Weird Weather and Preparing for Lent

So many things I'd like to share, so I will jump right in.

Last Friday was SUCH a better day than Thursday. I showered, brushed (and flossed) my teeth, put on real clothes read my Bible, sang along to one of my favorite worship CD's,and worked on my raw, vegan, gluten free macaroon recipe. All this before 11:00am! It was a good day. Saturday was absolutely gorgeous. Early on that morning we discussed taking Camille on her first trip to First Monday Trade Days in Canton (ten miles from our house.)

Leaving home around noon, we didn't get back until about 6:00pm and Camille had a wonderful day- which means mama had a wonderful day too. The temperature was perfect: mid-seventies and there was a cool breeze.

We wandered the antiques and tools and through all sorts of clothes and handmade items. Seriously, you can find almost anything at First Monday! My mom and dad met us there and we ended up making a day of it before going for tacos at our favorite place in Canton, The Taco Shack. Literally, it's a shack, no indoor seating,  but it was still so nice outside. We filled our bellies with $1.25 tacos and headed home. (These are Baja style, California tacos made on corn tortillas with cilantro, lime, grilled onions and cabbage---mmmm good!!)

Camille crashed when we got home (after a nice warm bath. I just HAD to wash the snotty, sticky, lint-necked girl!). All that fresh air and sunshine did her in!!

Sunday the ice storm to end all ice storms moved in.  For some reason we thought it wasn't going to get bad until Sunday night, so we headed to Tyler to have lunch with the Stockhammer's and Alaina. Turns out it got pretty bad pretty quick and we drove in that mess the entire way home. Our normal thirty minute trip took well over an hour.

However, as always, it was so very nice and refreshing to get to spend a few hours with our friends eating (what else) tacos and laughing at stories. My macaroons got a thumbs-up from the taste-testers and Camille loved "talking" with the little people. Kids love a baby, but she loved them too. I am anxious to see how they interact and play together in the coming years. When I look at Micha, who is exactly one year and two days older than Camille, I see how quickly Camille will be growing up.

And I left that evening, not only with some delicious pork loin, but a bag of material and ribbon. Someone gave the bag to someone who gave the bag to Lora who gave the bag to me... (See how nice that worked out?!) Which is great since next week, while everyone is on Spring Break, I hope to learn how to work my sewing machine. Pillowcases and simple window panels are first on  the list.  The bag of fabric has many patterns for little girl dresses that are pre-cut. Viola. Perfection. I just hope I am capable.

We got home Sunday about 5:30pm and I haven't left the house since. Chris's school even canceled classed both Monday and today. I've made lots of eggs, biscuits and every fresh vegetable we had in the house. Our refrigerator is pretty bare, except for lots of Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs. A lady down the road sells the most beautiful eggs for $3.00/ 18.

Thinking alot about Lent around this house. Talking alot about sacrifice and going without and simple living and leaving space for God to talk and move and show us things.
Here is a GREAT WEBSITE for preparing your heart for Lent and devotionals for each day.

Also, here is THE LINK to the complete birth story of Camille. If you are interested!

Five Months and Six Days

I made it through those first rough weeks, those first two months even, fine. Well, you know, all things considered - I did alot of crying and not alot of sleeping, but I felt well. Healthy. Happy. So, so very blessed. And here we are, approaching six months old very fast and I'm sort of feeling, blah. Very blah. Very bored and lonely and tired and fat and frumpy and like I'm losing any intelligence I had whatsoever each day that passes. I know the words to Raffi songs and how to fold a cloth diaper and how to cook dinner and entertain a baby at the same time.

Right now I'm wearing a sweater over my nursing gown (which is spotted with spit-up) and my fuzzy red Christmas socks. I've not showered. I've not brushed my teeth or my hair. It's 11:00am and what I have done is clothed my child (twice), wrangled her while trying to suck boogers out of her nose, washed a load of diapers (that are now piled on my sofa) and a load of Chris's work clothes. What I've considered, but haven't done, is eat an entire bag of "healthy Cheetos" called Bearitos. I opted for a banana and almond butter.

I've made a spreadsheet of costs for my potential Farmer's Market business and got lost in the numbers... I've got such mommy brain.

