justjill

Resting in his arms

2011-11-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

Watching Summer sleep in her papa's arms, I'm struck by something. She's so calm and peaceful in his arms. Always. Bruce has always been able to calm our babies when they're crying, upset, not content.... and when I'm beyond frustrated. He's like that everyone... not just with out children, not just with me. He's that strong, stable, peaceful presence. He doesn't frazzle easily and handles stress with ease (reasons why he made such a good firefighter). I am so proud, so thankful to have him as my husband. He's a great example of how our Heavenly Father is always there for us... unconditionally... to hold us so we can rest...and be at peace.

Thankfulness

2011-11-21T15:41:00.000-05:00

I considered writing a post for Thanksgiving (even the slacker sometimes-bloggers like myself try to recognize the holidays!). Instead, I'm posting what Carlie wrote for her second grade assignment.

"I'm thankful for my family so I have people to snugle and love. I'm thankful for books so I can read and bekum a better reader. I'm thankful for music so I can practice songs. I'm thankful for my church so I can ~~larn~~ learn about God. I'm thankful for ~~Summer~~ my baby sister Summer so I have a baby sister to play with. I'm thankful for Jesus so I can worship and ~~prays~~ praise him. I'm thankful for my house so I have protection."

I couldn't have said it better.
Happy Thanksgiving!

1 month of Summer

2011-11-08T10:39:00.000-05:00

Sweet Miss Summer Grace made her entry into the world on October 8th just minutes after midnight. Over 40 weeks of pregnancy, 3 hours of labor, and she was here. Finally.

It's been an eventfully month... Jack had his first 2 field trips (which I had to miss, but his dad had the opportunity to go with him!)... the Fall Festival (walk-a-thon) at the elementary...her first days at church and youth group...the children's church trip to the zoo... Halloween... whew.

Discovering her skin is too sensitive for disposable wipes and diapers so we started using the cloth diapers much earlier than expected. (lots of laundry!) Breastfeeding. Rediscovering my love for our babyhawk baby carrier. Remembering why I hate the infant carseats.

The joy in watching the interaction between the older children and teeny one. Amazing. So much love there.

Her name suits her personality: sweet, warm, content, easy going, sunny.

Completely in love...

Pantry Prep

2011-09-26T08:31:00.000-04:00

I'm part of a group on facebook called, "Riot for Austerity". It's about using less resources, being frugal, buying new, going without and doing this differently. (not that I'm very good at this!) One of the recent questions posed by the group moderator was "how is your winter pantry shaping up?" Normally, I try to grow a lot of our food, find things we don't grow or raise at our local markets or through individual farmers. I can, dehydrate, freeze, etc. Cook my own instead of buying processed junk. I enjoy it. I feel like I'm providing quality for my family. Our children are learning where their food comes from, how it grows, what the meat we eat looks like when it's still in a pasture! They're learning to cook at a young age (instead of their late 20s, like me). They think I make the best bread, pizza crust, and tortillas in the world! (only because they're fresh, I'm sure)

I've been trying to inventory our pantry and freezer and it's not as good as I had hoped. Not to make excuses, but this pregnancy has been kinda tough. I've been put on a modified bedrest a few times, instructed not to go out in the heat and humidity (too many contractions), etc. It made getting out in the garden nearly impossible when temps were in the 90s and bedrest meant no canning the tomatoes when it was time. (I asked the OB, I was told 'absolutely not')

So, this how things are shaping up for us. Good things: our freezer is packed full of local meat (lamb and chicken), local berries (strawberries and blueberries), sweet corn, and peppers. (the freezer sits on our outside porch and takes nearly no energy to run during the winter... we make up for it during warm summer months)

Okay things: I canned crushed tomatoes, peaches, jam, and pickled hot peppers... but not enough. (I would have been closer if I hadn't been put on bedrest during this pregnancy)

Better Luck next year: Our potato crop was a bust... and our popcorn didn't do so hot, either. Luckily, we still have a lot of leftover popcorn (it's a big source of snacks and lunches for us).

In progress: I found a local source for oats I need to call on and we have some wheat berries stored. I'm sure we need more local honey and maple syrup. (trying to phase out processed white sugar) I'll have to pick those up at the market when I stock up on apples (to dry, store, and sauce), carrots, potatoes and butternut squash (which I can't grow to save my life!).

But, our 3rd child is due any day now so some things are going to have to wait!

still

2011-09-20T08:35:00.000-04:00

I am still pregnant. The doctor didn't think I would make it past Friday. It's Tuesday and I'm still pregnant. I'm 38 weeks... only 2 weeks til my due date. Jack was born right at 38 weeks and he was a big guy (8 1/2 pounds). I don't think I want our girl to get much bigger than that! She seems to be a patient baby... calm and gentle so far (not a hyper baby in-utero)... we'll see if that continues once she truly arrives. Because seriously, I cannot be pregnant forever. Right?!?!?! (although it feels that way right now) I have another check up tomorrow, let's see how that goes.

I know how hard life will be... no sleep, constant feedings, the big kids waking the baby. I know how great it'll be...sweet baby smell... snuggles...a precious new life. I'm eager to stop gaining weight. My yoga mat misses me. It's getting chilly, my feet are cold... I need shoes (real shoes!) to fit again...and jackets that do up! I won't miss the heartburn. I long for the day I can keep my emotions and hormones in check! (no more crying, less yelling. Irritable?? Who, me!?)

Soon. Deep breath and repeat: I will not be pregnant forever.

Not long now...

2011-09-06T13:40:00.000-04:00

36 weeks... not long to go now. The doctors hope I can last another week (they don't think I'll make it anywhere near my due date, but that's no surprise.).

Although the picture is relatively flattering... here are a few things I will not miss:
*My ginormous belly. I'd much rather hold my baby in my arms than have her sit on my bladder.
*My ginormous rear-end that matches the belly. Because, you know, it's all about balance.
*Peeing 87 times a day. It's a little much.
*Pregnancy insomnia. Can't fall asleep, wake up all night long, can't fall back asleep, get up at 4 am because, hey! Why not.
*Having my very big, very low belly hang out of every shirt I own (maternity, or otherwise).
*Only wearing flipflips. It's getting chilly and my feet are cold. And a girl likes more options when it comes to footwear. Something other that dirty green flipflops.
*Having everyone ask how I feel. Because clearly, I don't feel that great. I have daily contractions, I've already visited the hospital, I've been dilated (to some degree) for weeks, I pee 87 times a day, I can't reach my own feet, I can't bend over, I can't sleep... do I need to continue?
*Waddling. I hate waddling. It's embarrassing.
*Having everyone (friends and strangers alike) say either: "You're so big! Are you sure it isn't twins?" or "Are you still pregnant? It's been forever!" Yes, obviously I'm still pregnant. (notice the waddling?) and I know how long it has been. Trust me. But it's still a month early.
*Not being able to do anything by myself. I don't like asking for help, but I can no longer push mow the yard, clean out the chicken coop, or lift a 25 lb bag of dog food.

I'm ready to be done. The very end of pregnancy is hard. It's exhausting. It makes you tired and emotional and cranky. I'm looking forward to holding our new daughter and learning her personality. Seeing what color eyes she has. And if she has her dad's mouth, or mine. I want to start working out again... and wear normal clothes. I want Jack to feel like a big brother. And for Carlie to know what it's like to have a sister. *sigh* Not much longer...

Day 5...

2011-08-08T11:52:00.000-04:00

From a Low Angle...

(photo: my brother's shoes... he (along with my hubby and my dad) acted as ushers at my brother-in-law's wedding this weekend.)

We spent Saturday at my brother-in-law's wedding. It was an honor and a blessing to be part of their day. I am constantly reminded of how blessed and truly fortunate my husband and I are... not only do we live fairly close to our families... but our families get along. Holidays, weddings, birthdays, births, are events for our entire family. My parents and my little brother...Bruce's parents and his 3 sisters and his brother, plus our niece and nephew. Now, we have a new sister-in-law.

Our families (those we are born into and those we choose) can serve as reminders of the Lord's unconditional, forever Love for His children.

The 'Jesus Storybook Bible' puts it this way: 'You see, no matter what, in spite of everything, God would love his children - with a Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love.'

Day 5 From a High Angle

2011-08-05T22:58:00.000-04:00

Bounty

The kids and I took a trip to the large farmers market in the city on Thursday. We came home with all this! 10 lbs of blueberries, a dozen ears of corn, 2 lbs of raw honey, a few carrots and zucchini. Wowzers, what a haul. The Lord sure is good to us (His children, not just our family in particular). I bought most everything from these beautiful Mennonite women. I love their simple, kind, and hardworking spirits. I always try to buy from them (it helps that they have the best produce!).

I wanted to go pick blueberries this year, but with the heat and my progressing pregnancy - it just wasn't an option. I was filled with joy to find this giant box of blueberries for the same price as the you-pick-it. The berries and corn were promptly processed and froze to be enjoyed over the winter. God is good, all the time.

Photo Challenge Days 3 & 4

2011-08-04T09:48:00.000-04:00

CLOUDS...DAY 3
Clouds... after spending the day working the small town farmers market, we (me and my mom) went back to my mom and dad's house. We shared dinner... the kids played in the yard...I got to spend time with their adorable puppy. Bruce came by after a long day at work to start cutting up a tree that fell in a spring storm. We'll use the wood for heat this winter. It was a long, but beautiful summer day.

SOMETHING GREEN...DAY 4

Green. We found this great big snapping turtle just down the road from my parents' house. Let's call him Earl. Earl was huge... and a bit angry. The kids wouldn't come within 10 feet of him. :) (they love turtles, frogs, and such... but they had never been around a snapper and they were warned how dangerous and aggressive they can be) My dad carried Earl across the road to the wetlands where he (the turtle, not my dad) swamp away to live happily ever after. Well, happier than if we left him in the road to be hit by a car... turtle populations continue to shrink (due to polluted habitats, car/turtle collisions, and other mishaps with humans and predators)... at the current rate of decline, my grandchildren may never see a live turtle in the wild. (these are old facts... hopefully they change for the better)

Day 2 - What I'm Wearing

2011-08-01T15:18:00.000-04:00


photo taken by Carlie (age 7) Me - 31 weeks pregnant standing in front of our mulberry bush.

Okay, I feel a little silly about doing this item of the 30 Day Photo Challenge. Sadly, it falls on laundry day... and I have a total of 3 shirts that actually cover my entire pregnant belly. This is shirt #3. :) The other 2 are in the wash. Monday is my big cleaning day, so I don't really dress up for the occasion. If you were to show up at my house any day of the week, this is probably how you would find me. Or I might have a ponytail or an apron...

From the top down:
Purple and green paisley scarf on my head (from the resale shop across the road)
Giant Sunglasses my husband can't stand (from Target last year)
Purple Maternity Tank Top (Target... and the stain on the front is just water.... I had just finished washing dishes)
Gray Comfy Pants with Pockets (again, from Target... but not maternity)
Brown Teva Sandals (my favorite shoes... from Amazon.com)
Basket... I think it belonged to my mom. I honestly don't remember. Sometimes I use the basket the farmers market in my display. I used it today to fill with cut herbs from the garden. Oregano, sage, and calendula... all hanging to dry in my kitchen.
Baltic Amber Necklace (etsy) This is the coolest thing I'm wearing. I wear it every.single.day. No matter what. Baltic Amber has been used for centuries throughout Europe in infant jewelry, commonly called teething necklaces. The amber is a resin, not a stone. It warms with your body heat and releases a compound called succinic acid which acts as an analgesic. It's certainly not as strong as taking tylenol or another drug, but it's a natural remedy that can bring some mild pain relief. I wear it because I have chronic neck pain and neck muscle spasms. Before I was pregnant I was taking muscle relaxers (along with doing yoga and other stretching) to help get things under control. Now I wear my amber necklace. Is it a miracle cure? Of course not. I was quite skeptical when I purchased it (but I thought it was cute anyway). I bought my mom a bracelet to wear to help with her arthritis. Since she started wearing it, the swelling/pain/heat in her wrist is much improved.

taken by Jack age 4 - because he had to use the camera and take a picture of mom, too

30 Day Photo Challenge

2011-07-31T21:17:00.000-04:00

This looks like lots of fun. I found it over at Abigail's wonderful and inspiring blog, Shine On Child. (I can't remember the 'official sponsor, but she has the link) I'm going to give it a go (against my better judgment)... and see if I can manage to keep up with it. With only 2 months to go in my pregnancy and school starting up in just over a month, this feels like a big commitment. (I know, I'm making excuses already...) So, here goes Day 1:

Flattering? Nope. :) Not even a little. But it's realistic. It's after 9 pm...I'm on the couch...I'm exhausted, tired of fighting to get the kids in bed. The morning started very early so we could get to church for my husband to make it to Praise Team practice (we were late, as usual). It was 90 degrees and humid today so my asthma was bothering me and I had a migraine...add that to the fact I'm feeling very pregnant (i.e.: achy, tired, grumpy, huge, etc). By 9:00, I'm lucky if my eyes are still open. This third trimester is kicking my butt. :) I'll be thankful to go to bed. Thankful to sleep (at least a little). And very thankful for the beginning of new week.

Dash Away...

2011-07-30T18:11:00.000-04:00

Back in January, I signed up for the Warrior Dash race along with my husband, dad, and brother. 2 weeks later I found out I was pregnant. That put an end to my Warrior training (but was the beginning of morning sickness, back ache, weight gain, and growing a whole new person). So, I traded my registration for a whole load of baby stuff and my brother-in-law got to compete in my place.

Today was the dash...and it must of have been 90 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. (ugh! too hot!) We were able to cheer on the guys (everyone finished, completed all the obstacles and didn't get hurt! Success!!) and take a few photos. I ended up with my my first (and hopefully last) sunburn of the season. And a chance to wear my husband's Warrior Dash Viking Helmet (all competitors get one).

