Home + Work

An insightful new voice.

2012-01-19T14:51:00.003-07:00

Love this article by Kate Harris at The Washington Institute

Most insightful paragraph:

" In all of this, whether it be language, category or context, it is essential for mothers to recognize that the goal in exploring identity in light of work is not to do more or be busier, but rather to think better about the ways we engage the fullness of our callings. For some women, it will mean granting themselves permission to explore interests, skills or opportunities that persist outside, alongside or amidst their responsibilities as a mom. For others it means evaluating whether or not their priorities and commitments are properly aligned with the commitments they have to their family. For all women, it means being humble enough to step outside the bounds of our own comfort and offer the fullness of our gifts in service to Christ, trusting that if it His work to do he will provide the margin needed to do it.

My favorite quote:

"Similarly, as believers engaged in every square inch of God’s good work, mothers have an opportunity to use this Epiphany season to reflect not on the work they deem most valuable to Christ, whether it be inside, outside or alongside the home, but instead to reflect on—and step into—the work Christ deems most valuable to Him."

According to...

2012-01-09T19:28:00.000-07:00

this 5.5 inch santoku knife.

according to my Food and Wine magazine this month, you can get this nice looking knife for $25 plus 8 dollars shipping at www.hammerstahl.com...Enter " FOOD" to receive the discount. Thought I would pass it along!

Finding the solution.

2012-01-02T07:59:00.002-07:00

It is the time of year to reflect on the year past and look to the new one ahead. Which ever direction you are looking at most, we must have resolution.

Resolution.

When I think resolution, I think solution. Today I can look at my life in that way-- I just want to identify my problems and find the solutions for this new year.

We all want to find out how to find the equilibrium--a solution when solvent and solute are compatible. And yet I will admit there are parts of my life that just don't mix. This won't resolve. This doesn't combine. This will never work.

Chemically, ingredients are either compatible or not. They will mix or they will separate.

Impossible combitions.
Suboptimal conditions.
Sound familiar?

Yet there is always one Solution.

Christ is my one great solution. Christ alone can dissolve these impossible combinations. He alone uses suboptimal conditions to catalyze change. Impossible combinations and suboptimal conditions are rendered instantly by the Refiner.

Christ must first dissolve my weaker motivations and give me the right resolution-- something balanced, something stable, something pure. New Year's resolutions are people boiling down their problems and trying to name, define and identify the primary and obvious solutions to those problems. But as children of God, we find freedom from arbitrary goals. We can find deeper purpose, stronger resolve and clearer solutions because of Christ.

Malachi 3:
“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the LORD...
“For I the LORD do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed."

Despite how we feel about the year past and the year to come, we can take confidence that it is God who leads the way.

I read Oswald Chambers on this and found it most encouraging:

He went out, not knowing where he was going —Hebrews 11:8

Have you ever “gone out” in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, “What do you expect to do?”You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to “go out” in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don’t know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to “go out,” building your confidence in God. “. . . do not worry about your life . . . nor about the body . . .” (Luke 12:22). In other words, don’t worry about the things that concerned you before you did “go out.”

Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do— He reveals to you who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you “go out” in complete surrender to Him until you are not surprised one iota by anything He does?

Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to “go out” in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to “go out” through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God.

While Mom's away...

2011-12-16T05:19:00.006-07:00

Kate will play :)

This is from when I was at work this week. Thanks Liz for being such a great match up for my energetic daughter!

Just do something.

2011-12-08T20:32:00.001-07:00

Elisabeth Elliott always quotes the phrase, "Do the next thing."

For me, it means being faithful to do something when I see a gap. For instance, I see some needs for our women's ministry in our church right now. So instead of grumbling about it, I did something. I talked with my pastor, who was very humble and willing to talk.

Whenever I start something, I always want to know why. So I started researching the purposes behind women's ministry so that I can encourage others to view our role through a faith-filled, gospel-centered, action-oriented lens. (is that enough dashes for you?)

How are you active in building up the women in your church?

Here's an interesting article by Susan Hunt, a writer and speaker, on women's ministry I found very helpful and inspiring. She also quotes the PCA statement about women's ministry:

"The purpose of the Women In the Church is that every woman know Christ personally and be committed to extending His kingdom in her life, home, church, community, and throughout the world." (From the WIC Resource Manual)

This really plays off my interests on how our effectiveness as women starts in our personal life and moves outward from our home into greater and greater arenas. Is this how you view your self and role in the church?

2011-12-04T06:29:00.001-07:00

According to Kate, it is 'Maryanne, Jofus and Baby Jesus'.

Best. Face. Ever.

2011-11-27T18:50:00.001-07:00

That's how good my turkey was.

Thanks before Give.

2011-11-24T06:50:00.001-07:00

So many years ago these two people go married. On Thanksgiving, I have to stop and reflect on their marriage, because it so aptly illustrates what this day is about.

What is Thanksgiving about?
Bounty.
Kindness.
Family.
Life shared.
Forgiveness.
Thankfulness.
Giving.

Through the last two years or more, my parents have been walking through a severe trial. My father is struggling against depression; and my mom is right there fighting alongside him. This year we are thankful that the worst of the depression has passed. But it doesn't mean it is over or easy sledding.

Their marriage is still strong. It has been difficult to walk together through the worst years. I have watched them closely. As I approach my own anniversary, I have learned a little of what this looks like in my own marriage over six years. I see that in my parents and my own marriage, you cannot give to another unless you start with thanks. Without a grateful heart, it is very easy to focus on all the "little foxes"--the hurt, the disappointment, the anger, the loneliness. If you see first the gift, the bounty, the kindnesses, the family, the life shared, you can easily forgive and give thanks.

As I sit around my table tonight, I am going to give thanks for how God uses marriage to teach us about thankfulness and giving to others. I have just started this journey of marriage compared to my parents. I have learned so much from watching. Happy anniversary Mom and Dad. Thank you for living the truth-- to give thanks, and to continue to give to each other.

Just for fun

2011-11-22T14:39:00.001-07:00

If you are heading to New York City anytime soon, I thought I would share some of my new favorite spots from my trip this past weekend. And just in case you are confused-- we really only do three things on any vacation: exercise, eat and shop :)

We started out at lunch at Toasties. Our nose drew us in and our mouth confirmed how fresh their food was. Travis reported it was the best Rueben sandwich he has every had. This is great compliment coming from a connoisseur of that particular sandwich.

We then wandered through Rockefeller Center fighting our way through crowds of people looking at them decorating the Christmas tree, which was unveiled today, I think. We showed my mother and sister Travis' and my favorite chocolate places-- Teucher and La Maison du Chocolat--but settled for a cup of the best hot chocolate at La Maison. As if it was settling. It's the best chocolate in the world, some say.

After fighting the crowds at Rockefeller and checking out the new couches my fabulous uncle made for Michael Kors new store, we wandered down Fifth Avenue. Here's a picture of Mr. Kors, sitting on those very couches. Because who else is going to brag about him, unless it is me??My uncle is so modest, he doesn't even have a website, so you can read about him here. The same fabulous uncle also made us a fabulous dinner that night.

A new spot that we happened upon was this store, Rain, of which there is only one store in the US. Don't you just love the elitism of NYC? It makes the average woman feel so special and privileged. I fell in love with their scents as well as their bath salts.

The next morning we went to brunch at ABC Kitchen. We also had a celebrity spotting, where Jesse Tyler Ferguson sat at an opposite table behind us, enjoying the same kind of awesome brunch foods. The best part was that it was all hot. I burned the roof of my mouth hot.

After breakfast we wandered through the ABC store's, where I saw some very inspiring jewelry by St.Kilda, especially the piece she carved out of Victorian rubber into a chain on a silver necklace. Not to mention that her name happens to be Nora. No wonder we are in sync.

These are pictures from our long walk after our brunch on the Highline. I just loved all the textures of the buildings and architecture in contrast with the soft grasses and trees. It was super fun to walk through Chelsea Market as well... I think that it didn't even exist five years ago when Travis and I were there last.

Overall, my mom and sister and I had a wonderful time reinventing our "Shopping Trip" started so many years ago. It was a joy to spend time together uninterrupted and rejoicing in all that God has kept us through over the past five years. Here's to more eating together, exercising together and shopping together!

Off to the city!

2011-11-17T05:29:00.001-07:00

My favorite city in the US. My favorite people. My favorite weekend (it's my birthday on Monday).
Here I come.
Off on a plane by myself. It has been years since I've had eight whole hours to myself--not since our trip to Italy. I am looking forward to trying out some of the places that she recommends, eating here, and enjoying my family and this guy.

Here we were on our first anniversary trip. It will be five years ago come December. How time snowballs faster and faster, gathering speed and growing our love stronger and bigger. I've missed him, even in 48 hours since he left. Especially since there was no freshly brewed coffee awaiting me this morning. He was kind enough to leave me some already ground in the coffee grinder though. What a guy.

I should call it....madness on Monday

2011-11-14T08:47:00.001-07:00

What are you up to today, this Monday?

I am definitely in the "I am recovering and ignoring the millions of things I still need to do" mode. I am still in my Lululemon outfit. Which is really my version of pajamas. I am trying recovering from a busy weekend and trying to gear up for the next as well. I leave on Thursday for four days in D.C., also with a quick trip into New York City, my favorite city in the US. I work Tuesday, so that roughly leaves me with two days, including today (which if you didn't catch before that I am still wearing my pajamas, so I can't really say I have made much progress) to get it all done.

And if you haven't noticed yet, we have one week before Thanksgiving. Which means, Christmas is around the corner. O my goodness.

I love the holidays, but what I really enjoy is the activities-- the crafts, the baking, the visiting, the "holiday" experiences. NOT the shopping part. So I've got a gift stash working and I am working on my Christmas cards.

So I am going to try and get a few things done, without "making mountains out of molehills." If you haven't listened to Tullian's message on how to get perspective, listen here. He will help you get your madness right into perspective with a sobering reality of what really matters.

Here's one of the things I am trying to get done today-- holiday cards... I love sending them and believe that real, paper cards are an important tradition of love and care in an increasingly digital age. We already have the shot for our card and I am going to shamelessly promote my friend Megan for her glorious designs this year for her holiday collection, one of which I will be using.

Check out her slideshow of holiday cards here.
Here's our shot from last year....isn't it exciting to see how we have grown this year (some of us, I mean-- thankfully, not me and Travis)? A snapshot every year helps me to reflect on how much I have to be grateful for. So in the madness of this Monday, I am going to choose not to make my home full of molehills to trip on, and choose instead to celebrate the busy, but full, life I have.

Cobie-clean

2011-11-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

On an aside, I grew up with a grandmother, Cobie, who inspired me to work harder than any one else. One of those ways she worked hard was to keep things clean. A friend of my dad's, who wrote this devotional, dedicated to her. After more than ten years of her passing, she is still fondly remembered by more than just her family.

Cobie-Clean by Ward Slager

For Monday, November 7, 2011

Today’s Readings: 2 Kings 20; Hebrews 2; Hosea13; Psalm 137, 138

Hebrews 2:3a How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?

