Godly Tomatoes

Happy 4th birthday Levi!!

2011-11-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

On the day Levi was born.

1 year old

2 years old

3 years old

4 years old

Levi is starting to say the funniest things. Okay, who am I kidding? He's been saying funny things for a while, but lately here are a few of the things he's said:

"Mom, you are the light of the world."

"When I grow up and am a daddy, will God give me four babies?"

"Mom, do girls sometimes want a penis?"

"Does God hammer the trees down with nails?"

In response to me asking him to clean up his toys: "You see mom, the problem is, is that I am not really a cleaner. I am a builder...and this builder is starting to get a little sick."

"Next year I guess I am going to be five. Now I really can't even believe that."

Levi, I'm so excited to celebrate your birthday! We love you so much!!

Love,
Momma

Everyday

2011-10-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

Now that we live further away, I've got to keep the grandparents satisfied with ample pics :)
A hug at the pumpkin farm

Levi, proud Lego engineer.

Max with his screw driver.

Levi with his drill.

Hiking at Rocky Mountain National Park

2011-10-28T05:40:00.000-07:00

On Identity and Motherhood

2011-10-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

This quote was on this blog today and I thought I'd share it here:

“How can it be a large career to tell other people’s children about the rule of three, and a small career to tell one’s own children about the universe? How can it be broad to be the same thing to everyone, and narrow to be everything to someone? No. A woman’s function is laborious, but because it is gigantic, not because it is minute. I will pity Mrs. Jones for the hugeness of her task; I will never pity her for its smallness.”

G.K Chesterton

Lately, I've found myself grateful to be home with my boys. It's not possible for some families, so I am truly grateful. It's so nice not to have to rush out the door in the mornings. I get to see all that my children are becoming and to watch their beauty unfold. Still, a little voice will often creep in and say, "But you could be doing so much more with your life. You had so much potential." I'm not an expert in hearing the voice of God, but I know enough to know this isn't Him :)

I never want to find my identity in a certain type of mothering, in home educating, in a certain kind of volunteer work, or in a certain kind of career. All of these things could be great parts of my life, but I want to find my identity in Christ, and in Him alone. And if I do this, I never have to worry about producing "fruit" or making something of myself. All I have to worry about is maintaining my connection to the Vine. And if I do that, if I make it my primary concern in life to maintain intimacy with the Father and to listen to his voice, I really don't need to worry about anything else. It's inevitable that fruit will follow.

Love,
Kate

Matthew 6:33 "But Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Healthy treats for the lunch box

2011-10-26T19:22:00.000-07:00

These are mostly raw, packed with protein and so good! I made a batch yesterday, wrapped each one in saran wrap, and put them in the freezer, so that I'll have a quick treat to put in Zach's lunches.

Recipe:

2 cups of almonds (I buy the sliced ones and food process them first)
1/4 cup ground chia seeds or pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dried prunes
1/2 cup almond butter (peanut butter would be fine)
1/2 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup coconut oil
I Tbsp. honey
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract

part of a chocolate bar or a handful of chocolate chips, melted (optional)

Mix first 5 ingredients in a food processor. Mine is a small food processor, so I mix a couple of batches and then blend it all together with my fingers.

Next, melt coconut oil on low heat. Then stir in vanilla and honey. Mix this into the mixture above, either with a spoon, your hands, or a food processor.

Then press it into an 8X8 pyrex and chill for an hour. After it is chilled, then melt a little chocolate and drizzle it on top and return to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes. Makes 12 bars. Store in the refrigerator or freezer for later enjoyment!

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

First Snow Day

2011-10-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Snowy back yard.

Reading a book together. I love finding them like this :)

Levi.

Max.

So excited to play in the snow!!

Pics from before we left Tulsa

2011-10-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

Love these guys.

Max and Daddy.

Max the builder.

Carrying the babies in their "Ergo carriers."

Levi loving his new cousin "Ciscily."

A new beginning

2011-10-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

One night early in the year, I checked out Pioneer Woman's blog. I was intrigued by her white chili recipe and loved all of the step-by-step pictures. She even has a little section with advice on writing blogs. She says that blogs are like plants and need to be watered daily- or almost daily, even if it's just a little bit. Uh oh.

So, where to start? Zach found a job and we've settled in Lafayette, Colorado and are reconnecting with some beautiful friends as we find our way back into life. We're learning and growing in God. And we miss our friends and family, who seem to be spread all over the world at this point. Sometimes I wish I could put them all in one little town and never have to live further than down the street from any of them. I feel like I am not quite here or there. Even though we have settled, my soul and spirit are still in transition and I feel a little awkward. I am learning how to do this whole domestic thing all over again, and find myself thinking, "I used to post recipes, ideas on menu planning, parenting, and sort my recycling, use cloth diapers, resist buying cereal and lunch meat, and read labels like a hawk?" Unbelievable! Who was that woman and where did she go??

One thing that is great about moving into a new house if that one can effortlessly create new rules. Like, "No jumping on the couch. Not in the new house." My favorite little trick we stumbled upon recently is this: we put The Jesus Storybook Bible near our dining room table, and near the end of the meal i get baby carrots and dip out of the fridge and set them on a plate in front of the boys. We read and they crunch and listen. With small children (2 and 3), family devotional times have always been a struggle for us, so this to us has been like gold :)

Love,
Kate

Home

2011-08-14T11:19:00.000-07:00

After 11 weeks in Mozambique, we have been welcomed so sweetly by our friends and family. It is good to be back, but our hearts were a little sad to go as well. We weren't sad to leave the dirty and crowded little house, the ants, or the beans and rice. But, as expected, we miss the people, the culture, and the overall richness of our experience. I wasn't prepared for how emotional it would be to say our goodbyes to the baby house. Levi and I went together on the morning that we flew out of Mozambique and it was so hard knowing that we might never see them again.

Since being back, we have had some jetlag, and today was the first morning that we didn't have at least one child up and ready to go at 4:30am. Yikes! I have been going to bed at 8 almost every night...just so exhausted.

Zach is looking for jobs and he has some great leads so far.

In the meantime, we are enjoying sweet times with friends and family, reveling in the last of this season, while looking forward to the next all the same. And hopefully not driving my parents too crazy while staying with them :) My mom took me for a mani/pedi and it was like heaven. And my tan little feet needed the pedicure so badly.

In Mozambique we were told that we might have major issues with culture-shock upon returning to the U.S. I think we are handling things fine, but it might have been more difficult if we were going back to our same house, same responsibilities, etc. Right now we feel like we're here in Tulsa, visiting for Christmas or something. The weirdest things for me so far involve the bathroom. Has toilet paper always been this soft?? Are you sure it is okay to flush the toilet paper? Warm, running water is really nice, and we're loving eating a variety of foods too. The boys are doing well, and when saying goodbye they continue to say, "a te logo" ("see you later" in Portuguese) and "chow." We have a lot of good sermon notes and pictures of our adventure to help us remember all of the amazing things that happened while we were there.

We're happy to be back :)

Love,
Kate

Africa: Week 10

2011-07-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's only Tuesday, but I've got internet access, so I am going for it. Flexibility and patience must be at the top of the list of things one is bound to grow in here in Mozambique. For instance, the airline here is called "LAM" and is jokingly referred to as "Late And Maybe." Today the water is not running again, and it's alright. Thankfully, I packed an entire carry-on full of anti-bacterial wet ones. And if you go to a restaurant, you will wait an hour for your food and another hour for your bill. But it's okay. It's Africa. We've learned that Africa has an event-oriented culture, rather than a time-oriented one like ours. A couple of Heidi's favorite topics to teach about are 1) Stopping for the one-loving the person in front of you and 2) Not being in a hurry. It's pretty convicting for me. I am pretty chop-chop and goal-oriented much of the time. Except when we have people over for dinner. Then I lose track of time and dishes to be done and I just enjoy being in the moment. It's magical and I miss those times.

One of the sweetest things happened over the weekend. We were eating dinner in the cafeteria and it was dark outside, and I heard several kids from the baby house (about 50 feet away) shouting "Katarina! Katarina!" That is what they call me here, since "Kate" is hard for them to say. I must glow in the dark or something--I don't know. Those kids just melt my heart. They are what I will miss the most when we leave this place. And it's funny, but when thinking about adoption, I have sometimes thought, "I hope we like the baby we're matched with." Or even worse, "I hope she's cute." "And healthy and perfect." Just being honest :) But, we've been encouraged, because we would honestly be thrilled to take any one of these babies home. Only one, mind you. But, thrilled nonetheless. And this is all theoretical because adoption doesn't really happen in Mozambique, but it's still been good for me to learn that I don't need a certain kind of child.

Levi is having a lot of little sister envy. When we talk about how excited we are about cousin Logan's new baby sister or his friend Keegan's new baby sister, he says, "But can I have a little sister?"The boys have been talking about having a dog too. I think Zach may be coaching them, but I can't be sure. I told Levi that he and Max can have a dog when they are old enough to pick up the dog's poop in the back yard. Levi said, "I will be able to clean up poop when I am an adult." Hmmm. He talks a lot about being an adult these days. The other day he said, "When I am an adult, will I drink coffee and have some keys?" I was just thinking that he will be four in a few months...and I am excited. I think that four is a golden year in childhood--such a fun age. Max will be a tremendous four-year-old :) That will be fun.

Max continues to ride in the Ergo and sing songs loudly everywhere we go. He flows seamlessly from worship songs into the Bob the Builder theme song, and what more could you ask for than that? Max is super friendly and wakes up greeting everyone in the house by name, "Hellooooo Asher! Hellooooo Judah!" He sometimes throws fits when he doesn't get his way and often has to say "please forgive me for throwing a fit." He loves chasing Mozambican kids around at church and in the cafeteria and runs up to and hugs all kids of people, as if he's known them for years. People are always commenting on his vocabulary and his size :) The locals probably believe him when he says he's five (and that he lives in California.) He and Levi were hitting each other tonight and laughing, just practicing I guess, but still. It's weird. They are boys and they are getting older. I asked Levi if he would protect Max if someone was trying to hurt him, and he immediately said, "yes." Then I said, "If someone was hurting your brother, what would you do to them?" He smiled and said, "I would forgive them." Geez, I was hoping for a left-hook or something.

The kids are still enjoying the treats from our special packages and get to pick one after they wake up from their afternoon naps. Max calls the fruit roll-ups "Fruit steam roll-ups." (Perhaps a steam roller was involved. Who am I to say?) We get to pick up our final package from the airport tomorrow. Thank you Hannah! It's been amazing how well-spaced the packages have been. They've brightened up our little lives for sure :)

Our night away at the bed and breakfast was wonderful in every way-but it was still Africa :) I had this scare that the warm bath I had dreamed of was not going to really happen. There was no drain plug in the bathroom, so we called for one. Then the owner found a poorly-sized plug but it ended up doing the trick. The water came out very slowly and was a little brown, but do you think we cared??

We had baby-sitters for each of the boys and gave them money to go out for dinner on the beach. We were gone from 5:30pm to 10am, and thankfully, the boys did great. They chased crabs and fed food to the aggressive kitties on the beach, and they fell asleep in less than 5 minutes upon laying down for bed. Amazing! Thank you God. We may have to try that again someday.

And my one little luxury that I mentioned in my last post--soaking my feet with water from the electric kettle...well, as soon as I typed about that amazing discovery, the kettle decided to bite the dust. But forget about electric kettles. We're on our way home soon and we can deal with cold water, or no running water or whatever for a little bit longer. While we miss some things, it has been so completely worth it to be here. And by the way, Zach's arm is doing alright. It still hurts some, but seems to be healing well. We are looking forward to seeing friends and family, and the produce section, job-searching, and getting settled once again. We can't wait to share the things we've learned here. Thank you again for keeping us in your prayers. Next week will be busy, so this may be my last post from Mozambique. We're so excited to be coming home soon!

Love,
Kate

Africa: Week 9

2011-07-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

This week has been good, but it has been stretching too. First, Zach broke his arm skateboarding with a couple of Mozambican kids. He's doing well, just taking ibuprofen here and there. We've definitely worked as a team since we've been here, carrying items up the hill to the classroom, changing diapers, getting the boys dressed, etc. so I've missed that arm a lot. Physically, it's been a bit exhausting, and I joke around that I should have thought to break my arm first :)The good news is that as far as fractures go, it could be a lot worse. He doesn't need surgery and his main concern is that it doesn't negatively influence his golf swing or his guitar playing :) Another good thing is that x-rays here cost a little under $2.

And it's kind-of funny, but kind-of makes me want to cry--but our portable DVD player broke the same day as Zach's arm. Seriously??! There is no fence to keep the boys in, so they have the potential to get out of our sight pretty easily. Parenting here requires everything we've got. There are 23 other kids running around too. There's no just letting them go play in the backyard, so that is why the occasional DVD was even more valued than normal. Fortunately, Zach's dad blessed us with an amazing package with some things to entertain the boys. It's been a big help this week. Sending things here is so so expensive...it's ridiculous, but we are grateful.

As the end of our trip is drawing near, Zach and I are asking each other what laying our lives down really looks like. We had a speaker named Amy here and she and her family live in the poorest part of Jackson, Mississippi. She and her family have chosen to live in the inner city, where most people would never consider staying, even for a night, for fear of getting shot etc. The addicts in their community are always yelling that they hate her, etc and there are no other white people in that part of town, at all. Her boldness and the way she loves her community are really inspiring to us. She just says that what her family does is just the normal Christian life.

The boys have been requesting to go to the baby house nearly every day and that continues to be where my heart is. A couple of days ago we were there and this little boy (less than 2 years old) fell and hit i head on a concrete step. I was there to scoop him up and kiss him, etc., but my heart was breaking for all of the times these kids get hurt and have no one to comfort them.

One of our favorite kids is Paulo. He is 10 years old, but is probably the size of an American 6 year old. He "assists" me on my medical rounds by helping me to locate children, and checking the boxes when they've taken their medications. Zach bought the boys a nice red soccer ball to play with here, and the boys have decided that they want Paulo to have it when we leave. He is just the sweetest boy, and sometimes during our classes, he will find me and come sit in my lap and draw pictures in my notebook. I hug him and tell him that he's smart and that he is a very special boy.

While part of us is ready to return home, another part is really going to miss Africa. Mozambique will always have a special place in our hearts and we hope that we will be able to return as a family one day.

Levi has been telling me that he is a big boy and a little boy, and he is just so cute as he tries to describe things that are deeper and wider than his vocabulary. He's been so proud of himself as he is learning to climb trees and do other "big boy" things like that. He's doing pretty well and he loves going to the gazebo for 2 hours each week for child-minding with the older children. He calls it school and gets really excited about packing his snack and drink to go to the gazebo. I asked Levi what he missed the most about being home, and he said "the pizza restaurant," referring to Hideaway Pizza :) He keeps talking about his birthday and how he would like to get dominoes when he turns four. Then he says, "Is that a kids game?"

Last night was "seaweed night" at the cafeteria, so we decided to go out as a family for dinner. Max said that our taxi driver's name was "Obrigado' ("thank you" in Portuguese.) The cab driver thought that was pretty funny. Max has been telling everyone that he is five years old and holds up five fingers to show them. Then he laughs and laughs when I tell him to tell the truth. Last night he was really tired and I was holding him on my hip as we talked with a couple from Switzerland just outside of our house. He looked at them and put his finger to his lips and said "shhhh...it's time to go night night." We had a resident lizard in our bathroom for a while. One night, the lizard wasn't there and Max asked me, "Mom, have you seen our alligator?" :) He spends a lot of time talking to people around here about "big fat airplanes" as well.

In this world of cold, cold showers, I have discovered a little something to make life a little more pleasurable. At the end of the day, I heat up water in an electric kettle and soak my feet in nice, hot water. It is a nice reward after a long day.

While this week has been exhausting, tonight is going to be really great. One of the other missionaries offered to watch the boys for the night, so that we can have a night away. We are so grateful and excited to have a date night! At one point this week, all four of us were sleeping in our double bed! Not tonight :)

So, I guess that is all for this week. We love you all and are so excited to see you soon! Thank you for keeping us in your prayers.

All our love,

Kate

Africa: Weeks 7 and 8

2011-07-13T12:20:00.000-07:00

Hello once again from Mozambique! Last week was quite busy with classes and preparing for our outreach, so I wasn't able to connect to the internet. Max's breathing is completely better, so we are happy about that. Last week was a little rough for me personally. I was just dealing with a lot of negative thoughts, etc. Ugh. I can be so hard on myself at times. I think it's just par for the course here. With so much growth taking place, and with so much boldness rising up, some opposition is to be expected. That is just the way it works. But that being said, the outreach was really great, and by the end of the weekend, I was feeling so inspired and full of faith and life, once again.

While we were gone, Max did wonderfully with his babysitter and she said that she wants to have a baby like him someday. I think she may have been referring to his amazing 3.5 hour afternoon naps, but I'll take it as a compliment :) They just get so tired here--they don't wake up until dusk. And goodness knows, I am not about to wake them up. Max woke up in the morning and said, "Where's my mommy?" and Chelsea replied, "She's on outreach." Max said, "Oh, okay." He is an independent little guy and is wanting to do everything by himself these days. The just turned 2 stage is so cute in ways...and so trying in others. Max is a firecracker, but oh how I love him. Sometimes I wish he'd cuddle with me more and not be so independent, but man, we love that boy.