And yeah, I wore it to go pick up pizza and movies. I was a big hit. :)

Four

2011-07-22T08:41:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my little boy turned 4. I cannot believe it's been 4 years since God blessed us with this charming, amazing, funny little boy. He has the *best* sense of humor. He is all BOY (think, GI JOES, swords and helmets, mud, bugs, and cars). He picks me flowers every time he goes out to play. He's quick with a hug and a smile. Forgives easily and has a generous heart (a heart that, sometimes, seems far too big for his little body).

Jack is the best little boy our family could ever hope for. He brings us so much joy.

It was nearly 100 degrees out, so we celebrated indoors. Birthday pancakes with chocolate chips for breakfast, a few gifts (his very own trash can, just like he wanted), wii bowling, cheesecake, and the last evening of VBS at church.

I took lots of pictures of Jack... but every.single.one turned out blurry. The boy is never still! :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Dreadful

2011-07-18T13:10:00.000-04:00

Okay, deep breath. Yesterday, I started on a new adventure. At this point, you probably think I'm crazy because expecting a third child, getting ready for one to start pre-school, 2nd grade for another just wasn't enough. Not to mention attempting to run an at home business. But this adventure isn't about spending time doing something... it's about letting go. Letting go of control, of preconceived notions. Letting go of unimportant things that steal away our time from what (who) matters most.

Best pics I can do at the moment.

I dreaded my hair. Well, actually Bruce did it for me. I've admired dreadlocks for a number of years now. So carefree, a beautiful evolving mess. The absence of pretense and polish. I've never been one to spend time on my hair. I always found it frustrating. Time consuming. The products, styling tools, expense. Just to try to look like everyone else. Or how folks expect you to look.

I had straight, oily hair most of my life. After Jack was born (almost) 4 years ago it really changed. My hair became wavy and dry. At times it would be so crazy curly it couldn't be tamed. I switched shampoos. I used natural shampoo bars. I tried no-poo (baking soda with a vinegar rinse). Herbal hair teas. *sigh* Nothing helped. I wash my hair 2-3 times a week in the summer. More frequent washing just dries it out. All the hair products I've tried for curly hair just makes it feel gunky. After 4 years of fighting the craziness and mess... I'm done.

It's been tamed by hours (and hours) of back-combing. (and confined by a scarf... wouldn't want to scare the children)

My darling husband knew he married a hippie over 9 years ago. :) Over the past year I would show him pictures...."Hey, don't you think these dreads are cute? Isn't her hair so pretty?". He knew it was only a matter of time. He's not the biggest fan of dreads, but he's supportive. In the end, he decided it was best to help me so they turned out neat (as neatly as new baby dreads can be) so he could still be seen with me out in public. :)

We have VBS (vacation bible school) at church this week and Bruce has a number of vacation days this week, too. Church, movies, dinner out... not to mention doctor appointment check ups, and farmers market dates in the near future. My new hair is going to get a lot of public viewing. I was brave enough to put my hair in dreads... now I'm just hoping I'm brave enough to leave them, regardless of what others think.

2011-06-21T19:19:00.000-04:00

Today may be the first official day of summer, but Carlie has been out of school for a few weeks now. Some of your favorite memories so far:

*Trip to the local historical reenactment town - Crossroads Village - getting to ride on the old train. (kids were thrilled to finally ride, as it comes thru our town a few times a day and we hear it all summer long)

*Sitting in the shade under our maple trees making garden stepping stones on a hot day. We'll be doing this again soon.

*Adoring my daughter missing her 2 front teeth up top! Precious.

*Scavenger hunt! The kids were up early last week and wanted to play... we came up with a hunt for them to do around the yard. Hunted for feathers, flowers, bugs, and sticks taller than they are! I'm planning another scavenger hunt morning already. :)

*Realizing the bushy tree-thing in the middle of the yard is a mulberry bush! We've been here 3 years and it was just a scrawny little stick when we moved in. I think this is the first year it had much fruit. Yum!

*Watching our dog, Truman, herd the chickens. He's always been good with the girls, but we didn't know he had this particularly useful skill. If he thinks they're wandering too far, he'll round them up and chase them to the coop. So fun to watch!

*Having Bruce home for a few extra days. He had a long weekend at home for Father's Day and it couldn't have been nicer. He knocked some items off his list of house and yard work, played lots of games with the kiddos, we had some quiet time, cooked out, had s'mores, and went to a Ren Faire. It was a full 4 days!

*Canning several batches of strawberry jam. I love the rhythm of canning... and (bonus!) I have some Christmas gifts finished. :)

*Watching my garden grow.

...Least favorite things of the summer...lots of migraines...Jack's horrendous allergies, doctor's orders that I am unable to go outside if it is very hot (90ish) because the heat and dehydration cause me to have contractions and lots of swelling (hoping for a cool summer!).

And just think, June isn't even over! *sigh* LOVE THIS.

Create

2011-06-21T08:35:00.002-04:00

*I started the green rug last night and finished it today.

I started on a new rag rug last night (and it would probably be finished now if I wasn't blogging). :) I love love love taking old fabrics and giving them new life. I can never bring myself to throw away clothes with holes or stains...I know we won't wear them, no one will love them again if I give them to Goodwill or Salvation Army, but I cannot let them got to the dump and fill up a landfill. Ick! So, I save them. Um... this sort of fabric stash starts to take over your closet, room, life... and your hubby starts to wonder why the closet is overflowing with bags of junky clothes nobody can wear and no longer believes you when you say, "I'm going to make something out of them... really!". Yeah. Until you throw everything in a spare corner in a barely used upstairs room and start making rag rugs. :)

I made one for our kitchen first, then the bathroom. Then I started making a few more. Jack started asking why we needed more rugs. :) We don't. I took them to a craft show (but it was 90 degrees out and nobody came) and put up pictures on facebook. Two rugs sold in a 2 days on facebook! Holy cow, I couldn't believe it.

I'm going to create things regardless. I can't just sit here...I need to have my hands busy, to be making things. I might be knitting a scarf (current obsession is cowls!), making a rug (to sell to support my crafting addiction), or sewing (because I recently fell in love with my sewing maching again).

We're creative beings...we're made in the image of the great Creator. I like to repurpose old items and give them new life, purpose, and make them lovely again... that's not to far off what God does with us. Through His amazing grace and mercy, He forgives us makes us new... getting rid of the old life and making us into something new. And lovely.

Spring time love

2011-06-10T10:25:00.000-04:00

What a productive Thursday! I cleaned off the inside porch and scrubbed the floor. It's enclosed and holds the washer/dryer, dog (when we aren't home), chest freezer and an assortment of junk. After pitching the junk (bonus- it was garbage day!) and sweeping/vacuuming and scrubbing the floor with a combo of water, vinegar, and mint and eucalyptus oils the porch no longer smelled like dog! Yay!

I made 2 batches of jam, cleaned the kitchen and washed dishes approximately 7 times. I had time to sell 2 rag rugs to a friend and ooo-and-ahhhh over my new cloth diapers that arrived in the mail. (seriously, they are the cutest things... one more reason I cannot wait for our darling little girl to be born)

The kids spent the day playing dress up...Carlie came up to me and said, "For Halloween, we should all dress up as princesses and princes and stuff." She was wearing her green velvet renaissance princess dress (score! $1 at Goodwill last year!). And then she added, "But don't worry, you can just wear your hippie stuff and be a hippie queen." hahaha... nice.... she knows me too well.

Baking, Creating

2011-05-17T09:20:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was a day for making, baking, and creating. Chicken noodle soup in the crockpot (to get rid of the allergy sickies we have), banana bread and chocolate chip cookies (yum!). Painting shelves for the youth room (finally!). Working on a few sewing projects with Carlie (yay!). Beautiful, wonderful, blissful. *sigh*

I seem to get so much accomplished on Mondays. Even a bit of laundry! We won't talk about dishes or clutter... maybe those will be tasks for Tuesday! :)

* 9 years *

2011-05-11T10:39:00.000-04:00

Today we are celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary. I can hardly believe it. The time is flying by... it has been busy and amazing. To remind us of some of the events over our 9 years, my mom posted this on my facebook page:

"One burned out apartment, 2 houses, 1 broken wrist, a few surgeries, several stitches, too many rabies shots, 1 cut off wedding ring, 1 replacement wedding ring, quite a few cars, 1 motorcycle, 2 dogs, 5 chickens, 3 fish, 1 pregnancy with bed rest, 1 without, many great 4th of July games, a lot a tears, even more laughter, 2 and 1/2 kids, yes, it has been a full 9 years.. We love you guys, Happy Anniversary."

To be married to a man you love, who loves you back... who is faith-filled, devoted, kind...attractive (oh yeah!), has a great sense of humor... is FAR more patient than I deserve... an amazing father to our growing brood of children... Man. I feel so incredibly blessed. Beyond-words-kind-of-blessed. And thankful. :)

Us back in January of this year... chaperoning a youth retreat (no sleep). I'll have to find a better picture!

Dreary

2011-04-28T09:20:00.000-04:00

Wet...dreary...gray...blustery...weepy...icky sorta day. It's spring, but I don't much the like the kind of spring we're having. I'm moody, emotional, hormonal, upset easily... (I'm feeling quite pregnant, obviously). I've been yelling at the children all too frequently and then breaking down and being all weepy because I feel like a bad mom. Perhaps if the weather would change, my mood might follow. Perhaps. I struggled with some postpartum depression after Jack was born. (not that I told anyone but Bruce) I desperately want to avoid that this time around.

Migraines, back ache, and other pregnancy troubles abound. At my last appointment was told to rest and take it easy... not exactly bed rest... but seriously limited if I wanted the pregnancy to go okay. I'm bored so I constantly over do it and then feel worse. I am no longer allow to pick up the kids (at 40 lbs apiece I can see why) but it's difficult to not want to scoop up a teary 3 yr old. :( With all the physical troubles (and I know it could be worse) I feel betrayed by my body...physical, emotional... everything. Unable to do 'normal' things.

My ultrasound is in less than a week. Praying all is well with the baby and she/he is cooperative so we can find out if we're having another boy or another girl. Then we just have to come up with a name. We haven't come up with anything... at this point I'm hoping for some divine inspiration.

Hello Again!

2011-04-18T12:23:00.000-04:00

I actually think about this blog all the time. Most days I even think of something wonderful I want to blog about. And then something will come along and distract me. Laundry, helping with homework, making dinner, a migraine, sitting and reading someone else's blog... You see what I mean. I have the best of intentions, really. :)

The last post was shortly after I found out I am pregnant. Sheesh. I'm 16 weeks pregnant now! It certainly is going by quickly. I had a lot of morning sickness (and the flu, which really didn't help) in the beginning. I was lucky if I could make it through a day without being sick or taking a nap. I didn't have any morning sickness - at all!- with Carlie or Jack. This took me completely by surprise! I've been having near-daily migraines or headaches, too. Not fun. It can get pretty difficult to function and lead a normal life. I'm trying not to complain and just cope with the pain.

Okay, no more complaints or excuses... on to the real blog post! :)

Mom-daughter Day!

Carlie and I had a wonderful weekend. We set aside a few hours Saturday just for us girls. We spent all our time here in town. Lunch across the road at a sweet little family-style restaurant where we laughed and took pictures of each other. Then we went to the resale boutique in the same plaza to search out some treasures. We found a cute sundress for Carlie, a maternity tank top for me (in a beautiful blue!) and dress for her babydoll. We spent $6. Not bad! At home we painted our fingernails (I think I do this 2 times a year...maybe). Carlie picked out blue for me to cover up the nasty bruise under my thumbnail from when I slammed by thumb in the car door last week. After a batch of our from-scratch brownies, our day was complete!

My Carlie-girl! I cannot believe she's 7 and so grown up. (she turned 7 last month. I didn't blog about that either...)

Me - 4 months pregnant and looking tired. I'm wearing a dress because she insisted we dress up for our afternoon.

We made these adorable little birds Sunday. Carlie had a lot of fun learning to sew!

You can find the tutorial for the little birdies here. While you are there, check out Em's classes and etsy page (if it's not open right now, it will be soon).

I'm pretty sure I'll actually blog again soon because my ultrasound is in 2 weeks! Hoping the baby cooperates so we can find out if we're having another boy or girl!!! :)

Expectations

2011-02-08T12:52:00.000-05:00

Me - a momma to be. Again!

Hmmm, I look peaceful. Content. Sleepy? Really, I was just wasting time while waiting for my 3 yr old to finish up in the bathroom. :)

At home and in Wednesday night youth group we've been talking a lot about how people respond to Christ. As a Christian, you can (and should) fully surrender. Trust completely in Him. Let go, lift your hands, and enjoy the ride. Twists, turns and all; because you know the Lord is in control. Or you can be the Christian who shuts your eyes and holds on tight, trying to be in control of your lift and never quite surrendering to Him. Never fully trusting. Always fighting to do things your way or questioning God's will.

We've been overwhelmed this past month. Deaths in the family. Illnesses. Medical bills from the past year we thought the insurance company had covered. Our one year old niece had some blood work completely and returned with troublesome results. (and has more testing this week) Bruce was in a car accident and nearly totaled his car (and praise God he was unhurt.). Although he's driving the car, we continue to invest money in repairs to make it safe and truly drivable. Then he got a ticket for the very loud and very broken exhaust. *sigh* We had a blizzard last week and the weather continues to be bitterly cold and dreary.

We expect to be healthy.
We expect finances and expenses to work out.
We expect to make it to work and back safely, day in and day out.
We expect the weather to break, sooner or later.

And now I'm expecting our third child. We are excited and trusting the Lord in the timing of it all. Praying for a safe and healthy pregnancy. Our children, families, and friends are thrilled. :) Trying so hard to be the believer who lets go, leans back and lift her hands to the Lord. Trusting completely in His care. Finding joy in the twists and turns that come our way.

