Regi:Create

2012-02-09T21:04:00.000-08:00

They're all getting along so well now. Now if we could just get an egg......

Wordless Wednesday~ Omlette Cupcakes

2012-02-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yummy~ness

2012-02-06T12:09:00.000-08:00

You will need:

Water Kefir

Frozen fruit, yogurt (homemade or I used Activia today), juice, and a blender. I use the Magic bullet... it gives me the perfect serving size of smoothie every time.

Adorable helpers:

Place all ingredients into the blender. I put the fruit in, then the yogurt, then the juice and kefir.

Blend away!

See how thick and yummy it is?

The kids love it!

Cheers~

Wordless Wednesday

2012-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Hipster. Like... ten times a day.

Potty training our kitty

2012-01-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

Check out Citikitty for more information on the process. Here is Hermione getting acquainted with step one. In about a week, we'll move on to step two. Stay tuned!

Birthday!

2012-01-30T15:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my awesome Dad! My mom asked if I could make him a cake. I was trying to come up with an idea that I thought he would like, and I couldn't think of anything. Truth be told, I didn't think he was super into "cake" at all. My pop isn't too big on sweets. And since I can't eat (and honestly shouldn't really even touch) anything with flour in it, I was out of ideas. Then I saw this on another website and I thought it was the perfect solution. So... for his birthday, we had a veggie cake. I constructed a cake stand out of a cup (filled with ranch dip) and a plate. It was a hit! Super yummy and so much better for you than cake. Kids, sorry to break it to you, but I think ya'll will be getting similar cakes this year. :)

Playful Parenting.

2012-01-25T19:18:00.002-08:00

I'm trying to learn to not sweat the small stuff and find joy in my kid's discovery. My first instinct when I saw this was to put a stop to it... but I decided, instead, to let them have a bit of fun and then just throw the tablecloth in the wash. The result was giggles all around rather than disappointment. Now if they try to do it at every meal, I may need to have the "there's a time for everything" chat. ;)

Chicken craziness.

2012-01-25T14:16:00.000-08:00

Well... it has been an interesting adventure.. this chicken raising thing. When we started, Josh got two light brahma chicks for me for Mother's Day.

The very next day, we added a third chick. A buff brahma.

When they were about 2 months old, the buff one escaped the coop (a puppy corral with a wood lid at the time.. the coop was still under construction) and met it's demise with my dog. At the time, we had a Dorkie. He looked like this:

Cute... but deadly! LOL. We finished the coop and the two hens left over moved in. We knew we wanted three hens, so we figured while they were still small, we would add a third chick back in. Big mistake. She was significantly smaller and the other two eliminated her. She was a buff orphington. She didn't last long. Sad day, lesson learned.

Time passed, the brahma's grew. The coop was complete. All was well.

And then, we learned the hard way, that the dorkie mix of diggers and hunters didn't work out so well for the hens. We found a big hole under, the wire had been torn back and we had two dead hens on our hands. We were hen free for a bit after that. We knew that we would want to start again though. Meanwhile, we were having issues with the doggie.... he was a grand escape artist and he continued to find new ways out of the yard. We learned a lesson about breed researching before adopting for sure. Lucky for us, we found someone who was searching for a pup just like him. We gave him to this fellow, knowing he was going to a home much better suited for him. We moved the chicken coop to the side of the house where the veggies will grow and decided to start again. Insert these gals.

One Silver Laced Wyandotte

One Buff Orphington

One Light Brahma

Priya

Penny

Bernadette.

Do you watch The Big Bang Theory? We do.

As they were growing, things were running smoothly.

And then..... as they started to get older, we started noticing that Priya was becoming more dominant. This struck me as odd because she was consistently the smallest and seemingly the bottom of the pecking order. She would squabble a tad with Penny, but they all got along great. Penny was a bit loud for a hen, but she wasn't crowing... just.... honking. Priya started looking like this;

Long story short (or not... maybe it's too late...) yesterday, I found them mating. I was more and more certain that Priya was a 'he' rather than a 'she', but yesterday's antics sealed the deal.

Here they are roaming the yard.

I wondered why he had no interest in Penny though. Well... once I let them out to free range and they were allowed more distance from each other, I discovered why. Penny had started to look like this:

I didn't think anything of it though, because the hens can have almost as much of a comb and wattles as the roos. Here's a hen of that breed:

See?

When Priya wasn't paying attention, Penny tried to fool around with his girlfriend. Sad day. My three hens turned out to be two roos and a hen. Those are pretty bum odds. Needless to say, we aren't allowed to have males where we live, so they had to go. Not to mention the fact that you should have a ratio of 10 hens to one roo.. and two dudes fighting over one chick never turns out well.........So back to the seller they went. The guy we got them from graciously took them back and exchanged them for two young hens.

Meet Ginger and Nutmeg.

As adults they'll look like this:

They're Ameraucanas. They'll lay pastel eggs. They're known as the chickens that look like hawks. Pretty neat if you ask me. They're friendly and they're good layers.

At the moment, we have them in the coop while Bernie roams around. She's a bit lonely after loosing her coopmates. Once Ginger and Nutmeg are a bit bigger, I'll let them roam the yard with her. It's gonna be a long process. We don't want any casualties like the first time. They're able to get acquainted in the large area of the yard now that the dorkie isn't around. Umi, on the other hand, gets along great with the chickens. Bernie follows her around the yard now that she has no friends. She mostly ignores the new chicks, but on occasion, she'll come by and watch them or peck at them through the wire. It's like she's saying, "who do you think you are?".

Here's a current shot of my gal:

You can see her checkin' them out here.

So, until they become better pals, Bernie will have to rely on Umi for companionship. She doesn't seem to mind so much, those girls enjoy exploring the yard together.

See?

Hopefully we start seein' some eggs someday....

Till then~

Baby carriers

2012-01-22T19:28:00.000-08:00

The reason this:

Is better than this:

For more information, go here.

2012-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut flour

8 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup water

Coconut oil

The Process:

1. Whisk coconut flour, egg whites, water, and baking powder (optional) together in a large bowl.

2. Preheat small skillet on medium-high.

3. Melt 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in the pan and swirl around to coat.

4. Pour about 3 tablespoons of batter into the pan. Tilt and swirl the skillet to spread out the batter into a round thin tortilla shape.

5. Cook until golden brown on one side and then flip. (Careful! If you try to flip it too early or too quickly, it will rip. Be gentle and make sure the tortilla is not sticking to the skillet before you flip.)

6. Cook the other side until golden brown. Remove to plate.

7. Repeat the steps 3-6. This should make 8-10 tortillas.

1. Cut round, flour tortillas (whatever size you prefer) into eighths.

2. Lightly brush a 9×13 pan with olive oil.

3. Lay your tortilla triangles in the pan, then brush over them lightly with the olive oil. Make sure they’re not overlapping too much.

4. Sprinkle garlic salt over your tortilla triangles.

5. Bake on 350º for ten minutes.

Adoption and employment

2012-01-21T11:12:00.000-08:00

So, we've heard back from our contacts in Ross's birth country. All systems are a go! Next stop.... Home Study! We have about half of the funds that we need to get started, so we're gonna plan a couple fundraisers. I'm thinking about doing a fundraiser night at our local Chick-fil-A. I like how they play worship music in there and it would be a great atmosphere for our church family to gather. Hopefully we would have a good turn out. Fellowship night style!

We have an updated photo of him. He's looking so much older to me... I don't wanna miss out on any more of his growing! His caretakers described him as "tender" and "sweet". I love to hear that. I'm praying that the Lord blesses him while he waits for us.

Check this out... I didn't notice this so much till after we got this photo. We always joked that our ballerina had the same face shape as Josh's side of the family. The jawline and chin in particular. See how pronounced his chin and cheeks are? Now look at this photo of ballerina.

See what I mean about the jawline/chin shape? Very much alike. It's funny eh? Also, check this out:

What do we notice about this photo of Josh's mom? Yes! Same jawline. I love it!

Even lil' hipster has it... although his is much chubbier.... I love my kid's faces!

