Proverbs 16:24

"Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." -Proverbs 16:24
Showing posts with label adalia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label adalia. Show all posts

January 02, 2012

the most terrifying responsibility

(i found intense inspiration for this post here, please read.)


i have two children to raise.

i want Hunter to be a man. a 'hold-her-hand', 'kill-some-supper', 'not-too-tough-to-pray-on-my-knees', 'dirt-under-my-fingernails', 'farm-boy' man.

i want Adalia to be a woman. a 'modesty-before-style', 'meek-but-strong', 'cookin-in-an-apron', 'tender-loving-care', 'proverbs-31' woman.

i want to pray against generational sin poking its ugly head around in their lives. i want them to memorize scripture so often that its stuffed to the brim in their hearts. i want them to help the helpless and love the unloved. i want them to want not, but to also understand frugality and sacrifice. i want them to love america. i want them to guard their hearts. i want them to be thankful, humble, gracious, giving, perserverant (new word?), Bible-loving, obedient, thoughtful, slow-to-anger perfect creations of a perfect Creator.

i need to rely on the grace of my eternal God to be the parent they need me to be. i have to commit daily to be up to the challenge. to intercede for them in prayer, to discipline them, to love them unconditionally, and to raise them up in the way that they should go.

and I AM A FAILURE. i am a mess-up and a learn-the-hard-way fool. i am undisciplined and a sinner. but God knew just what my kiddos needed in a parent, in a mother, and He completes me if I am in Him and remain in Him and trust in Him and use His strength.

what a terrifying responsibility! and what an undeserved honor...

November 14, 2011

"as the winter winds litter London with lonely hearts"

(Title quote from Mumford & Sons)



We spent a few weeks at my inlaws house while they had to be out of town. They own a fishing resort on Rush Lake. We had a sweet time there and got some great pictures on one of the chillier days where we could bundle up in cute winter stuff!


This girl is so stinkin cute!


Daddy and baby!

Our big boy, Hunter!

So, yesterday, we returned to Moorhead and got unpacked. Then we invited some guests over for dinner! My brother, Christian, my friend, Courtney, and our friends, the Irvis' and the Dion's! It was so great to see everyone and their kiddos! Adalia and Hunter had a blast with all the extra kiddos running around!

I can't wait for Thanksgiving! We are going down to visit my sister and her family down in Minneapolis! For those of you already planning a menu, here is my favorite turkey rub recipe!

The Most Delicious Turkey Rub EVER
1tbsp garlic powder
2tsp seasoned salt
1tsp poultry seasoning
1tsp paprika
1tsp salt
1/2tsp pepper
1/4tsp cayenne pepper
1/4tsp basil

Mix dry ingredients. Make some sage butter, rub butter under skin of turkey and all over around the outside. Then, generously apply the dry rub under the skin and all over the outside.

November 10, 2011

real life hannah banana


So, I would call this a 'faq' post, but no one is asking questions yet! Haha...so I will just call this a list of random facts about me and my life!

photo taken by mama near Holden Village, WA

I have been married to the love of my life for nine months today.
We have two lovely children.
Our oldest, Hunter, is my step son.
Our yougest, Adalia, is not biologically my husband's daughter.
Jesus loves me, despite my past...but more importantly, because of my past.
I am a bible-believing, non-denominational Jesus follower!
I play the cello and sing.
My favorite things to do: (besides spend time with my family) hike, sing, canoe, blog, camp, go to farmers markets, learn to cook, and take pictures!
I am twenty-two, almost twenty-three.
56 has always been my favorite number...for no reason that I am aware of.
Green is HANDS DOWN my favorite color!
I am technologically illiterate.
I have completed three semesters of school for Natural Resources.
I took a few years off of school to join the Air National Guard, and also ended up getting married and starting a family!
My husband and I would love to buy a farm, raise some animals, and live as sustainably as we can manage. (shoot me an email if you want to know more about this!)
My husband is starting a new job as a personal trainer with a Lvl 1 Crossfit Certification.
Phineas and Ferb is my favorite cartoon!
We are excited to expand our family, and I am starting some ovulation testing next week!
I blog. (hahahahaha)
I love great music...a few of my favorites are: Sara Bareilles, Adele, The Band Perry, Chris August, Goot, Eels, Eric Hutchinson, Colbie Callait, Jose Gonzalez, Peter Bradley Adams, Missy Higgins, Shawn Mcdonald, and Paolo Nutini.
My parents are my heros. See why here.



If you are curious about anything else, feel free to leave a comment or shoot me an email!

