as well as this one (although I discovered it much after the first trimester was over).  The Cause and Cure of Morning Sickness.  Halfway through everything I discovered Green Vibrance that I'm still singing the praises of.  I had been so tired that I needed a nap every single day, and now I only need one rarely when I've overdone it, or we've been lacking sleep from sick kids/toddlers climbing in bed/things like that.  Eating protein in the night was really helpful for keeping blood sugars stable too (usually I'd just chug some kefir from the bottle (since no one else drinks it around here) or eat a few spoons of Greek yogurt when I got up in the night and that worked the best).

The things that I already do and have continued with are:

1) Chiropractic care - This recently was a huge blessing.  Our baby has been transverse or breech at every checkup and after 32 weeks this becomes a concern as the baby starts to lose space to turn around.  Our chiropractor specializes in women's health and children, so she was able to do the Webster Technique on me, and the next day the baby flipped over to the head down position.  She basically just adjusts your pelvis to make sure everything is lined up to assist in better blood flow, better nerve conduction and more room for the baby to get (and stay) in the proper position for birth.  The chiropractor does not touch the baby, but instead just facilitates it's environment so that it can move freely on it's own. (This is different from a Version or ECV in that they actually forcefully turn the baby under ultrasound and it's much harder on mom and baby.) I recommend finding a certified chiropractor and getting an adjustment if you are pregnant or about to become so.  They can help with back and joint pain, as well as just strengthening all those muscles/ligaments that need attention when a baby is weighing on your body.

2) Bradley birth technique - I learned about this 2 babies ago, and it has really helped me get through labor.  I didn't attend their classes, but just read the books and that was helpful enough.  Husband Coached Childbirth and Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way.  If you only want one book, the second one is much more useful in actual methods.  (or you can borrow them from me, when I get them back, as they are lent out right now).

3) Birthing ball - love this thing for exercising on before baby is born, as well as the comfort it gives during labor.  Would not go without it.  I'm also doing walking on the rebounder since it's easier than dragging 4 kids on a walk many days.

4) A competent midwife or doula - Although our midwife didn't make it here in time for Isaac's birth, I have confidence in her skills and abilities to intervene if problems should arise.  Having a doula in the hospital for our last birth there was well worth it too.  She was my advocate when I couldn't talk and also really helped Greg know how to help me.  In the hospital, you never know what kind of nurse or doctor you might get, so having someone who can advocate for you is priceless (in my opinion). 

New things I'm trying this time around:  

1) Spinning babies - this is full of exercises and explanations as to why babies have/cause difficult births and how you can avoid them.  Just chock full of good information

2) Gentle birth formula - herbs to assist with labor, delivery and nursing.  I've taken red raspberry tea with all the kids, as well as a pregnancy tea, so this is hopefully kind of the same thing.  I've heard good stuff about it, and our midwife says she's seen good results with it too.  (no false labor- just the real thing, more effective contractions, less bleeding, better milk supply after birth were her observations)
3) Eating dates - "Women who ate dates daily for the last several weeks of pregnancy were more dilated when labor began, less likely to need medication to get labor going, and their labor tended to be an average of seven hours shorter then the non-date eaters. The study found a compound in the dates that imitates oxytocin (which helps with labor)."  It can't hurt to try, since dates are yummy!
4) Eating more gelatin - Since most of the meat we eat is muscle meat, our society is drastically missing out on collagen/gelatin.  I've been trying to eat 1 Tbsp. each day, and have noticed way less stretch marks this time (actually disappearing rather than reappearing).  Wellness Mama (my favorite blog) has a great article on the benefits of it too.  I just add it to my green drink each day, but you could soften it in cold water first (just a couple Tbsp. of water, and then add your morning coffee to the cup and dissolve it too for an easy way to get it down.  Making homemade jello (with juice) is a more enjoyable way to eat it!

As far as baby stuff, our bassinet gave out recently (it was being used for a stuffed animal containment basket in the kids room) so I'm shopping for a new/used one.  We use one for the first part of the night, and then co-sleep the rest, depending on how tired/fussy/rested everyone is!  I know I could probably survive without one, but I do sleep best with a little more room for at least part of the night and I've loved having one in the past.

I read "The Happiest Baby on the Block" before Isaac was born and that was one of the best (of many, many!) books I've read.  Babywearing has also been a lifesaver (a wrap for newborns and and Ergo/mei tai for older babies).  Swaddling has been so helpful (those new kind with the velcro are awesome!)  Also, for older babies, I really like "The No-Cry Sleep Solution" for teaching babies to sleep on their own.

