The Sweetness of Our Song

An Assortment of Paige's Senior Pics

2012-02-12T23:21:00.001-08:00

Click on photos to see larger and better quality.

Paige's 18th Birthday Beach Bash

2012-01-17T08:50:00.000-08:00

Ocean. Sand. Surfing. Volleyball.Bonfire.
Water. Wind and Waves.
Seagulls and Sunset.

Good Friends. FunTimes.

Reading List for 2012

2012-01-02T19:38:00.000-08:00

Ravished by Beauty: The Surprising Legacy of Reformed Spirituality by Belden C. Lane

A Way with Words: Christin Ditchfield

Comforts from the Cross by Elyse M. Fitzpatrick

Life as a Vapor by John Piper

How People Change by Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp

Brokenness, Surrender and Holiness by Nancy Leigh DeMoss

Esther and Ruth by Iain M. Duguid

The Fitting Room by Kelly Minter

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter Free Approach to Intentional Living

One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making LIfe Simpler

Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

New Year's Thoughts

2012-01-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

1. An Article from John Piper

2. What the New Year Needs Most

Christmas String Quartet

2011-12-29T23:25:00.000-08:00

When Love Was Born

2011-12-23T01:05:00.001-08:00

the cross in christmas from tammi dryden on Vimeo.

Christmas Baking

2011-12-22T22:44:00.001-08:00

Making Christmas Gifts

2011-12-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

Christmas Tradition

2011-12-19T08:44:00.001-08:00

This year, the girls earned their own money and put together their own shoe boxes to send to Operation Christmas Child and Taylor and Ashley both went with our church youth group to the warehouse in Orange County to help pack and ship them.

Christmas Tradition

2011-12-19T08:40:00.000-08:00

Advent: 3rd Sunday

2011-12-15T09:55:00.000-08:00

Ruth, Part 3

Searching for the Perfect Christmas Tree.

2011-12-14T22:06:00.001-08:00

When Christmas Doesn't Turn Out as Expected... or Experiencing A Real Christmas for Real Families

2011-12-13T14:34:00.000-08:00

What a great reminder - this is a must read every Christmas! An article from: Desiring God blog Post: OF KIDS AND CHRISTMAS

Launching a New Women's Ministry Theme

2011-12-10T01:04:00.000-08:00

This is our new logo for Sovereign Grace Church's Women's Ministry this year:

Second Sunday Advent Poem

2011-12-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ruth, Part 2

We have power!

2011-12-06T16:44:00.002-08:00

After almost 6 days without power or heat, we finally are on the grid! A friend of ours loaned us a generator yesterday. Sunday night was my breaking point where I couldn't take the cold and inconvenience any more and Ron got us a hotel room in town. It was soooo good to sleep in a warm room without shivering! Yesterday he set up the generator and we got food in the fridge and hooked up the heater. The temperature inside the house had gone below 50 and we could see our breath in the house. At least the generator helped get heat in the house so we could sleep comfortably.We hooked up some low energy LED Christmas lights and strung them in the living room, dining room and kitchen. looks kinda cozy!

Surviving the Pasadena Wind Storm

2011-12-05T01:17:00.001-08:00

I am currently updating from my iPad. Will post pictures later.

Huge wind storm blew through our area last Wednesday night. Santa Ana Winds devestated Pasadena and other cities in the San Gabriel Valley. many huge trees were uprooted and toppled onto steets and some crashed down onto homes and cars, over 200,000 homes were without power this week -now down to 46,000. we are one of them.

We have been without heat or electricity for five nights. We finally had to leave because the house was so cold we could see our breath!For the past four days, while Ron was out of town, the girls and I have been "camping" at our house: working and living by candlelight in the evenings, piling up blankets to sleep under, all sleeping in our master bedroom in front of the fireplace, keeping the fire going most nights. We tried to salvage what food we could by storing it in a cooler with ice and having to sacrifice what we couldn't save. We scoured the town for flashlights and batteries, but never did find any, but luckily I had just bought a lot of holiday candles for both Thanksgiving and Christmas so we were well stocked and have been enjoying beautiful candlelit evenings in front of the fireplace each night.it stopped being fun when it got so cold that we got ache-y from all the shivering we were doing and the house never warmed up during the daytime.

The girls were troopers and had great attitudes-trying to make the best of a difficult situation. We picked Ron up tonight at the airport at 10 pm, the girls took the dog and went to spend the night at Courtneys (she has heat AND electricity!)and we found a cheap hotel with wifi for the night. Will update more when we can. I've been charging my cell phone and ipad at Starbucks and the church office when I can. So communication has been difficult.When Ron came home tonight, he blessed me with a comfortable bed, heat, electricity and wifi - to help make up for a difficult four days while he was gone.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2011-11-28T13:52:00.000-08:00

Ron's up on the roof hanging Christmas lights, childhood stockings are hung, the Advent candles and ornaments are sitting ready, Christmas Village houses are set up and our Advent Calendar project is coming along nicely...

It's all so cozy -- until we step outside into the 80 degree heat!

Advent Candles

2011-11-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

We're doing something different this year for Advent. Instead of a wreath, we found this fun candle holder with 5 spaces - just enough for the four candles to mark the Sundays of Advent with the white Christ candle in the center.

Thanksgiving Weekend Hike

2011-11-27T06:27:00.000-08:00

We typically take a hike on Thanksgiving weekend - but this year, our trail was closed due to being burned out during the Station Fire 2 years ago. Although we didn't get to take our hike, we did walk around the creek a while and take a few pics before heading back home.

Advent Poem - 1st Sunday

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Here's a poem to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent:

RUTH, Part 1 - by John Piper

Random Photos from Thanksgiving Visit with Grandma and Grandpa

2011-11-26T11:27:00.000-08:00

Balboa Island

2011-11-26T00:17:00.000-08:00

Spending the afternoon on Balboa Island with Grandma and Grandpa Boomsma: strolling the water's edge, watching sailboats, enjoying beautiful gardens, sipping Starbucks, taking lots of pictures, riding the ferry, eating pizza in a small cafe on the boardwalk and then a gorgeous scenic drive along the Pacific coast on PCH. Good day.

What are you thankful for?

2011-11-25T23:45:00.000-08:00

Every Thanksgiving we answer this question around the table as we eat our dinner. Best answer yesterday came from Courtney:

"I'm thankful for this table - for what it represents: All the dinners we've had throughout the years together...around this table as a family. Hearing God's word read after dinner, morning Bible Studies..."

I've been thinking about this all day today. We've had this table for about 12 years. Give or take a few, that would roughly be:

~84 birthdays (7 people in the family x 12 years)
~96 annual holidays< ( New Years, Valentines, Easter, Mother's Day, Father's Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas)
~2,100 days of homeschooling
~4,380 dinners
~13,00 meals

This table has been a constant in a family that keeps changing. In twelve years we've gone from a young family with kids ages 14, 11, 5, 3 and 1 to now having 2 adult children with careers and living on their own, a daughter-in-law, 2 high schoolers and a junior high student.

We've sat at this table teaching everything from table manners, to how to use a sewing machine, to teaching every grade K-12. Years of handwriting, grammar, math problems and Latin lessons have been done on it's surface.

This table has witnessed our bickering, teasing, anger, quarreling, tears of frustration and bitterness, as well as our laughter, kindness, humility, cooperation and serving one another.

While our family dinner table isn't very fashionable, maybe a little rugged and rustic, it really does tell a story of the life we've lived together in this home and represents so much of who we are as a family. And that's what I'm grateful for!

Paige's New Prius!