When I was a teen, I had a friend (well, he’s still my friend), Dennis. Dennis’ Mom, Cobie, was a “Dutch housewife.” If you’ve ever visited the Netherlands and driven, especially, through the small rural towns, you,ve seen the incredible order, tidiness that seems to be genetic in the Dutch, as though their 11th Commandment is “Thou shalt keep thy house clean” or Proverbs included “Cleanliness IS godliness (not just “next to” it). When Dennis and I roomed together as Freshman in college, one of the rules of our room was to keep things “Cobie-clean.” Frankly, it was and is a blessed way to live. You may respond “you can have too much of a good thing” implying that such living can be unhealthy or obsessive . . . but that’s not what being Cobie-clean was and is. We have an orderly God. Just look at Creation. We have been given dominion, stewardship over many blessings in His Creation. How could we neglect, then, such great blessings? Such striving to see that not one thing in the order of daily living is neglected, is, I think, one of the good things, the good work we have been given to do – arising from God’s intention before man’s fall. Adam tended the Garden of Eden.

Even today, my wife, also a “Dutch housewife,” is similar to Dennis’ Mom. They are both Proverbs 31:27 women, whose “Cobie-clean” ethic “looks well to the ways of her household” and for which, I and our children do rise up and call her “Blessed!” (31:28).

Yet, we all experience how easy it is to excuse neglect. “I just didn’t have time to dust the shelves before our guests came.” “The faucet’s been dripping like that for years . . . it’s just a little water, no big deal.” “I know I should have changed the oil more often but, well, I just didn’t . . . is that so bad?” Most often, it is so easy to overlook such neglect that it becomes invisible to us and the popular proverb, “Out of sight, out of mind,” though not intended as a compliment, is treated as though it condones our neglect and releases our consciences from guilt.

From minor signs like dog fur, shed and collected way back under the refrigerator to major signs such as homes where tension fills the air with silence that can be cut with a knife or churches where seating on a Sunday morning reflects more dislike than love, negligence in life’s details can have life-destroying consequences. Such neglect can result in what I call “’If-only” regrets. “’If-only I hadn’t _______ - this wouldn’t have happened. If only I had smoked that first cigarette, I wouldn’t have _______. If only we had sat down and talked, we wouldn’t have _______. If only I had listened when my mother (father, pastor, etc) said _______. If only I had exercise more. If only . . .

Such neglect is, perhaps, most glaring and, yet, most invisible to you and I in the life of our spirits. Cobwebs collect in our minds when they are not being conformed to Christ though the spiritual disciplines – prayer, fasting, meditation on the Word, worship, etc. Soon, so much dust has settled on our souls, our hearts are suffocating, far from Cobie-clean.

As we begin another week after what (for me and I pray for you) was a blessed weekend of worship, let’s not neglect our great Savior who has given us at the cost of His life, our great Salvation.

C. S. Lewis said that every step of our way on the path of life is either towards Heaven or towards Hell . . . we cannot neglect or escape the consequences of either direction. Let’s “escape” toward Heaven, asking for and trusting God to recreate in us Cobie-clean hearts which gleam from the reflection of His grace and glory. Take time each day to listen as God speaks to you in Spirit (prayer) and Truth (His word).

Creator, Spirit, by whose aid, the world’s foundations first were laid – renew a right spirit within us, removing every hindrance of apathy and neglect so that our passion flames and our delight in you displays clean hearts

Work hard at working out.

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Exercise is hard.
Let's not lie.
Exercise is what we do because we have to do. Not because we truly love it.
I mean, I used to love it. Now, it just takes a scheduling miracle and a mocha to induce the feeling I used to have before kids. Life is busy and my kids give me a workout every day just trying to keep up after them.

But, then my dietitian voice pipes in. You know as you age, every decade after your mid 30's can mean a lean body mass (i.e. muscle) loss of ten percent....

Yup. So get back on the wagon. I am talking to myself. After a busy summer, I have a new resolve.
We all have entered the fateful November months, when weather and holidays try to deter the most determined from exercise.

So here's my suggestion for working out, if you need some new inspiration (thanks to the best mother-in-law ever Janis for recently inspiring me!)

Try this new workout video

The Bar Method with Burr Lenard -- you can see my favorite move here on You Tube, called "The Pretzel".
Search for other little videos to get an idea of the isometric burn you can get out of these videos that is similar to the exercises I have taken at my favorite studio here in Mesa, called K Pilates.

The crazy thing is that the instructor is almost 60. No joke.

Also, if you can afford it, I have enjoyed some of the workouts (not all of them) from Tracy Anderson. Her videos are short as well within the 30 minute range that give an all over toned body using small weights and isometrics moves as well.

If you are more into the high heart-rate exercise, you can always try the faithful, and effective, Jullian Michael's workouts from 30 Day Shred, as shown in the clip from You Tube.

Get moving, people! (And I mean, myself...)

Halloween, repeat.

2011-11-03T13:03:00.003-07:00

A couple days off the sugar high is still going strong.
Kate was climbing up the side of my pie cupboard towards the enormous glass jar that holds all the loot just this morning, while I turned my back for a moment during lunch service. Not to mention that Grant keeps screaming, "CHOC!!!"at every meal rubbing his chest in a concerted "please" sign while pointing at the jar.

You'd think I'd move it or something. But I need it close by, for, ahem, "decorative" purposes.
Hands down, the best part of the evening was watching Kate wiggle down the sidewalk in her mermaid costume.

She has some serious wiggle, if you know what I mean.

Another highlight was to meet and see all our neighbors in our fabulous neighborhood. Apparently, some of them said that this is what our neighborhood does best. My daughter got right into the spirit, saying, "I think we met you before!?" to every new neighbor she had never seen before. She's not the shy one; but I just love how she is so sociable. She didn't waver in her dedication, with a, "Let's go to the next house, Mommy!" until the very end of the night after she had walked all the way around our block collecting treats while we carried (I mean, lugged-- thanks Janelle) Grant around.

In those fire boots, I think he weighed 50 pounds. He is such a moose. Maybe we could do that next year.

Ps. Thanks Grandma for the yellow fabric for Grant's jacket.

Silence

2011-10-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

I have heard it a couple times lately.
"I am single. And God is silent."
Loneliness is very real-- we cannot ignore it especially the feelings that get jumbled around inside, mixing up our personal doubts with our beliefs of God.

I wanted to write this post to explain a little of what God taught me through my own journey. I will give one caveat--my singleness wasn't an extended period of time. My appeal is that this is what I wished I had known from where I stand now.

Loneliness peaked during the last few months of college for me. Everyone is preparing to move on. Now, at thirty, I have seen this cycle over and over. I can sense the shift and I, myself, am tempted to start moving away, distancing myself from those friends and people who will drift out of my life. When you are in college you see it clearly for the first time as people start marrying and making plans for their futures. And it hurts worst the first time.

Especially for a conservative Christian woman, loneliness can feel like rejection. Even more deeply, it can feel like a profound distance between you and God. In college, you create your first circle of community that is all yours. When you see that first circle change or collapse, it can feel like your world is over (well, not really-- in highschool you would have thought that, but in college, you pretend like you are more mature than that.)

What people fail to tell you is that those college years are the first chapter. In a woman's life, you practice making your own circle of society from a pre-fabricated one in highschool. Then, from eighteen to early twenties, you are building your first, independent circle. Highschool is more about relationships; college becomes more about first choices. College is the age or time frame where you really learn about becoming who are you going to be and identifying your passions and dreams.

I fulfilled my own dreams during those years-- I had figured out what I wanted to be and became it. I went to college, finished my degree and got my dietetics internship. had a boyfriend during the last year or so of my post-graduate internship, so I assumed it was all going according to plan. But as I rounded that corner towards the last few months, it all fell apart. Everything was ending. My plans were finished-- my internship was over. I was moving home. I had no job. My boyfriend and I broke up. Everything was ending.

Where was the next part? I assumed what God wanted me to do next was get married. This is a common, and reasonable assumption as a Christian woman. But if it doesn't happen like that, you feel rejected. I did. In fact, that was the worst summer of my Christian life. I even jumped to the conclusion that the gospel couldn't help me because I didn't get what I thought I deserved.

Instead of assuming, like I did, that God didn't have a good plan for me, I should have assumed that He had a good plan. We assume wrongly that God has the same plan for every woman. When, in fact, He has a uniquely good plan for each individual woman. It has to be unique or He wouldn't be a good Creator.

I should have asked, "What's next, Lord?" instead of "Why?" I am not saying that we shouldn't ask why. I am saying that we should see that God has a plan for us for our whole life, not just the first chapter leading to the second chapter. The next chapter after college is worth just as much to him as marriage. It is all a part of his perfect plan. It is not because you are not worthy of marriage, but because God has seen to make you uniquely fitted for the next chapter. He put some natural gifts/skills/talents in you that He wants to use and He wants you to use, too.

Don't be a drop out. Don't drop out of the story, as Paul Miller says in The Praying Life.
You've only finished one chapter. Don't assume there isn't a developing plot. The story He is fulfilling in you is uniquely yours. Just because you don't follow the college --> marriage --> baby track back to back does not mean that God isn't happy with you. Don't take his silence as a sign of his displeasure.

Meaning in chaos.

2011-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

It is so easy to let it all slide at night.
As a mom, your life is nothing but work. Life keeps going and you still have more to do.
So I turn on the T.V. and just unplug for just a few minutes.

But there is a subtle problem. Has television become my alternative? Television can become my subtle educator if I let it. Without discernment and determination, entertainment replaces intellect.

I, too, love relaxing to a good movie, and enjoy laughing at the (some great) new sitcoms these evenings. But if I stop fighting for my brain, it will get lost. Trust me, it will. I mean, what could be more self-insulting than to choosing to become more and more stupid and out-of-touch?

So I read. At least I try. I live in Arizona, where we don't have a good local newspaper, so I have to find other ways to stretch my brain. Some options are:
- I read my husband's books (guaranteed brain stretchers)
- I read my husband's magazine (because The Economist quickly reaches towards a global perspective)
- I read my husband's other magazine, Fast Company (so that I don't look stupid when people talk about the impact of say, Job's death on the business world)
- I try to read well written blogs.

The other night, we had a visitor in our bible study. He is a physicist and told us how much he loves the intersection of math, theology and music. Wow. He argued that as a former atheist, he used to believe life in light of entropy . I thought Oh yeah! I know that word! I know what it means! Yeah! I felt so smart. That feeling quickly faded as he so clearly explained why it can't be true. He reminded us that although science argues that all things tend towards chaos, they fail to say that it only remains true in a closed system. A world without God does fall to chaos.

In my life, I may not understand quantum physics, but I can understand chaos.
And I can understand how things fall to disorder (noted: my newly cleaned chair cushions were clean for exactly two hours while the kids were napping; and then Grant promptly leaned over and imprinted a perfect impression of his chubby little chocolate face on to the white cushion-- why do I have white again?!?)

But things like entropy and math and politics, help me to remember that I have to keep learning. I can love God and know Him better when I think. Entropy reminds me that God is actively inserting himself into creation. He is with us. And life may seem to fall apart, but chaos is not God's final outcome.

Ready for your brain challenge? Do you know what this is? Try this blogger out-- she loves math and theology and she challenges us to really think here.

Why I cherish her.

2011-10-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

She was supposed to be napping.
I was on the phone getting advice from another girlfriend.
I heard her say, Mommy, I need to go potty and I said okay.
But I forgot to listen for the sound of the door closing indicating her return to her room.
After twenty minutes of quiet, while I was still on the phone, it registered.
Is she in her room, asleep?! Wow! That would be nice for once.
I go upstairs to check.
Nope. Nowhere to be seen, but traces of her everywhere.
Makeup dust on my counter.
File folders strewn across the office floor.

I call her.
And then the smell registers.
Nail polish.
I yell. Tell me where you are RIGHT NOW!
I hear her little voice tell me she right here.
Right behind the white couch in my room.
With the red nail polish bottle.
All over her.
But only one drop on the tan carpet.

