Christmas Card Preview! November 30, 2008

I am documenting this momentous occasion because thanks to our fearless photographer, Daniel, it only took us about 15-20 minutes and 1 kid crying to get a decent family photo for our Christmas card this year.  Granted, most people would probably look at this photo, see it’s faults (along with said kid crying) and keep going for the “perfect one.”  But those with children- especially a high number of children- would understand our “take it and run” attitude.  We figured that with the odds against us, we’d would just end up with longer agony and more children (and possibly a few adults) crying. 

So here it is:

Avery Quotes November 29, 2008

Avery has had a couple of quotes the last two days.

Last night we went to see the lights at the Lewis Botanical Gardens.  While there, the kids stopped to talk to “Santa” who was sitting on a bench with one of  his helpers.  Avery asked me if she could tell me a secret.  After I said yes and bent down to listen, she whispered in my ear,

Is this the real Santa, or a fake Santa?

Such a sweet moment with her!  It cracks me up that she would think to ask- she’s only 4!

Today’s quote was much more along her “out of the blue” side… she said to me:

Don’t flip me!  Don’t flip me like a pancake or a cookie!  I’m NOT a pancake or a cookie!!

Strange part is… no one was trying to flip her!

School Lunches November 20, 2008

In the words of my friend this week (after she made her first loaves of bread), “Who am I???”

My husband and I packed our two oldest kids’ lunches this morning and then just looked at each other in shock.  Granted, this has been a sloooow progression to get to today, but here is what went in their lunch:

• sandwich made on homemade bread with organic peanut butter and all fruit jelly
• banana
• “gorp mix”- pretzels, raisins, goldfish
• water

Their snack?? 

• a homemade granola bar

Never would I have thought that this would not only be a lunch I’d pack, but a lunch/snack my kids would be excited about. 

It has been slow though.  We switched to the organic peanut butter a couple of years ago.  I think the jelly was last year.  This year I started putting refillable water bottles in their lunches instead of juice boxes.  Now the bread and granola bars… which I have to say half of why they are excited is because they have been a part of the process.  I think the other half is that I didn’t force it all at once.  If I had, they would have revolted and I would have burnt out. 

All I can say is, I hope the freakin’ prairie dresses aren’t next!!

I did it! November 17, 2008

My new friend, Patee, surprised me and came to Richmond today and took me shopping at Good Foods.  She helped me mill my wheat and find all of the ingredients I needed to get started.  I didn’t have an excuse when I got home not to try my first round, so I got to work.

The first thing they taught us last week was that you can’t multitask while making bread.  Well… my kids had just gotten home from school and needed to do their homework so I ignored that first rule since I was motivated!  Fortunately that didn’t work against me that much.

I was pleasantly surprised to see the dough actually rise.  That was the area I assumed I would fail.  The kids had a great time watching it rise and were excited to watch and smell it bake!  It was done just in time for dinner.  We almost polished off one loaf!!

One Step Closer… November 15, 2008

… to being a “granola lady”…. 

There is so much about my daily life that I wouldn’t have guessed 5 years ago I would be caring about now.  So, my latest endevour has really thrown me for a loop… because I wouldn’t have guessed 5 months ago that I would even consider doing what I’m considering doing….

Don’t laugh.

I’m going to start milling my own wheat and baking my own bread, muffins, cookies, pizza dough, and yes, granola.  (not to mention granola bars that are AMAZING!!) 

I have NEVER had the desire to make my own bread.  But yesterday I spent some time at a friend’s house hearing about how far we’ve gotten away from healthy food.  It turns out that we, as a country, were the healthiest nation around the 1900’s.  We dropped a few spots over the next few decades.  But then somewhere around the 70’s we dropped to 41st place and by 1981 we were in 95th….  A lot of the decline came from processed food made to have a longer shelf life. 

So back to the bread.  All of the bread you see now, has little to no health benefit- including all the ones that say they do.  The wheat has been stripped of all it’s goodness (but also the stuff that makes it spoil faster) taking with it all of the vitamins and minerals.  Fortified bread in the stores is only replacing a few of the dozen or so things that were stripped… and at not at as good of quality as it’s original.

Okay, so enough of the “teaching” since that wasn’t my purpose… but yeah… I think I am going to start milling fresh wheat and making our family’s bread!  And the best part?  Besides the fact that everything actually tastes really great?  These are GOOD CARBS!!!! 

I will let you know how it goes!

Weekend Update November 10, 2008

We were invited to go to the Bay with some friends this weekend.  It was a much needed getaway and so much fun!!  The house was simply amazing and the kids were plentiful… eight EIGHT!!! girls and one boy… poor Trey.  He had a great time though.  How could you not with all of this:

 

An Answer November 5, 2008

The Question:  How can I be a Christian and vote for Barack Obama?