So anyway, I'll continue to keep you updated as we trek along this adventure the Lord has called us into.

Also on the horizon, I will begin training for what is to be my new business venture. Now..... I know it's not your average job... but I'm super jazzed about it.

In about 5 weeks, I will be a certified Placenta Encapsulation Specialist. For more information on what the Placenta has to offer new mothers, go here. I will also be able to provide new mothers with Placenta prints like this one.

I think these are supremely beautiful. So... if you know a soon to be new mom who would like to know more about how her placenta can help her with post birth healing, postpartum depression, milk supply, and energy, point her my way.

Well... that's about all for now. I hope ya'll have a super blessed weekend. Stay dry, stay safe, and above all, stay joyful!

Hens!

2012-01-17T11:12:00.000-08:00

The hens and the dog are becoming fast friends. It's nice... while she's out there with the chickens, it keeps them safe from other predators. Here's a bit of video I grabbed while they were peckin' around.

I love how adorable lil' Hipster's voice is in this. He's such a doll.... if I do say so myself. :)

Let's hope we start gettin' eggs soon!

New sling...

2012-01-12T09:10:00.000-08:00

I think this one is one of my favs... I bejeweled it to hide some unsightly stitching and I think it turned out really cute and girly that way. Whatchu think?

Pocket at the bottom.

Wedding hair and make-up

2012-01-11T18:00:00.000-08:00

I've had two amazing opportunities lately to do hair and makeup for weddings. I gotta say... I LOVE doing it. There is something so special and personal about being the one that creates the look the groom sees on his bride. I consider it an enormous honor to be chosen to have such an intimate part in the wedding. A bride will always remember how she felt and how she looked on her most important of days. A few rules I follow when creating a bridal look.....

Keep it venue appropriate.

Is the wedding inside? Outside? What's the lighting like? What time of day is it? Is it daytime casual or evening elegant? These things are important in deciding on a bridal look. If the wedding is outside and midday, you don't want as much drama as the evening wedding in a grand chapel. Follow me?

Keep it true to the bride's personality.

Do you have a bride that typically has more dirt on her face than makeup? Is she outdoorsy and natural on a typical day? The last thing you want is for your groom to not recognize you. Wow him... yes. Shock him with how different you look? Not so much. Are you the self proclaimed spokeswoman for MAC cosmetics on a typical day? A bit more drama is more your style then. Bottom line... a bride should look like the best version of herself, not a totally new version.

Keep it timeless and classic.

How many people do you know who have wedding photos that are soooo easy to date because of the crazy and outlandish styles of that time? So many! Your photos should be beautiful and timeless so that when you look back on them 80 years from now, you aren't doubled over in laughter.

These are looks that I can't recommend for your wedding day.

Look to your dress for inspiration.

Is the dress simple? Frilly? Strapless? Keep these things in mind when creating your look. If you have a dress that looks like this:

you may not want to go with a super "natural" and "fresh" face. This look allows for a bit more drama. Keep balance in mind. If your dress is huge, you better have some volume in your hair girl! Can you guess how your face should look if your dress looks like this?

Hint: Probably not like this:

The Groom's opinion matters.

Does he prefer you to be glam? Or does he like a more natural look? Find out!

You want his face to look like this:

Not like this:

Got all that?

I also think it's important for the stylist to be on hand for the entire wedding and reception. The bride shouldn't be left to do her own touch-ups and if the curls fall or adjustments need to be made, the stylist should be there to deal with things like that. It's a whole day commitment, not a morning appointment.

So in conclusion, I'm sooo grateful to have been given the opportunity to work a bit in this arena. I was blessed to be a part of these weddings.

I love what I do.

See?

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T12:54:00.000-08:00

Super cool

2012-01-11T09:55:00.000-08:00

This is such a great deal today! I have always wanted to create a book of our favorite foods. I think it would be such a neat thing to have. I know Christmas just passed, but wouldn't this be a great gift idea? Like... if your grandma is a fabulous cook, wouldn't it be awesome to have a "Grandmas Best Recipies" book to give to family members? My daughter has been asking me to help her make her own cook book that she can give to her friends. What a great idea! Check it out~

2012-01-09T11:27:00.000-08:00

Monday is here

the weekend is done....

It was really busy

but also great fun.

Laundry and cleaning,

and homeschooling too.

Time to get to it!

Got so much to do!

Gotta make lunch

for my little clan.

gotta fold socks

for my sexy man.

I am so blessed

in this life that I've got.

Thank you dear Jesus

I love you a lot!

Can I get an Amen????

2012-01-05T11:00:00.000-08:00

"If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it. She'll pour herself some. Her three-year-old will spill the coffee. She'll wipe it up. Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks. She'll remember she has to do laundry. When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer. Bumping into the freezer... will remind her... she has to plan supper. She will get out a pound of hamburger. She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.) The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail. She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow. She will look for her checkbook. The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old. She'll smell something funny. She'll change the two-year-old. While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring. Her five-year-old will answer and hang up. She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee. Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup. She will pour herself some. And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it."

~Source unknown.

Learning to ride my bike... A guest post by Ballerina.

2012-01-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Hi! I'm The Ballerina. On New Year's day, I learned how to ride my bike. It was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!! First, I just tried to cruise using my feet. And that is just what happened. I cruised. Then Daddy told me to cruise then put my feet on the pedals.
I tried that. As far as I went, I only got one foot on. So Daddy held on to me and ran after me until he couldn't keep up anymore. He let go and... MY FIRST ZOOM WITH THE PEDALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I did the same thing and chased Daddy in cruise mode. I did one lap like that, then the next alone. When we got home, I showed mommy what I learned, and called it a day. A great day.

(Note: This was posted free of any edits. It's just as it was written by the Ballerina.)

Brining my chicken.

2011-12-22T15:11:00.000-08:00

Yuuuuummmm.

For more info on brining, check this out.

Great start to winter if you ask me. And I'll get great stock from this chicken when I'm done!

Fun project

2011-12-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

I made this cute outfit for a friend of mine's soon to be son. It was super simple and fun.

Ballet Wordless Wednesday.

2011-12-21T15:34:00.000-08:00

Santa Photos!!

2011-12-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

Imagine the look of wonder and surprise when a child receives a photo of Santa caught in the act in his or her very own home. iCaughtSanta.com is a unique website that helps visitors create those memorable keepsake photos.

In three simple steps anyone can upload a holiday photo, add Santa Claus and print it as proof… or share it via Facebook and Twitter. Last-minute shoppers can purchase Gift Cards and eGift Certificates for loved ones with children, making iCaughtSanta.com a great gift idea even if you don't have kids yourself. Enter coupon code 'SANTA50' to get 50% off your purchase.

Merry Christmas!

Snapshots from my evening......

2011-12-20T11:03:00.001-08:00

It was a good evening!

Bantu knots

2011-12-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

This hairstyle is super fun and easy. Ballerina was loving the curly look the next day. I actually thought the knots themselves were cute..... LOL. She wanted me to take them out before church though. I knotted her hair while it was dry. If you do this wet, it may not dry in time. I find that hair that is wound pretty think does not dry in the innermost parts in just one night. The method for the knots is really simple. Grab a section of hair and start twisting it till it starts to twist on itself. Then wrap them up and secure with an elastic. Easy peasy. I did them in an alternating pattern. Next time, I'll not part her hair in the center of her head, it gave an interesting look after that needed to be fixed a bit. Ballerina's hair went frizzy pretty quick since it was a rainy day. Also, if you work a bit of styling gel or mouse into the dry hair before knotting it, it will hold better.

Now, this may be the overly anal cosmetologist in me, but as you can see, I rolled the knots in the hairline smaller and the ones in the crown area bigger. This is because naturally curly hair will have tighter curls in the hairline and I wanted to mimic natural growth patterns. What can I say..... I like things to be authentic... LOL (>_<)*\

That is not necessary to achieve an adorable look.

Good Morning!!!!!

Curly gal!