It's a little nice having Levi 17 months ahead as a reminder that it gets easier with time. I just love being able to reason with Levi and getting to see his moral juices flowing. Last week, after visiting the babies at the baby house, we were laying down to go to sleep and Levi said, "Mommy, I was hoping that baby Josephina (who is super cute and smiley) could come home with us and be our little sister and that we could buy her some baby toys." Awwww :) I told him that baby Josephina lives here and couldn't come home with us, but that maybe we could have a baby sister like Josephina someday. I told him that I knew he would be a great biggest brother. After some deliberating, He said, "Okay, or maybe we could just have a sister with hair like mine." :)

On the outreach, Levi impressed us with getting out of his quiet comfort zone. No one would have believed that he is our shy one :) In fact, he wanted to talk to the crowd in the microphone both nights. And he wouldn't let me even touch the microphone. He greeted them in Makua by saying, "Salame" and "Mohavo" and the people in the village laughed and laughed. At one point I looked and Levi was a little ways down the dirt road, standing on a rock with about 25-30 children around him. I thought to myself, "What is he doing?" and I went down to make sure everything was okay. As it turns out, he was shouting words in English and had all of these kids repeating after him: "DUST PAN!" "COUCH!" "RASPBERRY!" and on and on like that. He really did great and we were so glad he came with us. It is awesome how kids are not intimidated at all by the language barrier.

It's hard to know which outreach stories to share, but here are a few of the moments that stand out to me. In the first village, there was a man who used to be a pastor there. The church burned down, his wife left him, and he ended up falling in his faith and starting to drink heavily. When we came, he opened up about his situation and rededicated his life to Christ. He was beaming--just so full of life and wanting to rebuild his village's church. Also, the Portuguese Bible that we brought is going to be given to Him, so that he can teach his village once again. Goodness knows, we're not using it :) There is a real lack of discipleship here in Mozambique. There are all of these first-generation Christians, with not many people to shepherd them into a mature and overcoming way of life. They have no problem believing in Jesus here though. In the West, we can be so blind at times to the darkness all around us. Here, people know demons are real, because they are tormented by them so routinely. People here are major under-responders to being healed. They are used to having to pay much, much more money to the witch doctors if they express that they've been healed. It's like the difference between a $5 co-pay and a 10,000 hospital bill, so they are pretty casual when they tell you that they are feeling completely better.

The most difficult thing for me to see on the outreach was all of these village kids going after this black, burned rice at the bottom of the pot, like it was candy. That broke my heart. It was cool on our last morning there and I looked out of the tent and saw a little boy, about 2, without a shirt. I pointed him out to Levi and asked if he thought the boy might be cold. He said "yes" and I let him pick one of his shirts to give the boy. That was a highlight for me.

Also, there was a little baby named "Marina" that had fallen out of her mother's capulana (sling) and landed on her head. She had a traumatic brain injury and one side of her body was shaking, her pupils were uneven, and she was unable to eat or drink. Her parents were desperate. Even in the U.S., there's not much you can do for that sort of thing. A small team prayed and prayed for an hour and a half, and left feeling discouraged as nothing had changed. The next day, though, they came to check on the family and the little girl was completely healed! They said, "Five minutes after you left, she was better." Isn't that cool?? A couple of weeks ago, Heidi Baker said, "I don't know why God works the way He does when you come here, but there is something about tenacity, and coming all of this way that brings Him joy."

Our team was half Mozambican and half from other places in the world and I was so humbled as they preached, translated, and cooked for us. Speaking of cooking, we bought a goat from the village and it was killed about 15-20 feet away from our tent. It was gross and I couldn't look. But, anyway--it's just what you do here to celebrate something. It's like going out for dinner. Also, it is a good way to support the economy of the village. But it was gross. Humane, I think, but I just can't handle that sort of thing. Even as a child, I couldn't even keep a fish I'd caught with my grandpa. I had to throw it back into the water. I am good at killing mosquitos, though :) Max thinks it's hilarious and starts clapping his hands and smacking the walls, saying that he's killing mosquitos.

One of the missionary kids tested positive for malaria, but has been treated with medications and seems to be doing well. Our kids had some bites in the beginning, but they have hardly any now.

The boys were prophesied over yesterday by a man that is just so accurate--it was amazing, and totally fun for us to hear as parents. Zach and I received great words as well, but I especially enjoyed hearing what was spoken over our boys. They are so different, and they make such a wonderful pair.

This week has been busy, but really good. It's actually been my favorite week I think and our minds are getting blown in the best of ways.

When we came home from outreach, we had a care package from my mom waiting for us, and that was a fun treat. The next day, we went to the baby house and shared our bounty. The boys had fun handing out organic lollipops to the children. Those sweet kids at the center just melt our hearts! We miss home for sure and I am kind-of relieved that we don't feel called to live overseas :) We'll be supporting more missionaries though, and will be sharing Christ's love wherever we go, and are looking forward to starting the adoption process soon after we return home. But first we'll have to arrange for a job and housing--you know, the little things :)

Thank you for your prayers! We are getting excited about coming home in just 3 weeks. We love you all and can't wait to see you!

Love,

Kate

Africa: Week 6

2011-06-30T13:13:00.000-07:00

This week marks the half-way point on our Mozambican adventure. Week 6 has been very good, other than Max's asthma flair-up. He's still wheezing some, but is doing very well overall. The doctors here are great and are keeping a close eye on him. There is often smoke and/or dust in the air here, so I am hoping that he doesn't need his inhaler (a.k.a. fireman mask) so often when we get back to the States. Max is a fairly popular kid around these parts--everyone seems to know him. An eleven-year-old boy at the children's center said, "I love that name Max. I will have a son when I grow up and I will name him Max."

Today, in a quiet moment during class, Max said in his cute raspy voice, "Mommy, watching a Bob the Builder DVD is a really good idea, isn't it?" And a group of girls giggled at him, to which he emphatically responded, "It's not funny!" He has made friends with all of the security guards that are stationed at the back of our house and borrows the big, black sticks they carry so that he can pretend to play baseball. Next week, when we go camping in the "bush bush," a friend named Chelsea is going to stay here with Max. She is wonderful with our boys and I think he'll have a really fun time getting some one on one with her. Zach and I are grateful to be able to go on the same outreach and not to have to change diapers in our tent :)

Levi has made friends with one of the new long-term missionaries named Bridget and today she took him to play with the babies at the baby house. She said that he did really well. Last week was hard (discipline wise), but this week Levi has been wonderful. We've told him that the kids at the center don't have a mommy and a daddy, so that he needs to be extra kind to them and give them lots of love. It's funny though, because now if Zach is with him, apart from me, Levi will say, "But I need a mommy and a daddy." We are giving him lots of opportunities to share with the children and have been so pleased with his thoughtfulness and compassion. Today he got to give one of my favorite little guys with HIV a little piece of candy and a drink. Earlier this week, he was getting picked on by an older missionary kid, and he forgave him quickly--more quickly than I did, I think. :)

On Saturday, Zach stayed with the kids and I had the pleasure of attending a Mozambican wedding. The couple getting hitched was Ed and Rosa, and they both work with the children here. They are a beautiful and amazing couple and it was really special to get to be a part of their big day. Ed is from California and Rosa is from Mozambique. We were all quite involved with the wedding preparations. Each of the student houses was responsible for making loads of popcorn and a couple of cakes for the big day. Over a thousand people needed to be fed! I spent 3 hours popping popcorn on our little propane stove, with oil spattering everywhere.

While I was was popping popcorn and Max was sleeping, Zach took Levi on an outreach to pray for people in the village. Levi did great and they saw a lady's knee get healed. Today a group went to pray for a lady in the village who has been so tormented and out-of-control that she has been chained to a tree outside of her house for 8 years. I am not sure if she was healed or not, but please pray for her.

Last night I worked in the kitchen and served up hundreds of bowls of rice in the kitchen with the Mozambicans. The pots of rice and beans are so enormous! We jump in and serve in little ways, and love on the children at the center and in the village, but sometimes we just relax on our front porch or take a walk to the beach. We have a good balance between working and resting, I think. Having the kids forces us to slow down a bit. As someone once said, "If you want to do more for Jesus, stay single, but if you want to be more like Jesus, get married." :) We came all of this way, and while I do want to do really cool things, the main thing I think about is simply loving Zach better. We received a cool prophesy when we first got here and were told that people would experience the love of God and the heart of the Father just by walking through the doors of our home. I felt really encouraged by this.

We have been so blessed this week. Zach and I just look at each other with an understood, "Aren't you so glad we came here?" In preparing for the trip, I would often have thoughts like, "What the heck are you doing??" But, all of that work was so worth it for this life-changing experience. We are feeling a renewed sense of vision, experiencing a huge increase in faith and love, and we really, really needed this. Even though it's dirty and crowded and we eat a diet of white bread and rice and beans, we feel completely refreshed and invigorated. It's like we're getting a life-time of the best sermons and guest speakers (and worship) all in one summer. Heidi is such an inspiration to us and I love, love, love listening to her speak. Week 6 was a huge success and we're treasuring each day that we are here. The time is flying by, and in 36 days we'll be headed back to the U.S.

Thank you for the love and the prayers!

Love,
Kate

Africa: Week 5

2011-06-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

This week hasn't been horrible or anything--we are still really glad we are here, but it has been a little harder. The boys have been a bit out of sorts and Levi, especially has been testing some boundaries, which has been a bit exhausting. I keep thinking, "I thought we were past this." I think a lot of it is just being exhausted. It's very hot, and just being around so many people all of the time can be a little tiring, even if they are wonderful people. And maybe more so for Levi, since he is more of an introvert. We have had a lot of sweet moments too. It certainly hasn't been all bad. This week, he and Max changed the lyrics to the classic Sunday school song "Deep and Wide." They've been singing, "Beans and rice, beans and rice, there's a fountain flowing beans and rice..." and have been getting a lot of positive attention in the process :)

It's been a little hard to keep sickness at bay since we have only had running water for an hour or two each day. I use sanitizing wipes all of the time and bathe the kids in buckets outside every day, but still it seems one of us usually has a mild case of diarrhea. I heat water in an electric kettle, so the kids actually get to take nice warm baths. I find myself looking at the buckets and wishing I was a bit smaller :)

Max has made friends with the security guards and this morning, he was borrowing a black stick they carry around so that he could be, "Baseball man." Max is also in love with a 29 year old ski instructor from Switzerland named "Tina." During class, he nearly always goes to the front of the class and shouts, "Tina, where are you?" And then she sweetly holds him in her lap and colors pictures with him until he's ready to come find me again. Yesterday Max said to me, "I'm not cute mommy. I'm a big, strong man."

This week our house was matched (encouraged to form relationships) with a specific dorm at the children's center. They don't call it an orphanage because they emphasize to the kids that God is their Father. Last night we got to go eat and play with those specific children, some of which I already knew from giving medications on Sundays. We got paired eighteen 4-7 year old boys. They are really fun and sweet kids. There is even a little "Zachary" (zach-ar-eee) we are getting to know :)

Also, this week there was a huge fire that we could see from our house. We had to fill up all of our buckets of water to help put the fire out. The fire destroyed another ministry's orphanage for disabled children, but all of the children were safely moved to another location. Here at the Iris base, we are trying to put together a fund-raiser to help give the other ministry money to help rebuild...perhaps a pancake breakfast or something. I was really scared and could see and hear the fire cracking and popping from where we live. It was very close.

Tomorrow is our house mom, Cindy's birthday, so the whole house will go out to dinner to celebrate. That should be fun. We've has some more great speakers this week, and are making good friends here, but we do miss home and all of our friends and family. Speaking of friends and family, I called my mom last week and I was so surprised to find out that my brother Ben and his wife remarried this month. That is a HUGE miracle! Many blessings Ben and Samantha!! What a testimony you two will have! We couldn't be happier.

Thank you for all of the prayers and support. We are blessed!

Love from Mozambique,

Kate

Africa: Week 4

2011-06-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe it's been almost a month since we left for Africa. Tonight, I am borrowing a computer and typing with reasonably fast internet service--what a treat. We've had a pretty good week this week. The boys took a course of antibiotics for diarrhea and seem to be doing better now. Levi is picking a little at some of the food, and then requesting snacks when we get home...but sometimes I do the same thing :) Every morning we eat bread roll with a thin layer of peanut butter and jelly and for lunch we have rice and beans. Dinner is a bit of a wild card--but always involves rice. Rice with cabbage, rice with fish heads (which we gladly give to the Mozambican pastors-in-training at our table), or rice with seaweed/spinach. The beans and rice are actually quite good, except when sand/dirt somehow gets in. Thankfully, that only happens about once a week. There are a couple of restaurants around, so maybe once or twice a week we'll venture out and grab a snack.

The dynamics in our house are surprisingly good. We are all really easy-going and are getting along well. I am so thankful. One of the hardest things to deal with this week has been the lack of water and sometimes electricity. For at least half of the days we have had no running water--and sometimes I find myself really wanting to wash my hands, take a shower, flush a toilet--you know. But that's life for all of the kids in the village. It is hard to believe that so many people live without such basic necessities. The average life span here is 38 years.

We were walking on the beach with "Issa," one of the village kids that we have connected with, and while we were walking an 18 year old girl with a one month old baby boy named Antonio came asking if we could help her. She said her baby was hungry and had been unable to nurse. She took down her shirt and showed us her breast and said that she was hurting. (Random fact: Here, breasts are not seen as sexual at all. It is all about the knees! We cannot bare our knees at all--even when swimming.) I looked at baby Antonio and could see that he was a little dehydrated. So, I held the baby and we walked with the momma up the hill to the small clinic on the base where we live. Fortunately this young mother was making milk. She had a big sore likely from nursing in one position too often and was given cream to help prevent infection, encouraged to drink a lot of water and assured her she was making plenty of milk. The doctor and nurse that run the clinic are both so incredible. It was basically a glorified lactation consultant appointment, but it was wonderful to be a part of it.

A couple weeks ago we went on an outreach to a village about 30 minutes away that also has an Iris base and children's center. I heard something about a little girl being healed from blindness, but hadn't heard any details, so I kind of shrugged it off as maybe an exaggeration or something. I am a bit of a doubter by nature. I am always praying for more faith and I do feel it rising up in me, but faith for healing is something I've always struggled with. It's felt unobtainable, frustrating, etc. But today, the leader from that base in Mieze spoke and said he had heard something about this little girl, but didn't know the story. He asked if anyone at the school knew about this little girl. 3 or 4 students that we have classes with got up to the microphone and shared a vivid account, saying that the baby was named Albertina and was approximately 12 months old. She was in her mother's sling and had eyes that were milky and white, and that lacked both irises and pupils. This little one had been blind since birth. After praying for her for a while, they took her to Heidi (called Mama Aida by the locals) and when she prayed, the baby was given beautiful chocolate brown eyes and could see for the first time in her little life. The students from my school saw a blind baby healed! People get healed of deafness and blindness here often. It's amazing. Bill Johnson's book "When Heaven Invades Earth" is helping to really change the way I think about kingdom matters.

On a different note, I was opening the clinic door on Sunday to get medications to take to the kids and a big lizard fell on my head!! We see lizards everywhere! We were headed back from the village the other day and the kids were making over Max as usual. He was in a sour mood, and I was mortified when he told one of the kids, "Go back to your own house!" I am so glad she didn't know English!! Watching Max do the African dances in church is so funny. Levi just shakes his head really fast--and his dance moves aren't African (they are actually quite white), but they are pretty funny. He was so sweet with the little baby we took to the clinic. He has such a tender heart.

Many blessings to all of you! We are looking forward to a safe return in August, and what an adjustment that will be! Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers!

Much love,
Kate

Africa weeks 2 and 3

2011-06-09T06:08:00.001-07:00

Hello friends and family! We love and miss you guys...but I must say we are having an incredible time here in Pemba, Mozambique. The sky and the ocean are so beautiful here. The people that surround us are simply amazing and we are thoroughly enjoying every moment. From 8am-1pm four days a week we are in class, and Zach and I switch off watching the boys, so that we both get to focus our attention completely. We live in a house with a couple in one room, our family in one room, and a family of 5 in the other room. Everyone here is really great and our kids are getting a lot of love. The boys are doing great...eating their beans and rice and playing in the dirt. You would not believe how dirty they are by the end of the day! There are over 200 students here and there are 155 children (without parents) that live on the base. On Sundays I get to go give medications to the children in the morning and in the evening. They love their vitamins and try to trick me into thinking I didn't give them one :) Hearing the boys say all of the greetings in Portuguese and Makua is really cute. The other kids in our 900 sq. foot home are 5, 2.5, and 10 months, so our house is a lot of fun. We've listened to some incredible speakers so far. What an honor it is to sit under Rolland and Heidi Baker and so many other world changers. It's like one part mission trip, one part church camp. When Zach is in a meeting, I'll take the boys up to play with the babies in the baby house. They are so adorable! It is great to be learning and growing, but also to have so many opportunities to serve. Our house is very close to the medical clinic and Iris just recieved permission to build a hospital on the base as well. I am so impressed by all of the things they are doing here in Mozambique. It is very hard to get to the internet cafe and the service is on and off, so my posts may be more infrequent than I was planning. I can't wait to tell you more about it when we get back though. I hope you all are well. We love you!
Love from all of us,
Kate

Africa: Week 1

2011-05-25T14:44:00.000-07:00

A five hour drive to Dallas, a 9.5 hour flight to London, a 6 hour layover in London, an 11.5 hour flight to Johannesburg, a 3 hour wait at the airport, and a 4.5 hour drive to Nelspruit, with a 2 year old and a 3 year old and WE MADE IT!! The boys did amazingly well (thank you for your prayers!) and we've all had a great time so far. These first few days in South Africa have been a nice way to rest from traveling before we head to Mozambique on Friday. We enjoyed two wonderful days of Safari with people from our team that will also be heading to Mozambique. In our car alone, we made friends with people from Switzerland, England, France, the U.S. and Mexico. The woman who owns the bed and breakfast we are staying at also served as our safari guide. We saw elephants, rhinos, giraffes, hippos, lions, zebras, cheetahs, monkeys, etc. It was fabulous! It just wouldn't be right to come all of the way to Africa and not go on a safari. We love hearing all of the different accents and the boys are enjoying attention from the friendly people as well. Today, we visited an Iris preschool, sewing school, a church being built, and a children's center with a baby house. The kids loved touching Max's face and blonde hair and I got to sit down and read some books with several of the kids. Levi enjoyed playing the African drum with some of the boys and found a broom and started sweeping. He told Zach that it was "too dirty." It was great to learn more about what Iris is doing here in S. Africa. We have a five hour flight to Mozambique the day after tomorrow, and that will be completely different (a much poorer nation.) We are thankful for the time we've had in S. Africa and excited to get to the place we'll be staying for a while. Thank you for your prayers for our health and safety. Please keep them coming.

