heavy.hearted

I don’t write a lot of heavy stuff on this blog. Quite honestly, I don’t feel like we’ve had a lot of “heavy” in our lives. We’re fairly easy-going people, and I try not to be too dramatic {although I have 4 daughters…they’re bound to bring us a bit of drama from time to time}.

In all seriousness, though, Josh and I have coasted along quite well. That being said, our family members and friends have experienced a whole lot of heaviness in the last nine days. I can honestly say that I don’t recall this amount of personal heartache in such a short amount of time…ever.

Last Monday, our friend Eric was admitted to the hospital after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. On Friday, it was re-diagnosed as Acute Lymphatic Leukemia {which is a much bigger hill to climb}.  He's not even 40 and has 6 young children.

Last Tuesday, my friend Shel delivered a precious baby girl with Anencephaly. Sweet Delia Jean breathed on her own for a little over an hour, and then made her way safely into the arms of Jesus.

On Thursday, my sister Jill was told that her unborn baby had no heartbeat. 

Needless to say, I’ve prayed a lot in the last week. I am willing to go so far as to say that I don’t think I’ve ever prayed more diligently during any other 8 day stretch.  

I don’t find it surprising that these events change the people that are intimately involved. How could they not?  Words like cancer, anencephaly, and miscarriage are not taken lightly.

What continually amazes me is how much I am changed by observing these events from the other side of the fence.  I find myself squeezing my girls just a little bit tighter. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve held Olivia this week and truly given thanks for the fact that I have a perfectly healthy baby in my arms. Even when she’s crying, I’m not irritated. She’s here…right here…ready to be held, fed, loved, and enjoyed.

I was looking at a picture from my wedding day yesterday, and I was thinking about all of the things that I didn’t know 9 years ago.  That girl in the picture had such little experience with true love, deep relationships, true joy, and true sorrow. Don’t get me wrong…she had seen them; she was simply inexperienced on the whole.

Jackie {age 32} is being refined on a daily basis just a little at a time {praise the Lord, indeed}. I’m certainly no fan of the tears, sorrow, and heartache that accompany difficult seasons of our lives. However, I’m thankful for the way that it causes me to mature, prioritize, and grow into the woman that the Lord wishes for me to become.

Loss and sorrow are inevitable and unavoidable.  On the bright side, for those of us in Christ, so is joy...inevitable and unavoidable.  Thank you, Lord, for this.

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39

And this is where I find my comfort and my prayer.

simply.hilarious

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:  Amelia is so funny.  Claire and Meredith are even old enough to thoroughly enjoy most of Amelia's silliness.

So, the other day, Amelia comes to me, crying hysterically. 

Me: What's wrong?
A: Mimi {Meredith} call me hilarious! {cry.cry.cry.sob.sob.sniff}
Me: That's a good thing!!  That means you're funny.
A: No, I not hilarious!!!!! {cry.cry.cry.sob.sob.sniff}
{I'm comforting her at this point.}
Me: Ok, you don't have to be hilarious!
A: I not. {still sobbing}
{But shhhhhh...secretly, I still think she is.}

roll.over.roll.over

So our little Olivia has finally figured out how to tuck her right arm under her just the right way so that she can get herself onto her tummy from her back. She had perfected the front to back several weeks ago, and she's finally going full circle.

And I've realized that I've never updated regarding her itty-bittyness. About 2 weeks after her 4 month appointment, we visited a pediatrician who measured her head about 5 times and decided that it wasn't nearly as small as originally thought. She was actually charted at about the 35th percentile for head size.

The pediatrician was more concerned {understandably so} about Olivia's weight. At 4 1/2 months, she was weighing in at a whopping 10 pounds 1 ounce. They sent us home with special feeding instructions, formula, and tips to get my milk supply up. We went back for a weight check 9 days later.

She had gained 10 ounces in 9 days!! They like to see babies gaining 1/2 to 1 ounce per day. What can I say? She's an overachiever.

She is filling out quite nicely these days. She still seems awfully tiny overall, but her little legs have a couple rolls on them, and when she holds her head just right, she even has a double chin. :)

I've put away some of her 3 month clothes, and she's even beginning to get too big for the larger ones and moving toward the 3-6 month batch. I'm trying not to be overly sentimental and am actually succeeding most of the time.

silly.goose

I could write every.single.post about Amelia these days.  Let's just put it out there:  three year olds are hilarious.

The other day she was in the bathroom picking up all the little hair ties that she had spilled all over the floor {most likely this was an intentional spilling, but I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and consider it accidental}.

