Kristin 'n boys

my new blog!

2010-10-17T22:22:00.002-04:00

Check out my new blog: stories from this urban church (http://thisurbanchurch.blogspot.com/)

This blog is our stories and experiences at Brookside Community Church. This is really where our hearts and minds are, so if you really want to know what I am up to - that's the place to go.

If you still want to see pictures of and stories about my adorable children, then kristin 'n boys is the place to be. (Accompanied by my complaints and other ideas, too.)

Love you all!

What Happened to my Summer?

2010-08-05T07:38:00.003-04:00

September is just a few days away, and I am trying to cram an entire summer's worth of activities into a few short weeks. Summer did not happen at our house this year. We spent over a month inside our house, surviving, not killing each other. I layed on the couch while the boys played together. I would make sure they were ok when they were either too loud (crying) or too quiet (causing mischief).

In July, Benjamin and I were hit with a virus unlike anything else I've ever had. Sure, it was just a fever, cold, and sinus infection, so it seems like I should have been able to carry on and function somewhat normally. Wrong! It knocked me down and kept me there for weeks! The pain in my head was so bad it often brought me to tears and required me to keep a bag of frozen peas on my head for hours and hours each day to numb the pain. Thankfully Benjamin was given antibiotics that cleared him up much more quickly. I am still working on the sore throat and cough, over 6 weeks later.
I have heard from so many people this summer that got the same thing (including my sister-in-law and nephew who got it at the same time as we did). This thing was nasty, nasty, nasty, and I hope to never get it again.

So now we are busy fitting the zoo, children's museum, parks, friends, gym, and church into the last few weeks that we have before we move on to the next season.

Florida with my fam

2010-06-17T16:10:00.007-04:00

Our villa on the beach

The view from our porch

Mom and Dad
Swimming at sunset was the best!

My brother and sister-in-law

My sister

My beautiful niece

My nephew

with BeeGee

first meal

2010-05-31T21:21:00.004-04:00

We ate our first meal with veggies from the garden last week. It was so incredible to eat something that my hands helped create. We had spinach, lettuce, and radishes. As you can see, there wasn't a ton yet, so I supplemented the lettuce.

Need to eat your veggies?

2010-05-24T21:45:00.002-04:00

Here is a great and easy way to get those vegetables into your system: vegetable jambalaya. I made it last Friday morning for dinner that night, and I had a hard time staying away from it all day. It is so good! If you have a food processor for dicing the vegetables, it really isn't much work. I don't know how well it freezes, but I have 3 containers of it in the freezer, so I will find out. This recipe makes an entire large pot full of healthy dinner. OE even ate it without too much complaint.

Check it out!

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/veg/veg-jambalaya.html

Easter and the Outdoors

2010-04-06T22:23:00.007-04:00

The Easter Bunny visited our house for the first time this year. To make up for the other 2 Easters which she missed due to laziness, she bought an extra special present for OE - his favorite movie Cars. He was very excited!BeeGee was equally excited for his Easter basket of goodies that Mom and Dad had to eat for him.
BeeGee got his first car in honor of his daddy who gave up his car just like this one for a more reasonable family car.
OE took his time eating his jellybeans. First he lined them up. Then, each one had a conversation with the others before he ate it.
Today was a beautiful day outside. OE is pretty good at riding his scooter now.
BeeGee was just chillin' in his onsie.

The world is alive

2010-04-02T16:25:00.005-04:00

My recovery from the pregnancy with BeeGee has been much harder than it was with OE. I had been in a fog and mildly depressed since he was born. For a while I assumed that it was due to lack of sleep, but reconsidered once BeeGee had been sleeping through the night for 2 months. Thankfully, my doctor discovered that my thyroid count was way off. Over the last month I have been slowly coming out of the funk and should be back to normal once we find the right amount of meds.

Gardening has become my hobby and therapy. Spring is such an amazing time; the world is coming back to life after the cold dead winter - much like myself. Which each new flower that opens up I feel like I regain one more piece of my self, the person I once was. Each warm breeze reminds me of God's words:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:25-34

pajama party

2010-03-24T21:07:00.004-04:00

spring joy

2010-03-12T14:59:00.002-05:00

The first fruits of my labor last fall are popping up. This brings me pure joy!

Married mother of 2 seeks grocery shopping in peace

2010-03-01T20:52:00.007-05:00

I have been out of the dating world for a long time - it has been about 8 years since J and I have been together, but lately I've been shown a glimpse of the new pick up scene: the grocery store. Since BeeGee was born, I have had three men try to talk to me there*. Of course, I am dressed to impress when I go shopping: Tennis shoes, jeans, sweatshirt, headband, no make up, and list in hand.

It is possible that this is not a new way of meeting that special someone, but perhaps a method used by people 30 and older. After all, my roommate in college (who was often mistaken for being older) had a gentleman offer to buy her groceries for her. I keep hoping for that to happen to me, in which I would gladly accept, but by the time my cart is loaded with diapers and fruit snacks the men just aren't as friendly anymore.

The most recent man used what I believe would be the equivalent to "Do you come here often?" at a bar. I was shopping for fruit and the man asked me, "So, you eat organic too, huh?"

