tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38820496532640635712024-02-18T18:50:20.685-08:00Keeping TimeJenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.comBlogger143125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-79074520152456076892012-08-01T07:22:00.001-07:002012-08-01T07:22:38.563-07:00Garden update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I promised a garden update. </div>
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We have gotten quite few zucchini, but just in the last couple of days we have discovered borer beetles (f you have any advice on getting rid of those, I'd surely appreciate it). The kids are in their pajamas here because many times they are supposed to be getting ready for bed when Paul and I are working in the garden, but then they trickle outside to meet us after they brush their teeth. Don't they look tired? :)</div>
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A few of our beauties that are not quite ready.</div>
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This is one of our picks.</div>
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These are our tomato plants. We have close to 40 in the garden and in pots next to the house. They are bursting with tomatoes, and where there isn't fruit, there are blossoms. I'm hoping to have enough to meet my canning needs this year.</div>
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These guys are our watermelons reaching out the side of their space. There are a few fruits growing. I'm eager to see what happens, since watermelon is usually harvested much earlier than this.</div>
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This is a salad I made with totally homegrown veggies. There is something completely gratifying about it.</div>
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One of our sunflowers. We planted only a handful. Next year I will plant a bunch more.</div>
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I don't have pictures of them, but we have been harvesting lettuce and basil in giant piles. Where the broccoli didn't grow (for some reason?), I had a bare patch and decided to throw basil seeds there to make pesto and freeze for the winter. I harvestsed what I think was about half, and froze 6 4-oz. jars of it. (Since Paul can't have dairy, I use a cheese-free recipe with raw cashews and nutritional yeast that I borrowed from a friend).</div>
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I looked back last night at pictures of the garden from early in July, and I can't believe the difference! Our garden took a while to produce, but she's pretty much bursting at the seams now. I think what took it so long was the fact that it was pretty much virgin ground, and we had to fertilize and nourish the soil quite a bit. We are working on a compost pile and will let that do its thing this winter and hopefully it'll pay off next year.</div>
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We ordered seeds online for our fall garden--carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, and cilantro. So excited to get started on that once our harvest season is over! What are your plans for gardening after summer is over? Any fall/winter gardens?</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-35755872098559250962012-07-31T19:38:00.002-07:002012-07-31T19:38:35.178-07:00Where I've beenI was doing so well with the blogging. And then this ridiculous hiatus. I have so much to tell you, though.<br />
I have written about my sister, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/stephtransplant">Stephanie</a>, <a href="http://littlecallahans.blogspot.com/2012/05/prayer-for-my-child.html">here</a>. If you're not one of the 1,500 people following her story on Facebook or one of the many thousand others, then maybe you haven't heard--my sister got her organs!<br />
It's such an unbelievable story, and it's past my bedtime, so I can't share all the details tonight. Maybe someday one of us will write a book. :)Paul and the kids and I visited her on July 4 (even watched the fireworks that night from a window outside her hospital room). The next day we had to head back home, and I honestly believed I was saying goodbye to my sister for good. We were told on July 5 that she was so sick that she had possibly a week to live. At that point she'd been intubated and was unconscious. <br />
The next day we received the call that organs that were compatible had become available. When I heard that news, I simultaneously wept, laughed, and dropped to my knees in thanksgiving. <br />
We waited the agonizing hours until the surgeon gave the go ahead, that the organs were viable. Then we waited the agonizing hours of her 14-hour surgery. Since Stephanie had been born with a heart defect and had undergone several heart surgeries in her lifetime, her situation was much more complicated than your typical transplant. Not to mention that she was receiving a heart and a liver in one day.<br />
Did I mention that she received a kidney the next day?<br />
Since then there have been many ups and downs with her recovery, but today was a great day. She has been out of bed, is producing urine (the kidney situation was a concern), has been breathing unassisted at times, is smiling, is communicating, is praising God and being a witness to His love.<br />
While she recovers, the rest of the family is visiting her in the hospital when we can and taking care of her kids for her, until she will come home and run circles around all of us. <br />
If you are praying for my sister, I so appreciate it. If you haven't heard of her until now, I would covet your prayers. While the surgery is behind us, she has a long road of recovery ahead of her, and there is a lot of pain, both emotionally and physically. I would also ask you to please pray for her loving and dedicated husband and also her precious children who miss her so much. They have so much to be thankful for, but sometimes all they know is that they miss their mommy. <br />
Thanks so much for reading. I will hopefully be back soon with some updates and a post or two with photos of the garden. It just didn't seem right to post them here. Understandably. Good night, all.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-69722891453675025822012-06-20T10:19:00.000-07:002012-06-20T10:19:32.809-07:00"Daddy"She said "Daddy" first. Third times a charm, I guess. Or maybe it's because we did things a little different with her and she spent less time sleeping in our bed and is now sleeping through the night (which took the other two about a year and a half) and therefore nursing quite a bit less and is not quite as attached to the one who provides her milk, but whatever the reason, Penny is more smitten with her dad than she is with me. Which is totally fine, honestly. I'm happy to see her jump out of my arms when she sees him. And to see him just light up. Those two have a bond and it's precious to me. Oh, how he adores his kids.<br />
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It's a few days late (per usual), but happy Father's Day. I so appreciate you.</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-19771565868522615012012-06-14T17:31:00.000-07:002012-06-14T17:35:26.285-07:00There's More Than One Way to Skin a PeachPeach season in the South has never been so lovely! The kids and I were able to meet an aunt and some of our cousins last week at a local peach orchard and do some peach picking in the lovely, slightly warm, summer early morning. My three and I were the first to arrive, and as we stepped out of the car, I said to the woman manning the fruit stand, "It's so quiet out here!" to which she replied, "So far." For about a minute all I could hear were the birds, and then the kids' cousins showed up, and all the kids were so happy to pick peaches together that all that lovely peace and quiet was replaced by much lovelier giggles and excited gasps and shouts. And tree climbing. And filling ever heavier peck baskets.<br />
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While we picked I became overwhelmed with gratitude. There were SO MANY PEACHES! Here we are, just picking food off of trees for fun! There were so many peaches that we were able to pick and choose which ones looked good, even leaving spotted peaches on the ground, while people in other parts of the world have so, so little. God has been so very good to us, and while we teach our kids about where food comes from, I want more than anything for them to live with a spirit of gratitude.<br />
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We brought home a bushel of beautiful, not-quite-ripe gold peaches. They seemed to multiply over the next couple of days as we ate them fresh and turned them into:<br />
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Peach salsa (I followed this <a href="http://pickyourown.org/peachsalsa.htm">recipe</a> but halved the sugar and added a jalepeno pepper) </div>
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and Peach Jam</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJILrQKf5fPhcX9P_0mdvvD2Q0qa6KkQ_LCww8VZD2P61HQ5uPeSU5ddnv3g0HyH1rvc7SbbLqG6pzgy2-k_JaMk5dNRYzFaQytWsJI0ucxLcCnoxS3PcxqLXpQKrM6UN-LINAE8aIUQUN/s1600/037-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJILrQKf5fPhcX9P_0mdvvD2Q0qa6KkQ_LCww8VZD2P61HQ5uPeSU5ddnv3g0HyH1rvc7SbbLqG6pzgy2-k_JaMk5dNRYzFaQytWsJI0ucxLcCnoxS3PcxqLXpQKrM6UN-LINAE8aIUQUN/s320/037-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Peach Iced Tea (Paul's very tasty creation)</div>
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Personal Peach Tarts with Puff Pastry (yum!)</div>
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This is just a shot of the pickling spices that my pickling-fiend friend <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/">Joy</a> gave me. I thought they were so pretty, they deserved a closeup.</div>
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We also made a homemade peach and pecan chutney for our pork chops one night (so delicious!), and I canned 4 quarts of peach slices and froze 2 gallon freezer bags full. I tell you what, I am glad that I was able to use up these peaches, but I am pretty tired of peeling and cutting by now. But I would definitely not say that I'm tired of peaches! They're so versatile. We were able to do so many different things with them that I don't feel like all we've eaten is peaches.</div>
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I was talking to my sister yesterday about the canning I'm doing lately, and we laughed about how many jars of jam or other fun food it's so easy to end up with. As in, "Well, if there's an apocalypse, make sure you have your zesty homemade peach salsa! Party down the end of the world--fiesta-style!" Not that I'm expecting the end of the world, but, you know what I mean. I'd really like to try to can food that is going to last us through the year, which really is why Paul bought me the pressure canner for Mother's Day (best gift ever). So, we'll be canning tomatoes and sauces later on, and if I feel adventurous (always!), we may can some vegetables. And I really need to follow <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/">Joy</a>'s lead and pickle things besides cukes, I suppose. Eventually I'd really like to try canning stews, because it's so nice to have those things on hand when you'e in a pinch, and homemade is always better, isn't it? It would be nice if the pantry was full of things besides fruit jams.</div>
