End of the Month Pics, 2nd Edition

April

May (This was a rough month!)

 

June #1 (We couldn't decide with June we liked better!)

June #2

Bonus Pics:

April Caleb

April Mommy and Caleb taken by Abby

May Caleb

May Abby

June Caleb

June Abby

End of the Month Pics

Last year, every month around Caleb's birth date I took a picture of him in the same toddler chair. This year I've decided to do a picture of both of the kids on the last day of every month in our over-sized blue chair. Here are the first 3 month's worth of pics!

January #1 (Love Caleb's expression!)

January #2

February (Options were limited this month...)

March #1

March #2 (Again with the face)

Some bonus pics:

January Abby

March Abby

January Caleb

March Caleb

Happy 9 Months, Caleb!

My Caleb is 9 months old today! I can hardly take it in! This is a post I've been wanting to do every month but hadn't. I thought this one would be a good milestone on which to finally do it! Here is 9 months worth of pictures taken on or near the 26th of each month in the same chair!

"Nod ehdactly"

Me: Abby, did you put all the animals away?

Abby: Nod ehdactly.

Me: What?

Abby: Nod ehdactly.

Me: Not exactly?

Abby: Nod ehdactly!!

Me: Well, go pick them up!

She runs off and a minute later I hear her running back to me.

Abby: Ehdactly!!!

A Story

On Monday morning, Caleb was sleeping and Abby was in her room listening to Mariah Carey Christmas (what can I say, she loves the "Jesus, What a Wonderful Child" song) so I jumped in the shower. 15 or 20 minutes later I step out to hear them both crying. I run back to find Abby lying on her bed fussing and saying something about "music off" and her tummy hurts. I'm scolding her for hollering and for wanting to get out early (our rule for morning rest time is that she stays in her room until the music is done). I tell her I'm sorry her tummy hurts but I'm not understanding her explanation of why. I almost walk away when I realize that she has a CD case in her hand. I scold her about that and tell her to bring it to me. She again fusses and says "music off". At this point I realize that the CD is attached to her tummy! She wants me to take the "music off" her tummy. She's got a nice little pinch mark, poor thing, and I feel a little bit like a bad mommy! All of the details were there I just wasn't paying enough attention. Ah, well, she's okay and it's a funny story in retrospect.

A Letter to My Blog

Dear Blog,

Hello! Long time no see! Actually I wanted to apologize for not talking to you in so long. You see, I've been a little busy. My husband got a new job so June 1st we moved across the country from CA to IL to a small town (as in there's a gas station, an antique store/coffee shop, and a bank, a post-office and library that are all open part time hours). It's actually very nice to have a slower paced life right now. In addition to the move, the adjusting to the new job and getting settled in a new place, I have a toddler in my care! I recently saw a quote about how having a toddler is like running the blender with the lid off!  : ) Abby is now 2 and fully in the swing of saying no and exploring all manner of things including her independence! She loves to read and sing and listen to the Gaithers and bagpipes and kid songs! She keeps me hopping! In addition to all that I'm due with our second child in only 2 weeks! I have officially reached the "I'm done now, thank you very much!" stage of pregnancy. My husband has been incredibly loving and supportive especially this week when I was sobbing and/or extremely uncomfortable. 2 more weeks....and I can meet our little Caleb Robert! Very excited and ready to experience a different kind of tired.

So there you go, Blog. All of that is why I've been neglecting you. I do hope to speak to you more often now that I've gotten this update of the past 5 months or so done! Ha!  ; )

Your creator,

Sara

7 Days of Praying for My Husband

I follow Kathi Lipp's blog and this week she did a special series on praying for our husbands for 7 days. It was a really neat way to prepare my heart for Father's Day. I copied and pasted and tweaked a little bit so that the following is a list of 7 prayers adapted slightly from Kathi Lipp. I especially

loved days 1 and 2. I sent my husband a copy of this so he would know how I prayed for him this week. If you are married I would encourage you to try praying through this this week. (If you're not married you could pray for your future husband, father, or other special men in your life!) Oh, and check out Kathi's blog!