I am not sure why the sudden interest; after all, I don't ask for male attention and I've never received much of it before. I am wondering if it could be the new hair color...Perhaps Elisha has made me too sexy? (She does a fantastic job - everyone should go see her at Splash.)

I am going to leave you with some ridiculous pick up lines that I thought of for use at the grocery store. I would love to hear of any that you come up with too! (keep it clean!)

"That meal says it's for two - what time should I be over?"
"This milk is going to expire soon. Want to help me use it up - on our breakfast cereal?"
"I have a great recipe - for love."

*I must make a disclaimer for all of you outraged at men hitting on a married woman - I cannot wear my wedding ring because of a really bad case of eczema on my ring finger (no other finger, go figure).

My cuties

2010-02-24T22:05:00.001-05:00

The World According to BeeGee

2010-02-15T21:23:00.005-05:00

Mom = food and comfort

Dad = fun and silliness

Big Brother OE = EVERYTHING
being upside-down is pretty cool toooh, and the exersaucer

Our Journey to Brookside

2010-02-04T14:36:00.003-05:00

Last night on our way home from the Wednesday night Bible study at Brookside, J and I were celebrating the long and intricate journey in which God led us to Brookside. We don't know if Brookside is the end of the journey, or just another wonderful stop along the way, but we are loving it! I would like to share it with you.

After college, before J and I met, he lived in Chicago in one of the more dangerous neighborhoods with drug dealers, prostitutes and gunshots. However, J discovered wonderful people in the darkness - the family upstairs and the air force veteran a few houses down. He did not have to be afraid and felt God's protection.

After J and I got married in Indiana, we joined a life group at Northview Christian Life Church. One woman in the life group, Brita, convinced us to serve breakfast at Brookside. We were awkward and uncomfortable, but Brita sat down with a group of children and started a conversation. What guts! I made a mental note that I wanted to be more like her. After awhile the breakfast didn't work out, so we stopped volunteering at Brookside.

Then, a while later, another couple in our group, Zack and Angie, called up Doug Ehrgott, the Outreach Pastor at Northview, and asked if there was anything we could help him with. Doug had just completed a book called Externally Focused Church, and asked us to read it and be the guinea pigs. We began serving others in our community. It was really hard. J and I learned a lot about ourselves and problems to avoid next time, but we also realized that serving was something we had to do.

During our serving experiment, I was hired at Northview as an Administrative Assistant. I had a great time there and have great love for so many coworkers, but God was stirring J and my hearts. We felt like there was still something missing. Why are we serving but not joyfully? Why is it such hard work?

While on staff at Northview I was placed in a group several times with the Worship Pastor Ryan Poe (and other people) to discuss serving in our community. God was working on Ryan and Shannon to begin serving more and eventually begin their own church The Well. Since Ryan and I did not really know much about each others families, he seemed surprised that J and I were involved with serving in the community too. I don't know if that was the reason he later invited us to be part of the Well, but I think God definitely planned it that way.

I quit my job when J and I had our first child and we began attending The Well. A few months into the church we found ourselves once again serving at Brookside. This time we went to just be there and serve as God shows us. Our commitment was to go once a month, but J and quickly realized that we would never actually get to know anyone that way, so we began attending every Sunday morning and helping with the children. Last year The Well combined with another church on Sunday mornings so we had to make many choices. We decided to put our time and energy into the people at Brookside. We made a commitment to attend the Wednesday night Bible study and get to know people better.

We have been there every week (minus illness and vacation) for almost three years. God is at work at Brookside. He is fighting a war against addictions, poverty, indifference. I can see God instilling confidence, importance, knowledge, and passion in his people.

I am so thankful to God for leading J and I to Brookside, softening and opening our hearts, and equipping us with compassion and mercy (of which I was certainly lacking before). I am so thankful to the many people that have impacted our journey through their obedience to God, especially our families. We are confident that God is preparing us for something, but we are waiting and obeying with excitement and patience.

Monster-Free (for now)

2010-01-06T14:12:00.004-05:00

When I was pregnant with BeeGee I heard from many mothers that he was bound to be a "monster" since OE was an easy baby. After caring for him for 7 months, I am relieved that he is the complete opposite. Now that I have busted that myth, I am going to work on the next one: If your child is a good toddler, then he will be a difficult teenager. I'll let you know in 10-15 years how that one turns out. (You are welcome to begin praying for me now!)

He looks pretty scary in this picture

some pictures

2009-12-02T13:31:00.005-05:00

Poppy's idea of babysitting

Memories

2009-12-02T12:45:00.003-05:00

I have had a lot of time alone with my 2 sons as company, so I have not had much conversation. This leaves me to my thoughts and memories, some good, some bad.

Today 2 memories from my younger years popped into my head, and I thought I'd share them with you. Why these 2 memories came up, I cannot tell you.

My modeling days
In junior high, my friend D.C. had a huge basement, a trunk of crazy dress up clothes, and a video camera, so we made tons of hilarious (or so we thought) videos. One was a fashion show with silly outfits in which my witty best friend Nicole was the emcee. As I was walking the "runway" she commented that I "love windy nights and hate mean dogs". It was so funny at the time (it still makes me chuckle).

