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.

Do you diaper?

This post is for all the mommas out there who purchase and change loads of diapers. We are a 75/25 family when it comes to diapering - what I mean by that is we do cloth diapers 75% of the time and then at nights, when I feel lazy or when we go out for a longer period of time (about 25% of the time) we use disposable dipes. Just purchasing disposable diapers for the 25% of the time is costly so I hit sales and stock up whenever I can (last month I got a crazy good deal of 5 jumbo packs of Huggies for $11!!!) so I'm here to tell you about a deal that I am taking part of that you just might want to try yourself. I takes a little time but in the end you'll end up saving a bundle of cash.

So here's what you do:

1. Go to diapers.com and sign up for a new account (you have to be a new customer to take advantage of this deal)

2. Get last weeks Sunday paper and find the $3 off Huggies Pure and Natural coupon that was in the the Smart Source - OR there might be a $3 off Huggies Pure and Natural coupon available here OR print off the $1.50 off any Huggies coupon that is found here (you can print two per computer - just hit the back button - you need 5 of these coupons so you'll need to have access to three computers or use a combination of newspaper coupons and internet printed coupons - ask your neighbors, friends and family too!) As you can see the more newspaper coupons that you can get the more $$$ you'll save! As I said before - you need 5 coupons total.

3. Mail your coupons (5) along with 1. your name, 2. your email address, 3. your billing address to:

Diapers.com
P.O. Box 1564
Montclair, NJ 07042

It should take about one week for the coupons to be credited to your account.

4. Once the coupons have been credited, place your order.

Buy 5 Jumbo packs of Huggies Pure & Natural diapers ($9.99/each) = $49.95
Use 5 coupons you mailed in - they will be credited to your account (-$7.50 to -$15)
Use promo code GREEN5 at check out to get $10 off (-$10) This code does not expire
Total = $32.45 (if you use 5 $1.50 coupons) to $ 24.95 (if you use 5 $3 coupons) or somewhere in between if you use a combo of coupons

IMPORTANT: When ordering, do not check the e-coupon for $1.50 or $3 off. You will only get $1.50 or $3 total off and be unable to use your mailed coupons.

5. Mail your receipt in for Parenting Magazine $14.97 rebate.

**IMPORTANT: Print this form off NOW as Diapers.com periodically pulls it. If you wait until you receive your receipt from Diapers.com, you may not be able to find it again. Also read the terms - there are important things in there like: make sure that you send your receipt in with your rebate and send your rebate in within 4 weeks of purchase.

Total for 5 packs of diapers delivered to your home: between $17.48 and $9.98 after coupons, discounts & rebate with free shipping (on all orders $49 and up)!

**********

Now, if you are really ambitious, you can go to Diapers.com's site through Ebates. Sign up for a new account there and you will receive 1% on your Diapers.com order plus a $5 sign up bonus. That would make your total somewhere between $5 and $12!!! FOR 5 PACKS OF DIAPERS!!!

You can use any combination of manufacturer's coupons -- Huggies, Luvs, Pampers, etc. The only requirement is that your total is at least $49 before coupons to use the $10 promo code (GREEN5) and to get free shipping. Oh, and Diapers.com has FAST shipping!!!

**The $10 promo code discount and Parenting Magazine rebate are avaliable only for new Diapers.com customers.

I know, I know there are a lot of steps to this - but if you can be organized about it and take a few minutes to do the work it will save you a bunch of money! Let me know if you have questions!

Peace and love to all the mommas I know who change diapers every day :)

Camping Fun

Got back this week from spending a long weekend (long as in Fri-Mon, not long as in it seemed to last forever) North of Carson, WA at Beaver Campground. It was pretty overcast most of the time which lent to lots of walks, sitting around in front of the fire chatting, reading, and just hanging out. Of course we chased Jaron around all over the place too since he no longer walks, his little legs just run. It was a beautifully shady and quiet campground. The trees were all sycamore and maple - I bet fall camping there is spectacular!

Lots of "hiking through the woods"

Grandma had the magic touch many many times

Lots and lots of cool bugs to be found!