Little miracles.
Little mercies in the midst of messes.
Half a bottle on her and the window.
None on the white couch.
None on the new curtains.
Nothing permanent on the walls.
Only one drop of red polish on the carpet.

I couldn't punish her. She was just trying to make her hair red for Halloween (she is going to be a modest mermaid). Not that she has seen the movie Little Mermaid, but she knows her hair is supposed to be red.

I am freshly reminded of how precious she is as a girl.

This was me when she was born. I didn't know what sex she was. But my wish was born. All I had wanted was a girl. I read something so shocking different today. Michael Stokes Paulsen comments on the ethical debate in progress today on sex-selective abortions, stating,

Sex-selection abortion occurs in America, too, and the practice is likely to increase. In August, a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that a simple blood test seven weeks into pregnancy can reliably identify the sex of the child. Watch for a spike in abortion rates over the next few years as parents find it easier and cheaper to “choose” to have a boy by killing the fetus if—in a bitter reversal of an expression of joy—“it’s a girl.”

Under the current laws on abortion, a woman can abort for any reason, even if it is for sex-selection.

For me, I cannot imagine life without Kate.
Even her three year-old wiles do not deter me from saying that I have always been glad she was a girl.

Work at...Nutrition

2011-10-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love food? As a dietitian, I love nutritious foods. But as a caterer and not-so-secret fan of butter, I love good food.

Good foods comes at a price though. As we head into the holidays (Halloween to New Years generally generates a lovely five pound gain), consider how you take thought for nutrition, despite the busy season. Are taking care of your health with some good tasting, but good-for-you foods?

I have been seeing a lot of clients lately in my private practice who are having problems controlling their insulin levels, and thus, their weight. One of the ways you can start doing this is by cutting down on your refined carbohydrate intake (i.e. sugar intake).

Although I advocate for carbohydrates all the time, weight loss is easily achieved by following a modified low-carbohydrate diet (for those of you looking for more specifics, just email me here for a free handout). Some of the challenges of these kinds of dietary modifications is that you really miss some textures, especially the crunchy one.

Here are three popular crunchy recipes I give clients when they are trying to follow this diet: Two of them use seasonal fall vegetables for salty crisp additions to your salads or snacks and one of them is a new way to think of chicken fingers.

from all recipes.com
Baked Kale Chips
1 bunch of kale, washed and thoroughly dried
1 Tbsp olive oil or olive oil spray
1 tsp. pink sea salt (or other rougher texture salts)

Lay kale in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper. Spray or sprinkle kale with olive oil. Bake at 350 preheated over for 10 to 15 minutes until brown, without edges burning. You may need to turn and shake the pan several time to ensure even baking. Remove from oven and sprinkle with salt.

These add a great crunch to boring salads that are missing their croutons.

Crispy Leek Rings
2 leeks, thinly sliced (only whites and light green parts)
Cooking oil spray
Pink sea salt

Lay out thinly sliced rings on a baking sheet lined with Silpat or parchment paper. Separate rings as much as possible and spread in a single layer. Spray with cooking spray or olive oil. Toss to coat. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, turning frequently, until onions are brown. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with salt and let cool.

Lastly, an old favorite, that replaces bread crumbs with almond flour

Almond Chicken Fingers
1 lb chicken tenders, tendons removed
Wet mix: Whole milk yogurt, about 1 cup mixed with 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Dry rub: 1 1/2 cups almond flour (I use Trader Joes-- not too finely ground)
1 tsp pink sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Herbs de Provence

Heat oven to 400 degrees F and place oven rack in middle-high position. Dip chicken pieces in yogurt mixture to coat. Then roll individually in dry mix until covered. Shake excess dry rub off before laying each coated piece on a baking sheet covered in non-stick foil or parchment paper. Spray all the coated tenders with a non-stick spray or drizzle with olive oil. Season again with salt. Bake for 20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and almonds begin to brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

The yogurt coating keeps the chicken moist and tender and the cornstarch add minimal carbohydrates to the overall meal. The carbohydrates contributed by the yogurt is less than one might think as the proteins cook in the heat similar to the effect of heat on milk as you make cheese.

Enjoy!

Beholding him loved

2011-10-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

As I sat on the floor yesterday afternoon picking up the memorabilia that Kate was exploring, I flipped through old cards. Most of them are from my childhood-- from grandparents now dead. In this past year as we have struggled along under financial and emotional stress, I find myself wishing they were alive still. I want to call and ask them, "How did you get through it?" and "What did you do to survive?" or "What will I wish later that I should have done?"

The words of the elderly are always so comforting, even if just from reading old "Happy Birthday" sentiments. It reminded me that I am so loved. If I look from their perspective, my life wouldn't be just about a dirt backyard, an untended tree and my old, broken van. They would be so proud of me. They would see things the way they really stand.

I find myself crying out to God, yesterday afternoon on the floor of my guest room, weeping silently as my daughter slept above me on the bed. Tears came again this morning when I called my only living grandparent, my 80 year old Grandma. I was so discouraged. Not only was my neighbor renovating away, reminding me of how we haven't gotten to anything new in our house in almost three years, but our van needs repairs (again) for the third time in less than four months. Should I let $150 dollars get to me? No, but it does. We have spent an unlikely amount on our cars this year. In my life it IS all about the money, by not having.

I keep coming back to Oswald Chambers quote from My Utmost For His Highest, September 28th, devotional :

"Then Jesus beholding him loved him." (Luke 14:26) The look of Jesus will mean a heart broken for ever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked at you? The look of Jesus transforms and transfixes.

I can be real with God. I can hate every penny we have spent on our van this year and I can cringe that I spent so much time away from my kids to pay for it. But one look from Jesus reminds me. I am loved. Just like the old birthday cards reminded me of how much all those grandparents loved and rejoiced over me, He still does.

I am loved.

I am looked upon.

I am changed.

It is hardest to say "Hallelujah" when it hurts.I am reposting this great link from my friend, Carolyn.

Work at...

2011-10-22T09:13:00.021-07:00

Reading.
One challenge in my life is to keep reading--and in my busy life it becomes tricky. When? Ususally when the ids are bathing or during their naps (when I need a rest and not to get chores dones) and at night before bed. The other part of the challenge is what books??? My favorite source for less than junk writing is a magazine called Bas Bleu. I love their suggestions.
My new current/favorite reads are:
Tailor, Tinker, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre (takes a long time to get going, but very suspenseful)
all of the books by Kate Morton (great beach read if you want something light)
Unbroken by Laura Hilldebrand
Team of Rivals: the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln (see my sidebar-- long but interesting)
Grapes of Wrath by John Steinback (I know, why did it take me so long to get to it???)
The other challenge is to find good books for my kids, not the run-of-the-mill books, but interesting stories to engage their minds. Grant is at that age 18 months where he doesn't want to sit still but he still wants the experience of holding the books. Count so far-- Grant = 2, Library books = 0; this library experience is not turning out to be cheaper than buying my own books. But Kate is fascinated right now. Especially since we found a new section where they keep the fairy-tales. Nothing like wolves and witches to keep them engaged...

Amos and Boris by William Stieg
Lon Po Po by Ed Young
Once a Mouse by Marcia Brown
Big and Small, Room for All by Jo Ellen Bogart
The Costume Party by Victoria Chase
Jack and the Beanstalk by Steven Kellogg
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle
Little Red Riding Hood retold and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
St Goerge and the Dragon retold by Margaret Hodges
Peter and the Wolf by Vladimir Vagin
Rapunzel by Jacoband Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by Dorothee Duntze
Cinderella illustrated by Charles Parrault

Life + Church

2011-10-20T20:56:00.000-07:00

Within the past three years I have seen a lot more conflict than every before in my life + church. Growing up, I was trained in an atmosphere of incredible enthusiasm for the gospel and raw humility that gave me a deep loyalty to church. I have always felt like an alumni to a famous school, where history and loyalty run equally deep. Church, however, has never been a place to live in spiritual optimism. Conflict is inevitable.

That's when you have to go back to your roots.

I was reading my daughter a book today about trees. It describes the root system as something that grounds you. My church experience, no matter how imperfect, grounds me. As an adult, I can look back and say, "Sure. Not everything was great. Not everything they did was right or perfect." But you know what I can't do? I can't pull up all those roots. My church experience, all of the good and all of the less-than-perfect, is rooted.

You should know a good church when you go back to God's word in the midst of conflict. I am grateful that all my "spiritual DNA", like my friend Carolyn say, tells me to go back to those roots--right doctrine.

Right doctrine is inescapable when you run in to conflict. Youthful optimism says that all problems can and will be fully resolved. But over time, you know it just takes time. God's word tells us that true wisdom means you can live without complete resolution.

I started living with understanding less when I was 17 and my best friend and her family left our church family. I started living with less friends after my own church went through some difficult changes two years ago. And I am going to grieve but accept the loss of even more stability as the church organization I grew up in struggles.

This is not easy. My best friend suffered. I lost friends. And now I am seeing the pastor and his wife who married my in-laws, my own parents and then me and my husband have to leave the church where we all met. All I can do is sink my roots into God's word. Then I know I can learn to allow winds to blow and droughts to come because I know life + church is adding another ring of growth.

I love what these writers have to say here about church.

The Church is THE plan God has for sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with the world. There is no Plan B. The Church is the Bride of Christ. There is no second wife. The Church, these sinners we find in pews and chairs next to us on Sundays, they are the Church. These people you cannot stand because of their hypocrisy, their judgment, their rejection, THEY are the Bride of Christ. Just like you and I in our hypocrisy, judgment, and rejection of them and of others are the Bride of Christ.
It is time we stopped being surprised by what we find inside these buildings. These buildings ARE full of sinners. These buildings ARE full of broken people. These buildings ARE full of people who are just as desperately in need of a Savior as you or I. It should come as no surprise, and yet we continue to use the brokenness of others as a reason to leave church*, as a reason to say, “I’m a Christ-follower, but I’m not a Christian,” or, “I’m a Christian, but I don’t go to church.”
The Church is not perfect, but it IS God’s perfect plan for sharing the Gospel with the world. We can choose to enter into that identity as His Bride, aware of its brokenness, aware that Christ shows up in broken places, or we can continue to sow division, trying to separate ourselves from THOSE Christians. But that does not change who the Church is. The Church is not perfect, but it IS the Bride of Christ. -Haley

New Title : Home + Work

2011-10-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

This blog isn't just a chronicle anymore. After six years, it isn't just the story of my journey from Maryland to Arizona. It is the modern version of a journal. I think we all need to know why we blog, which is what I wrote about here. As I was brewing about this whole idea, this quote surfaced back to me this morning as I lay in bed: We can never live rightly until we think rightly.

We have to get our priorities in order. It helps me to balance the many demands on my life, because I can't live without listening for God's voice to help me choose the most important things. For me, my true life starts with my inner, religious self. Then it grows outward. Where I see God at work is not just the secret and inward, but in the continuous growth that spirals around and outward from there.

I am trying to say that God is all about our real life. As a women, my life calling as a daughter of Christ is first expressed in the relationships closest to me. The avenue for this as a woman is in the home-- not the physical building but the idea of a community. For me, as a married woman, this means my husband first; then, as a mother, it means building relationship with my children. It also has direct application to the relationship around us in our church community, our neighborhoods, our local community.

I believe that our other sphere of influence is work. Women may or may not work in a professional sense. But they are always working. If you think about it, life is work. God intended it this way when he called us to subdue the earth in Genesis. Even if you are not a religious person, you can still see the reality of this in the world around us.