Most things cost money to do, which I'm trying to avoid doing... It is 40 degrees outside... I do have a five month old to take care of...  I know that this is a season in my life, but right now I can't see past my postpartum flab, way too many clothes that don't fit, the fact that even though my husband works two jobs, our bank account never seems to have enough money...

I don't know why I'm being whiney. Chris tells me to take another placenta pill and cheer up. I know tomorrow I can throw open the front door and perhaps go out for a walk (if Camille doesn't scream her head off one mile in...) since it is supposed to be 70 degrees.

I love my family. I do. Motherhood has changed me, and Chris, and our marriage. It's hard with work and church commitments for him to see her much during the work week. So, the last think I want to do when he comes home at 5:00 is throw a baby at him so I can go to the gym, or for a walk or for a manicure... Especially since 7:00pm is her bedtime and she can get pretty cranky by 6:00pm...

It's hard not to be selfish, but it's necessary to take care of me too.

I just feel like what I'm doing is immeasurable. And often routine and boring.  I know she'll be running around here in no time and I'll miss blowing raspberries on her belly and playing patty-cake on the floor. I do love her gummy grin.

Sometimes I want three more kids.  And sometimes I think, "I am so done..."

Spring Planning

Remember May 2012 when we lived and worked on a farm?! Yeah, sometimes we miss those days. Mostly we miss the glorious free organic fruits and veggies we got to eat on, all day long. That was the hardest work I've ever done in my life. And at times lonely. And cold. And rainy. And sometimes I felt like what I was doing wasn't going to matter at all... (wait, this sounds like motherhood...)

We've been trying to decide what and how much we are going to grow in our little garden and we always think back to our farm days. That was some really good eating. Good, quality produce and worth every penny we'd sell it for at farmers market!

Today, I bought some chard and beet seeds. Along with some flower seeds.  An older gentleman at church yesterday gave us some lettuce and arugula seed along with some organic, heirloom tomato seed. The variety slips my mind now, but it sounded feminine and divine. 

I guess I should mention too, that Chris built some tables to grow on this weekend.  They look so nice and well built to me, with screen on the bottom to allow the water to drain from the soil. "What a great idea," I said. "I got it from Martha Stewart," he replied, which was not what I was expecting to hear. After googling "building a lettuce table" he got several ideas and went from there.  The table building went extremely fast with his new nail gun, table saw and air compressor. Thanks to Craigslist (and my father...) Chris is (finally) obtaining quite the tool collection. As every man should. I get it.

Just like I need certain tools and gadgets in the kitchen, he need things in order to repair, build and create. And every woman should have a sewing machine, right?? I've just got to learn how to use the one my mom gave me. First, it needs serviced- just some regular  maintenance since it has been years- and then I need some lessons. We've decided to tear down the mini blinds in the kitchen that cover the large window that looks out into the backyard and replace them with some curtains. Perhaps this can be my first project, sounds easy enough... right?!

While Chris was table building this weekend, and knocking on strangers doors to ask them if we could buy the greenhouse (that looked pretty unused for years) in their yard, I did some hedging and some trimming and some raking. (And yes, the guy with a real Texas name of J.R., told Chris he'd sell us entire thing for $100. This will be next weekends project. Tearing down a greenhouse and then rebuilding it.) I love being outside, and probably more so since it's not too hot yet and it's been awhile.

Today was a grocery store visit and I made a purchase of new panties. I know this may be TMI, but I'm still wearing my "big butt" pregnancy panties. It's been five months... This is not good. I think I was a little convicted at last weeks MOPS meeting when our topic was marriage.  It was impressed upon my heart to buy some new post baby pretty panties to cover my larger bootay. And it's sort of funny, because I aways buy new moms pretty new post baby panties. Something nice for themselves, when all those Hanes Her Way look worn and stretched and boring. And yet, here I am, in these saggy, cotton undies... Whoops.

Rain is on it's way. Cooler temperatures. Which I'm sort of happy about because the allergies around here have been horrendous. Chris' coughing and sneezing and nose blowing kept us all awake Saturday night and Camille has her first stuffy nose. Poor baby. I bought no less than $40 worth of decongestants and antihistamines for Chris yesterday at CVS in the hopes that he can breath again, and get some rest. Camille will just keep on breastfeeding as she is now working on building her own immune system. And I will eat banana bread that I just pulled out of the oven. I'm feeling quite well.