Sweet Little Girl

Introducing...

Anna Jane
Born April 6, 2012
7 lbs. 12 oz. ~ 20 inches

We thank God for this precious gift! The whole family is thrilled to have her here and it is especially sweet to see her siblings dote over her. She is an easy-going baby so far, but we're having feeding challenges which add stress to her mama. But we know she's worth it so we're pressing on with nursing and hoping with time and perseverance she will catch on. More details to come later.

He's Here!

On Wednesday we welcomed this precious one! We praise God for his safe arrival and that the delivery ended so well after a long day and night of labor without promising progress.

Matthew Lewis
February 10, 2010 @ 5:02am
8 lb. 10 oz. - 20.5 inches

Glimpses of Christmas

Free vintage skis I found this fall and a wreath from years past were easier (and safer!) than putting up outdoor lights
Our humble tree with ornaments collected through the years and made by children...it won't make any decorating magazines or blogs, but it is "our" tree, not "my" tree
A simple display over the fireplace - my favorite part is my grandmother's first Bible under the initial
A window display made by our crafty 5-year-old...it did my heart good to know that she really understands the reason for the season and the initiative to make this was all hers.

Gifts on top of the kitchen cupboards keep the temptation away from young hands and add a festive touch

We really enjoyed taking a day at home for our "family Christmas" before traveling. We enjoyed a fondue meal, gifts and time for the kids to enjoy their new things.

The kids singing carols with Nana playing

All the kids listening to Papa read the Christmas story

In a nutshell, it was a season of simple decorating and celebrations, but rich in memories.

Not pictured:
- A family photo with my living grandparents, parents, siblings and their spouses and children
- My mom's 60th surprise birthday party
- A white winter wonderland thanks to a big blizzard, though too cold and windy to really get out to enjoy
- Gathering near the computer to visit with my husband's family many miles away

Merry Christmas!

I've not been feeling that great and have not been really productive with life in general, so unfortunately doing any posting has gone by the wayside entirely. But I just wanted to take a minute to wish you a Merry Christmas! May the season be filled with time to reflect on the reason we celebrate: the Christ-child coming for us! Revel in His grace! Enjoy your families! Take time to give thanks to God for this eternal gift and for all the countless ways He blesses us in the here-and-now, too!


Of the many things I'm thankful for, I give thanks for this family God has given me and for these growing children.

Photos taken by my mom in a "get-r-done for Christmas cards" photo session at their farm over Thanksgiving.

Family 4th of July

We traveled east to see my parents and my siblings and their families over July 4th. It has been been a roller coaster year for our family, but we had a great time nonetheless. The kids splashed in Nana & Papa's backyard, we went to a huge extended family picnic at a lake, we celebrated Smiley's birthday (again), we had a second memorial walk/run to honor my grandmother, we celebrated 10 years of marriage and a whole lot more! It was certainly a jam-packed few days.


A fun nephew joined us for a family picture

A full crowd ready to embark on the memorial walk/run. I'm so thankful for this big family!

10 year anniversary photo....yikes, we've aged! A lot!


Smiley pondering this oh-so-good gift. For some strange reason our kids love to watch our recycling and garbage being picked up and he loves this truck!


Huddling to stay warm while eating homemade ice cream on a chilly July 4th evening

Good times!

Camping with Young Children - Craziness or Courage?

We recently went camping for a weekend at a state park nearby with some good friends and their two kids. It was great to get away into God's creation, but "roughing it" comes with some challenges for all of us...less sleep than normal, more fresh air and tiredness, the long process it is to cook anything for a meal. But we came away with some great memories and are hopefully training our kids to handle these situations with more grace each time we go. We especially enjoyed a great family-friendly hike and the kids loved the craft time made possible by my friend who had the foresight to bring along some craft supplies for the kids to enjoy. Oh, and of course the s'mores.

BIG Summer Trip '09

a.k.a. 60 Hours Together Enjoying North America's Highways!

Tons of photos ahead, but actual text does follow the images.
















