The Redelsperger Family

Christmas 2010

2010-12-05T15:49:00.000-08:00

Another year has flown by and it's already time for our yearly Christmas update, but first a story about our Christmas card!

This year for Thanksgiving, we did something a bit unconventional...we left town and went to stay the night at a hotel near the Calavaras Big Trees. I thought there might be snow on the ground so I packed the kids snow gear "just in case". When we arrived at the big trees there was over 12"!!! This picture was taken on the "dancing stump" (called that because it's as big as a stage) done on the timer amidst two melt downs by the younger two kids. I'm amazed everyone is looking at the camera and not crying! What a fun memory, and it made for a perfect Christmas card picture... and now for the "update"!

Aaron has been very busy this year handling the responsibilities of youth ministry, small groups ministry, taking graduate classes, and preaching a 12 week sermon series this fall. (You can listen to them on the Church Web Site!) The last part of October he traveled to Ethiopia again to help serve at the Preacher's Conference in Awasa. He took two teens with him, and led a young adults track of the program there.

I have had a very eventful year as I finally had my hip replacement surgery in September! It was a longtime in coming, but I decided that this was the time to have it done. I am so glad that I did. I am almost fully recovered from the surgery itself and I'm amazed at how much more I can do for and with my family now that I am pain free. What a blessing medical technology has been for our family this year!

Grace is a big first grader and doing GREAT in school. She is being taught at home (by Mommy!) and loves that each day part of her school work is done curled up on the couch snuggled up with books. One of her projects this year has been to create a blog and chronicle the journey of Paddle to The Sea. Based on her school book, of the same name, she and her Grandpa made a miniature canoe together that we will be putting in the American River this spring. We hope it will make it all the way to the Pacific Ocean!

Noraa is an active four year old with an imagination that blows us away. She has a Twitter account dedicated to her quotes that always make me smile. If you are on Twitter, you can follow her @ noraaquotes. She's doing school with us each day as well and surprises me with her joy of learning things beyond her "level". Her daily selections of what to wear also keeps me in stitches. There's never a dull moment with Noraa around!

Samuel, the "baby" of the family is hardly a baby anymore. My big two year old likes to do things by himself, copy his older sisters every move, and work puzzles during school time. He is always making me smile with his constant chatter about Woody Buzz (from Toy Story), his fascination with sucking his thumb and playing with his bellybutton, and his desire to "nuddle" (snuggle) any chance he gets. He is a precious boy and a joy to our family!

We pray all is going well with you and yours this Christmas. May the joy of Jesus Advent seep deep into your hearts and your homes! Much love from our family to yours!

School

2010-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Every year. Every child.

Every year is different. Every child is different. Every child is different every year! This is why we have decided to make our decisions about school based on those two things. We (like any other parent) want what's best for our children. What's best can sometimes change based on the circumstances. This year we felt it was best to keep Grace home for school. I am so very excited about it! We've had two days of school thus far and I'm loving it already. I know that not every day will be as smooth as these two have been, and that's okay with me. I know that there will be times that I am longing to "have a break", and days that I question my sanity. But above all that the foundational truth of the matter is this: IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!

It's about her...

Watching daddy

2010-06-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Summer!

2010-06-22T15:50:00.000-07:00

It's summer time! It's HOT... and that means it's time for lazy days outside watching the kids play in the pool or the sprinklers. I realize it's a sacrifice for me to give up valuable time to sit in my lawn chair with a good book and tanning lotion, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make!
So here's to ice water in princess water bottles, sun tea and sprinklers!

2010-06-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

This is my daughter.

Smudged Rainbow

2010-02-23T13:48:00.000-08:00

It's a melancholy day. The rain drizzles from the sky and the slight flecks of them falling on the wet patio give it a cool sheen. Puddles start to form in the low places of the uneven ground, and worms emerge from their earthen homes. The sidewalk chalk is smudged and kindergarten sight words are not so readable now. I love the rain.
Even the sound of cars passing by, sounds fresher in the rain. The smell of precipitation makes me happy. Today my children asked me why it's raining. I told them that "The clouds have too much water in them. When they have too much water, it falls from the sky creating rain. The rain waters the ground which makes things grow. Isn't our God great for creating such a perfect balance for our weather?" The words come easily and it's a simple explanation that satisfies the five and three year old curiosity, but I know there is more behind it than that. Their chatter fades in the background as I, myself wonder at the days before the flood and how the earth managed it's growth cycles then. What a wonder.

My girls enjoy listening to stories of "when I was a child". Their fascination with it makes me smile. I wish I had more memories, clearer recollections to fill that longing they have. It's something that I remember wanting to. To know what Daddy was like when he was a little person. Last night at bed time I was tired, more than a little cranky and generally overwhelmed. I told the girls that I needed to have a "heart to heart" talk with them. Their tendency to not listen, which then leads to disobedience, is not acceptable. We talked about what makes God happy and what makes Him sad, how we learn to obey our parents so that we can learn to obey Him. I proceeded to tell them stories from when I was a child, of times that I had disobeyed my parents. Their eyes were wide with concern when I told them that not only did I disobey and eat the chocolate diet pill from my mother's closet, I also lied about eating it. I hope through hearing the stories they do more than just listen for entertainment purposes. My heart, my prayer is that they learn from my mistakes. I want them to know that we are all fallible and that even their mother who now makes the rules, at one time had to follow rules laid out for her as well. I want them to know in the depths of their souls, that obedience (the first time) is not only a lesson to be learned now, but one that should be carried with you into adulthood. If applied, this obedience can save one from heartache and draw them into a deeper relationship with our Creator.

Coop

2010-02-22T08:02:00.000-08:00

I'm reading a book by Michael Perry. It's called "Coop".
The man is really incredible. The story is really just his daily life, but the way that he words things makes you want to move to a farm and start writing a book of your own. He uses words like harrowing, impecunious, anecdotal, trilling and pristine. Not that these words are so intellectual that they can't be used, it's simply the way he uses them that draw a picture so clearly you feel like you are there in the moment. His conversion to "the Truth", recollections of growing up on a dairy farm, the birth of his daughter at home, each scene played out in capturing detail as he ponders some of the deeper things of life.
It makes me want to write. I think it's why I like blogging so much. Each person has a story to tell, every day has a message. Anyone can write, it's just a matter of honing your skills and telling your story in a way that people want to read it.
Since this is our family blog I will continue to write about our family, but I see this also as a golden opportunity to practice. A chance to practice my reflections, my daily life as mom, and try to shape them into readable material. I may not have the vocabulary of Michael Perry, but somewhere in my mind there are some inscrutable stories waiting to be told.

Oops!

2010-02-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

I've been so caught up in the "makeover" that my homemaker blog is getting that I have neglected the family blog!

I promise I'll have some updates posted soon!

The Body

2010-01-13T09:51:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about this "blogging community" is coming across gems. Posts written by perfect strangers, passionate about their cause, their life, their God.
If you have the time, please take it to read Katie's post on the Body of Christ.
Let us be changed to be more in His image...

Family Christmas Update 2009

2009-12-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe a year has gone by since our last family update. Every year at Christmas I enjoy taking the time to just sit back and reflect on the year that has passed. The children grow so quickly and change a lot in just 12 short months. This year has been full to say the least.

The biggest news in our family is the addition of two more Redelspergers! Tana and Grey moved in with us on June 2nd, and it has been a joy having them here. Tana is a student at Sacramento City College, as well as working two jobs! She keeps us fully stocked in Starbucks coffee, and has an extremely contagious laugh! Grey is three years old and we love having him join in all our family fun. He likes to work outside in the yard with Uncle Aaron, as well as listening to stories. Our "little" family of seven is snug as can be in our quaint three bedroom home, and we feel the blessings of being near family daily.
Aaron's been a busy man this year. In addition to being an amazing husband and father, and full time youth minister at the Cordova Church of Christ, he also completed three of his classes towards his masters degree. He took wisdom literature, church planting and beginning Hebrew. He also completed a yard transformation in our back yard during his "stay-caytion" this summer. The difference is incredible and the kids love having a play area complete with playground cover! Aaron is also still leading the mgroup ministry.

I, Amy, have been busy keeping up with now four children day to day. Between kindergarden drop off and pick up, story time at the library, teaching in the pre-school co-op and my regular "homemaking" activities, I don't see too much time to myself. When I do however, I've most recently enjoyed blogging! I not only have our family blog, but also a blog on being a homemaker. I take such encouragement from the blogs of others that I read regularly, and I have personally enjoyed the process of being refined as a writer. I I hope to improve my writing, as I enjoy it immensely.

Grace is officially a kindergartner! She is a part of the FLES (Foreign Language in Elementary Schools) program. Her teacher Ms. Yoly is fantastic and Grace has already learned so much in both Spanish and English. When I asked her for her favorite word in Spanish she said "Um, my favorite word is circulo!" (Which means circle)

This fall they had their annual Jog-a-thon to raise money for their classroom. Each child was supposed to run as many laps around the kindergarten playground as they could with people giving money per lap. Many children in her class ran about ten laps. Thankfully they let people make a flat rate donation because Grace ran a total of 53 laps!!!! There were only a couple students that ran more laps than Grace.

Another big accomplishment for Grace this fall, was getting a "cougar award". They have a code they call the cougar R.O.A.R. (Responsible, On task, Always safe, & Respectful) She was chosen as a student who showed great respect. We were very proud.

Our little Noraa continues to crack us up every day. (Her antics remind me so much of her father it's uncanny.) She's constantly making up songs, and amusing us with her sweet little sayings! I think one of my favorites is when she chuckles "Ha, Ha, Ha, I joked ya!"

She started pre-school this year, and really enjoys her time with her "pre-school friends". When asked what she likes most about preschool she will say "I like show and tell!" I'm very proud of her and the way she has paid close attention to all that we've taught. Her favorite lessons so far are the lessons we taught on animals.

Sammy, is 15 months old and has recently started walking. With this new found skill he has also found a desire to climb anything he can! Recently I caught him pushing a kid sized chair across the kitchen, and climbing up in order to reach an item he found interesting! I've got to watch him like a hawk! His favorite words are "Mama , Dada, and Ball". He also says things like "Buh-ball" (basket ball)! What a boy. When his father comes home from work he warms us all with his exuberant exclamation of "DahEE!" In addition to trying everything we ask him to say, he has a number of signs that he uses to communicate when he can't say the word.

I never knew one Mama's heart could hold so much love! My three children bless me so much and teach me lessons I could not learn without them.

We hope all is well with you and yours this Christmas season. Thank you for reading our Christmas update. Please feel free to leave us a comment letting us know how your family is doing, we would love to hear from you!

::snow::

2009-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

It snowed last night in Rancho Cordova, CA.

I wish a camera could have caught the joy

on my kids faces when they saw it this morning...

It's the simple things in life!

You know, like snow on a slide.

Poor, sad, deflated bouncy ball. I promise you will be used again one day!

You look pretty with snow on you.

The truth of Christmas

2009-12-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

Last night as I was putting the girls to bed I told Noraa she could pick a Christmas story and told Gracy she could choose our Bible story. We finished reading "The Night Before Christmas" and then Gracy started flipping the pages of her children's Bible looking for her selection. Noraa sweetly whispers to Grace..."sthister, pick a Christmas one!", To which Grace promptly replies, "Silly Noraa, there aren't any Christmas stories in the Bible."
Oops. How did my five year old not know the reason for the season?
So I gently opened the Bible to the beginning of the New Testament and said, "Actually Grace, there is a Christmas story in the Bible. In fact, the reason we celebrate Christmas isn't because of Santa Clause, presents, or the fun lights and trees, but because Jesus, God's own Son came to earth to be with us. Because we don't know when He was born, we choose to celebrate the day He was born, on Christmas"
Then I read to my children one of the greatest stories ever told... the true Christmas Story.

