Travel Ready

So last time we talked about the entryway/launch point of your home. If it's in order, that makes coming and going easier – routine being the key. This month we're tackling when we are gone from home. 'Tis the season, after all!

I don't know about you all, but there are days I feel like I live in the Mommy-van. So I'm going to share with you my secret to this stage of life...packing for being on the go! I just assume I may not be back for 24 hours. That never happens... but I'm ready for it.

Diaper bag: A diaper bag that is fully stocked and always in the van saves frustration when out with baby. Just grab the dirty stuff and take it in at the end of the day. Likewise, throw the restock items in your purse/tote on the way out the door. This gives you one less bag to carry coming and going.

Busy bags: Older kids have a busy bag for travel time. Crayons, activity books, books, flashcards, small travel games, cars. Go with what they like and you can buy yourself a few hours of peace! Stow under their seats or hanging on the side of the seat.

Trunk organizer: A trunk box keeps everything from rolling around. It can include car things like jumper cables, air compressor, folding shovel, flashlight, lantern/hazard flasher, and emergency radio. It also holds family needs like spare clothes, diapers, outdoor must-haves, and first aid kit (more on this another time). This is a great place for reusable grocery bags and baby carriers, too.

Summer/Winter: Each season has it's own needs. Stock the trunk appropriately. Summer: swim gear, caps, bug spray, sunscreen, water bottles. Winter: blankets, spare hats and gloves for everyone, sand, emergency food. When the seasons change...so do your carry-ons.

Garbage collection: My sister had a great idea – hang a grocery sack on the arm rests of the front seats. If I have a few minutes waiting in the vehicle, we will do a quick collection throughout the vehicle. Once a week, the whole bag gets tied up and tossed directly in the garbage cans outside. This sister was also smart in having a sweeping brush in the van for quickly ridding the van of all the tracked-in junk! Loved that idea!

Driver's needs: A bin or center console in the front seat can contain all the things you may be searching for. Paper, pen, calculator, stamps, lotion, snacks, cough drops, chargers, coupons, lint roller, hairbrush, sunglasses, etc. Again, keep those things from floating around and cluttering the vehicle... and being a distraction while driving.

Use bags: I can confess I am a bag lady...if you're not, disregard the following. If each activity has it's own bag, you are ready to roll without switching things around or carrying loose things. In the vehicle this means it is easy to take things back in the house when you get back without searching for lost items.

A little preparation goes a long way. Peace of mind comes when you know you are ready for whatever while you are away from home. My motto is “I can always get it from the car at home, but can't run in the house when away in the car.”

~As seen in Dec 2013 MOPS Newsletter [Mama pulling double duty]

Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

Posted via Blogaway

Are We Coming or Going?

Welcome to the “blur” stage of life. Oftentimes I don't know if I'm coming or going. I can tell you one thing... the entryway of our house can look like a hurricane was coming and going, rather than our kids! A few years ago it got to the point where this was really bothering me – like visual nails on the chalkboard! So ... I decided the entryway needed an overhaul!

Here's few tips I found for taming the entryway of your home:

• A place for everything. That's the key. For us this looks like crates for shoes, a closet rod for coats, a shelf & individual bins for little things (hats, gloves, Bible, books and busy bag), hooks for bags and backpack.
• Don't loose the vital stuff: Keys, wallet, purse. If they are put on hooks/shelves at the door... there is no ransacking the house to find them. Priceless sanity saver!
• Mudroom mentality: Mud happens. Wet happens. Make sure the kiddos know where those things go. For us this is “everything off on the rug, boots on the boot tray (contains wetness), wet stuff gets walked to the bathroom for parents to hang up. In extreme cases...kid goes in shower. Our setup works well with a straight – hard-floor – path to the bathroom.
• Hard floors: Carpet is your enemy in the entryway. It will get dirty, no doubts there. Save yourself the angst and make it an easy-clean surface. Rugs are a low-cost fix if you already have carpet there.
• Pets' place: This is a great place for pet things if you have room. A muddy dog can go straight to the kennel and not track through the house. Water dish sloshing can be wiped up along with the day's footprints.
• Everything gets put away When we come in, everyone is responsible for their own things. Coats and shoes, backpacks and lunches. Oh yeah...and all that PAPER that comes home with us. Coats get hung (step stool close by), hats/gloves/etc in the kid's bin, backpacks on hook, lunch and papers from school go to the kitchen counter for Mom. The goal is NOTHING ON THE FLOOR!
• Training is everything: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." This verse in Proverbs has deep spiritual meaning...but it is also very practical. If the kids are enabled and equipped to help you keep up on these things it will make life much easier for the whole family. Every now and then, mine need a refresher on this. Yes, I could just pick up after them... but that doesn't help them grow in responsibility. Call 'em back if they drop and dash; you'll thank yourself later for this little battle now.

