Happy in my Hippie Bus!

Turning off the TV

2012-02-13T07:49:00.000-08:00

We are turning off the TV this week for the boys. It's day one hour one and I can honestly say up until about three minutes ago I regretted my decision. Theo woke up and wanted to watch cartoons and I told him no.

And he screamed.

But, after a few minutes he was distracted. Then he wanted TV again. Ooh, there he is distracted again. It's been about 57 minutes of that.

UNTIL Tate woke up. Now they are playing together upstairs. I hear meowing so I believe it's some kind of cat game. I love hearing them imagine together.

I may go crazy this week, but at least for now the boys are actively engaged together in something fun.

That's a win in my book.

Picking battles

2012-02-10T08:33:00.000-08:00

Theo fell asleep with popcorn and Mara last night.

I just wasn't up to fighting that battle last night, so I didn't.

Confession: Theo sleeps like me. He's a smotherer.

Recovery

2012-02-09T07:50:00.000-08:00

Whew! First day of Bible study is over and it went really well. Such a relief! Thanks for your prayers.

Yesterday I took a rest day from working out. I've been so sore and tired lately that I think I needed it. Tuesday was a pretty relaxed day also and I had plans to exercise yesterday but as the day progressed I was still tired and sore. I'm happy that I chose to rest, I think the new regimen that I'm in is doing me in! Today I will be back at the gym for a good cardio workout.

Yesterday Theo was playing with his friend before Bible study started and his friend's mom was bending over a table writing something. Theo runs by and smacked her on the butt. Totally mortifying for me. Luckily she was a good sport about it, her daughter went through the same phase. Still, very embarrassing.

Speaking of funny and embarrassing, here are some of the things the boys have said lately:

****
Tate found a bunch of my trophies and medals from high school in the attic. He now thinks I'm the coolest mom ever.

Today he said: "Mom, I think I'm just going to call you my Trophy Mom."

****

It was bed time, and I was snuggling a little bit with Theo before going downstairs.

Me: Theo, I'm going downstairs now, goodnight. I love you.
Theo: Mom, your hair is just so beautiful. (whispering) You're just like a princess!

Yeah. I stayed longer. Seriously, he's two years old and already knows how to sweet talk the ladies!

****

Mark: Theo, you're the best!

Theo: No! I'm not! Mommy is!

****

It's 10:30 pm and Theo is still going strong.

Me: Theo, how on earth are you still awake? When did you become a night owl?

Theo: I don't know, but you're welcome!

*****

Theo: Dear Jesus, thank you for this day. Please help Tate not get hurt. Thank you for the HEY! I WANT SOME CHEESE!

A New Step

2012-02-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago I stepped out and did my first Bible study in Spanish. Since then I've done another one in Spanish and tomorrow begins a new chapter for me as I take a huge step forward.

Tomorrow, by the grace of God, I will begin leading my first Bible study in Spanish.

I'm scared out of my mind and really don't feel up to the challenge. However, since this is an opportunity I wasn't seeking out, since it's a relatively short term commitment and I will be able to finish it, and mostly because as I prayed about it I had peace, I'm going to do it.

But I'm still terrified.

I know I'll make a ton of mistakes. But that's OK. The ladies that I will be studying with will forgive me I'm sure [and if they aren't happy about it, they can step up and lead!]. God has brought me here, he will sustain me through it.

But, if you think about it tomorrow at 9:30, shoot up a prayer for me please. I'm going to be nervous!

Love,
Jenni

A whole lotta lots

2012-02-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy month! It seems as the move to Nicaragua gets closer, the less free time I have. We're not actually packing yet, but we do hope to move in June. We'll see how that goes!

LT W is in school now. Having the GI Bill to use has been a life saver. He's attending at Portland Bible College and is working on basic Bible classes that can be used toward another bachelor's degree or possibly a masters. I think the best use for it now, though, is him gaining knowledge of the Bible since you know, we're going to be missionaries or something.

Theo is smack in the middle of potty training. We have good days and bad days, but most days are good. He's been extra clingy this week so I'm trying to take advantage of that by making him spend a lot of time on the potty. We've read lots of good books in there!

Tate's loving preschool. And running. I have no idea where his love for running comes from because it did not come from me. I have run a marathon but I did it for the challenge and for the company, not because I actually enjoy the running. But he does so I guess that's good for him!

I hope you're all doing well!

Love,
Jenni

10 Pound Challenge

2012-01-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

Erika over at Newlyweds on a Budget has issued a challenge. And since I'm always up for a competition and free stuff, I've decided to join.

There are a ton of cool prizes, but the best is going to be feeling like my clothes fit again!

Go here to enter for yourself! Good luck!

Here we go!

2012-01-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

I love January.

I like the idea of starting over and really prioritizing my life. LT W and I are back on the workout wagon to try and lose the pounds that we managed to put on in 2011. It's kind of interesting, if you look at pictures over the past 10 years of my life, you can tell how my life was going by my hair and my weight. Heavier indicates contentment, slimmer points to stress. As far as hair, just about every major life change has involved a new hair do. It seems that when I lose control of my life, I enjoy changing my hair drastically. I think it's because I feel like I still have control of that area.

Every deployment we've gone through has been marked with a hair change.

So has every birth.

And every move.

I've had several hair styles and colors and I've enjoyed each of them, even if it was simply because I chose it.

A recent weight example:

Korea: Fairly thin. I was under a lot of stress in Korea, and missed home and friends terribly. My smile isn't really reaching my eyes.

This year at home, dancing around with the boys. Heavy and happy. Enjoying life.

I'd love to be able to get a handle on both at the same time. Happy, relatively unstressed (realistically I know this isn't in the cards for us...we're going to be moving internationally this year but still, I can find peace in the center of that, right?) and healthy.

I know that the foundation for losing weight has to stem from a healthy frame of mind. I'm getting healthy to be happy, to give my best, to take care of myself and my family. My motivation can't be to control the image I'm projecting or even to fit into my skinny jeans again (even though I am really looking forward to that). If my motivation is wrong then I will yo yo again when I'm not stressed.

So this year, while I am doing the cliche New Years Resolution of losing weight and getting healthy, I'd like to think that it's more than that. It's losing weight and getting healthy while focusing on my motivation and keeping my motivation healthy.

Let's go!

Wishing you a rad 2012

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

2011-12-29T12:13:00.000-08:00

I love being a mom.

Last night the boys were exhausted and we got to snuggle in bed and read stories together. Soon after they fell asleep with little smiles on their faces.

It was such a great moment, knowing that they went to bed warm and feeling loved.

I do love, love, love being a mom.

Sorry

2011-12-17T14:31:00.000-08:00

I know.

I'm sorry.

In the last month I have been stretched more than I ever thought possible.

We had two rounds of antibiotics for ear infections.
Our renter in Virginia moved out of the house with one day notice.
Mark lost his job out of the blue. (Layoffs).
I got the flu.
We went to Nicaragua.
I got sick again in Nicaragua.
We got home and my back went out.

It's been a very stressful month.
But in the midst of this, I feel God working. I see his hand guiding and protecting.
And, yes, stretching.

So I'm sorry for not writing more. I needed to process and figure stuff out. I think we have a plan moving forward so maybe I'll be able to write more.

But, regardless of all that, Merry Christmas! I hope it's been a less catastrophic month for you!

Love,
Jenni

Big Fail

2011-11-12T16:54:00.000-08:00

So obviously I get a huge F for posting regularly. Yeah, sorry about that.

HOWEVER...

My house has been more regularly clean and there have been hot meals on the table when LT W gets home every day for the past couple of weeks.

Oh, and Tate and Theo are stepping it up in their reading abilities.

And I edited a huge document for our Nicaragua move.

So all in all it's been a very successful week.

Did I mention that I've also finished several projects I had laying around?

Seriously, it's been an epically productive week for us.

I also started CHRISTMAS gifts. Tate understands now that gifts need to be secrets and he's having an absolute blast making gifts and keeping them secret. I think he's better at keeping them secret than I am. Sad, I know.

I hope your week has been similarly productive!

Peace and love,
Jenni

Because I love you

2011-11-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

In case you're somewhere and aren't getting to enjoy some fall color, I thought I'd share this picture with you. Because I love you.

And because I love you so, so much, I'll include these gems from my neighborhood.

This beautiful tree really stood out on my drive home. It looked like it was on fire among all of the other greenery. I stopped in the middle of the road to take a picture.

And when I got to the end of the street I took another picture. It was that beautiful.

I just love Autumn.

I think it's one of the things I'll miss the most when we're in Nicaragua.

Speaking of Nicaragua, I've been convicted lately that I don't share much about our trips. There are several reasons for that, but the bottom line is I should be sharing more. So I'm going to try to open up this week with some more general stuff and next week I'll maybe even peel away some layers and share deeper stuff.

If I'm brave enough.

For now, though, I'm going to go relax while the boys have quiet time!

Peace and love,

Jenni

Whew!

2011-10-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted. Too catch you all up quickly on our lives for the past two weeks, here's a list of what the past two weeks have included:

A trip to Seattle to visit my parents
A simultaneous trip to San Diego for LT W (Navy related)
A cold for Tate, Theo and myself
One urgent care visit when Tate collapsed on the floor crying because his ear hurt. (Diagnosis is a severe middle ear infection)
Four truck loads of stuff to the Goodwill
Sale of our king sized mattress and box springs
Sale of our bedroom furniture
LT W and I moved from the master to a smaller bedroom upstairs (hence the above sales and donations)
LT W's wonderful Grandma moved in with us!
A Steven Curtis Chapman concert
Tate is continuing to improve his reading and phonics skills
I participated in a focus group and earned some cash!
I knit some leg warmers from yarn in my stash.
We cut wheat out of our diets which resulted in LT W losing about 10 lbs in 2 weeks.
I started working out again (Four times last week! It was awesome!)
Theo has decided he does not have much interest in potty training...sigh.
We have worked in the 2-3 year old classroom twice at church. It's a ton of work but it's nice to meet the parents and feel like we are serving.

I'm sure there is more random stuff, but that's all I can think of for now. We are almost all unpacked in our new room upstairs. The bedroom hasn't been the biggest issue, it's actually been the bathroom. Before it was fairly easy to keep our toiletries out of the hands of a certain 2.5 year old...now...not so much.

On a somewhat related note, sharing a bathroom with three males is disgusting.

I'm going to do my best to post regularly this week! I hope life is treating you well!

Peace and love,

Jenni

I'm trying to let go...

2011-10-16T09:37:00.001-07:00

Found on Pinterest.

New wall

2011-10-12T21:03:00.000-07:00

I redid the wall in our living room [with mostly repurposed stuff].

I'm pretty happy with it. I strive to make our home a creative, inspiring place full of happy memories and joy. Having pictures of fun memories is a huge part of that.

And the adorable butterflies? It was super fun to make those. We had a lot of good laughs painting our feet!

Whenever I look at the wall now, I'll smile.

Thanks Kayla J Photography, for all the pictures! If you're in the Seattle area, check her out. She's simply amazing!

