(by the way, they are 4x4 cards)
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Lavender & Honey - 4 Cards 1 Kit
2 weeks ago
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Getting creative
I love crafty type things. Mostly, I love scrapbooking, but other crafts are good, too. I like to stock up on stuff that I might never even use. I have quite a stash right now, and I just love it! Sometimes I get to go upstairs and play with my goodies, and today was one of those days! Here are my creations:
(by the way, they are 4x4 cards)
(by the way, they are 4x4 cards)
Gone Fishing
On Saturday, we took the boys out fishing for the first time. Imagine fishing with a 9 month old and a 3 1/2 year old! It was an adventure. I think that Grant had more fun shopping for his new Cars fishing pole than actually fishing. We didn't catch anything, but it was fun to be out in nature as a family.
The boys from across the pond:
Checking out the worm:
Isn't he cute?
Cole's cozy fishing spot. He wasn't too happy. His top two teeth are cutting through!
Bored?
The boys from across the pond:
Checking out the worm:
Isn't he cute?
Cole's cozy fishing spot. He wasn't too happy. His top two teeth are cutting through!
Bored?
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Daddy is home!!
This weekend, Mitch went to the Men's Retreat that our church has every year. He had a fun time, but he was happy to be back home with his family. You can't imagine how happy I am to have him home!!
I wrote an email lamenting to a friend: "Why is it that I can retain my sanity throughout a normal "work" week, then completely lose it when required to do the exact same activities on a Saturday? I think I have an "entitlement" issue. I am entitled to some time off one day a week!! Or at least some help . . ."
Another friend came up to me today at the end of first service (yes, I made it to the 8:30 service) and asked how I was holding up. Was I doing okay? "Oh, no." I answered, "I'm going crazy." "Oh, good. It's not just me!" she replied.
Don't get me wrong. Stay-at-home moms have a good thing going. I love being home with my boys and watching them grow. I don't miss out on anything. I'm there for every new discovery and every little joy. I am there to wipe little noses and poopy bottoms. I get tons of kisses and tight squeezes. THIS job is what God has called me to do. I LOVE it (even though it might sound like I don't sometimes).
It is also very emotionally draining to LIVE for the moment that Daddy is going to walk in the door and take the screaming baby so I can finish dinner. Why can't I be like the wonderful women of God who write the books about being the perfect wife and mother? "Do this . . . and this . . . and this . . . and never hand a screaming baby off to a man who has just walked in the door. Give him time to decompress for the day."
Decompress. That is exactly what I need to do. I can't even begin to tell you how badly I would love to go visit my mom and sister and just get away and talk!!! (Three exclamation points means that my eyes just started watering at the thought.)
Why am I dumping this on you? Well, because I am listening to my baby screaming in his room because as I was covering him with blankets he woke up from his nap. I broke the rule that says, "Never, under any circumstances, should you check on your child while he is taking a nap in the middle of the day. He will inevitably feel your presence, see that it is daytime, and decide he needs you RIGHT NOW." A screaming baby brings out all kinds of "Calgon, take me away" types of emotions in me.
Anyway, back to Mitch. I am thankful he is home because he makes me feel like my job is so valuable. He listens to me (even though his eyes get droopy from lack of sleep at Men's Retreat) and tells me that he feels my pain. He doesn't try to solve my problems (too often) and instead gives me hope.
You know what he just did? He went into Cole's room and grabbed him from his crib and took him into our room and CLOSED THE DOOR so I didn't have to hear the crying. He calmed Cole down and is now playing with him and holding him close.
We missed Daddy this weekend.
I wrote an email lamenting to a friend: "Why is it that I can retain my sanity throughout a normal "work" week, then completely lose it when required to do the exact same activities on a Saturday? I think I have an "entitlement" issue. I am entitled to some time off one day a week!! Or at least some help . . ."
Another friend came up to me today at the end of first service (yes, I made it to the 8:30 service) and asked how I was holding up. Was I doing okay? "Oh, no." I answered, "I'm going crazy." "Oh, good. It's not just me!" she replied.