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<strong>Personal Peach Tarts with Puff Pastry</strong> (4 servings)</div>
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<em>(my kids would get as close to you as they could and emphasize each and every "P" by exploding it in your face)</em></div>
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Ingredients:</div>
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1 sheet of puff pastry</div>
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3 good size peaches</div>
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1/4 to 1/2 C sugar</div>
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A few shakes of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, whatever other spices you want to throw in there</div>
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1. Preheat your oven to 400. Butter bottom and sides of 4 cups of a jumbo muffin tin.</div>
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2. Lay out slightly thawed puff pastry. Cut it into 4 squares and press the squares into the muffin tin cups. The corners of the squares will sort of rest on top of the cups.</div>
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3. Peel (do you know the trick with soaking your peaches in boiling water for a minute and then dunking them in ice water to get the skins off? works like a charm) and dice your peaches and then sprinkle them with sugar and spices and mix that all up so that the peaches are evenly coated.</div>
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4. Pour your peaches into the pastry cups. You can sprinkle the top of the pastry cups with a little water and sprinkly some sugar on top to make a nice little touch.</div>
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5. Bake your cups at 400 for about 20 minutes until they are lightly browned and cripsy on the bottom. You want to let them sit for at least 10 minutes once they are done and then gently loosen them out of the tin and serve warm. Enjoy!</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-37375561943094279632012-05-31T07:45:00.001-07:002012-05-31T07:45:30.569-07:00And the Winner is . . .Nicole of Frontier Dreams! Thanks to all of you for entering the giveaway. Nicole, I'll be sending you an email shortly. Thanks again!JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-295417699965953172012-05-26T11:52:00.001-07:002012-05-26T11:52:35.123-07:00Prayer for My Child<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="" aria-label="Photo: Amen.." class="img" height="304" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/p480x480/539919_3905386242499_1356906064_n.jpg" width="404" /></div>
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I saw this card on Facebook the other day. I suppose at first glance it might seem innocent enough. I mean, sure, we would all be happy if our kids never had a day without suffering, right? And I would be ecstatic if somehow they grew up and "achieve[d] all their dreams." And if they lived in a world that were free. Wait a minute, the world isn't actually free, though, is it? <br />
I imagine that if you are listening to someone like Joel Osteen, you might see this prayer and "like" it. But let's take a closer look and line it up with Scripture. Romans 8:17 says, "Now if we are children, then we are heirs <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28134AJ" title="See cross-reference AJ">AJ</a>)"></sup> —heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-28134AK" title="See cross-reference AK">AK</a>)"></sup> in order that we may also share in his glory." Because Christ suffered on our behalf and because we are called to follow Him, we are called to a life of suffering. We are heirs to His glory in eternity, and as heirs, we must walk the walk in this life. Suffering makes us holy, and if we are true followers of Him, we cannot expect to live a life without it. <br />
Now, because we are called to suffer, God is glorified by granting the grace needed to endure our trials. It is through these trials that we call on God, our needs are met, and thus we grow. We continue in this manner and are granted a closer relationship with Him. It isn't through the good times that we call on God, though, of course, we should always have our eyes on Him. Some believers (ahem, Joel Osteen) may hold to a "Wellness and Prosperity" Gospel. That is to say, that somehow our faith is translated into material blessings. But it simply cannot be backed up in Scripture. <br />
God does promise us peace and joy. But He never promised us easy times. In fact, it seems that the easy Christian life exists mainly in free countries like the US. For some reason, Americans have this idea that life is easy all over the world, just as it is here in our free homeland. I have news for you, our Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are <a href="http://www.churchinneed.org/site/PageServer?pagename=mainpage">suffering right now</a>. I don't mean at all to diminish your daily sufferings. You might be struggling with something huge, insurmountable. I know that I have done so at times, as have many of my loved ones. But the fact is that we, at least those of us in the US and most other parts of the Western World, have the freedom to worship as we choose. At least for now. But many of God's children in other countries are being quite harshly persecuted only because they are called His children. So to pray that our children always live in a world that is free, to hope that they live long and healthy lives, is essentially praying that they are not called to the life of Christ.<br />
Furthermore, to pray that all their dreams come true, is to teach them that their desires are more worthy than to follow Christ. As Christians, we should pray as Jesus Himself did just as He was about to take on the burden of death, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." God's will is more important than ours, simply because He is all-seeing and knows what is best. Just as a parent knows what is best for his child.<br />
My heart is heavy today for my sister and dear friend, <a href="http://stephanielindstrom.wordpress.com/">Stephanie</a>. She was born with a heart defect and has lived her entire life--some days healthier than others--with the heavy burden of less than perfect health. She has undergone a total of 5 heart surgeries, and today she waits in the hospital for a new heart and a new liver. The last few days have been a roller coaster with one crisis after another--a staph infection, frighteningly low blood pressure, poor kidney function, etc., etc. While my sister has some of the best doctors in the field, there is only so much they can do. And while the rest of us pray unceasingly, there is nothing else that we can do but watch.<br />
And while my heart goes out to Stephanie and her husband and children, my heart breaks for my parents. I never understood until I had my own children how much my parents love me and my brother and sisters. And as much as I love my children, I know that a parent's love grows every day, and so my parents' love for all of us is immensely more than mine for my kids. Knowing this, I cannot fathom the pain that they have, while watching their first daughter suffer as she is at this moment. How helpless they must feel. Yet they rest in the comfort that God our Father "will swallow up death forever, a<span class="text Isa-25-8">nd the Lord <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">God</span> will wipe away tears from all faces" (Isaiah 25:8). </span><br />
So when I see these ridiculous sentiments being shuffled around on Facebook, I honestly have to ask, is this really the prayer that we should be praying for our kids? Is this what we want for them? Is this what God wants? And if they are suddenly diagnosed with a disease (or are born with one), does this mean that God didn't hold up His end of the bargain? Is God obligated to give us lives free from sorrow? From illness? No, I don't think so.<br />
Let's pray, instead, that our children learn to "love the Lord [their] God with all [their] heart[s] and with all [their] soul[s]. Love Him with all [their] mind[s]. This is the first and most important commandment." (Matthew 22:37, 38). If God sees fit to shower them with long, healthy lives, then praise to Him. But if His will is for them to suffer, let's tell them "Don't be surprised by the painful suffering you are going through. Don't feel as if something strange were happening to you. Be joyful that you are taking part in Christ's sufferings. Then you will be filled with joy when Christ returns in glory." (I Peter 4:12)<br />
If we can teach them to love God this way, if we can instruct them to follow in His path, the one that He chooses and not the one they choose themselves, then they will know without a doubt that they are "deeply loved" by their parents.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-75190023233455241572012-05-23T16:31:00.003-07:002012-05-23T16:31:38.383-07:00Joyful Giveaway!How would your little one like one of these handmade Art Caddy/Pencil Totes? These <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfulGifts?section_id=7120510">Art Caddies</a> are designed to hold 12 pencils or crayons on one side and a pad of paper on the other, as well as some stickers or whatever else your little artist might like to carry around. They're great for home, in the car, or in an airplane, and they have kept my little people very happy (and quiet!) through church for quite a while. They are also made with some of the cutest designer children's fabrics that I can find.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYDoh58MRc-B59iG7lp-IIJwl4DiVK1_TpfL4P9xWFx0hY07npiVmUqZXCu8tkN7jLv33KGVOekNlyRgojNgdDluL9VXRgwMxBjTKctKlKfq88f0casgswJcweB12-3af8Q7DSE_OAJNz/s1600/007-002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYDoh58MRc-B59iG7lp-IIJwl4DiVK1_TpfL4P9xWFx0hY07npiVmUqZXCu8tkN7jLv33KGVOekNlyRgojNgdDluL9VXRgwMxBjTKctKlKfq88f0casgswJcweB12-3af8Q7DSE_OAJNz/s320/007-002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXK_NCOnEIYZ6YPhwriKDzvs87zQUiULlEXgN5O-SNL1NzxgUK-R_0hMeULebVhuH6XGagB6tgl3ke_5BscSt9PoSeLI7oK3iwh-ngj3taN0yOe_iRp_8eNc3oBfD5i8kMi2F2kVeL3WD/s1600/002-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXK_NCOnEIYZ6YPhwriKDzvs87zQUiULlEXgN5O-SNL1NzxgUK-R_0hMeULebVhuH6XGagB6tgl3ke_5BscSt9PoSeLI7oK3iwh-ngj3taN0yOe_iRp_8eNc3oBfD5i8kMi2F2kVeL3WD/s320/002-001.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFtvILr0FwOFlvk1gk6ILegJNSxEgvdJWY6i5-3-RehRATr_8KmXG8lkS8UGemKttwg2ehflZh7OScFJ3HW2tQ5rjvgOjh5jAOvLa31B1lTyusl9N-UZZWHb06eL0wiE8O-TxVZUg3rtU/s1600/005-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFFtvILr0FwOFlvk1gk6ILegJNSxEgvdJWY6i5-3-RehRATr_8KmXG8lkS8UGemKttwg2ehflZh7OScFJ3HW2tQ5rjvgOjh5jAOvLa31B1lTyusl9N-UZZWHb06eL0wiE8O-TxVZUg3rtU/s320/005-001.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
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Or how about one of these handmade <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfulGifts?section_id=11555942">Children's Aprons</a>? These beauties fit children ages 3 through about 5 or 6 and are also made with some of the cutest designer fabrics I can find. They are also fully lined, so they work great as craft aprons, protecting clothing underneath from ink and paint.</div>