Remember clutter equals stress. Get your launch point organized so you feel more prepared for your day and have fewer surprises when you are on your way out!

~As read in Nov 2013 MOPS Newsletter [Mama Pulling Double Duty]

Organizing Family ~ Saving Time and Money

My bio: mom to four rowdy boys, one huge dog, and six chickens. As a recovering perfectionist, I have a driven heart for practical organizing that make life with kids fun and manageable.

Okay, so beyond that little blurb -- why do I love being organized? Well, this stage of life can be -- let's face it -- a blur. I want to enjoy it, not be stressed over everything that needs done and what and where and on and on and on...

I have been a perfectionist for most of my life. As a teenager, this saw me with many physical symptoms of the stress I put myself under. I didn't know the Lord, didn't have peace in my heart. All I had was "I must do this -- if I don't, I'm a failure." I tied my significance to my success or failure at things. I was a top student, but no one knew how much each day took me deeper into depression. Now if that won't ruin the heart of a teenage girl!

As a mama -- it can ruin me just as readily. The difference is that now I am in a position of influence -- I am raising my kids (by the grace of God and with huge help from my husband, of course). Now, the enemy will use that tendency to want to be perfect to undermine my peace, faith, hope, love and joy. We all know that is his plan -- to steel from us our peace and destroy the heart of our family. If he does that, he eliminates the chance for our family to honor God!

When it comes to curbing those meltdowns of being an overwhelmed & underrested mama, three things make the difference: prayer, rest, and organization.

PRAYER: Friends, this is at the top of the list for a reason. Prayer is the single most powerful thing we can do...and yet it is often a last resort. Why? For me, I see my pride as the obstacle. It goes back to thinking I need to earn my significance on my own works. Wrong. I have a Father who loved me before I was even a life on this earth. I have a Savior who intercedes at the throne of Heaven for me. I have Spirit of hope that lives in me and guides me... if I can just be still long enough to listen. My Ladies Bible study group is starting a new term on this topic, so expect to hear more soon.

REST: Have you ever read Psalm 23? You know, the one about that good shepherd?What a beautiful metaphorical picture of Jesus! There is one verse I always breezed over until a friend shared it at work one day. "He makes me lie down in green pastures." I was not aware of this, but did you know that sheep are a little dense? They just keep meandering about until exhausted. They are spooked by rushing waters, but yet won't rest in even the most perfect place. The shepherd has to lead them there and make them rest.

Do you rest? I mean really take time to rest? Or are you waiting to be forced to rest? I admit I am a little like those dense sheep. It takes influenza to make me rest for a few days. It takes sick kids or a dead vehicle to keep me home. My body wants to rest, but my "I have to do it myself" voice says keep going.

I have started to rearrange things to bring rest into my life:

• I only leave the house on Sunday (church), Tuesday (MOPS), and Thursday (errands) whenever possible. The other days, excepting being the mommy-van school bus, are for catching up at home and having some down time. A mentor of mine once said, "Rest when they rest [or are at school]. The chores will be there when the kids are...time to rest won't. Time to rest is fleeting." 
• I also have quiet time in the morning before doing anything else. Just me and God's Word. It means not going back to bed right after feeding baby at 5...but hey, that lady in Proverbs 31 "rises while it is still night," right? Seems to be working for her.
• I have made going to church and a Bible study group a priority. This is rest for my spirit. I can go go go all day, but if I am not being refreshed in God...I will feel empty and overwhelmed.
• I am getting braver about accepting or asking for help with the kids. "Honey, I really need a haircut. Tonight's schedule is clear...I am going if you can watch the kids." I used to wait until desperation set in (6 months between cuts kind of desperation), then beg. Now I can remember taking care of me is important enough to ask for help.
• If it works with family and budget, take a little retreat. Our church offers some for individuals and families throughout the year. There are great local seminars and national conferences to do. I just try to remember garbage in, garbage out. Make it worth your time and uplifting to your heart. Trust me, the kids, spouse, and home will survive a few days without you. I have learned to not have grand expectations of them rushing me at the door with remorse for taking me for granted. Nor will the house be as neat as I left it. Those just set me up for disappointment. But I will be refreshed and actually have had the opportunity to miss them!
• Do something that makes you feel healthy. Even exercise can be rest when it gives you time alone and recharges your batteries. You better believe I am looking forward to getting back to my fitness club when this year's frenzy of multiple schools passes.
• Get organized and you get more time/money with which to rest.