2011-11-17T14:29:00.000-08:00

After searching Craig's List for several days and doing tons of research on small used cars that get good gas mileage, practically memorizing Kelly Blue Book stats, countless hours of phone calls, trips to the Toyota dealer for advice, scanning ads and calling private sellers and dealers from Long Beach to San Bernardino to Verntura... we finally found a car for Paige. And, thank goodness it was just in El Monte - just a few minutes from home!

Waiting....

2011-10-30T13:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted last. Mostly because someone, who shall remain nameless, dropped my camera and broke the lens.

My new lens should arrive in the mail on Thursday.

Can't wait to catch up with some updated photos.

See you then!

Look at this!

2011-07-10T12:45:00.000-07:00

Taylor modeling a dress that Paige designed and sewed last year.

Emma Watson wearing a similar dress at the premiere of Harry Potter - just last week.

Paige: FIDM

2011-06-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

Paige is attending a three day workshop at FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) - a program for high schoolers to explore their college program. She's attending the campus in Orange County - staying with some friends of ours who live just minutes from the college. While we probably can't afford for her to go to this college, she's able to explore many career options in order to see if this is the direction she'd like to take. Can't wait to hear all about her adventure!

Quick Family Update:

2011-05-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

Just finished two weeks of Jury Duty - downtown Los Angeles. I rode the Metro each day to the courthouse ( I felt so urban) - had to take it first to Union Station and then switch to another line to get to the Civic Center - and then walk a couple of blocks. The case was a simple robbery with a weapon - but the trial took so long because of several mandatory evacuations of the building. Once was a fire drill (took half the day) and two days the building was shut down because of a broken water main. All in all, it was a good experience - met some nice people and convicted a career criminal.

Paige is creating another masterpiece - redesigning a prom gown - using Taylor as her model this time.

Taylor is playing in a string quartet with three other girls - and practicing her violin diligently everyday and will perform on the school's graduation night.

I can't wait for school to be over - running out of steam.

We're going camping the middle of June. The day after our exchange student leaves. Looking forward to a little break.

We're getting three Ukrainian students (girls) this summer - not sure when or for how long - details coming soon.

Paige got a job at Pinkberry's - a yogurt shop just 4 miles away in La Cananda. Works mostly on the weekends.

Ron just bought a commuter bicycle to get to work and back. (It's just 3 miles away). Unfortunately, we're getting a rare rain storm this week so he won't be able to ride it until Thursday or Friday. We're looking forward to some long bike rides together on the weekends.

Just got matched with a student for the fall - a girl this time - Emily- and a student at the Christian High School here in Pasadena. Might look into having two students... (we have some remodeling projects that need attention - and this is the best way for me to work while at home.)

We're picking up Courtney from LAX Thursday night - finally coming home from England! We've missed her so much, glad to get her back!

Courtney

2011-04-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

Click on picture to see the entire collage.

See Courtney's Blog for an update.

Spring Cleaning: Making Paths for Peace and Beauty

2011-04-26T09:59:00.000-07:00

"I hope your day is filled with beauty to overflowing; wherever you go, whoever you are with, whatever you do, whatever you say. May each one of us, yield our hearts, throughout the moments of this lovely day, to the One who is Love; opening wide to to His ways, that he might live and move, and have His being, in us, and through us." ~Jewels

It's that time of year again - time for Spring Cleaning. Usually, we set aside a big chunk of time to take down and wash all the curtains, wipe down all the walls, clean the windows, pull the stove out and mop underneath, etc... But this year, I'm taking a different tack. I'm spreading the cleaning jobs out over several weeks - and spending some time focusing on our routines: taking a fresh look at what we do and how we do them; what works, what doesn't; where we need to change in order to accomplish what's important to us.

Just read this post over at A Study in Brown about how our routines and planning for order in our homes makes room for peace.

I was discovering that if we live in a state of continual reaction to our circumstances, we find ourselves submitted to chaos. All our life becomes urgency and disorder. We need to step out of that and craft an environment that highlights and embraces the beautiful and the lovely. This will allow us to respond thoughtfully and appropriately to the needs in our lives. (and in the lives of others.)

So, this year's Spring Cleaning is focusing on "crafting an environment that highlights and embraces the beautiful and lovely," looking at our routines to see how we can make sure we're

focusing on what really matters, and rearranging our schedules in order to have the time to "respond thoughtfully and appropriately to the needs of people in our lives."

Happy Birthday, Ashley!

2011-04-22T10:27:00.000-07:00

It's official. We now have THREE teenage daughters in the house. Celebrating Ashley's 13th with the family at her favorite restaurant: Outback.

Your Word Have I Hidden In My Heart...

2011-04-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

I've realized that I haven't memorized Scripture in a long time and decided to sign up for a Scripture Challenge: To memorize the book of Colossians in a Year. I read about it on my favorite blog: A Holy Experience by Ann Voskamp.

I printed out 3x5 cards with two verses per week on them and pasted them into a small booklet like the picture above. I found that it was too easy to lay aside the booklet and forget (neglect) to review the weekly passages. So I searched around for some on-line tools to help me stay on target.

Here are a couple of tools that I have found very helpful for practicing:

This one converts your verse to just the first letter of each word.

And the one I use the most is Scripture Typer. I list out the verses I want to memorize and it keeps track of my progress. A daily reminder shows up in my email box and it provides the little push I need to actually DO IT!

I am behind schedule and working hard to catch up. This week is a review of all the verses we've learned so far this year. I'm using the extra week to get back on track!

Where in the World is Courtney?

2011-04-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

This week: in Ireland spending her spring break with some friends of ours in Galway - Ray & Rebecca Clancy - a lovely couple we met last year.

Lucky for us, the elusive and camera shy Courtney was caught unaware by a stealth photographer and we are able to bring you this rare and exclusive photo.

Keeping in Touch with Courtney

2011-03-26T09:31:00.001-07:00

See Courtney's blog and pictures here: Beneath the Surface Dream

Courtney's Adventure

2011-03-02T10:35:00.001-08:00

We bring Courtney to the airport tonight! She's embarking on her 3 month study abroad program in England at Oxford.

Although we will miss her like crazy, we are so excited for her to have this experience! She has wanted to do this for years and has waited for just the right time to do it. For about a year and a half now, she's been working hard, living at home to save money, living frugally, putting tons of money aside to pay for the trip - all with the goal of getting to this point - going to England to study.

Her boss is very supportive of foreign, educational travel and has agreed to let her go to part time while she's away and do her work from England. So on the weekends when she's not out at a museum or touring a castle, Courtney will be sitting in a London Cafe telecommuting!

She'll be living with a host family about 3 miles from Oxford and will probably just take a bus to school. She's found a church close by that she's planning on attending while there. We have three Sovereign Grace churches she's hoping to visit during her trip - taking the train on the weekends:

During her spring break, she's traveling to Ireland to stay with some new friends of ours, Ray and Rebecca Clancy who have a church in Galway. They are a lovely family - and we know it will be a home away from home and that they'll take good care of her for us.

So grateful for the internet, emailing and video chatting - all good things to help keep in touch while she's so far away.

Visiting Gainey Vineyards

2011-02-12T01:27:00.000-08:00

Things to love...

2011-02-06T22:07:00.000-08:00

Ron and I are headed to Solvang for a few days for our annual "Marriage Check-Up" with Lynn and Terri. Over the last ten years, we've typically stayed at a beach town - so this is a departure for us to be so far inland. We are fairly close to the water, so if Lynn has any withdrawal symptoms, we can get him to the beach pretty quickly. :)

Looking forward to having some time celebrating God's goodness to us and reviewing evidences of His grace in our lives and marriages.