Superman, without the cape

2011-10-08T19:42:00.000-07:00

When Theo runs, he runs with his arms behind him like he's flying. I imagine he pretends he has a cape as well. It's one of the millions of endearing things about him.

Another, you ask?

Theo: "Mom, you're beautiful and you're the best. Mom, you're my princess."

What a sweet kid!

I am ridiculously off this week

2011-10-07T16:28:00.000-07:00

That is kind of how I feel.

Just, misshapen.

The house is (barely) being held together by dirt and (probably) dirty clothes.

I started using my happy sun lamp this morning.

And taking my vitamin D supplements.

I think, though, the fact that LT W has had two days off in the last 40ish days is the main culprit. Hopefully this weekend when we have two days off in a row will be incredibly refreshing and reviving for all of us. Because, honestly, who wants to feel like this?

We Are All Missing Them

2011-10-06T12:51:00.000-07:00

I am often surprised by my kids' ability to remember. I don't know why I'm so surprised, because I've got a pretty good memory myself. Nowhere near what it used to be, but it's pretty good. The thing that surprises me most is when they remember something so clearly, but it's just a snippet of what happened. For example, we had a family movie night a few months ago. The intro to the movie had the graphic of the little boy resting on the moon fishing. I didn't think anything of it until a couple of weeks ago when Tate asked to watch the movie with the little boy fishing on the moon again. It took me a few days to figure out what he was talking about but I finally did. Those are details I would have remembered when I was younger, but they are lost on me now.

One of the drawbacks of having such a good memory is that the pain of missing loved ones is intensified. I've seen this in Tate many times with people (and random animals...don't get me started on the goat story). He's very compassionate and loving, and sincerely misses his hermanos that live in Nicaragua. He's been asking about them a lot recently. Asking when we can see them, when we get to move to live close to them and play with them all day. He loves looking at pictures of them but feels shy talking on the phone with them (and I don't blame him. Phone conversations are hard enough without a language barrier).

So today I decided to take matters into my own hands. I made signs with what the boys wanted me to say "To our brothers in the Posada, we love you and miss you a lot!". I took a picture and posted it on Facebook so that their hermanos can see it. I know it's not much, but it made Tate feel like he was getting to express himself a little bit.

And, just for fun, the latest thing he's attached himself to is our house in Virginia. He's been saying over and over again that he misses "Spencer and what's his name again?" (It's Trey, BTW) and really misses our house in Virginia even though we didn't have a lot of toys when we lived there because he was just a baby. (FYI, Tate hasn't seen Spence or Trey other than on webcam in almost 5 years. But he still misses them). He's sad that we don't live there and wants to move back. When I explain that we would miss all the people that live here he just about collapses in despair.

He's also sad that we don't live in Minnesota (don't get me going).

And Grandma and Grandpa and Nana and Papa? Oh my. There are tears almost daily about how much he misses them.

Just the other day he said something along the lines of, "Mom, it's so hard because I like so many people and I just never get to see them all as much as I want to!"

I agree with him. It's hard to keep your heart open and ready for love when you know it's going to hurt to leave.

But I've found that it's worth it, and I hope that someday he learns that, too.

The boys are back at it

2011-10-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

Tate: "Mom, when we have a cat I want to name it Snowbell."
Me: "Um...OK"
Tate: "And if you forget, I'll whisper it in your ear so you remember. Because I won't forget. But we won't tell anyone because it will be our secret."
Me: "Why would we keep our cat's name a secret?"
Tate: "Hmmmm...you're right mom. We just won't tell the bad people in the suits that like to steal bags of animals. We'll keep it a secret from them, OK?"

*****************

Theo: "I've got a giant, giant pee."

********

Me: "Theo, will you please not push on the ottoman?"
Theo: "Yes. After I stop I can."

How we got there

2011-10-04T13:55:00.000-07:00

1-2 We (the littles and myself) left the house with the dogs. Went to both sets of grandparents houses. Driving. ~3 hours.

2-4 We flew to Chicago via Phoenix. In middle seats...we had to change because the boys (obviously) aren't old enough to fly by themselves. Most people were pretty cool about it but there was that one guy. He pitched a fit and stormed off. Luckily his ire was directed at the Flight Attendant and not me.

4-5 Bought a car in Chicago (it was planned, don't worry) and drove to Wisconsin. Had a bit of trouble on the ridiculous Chicago toll road system. They don't accept cards so after getting an opportunity to pay online at a later date and being told to stop at an ATM and get cash for the tolls coming up (which I did), the entrance ramp to the freeway not only didn't accept cards, they didn't accept cash, either. Just coins. And I didn't have coins. I just had my newly minted $20 from the ATM. I am sure I'll get a ticket, but since I have no idea where I was and the car isn't registered to me yet, I'm waiting on a phone call from the dealership. I went to the website to pay and I wasn't able to because I have no idea where I was on the toll road (they want to know what exit I was at...I have NO freaking idea).

5-6 After a night in Wisconsin I drove to Minnesota to stay with friends. The drive was beautiful! I enjoyed the fall color immensely. Perhaps it was a gift since I didn't get to see much last year.

6-7 After a week in Minnesota I drove through both Dakotas (just to say I've been there)! I stopped in Bismarck for the night (or so I thought) and was told there were no hotels available. LT W, who was in Japan, helped me secure a hotel some 200 miles away in Montana. Seriously. There was no vacancy anywhere. Said hotel was a dump and when I showed up at midnight they didn't have my reservation but they took pity on me and let us stay, even though they had to take away a room from another guy who had reserved 4 rooms. He hadn't showed up yet so they told me to just lock my door and don't answer it if he's mad when he shows up. very comforting. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that had this unfortunate experience because as I was unloading the boys another 2 cars showed up with "reservations" and the lady had no idea who they were, either. I think maybe someone was drinking on the job (that's what it smelled like, at least).

Driving, 13 hours

7-1 Woke up at 7 am in the motel. I thought about putting on a movie for the boys and dozing, but then decided that I'd rather not stay any longer. Packed up the boys in about 8 minutes and was outta there. Drove (with two stops and no tantrums) home to PDX that day (night...whatever).

18 hours.

It was a great trip, but I'm happy to be home!

Minnesota Recap

2011-10-03T16:50:00.000-07:00

Our first time at the Mississippi River!

Minnehaha Falls

Alana and I at Minnehaha

Downtown Minneapolis. I thought it was beautiful and charming!

SkyZone Trampolines! So much fun!

While we missed LT W while he was in Japan with the Navy, the boys and I had a splendid time in Minnesota! (And Wisconsin, the Dakotas, Montana, Idaho and Washington).

I could really go on and on about how wonderful this trip was, but I'm going to keep the online sharing to a minimum (besides, Alana, you know how much I love you :)). I'll just say that it was so great to have companionship and do some good iron sharpening time! Two years was too long to wait!

We drove home in two days (that's 31 hours of driving by myself...FYI). It's taken since then to recover. I almost have the suitcases unpacked. They won't stay that way for long, though, because in 58 short days we head to Nicaragua (just visiting this time)!

One of my favorite discoveries on the drive home was that gas stations celebrate pumpkin spice season, too. And their coffee is cheaper, doesn't taste as much like coffee (which is good for me), but the caffeine has the same affect!

It was a great trip!

Where are we? and a winner...

2011-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

I'm in Minnesota.

It's been fantastic.

We'll start the road trip home on Tuesday, and it will be ~~long~~ grand.

*************

And the winner of my son's favorite book, Tico Tango, and the other goodies is Debbie M! Debbie, I'll send you a FB message and get you the book ASAP! Thanks to everyone who celebrated with us!

CELEBRATORY GIVEAWAY!

2011-09-13T13:49:00.000-07:00

Reading has always been a huge part of my life. I can still remember the first book I was able to "read" by myself. It was a hardcover Disney storybook, based on Cinderella. I know now that I wasn't really reading, I just had the darn thing memorized. But even 22 years later I remember the elation I felt when I could tell myself the story, I didn't have to wait on anyone else. I had figured out what those characters on the page were saying! I felt like a whole new universe was open to me-all sorts of information was at my fingertips. It's not a stretch to say that reading consumed me. I loved stories and and new information, and especially after a rough day at school I could escape for hours into a book. To this day (much to the frustration of LT W) I have a hard time putting down a book I'm reading...I view it as an unfinished project. Even so, we've made it a priority to pass along to our children the love of reading.

A year or so ago, my wonderful MIL, Nana, became an Independent Consultant for Barefoot Books. To be honest, I was a little skeptical at first. But, much to my surprise, Barefoot Books is a rare gem in the industry! The books are fantastic, (every single story I read to my kids is an instant hit) and affordable, too! One of my favorite things about Barefoot Books are the many, many titles in Spanish. Being that we're trying to have a multilingual home, bilingual books are a must.

So, now on to the whole celebration. Today Tate and I were reading one of his favorite stories, One Moose, Twenty Mice. After we had finished reading it for the bazillionth time, I asked Tate if he wanted to try and read it himself.

He said yes.

So he sat there and read this story to me. Then he read it to Theo. Then he read it again. He was beaming, so proud of the fact that HE was able to tell the story himself!

I am so proud of him, I could just burst.

More importantly, HE is so proud of HIMSELF, he could just burst.

So in honor of my beloved son taking a giant leap toward literacy, I'd like to do a giveaway.

I'm going to give away one of our FAVORITES from Barefoot Books...The Parrot Tico Tango by Anna Witte as well as a few other Barefoot goodies.

If you want to get in on this giveaway, here's what you need to do...

Go to www.barefootbooksnana.com (or just click here). Look around and tell me by posting in the comments on this post, what product you are most interested in. This is worth one entry.
Post about this giveaway on your blog, Facebook or twitter with a link to this post. This is worth one entry each and you must comment here as well to let me know that you did this.

**PLEASE include your email address or a way to contact you in your comment. If you're worried about spammers, please email me at thestearns (@) hotmail dot com (without spaces) and let me know who you are**

This contest is closes on the 20th of September at midnight, PST.

GOOD LUCK!

*PS If you're interesting in doing a fund raiser for your kid's school or daycare, please don't hesitate to contact Vicki HERE*

Ketchup

2011-09-12T14:31:00.000-07:00

Haha, ketchup instead of catch up. I'm so punny.

If I told you everything that our family has gone through in the past few weeks, I doubt you'd believe me. So I won't even try, but I will hit the highlights.

LT W went to Mexico. He was supposed to go to Nicaragua, but didn't make it. We're bummed he didn't get to see our family there, but so happy to have him home, safe.
I sprained my foot/toe. I was being ornery so I guess I deserved it.
Tate, Theo and I spend Labor Day weekend at my parent's house. We went to the fair, played in the lake and had a blast.
Tate inner-tubed. By himself.
Theo went to the bathroom on his little potty by himself several times.
I found a way to make tee-shirts that I love but never wear into something that I love and will wear.
I learned how to make gallo pinto, a Nicaraguan staple.
It's pumpkin spice season. Enough said.
I'm teaching myself to hula hoop, and I'm loving it.
LT W is gearing up to head to Japan for 2 weeks with the Navy. Ugh.
I get to go to Minnesota for two weeks! Yay!
Tate swallowed a magnetic marble which necessitated (do you see the TATE in that word?!) a trip to urgent care.
We're still waiting for said marble to pass (eeeeewwwwwwww).
We sold Gus, officially.
We are in the process of buying a new car. We'll be able to take it down to Nicaragua...it's really happening!

