beautiful

I read the most beautiful birth story today . . . here. Be prepared to cry - and rejoice!

Rocks and such

It has been nice enough to play outside several days this past week and so we took advantage of that! Jaron has discovered the yellow dump truck and loves to push it up the burm - nevermind that mommy has pretty flowers planted there. I do believe that between Rosie being terrorized/teased by a squirrel in the tree above (and thus trampling all the living things sprouting out of the ground) and Jaron driving trucks all over the little hills, I have lost this small battle. When early spring comes I'll salvage as much as I can and transplant them to a safer location! Then they can have the dirt piles to themselves :)

Doing the dishes every night is just one of the many many many reasons that my husband absolutely rocks! You bless me so much G!

I hope you know there is somebody searching . . .

. . . for a way to get you here.

Saw this on a blog I read - this song and video is "Amos Story" by Aaron Ivey. It's about his son who is in Haiti awaiting the completion of his adoption. It beautifully describes the heartache and hope of a parent waiting for their child. I couldn't help but think of Justin and Emelyne.



. . . so close your eyes and dream of a better day with me. As angels hold you tight may you sleep in peace tonight. So dream, dream, dream my child. Hear the whisperings of hope. It's a song that you can sing as you sleep in peace tonight. I'll find a way to get you here if it takes every breath. Another sun rise hits the ground and its a dark lonely sight. Lightyears away I hope you know there's somebody searching for the way to get you here. I'll get you here.

Pray for Haiti

Here are a few links to blogs that I read regularly:

Howerton Family Blog
Welcome to My Brain
Medical Advocacy Team
Heartline Ministries

Update: What are the Green's doing to help? Well I wouldn't normally blog on this but if I do, then $10 more will be donated to Compassion International's outreach in Haiti. We made a donation to Medical Teams International. Our donation was matched up to $50 by Geoff's employer, Sterling Communications. Now, since I blogged about it :) a gal who's blog I read, Money saving Mom, will donate and additional $10 for relief efforts in Haiti. Not a bad way to make $50 into $110! Thanks Sterling and MSM for adding to our donation! Shoot - may as well make it $111 right? Savings and Stewardship added those 100 pennies!

Maybe you should blog about it too? Click here for more details.

Quiet Endings

We spent Christmas in Spokane this year. My brother and niece as well as my sister were up from Texas so we all converged at my parents home. It was good to be together.

We've been striving to make Christmas more and more simple as the years come. Thankfully, my parents are in on it too. Geoff and I stuff each others stockings with small, mostly edible gifts but don't do anything outside of that. We got Jaron a little pot and pan set. We didn't exchange gifts between parents or siblings. It was fantastically simple. I don't miss the volume of gifts. I don't miss shopping. I don't miss the gift bags, the bows, the wrapping paper, the clutter. We budget for Christmas - putting a sum of money away each month and each year we take a percentage and give it towards Advent Conspiracy. This year we got to give even more of it away.

The year is wrapping up quietly. Geoff has a lot of vacation to use (you know, we save it all up - just in case a miracle happens and we get to go to Burundi . . . ) so he's been working half days and spending extra time at home. There are a lot of hopes and dreams that we have for the coming year. The main hope is that we will be able to travel to get our kids in Burundi. There are still some hoops to jump through to do that - but we hope that this is the year . . .

What were you doing 6:30 am on Saturday morning?

I was just telling my mom last week that I was surprised we hadn't had any trips to the ER yet. Jaron tends to move at lightning speed and the concept of body control is not on the radar yet.
Saturday morning bright and early Jaron tripped on Rosies bed in our bedroom and fell into the corner of our dresser. It was small but deep, slightly gaping and "T" shaped. So I called my personal Peds after hours (a.k.a. my mom:), texted her a picture and she said confirmed that yup - we probably needed stitches. We headed out the door to the ER (urgent care wasn't open for another two hours). We stopped at st*rbucks for coffee and scones on our way - does that make me a bad mom? :)

Here's our little buddy with 5 stitches. Poor little guy!

Let me tell you though - he's got a lot of fight and a great set of lungs. It took three of us to hold him down and he screamed the whole time. It was heart wrenching to hold him down but easier than watching someone else do it. The ladies in reception and everyone in the waiting area were so sad for him - yes, they could hear him at the front desk even with the door closed.

We like to start our weekends with a bang :)

Everything Cookies

We are loving this recipe for "cookies". They're perfect - Jaron feels like he is having a treat and I know that everything in them is good for him! We make a batch and then freeze them for snacks through the week!

