Lazy morning inspiration

This morning I’m in bed with a knee injury and a sore throat. In a few minutes, I will get up, shower and take the boys to meet a friend for coffee. But for now, I’m sitting in bed, searching the blogosphere for cool, random ideas. Check these out:

Creative daddy blogger Made By Joel builds modern doll house and playhouse.

For more inspiration, beautiful valentines from Design Mom. This year, we’re giving out Lego Puzzle Valentines ($3 at Target). But I would love to make these.

And then the zillions of beautiful, brilliant ideas on Etsy. How I adore Etsy!

Here are a few recent finds by hopejohnson, sarahlizzytish and forevermorecreations.

Shopping anyone? Time to get out of bed…

Where did my husband put my chocolate…

And where did I leave my brain?

Seriously?

Life has become so crazy in the last few weeks. Just when we thought things were going to settle down…

Last month I wrote a blog post about the beginning of my business, Grow Family Nutrition. Two weeks ago, I went to Colorado for a long weekend of training with Dr. Sears. It’s official: I am a Dr. Sears Certified LEAN Coach. Since the training, I’ve been working on the nuts and bolts of starting a business.

Did I mention that nuts and bolts are little? That they can easily get lost? And that with my mommy brain I am not sure how I can keep track of everything?

On top of starting the business, we are looking for a new renter for our basement apartment. We just signed Asher up for kingergarten and we’re looking for a preschool for Micah. We’re still trying to set up a budget for 2010 (woops, is it February already?). It’s the middle of ski season. Whie I love skiing, weekly ski lessons mean that every week we pack all the children and a zillion pounds of gear into the minivan…

Oh yeah, minivan. Did I mention we sold the subaru and bought a minivan?

So we pack everything into the minivan and go up to the mountains. Typically we pack the ski bags on Friday. We get everyone full of healthy food, dressed in long underwear and into the van by 8 am. At 9 am, we’re up at Alpental. We get all the warm ski clothes on and then get Asher to his lessons by 9:30, hopefully without too much complaining. Mark and I take turns watching Zephan while Micah skis with Did Dad, and if we’re lucky we each take a run or two. Then lunch and repeat for afternoon lessons. Then throw everyone in the van to drive back down the hill. Usually we go to community group and eventually make it back home around 7 pm. Then we begin to unpack all the gear. By the following Tuesday, the gear has been washed but it’s hanging all over the laundry room. So on Wednesday I repack the bags. Only to repeat again on Friday.

And then two of the three boys are sick and cranky.

And Zephaniah is now the messiest eater I’ve ever seen. He delights in smushing peanut butter into his hear. Squishing butternut squash between his fingers. Throwing plates of food across the room. Putting bowls on his head. So I am constantly cleaning the kitchen floor.

Did I mention Asher had his first parent teacher conference last week?

And now I can’t find the dark chocolate bar I opened last night. Where did Mark put my chocolate…

Carrots, broccoli and peas, oh my!

Over the last year or two, Mark and I have prayed about how God would have us provide an education to our children. After much consideration, we are planning on sending our kids to a Classical Christian school. In order to do this, we will need me to go back to work part time to help pay for tuition.

 To that end, I’ve spent hours trying to figure out what would be the best stewardship of my time and our family’s resources. I’ve thought about returning to grad school to become a teacher or a nurse. I’ve thought about returning to my pre-kid world of marketing and public relations. I’ve even thought about trying to launch an Etsy.com store selling handmade baby products.

As a Christian wife and mommy, however, my top priorities must continue to be my relationship with Jesus, my husband and my children. As I’ve researched what would be involved with each of these paths, I have felt like the cost would be too great for our family. Several months ago, as I was praying about what God would have us do to educate our kids – and stressing about the cost of private school – I very clearly felt like God was telling me to be at peace and to trust him. If private school was his plan, he would provide. That’s that.

