tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338726732024-03-14T13:56:13.892-04:00happy at homelaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.comBlogger320125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-40951634556903401392011-11-15T10:25:00.001-05:002011-11-15T10:51:41.495-05:00Managed Chaos and Thanks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NoERVLMPzmCH1Gf7_WGkR8woe5kF5Ekzth2ayOJBJ1QsNSsZl2Gd_7kMRrB-cfZc23CXXt8eMKk4vWXUC4Acm3riShTpZ8BTSOoYq_ebgF51uRFTyea3VmX3zPqv-3_59IxA/s1600/photo-47.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NoERVLMPzmCH1Gf7_WGkR8woe5kF5Ekzth2ayOJBJ1QsNSsZl2Gd_7kMRrB-cfZc23CXXt8eMKk4vWXUC4Acm3riShTpZ8BTSOoYq_ebgF51uRFTyea3VmX3zPqv-3_59IxA/s320/photo-47.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>Stack of magazines for a friend</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's so long between posts these days, that when I come here to write, I don't know what to say. Feels a bit like running into a friend that you haven't seen in awhile...a little awkward but good, too. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Life here is messy, in all the ordinary ways. "Managed chaos" is what my husband calls it. I swing between over-the-moon blissed out baby love, to crying from exhaustion. People ask me how I'm doing and I have no idea what to say. Wonderful? Terrible? Neither? Both? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Probably most of us can say that, on any given day. There's good and hard all mixed in together. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday, when both girls were screaming simultaneously and my two year old was standing on the counter, throwing raw eggs onto the rug on the floor, I was positive that I couldn't do this mama thing for one. more. minute. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">But I did, of course, and the afternoon brought dinner with friends, and moments to connect with each of my children and hubby individually, and even a few moments outside, sweeping the beautiful red and golden yellow leaves off the porch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I have a beautiful, chaotic, happy life and some days I want to run away from it. I want to get in my car and drive fast to somewhere that no one will say "mama? mama?! MAMA!!!!" 30 times in a row. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">You get that, right? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That it's wonderful and I wouldn't trade it for anything but sometimes I think I can't stand another minute of the chaos?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope you know what I mean. I always feel conflicted when people ask me "how are you doing?". I want to be honest and authentic and let the messiness show through but I also want to convey the joy and happiness that I feel. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">On that note, here are some things that I am loving right now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~My house is slowly, slowly coming back together. One drawer at a time, I am paring down, organizing, simplifying. The external peace of my surroundings really helps me feel calm, so I'm thankful that I am making progress on reclaiming my home after all those months of bed rest.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~ Saulsy. Oh my, I don't know how I could possibly function without him. We will be celebrating our 11th anniversary next month and I am so exceedingly grateful for his love and attentiveness to me and our children. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Nursing babies. I was so anxious during my pregnancy that I would not be able to nurse these girls. And, when they were born 7 weeks premature, I was afraid that was the final nail in the nursing coffin. So, I am incredibly happy that they are both strong nursers now. I am proud of each and every one of their little fat rolls. Nursing them feels like a major accomplishment, and a gift. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Good food. I am so, so happy to be back in the kitchen. My pantry and freezers are bursting at the seams. I have all our food organized into categories on my phone, along with the quantity and where it is located (we have 2 fridges and 3 freezers). This is so convenient for when I am at the store, and can't remember if I already have something, I can just check on my phone. My kitchen is my happy place. Lately, I have a pot or two of soup going at all times. Today, I have a venison vegetable soup, and a 15 bean soup. I make a pan of cornbread and pull out a jar of freshly canned applesauce, and we have a yummy, quick dinner. I've been making other things that I will save for another post. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~The leaves and weather have been exceptionally beautiful this year. I haven't been able to spend much time outside this fall, so I'm even more grateful for the beautiful fall leaves outside every window. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Good friends and family. I have so many that have loved our family in numerous ways over these last months. I have so far been unable to aptly express my overwhelming gratitude for the encouragement, the late night visits to hold babies while I sleep, the texts, the pointing me to scripture, taking a toddler for a morning, picking up kids from school, bringing meals, doing laundry and other housework, and the list goes on and on. It really does take a village (or two!) to raise a child and my village has been on over-time this year. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~My children. It boggles my mind that I have six kids. I can't get over it. And twin girls?!?!?! Craziness. Saulsy and I stand side by side and stare at them at night, speechless. We really can't believe it. And wow, are we in love. And our boys!! Oh, man. Saulsy texted me the other day, while driving somewhere with our boys, and said "does your chest ever hurt? Sometimes, my chest physically hurts, I love you and our kids so much". Yep, that pretty much sums it up. Breathtaking, overwhelming love.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~My washer and dryer. Dang, we do a lot of laundry. Where does it come from? I swear clothes multiply. I'm awfully glad I can stuff it into a machine and push a button. Magically, 54 minutes later, I have clean clothes!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">~Psalm 34. My sister-in-law sent me to that chapter after a desperate text during witching hour when I was having a melt down and I cried over the text. Great comfort there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's enough for now. I want to share some links in another post of foods I've been making and links that have encouraged and inspired me. I always love to see what other people are reading and cooking!</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-51347050223345354582011-09-03T00:10:00.000-04:002011-09-03T00:10:34.484-04:00My first post-partum forays in the kitchen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDKaRXVWWKYjznzV50ESKaY7pHk93L76-vfLPzqLN9Bm5oecQDkkqUOcVX4DkZuxMDm_jfg-Pz4NHp8O6Kai3f-wZhaJ-AWxj43u_s8skPDjzMWr-YGi97zLEjihasIuUNT7L/s1600/photo-44.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDKaRXVWWKYjznzV50ESKaY7pHk93L76-vfLPzqLN9Bm5oecQDkkqUOcVX4DkZuxMDm_jfg-Pz4NHp8O6Kai3f-wZhaJ-AWxj43u_s8skPDjzMWr-YGi97zLEjihasIuUNT7L/s320/photo-44.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(This picture of my mantel has nothing to do with the post, I just don't like having a post without a picture)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i></div>One of the things that I always struggle with the most while pregnant is how my relationship changes with food. For nearly a year, as I deal with morning sickness and fatigue, cravings and aversions, my love of cooking is put on the back burner, no pun intended.<br />
<br />
For most of this twin pregnancy, I was too exhausted to even stand up in the shower, much less go to the grocery store or prepare food. Many meals, I was too tired to even eat. Many, many meals were cold cereal, as that was the quickest, easiest thing I could find in the kitchen.<br />
<br />
In my darker moments, I despaired that I would never again enjoy one of the things that used to bring me so much pleasure. I mourned that part of myself that was gone. So, it has been with great delight, that over the last (almost) three weeks, since giving birth, that my love for food and cooking has started to return.<br />
First, it was just pinning recipes to my <a href="http://pinterest.com/laurelsauls/food/">Pinterest Food Board</a>. Then, it was my first trip to the grocery store, restocking my pantry and fridge. And today, I was back in the kitchen, preparing some quick and simple food. It felt so, so good to be back in there!! I'm taking it slow and keeping my expectations simple...caring for the twins + the 4 boys is about all I can manage right now, along with keeping the house picked up and the laundry and dishes done. We still have dear friends bringing us meals three nights a week. But I just needed to get in the kitchen and MAKE something, you know? I needed to feel some ownership over my house and my life, after so many months of relegating nearly all my responsibilities to others, during the harder months of this pregnancy.<br />
So, I made <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/138555920/">salted caramel popcorn</a> (I didn't like this recipe as much as the one I typically use but I loved the finishing salt) and <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/78434036/">the yummiest pizza</a> with fresh mozzarella, caramelized onion, and topped with arugula, lightly dressed in a greek vinaigrette.<br />
Now I am anticipating all the wonderful foods of fall and hoping, HOPING I have the energy and time to can applesauce this fall. I love to have freshly canned applesauce for when my babies are ready for table food.<br />
So, what are you cooking these days?<br />