What I'm Reading

2011-01-31T10:07:00.001-05:00

Top to bottom:
"Daily Strength for Daily Needs" by Mary Wilder Tileston. The copyright date on this is 1928 (first published in 1884!). A gentleman at church had brought in boxes of old books that once belonged to a friend. They were spread out in the fellowship center (a fancy name for the gym in our building) for folks to take if they wish. I found this gem. It's a daily devotional book full of wisdom. I'm enjoying it immensely and having a difficult time not reading ahead!

"Holy Bible - NLT" - I love the New Living Translation. I have a few others, but this is my favorite. I call it the easy-reader version. :) I'm working on reading thru the Bible again this year and this is definitely the version the help me through it! (I'm still in Exodus, but hey - it's the last day of January!)

"Brisingr" by Christopher Paolini - The third book in the Inheritance Cycle. I'm a nerd. I like fantasy books. Good vs evil, swords and men in armor, yeah. I'm in. (and fyi - I like movies with a good sword fighting scene, too!) My favorite books are historical fiction. (ahem - nerd. I say it again.) Hmm. And another thing, I don't like stand-alone books. I usually only read book series. Weird, I know. (oh, and this isn't my first time through this book. It's my 3rd. My hubby bought it for me for Christmas.)

"The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning - Man, oh man. I'm taking my time with this one, taking it in and meditating on the wisdom of the gospel of grace. Being impressed over and over again by the Lord's ferocious love for us.

"Serving Like Jesus" by Fields and Eastman - This is the book we're studying in youth group with our students. (It's the 4th in a series) Truly learning what it is like to have a servant's heart.

I didn't throw our Sunday school book in the pile. Or all the books I read with the kids. Or the blogs I follow. Or the news I keep up with. Or facebook or email....

So, what are you reading?

Blessed

2011-01-27T20:17:00.000-05:00

A great song from the worship during the youth retreat. (written by Tommee Profitt)

I am under the weather. Overwhelmed by daily migraines, head congestion and persistent cough. Physically, I feel completely and totally beat. Spiritually, I'm encouraged and uplifted!

Bruce and I took a handful (6) of our students on a retreat to northern Michigan over the weekend. We had lots of crazy fun (like every year) enjoying the antics of our teens and the full joy of worshiping together. Amazing. The speaker was a phenomenal youth pastor out of Chattanooga, TN. His message was right on the mark. Hitting our kids hard, breaking their hearts and drawing them into a closer relationship with Jesus. Amen. Praying it'll be more than an emotional response to the evening and be a true life altering heart change!

We lovelovelove our students, our ministry, and the opportunity to disciple these teens. I'm always in awe the Lord allows us the chance to be volunteer youth leaders. Looking around the event, we saw friends (some youth pastors, some teens) and I began to doubt myself. Doubt what God has called us to do. Churches with full-time paid "real" youth pastors had soOoOo many students. Of course they come from bigger churches.... but I couldn't help but wonder if our students are missing out because my husband (or myself) aren't 'real' youth pastors. So I pray. I turn to the Lord and seek His face, thankful for His ferocious LOVE and GRACE. Seeking Him, and praying in all we do with our students... knowing He can use us in our weakness. And feeling blessed.

Happy New Year

2011-01-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm not much for resolutions but I love frivolous lists. :)

Sweet or Savoury?  Usually sweet.  But love spicy, too.
Dresses or Jeans?  Actually, skirts or yoga pants.  Depends on the day and the weather.
House or Apartment?  House.  I like a yard and the really of being rooted somewhere.  I crave soil to dig and plant, trees to fill up my view.  I am not a city girl.
Shop Online or Offline?  Both.  Etsy, craiglist, Ebay, Amazon and itunes are some of my favorites.  I love handmade items and try to buy used where we can.  I haven't tried ordering any food online.  
DVDs or Downloads?  Streaming netflix or DVDs.  We borrow from the library or netflix and we own a number of used movies.  We're movie people, not tv people.
Cocktails or Juice?  Eh, neither.  Juice, on occassion.
Chocolate or Strawberry?  Chocolate.  :)
Laptop or PC?  Netbook.  And I love it.  It does the basics and I don't need anything fancy.  But it's more convenient and portable.
Magazines or Newspapers?  I'll say magazines.  We like 'National Geographic', 'Mother Earth News', and such.  I read a lot of news online.
Facebook or Twitter?  Facebook (and far too often).  Admittedly, I just don't get Twitter...
CDs or MP3s?  mp3s.  I love not having stacks of cds sitting around or dealing with the packaging.  (does anyone else hate shrink wrap?
Kids or Pets?  Both!  We have two lovely and spunky children, 1 gigantic dog, and 4 crazy chickens.  (this is where I tell you I dream of having goats!)
Macaron or Cupcakes?  Cupcakes or brownies.  My SIL makes great cupcakes and dreams of having her own bakery.  I make brownies from scratch and we are never going back to boxed!  
Walk or Run?  Walk.  I enjoy running, but with my scoliosis it isn't a great idea.  Last time I ran consistently, my back freaked out and I spent a week on the couch and a month on the sidelines.  I walk and do yoga...  
Breakfast in Bed or Breakfast Out?  Out.  We rarely get the chance to sleep it and once I'm up, I'm up.
Market or Supermarket?  In summer we grow a lot of our own and shop farmer's markets to buy local.  Otherwise, I go where I can get the best food prices.  And we live across the road from a grocery store.  :)
Sourdough or Grainy?  Anything as long as it's homemade!
Heels or Flats?  Flats. (I'd really rather not wear shoes at all.)
Late nights or Not?  Hahaha.  Not.  It's a big joke in our house that I can barely stay up past 9pm.
Coffee or Tea?  Herbal tea.  I like the smell of coffee but I can't drink it.

'Tis the Season

2010-12-06T09:06:00.000-05:00

I've been feeling a little under the weather the past couple of days. That means lots of oranges, hand washing, and healing teas. (and the kids are crazy about these little mandarin oranges!)

We set up and decorated our Christmas tree Sunday. Our little reindeer enjoyed themselves! Their enthusiasm was fantastic. Bruce and I strung up the lights, then sat back to watch their joy in finding ~~ornaments~~ treasures in the box and choosing the perfect place on the tree. Perfect.

Wishing you happiness and joy this Christmas season. May we all be like the children digging in and finding joyful treasures in the common and miracles in the everyday. And a hope, a relationship with the brave little boy, the redeemer sent from heaven by the God who loves us.

Little Joys

2010-11-29T23:03:00.001-05:00

Thanksgiving weekend was wonderful and joy-filled for our family. It's been a long year and we have much for which to be thankful. The Lord has certainly has given us strength and blessed us each step of the way. Multiple surgeries, job concerns, anxiety and school trouble, my migraines and trouble with prescriptions, and so much more! But this weekend was all about joy, praise, family, and giving thanks. (not to mention pie!) Here are a few highlights...

Homemade cream cheese frosting on Thanksgiving (to go the pumpkin cake with chocolate chips.)

Oh, yes. It's that good!

My niece. She's only been walking for a few weeks and I got to see her do it on Thanksgiving.

Such a beautiful November and unseasonably warm. (okay, it's still chilly. But this is Michigan!)

Everyone (including the Truman, our labradoodle) had a chance to play outside. In late November, in Michigan, without snowpants. It was amazing!

Well, kids played outside. Bruce worked on the cars and I cleaned the chicken coop. At least the sun was shining!

Soaking up some vitamin D and playing with their best friend.

Hubby and I managed a full 24 hours away from the kids (which never happens!). They had a chance to spend quality time with my fabulous and generous folks. Bruce and I were able to spend some much needed grown-up together time, dinner out, and shopping for the kids. As much as I love my children, it was very very nice to focus on my husband for a time. I love that man! I know I am blessed and am truly thankful...

First Grade Feast

2010-11-22T17:01:00.001-05:00

Okay, so here is the thing. I volunteer for everything. Really, I do. (it's a problem, I know!) I always want to help out and be involved. Especially when in comes to helping out at Carlie's school. I don't get to work in the classroom because, honestly, busy 3 year old boys don't do well in structured first grade rooms. :) I love my boy dearly, but he makes that brand of volunteering pretty well impossible.

Each fall the kindergartners and first graders have a Thanksgiving feast together. The littlest tykes make apple pie, the teachers make some turkey, and the older students make stuffing and cornbread. I was unable to come in and help the kids crack eggs and mix up cornbread, so I inquired about baking. I like to be in the kitchen and sticking in a few pans of muffins during the evening didn't exactly seem like a hardship.

I ran up to the school at the end of the day and - lo-and-behold - my little first grades did not mix up cornbread. Apparently they ran out of time. (the classroom is always disorganized and seems to run out of time to do important things on a daily basis. Like send home important notes. On one occasion - we had to sent Carlie in paint clothes for 2 weeks straight because they never seemed to get around to it!) Anywho...

I now find myself with boxes of Jiffy mix and dozens of cornbread muffins to be made.

all the goodness for cornbread muffins - yum!

I truly don't mind helping. I just don't always (or usually!) think before I volunteer. Oops. I guess that's something I need to work on. The third batch is in the oven now. Wish me luck on finishing them tonight and on safely transporting them to school tomorrow!

This is What 31 Looks Like

2010-11-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

Me... taken by my multi-talented 6 yr old daughter.

My birthday was yesterday. It was an amazing, blessing filled day. Making me smile and bringing me to tears, all at the same time. The thoughtfulness of my children, the kind words from my parents and in-laws, the happy wishes from old and new friends alike. Dinner with me husband (no cooking!) Wonderful thru and thru. I am blessed.

Self-Portrait

2010-10-24T20:52:00.000-04:00

Today was a rare Michigan October day. Sunny, warm, beautiful.

Encourages you, makes you slow down - observe - enjoy.

October in the Great Lakes State is changeable. Volatile.

Chill and windy one day. Bright and still the next.

Should you open windows or light a fire in the wood stove?

Much like our moods. Every changing and affected by our surroundings.

But unlike our faith. Where we are firm, steadfast, and confident.

Finding joy in Christ, regardless of our circumstances.

Depending wholly on the Creator and trusting in Him.

Trusting Him to grow us, change us, refine and reveal us.

Reminding us of our identity in Christ.

"Forgiven beloved

Hidden in Christ

Made in the image of the Giver of Life

Righteous and holy

Reborn and remade

Accepted and holy, this is our new name"

~from "I Am New" by Jason Gray

Go!

2010-10-14T14:04:00.000-04:00

I do not know how it happened, but I am running. It began innocently enough, taking out the stroller in the afternoons to run errands. I thought, "This is nice, we should just go for a walk". And then we walked further. And further. I bought a jogging stroller off Craigslist for $30 to replace our worn out Graco that is 6+ years old, has bald tires and far too many miles. And then walking seemed too slow. I began to jog. (Perhaps it was a trot? It was certainly no run.)

Today we did almost 3 miles. Almost the entire distance at a run. Jack rides in his trendy new (used) stroller as I pound the pavement. We share possession of the ipod. (my ipod doesn't work anymore and we are down to one pair of earbuds in the house. What a travesty.)

It has been 12-13 years since I've run. Walk? Sure. Yoga? All the time. But never ever run. I was a distance runner in high school. After I got married and had 2 children, my back was so bad I could hardly walk. Between my scoliosis and loss of core strength my back was taking on more than it could handle, grinding with each and every painful step. Some days I was unable to move off the couch, debilitated by the pain. But no more. Two determined years of yoga, prayer, and hard work and I am well. Having lost 20 pounds, I feel whole again. Thankful the Lord made our bodies capable to bend, break and heal - remaking us stronger than when we began.

And I'm off...

Garden Love

2010-08-15T20:52:00.006-04:00

Last Wednesday, we finally had rain. It's been a long hot, dry summer with highs in the upper 80's everyday with matching humidity but never any rain. (=miserable) Wednesday was a blessing. It poured for hours drenching the parched grass and garden. The kids and I were able to head out, weed some of the garden (really, how can weeds thrive without rain!) and harvest what was ready.
We are inundated with tomatoes and it's time to start canning! We grew 17 plants of heirloom tomatoes (but lost a few early in the season). And 17 cherry tomato plants. I've eating cherry tomatoes for lunch, dinner and snack and giving them about by the bucketful. Happily, they've been a blessing to many people this summer! We get a break from the heat this week (low 80s) and I have a two bushels of tomatoes to can. If the lack of counter space wasn't telling me it was time, the abundance of fruit flies would be...

Calendula! A pretty and hardy flower and one of my favorite herbs. I use it in the healing salve I make. We've had a really good harvest so far and, surprisingly enough, it is drying well inspite of all our humidity. We (my daughter is a great helper) will soon be collecting seeds for next year. Hopefully, we'll be able to sell seeds or seedlings in the spring above what we need to plant for our own use.
Another bit of green from my thriving herb garden (it gives me such joy). Lemon Balm.... mmmmm. Sweet and lemony mint-relative. My little plant has really grown after I transplanted it this year. I'm looking forward to tea....
Me. And my Teva tan-lines. :) Enjoying time outside barefoot in the wet grass after the rain. Looking forward to cooler days ahead as summer and farmer's markets wind down and school starts up...

Jedi Jack and the Invasion of the Garbage Men

2010-07-29T11:25:00.005-04:00

Just to show you what life is like with an imaginative 3 yr old boy, here is a snippet from today:

I came out the bathroom this morning to find Jack holding a pumpkin carving
knife.
"Uh... whatcha doing Jack?"
"I sorry Mom. I gotta kid knife." (that's what he calls the pumpkin knives because they aren't sharp and the kids are allowed to use them under adult supervision)
"Um. Why?" I ask as I gently grab the knife away from his chubby
fingers.
"I heard a man voice," he replied.

