Grrr Blogger

For some reason, I make blog posts and they either don't publish or just flat out disappear. So this will be a collection of random stuff to make up for that. 

Drum is one! His birthday weekend was quite eventful. I had a council meeting the night of, so I had B and the kids meet me in town. We went to a local fast eating restaurant - no fast food coz they cook it to order, but certainly not ritzy or pricey - for dinner. This place actually started as a Econ project for the owner in college he got a "C" but his restaurant has done so well it has expanded all over the South. Take that, teacher! Lol 

We never go out to eat, so it was a treat even if it was just a casual dinner. Then we went to a bakery for cupcakes. The bakery even had a kid-friendly area where we sat and they provided a candle for Drum since it was his big day. (I got a wedding cake cupcake since it was close to our seventh anniversary.) 

Saturday was the party and we had it outside with kids running around, B manning the grill, and an ice cream theme with homemade ice cream cake and ice cream from a local creamery. We had 13 kids with only four families coming. It was a great - and tiring day. 

Sunday was Father's Day and we just had a normal Sunday but told B "Happy Father's Day" about every minute. The kids loved spoiling him. 

That Monday was our seventh year anniversary and we treated it like any other Monday. We decided we would rather make the investment in Drum's first party than to spend money on flowers or gifts. But lots of sweet sentiments were shared. I'm blessed to be married to the love of my life. 

Since then we've traveled to Bible Quizzing tournaments, drafted proposals, helped friends move (poor Auds, her two best friends moved within two months of each other because the parents were called out to pastor churches), and just enjoyed our time with our babies. We even took the kids to our alma mater and showed them around. They got to meet the tiger and play with him. 

Auds has been blooming into such a beautiful young lady. She's as dainty as they come and has started to develop a precious relationship with Jesus. She wants to read her Bible everyday, practices writing scriptures for handwriting work, sings hymns and worship songs all day, and preaches to her baby dolls. When we get to church early she kneels down to pray, worships during singing, and sits on the front row during youth services -all without being asked! I pray He continues to draw her close to Him and look forward to seeing that relationship develop. Tony sleeps through night services in church, but has been learning the books of the Bible and knows most of them. His favorite are the major and minor prophets (I think he likes the sound of their names).

God has been faithful to us. We were given a push mower randomly. Turned out, the next day out riding mower bit the dust. Now B gets to mow an acre with a push mower, but at least we get to still get it done and not have to buy a new mower or pay someone! He provided for us before we even knew we had a need! 

Last weekend we had our state's 100th anniversary Camp Meeting. Basically, it's a week of old-fashioned church services that have been held the first week in July
every year for the last 100 years. People come from all over the state to participate and worship and fellowship. We only get to go one night a week, but got to watch the other services through online broadcasting. It was great. The night we went they took a commemorative picture in the huge sanctuary (The "camp grounds" also is the headquarters for our state's superintendent and bishop of the church,  and also hosts kids camps throughout the summer and events throughout the year so it holds a large church, admin buildings, rec buildings, and small cabins, too). We got to sit front and center for the picture. I can't wait to see it and look for us. What a treasure to be a part of such a historical moment for our church! 

I'm back to watching Taitum since summer school has started. It's fun watching four kids five and under play together! 

This weekend is Vacation Bible School for the kids and we'll have two evenings with only Drum - craziness! The kids are looking forward to it and can't wait. I think B and I might have a couple of "date nights" at home. :) Sunday is B's big 3-0. The kids picked out what cake we'll make him and we'll probably send him out on an errand after church so we can continue the tradition of "surprising" him with decorating the house. 

I can't believe that it's already halfway through the year! It just started!

I'm a Chef!

Not really, but I did figure out how to make tomato soup from scratch! 

I hate buying canned soups - too many preservatives and chemicals and they taste awful. But it has been pouring cats and dogs here lately (thanks, Southern summers!) and I wanted some comfort food for dinner. More specifically: grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. 

I figured it takes tomatoes, seasonings, and a cream base, all of which I had on hand, so the kids and I got to it and made the kitchen look like a murder scene. 

Not that anyone cares, but here's what I did: 

Chop up tomatoes. I used about a pound worth. 

In a hot skillet, reduce some sweet onions in some butter. Add the tomatoes to get some flavor and soften up. 

Place the whole mess in a blender or food processor and add some seasonings. I added Tony's (a gift from God Almighty that goes on everything here and is way too high in sodium), garlic powder, and chopped basil leaves. 

I then pulverized them to a liquid-y pulp. 

Next I added some milk. I used cooking milk, but it could be subbed with heavy cream or unsweetened nut milk. I just kinda eyeballed it. Mix again. 

Then we tasted it. It was such a sweet moment to watch my kids taste something they helped make. Even Drum taste tested, before he tried to steal my spoon. 

We added some more seasonings to taste and then mixed again and

poured it into a quart jar to save for dinner. 

It took all of fifteen minutes, and tastes much better than store canned soup.  

Now, I'm sure there are fancier methods and recipes and I could figure out how to make them and how to can so I can make big batches to save. And maybe one day I will. I'm just thrilled I figured out how to make a quick and easy soup! Usually my recipes require a lot of simmer time, so this will be awesome for quick lunches and dinners. :)

Keeping Afloat

As always, things are busy here. Just a bit busier than normal. 

Drum is almost one! Already! He was working on walking - took his first steps at the altar- but has since decided its too time consuming and crawling is quicker. We'll be doing a birthday shindig - to which I handed out paper invites ;) - next weekend. Nothing big, just locally made ice cream and some BBQ in the back yard. 

I've also been very busy with volunteer work. In addition to my normal community work, I've been appointed chair person of a committee in our local Junior League chapter and have been placed as head of a new department at church intended to encourage our church members to volunteer in our community and be His hands and feet. That alone is feeling like a full-time job lately, but it is very rewarding.

I'm also starting up a bible quizzing department to get the Word in our young kids' hearts and there's a lot of prep work for that. I've also been asked to manage our church's social media and presence alongside our pastor's wife. 

I've also got a business that I wouldn't worry about if it wasn't needed to pay bills. It would be nice to have it be a hobby, and I love it, but it just changes a bit when the pressure is on to provide for your family. 

And then I've also taken to doing projects around the house. I'm refinishing the piano and slowly painting the house. It doesn't help that our living, kitchen, and laundry are all blood red coz the person we bought the house from was a mixed martial arts fighter professionally and found the color of blood motivating during his training. I've picked a warm greige that's not too dark or modern feeling. And the piano is getting a coat of happy orange. I know some could see that as a waste of time and energy, but I love the idea of creating a sanctuary in our home and making it a beautiful and comfortable place for our family to relax in. And it's nice to get out my creative tendencies without pressure. And it's happening bit by bit as I can when the kids are sleeping, so there's no rush.  

And then there's my sweet babies and navigating new territories that come as they grow. In our lax summer homeschool (haven't ordered or planned out curriculum coz I've been so swamped with everything else :( ) we've been learning about chickens and egg hatching and how they chicks poke about until they find a sweet spot in the egg and are able to get out through it.  So, where most parents would try and incubate eggs, we've been watching educational videos and playing egg. How do you play? You get a large cream sheet and wrap up the chick where they're completely covered. Then they've got to find a sweet spot in the egg "shell" and push their way out until their hatched. They love it! It may not be the most scientifically derived game, but they get the concept an have a ball. 

Otherwise, life is good. Busy, but good. 

To Cover or Not To Cover

I'm typing this on my phone, so forgive me if this gets jumbled. 

A good many years ago I was convicted about covering my hair. Since I've known God, I haven't cut my hair based on what I've read in the Bible. Here is a pretty good write up on that: http://www.altupc.com/altupc/articles/harbour.htm

But I felt that a lot of women who believe similarly would fashion their hair in distinct ways purposely to draw attention to their hair. I felt that that was vain and was doing more to discredit than showing how beautiful the submission o having long hair and looking feminine can be. I didn't want to do that and wanted to take a stand I suppose against what I saw as vanity so I began to cover my hair  in addition to not cutting. 

I did this for many years feeling that I was doing what God had convicted me of and enjoying that season in my life. However, there came a point when it became the first thing that people noticed about me. It wasn't the light of Christ shining through me, or a friendly smile, or a warm hug. I was the lady who covered. It then started to become a bit of a prideful point because of that. I almost started to feel a bit self righteous that I was the only one who covered and was therefore more modest than women who didn't. What an awful way to feel! 

And then Auds started getting older and asking me about my convictions and why I dressed and behaved the way I did. I feel very strongly about looking and behaving like a lady and that there is teaching in the Bible about gender distinction. I was praying for wisdom about how to teach her without instilling in her a self righteous or judgmental spirit. The last thing I wanted to do was to teach an innocent little one to be hateful and hurtful towards others. Now, I can't say I've ever heard a voice from God directing me. But I do get an impression that usually falls on me in prayer and I can't shake. I started to feel that it would be confusing and conflicting to Auds to teach her about why I don't cut my hair because it's my glory and covering given by God but yet I cover it up and don't let it be a testimony. 

How would she take that? Would she feel that I was ashamed of my hair? Would she feel that I was being hypocritical? Would I plant some seed of doubt in her heart by seeming to not walk the walk that she could later extrapolate to other areas in her walk with God? I prayerfully went to the Scriptures and talked things over with my husband since he's my sounding board when I'm thinking about things. Then my Pastor, who hadn't known what I was praying or thinking of said something that struck home: a ladies' hair is her covering given to her by God while a veil is covering crafted by human hands; which one would I rather be known for? 

That really hit home since I had become known as the lady who covered. And then I realized how prideful I was at judging others' convictions. Convictions are a very personal thing and the Bible says to not judge them as they're given by God. Hello, plank in my eye! That was certainly not the example I wanted to give to my daughter. And I also began to think of what a testimony to God's grace I was hiding by not embracing my hair as my covering and glory. It's not the norm in our society to see a woman with long hair and modest dress. Couple that with a loving spirit and a welcoming smile and people will notice a lot more than a snood. Was I allowing myself to be less salty? 

Now, that's not to say that one can't cover with a right spirit as The Lord convicts. I'm not saying that at all and am  certainly the last one to judge another's convictions. However, for me, I felt that embracing my hair being my covering would show the best example for my daughter and would be the greatest witness for my faith. 

While I certainly don't do ostentatious hairstyles and more often than not prefer a simple bun, I have chosen to not cover with a snood or scarf. And, no, to answer the question I get often, I won't cut my hair because I believe the Scripture instructs me not to. If someone else doesn't feel that way that is up to them. We are sentient beings, after all. But even if my hair touches the floor, I won't. My hair is ankle length now, so I'm sure it's gonna soon.  

While it felt weird at first to not cover, I've quickly grown to feel more comfortable in my own hair and have even looked more into taking better care of it. I feel like my light is shining more and I'm better able to show an example to my daughter since kids are more likely to pay attention to our actions as opposed to our words.

I hope that that makes even the slightest bit of sense as I'm doing this on my phone while nursing a baby and keeping a toddler and preschooler from tearing the house apart. Isn't it something how a million ideas floating around in your head make perfect sense but somehow when it comes to writing it down it turns to chaos? 

We Survived Our First Dance Recital!

Auds has been taking classical ballet and tap from a Christian dance academy this past year. I was so thrilled to find a place that didn't force makeup and barely there costumes and encourage shaking parts little girls shouldn't be aware of. That's what "dance" is in the pageant world of the South. 

It was something I never had the opportunity to do and Auds had been obsessed with Angellina Ballerina for a while beforehand, so we gave it a whirl. My sisters and cousins and friends' kids have all done a beginner dance class (not with this school, but with other more "glitzy" ones) only to have them want to quit halfway through the first year. I honestly figured it would be the same thing for us. I didn't think that she would want to have the discipline at such an early age to go to weekly classes and then bi-weekly rehearsals before the big recital. 

Boy, was I wrong! She loves it! All she does all day is run around dancing, and now that we're done with recital, prancing in her costumes. She's talking about wanting to take a summer camp (jury's still out on that one for me as it's a lot of money and work for such a quick program) and focusing on ballet more than tap next year. 

She had her first recital last week and it was so much fun. I left all the boys at home and got some much-needed girl time with my ballerina. We primped hair, did last minute fixes on costumes, and I got to watch her beam as she danced and watched the bigger girls dance. 

Then came the recital and she did so well! She's in the 4-5 class, so it's not like they were very experienced and it was their first time on stage in front I people, but they did amazing. She remembered her placements and most of her steps in time with the music. She was even the center of a little bridge three girls made with their arms for the rest of the girls to walk through. Star of the show, I tell you! 

B was a proud papa watching all of her hardworking pay off. The boys weren't all that interested. Lol 

In other news, things have been super busy here, and I'm looking to take a week or two off before starting school again (coz Auds loves it so much she wants to do it every day). I just wrapped up school Spring and portrait orders for a local school, have a service day at a local battered woman's shelter that I planned to do, and a first birthday party to plan. 

Add to that that Drum has been blessed with salmonella and it's a regular circus. Evidently, salmonella can occur as just a stomach bug in older kids and adults. Younger kids and babies have a real hard time with it with most cases ending up in the hospital. People are contagious for six months after the fact, so someone who had a bug months ago and didn't wash their hands properly after the restroom touch him and passed it on (it's only contracted by contact with fecal matter). So we've been having a very sick baby who is at least nursing well enough to stay out of the hospital for now. He's been nursing so well that despite the bloody diarrhea, he still weighs 26 pounds. He's so chubby his blood work has to be done from his foot because his arms are too fat. We're praying he gets better soon and are even more diligent than normal about hand washing and hand sanitizer. I pray no one else at church got it since that's where he contracted it. If you poop, wash your hands people. I'd love to tell that from the rooftops, but it might be a little rude. ;)

Auds has been doing amazing with school and T has been learning more as well. He's got his alphabet, colors, numbers, and shapes down. Her reading is impressive and she already understands addition without needing her cuisinaire rods. She even read verses with us while we taught Bible study last night. (We teach a topic and then go round-robin reading the verses that back it up) her first verse she read was Acts 1:5 :)

Things are going well, albeit hectic, here but we wouldn't have them any other way. 

We're Ready for Easter!

Although we don't do Lent and the traditional Holy Week festivities, I did take this week to teach my kids about the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ so they know why we celebrate Easter. Eggs and candy are great, but our focus needs to be on Him. 

We started in the Old Testament because He is the fulfillment of it, after all. And it was important to know about what Passover was and why it was celebrated. We've been going through the Bible chronologically so far and are in the prophets, so the Exodus after the last plague was a review for them. I then went to the triumphal entry of Christ to the Passover/ Last Supper, the garden of Gethsemane, Pilate, crucifixion, the empty tomb. I hit the big stuff.

We took a break from our usual Abeka to do some Easter focused work. We did pattern matches, word searches, find the vowel, complete the word, Scripture transcribing, and color sheets. Tony loved having his own work to do instead of just playing all day. I may have to make  small unit studies for him. 

What I liked about the printables I found were that there were different levels of difficulty. Tony could have just a color sheet where Auds' would have Scripture for her to copy. 

We're spending Good Friday preparing a joint youth service with a neighboring youth group and a big service on Sunday. I've got all the ingredients to make resurrection cookies tomorrow night, and will be packing baskets as they sleep. 

Sunday will be packed getting ready for service and attending church. I'll be photographing the service, so it'll be busy for me. The annual church egg hunt happens after and then we'll come home for our own egg hunt, basket goodies, and lunch. 

Monday starts a busy week of editing school spring pictures, cap and gown pictures, a maternity session, and going to the governor's mansion for a special presentation I was invited to about helping fight sex trafficking in America and reaching out to these poor little girls. Makes me cry to even consider something like that happening to my angel. 

Anyway, happy thoughts. I finally got pictures of all the kids to hang in the house. I've never done that before because I'm so busy with work, but I made a special effort this year. It's a miracle. I'm thrilled and feel so fancy. It'll look so much better when we paint over the hideous red. And Auds has loved reading the monthly Scripture on our board this month. Quoting this verse has been almost as fun for her as reciting all of the books of the Bible. 

He is risen! Happy Easter to you and yours! 

Happy Easter!!

I promise I'll write when I actually have a chance. In the meantime, spring portraits! 

http://www.stephanieleblancphotography.com/2014/04/happy-easter/