Am I Crazy?

     Many of my conversations with my husband start with the following, "Honey, I've been reading..."  While in many ways this seems pretty harmless, in our house it is usually connected with something new I want to try.  It usually has to deal with food.  As some know, during my pregnancy I was reading a medical book to help me with the ins and outs of what to do and how to keep myself healthy.  The doctor made a point of steering me away from household cleaners and if I needed to use them do so with gloves and without breathing them in.  Huh?  It made me think; if I'm not supposed to use them while pregnant unless taking precautions, are they safe for when I'm not pregnant and are they safe for my family?  Needless to say I followed a blog and found some great alternatives to "normal" cleaners.  I figured I was set, until I began learning about food.
     There is so much we don't understand about food.  I realize I say this and it seems crazy because food is simple, right?  Not really.  There is so much entangled in food purchase decisions, and there isn't time for it here.  Long story short - I am hoping to take the month of October to attempt to cut out the processed food in my home.  Why?  1.  It has already opened up a new world of food variety for myself and my family. (I've traded in some "old" go to items for some "new.") 2.  I am concerned by the amount of preservative, dyes, and chemicals that are present in our foods!  3.  As if I need any other reason beyond this one: our kids!  I'd love to give them what I can for a healthy start.

PLEASE NOTE:  Every parent is different and I am NOT saying you are a bad parent if you eat processed foods!  I've found that I have tons of questions and I'm looking for the answers by exploring some different options.

 Want to know more about my upcoming month of madness?http://www.eatingrules.com/october-unprocessed-2012/ is a great place to get the full story!  If you feel like you'd like to try this let me know - I'd love to have some friends along the way!

Our Garden

Isn't this beautiful?!  And yes, that is a gnome under the basil (more about him at another time).  This year my husband and I really took our garden to a new place by expanding it.  It was so much fun, and best of all, we enjoyed the whole experience with our two kids.  They were (and continue to be) a part of every step, from turning up the soil to weeding. 

Yum, this has made the best salads and toppers for sandwiches and burgers! 

We decided to try some heirloom varieties of tomatoes (Mr. Stripey and Yellow Pear).  {Above is our Yellow Pear tomato} 

The best part is turning all of this produce into something wonderful, like baby food or part of a meal.  I love playing in the dirt, but this part of the process comes in second.  I'm very blessed to have a place/space to grow my own food.  As I gardened with our kids I began to realize how blessed they are.  They know that their food comes from the ground and is not made at the grocery store.  (You may be laughing, but some children don't realize where their food is actually coming from.) 

My kids have easy access to fresh fruits and veggies.  We have a farmers market two minutes from my house, so there is never a shortage of fresh produce in our home.  God has been placing on my heart over the last few months how important this issue of access to fresh, nutritious food is. So I've decided to start a non-profit, with His help of course!  It's my hope that with a community garden as its starting point, Seeds for Sprouts will have the opportunity to pour into the lives of children the encouragement, information, and nutrition they need.  I don't have many details yet, but I do know that things are coming together!    

Parenting...

     Look at that face!  I love how cheerful she is in the morning after a good night of rest!  This is a month old, but it's still one of my favorites of my little cowgirl.  Lately, I've been wondering more and more about parenting styles.  Perhaps I'm a late one in the game, but I don't think that Jake and I have a set "parenting style."  We have friends that do everything from attachment parenting to Babywise, but we have not really felt that these are for us. 
     I've taken some wisdom from them, and others, as I've read various books and articles. Yet nothing seems to scream to me that this is the parenting style for us.  (Jake is less concerned with what we parent with, as much as we are parenting consistantly and with the values we both hold highest.)  Last night I read an article on how American children are spoiled {read it here} and I felt that panic all over again.  What if we were raising our kids to be spoiled?  I decided to journal as it was late and my brain wouldn't shut off.  I began realizing that God wasn't asking me to Babywise.  God wasn't asking me to do attachment parenting.  God was asking me to use His word as the foundation that we would parent upon.  Reading Hebrews I came across parental advice that was being translated into a lesson for adults on how to perceive God's love.  I need to be a parent that mimics my Heavenly Father's heart.  While I think that every parent needs to find what works best for them and their household, we are going to make every effort to raise our children in a manner that draws them closer to God and an understanding of who He is.  This means modeling Christ-like behavior so they know the positive way to act and speak. 
    More than anything, I want my stepson and daughter to be people of integrity.  I want them to grow up and be lights in darkness.  This world is getting crazier by the day, and I know that if we raise them with the understanding that God is love and they are His hands and feet while on Earth, we may have a shot of helping them become all God has planned.