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Well, <a href="http://www.joyfulgifts.etsy.com/">Joyful Gifts</a> is having a giveaway! Just leave a comment here on this post, and you will be entered. I'll close the comments at midnight on Wednesday, May 30. I'll randomly pick the winner and then announce it here, after which the winner may choose either an apron or an art caddy/pencil tote. Go take a look at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/JoyfulGifts?ref=pr_shop_more">my store</a> and see what we have to offer!</div>
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As a second offer, I'm giving all Facebook fans 15% off of purchases. Just <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/JoyfulGifts/185049611543768">like us on Facebook</a> and then mention it in the comments section when you make a purchase, and I'll refund 15%.</div>
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Thanks for your support, and may the best one win! :)</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-41732081482016511582012-05-20T06:30:00.000-07:002012-05-20T09:42:32.378-07:00Progress in the GardenWell, the garden is coming along, slow but steady. Our baby plants get no morning sun, which for now seems like a hindrance but may prove later on, in the hottest part of the summer, to be more of a good thing. The tomatoes that we grew from seed in the house through the early part of spring have been in the ground for almost a month now with very little growth. But the very same tomato plants are growing crazily in pots on the back porches of my parents' and sister's houses. While expert gardeners keep telling us to be patient, that the tomatoes will catch up, there's just no way to tell at this point. I'm learning that that's the thing with gardening--it's a learn as you go sort of thing. Pretty much like parenting. Or life, really.<br />
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Our lettuce:</div>
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Pea pods!</div>
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Paul built this teepee for our peas: </div>
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Our pole beans, which are politely asking for stakes:</div>
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Just for fun, here is a photo of Penny having spaghetti for the first time. Paul and I just kept putting pasta in front of her and watching her do this to it, dreading the clean up afterwards. </div>
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Paul spotted these beauties in the pasture while we tended the garden, and I was quick to grab the camera: </div>
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And here is one of the flowers on our gigantic magnolia in the front yard: </div>
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<br /></div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-89429547491182985322012-05-17T05:06:00.003-07:002012-05-17T05:06:53.771-07:00What's New at JoyfulGiftsDuring my blogging hiatus, unfortunately my <a href="http://www.joyfulgifts.etsy.com/">Etsy store</a> suffered a bit as well, and every listing ended up expiring, and I just left things that way. But I have recently stocked up again, shot new photos, and filled up my store! I'm sort of having a Grand Re-opening, and I'd love for you to come take a look! If you <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/JoyfulGifts/185049611543768">like us on Facebook</a> and then buy something and mention Facebook in your comments, I'll give you a 15% discount!<br />
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Come see our baby and toddler blankets, bibs and burp cloths, pencil tote bags, children's aprons, tooth fairy pillows, and wine gift bags. Please also remember that I'm always adding new inventory, and I will do custom work. If you see something you like but might like it in a different fabric or maybe want me to put together a coordinating gift set, I can do that, and I can do it quickly. :)JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-92001378458493116102012-05-14T08:51:00.004-07:002012-05-14T08:54:56.127-07:00GOFO Urban Farm TourWhen we moved to South Carolina, Paul wanted to become involved in the local sustainable agriculture scene and ended up joining with this group: <a href="http://gofohealthandeducation.org/wordpress/">Greenville Organic Food Organization</a>. and sitting on <a href="http://www.greenvilleuft.com/">GOFO's Urban Farm Tour</a>'s planning committe, which happened this past weekend. The tour included 31 sites to visit, all within 8 to 10 miles of downtown Greenville, and all which follow organic practices.<br />
My friend, <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/">Joy</a> and her family came down to attend with us. We started out at the GOFO headquarters to tour a couple of gardens there, get acquainted with local businesses, and attend a workshop on raising chickens. We were also able to buy some organic snacks and rub elbows with urban farmers that are in the know! What a treat for those of us who are still pretty new to all of this!<br />
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We left HQ and toured a couple of sites with impressive gardens. The first one, <a href="http://www.appalachianfeet.com/">Appalachian Feet</a>, contains chicken, bees, vegetables, and berries, all in an 1/8th-acre backyard space! All over the place the owners had posted handy little notes for our reading.</div>
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From there we headed to another site, where the owners also raise chickens, bees, vegetables, and berries, but they also have a backyard greenhouse. Just beside the greenhouse we noticed a large raspberry bush, where one of the owners invited us to taste the berries to our content!</div>
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At that point we headed home to let Miss Penny nap and have lunch, and then we headed back out to some sites on the other side of the tour. Along the way our trip was slightly delayed by some geese crossing the road: </div>
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Once we'd found our way to <a href="http://www.theblueberryhill.info/">Blueberry Hill</a>, we were quite impressed with its 120 chickens and huge area of blueberry bushes! This family farm offers pick-your-own berries in the summer, which we will be sure to take advantage of this year!</div>
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Our last stop was a backyard garden in a subdivision. It was quite different from the rest of the sites we visited, but equally impressive with its raised beds, blueberry bushes, flowers, vegetables, and herbs:</div>
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What I appreciated most about this tour was the manner in which each site owner made the most of his space. Being an urban farm tour, the criteria included being within 10 miles of the GOFO Headquarters, so some of these sites had very little space. Appalachian Feet best exemplified this aspect, for sure!</div>
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I was also quite impressed with the beauty and diversity of these sites. It was apparent that these site owners love what they do and are interested in sharing their knowledge with others. I am happy to have made some contacts with businesses and gardeners who can help us get just a little closer to what we as a family are trying to achieve!</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-44926378478881736802012-05-07T08:04:00.000-07:002012-05-07T08:04:02.689-07:00Up Close and PersonalWe are working hard to teach our kids where our food comes from. One of the ways we are doing this is not only through growing what food we can but also through supporting local farms and even developing relationships with these farmers. I want my kids to see the process behind "Real Food," identify the crops, know the names of the animals that are producing milk, eggs, etc. I want them to have a holistic view of nature and how it relates to man through food.<br />
When we moved to this area, I was so happy to learn that South Carolina is one of only six states where it is entirely legal to purchase raw milk directly from a local farm with no strings attached. We bought raw milk in Virginia, but we had to buy a membership to a farm in Pennsylvania, and we could get milk only every other week, had to pick it up only between certain hours, etc. It was also much more expensive. But it was a good product, so we did what we had to do. I am so glad to say, however, that we now live much closer to a wonderful little dairy farm that we can support any day of the week!<br />
Our local farmer has been in business for many years and has always raised his own cows. Every one he has on the farm he has raised from a newborn calf, the offspring of another one of his cows. He calls them each by name, and when they see him walk out of the house toward the milking station, they excitedly work their way towards him. One can see how much he cares for his animals.<br />
I've spent enough time there lately that I'm getting to know the cows' names, too. And every time I visit, the desire I have to buy my own dairy cow grows a little stronger. They are just the sweetest animals. And how wonderful it would be to have our own fresh milk whenever we want it!<br />
Our farmer's cows have started their calving season, so last week I packed up the kids to visit a couple of calves and a couple of heiffers that seemed pretty happy to have some visitors. The kids were delighted, too!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWTJPs3g2n81CrQ32gU8oQirtRJXfVDszNeHGZDv-yPMkV8plIUOR1GxEegp11rooeCm_D6DKuzDpDBCsJsDD4o7W4NRT3305vm98xPJONhm-MBKpvccUZdgFfhB0BIHnYDSY2AUxcKd5/s1600/IMG_4417-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsWTJPs3g2n81CrQ32gU8oQirtRJXfVDszNeHGZDv-yPMkV8plIUOR1GxEegp11rooeCm_D6DKuzDpDBCsJsDD4o7W4NRT3305vm98xPJONhm-MBKpvccUZdgFfhB0BIHnYDSY2AUxcKd5/s320/IMG_4417-001.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
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This poor girl had her calf about a week before this picture was taken--she's giving six gallons a day!</div>
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If you're not familiar with the safety and benefits of drinking and using raw milk (the way it's meant to be consumed), I'd encourage you to check out <a href="http://www.realmilk.com/">www.realmilk.com</a>. </div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-78437728735144459272012-05-03T12:00:00.001-07:002012-05-03T12:00:16.818-07:00New FrontiersWhile I'm on my kick, I'd like to share some views of our very first garden. The property that we live on is about two acres of house and yard, surrounded by eighteen acres of pasture. Our vegetable garden is basically in the middle of a huge field, on the other side of a thick treeline through which we have to pass from the house. Here is the view of the pasture once you pass through the trees:<br />
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This is just about the most grass my kids had ever seen by the time we'd moved here. Such a different way of life we have now. It's so peaceful.</div>
