a "giant" lesson of the 10 commandments

Jeneva: Are giants bad?

Me: Giants aren't real. Goliath was real, but there aren't any giants now.

Jeneva: And David struck him down! But, if there were giants around, what bad things would they do?

Me: I'm not sure, what do you think they would do?

Jeneva: Be mean to people, take other peoples things, covet and probably commit adultery.

laughing in church

Tonight we were sitting in church, me, Steve, and Jeneva. Pastor John was preaching and like usual he was using a lot of hand motions. If you've ever heard him preach, you know that he is a very passionate (for lack of a better description, maybe expressive, humorous, intense...) preacher. Tonight was no exception. Whenever people chuckled a little bit, Jeneva would belt out a big laugh too. Of course we knew she wasn't really laughing because she "got it"...she was merely copying the adults as if she was one of us. Yes, it's kind of cute, but at one point, I kind of nudged her. She leaned over to me and whispered (rather loudly) in my ear: "When John Piper shouts, it just makes me want to shout too!" The energy is contagious apparently.

two teeth

valley of vision

Someone asked me yesterday what it feels like to be 30. That seems so vague. How do I feel physically? No different than 29, but I definitely have felt the aging process over the past 10 years. Not dramatically....but I am only 30. Not 90. I think it has kind of made me stop and evaluate. Question. Okay, so what has my life amounted to over the past 30? What have I accomplished. I haven't made a million yet. Don't think I ever will. *wink*. I really could care less about that I guess. What have I done that has made a difference? That kind of discourages me. How have I brought glory and honor to the King of the universe? Isn't that what our "purpose" is here on earth?

In our devotions with Jeneva we are going through the exodus. God is leading his people out of Egypt into Canaan. Just this morning we read about Moses coming down from the mountain after 40 days and his face was glowing because he had been with God. My face is sort of glowing right now because it's oily and shiny and sun burned. I haven't washed it yet this morning. Ha! No, seriously though, do I have the essence of Christ written on my face? Can others see Christ in me? I have felt the weight my sins and failures lately. This is good....BUT, I've not been focusing on the cross, redemption, regeneration, forgiveness....I am saved by his grace even though I act like an Israelite in the wilderness. Time and time again I've been forgiven. I want to move forward with the essence of Christ glowing on my face so to speak.

I've been staying up pretty late at night this summer. Steve took a temporary shift change at his work and is now working the 10:30pm to 6:30am shift. So, he leaves for work around 10. So, that has been my time to be by myself. A lot of times I sit outside, light the citronella, and have a cup of tea--green tea---decaf---from Trader Joe's. It's peaceful. As peaceful as urban life gets anyway. It really is pretty quiet that late at night....despite the occasional fireworks. Hello people, the 4th of July was 2 weeks ago! I've been reading through The Valley of Vision A Collection of Puritan Prayers. I.Love.It. Those puritans certainly pray like I desire to be able to pray and talk to God. It's kind of like cheating because the words are there written down for me to just read. But oh, they are soooo good!

Here is a portion of one I read last night:
"Oh God, I know that I often do thy work without thy power, and sin by my dead, heartless, blind service, my lack of inward light, love, delight, my mind, heart, tongue moving without thy help. I see sin in my heart in seeking the approbation of others; This is my vileness, to make men's opinion my rule, whereas I should see what good I have done and give thee glory, consider what sin I have committed and mourn for that......(if you want to finish it read it for yourself!). The end expresses such hope!

This one was perfect for me right now because as I enter a new decade of my life this is one of my goals. I spend a lot of time "seeking the approbation of others." (I have given up on my "looks." I don't care what others think anymore! Ha! I'm never going to look 18 again, so why try. I do wish I could still run like I did when I was 18. I suppose that would mean I have to actually practice though now.) Anyway, how can I not do that, but desire that more from Christ? Maybe I'll figure it out more fully in this next decade. God help me!

Okay, I better get the kids out of the tub. I like to stick them in there when I actually feel like getting something done!

I'm 30.

How exactly am I supposed to feel?

