and so much more could be said...

easy going

strong
content
faithful
grounded
ingenious
helpful
creative
resourceful
hard working
laid back
productive
calm
joyful
patient

Love you, Dad! Happy Father's Day!

fish aren't the only thing one can catch while fishing

these are usually the size of fish that hook onto her pink princess pole

"look, mom! wish you were here!"
(i'm just glad steve likes to take her fishing, it's not really my thing)

if one is lucky, a really cool turtle like this might just bite the line. that is just what happened!

(i was impressed with steve's artistic photography skills here:)

"i am sooo brave!"

"and now i think i need a break. THAT was hard work!"

the usual

just playing with trucks in the DIRT

a little SNOT mixed with the dirt never hurt anyone

yeah, sometimes it gets in my eyes

that's okay, i'll just keep playing....and then mom will probably make me take a bath. go figure.

tuesday

Went... to Ikea for $2 breakfasts and free coffee.
Bought... only the three items on our list (unusual for Ikea)
Read...Romans 4.
Ate... left over fried rice for lunch.
Biked... to the park and met our friends there.
Sprayed... sunscreen on the kids.
Sweated... a lot.
Guzzled... a half gallon of grapefruit juice throughout the day (between the four of us)
Put... some bricks around our pine tree.
Contemplated... turning on the A/C (3 days ago we had the furnace on).
Split... hostas and planted them.
Watered... all things living in our yard.
Watched... my kids get dirty. Really dirty.
Sweated... some more.
Discussed... paint color with a neighbor.
Made... Italian dunkers for supper.
Laughed... at Jude when he discovered goat cheese and kept begging for more.
Bathed... the kids (resulting in an inch of sand at the bottom of the tub).
Put...them to bed at 8:00.
Took... a cold shower.
Thanked God... for my husband washing the dishes.

random family update (i know, i do a lot of these)

1. My allergies are miserable. I finally broke down and got some Benadryl. Doc says it's okay to take it while pregnant.

2. I think it's hilarious that Jude loves to eat limes. Just like his mama! And I've got plenty of them right now (when you buy them at Costco, you have to buy 30, not just one) because I'm on a guacamole kick.

3. I think Glad Press-n-Seal wrap was a GENIUS invention.

4. Steve trimmed our million foot tree yesterday, so it looks like a tornado hit our back yard.

5. Our camera is acting funny (hence the lack of pictures lately). Every time I try and take a picture, it switches to VIDEO mode. So, I've got lots of videos....oh, maybe I should upload those!

6. I am reading "Life of Pi" right now.

7. Did I mention that my allergies are awful! I sneezed 7 times while at CVS tonight.

8. I have a DiGorno pizza in the oven and some friends are bringing over Papa Murphy's to add to the pleasure. Life is good on a Friday night without having to cook a REAL meal. Another friend brought over donuts this morning. Not a good day....health wise!

9. I've been reading through this blog/comments about homeschool and have found it interesting....NO, I am not re-considering it. Jeneva is pumped about Spanish Immersion and we are TOO!

10. Steve biffed it on his bike the other day and has some major scratches and bruises to show for it.

11. I need to join a good Bible Study. Beth Moore perhaps?

12. We went in with a bunch of friends on a farm share for the summer. I'm stoked about all of the yummy FRESH veggies that will come weekly! We only planted flowers. I'm not even going to TRY a garden. If someone came and did it for me, I PROMISE I would weed it and tend to it. (Heather?:)

13. Jeneva will probably have to get glasses this summer. Cute!

14. One of my cousins is coming home from Afghanistan tomorrow. I just wanted to acknowledge that and say we are so thankful for HIS and every other soldier's service overseas.

15. I have been really really thankful lately for all of the people God has placed in my life: family, close friends, casual friends, acquaintances, neighbors.....ALL amazing in different ways.

16. The Benadryl JUST kicked in.

17. Steve and I just went through our CD's and are getting rid of a few: Alanis Morrisette, Amy Grant, Simon and Garfunkle, Mission Impossible soundtrack.....just to name a few. Ha! If JOSH MISNER or SARA read this, please KNOW that we didn't get rid of Josh....we burned it and made hundreds of copies to pass out to everyone we know!

18. Jude had his 18 month check up yesterday. He's in the 20th percentile for weight and 85th for height. Long and lean boy he is.

19. Oh, the pizza's done. Better run! (I wanted to make it to 20, but even numbers are boring...right?)

mama sometimes buys the knock off brands

While in Costco yesterday, Jeneva pointed out to me the oversized bin of colorful Crocs.