ORGANIZATION:
So, there you have it. More time and money. Less stress. More rest and peace. Living the calling God has for you. That is why being organized is a blessing to you and your household. For a while...the next few blog posts (barring random acts of homestead inspiration) are going to dig into some specific strategies that make things a lot smoother for us. It is my hope they help you out too friends! I have shared many of these with my MOPS group, and now it's a joy to share them with you, as well.

Tomatoes: Bruschetta Topping

Picture this: you are scrambling to get dinner rolling, the baby is crying, one kid wants help with homework, one wants alone time with Legos, and one wants to be with his brothers who are both trying to focus and shoving said preschooler out the door. I long to make a picture worthy dinner for my family and here I stand whipping up spaghetti and throwing garlic bread from freezer to oven. And then I remember I have to chop all those fresh veggies for a side? Oh man... can we just go out?

Been there? Want a shortcut?  One of my favorite recipes for canning is the bruschetta topping.  Sure, I could buy it at the store, but at $5 a half pint... I'd much rather make it myself (frugal accountant guilt)!

So here's the recipe:

Bruschetta Topping
10 pounds Roma tomatoes, blanch to remove skins
1 pound (2-3) sweet red bell peppers, roasted and skinned
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large red onion, roasted
2 tbsp minced basil
2 Tbsp minced oregano
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 cup red wine vinegar (smoother flavor) or balsamic vinegar (bolder flavor)

Roast peppers and onion @425 degrees until skin wrinkles and chars in spots. Turn over and roast opposite side. Place in paper bag to cool and secure opening. Let sit 15 minutes. Chop tomatoes, onions, and peppers in food processor. Combine all ingredients in stockpot, bring to boil over medium high heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. Ladle into hot jars (8 oz), leaving 1/4" headspace, adjust two-piece caps. Process 10 minutes in boiling water bath canner.

Remember to always let canned goods stand for 18-24 hours before moving, cleaning or checking seals. There should be at least an inch between jars as they cool. Enjoy hearing the pop, but wait to move them.

Serving suggestions:
~Spoon on slices of garlic toast/bread. Top with shredded mozzarella and a sprinkle of fresh basil. Bake 5-10m at 400 degrees until bread is crisp around edges and cheese is melted/browning as you like.
~Use as Italian salsa with some tasty crackers (woven wheats are my favorite) or parmesan chips
~Use as a salad dressing, top salad with grilled chicken and make a meal of it.
~Pour one pint over chicken and crockpot it on low for 6 hours. (It's a variation on the salsa chicken... Serve with garlic mashed potatoes... yum!)

Ok...now I'm really getting hungry. Did I mention how this is so aromatic? When you're first making it and when using it for a meal or appetizer...it smells amazing! It is just one of those POP! recipes. Enjoy!

Juggling Pickles

So the season has been odd this year... cold then wet, moderate temps then heat wave (nothing in between), then a cool spell and now back to heat.  It took a long time for the cucumbers to set on, but now they have and wow are there a bunch! This is when being an organized canner comes in handy.

You see, a few years ago I had over 100 pounds of cucumbers for the year...I stopped counting at 100.  I had so many pickles canned that I gave whole batches away, a couple dozen jars more to a bake sale/benefit for a friend, and still had two years worth on the shelf for us.  Last year I didn't even get any, and I still have "old" pickles on the shelf before adding this year's.  They are still good to eat, by the way, as long as they are sealed, but watch out -- two year old pickles can really knock your socks off!

I loved having enough to share and gift, but I was canning pickles almost daily!  I thought, there has got to be a better way! Time to get organized! YES, I am kind of a geek for efficient processes -- it seems crazy to do essentially the same thing daily when I can do it all at once! You know that lady in Proverbs... the one who makes good use of her time, wakes early, and provides food for her household -- whose family rises and calls her blessed? Yeah... I'll never be her. Still, I think we sure can do what we can within our own spheres and lifestyles to lean that direction! We might just grow a wee bit in the process!