The food was great :)

What a great friend to do all of this with!!! We're finding that we make a darn good team

And we were in great company!

As seen on Target shelves . . .

I was at Target yesterday and Jaron and I browsed the sale toys . . . I saw this item - the "Crayola Sidewalk Paint Sprayer". The description says "This motorized sprayer gives your budding artist an exciting new way to create". I was just wondering, isn't this starting 'em a little young when it comes to tagging? Just wondering :)

Two years

Today marks two years since we received this picture in our inbox:

Here they are - Emelyne at approx 6 mo. and Justin at approx 9 mo. Aren't they cuties? At that time we began the process of deciding if we would accept both referrals. It didn't take long. YES!!! What we didn't know at the time was that the one year that our attorney thought it would take for the process to be complete would turn into two years . . . and beyond. There are a lot of emotions we experience on a daily basis when thinking about our kids and the adoption process that we are in - frustration, anger, peace, love, impatience, hope, helplessness. Mostly we just feel sad that we can't be with them. We pray all the time that God will Father them and that they will know love.

Afghanistan, eight years . . .

I came across this photo essay in The Boston Globe today . . . it takes you on a very powerful photographic journey. They are emotional and thought provoking.

There are two parts: Part 1, Part 2.

'Round these here parts

A few snapshots of our life these days:
The last month or so has held a lot for us - we've definitely enjoyed the summer so far . . .

*** Our bathroom is 99% finished (has been for a few weeks)! We just have a couple of finishing touches to put in place and then I'll post before and after pictures.

*** The garden is growing! We've had a great garden year so far - radishes, lettuce, snap peas, strawberries, strawberries, strawberries, raspberries, and did I mention strawberries?

um, these are the radishes.

*** Jaron continues to delight! He is quite the jamonito (say it with your best espanol accent - it means little ham). He keeps us on our toes and laughing almost constantly.

He loves to be outside.

(nose, meet concrete. how do you do?)

The dirt is his friend.

He loves to pilfer strawberries and raspberries.

The chickens captivate him - he watches them for minutes (quite a feat) and likes to stick weeds in the fence to feed them. He loves to carry sticks around the yard whapping everything in sight. He is getting *8* teeth at once!!! We really should buy stock in Hyland's teething tablets. All of his one year molars are in or poking through and his eye teeth are just about poking through.

Jaron is also quite the little helper with baking, sweeping, loading the dishwasher, chopping scallions . . .

yep that's rhubarb

*** We attended Canby's Family Fun in the Park day and enjoyed people watching and animal petting.

*** We went strawberry picking last week with friends and had a blast! Like we need more strawberries? Made a ton of freezer jam, froze a ton for smoothies and crushed some up and froze them for desserts.

*** After a great hunt we found a baby bike seat and we've been tooling around town on our sweet ride. Geoff and I look totally dorky in our helmets - how does he look so dang cute?

*** And finally our adoption: It's hard to know what to say. If you think it's been a long time then we feel like its been eternity (ok, i know that is totally blowing it out of proportion). Here's the deal, every day all day we think about all three of our kids and our hearts long to be together - the five of us. If we could, we'd pack up and head to Burundi for the duration of this process. Our hearts hurt every time we hear "mama, papa, how are you? I love you" from the other side of the world as we talk to Justin and Emelyne on the phone. Our patience is tested every time we are told that we will hear word soon and it never comes. We are approaching two years in this Burundi process and the only certain thing is that it is not over yet. The sweet faces that we saw at 6 and 9 months old are 2 1/2 years old now. We can't really explain why our process has taken so long, it just has. There are probably explanations - some we know, most we don't. The thing is - it's not in our hands. As much as our hearts long for the day when we will be together - we can't do a thing to make it be that way. We just keep trusting and hoping and longing and trying not to let our hearts hurt so much . . .

The two sweet ones! Feb. '09

For the most part we're loving life, enjoying summer and looking with great anticipation to the future!

If you can't find your cell phone . . .

make sure you look in the block box.