That's all I can think of for now...hoping and praying this birth goes nice and smooth.

Mutual Understandings

One thing I love about a good relationship is the common ground on which the relationship is formed.  Maybe it isn't really formed there, but that common ground is what caused the relationship to flourish.  There's things you needn't even discuss, because you know you'll see eye to eye on certain topics.  Occasionally, random different opinions come in, but for the most part, the unspoken understandings take precedence.

I got to thinking this the other day while I was out shopping with the kids.  A cashier at a minimum-wage store was super excited/distressed/emotionally charged because her husband had gone and traded in her old car for a brand-new fully-loaded Subaru while she was at work.  She couldn't believe it, and was excited, but I could also sense some how-are-we-ever-going-to-make-the-payments thoughts in there too.  When I got home and was telling Greg about it, he said, "You know I'd never do that to you, don't you?"  And I replied that yes, I knew I never had to worry about him doing that.  'Nuff said.

Then, later on in the week, he says to me, "What's with all these pregnant women posting self-portraits and ultrasound pictures on Facebook?  Why do they think we want to see that?"  This time it was me saying, "You know I'd never do that, don't you?"  To which he answered that, yes, he knew he never had to worry about me doing that (although I do post other things that he deems controversial and unnecessary!)  

We have a few more things like that too.  He knows never to have a surprise party (or plan a surprise trip) for me (I love the anticipation of things instead), and I know never to leave the house without my keys as well (even if he's driving and he has his keys).  That one has taken me many years to learn!  I know to always check the doors and woodstove at night (since I'm the last one to go to bed) and he knows that I'll always have a hot cup of coffee (in a glass "house" mug) every Sunday on the way to church and to not drive off (even if we're late) until I have a good balancing system in place so that it doesn't spill going out of our driveway.  We both know what kind of music to listen to when the other IS home, and what kind to listen to when the other ISN'T home!  No words are ever needed, just that deep down mutual understanding.

I have this with my close friends too.  The ones that I've known long enough that I know all those quirks/traits that make them such good friends.  The friends that always have a kind word to say, and then those who are rather tactless and usually have hurtful words to say (I try to stay away from those ones, but there's a number of them in my life that I still must deal with occasionally).  The friends that know when it's been too long and just need a good visit, and those you feel you must visit with because of obligation rather than desire.  The friends that lift you up, and the friends that pull you down and exhaust you.   It takes a balance of them all, although I highly recommend that you dose yourself with more uplifting friends than pulling-down ones.  And forgive their mistakes.  And pray that they forgive yours.  And be thankful for those mutual (unsaid) understandings that make your friendship what it is.

Christmas letter 2013

Christmas 2013

 Hello and wishing greetings of God’s love and peace to you!  It seems that it is time again to write to you, and send our love to you as well. 

Our vacation this year consisted of a trip toArizona by way of San Diego, CA.  We flew there first, and then drove the rest of the way to AZ and back.  We were able to be in Arizona for Greg’s parent’s retirement party, our nephew’s baptism, and Luke’s 8^th birthday.

Luke has been busy working on “projects” this year.  He’s been helping his Dad and Grandpa Somero build a sunroom on our deck.  He also is going to be painting his “new” dresser (which is quite beat up right now), as well as building & fixing other things.  He is enjoying archery with Dad, and is getting to be pretty good at it.

          James is your typical 6 year old.  He’s both excited and nervous about his first loose teeth.  He’s taking off with his reading, and quite thrilled with the world opening up for him by being able to read. (I love being witness to these adventures!) He spends most of his time upside down doing flips/kicks/headstands, and has an abundance of energy to burn on a consistent basis! 

Elise joins right in on whatever her brothers are doing.  She also loves helping Mom (washing dishes, sorting laundry, bossing her brothers and such).  She has started piano lessons this fall and loves to play the piano and sing.  She is quite excited about our new baby coming, and has things all planned out for when he/she arrives.

          Isaac keeps us laughing in 2 year old style.  He is learning new words each day, and has definite ideas on how things should and shouldn’t be done.  His names for his siblings are Du (Luke), Day (James), Dee (Elise) and Die (Isaac).  It’s a good thing we named them all with different vowel sounds!