A Story

2009-12-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, there was a wife. A "homemaker" to be more precise.

And this wife, she had a husband. He was a very fine husband indeed.

He was not just nice to look at but also truly a good hearted man.

Well, one day this wife was having a bad day.

A very bad day indeed.

The husband asked his wife, "What can I do to make your day better."

But the wife did not know.

"Nothing I suppose." She said wearily

The day wore on and though things improved some, the wife was inexplicably sad.

The husband came home from work only to have to leave again for his Biblical Hebrew class.

The wife fed the children and gave them all their baths.

By herself she helped them brush their teeth, read the Bible and say their night time prayers.

The husband came home at 10:30pm, and as he walked through the door...

the wife's worries, frustrations and emotions of the day were all swept away.

Because there in the husbands hands was a beautiful, fragrant and

incredibly thoughtful bouquet of roses.

The wife smiled.

...and they lived happily...

The End

I Love You

2009-12-01T14:46:00.000-08:00

When you ask Sammy to say "I Love You", he puts his hand to his ear like this! (I think it's because he hears me say it on the phone to his daddy!)
It melts me every time!

Pictures

2009-11-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

I love pictures. I found the coolest spot to take pictures in Old Sacramento, and the sun was behind the clouds so it was a perfect day for it. Unfortunately trying to get pictures of three kids who are not very photogenic, (Not to mention their parents!) presents a bit of a problem. Regardless I think they're pretty cute. Maybe when GranJan comes with her fancy camera we can head back down there and take some fancy pictures. In the mean time, here we are; unedited.

Our "little" family of five!

Grandma and Grandpa came for Thanksgiving, what a joy to have them here!

Tana and Grey help complete our family!

Long Hair

2009-11-25T20:23:00.000-08:00

The picture is a bit grainy, but you can see the general gist of it. This picture was taken my senior year ('97) at the Summit Ministries program in Manitou Springs, CO.
My two friends, Garrett and Kevin and I went together. The Sunday before we were headed home, we hiked up the nearby mountain and had our own little communion service. Then we each had some individual prayer time. I didn't realize that Kevin had taken this picture of me during that prayer time, until he gave it to me the following Christmas in a frame. I came across it yesterday. Every time I see it I'm filled with fond memories (like the sweater being knit by Garrett's grandma)and I'm amazed at how long my hair was.

I'm growing my hair out again...

Counting...

2009-11-17T20:24:00.000-08:00

Today as I was doing the dishes and Grace was sitting at the table doing her homework, I found myself humming this tune...and counting:
1. My loving, faithful, amazing husband
2. Running water
3. A dishwasher to do most of the work
4. Being able to stay home
5. Children to clean up after
6. The little things my kids say that brighten my day
7. Impromptu to "I love you"s
8. A friend who volunteers to drive you to WinCo at 8pm even when you have a Thanksgiving Day sized grocery list.
9. Money to buy not just the needs, but the "wants" as well.
10. Ears to hear
11. Eyes to see
12. A mouth to taste (I LOVE good food)
13. A nose to smell (even those stinky diapers!)
14. Hands to hold, to work, to play and to love with
15. Smiles (from anyone, but my kids smiles are my favorites!)
16. Laughter
17. Tears
18. Lessons learned
19. Guidance
20. Chocolate
21. A good book
22. The Good Book
23. My Church family
24. Agapeland
25. Potty trained children
26. Not potty trained children
27. Children in the process of potty training
28. Dave Ramsey
29. Finally feeling peace in our finances (because of #28)
30. The peace and quiet of nap time
31. The Divine Hours
32. Confidence
33.Good pictures
34. Friends
35. FaceBook
36. Inspirational blogs
37. Frozen Little Debbie's
39. Newly mopped floors
40. Ipod worship playlists
41. My cozy red down blanket
42. Loosing my baby weight (I know it's shallow, but I'm grateful!)
43. That my husband loves me with or without baby weight
44. Sleep
45. Lists
46. Lists with tasks checked off

to be continued...

Playdate Part 2

2009-11-07T14:22:00.001-08:00

So Wednesday we had Ada over and did all sorts of girlie things. Thursday was Hayden's turn to come over. I'm not so good with planning a play date for a boy, so he did some of the same things we did with Ada (minus the finger and toe nail painting!) In spite of my planning or even lack thereof, he seems to have a good time. When it was time to leave, he didn't want to go, and the next time I saw him he kept mentioning that he wanted to go home with us again. This made my day, as I desire our home to be one that all our kids friends find fun as well as safe. A place to be themselves and to know they are cared for.

We cracked walnuts (which turned out to be loads of fun with him. What little boy wouldn't like smashing nut shells with a hammer?), then made vanilla brownies using the walnuts we had just shelled! Grace is so infatuated with this sweet little boy. Ah, the simple life of a five year old!

The pictures I've chosen are Grace and Hayden, watching a video, cracking walnuts and then eating the "Blond Brownies" when they came out of the oven! Isn't he adorable? He is a very polite little boy and I'm glad Grace has chosen him to be her "best friend". (Though I've certainly encouraged her to make "best friends" of all the kids in her class!)

Saturday Evening Blog Post

2009-11-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

So I came across the site of another blogging Mom who likes to promote other bloggers on her site. Once a month she posts links to others favorite blog posts. It's kinda neat.
I've put her link here.

Lovin' the Library

2009-11-05T08:24:00.000-08:00

We've been faithfully attending story time at the Sacramento Public Library for quite some time now. Our Rancho Cordova branch of the library is closed for remodel now through January 2010. (Though according to Noraa, it's because Ms. Jess, the children's librarian, "...just needed some alone time!") We've been going to the Fair Oaks branch instead because we just can't go two months without our weekly library trip! Each week the kids pick out books, and enjoy doing the self check out. This week a book
caught my eye as it had a CD with it and my kids enjoy listening to

stories in the car as well. It was called "King Bidgoods in the Bathtub".

At the time I picked it out, I didn't realize that Audrey Wood was the author of other books that we love! (She and her husband Don Wood make a GREAT children's book team!)

Since we checked the book out Tuesday, Noraa has asked me to read it to her so many times I have it memorized already! She will sit and look at the pictures for ages!

This my friend is why I LOVE THE LIBRARY!!!!

(Oh, and when I was looking for the picture to put here on the blog, I came across this great website for reviewing media of all types for your kids...check it out by clicking on the picture to the right!)

Play date

2009-11-04T17:09:00.000-08:00

Grace has made some new friends at school. Ada is her "girl best friend".

Today Ada came over for the first of many play dates. We had a number of activities planned for the short three hours they had together! Ada really enjoyed playing in our back yard. We cracked walnuts together, then came inside for some girl time when we painted finger and toe nails. Then, right before Ada's dad came to pick her up we made chocolate chip cookies!

A good time was had by all!

Teachable Moments

2009-11-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

Today at lunch I gave the kids grape juice to drink. Grace took a sip and said, "Mmmm, this tastes like Communion!" So I asked her, "And what is Communion Grace?" She then told us that Communion is when we drink the blood and eat the body of Jesus so we can remember Him. It led to a wonderful discussion of the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, and how thankful we are that Jesus came to be our perfect Savior. (side note: When Grace was talking about Jesus, Buggy chimed in with, "Yeah, and then they threw him in the lion's den!")

This isn't the first time we've had this conversation, and I hope it won't be the last. I soak up these times when my children, with hearts turned toward God, listen to every word that I impart to them. I pray their lives will be infused with daily reminders of our Wonderful Merciful Redeemer.

I love teachable moments!

Family Fashion

2009-10-28T17:00:00.000-07:00

Recently my friend Sarah participated in "fashion week" on her blog. She's so chic. I got the giggles thinking of me trying to do something like that! But the more I thought about it, the more fun I thought it would be... so here we go:

Long Sleeved T-shirt (?Mervyns? I've had it since college so I don't know!)

White Vest (Walmart Clearance)

Jeans (Old Navy Clearance)

Shoes (also 10 years old, so I don't remember!)

Grace

Long Sleeved T-shirt (Clearanced @ Children's Place)

Jeans (Old Navy-gift from Auntie T.)

Shoes-she didn't get the memo on wearing shoes

Noraa

Long Sleeved T-shirt (Gymboree hand me down)

Jeans (Old Navy hand me down

Shoes (hand me down)

Grey
Shirt (Gap)
Jeans (??)
Shoes (Adidas)

Sammy

Shirt (Old Navy on clearance at Once Upon A Child)
Jeans (hand me down)

Socks (hand me down)

As you can see, we are a thrifty family, and we love to make our money stretch with hand me downs, but I think we look cute while doing it! Don't you?

Blueberry Hill

2009-10-27T16:14:00.000-07:00

"I found my thrill on blueberry hill,

On blueberry hill when I found you.

The moon stood still on blueberry hill

and lingered until my dreams came true." Frozen blueberries make for a fun snack!
Sammy especially enjoyed them!

Another First

2009-10-27T15:54:00.000-07:00

Well, the Redelsperger family has experienced another first in a line of many. Our oldest child, though only 5 years old lost her first tooth. She was SO proud. The Tooth Fairy had just come to school a few days before we realized it was loose, so she was prepped and ready to wiggle! She very much enjoyed being the center of attention at school on the day it came out. One baby's getting teeth and my other baby is loosing them!

Precious Moments

2009-10-21T14:11:00.000-07:00

Today before the peace of nap time I took a few moments to read to my girls. Earlier at the library a book caught my eye and I thought "Oh, this is one full of art!". Some books are fun, some are cute, and some are a mastery of art. The illustrations and the words of this book are fabulous and wove a beautiful picture for my children of the joys that come with the changing of the seasons. I thought I should take the time to share it with you! (We can't wait to pick up this authors other books as well.)

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, pictures by Tiphanie Beeke, tells the story of a small fox who loves a tree. He worries that it is sick and his mother tells him, "Don't worry, it's only autumn". When the tree doesn't get better, and in fact starts loosing it's leaves, sweet little Fletcher tries so hard to help his poor tree. His compassion and care had my children's rapt attention. As I turned the last page, revealing the surprise for Fletcher that his patience yielded, my baby gasped and little hands reached out to gently touch the page in awe and wonder. Happy endings make everything alright!

Too Sweet For Words

2009-10-20T08:07:00.000-07:00

Finally Fall

2009-10-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's finally Fall in Sacramento. This means it's time to pull out long pants, long sleeves, and sweaters. It means lots of soup and bread, pots of beans, apple cider and hot tea. It also means lots of rain! The cooler weather here is not like "winter" in other states. I miss the Idaho winters with the crisp cool air the brilliant fall colors and the excitement that snow will be coming soon. Fall is by far my favorite time of year.

Last week we had a large storm pass through our area, and while the rain was pouring down, I decided to try and teach the kiddos how to truly enjoy the rain. I told them to go get a good book and a cozy blanket, and then we made a "fire" in our fireplace by putting an old cookie sheet on the grate and lighting about 15 different sized candles. They were thrilled, for all of 10 minutes and then trotted off to more exciting adventures (mainly playing "Bolt") Ah, well, at least I got another 20 minutes or so of Sammy's nap time to curl up and read. Someday they will know the true appreciation of rainy weather! In the mean time, I'll make them grilled cheese and tomato soup!

Noraa

2009-09-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Noraa's name is her father's name spelled backwards. I'm wondering if this has had an effect on her personality. Of our three children she is certainly the most like her daddy in looks and persona. I would not venture to say that she gets her fashion from him, but truly wonder if it's that she just sees the world a bit backward! Here are some of her most recent choices in what to wear. (I let her pick her clothes out each day simply because she enjoys it so much, it's not worth the fight and quite frankly it amuses me!) She'll learn someday!

From Baby to Big Boy

2009-09-16T16:14:00.000-07:00

At six months old my husband wanted to buzz our son's hair. I said NO.