How do you, reader, view your life? Do you see life as home + work? What are the categories you use?

Work at...

2011-10-18T20:13:00.000-07:00

This begins a series on things I am passionate to work on.
No particular order. Just a series of topics and hobbies that I love.
It's not to brag. It's to celebrate.

I think we all understand our role in this world to create order-- whether it's cleaning a bathroom or getting ahead at work. However, it can be easy to forget to celebrate the Creator God who has given us each a unique set of natural gifts and skills that He has grown in us throughout our lives in little, creative ways. It can be easy to ignore these as we focus intently on our roles-- as woman, wife, mother, sister, daughter, church member. However, I am a fervent believer in continuing to grow; not just in the function of creating order around us, but in the creative, the risks, the intellect, the spirit, the qualities that God uniquely gives us as humans. If we merely live by order, we mechanize our lives into the mundane, and then I find myself wondering why I feel so depressed.

Do you find yourself giving up on having your own pursuits just trying to keep order?

It doesn't even have to be something that profound. For me, I took out the sewing machine last week.
I have always loved to sew since my Grandmother taught me at eight. However, sewing and children don't really mix quite yet in the toddler phase. It's not like my children were running around with ten inch scissors or anything.

I am still sewing. During naps and little times when they are occupied. I've made a couple alterations. And two Halloween costumes.

Here's my little guy. (Or, not so little.)
Ps. Thanks Grandma for the fabric and the skills and the sewing machine...and everything else.

It's good to remind myself how fulfilling creativity is and how God intended us to rejoice in the use of our faculties (however small or good or not so.

Checks and balances.

2011-10-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

A recent radio broadcast caught my attention. A report from NPR spoke of a Saudi woman, where it is illegal for a woman to drive getting behind the wheel, because she believes she had to take a stand for the next generation. She couldn't imagine the next generation of women not being able to drive. This woman was doing something and communicating passionately about the difference she could make.

When I think of passionate women throughout history, many names come to mind. Start with women from the Bible and you get bold Abigail and courageous Mary Magdalene. In American history, we recognize Abigail Adams as a founding mother and Harriet Tubman for her persistent work against slavery. Around the world we have examples of women who are making strides against injustice and social inequality. Even the impoverished woman who is choosing to send her daughter to school is making a bold statement about how she wants to change the world.

These women are making a difference by choosing carefully what they do and what they say as defined by what they value.

In our comfortable lives in the United States, it can be easy to forget and ignore the privilege we women have of equality and justice. I believe that our privileges allow us to promote our calling as Christian women; but we should steward this gift wisely. We should not be so quick to ignore how we can and should make a difference in the world.

When I say to make a difference in the world, I am actually applauding all the expressions of our passions and natural gifts as well as work. If I am passionate about nutrition, then I should teach it to others. If you have a beautiful eye for photography, then enlighten us! If you are awesome at cutting hair, then come fix mine! There is nothing more inspiring that someone passionate and gifted who shares their gifts.

This is why the internet is such a double edged sword-- there are many gifts to be shared. It is like what the Bible has to say about the tongue-- it can be used for great good and great evil. The internet offers us the possibility to communicate to large amounts of people lots of information. I think it is so easy to get dragged into just the simple problem of comparing what I am good at with others.

But.

We can also change the world. Even if it's just a slight improvement.

All I needed was a cute little picture of a child in a cute outfit while I stare at my grungy one in hand-me-downs and it changed my perspective.

Have you thought about what you spend your time doing and communicating? I am asking myself these questions as well. Is my online presence and participation meaningful? Do I use it for good, or just get dragged into feeling like my life is grungy, boring and meaningless compared to everyone else's world.

How do you, reader, keep your digital presence true with checks and balances?

Underneath it all

2011-10-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

I am always asking the "why" questions? As I have been blogging over the past few days, I have gone with my gut on the overall principles of the Bible on communication. This morning as I read Oswald Chambers, I was led to a verse I think really illustrates what I have expressed.

" If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. "
(John 7:17-18 ESV, emphasis mine)

As we think about both developing and communicating our passions as well as exemplifying a gospel-oriented heart, Jesus gives us words to use.

Blogging isn't wrong. Pintrest isn't bragging. Facebook isn't just voyeurism. Social media and digital communication can be used for good. There are so many ways to use it for good. What I have been speaking about is to develop your own conscience about communication.

Jesus encourages us to differentiate between seeking our own glory and God's glory. He also makes it clear that there is danger in speaking with misplaced self-authority. I think we can avoid falsehood as the trap of digital communication, while still communicating the beauty we find in our lives with the world.

What are your guiding principles for using social media and digital communication as a part of your life? What are the traps of it for you, reader?

Developing a passion

2011-10-08T15:05:00.000-07:00

What I said about not boasting in my previous post does not mean I think that women should just blog about spiritual matters. I think it is essential to a Godly woman to develop her sense of calling, and then to communicate passionately about her calling. Therein lies a complete difference between communicating your life and what you are passionate about instead of boasting about what you wish you could be, do or make.

A woman's calling is not primarily defined by relationship-- wife, mother or so forth. It is the calling of woman as a daughter of God. It is having a sense of her Creator and her creation as a woman with natural inclinations and skills. The expression of those, let us call them talents, is natural. If a woman is aware of her source, that God created her with those abilities, then there isn't much room to boast.

How many women do you know that have a sure sense of calling?
Yesterday, I spoke freely on what I sense is a warped sense of calling-- the call of a Christian woman to create and communicate a perfect impression of womanhood. The perfect body, the perfect marriage, the perfect children, the perfect home.

Even secular women have given up on this ideal. It seems like Christian women are still holding out that they can do it all. We think we have to embody the ideal Proverbs 31 woman, who was in fact, not really based on one woman after all but the best idea of a woman King Lemuel should marry.

This is where developing a passionate sense of calling becomes essential.

I can't do it all. But if I keep the priorities of what I am passionate about first (as under God's authority, of course), I am less like to burn out. I am passionate about my husband, my children, cooking, and nutrition. A clean house is very important to me, but I'll be the first one to admit that you work far too hard to keep it that way against insurmountable odds. If I had the money, I would totally pay a cleaning lady. And I did this summer when I had to work 2-3 days a week.

So my floors are dirty. Again. It is impossible to keep up with it all. If dirty floors aren't that important to me, then I can free myself up from irrational guilt and move on to the more important things.

Are you staying passionate about the things you are skilled in? Have you given up because you feel like it is crowded out by the urgent matters of life? I would love to hear how you inspire passionate living in your life and professions...

Absence

2011-10-06T07:28:00.000-07:00

When I thought about blogging over the past six months, I must admit, I cringed.

It seemed like just another thing to do.

And the glory seemed to have passed. I mean, let's admit, it's not like there isn't a hundred of avenues of digital media to attend to.We have Pintrest, we have Facebook, we have Twitter, we have photo-sharing, among other things. There are so many ways to share. I mean, I have been doing this for seven years now.

So what's the point? No, absence doesn't just make the heart grow fonder. I have come back to blog because I believe in it.

Why? It is the why that brings me back. Communication for the Christian is a core value to community. If we stop communicating, we stop connecting.

The reasons I have not blogged have been numerous-- computer problems, crises, travel, children-- but ultimately, I have shied away from blogging is the atmosphere of boasting. In our modern age, communication through digital media can become shameless self-promotion. Especially, I find, among Christian women. We blog about our seemingly wonderful life, we post pictures of our perfect home projects, we share digitally-enhanced photos of our babies, we link to recipes that make us look healthier than we really are, and promote our opinions in fields where we have limited scope of knowledge. It started to disgust me.

I say, yes, let's share. I want to blog. I want to post cute pictures. I love Martha Stewart projects. I want to Tweet pithy statements. I love spying on old friends through Facebook.

But in order for me to do something I must know why. I have to define why I do something. Communication for me must have a purpose-- "building one another up". Also, I have to be honest about myself. I have been draw back to blogging by reading secular blogs by people who don't hide their true selves in the process of writing. Let's not hide our true selves by projecting a perfect image. Christians know, of anyone, that we are not perfect.

I want to blog not because I want to boast about my perfections; I want to draw people into my real life. I want to communicate Who makes my life meaningful and gives me purpose. In the absence of God, digital communication can start to look like a Pintrest of glossy ideals that don't reflect the desperate woman that I am for God to help me get out of my workout clothes and speak kind words to my children.

So, if anyone is still following, I hope you'll read.

Summer Planning.

2011-05-24T20:47:00.002-07:00

My mother always made us new plans for the summer. It included summer reading lists, new chore lists and the fun planned activities or classes.

So Kate is now signed up for Princess Dance for July. And I found a reading list I will be working off for a while here. I would put a beautiful picture of a stacked books [here]. But my computer isn't up for it.

Still waiting Peter.

My kind brother is sending me his old, but newer than mine, laptop.

So while I am in exile from a truly working computer, I will just post the link to this awesome book list I found for the 3-5 year old range..

Lastly, I completed this photo version of a chore list for Kate, which I'll post as a generic one so that you can freely steal. I am giving her one penny for each daily chore she does and a nickel for doing some of the harder chores. And at the end of the week I plan on paying her from our large change bucket so that she can "save" and buy something at the end of the month.

Our fun summer activities include:
1) The Phoenix Zoo (it has a water park too)
2) The Phoenix Children's Museum
3) Sleepovers with friends
4) Storytime on Thursday at Barnes and Noble. I plan on trying to purchase a small book each time we go since we are enrolled in their kids program and it gives a discount. It will make it more exciting to "find" a book and bring it home, since we always get library books.

More sticky situations

2011-05-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

For those of you who read my article on eating sugar in moderation, here is another interesting chapter in this sweet debate.

Agave nectar has been hotly debated lately and, for good reason, as it is derived by a heat process and is in fact processed no differently in our bodies than other simple sugars.

Here is a very interesting (albeit technical) article and rebuttal from an owner of a company that produces agave nectar.

Happy Birthday Little Man

2011-05-13T09:47:00.001-07:00

Guess who is one today?

Our little moose has gotten a little skinnier with the flu this past week, but we every ounce just as much!

Sufficient.

2011-04-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

Things were very different six years ago.

People used to say, "What's a blog?" when I moved to Arizona and started writing online. What I said was very popular for a while. Because not too many people were blogging.

Then came the kids. Written communication takes time to craft. When you have two kids two years apart, you don't have much time. Even nap times become less reliable sources of "free time" because your chances of being uninterrupted are reduced exponentially by a boy, a girl and a dog.

So, instead of twenty posts a month, I am down to four or five.

I feel this issue has two sides: the essence of relationship and the essential nature of information. Electronic information is not going away. It is becoming more essential every day. But, I have begun to feel this pull in the opposite direction at the same time as the blog world, the information age and the electronic overload exist. I feel the need for real. Not a Tweet. Not a status update. Not a text. Real people. Real conversations. Real topics. I just always want to remember the purpose for communication is building. Information means nothing to me if it does not build something or someone.

Martin Luther is quoted for saying, "If one wants to change the world, he must pick up his pen". I too believe in communication.

I also believe communication must be balanced with silence.

So I write less. I post a few pictures for my grandmother. I am busy with life, the real parts. I try to build reality even if it is with my scrub brush and bleach. I aim to strengthen the relationships around me.

I could feel guilty in this age of information--but in the end it doesn't matter how many blogs I follow, or if I know the world news everyday, or I haven't learned the latest free coupon+sale price. I remember to keep building and that is sufficient.