So grateful for a husband who takes time out each year to make this happen. Praying for a refreshing, encouraging, and fruitful time together.

Guess I better go pack now...

Figuring Life Out - One Thousand Gifts

2011-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:00

Looking forward to leading a book group this month with some friends at church. We have about 7-8 groups of women that are meeting together in small groups in homes to read through various books.

I am so excited to start ours this Friday! Last fall, I had a group of women that studied through Colossians - what a great way to build friendships and grow in your faith at the same time!

This time, we're going through the book: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp.

It is a beautifully written book that speaks to:

~how we can live fully - right where we are - no matter what circumstance we find ourselves in

~how we can cultivate gratefulness as worship to God

~how we can commune with the very present God - in all the moments of our day

~how to make sense of our lives and the world - even the difficult situations

~how to find joy

Here's a little trailer that talks about the book:

So... I'm singing a song of anticipation and gratefulness for new friends and old - who'll be sharing this journey with me over the next three months.

Hello February!

2011-02-01T12:31:00.000-08:00

Good bye, January! While I usually love January with all it's fresh starts and new beginnings, this past month has been very difficult and I am so glad that it's behind us!

I spent most of the month out of commission with a problem with my back - precipitated, I think, by helping set up bunk beds for the girls. I'm so grateful for Ibuprofen, my constant friend the past few weeks, which helped me get through various commitments and responsibilities.

Our trip to Cambria was a breath of fresh air in more ways than one, and although I was still in pain, it was so good to get outside and off the couch!! Sea breeze, sunshine and blue skies -- just what I needed!

Happy to report that I am feeling MUCH better! Now that the pain is in the intermittent and manageable category, I have a lot of catching up to do! Unfortunately, homeschooling was a "fail" for me - and we are a bit behind. Hoping to make up for it this month - and get back to our regular routines and on track with our schedules.

So, here's to fresh starts and new beginnings - in February!

Cambria

2011-01-26T13:59:00.000-08:00

Spent a few sun soaked days on the central coast in Cambria. Ron and I took a couple days off to get out of the city and away from it all to catch our breath and recharge.

We found this beautiful spot along the ocean with a mile long board walk for strolling along the breathtaking scenery - and breathing in all God's glory and creativity! What a wonderful way to soothe the soul and quiet your heart!

We had a great time doing nothing but stroll, shop, talk, read, watch the sun turn the ocean into miles of dazzling sparkles, listen to the pounding of the surf, walk along the water's edge and marvel at the elephant seals near San Simeon.

Discovered this sweet little place- The Burton Inn nestled at the end of a quiet avenue on the East Village side of Cambria - next to some of our favorite hand craft shoppes that sell art, furniture, yarns and jewelry.

Next door to our inn was a yarn shop called Ball & Skein - super friendly owners and cool yarns. Hard not to buy everything you see!

We loved a little store across the street called: The Shop Next Door and bought this Wendell August handcrafted tray. Good to be away - to breathe deep and be silent - getting ready for all this new year will bring us.

Repost: Remembering Why We Named Our Blog...

2011-01-25T13:23:00.000-08:00

Work And Contemplation

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

"The woman singeth at her spinning-wheel

A pleasant chant, ballad or barcarole;

She thinketh of her song, upon the whole,

Far more than of her flax; and yet the reel

Is full, and artfully her fingers feel

With quick adjustment, provident control,

The lines--too subtly twisted to unroll--

Out to a perfect thread. I hence appeal

To the dear Christian Church--that we may do

Our Father's business in these temples mirk,

Thus swift and steadfast, thus intent and strong;

While thus, apart from toil, our souls pursue

Some high calm spheric tune, and prove our work

The better for the sweetness of our song."

As I was enjoying the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning this week, I found the title of our family blog in the last line of Work and Contemplation. I love this poem because it touches on two themes in our family's life: work and devotion. Coming from a Dutch heritage which prizes and teaches a strong work ethic, my husband has been a wonderful influence in our lives. He's taught (and continues to teach) our children and me to work hard and to derive a sense of pleasure from a job well done.

Sometimes we can get discouraged by monotony or the difficulty of certain tasks. This poem reminds me that not only we can sing while we're spinning, we can focus more on our song than our work. Our work is made better because of the sweetness of our song.

I can easlily be tempted to measure my life only in terms of daily tasks: cooking meals, washing dishes, sorting laundy, organizing closets, weeding gardens, caring for children... I can also be tempted to exaggerate my troubles and trials. Focusing on tasks and exaggerating trials choke out the song I am meant to sing.

When I draw apart and pursue a "calm, spheric (heavenly) tune" it elevates my gaze, readjusts my focus and it prepares my heart to sing.

The "Sweetness of Our Song" (our blog) isn't about a perfect, trouble-free life. It's about a life made sweet by the Great Singer who has given us a Song to sing. I want our lives to be a Song of grateful response to Him.

~Original post: April 29, 2007

What I'm Reading...

2011-01-18T14:32:00.001-08:00

Click HERE to read a description and see a trailer.

Favorite Memory

2011-01-05T11:54:00.001-08:00

Best Moment of Christmas

2011-01-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

Some Christmas Family Photos

2011-01-03T14:14:00.000-08:00

Zach and Andrea's Christmas Card / CD

2010-12-20T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here's a link to Zach and Andrea's blog to see / hear their Christmas CD that Zach made:

Christmas CD

Click on the link above to get to Andrea's blog and once there, scroll down to get to the songs Zach composed and performed.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACH!

2010-12-09T08:07:00.000-08:00

Singing a song of gratitude today in celebration of Zach's 26th birthday.

Looking over old family photo albums and remembering days gone by...

first baby - only son, early mornings in front of the fireplace, trip to Brazil, play rooms and bunkbeds, traumatic bike accident, scraped knees, bumps and bruises, dinosaurs and Legos, play loft in the garage, first computer, inventions, tree houses and race cars, street hockey and basketball, broken arm, best friends, braces, playing piano, laser tag, learning drums, first job, driver's license, West Coast Revival, college, air traffic control, courtship, engagement, wedding, first apartment.

Sure do love you, Zach! Thanks for 26 years of delight!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

2010-12-08T16:39:00.000-08:00

December

2010-12-08T12:08:00.000-08:00

Started the season with getting out my favorite books for preparing for Christmas:

Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for a More Joyful Christmas

Unplug the Christmas Machine: A Complete Guide to Putting Love and Joy Back into the Season

A Simple Christmas: A Faith-filled Guide to a Meaningful and Stress Free Christmas

We made Advent Bags this year by printing out the dates of December 1-25 and gluing them on little white bags tied with ribbon. We have them on a cedar chest in the living room - so it's a visual reminder of the countdown to Christmas.

Inside, we've placed candy for the kids, a Jesse Tree Ornament, a slip of paper with a Christmas Activity and a Christmas Hymn on it.

Each day, we read a devotional from Jesse Tree Journey, do the activity that's written (see a Christmas Movie, go out for hot coco, get a Christmas tree... etc.) and listen to the hymn and learn the words. It's been fun - even though the kids are getting older, they still enjoy the tradition.

To celebrate Advent - the waiting for and anticipation of celebrating the birth of Jesus- we've been using a little devotional from my favorite writer: Ann Voskamp.

Here's the Jesse Tree Journey that we're using. (Click on the purple link).

This has been a great tool to use to direct our attention daily to the reason for Christmas.

We're also listening to Christmas Hymns during the day. What a wonderful treasure trove of biblical truth!