Jack goes on to explain to me that he heard someone outside (probably
the garbage men since it's pick up day) and wanted to protect himself. Really? Couldn't he just knock on the door and tell me he heard something or go to his sister Carlie who was watching tv in the other room? He thought he was going to defend the household against the invasion of garbage men with a pumpkin knife? Jedi Jack, indeed. The boy has a lot of confindence, I'll give you that...

Counting Stars

2010-07-28T16:49:00.005-04:00

We watched Andrew Peterson's streaming concert of 'Counting Stars' last night. Now, I've been a fan of his since the beginning so it's no surprise that I love this album and was more than happy to snuggle up in my pjs to watch a concert over the computer. It's been a few years since we have been able to see him live and I was not about to miss the chance!

I'm not an eloquent or gifted writer. I don't give moving album or movie reviews. I don't find it easy to come up with the right words, invoke the right emotion. And this new AP album simply leaves me tongue-tied. The songs beautiful and well-writed, as always. But it's more than that. There is something deeper and more soul-stirring here. (I knew I was in for it when the song snippets on itunes brought me to tears...)

Peterson isn't afraid (or, if he is it doesn't show) to delve into difficult aspects of relationship. Whether it's the relationship between husband and wife, with our children, between generations, or with our God - Peterson covers it. And it isn't all puppies and rainbows. The beauty is in the struggles and in the everyday moments. It's in the redemption from the brink. If things were easy, they wouldn't be worthwhile. (I wanted to choose a verse from 'Dancing in the Minefields', but it was too hard to choose just one. So I included the video.)
God's peace, grace and love surpasses all. The Lord and those aspects of his very being are greater than anything we could ever do or not do. God extended His love and grace to us in the form of His son, Jesus Christ, before we ever decided to accept Him and love him back. And He'll go on to love us forever because it's who He is, not something He does. God's love is not dependent on what we do. Or the strength of our faith in Him. (thankfully!) Enjoy the video and then the purchase the album at the www.rabbitroom.com (and you can read a real review there, as well as other great writings.) :)

Market Day

2010-07-10T17:54:00.004-04:00

This poor blog, so sad and neglected. I think of things to write almost every day, but real life gets in the way of the actual sitting and typing. Oh well, my avid reader(s) must be so disappointed (sorry, Mom!). So here is an honest to goodness blog update/entry for you.

Yesterday was our first day this summer working at one of the local farmers markets. The Davison Market has wonderful small town, homey atmosphere. Live music (with a bit of comedy, although I'm never certain if it's on purpose), hotdogs/brats for sale, a massage station(!) - I have gotto get over to that sometime this season, pie by the slice, your regular produce stands, organic farmers, me - your natural homemade soap girl, soy candles, wood working, meat sellers, the salsa and apple sauce lady and much more!!! They have other live entertain throughout the summer and crafts for the children. It's a well attended market and the patrons are enthusiastic and supportive. I'm so so proud to be a part of their market this year. It's been a few years since they've had any soapmakers out there so, people have been really kind. I had a wonderful and encouraging first day out.

A number of friends came out to visit, chat, shop and show their love and support to me and my mom, Lynda. She's an endless source of help and hardwork. She works every market and show, helping me set up and tear down, sell, wrangle kids. She's my co-worker and partner in crime. I couldn't do it without her. (Maybe someday I can afford to pay her!) I'm so blessed.

My friend Lyn coach a girls softball team this spring. As the coach, she was responsible for finding her own team sponsor - well, I jumped a the chance! I've known Lyn and her girls for years and grew up in the community where they play. The chance to participate and give back was just to great. I couldn't pass it up! The 10, 11, and 12 yr old girls were pretty excited to be a girly handmade soap team with a flowery logo instead of being sponsored by a barber shop or insurance company. :) Lyn and the girls had a great season and lot of fun. I'm really proud of them. She surprised me by coming out to the market yesterday and bringing a 'Thank you!' plaque with the team picture!!! I was stunned. You see them in offices, but I never thought about getting one. I sat in on my table all day and had a got a few questions and comments throughout the day. It was nice. :)

I had the opportunity to further my acquaintance with a local organic grower and his wife. I was fortunate enough to meet them at another event earlier in the spring at their church. As the farmer's wife, Deborah, and I were discussing what we had read about growing lavender from seed...interesting, I know!... another woman approached my table and seemed amused. My mom spoke with her and she bought some Man Soap. Then we found out that she owns a local (very very local and nearby!) herb business! The name of the business - Hilltop Barn. hahahaha! Too, funny. I'm Hilltop Soaps. :) That's why she was so amused. Well... she grows herbs, gives lectures and herb walks, teaches about wild edibles and how to make herbal oils and tinctures, etc. Needless to say I'll be giving her a call and taking a few classes. I've meet a few amazing women over the past few days and look forward to leraning from them.

Maybe next week I'll remember to take the camera so I can get so pictures. (after I've charged the batteries)...

~jill

Walk-About-Town Adventure #1

2010-06-08T08:40:00.006-04:00

It was a nice cool June morning and the children were eager to begin our first adventure into town! To clarify, it's our first walk around town. We have lived here for two years and we walk around town frequently. They are excited it's a going to be a regular occurrence. And they excited about the wagon. I usually make them walk because we don't usually go that far. :) We had 15 minutes to make it to the post office before they closed for lunch. We made it in ten minutes and then had to wait to FOREVER for traffic. Once we made it to the tile floors the wheels on the wagon revolted and a kind woman helped me drag it inside. *sigh* I knew I had a delivery to pick up and I thought I wouldn't make it in time. One of the many blessings about small town is that the post master knows everyone. He saw me coming (and probably heard the commotion in his lobby) and had my mail at the counter. What a sweet man. He even came out to hold the doors and help us back out. Did I mention that I love our town?? (The kids took this picture of me in front of the post office.)

Jack in front of the post office...

and Carlie, too....

Since we were no longer in a hurry (and I was sweating like crazy) we proceeded at a more moderate pace after leaving the post office. We stopped by the local diner - Ms Smitty's - to grab a menu to peruse later. They have a great little ice cream parlor attached to the diner and I promised Carlie and Jack ice cream on one of our future walks. Finally we made it to the library. The kiddos feel at home there and can border on being rude/rambunctious. :) I'm good friends with the head librarian and the assistant there, probably because I end up walking over a few days a week. I have had a library card since I was a preschooler and have an insatiable appetite for fiction. The free dvd rental is a strong draw since we only have limited basic cable.

We parked our wagon in the bike rack. :)We had a few other stops after the library and finally made our way home. Carlie and Jack took pity on me and hopped to pull the wagon up our big hill and to the house. On a normal day, it would take about 20 minutes to run these errand (depending on how long we spend at the library). It took us an hour and 25 minutes. Carlie made up fun songs about our 'adventure'. Jack stopped to listen to a cricket near the library stairs. We talked to a few more folks in town than normal. I never would have stopped at the diner for a menu, although we kept saying we should check them out. Nobody argued or complained, I did not have to take the kids in and out of the car 15 times. Honestly, this was so much more fun.

Walk-About-Town .... Car-Free Adventure INTRO

2010-06-07T23:04:00.005-04:00

Our goal/challenge for the summer is to walk nearly everywhere in town for our weekly errands instead of driving. Giving us the benefit saving gas and money, reducing carbon emissions, spending more time out of the house and in town, and maybe even losing a few pounds while I'm at it! :) We don't have any hard and fast rules for this, I hope my resolve holds firm because just the thought of dragging a wagon loaded with 70 pounds of wiggling kid-ness when it's 90 degrees with 95% humidity makes my asthma start acting up. (or is that a panic attack???)

The post office is farthest away (1/2 a mile) and our most frequent trip. We'll probably head there every other day, unless we're expecting something good. We spend a lot of time at our local library and that almost directly across the street from our house. We walk there year-round anyway. Our town is itty-bitty, most people in the county do not realize we are a town at all. Some think we are a village or just a busy stretch of road. :) But we have our own post office, school, library, grocery store, local diner and ice cream shop, pizza place, McDonald's, hardware, pharmacy, and more! All within a 1/2 mile stretch. The downside is that is not at walkable. We only have sidewalks through the 'downtown' part of town which is about half of our walk. There are no sidewalks in front of our house, the grocery store, or library. There are foot/bike trails beginning to wear in over time. We have a good number of people (kids, teens, and adults) who walk and bike in town instead of drive. It can be difficult, and sometimes impossible, to walk in the winter months due to the lack of sidewalks. (And in Michigan, winter can last a good 6 months.)

Okay, I know I started rambling a bit there, so bear with me please! I'm almost done. :) We do not have any mass transit systems nearby, so it's walk, drive, or stay home. My husband will continue to drive the 30+ miles to work each day. It's not fun. And he works from home, it's just it addition to his regular hours. If telecommuting was an option, that would be great. We'll drive to church on Sundays, because the 20 mile drive it just too far to walk. There are closer churches, but we've been there for nearly 10 years and they are our family. Our family is worth it. We try to combine other trips into that one, it just make sense. Once every few weeks we'll drive the 12 miles to the Flint Market to the bulk of our shopping. Beginning July 29th (and on Thursdays thereafter for the remainder of the summer) I'll be working at a farmers market selling my soaps and things and then we'll do our shopping there.

Like I said earlier, no hard and fast rules. We're just being conscious of our driving habits. We'll try to stick to it and not make excuses.

~jill

Sleds in Summer

2010-05-26T09:25:00.002-04:00

Summer weather hit Michigan this week and we're having high temps in the upper 80s with intense humidity. Time to get out the kiddie pool! The kids had one of those molded plastic pools for the past few summers and it was stored out behind the garage. I dragged it out and filled it up, you know, after I used Gorilla tape to repair all the cracks... (it still didn't hold water very well). Oh well. We decided to fill up the purple snow sled instead. (It holds water just fine) Who knew you could use a sled year-round??? Only in Michigan... :)

Chocolate (zucchini) Cake

2010-03-30T13:16:00.002-04:00

Hiding veggies. Yep. You can even hide them in cake. Just don't let the kids help you bake it. :) If you're like me, you grew zucchini last year, shredded tons of it expecting to make bread over the winter, stuck it in the freezer and forgot. Oops. This recipe will use it up fast. Don't let the idea of making a cake from scratch scare you. It's easier than you think. (just like the bread) Remember, I'm a simple girl. If it was too hard or time consuming I probably wouldn't do make it. But let me tell you, it tastes far better than anything from a box. And you gain some self confidence when you say you made all by yourself and really mean it (not like that refrigerated cookie dough that we all feel just a little guilty about).

When you cook or bake from scratch there is the added benefit of knowing precisely what is in the mix. If you are the individual responsible for shopping and putting food on the table and in the bellies of your loved ones, you are the gatekeeper. The security guard who determines what gets in and what does not. Is it safe? Is it healthy? What do they need to avoid? Who do we keep out? Hydrogenated oils? High fructose corn syrup? High cholesterol foods? Who gets invited in? Spinach? Fruits? Farm-raised chicken? Garden tomatoes? Local cheese?

Here is simply grand way to sneak in that healthy zucchini we want to let in (that nobody seems to know what to do with) and leave everyone asking for more.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe
(i didn't come up with this recipe, you can click on the link for the original source. i do change it a bit. it's supposed to be in a bundt pan with a glaze. i don't own a bundt pan. i use a regular cake pan and chocolate frosting. it's nice with whipped cream and fruit, too.)

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups regular all-purpose flour, unsifted
1/2 cup cocoa
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarsely shredded zucchini (use all the liquid from your zucchini. if you drain it, your cake will be dry. trust me. i tried it once. you need every bit of that juice to make the cake nice and moist.)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional. my kids are picky and won't eat the nuts)
Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

1 Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

2 With a mixer, beat together the butter and the sugar until they are smoothly blended. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture one at a time, beating well after each addition. With a spoon, stir in the vanilla, and zucchini.

3 Alternately stir the dry ingredients and the milk into the zucchini mixture, including the nuts with the last addition.

4 Pour the batter into a greased and flour-dusted (or sprayed)regular cake pan - use what you have. Bake in the oven for about 50 minutes (test at 45 minutes!) or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5 Frost

Cut in thin slices to serve. Makes 10-12 servings.

Hope you guys enjoy! I'll be making this for Easter.
~jill

Let it Rise... or not.

2010-03-29T15:34:00.003-04:00

I have been getting a lot of requests from friends and family for recipes lately. Some are looking to eat better, fresh foods, less packaged foods. Trying to cook from scratch. When Bruce and I first got married (okay, for the first years of our marriage) I could only cook something if it came in a box with directions on the back. And even then, the results were a iffy. My husband is a keeper - I don't think he complained once. :) It's been a long road, but I'm a pretty decent cook now.

I think Jack was a baby when I started baking bread. It was a simple goal: to make edible homemade bread. Nothing huge. Nothing fantastic like 'lose 20 lbs' or 'only eat local' or 'turn off the fridge' or 'learn to ride a unicycle'. Nope. I'm a simple girl. It was easy, too. I liked the slow pace, the patience. A little work now, wait a while, come back later, knead the dough, wait, come back, etc. I found it enjoyable.

Bread is simple. Water, flour, yeast, salt. Then I read the label on store bread. It must have 20+ ingredients! High fructose corn syrup, caramel coloring, and more. I couldn't believe it. That was really what got me started making my own food and buying less pre-packaged things. In Michael Pollan's popular book 'In Defense of Food' he suggests to read food labels and never eat anything with more than 5 ingredients. (It's a great book. If you're confused about food, the way to eat, what the right choices are, hope to shop. Read this. Seriously. It's fantastic. I can't say enough good things about it.)

Well, here it goes. These bread recipes are not my own. I've scavenged these from the internet and wrote them in my recipe book years ago. The original sources are lost (sorry), but it's bread. It's pretty basic. I'm not sure anyone can really claim it. ;) *if you plan on making a lot of bread, don't buy the packets, buy the jars.