A few weeks passed and I stumbled on the Dr. Sears LEAN Kids program. Dr. Sears is a well-known pediatrician and author of dozens of books about childrearing. He has created a new program called LEAN Kids designed to help families feed their children well. The program aims not to just treat or prevent childhood obesity, but also to encourage a healthy, active lifestyle for kids of all shapes and sizes.

In two weeks, I will be going to Denver, Colorado to become a Dr. Sears Certified LEAN Coach. As a LEAN Coach, I will be able to teach several classes, including a LEAN Kids for parents of children ages 3-12 and a LEAN Expectations for pregnant moms. I will also be able to do Pantry Makeovers, helping families learn how to shop, cook, eat and live more healthfully.

Although it is a little daunting to launch a business when I am a busy mom of three, I am excited about this opportunity – not just to provide for our children’s education, but also to help other families live healthier. I have always had a passion for healthy nutrition and this feels like a natural fit for my skills and experience. I enjoy teaching and encouraging others.

As a mom, I know the impact I have on my children everyday, whether I am grocery shopping, cooking dinner, going to the gym or cuddling up to read them a book. I know that as moms and dads, we all worry whether or not we are feeding our kids the right stuff. We also worry about whether we are setting a good example. And so I am excited to have some tools to be able to teach other parents how nourish their families, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually.

Three boys in one bedroom

Right now our family lives in a big suburban house, but we still dream about what it would be like to live in a smaller space in a city. If we were to ever live somewhere like New York or London – or even downtown Bellevue – we would need to have all three boys share a bedroom.

Even in this house where we have plenty of extra space, the older boys ask when their baby brother can move in to their room. So the plan is to eventually put Asher, Micah and Zephan in one bedroom.

To that end, I am always looking for creative ideas.

Room and Board, one of my very favorite furniture stores, has several cool bunk beds that could accomodate three children. The Moda bunk bed can have a trundle under the bottom bunk. The Loft bed and trundle are crafted from natural steel. I like these because they look sturdy and masculine. Although this is only two beds, I wonder if they could made a high loft as well? Beautifully made furniture, if a little expensive.

 

I recently stumbled on the blog of a family that moved from Colorado to New York, where they are living in a 1,200 square foot 2 bedroom apartment. The family of six has three boys and one girl. The dad chopped up 2 ikea bunk beds to make a modern triple high bunk bed. With thre desks along the other wall (and presumably storage somewhere nearby), they fit three boys in a small bedroom.  What a brilliant idea:

 

This next one is my favorite! Check out this post from Apartment Therapy’s Small Kids, Big Color contest last year. This incredibly creative family built two Ikea Kura beds on a custom platform. The rolling drawers under the bed provide storage for toys. Not to mention room for four kids to sleep! And play! 

Notice how they built a side table in the corner between the beds to have a space for a light. And the curtains that make the bottom bunks feel like a fort. I am guessing you could set this up for around $1,000 including mattresses and bedding if you found the Kura beds on Craigslist. Not to mention, this whole bed would fit in a corner of a room that was just 8.5′ by 10′. I am totally inspired!

Love it, hate it

I have a complicated relationship with sewing.

I love being creative, but I hate messes. Sewing is wonderfully creative, but woefully messy. There is nothing that bugs me more than the little tiny bits of fabric fuzz that get stuck in the carpet despite my best attempts with my crazy powerful vacuum to clean up.

I like sewing because I enjoy making beautiful things. The problem is, at least half of the projects I start – and most of the projects I dream up – are stuck in sewing limbo.

This morning I went through my sewing stuff. I reoganized everything so that it tidy. Buttons, thread, bobbins, pins, needles, scissors, tools, elastic, cording, webbing, bias tape, ribbon: everything has it’s place.

I also looked through my unfinished projects. This may have been a mistake, as now I feel guilty for not finishing everything. I went through the pile and then put almost everything in a big bin in the back of the closet. Most of it will have to wait. I am going to finish a few sewing projects and then give myself a nice long break.