All our love from Africa,

Kate

Goodbye USA, Hello Africa!

2011-05-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

The preparation phase is finally coming to a close and now it is almost time to fly to Africa. We have enjoyed many last suppers with our closest friends and family, have emptied our house of its belongings, and we are ready. The main two emotions we have right now are 1)excitement and 2)gratefulness. We are so thankful for this opportunity and know that God will do amazing things while we are in Mozambique. Thank you to all who have made this trip possible! We can't thank you enough.

I will try to post on this blog about once a week, while we are gone, but the posts may be short and sweet. Please keep our family in your prayers during the next 11 weeks. We look forward to telling you all about our adventures in detail when we return :)

Love,
Kate

May 2011 at our house

2011-05-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

Tired after a wonderful day! Love those lips :)

Brothers in the great outdoors.

Rock-climbing with friend "Keegan."

Max loves the water!

The boys love sleeping (in the hallway) on their new "sleeping bags." I don't think we'll set up the crib again when we get back. These boys might be ready for big boy beds.

2 weeks to go and then we're off to Africa! We are getting more excited with each passing day. The house is a little messy with odds and ends and half-packed boxes, but we're making huge strides in getting prepared. Let me just say that our dietary standards have plummeted in recent weeks. We're eating Chipotle, Tace Bueno, yogurt with fruit, cereal, macaroni and cheese, and many, many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My only requirement at the grocery store is that each item is something I am sure we will not waste. We are still waiting on our visas and are expecting them any day. I am such a planner, that this last minute stuff is just painful. I have had fun preparing for ways to keep the kids occupied on the plane though. So far, I think this transition has been the hardest for Levi. He is watching us box up or give away all of our belongings at a time when sharing can be a challenge. We are trying to be extra-sensitive to him during this time. Today, I decided that they needed a little play away from the house, so I took them to a park and we had a spontaneous rendezvous in the creek. Awww! Their first time to experience nakedness in a cold creek. They has a blast! Before they decided to go into the water, Levi was very worried about Max and said, "I'm worried about you brother, because you don't know how to swim." I think that they are going to have a wonderful time in Africa. Did I mention that there are going to be 25 missionary kids?? How fun! Yes, we just have to make it through the next 2 weeks intact and in love--then we'll be good to go :)

Love,
Kate

Levi is 3 (and a half)

2011-05-05T13:45:00.000-07:00

Today, I took this picture of Levi and I thought to myself--oh that's just like that sweet baby picture I have, only he's bigger now :)

The Countdown Begins!

2011-04-21T20:19:00.000-07:00

Max in the emergency room. He kept telling us that he needed to "go to work." He looked the doctor straight in the eyes and said, "I want to ride bikes on Riverside." Such a funny boy :)

Working hard!

Before the haircut. I am sorry, but I couldn't resist. The pointed toe gets me every time. Who taught him this??

After the haircut--rewarded with a yummy lollipop.

Levi after choosing his own clothes for an evening out :)

The boys on each other's trikes.

As expected, April has been a pretty wild month for us Wicars. We are leaving for Africa in less than a month! The to do list is immense-- Malaria prescriptions for the family. Typhoid injections for all. Cancel all of our utilities. Purchase emergency travel insurance. Obtain our visas. Move all of our things from our house to a storage unit. Clean the house and prepare it for our renters. And the kicker: figuring out how to pack just the right things and stay under 44 lbs per person, including tents, sleeping bags, diapers, wet wipes, mosquito repellent, Zach's insulin pump supplies, swim shoes, medications, clothing, toiletries, not to mention a hundred other items. Yikes!

Even though we have a lot on our plates, it seems--at least this week ;) that we have this huge sense of peace surrounding us. Things are really going well. We found the most wonderful renters for our house, and they want to stay for 36 months--so that really frees us up to do whatever we need to do for missions, Zach's work, etc. It will be interesting to see where this road leads. Instead of choosing to focus on my lack of command of the Portuguese language, the unsteady nature of the road ahead, and how in the world I am going to pack for this trip, I am realizing more and more, that it doesn't have all that much to do with me, my ability to speak Portuguese or the ability to purchase and pack the perfect things. It is about our family going and being stretched and loving each other and loving others and seeing God in a whole new way, in an entirely different setting.

Earlier this month, we were starting to get snappy with each other, feeling tired and stressed and we really started to notice behavior changes in the boys--immediately. I gently reminded myself that if they can change that quickly in a week, they can change back just as quickly :) We are all doing much better already. I think they will really enjoy the trip. They love any kind of adventure and it is so funny to hear them talk to each other about going to Africa. Speaking of adventures, we had our first trip to the ER this week. Max may be developing asthma and was started on breathing treatments. He looks pretty cute with his "fireman mask" and has done really well with the treatments. I also cut off Max's blonde curls. He turned two and is officially a big boy. Levi was chasing him around with a stethoscope today, saying "Max, I need to listen to your heart!" Today marks my 3 year anniversary of becoming a stay-at-home momma. I am going to have to keep my stethoscope out with little Max, though. I am praising God every day for Tulsa's beautiful spring weather. The boys are loving playing in the dirt with diggers and dump trucks in our unoccupied raised garden beds and it makes my job a whole lot easier. I love that the boys are best friends.

So, that's where we are in the process. We've done a lot, have a lot to do, and are getting closer and closer to leaving for what is sure to be one of the most memorable and life-changing experiences we've ever had. Oh yeah, guess what I did with my wedding dress?? I shipped it to Africa, so that it could be used by dozens of brides. I really didn't need it in a box in my closet and was so happy to hear that they could use it! It seems really fitting, since Zach and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary the week before we hop on that plane. Plus, I think any daughter of mine will probably want to pick out her own wedding dress anyway :)

Love,
Kate

From Baby to Big Boy: Max Turns Two!

2011-04-10T12:59:00.001-07:00

During Max's first hour of life

6 months

1 year old

18 months

2 years old!

People love Max--he gets attention and has favor wherever he goes. He is always singing, dancing, and showing off some newly acquired skill. He's an extrovert and strikes up conversations with just about everyone. Last night, he had a Hispanic couple at the park laughing because he was saying "Hola!" to their little boy--right up close, in his face. He has a real gift verbally, and I just know he's going to come back from Mozambique knowing more Portuguese than the rest of us (sigh.) He is strong-in body, mind, and will, but he is such a little teddy bear too.

Max is athletic and competitive--he's the type of kid that will be good at any sport he tries. We sometimes joke that we had to go outside of the gene pool to get a football player :) The other day, we watched Blindside together as a family and Max was hilarious. During the plays, he was jumping up and down, saying "No! No! No! I said No!! What happened?! Oh no! The red team fell down again." To see his little diapered body jumping up and down so passionately with arms flying everywhere was so much fun--we may have to start watching football :)

We think of Max's birth momma today and we thank her for entrusting us with this sweet gift--our son. Fun fact: Max's birth mom went into labor lat at night at a baseball game. Max we adore you sweetie. Our family wouldn't be the same without you. Watching you grow is so fun, that it's not even hard to kiss those baby days goodbye. You were born for this big boy stuff and we love you with all of our hearts.

Remembering My Grandpa and Celebrating His Life and Legacy

2011-03-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

He was the first man to ever hold me. I was his first grandchild. (The first of many!) And since my mom was young and unmarried, he was like a dad to me for the first year and a half of my life. I've been so blessed to have my "papa," Bill Sanders, to look up to my entire life. His boldness in evangelism and in challenging the status quo within the church, in persevering to the end, holding fast to deep joy and faith, despite a life characterized by hardship, disability (Parkinson disease) and pain, has spoken volumes to me and countless others. He was a pastor, fisherman (of fish and of men!), competitive athlete, and devoted family man. On Monday, March 14th, we said goodbye to the Patriarch of our family. He is in his new Home and is surely hearing the words, "Well done, my good and faithful servant." I love you Papa and I'm so glad you are not suffering anymore. No more sickness and No more pain. I look forward to throwing my arms around you there and to seeing you again, strong and healthy. You've always been my hero and I have been blessed to have you for my Grandpa. I miss you Papa--you mean the world to me.

Love,
Katie

Recent Pictures of Levi and Max

2011-03-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

23 months! Reading this book saying "That baby owl is really cute with her brown hair."

Sweet smile.

Pretending the kitchen cabinets are bunk beds.

Levi "working hard." They are loving "Bob the builder" these days :)

Benefit Concert: Karla Adolphe and Aaron Strumpel

2011-03-10T13:41:00.000-08:00

Calling all locals: Karla Adolphe and Aaron Strumpel are some of our favorite musicians and worship leaders ever, and they will be traveling from Colorado, to do a show here in Tulsa on Friday March 18th, to help raise money for our trip to Africa. What a blessing! If you don't live nearby, you should check out their music :)

The House Concert will be at 7 pm at the Presley House at 3724 S. 74th W. Place, Tulsa, OK, 74107

Children are welcome. (Ours will be there!)

http://www.therustycaravan.com/karla-adolphe/the-emporiums/

Hope you can make it!!!

Love,
Kate

The Flag of Mozambique

2011-03-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

Is that an AK-47? Yes, I believe it is.

A Delicious Vegan Meal: Indian Cuisine

2011-03-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

After cooking those stuffed peppers I posted a few months ago, my friend Josephine asked me if I had any other vegetarian recommendations. If I have the page number in the cookbook memorized, it's got to be good :) I've been cooking this dish for 6 years. Page number 265 in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for everyone is entitled Cauliflower, Spinach, and Potato Stir-Fry with Coconut Milk.

Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 pound fingerling or red potatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick
salt
1 bunch scallions slices, including a few inches of the greens
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 serrano chiles
3 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large bunch spinach, stems removed
1 15 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

Separately boil the cauliflower and potatoes in salted water until tender, then drain. Set aside 2 tablespoons each of the scallions and cilantro and puree the remaining cilantro, tumeric, chiles, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peanut oil.

Heat the wok, then add 2 teaspoons of the oil and swirl it about the sides. When hot, add the scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the spinach and stir-fry until wilted and tender. Remove and set aside. Add another 2 teaspoons oil and fry the puree until fragrant. Add the cauliflower and potatoes, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until heated through. Pour in the coconut milk and add the spinach. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Taste again for salt and serve garnished with the reserved cilantro and scallions. Serve over brown or white basmati rice. A cucumber raita is a nice accompaniment. Sometimes, if company is coming, I pick up naan from a local indian restaurant too :)

I've said it before, but I really do love this cookbook. And one great thing about this particular recipe is that you can make it in the morning or while the kids are napping, and just heat it up in a pot or crock pot before dinnertime. It sounds a little busy at first glance, but it is a gem--truly worth trying. One word of advice in cooking: never accept bland food. Add a little salt and a little of the predominant spice (in this case tumeric) until you are satisfied...and I promise it'll still have way less salt than anything you would order in a restaurant.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

Preparation mode

2011-03-06T12:45:00.000-08:00

We are preparing to go to Africa, and it's starting to sink in :) I told Zach today, "We don't need to buy certain things at Sam's anymore (like toilet paper) because there is no way we will be able to use it before we leave." That is just crazy to me. But it is exciting too. We will leave a little over 2 months from now.

We have ordered all of our required readings for the missions training school we will be attending, and we should be booking our flights in the next couple of weeks...and I wish that was all we had to do, but it is not that easy. Fortunately we have a 55 page manual to refer to, while in preparation mode. Travel arrangements (3 flights to get there) x 4 people, getting anti-malaria medications and antibiotics, vaccinations, water filters, writing support letters, packing all of our things in a storage unit, finding someone to rent or buy our place, etc...and that's just a small portion of the list. With a young family, and Zach's working long hours, the task at hand is at times overwhelming. It is all going to be worth it though! Heidi Baker is often referred to as a modern-day Mother Theresa, and we feel so blessed to go learn from her and other amazing missionaries...and to serve in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Each day, we are trying to simply ask, "Okay, God, what can we do today?" Today that will be working on our taxes. Tomorrow that will be trying to nail down a place for a benefit concert on March 18th. The very talented Karla Adolphe and Aaron Strumpel are playing a concert to benefit our trip to Africa!! More on that soon :) Save the date--they are amazing!!

And at the same time, my truly wonderful grandfather is his his final days, so we are visiting him a lot, and being reminded that we have about 50 years left-- if we are lucky. Life is short! Let's be good to one another, be generous with our lives, read the words in red, and learn to listen to the voice of our Shepherd.

Much Love,
Kate

What blog? :)

2011-02-27T12:11:00.000-08:00

February hasn't been the best blogging month I suppose...but we are still alive and kicking. It's been a wild month. Max's real birth father showed up at our house on the 7th, so we have been getting to know him. He just found out about Max in January, and thank God, he has no desire to parent him, or as he said, "to break up a family." He says Max is a lucky little guy and that he wants to be a part of Max's life. That is fine by us. I know what it is like to wonder about a biological father, and I think genetics are important, and I am glad that Max will not have to wonder about where he came from. I was like a little sponge, soaking up all of the information from this guy that I possibly could. I wrote it all down in a journal that I keep for Max. Well, to be honest....I wrote it all down in Levi's journal on accident :) It was titled, "The day we met your birth father." Ha! I scratched it out and wrote, "Sorry buddy, it was dark and I grabbed the wrong journal." So that was less than 3 weeks ago, and this week we are taking this new dude out for dinner on his birthday. Open adoption is crazy, but it is good and beautiful too. We are so thankful for the peace we've had throughout the process of meeting Max's birth father and that everything is going well.

And then this week, we found out that we have been accepted into the 10 week program with Iris Ministries, to learn and serve in Africa. We will leave 3 months from today. So, now we have to think about fund-raising, a word that causes a panic attack each time I see it, say it, think about it...you know. I am just so incredibly American. And I have that typical first-born "I can do it by myself" mentality to boot. Ugh. I want to do everything by myself and never, ever want to ask for anything. It's awful. I hope we don't have to do this on a long-term basis. Seriously. Please God, no. I don't think it's wrong to raise support, or necessarily that people will say no...it's just something I hoped I'd never need to do. I've also hoped I would never have to be a butcher or work in the meat-packing industry. It's just one of those things. I've never wanted to be that family on your refrigerator. I don't know why the idea of raising support makes me squirmy, but I suppose it has to do with my pride and distinctly western sense of independence. I'd much rather be the one giving. Flying a family of 4 to Mozambique and back costs just a little over 10 thousand dollars...and yes, that's just for the flights. But we do feel that God is telling us to go and we are obeying, and since that is the case, we know that everything will work out fine.

The kids keep saying things like, "Can we go to Africa for a little bit?" and "Are we going to eat rice when we are in Africa?" and "Are we going today? Please, let's not go to church, let's go to Africa and play with those kids."

So, we are boxing up our stuff, giving away or selling the non-essentials and putting everything else in a little storage unit, so we can rent out or sell our house soon. We'll come back in August, and at that point we'll probably know more of the story. If we feel like we are supposed to stay in Africa, we'll make plans to do that. If not, we won't. So, please pray for us. We have a lot to do in the next 3 months, to get ready, and at times it gets a little stressful :)

Love,
Kate

Planned Parenthood Aids in Sex-Trafficking

2011-02-01T19:11:00.000-08:00

Planned Parenthood Advising Pretend Pimp About Underage Sex Slaves

As believers, we must stand up for what is right and true, and defend those who have no voice. This is what Jesus did and commanded his followers to do. Feed the poor. Take care of the widows and orphans. Defend those who are weak and oppressed. Love146 is a fantastic organization that helps fight sex-trafficking all over the world. If you are interested in learning more about what you can do about sex-trafficking, I would recommend cuddling up with the book "Half the Sky," by Nicholas Kristof.

Love,
Kate

We're Going to Africa!!

2011-01-29T21:11:00.000-08:00

see the little yellow country on the bottom right?

portrait of a girl from Mozambique.

It looks like we are really going to get to go to Africa for the summer. God willing, our family will be serving in Mozambique (one of the poorest countries in the world) from the end of May to the beginning of August...of this year! We do not know if this will turn into a long-term commitment, but we know we want to develop a relationship with a country in Africa and keep going back, year after year...that is one of our dreams as a family.

Zach will take a leave of absence from his job (or quit if that is not possible) and we will take a leap of faith. Since he has Type 1 diabetes, there is not an insurance carrier in the world (at least that we know of) that would take him on as a patient. He will take good care of himself while he is there, and we will pay out-of-pocket for his supplies (it's not a huge deal.) I am just explaining why we feel the need (in general) to stay connected to a large corporation with group benefits, etc. And why being long-term missionaries seems sometimes out of reach. I confess, though...faith is not the biggest fruit of my Spirit :) I struggle with trusting God at times. While I know that He most certainly can heal and provide for His children, I find myself thinking that he will somehow overlook me. Oh, to have the faith of a child!

