Pleasant Places

Sandy and the Giant Jesus

2012-01-17T18:34:00.001-08:00

Staring at a fish tank can be mesmerizing and calming, but after an hour it's just boring. Judah and I sat in the basement of Wilmer Eye Institute waiting for the doctor to give Judah his annual eye exam. With no magazines to read nor electronic device with which to play, we were left with the fish. Does anyone know why a fish would suck up stones from the bottom of the tank and then spit them out? Maybe he was as bored as we were?!

Finally, we were called to an exam room.

If you've not had the opportunity to be a patient at a teaching hospital such as Johns Hopkins (and I hope you have not), it's like a party in the room. You've got your technician or nurse who does all the work, the expert doctor, the one whose name is on your bill, and then a myriad of others, some residents, some interns, some fellows. The doctor could have his plumber in the room, and the patient would be none the wiser.

After strange person #2 examined Judah, he asked, "Mom, how many doctors do I have to see before I go home?" We were lucky today. Only 3!

Reading charts, eyes dilated, the brightest lights on the planet laser focused on his eyeballs and a doctor, who likely has coffee breath looking intently at your eye through a lens that magnifies that bright light even more are the hoops Judah has to jump through before he is allowed to leave.

Now, don't misunderstand. I am so grateful my son is able to receive this kind of excellent, thorough care. Recently, Judah learned that Johns Hopkins is considered one of the best hospitals in the world. Since then, he's repeated several times, "I am so glad I get to go to the best hospital in the world." And, we are, too! Truly.

I wouldn't be recounting our visit today in such a flippant manner had the outcome of Judah's examinations been different. We received good news today. The surgeries Judah had as a baby are holding strong and keeping the condition in his eyes stable for now. We are grateful.

After a much longer visit than I anticipated, it was the dinner hour, and Judah and I were both in need of nourishment. I needed caffeine for the trip home. Judah needed pizza and root beer. :) So, we trekked down the hallway to the hospital cafeteria.

Fixing my coffee, I bump into someone and politely say, "Excuse me." Out of the corner of my eye, I wonder if I know the woman I bumped. We all have these moments. You see someone out of context, out in public somewhere and you wonder, "Do I know that person? I think I know that person. I do know that person. I wonder if she saw me. I wonder if she recognizes me."

And, it's at this point you have a decision to make. Do I initiate a greeting, wait to see if she initiates, or bury my head in my purse to look for something while I dart around the corner pretending I never saw the person?

God is growing me in making the most of these opportunities, especially when Judah and I are at the hospital in part due to the memory of our first trip to Hopkins. Judah and Tucker were only days old, and here we were at a world renown hospital. I was incredibly overwhelmed with our new reality. I wasn't but several feet inside the doors of Hopkins when a woman approached me who was accompanying her young daughter in a wheelchair with tubes coming out of her nose. She offered her smile, a warm greeting, reassurance that we were in good hands and a hug. I am convinced she was an angel sent from Heaven to me that day. I have never forgotten that experience.

And, now I want to be that angel to someone else, daunted by their new found reality of illness, weakness, and even imminent death.

So, I approached her. Not remembering her name, I asked her if she had at one time attended IUP and worked in the Writing Center. Indeed she did. I confessed that I thought I knew her but didn't remember her name. She graciously replied, "Sandy. Did you used to be blonde?"

After introducing Judah to her and a very brief catching up, I asked what brought her to Hopkins. She nodded to the right in the direction of an elderly couple, "My mom."

I gently touch her arm and ask her mom's name.

"Paula."

It must have been so fresh that she couldn't even utter the diagnosis.

Sandy was the deer in the headlights I remember being that first day we visited Hopkins.

I looked Paula and her husband in the eye and back to Sandy and said, "Well, I don't know specifically what to pray for, but I will pray for you on our way home tonight."

And, with that Judah and I left.

Instead of walking straight to our car, I took Judah to see the giant statue of Jesus that is so well known at Hopkins.

Jesus Statue in Johns Hopkins Hospital, a photo by integrity_of_light on Flickr.

Rounding the corner, I ask Judah if he remembers seeing this.
"No, mom. Why is it here?"

"I'm not sure what the history of it is, Judah, but maybe it's here to remind all the sick people and the smart nurses and doctors who the real healer is, who the Great Physician is." I replied.

And, with that we found a corner near the book where people write out their prayers and took a knee to say a prayer for Sandy and Paula and Paula's doctors.

I remember working with Sandy. She was an upbeat, perpetually positive person. But, I didn't know if Sandy knew the Creator who gave her such a disposition. Nearing the end of my stint as a writing tutor, not knowing if I'd ever see Sandy again, I asked her if I could share the "Four Spiritual Laws" with her, a booklet that takes a person through the Gospel.

At the time, it may have been just information, but I don't know what God's done in Sandy's life or heart since then. I don't know if she's run into other Christians who have shared with her the life giving truths of the Gospel. But, I do know she's likely feeling desperate tonight. And, I'm praying that if she hasn't made Christ her Savior and God, she will.

So, next time I'm staring at fish waiting for the doctor to call my name, I will remember Sandy and know that all timing is God's timing and that there might just be another divine run in waiting for me around the corner.

His Obedience, Our Reward

2012-01-09T16:47:00.000-08:00

He bursts through the front door along with the sunshine. "Mom, we got you a blueberry muffin from Dunkin Donuts," Judah declares with a smile beaming on his red, wonderful face. Judah had blood work done that morning, a fasting blood test this time for his endocrine doctor. And, as our tradition goes, Judah is permitted a donut from Dunkin Donuts anytime he has bloodwork or a laser treatment. It gives him something to look forward to and we hope helps him endure the sting of it all.

This morning, when he walked through the front door with Dunkin Donut bag in hand, full with treats for all, I was taken a back with Judah's exuberance and joy in sharing his reward with the rest of the family. It was his obedience, endurance and bravery but our reward. And, it was his delight to share it with us.

So, it is with Christ.

Jesus was more than brave. He endured. He obeyed even unto death.

And, we received His reward. Colossians 1: 12-14 says,"... the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Reminds me of these words from a song we sing at my church,

And I love you for the cross
I'm overwhelmed by the mystery
I love you for the cost
That Jesus you would do this for me
When you were broken, you were beaten,
You were punished, I go free
You were wounded and rejected
In your mercy - I am healed

The Why of the Christian's Life

2012-01-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

I believe the Lord confronted me recently, and I am grateful.

Walking up the stairs to bed, I grabbed the two items that were there to be taken up and put away. It was an "ah" kind of moment when I relished in this feeling that I had my house back in order. mostly. enough for me to have shaken that restless feeling of being out of control.

And in that split second sigh of relief, God's Spirit confronted me and upset my peace but in a way that left me humbled and grateful for the humbling.

He spoke a quiet, "Remember why you are here."

Matthew 28: 19, 20 is a record of Jesus's last words before He ascended into Heaven and what He gently spoke to me afresh that evening:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always to the end of the age.

The peace I derive from my home having some semblance of order--that sense of purpose I feel as I straighten up, scrub, dust, clean--is so fleeting and shallow if it doesn't find its roots of purpose in this final commission Christ gave to all believers.

If the "why" behind what I do all day long is simply because it makes me feel good, I have sold myself short of such greater pleasures and sense of purpose.

When all I do is somehow rooted in the Great Commission, I then know the greatest sense of purpose there is to be had on earth. And, I know peace--true, lasting peace that comes from orienting my heart, thoughts, deeds to the "why" of life, of my life in Christ--to go and make disciples.

Share the gospel

Love Christ

Inspire others to share the gospel and

love Christ, too!

Why Raw?

2012-01-02T19:12:00.000-08:00

50% raw that is.

One of the first 30 day challenges I am setting for myself is to aim to make 50% of what I eat raw food. By raw, I mean uncooked or processed. That doesn't include much other than fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts or seeds. Call me a deer and put me in the forest. :)

Why would I choose to eat like a bunny, you ask?

I have long been interested in fitness and nutrition and with a close relative's diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes several years ago, my interest and devotion spiked significantly. I have always enjoyed fitness and find it enjoyable to work out. I love a runner's high. However, my eating has been all over the map. And, since becoming a mom, I have found if I don't make conscious decisions about my food intake, it will drift to subsisting on mostly chocolate, diet soda and coffee.

Lawrence and I did the South Beach diet a few years ago, and while it inadvertently hooked me on coffee and diet soda, it also increased my affinity for and recognition of the value of vegetables. I've never been good at getting the veggies in, believe it or not. Are any of us naturally?

Over the last couple years, however, I have grown in consuming this vital part of the food pyramid on a more consistent basis. Nevertheless, I need to keep motivating myself and setting goals and/or boundaries for myself in regards to my food choices, or as I said before, I will drift toward eating chocolate, coffee and diet soda all day.

So, for 2012 I thought I would try this whole raw food thing a little more intensely. I know that eating fruits and vegetables closest to the picking point and state provides the most nutrition. And, from a busy mom's point of view, eating raw is actually easier than cooking it. It's one less step to getting it on my plate! Ease and simplicity works for me in this season of my life.

Already after just 2 days of eating this way, I feel great. It could be a mental thing. Probably is. But, I don't care. I know I'm eating food that is good for my body and is nourishing me well. And, I know my children are watching and hopefully gaining a little bit more interest in eating well, too. *I have found so far this is highly dependent on personality. I have one kid who LOVES junk food, and I honestly think he will always be that way no matter how well I eat or what nutritional information I expose him to. He really doesn't care. He wants his doritos and oreos and that's that. at least for now. :)

There's more behind my choice of eating just 50% and not going raw entirely, but I won't bog you down with those details unless you care to know. Basically, I just really don't want to give up my chocolate, coffee and diet soda entirely. ;)

If you're interested, I'll share with you some of my days' food logs. If not, I won't bother you with those details. But, I'm hoping maybe I can inspire someone else to grow even a little bit more aware of eating food that's going to nourish the wonderful body God's given to you to put to good use.

Just for kicks, what is your favorite RAW food?

Goals for 2012

2012-01-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy setting goals, especially since becoming a mom. I think because the task of parenting is so incredibly daunting to me most days, and the goal of parenting often seems intangible, difficult to measure and impossible to obtain, I nearly crave goals that are otherwise.

So, at the start of each year, I take stock. As I consider the present circumstances, I anticipate the future possibilities as best I can given all things remain the same (which, of course, we all know they do not!) :)

This year, my hubby made what I felt was a rather brilliant suggestion in regard to my 2012 goals. It was prompted by a TED talk he listened to and applied a couple months ago. You can watch/listen to it here: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/matt_cutts_try_something_new_for_30_days.html

To me, 30 days seems more doable than 365. Call it cynicism or age, but I don't reach for the stars quite as quickly and often as I used to. I hesitate. I count the cost. And, I usually say, "Nah; I'll take the path most traveled, thank you very much." :) Nevertheless, I'm hoping that some of the things I attempt in the following 30 day challenges may just "stick" and last beyond 30 days, maybe even 365 days. We'll see!

Mostly for my own sake, I am going to list my goals, what I am calling my "30 day challenges, here. At the start of each month, my plan is to write a separate post detailing that month's challenge(s), the why behind it, and the plan for executing it successfully. My hope is that publishing my goals on the world wide web will be some incentive to actually sticking with the challenges.

January:

Make 50% of what I eat- raw food
No extra spending

February:

Encourage hubby/No criticism
Read for leisure 15 minutes daily

March:

No soda
Memorize one Bible verse a day

April:

Write for blog 15 minutes daily

May:

Wake up by 5:45 am and stay awake! Go to bedroom by 9:30 pm and asleep by 10:30 pm
Pray for leaders daily

June:

Work outside 15 minutes daily

July:

15 minutes daily improving a space in my home in someway (execution, not brainstorming)
30 days of work on "glutes."

August:

10 minutes with mommy one on one for fun, daily

September:

Write encouragement daily to 30 different people

October:

Repeat a 30 day challenge

November:

Write down a thankful list daily

December:

Give something away daily

I'll post more about January's goals tomorrow. ;)

Gifts

2011-12-28T18:09:00.000-08:00

I started thinking tonight about all the gifts I received for Christmas this year. Two of my favorite were given to me by my parents because after all, who really would know more what I'd want or like than the ones who have spent most of my life with me? Here are two of the gifts they gave me that I absolutely adore:

Coasters cut from birch wood

You may not be able to tell from this picture but these are about 2.5 inches tall. Most darling little glass bottles I've ever seen. I love 'em.

My mind then wandered to my favorite intangible gifts of this Christmas...you know, experiences that happen during the season of Christmas. These I treasure in my mind's eye as I can't touch or hold them; things such as an impromptu visit with friends who recently moved back into town, enjoying a nearby neighbor's Christmas lights synced to music, or participating in my brother-in-law's church's "LED light" service Christmas Eve (yes, it was an LED service vs. candlelight; welcome to 2011~).

Gifts. There are the ones we look forward to and delight to open and the ones we will never touch or feel but nevertheless enjoy. But there is a third group of gifts I thought of in my random run of thoughts tonight. It's those gifts that seem to have been overlooked on our wish list, the one or maybe two things we REALLY WANTED. We fight the disappointment we feel when all has been unwrapped except that for which we had dreamed. We battle to be grateful.

Or perhaps it wasn't something you longed to unwrap but rather an experience: a peaceful family gathering, that special someone to have given some indication that he thinks of you and cares for you, or a boss's pat on the back and reassurance that you've had a productive year and are an asset to the team.

Your expectation was not met.

Your longing went unfulfilled

Your wish was not granted.

May I remind you as God reminded me tonight at the end of this random stream of thoughts of something He says to those who have longings unfulfilled and wishes not granted?

Psalm 84:11b says, "no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

and what about

Luke 11:13, "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

You say you have asked. But, for what are you asking? When God says He doesn't withhold any good thing from you, He doesn't mean that "puppy in the window." Rather, He intends and will give us every good thing we need for life and godliness. He will give us His Holy Spirit through which we can receive all else He gives and withholds with peace and gratitude, with contentment and joy.

And sometimes, many times I've known God to mercifully give us that "puppy in the window", too.

Christmas at our house

2011-12-03T15:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Christmas at our house. As a self proclaimed collector of nothing, I do nevertheless have quite an affinity for nativities, especially ones from around the world. Notice in my pictures this year a very special and new nativity scene brought to me all the way from Tanzania, Africa! Remembering how much I adore unique nativity scenes, my baby sister thoughtfully purchased this for me before returning to the States despite being deathly ill during her stay in Africa. Thank you, Kara! It is and YOU being home safely are the best Christmas gifts this year for me.