Here’s the short list that hopefully can be finished in January:

1. Fleece long underwear, hats and neckwarmers for the family
2. Make curtains for the kitchen, loft and master bedroom/bathroom
3. Hem jeans

That’s it. That is all I will do this month.

But there is a long list of other projects I would like to do if I had time. It is really hard for me to put everything else in the back of the closet and just walk away. But I am going to do this. I need to do this…

Top ten things I want to do this year

In lieu of New Years Resolutions, a list of the Top ten things I want to do in 2010:

10. Buy more unique, handmade things on Etsy or from local boutiques instead of big companies

9. Run a half marathon in less than 2 hours

8. Finish my current sewing projects – and then take a long break from sewing

7. Read twelve books

6. Drink less coffee and more water and eat more fruits and vegetables

5. Finish an Olympic distance triathlon in less than 3 hours

4. Start a business to do family nutrition education and coaching

3. Let the house be messy so I can spend more time playing with my children

2. Date my husband more often

1. Grow in spending time with the Lord

Goodbye 2009

I don’t know if I have ever been so thankful to say goodbye to a year.

The last few years of our lives have been full of trials. Four years ago, we were newly pregnant with a child whom I miscarried soon therafter. Three years ago, I was on bed rest, just five months pregnant with our second son Micah who was later born prematurely. Two years ago, we were in the middle of building a new home while our old home sat unsold on the market. One year ago, we were just home from the hospital after our youngest son was born two months early.

We groan and are burdened. 2 Corinthians 5:4

As I look for words to describe our year, I cannot think of anything that more fully captures the heaviness of this season. Though it was a blessing to finally be together as a family, the first few months of last year were difficult. Recovering from being pregnant four times in as many years was exhausting. Our children were struggling with the stress our family had been through. Although Mark and I had survived the months of bed rest and hospitalization with Zephan, the fear, worry and grief hit us like a  truck after everything was supposed to be back to normal.

As the spring arrived, we began to feel more alive. I began to train for my first triathlon and Mark began cycling to work. We were regaining strength and energy. Asher, Micah and Zephan were growing in many ways. After a sweet family vacation in Hawaii, we felt refreshed and exited about the future.

Over the summer, however, the burden returned. Although I cannot get into the specifics online, we went through a situation where some people whom we had considered friends became  harsh and judgmental about our family. They lied about our character and wrongly accused us of sin. We discovered that many people in our lives had been gossiping about us. For a season, we were more or less kicked out of Christian community. We felt broken and isolated. We were angry and confused too.

As we went into the fall, it seemed like everything around us was broken. People we loved were hurting and lost. I was struck as never before by the weight of poverty, injustice and sin in the world.  I grieved as I watched four friends bury their babies. I cried as I read about AIDS in Africa and as I looked at the faces of children orphaned by poverty and disease. I felt numb as I watched previously happy marriages end in divorce. I wept as I felt so alone in the midst of this, wondering why God’s people were so busy trying to look good while children were dying and marriages were falling apart and people were lost…

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

 Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:1

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 16-18

Do you need these words as much as I do?

God’s promises are clear. God is a compassionate Father who comforts his children. God is merciful. We are not crushed, in despair, abandoned or destroyed. No matter our outward circumstances, we do not lose heart. As heavy as life feels, glory weighs more. What we can see is temporary, but God is eternal.

This has been a hard year. My life has truly felt heavy, but glory weighs more. My light and momentary troubles are acheiving for me an eternal glory that outweighs them all.

Friends and family, as I say goodbye to 2009, I want to leave you with one final question:

Do you know Jesus?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 3:17-21

Jesus died for your sin so that you could be reconciled to God. I implore you: be reconciled to God.

Playroom Inspiration 2.0

Ready, set, go! Here is the much-anticipated follow up to my September 2008 blog post, Playroom Inspiration.

