Thursday Thirteen

My friend Lani does this little thing on her blog on Thursday's and I really like it so I thought I'd try it for awhile. We'll see...

13 (slightly random) things I love, in no particular order

1. The way Josiah says "Bert" and tells him "no" when he is doing something he shouldn't. Too cute!

2. This picture that is hanging in our hallway. Joey's Grandma Lu gave it to us when we were first married. I think it hung in her and Grandpa Cobe's house before it was ours. I just love it. When you get really close its just a bunch of paint, but standing back it is beautiful.

3. Chocolate Chip, peanut butter cookies with just the right amount of cinnamon and flour. Not too flat, not too thick. Just right.

4. The way Joey laughs when he is teasing me about something, I especially love it when he teases me and he is really tired.

5. Watching movies I've already seen. Like any Jane Austen movie, or those classic funny ones like The Three Amigos and The Sandlot. Honestly I'd watch any movie I've already seen, even if I didn't really enjoy it. What can I say, I like knowing what is going to happen :-)

6. Living in the Northwest. It is seriously the most beautiful spot in the world. Especially up here around the Puget Sound. Words do not express the beauty.

7. Talking to my Sister on Instant Messenger (IM). We think alike, talk alike and therefore can talk on IM better than anyone else. Multiple times we have said the same thing to one another at the same time!

8. Bread. Especially home made. YUM!

9. Being a mom to my boys. I absolutely love it. It is a blessing to watch them grow and learn. I can't believe I was given this job. It is the best job in the world.

10. Doing crafty little things - scrap booking, sewing, making cards, etc. I am always starting projects and not finishing them because there is another one to start. But its just so much fun!

11. Doing computer stuff - surfing the internet, reading blogs, creating graphics and sending emails are some of my favorite things to do.

12. Listening to Josiah talk to or about Benson. I wish we had a video camera to record it and share it with you. You would die it is so cute!

13. Being with Family. Whether it is at Triangle Lake for the weekend, or pizza nights on Fridays. I love being with family. I love all that goes with it, the laughter, the food, the memories, the real conversations, everything. It is such a blessing.

There you go, my first Thursday Thirteen.

Saying Goodbye...

In the past few months I have stumbled upon blogs of people that I went to church with growing up. Most of them are my parents age, and therefore people of influence in my life. It has been exciting to read what the Lord is doing in their lives and to see how their children are doing - kids I watched in Sunday school and grew up with as well. It has also been heart breaking to learn of men and women who have gone to be with the Lord. Many of them it seems were not old enough to say good bye.

One of the blogs I stumbled upon was Doug's. I knew he and his wife from church and actually worked with his wife Jane for a year or more when I was on the church staff. We didn't spend a ton of time together, but she did teach me a lot about patience (working on the weekly bulletin together), worship and seeking after the heart of God. I found out recently that she has been battling cancer for some time. Dougs blog is a day by day journey through the final days of her life. I have been struck by his honesty and realness as he struggles with letting her go. I have wept with him while he asks the Lord "how should I pray?" And it has been a blessing to be reminded of the hope we have in the midst of a sinful world.

Pray for Doug today as Jane went home to be with the Lord a little after noon. I cannot, not even a little bit, imagine... She is with the Lord though and for that we Praise Him. He gives and takes away, his timing is perfect and his peace beyond understanding. Our prayers are with you Doug and family.

Spring Cleaning...a little late.

I know spring is almost over, but we are finally getting down to cleaning a few places up around here. I was inspired by my friend Joani and Sarah who both posted before and after pictures of their cleaning. I thought I'd do the same. And let me tell you I may do it from now on when I clean, it is so encouraging. I loved getting to see the before and the after and realize "ya, I really did clean a lot!" It was great.

Before:

So on Saturday I cleaned the kitchen, really cleaned it. I didn't get the idea about pictures until I was half way through so you'll just have to see the before and after of the pantry and the sink area. I did a deep cleaning on the pantry a few months ago which made this cleaning pretty easy. Just wiping down the shelves and rearranging stuff.

After:

(ignore the dishes on the right hand side. I meant to move those before the "after" shot. I'm still a little new at the whole thing :-))

We also got started on other areas of the house - the garage, our storage room, the coffee roasting room, our bedroom, etc. They are all still in process though so you'll just have to enjoy the kitchen. I hope thats enough to get you inspired, its still spring so get out there and get clean :-)

We Like to Call Him "Goat"

Some of you may have noticed that under Josiah's name to the right is the nickname "goat". You may be thinking that our nicknames for our children are slightly mean, and even wondering if as our children get older they may need counseling. I assure you though, our children are quite mentally healthy(at least I think so) and even love the names we have given them. (Ok, so they are not quite old enough to understand the possible meaning of their nicknames, but I tell you they love them, and I'm sure if they do need counseling it will be from far worse things than just what we name them...I mean goodness, their parents are weirdos!)

Anyway, we call Josiah "Goat" because he eats anything. He loves fish. Seriously loves it. In Morocco they eat fresh sardines and BBQ them with the guts and all. He'll eat them with reckless abandon. He also loves raw onions, broccoli (i love that too, so thats not too weird) and many other veggies that most kids turn their nose at. Paper will not stop him from eating a muffin, scone or even gum. Just gives him a little more fiber.