He's got legs
In elementary school, a boy in my class named Terry lived behind me, and I would cut through his yard each day to get to school. One day, for some reason, my friend and I started singing to him "Terry's got legs, and he knows how to use them". I think this song was currently on a Nair commercial, so that's all of the song that we knew. As far as I remember, we thought Terry was nice, so I don't think we were trying to be mean. I think he was just the poor guy that had to walk the same way home with us. They were a really nice family and good neighbors.

BeeGee can sleep

2009-11-12T08:48:00.003-05:00

He did it! He slept 9 hours last night!"I'm chubby and I like to eat a lot."

Goodbye roses; see you next year

2009-11-11T11:52:00.003-05:00

I just cut my last roses of the season. They are slowly withering on my kitchen table. It is now the time of year to close up the house and focus on indoor projects. I can hardly wait for spring already!

I've always felt that as a wife I should have my "wifely thing" that I enjoy. Some women love to cook, some love to clean, some love to sew. I've tried all of these things, but never really loved doing them. Also, I love my boys, but I don't wake up super excited to run around the house and play cars all day. Some mothers live for every moment spent with their children - I need my "me" time.

2 years ago I discovered that I love to garden. Gardening is intimidating because everyone can see my failures. If I stitch something wrong or burn our dinner, no one sees it but my family. If I plant flowers in the wrong area or over water - everyone see it (although I have found that no is really paying attention!). Now, I live to get outside and enjoy God's creation! My son is only 2 months old, and our house is a disaster inside, but I found a couple of moments to get out and plant some bushes and bulbs. My goal this winter is to get our indoors put together so that I can introduce some indoor plants to bring us year-round joy.

So long roses - see you next spring!

BeeGee tries to talk

2009-11-02T21:18:00.005-05:00

BeeGee had his 2 month appointment yesterday. He is 14.5 lbs and 24 inches and generally very healthy.

Express Lane - The Enforcer

2009-10-30T13:22:00.003-04:00

I always thought that the express lane at stores (10 items or less) was more of a guideline than a rule. Such as, if the lane is wide open and there is no one around, you can go through with a few more than 10 items, as long as the amount is reasonable.

Well, I ran to Target this morning with the boys to pick up a few items including 4 large boxes of diapers and 1 large box of wipes. Since I purchased large items, it appeared that my cart was full of many items when I got in the express lane to checkout. There was one person in front of me and no one even coming near the express lane behind me. The employee rudely told me that this was the express lane. I informed him that I had lots of large items. He let me know that as long as it was under 10 I could stay in the lane. I had to count all of my items, and when I came up with 11, I had to go to another lane behind people with carts full of many, many items, with my toddler and newborn. Mind you - there was still NO ONE checking out in the express lane.

Has this happened to anyone else? I've never encountered an Express Lane Enforcer before.

Tour of Europe Dinner

2009-10-25T11:43:00.008-04:00

On Friday night we took a most delicious trip through Europe from the comfort of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in celebration of Amy's birthday. It was such a great night. The food and wine were incredible. They served a 4 course meal with the first 3 courses paired with a wine that went perfectly with the food. I assumed that each course would come with a small sample of the selected wine, but we found out quickly that they refill your glass as soon as it is empty! J and I do not get out much, so we like to eat at nice places when we can. We would definitely recommend one of these special dinner nights at Fleming's for anyone who appreciates a nice dinner and wine.

Amy (birthday girl) and Aaron

Jason and Heather

J and I

All Aboard the Pumpkin Train

2009-10-20T20:01:00.009-04:00

Last weekend we took a ride on the Pumpkin Train sponsored by FFA. My sister was in town and came with us.

They had 3 tractors for kids to sit on.

OE loved the hay maze.

2009-10-07T13:14:00.007-04:00

Since the day OE was born, I have heard over and over that he looks just like his daddy. It is true that all the men in J's family do look similar, so this is not surprising. Now I am hearing the same thing about BeeGee.

I am happy that my boys look like their father; after all, I find him to be quite attractive! However, my mom just emailed me 2 pictures of myself that show how much they look like me too. I think BeeGee has my eyes.

No matter who they look like, I have 2 handsome boys.

Kristin vs. Spit Up King

2009-10-05T14:23:00.002-04:00

My boys are spitters. It seems no matter what I eat (or ate with OE) they like to give a large portion of it back to me. This morning was an extra grand battle between me and BeeGee's spit up. After changing him 6 times within 10 minutes, having a large amount douse both my leg and the carpet, and my robe covered in curdled chunks of milk, I was almost in tears. Would this boy ever stop? Even though he finally stopped and I was able to clothe him and bathe myself, it was clear that the Spit Up King won this battle.

As of today, I have vowed to completely stay away from dairy. No more cheating!