And, are you on <a href="http://pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a> yet?!laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-54836123574787773912011-09-02T23:45:00.000-04:002011-09-02T23:45:06.787-04:00Introducing Piper and Scout!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWGaus3PGUkkYpIJ-TZ9EaSS8Uf3UXlq8iDEzIclXZcYZuHyHBjclygV5bQl0AsXBYr0ZTG_z6bRd_VJoPu5QBCgzxAbJkPeLS-JuZKbScG0vpLcjXMrF_8-Ru7LhS3T9VtT_/s1600/jennyevelynphotologo20-810x540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFWGaus3PGUkkYpIJ-TZ9EaSS8Uf3UXlq8iDEzIclXZcYZuHyHBjclygV5bQl0AsXBYr0ZTG_z6bRd_VJoPu5QBCgzxAbJkPeLS-JuZKbScG0vpLcjXMrF_8-Ru7LhS3T9VtT_/s320/jennyevelynphotologo20-810x540.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The girls are here! Piper Jane and Della Scout were born at 33 weeks, 5 days on August 15, 2011. Piper weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, was 17 5/8 inches long and was born at 6:48 pm. Scout was 4 pounds, 10 ounces, was 19 inches long, and was born at 6:49 pm. They spent 10 days in the secondary nursery and have been home with us for about a week and a half. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The names Jane and Della are after our maternal grandmothers. Piper was just a name we liked, and Scout was from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Mockingbird-slipcased-Harper-Lee/dp/0061205699/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315021357&sr=8-1">To Kill a Mockingbird</a>. When I watched the movie in high school, I thought that if I ever had a daughter, I would love to have a spunky little Scout. I also really loved the name Dylan Wren (Dylan is also a family name) and it took us two days after they were born to pick which two of the three names we wanted to use. I still feel a little wistful about tabling Dylan Wren. Such a sweet name!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNHpIZgnzxZc8UzVSgRxODKyTnwVntCSgLOscvcR1auv1dERTFJ1Svbjvv63nv3fz1pjg_JCfaT7OQoP-AtfNuGdeZAMxjb5IqCcoBf6a3aNirOMDnn_yQArQlz5A3Kh5og_1/s1600/jennyevelynphotologo2-810x540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoNHpIZgnzxZc8UzVSgRxODKyTnwVntCSgLOscvcR1auv1dERTFJ1Svbjvv63nv3fz1pjg_JCfaT7OQoP-AtfNuGdeZAMxjb5IqCcoBf6a3aNirOMDnn_yQArQlz5A3Kh5og_1/s320/jennyevelynphotologo2-810x540.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(Scout on the left, Piper on the right)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I will write their birth story in another post on another day. The girls are such a gift to our family. We just can't get enough of them. They are so, so tiny. And having girls (!!)...and twins (!!!!) is just rocking our world. We all just stand at their bed and stare at them. I'm not sure when it will sink in!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you would like to see more pictures of our sweet girls, check out the shoot that my childhood friend, <a href="http://www.jennyevelynphoto.com/blog/?p=10694">Jenny Evelyn</a>, took.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">More soon...for now, an hour of sleep!</div><br />
laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-46527171413830442982011-07-16T22:48:00.000-04:002011-07-16T22:48:55.656-04:00JUST A LITTLE TO SAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1NmouMkdfQwv5Q4_0e3OxRylbrndVDp2IoHAejOvuAN3rxYzObi-_-6L8tqhggLrBHYykhcBguH3weuz1vef2jKt2GhctkjNEV_UGK_NAp3SYJlIzICYZt7Fq-6ravLb9H5s/s1600/photo-29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1NmouMkdfQwv5Q4_0e3OxRylbrndVDp2IoHAejOvuAN3rxYzObi-_-6L8tqhggLrBHYykhcBguH3weuz1vef2jKt2GhctkjNEV_UGK_NAp3SYJlIzICYZt7Fq-6ravLb9H5s/s320/photo-29.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I never have much to say when I am pregnant. And what little I do want to get off my chest, usually fits nicely in a Facebook status. Hence, the four months of silence. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Life around here has been good. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Rich in friendship and community. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've been on bed rest for two weeks now. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">So, others are taking care of my children, fixing our food, cleaning my house. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's been hard to let go of my responsibilities, without also feeling worthless and guilty...but it's also been a relief. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Guilt mixed with gratitude is sort of a weird place to be. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Maybe I will talk more another time about the wrestling that has gone on in my heart for the better part of this pregnancy...relinquishing ideals and expectations, mourning things that have changed, anticipating new life that is coming to us...but for now, I just want to keep it light. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In just a short time, we will be welcoming twin GIRLS into our family. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I'm happy to be back, in whatever capacity. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">With millions of blogs out in cyberspace, I appreciate that you read and comment on mine.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> And I am so thankful for the deep, real friendships that have sprung up from here!</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-90115338929245674872011-03-06T15:21:00.000-05:002011-03-06T15:21:19.093-05:00Random List of Thoughts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4lEcsBMtIU2L7LqLlIvo6dPyZecvDCg3Im3YhpHAO9mx8WjFIpzDOVUvXzi_EOyYTd602pyhdxEdTTKF1QtL2g8cG4tf5HQfaOCqliUjqUcnyIvMTbwQfpa970fKhY-Tm9SS/s1600/photo-18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4lEcsBMtIU2L7LqLlIvo6dPyZecvDCg3Im3YhpHAO9mx8WjFIpzDOVUvXzi_EOyYTd602pyhdxEdTTKF1QtL2g8cG4tf5HQfaOCqliUjqUcnyIvMTbwQfpa970fKhY-Tm9SS/s320/photo-18.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>It's been awhile since I have been here, so I am keeping it short and sweet with bullet points today.<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I am pregnant! With Twins! That's a large part of the reason it's been quiet around here these last few months. There has been a lot of lying in bed or on the couch, trying to survive morning sickness and fatigue. We are nearing the end of the first trimester and there is a (small) light at the end of the tunnel.</li>
<li>The hubby and I have started to make preparations for this big change that is coming. Selling my car, purchasing something larger that will seat everyone. Discussing homeschooling the older two versus putting them in school in the fall. Can I homeschool well with twin newborns (plus the other children)? What is best for everyone? Should we move to a larger house (for now, the answer is NO). What kind of help will I need in the coming months? </li>
<li>After months of serious house neglect, coupled with the arrival of spring, I am wanting to pare down the possessions radically, deep clean, and make room for the new little souls that will be joining us in the early fall. I love <a href="http://memoriesoncloverlane.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-week-from-now-40-bags-40-days.html">this idea</a>. Right now, I am working in about 10 minute spurts of energy, before I head back to the couch to rest. I have been modifying my to-do list...breaking even simple tasks in to smaller tasks, and giving them my all, 10 minutes at a time. And saying "yes!!" to every offer of help. </li>
<li>My dear hubby has just converted his man cave into a walk in freezer/fridge. He sold or gave away most of the furniture, and replaced it with a chest freezer and a large commercial fridge. We now have 2 freezers and 2 fridges. I was at first skeptical that we needed that much cold storage. But, as I think over how much food we put up in a year, and how many people we are going to be feeding on a regular basis over the next two decades, it suddenly seems like a really useful luxury. I am rethinking my shopping (maybe only go to the store every 2 weeks? Start buying more in bulk?). I know that extra fridge will come in handy when the babies get here, and friends bring food! </li>
<li>Strawberry season is almost here. My sweet boys, eying the strawberries at the grocery store, wistfully ask again "how much longer until strawberry season is here?!" Last week, I relented, buying Florida strawberries, while warning them they they wouldn't be as good as when they are in season locally. There is just no better way to eat fruit, than when it is still warm from the sun. We are all anticipating eating them fresh, made in to jam, shortcake, icing, sorbet, sauce, cut up on cereal, made into leather...</li>
<li>Wildly optimistic, as my Dr. says that chances are high that I will be on bed rest for a good portion of my pregnancy, I can't help but think to summer and reserve <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canning-New-Generation-Flavors-Modern/dp/1584798645/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1TIPU3IVUL7HZ&colid=3MDT61VRF0ULQ">book</a> upon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/River-Cottage-Preserves-Handbook/dp/158008172X/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I14DRRAMJQPPRC&colid=3MDT61VRF0ULQ">book</a> upon <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Well-Preserved-Recipes-Techniques-Putting-Seasonal/dp/0307405249/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3BZ4OTMPMVPTW&colid=3MDT61VRF0ULQ">book</a> from the library. Oh, home canning, how I love you.</li>
<li>A dear, generous friend gifted me with an amazon gift card, and I have decided that I need to read the books I already own before I buy more. So, I am torn between <a href="http://www.amazon.com/eno-DoubleNest-Hammock/dp/B003BIW6JG/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2X7TQO5XVNKQP&colid=3MDT61VRF0ULQ">this hammock</a>...the perfect spot to put up swollen feet this summer, while watching the boys run through the sprinkler. All while licking on a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-431-4-Piece-Silicone-Maker/dp/B0036B9KHO/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1Y6AVAKMLHQ&colid=3MDT61VRF0ULQ">homemade popsicle</a>, of course. Or, maybe I should finally get <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ware-Tier-Stainless-Steel-Carrier/dp/B001KNO1PG/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2ZUNHEEHS722J&colid=3MDT61VRF0ULQ">these</a> for picnics? Such delightful, tough decisions!</li>