Wedding at Aquinnah Lighthouse

2010-11-10T09:25:00.000-08:00

Martha's Vineyard

2010-11-09T21:14:00.000-08:00

Ron and I just returned from a weekend on Martha's Vineyard. Our friends from church, Chris and Stephanie, were getting married there and asked Ron to officiate the wedding. Since we were already on the East Coast (Maryland) for a Pastor's Conference, we just flew up to Rhode Island, took a shuttle van to Massachusetts and then got on a ferry from Wood's Hole to the island.

We had an absolutely wonderful time! Although the weather was rainy and cold, we got to tour a couple of the towns - Edgartown, Aquinnah and Menemsha. We stayed in Oak Bluffs in a quaint, beachy cottage B&B, Isabelle's, right on the ocean.

Behind us was a little neighborhood full of Victorian "gingerbread" homes. Ron and I braved the cold and blustery wind Sunday morning and strolled through the gingerbread neighborhood to the little downtown and had breakfast in one of the few restaurants opened during this off season.

The wedding was held in Aquinnah next to the lighthouse- overlooking dramatic cliffs towering above the oceanside. In a week of rainy days, Saturday was the only dry day - allowing Chris and Stephanie to have the wedding they dreamed of and planned for.

I think we've found a new favorite place. We're already planning to go there again next year, if we can. We had a great time at the wedding - meeting new people, making friends and hanging out with Chris' family and enjoying the lovely scenery. But, we'd like to come again with just the two of us for another get away.

Quick Update

2010-09-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Realized that it's been so long since my last post... we have so much going on - not necessarily exciting things- but our days are filled with lots of good stuff.

We're working on getting into a regular, disciplined routine with early rising, daily exercising, keeping up on maintaining the house/ meals / chores and school work... and fitting in all the stuff on the church calendar (youth group / pastor's and wives dinners / couples' meetings... etc.) September is our "re-entry month" - getting back into our regular routines after a lazy summer. :) 5:30 AM comes early so we're not keeping late hours anymore. :)

We've finished our 1st month of school with a new curriculum - it's going very well, but it's rigorous and demanding for the girls and for me. We start our school day at 8 AM with everyone at the table to do a few subjects together and then I work individually with each of the girls for different subjects like math and we come together again in the afternoon for writing. We usually finish by 3PM.

The girls are taking a few outside classes: writing, Latin 2, PE, violin (Taylor) and a Worldviews class, Ashley is in a cooking class.

I'm teaching a beginning Latin class with 12 students at our Friday School at SGA. I'm learning along with the kids - studying a week ahead of them to master the material before teaching it to them. Keeps me on my toes!

We're eating less processed foods now - so I spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing meals (and doing dishes!) We are seeing a difference in our health and energy levels.

We have an exchange student from China who's attending school in La Canada - it's about a 7 minute drive from our house. He stays in the middle bedroom - Paige has moved into the girls' room for this school year. Tan Wei is a nice, quiet boy who keeps to his room when he's not eating meals with us. So, my part time job this year is to drive him to school and cook him dinner - not bad, I think! (We're hoping he gets his license so he can drive himself soon - he's already bought a car.) It's a little inconvenient with giving up living space, but I could never earn this kind of money if I went out and got an outside job. This way, with just a little sacrifice, I get to be home with my family, help out with finances and still be able to keep up with my priorities at home / church. Pretty sweet deal! But, I think we'll be ready to be "just us" again by June. :)

I'm leading a Women's Bible Study- a small group of ladies who meet 2x a month. We're going through the book of Colossians. I don't have to teach it - just facilitate it. For Women's Ministry this year, I organized 7 small groups to meet in different locations and at different days/ times so that more women could participate. I think we have just a little over 50 women participating - so we're pleased with this new system.

Ron's been busy getting the church ready to go to 2 services - we start next Sunday. He is doing such a great job. He's an awesome pastor~ a good shepherd who loves, cares for and feeds his sheep. He's doing an excellent job leading, preaching, preparing, training, counseling... I'm so proud of him!

For his birthday our theme for gifts was "stress relief" - Paige refinished a chair and made a chair pad for him to sit by the table next to the fireplace. We bought him some coffee, Starbucks mugs and a puzzle. Now he can sit in his favorite chair, drinking his favorite coffee, relaxing in front of the fire by doing a puzzle. We're hoping that it will help with the extra work / stress he's taking on this fall. :)

Next month, we're going to Maryland for a Leader's Conference for 4 days. And then after that, we go to Martha's Vineyard for the weekend where Ron will perform an (outdoor, next to a lighthouse!) wedding. I'm so excited to go to New England! We'll stay an extra day after the wedding to celebrate our anniversary. Hope to get some good pictures!

2010-08-27T22:05:00.000-07:00

We just had five glorious days of camping in the wilderness - Sheep Creek in King's Canyon National Park. We pitched our tents here: waking up each morning to a sweeping canyon view, falling asleep each night to the soothing sounds of the rushing river.

To just be here, to sit and think, read, pray, meditate, write... to soak up the quiet and isolation... to watch the sun rise over the canyon walls each morning and play in the river each day, was absolutely awesome. To be surrounded by such majestic beauty that daily shouts its praise to The Creator was a pure joy!

There was a small forest fire that had been going since July from a lightning strike - they were allowing to smolder and burn the 100 year old underbrush and extra timber. When we arrived, we saw a few "hot spots" that were burning along the road - nothing huge or alarming, the firemen sat in trucks next to it, just keeping an eye on things.

The campground was nearly deserted. It seems the fire had been pretty bad a few days before we got there and many people left. So it wasn't hard to get a gorgeous spot! :) We weren't sure if we should stay or try to drive back to Grant Grove and find another site. But, since the smoke wasn't apparent when we arrived, we decided to try it out for the night. Turns out the smoke settles in the canyon during the night - so we did have a difficult first night trying to sleep with the smoke in the air. Next day - it was windy, clear and beautiful - with no hint of smoke, so we decided to stay - so glad we did.

Pocket Meal Planning

2010-08-18T19:16:00.000-07:00

Had a craft night with Paige last night.

She made some stationery and I made this meal planning pocket for the side of my cupboard.

A few sheets of fun, coordinating paper from the scrapbook store, a paper cutter, laminator and sewing machine....viola!

Since we have a big family, meal planning can take a BIG chunk of time each week. Sometimes, just trying to figure out what to eat for dinner takes too much brain power - especially after homeschooling all day. Meal planning and grocery shopping each week is one of the least favorite parts of my job.

I saw this idea on a homemaking blog and decided to try it on my own. I know I can meal plan on the computer, but there's just something about seeing it on the wall that helps me. I've made plans like this before, but it's gotten lost in notebooks or in files on the computer, and I end up not utilizing them.

I wrote out 8 weeks worth of meals (made 4X6 recipe cards for each meal) and then grouped them into 8 separate weeks with grocery lists of ingredients needed for that week. Each pocket holds the week's menu, recipes for the dinners and grocery lists for the week.

I think this will make life a little easier.

Savoring Summer

2010-08-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

Now that:

lesson plans and most things related to school are reasonably planned out,
my daily schedule has been wrestled into a manageable one page chart,
a new routine for meals and meal planning is in place,
my household notebook has been revamped and updated for the new year,
Women's Ministry is planned and just about launched,
our Japanese exchange student has left and our household is back to normal
the house is clean and organized - laundry is done (having guests has its perks!)
camping lists and meal plans are all waiting on the computer ready to be printed out

I am now free to savor the last two weeks of summer!
And no better place to do it than in King's Canyon National Park!

This week we get ready for vacation, collect and pack the camping gear and head out on Saturday morning. I'm planning on some serious "communing with nature" next week!

Summer is slipping by - and so is this short season with my girls still at home. I'm looking forward to a wonderful time in King's Canyon with the family - enjoying nature, creating memories and celebrating God's gracious gifts to us.