I told him we would talk about it when Sam turned a year old.

So Sammy's birthday came while Aaron was gone for the weekend. When he came home we took the plunge of changing my baby into a big boy!

Daddy showing Sammy the clippers!

He really didn't mind the clippers so much.

He held still and let Daddy cut his hair without a fuss. Wish I could say the same for me!

One proud Daddy and One Big Boy!!!

Sean Allen

2009-08-27T10:31:00.000-07:00

On Monday, my husband was able to sit beside Sean and be with his family to help out during the day. Sean was in and out of consciousness all day long struggling to think clearly through the pain medications when he was awake. He turns to Aaron and asks,
"How do you die well?"
I loved my husband's response, as it is so fitting & so true of Sean.
"You live well."
His life was full of love for others, a life lived selflessly, and devoted to God and His teachings. I met Sean about 8 years ago when I first moved to Sacramento. He was a single dad at that point living in Gold River with a daughter Hailey, about to go into the youth ministry, Tyler (the kid who sat on the front pew and worshipped with all his heart), and Parker a young kid running the halls on Sunday's blending in with all the other little kids at Cordova, trading Pokemon cards! There was something special about Sean. He caught my attention within the first few weeks of moving her. I think it was the sincere way he asked how I was doing, the interest he showed in every conversation we had. The sparkle in his eyes in spite of all the hardships he had already endured. His quick wit and his ablity to make you feel important and cared for.
Our wedding was a second date for him and a beautiful woman named Cynthia. I love the picture of some of our guests where Sean is making a silly face. That was Sean, a total crack up. He knew when to be serious and when to be silly and he was not above being silly to get a laugh out of people. I still use daily the block of Farberware knives he purchased for us that day.
About a year after that date at our wedding, I got an announcement in the mail from the Allens. It had the sweetest picture of the five of them: Sean and Cynthia in the middle; glowing and radiantly happy with Hailey, Tyler and Parker looking on. What a celebration, and union in marriage between two of the most godly loving people I'd ever know! I could not have been more happy for Sean. He was living proof of Proverbs 18:22. What a blessing Cynthia has been to Sean over the past six years, and a living testament to keeping wedding vows of "in sickness and health, till death do us part".
When we had our first child he told me how beautiful Grace was, and then leaned over to warn Aaron how powerful this little girl would be in his life! Not a Sunday went by that Sean did not tell me what a beautiful family we have. He truly adored our children and I was so grateful for his support of our family. Sean's three children have blessed me more than he could have ever known. Hailey has grown into a beautiful woman seeking God in all she does. I know this is because of the example of godliness Sean lived out for her. Tyler embodies his silly side as well as his deep love of things intellectual. And sweet Parker is the living replica of Sean's tender side. His imprint in their lives is deeply embedded and will live on in his grandchildren someday as well.
Heaven is blessed to receive our brother Sean. As I reflect on the eight years of life that I knew Sean Allen, I could tell a hundred stories, and speak of thousands of lives touched, but it would all come down to this: He Lived Well.

Reflections: Part III

2009-08-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

The Maple Grove Church of Christ.

A tiny church, filled with people (imperfect as all humans), loving God and wanting to do His will. Reflecting on my spiritual upbringing is, like all things, filled with both the highs and lows of emotions. I made so many friends and have loved the members that attended there as family. I have thousands of memories surrounding that small congregation struggling to survive over the 18 years of my attendance. This is probably one of the hardest reflections to write about as it's so close to my heart. Spiritual things tend to be personal and thus more sensitive to talk about or reflect on. I approach my reflections with great caution because I would never want to hurt anyone by my thoughts on this sweet little congregation, and yet sometimes even the best intentions have the potential to go astray.
The Churches of Christ pride themselves in being Bible based and seeking to follow only the inspired Word of God rather than man made doctrine or rituals. It's a rich history based on good intentions and great people. The Church of Christ that I grew up attending was VERY small. We were what most would call an "anti" Church as we did not have a kitchen in our building. Our fellowship consisted of Sunday morning worship and Bible class, Sunday evening worship, and Wednesday night Bible classes. (If you know much about the Churches of Christ, this is very typical). We were there every time the doors opened. We took turns cleaning the building, caring for the lawn, and there were "men's business meetings" every so often to make sure the funds were being properly distributed. We had no elders or deacons, only a preacher and some guys who served as leaders. I only remember one season of "growth" for our little Church and I think that came right after we built the building on Maple Grove Road; but for most of my childhood and teen years, it was in decline. Looking back it's kinda sad, because the people there truly were such great people. I loved being with them and fellowshipping each week.
It's hard to remember anything from my childhood that wasn't tied to Church in some way shape or form. There were a lot of homeschooling families at our congregation, and many of them lived nearby. There was a season of time when t.p.ing members homes was an epidemic, and it wasn't just the teenagers doing it. We had a grown man waiting on his roof with the garden hose in hand to ambush another family he had heard were on their way to tp. his house! Oddly enough this conservative group of people had spectacular Halloween parties, crazy Christmas parties, and a yearly variety/talent show that still hold some very fond memories. (Especially since Janet video taped them all!)
As a very young child I remember laying my head back on the pew looking up at the light fixtures. They were trough shaped and I often times imagined God giving out His richest blessings (babies) via this "conveyor belt". I picture myself standing at the end ready to catch my new baby, and each time I extended my arms it was a child orphaned from another country. I had African babies, and Asian babies, Indian, South American, and European, all waiting for my care.
I often time sat with a friend of my mom's who (at the time of this memory) didn't have any children of her own. She had the softest hands I'd ever felt. She would stroke my face, and it was all I could do to not fall asleep. Another friend's mom had "Go Go Gadget" arms and could pull my ear from six seats away on the same pew if I was talking during service!
Our preacher Mike, was a great speaker and even as a kid I appreciated the way he explained the scriptures. My favorite was when his child Hannah only wanted to be held by daddy during the lesson, and he would put her up on his arm and preach away while she lay there sucking her thumb laying on his shoulder.
My friend Rachel had a sketch book in which she sketched the backs of people's heads during services. There were even 'updated' corners of the page for when someone got a significant hairstyle change. Our basement classrooms were very dark and the hallway mysterious without the lights on, the young boys of the congregation were fodder for many older boys pranks in these scary halls.
I was baptized there on March 12 1992. It was my 13th birthday, and my brother (who hadn't been to Church in 5 years) came that day. The temperature of the baptismal was off, so it was like getting dunked in a hot tub! My Dad couldn't be there because he had a meeting at work (a meeting he tells me he still regrets going to, knowing my moment was of greater significance!) The Freeman's were there, the Crutchfields, the Monzo's, the Bryant's and I think even the White's and Tolman's were there. They all sang "Just As I Am" as I came out of the water.
Along with some of the great memories there were also some sad times as well. A dear friend lost her battle with cancer and her memorial service was held there. She asked my sister and I to sing, and I can still remember the lump in my throat as I tried to get the words to 'Hallelujah" out to honor Betty's memory. There was an affair that tore two families apart and caused a valley of pain in our midst, and there was a "Church split" a few years later that left me puzzled and confused for many years.
How do we honor God? How can we ever be the Church body He intended us to be? We are flawed, imperfect, selfish and worthless beings and yet He choose to send His Message of perfection, selflessness and value through us. As I reflect on my religious past I see that it has shaped so much of who I am right now, both the positive and the negative. I pray that the good things I have learned will be passed on to my children, and the less than perfect would become a valuable lesson for me, again to be passed on as wisdom.
If you were a part of the tapestry of my Church past I say Thank You. You have taught me much, and I am blessed to share the blood of Jesus in common with you!

Reflections: Part II

2009-08-17T09:22:00.000-07:00

Homemade granola in very large quantities, tacos in large quantities, mac'n'cheese in large quantities, okay so FOOD in general in LARGE quantities: "today I'm praying for" hearts on the wall: intentional date nights: K-Love radio: the big yellow van: Brio devotionals in the field: basketball smack talk: "nose to the door" discipline: family room dance sessions: "Stand and Eat Liver" movie night (I'll explain that one later!): feeling a baby move inside her momma for the first time:
These are just a few of the first things that pop into my head when I think about the family that moved in across the street from me when I was in third or fourth grade. The Kircher Family. When they moved in, they had six children, and I'll never forget the moving truck and the car that came along side, as it pulled up and they started unloading! As the youngest of four kids, and my siblings all being a lot older than me, I was elated when out of the vehicle came Aaron (my sister's age), Elise (a few years older than me), Jeremy (my age), Daniel, Abby, and Caleb! My heart soared!!! Little did I know they would not only playmates, but kids I would feel like a sibling to in a few years. Kevin and Judy quickly became good friends with my folks as our families shared the love of Jesus Christ as our common denominator. Over the years, the Kircher family added two more to their ranks, sweet little Bethany and Madeline just before I was leaving for college. Eight children in all made Judy my inspiration in mothering. I would go to their house sometimes and just sit on the couch reveling in the "chaos" that was a large family. Elise doing laundry, the boys working in the yard, Caleb speaking louder than any child has a right to just because he wanted his mommas undivided attention, the baby being rocked, dinner in the oven, maybe two time outs happening at the same time! Oh how I hated when the phone rang and my mom called me home! Judy ran their household in such a magnificent way. Kevin, the strong spiritual leader of their home impacted me greatly. I never spent a lot of time around him, as he was at work when I would go play and usually when he came home it was time for me to go home for dinner. Occasionally our families would get together to fellowship or to go to events together, but mostly it was the joy of being neighbors. The Kirchers always joked that they never needed to buy tools or outdoor items, because they could just borrow them from us! Judy was sad the day we planted a tree in our front yard because it blocked her view from their picture window into ours! We shared the same floor plan in our houses so when we decided to take out the front hall closets to open things up a bit, they liked it so much they did it too! (Although, there went Jeremy's spot for putting his nose to the door when he was in trouble!) They also added a partition in the rather large family room downstairs to make an extra bedroom for Elise. This change was kinda fun as Elise and I spent many hours hanging out, sharing a love of ballet, working on the Teen Chronicle together, even having a few major disagreements (remember our discussion on speaking in tongues? or your love of country music that at the time I thought was horrible?)!
I mentioned the movie night in my opening paragraph, and it brings a smile to my face whenever I think about that evening. My family had watched a movie we thought was really good and wanted to share it with the Kirchers. We decided to have a Movie Night together and all pile into the Kirchers living room to watch the film together. My dad noticed that Daniel was less than enthusiastic about the evening and when he asked him why, Daniel replied "Well, I don't really like liver very much." Puzzled my dad quizzed Daniel a bit more realizing that he had misunderstood the title of the movie. The movie was called "Stand and Deliver", but Daniel heard "stand and eat liver"!
In the Kircher's house they had a decorative wooden heart shaped peg board. There were three pegs on each side, and one peg in the middle. Each little hanging heart had a child's name on it. Each day the peg in the middle held a child's name in rotation so that each child had their day to be prayed for. I was so impressed by this and the way it opened the door for communication of what the child wanted their parents to pray for. I also really admired how in turn each week Kevin or Judy would take a child out on a date. Their boys were gentlemen and their daughters learned how to be treated by a gentleman. They were very intentional about the time spent individually with each child and it shows in the godly lives their kids are leading today.
I'm running out of time to say all the things I want to. The Kircher family impacted my life so profoundly by their love of Christ, their dedication to their family, their hospitality to me (even though Judy always wanted me to eat more than physically possible!) and the example they lived out before me during some very impressionable years. I am who I am because of the love they shared with me. Each and every child making their own imprint on my life. I'm forever grateful.