Don't get me wrong. Stay-at-home moms have a good thing going. I love being home with my boys and watching them grow. I don't miss out on anything. I'm there for every new discovery and every little joy. I am there to wipe little noses and poopy bottoms. I get tons of kisses and tight squeezes. THIS job is what God has called me to do. I LOVE it (even though it might sound like I don't sometimes).
It is also very emotionally draining to LIVE for the moment that Daddy is going to walk in the door and take the screaming baby so I can finish dinner. Why can't I be like the wonderful women of God who write the books about being the perfect wife and mother? "Do this . . . and this . . . and this . . . and never hand a screaming baby off to a man who has just walked in the door. Give him time to decompress for the day."
Decompress. That is exactly what I need to do. I can't even begin to tell you how badly I would love to go visit my mom and sister and just get away and talk!!! (Three exclamation points means that my eyes just started watering at the thought.)
Why am I dumping this on you? Well, because I am listening to my baby screaming in his room because as I was covering him with blankets he woke up from his nap. I broke the rule that says, "Never, under any circumstances, should you check on your child while he is taking a nap in the middle of the day. He will inevitably feel your presence, see that it is daytime, and decide he needs you RIGHT NOW." A screaming baby brings out all kinds of "Calgon, take me away" types of emotions in me.
Anyway, back to Mitch. I am thankful he is home because he makes me feel like my job is so valuable. He listens to me (even though his eyes get droopy from lack of sleep at Men's Retreat) and tells me that he feels my pain. He doesn't try to solve my problems (too often) and instead gives me hope.
You know what he just did? He went into Cole's room and grabbed him from his crib and took him into our room and CLOSED THE DOOR so I didn't have to hear the crying. He calmed Cole down and is now playing with him and holding him close.
We missed Daddy this weekend.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Fun weekend!
On Saturday, we met Mitch's brother and his family at a special cabin near the coast called the Caring Cabin. It is more like a luxury house out of Sunset Magazine than a "cabin". Fully furnished with absolutely EVERYTHING a young family could ever need, the cabin is located at the top of a hill overlooking a private little lake and beautiful pine trees. The cabin was built by a foundation for use by families of children battling cancer. My nephew Connor was diagnosed with Leukemia last February. He is doing great, however he has a long road ahead of him. You can keep up with his progress on his blog: www.caringbridge.org/visit/connorratzlaff
The weekend was both fun and relaxing.
The three big boy cousins. Connor, Grant and Logan
Playing in the surf
Grant - always in action!
Cole - check out the hair!
Daddy and Cole - with Nana (Connor's other grandma), Aunt Brandee and Cousin Hailey (the only female Ratzlaff cousin!)
The weekend was both fun and relaxing.
The three big boy cousins. Connor, Grant and Logan
Playing in the surf
Grant - always in action!
Cole - check out the hair!
Daddy and Cole - with Nana (Connor's other grandma), Aunt Brandee and Cousin Hailey (the only female Ratzlaff cousin!)
Friday, March 2, 2007
Fire!
Early Thursday morning (about 2:50am) Grant jumped into bed with us and landed curled up next to Mitch. Mitch couldn't go back to sleep, so as he was looking around, he notices flashes of light out the windows. He hopped out of bed to look out the front windows and saw Dori's old house on fire!
It was a beautiful house that had just been painted a few months ago. It is on an excellent lot and was recently purchased by a couple from Texas. They were still living in Texas, but someone was living in the house and moving nice furniture in and painting the walls. (I'm not snoopy. Really!) I presume that the man and a blond woman (who was wearing sweats yesterday morning . . . I'm observant) are relatives of the new owner.
Anyway, two fire trucks, a slew of firemen, some other fire vehicles and cars and a HUGE bright light were set up on the scene. The fire was put out in a few hours and they were really pretty quiet. The boys slept right through it. Mitch met practically our whole street out front. I think I was the only one missing (I went back to bed).
Check out this link for photos of the fire:
http://www.wimerphoto.smugmug.com/Fire%20!!
A bunch of pictures, including #20, 38, 48 and 49 are taken from our front yard. Mitch appears in #39, 40 and 41.
