Not going to miss those early Saturday morning games...

...but there is something so amazing about watching your 4 year old break away with the ball, take it all the way down the field, and score!








Clare was impressed!

Isaiah 1

Hear, O heavens! Listen, O earth!
For the LORD has spoken:
"I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.




The multitude of your sacrifices—
what are they to me?" says the LORD.
"I have more than enough of burnt offerings,
of rams and the fat of fattened animals;
I have no pleasure
in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats...

When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;




Come now, let us reason together,"
says the LORD.
"Though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red as crimson,
they shall be like wool...

If you are willing and obedient,
you will eat the best from the land;

but if you resist and rebel,
you will be devoured by the sword."
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.




I will turn my hand against you;
I will thoroughly purge away your dross
and remove all your impurities.

I will restore your judges as in days of old,
your counselors as at the beginning.
Afterward you will be called
the City of Righteousness,
the Faithful City."




I am so thankful for the Lord's purging work. He sees my apathy, the way I get wrapped up in my own little life and practically forget about Him. As a Father, He won't allow me to stay this way. He CAN'T allow me to. But His purging, while sometimes a very painful process, is designed to bring redemption. To ultimately heal. To bring me back.

Being a parent and watching a child choose to disobey (to their own detriment), has really opened my eyes to how my heavenly Father feels and responds to me when I choose my own way over His.

He takes it seriously, He aches over hard hearts, He will not stop pursuing...

I am so thankful for this glimpse into the heart of God as He deals with His children. Surprised to find it in Isaiah, but now I'm really excited to study this book as a whole (we're going through it this year at BSF).

Final challenging thought from this morning's study comes from these verses:

You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks
in which you have delighted;
you will be disgraced because of the gardens
that you have chosen.

What are the sacred oaks and gardens of my life? What am I choosing over Him? What has become more important and more of a priority to me than my relationship with the Lord? Really made me think this morning...


*And just for fun, some soccer pics. The season is in full swing!

A New Year

Well, we moved. And it was crazy. Maybe all moves are like that?

This new home (only a couple miles away) feels like home now, but I still find myself driving to the old house by accident sometimes. Just out of habit, I guess. We lived there for 7 years! It was a great home - plenty of space, and we had made it ours. I loved the kitchen...sad to leave it. :( But this new home has a better layout, more yard for the kids, and most especially, no more stairs in the entry. So we are just very thankful to be able to start over and make this new place our home. Lots of work, but I know it will be worth it.


And just like that, the summer was over. What a nutty 3 months. I tried my best to play, to just enjoy the break with my kids, but it still feels like it went way too fast.

I was realizing today that although Ethan's been back at school for a couple weeks now, I haven't really processed it yet. Haven't taken the time to think about the fact that my son is now in first grade, going to school all day...he's grown in height for sure, but it's more than that. He's maturing. Something is happening to that kid. He's longing for relationship, to talk together (alone, without sibling interruptions!). Maybe I am just kinda pensive by nature, but it just hit me...I haven't even been paying attention, and here he is, just growing up!



I'm going to do my best to start writing again. I've really missed it, and I can tell it has been too long...the words just do not come easily like they do when I'm writing consistently. But the Lord has been teaching me so much recently, and I want to record it. To remind myself of His faithfulness, so that I can see more purpose in the *hard* days. I know that He is always working...I just have to take the time to notice.

The other thing we've been doing this summer

Baseball season is upon us again. I can tell this is a sport I will be watching for years yet. Better learn to enjoy it! ;)


He is a good hitter. Dave has taught our boys well. :)

There aren't any outs in the instructional league, but he's still gonna try to get to second.

She and Simon are just along for the ride. And the snacks, I guess. :) Good times!

Wedding weekend

Rehearsal dinner set up.

Love this girl!

Sweet children, patiently waiting for the storm to pass.



My first attempt at wedding flowers.

I only captured a few shots of the wedding weekend. I had good intentions and had my camera ready, but things just got too busy. And wet. :) It was such a gorgeous wedding though, despite the rain. Probably should say because of the rain...definitely gave it a romantic feel. It was just lovely.