The Three Amigos

2011-04-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

At Drew's Soccer Party

The First Sleepover and our Garden Desserts

Easter Morning at Starbucks

A Sticky Topic: Is Sugar Toxic?

2011-04-20T07:36:00.002-07:00

My brother sent me this article in the NYTimes.com which raises the question by scientist and speaker, Robert Lustig.

My brother asked me: "Do you think sugar is toxic?"

As a registered dietitian, I know for a fact that glucose and fructose are NOT toxic. God would not have made it so that 50% or so of our calories must come from carbohydrates if he did not intend for us to eat foods with glucose and fructose in them.

This speaker makes a very valid point in his You Tube video.

However, I would argue that both honey and sugar have been around since ancient times (refer to Wikipedia's article on sugar here). We know they are toxic.

But Lustig's argument has some validity as he argues that the amount of sugar, in both glucose and fructose form, when they hit the liver in great enough quantities, trigger the liver to make fat.

I like this part of the article, which quotes another noteable scientist on this topic:

What we have to keep in mind, says Walter Glinsmann, the F.D.A. administrator who was the primary author on the 1986 report and who now is an adviser to the Corn Refiners Association, is that sugar and high-fructose corn syrup might be toxic, as Lustig argues, but so might any substance if it’s consumed in ways or in quantities that are unnatural for humans. The question is always at what dose does a substance go from being harmless to harmful? How much do we have to consume before this happens? (emphasis mine)

Lustig recognizes that his view on sugar as toxic is extreme by conceding that the question is whether they’re “chronic toxins,” which means “not toxic after one meal, but after 1,000 meals.” I think we can boil this sticky argument down to one principle:

Moderation.

The phrase I have coined over the years in my field is based on this Biblical principle:

Moderation, not elimination, without excess.

The application is that we need to take what we know from science and research seriously, but with grace. So that means having the occasional cookie. But it does not mean allowing a gracious view of a potential vice to become consistent and allowable, like a cookie every day.

My little mover.

2011-03-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that our little man is moving. He joins his sister in the 10 month walker club.

According to my brother...

2011-03-16T14:33:00.000-07:00

He's still got game after all those years :) It was so nice to have him visit us the other day on his way home from Sacramento. Kate especially liked your pink socks. Can't wait to see you again. Hopefully more than business will bring you back soon.

Rotations of foods, continued.

2011-03-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

In response to my last post, another person asked this question:

I read your latest post and was interested in reading your answer and was wondering what the source was for your answer. This is a topic I have found very interesting because the holistic practitioner I see does tests on a machine called an Asyra and often finds foods that we are not allergic to, but just have to rotate. These foods change a lot and she has told me just to be careful to rotate through foods and not eat too much of the same thing in a given week. Outwardly we had no signs that we were not tolerating these foods, they just showed up when tested. It's interesting, because I didn't tell her what I was eating and in thinking back, I realized that I had eaten a lot of the food that showed up.
I have also heard that eating the same foods consistently can sometimes create allergies.
Have you heard any of this before?
Thanks for letting me pick your brain! Crossing over into the holistic world has been interesting and since some of it seems to work, but has no scientific backing, I'm trying to filter through things, but a lot of times, it's just hard to come up with solid evidence.

I guess I need to expound on my initial comments on the idea of intolerance to certain foods due to overuse!

I strongly agree with the principle of rotation. Most people typically buy the same 20 items and eat those very consistently, and this isn't optimal nutrition. Good nutrition principles include rotation, variety and moderation. This is the practical application of eating seasonally as much as possible.

I typically ascribe to a philosophy on nutrition summarized this way:
Moderation not elimination without excess.
This means that you should use a moderate, not extreme approach to nutrition. I believe this is biblical. There is no biblical basis for an "optimal" diet. In fact, Paul specifically warns people against using their dietary restrictions as a basis for superiority. I believe in wise nutrition and avoiding eating things that are harmful to your body. The parameters for using wisdom are very individual-- generally, most people benefit from eating a diet high in nutrient-rich foods and less in volume overall.

I also am a very firm believer that good nutrition means nothing if you are not physically active. Putting supreme gas in a high end sport car does nothing if you don't drive.

Most of all, I must reiterate/agree with you that holistic and traditional medicine are still both PRACTICES, not sciences. Most time people go astray in nutrition because, in my opinion, they are caught up in the "proof", when we have to remember all medicine is practiced based on best known practices, not absolutes.

There are very few things that are absolute in nutrition. Every year we learn additional, new evidence about certain chemical properties in food that are helpful or harmful to our body. It can seem at times like science contradicts itself. All we can choose to do is obey Him, eating with a faith-filled, wise approach.Sifting through all the information out there can be daunting. I believe we can choose to live in the good of what we do know is true and live in wonder, knowing that God knows all the million microscopic reasons for his edible creation.

According to...

2011-03-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

doctor "x"--
Here is a question I received from a friend about nutrition. I thought people might be interested in the answer:

I have a question for you. This may sound strange, but are there health complications or consequences of eating the same food many days in a row (ie eating an apple each day as a snack during the work week)?

I just met with a doctor and he said that his problems are probably due to eating some of the same foods many days in a row. So he said if you have chicken on Monday not to have it again until Friday. That just didn't sound right to me so wanted to pick your brain :)

This was my answer:

The only scientific reason for not eating the same group of foods (like the same 20 items) every day is that you are missing the variety of nutrients from the variety of foods we have available. There is no scientific basis, unless for allergy reasons, that the same types of foods are not tolerated repetitively. However, it is good to have a variety; for instance, chicken has a totally different nutrient/mineral profile than beef-- beef being richer in B vitamins and iron--and an orange has a lot more potassium than an apple. These are just examples but you were correct in being suspicious. Repetition has also been clinically proven to be beneficial for defined periods of time in weight reduction/management.

9 Months Old

2011-02-13T06:00:00.003-07:00

Look at this guy...his newest accomplishment is all those (six!) pearly whites.

More new recipes.

2011-02-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe, Bombay Style Sloppy Joes was fantastic. Especially if you are looking to add something just slightly different to your month. We really enjoyed the slightly spicy, very flavorful variation to traditional sloppy joes.

New Year. another new recipe.

2011-02-06T10:40:00.002-07:00

I am trying to add some soups to my repertoire. This one popped up in 101 Cookbooks called, A Luxurious and Deeply Aromatic Noodle dish, that we tried and really enjoyed. I added some raw shrimp as well as some shelled edamame and carrots carrots to the broth to increase the satisfaction around here. Even Grant like it!

Sehnsucht

2011-02-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Read this blog.
I just finished reading her book, and it has won my heart with its poetry and prose, the content and the disclosure. She is an amazing gift herself as a writer and a champion of true Christian joy in life.
Ever heard of sehnsucht? It is a word that describes a deep longing, a mania, a true yearning--and I ran across this word in both her writing and Tim Keller's book, Prodigal God. As I finished both of these books this week I was so excited to read how they both use this German word to describe our need to fill our longings with that which is eternal. Ann though gives us a great way to begin living that way, by giving thanks. So I too, along with a body of believers, am looking for God's blessings in each and every moment, both beautiful and ugly, and trying to see it as a reflection of His goodness.

New year. New recipe.

2011-01-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed this recipe, Caramelized Black Pepper Chicken, with Travis' brother and his girlfriend the other night. I enjoyed it but it was a little sweet for my taste. I will probably reduce the sugar next time. I served it with rice and a mixed stir fry of Asian vegetables.

Children's Books

2011-01-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

This post is for Nicole, who asked me a million years ago to post some book recommendations. I am always looking for great children's literature for Kate and I to read. I started my search with some of the Caldecott Honor and Caldecott Award books, and included looking for seasonally appropriate ones. I have been really excited about a few finds. My new favorite is called Owl Moon by Jan Yolen. It is such a wonderful book with a wonderful message at the end that says, "Sometimes you don't need words. All you need is hope."

I have really fallen in love with the writing in the Stella books as well, especially Stella: Fairy of the Forest by Marie-Louise Gay. She has a real wit that kids get, at least mine.. There is a whole series with Sam and Stella as well and we have enjoyed some of the other ones as well. This is nice if you are a little sick of Angelina Ballerina.

My other favorite discovery has been a book called, When It Starts to Snow by Phillis Gershator. I just love the way he writes and tells the story. Great rhyming and cute, cute illustrations.

Some new ones I have also found that are really age appropriate for the 2 year olds are:

A Tree is Nice
My Friend Rabbit. This one is quite funny and has great illustrations.

Some other new classics in our house are:
Llama Llama Red Pajama
A House is a House for Me

Joseph had a Little Overcoat
One Fine Day
How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight.

New year, new recipes.

2011-01-24T10:38:00.002-07:00

This menu is a little bit more work but an awesome special occasion recipe that we tried for Travis' birthday dinner called Blackened Swordfish with Sweet Potato Crab Hash. Although I had to shorten the recipe a bit by using store-purchased BBQ sauce, I plan on making the Voodoo sauce sometime because it looks so good. Travis and I practically licked the sauce off our plates. If you are looking for a recipe for your husband that doesn't involve beef but satisfies...this is it.

He is discipling me?

2011-01-22T06:24:00.000-07:00

I read a great quote in Timothy Keller's book Prodigal God that reminded me that the point of knowing Jesus is becoming more like him. I have heard this before, but as I thought about it again, I applied it to my current greatest challenge-- mothering--and it shed new light on the Christian walk for me.

It occurred to me, "What if the whole point of mothering--the training, disciplining, correcting, and instructing-- is really to make me more like Christ?" Of course I have understood sanctification through my circumstances in the past, but it suddenly came to light for me. As a mother, the endless times I am instructing, I am being taught to be like Christ. The countless times of disciplining, I am being disciplined myself in righteousness. The repetition of my words is working in me faith. The endless conversation with my kids is the word of God being worked into me.

It might not be new. But it was realized in a fresh way to me. The job of motherhood, especially to little ones, can be very wearying. There is usually less than one hour a day where someone is not crying or needing me. The joy in this life though is that this is the current circumstance which is drawing me closer to God, making me love Him more, and it is teaching me to be more Christ-like.

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.~ 2 Corinthians 3:18

New Year. New recipes.

2011-01-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Don't you get stuck in the same recipe rut? I love variety and generally have a large recipe repertoire; but I am just like everyone else-- I need to spice it up once in a while.

I will be posting some of my new favorite for you to try along with me.

Here is a new everyday recipe for one of those meatless nights off of 101cookbooks called Giant White Chipotle Beans. What makes it special and fresh is the gooey, creamy queso fresco, the toasted breadcrumbs and the cilantro pesto poured over it at the end.

6, 7 and 8 months.

2011-01-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

Look at my not so little guy. He's growing up so quickly. He went from rocking on all fours. He followed his sister by going from crawling to pulling up in two short weeks. His favorite position is sitting on and pushing up on one leg with the other one stretched out in front---he is ready for action!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T06:00:00.012-07:00

Our gift to you. Hopefully will be a smile :) You've seen one family shot in the blog title, but here are a few favorite that hopefully will bring you a little joy from our family.

Favorite Books for 2010

2010-12-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

For the first time in my life, I have not read very many books this year. I have managed to snag a few good ones, though, on recommendations from either Bas Bleu or from my mom and friends. Starting from the newest to oldest.
A semi-fictional war novel, Every Man Dies Alone, is based on a husband and wife who stage simple resistance in Nazi Germany. The author, Hans Fallada, tells a simple story with simple, yet appropriate prose and pace that draws you deeply into its characters and their inevitable deaths.