We did not think we would be able to go this year, simply because until a month ago, we did not even have a birth certificate (let alone a passport) for our Max. But, one door after another has opened and in no time, we are on our way to getting him a passport. We will turn in the boys' applications this week. The man at the social security office told me that we would have to wait several months for a social security card (since Max is adopted) and that they had to verify his birth certificate with the state, etc (blah, blah, blah)...but then he plugged some numbers and looked at me as though a miracle had occurred and said, "I've never seen this happen before, but all of the numbers matched up, and you will be getting his card in 7-10 days." Isn't that cool?!! A few other doors have opened too, and we really feel we should seize the opportunity to break away and spend our summer pouring out our lives and loving the orphans we feel so called to serve. If all goes as planned, we will be serving alongside Heidi and Rolland Baker's team at Iris Ministries in Pemba, Mozambique. We're excited. We considered forgoing the trip to Africa and simply continuing to save for our next adoption. And as good of an idea as that seemed, we feel that we are getting the "green light" to go to Mozambique and the "yellow light" on adopting. We feel so sure that we'll have a little girl from Africa named Zadie someday, but we don't know exactly when. We are just thankful for God's leading and know that His ideas (and His timing) are much better than ours :)

Love,
Kate

Zach and I Model for Izehi Photography

2011-01-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

Most of the time, listening to your mother works out alright...but when it comes to your wedding, you should really just do your thing. My mom, meaning well, advised that Zach (who I've always known to have a shaved head) grow out his hair for our wedding.

Surprisingly, we listened and followed her advice. And then, a couple months after the wedding, she looked at me and said, "You know, I think you're right...I think Zach looks better with his head shaved." Ha! That being said, I've never been a fan of our wedding pictures, mostly because Zach just doesn't look like himself in them... not to mention I look like I'm about 12 :)

And last month, during our tenth year of marriage, the beautiful and talented Izehi http://www.izehiphotography.com contacted us and asked if we would come model our wedding attire at a new venue for her.

We really enjoyed ourselves....seriously, we had more fun than on our actual wedding day. We were rewarded with a disc of all of the images and now I can further de-clutter my house by getting rid of my wedding dress. Getting rid of things makes me sooo happy. Here are a few of the images from the shoot:

Not so picture perfect

2011-01-13T22:01:00.000-08:00

My friend Jill saw my last blog post and jokingly said, "Do your boys ever not smile?" What a fun excuse to post some grumpy pics...goodness knows we have our share of tears around here!

Levi is not exactly a morning person....

And not so much a cold-weather guy either, as it turns out.

Max, throwing a fit...

Because Zach told him he couldn't swim with the ducks :)

Today, Levi informed me that he is Spiderman and that Max is Superman. Good to know :) He also told me that he wants to go to school. I am planning on homeschooling for a little while at least, so I asked him, "What if mommy was your teacher??" And he kindly explained to me that he wanted a teacher that was a person :)

Love,
Kate

The boys in January

2011-01-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

I am sure that lots of other mommas can relate, but winter with active and social little boys has its challenges. It is bitter cold and many of our little friends have colds and fevers, so we are just winging it and staying home (mostly) and reading books, working puzzles, and watching DVDs.

Max, with his oatmeal bowl on his head.

Levi, working his favorite puzzle.

Watching a video...I love how different their skin tones are. And I still can't believe that the more tan one came from me and Zach. Genes are funny little things...

Max was so, so excited to see our 1 inch of snow :)

Levi, happy to get to be spending a little time outside.

Love,
Kate

"Precious"

2011-01-02T10:00:00.000-08:00

So, last night we rejoined Netflix and picked out the movie Precious, which was recommended due to our interest in Juno, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Slumdog Millionaire. Should we lighten up a little, or what? :)

I've actually always enjoyed movies that make me feel, that make me cry or nearly cry. I go months and months, and at times, even a year without crying, so I think that watching movies that are filled to the brim with intense emotions is somehow therapeutic for me.

The film Precious is very well-made and the acting is phenomenal. The content is more than disturbing, but it was worth it (to me), to experience the discomfort. Precious is the story of a pregnant teenage girl in Harlem who grows up in an abusive home and her experiences in life and in an alternative school.

It actually hit really close to home with some of the situations that I saw as a NICU and pediatric nurse, and especially now in the work I do with the Crisis Pregnancy Outreach. As a new graduate RN, working in the NICU, I remember preparing for a C-section of a 12 year old girl who had been raped by her father. Ugh.

And later on as a Pediatric nurse, I handed a starved (I believe she was a 19 pound almost 5 year old) little girl to the social workers after our suspicions of abuse and neglect had been confirmed.

Oh, and the little boy that had cigarette burns all over his scrotum and how he didn't even know how to be held. And how his sister had been thrown against the wall too hard.

I think that it is so easy to live in my little bubble, you know, and to forget about the hurting all around me. I really appreciated the film Precious and it overwhelmed me in a good way...I feel overwhelmed with compassion and feel more and more that I want to spend my life making a difference, and getting out of my comfortable, loving little bubble that I so often find myself in.

And it makes me realize how absolutely head over heels I am with adoption too. A generous and loving family can make all of the difference in the world and can break so many cycles of abuse, addiction, poverty, etc. Sometimes I can fall into a mentality that Domestic adoptions are not really as significant as International ones, you know real orphans...but seeing Precious refreshed my perspective and I am really okay with whatever way God chooses to bring children into our family. And right now, I am especially enjoying seeing other families add to their homes through adoption :) It's such a thrill to my heart. And if you are reading this and ever have a question about adoption or CPO, or anything like that feel free to contact me. My email address is communicatewithkate@gmail.com.

I really want to believe that the girl's experiences (in the film) are exaggerated and very rare, but I know that is not true at all. Injustices and abuse are happening not only in Thailand, Vietnam, and the Congo, but they are happening probably less than a mile from my home. Watching Precious makes me want to always have a room in our home that we have available for a girl or a family in need. I think that would be a great thing to accomplish in 2011.

Love,
Kate

Family pics

2010-12-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

Me and Zach

Family

Matching jammies

and matching coats :)

My Favorite Christmas Tradition: The Jesse Tree

2010-12-07T07:27:00.000-08:00

This is our second year to celebrate the season of Advent with a Jesse Tree. We love celebrating Christ's birth every day in December, and knowing that even if Christmas day is a total disappointment for some reason, and it feels completely busy, or materialistic, or we are all sick, it won't be that big of a deal, because the entire month of December was full of meaningful reflection.

If you are looking for a way to make Christmas more meaningful in your own family, I would definitely recommend starting your own Jesse Tree tradition. This year, we are following The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones and it is just perfect. And while I spent hours working on this project and hand-sewing each ornament last year, it doesn't have to be so complicated. It could all be paper, for instance. Draw a tree and let the kids color the ornaments while the parents read the stories.

I am already thinking I would like to make a set of ornaments and a tree for each of my kids, when they get older, so that they can carry on the tradition in their own families someday. But, for now, we'll just enjoy the moment :)

Here is the story we read today. It is the story of Joseph, as told in the Jesus Storybook Bible.

The Forgiving Prince
(Joseph and his brothers, from Genesis 37-46)

Jacob had twelve sons, but of all his sons, Joseph was his favorite.

One day, Jacob gave Joseph a splendid new robe. It was beautiful and rich with all the colors of the rainbow, but it made Joseph's brothers jealous- they wanted rich rainbow robes too.

Then to make matters worse, Joseph kept on having these special dreams: "I dreamed I was the greatest! I was king!" Joseph told his brothers. "And you all bowed down to me!

Now I'm sure you know, even if Joseph didn't, that telling your brothers things like that isn't a very good idea. Joseph's brothers hated him even more. They wanted to kill Joseph and his dreams.

And one day, that's exactly what they tried to do.

They tore Joseph's rainbow robe off him and sold him to slave traders- for 20 pieces of silver.

The traders took Joseph to Egypt and made him into a slave. The brothers went home and lied to their father, telling him that Joseph was dead.

That's the end of that dreamer! they thought. But they were wrong. God had a magnificent dream for Joseph's life and even when it looked like everything had gone wrong, God would use it all to help make the dream come true. God would use everything that was happening to Joseph to do something good.

Meanwhile though, things were not looking good for Joseph in Egypt. He was far from home and from his dad. Then he got blamed for something he didn't do, and, even though he had done nothing wrong, he was punished and thrown in jail. But God was with Joseph.

One night, Pharoh (king of Egypt) had a scary dream about thin cows gobbling up fat cows. What on earth did it mean? He didn't know. But Joseph was a dream expert so Pharoh sent for him. "It means a famine is coming," Joseph explained. "There won't be enough food."

Pharoh was so pleased by Joseph's skill that he immediately took Joseph out of jail and made him a prince.

Now back home, Joseph's brothers had run out of food and everyone was hungry. God's special family was in danger- if they didn't get food soon they would starve to death. So, Joseph's brothers traveled to Egypt to buy food.

They came and knelt before the new prince. His brothers didn't know that the prince was Joseph. But Joseph knew who they were. Joseph's dream, the one about his brothers bowing down to him, was coming true.

"It's me!" Joseph cried. When they saw it was Joseph, his brothers were afraid. They had wronged Joseph. They had sinned and they knew it. Now Joseph would certainly punish them.

But Joseph looked at his brothers and his eyes filled with tears. Even though his brothers had hurt him and hated him and wanted him dead- in spite of everything- he couldn't stop loving them.

His heart, which they had broken, filled up with love, and Joseph forgave them.

Joseph threw his arms around them. "Don't be afraid," he said. "Behind what you were doing, underneath everything that was happening, God was doing something good. God was making everything right again."

Joseph didn't punish them, he rescued them- he brought God's special family to live safely with him in Egypt.

One day, God would send another Prince, a young Prince whose heart would break. Like Joseph, he would leave his home and his Father. His brothers would hate him and want him dead. He would even be sold for pieces of silver. He would be punished even though he had done nothing wrong.

But God would use everything that happened to this young Prince- even the bad things- to do something good: to forgive the sins of the whole world.

Yeah, it's not just for the kids :)

Love,
Kate

Today in the Backyard

2010-12-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

Max at 19 months. Favorite words include "Motorcycle" and "Helicopter." Least favorite activity is brushing his teeth.

Levi at 3 years and 1 month. Favorite words are "Definitely" and "Electric Guitar." Least favorite activity is going to bed in his own bed. He's been sleeping with us a lot lately...which is kind of sweet, but completely unsustainable :)

Love,
Kate

At the Christmas tree farm

2010-12-01T14:21:00.000-08:00

Ready to seach for the perfect tree.

Found it!

They are certain to find sticks everywhere we go.

Max's favorite part was petting the huge golden retriever that lives at the Christmas tree farm.

Oh my heart.

I love real Christmas trees. I'm quite sure there are more environmentally-friendly options out there, but the magic of a real tree with its scent and all the lights shining through...well, I just think it's hard to beat. In fact, when my parents discussed purchasing an artificial tree when I was in high school, I protested. Then, in my first year of college, they bought a fake tree and have enjoyed it ever since. Last year, I tried to buy an artificial tree. I tried with all of my might, and I went to Hobby Lobby and I just couldn't go through with it. And they were half off and everything :)

Love,
Kate

Family Vacation to Virginia

2010-11-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Virginia is so beautiful in the Fall. The colors were breathtaking and we had a great time celebrating Zach's step-mom's 60th birthday. We stayed in a cozy cabin on the water and spent most of our time outside, with family that we don't see often enough. We had fun sipping on wine and roasting fresh oysters around the fire. The boys enjoyed finding little rocks to throw into the water, looking at leaves, peddle boat rides, golf-cart rides, and spending time with their grandparents. We couldn't have asked for a better time :)

Levi, sporting his new winter hat.

Max feeding Levi. Such fun kids :)

Daddy and Max.

Max, Hank the dog, and Zach's uncle Mike.

Max, blowing kisses to Zach's aunt Stacey.

Daddy and Levi.

Outside our cabin.

Zach with his dad and sister.

Levi and Max, throwing small rocks into the water. They were fascinated my this activity :)

All bundled up.

A little snack with momma.

Happy boys.

Uncle Jason playing with Levi.

Auntie Jen and "Baby Grace."

Zach and his dad with the boys.

Me with my sweet little niece. Isn't she a cutie? :)

Mighty Max!

Levi and the beloved monkey backpack with Max, watching planes at the airport.

Zach playing the guitar.

Zach's stepmom, Ru or "Nanek" reading to Levi.

Look mommy!

Zach and his sister.

Sleepy boys after a long walk.

Enjoying some time together.

Levi did great on the plane. He slept for most of the flights.

Max did okay on the plane. He loved listening to music on the ipod and saying "Hi" to lots of pretty ladies :)

Ru with the boys on the golf cart. I hope I look as good as she does when I am 60 :)

Relaxing together and making memories.

Levi's Birthday

2010-11-20T19:28:00.000-08:00

Our little miracle is 3. Levi, you bring so much joy into our lives. You are a gift and we are treasuring every moment. We love you!
Chocolate raspberry layer cake. My first cake to make....I think I may leave it to the pros next time :)

Levi and his new doll, who he calls "Betty Lou." :)

Birthday boy.

I made a little poster for him, with a picture of the day he was born, then 6 months, 12 months, etc, until now. It went over pretty well and I think I'll do that again in the future :)

Our First Doll!

2010-10-27T19:31:00.000-07:00

Okay, so maybe they didn't need a doll, but our boys do like playing with dolls on occasion, and this one seemed just perfect. Last Sunday, we were watching the babies in the church nursery and we kept our boys with us. Levi was pushing three different dolls in full-size swings and said, "Momma, when I have a little sister, I am going to give her a kiss, a big tight hug, and a little (tiny voice) bit of cereal." The baby doll will be a gift for Levi's 3rd birthday and hopefully by the time his little sister arrives, he will be anxious to give it to her. Until then, the doll will probably spend most of her time riding on a Tonka Fire Engine :) Zach and I are talking more and more about our little Ethiopian princess, and something tells me we will be starting the process very soon. We're excited.

Love,
Kate

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Our family at the pumpkin patch.

The boys, climbing on the pumpkins together.

Levi's highlight of the day...his first pony ride. He loved it and is still talking about it :)

Me and Max. I can't believe that this time last year, we were introducing baby food.

Levi on the pumpkins.

Daddy and Levi.

Levi, smitten with this particular pumpkin :)

18 month Max ran around shouting "pumpkin!" and when he came to the gourds, he asked, "What's this?"

Me and my biggest boy.

Our little guy, posing :)

On our Table Tonight: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2010-10-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Here is a recipe that we like at our house. Omit the cheese and you've got a good vegan main dish. It is from a Moosewood cookbook called, "New Classics."

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 cup raw quinoa
6 medium bell peppers
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
3 garlic cloves
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you may want to leave this out if you don't want them to be spicy.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peeled and dices carrots
3/4 cup celery
1 cup diced zucchini
1 and 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 and 1/2 to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400. Lightly oil a baking pan.

Place the quinoa in a fine-mesh sieve, and rinse well under running water. In a covered pot, bring the quinoa and 2 cups of water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the quinoa is soft and the water is absorbed.

While the quinoa cooks, cut the bell peppers lengthwise and, leaving the stems on, seed them. Brush the bell pepper shells with 2 tablespoons of the oil, inside and out. Place them, cut side down on the prepared baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes, until softened and slightly brown, but not collapsed. When the bell peppers are roasted, reduce the oven temperature to 350.

Meanwhile. in a skillet, warm the remaining tablespoon of oil and saute the onions and garlic on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cumin, corriander, red pepper flakes, salt, carrots, celery, zucchini, and corn. Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are very tender.

Combine the sauteed vegetables and the cooked quinoa and add salt to taste. Turn over the roasted pepper shells and spoon filling into each half. Sprinkle each bell pepper half with some of the cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

Video of an Abortion Survivor

2010-10-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

While we were visiting Colorado, our friends Matt and Sarah asked what inspired us to adopt domestically. We said that since we are pro-life, and that we are in essence, saying to girls, "You shouldn't have an abortion," that it feels right to be part of the solution--to provide a reasonable alternative to a girl who doesn't feel right about having an abortion, but who also feels she is not in a place to give her child a loving and stable home. Our friends were really supportive and said that our conversation reminded them of this video:

Is she incredible, or what? Wow.

I don't know if you've ever felt like this or not, but I spent a lot of time in my early 20's having a lot of passion, but not necessarily knowing how to best use it. I wanted to serve, to make a difference, but I didn't know where to plug in. Now that I live in Tulsa, The Crisis Pregnancy Outreach

http://crisispregnancyoutreach.org

has provided a great place for me to plug in. I am pretty busy at home with my almost 3 year old and my 18 month old, but I do enjoy volunteering (with my kids) for a few hours a month in the CPO office, giving rides to and from doctors' appointments, and have begun mentoring a young lady.

One does not have to be an adoptive mom or have any special experience to give a ride or to mentor a girl, so if you are interested in volunteering, check out crisispregnancyoutreach.org. Adopting is wonderful, but a person doesn't have to adopt to make a difference. Giving rides to girls without vehicles provides an excellent opportunity to listen to and encourage a girl who has no one else--usually no mom, no boyfriend, etc and to show her love during such a challenging season of life.

In Tulsa alone, there is an average of 10 abortions each business day (250 babies per month.) How wonderful for us, as Christians to stand up for those who have no voice and to support and encourage the girls who have the courage to give these babies life. CPO provides free counseling for life for all of the birth mothers and offers a doula to attend each birth, and can you believe that in 27 years of operation, no one has ever received a salary?! Yeah, I think CPO is pretty wonderful :)

On a side note, you may know that we have one biological child and one adopted child. The other night Zach asked me, "Do you still see us adopting three children?" I replied, "Yes. A total of three. One down, two to go." Then he said with such a sincere voice, "But Max doesn't count."