He enjoys a sip of beer every now and again, even Guinness. But His favorite drink is black coffee, and make it strong. And if that isn't enough he thinks coffee beans are an even better way to get his caffeine. This past weekend we were serving coffee at a huge soccer tournament in the area (huge being 161 teams!) and as we were setting up or something Joey placed Josiah in the back of his truck. His truck being the way we often transport coffee to the coffee shops and other places there were a few spilled beans in the back. Next thing we know Josiah is munching on the beans and asking for more.

Like I said, we like to call him "Goat."

Oh, the babies...

Last fall Willie (Joey's Dad) lost his dog "Spud". We don't know exactly what happened to him but it looks like someone stole him. It was a really sad day. A sad month really. Life without Spud just wasn't the same. So before Willie left for Morocco in February he did something about it. He ordered a new springer spaniel puppy.

Yesterday Joey got to pick up the new little puppy that will be ours until his Dad returns from overseas. He is the cutest little guy. Our two other dogs (Mocha and Sheba - both Australian shepherds) aren't super sure what to do about him. Mocha is 12+ years old and doesn't really want to be bothered and Sheba has too many friends in the neighborhood to pay much attention.

So now I have three little ones to look after. Josiah, Benson and now "Bert". His name is short for "Bertolinos" which is the name of our coffee shop. Spud was a huge part of the coffee shop before he went missing. Everyone wonders where he is. So Bert will have to fill Spuds shoes. No better way to do that than to start out with a name from the coffee shop itself. Isn't he just the cutest little thing?!

Complaining

Yesterday was a "good mom day" for me. Things went smooth, I was patient with the boys, got things done that were on my list and didn't stress about life too much. What made the difference you ask. Attitude, its all about attitude...and a reminder about reality.

I went for a walk with my sister-in-law yesterday morning. We walked a ways together and then split up so I could run down to the stop sign and back. (I didn't go the whole way, not yet, but I'm getting closer and closer.) While we were walking I was complaining about Benson being fussy. She mentioned that he didn't seem that fussy to her and then we got to talking about other things. Well as I ran I started to think about things. Earlier yesterday I had sent an email to my mother-in-law also including some complaining about Benson's fussiness. I sure was complaining a lot. I found myself thinking about my complaining spirit and frustrated attitude. That wasn't helping anyone and it definitely wasn't pleasing the Lord. It needed to change.

Not to mention the fact that my sister-in-law had pointed out Benson wasn't that fussy. It just felt like it from time to time because I have things I am trying to get done and he is needing attention. How old is the kid anyways? He's only 6 months old. He's not Josiah. He can't entertain himself with a car for 20 minutes while you fold laundry. He needs and wants my attention. So when I returned from my walk I decided to make a few changes in my focus for the day and the days to come.

I started with trying to be purposeful about my schedule and what I was doing with Benson and Josiah each day. I am trying to work with Benson on sitting up, having tummy time and rolling over. So I tend to just leave him sitting there. Which works for all of 2 minutes and then he's toppled over or is screaming so loudly I must attend to him. So yesterday I tried to spend at least 5 minutes sitting with him. Encouraging him as he played with various toys and helping him figure out putting the teething toys in his mouth. (he's teething, so that's part of his fussiness.) I also tried to do the same with Josiah. I did get some of my list accomplished, and they did both work on playing on their own, but my focus was more on them, and less on the tasks that needed to be done.

I also tried to work on my attitude and my complaining. I am sure when Joey got home I did my share of whining. I confess I struggle with complaining and whining. I want things easy, uncomplicated and the moment I want them. The Lord says not to complain though and I shouldn't, so I am trying to work on that, really I am. I do have to make an effort to keep my attitude right, it isn't going to happen over night. (ooh, that rhymed!)

The biggest thing with the boys that I need to remember is that they are just kids. They are suppose to fuss, explore and do their best to figure out the world. They aren't going to be perfect, they are going to make messes and keep me busy. But isn't that why I do this? To help them along the way, give them opportunities to learn about life, show them Christ as best I know how and to be blessed with the joy of watching them learn and grow? And it is a blessing! Shoot, I get to be the one fluent in the language of Josiah, I get to watch Benson figure out how to transfer a toy from one hand to the next, I get to laugh with both boys as they look at each other and giggle every morning... wait, why was I complaining again?

A Little Bite of Wednesday...

As usual, Benson woke up first. So we headed off to see "brother" and get him up. Josiah loves to have Benson get in his crib with him so they can sit next to each other and laugh. This morning Benson wasn't feeling it as much as Josiah was. He cried and fussed. Josiah ever wanting to make his brother happy did all he could to get him to stop crying. Singing, clapping, giving him toys and finally a quick kiss.


Like most boys getting naked was the only option left that might make Benson happy, so we enjoyed our time getting dressed and spent some extra minutes lying on the floor playing with our belly buttons.


The morning went well and now I sit here eating the most amazing sandwich ever. I made one yesterday, wanted to tell you about it, but ate it too fast. So today I made sure to document the yumminess of this lunch. Apples, carrots, Ritz crackers, two cookies, a glass of water AND a turkey and avocado sandwich. I have just 20 minutes to enjoy this delightful little guy before Benson is ready for his lunch. So, off I go. Oh my goodness I can hardly wait!

It really is SO good.