Reflections: Part 1

2009-08-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

I don't know if it's dropping Grace off at Kindergarten that has made me reflective on my own childhood or if I've just been thinking a lot lately. In any case, I've been looking back over my life and I've realized how many people I have to thank for shaping me into who I am today. I was sitting in Starbucks last night praying for our preacher of 14 years and his family as they move to Washington to begin a new chapter in their lives. I thought about the friends they made here, and the friends they will make up there. After I finished praying I decided to list out the people who have made an impact on my life. There were some experiences and people that I would have rather skipped over at the time, but now I realize it's all a part of the fabric of my life, the tapestry that tells my story. So, we begin:
Part 1
The Monzo Family
About a block away at the end of Tioga Street lived a family that is near and dear to my heart. I can not count the number of hours I spent at their home, with their family playing. I have so many childhood memories attached to the Monzo Family, it's hard to remember things without them sometimes! I almost don't know where to begin. Janet has the BEST laugh that is SO very contagious. Steve, in my early memories, spent most of his time on the couch watching baseball, a sport I did not understand nor did I want to. It was BORING!!! Stephen was a couple years younger than me and could scream better than any girl on the block. Rachael was born when I was four. I still remember seeing her for the first time at the hospital. So tiny, so perfect: and Janet let me hold her! I was in HEAVEN!!! I spent HOURS there at their house, holding Rachael and playing with Stephen while our moms visited. Janet sold Tupperware and had quite the collection. I can hardly use anything Tupperware brand now without thinking of the "harvest colors" of Janet's collection. (Every Halloween I think of their two Tuppeware containers full of Stephen and Rachael's candy. Rachael's would be gone within a few weeks, Stephen would usually have some left by the next Halloween!)
I usually walked down to the Monzo's house to play and when I got there Janet would call my mom and let her know I was there. The same thing would happen when it was time for me to go home. The only mystery was how I always got there with my shoes, but managed to get home without them! It was inevitable! You'd think I would notice as I walked back across the gravely road!
As Rachael got older, we played My Little Ponies, Dog & Owner, Pound Puppies, House and all sorts of other games, most of them associated with animals, because Rachael has always had a soft spot in her heart for four footed creatures! (so much so that they had TWO large dogs, Bud (short for Budweiser) and Ginger)
One of my favorite things to do was torment poor Stephen. He was a bit on the "easy to scare" side, and their split level home made it all to easy to startle him! I remember dangling some of his dad's fishing tackle from the stair case as his sister called to him. When he ran into the sticky lure (with no hook of course) he screamed SO loud. It makes me giggle just thinking about it. Sorry Stephen. I know I shouldn't have taken pleasure in your fears, but I was young and dumb, and I think you've forgiven me right? We also thought it was pretty funny to watch Stephen avoid getting water on his face. You'd think it was acid the way he tried so hard to walk around sprinklers, or only get in the pool up to his waist.
Another unique connection to the Monzo's was our going to the same Church as well as being home schooled. At one time, while homeschooling we started a Geography club. We would put a geography question in a large envelope, then walk it down to the Monzo's front door and leave it there. They had three days to answer the question and return the envelope with not only the answer, but also a question for us. It was a lot of fun. We did science fairs, rollerskating days, field trips, and other extra activities with the Monzos.
Sunday's were fun. I was one of Rachael's little mommas and I remember picking her up from class and taking her to her mom. We also created all sorts of games while waiting for our parents to finish talking after services. That's how we created the superhero RachAim! We played the "car game" for hundreds of "church minutes" and again scared Stephen silly with the darkness of the classroom hallway!
"Big Steve" didn't come to Church with Janet and the kids, he stayed home on Sundays. I didn't understand this as a child. My whole family went to Church, why didn't theirs? But Janet was ALWAYS faithful, not only in bringing her family, but also in her constant example and service to her husband. It did not go unnoticed by me. (I think Steve noticed too, because last time I heard, he was attending again.) I learned a lot from the Monzo Family, they blessed my life with friendship that ran deep. We still keep in touch over facebook and with Christmas cards and such. (picture above is Stephen and his mom Janet!)
I almost had a heart attack when Rachael got married, and then again when Stephen and his wife had a baby! Time doesn't stand still, and I wouldn't want it to. Their legacy will continue on, and I am grateful that for many of my childhood years our threads of life were intertwined. (pictured below is Stephen and his baby Miranda, and Rachael and her hubby Josh) Thank you Monzos!

Playing Doctor

2009-07-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today's morning activity: playing doctor.
I've been a tad bit cranky the past few days and the guilt always overwhelms me. No one deserves the wrath of my crankiness, most certainly not my children. So, what can you do but make up for it? The dress ups were down, and usually the fact that my living room gets cluttered beyond recognition gets on my nerves. Today however I decided to go with my inner actress and "play doctor". I donned the glasses and stethoscope and with my best nerdy voice proceeded to examine and diagnose each of the kids with horrible illnesses that could be cured with hugs, kisses and a few yogo treats!
Ah, I feel better!

What is a Family?

2009-07-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book right now that a good friend recommended to me. It's called What is a Family, by Edith Schaeffer. After I got past the first chapter, (which I need to read again now that I understand more of what she's saying and her writing style) I have been challenged to the very core of my homemaking. I never realized what "power" I have as a stay-at-home mom. I never fully comprehended the joy or pain I can bring into my child's life. I never understood that these little beings that surround me day in and day out, mirror so much of my own life.
Have you heard the saying "If Momma ain't happy, no body's happy"?
Today, when we got home from Church I caught myself reflecting yet again. When I put lunch on the table, my little Grace asked me. "Is there cheese on my burrito?". When I confirmed that there was, she proceeded to pout. What makes her do this? And it's not just cheese on a burrito, but rather the fact that this morning during worship, she wanted an animal cracker from her sister's baggie of snacks, not from her own. She was fussy then as well. In the past month it's been a constant battle with myself and with the kids to find an "attitude of gratitude". Where do they get this? Is it from me? Do I throw a fit when things don't go my way? Am I picky when someone prepares something for me? I really have to wonder if they see past the front that I put up and are seeing and hearing the frustration in my voice when things don't go the way I want.
According to Shaeffer, a family is a Changing life Mobile, and Ecologically Balanced Environment, The Birthplace of Creativity, A Formation Center for Human Relationships, Shelter in the Time of Storm, Perpetual Relay of Truth, Economic Unit, Educational Control, Museum of Memories, A Door that has Hinges and a Lock, and Blended Balances.
This is an incredibly high set of standards, and an almost impossible task. I wasn't trained to be and environmentalist, a human relations director, economist, teacher, museum curator, artist or even a theologan. And yet, my children are depending on me to teach them so much. There are many other titles that go along with raising your children. What other job has chef, chaufer, housekeeper, nanny, nurse, personal shopper, money manager and full time assistant written into the job discription!?! Not only must I teach them these things, but I must do it with a heart for God, and a love for others that shines through. Sometimes the task seems monumental. Sometimes I don't think I can do it. Sometimes, I don't think I am doing it. So, what do I do? Right now the only solution I know if is prayer. I figure, with knowledge, comes responsibility... know better, do better.
So what is a family? For me, it's a chance for growth. A chance to learn and grow and become closer to the One who created it all!

Sick & Tired

2009-07-06T09:51:00.000-07:00

Whew, who knew sickness could last so long in such a small house? Thankfully I have yet to get it, (and miracle of all miracles, so does Grey) that being said, I'm sick and tired of everyone else being sick and me being tired. Noraa's tradition of crawling into our bed at 5 am to cough for an hour is not one that I'd like to hang on to. Even the little girl I watch when she's out of school is sick today. Tana called into work and I have yet to see the whites of her eyes and it's almost 10am. We just need to be done with this. I've missed Church three weeks now due to illness and as the nursery coordinator, that's not such a good idea! I'd like to sit and worship with my sweeties instead of remembering which kid had what dose at what time!
All that being said, I'm grateful that I am a mommy. Grateful my job is to comfort, to love, to provide and protect these sweet little angels. That when they get up in the night, they come to my side of the bed, wake an ever so tired momma and know they will be cared for. Steam from the shower, honey for a cough, or just a comforting rock in the chair and pray uttered for heath: I'm glad they come to me.
So if you see me this week and notice the dark circles under my eyes, I won't be offended when you say "you look tired". Because I am tired. But I'm so much more than that. I'm a Momma, and I'm proud of it. The bags and sags that I wear upon my face today will fade as the fevers do, and I will have made precious memories with my babies. So yes, I'm tired of the sick, but grateful. Tomorrow is a new day: His mercies are new every morning and I will delight myself in this fact knowing that this season will pass just as it does for mommas everywhere. That next week when we are at the spray ground having a grand old time I can utter a prayer for someone somewhere feeling weary as I do now!

New Life

2009-06-03T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today marks the beginning of a new adventure for our family. Our "little" family of five has instantly become a family of seven! Last night at 8:05 as the South West flight from Huston (via Denver) touched down, our lives changed. Tana and Grey have come to Sacramento to live with us as Tana goes back to school. We've painted her room and emptied it out of all our belongings trying to make a cozy place for her to call her own. For Grey and the children it is a bit of a different story. Grey (or affectionately called "Buggy" by his cousins) had his own room before and is now sharing with three cousins who love him too much for words. He's gone from being an only child to second youngest of four! I know this transition will be difficult for him, and we are going to do all we can to make the road smoother, but your prayers would be appreciated.
When I think about our day to day, lots of questions come up. But through all the questions comes a quiet and calm peaceful answer that families have been doing this for hundreds of years. We are no different than all the families that have come before us. Four children in one bedroom? For 90% of the world, it's done every day. They have to share their toys? ~gasp~ (they have more toys combined than should be legal!) We have to sacrifice our own personal comfort? ~bigger gasp~ These things should not be foreign to us, however they are... we live in a society that thinks we are crazy for having seven people in our humble three bedroom home. Maybe we are crazy, but I tend to think we will all be better in the process of learning how to deal with one another.
So please pray for us, not for "patience" or "transition" or "ease" but rather that Christ would transform us into who He wants us to be through this joy that is loving our family. I'll keep you updated as to how He is refining us!

He is Able

2009-05-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

If memory serves me correctly, it was in Chapel my Junior year at Cascade College. My good friend and suite-mate, Jill Dodson (who was given the voice of an angel) sang this song.
It was a very trying semester for me and I was in a dark time emotionally. I had returned from my studies overseas and my best friend and room mate for the past two and half years, had transferred to Oklahoma Christian. I felt lonely, afraid, and sad. The lyrics and the way this song was presented showed me Light in my darkness. It pointed me to Him, guiding my thoughts toward not who I was, but who He is and that He believed in me.
As I did the dishes the other day, I couldn't help but sing this song again and again, letting the words wash over me, cleansing me once again.

He is able, more than able,
to accomplish what concerns me today.
He is able, more than able,
to handle anything that comes my way.
He is able, more than able,
to do much more than I could ever dream.
He is able, more than able,
to make me what He wants me to be.

Confession

2009-05-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

1 John 1:9
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
What a promise! What a comfort to know that our sins are forgiven when we confess them. There are so many sins in my life that sometimes I don't even know where to begin confession. Lately however I have realized the "root" of my sin, the heart of my unrighteousness. Are you ready for my bold confession? (I'm not sure it's prudent for a ministers wife to make confessions on a public blog, but since when have I ever been prudent?)

I am a very selfish person.