That's sweet and everything, but I don't think we need that many kids :)

Love,
Kate

My Trip to Austin to see Kaye and Elijah

2010-10-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

Last week I went to Austin to meet my new little Godson, Elijah and to help my wonderful friend Kaye as she is adjusting to life as a new momma. What an honor it is to be asked to be a Godmother! Elijah and I definitely got some good bonding time and Zach is looking forward to meeting him and hanging out with "team Wibbert" in about a month, when they come to visit us. Chris and Kaye lived with us for eight month when we lived in Colorado, and taught us so much about living in community, loving well, reaching out and eating healthily. Now they are some of our very best friends and mine as well be family. They are family as far as we're concerned :) We are lucky to have such close, life-long friends to do life with, even if from afar. They are our kids" Godparents too, so if anything should ever happen to us, Max and Levi would be cared from by "Uncle Chris" and "Auntie Kaye." And although that scenario is unlikely, it is comforting to know that they would be in such loving hands if something ever happened. Zach did an amazing job with the boys while I was gone. I even came home to a clean house :) Here are some pics from the trip:

Love,
Kate

Elijah, flexing his muscles...such a boy!

Yawning baby.

Good morning Elijah :)

Sweet momma Kaye and her baby boy.

Me and Elijah

Smiling baby.

Elijah and I having a meaningful conversation :)

Kaye and Elijah on bench at Town Lake.

Kissing Elijah.

Kaye, Elijah and me after a beautiful walk together.

30!

2010-10-12T19:50:00.000-07:00

Well, you know how everyone always asks "Do you feel older?" and "How does it feel to be 30?" and other silly questions like that...well, I had a super cool birthday on 10-10-10 and I think I do feel a little different. I am excited about being in my 30's and the celebration has been absolutely ridiculous. My friends and family have been beyond generous...the gifts have been out of control. But I am thankful and I feel so, so lucky and very loved too. The thirties are off to a rockin' start :)

My amazingly generous friend Liz covered the entire tab for my party at Dragon moon. Thank you Liz!!! It was a lovely time of celebrating with my inner circle....until (laugh) Liz and Josephine started talking about some funny video on youtube about someone almost getting raped! It doesn't sound funny, does it?! My friend Kelly and I were so embarrassed we were laughing with tears in our eyes, and found ourselves wanting to explain to the servers at the restaurant that we really were decent people, etc. I guess this video exploded during my sabbatical from Facebook, so I missed it.

Left to Right: Jen, Liz, Kelly, Sarah, Me, and Josephine.

If you haven't seen the "intruder" video yet, watch this one first.

Can you believe that was a real news story?! Now watch this inspired music video :)

Love,
Kate

Here lately...

2010-10-12T19:11:00.000-07:00

On most days "homeschooling" seems like a pretty generous term :)

The boys, sitting on the kitchen counter.

Levi on daddy's shoulders.

Levi at the park.

He goes to bed with drum sticks on a routine basis. As a baby, his "lovie" was a wooden knife, so this is actually an improvement :)

18 months (i got a little carried away) :)

2010-10-12T14:36:00.001-07:00

"Hi Chickens!"

Cutie Pie

"I'm rocking."

Playing at Zink Park

Hammer microphone

"Yellow" (the first color i teach my kids...because it sounds so cute when kids say it)

Momma and Max, sharing eachother's half birthdays

Love this boy.

Pointing to a bird.

Top of slide.

Trip to Colorado

2010-10-12T14:05:00.000-07:00

Zach and I had a wonderful time in Colorado. The weekend could not have been any more beautiful, nor could our friends have been any more welcoming. It was amazing.

Some girlfriends took me to the beautiful Dushanbe tea house to celebrate my 30th...so much fun!

Hiking Chataqua

My love

Creek outside our cabin

Together

Cabin kitchen

Flowers on the deck

Our bedroom

I love poppies

Mountain road

Will

2010-09-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

My sweet and handsome 21 year old brother Will (the youngest of my three brothers) is going to be watching the boys tomorrow on our first day away. When ever he watches them, he pushes the money away and says,"I'm their uncle, you don't need to pay me." He's never watched them all day though :) He could accept money for taking care of my Grandpa one day a week, but he doesn't. He brings my mom flowers and converses with ease. He's in no hurry to settle down, but when he does, his wife is going to be one lucky lady.

I've been holding off on the fruit and am crossing my fingers that the kids won't poop on his shift...all I can do is hope ;)

Love, Kate

This video had me laughing out loud!!

2010-09-29T20:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, if you are a mom, you simply must watch this video. It is 3 minutes long and it is so worth it.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

The week from hell...

2010-09-28T13:13:00.000-07:00

So, the last few days have been a little rough around our house. Here's an outline of the significant events:

Last Thursday: We were walking into the library to return some books and Levi said, "My tummy hurts." I reply, "I'm sorry baby. I hope it feels better soon." At the checkout counter, he puked all over me, my shirt, my hair, etc. The joys of motherhood would be too overwhelming if it wasn't for moments like these :) I proceeded to undress him, grabbed Max, (and our new books, somehow) and got everyone loaded into the car, took my shirt off and drove home in my bra. Thankfully, I had one on.

That same day I noticed a couple of fleas in the house. "That's weird," I thought. "We don't have any pets or any carpets in our house. Aren't fleas kind of a dirty, pet thing," I wondered? I mentioned this to my good friend Liz, and she informed me that fleas are indeed very difficult to get rid of. Oh no.

Later on Thursday, Zach started puking. Thankfully, he and Levi were better by Friday afternoon. We headed out of town to spend the weekend in Northwest Arkansas with my Nana and Grandpa and had a relaxing time there. It was such a relief to be away from the flea insanity. Those jumpy little blood-sucking bugs make me crazy. Parasites just aren't my thing.

Saturday, I started needing to urinate...frequently. Ouch, that stings. Oh no again. I had a UTI. My second one ever, thank God, but really, now? Those things are so uncomfortable. Going to the doctor is not a big deal when you don't have kids, but taking a one year old and a two year old with you to the doctor is no fun. I called to see if the weekend on-call physician would prescribe an antibiotic. "That's against protocol," he said. Grrrrr. I hate protocol.

Thankfully, my wonderful Grandpa (who has never complained, ever, despite being trapped in a body that doesn't move) had an antibiotic at his house that he wasn't using. An antibiotic that was not expired and just happened to be perfect for treating a UTI. I don't know if I was more relieved that my symptoms were going to be under control, or that I didn't have to spend Monday at the doctor's office with the kids :)

Sunday we came back to our cute little house with the old fire place and the wooden floors and those charming little bugs. There were more. We worked hard to prepare the house for fogging. The thought of chemicals in my house makes me sad. I put all of the kids toys away, covered all of the food, washed all of the floors, vacuumed all of the furniture, cleaned out the chicken coop, etc. Then, finally at 11 o'clock at night, we were ready to fog. We spent the night at my parent's house.

Monday, I woke up and I realized that I had pulled a muscle in my back (likely while moving the chicken coop) and I could not do anything all day. I felt like I was 100 years old. I laid on the floor at my parents house (watching 19 kids and counting along with reruns of the office), while my mom changed the boys diapers (bless her heart) and played with them. I laid there knowing that I desperately needed to be at my house, cleaning everything in sight, to make it safe and livable again.

My wonderful husband worked on the house until 3 in the morning and insisted that I continued to rest my back.

The next day, I felt miraculously better and I have been working like a dog ever since. I've been washing all of our clothes (I've done more laundry in the last week than I usually do in 2 months...the washer and dryer have not stopped), cleaning all of our dishes, disinfecting every surface, and picking occasional fleas off of Zach and Levi, whose legs look like they have the chicken pox. The fog didn't work all that well, and there are still a few fleas, so really all of this detoxifying I've been up to will all have to be done again. I might start to cry.

So, I won't go on and on anymore, but you get the point. It's been a long hard week. But, I've found myself being grateful (and knowing that when we are in Africa we may very well be dealing with way worse--) Gratitude is one of the most powerful weapons I know how to use and I often just start listing off the things for which I am grateful. I am thankful my kids don't have cancer, or any real health problems at all. I am thankful to have access to a doctor. I am thankful to have access to an exterminator. I am thankful for hot showers and fresh foods to eat. I am thankful for my parents and their clean, flea-free house. And last but not least, I am thankful that this hellish plague of a week, will end in an amazing way. The exterminators are coming soon. Everyone is feeling great. And Friday morning Zach and I will fly into Denver for a romantic weekend getaway. It's going to be great!!! We have certainly never had four kid-free days in a row. It is going to be wonderful to "just be" together.

No matter what I struggle with, I have to remind myself that there is someone experiencing something so much worse. And every year at thanksgiving when it was time to say what I was thankful for, I would always say "for my arms and legs." I wasn't being sarcastic or lazy, I just am so, so grateful for relatively good health and an able body. I hope I never get over it.

Love,
Kate

A fork in the road: we might become missionaries...

2010-09-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have lots of hopes for my little ones. Hopes that these little boogers will do something extraordinary with their lives and that they will care deeply for others. Sometimes, I believe I think too much about what they might do, and not enough about the things I can still do, about the things that we can do together as a family. I'm not ninety...I'm 29. And I'm not paralyzed...I am a parent. Zach and I love, love, love Colorado and adore our community there and the tentative plan has been to move back upon Zach's graduation.

We are also feeling very aware and in love and maybe even "called to" partner with Africa. Unsurprisingly, we have no idea what that means. I just know that we are feeling this "thing" together. Our heart is to love on children who have no parents and to see the hungry fed, and to see Jesus change lives and families in ways that only He can. There is a well-known missionary named Heidi Baker and she has been in Mozambique, Africa for many, many years. She and her husband have an organization called "Iris Ministries" and have a school that welcomes families with children who want to help in Africa. 10 weeks in Africa with two little ones would be a challenge, but I think we are up for it. What an experience! If all goes according to plans we will go June 1-August 9 of 2011. We have a lot to do to get ready.

There aren't many times when a young family has a "clearing" of sorts to go on missions, but we are actually in a good spot. Zach could give his notice at work in time for them to find a replacement. We could sell our house in the Spring. The boys will be 2 and 3, which is different than having an infant in tow. And then Zach could apply for a new job when we returned (unless we were feeling that we needed to stay in Africa indefinitely.) That would surprise me, actually. I envision us going for a couple of weeks or months each year, and perhaps adopting a couple of babies, but I am open for whatever (Though I would deeply miss hot baths.) I am thankful for the little direction that we have now, and know that God will be faithful to reveal more in time.

I certainly don't think everyone is called to missions, but I do believe that every person has greatness just below the surface. There is just this unrest in me when I am living this normal life. I'm happy and have so much to be grateful for, but at the same time I find myself longing for adventure and an increased sense of purpose. While being a mother is absolutely the most important and wonderful job in the world, I am not one that can find my complete identity in being a good parent. Or in having a certain type of family. I wonder if everyone feels this way, or if I feel this way because I am supposed to be doing something different. I have been exploring more and more the idea of finding my identity in Christ. It sounds so simple :)

I would love to hear the adventures you are dreaming of...

Love,
Kate

September at our house

2010-09-14T20:18:00.001-07:00

I haven't been blogging much lately because here in Tulsa there are about 8 nice weeks out of the year (I'm exaggerating a little) but it has been so beautiful and cool, that I just want to soak it up and be outside as much as possible. I played Tennis with my mom this week and that was a blast. And tonight Zach and the boys took our ever so gently-used jogging stroller to walk along the river and enjoyed the bonus feature of watching teenage guys bike and skate at a skate park. Levi and Max were completely enthralled. I did find myself wanting to say things like, "If you want to do this when you get bigger, you will be wearing a helmet. Helmets are really, really cool."

Max has always been Mr. independent and his normal response to a person picking him up is, "Down, please." But lately, he has been getting a little more cuddly. He will come lay his head on my lap or give me a hug and say, "Oh baby." I love seeing him point to the moon and watching him dance. He is such a love. It is hard to believe that he is exactly the age Levi was when Max was born. I am glad that Max will be our baby for a while longer.

A couple of weeks ago I cut a little hangnail off for Levi (upon request), and now he thinks toenails are called "hangnails." Fantastic. I keep hearing sentences like, "How many red hangnails does momma have?" And then there's the whole Jesus thing. His question of "Momma, what is the sign for Jesus?" led to a brief discussion of the crucifixion, followed my a sad look on his face, and then the question, "Momma, did Jesus find his way back to his stage?" What??! "Did he find his guitars, momma?" I am just trying not to smile and to think of something clever and meaningful to say. Like, "Let's go get a snack."

And we're still thinking a lot about the Ethiopian adoption, but I think we will wait to start on the paperwork until we are settled with Zach's new job and everything. We're doing our first semester of "home schooling" and are looking forward to some upcoming trips and birthday celebrations in the next couple of months. Last year Levi's party was based on his favorite book (Cookies by Amy Rosenthal and Illustrated by Jane Dyer), and this year it will be based on a different favorite book. He wants a Caps for Sale party (with pink balloons and pink ice cream.) Can you tell most of his friends are girls?!

So, that is a little window into what life is like for us at the moment. Thanks for reading :)

Love,
Kate

Thrifty mommas: buy your spices at Whole Foods

2010-09-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's Whole Food's 30th birthday this month and I was there today and thought, "I should blog about buying spices here." Lately I have not been in the mood for pensive posts, but I find simple little tip posts just delightful. There are 5 reasons I buy my spices at Whole Foods.

1) They are super cheap. Today I purchased small baggies of Organic DIll weed (which smells heavenly, if you ask me), Organic parsley, and Organic chives, and I spent 73 cents.

2) If you want to cook well, it is best to use fresh spices. Spices should be replaced annually, for best results. I usually just buying a couple Tablespoons of something at a time. Or even teaspoon if it an obscure spice that I am using for just one recipe. I would so much rather spend a dime than $3.99 (or more.)

3) It's all organic.

4) Less clutter (and less waste). I keep my spices in a little plastic container. They aren't in alphabetical order or anything, but they are easy to find and there are not little bottles tipping over everywhere and there is no need for a big spice rack.

5) Every time you take your kids to Whole Foods, you can take them to the guest services desk and ask for a snack from the "kid's club basket." My kids love going shopping there, especially when the double-steering wheel cart is available :)

Thanks for reading!

Love, Kate

Levi at 34 months

2010-09-03T13:03:00.001-07:00

On every 3rd of the month, I take pictures of Levi. It's hard to believe he only has 2 months left of being two! It's also hard to believe that I only have one more month of being a twenty-something. Yikes! :) After reading the 1940's children's classic Caps for Sale he has been wanting to wear Zach's cap all of the time and runs around shouting, "Caps, caps for sale! Fifty cents a cap!" Yesterday, I went to the Gap during my time away from the boys and found him his very own for only 3 dollars. I can't help it. Good deals make me happy :)

"Cheese!"

2010-09-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was taking pictures of Levi for his monthly photo shoot today, and Max kept posing and saying, "Cheese!" He is such a ham!! I couldn't resist :)

Max looks so much like his half-sister in this one. She is beautiful with dark, curly hair and blue eyes.

Real Microphone = Favorite Toy

2010-08-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Both the boys LOVE this microphone. Here is Levi setting it up at the base of our driveway.

Max drawing

2010-08-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Zadie

2010-08-22T13:15:00.000-07:00

As we are talking more and more about our next baby, she is starting to feel very real. I am beginning to wonder if she has just been conceived or is about to be. We've been hearing "September" for a while now and I think that is when we will take the plunge and turn in our application to Gladney's Ethiopia program. Beyond that, we don't know too much...but we do know her name :)

Even the boys know it. If you ask them, "What is your sister's name?," they will say, "Zadie!" Her name is a derivative of Sarah (my mom's name) and means "Blessed," "Fortunate," and "Princess." I think Zach picked out the name, even though I do remember seeing the name on a Zadie Smith book several years ago, and being somewhat struck by it.

Do you have any middle name suggestions? Adopting from Ethiopia takes 15-18 months, so we will probably be welcoming our little girl in 2012...which seems just about perfect to us. As for the financial side of things, we just don't get too worried. I don't think we are going to get to heaven and be scolded for spending too much on adopting orphans and not enough on saving for retirement. Plus, if we only do the things that we can wrap our minds around, and that we could conceivable do without His assistance, I am not sure we would really be following Him, anyway. Just a thought... :)

Love,

Kate

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Getting kids to eat spinach: Green Mango Smoothies

2010-08-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

My kids are begging for these and I honestly cannot taste the spinach at all. I blend the spinach and water together really well first, before adding the other ingredients. Also, with berry smoothies, kids' diapers can get a little messy, but this one without berries does not seem to have the same affect.

This smoothie tastes a lot like an orange julius or an orange dream machine smoothie from jamba juice, but it is bright green. Mmmm. It's a little sugary I guess, but it has a lot of spinach. In the words of Mary Poppins, "A little bit of sugar helps the medicine go down...."

Ingredients:

Spinach (2 cups packed...more or less, depending on how much your babies will tolerate)
Water (1 cup)
Orange juice concentrate (1/3 cup) (pineapple tastes good too)
Vanilla almond milk (2 cups)
Frozen mango (2 heaping cups)
Bananas (fresh or frozen 2)

Enjoy!

Love,

Kate

Bangs!

2010-08-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I got my hair cut yesterday and now I have bangs. I'm not sure if it's "me" or not...but I was ready for a little change. Every two years I generally cut off 10 inches of hair to donate, and it's been two years, but I am going to keep it long...which is hard when it is blazing hot outside. I hope these bangs will look alright with a pony tail :)

Love,

Kate

I love nap time

2010-08-19T14:21:00.000-07:00

It's true, I love the afternoons and in general my kids are great little sleepers. From 1-4 (ish) I have time to catch up around the house, read a book, plan a menu, blog, or best of all...take a little nap. Levi will be three in November and although it seems way too soon to cut out his nap, he has been showing some readiness. He is not falling right to sleep at bedtime, or even seeming that sleepy to be honest. He pops out of his toddler bed while Zach and I are spending time together in the evenings and charmingly exclaims, "good morning!" It's a little cute, but not really at this point in the day.

