Portlandia Chicken Clip. HAHAHA!

     I think the reason we laugh at  things is because we can relate to them. When I saw this clip it felt so familiar...In fact, Scott told me to brace myself before he showed me because he knew I would howl. I can't tell you how many times Scott has slunk down in his chair while listening to me order. The waiter is way more grilled than the food when I am at a restaurant. I want to make sure the fish is wild, not farmed. I need the water to be filtered and have no fluoride added. I want the beef to be free range and the eggs to have been hatched by chickens who run free. I try to  be balanced about it, but since I live in the Pacific Northwest, I find most people are fine with my requests because they are so used to it.

     A few years ago we took an RV trip around Texas for Logos Bible Software. It was so much fun traveling to a new city each day and experiencing their local fare. But when I would ask those questions, the waiters would either laugh in my face, or they would stare blankly. I was in BEEF country and I wanted to know if the cows were emotionally stable? I tend to forget we live in a unique pocket of the world where organic, free range and buying local are everyday concepts. Where it's cool to be earthy, and care about where our meat was raised and if it had a happy life. I am not saying other places don't have those kinds of people, it's just that it is the norm here. And when I travel away from home, I feel sometimes like an alien.
A tree hugging, certified organic, webbed footed, non-creased clothing, alien.

(And I am mild compared to some of my friends. And I do say that out of envy, not disdain. I am too unorganized to be totally green.)

I was shopping in the Co-Op recently next to a guy who was barefoot and had horns. We chatted about fish oil and he told me I had too many kids. I told him you could give each person on the planet 1/4 acre in Texas and to pipe down. Eccentric is mainstream here. If you want to really stand out in Whatcom County, then refuse to recycle, iron your clothing,  and eat hot pockets.

This clip is hilarious...it's set in Portland but these guys could easily be "Hamsters."

Simply Autumn

I am writing a post for no reason other than to say how cute Autumn is playing her guitar. I took a couple of pictures of her while she was playing today. I was thinking to myself,

"How do I keep from squeezing you?"

And while I am at it, I should just state, she is a cute drummer girl too. And not just cute, but working hard at both instruments! As I write this, I am sitting in a cold classroom at the top of a mountain in Canada waiting for her drumming lesson to finish. My fingers are freezing and I can see my breath. Ok, I am being a bit dramatic...but it is quite the trek each week.


All my kids take my breath away, but today it was Autumn that was melting me.

Beau's Snow Run

       We all enjoyed being snowed in today. We spent most of our time laying around the fireplace watching "The Office." It was nice, but things were getting boring. Beau looked out the kitchen window and asked us if we would give him ten bucks if he ran around the field in his underwear. My first response was NO because it is -5 degrees with windchill. Kyle suggested I could blog about it. I said,

"True, things have been a bit slow around here."

      So, we all agreed to pitch in two bucks to see Beau run around the field.This is the kid who lived for the Polar Bear Swim each year. I love him. He makes life so much fun. The world could use a few more people like Beau, but unfortunately, he is ONE OF A KIND.

      He took off his clothes and got a roll of Scotch Tape to close the flap on his underwear. He used three strips of tape so carefully. I thought that was really good planning, but didn't know if it would hold up. He was barefoot which worried me but I didn't think he would be out there too long. When the door opened, it was so cold I couldn't even step outside! He is carrying his pants because he thought we might lock him out when he was done. How sad is THAT?! He took off running....well wait. I will just post the video. I hate to admit I had tears in my eyes when he fell, and not from sadness.

Mad Gab

                                                      I really love family game night.

1. It is so unpredictable around here.
2. I love to laugh. And that we do.

    We played Mad Gab for the first time. When I heard the rules it sounded SO lame. I didn't think it would be fun or entertaining in the least. It sounded too simple. Each team has two minutes to sound out three puzzles. The puzzles, also known as mondegreens contain small words that when put together make phrases. The faster you answer, the more you score.  It sounded easy enough but it was much harder than I anticipated. For some reason when you say the mumbo jumbo words you can't hear it properly because you are reading it. For example, "Eye Mull Of Musheen" would be "I'm a Love Machine." Well, the funny part is the people who are not guessing can usually decipher it.  Below is a video of Kyle trying to guess, but he was NOT hearing it. It made me laugh so hard.  The puzzle was:

Fir Stay Dins Trucked Her

                        .....But I can't say much because I did the same thing as Kyle on my turn. Thankfully nobody video taped me.

Grace. With a Capital G.

       The New Year has arrived and I have been trying to pinpoint the theme of my life right now. For one, it is that little girl in the picture. She has changed us all for the better and I am thankful beyond words for her. Being a Mommy to a baby was a huge shift for me. Going back to strollers and diaper bags was a shock! What a blessing she is. What a gift. I often just look at her and think, "How on EARTH did I get you??!" Really, she shouts God's Love to me daily and for that I am so grateful...

