The hair

She is only four, and it's already begun. Emma's really been wanting me to curl her hair. Well, 99 cents only had some rollers. So, I got them, and Emma stuck it out through the combing through, the rolling up, and EVEN the sleeping on them (which was a shocker). But, you gotta admit, it is adorable...(Poor Ben wouldn't get to see, so I promised I would take pictures as soon as I took the rollers out)

New Things in Our Life

When I went to San Francisco, I attended the Green Festival. It is essentially a gathering of companies who support sustainability. I learned a lot, and saw some great companies represented. I was a little saddened, that using our resources wisely is not necessarily something that the Church, or Christians, are particularly known for. However, I recognized a LOT of areas in my own life that could use some improvement. And, sometimes the change is slow...I have 5 reusable grocery bags that I have forgotten to take with me to the store TWICE. So, yeah...but, for me, it is not about being "green" or "eco-friendly" or hippie, or any of that. It is about trying to be faithful. Interestingly enough, the kids' Bible verse for yesterday came out of this passage of Scripture, God's gentle reminder to me again!:
"If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won't be honest with greater responsibilities. And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust you with the true riches of heaven? And if you are not faithful with other people's things, why should you be trusted with things of your own?" Luke 16:10-12

These are not all things even from the Festival, but just new things in our life.
G Diapers-They are a cotton outer pant, with a flushable insert. They take 50 days (instead of 500 years) to decompose, and if it's just wet, you could even compost them.

Quinoa- pronounced "keen-wa". It is often called a grain, although I believe it is really a seed. However, it has more protein than any of the grains, and it cooks just like rice. Here's Lisa's Quinoa recipe:

1 cup cooked quinoa (bring 1 3/4 cup chicken broth to a boil, add quinoa, cook 10-15 min.)

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained (or 1-2 cups cooked black beans

1 red bell pepper (seeded, chopped, sauted in a litte olive oil)

1/2 a jalapeno (also seeded, chopped, and sauted with the bell pepper)

Season with salt, pepper, and some chili powder and cumin!

The bulk bins at Lassen's

Now as a whole, Lassen's is really expensive. So I don't normally shop there. But the bulk bins are great!! You can get organic quinoa for less than a $1.00 a lb., as well as organic rolled oats for like $0.60 a lb. You can get black beans, split peas, split yellow peas all for under $1.00 a lb. And they have a variety of granolas for a reasonable price also. You just have to watch because many of them have a lot of sugar!

Before I Forget...

So, every night before bed, we do our "thankfuls". Everyone picks between one and three things that they are thankful for. The kids have heard us say various things, so I am sure that their answers reflected some of what they have heard over the past year from us. But, over our thanksgiving meal, we each went around and told what we were thankful for.
Caleb's answer: I'm thankful for a good dinner!! (Belch!!)
Emma's answer: I'm thankful that God never gives up on us.
Yeah, there you have it, boys...and girls. =)

Tonight, over turkey and black bean soup (there was polenta in the bottom)
Emma: "Mommy, what is the yellow?"
Me: "That's polenta."
Emma: "It's not sweet or anything."
Me: "Well, it's not really supposed to be sweet..."
Emma: "Well, it really doesn't have a good flavor."
Well then...better luck next time. =)

Clean has no smell...continuation of the previous post...

It is quite cheap!! You can get a gallon of vinegar for $1.99, and a 4 lb. box of baking soda for $3.29, and a spray bottle for $1.99 at Smart & Final. You can get smaller quantities of baking soda (a regular box for $0.59) and I'm not sure the size of the vinegar at 99 cents only. You know what is the hardest part for me?? (Confession: I LOVE cleaning products, especially ones that smell good...) But someone reminded me that Clean has NO SMELL. I know. It's so hard...but a good reminder.