Maybe he just needs a shorter nap, or an earlier nap. Maybe I need to make sure his mornings are filled with more exhausting activities. I don't know. I am just processing. I welcome any advice on the inevitable shift that will be taking place in the next year or so. I was just secretly hoping he would nap until he was 6 :)

Love,
Kate

"Jesus plays the drums really, really fast."

2010-08-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

Levi is two and a half and is saying funny little things all of the time. When we go to church on Sundays he tells us he does not want to go to class until after he has gone to "worship Jesus." And every Sunday, on the way to church he talks about Jesus...and how he "plays the drums really good and really, really fast." He told my mom recently, "Yeah I've seen Jesus. He plays the drums at my church." Last Sunday, Zach finally broke the news to him...that Jesus does not play the drums at our church. What funny things have your kids said or asked about Jesus? Also, I just have to add that sweet little Levi would always point to the little black boy sitting on Jesus' lap (in one of his books) and say, "Momma, this boy is Levi." Now he's too grown up, and if I ask him where Levi is, he looks at me like I am silly and squeals, "I'm right here!"

Helicopter mom

2010-08-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today, that for someone who loves to read, I sure haven't been reading a lot lately. Perhaps this is the plight of mothers of young children everywhere, I don't know. All I know is that by the end of the day, even the thought of a book makes me sleepy. I do enjoy reading out loud with my husband in the evenings sometimes, I suppose. We might finish 3 books a year together that way. We move like snails, as there always seems to be something more pressing to do with our time. It is easy to lose momentum if we skip too many days as well.

I forget sometimes that is is okay to sit in a chair outside and read and that it is good for my kids to run off and entertain themselves for a while. It is more natural to me to be supervising each activity with hummingbird-like intensity and to make sure that everybody is playing nice and not eating dirt, than it is for me to sit back and glance up occasionally.

I really don't want to be a helicopter mom. I dream of someday owning a little land and letting the boys run around for hours on their own. Parenting has changed a ton in recent decades and it's no wonder that we're all a bit tired. I know I appreciated the freedom I had as a child. I have to remind myself that kids are really "adults in training" and that my babies need a little more independence in order to explore the world from their vantage points (without parental narration.) Today I remembered the joy of sitting and reading a good book (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver) while the kids were playing outside. If the weather is tolerable tomorrow, I'll try to do that again. Maybe I can make a habit out of this, who knows? :)

Love,

Kate

Sneaking vegetables in kids foods: Banana muffins with yellow squash

2010-08-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

I enjoy modifying recipes to make them more healthy and try to hide vegetables in all types of places. Coconut oil is a great substitute for butter. Along with a green mango smoothie (recipe coming soon), these muffins make a nice summer breakfast. You can try this recipe or just add squash to your favorite banana muffin recipe :) If you are nervous about your kids liking them, feel free to start out with one yellow squash, and see how that goes. Let me know what you think :)

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 bananas, mashed
2 medium sized yellow squash, finely shredded
1 and 1/4 cup honey (you may use sugar if you prefer)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup coconut oil (you may use melted butter if you prefer)

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease two muffin pans.

2) In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl beat together bananas, honey, coconut oil, and egg. Fold in the shredded squash. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Sall poon batter into prepared muffin cups.

*optional (not healthy, but delicious) step: in a small bowl mix together 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 4 TBSP flour. Cut in 2 TBSP butter until mixture resembles course cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

3) Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Makes about 24 muffins.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

August at our house

2010-08-13T05:40:00.000-07:00

Splashing with cousin Grace, who is almost 1.

Vacuum attachment microphone. Max loves dust pans and brooms and vacuum cleaning attachments. And toilets. Can you think of filthier objects?

Levi on the potty, with a strategically placed book. He still tells me every day, "Mommy, I need privacy."

Our little performer singing the alphabet.

This is the look Levi gets on his face when he is telling a really exciting story...and when he is jumping from the coffee table to the couch :)

Max and his beloved fire truck. Thank you Nana and Grandpa! He pushes the buttons to make siren sounds and says "Whoa!"

Levi in the summer sunshine. I love this.

Personality plus :)

August has been a pretty productive (and busy) month so far. With Zach out of school, we have been working hard together, tackling various projects around the house. We had a garage sale with friends, and are now in the process of turning our guest room into a playroom/school room for the boys. The guest room has not been getting much action lately, and with 1300 square feet, we really need to maximize our living space. Having all of our toys and children's books in one room sounds like a dream to me :)

I've been spending a lot of time researching and ordering preschool supplies too. I am getting really excited about homeschooling Levi. I sometimes doubt my ability to plan ahead and stick with a plan, but I feel really good about getting some practice this fall. I couldn't decide between the Sonlight curriculum and Before Five in a Row (both revolve around classic children's literature), so I purchased the instructor manuals for both and bought a few classic books and games, knowing that we'll be borrowing most of the recommended books from the library. I have the booklist in my purse, so that I can be on the lookout for inexpensive used copies at garage sales and thrift stores. I also made Levi a plastic box with 26 files, one for each letter of the alphabet, so we will be studying a letter a week (with corresponding books and worksheets) and memorizing a couple of Bible verses for each letter of the alphabet as well. He is so excited about his "school box!" He will be turning 3 in November and is already talking a lot about his birthday party (he wants to color birthday cakes with candles and "fire" every day!)

Max has become a little star performer (at least to us.) At 15 months, he started singing the alphabet all of the way through...and he pretends to be singing into a microphone all of the time :) A spoon, a vacuum cleaner attachment, a corner of his favorite blanket...anything will do! We are so grateful for these boys.

Zach has a potential job opportunity (here in Tulsa) that looks promising, and is sort of the perfect career move, so we may be staying here for a while. We miss our Colorado friends and Colorado in general, but we feel that God has us here for now. Tulsa may not be our forever home, but we are very content and enjoying family and friends, as well as a lower cost of living, which is making it easier to pay off Zach's medical school loans in a timely fashion. Mvelopes.com is a really great budgeting tool that we have been using. Speaking of the budget (can you hear the sarcasm?) last night, we booked two trips for the fall, and we are so excited. The first is a four day Colorado getaway for me and Zach, and the second is week long trip to Virginia to visit Zach's dad and stepmom. It should be a lot of fun.

So, what haven't I been doing lately? Cooking. I have a a menu, but it is pretty basic, with a lot of smoothies and sandwiches. It is just so hard to want to turn on the oven when it is 100 degrees outside.

That is us, right now, in a nutshell.

Love,
Kate

Kate's raw "cookies" (making Lara bars at home)

2010-08-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Our mini food processor has been getting a workout lately. We have been enjoying these "cookies" and I have been having fun trying lots of different fruit and nut combinations. I food process the nuts first, so that the cookies won't have large chunks of nuts and then add the dried fruit and chop until the fruit and nuts are mixed well. Form into bars or roll into balls (perfect for kids). The "dough" is a bit sticky at first, but after 20 minutes in the refrigerator, these healthy treats are ready to enjoy.

3/4 cup raw nuts (almonds or walnuts work great)
3/4 cup pitted prunes
3/4 cup golden raisins
a dash of cinnamon

makes 12-16 cookies.

Feel free to play around with the recipe too. Really, i think any combination of dried fruits and nuts works well. Prunes are a great addition, because they hold everything together nicely. Dried tart cherries are my favorite addition. Also, a handful of dark chocolate chips is a yummy addition. And for a great source of zinc, try grinding up 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds in a coffee grinder and adding those too.

Let me know what you think :)

Love,
Kate

Max Theodore

2010-07-27T22:27:00.001-07:00

Two sweet boys

2010-07-27T22:19:00.000-07:00

Zach graduates!

2010-07-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

I will only be married to a full-time student for three more days!! Friday is the last day, and I am so thankful. We've been acting like good roommates for the past little while (okay, not quite that bad), and I am so ready to get reacquainted with my love. After this weekend, that is. I am going away to the lake with some girl friends for some much needed relaxation and my capable husband will be watching the little ones who have been missing him so. Levi will say, "I just want to see him, momma." And even little Max will say, "(Where) Daddy go?" These boys love their momma, but it seems as they are getting older, they are needing their daddy more and more. Zach has about 300 college credit hours, and after all of these years of schooling, we are really, really going to appreciate "normal" life and more time together as a family. It's time to get back to consistent Sabbath keeping , daily family traditions, setting goals together, having great dates, reading books together before bed and sipping wine while sitting at the top of our steep drive way.

Love,
Kate

Lola's

2010-07-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

Zach and I had a great double date with our friends who are visiting from California tonight. I love that I have friends that I've known since I was a baby. I remember Hannah and I pretending to be animals in our laundry basket cages when we were 2 and 3. She has 5 brothers and I have 3 brothers, and so we decided at some point that we should be sisters. We don't see each other too often these days, but we are always able to pick up where we left off.

Tonight's dinner was really great. Lola's at the Bowery (downtown) never lets us down. We've been there a handful of times, and it is fantastic. In addition to absolutely delicious food, the atmosphere is great for a date. I have a hard time enjoying noisy, crowded, and clanging restaurants, no matter how impressive the food. Lola's is quiet and spacious and I'd definitely suggest it for a date place. Also, we grabbed desserts at Mod's (between 5th and 6th and Boston), and that was fun (and tasty) too. (Wednesday is $2.00 gelato night!) They have coffee and crepes of all sorts. We miss the mountains of Colorado for sure, but I must say...Tulsa has merit. There are a lot of great restaurants, parks, museums, and fun things to do here. I guess Friends had it right. Tulsa is indeed the "Paris of Oklahoma." :-)

Love,
Kate

Raw Milk

2010-07-20T11:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the kids and I finally went to the raw dairy (Swan Brothers) in Claremore. It is about 25 minutes from where we live. I don't don't why I was sort of expecting to see some cow milking, but I was thinking it would be more a "field trip" than it turned out to be. That is where the disappointment stops, though. The milk is so creamy and delicious and I feel really good about giving it to my kids...and myself :) I've got a batch of raw yogurt "incubating" now. The yogurt maker has been great. I lied and didn't post pictures of the first batch...because it just looks like yogurt. It is tart and yummy and the kids are gobbling it up. I've been adding half of a mashed banana and/or some pureed mango, along with some local honey...and it is so yummy. I haven't fully researched the benefits of raw milk, but I know it is healthy and am grateful to have access to it. I paid $15.00 for 4 gallons (cheap!) and put a couple of those in the freezer for next week. We'll be returning the the dairy for more fresh milk soon :)

Love,
Kate

The trouble with blogs

2010-07-19T21:33:00.000-07:00

My discipleship group got cancelled tonight, so I decided to use the time organizing my blog. I hope it makes things easier for readers to find. I really appreciate the "labels" feature on the blogs I follow for recipes and homemaking tips. I am so thankful to have these blogs as resources.

Let me tell you, I follow a couple of domestic diva blogs. These girls really love God, and their husbands and children, they cook well, plan ahead for everything, read tons of books, workout, spend daily time reading the Bible, and still have time leftover to do some serious blogging. I love, love, love learning from these girls, but it sometimes it leaves me feeling "less than." I am sure they aren't perfect, but it is easy to imagine that they are.

I enjoy processing and sharing the little things I learn along the way, but I hope that no one ever feels "less than" when reading this blog. I have a lot to learn and I hope that some people, who might feel intimidated by women who are so "pure" in everything natural and healthy, will maybe find comfort in the fact that when it is July in Oklahoma, I might break down and buy real deodorant with aluminum in it. Or that while I try to keep foods healthy at home, I don't try to control the various animal crackers and fruit snacks that my children consume when we are visiting other places. Additionally, I am not always frugal. If I want something really badly, I might just go pay full price for it :) My sweet friend Halen says that sometimes she purposefully pays full price for a desired item, just to keep that "poverty spirit" at bay. So great! And to top it off, I don't work out regularly. So, there are a lot of perfect bloggers out there, and I just want you to know that I am not one of them :-)

Thank you for reading!

Love,
Kate

Domestic Engineer

2010-07-14T20:09:00.000-07:00

I just ordered a yogurt maker from amazon and I'm pretty excited about it.

I'll post pictures of the first batch. I can't wait....It's like Christmas in July....I am so happy right now. I like things for the kitchen, but I told Zach long before we were married, that kitchen gadgets should never be considered gifts for me. Oh, no buddy, kitchen gifts are for the family :) And yes, the yogurt maker is coming out of the "home" budget envelope, but I am to the point where I would be okay with receiving kitchen items as gifts.

That reminds me...before we got married, Zach totally presented himself as a feminist, which turned out not really to be the case. There are not too many Christian, feminist men as it turns out. (He's pretty great, though.) When I first started reading the Bible at the age of 16, I put huge purple exes over any passage regarding women. And I would write in the margin (probably in caps) "This does not apply to me." It's laughable now, and I still have that beat up Bible. Have I mentioned that God is really gracious, and loves me and speaks to me...even though I am sort of liberal and skeptical and even though I crossed through sections of the Bible?

Now that we have been married for 9 years and I am a stay at home mom, it seems like a good time to officially let go of my feminist tendencies. Truth be told, the words "help meet" still make me wonder where the nearest trash receptacle is. And, I've probably mentioned before that I didn't adopt feminist ideals while in college...in fact, I think I may have developed them in the womb. In frustration at my lack of domestication (likely coupled with a smallish dose of disrespect,) my mom would tell me that she worried about what kind of wife I would become. She said I didn't have a submissive bone in my body. This may have been true. It also may have added a little fuel to the fire. Anyway, I am a bit of a firecracker, but I am no feminist. Not anymore.

On a different note, here's a little about Levi's take on yogurt. I normally buy large tubs of whole milk, plain yogurt, like Nancy's or the 365 brand at whole foods. He has caught on to the fact, that when we buy the 6oz yogurts, there is a lot more sugar and fruit involved. So, now he asks me, "Mommy, can we please buy the special baby yogurts?"

Love,
Kate

Grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatoes and green chiles

2010-07-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Slices of buttered, whole grain bread
Cheddar cheese
Thinly sliced tomatoes (from garden or farmers market if possible)
1 can of green chilies ( i buy them chopped)

We fell in love with this combination of ingredients after sharing the Santa Fe grilled cheese sandwich at a local place called Queenie's. Zach has been coming home from his hospice visits with wonderful gifts of homegrown tomatoes and we are putting them to good use. We fell in love with green chiles during our 3 and a half year stay in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when we were there completing our nursing degrees. In New Mexico, they use green chiles on nearly everything. They are fabulous in breakfast burritos. Mmmm.

Zach is always requesting more spicy foods, but it is hard with kids, but this is great, because I can load our sandwiches with green chiles and just use tomatoes and cheese for the boys. This is a nutritious and tasty vegetarian meal that I hope your whole family will love. It is certainly substantial enough for a summer supper or weekend lunch. Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

Fun at the Zoo

2010-07-03T19:48:00.001-07:00

No public entry.

I have to laugh when I see this one. Max's legs don't look all that different that the Sheeps' :)

Zach and Max.

Levi and reflection in the "water ball."

Max loves saying, "baaaa..." and thoroughly enjoyed petting the sheep and goats at the petting zoo. He loves animals!

"Mama Llama." On the other hand, Levi is less than enthralled with the zoo animals, and would be quite satisfied with finding sticks and riding the train. Oh well!

Levi kissing baby elephant statue.

Max with 3 month old baby goat.

The four of us after a fun, rainy day at the zoo.

Clothing optional

2010-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Today was great. Six kiddos that i adore...one 3 year old, 3 two year olds, and 2 one year olds. We splashed, ran, played, fed chickens, sang, danced, ate, watched a video and read books. And my reward...I get a four hour stretch without my little ones for the next two Thursdays. Brilliant. Off for a little "me" time...

Love,
Kate

Google searches

2010-06-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

It is funny to look at the traffic feed once in awhile and to see how random people end up stopping by my blog. Google searches from "dear birth mother" to "cookies with garbanzo beans" to my personal favorite "christian mom spanking spoon" will evidently land you near Godly Tomatoes. Really??! christian mom spanking spoon. Dear God, what has become of me? :)

Love,
Kate

Trading Babies

2010-06-29T20:30:00.000-07:00

I live about 15 minutes from my parents, and to my surprise, while they love my children with a total and adoring love and talk endlessly about how cute, smart and well-behaved they are, they don't really want to "baby-sit" them on a regular basis. No fault to them. They have lives (which is great) and they are really busy. My mom takes care of my amazing Grandpa (who can no longer really walk, talk, etc) and my dad has a pretty stressful job, not to mention he walks around with this huge broken heart. My oldest (younger) brother struggles with some pretty significnt substance abuse issues and it just kills my dad. It hurts everyone, but especially my dad. Ughhh. I really wish I could "fix" people. I mean change their hearts, not spaying or neutering, although sometimes I wish I could do that too :)

While my parents will try to rearrange their schedules and sacrifice time together to help me when I need it, I've learned to only ask when I really need help. I see that their plates are full and I don't want them to ever view being with my kids as work. When they are with my kids, they give them their full attention. They get down on the floor, they play silly games over and over, they feed them ice cream, read books, etc. They are exceptional grandparents and they really love the boys. Every time I am getting Levi dressed, he talks in this cute little voice and says, "Grammy got this for you..." Which, about 99 percent of the time is true.

Given this situation with my busy parents, coupled with my desire to have a little regularly-scheduled kid-free time in my life, I've gotten creative. Every week or two, my friend Josephine and I trade kids for dates. Her husband is a doctor who is in his first year of residency, and they don't have any family in town, so they need time together too. It's a super even trade, because they have two girls who are almost exactly the same ages as our boys. Our dates are usually 3-4 hours long and the days and times are different each week. She'll call and say, when do you want to do dates this week? Sometimes, they'll go out for a Friday night and we'll go out for a Saturday morning date. We've had some great dates.