NO-KNEAD FREE FORM LOAF BREAD (good for us lazy folk)
Makes 4 1-lb loaves (I makes 2 2-lb)

3 C lukewarm water
1.5 T granulated yeast
1.5 T sea salt
6.5 C unsifted, unbleached flour

1. Heat water to 100 degrees (I've never actually measured this, I just make sure it's warm)
2. Add yeast and salt to water in large bowl
3. Mix in flour - don't knead! the dough stays wet and conforms to container
4. Cover loosely (set a lit on top - don't use a screw top, it could explode from the trapped gases)

Refrigerate for at least 3 hrs before shaping (it can sit overnight).
You don't need to monitor the rising.

5. Sprinkle pan with cornmeal or spray with nonstick spray.
6. Sprinkle surface of dough with flour
-cut off section, gently stretch dough.
7. 20 minutes before baking preheat oven to 450 degrees F. with broiler tray on lower shelf.
8. Dust top of loaf with flour and slash with knife
9. Put in oven. Pour 1 C of hot water in broiler pan. Bake 30 min.
*bread will 'crackle' or 'sing' when done. put on rack to cool.
-extra dough can keep in fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I always makes this as 'Italian Herb Bread'. I mix up herbs - sea salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, garlic, oregano - in a small bowl and sprinkle it on the bread. I like to roll the dough in it so it gets evenly covered. Yum! Enjoy with real butter hot out of the oven.

I'll get the recipes for pita bread, hummus, pesto, crackers, chocolate zucchini cake (fabulous!), pizza dough, and more up in the coming weeks.

~jill

Renewed

2010-03-24T09:42:00.003-04:00

It's spring. FINALLY. I am feeling refreashed physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm eating lots more fruits and veggies (green smoothies are a great way to do this) I've been getting in more yoga and cardio and outside play time with the kids. The weather has been nice enough to start walking to pick Carlie up from school. Well, a few days a least. :)

I've been behind on my Bible reading this year and I'm really disappointed. I haven't given up, but I'm not happy with myself. I committed to reading the Old Testament this year (I read the New Testment last year) and fell behind by and entire book when when my husband had surgery last month. Not to make excuses, but it was supposed to be outpatient surgery and was not. And then he ended up in the ER twice that same week. Thing were pretty rough there for a while. The Lord and I were on close speaking terms, but I wasn't spending a lot of time in His Word. ;)

Since Bruce and I share youth leader duties at church I usually spend a lot of time reseaching and planning lessons, too. It's something I really enjoy. (Weird, I know. But I always I enjoy digging into my Bible and finding ways to tie the lessons together and link the Bible to the students lives and make it 'current' for them.) This year we used purchased lessons and they were a real blessing with all the time we've had to devote to doctor appointments and such. But I missed my study time. I didn't realize how important it is to me - it makes me feel grounded. I'm slowly catching up on my Bible reading. I'm still behind, but not quite so far.

Bruce and I have been spending a lot of time listening to the late, great Rich Mullins. As a poet, singer, songwriter ~ he was a master. The man behind the music was nothing short of inspirational. Incredibly successful (in the commercial sense) and always humble, chosing to give away all he had to live a simple life. He had an amazing faith in the Lord and it just poured out in all he did. But why are people so struck by him? I imagine it's because Rich and people like him, are the closest we'll get in this world to seeing Jesus in action. He had the heart of a servant, didn't care what this world thought of him, rejected materialism, treated everyone with love, didn't stray from the gospel and didn't apologize for it. And people loved him for it. Huh, sound like anyone else you know?? There are a ton of Rich Mullins videos on youtube - songs, interviews, stories, you name it.

Here are a few Rich Mullins quotes:
"Never forget what Jesus did for you. Never take lightly what it cost Him. And never assume that if it cost Him His very life, that it won't also cost you yours."

"We do not find happiness by being assertive. We don't find happiness by running over people because we see what we want and they are in the way of that happiness so we either abandon them or we smash them. The Scriptures don't teach us to be assertive. The Scriptures teach us—and this is remarkable—the Scriptures teach us to be submissive. This is not a popular idea."

"Christianity is not about building an absolutely secure little niche in the world where you can live with your perfect little wife and your perfect little children in your beautiful little house where you have no gays or minority groups anywhere near you. Christianity is about learning to love like Jesus loved and Jesus loved the poor and Jesus loved the broken."

~jill

Run Free

2010-03-15T20:29:00.002-04:00

Carlie walked in the bedroom and said, "Mom, Jack's outside naked." Swell.

We are potty training so he spends a lot of his time running around naked or only partially clothed. In this case he was wearing a pair of socks. Jack and I had been hanging out in the house while Carlie was still playing outside. She came in to ask me a question (which I promptly forgot during the naked pandemonium which ensued thereafter). He had been talking to me until his sister came in the house. I guess he saw his opportunity and ran with it.

It was brisk and breezy today with the high temps only in the low 50s. A little chilly for streaking. :)

Happy Birthday, my girl!

2010-03-11T13:56:00.003-05:00

My girl turns 6 today. It does not quite seem possible. Bruce and I have only been married for... oh shoot! It'll be 8 years in May! Where did all this time go?? When did my sweet little peanut go from being a tiny little preemie to nearly finished with kindergarden? An animal lover, a budding vegetarian, a growing reader, music lover, she has a deep love for dresses and mudboots alike. She loves fairies and princesses and feeding our chickens and collecting rocks, herbs and wildflowers. She hates spiders but will chase down a snake. She's loving, kind, smart as a whip, brave, and funny. She still does not sleep through the night, has vivid dreams, and rarely stays in her own bed. She is still tiny as can be but do not, under any circumstances, tell her that she is short! What she lacks in sizes she more than makes up for in spunk and personality.

Happy 6th Birthday to my beautiful Carlie.
love,
Mom

2010-01-19T14:23:00.003-05:00

Last night I had a speaking engagement with the ladies at the local Lioness Club, they were kind enough to invite me to their meeting to speak about my business and products. They are a truly generous group of women who were kind in their praise and support of my fledgling local business. And they served cake. :)

I talked a lot about herbs and traditional remedies last night. These things used to be common knowledge passed down from mother to daughter, used in the home, things grown and gathered, made with love and wisdom. So much has been lost over the past few generations. There I was, speaking to a group of women. My elders. Teaching them things their grandmothers would have known.

So I think I'll post about one of the herbs I use the most.
Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla)
Used in teas, potpourri, skin skin care products. I use it in my soap and the Mom's Salve. Chamomile has anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relieving) properties. (this is why I use it in the salve - and why it's great for dry, chapped, irritated skin) Soaps and lotions containing chamomile are often recommended by pediatricians for children with eczema. If you aren't a soap maker or aren't keen on trying to make your own salve, you can always make a compress with chamomile to bring down inflammation in irritated skin. Chamomile tea is nice to combat anxiety, safe for children, and tasty too!
Hilltop Soaps Chamomile Soap
and the Mom's Salve (availabe in 3 sizes)

~jill

Why I love my 2 year old

2009-11-30T09:30:00.003-05:00

Today, Jack (my 2 year old) was in the bedroom with me when I hopped on the scale. I stepped off a moment later, feeling triumphant after the Thanksgiving weekend. Jack wondered about the number on the scale and, being his thoughtful self, asks 'Was is $4, Mom?' Classic. I love my toddler. :)

~jill

Random thankfulness

2009-11-24T16:35:00.005-05:00

The kids slept in their own beds last night. It was a rare and celebratory occassion. My husband has a few days off surrounding Thanksgiving. Not only can he take time off, he still has a job to take time off from. (i realize i am using poor grammar) In the state with the highest unemployment, I am very thankful to be so fortunate.

My children are happy, healthy, and fed and loved. (1 in 5 American children go hungry, 1 in 3 in some Midwest states.) They are growing in kindness, generosity, imagination, knowledge and faith.

I hauled in a load of wood in our lawn cart (one of my favorite pieces of yard equipment we've borrowed from my in-laws). I stacked it on the porch so it'll stay when the rain and snow hit later this week. Our home is safe and warm. Heated with wood from a large, dying oak tree cut down by a friend.

I'm drying apples I bought at the farmer's market with money I made from selling homemade soaps. The peels will be make news jars of vinegar. The home preserved food and fresh made vinegar is beginning to outnumber the store-bought items in our pantry. This one of the neatest things.

I gave the chickens fresh straw and collected their eggs, sure to thank them for their contribution to the household. They like the straw and seem to think it a fair trade. The eggs are boiling on the stove. The shells will be baked and crushed for the chickens to suppliment their calcium intake. Cyclical, always cyclical. :)

My homemade soap business is doing well and continues to increase in sales. Much to my amazement. I am thankful and humbled by the response to my soaps and salves.

Our amazing family, church family, and savior Jesus the Son of God.

The big 3-0

2009-11-16T13:01:00.004-05:00

Yep. That's right. I turned 30 yesterday. It was a great time. The virtual facebook birthday wishes began Saturday night and continued on into Monday. Wonderful cards from my husband and kids, the coolest travel tea cup I've ever seen (plus the promise to order some bulk herbal tea), a painted chair from my mom for my soap/work room with the kids' handprints on it (I was in tears), a super fuzzy and warm blanket of my own from my in-laws and more. We had a dinner at church and then a bonfire with family in the evening. It was a little strange to have a party just for me. My sister-in-law Amanda's birthday is the day after mine so we usually celebrate them together. We love that we get to share birthdays! This year we both have big birthdays (30 for me and 16 for her) so we each get a day to ourselves. My really awesome little brother baked my cake and Carlie frosted it. It was nice to spend time with family and just chat and hang out and not have to work or build or clean or do anything. I think my 30s are off to a nice start. :)

Sitting in my new chair enjoying some birthday cake...

~jill (who is still stuffed from overeating yesterday)

The Chicken Condo

2009-11-16T10:55:00.006-05:00

It's been finished for a week now and the girls love it. We're getting 1-2 eggs a day and are so thankful. I'm amazed each time I go out and find another one...

The pictures I promised:

~jill

Veterans Day

2009-11-11T09:44:00.003-05:00

This year, I hope people realize it's Veterans Day before they notice flags lining the street or the fact that the post office is closed today. Take the time to honor a veteran, thank him or her for his or her service to our country. Without the courage, strength and self-sacrifice of generations of patriots - the United States of America would not even exist. Shake hands, give hugs, send a card or an email. Say 'Thank you' and really mean it.

Thomas Jefferson said, "Patriotism is not a short frenzied burst of emotion, but the long and steady dedication of a lifetime."

Or, "Once a Marine, always a Marine." :)

Semper Fi, Ooh Rah, Thank you and God Bless.

~jill

Finally!!!

2009-11-09T16:14:00.003-05:00

Our first egg! As you can tell, we're pretty excited. We've had the girls since May (they were itty bitty fluff balls back then) and we've been patiently waiting. Okay, well, mostly patient. I gave them a stern talking to about earning their keep and laying some eggs a few weeks back. At least someone took it to heart. :)

Pictures of the new coop coming soon!

Apples

2009-11-07T20:45:00.003-05:00

We were blessed with a bushel basket full of apples from some church friends. Bruce, the kids and I had the chance to go to their house one Sunday evening and get some old wood to use for our new chicken coop. Our wonderful friends gave us a tour of the house and property, showed up their garden and trees. I was thrilled when I saw the apples hanging from the trees and covering the ground. Her father had planted the trees years ago, she doesn't even know what kind they are. We ended up with wood, apples, a few grapes, a wagon and a few more gifts. Such kind people!

The apples were very tart and not the best for eating fresh. I dried about half the apples in the dehydrator. The rest were used to make apple sauce. I canned some and we ate some right away. I gave a bunch to Mary since she was generous enough to share her apple crop with us. The kids and I eat the dried fruit for snacks and I use it when I make granola. I gave my mom some of the apple sauce.

We have some of the apple peels and cores to the chickens. The girls love anything fresh and I prefer not ot give them chicken feed if I can. I used the rest of the apple peels to make vinegar. It was a lot easier than I thought. Put the peels and cores in a jar. Fill it water. Cover with a cloth. (I used a canning band and a wash cloth.) Don't use a canning lid. The microorganisms need the oxygen to work their magic. Otherwise, you'll end up with a foul smelling mess. That's what I made on my first try. :) Let it sit for 2 weeks and voila! Vinegar. I use the vinegar as a rinse for my hair. It takes out any residue from soap or styling products. I don't use shampoo, I use my homemade bar soap on my hair. We have hard well water and sometimes it doesn't rinse really clean. Commercial apple cider vinegars were a little harsh on my hair and left it feeling yucky. My homemade version is much more mild (and fruity smelling) and seems to work better for me.

We're thankful for what we have and are given and try not to waste an ounce.

~jill

Branching Out

2009-10-22T13:57:00.003-04:00

In honor of my new blog layout, living life to the fullest, recognizing the Lord's wisdom and life lessons inherent in the natural world He created, and the value of a sense of humor - I present to you a song. (not that I needed any reasons, I like this song regardless) :)

Branching Out - by John Gorka

When I grow up I want to be a tree
Want to make my home with the birds and the bees
And the squirrels, they can count on me
When I grow up to be a tree

I'll let my joints get stiff, put my feet in the ground
Take the winters off and settle down
Keep my clothes till they turn brown
When I grow up, I'm gonna settle down

CHORUS:
I'm gonna reach, I'm gonna reach
I'm gonna reach, reach for the sky
I'm gonna reach, I'm gonna reach
I'm gonna reach, till I know why

When the spring comes by I'm gonna get real green
If the dogs come by I'm gonna get real mean
On windy days, I'll bend and lean
When I grow up I'm gonna get real green

(BRIDGE)
If I should fall in storm or slumber
Please don't turn me into lumber
I'd rather be a Louisville slugger
Swinging for the seats...

ETSY SALE!

