a day in the life: summer 2013

for my records. compliments of the iPhone.
this is how our day was today.
layne 6, lila 4, penelope 2

you guys woke up early and bugged your daddy until he fed you. i got to sleep in until 7:45!

i usually make myself iced tea in the morning even in the winter. i don't like coffee...wish i did for the caffeine but i just can't make myself. while i wait for the water to boil, i read the bible. if you guys don't harass me, i sometimes get to read longer but usually that's not the case. i don't mind...i know this is a short time. there will be other seasons in life i'll get to study more deeply, but now is not that time.

after we ate breakfast, we went for a long walk around 9am. layne, you off-roaded quite a bit on the trail and complained when i was too slow. "mom, you should try and run sometime." honey, if i didn't pee on myself, i think i would more often.

see how your sisters are loving this walk too? what a joyous time we get to spend together!

our walks take about an hour and a half...this day was particularly hot and you guys all ended up throwing a fit by the end of it. i pretend that you're singing praise songs to the Lord when you all scream your heads off. it helps me also not scream my head off.

we got home and i put a movie on so i could take a shower. you guys had already made a fort that morning.

lila, you snuck upstairs and painted your nails with liquid eyeliner and then generously topped them off with real fingernail polish. then, wiped it on our sheets. we've had these sheets since we were married (that's 7 years), so it was time to get rid of them anyway, maybe? but i made you go sit in your room because it made me mad. 5 minutes later you yelled, i luh you! and i let you out because YOU WIN. i can't stay mad at you especially when you say that sweet phrase.

at 11:30 we ate a gourmet lunch of flaxseed, almond butter, apricot jelly sandwiches with some fruit. 'twas very fancy. i had one too because, why not? isn't that what every mother eats for lunch while their husband's eat catered in lunches? i'm not bitter.

layne, as usual you find something not to like about your food. you are so picky. i do not know where you get that from because i eat everything! jk. you're just like me. i told you that you couldn't go swimming later unless you ate it. so you did. the girls dominated as usual.

in the afternoon, daddy came home early and watched you guys while i did a photoshoot. it's always a treat when your father gets to come home early!
i took pictures of a sweet family and then headed home so we could go to your grandparent's house to swim.

(flying and fearless child!)

penelope slept most of the time we were there.
i tried to get in but it was sooooo cold. layne, you and i threw the ball to each other while daddy pretended to try and throw me in.

daddy also shot the water gun in people's ears and wrestled your grandfather in the pool. what fun! why do boys play like that?
lila you played with isaac most of the time, because he's the cutest filipino nugget around.

(layne's "relaxed" float...otherwise known as sinking)

we ate dinner there (score!)and then headed home around bed time...7ish. right when we got home, i walked out the door with my bestie to do a craft night for the upcoming women's conference at our church.

(look how intently i am working, as if doing it for the Lord. emily is hiding behind her white hair.)

(we made these cute little tassels that my friend laura is displaying)

 it was fun to hang out and catch up with my friends! i got home around 10 and went to bed.

exhasuted. as usual. but very happy to be living the life we live. now onto tomorrow where a new adventure begins! 

crispy salad

you guys. this salad is delish. like....i ate fruit. and that's a pretty big deal. such a great summer dinner!

take it away joephine!

“Crispy Salad”

My husband named this salad because...well,  this salad is a very crispy salad. A no-brainer! And my 3-year old begs for this salad... A 3-year old begging for salad? maybe because this particular salad has some sweet elements in it. And Jami is not a fan of fruit but she vowed to eat fruit from now on after tasting this goodness. This is how I convinced those picky kids!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 gala apple, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch length pieces

1 Sunkist orange, peeled and cut into 1-inch length segments, zest reserved 

2-3 ribs celery hearts, slice into 1-inch pieces (shown in pictures)

4-6 sprigs cilantro, minced

1/3 cup pecans, toasted

Directions:

• Place the pecans in a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast until the nuts start to slightly color. Remember to toss the nuts to prevent them from burning. (Don’t walk away and start doing laundry!) When done, remove the pecans from the stove and cool. Set aside. 
• While the pecans being toasted, make the vinaigrette:

Whisk the white balsamic vinegar, the oil, the orange zest, salt and pepper together until it comes together and appears emulsified. Set aside. 