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Our latest, and possibly the biggest, project we've taken on is our garden. We spent the winter months removing sod, tilling, adding various composts, including worm compost, and different organic nutrients since this is basically virgin ground. I have to admit that Paul, along with his trusty sidekicks, did most of the groundbreaking work, while I helped with planning the spacing, buying seeds and starting them indoors and such.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sYVuA-F1J5Bmp-h5s_NiZVfe_YL9NlQAQK1t2Uk6DA5NPiqXJRc8y2IQ3wZxRqHpftKYoSCkPU5lPju-beG0XjV7RiVK6azu8_Wx7bmvO_94tPvub-obmhpMFvowZwmsLXq_P13V6VgG/s1600/056-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sYVuA-F1J5Bmp-h5s_NiZVfe_YL9NlQAQK1t2Uk6DA5NPiqXJRc8y2IQ3wZxRqHpftKYoSCkPU5lPju-beG0XjV7RiVK6azu8_Wx7bmvO_94tPvub-obmhpMFvowZwmsLXq_P13V6VgG/s320/056-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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At this point, we have some lovely seedlings and small plants in a fenced-in (we have lots of deer and without a fence would have an all-you-can-eat buffet) 20 x 20 plot that offers just about all the work we can handle. We have planted 4 different kinds of tomatoes (I'm planning on canning quite a bit), 2 different kinds of peppers, carrots, onions, 3 different kinds of lettuce, zucchini, cucumbers, beets, pole beans, peas, yellow squash, and watermelon. We'll see how it goes!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcptLeqUZ8koMcjRWRvSK8xpmsQJfqAk1U2S5rWsICo2HjujhK27BJkBFgQgIEY3g6-x9o4RFZ-QqUuS-W0R4jFjbuMiEkCGNKWVtT3dAHHDiiMiXofs8gbn6f50KNqvzAdxh1OGOr3mA/s1600/018-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMcptLeqUZ8koMcjRWRvSK8xpmsQJfqAk1U2S5rWsICo2HjujhK27BJkBFgQgIEY3g6-x9o4RFZ-QqUuS-W0R4jFjbuMiEkCGNKWVtT3dAHHDiiMiXofs8gbn6f50KNqvzAdxh1OGOr3mA/s320/018-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is the entire garden with some fun edits with my new camera. :)</div>
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One of our biggest babies, a garden pea</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYlAUmRacpX-VYLhZ9Q9yiV2uHOcordOBsvvKR_UDH19J9v7wnf3JYdwBzikgf4735uEennMwWwqhcV1l2CIKr-yxasyNubOi1S0jx_QQOQ1-Sl_eJwQMLfoEcNmozNBaMqtK3x1ecwIs/s1600/013-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYlAUmRacpX-VYLhZ9Q9yiV2uHOcordOBsvvKR_UDH19J9v7wnf3JYdwBzikgf4735uEennMwWwqhcV1l2CIKr-yxasyNubOi1S0jx_QQOQ1-Sl_eJwQMLfoEcNmozNBaMqtK3x1ecwIs/s320/013-001.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
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Here are my other babies, my cilantro, basil, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme, and dill:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginiH3mDf0WpcGG6FOfeAE6hyphenhyphenmyQ13K3fVUGR-AreWnrRB_7ImvfYDAvZrw-7LOF1R6lJp9sD3WZI_s6g2FSjruPIzsdPJ8Nv-QWm8sMj-8CeNaTMraqyD624p3vZFCZ2BvPlbgUIYALWe/s1600/022-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEginiH3mDf0WpcGG6FOfeAE6hyphenhyphenmyQ13K3fVUGR-AreWnrRB_7ImvfYDAvZrw-7LOF1R6lJp9sD3WZI_s6g2FSjruPIzsdPJ8Nv-QWm8sMj-8CeNaTMraqyD624p3vZFCZ2BvPlbgUIYALWe/s320/022-001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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This last shot is just for fun. While testing my new camera, I reached up high to catch the top of this nest in the fern on my front porch, not realizing until I looked at the shot that there are a couple of eggs inside! What fun it will be for the kids to have baby birds on the front porch!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6UDu4CfHjYeEDoTvs_ecm9wBTPP8rY-njUOegVAQ6UNn-a_3zktUsGszZd-gf-VNh-4kpJM-u2v-txtu4KI3QcobtZQ13SnLUoHrMYean8_zxHsH0Nb2hXXSLLbXKUEYs0GyvSvehNtM/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR6UDu4CfHjYeEDoTvs_ecm9wBTPP8rY-njUOegVAQ6UNn-a_3zktUsGszZd-gf-VNh-4kpJM-u2v-txtu4KI3QcobtZQ13SnLUoHrMYean8_zxHsH0Nb2hXXSLLbXKUEYs0GyvSvehNtM/s320/008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-7439166866789065802012-05-03T05:12:00.000-07:002012-05-03T05:12:18.200-07:00New TitleA long while back I wrote a <a href="http://littlecallahans.blogspot.com/2010/12/charlie-and-judah-and-bun-in-oven.html">post</a> explaining that I was going to need a new title for my blog, but then I never changed it. It didn't seem fair to name my blog by the names of two of my three kids. And now that I'm older and wiser, I have the sense not to just change the name of my blog from "Charlie and Judah" to "Charlie, Judah, and Penelope," knowing full well that that is probably the best way to ensure that I will immediately become pregnant again. Paul is suggesting, "Charlie, Judah, Penelope, etc., etc." but I don't know. Seems a little hopeful on his part.<br />
So I came up with "Keeping Time." If you're poetic at all or a lover of words, then you get it. But just for fun, and because I like to hear myself talk, I will go ahead and explain the double meaning. I spend a lot of time focusing on our daily rhythm. It's helpful to me (and the kids) to have routine, but it's also such an important aspect to all life. While we're not exactly Waldorf-y around here, I truly appreciate that part of Waldorf training, which is summarized beautifully <a href="http://thebearthinstitute.memberlodge.com/Default.aspx?pageId=643773">here</a>. In this sense, "keeping time" speaks to keeping the rhythm. Secondly, I like to think of my blogging as capturing these snippets of our life, thus <em>keeping time.</em> So, you see? Aaahh, yes, you see.<br />
We took quite a hiatus there. Nearly every day I thought about my blog and ached to sit down and write something or post some pictures. But life was just overbearing, and I had to submit. For some reason I feel life calming down a wee bit, so just as blogging was set aside, blogging is picked up again. I don't know if it's the longer days of spring v. winter? We have also finished our formal schooling (I say formal because you know that schooling is always happening, even if we're not sitting at the table doing math worksheets or reading from a textbook) for the year, thus freeing even more time.<br />
Since it has been so long, I would like to take just a minute and update you on my <a href="http://stephanielindstrom.wordpress.com/">sister's status</a>. She is still waiting. Waiting for a heart and liver. There isn't much to say except that while her physical health is deteriorating, she remains at home for the time being. She is on full-time oxygen and weakens and tires easily, but her spirits are up. I would covet your prayers on her behalf: that she would grow ever closer to God and see His higher ways, and that her call would come in His perfect timing. And of course for her children, husband, parents. siblings, and other family and friends that love her. You might also pray for the family of the donor, whoever that might be, as it is sure to be a painful time for them.<br />
Thank you for reading, and have a beautiful day, wherever you are.<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Arial; font-size: small;"><em>O my God, I
offer unto Thee all my thoughts, works, joys, and sufferings of this
day.</em></span></div>
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</em></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Arial; font-size: small;"><em>And I beseech
Thee to grant me Thy grace that I may not offend Thee this day; but may
faithfully serve Thee and do Thy holy will in all things. Amen.</em></span></div>
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</em></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Arial; font-size: small;"><em>Glory be to
the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.<br />As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.</em></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman, Times, Arial; font-size: small;"><em>May the Lord
bless us, and keep us from evil, and bring us unto everlasting life.
Amen.</em></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-35537873825850851832012-05-01T17:45:00.000-07:002012-05-01T17:45:44.886-07:00Catching UpI just don't know where to begin. It's been too long, friend. I'm going to try to ease my way back into the blogosphere again. I think for my first post in seven months (how can that be???), I'm going to begin with a few shots from our recent family portrait session with my friend <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/">Joy</a>. She took us out to a park near her home in North Carolina where we tried our darnedest to coax smiles out of a camera-shy Charlie. Of all the kids, she was the last one I had pegged for trouble, but I guess you never can tell with kids, huh? But Joy, armed with some helpers and a quick trigger finger, managed to capture quite a few good moments:<br />
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They turned out beautifully, didn't they? Many thanks to Joy and her family of helpers. :) <br />JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-85128517528746550792011-09-20T13:44:00.000-07:002011-09-20T13:44:05.523-07:00Happy birthday, CharlieBaby girl, I'm sorry it's late, but you know how busy Mama has been. You know how busy, because, of course, you watch me and you help me. I hope that I'm teaching you great things and that someday you'll use them to mother your own baby girls and boys. And I want you to know that I couldn't do this without you. So thank you for making me a mother, six years (and five days) ago. <br />
Happy birthday, my sweet, spunky, over-cautious but so astute and beautiful, lanky, blonde, mothering cutie pie.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6IqGsx5qgVxPVos7wDcOLwsiAWhBZBpst684MWJJhuYcxWOwSdq2tTbo8Xl1qbXjTEoRCgC2oaVfdgbXZ5T70YzCM-CGkQVJnTuiy3hxb6O6QkV9Jm7SVlvGsejbCHGFFhCr85_6KvHV/s1600/IMG_4031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH6IqGsx5qgVxPVos7wDcOLwsiAWhBZBpst684MWJJhuYcxWOwSdq2tTbo8Xl1qbXjTEoRCgC2oaVfdgbXZ5T70YzCM-CGkQVJnTuiy3hxb6O6QkV9Jm7SVlvGsejbCHGFFhCr85_6KvHV/s320/IMG_4031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-83414406605980923142011-09-20T13:00:00.000-07:002011-09-20T13:00:11.087-07:00Birth story<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think I’d mentioned that I had about 3 weeks of on-again-off-again labor, right? And also that I was about 42 weeks pregnant by the time my baby arrived? The plan was to break my water on the evening of July 13 to try to get things started, which was not ideal, and I had a really hard time making that decision. I was nervous to do so, since once we did it, I’d pretty much be on the clock to have this baby. So the night that I actually went into labor—the kind of labor that produces a baby—it really is no wonder that Paul didn’t believe me and told me several times to leave him alone and go to sleep. Seriously, I can’t blame him. But boy was I mad at him then. We had watched a movie (I wish I could remember which one), during which I was ignoring contractions. Sort of reverse psychology with myself. Anyway, once the movie was over and we were trying to go to sleep, I just couldn’t ignore the pain anymore, and I asked Paul to time the contractions for me, as I wear contacts during the day and glasses at night, so in order to see the clock across the room, I have to put my glasses on, and it just didn’t make sense to me to do that every four minutes. EVERY FOUR MINUTES??? Contractions are really coming every four minutes? Geeze, I had no idea that I’d so successfully started labor by ignoring contractions!<o:p></o:p></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">12:00 AM So, Paul was timing these for me and then nearly falling asleep between contractions, and so every time I had another one and then had to wake him up, yes, he was getting a bit annoyed with me. At one point I said something like, “Paul, you need to STEP UP. I’m in labor here.” Then I asked him to please call my midwife and get things going. I think he still didn’t believe me even at this point, but whatever. He made the call and the birth team started on their way. Then I got out of bed and started a bath for myself, and Paul finally realized that this was the real deal. Then he totally did “step up.