2009-09-23T10:42:00.002-04:00

From today (Wednesday the 23rd) til Sunday I'm offering free shipping on all the soaps, salves, babysets, and such in my ETSY store. You can view and order products here: www.hilltopsoaps.etsy.com

Happy shopping and thanks for looking!
~Jill

Winding Down

2009-09-03T11:04:00.006-04:00

Many apologies. We've had a such a busy summer I haven't been keeping up with the blog. (okay okay okay, I don't keep it up well anyway...)

I've had an amazing time selling my soap at local farmer's markets and other events through out the summer. The interest and the feedback has been really fantastic. We added nice crochet washcloths, handtowels, and babysets. I'm looking to do a big online push for winter and the holidays thru my website (http://www.hilltopsoaps.com/) and my ETSY page (http://www.hilltopsoaps.etsy.com//). If you are interested in free (free!) all natural soap and would like to write a review on your blog and say something nice about me - please comment or send me an email. I would really like that.

We had a slightly scary encounter with a bat and the entire family has had to endure the series of rabies shots. We awoke to a bat in the bedrooms. Since we were sleeping when the encounter occurred we are to assume we had some kind of contact with the bat and need the shots. If we were smart, we would have caught the bat and had it sent out for testing. Unfortunately we just shoo-ed him out the front door and went back to bed. We get our final vaccination on Carlie's first day of kindergarten. Awesome.

Our garden has been pretty fantastic despite some really crappy weather this summer. It's been pretty cold and wet in this part of Michigan and it has taken far too long for things to ripen. We've already pulled the onions and are waiting on the potatoes, carrots and pie pumpkins. I planted the carrots late for a fall crop and we just put in some more lettuce a few days ago. The popcorn and oats we planted are drying nicely. Our freezer is full of shredded zucchini and we still have some waiting on the counters. We have tons of tomatoes now that they're turning. I've been canning a few times a week as things come in. I'm hoping we'll have enough crushes tomatoes to get us through the winter. It'll be close. I canned some jam this year too. It was my first attempt. It was a lot easier than I expected and everyone loves it. I'm hoping we don't eat it all before the snow flies! :)

Tonight is my brother's first football game (marching band!), school begins next week, the farmer's market winds up a week from today. The weather is cool and fall is in the air. I've been knitting fingerless mittens for the past few weeks. Bruce has been chopping the last of the wood and fixing the wood stove. Everything points to a change in the seasons. A time to unwind, slow down, cuddle up, and take it all in.

~jill

Independence Days week 2

2009-05-26T08:24:00.002-04:00

1. Plant something: tomatoes, peppers, cauliflower, more popcorn, chick peas, great nothern beans, pole beans, more onions.
2. Harvest something: Lilacs and spinach.
3. Preserve something: Dehydrated mangoes.
4. Reduced Waste: Feeding scraps to chickens. Carlie's teacher is giving us her old straw bales for bedding. She didn't know how to get rid of it and I gladly accepted her generous offer. I don't have to buy any soon. We both win. :)
5. Preparation and storage: Husband Bruce finished up the chicken coop, the girls are enjoying their new home. Thoroughly cleaned the kitchen and made room for the dehydrator on the counter. Rearranged my soap room so it's more efficient for storing supplies and drying soap.
6. Build community food systems – worked in my mom's garden
7. Eat the food: Um, hmm. We've going through the fruit and veggies like crazy. Not a lot for us to harvest yet. Spinach salad tonight.

That must be it! I have a few more things to plant this week (oats that are going in late, herbs and flowers) and lots of weeding. The veggies we planted earliest have all sprouted and are looking good. I'm looking forward to all the rain we're expecting this week!

The Great Escape

2009-05-21T08:32:00.002-04:00

We have 6wk old hens livng in a giant bin on our kitchen table. The 5 girls are just about ready to make the move to their outdoor abode. After the last few days, I'm more than ready!

A few chicken stories :
Okay, one of the hens got out of the cage yesterday. Good thing I was standing in the kitchen and saw it. I was able to grab her while she was still on the rim of the blue box and before she flew... whew. I'm not sure who was more surprise by the whole thing - me or her! I think they're ready to sleep outside!!!

Today Jack let one of the hens out. He just lifted the top so it could fly out. Truman (our labradoodle) was right there and didn't even care. We're so blessed to have such a mild-mannered dog!

Jack informed me he is the 'birdie papa', Carlie is the mama, and I am the big mama. I'm glad he really likes the chickens, but this does nothing for my sefl-esteem.

We'll make the final adjustments to the coop in the coming days and our 5 beautiful girls will move outside.

Independence Days

2009-05-18T08:41:00.002-04:00

1. Plant something: broccoli, pumpkins, popcorn, zucchini, cukes, onions, plum tree, cherry tree, 2 pecan trees.
2. Harvest something: Lilacs for the jars on the table.
3. Preserve something: Nope.
4. Reduced Waste: I've been doing better about saving leftovers and turning them into something else the following night. Putting more in the compost and soon will be giving scraps to the chickens.
5. Preparation and storage: Received some summer clothes and pants for Carlie from my cousin. Stored the items that are too large and sorted out her drawers so we know what doesn't fit.
6. Build community food systems – worked on church garden with youth - planted and discussed how we'll be sharing the food.
7. Eat the food: We've bought some local asparagus and rhubarb. Made rhubarb sauce (my very first attempt) to go with some angel food cake. Very yummy.

Where I'll be

2009-05-18T08:36:00.003-04:00

Hilltop Soaps will be sold at a number of local events and markets over the coming months.

Memorial Day - Genesee Family Fun Festival from 11am-6pm

June 5th, 19th - Clio Farmer's Market 10am-5pm

July 3rd, 17th - Clio Farmer's Market 10am-5pm

August 7th, 21st - Clio Farmer's Market 10am-5pm

August 15th, 16th - Flint Bowman's Club Annual Fall Shoot (tentative)

Please visit the website for further news, details, and product information. www.hilltopsoaps.com

Hilltop Soaps

2009-01-13T09:29:00.006-05:00

I've been making all-natural homemade soap for sometime now and have decided to sell it online (or in person if you are close by). The website is http://www.hilltopsoaps.com/

Here's an excerpt from my brochure: "All our soaps have the same basic ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, castor oil, distilled water, and lye. We add the essential oils, herbs, spices and such to that base. Any coloring or fragrance comes from these all natural ingredients. This is in stark contrast to commercial cleansers (which aren't soaps at all) that are full of detergents, chemicals, dyes, and perfumes." This means the all-natural soap is gentle and nourishing for you skin and great for those of you with allergies or sensitive skin. It's also better for the environment. It contains no parabens (cancer-causing preservatives), no petroleum by-products, and no phosphates (which create problems with our water supply).

All bars come wrapped in brown paper and is labeled with name and ingredients. The brown paper wrapping is biodegradable and can be added to your compost pile. The commitment to being eco-friendly and all natural should come as no surprise to most you! Please, pass it on to friends and neighbors you think may be interested.

25 random things about me

2009-01-06T15:49:00.002-05:00

1. Have 1 husband, 2 children, and no pets.
2. We're getting chickens in the spring.
3. I like to garden and grow our own food.
4. Last year we grew things like corn, carrots, and tomatillos.
5. This year I want to grow popcorn, potatoes, and maybe a grain (like oats)
6. I have a degree in biology but I'm a stay at home mom.
7. I'm a soapmaker.
8. Occassionally I teach after-school classes about archaeology and we run a mock 'dig' site for the kids.
9. I cannot ride a bike.
10. Or whistle.
11. My name is Jill and my son's name is Jack.
12. That was not my idea - his sister named him.
13. I met my husband at a bible study.
14. My husband, Bruce, and I teach the teens at our church.
15. I read a lot. Usually more than 1 book a week.
16. My goal last year was to learn to make bread from scratch.
17. We no longer buy store-bought bread.
18. I have a younger brother. I'm 15 years older, but he's 4 inches taller (so far)
19. My sister-in-law taught me how to knit.
20. I like to makes lists. My family and my youth kids tease me about it.
21. I like to walk my daughter to and from school.
22. When I was young I wanted to be Indiana Jones.
23. I don't like to drive.
24. My daughter claims my favorite color is green.
25. I like green, but I like red better.

Wood stove Wisdom

2008-12-08T10:07:00.004-05:00

1. When you think you have enough wood chopped and stacked for winter - double it (at least!)

2. A 4 year old can carry and stack wood and will choose it over playing on the swing set every time.

3. A woman can chop wood too! (although her husband is much better)

4. A house temp of 62 degrees F isn't chilly. 55 degrees is another story.

5. The living room is the warmest place in the house. The bathroom is substantially colder.

6. It's smart to shower at night. (see #4 and #5 for reasons)

7. A cool house + shared blankets = an excuse to cozy up with your spouse.

8. Upstairs bedroom temperatures are best equated to those experienced by Arctic researchers.

9. But that's okay. Kids like to sleep in the living room. It's a lot like camping.

10. People are now compelled to wear the scarves, hats, and handwarmers I knit for them.

11. Kids know the stove is hot and do not touch it. Adults, however, must see for themselves.

12. When you heat with wood people either think you're crazy or they're jealous.

13. Bean soup will simmer all day and be perfect in time for dinner.

14. Humidifiers are necessary so everyone doesn't get sick.

15. On the upside of this - homemade soap cures in half the time.

16. My drying rack is my best friend. 2 loads a day will dry by the fire saving us both money and energy.

17. Long hair and an open flame are not a good combination. Ponytails are good when adding wood.

18. Burnt carpet stinks.

19. Saying, "The chimney is smoking." is not adequate.

20. One must add 'in the living room' to illicit the correct response from one's spouse.

Sew much more...

2008-11-20T14:04:00.002-05:00

I finally started the dress I wanted to make for Carlie for Christmas. (about time, I know) All that's left is to attach the binding on the collar and sleeves and maybe a few decorative buttons on the front. Sewing from a pattern was pretty painless this time around. If I keep working at it I'll have the shirt for Jack and the pants for both kids finished in time! (keep your fingers crossed for me) I've been wanting to make a skirt for myself, but it'll have to wait until after the holidays. (it's a really great pattern I found on burdastyle) Sooner or later I'll get around to posting some pictures of the clothes. I haven't been knitting much, but I did manage to sew a fleece hat and mitten set for Jack. I've been working hard on improving my skills. I"m just focusing on one skill set at a time.

In regards to the other challenge: the house has been between 62 and 66 degrees in the day and somewhere around 60 at night. Not too bad.

We're trying hard to use less energy. We invested in a set of heavy drapes for the bedroom and I might make some for the living room. Bruce noticed that a lot of cold air is coming up from the basement through the heater ducts. Right now we're just covering them with pillows or blankets until we come up with a better solution.

It's been cold and windy here in Michigan. We're trying hard to stay warm (but not too warm). Grab an extra sweater, make a cup of tea, and curl up under a blanket with a good book.

Fall Photos

2008-11-11T13:39:00.002-05:00

The Family - Happy Autumn!!

How my son sees me. He must think I'm crazy...

Celebrating Halloween with Snow White and a Pirate.

New Challenges

2008-11-10T17:18:00.003-05:00

Okay, I must be crazy. I've signed up for 2 challenges offered by other bloggers, 'Freeze yer Buns Off' (lowering your thermostat to 65 in the day and below 60 at night) by Crunchy Chicken and 'The Competence Project' (learning new skills) by Sharon. Will I be able to knit the fingerless mittens before I get cold enough to need them? Can I learn new skills or perfect old ones while I'm bundled in and a hat and mittens indoors??? I'll let you know in the months to come!!

Controlling the temperature in the house might prove to be a bit difficult. We're heating our home with wood and I'm not very good at keeping the fire even and the temp consistent. However, one of the commitments I made in Sharon's challenge was to learn how to better manage the woodstove.

The other commitments were:

Knitting mittens (I tried to make mittens for Jack. The first one I made was way too narrow but now my ipod has a nice cozy wool holder for when we go out...)
Sewing some clothes for the kids (I made a shirt for my mom's birthday but I'm not very confident in my skills)
Learning enough about chickens so ours will survive upon their arrival in the spring
Improving upon my knowledge about what's in season, growing, and using it accordingly
Learning Herbal remedies and actually using them.

In the past year I learned how to make bread from scratch, grow a garden, chop wood and make soap. I've had numerous opportunites to practice patience and being a better mom and wife.

So what new skills have you learned? something you're working on? been putting off? Take time this winter to learn and grow. I'll let you know how I'm doing...

Nov 10th: day - avg 62 degrees (although it did get up to 67 for awhile before bed)

night - low of 57 degrees

right on course so far.

Brown is what Green wishes it had been.

2008-10-14T10:09:00.000-04:00

I love this article and it expresses my sentiments far better than I ever could. So, I stole it and posted it here with the proper credit due.

Green Fatigue - from henandharvest.com

Go Green!

Think Green! Live Green! Be Green! Buy Green!Green Products! Green Living! Green! GREEN! GREEEEEEEEN!

Are you getting burned out on this yet? 'Cause I am.

Remember when organic meant that food was grown using minimal inputs and natural methods? Now we have Certified Organic. Government sanctioned and full of loopholes and tricks and regulations and fees, and thousand-mile supply lines.

Now the "green" movement has likewise been capitalized, comoditized, corporatized and co-opted. It's gone from a grass-roots philosophy to a marketing gimmick. Green is sleek and shiny! Green is stylish and new! Green is hip and wholesome and available near you!
Don't get me wrong, I'm kind of glad we've reached the point where some passing thought about impacts and pollutants and carbon footprints can compete with stainless steel finishes and towing capacity as selling points. But it's important to remember that buying too much crap is what got us into this mess in the first place. Now we're supposed to throw out all the old crap and buy newer, greener crap?

The Green Movement is gone. Lost to us. We have to say our goodbyes and start again. That's why I'm proposing a new movement - one that will be harder to hijack. One that won't lend itself to advertising slogans.

Okay, let me ask you something: What is one of the first things you learn when you get into small-o organic gardening? Or in reducing household waste?

Right. Composting.