This book, Half Broke Horses, drew me in with funny, gritty stories of a fascinating woman in Arizona around the Great Depression. I loved learning about the history of Arizona as well as the amazing resilience of the author's great grandmother. This one was probably my favorite of the year.

I read also this thriller by Sarah Waters called, The Little Stranger, which was a little out of my typical genre, but still well written if you like suspense and drama.

Another good one this year was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It is a very interesting novel written about the women on both sides of society in Jackson,Mississippi during the civil rights movement. (Note: it has some adult situations in it)

For something humorous, try Mennonite in a Little Black Dress, by Rhoda Janzen. It isn't serious writing, and tells a self-discovery story that we have heard a few times; yet, she has some really funny stories that will make you laugh.

My spiritual highlights this year were these three books. Edges of His Ways by Amy Carmichael was perfect for those mornings when the coffee just wasn't strong enough, yet I needed some rich spiritual food to keep me going through the day.

The Praying Life by Paul Miller has become my new top five spiritual books. His words were so helpful and inspiring to really see God in a fresh way in my spiritual communion. It has been very uplifting as my family has fought to keep our faith strong during my father's depression.

Lastly, my other favorite, was by an old favorite, Elyse Fitzpatrick, called Because He Loves Me. I find her writing to be much "thicker" than a typical woman author. She has a lot of deep ideas about God's radical love for us and how it can transform our thinking about God.

Looking forward to new books this year as well, when I will pick up my tradition of reading one great big fat classic novel as well as other books along the way...

Any suggestions out there for this year's classic novel that no one ever reads or finishes?

Our other child

2010-12-17T15:04:00.000-07:00

Meet our dog.
Princeton.
He's one.
Which in dog years means he is still a child :)
We love him.
Especially the kids.

(Sorry but this is the best picture I could get of him...a quickly moving object :)

Follow the Spark

2010-12-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

I picked up this book my friend had at her house the other day and ran across this phrase:

Follow the spark

Following the spark is a concept that this author applies to mothering small children. What a great phrase to reinvent our time with our children during the holidays! If you are like me, you need an attitude adjustment, some elves, a cleaning lady, a personal assistant and a make-over to get through the holidays. When you have little ones crawling and taking off your tree ornaments, feeding your cookie dough to the dog and wiping faces, hands and bums a hundred times a day, it doesn't make for a lot of free time to accomplish all your holiday wish lists.

Those lists are just wishes. Not everything is crucial. If we follow the spark of what is amazing to our children we will stop. We will pause with them. We will rejoice in their little moments. Their perspective is so fresh. Usually I try to just grit though it and GET IT DONE. I want to follow their sparks of joy, wonder, delight and interest in the next few weeks. Christmas can be a true spark to rejoice in our mothering.

If you still don't know what you want...

2010-12-15T06:00:00.002-07:00

Here are some odds and ends favorites of mine from this year:

Karve classes here.

Lululemon pants, yoga inspired wear that is tough enough to last five years.

Puma flats that act like slippers but give support like Dansko clogs.

Or these brand of flats, Me Too, are amazing for their comfort:

For my house, I just got one of these for our living room and it is super sturdy but the corners are soft enough not to endanger little heads.

On a personal level, I am loving a few new products that would be great stocking stuffers: like this new razor which brought smooth to a whole new level.

It can be paired with this cream shave that saves me from using my expensive Redken conditioner.

And this amazing nourishing mascara that actually works on short eyelashes.

As well as this fragrance for winter:

Just some ideas that I've stumbled upon.

Christmas Preparations

2010-12-14T14:06:00.000-07:00

It was quite a shock to come home and have only three short weeks to prepare for Christmas. You see, I love Christmas preparations. I love decorating, baking, crafting, and designing. I love gift strategy, gift surprising and gift giving.

So my house is clean. My cookies are baked (favorites from last year are from Sunset magazine here). My crafts are sewn. My cards are sent. My house is decorated. I just love these new felt ball garlands I added to our decorations this year which Janis spotted on clearance at Crate & Barrel last year.

One little problem.

I came home and I had purchase exactly two gifts. I also hate mall shopping. Thank goodness for the internet. Tomorrow I am going to tackle the rest of the in-person shopping. But here are some holiday finds that I have used to make things go a little more smooth.
     North Face Gear here at great prices. (They even send you a $20 coupon for your next purchase!)
     Desk accessories at West Elm with free shipping.
     Amazon Wish Lists with free shipping.

I'll let you know how the real shopping goes tomorrow. It's quite a list of place to go :)

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T13:55:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful time we are having here in Maryland seeing all our other family and introducing our newest member of it to everyone. Grant was quite surprised to be the center of attention; it was if he was saying, "Why am I the center of attention...that's usually Kate's job!"

Happy Halloween

2010-11-01T10:53:00.000-07:00

from the ladybug.

My men

2010-10-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

I keep telling Travis that his unemployment has left us a lot of time to be with the kids in a way that most dads don't get to. I just love this pictures of my little guy and my husband.

Lost computer, lost time

2010-10-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

We lost the small computer to a fall, so we are limping along on our old Toshiba. This means that Travis has it 99% of the time, so I haven't been able to do much posting.

Travis continues to pursue working with a start-up company called E-Health Trust, a medical banking system for consumers. We are praying that the company makes sales this month so that they can hire him full-time. He is also pursuing other options as well, for we know that start-up companies are a risk.

I have been continuing to work at the hospital and have added another hospital and a private practice job that keep me busy.

This weekend our friend had to go into the hospital for an emergency kidney infection, so we have been helping them out with meals and their kids. It was quite an adventure for me to have a 2 1/2 year old, a 5 month old, and a 2 month old for a day! Kate loved it, saying, "Jesus, please help Becky to feel all better!" and "Awww, Baby Eli is so cute!". Grant was super patient as well, waiting his turn to eat and generally doing great sharing mommy. The only challenge came as I attempted to eat dinner, feed everyone, then bathe and bed them all. Matt accused me of loving being superwoman;but, let's just say that I only enjoyed watching the babies play together.

It is hard to believe but Grant is almost 5 months old. He is a big chunker. I am not sure how big he is, but we go to the doctor to find out on Tuesday. My guess is 18lbs and about 27 inches long. He hasn't gone back to sleeping through the night; and I haven't started him on solids yet, so maybe it will all work itself out soon enough. He is so proud of himself lately, flipping over both directions and this week he finally got on all fours. Crawling here we come!

Kate is every bit a two year old. Her newest phrase is, "But, Mommm" She is essentially potty trained, although we have had some reverting this past week. She loves having her dog around, mostly because she has someone to boss her around. We are in that downward slump of what my mom calls the three month cycle-- three months they do really well, then three months of intense training. I love her to death. She is so intense and busy. Every time I look at her, I think, "If this is what she is like now, what is she going to be like at four? at seven? at thirteen!?!" Here's my favorite picture of her lately: (for some reason it isn't loading right...)

My big boy

2010-09-08T07:16:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how much he has grown. Probably why he still needs to get up in the night to eat. I measured him myself the other day and he was 26 inches-- he has grown 6 inches in 3 months! I think he is upwards of 17 lbs too...packing it on in true man style.
Look at this adorable picture of him that Emily took at the pool while my parents were visiting.

My life at two.

2010-08-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Two pm. She's either up. Or she's down. A nap either produces a cheery, snuggly two year old or a screaming flailing thirty pound mass to be reckoned with. You never know what you are going to get. Life is always exciting at home. Being at work the past three weeks for most of the day made me realize that it is a merry-go-round I would much rather be on than any other.

I just love all of her passion. It is one of the most interesting things I have ever done. Guiding and shaping little minds and bodies is crazy hard and tiring. But it is fascinating.

3 month stud

2010-08-14T09:10:00.000-07:00

At least, that is what I think.
This was the only picture I could snap between music class and the pool.
I just love his little faces now. I miss the gummy smiles when I go to work these days.

Two Months.

2010-07-15T01:40:00.022-07:00

On accident I published the wrong video with Kate in it.
Here's another go at it.

This was our 6 week video with some of his first smiles.
At two months he has slept through the night twice, continues to eat like a champ and is generally pretty happy. He seems like he is growing out of his clothes much faster than his sister; at two months, he is already growing into some six month basics. I know it is because he is my second child, but it sure seems like he grows faster and every time I blink, he gets longer and stronger.

Still singing.

2010-07-14T14:03:00.003-07:00

Our family is going on another adventure.
We've been on this trip before.
But now we are a team.
And Kate is leading the way, cheering us on in song.

Lord, make me a servant, humble and meek. Lord, let me lift up those who are weak. And may the prayer of my heart always be "make me a servant today".

We found out on the Friday before the July 4th weekend that Travis' division was eliminated in a restructuring at his company. Without much warning, we are in a put on this road of unemployment again. Last time, we were living on my part-time income and Travis was in school; we found out Travis lost his job last time the beginning of September and we found out we were pregnant with Kate a month later. This time, I have to admit, it is a little more scary initially that you are without a primary income when you have a house and two children.

But Kate is singing. And we are too. She sings for us all as we depend on the great Provider.
We have never gone hungry or been without a bed to sleep in. God has always been faithful to us over these past five years for employment.

There are many signs of God's faithfulness. He provided a baby grand piano for us unexpectedly as a permanent "loan"-- this reminds us to sing in the midst of trial. He provided 10 days of work for me on short notice at the hospital. He also provided for my Dad his third job in a year in a bad economy. Travis also has three great job leads as well as a much larger network than the last time.

Pray for us that today we would continue to sing.

Me and my little man

2010-06-27T10:58:00.001-07:00

credits: Hayley R.

Under the Hood

2010-06-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

It was my first true moment in glory. It was third grade and the assignemt was to spell “sister”. Mrs. Forgothername picked the kid sitting at the first desk in the first row on the other side of the room. I was sitting at the first desk in the last row. The girl stands up and spells sister “sistur”. She takes her seat and Mrs. Forgothername picks the kid that was sitting right behind her to spell it. He stands up and says “sicter”. Close but not right. Mrs. Forgothername went up the entire row, then began coming back down the next row having every kid stand up and attempt to spell “sister”. No one in the entire class could get it right. 24 students and none of them were getting it right. I could not believe this question made it all the way around the class and now we were at my row! The kid behind me was asked to stand. My heart is pounding out of my chest. My palms were sweating. I had to go to the bathroom so bad I was nearly crying. Certainly the question would not get to me!! I honestly thought I was going to feint. SO, the kid behind me stands to spell “sister.” “S-i-s-t-e-r-e.” WRONG! It was my turn. I had to stand in front of the entire class of 24 peers and attempt to spell “sister”. I stood slowly, sweat dripping down my face, and ready to pee in my pants. “S-i-s-t-e-r” and I sat down. “That is correct Stevie” said Mrs. Forgothername. I was KING! Victorious! Hero of the class! Ready to sign autographs! I was the winner surrounded by 24 losers!

Every one of my classmates were close, some very close-only one letter- but they failed the test. In spelling, it is either correct or it is incorrect. Right or wrong. There are not two ways to correctly spell “sister”.

Now, for a morning exercise. A question for your to ponder (as we should reflect upon it at some point daily). A question that is at the center of a Christians motivation, peace, obedience and hope. You guessed it. Here’s the question. “What is the gospel?”