So...I have finally figured out a system that helps me can all my pickles for the week/two weeks at once, leaving more time for family and canning/preserving other goodies, too! A little forethought can go a long way to making this a manageable process rather than a juggling act!

1. Sort and Store:  I like to make relishes, slices, and spears/whole dills.  So I sort them that way.  The green produce zipper bags keep them up to two weeks fresh in the back of the fridge.  I label each by use so I don't have to keep measuring: (6" or less = spears/wholes, longer than 6" but slender enough for my food processor's slicer attachment = hamburger dills, overgrown = relishes). When my fridge is full I start weighing and have a canning day!  On to the trusty Ball Blue Book (if it's not broke don't fix it... get your recipe from the experts here). The BBB has the following weights for each batch: 4# for sliced pickles, 8# for relish, 8# for dills.
2. Get the kitchen to yourself: If you can't do this, finding a way to occupy the family works... but having another adult to care for any little ones really helps! Start to finish this was a 4 hour process for me, after being practiced enough to know what I am doing.  Learning, it will take you a little longer until you get your canning "wings," so to speak.
3. Setup your workstations: For me it is like a pivoting dance, all within a 10 sq. foot area in my L-shaped kitchen (see previous post):
• Sink
• Workspace
• Processor (and holding bowls)
• Packing
• Canner/Stove
• Cooling
• Cleaning
4. Process in order: Think ahead to the time frames and order your batches so you can just keep working until you are done. 
• I start with relishes - a great way to use up those cukes that got too big! Dill is my favorite but the sweet recipe in the BBB is good too.  Food processor with chop-blade makes short work of it (as well as the onions later). Here's a visual:



Rough chop







 
 



process into fine chop



Season and sit (2hrs),
covered for cleanliness.

 
 
 
 
 
 









• Then move on to the spears/wholes. For these you just need to bring the vinegar/salt/pickling spices to a boil, simmering for 15 minutes and cut the cucumbers to size. This is the time to bring the canner up to a boil too (remember that can take up to 30 minutes sometimes!) If they are good spear size but a little long you can just cut a bit of length off so you have head space.  Pack into hot sterile jars with dill and peppercorns. Ladle vinegar over the jars and seal with two-piece caps. Process in BWB (Boiling Water Bath) for the time in the BBB recipe.
• A word of advise: I LOVE the Kosher dill variation in the BBB.  This calls for additional seasonings, cloves of garlic and a whole cayenne pepper ...very worth it for the flavor and they look gorgeous when done!
  
• Next is slices While the spears are processing in the canner, you can start slicing the "Hamburger Dills" in the food processor with the slicer blade (I have tried lots of slicing methods and this is the perfect thickness and much quicker than doing it by hand) -- dump them in a bowl to be ready. Pack in jars, season per recipe, and heat vinegar just like the last batch.

  

  Slicing...

  
  

  

  Packing ... add vinegar and seal.

• Back to the Relishes: Once the spears are done and the slices are processing in the canner, you can go back and finish the relish steps. Then ladle into hot sterile jars and do that canning thing you have down-pat by now. By the time the relish is in jars, the last batch should be done. Into the BWB they go! See what I mean? The steps become easier the more you repeat them!

  

  Rinse, drain, and add to stock pot

   
 



Chop (FP) onions/peppers. Add to pot with seasoning, vinegar.

 



Bring to a boil and simmer (per recipe). Ladle into jars.

 
5. Finish well: This means clean up your workspace before you sit down.  Put the kitchen back in order, relocate any jars that need it, put away supplies and spices. Don't forget the dishes. I'd much rather return to tidy kitchen after resting than be haunted by ghost of batches past.
6. Track inventory: Make your list of what you need for the family for the year. Cukes will keep going and going... and you may end up with pickles to last for years if you don't keep track. When you have plenty on your shelf -- start giving 'em away, or call friends to bring you ingredients and jars if you really love making batches for them. One of the best parts of all this gardening/canning business is gifting others with the bounty God has blessed you with ~ what a joy!

What a relief to have that all done at once! There's actually a shelf in that fridge -- who knew?!

Workable Workstations

It can be a big step to decide to undertake canning/preserving the season's goodness. When I went from college degree to stay at home mom, I found myself needing a productive project. Taking care of babies is a blessing and a calling, keeping house serves a purpose for the family's health and happiness...but let's be real, here. It is all a little frustrating...like hamster on the wheel frustrating. You mop, muddy feet enter. You cook, they eat and leave in a blink and are back for a snack just as fast. You feed and dress baby, he spits up AND loads the fresh diaper. Just slightly frustrating.

