It is hard to believe we only have 10 more days, give or take, to meet our baby boy. With all the excitement in my heart, there is also a bit of fear. Fears regarding labor and delivery (I feel like I'm out of practice...it has been more than 3 1/2 years), adjusting to life with a newborn, meeting the needs of all my children while maintaining our household and homeschool routine. Wise moms have told me to lower my expectations and most importantly, pray. It feels like I am on the verge of being re-initiated into motherhood. So with the changes just around the corner, I'm trying to prepare my heart and home for what is ahead. The "to do" list is growing by the day while I fluctuate between having lots of physical energy and motivation to take on the whole house and having just enough to manage the bare essentials for the day. This final trimester has also brought a fair bit of pain to this mama-to-be, which I am looking forward to disappearing once I can hold this child in my arms instead of my belly. Still on my to-do list?
- Try to get the whole house clean...this seems almost impossible since we still have 5 people living here and 3 of them are not very tidy.
- Take a bunch of discards to the donation center. It always feels so good to get stuff out of your house that you no longer need.
- Brush up on our Bradley Method book, but honestly, if I run out of time I'm just hoping that the whole labor and delivery experience will just be like riding a bike and come back to me.
- Finish packing the bag for the hospital.
- Fill in more details on the list of things people should know when caring for our children.
- Have some pictures taken by a friend.
- Get a pedicure, or at the very least, paint my own toenails just because that makes me happy.
- Go on a date with my husband! Babysitter is booked and I'm looking forward to an evening out with him!
- Write shower thank you notes. I was SO blessed this week by a group of gals from church who came out to encourage and support me as we are days away from our little one's arrival! We really didn't need much in the way of baby things, but it is so refreshing to have some new things to use this time around instead of exclusively hand-me-downs from his older brothers.
- Take time to rest and exercise.
- Enjoy these moments with just 3 kids on the ground and get out to do at least one thing with them just for the sake of having fun with them.
I know I could really keep adding to this list, but these are the most important so I want keep my expectations in check and enjoy these days as much as possible.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
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.
The kids singing carols with Nana playing
All the kids listening to Papa read the Christmas storyIn 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
Sunday, December 20, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Few, or 10, Gift Ideas (not that it's all about me)
Not that it's all about me or anything, but here are 10 things or experiences I would love for Christmas or an upcoming birthday. And perhaps this list will prove helpful for the one very near and dear to me. :)
1. In the category of "The-sky-is-the-limit-but-I'm-not-gonna-get-it": a trip to Scotland with my husband, or a trip to PEI. Considering we can't even manage a weekend away, these are "someday" dreams.
2. A new, or nicely used sewing machine. I think I want a basic model Bernina, but yikes! they are expensive. I actually just bought a new machine from Costco but can't decide if I am keeping it. It was a good deal for sure, but I'm torn between a good deal for today and wanting a machine that will last the rest of my life.
3. A winter coat with an attached, fleece-lined, non-pointy hood that is a solid color with a hip-length cut and a non-boxy fit. Even if I can't fully zip it this winter, with my expanding belly, these are top choices in my research so far, though I'm still not sure exactly what I want.
4. A pedicure.
5. A trendy sewing book such as one by Amy Butler or one on sewing aprons.
6. A cheese grater. Perhaps this one by KitchenAid.
7. Grain storage buckets and lids from Pleasant Hill Grain.
8. SmartWool socks.
9. A gift card to one of the following: Hobby Lobby, Panera Bread, Old Chicago, Chipotle, Einstein's, Spicy Pickle, Jason's Deli, Archivers or Pottery Barn.
10. Date nights with my husband which would need to be squeezed into the calendar before mid-February.
Okay, enough about me, I need to move on to tackling that Christmas gift list of things we want to buy for others.
For more 10 on the 10th, visit Life at 7000 Feet.
Friday, November 6, 2009
A Good Day of Grocery Shopping
Last night I wrote about a few things we would do if we faced a loss of income and everything came together this morning for a great savings trip to the grocery store. Combining a big savings event, lots of coupons and careful planning, here is what I brought home.