This is my confession. This is my sin, my nature, my being. It's been "about me" for so long, I hardly remember living a selfless life. At one time I was living a life focused on His will and His desire for me. This past Mothers Day someone mentioned from the pulpit how Mothers are a true reflection of Christ because of their selflessness. I was a bit choked up, because I could not apply that statement to myself. It hit home a little bit more as we were leaving Church. My 4 1/2 year old was an emotional wreck and was throwing a fit, which made my 3 year old start to cry, which in turn made the baby mad as I strapped him in his car seat. A friend walked past as I was wrestling the three of them in the car with the diaper bag, "church back pack", my purse, the stroller and our bible class crafts, and I rolled my eyes as I said "Happy Mother's Day!" Comical, yes. But in reality it was telling. In that moment it was "all about me".
Since this revelation (and confession to a true friend in the Lord) I have decided to work on this deep rooted character flaw. I have been stealing time from God each day by not being in the Word or in prayer like I should be. I've been "too busy" for quiet time. (once again focusing on myself and the things that I needed to get done each day). I've resolved to take the first 30 minutes of nap time (or book rest as it pertains to the older two) to read the Bible and pray. To give this time back to God, to "redeem" the moment, as it were. To put Him in His rightful place and give Him the honor and glory He is do by taking a moment to meditatively worship Him.
It's a start. I am also trying to view my children in a different light. This one is a bit harder to do. I'm in a situation where there are "high demands, & low control". (A quote from a recent MOPS speaker.) However realizing that I have high demands on my time, my patience, my energy and my brain and low control over circumstances, children's moods, tears and fits makes me realize that I need to release any pre-conceived ideas of what "my perfect day" would look like and go more for what God has in store for me today. I need to put others before myself in the day to day, my children's needs emotionally, physically and spiritually.
:::This being said I just heard the girls alarm for book rest going off and I go in their room to turn it off, they are both sleeping like little angels. Not what I had planed since Noraa won't go to sleep until 10pm now, but I relish in the fact that they are resting peacefully.:::
My time of quiet is coming to a close so I end the confession with my resolve, my promise to you. I will try. Knowing the power rests not in me, but in His faithfulness to "purify me from all unrighteousness". I covet your prayers and ask that you walk beside me in this effort to be more like our Selfless Lord and Savior!

Music and Lyrics

2009-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it: I'm a sap! I cry at the drop of a hat these days. Maybe it's having the ridiculous fluctuation of hormones going through my body over the past five years and three pregnancies, or maybe I've always been this way. Though I honestly can't remember crying whenever I heard a touching song on the radio. In fact, I do remember rolling my eyes when this would happen to my mom or my sister. They were the sentimental ones, not me. (Butterfly kisses got them every time!)
Or maybe it's the love I have been taught over the past five years. Having children certainly deepens the definition of the word love within a mothers heart. That being said, I would like to think that I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the lost of the world, but only recently it seems that every time I hear a song about the love of Jesus for the lost (the people that I interact with every day) I get an ache in my heart. I realize how much I'm not doing and it hurts. If I truly realized what I have, the gift of salvation, how could I keep silent?
Last year when the teens at our church went to San Francisco for the mission trip, I was blessed to be able to tag along as the female chaperon. For the first time in a long time I was taken out of my routine enough to truly see people the way Jesus would see them. As Souls. Not as a beggar, a victim of HIV, a Nob Hill resident or pier 39 tourist, but as hearts and souls who may not know the saving grace of my Lord. That was a year ago.
I'm amazed at how the time passes by and yet I don't live for the moment. I don't live with Heaven in view. I am so caught up in the tunnel vision of "motherhood", that I often forget to look outside. That is until I hear music that stirs my soul, wets my eyes and makes me ponder. I am not a musically gifted person, I can't write music or lyrics, or even play an instrument, but somewhere deep down inside every one of us I believe there is a chord that is struck when something beautiful is pieced together. When music, lyrics and harmonies unite to speak what our words cannot.
So be blessed today. Listen, ponder, wonder and awe over the love of our Lord and His truly perfect gift. Maybe these words will bless you the way they bless me!

Slacker

2009-04-15T17:03:00.001-07:00

So recently I heard about a book called "Confessions of a Slacker Mom" by Muffy Mead-Ferro. I decided that I should check it out from the library since I tend to have some "slacker" tendencies of my own. I LOVE this book! There are lots of things I really like about it, so here is the list!
1. It's short. Because it's only 137 pages, it's a very quick read. In fact I read it during two interrupted nap sessions yesterday and today.
2. It's well thought out. Though it's all just thoughts from a mother of two, you can tell that this book was a labor of love for her. She's reflective which leads to a bit of sentimental reminiscing (which I love). In fact it tends to read a bit like a blog!
3. She's NOT a professional. She's not trying to be the next super psychologist telling you how to raise your kids, she's just a mommy sharing her epiphanies, and who doesn't need that every once in a great while!
4. She's funny. I love the titles of her chapters, and her sense of humor. Even her sarcasm comes through a bit in the book! It's a fun read. My favorite chapters being titled: Just dip the whole thing in bronze, The world isn't childproof, Don't make me mad and Toys aren't us!

So, if you have a chance, look it up at your local library (or click on the link above and get it for 75 cents!) and give it a read. It's definitely worth your time, however interrupted it may be!

Amy Redelsperger- "Mommy"

2009-04-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

I had an epiphany this morning. As I went to use the restroom needing just a few moments to myself, I shut the door and my two year olds search for me began. This is when I realized that the moment you conceive a child your right to privacy and sense of self is null and void.

From the very first ultrasound (hint: it's not done abdominally), when you are actually excited about your privacy being stripped away; to the delivery room when once again the joy and excitement vetos any issue you may have once had about privacy. (The garbage man could deliver your child or your best friends husband video tape the delivery and you could care less!) These are all experiences when I can understand the privacy bubble being breached; there is however a time after your first child has been born that you feel the urge to belong to yourself once more. It's after this moment that the longing to have even just a few moments becomes futile.
They climb into your bed at night, snuggling themselves up in the snuggle spot that your hubby once held. They require constant supervision sometimes making you wonder what there ever was to talk about than teething, roseola, laundry and poopy diapers. They take up brain power you never knew you had making you forget things like a card to go with that shower gift (I've totally given up on this one and am known for being the mom that gives gifts with no cards!), or speaking of, when did you even take your last shower? It's a hat day anyway, so who cares? The trips to the library where you used to wander the stacks looking for novels or non-fiction stories that inspire, are now pushed aside as you wander the stacks looking for your child or herding your little ones and whispering "don't touch" ,"shhhhhh", "inside voices", "no no", "put that back please", and "that book's not for you sweetie", and then hurriedly grab a book that turns out not to be what you were looking for at all! These kinds of moments make you appreciate their sweet little beds and nap time truly does become the "New Happy Hour". When at last all is quiet and you can eat those frozen Reeses you've been saving.

Ah, but I digress. The fact is, I never knew I would be so needed. And even though I don't want to be needed while I'm using the restroom, I can't help but marvel at these sweet little people who are so dependant on me. They look to me for comfort, for strength, for guidance. No wonder God is portrayed as the ever vigilant Father. He knew that our need would be like that of a child. So forget the privacy. I don't ever want these little reminders of Him to leave me alone!

Statistically Speaking

2009-04-01T12:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in MOPS, our speaker mentioned something in passing that I thought was really interesting. She said that women between the ages of 30 and 50 gain, on average, about 20-25 pounds! She asked us if we thought it came from:
A. Eating an extra 5-10 calories a day
B. Eating an extra 100-200 calories a day or
C. Eating more than 200 extra calories each day.

Astonishingly the answer was A. A measly 5-10 calorie difference in a 35 year old's diet can increase weight gain that significantly (according to the study that she referenced.) Though I forgot to ask her where she got her information, it was incredibly depressing. You see, the problem is this: I LOVE GOOD FOOD!!!! I love to cook and I love to make my food with "real" ingredients. Butter is one of my favorite things to cook with and add to many dishes. (Honestly I think it's way better for you than the dumb oils they try to push as being "healthy", the same oils that 60 years ago they used for engines!) Cheese, breads, hearty Italian dishes, soups, meat & potatoes, the kind of foods that stick to your ribs and keep you full: these are the things I like to make. However in light of the new information and in a desire to keep my womanly curves from becoming womanly rolls I have resolved to cook healthier for my family. Fresh fruits and veggies, less gravy (or I'll make it with 1% milk instead of whole, oh, man is my gravy good!!!!) I'll break down and buy the real maple syrup even though it's about 14x the price of the sugar junk my husband loves. I've already committed to making my own bread (and though I enjoy the task I've already purchased 2 loaves since I made the commitment, oops!) and maybe I'll figure out how to cook some of my favorites in a less fattening way.
All this being said with the taste of a mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cup lingering on my taste buds... old habits die hard! ( I wonder how many calories that was?)

Things To Do:

2009-03-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

Whew, today is a busy day. Have you ever heard someone say they've got a list "as long as my arm"? Today is one of those days for me. The list is never ending. Of course there are things on the list that are the ever present chores: dishes, sweeping & mopping, bathrooms, vacuuming, laundry etc. But today there's so much more I want to accomplish. I want to do more than just laundry and dishes, I want to do more than just tread water. I want to excel, I want to go beyond, I want to feel like I'm super mom! To just "get by" is fine for some days (because some days that's all I can do!), but not for today. Today is a day to get things done. No baby steps in the right direction, today I will leap to my destination, I will set the bar high and I will succeed!
So, I guess I'd better get busy!

Potty Training

2009-03-23T09:43:00.000-07:00

So we are embarking on the adventure known as potty training. Someone shoot me! I think Potty Training is one of the best methods of birth control known to Mommies around the world. (This and sick kids that crawl in bed with you and snore in your ear all night long, fussing when you roll over because you are no longer holding them)

Don't get me wrong. I love my kids and I love being a mommy, but there are times that I see others sleeping in and I get a tad bit jealous. When Grace turned three she was a terror. I thought we would never make it through, but six months later she was back to her angelic self again. I know it's my lack of sleep typing right now (hence the disjointed thought process) and that in a few days when the kids are feeling better, and we are back into our routine this will have passed. And when Noraa is finally using the potty this will all be a fuzzy memory of laundry and Potty Power songs. In the mean time, I think the only thing that's going to keep me going is prayer and an attitude change. So for my sake and for yours I thought I would make a list of ways to get through potty training!!!

Things to Remember When Potty Training:

1. They will not be in diapers forever. No matter how long you think it's going to take, in the grands scheme of things it's really not going to be very long at all!

2. Make it positive. Anything in life can be seen as a negative or a positive. Keep your positive attitude by realizing that when this is over your days of wiping poopy bottoms are coming to a close!

3. Make it fun. Have a potty party with some kids who are either already potty trained or on their way. Have prizes for each child that uses the potty during the party. Serve salty snacks and LOTS to drink. Have them do a parade in their underwear (take lots of pictures for scrapbooks) Also make sure you have your party either outside or on floors that are easy to clean!

4. Utilize your resources. Read LOTS of potty books. One of my favorites is: Have You Seen My Potty? You can check them out from the local library and ready them daily. I also really like the video called Potty Power. It has a bunch of really fun songs and talks directly to the kids about making a decision to say good-bye to diapers.

5. Pray. The Holy Spirit lives within you. Sometimes I forget that He cares as much about this kind of stuff as I do. "Cast your cares upon Him, because He cares for you" should be your mantra during this time.

6.Don't start too early. Give it a week, if your child is not responding wait a bit longer and then try again!

I sure hope this was helpful for you. I know that I was reminded of timeless truths while writing this. Trust me, Noraa thanks you for allowing me to vent! Good Luck!

Davis' Artwork

2009-03-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't get the email I sent out to my friends and family, I wanted to show you all the link to my nephew's artwork. This link is only a few of his paintings in a series he's working on. As they have more of his paintings imaged they will be posting them for all to see and I will keep you updated as this happens! You can also see a few other paintings on my facebook album. He is truly gifted and is using his talents already at a young age. I am proud of him and his accomplishments, as well as the way my sister is learning how to get his art out there for the world to see! It's so very exciting! (I love you Davis!)

Inspire

2009-03-14T21:23:00.000-07:00

Amazing how God uses others in your life isn't it? In 2001 I traveled to Fort Portal Uganda and stayed with some missionary friends of mine there. Today I discovered her blog. It is amazing, inspirational and something I will be visiting often. Words of wisdom will pour over me, and tears will flow freely as I read her blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Cheryl!
For all to enjoy...gently led.