Change

2011-12-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

Today we reached a milestone. When I offered my son 'num-nums' at nap time, he declined. Said, "no, thank-you". I felt a mixture of pride and sadness. Pride for his growing independence, sadness for his growing independence... I'm noticing that we are entering new territory now. For so long, I've identified myself in parenting terms. "Baby wearer." "Co-sleeper." "Cloth diaper-er." I had my son in the Ergo a few weeks ago and I noticed that it fits us differently these days. It doesn't come up so high on his back anymore. I have a harder time wearing him for a full day now. He wants to "walk please". He asks to ride in the stroller. It's new and different for me. He is (mostly) sleeping through the night and falling asleep holding my hand instead of nursing down. He'll hold my hand till he's drowsy, and then he says "ni-night" and rolls over. Yesterday, when I left for church without him, (he has a cold) he waved and said "bye bye" instead of crying as I leave. In many ways, he's becoming a 'big' boy. He uses the potty now, no more diapers. He pretty much made that choice on his own. He asked me to use the potty once and never looked back after that first time. Cloth diapering became a bit of a hobby for me, and that phase is suddenly over. It's surprising how fast it happened. It's surprising how fast it's all happening. It's funny. You can be totally aware that it's coming, but it still catches you off guard when it happens. I look back fondly on his 'baby' phase, but I'm also looking forward to what's to come next. We're gonna try to hold off on making another baby for now.... with the adoption happening and everything. I'm looking forward to a bit of a break from being depended on to the level that you are with a baby. As women, we have so many titles. I've been so consumed with 'Mommy' for some time now, that I've lost track of some of the others. This is totally understandable and normal when you have little ones, but I'm looking forward to taking the time in between kids to enjoy some of the others. Wife, Daughter, Sister, Friend.... ect. Or even, Chef, Musician, Writer, Seamstress, Cosmetologist, Small business owner.... I'm going to use this time to re-discover "Me". I'm looking forward to the things this next year will bring me. I'm looking forward to seeing what amazing things the Lord is gonna do. My recently married sister just found out she is gonna have a baby. She (like me) found herself with child after only a few months of marriage. It's such an amazing journey that she is starting out on. The world will never again look the same as it does now. I pray that she cherishes this special time with her hubs, establishes easy to stick to routines, enjoys and cares for her changing body, and gives herself completely to loving and caring for her hubby. Once that first baby comes, the husband has to forever share his wife. Make those months together count! Babies are the ultimate enhancement of life, but they come with lifestyle changes. Wife and Mother are high callings that the Lord places on one's life. If you are serving your husband and nurturing you child/ren, you are in a ministry! The mom's group, nursery, youth, worship team, and coffee cart are secondary. I know all too well that the phase of highest dependency is only temporary- over before you know it. The time in their lives that you are their source of everything is so short compared to how much of their lives they will spend getting advice, food, comfort, entertainment and acceptance from this world. They'll get their advice from Dr, Laura and their food from Del Taco, so pour everything you have into them and pray that they remember the foundation that has been laid when they reach adolescence.
So yes, I'm moving into a new phase with my youngest, a phase that allows for a bit more wiggle room on my end, but it's just a short breather before I dig into the trenches again. We'll bring our adopted son home and start working on giving him all those things that young babies get- things he missed out on in an orphanage. Eventually, we hope to have another baby as well.... and then I can re-visit all my beautiful cloth diapers ;) In the meantime, I'm gonna make my man a nice dinner. I'm gonna pick my dusty guitar back up. I'm gonna cut someone's hair. I'm gonna read a book that isn't about parenting. I'm gonna have coffee with my dad. I'm gonna sit down at my sewing machine. And if I'm lucky, I'll nurse my son down to sleep.

OH, MOTHERS OF YOUNG CHILDREN, I BOW BEFORE YOU IN REVERENCE. YOUR WORK IS MOST HOLY. YOU ARE FASHIONING THE DESTINIES OF IMMORTAL SOULS. THE POWERS FOLDED UP IN THE LITTLE ONES THAT YOU HUSHED TO SLEEP IN YOUR BOSOMS LAST NIGHT, ARE POWERS THAT SHALL EXIST FOREVER. YOU ARE PREPARING THEM FOR THEIR IMMORTAL DESTINY AND INFLUENCE. BE FAITHFUL. TAKE UP YOUR SACRED BURDEN REVERENTLY. BE SURE THAT YOUR LIFE IS SWEET AND CLEAN.--JR MILLER

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Ballerina~ "He [Hipster] keeps stealing my chair, so I'm gonna do my schoolwork without it today."

Tonight

2011-12-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Tonight I have:

A mug of chicken broth in my hands

2 blanket forts in my living room

A pile of warm-from-the-dryer towels to fold

Stuffy nosed kids eating grilled cheese

A humming dishwasher doing the hard work for me

Elf on the TV

A hardworking man staying out late to study

A 90lb dog who thinks my lap is her seat

Peace, Love and Joy in my heart

Thank you Jesus for the little blessings in my life.

Big News

2011-12-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Joshua and I have felt the Lord lay it upon our hearts that now is the time for us to pursue adoption. For many of you, this will seem sudden or out of the blue. Not for us though. We have been quietly praying for some time now. For the sake of everyone's emotions, we chose to keep it quiet until we felt we had an answer from the Lord. We have come to that place now and we are eagerly looking forward to the journey ahead. The first thing we would like to share is a bit of information about the boy the Lord has placed in our hearts. Backstory: As I watched some dear friends go through their adoption journey, the Lord really spoke to my heart saying, 'Pay attention. This will be you'. Josh and I always loosely talked about adopting, but the "plan" was to adopt a baby domestically once we were done having our own biological kids. I felt like lately though, the Lord was opening my heart and mind to the possibility of something different. As we began praying about it, we felt our hearts really open to the idea of adopting, as they say, "out of birth order". (Meaning a child older than your youngest.) After we became comfortable with that idea, the Lord showed me this:

http://youtu.be/fiqJvjknBZo

He broke my heart for these "least of these".

I began doing some research and started reading the blogs of families that have adopted HIV+ children and what their day to day life is like. I was absolutely shocked to realize how doable it is. There was one waiting child profile that I came across very early on in my research. I was instantly struck by how much he resembled my own kids. There was, however, no information about him on that particular listing. Only a country. Russia. I prayed for the little guy, but didn't think there was anything I could do about him at that time.

A couple weeks later, while attending a church event, the topic of orphans was once again brought up. The ministry that we were attending an event with was talking about how their ministry proceeds go to sponsoring and caring for orphans all over the world.

http://youtu.be/H2AgMgnN77o

Josh and I left that service feeling even more certain that the Lord was preparing our hearts for adoption. And particularly of someone who would otherwise have little hope. We felt the Lord soften our hearts to the idea of an older child. We were no longer afraid of the idea of someone with HIV. Several days later, while viewing the website that our friends found their son through, I saw that same little boy again. This time I was much more prepared for the idea of adopting him. We started praying to determine if the Lord would have us to move forward, and open up communication with the agency. The Lord showed me this verse in Psalm. "God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy." Psalm 68:6. Jesus is the Father to the fatherless and are we not called to be imitators of Him? For this reason, Josh and I have decided to "take the plunge". I know there are questions in your minds, so I will do my best to answer the most common ones.

Q~ Who is this boy? What can you tell us about him?

A~ We know him as "Ross". Is that his actual name? Dunno. He is 5 years old, turning 6 in Feb. He is indeed HIV+. He does NOT have AIDS. We do not know if he was surrendered, abandoned or orphaned by the death of his mother. He is currently in an orphanage, but we don't know how long until he would be transferred to a 'boarding institution'. His chances of being adopted in his home country are minimal due to his age and medical status. I have attached his photo.

Q~How will his HIV affect your life, and the health of your other kids? Aren't you concerned they could get it?

A~ There is a ton of false information about the disease out there. Having HIV does not mean he will die young, he is not sickly, and he does not have AIDS. Many people don't understand the difference between HIV and AIDS. AIDS is a complication of untreated HIV. If the HIV is treated properly, AIDS does not happen. The treatment of HIV includes the following:

HIV stands for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, and is the virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome). It is a virus that attacks the immune system.