Attention Breast-feeding Mamas

2009-09-30T15:56:00.002-04:00

I have to tell all breast-feeding moms about a product that I received at the hospital that has made breast-feeding easier on my body. It is Natural Nipple Butter by Earth Mama Angel Baby. I used Lansinoh with OE, but this nipple cream is far superior in every way. It is all natural and ok for baby to consume. It spreads so easily and irritates much less than Lansinoh. It does cost more, of course, ($12-15 for 2 fl. oz. that lasts about 3-4 weeks) but we're talking about preventing some major soreness of a very tender body part.

It can be purchased at Riverview Hospital Women's Boutique (they have 20% off coupons) and Babies R Us.

Introducing my newest love - BeeGee

2009-09-14T08:42:00.006-04:00

I am so happy to introduce to you my precious son, born Sept. 1 at 6:05 p.m. He is so wonderful and easy-going. I am totally in love! OE is a great big brother and loves to help me. He has welcomed BeeGee into our family with open arms. This morning OE found his batman card and ran into BeeGee's room just to show it to him. I love it!

Mommy and BeeGee

Daddy and BeeGee

Angel face

Cows are pretty cool

The following is the story of BeeGee's birth (I will not get graphic, but if medical details make you uneasy - don't read on!):

I was induced at 7:45 a.m. on Sept. 1. I convinced the doctor and nurse that I wanted to attempt a drug-free delivery, so they agreed to give me an IV block instead of hooking up the IV from the beginning. I had to lie in bed for an hour, and then we walked around for 45 minutes trying to kick-start labor. This worked a little, and my doctor broke my water at about 9:30 a.m. I was checked again at about 11:30 and I had stalled around 4 cm, so they gave me pitocin, in which I was required to haul around the IV stand with me the rest of the day. The contractions picked up and were pretty manageable. I was 7 cm the next time they checked (a couple hours later), and then I was still at 7 cm the time after that (another couple of hours later). At that point I was discouraged, but my nurse encouraged me that 8-10 cm goes the fastest. I had been changing positions all throughout the day, so I moved back to the birthing ball. I was there for about a hour or so with contractions about 2 minutes apart. It got bad, but still manageable with J helping me relax each time. However, I had decided that if I had not moved to at least a 9 the next time they checked me, I was going to get an epidural - I couldn't get through another 2 hours of the pain every 2 minutes. However, my prayers were answered - quite quickly. The nurse suggested another position that women like, so I tried it. Apparently it works, because after 10 seconds of being in that position, BeeGee dislodged from my right hip and was ready to be born. They had to page the doctor who sprinted to the delivery room. I had to labor down for probably 5 minutes - which was incredibly difficult, although not really painful. Once the doctor got there (she told me later that she got her gloves on and one bootie, but didn't have time for anything else!) I pushed for about 2 minutes and BeeGee was born! His poor little face was bruised all over because he had descended so quickly that he bumped into my hips and pelvis bones. Also, my right hip hurt really bad for about a week - I'm pretty sure I had internal bruising too. It was so incredible! I still can't believe I made it without drugs - it is one of my biggest accomplishments.

We are so blessed that we are all healthy and adjusting to our new family life. Thanks for reading my lengthy story.

Due today

2009-08-29T15:03:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe that I am already 40 weeks today. The time has passed so quickly; I feel like it should still be my 2nd trimester. I am scheduled to be induced on Tuesday, September 1, and seeing as I am still not having contractions or anything to speak of, chances are I will be induced.

We are excited to welcome Bee Gee into our family, and we will let everyone know when he is here.

I am also excited to sleep with one pillow, for my shirts to cover my entire belly, and to be able to get off the floor without grunting.

The widow's offering

2009-08-24T14:38:00.002-04:00

In thinking about the blog I posted this morning, I wanted to follow up with a story I heard about a homeless man at Brookside. What happened was witnessed by a family that was cleaning the dining hall after they had served the Sunday morning breakfast. A man came late to the breakfast, after everyone but a homeless man had left. There was no more food. The man was distraught because he would not get to eat that day. The homeless man that was still there had a plate of food to take with him for later. He said to the man, "Here, you take this; I've already eaten today." As I am writing this I am tearing up. It reminds me of the following story:

Luke 21:1-4
As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

God's Provisions

2009-08-24T08:56:00.002-04:00

I am so amazed each day by God's provisions. J and I have been in such awe this last year at how God even chooses to bless and provide for us. We spend time each week with people that are truly poor, homeless, and cannot seem to catch a break no matter what they do. However, they also seem to know that each day God provides for them so that they can eat and survive.

J and I are obviously far from this position in life. J has a great job and makes oodles of money compared to 99% of the world. So, why would God choose to bless us too? Shouldn't he be focusing on those that really need it? It is fantastic that his grace, love, mercy, and blessings are LIMITLESS!

In the past year, we have had so many people give us things that we "need" without any prompting. 3 good friends of mine have blessed us incredibly with maternity and toddler clothing. I haven't had to spend hardly any money on either. My neighbor's daughter gave me all of her son's used clothing and Thomas the train toys. Incredible! Our neighbors gave us their lawnmower when ours broke down and told us to keep it! Amazing!

