Little Girls

I would love feedback on this post.

Maybe I'm a little old fashion, but I want my little girls to look like little girls. I came from a very modest family. I wasn't able to wear a 2-piece bathing suit until I was 16-17 years old. My sister and I were allowed to wear tank tops but nothing that was form fitting or shorter than an inch or 2 above our knee.

I look at little girls today and so often I'm so sad by what I see - a generation of girls who don't know the meaning of the word modesty. I see little girls wearing clothes that grown women wear to look sexy, but for some reason on a child it's overlooked and excused away. I hear so many mom's say "So-and-so looks so grown up!" Well let's not dismiss the fact that you buy that little girl clothes that allows her dress like a teenager or young woman in her 20's. 

I just don't understand how moms can let their 9, 10, 11, 12 year old daughters wear clothes I see on Abercrombie and Fitch advertisements. I want my little girl to stay and look innocent and wholesome for as long as possible. She'll have her whole life to dress like a woman. 



This is the ad for Hollister. Are you okay with your little girl wearing clothes that represent this?

Even more, I want to instill modesty and self-value in her. I want her to understand that she's beautiful inside and out but all of her outside beauty isn't for the whole world to see.

I wasn't even close to being "in style" when I was growing up. I was a homeschooler in a homeschooler community and dressed the part. I don't want to put that on my child. However, if being stylish means letting my little girl (and by this I mean preteen) wear form fitting dresses, halter tops, off the shoulder shirts, mini skirts and daisy dukes then bring on the denim jumpers!

Maybe I'm too judgmental. But when people look at my 8 year old, I want them to see an 8 year old, not a little girl trying to look like a 16 year old. 

Yours, Mine and Ours

Single me with my softball buddies about 2 years before meeting my hubby. Fortunately, these amazing peeps have become "ours."

I had a thought today. When you get married there is a merger of many things, friends included ... or not. 

My thought was, What happens when he has his friends and she has her friends and she doesn't like his and he doesn't like hers? Does everyone give up their friends? Does she only hang out with hers and he only hang out with his? Do they develop "our" friends? Do they compromise and hang out with each others' friends even though they don't want to?

Justin and I had a pretty short relationship before we got married, 14 months all together. We've had a few issues with this but it hasn't seemed to create too much conflict, thank God! 

What is your experience with or thoughts on this? 

An Idea in the Making

Lately, I've been contemplating starting another blog (like I have all the time in the world to blog!). It would be a daily devotional blog. I'm still ironing out the thoughts and ins and outs. But I've been thinking it would be something geared toward moms, women, or wives. I'm thinking about a 365-day blog that would include some scripture and some application with, hopefully, a good deal of interaction and comments. 

When there's a change in the dynamics of my life I always find there's a change in the dynamics of my relationship with the Lord. I've definitely seen that happening lately and I'm trying to be intentional about stoking the flame. 

I would love to hear some feedback about this idea. Any suggestions? 

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Tonight JoJo took Eve to drive around and look at Christmas lights. Eve very generously invited me to tag along. We had too much fun! It made me think how much I can't wait to have 3 chatter boxes in the back seat in complete awe at such Christmas simplicity. 

Ever the unknowing character, I wanted to share a few Eveisms from the drive. 

"Christmas deer!!"

Me: "Eve do you know that angels have jobs? Do you know what their jobs are?"
Eve: "No."
Me: "Their job is to bring good news!"
Eve: "And to bring good food!! When the angels bring me chicken I won't be so sad."

After seeing a Santa with mechanical reindeer:
Me: "Eve where are they going?"
Eve: "To save Mrs. Claus!" 

We ended the drive with a trip to some friends' house who let Eve play with her decorative bird house then gave her an orange. I'd say it was a successful adventure!

A Baking Revelation

We've got a bug going around here and instead of all the girls getting it at one time, they've decided to pass it around and be sick individually. FUN! Thus my lack of recent posts. Fortunately, I haven't gotten sick. Praise God!

I love baking! But what I don't love about baking is having a lot of sweets in the house. Last year, my resolution was to bake a pie a month but I didn't want to be responsible for the consuming of said pies. So every month I made them and gave them to a friend of mine who was eager to help me out. The holidays always awaken my baking bug. I could literally bake something every day (thank you Pinterest)! 

The other day I had some bananas go brown, which I totally take as an excuse to bake. Can't waste them! So I found a recipe for banana bars. For those of you who want to try, I used brown sugar instead of white in the bar recipe and used egg nog instead of milk in the icing. I ended up with a huge pan of them, a mom who is on a juice fast, a dad who "doesn't do banana bread", a toddler who doesn't do cake and me who is trying to not gain 400 pounds this holiday season. So I sent them to work with the hubbers. This completely inspired me to start baking and sending the results with Justin. That way he'll be the popular guy on campus and I'll get to bake! Here are some other recipes I've recently tried and had success with. Enjoy!