I needed something I could mark and quantify [accounting geek]. I needed to feel like something stayed accomplished for more than an hour or two. I gardened because it saved money -- I preserved for the same reason. I can admit it...I get warm fuzzies when I see my pantry shelves and freezer full of goodies to last through much of the year.

Yet it didn't happen overnight. I did not grow up this way.  My parents both worked and the biggest garden I saw was my aunts' gardens on spaghetti sauce day. Some people say it's amazing I do this with four kids...I say I would go crazy if I didn't have something like this to do as a SAHM. Even when working though, I loved having the joy of putting up the harvest and having good food to feed my family all year!

Canning and preserving is intimidating for some, but it becomes a lot easier as you get your feet and know what you are doing, what you need, and where you want everything. So today's lesson is the workable kitchen. You have to figure out what is going to work for you in your kitchen.  If you try it and something bugs you about the process, make a tweak to it next time until you get it where you want it.  It will make starting up each time easier if you do it consistently.  Make your own system.

Here is an example of how I setup to make the most of my space and be as efficient as I can. For me it is like a pivoting dance, all within a 10 sq. foot area in my L-shaped kitchen:

Setup your workstations:

• Sink (washing/garbage catching) -- scrap bucket at the ready for chickens.  I keep a towel next to the sink for the washed product to reduce the water everywhere problem. This is where I wash my jars up if they are not fresh from the dishwasher, too. Right side soapy water, left side working area.
  
• Island (workspace, scale, chopping block) -- I keep all of my needed tools, measuring cups, canning supplies in the island drawers so they are handy. Cutting boards, etc. below the countertop. Measure, chop, cut, where you have space. It helps to have back-up jars close to the stove too, if you can (if you don't have counter-space, a box of jars can live on the floor until cleaning/using). If you don't have an island, another solution would be the kitchen table -- basically you want a clear workspace so you don't have to shuffle things around constantly.
  
• Processor (and holding bowls) - this is where you make it ready for the recipe. Note caffeine available when needed ;) I have to say an actual food processor has simplified my canning tremendously -- if you are serious about doing this, put that on your wish list. The first few years I cut everything by hand and it worked but took FOREVER!
  
• Packing -- A towel helps contain any mess on the counters. OCD me uses dark towels for staining foods (tomatoes, beets, etc.) My salt, spices, and jar lids are all in the cupboard above my workspace here.  My vinegar is in the corner lazy-susan to my right. My magnetic lid-wand is usually found stuck to the range hood and the jar holders hanging on a cabinet knob (far left of photo). EVERYTHING handy -- you need to move fast during this phase to keep from letting things cool or get contaminated.
  
• Canner/Stove - this is the four-burner plan, kids -- the reason our kitchens top 100 degrees all through August! Lids, jars, cooking, canner. You will also want a timer handy. Don't wander far from the stove for safety reasons.
  
• Cooling - after processing, your jars need to cool at least 1" apart.  Best if they sit for 24 hours before moving, checking seals, and wiping down for storage.  If you don't have enough space, I understand. I eventually carefully (keep level and do not shake) move them after I hear the pop of the dome lids to the island a few feet away.
  
• Cleaning - Wash as you go -- don't let the dishes kill you at the end of the day.  Clean as you go -- FlyLady would agree, friends! As soon as your last batch is ready to go, make space and start washing!  I find most of my canning dishes are too big for the dishwasher anyway, so if I don't do them right away, they just pile up!
  
• Storage - store your jars of goodies in a cool, dark place if you can. I keep my jars in the boxes to limit light and store on our pantry shelves in the basement. I recommend stacking only two boxes high per shelf, only stacking if weight is evenly distributed on the bottom layer -- otherwise you may damage the jars below. Heavy duty shelving is a must -- if you've lifted those dozens of full jars you'll catch my drift! 
  