"Mom, can I get a pair of Crocs?"

"Not now. Besides, you already have a pair."

"Mom, mine aren't REAL Crocs. They're generic."

Okay, so I remember very clearly the day we bought her "Crocs." They were on clearance at Target. I called them "Crocs" and Jeneva has always referred to them as her "Crocs." I wondered why she recently started calling them her "Pink Shoes." Now I know. *sigh*

I certainly like my Chaco's and Keen's and wouldn't settle for a knock off brand of them. However, she is only five. She is going to have to settle this time.

Thankfully, she didn't really care that hers aren't real. I just found it humorous that she called her's "generic."

Jeneva's "pink shoes" are on the right. Her friend's Crocs are on the left.

i did what?

A few things I recently overheard that daughter of mine say:

"My mom drinks alcohol ALL of the time."
(For the record, I don't....only on occasion and certainly not while I'm pregnant.)

"My mom smoked some cigarettes one time with her friend, but she thought it was gross and never smoked ever again."
(True, but I don't remember ever telling her this.)

random family update 4

Blog posts have been very few and far between lately. Number 2 sort of indicates a reason for that.

1. I'm 12 weeks pregnant. :)

2. I've been nauseus, tired, unmotivated, and pretty weary for the past 5 weeks. Starting to feel better, though.

3. Jeneva will most likely go to Park Spanish Immersion School in the fall. Though, we're still considering Hope Academy. Two totally different schools. I'm so torn!

4. Jude is walking!

5. Jude got a bloody nose on the way to church this morning and of course we had no wet wipes in the car so I had to take him into church with blood ALL OVER his face and hair. It was a humbling moment. :)

6. I went to a Campus Crusade for Christ banquet/dinner thing on Saturday night and my friend and I got trapped in the parking garage downtown afterwards for an hour. This was AFTER we had to run about 8 blocks in the rain and dress clothes and no coats to the parking garage because the skyway was closed.

7. Steve has begun biking to work (4.5 miles one way) again and quickly realized how out of shape he has gotten over this long Minnesota winter.

8. We're considering and praying about a 2 day a week teaching position (5th grade) for me next year. Steve would be at home with the kids on those days.

9. I made two trips to Iowa in March solo with the kids. One trip was for my grandma's 90th birthday party and involved lots of fun relatives!

10. With kid number 3 on the way, I am really really wanting a mini-van. I NEVER thought I would be saying that!

11. We're trusting in God to supply us with ALL of our needs according to his riches in Christ Jesus! Some days I feel pretty weak, but I'm not without HOPE.

kids and journaling

I recently came across about 10 of my old journals from way back. I started keeping a journal in about 5th grade and continued through part of high school. Then I started journaling again about 7 years ago, but recently lost 3 years worth of thoughts and ideas due to a computer crash. I had failed to back it up and also thought it easier to "type" my thoughts rather than just do it the old fashioned way.

I have to admit, I was kind of embarrassed when I read some of my old writings. Especially the stuff from about 6th-8th grade. It is too bad I lost the better stuff. The stuff that was maybe a bit more intelligible or that involved thoughts and prayers rather than just events.

I laughed really hard over something I wrote in 6th grade: "Monica got her bangs permed. It looks really cool." First of all, who perms their bangs? Oh yeah, we did that in the 80's didn't we? Second of all, I found that worthy enough to journal about? Apparently.

The other day I had a *brilliant* idea. I need to start journaling with my kids! I say brilliant because, well, it's probably not terribly original. I'm also kicking myself for not starting it five years ago.

I've blogged a lot of stuff that Jeneva has said, but I think it would be fun to see it become a habit for her personally. I would write it for her of course until she can write more on her own, but she could dictate to me what she wants said.

Jude's journals will probably involve his latest feats from my perspective. You know, stuff like: "Jude is almost 17 months and STILL refuses to walk.....but yesterday he picked up his great grandma's cane and took 10 steps across the room."

So, here we go! I'm going to start today!

we have spring fever...

...BIG TIME! I desperately needed a "field trip" to the Conservatory last week. This Minnesota February is taking it's toll on me and my sanity.

It's quite fuzzy....can you guess why? It was humid. Very humid. Absolutely LOVELY! It took awhile for my camera to "de-fog." I know, you probably are squinting just looking at this picture. I am.

Jeneva thought she was in heaven. Pinks and purples galore!