<li>I mentioned that I have been saying "yes!" to every offer of help...which means, I need to stock up on stationary and thank you notes. Do you have a favorite <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">etsy</a> seller for paper goods? I would love if you would share your favorites with me.</li>
</ul>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-75034003075115761792011-01-17T17:17:00.000-05:002011-01-17T17:17:56.221-05:00A List of Randoms<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicappGLTAJ6MbEDL2x9wHhACoB_18bIiXW-jZ0HPFaZhfyj2rr0IhP15pvLcn6r2BUD7cNygVQu58nX9FfFd9FiTKL_5tsPWH3oQnO21II8VMhxbGUnNNiVc_WePbR7IkHJJok/s1600/photo-16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicappGLTAJ6MbEDL2x9wHhACoB_18bIiXW-jZ0HPFaZhfyj2rr0IhP15pvLcn6r2BUD7cNygVQu58nX9FfFd9FiTKL_5tsPWH3oQnO21II8VMhxbGUnNNiVc_WePbR7IkHJJok/s320/photo-16.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><ul><li>I was just looking over my <a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2010/05/30-by-30.html">30 by 30 List</a> (a.k.a. my bucket list), and realized I have 12 weeks until I turn 30, and have only crossed off 7 items (but the marathon was the biggest item, and it's DONE!!). I need to get busy. Speaking of the marathon, if you are a runner, and would like to read my marathon play-by-play, it is <a href="http://appleadayx30.blogspot.com/2011/01/marathon-recap.html">here</a>. If you aren't a runner, you would probably rather get a root canal than read the tedium of my race, and that's cool too. ;)</li>
<li>Also, I have made my next goals for fitness and weight loss (losing those last 20 pounds is on my 30 by 30 list too). If you care, those goals are <a href="http://appleadayx30.blogspot.com/2011/01/new-fitness-goals.html">here</a>.</li>
<li>I want to make <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/quinoa-muffins">these muffins</a> and see if I like them better than <a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2010/05/almond-quinoa-muffins.html">these</a>.</li>
<li>Itching to get my hands on this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/One-Thousand-Gifts-Fully-Right/dp/0310321913/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1295297625&sr=8-1">new book</a> but am committed to reading most of <a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-reading-list.html">these</a> first.</li>
<li>My homeschooling mojo seems to have gotten lost during the shuffle of the holidays. It isn't that I'm tired of it, it's just that I can't seem to get back in a good groove. I will probably focus on #2, #10, #11, #18, and #22 from <a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2011/01/2011-reading-list.html">the list</a> for inspiration. Any advice welcome!</li>
<li>Related to the picture above, I would really like to have one of these little fences around my square foot gardens (which ARE going to get revived this spring, by golly!). This picture was taken at <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yonb/index.htm">Yorktown</a>, I believe. <a href="http://www.history.org/">Colonial Williamsburg</a> also has them and I just LOVE them. Besides, my boys have energy to spare, so I can put them to work gathering the sticks for it!</li>
</ul>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-32131365936544183532011-01-11T00:19:00.000-05:002011-01-11T00:19:36.030-05:00First Family Photo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2vXwoNMWk8ePVKGp9Bg2k1AOfI5SQB3cXLUBFlMkM74nSsiG1uoIBEBlcodMDNXBC55o5aHu3imR5vre4y4NePKNAJ94VjDIX1r3g2ukH35c2bx3VLnpB7WK50Ken4iyc3EH/s1600/0314+Sauls+Family+Session-Edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt2vXwoNMWk8ePVKGp9Bg2k1AOfI5SQB3cXLUBFlMkM74nSsiG1uoIBEBlcodMDNXBC55o5aHu3imR5vre4y4NePKNAJ94VjDIX1r3g2ukH35c2bx3VLnpB7WK50Ken4iyc3EH/s1600/0314+Sauls+Family+Session-Edit.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB-PbFk8i0HXXG1Mph1poh_BIMib7yH6OFrgBfpabaqi7UjGXfGGgc2KPFYGZhxuzl3XXdYSQK9iINIDvy_zxQIf7DJifMzXctQzaRRme1yQqWcJQ9mXVPjfBMUHfyU5CX2eb/s1600/0153+Sauls+Family+Session.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHB-PbFk8i0HXXG1Mph1poh_BIMib7yH6OFrgBfpabaqi7UjGXfGGgc2KPFYGZhxuzl3XXdYSQK9iINIDvy_zxQIf7DJifMzXctQzaRRme1yQqWcJQ9mXVPjfBMUHfyU5CX2eb/s1600/0153+Sauls+Family+Session.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>My childhood friend and photographer, <a href="http://jennyevelynphoto.com/">Jenny Evelyn</a>, took these pictures of our family in the fall and gave them to me on Christmas. I am so happy to have photographs of our family together and can't wait to see the rest of the ones she took. I especially love the one with our house in the background, because I am so Happy at Home. :) Thank you, Jenny!laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-23421586012554294802011-01-08T10:53:00.000-05:002011-01-08T10:53:48.187-05:00January Reboot, and the Weekly Menu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRbRw2s5r9emsFUqtz2teObDlckKeH7iM-m6VsynbhKH0NEN4towYmHyybkAXFaeSueBRf3EKF0c3Rzom6-hhXksfJk6wxZcO1kHUr7Ivyp2BWh6ZTECFiKpBReaBuT8KIB-9/s1600/photo-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTRbRw2s5r9emsFUqtz2teObDlckKeH7iM-m6VsynbhKH0NEN4towYmHyybkAXFaeSueBRf3EKF0c3Rzom6-hhXksfJk6wxZcO1kHUr7Ivyp2BWh6ZTECFiKpBReaBuT8KIB-9/s320/photo-13.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fridge, BEFORE</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPi1AufPvyo3KhuU834B19dkA1OIkywMuB4iez5y1bTMNP7BvJaxtn-EYfmuGOuNebFA0EsMcR3wlgMiTfnjU1GdpaiCMcswQvTNZvmMf19bB5hm5G6l_8rLm2RXqOYlNB_rAy/s1600/photo-14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPi1AufPvyo3KhuU834B19dkA1OIkywMuB4iez5y1bTMNP7BvJaxtn-EYfmuGOuNebFA0EsMcR3wlgMiTfnjU1GdpaiCMcswQvTNZvmMf19bB5hm5G6l_8rLm2RXqOYlNB_rAy/s320/photo-14.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fridge, AFTER</div><br />
In January, I typically don't make resolutions, but I do give myself some small challenges to get our household back on track after a season of merry making. It feels really good to cut back, pare down, and get back in a groove. To do that, my goals for January are:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Buy only secondhand, except for food and household supplies. For anything else, I turn to ebay, thrift stores, craigslist, or barter with friends. Shopping this way requires patience and takes away the instant gratification of buying, which helps me redefine "need". It also is much more exciting to find what I need, after waiting and looking for awhile!</li>
<li>Declutter 5 items a day. After all the new things that come in to our house during Christmas, I always have a January pare-down. So far, I have tackled the laundry room and fridge. I plan to tackle the medicine cabinet today.</li>
<li>Spend no more than $65 a week on groceries. Our freezer and pantry are bursting at the seams, which is a wonderful "problem" to have. But even there, I want to have a little margin, so I will be focusing on making meals with items we already have. This week, I spent $59. $29 ($12 of which was for 1/2 of the $25 yearly fee that goes toward farm education, tours, etc. My neighbor and I shared the fee and order together.) at our online Farmer's Market on fresh veggies, bacon, and whipping cream, $20 at Sam's on raw almonds, dried cranberries, and popcorn kernels, and $9 at the grocery store on soap, bananas, and milk. </li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>These are some of the recipes I plan to make over the next week or two, based on foods we already have on hand (with the exception of spring roll wrappers and sausage). At the end of the month, I plan to head to either Savannah or Atlanta to stock up on things I have trouble finding here, such as dried cherries (LOVE <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/">Trader Joe's</a> dried cherries, which were #42 of their <a href="http://www.traderjoes.com/pdf/attachments/traderjoes-2010-favorite-products.pdf">favorite items in 2010</a>. SO GOOD.), <a href="http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/king-arthur-white-whole-wheat-flour-5-lb">white whole wheat flour</a>, brown rice syrup, raw nuts, etc. </div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://happyfoody.com/2006/08/29/homemade-almond-milk/">Almond Milk</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/12/a-week-of-elving-tuesday.html">Nut and Seed Granola</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/breakfast-burritos-once-a-month-cooking-30165">Breakfast Burritos</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2008/04/green-smoothies-are-changing-my-life.html">Green Smoothies</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/05/26/recipe-whole-wheat-tortillas/">Whole Wheat Tortillas</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Whole-Grain-Waffles/Detail.aspx">Whole Wheat Waffles</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/vegetarian-spring-summer-rice-paper-rolls/">Spring Rolls</a> with <a href="http://happyfoody.com/2008/01/06/spring-rolls-with-peanut-love-sauce/">Peanut Love Sauce</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Black-Bean-and-Corn-Quesadillas/Detail.aspx">Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas</a><br />
<br />
Shrimp skewers with <a href="http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fried-Rice-354350">Fried Rice</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Egg-Rolls/Detail.aspx">Egg Rolls</a><br />
<br />
Hamburgers<br />
<br />
Meatloaf<br />
<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Corn-and-Crab-Chowder/Detail.aspx">Corn, Crab, and Potato Soup</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2010/12/curried_lentil_soup">Curried Lentil Soup</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Tasty-Lentil-Tacos/Detail.aspx">Lentil Tacos</a><br />
<br />
Chililaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-36679967885379032092011-01-01T21:36:00.003-05:002011-07-16T23:17:22.869-04:002011 Reading List<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYPBlljl4hQbTsrzwwC-fs9sn2-VbQZSkFleWdnA9H_z1qtmVWvt3AK5fq5UEsq8MvBwPHUnn5IS2sbk4lKoElxvhT7_WSzb0ABY9S0KzdLjd4dIFNqzGdfYNnCBEDm7EHDs8/s1600/photo-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQYPBlljl4hQbTsrzwwC-fs9sn2-VbQZSkFleWdnA9H_z1qtmVWvt3AK5fq5UEsq8MvBwPHUnn5IS2sbk4lKoElxvhT7_WSzb0ABY9S0KzdLjd4dIFNqzGdfYNnCBEDm7EHDs8/s320/photo-12.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This year, I have decided that I am going to, primarily, read books that I already own. I have so many on my shelves that I am interested in and have never read, or have read and want to read again. Have you made your 2011 reading list? Have you read and loved any of the books on my list?<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Better-Off-Flipping-Switch-Technology/dp/0060570059/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293909214&sr=1-1">Better Off</a> by Eric Brende<br />
2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Childrens-Sake-Foundations-Education-School/dp/1433506955/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293933686&sr=8-1">For the Children's Sake</a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"> by Susan Schaeffer McCauley</span></span><br />
3. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Traveling-Mercies-Some-Thoughts-Faith/dp/0385496095/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293933788&sr=1-1">Traveling Mercies</a>* by Anne Lamott<br />
4. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-Adams-David-McCullough/dp/141657588X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293933866&sr=1-1">John Adams</a> by David McCullough<br />
5. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gap-Creek-Story-Marriage-Oprahs/dp/0743203631/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293933938&sr=1-1">Gap Creek</a> by Robert Morgan<br />
6. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Under-Wing-Memoir-Times-Notable/dp/143914883X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293933988&sr=1-1">Under a Wing</a> by Reeve Lindbergh<br />
7. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/FOREVER-MUSIC-Tribute-Gift-Creativity/dp/0801083362/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934043&sr=1-1">Forever Music</a> by Edith Schaeffer<br />
8. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Circle-Quiet-Madeleine-Lengle/dp/0062545035/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934088&sr=1-1">A Circle of Quiet</a> by Madeleine L'Engle<br />
9. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Art-Eating-M-F-Fisher/dp/0764542613/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934141&sr=1-1">The Art of Eating</a>* by M.F.K. Fisher<br />
10. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Child-Woods-Children-Nature-Deficit/dp/156512605X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934192&sr=1-1">Last Child in the Woods</a> by Richard Louv<br />
11. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Home-Education-Charlotte-Masons-Homeschooling/dp/160459425X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934237&sr=1-2">Home Schooling Series</a> by Charlotte Mason<br />
12. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Life-Connecting-Distracting-World/dp/1600063004/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293934274&sr=1-1">A Praying Life</a>* by Paul Miller<br />
13. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Practice-Presence-God-Paraclete-Essentials/dp/1557256942/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934316&sr=1-1">The Practice of the Presence of God</a> by Brother Lawrence<br />
14. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Bone-Novel-Outlander/dp/0385342462/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293934415&sr=1-1">An Echo in the Bone</a>* by Diana Gabaldon<br />
15. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Time-They-Met-Novel/dp/0316781266/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934483&sr=1-1">The Last Time They Met</a> by Anita Shreve<br />
16. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-He-Ever-Wanted-Novel/dp/0316735736/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934522&sr=1-1">All He Ever Wanted</a> by Anita Shreve<br />
17. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Supper-Lamb-Culinary-Reflection-Paperbacks/dp/0375760563/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934557&sr=1-1">The Supper of the Lamb</a>* by Robert Farrar Capon<br />
18. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Ordinary-Day-Mothers-Memoir/dp/0446409499/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293934620&sr=1-1"><s>The Gift of an Ordinary Day</s></a><u><s> by Katrina Kennison</s></u><br />
19. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Severe-Mercy-Sheldon-Vanauken/dp/0060688246/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934801&sr=1-1">A Severe Mercy</a>* by Sheldon Vanauken<br />
20. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Luncheon-Boating-Party-Susan-Vreeland/dp/0143113526/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293934849&sr=1-1">Luncheon of the Boating Party</a> by Susan Vreeland<br />
21. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Pursuit-Holiness-Jerry-Bridges/dp/1596448415/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934904&sr=1-1">The Pursuit of Holines</a>s by Jerry Bridges<br />
22. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Montessori-Method-Maria-Montesorri/dp/1594624488/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293934949&sr=1-1">The Montessori Method</a> by Maria Montessori<br />
23. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Age-Opportunity-Biblical-Parenting-Resources/dp/0875526055/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935023&sr=1-1">Age of Opportunity</a> by Paul Tripp<br />
24. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Talk-Talking-Naturally-Children/dp/097230469X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935069&sr=1-1">Every Day Talk</a> by John Younts<br />
25. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Family-Gods-Way-Relationships/dp/0875523587/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935119&sr=1-1">Your Family God's Way</a> by Wayne Mack<br />
26. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Good-Angry-Exchanging-Frustration-Character/dp/0877880301/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935165&sr=1-1">Good and Angry</a> by Scott Turansky<br />
27. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Wife-Biblical-Perspective/dp/1885904088/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935215&sr=1-1">The Excellent Wife</a> by Martha Peace<br />
28. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Attitudes-Transformed-Heart-Martha-Peace/dp/1885904282/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293935278&sr=1-1">Attitudes of a Transformed Heart</a> by Martha Peace<br />
29. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Woman-After-Gods-Own-Heart%C2%AE/dp/0736918833/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935330&sr=1-1">A Woman After God's Own Heart</a> by Elizabeth George<br />
30. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Your-Home-Place-Grace-Susan/dp/1581341857/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935378&sr=1-1">Your Home, a Place of Grace</a> by Susan Hunt<br />
31. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Like-Jazz-Nonreligious-Spirituality/dp/1596445432/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935451&sr=1-1">Blue Like Jazz</a>* by Donald Miller<br />
32. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Radical-Homemakers-Reclaiming-Domesticity-Consumer/dp/0979439116/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293935502&sr=1-1">Radical Homemakers</a> by Shannon Hayes<br />
33.<s><u> </u></s><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Only-about-Inner-Lives/dp/1590523172/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1293935545&sr=1-1"><s>For Women Only</s></a><s><u> by Shaunti Feldhahn 1.14.11</u></s><br />
34. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/What-We-Eat-When-Alone/dp/1423604962/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1293935617&sr=1-1"><s>What We Eat When We Eat Alone</s></a><u><s> by Deborah Madison</s></u><br />
<br />
*Books I am already reading, or want to re-readlaurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-3736966821152032542010-12-23T17:22:00.000-05:002010-12-23T17:22:24.209-05:00CATCHING UP BEFORE CHRISTMAS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xAPiIM6o0V2XQzTL8aK5Dr5ux8O8Hna_BVik7f2HQwJ_t8otAZbqGmnt2A4ZvsZcBERshuQc7Sxr3sQqN0P8nn3K7xMuLJ9MOyr5mJ8RDLl5OaENUG_P8BFCRs0sVyfE202O/s1600/photo-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7xAPiIM6o0V2XQzTL8aK5Dr5ux8O8Hna_BVik7f2HQwJ_t8otAZbqGmnt2A4ZvsZcBERshuQc7Sxr3sQqN0P8nn3K7xMuLJ9MOyr5mJ8RDLl5OaENUG_P8BFCRs0sVyfE202O/s320/photo-8.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Somehow it has been two whole months since I posted last. Not sure how time slips away so quickly. Here at home, we have been enjoying the Christmas season in small ways. Last year at Christmas time, I started these stockings. My dear mother finished them for me yesterday. I'm really happy with how they turned out. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0j8osqKzkp6b-lAMULgpyLHzeZ8xNSdWsYkQG6Fc1Jowiew09DYuHwUK8yJX18jtSmbdKdnCyR8bk8kPqQhjxkfFgETeuBjJMYXkja9RXG5Ult4uHXI56s46hKcJVSSHZoNw/s1600/photo-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0j8osqKzkp6b-lAMULgpyLHzeZ8xNSdWsYkQG6Fc1Jowiew09DYuHwUK8yJX18jtSmbdKdnCyR8bk8kPqQhjxkfFgETeuBjJMYXkja9RXG5Ult4uHXI56s46hKcJVSSHZoNw/s320/photo-9.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Last year, I didn't do much in the way of homemade gifts, still being in a new baby fog. This year, it's simply bags of <a href="http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2010/12/a-week-of-elving-tuesday.html">granola</a>, tied with kitchen twine, by the door for anyone that stops by. It isn't much, but it is pleasureful to give, and hopefully to receive.<br />
<br />