Everything Cookies
(adapted from Bob's Red Mill "Health Cookies")

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (or wheat bran or ground flax)
1/4 cup milk powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or almond butter)
3/4 cup honey (or brown rice syrup)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup dried unsweetened cranberries
3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 cup raisins (unsulfured)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.

Stir flour, wheat germ, powdered milk, salt, baking powder and baking soda together.
In separate bowl beat together butter, peanut butter and honey. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture, mix well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet2 minutes then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes four dozen.

Winter garden

Well, winter gardening is going! Some things have been a total bomb - some things have been fantastic. I'm finding that if my plants didn't mature enough when the sun was warm then they probably aren't going to mature completely although they might surprise me.

Not so great:
Pac Choi: This surprised me - it grew pretty fast and went to seed before I could harvest it. I'm not sold on the taste but the stalk makes a good sub for celery in stir fry
Kale: I want to like you but I haven't found the right way to eat you yet. Smoothies are ok with enough agave, sauteed works but I only really like it with bacon or a lot of butter and well, I'm just not going to cook that way. Next we'll try creamed kale.
Turnips: I just don't know what I did wrong with these guys. I got a few that were nice but the others grew funny
Beets: Didn't get enough sun in time to grow big - I had them hidden behind a tomato plant.
Canoe Peas: Well these were great but they didn't produce very many - I'll try the rest of my seeds in the spring and plant a bunch. They were short lived too.


Great:
Carrots: Oh how I love you. We will be able to eat fresh carrots through the winter!!!
Broccoli: Coming along grand! I think that I can pick the first here this week.
Parsnips: Almost there - I can't wait to roast these lovelies up!
Spinach: Held strong until about two weeks ago - really great variety.
Winter Lettuce: Still coming! I should have planted more though.
Winter greens blend: This has been adding nice color and texture to our salads.
Mustard: growing really well and I can tolerate it hidden in a salad - next up we'll try it sauteed.
Radishes: These buddies grow fast - 22 days. They look pretty in a salad but we don't eat them plain . . . we certainly don't eat 4 rows worth. So while they grew great, I'll plant less next time.
Chard: Good looking/tasting variety - didn't plant enough though.

Kohlrabi and parsnips

My first broccoli!!!

Verdict is still out:
Chinese Cabbage: Still need to harvest . . . and find a recipe.
Cauliflower: They're growing but I haven't seen any heads yet.
Kohlrabi: I want these to work sooooooo badly. I thought for a while that they would be a bust but they are getting bigger!

It still hasn't frosted here - so I picked 4 red bell peppers Friday. Yes four!!! I've never been able to get my peppers to turn red because they go bad or the season ends too soon. This mild Autumn allowed them to turn and they are beautiful!

We get outside and enjoy dry weather whenever we can . . . it does the boy-o and momma good!

Wordless Wednesday

Same ol'

Same ol' same ol'. That's all I have when people ask about our adoption. Still waiting. The end. Since I mentioned in my last post that we should hopefully be getting some new news, I promptly was lame and didn’t post. Why? I was so totally disappointed that we actually didn’t get any news at all. Actually it was more than total disappointment. The rollercoaster of emotions has got to stop soon. It has become quite emotionally draining to hope hope hope and then – splat – nothing. So, while hopefully things are happening that we can’t see and don’t hear about, we are really still in the same spot that we were a few weeks ago. Changes are happening in the Burundian adoption system – changes that are good. Changes that will speed the process up, that will weed out people who profit (more than they should) from the process – they really are good changes. We’re just stuck in the middle of them. I keep reminding myself that it is not all about me and what I want. There is a bigger story going on, many other stories in fact that are all woven together and they all affect each other.

Justin turns 3 on Wednesday. Three. I can’t even believe it. We got his picture when he was 9 months old. Now he’s 3. I knew we’d miss his first birthday. When his second birthday rolled around I was certain that it wouldn’t be much longer. And here we are another year later. It’s crazy-sad to sort through clothes that I have for him and Emelyne. Clothes that they will never wear. I know – dumb clothes – but they mark time for me. Time that has passed without Justin and Emelyne here.