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">1:00-1:30 AM My wonderful midwife (this was her third time with us) showed up and seemed to be pleased that I appeared to actually be in labor this time. She sat in the bathroom with me while I labored in the tub by candlelight. It was so peaceful, and I was so glad to be laboring at night while the kids slept. I stayed in the water for as long as I was comfortable and then got out and labored in the bedroom, switching often between the bed and the floor. I really wanted my body to be stretched out, even standing, but I felt too weak to hold this pose for very long. I had thrown up several times and was so tired that I had to be very careful not to lose my strength.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2:30 AM The pain was so intense. I think this was my most intense labor ever, probably because it was so quick. I felt like I could just not get on top of things. At this point, I realized (as a woman must do at some point during labor) that I needed to let go. Labor is this incredible experience where three very strong forces—the woman’s body, the woman herself, and the baby—are in action and need to be cooperating in order to bring about good results. In order to have a successful labor, the woman must give in. She must surrender to labor. It’s so hard, because she feels like her body is trying to destroy her. It’s so difficult to feel those waves rising around and to just surrender to them, almost feeling like they’re going to consume and drown you. But once the laboring woman gives in to the experience, the intensity, it’s almost like her body invites her back in for a little more of the control. It’s so hard to explain. Once you give up control, you get a little of it back, and then all three forces are synchronized. The body squeezes another “God-help-me” contraction and the baby moves down into the birth canal, and then mama feels that urge to puuuuushshshsh, then hold that baby right where she is to wait for her body to start the next play. It’s an unbelievable well-oiled machine, a beautiful and perfect picture of nature at her best.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3:00 AM At this time, I first felt the urge to push. I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I was. I knew we were near the end. I kept shaking my head and crying, “Come on, baby, come on out. We want to meet you.” Shortly after first feeling the urge, I tried to stand up. I could feel my baby sliding ever lower, and the sensation was just so intense. I then asked Paul to sit on the stool that we’d brought into the room so that I could sit on his lap, facing the same direction and sort of creating a birthing stool with his legs. It’s the position that we used to birth Judah, and it worked very well then, as he was born after only a couple of pushes once I sat on Paul’s lap. This time was taking a little longer than Judah’s birth did, and poor Paul had to endure sitting under a laboring woman for way too long. What a trooper. We made a great team, and it was awesome for me to have his support, both emotional and actual physical support. Each contraction produced bigger and stronger pushes, and the entire birthing team assured me that it would not be long at all until I held my baby. I started to then touch her head as she crowned, or actually the bag of waters, as the sack didn’t break until about a minute before she was born. I had to hold her head there through three contractions in order to ease her out, so as not to tear. That was agonizing but necessary and very much worth it!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3:35 My water broke, and with the next contraction, out came baby’s head. I got my hands down there, ready to catch the rest of her. Just a minute later, out slithered her little body. I caught her myself and wrapped her up in my arms, which means that I was the first one to see whether baby was a boy or a girl. The light was so dim that I didn’t believe it—“It’s a GIIIIIRRRRLLLLL!!!” Not that I would have minded a boy, but I was so surprised and happy to have another girl.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just a little while later, Paul brought the kids in to meet their new baby sister. What a strange experience it must have been to go to bed one night and then wake up with a new sibling. Judah wasn’t very interested until the next day, but Charlie was having a blast studying the baby, holding her, and hanging out with the birthing team. Among all the many reasons, this is probably my favorite reason for having a home birth—being all together in our own home for the entire experience and having that immediate bonding time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Well, that’s about it. We had a pretty short babymoon, considering we moved two and a half weeks later and Paul had to work his last week on Capitol Hill! But she has nursed like a champ from the very beginning and is already sleeping through most nights. So for me, the transition from 2 to 3 has been a bit easier than from 1 to 2. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Just for you, I’m posting some pics from Baby Penny’s baptism which took place in our home parish in Virginia before we left, while she was only days old. It was so special to have her baptized by the same priest that baptized me into the Church just months earlier, and, in fact, with the same godmother. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhb8q9gNZfoa8HjUM_SxICzVgi2HWplUdsFdjjgqb6sKgfOc8OXSrRiLlytU5thObemjy9dBOxz3wYofEBI51HzZCcaYIgNeShhlAzLyJL9Pt9vvRpnnP6453IPw_GHK9xlBRJkZHnOD5/s1600/IMG_3992-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhb8q9gNZfoa8HjUM_SxICzVgi2HWplUdsFdjjgqb6sKgfOc8OXSrRiLlytU5thObemjy9dBOxz3wYofEBI51HzZCcaYIgNeShhlAzLyJL9Pt9vvRpnnP6453IPw_GHK9xlBRJkZHnOD5/s320/IMG_3992-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-13376923037265480572011-09-07T18:55:00.000-07:002011-09-28T09:38:31.354-07:00In my spare timeI was talking with a customer today (a customer of my sewing business, that is--she needs a nap mat for her little pre-schooler) about the specifics for her purchase. Once we had decided on the fabric and the other particulars, she thanked me for making this custom item for her. I told her how happy I am to do it, as it is a pretty fun project for me. I really love making things for kids and babies. She laughed and said, "I wish I had time for projects!" I would have laughed along with her, had this not felt like such an isult. Who does she think she is implying that I'm just sitting around all day waiting for people to call me with sewing projects??? Doesn't she know I have three kids at home, two of whom I'm homeschooling and one of whom is an exclusively breastfed newborn? I also somehow manage to maintain a home, without a dishwasher, mind you. If I'm working on a sewing project, I promise it's not because I have nothing else to do!<br />
And while everything I just said is actually true, I'm only joking about the "insult" part. Okay, maybe I am truly a little bit insulted, but that's just my pride. There's no reason at all to feel this way. No REAL reason. We're all given the same number of hours in a day, and we all choose how to use them. While sometimes I feel like I can't even go to the bathroom without the explicit permission from at least four people, deep down I am happy about how my hours are spent.<br />
That said, I have been EXTREMELY busy since Penelope was born almost two months ago. Since giving birth, we have packed up our life and moved two states away, Paul has started a new job, and Charlie has started first grade in homeschool. Judah started potty training, and then I thought I was going to lose my mind. I realized he wasn't ready, and we have set that on the back burner for a bit. <br />
I, with the help of Paul's family, also organized a surprise party for Paul's 40th birthday. It totally went off without a hitch, and he would have been completely surprised, had not Judah opened the door just before Paul walked in. It would have been fine at that point, had not Paul's dad whisked Judah from the doorstep and shut the door on Paul. And Paul might still have not suspected anything, had not someone instantly closed the blinds. Oh, no, nothing going on here! Anyway, Paul knew what he was walking into, but it was still a great party. I became a bit emotional at one point, remembering life without kids at all, and somehow now there are all these little ones running around at these family gatherings. Life is so, so much fuller these days.<br />
And how did all this happen? One day I'm going out with my boss's brother, a few months later I realize that I don't want to live without him. One day we're married, one day we start a family. Day by day we make our choices. The little choices add up to become bigger decisions, and somehow we're a family of seven (five of us here in this life, and two already on the other side). So many huge things in such a seemingly short time.<br />
We've left the life in the big city and are closer to the life that we want in the country. I am loving being back in South Carolina. While I miss my old neighborhood and, of course, my precious friends, things are feeling familiar to me here. We're getting settled into our little brick country house on two acres of grass and woods. Paul even has a riding lawn mower. Yep, he's gone country. :) We buy raw milk from the dairy farmer down the street, and we're looking into an organic CSA from <a href="http://www.minimiraclesfarmsc.com/">Mini Miracles Farm</a>. <br />
I see at least one extended family member ever day. It's just wonderful. The kids have nearly daily access to all of their grandparents and nearly all of their cousins, aunts, and uncles. I'm so happy that they will grow up this way.<br />
I am sorry to say that I am going to have to be signing off here. It's almost my bedtime, and I suppose I should get back to my sewing "projects." :) I will be taking photos and also posting them in the near future. Until then, feel free to visit my friend <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/">Joy's blog</a> and take a look at the photos she posted from her trip here <a href="http://www.anartfamily.com/2011/09/labor-day-weekending.html">last weekend</a>. <br />
One more thing before I go: I absolutely covet your prayers right now for my sister <a href="http://stephanielindstrom.wordpress.com/">Stephanie</a>. She has just today been put on the list for a heart-liver transplant. Her story is long, but basically she was born with congenital heart disease and has had multiple operations during her life, the last of which was January, 2010. She is now in pre-liver failure and needs both a heart and liver. She needs our prayers for her daily peace, energy, and ability to care for her two young chldren and husband. I would also ask for your prayers regarding the mixed emotions that she must be experiencing surrounding needing new organs from a donor. Please pray that her faith would not be shaken. I ask for your prayers for all of us who love her, that we would seek God and his love through this difficult time.<br />