Over time, and without treatment, HIV gradually destroys the body's defenses against disease, leaving it vulnerable to many infections and cancers that do not normally develop.

Even without treatment, some people living with HIV have no symptoms; some have mild health problems, while others have severe health problems associated with AIDS.

AIDS is a late stage of HIV disease. By the time of an AIDS diagnosis, HIV has already seriously damaged the body's immune system. Often, a person living with AIDS will already have had life-threatening infections or cancers.

It usually takes 10 years or more for an HIV infection to turn into AIDS. However, anti-HIV medications can radically interfere with HIV’s destruction of the immune system and lengthen a person’s life expectancy. With proper treatment, some people now living with HIV may never develop AIDS and can live a normal life span. Studies suggest that starting treatment early in the course of infection can significantly improve long-term treatment success. Ross has been on treatment since his diagnosis. I'm not sure if it was at birth or not.

There is now a wide range of HIV medications available to people in the United States that fall into six different categories according to the method by which they interfere with HIV reproducing itself in the body. The range of medications is important, because to be effective the drugs must be taken in combination with others in order to attack the virus from many different points in the replication process. This is often called, “combination therapy,” on an HIV “regimen.” Although no singular regimen can cure HIV, they are able, by and large, to prevent further damage to your body once you start taking them. The most important thing about therapy is “adherence,” or taking your medications everyday as they’re prescribed. The better your treatment adherence, the better your chances for living a long and healthy life on treatment.

The following "bodily fluids" are NOT infectious:

§ Saliva

§ Tears

§ Sweat

§ Feces

§ Urine

Recent studies offer evidence and raise questions about the role of antiretroviral medications in curbing the spread of HIV. This means that even if there was exposure to the virus from a person on consistent treatment, the chances of passing it on are low. There has NEVER been a case of it being transmitted between family members without there being drug or sexual abuse present. There are three ways it can be spread. Sexual contact, sharing of needles, and mother to child through breast milk. So to answer the question of being concerned for the health of my other kids..... NO. I am not concerned. Knowledge is power.

Take a moment to watch this video:

http://youtu.be/VE9XnX7WRog

Q~ Why international adoption when there are so many kids in need stateside?

A~ This answer is simple. Jesus loves each child the same. His love has no borders. We feel that He placed Ross in our hearts and where he is located is secondary in importance. He knows what He's doing and we trust that He is leading us with a specific purpose. Russia, China, Africa, America..... Red and yellow black and white, they are precious in His sight. Our time living abroad gave us hearts for the WORLD and opened our eyes to the fact that there are needs everywhere, not just in our own backyard. We're globally minded, what can we say? :)

Q~ Isn't adoption expensive? How will you afford it?

A~ The estimated cost is under 25K. 25K is a huge number, but when you consider that the tax credit for special needs adoption is 10k, you're looking at 15K dollars. This is a large number, but we are trusting in the Lord to provide the funds necessary. We will be fundraising and applying for grants through several organizations. We will keep you all posted as to what fundraisers we will be doing and when. We have one adoption account set up and the Lord put in on the heart of a perfect stranger to donate to it. This man who does not know us at all, has gifted us with our first 50 dollars. Praise the Lord! Our family page can be viewed here:

http://the-dean-clan.adoptionjourney.com/

We believe that we will see miracles. Be on the lookout for them with us!

So in conclusion for now, we invite you to pray with us. Pray for us. Pray for Ross. Ask questions, get answers, journey with us as we climb aboard what promises to be an adventurous ride. The prize at the end is surely worth it.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T10:14:00.000-08:00

Sleepin' in the fort by the Christmas tree.

POM juice... trickier than expected.

2011-12-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

I juiced a pomegranate today. It was tricky. First, I seeded it using this method.

The next step was the tricky one. Here's a close up of the seeds themselves.

As you can see, inside each one is a white 'pit'. These are awfully bitter. You can't just blend the whole seed or your juice will be excessively bitter. I put them in my bullet one tablespoon at a time and gave them a couple pulses. This was just enough to get the juice out without cutting into that pit. Next, I placed a strainer over a jar and strained the juice out, giving the seeds a gentle pressing with the back of a spoon. This got the last of the juice out and the strainer caught all the pits and pulp pieces. I did this to all the seeds and it yielded about one cup of juice. Then I took a couple blueberries and threw them in and ran THAT in the bullet. The result was some fresh, yummy juice. Now I'm off to make a smoothie with some of it. I think I'll use the leftover guts to make some pomegranate bath salt. I'll let you know how it turns out!

Until next time~

Fun with new friends

2011-12-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Last week, we had some new friends over. They have kids around the same ages as ours, so we all had a great time hangin' out. I made this super yummy carrot ginger soup in the crockpot and roasted a chicken. After we ate, we decided to get our craft on and decorate some gingerbread houses. Let me tell you!!!! That was so much fun. It was chaotic, but we all had a great time. Imagine telling a two year old that the candy is for decorating, not for eating.... LOL.
It was a super fun and blessed evening. And now our kitchen is decorated with gingerbread houses!

Mixing the goods....

Painting the walls

Decorating my table.....

Our sweet little group.

No Wordless Wednesday this week...

2011-12-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't post my wordless post yesterday, I thought I'd post the photo today. :)

I love when cute things come in the mail..... ;) LOL.

World AIDS day.

2011-12-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

In honor of World AIDS day, I thought I would post this video. This is an issue that is near and dear to my heart these days. Pray for the orphans with HIV in the world. Pray that the Lord will raise up people to adopt and care for them. Pray that the love of Jesus for these kids would be poured out in an amazing way. Pray about what you can do to help.

"God places the lonely in families he sets the prisoners free.." Psalm 68:6

I'm back!

2011-11-29T20:42:00.000-08:00

Ok ya'll. I'm back in the swing of things. How have you all been? We've been blessed in our home. We have some wonderful family in town visiting, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving, the Lord is leading and guiding us into new ventures in faith, we had a super awesome time at Disneyland with our family, we set up our Christmas tree, and we're enjoying moving into the Christmas season.
Josh's sister came into town for a visit. It was nice to see her. She's a recent graduate of boot camp and military training. She's gonna serve the Lord in the National Guard.

Also in town is Josh aunt and her adorable son. They're here from Japan. It's nice to see them and let the kids play. We'll call him "The Conductor" here in blog~land, since he loves trains. ( I know... what little boy doesn't?) Here they are:

Me and my dear friend Stephany who was in town for a wedding.

Our lit, but not yet decorated, tree. Merry Christmas!

Great day at the Land.

Well... that about covers the last week. I have more to update ya'll about, but I'll save it for a later post.
Scroll down if you dare~

Boo!

2011-11-20T17:26:00.000-08:00

I still exist. I promise. My kids are down with a stomach bug of some kind, so I'm pumping them full of liquids and praying it passes by Thanksgiving. Stay healthy ya'll!

Bustin' out the frozen stock......

Overruled.

