A Fair Trade

I remember the day well. The day I traded in my right to new clothes and new shoes. I traded eating out for eating home cooked meals. The day I decided it would not be my goal to have designer furniture and a big screen T.V.

The interview went really well. I was more than qualified for the job. The Oncology office called me within a day or two and let me know that I had the job. It was going to be a great . I loved working in doctors' offices. They had even planned to give me extra duties because my former supervisor had given me such a good recommendation. It paid well, and it was HARD to get a job in Humbolodt County. I accepted and told them I couldn't wait to start. A few days later, on my very first day, there was a staff meeting scheduled, and they would be introducing me to the rest of the office. I was to be there at 8:00, sharp!

Well, from the moment I accepted the job until the morning I was to start, my stomach had been in knots. This would be my first time back to work after having my baby, Gavin. How was I going to do it? At about 7:30 (remember I was supposed to be there at 8:00) when the office began taking calls, I anxiously called my new boss. "I'm not going to be there this morning. I can't leave my baby." This is where I traded the shoes, clothes, etc. These words sealed my fate. I was a stay-at-home mom. I didn't WANT to be anything else.

I didn't want to go to work so that we could have material possessions. I wanted to invest in my child. I am so glad that God spoke to my mommy heart that morning and told me I was not a career woman. He asked me to trust Him and trust that He would provide for us. Now, "providing for us" didn't look the way that I would have expected. We did struggle and continue to struggle, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't trade staying at home and homeschooling for all of the shoes in the world!

Life Without Television...

What do homeschooled children who don't watch television do all day anyway?? Well, as you can see here, they pull up the blinds and watch the men outside our window work on the pipes. Gavin kept me updated on everything they did. Everything. Seriously. He was rather upset when they tore out the grass in order to do their digging. I reassured him that they would put it back when they were done. Much to his dismay, they did NOT put it back. Well, they kind of did, in a sloppy, uncaring sort of way. Gavin was not happy with those guys. He asked me if we could buy seeds so that he could plant more grass there. It was just too ugly.

I love this! An Excerpt from Little Women...

This household happiness did not come all at once, but John and Meg had found the key to it, and each year of married life taught them how to use it, unlocking the treasuries of real home love and mutual helpfulness, which the poorest may possess, and the richest cannot buy. This is the sort of shelf on which young wives and mothers may consent to be laid, safe from the restless fret and fever of the world, finding loyal lovers in the little sons and daughters who cling to them, undaunted by sorrow, poverty, or age, walking side by side, through fair stormy weather, with a faithful friend, who is, in the true sense of the good old Saxon word, the 'house-band', and learning, as Meg learned, that a woman's happiest kingdom is home, her highest honor the art of ruling it not as a queen, but as a wise wife and mother.

Palm Sunday - The Triumphal Entry!

This is from Luke 19:28-40
The Triumphal Entry

28 After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. 29As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, 30"Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

31If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' tell him, 'The Lord needs it.' " 32Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. 33As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" 34They replied, "The Lord needs it."

Matthew adds in 21:4-5, 4
This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey."

35They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. 36As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. 37When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:

38"Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" 39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!"

40"I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out."

I love these passages because we finally see Jesus praised as the King that he is! Without robes and chariots and gold and jewels, he was is ahumble King riding on a lowly donkey. Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! And if the people had been silent, the stones would have cried out!! Happy celebrating this Palm Sunday! -Lisa

Avalanche Bark

So, here is a recipe. It is an adaptaion of an adaptation of a recipe for a treat that my friend made when she worked at a chocolate shop. My kids seem to think it is super yummy!

Avalanche Bark

11 - 12 oz. White Chocolate Chips

1/2 C. Peanut Butter

5 C. Rice Crispie Cereal

Add ins:

About 3/4 C. Milk Chocolate Chips

About 3/4 C. Reese's Peanut Butter Chips

About 1 1/2 C. Marshmallows

(I say about because I did not measure at all, I just eyeballed it)

In a large pot, stir white chocolate and peanut butter over med-low heat. Stirring constantly. When melted, remove from heat and pour in cereal. Stir until completely coated. Stir in all the extras. Press into a 9x13 pan. I lightly sprayed it with cooking spray first, but it may not have been neccessary.