Some random quotes from the last few weeks:

Tate (to Theo): I got the last piece of pizza! Ha ha ha ha ha!

Theo (to Tate): Yeah? Well, I'm awesome! Ha ha ha ha ha!

************

And because we are always talking about poop, here's another one:

Tate: Mom, I pooped a big poop! We don't eat that. Only bad guys eat poop!

************

And just like that, you're up to date. Mostly.

Peace and love,

Jenni

Home safe

2011-09-10T08:33:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'll ever be able to articulate my feelings of gratefulness regarding the trip LT W. made, but I'm going to make an effort.

Thank you, dear friends. Thank you for your words of encouragement, your thoughts and prayers, and for picking up the phone when I needed to chat. Until heaven, you'll never know exactly how effective your prayers were but allow me to assure you...God heard you and answered your prayers on behalf of the guys who made the drive.

I got word that Earl and Austin (who were able to finish the drive) made it safely to Nicaragua yesterday.

And LT W is home.

And, somewhat appropriately (for his nickname, at least) he is at Navy today.

Please accept my heartfelt thanks. I appreciate your prayers so much.

Love,

Jenni

Update on the drive

2011-09-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, God is good.

LT W is still in Mexico. It's a really long story, but things have not gone according to their plan. However, in the midst of all of the...hmm...shall we call them adventures? God has really proven himself faithful.

The gents are now down to one car, and two of the team members flew home. There really wasn't space for five guys to comfortably drive one car.

There have been serious mechanical issues (hence the whole down to one car part) and there has been a lot of discouragement and some scary moments.

Please continue to pray for the guys' safety while they drive. This has been and will continue to be our number one area of concern.

Please also pray that the last mechanical issue will be fixed early tomorrow so that they can get on the road. They will not be traveling at night, so they hope to leave early afternoon in order to make it a few hours before they stop for the night.

Please pray for blessing over the local church in Veracruz, Mexico. Upon arrival in Veracruz, we contacted friends who have family that are missionaries in Mexico. After hearing about all of the, ahem, "adventures" that have come up for the guys, they drove down [three hours each way!] to encourage and lift the guys' spirits. I cannot even explain how grateful I was to hear this. Not only did they bless them by coming down to visit, but they sent a mechanic over from the church to work on the vehicle (on a Sunday!) to get it ready, and the church is going to cover the bill. The generosity and compassion of the church in Mexico has brought me to tears.

Truly, there is no force like the church in action.

I'll post more tomorrow night after I hear what the plan is. We appreciate your faithfulness in prayer, at times it is truly the only thing making this trip bearable.

Peace and love,
Jenni

Prayer Request

2011-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

Mark is driving from Texas to Nicaragua as we speak. Last night he flew to Houston and the epic adventure started this morning. Here's some info about the trip...

LT W is with a group of 4 other men. Two from Believer's Church (the best church on the East Coast, IMHO) Pastor Earl from the orphanage where Kevin lives, and Austin, a college student from Oregon State University.
Two vehicles were donated to the orphanage, which is why the guys are driving. It's much quicker (and presumably less expensive) to drive than ship. We'll find out the exact cost benefit at the end of the trip.
After a few hours at the Mexican border, the guys are now on their way. They are very concerned about driving through Mexico, as the gang activity has been high lately. The route they were planning to use was discouraged by the police so they found another (this is what I gather from snippets of conversations I've been able to have with Mark).

Please pray for the safety of the men on this trip. They are all volunteering their time to drive and are paying for their own costs...it's not a vacation.

The plan is to drive straight through Mexico tonight and tomorrow and they should arrive in Guatemala tomorrow night. I know that I will sleep better when I know they have made it through Mexico.

Thanks for your prayers! I'll let you know if I hear anything!

Happy Birthday Tate!

2011-08-29T19:45:00.000-07:00

You are five.

I cannot believe it.

Four was so much fun! But I'm really looking forward to all that five brings, too.

You continue to LOVE baseball, video games, dogs and all things racing. Your favorite food is grilled cheese (which you call girl cheese), and pizza. You have gotten much more adventurous when it comes to food.

Your love all animals, especially dogs and penguins. You are very interested in learning about animals, but you're pretty intimidated by most of them. Except dogs. You have yet to meet a dog you don't like.

You love your hermanos in Nicaragua and ask when we will move there.

You have a love/hate relationship with Theo. You like to boss him around and most of the time he takes it just because he likes to be with you.

You are learning Spanish and just figured out how to roll your "Rs".

Your great grandma Ann's dog, Dotty, is your favorite dog in the whole world. You are always concerned that she's going to be big (but she won't...she's a papillon).

You hate the Yankees and Steelers. We've taught you well.

You love the Seahawks and Mariners.

You started preschool this year and you loved every minute of it. You did very well, making tons of friends and always following the rules.

You are very, very concrete.

You spent time in Korea, Nicaragua and the states this year. You liked Nicaragua and the states but Korea wasn't your favorite.

Your favorite question is, "But what if it's not?"

I love you so much, and have really enjoyed spending this past year with you. You bring a joy to my life that will never dim or fade. Your sweet, compassionate spirit continues to grow and I believe, wholeheartedly, that the Lord is going to move mountains through you.

I love you, Tate.

Fun in the Sun

2011-08-25T13:20:00.000-07:00

It's finally summer here in Portland, Oregon.

I hope you're enjoying it as much as we are!

Peace and love,

Jenni

Perfect Read for Summer: An Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck

2011-08-23T14:09:00.000-07:00

I have been busy reading a ton of material to help prepare us for moving to Nicaragua. The books have been amazing, life changing and full of pertinent information. But to be perfectly honest, I'm a little overwhelmed with all the heavy reading. Since I love to read and wanted to choose another title from Waterbrook Multnomah*, I decided to look for something fun and light. You know...easy summer reading.

And I found it in The Inconvenient Marriage of Charlotte Beck, by Kathleen Y'Barbo. This book was perfect! The story was absolutely delightful. The characters were vibrant, fun and believable. As someone who likes to make her own plans and not be controlled by anyone, I was able to identify closely with Charlotte.

The book was about the perfect length and I was able to finish in one night (although I did stay up a little too late doing so). The story is broken into two parts and I should have put it down for the night at the break, but the story was so interesting I just couldn't bear to not finish.

I whole heartedly recommend this book to you if you're looking for something fun to read. The story well written, the characters are likable and there is nothing inappropriate or cringe inducing. All in all, I give this book a whole hearted 5 stars!

*WM provided this book to me, free of charge, for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

Image credit

Kid quotes

2011-08-22T11:21:00.000-07:00

Tate: Wow! That is a steep mountain!
Theo: Yeah! Peee-eeeew! That mountain is STINK!

***************

Tate: I need a fork.
Me: You need a fork?
Tate: Yes! It's not Sunday, so of course we use forks today!

***************

Tate: Mom, I want you to grow another baby.
Me: Yeah, that's not going to happen, sorry sweetie.
Tate: OK. Well, I still want a baby girl.
Me: I would like that, too. Theo, what would you want? A girl or a boy?
Theo: No. I don't want a girl or boy. I want another Theo!

A week off

2011-08-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I was blessed to have the opportunity to just be me.

My beloved parents took the boys for the weekend so LT Wonderful and I could just be together, and it was wonderful. [Although I did miss the boys terribly].

During the time by myself (Thursday afternoon and Friday) I really got to remember what life was like before I started thinking my given name was "mom".

*I had sole custody of the radio...I listened [geek alert] to my Phantom of the Opera and Rent songs as loud as I wanted to. I forgot I had those songs on my ipod, and I forgot how much I enjoy them!

*I went out in the middle of the day! I forgot that the world does still go on during nap time. I haven't been out of the house to run errands between the hours of 1 and 3 in years. YEARS. And it was delightful.

*I went blackberry picking. With the thorns, it's too dangerous to do it with the boys. And it was a mostly whine-free picking session (LT W did whine a few times).

*I browsed at the craft store.

*I checked our Borders. The clearance sales were disappointing.

*I worked out in the middle of the day.

*I woke up on Saturday morning and baked a cake.

*We went kayaking! And we didn't tip this time!

*We stayed out late. And slept in late.

But most importantly, we reclaimed a bit of ourselves. I made light of it in this post, but there are some days that I forget that my name is Jenni...I start to only think of myself as a wife and a mother, not a real person. That is a dangerous first step to losing yourself in your children.

My goal for the next week is to incorporate some of the things I like into my daily routine. Like the working out and listening to music I appreciate.

We'll see how it goes!

Teaching them the right way

2011-08-08T15:22:00.000-07:00

It has been an impossibly long week at the Stearns' house. We went to bed on Tuesday night we thought we smelled something so we opened these half door things that lead to the bathtub. Steam came pouring out. The inside was covered in mildew.

So, since Tuesday night we've been dealing with fans in the crawlspace and living room, spraying down the crawlspace with bleach, and more and more time with the fans running. It's been exhausting and loud. And smelly. The fumes have been overpowering and it's been frustrating to feel like a fugitive...and the boys are exhausted because they just don't nap well when we're not at home.

LT Wonderful, bless his heart, brought me some lilies on Sunday. He had to play Navy this weekend, so I was busy with the boys all weekend and to be extra special nice he made sure each boy brought me flowers. It was very sweet.

I'm sure the boys' future wives will thank him!

Moving...

2011-08-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

God has been blessing us in overwhelming ways this last week.

Last week we decided that we needed to move. We love our home, we love where we're living and we're very comfortable here, but since we are going to be moving to Nicaragua on support we need to be responsible in how we're living now so that we can provide as much of our one time support as we can. Moving is a part of that. In just a few minutes of research, we found that we can save about $400/month if we downsize and move into an apartment.

Since we hope to be down in Nicaragua long term in about a year, we really need to get going on our saving. When we realized that just by cutting down on our rent we could save $4800 in a year, we decided that we really needed to do it.

So on Monday we gave our landlady 30 days notice.

We were excited to be taking steps toward Nicaragua, but planning the move in the month of August (after a non existent summer up to this point) I'll be honest, we were a little bummed. Our weekends are now going to be taken up with a bunch of moving stuff. Boo.

That afternoon our landlady called us and said that she didn't want to lose us as tenants. However, she understood why we wanted to move and felt like it was a good reason.

So then she did the unthinkable.

She offered us apartment pricing in our current home for the next couple of months to let us move slower.

PRAISE JESUS!

We'll probably be moving in the next few months. But we're not moving now. And we get to save the money we were hoping to.

How big is God?!

Huge. He's huge.