My dear mother apparently told a lot of people it was my birthday today. I've never received so many birthday greetings in all my 30 years! Well, maybe my first birthday. That tends to be one that everyone recognizes. So, it's been delightful to be greeted by so many friends from back home as well as relatives all over the country! Thank you! I feel loved. A handful of those cards have been musical cards which sound incredible when all played at once. Ha! Steve and Jeneva are the crazy ones in the family. When do the batteries die on those things? Love it.

a "musical" birthday greeting

Our video camera is broken, so unfortunately I can't record this. I would love to post it. Maybe instead you can imagine this.

So, I received a birthday card (early) the other day. It's one of those singing cards where you open it and it greets you with a song. Jeneva has gotten such a kick out of it. I don't think she will ever need an i-pod. Just give her an assortment of musical greeting cards to listen to. Anyway, she's been opening this one constantly for the past two days (thank you Joanne Roetlin). Needless to say, she has the song memorized. So, now, imagine her singing this song all day:

"I think I'll take a moment. Celebrate my age. The ending of an era (she says "errand") the turning of a page. Now it's time to focus in on where I go from here. Lord have mercy on my next thirty years."

She told me that the guy who sings this song must love God because he sings "lord have mercy."

I think we have a budding country fan in our home. She's even got the country twang thing down. Move over Go Fish....Tim McGraw is coming to town!

apparently i have become a coffee snob

I bought Maxwell House coffee. I'm a bit sheepish to admit that. My freezer is typically stocked with various beans from Starbucks, Caribou, and Trader Joes. I would never buy Maxwell House or Folgers at the grocery store, but I was at Costco and according to my brother, everything from Costco is good. Plus, right on the can it says 'good to the last drop.' I passed by the extra large bags of Starbucks beans and headed for the cheap stuff. Or should I say the "church" stuff. I don't know what they serve at church, but I am so glad our church also offers hot tea. So anyway, I caved. Just to save a few bucks this time around. Blahhugh. The really bad thing is that I did buy it at Costco. The can is HUGE. It will take awhile to get through this one. So, if you are a lucky friend who gets to come over for coffee some morning, you might want to bring your own beans. An extra couple glugs of half 'n half might do the trick too. So, all this to say, I believe I have become a coffee snob.

wordless wednesday

...what results when the four year old is in charge of feeding the baby.

legacy bracelets

we updated our website. it's a bit more user friendly. check us out!

a day at the falls

Today I needed to spend some time with Jeneva! She was hanging out with everyone else in her social circle this week EXCEPT for me. I was beginning to miss her. Alas, we headed to the Minnehaha Falls for some splish-splashing-fun and the chance to enjoy God's BEAUTIFUL creation.

I put the pictures of the steps in there to show you where we started out. Yes, at the top. Surely there was a place to take a stroller down. Nope. I completely forgot about that. How are we going to get Jude down? A couple of nice folks offered to help. I declined. Our stroller folds up freakishly small. It's a Combi. It's lighter than a generic umbrella stroller. I folded it up, strapped it on my back and carried my 20# baby down 100 steps. Getting down wasn't too difficult. Going back up was the challenge. My cross country years are long past. And now I believe I need to visit the chiropractor.

It was a good day. I've kind of felt like a tourist in my own town lately. Maybe next week we'll ride the light rail to the Mall of America. :)

land of 10,000 lakes

One of our favorites is Lake Johanna. The public beach side is nice, but we like to go to the other side of it, on the island, by Northwestern. Usually you can have the place to yourself and there are nice grills and picnic tables. And it's just nostalgic. :)

We went there on Saturday with Seong and Heeya and their two boys. Steve got to know them through an ESL class at our church where they practiced English. They are from Korea and are living here while Seong works on his PhD.










Jude loved the water...even ate some sand!




A year ago Jeneva caught her first fish here. This year she caught 6 (with her pink princess pole)! I even a few.




Steve is the master fisherman in our family. I didn't even know how to cast when we got married! I've learned a few things over the years.

















Oops. We forgot Jeneva in the last picture! I'm so bad at getting family pictures.

independence day streaker...

"It's America's Birthday!!!" Yelled the man as he streaked past our car as we were inching through the traffic after the fireworks show in Excelsior. Did I just say 'streaked?' Yes! He was buck. Nothing on. Nada. Zilch. He was running. Good mental picture yet? And there was nothing we could do to spare the innocent eyes of the four year old. She saw it. "That man was naked." She couldn't have said it with less expression. Apparently the fact that it was 11:30 at night and that she had a belly full of gut wrenching holiday food helped with the disinterest. Well, that was exciting and certainly gave us a good laugh. We had a fun night watching the Minnesota Orchestra (which our friend, Matt Wilson, played the french horn in) perform on the shore of Lake Minnetonka followed by a spectacular fireworks presentation. We hooked up with the Wilson's and the Ley's there which indeed was delightful!



She's looking a bit weary, and the fireworks put the boy to sleep!

foody friday~greens

Ironically enough, Jenny has chosen the theme of "greens" for this foody friday....which also happens to be the 4th of July. She wanted to make it clear that she was NOT making a political statement and rebelling against the good old red white and blue~in exchange for 'going green.' Merely a coincidence! :)

One of our favorite frozen vegetables are Greens with Envy that we find at Trader Joes. Saute it in some EVOO and add a bit of salt...mmmm. The kid, the hubby, we all love it.

About 3 weeks ago I made a trip to my favorite Trader Joe's much to my dismay I found out that they no longer carry Greens with Envy!!! I was devastated, but determined. Determined to still have my Greens. Granted, this bag of vegetables is not all that difficult to figure out how to recreate. So, I chose our favorite green vegetables and made it at home. I must say, mmmm, it tastes virtually the same!

Greens with Envy~(tiffany style)

*Frozen Edamame (not to be confused with Lima Beans. These have a much better texture)
*Frozen Asparagus diced (frozen spears from Trader Joes taste like fresh!)
*Fresh Spinach (cook it with the frozen vegetables)
*Frozen Broccoli (heads, not the stemy kind)
*2 or 3 cloves of garlic (we just like garlic and add it to our liking)

Cook all of this in some EVOO and add salt to taste. Of course you can use all fresh veggies if you have it on hand, and then you would just have to cook it prior to cooking the spinach because spinach doesn't take very long to get wilty.

You can find more "greens" recipes at A Latte Talk. Happy Independence Day!

why am i not desiring god right now?

"Raking is easier than digging, but you only get leaves. If you dig you may get diamonds."

This hit me like a ton of bricks about 15 minutes ago. I am weary. I am fighting to have joy in Christ. I'm reading When I Don't Desire God by Piper. I dusted off the book from my shelf because well, I can relate to the title right now.

Read on:

"I have the profound sense that many people who complain of not being able to rejoice in God treat the knowledge of God as something that ought to be easy to get. They are passive. (me) They expect spiritual things to happen to them from out of nowhere. (me again) They don't grasp the pattern of the Bible expressed in Proverbs 2:1-6."

"If you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding."

"Look at all those aggressive words: "receive . . . treasure up . . . make your ear attentive . . . incline your heart . . . call out . . . raise your voice . . . seek . . . search" --if you do these, then knowledge of God will be yours. Not because you can make it happen. The giving of the knowledge is still in the hands of God: "For the LORD gives wisdom" No, the pursuit of the knowledge of God is not because you can make it happen, but because God freely chooses to bless seeking with finding. The pattern is seen in 2 Timothy 2:7 where Paul says, "Think over what I say, for the Lord will give you understanding in everything." You think. The Lord gives. Our thinking does not replace his giving. And his giving does not replace our thinking."

-John Piper

Can you relate to this at all? I certainly have been doing a lot of "raking" lately. I don't think (study, read, pray, dig) enough and I am passive. Digging is hard work. AND HARD IS GOOD! (I had to throw in a Brad Stine quote there:) Okay, good night. I need to go study!

wordless wednesday

Do you sense some intensity here?

this one's for you, mom...

Jeneva: Mom, when was your mom a little girl?

Me: Oh, about 50 years ago.

Jeneva: Maybe back when God wrote the Bible stories? Ya know, the old days?

Cheers, Mom! :)

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