The Christmas toys are in piles on the playroom floor. They have nowhere to go. The bookcase is full. The closets are overflowing. The cabinet is stuffed. Despite our best intentions to edit our children’s toy collection, the grandparents have spoiled them with more than a few new toys. It is finally time to get the playroom done.

We have a lot of work ahead of us and over the next month or so I’ll share pictures as we decorate the playroom, as well as other spaces in our house becoming a home.

I wrote the first Playroom Inspiration blog while I was on bed rest. In my hospital bed and then at home with a newborn, a toddler and a preschooler, I did not have time to work on the playroom. At all.

But this fall on one trip to IKEA – $1 coffee and free childcare included - I stumbled on this $6 gem:

At last, the inspiration I was looking for! With a few of these in my cart, I headed to the fabric section where I bought 5 yards of the Frederika fabric for about $35 to make curtains.

I am officially inspired. But I still need a plan. And a budget. Check back soon for Playroom Inspiration 2.1!

Merry Christmas!

The winter sun is pouring through our windows this beautiful Christmas morning. Frost on the trees behind our home looks almost like snow. The children woke up before dawn, excited about the gifts and celebration to come. This morning we had a breakfast of cinnamon rolls, quiche and fruit salad. We drank mimosas, apple cider, coffee and peppermint hot chocolate.

We then opened the first round of Christmas presents. Almost all of the gifts were for the little boys. They opened books and DVDs, science kits and sweaters. Stockings were full of ski socks, chocolate, oranges and other gifts. The biggest hits were the handmade superhero capes and wooden swords along with a giant wooden castle. Ama suprised Did Dad and the boys with a wooden foosball game that can go in the RV.

After the flurry of activity, the little boys are napping and Asher is playing with the new castle. I have a few minutes to sit, drink a cup of tea and reflect on the year.

It is hard to believe another year has passed. This time last year, we were snowed in, ejoying finally having our whole family together after I and then Zephaniah had been in the hospital through November and December. Zephan was barely 5 pounds and was still only 36 weeks gestational age, although he was 5 weeks old. Zephan has had an amazing year. He turned one in November and is now about 17 pounds and 28 inches. He is crawling and cruising around. Everyday he is learning new words and he delights in playing games like peekaboo.

Micah is going on three. Like is brothers, he is growing and learning new things. This fall, Micah’s been enjoying a preschool class at Community Bible Study. He’s looking foward to skiing with Did Dad this winter. Micah is a very funny little person and we enjoy him so much. Almost every morning, he wakes me up at about 6:45 asking to snuggle. He loves trains and superheroes and Curious George.

Asher just turned five two weeks ago. It is incredible to me that we have a five year old! How did that happen? Asher is in pre-kindergarten at a Christian school near our house. He loves his school and has been making many new friends this year. We’re preparing to send him to kindergarten at the fall. He will begin ski lessons in a few weeks and is hoping to play soccer in the spring.

Mark is still enjoying his job at Microsoft, where he works as a project manager and analyst in the online advertising business. Although he continues to work with people all over the world, he has not had to travel internationally this year. He enjoys working internationally, but I’ve been happy to have him home with the three little boys keeping me very busy. This spring, Mark began cycling to work about four days a week. Although the cold and wet weather in the winter makes cycling difficult, he hopes to get back on the bike in the early spring. In the meantime, he’s excited to go snowboarding at Alpental.

Thanks to my husband’s hard work and God’s provision, I have been able to stay at home with our boys. Over the last year, I have started to run, bike and swim and to race in triathlons. I am sincerely enjoying this sport and looking forward to more races in 2010. Over the summer, we joined a community supported agriculture farm. We went to the farm weekly all summer and fall to pick amazing organic produce. This year I have also been volunteering on the NICU Parent Advisory Council for Evergreen Hospital. In this role, I’ve been able to work on a few projects designed to help families in the NICU. Mark and I are continuing to participate in a Parent-to-Parent mentoring program for other NICU families.

I want to write more, but I only have one minute before I need to prepare for the rest of this Christmas day. Check back in a few days for more posts looking back at this year!