2011-11-17T08:35:00.001-08:00

Things to remember in trying times

2011-11-14T17:46:00.000-08:00

Tough times never last, but tough people do.
- Robert H. Schuller

You never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have.
Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.
You cannot change what you refuse to confront.
Nobody is perfect, and nobody deserves to be perfect. Nobody has it easy. You never know what people are going through. Every one of us has issues. So don’t belittle yourself or anyone else. Everybody is fighting their own unique war.
Crying doesn’t indicate that you’re weak. Since birth, it has always been a sign that you’re alive and full of potential.
No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn’t trying. (Read Unstoppable.)
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
Grudges are a waste of perfect happiness. Let it go.
Making one person smile can change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. Start small. Start now.
Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
Never let success get to your head, and never let failure get to your heart.
You have to fight through some bad days to earn the best days of your life.
Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
You can learn great things from your mistakes when you aren’t busy denying them.
Give up worrying about what others think of you. What they think isn’t important. What is important is how you feel about yourself.
When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
When other people treat you poorly, keep being you. Don’t ever let someone else’s bitterness change the person you are.
You have to accept that some things will never be yours, and learn to appreciate the things that are only yours.
Sometimes it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one in the world who’s struggling, who’s frustrated, or unsatisfied, or barely getting by. But that feeling is a lie. And if you just hold on, someone will find you and help make it better. Because we all need a little help sometimes – someone to help us hear the music in our world. To remind us that it won’t always be this way. That someone is out there right now.
Don’t be afraid to move out of your comfort zone. Some of your best life experiences and opportunities will transpire only after you dare to lose.
Sometimes we accidentally allow small problems to escalate and dominate our lives. If we get overcharged a few cents, it is irritating, but don’t let it ruin your day. There will always be small issues that irritate us; the secret is to be able to give them the miniscule level of importance they deserve.
Giving up doesn’t always mean you’re weak, sometimes it means you are strong enough and smart enough to let go. (Read The Dip.)
Ask yourself whether each of your relationships drags you down or lifts you up. Surrounding yourself with positive, loving people is half the battle of living a happy, successful life.
Spend more time with those who make you smile and less time with those who you feel pressured to impress.
There are few joys in life that equal a good conversation, a good read, a good walk, a good hug, a good smile, or a good friend.
Don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future for too long. Right now is life. Live it.
No matter how cautiously you choose your words, someone will always twist them around and misinterpret what you say. So just say what you need to say.
In order to be creative, we must lose our fear of being wrong.
Not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of good luck.
To be great does not mean you have to dominate others. It means you have to dominate your own potential.
If you are passionate about something, pursue it, no matter what anyone else thinks. That’s how dreams are achieved.
If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting.
Forgiveness is one of the primary keys to happiness.
The best revenge is happiness, because nothing drives your adversaries more insane than seeing you smile.
Stay positive when negativity surrounds you. Smile when others frown. It’s an easy way to make a difference.
If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
Don’t regret intimate relationships that don’t work out. Because they will only help you find the right partner for you, and better appreciate them for everything they do and everything they are.
What lies before us and behind us are tiny matters when compared to what lies within us.
The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists. It rewards people who get things done. And the only way to get things done is to be imperfect 99% of the time.
Never lie – not even a white lie! When you steer away from the truth, you steer away from your soul. Be honest, be real and tell the truth. This awareness forces you to make better choices and be a stronger person.
Feelings, good and bad, always come and go.
Don’t get caught up in wasted potential from years past. Potential is all we ever have.
We are not alone. No matter how bizarre or embarrassed or pathetic we feel about our own situation, there will be others out there experiencing the same emotions. When you hear yourself say “I am all alone,” it is your mind trying to sell you a lie so you will continue to feel sorry for yourself.
It is okay to be angry. It is never okay to be cruel.
Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.
Mistakes teach you important lessons. Every time you make one, you’re one step closer to your goal. The only mistake that can truly hurt you is choosing to do nothing simply because you’re too scared to make a mistake.
Money is a renewable resource. If you lose some money, don’t sweat it. You can always make more. However, if you spend valuable time stressing over money, or lost opportunity, you’ll never get that time back. Time is more valuable than money – time is the greatest constituent of life.
Never let people know that they got to you. Ignore them. Hold your head up high and pretend all their negative remarks don’t even phase you, and someday they actually won’t.
There is nothing to hold you back except you. And there is only one question to ask yourself: “What would you do if you were not afraid?” Think about it.
Life is way more enjoyable when you stop trying to be cool and simply focus on being yourself.
It’s often hard to tell just how close you are to success.
When you spend time worrying, you’re simply using your imagination to create things you don’t want.
No matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.
You must see things how they are instead of how you hoped, wished, or expected them to be.
Even when you feel like you have nothing, someone else likely has far less. Find them and help them. You’ll see why.
Laughter is the best medicine for stress. Laugh at yourself often. Find the humor in whatever situation you’re in.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the great things you have thatmoney can’t buy.
Forgiving yourself is far more important than getting others to forgive you.
If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
You can press forward long after you can’t. It’s just a matter of wanting it bad enough.
It’s not about getting a chance, it’s about taking a chance. You’ll rarely be 100% sure it will work. But you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Sometimes you just have to go for it!
If it were easy everyone would do it. This is why get rich quick schemes will never be true. If it was so quick and easy then everyone would be millionaires. Accomplishing great things is hard work, but well worth it.
Notice and cherish life’s surprises. Just because it’s not what you were expecting, doesn’t mean it’s not everything you’ve been waiting for.
Be vulnerable. Allow yourself to feel, to be open and authentic. Tear down any emotional brick walls you have built around you and feel every exquisite emotion, both good and bad. This is real life. This is how you welcome new opportunities.
You must create and look for opportunities. Opportunities rarely ever come knocking on the door of someone who’s not seeking them. You have to create and seek opportunities for yourself. You have to take the initiative to get the ball rolling and the doors opening.
If it’s out of your control, why fret about it? Concentrating on things you can control is how you make good things happen.
Saying “no” to right people gives you the time and resources required to say “yes” to right opportunities. (Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.)
No matter how much progress you make there will always be the people who insist that whatever you’re trying to do is impossible. Or they may incessantly suggest that the idea or dream as a whole is utterly ridiculous because nobody really cares. When you come across these people, don’t try to reason with them. Instead, forget that they exist. They will only waste your time and energy.
If you spend 80% of your time focusing on the problem and only 20% on the solution, what do you think is going to happen?
No matter how badly you think your life may be going, or how messed up you think you are, there is at least one thing you are doing right in your life or you wouldn’t be alive reading this.
A problem is a chance for you to learn.
The greatest struggle is to be something different from what the average man is.
In times of great stress, it’s always wise to keep busy, to plow your anger and frustration into something positive.
One thing is for sure: Regardless of the situation, life goes on.
Everyone wants a perfect ending. But over the years I’ve learned that some of the best poems don’t rhyme, and many great stories don’t have a clear beginning, middle, or end. Life is about not knowing, embracing change, and taking a moment and making the best of it without knowing what’s going to happen next.

(Note: This list was originally posted here... I just thought it was worth sharing. Be sure to check out the Marc and Angel blog for more encouraging things to read. )

Workin' out

2011-11-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

I've decided to start working out regularly. I'm gonna start with total body in the AM and Yoga in the PM. I wanna be tough like Popeye. I wanna be able to take on the world! You wait and see.... I'm gonna get buff! And then, I'll get preggers at some point..... and it will all go out the window! Can't wait!

Who wants to get fit with me?

Thankful Thursdays

2011-11-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

I suppose today I shall start with the obvious. I am so very thankful for my family.

My Husband:

Not only is he handsome, but he's an amazing provider, hard worker, caring and affectionate father, patient friend, and wonderful companion. He is my best friend. I'm so blessed.

My Kids:

They are my pride and joy. They keep me company, make me laugh, keep me busy, make me feel loved, give my life purpose, and light up my life. Again, I'm so blessed.

The Others:

I'm so thankful to have such a wonderful support system around me. These people are my backbone! I love them all dearly. Josh and I are so blessed to have such amazing people surrounding us in life.

What about you? What are you thankful for this Thursday? Link up below and join the conversation!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T09:13:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Patch train ride.

2011-11-01T15:50:00.001-07:00

My babywearin' stud muffin. I'm lucky.

Thankful Thursdays

2011-11-01T10:14:00.000-07:00

I'm starting a new series. Every Thursday, we'll talk about what we're thankful for. This will lead right up to Thanksgiving. I'll post a linky every week in case you wanna link up your Thankful Thursday post. Cheers!

Grab the code in the sidebar and I'll see you Thursday!

Scarf

2011-10-31T12:37:00.000-07:00

I made a scarf. I wanted it done quick, so I cut loooong strands, knotted them together on one end, and did a 4 strand braid (with several strands of yarn making up each "strand").

~cozy~

Halloweens past and present

2011-10-31T10:59:00.000-07:00

Have a happy and safe Halloween everyone.