 But what have I been learning?  What is shaping me and changing me? The main thing is Grace. I never really understood it. But that doesn't mean it wasn't at work in my life. I just never gave it much thought. But it is changing how I live now that I am thinking about it. It is changing how I treat others. It it transforming my marriage, and helping me parent our children. Giving grace sort of freaked me out because I thought it was like giving others (and myself) a free ticket to mess up. I was so wrong. Giving grace is loving the way God loves, forgiving the way He forgives. It has been so helpful in parenting and has given me a lot more peace. It is an exercises in faith, and that is often times harder than all the parenting techniques under the sun. It's telling My children to run straight to their Savior when they fail. He is there everytime....

(taken by Beau 4/08)


       With most situations in my kid's lives I've learned I either need to train them, nurture them or just remind them of God's promises. Sometimes they need clear instruction in order to help their lives run smoother. Other times they need some talking to about behavior or some discipline for their actions. To be reminded of why they need a Savior so very much because they cannot behave on their own strength. Many times they are just bummed out and need to have their hearts nurtured. It's a cruel world out there, and at times they simply need a kind ear and a big hug. Those are the times I need to remind them of the many promises of God. The tricky part is knowing what is needed most at any given moment! And I know that all the faithful parenting in the world is no sure fire way to produce well behaved, God fearing children. It's only the Grace of God that does that. Imagine if it was all my doing that could make or break them. No thanks...


      At times, rules seem much safer and grace feels sort of dangerous, but after a while we start to feel trapped by our inability to follow all of the rules perfectly. Then we feel like failures when we realize rules (or the law) isn't enough to save us. For me...it's a scary feeling letting go. I want a safety net and I love trying to weave a great big one around my kids. But there is nothing I can do beyond what God has already done. I had always viewed my relationship with God kind of like a "work contract." and not one of a Loving Father and a beloved child. How tiring is that? I now work hard because I love Him, I work hard because I want to bless my family, but I do not work hard because I think I can earn anything. I am nothing without Him and I know it. (Ok, sometimes I catch myself trying to prove myself still, but I readjust. It's a process.)


      When people tell me my kids are so wonderful, I just thank God. I know better than to think I should take the credit. Being self-reliant never got me anywhere. Except pretty tuckered-out. And you know what? It's so freeing releasing myself from the burden of being solely responsible for my child's lifelong happiness and success. It's just too heavy for me. TIMES FIVE! Now, I know I have a part, and I do try to daily do my best. But my best isn't good enough all the time, so it's then I need God's strength, wisdom, and peace.

      And what about those who are struggling with children who are rebelling and making poor choices in life? I have many friends who are trying so hard and doing all the right things and feel so discouraged by their children's choices. Remind them God works in even these hard situations. Remind them that in our brokenness and in our weakness we experience the comfort of His strength. Tell them that loving your children in spite of their wrongdoings is an exact picture of God's love to us, his sinful, rebellious children. God loves His enemies and lays His life down for them. Loving wayward children teaches us the gospel. We get to love like He loved. So tell them to hang on tight to the message of forgiveness and that weakness is always where sustaining faith is produced. No matter how hopeless it looks, cling to Him! This is a journey. A marathon. Each step is effort, but filled with joy as I find myself more and more dependent on Him. It's odd, Paul seemed to be thrilled and even brag about his weakness, but we usually try like crazy to hide the fact we are weak. Just be weak...wimp out and let your Father carry you. Admit it, you are beat.

I want to Mother My children well. I want them to grow up and know that they know that they know, that I love them. But more than that, I want them to know God loves them. No matter what. I want them to know that Grace isn't something they work for or earn from God. God looks at us, wretched as we are, and instead of punishing us, he loves us and blesses us. I am patient because I need patience. I love them all the more because I have been so abundantly loved. I am quick to forgive because I have been forgiven. Grace magnifies mercy! I love that we are humbly growing in grace with our children. It's okay if we don't fully understand the breadth of it. It still works! I am glad that I don't have to give my kids the exact right words they need to hear so they understand the gospel. They may need to hear that I am also learning and relying on the Holy Spirit right along with them. I can't change their hearts for the better, I can't even change mine. So I wait, and pray, and manage and nurture, while God perfects His work in their lives. Being transparent and open with our children allows them to see we are on this journey with them. We do not have to pretend to have all the answers of have it all figured out. I have messed up so much lately and at times I want to just sit down and cry my head off. I look at our kids and think, "Wow, I have really messed them up."  I feel tempted to just put on the happy face and make up excuses for my behavior to my kids.( So maybe I won't make God look bad.) But God can handle His own reputation, He doesn't need me. So I find myself more and more looking at those little faces I love so much and saying,

 "I am just really messing up here and I need God's help. I am sorry I have hurt you with my actions, and I am just going to keep at it and ask for God's help because it is all I can do."

I love these verses. We will never love or parent perfectly. When we need of big time help, and we are just plain tired out and feeling like we can't take another step in the right direction, God will give us His promised Grace. And with that Grace, comes Peace.