Made this cake for Thanksgiving because my sister's new boyfriend doesn't do pie. lol SO glad I did! I quickly dubbed it Chocolate Beer Cake and I think me and Sean ate the whole thing ourselves! I didn't use the icing in this recipe. I used this white chocolate icing instead. 


Lasagna! My husband said this made him like lasagna ... VICTORY! I believe I made this exactly as the recipe says but instead of using the homemade sauce I used a jar of vodka sauce from the store and a little bit of cream. 

Thanksgiving Girls

Since 99% of holidays for us are spent in our home or a relative's home eating, laying around, playing outside, napping, spitting up, sometimes even camping etc. I prefer to dress my girls for comfort. However, my mother in law loves buying them dress-up holiday clothes (which Eve LOVES!). So our compromise is for her to buy the girls clothes, I take their pictures and then back to play clothes. 

Here are my Thanksgiving Girls!

 Not bad for 2 squirmies & 1 sickie

Chillin'

Noomers

Temperance

Playing Patty Cake with the babies' feet

Noomi & Eve

Army Wives

I've been watching (addicted to!) the Lifetime show Army Wives. I was excited for the new reality show Married to the Military to start and after watching 2 episodes I was pleasantly surprised to see the shows are pretty similar.

Most of the wives on Married to the Military talk about representing their husbands well and how their roll of Army wife and mom is so important because their husbands are fighting for our country. They're passionate about it! They watch the things they do and say as to not disrespect or dishonor their husbands.

Unfortunately, I've seen firsthand how this line of thinking isn't continuous among all military wives and I know not all civilian wives live lives disrespectful of their husbands.

I asked myself, "Why isn't this line of thinking more common among all wives?" I completely understand the special calling of putting your life on the line to protect and defend your country. But even though my husband isn't risking his life on the front lines, why should my devotion to representing him well be any different? Why is it OK for me to act unbecomingly and say things that would embarrass or disgrace my husband just because he totes a wrench or a pencil and not a grenade or an M-9? Doesn't that mean that our level of respect for our husbands and our positions as their wives is contingent on what they do for a living or their "service"?

What do you think? Do servicemembers and people who put themselves in harms way for others deserve more from their spouses? Should more respect, more honor, more understanding, more tolerance and more patience be expected of them?

My Big Girl

Eve had a trophy day at gymnastics today. The kids got a trophy and then they got to take their friends and family around the gym and show them their "tricks." 

Eve was so excited to have Big Sissy there to see her! Even though she didn't have a clue what a trophy was or why she got one, Eve was thrilled to be the center of attention. 

She is the youngest kid in the gym. At 2 1/5, she has a 3 and 4 year old in her class and keeps up with them step for step. Her Coach has been teaching her things that he usually saves for the 4 and 5 year olds. I couldn't be more proud of her! 

Mail & Coupons

Go through my mail with me. Today I got 3 magazines. 
1. Nurses.com - "Oh yeah, I AM a nurse!"
2. JcPenney Catalog - "Humph, when do I ever shop?"
3. Parents - "I'm too busy actually being a parent to stop and read this!"

So I've been wanting to start couponing. Even though I watch the shows, I have no desire to compulsively stock pile mouth wash and tampons in my garage. I just want to save money on the stuff I'm already buying. I mean REALLY save money, not just like $.39 every week on OJ. My goal would be to cut my grocery budget in half - at least!

I'm probably over thinking the whole process and making it more complicated than it really is but any tips would be very appreciated!

Responsibility

Before you go home tonight and turn on Fox News or CNN or MSNBC or whatever your news station of choice is, listen to this podcast. 
http://www.ibethel.org/sermon-of-the-week?referer=email


I don't mean for this post to be political. I mean for it to be religious. Not really. :o) 

I've held the belief for a while that the church should be taking care of people and not the government. In a world where this is completely counter cultural, I know this idea will probably be poo-pooed on by believers and non-believers alike. I believe the church should be the entity that clothes and feeds and cares. 

My thoughts on this lately:
This theory has a huge hole in it considering so many people's bad perceptions of the church. (A whole other  post!)

People these days have been ingrained with the mindset that it's okay not to work and let the government take care of you. It's okay to be lazy and not take care of your family. It's okay to not ask for help. It's okay to take handouts.

How do we come back from that? In that podcast he talks about helping the poor. What does that mean exactly? Help someone who "gets fired from their job" find another job when what they really want to do is collect unemployment? Provide someone food when they, again, don't want to work and just want government assistance? 