Also, here's a great idea for what to do with all the halloween candy.

http://www.halloweencandybuyback.com/

Wordless Wednesday 2

2011-10-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Great shot from my sister's special day.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T09:44:00.001-07:00

Plumbing issues....

2011-10-18T19:41:00.000-07:00

Today's post is brought to you by: My wonderful husband.

So there's been a slow leak under my kitchen sink for a long time. I was pretty sure that it was the drain pipe at the connection to the p-trap. For a long time, I was happy to put it off and leave a bucket under the sink. As long as I checked on the bucket every so often to make sure it wasn't overflowing, everything was good. Every once in a while the wetness would seem to come from somewhere else and the towel under the bucket would end up wet. But this was sporadic. So on the one hand it was not a huge problem, but on the other hand it made determining the source of the problem more difficult.

Well last week - the procrastination had to stop as there was a new source of drippage under my sink. The faucet just began dripping from the bottom at a pretty good rate. It no longer took my bucket a few weeks to get full, but about half a day.

So Sunday afternoon I undertook to replace my faucet.

We went online and found a relatively inexpensive one at Lowe's and went down to pick it up. I thought I was in for a few hours of work. The instructions said 45 minutes, but I knew there was no way and that it would end up being at least 2 hours....heh....I was in for more fun that I imagined.

It's funny how a half an hours work can be reduced to one line "Remove the old faucet". Rather it should say "strap on your headlamp for a half an hour on your back with your arms straight up in the air holding a wrench and a pair of pliers and trying to undo about ten years worth of corrosion".

Of course when I got the old faucet out and the new one in, it turned out the rubber seal on the fittings were completely destroyed and leaking all over the place. Well, a trip to Home Depot to replace these taught me that "that's the old way of doing things" and I would have to buy completely new hoses, and of course new valves. So I went home to get the old pieces to ensure I bought the right size new parts. This of course required shutting off the water to the house. No problem though as I was going to run back out to the Home Dee-Pot and get the required replacement valves and work late into the night to get the problem fixed. The only problem was that both Home Depot and Lowe's were closed early due to it being Sunday. So our water was off and the valves removed and we were out of water for the night. I stopped at Albertson's to get some bottled water for drinking and teeth brushing and the like. This is fun! It's like camping at home!

So at this point I was 7 hours into my 45 minute project, and I knew I would have to take at least the first part of Monday off work because I couldn't leave the family with no toilet and no dishwashing water all day.

Despite the fact that the main valve was shut off, water continued to drip from the pipes all night long and by morning the bucket was overflowing. yay!

Well - thanks to my Grandpa coming over and lending his expertise, I was able to go to both Lowe's and Home Depot and come home with most of what I would need to finish the project, and by about 10:30 the old fitting were cut off the pipes and the new valves were on and the water to the house was back on.

Well to shorten up this long story, I'll just say I had another trip out to both Lowe's and Home Depot in store. I also had about two or three more times of thinking "ahh, finally done" just to find out I wasn't.

What was supposed to be a new faucet with a cool little sprayer turned out to be: a new tee at the drain pipe, buying a new air gap for the dishwasher drain then throwing it away, buying a new 7/8" hose for the dishwasher drain and not using it, buying a new direct attachment from the dishwasher to the garbage disposal, two new valves, two new supply hoses, a new cap for the random hole drilled in the top of the sink by a previous owner, AND a new faucet with sprayer.

It was a long, tiresome, painful, expensive process, but I feel so happy now that we have a new faucet and everything underneath the sink seems to be in good working order. The cold water valve still has a really really slow drip. Maybe it will calcify shut in a couple days, or maybe there's going to be more adventure in store as I try to fix that.

I'm sure this story bring back fond memories of similar experiences for most other home owners, especially owners of older homes. No project is what it appears to be. Whatever you see is only the first domino to fall, or the tip of the iceberg - whichever analogy you prefer.

Sadly - this experience makes me more prone to procrastinate on other projects. I'm never sure if this one hour project will turn out to be the one that ends up lasting 30 hours instead!

Joshua blogs at http://anotherdayanothernewthing.blogspot.com/

He has great insight and a wonderful style. I promise you'll be challenged intellectually if you give it a read.

Blessings~

Camp-in

2011-10-18T08:40:00.000-07:00

The kids and I had a "camp in" while Daddy was having his "camp out". It made being alone in the house less uncomfortable and more adventurous. The kids loved it! We watched "How it's Made" on the Science Channel. It's Ballerina's favorite show.

Kid's names

2011-10-17T19:39:00.000-07:00

I've decided to nickname my kids on the blog here.....based upon their personalities. So here you go:

Add caption

We shall call her "Ballerina" for obvious reasons.

This one shall be called "Hipster" since he spends 50 % of his time on my hip. :)

Have a pleasant evening ya'll!

My take on the Waterfall Braid.

2011-10-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

I wanted little C's hair to be out of her face. I love the look of the waterfall braid these days, but I wanted her hair all up. I decided to modify it and use the fall through pieces to pull into a second braid. I think it turned out pretty cute. She agrees.

Break

2011-10-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

I'm taking this week to unplug and get stuff done around here......See ya'll in a few days!

Guest post from my Mountain Man coming soon. Stay tuned............

From Pintrest....

2011-10-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

Irena Sendler 1910-2008 A 98 year-old German woman named Irena Sendler recently died. During WWII, Irena worked in the Warsaw Ghetto as a plumbing/sewer specialist. Irena smuggled Jewish children out; infants in the bottom of the tool box she carried and older children in a burlap sack she carried in the back of her truck. She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers wanted nothing to do with the dog, and the barking covered the kids’ and infants’ noises. Irena managed to smuggle out and save 2500 children. She eventually was caught, and the Nazis broke both her legs, arms and beat her severely. Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out and kept them in a glass jar buried under a tree in her backyard. After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived and reunited some of the families. Most had been killed. She helped those children get placement into foster family homes or adopted.Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected. Al Gore won- for a slide show on Global Warming

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T10:11:00.001-07:00

This photo moved me. Choose the things you say to your kids carefully.

Jibberish

2011-10-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

Juice on my floor

food in my hair

toys cast aside

do they even care?

Laundry unfolded

beds are unmade

Is that pee on the floor?

Whew! Just lemonade.

Stains on my t-shirt

dirt on the rug

yesterday's coffee

still in my mug......

Cooking, cleaning,

mopping and such

who'd a thought

I'd love it this much?

A perfect house

can't always be,

nobody knows it

better than me.

But would I change it?

Not even a bit!

For joy is found

inside of it.

~Regina 2011

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Pray for Pastor Yousef today.

http://www.persecutionblog.com/2011/09/christian-pastor-yousef-nadarkhani-faces-potential-execution-as-early-as-tomorrow.html

Newest sling

2011-09-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

I've been on a bit of a sling making roll.... I'm working on a mei tai as well. It's super fun. Especially since I just fixed up my craft area.

I really need a cool lamp shade.

See?

Anyway... this is my latest.

I decided to model it with a smaller baby... just for fun. When J saw me holding the baby, he said, "baby num nums mama." I asked him if I should give the baby num nums and he yelled "yes!" See? Even he knows how good it is for babies. :)

In other news.... I finally put my mom's old door to good use.

It will be fun to collect Christmas cards on it. That wall is where I plan to do this:

From Young House Love

Cheers!

Great Decals

2011-09-25T12:25:00.000-07:00

Check out Educated Mama Decals. I'm loving my new car tattoo.

Self Esteem

2011-09-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a trend lately...

There is such huge focus on making us feel good about ourselves these days. Everywhere I turn I see stuff like this

Believe in yourself. You are amazing. You are beautiful. Songs like this are hugely popular.

I know the answer to her question! Who says you're not perfect? Jesus does. That's why it was necessary to die for us. HE is perfect. Not me. See... this is the root of our self esteem issues. They revolve around SELF.