Fortunately, the cycle of God's love doesn't stop there. J and I truly believe that we are blessed by God to be a blessing to others. So, when we don't have to spend $150 on a new mower, that money can then go to those who need it more. However, I am hesitant to say that we are blessing those people that we see weekly, because the more I get to know them, the more they bless me. But that is for another blog...

A week of celebrations!

2009-08-10T15:12:00.007-04:00

Last week was a time of celebration. We were able to celebrate the birthdays of 2 of our favorite children: little miss Sweet Pea turned one and big boy LA turned 3.

OE next to the birthday boy.

Awesome fire trucks!

Our hosts were such good (and hot) sports. I think it was 93 degrees out! I can't image the temp inside the suits.

OE is ready to model for the Firebaby calendar.

Also, we were so excited to find out that my friend Amy and our neighbor Wes both accepted new jobs last week. Congratulations! This is certainly something to celebrate in the current economy.

I hope the good news keeps rolling in (perhaps the birth of a baby boy - we'll keep you posted on that one!).

My first week of being 30

2009-08-03T12:16:00.010-04:00

I was excited to be 30 - to me it just seems like the age when you are officially grown up and responsible. Well, after experiencing my first week of my 30's, I'm not so sure that I like it now.

I would love to report that in my first week I suddenly became the perfect parent, wife, and friend, not to mention that I was able to feed the hungry and find housing for the homeless. Ok, maybe those goals were a little ambitious.

I spent most of my first week on the couch either with severe back pain or fever and chills, not to mention the 4 hours in the hospital. I turned 30 and instantly my body fell apart. Apart from being super uncomfortable in my 36th week of pregnancy, I had 2 separate unrelated infections and pulled 3 different muscles in my back on 2 different days causing sharp pains in my lungs with every breath.

The only word that I can use to describe the last week is ridiculous. Ridiculous!

I would like to leave you with pictures from the good times. Thanks ladies for the wonderful baby shower/birthday party last Saturday. Thank you to my loving husband for the date night on my birthday. I love you! (I also have to brag about my hubby who offered to sleep on the couch when my back was bad so I could use the whole bed.)

The lovely hostesses and my in-laws. Thank you for the great party!

My sister and also a "Kristin Expert".

Amy and me.

Shannon, Elisha, and me.A gift card from all the ladies for a manicure and pedicure. Woo hoo!!!

Fugo de Chao - yummy! I ate enough meat to last me for a while now.

My birthday dessert on the house - mango something or other. Yummy!

Baby #2 - Momma needs a new do

2009-07-23T14:28:00.003-04:00

Now that I am so close to having baby 2, I decided it was time for an easier, cooler (as in not hot) look. So on Thursday my friend Elisha Haffner chopped my hair for me. Didn't she do a great job?! Plus, her salon is really nice and they give you the star treatment - everyone should go see her!

Elisha Haffner DL Lowry Salon 317-843-2611

4-H Fair

2009-07-20T08:42:00.006-04:00

We took our Brookside buddies to the 4-H Fair yesterday. It was so much fun, and the boys are so well-behaved! They really thought the goats were funny.

Kiss your mama with that mouth?

2009-07-07T08:59:00.006-04:00

OE loves to wander around the house singing nonsense words. The other night's song was pretty interesting. He was experimenting with the "f" sound and thought the "f-bomb" made an interesting word. He danced around our house singing/yelling the "f-bomb" for about 5 minutes.

Fortunately, I remember wise advice from my mother - don't react. He doesn't know what the word means, and if you react or make a it a big deal, he will think its funny and do it all the time. As much as it felt like nails on the chalkboard to hear my little guy saying the "f" word, J and I just went along with our business and ignored it. Hopefully we won't hear that word in our house again, or at least until we have teens - then it will not be ignored!

July 4 Chicago Fun

2009-07-06T21:41:00.007-04:00

J and I hit up our last planned Cubs game of the season. It was pretty funny to see me huffing and puffing my way up the ramps to Wrigley's upper deck. The lady behind us was pretty prego too, so J and I had a good chuckle about how silly she and I looked going up and down the steep stairs.

This was before the game (smiling)...

during the game (rally cap)...and after the game (frowns).

My sis was able to join us a Steiny's BBQ since she just lives up the road from him.
J and Steiny - friends forever.

The BBQ was fun - they had fun games set up with awards and everything (see Steiny's award around his neck). They had the popular egg toss (I think Steiny won that event), and a water balloon slingshot contest. The water balloons had to aim for 3 targets adhered to wood with Fabio being the most points. One girl slinged it so hard it made a hole right through Fabio's face. I think he was more attractive that way... Now if only a water balloon had knocked off some of his hair.

The other side of pumice

2009-06-30T15:18:00.004-04:00

Our house has well water that is high in iron and loves to stain everything orange. For a long time we used the basic rust removers, highly abrasive and toxic. One of them was so bad that we would have to break up the time we spent in the bathroom while the product was working because the fumes felt like there were burning our lungs. YIKES!

This is what those products left us with.GROSS! Well, I am through with those harsh products since they obviously don't work well anyway. I researched alternatives online, and I found the prospect of using pumice stone. The pumice stone is softer than porcelain, so it doesn't scratch it. After 20 minutes of elbow grease and about 1/3 of a pumice stone, this is what I have now.I know it is not perfect, but what an amazing difference. I am hoping to get the rest of the orange stain out over time thanks to pumice!

