A break from winter...

We had perfect weather Friday & Saturday so we took full advantage and spent it outdoors. We all were in great need of sunshine & vitamin D. We had a picnic lunch outside, went to the park, rode the scooters for miles, played soccer, had a campfire and roasted hotdogs & marshmallows, and wrapped up the warm weather by flying a kite and playing in the garden dirt. Pure bliss for the boys (and us)! The forecast is calling for a snowstorm come Tuesday so I'm glad we took full advantage of the weather while it lasted.

Glasses Explanation

Just to clarify, Nathan didn't actually order me safety glasses but instead glued my old lens onto the safety glasses he had lying around. He picked his fanciest pair (heehee). The point is simply this; I can now get out bed and put them on temporarily verses going straight to the contacts. It's nothing permanent but buys me some time until I get my procrastinating butt to the eye doctor. Which in my case, may take months...

The story of my glasses...

7 years ago I bought a lovely pair of very cheap glasses.
They've been mistreated, scratched repeatedly, twisted and even bent by my children.
This past Thanksgiving we hit the road for California.
We had a lovely time and started the journey back to Oklahoma.
And since I despise wearing my contacts I of course ended up wearing my glasses for the extremely long car ride.
I decided to get a little shut eye and removed my glasses.
Five minutes later the boys needed me and since I've got pathetic eyesight I reached for my glasses so I could turn around and talk to them.
And that's when it all began.
I was reaching every where but they were no where to be found.
I pushed my foot onto the floor so I could turn around to face the boys and that's when I felt something crumble beneath my feet.
I dreadfully felt the floor and picked up my glasses, now in 2 pieces.
Thankfully they busted across the nose piece so I was able to salvage them with some duct tape.
Fast forward to one month later when my hubby shut the bathroom drawer with my glasses upright and they busted yet again.
My suspicions told me that he did it on purpose so he'd never have to see me in my duct tape glasses ever again.
Fast forward three more weeks of wearing nothing but my contacts from when I rise out of bed until I close my eyes for the night.
And then I was given the best birthday present EVER.
And my hubby proved my suspicions to be wrong.
True love at its best.....

Evidence

Healthy habits

One of my goals for 2011 is to convert to a "made from scratch" diet. I want to know each and every ingredient in our meals and really put forth the effort to make some last minute changes I have hanging over me. There are a few items and canned food that I need to remove from our diet and substitue with the real thing. On that list is the following;
-bread (please share your favorite recipes. Do I need a bread maker? Sourdough start?)
-crackers (I'm a sucker for crackers with soup, peanut butter and cheese)
-all beans (I still buy them in cans so I'm making the switch to making them from the dry beans)
-tortilla's (I know these are probably super easy and I just need to do it once)
-noodles (I'd love to start making my own)
-cream of _____ (I have a few random recipes that include crm of chkn and crm of mushroom)

I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting but that's what comes to mind at the moment. I realize most of these are probably easy to make but for me it's always taking the plunge and attempting it for that first time. Once I do it the first time, the second and third will be so much easier. I finally made the plunge and made my own veggie dip (I used to buy the dry ranch mix). I want to start making our own salad dressing, taco seasoning and onion soup mix. I need to start canning tomatoes. I also want to make applesauce for the boys.

I have new foods I'm implenenting. It's so easy to make the same ole stuff because it's easy and I know them by heart. We want to start making our own sushi. And the new year has included an abundance of fresh fruit and veggies, hummus, avocados, and delicious soups. I'm so thankful the boys are so willing to try new foods and eat healthy with little complaining.

I'd love for my readers to share favorite recipes and also any suggestions for favorite supplies (food processor, bread maker, etc??) for whipping up natural foods. I will try to share some of my favorite recipes as I learn and perfect them. Happy & healthy 2011 to all!

The Scooter Gang

Friends

I am so thankful for the wonderful group of friendships that I have developed as a result of adopting. A big thank you for those of you who checked in with me the past 48 hours. I appreciate all the different perspectives and insight my dear friends have offered. As well as support and love! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Heartache

Today was one of those days that was so peaceful and happy, yet full of heartache and sadness. It included thoughts and conversations about Ethiopia. Adoption. Ethics. Corruption. And it ended with so many questions left unanswered. It has me wishing for someone to appear and tell me what to do, where to go, or how to help...

Whoever you are, if you are listening, please guide me.

Peace

In the winter we are able to catch the sunset every night since it's moved south so I try to soak in as many as I can. And when I'm really on the ball I'm able to catch some pretty spectacular sunrises. Here is one of my favorites!

It's happened...

I knew with three boys it was inevitable but I thought I had more time. My mornings are filled with talk of poop, wieners, farts (and farting), britches, and anything else that is gross and disgusting. It is then followed by laughter. I have tried to curb it but my disgusted face only makes them laugh harder. And once one of them starts laughing, the other two laugh even harder. It's a vicious cycle. But somewhere inside of me I have to suppress my own laughter because I would hate to encourage this sort of behavior (right). I fear, the youngest of all, is the biggest instigator. The outcome of having three boys this close in age, has begun. God help me....

Happy New Year!