Three-Zero

2009-03-12T13:41:00.000-07:00

...so today I turned the big 3-0. I have to say this birthday did not come with the dread that many people have suggested. In fact I would venture that this birthday has been one of my most joyful. Recently I've been noticing my dear friends who are reaching their 40's. Many of them are more beautiful now than ever. Maybe it's because I'm growing a deeper appreciation for the maturity they exemplify or maybe their faces have more character now. I'm not exactly sure what it is, but I have been taking a look at women in my life that are aging "gracefully". Oh, Lord, how I pray this for myself; to grow in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.
As I visited with my best friend we were reflective of the past 30 years and all that we have to show for it. I have all I've ever wanted in life: an amazing, godly husband, three incredible children, friends that love and support us, a home, an amazing church with thriving ministries and peace. For the first time in a long time I am grasping what Paul was talking about when he says that he as learned to be content in all circumstances. I am 3o, and I have more wisdom now then I did at 13. (I gave my life to Christ and put Him on in Baptism on my 13th birthday!) Life has taught me many lessons and I am grateful for the experiences that taught me those lessons, grateful for the friends and their prayers that carried me through the difficult times and even more thankful for the joys that have come my way.
Thank you friends and family for shaping me, molding me, holding me accountable and allowing God to use you in such a profound way over the past 30 years. You mean more to me than you will ever know!

Hola!

2009-03-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

After praying long and hard about Grace's schooling this fall we've finally come to a decision! This fall Grace will be attending Cordova Lane Elementary School a few blocks from our house. She was accepted into a program they call the "Spanish Magnet". After applying students are drawn at random to participate at either the Cordova Lane school or a school in Folsom (a 25 minute drive from here). It was our prayer that if she was chosen for the program and it was at the school near our house that we would embrace the opportunity to be more a part of our community here in Rancho Cordova. I was very conflicted between keeping her home and sending her to Kindergarten this year. I feel God has truly answered my prayer and now I pray He will provide me peace and strength as I send my sweet baby to school. I will be in her classroom two days a week and I'm excited to meet her new little friends and their families. She's such a social butterfly and I know she will thrive at school.
She will be a part of a really great program where her teacher will be bi-lingual and will teach one hour a day in Spanish! This is a K-5 program that will expose children to oral fluency, reading and writing, traditions, customs, history and arts of Spanish speaking countries. We are very excited that Grace will have this opportunity. Now it will rest on our shoulders to follow up with learning along side our little Kindergartner so that we can reinforce her learning here at home! Please pray for us as we embark on this great adventure!

Small Victories

2009-03-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you have to take delight in the small victories in life. For me today it is a clean bathroom. I'm having a hard time getting the other things on my list accomplished, primarily because the list is so long and the kids are especially clingy. So every now and again I'll step into the bathroom and smell that just been scrubbed smell. I'll breath it in deep, because for now in this moment the bathroom is clean. The baby slept and the girls played nicely with the doll house while I took hold of the moment and transformed the stinky into sparkly.
**inhale**
Sweet victory!

We Are Family...

2009-03-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

Today our little Buggy and his precious Mamma are headed home. Tomorrow morning the grandparents drive back up to Washington. What a fun time the cousins have had together and the great memories that have been made. Four of the six grandbabies all in the same house as GranJan and GranDad make for lots of Betsy stories, yummy breakfasts, playing outdoors, trips to fun Sacramento destinations, and not a few time outs!

I know that I've been silent in my blog for a while and it's for a good reason! It is due to being slightly overwhelmed by the love of family. I have loved having them here and I'm excited about the future of having them here full time.

I was blessed to have my sister Alicia here for a few days before she starts the monumental task of packing her family of five for the long trip home to Africa. Even before her flight left the crowd began to trickle in. Our sweet little three bedroom two bathroom home was at one point housing six adults and four lovely children. Needless to say, tomorrow morning it will seem very quiet around here.

Thank you Lord for the blessing of family. Thank you for your blood that binds us together even more tightly than the bond of family relations. We are richly blessed!

Because...

2009-02-18T20:06:00.000-08:00

well, she's only 2 once and she has NO idea how cute she really is! Hungry?

They are backwards, but she's so proud!

Oh, and by the way... they were sister's panties she retrieved from the laundry!

2009-02-06T20:35:00.000-08:00

Oh my sweet baby boy. Can you really be five months old already? Where does the time go? It goes to changing diapers, nursing, napping cooking meals, cleaning up dishes, doing laundry, playing peek-a-boo, driving to and from pre-school, reading stories and dancing in the living room cheek to cheek. Thank you for the past few months and thank you for the time yet to come... You have already blessed my life in more ways than I can say. I love you.

Who I Want To Be...

2009-02-05T08:04:00.000-08:00

If I could be anyone in the world, I would be myself.
Lest I sound conceited, let me clarify that statement! What I mean is I would be myself with a few major improvements.
For example: I would be myself with a lot more patience so that when my children are in one of those oh so exasperating times I wouldn't snap, but rather speak in kindness and love.
I would be myself, but with a lot more discipline so that each day would begin with prayer, I would get all the unpleasant chores done, and still have plenty of time to read to my children instead of turning on a video.
I would be myself, but a lot more thoughtful so that when my husband came home it would be to a de-cluttered house and a sink empty of dishes (because I know this is how he hears love). I would take the time to write notes to people that have crossed my mind and plan play dates with friends who need encouragement.
I would be myself but a lot less pessimistic so that when I read an article or hear a piece of news I see the good in the situation instead of the bad.
I would be myself, but a lot less judgemental so that when others make mistakes I accept graciously that we are all fallen and in need of His Grace.
I would be myself but a lot more in love with Jesus so that the words that came from my mouth were truly the overflow of my heart and were kind and uplifting bringing peace and joy to those around me (especially my children).
So, yes, If I could be anyone in the world; I would be myself!

Kids Say the Darndest Things...

2009-01-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

As I sit and drink my morning cup of coffee (which isn't what I was hoping it would be... I was spoiled by my husband buying me a pound of Starbucks Christmas Blend!) I think about some of the cute things my kids say and do.

This morning I was taking Grace to preschool and I stopped to pick up her little friend Ethan. They were totally cracking me up. "Hey, Ethan, we are girls and we are in love. We are girls in love!" Phrase repeated by Noraa and then they hold hands and sing "I Know You" (Maybe there's a bit too much Disney in our house!) "Ethan have you ever seen Prince Caspian? I saw part of Prince Caspian, but I can't tell you about it because it's really really really really really really scary!" Ethan, "I can listen to scary stories because I'm a boy and boys are really big and strong and powerful, and we are so powerful because God is a boy."

In the mornings our California King sized bed seems so much smaller. Grace, Noraa and often times Sam all come in to our bed to "cuddle". The other morning Grace woke up before Noraa and I was nursing Sammy in bed. Grace loves to be close to her brother, REALLY close. She was getting frustrated and said to me "Sometimes it's hard to cuddle a baby when a Momma is nursing him."

This morning Gracy made me laugh out loud. One night when her daddy was gone I told my girls that we were going to have a pajama party. We watched a princess movie, ate popcorn, had hot chocolate and ate a few m & m's. It was Grace's dream come true. Ever since then she wants to have a pajama party every night! Last night we finally gave in again since our last one had been over Christmas break. I put on Disney's Robin Hood and made the popcorn. We had to turn the movie off before it was done, and this morning I'm sure you can imagine what was the first thing on Grace's mind: finishing Robin Hood. After cuddling for a while, she came bounding back into our room and asked ever so sweetly, "Can I please watch the rest of Little Red Robin Hood.?"

I love those moments. The moments where Mommy and Daddy look at each other with that knowing glance of "our children are so precious". Or moments of discipline when it's all you can do to not laugh out loud and your spouse makes it harder to be tough. Or those times that you see your spouse reflected so clearly in your child. Those are the moments I live for. That instant when you feel so much love you think your heart will burst. It's in these sweet moments that I am reminded of why I do endless loads of miniature clothes laundry, wear shirts that by the end of the day are crusted with drool and who knows what else, prepare meals only for the food to be scarfed down and the sink piled high with dishes once again.
In the words of Sara Evans "These are the moments I thank God that I'm Alive, These are the moments I'll remember all my life, I've found all I've waited for, and I could not ask for more..."

Alias

2009-01-24T16:23:00.000-08:00

I am an Alias addict.

Aaron and I just finished watching the fourth season on DVD today. Though we didn't watch it as quickly as we did season three, I would still consider it "record time" for a Grad school student and full time mom!

There are SO many crazy over the top fight scenes and some pretty insane story lines, however in spite of this I keep coming back. Aaron wondered why I liked the show so much, and then he started watching it with me. It's almost like I'm living vicariously through Sydney Bristow. She is so cool. It's not just the fact that she's cool, it's so much more than that. She wants to do what is right. She's strong and talented. She's very confident and knows exactly what she's doing in life. Can you imagine if Sydney Bristow came to Christ? Wow! Talk about a dynamic person...

That's it for my silly thoughts on Sydney, I'm sure I'll have more to say once I finish season five next week...Ha! Just kidding, it will probably take me more like ten days!

1-28-09

Yesterday I wished I was Sydney Bristow. I had just finished working out in the pool and was going to sit in the hot tub for a few minutes before heading out to get the kids. Some creepy guy was making eyes at me and struck up a conversation. He began by asking me if I spoke Russian, then proceeded to ask about my wedding ring:

"What is that?" Him, with a thick Russian accent

"It's my ring..."

"Left hand, do you have husband?"

"Yep"

"How many?"

"um???? One!"

"Oh, only one?"

"Yes, only one!"

"Do you have children?"

"Yes"

"How many?"

"Three. Um, Bye"

At that moment I wished I was Agent Bristow, because I would have replied in Russian:

"Oh, and by the way, I do speak Russian you filthy pig!"

Legacy

2009-01-12T14:15:00.000-08:00

To all the beautiful women that read my blog:

I recently came into this article written for the new dove campaign. I love that they are teaching and empowering women to embrace the body they have been given. God has designed each of us perfectly. There are no mistakes. I pray that as you read this article you are reminded of what makes you, YOU! For me, it's the Mankey belly, the Coate ears, and the weird hip joint (where did we get that one dad?) For my children it may be those same traits with an addition of the Churchill golf swing, and the Redelsperger round face! No matter what the world may say, I know who I am and I know Whose I am. Thank you Lord for blessing me with an amazing family, incredible heritage and the children to carry on my legacy. May it be reflective of You with each generation!