          New baby #5 will be joining us in mid-February.    I’m so thankful for the ability to homeschool, so that we can adjust everything in our own time, rather than running by somebody else’s schedule when things get crazy.  (as happens on occasion with 4(+1) little ones).  Today I’ve been especially thankful for the days like today where we just stay home and work, school, play, exercise, nap and grow together.  Life seems so busy sometimes, and I’m thankful for the ability to slow down (when it’s so cold and rainy outside) and take time to enjoy the little things.

          May God bless and keep you ever in His loving care!

Marriage thoughts

Lately I've been inundated with marriage advice.  Not through real friends or family; but through blogs, facebook posts and articles of people sharing their best advice.  Then at Goodwill today I noticed a whole big section of marriage self-help books.  That's 4 big shelves full of various people's opinions.  I do understand there are alot of people with poor marriages and broken marriages, and that this is a big deal.  But, while pondering this topic, it came to me the best advice is given from the Bible.  This is given for getting along with anyone.  I quote it to my kids many times each day (yes, each day!!)  But, it's the simplest, easiest way to get along with people.  And that is:

Luke 6:31  And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. 

The good old Golden Rule.  It's first mentioned in the Bible back in Leviticus 19:18 (Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.) and is just as useful today.

If every act we do, thought we think, word we say can be ran through the "would I like this done to me?" filter, how pleasant our world would be.  In my life I've had to deal with a good number of difficult people.  People whose opinions I didn't agree with, whose harsh words were very hurtful, and their behavior was embarrassingly awful.  Dealing with these people is difficult, but can be bearable and doable if we remember to treat them as we want to be treated, no matter what.  Forgiveness comes easier, and the hurdles much easier to deal with if we can try to see things in a Christ-like manner.

We also have many other places in the Bible that speak of how to treat our fellow man, (the fruits of the Spirit, how husbands and wives ought to treat each other, etc) but the Golden Rule gives us the easiest "formula" to get along with our spouse and children.

There are many causes to people's marriages failing.  Dave Ramsay says that the 4 areas that people fight about are money, children (how to raise them), in-laws and religion.   Often these subjects were never agreed upon (nor even talked about) before marriage though.  I would add that poor health (hormones, disease, depression, addictions) add to the stress that cause a normal relationship to be strained as well.  Pride and sinful baggage/lifestyle are another big factor.  All of these things are solvable problems, but must be addressed rather than ignored.  The hard part comes when people are either not willing to admit there is a problem, or else not open to solving the obvious problem.  In all of these, treating each other the way we want to be treated will bring blessing.  There is no place for selfishness in a relationship.  It only brings hurt, heartache and disappointment.

Anyhow, that's my two cents of marriage advice, for what it's worth! 

To Cook a Turkey

I'm notoriously awful at baking turkeys.  I feel that it should be a skill that every housewife should master, in yet have had trouble getting the skill perfected.  Perhaps it's because turkey baking only comes once each year so it takes alot of time to learn it.  Or perhaps it's because the bird is so huge that everything is increased from normal cooking experiences.

Anyhow, my biggest trouble has been time.  All the turkeys come with these handy little charts on the back that tell you how to bake them, but somehow that has never worked for me.  Maybe I'm just to paranoid to serve raw turkey to my guests, so ensure that every part is up to the recommended safe temperatures.  Whatever way it is, my turkeys never get done in the way (or time frame) I want them to.  Maybe my expectations are just too high (evenly cooked meat throughout with no overcooked or undercooked areas...is that too much to ask?) 

I've tried baking open in the roaster (as recommended on the package), wrapped in foil (as my mother-in-law and her mother do), on a V-rack in the roaster (to lift it higher for better airflow) but the legs just never get done and the breast meat dries out drastically.  I've had to have guests wait 2 hours for dinner too, as the bird didn't get done on time (and yes, my oven temperature was correct). I've tried flipping the bird over half way through baking so that everything gets baked more easily (challenging on the best of days!)   I also used to get the free turkeys offered at the grocery stores when you buy a certain amount of groceries, so I always chose the biggest one (that would be the most economical, right?)  But, a 24 lb. turkey is a monster to cook, compared to this 18 lb. one I did now.  The few extra pounds aren't worth the hassle anymore, in my opinion.  Cooks Illustrated magazine even had an article on this dilemma one time.  They concluded that the best way to cook everything evenly was to just cut the legs off and bake them separately.  Apparently I'm not the only one with this struggle!