I noticed that there were several that had collected in one corner that she had overlooked.  I said, "Amelia, look over there...there are a whole bunch in that corner." 

She walks over, crouches down to pick them up, and says, "How I miss these?"  She then proceeds to mumble to herself a couple of times, "Me is a siwwy {silly} goose...how I miss these?"  This is followed by the announcement {with an overall general amusement}, "Mommy!  I is a siwwy goose!!"

You don't have to tell me.  I'm fully aware.

sleep.talkin'

Last night, I was reading in bed, and I could hear Amelia stirring on the other side of the wall. She mumbled something in her sleep and then, clear as day, said, "Why?"

I'm pretty sure I laughed out loud. At least her thought process is consistent in her dreams.

what's for lunch

I have a hard time with lunches around here...especially in the summer.  I don't plan them.  In the winter, we eat a lot of leftovers, but in the summer, I definitely don't make as many casseroles and soups.  We usually only have leftovers for Josh to take to work the next day.  I feel like I'm scraping almost every day.  Grrr.

So, I've decided that for this school year, I either need to plan lunches or cook more.  I'm going to go with the "plan" option and fill in with leftovers as we have them! 

I did a facebook survey with other homeschool moms to see what everyone serves, and this is the list that was formed:

• quesadillas
• grilled cheese
• soup
• smoothies/muffins
• sliced veggies and cheese
• chicken nuggets
• peanut butter and jelly or honey
• lunch meat
• spaghetti
• ravioli
• egg salad
• chipped beef
• macaroni and cheese
• tuna salad with crackers
• grilled peanut butter and jelly
• nachos
• pizza
• egg breakfast sandwiches
• mini pizzas on english muffins
• chicken patty sandwiches
• summer sausage
• calzones
• pancakes
• sausage and egg muffins
• BLTs
• scrambled eggs and toast
• muffins/fruit
• fish sticks
• slider sandwiches {mini sandwiches}
• lunchable-type lunches
• hard boiled eggs

I think this is a pretty good list...31 options!  It definitely gives me some good ideas when I'm looking in the pantry thinking all we have is pb&j. :)  The other thing I've noticed is that my kids LOVE eating boring foods in a tortilla {plus it's a great way to use up those last few tortillas!}. 

I'm going to put options at the beginning of the month that need purchased ingredients {english muffins, cold meat, tuna salad, etc.}.  I always have pb&j, frozen options, eggs, and pancake ingredients in my pantry/freezer/refrigerator.  I just need to remember to put them on my menu plan.  If I write it down, I won't forget.

Happy lunch making!  And feel free to add to this list if you have any ideas!

smelly.face

From Meredith {as she kisses Olivia's cheek}: "I always like the smell of her face!"

See, it initially sounds super sweet, right?! ...until I inform you that Olivia spits up more than any baby we've had and always smells like sour milk.

Then, it's kinda gross. The funniest part is that Meredith is the one who says it. That child is a hater of all things fragrant. Even the slightest hint that someone is going to be applying hand sanitizer sends her into a frenzy.

She's going to be the one that keeps me guessing.

august.2011.menu.plan

July is always such a busy month...sorry for the lack of menu planning post!  I noticed that I didn't post my July 2010 menu plan either.  Well, at least I'm consistent! :)  Now, onto August...

August 1-6
8/1: homemade pizza
8/2: amy's sensational summer salad {grill}
8/3: no cooking
8/4: stir fry
8/5: pancakes and bacon
8/6: mac 'n cheese {new}

August 7-13
8/7: frozen pizza
8/8: chicken fajitas
8/9: spaghetti
8/10: french toast and sausage links
8/11: {going to try to talk my parents into taking us out for dinner :)}
8/12: roast {crockpot}
8/13: salad and twice baked potatoes

August 14-20
8/14: deer steaks/creamy corn {grill}
8/15: stroganoff {crockpot}
8/16: fiesta chicken burritos {crockpot}
8/17: leftovers
8/18: calzones
8/19: no cooking
8/20: BLTs {garden tomatoes!}

August 21-27
8/21: sloppy joes
8/22: no cooking
8/23: rosemary pork {grill}
8/24: burgers/mac 'n cheese {grill}
8/25: whole chicken {crockpot}
8/26: chicken 'n noodles
8/27: BLTs {garden tomatoes!}

August 28-30
8/28: chicken patties
8/29: homemade pizza
8/30: bbq pork loin
8/31: tacos