Image Credit

Lawyer in Training

2011-08-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

Tate: Mom, can I watch Superman?

Me: No, you can't watch superman. You're too little.

Tate: I'm not little! I'm 4! And look at my legs, they are really long. Can't you see how long they are? So I can't be little with long legs.

[pauses]

Well, I guess I'm a little little. But I'm also a little big. So I should watch it.

Book Review: Indelible: A Novel

2011-08-02T16:00:00.000-07:00

Indelible: A Novel by Kristen Heitzmann

A quick, enjoyable read. The main characters were particularly likable, and the story kept me interested. Honestly, I had a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to find out what was going to happen next!

As far as the characters and their development, I haven't read any of the other books in this series, so from the beginning I felt a little bit lost. Due to the amount of time spent on characters that weren't central to the story, I figured out on my own that this was number 2 or 3 in a series. There was some backstory given, but I wasn't particularly drawn to the supporting characters (with the exception of the painter hired by Sara-I loved her!).

Even though I was pretty uninterested in the supporting characters. Her obsession with Trevor really annoyed me…I found it a little creepy, too. Seriously, she's married and has a child with Trevor's best friend, why would she be pining for Trevor? Perhaps in the previous books this bizarre behavior was explained better, I don't know. Either way, I didn't like it; it made me terribly uncomfortable.

Although I didn't like some of the character interactions, I would still recommend this book. The plot was interesting enough that I was hooked the entire way through. The story has good morals (and doesn't preach at all…I was kind of wondering where the "Christian" part of the story was honestly, it was very downplayed) and is a good summer fun read.

Image Credit

*I was given this e-book by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for the review purposes.

So fun!

2011-08-01T18:53:00.000-07:00

I love these shoes.

And I love rainbows.

It's a match made in hippie heaven!

(Head on over to Hope by Design to order a pair of your own!)

Profound Thoughts From Our Resident Four Year Old

2011-07-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

Setting: Tate climbed into our bed to snuggle us for a few minutes. I was brushing my teeth. He collapsed down on our bed with his arms out and a contented sigh.

Tate: Aaaaaahhhhhhhh, God made your bed SO COMFORTABLE! (quietly to himself) How did he do that?

************
Tate: Look at that! It looks like a shark!
LT Wonderful: Yep, it does look like a shark.
Tate: Yep. And sharks are pretty evil. They bite.
LT W: Typically they only bite when they are hungry?
Tate: HUH? Then who gets to be evil?

*************
Tate: Mom, do you know what gliding is?
Me: Yes.
Tate: Well, let me tell you about it more. Gliding is when you are up in the air and are moving. But you're not flying because you can't go faster. You're kind of falling, but it's not really scary because you can steer. And Mom? Flying squirrels glide, they don't really fly.

I don't think I would have been able to explain it that well...[and perhaps he's been watching too much Go Diego Go]

Thanks for all the Love!

2011-07-28T17:09:00.000-07:00

Thanks so much for all the love and sweet things you guys said in response to our big news yesterday. We are so excited, but so overwhelmed by what we need to do to prepare. The good news is that we know this is all in God's timing and we feel great about that!

Someone yesterday mentioned how excited the girls must be about this. And yes! They are excited! In May we talked with them about our plans to come down and the relief was palpable when they realized that they won't have to move away from everything they've ever known and loved. We aren't sure what the whole situation will look like...and we're OK with that. With the amount of transition that will be involved, we don't want to walk into any sort of expectations. The plan for "what happens officially with the girls" is to use our hearts, wise counsel from others and a little bit of flying by the seat of our pants to determine the best course of action for all involved. I realize that some people may disagree with this plan, but since you won't be there you don't really have a say (I'm using my nicest tone of voice when I say that, I really don't mean to sound like a brat).

So now that you have the 411 on that, I'm going to change directions on you.

Yesterday we went to a U-Pick raspberry place. It was me and the boys. I thought for sure that Tate and I would have a blast and Theo would find something to do to entertain himself while we picked.

I was totally wrong.

It turns out that berry picking with a very concrete, rule following four-year-old isn't fun. Not at all. Every berry is either too orange, too yellow or too purple. Or he can't find berries. He doesn't want to hold up the bushes because he might get hurt by the prickers and thorns. But he still wants to win, so he's pretty opinionated about where the berries go.

Theo, on the other hand, just watched as I explained what we were doing and then set off to work. He picked every little berry in his reach! I was so impressed. When we'd get about 15 yards away from our bags he'd say, "Mom, I go get it. Be right back." Then he'd go haul our stuff to where we were. He ate a few berries, but really he didn't nosh on that many.

So, I think Theo and I will go berry picking again for a date night. He seemed to enjoy it. Tate can go to the pet store or something (he recently went there and loved it. I see a hamster in our future...ugh. Actually we were thinking a chinchilla because they don't smell and don't require the same amount of clean up but did you know they live for 15 years? Yeah. Neither did I. It's not happening).

That was our week so far. It looks like summer may have finally decided to grace us with her presence here in Portland (at least, I hope!)

Have a great one (and happy ALMOST FRIDAY!)

Love,

Jenni

The [Revised] Plan

2011-07-27T15:47:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

There have been so many things I have wanted to share on the blog lately, but in order to share one of those things, I'll have to divulge other information that I just wasn't ready to let out of the bag yet. No, that's not right. I wanted to share, but I wanted it to be perfect and I couldn't figure out how to make it perfect so I kept putting it off. Finally LT Wonderful and I had a long chat about it and he convinced me that I can't make it perfect, it just has to be shared. So here it is.

Many of you are probably aware that over the past two years our hearts have become completely enraptured with the Nicaraguan people. We went to visit the first time thinking that we could be of service to the orphanage and left with our hearts full but broken. We went to serve and were instead served more graciously than I have ever served. With that one trip, our entire lives were changed forever.

Over the past two years we have gone back to visit several times. We planned on moving down "eventually" but as we've prayed, fasted, sought wise counsel and searched our hearts we have recently decided that "eventually" should be happening sooner rather than later. Since our trip down this past May we have been actively pursuing what we believe to be our calling to serve down in Nicaragua as missionaries [I don't feel comfortable using that word yet...will I ever?] to the orphanage and to the Nicaraguan people. We have nothing to offer but ourselves and our love, so we offer this joyfully without reservation.

We aren't leaving tomorrow, we are in a process and are unsure of how long it will take to get everything in line. Our goal (and best guess) is that we'll be transitioning down to Nicaragua sometime next year. There are several questions that still need to be answered (several more that still need to be asked), logistics to work out and decisions to be made. But more important than that, there are many prayers that need to be prayed for wisdom, courage and most important pure and steadfast hearts.

So please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we make this transition. We are so excited about what is coming, but we're also excited about where we are now! We don't know how long this season will last, but we're doing our best to be content while we wait for everything to come together.

Now that the news is officially Facebook/Blog "out", I'll be putting together some more information kinds of posts with where we'll be serving, what we'll be doing, how the adoption falls into this, our budget, school for the boys, etc. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. We love talking about Nicaragua and want to keep everyone as "in the loop" as we can.

Peace and love,

Jenni

The Why

2011-07-22T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling kind of down lately. I didn't really realize it until today. I mean, I knew I was feeling kind of off, but I didn't realize that I was feeling sad until today. I should have known, yesterday just about everything made me tear up. I got two pictures from Nicaragua from my girl Heather, and my eyes started leaking as soon as they flashed on the screen. Seriously!

I rationalized my feelings by saying that I started going to the gym this week, so of course I'm extra tired. Also, LT Wonderful is out of town on a business trip so I'm a little overwhelmed with being a single parent this week. I've also been staying up later than I should because, well, I can. Theo has also been feeling a little off...he's running a low grade fever and chewing on everything in sight. I suspect he's teething.

I was driving to the store today with the boys, and the car was uncharacteristically quiet. Tate broke the silence with a poignant question, and he nailed the issue right on the head.

"Mom? When do we get to go back to Nicaragua? I really miss my hermanos. I think it's time we see them again."

It hit me like a rock. I'm missing Nicaragua so much it hurts. We probably aren't going down until November and it's killing me. I know it's the right choice, I know the long term benefits outweigh the short term ones, but I really want to be there now. This will be the longest I've gone without going to visit since our first trip. And I miss it, I miss them, terribly.

I did get a phone call today. It was wonderful. My eyes may have leaked again afterwards just from the joy of chatting with one of my kids.

So, please bear with me while I work through some of my missing. I can't promise it will get better, but LT Wonderful is getting home soon, so that will help.

There is a silver lining!

Cute Story

2011-07-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

One of the things that really bothers me about our bathroom (the master) is that I haven't done anything with it. It's not our house and I don't plan on doing anything big, but it would be nice to have some basic homey touches. Like a toothbrush holder. Or bathmats. Or both.

I was at Target the other day by myself and I decided to browse the housewares area. [sidenote: it was delightful to browse without little hands helping!] I found a cute toothbrush holder in a really pretty red, and I thought about getting a teal blue bathmat to go with it. I like the combination of red and teal, and we have a really picture hanging in our bedroom of sailboats and water...I love it. It's got teals, yellow and a dark red in it, so I thought it would work well. The more I thought about it though, the more I decided that I shouldn't. The toothbrush holder was only $4.99, and the bathmats were about $15.00, but I would need a couple of them. I put everything back, thinking that I could find a toothbrush holder at Goodwill and spray paint it a color that I like and it will be the same. As far as the rug, I have a plan but I don't want to spoil it yet.

So yesterday I went to Goodwill. I was looking for toothbrush holders and I found one that would work. I was going to need paint, but it was going to be fine. And it was $1.99 which was a huge win. As I looked through one more time, I noticed a really pretty red cup peeking out from behind a vase. I pulled it out and wouldn't you know?! It was the EXACT one from Target that I had carried around with me in my cart.

The price? $0.99.

That, my friends, is a HUGE win!

Oh Theo

2011-07-20T18:32:00.000-07:00

Grandma: Theo, do you want some cereal for breakfast?

Theo: Ummmmm...(puts index finger on his cheek and tilts his head) how about ice cream?

Yesterday

2011-07-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of those days....an exercise in patience, so to say.

I got a gym membership over the weekend [$9.95/month. Seriously!] and had big plans to get up early to go try it out. I even went to bed early to make it easier to get up. Didn't work. I didn't fall asleep until after midnight. Somehow I managed to get up and get a workout in, but the day went pretty downhill from there.

I realized I did not buy the quick oats for my oatmeal. Not a huge deal, but I made a mess of the microwave in the process.

I went out to the bus and realized that I didn't have a carseat...so no errands.

I did five loads of laundry and in the process managed to lock myself out of the laundry room via mop handle covering the door. Since the door leads to the garage [and the garage door opener is in the bud in the garage] I had to use my amazing acrobatic skills to maneuver through the side door of the garage and over all of the crap in the way. I managed to succeed, somehow.

Tate decided to wash my ipod.

I burned a bag of popcorn [the house still smells faintly of burned popcorn].