This recipe is fun because you can change it and throw in pretty much anything you want. Here are some ideas:

• Replace the white chocolate with 6 oz milk chocolate and and 6 oz butterscotch chips add in chocolate chips and peanut butter chips.
• Replace the peanut butter with butter and add in some peppermint extract and chopped peppermint candies
• Rocky Road? Replace the peanut butter chips with nuts
• Trail mix Bark? Replace the add ins with some trail mix
• Let the kids choose the add ins!Use your imagination and have fun!!

Pace Shoop

Today I spent the entire day with two astronauts! Two little astronauts. They used my dinning room chairs to build a space shuttle, and they blasted off to the moon. Over and over and over and over and over again. Just when I thought they had run out of fuel, or the game was getting old, they climbed in and counted down again...6...5...4...3...2...1...0...Ignition, Blast Off! I don't know if that's what they really say when the shuttle is taking off, but that's what Gavin says, and he's usually pretty acurate. In between trips to the moon we had to listen to a CD with songs about space, and we had to read books about space, and Caden even had to take a nap with his space suit. Actually, to Caden it was his "Pace Shoop". His pace shoop was really a rain coat that looks like a fireman's jacket. That's ok, he's usually not very acurate. But he sure is cute. And he knows it. He brought me his space suit and said, "Mama, me yook cute in my pace shoop?" Oh, yeah baby! You look adorable in your pace shoop! I couldn't have planned a better school day myself!

Gotta Have a Plan, Man!

I'm a planner. I plan things. I write lists. I cross things off my list. It's what I do. Sometime God teaches me lessons in this area. Like yesterday, for example. I had a list, it seemed a mile long to me. Oh, I'm also a scheduler. Naptime is scheduled for 2 o'clock everyday. I get a little nutty if my kids miss their naptime. So, I had a list, and on my list was to take something to a friend who was running her Mom's group in the morning. Would I like to leave my kids in the nursery and go have fellowship with the other moms, she asks. Of course not, I have a list, I have a naptime scheduled, doesn't she know that? But, I do have time for maybe a little tea...that little tea turned into me spending a great 2 hours with some friends, having tea, holding my good friend's new baby, and soak up wisdom from other moms. Wonderful things that I would have missed if I had stuck to my plans. We had a discussion topic which was, being too busy and how to say no. Sometimes I am the most blessed when my plans go awry, or should I say when my plans are thwarted!

So, I got all of my errands done, and guess what? I was home at exactly 2 o'clock! Naptime!! Yippy! I get the kids down and snoozing, crack open my Bible, and continue reading in Psalm 33. What should I read but, "The Lord frustrates the counsel of the nations; He thwarts the plans of the peoples. The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation." Thank you, Lord. I get it.

His plans stand forever, and His plans include Me! I'm gonna miss out on those plans if I am too busy with my own.

Getting Ready

"Ok...now I'm ready for school, mom..."

Lisa's Stuffed Shells

By popular demand, and by that I mean Rachel, I have decided to include recipes on my blog. I really enjoy cooking, sometimes. I really love baking. Well, actually I like the end product more than the proccess. Anyway, here we go. I made this for dinner the other night! It was yummy and easy. I'm not big on measuring, and I'm totally into changing the recipe until it just barely resembles the one you're supposed to be following. Then I call it my own. Like this...

Lisa's Stuffed Shells

1 box (12 oz.) Jumbo Shells, Cooked

15 oz. Ricotta Cheese

1 1/2 C. Mozzarella Cheese, Shredded

1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

½ tsp. Salt

1/8 tsp. Pepper

about 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

28 oz Jar Spaghetti Sauce

1/2 lb - 1 lb. Ground Turkey (or beef, but beef is bad for you!)

Minced Garlic to Taste

Heat oven to 375°. Brown meat in skillet with garlic and salt. Add sauce and heat through. In large bowl, combine egg, cheeses, seasoning, salt and pepper. Meanwhile you can be cooking your shells. If you could do all three at the same time, that works best. Stuff shells with cheese mixture. I put the mixture in a large ziploc bag and snipped off an end and squeezed it into the shells. Place in a 9x13 baking dish with a bit of sauce in the bottom. Cover with sauce. Top with additional cheese if desired. And why wouldn't you desire it? If you were concerned about fat content you wouldn't be making this dish. Besides fat=flavor, everyone knows that. So, after you cover it with the desired amount of fat, cover with foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.