7 Days of Praying for My Husband

Day 1: Praying For Him When He Feels Inadequate
Isaiah 26:3  You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Lord, help my husband to keep his mind totally focused on you today. May he trust in your steadfast love and in your ability to solve the problems that face him today. Keep him in your perfect peace. Settle his mind and heart. Give him courage because he trusts in you.
Day 2: Praying for His Emotional Health
Galatians 2:20  I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Heavenly Father, I pray that you would reign over every area of my husband’s mind. I pray that whoever he is without you is dead, and who he is in you is alive. I pray that his habits and hang-ups that he wants to be free from would be replaced by a hope only you can give. Show him every day who he was designed to be, in you. I am so grateful for the love you lavish over my husband. Thank you for giving yourself for him.
Day 3: Praying for His Relationship with God
1 Corinthians 13:7  Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Almighty God, I approach your throne with Jesus at my side, bringing my husband before you. Lord, I ask your favor upon him this day. In some way reveal yourself to him. Let my husband catch a glimpse of the astonishing. Lord, allow your word to seep into his mind and continue to be relentless in your pursuit of his soul. Father, I ask you to protect him from evil people and evil spirits. Grant him favor and a strong work ethic. Urge him to always be fair and honest and be a man of character. Bless him richly and Father, and continue to reveal your son Jesus to my husband. Open his eyes to see and his heart to more fully know the life-change that is freely his. Lavish your love upon him as I know love always protects, always trust, always hopes and always perseveres.
Day 4: Praying for Our Marriage
Heb. 12:14–15  Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
Dear God, Sanctify our relationship with your holy presence, that we might be for each other a blessed oasis in a dry and desert land. Help us to resolve disagreements and hurts gently, with love, patience, and abiding respect, so that neither bitterness nor resentment will ever take root in our hearts. Let the divine light of your love so shine through our marriage that we present a holy example to others and lead them to your truth.
Day 5: Praying for God’s Plan for His Life
Ephesians 3:1 and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
Lord, Help my husband to fully understand your amazing and passionate love for us. Fill him with this fullness and revelation of you and help him to firmly establish his identity in you. I pray that your love will be the guiding force in his life.
Day 6: Praying for His Work
Colossians 3:23  Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Father, I pray that every decision my husband makes about his work is influenced by you. Lord, I pray that he would sense your presence at every turn – that he wouldn’t be weary of doing good, being honorable, and working with all his strength as if he were working for you.
Day 7: Praying for His Parenting
Deuteronomy 6:6-7  And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
Heavenly Father, I pray that your words, your love, your direction would flow through my husband’s heart. I pray that my husband would find time in each day to pass on your wisdom to our kids. Lord, let every moment they spend together be something to grow both my husband’s heart and my child’s heart toward you. And Father, show me ways every single day to call out those things in my husband that are your way – your good and perfect way.

POPSICLE!

2 PICTURES MUST BE WORTH 2000 WORDS!

 

Celebrating Easter

In the weeks leading up to Easter, I had been pondering how to share the true meaning of Easter with our 17 month old daughter, Abby. At Christmas time we bought her a Fisher Price Nativity set. While I know she didn't understand the whole Christmas story (or even close!) she knew which figurine was Jesus and which one was His mommy Mary! I didn't think playing with a cross was quite what I had in mind for Easter but I wanted something more than having a fun Easter egg hunt. Then the Thursday before Easter Sunday I attended my MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) meeting and got some ideas! Our speaker for that day was a mom who had experienced similar feelings when her kids were little and had gotten ideas from another speaker at MOPS. That day each of us also put together a set of Resurrection Eggs for our families. I came away from MOPS energized and excited about how to make Easter special for my young family!

On my way home I stopped at the grocery store and Christian bookstore to pick up a couple of things and during lunch Jeshua, Abby, and I celebrated a very simple Passover meal together. We used paper plates to represent the haste in which the Israelites ate their meal. The menu consisted of roasted chicken instead of roasted lamb, pita bread for the unleavened bread and pesto pasta salad for the bitter herbs! As strange as that may sound, I love that as my family grows and we continue this tradition it's simple enough that we can engage them in conversation about Passover and Easter. While we ate we read Abby a little board book called "The Story of Passover" by Rabbi Francis Barry Silberg. (It's a little long for a 17 month old so we paraphrased.) Another book I ordered but not in time for Easter this year is "The Story of Easter" by Patricia A. Pingry. (This one is just about perfect for a 17 month old!)

 After lunch we each ate a little piece of pita bread and drank a little cup of grape juice and celebrated communion together. I grew up feeling that you really should fully understand communion before you took part in it. But somehow as Jeshua explained to Abby about communion in very simple words, I felt it was a very holy and special moment we were sharing with our daughter. I know she doesn't get it all right now but maybe next year she'll remember that we did this same thing and understand in her little heart that what we're doing is really important. And someday she'll understand that it's a choice she can make, to honor Jesus by taking communion and remembering what He has done for us.

On Sunday we ate Easter dinner with my in-laws and our two oldest nieces. We opened dinner singing a hymn and closed it by passing around the carton of Resurrection Eggs I'd made on Thursday. There are 12 eggs each with some symbol of Jesus' trial, death, and resurrection! Each person took a turn opening an egg and sharing what significance it has in Jesus' story.