Now if only I could get my back yard to look like this! Happy ALMOST Spring!

a five minute interview with the five year old....just for fun

Why do you think that we gave you the name Jeneva Rae?

Because it means Juniper Tree and it means Purity. I don't know why you named me Rae though. (rae is my middle name too)


How many brothers and sisters would you like to have?

5 brothers and 6 sisters. (um, not likely)


What is your favorite color?

Purple. (yesterday it was pink)


What is God like?

God likes me. I think he would like the beautiful world He made. He's Faithful and He's Good and Kind and Holy. (good answer!)


If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

I would go to New York to visit Samantha's uncle (American Girl). (of course!)


What do you want to be when you get bigger?

I want to be a Police Girl. (i'm laughing out loud!)


What's your favorite thing to do in your free time?

Go to the park and ice skate in the winter and summer and fall and spring. (ice skating year round in Minnesota....quite possible!)


What is one thing that Mommy has taught you.

Reading. (almost. not quite yet.)


What is one thing that Papa has taught you?

To ride on my bike without training wheels. (yep! age four!)


Who is one person you really admire?

Carlie. (jeneva met carlie last week for the first time when she babysat. must have made a good impression:)


What is one thing that you wish you could do that only adults do?

Do whatever I want to and obey God all of the time. (um. yeah right.)


What is your favorite book?

The Fairy book you gave to me for Valentine's Day. (she's definitely ALL girl)


What is something you could do to make the world more beautiful?

Plant trees and grapes and flowers. (good idea!)


How old are Grandpa and Grandma?

Maybe 21 or something. Well, older than that. Well, I think it's maybe 88 or 22 or 5. I really don't know. (is that offensive or flattering?)


If you could speak another language, what would you like to speak?

Chinese. (please pray for acceptance to the Chinese Immersion school!!)


What is something you want to do when you are 6?

Do all of the regular things that 6 year olds do. (duh, mom)


What is something that you wish you wouldn't have done?

Lying. (me too!)


What is something you are glad that you have done?

Counting to ten in Spanish. Oh and learning how to talk like a robot. (i don't know what's up with the robot thing!)


What do you think about Jude?

I love him and I think he's just silly and great and I just admire him so much! (i'm almost in tears!)


What is something that would make you cry?

Spanks. (it does)


What is something that would make you laugh really hard?

Tickling. (me too. i HATE being tickled though.)

jeneva's up and movin' to antarctica

me: Jeneva, please go and sort the laundry that is piled up in my room.

j: Not again! I just did it last week. I really don't want to.

me: Well, you don't have a choice. You're part of this family and we all need to help out.

j: Well, then I'm gonna move away.

me: Where are you going to go?

j: Antarctica.

me: How are you going to get there?

j: I'll walk.

me: How long will it take you?

j: 77 hours

me: What will you take with you?

j: My boots and stuff to build a fort with.

me: Where will you live?

j: In my fort.

me: What will you do there?

j: Run around to stay sweaty. It's really cold there ya know.

me: When are you going to leave?

j: I'll have to leave in the morning so I have time to pack all of my things (her boots?:).

Then I'll start walking and if I get tired I'll stop and rest on a bench. Then when I get to Iowa, I'll stop at Grandma and Grandpa's house and sleep for one night.

In the morning, if it's okay with Grandpa, I'll go for a ride in a horse and buggy when it goes past their house. They'll take me a little ways and then drop me off.

Then I'll walk the rest of the way to Antarctica. And if I get tired, I'll just stop and take a rest on a bench again.

bracelet photos

I've had a few recent inquiries about my bracelets from those of you who read this blog (all five of you!:) These are the pictures that we've posted on our website. The first three give you an idea of what they look like both directions. We no longer have the exact fabric for the "Tonya", but are hoping to find something similar as our black and white option. The last four samples are our newer styles, and I think they are very fun!

"tonya"

(black/white)

"tiffany"

(red,tan)

"celeste"

(torquoise, maroon, black)

"sara"

(brown, orange, cream)

"rachel"

(green, olive, rose, pink)

"sophia"

(teal, orange, olive)

"autumn"

(brown, orange, cream, gold)

i love it that my kids share a room

Our upstairs is just one big room, so it's the kid's domain. I am listening to them now laughing at each other. It's music to my ears! They've been talking and laughing for a half an hour now. I didn't think that the four year age gap between them would result in such a close relationship....but it has. And I'm thankful.

jude 15 months (february 1)

uniquely jude...