In case you care, a little more information about my Christmas decor this year...

The live Christmas tree is a very serious thing for me each year. I am a diehard live tree girl, though I still sincerely love all my friends and family who put up those awful artificial ones. ;)

My children graciously bear with me each year as I pass over many a tree to find the "perfect" one. Remembering last year's meltdowns, I decided I would turn the decision over to my children. They were grateful, quick, and did a GREAT job! Our tree this year may be the most beautiful one we've ever had.

The fabric garland hanging through my pass thru window was my momma's idea and Judah's execution. I love it's festiveness.

In one of my manger scenes, you may notice the baby Jesus missing from his cradle. That's on purpose. ;) I take Jesus out of his cradle and include an empty manger (a simple box w/ hay inside) under our Christmas tree each year. On Christmas morning, however, Jesus appears in his manger "wrapped in swaddling" clothes. Looking on the empty mangers throughout the month of December is a daily reminder of what this season is about: waiting for Jesus to come.

What shall I render?

2011-09-16T14:38:00.000-07:00

What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord, I will pay my vows to the Lord in the presence of all His people. Psalm 116:12-14

I have felt compelled to write this post of thanksgiving many times but have put it off and put it off. This morning after reading the above passage, I can put it off no longer. It's not a refined, edited recalling of our recent trip to Judah's laser doctor, but I pray it will bless you nonetheless and honor God as I recount His faithfulness to me and my family:

Judah mentioned that he wasn't as scared today as he's been in the past. Thank you for your prayers
God gave me the idea to write Judah a note to encourage him and give him scriptures to read. That seemed to really bless him. He took it with him to the appointment and stuck it in his bible for the next visit.
In that note, I included Isaiah 41:10 which a friend wrote in her email to me that a.m. Judah also heard that verse on our trip back from Hopkins in the Adventure in Odyssey story he was listening to at the time.
God gave me strength to keep putting one foot in front of the other despite my weariness, physically and emotionally.
God's grace caused me to look outside myself by cheerfully greeting the admin.staff at Hopkins, our nurse, doctor and students observing the treatment.
God also gave me eyes to notice another mom's pain and offer a hug, draw her out and assure her of our prayers.
God made me aware that even in the midst of my emotional outbursts toward my children (impatience, anger, selfishness) that God does NOT grow tired or weary. ever. His understanding no one can fathom.
I was able to have a conversation w/ Judah in the car about how we don't always understand God's ways, His choices for us...for Judah that is having a PWS and SWS and having to endure laser tx's when no one else in his world does. I was able to share w/ him about my experience with losing my dad to cancer when I was 12 and about his friend, Rudy, who only has one kidney. We don't always see God's goodness and wisdom behind the choices He makes for us, but we trust that He is wise and good in all He does when we remember how He sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins.
A dear friend watched my other two kiddos while I took Judah to Hopkins and we were able to enjoy sweet, unexpected fellowship when I picked them up.

For this and more, I am grateful to God who is always merciful and gracious.

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple... Psalm 116:5, 6a

Giveaway at Heavenly Homemakers

2011-09-02T12:51:00.001-07:00

Heavenly Homemakers is a blog I've been following for 2 (?) years now. It has served me greatly as I've sought to make changes in the way our family eats. Laura is mom to 4 boys and homeschools them all. She inspires me in many ways. I'd love for you to check our her blog and her current giveaway which I really, really want to win! :)

http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/nutrimill-giveaway-from-paulas-bread

Enter and maybe you'll win it instead. (And, then I'd have to hate you.) ;0

Psalm 63:7, a meditation

2011-09-01T04:00:00.000-07:00

...You have been my help,

and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.

I am in your shadow-

You cover me,

protect me,

hide me,

see me,

are with me.

I am not on my own,

alone,

without coverage,

laid bare.

You are above me; I am below.

You are Creator; I, the created.

You are Great; I am small.

You are consuming; I am consumed.

He who covers me is FOR me, is good, all powerful, THE mighty Conqueror, over all.

He who covers me loves me with an everlasting love, has drawn me with loving kindness.

Our July 4th weekend

2011-07-07T06:32:00.000-07:00

family.friends.West Virginia.

trail mix.Turbo Fire.White's Woods.

sparklers.fireworks.pinatas.

1st service.tears.BBQ.

watermelon.Meadows.walk.

fevers.strep?

late nights.Elias.the Brewers.

Kims.Allens.Kings.

Ryers.Will & Lori.catching up.

"Aunt Mo".granny sister's Bella & Sadie.cousins.

Kids'Cove.curricula chats.Indiana.

old friends.God's been faithful.

Getty Heights.exhaustion.head colds.

swings.Mia & Ainsley's.playground.

down pour.icecream.juice boxes.

not enough napping.quirky circuits.upstairs playroom.

Tom & Jerry.Jeff Gaffigan.

Stay-cation 2011

2011-06-04T18:59:00.001-07:00

Can I go on my own vacation now that our family "stay-cation" is over? It was fun, memorable, full and tiring.

We stayed with my brother, Brad, and sister-in-law, Jen, and my three nephews, Josh, Ben & Ryan, over the Memorial Day weekend. To and from Grandma's house several times over the weekend, we thoroughly enjoyed our long weekend with family, including a Clemmer reunion on Sunday.

Tuesday, we drove north to Knoebel's where we battled the heat riding amusement park rides and eating icecream.

Driving home Tuesday night, we stopped for a late dinner at Chic-Fil-A, a family favorite.

From roller coasters to rolling waves, we headed to the beach on Wednesday. Sandy Point Park was our mid-week destination. Kid-sized waves, beaming sunshine, a cooling breeze, and a sparse crowd made for a relaxing day on the beach followed by Pizza Hut for dinner and icecream for dessert.

We bounced the morning away at a local bouncy place, cooled off in an air-conditioned movie theater to watch "Kung Fu Panda 2", and topped off our day with a "keeping in theme" dinner at a hibachi grill where Bella attempted to catch food thrown at her by the chef. After dinner, we enjoyed a nice stroll down the White Marsh Avenue and bought the boys summer flip flops.

Highlight of the day on Friday was strawberries. We picked at Brad's produce, enjoyed them over icecream and angel food cake later that evening.

Saturday, we scored a free kids' fishing event in Havre de Grace complete with free lunch, icecream, face painting, moon bounce, balloon art and more (even a live, wild turkey!). We hurried home to watch 2 of the kids' babysitters, Sandra and Cheri, along with 6 other friends from church graduate from high school. Ending the evening once again in a moon bounce our neighbors had rented for their girls' 4th birthday seemed quite fitting for the week of many moon bounces!

For my own mental reference for possible future vacationing:

1. Go away from home. There's something very stress relieving being away from my own home and something stress inducing about trying to vacation while remaining in my home.

2. Map out all expenses before vacation so as to not be distracted the entire time by how much we're spending and wondering what the grand total will be.

3. Plan for a babysitter near the end of vacation week so as to get some kid-free time with hubby.

4. Figure out how to factor in vegetables even on vacation. ;) Oh, did I miss my veggies.

Enjoy some photos of our week together:

stay=cation

Calendar Dates

2011-03-28T16:58:00.000-07:00

March 17th

July 4th

December 25th

Dates that are meaningful to most of us.

But what about:

February 12th

August 3rd

October 27th

These are dates meaningful to me and just a few others.

On February 12th, my beautiful girlie was born.

My boys entered the world on August 3rd.

And, Lawrence made my day and my life by proposing to me on October 27th!

But, then there's March 16th. At the start of 2002, I anticipated that date on the calendar with great excitement and joy. It couldn't come soon enough. It was my wedding day. And, every March 16th since then has been looked forward to with joy.

But, it wasn't always that way.

March 16th is also my late Father's birthday. Since his passing in 1989 until 2002, March 16th was a day I would approach with sadness or at times, anger. It was a day that reminded me of the first major tragedy in my life, my Father's death.

Many of us have calendar days like that. Days that are ordinary to everyone around us but extraordinary to us. Days that are sometimes anticipated with dread and despair. Days that can't come and go quick enough because they mark some pain filled experience in our life.

When choosing a wedding date, I was blessed beyond words to have March 16, 2002, fall on a Saturday. We chose that day to honor my dad. God chose that date to show me something about Himself:

The Keeper of time is the Redeemer of time.

Not all my calendar days that represent something sad in my life have taken on something happy or more celebratory in my life quite as nicely as March 16th. But, I can still come upon those dates and "re-write" them if I chose to view them through the lens of who God says He is and how He says He works in our lives.

Psalm 103:2-6 says,

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
³who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
⁵who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

⁶The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.

Romans 8:28 says,

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

and Jeremiah 29:11 says,

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Dates exist for me that I still approach with a sense of sadness. But, I also approach those dates and the memories they hold armed with truth. God does and will redeem ALL events in my life and the lives of every one of His children. He will set all things right one day. And until then, I can trust that He is using those sad or grievous events for my good and often the good of others as well.

By faith, I will trust the Keeper of time to be the Redeemer of time, and I will love Him more as I see redemption unfold year after year.

I Need

2011-03-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

I wake up nearly every morning with what can be an overwhelming sense of my need for help, for God's help. I wrote this prayer on one of those mornings recently...

I need you, Lord

to walk humbly and faithfully through my day

to be gentle and kind with my kids, respectful,

and the same with my husband

to serve gratefully at co op today

to endure a long day with the kids

to pray without ceasing

to not fear us all getting sick

to be about Your agenda rather than my own

to have self control in my eating, & speaking & computer use

to be content with the condition of my home and even joyful recognizing it & all you've given or withheld as more and better than I deserve

to purpose to encourage and edify those I interact with today rather than just go through the motions

to responsibly take care of things that need my attention

to say "no" when I need to say "no" and

to say "yes" when I need to say "yes"

to not fear anything that is frightening

to draw near to you

to have faith that You exist and reward those who seek You.

I need you even for my next breath

for safety on the roads

to remember all the items of priority today

to not be selfish but selfless

to not grow weary in doing good

to hate my sin and love righteousness

to deal with sin quickly

to live up to my commitments to others

to provide a home atmosphere that reflects You and Your character

to guide my children in wisdom and address their heart above & beyond their behavior

to love others

to love You

to not put any 'gods' before You

to be nice to my husband when he gets home after work

to save energy for him.

II Peter 1:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

Busy Season Blessings

2011-03-07T19:31:00.000-08:00

"Busy season". In our house, it means Christmas is over and January has begun. April 15th is a long time away. Winter has set in, and contagious illnesses of varying types along with it. It means longer periods of darkness and of single parenting as Lawrence spends more hours than usual at work.

We battle snow, ice, and illnesses along with our own hearts that our tempted to grumble and grow weary.

Yet every year, we experience God's blessings in the midst of busy season.

Being half way through our busy season, I'm already aware of many undeserved, unexpected gifts I've received from my Heavenly Father, who loves to lavish good gifts upon the objects of His affection. Why I am among them, I do not know. It will never be comprehended, only received and enjoyed.

Thank you, Lord, for making me an object of your love rather than your wrath.

Thank you for sending your Son, Jesus, to take Your wrath for my sin, many of which are committed during this busy season when I lose my footing so easily.

Thank you for being a good Father, a perfect Father who knows how to give good gifts.

Thank you for these precious gifts to me this busy season:

a mini road trip to Philly with dear friends to see my new favorite group, The Civil Wars, in concert. & a table right infront of the stage at which to sit and enjoy the beautiful and pitch perfect harmonies of Joy Williams and John Paul White.
a gold mine of a 'find' for me in my search for inexpensive organic food sources: an Amish run country store in Pennsylvania which affords me another good gift:
road trips to my home state to buy raw milk, fresh eggs and other such good food from my farmer friends
having a few moments while waiting for my milk to watch Abner plow his fields with his four horses and a metal plow. Row by row, he tills the soil, and this means Spring will soon be here!
my hubby putting in early work hours on a Saturday to surprise me by taking me to the Bel Air Chocolate Festival. I've never been able to go but have always wanted to. This year, I was taken and delighted.
a girl's night out with my sister-in-law, Yvette. Wine, dessert and some really good fellowship.
spending a Sunday afternoon with my older sister and her family when they kindly brought 1/4 cow's worth of meat for us to fill our freezer!
Celebrating Bella's 4th birthday for which my parents made a trip down from PA to see us.
2nd row seats at a play of "Charlotte's Web" I took the kids to see
an unexpected, spontaneous lunch date with friends from church at which I ate the most amazing chocolate raspberry torte ever!
minimal illness; this is nothing short of a miracle!
a timely seminar that a friend attended from which I have been indirectly yet greatly encouraged and helped in growing in gentleness with my children.
holes that have been in my walls since we moved into our home in 2003 patched up and caulking that's needed to be done, taken care of. Every time I look around the toilet at that sparkling white caulk, I smile.

I think they are.

2011-02-22T18:12:00.001-08:00

My kids. I think they're funny, which is good, because I spend A LOT of time with them. I'm beginning to wonder if it's an unhealthy amount of time with them. nah. They'll be up and out of my house before I blink, right?! That's what all the old ladies always tell me.

Inevitably, I will be the one with 3 grown adult children still living with me. Oh wait. That's MY mom. Sorry, mom! I wasn't one of them, though...just remember that when you change your will next. ;)

So...my children. They're funny.

Tonight I took them to Pizza Hut to redeem Book It coupons. LA works late on Tuesday nights right now, so it's nice to find something fun to look forward to during the day that will help pass the time in the evening when we're all missing Papi (Spanish for daddy & what my kids call LA).

Judah was needing his drink refilled and was being a bit less than patient with our server who was a bit less than quick.

Like any 6 year old, I presume, or at least any 6 year old that would share my dramatic genes, Judah began to whine a bit about being so thirsty, insisting he was going to die if he didn't get a drink promptly.

Tucker and I began to bust Judah's chops a bit about his drama. Go figure. Drama queen that I am does not tolerate drama from anyone else!

I ask Judah where he would like me to bury him when he dies.

Without skipping a beat, he replies, "In the backyard. under the swings. under MY swing. and put my name on the swing. 'Judah'."

"Okay. Will do."

Tucker chimes in, "And we'll write on your tombstone, 'If only we had gotten him a drink sooner.'"

And, I bust out in uproarious laughter. Have I spent too much time with my littles?

____________________________

On another day, Tucker was lamenting the fact that he was being "forced" to eat his carrots. He protests on regular occasion (daily) that he doesn't prefer the taste of carrots. I tell him he can choose another veggie to eat, but he refuses to try anything else. Sorry, buddy...ya gotta eat some veggies to remain my son.

just kidding.

probably.