As a mom, I debated about what to do about Grant. Should I wake him up and show him the fire? It would sure be a memory, but it might scare him. Or, he might understand what happened when he saw the devastation in the morning. There were positives and negatives to either scenario. I prayed about it and fell asleep. I guess that was God's answer.
Grant still asks, "What happened, mom?" and he tells me, "It got fired!" and he asks about Dori's new house. We had to drive by Dori's new house just to make sure it didn't burn down, too. Still, Grant is pretty convinced that the house next door to Dori's old house is the next to go.
What I certainly haven't mentioned to Grant is that my house burned down when I was in elementary school. The cat knocked over the hot iron into a basket of clothes. Thankfully, we were shopping for school supplies, so the whole family was out of the house. The house was completely totaled, along with almost everything in it. My mom was soaking a quilt in the kitchen sink, so that was saved. They also saved their wedding pictures and some family pictures, although they hold evidence of the fire on their bubbled and charred edges.
It was rough as a kid, but my parents handled it very well (from my vantage point), so I don't remember feeling very scarred by the whole event. It taught me that material possessions don't really matter and they are just temporary. (Of course, that doesn't stop me from getting "the wants" every once in a while.) It also showed me that no matter what you go through as a couple, you can get through it with God's help. I have always had complete confidence in my parents' marriage, and that is a wonderful, secure feeling. I learned later that many couples get divorced after such a devastating event. (Not to mention, the death of a child . . . which also happened to my parents.) I believe that God uses all kind of things for his glory. He is not the cause of the suffering (Satan is), but he can use the suffering for his purpose. God used my parents' suffering to teach me many life lessons, and for that I am truly grateful.
It was a beautiful house that had just been painted a few months ago. It is on an excellent lot and was recently purchased by a couple from Texas. They were still living in Texas, but someone was living in the house and moving nice furniture in and painting the walls. (I'm not snoopy. Really!) I presume that the man and a blond woman (who was wearing sweats yesterday morning . . . I'm observant) are relatives of the new owner.
Anyway, two fire trucks, a slew of firemen, some other fire vehicles and cars and a HUGE bright light were set up on the scene. The fire was put out in a few hours and they were really pretty quiet. The boys slept right through it. Mitch met practically our whole street out front. I think I was the only one missing (I went back to bed).
Check out this link for photos of the fire:
http://www.wimerphoto.smugmug.com/Fire%20!!
A bunch of pictures, including #20, 38, 48 and 49 are taken from our front yard. Mitch appears in #39, 40 and 41.
As a mom, I debated about what to do about Grant. Should I wake him up and show him the fire? It would sure be a memory, but it might scare him. Or, he might understand what happened when he saw the devastation in the morning. There were positives and negatives to either scenario. I prayed about it and fell asleep. I guess that was God's answer.
Grant still asks, "What happened, mom?" and he tells me, "It got fired!" and he asks about Dori's new house. We had to drive by Dori's new house just to make sure it didn't burn down, too. Still, Grant is pretty convinced that the house next door to Dori's old house is the next to go.
What I certainly haven't mentioned to Grant is that my house burned down when I was in elementary school. The cat knocked over the hot iron into a basket of clothes. Thankfully, we were shopping for school supplies, so the whole family was out of the house. The house was completely totaled, along with almost everything in it. My mom was soaking a quilt in the kitchen sink, so that was saved. They also saved their wedding pictures and some family pictures, although they hold evidence of the fire on their bubbled and charred edges.
It was rough as a kid, but my parents handled it very well (from my vantage point), so I don't remember feeling very scarred by the whole event. It taught me that material possessions don't really matter and they are just temporary. (Of course, that doesn't stop me from getting "the wants" every once in a while.) It also showed me that no matter what you go through as a couple, you can get through it with God's help. I have always had complete confidence in my parents' marriage, and that is a wonderful, secure feeling. I learned later that many couples get divorced after such a devastating event. (Not to mention, the death of a child . . . which also happened to my parents.) I believe that God uses all kind of things for his glory. He is not the cause of the suffering (Satan is), but he can use the suffering for his purpose. God used my parents' suffering to teach me many life lessons, and for that I am truly grateful.
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