A Thanksgiving Run Down

Many of you are signing off for some time to spend with family over the holiday. I think that's great... but for us, it's just another day. Don't get me wrong... we are very thankful for all sorts of things, and I'm especially thankful for 2 extra days My Beloved is at home with us and a wonderful CVS Black Friday sale that starts today (I'll be going out this morning). We just don't have any plans that make today any different than a normal Saturday or Monday. We will work on somethings, spend time as a family, My Beloved is sleeping in, etc. With no family in the area, things are pretty laid back compared to the Thanksgivings I remember as a child where we all went away on a mini vacation with extended family each year. It was like a giant 4 day party of fun and games... a huge difference from "I think I'll run to CVS this morning to catch some great deals... do you want a turkey sandwich sometime today?"

Oh, this isn't the way we spend Thanksgiving every year. Last year we were invited to join a couple from our church who had a handful of different people over. I made these cute napkin rings as a hostess gift. (Maybe someday I'll get the pictures up.) The year before I was days away from my due date with Tornado and long time friends came through town. They are the kind of friends to come for Thanksgiving when you are that pregnant and uncomfortable. They brought their kids and friendship, stayed with other friends in the area to give us a rest, and she pretty much did Thanksgiving for me... I helped when I felt up to it, but sat and watched the rest of the time. Oh gracious... our first thanksgiving married we invited a handful of "family-less" people from church and Bill's office to join us here for our first holiday. The year before that we were engaged to be married. I had traveled out here from Oregon and we made the drive to Michigan to be with My Beloved's family for the weekend (where we littered their home with a thousand little ribbon scraps as we made our wedding invitations--fun memories.)

So you see... we do stuff... but this year nothing. My Beloved's family couldn't come be with us (and we certainly aren't ready to drive with both children again so soon... (when we were out there in August, Sweet Pea screamed the last 2-3 hours of each stretch of driving and Tornado was only mildly better) and no one invited us this year. So here we are. It would have been fun to do something official, but in lieu of actual plans, we are exited to have a laid back no plans kind of day.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Labels: As it happens...

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 7:58 AM 0 Comments

It's snowing again...

I woke up this morning to a 1/2 inch or more snow on the ground, and it was still falling. No blizzard or anything, but regular flakes... official snow. I am so thankful we went out to play in it then, because it did stop... and I was afraid it would all melt away. But now... it's snowing again! I'll try to put more pics up later, but in the mean time... this is what Sweet Pea thought of it all.

She never left my leg. Unless I put her somewhere else, where she lay still, like the kid from Christmas Story, unable to move in the crazy snowsuit! She really wasn't happy til I picked her up... and then I'm not sure she ever smiled! But Tornado had a blast!

Labels: As it happens...

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 12:41 PM 1 Comments

A lifestyle thing

Being a mommy is hard. Being a mommy to 2 little ones under 2 is hard. Being a work at home mom is hard. Keeping house, cultivating our business, planning and preparing meals, loving my babies, and being helpmeet, lover, companion and friend to my husband takes a lot of time! Add in there Tuesday morning Bible study every couple weeks, ministry in our church, relationships (both church and extended family) and whatever else comes along, and we are one busy family. Add to that the fact that I don't feel like I was ever really trained in home management etc etc as some of you were so blessed with, therefore making it a very "on the job training" sort of thing that I imagined I'd have all learned up after our first year of marriage. (Boy was that a misconception!)

Something hit me tonight as we were putting away groceries... everything I've already mentioned is enough to overwhelm any tired mommy (oh yeah... I just assume you understand that not getting enough sleep is part of the "2 little ones under 2" thing). It's no wonder I do get overwhelmed sometimes. It is so easy to forget that I need to be clinging even tighter to my Source of Strength for each moment of the day.