Exchange Student

2010-08-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

We're saying good-bye to our Japanese exchange student, Azumi, today. She's been with us for two weeks while attending Renaissance Academy in La Canada.

We've had an eventful couple weeks:

Concerts and picnics in the park

An afternoon and evening at Huntington Beach - swimming, playing volleyball, cooking sausages and smores over a campfire.

A night on the town at Universal City Walk - buying souvenirs.

A picnic after watching the morning Regional Swim Competitions at El Cariso Park

An evening of learning Origami - folding paper cranes

Going out for ice cream

A sleep over watching movies and inviting Paige's friend along with her Japanese exchange student.

It was fun making a new friend and helping her with learning English.

If. I. Can. Just. Hang. On...

2010-08-11T22:50:00.000-07:00

Besides taking the girls to swim team 2xs a day and swim meets on Saturdays and hosting a Japanese exchange student - and driving her to and from school 2xs a day- I've been planning for next years' school - which starts in 3 weeks!

When I'm not driving kids, cooking or cleaning, I'm glued to the desk poring over books, dividing up a years' worth of school into bite size, daily and weekly chunks, and creating lists and charts: Daily Schedules / Lesson Plan Pages / Courses of Study / Grading Sheets / Reading Lists...

My head is spinning! I've planned out:

Courses of Study and Lesson Plans for Three grades: 7th - 9th - and 11th

6-7 subjects each: Math, Latin, Ancient History, Ancient Literature, Composition, Science - they'll take a Latin 2 (Paige) World Views class and PE (Paige & Ashley) / Violin (Taylor) at our co-op.

Reading Lists and a schedule of when to order holds on library books throughout the year.

I think I'll be done in a couple of days... although this season is intense, it makes the rest of the year so much easier - everything's done and waiting for me in my teacher's notebook. Everyday, we just wake up and there it is - every subject is planned for each day and the kids know exactly what to do.

I just need to hang on a little longer...it's almost over!!

Last Pics

2010-08-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Kollen Park

2010-08-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

We lived just 2 blocks from here when Zach was a baby.

Downtown Holland

2010-08-03T10:28:00.001-07:00

Our first apartment was in the clock tower building.

Wedding

2010-08-03T07:33:00.001-07:00

Photos taken from Kristi's Facebook:

2010-08-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Michigan. Memories

2010-08-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

Sure Do Love Them!

2010-08-01T15:59:00.000-07:00

Michigan.

2010-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:00

Powerful thunder and lightning storms with blazing streaks of electricity in the night sky
Gathering in our favorite room of Grandma and Grandpa's home - a second story windowed family room surrounded by trees - listening to stories of their childhood in the Netherlands during the war.
Strolling down memory lane - visiting our childhood homes, high school hangouts, first apartments and favorite spots along the lake
Tulip lined boulevards
Cobble-stoned sidewalks lining quaint (and upscale) downtown Holland - coffee at JP's and wandering through art galleries and gift shops
Holland State Park - seeing "Big Red" - the beautiful lighthouse faithfully standing sentinel by Lake Michigan
Sail boats gliding in the channel setting out into the glistening "Big Lake."
Reconnecting with family - while joyfully welcoming new members (Andrea and Kristi).
A walk in the woods, and over sandy dunes to get to Kirk Park - having family church, flying kites and enjoying a warm, summer afternoon, a welcomed relief from hot, humid days
Quiet farms, lazy cows in the fields, big red barns and miles and miles of pasture
Unattended blueberry stands next to the road with packages of blueberries lined up in a row - farmers unconcerned with dishonesty.
Celebrating a beautiful wedding - and the joining of two families
Three generations talking, laughing, sharing, and enjoying each others' company.

Michigan. Family.

2010-07-27T07:15:00.000-07:00

Summer

2010-07-02T13:45:00.000-07:00

savoring cool, misty June mornings
enjoying breathtaking beauty during our weekly canyon hikes
resting by the waterfall with toes dipped in chilly water
long, solitary morning walks in pretty Altadena Foothill neighborhoods
listening to audio books: Currently - The Forgotten God by Francis Chan
lazy afternoons sitting by the ocean watching and listening to the waves
watching three coyotes wandering at dusk in our neighborhood
rejoicing in our thriving tomato plants - now 5 feet tall!
lovingly tending to our vegetable garden - anxiously waiting for it to yield it's harvest
the thrill of spotting the first zucchini to grow on its vine
quiet afternoons reading with our favorite country peach tea and homemade shortbread
long stretches of boredom which induce spurts of creativity and helpfulness in household projects
joyfully organizing the garage and back porch

Savoring Summer

2010-06-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Even though summer days are getting longer, we know how quickly summer vacation flies by. In a few short weeks we'll be buying school supplies and hauling out text books. So this summer we've come up with a plan to use our free time wisely and creatively.

Each girl had to choose:

A devotional plan for a quiet time in the mornings
A musical goal for her instrument - whether a new piece to learn on the piano and violin or several chords on the guitar
Learn something new
Read 4 books
A hand craft to do (or improve) - sewing, drawing, painting, knitting, crocheting...etc.
A Physical activity: jogging, walking, hiking or swim team.

While we're not on a schedule, our days are divided into sections using time for reading, creating, music, projects, outdoor activities and some summer household projects.

Each week we're planning morning hikes (Tuesdays) beach days (Thursdays) and a library afternoon (Fridays).

Of course, we can't forget to do a Hollywood Bowl Concert or some free summer concerts in the park.

Travel plans include: San Diego for the 4th of July weekend for a church conference; a week in Michigan to visit family; and a week camping in King's Canyon in August.

I think it's going to be a good summer. :)

Grateful for...

2010-06-21T16:54:00.000-07:00

the sound of piano, violin, and guitars playing throughout the day while children practice their instruments
sweet voices singing melodies in the back bedroom
cool summer mornings spent tending a budding vegetable garden
warm lazy afternoons filled with creative endeavors: music, reading, sewing, baking, gardening...
celebrating Father's Day with all our children around the table
flowering potato vine, agapanthus, bougainvillea and hydrangeas in the front lawn

What's Growing at Our House.

2010-06-21T16:32:00.001-07:00

Father's Day

2010-06-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Paige's Newest Creation

2010-06-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

Celebrating Another Year of Homeschooling...

2010-06-02T14:36:00.000-07:00

Family Update

2010-05-31T01:01:00.000-07:00

Courtney is away this weekend at the Next Conference. We pick her up from the airport Tuesday night. We really miss her when she's gone! She's fun to have around. She's finishing up her first semester of Russian. Looking to transfer to a Cal State University next year.

She's doing very well in her new job - just got a promotion - she's now a grant analyst and her boss has asked her to consider working her way into managing the department. Quite a vote of confidence! We're very proud of her! She is looking to do a study abroad next spring. She's going to see if she can keep her job - and work remotely from England while studying there for a semester. I hope she can.

Paige is keeping busy: she's finishing up sewing a dress she designed for a sewing contest for teens, looking for a summer job (hopefully at a bakery) making travel plans for Arizona and Michigan, hoping to do join a community swim team. Would like to get her drivers license before going to Michigan. She continues to create and bake fun desserts - of course she has to sketch them out first. Sketches of dresses and desserts can be found all over our house - as well as tell tale signs that Paige has been creating / baking / crafting / designing.

We just celebrated Taylor's graduation from the 8th grade and preparation to enter high school. The parents of all the 8th graders had a beach party / bonfire / cookout for them yesterday at Bolsa Chica Beach. It was a great time! After volleyball, playing in the water and having a fun cookout during a gorgeous sunset, we had a time for all the parents to pray for the kids. Very special time.