The peace of Christ be with you all tonight. I will write again as soon as I can find just a few minutes.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-78642485501818040432011-07-20T13:26:00.000-07:002011-07-20T13:28:34.047-07:00My lovelyI mentioned in an earlier post that I'd become the subject of a photography student's project on homebirth. After my friend Ashley finished her project, she came back to our home to do an absolutely breathtaking newborn photo session of our little Penelope Joy. Here are some of my favorites.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ashley, thank you so so much for taking the time to do this for us. These pictures are such a treasure. :)</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-11260388358902645882011-07-13T18:13:00.000-07:002011-07-13T18:13:02.799-07:00At last . . .I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time at the moment, but I wanted to announce the arrival of our latest: Penelope Joy. She arrived after a fast (well, "fast" except for the 3 weeks of practice labor) and furious four-and-a-half-hour labor at home during the night. It was a perfect and beautiful, albeit pretty darn painful and intense experience.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOFHwal368qbm1Tq1yPjHg7Sr8lTMdGRiIxJL_MmVObnUciKgXGC7toYHu3QHr6A5SNCV9kpzQkbPXPmT02fgQagr8udWi01T8EdwKSP6GjZizSEAFvJmi0DgcmNiiSNv9ulGt5A73Ha_/s1600/IMG_3921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEOFHwal368qbm1Tq1yPjHg7Sr8lTMdGRiIxJL_MmVObnUciKgXGC7toYHu3QHr6A5SNCV9kpzQkbPXPmT02fgQagr8udWi01T8EdwKSP6GjZizSEAFvJmi0DgcmNiiSNv9ulGt5A73Ha_/s320/IMG_3921.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Our biggest baby yet, Penny (I'm going with "Penny," while Paul and Charlie seem to prefer "Pen") weighed in at 9 pounds, 3 ounces and measured 22 1/2 inches long. She's very healthy and pink and nursing like a champ! We're all doing very well, the kids SO excited to have a baby sister. I'm feeling great, though pretty tired. Laboring at night proved to be a very good thing where the other kids were concerned--they just slept right through it! However, the down side is that we were just settling in for naptime as the kids were waking up refreshed and ready to face a new day as always. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-LKNFnhDjDCxByBDrDXu0orIURv7KhX1zUpzydDWJxolcRL1gXrhdIeTu_MI14vEQ0FS3GJ6HctUzFNxaOiAHzRL5sOfk5QVCMDCdot-cgDqZjiYnHN0kfIDLwSO0SWnY2QI6H482HpD/s1600/IMG_3953-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7-LKNFnhDjDCxByBDrDXu0orIURv7KhX1zUpzydDWJxolcRL1gXrhdIeTu_MI14vEQ0FS3GJ6HctUzFNxaOiAHzRL5sOfk5QVCMDCdot-cgDqZjiYnHN0kfIDLwSO0SWnY2QI6H482HpD/s320/IMG_3953-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There were so many blessings and answers to prayers. I'll get to those when I share my birth story. For now I'll just say I'm so completely blessed and just bubbling over with gratitude. The most amazing gift that God could have given me (along with my brand new daughter and, of course, all of my other children) is my husband. Paul is truly the most incredibly selfless servant of a father and husband that I've ever seen. You really should see this man care for me and the kids like he has, even after being up all night supporting me through labor. I just want to say thank you. Thanks to God and also to Paul for allowing himself to be used as he has. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbyw-w7dekDpgk3NyUnUun4XgJtK3pfzg24nhSoQpGi48m9dLze3aKFbCmVqDtFOLX7nOmaddWoxNRtLAwq1T_W4izzIj27vF5bXzFuPe-SbLFc1x7E4tA0kbK4w84HV5tESCo-V9IS8M/s1600/IMG_3950-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIbyw-w7dekDpgk3NyUnUun4XgJtK3pfzg24nhSoQpGi48m9dLze3aKFbCmVqDtFOLX7nOmaddWoxNRtLAwq1T_W4izzIj27vF5bXzFuPe-SbLFc1x7E4tA0kbK4w84HV5tESCo-V9IS8M/s320/IMG_3950-1.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>Penelope, welcome to the world. I can't wait to show you what a wonderful God we serve and what a beautiful world He has allowed you to be born into. Welcome to our family, where we hope to love you as we should, giving you everything. Charlie and Judah, I love you and I hope that you find in Penelope all the love and joy that you have found in each other. Paul, God bless you, my incredible prince of a husband.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0S05dA0qc9KRZWHsHKEQDHf1kEDMS4N9jhSBkI2yxltdVmwjHgIyieyTqGfvz8orCGwBkUsGD2iJA8cEktcycxcvaskawxY0OlQzuKvmhCWCGCe1AMaoNJ7TAauKsLbBvd5AzJMQItv7/s1600/IMG_3957-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO0S05dA0qc9KRZWHsHKEQDHf1kEDMS4N9jhSBkI2yxltdVmwjHgIyieyTqGfvz8orCGwBkUsGD2iJA8cEktcycxcvaskawxY0OlQzuKvmhCWCGCe1AMaoNJ7TAauKsLbBvd5AzJMQItv7/s320/IMG_3957-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-63919944178272930232011-07-07T17:47:00.000-07:002011-07-07T17:47:13.735-07:00Sigh . . . still waitingI'm getting awfully tired of this. I really shouldn't complain, I know, but really I just want to meet my baby! The thing is, the due date has been up in the air this whole pregnancy. If I go merely on dating, as in last menstrual period, taking into account my long cycles, my due date would have been around June 23 or 24. I was inclined to go by this date, considering that I found out on October 29 that I was pregnant and was having such strong symptoms, and that would have made me about 4 weeks gestation, which seemed about right. However, when I had what would have been my 20-week sonogram (20 weeks by those dates), the baby measured just over 18 weeks. But one cannot estimate the age of the baby according to measurements beyond 11 weeks, because all babies grow at different rates once they pass the 11-week mark. Anyway, the ultrasound people don't seem to be able to think analytically and decided that my new and improved due date would be July 4. So my midwife and I talked and decided to split the difference and set the due date smack in the middle of those two due dates at June 29. <br />
Boy am I glad now that we did that. You see, if I want to have this baby at home, I have to do it before the 42-week point. I thought for absolute certain that the baby would come before the end of June, no problem. And here we are. It's July 7, and there is no sign that the baby is coming any time soon.<br />
I've gone into "practice labor" several times the last three weeks or so, and just last Monday, July 4 (which would have made a cool birthday!), we had the entire birthing team here. Contractions started early in the evening on the 3rd, and by 1 AM on the 4th, I was calling my midwife, birth assistant, midwife student, my friend who was on call to help with Charlie and Judah, and my friend who is photographing the birth for her photojournalism project (that's 9 people, including the family, in my 970-square-foot 2-BR condo). Anyway, while contractions had been a minute and a half long and two minutes apart for a couple of hours, for some reason they ended up spreading further and further apart until they pretty much stopped. We called it quits around lunchtime, which was pretty disappointing. I thought that things would pick up later that day, but even now, three days later, there has been little activity other than the Braxton-Hicks contractions that I've had for the last 21 weeks.<br />
Here's why I'm happy: I'm birthing this baby at home, and I have choices and power to decide what happens. When my midwife came to me and suggested that we take a break and have everyone leave so that I could get some real rest, she laid everything on the table and handed the decision to me. She offered that we could reconnect later in the day and try some things like castor oil, etc. and try to push on, or we could just leave things alone and see what happens. I opted for the latter, feeling no real pressure to force this baby to come. While I would LOVE to have birthed the little guy or girl by now, there is no real reason that it has to be. I firmly believe in letting nature take its course (at least until I run into the necessity of birthing in the hospital--I WILL take action to avoid that).<br />
When I think about what may have happened had I chosen to labor and birth in the hospital, I am so thankful! I probably would have ended up being coerced into pitocin to help labor progress, when in actuality, the baby just needs a little more time to "cook," and my body is just preparing a little more for when the time is right. I'm okay with that. And being at home with such an understanding and gentle and knowledgeable group of women gave me such perspective. They aren't rushing me through the birthing process. They recognize this as perfectly natural, and most of all, they recognize my right to make decisions that I (and Paul) feel good about. It's just so lovely that I wish more women realized the value of midwifery. <br />
Now, that's why I'm happy. Here's why I'm frustrated: Frankly, and please forgive me, I'm getting so tired of having the conversation about how dilated I am and why this baby hasn't come yet and can I believe that it's so late. I really wish that I had not shared my due date with anyone, including myself! I know that people love me and are excited, but I just can't talk about it anymore. It has taken me days to write this post because it's just so tiring.<br />
So the lowdown for all of my loved ones: I really feel great, but I get tired easily, as one can imagine. I am sleeping pretty well, except for when the kids come in on occasion and wake me up. I'm not going to discuss my cervix here, 1) because eww and 2) because it really doesn't matter--when labor starts, it takes its own course, and dilation/effacement really matter very little. The baby was estimated at my 41-week sonogram to be about 9 pounds, but it feels a little bigger than that to me. I'm excited about that--I think big babies are actually <em>easier</em> to birth and eat and sleep better once they are born.<br />
There. I think I've hit the highlights of my current status. I really, really do appreciate everyone's concern and excitement. I'll be quite sure to update everyone via email, Facebook, phone, and blog (probably in that order) as soon as there is a little one to introduce. A happy night to all, and keep me in your prayers, if you think about it.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-22818402654685384962011-07-03T16:03:00.000-07:002011-07-03T16:10:53.801-07:00People say the darnedest thingsI thought I'd take my mind off what is sure to be more "practice labor" (only because although I've been having somewhat intense contractions every 5-7 minutes for the last hour or so, I have now called my midwife for the headsup, which only seems to slow labor almost immediately), and tell you about some recent conversations I've had with total strangers.<br />
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1. This one has happened about six times during the last 4 months or so, ever since I've been visibly pregnant:<br />
Stranger: "When are you due?"<br />
Me: "The end of June."<br />
Stranger: "Well, my birthday is June the 6th, so I think you should have the baby that day."<br />
<em>Variation: "Oh! You should have the baby on July 12th--that's my birthday!" (this one was said just the other day, after I told a woman that I was past my due date)</em><br />
Now, I don't mean to be cranky, but seriously? Why the heck do I care to have the baby on a COMPLETE STRANGER'S birthday? I mean, the baby IS going to be born on many, many complete strangers' birthday, regardless of what day that is. And really, my own mother's birthday was yesterday--if I had any control over the day that this baby is to be born (since I don't believe in scheduled c-sections or unnecessary inductions, that is), would I not try for the birthday of someone that means a little more to me than the random guy at the local farmers' market?<br />
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2. I'm actually having a contraction during this conversation, mind you.<br />
Stranger: "So, when are you due?"<br />
Me: "About a week ago or so."<br />