November 09, 2011

snow flakes and shopping

Daddy and Me, December 2010

Today, I did some early Christmas shopping.

In trying to be reasonable, I bought our eight month old ONE thing. That is right! If you want to congratulate me on my restraint, feel free! I bought her a stuffed llama. She is going to be the coolest kid ever.

I bought my neice and my sister this beautiful horse music box. Since my parents started a non-profit youth ranch, all of us kids, and all our kids, have been totally into all things horse! I also bought my younger neice a cute plush horse set that you can find here. We got our son a couple of Thomas the Train puzzles, a wooden train whistle, and a cool science project.


I believe strongly that Christmas is not about gifts. Although, it is quite fun to enjoy a season of giving while celebrating the REAL reason for the season which is...of course...my main man and Savior and Creator and King, Jesus Christ.


((On a totally unrelated note, to you readers who also blog...THANK YOU! I have been so encouraged by the words of wisdom and the words of funny-ness that you all share. What a cool and random community we have here in Blogland. So, keep on keepin' on.))

Today, post-Christmas shopping, I went to run some errands and  it started to snow! What a beautiful sight! I was seriously rejuvinated by those big, beautiful flakes. I hope we get enough that I can celebrate my birthday (November 23rd) with some snow on the ground. I will use any reason to wear a great sweater, and there are few better excuses than snow!

November 08, 2011

"babies are always more trouble than you thought- and more wonderful"

(Title quote by Charles Osgood)


When I found out that I was pregnant, I had high hopes and big plans. I planned to breastfeed till Adalia was at least one, use cloth diapers, make my own baby food, get her sleeping through the night by three months, use only natural soaps, and never let any food coloring or preservatives touch my precious babies lips.

Now, almost nine months later, Adalia is in generic Target brand diapers, drinking formula, just licked her first Dorito, still not sleeping through the night, and getting soaped up with any baby soap that I can reach at the time.

And, guess what? I DON'T MIND! Haha.

My big, bold baby plans were smashed to bits when this sweet bundle was set on my chest after twenty short minutes of pushing her out of the safest home she will ever know.




She is currently teething, has fallen off a full size (full height) bed, falls down regularly and often finds the corner of something on the way down. She screams so loud it legitimately hurts my ears, making them ring for a few minutes after her most peircing shreiks.


But you can't stay mad at a face like this :)


And just to clarify, my views on how important breastfeeding is or how much healthier cloth diapers are haven't changed...My milk dried up around six months, despite nursing often, pumping, staying hydrated and eating healthy! We switched to disposable diapers because we had to move out of our home into an apartment that doesn't have a good enough washing machine to get them clean. And she eats organic baby food, even though I buy most of it. She grabbed a dorito from her brother while I was washing dishes and by the time my hands were dry, she had already licked it.

My post was mostly just about how I had to die to some expectations. God is still good and my kids are still healthy even though its not the perfect scene I had imagined! Sometimes we have to die to our expectations of perfection, and that is what I had to do! I love my kiddos so much and always only want what is best for them!

October 30, 2011

my attitude was stinking more than adalia's poopy diaper...

Good morning! This is my new perm...after two days of sleeping on it, getting spit up on, and chasing our energetic three year old around the house! I promise to post better pictures of it after I have some time to shower!


Topic of my heart today: have you ever tried to change your attitude without changing your circumstance?

This morning as I was playing with our two kids, I got the bad mood bug. And for like thirty minutes I just kept thinking, "Once Tom gets home, I can give him the kids, take a hot shower, and work on changing my mood." One problem with this idea is that if I wouldn't have changed my mood before Tom got home, I probably would have been rude, needy, pushy, quick to anger...towards Tom, my unsuspecting and sweet husband. My bad attitude would have had the potential to ruin his day. The second major flaw in that plan is that I would have learned nothing. I would have let my laziness of character win this battle. I wouldn't have to pray through it. AND rather than giving glory to God when I finally worked up a mood change...I would have thanked my husband and my shower. God deserves praise and it is so easy to steal that praise away from Him and give it to 'idols' and others.

So, that is another lesson learned.

A question for my readers...and a sneak peek at my topic for tomorrow: how many of you (mothers and wives especially) have felt that restlessness in your heart to do something...anything besides your mothering and wifely job? To clarify, how many of you just get burned out and think that you just want to be a rocket scientist today or a doctor or a barista or an adventurer, rather than doing what God has called you to do? Maybe a discontentment...  Anyway, HIT ME UP! Let me know what you think...what have you gone through in this regard...and any wisdom you could pass on about the subject!

October 29, 2011

a dangerous thing to skip...