Taylor and Ashley have been saving up their babysitting and chore money and just bought an electric guitar and amp. So there's been a lot of music going on in our house. :-) Paige on the piano, Taylor on the violin and Ashley on the acoustic and electric guitar. It's been great - the girls are practicing and working hard to learn. It's only difficult when they're all practicing something different at the same time! :-)

We're planning a Girls' Roadtrip - leaving next Sunday - to Arizona to visit my Mom, Tiffany, Zach and Andrea. Ron has a busy week with his annual Pastor's planning and evaluation for the church - so we're going to leave him here during this intense event. He'll have plenty of undivided time to devote to that big task.

We're working on planting a vegetable garden this year. We have three beds and some containers. I probably bought too much since we're just beginner gardeners - but we had a lot of fun planting. Hopefully, we can get it all to actually grow!

Planning Curriculum for Next Year : Paige

2010-05-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

Weekend to Remember: "Love Like You Mean It"

2010-05-25T08:32:00.000-07:00

For our annual "marriage check-up" this year, we attended the Family Life Ministries: Weekend Getaway in Ontario. (While Ontario isn't exactly a dream destination, the dates fit all our schedules and it was conveniently located - which made it easier for us to get away.)

What a great weekend! It was very well done. The speakers were engaging, humble, funny, encouraging, and REAL.. sharing stories of failures and forgiveness from their own lives and giving HOPE for change - even for those in the worst circumstances.

The sessions covered:

Why Marriages Fail
Communication Toolbox
Unlocking the Mystery of Marriage: God's Purpose for Oneness
From How to Wow: God's Plan for Oneness
What Every Marriage Needs: God Power for Oneness
We Fight Too: A Conflict Survival Guide
Marriage After Dark: Romance and Intimacy
Woman to Woman: Embracing God's Wonderful Design / Man to Man: Stepping Up to a Higher Call
How Marriages Thrive
Leaving a Legacy

While there was nothing new in the material, it was so refreshing to sit through a weekend being reminded of the fundamentals and spending time focusing on just this one thing.

Decisions and Choices: Yes and No

2010-05-08T10:12:00.000-07:00

As we're coming in on the finish line of another year of homeschooling, not only are we scrambling to finish books and assignments to complete the school year, we're also planning out classes and subjects and activities for next year.

With three kids in three grades it's no easy task! Add to the curriculum choices: co-op and outside classes, hobbies, sports, interests, extra-curricular activities, family life (training and discipling the kids) and church commitments, babysitting...etc. So much to do, so little time! With so many competing demands it can be dizzying trying to evaluate and plan what we should be involved in.

And then, add to that - the fact that we live in community with our church where no two families are the same - we all are in different seasons, we have different goals and aspirations and different values and priorities. We do, however, have one over-arching goal of glorifying God with our lives -but that's going to look different for each of us. The beauty of diversity!

One example...competitive sports isn't on my list of priorities - we chose not to be a soccer or little league family - but we have many friends who place that high on their list. That doesn't mean that it's not important or valuable - or that it can't be a good and useful activity in the raising of children- or being involved with the community. It just means that given my set of circumstances, with my children - it's not important enough to me.

My choice isn't a statement about other families - it's a statement about me and what I think is best for my family, my circumstances, my energy level and what we feel God is calling us as a family to do with these few and fleeting years we have together before the kids graduate and leave home.

I recently read a very helpful article about being comfortable with the No side of what we say Yes to. That means - whatever I do say "yes" to, automatically implies that there are other things I'm saying "no" to. Once I have clear direction on my priorities, and I say Yes to only those activities that fit those priorities, I can be confident and at rest in my No. I don't need to waste time second guessing myself, putting pressure on myself to be like other families or being defensive about how other families say yes (or no). Their choices have nothing to do with me.

So, during this crazy month of May - when I'm forced to re-evaluate my activities in light of my priorities - I need God's grace to help me be strong to do what he's called me to do, be confident in my Yes and No and to be loving toward those who make different choices.

Who are you to criticize someone else's servant? He stands or falls before his own Lord-and stand he will, because the Lord makes him stand. ~Romans 14:4

Mother's Day

2010-05-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

Manifesto for Joyful Mothering

Original by Ann Voskamp.
(click on title above to view)
Below is a tweaked version.

1. Today, I will make our home a house of prayer.

2. Today, I will endeavor to see beauty in all things.

3. Today, I will slow down to see God's hand in all things.

4. Today, I will fight stress with gratitude and giving thanks at all times.

5. Today, I will speak only grace-filled words - words that build and encourage.

6. Today, I will strive for consistency: building family rhythms and daily ceremonies that celebrate the gift of Now.

7. Today, the moment when I am most repelled by a child's behavior, I need to remember that is my sign to draw closest to that child.

8. Today, I will look for opportunities to show affection.

9. Today, my priorities will be all Things Unseen. (The important over the urgent).

10. Today, I will smile and embrace joy - and create a culture of joy in our home.

What I'm Doing:

2010-04-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

Reading: Finding God at Harvard - Spiritual Journeys of Thinking Christians

Thinking about: how much I love living in LA and enjoying all the different people and cultures represented here.

In awe of: how God opens eyes and hearts to see the truth of the Gospel and draws people to Himself ~including Muslims and Buddhists...people we think are so difficult to reach.

Grateful for: the recent multi-ethnic growth in our church (Koreans, Latvian, Ukrainian, Iranian, Nigerian, Hispanic ...to name a few.)

Surprised at: seeing a large group of Russian young people at the church on Sunday.

Praying for: North Korean Christians (see video below).

Planning: High school graduation requirements for Paige and Taylor. Charting out the next 2-4 years of classes needed to complete high school.

Investigating: Charter Schools

Looking forward to: Family Dinner with Zach and Andrea

Enjoying: interior decorating blogs - esp. ones with instructions on how to re-vamp something old and make it into something trendy.

Just completed: making curtains for the dining room and living room

Working on: painting the dining room and a hope chest

Attending: a Mother-Daughter Retreat with all my girls this weekend

Resuming: Hiking on Thursday mornings

World Watch: North Korea Trailer

Study Week for Ron

2010-04-20T22:40:00.000-07:00

Ron's gone this week for a study break. He usually goes to a retreat center near Lancaster - but this time he decided to stay close to home in Sierra Madre at a beautifully situated Monastery in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. They rent out private rooms for people who want to come for personal retreats.

It's a peaceful, quiet place where he can think and study and pray as he plans out the next couple of months for the church.

We don't usually have two weeks back to back with him away from home, but it worked out for him to take this week off after just returning from the conference in Kentucky and then preaching in San Diego last week. We were fortunate to have him here for the weekend in between- so it won't be an entire two weeks gone from home.

Ron's New Hobby

2010-04-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

We've been trying lately to make changes in the way we eat: more organic fruits and veggies, going out to eat less, buying less processed foods, and now, we have one more change: baking our own bread - occasionally.

Ron has been experimenting with a couple of recipes and has made bread a few times. Last night, he went on You Tube and found a tutorial (from a guy) to make this beauty.

It tasted every bit as good as it looked!
Very similar to what we've had at Panera. We were all very impressed.

So now this will be added to our family traditions - Dad making bread on Mondays for family night.

Day Five: Spring Cleaning

2010-04-16T15:32:00.001-07:00

Thought of this verse several times this week as I was cleaning:

"Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean..." Proverbs 14:4

As I sorted through clothes for the kids - weeded out unwanted and outgrown outfits - organized all kinds of crafts and hobbies: knitting, crocheting, quilting, painting, sewing, baking, musical instruments... and washed down a house that's seen a lot of living this past year, I found myself reflecting on what all this mess means.