Finding Beauty in Legacy and LineageBy Liz Schau 2008-12-30 http://dove.msn.com/?source=msnhp I'm in the habit of collecting old things. Old cracked-paint furniture, old colored glass, old classic books. Books are by far the most prized of my collection, because they usually tell me more than one story. I'm getting two gifts in one: the story the author carefully crafted and meant to tell and the story of the previous owner (or owners) – those who have read and underlined and creased the pages and starred favorite poems or chapters all because they felt the author was speaking to them. Aged things pull at me, because even after all of the lives they've lived, with so many families and people and years, they're still pretty, still smart and still relevant to my life. Why should I buy something new, something without back story?I blame my mother for my compulsion to love old things. She's probably not even aware that she's a collector of old stuff, but her decorating style would tell you differently; she's never bought off the showroom floor. Instead, Mom collects couches and headboards and dressers from family members who no longer need them. She collects old pictures, too. They're the kind of ancient family photos that don't allow us to be 100 percent certain of the names of the people in the picture or how they're related to us. All that matters is that the photos have been passed down, and those in them actually look like they're part of our family.It's a shame that my favorite of my mother's handed down photographs is hidden in the corner of my parent's bedroom — it's too dark in that spot to be truly appreciated. Even though I grew up with that photo in our home, I still make a point to stop by and study it when I get the chance. The picture is a black-and-white of five women in prairie style dress. I like it for one good reason: all five women have my face.Today, a lot of us women are working hard to erase our physical lineage — slimming our noses and hips, dyeing and straightening our hair, tanning to no end. Pretty soon, we start looking like no one — not our mothers, not our grandmothers, not any aunt or cousin or family member. What I've realized is that when you start to notice the beauty of a lineage of women and people, you start to forget whatever it is that makes you unaccepted by the media culture's idea of beauty (you're too wide, you're too thin, you're too dark, you're too fair). Beauty standards change by the generation; the innate structure of beauty and smiles and bones do not.Sometime down the road, when pictures of me and my family are passed down to newer generations, I want to be telling the truth. I want my young relatives to see the back story of their own face and body with honesty, not a story of plastic surgery and alterations here and there and not a story that was fabricated in a hospital or a surgeon's office. I want these people to look at me and see themselves: button noses, chubby cheeks, skinny fingers (because even though this all will inevitably vary with new people and romances and births, we still come from the same genes.)For me, prettiness isn't a man-made illusion, something without a back story. It's not hair extensions, push-up bras or lipstick or concealer. Real beauty isn't bought or created. Real beauty is lineage.

2009-01-07T16:22:00.001-08:00

I'm a list person. Recently on my friend's blog she listed some things she didn't ever want to forget about her baby. It seemed like a good idea since sometimes the sweet things I'm experiencing with my third child tend to slip through the gaps in my mind!

Things I must remember:

The way he smells after a bath

The way he smells when he wakes up from a nap and he's drooled on himself

The way he cries, so angry when he wants to be fed

The way he smiles when he has a tummy full of mommy's milk

His tiny perfect head when he was born and I saw him for the first time

How much he's grown in the past few months, and his sweet head now fuzzy with hair

How he gets distracted when he's nursing.

How he gets startled so easily when Daddy or Sisters make loud noises. It makes him so mad!

His sweet, wet, open mouth kisses on my cheek

How he squirms when I tickle him, wanting so badly to laugh but he just can't get it out

That the only word that will make him laugh is "bootie"

How precious he is when he "talks" to his sisters

These are just a few of the things I must remember. Lord let me be like Mary and "treasure these things in my heart"

2-09

1. His first real laugh

2. The way his ear almost always gets folded in half when he's nursing

3. The fact that he always scratches himself no matter how short I keep his nails

4. Today when he made Grace laugh, seeing him do it over and over again to keep her laughing (amazing for a baby not even six months old yet!)

Our Christmas Update 2008

2008-12-12T09:36:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone and thanks for visiting our blog!

This has been a great year for us and as you can see from our page here, the addition of Samuel to our family is the most noteworthy. He was born September 5th 2008 and since we didn't findout gender ahead of time was quite the surprise! What a joy to have a son.

We have all been keeping pretty busy this year. Here is the year in capsule from each of us.

Aaron: He continues to amaze me every year. This year he has been working very hard keeping up with the youth ministry at Cordova as well as launching a new ministry that will begin in January. Under his guidance we will be starting a new small group ministry we call mgroups in 2009. It's exciting to see him teach the training for the leaders and members for these small groups, and it makes me so proud.
He has not only been busy with work at Church, but also here at home. Our front yard had weeds taller than me before Sammy came to us this fall. Aaron (and some teens from Church) took a few days to landscape our front yard. After eight truck loads of dirt were taken to the dump it was time to plant some foliage and lay the beauty bark! It took some time, but it looks amazing! He also laid a drip line from our sprinker system to water the plants. The back yard is a work in progress and he has put in many hours already tearing out all the "volunteer" trees and clearing an area for my garden next summer. We love our home and the fact that we are so close to the church building.
Aaron is also excited to have started graduate school this year. He took his first class at Harding grad school, and is looking forward to many more on his way to a Masters of Divinity.

Amy: I have been keeping very BUSY this year. Being a stay at home mother of three is a full time job, and I wouldn't trade it for anything! I so enjoy my children (at least most days ;) and love being home with them to see them learn and grow in the Lord. I attend a MOPS (mothers of preschoolers) group on Tuesdays which is a much needed break from my busy week. It's a time to visit with other mommy's and be refreshed. I am teaching twice a month in a preschool co-op with some friends from Church. It's been a wonderful experience and I hope to continue next year for Noraa. Having Samuel in September was one of the most amazing experiences of my life! I delivered naturally, and thankfully he made his entrance to the world rather quickly. Although I had been contracting off and on for a few days the first "real" contractions started at midnight on the 5th. He was born at 3:18AM! I never knew having a son would mean so much to me.
Since having three children four and under, being a youth minister's wife, and a preschool teacher isn't enough for one woman to juggle I also just recently took on the role of "nursery coordinator" at Church. Though it adds a lot to my schedule I am honored to be in charge of making sure our littlest souls at Cordova are loved and cared for properly.
That's about it for me, but check in with me periodically on our blog here to see the latest!

Grace: Grace turned 4 this year and measures everything by being a "big four year old now". She attends the preschool co-op that I teach in twice a week and is learning so much already. She can write her name, and daily amazes me with how she is grasping the concepts taught in pre-school. She is totally in love with her baby brother and does all she can to help mommy with his care. She LOVES Christmas and is in awe of all the fun things the season brings. Our Church puts on a Christmas play and she has enjoyed watching the rehearsals and learning about the birth of our Savior.

Noraa: What can I say? She is our character! Noraa is in her own little world most of the time, and just enjoys life. Now 2 years old she is learning about asserting her independence. I think this is a good thing right??? She loves playing with the Polly Pockets and will sit at the table dressing and undressing the dolls for an hour! It's one of mommy's favorite before dinner activities!

Samuel: As I mentioned earlier, Sam is such a joy! He is such a good baby and when he smiles he brightens up the room. One of the things people comment on most is his name! Samuel Harrison Churchill Redelsperger is a big name for such a small boy, but we are confident that he will grow into it!

Children amaze me

2008-12-12T08:51:00.000-08:00

This morning my four year old reminded me of a great lesson. She reminded me of Grace. In the Bible children were named for their attributes or a vision of what the parents had for their child. Little did we know that when we named our daughter Grace that we were naming her appropriately.

Noraa (our two year old) got a puzzle out before breakfast. The pieces were in the walk way and her father and I asked her to pick them up a number of times. I gave her a time out and still she stood there beside the puzzle sucking her thumb looking at me. She did not want to clean up the puzzle. I was fed up with her blatant disobedience so I told her I was going to the other room and when I came out if the puzzle was not cleaned up I would spank her. I came out to the kitchen and the puzzle was cleaned up. I praised Noraa for cleaning it up and obeying Mama; however as I did so I saw a twinkle in my four year olds' eyes. I asked her if she cleaned up the puzzle for sister and she said she did.

Grace. She knew Noraa would get a spanking if it wasn't cleaned up. She didn't want her sister to get a spank, so she did it for her. "I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:17

Thank you God for the sweet heart of my daughter that daily shows me your grace.

Communion/Giving Thought

2008-12-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I am pondering the things of God and I come up with what I think would make a great communion thought. Until now I've never really had a way to voice those thoughts where others might benefit from them. Not that my thoughts are in any way profound or deep, but they are my tiny insights into God, and I think they are pretty neat!
This morning I was wondering what my son's love language will be as he grows up. Aaron and I had been discussing the day before what our older children's love languages were and it lead me to think about Sammy's. As I was thinking through the five love languages I realized that God himself not only speaks all five fluently, but receives love by all five as well.
Extended Time- When Christ walked the earth, he not only took time to be with his disciples for some quality time together, He also made sure to carve out time for the Father. The fact that God gives us His full attention whenever we need Him is pretty amazing. Giving quality time is easy for God, sometimes it's not so easy for us.
Physical Touch- When Jesus healed the sick did He take a few steps back, pull out a magic wand or potion and stay out of the situation? No, he TOUCHED people. The blind man, the leper, the girl who was already dead...even the woman who touched the hem of his garment knew the power of the touch of Christ. How many times have you ever really needed a hug and a Christian brother or sister was right there for you? Even today He is reaching out to touch us in a very physical way through the body of Christ.
Words of Affirmation-"I will never leave you nor forsake you" "I am with you always..." "I am the Good Shepherd" He speaks to us daily affirming His love for us. And Oh, how He loves to hear us say we love Him too! Our praises are a sweet sacrifice to Him.
Gifts- Does our Father know how to give good gifts or what? He truly blesses us. The gifts that come from our Father are beyond compare. I often times try to reflect on the giving of His Son/Himself and the magnitude is too great. And what can we give the One who has everything? Nothing really, but in doing so, in giving to God we are communicating our love for Him and to Him. It's like the gifts our children make in Bible class... to some they are insignificant, but to the parent that receives it; priceless!
Acts of Service- Here is where He makes His mark. What greater love than to serve the Church daily through the outpouring of His Spirit? And our service to our Maker is different for each and every one of us; however do not doubt that He hears your love. Big or small, your service to Christ means more than He can say!

And there you have it folks, my thoughts on Gods' languages of love. How amazing that we once again can parallel the marriage relationship to Christ and the Church!

Mommy Musings

2008-11-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I can't believe how lucky I am. My kids are so sweet! A few years ago when Grace started talking and she would say a word wrong, or mispronounce it in her little baby way I thought she couldn't get much cuter. However I'm finding that as she grows and can articulate what she's thinking and feeling, but doesn't have quite the vocabulary she's even funnier than before.
For example, a few months ago I was very upset with something she had done. I put her in a time out on the guest bed and told her I was too angry to deal with her at the moment. She was in tears and looked at me with a very angry face and said "I'm nervous!". I left the room very confused by what she had just done. It wasn't until she used it a number of times in place of the word "angry" that I realized what she meant. Tonight as I was getting dinner and the house ready for company she made a BIG mess in her room, mixing both clean and dirty laundry. Again, very upset with what she had done (and with company coming in about 10 minutes) I expressed to her how upset I was. When Aaron came home with our guests a few minutes later she told Daddy that "Momma was nervous at me!". As I was helping her clean up, she told me that I needed to say "I'm Sorry". When I asked her why, she told me I needed to apologize because I had used "nervous words" with her.
Or last night at dinner when she didn't want to eat what was in front of her she said "but I am just scared and nervous, and confused, and frustrated" (better translated: I don't want to eat it!)
She has also started using some our our words in order to be more grown up. Like when she told her sister not to "exasperate" her brother in the car!
She has also recently decided that she likes the word "weird". We were sitting on the couch reading books the other day when she pops out with "Mommy, you're weird!" It took all I had not to laugh out loud. If there's a food she doesn't care for, it tastes "weird".
Noraa this morning brought a smile to my face when she made up her own song. I tried so hard to memorize her lyrics, but this is all I can remember...
" I'm going to be a ladybug for Haloweeeeeen. My daddy is a funny for Halloweeeeeen. The dog says woof woof for Halloweeeeeeen, and my sister is a princess for Halloweeeeeeen and I like to wear my shoes. And I like my food. And I like my juice...." It went on and on with a list of things that she likes (I wish I could remember then all!)
She LOVES to imitate mommy and the smile that she gets on her face when I pretend and go along with her games is so sweet it melts me like butter. I can't believe I am so blessed.
Tonight as they said their prayers and the both thanked God for their Mommy and Daddy, I uttered a prayer of my own, amazed that God would grace me with such great kids.
I hope you enjoy hearing about my kids silly little sayings and sweetness. I'll try to be better about sharing their daily doings! Thanks for checking in!

The Closing of a Great Legacy

2008-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Today I heard some news that truly saddened me. The college I attended will be closing at the end of this accademic year.