• Toss the apple pieces, orange segments, celery pieces, and freshly minced cilantro with the vinaigrette in a medium mixing bowl. Roughly crush the toasted pecans with your hands and sprinkle over the salad. Serve. 

Cook’s Note:

• Because of the elements of apple and cilantro, this salad makes a perfect side dish for grilled or baked pork chops. 
• Other than all the color contrasts, keeping all ingredients in the same size and similar shape is the other key to make a pretty presentation. 

printable version here

enjoying not enduring

after my post on being an american mother, i was chatting with my friend and (forced) mentor, leigh thune the other day about a follow up post on mothering. leigh has 4 children ages 14 to 7 so she knows a couple uh' things.

i had been reading Galatians about circumcision (i know, not really a lady topic), and how people were fussing over this rule:
you belong in the club when you exhibit this certain physical sign. when you're circumcised that is.

and it reminded me of motherhood.
what do wieners and motherhood have in common? a lot actually now that i think about it, but let's pretend like i didn't just say that and stick with me here.

what i'm trying to actually say is that we put outward signs on ourselves signifying that we belong to the "good mother club". or more often for me...the "approve of me club". those signs range from breastfeeding to pinterest parenting to meals to busyness to well behaved children and so on and so on. (there's one million more)

so if doing a bunch of activities and being busy all the time and hovering over children aren't the signs, then what are they? my american brain is a little messed up in this way. i've forgotten the gospel application here by living entrenched in convenience and wealth of resources for so long. as a black and white person, i tend to say, jami, your goal is to glorify christ. just glorify christ.  when i say that, i mostly think about this in a sacrificial way. like, it's just going to be hard so buckle down, and make it about Christ. but leigh pointed out something beneficial and wise as we talked through this. she said:

I think a better way to put it is that our chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever BY enjoying Him forever. Are you enjoying Him as you mother? Or, are you miserable? Are you at an end of yourself? Do you live with a hidden list of expectations of what a good Mom does? When you fail your kids or your husband, what is your reaction?

Do you see that the best thing you can do is cling to Christ? He is your righteousness. Cling to God, He is your Father and YOU are a beloved daughter. Live in that identity first and you will teach your children what is most important of all. They are children and, more than anything, you want them to have willing hearts ready to enjoy, love and obey God. Is this part of your life? 

So, walk by the Spirit. He will guide you, comfort you, bring you peace and wisdom to be a Mommy "as unto the Lord."

Colossians 3
12 Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

------

i just thought that was really simple and wise. we do not carry the physical markings of a "good mother" through activities and busyness and best schools or material possessions,  but with the markings that happen in your heart through the blood of Jesus making you righteous. and in that, the outward fruit will look like enjoyment in Christ and enjoyment in motherhood.

i hope that encourages you as it has encouraged me these past days. i'm continually amazed at how much hope the gospel brings to every situation and how it cuts through culture, habits and shame so quickly. it's very freeing to live as a mother made to enjoy her children and not to simply "endure" these often exhausting and sometimes difficult years with our growing families.

Leigh Thune lives in Omaha, Nebraska. She's Bob's wife and the mother of 4 wonderful kids. They, by the grace of God, are her favorite people in the whole world.

redeemer women's conference

hey friends,

i go to a church called redeemer fellowship in kansas city. it just turned 5 years old last week...and i feel like it was a little bit of a birthday for me too. maybe a spiritual one or something deep like that. to say that this church and it's relentless teaching of the gospel has been instrumental in my shaping as a follower of Jesus seems small and a little religiously cliché, but it is the truth. this was the church and the people that became a tangible gospel to gather around us when experienced so much heartache in our marriage. but we're not the only ones with stories of heartbreak and redemption that go there. there are so many more! it's been amazing to be a part of a place that believes the Gospel is not just an entry point to becoming a christian, but that it really is alive and healing and saving. if you're looking for a good, healthy, gospel centered church in kansas city, come here!

and if you're not in town or in town... and you're looking for someplace to hear the truth and feel refreshed, come to the redeemer women's conference on
Friday, June 21: 7 – 9:30 pm
Saturday, June 22: 9 am – 5 pm

elyse fitzpatrick is speaking and she is a GEM! i'm freaking out a little bit that i get to learn from her...
she has written 17 books including:

Comforts from the Cross

Because He Loves Me

Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus

the conference will basically be about how God loves us. sounds simple, huh? but really, we forget his love. we forget the gospel has real, direct power to transform our daily lives.

you can read more about the conference here

i'm loving.

i'm in love with the honest company. the wipes are super thick, the diapers are super absorbent, the dishwashing and laundry detergent is wonderful. and all scent free! i don't like strong smells, good ones or bad ones...so this is great for me.

use the  coupon code DM35OFF for 35% off your bundle! 
expires june 12, 2013 

if you buy a cleaning bundle and use the coupon code you'll get 5 products for $19.50 (make sure to get the laundry detergent!) or a diaper bundle for $51.50. you get an ass-ton (pun intended!)of diapers and wipes that are supposed to last you a month (but they last me longer).

with the coupon code, it's $12/week for your diapers and wipes. i love deals. i love all natural. and i love high quality.
so WIN WIN.

if you don't want to sign up for a bundle, the coupon code INVITED10 will give you a $10 credit when you spend $25.

i promise i'm not a coupon hoarder or a deals blogger, but frugalness is my jam. so i thought i'd share with my frands.

organization station!

rarely do i organize things. rarely do i think about organizing things, actually. i'd rather make something or be creative in some other way. i mean,  the truth is that organization is actually super creative and takes a lot of thought and resourcefulness. but with a type A spin. which i don't really have.

all that to say, this wall has been driving me nuts because it's useless. and this bin of gluten free ingredients has also been a thorn in my side. so why not kill 2 birds with one stone, while saying to myself, you can't lean on your personality and always be a hot mess. dig deep. or something. 

truth is, this hot mess kept buying the same things over and over again because i couldn't see what i had and what i was running out of. that's not being a good steward of anything, mkay?

my desk is so messy, i know. one thing at a time!

i bought some glass containers. just like these that zulily is selling right now in their organized kitchen collection(look in the home section). and they are super reasonably priced and adorable!

 then i sent my hubs to the hardware store with a only a few directions: wooden shelves, simple brackets, will make out with you as a reward for building.

and so with a skip in his step and a promise that later did not get fulfilled because i started throwing up, he built these magical things!

i did want to paint the wall behind it white, but eventually, this kitchen will be ripped out so i didn't want to put too much effort into it. i also think the light colored flours pop against the dark grey walls.

this project cost $50 in materials, not including my containers. i spent $20 for glass containers... i already owned half of them. for the ones that i owned, i wanted them to look succinct. so i stuck with glass, silver, and black or white stuff. if a lid or container didn't match, i just painted it black. every container has a label on the lid with the particular item name.

enjoy this awkward grip.

i used cedar wood, which i rubbed with olive oil to bring out a richer tone in the wood. this could be unsanitary or something, but i didn't want to go back to the hardware store and get some expensive or toxic finishing oil. the boards are 1 inch thick and 7 inches wide. the length will depend on your walls!

 and we got cheap, metal brackets. 

the hardware store made the cuts for us and it took 30 minutes to hang them.

i'm so in love with this wall that i used to hate. and now it has such purpose!

such a quick and easy project with lots of impact. 

flourish

have you guys heard of flourish?
i write for them sometimes...little daily devotionals.
they do retreats too...it's pretty awesome. sometimes you have to build in rest.

Come spend a weekend being refreshed, while learning to live in the present and building life long relationships with other women. We strive to create a unique atmosphere that will cause you to slow down, be quiet with God and grow from one another. We pray you will leave feeling encouraged and ready to live joyfully, no matter our circumstances.
We welcome all women, from all walks of life. No matter what stage we are in, we believe we can all learn from each other greatly.

The weekend is full of time connecting with God, and connecting with other women. We also have worship out on the lake, under the stars...delicious meals...wonderful sessions...and you receive the most amazing welcome bag!
Cost is $250, and it includes 3 nights of lodging and all of your meals/snacks/drinks for the weekend. We even take a trip into the small, quaint little town and have a fun lunch out! If you are flying in, we will provide your travel to and from the airport as well.

To purchase a ticket, or for any questions, please e-mail flourishretreat@gmail.com.

We really hope you'll take a leap of faith, and join us at one of our retreats!