I spent time this week being grateful for my house. It's been too easy in the past to be dissatisfied with all the things that need work or repair- or be unhappy with our neighborhood. But last week, as we rode the train to Long Beach and traveled past miles and miles of poverty in LA, I was freshly provoked to remember how fortunate we are. We, by the grace of God, are able to own a home in California - and didn't lose it like so many have with the housing collapse. I'm thankful to have a house to clean!

As I pulled away the stove from the wall, (yuk!) I thought about (1) all the meals that have been cooked and shared in this kitchen this past year - and having a family to share evening dinners with and (2) having four girls in the house who actually like to cook and bake - and be domestic. Yes, they still need to learn not to drip pancake batter down the side of the stove when they make pancakes - but instead of getting upset about a few spills, I remembered all the good times we had in the kitchen making meals and trying new recipes - cooking, eating and laughing together.

Sorting through clothes - makes me realize how much the girls have changed in the past year. Throwing away old toys and little girl dresses and too small ballet leotards, marks the end of a season of life for me and the beginning of a new season for our family.

After spring cleaning, our house is sparkling and nearly perfect- everything is washed and organized. It's tempting to not want anyone to come in and dirty a dish or take a bath or start a craft for fear of messing it up and "spoiling" my hard work. But "where there are no oxen (kids?) the manger (house?) is clean." My house will be clean for just about 2 seconds. Forget trying to have ALL the rooms perfect at the SAME time! But that's okay...

I'm called to take care of and love this big family. I'm not called to keep a perfect house - my manger is full= Lots of kids. Big family. Lots of mess. How sad to have a clean, perfect, empty house.

During spring cleaning, we scrubbed away the remnants of the past year - and now, instead of worrying that my house will get messy again (due to the normal wear and tear of family living) I'm ready for what lies ahead - the new messes: the new clothes that will find their way into drawers and laundry room baskets (and bottoms of closets), the new hobbies and crafts that will fill closet containers (and get left all over the house), the new sheet music that will be wrestled over and learned (and stuffed into bookcases), the new books bought and read, the new meals that will be cooked and enjoyed around our dining room table... and I'm looking forward to the new "us" that will be making all those messes.

Day Three: Spring Cleaning

2010-04-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Today: The Kitchen.

De-clutter.
Organize.
Clean.

I spent the entire day here! I only left long enough to take the girls to school and stay for a 30 min. class. Grabbed lunch on the way home and dug right in.

I took everything out of every cupboard and drawer, washed down the shelves and doors, wiped down all the small appliances, weeded out unnecessary items, threw away a ton of mismatched plastic containers and unused dishes, got rid of old spices, and re organized the entire kitchen to be more efficient. I have a large box for Goodwill that will be added to the stuff we collected from the girls' room. Will make one drop on Saturday when (hopefully) we'll be done.

I sprayed the oven before going to bed so that in the morning all I need to do is wipe it out.

Tomorrow morning: organize and clean the refrigerator and freezer, take down and clean all the knickknacks, wipe down the tops of the cupboards, wash the walls and mop the floor.

Tomorrow afternoon: de-clutter and organize master bedroom closet, dresser, nightstands and desk - along with the bathroom tower cabinet. Getting the two rooms ready for cleaning on Friday.

I'm collecting a list of Spring Cleaning jobs for Ron to do when he comes back from his travels:
(I'm writing this here, so I don't lose the list.)

cleaning the vents on the microwave and fridge
wipe down the air-conditioners (outside)
replace the filters on the heating vents
wash the outside windows
any maintenance needed for the furnace and water heater
repairs and maintenance to the front porch and front door-frame

Day Two: Spring Cleaning

2010-04-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

When things don't go well, I think you should go somewhere fun: like Cherry On Top - Frozen Yogurt.

Spring Cleaning is making everyone a little uptight = kids aren't very happy that they have to work so hard - for so long -and we're making quite a mess as we sort and organize the kitchen. Right now, half the kitchen cupboards are emptied onto our counters, floor, dining room table... One "little" project seems to spill over into several more projects - it's a little overwhelming. :-/

So... we took a break for a morale boost and went out for dinner and dessert. I think we all feel better now.

Tomorrow the kids will be in school all afternoon - so I can get a lot done before they help me again on Thursday.

Day One: Spring Cleaning

2010-04-12T23:48:00.000-07:00

After waking up at 3:30 AM to get Ron up and ready for his early morning flight to Kentucky, and spending a couple of hours of leisurely "alone time," I got the girls up and we dove right in to our Spring Cleaning Week with Taylor and Ashley's room.

We took everything out of their closets and dressers - sorted through it all - reorganized it and put it all back. We had three bags: Give Away / Garbage / Goodwill - keeping only things that the girls needed and would use. Sounds easy, but this took a really long time: figuring out what clothes fit which girl...Can Taylor's too small clothes go to Ashley? Do we really need to keep that sweatshirt we bought in 2006? Don't you think 7 sweatshirts is too many? If it looks "ratty," you really need to throw it away. No, really.

We then stripped the beds and took the curtains down and placed it all in the laundry - along with the ten million mismatched socks we found under the bed and all the dirty clothes that were shoved in the overstuffed dresser drawers.

Next, we pulled all the furniture away from the walls and washed everything down - top to bottom: ceilings, walls, doors, dressers, bunk-bed, hope chests, bookcase, shelves and knick-knacks and finished with mopping the floor.

We also did several loads of laundry, cleaned the laundry room and started a small portion of the kitchen.

I usually don't sleep well when Ron's gone - but I think I'll do just fine this week. We worked hard and we're all tired - but it's a good tired. We had a great day - can't wait til tomorrow!

Spring Cleaning

2010-04-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

Ron's gone this next week to a Conference (Together for the Gospel) in Louisville, KY - so we're going to use this week to tear the house apart and Spring Clean.

Each day, we're going to focus on a different room in the house - organizing, de-cluttering, and scrubbing. Tonight's assignment is to plan it all out, making charts and chore lists. Tomorrow morning - I'm buying (or making) the cleaning solutions and getting all the supplies ready.

I think I need a plan to keep the kids motivated - they don't seem to be as excited as I am to whip the house into shape. :) Maybe I'll plan for some fun activity to do each night as a reward (thank you) - and an incentive to keep going.

Lists we'll be using:

Kitchen
Bathroom
Living Room
Dining Room
Bedrooms
Hall Closets

Okay...ready, set, go!

Celebrating Creatively

2010-04-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Ashley's Birthday. Her 12th. Our family tradition is to take the girls away for their twelfth birthday for a weekend girls' getaway - a 'Mom & Me' time.

I had to be very creative this year - Ron needed the car and we're in a "save- don't spend" season.

No car. No money. Credit cards are forbidden. Hmmm.... What to do?

I remembered that we had two unused gift cards - one to a Marriott and one to an Outback restaurant (Ashley's favorite!). So, my assignment - find a hotel near a train station that's near an Outback - and in a desirable location.

Voila! Long Beach!

I remembered the last time Ron and I were there we walked past the Metro Station and saw a Courtyard a few blocks away. Although we had taken our car to Long Beach - we ended up walking everywhere and didn't use the car the entire weekend until it was time to leave. We had a great time ambling all over town. AND, two years ago, I had dinner at Outback with some girlfriends when we were in town for the CHEA Convention.

Perfect. Metro to Long Beach. Marriott Hotel just a couple of blocks away. Outback restaurant just down by the Harbor - easy walking distance. Practically free!