In June we took our first ever road trip (with children) to visit my husband's family. The kids did great with most of those 60 hours in the van. We put in 4 long days, partly due to limited vacation time and partly to save lodging and on-the-road dining expenses. But every mile was worth it to be able to visit a few different parts of the family, in the places they call home, and to see old friends from university, too. We were away 2 weeks and logged over 3500 miles. And now the kids seem to really understand just how far it is to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Flying again is looking better and better.

The number of photos in this post could be likened to an infamous vacation slide show, but really, this is just a small sampling. We enjoyed beaches, splash parks, beautiful family gardens, finding ladybugs, reading books, celebrating Smiley's birthday on multiple occasions, going to a great indoor aquatic center, seeing extended family, attending a BBQ at the home of friends, getting out for a date with friends to The Keg, visiting a historic site in the vicinity, croquet, letting the kids run free in the big backyard and visiting friends at their homes, among many other things. Oh, and hauling home 200 lbs. of wheat berries from Wheat Montana in Three Forks, MT.

Some things that helped make this possible:
- Our van's DVD player. We were always the type that resisted them, but when it was included with the van, well, we put it to use. The kids watched 3 movies on the way out and 3 movies on the way home, so the movies weren't on all the time, but something they had to look forward to as the days were dragging on.
- Packing meals for the road on the way to our destination. We crossed the border into British Columbia after 2 days of driving with only $20 of dining out expenses...and that was only because ham sandwiches were getting a bit old. We did not do as well on the way home, but find it is just easier to have food with us and stop at a park or rest area during the time we are not moving forward to let the kids play and refresh all of us. And we had lots of snacks in the car along the way, too.
- Welcoming family who warmly host us in their homes.
- The summer season with lots of daylight to drive by. A trip of this length during the winter would take several more days.

After a shorter trip over a much shorter distance over the 4th of July, we are happily home for the rest of the summer.

10 on the 10th

Well, I said I was unplugging, and I am, but wanted to join in on Meredith's 10 on the 10th.

I'm hoping my list will give me better clarity for the time I'm unplugged. So here's my 10 on the 10th: my top 10 priorities for the next 30 days.

1. Potty train our two-year old.

2. Finish the homeschooling year strong.

3. Go on a date with my husband. I wish that this didn't even have to be on my list, but there are many things which keep us from getting out alone regularly and we just really need that time alone, especially right now.

4. Keep laundry manageable, just a load or two done from start to finish every day, instead of letting it pile up and overwhelm.

5. Prepare my garden spaces for planting our vegetables when it is suitable to do so, mid to late May for this area.

6. Complete 4 craft/sewing projects...not sure what they will be yet, but the creative time energizes me and I feel like there is lots of time to think when my hands are busy.

7. Finish revamping my creative space so it is organized and inspiring.

8. Exercise hospitality. It has surely been lacking in recent months.

9. Be a supportive wife in many ways, and specifically doing some ironing for my husband each week.

10. Seek my Savior and the Word daily. My soul is thirsty and longs for his presence and I have not been rising early and finding other quiet times throughout the day to exercise even small amounts of discipline to come to him without distraction.

See you in a few weeks! Enjoy the springtime!

The Joy of Staying Home & a Song for My Children

I love that I am able to stay home with my kids to meet their needs, to teach them and to enjoy the unique people God has created them to be! Yes, there are moments when I am weary and frustrated, discouraged, and longing for a break, but overall, I love just being with them.

Maybe it is just me, but it seems I like to sing things to my kids, especially little songs I make up. I would likely be embarrassed if anyone outside our family heard these little songs, but I'll share this one that I came up with several months ago which seems to have stuck as a family song I sing to the kids each night as I tuck them in. It may seem cheesy, but it is ours.

I'll see you in the morning, morning
I'll see you at the noonday, too
I'll see you in the evening, treasure
And I will always love you!

And when I finish I silently thank God that he has allowed me this privilege to really be present with them throughout the whole day.

Why I Became a Bargain Hunter

Why have I become a bargain hunter? Is it for the thrill of the hunt? Not usually. Is it for the excitement of bringing home bags of stuff for very little money? Sometimes. Is it for the fun of clipping coupons and shopping at multiple stores? Um, no. Is it so our family can survive and inch toward our goals? Absolutely!