As he's choking down his carrots, we're listening to "The Last Battle" from the Chronicles of Narnia series where a picture of Heaven is being described through the allegory of a New Narnia in the story.

Trying to encourage my son, I tell Tucker that in Heaven, carrots will taste good, (even though I think carrots taste great already on earth)...

Tucker's quit witted reply comes before I can even finish my sentence, "There won't be carrots in Heaven, mom."

Guess we'll have to wait and see who's right on that one!

______________________

Before I even type this third funny from a day in the life of the Almengor children, I realize that all of them center around FOOD. hmm??? Does this need psycho-analyzed?

Dinner time can be a challenge in our home. Again, I'm hoping this is just the normal course of life for most parents of young kids. They don't like vegetables, but I'm one of those mean mommies who insists that they eat them.

When one of my children is actually eating his/her dinner without complaining or "accidentally" throwing it on the floor or taking F O R E V E R , I try to take notice and make a BIG deal about it.

So, I was commending Bella the other night on how well she was eating her dinner.
"Bella, you are doing such a good job eating your dinner tonight," to which she replied, "As are you, mom!"

That was just too stinkin cute hearing from a brand new 4 year old~!

A chair, a couple tables, rugs, fancy pillows, and some roman shades. That's all. Really.

2011-02-21T18:21:00.001-08:00

That's all I want for my living room to be pulled together, fit for public consumption. Oh, and a fresh coat of paint. And, possibly some new wall decor. Then, we can move onto the kitchen where we need another fresh coat of paint, new appliances, counter tops, and recessed lighting installed...minimally.

That's just the main level of our home. I haven't even taken you downstairs to our basement or upstairs to our bedrooms and bathrooms.

Lately, I've become a bit preoccupied with outfitting our living room with new furniture, for starters. It's needed an uplift for quite some time, like since we moved into our home in 2003! ;)

Lawrence and I don't do home projects with gusto like some folk. We call it progress if empty soap dispensers get refilled and burned out light bulbs are changed with any regularity. Seriously.

Apart from our lack of know how, time and money, I think we over think things like house projects a bit, too, which typically ends up impeding any kind of progress.

Nevertheless, I grow impatient with the state of the union here on a rather frequent basis. I want change and I want it now. Actually, yesterday would have been better.

Sadly, I grow discontent and air my grumblings to my husband and friends. Or I scour the internet looking for the right chair at the right price thinking that if I just landed a great steal like that, I could assuage the churning discontent that resides within my heart for at least a week or two.

Where do I go with this daily temptation? How do I respond in a "gospel centered" way to these circumstances?

I first remind myself of the facts of the gospel, namely that because God is a Holy God and fully just and because I am a rebel, one who has turned away from the worship of my Creator to the worship of the created, I deserve God's wrath. I do not deserve God's mercy. I do not deserve God's blessings or favor. I deserve hell.

But, because of God's love, He sent His Son, Jesus, who lived a perfect life and died in my place on the cross taking the penalty of God's wrath upon Himself for my sin. He then rose again from the dead, conquering the power of death, making everlasting life and freedom from sin available to me, too.

But, how do these facts connect with my desire to have a nice looking living room?

Well, I consider specific implications these facts have for this circumstance. Stay with me.

I consider that if I deserved hell for my sins, then I definitely don't deserve a nicely furnished living room. But, that doesn't really bring joy to my heart to ponder too long because I still really want nice, new furniture.

Then, I remind myself that God loved me enough to crush His only Son. If he loved me enough to do that in order that I would have eternal life and freedom from sin, can't I trust Him to provide all that I really need for a joy filled life? That may or may not include nice living room furniture.

Reminding myself of these truths doesn't automatically cause me to abandon my desire for new furniture and leap for joy at the absence of it. Over time, however, as I rehearse these truths in my mind, it does begin to have an effect on my affections. I DO really experience a change in my attitude regarding the condition of my home.

I cannot remain sullen and discontent when I consider, truly consider what God has done for me.

I could go out and buy a new chair and experience a sense of release from that churning discontent. But the contentment would fade faster than the fabric on my chair, and I would have to buy something else.

When I take the time to remember the facts of the gospel and consider the implications those facts have on my particular circumstances, my heart is moved. It may take some time, but it does soften. It does change. I do begin to experience that abundant life Christ died for, no matter what abundance or lack thereof in material possessions I own.

Happy 4th Birthday to my girlie

2011-02-12T18:16:00.000-08:00

I was smitten from the moment I saw her.

After a long labor and 2 hours of pushing, my first and only girlie made her entrance into our world with just one final thrust from my body.

Beautiful but not breathing as she should, Bella remained in a special care nursery for a couple days until she was flown to Hopkins' NICU where she puzzled her doctors and enamored her nurses. She appeared a giant in that NICU amidst all the preemies. No preemie, Bella was born 4 days past her due date and 2 days before Valentine's Day at 8 lbs. 5 oz.~

She came in the inconvenience of Lawrence's busy season and a rather big snow/ice storm.

But, she was a dream come true, and we willingly embrace all the inconveniences this little gift from God has since brought us.

Fierce independence likely served her that first week of life when she fought for breath and life. I must remember that when that same independence stands to drive its wedge between her and me. When filled with faith, I pray her independence will serve her in whatever God may call her to face, that it will drive her to persevere in hardships and challenges, that it will cause her to not give up when others throw in the towel, that it will win for her many mountain top experiences in this life for her good and God's glory.

From 2010_10 Fall fun

Determined silliness. The girl loves to laugh, and she's got a great one. Mouth opens big when she has been delighted with life. Rather than feeling tortured when tickled, she LOVES it and nearly begs for more. "Squeeze me hard, mom" she'll say to me and then giggle long and hard when I do.

Basketballs, Barnie, shoes, swimming suits, purses, 'footie pajamas', dresses, 'footie tights', treats, pizza, pasta and princesses are a few of her favorite things.

From Father's Day, 2009

Born with natural rhythm, Bella is nearly compelled to move her body whenever she hears a beat of any kind. She loves to dance and wear her leotard and tutu.

From Christmas 2008

She adores when Grandma paints her nails, and there's a special twinkle in her eye when she sees her Abuelo.

From Bella's First Birthday Party

My sweet Bella girl, your name means beautiful. I pray you will grow into a beautiful woman on the inside as much as you already are on the outside. Just as you wooed my heart from the moment I met you, I pray God will woo your heart and that you would know Him as your greatest treasure, better than fashion, food, friends or fun. He is worth loving with all your heart, soul, mind and strength for He has loved you with an everlasting love.

Love you, baby girl!

She Grew Up

2011-02-07T19:04:00.000-08:00

She grew up with a mom, dad, sisters, and brother,

Two sets of grandparents who dearly loved her.

She grew up with a roof over her head and food to eat,

Living in a yellow house on Bridge Street.

She grew up knowing Jesus and memorizing His Word,

At the age of eight, making God her Lord.

She grew up not knowing how blessed she was,

Not knowing what she had not everybody does.

She grew up mostly immune to suffering

Except for the occasional spanking.

She grew up thinking all would remain the same

Until that day when everything changed.

Her dad got sick and died from cancer.

Why did God allow it? No one could give an answer.

She grew up learning God controlled all things.

The Creator of life became the One who made it sting.

She grew up learning that God was also good.

Who else did we have to thank for all our food?

She grew up wondering how both could be true:

God be good & in control when this suffering she knew.

The answer came when she saw what God had done.

To atone for her sins, He crushed His only Son.

She grew up knowing for her sins Jesus died.

But now it was God's love for her she could not deny.

She grew up knowing truth in her head not her heart,

But over time the Word washed & God's Spirit did impart.

She grew up from her suffering in more ways than one,

Receiving love from God the Father & not just the Son.

And for all who question God's love in their suffering she does pray

They'll come to see God's love for them in much the same way.

Ever feel like a failure?

2011-01-31T20:16:00.000-08:00

I do. a lot.

Recently, I succumbed to self pity as I allowed my focus to shift toward my many failures. Parenting, marriage, friendships, evangelism, keeping home--all contexts where I am painfully aware of my inadequacies.

Yet, with the help of God's Spirit, I picked up something good for my soul and began to read, allowing it to sink in and shift my focus.

The following are quotes from "The Gospel Primer".

The section I read from was entitled "Liberation from self love". "Self love? I thought we were talking about self pity," you might be thinking. Well, self pity is really just an inverted form of self love and so these thoughts were indeed most helpful.

One of the leading causes of my natural tendency to self love is fear--I fear that if I do not love myself there would be no one to love me quite so well as I do.

...the gospel assures me that the love of God is infinitely superior to any love that I could ever give to myself. 'Greater love has no one than this.'

His astonishing love for me renders self absorption moot and frees me up to move on to causes and interests far greater than myself.

Preaching the gospel to myself everday reminds me of God's astounding love for me and also of His infinite worthiness to be loved by me above all else.

John 15: 13

Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 8:32

He who did not spare His own Son but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

II Corinthians 5:14,15

For the love of Christ controls us having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

Philippians 3:7,8

But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things in the heavens and things on the earth.

An addition to this post, a poem from John Piper:

With mercy make me free

O Jesus, take my bent away
For thinking much of me,
And kill my pride, and from this day
With mercy make me free.
O Jesus, grant the gift to see
The treasure that you are,
And as the night eclipses me,
O be my Morning Star.
And now if I should serve, or lead,
Or give, or mercy show,
O Jesus, let my love be freed,
And like a river flow.
O Jesus, be the treasure of
My heart and all I do,
And may the river of my love
Alone make much of you.

— John Piper"Using Our Gifts in Proportion to Our Faith, Part 2"(Minneapolis, Minn.: Desiring God Ministries, Nov. 7, 2004)

Why He Answers Prayers

2011-01-24T14:53:00.000-08:00

Last week, Judah saw his opthamologist at Hopkins, Dr. Jampel, who has always done his exams on Judah in the OR which, of course, requires anesthesia. However, at the visit before this more recent one, Dr. Jampel said that he acquired a new tool that he thought Judah would tolerate him using in the office. So, we scheduled an office visit rather than what we have done for the last 6 years, an EUA (evaluation under anesthesia).

Judah did indeed tolerate the new "tonometer" which didn't require any numbing drops! He still had a gun shaped object tapping on his eyeball, but hey, no numbing drops! So, I guess that worked for Judah. Whatever. I was happy and so was Judah not to have to endure anesthesia.

Checking for infection in Judah's eyes is always a part of Dr. Jampel's exam because Judah had a type of glaucoma surgery in the 2nd year of his life that is prone to infection. After Dr. Jampel determined that all looked good, and Judah's eyes were "quiet and stable", he communicated that the kind of surgery Judah had as a toddler doesn't typically work for the SWS kids, so much so that Dr. Jampel doesn't even do it! Dr. Jampel further remarked that the doctor who did Judah's surgery must have had the "Midas touch".

I have a bit of a different opinion about this.

You see, from the day Judah was born and we learned of his Sturge Weber and all that this syndrome entails for many children, we have been praying along with many, many others to a God who listens to and answers our prayers. He doesn't always answer according to our will, but He always answers according to our good.

Because I trust in Jesus who shed His blood for all my sin, I can now gain an audience with the Creator God anytime over anything, and He will listen to my prayer! Had Jesus not come and taken the punishment of God that I deserved for my sins, I would pray to a God who would not and could not listen to my prayers. Maybe I would still pray to make myself feel better, but my prayers would be in vain.

I'm grateful that my prayers and the prayers of others on Judah's behalf are not in vain. They are directed to the One who created Judah, who sustains Judah and who will answer our prayers on Judah's behalf with mercy.

Judah has baffled his doctors on more than one occasion, but we are not baffled. We know the One who established the natural order of things and who can also supersede that order should He choose. We want to humbly receive all the answers God gives us to our prayers on Judah's behalf even when they are "No; I'm not going to sustain or heal in the ways you are asking," trusting that He who did not spare His only Son but gave Him up for us will graciously give us all that we really need! (Romans 8:32)

*For 2 excellent posts on prayer, visit The Blazing Center here:

http://www.theblazingcenter.com/2011/01/when-the-praying-gets-tough-the-tough-get-praying.html

and here

http://www.theblazingcenter.com/2011/01/expectant-faith.html

On Neumann Pond

2011-01-18T18:04:00.000-08:00

Sunday and Monday, we took some time to enjoy the blessing of our cold, winter weather by playing around on some friends' frozen pond. We met up with a plethora of other families to enjoy this winter treat.

Thank you, Neumanns, for being among the most generous, fun, loving friends we know! We love you.

Gospel Centered Moments

2011-01-17T18:35:00.000-08:00

My 2nd born (by two minutes), Tucker, has been having a flare of his reflux the past two weeks. He's been treated with Prevacid for more than a year now, and that has worked well to keep the reflux under control. However, soon after Christmas, he began complaining of pain in his throat again. It flared quickly as it will, and we have now increased his dose of medicine and prayerfully may need to add another medication to get it under better control.

It's been difficult to watch my son in pain. He becomes anxious about eating because he knows it'll cause pain. When he does eat, he's only able to eat little bits of food at a time. As a momma, it's hard to watch. Something in every mom just wants to be able to, at bare minimum, feed her babies.

Together, Lawrence and I pray for wisdom, talk about how to best care for our son and seek to both encourage him and lead him through this trial. One "plan of attack" that my husband recently encouraged me to take with Tucker was two fold:

provide a lot of reassuring touches. Draw near to Tucker physically, hugging, patting his back, rubbing his back which he loves, etc.
teach Tucker and remind him often that while he is indeed suffering, he is not suffering to the full extent that he deserves.

WHAT?

I know some may say, "What kind of parents are you? How is that supposed to encourage your son?"

Here's how. Tucker and all of us were created by a Holy Creator God who requires and expects perfect holiness from His creation. We obviously do not live up to that expectation. In fact, we fall short, woefully short of perfection everyday, some of us (me) many, many times a day. The Bible calls that sin. My beautiful children are sinners. I am a sinner. I have not met the demands of God's law. For this, we all deserve God's wrath to be poured out on us. We all deserve to pay the penalty for our sin.

But, God, who is rich in mercy and love toward His creation, sent a Savior, His Son, Jesus who came to earth in human form yet fully God. He lived a perfect life and died an unjust death on our behalf to pay with His own blood a ransom for our sins. HE took the punishment that we deserved so that we could know God's mercy, so that we could experience just forgiveness from God and have eternal fellowship with Him here on earth and one day in Heaven.

So, in light of these truths, we know that while Tucker is suffering with his reflux, he is not suffering as much as he deserves. We know and we tell our children the truth that any suffering we experience here on earth is pale in comparison to the suffering of the punishment of hell that we deserve for our sins. This may sound too deep or ethereal, but it is true hope and peace for those who are willing to embrace it.