Sitting in the heat makes me nostalgic

We just finished two weeks of swimming lessons.



Clare loved to sit and watch her brothers.



This year was infinitely easier than last year. No newborn melting in the heat, no fearful 3 year old clinging to my leg. I am very thankful for this stage of parenting we are in.



It has its own challenges, I guess - after all, my sweet one year old needs lots of training! But really, life is just a joy right now. I am overwhelmed frequently with just how blessed we are to have these 3 little children, and how quickly our time with them is flying by!

Ethan is swimming on his own now. A sign of the times, I'd say. And he starts first grade here in a few months too. Just growing up so much.

But that's still several weeks away. For now we are just soaking up summer, and having as much fun as we possibly can. I'm resisting the urge to paint our new house, and choosing instead to PLAY with these kids while I can. I love summer!

She thinks she is so big

It's been a busy spring. I have missed posting, recording tidbits from our fun little life. We put our house on the market, sold it, had the whole family come for a visit, moved to a new home (crazy, crazy move...long story), all the while keeping up with family birthdays, date nights, baseball games, VBS, swimming lessons, family weddings, etc...

In the midst of the chaos, my baby turned 1.

She is walking now, just in time for her cousin's wedding. It's such a funny walk...very wobbly, but VERY fast. :) And she is babbling up a storm. No real words yet, besides Mama and Dada. But she has learned to sign, and combined with her "talking", she can communicate fairly well.

She's a very happy girl, almost all the time. Such a blessing to us all. We love you, Clarey.

Easter at the farm

For Grandma and Grandpa (who don't have facebook :)

Menu Plan Monday

Breakfasts
Leftover Egg and Sausage Casserole
Granola
Cereal
Granola Bars
Eggs, Bacon & Pancakes

Lunches
Leftover Pasta
Sack Lunch
Roast Beef and Cheddar Melts, Chips
Leftovers

Dinners
Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Cooked Carrots, Rolls
Vegetarian Sloppy Joe's, Nicole's Beautiful Buns, Carrot Sticks, Applesauce
Salsa Verde Beef, Rice
Busy Day Fish Fillets, Baked Potatoes, Brussel Sprouts
Date
Hearty Beef and Noodles, Crusty Bread

Menu Plan Monday

My little body boarder

Sadly, we're not still there, or we'd be eating fresh seafood and fruit every day. :(

Lunches
Leftover Cauliflower Soup, Crusty Bread
Crackers, Cheese, and Fruit Slices
PB&Honey
Leftovers
Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, and Pancakes - Simon's Birthday Brunch

Dinners
Mushroom, Bacon, and Onion Pizza & Garlic Bread/Marinara Sauce
Spinach Bacon Quiche, Fruit Smoothies, Orange Slices
Taco Soup, Tortilla Chips
Penne a la Betsy, Italian Salad, Green Beans
To Lawrence to see a new cousin!
Benedictine Ball - kids will eat sandwiches
Lasagna Rolls, Caesar Salad - Fellowship Dinner

Update on the diaper deal!

So it looks like the diaper deal I posted below is good for any $50 purchase from diapers.com! You can get $25 off of any $50 purchase by using my code and sending in for that rebate (provided you are a first time customer). This can make for incredible deals on diapers, wipes, cloth diapers, organic baby food, formula, Seventh Generation cleaners, and much more. Go look around!

Diaper Deal!!!

Update: This deal is good for any $50 purchase - not just diapers! The site has great deals on disposable diapers, cloth diapers, organic baby food, Seventh Generation products and much more. Go look around!

I would imagine lots of you who read my blog keep up with Money Saving Mom, but in case you don't, there's a great diaper deal you won't want to miss!

Basically you go to diapers.com and order $49 worth of diapers. ($49 order or more gets you free shipping) When you check out, you can use this referral code GUIL6405 to receive an extra $10 off your order.

After you receive your diapers you can fill out this form to receive a $14.95 rebate.

I just ordered 7 packs of Luvs and a travel pack of wipes (to get my total up to just over $49). After tax, the $10 discount, and the rebate my total will be $25.97 for 7 packages of diapers. That's right around $3.70/pack, which is an awesome deal in itself, plus you get them shipped to your door the next day!