365 days ago

Jaron Ezekiel Green was born one year ago today! I can't begin to describe how this child has changed my life.

Labor with Jaron began on Friday the 16th at 4am when my water broke. It progressed s.l.o.w.l.y. and it was HOT outside. Remember last year the first really hot weekend of the year? Yup that is the weekend that I went into labor. I labored at home for two full days (yes, in most circumstances your baby will be fine for that length of time or even longer if your water breaks - the baby continues to get nutrition and oxygen from the placenta. Additionally, amniotic fluid is constantly produced and can even replenish itself). I drank a ton of water and tried to rest as much as possible. on Saturday there was still nothing remarkable in regards to contractions. We walked up and down the street, I walked in the garden, I watered the garden, I got things ready for the birth center - we'd pretty much gotten things ready Friday morning though - expecting that we'd be farther along by now. Did I mention that it was hot out? Geoff took a picture of our outdoor thermometer for the record:

It wasn't until Saturday at 11:30pmish that my contractions were 4-1-1 (Four minutes apart, lasting a minute each, for the duration of an hour). We went into Andaluz - an amazing place btw - and one of our midwives met us there to get us set up. Geoff tried not to speed and I tried not to be annoyed at every bump in the road - I was incredibly uncomfortable. The plan was to have a water birth and I immediately hopped (ok, maybe not hopped) into one of the birthing tubs. The water was soothing and helped relieve much of the pressure and eased contractions a bit. We brought a bunch of my little glass bottles with flowers from the yard in them, i remember the columbine the most vividly. I can't look at a columbine today without thinking of my birthing experience.

I labored through the night on Saturday and into Sunday morning. I remember seeing the sun rise on Sunday morning and I thought that it was certain that I would not see another sunrise before my child was born (didn't know he was a boy yet!). My contractions waxed and waned all day Sunday. I was so frustrated at this long process and didn't understand what was going on with my body (of course all I really had to compare process with was that of my two best friends who happen to pop their children out in seconds). Jaron continued do have good heart rhythm which was great - it gave me a lot of relief to know that even though it was taking a long time that he was doing ok in there. Geoff and I walked around the building a million times, we jogged up the stairs and walked slowly down, I labored on the the birthing ball, the toilet, the bed and in the tub. A lot of Sunday feels like a blur - I remember feeling constantly noxious and throwing up all over Geoff. I didn't want to lay down because that is when my contractions intensified, joking about how long it was taking and enjoying the shower. By Sunday evening I was really frustrated by how things were going. I just wanted there to be a magic thing that I could do to make things progress. I fully expected that we'd be done by now!

The sun came up on Monday morning. I remember thinking to myself - the sun will not come up again without me delivering this baby!!! Through all of this time I had a wonderful birthing coach in Geoff and three wonderful midwives who took care of me. Each lent something to the experience that made it a joyful, beautiful and peaceful. Geoff and I were able to take a lot of time alone - in one particular instance Monday morning I realized that fear was holding me back from emotionally giving myself to the process. I feared the pain and I feared the unknown. I shared that with Geoff and he prayed over me - I began singing a short melody, I don't even remember where I learned it:

Holy Spirit come, Holy Spirit dwell,
fill this place with joy overflowing, with peace overflowing,
in all of your glory, come.

Shortly after that my contractions picked up and I finally felt the urge to push. It was still slow going but progress was being made. I found that things progressed faster if I used a birthing stool - something about that birthing position was conducive for me. Eventually my mom and sister came in, I think that they were in the room for a couple of hours and finally Jaron was born at 12:31pm. I was still on the birthing stool and gravity took effect - he came out fast. Usually the head is born and then with the next contraction comes the rest of the baby but Jaron flew out. Turns out he was semi-posterior which explains a bit of the looooong labor. The birthing experience was amazing - I definitely recommend it :). Really though - it is amazing - emotionally and physically unlike anything else!

I can't thank God enough for the beautiful gift of Jaron. He is our gift of joy.

The day after Jaron was born

Three months old

Six months old


Nine months old


One year old
Happy Birthday Jaron Ezekiel!