I believe people are, for whatever reason, reluctant to receive help from the church (or anyone) but more than willing it from the government. Why? I don't believe that's the government's job. The Lord told the church to care for the poor ... not to mention each other. Is it the government's job to pay for you to not work when you hit 55 or 60 because you've "earned it?" When did the responsibility for our own lives get put on the government? If I want to quit working when I hit a certain age then I need to be financially responsible so that I am able to do that. Allow me to point out, however, that back in the day people worked until they were physically unable to work anymore. 

I don't really have answers ... yet. But this has been heavy on my heart for weeks and I'm confident I'll hear from the Lord on it.

Where Honor Is Due

I love Veterans Day! I actually think every day should be VD.
I spent 4 years in the Air Force. Even though my tour was life-changing, I believe my impact on my country was minimal. I was in public affairs and never deployed to a combat zone.
I offered 4 years of my life to my country ... which I would recommend for just about anyone. But I know people who have sacrificed much more and truly deserve the gratitude and honor that comes with today's holiday.
During my psych rotation in nursing school I had the privilege of working with a young vet who came back from Iraq with PTSD and was an inpatient at the VA for substance abuse - a very common scene. He was younger than I was and had suffered so much. I spent over an hour talking to him about his issues and transition. Before I left he gave me his Iraqi War Veteran cap. I wear it on VD in his honor and other days to remind me of his sacrifice.
I don't know where or how he is now but I know that the number of vets coming back from combat zones with PTSD is huge and the number of inpatient rehabs is minuscule with long waiting lists. I also know that older vets still suffer from experiences in combat. I don't care what your views on war is but the facts are that people are losing their body parts, their families, their minds and their lives for you.
Today ... and every day ... thank a vet and pray for them.

Fudgetastic!

Yesterday and today, I had a fudge adventure! Every Christmas, as our gift to Justin's side of the family, I bake. I decided this year that I wanted to bake something that would be special to Christmas and I'd only make it at Christmastime. 

After a HUGE fail at pumpkin spice cake balls, I decided fudge was the way to go. I've been making fudge with my mom since I was a little girl so I figured I could turn out some decent gift fudge. Since I view recipes as mere suggestions, I wanted to do a trial run so I decided to make a few batches for a ladies' retreat I'm going on this weekend. 

My flavors, you ask! Eggnog, peppermint mocha and chocolate peanut butter. 

I found this recipe when I Googled "Eggnog fudge recipes" and it worked great!! The eggnog fudge is amazing! 

I decided that since it turned out so good, I would just substitute some of the ingredients to make my other 2 flavors. For the peppermint mocha, I used 3/4 c peppermint mocha coffee creamer instead of the eggnog and a bag of milk chocolate chocolate chips instead of the white chocolate. It turned out yummy! The only thing I might do different next time is add some peppermint extract.

Our friend Becky makes the best peanut butter fudge on the planet! I make alot of things that Justin labels "The Best Ever!" but nothing has beaten Becky's peanut butter fudge. I was trying to come close but dang WalMart screwed me up!! All they had was a peanut butter/chocolate chip mix. So I got that and used it instead of the white chocolate in the recipe and instead of the 1/2c butter I used 1/2c peanut butter. It turned out really good, but it's definitely a chocolate/peanut butter fudge. I'm going to have to try again for the straight peanut butter version.

Some of My Secrets

In my free time (HAHA!), I like to cook/bake. Some of you may be thinking "Um excuse me? Don't you have 3 kids under 2 1/2? How does that even happen!?"

My answer is, Yup I do! And here are some of my secrets to being able to do something like cooking/baking when you have little ones:

**Move in with your amazing parents who are as dedicated to your kids as you are and support your parenting flawlessly.**

Okay, so I realize that's not a reality for everyone. But I was able to get stuff done even when I just had Eve and we lived by ourselves. Here are some of my REAL secrets:

1. Learn to do things fast! (Setting a timer for yourself helps with this. See how much you can get done in 1 minute) I naturally do everything fast but I had to learn to be precise and accurate with my speed. If you can do your tasks fast you can do what you're trying to accomplish, tend quickly to your babe and go back and forth. See #2!

2. Multitask! It's something I highly recommend for all moms. But know how and when to turn it off and on. If you're not a natural multitasker, there are some great books out there. Or chances are you have a friend who is ... call her!

3. Get used to letting your kids fuss. They WILL BE OKAY if they cry for a minute while you finish something up. Especially if they are clean and fed and all they want is your attention.