Stranger: "So that's the stressed-out look on your face?" (<em>Tactful)</em><br />
Me: "Um, I guess so."<br />
Stranger: "Pizza helps."<br />
Me: "Excuse me? Like, pizza helps with stress? Or pizza helps with what exactly?"<br />
Stranger: "Both of my kids were born two days after my wife ate pizza."<br />
Now, <em>there's</em> some scientific proof. Once again, some random guy's wife ate pizza and then TWO DAYS later she gave birth. But that's not all! It happened TWICE! Amazing results! Even if she does eat pizza every other day during a pregnancy, who knew? <br />
<br />
3. Stranger: "So, just those two kids, plus the one you're carrying?"<br />
Me: "Yes."<br />
Stranger: "You need four more."<br />
Me: "Why's that?"<br />
Stranger: "Because I have seven, so you need seven."<br />
So, nevermind that I have two children in heaven, I know this guy doesn't know that, and I'm not offended by it. But basically because this random guy taking my order at Panera has seven children, I'm supposed to have seven children? Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have that many someday, if God wills it. But it won't be because Chuck the bagel guy thinks his kids are great, which I'm sure they are.<br />
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I know that people mean well and that they are only trying to relate and be friendly. It really is okay. I've said some pretty stupid things during my time here on earth as well. I just find it unbelievably entertaining sometimes.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-83640462829209513162011-06-27T05:17:00.000-07:002011-06-27T05:17:06.938-07:00Waiting for babyI haven't written in a while. I have all these great posts partially written in my head, but I've been so so busy with life, that I just can't seem to get them transferred to the blog. There is so much to catch up on.<br />
First of all, I'm still pregnant. Enormously pregnant. Like, you-would-not-believe-how-big-my-belly-is pregnant. I see people as they approach me trying so hard not to look down. It's like they're all having this inner dialog "Don't look down. Don't look down. DON'T LOOK DOWN!" And then they just can't resist and their eyes are forced to take in the planet-sized belly that is surely holding twins or at least a ten-pounder. And their eyes ever so slightly bulge open, and I laugh inside. It IS pretty funny.<br />
I'm currently timing contractions and hoping to God that this baby makes his or her debut tonight. Not making any promises. I typically have "false labor" for several days before baby arrives. Yesterday I swore that this little one was sending the signal, but no go. So here we are. I'll be sure to keep you posted.<br />
Among other BIG news is that we are moving. It's time for this family to get out of the city. In my blogger profile you can see that we "live a simple life too close to the city and longing for the country." Well, dear readers, it's going to happen. We've prayed and prayed that God would make His will known to us and open a door somewhere, somehow, and He's finally done so. He's stretched our patience and proven His love yet again.<br />
In just a little over a month, we will be relocating back to the upstate of South Carolina, near family and in our hometown where we met and were married. We have rented a beautiful house on a country road with two acres of yard. This 3-bedroom house is almost twice the size of the condo we're in now and has more kitchen cabinets than I will know what to do with. I seriously wonder if I could place one dish inside each cabinet and still have storage space left over. That's okay, though--I'll figure it out. I'm also especially looking forward to having a washer and dryer in my own living quarters instead of having to walk outside to the end of the building and then pay $10 per week to do the laundry. AND the rent is HALF our mortgage payment! God has provided a cute married couple to rent our condo here, which was also a big answer to prayer.<br />
We're so thrilled for the opportunities that lie ahead. God is so good to our family. Of course, though, we have mixed feelings about uprooting the kids and leaving the only home they've ever known and also leaving some very dear friends that have been so wonderful to us. We will miss our church--the parish where I was confirmed Catholic, and also the parish where my babies were baptized. We will miss our incredible little neighborhood. We'll miss our little condo, where one of my babies (and another one any day!) was born. It'll also be pretty difficult to leave the town where our Benjamin's grave lies.<br />
And as much as we desire to live in the country, at least I (I don't know about Paul) will miss living 4 miles south of our nation's capitol, just across the Potomac River. It's been such a fun adventure being able to drive or run along the river and have a daily view of things like the Capitol building and the Washington Monument. Any time we want we have the chance to visit a Smithsonian or other museum (most of them for free!). However, one thing we will absolutely NOT miss is the traffic. Goodness, are we glad to get away from that!<br />
So now we are beginning the packing as we await the next little baby. And besides the obvious things I am looking forward to (i.e., the baby itself), there are quite a few other things I'm looking forward to: being able to breathe, being able to sleep on my stomach and my back, seeing Judah as a big brother and Charlie as an even bigger sister, running again. <br />
On a side note, I started this post a few days ago and cannot believe that I am still working on it. Part of me wonders if the baby is waiting for me to finish before he or she enters the world this side of the womb. Hopefully that's the case, because I'm going to hit "Publish Post" now and would really, really love to feel a nice strong contraction to finally begin real labor. :) Have a great day, and I'll keep you posted.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-41645707756234346862011-06-02T15:15:00.000-07:002011-06-02T15:15:26.659-07:00PreparationsWe are getting very close to birthing time, but things feel so different this time around. At this point with Judah, I was definitely having mixed emotions, it having been only a year since <a href="http://littlecallahans.blogspot.com/2009/09/happy-birthday-benjamin.html">Benjamin</a> was born. I also was having huge conflict over somehow destroying Charlie's world by allowing a sibling to enter into it. Even during labor I remember lamenting to my birth assistant that everything was going to change for Charlie. But now I understand that birthing a sibling is the best gift that I can give my kids, and I'm so excited to be doing that again.<br />
Except that they are growing way, way too fast. Just a minute ago, when Judah spied a picture of a cat on a blog, I heard Judah start to say, "Meow," which USED to be his name for cat, and then stop mid-word and correctly say, "Kittens." It made me sad. He's also stopped saying "wow-ee-o wuck" for "fire truck" and "hee hee" instead of "sissy." Charlie's all grown up in other ways, and suddenly we need to stop spelling things in hopes that she won't hear what we're discussing. It's a beautiful thing to watch them grow up, but it's so painful to recognize that they're in our hands for such a short time.<br />
These feelings make me want to hold onto every single second, which, I think, is partly why I'm not quite ready to birth this baby. I am one of those obnoxious women who so love being pregnant. I really do. When I'm pregnant I feel more myself, almost as if this is why I'm here. And so I'm holding onto the pregnancy for that reason, as well as because once the baby is born then he/she too will start to grow up like everyone else. It's crazy, I know. But right now the baby is mine all mine.<br />
But alas, the day will come when I have to share him/her, and so I have been working like crazy to prepare. I've become the subject of a photography project on homebirth, which has been much fun! It has also lit a fire under me to do some projects of my own, which I might not otherwise choose to do. <br />
Ginny over at <a href="http://www.gsheller.com/2011/05/last-minute-preparations.html">Small Things</a> had a great idea that I copied in order to get photos for my friend's project, but the dried herbs didn't arrive in time for the deadline. The kids and I put things together this afternoon by combining comfrey leaves, calendula flowers, rosehips, rosemary leaves, chamomile flowers, and lavender oil in small muslin bags. When in labor and after the baby is born, I'll steep a bag and pour the tea into the bath for healing and relaxation.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZAT4JJtSX3dGwSiFAvFO0BQwrO87QuXpDx5chVdbDlJgfNz2qujkb-bsHDsCWuSxXn7h4BzLI0qoXAbBhkp4KFV1X_Ke8yCwcVfuWleT_7yAQpbaCoxIs0c6Uq7ZEm1mpF7UQCk3E0nn/s1600/IMG_3884-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBZAT4JJtSX3dGwSiFAvFO0BQwrO87QuXpDx5chVdbDlJgfNz2qujkb-bsHDsCWuSxXn7h4BzLI0qoXAbBhkp4KFV1X_Ke8yCwcVfuWleT_7yAQpbaCoxIs0c6Uq7ZEm1mpF7UQCk3E0nn/s320/IMG_3884-1.JPG" t8="true" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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Yesterday I sewed this pretty gauzy nightgown to wear during our birthing time. I wanted to have something special and nice for photos.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFrb2HTTSqcCFMmHvjDjboVX5VGs9WwLafpkbXlkLU_6nF5rs9YQG9kjQqOoFT42MAi9KJWswmmg0lH_vf4h3-HhoQ34uI78pDWVADbt3Eq2Vtk4cmndCjPHZsM1CWT44AM41DXUOVUbB/s1600/IMG_3895-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihFrb2HTTSqcCFMmHvjDjboVX5VGs9WwLafpkbXlkLU_6nF5rs9YQG9kjQqOoFT42MAi9KJWswmmg0lH_vf4h3-HhoQ34uI78pDWVADbt3Eq2Vtk4cmndCjPHZsM1CWT44AM41DXUOVUbB/s320/IMG_3895-1.JPG" t8="true" width="318" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And though I have no pictures, you should see my stocked freezer! I've made several casseroles to have on hand for immediately after the birth and in the weeks afterward. As for the food needed during labor and immediately after birth, I know that some people think it's preposterous that a woman should have to be concerned with providing food for herself, let alone the birth team. But what they should understand is that this is the way it is. Having a baby at home means that there will not be a cafeteria (thank goodness), and that it's a really, really good idea to prepare food ahead of time. It also means that the midwife and the rest of the birthing team (birth assistant, possibly a midwife student, childcare provider, etc.)--these people on whom the birthing woman is depending--may not be coming from their own homes, and therefore will not necessarily be able to grab a TV dinner on their way out the door to come help birth the baby. I'm happy to provide a good, healthful meal for myself, my family, and everyone involved! In fact, it's sort of a fun ritual to welcome baby. It fits nicely with our philosophy regarding the home and the family, if you think about it. We homeschool, homebirth, and provide a homecooked meal. :)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, as soon as I know that I am in labor, I will make my phonecalls to gather my team, set out a casserole to thaw, and then settle down with my little ones that are here with me already. I'll do my best to relax and gently welcome baby into his or her new world. Until then, more nesting. ;)</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-28618979031226758392011-05-13T11:05:00.000-07:002011-05-13T11:05:33.062-07:00My Mother's DayFirst, I was awakened by my little guy, just like I am every morning. Judah is usually the first to rise, and he always stomps into our room and climbs into bed. On my side. Every time. Never wants to cuddle with anyone but Mommy. It's okay--he's quite the cuddler. Then Charlie quietly (which is more her way) tiptoes into the room and joins us in the bed, too. On my side, as well. So I entertain them for a while and then remember that it's Mother's Day and I get to sleep in if I want to. :) So I nudge Paul and ask if he would kindly enlist Charlie and Judah's help in the kitchen with Mother's Day breakfast in bed. Which he does.<br />