Father's Day houseboat fun!

2009-06-29T12:46:00.008-04:00

Last weekend we spent 4 days on a houseboat in TN with all of J's family. It was so much fun! I am so thankful that he has such a great family, and that we truly enjoy spending that much time together!

The houseboat was incredible! It was bigger than my house. I guess if you think about cramming 13 people into once place it had better be somewhat spacious. I'm bummed I didn't take more pictures, but here are some of what I have.

This is the top of the boat.

So peaceful.

Who let these 2 weirdos on the boat?

OE and his cousin pretending to be doggies - time for a tummy scratch!

OE's first night in his big boy bed

2009-06-26T08:52:00.002-04:00

OE slept in his big boy bed for the first time yesterday afternoon. He did great! Last night was, um, more interesting. After 1 hour of going to bed, OE called for me to inform me that he was all done with his nap. I explained that this was bedtime and he had to sleep until morning. He woke up again around midnight, and then at 5 in the morning he fell out of bed. After comforting him and putting him back, I managed to step on and break a toy, cutting my foot open in 3 places! He woke up again at 6:15. After that he was quiet, and I went to wake him up at 8:15. Now I know why he was so content (see picture below). Note: he did not go to bed with any stuffed animals. He can be so quiet and sneaky sometimes!

Bargain shoppers - best deal in gently used clothing!!!

2009-06-17T08:26:00.004-04:00

If you love bargains, check out Third Phase's Thrift Shop. I got all these items - 7 baby items and 1 pair of leather New Balance shoes for my 2 year old - for $2! The shop is located at Third Phase, just south of the main house. There is a sign the says "SHOP" and a parking lot just in front. Since the shop is new, they have tons of stock, but you might have to work a little for it. They are still trying to organize all the toys and baby items. They also have adult clothing, shoes, and accessories.

Plus, all the money goes straight to the program in the house - teaching women and children to live on their own after being victimized.

Easiest Oil Change Ever!

2009-06-16T12:47:00.004-04:00

I had my oil changed at my mechanic's this morning, who just happens to be 2 doors down from Reynolds Farm Equipment. That made the wait pretty manageable for my 2 year old.

Strawberry Fields

2009-06-08T15:13:00.006-04:00

Today I took OE strawberry picking for the first time. You can see he enjoyed it by the amount of strawberries I was able to pick.

Two of my good friends were able to join us with their daughters. OE has so many girlfriends! Lucky guy!
OE ate so many strawberries that I was a little nervous about him getting sick on the way home, but he's fine.
Don't you just love the red mouths? It was so much fun! I can't wait for raspberry season!

creating a world of HOPE

2009-06-04T22:41:00.003-04:00

"Should we let the babies of our country live, or should we let them die?" The answer is "live", right? Well, then, "Who is going to take care of them?"

These unthinkable questions haunt many countries in Africa due to the middle generation being wiped out by HIV/AIDS. In fact, those very questions were asked to Bob Pearson inspiring him to create Horizon International.

This evening we attended a fund raising event for Horizon International in which we heard Pastor Tatenda from Zimbabwe speak about his child care center that provides a home, education, dignity, and a future to orphans. If you followed the news articles about Zimbabwe in the past year, the events that took place were horrifying. Pastor Tatenda saw many of his own people beaten and killed just for helping those in need. Praise God that there is political peace for the time being and that his children are safe. He and his wife are amazing people that are carrying out Jesus' call to serve the poor and needy.

At the end of the program I was one of 2 people that won a Ministry Trip Gift Certificate good for a credit of $200 toward a mission trip to Africa!!! Good thing it is valid through 2010 since I am prego! I am very excited.

Please check out Horizon's website to learn more about how you can help create a world of hope for Africa's orphans.

Enough to break a mama's heart

2009-06-03T09:59:00.003-04:00

Poor OE was so sick yesterday - the sickest he's ever been. He lied on the couch the entire day and was too feverish to even sit up. He even refused popsicles and ice cream! Poor guy! Fortunately the fever broke around 3 a.m. and he is feeling much better and perkier today.

Florida Adventures

2009-05-27T20:04:00.024-04:00

We just returned from our last hurrah before the next baby arrives. We spent a wonderful and relaxing 7 days in Naples, FL. Here are a few highlights of our trip.

The flight went well thanks to lots and lots of fish crackers and fruit snacks.

We had so much fun with Grandma and Grandpa.

Love the beach!

Relaxing on the balcony.

Our gluttonous last night in Naples - J and I tried to finish off all the cake and ice cream before we left.

It seemed like a good idea...

but didn't turn out so well.

We are happy to be home in Indiana, but we will miss the beach!