We pray daily that our children will embrace these truths. God is providing an opportunity for Tucker to know of His mercy through suffering. It's painful to watch Tucker endure the pains of reflux, but as parents we are grateful for the opportunity it affords for us to point him to the truth: that he is being mercifully treated better than he deserves.

Close your eyes and imagine

2011-01-16T18:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight, as I brushed the kids teeth, I noticed Tucker was waiting to be brushed with his eyes closed.

When I asked why he was standing there with his eyes closed, he responded, "I'm imagining that I'm at Grandma's. I love Grandma's; I miss her."

Around the breakfast table

2011-01-12T05:01:00.000-08:00

A topic of discussion in our home rather frequently is the nutritional value or lack thereof in certain foods or long lists of ingredients passed off as food.

In our home, we are trying to avoid some specific, common ingredients for the sake of our health, especially for my boys who have always had allergies, excema and asthma.

This morning, Judah implored me to buy the grape jelly from Aldi's rather than the "small jar" I usually buy. (That would be the Polaner brand which contains no high fructose corn syrup). I explained to him why I choose what I choose for them to which Tucker replied, "Many things that are not good for us taste really good."

I nodded my head. What could I say? It's true.

After a moment to think, I tried to encourage them that after eating real food for a length of time, our tastes begin to change and we'll start to prefer "real food" over foods that are composed of many chemicals. Sounds good, doesn't it?

Tucker's apt reply, "But we like the taste of chemicals."

And so, the battle continues. :)

Three dates all in one day

2011-01-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I had the privilege of taking my three kiddos out on momma/kid dates, or they might say they took me out on a date. ;)

Either way, I had such an enjoyable time spending one on one time with each of my children.

Judah and I went out first to Pizza Hut where he redeemed one of his book it coupons for a personal pan pizza. I sought to commend Judah for the ways I see him growing in maturity, taking initiative each morning to get himself dressed and his bed made without having to be told. Many mornings he also completes his morning chores with no reminding.

When asked how I might become a better momma, he said that he'd like to see me where a certain dress more often. I found that rather odd but endearing. Hey, I can do that! I was bracing myself for something a bit more convicting, like not speaking so harshly to them as often as I do.

Date #2: Tucker and I went to Barnes & Noble where I ordered a strawberry cream for him to try. He was reluctant to order anything because he's been having a hard time with his reflux lately, and he was especially nervous about experiencing pain while away from home. But, this was a date, and I really wanted him to try this drink because I knew he would enjoy it. He did! Later that evening, Tucker was telling Lawrence about how he had a few sips of mommy's drink only to later confess to Lawrence the truth that he actually drank a lot of it. :) Guess he liked it.

Unfortunately, after reading two Berenstain Bears books (what is it with those books that my boys love them so?), Tucker started feeling the pangs of reflux in his throat and asked to be taken home. While my date with him was cut a little shorter than I had hoped it would be, I nevertheless had a most enjoyable time with my sweet 2nd born!

Last but most certainly NOT least, my girlie and I went to BJ's. Yes, BJ's. Do you know how inexpensive their snack bar items are? Bella chose a soft pretzel and blue slurpie. Though my girlie likes to do almost everything I do and mimics me in many things, I couldn't get her to enjoy eating her pretzel with mustard which is how I like it. :)

My generous girlie allowed me to share her pretzel with her which I gulped down with much too much diet pepsi. The multi-tasker that I am, I ran through the store to pick up some groceries I needed and since I only had one child with me, I took the opportunity to do a little "window shopping". As we strolled down one aisle, I spotted a white vanity with a pink cloth seat to go with it. No sooner had I thought, "Bella would probably love this" that she said, "Mom, can I have that?" I told her that it was called a vanity to which she replied, "Yes, it's a princess vanity."

My little girl loves to look at herself in the mirror, loves to look pretty and loves to have others comment on how she looks pretty. I'm hopeful this is simply a stage or a reflection that the girl has a great self image in place but one that will hopefully be tempered a bit with some humility down the road.

While we were at BJ's, a man noticed Bella and commented that she was adorable. Bella asked why the man said that about her. My response was to tell Bella that God blessed her with a beautiful face. I trust that one day she will indeed know and bow to the Giver of all good gifts!

What a blessing to have these special times with my three buddies.

Goals for 2011

2011-01-01T18:12:00.000-08:00

I thought it might serve me in the long run to post some of my goals for this next year. Something written in black and white for all to see and for myself to be reminded.

Taking some cues from this helpful guide: http://simplemom.net/new-years-resolutions-2011/, I will share a few of the "stars" I'm shootin' for this year.

Personal Growth:

continue canning/freezing/preserving fresh produce as it makes its way to me. I tried my hand at salsa and tomato soup this summer. It was A LOT OF WORK! But, I decided after my 2nd bowl of tomato soup that I think it's worth it. I just can't go back to condensed tomato soup.

Read "Food Matters"; Watch "King Corn" and other documentaries that will encourage conscientious, healthful eating habits in our home

Physical Health:

continue regimen at the Y and if my back allows me, begin training in May for a fall racing schedule.

Move away from refined sugars. I'm not eliminating sugar. We just like it too much and I'm too serious about many other things. So, we're eating sugar here...I'm just going to begin purchasing Sucanat and using Agave Nectar, Honey as substitutes for good ol' white sugar.

Eat less cheese. Might sound funny, but we eat A LOT of cheese. Cheese and chocolate. ;) We could get by fine with a little less. My hubby has high cholesterol and my son has reflux/excema/asthma. I want to see if cutting back on our dairy intake may help all of us.

Eliminate/Avoid all foods/drink with artificial colors/flavors in it. Again, this is mostly a push for my son who suffers from excema, but I think it'll be good for all of us.

Marriage & Family Life:

Be nice to my hubby. Some days it's really as simple as that. I just need someone (my mom would suffice) to stop me in my tracks at times and say, "Briana, be nice!" I speak too frankly, abruptly to him. It's really disrespect and I want to grow in this area!

I also want to make more of an effort to have treats around the house that my hubby enjoys like peanut butter cookies.

Show honor to my extended family (mom/dad/siblings) by acknowledging their birthdays and anniversaries.

Money Matters:

I'm putting myself on a "spending freeze" of sorts, challenging myself not to buy anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Defining what's necessary is going to be the challenge.

I'm taking a "spending fast" in order to meet another financial goal we have and that is to establish an emergency fund, a principle we gleaned from Dave Ramsey. Read about it here: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/emergency-fund-kick-murphy-out/lifeandmoney_saving/

What are some of your aspirations for 2011?

A New Year's Eve recap of 2010

2010-12-31T18:05:00.000-08:00

Since my hubby fell asleep on the couch early this New Year's Eve, I'll take some time to recap some of the highlights of our 2010.

started leading a new caregroup from church, a group of folks who we have come to love. We are blessed by our times together and encouraged by how we see God at work in each other's lives.
special days or times away as a couple and/or family: trip to Annapolis for Lawrence and me pre-busy season, our family day at the beach post busy season, trips to PA and WV to spend vacation time visiting with family and friends
hikes with the kids were especially fun for us this fall. We hit trails at Jerusalem Mill, Anita C.Leight Estuary, Ma/Pa, Susquehanna State Park, Rock State Park, and Eden Mill.
With the help of our friend, Jeff Cole, we installed laminate flooring in our living room, something I've been wanting to do for a long time. We also purchased some new living room furniture and re-arranged our basement a bit to accomodate an at home "school room".
Judah and Tucker graduated from Kindergarten!
We also began homeschooling Judah and Tucker for first grade this past fall.
I came upon two blogs this year that have been a source of encouragement and practical help to me: http://www.aholyexperience.com/ and http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/
I have made some changes to how we eat as a family and our sources of food based upon the influence of this documentary: http://www.hulu.com/watch/67878/the-future-of-food and the book, "Real Food" by Nina Planck (http://www.amazon.com/Real-Food-What-Eat-Why/dp/1596913428/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293848336&sr=1-1))
We also discussed some paradigm shifts in our thinking about finances and some of our goals in that area of life based on the book, "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki: http://www.amazon.com/Rich-Dad-Poor-Money-That-Middle/dp/0446677450
We were given the privilege of walking through others' trials and hardships, helping to bear one another's burdens through prayer, and extending comfort and encouragement as God directed us. We've been on the other side of it so many times; it is a true blessing and honor for God to give us opportunities to walk with others through their hard times.

Don't know what 2011 will hold for us, but I'm confident that the God who has brought us "safe thus far" will lead us safely all the way Home. (http://www.constitution.org/col/amazing_grace.htm

A Little Bit of Christmas

2010-12-29T13:44:00.001-08:00

If you're not tired of all things Christmas yet, feel free to take a look at some of the snapshots from our last month of celebrating!

I like to take pictures of how I decorate so that I have something to look at next year when I've forgotten how I did it! :)

We're a part of a homeschool co op that meets once a week. Here are a few shots of a Christmas presentation put on by all the children who participate in the co op along with some pictures of what our everyday life in December looks like at home...

On Christmas Eve, we had the special privilege of having two of our favorite buddies come to stay with us all day while their momma delivered baby #3!! WE love you, Grigers!

Chocolate Crunch

2010-12-08T12:29:00.001-08:00

Here's something we made today, and it's delish! A little something different than the typical Christmas cookie this time of year...

Chocolate Crunch:
3 c. regular oats
1 cup Rice Krispies
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c. honey
2 Tblsp canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (60 or 70% cocoa), finely chopped
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Cover jelly roll pan with parchment paper.Coat paper with cooking spray.
Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl.
Combine honey & oil in saucepan until warm (abt 2 min.).
Remove from heat. Add vanilla & chocolate; stir until smooth. Pour chocolate mixture over oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Spread onto pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 min, stirring after 10 min. Cool completely.Stir in cranberries.
Serve over yogurt, fresh fruit, ice cream or eat it alone.

Store in an airtight container for up to one week, or freeze for up to one month.

Do you know what a Nutrimill Grain Mill is?

2010-12-07T18:27:00.001-08:00

Check out the following link to find out and enter to win one for yourself!

http://happilydomestic.blogspot.com/2010/11/nutrimill-grain-mill-review-and.html

Ladies Christmas Breakfast, 2010

2010-12-04T11:55:00.001-08:00

I'm consistently amazed by the creativity the ladies of our church show in putting together beautiful tablescapes for our annual Ladies' Christmas Breakfast. In typical fashion, I sneak into the sanctuary for an early glimpse at all the finished tables, deciding what elements I love about each one, and I choose my personal favorite. My tastes lean toward a more rustic look with natural elements; hence, my favorite typically portrays those things. This year is no different.

Convincing me further that this table would be my favorite is the fact that its creators were two women relatively new to our church, one of whom has been in our church less than a year. Both are military wives. Why is this significant? I have so much respect and affection for these women.

In addition to willingly yoking themselves to a man who serves our country in the causes of freedom, sometimes having to be without their husbands for lengths of time AND often moving around the country, even the world, every other year or so, my experience has been that military wives just jump into life and friendship. And so it has been with these women.

Donna and Mary, thank you for spurring me on in so many ways. And, thanks for jumping into our church life by decorating a table this year. I loved it! In fact, it was my favorite!

And, here is a slideshow of a number of other tables I found delightful.

The best way to appreciate these pictures is to click on the slideshow to see larger pictures.

3 "merries"

2010-11-29T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today Judah clarified for us that there are three merries:

"The merry as in 'Merry Christmas', the marry as in I'm gonna kiss you and the Mary as in Jesus' mother."

Just thought ya'll should know.

Trunk or Treat, 2010

2010-10-31T18:33:00.000-07:00

Our church hosted a Trunk or Treat for the community. Many of the caregroups within our church put together a themed car, even donning costumes to go along with the theme. Our caregroup chose to do the Lego theme. The physical and mental collaboration was a bonding experience for sure.

Other themes included the Amazon, camping, Disney princesses, music through the decades, Pokemon, Toy Story, Alice in Wonderland, a farm complete with live goats and chickens and my personal favorite, a science oriented one. I think I liked this one the most on behalf of my academically inclined boys. Right now, Tucker especially is really into tornadoes. He wants to read books about tornadoes, watch Youtube videos about tornadoes, draw tornadoes. He even calls Bugles (the popular chip like snack) a tornado snack. :) The science crew had something at their spot that created a miniature tornado in a soda bottle. It was rather cool.

So, here is a slideshow from our evening. I didn't ask permission from everyone of whom I took pictures if I could post it online. So, if you happen to view these photos, are in them and don't want to be, please let me know. I'll be sure to take the photo offline.

Fall Family Fun

2010-10-30T17:06:00.000-07:00

Apart from the days growing shorter, I LOVE the fall. I love the leaves turning colors. I love pulling out hoodie sweatshirts and jeans after having to bear my flesh all summer in shorts and tank tops. I love fall food: apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes and all things smothered in cinnamon. I love the crisp air, the leaf "storms" as the winds change. I love football, especially when the Steelers play. And, most of all I LOVE taking hikes with my family.

With all the pests that normally irritate and ruin a hike gone for the season, a hike in the crisp, autumn air does wonders for my pysche. Before our kids were even born, Lawrence and I would often take any free time we had to hike and/or run together. We'd talk then about one day making it a hallmark of our family time. And, now we're doing it. I'm grateful that my hubby's made a point of getting us all out of the house the last several weekends to enjoy a fall hike together.

Click on the slideshow below to enjoy some pictures I captured from this weekend's hike.

*There are also pictures from pumpkin carving Lawrence did with the kids, a day in the life of homeschool at the Almengor's and our caregroup preparing for an upcoming outreach event at our church called, "Trunk or Treat". Enjoy.

My little runners

2010-10-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

Bel Air parks and rec. holds a racing series for children up to age 12 every fall. The boys participated in the "under 5" category last year, and this year, all three of my kiddos ran. Bella, age 3, ran 1/4 mile! The boys were bumped up this year to the "under 12" category and ran 1/2 mile!

Bella cried and walked the entire 1/4 mile. But, she finished. And, I commended her like crazy. We put her in the race because she runs all the time at home and is fast. We really thought she'd enjoy it and do well. What were we thinking?! :) Nevertheless, we want to instill in our kids that non participation is really not an option once we've committed to doing something. And, our kids need a little coaxing at times. It's a 3 race series, so I'm hoping Bella will figure out this is fun and possibly get "most improved" by the end of the series.