So that was the more serious part of our Easter weekend! Before I go on though I will say that there were more suggestions from the MOPS speaker and I'd be happy to pass them on to anyone interested! On a more silly note, Abby got to see the Easter Bunny at the farmer's market Saturday and was absolutely thrilled! We also did a small Easter egg hunt in the backyard Sunday afternoon which she loved once she caught on to the game!

Enjoy some pictures from our weekend!

  

   

  

 

 

 

 

Just Chillin'

I went to the bathroom yesterday and when I came out Abby had climbed up in her chair with Binky and Giraffe-Cow and was just lounging! So sweet!

 

Smoked Sausage & Oven-Roasted Veggies with Pasta

The other night I made this wonderful oven-roasted veggie dish with smoked turkey sausage! It was so yummy I thought I should share it! I found a recipe on Johnsonville's website and changed it a bit to suit my own tastes! Hope you enjoy!

Smoked Sausage & Oven-Roasted Veggies with Pasta

Adapted from a recipe by The Kitchen at Johnsonville Sausage

Servings: 6                      Prep Time: 30 min                      Cook Time: 35 min

What you need:

1-2 medium zucchini, sliced                            

1-2 medium yellow squash, sliced

1 large red onion, sliced                                 

3 medium bell peppers, sliced (I used 3 different colors!)

2-4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced                          

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, quartered (opt.)

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved (opt.)              

olive oil

½  tsp. sea salt                                             

¼  tsp. pepper

¾  tsp basil 

*1 pkg. (12 oz.) brats or smoked sausage, sliced

12 oz. uncooked pasta                                   

grated Parmesan cheese

marinara sauce (opt.)

What you do:

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 In a large bowl, combine the veggies and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until lightly coated. Add salt, pepper, and basil to taste. (The above measurements are estimates and will depend on the amount of veggies you use and how much seasoning you like!) Stir.

3 Transfer to a greased cookie sheet with edge. Spread the veggie mixture out as thin as you can. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally. (I used a lot of veggies so mine took a little longer.)

4 Sprinkle sausage over vegetables. Bake 5 minutes longer or until sausage is heated through.

5 Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions; drain and place in a large bowl.

6 Add sausage mixture to the pasta and toss or serve separately.

7 Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Some of my family members enjoyed this with marinara sauce on top.

*I recommend Johnsonville Turkey with Cheddar Sausage!

Update

So, since last time I wrote, I was laid off at the church for financial reasons, Abby turned 1, and we decided to move to CA to live with my in-laws for a few months while Jesh works on his topics and dissertation and looks for a full-time job! Wow, right? It's been a crazy ride but God is good and faithful. We started going to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law's church and got plugged into a community group. Some of the ladies from that invited me to their MOPS (Mothers of Pre-Schoolers) group! If you've never heard of MOPS, it is a Christian-led organization that ministers to groups of moms with young children. We meet twice a month for food, fellowship, speakers, games, and giveaways. Child-care is included! I've only been to two official meetings so far and two outings with my table friends and it's been pretty great so far! Abby & I keep busy by going to Wiggleworms Story Time at the library and visiting playgrounds! She particularly loves the slides. I have also done some tutoring for Jesh's teenage cousins and I cook for us plus my in-laws at least twice a week. Abby takes steps here and there and likes to walk holding onto our fingers. Her daily jobs are walking out to the mailbox, key in hand, and emptying the silverware container from the dishwasher. Lately she's desperate to empty the plates and glasses as well. Makes Mama's heart a little anxious but no broken dishes yet! Jesh, in addition to working on his topics, is teaching part-time at the junior college in town and directing the music for a high school musical production this spring!

The future looks pretty uncertain but the Lord has always been faithful in provision and guidance so we will continue to trust in Him and praise Him!!!!

A picture is worth a thousand words...but I will say a couple

Face to Face at the San Diego Zoo

An Overdue Update!

Well, hello, blog world!  It has been a long, long time since I have seen you!  I officially started my part time job as youth leader at our church at the beginning of September (although I actually started before that) and life has just been a little crazy.

We flew back to the Midwest for a family reunion over Labor Day weekend and were there for a week total!  It was a great time to relax and connect with friends and family.  I surprised Jesh with a quick birthday party at Ritter's Frozen Custard place! 

 Here's a pic from the reunion of all the little girl cousins!

Abby, Shayla, Aubrey, Cambria, Sophie & Ellie

Here's the crew from the birthday surprise!

 When we got back from the Midwest, the youth group had a big Back-to-School Bash which was quite a success!  For my first three Sunday nights we talked about Integrity using the life of Daniel as an example!  We're using the LIVE Curriculum and are really enjoying it!