A few other tips -- just a few things that I found make this endeavor a lot smoother:

• Keep the kids busy: this is a great time for outside play, movies, or hanging out with the other parent.
• Buddy up: If you and a friend work together -- you can keep moving even when something is missing and needs fetched, or kids need wrangled.  This also helps to cut back the labor-intensity -- everything is better with a friend!
• Beat the heat: It is a sad inevitability when you are processing food for preservation -- the kitchen is getting hotter all day. Go to another room to enjoy a fan or AC in-between steps. Run outside and take a quick dip in the pool. Wear a bandana at your hairline to keep the sweat out of your face. Have a cold, wet bandana around your neck. Don't stray far for long, but a few minutes of relief makes a world of difference.
• Keep meals simple: Have a lunch you can just pull out and serve, or a dinner in the crockpot. This way, you are not splitting your attention between your preserving efforts and making a meal for the family. Even better -- if you have an older child that is capable, put them on lunch duty. Anytime the kids can help with household stuff is a double bonus -- you save time and they learn to be part of the team!
• Tune in: Get some music going. I tell you the truth, nothing lifts my spirit like an afternoon serving my family, being productive, and listening to the local contemporary worship station. How can you get down and tired with uplifting music going? You're dancing through the kitchen and the time goes quickly!
• Remember what's really important: Here's the big one, friends: all this work and busyness means nothing if we are doing it for our own glory. Yes, that little voice inside me says "I did this!" With good motivation, but still that is my nasty little pride talking. I did not do this. God did this through me. Just like He provides my husband's income to buy our groceries and pay our house payment...He provides the sun and the rain and the harvest for my canning efforts. He provides me the energy (and the resources like caffeine and vitamin B to boost that). He provides occupied children so I can get it all done. He provides good friends and family to motivate, encourage, and teach me. Mine are just the hands he uses to provide for my family - the glory is His.

See? A little organization and perspective can go a long way to dispel the myth that canning is too intimidating. With a plan and a song and a joyful heart -- you CAN...well, can anything!

Just Checking In...

Oh my word gang!  When someone mentioned to me I ought to write a book... it reminded me that it has been 10 months since I was on this blog!!!  Now, granted, it was a FULL 10 months. Working for a season outside of my home, having 2 kids in school full-time and a preschooler, planning & prepping for our newest arrival, and then having a newborn (DearSon #4).  Oh yeah, and summer vacation.

Can I just say I had no idea how busy this last summer would be until the Lord brought me through having my busy boys hopping around while mothering a nursing baby (can we say 4+ hours a day just feeding baby?!)  We kept on with the garden... though a few things got lost in the process of all that family life. The bunny planed off my broccoli, and the weeds...well let's just say we had natural mulch, shall we?

Through it all -- baby, camping with the tribe, gardening (just doing, not documenting, mind you), animals, family, the household chores, birthday season, and our MOPS group getting ready to meet -- I can finally say I feel caught up. And school starts tomorrow. Yes, it seriously took me all summer to feel like I have a handle on things.  But you know something? I'm really kinda okay with that. I have come a long way letting go of that control thing that drives us women so often.

I have been going through a study this summer with a group of ladies from church all about embracing Biblical womanhood...and dispelling the myths of our culture about what that really means.  One of the biggest lessons I learned was this: God designed me as a woman to be a mother.  Not all women mother biological children, but there are so many ways God calls us to mother. Teaching, mentoring, being a neighbor and/or friend, leadership, and loving as an aunt, sister, or even caretaker. Mothering is to nurture, to make a home, to provide for someone's needs, to teach them, to walk with them in the way of the Lord. To serve them as Christ would.

Hold that thought...dinner is ready...

And bedtime cometh...

Okay, where was I? Ah yes, serving our families.  This, my friends, is why I have not blogged over the past few months.  Not because I've given up on writing or this life. I am still loving both. Yet, just like those pesky games you just can't get away from on Facebook [says the recovered FV addict]... I had to step back for a season to do what was the biggest priority - be the mother. I may not always [ever] get everything done, but I have accepted that I have gotten done exactly what Jesus knew I would and it is enough.

I'd rather a happy family than a neurotic mama and hubby or kids walking on eggshells. After all, the foolish woman tears down her house with her own hands. Now, the DH has been gracious beyond words stepping up and helping me out this summer. I can thankfully say that has made the difference in keeping the postpartum depression to a minimum. God is good and has gifted me with a wonderful man to share my life with. Through all the ups, downs, and in-betweens, I have loved watching our faithful God grow our marriage.

Now as far as comparing the calling to mother with the calling to write...I am still Mom first. However, as the kids are all starting school and baby boy is a little older (ie able to have more content awake time and consistent naps), it is my hope to have time to write again. I have about a hundred posts already bouncing around in my head.  Things that I thought about as I was doing them over the last year, but never got to a keyboard to record said nuggets.  Get ready...

I'm STILL Diggin' This Life!