Organic Cleaning

Here is a link to a great little video clip...After a discussion with some very experienced and smart women, I found that yes, you can clean your entire house with baking soda, and vinegar (and sometimes a little squirt of dish soap). Even hard wood floors. So, seeing as how this is much safer for a toddler crawling and cruising around, as well as young helpers doing chores, and helping clean...it seems like a good idea for us. Enjoy!
http://www.parents.com/parentstv/?lid=987353750&tid=992358697&cid=901546021

Redeem

Redeem:
1. to buy back
2. a. to free from what distresses or harms, b.to free from captivity by payment of ransom, c.to release from blame or debt
3. to change for the better : reform

Oh, Lord, I can only thank You that my life is not what it once was. Thank you that You provide freedom from captivity, from what distresses, and what harms. This amazing thing you have done for Your people is indescribable...Thank you.

A quick note about super-daddy

Okay, I have a ton of posting catch-up to do...but I need to go to bed soon, so I just wanted to post really quickly about the wonder that is super-daddy. I went to San Francisco this past weekend (more on that later). So, Ben was going to have the kids all weekend, by himself. Now, keep in mind that up until 8 months ago (at my sister-in-law's baby shower, I had Noah with me) Ben took Emma and Caleb by himself to the beach to ride their scooters and play on the playground. That was the first time he had ever taken the kids anywhere by himself. And I am not really sure that he has done it since then! But, he was more than willing to let me go away. So, he calls me Saturday to ask casually, "What size diaper does Noah wear?" I say, "Five...why?"
Then he proceeds to tell me that they:
1. Went to The Point (the beach promenade) to go jogging. Ben had Noah in the backpack as he walked (quickly!), and Emma and Caleb jogged. For a good 1/2 hr or so!!
2. They went to Target to get diapers and trash bags.
3. They went to the Mall to try and find running shoes for Caleb...no luck.
4. They tried Mervyn's just in case, no luck there either.
5. They went to Trader Joe's to pick up a few things.
AND!!!
When he was in Trader Joe's he probably gave an older couple a heart attack since they gave him the usual line,
"Oh, you have your hands FULL!"
And he responded,
"Yep, it's just about time for number four."
So there, I am so thankful and amazed at my husband. Yeah! I knew it!
P.S. Tons more later, but I did end up coming home early from my trip.

New Shoes and New P.J.'s

Emma must have had another growth spurt! She was really in need of some new tennis shoes, and especially since she has been kicked out of the jogger, she has to be able to walk as far as I want her to, so she needed some good running shoes. She loves them!

And, Noah got new pajamas from his Uncle Scott and Aunt Cher-Ami.

Peter Parker

Caleb and Emma were allowed to wear their costumes to gymnastics.

Me: Come on Spiderman, let's go!

Caleb: I'm Peter Parker, I don't have my mask on.

Me: You're what? (I am thinking, I must have heard him wrong...neither of my kids have seen Spiderman the movie...)

Caleb: I'm Peter Parker, I got bit by a radioactive spider.

(It then occured to me, that we have 4 Spiderman books that I had gotten at the 99 cents only store. So, yeah...that's where he must have gotten it!)

Catching Up...

It seems like I always end up playing catch up!! I don't yet know what to say about Halloween, because we haven't quite figured out how we will handle and teach regarding that as our little family unit. But I will say that I am thankful for the Fall Family Festival (I think that's what they call it) because I think it's a great way to reach out to the community and provide some fun for the kiddos. They had a blast! (Katie, please don't shoot me for posting your picture, you looked so beautiful, I couldn't resist!)

Halloween Sneak Peak

Well, we won't be home on Halloween, we are going to the church for the Fall Family Festival. We are just hoping that a nice note on the porch inviting trick-or-treaters to join us will keep them from doing anything mean (like eggs) while we're gone...

Anyway, I don't have a picture of Noah yet, but here is a sneak peak of Emma and Caleb's costumes:

Firsts...

Well, this past weekend was full of firsts. Noah had his first birthday!

We had our first fire in our fire place! And Emma read her first book! (It was only 22 pages, a beginning reader with small words...but still, she did it all by herself!)