It's hard...

This is my husband...isn't he cute?  Jake and I dated for several years before getting married.  We were still dating here...

Still dating here too...we were at a friend's wedding.

Our wedding day!  It was such a great day that started with rain and ended in the most gorgeous sunset!  The wedding was a very special time for us and it was intimate with only our immediate family attending.  (The ceremony was held at a state park in NY near the Finger Lakes.)

This is us last summer...I was pregnant in this picture! 

Why am I taking this walk down memory lane about my hubby?  Marriage is hard.  I listen to others and I get very frustrated when they act like a marriage is this thing that just "happens."  My husband is my best friend, but like any relationship, marriage requires work to make sure that it remains healthy.  We have to put each other first and maintain love in situations where we want to be upset or angry.  Marriage is worth it.  I would never trade my husband, not even for chocolate.  When I said my vows I meant forever, even when he's being a bugger.  When he took his vows he meant forever, even when I'm being unreasonable.  (I know, me unreasonable?)  I'm looking forward to what God has for me and Jake.  I know that I have this wonderful opportunity to spend life's great moments with my best friend, and that is something special.

Confession...

     My husband and I are part of a new church in Erie.  It has been a learning experience and there is more involved than I have ever experienced at a church.  I am used to just walking in and having everything ready to go (or only a few things to set up) - no intensive work necessary.  Elevate Church is located in a local elementary school, so every Sunday morning dedicated folks come in to set up (and afterward tear down) everything to help make the worship experience meaningful.  The band comes in at 7 am to make sure their equipment and sound is perfect for the service, as well as sound and tech teams who help create the atmosphere for worship.  Soon after the other teams arrive to set up the other parts of the church (e.g. children's areas). 
    As with anything new, it's a learning process.  Part of this can be trial and error as we reach out to the City of Erie.  I'm finding it's easy to complain.  I don't like being up early to help set up - I don't like that my daughter's schedule is thrown off and Caleb is always looking for things to do until other children arrive - I'm not comfortable discussing my faith with strangers - I just want to sit in my own bubble and wait for God to bless me - It makes for a long day - I don't like sharing my husband's time at home with his desire to practice and play with the worship band.  (You may laugh at how silly all of this sounds, but at one time or another this has run through my head.)
     The reality is:  it isn't about me.  I want to make church about me.  Church is about sharing Jesus.  I need to show the people around me He loves them - every day and I need to do it without complaining.  It's so easy to pick apart those elements of the church that aren't working in my favor, but what I really need to do is make them positive.  I can't expect things to change if I'm not willing to change as well.  It's important that I stay open minded and focused so there isn't an opportunity to lose sight of what Elevate is really about.

Today...

is my 30th birthday!  My friend Angela took me out for the mouth watering confection that is pictured above (Bacon Maple donut - imagine the Homer Simpson drool moment).  As we were talking about our milestone birthdays I mentioned that I'm happy where I am at this point in my life.  I realized how true it really was, especially when I think back to the way I "planned" my life.  I wanted to go to college - check.  I wanted my Master's degree before I married - check.  I wanted to get married - check.  Children were there too - double check.  I've learned a lot, mostly that life is what you make it.  If I spend all of my time focused on what is negative or what is eventually going to leave me empty - that's who I will become.  The other lesson I've learned is that God has great things for you.  I can't tell you the number of times that I've messed up my life, and at times, the lives of others.  Yet, God has handed me blessing after blessing.  That doesn't mean the rain doesn't fall; but He will be what I need when it storms.  So here's to 30 and the hope for another year full of great things!

It's been awhile...

     Well, I'm finally back to blogging!  It has been months, but with all that has happened I figured it could be excused!  I am a mom!  I had my daughter in December and it was one of the most amazing and crazy experiences of my life.  I'm so thankful that I was able to avoid a c-section, but a little overwhelmed by what pitocin can do!  I did break down and have an epidural in the end, but I needed sleep so bad at that point I wasn't going to fight it!   

     Our house has been in chaos since and I'm finally back to finding time for me somewhere in the madness of this wonderful life I have.