I feel like I worked all day long and at the end I had nothing to show for it. The biggest problem though, wasn't that stuff kept happening, I just couldn't get a hold on my attitude. This made me feel like an even bigger failure. And in the end it all worked out OK.

LT Wonderful ran my errands for me.

LT Wonderful fixed my ipod [well, him and the oven].

LT Wonderful made dinner.

Do you see a pattern here...?

Yeah, he lived up to his name yesterday.

I made sure to get a good amount of sleep last night so I can tackle today with a great attitude. LT Wonderful is gone for the next three days so it's important that I maintain a good attitude.

So, here's where you come in. If you have something that you think might make me laugh, send it along in the comments here! I'll really appreciate it!

Peace and love,

Jenni

Photo credit

My thoughts on Love and War

2011-07-18T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have tried to be very open about how rough the past year was on our marriage. Being separated for work, living in polar opposite parts of the world, having two young children…the stressors were numerous. But those reasons really don't address the crux of the matter. The real problem was that we stopped making our marriage a priority and allowed all of those things (and many of them were wonderful things) to take precedence.

So about a year ago we decided to fight for our marriage. In order to make our marriage a priority we focused on quality time together, surrounding ourselves with people that also make marriage a priority (and hold us accountable), and reading books and taking seminars that will strengthen our marriage.

When I saw that Love and War by John and Stasi Eldridge was available from Waterbrook Multnomah through their Blogging for Books program, I was thrilled! I had heard great things about the book from several people so I was ready to start reading it as soon as it came in the mail. I was not disappointed. I really enjoyed the two perspectives of the book, it made a lot of sense to me to have the husband and wife team work together on a book.

I think the most important point of the book is that we can't look to our spouse to heal us, only God can do that. Putting unrealistic expectations on our spouse causes so many problems!

The bottom line is that a good marriage is work. But it's worth it to keep going to experience healing and restoration.

Sheltering My Kids: A Success Story

2011-07-13T16:33:00.000-07:00

There are some words I just don't like. Most of them aren't bad words, I just can't stand them for one reason or another. I would make a list here, but I know that someone (most likely my dear husband) would make sure to send me emails with the words listed over and over.

One of the words I detest is [am I really admitting this? It may haunt me for the rest of my life] fart. I hate the word fart. I think it's worse than THE "f word". I would rather use just about any other phrase for passing gas than that F word. I just can't stand it.

So the other night we were eating dinner, and the salad had broccoli in it. Tate and Theo asked for a piece of broccoli and LT Wonderful (who was not being so wonderful) made a quick comment that broccoli makes you fart. Then he laughed at himself, because he regularly cracks himself up.

[At this point I glared at him from across the table. As long as I can keep that word out of my house, the better. Tate's almost five and still isn't aware it exists. ]

Tate and Theo pick up on the laughing and both start laughing themselves. Then Tate took a big bite of the broccoli and said, "DAD! You're right!"

Then he started barking.

Yes. He barked.

"Dad! Broccoli makes me bark!"

Theo noticed the attention Tate was getting [and he has to get in on any sort of attention getting] so he started barking and saying, "Broccoli makes me bark! HAHAHAHAHA!"

And we laughed until we cried.

I'm going to go ahead and put this one in the win category.

Purging

2011-07-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I have made about a dozen trips to the Goodwill lately with loads of stuff we are done using. It's been an amazing feeling.

We are also getting rid of baby things to make way for big boys stuff. We sold our changing table and some other baby items last week. [Don't be jealous, Theo isn't potty trained yet. But at 37 lbs I'd rather have him lay on the floor or couch...hauling him up to the table is a workout!]

I love the cleansing feeling of getting rid of stuff we've had laying around the house just because. I know it's silly, but it makes me feel healthier and more free.

Now if I could just get rid of some of my craft stuff I think we'd really be able to see some progress...

This past weekend

2011-07-11T22:14:00.000-07:00

LT Wonderful (who could be called LT Commander (select) Wonderful now) had to play Navy this weekend so I decided to take the boys on a trip to Tri-Cities, Washington to visit my new niece, Esther Sue. On the off chance that she ends up marrying Tate or Theo, I'll just throw in here that she isn't genetically my niece, but the genetics aren't terribly important to me.

The boys were thrilled to be headed to Aunt Missy and Uncle Todd's farm. The farm is currently home to about 40 goats, a llama, three dogs, chickens and a few cats. Every 10 minutes or so (during the four hour drive) Theo would sigh and say, "40 goats! 40 goats!" and squeal with excitement. And the farm did not disappoint. The boys got to milk a goat, help bring in eggs, chase cats and dogs, pet the llama, and herd and feed goats until their little boy hearts were full. And I got to snuggle with the sweetest little 5 week old girl.

We were sad to leave (Tate cried and is still talking about how much he misses everyone) but happy to get home to spend some time with LT W.

How was your weekend?

Blogger Fail

2011-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

I know, I've done a horrible job of updating the old blog lately. Life has been coming at breakneck speed (it seems like) and I can hardly form coherent sentences when I'm trying to talk to someone so writing has been out of the question.

Although, in the past few weeks Tate has managed to say some pretty funny things, so I'll share those with you.

Tate: Mom! Is there a doctor around here? Because I need a really fast car!
Me: [completely ignoring why he would go to the doctor for a car] Well...I'm not a doctor, are you?
Tate: [exasperated] MO-OM, I'M NOT WEARING MY DOCTOR CLOTHES TODAY!

*******

Setting: Tate is playing ping pong at a wedding with a few adults.
Player one: Tate, you sure are a cute little man!
Tate: I'm not a little man, I'm a little boy!
LT Wonderful: That's our black and white boy.
Tate: Dad, I'm not black and white, I'm just normal.

*******

Setting: In Grandma and Grandpa's boat with Uncle Steve and a bunch of his friends.

Tate: [whispering] Uncle Steve, you should tell everyone that I'm really strong.

*******

Setting: Still in the boat with Uncle Steve and a bunch of his friends, one of them is a girl named Sara. Sara is dating Stephen's friend, Chad, who is also present. Tate was not coached in any way.

Tate: Miss Sara, do you love my Uncle Steve?
Sara: [pausing awkwardly] Umm...I like him. He's my friend.
Tate: No, Miss Sara, I said do you LOVE him?

*******

Yes, folks, he's still hilarious!

More fun things I made

2011-06-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. More animal things. I have been really into that lately. You shouldn't be shocked, Tate's first words (other than mama and dada) were animal sounds. Seriously, he knew what a monkey, dog, cat, chicken, shark, owl, pig, cow, horse, etc. all said, before he was two.

Anywho, I thought these were adorable. I'm thrilled with how they turned out and plan to make more. And maybe sell them at a Farmers Market? We'll see.

Sorry I've been a failure of a blogger. We spent time in Virginia last weekend and I'm still getting things back in order from the trip.

[It was a wonderful trip, I just wish it could have been longer.]

Tomorrow we're taking the littles to see Cars 2. I can't wait!

Happy Independence Day WEEKEND!

Making Lemonade

2011-06-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's four o'clock and I JUST got around to taking a shower.

(Squeeze a little...add some sugar. Vodka is optional.)

Guess what?! I managed to take a shower today!

So, what's your lemonade situation?

Getting my craft on (again)

2011-06-21T16:38:00.000-07:00

Aren't they cute?

And so fun to make!

I'm thrilled with this pattern (it's not mine).

He's back at it

2011-06-18T20:09:00.000-07:00

Setting: A camp fire with friends, roasting smores (in case you're unfamiliar with them, you roast a marshmallow, add chocolate and put it in a graham cracker sandwich). They are delicious!

Tate: Hey Mom? Where are the grand crappers?

***********************

Setting: Tate is in the bathroom, peeing. I look at him (he still leaves the door open) and I thought he looked sad.

Me: Tate, why do you look so sad?

Tate: Ummm...I'm not sad. I just peed on myself.

Happy Weekend!

2011-06-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

I hope you get a chance to spoil the special fathers in your life. I know I plan to!

Peace and love,
Jenni

LT Wonderful has returned

2011-06-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

He is finally back and here to save me from catastrophic demise at the hands of a two and a four year old.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

Seriously, single moms...you rock my socks off.

How it went

2011-06-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Remember the quiet time I had?

It was delightful.

I read books for 3 solid hours. And they weren't parenting books either. They were just fun books. It was wonderful.

*sigh*

Now to get through LT Wonderful's last minute business trip...he'll be home tomorrow. I keep telling myself to continue breathing, we've almost made it. I think tonight I'm going to watch a chick flick and have popcorn for dinner (again) (this is something I could never get away with if he was home).

(Sometimes I really like writing in parenthesis. It makes me feel like I'm sharing a secret. )

(I've never been really great at keeping secrets.)

And now, off to enjoy some nap time.

Reclaiming myself

2011-06-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

I never thought life would lead me here.

By here, I literally mean here, in my home at noon with my two boys eating lunch. After they finish grazing they will go upstairs for nap/quiet time and I will get to spend two glorious hours by myself.

From junior high on, I always thought I would work full time outside of my home. Being a housewife/mom never entered into my conscious thought. I know it probably should have been in my mind, but I honestly never even thought about it. I wasn't sure what my career would be but I was sure it would be exciting, satisfying and not in my house.

Fast forward from junior high to now. I fell in love and married at 19, moved across the country and finished school in Virginia. Two years later we found out that I was pregnant with Tate. My beloved boy was born on the first day of classes of my last semester. I graduated when he was 4 months old. Then we moved across country again, back to the beautiful PNW. And just like that, I went from being a full time student to a full time mom.

The ability to stay home with my boys has been wonderful, but the transition was much harder than I would have thought. [I would say 'much harder than I anticipated' but I didn't anticipate it at all so I guess that doesn't really apply.]

Four years later and I think we're finally getting into a groove. The boys are 4 and 2 and we can go places and do things without worrying about all the little baby things. They are old enough to realize actions have consequences and we can even reason with them occasionally. This truly is my favorite age yet!

But...[you knew it was coming] it is also the hardest age yet. All of the mothering books I have read warn against losing yourself in your children and I never really thought it was an issue until now. Between the two boys they have an opinion on everything...what music we listen to in the car, what books to read, what park to go to, etc. They also want to control the conversation with their endless questions of, "Why?" or my arch nemesis, "Well, what if it's not?" If I go to the bathroom I have to lock the door otherwise I will be barged in upon. However, when I do lock the door it's nearly impossible to pee in peace because they want to be with me. They knock on the door and ask what I'm doing.

Don't get me wrong, I love my children. I love being their mom. But sometimes I really need a couple of hours when I can just be Jenni. I can daydream, rediscover my hobbies, hold a conversation without being bombarded with a million questions and I can enjoy the quiet. I can read a book or listen to whatever music I choose without making concessions. I love this personal time. I don't get it very often, but I really look forward to it whenever it does decide to come around.

And today, it's come around again. LT Wonderful is taking the boys to Motorcross this afternoon, so I will have a few glorious hours all to myself. I'm still not sure what I'm going to do with all this time, but I'll let you know how it ends up. The best part is that tomorrow I'm sure I'll be recharged and ready to go again...I can only take so much peace and quiet!