We put together a package to send to both the kids for Justin’s birthday – some clothes, a stuffed animal, a mini etch-a-sketch, match box car, a doodle pro, crayons and paper, a disposable camera (we send one with each package – we have asked Mother Superior to take periodic pictures of the kids with it and save it for us so that we can get them when we come, That way our kids will have a few more pictures in the long run – we hope that the pictures are really being taken . . .), pictures of us and letters. We also sent a bunch of tea and chapstick for the Sisters. Do nuns wear chapstick or drink tea? We shall see :).

thoughts running around in my head

Been meditating on these things lately:
" . . . But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently." Romans 8: 24, 25 NIV

"There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!" Romans 5:3-5 The Message

Been holding on to these words - words that were first given to us and then confirmed as others have prayed in the Spirit for us:
"The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." Proverbs 21:1 NIV

"Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah40:30, 31 NIV

That our children in Burundi would know and experience Love.

Aren't they beautiful?

This is potentially a big week for us adoption-wise. Meetings, decisions, etc. Hopefully by the end of the week we'll have some more solid information but for the time will you lift these two children of the King up to Him? He can change the hearts of kings (or even just make them do their job in a timely manner :)!!!

In other news . . . this kid

. . . continues to keep us on our toes. He is an absolute kick in the pants. He keeps us laughing and shaking our heads at every turn. He is infatuated with being outside where he litters the yard with sticks, feeds the chickens tomatoes and is fascinated with garden spiders. He is just starting to say words besides momma and dadda; "hot" and "ro-ro" (Rosie) being his most recent favorite words. He loves music and does a pretty sweet air guitar as well as busts a few dance moves during our singing time at church. What was life like without this joy and light in our life???

Perspective

I found myself weeping over this overwhelming blog post today: you can read it here

While you're at it, you may as well bookmark her blog - you're going to want to read her past posts too: kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com

El Jardin

I'm totally loving this time of year - garden-wise. You know, earlier in the season you get a few raddishes or carrots, the strawberries are in full force, then the raspberries, then the blueberries . . . but then mid to late summer comes and everything just goes crazy out there! I love that every time we are in the garden Jaron immediately goes over to the tomatoes and picks a few for the chickens. He's afraid to put the tomatoes in their house because they've mistaken his fingers for food a time or too so he just stands there with the tomatoes in had and the chickens pace and cluck at him. I think he might like the garden as much as we do!

Here's what we picked two Saturdays ago:
Tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, peppers, carrots, raddishes, lettuce - wild, butterhead and spinach, an onion, figs, leeks, cabbage and basil! Talk about abundance!

Yesterday I made soup and every single vegetable and herb in it was from our garden except the corn - and that was from a farm a mile or so away!

Check out this zucchini plant:
This is in a 4x8 box. If I would have planted it in the middle it would have taken over the entire box. As it sits, it crowded out a good deal of the greenbeans as well as one of my Armenian cucumber plants. And yes, we run an organic garden - so no hormones here!

The fig tree is heavy with figs - another week and they'll be ready - same with the grapes. look at these beauties:

Jaron and I enjoyed our first bunch today.

The fun is just beginning for us though! We decided that this year we are going to try to garden through the winter. Crazy I know - since we usually hit September and we're so sick of having things to harvest. The climate here is perfect for winter gardening so we're going to try our had at taking advantage of that. We've ordered seeds from a local company that has varieties specific to our area (which happens to be a good idea for anyone who gardens - order seeds from a local company if you can! they should have seeds do well in your climate - makes sense, huh?). Starting in June we started a bunch of seeds - some in the ground and some in peat pots. The ones we started in the ground we interplanted with some of our existing plants and also put some where earlier plants were finished. We have been transplanting the seedlings from the peat pots into the ground the last few weeks and it looks good so far! I'm excited to try some new recipes this winter. The winter garden will consist of: Fall Broccoli Blend, Brussels Sprouts, Beets-Autumn Harvest Blend, Cabbage, Collards, Carrot-Merida, Kohlrabi-Superschmelz (don't you just love that name!), Kale - Dwarf Siberian, Lettuce-Arctic Tundra Blend, Winter Greens Blend, Mustard-Tah Tsai, Onion, Chinese Cabbage-Monument, Pac Choi, Parsnip-Javelin, Radish-Cherry Belle, Spinach-Giant Winter, Swiss Chard, Turnip, Cauliflower-Amazing and Garlic. The challenge will be to stay on top of it all come . . . winter.

Leave 'em alone for just a minute . . .

I love me some blankies in the potty - don't you?
Thank you Jesus that he can't flush yet. Amen.