In truth, I have been struggling to find <a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-choose-joy-somewhere-along-way-of.html">that joy</a> that I have been so earnest about. Reading back over that post, I wonder if I have grown at all over the past year. I still feel the same way as I did then, much of the time.<br />
A lot of it is expectations.<br />
When I snuggle up with my children in front of the fire, hot chocolate in hand, ready to read Christmas stories before nap time, I expect them to just happily curl up next to me, and listen to the story. The reality is more likely spilled chocolate, whining because they can't see a page, or "so and so is touching me", or "so and so got to sit next to you last time, it's my turn", or "I don't want to read a story, I want to play with my friends", etc.<br />
<br />
Over the last few days, I have been trying to adjust my expectations, again. The to-do list, already simple, is pared down further. I delete Facebook from my phone, again. Making conscious decisions to be focused on the PEOPLE not the experience I want to create. It isn't easy for me, doesn't come naturally. But I know it's important, so I keep trying.<br />
And I mess up, over and over again.<br />
My kids fight and whine and I get angry, raise my voice, eventually apologize.<br />
Repeat.<br />
It's real and it's messy and it's exactly why I need Jesus. And it's what we are celebrating this season.<br />
Over and over again, my mantra: "My ministry is where my feet are. I am choosing Joy."<br />
<br />
I hope that your holidays are joyful and filled with hope, in the midst of the messiness!laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-80846598609930391052010-10-25T16:38:00.003-04:002010-10-26T16:31:10.302-04:00MY LITTLE MEN<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JUUVxGXF2gnLpbuDNUMGKKynuNehK2RCSqNJ0BRTvw-FbEnVV-HbiZoXd6tKmzHI5TdrzU1vWz-mvE_Jji0Yard-os_yXQ-SJr3ljYHM7q48_RJ0I7EDPqOex6u3HdZhZOWk/s1600/photo-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5JUUVxGXF2gnLpbuDNUMGKKynuNehK2RCSqNJ0BRTvw-FbEnVV-HbiZoXd6tKmzHI5TdrzU1vWz-mvE_Jji0Yard-os_yXQ-SJr3ljYHM7q48_RJ0I7EDPqOex6u3HdZhZOWk/s320/photo-7.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sometimes,<br />
I look at these four little boys of mine,<br />
sitting around the dinner table,<br />
or jumping on the furniture,<br />
or in the shower with shampoo mohawks.<br />
<br />
And I realize that, someday,<br />
these little boys will be:<br />
fathers<br />
husbands<br />
employees<br />
neighbors<br />
<br />
I am overwhelmed.<br />
By the task,<br />
and by my love for them.<br />
<br />
I remind myself (again) to<br />
pray more<br />
and get on Facebook less.laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-35412046144271333232010-10-19T15:26:00.000-04:002010-10-19T15:26:24.754-04:00OCTOBER BUSYNESS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeoCWKj-ywZOf2yfnLFV8-GzZEwsT0unCcYPh2hWt3JuUS5SfgF_A9-jy8-1aSLy_XmEMLmxpaGzGYABDSahYA-PwynfhOhPFNYtG713pYU-2bKMBvReK0NG5kZZpkMJ-30NA/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOeoCWKj-ywZOf2yfnLFV8-GzZEwsT0unCcYPh2hWt3JuUS5SfgF_A9-jy8-1aSLy_XmEMLmxpaGzGYABDSahYA-PwynfhOhPFNYtG713pYU-2bKMBvReK0NG5kZZpkMJ-30NA/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>October is the busiest month of the year for our family, and though I crave simplicity, it is also my favorite.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Housework and schoolwork have been pared back for the month to just the essential (toilets, laundry, dishes, math, and reading). In their place, we have been enjoying: the parade and fair<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesTxokhp1HMsBQ32H8hmCQsQmAXQNmFW-rS8HsMGMbYIkpVNOeD3Kuw1mFehxOxLVXoA4WIzNZGVFDnGWSOC65Cq6ph3uToa8zXdGbncP033DCgqIw1x6tw3A2CGrp8wMjfCW/s1600/photo-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesTxokhp1HMsBQ32H8hmCQsQmAXQNmFW-rS8HsMGMbYIkpVNOeD3Kuw1mFehxOxLVXoA4WIzNZGVFDnGWSOC65Cq6ph3uToa8zXdGbncP033DCgqIw1x6tw3A2CGrp8wMjfCW/s320/photo-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A trip to visit family and <a href="http://karijo.wordpress.com/">several</a> <a href="http://flourishingmother.blogspot.com/">friends</a> in NYC, as well as several other trips coming up soon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepEW9hH1X6DnE6nPTQv5pUnoWbNuwk0exuiUk59WNgpVhlxxwj3BFqnC6PIK7AfAMWrI9-hejo0GfgaFd5dp9tDH4aZQeogB6d19NHv2ZB70JZtsK2sc6wAnGcNS-hr1KgI6A/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjepEW9hH1X6DnE6nPTQv5pUnoWbNuwk0exuiUk59WNgpVhlxxwj3BFqnC6PIK7AfAMWrI9-hejo0GfgaFd5dp9tDH4aZQeogB6d19NHv2ZB70JZtsK2sc6wAnGcNS-hr1KgI6A/s320/photo-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fireforeffects.blogspot.com/">My brother</a>, finally back from Iraq, and a proposal to his love!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbC-EYJ8uYqHm6mo-D8aZaQC3nwS3LItqG-4glzlm0bcr47cFN5A-LVhMKcuo7ckJF5a2SDNnTNn6-t_RnP7KRihhPD8VWw7bix0-bezIL1AvNtAVvhzZq4_jp2fam-zKqv2oD/s1600/photo-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbC-EYJ8uYqHm6mo-D8aZaQC3nwS3LItqG-4glzlm0bcr47cFN5A-LVhMKcuo7ckJF5a2SDNnTNn6-t_RnP7KRihhPD8VWw7bix0-bezIL1AvNtAVvhzZq4_jp2fam-zKqv2oD/s320/photo-3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Running new paths, as I continue to train for my first <a href="http://www.riverfrontracefestival.com/">marathon</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOZl7qYEYKMEYy7f0cuMBBGI814TtFftB8EojboxXUtF0l3Ipve7zS0PZBoyvCWHYmzUgUw6MkO_5LLOZVJJ-GhW_aYzh5QWW_G5Xmjfsausz_dEZaWp3fm1VWkiRn-lF_UZZ/s1600/photo-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOZl7qYEYKMEYy7f0cuMBBGI814TtFftB8EojboxXUtF0l3Ipve7zS0PZBoyvCWHYmzUgUw6MkO_5LLOZVJJ-GhW_aYzh5QWW_G5Xmjfsausz_dEZaWp3fm1VWkiRn-lF_UZZ/s320/photo-4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Enjoying delicious food (on my must-make list for fall:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/apple-and-cheddar-scones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+smittenkitchen+%28smitten+kitchen%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">apple cheddar scones</a>, <a href="http://danatreat.com/2010/10/fall-salad-perfection/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DanaTreat-TreatYourself+%28Dana+Treat+-+Treat+Yourself%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">roasted pear salad</a>, and <a href="http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/4800/1994/01/26/Butternut-Squash-Bisque/recipe.html">butternut squash bisque</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhNHTtWJvE6COk7SB_rqt2vvRTUKoEUrcJodVulFlRJV7Y517zPOlEadDztiKbnE0ZSGVQPsvPKgsw3k9C13paKaMb_bpRsq3F0BP5OJyLvTIPFZpahVOOIM7PTEc4VAGzyhR/s1600/photo-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlhNHTtWJvE6COk7SB_rqt2vvRTUKoEUrcJodVulFlRJV7Y517zPOlEadDztiKbnE0ZSGVQPsvPKgsw3k9C13paKaMb_bpRsq3F0BP5OJyLvTIPFZpahVOOIM7PTEc4VAGzyhR/s320/photo-5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A few more things we are loving right now:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-New neighbors, right across the street, with boys the same ages as ours, that also homeschool! We are thrilled, and our children are outside together, from dawn to dusk. Such a gift.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Screen doors. When I have to be inside, I am so thankful to let the outside in, with the doors flung open. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-<a href="http://www.woodchuck.com/cider/styles.html">Woodchuck Hard Cider</a>. Autumn in a bottle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Sweater weather.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-The Farmer's market.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Seasonal foods: roasted vegetables, soups, loaves of fresh bread, cider, apples, granola, pecans...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Getting from here to there via foot or bike, or at least riding with the windows down.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Learning through play. Right now my boys are in to writing secret notes in <a href="http://www.jimloy.com/hiero/alpha.htm">Egyptian Hieroglyphics</a> and playing <a href="http://www.lucybingogames.com/">bingo</a> (my 3 year old has learned to identify so many birds this way!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">-Speaking of learning, my boys (and all the other children in the neighborhood), were thrilled when the fire department showed up at our house (I burned a pot of beans...again...). The firemen were so, so nice, showing the children their gear, talking to them about fire safety, posing for pictures. Aside from feeling horribly guilty that I had wasted these very nice mens' time, it was a fun "field trip" for the boys! And we all got a good laugh when the fireman who was filling out the report asked "ma'am, are you running a day care?" When I looked confused, and said "No, why do you ask?" He said, "there are...just...so many...BOYS!!" haha :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfbeLNqCftTLiHlJvAfV3SDcRaHEjYh02pxg9kBgmt0s0k6VprwXxReZu4QgniIg4vUBS9Ef071WOG6co68rLMl8XNfkaHkF3eVib3SF_9dROu1toO1zCEZ2V6MdpB9Zhv53f/s1600/IMG_1194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrfbeLNqCftTLiHlJvAfV3SDcRaHEjYh02pxg9kBgmt0s0k6VprwXxReZu4QgniIg4vUBS9Ef071WOG6co68rLMl8XNfkaHkF3eVib3SF_9dROu1toO1zCEZ2V6MdpB9Zhv53f/s320/IMG_1194.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What are you loving this season?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-21124226935290935552010-09-30T17:48:00.000-04:002010-09-30T17:48:07.563-04:00Some Links I have enjoyed lately...<a href="http://casualkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/breaking-your-own-frugality-rules.html">Breaking the Rules of Frugality</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2010/08/27/quick-skillet-granola/">It's Granola...made in a cast iron skillet!! Does this seem revolutionary to you too?!</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mommycoddle.com/2010/09/from-the-summer-journal.html#tpe-action-posted-6a00d8345215ec69e20133f44eebbe970b">A Perspective on Parenting</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.sortacrunchy.net/sortacrunchy/2010/09/i-am-here-where-my-feet-are.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2FTyhx+%28SortaCrunchy2.0%29&utm_content=Google+Reader">Your ministry is where your feet are</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://cheaphealthygood.blogspot.com/2010/09/creating-global-pantry.html">Creating a global pantry</a>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-70242290168084743642010-09-08T21:39:00.000-04:002010-09-08T21:39:52.952-04:00On a little late-night mommy guilt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFurQSg5bPX0VaCkzA0iM7tlNK-40MesmOOpghNgngrKEspNIANW6-Ns_uWQCrQFzKS2fBWqo8Vrd2xbnIWPQnBB46beuPTpyQudD7viW7yZuAfTKCwJrBdHkvgYul937gQvTf/s1600/photo-34.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFurQSg5bPX0VaCkzA0iM7tlNK-40MesmOOpghNgngrKEspNIANW6-Ns_uWQCrQFzKS2fBWqo8Vrd2xbnIWPQnBB46beuPTpyQudD7viW7yZuAfTKCwJrBdHkvgYul937gQvTf/s320/photo-34.JPG" /></a></div><br />