1. holds out his hands palms up when he wants you to hold him
2. likes frozen berries even though they make him pucker
3. can bark like a dog, growl like a lion, and moo like a cow
4. crawls still...
5. puckers up his lips and smacks kisses
6. touches his food and says "hot" before eating it (even the frozen berries)
7. loves cords, outlets, and switches
8. is obsessed with crawling into the bathroom and turning the bathtub faucet on
9. will sit on the couch and look at board books for 20 minutes! seriously!
10. starts dancing and bopping his head BEFORE turning on his musical toys

"look mom, i can crawl out of my chair and get the eggs off of your plate!"

the common sense question of the day

"Hey mom, is it alright if we paint flowers on the wall?"

books we have recently read or are currently reading

I love this illustrator. The poems in here are fun and whimsical. This book is on the Charlotte Mason reading list. Jeneva really enjoys poetry.


I am just starting this one and can't wait to get into it!



This is probably one of the best novels I have ever read. I couldn't put it down! Highly recommended.

We read these aloud to Jeneva. True story about the Adventures of Gladys Aylward: Lifetime missionary to China. Excellent!

Like the one listed above. Mary was a missionary in Africa. Hard to put down! Great for adults and kids.

Jude's FAVORITE!!! :)

One of Piper's new books. We've only just begun this one.



Jeneva received the Samantha set as a gift and is really enjoying them! (I'm enjoying them too:) I believe she will be entering the American Girl phase soon...



Good for a women's group study or personal growth.



I'm not planning to Homeschool.....but this book is very insightful and helps me to see some of the reasons people do. It has excellent ideas about how children learn.



Our latest small group book that we just finished. Powerful little book on repentance and revival.

Our most entertaining family book. LOVE IT. :)




I don't know anything about this book, but Steve has been reading it for awhile now and likes it.

25 random things about me

1. I don't like the way my hands look when I'm wearing nail polish.

2. No to Cool Whip. Whipping Cream is better.

3. I really like my husbands bald head.

4. I don't like malls, but go there for the kids play gyms.

5. I prefer city over suburb. But city vs. country....it's a toss up.

6. I don't iron.

7. I don't like this culture always telling me to strive for more and bigger.

8. I get nervous when all the attention is on me (except when I'm teaching).

9. I loved teaching, but don't miss it one bit.

10. I procrastinate, but always end up getting it done on time.

11. I prefer to give unique/ homemade gifts or something from etsy.com (even though I don't always do this)

12. I hope to do short term mission trips with my family someday.

13. I have no desire to go to Disney World.

14. I drove a milk truck to my high school senior prom. That is how I learned to drive a stick shift.

15. I wish I were musical.

16. I don't wear heels.

17. I like order and organization, but don't always achieve it.

18. I enjoy garage sales and thrift stores.

19. I hate Trivial Pursuit. I love Dutch Blitz.

20. People used to call me Biff in high school and I also drove a really old Camaro.

21. People sometimes think I'm quiet. I am however, quite social.

22. I wish I could walk or bike everywhere I needed to go.

23. I was born with 6 fingers on one hand. I passed that gene to my son. (we have normal hands now)

24. I faint easily.

25. Whenever I get in my car, I automatically take out my cell phone. Bad bad habit.

i am a girl....of many styles

a little retro (the t-shirt), a little whimsical (the skirt), a little athletic (the tennis shoes), a little girlie (the flowered tights), a little gangsta (the bandana)

The t-shirt says "Washington Township" which is the name of the elementary school I attended back in the day. Previously worn by yours truly (either that or one of my brothers...not sure).

my daughter is so not like me!

Sometimes I feel like a bad mom because I hate playing in the snow. I remember playing in the snow as a child, and I think I liked it. I remember building big tunnels and forts with my brothers and cousins, but I don't think I liked playing in it for hours on end.

I want to be a playful mom who gets all fired up about going outside and playing, but I have to FORCE myself to do it and act like I'm excited about it....for her sake. I've been downhill skiing 3 times in my life (2x in Montana and 1x in Minnesota) and all I needed was about one hour of skiing (or in my case falling and getting bruises) and then just let me hang out in the lodge and drink some hot cocoa.

Jeneva is not like me. She begs to go outside and LOVES it. She was out for 2 hours the other day (it wasn't -30 that day....she's not THAT crazy.) These pictures were taken on the farm in Iowa (hence the tractor...you don't see many of those here in Minneapolis) and I think it was 0 outside with a brutal windchill. That didn't seem to bother her much. She has two winter coats which is good because one is always in the laundry. I'm glad she's an outdoors girl and I'm even more glad that Steve plays in the snow with her so I don't have to.