It’s been asked over and over the last few months, but became more and more frequent as yesterday approached.  Here’s my answer, not that the people asking the question are reading my blog.

Luke 4:18-19 Jesus is speaking, saying of himself:

He (God) has annointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Again, Jesus speaking in Matthew 25:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,  I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you  clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, in prison and you came to visit me.

Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

 

I have heard a lot of Christians use fear words like communism and socialism over the last few days.  When did doing what Jesus came to do become communism and/or socialism?  This is what we are here for, that God’s will may be done ON EARTH as it is in Heaven.   I know we are called to a lot as Christians, but God’s calling on my life has been exactly this.  He has placed me in the city I live in to serve the poor and the oppressed.  The truth so many of us want to ignore though, is that He’s called each of us to this, not just me.  I didn’t like this calling either.  I don’t like not having financial security.  I don’t like being uncomfortable around poor people, or going into their neighborhoods.  I don’t like giving away my stuff.  I don’t like opening the door to my house.  But Jesus didn’t really ask me if I like any of that.  He just said to do it. 

In light of that, I happen to believe that President-Elect Obama will actually be better for “the least of these.”  I know there are other “issues” and I would argue that he actually views them the same way.  But regardless, I believe that I am being obedient to my God. 

Many Christians have expressed concern that they will now be persecuted because of President-Elect Obama taking office.  The only Christians I have seen persecuted so far are the ones who are in support of him, and they are only being persecuted by their fellow believers.  Please don’t be one of the ones persecuting.  Please don’t be one of the ones peddling fear with words that don’t fit.  If you want to claim God as your God, please do… but don’t question someone else’s salvation or faith because you don’t agree with the way they voted.  And please don’t assume that you know which candidate God is for.

Dare I say it?  Maybe even start to consider that God actually IS happy with the election’s outcome!

 

**Please know, that this isn’t directed at any one person.  Please also know that I know and love deeply many people who voted differently than me… in fact, many more than voted with me.  I have (hopefully) shown respect for those with differing views, as I have also been shown much respect for mine.  I am thankful for my family and friends who believe passionately in what God has shown them and have been willing to have respectful dialogue in this long process.  I am especially thankful for those of you who have done so with great humor and fun!

Bittersweet November 5, 2008

I have a few thoughts on tonight’s victory for President-Elect Obama.  These aren’t all of my thoughts, and my guess is, they aren’t my complete thoughts… but just my initial thoughts at the moment.

*I am beyond thrilled for the historical significance of electing an African American President in my lifetime.  I live in a very (if hidden) racial part of the country from where I grew up.  When I was a kid, something like this probably wouldn’t have occurred to me as a phenomenon, as I wasn’t confronted with it… but now I understand it’s incredible achievement.  I am fortunate to not only see it happen, but to believe in (as much as I can believe in any fallible human being) the man that it happened to.  I am not in any way suggesting that this was a sole reason to vote for a candidate… I am saying exactly what I just said.

*I am deeply saddened by the recent fear and anxiety that I’ve seen in my fellow believers.  I am deeply disturbed by the divisiveness that was rampantly spread.  I am deeply angered not only by the lies that were told, but the fact that so many believed them… and subsequently chose to spread them.  No care was taken in checking the facts.  People got on their soapboxes and used their faith and their God as weapons, all the while ignoring parts of the Bible such as: Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only that which is encouraging and useful for building each other up.  I am not sure how insulting others or their beliefs truly furthers our faith.  I would hope that all that are now declaring to be on their knees in prayer for this president and this country would be no matter who would have won tonight. 

* Most of all, I would hope that God’s greatest command, to love Him with all our heart, and His second, to love our neighbor as ourselves would now win… LOVE WINS!!!

Quote of the Day November 3, 2008

For the first time ever, today’s quote comes from Karis!  She loves answering the phone, and does it so well (“Hello, this is Karis.” every single time.).  So when she answered this afternoon, she immediately hung up and said to me,

It’s just another one of those boring voting calls.

Poor girl.  Our phone has been going non-stop for over a week with these robocalls… we get several a day from both sides.  But we have had some “exciting” people call us:

• Rudy Guiliani
• Dave, the Plumber… no, I’m not mistaken… it wasn’t Joe.
• Joe Biden
• some man who keeps wanting to tell me the truth, but keeps failing to actually do it
• Michelle Obama

And 3 live calls, from live people… volunteers for Obama… yeah, I live in a swing state!