And if you get into raising livestock on a small scale, what is one of most valuable byproducts?

Right. Manure.

Both are great for improving soil, and both take a waste product and turn it into a very valuable asset.

And both have something else in common: What color are they?

Right. Brown.

Just like the soil. Just like the eggs. Just like our gardens at the beginning and the end of the season. Like tree trunks and firewood. Like the mud on our boots and the dirt under our fingernails. The potatoes. The onions and garlic drying in the sun. The nuts and the leaves falling from the trees. The corn shocks and wheat berries. Brown is the color of work, and of harvest. Brown isn't a shortcut. It's the long way around. It's both the means and the end. Brown is not the new Green. Brown is what Green wishes it had been.

I'm not the first to cover this fertile ground. Mike Rowe had it right when he said: "Brown is the color of dirt, and dirt is the color of Earth. Under the blue ocean, the green forest, and yellow sun, there is always brown – a combination of all the primary colors. Steadfast. Fundamental. Unglamorous. Our food grows in the brown. Our bodies return to the brown. Without brown, there is no growth. There is no green."

I know, Brown is already starting to become a marketing gimmick in a certain sense - Big Brown! … What can Brown do for You? But they don't have the warmth, the heat, the life of an active compost pile. Or a fresh cow pie. And they never will.

So I ask you: Who wants to join me in creating a Big Steaming Brown Movement?

Maybe B.S. B.M. for short?

Excellent.

Now, go forth and make the world a browner place.

The last few months

2008-08-06T11:32:00.003-04:00

The past few months have been a bit crazy.

The House
We bought our new home on the last day of April and moved in for Jack's first birthday. Our builder was a no-show for the first 10 weeks (!!!) and is finally finished. Our new home is an old farm house in a (very) small town. (population is less than 400) We planted a large but managable garden. Remodeled the kitchen, bath, living room, master bedroom. Updated plumbing and electrical. It's a perfect fit for us and feels like home. The problem is that we haven't been able to sell our previous home. It's been on the market for over a year and we finally have some serious interest.

The Family
Sick kids. Upcoming surgery. Jack's first birthday. The transition to a new home. Physical therapy. Unemployment and Well problems for my folks. High electric and grocery bills for everyone. Two broken lawn mowers. A leaky washing machine.

The Cars
It started with my mom's Ford. Before school got out for the summer it was making some serious noises in the back end. Come to find out it has been a time consuming job (and would have been very costly if taken to a mechanic). Parts and tools and time are scarce. It's slowly coming together.

Ah, the Festiva. Bruce loves the car and it's incredible gas mileage. (let's admit - 44 mgp is darn near miraculous). This past week it has had 2 flat tires and a broken windshield. Earlier in the summer it had some major brake problems.

Good Things
Living each day in our new home. Having helpful and caring family nearby. Sweet children. A husband I can laugh with. Buying a wood stove. Growing food in our garden. Baking. Weeding (yes, I really do enjoy this). Ceiling fans. Storytime. Reading a good book. Walking in town. Being thankful for what and who we have.

Volume and Variety

2008-07-08T09:12:00.002-04:00

I've signed up for an online course dealing with food preservation and sustainability. I'm really excited about it because these are topics I've been wanting to dive right into for a while now but I didn't have a lot of prior guidance or resources.

Today is the first day and it's just after 9 am. It was suggested by the instructor that we keep track of what our family eats during the week by writing it all down. Everything. This way we can get an idea of the quanities it would take to store for 1 week or 1 month or 1 year. Like I said, it's still morning; and already I'm astounded by the variety of what we consume. Goodness! Bananas, plums, graham crackers, cheese, peanut butter, butter, frozen waffles, homemade bread... none of these are things I grow in my garden! I make the bread fresh each week, but I don't grind my own grain or keep my own colony of yeast! (is it really called a colony?!) I plan on getting plum trees soon but... Oh my...

Here's the thing. We've been trying to simplify, give away, not buy new, buy used when necessary, consume less. We've given away boxes and bags of things as we're preparing to move into our new home. I didn't realize that 'consume less' and 'simplify' hadn't been applied to our dietary habits.

I think this class will be eye-opening in ways I didn't expect. I can't wait.

p.s. - I expect to add thoughts/comments/lessons on the blog here as the course procedes.

myself

2008-07-03T10:46:00.001-04:00

I'm a Wife. Mother. Daughter. Sister. Friend. Book lover. Baby Wearer. Christ-centered. Evironmentally aware. Recycling fanatic. List maker. Bread baker. Organic gardener. Lover of history and archaeology. Maker of things from yarn. I love Bruce, my husband of 6 years. And my life revovles around my children -Carlie (4) and Jack (1).

I like things made by hand. Whether it's soap, lip balm, sweaters, scarves, bread, shelves, music, or salsa. I like when you get a sense of the people and history behind something. I like when my hands are dirty and my feet are tired. I don't like plastic, gas lawn mowers, bottled water, expensive things, cleaners that make my hands sting.

listing things...

2008-06-17T15:41:00.003-04:00

Since list-making is one of my greatest, okay, one of my only skills - here it is:

1. We bought a house in town and are having lots of work done before we move in.

2. We planted a large garden - 30 ft x 55 ft.

3. It's hard to water and weed a garden when you don't actually live in the home where the garden has been planted.

4. I've been making bread, not buying it. It's the best smell in the world. Well, that and fresh basil.

5. I love freecycle. You get free stuff you need and get rid of the piles of stuff you don't. Just fabulous.

6. Jack is crawling. The first day he had enough confidence to leave the confines of the livingroom he found the compost bucket and tried to eat a banana peel. Now he looks for the bucket every day. (but i moved it...)

7. He tried to eat dog food today. ugh

8. My shoulder is better thanks to some physical therapy, so I'm back to working out. Maybe I'll finally get rid of the last bit of stubborn baby weight. Then I'll work on getting rid of the extra I gained since getting married. And then what I gained in college... ;)

9. We have a field of strawberries at our new house and I'm waiting for more to ripen so I can make jam.

10. We still have our little blue house for sale. Anyone interested!!??

Windy May

2008-05-21T14:56:00.002-04:00

Today Jack is 10 months old. We took some pictures, but it's very windy out today. Jack enjoyed himself, but was entirely too serious. Not a smile in the bunch. Carlie, on the other hand, was singing and dancing in the wind.

Bit of Wisdom

2008-05-20T10:02:00.002-04:00

Beware of activities that require new clothes.
– Henry David Thoreau

I've run across this quote a few times of the past months and I find more meaning and wisdom in it every time I read it. On the surface it makes you chuckle and maybe even think a little. But dig a little deeper and you find the wisdom. What activities require new clothes? A party? Reunion? Award/recognition ceremony? Why don't your 'old' clothes suffice? What makes us feel that we need to portray and cleaner, more polished appearance? Is it really necessary?

Consumerism (or Affluenza) is a disease running rampant in our American society. The 'need' or desire to work more to make more money to buy more stuff. When that 'stuff' doesn't fulfill us, we toss it to the side and buy more 'stuff'. Families are in debt, losing their homes, the environment all but destroyed. And, for what? All for more 'stuff'.

The pursuit of 'stuff' can be unending. What will make people feel fulfilled? Jesus. Seriously. All the searching and looking and wanting is us looking for God. He is the only one that can make us whole. The space people are trying to fill can only be filled by God. The time and energy wasted on working for material goods can be put to better use serving the Lord.

And another good thing, serving the Lord and coming to Him doesn't require new clothes.

Hungry for something

2008-04-22T19:05:00.002-04:00

If you've been keeping up with the news lately, you know food shortages and hunger around the world are increasing at an alarming rate. Shoot, if you've been to the grocery store lately you know things are changing. And not for the better. Locally, the cost of food is quickly rising. Eggs are nearly $3 a dozen. I don't even want to talk about cheese. I bought a jar of peanut butter a few weeks ago. The jar was 2/3 the size, but the same price. Ugh. We've been buying a lot more produce simply because it's the cheapest way to feed our family. (good thing it's the healthy way to go anyway)

I realize things are much worse on a global scale. UN food chief urges crisis action: "Josette Sheeran told the BBC that an additional 100 million people, who did not need assistance six months ago, could not now afford to purchase food." (I shouldn't be complaining about the price of peanut butter. I should be thankful my children can eat each day.) There are a lot of factors influencing these alarming changes and Greenpa has written eloquently about them on his blog. Here's the link http://littlebloginthebigwoods.blogspot.com/

That said, I'm eager to start our garden this year and I'll be reading up on the best way to store the foods we produce. I know we're lucky to have the time and space to dedicate to a large garden - but with the way things are going, can you afford not to grow your own food??

Happy Earth Day!

2008-04-22T13:44:00.001-04:00

Happy Earth Day! From our Family to Yours. (what are you doing reading this?? shut off the computer and get outside!)

National Hanging Out Day

2008-04-17T13:49:00.002-04:00

I know Earth Day is coming up on the 22nd and there are a lot of great local events on Saturday to celebrate. But Saturday April 19th is also National Hanging Out Day . A day to celebrate the clothesline and bring attention to the energy savings of not using your dryer! Everyone talks about harnessing wind and solar power - line drying your clothes uses both of these. (for free!) And everything smells soooo good when it's dried outside!

So, on Saturday when you do the wash hang your socks, shirts, and undies out to dry.

Earth Hour

2008-03-28T13:30:00.003-04:00

Earth Hour is tomorrow night from 8pm-9pm local time - and you're invited! Haven't heard of Earth Hour? It's a world wide event created by the World Wildlife Fund to make a statement regarding climate change and energy consumption. And best of all - it's free and easy to participate: All you have to do is turn off your lights for 1 hour. (if you want to participate - sign up with Earth Hour so they can keep track of how many people take part in the event. and they have lots of tips and ideas too!)

So light a few candles, grab your family and friends. Chat, play a game, go outside, think ways to make your life a little bit greener.

The great folks at Ideal Bite say "If 10,000 households turn off 10 lights tomorrow night for just one hour, we'll avert the CO2 created by an average apartment in a whole year." Imagine what could happen if people start turning off their lights one hour a month, or one hour a week, or even one hour a day...

the color green

2008-03-13T16:14:00.005-04:00

We have slowly been trying to simplify our family. Living simply for us means living greener. Not to be trendy or because it's the 'in' thing to do, but because it's the right thing to do for our family. (this is our decision and I realize it may not be yours... you may think I'm a bit crazy. I'm just trying to share. Not preach)

Bright Ideas
Last year we changed our incandescent bulbs to CFL. (okay, I admit, we kept the incandescent bulb in our bedroom and the bedside table lamp. ) We often use our oil lamps at night. It saves a bit on electricity, the kids tend to go to bed earlier, and we love the atmosphere oil lamps create. The warm glow of an oil lamp makes life feel simpler. We would love to invest in solar panels to offset some energy use and a wood stove for heating. Perhaps after we move...

Driven
Bruce drives to work since it's much to far to walk or ride a bike and we don't have mass transit systmes in the area. There isn't much he can change about his drving habits other than drive a more fuel effiecient vehicle. And we're working on that...

Since I'm a stay-at-home mom it isn't necessary for me to go out each day. I combine my shopping and library trips into a once a week expedition. (and any other errands are added to same day, like maybe a doctor's appointment)

You may question my use of the word 'expedition', but I assure it's accurate. Taking a 4 year old girl and a 7 month old boy, their required gear, my canvas shopping bags, lunch/snacks, and planning bathroom stops all in the Michigan winter requires intricate planning and expert execusion...

Carry all
I've been consistently using reusable shopping bags for the past few months rather than allowing the impertinent cashiers to thrust my goods into as many plastic bags as possible. (I think I've actually come home with more bags than items! Milk doesn't need to be double bagged. It has a handle so it doesn't need a bag at all!!! Apples come in their own bags... why would I need another one?!!???)

I've learned to be more emphatic about the fact that I don't want to bring any plastic bags home. Now I demand them to 'Please, cram it all it! Get everything in the bags I brought.' If it doesn't fit in the bags I brought, I probably don't need it.

Recycle
I started doing this after Jack was born. It's simple and easy. Honestly, the most difficult thing about recycling isn't rinsing out containers or peeling labels, it's remembering to take it down to the road on pick-up day.

Carlie is learning fast. She's a fantastic helper and always asks 'is this recyclable?' before throwing something away.

I must admit something else. I have a terrible habit of taking things like water bottles out of the trash (my mom's, ours, at church...) because it should be recycled. My mom recycles now. Mostly so I'll stop going through the garbage when we come to visit...

I'm certain I have more to say about living simply and making greener decisions and I'll try to get back on here soon. But between the kids, the torn rotator cuff, and making dinner... I've gotta go.

4!

2008-03-11T13:15:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my sweet little girl is 4. My spunky blonde daughter is growing up fast. (when she grows up she wants to be a doctor, princess, ballerina, and be able to lift a car...) She had a party to celebrate on Sunday (a princess party, of course). Tonight we eat chinese food in honor of her special day...

PRINCESS CARLIE

ALL DRESSED UP

TWO CUTIES

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARLIE!!!

yum...

2008-02-13T11:55:00.005-05:00

Bruce's birthday was a few weeks ago and Carlie and I made cupcakes with chocolate frosting. They were a big hit! Our two little monkeys gobbled them up. (and Bruce had a good birthday too.)

My two chocolate-faced monkeys. How I love them...

Jack, after enjoying Papa's birthday cupcake.

Carlie looking sweet.