Here's a tip-if it seems like it is a little dry or it might get dry as it bakes, throw some tomato sauce on top of it. It adds moisture. The other night, I got to this step, and my husband decided we were going somewhere, so I put it all in the fridge before baking it. The next night it was a little dry so I dumped 2 cans of tomato sauce on it and baked it. It came out as good as ever! I also put some butter and garlic on some slices of french bread and broiled it for a minute or two after the shells were done. Yummm...

50 Million Red Envelopes

50,000,000 red envelopes could make more than a meaningful impression at The White House!

Please join many in spreading this message and bombarding this administration with 50 Million RED envelopes, one for every child who died before having the chance to live since the passing of Roe vs. Wade. Maybe it will change the heart of the administration.

Here is what you can do:
Get a red envelope. You can buy them at most stationary or card shops, or maybe you have one just lying around the house (left-over, unused Christmas cards?). On the front, address it to:

President Barack Obama

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

Washington, D.C. 20500

On the back, in your own handwriting, send the following message:

This envelope represents one child who died in an abortion.It is empty because that life was unable to offer anythingto the world. LIFE begins with conception.

Put it in the mail, and send it. Pray that this will send a clear message to our president. Then tell every one of your friends who you think would send one too.

50 million red envelopes, one for every child who has been aborted, could change the heart of our president.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well.

Psalm 139:13-14

Meet My Five-Year-Old...Rambo

I love having a five-year-old. The things that come out of their mouths can be hilarious, profound, or just plain wacky! My adorable Gavin has shown us recently that he has an innate sense of Rambo-ness, as you can see from the picture. I don't know how a boy can nail the Rambo look without actually ever seeing Rambo.

The other day, I overheard the end of a conversation between him and his daddy. It was pretty quiet until Gavin yells, "Don't you know sarcasm when you hear it?!"

Yesterday, we were sharing some quality one on one time together. We laughed, we played, we cuddled. Then out of nowhere, he looks lovingly at my face...looks at my wrinkles, and says, "mom, you have cracks on your forhead! One, two, three, four! You have four cracks on your forhead!"

Gotta love their honesty...their brutal, brutal honesty.

Serious Play

My boys seriously know how to play!

It's all in my job description...

This morning my two-year-old said, "Mama, I need face to face. I need your face!" I don't know exactly what it meant or where he got it from, but it was totally adorable and I love having him press his little face against mine.

During school, Gavin was feeling tired and unmotivated. Still, he pressed on. He had to read that whole sentence to find out what happened to that duck. It was intriguing..."A...fat...rat"...oh! it was suspenseful! A fat rat bit Tab!! That was about all we could handle this morning.

Caden on the other hand was energetic and ready to learn! He sat on my lap and demanded to be taught. We went through the entire alphabet and he repeated all the sounds the letters make.

I have the best job in the world!

True Christianity

This is the last paragraph I read last night in the C.S. Lewis book, Mere Christianity.

I think all Christians would agree with me if I said that though Christianity seems at first to be all about morality, all about duties and rules and guilt and virtue, yet it leads you on, out of all that, into something beyond. One has a glimpse of a country where they do not talk of those things, except perhaps as a joke. Every one there is filled full with what we call goodness as a mirror is filled with light. But they do not call it goodness. They do not call it anything. They are not thinking of it. They are too busy looking at the source from which it comes.But this is near the stage where the road passes over the rim of our world. No one's eyes can see very far beyond that: lots of people's eyes can see further than mine.

I thought this was a beautiful way of explaining what true Christianity should be. When you keep your eyes on Jesus, you are less concerned with yourself and doing good. Any good you do is not because you are trying or because of rules or a sense of duty, but because your focus is on Him and he changes you and your attitude and your desires. You do good because He is good and He lives in you.