Yesterday I attempted to bake a turkey again.  It turned out the best so far and here's what I did:

I followed several people's recommendations (who have successfully baked numerous turkeys).  My friend Janine does this:  1) Put in an oven bag  2) Low heat overnight 3) Put cut up apples and onions inside the cavity to keep moisture in 4) Bake it until the meat is falling off the bones.  Our friend Kristie (where we always go for Thanksgiving) always has fabulous turkeys.  She uses the oven bag too.  I recall my Grandpa Kurtti always saying to Grandma, "Mom, remember to heavily salt and pepper the cavity!" (and under the skin)

So, I sort of improvised those things and it worked well.  I put it in an oven bag, and baked it at 325*F for about 6 hours (18 lb. bird).  For the last 2 hours I turned the heat down to 250*F.  I also used Greg's remote BBQ thermometer so that I didn't have to take the turkey out of the oven at all until the coldest part was up to temperature.  Then I let it sit out of the oven for about 20 minutes (to let juices reabsorb back into bird) before I opened the bag and started cutting up the bird.  I didn't have guests or a time frame, so just let it bake until the thermometer beeped.  In other words, I didn't stress!  Delicious and easy!

Things I'd like to try in the future that have been suggested to me:

-Brining (I've heard really good things about this, but just haven't tried it yet)

-1 stick of butter spread under the breast skin to keep in moisture while the rest of the turkey is finishing cooking (adds good flavor too).

-Get myself a fancy apron and some red heels ('cause food always tastes better when you're dressed up right!)

Mother knows best!

There are times when Mother is always right.  I do admit my Mom has wisdom, but for some reason I fail to heed it much of the time.  Maybe the stuff that is unsolicited is most easy to ignore.  But, my Mom tells me stuff and it usually takes a couple years before the idea finally sinks into my head and I start thinking about it and usually eventually do what she advised.  And then wish I had listened a couple years ago.  Sigh.

One of the things I recall her recommending was to put all little 1 year old Lukey's valuable toys away before company came one time.  "The random kids will drag them everywhere and they'll be strewn all over your yard and get lost," she said.  I said, "Oh, I'm not worried about it."  Until some of his favorite toys got broken and lost.  Now we always put away new/valuable things before company comes.  Lesson learned!

The next thing (that I remember) her telling me was, "Rachel, you should get one of those mini-trampolines for the kids to jump on on rainy days."  ("Yeah, whatever, Mom!" I said to myself.)  She mentioned it a few more times over the next couple years, and I brushed her off again (politely, I hope!)  Then, I finally realized that we needed something in the house to get some exercise on rainy days and wondered what equipment would work best for us.  The only thing that kept coming back to me was a rebounder (mini-trampoline).  I finally started some research and pricing them out, and looking at garage sales, and borrowing a friend's to try and we finally got ourselves one.  Best. Investment. Ever. for exercise in the house.  I can and do use it.  The kids jump on it many times each day.  It has tons of health benefits.  It's fun.  It doesn't take up much room (compared to treadmills and such).  And it was reasonably priced.

After looking at a bunch of different brands, I finally bought the Urban Rebounder.  It was the highest rated "cheap" one.   I've tried the $400 ones, and they're nice but not worth that much, in my opinion.  The $30 ones work, but just don't have the bounce you want to enjoy using them (more work than enjoyment).  If you can find an expensive one at a garage sale, that'd be your best bet.  It also came with some videos that make for an enjoyable workout.  The only problem I've had with ours is that the springs started squeaking about 1 week after we got it.  That makes things kind of annoying.  There is supposed to be some sort of silicone lubricant I can put on the springs to solve the problem, but I can't seem to remember to ever look for nor buy it.   This brand also comes with a stabilizing bar which is helpful for just walking on when you're totally pregnant (or have a new baby that needs rocking to sleep, I just put them in the baby carrier and walk away!)

Here's a start on health benefits.  Probably the most important is improving the lymphatic (immune) system by improving it's flow.  We could all use to improve our immune systems, I'm sure! The Benefits of Rebounding.

And more:  The Surprising Health and Fitness Benefits of Rebounding

I've tried many sorts of exercise over the years, and can only admit to enjoying this for indoor activities.  Treadmills, stair-stepping machines, rowing machines, ellipticals, etc. are all too mundane to stick with for me.  Although I'm not entirely faithful with this, it's been my best option.  And the kids have fun with it every day too (which saves my own sanity).  I use free weights with it too, which mixes it up a bit.

As usual, Mother knew best!