1 Peter 5:5-11


English Standard Version (ESV)
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen

 
Humility is an open door to grace. When I realize that there is nothing I can really do to renew or change my kids hearts it humbles me. There are days I feel like a total failure. I think I need those days in order to realize how much I need God. We aren't perfect examples because there is only One perfect example. And He takes our failures and uses them for His glory. I look back, and am amazed at the terrible mess I made of things. Seriously, I have been a complete fool and made such bad choices. I took things into my own hands and made everything so much worse. But He opened my hands, took my failures, and dropped them at the cross. Done.

My Father looks at me, and sees His perfect Son. If that ain't Good News, I don't know what is...

 Only He can turn ugly, sinful, messes into a thing of great beauty.

Think of the Cross....
It was the worst thing to happen in the history of mankind.
It makes me shudder when I think of it...
Killing God...
And what came of it?
Salvation.

MOB Tales

   Today was such a fun day. We went to the Wedding Expo in Bellingham. It was a nice Mother/Daughter time together. Her Maid Of Honor also joined us. We were told that the first 50 brides would receive a "swag bag" made out of wedding dresses. We raced there early hoping to we weren't going to miss out. We stood in line only to find out it was the first 50 brides to register online, not the first 50 brides at the door. Tayler did get a bag but we could have strolled in three hours AFTER it started and still got one.

 We had to laugh though. We didn't quite know why we were there other than to enjoy the sights, and to discuss how much better we liked our ideas than the ones we saw displayed. I had my rubber chicken bag on my arm (much to Tayler's horror) and I spent most of my time telling the vendors where I got it, why I had it, and then it always went into my chicken stories that I tell everywhere I go.  I am a chicken bard who travels around spouting sonnets about poultry. (Or lack of) It never gets old. I am the modern,  female, American version of Robert Burns.

 I love this picture of Tayler and my purse. It reminds me of those old Godzilla movies.

The vendors always ask if you still need to book services. Each time we said sweetly,

 "Yes...we already have a venue."

 Or

 "Yes, we already have a photographer."

 And,

"Yes, we already have flowers."

They would look at us like, Then move it along gals.

I think we were only there for the tiny samples of cake. Cake we didn't want to order because we already have a bakery making ours.  I was happy the casino was giving away chap stick. And I even got to try tomato jello with basil cream on top. (gag)  I had a cake pop sample but as I was biting into it I noticed a long grey hair stuck to it. I took it back to the lady and she gave me another. I had sorta lost my appetite for it but I took it. I went to bite into it and there, floating below my nose, was another hair. I just tossed it. Thankfully our friend makes great cake pops without fur.

 We took lots of  flyers and got pictures taken in the photo booths. (Yes, that is already booked also.)

 We did book one vendor. And I am SO EXCITED. We love the Upfront Theatre. It's owned by Ryan Stiles and is a great source of local fun around here. We are there a LOT. In fact, we told the guy at the booth we were surprised he didn't recognize us. He asked me to laugh to see if it sparked a memory. So I did.

 Loud.

With my rubber chicken purse on my arm.
Surrounded by prim and proper women tasting hairy cake.

 He said he totally knew us after that. We booked them for the reception. He told us to come in this week to put down a deposit. I was worried they would get booked up and said I could pay it then. He assured me it would be fine. He took my name and sent himself an email TWICE so he would not forget to save our date.

 We watched the fashion show, which was nice. I got misty eyed imagining Tayler in her dress. After a while we were noticing a lot of the dresses looked alike. Nothing was really that unique. (Especially the Mother of the Bride gowns. I really don't want to wear a gold, square, dress.) Tayler just has that vintage theme going, and it's very rustic. Lot's of lace, and ragged edges on things.  Most of what we saw felt flashy and bright. Which is great for many people, but it wasn't what we had been working with so it didn't really capture our attention. But fashion shows are always fun. They are upbeat, and with anything live there is always a chance for something exciting to take place.

 Here is a screen shot of Tayler and I texting during the show. One bride was a little too showy in our opinion. But not where you necessarily want to show. This made me laugh when I later looked at it.

    We had Indian food afterward because my niece came here recently and cooked Indian food for us and now it's the only kind of food I want. We are obsessed with it. I wish that restaurant had been at the Expo. I would have loved some samosa samples!

But we already have a caterer....

One Year With Havensong

Here is a year in a glance with our baby. It has flown by so fast. I can't quite believe it. We waited so long for her but when she arrived it seemed she was always here. I can't imagine life without her. She is joyous, and funny and so sweet. We all pretty much adore every move she makes. She is starting to cuddle more, and we all love that. She gives kisses all day long. I sometimes can hardly stand how cute she is. Really, I don't know how I take it most days. I just stare at her in amazement. (But my mom tells me I did that with all my babies.) I guess you could say she is a dream baby. Perfect  fifth child. (Thank you Lord!)

 I love how these pictures show how she blossoms as time passes. Little beauty...


January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December