Fire

Well, there are fires all over California. So I am trying to remember all these people, their homes, and these firemen in my prayers. I have a brother in San Diego, which may be getting the worst of it right now due to winds. And, our little cabin in Crestline is only a few miles away from the Lake Arrowhead fire. All roads up the mountain are closed, so no one is getting up there for now. The area where our cabin is located is under voluntary evacuation as of this afternoon, and last I checked all of Crestline was under voluntary evacuation. We do know many people with homes in Lake Arrowhead and the surrounding communities...please be in prayer for them, as many homes have been lost although there is no current information as to which homes have been lost and which are just in big trouble.

Just too Yummy...

Okay, I just have to gush a bit about Trader Joe-San's Lightly Salted Cruncy Green Beans. They are so tasty, you could easily eat a bag, so you have to be careful. Now, I recognize that this form of intake will not give you the optimum level of nutrients from the green beans, but, if you have had a particularly long day and are exhausted (which I am, but it was a great day!), then it is an easy way to get a veggie in with dinner, and the kids eat them up because they are so tasty...like a snack. So anyway, to all of you who are really tired and it's dinner time, make sure you grab a bag of these tasty treats!!
P.S. Becky, you should e-mail me your address again, and maybe (if I can remember!) I could send you a bag!! =) Yes, they are that good.
P.S.S. Ingredients=green beans, canola oil, dextrin (corn) and salt.

Long Time Coming...

Okay, I don't know if you remember this song, but Emma's Sunday School class was singing it a couple of weeks ago:

"My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do!"

I found it entirely appropriate. We have been very busy, but also, sometimes God does something, and you are in such awe, such amazement, that you have very few words. This has been my state. I do not know how to describe it, I do not know how to tell it in a way that will do Him justice, and give Him all the honor and praise that He deserves. My heart cannot even contain...I walk around in a daze thinking of my God, "I can't believe you did this!!" And yet I do believe it, I think it is more that I cannot believe He did this on our behalf, when we are so undeserving, and so unworthy.

I remember on several occasions saying that we would never buy a house in Ojai. Ben now tells me he has a list of things he would like me to declare that over, just in case it changes them...(like, "Ben will never become a pro surfer at age 30!") But the point is, that nothing is impossible with God. And what I thought impossible was very easy for Him. To be on the receiving end of this lavish love and grace...well, it's almost more than I can bear. And yet, His most lavish expression of love and grace came in the blood of His Son. He accomplished the impossible...sinful man able to commune with Holy God. My heart cries out, "Holy, Holy!" and yet with my hands I desire to cover my face because I am so unworthy to even look upon the holiness which I am in awe of.

I know my heart, so prone to wander. I pray that this house would serve as a reminder to me that God is faithful even when I am not. That God is truly the giver of every good and perfect gift. That I have done no good thing, I am simply on the receiving end of lavish grace. That this house does not belong to me...I am only a steward. So, with that, any of you reading this...you are welcome to this home. Come by, eat with us, and it is my prayer that all who come here will be blessed in some way by the same God who has just rocked our world with His goodness. Again.

Bakersfield

Ben is in Bakersfield for safety training...He left Sunday night, and will be back Wednesday night. The kids are really missing Daddy, but only one more day (after today) to go!!
P.S. This is his night shift week, so they probably wouldn't have seen him a whole lot anyway...We are just thankful that this training is not in addition to his normal work week!! =)

The "Dora" Game

Kids love Dora. The other morning, Emma was wanting to watch Dora. I asked her why she liked watching it so much, and she said, "It's just fun!" I asked her, "What is fun about sitting and staring at a box?" She thought that was funny, but anyway, I decided that instead of watching Dora, we would play the Dora game. They were intrigued. We do have a Dora matching game, and a Dora version of Candyland. But no, this was going to be even better.
So, I took a toy and hid it.
Then, I drew a map!
Then, we repeated the three places that we needed to go to find the treasure.
Then, they went to the three places and ended up finding the hidden toy. Needless to say, I think they like this game even better than watching the little box. However, I think I will have to get more creative and better at drawing maps in order to make it more interesting. And of course, I never really watched "Diego", but I think Caleb is a little tired of being "Boots" for Emma, so I think we will have to make up an animal rescue game too. I'm open for suggestions!