Because I dislike winter so much, one might wonder WHY I live in Minnesota. I don't HATE winter. I do like to watch it from my window. I like the white and I don't even mind driving in it. I also enjoy wearing boots and who can pass up a good excuse to sleep in?! I am, however, REALLY looking forward to spring.

i refuse to talk about the weather today

I think the theory that only old folks talk about the weather is false. It's -22 degrees farenheit. Absurdity. Everyone in this part of the country is talking about it. WHY does anyone live here?

This morning when the weather was mentioned as being below zero, Jeneva thought it impossible. So we had a little math lesson on negative numbers.

If you ask me what the weather is like today, I will say (because I am *always* a glass-is-half-full type of person) that it is sunny and there is no wind. Lovely!

Didn't I just say I wasn't going to talk about the weather? I guess it means I'm getting old.

the great-grand kids

Roth (my mom's side) family Christmas and the GREAT grand-kids!

danger baby

Mom's first heart attack: I'm at Steve's sister's house and I look over at the table and see Jude smiling and shaking his head with a very large knife sticking out of his mouth. It was the handle part of the knife that he was sucking on...but the blade was so long and sharp and.....scary!

Mom's second heart attack: Realizing that Jude is sucking on a container of Terro Ant Poisoning (adorned with a cross and skull picture on it's label of course) that was hidden underneath some furniture at a friend's house. The poison control center said that it is basically harmless for children. Whew!

i am alive

For those of you that bother to read this pithy little blog. Thank you. I've had a couple of people ask about my lack of posting over the past couple of months. I actually have a lot of things I want to post and some pictures too. My brain has been very blog-dead lately and I have barely thought about it.

It's been a whirlwind of activity around here. Nothing too earth-shattering or out-of-the-ordinary, just life. We actually just had some major computer problems and were have not had the internet in our home for a week! The result? I've gotten more housework done. Ha! I made a couple of trips to the library to check my e-mail, but that's about it.

Now I need to catch up on Facebook, others blogs, and doing a better job of keeping family and friends updated here. Life is settling in after the new year and I'm on day 7 of actually keeping my New Year's Resolutions. What are they you might ask? Maybe I'll post about it later. :)

The room where I am sitting now with my computer that's all nice and fixed and working smoothly is in major disarray. We are about to paint it, so it still may be a few days until I post anything besides this. Steve won't let me buy new paint for this room because we have so much paint left over from the other rooms....so alas, this room will be the same color as our bedroom. Ha! I'm totally okay with that. It's about being frugal this year.

Don't give up on me. I'll be back soon.

cakes by jeneva

Jeneva thinks this place would be fun to visit someday. I bet their cakes are just fabulous! :)

merry christmas

Are you ready for Christmas? I purchased this book at the beginning of December in hopes to read through it as an advent devotional to prepare me for this season. It is called Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas. It is a collection of 22 advent devotionals from various authors.

I am sure that Steve and I will read through this book every December. It has been an encouragement to my soul and has helped me better prepare for this Christmas in the midst of what the world says about it.

Let it be about Christ this Christmas!

"'Tis all I ask. Your emptiness, your nothingness, your want of feeling, your want of goodness, your want of grace---all these will be but room for him. Have you room for him? Oh! Spirit of God, lead many to say, 'Yes, my heart is ready.' Ah! Then he will come and dwell with you."
~Charles Spurgeon, chapter 9

jeneva's dream and her crazy imagination

Every once in awhile, when Jeneva wakes in the morning, she will tell me about a dream she had. Yesterday morning, it went something like this:

J: "In my dream, we were hiding in our house and the Israelites were coming. Megan was at our house too and we were having breakfast."

Me: "How did you know they were coming?"

J: "They called on your cell phone, I think it was Moses that called, and said they were in the neighborhood."

Me: "Why were they coming?"

J: "I don't know, but we were hiding from them. But we got away and we went to Africa. I know Africa is far away, but it didn't take us very long to get there because we drove really fast. When we got there, we hid in a cave....I don't remember what happened next."

I often forget the ending to my dreams as well....just when they start to get really exciting! Any one out there who is good at interpreting dreams?

just jude

I love this boy! I love how these pictures capture his personality. He is very happy...all (well, almost) of the time. Thanks, Megan for the great photos! My apologies if you already saw these on facebook. :)