And we wonder why kids are spoiled and entitled these days. No one will love you if you don't love yourself? How about "If everyone focused their attention on loving others the way Jesus does, we wouldn't have any time left over to worry about ourselves. And, in the meantime, everyone else would be loving us while we're loving others. Problem solved"

Now I know there is a real problem with bullying. I'm not minimizing it. I'm just pointing out the fact that if we place our self worth in what other people think of us... we don't stand a chance. And we are the only ones that are fully aware of how sinful we are in our own hearts, so how can we place our self worth in what we think of ourselves? When we say "I'm perfect just the way I am" not only do we know we are lying to ourselves, but we are stating that there is no room for improvement. There is always room for improvement ya know? So what is the answer? Understanding how Jesus sees us is the answer. He sees our filth, sin, pride, and still loves us. We are covered by His perfect blood. Instead of deluding our kids into telling themselves they are perfect as they are, lets teach them humility and help them to see that their perfection is found in Jesus.

Sending kids messages like this not only sets them up for disappointment, but feeds pride. Not only are you great... but you are BETTER than those around you? No. We are made perfect in Him. We are equal in His eyes. Job 34:18-19 "Is he not the One who says to kings, 'You are worthless,' and to nobles, 'You are wicked,' who shows no partiality to princes and does not favor the rich over the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?"

If we must label ourselves, instead of choosing words like these:
beautiful
smart
clever
special
Lets instead focus on words like these.

Instead of wearing shirts that say this

we need shirts that say "HE loves me".

So I propose the following cure for our society's lack of self esteem:

Bottom line:
Spend more time caring about others than worrying about ourselves.

Popsicle Trick

2011-09-22T12:08:00.000-07:00

When we were kids, we would poke a hole in a paper plate and put the stick of a Popsicle through it. Much like this:

but with a paper plate instead of a paper towel. I've always thought it was a great idea... however, the drips still run off the plate. So.... enter this solution:

Cupcake liners save the day. They catch everything, and they're compact.
~Yay~

He approves.

Homeschool Day

2011-09-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to homeschool day at the aquarium. C had a notebook with all kinds of pages for her to fill out and we did a self led field trip. It was really fun. I busted out my stroller and we used it for J. He was much happier running around than in it though. I had forgotten how it's kinda nice to have a stroller once in a while though. Place to stick my stuff, place for him to lay and nap without me having to keep still and calm, and the option to share the pushing duty.

When we got there, they had classrooms that Josh took C to explore in. There were special activities and such for the students. J and I hung out and looked at the fish in the giant tank. I think he may have said "fishies" about 5000000000 times throughout the day.

While back in the classroom, C was able to hold some of the animals. I remember having people come to my school and set up tide pools that we could touch the animals in, so I was glad for her to have a similar experience.

After that, I was hungry, so we went outside and ate lunch. There is a nice fountain out there, so the kids were visually entertained while we ate.
After that, we just went through the aquarium filling out C's scavenger hunt worksheets. It was a really fun day...especially because Josh was able to take off work and come with us. The kids love having their daddy around, and so do I.

Tip of the day

2011-09-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

Ok... who has a dishwasher? (And no... I'm not referring to a person) If you do and you use it regularly, here's a tip for you. Always do a second rinse of your dishes after washing them. Automatic dishwasher soap is actually quite toxic. We always do a second rinse around here and I would strongly recommend that ya'll do as well.
Here are some of the symptoms of dishwasher soap poisioning:

Eyes, ears, nose, and throat

Severe pain in the throat
Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
Loss of vision
Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)

Heart and blood circulation

Low blood pressure -- develops rapidly
Collapse
Severe change in blood acid levels, which can lead to organ damage

Lungs

Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)

Skin

Irritation
Burns
Necrosis (tissue death) in the skin or underlying tissues

Stomach and intestines

Severe abdominal pain
Vomiting, may be bloody
Burns of the esophagus (food pipe)
Blood in the stool

So, the moral of the story is.... Do a second rinse. It's as simple as that. Oh yea... and don't suck on these things.

I know they look like candy but.... they're not. :)

http://www.wildcrafted.com.au/Articles_Other/Health/Are_Your_Household_Products_Poisoning_You.html

Fun dance hair.

2011-09-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

So, by now we're kinda bored with the usual dance bun. We decided to try and doll it up a bit. What better way to doll up some hair than with cute yarn?

Here's the step by step:

You will need

Step 1
Separate the top portion at the ear level and make four small ponytails. Dont' tighten them all the way just yet.

Step 2
Split the top portion of the ponytail, making a "tunnel" for the yarn.

Step 3
Slip the yarn through the loops and tighten the ponytails now.

Step 4
Braid each piece using the 2 yarn pieces and the 1 ponytail to make your three parts. You can do your own versions here if you prefer, a twist braid, a 5 strand... whatever you fancy.

Step 5
Release the top portion and bring all hair into a ponytail.

Step 6
Attach the bun mold. For more info on how to put in the bun mold, go here.

Step 7
Spread the hair around the mold leaving out the braided/yarn pieces. If you did more than four, you could mix them all in. Since I only did the four, I chose to place them more carefully.

Step 8
Pin them where you want 'em. I then twisted the extra hair and wound it around the bun for a clean look. Tada. All done.

Variations:
Use ribbon instead of yarn.
Make more braids
Do twist braids or 5 strand braids
Use clip in color hair extensions
Use your imagination and let me know if you try this one.

Finally some wedding shots

2011-09-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

Hugging. Flower girl and ring bearer. Rehearsal.

My sister's surprise for her hubby to be on the morn of their nuptials. Cute idea.

Finishing touches...

Flower girl's rehersal dress.

Flower girl's actual dress. :)

Dolling my sister up....

Ceremony.

~Congrats to my sister and her lovely husband~

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T17:33:00.000-07:00

Hello?

2011-09-12T12:06:00.000-07:00

I know... haven't posted in several days. It's been busy. I still exist though. Just to let you know. Here's a sneak peek of what's been going on this last week.....

Happy Monday!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

Hiking Slushy Meadows

Changes

2011-09-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

My brother moved in over the weekend. Since J was pretty much already living in our room, it's not much of a change. One thing that was changed though was my awesomely awesome paint job in the little man's room. It was tons of work, but when he's ready for his own room again, I'll be painting it like this again.

In loving memory of my paint job:

Now it looks like this:

Welcome to the ~~circus~~ house G!

In other news:

I started the project of this chair.

Next step is to paint the chair white and slightly distress it so it's shabby chic looking.

Final Yosemite recap.

2011-09-02T11:11:00.000-07:00

Finally got around to making this.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-31T10:14:00.000-07:00

hangin' with our pal

2011-08-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Meet Yasutomo!

He's here all the way from Japan. He was able to attend my sister's wedding while he was here and he stayed with us for a couple days. The kids just adore their buddy. We met Yasutomo while we were living in Okinawa and we've been great friends ever since. He's been helping a lot with relief work after the Quake/Tsunami earlier this year. You can follow his adventures here:

http://aheartburnsfortheone.blogspot.com/

http://calvarytohokurelief.blogspot.com/

Tears when he left........

Room Re-do

2011-08-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well.... I know I just posted a new shot of our room, but it's been changed again. My brother is coming to live with us and I needed to clear out J's room for him to use. Because J is not going to have his own room anymore, I decided a new arrangement in our room was necessary to make for a more comfortable fit (since it will be longer lasting). I moved the crib into our room and set it up by the bed. I like it like this because when we have our next kid someday, this arrangement will work great for that baby and at that time, J will likely be much more ready for his own sleep space. Our room is much longer that it is wide and arranging the furniture this new way made for a much more spacious feel even with the extra stuff in the room. I put a chair for reading in there as well. I've always wanted a reading chair in my room. Dreams do come true. :)

This is the view from the doorway. As you can see, C was already using the reading chair.

Standing in the doorway looking the other way.

Closer look of the sleeping arrangement. J's mattress is even with ours, so he is easily reached in the night.

View from the bathroom doorway. See all the floor space?

I think it will work out well for us for a while.