4. Your high chairs aren't just for mealtime anymore. I discovered this trick with Eve. A lot of the time she just wanted to be a part of what was going on, so I'd put her in her high chair, give her something to play with (if you're in the kitchen, plastic dishes work great!) and set her within site of the action. This way I could interact with her as well without worrying about her getting into what I was doing. Also, get your high chair out of the kitchen! This is a great trick for any room in the house.

5. When at all possible, involve them in what you're doing. Okay, this might go against #1 and definitely won't work with everything. I involve Eve (not so much the babies yet) in almost everything I'm doing. If I'm baking or cooking in the kitchen, I give her a bowl and spoon and let her do her own thing (usually it's make muffins or birthday soup). Or I sit her up on the counter and let her stir, pour, or supervise whatever I'm doing. This works best when you're not on a time crunch and you don't mind a bigger mess. This can also be applied to anything! I have her help me "fold" clothes, dust, do my makeup, sweep ... you can find a 2 year old version of just about anything!

This is probably the hardest one ...
6. Encourage and teach your kids to play independently and be patient. I understand this comes more naturally to some kids than others. I do think it's something that can be instilled in every child. With Eve, it's hit or miss. Sometimes she'll do one activity by herself for 30 minutes to an hour ... play in her room, draw, color, play outside. When she's "in the zone" I try to leave her alone :) or poke my head in and say "You're doing a wonderful job playing!!" I've also started to play a "game" with her where I set my timer for 15 seconds and we have to be really still and quiet. From the time Eve was old enough to start asking/demanding things, I started using the word "patience" with her. I know a patience song, too, that I would sing to her. Oddly enough, she would stop and listen. When she was started talking, "patience" became part of her vocabulary. Now she says "I'm doing a good job being patient." :)

Do you have any secrets?

And This Will Be All I Have to Say About This

When I was pregnant with my twins I thought I might be crazy because I wasn't scared or even worried about the future: delivering or taking care of 2 infants. It just was what it was. I knew there would be challenges but I was up for it!
I've decided that is the way I should be looking at the outcome of the recent presidental election. I didn't vote to reelect the President so I wasn't too thrilled with the outcome. So many die hard conservatives I know believe the next 4 years will be gloom and doom. I'm not convinced.  Times may get harder. They may stay the same. They may get easier. The bottom line is we just don't know.
But I have 3 beautiful daughters who deserve a beautiful world and a beautiful life. They look to me for life ques right now. I want them to respect our President and government. I want them to be able to see beauty in hardship and learn to work hard even when times are easy. I will not teach or model fear or hate or disrespect.
My God is in control of all. HE is my provider and my shield and my safe place.
This isn't a blog about political issues so this will probably be the first and last thing I'll say about it.

The Pretender

Eve has started pretending she's something or someone else. At some point every day I'll call her name, "Come here,Eve." To which I'll get the response "I'm not Eve. I'm ..." Usually it's Minnie Mouse. Sometimes she's Goofy, or just Goof. Once she was What (the cat). The other day she was an alien. It can last an hour or ALL DAY. She makes everyone call her by whoever she's pretending to be and corrects people if they call her Eve. I love it!!

My baby babies, more specifically Temperance, have discovered their favorite noise to make. A high pitch, high decibel shriek. Sometimes they do it for an hour! They're happy but sometimes we have to yell over them to have a conversation. My sweeties!

A Catch-You-Up (gesundheit!)

Once again, I'm attempting to revive my blog. I plan on using it to keep friends and family in the know about my growing girls but also to convey messages of hope and strength and inspiration. 

I'm sure most who read this are already updated on the Fam but just in case, here's the quick catch-you-up:

CHINA - I left off with a possible trip to China almost exactly a year ago. Well we went, we saw, we returned. It was a very challenging trip for both me and the Mister. We were there almost 90 days and he worked 12-15 hour days for 88 of them. About a week after Eve and I arrived, I got pregnant. I was so sick 24/7 for almost the entire trip. 

PREGNANCY - Our MADE IN CHINA babies were born on our 3 year wedding anniversary. Identical twin girls, Noomi and Temperance. No, twins don't run in our families. Yes, we were very shocked. No, we're not going to keep trying for a boy. Having 2 infants and a toddler has been another challenge, but one that is much more rewarding. Our girls are the light of my life!

THE MOVE - When we found out we were having twins, we decided to rent out our house and move in with my parents. One of the best decisions we could have made as far as our kids are concerned. JoJo and Granddaddy have been instrumental in giving Eve a smooth transition from only child to big sister and ing helping take care of the babies. Instead of having 1 completely exhausted, non-functioning, nervous breakdown mom, we've had 4 kinda tired, sometimes slightly impatient, functioning at about 90% capacity parents and grandparents.  

To sum up: The last year has been very challenging, rewarding, fulfilling, tiring and sweet.