I am from the school of thought that a little dirt never hurt anyone. <div><br />
<div><div>My kids get several baths a week...but the term "bath" is used loosely. A run through the sprinkler might qualify.</div><div> </div><div>At any rate, they are usually semi-presentable, and they do get their ears cleaned and their teeth brushed regularly but no one is going to accuse me of being fanatical about children's hygiene. </div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Which is why it is somewhat unusual, that 10 minutes (quiet, beautiful, blissful minutes) after the boys' had gone to bed, that I hurried upstairs, got them out of bed, and in to the shower. </div></div><div><br />
</div><div>Their feet were just a little <i>too</i> dirty for comfort.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Getting out of bed to play in the shower for 30 minutes was full-out awesome to the boys.</div><div><br />
</div><div>And I was the hero.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Funny how my mommy guilt can translate so differently to them.</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-50127275627256973672010-08-29T16:34:00.000-04:002010-08-29T16:34:30.547-04:00Shoes, simplified<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_SRiJGeddjkPax9aC-0byOdmPBHQGO5OdnZ-u_rwMgUR8ipDIbhNJW3mv3Mu7A1YndSOn1au6YFuxJsDLYgEfOAnGlK3de0dDJO_eiate3vgxAsXMcihMUEQ7c3UiMb_fHKO/s1600/photo-32.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_SRiJGeddjkPax9aC-0byOdmPBHQGO5OdnZ-u_rwMgUR8ipDIbhNJW3mv3Mu7A1YndSOn1au6YFuxJsDLYgEfOAnGlK3de0dDJO_eiate3vgxAsXMcihMUEQ7c3UiMb_fHKO/s320/photo-32.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Yesterday, I pulled out the boy's box of shoes from the attic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I had them try on their shoes from summer, then switch out the pairs that were too small with large sizes from the box. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">What is it about summer that makes children grow so quickly? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Each of my boys had grown at least 2 shoe sizes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Each of our boys have 4 pairs of shoes as they transition from summer to fall.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of flip flops or crocs</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of tennis shoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of boots</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of cleats</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When it is truly fall, the flip flops will go into the shoe box in the attic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I love being able to shop for the next season from our attic. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shopping is one of my least favorite ways to spend time, </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">and I am thankful for any chance to avoid it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The boys shoes, as well as the most frequently worn pairs of Matt's and mine,</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">reside in a large wire basket in a closet off of the kitchen. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Having a single place near the entrance to drop shoes has made life much simpler. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">For fall, I will transition out of <a href="http://www.chacousa.com/US/en-US/Home.mvc.aspx?002=2428270&004=1335367968&005=310601175&006=5070196968&007=Search&008=&s_kwcid=TC%7C15432%7Cchacos%7C%7CS%7Ce%7C5070196968">Chaco's</a>, and will rotate primarily between 3 pairs of shoes</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of <a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2008/01/simple-shoes-remember-few-months-ago.html">Simple Shoes</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of brown knee boots</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">1 pair of either <a href="http://www.converse.com/?CSID=44_kwid/#/products/Shoes/ChuckTaylor/1J794">Converse</a> or <a href="https://www.kigofootwear.com/product_details.aspx?ItemID=5678">Kigo's</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">In the next week or so, I am planning to go through the bins of clothes in the attic and pull together the boys' wardrobes for fall. I am guessing that I will need to purchase at least a few things, since boys are notorious for blowing out the knees of their pants (as it is now, I have a stack of 5 pairs in the laundry room, awaiting knee patches).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">If you could only have one pair of shoes to wear, which would they be? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I would have a tough time choosing between my Chaco's and Simple Shoes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-9081868787666260422010-08-28T20:52:00.001-04:002010-08-29T13:32:51.165-04:00For the love of running<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEIy-DsWM8G_xHfbEhK76fsxvrJnQFfK1ru4YPvo_gidezfhbEk5oZ2FyhK9WXBsZjBwmcmHk9xihaWTrorxg3FedJo4p3JdSleq98n0bypAblwfYMKnEww1-yVWltY1nmaYk/s1600/photo-30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEIy-DsWM8G_xHfbEhK76fsxvrJnQFfK1ru4YPvo_gidezfhbEk5oZ2FyhK9WXBsZjBwmcmHk9xihaWTrorxg3FedJo4p3JdSleq98n0bypAblwfYMKnEww1-yVWltY1nmaYk/s320/photo-30.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I laced my running shoes at twilight, instead of the usual break of dawn.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I left my running watch at home, for the first time in months.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Instead of staring at my running stats, I delighted in how pretty the road is to our house.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzsvP4SpDq8CY0mB1So6i2Rs0dY5zHY-wBDagreoETzmYO5TQXjn_ebcgQhN4pD5msVY8FR_Efs9BplCPWOW3csUl49xcTHFnVsirpo3Rv66C2vFTVZ5fdzy5e-dPFk44KM2f/s1600/photo-31.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzsvP4SpDq8CY0mB1So6i2Rs0dY5zHY-wBDagreoETzmYO5TQXjn_ebcgQhN4pD5msVY8FR_Efs9BplCPWOW3csUl49xcTHFnVsirpo3Rv66C2vFTVZ5fdzy5e-dPFk44KM2f/s320/photo-31.JPG" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And for the first time in ages, I remembered why I had started running in the first place.</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-14844395837701662692010-08-20T16:20:00.000-04:002010-08-20T16:20:24.326-04:00A Timer and 15 MinutesThis afternoon, I called my mom. When she answered, I started laughing hysterically but it was because I felt like crying.<br />
I was totally overwhelmed.<br />
The house was a bomb, the kids were wild and in need of naps, and I just stood in the kitchen, paralyzed into inactivity.<br />
She was about to go out of town, and was feeling overwhelmed too with packing and the to-do list.<br />
We reminded each other that we didn't need to do <i>everything</i>, we just needed to do the <i>next thing</i>.<br />
We got off the phone, and set our timers for 15 minutes.<br />
<br />
Setting my timer for 15 minutes and racing the clock is <b>such</b> a helpful exercise for me. It really brings me in to focus and gives me a jolt of energy. I am always amazed at how much I can accomplish in 15 minutes.<br />
For example, this was my kitchen this afternoon:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTT9TEqo3jzfAFijzLfXtYx6hCvuRQj68CreRSr6WIu-ACsheOY-mFRKpJkGHvWkJPrWve03F2VsjYuUno9DaG5tAN-42hSltL0U8xOpnyv4CrlEYW5BVjrlXdkk7pv6ZyuTD/s1600/photo-23.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTT9TEqo3jzfAFijzLfXtYx6hCvuRQj68CreRSr6WIu-ACsheOY-mFRKpJkGHvWkJPrWve03F2VsjYuUno9DaG5tAN-42hSltL0U8xOpnyv4CrlEYW5BVjrlXdkk7pv6ZyuTD/s320/photo-23.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">This was my kitchen, after working for 15 minutes.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rZvbaewBKjC2tm6qjr6Kp19K8DSgaqZZCGfHSHhDQbG-fhpbtxlKThykR290kD_UWFuCbvU3oAFNFzSK-MXk9yfDjj0c5Y_4bHcETC9Ptvy1skjfI9Nb2vWJyM5t06JvFV6r/s1600/photo-22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1rZvbaewBKjC2tm6qjr6Kp19K8DSgaqZZCGfHSHhDQbG-fhpbtxlKThykR290kD_UWFuCbvU3oAFNFzSK-MXk9yfDjj0c5Y_4bHcETC9Ptvy1skjfI9Nb2vWJyM5t06JvFV6r/s320/photo-22.JPG" /></a></div>It wasn't perfect, but it was better. As <a href="http://www.flylady.net/">flylady</a> says "even housework done incorrectly (or incomplete) still blesses your family!"laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-4143523375781444332010-08-19T15:21:00.000-04:002010-08-28T20:57:36.817-04:00A Few of MY FAVORITE THINGS, 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg7dpyMSOrmQNK3gWzynI-XsaLuHyE6jSkQV-64E5LQZcLLHvFCIXemcbNDT7vRfOkKe9u6OBnhzvw1Opj137gVglSeraaXQgV3xTqeKewTPlHixQ-gG1q2DEMz8oDxOr5ZMs/s1600/photo-20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZg7dpyMSOrmQNK3gWzynI-XsaLuHyE6jSkQV-64E5LQZcLLHvFCIXemcbNDT7vRfOkKe9u6OBnhzvw1Opj137gVglSeraaXQgV3xTqeKewTPlHixQ-gG1q2DEMz8oDxOr5ZMs/s320/photo-20.JPG" /></a></div> An organized pantry is a beautiful thing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdc1tURHQhdWOgweHhqCFCMqQ306TVbOArMQB-i2-EV5Tnf-uQfUMM2jPCbfglQPKTiU0EdK2mUpbAq4oFczK_AHbtULGzBUnUBedr31uTjTxQWIIon6sM2Sbl8PdYdMDtD4s/s1600/photo-21.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzdc1tURHQhdWOgweHhqCFCMqQ306TVbOArMQB-i2-EV5Tnf-uQfUMM2jPCbfglQPKTiU0EdK2mUpbAq4oFczK_AHbtULGzBUnUBedr31uTjTxQWIIon6sM2Sbl8PdYdMDtD4s/s320/photo-21.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Mason jars are practical, timeless, and lovely.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7teVsAwUTrsonYSbe_VU-AjeC7yKo4uh3arvFaLfqTS13hPNXcigXhTzk7xOXDei_CLWuz8HZnt8AuESCMkANauWZWAHzNMgzlwSySv3vMAJCedbuZ_gVYMm5BXU8vcM4cnT/s1600/photo-19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv7teVsAwUTrsonYSbe_VU-AjeC7yKo4uh3arvFaLfqTS13hPNXcigXhTzk7xOXDei_CLWuz8HZnt8AuESCMkANauWZWAHzNMgzlwSySv3vMAJCedbuZ_gVYMm5BXU8vcM4cnT/s320/photo-19.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-33224797017519515132010-08-16T18:30:00.002-04:002010-08-16T18:30:00.613-04:00Good Food, Small Budget, post 1B<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqqa6TIAm9RXJo9jE1eDuY8cMt8qn2Cf0e1FbhpHtJXfv12u_DvM1cHdB9qddU8RDveuhNXeEGr6wvVvWFKwtSBdqS-ibtLvwHn7SuBoGzlSdDiLGqvN7I_CIGANuHmfF1dJh/s1600/photo-18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAqqa6TIAm9RXJo9jE1eDuY8cMt8qn2Cf0e1FbhpHtJXfv12u_DvM1cHdB9qddU8RDveuhNXeEGr6wvVvWFKwtSBdqS-ibtLvwHn7SuBoGzlSdDiLGqvN7I_CIGANuHmfF1dJh/s320/photo-18.JPG" /></a></div>A few more words on paring down the food budget...<br />