These prayers correspond with the day of the month, so you have a different topic every day for each month! Prayer is the one of the only ways, as a parent, that we can truly protect our children and their character!

Click here for a pretty print out of these prayers!

31 Days of Prayer for Your Child

1. Salvation “Lord, let salvation spring up within my children, that they may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory” (Isaiah 45:8, 2 Timothy 2:10).

2. Growth in Grace “I pray that they may ‘grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’” (2 Peter 3:18).

3. Love “Grant, Lord, that my children may learn to ‘live a life of love,’ through the Spirit who dwells in them” (Ephesians 5:2, Galatians 5:22).

4. Honesty and Integrity "May integrity and honesty be their virtue and their protection” (Psalm 25:21, NLT).

5. Self-control "Father, help my children not to be like many others around them, but let them be ‘alert and self-controlled’ in all they do” (1 Thessalonians 5:6)

6. A Love for God’s Word "May my children grow to find your Word ‘more precious than gold, than much pure gold; [and] sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb’” (Psalm 19:10).

7. Justice "God, help my children to love justice as you do and to ‘act justly’ in all they do” (Psalm 11:7, Micah 6:8).

8. Mercy ”May my children always ‘be merciful, as [their] Father is merciful’” (Luke 6:36).

9. Respect (for self, others, authority) "Father, grant that my children may ’show proper respect to everyone,’ as your Word commands” (1 Peter 2:17a).

10. Strong, Biblical Self-Esteem ”Help my children develop a strong self-esteem that is rooted in the realization that they are ‘God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus’” (Ephesians 2:10).

11. Faithfulness “‘Let love and faithfulness never leave [my children],’ but bind these twin virtues around their necks and write them on the tablet of their hearts” (Proverbs 3:3).

12. Courage “May my children always ‘Be strong and courageous’ in their character and in their actions” (Deuteronomy 31:6).

13. Purity “‘Create in [them] a pure heart, O God,’ and let their purity of heart be shown in their actions” (Psalm 51:10).

14. Kindness “Lord, may my children ‘always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else’” (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

15. Generosity “Grant that my children may ‘be generous and willing to share [and so] lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age’” (1 Timothy 6:18-19).

16. Peace, Peaceability “Father, let my children ‘make every effort to do what leads to peace’” (Romans 14:19).

17. Joy ”May my children be filled ‘with the joy given by the Holy Spirit’” (1 Thessalonians 1:6).

18. Perseverance ”Lord, teach my children perseverance in all they do, and help them especially to ‘run with perseverance the race marked out for [them]‘” (Hebrews 12:1).

19. Humility ”God, please cultivate in my children the ability to ’show true humility toward all’” (Titus 3:2).

20. Compassion ”Lord, please clothe my children with the virtue of compassion” (Colossians 3:12).

21. Responsibility ”Grant that my children may learn responsibility, ‘for each one should carry his own load’” (Galatians 6:5).

22. Contentment ”Father, teach my children ‘the secret of being content in any and every situation. . . . through him who gives [them] strength’” (Philippians 4:12-13).

23. Faith "I pray that faith will find root and grow in my children’s hearts, that by faith they may gain what has been promised to them” (Luke 17:5-6, Hebrews 11:1-40).

24. A Servants Heart "God, please help my children develop servant hearts, that they may serve wholeheartedly, ‘as to the Lord, and not to men’” (Ephesians 6:7, KJV).

25. Hope "May the God of hope grant that my children may overflow with hope and hopefulness by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).

26. The Willingness and Ability to Work Hard ”Teach my children, Lord, to value work and to work hard at everything they do, ‘as working for the Lord, not for men’” (Colossians 3:23).

27. A Passion for God ”Lord, please instill in my children a soul that “followeth hard after thee,” a heart that clings passionately to you (Psalm 63:8, KJV).

28. Self-discipline ”Father, I pray that my children may develop self-discipline, that they may acquire ‘a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair’” (Proverbs 1:3).

29. Prayerfulness "Grant, Lord, that my children’s lives may be marked by prayerfulness, that they may learn to ‘pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (Ephesians 6:18).


30. Gratitude ”Help my children to live lives that are always ‘overflowing with thankfulness,’ ‘always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ’” (Colossians 2:7, Ephesians 5:20).

31. A Heart for Missions "Lord, please help my children to develop a heart for missions, a desire to see your glory declared among the nations, your marvelous deeds among all peoples” (Psalm 96:3).

October 11, 2011

home, SWEET home...

So, I decided to head to Moorhead today. My parents had some smelly painting and dusty projects to do, and I was excited about having our own space for a while.