For me the journey began back in 1986... my oldest sister Shawna started attending a small Christian college in Portland, Oregon. Our family would go visit her from time to time and I would get to stay in her dorm room occasionally. I played pool in the "lower JC" and ran around the campus as a young child loving the attention of all the really cool college students. I knew that someday I would attend this same school. The doors closing of Columbia Christian College was devastating to me, but as it re-opened a year later as Cascade College I was not truly affected by the transition. My turn came in 1997 when I finally stepped foot on the campus as a full fledged college student. This was MY school now!

I will not be able to recount for you the knowledge, the memories, the friends and the spiritual growth attained in my four years there. If I were to try, the list would be longer than a list of promises from a politician!

Cascade has given me so much. Sure, I paid for a degree from this school, but what I got was so much more than a piece of paper. I found the love of my life through this school. I found my best friend at this school. I learned about Christ's love as a relationship not just a religion. I became a lot less judgemental, and I believe, a lot more caring and more of what Christ would have me to be.

So I have to say Thank You; to all who were a part of my journey there. To those that played small roles and those who had big ones. I would not be where and who I am today if it were not for you! May God bless all who have ever graced the campus!

WOW!!!

2008-10-22T15:25:00.001-07:00

Okay, so I know that I tend to be a bit cluttered, but when I see pictures like this I am reminded of the fact that at least I am CLEAN!!!! I need to print off pictures like this of every room in a house and post them by my mirror. Maybe this is the motivation I need to clean my house every day!

My Family

2008-10-19T16:30:00.000-07:00

I'm overwhelmed with love for my family. My two year old is sitting at the kitchen table doing her puzzle sweetly and quietly. My four year old is laying on the floor playing footsie with me and laughing with her fake laugh, and my son lay sleeping in his room. I've had a lazy afternoon and it's given me some time to reflect on my amazing family.
You know what's great about being a Christian? My family doesn't just stop with my adorable children and incredible husband, it extends well beyond that. My kids call our friends Aunt & Uncle, and I love that we share in those relationships that are truly beautiful because of our relationship through Christ. We have brothers and sister, moms and dads, aunts and uncles, all bonded by the blood of Christ! Blood really does run thicker, because the blood that Jesus shed is the strongest common denominator.

Need to Blog?

2008-09-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

I feel this compelling need to blog, so I sit down at the computer to write and my mind goes blank. There are a number of things that I would love to blog about; however none of them seem to be of any substance that others may want to read about. Then again, isn't that what a blog is for? It doesn't matter really what you write as long as you are writing about your thoughts and your life.
Today our family also started a "video blog". We each took a turn sitting in front of the camera telling what is going on in our lives. It was a kick to see Grace cheese it up for the camera and tell her version of what's happening in life. 20 years from now when we are showing her future husband these blogs she's going to be so embarrassed and Aaron and I will have tears in our eyes as we see our baby girls grow up to be lovely ladies. We plan on "video blogging" every six months. Wow, how fast we change in six months! I can't wait to have the girls thoughts on camera.
Today also marked a change of schedule for me as Sammy is two weeks old now and I will begin to schedule his feeding times and nap times. I always love the first two weeks when I don't watch the clock but just focus on being there for every little whimper and cry. I know though that continuing this pattern is unhealthy for Sam and that in order to truly get good rest he needs a schedule. Babies and children thrive on knowing routine, so I will give that to my son. It worked with Grace, it worked with Noraa, and for the sanity of our family I will work it with Sam.
Aaron commented earlier that Samuel is my "Joseph". I told him this was not true and parents are not supposed to have favorites. However, I will say this: loving my son is different than loving my daughters. I can't even really explain it quite yet, but I just know that my bond with my son will be somehow different from the beautiful relationships I share with my girls. Each of my children are special in their own way, and I am SO blessed by their individual personalities. I cannot imagine my life with out them!
Well, I suppose that's about it for now. I have company coming in an hour and 15 minutes. This means I need to get the bathroom cleaned as well as my kitchen floor mopped and the living room de-cluttered of toys before they all arrive. The kids are all sleeping so I'd better get on it!
Mommy of three=Super Mom!!!!!

2008-09-06T16:39:00.001-07:00

Samuel is finally here. He was born on September 5 at 3:18am. Amy labored for 3 hours and had one good push, and there he was. Both Amy and Sam are doing great! Grace is very happy to be a big sister and Noraa has kind of noticed he's here. We've had lots of visitors and everyone is so excited that he's a boy. It seems like a lot of friends had been hoping that he would be a boy. I would have been glad either way, but I am definitely looking forward to the Father/Son experience. The other thing that people comment on the most is his name. He has 4 names including 35 letters! Samuel is one of our favorite Bible characters. He responded when the Lord called his name, and he also anointed King David. Harrison is a family name. My cousin Brooke had a son named Harrison who was born with Spina Bifida, and spent his life in a wheelchair. He was a major blessing and inspiration to our family and everyone who knew him. He was extremely smart and I can't really say enough here to capture who he was. Harrison passed away when he was 9 years old due to complications in surgery. So, Samuel having his name is to remember and honor Harrison. Churchill is also a family name. My Grandpa on my mom's side was Harry Churchill. My middle name is Churchill and because my grandfather had no sons, the name would end with me, if I didn't carry it on. My mom and my Aunt Paula regularly mention how much I remind them of Grandpa Churchill. These names are important and mean something, and it just so happens that the name sounds really cool, at least I think so. Sam is the next step in a legacy from Amy's side of the family and mine. My dad gave me a name and my responsibility is to keep the name respectable and solid. I will do that and pass the name to Samuel as solid as it came to me. However with all that said, my most important prayer is that Samuel will answer when the Lord calls his name.

Hmmm... still waiting!

2008-09-04T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I was wrong! It's Thursday night the 4th and I'm still pregnant. It may not seem like much to everyone else, but to me it seems like an eternity! My poor sister in law who was seven days and 23 hours past her due date... my respect for her has grown beyond measure. So because this morning I was so emotionally and physically exhausted and borderline "depressed" I decided to GET OVER IT! We picked up Grandad from the airport and I decided that I would be content and plan out my weekend. Tomorrow we will go to Funderland with the kids, this will of course take all morning, then we can either picnic or come home for lunch. The kids will take naps at which time I may be able to talk Aaron into taking me to the cheap movie at the mall. Aunt Mary will arrive in the afternoon, so our evening will be spent catching up with her. Saturday we will go wine tasting at the winery we are members at in Shenendoa. Aunt Mary LOVES wine and I can't wait to take her tasting. Note: always take a pregnant woman with you when you go wine tasting, it's a built in designated driver!!! That will take up most of Saturday, so then that leaves me Sunday which needs no planning! It's already full enough on it's own. Monday I have my appointment at which time they will decide if I need to be induced! So there you go... I have no time in my schedule to be cranky or anticipate the arrival of little Sperger! Thanks for the prayers!
Blessings,
Amy

My Aversion to a version

2008-09-02T09:38:00.000-07:00

So my Dr.'s appointment was this morning at 10:30. I love Dr. Kholer, she is so sweet and as she is due with a baby in October she empathizes with me! She checked me to see how things were going and though the baby's heartbeat was steady & strong, the head was not fully down in the way she wanted it to be. The baby was laying almost side ways! She called over to the hospital and scheduled me for a version as well as possible induction. Needless to say, I was a little nervous. Having someone turn your baby from the outside just doesn't seem comfortable to me. Thankfully when we arrived and they hooked me up to the monitors, the Dr. checked me and said that the baby's head was down where it needed to be. Praise be to God! (and thank you to everyone who sent up prayers for me!) They have to monitor you for a minimum of 20 minutes before you can leave the hospital, so after that they released me and I went on my merry way. Since then my contractions have been anywhere from 2-5 minutes apart and gaining in intensity! Maybe I'll have this baby after all!
Blessings,
Amy

Here I sit

2008-08-31T22:00:00.000-07:00

So, here I sit. I should be out walking laps in the Church parking lot trying to get this baby out... but here I am sitting at the computer blogging my thoughts for the world to see. I'm tired. I feel huge. My feet hurt. My back hurts. I've tried spicy foods, I've tried walking, I've tried bouncing on the big exercise ball. Here I sit.

Again the lyrics to Jon Foreman's song come to my mind... I'll share them with you this time!

Here, my dear

This is where

We'll shake the nightmares free

I dream to hold you in my arms

To hold you in my arms

Wide awake in my arms

I think I figured it out

We need to be together

Like the shore and the sea

We are not one thing

We're drawn here together

My ocean and me

I dream to hold you in my arms

To hold you in my arms

Wide awake in my arms

Love we sleep apart

For the last time

I dream to hold you in my arms

To hold you in my arms

Wide awake in my arms

I can't wait to hold this sweet new baby in my arms, to sing to her, to kiss the sweet smelling head of our brand new baby. To share in the precious moments of this child's life. God knit him together in my womb and He alone knows when and how this child will make it's way into the world. So instead of walking, eating spicy foods and bouncing on balls, I will pray: labor on Labor Day!

Blessings,

Amy

2008-08-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

Aren't they angelic when they are sleeping...? Yesterday was a long day for the girls and I. Each day that ebbs closer to my due date seems longer and longer to all of us. I'm sure they feel some of the same anxiety that I do anticipating this baby. I know for a fact they sense my moodiness; it is more than obvious to pretty much everyone. There are times when I sure don't act loving, sweet, and kind toward my children, but then they take a nap; and my heart swells with love. I love it when they are sleeping! These sweet creatures are God's greatest blessings.
"Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." Psalm 127:3-5

Male Nesting

2008-08-28T14:58:00.001-07:00

Whoever said that "nesting" is something only pregnant women do has it all wrong. As you see from our previous posts, we are expecting this child to make an appearance any day now. Aaron is just as anxious as I am and hence has started "nesting". Last week, he took three days off work to landscape the front yard that has been the eyesore of the neighborhood since we moved in a year ago February. My computer which has been prehistorically slow for over a year now has recently been re-formatted, and suddenly there's a need to move the desk from the spare room to the kitchen. Not that I am opposed to any of these changes in our household; it just makes me smile knowing I'm not alone in wanting our house to be a home for the new little one growing inside of me. In fact, his "nesting" serves as a great reminder to me of the altruistic heart that dwells within the man I married.
Well, I sign off with toilets & showers to scrub, floors to be vacuumed and other menial household chores waiting to be done...somehow a woman's "nesting" just doesn't seem as glamorous!
Blessings,
Amy

Time Bomb!

2008-08-27T17:54:00.000-07:00

If you've ever been 39 weeks pregnant you know what I'm feeling right now... tick, tick, tick, tick, tick... When will this baby arrive? Will my water break? Will it be at night, or after a well rested sleep? Will I deliver on the side of the road like Jenni? Is it a boy or a girl? After Friday when I thought I was headed to the hospital, I'm so done anticipating! Friday the contractions were 15 minutes apart all day long and in the evening they were even about 10 minutes apart. Of course around 12:30am-1:00ish they tapered off and totally stopped. Grrrrr. Now, I just don't care! This baby could stay in until his 18th birthday for all I care! (okay not really, but can you tell that I'm moody and a bit apathetic?) Well, seeing as though this is my very first blog entry on our happy family page, I'll end on a much sweeter note.
Every morning as I'm laying in bed I use Aaron's iphone and play our baby the song by Jon Foreman "In My Arms". It makes me long to hold this sweet baby in my arms, look into it's sweet baby face and realize the Majesty of our God. That He allows us to play a part in creating and bearing life is truly amazing and I am so blessed to be able to participate in this grand cycle of life! Blessings, Amy

Baby due any day now.

2008-08-26T16:11:00.000-07:00

We're just playing the waiting game. We've pretty much got everything ready...Diapers are bought, bags are packed, babysitters for the girls are on call, work notified of impending time off. Let's have this baby! The one thing we're not quite sure about yet is a name. Details details.