Jesh's parents came up for a long weekend to visit Abby....and us!  ; )  We visited Mt St Helens, we girls went to IKEA with a church friend, we all went to the Compline service at St. Marks and generally hung out together!

Then our church decided to send us to the National Youth Workers Convention in San Diego!  It was wonderful!  We heard great speakers and bands, went to seminars, gained new ideas and fresh excitement and spirit, talked to a revered professor of mine and a church/college friend, went to the zoo, and discovered Pink Berry Frozen Yogurt!

Now for Abby updates!  She is almost 11 months old now!  She is working on tooth number 8 and trying to walk.  My favorite game with her is a form of hide-and-seek in which I crawl in circles around the chair in our living room and she chases after me or stops, turns and chases me!  : )  Abby has been babbling with "mama" and "dada" for some time now and occasionally uses those syllables to identify us as well.  She regularly waves at the 8x10 picture we have of my family!  Saturday she pointed and waved and said "Da da!"

My favorite moment from the weekend:  This morning, she had been babbling "da da da" and then looked at Jesh who was getting ready for the day and pointed at him and earnestly said "DA!"  This got his attention, of course, but apparently not the completely desired reaction.  She crawled over to him and reached for him.  He held her for a moment and then, finally having gotten his complete attention and a hug, she happily went back to Mama.

Jesh is back in school and the church music season is back in full swing now!  He has some type of choir retreat every weekend from this one through the beginning of November!

That pretty much sums up our crazy lives for the moment!  God is faithful no matter how crazy and busy it gets!


Let me close with 2 pics I took today!  Grandma Cindy Zook and Aunt Katie gave Abby this dress last Christmas thinking it would be this year's Christmas dress but she is getting too tall for it to fit in December!  So she wore it today!

The Mystery of the Unknown Christmas Card Senders...dun, dun, dun...

So at Christmas time, we opened the stack of cards from family and friends and came to this one....

A nice picture, right?  Perfect smiles, lovely snow and trees in the background....wait, Karl & Cindy, who?

~Uh..., I look on the envelope, the de Jongs or is that the de Longs?

~Do you know who they are?
~No, do you?
~No.  Are they from church?
~No, I don't think I recognize them.
~They're not family friends of yours...?
~Nope.  The address is Seattle.
~Huh, maybe one of them works in my school district.

And so, I put the picture in my stack of things to do and every once in awhile I looked at it and tried to rack my brain for who these people were that sent us a Christmas card.

Tonight I was determined to solve the mystery.  I put her name into Google, trying de Jong, dejong, delong, de Long.  Nothing.  I tried his name.  I tried their names together.  I tried adding the city.  I tried looking them up in my school district contact list in my school e-mail. Then I realized that I had put his name in as Kurt instead of Karl.  Bingo!  "Vote Karl de Jong for King County Democrats!"  I looked up his picture.  Yep, mystery solved.  A politician.  A politician sent us a Christmas card.  Well, it didn't really do him any good sending me well wishes for the holiday.  I didn't have any warm, Christmasy feelings towards him because I didn't know who he was!  He just caused me a lot of headache just trying to figure it out!

So, anyway, vote for Karl de Jong and have a Merry Christmas!

July in Pictures!

It's been awhile since I've had any time to write and I feel that a lot has happened!  

Therefore a walk through July 

with pictures and captions seems like a good idea.

 

 4th of July picnic with our nieces

 Abby is learning to eat and food is everywhere!!!

  Cherith and Abby

 Girls' day on the town!

The second week that our nieces were with us, we all volunteered at VBS at our church.

The theme was "Shake It Up Cafe."

Jeshua led music (& choreography)!

 The girls and I helped out with one of the preschool classes.

Boy, were we all tired!!

 On July 18th and 19th we drove the girls back to CA!  What a long trip that was!

This is Abby at Grandma and Grandpa's house with a cool toy and Grandpa's hat. 

The 20th was my mother-in-law's birthday so all the brothers and their families got together!

Claire

Andrew

Grandma and Liz

 

Then we went up to the mountains for the weekend to be at Camp Peaceful Pines.

My mother-in-law was the cook and most of the family went up to help

and be together for the weekend!

 

 Abby enjoying watermelon!

Trying out Andrew's pack

 Jesh and I at Darnell's lookout point

Watching Daddy play volleyball

 

 Abby making friends

 Abby loves water!

 Baby Senior Pictures!

 

Up at Sunrise Rock

 Back down at the in-laws' house.  Look Daddy, I can pull myself up!

We were originally going to drive home over 2 days, Thursday and Friday, 

but anxious to be home with just the 3 of us we did the drive all night Tuesday! 

We stopped in Portland for breakfast with my Grandma and Aunt!

Well, now we're home!  Thanks for taking this tour of July with me!