When we made plans for me to stay at home fulltime when I was expecting our firstborn we were hit with the reality that things were going to be pretty tight financially. In fact, very tight. For the first time in our marriage, we were taking a really close look at our finances and starting to think about being very intentional with our budget. Some of the areas which needed significant trimming were groceries and dining out. For the dining out category, there was a simple solution...stop eating out so much. The grocery category was not so easy since if you are not dining out, you are cooking at home and cooking at home is going to take ingredients.

So about 7 years ago the I started on the learning curve of bargain grocery shopping that continues to this day. We have needed to raise our grocery & household supplies budget a few times due to our growing family, but still keep it close to a regular $300 a month. To some this may seem high and to others this may seem rather low, but that is where we are for now. Sometimes I wonder if it is all worth it and if it would be better for our family just to add another $100 a month to shop at one store, once a week for every item we need that week. But right now that $100 a month means more to us in other categories. For this season couponing, shopping based on what is on sale, selective purchases at Costco and cooking largely from scratch help us keep to this budget. I know I could do better if I had to, but for now I try to find a good balance between spending time and money.

Keeping the grocery budget modest helps make it possible for me to be with my kids day in and day out and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Counting Blessings

Even through our recent loss, we have been so blessed. I'm pausing today to count those blessings. The road ahead will not be easy, but these blessings from the hand of God make the journey easier to bear.

- The love of friends and family expressed to us through meals, childcare, hugs, calls and prayers.

- Our compassionate and kind Christian doctor.

- A very kind and generous unknown lady at Chick-Fil-A who paid for our entire meal as she was in front of my husband in the drive-thru. This was at lunch and we had gotten the bad news earlier that day. I am amazed at the little things God orchestrates to encourage our hurting hearts!

- Grief that our children have not picked up on. Since they are still very young, we are not telling them what has happened.

- A great marriage with open and good communication, a loving and caring and understanding husband.

- Good insurance that will cover the bulk of the care I have received so far. And that my husband has a job right now in this tough economy.

- Happy times with our children and hearing our 2-year-old sing "Our God is an awesome God" again and again last night before bed, complete with actions that are all the sweeter when done with those sweet chubby little hands that are so often otherwise finding mischief.

- Singing the song below in church the last two Sundays. It has touched my heart both times.

Blessed Be the Name of the Lord - lyrics found here

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be Your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's 'all as it should be
'Blessed be Your name

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name

We are blessed people!

Grieving..

..the loss of one we will not cuddle, the one I will not nurse come autumn, the one who will never know the love and adventure of our other children.

Little One, we loved you though we did not know you. We know the Father has you safe in His care...and that does this Mama's heart good.

Simple Valentines

We had a fun but low-key Valentine's Day weekend. It started out with a few simple decorations being crafted and put out on Friday including this felted wool heart. I made it by cutting out two hearts from a piece of felted wool, formerly part of a garmet. It was a quick 5 minutes of sewing the heart together, adding a hanger made of white twill tape and pinking around the top heart.

Of course, whenever the camera comes out, the kids think they must have their picture taken, even if they are not always cooperative in providing good shots.
We also spent some time making homemade valentines for each other and wrapping up some gifts, using paper supplies and wrappings we had on hand, of course.We enjoyed a Costco entree for our Friday night dinner and had enough leftovers for another easy meal for Valentine's Day lunch, combined with salad, strawberry milk and a festive cake with cherry chips and heart sprinkles. The kids each received a box of conversation hearts, a new pillowcase made by me, and a poster-sized alphabet coloring book I found on clearance last year. They are certainly worth far more than the under $5 gifts they received, but we have more toys and books than we know what to do with and we don't intend to make this a major gift-giving holiday. I think they are just as delighted with a few simple treats as they would be with lots of expensive gifts.

We capped off the day with supper at a nearby burger joint with gift cards from some special folks for the kids, who each enjoyed their own kids meal with ice cream. Now that's a rare treat!

And here's our girl who loves Valentine's Day and delighted in making countless valentines throughout the week and her very own heart doorhanger. (My husband and I both noted how much they are starting to copy what we do within their own capabilities, which is sweet and scary all at once.)

We love our kids to pieces and had a great day together as a family!

Much love from our home to yours!