Now we are upping the ante a bit and are going to try a mom's day out. Three mommas with two kids each are switching off every Thursday starting with me this Thursday. So, I will have four additional little ones at my house for four hours, and then the next two weeks, each of those momma friends will be watching my boys for 4 hours. I think it'll work well for the summer. What will I do with four uninterrupted hours, I really don't know. But, it will be wonderful.

I don't feel bad at all for not wanting to spend every waking second with my children. Believe me, we spend a lot of time together :) I find that when I take care of myself, I am in a better position to give them more love, more patience, and more of all of the things i want to give them. I think I need a pedicure :)

Love,
Kate

Code Brown

2010-06-28T18:23:00.000-07:00

We had a fun morning. We went to the hardware store and to the library, and then came home to have some lunch. After eating, the boys were playing quietly in their room, and I decided to use the opportunity to get online and reserve some of the boys' favorite books from the library. Anyway, I am doing my "good mom" deed of the day and I hear Levi say something about "poo poo." And then something about cleaning. I go in his room and he is "cleaning" poop off of his toddler bed (with toilet paper!) and asks me to start working on the air conditioner grate. At this point I don't say much, I just try to focus on not vomiting and on being efficient.

And then Max starts to venture toward me and toward the seemingly endless supply of poop. I realize that his diaper is poopy too. (Can't they work together to stagger these sorts of events?) Then Max throws a wooden alphabet block down the air conditioning intake. Argh! I was feeling a little overwhelmed (did I mention that I used to be extremely germ conscious??) and decided to calmly buckle them in their high chairs, while I put the air conditioner grate (and Max's shoes) in the bathtub for later cleaning, rescued the wooden block from the deep black hole with the vacuum cleaner , and put clean mattress pads and sheets on their beds (something I needed to do before nap time anyway,) not to mention some serious disinfecting.

Levi is shouting to me from the confines of the high chair, "But momma, I am all full." I know buddy. I know. Then I bathed them with baby soap in the kitchen sink and put them down for naps. Everything is better when babies smell yummy.

I write this, not because the day had an amazing ending. Although, having Zach do the dinner dishes nearly every night is pretty amazing. I just write, hoping the you will feel like you had a pretty good day in comparison. Maybe if you are sad at times that your children are all grown, you will have a moment of happiness in reveling in the clean smell of your house :)

Love,
Kate

Father Fiction

2010-06-24T13:37:00.001-07:00

I am reading the book, Father Fiction by Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz) and it is written for people who grew up without fathers, especially males who grew up without fathers. I am a female, and I was raised by a great dad (though not my biological father,) so I don't really know why I am reading this book. Zach wanted to get it with a Borders gift card we had, and I went along with the idea. Zach is working full-time and going to school full-time too, so he doesn't really have time to read for leisure right now. Hey, somebody's got to do it :) I do think he'll like the book when he gets around to reading it.

We were reading the popular book Wild at Heart about five years ago and I thought some of the ideas presented were so silly and stereotypical, and I would say to Zach (in disbelief,) "You don't really feel like that, DO you?" And I was floored when he said something like, "I do. I feel very much like that." Then the greatest thing would happen. I would listen as he would tell me a story, a little window into his childhood and he would explain the moment he started feeling that particular way. Reading that book was a great experience for us as a couple, and I remember thinking, "I will need to read this one again when I have boys." I should do that. All I can remember is something about Colorado and a river, and a mention that if you don't let boys play with guns, they will eat their graham crackers into the shape of guns :) Well, we haven't quite hit that stage yet...but they are definitely boys. During breakfast this morning, Levi told me that he was a boy and that he and Max and daddy all have penises, and that "Momma just has a bottom." Funny things come out of his mouth every single day.

But, back to Zach and the book. If I could go back and do parts of our marriage over, I would in a heartbeat. Back then, in my head, I had certain ideas of what a man was capable of doing. I would have never said this aloud, but somewhere in the back of my head I had this list:

1) Has a general knowledge of and cares deeply about maintaining vehicles
2) Knows how to weed-eat and mow, and takes pride in the appearance of his yard.
3) Can set up a tent with ease and confidence.
4) Can start a fire.
5) Can catch a fish and gut it and cook it over the fire that he started.
6) Can (and wants to) build his wife a chicken coop :)

Well, you get the idea. I had all of these expectations without even knowing that I had them, and that if I did have them, that they were very wrong. A two-fold wrong as in "incorrect" and as in "that's not nice." When it became apparent that Zach somehow missed out on learning these skills, I was baffled and disappointed. We've come a LONG way since then, but it's still part of our story. He has learned a tremendous amount in the ten years we have been together and he is a great dad and even though he hasn't exactly tackled everything on the above list, I know he won't allow our boys to slip between the cracks the way that he seems to have (as far as learning all of those "manly" things.) In defense of Zach's dad (who you may be wondering about right about now,) we love and respect him very much (he is a wonderful man) and we realize that he had no control over a divorce that took place when Zach was fourteen, and no control over needing to take a job out of state at that time. And even Zach will say that (as a kid) he was invited to learn some of those things on that list up there, but opted out and spent his time playing video games instead.

I hope that nobody reading this can relate at all, and that you always respect your husband and never doubt his abilities....and that he builds amazing tree houses for your kids without batting an eye. And that he knows exactly what he is looking for in the hardware store. But if there is anyone out there that finds themselves in a situation closer to mine, I just want to throw this out there...The imarriage series by Andy Stanley has helped me a lot. As it turns out, no one is born with knowledge of the aforementioned list, just as no one is born patient or selfless, or the perfect woman for that matter. While I have become more domestically inclined over time, I did not enter our marriage with a great command of cooking, cleaning, or sewing. (I still can't sew.) I was not the epitome of femininity. I grew up with three brothers and refused to wear dresses or learn to cook. I would tell my mom that I wasn't going to learn unless my brothers were in the kitchen with me. What a pair Zach and I were! Neither of us knew how to do much of anything, but we were good at school, so that is what we did. We went to college and made A's. We ate frozen pizzas and scrambled eggs, and hired handymen and plumbers when we needed them. We really have come a long way, now that I think about it :)

If your husband is a guy whose father taught him a lot, maybe he would consider teaching a neighborhood kid or a nephew with a single mom a few skills that he's picked up....and tell the boy that he absolutely has what it takes. It could make all of the difference in that one boy's life. And finally, growing up without a loving father puts any person (male or female) at a disadvantage, but it isn't the end of the world. The Bible says that God "puts the lonely in families," and that He is a "Father to the fatherless." He's way better than the best earthly Father. He knows what we need and loves with the only perfect love that exists in the world.

Having Zach as a dad is going to put our boys in a great spot for understanding the heart of God and a lot about life in general. There is nothing I enjoy more than watching him play with and guide our boys. They are so lucky...(and so am I.)

Love,
Kate

Organization

2010-06-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

It is funny to me that I (in my head) consider myself to be an organized person. I am finding this is not really the case. Twice this month, I have completely forgotten about volunteer work that I had committed to. And when I get a letter from someone whose address I don't yet have written down, I tend to save the envelope for future reference (instead of entering it into my address book at that moment.) You can imagine how effective that process is :) Oh, and I have no real system for dealing with paper-stuff that I may or may not need in the future. I just stuff it in a drawer and throw it out after a while when I am completing the ever-dreaded task of cleaning out the desk. If you look at The Homestead Revival blog that I follow, she has some great tips for organizing and de-cluttering. And she doesn't have a junk drawer. That makes me sick :) Our spare room turns into a "junk room" pretty frequently. And the author of passionate homemaking (also a blog i follow) keeps a binder with 10 or 12 tabs where she keeps track of all kinds of things... an impressive inventory of items in her freezer, chores that need to be done semi-annually, monthly, people she wants to have over for dinner, etc. Not me. Not yet. I did get a really cute binder from Target though, and it has tabs and to-do lists, budget information, menu planning ideas and schedules and contacts, etc. It is really nice to be starting to get everything in one place. Plus, I've been trying to think of a reason I needed one of those hip, eco-friendly binders :)

Love,
Kate

Drama Queen

2010-06-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

I am a little dramatic at times I suppose. Instead of deleting it entirely, I decided to temporarily deactivate my facebook account, instead. I'm like Levi, going down the slide on his belly :) Cause, you see my little godson (Elijah Herbert) is going to be born in August and I don't want to miss any pictures...not to mention ones of my beautiful goddaughter Autumn, who is almost 5, or of my niece and nephew and several of the other little loves in my life.

I would miss my friends' funny comments too, especially Jill's. Today her post said that her 4-year-old daughter called her momma's thighs "chubby girls." FYI, Jill is 5'8" and 120, or something ridiculous like that. I think God knew what he was doing when he gave me boys. I want girls someday, but boys are a nice warm-up. So, I mean everything that I said in the last post, but I am trying to be sensible too. I will take this opportunity to focus on being a better to friend to people I've been watching too much and speaking to, too little.

Love,
Kate

Blog Challenge

2010-06-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

I am going to try to blog a little every day for 2 weeks. It may not be great or profound, but I'll post a little something.

Love,
Kate

Evolutionary Throwback

2010-06-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know if the things my mom says are true, but she says that blind people are some of the happiest people in the world. Perhaps, then people who are not on facebook are somewhat more content than people who are. I don't know, but I'd like to try life without facebook. I sometimes get the feeling that I wasn't created to keep up with hundreds of people. Maybe I am just an evolutionary throwback...

Love,

Kate

A post from Amy at Homestead Revival (a blog I follow.)

2010-06-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

Posted especially for my friends with daughters.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

MONDAY, JUNE 7, 2010
Passing On A Vision

Well, hello friends of Homestead Revival! You've been so patient the past week while I was absent for the most part, entertaining out of state family and celebrating my daughter's graduation! And what a wonderful time we had! I have tried to move right back into posting on homesteading, but I find that I just can't go forward without talking just a bit about this milestone in our lives.

I think the highlight of my week was seeing a side of my daughter that I hadn't seen before. As she performed at her senior recital and gave her salutatorian speech (yes, I'm mighty proud right now!), I was totally caught off guard a time or two as I caught glimpses of a young woman, and not just my little girl. It moved me to tears more than once!

In the last year or two, I've thought quite a bit about what I am teaching my girls, not just in terms of an education, but a vision for being godly women who desire to be capable wives and mothers. When I say that, I mean young women who have a passion for the role of being a keeper of the home.

It's not that I never thought about it before, but I began to realize how often I send contradictory messages to them about pursing careers (that would basically take them outside the home) as opposed to developing a desire to be capable women who will take up the torch and carry on with the next generation. One minute I'm chasing dreams with them and talking about all that they could do if they just strive hard enough, and then in the next breath, I catch myself and realize I need to talk to them about what God's vision is for their lives.

Don't get me wrong... I don't want to raise daughters that are uneducated, who have never had an opportunity to reach beyond their four walls, or feel forced into accepting a role that isn't a joy and calling in their lives. But at the same time, I ask myself...

Am I undermining the Holy Spirit as He tries to work in their hearts?
Have I helped them to stop and consider what God wants them to do?
Do I reflect a heart of joy as I live out God's calling on my own life as a wife, mother, and keeper of the home?
Have I helped them to see that keeping a home and homesteading is an honorable occupation and intellectually inspiring?

These are just a few questions that I keep hearing in my heart.

Because I was raised in the 70's and 80's to be a career woman, I have tended to parent much like my own mother and father parented me. According to my very encouraging Dad, I could have the moon if I would just pursue it. He had no doubts that I could do whatever I wanted. And he constantly reinforced that message. But along with that came plenty of expectations to earn a degree and get a "great" job. It was assumed I'd work outside the home. Then I received Christ into my life and my world was turned upside down.

No longer did I have a drive to do only what I wanted, but now I longed to know what Christ wanted for my life. Eventually, I realized that since He knew me better than I knew myself, I could trust Him to guide me if I would just be willing to let go of other people's expectations.

This is the message I really want to convey to my girls. But am I?

Until the last couple of years, I'm not sure I seriously considered the message I was subtlety conveying to my girls. But God is good and brought it to my attention so that I have spent the last 24 months or so trying to deliver a more Christ-centered message. There is no longer an emphasis on "What will your career be?" and now being a wife and mother has been highlighted anew. The new questions are...

"Do you want to be a wife and mother?"
"What would that role look like in God's economy?"
"Can you do this or that and be as committed as God wants you to be?"
"Would this degree/education/training help you in the role He has called you to?"
"How can you glorify God and fulfill the role He is calling you to?"
"What is the passion and vision He has placed in your heart?"
"What talents and spiritual gifts has He given you and how can you use them for His service?"

So where are we in all this today? Waiting on God. She will spend a few months looking for a job in a field she is considering - the culinary arts and food science - take a few on-line courses, and pray about what she really wants to do. Pray for her. And for her father and I as we must now let her fly (although we will be flying alongside for a while). Our greatest joy will be a passionate love for God in her heart that drives her to Him for all things! Including a vision.

Summer is upon us

2010-06-11T12:39:00.000-07:00

We are just having too much fun splashing in our little back yard pool and I have been keeping busier than usual with cleaning, cooking, reading, and volunteering that I just haven't had much left over to blog about. Or time to blog, to be more accurate. I always have something to talk about :)

The boys are doing well. Max is walking and talking a lot now, which is fun. He is getting to be such a big boy. I was a little sad when Levi started growing up, but with Max I am fully embracing this new stage. It is so much fun. I could be wrong, but I think the "golden years" of family life, must be when all of the kids are around the age 4 to 10 range. No diapers and no hormones. I've really tried to listen to all of those ladies who have said, "They grow up fast, enjoy them while they're little." It's a challenging, but wonderful phase in life and I am thankful for every moment-- or at least 97% of them :)

Love,
Kate

Half The Sky

2010-05-31T13:34:00.000-07:00

"Women might just have something to contribute to civilization other than their vaginas." -Christopher Buckley. This week I am reading Half The Sky by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn. This beautifully empowering, journalistic-styled work touches on many facets of the ever complex issues of sex-slavery. If it were not laced with hope for change and with touching stories and pictures of women who have been rescued from brothels, it would be too much to bear. It is such an inspiring work and I just wanted to recommend it.

Love,
Kate

Chocolate chip cookies with garbanzo beans

2010-05-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

I don't know if your kids will fall for these treats or not, but we made them tonight and we sure like them. Levi said they were "perfect." :) Truth be told, there were a couple of chunks of walnuts left on his plate. If I want want my kids to eat nuts (and I do) I just blend them up into powder in my mini-chopper. I have so gotten my money out of that thing. It's a Cuisinart and I purchased it several years ago at Costco for $25. This recipe was inspired by Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious. She writes:

These cookies are so easy and fast to make , but watch out for flying chick peas! If using a standard mixer, partially cover the bowl with a dish towel to keep the chick peas from flying out. (Of course my kids think this is hysterical when this happens.)

I just wanted to warn those of you who have been blessed with standing mixers :)

Prep time 20 minutes
Total 31-33 minutes
Makes 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3/4 cup trans-fat-free soft tup margarine spread (like earth balance or smart balance or butter, if you want)
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 (15 ounce can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 to 1 cup of raisins (or dried tart cherries)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
2 cups all-purpose flour (if you want to substitute whole wheat, i would recommend whole wheat pastry flour.)
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1) Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease cookie sheets.

2) In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the sugar and margarine with a wooden spoon or on medium until smooth. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, then the chick peas, chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts. Add the dry mixture (flour, oats, baking soda, and salt) and mix by hand on on low speed until a thick dough forms.

3) Drop the dough by the tablespoonful onto the baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart. Press gently with a fork to flatten. Bake until the cookies are golden brown and just set, 11-13 minutes; do not overbake. Transfer to a rack to cool.

4) Store in an airtight container for up to three days (or freeze for later.)

I love my birth mother

2010-05-21T21:09:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday was the annual Birth Mothers Day celebration at the Crisis Pregnancy Outreach. It is a great event that celebrates birth mothers for the courageous (and unselfish) decisions they made when faced with crisis pregnancy.

I was particularly encouraged by one of the speakers. She placed her baby boy for (closed) adoption in the 1950's and met him for the first time in 2006. Upon meeting him, she was delighted to learn that her birth son's adoptive parents had always taught him to love for and pray for his birth mother. How beautiful! (Today she and her birth son have a great relationship.) I wrote a letter to Max today in a little journal I've started for him, and I told him of my dreams for him. This was one of them- that he would always remember and love and pray for his birth mother. He even has a t-shirt that says "I (heart) my birth mother." So cute. (Thanks Etsy)

Love,
Kate

Isaiah 49:15 Can a mother forget the infant at her breast, walk away from the baby she bore? But even if mothers forget, I'd never forget you—never. Look, I've written your names on the backs of my hands. The walls you're rebuilding are never out of my sight.