2010 will come to an end in less than an hour. I'm lying on the sofa, music playing softly in the background, three little boys curled up in bed together, a handsome hubby asleep on the sofa and myself reflecting on what the year has entailed. The year has been graced by multiple road trips with our boys (we've traveled through 15 of the lower 48 just this year), multiple camping trips, campfires & s'mores, trips to lakes & mountains, a new home, bike rides & hikes, good health, beautiful memories with family & friends, cuddles on the sofa, reading books in bed together, lots of laughter, tears, happiness and some sorrow.

2010 taught me to enjoy the present. To stop trying to predict the future and enjoy the present. It taught me to be more patient, more kind and considerate. I learned how to be a better mother, wife, daughter and sister. I fell even more in love with Nater after a decade of being together. He amazes me every time I watch him with our boys. He is kind, generous and caring. And to this day, I'm so thankful to have him in my life.

2010 was filled with love & laughter. And I'm hoping the next year will be just as good. Happy 2011 friends & family! May your life be blessed with happiness, laughter and lots of time with those you love!

Family Picture Outakes

It's never as easy as it seems...

Nightly Routine

For the past couple weeks Landon has fallen asleep with Conner. Some nights we move him to his bed while other nights we let them stay with him. Tonight I went up to cover the boys long after they'd fallen asleep and this is what I found...

A day that ends with wine & cheese....

Here is a blog post I started this morning;

Chandra
- has eaten way too many Christmas cookies; including a breakfast that consisted of three sugar cookies and coffee.
- is wearing tight yoga pants which doesn't help the "feeling soft & gooey could I please just get off my *ss and exercise" mood.
- hates waking up to a digusting kitchen & screaming kids.
- wished there could be a cleaning fairy that would magically clean it.
- realizes how small & pathetic these problems are in the grand scheme of things.
- will probably not ever publish this post.
- misses her family.
- needs to start working out & eating less cookies.
- is looking forward to upcoming visitors.
the end to yet another post I'll never publish....


I do this sometimes. I write a post, get out my vent and move on with my day. It's not that I'm trying to hide a part of my life, but rather I'm embarrassed at how insignicant my problems are in the grand scheme of things. I have such a comfortable life it feels petty to actually complain. So I type up a post occasionally, shut my computer and walk away. Usually I can shake my mood by listening to some music, positive thinking, talking with a sister, etc. But today, I walked around the house in a daze, while eating sugar cookie, after sugar cookie (I later blamed my mother for such a delicious recipe) trying to clean up the house. Anyway, later in the day we got some upsetting news which only put everything in perspective more and I then walked around feeling sad. I tried distracting myself by finishing up painting my room but Conner was soooo on to me. He kept asking me if I was okay and finally I gave him my fake smile and said "of course". He said to me "mom, that face you just made is your smile you give me, like this (and imitated me), when you are upset or mad". I scooped him up, covered him in kisses, and cuddled with the boys for some bedtime Christmas books. I know Conner is not blind to what's going on, but his perception constantly amazes me. And I'm so thankful I have him around to keep me in check. I love ya C man.

hope

There are many things I hope for while raising three boys but something that we are constantly stressing is gratitude. We try to remind them to be grateful for food, water, our home, learning, fresh air, etc. Well the other night Conner and I had a date to pick out a tree and grab some groceries. After being gone for a couple hours we hopped into the car to head home when Conner said "I wonder what my brothers are doing... I miss them. I miss dad". I responded saying I missed them too. Then Conner said "We sure do have a great family. I love our family". And then he proceeded to tell me the rest of the way home, "we sure are lucky to see Christmas lights". After coming home that night and decorating the tree while baking cookies he continued to thank us all night for all the fun. It really melted my heart and it has been on my mind since then how thankful I am that he's getting it! That all the work we've put into being good parents is paying off. That my job the past five years really does mean something! Not that I underestimate the job of a parent but it's nice to know they are paying attention. And after a tough start at motherhood (see blog history for reference) the hardwork has really started to pay off.

Letters From Africa....

This little guy was super excited to have a letter come from aunt Meag who currently lives in Senegal, West Africa. She is working over there through the Peace Corp and we miss her sooooo much!! Two more years until she comes home. We love & miss ya Pity!!!

Holiday Cheer

Lots of good stuff going on here so of course if something has to suffer, it's going to be the blog. We just returned from a splendid trip out to California to see my older brother & his girlfriend. On the way to California we stopped and visited Nathan's brother & his family. We had a wonderful time seeing everyone and I hope to soon post pics of the trip. The drive was beautiful and the boys did wonderful. We've lucked out with three little road warriors that have an appreciation of mother nature and family time. They watched a couple movies on the trip otherwise they looked outside or yucked it up together. Last minute we decided not to take the van so we packed into Nater's car and I must say, I'm so thankful we did. All the boys were within reach of us which made it easy for feeding and hand-holding. They enjoyed sitting together and thankfully blessed us with little screaming! We saw lots of mountains, the ocean, snow, sand, visited a fun train park, hiked, ate ice cream, gave thanks on Thanksgiving and made it home safely! On the drive I was reflecting on all the road trips we've taken this year and I'm so thankful for all of them! 2011 road trips are already being planned :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and if any of you are like myself, you are already decorating for Christmas (heehee). The boys and I decorated the house today while listening to Christmas tunes. It was such a wonderful day and it's times like these I really cherish with my boys. Happy holidays to all....