Vacation's Ending

2010-04-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

Camping

2010-03-30T21:59:00.001-07:00

We just returned home from a week camping in Santa Barbara at El Capitan State Beach. We had an absolutely wonderful, relaxing time at the most beautiful site - in a woodsy, shaded spot, overlooking the ocean with an easy beach access.

The weather was perfect. The campground was quiet. And we loved every minute of our time away!

We hiked in the woods, walked the beach, had picnics by the water's edge,
sat around the campfire each night, and enjoyed playing games together.

(Paige is the SET champion, but I rule at PICK TWO - otherwise known as DING.)

This was along the walk we took each day.

The water was too cold to swim in, but the
girls had fun playing on the rocks.

This was my view of the ocean from my
chair at the campsite.

Here's Ron reading an Alfred Hitchcock -
Solve-It-Yourself Mystery Story for kids. We
read this at night around the campfire.

Ready, Set, Go!

2010-03-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

House cleaned.
Groceries bought.
Menu planned.
Meals prepared and frozen.
Camping kitchen stocked.
Clothes and toiletries packed.
Camping equipment all sorted and checked.
Tents found.
Camper borrowed.
Sleeping bags aired, chairs and boogie boards hosed down.
Firewood and propane bought.
Camper Packed.
Vehicles fueled.
Lists checked and double checked.
Last minute details attended to.

I think we are ready to go!

We're Officially on Vacation!

2010-03-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

Vacation starts for us today at precisely 12:01 PM - as soon as Ron dismisses the congregation with a final prayer. I'll try not to let out a "whoohoo" and run for the exit!!

We will take the next two days to finalize all the preparations for the camping trip, get the camper, pack it up, buy last minute supplies and food and will leave bright and early on Wednesday morning.

Spreading out the preparations over several days helps me not get overwhelmed- we do one thing each day: hauling out and sorting through the camping gear, laundry and packing, grocery shopping and food prep, purchasing supplies, packing the camper. That way, we're not so exhausted by the time we drive away.

We try to make getting ready for trips fun - it's a good way to build anticipation in the kids, talk over memories from last year and plan for new adventures this year. Paige usually makes something cool each time we camp. One year she made a volleyball net from twine - the next she wove a hammock (from twine) - can't wait to see what she comes up with this year!

We're really looking forward to this vacation - spending time with the kids -relaxing and building memories.

As for me personally, I have a date with my beach chair and a good book.

Cooking Day

2010-03-20T19:23:00.000-07:00

Spent most of the day cooking and freezing the dinners for our camping trip next week. So now, meal times will be easier and I won't be spending a lot of time cooking on our vacation.

We made:

black bean chili
chicken curry
spaghetti sauce
white chicken chili
"gravy train"
(a hamburger gravy that we put over baked potatoes).

Tomorrow I'll cook a roast in salsa verde and then we'll have shredded beef for tacos.
We've got hamburger patties for grilling and we'll probably go in to town for
a restaurant meal for the last dinner.

While we're camping, we'll just have to thaw the dinner on the stove and cook the pasta, rice or potatoes that go with it. With older girls now, I think I'll just put one person each night in charge of dinner so I'll just have to cook one night. We keep breakfast pretty simple - usually just bagels and coffee and fruit. One morning we do a big pancake breakfast.

The last time we went camping I made a week's menu and grocery list on the computer - so this time, all I had to do was print it out and go shopping. So much easier not to have to think and plan it all out!

The kids like "tradition" - so these are the meals we do every year. :)

Been Thinking...

2010-03-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

Been thinking lately about Spiritual Discernment.

Here's a series from Nancy Leigh De Moss that's been helpful to me.

Radio Series: Discerning Truth in a World of Deception

The world is full of shiny images and confident voices. We need to be discerning as Christians about the influences that vie for our attention. In this series, Nancy will help us to faithfully understand the Truth and not be deceived by error.

Feb 6, 2009 - Purposeful Discernment
Feb 5, 2009 - Anti-Virus
Feb 4, 2009 - Showing Others the Truth
Feb 3, 2009 - Focusing on the Authentic
Feb 2, 2009 - Innocent About Evil
Jan 30, 2009 - A Popular Deception
Jan 29, 2009 - Deceiving God's People
Jan 28, 2009 - Are All Religions Valid?
Jan 27, 2009 - Beware of the Beautiful Deception
Jan 26, 2009 - The Danger of Deception

Getting Ready for Camping

2010-03-17T12:35:00.000-07:00

Busy this week - getting ready to take the family camping at the beach the last two weeks of this month. Getting the house organized, taking out all the camping equipment, airing out sleeping bags, sorting through flashlights, printing out camping lists for supplies, menus and groceries. Searching for the tents...

Hoping that Zach and Andrea can join us for a few days and that Courtney can come for the weekend -so we can start our annual family tradition of camping together as our family grows.

We're going to El Capitan State Park - in Santa Barbara. Short drive, quiet campground, several lovely spots to choose from, beautiful beach... looking forward to a great time - and looking forward to adding our new daughter in law to the family photos!

Last Year's Photo:

Little Earthquake

2010-03-16T08:08:00.000-07:00

Was awakened this morning at 4:04 by an earthquake. The epicenter was in Pico Rivera - about 15-20 miles from here. I usually don't feel quakes at night - but this one had our house shaking/rolling. By the time we were fully awake and figured out it was an earthquake - it was over. No aftershocks so far (that we have noticed) - but feeling a little bit edgy.

I think it's funny that even in my sleep, my first instinct is to call out - "Earthquake!" and run to the kids. :)

Changing the Way We Look at Food

2010-03-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

Just saw Food, Inc. last night. Wow.

Woke up this morning to read this article about a recent recall of processed foods containing HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein).

I went to our cupboard and looked at the processed foods we have and it's in everything! Herbox bouillon is being recalled, but not the lot number we had.

BUT, it did make me rethink how I'm cooking ~ what I'm buying ~and what we're putting into our bodies. Taking a closer look at how we're eating and how it's affecting our health.

Spent the day cooking dried beans, rice, and bulgar. Made a chocolate beet cake but we don't like it. :) You can only go so far... :)

Listening...

2010-03-02T07:16:00.000-08:00

When we live attentively, listening to the Voice that choreographs all that we see, sensitive to His movements in our daily lives, in even small things, we realize that the simple pleasures of our days are in fact tender overtures of God approaching.

~ Ann Voskamp

What I Did Today:

2010-03-01T15:38:00.000-08:00

Spent the afternoon washing, peeling, cutting, chopping, dicing, shredding all kinds of vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, carrots, onions, celery, swiss chard, kale, cabbage, lettuce - and rinsing, boiling and draining pearl barley and black beans.

Meals for this week:
Roasted Vegetables and London Broil
Thai Salad with Chicken
Carne Asada with Rice and Black Beans
Minestrone Soup
Teriyaki Chicken & Veggie Stir Fry

What to Do with a Parsnip

2010-03-01T11:02:00.000-08:00

Since signing up for our weekly organic box of fruits and veggies, I've been looking at new recipes. This week I received three vegetables that I've never cooked before in my life: Brussel sprouts, parsnips and beets! Thanks to many friends who love to cook, I've discovered new recipes and some really cool websites:

Super Natural Recipes

Bon Appetit

101 Cookbooks

The Nourishing Gourmet

The girls and I are having fun making new meals and trying new things. Last week, we made roasted cauliflower and it was great. This week I'm looking at these dishes:

Roasted Vegetables with Pecan Gremolata

Thai Salad with Spicy Dressing

Not sure what I'll do with the beets... don't think we're ready for those. I think I'll try this:

Chocolate Beet Cake!