When Mom was at our house when Isaac was born, I asked her (after she'd been working in my kitchen all week) if there was anything she could see that I could improve on.  She said, "You don't have big enough pots.  How can you cook double meals (to freeze) if your pots aren't big enough?"  Umm, yeah.  We do have 4 kids now!  So, I started looking around and have finally upgraded to a 6 qt. Dutch oven, a 11 qt. stock pot and have a newly acquired 7 qt. slow cooker.  What a difference!  I love it.  That was some advice I jumped on, because I knew she was right.

Home, Home Sweet Home

You'll have to excuse this if it gets too emotional and perhaps long-winded.  I seem to be a bit (well, alot) more emotional when pregnant.  But, lately I've been feeling quite homesick.  I'm not quite sure what that means exactly, but that's the best way I can think of to describe it.

Let me start back when my life started.  I was born in the Northwest Territories (up where the polar bears roam) where my parents lived at the time.  When I was 18 months, they moved back to my Dad's home area (central Alberta, Canada) and we then lived in a little house in the town of Leslieville (pop. 100+/-).  When I was 5 we moved to the farm where my parents still live.  We lived in a little 1 bedroom home (with 4 kids) for the first year or so, and then my Dad put an addition onto that little ramshackle house which my Mom had made into a cozy home.  This added 3 more (small) bedrooms and the former bedroom was turned into a living room.  I lived in this house until I was 12 when we moved into the basement of our new house, built on the same property.  By the time the main and upper floors of the new house were done, I had long left home.

After I left home at 17, I lived in many living circumstances over the next 10 years.  I lived in apartments, duplexes, 4-plexes, houses, as a boarder, and had ~20 roommates in that time.  I also had 18 different jobs in that same time frame as well as going to college.  (I loved to keep busy and try new things, can you tell?)  When we got married, I then moved to Arizona where we lived for 2 1/2 years before moving to Washington where we now live.  We've been in this house 7 1/2 years with no (or maybe just a few) plans to leave (not sure where we'd go though).

So, to say I'm homesick really doesn't say much.  I'm missing something badly, but I don't know what it is.  Home is relative.  It means something different to everyone.  My home isn't really there anymore, not in the way I remember it anyhow.  That's not what I'm missing.  My family is there, but life is so different now.  We are all busy in our lives, and the memories I have of family are also not there anymore.  I love my family, but it doesn't seem like that's what I'm missing either (besides, I can talk to them on the phone if I really want to).

Maybe I miss Canada.  I know I do, but is that enough to evoke these feelings?  What do I miss?  I'm not even sure.  Maybe just the familiarity.  Maybe the people.  Maybe the chocolate bars and foods I love.  It's been over 1 year since we've been up there, but somehow trips don't make up for being gone so long and so much.  They end up being a whirlwind of activity, of cramming too much driving, visiting, appeasing kids in strange environments, sleeping in strange houses into too short of a time period.  Doable but hardly enjoyable or restful at this stage of life.

When I've struggled with depression in the past, the one scene that replays over and over in my mind is this:  riding in the back seat (middle position) of our big, old Chrysler (I picture myself being about 8-10 years old) and just going wherever the family was going.  Just driving.  The wind was whipping my hair in my face (we had no A/C) and I had no cares or worries.  I think that's what I miss the most.  Being carefree and having no worries.

As a parent, your worries and cares never stop.  Who's that coughing in the night? (as I'm trying to drift off to sleep)  How am I going to appease this toddler when we're out of milk (and he's addicted to it) and we forgot to buy any?  What'll we eat for breakfast/lunch/dinner today?  Why does a pregnant woman always have to sleep on her left side?  Haven't women been pregnant since the beginning of time and only lately have we been told that we need to sleep on our left? (more puzzles as I'm trying to drift off to sleep)  Did I lock all the doors?  Pull the damper on the woodstove?  Check that all kids are covered up?  And on and on and on.

So then I wonder what I should do with all my memories and reminiscing.  If I dwell on "the way things were", I get depressed because we can never go back to the past.  We (thankfully) seem to only remember the good and forget the bad many times, so the past always seems rosier than it really was.  If I squelch them, they just keep resurfacing over and over, haunting me from many different angles.  If I pleasantly think them through and then refile them back in my brain, that seems to work best.  Kind of like looking at an old photo album and then closing it back up and putting it back on the shelf.  Some memories are good, some not-so-good, but all are present because they happened.  And who I am today, has alot to do with who I have been all my life, and the experiences that have shaped me into that person.  We each have the uniqueness of different experiences through life, that brings us to where we and who we are today.  What a blessing!

Anyhow, I'm kind of rambling, so will close now.  That's what's been on my mind the last few days.