<br />
Pay with cash. When I want to insure that I don't go over the budget I set, I take the money allotted for groceries out of the bank, and then leave my check card at home. This gives me no choice but to make careful, calculated purchases. And, it becomes a game to see how much I can buy with the money at hand.<br />
<br />
When you think you can't go another day without going to the store, go one more day. Some of my most creative meals have come from the times when I think "we have nothing in the house to eat". This week is a great example of that.<br />
Last Sunday night, I thought that I HAD to go to the store on Monday. We only had 3 eggs in the house, no sandwich bread, almost no cheese, and were low on fruit.<br />
Additionally, I was having friends over for various meals several times during the week. I decided to make myself wait until Wednesday to go to the store, and to get creative with what was already in the pantry and fridge/freezer. Wednesday came and I decided I could wait a few more days. Now it is Sunday afternoon, and I still haven't been to the grocery store this week. I spent $31 at the health food store (kefir, bulk grains and nuts, butternut squash ravioli, toothpaste), and $2.50 at the farmer's market (mung bean sprouts). I now have 1 egg, still no sandwich bread, cheese, or fresh fruit (except for the pears that a friend brought over from their tree).<br />
Last night, I was trying to think of a dish to make for our fellowship meal at church today. I kept thinking that I was going to HAVE to run to the store to make anything decent. I looked through the freezer and pantry several different times, waiting for inspiration to strike. In the end, I made a chow mein-like dish and some stewed pears.<br />
<br />
Chow Mein (ish)<br />
1 box of whole wheat spaghetti ($0.50, purchased on sale)<br />
1 squash (free*)<br />
1bell pepper (free*)<br />
1 onion (free*)<br />
mushrooms (free*)<br />
mung bean sprouts (1/2 package, $1.25)<br />
2 carrots ($0.25)<br />
green beans (free*)<br />
garlic ($0.25)<br />
<br />
*These were all gifts from friends' gardens, with the exception of the mushrooms, which I received as a sample from a food show.<br />
I sauteed all the vegetables (minus the mushrooms and sprouts) in a hot skillet with a little oil, just until they were warm but still crispy. After the spaghetti was cooked, and drained, I added it to the skillet of vegetables, along with the mushrooms and sprouts.<br />
<br />
In a measuring cup, I whisked together:<br />
1 T honey ($0.10)<br />
2 T soy sauce ($0.10)<br />
1 T worchestershire sauce ($0.05)<br />
2 T garlic infused oil (free, gift)<br />
<br />
I poured this over the mixture in the skillet, tossed, and salted to taste.<br />
It was sooooo good and cost $2.50 to make (it easily served 6). I could have made it for much cheaper, if I had sprouted the beans myself.<br />
<br />
In the words of Plato <a href="http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/33942.html">"Necessity is the motherhood of invention!"</a><br />
Not only did I save a lot of money by staying out of the store, but I also have a yummy new dish to add to the rotation.<br />
<br />
What are your best "make do with what you have recipes"? Do you have a dish you absolutely love, that you came up with when your pantry was bare?laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-67190219471354773042010-08-11T00:23:00.000-04:002010-08-15T15:28:01.915-04:00Good Food, Small Budget, post 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRdsoh-0akhZoC3nBvNM6rA4yLj_ba2Bqepwgyb6w0sBjAQ6p3B8_Ox1HBsS3Av4kUE0IVg9oFdKf2fEKqHmVtAxChmEwCm43aixQunFCMAMsmfLzc-QvnzQUpQoViPaFQy-l/s1600/photo-16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfRdsoh-0akhZoC3nBvNM6rA4yLj_ba2Bqepwgyb6w0sBjAQ6p3B8_Ox1HBsS3Av4kUE0IVg9oFdKf2fEKqHmVtAxChmEwCm43aixQunFCMAMsmfLzc-QvnzQUpQoViPaFQy-l/s320/photo-16.JPG" /></a></div>This summer, and the last several summers, I have given myself a very meager grocery budget. In years past, the budget was $50 a week. This year, I raised the stakes, and made the budget $40 a week for 6 people (hubby and myself + 4 boys, ages 7-1). I maintained this budget for 9 weeks over the summer.<br />
<br />
Several friends have asked me for the nuts and bolts of how I did this, so I thought I would spend a few posts outlining how I made this work for our family.<br />
<br />
I am happy to share what worked for us, as long as it is clear that I in no way consider myself some kind of expert, nor a mama that has it all figured out. I am not saying that you should do as I do. Nor do I believe that I am doing anything radical or new...google would turn up blog after blog and article after article, covering everything I am going to say here. However, sometimes hearing (reading) from someone who is like you, or that you can relate to, can be helpful. So, maybe some of my friends who are reading this will find it useful.<br />
<br />
First, I would say that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain a $40 a week budget for our family year-round. I choose to significantly reduce my budget in the summer, b/c we live in an agrarian area of the country, where fresh, local fruits and vegetables are available VERY inexpensively most of the year but especially in the summer. In fact, during this 9 week period, I would say that I received 90% of our produce for free from friends and families whose gardens were producing more than they could use.<br />
During the rest of the year, my weekly grocery spending hovers in the $75-90 range.<br />
<br />
Also, another thing that made it possible to stick to our $40 a week budget is that no one in my family has any food related allergies, or any illnesses that require dietary restrictions. My children are all generally good eaters (though they could be better), and I enjoy preparing food for my family and friends. All those factors worked in my favor for keeping our budget low.<br />
<br />
For the rest of this post, I am going to talk about how I have worked to trim our food budget <b>DOWN</b>, over the last few years. My current low budget is the cumulative result of small, progressive changes to the way I shopped and prepared food.<br />
<br />
Food is a VERY important part of my life...besides the need of food-as-sustenance, I really love to read about, think about, shop for, prepare and serve food to my family.<br />
<br />
While my food budget it small, I place a high value on purchasing foods that are local, seasonal, healthy, and fresh.<br />
My focus is to create as little waste as possible in my food purchases.<br />
This is fleshed out in bringing my own reusable bags, going without produce bags whenever possible, buying foods with as little packaging as I can find, and shopping from locally owned, small businesses.<br />
<br />
Sometimes this means paying more for some groceries than I would at a big-box store. Supporting small business owners is an important value to me, and so often I am willing to pay more for certain groceries, if I have to, in order to do that. None of these values were compromised while only spending $40 on groceries.<br />
<br />
Here is a list of some of the ways I reduced my grocery spending:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I do not purchase disposable diapers, paper napkins, paper towels, zip lock bags, plastic wrap, etc. Instead, I use cloth diapers, cloth napkins and towels, tin foil (which I wash and reuse, then recycle), and rewash/reuse zip lock bags from several years ago. I do purchase toilet paper and wet wipes.</li>
<li>I do not buy meat. 90% of our meals at home are vegetarian. Occasionally, I will cook seafood, or use deer meat (which my husband killed, and was therefore free). Sometimes my husband will grill meat. When we eat meat, he purchases it through his job (he sells food to restaurants), and it was not figured in to my $40 a week budget.</li>
<li>I don't buy much dairy. If I buy yogurt, I buy a large container of plain yogurt, not the individual cartons. If I buy milk, I purchase pasteurized, non homogenized milk from a local dairy for $4.50 a gallon. I buy about 2 gallons a month. The rest of the time, we use almond milk. We do use a fair amount of butter and cheese.</li>
<li>I buy seasonal produce. That means that I buy asparagus and strawberries in April, apples and sweet potatoes in October, watermelon and sweet corn in July. Not only does it taste indescribably better, it is also much, much cheaper. Probably about 80% of the produce in our house is local and in season. Other things, such as bananas and mangoes, that will never be in season where we live, I purchase sometimes.</li>
<li>I make my own laundry detergent.</li>
<li>I buy very, very little prepackaged foods. Occasionally, I will buy a box of crackers or cereal. It is rare that I buy anything in a can or box. I really focus on buying INGREDIENTS. </li>