Lawrence ran with the boys for their 1/2 mile, and while they came in last and second to last place, they ran the entire thing. Again, I commended them like crazy. I was so proud of their good attitudes and perseverance. A far cry from how they did last year. I believe I even heard, "That was fun" come out of one of their mouths. :)

attentively listening to instructions

at the start line

almost to the finish!

Autumnal Happiness

2010-09-28T18:05:00.000-07:00

2010-09 Fall Decor

Click on picture to see the album.

Between trying to update our living room with new flooring (done), paint, pick out new furniture and fixtures, and embarking on the homeschool adventure, my home has been a bit neglected. I live in a perpetual mess. Kinda makes it hard to decorate. But, I adore the fall; it is my favorite time to bring the outside in. So, on one of my mental health trips recently to my Amish farmer friend in PA, I stopped by several Amish farms and gathered a few signs of autumn to provide spots of beauty for my eyes to rest in my perpetually messy home. I took close ups so you couldn't see the mess surrounding all my little spots of beauty. At least now, when I can't take tripping over one more barbie doll or pushing old end tables out of the way one more time, I stop to gaze upon these little treasures. It does my heart good.

A couple recipes

2010-09-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Our caregroup met for dinner this past Saturday, and I was blessed to have hosted. I served 3 different kinds of calzones, all made with a whole wheat pizza dough inexpensively purchased at Shop Rite! *You can get dough balls 10 for $10 at Shop Rite when they run their sale. Otherwise, they're still only $1.79 which simply doesn't make it worthwhile to make my own!

I was asked for two of the calzone recipes along with the spices I use to make my own ground turkey sausage that goes into one of the calzones. So, I am posting it all here in case others may want to benefit.

First, I do take the time to make my own turkey sausage. It's really, really easy. Granted, I don't roll it into little links, but if you simply want ground up sausage, this is a great alternative to buying it in the store. I like it because I know exactly what's going into the sausage, and I can use ground turkey which typically has less fat than any sausage I could buy otherwise. So, here's the link to the recipe I use and have found to my liking.

*This recipe was found at recipezaar and the following is a note preceeding the recipe:

"A dry herb blend for giving any ground meat a "sausage" flavoring. Try this not only with ground pork, but also ground turkey, beef, or chicken. Adapted from a recipe that came with one of my pizza pans. Recipe can be doubled, tripled, etc as needed. Each batch is enough to season 1 pound of meat. Leave out the crushed red pepper flakes for milder sausage."

Yields: 3 Tbsp

Ingredients

1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 1/2 teaspoons paprika
2/3 teaspoon garlic granules or garlic powder
1/3 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, for spicy (optional)

Directions

Blend all ingredients together in a spice grinder or mini-food processor (or you may also just stir together if you like some chunkier bits of fennel in your sausage).
Store in an airtight container until ready to use.
To use, mix with 1 pound ground meat.
Chill seasoned meat 3 hours before using.
Or you may also use this in any recipe calling for sausage seasoning.

Tex-Mex Calzones (a Cooking Light recipe)

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1880021

Go Green Giant Calzone (a Rachael Ray recipe)

http://www.rachaelraymag.com/Recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipes/kid-friendly-family-recipes/Go-Green-Giant-Calzone

After

2010-08-14T19:03:00.001-07:00

Here's what my hubby accomplished today with a dear friend, Jeff Cole's help:

There's still caulking to be done on the trim, walls/ceiling to be painted, furniture to be bought and placed, and new, little accents added here and there to bring the room together (This is NOT "Extreme Home Makeover"), but I am thrilled to have new floors!!!

Before

2010-08-13T19:09:00.001-07:00

Slogans

2010-08-09T05:48:00.000-07:00

Some slogans our family is found saying often:

"Pay now or pay later."

Think child training or eating that third helping of dinner

"When in doubt, leave it out."

This comes in handy when I just can't decide whether to do something, buy something, etc.

"Something is better than nothing."

I am known to throw this out to my hubby in reference to family devotions or exercise.

"Asleep in the Storm"

And, my hubby throws this out to me when I'm calling him to say "HELP~ I have 10 things screaming for my attention at once, 3 of them being our children, and I'm losing my mind."

"We can't do it all."

We say this to one another A LOT b/c frankly, in our pride, we want to do it all and be it all. God brings daily reminders that we are finite and simply cannot do it all nor were intended to.

"You write checks your body can't cash."

Oh, my hubby says this to me all the time. Mom, it's all your fault! I guess I tend to commit myself to too many good things or try to tackle too many things on a to do list all at once forgetting that my body has limitations.

Interesting what these slogans say about the nature of our family?! Hmmm. What do you think?

What are some of the slogans by which your family lives or is guided?

Couches for Free

2010-07-22T16:54:00.001-07:00

My parents gave me this furniture as a hand me down when I was in college (a while ago, let's say). :) I would guess it's 25 years old. It's very comfortable but beyond well used. I can really commend the furniture to you because, honestly, we're taking it to the dump if no one can use it. However, if someone needs it and would like to have it for free, we would be glad to give it to them. We have a chair, loveseat (one leg is broken; currently sitting on bricks. I wish I were kidding) and a sofa. You'll see in the pictures below that there are several places where there are tears and/or it's been sewn.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

2010-07-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure why making Rhubarb Custard Pie makes me think of simpler times. Maybe because the recipe is from my Grammy Clemmer, a recipe that was likely handed down to her from her grandmother. Maybe it's because rhubarb isn't so much "in fashion" any longer. Nevertheless, I love it! This morning, I had my girlie help me put together our first (hopefully not our last) rhubarb custard pie of the season.

Bella beating the eggs and sour cream

Rhubarb/sugar goodness

I NEVER make my own crust, but today I did. Hand over hand, rolling out the dough.

Just waiting for the scrumptious topping

Look at those chubby hands working hard

Ready to be popped in the oven.

If you look closely, you can even see Bella got flour on her face, signs of a true baker!

We try not to laugh...

2010-06-28T18:08:00.000-07:00

Recently, my hubby was dividing up the clean up tasks for the kids. He told Judah that he was in charge of picking up the Legos. With that, my clever son looked at his brother, Tucker and said, "Tucker, I'm in charge of the Legos, so you are to clean up the Legos."

Nice delegation, son, but that's not exactly what Papi had in mind when he put you "in charge".

______________

Tonight, after many, many times of discipling Bella for not staying in bed (a nightly occurence), LA was leading Bella through a prayer of repentance to God, something like, "Jesus, forgive me for disobeying...please help me to obey."

When LA started to say the "please help me to obey" part of the prayer, Bella interrupted him and said, "No, no we're not going to pray that part."

Oh, we love our little sinners.

Randomness

2010-06-18T05:01:00.001-07:00

Some folks hate feet, so be forewarned. This first shot is of mine and Bella's feet. You'd not know there's a genetic link between the two of us by looking at our skin tone. I'm grateful at least one of my kiddos got their Papi's beautiful, Latino pigment. :)

On any given day, at any given moment, this is how you can find my daughter: with swim suit and goggles on; being poolside is optional for my girlie. Looking the part is good enough for her.

My crazies having an afternoon snack of popcorn while soaking their feet. What they decide to do for fun really strikes me as funny oft times, but I love 'em.

Kindergarten Graduation

2010-06-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

My boys graduated from Kindergarten on June 4, 2010.

I wanted to post some videos from their special day, but alas am having technical difficulties. Instead, here are some pictures from the wonderful ceremony their teacher, Mrs. Weber, put together to honor them and celebrate the many ways God has shown them His kindness and love this past year.

Funnies from the kids

2010-05-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was outside pulling weeds when my son, Judah, came by and said, "Mom, plants that don't need a lot of water are called succulents."

I didn't know that. So, I asked Judah, "Where did you learn that?"

Judah: "Handy Manny"

So, all that video/cable watching is paying off, my friends!!!!

__________________________________________

Tonight, we were enjoying a family favorite, 'Uno' when I looked across the table at Judah who had a freshly buzzed haircut and thought, "Too soon, you'll be visiting me for some holiday and we'll play cards."
So, I asked Judah, "Judah, when you grow up, will you come and visit me?"
Without even a blink, he replied, "Yes, but I'll have to ask my wife first."

I guess I should be glad he's got his priorities straight but that wasn't exactly the answer I was hoping for. :)

Adventures in Odyssey

2010-05-17T10:04:00.000-07:00

The kids and I have been enjoying listening to an online radio series called, "Adventures in Odyssey" during our lunch time. This is a radio series produced by Focus on the Family and has been around since I was a child. The production is not archaic, though. It's fresh, lively, and touches upoon topics relevant to growing up with Christian values in a broken, Christ-needy world. I would highly recommend listening to this radio series with your children as it often provides a context to talk about God's truths, principles and how to apply them to everyday life situations.

Below is a link (copy and paste) to listen to one of our most recent favorites. We've listened to it 3 times in the span of several days. :)

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/popups/media_player.aspx?Tab=Shows&subcategory=AdventuresInOdyssey&ShowPath=Adventures in Odyssey&broadcastDate=2010-05-12

End of Busy Season Family Celebration

2010-04-16T14:33:00.001-07:00

We are making a tradition of having a family day the day after "Tax Day", April 15th. LA takes off of work to spend the entire day as a family, doing a handful of the fun things our family enjoys together. We swing by Dunkin Donuts in the morning for breakfast, visit a local beach, go out to eat for dinner and watch a movie together at home. The weather could not have been better this year. We had such a delightful time at the beach.

The Many Faces of Bella

2010-04-07T11:50:00.000-07:00

No contesting that the prominent feature of my girlie's face is "cuteness". Yes, the girl is too cute for her own good as is evidenced by the following pictures. Other than the face of cuteness, she wears the face of a "foodie". The girl loves to eat, and often the only time she's quiet is when she's gotten into food that she shouldn't have. To her credit, she makes healthy choices most of the time, though she'll never refuse sweets. I just try not to have many available or within reach here at the house. Her favorite "go to" snacks are cheese and dates. Here she was caught getting in the parmesan cheese. Sad to say, it was the cheap, gross, pre-grated stuff...didn't seem to bother her....

And, thanks to one of the boys' friends at school (you know who you are :) ), my kids now only want to eat their yogurt if it has sprinkles in it. :)

Our Easter

2010-04-07T11:49:00.001-07:00

Seeing that I'm back on the floor again today (my back), I have time to upload some pictures from our Easter festivities...Enjoy.

Easter week review

2010-03-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

I was doing the "Resurrection Eggs" with the kids today and asked the boys if they remembered the name of the garden where Jesus went to pray before He was arrested.

Judah's response: "the Olive Garden"

One Thing

2010-03-28T20:01:00.001-07:00

I returned yesterday from a ladies' retreat my church held in Lancaster, PA. In addition to it being wonderful to be in Pennsylvania again and have my first (not last to be sure) taste of raw milk (for another post entirely), I experienced the nearness and love of God in special ways over the course of the 2 days we were away.

One way in which God met me is through the prayers and care extended to me by the women in my church over the past week. I was once again the humble recipient of many people's prayers and practical care after throwing my back out last Monday.

So many women asked how I was doing while at the retreat and sought to serve me by carrying my luggage, making sure I was comfortable and praying for me. Less than a week after I threw out my back, I can say that I feel so much better and probably 80% back to normal, the quickest recovery I've ever had from one of these episodes!

Some other highlights:

It was a treat to see one of my best buds, Laurie, and meet some of her new gals from Ohio.
The women from my caregroup who attended the retreat were such a blessing as they shared vulnerably and encouraged each other richly in our times of discussion after the messages.
Being given the privilege to pray for two dear friends of mine as they seek to take steps to grow in godliness.
Witnessing a number of women step out of their comfort zones in particular giftings such as sharing a prophetic word, praying for others and even delivering one of the messages in order to bless and minister to the other women.
A time of solitude was written into the schedule and provided some extended time for me to memorize scripture and pray through/journal about some upcoming transitions and making the most of the season of life I'm currently enjoying.
Seeing one of my absolute favorite people in the world, De Neumann, be rightly honored for the amazing woman of God that she is. I love you, De!
And, at the absolute top of the list from this retreat is that a woman received Christ this weekend and is now no longer an enemy of God but a precious daughter or the King of Kings. Truly amazing to witness new life in Christ.

I am grateful and humbled that God would provide such an opportunity like this retreat for me to experience His love and care in such tangible, memorable ways. I have said it many, many times, but I'll say it again. I LOVE MY CHURCH! I'm grateful for how the leadership of my church seeks to care for and shepherd my heart by providing contexts where I can grow in my knowledge and experience of God.

Lightening the Load

2010-03-24T06:40:00.001-07:00

My back went out this week. One minute I was talking to my friend on the phone; the next minute I was on the floor. God has been so kind in providing a good chiropractor whose adjustments along with persistent icing, rest and stretching have been helpful toward recovery.

This morning it occured to me that I must lighten the load in my purse. It's just too heavy, especially now that my back is on the fritz. How do we women manage to do that? We (at least I do) start with just the "necessities" in our bags, but somehow over time, we end up with everything in there but the kitchen sink. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

Nevertheless, it's time to clean it out.

The "spring cleaning" about to take place in my purse prompted some thoughts about this whole episode with my back and how it has forced me to "lighten my load" in other ways as well.

Within hours of falling to the floor, I had my schedule cleared for the rest of this week: cancelled dr's appointments, serving opportunities, even my weekly trip to the grocery store. Everything was wiped from my calendar this week knowing that I would need to do almost nothing but rest, ice and stretch to bring about the fastest healing possible.

And, there has been another effect of my back going out, another "lightening of my load" so to speak. I read somewhere (sorry..can't remember where or who wrote this), "Blessed is the thing that loosens our grip on earth."

This "affliction" has served to once again loosen my grip on earth, to remind me that I am not made to find my ultimate joy and satisfaction in the things of this earth, including my health and well being. It has once again lightened the load I can often carry around walking through my days, thinking that "load" will bring me joy.

God has indeed given us many gifts here on earth for our enjoyment. And, it is right for us to take pleasure in those gifts. I know for me, though, I can often derive so much pleasure in the gifts that I neglect pursuing my ultimate joy in the Giver. He mercifully "flattens" me at times to remind me to look up and remember the Giver of those many gifts. He reminds me that my ultimate joy will come another day, the day I leave this earth and enter into the place I was intended for, Heaven, to be with the Person I was created for, God.

It's not easy to have our loads lightened at times. When cleaning out that purse, don't we often hold onto things thinking, "I really need this and this and this..." only to discover we've not really lightened our load?!

It's not been easy to have my "load" divinely lightened this week. It's been hard not to serve my family in ways I'm accustomed. It's been hard and humbling to ask for and receive help doing things I'm used to doing on my own. It's been humbling to have to clear my schedule in order to solely focus on getting better. It's been incredibly humbling to be faced with my weakness, my needs and limitations.