Defined

2008-01-16T10:50:00.000-05:00

I like to read and I read often. When I hear certain words I see pictures, hear sounds, and feel emotions related to that word. Words make impressions beyond their inherent definitions. I realize the words 'whimsy' and 'grace' are not often used in everyday conversations and I thought I might clarify what the title of my blog means.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I love the word 'whimsy'. It conjures up images of little girls in long dresses running through fields of wildflowers, boys in dusty jeans and tousled hair catching frogs and fireflies. Enduring images of everyday magic, mystery, and innocence run like an old film reel through my mind.

whim·sy also whim·sey ( hwĭm'zē, wĭm'-) n., pl. -sies also -seys.
An odd or fanciful idea; a whim.
A quaint or fanciful quality: stories full of whimsy. (from dictionary.com)

a whimsical photo of Carlie

~~~~~~~~~

I did not realize that grace could mean so many things! There were 15 definitions on dictionary.com. The grace I intended when titling my blog was the grace given by God out of his love to those of us whom do not deserve it. Which, of course, is everybody.

grace: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.

There is a passage from a book I love that descibes this grace much more eloquently than I.
From "The Secret of the Swamp King - The Wilderking Trilogy" by Jonathan Rogers.

"Does a tall man deserve to be tall? ... A bird might think he deserves to swim as well as a fish, but if he sits moping on the riverbank instead of using the wings God gave him, the fox is going to eat him. ...Your brother would rather have his own way than be happy. He's thrown away the grace he was given because it's not the grace he had in mind.' The Truthspeaker paused to reflect on that. ...There's not much hope for a person who won't live in the grace he's given."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hope my life (like my blog) is defined by these words. Full of laughter, adventure, mystery, faith, and contentment. Pleased with what the Lord has given me, thankful for his gifts, and aware of the magic present in everyday as witnessed through the lives of my children.

Primary!!!

2008-01-15T11:08:00.000-05:00

Today is the Michigan primary. Please please please get out and vote for your candidate. (you don't have to be registered with a specific party to vote in the primary - just registered to vote) Your vote really is important, especially in a primary where only a small percentage of voters head to the polls.

Oh, and you get that really cool 'I voted' sticker!

A Few New Things

2008-01-09T15:11:00.000-05:00

1. I sell Avon. I have been for a few months. Please shop my web store. :)
2. EarthEasy.com - love this website about sustainable living
3. I'm hoping to change to cloth diapers soon. Wish me luck! ;)
4. Still trying to lose some weight. Only lost 3 lbs so far. At least I didn't gain 3.
5. The annual youth retreat is coming up. Pray that nobody gets hurt this year - the first year I ended up with a concussion and the second year Bruce broke his wrist. Last year we all came home healthy.
6. Still no luck selling our house and our listing is up in few days. Bummer.

7. Jack got his first tooth!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2007-12-24T21:08:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

Growing Bigger Every Day

2007-12-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

Our Sweet baby Boy is a little more than 4Months old. Content. Serious. Ticklish. Happy. Loveable. Hungry. Adorable.

Always has his hands in his mouth.

Carlie - the ever-helpful big sis

~She just loves him~

Me and my boy - Carlie took this one!

I took a lot of pictures before I actually got all three of us!

Penguins and Puppies

2007-11-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

Jack - 3 months Carlie - 3 1/2 years

Last night, Bruce and I took a penguin and a puppy for a walk in the rain. It was windy and sprinkling when we left our porch to take the kids around the neighborhood. Carlie was (obviously) excited about getting some candy and Jack was looking forward to a ride in the stroller. I think they had a good time, I know we enjoy taking them. We came in from the rain after just a few houses in the neighborhood to enjoy the fine donuts my parents brought (as is tradition).

Jack - our handsome little penguin

Carlie and Jack at home and Carlie at the church costume party

On the Farm

2007-10-30T10:46:00.000-04:00

Last week my parents, brother, and I took the kids on a trip to Grandpa Tiny's Farm in Frankenmuth. At the farm you can pet animals, learn some local history, and enjoy a guided tour while riding on a horse-drawn wagon. It's an historic farm, family run and hand plowed. They grow an assortment crops (oats, wheat, corn) and raise livestock (pigs, cows, sheep). It's the perfect place for a family outting.

Carlie loved seeing and petting the farm animals - many of which she had not seen before other than in books.

Jack is a bit young for the farm, but he made friends none the less. The horses really liked him, one went so far as to borrow Jack's blanket.

It was a blustery fall day with a bit of chill in air (don't let the sunshine in the pictures fool you). And we hope to go back again in the summer when they're working the fields and baking bread in the outdoor brick oven. Yum yum.

a list of thoughts

2007-10-03T11:22:00.000-04:00

I know, I know. I've been absent for over a month. I always have the best of intentions and plan to sit down at the computer during some quiet time in the day and write. In the jumbled mess that are my thoughts, I have things I want to write about. It just never actually happens. So, I tried to sort through the tangles and make sense of things. I ended up with a list. (no surprise there)

*Oh! glorious uninterrupted sleep!
Jack has started sleeping through the night

*Chocolate soymilk
we never make it through a jug of regular milk without it going bad, so we've been buying soymilk. yum yum yum

*Knee-high Naturalists
Carlie is taking this class for preschoolers at the local nature preserve. We get to hear stories, sing songs, take walks, and make crafts. Last week was about recycling and this week is about leaves.

*Memory Verses
Carlie has Bible verses to memorize each week for kid's club at church on Wednesdays. She's doing a darn good job and is an encouragement to the rest of us. Apparently, memorizing scripture isn't impossible.

*Baby smiles
Jack smiles all the time. Sometimes in response to voices or faces. Sometimes just because. You cannot help but smile when you see a baby smile.

*Recycling
There is really no excuse not to recycle. It's easy - helps keep our planet a bit cleaner - is a responsible use of our natural resources - and so much more.

*Fleece and sweaters
I'm so happy it's fall and I can start wearing these clothes again. So cozy. Sadly, tomorrow is supposed to be 80 degrees...

One Month

2007-08-21T13:38:00.000-04:00

No words - just pictures. Enjoy~

Awake and Alert

2007-08-13T14:36:00.000-04:00

Jack is inching closer to that one month mark. He's growing so fast (I guess that's what babies do) - and a big part of that is due to his insatiable appetite and a grand ability to sleep for a few hours at a time. None the less, here are a few pictures of Jack during the time he is awake and alert.

Quiet and Cozy

2007-08-01T14:44:00.000-04:00

Our house is quiet and cozy today. It's in the 90's outside and the window air conditioners are cranking away. The sunlight is streaming through the windows of our kitchen giving the house a feeling of warmth and cleanliness. Jack is napping (again) and Carlie is having a snack. The children are content and happy today - no scenes of chaos - screaming - or sticky messes with which to contend. It's a good day, a confidence boosting day. My fears about staying home with two children was greater than the reality. Expectations of chaos and feelings of anxiety where overwhelming, but the long days at home with two children are starting to feel familiar. The ever changing rhythm and language of this life is similar to what I already know. The overwhelming joy inherent in this new role as mother of two far outweighs and overshadows any fear - even on days that aren't as sunny, quiet, and cozy.

Welcome Baby Jack

2007-07-24T18:03:00.000-04:00

Jack Wayne Barnett

born July 21st 2007

9:51pm

8 lbs 8 oz

22 inches long

38 weeks picture

2007-07-24T18:02:00.000-04:00

so huge...

Attack of the Ants...

2007-07-16T11:11:00.000-04:00

I'm over 37 weeks pregnant and we're trying to sell our house. (Perfect timing, I know - but it's the right thing for us to do. ) The doctor says I can have the baby any day, which is great news, so I'm trying to get a bunch finished up around the house before that. I've been painting the stairway, kitchen, livingroom - everything. Today I need to paint the new trim, but I've had a bit of a problem.

I carried out the saw horses, some white trim and the paint so I could get started. I painted two pieces of trim before being attacked by ants. Seriously. They were swarming all over the porch and my feet. I had to abandon my shoes and paint and came in the house with a few bites (hard to tell since my feet are swollen anyway). I tried to retaliate with soapy water and the garden hose. no luck yet, those little suckers are the spawn of Satan - I'm sure of it! hopefully I'll beat them and paint the remainder of the trim...

Counting down

2007-06-28T14:02:00.000-04:00

5 Weeks to go and I'm huge. My hands and feet are so swollen I can't wear my wedding rings and getting shoes on is a bit iffy. I have my hospital bag nearly packed, the cradle is set up and ready, Jack's little clothes are all folded and put away. And we wait.

Bruce has been finishing the walls in the kitchen (if you can see around the belly - you'll see that the drywall is mudded). We're packing things that normally sit - unused- in drawers and cupboards and selling the things that we haven't seen or used since we moved in over four years ago. With the housing market such as it is and a new baby due soon, we thought we'd try to sell our home. We found a great house in town with a giant yard, bigger rooms, and more space. That home seems to suit us and our needs a bit better than what we currently own. We'll see what happens...

And the Emmy goes to...

2007-06-26T08:19:00.001-04:00

My amazingly talented father, Gary Ewell, works in television and is very good at what he does. My dad was nominated for 3 regional Emmy awards this year - Documentary (program), Writer (long form), and Writer (short form). He competed against some truly talented competition and won the Emmy for Writer (short form). -Whoo-hoo! Congratulations! - This award had previously been called Segment Writing and he has three of these at home. So now he as won 4 times and I think they are running out of space for the statuettes.

It was nice to dress up and go out to a fancy adult-only event (even if I was 33 weeks pregnant for the festivities). After some hours of sitting (in the car, while eatting, sitting at the impossibly small tables) I was having a lot of swelling. This happens a lot when you're pregnant in the summer. Bruce and I decided to walk to a comfy bench so I could rest a bit more comfortably for a while. Over the course of, oh - let's say 5 minutes or so, 5 women asked me if I was in labor. 5 women! And here I was, under the impression that I didn't look half bad for being so large, tired, and uncomfortable. I guess I was wrong.

The past few weeks

2007-05-22T09:26:00.000-04:00

From last month: 24 1/2 weeks

From May - 29 1/2 weeks

Bruce and Carlie assembling the new swing set

Bruce and Carlie on stage at church

Carlie with her little friend - the toad

Things to enjoy

2007-05-04T15:22:00.000-04:00

It's the month of May and that means we'll be busy, busy. Mother's Day, our anniversary, my brother-in-law's high school graduation, rounding the turn into my third trimester and more frequent doctor appointments, a few family birthdays... whew. That's not even everything!

Despite the hectic nature of the season, I do have a few things that I hope to slow down and enjoy:

1. Lilacs

2. Sandals, flip flops - not wearing any socks

3. Temps near 70 degrees

4. Seeing Carlie 'flying' around the backyard with her dish towel cape being a super hero

5. Our 5th anniversary

6. Our flower gardens (but I hate weeding them)

7. Lemonade

8. Having the windows open

9. Waking up to the sound of birds in the morning instead of an alarm (okay, so I'm a stay at home mom and Carlie is my alarm. But the birds wake up earlier than her...)

10. These two nutty people

Sunshine and sunburn

2007-04-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

This past weekend it felt like spring. Or summer. Sunny, warm, 80 degrees. It's been beautiful and encouraging (considering we had snow for Easter). Carlie was able to play outside in the sandbox everyday, pick dandelions, eat popsicles, and have a squirt gun fight. She had a ball. Bruce and I ended up sun burnt (me more than him). Not only do I feel large and awkward - but now I'm pink and splotchy too. Great, that's a huge boost to my self confidence. (the sarcasm came through on that right?) Oh - and why is it that an Italian/Scottish/Irish girl can't tan!!!??

We have baby shower invitations ready to mail and I'll be going out later this week to register for some much needed items. Since this is our second time around the 'much needed items' are diapers, wipes, blue receiving blankets (instead of all the pink ones we have), and new bottles (the ones we used with Carlie were horrible). That's about it. For awhile I wondered if we should even have a baby shower for Jack. Aren't there rules for this sort of thing? Are you allowed to have more than one? Is it okay since we're having a boy and not another girl? Bruce and I talked it over and felt it wouldn't be fair to Jack if we didn't have a celebration. Why should he be left out (and why should the family be deprived) just because he wasn't born first? Tough. We're having everyone over in June to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our son, have a cookout, and play games. Hopefully the weather cooperates and is beautiful just like this past weekend. I'm sure I'll be larger, more awkward, and end up pink and splotchy. We'll celebrate and enjoy the festivities just the same.

Latest Kitchen Picture

2007-04-13T09:51:00.000-04:00

The kitchen is painted and looking great. It's hard to tell the color in the picture, but it's a buttery yellow called 'Summer Rye'. (whatever that tells you...)

Looking at the before and after photos you can see all the hard work Bruce has put in over the past few months.

NOW...

THEN...

So true...

2007-04-03T08:50:00.001-04:00

Baby Jack and Springtime

2007-03-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday Bruce, Carlie, and myself made our way to my ultrasound appointment. The baby is healthy and looks good. The technician asked if we would like to know the sex of the baby. Well, of course!

She said, ' It's very definetly a boy.'
Hooray!

Carlie was right all along. Good thing too. She had her heart set on a brother, I think she would have been disappointed otherwise. Now she's ready to shop for clothes, toys, and paint for the walls...

I've been battling migraines about 5 days out of the week. I've been to doctors and they are trying to find what medication will work. The first medication reduced the severity and frequency of the migraines - but the doctors still aren't happy with 3- 4 days a week of mild headaches. I start a stronger dose of the same medication today with hopes that the migraines will nearly disappear. It's just a matter of finding out what works for me. If there's no further improvement then I'll have an MRI. (nothing to worry about - just to take a look at what's going on)

************
Spring is upon us, but how can you tell?

1.The family has been fighting off a bad cold too. I had it first and then shared with Carlie, and now Bruce. It's a great way to start out the spring season. Sore throat. Drippy nose. Mild fever. Just spectacular...

2.Already the daffodils have popped up through the ground.

3.I've been hearing frogs and red-winged black birds sing.

4.Oh, and Bruce and I saw a skunk in the road. Not roadkill - the black and white mammal was walking in the middle of the road and was startled by the car in front of us. He sprayed and the stench lingered in the car for a few miles.

Ahhh, the sounds and smells of spring.

*justjill*