<li>When something is in season, I buy a lot and either can or freeze it for later. During the summer, I fill my pantry and freezer with homemade pasta sauce, whole canned tomatoes, cream corn, green beans, blueberries, strawberries, etc. This keeps my grocery bill much lower the rest of the year, and gives us food to use that is delicious, inexpensive, and local. I didn't do much canning this year, but I did freeze a lot.</li>
<li>I shop the sales cycle. When olive oil goes on sale (Buy 1, Get 1 free), I look for a coupon online, and buy enough to last 6-8 weeks, when it will go on sale again. A bottle of extra virgin olive oil that is normally $7, would then be $3.50 when it is B1G1, plus a $1 off coupon, brings it down to $2.50, for a savings of $4.50. I usually buy 3-4 at a time, for a savings of up to $18.</li>
<li>I use a few coupons, maybe 4-5 a week, for items that we use a lot of, such as toilet paper, almonds, almond milk, and olive oil. I save them until I can pair them with a sale, for maximum savings. </li>
<li>I buy the best ingredients I can afford. Pure maple syrup, local free range eggs, non homogenized milk from a local dairy, blocks of parmesan cheese, sourdough bread from the bakery in town, etc. Using good quality ingredients saves me money in 2 ways. First, I am more judicious with it, because I don't want to waste it and second, it is more flavorful, and a small amount can go a long way to flavoring a dish. </li>
<li>Because my husband is in the food-sales industry, every now and then, he brings home samples. It doesn't happen that often but for the sake of full disclosure, I will mention it :)</li>
<li>Sometimes, I purchase foods in bulk from my husband. This isn't something I rely on regularly, but perhaps once every 2 months or so, I will order a big box of organic spinach, or several logs of goat cheese, which saves money.</li>
<li>My mom supplies me with fresh eggs from her chickens, blueberries from their bushes, and green beans that she cans for me that my grandparents grew. I know, I am a lucky girl. I am so, so grateful for those food gifts! </li>
</ul><div>What ways do you save money on your groceries? What is one of your biggest food-related expenses? For me, it is dried cranberries. Random, I know, but they are pricey ($4 for a small bag!) and 2 of my boys absolutely LOVE them. Also, my <a href="http://www.chocablog.com/reviews/lindt-excellence-sea-salt/">dark chocolate with sea salt</a> obsession can be an expensive indulgence...especially when the boys catch me and I have to share! :)</div><div><br />
</div><div>In the next posts, I am going to talk about what I do spend my money on, and then, what a week of eating looks like around our house. </div><div><br />
</div><div>If you want to look back, here is a post from a few years ago on the same topic:</div><div><a href="http://athomelaurel.blogspot.com/2008/07/eating-well-in-lean-times-summer-is.html">Eating Well in Lean Times</a></div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-55911053272028186102010-08-08T00:28:00.000-04:002010-08-28T20:57:36.818-04:00A Short Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm2S3xZ_0BWnBoIU9iVIeSCCR8bevi37f3sorZ8wupvQ7p94Nt857yPyzoWMHGmPrgT-83LizY-30JhQ4__tgX1Ha_pPjOFyf9tJR8FxAYTTzJPgLk9t1q2StSGYtZSSUK9qt/s1600/photo-15.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYm2S3xZ_0BWnBoIU9iVIeSCCR8bevi37f3sorZ8wupvQ7p94Nt857yPyzoWMHGmPrgT-83LizY-30JhQ4__tgX1Ha_pPjOFyf9tJR8FxAYTTzJPgLk9t1q2StSGYtZSSUK9qt/s320/photo-15.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">While we sat there watching them play, we talked about the years to come, when we won't be bringing floaties and swim diapers, when we won't need babysitters or be confined by nap times. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We know that when we get there, we will be remembering these days wistfully.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sometimes, looking forward helps us appreciate the here and now.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-55316781562871305612010-07-08T19:14:00.000-04:002010-07-08T19:14:27.756-04:00Hmmm...I am not sure how I managed to skip blogging the entire month of June, but here we are.<br />
These summer days are full, sometimes in the best way.<br />
Yesterday, a bike ride to the library.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqFMK3XqBPHj3QpBF1Ojbq8YqFfYyFCdZIdKz6axa6cTaBUNjTeknzxy1OoVjV1Vl7kwO_pTGwggpx7mzgYhEmnXGEbBWkHhyphenhyphenCiAeMA93RBVMsXsFiUJGXvOaTrochyphenhyphenoamb5A/s1600/photo-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqFMK3XqBPHj3QpBF1Ojbq8YqFfYyFCdZIdKz6axa6cTaBUNjTeknzxy1OoVjV1Vl7kwO_pTGwggpx7mzgYhEmnXGEbBWkHhyphenhyphenCiAeMA93RBVMsXsFiUJGXvOaTrochyphenhyphenoamb5A/s320/photo-13.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>And Uno with an indian.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDjR5zCApKKeh-JfETK3dam52w_T0KVVYWRm7b-nWqZVDJd7ELR5U8BojWiQTOffkFEktM7q5QRUN2leLIdxwrim1D4AKnmF_G6AOLi2gr6gqzyVxeEUCpKiZEpQFocCVpbLZ/s1600/photo-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDjR5zCApKKeh-JfETK3dam52w_T0KVVYWRm7b-nWqZVDJd7ELR5U8BojWiQTOffkFEktM7q5QRUN2leLIdxwrim1D4AKnmF_G6AOLi2gr6gqzyVxeEUCpKiZEpQFocCVpbLZ/s320/photo-12.JPG" /></a></div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-44918207705592629942010-05-27T22:47:00.000-04:002010-08-28T20:57:36.818-04:00A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcjufdS0JYhahU_Fl7d1hYTikLyu1139CZHq6TpM7hbrSybVUb4RN9J61HraT9FnEzSXop8kGSEbLhUCZfR2PrQQXqBnNeaGvmeas-U01C_M7lGcWBYEB1sDPe-2yucgdN6HM/s1600/photo-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGcjufdS0JYhahU_Fl7d1hYTikLyu1139CZHq6TpM7hbrSybVUb4RN9J61HraT9FnEzSXop8kGSEbLhUCZfR2PrQQXqBnNeaGvmeas-U01C_M7lGcWBYEB1sDPe-2yucgdN6HM/s320/photo-11.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Soaking up the fresh air and sunshine with my boys on a quilt. When I am feeling overwhelmed or frazzled, a few minutes in the sunshine does <i>wonders</i> for morale.</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-85419765507847860912010-05-25T15:07:00.000-04:002010-08-28T20:57:36.819-04:00A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS, 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEhSqRps8cFwQdNnQPYRu5opo4MSn5z4k6HYqCt7d_6P9yEh7MoIIYSaCO5p2sJciqwCMDXpJM36s44HDAkgKw36GwsSXJ3EULlxp3-r1YFR6ak-yA43q8zaqDqDslakt5z8L/s1600/photo-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqEhSqRps8cFwQdNnQPYRu5opo4MSn5z4k6HYqCt7d_6P9yEh7MoIIYSaCO5p2sJciqwCMDXpJM36s44HDAkgKw36GwsSXJ3EULlxp3-r1YFR6ak-yA43q8zaqDqDslakt5z8L/s320/photo-9.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">When the baby stops nursing to look up at me and smile. Those are some rich moments in motherhood.</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33872673.post-28633711020526548182010-05-13T18:05:00.005-04:002011-01-17T15:44:01.918-05:0030 by 30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uikSxbX2tLfd62sqN2WUlteUQWShjjd24k6WkWdWBBfKrfDkQZtsJfyPKYOXrnqwRq2t8_RC6limgxTgwBKlqer4QcMScQ0ANFmCLqQejMxWZTfffVbVJRnCdMdWmsv6OlIi/s1600/photo-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1uikSxbX2tLfd62sqN2WUlteUQWShjjd24k6WkWdWBBfKrfDkQZtsJfyPKYOXrnqwRq2t8_RC6limgxTgwBKlqer4QcMScQ0ANFmCLqQejMxWZTfffVbVJRnCdMdWmsv6OlIi/s320/photo-6.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(this picture has nothing to do with the post below. I just like taking pictures of my dishes)</span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div>30 things I would like to do before I turn 30, next April.<br />
<div><br />
</div><div>30. <s>Send my entire ironing pile to the dry cleaners, just once. And don't feel guilty about it.</s> 8.15.10</div><div>29. Have a date night with each of my children.</div><div>28. Take a <a href="http://www.kitchenwareoutfitters.com/Classes/tabid/1654/Default.aspx">cooking class</a>.</div><div>27. <s>Have a </s><a href="http://www.jennyevelynphoto.com/blog/"><s>family picture taken</s></a>. 10.10</div><div>26. Volunteer with my children at a local charity.</div><div>25. Write a letter to each of my boys, for them to read when they are older.</div><div>24. <s>Pay for the meal for the car behind us in a drive thru</s>. 10.10</div><div>23. <a href="http://walkslowlylivewildly.com/2010/05/12/send-happiness/">Write a letter to someone</a>, expressing admiration for qualities I appreciate in them. Be specific.</div><div>22. <a href="http://simplemom.net/back-to-the-basics-create-a-family-mission-statement/">Write a mission statement.</a></div><div>21. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;">Go canoeing</span>. 5.29.10</div><div>20. Reach my ideal weight (20 pounds to go!).</div><div>19. Take a road trip with no particular destination in mind.</div><div>18. Take a <a href="http://www.savannahyoga.com/">hot yoga class.</a></div><div>17. Buy all new underwear.</div><div>16. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;">Visit a nursing home with my children.</span> 5.14.10</div><div>15. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;">Don't say anything negative for an entire day</span>. 5.23.10 </div><div>14. Get my piano tuned. And play it.</div><div>13. Give away a favorite possession.</div><div>12. Write a will.</div><div>11. Run a 5K in under 25 minutes (8 minute mile).</div><div>10. Add some really great playlists to my ipod. </div><div>9. Do <a href="http://flylady.com/">flylady</a> consistently for at least a month.</div><div>8. Read a book aloud to the boys. Maybe <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventures-Sawyer-Twain-Mark-Library/dp/0520266129/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1273762082&sr=8-3">Tom Sawyer</a>?</div><div>7. Buy a harmonica. Sit on my back porch and play it.</div><div>6. Unplug from TV and internet for a day (or week?).</div><div>5. Make a <a href="http://www.blurb.com/landing_pages/blogbook?ce=google_blog_blogtobook&gclid=CLbXp7Gvz6ECFQ0hnAodwFhwIQ">blog book</a>.</div><div>4. Organize a pick up game of soccer.</div><div>3. Read several books of the Bible.</div><div>2. Write a poem to Matt.</div><div>1. <s>Run a marathon (</s><a href="http://www.active.com/running/charleston-sc/charleston-marathons-riverfront-race-festival-2011"><s>Charleston Marathon, Jan. 2011</s></a><s>)</s>. 1.15.11<br />
<br />
What goals, silly or serious, are you working towards?</div>laurelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00605878726484671232noreply@blogger.com13