Food and Faith

2010-05-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

I didn't write this, but enjoyed reading it, and thought you might too. I found it at thelocalcook.com.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate

MAY 15, 2010 BY THE LOCAL COOK

34-36“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40“Then those ’sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
Matthew 25:34-46 (The Message)
Food is mentioned throughout the Bible, as we have already noticed since we’re on week seven (!) of our Food & Faith Challenge already. This session covers a lot of ground, and Amy at Homestead Revival is a brave soul for taking this on! I think she did a great job.
How has our culture blurred the line between feasting and everyday eating?
As we all know, our culture didn’t start out feasting everyday. Gathering one’s food and sustenance was just about an all-consuming struggle for survival. Everyday eating was a means of survival, with occasional feasts that were highly anticipated.
And even when the industrial revolution took place during the 18th and 19th centuries, many still spent a large portion of their income on obtaining food.
By the early 1900’s a family spent about 43 percent of their budget on groceries, but by the late 1980’s they only spent about 19 percent. Some of this was due to greater farming technology that resulted in falling food prices, but regardless, the results has meant that most families now can spend less on food and more on wants and desires. And with this new affluent lifestyle we have more disposable income to eat out and purchase “treats” that once were rare occasions.
I remember as a child in the late 1960’s, if I made straight A’s, my parents would reward me with a trip to Kip’s Big Boy so I could eat a restaurant hamburger. It was a rare occasion to dine somewhere other than at home and therefore special! Today, my own kids would think of this as laughable! While we may eat out less than the average American family, it still isn’t all that unusual to stop at a restaurant for a meal. And when we do, every family member can “feast” by ordering whatever they so choose (provided Mom allows it!).
Now, when a holiday arrives that we would normally celebrate with a “feast”, we are hard pressed to serve anything that is really “special”. For example a turkey at Thanksgiving can be had all year long if one wants. The holiday ham? Again, it really isn’t out of reach. Our supermarket isles are loaded and boast that they can give you anything you want, whenever you want, from anywhere in the world.
In addition, we find all kinds of reasons to celebrate with food because we CAN. We can afford to have prime rib to celebrate a birthday, go out to a gourmet restaurant with friends on a Friday night, or enjoy a decadent chocolate cake on Valentine’s Day. Sure it may put a slight ding in our pocket book, but most aren’t going to go without a meal because they splurged a bit. Our new-found affluence along with the technology we have been able to harness has blurred the lines of feasting and eating for everyday sustenance.
How might we benefit if we recaptured the joy of saving certain foods for special occasions? (John 2:1-11 and John 21:1-14 )
When we eat certain foods all the time, they loose they importance. They become commonplace and mundane. By reserving certain foods for those special celebrations, we elevate their status and reclaim their significance in our lives. Let me give you an example of how this works.
For centuries, Sunday (or the Saturday Sabbath for some) was set aside as a day of rest. It had special significance. All other days were common and full of hard work. But when Sunday arrived, it was special; set apart; a day to celebrate. No one worked for the most part and everyone benefited by having a time of rejuvenation because God designed our bodies to be revived in part through resting.
It’s the same with our foods. Our bodies are not designed for feasting 365 days a year. Or even 165 for that matter! And we’re starting to reap the consequences of having done so. Today obesity, disease, and a lack of productivity are all on the rise. If we recaptured the concept of holding certain foods back for times of true celebration and feasting, our digestive systems and our bodies overall would benefit by having periods of rest from over indulging and our spirits would be refreshed because we would actually have held some things as sacred in the sense of being “set apart” (which is what the biblical word sanctified means).
How can we learn not to take for granted God’s gift of “ordinary” food and the creation that makes it possible?
I’m sure that manna and quail was a treat and tasted really good the first week the Israelites ate it, but by year 39 or 40, it was no longer special, but rather just an everyday meal. Imagine that in contrast to the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey! I’m sure it required the Israelites to learn to cultivate a grateful heart despite the repetition of manna and quail on a daily basis. It’s a choice they had to make and one we must make as well. However, I think the fact that they didn’t have other choices in front of them all the time may have made it slightly easier.
Everyday we are hit by an onslaught of food advertising encouraging us to purchase some product or patronize a food establishment. It’s constant! And our attitude can quickly slip back into the mentality that we “deserve” a break today from our “ordinary” foods.
I am a firm believer that an individual can cultivate one’s palate to appreciate God-given foods that some people would consider ordinary. But to do so, you can’t be eating the sugary man-made foods all the time. Most foods eaten as close to the way God made them as possible are satisfying, nutrient rich, and healthy for our bodies, while man-made foods cause us to crave more and more without being satisfied, they lack nutrients, and often do as much damage as good. However, God warns that even some of the foods He has given us should be eaten in moderation and on occasions rather than regularly. For example, Proverbs 25:16 warns, “Have you found honey? Eat only what you need, that you not have it in excess and vomit it”.
Also, if we participate in growing our own food, we appreciate it more because we have invested ourselves in the process of acquiring it through labor and toil. And it doesn’t always result in what we hope. The home gardener quickly realizes that creation answers to God, not us! He sends rain when it pleases Him and pests as well. As a result, there is both satisfaction and gratefulness when that perfect tomato comes off the vine!
How can we make both our daily meals and our feasts a time of gratitude and recognizing God’s presence?
Nancy Campbell, in her DVD The Family Meal Table, says that each time we come to the table we are to eat not only physically, but spiritually as well. When I first heard this it rang true in my spirit! While we already observed a time of reading devotions at the table, it spurred me on to make it a regular part of our lives at as many meals as possible. Although we aren’t able to do so every single time, we have made it regular practice and something we try to characterize our lives by. Sometimes we just read a scripture passage while at other times we read a devotional book. We’ve even read a storybook that was based on scripture. And before we leave the table we always pray a second time to thank God and ask for His blessings. I’m grateful that my girls are growing up with this, and hopefully for them, it will be a holy habit!
When we feast, it is often harder to incorporate these practices if your extended family is large (and sometimes loud!) and not of the same religious persuasion. However, if you plan as much for the spiritual element as much as you do the food, and you do so ahead of time, you can incorporate something that should make the meal spiritually special.
Many people like to add three kernels of corn at each place setting for the Thanksgiving meal so that individuals can thank God for three blessings during the past year. At Christmas, we often have a birthday cake for Jesus and sing happy birthday to Him. I find that celebrating a Messianic Passover Seder the week prior to Easter is one of my favorite times of feasting spiritually. We use a Christian Haggadah from The Friends of Israel that shows how Christ is the fulfillment of all that the Passover signifies. It never ceases to amaze me!
Guidelines for eating: Leviticus 11, Romans 14:14-21. Is it possible for Christians to imagine new guidelines for eating that don’t lend themselves to legalism or creating divisions?
I believe so. And I’ve been trying to practice this for the past 11 years after reading Rex Russell’s book What The Bible Says About Healthy Eating. He gives three guidelines in his book: 1) eat only what God calls food, 2) eat food as close to the way as God made it as possible, and 3) don’t make any food your god.
While we have freedoms in Christ, not everything is profitable. Many people have taken the command to Peter in Acts 10 as a license to eat whatever they want, whenever they want. God never said this. He did say that it was okay to do so when Peter was with Gentiles. When I go to someone’s home and they serve ham, I am free to eat it with joy and thanksgiving. However, I don’t typically eat this food in my own home on a regular basis. Keep in mind that while God’s dietary laws were to set the Jewish nation apart from all the other nations, these laws also protected them physically from many diseases that often plagued pagan cultures.
What would your own guidelines for eating with justice and joy look like?
When determining what my family will eat, I always want to consider what God calls food and how did he design it to be consumed. For me, this means:
1) eating locally produced food,
2) that grows in the seasons that God designed it,
3) grown by a method that is in line with God’s economy,
4) in a humane manner (Prov. 12:10; Gen. 1:28-30), and
5) preparing it as close to the way as He made it as possible.
This is a simplified statement, but it gives me a starting point for consideration as well as peace that I’m working within His design to the best of my knowledge.
The power of sharing food with others: Matthew 25;34-36, 2 Samuel 9. What does the Samuel passage tell us about the importance in that culture of being invited to eat with someone?
Hospitality didn’t just mean sharing one’s food, it meant that the host or hostess considered you’re well being above their own. The host would sacrifice his own needs to provide for the one he had invited. When David brought Mephibosheth to his table, he was committing himself to Mephibosheth’s well being. And for a lame man, this meant LIFE!
What meaning has sharing food had for you in the past? Do you ever invite others to eat with you?
Many of my fondest childhood memories are centered around food. A meal on the table meant security, abundance, and love. And when my mother passed on, her recipes were what I treasured most. Preparing the foods she cooked connected us and brought comfort even though she was no longer with me. I’ve sought to build a similar foundation with my own daughters by cooking together often. We enjoy tasting and trying new recipes, new techniques, and new foods. In this we share as a family.
With friends, sharing a meal provides a platform for connecting our lives and talking about what is on our heart; from debating an issue in love to discussing a passage of scripture or talking about how God is working in our lives. Sharing a meal brings us together.
But if we stop with just sharing a meal with family or friends, we miss an element of hospitality that God has called us to practice. Matthew 5:46-47 says:
“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?
“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
This is where I am seeking to stretch myself as a follower of Christ. It isn’t always easy if our sphere of contacts doesn’t include those society considers needy, so we may have to be creative. For me, I need to grow in this area. Therefore I’m considering a community gardening project or a food pantry program that reaches out to the hungry in my area. I hope not only to share good food, but build relationships in Christian love. That’s food for the soul!

Deciding on a country

2010-05-18T20:17:00.000-07:00

We are a variety pack of sorts. One biological child, one domestically (tribal) adopted child, and our next baby will likely be adopted internationally. But how do you pick a country? It's so much easier to let a baby grow inside of you or to let a birth mother choose you, etc. This "deciding on a country" thing is hard, and I have to believe that God has a very specific child in mind for us. It's not just a random orphan, because that's not the way He works. I have had a vivid dream life lately, and I'm starting to pay attention to these dreams and even ask God for guidance in my dreams. Of course, if this were the case for many pregnant women, they would probably think they were supposed to adopt a kitten or nurse a lizard :) I've always dreamed of having a little Asian girl, but I could adopt from Africa in a heartbeat as well. There is something about Africa.

Oh, and for the record, it's not that we feel that with a 2 year old and a 1 year old, that our lives are just simply too manageable (and our house too clean.) It's just that an international adoption can take 2-3 years...so , we sort of have to plan ahead. We will likely start the process before the end of the year :)

Jeremiah 29:11For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Reflections for Ragamuffins

2010-05-17T21:14:00.000-07:00

Reflections for Ragamuffins by Brennan Manning is my kind of devotional. If you have never had the opportunity to read his book, "The Ragamuffin Gospel," I would highly recommend it. I was flipping through Reflections for Ragamuffins the other night, and read this one and thought, "ouch."

Regarding the topic of evangelization, he writes:

The fundamental mission of the church is preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ. But there has been a loss of faith in the power of the Word. We feel it won't be effective if we say it as it is. It will turn people off: let's rebuild the temporal order first.

But there is a startling discontinuity between human reasoning and what God's Word says the priority is. War, loneliness, world hunger, abortion-these are rooted in man's rebellion. Putting a Band-Aid here and there on this or that moral problem is not the answer. Evangelization hits the core: man must submit to Jesus Christ and repent. He must renounce his autonomy and self-sufficiency. Personal appropriation of the death and resurrection of Christ is the one foundation for Christian community and world peace. Failure to act on the gospel imperative to evangelize has resulted in holding to the form of Christianity while denying its power. Beautiful liturgies; mass; regional, national, and international meetings; crusades against immorality are good and have their place, but none of them is an adequate substitute for dying to self.

I am such a weakling, that even typing this excerpt proves difficult :) I am so much more comfortable advocating for social justice issues than I am telling people that a life with Jesus is the only kind worth living. Here's to doing both :)

Love,

Kate

Galatians 1:10 Do you think I am trying to make people accept me? No, God is the One I am trying to please. Am I trying to please people? If I still wanted to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Homemade Banner

2010-05-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

I made this little banner yesterday for Max's adoption day celebration and I think it turned out alright, except for one little thing. I keep looking at it out of the corner of my eye and thinking it says, "Happy abortion day max." I never noticed how similar the two words are, which is weird, considering my nerdy scrabble ways. To make the banner, I used note cards, glue, mini-clothes pins, and jute, all compliments of an old Hobby Lobby gift card.

Yesterday we were at the grocery store and a woman (maybe in her 60's) came up to the boys and I and said, "I don't mean to pry, but do your boys have the same daddy?" I said, "That's quite alright, no they do not. This one is adopted and he is simply wonderful." That was the first time someone asked me about the same daddy thing. Now, several people have asked me if they are twins, which strikes me as a bit odd. But, most people just say, "Wow, you've got your hands full."

Oh, and one funny thing. Levi looks at the cashier as she's giving us our receipt and says, "I appreciate you." Ha! Who does he think he is, anyway?

Love,
Kate

Rain or Shine

2010-05-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

The first Saturday in May is like a holiday for my mom and me. It's the Jenks city-wide garage sale day. I tell my mom that though we will probably move back to Colorado in the next year or so, I will try to always try to make it for the first Saturday in May. Don't worry mom. Thanksgiving and national garage sale day...I'll be there :)

My mom is an extremely generous, bargain-hunting diva who finds great delight in running a booth at a local flea market. We're pretty different that way. To me that doesn't sound like fun at all. I'd rather work a shift a month in a hospital than deal with hauling around furniture in my car. But for my mom, it's not about the profit, it is all about the thrill of the hunt. And I have to say...I do have fun finding good deals when I am with my mom, and I feel sad (more for her than for me) when I have a day where nothing catches my eye.

Fortunately, Saturday was not one of those days. I spent less than thirty bucks and came home with all kinds of great things...mostly like-new, name-brand clothes in sizes my kids will need a year from now (including two new guitar shirts for Levi...he loves "strumming" the guitars on his shirts, saying "Brrmmm, brmmm, brmm.") I found a simple, yet beautiful vintage yellow souffle dish for a dollar, a cute skirt for me (also for a dollar,) and an extra baby bjorn potty (just like the one we have in our bathroom) to keep in the car while the kids are potty-training (two dollars.)

And I do mean kids...as in both of them. I've always thought my nana was crazy for claiming that my dad was potty-trained at nine months. Ridiculous! "You were trained, nana," people might say. But low and behold, like good karma, Max started peeing and pooping on the potty (fairly regularly) when he was nine months old. I've heard people say that the second child does everything faster, but this is sort of freaking me out. When I put Max on the potty, he nearly always "produces." Levi says "Good job brother!" and then proceeds to do his business in the guest room closet. I guess I am glad that he doesn't seem jealous of his younger brother's potty genius. See, there is always something to be grateful for :)

Love,
Kate

Imaginative play

2010-05-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

It is fun to see my kids' imaginations blooming...I wonder who and what they will pretend to be as they get older. Levi likes to put random things around his neck (like the cord to my computer) and say, "I a doctor, momma." And I reply, "Don't put that around your neck, or you are going to need a doctor." Max just likes to roar like a lion mostly.

Today I was thinking about all of this and remembering the different roles I played as a child. My play usually had an "on our own/survivalist" sort of theme. Some of my favorite roles included "Hobo," "Slave girl," "Orphaned eldest child," and last but not least "College student without a man, just a newly adopted baby." Oh, the joys of being home schooled :)

Happy Earth Day (a couple days late)

2010-04-23T22:13:00.000-07:00

When I was pregnant with Levi, we made the decision to use cloth diapers, and I am so happy we did. Not only has it saved us a ton of money, but it just feels right. Sometimes I use a disposable when I am out and about, and I just feel kind-of yucky...poop wrapped in a plastic and then tied in a plastic bag. Seriously, it will stay that way for hundreds of years. For me, it just feels better to use cloth.

The decision to use cloth diapers ended up being the catalyst for some additional earth-friendly changes in our house. When I was researching cloth diapers, I read a lot of good things about Charlie's soap. We were making a significant little investment with the diapers, and I wanted to make sure I was caring for them properly. I am sure that there are a lot of great products out there, and if you make your own laundry soap, you are my hero. But for me, Charlie's soap is fantastic. I purchased a 5-gallon bucket of this magic a couple of months (about $100) before Levi was born. We do all of our laundry with it, and it will last us until he is at least three years old. Just one tablespoon per load. I love not throwing away (or recycling) laundry detergent containers and I especially love not needing to pick it up at the store. It seems expensive, but I did the math, and it's less than half the price of using Tide.

Then, I started thinking about switching to cloth feminine supplies. My sweet friend Kaye is the one who introduced me to the idea. I haven't bought (or made Zach run to the store) for any pink boxes since. It feels better, it's healthier, and it smells better too. Sorry to be graphic, but it's true. Floral-scented plastic and blood just doesn't smell nice. You can throw cloth pads in with diapers or with a load of towels. I use a latex-free diva cup and luna-pads (and again, if you make your own pads...that is awesome.) I still have major sewing-machine anxiety. Someday, I'll get past it.

Let me know what you think. My thought: "I hope my brothers don't read my blog" :)

Love,
Kate

Here comes the garden

2010-04-23T12:54:00.001-07:00

My husband has been a student since we met 10 years ago. Mostly full-time, but occasionally just a class or two. Always busy. And sometimes, being married to a full-time student, one might feel that his or her own dreams are being placed on hold. I don't really feel that way, but sometimes (like this week,) when it is crunch time, i do feel like a single mother with three kids. Zach will graduate with his MBA at the end of July, and we are so excited that he will finally be finished.

Fortunately, I had the opportunity to get my degree and we ended up being married for almost 7 years when Levi came along...so even though most of my days are spent chasing my tail, cleaning up endless messes and feeding people, I don't feel that I am missing out. Yes, sometimes I wish I had more time to myself, just to read or to focus on a project, but I really can't complain. Mostly, I just feel grateful and loved (and tired.)

When we moved here, we thought we'd be staying in a 1-bedroom apartment. We sold our lawn mower and weed-eater and all of that, as we were preparing to downsize from our home in Colorado. But, then we came across a great deal on a cute little 3-bedroom, built in the 1930's, and now, with two little boys running around, I am especially grateful to have a nice backyard. I've wanted to garden and to have chickens in our backyard for years, but now it is finally happening. Gathering fresh eggs when I was 18 months old is my earliest memory, and I've always loved the idea of having hens of my own. We've had them since last June and I absolutely love it. I don't think we'll ever be able to live in a community with an HOA again. And as for the garden, Zach is planning on renting a rototiller tomorrow and today I roped off the areas I would like tilled. I am growing cantaloupe, zucchini, broccoli, tomatoes, bell peppers. and cucumbers all from seed and everything is looking beautiful. I was shocked to see everything shooting up (O Ye of little faith!) I actually bought seeds whose packages said "guaranteed to grow," and I put the receipt in a safe place :) If we have more of anything than we can possibly eat, I am going to be absolutely giddy.