Busy weekend

2011-08-25T23:04:00.000-07:00

So... tomorrow my baby sister will be tying the knot. I get to be the matron of honor, mother of the flower girl and ring bearer, wife of a groomsman, hair stylist, and makeup artist. It's gonna be a super fun, super hot, super busy, super blessed day. I'll post photos on the other side of the weekend!

Cookie decorating from the bachelorette party.

In other news, we have a dear friend from Japan here visiting with us and it's so good to see him. It's strange.... when I see him, all the feelings of missing Japan come to the surface at once. I actually teared up saying hello. Makes me re-realize how much I still love Japan and the Japanese people. Please continue to pray for the people suffering in the aftermath of the tsunami.

I gotta go to bed now..... BIG day tomorrow.

Until next time~

New use for old things....

2011-08-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

I like a centerpiece that you can see through.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-23T23:16:00.000-07:00

I am once again linking up with the NPN for this weeks wordless wednesday. The theme this week was new sibling bonding.

Remembering the first days......

Makeover...

2011-08-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

New hair. It's been a while since I was a blondie.... I figured I'd give it a go for a while.

Random musing....

2011-08-23T12:36:00.000-07:00

I love my husband and I appreciate how hard he works to provide for our family. Josh~ You are my hero, my love, my confidant and my best friend. Smoooooch!

Moving up (or should I say down) in the world....

2011-08-22T10:04:00.000-07:00

My son has slept in our bed pretty much since day one. While it's been wonderful, he's getting bigger, squirmier, and a bit more restless in the night. We decided that it was time for a change. He's ready to have his own sleep space, but not quite ready to be all the way down the hall all night. We were putting him to bed in his room and letting him join us in the night, but we noticed that he would come in every hour! He was sleeping horridly and I was getting exhausted! One night, when he came in around 12:30, I put a pillow and a blanket on the floor. He slept there the rest of the night. It gave me an idea. This is our new sleeping arrangement for now.

Once he is comfortable spending the entire night in his bed, I'll move it. It seems to be working really well. He's sleeping better and longer than ever and I'm still close enough for comfort. I like having more space to sleep. I like being able to glance over and see that he is fine. He likes knowing I'm right there. I am able to soothe him back to sleep in the night just by saying, "ssshhhh hon... mommy's right here." His nighttime nursing has dropped off significantly and we're all sleeping better. Praise the Lord!
I love watching him grow up... but I wish it would slow down, ya know?
How bout you? What's your sleeping arrangement? Are you satisfied with it? If not, I highly recommend you read this book.

Smell that?

2011-08-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

That's the smell of super clean, non funky diapers. Horray!!!! They're finally back to being nice! My son's nappy did not smell of ammonia this morning. I'm sooo glad! The trick... I put some vinegar in the pre rinse cycle. It is an acid and neutralizes the base that is ammonia. This makes it able to be washed out with the soap and water. Also, I increased the amount of soap in the wash. I then dried in the dryer till almost dry and finished out on the line in the sun. This made them soft and fluffy and sun bleached. My son's bum thanks me.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-17T10:32:00.000-07:00

I'm linking today's photo up with the NPN. This week's theme is "Learning in the kitchen"

Clean-up.... a necessary skill in the kitchen. :)

Party favors

2011-08-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

My little gal had her birthday party on Friday and we are on a tight budget. This means we didn't have money for buying goodie bags or party favors. And honestly, the stuff in goodie bags is either sugary or cheap anyway. Sooo... my budding crafter decided she wanted to make something for her pals. She decided to make cookbooks with her favorite snack foods instead. We printed out several recipes that she enjoys, found a great photo for the front and printed and assembled them before everyone got here. It turned out to be a hit! So fun.
She had a camp in.... tent in the living room, camping themed movie (The Parent Trap) and smores on the patio with the fire pit (that I still need to return to my mom..... ;)
We made our own pizza for dinner.. super fun! I let them put on their toppings and we baked it fresh for them. Mega props to my wonderful hubby who took over leading the little girl party when I was down with an unexpected migraine. I was back on my feet in time for smores though. We had a great time celebrating my little girl gettin' older. Here's a few shots of the day.

She's saving up for a nook..... maybe I should let her sell her cookbooks for a couple dollars each.... ha!

8 Years of happiness so far!

2011-08-16T11:02:00.001-07:00

2011-08-15T17:17:00.000-07:00

I was recently sent the Prefense Alcohol Free Foaming hand sanitizer. Now, generally, I'm not a huge hand sanitizer user. There are occasions when I like to have it on hand though. For example... every time I go to costco, it seems my kids pick up something. They are always sick after shopping. Those shopping carts are crazy germy. I'm a bit nervous to use hand sanitizer on my son because he's so little.. he still puts his hands in his mouth. I like having the prefense on hand because I can use it on the kids, know it's effective and not have alcohol go into their mouths. Now, honestly, I can only take their word when they say how effective it is... I only know alcohol to be the 100% germ killer, but when it comes to the kids, It's miles better than nothing!! It actually leaves your skin soft rather than all dry like other versions. And lasting a full 24 hours, the bottle lasts longer since you don't need to reapply as often.

Want your own bottle to try?

Check it out here

http://www.prefense.com/

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Shower fun

2011-08-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

I attended my sister's 50's theme bridal shower. It was a fun time of hangin' out, sippin pop, and making TP wedding dresses.

Live Every Moment photo challenge

2011-08-12T22:32:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday

2011-08-10T21:30:00.001-07:00

2011-08-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

One picture of myself......

(Gasp!!!!) LOL

2011-08-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

Two songs.............

Enjoy!

Ten Days

2011-08-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

Three films.

This is easy for me.

Such a great story! I love it! The characters, the wardrobe, the hair and makeup, the sets, the whole thing is visually and intellectually stunning.

Sweetest story ever. I love how real Steve's portrayal of a single dad is. "You are a murderer of LOVE!" Epic. Not to mention the soundtrack.... Uh-mazing.

Classic. Good.

Gonna have some fun today!

2011-08-08T18:22:00.000-07:00

Yuuuummmm!!!!

What you can't see in this picture is how good my kitchen smells.

Ten Days

2011-08-07T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ah!!! I fell off the bandwagon for a day! I'll do two today. Sorry folks.

Ok... here we go!

Five Foods

1~ I love love love French Onion Soup. It's my number one.

2~ Maguro Sushi. Sooo good.

3~ Poached Eggs. Yum!

4~ I admit it... I'm a sucker for chocolate cake with banilla on top!

5~ Udon!!!!

Next up!

4 Books.

Hmmm.... Gotta think about that one.

I'll say these four are my favs.

That's all for today folks! I gotta get to bed! I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed weekend!

Bridal Consult

2011-08-06T22:14:00.000-07:00

Had the consult with my sister for her wedding day look. She looked beautiful at the end... but ya'll will have to wait to see till after her big day. It's a secret......

Beauty.

2011-08-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

Check out my friends family story. She wrote the beautiful song and they're on their way to adopting a little boy.
Go check out her blog HERE.

Tip of the day

2011-08-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

How can this

help with this?

Sprinkle a tad of baby powder on the underarms of your garment. Iron gently over it. The powder forms a protective barrier between your clothes and the sweat. No more yellow! Horray. And for 4 bucks a pop, the powder is the cheapest fix I know of........

Ten Days

2011-08-05T20:48:00.000-07:00

Six places..... kinda vague, but I'll do six places I've been and would like to go back to.

Oak Glen. Sooo fun!

The Grand Canyon

Kappazushi

Okinawa

Disneyland

Yosemite!!!

Ten Days

2011-08-04T21:02:00.000-07:00

Things I want? Hmm....

1~ For my children to grow up knowing, loving, and desiring to serve the Lord.

2~ To participate in worship ministry once again.

3~ To be a great wife and mother.

4~ For my laundry to learn to do itself.

5~ To be a better manager of my time. I want to be someone who gets things done!

6~ To visit Japan.... help the tsunami victims in some way.

7~ For friends of mine to receive healing of their hearts and to experience the peace of the Lord after the loss of their son.

That's all for today folks!