PS.  Green Vibrance still working great.  Almost 2 weeks on it, and feeling more energetic, patient/better mood, better digestion and only 1-2 naps altogether (normally I have had to take one every day this pregnancy so far).

What do you do with your memories (the good and the bad)?  What does "home" mean to you?

Hooray!

Can I say that this week is a total change from the last?  Yes it is, and in many good ways.  I think that last week I was likely fighting a nasty bug that 3/4 of the kids ended up with.  Yucky!  But, thankfully haven't got it yet, although they are still struggling with random symptoms now and then.

And it's possibly too early to sing the praises of feeling better, but I'm doing awesome, and have been for 4 days now.  What, you ask, is making the difference?  Now, those of you who know me, know that I'm always reading up on different products, foods, and diet things that will make life "better".  With the various health struggles in our family, nutrition seems to be the key to getting it all back on track.  Our Naturopath even told us that with kids, getting good digestion will solve pretty much all of their problems on it's own.  A bit extra of HCl added at mealtimes is what he recommends for most kids and it'll cure whatever ails them.  And yes, we've seen it work well here!

I take my ordinary prenatals, but they don't seem to make a difference in my day.  I take calcium/magnesium/minerals and they don't either (but I know they're necessary for a growing baby as well as me keeping my own bones and teeth healthy).  I've tried omega-3 oils, digestive enzymes, and all sorts of other things to help give me some energy to make it through the day reasonably well.  Because I'm an older mother and my oldest isn't real old yet, I have that strike against energy in the first place.  I delegate what I can to the kids, but still need to be functional myself.  Functional so that I can direct them in reasonable tasks.  Functional so I can keep a toddler out of a reasonable amount of mischief.  Functional so that I don't just yell and growl all day at them.   Functional so that they do some schoolwork most days.  And functional so that I can give them (and dear husband) the emotional stuff they need from me (which makes everybody's life more pleasant in the long run!)  And if I have enough energy to cook, clean, do dishes and such that's just a bonus.  Not even on the list of requirements.

So what's the ticket?  It's (drum roll, please)  GREEN VIBRANCE!!  I bought some (finally) after my chiropractor has been singing it's praises for a couple years now (they even sell it now).  And the health food store always has it on sale.  While I was looking for just a probiotic to try (to improve some pregnancy digestion issues), this sounded like an even better option.  The link I listed tells all about it, and I do have to say that I feel like a million bucks now that I'm taking it each day.  Today I vacuumed the whole house and then had enough energy to sweep the deck and vacuum out the van.  That never happens.  If it's vacuuming day, I'm lucky if I can get the house done before I'm wiped right out.  My digestion issues are gone and right now I should be napping (as I have every day this pregnancy so far), but I'm wide awake typing this instead!  And supper is in the slow cooker (hasn't happened either because I've been too tired to think that far in advance).  I hope I continue to feel this good, as life is alot better when you have (some) energy and are happy at the same time.

Do read up on it if you get a chance (on the link listed above), as I think most people could benefit from more greens, probiotics, and other nutrient dense foods like this has in it.  (Amazon has a ton of positive reviews too, which are helpful)  No matter how healthy we eat these days, it seems that the toxins/chemicals coming in our bodies from various sources override the good we do.  And I don't know of anyone who actually eats enough vegetables.   (Guilty too!)

I even bought some GABA as recommended by a friend (thanks, K) but haven't needed it yet! If I do, it's a good backup plan for those rough days, which usually follow a rough night of sleep (planning on them coming up regularly with 3rd trimester woes which I've encountered in the past!)

http://www.vibranthealth.us/green-vibrance/product-pages/green-vibrance

Monday blues

I've had a hard time staying positive lately.  Growing a baby is hard work, and I seem to be more tired each time.  And older.  And in worse shape.  I'd love to exercise, but I just don't even have enough energy to do the bare minimum.  We did take a walk today, but even that was taxing in many ways.  I've been trying different things to try to boost up my energy levels, but nothing seems to make much difference.  I get good sleep, but still always need more.  There's random aches and pains that I won't go into which make each day unpleasant.  And then when I don't have much energy, the kids behavior gets out of line and then they stress me more (my fault).  And then I don't eat properly and feel worse.  And then kick myself for not eating healthy.  And then I gain lots of weight, making everything mentioned above more difficult.  Oh, sigh.  And it's Monday.  I try to limit coffee, but can't seem to even function without it.  I try tea, but get bored with that after just a few days.