Boys in the Snow

Yesterday we drove inland and had our annual visit to the snow. I wasn't quite sure how Caden was going to react. You never know what to expect his reaction to be. He thinks he doesn't like the outdoors, but once he starts playing in it he realizes it's not so bad. I think he takes after me. I like to be warm and toasty, curled up under a blanket reading a book. Gavin is like his Daddy. He likes dirt. Give him rocks to climb, water to splash in, and mud to play in and you'd think he was in heaven. The first few times we went to the beach, Caden would cry if you put him down in the sand. Now, he's 2. He's figured out what this whole beach thing is all about. He loves it. He also discovered that he loves snow. He wanted to just dive right into it. He spent most of his time on his knees digging holes and packing snow. It was like he was on a mission.

When You Give a Kid a Camera

When you give a five-year-old a camera, there's no telling what you're going to get. Gavin was so happy to get a camera today. What was junk to us a beautiful treasure to my precious boy. He ran around taking pictures of everything you can imagine! He took the most hideous pictures of me that I have ever seen. I'm talking in my jammies, first thing in the morning. I'm a zombie, but he's snappin' away. Sheer joy. He took close-ups of his toys, and his brother and even spent a long time trying to focus on a beetle he found in the hamper. Maybe one day he'll be like his daddy, taking beautiful photos of God's creation. But for now he's content with snap shots of his toes.

I Hate Winter Flu Bugs

Dampness...coldness...dreariness...sickness...yes, it's winter in Humboldt County! You know it's inevitable. It will rain. The sun won't shine for days. You will get sick. Here, you endure the winters to enjoy the beautiful summers.

The sun is actually shining today. Birds are singing, and you can hear the sounds of people mowing grass in the distance. I have no idea if it is as warm as it looks out there. I've been inside for days. I briefly left the confines of my house yesterday to go down the street to the store. We were out of coffee and half and half. It was an emergency.

Other than that I have been living my life vicariously through facebook. I wouldn't call myself "addicted" neccessarily...oh wait, yes I did. It's right there in my last post. What else am I supposed to do? I've had sick kids who just need to lay on their mama. I get bored. Caden just wants to be in my arms. That's it, no exceptions. So, I've been holding a sick boy with my left arm and facebooking with my right.

Anyhoo. Sickness. That's what I was planning to talk about. It started with Gavin then the Hubby got it. I got it from him and was down for the count. Then, we all looked to Caden. It seemed as though he had escaped! But at long last, his little body could fight it off no longer...

And that, my friends is why I am sitting here writing this instead of enjoying this beautiful sunshine!

Random Things About Me

1. I love Jesus
2. I love being a wife
3. I love being a mom
4. I have to have coffee first thing in the morning, or else
5. I don't think I want anymore kids, but
6. Sometimes I think I would love to have more kids
7. I tend to plan things to death
8. I enjoy cooking and cleaning
9. I hate television with a passion
10. I believe life begins at conception
11. I'm a very different person than I was 5 years ago (Thank you, God)
12. I miss my family
13. My husband is awesome
14. I always knew I would homeschool my children
15. Politicians scare me
16. I'm in the proccess of reading the Bible cover to cover for the 4th time
17. I got married barefoot on the beach
18. Quoting Veggie Tales movies is a regular occurance in our home
19. I grew up in a small town, population about 2800
20. I'm learning the power of prayer
21. I have wonderful friends, I don't know what I would do without them
22. I enjoy knitting
23. I would love to go to Isreal or India, if only I didn't have to fly over the ocean
24. I have the best job in the world
25. I am trying to trust God istead of being fearful of the future
26. I'm addicted to facebook

A Day in the Life of a Mother

It is a day like any other day. I thought I would just jot down some of the things that happen around here that make being a stay at home mom all worth it...Things that make me laugh hysterically and remind me that I love my life.

First thing this morning, Gavin made a tent, a shelter, and a bug trap in the living room. He's ready for the day!

As I'm getting Caden (2yrs.) dressed after his bath, he randomly said, "Arrrg Matey!"...where on earth did my child who is just learning to talk get arg matey? I have my suspicions.

Gavin (5yrs) calls me from the living room. I find him in a tall hamper with the lid on it. Apparently he needs more fish. He couldn't get them himself because he is, of course, is in the hamper.

For the last hour I have been unable to fold my towels because Caden is now a bird and is VERY protective of his towel nest.

Gavin is now out of the hamper. That must have been the loud crash. There was no crying or screaming, so I guess everything is ok. He has made a harpoon and is catching whales.