I want to wish you all a merry Christmas and a joyful New Year!

The Question

This fall, I’ve been studying through Luke, which is one of the books in the Bible about the life of Jesus. Our church is going through Luke as well, although I’m a few chapters ahead in my personal study. Over the last few days, I’ve been spending time meditating on two stories in Luke 8.

The first is the story of Jesus calming a storm (Luke 8:22-25):

One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

This is one of the most familiar passages in the Bible, but as I studied these words this week, God taught me something new. I love that Scripture is alive: every time I read these words God works on my heart in a new way. As I read this story, a question caught my attention.

Where is your faith?

After Jesus calms the storm, he looks at his disciples and asks this question. Remember that Jesus is God. He knows the answer to this question and is not asking for his own benefit. Second, remember that Jesus is the Creator who made men and women in his image. God created people to have faith just as certainly as they have hands. Faith is the capacity with which people place their trust in something. All people put their faith in something, whether it is what they can know scientifically or their own capacity to do good or in God.

Where is your faith?

Jesus’ question is a tender rebuke. The disciples have now been with Jesus for a while. They have listened to him teach and watched him do miracles and at least some of them believe he is God. But in this moment of crisis, they have not put their faith in Him.

Let’s back up a little bit. Jesus told the diciples to get in the boat and go across the lake. If he is God, he knows there will be a storm. Yet he falls asleep. When the storm is raging around the little boat and the disciples are fearing for their lives, they question Jesus. Do they trust that the same God who called them into the boat and across the lake will sustain them? Do they believe Jesus is enough? Where is their faith?

On a side note, I appreciate how gentle Jesus is with the disciples. After calming the storm, he does not criticize their lack of faith or accuse them of sin. Instead, he asks a simple question that reveals the mens’ hearts. What an important example for how to rebuke another person in love.

The second story comes at the end of the chapter, when Jesus is on the way to see Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:40-54):

 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” An d when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat.

Where is your faith?

There is a lot here, but I want to focus on one thing. When Jairus went to Jesus, he hoped that this man of God would be able to heal his dying daughter. As a parent, I cannot imagine a deeper fear or pain than the death of my child. Jesus follows Jairus to his house, but the crowds pressing into him make their journey slow.

Somewhere along the way, Jesus stops. He stops to help a woman who, according to Jewish custom, is an outcast. Remember that Jairus is a religious man, a leader in his synagogue. He is an important man. This woman is worth nothing. But Jesus stops. If we read the story of this woman out of context, we just see Jesus’ compassion on this hurting woman. But if we read the story unfolding before and after this passage, we see something deeper.

As Jesus stops to help this woman, Jairus’ daughter dies. Can you imagine being Jairus at that moment? Imagine you called 911 because your child was dying and the ambulance  stopped on the way to your house to help a homeless meth addict along the side of the road?

Where is your faith?

I can hardly imagine the fear and anger swirling around in Jairus’ heart at that moment. Is he questioning whether Jesus is really God? Is he doubting that God is good? Jesus goes on to Jairus’ house where he does heal the little girl. So at the end of the story, it is easy to see that Jesus is good.

But that is not so obvious in the middle of the storm.

What about you? Where is your faith?

As I look at my own life, so often when God calls me to do something I believe it will be easy. When things become difficult, I question God’s goodness and sovereignty. Like the disciples, I struggle with fear. Like Jairus, my hope sinks. Is God sleeping? Why is he allowing this painful thing to continue? Doesn’t he see the storm? Doesn’t he know the child is dying?

This passage so beautifully illustrates the truth that God does call us into storms and then uses those storms to refine our hearts. He uses the broken things in our lives to gently rebuke us. He does not leave us alone, but he allows things to be hard. In the midst of it all, he says “Do not fear, only believe.” When things are difficult, sometimes we don’t know what to do, yet Jesus’ instruction is simple. Do not fear, only believe.

Where is your faith?