But, I want to choose to see these things as God kindly "lightening my load", inviting me to come to Him for rest, take upon His load which is "light" (Mt. 11:30). What makes His load light? Humility, gentleness. (Matthew 11:29). I hope I'm growing in humility this week. I trust that is in part what God is doing through my minor affliction this week. It's loosening my grip on earth and growing me in Christ likeness.

How is God lightening your load lately?

Clone of a Cinnabon

2010-03-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

Here's a link to the recipe I used for our "cinna-bunnies" for our Spring Celebration breakfast.
I didn't make the dough from scratch, however, so I can't vouch for that part of the recipe. I simply used a store bought whole wheat pizza dough ball. It worked well, though I didn't give it enough time to rise once they were rolled up and sitting in the pan.

If you like "Cinnabon" cinnamon rolls, you will LOVE these. They really taste exactly like those. If you prefer a more traditionalk cinnamon roll, this may not be the recipe for you.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/clone-of-a-cinnabon/detail.aspx

Spring Celebration, 2010

2010-03-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

Today, we celebrated the return of spring. I have done this for the last several years with the kids, and the boys now look forward to their "cinna-bunnies" for our spring celebration breakfast. I "stole" many of these ideas from other mommas, the cinna-bunnies included; although, this year I tried to make them from scratch, mostly (thanks, Cathy Plack for the amazing recipe!).

I like doing the spring celebration separate from our Easter celebrations as it allows us to more easily focus solely on the death and resurrection of Christ at Easter. For our spring celebration, we start our day with "cinna-bunnies" for breakfast, pick one treat from the spring basket which included books for each child this year. I usually have a spring craft and/or treat to do. This year we made birds nests with our friend, Duncan and Owen Jones, out of chocolate, coconut, pretzel sticks and jelly beans. I sadly don't have any pictures of those because it took two mommas' undivided attention to make sure all the jelly beans weren't eaten up before they got into the nests. :)

We read books about spring. When LA arrived home from work, we went to Mistyglen farm (friends of ours) for a hike. We ate egg salad sandwiches for dinner and enjoyed another chocolate treat from our spring basket for dessert. It was a wonderful day giving thanks to God for seeing us through another winter and welcoming us to a new season of warmth, light and life.

Lessons Learned

2010-03-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

The boys were doing some practice handwriting for school this morning, and Bella was providing much distraction. I encouraged the boys to try to block out all the distractions around them and focus only on their handwriting. To provide further motivation, I told the boys that one day they might have a job where they are required to concentrate really hard on their task while others around them might be doing other tasks that could be distracting to them. They would need self control to block out those distractions to do a good job at their own task.

The boys sat for but a moment trying to process this bit of information and then Tucker curiously asks, "So, Bella will be at work with us?"

Happy 8 Years!

2010-03-16T04:47:00.001-07:00

Happy 8 years to my lover
best friend
the one who has been the face of Christ to me more than any other,
the greatest gift God's ever given to me.

Thanks for asking for my hand 8+ years ago high up on the mountaintop
for not just staying with me when I've dragged you through some deep, dark valleys--
but loving me in and through them.

We've had some unexpected, amazing summit views
as well as stony, narrow, dark valleys to walk through.
Fewer for us have been the plateaus where we've just had to plod on,
but I've been grateful for those times, too--
when you've simply held my hand and enjoyed the trek.

I pray for many more years of journeying home with you by my side.

I love you and am grateful to God for you more than my words can express.

My "sweet" girl

2010-03-13T17:56:00.000-08:00

Got this dress from a local thrift store and LOVE it for Bella. If I could find it or sew, I'd have a matching one and be corny like that.

I'm sure I wouldn't look quite as adorable in it as she does, though!

As cute as she is, she is that much mischievous. Here's what she got busy doing one night recently when LA and I were watching our favorite show, "The Amazing Race".

The bathroom was not spared.

Nor was her bedroom

This is how we found her...fast asleep. Notice the deodorant in the bed with her. That would have come from our bathroom! She has a thing about my hubby's deodorant. She asks to smell it nearly everyday.

Rather angelic, isn't she? Looking at least!

The underground church

2010-03-04T08:09:00.000-08:00

The boys have been learning about different countries around the world at school.
Recently, China was the country of the week. As we talked about various aspects of Chinese culture, I explained to them that Christians in China cannot always worship God openly and in the same way we get to worship God here in the United States. I explained that many Chinese Christians have to meet secretly to worship God together, pray and read God's Word. I told them that this kind of secret meeting is sometimes referred to as the "underground church".

A couple days after this conversation, Judah was talking to Lawrence about this. He said, "Papi, did you know Chinese Christians have church in the dirt?"

We've come a long way, baby!

2010-03-01T12:49:00.000-08:00

There have been several milestones and memorable moments here at the Almengor homestead (ha..not really, but I'd love it to be) that I haven't taken time to write about. (I know I'm ending my sentence in a preposition...but, it's my blog for my own sake, so I'm going to. Ha. I did it again!)

Let's start with Judah since this is "judahupdate.blogspot.com" after all.

We've been tracking Judah's growth for several years now. I cannot believe it's been several years that we started down this road, but alas time flies when you're having fun (or just too busy to notice).

It'll be 2 years in May that Judah's endocrinologist recommended we start Judah on a daily shot of human growth hormone. It's been nearly 2 years that we've patiently and persistently asked God to sustain Judah's growth so as to either hold off on such a course of treatment or not need it altogether. It's been 2 years that we've gone to Dr. Germain-Lee every 3-4 months for height/weight checks and blood draws. It's been 2 years that we've avoided having to begin the treatment of HGH shots because God has answered our prayers and continues to answer our prayers to sustain Judah's growth.

During Judah's last endocrine appointment, Dr. Germain-Lee looked at his charts, bloodwork and him and said (and I quote), "He is an anomaly. I do not understand it. He should not be growing like he is."

We give thanks. We do not take it lightly that the God of the Universe, Creator and Sustainer of all things, hears and answers our prayers. We know that God may in time allow Judah's body to fall in line with the laws of nature that HE established and halt Judah's growth. By God's grace, we will accept that with gratitude just as we have gratefully accepted God's supernatural intervention up to this point.

On another health front, I recently took Judah to see his neurologist, Dr. Comi, whom he hadn't seen for nearly 2 years~ Understanding the implications of Sturge Weber Syndrome, one would realize that this fact alone is a lot to celebrate. There aren't too many folks with SWS who willingly go 2 years without seeing their neurologist. BUT, we have had no need. Neurologically, Judah has been doing so well. No signs of seizures/strokes/developmental delays, etc. No problems have erupted with his VP shunt.

When Judah was 13 months old, he had an MRI of his brain which gave no indication of brain involvement in regards to his SWS. To say we were relieved is truly an understatement. Unless you are a parent of a child with SWS or perhaps some other chronic diagnosis, I'm not sure you can fully appreciate the relief that comes with news such as this. Nevertheless, our relief has always been somewhat stifled by our understanding that not enough is known about the progression of SWS for a doctor to confidently write off the possibility of neurological complications to begin in a person somewhere down the road. We've never received that kind of concrete prognosis for Judah...until last month!

Dr. Comi was grateful I brought Judah in to see her. In her vast experience with SWS patients, she has not had another who had no brain involvement AND hydrocephaly (swelling of the brain which required Judah's VP shunt) at the same time. She and other of Judah's doctors found this to be puzzling at best. Mere coincidence that the same child would end up with two different kinds of neurological disorders? Well, we know better, of course. We know that whether Judah's SWS and his hydrocephaly are related or not, God is His Creator and fashioned Judah in such a way that this is not a mystery to Him. Along the way, there have been a number of doctors "puzzled" by our little man. We are so grateful to know the ONE who is never puzzled by any health matter/bodily function going on with Judah or any of our kids for that matter.

So...we saw Dr. Comi, and I asked her about then potential need for another MRI to see if there might have been changes in Judah's neurological status. She felt there was no need for a repeat MRI because in her entire career and vast experience, she has yet seen a patient who had a clear MRI done after 1 yr. of age return later with signs of neurological involvement. WOO HOO. Thank you, Lord. Like Judah's growth, we'll take what comes. We will choose to trust ultimately in God and not solely on statistics and what our doctors prognose. But, we will give thanks for every bit of good news we receive on this journey with Judah.

Now, there is our girlie.
She has had some of her own "big news" in the last several months.
Two weeks before Christmas (her timing not mine), she decided to potty train. I write potty "train" loosely because really, she didn't require much training at all. One day she had "the look" like she needed to go to the bathroom. So, I asked her if she wanted to try to do it on the potty. She wanted to try, and SHE DID IT! We all praised her like she had won the Nobel Peace Prize. It was about 2 days of asking her every 10 minutes if she needed to go to the potty, a handful of accidents later and she was pretty much trained. She hasn't worn a diaper since..even for naps or nighttime sleep which, to me, is rather impressive. The girl just gets it, I guess.

Not long after being potty trained, Bella figured out how to climb out of her crib. SO, again on her time table and not mine, she transitioned to her big girl bed. Again, she surprised me and did rather well with this transition. That said, we did have a bit of an "incident" just last night where she got out of her bed and scattered the contents under the bathroom sink and her closet all over the floor, vaseline and lotion included. (Pictures forthcoming)

The last "big" milestone for my girlie was giving up her "nukies" (pacifiers to everyone else). We have not allowed Bella to have her nuk during her wake time since she was about 2, but I just couldn't bring myself to taking them from her for her sleep time. It was definitely laziness on my part. I just didn't want to deal with a screaming baby at night again. That's what I anticipated would happen when we took her nuks away. BUT, yet again, she surprised us and has been without her nuks since her 3rd birthday without crying once for them.

Bella is difficult on a daily basis (what 2 or 3 year old isn't?). But, with these big transitions, she has proven to be such a big girl. It's where her fierce independent spirit has paid off for us, I guess.

SO, we are a diaper-less home once again. And, we no longer own a crib. No more bibs, baby seats at the table or bottles. Wow. It only took 5.5 years which is relatively a short time in comparison to many others I know. Maybe we'll be doing diapers again down the road. I wouldn't mind. No. There are is no other news, though we are in the process of researching adoption agencies. We'd love your prayers for us in this.

Bella's 3rd Birthday

2010-02-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

We decided to keep it simple this February with two objectives:
Get sick and then better again.
Celebrate our princess's 3rd birthday.
We're still working on the getting better part of those objectives, but here is a slideshow of the three different parties we had for our girlie. Enjoy!

Blizzard of 2010

2010-02-07T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here is a pictorial chronicling of our snowed in, home bound day.
I left out the pictures of LA behind his computer screen all day, working from home, and Bella getting her finger smashed in the door when the kids were playing "elevator", and me bathing all the kids early in the day in case our electric went out, and the mock indoor blizzard the kids manufactured by shredding a gazillion pieces of paper and throwing them up into the air, and the two conflicts that my hubby and I got in (and out of, by God's grace) over the course of the day. ;) But, here's a glimpse at the rest of our day...

Everyday Life

2010-02-02T18:56:00.000-08:00

We're grateful for everyday life here at the Almengor's. It's a bit nutso most of the time, but I'm trying to enjoy as much of it as I can and give thanks knowing that time is flying by and I won't get these days back with my babies ever again.

How are you enjoying your everyday life?

Kindergarten

2010-01-12T11:32:00.001-08:00

I had the privilege again to substitute teach for my boys' Kgarten teacher today. Here are a few photos of these 4 precious children with their "thinking caps" on.

And, the mailman today...the cutest mailman I've ever seen!

My Three Cuties

2010-01-12T11:27:00.000-08:00

At lunch time

Almengor funnies

2010-01-06T12:48:00.000-08:00

Because I will one day forget their sweet, squeaky voices and all the cute things they say at their ages...

Bella calls egg nog, "milk nog"

The other evening I asked all three of the kids to clean up the living room to which I received the typical complaining and asking me to help them. I told them that I had a different job to do in the kitchen while they did their jobs in the living room. Tucker replied with, "I think Bella thinks her job is to watch."

Today I was seeking to encourage Judah about wearing his eye patch. He hates wearing it, and he's supposed to wear it every day for 2 hours. As I've told him a gazillion times before, he needs to wear the patch to help make his eye grow stronger. Tucker replied, "Does it have fiber in it?"

My funny, wonderful children. I love you!

Our Christmas in pictures

2010-01-06T12:05:00.000-08:00

Needles, needles everywhere

2010-01-02T19:09:00.000-08:00

If there ever was a case for an artificial Christmas tree, this video would be it.

That said, we love our real Christmas trees here at the Almengor's and don't plan on going artificial anytime soon. Tucker's suggestion was to buy our tree on Christmas Eve and take it down on Christmas day. "That way, it won't die, mom." I guess it would help if we watered it every once in a while. It's nothing short of a miracle that children survive under my care!

Contentment

2009-12-20T14:38:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of contentment to me. We don't own any sleds, so the boys made due with a rubbermaid bin! :) It's not that we're never intending to buy sleds for our kiddos; it's just we never had to because our gracious friends, the Grigers, who used to live at the bottom of our court always had enough to share. So, because Maryland gets about one good sledding kind of snow storm a year, we never made the investment in sleds. Now that our buddies have moved to a different home (oh so far away in Bel Air), I guess we'll be purchasing sleds. In the meantime, my boys found a way to make due with a rubbermaid container and a willing, hero of a Papi. (*pay no attention to my girlie in the background declaring that she helped herself in the bathroom.)

Blizzard 2009

2009-12-19T12:06:00.000-08:00

So, it takes 20 minutes to get suited up, and 10 minutes after they're outside, they want to come in. Knowing this, I took video footage of the boys as soon as they stepped foot outside (when it was still fun). Now, they're out there begging to come in, and mean mommy that I am gave them a 20 minute minimum to stay out there. They're fine; they just need convinced to have fun every once in a while.

According the our county executive, we're at 8-12 inches already and will probably have another foot before the storm is over! *note to my family in PA: you may NEVER make fun of MD snow storms again. :)

What Can I Give Him?

2009-12-15T13:19:00.000-08:00

Mom, I had the boys do this for you. I knew you'd love it.

Christmas candy with the Grigers

2009-12-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to my business with the Pampered Chef, I have a Christmas tradition of making Christmas candy wreaths with my kiddos. I found this idea from a fellow PC saleswoman and loved it. I used it at my parties last year, and it was so easy that I did it with my kids. You simply dip mini pretzels in melted chocolate and arrange in the shape of a wreath. Sprinkle with festive colored/shaped sprinkles and voila! We have branched out and made other shapes, too, like candy canes, christmas trees, etc. It's quite easy and fun, especially with friends. We had our friends, the Grigers, over today to enjoy this Christmas tradition with us.