Lots of Catching Up To Do....

THE HIKE

We took the kids on their first hike...well, first walking hike. They have been on various hikes in other ways, like in the backpack, front pack, and oh yes, my belly. Anyway, with Noah in the hiking pack, we took Emma and Caleb to Pratt trail. They rocked it! We hiked about an hour, and they had wanted to go longer, but we thought it best to limit it. They had an incredibly pleasant discussion about how Jesus is God (it was so amazing for Ben and I to listen as they expounded on their 3 and 4 year old theology...it is so neat how kids just take things at face value. No complicating it, like we so often do).
The next morning, Ben and I both mentioned being a little sore. At lunch, Caleb said his mouth was hurting. Inside, he had a tiny little canker sore. I told him it just needed some time to heal. Emma said, "Oh, Caleb, it must be from the hike." I said, "Huh?" And Emma replied, "Well, you said he had a sore." So, yeah, then I had to explain the difference. =)

BUTTERFLIES
That same evening, we had heard about the big, huge beached whale out at Rincon Parkway. We went to go see it, but they had already cut it into pieces and burried it. It is still pretty smelly for sure! Anyway, we drove back down toward Emma Wood, and had some beach fun:

Emma's Butterfly

Ben's Butterfly

CHILDHOOD SENILITY

Caleb came in crying this afternoon, "Mommy! I lost my underwear!"

I tried to console him, and told him I would help him look for them. As we were walking to the bathroom, and I am thinking, "Where in the world could they be???" I pulled up his shirt and there they were! He just looked and said, "Oh."

P.S.

Oh yeah, we are in escrow on a house here in Ojai, over behind Vons. We are excited, and it is totally a God thing...but I don't have the words to describe or explain it all. More to come on that later. But yes, we are moving again...this makes number eight.

A psychotic moment....

I don't know if any of you got those coupons...but I did. They seem harmless enough. I get coupons all the time, and I just throw them away. But for some reason, I kept these. It must have been the larger-than-life pictures of Oreo Sundaes everywhere...beckoning all to come to Baskin Robbins. Now, let me first say that I don't even really like ice cream. And I definitely don't like paying exhorbitant amounts of money for ice cream!! I don't know if it was hormones, the heat, or just a lapse in my normal disciplined judgement, but I just felt in the mood for ice cream all of a sudden. So, we went. The first coupon was buy one sundae get one free, so for two two-scoop sundaes (one for my mom and I to share, and one for Emma and Caleb to share), it cost about $3.59. Not bad, I was thinking. So then, the other night, after Ben's long week of day shifts, we all decided to go for ice cream. AGAIN. Now, on the way I begin thinking, "AAH! Ice cream twice, in one week? What will become of the kids? Did they eat enough of their dinner tonight? Have they had enough nutrition this week to warrant two trips for ice cream?" As if my psychosis was not enough, then images from those commercials about childhood obesity come flying through my brain, until I am completely overwhelmed by the thought that I must be utterly ruining my children. I take a deep breath, we go into the ice cream store, and we get our ice cream. Ben and I share two scoops, and the kids share one scoop. I watch their tongues turn a darker and darker shade of blue, and I hear them delightfully giddy in between bites. You know, I think we are going to be okay. =)

Heat Wave, and Other Fun

So, what do you do without air conditioning of any kind when it is 110 degrees??? Well, this is what we did to help everyone get some sleep:

We pitched two tents in the backyard...one for the kids, and one for Ben and I. (Noah has a window air conditioner in his room, so we let him stay in his crib.) Anyway, it helped us to get some sleep and it was very exciting too.

So, we've been talking to the kids about how we will probably be moving again soon (more to come on this subject). So, as we put the kids to bed the other night in their tent, Caleb asked, "Mommy, is this our new house?"

Emma was coloring a page, paying close attention to staying in the lines, etc. She looks at me and says, "Genius!" (speaking of herself). Now, I am sure she's heard my mom and I say that of her, but I asked her if she knew what that word meant. She replied, "It means I can color GOOD!"