6 big boxes Kleenex
1 pair cleaning gloves
2 multi-packs of kitchen scrubbers
4 scrub sponges
1 bag Halls
2 boxes hot cocoa mix
3 cans chili (food bank)
4 cans evaporated milk
4 bags frozen veggies (we'll cook these on the stovetop, not in the microwave bags)
1 frozen entree
1 bag chocolate chips
6 multi-packs of yogurt/yogurt smoothies
1 gallon organic milk
1 bottle Sunny D smoothie
1 bag pepperoni
1 tub spreadable butter
1 lb. Challenge butter
1 bag Ruffles
1 bottle salad dressing
2 boxes cheese crackers (will go in Chex Mix at Christmas)
All for the grand total of.....$21.30! My receipt says I saved $98.42. I know that is a relative number, though, since I would never have paid that much for the group of groceries. Keep in mind that this is not all we will be eating this week, but will add to our stockpile and be used over the next several weeks. And if you took the photo at face value you'd think we eat a lot of junk. But that is just part of the bargain method of grocery shopping, buying things at their lowest price and then using then over a longer period of time than if you just made a list of what you need for one week and then went out and bought everything off that list. The task of maximizing savings has been greatly lightened by the ad reviews I read each week on SpringsBargains.
It was a good day and I feel like the effort paid off. And I even had all three kids with me and it was a pretty good trip in that regard, too, which is not something I often say in regards to shopping with children.
6 big boxes Kleenex1 pair cleaning gloves
2 multi-packs of kitchen scrubbers
4 scrub sponges
1 bag Halls
2 boxes hot cocoa mix
3 cans chili (food bank)
4 cans evaporated milk
4 bags frozen veggies (we'll cook these on the stovetop, not in the microwave bags)
1 frozen entree
1 bag chocolate chips
6 multi-packs of yogurt/yogurt smoothies
1 gallon organic milk
1 bottle Sunny D smoothie
1 bag pepperoni
1 tub spreadable butter
1 lb. Challenge butter
1 bag Ruffles
1 bottle salad dressing
2 boxes cheese crackers (will go in Chex Mix at Christmas)
All for the grand total of.....$21.30! My receipt says I saved $98.42. I know that is a relative number, though, since I would never have paid that much for the group of groceries. Keep in mind that this is not all we will be eating this week, but will add to our stockpile and be used over the next several weeks. And if you took the photo at face value you'd think we eat a lot of junk. But that is just part of the bargain method of grocery shopping, buying things at their lowest price and then using then over a longer period of time than if you just made a list of what you need for one week and then went out and bought everything off that list. The task of maximizing savings has been greatly lightened by the ad reviews I read each week on SpringsBargains.
It was a good day and I feel like the effort paid off. And I even had all three kids with me and it was a pretty good trip in that regard, too, which is not something I often say in regards to shopping with children.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Where Would We Go From There?
With an uncertain economy surrounding and impacting us all, it certainly wouldn't hurt to give some careful thought to how one might respond if some major negative financial impacts became a family reality. (I was inspired by this post over at Frugal VegCafe.)
If my husband was laid off from his job and we found ourselves without an income, then we would be employing whatever methods we could to stay afloat and keep ourselves fed and the roof over our heads. I often feel that we are doing all we can to make ends meet, but in actuality, there are things I could change to better use the resources we have. In the short term, here is what that might look like. In the longer term matters of vocation, location, and education would certainly be addressed, though those things are beyond the scope of this blog....though my husband and I have talked extensively about possibilities if we felt the Lord leading us in any of those directions. Anyway, for the short term.
1. Stop buying ANYTHING beyond food unless it was an absolute need. Easier said than done, but I'm sure if we were pressed, there would be more motivation to just plain stop spending.
2. Menu plan and play the grocery game like never before. I have eased off of intensive coupon-clipping and grocery hunting this year, but I would be returning to those efforts. The goal would be to have no food go to waste while nourishing our family with the highest quality food we could afford. Only the most basic ingredients (like milk, cheese, eggs, grains, produce) would be purchased unless I get items for free or close to free with coupons. Our spice cupboard holds enough right now to provide variety to basic made-from-scratch foods for a long while. I would also be planting a garden again in the late spring.
3. Freeze that credit card in a block of ice or store it in a secure location off-site so on those tiring and discouraging days we would have the additional deterrent of not having easy access to spend without careful thought and planning. We have never carried a balance and have not used it lots in all the years we have had it, but we know that it is easier to use than if you had cold hard cash in your hand that you have to part with when you purchase something. Note: we have our reasons for continuing to have a credit card and my husband are in agreement about it.