Bella the ballerina

2009-12-10T13:11:00.000-08:00

I promise I'll have videos of the boys up soon. My girlie is just too cute to not grab the camera and start shooting. Here she is "dancing" to a household favorite, the "Wiggles". Warning: you're likely to get dizzy sick watching this.

Bella in boots

2009-12-07T16:54:00.001-08:00

From the time she was a baby, Bella has LOVED shoes and any female accessory for that matter...purses, earrings, bracelets, rings, etc. She will take anyone's shoes and walk in them. She's quite skilled, too, at walking in any size, any shape of shoe. I would even say the girl walks better in heels than I do. Take a look at this video of my girlie strutting her stuff in my boots!

Christmas Decorations 2009

2009-12-06T15:50:00.000-08:00

You will not watch this video and think you just stepped onto a magazine's photo shoot. :) For that, check out Beth's or Danielle's blog.

I have rather ecclectic tastes, and I wouldn't say that decorating is among my strong suits. But, I like doing it, and I especially enjoy decorating with natural elements. This drives my hubby crazy as our home turns into a virtual wildlife center, creepy crawlies included. Anyway, enjoy this 3 minute video (roughly) of a walk through the main level of my home.

My Little Native Americans

2009-11-20T20:12:00.000-08:00

My boys' Kindergarten teacher is one of the best! She goes to such lengths to make her students' Kindergarten experience a pleasant and memorable one. I am thrilled that my buddies get to have Mrs. Weber for a teacher. They love going to school, and are thriving in that context. Today, Mrs. Weber, with the help of her whopping four students, put on a Thanksgiving feast for her class, their parents and grandparents. Here's a video of the kids singing, something they do each day with Mrs. Weber as a part of their Bible class:

Mrs. Weber does many special projects with the kids to make their Thanksgiving feast a lot of fun. One thing she does is to deck the kids out in Native American gear complete with vests, necklaces, headbands with feathers, and drums. This year, Mrs. Weber also made mocassin-like booties for each of the kids to wear, and I went crazy with the face painting. She also gives them individual Native American-types of names. Judah was "Bear Claw" and Tucker was "Grey Fox".

We are so grateful for the boys' Kindergarten class and especially their teacher, Mrs. Weber. Thank you, Kathleen, for making our kids' experience of Kindergarten so memorable. We love you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bri's new "do"

2009-11-17T12:19:00.000-08:00

Because I only go to a salon to get my hair done once, maybe twice a year (I wish I were kidding), the cut and/or color is usually on the more dramatic side. If I'm going to spend that much money on my hair, I want the whole world to know I got my hair done.

I had it done on a Thursday night after the kids were in bed. So, Friday morning when the boys woke up for school I asked if they noticed anything different about mommy. *They always noticed my haircuts/colorings in the past; I was surprised they didn't say anything right away.

Tucker's response: "You took a shower?"

nice.

Mommy: "Well, yes, I did, but what about my hair?"

Tucker: "You combed it!"

So, I'm thinking either 1.I need to work on my hygeine habits or 2. my boys really are becoming little men. :)

For all my friends and family at a distance, here's a little video of my new "do". It's a video b/c that's the only digital capability we have in our house. Nevermind the concentrated look on my face or the flyaway piece of hair in the back.

Some Ideas for Christmas

2009-11-12T13:04:00.000-08:00

Yet again, my friend, Laurie, inspires this post. She asked some of her twitter friends to blog some ideas for Christmas gifts. Here are my top three.

1. Something sentimental
Marketing got me this year, which is unusual for me. But, it's Hallmark and that may have something to do with it. Probably my favorite gift idea this year comes from them. It's a recordable story book. I am buying it for my parents to give to my children. I think this gift is especially great if grandparents live at a distance and can't be seen on a weekly basis. Find their selection here: http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/article%7C10001%7C10051%7C/HallmarkSite/GoldCrownStores/GCS_HOLIDAY_GIFTS_STORYBOOKS

2. Support someone
I like to multi-task. What woman doesn't? I think I found a way to "multi-task" of sorts in my gift giving this year, too. I have friends and family who have their own business from a handyman to jewelry to makeup, home decor and of course, my own business of the Pampered Chef. If you have friends and family who are in business for themselves, why not seek to support their efforts by purchasing something from them for your loved ones. It could be an item, a gift certificate/card or so many hours worth of someone's needed service. (**We'd love for any of our family to purchase some "handyman" hours from our friend, Ed Griger, to give to us for many needed home improvements.)

I'd much rather give my money to someone I know who will benefit directly from it than to Walmart. But, that's just me. :)

3. Experiences
We're not into "stuff" here at the Almengor's...well, mostly. I like experiences and/or consumable gifts. Why not bake or cook someone's favorite dish for them for Christmas? Or buy their favorite candy?
I like the idea of giving my children and family experiences rather than more things.
So, for my boys this Christmas, I'm asking for money for them to go to summer camp in 2010. And, I may ask for money for Bella to take some dance classes.
I may give our kids swimming lessons for Christmas (not sure they're going to be thrilled about this one, so it's still being discussed).

A Fall Favorite and a little secret

2009-11-11T13:29:00.000-08:00

This is for you, Laurie, and anyone else who LOVES all things apple.
The absolutely best apple cake on the planet (mind you, not necessarily the healthiest)...

Beat 3 eggs
Gradually add 2 cups sugar
Blend in 1 1/2 cups of oil (I use canola)
and 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine the following dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients:
3 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Stir in 3 cups peeled, chopped apples and
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

Pour into greased and floured 10" tube pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hr. 15 minutes

Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes before tunring upside down on plate.

Topping (which is the best part of the cake, so don't skip it):
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
pinch of salt

Boil this for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour over warm cake.
Try not to eat the whole thing by yourself. But if you can't manage that, just don't eat it all in one sitting. :)

And, here's a little secret from my kitchen. I'm sure I got this tip from somewhere, but I can't remember.

I love to make quick breads: zucchini, banana and pumpkin among my favorite to make. But, for any quick bread, this little tip makes the bread extra special.

**Instead of using cooking spray on your pans, try buttering the pan and then "flouring" it w/ sugar rather than flour. This creates a sugary, crunchy outer edge to the quick bread while the inside is soft, squishy goodness.

Waiting for the doctor

2009-10-27T07:01:00.001-07:00

We're trying really hard to get better here at the Almengor's.
After 5-6 days of fever/cough, we took all the kids to the doctor yesterday. Figuring the waiting room would be crowded (and it was), and not wanting to share our unknown germs with anyone else who may actually be well, LA wisely brought our laptop and a movie for the kids to watch in the van while we waited for the pediatrician to be available.

For my family and anyone else who may miss seeing my kiddos' faces, here's a little video of them watching a video. HA! I know...real exciting. I'm just figuring out how to upload the videos we've taken on our flip, so eventually, I'll get others up here.

Picture of poop

2009-10-06T12:45:00.000-07:00

Like the title? :)

All went amazingly well at Hopkins today with Tucker. In fact, I'm sitting at my dining room table at 4 pm this afternoon as he works on homework and tells his brother what to do. Today was yet another reminder of the power of prayer.

After dropping Judah off at school, I realized I had no idea where to take Tucker once down at Hopkins. Because the appointment was made recently, we had not yet received any confirmation or information letter in the mail. We drove back home so I could scramble to find any information at all. Thankfully, I still had a brochure the GI nurse gave to me at our initial office visit which told us where to go.

LA and I were so pleased with how brave Tucker was. Judah told Tucker all about what to expect from a trip to the OR as he is rather familiar with the process at this point in his life (one advantage to having a kid with chronic medical issues).

I think the hardest thing for Tucker was not being allowed to eat. He wasn't thrilled about and cried while LA put on his hospital gown, which I refer to his "Jedi Knight-gown" because I think my buddies look like little Luke Skywalker's in it. Unfortunately, today the pre-op. only had a hospital 'shirt', so Tucker got to keep his jeans on...not quite as cute.

I was super proud of Tucker as we walked back through the ever crowded and industrial hallways of Hopkins to his OR room. He kept repeating that he didn't want to do this as I reminded him he didn't have to want to do; he just had to do it. I reminded him that I wouldn't allow anyone to do anything to him that would harm him and that while he may not like going through this, it was ultimately to find out what has been making his tummy hurt.

At my sons' age, it does no good to try to keep reality from them. They are much better served by knowing ahead of time what they're going to experience....not much ahead of time, mind you. But, we definitely do not want to spring any unfamiliar and potentially scary experience on them and hope they will forget and forgive us later for it. I believe this has been a bit of the wisdom God's granted to us as we've prayed so many times for Judah and all our kids' medical issues. I felt a sense of confirmation of that as one of the post-op. nurses passed on commendation from the pre-op. nurses and OR docs for how we "handled" our son before the surgery and during the "take down". :)

A nice "trick" we've picked up along the way (and one you may want to keep in mind for yourself or others you may come across who will have to go under for surgery or a procedure) is to ask for chapstick to coat the inside of the gas mask. It helps a bit with the yucky smell of the anesthesia. Tucker picked bubble gum flavored chapstick, and boy did he paint the inside of that mask something fierce. We allowed him to hold the mask at first as the anesthesiologist told knock knock jokes (which were actually kind of funny). The anesth. dr. was very patient and well experienced, and did a great job keeping Tucker calm while the gas took effect. Tucker didn't cry at all for this part, and went into a nice, deep sleep rather quickly.

As Tucker faded, I was sure to tell him that I would be there when he woke up and that Jesus would be with him the entire time he was in the OR. I was very comforted and encouraged to hear the anesthesiologist say, "He's in this room with us all the time." Not something I've come to expect from medical staff, but super grateful nonetheless.

LA and I grabbed a snack in the cafeteria and shortly after we returned to the waiting room, Tucker was all done.

He came out of anesthesia really fast and really well. I was waiting for the "shoe to drop", but it didn't and hasn't... no throwing up, no nausea. He ate like a champ and has been pleasant, coherent. He's done so well.

We should have results from the bloodwork and biopsies by next week. We'll let you know, but for now, there was nothing that looked terribly alarming to the physician who performed the tests. The doctor did make copies of the pictures he took and gave them to us which included a picture of my son's poop....lovely, huh? I'm thinking he'll probably love that for show and tell. Kathleen?

Tucker's Turn

2009-10-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, LA and I will be taking Tucker to Hopkins for some testing to find out what is ailing him with his GI tract/throat. He'll be under general anesthesia with intubation which is probably the most complicated part of the whole thing. Intubation can make recovery a bit rough given my boys' history with asthma. I've started Tucker on some preventive asthma meds. hoping this will help matters.

Tucker will have an endoscopy, some biopsies, bloodwork along with some other tests that I frankly can't remember the names of. All this is being done with the intention of discovering what has been bringing so much discomfort to my son for the last 4 months. I must say, though, that I know of many folks who have been praying for my little guy and his symptoms have been a lot better in the last 3 weeks. We are grateful.

Please pray the doctors would be gentle with Tucker before, during and after the procedure.
Please pray that we will walk out with some answers for what is ailing my son.
Please pray that LA and I will faithfully and skillfully lead our son and our other children through these circumstances.
Please pray that our trust in God will not falter and we will be found faithful as we walk through this trial with one another.

A Rite of Passage

2009-10-04T11:52:00.001-07:00

Just something I want to remember.... I sent the boys on their first errand, alone. My sweet friend and neighbor, Heather, picked up some groceries for me while she was at the store last week. I needed to get them from her in order to finish my dinner on Friday, but Bella was still napping.

SO, I sent the boys together on their first errand: to run to the bottom of our court, give the money I had given them to Miss Heather, collect our groceries from her and run home. I told them to stay on the sidewalks and not talk to anyone they didn't know. I called Heather to let her know they were coming and asked for her to look out for them. I noted the time on the phone when the left my house. Heather called me when they left her house. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw them running home, groceries in hand.

A BIG to do for just a short jaunt to the bottom of our court. But, it wasn't just a short jaunt, was it? It was a giant leap into independence for my boys. And a giant leap for me, I might add, into letting go. sigh.

Kindergarten Cuties

2009-09-15T11:51:00.000-07:00

Mrs.Weber, the boys' kindergarten teacher, has a mailbox in her room where people can leave mail for the students to receive each day. I left a note for each of my sons last night from being at the school for Back to School Night.
When I picked my boys up today from school and asked if they got mail, Tucker replied that he did. I said, "Who was it from?"
Tucker's response: "Someone's mommy".

_____________________________________________

September is "Teddy Bear" month for Mrs. Weber's Kindergarten class. For Kindergarten cafe which they do once a month, they will be making root "bear" floats. Judah was very excited about this as he told me about it today. He said, "Mom, we're going to mix icecream and beer; it's going to be so good!" :)

The Night Before the First Day of Kindergarten

2009-09-13T17:12:00.000-07:00

Pants are hemmed, ironed and laid out along with their white polos and brand new sneakers.
Backpacks are packed with their first pencil boxes filled with scissors, glue, crayons and of course, a brand new pencil.
Snacks are prepared for their mid-morning snack. Judah will have an apple; Tucker, a banana.
Boys are in bed.
Mom is trying to capture every last moment of her babies being pre-schoolers.
Tomorrow, at 8:30 am, one season ends and a new season begins.

I had big plans to make this transition from one season to the next very momentous. We were going to do an "end of summer" trip to Broom's Bloom, our favorite local dairy where they serve the best hand dipped icecream in the county. I thought of a special breakfast such as chocolate chip pancakes or Dunkin Donuts (to have on a Monday would be very special at our house). These were two ideas among others. Somehow, special events always seem to be accompanied by food, and for the Almengor's, it's usually something sweet.

But, we've been hit with a small trial here that required me to re-think my plans. As I mentioned in the post previous to this one, Tucker has been having some issues with his throat, what was being treated as reflux. We have seen a GI specialist, and are waiting to hear back from a scheduler at the hospital for Tucker to have some further testing done. In the meantime, my son is in so much discomfort, and to hear him describe his affliction to me, to see him not be able to eat, disinterested in play, lethargic and constantly distracted by the pain in his throat without being able to do anything to help him has been such a test for me....a test in trusting God, trusting that He hears our prayers for mercy and healing, a test to trust that God is always working ALL things together for my good and the good of all who love Him.

But, I've been given this test before, in fact many times throughout my life. And, to my shame, I have failed this test many, many times. After the first real test of losing my father to brain cancer when I was 12 yrs. old, I spent years wrestling with this issue of God's unfailing goodness to me.