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I doze for about a half hour while Paul slaves away in the kitchen over fresh baked croissants with honey butter, scrambled eggs, perfectly crispy bacon, fresh berries, orange juice, and a cup of Irish breakfast tea. I'm sure the kids are helping, but all I can hear is giggling and occasional bickering. But I stay in bed, because I know Paul has it all under control. Breakfast was just lovely, eating alone in my bed and reading my new book, which was my gift from the family--<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Catholic-Moms-Nurturing-Heart/dp/159471228X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304961560&sr=1-1">The Handbook for Catholic Moms</a>. I actually read a couple of chapters AND drank a cup of tea before it became cold! <br />
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We went to the later Sunday morning Mass so that <strike>we </strike>I could have a more leisurely morning than usual. It was nice. We ended up walking to church, since it was such a perfect day, and letting the kids play on the playground for a few minutes before the service. On our walk home, we retraced the path that I used to walk from the bus stop, back when I was a childless working woman in the city. The walk triggered my memory of those days, and I began to talk about what life was like when it was just Paul and me, before I was a mother. The days of office work, happy hours, last-minute weekend trips to the beach. I actually used to fix my hair EVERY DAY! While we were walking past our old condo--the one-bedroom on the second floor that we owned (and were perfectly happy with) before we learned of Charlie's existence--I pointed up to show the kids where we used to live. "Look! That's where Mommy and Daddy used to--" <br />
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"Hey, Mommy! Did you see that bumpy slide at the playground? It was so fun!"<br />
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Not only does she have no problem cutting me off while I'm on Memory Lane, but she has no idea that there was a life before she was born. As far as they know, we didn't even exist until they came around. There was no reason to, right? <br />
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It really is hard, though, to remember life before these guys. It feels like a lifetime ago. As if I'm remembering someone else's memories. Life was totally about Paul and me back then. We came and went whenever we want, slept as long as we wanted on the weekends, did pretty much whatever felt good at the moment. Now I can't even write this blog post without having to get somebody a drink of water or help settle an argument. <br />
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We came home from church, had a light lunch, and then headed outside to plant our little seedlings in pots to hopefully have the opportunity to nurture an abundant container garden of tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and herbs. We had so much fun digging in the dirt and running away from the hose (this is how Paul gardens--chasing us with the hose).<br />
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We went out to dinner that night, though I wonder if we will next year. Mother's Day is really a crazy day to go out. No one wants Mom to have to cook on Mother's Day, but Mom really doesn't need to wait an hour for a table and then spend her entire dinner not only entertaining her own kids but having to endure listening to everyone else's kids be cranky and all that, does she? It's my fault--I really wanted to go out. But hopefully I'll remember next year that it's not all it's cracked up to be. :)<br />
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I spent the day completed delighted with my family. Life is certainly so different these days. I stay busy being at home, homeschooling, and making a peaceful environment for the family, with very little time to myself. It's really hard having to be "on" all the time. But life is so full, and I wouldn't want it any other way. These little guys are what I always wanted before I knew what I wanted. :) It isn't always so rosey (as I'm sure you know!), but if I weren't home with them like I am, I feel like I would miss so much. I'm so, so thankful for our simple life.<br />
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I'm also thankful for my own mother, who showed me what self-sacrifice is all about. She gave of herself every single day, and continues to do so, even though her children are all grown. Even when times were difficult, we always, always knew we were deeply loved. I hope that my own children will say this of me someday. Thanks, Mom, and happy Mother's Day (a few days late). :) Love you.JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3882049653264063571.post-46308594639580644552011-05-06T08:28:00.000-07:002011-05-06T08:28:54.319-07:00Springing forwardA few weeks ago, Paul was priveleged to travel a couple of days for work. He visited the district in SC that his boss represents--mainly the Columbia area--and toured several agricultural facilities like a cattle ranch, a farm, and the largest peach orchard in the Southeast. Ever since that trip, Paul has been reading and talking about supporting small farms and wanting to somehow be involved in community-supported agriculture. As a result, he and I spent some time with the kids over the weekend planting seeds for our first-ever container garden. We live in a small condo with not much direct sun, which is why we have never attempted a garden of any sort. But we started thinking that there's no reason we couldn't put a few things in pots and move them around where the sun is, right? Well, we're going to try it. So now we've got seeds for cherry tomatoes, basil, and cucumbers sprouting in egg cartons in the house. I have to move them from window to window during the day to make sure they're getting the sun they need. I also have a pot of cilantro outside, and just yesterday I gathered some seeds from a green pepper that I'd like to get started, too.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-LvMgb1Vyza0eQQ9IdIo7j92HT0ozeQsw-dBeiJFH9TDsY4xTuv7N8ukglaTilRV1gXC6j4g6iQz7RCudIg-M9HL5tVIielTCuZajzM_xR1M-MRHqqpn7N7V2CFYbbA046qGT12v5GK_/s1600/cucumber+sprouts+050511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-LvMgb1Vyza0eQQ9IdIo7j92HT0ozeQsw-dBeiJFH9TDsY4xTuv7N8ukglaTilRV1gXC6j4g6iQz7RCudIg-M9HL5tVIielTCuZajzM_xR1M-MRHqqpn7N7V2CFYbbA046qGT12v5GK_/s320/cucumber+sprouts+050511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Paul shot this with his Blackberry yesterday morning. This is the cucumber growth just since Saturday!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">There has been a lot of spring cleaning and nesting going on lately, too. I think the combination of the time of year and the time in my pregnancy has resulted in an obsession for me. :) I really like to clean already. But always, around 32 weeks, I get the bug to constantly organize, donate our unwanteds, clean, spruce up, etc., as if once the baby gets here the whole house has the potential to just fall apart. As much as I'd like to live in a larger space, having a small condo grants the opportunity to get it all done. In addition to cleaning, I've been able to make a few things like a new wreath and the bathroom curtains for which I've had fabric for about a year!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMHoWW3gBkMzt5DIHVyPrm0WA6tn4Kjvt3CC84znejvSOWsbsFwXd6WaCZmx-kVJ9WkcLjrmSKw7ajmS4dyTuzbc_zjBLmUt6zk9fVPUC2Dfsj4JHiHcEBmU5ZoZ43opXnJlLky2D0UH8/s1600/micki%2527s+camera+731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" j8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrMHoWW3gBkMzt5DIHVyPrm0WA6tn4Kjvt3CC84znejvSOWsbsFwXd6WaCZmx-kVJ9WkcLjrmSKw7ajmS4dyTuzbc_zjBLmUt6zk9fVPUC2Dfsj4JHiHcEBmU5ZoZ43opXnJlLky2D0UH8/s320/micki%2527s+camera+731.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">My front door spring wreath</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We have been having such a beautiful spring seaason. Easter was just lovely, quietly celebrated at Mass with friends and then brunch afterwards. Our Lenten season was also very special, as I take inventory of everything going on in our family's life lately, and sort of streamline a bit. For Lent, in addition to giving up my late night snack (which I really don't need anyway but somehow always feel entitled to since I am, after all, pregnant), I focused on some wifely and motherly duties that sort of needed some "tightening up." </div><div style="text-align: left;">These ideas sound so archaic and repressive, in the modern world we live in. "Wifely duties." The duties that I've been working on are things like setting the table for dinner with a tablecloth (for example) and having family-style meals instead of fixing our plates in the kitchen and being sure to pick up the house, make the kids presentable, and fixing up myself with set hair and makeup before Paul comes home from work. I know these things might sound so silly to some people, but they have become very important to me. I feel like being in this mindset helps to create a place of peace. It's the little details that show a little more care, you might say. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I'm also working on having a set time for prayer and quiet time, and especially praying for patience with the kids and Paul. It's not exactly natural for me to be patient. Being pregnant, mom to two, homeschooling, providing part-time childcare (just for a few more weeks!), handling almost all the household duties (Paul does do all the laundry, which is so great!), running a sewing business, and making sure to get the kids out of the house when I can, makes for very long days and not a lot of me-time, or God-time, for that matter. I do realize that it's a matter of priority, and if that means heading to bed earlier and actually setting an alarm clock, then it's what has to be done. </div><div style="text-align: left;">I love this time of year for the idea of waking up from the winter, shaking off the dust and cold, and preparing for the growth of summer. There is a feeling of potential in the air, and responsibility to cultivate that potential. So as we transplant our little seedlings, and I begin to close out this pregnancy, I'm praying that God will help me to always recognize what's most important--that while it's nice to have a clean, organized house, it's better to have children and a husband who are at peace, know they're loved, and are growing in God's grace. It seems that it's an ongoing prayer.</div><div style="text-align: left;">On a side note, my parents are giving me a camera soon, so I'll be able to get back to taking pictures and hopefully will then have more incentive to blog more often! Yay! :)</div>JenniC10http://www.blogger.com/profile/00561838367364348587noreply@blogger.com1