And then there's the comments.  Last week a guy (who didn't even know about the coming baby).  "Whoa, are all of those your kids?"  (Yes, we're very blessed!)  "They must be like, a year apart or something!"  (No, actually 2.  They are 2, 4 6, & 8)  "Man, that's alot!"  Stomps off!  (His wife did whisper, "I love kids, I wish we had some!" as she embarrassingly followed him off.)

And the other extreme from a lady who wishes she had more kids (and has made it very clear to me in the past, although she already has more than me anyhow).  "Wow!  God just keeps blessing you and blessing you!"   In a how-come-you're-so-lucky-and-I'm-not kind of voice.

What to say?  Or feel?  Or do?  I just can't focus (even for a moment) on those things as they drag me down even further.  I need to think about things of beauty that lift me up.  Like cute baby clothes (because I'll need some since this is going to be a different season than we've dealt with before).  And shopping for a "new" car seat and bassinet.  And getting excited about using my diaper bag again (which I love).  And getting back into clothes that aren't too tight or falling down at all times.   And decorating my sun room as we can afford it.  (I've got it all planned out, just need the $$$)  And a warm bath before bed to boost my spirits and relax everything.

On the same note, one of the kids was telling about his bad days lately.  How a couple little failures wrecked his whole weekend.  I tried to brighten him up by telling some stories about bad days that I have had and how now we can laugh about them.   One story was about how I slept in for work one time, and then went to start my car (and clear the snow off it) and proceeded to slip down the stairs, losing my keys back under the stairs (in a tight crevice that was difficult to get to).  When I finally found them and unlocked my apartment and went to call work and tell them I'd be late, I had no voice and they couldn't even hear me enough to tell who was calling.  Thankfully I squeaked it out enough for them to understand and they told me to take the day off and "get better".  I then went back to bed and slept the day away.  Or the story about slamming my finger in the car door with it locked and no one nearby to hear me yelling.

Then I told a story about my Dad (a plumber) who had a customer who was too cheap to use the right size venting to plumb his house.  My Dad strongly advised against it, but the customer refused.  A few months later, the town was flushing the sewer pipes and because of the small pipes, the toilet didn't vent properly and everything flushed up and out the toilet instead (while he was sitting on it).  My parents were on vacation and my grandparents were looking after us kids.  My Grandma wrote the message which said, "So-and-so called.  Toilet blew up."  It was apparently hard not to laugh when he returned the call and got the details.  I was telling the kids that whenever they have a bad thing happen to them, they can be happy that their toilet hasn't blown up on them that day!

The sun is shining, and the kids are happily playing outside for now, so that's good.  

And tomorrow is a new day.  With no mistakes (or aches) in it.  Yet!

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This is my only permanent record, so I try to record the kid's stuff here.  For those of you on Facebook, sorry for the repeat.

We've been on coyote patrol lately, as they've been eying our chickens. The kids reactions when they saw the first one staring at them from the corner (outside) the pen. Luke: "Mom, there was a coyote staring at me right by the chicken pen so I wasn't sure what to do." (calm and collected) James: "Mom, there's a coyote right by the chickens! Shoot it, shoot it! Get Dad's gun and shoot it! Just put the bullet in and pull the trigger. It's easy!" (excited and got a plan) Elise: "We should stay in the house all day because coyotes like meat. And we're meat." (scared and nervous) Isaac: Just wanders around wondering what a coyote is, imitating a howl whenever he feels necessary.

When will we ever learn?

Sometimes (well, most of the time), parenting is just hard.  There's lots of advice out there, but I've found that most of it rarely works consistently.  Most of the time I feel like I'm just stumbling around in the dark, trying new things on a  regular basis in hopes that something new will be "the ticket".  Not so.  There is no magic pill.  There is no magic formula.  Well, there is but I forget to use it (it's called Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, the life).

I'm a researcher.  Love finding new information.  Love honing in a process and streamlining it to fit my life and needs.  Unfortunately I am blessed with 4 little rascals who fail to follow my predictions and wishes.  Which is a good thing, but that doesn't make it easier.

Here's the example:  one of our children has been acting out ALOT lately.  Bullying, belligerent, pestering, will not communicate.  I haven't known what to do.  What I want to do is to just yell at them, shake them, "knock some sense" into them.  I tried lecturing, adding more work (when original jobs didn't get done in a reasonable time), punishment, bribery, the works!  To no avail.  I finally reached the end of my rope the other day, leading me to become a crying mess.  After voicing my concerns to my dear husband, and he gave all the kids a pep talk of expectations, and I expected things to get better.  Not so.  This mom was still nagging, cajoling, and bribing these kids to do a few simple tasks (to no avail).  The problem child was the worst, instigating trouble wherever they were.