So, now, as a mother of children who seem to have a number of health issues, a context that can often tempt a person to doubt God's kindness, mercy and love for them, I am keenly aware of the opportunity I have been given to help my children grow up with an unshakable confidence in God and in what He says about Himself in His Word. I recognize that when my children get sick, it is not only a trial for me, but for them. Furthermore, it is not only an opportunity for God to work in my life but also to be at work in the hearts of my children as well.

My prayer throughout the last several weeks as I've prayed for my son has been two-fold. One, that God would heal my son's physical ailment. Two, I've been praying that God would give me eyes to see not only what He is wanting to do in my heart but also what He is wanting to establish in my son's heart.

I wish I could take my son's suffering. If I could snap my fingers and make it go away, I would. But, my wisdom is faulty and short sighted. God's wisdom is perfect. And, somehow, in God's perfect wisdom, He has chosen for Tucker to continue to suffer. I want to impart to my son a full confidence not in his or his mommy's wisdom but in God's perfect wisdom. I want to impart to my son a confidence that accompanying God's perfect wisdom is His perfect love and mercy. I pray Tucker will feel better soon. I pray that God will heal him fully or provide means of grace through medication and/or medical intervention of some sort that will bring health to his body once again. But, I also pray that God would sure up in my son's heart at this young age an absolute confidence that God is for him, that God loves him enough not only to heal Tucker's physical body but moreso to send HIS Son to suffer and die on a cross so that Tucker's soul would be made pure and right with God.

Would you pray this way for us as well?

As we embark on a new season here at the Almengor's, we will trust that God has gone before us, will come behind us and has His hand upon us. We will trust that the same measure of love and mercy that God has shown us up until today will follow after us all the days of our lives.

And, I will try very hard not to cry tomorrow as I leave my sons in the very capable care and instruction of their first school teacher, Mrs. Kathleen Weber.

Day at the doctors

2009-09-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

Originally when LA took the day off today, it was to have some much needed down time for himself and family time with us. God had other things in mind, and that's fine...He is omniscient after all (or how I often put it, "God knows").

Judah began taking a new medication about a month ago, and the time was approaching for him to have some bloodwork done to see how his body was responding to the new medication. I thought it would be nice (for me anyway) for my hubby to take Judah to the lab. Tucker went with Judah, and was a great source of encouragement and distraction. On the way out the door this morning, I heard Tucker say to Judah, "Judah, you've got to be brave." I'm so grateful God has given them to each other as a constant companion.

Later in the day, we had to take Tucker for a consult with a G.I. doctor for some issues he's been dealing with all summer that we have, up until today, thought was reflux. Working with our pediatrician throughout the summer, we've adjusted Tucker's diet and tried a variety of medications/doses to little or no avail. So, today we took him to see a specialist.

After a long dialogue about Tucker's symptoms and a brief exam, it was decided that further testing is required to determine exactly what is ailing him. The GI dr. doesn't believe it's the "run of the mill" reflux but may be something called, "Eosinophilic Esophagitis" instead. I don't understand all the implications of this, but do know that it results from the body responding to some food as an allergen. Tucker will have to go under anesthesia to have several biopsies taken from his esophagus, stomach, lower GI tract and rectum...yeah, not pleasant. I'm glad he'll be under for this.

Though it would probably be a miracle, I'm praying we might be able to get this procedure scheduled for next week, before Judah and Tucker start school on the 14th.

It has been difficult to watch Tucker suffer all summer with what we thought was reflux. He will often say, "it feels like I'm going to throw up and sneeze at the same time." He's gone through periods where he hasn't been able to eat well if at all. The symptoms have gotten better at times but always come back. Most recently, he's been sleeping propped up on his pillow because it hurts too much to lay down. He'll wake up crying, and knows where all our "stashes" of Tums are located throughout the house. Poor guy.

It's not easy watching my 5 yr. old, Judah, brace himself for another blood draw. Nevertheless, I trust that God is using it for the good of all of us. While these are unpreferable circumstances, they are ripe with opportunity to impress upon my children the nearness of God, how He hears our prayers and furthermore, that we were not made for this world, but to live with God in eternity with perfect bodies. It presents a natural context to talk with them about sin and how it has reaked havoc on this world and our bodies, minds and everything else about us. It allows us to freely speak of Heaven and encourage our children to put their hope in Christ's return when He will make everything right again and take us to the perfect place that He is now creating for us.

For all this and more, I end this day giving thanks and affirming my trust in the One who created Judah and Tucker, who knit them together in my womb, who has numbered their days and knows the number of hairs on their heads, who loves them way more than I ever could...enough to send a His Son to die for their sins.

Summer Pleasures in Pictures

2009-08-13T12:19:00.001-07:00

One thing we love to do is go to Jerusalem Mill or what my children refer to as "the river". There are hiking trails, picnic tables and one precious spot that is perfect for pre-schoolers. A shallow spot of flowing river with plenty of shade and just enough of a shore for the mommas to park a seat and a packed lunch. We spend the entire morning there and finish up just in time for naps! I love seeing the kids explore the shore line, the water, throw rocks, dig in the dirt, watch the butterflies and just enjoy being outside in God's creation. What a blessing this little spot on the water has become to our family.

This would be Tucker indulging himself in his birthday treat. One of the things we did for the boys' 5th birthday was take them individually out on a date with mom and dad. We took them to a family favorite, Dunkin Donuts, to get a donut and milk. Then, we headed to Cracker Barrel where they were allowed to pick up to $5 worth of candy. This is one thing Tucker chose. I honestly thought he would bug me about eating it until it was finished, but he sucked on it during our date with him and hasn't asked for it since. And, I haven't exactly reminded him about it either. :)

This is Bella chompin down on a roasted corn from the Latino Fest. My girlie can eat!

What's summer without watermelon?! Here are my 3 buddies enjoying a slice out on our front steps.

Free Sundaes

2009-07-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

After sweating buckets at a local playground, I decided (upon the kids' suggestion) that an icecream treat was in order. I had coupons for free sundaes at McDonald's thanks to our local library's summer reading program, so decided to take the kids there. As we walked in, Bella screams, "Mom, where's the cow? Where's the cow, mom?"

Redneck Swimming

2009-07-30T11:35:00.000-07:00

We had one of those great blow up plastic pools for the kids to swim in, but we found it would get slimy and full of dirt too quickly. That and a slow leak in it prompted us to pass it along. Instead, we find this does the trick when the kiddos need a little water refreshment:

Every Momma's Dream

2009-07-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

We are observing that our son, Tucker, is a "natural-born" leader. He is an initiator (only for now it usually gets him in trouble). He typically receives much admonishment from us about being bossy, though we trust that one day that will turn into a gentle guiding of others into doing what's right. At least we pray so, and that's what we're aiming to accomplish in our training and discipline of our son.

This week, he's endured a lot of time in the "discipline spot" for helping himself to things without permission, for not appreciating his boundaries as a 4 year old and, instead acting as if he's in charge. We've talked a lot about this especially this week.

This morning, he brought his medicine to me in bed so I could give it to him (something he's learned to do rather than helping himself to his medicine....no, I'm not kidding), and told me he had a surprise for me out in the hallway. He couldn't wait for me to get out of bed to see it. I was thinking it was probably a lego tower of some sort or that he had brought his bowl of cereal upstairs to eat in the hallway (another thing he has done that he's not allowed to do).

Instead, I came out to the hallway to see nothing. That's right. Nothing. Tucker had taken all the dirty laundry from bath night the night before downstairs to our laundry room all by himself without being asked! Well, you can imagine my delight. I praised and thanked him and told him how blessed I was by his servant's heart to bless his momma. His smile could have lit up a room.

Father's Day, 2009

2009-07-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to see some of our Father's Day from back in June:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lnalmengor/FatherSDay2009?feat=directlink

Motivational Speaker or Manipulative Brother?

2009-07-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

This morning, I asked the boys to help me put the laundry away by putting their own piles of laundry in their drawers.
Tucker "cleverly" enticed his brother to do the work for him by saying, "Judah, you do the housework; you'll get blessed!"

Judah's growth

2009-07-13T13:07:00.000-07:00

Judah had a follow up appointment with the endocrinologist today. I took Tucker along today and left Bella with a sitter. I am glad that Tucker is now old enough to join Judah on some of his doctors' visits. I am trusting that bringing Tucker along will benefit both the boys in the long run.

Judah's endocrin. visits consistently tempt me with anxiety as it's been confirmed that Judah has a partial growth hormone deficiency, and the recommendation is to treat him with human growth hormone (HGH) shots daily. We have held off on this course of treatment as Judah has shown to be staying on the growth curve and steadily growing since we began tracking it closely about 2 years ago now. Granted, he's only on the 5th percentile, but he's on the chart, and he keeps growing at a "normal" pace. So, the doctor has been satisfied by that and been agreeable with our decision to hold off on beginning the HGH shots.

Today, the doctor reiterated that Judah's IGF1 levels are low (not that that means much to anyone reading this) and that his thyroid levels, though within normal ranges, are in the lower end of normal. When she recorded his growth and charted him in about the 6th/7th percentile, she declared, "his growth is amazing given the clear deficiency in growth hormone." I smile and silently give thanks to Judah's Creator who I know is ultimately in control of Judah's growth.

After asking the doctor if she has seen any other children follow this pattern, she says she has but it's unusual and that eventually, Judah's growth will "poop out" (her words) and match what we're seeing on his blood work.

For today, she was satisfied with taking another blood draw, to our surprise but Judah did remarkably well, and seeing Judah again in 3-4 months for another height/weight check.

Walking out of the clinic today with my little men at my side, I gave thanks to God for His mercy on Judah's life once again. I gave thanks for being given more time to pray and wait in faith for God to heal Judah of his apparent growth hormone deficiency.

On the way to the doctor this morning, Tucker asked if we could listen to worship music (as opposed to the "spanish CD" that the boys typically like to listen to). I was glad to oblige him. He suggested I play, "It is Well With My Soul" for Judah. Very sweet, thoughtful evidence of God's grace on that little guy's life. I have had the kids listen to a Jars of Clay version a lot recently on youtube. We all really like this version, and you can listen to it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnLOBwRbg_M

While in the clinic, the boys were coloring in a book the nurse gave to each of them, and ironically, on one of the pages they were asked to write their favorite song. Judah quickly said, "It is Well With My Soul". I am grateful for those precious times when God uses my children to remind me that HE is indeed near. Today we had a few of those moments.

I do want to be able to say, "It is well with my soul" no matter what path God will choose for us to walk with Judah. I do believe that's a part of the work He's doing in all our hearts here in the Almengor home. Thanks for your prayers.

Letters for Grandma

2009-07-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

My boys were working on "books" of their art for grandma. Tucker wanted to send his to her in the mail. He told me he wanted an envelope to put his name on the front so that grandma would know it was from him and not the mail lady.

First Fishing Expedition

2009-06-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

"You get a line, I get a pole

We'll go fishin' in the crawfish hole...." (lyrics from Little Big Town's "Boondocks", see video here)

The boys had their first fishing experience with their Papi yesterday. LA has been looking forward to this since before they were born. Behind the tears of having just been stabbed by the fish, Judah is having the time of his life. Tucker and Judah caught 6 fish each!!!

"Props" to the Neumann's who so kindly stock their pond extended an open invitation to our family to fish from it and to Vince, a co-worker of my hubby's. whose fond memories of fishing with his dad motivated him to help LA teach our boys how it's done. His fishing expertise played an integral part in making the boys' first fishing experience such a success.

Mother's Day, 2009

2009-06-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

These are a little late, but without having a digital camera, it takes me a while to get pictures developed, uploaded onto my computer and then finally onto the blog. I know; we live in the "dark ages" here. One day, we'll have a digital camera, God willing.

Lawrence did really well with the kids this year (with a few reminders and I think only one, more heated discussion about the upcoming Mother's Day). He surprised me with his creativity and I was very blessed by what he put together to honor me on Mother's Day.

More significantly, this year I was sincerely able to wrestle down my heart that, in its pride, thinks I should be honored, have the day off and be pampered with all the earthly pleasures that delight my fancy. While it is not wrong to be honored, have the day off or be pampered, it is wrong to consider oneself deserving of these things and demand them. Instead, benefitting from the prayers and accountability of a friend, I was able to honor my Mother in law this year by making her dinner and seeking to honor her on Mother's day.

Sadly, yet in typical child-like fashion, I forgot to even call my own mother. Oh, what a hypocrit I can be...demand something from my own children (who are 4,4 and 2) that I didn't even give it to my own mother when I am how old? My mother was very gracious when I did finally call her a day or two later. I want to be like her when I grow up! :)

Enjoy these pics. of what my hubby/kiddos did for me this Mother's Day.

Our time at the "Beach"

2009-06-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

The day after tax day, April 16th, my hubby took the day off (a much needed day off for all of us). We took the kids to a local park that had a beach head. We had the beach mostly to ourselves. It was a brisk, but beautiful sunny day. In fact, it was the only sunny day that entire week. And, our kids were actually sick the days before and after this day off. But, for this day, God seemed to have suspended all woes for us and gave us a wonderful family day together.
Here is a slideshow of our time together at the beach.

Benadryl

2009-05-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

The boys have been taking Benadryl before bedtime due to seasonal allergies. The other night Judah asked if they had gotten their "Conner-adryl". I was rather confused as all three of my guys laughed their heads off at this.

You see, the boys have cousins named "Ben" and "Conner". I heard Judah tonight say, "Come on, Tucker; let's go get our "Josh-adryl". (that would be Ben's brother).

They are clearly on a whole different humor playing field from their momma. I think Judah gets his humor from Lawrence. Either way, he keeps us laughing (when I get it anyway).

Sucking the Thumb

2009-05-12T05:19:00.000-07:00

Judah has a habit of sucking his thumb. As he's grown older, it's become something he does only when he's tired or upset about something, usually. On occasion, I'll find him simply zoning out with his thumb in his mouth, especially on a day like today when he's had less sleep than he's needed, his routine has been upset, and he's had 2 of his least favorite kinds of doctor's appointments within the span of 4 days. So, I wasn't surprised to see him with his thumb in his mouth as he watched Thomas the Tank Engine this morning.

Nevertheless, I try to encourage him to take his thumb out of his mouth, letting him know it's not good for his teeth.

This morning, Judah asked again what it will do to his teeth. So, as I explained that his teeth will get pushed out further and further which could make talking correctly and eating more difficult along with other potential problems, he responded with, "...and I'll have to get BRACELETS on my teeth."

Braces, my son, braces.