If you use my code, I'll get $5 off my next order. :)

Give it a try! I ordered mine yesterday, and the site said they should be arriving today!

Menu Plan Monday

This is Dave, aka "a man's man", hiking up Diamond Head carrying 2 kiddos. :)



Breakfasts
Cereal
Granola Bars
Homemade Yogurt with Granola (Si likes it with a spoonful of all fruit jam mixed in)
Egg Casserole and Waffles - Saturday Morning

Lunches
Leftover Chili, Grapes
Almond Butter & Honey Sandwiches on Ezekial 4:9 Bread, Celementines
Smoothies with Flax, Frozen Berries, and Spinach
Brett's Salad
Tacos with Fried Corn Tortillas

Dinners
Comfort Meatballs, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans (didn't get to this meal last week) - This is a Pioneer Woman recipe from her book. They turned out very yummy!
Homemade Pizza with Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Olives, Onions, Artichokes, and Mushrooms (Dough is in the freezer from last week)
Baked Dijon Salmon, Broccoli Spears, Crusty Bread and Dipping Oil - not a new recipe to us, but definitely a favorite!
Cauliflower Soup, Artisan Bread
Mini Cheddar Meatloaves, Roasted Potatoes, Green Beans
Leftover Cowboy Calzones (in freezer)
Spicy Shrimp, Baked Potatoes, Salad, Crusty Bread, Carrot Cake - yum!


View from the top of Diamond Head

Menu Plan Monday

Still cookin' through the ol' PW cookbook...

Breakfasts
Leftover Pancakes (from the freezer), Real Maple Syrup
Koinonia Granola and Homemade Yogurt - these are both amazing!!
Granola Bars
Kashi Cereal

Lunches
Black Bean Quesadillas, Carrot Sticks, Green Grapes - a family fave, we just throw 2 buttered tortillas on the electric skillet, with black beans and cheese in between. So good with salsa and sour cream.

Leftovers from the Weekend :)

Brown Rice and Lentil Taco Salad - We really liked this! It was so nice to just throw this in the oven before I went to pick E up from school, and lunch was ready when we got home! Dave laughed and said, "Where's the meat? Can't a guy get any meat around here?" :) No worries! He is getting some tonight! We are just trying to eat grass fed meat right now, and with that extra expense, we're experimenting with some non-meat meals too. Anyway, I served this with blue chips, black beans, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole. Yum!!!

Sack Lunches/Moms Day Out
Leftovers
Egg Casserole, Waffles, Smoothies - Sat. Brunch

Dinner
Pesto Pizza with Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Olives, Onions, Artichokes, and Mushrooms, Green Beans - We've had this many times, and always love it. It's PW's pizza crust recipe, which is only in her book. It is so amazingly easy and it makes a delicious thin crusted pizza. You could do any toppings, obviously, but I tend to make this on the nights we're going vegetarian. :)

Migas, Orange Slices, Ezekial 4:9 Cinnamon Raisin Toast - The Migas were so, so good! They reminded us of being in Mexico - we had variations of this dish every morning when we vacationed there with Doug and Sonja 5 years ago. Dave and I put tabasco on our Migas (I left out the jalapenos, for the kids sakes). The kids weren't completely sure about eating the sweet peppers at first, they were kinda trying to eat around them. But we made them eat them, and I think it was just a texture issue, since they are used to eating plain scrambled eggs. Clare loved them. :)

Cowboy Calzones (a PW cookbook exclusive, apparently), Carrot Sticks - These were great! It made enough for our family for 2 meals, so I just froze the rest of them after I baked them. The kids really liked these. The only complaint I have about this meal was that it was a tad time-consuming for a busy night (prayer meeting night!), but I probably just picked the wrong night to make them. :)

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, Carrot Cake for Bible Study - Bible Study was canceled, so Dave gave me the evening off from cooking and took the kids to Chick-fila for their family night. We'll have this meal sometime soon, I'm sure. It's become a staple around here. :)

Date Night
Enchiladas, Chips and Salsa
Comfort Meatballs, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad