crawling...

Today Jude finally figured out that if you get on all four limbs and make your hands go forward and then push your legs forward, you can actually get somewhere! Yes, he crawled just a bit today. Now I won't be able to just plop him down on the floor and expect that he will stay here. Let the chasing begin! July 1st he will be 8 months.

sprouting some fun!

We drove to our local co-op today to get some wheat berries. Have you ever heard of them? I hadn't until now. We are going to try growing some grass with them. We found the idea over at Me and My Girl . We'll keep you updated once they sprout and let you know how it goes!

what to say?

On Sunday morning we were driving to church downtown. When we got to about 3rd and Hennepin we noticed a lot of people around getting ready for something. I told Jeneva that it was probably a parade and wondered what the occasion was. A few moments later Jeneva pointed out the "pretty rainbows" and asked what the sign by it said. "PRIDE." Shoot! Not planning on talking about this yet! So we didn't. Thankfully her questions didn't persist. Of course if she were to go to a Minneapolis Public School in the fall, she would be get introduced to this topic in the classroom...from her teacher...through a specific curriculum emphasizing alternative lifestyles. Rumor has it that this would begin at the tender age of...kindergarten. This has been a hot conversation topic among many of my friends (many of you) with near school age children. One thing we haven't really talked much about is how do you respond if your 5 year old has a question? At this age, it should be avoided, but they don't stay 5 forever. Our kids watch and model how we respond to sin. Do we model 'loving the sinner, yet hating the sin?' I think so.

reminiscing...two years ago

I have to say that looking at these pictures makes me miss it. I miss age 3. I am, however, looking forward to age 5 . Her language is more descriptive. Her understanding is deeper. Her independence is stronger. Oh, and I think I'll vote for the long hair too. We're growing it again!

foody friday

It's Foody Friday again at Jenny's blog: a-latte-talk. I've missed the past couple of weeks, but tried a handful of the recipes that others submitted. It was fun to get some new ideas! Today's theme is "drinkables." Summer time rolls around and I always get a craving for Russian Tea. It reminds me of my dear friend, Megan. No, she is not Russian, but she used to make this years ago when we were roommates at Northwestern. I guess it just brings back pleasant memories. The main ingredient is Tang. Tang kind of ranks right up there with Kool-Aid and Velveeta for me. Fake juice and fake cheese. Sometimes though....you just gotta do it. It is super tasty!

Russian Tea Mix

1 cup Tang
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup instant tea
3T. sweetened lemonade mix
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Mix all of these ingredients well. Store in an airtight glass or plastic container.

1 Tablespoon per 1 cup of HOT or COLD water. I prefer it as a cold drink.

Enjoy!

ignorance

This morning Steve and I were discussing and revamping our budget when he said to me: "So, what do we typically spend a month on groceries? About $100?"

One hundred dollars a month! Are you kidding? I'm not certain what century he thinks we are in never mind the fact that our country is in an economic crisis... If anyone has figured out HOW to spend only $100 a month on groceries, please do tell me how!

Oh, Steve. I do love you! And by the way, we will be having rice and beans for lunch AND dinner!

a tag

I am…tiffany
I want…to know Jesus more deeply
I wish... I could travel more
I hate…that I have a hard time changing
I miss…my family
I fear…not much
I feel…pain in my back
I hear…steve washing dishes
I smell…nothing
I crave…a snack
I search…the internet
I wonder…about lots of things
I regret…yelling at my daughter
I love…my husband
I care…about people
I ache…right now (my back)
I always...overanalyze
I believe…that God is sovereign, supreme, and sufficient
I dance…in my dreams
I sing...in the car
I cry…when I read certain blogs
I don’t always... like myself
I fight…sin
I write…in a journal mostly and a little on this blog
I never…change the oil on our car (steve does)
I listen…to people
I need…to be content
I am happy...to be me

i tag jenny and erin

a bit cheeky

Notice the cheeks? Do I discipline the 4 year old for using her brother as an art easel? Or do I laugh, take a picture, and blog about it?

wordless wednesday

Yeah, yeah, I know it's Thursday. I meant to post it on Wednesday. This girl, who is looking a bit too grown up, ate a 6 oz. steak, a whole baked potato, and a whopping portion of Greek chicken and artichoke pasta salad for our Father's Day picnic. Do you think she's maybe just maybe going through a growth spurt? Wait a minute. This was supposed to be "wordless" hence the title. I just had to add a few words to it I guess.

my ONLY form of exercise now days

Hooray for warm weather! We love to go biking and it's too bad there's only about 3 months in this state to enjoy that luxury! We weren't sure if Jude would be big enough for the Burley. Thursday evening we tried and wa-la he fits well (as evidenced in the photo), but only if Jeneva is beside him. She kind of keeps him propped up. For our first trip we went about 2 miles from our house. There was a live concert on the Parkway, so we packed a picnic and away we went. About 1/2 a block from home Jude fell asleep. We went again for a long ride down by the river on Father's Day. We didn't realize how swollen the river was. Nothing like the southern states, but definitely full. I enjoy living so close to the Mississippi. It's just about 3 blocks to a nice little "escape" from the chaos of urban dwelling. The trails are pretty, the trees are thick and tall, and the noise....what noise....it's quiet! Except for the chatter of fishermen and an occasional "beep" from the highway in the background, it's still. Oh yeah, Jeneva learned to ride her bike...WITHOUT TRAINING WHEELS! Hooray for Jeneva! Seeing the bigger kids ride around our neighborhood without them was all of the motivation she needed.

Wait a minute. I don't know if I like it in here. Jeneva, out with you!

after the storm clean-up

When neighbor kids come over and say they are bored....

put them to work picking up sticks that came down in the storm.

The result? A clean driveway. The reward? A sweet treat!

Good times! Thanks Rashawn, Jordan, and Jeneva!

happy father's day

a few things i love about steve...

1. he loves me and never neglects to tell me
2. he gives the kids lots of hugs and kisses
3. he takes Jeneva fishing
4. he enjoys helping other people
5. he does the whole bedtime routine with the kids
6. he loves the great outdoors
7. he plays "pretend" with kids
8. he cheerfully eats what I cook (or concoct)
9. he really tries to understand his daughters heart
10. he supports me
11. he thinks outside the box
12. he takes parenting seriously
13. he is an awesome athlete
14. he can be crazy and goofy
15. he thinks about stuff and is intelligent
16. he has been blessed with tons of patience

I love him! Happy Father's Day Honey!

flooding in my home town

The flooding in Iowa is incredible. Here are pictures from Iowa City. Out of 99 counties, 83 of them have been declared disaster areas. I know that natural disasters happen all of the time all over the world, it's just a surreal feeling when it happens in such a familiar place. The amount of natural disasters world wide has gone up 200% in the past 2 decades. Surely that is a sign of the times.

excerpt from charlotte's web

This cracked me up when I read it aloud to Jeneva today:

"Run! Commanded Mrs. Arable, taking the pig from Fern and slipping a donut into her hand. Avery grabbed his gun and another donut.....ran down the road and climbed onto the bus."

What's that? He grabbed his gun and then got on the bus? Ha! Absurd!

I read it to Steve and then he told me that he too used to take his gun with him on the bus. WHA???!!! I grew up in a rural area as well, but even 20 years ago I don't think guns would have been allowed on the bus. That boggles my mind! Or should I say....it blows me away!

what jude is up to these days

People always ask how Jude is doing. Well, he's sitting up, smiling, eating....what else? My answers tend to be rather normal. Here's what he would say are his new feats in life.

1. I drool. Evidenced in the photo. (though this is nothing 'new' per se)
2. When Jeneva sings and dances I break out in uncontrollable fits of laughter.
3. When everyone else gets to eat ice cream, I get peas.
4. I don't feel the need to crawl yet.
5. I can clap my hands.
6. I laugh and squeal.
7. I can do numbers 5 and 6 simultaneously.
8. I don't mind when Jeneva picks the lint out from between my toes. How does it get there anyway? (Jeneva picks the lint out of her own toes too. It's her little ritual every night. Quirky girl.)
9. I can pinch HARD and make people scream.
10. I have a crush on my friend Jillian.
11. Or maybe it's Avery (Avery Ley that is. How many Avery's can one babe possibly know?!).
12. Eli is smaller than me. Yes!
13. I like to pull my buddy Seth's curly hair.
14. My nuk belongs in my mouth upside down.
15. Johnny-Jump-Up is my best friend, but he never leaves the kitchen.
16. I still sleep in a pack-n-play (AKA Jude's Jail)
17. I love being outside. LOVE. IT. I. LOVE. IT. My stroller rocks!

And THAT, folks, is just the way I roll!

super healthy vs. not super healthy

Last night for dinner we had Veggies Enchiladas. Packed full of nutrition.

Tonight we had this. That's right. Bananas, strawberries, peanut butter, chocolate chips. All that goodness was topped with a drizzle of caramel. Yum!

animals in our back yard

Kidding. Just a few more zoo pictures. :)

i would be 65...

Today I told Jeneva I would be going to a meeting tonight and she would be at home with Papa.

"Oh MAMA, don't go! I hate it when you go." (typical drama)

A few minutes later...

"Mom, when I'm 40, will you let me come with you to your meetings?"

lovely day

So we made our way to Malmborg's Garden Center down the street today to get a few more things. We planted a few flowers as well as tomato plants, beans, carrots, peas, cilantro and basil. Let's hope it all fares better than last years attempts. You better watch out squirrels. Steve is armed and dangerous and ready for you. I know someone who trapped 55 squirrels last year in his back yard. FIFTY FIVE! Don't ask what he did with them. :) Now, back to those tree house blueprints. Kidding. Have a great day y'all.

neighbors, garage sales, back-yard-envy

We have new neighbors! They have two little girls. Excitement for Jeneva. They own a Thai restaurant in St. Paul. My favorite! They said they would bring us food. Yipee!

Speaking of neighbors, I am having "back-yard-envy." Our neighboring neighborhood hosted their annual garage sale on Saturday. I love "neighborhood" sales.

Normally it's challenging with kids to go to garage sales. Load everyone in the car. Try and follow the signs that typically have too-small-print. Get out. Get the kids out. Look around and realize it really IS just someone else's junk. Get back in. Drive to the next sale. Hope you hit the jackpot. It's reeks havoc on the car. It's time consuming. With gas at $4 a gallon....you get the point. Neighborhood sales simply involve getting on your bike with the burley on back and away you go.

Well, Saturday was a glorious day and it seemed like the entire neighborhood was out. We shopped with some friends which made the trip even more enjoyable. As we strolled through the alley ways of the homes in this lovely neighborhood, I got envious. What lovely back yards! Big? Nope. Quaint. Yes! We don't live in the suburbs. There's no such thing as big back yards in the city, BUT it has way cute houses and big beautiful trees! Quaint little bungalos with charm and character and design that only the 1920's and 30's brought to us.

Maybe someday we will have a quaint little back yard WITH a treehouse and a square foot garden! Does anyone have anything to offer me on contentment? :) Well, maybe tomorrow I will just take it upon myself to begin designing that tree house. Steve's handy. He's got tools. I'm sure he'll LOVE my idea.

it's berry season!

At a picnic recently Jude got a taste of his first strawberry. He ended up "gumming" the whole thing down. Later I remembered that strawberries shouldn't be introduced to a baby in the first year because it is a highly allergenic food. Oops. Oh well, so far he's just fine. We hope to make it to a berry farm sometime soon!

broiled sloppy jeneva's

It's 'Foody Friday' again. The theme is SIMPLE! This is a recipe for Sloppy Joes. We call them "Sloppy Jeneva's" at our house. Gee, I wonder why. These are super easy and the best tasting "joe" recipe I've found. Click here for more simple recipes.

Broiled Sloppy Jeneva's

Brown together:
1 lb. hamburger
1 onion chopped
Add:
3/4 can tomato soup
1 tbsp. ranch dressing
1/2 lb. Velveeta (cubed)
1 tsp. worchestershire sauce

Cook until cheese is melted.
Spoon on to open faced hamburger buns and toast in the oven until edges are crispy. About 12 minutes.

Enjoy! My family loves these and they are super easy!

caught again!

what is up with my kids falling asleep in such unusual places?

memorial day trip to the zoo

a girl named emma

I don't have anything to post today because I haven't uploaded our pictures of Steve's 30th birthday or of our trip to the zoo on Memorial Day.......soooooo.......if you want to be entertained for a few moments, read Emma's post. She's a 14 year old girl who I know from church who has really cool parents (good bloggers I might add) and I think she's pretty much a hoot.

look at my "new" dresser!

While shopping at Hidden Treasures Thrift Store the other day, we found a real treasure! We have been needing storage that fits into the half story top of our house (AKA the kids domain). It fits perfectly! Jude is already complaining about the pink... so we put it on Jeneva's side of the room. It now contains clothes, toys, and games. If you live in the Twin Cities, you should check out this store in St. Anthony. I am a fan of thrift stores and consignment shops and this one definitely tops the list. Best of all is that 100% of the profits go to support the missionaries from our church!

gas prices...

Read what Shari saw today. It made me chuckle. I just might start doing the same thing (except that I would hit up Costco not Sams Club:)

a recipe for homemade band-aids

Okay, I hope you're not sick of "Jeneva conversations." She's been full of them lately! So, yesterday evening we were at Target buying band-aids. Jeneva picked out some Hello Kitty ones. Of course. As we were taking them off of the shelf I made a comment to myself about how they were even on sale. Jeneva then said "What!? They're on sale? SWEET!" I guess she gets just as excited about a sale as I do! As we were walking to the check-out our conversation went something like this:

J: Do you know how band-aids are made, Mom?

Me: No idea.

J: But mom, you know how to make EVERYTHING! (ego boost....score!)

Me: Interesting that you think so, hon.

J: Well, I think I know how you make band-aids. First you get some wax paper. Then you get some sticky stuff like glue and you put it together. Then you find an artist and have them paint stuff on the band-aids....like Hello Kitty and Sponge Bob. Except that we don't watch Sponge Bob, but some people so, so they need band-aid's with Sponge Bob on them. We just get the Hello Kitty ones because Hello Kitty is good, right mom?

Me: Yes, Jeneva, I think you are just right.

are you allergic to your relatives?

Jeneva: Mom, I'm allergic to you. I'm allergic to Jude. I'm allergic to Papa.

Me: What do you mean?

Jeneva: You know, we're all in the same family and stuff.

Me: You mean we are related?

Jeneva: Oh yeah, I guess I just got my words mixed up.

ramblings

This evening at the dinner table:

Jeneva: I wished that I could live in Indiana. No, I mean Africa. Well, I can't remember, it's either Indiana or Africa that I want to live in.

Steve: Hu?

Jeneva: Well, in Indiana (or is it Africa?) it's really hot ALL of the time. And if I lived there I could pick bananas and eat them whenever I wanted to....hey look the neighbors have army pants hanging on their clothes line!

danger, risk, do-it-yourself

This is the Stutzman/Dykstra way of doing things. That is Steve and my dad putting up siding. The tallest ladder was wooden and way too wobbly. So glad the job was finished with no one harmed!

my wee bro

It's Matt. He's the youngest. He's still cool. He's a college kid. He still gets to enjoy 'spring breaks' and 'summer vacations.' He lives in Virginia. We miss him! While in Iowa this past weekend we went to my cousins high school graduation. He graduated from Iowa Mennonite just like we did. While we were there, Matt was trying to place people who may have been in my class. Since he's 9 years younger, he doesn't know too many that were in my class. Everyone he mentioned was still younger than me. "Man, you ARE old!" He finally said. He has just entered his 20's. I have a couple of months left and will be exiting my 20's. I actually am happy to be turning 30. Maybe I have a bit more maturity than when I was 20. No offense, Matt. You really ARE mature for your age. :)

fast asleep...

...in unusual places.

jude's dedication

Last night we had Jude dedicated at our church. I want to list the dedication questions that were asked of the parents during the service to which we responded "I do."

1. Do you recognize these children as the gifts of God and give heartfelt thanks for God's blessing? 2. Do you now dedicate your children to the Lord who gave them to you all, surrendering all worldly claims upon their lives in the hope that they will belong wholly to God? 3. Do you pledge as parents that, with God's fatherly help, you will bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, making every reasonable effort, with patience and love, to build the word of God, the character of Christ and the joy of the Lord into their lives? 4. Do you promise to provide, through God's blessing, for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual needs of your children, looking to your own Heavenly Father for the wisdom, love and strength to serve them and not use them? 5. Do you promise, God helping you, to make it your regular prayer that by God's grace your children will come to trust in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of their sins and for the fulfillment of all his promises to them, even eternal life, and in this faith follow Jesus as Lord and obey his teachings?

Sometimes events like a child dedication or a baptism can be done ritualistically or thought of as a formality. Bethlehem is so big on meaning and intentionality and as I re-write and read these words, I am challenged once again. Hearing pastor David Michael, with his hand placed on the back of Jude's head while looking him in the eye, saying "Jude, together with your parents who love you dearly and this people who care about the outcome of your faith, I dedicate you to God, surrendering together with them all worldly claim upon your life in the hope that you will belong wholly to the Lord, forever." Then the body of Christ, some close family, some dear friends, some folks we sort of know, and some people we don't know at all say "I do." It's not a formality. It's not a ritual. There's meaning and purpose in it. The body of Christ truly cares about the outcome of my child's faith. Thank you, Jesus.

Parent's dedicating their children always receive a red rose during the church service. Another thing that our church does is have a vase filled with white roses for those who experience grief during Mother's Day. It is a way to recognize not only those who have children living, but those who have lost children or even family members. Click here to read my friend Jenna's entry about some people she talked to with white roses.

Today I am thankful. I'm thankful for two children. I am thankful that the Lord has spared me this far from losing any children. I am thankful for family and friends who care about the outcome of my children's faith. I am thankful for MY mom. I am thankful for my mom's mom and my dad's mom. I can honestly say (eek, I hate to admit it) that Mother's Day didn't carry as much meaning for me until I became a mom. Maybe I was blinded or somewhat insensitive. It's because I am able to love and appreciate so much more the women in my life because I understand more.

farm animals by jeneva

I love these books! It's a great way to teach kids how to draw simple animals. I didn't get the artistic gene that some of my family members have, so I need to rely on books like this to help me. I used these when I taught Kindergarten. I'm not a big fan of cut and paste projects that all look the same. With this, even though they show you exactly how to draw the animals, every child's drawing ends up looking so unique. Happy artistry!

foody friday

This is the best homemade Thai dish EVER....and it's sooo simple! My friend Megan created it one day and brought it to us to taste. Steve has asked me to make it several times since then and we've made it for company twice.

(this is the kind of green curry that I use)

1 Rotisserie Chicken cut up (I use almost the whole chicken)

2 cans of Green Curry (found in Asian section at Cub)

1 can of Coconut Milk (also found in Asian section)

2 carrots diced and cooked

3 potatoes diced and cooked

2 cups of cooked green beans (best if fresh)

2 cups of frozen snow peas

Mushrooms quartered

Put all together in a crock pot and heat for a few hours or put in a big pot on the stove and heat thoroughly.

Serve over rice.

This is really good and definitely has kick/heat to it!

Enjoy!

go to a-latte-talk for more spicy international recipes today.

left over popsicles from LAST year

They were kinda gooey and slimy. This is what our Monday's kinda look like. Three 4 year olds and a baby get me plenty of sympathy looks at the park.

foody friday #3

It's Foody Friday. I don't have time to post now, but head on over to Jenny's blog and check out the YUMMMMY desserts.

this is jeneva.

This is what Jeneva's feet look like on days like this.

This is Jeneva's updated top ten list. The old top ten has gone by the wayside this season.

1. Digging in the dirt.
2. Mixing water with dirt.
3. Playing with the mud.
4. Transferring dirt from one side of the yard to the other.
5. Getting dirt under her nails.
6. Sloshing in mud.
7. "Planting" sticks and rocks and leaves.
8. Planting things that actually will grow.
9. Do you get the point?
10. Spraying the stain remover on the soiled clothes.

i never would have done this as a child

This afternoon we attended our Homeschool Co-Op end-of-the-year-program. Jeneva was in the preschool class this year and I co-taught the Kindergarten class. The program today involved performances by the various classes followed by food, fellowship, and music performances by 12 student musicians. Some played piano. Some played violin. A couple played trumpets. Most of the performances were done by children ages 10 and older. While we were snacking and listening to the musicians Jeneva spotted her preschool teacher and went and whispered in her ear "I can play Hot Cross Buns on the piano." Of course sweet Mrs. Reeth played along and said "wow, that's wonderful, Jeneva." "I want to play my song up there too." Jeneva replied. Well after all of the performers completed their masterpieces, the music teacher (who overheard Jeneva saying she wanted to play) thanked everyone for coming and said that Jeneva had something to perform. Jeneva slowly walked up front (there were about 100 people scattered about this room) slowly and trying to hide the grin on her face. She sat down at the piano, looked around, took a deep breath and played the little musical number that this very un-musical mom taught her on a whim one day. She played Hot Cross Buns with ease and elegance. I couldn't have been prouder.