If you had an afternoon all to yourself, what would you do?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Friendly

2011-06-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

I went on a walk with the boys today. It was awesome. I love working out with Theo [when he is confined to a stroller, of course].

As we went up a curb he said, "WWWWEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Mom, that FUN!"

When we passed a line of cars he waved to each and every one of them. Several waved back.

There was a guy coming toward us running and Theo yells, "Hi there!" while waving. The guy gives him a high five.

To the couple walking their dog on the other side of the road he screamed, "Hi! Pretty doggy!"

I know he's my child, but he is nothing like me. And that's probably a good thing.

The Magician

2011-06-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

Tate: Mom, can we put lotsa water in the pool?

Me: No, because we don't want Theo to fall in and hurt himself.

Tate: But what if we didn't have a baby?

Me: Well, he won't be a baby forever.

Tate: [eyes huge] You mean he's going to DISAPPEAR!?

*************

Fun on the Bus

2011-06-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

Mark and Theo with Danilo and Amy. We have big plans for Theo and Amy...and they seem to be in agreement. Theo loves to kiss on her!

Me and Alex playing with the camera.

Oscar (Alex's brother) asleep after church.

The bus rides to church are always eventful, you never know what might happen!

Trouble transitioning

2011-06-02T12:31:00.000-07:00

I am having a hard time adjusting back to real life. I'm craving the sun. I'm tired of the grey and drizzle. I'm kind of grumpy, to be completely honest.

And I have no motivation to plan meals. Or cook. I guess the good thing is that I haven't been terribly hungry, either...perhaps I'll finally be able to lose the last few pounds I can't seem to shake.

I did find a recipe for ketchup that I'm very excited to try! I have looked high and low for a ketchup brand that isn't too expensive and isn't completely full of chemically processed sugar. I have high hopes and I'll let you know how it goes.

We are enjoying time together playing. Theo is so stinking excited to have his train set so we've built miles and miles of tracks.

And Tate is thrilled to be back at preschool. He's also happy to have his dogs back and loves to snuggle with them.

We're also enjoying the books that we have here. The boys have several favorites and we've read them over and over again.

I suspect that I'll be over the blah blahs soon. Until then, I smile and enjoy my family, even if the tasks I have to do aren't that much fun.

I love being a mom

2011-06-01T18:22:00.000-07:00

There are days that I wonder what my mark on the world will be.

I struggle with balance. I long to be a better mom, and many days I feel defeated by my inability to mother the way I would in my dreams.

But even at the end of the hardest day, I get to snuggle with all this cuteness.

They love me. They forgive me. They snuggle with me and fight over who gets the majority of my attention. Even on the worst days, we get to snuggle and everything is magically better.

I love being a mom.

Kevin's Baptism!

2011-05-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Kevin now goes by Kevin Antonio Cañas Stearns

Not officially, of course (because he couldn't)

But that's what he calls himself. And how he writes his name at school. It warms my heart to know that he feels like he is a part of our family.

Because he is.

Pastor Rafa, Kevin, and Pastor Earl

What a beautiful day!

To God be the Glory!

We are (finally) home

2011-05-27T09:19:00.000-07:00

After a LONG several days, we are home.

It was wonderful. We miss Nicaragua. We will be going back sometime this year.

I will fill you in on the specs later, when I am out from under the mountain of laundry that has become my living room.

Love,
Jenni

On our way...

2011-05-14T04:01:00.000-07:00

...to MGA.

Via Spirit Airlines. I'll let you know how that goes.

Love,
Jenni

What I've been learning

2011-05-13T10:23:00.001-07:00

Lately I've been learning a lot about God's love, and about who God loves. I've seen firsthand the promises and declarations of God prove to be true.

I've seen that God loves orphans. Loves them so, so much.

I've witnessed God's incredible love for the weak.

I can testify that God loves widows.

And I can't even begin to tell you how much he loves and cares for the abused, abandoned and those forgotten by most. They are usually referred to as, "the least of these" but that is a label I detest.

I'm certain and confident in God's love for the brokenhearted. And for those who have hurt so badly.

I know God loves the poor. He cares for them and provides for them, and keeps them in the shadow of his wing.

I know of God's mercies toward those who are persecuted. And those who have made bad choices.

I'm sure of God's healing for those who made bad choices and have nearly ruined their lives, and perhaps others' lives as well.

I know all of this. I marvel again and again at God's unfailing, unrelenting love for "them". But I often wonder where I fall in all of this. I was so blessed to be raised in a Christ centered home. Not only were all of my needs met, but many of my wants as well. I was safe, secure and loved. While I have experienced heartaches, they are a drop in the bucket when compared to the majority of the world. I have been seen as strong in the eyes of so many. I've not been persecuted. I've made bad choices, but they are private bad choices, not publicly condemned ones.

So I think for much of my life I was so certain of God's love for the people that needed it (in my eyes) more than I did that I went to war with myself and decided to not "bother" God with the little stuff. I'd seen extreme poverty, heard horribly sad stories and I was certain that God's love was what these people needed for healing and purpose. But, in my broken line of thinking, I equated a human's ability to love as God's ability to love. If God was spending time loving, blessing or comforting me up in my comfortable home in suburbia, I wrongly assumed that I was taking those blessings from someone else that needed them more than I do.

The last few monthsI've started to realize how messed up this thinking is. God is not made in my image, I was made in his. While I love both of my boys the same, there are times that I am physically unable to meet both of their needs at the same time. God is not limited by anything, so when I spend time with him or "bother" him with my less than life or death requests, I'm not taking his attention away from the starving child in Africa who needs him. God doesn't have limitations. In fact, he wants me to come to him with all I'm feeling, regardless of how ridiculous it is.

As I walk through life, I notice that it's easy for me to trust God with the "biggish" things. I know he's in control. I didn't stress much about our moves or our transition to civilian life. I knew God would take care of it. We'd put a lot of prayer into those decisions and I knew God would take care of it. But it's the little stuff that I have a lot of anxiety about…perhaps because I don't follow the clear instructions in Philippians to "not be anxious about anything" and while I pour my heart out to God about my life, I don't spend much time on the little things because I think that God doesn't want to hear that dribble when there are much more important things in he has to take care of.

Then he orchestrates something little, something that gets my attention and I know that he cares about the dribble of my life. He cares and wants to know the little things that stress me out. He knows my heart's desire and honors that. He knew my desire for a ring, and he decided to woo me by blessing me with a ring and you know what? That didn't stop him from solving the world hunger crisis. He knew I was anxious about Tate going to preschool. He knew how much I wished that my mom could have taught him (she is the best preschool teacher in the world, bar none). What did he do to ease my fears? Tate's preschool teacher's name is Miss Kathy…not just my mom's name, but also the same salutation my mom uses. Such a little thing, but it was so reassuring.

And now I'm fighting anxiety. I don't know the exact cause of it, but I'm pretty sure the root has something to do with the box I put God in. So I'm working on it. I'm working on bringing everything to God with prayer and thanksgiving because there is nothing too small for God. So to the list above, I'm going to add this…

I am absolutely certain and sure of God's love for me. Even in my pride, God found me. He's freeing me from the prison I'd made of making him too small, and in my own image. God's love for me is vast, endless and all encompassing. His love for me doesn't take away from the other people that he loves. God's love for me and his blessings for me don't take away resources that he could use somewhere else on people that need it more than I do. In fact, if I let him, he can make ME into a resource for other people that have greater needs than I do.

God is big, my friends. He loves me and cares about all the little things that matter to me.

And I'm at peace with that.

In N Out

2011-05-11T20:41:00.000-07:00

In N Out: Stearns' Style

Involved: Two overtired children, two overwhelmed parents, a full restaurant, stickers, a camera and the messiest shirts you can find.

Mix this all together and you get something that looks like this:

At least we're all smiling, right?

Boundaries are beautiful

2011-05-10T08:39:00.000-07:00

~Santa Rosa, California~

This is my favorite fence ever.

And don't you think it's a good reminder that boundaries are beautiful?

Enjoying the drive

2011-05-09T15:13:00.000-07:00

Isn't that a pretty tree? After a long winter, I don't think there's a prettier way to welcome spring than with a tree full of beautiful blooms.

Isn't Mt. Shasta just breathtaking?

And these boys. Aren't they just the cutest?

Don't worry, they didn't actually lick the disgusting windshield :)

We had a great drive down to California. We've already enjoyed In N Out, but I have a feeling we'll make another stop there soon.

For now, I'm going to head out and pick up LT Wonderful from work then we're going to spend some quality time by the pool.

Happy Monday!

Seeking the Sun

2011-05-08T21:06:00.000-07:00

We're here in sunny California, enjoying the warmth and extra doses of vitamin D.

Recently, at the suggestion of my wonderful mom (Happy Mother's Day, Mommy dearest!) I started taking vitamin D every morning. I took the recommended dose until my Mom told me that her doctor said that residents of the Pacific Northwest should be taking about 5000mg/day (nearly double the recommended dose!) between October and May due to the angle that the sun hits the earth or something like that. Anyway, I was convinced so I started taking it and I felt like I had a lot more energy within about two weeks.

My doctor was a little suspicious about the amount I was taking so she did a blood test. And the blood test vindicated me.

The normal level is between 30-100 units (I forget what measuring unit is used). After taking 4000 mg/day religiously since January, I'm at 40, the very low end of normal. If you live in the northwest, consider supplementing during our LOOOOOOOOOONG winter months. You may feel much better!

So here we are in California, and I intend to enjoy soaking up as much natural vitamin D as I possibly can (with the aid of sunscreen of course. My poor pale white skin can't take too much sun without turning a pretty pink-red color...much like these lovely flowers that LT Wonderful brought me recently).

We'll be here for another couple of days, then we're off to Nicaragua! Can't wait!

What I really wanted

2011-05-03T14:25:00.000-07:00

Our anniversary was in December. It was a big one for us, not because of the number as much as it was because of how much we worked through the previous year. I was really disappointed that we couldn't spend it together because LT Wonderful was working in Korea. We had planned to celebrate later this year, although we did intend to exchange gifts.

The one thing I really wanted for my anniversary gift was a ring. I was feeling pretty picky about this particular ring...I wanted something that would compliment my wedding ring, but I would wear it on my right hand. And I didn't want something traditional, I wanted something out of the ordinary...an antique ring with a story. I went to Brilliant Earth and found several beautiful antique rings there, but they were pretty expensive. At least the ones I liked. When I say expensive I mean like "oh my goodness that's more than a mortgage payment!" expensive. So we both decided that a new ring wasn't the right choice for us now. I was a little disappointed, but I knew that it was for the best.

Toward the middle of December (less than 24 hours after LT Wonderful got home from Korea!) we headed down to Nicaragua. While we were there we spent a ton of time with Kevin, figuring out how to get him into an orphanage and school. As we were headed to the airport, Kevin called me and said that his mom wanted to talk to me one more time, and would I please come over quickly.