After prayerfully seeking the Lord (finally!), I realized that I was going about it totally wrong.  This kid needed love.  And needed reassurance.  And needed time with their Mom.  And needed to be believed in and trusted.  Oh, dear.  I felt like such a failure.  But, as God promises, His mercies are new every morning.  And sometimes in the middle of the afternoon too.  So I started laying on the love.  I made that child sit by me while we read (all afternoon).  I made them (grudgingly) hold my hand for our whole afternoon walk.  The walk started with a trudging child, lagging behind very much rebelling at having to hold my hand.  By the end of the walk though, this child was holding my hand (not me grasping theirs) willingly and wouldn't let it go when we got home.

Then this child began cheerfully helping me.  Then at bedtime I cuddled a long time with them.  Where I found that there was a guilty conscience that needed freeing. (And I was able to put the worries aside, bless them with God's forgiveness, and discuss the whole scenario in terms of what to do next).  This morning this same child came and cuddled with  me in my bed when they woke up (which never happens).  We've had no squabbles yet today, and things are going well.

We discussed options for getting work done easier/quicker and we have a Mom/child date planned tonight and hopefully things are on the mend.  My biggest gripe is "Why can't I learn to go to the Lord first?"  Grr!  I beat my head against the wall so much, when "His yoke is EASY and His burden is LIGHT!"  I guess it's human nature in many ways, but it's also one of those lessons that I have to keep relearning, over and over and over again.  But, what a patient Father we have.  He never angers or loses it when we are disobedient.  What an example Jesus set by His perseverance/patience with those who were foolish, unlearned and didn't understand His ways.  And what a blessing that Jesus has that same love for us today.  To forgive us in our shortcomings, our failures, our meager attempts to do things on our own.  Sigh...

Fun at our beach

One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go to our local park right here in Kalama.  Most times we just go for a walk or bike ride, or let the kids play, but sometimes we bring a picnic and eat there too.  We feel so blessed to have such beauty and opportunity just 3 miles away from home.  They have awesome log picnic areas.  And lots to see and do (huge ships pass right by our very noses, and there's train tracks right on the other side, which makes certain boys pretty happy).  We make it a regular place to go all year round and haven't gotten tired of it yet!

 Beautiful scenery (that's the Queen of the West boat that happened to be docked there during our supper).

 Fun times in the water

Lots of new learning experiences

View to the west

Mommy not letting the kids get too far, while getting quite splashed in the process!

Running as fast as he can

The windblown look

Hmm.  Do you see what I see?

This sand is pretty neat!

Adventure starts here

Part of the fun of having boys is the adventure.  Although we haven't seen much of it in our house, I've been waiting for the day when it would arrive.  Luke (8) is a bookworm, so lacks adventure (in reality) most of the time.  James (6) would be up for it, but isn't big enough to tackle it on his own.  So, the kids hang out in the yard doing normal kid stuff.  And this Mama rests.

It was a sunny, lovely, fall day when were skipping school, and were keeping busy in the yard.  I was weeding strawberries and Elise was doing her favorite job of watering flowers.  Isaac was digging in the dirt, and the big boys were "exploring".  Whatever that meant to their sheltered lives.  I had to go down to our shed to get something, and came across this little snake in my path.  I told the kids about it, but left it at that.  A few minutes later they were yelling and calling out, "Mom, where's a box?  Luke caught a snake!"  

Frankly, I didn't believe it.  He's been scared of spiders and most insects, let alone snakes.  But, sure enough, he had gone in the house and gotten his gloves, and recruited James and Elise to corner the little fella, while he caught it.  

They then put it in a box and James held the lid shut while Luke ran inside and opened all his books up to find out how to care for one.  After looking through the 4th or 5th book (World Book Encyclopedia to the rescue), he came back outside with a list of all they needed.  Food, water, shelter, bedding, climbing stuff.  We had an old aquarium that was lying around, so they put the snake in there and proceeded to make a home for it.

When Dad got home from work they dug some worms for it and secured a better fitting lid.  I was so proud of Luke for taking the initiative and going after it.  Usually he's so timid that he'd talk himself out of it.

After the novelty wore off (a couple weeks of ownership), and worm finding was getting too tedious, we decided to let him or her go free again.  I told the boys that they can always catch another one if they feel the need to have a snake again.  It sure was fun while it lasted though!