E & OE jammin' and dancin'

2009-05-19T10:12:00.004-04:00

Cheap Meal of the Week

2009-05-17T20:49:00.000-04:00

Bottom Round Pot Roast
http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/t--4202/bottom-round-pot-roast.asp
I've never made this recipe before, but it looks good.
Bottom Round Roast sale $1.57 lb
I wasn't too impressed with Kroger's sales this week, so this was the best I could come up with. The vegetables aren't on sale, but you only need 1 of each item, so the produce shouldn't add up too much. Hopefully the rest of the items are already in your cupboard. Let me know how it turns out!

Happy Birthday to Baby A!

2009-05-17T20:18:00.004-04:00

I am so excited to announce that Amy and Aaron had their baby girl, whom I shall call "A-ok" for now. She was born yesterday 5/16/09 at 6:53 am and was 6 lbs, 5 oz and 21 in. I got to visit them today and she is so precious and feminine. Amy and Aaron are such proud parents, and Amy is doing really well and looks fantastic. She had a great delivery and recovery so far.CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Go Cubs Go!

2009-05-16T22:52:00.015-04:00

Cubs win 5-4 over Astros! It was an exciting afternoon at Wrigley Field from will call, to the game, to the people next to us on the bleachers.

First, we dropped OE off with Aunt Shelley which was super easy. Aunt Shelley has buses and police cars and taxi cabs right outside her window - awesome!

Then we headed to Wrigley Field and picked our tickets up at will call, which was a little challenging since J brought this confirmation email with him - see anything wrong?

Then we enjoyed the game...some nachos...

some beer...uhhhh, I mean soda...

UNTIL the top of 9th inning when we gave up 4 runs to tie the game and went through 3 pitchers. OUCH! This leads me to our seat neighbors...

It was almost hysterical if it wasn't so sad. They were so mad about the poor pitching that the 50-something man and his friends were yelling f-bombs and every other swear word left and right. A father of young children kindly asked them to keep it clean, which was not received well. It worked, however, because even though he kept muttering and badmouthing the man and the Cubs to his friends, he did stop yelling it out to the crowds.

Finally, the Cubs got 3 outs and were up to bat, which lightened the mood of our seat neighbors. Cubs got one more run to win the game and the crowd went WILD!

Back to Shelley's apartment to pick up OE and head home. Over all, a very exciting day!

Cheap Meal of the Week

2009-05-10T21:06:00.005-04:00

Crockpot Pulled Pork
http://southernfood.about.com/od/pulledporkrecipes/r/cpweekly33.htm
Serves 8-10 - freeze some meat for 2 more meals at a later date

(sale prices at Kroger)
Vidalia Sweet Onions $0.39/lb
Pork Picnic Roast $0.99/lb
Sweet Baby Ray's 18-19 oz bottle $1
Buns (not on sale, probably $3 - also freeze leftovers for later)
Fresh Corn 4/$1

Other deals:
Kellogg's Cereal $1.88 (4/5 Red Plum coupon $1.00 off = $0.88)
Yoplait Yogurt 10/$5 (4/19 Smart Source coupon $0.40 off 6 = $0.37 each if buy 6) PLUS shortcuts.com coupon $0.40 off 6 = $0.30 each if buy 6
Healthy Choice Frozen Entrees $1.88 each (4/5 Smart Source coupon $1.00 off 2 = $1.38 each)

Cheap Chic was a success!!!

2009-05-08T21:11:00.012-04:00

What a wonderful time we had at the Third Phase Cheap Chic fashion show. The children did so well and actually walked and smiled on the runway. We were not able to take pictures during the show, but here are some pics of before.

The cutie-pies showing off their outfits, all part of the Play-date scene.

The "runway" before the show.

OE in the dressing room.

A Case for Couponing

2009-05-08T13:47:00.004-04:00

Coupons = Free Money

I have only been actively couponing for about 6 months, and I am in no way an expert, but I am definitely hooked. It started with seeing Stephanie, the Coupon Mom on Oprah, and I checked out her website and loved it. The process finally made sense to me. I encourage everyone to at least read her free ebook explaining her process at couponmom.com. You can really get into it with CVS and Walgreens, but I don't have that much time or interest to get that in depth. I just stick with my 2 favorite grocery stores to save big bucks on groceries.

I am also in a trial period for another service that you pay for, and so far I like it. It is more compatible with the way my brain works! Using the 2 systems together cut out all of my prep time besides actually clipping the coupons that I need.

Oh and also - STAY AWAY FROM ONLINE COUPONS!!!! The coupon websites require you to download their special printer. My hubby is a well-respected IT professional in Indy, and he is sure that they install spyware on your computers. You can do lots of couponing with just the Sunday newspaper. Do not put your computer at risk of expensive repairs for a few bucks.

2009-05-03T22:49:00.006-04:00

We had fun Friday night at the Harrison Center for the Arts visiting with our good friend Steiny. He was playing a show with the artist (and our friend) Annie Quick. Her installation was a creative "re-creation" of Central Park with real grass and mud under our feet! There was a tree made of horns that would light up when played and another tree that served tea. Steiny and Annie played a show "on the lawn". Even OE had fun there - he found a gym where people were square dancing and ran around.

Obama = flag

2009-04-30T13:27:00.010-04:00

This morning OE pointed out to me that our neighbors put "2 Obamas" in their yard. After a few minutes of being puzzled, I realized he was pointing to 2 American flags on stakes. I don't know why he would think that the flag is called an "Obama"...