As we pulled up to his house I was super nervous that Kevin's mom was going to nix the plan before it even got started. Kevin assured me it was going to be OK, but I couldn't imagine what she needed to talk to me about. When we pulled up to the house, she met me at the door and with tears in her eyes she said, "No one has ever done anything for my family like you have done. I want you to have this ring as a sign of our love and appreciation for you. You will always be a part of our family now. Thank you so much."

I hugged her and cried. She put the ring on my finger and I couldn't believe it. It was exactly what I wanted. But it meant more than anything I could have bought.

The significance of this ring is powerful for me. Every time I see it I am reminded of so many things. I say a prayer for Kevin and his family. I praise God for knowing me so well that he knows my heart's desire. My true desire was never for a ring, but rather to feel useful and do something meaningful. In this circumstance I was able to be useful and do something meaningful, and I was even blessed by a beautiful token to remember this special season of my life.

So Soon!

2011-05-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

I can't wait!

Now I just hope that the whole darn house gets healthy before we leave.

I know, I know

2011-04-29T20:18:00.000-07:00

It's been another week that I haven't blogged much.

I feel lame.

I received about 5 books in the mail that I got off of Amazon...I have spent a significant amount of my free time reading them (thus, the lack of blogging). I'll share about my favorites later.

The boys are doing well, Tate is back to his normal, cheerful self.

Theo is starting to obey a little better. I'm working on lowering my voice instead of raising it when I get frustrated with him and I think he's responding well to it.

We've got a busy weekend and week coming...and a week from tonight we'll be on our way to California and then onto Nicaragua! I can't wait!

My Brave Son

2011-04-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Tate woke up with his eye all puffy and crusty. Gross, I know. I called the doctor as soon as they opened to make an appointment, assuming pink eye. His eye was red and having had pink eye a few times, I knew it was best to treat it right away.

A couple hours later Tate said, "Mom, my ear kinda hurts." I had him sit with me for a few minutes and he was fine.

When we got to the doctor he looked in Tate's ears. The first one was very pink, and the doctor said, "Wow buddy, I bet that does hurt!" Then he went to the next ear, it was BRIGHT red. The doctor couldn't believe that Tate hadn't been crying and complaining. I was just thankful that his eye was puffy otherwise we'd probably never had gone into the doctor.

Tate also had to have a TB test (since we go to Nicaragua a lot we thought it was a good idea). I was practically bursting with pride in the doctor's office because Tate was so brave and did everything the doctor asked of him with a smile. I love being his mom!

We went to get the medicine a couple hours later (Theo fell asleep in the car and I didn't want to pull him out). When Mark was in dropping off the prescription, Tate suddenly grabbed his ear, screamed and started crying. I was heartbroken, I know it really must have hurt because his reaction was that severe. I held him while he cried, squirmed and tried to get comfortable. As soon as Mark got back to the car we gave him medicine and he fell asleep. I mean ASLEEP. The boy fell asleep and didn't move an inch for an hour.

When he woke up he was groggy. Mark put him in his chair to eat and he just curled up on it and went back to sleep. It was so heartbreaking.

When it was time for bed, Theo started crying about wanting to snuggle Tate. We explained that Tate wasn't feeling well and that he wanted to sleep by himself tonight. Theo cried some more about wanting Tate, and Tate said, "It's OK. I can share my bed with him." I teared up. Despite feeling like crap he had compassion on his brother. I just love this kid.

I went in to pray with him and rubbed his head for two minutes and then he was asleep.

I must have one of the sweetest, bravest boys in the world. Goodness, I love that kid!

Book Review: Lilies in Moonlight

2011-04-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

I recently read "Lilies in Moonlight" * by Allison Pittman. The book is delightful, set in the roaring 20's. The story follows Lily, a young woman who ran away from her overly religious mother in order to make her life on her own terms. She ends up in Florida, living with an older woman and her son, a severely burned war veteran.

The book took a while to pull me in, but since I was in the mood for some fun fiction, I stuck it out. Once the story got going, though, it was great fun! There were spiritual truths in the book, but they weren't very strong. Toward the end it was more evident that the book is Christian fiction, but it seemed to me like first and foremost it is a love story.

The characters are vibrant and fun, I really enjoyed the characters. Lily is fun, but the supporting characters really make the story interesting! I especially enjoyed the demeanor of the Mrs. Burnside, she was just such a neat character.

I would definitely recommend this book to friends. It's a quick read, a good story, and it's wholesome. I hear there are some other books out there that she's written, set in the same time period. I'm going to hunt those down because you can never have too many wholesome, fun books to read.

*Which I was given by Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for review purposes.

I have been a horrible blogger this week

2011-04-22T17:18:00.001-07:00

I think it's because the sun was out.

Or because I was just busy.

Either way, I apologize and I hope that you enjoy Easter!

Love,
Jenni

Help

2011-04-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

While I really do appreciate the "help" the boys offer, I am very much looking forward to the time when their "help" is actually, well, helpful. But I am enjoying the attitude of helpfulness!

We've got a bunch of family coming down for a run leisurely walk to support ALS research on Sunday. I am doing my best to make sure the house is ready for everyone. Luckily my mom will be here to help tomorrow.

After about 3 weeks without having one, we are having a PJ day today at our house. I know it's late notice, but you are cordially invited to join us at your house. We used to make every Monday a PJ day, but we've been busy! It's nice to kind of relax today. I say kind of because I don't think you can really and truly relax with a two year old in the house.

Seriously.

Theo threw a fit this morning because he wanted me to stand by the table and hold his hand while he ate his cereal this morning.

Yeah, not so much.

And the picture? It's just one I love.

I hope your Friday is just as productive as ours has been, PJs and all.

Opening Day 2011

2011-04-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

I love our annual tradition of going to Opening Day at Safeco Field.

Each year we take a picture in front of the glove statue.

Here's 2011

2010

2009

2008

The picture from 2007 isn't digital, so I'll have to scan it in sometime.

And yes, we do have more Mariners clothes than just the ones we're wearing, but it's SO COLD that we always end up wearing the same ones and layering them.

And yes, I know that my hair is different every year. That's the fun of being a girl!

Spring is here!

2011-04-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Tate Date

2011-04-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tate and I are going on a date tonight. I'm taking him to Ceramic Cafe for some painting. I'm really looking forward to some one on one time with him. Theo is so hands on these days that I sometimes feel like Tate gets lost in the discipline game.

Theo and I get some regular time together these days, too. During school, Theo and I run errands together. It's not great fun but with Theo, it is. He's such a fun kid, he enjoys himself just about anywhere. Today we went and got the tires changed on our car. I think we read the same story about 25 times, and it was just as much fun each time.

I love being a mom to my boys!

Getting our license

2011-04-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

LT Wonderful and I are getting our license to be Foster Care Providers.

I'm scared and excited all at the same time.

I think that's normal.

Isn't it?

(Please say yes.)

So tonight we go to another three hour.

We fill out more paperwork.

Later we'll get fingerprinted again.

And have another home inspection.

And, hopefully in the next 6 months we'll be blessed to love on a kiddo that really could use a demonstration of love.

Then when they leave our hearts will break.

But the cracks will help our hearts grow more.

We'll just keep on loving and loving

Until there are no more kids to love on, or our girls come home (in which case we'll do a happy dance and love and love more)

Until God moves us on to Nicaragua.

So tonight is another beginning.

But really it's just another step in our journey to show love.

The Difference

2011-04-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday LT Wonderful and I had the opportunity to hang out alone. My beloved mom came down and had the boys for two days. It was great have some time for the two of us to reconnect.

We headed out to Starbucks for our quality time, chatting and laughing about our goofy boys. LT Wonderful told me an awesome story about playing with Tate and saying to him, "Tate, do you know that I love you?" Tate responded, "Yes, Dad." Without really thinking about it. LT Wonderful then said, "Do you know that I'll always love you?" Tate responded with an eye roll, "Yes Daddy. I KNOW!"

We smiled at the thought. Our boys are secure in our love for them. They know that our love is not conditional. We're somehow able to communicate our love for them in a way they understand.

Then we started talking about Nicaragua. Every chance we get we pour into our kids there. Not just the girls, but all of them. And they also know that we love them...or, are starting to know that that means. We come down every chance we get. We spend time with them as much as possible. But when we have a conversation with the kids there, the out come is always very, very different. I remember one conversation in particular. It was with a 15 year old boy who wanted to know why we care about his grades, his family, his life. I looked him in the eye and said, "It's because we love you. We care about you. We want what is best for you and are willing to go to great lengths to make sure that you're getting what you need. We know that you've had a rough life. But we're here for you. We love you and we will always be on your side."

The tears were pouring out of his eyes, running down his cheeks and he was unashamed of them. He wrapped his arms around LT Wonderful and hugged him for a long moment. It was beautiful.

Although he's not completely secure in our love yet, he's getting there. Is there a better feeling than knowing that someone loves you for you? It doesn't matter what happens, you are loved. Our goal is to share that love with all of the kids in our lives. To be able to pour into them so that they can enjoy that security of being loved and in turn, learn how to love unconditionally themselves.

I think that it's easy to love your children, but sometimes it's not easy to communicate love to your children. I've met this boy's family. I know they love him, but they have a hard time communicating it. So we're making a commitment not just to love, but to communicate love and demonstrate our love.

Our hope is that all of our kids will be secure in love, learn how to love and learn how to show love. And that someday we'll have hundreds of grandbabies running around, completely secure in their parent's love for them. Isn't that a beautiful thought?

Book Review: Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes

2011-03-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

I've been reading Robin Jones Gunn's Sisterchick Series since they were published. While I can't relate to the age of the characters (typically they are empty nesters) I really do enjoy reading the stories she's able to spin about their lives. Sisterchicks in Wooden Shoes* is very similar to the others I've read in this series, a cute read, although somewhat predictable.

Sisterchick books follow a pretty standard pattern: A woman is faced with a dilemma, decides to go on a trip to an exotic location even though it's totally out of character for her. She usually has some significant demons to face while she's there, and a friend who either goes with her or meets her there helps her uncover what it is she needs to learn. The woman experiences a refreshing of her faith and comes home changed. Laughs and truths are mixed together for an easily read story. This book follows her typical pattern and is cute.

I didn't find the truths discovered by the main character to be terribly deep, but I enjoyed the simplicity of them. Much of the lessons are pulled from the 23rd Psalm, and it is beautiful in it's simple peacefulness.

The reason I really enjoy the Sisterchick books is because I firmly believe in the benefits of stepping out of your comfort zone and experiencing life in unexpected places. I can totally relate with how disorienting it can be to find yourself in a different culture. I can personally attest to how life changing a trip can be. Sometimes just changing your perspective when you look at the world can change how you view your situation entirely.

While I wouldn't recommend you run out and buy this book right away, I found it a fun and quick read.

*I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing for reviewing purposes.

Unfinished no more

2011-03-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

I've had this project sitting around almost finished for the past 2 years. This past week I finally finished it. Finishing involved learning a new skill...sewing a lining for a purse from no pattern. It's not perfect, but I'm happy enough with it.