Adalia took a great nap in the car, then a great nap at three. Asleep for the night at eight and I really hope she sleeps till like seven in the morning!

This is going to be like a world record for short blogs, cause I wanna utilize every wink of sleep I can.

Hope you are all getting a good nights sleep!

October 04, 2011

"and even when it breaks, my heart will beat for you"

(Title quote by Elenowen from song "Honey Come Home")

My heart is dead tired. This month has, thus far, been horribly sad and stressful.

Life sure has its choices

You left those choices to me
And I'm glad
But sometimes I feel caught
It's hard to know which bridge to cross
And which bridge I should be burning
I long to learn
But I'm so slow at being taught

-Russ Taff, "Farther On"

Just to clue you all in, we have moved into my parents house as we transition from Moorhead to Grand Forks. Adalia hasn't been handling the transition with much grace...or sleep. In just the past few weeks we have had an unceasing downpour of challenges.
  • Our horses were badly beat up by two aggresive horses that were moved into their herd. So, we moved them to a new location and they are safely healing.
  • My parents are facing a tough change as well, a change that will be for the best, but some tough feelings are still rising up in my heart over the issue.
  • 'Jeej' has made some awful choices lately, and now is facing some serious consequences.

My heart is heavy with all of this. It feels like the world is falling apart, but hasn't slowed.

I know, in the midst of all of this, that God has a plan. And the Bible tells me that His plan is for my good. Therefore, my heart still beats for Him. I just so desire for this time to pass and all the lessons to be learned.
I don't have much else to say, because I just feel like complaining and feeling sorry for myself. So, rather than doing that, I will just sign off and go eat some breakfast.
Adios, compadres.

September 26, 2011

"people who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one"

(Title quote by Leo J. Burke)

Hello!

Adalia had a super rough five hours in the middle of today. TOTALLY wiped me out. I am not sure if she is teething, stressed, sick, or just crazy.

She is convinced that she only needs one nap a day though now. She went from a steady three naps a day, to one nap of about two hours. She is still super tired trying to play and go for walks with this new nap schedule that I end up with quite a few pictures like these:



We moved one van load of stuff from our house in Moorhead to my parents house. We are excited about this move! It will be challenging to live with my parents for a few reasons, mostly because we have a scream-y seven month old, but we are ready to handle that and sure that God has a great plan in all of this. It is just temporary, and we may need to just remind ourselves of that on rough days!

My Papa and Nana are coming to visit soon and I am so excited to see them! It's been too long! I have some cool sewing projects that my Nana can, hopefully, help me out with!

Tomorrow will be a busy day for me. I must send off some bills, forward our mail, call our banker, go for a run?, shower!, and hopefully do some work in the third floor where we will be residing! Once we get settled in I will post pictures of our new "home".

That's about all I have to share! Hope you are all doing well! Goodnight!

September 25, 2011

"now i lay me down to sleep"

Okay...please excuse my terrrrrrible drawing abilities.

This is an idea I have for an infant/toddler bed rather than having a crib. It is a built-in bed with a sliding decorative gate.

Here are my terrible drawings of my idea!

(above, bed....below, gate)


So, there it is! I am very excited to put this in our kids room in whatever house we move into. I want to do trees in Hunter's room for sure. I also got a bear rug (teddy bear that is) that I want to hang on his bedroom wall like an animal mount. I think that will be so cute to do like an outdoorsy, North American hunting theme in his room!

In Adalia's room, I may do nature-ey stuff as well, but I might make her gate design a little bit more girly, with some flowers or birds.

Anyway, let me know what you all think!

September 20, 2011

woo, over a thousand views! and my first VLOG

I am so excited! A thousand! Yay, fun fun!

So, today, I will do a ... VLOG! What a strange word...

Anyway, forgive my two day old hair-do and my crumpled pajamas. I am a momma first, then a blogger...so showering did not make my priority list for this morning!

Enjoy!


Leave me a comment if this video doesn't work for you.

Here are the links:

LullabyPlaylist

PreserveIt!

OrganicKitchen

StableDaysYouthRanch

August 31, 2011

"a mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them"

(Title quote by Victor Hugo)

I finally get to post some baby pictures from about six months ago, that my beautiful and talented sister-in-law took of my darling child.

Little aside first: My baby girl is the most captivating thing ever to hold my attention. I knew not the extent of my ability to love until she came into my life. She is all that is good in me. She is my sweet angel baby, whom I would not trade for all the world.

Ok, blubber blubber....here are the pictures! Feel free to swoon...(and be jealous ;) haha)