The wheels are always turning...

Conner has the flu. He's thrown up five times today but the most recent was over five hours ago so I'm really hoping he's going to feel better tomorrow. Of course he also hasn't eaten anything since the one slice of toast he had for breakfast. So maybe tomorrow will still be terrible. Nathan, being the wonderful father he is, will sleep with him tonight and keep a close watch. I hate when my kids are sick. Hate it, hate it! Conner had pneumonia & RSV at 15 months old and ever since then when he gets sick, it hits him hard. And it always has us on pins & needles until the fever passes. So here's to hoping tomorrow he'll wake up feeling better. And that I can actually catch up on all the laundry waiting for me.

Biruk & Landon spent the day buddied up together since they had strict orders to not stick their face near Conner's for fear of them getting sick as well. They are funny to watch together. The way they get laughing or watching them eat a meal together. Sometimes it's joint play but other times they just sit and play side by side. At one point Landon was flipping through books while Biruk worked through three different puzzles. Biruk has a gift. He can whip through puzzles like nothing I've ever seen. And I couldn't be happier because I love putting puzzles together. He's been tackling the 24-30 piece puzzles and it's so fascinating to watch him. He picks up a piece, studdies it, and then proceeds to pair it up with another. And another. I never knew he had such attention to detail until now. Tonight we sat on the floor and put together a larger puzzle. I am hoping for many more nights of puzzles with the little guy.

Nathan & I have been tackling all sorts of projects. The biggest is the bed for our room. We got our inspiration from Knock Off Wood (farmhouse bed) and we were set on making that one until I read on the comments section about someone using 2 old doors for the headboard & footboard. So that's just what we did. I found 2 old doors on craigslist for $20/piece and we brought them home and I stripped off the old paint (most likely full of lead - oh joy). I eventually exhausted myself off the task and let them sit in the garage. Then the kids & I took a spontaneous trip back to Indiana and Nathan surprised me by building the bed. Fast forward to this weekend when I finally primed & have started to paint them. Hopefully I can reveal them soon!

My sister (with five kids) will soon be moving from Texas to Michigan. I finally live near a sibling and she's moving away (boohoo) so I'm trying to soak up as much time with her and the kids as I can before they move. So this past week we went down and visited some parks and enjoyed our time together. I will be sad to see them go!

Meanwhile, Ethiopia has been heavy on the heart. And every time I sit down to blog about it I can't get the words out. It feels so personal & too private to write about. And I'm struggling with how to help? How to make a difference? Where to give? Thinking of ways we can do without so someone else can live with.... I've got an Ethiopia Jar started so every time I want to spend $ I can instead throw it in the jar. One of the easiest ways to give is when I'm tempted to eat out instead of making dinner. But I have other areas I'm going to try to save on so the pot can continue to get bigger. More on that later...

Being healthy. It's always on my mind and I'm hoping to become more efficient at making meals that are healthy & quick. I need to do the whole cooking on Saturday or Sunday for that weeks meals. It's a work in progress and for me it's been baby steps over the years. I eat less candy, buy less process foods, eat more fruits & vegetables, etc.

We started homeschooling last week. It was so much fun. All three of the boys hopped up on the barstools and I gave them all of their sheets to work on. Conner is working on his writing & reading & art. Biruk & Landon are doing little preschool sheets (Abc's, 123's) and I should be able to teach them together. I look forward to becoming more creative, organized, scheduled and regular with it!

So that pretty much sums up this weeks journal entry. I'm assuming the few readers I have remaining are my family so I've turned this blog into more a diary of my life. I know one day this will all be a distant blur so I'd better hold onto as many memories as I can.

Crafty Conner

After trick or treating I put the kids halloween bags up high in one of our cabinets and I randomly let them pick out a piece of candy. Well Conner was talking to my little sister Kelsey on the phone and while they discussed Conner's candy she told him he better keep it hidden or his mom will eat it. He said to her "Oh I've got it hidden, where no one will find it". She must have asked him where and he said "I'll give you a clue. It rhymes with snore". She then guessed door?? And I hear him say "No, not door. Drawer." At this point I figured out what was going on and sprinted up the stairs to his room to his nightstand. He was chasing up behind me laughing and trying to get me to stop. And sure enough, I whip it open to find his halloween bag and wrappers everywhere. As well as a small pile of them tucked by their overstuffed chair. I grabbed the phone and my sister was laughing hysterically. It was all too funny and even now it still makes me smile. Anyway, tonight while having dinner he said, "mom, there is a candy I got trick or treating that I don't like". I said "It's the coconut one right?". He said "how'd you guess?" I said "Well had you not stolen yours I could have told you that you wouldn't have liked that one". He said "well that seems like a big punishment for what I did". Ahhh... Conner, you'll always crack me up :).

Happy Halloween

From Thing 1, Thing 2 and Thing 3.

We are headed down to Wichita Mountains for a day of hiking. More photos & stories to come.