A word you have heard thousands of times. But what is it? Over the next day or so, write down or at least reflect on how you would answer that question. It has to be exactly correct. Close or almost is incorrect. This is not a “yawn, not again dad” exercise. The gospel is the center of our worldview and how we define the meaning of life. There is no other central truth. And we all lose sight of aspects of it from time to time.

So, think about it. Try to succinctly articulate it, touching on its non negotiable components. Even write it down if you like. Next under the hood e mail, I will also take a stab at it, because no one can avoid this question. And no Christian should go long in his day without reflecting upon it (or some aspect of it) and it’s implications.

Love,

Third grade spelling champ (Steve Shank)

According to Kate...

2010-06-14T15:52:00.000-07:00

"Daddy, have a black pony?"
"I want two ponies."
"I ride ponies, Daddy"

"Ponies in my grass."

--All this from a pony ride when she stayed at the Shanks while we were bringing Grant home from the hospital a month ago...

One month and one big moment.

2010-06-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Four week and almost one month old. Not much to report other than he slept from 8:30 to 3:30 the night before last. Little man likes his sleep. It's hard to get pictures of him as he is sleeping most of the time. The color of his eyes are maybe brown? But the jury is still out.

The big sister had a big moment yesterday too. She walks away from her lunch and tells me, "I go under the table. I go poop." I said, "Let's go on the potty!" and we took her to the toliet. She wouldn't go there, so we put her little potty under the table, and she did the deed. We have been forced into potty training because she takes her diaper off all the time. On Monday night, after putting her to bed, we found her with her legs up in the air, diaper open, on top of the large thick changing pad placed on top of the crib mattress, with her hand messy with poop, saying, "Daddy! I pooped!" Then yesterday during room time, I find her naked, without any diapers on. When I asked her if she peed, she replied, "Yes." I asked her where and she replied, "Right there, Mommy!" and pointed to the diaper on the floor. I assumed she went in her diaper, took it off, etc, but then she said, "Mommy, other one!" and apparently, she had peed TWICE, changing her diaper in between sessions. I think she is ready. Unfortunately, I am not sure I am ready.

Three weeks

2010-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

He's waking a little but is still a gentle little man. He loves to be warm, snuggled and wrapped up tight. The jury is still out on his eyes, but they are not blue like Kate's....they just might be like Mommy's.

My first dentist appointment.

2010-05-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

While my Dad was getting his teeth cleaned (no cavities despite no visit to the dentist in a year and a half) and Mom was getting a crown (we pray that I have my father's teeth), I got to visit the dentist too! This is a picture of me and Curtis. He cleaned my teeth, showed me all cool tools they use (I even kissed the sucking tool!) and gave me lots of presents when I finished. Everyone said I did a great job because I even opened my mouth and let him look at my teeth. And I didn't get scared at all. My mommy said it must be because I have Daddy's teeth that I like the dentist so much already.

Paris

2010-05-24T10:58:00.001-07:00

It was eleven years ago. A little shop in Paris. Croissants to die for. I think I bought a box of ten to take back with me to my dorm in Cambridge. I don't think I shared with anyone except Elizabeth.

My tongue has returned to Paris today. Thanks to this little shop. My Mom took Kate and bought the last five chocolate ones after an article appeared in the paper over the weekend. They were the best and the closest to true high quality Parisian croissants that I have had since I was there.

Bliss.
I think I will go broke visiting this shop, which is only fifteen minutes from my house.

One week.

2010-05-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

my little man. gentle to his momma. sleeps and eats like an angel.

According to...

2010-05-17T14:57:00.000-07:00

Travis: "Where's the hozzle?"
Nora: "The hozzle?!?!"
Travis: "Yeah. The hozzle. The sprayer."

He meant the spray nozzle.
I couldn't stop laughing.

Welcome little man.

2010-05-14T10:44:00.003-07:00

Grant John Shank was born at 7:35 pm last night, following in his sister's footsteps as a change-of-shift baby. He weighed 7 lbs 12 ounces and measured longer than his sister at 20 1/2 inches despite being a week early. We adore him and he has been a very mellow baby thus far (compared to the wild indian, his sister).
The induction process went easily once it was under way. In fact, while we were waiting for everything to get straightened out (they had mistakenly scheduled me one day earlier than a full 39 weeks, which was against policy) I had dialated to twice what I measured the day before by 10am. Despite it being an early morning and long day, we are so grateful for the miracle of a healthy baby boy.

Under the hood 2...

2010-05-13T03:00:00.000-07:00

You were probably hoping to see baby pictures.
Not yet.

In the meantime, here's some thoughts from Steve's second thought provoking email:

Except for Guam the Mariana Islands aren’t known for much except for what is beside them- the Mariana Trench, the deepest place on earth. If it were possible to take 2 of Colorado’s “14’ers” put them on top of one another and place them in Mariana Trench, They would still be one and a half miles under water. There isn’t anything deeper on earth… but this. “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” Gal. 2:20

God loves me and gave himself for me. Every word is worth reflecting on. God…..loves….me….and gave….himself….for me…. Why is it important for us to cling to this truth daily and never ever let it out of our grasp? Because it is our only hope. “If God be for me (an expression of his love) who can be against me.” Rom. 8. Thinking deeply about this reality changes everything. The deeper and more often we think about it the more it changes our faith, our rest, our hope, our perspective, our… But how do we know God loves us for sure?

1. For reasons we are not told, before the foundations of the world in eternity past, God determined, “this one will know me.” He chose me (us), we did not choose him. Eph 1:4. Go figure

2. He sent God the Son, to pay for and remove the eternal judgment that rightfully hung over those who would one day believe

3. He sent the Holy Spirit at a particular moment in time to convict us personally of our rebellious independence and open our hearts and understanding to the person and work of Jesus Christ

4. He granted us faith as a gift whereby we could trust him, thus experiencing spiritual life, rebirth

5. Now, united to him by a living faith, we live with him and for him, not for ourselves

“God loved me and gave himself for me”.
It’s called the gospel.

We can never ponder it enough, get our minds around it completely, or exhaust the depths of its meaning or implications. But we will always be the be the better for trying.

Love,
Dad

Here we go...

2010-05-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

We are scheduled tomorrow morning at 5:30 am for an induction for baby boy's safety! God has answered my prayers that I show some progress over the last week, some signs that we are more ready to deliver. Having never had an induction, it is both exciting to know when but also scary because of all the unknowns. Thanks for all the prayers and pray for continued safety and a smooth delivery.

Mother's Day

2010-05-11T05:59:00.003-07:00

This picture grabbed me. The flavors sounded so fresh. So call me crazy, but I mostly cooked my own Mother's Day meal. Isn't the work worth it though sometimes? How could one not like shrimp cakes, eggs benedict and fresh hollandaise sauce? We had this ridiciulous brunch made from this menu out of the Arizona Republic from our local Four Seasons hotel. We made a few adjustments like shrimp jalepeno cakes instead of crab with chipotle due to the lack of available fresh crab meat, and a less alcoholic sangria; and beware of the proportions. They are really off for number of servings (leave it to a chef to resize wrong). Every bite was worth it. Here's probably one last picture of just the three of us before we gorged ourselves.

Under the Hood

2010-05-03T07:35:00.000-07:00

Steve recently wrote us while on a retreat and provoked us with this meditation that I thought you might enjoy:

"There are categories that I am trying to drill down deeper in for my own life, and represent very deep rooted hopes for all of us…

I recently heard of a father giving his son a car for successfully graduating high school. There was one problem. The car was pink. The father insisted it was “salmon”, but the young man was not convinced. He tried to convey his gratefulness, but how in the world could he be caught by his friends driving a pink car. Then, at just the right time when the father discerned his son’s anguish was about to drive him crazy, he put his arm around his son’s shoulder and walked with him to the front of the car. “Lift the hood” he said. With considerable reluctance, the young man did so. To his utter shock, staring him in the face were 300 raging horses penned up in a modified engine. One hiccup on the gas pedal and no one sees the color of the car any more, only the color of your tail lights.

The father then seized this teaching moment. “Son, don’t ever evaluate a car until you look under the hood. Ever.”

Christians can look great (or maybe pink) on the outside. But it is what is under the hood that determines their true nature and thus fruitfulness.

The next e mail will be the first of a few categories where Christians need to look under the hood.

Most of my current retreat has been just that. Looking under the hood. It has been good.

I hope they will help you, the people I love the most look beyond the externals and under the hood"

Suprise!

2010-05-01T03:55:00.000-07:00

Imagine my delight when we opened up our eggs for these next two weeks from our egg lady, Shaela, and saw this... guess we'll have to read about green eggs and ham again. Ever since I was a little girl, reading my Oma's Martha Stewart magazines, I have been in love with Araucana eggs. Another reason why farm fresh eggs are SO worth it.

rocky road cookies.

2010-04-30T10:27:00.003-07:00

the last one.

a sad day.

rocky road cookies.
adapted from maida heatter's Cookies

2 oz unsweetened chocolate
6 oz semisweet chocolate
3 oz unsalted butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
2 tsp powdered espresso
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup mini marshmallows

Melt chocolate and butter in a sauce pan. Cool slightly.
In a mixer, whip eggs, sugar, coffee powder, and vanilla at high speed for a two minutes.
Beat in melted chocolate/butter into above mixture.
Add dry ingredients until just incorporated.
Mix in remaining chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut and marshmallows.

Bake on parchment or Silpat at 350 for 12-15 minutes or so. The surface of the cookies will be dry but the insides will be soft. There is no way to test the doneness. Let cookies cool on sheet before removing to a rack to cool completely. Then try one :)

The rare and amazing

2010-04-30T07:00:00.002-07:00

A quiet morning where Kate sleeps in. It has happened less times than I can count on one hand. But standing here read, fed, dressed, with make-up and hair done, and counters clean and dinner started, gives me a quiet, sobering whisper in my heart: "Wouldn't you be so self-sufficient, Nora, if it was like this all the time?"
Truth is that my little girl's early morning habits keep me desperate. I would be living the charade of a perfect wife and mother if I had all that time to myself. So as much as I relish the unexpected blessing this morning, I also give thanks for the mercy of God to give me an early riser.
And there she is...7:05am. You might be laughing at this "late" hour but since most mornings it is ten to six, it feels like a luxurious morning already.

Me and my friend Haley

2010-04-25T09:11:00.004-07:00

Kate's friend, Hayley, is taking a Wilton cake decorating class. She made a Diego cake and brought it over to share it. What a sweet friend she is!

Baby boy update

2010-04-25T08:42:00.002-07:00

Please continue to pray that I would not go into labor over the next week. We really want him to get to 37 weeks so that he doesn't have any respiratory issues (under-developed lungs). Last night I had contractions for a few hours and couldn't get them to stop. I went to bed hoping that I would somehow fall asleep and that would help. Miraculously I did and woke up feeling refreshed. I trust that the Lord knows his birthday and timing, but I had not anticipated an April baby :) So I ask you to join me in praying for a May baby boy, nice and fat and healthy...

2010-04-21T19:51:00.003-07:00

Sleep now son, sleep.
Hush little boy.
You are so eager to arrive!
Today you woke up.
All those months of a quiet womb.
Now you protest your quarters roughly.
Sleep now, son sleep.
Your elbows and knees will stretch soon.
A bed is waiting.
In less time than I counted.
Less time than I imagined.
Less days left.
Less nights.
Yet, son, you will be more than less.
My heart only has more.

So sleep now, sleep and grow.
We shall sleep and grow

Just grow enough, little one.
We shall see you soon.