This post however is not about all those things... but about the 2 huge additional things we have/are taking on. As I was putting groceries away I was reflecting on the decisions we've been making to move ever closer to a natural diet. We've started grinding our own whole wheat flour and eating steel cut oats instead of quick oats (though I'm enjoying the ease and "normal" texture of the quick oats till they are gone) in the last month. This is in addition to the decision to cut out of our diets anything that includes MSG, partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils, and high fructose corn syrup (I don't care what those falsified tv commercials are saying) almost 2 years ago. And today we will bring into our home our first gallon of raw milk. In coming days and weeks we will begin soaking our grains before using them (some more research is still needed, and then I need to finally start doing it). With all these changes comes the nearly obvious fact that we are making nearly everything from scratch. Wonderful for our health and wallet (well... ok, some of the natural foods are more expensive, so maybe it balances out), but not so great for convenience and time constraints.

But that's not all... we've also been feeling God's pull on the way we are raising our children. I've come across the book Raising Godly Tomatoes (found in its entirety on this site), and am convicted by the fundametals it teaches, especially as it relates to Tomato Stacking my kids. This means more time and attention on my part in the raising of our little ones.

I'm hoping to expound some more on these changes we are and have been entegrating in our lives in the coming months. Please be patient with me as, as I mentioned above, it all takes a bit more of my time.

All this to say, it's no wonder I feel overwhelmed sometimes!

Labels: As it happens..., In the Kitchen, Raising Children, Reflections

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 9:38 PM 1 Comments

Where'd my Signing Time Go??

I know from talking to many of you about Signing Time, that you found it on PBS or some other public TV and watch it religiously! That's great. I've often been sad we don't have a TV so that I can see it there. (And that's really the only reason I'm sad about TV.) Well, I learned today that Signing Time will not be airing on public TV anymore. That is a sad thing, and at first we have to wonder why. Rachel (yes the very Rachel from Signing Time) has a clear explanation on her blog. Turns out that they have to invest approx $1.5 million to be aired on public television... and money is getting a bit thin on product sales alone. Take a look at her blog story and then visit www.signingtime.com to find DVDs of the shows you love!

Take a few minutes to leave her a comment too... we all need a little love when stuff like this happens.

Labels: Passing it On

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 8:11 AM 1 Comments

Giveaway for Nursing Moms

Kristin, over at Bits and Pieces from My Life, is giving away a gift card to Expressiva. She found and reviewed a nursing bra she just loves! Head on over there to read her review... then enter to win.

Not a nursing mom??? Apparently they have other things too... for ladies anyway.

Labels: Passing it On

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 1:25 PM 0 Comments

Sometimes it's important to step forward

Yes... that's right, forward, not back. When we get overwhelmed in our day to day, it is always good to step back and take a wider look at things. Maybe dinner is burned and the house is a mess, but in the scope of eternity... what does that matter. Well, tonight that isn't what I'm talking about.

My Beloved and I are wrapped up in the race for our next president. We each have our computers going and we are watching the states switch from blue to red and back... then back to grey and then to blue again on a little map. Things are starting to look, well... let's just say I was hoping for more red on the map. News headlines are beginning to shout "Obama Wins!" In such a situation it is easy to start mourning the loss of... well, a lot of things. In recent days, as I think of what life in this country could be like under Obama, I start to get a little panicy and upset. I start to... worry. I get stuck in the big picture of all the bad that could be coming our way: for faith, for family, for everything.

Not only do we need to remeber that our Lord is in control of it all and uses the bad for his ultimate purpose, but I would also suggest you look in a little closer to home... step forward, if you will, instead of stepping back. I'd like to share a "step forward" moment from our day with you all.

I was working on some pictures from a high school senior session we did yesterday, with Tornado on my lap. He was figity, but sitting pretty well. He was babbling off and on, so I didn't pay close attention when he started saying something new. All of a sudden I heard and understood. He was saying "PooPoo, PooPoo, PooPoo" (you all wanted to know that.) Usually he tells me this when he has already dirtied his diaper... but this time he was saying it with a clean diaper. And off to the potty we went! He told me he had to go... and then go he did!

What an exciting morning for us... the first of many victories in training Tornado to stay clean (we've had lots of victories in staying dry already.) The world is outside our control... everything is outside our control when you really think about it. I am going to do my best to try not to let this whole election thing get the better of me. I am going to focus in a bit more... on my family, my home, and my Lord. That's all He asks!

Labels: As it happens..., Life Lessons for Mommy, Reflections

posted by ~Babychaser~ @ 11:15 PM 4 Comments