Indiana Credit Freeze

2009-04-29T14:59:00.002-04:00

As I am going through our credit reports, I am reminded of the option that we have in Indiana to place a free freeze on our credit. If you have not already placed a freeze on your credit, it would be a good idea to do it now. No one can open new credit in your name without you finding out. Here is an article I found on some updates they made starting Jan. 2009: http://www.fox59.com/pages/landing/?Indiana-Attorney-General-Steve-Carter-an=1&blockID=173266&feedID=1295

Come see OE model!

2009-04-24T12:58:00.003-04:00

OE will be sporting his shades and a Mickey Mouse bathing suit at the first ever Third Phase Fashion Show using only clothing from their clothing store. They are still in need of child models of all ages, so please let me know ASAP if you are interested. Event tickets can also be purchased through me.

If you are unaware of what Third Phase is about, check out their website http://www.thirdphase.org/. They are a women's shelter and food pantry.

Plus, they now have a clothing shop that is open to everyone! I was just there and it is STOCKED! It is like a Goodwill, but not picked over. They have TONS of used kids clothing, toys, bedding, blankets, as well as everything for adults too. The clothing shop is in the new building south of the main house. They are open almost every day - check out the website for hours.

"Officer, he asked me to do it!"

2009-04-22T15:50:00.005-04:00

The other night J, OE, & I were having fun wrestling on our bed, when OE asked me to hit him in the face. When I said, "No, it's not nice to hit people; we don't do that," he threw a tantrum. After repeated requests, he realized that Mommy was not going to hit him in the face, so he tried, "Daddy, hit OE face." No luck there. Where do they get this?

Scary Moment

2009-04-20T13:00:00.003-04:00

We had the boys over to play again after church. We have so much fun with them, and they are so well-behaved! We had an extremely scary moment with the younger of the two. We ate at McDonald's and the younger brother choked on a fry. J had to perform the Heimlich maneuver on him to get the fry out of his windpipe. It didn't seem to phase the boy at all, but we were totally shocked by what had happened. Since we are around children so much, we are now thinking about taking a first aid/safety course.

craiglist.org: Obsession or Addiction?

2009-04-18T13:49:00.003-04:00

If you know me at all, you know that I am obsessed with (addicted to?) craigslist.org. I have found almost every piece of furniture in our house that way. Here was my pick up this morning: white glider with ottoman for nursery for $40! It is in great shape with no squeaking. Our last glider squeaked horribly and stained our carpet black. Not good. Craig, if you are out there, I think you are brilliant!

Genesis: A Commentary

2009-04-16T15:34:00.003-04:00

I just finished reading a commentary on Genesis called Genesis: A Commentary - go figure - by Bruce Waltke. I know I am a nerd, but this book was a fascinating page turner. When you are told the background and context of the stories, they just come alive. The patriarchs sure had a lot of DRAMA to deal with! Sex scandals, murders, cheats, threats, greed. Exciting!

However, the most exciting thing was gaining a deeper understanding of how God created the world and humans to be. Imagine sitting down next to a lion in peace and not worrying about what to (not) wear or what to eat. Since it didn't turn out that way, and there is hunger and fear in the world, God made provisions by electing Abraham's family line to carry out his vision - blessing others. This book gave me understanding of why it is so important to care for and serve others - not only was it the example that Jesus gave us, but it is how God intends the world to be!

2009-04-15T22:12:00.003-04:00

I allowed OE to take a break from washing the dishes to smile for the camera. He did such a good job on that pan that I didn't need to re-wash it. What a good helper!

"What is the difference between a man's chest and a woman's chest?"

2009-04-15T09:03:00.003-04:00

That is an actual question that I got from a 4th grader this Monday morning during my Body Safety presentation. Fortunately, I was able to eloquently relate all the biological differences clearly and precisely - yeah right! I affirmed that it was a good question and kindly suggested that a health teacher or his parents would give a better answer than I could!

I have received so many insightful and mature questions from the students over the past year. They amaze me at how eager and curious they are. The question I hate getting, although it is a very good question, is "What if I yell 'no' and I run away from the person, but they chase me and get me anyway?" Good question. It is the sad state of the world that this is a very possible situation. I try to tiptoe around the implications of the question (sexual molestation) and just address the situation post-abuse - "You need to tell an adult that can get you help."

To end on a lighter note: Last year one of my favorite memories is when a 2nd grade girl informed me that I had forgotten a private body part on a girl. I had forgotten to mention the "baby hole"!!!!

Brookside Battle Scar

2009-04-14T22:54:00.002-04:00

It is harder to see now, but on Sunday J got scratched pretty good on his left eye at Brookside. He was guiding a special needs child up to his class when the boy grabbed at both of his eyes. Mind you, this boy is about 9 years old and weighs around 100 lbs! When he wants to give you a hug he runs at you full force and if you are not ready he will knock you flat with love. J is such a trooper!!!!

Here we go!

2009-04-14T21:53:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my blog! Hopefully you'll enjoy keeping up with us and our activities.