Baby update

2010-04-21T12:31:00.003-07:00

Our current top name favorites are: Logan, Greyson and Grant.
We are less than a month to go here and my doctor said I am already a little dialated and effaced. Now for those of you who know, I was like this with Kate for the entire last month...but, most people have everything go by halves with the 2nd one-- half the labor time, etc. So, we might be meeting this little guy sooner than we think.
I would appreciate your prayers as these last few weeks wind down and I try to care for both myself, the little boy, as well as a very busy toddler. Kate told me yesterday that she needed "marsh-mallows RIGHT NOW". This is my daughter. She is also still cutting teeth and waking up at night, so I am progressively more tired. Therefore...off for a nap :)

Easter recipe

2010-04-05T15:23:00.002-07:00

Janis decided that for Easter we were going to do brunch instead of a full-on meal. She made this french toast that was AWESOME. I have had stuffed french toast before (and maybe it has something to do with being pregnant and hungry) but this was a winner.

Stuffed Blueberry French Toast
1 lb. sliced stale italian french bread (larger loaves)
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 cup blueberries
12 eggs
2 cups milk (1%)
1/3 cup maple syrup
Sauce:
1 cup white sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries
1 T. butter
---
Spread cream cheese on top of half the bread slices and place in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Spread 1 cup blueberries evenly over cream cheese. Top
with remaining bread slices. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk and maple syrup. Pour egg mixture over bread. Cover pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove pan from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350. Bake 30 minutes covered with foil. Uncover pan and bake for an additional 30 minutes until golden brown and center is set.
To make sauce: Combine sugar, cornstarch and water in sauce pan. Boil over medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in blueberries and reduce
heat. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until the berries burst. Stir in butter until melted.
Serve the sauce over squares of French toast.
Makes 8 generous servings.
JoAnn Knupp, Chief Cook at the McCafferty House Bed and Breakfast

Babymoon

2010-03-22T11:49:00.004-07:00

Travis and I met up with my brother and his girlfriend in Vegas for our babymoon (pre-baby vacation). We had both never been and we rather enjoyed it. We were super impressed with our hotel suite my brother found for us and we really enjoyed our time together with them. With less than 60 days until the due date, we were rather anxious to get away for some much needed rest and relaxation without our dear little Kate. I promise I am not exaggerating when I say that she grew an inch by the time we got back. I love how obvious it is when you return from a trip-- you just love them even more and more!

We stayed at the Trump International Hotel, where they pump the air in the main areas full of jasmine and cucumber. This was literally our oasis in the midst of a very smoky weekend. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner of sushi (shhh....I know I'm not supposed to eat it!) then a beautiful setting at the Wynn hotel for Italian the next night. We enjoyed our dinner there but then Ashley and I came down with what we think was food-poisoning. Not what you expect from a high-end restaurant!

Our other highlights were seeing a Cirque d'Soliel show called LOVE, based on Beatles music, watching the water show at the Bellagio and, of course, sleeping in... Kate was kind to us this morning though and slept in until 7am.

water water everywhere

2010-03-08T10:03:00.002-07:00

You'd think water would be scarce in Arizona.
Not in our new house.
First, it was fixing the sprinkler system in the backyard. Cha-ching.
Then, when the water bill still remained RIDICULOUSLY high, we found out the leaking sprinkler in our front yard was actually our water main needing repair. Cha-ching.
While Travis fixed a leaking faucet in our master bathroom, there was some post-repair repairs that needed to be made to the wet carpet. Home repairs-- oops $$.
Then last night, we discover soft drywall seams in our front room as we try to install our new baseboards.
We were warned.
We knew owning a home wouldn't be inexpensive.
We just didn't expect to get so wet in the process.

Secrets

2010-02-24T14:42:00.003-07:00

I have a little secret.

I say little prayers.

Mostly, this is inspired by my mother, who always prays for a parking spot. If any of you have been to Montgomery Mall in Maryland, you know this is a neccesity. The spots are few and far between if you want to be near the Nordstom's entrance, which is the most convenient one in inclement weather.

Then I read The Praying Life. He has a whole chapter on praying over life's littlest things.
As a mom, I could identify over the silent prayers issued when your little one goes to pour milk.
My faith has been renewed reading about those little moments God sees fit to listen to. I have been aware of how much He does listen as he answers little prayers. I beleive it is a result of praying more (because we know He hears us) and watching more for how He will answer.

On Sunday night, I was trying my best to keep my house clean and not make too much of a mess coming upon this busy work week. I hadn't made any definite plan for dinner. Then Travis and I got to talking. At one point in our conversation, I looked up at the clock from my cozy seat and realized it was quickly heading towards five o'clock. I just couldn't muster the energy at that point to deal with it. I prayed, "Lord, help me with dinner."

And then our door bell rings.

Our sweet neighbor, Hayley, was at the door. She said her mom made too much pot roast and was wondering if we wanted some.

Dinner.
Provided for.
He certainly does hear the littlest prayers.

The Zoo

2010-02-17T06:00:00.002-07:00

My parents joined us by narrow escape between Maryland snow storms for a nine-day visit to enjoy Arizona's liquid gold sunshine.

Today we headed to the Phoenix Zoo. We have loved belonging to the zoo and being able to go for just an hour and a half-- it's enough to go and see the major animals, get a good walk in and not ruin nap time! I am looking forward to being able to take the kids all this year-- in the summer they have a water-park to beat the heat.

My parents treated Kate to the experience of feeding the giraffes and the merry-go-round. I thought Kate might be scared of the giraffes, but she loved it. She did not, however, like the merry-go-round. "Stop, pease, stop" was all she could say once she realized that the lion went up and down, AND around and around.

ps...Emily we miss you!

Pregnancy Update

2010-02-16T13:03:00.005-07:00

Can you believe I've only posted twice about this little boy? We have about 90 days to go and the thought that consoles me is that boys don't really want to read all the gory details of their in-utero experience like girls do. Here's a pregnant picture of me (by request) at almost 7 months.

My pregnancy has gone well this time, without any major differences. I am tired, which I expected, but it still suprises me. I realized that my pregnancy with Kate was only different because we lived with other people who did most of the cooking, cleaning, etc...all I had to do was light cleaning, laundry once a week and ironing. So it is no wonder that my home routine with a full-sized house involving cleaning, cooking, shopping, laundry, ironing added to the activity of a toddler is leaving me ready for bed so early!

He is constantly reminding me of his little life around eight pm, when I sit down at night-- I hope this is a pattern he will not continue once he is finally here! I tjink he is bigger (longer) than Kate as his little feet seems to run into my inner parts much sooner. And his head--o my. If his head is up (which I never felt with Kate) I can hardly breathe or eat...so I am expected a bigger headed, longer boy.

I may have a different allotment of energy for this baby but my heart has been more inclined to pray for him. I have sensed, with some trepidation, that God will call him to carry forth the legacy of the gospel from our families. We do not have a first named picked, but his middle name will be John, after Travis' great-grandfather, a godly man of faith. Both of our children come from strong families of faith. Both of our great-grandparents (our children great-great grandparents) have a strong and reliable heritage of a heart inclined toward faith in God.

I pray that for this little one, our first son, and the first grandson on both sides. I pray that whatever his name will be and whatever path he will take, that God would take hold of his heart and direct his paths.

Happy Tandy Day

2010-02-14T08:40:00.003-07:00

Trying to explain Valentines to a 20 month old is a lot easier when you explain that it involves "tandy" and "tocolate". She woke up and said, "TANDY DAY!"

Happy TANDY Day to all our dear loved family and friends!

NOT snowed in...

2010-02-09T14:20:00.004-07:00

Hope for spring is in the air here. News around the country doesn't sound so similar. My parents squeaked out of D.C. between storms on Monday night to arrive safely here in sunny AZ. We are enjoying sunny, warmer afternoons after a couple of weeks of unusual rainfall. Here are some pictures of my pots for all of you buried in pure white.

I bought a groupon for a garden shop around Christmas, in hopes of obtaining a nice pine wreath. A disappointing selection of greenery led me to buy hardy annuals instead. Only problem was that the javelinas thought they were a snack I planted for their enjoyment. In the small, lower container, they ate only the non-woody stemmed plants, leaving the root clumps behind on the ground. They left the scene of the crime, my front steps, a disaster, which my friend, Patty, said looked "agricultural". Fortunately they have left them alone since. Guess I shouldn't doubt their existence.

According to...

2010-02-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

my husband, "I never noticed before. Your eyelashes are short. I mean, compared to mine, yours are like Bermuda grass". Thanks honey.

Bedhead.

2010-01-29T16:51:00.004-07:00

I've been waiting to post this one but colds and cold & rainy weather for two weeks have kept the sun at bay. She has been in her "big bed" for two weeks, with minimal battles.

Flourish

2010-01-17T10:24:00.003-07:00

We had a wonderful women's breakfast at church--my highlight was the message by Tiffany R. on "Flourishing", based on the new theme of our group. She spoke from Moses' Psalm 90. When we read this Psalm, Moses gives us a strong vision of our mortality. He says that our lives are like grass that perish. Tiffany pointed out though that the Psalm does just say that we die. She spoke about the ability of grass to survive devastation. She reminded us of how grasslands survive even the worst of fires. The roots of grass are almost indestructible-- they live below the surface of the soil and can survive the heat of a fire and flood. She reminded us that we are to be renewed like grass every day. It isn't just about death-- it is also a reminder of how God renews us every day. Grass reminds us that our spirits are not destroyed by our difficulties and that He sustains our growth constantly.

3 You return man to dust and say, “Return, O children of man!”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night.

5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning:
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

If you would like to learn more about grass, watch here.

Time for...

2010-01-05T13:47:00.003-07:00

basketball, football, baseball and every other kind of sport...because Baby #2 is a boy!

Post-Christmas Thoughts: Part Whatever

2009-12-29T09:48:00.003-07:00

As I finish up Isaiah, I was struck by how much it has fed my encouragement. Being more of one to poke fun and criticize, I am glad that it has helped me to focus on how I can encourage others with the promises of God. This morning I was especially struck by the need to encourage my single family and friends. In the process of waiting for a spouse, I know it can feel hopeless. I was struck by these two verses that bring hope.

First, a message of hope from chapter 60:9:

For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful.

Just remember that God has made you beautiful and can bring you a spouse from afar.
Lastly, to remind you that God is actively working on your behalf, from chapter 62:12

And they shall be called The Holy People,The Redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought Out, A City Not Forsaken.

We have...

2009-12-27T14:18:00.004-07:00

...video! Thanks to my family's creative gift of a Flip video camera, I can catch things on video myself! We'll see how this goes because as you can tell from this first video, I'm not exactly competent. But it seems that it takes forever to load, so I'm not sure this will work.

Tandy

2009-12-25T14:16:00.002-07:00

My favorite word is "Tan-ny" or "Tandy"-- my first word both this morning and the morning before were "One tandy, mommy? Jus' one tandy?"

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Christmas Thought: Success

2009-12-23T21:10:00.002-07:00

11 so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

Travis and I have had many discussions lately about success. One of the reasons has been our celebration of Travis' sucess this year in his job. He has kept a job in the same company for a year now AND done well, getting recognized and promoted for his efforts. This was not the case for the first couple years of our marriage-- he held a series of jobs that were poor fits and with less well run companies. His has been a long path to get on the road to success. It is paved with none less than his blood, sweat and tears. And Travis and I agree that there is still a road ahead of us. As you celebrate this Christmas season, we remember that God is always successful with his purposes and plans.

---don't you love Isaiah and how many promises are found in it??

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