4. Rally all our financial resources, and I don't just mean the bank account. Do we have stuff to sell? Sell it! Do we have points accumulated in consumer loyalty programs (airlines, diaper points, credit card points, etc.) that we could convert to gift cards for stores that sell essentials? Are there coins in the couch or money around the house that should be corralled? Do we have gift cards in our wallets or elsewhere that could be put toward meeting basic family needs? Are there rebates to send in to get money back? All of these things may be small, but would hopefully have a positive net effect on not having as much money leaving our savings fund, or at least slowing the rate at which that happens. And then we would go to a cash-basis system for everything except for our mortgage and monthly bills. We go back and forth between using cash well for most everything and then fall back into using debit more. This would be a time for cash only!
5. Utilize utilities more wisely. Time to get back to line or air-drying. Turn the thermostat down (some more) and put more blankets on the beds and wear sweaters or fleece. Shut off lights. Recaulk windows and doors. Unplug unused appliances big and small. Wash the windows to let more solar heat warm the house in the daytime. Consider if we can cut our phone and internet bills.
6. Halt or at least slow gasoline consumption by making more thorough lists and mapping out errands and outings to be combined.
7. Let the non-essentials and niceties go. For us this would include the YMCA membership (unless they could work with us on a reduced or free membership during the unemployed time), going out to eat even with coupons at cheaper places, and the small personal allowances my husband and I have come to enjoy and potentially even the evenings out alone that I enjoy from time to time. Though I rarely spend much while out, the gas for the outing may be a deciding factor.
8. Accept that this will be a season of limited giving, especially of presents for birthdays and Christmas and exchange homemade gifts or skip them altogether. The priority would be a Christmas or birthday gift to our own children during this time, even though it would be something that was inexpensively purchased or homemade. I can see that this would be one of the most humbling areas for us overall in a no-income situation. Hopefully we could still support those missionaries we have committed to and we would need to prayerfully consider that.
9. Consider whether I could supplement our resources by sewing and selling some items from materials I already have on hand. This could also provide some entertainment value since we would not be spending on entertainment at all during this period. My husband's entertainment comes largely in the form of books from the library which we would certainly continue to utilize. Entertainment currently comes in the form of dining out, though not often, so it is not like we have an "entertainment budget" that could be cut.
10. Count the daily blessings and watch God provide for every real need. Just in typing out some of these tactics that we could put into place I am reminded of how incredibly blessed we are, currently, but also even if a job loss did become a reality for us. He is good. He is faithful. He provides.
Even in putting some of the thoughts I have had about this onto paper I am energized to begin implementing a few of these things now, even though they are not in any way forced, just to be better stewards and work on my own character.
What are a few changes you would make to your lifestyle in the event of income loss?
If my husband was laid off from his job and we found ourselves without an income, then we would be employing whatever methods we could to stay afloat and keep ourselves fed and the roof over our heads. I often feel that we are doing all we can to make ends meet, but in actuality, there are things I could change to better use the resources we have. In the short term, here is what that might look like. In the longer term matters of vocation, location, and education would certainly be addressed, though those things are beyond the scope of this blog....though my husband and I have talked extensively about possibilities if we felt the Lord leading us in any of those directions. Anyway, for the short term.
1. Stop buying ANYTHING beyond food unless it was an absolute need. Easier said than done, but I'm sure if we were pressed, there would be more motivation to just plain stop spending.
2. Menu plan and play the grocery game like never before. I have eased off of intensive coupon-clipping and grocery hunting this year, but I would be returning to those efforts. The goal would be to have no food go to waste while nourishing our family with the highest quality food we could afford. Only the most basic ingredients (like milk, cheese, eggs, grains, produce) would be purchased unless I get items for free or close to free with coupons. Our spice cupboard holds enough right now to provide variety to basic made-from-scratch foods for a long while. I would also be planting a garden again in the late spring.
3. Freeze that credit card in a block of ice or store it in a secure location off-site so on those tiring and discouraging days we would have the additional deterrent of not having easy access to spend without careful thought and planning. We have never carried a balance and have not used it lots in all the years we have had it, but we know that it is easier to use than if you had cold hard cash in your hand that you have to part with when you purchase something. Note: we have our reasons for continuing to have a credit card and my husband are in agreement about it.
4. Rally all our financial resources, and I don't just mean the bank account. Do we have stuff to sell? Sell it! Do we have points accumulated in consumer loyalty programs (airlines, diaper points, credit card points, etc.) that we could convert to gift cards for stores that sell essentials? Are there coins in the couch or money around the house that should be corralled? Do we have gift cards in our wallets or elsewhere that could be put toward meeting basic family needs? Are there rebates to send in to get money back? All of these things may be small, but would hopefully have a positive net effect on not having as much money leaving our savings fund, or at least slowing the rate at which that happens. And then we would go to a cash-basis system for everything except for our mortgage and monthly bills. We go back and forth between using cash well for most everything and then fall back into using debit more. This would be a time for cash only!