I think the theme of this year is "finishing what I start". And, if I do say, I'm off to a dandy start. I've finished several UFP's and I'm very happy with how things are turning out!

Here's to more finishing!

Things I never thought I'd say

2011-03-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

"Theo! Get your foot out of the popcorn bowl!"

And just like that, I was done with popcorn for the night. But, so was he. We can't start teaching him that if he puts his foot in stuff he gets it all to himself. I fear that would escalate to unacceptable levels within days.

**********

And, a Tate Quote:

Mark: Boys, what should we pray for tonight?

Tate: Mara (our dog). Pray that she doesn't get bit by a dinosaur. And that she doesn't get scared of her tail. And that Grandma Annie and Grandpa Teddy don't gets stuck in a hole.

*********

As far as the crochet hat/bootie patterns go, I'm working on it. I am great at trying things to get them to work, but horrible at following directions and recipes...so writing directions is proving to be difficult. I'm working on it, though.

If you'd like, you can always check out finished products at HOPE By Design (link is at the top of my page). Most of our stuff goes there. I should be updating our store with a BUNCH of new stuff early next week. I'll keep you posted!

Friday Night Fun

2011-03-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Friday nights used to look a whole lot...different.

But that's OK,

because this is way fun!

And honestly, much cheaper than the old days...

And who needs a restaurant and movie?

Not Me! Not when these clowns live here!

So, I'll take these Friday nights

Because I know that someday in the future the boys' Friday night plans won't revolve around us old folks.

So, I'll take it while I can get it.

Happy Weekend!

Super Duper

2011-03-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

It's been a very exciting week.

Why?
-I have tickets to Nicaragua!
-The peas and carrots (Forrest Gump, anyone?) I planted have germinated.
-I slept very well last night.
-We have a new car (more on that, later. And we don't really have it yet)
-I got good news from Kevin!
-Theo is feeling a little better.
-Tate is LOVING preschool!
-LT Wonderful is done making up his reserve drills.

So, there we go. It's been a great week.

How has yours been?

Yes, Absolutely

2011-03-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked if I think it's safe to bring my kids to Nicaragua.

My answer?

Is a resounding

YES!

Absolutely.

Theo's getting in on the game

2011-03-21T22:29:00.000-07:00

Theo: Mom, I hungry.
Me: Would you like some cheese?
Theo: Yeeeeeah! Cheese!
Me: Can you say please?
Theo: CHEESE!

Preschool in photos

2011-03-17T17:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do in September is look at back-to-school photos. Tate started preschool in March, but I wanted to make sure I took photos for him to start his collection.

I patiently explained to him that I wanted to take pictures of him before he went to his first day of school.

He said he didn't want to.

I begged and pleaded. And threatened. And begged some more.

He finally gave in.

This was what I got:

Fantastic! I love it so much! I honestly can't think of a better picture to describe how Tate felt about going to school.

When I begged him to look at me, this was what I got:

Seriously, I love this kid more than cupcakes!

After all of that, I am happy to say that Tate LOVES preschool and wants to go every day.

I am so proud of my beloved son! And I will forever treasure these back to school pictures!

Random quotes

2011-03-14T19:17:00.000-07:00

LT Wonderful: I love my boys! They are so cool!

Tate: Theo's only cool when he sleeps.

**********

I read this on a friend's Facebook a while back. I was humbled.

We shouldn’t get married to please ourselves. We should get married to serve the person we love the most. Ultimately, getting married means that you’ve chosen to become a loving servant to your spouse forever. And if children come along, you’re signing up to serve them forever too. We must let go of ourselves & choose to serve cheerfully.

**********

GASP A Real Weekend

2011-03-13T09:54:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here enjoying our first two days off after 12 straight days of LT Wonderful working.

It's so nice to be able to relax and recover for a couple of days. Don't get me wrong, we've been busy with church and family stuff, but those are things we have chosen to do, not things that were chosen for us.

The boys have really enjoyed having their dad around all day. I can't tell you how many times they have gone to "wrestle tassel" (pronounced "RAAA-sle TAAA-sle). I don't participate but I do enjoy hearing the laughter and screams coming from upstairs while they play.

The house is nearly back to normal after our latest bout with whatever bug it was we were fighting. I'm assuming it was a virus because I know for sure it wasn't a parasite or foreign bacteria. I don't really think that leaves much else as a possibility.

I hope your weekend has been enjoyable! I'm going to get back to mine!

Peace and love,

Jenni

I love Thursdays

2011-03-10T13:36:00.000-08:00

I have always loved Thursdays.

Thursdays are very close to Fridays, and Friday means the weekend.

Growing up, my dad always had Thursday afternoons off, so sometimes at the end of the school day my brother and I would be walking to the bus and we'd see our parents there waiting for us. It was always such a surprise and so much fun!

In high school, our swim meets were on Tuesdays and Thursdays. While that meant that morning practices were harder, it also meant that there was no afternoon practice. I loved the "break."

When Mark and I finally got a TV, we got to watch The Office on Thursday nights. We love that show.

These days, Tate goes to preschool on Thursdays (and Tuesdays, too). So I get to spend some time with Theo, just the two of us. We mostly snuggle on the couch. I cannot resist him when he says, "Snuggle you, Mommy."

Tate and I get to spend a little quality time together when Theo naps. We usually just talk or read, but it's time for just us. I love it.

And, for the last month, Thursdays are my weekly phone dates with this kid:

So, I love Thursdays. The hope and excitement of Friday is in the air. I get to spend time with my kids. I get to enjoy family.

So, Happy Thursday to You!

Peace and love,

Jenni

PS Heather, I thought fondly of Trey when I wrote this!

Getting Crafty

2011-03-08T13:44:00.000-08:00

My Craft Challenge has been over for a couple of months now, but I still have some yarn in my stash. I'm down to mostly odds and ends that I have very little inspiration for. Since I still don't want to spend a ton of money on yarn, I've been working really hard to continue using the yarn from my stash.

Several years ago I bought this camouflage yarn accidentally. Online the colors shown were tan, beige and brown so I thought they would make a striped brown bag. Imagine my surprise when I got the yarn in the mail and it wasn't striping AND there was green mixed in. I was annoyed. I wracked my brain trying to decide what to make out of the yarn for the last three years.

Then my good friend found out she was having a little girl. And her husband is a hunter. So I put two and two together and came up with this:

Super fun!

The pink yarn has also been a source of frustration for me. I think it works perfectly with the camouflage. It's right shade and right weight.

So I'm pretty excited about the results. And a couple more skeins of yarn down!

Book Review: 60 Minute $ Workout

2011-03-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

I have always had a love/hate relationship with personal finance. I love it when we're doing well and I hate it when we're not doing well. In my quest to learn more about PF, I have read several books and taken classes, specifically Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover.

When I received Ellie Kay's new book on PF, I was excited. I've read most of her others and I really like her! She tells wonderful stories in her books and they are easy to read without making me feel guilty.

But to be honest, I felt like this book was lacking a little bit. Her stories and information were great, but I didn't care for the 60 minute workouts she talks about. I understand the analogy she talks about but I just don't like the method. LT Wonderful and I have a system down now, perhaps that's why I don't care for this one.

If you skip over the "workout" sections the book is great. Ellie is always very on top of the latest money saving resources and includes them in her book. There are also codes in the book that you can use by emailing her to get access to restricted areas on her website. I would say that the book is worth it based on that alone. The tools that are on the website are fantastic and we have started incorporating them into our budget meetings.

If you're looking for a place to start with finances, this book could be a good option for you. However, I would say that starting somewhere else with more accountability would be even better.

Overall I'd say this book is a solid two stars out of five.

*I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah for review purposes.

I'm Back, and BETTER Than Ever

2011-03-06T19:04:00.000-08:00

OK, OK, maybe not better than ever, but I'm feeling pretty good.

Finally.

And the boys are (knock on wood) fine too.

So now we can start real life. And when I say real life I mean we-have-a schedule-and-try-to-adhere-to-it-more-or-less life.

Tate's in preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays! I have a Bible study on Wednesdays so at least three days a week I'm going to be getting up and out. That should add structure to our days. My goal is to work out before I head off to school/church (this means I'll be getting up early...yuck!) but I think it will help with that oh so needed structure.

Theo and I don't have anything planned for our mornings together yet, but I do hope to do something fun. I know that Tuesdays will be my new grocery shopping days so we'll enjoy doing that together. Theo loves the store. I'm thinking about hitting the library with him. We'll see what he's up to. As soon as it gets nice out on a regular basis (so, like, August) I'll take him to the park. This kid would play outside all day if he could.

Tate's said some funny stuff lately regarding his bout with the illness:

"Mom, poop is not my favorite anymore. Pee is."

I was previously unaware that he had favorites, but now I know.

Theo has decided to get in on joking around. Just today he stuck his foot in my face. I scrunched up my nose and said "EWWW!! Your feet stink, Theo!" He responded, "No Mom. It's like pizza." When I laughed he did it over and over.

I hope your weekend was great!

Peace and love,
Jenni

And another one's down

2011-03-04T15:37:00.001-08:00

Tate's got what Theo and I had...the fun doesn't stop!

Loves to you all, and I'll be back when I'm not busy cleaning up poop.

Tired and a bit Grumpy

2011-03-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

I've been off the last few days. A little grumpy, a little tired and a lot funky. I know that how I'm feeling has been reflected in my lack of posting and lack of substance in what I do post. I apologize for that.

Theo and I seem to be sharing a stomach bug that we just can't kick. He went to the doctor today (and is as scared of doctors as I am, it seems) so we should have results in about 10 days to see if there is something specific that's making him sick. If there is, it's probably also bothering me. I'm hoping that it's just a bug that we get rid of before then. 10 days is a long time to feel junky, especially when we've already felt that way for 5-8 days.

On a positive note, tomorrow is Tate's first day of preschool. I've already cried a few times and it's sure to just continue tomorrow (for both of us, he's deathly afraid of school). In a really neat twist, Tate's teacher is named Miss Kathy. Since my mom is a preschool teacher and is also named Kathy I felt very at peace. It's the little things like this that make me feel like God really loves me. Of course he takes care of the big stuff, but it's nice to see him in the small stuff as well.

I'll post pictures and a review of Tate's first day of school!

Peace and love,
Jenni

Odds and Ends

2011-03-01T13:28:00.000-08:00

We had a super busy weekend planned. And then I got sick. I think it was some kind of virus, but whatever it was isn't really important. The bottom line is that we didn't accomplish anything we had planned to accomplish. It was still a great weekend.

I re-watched the movie Chocolat. I love, love, love that movie. The speech the pastor/rabbi/priest gives at the end of the movie gets me every time. It's so beautiful and true.

Theo's birthday went well...except that he spent a sizable chunk of time in his time out chair. He's been hitting and pinching lately. We're working on that.

And, in case you've missed them lately, here's a Tate quote for you:

Mom, will you pray for me to stop pooping please?