5. Utilize utilities more wisely. Time to get back to line or air-drying. Turn the thermostat down (some more) and put more blankets on the beds and wear sweaters or fleece. Shut off lights. Recaulk windows and doors. Unplug unused appliances big and small. Wash the windows to let more solar heat warm the house in the daytime. Consider if we can cut our phone and internet bills.
6. Halt or at least slow gasoline consumption by making more thorough lists and mapping out errands and outings to be combined.
7. Let the non-essentials and niceties go. For us this would include the YMCA membership (unless they could work with us on a reduced or free membership during the unemployed time), going out to eat even with coupons at cheaper places, and the small personal allowances my husband and I have come to enjoy and potentially even the evenings out alone that I enjoy from time to time. Though I rarely spend much while out, the gas for the outing may be a deciding factor.
8. Accept that this will be a season of limited giving, especially of presents for birthdays and Christmas and exchange homemade gifts or skip them altogether. The priority would be a Christmas or birthday gift to our own children during this time, even though it would be something that was inexpensively purchased or homemade. I can see that this would be one of the most humbling areas for us overall in a no-income situation. Hopefully we could still support those missionaries we have committed to and we would need to prayerfully consider that.
9. Consider whether I could supplement our resources by sewing and selling some items from materials I already have on hand. This could also provide some entertainment value since we would not be spending on entertainment at all during this period. My husband's entertainment comes largely in the form of books from the library which we would certainly continue to utilize. Entertainment currently comes in the form of dining out, though not often, so it is not like we have an "entertainment budget" that could be cut.
10. Count the daily blessings and watch God provide for every real need. Just in typing out some of these tactics that we could put into place I am reminded of how incredibly blessed we are, currently, but also even if a job loss did become a reality for us. He is good. He is faithful. He provides.
Even in putting some of the thoughts I have had about this onto paper I am energized to begin implementing a few of these things now, even though they are not in any way forced, just to be better stewards and work on my own character.
What are a few changes you would make to your lifestyle in the event of income loss?
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Long Ago on Woodmen Road
Just remembering our first days in Colorado Springs, more than 9 years ago. :) If you are local and know what Woodmen Road looked like 9 years ago (MUCH less developed than today), you'll be able to envision this all the more.
Long ago on Woodmen Road
walked two young souls a bit forlorn.
New to the area, no knowing a soul,
boxes unloaded and without a car.
To Roscoe's Topsoil and Gravel the truck was returned,
We were at Black Forest Road, we very soon learned!
Six miles from town there arose no clatter,
and no one tell even what was the matter.
We had not a phone, but really who would we call?
We had no clue, no none at all!
Hot July day, eight ounces of water,
in hindsight, we could have been smarter.
So we set out on foot, no transit in sight,
sidewalk on the left, and then on the right.
The sidewalk did end and begin again
on the other side of 4 lanes a movin'.
We walked and we walked and thirsted some more,
feeling quite foolish and lonely for sure.
A mirage in the distance, a lovely gas station,
turned out to be still under construction.
Further along the Golden Arches did call
and we gladly did go into the cool and stall.
Replenished a bit from the heat and the thirst,
we wondered if now the move could go worse.
We finally returned "home" and wondered what was to come.
...and we soon discovered our neighbors had an addiction,
though this is no time to go into that situation.
Long ago on Woodmen Road
walked two young souls a bit forlorn.
New to the area, no knowing a soul,
boxes unloaded and without a car.
To Roscoe's Topsoil and Gravel the truck was returned,
We were at Black Forest Road, we very soon learned!
Six miles from town there arose no clatter,
and no one tell even what was the matter.
We had not a phone, but really who would we call?
We had no clue, no none at all!
Hot July day, eight ounces of water,
in hindsight, we could have been smarter.
So we set out on foot, no transit in sight,
sidewalk on the left, and then on the right.
The sidewalk did end and begin again
on the other side of 4 lanes a movin'.
We walked and we walked and thirsted some more,
feeling quite foolish and lonely for sure.
A mirage in the distance, a lovely gas station,
turned out to be still under construction.
Further along the Golden Arches did call
and we gladly did go into the cool and stall.
Replenished a bit from the heat and the thirst,
we wondered if now the move could go worse.
We finally returned "home" and wondered what was to come.
...and we soon discovered our neighbors had an addiction,
though this is no time to go into that situation.
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