composition

relocating

2008-09-11T07:16:00.002-05:00

don't freak out, neighbors, we're not moving... just my blog is. :)

you will now find me at www.waterlilyphoto.com/blog. see you over there!

new heights of style

2008-09-09T12:02:00.002-05:00

miriam has never been much for dolls, but she sure does like to dress up her little brother! this is how he came downstairs yesterday...

and this is how he ate dinner last night.

this is what levi picked out to wear today. hey, it's better than what he woke up wearing this morning: just the black & white cowboy vest and his lightning mcqueen boxer briefs. it was quite the sight to behold.

and while the boys sport their fashion statements, miriam prefers to find uniqueness in the places she chooses to do her reading.

coming soon to computer screens near you

2008-09-07T22:00:00.000-05:00

matt has been doing some part-time work for a friend of his who recently started up a web development business, and as a result was able to hook me up with a cool new blog. just wanted to give you a little heads up before the big reveal so that you don't think you're in the wrong place in a few days. while i am sad to lose a lot of my sidebar stuff, i am excited to have larger photos and a more customized look. see you there soon!

first day of friday school

2008-09-05T10:34:00.003-05:00

miriam got out of the shower last night with a whole list in mind of what she would need to do the next morning before leaving for friday school. she also wanted to make both her and levi's lunch. i had to go out for a bit and when i returned, there was her list on the table (dictated by her, written down by daddy) and the sandwiches were made and in their lunchboxes in the fridge, each accompanied by a folded napkin (competely her idea). where did this litte list-maker/planner come from, i wonder...? :) needless to say, she's excited. levi was initially apprehensive about the whole idea, but by this morning he was also looking forward to it. i feel very blessed to be a part of this program this year. it is really well-organized and so far all the staff i have met are wonderful.

so, what to do with the rest of my day?? i didn't want this two mile run hanging over my head all day, and with it being cool & cloudy this morning, i figured i'd just get it over with. so... I DID IT!! even while pushing the jogging stroller, which matt usually does when we go together. i'm not sure which was harder, the last 1/2 mile or giving birth. but i am getting better at my self-talk -- less "this sucks" and more "i can do this!". and now, i think some rachael ray and a nap (sawyer willing) may be in order.

2008-09-04T07:26:00.000-05:00

i still try to dress my kids by my definition of cute when we go out sometimes, but most days the older two pick out their own clothes and dress themselves now. this is an exercise in letting go for me. miriam and levi have both worn their bears jerseys probably 50% of the time this summer. levi insists that he must wear it most days "in case i see kevin" (our neighbor, who is an avid lions fan). levi also has these red umbro hand-me-down shorts that he loves to wear because they are "shiny". i feel the need to point out that the above outfit would never have been my choice, either... though i must say it doesn't look that bad. and for some reason he decided that he only wanted to wear one shoe.

miriam hates to wear dresses, anything with spaghetti straps, and capris... pretty much all the things i think are cute. instead, when she is not wearing her pink bears jersey, she is usually wearing one of her two soccer shirts. one is this neon green and the other is burgundy... yeah. and she usually pairs it with one of her oldest, most 90's style hand-me-down shorts.

sawyer i still get to dress myself, but i must say that i'm pretty sure he's one of the most consistently dirty kids around. in the words of his almost-uncle kevin, "i used to think sawyer was dark-complected, but then i realized he is just dirty most of the time."

a change of heart

2008-09-02T13:10:00.000-05:00

everyone i talk to comments on how fast this summer has gone. i agree. even though my kids aren't going off to school today, it still marks a change in season for us with the neighbor kids going back to school. they have been a significant part of our summer, and if you read this post i wrote a couple of months ago, you'll remember that it didn't start off gracefully. i don't know if it was before or after i wrote that, though, that God really began convicting me of my attitude, particularly toward the kids directly across the street from us who are in foster care. levi made a comment to me one day about these kids (based on something he had heard me say) that became the catalyst for my change of heart. hearing my attitude coming back at me through the mouth of my own child was quite convicting and made me quickly realize how NOT in line it was with what we want to be living and teaching to our kids. God began to soften my heart toward all the neighborhood kids, but especially these two across the street who don't even know right now who their real family is. we began including them as much as possible in what we were doing and the kids clocked hours and hours of play time together over the past couple of months. what could have been a constant annoyance became a real joy to all of us. and honestly, while it will be good to get back to more of a routine around here, i'm a bit sad that the neighbor kids will now be gone at school all day.

how ironic

2008-09-01T12:10:00.002-05:00

a strangely hilarious thing happened today. the subtitle of my last post actually came true in a way other than what i intended when i wrote it. this morning we heard lots and lots of truck horns going off through town and i vaguely recalled hearing something about a truck parade. well, if you know my boys you know that of course we had to rush out and find it. so i'm driving along and thinking, man, traffic sure is slow and there sure are a lot of big trucks on the road... and it didn't take long before i realized that somehow i had actually inserted our sweet minivan right into the middle of this so-called truck parade. people were waving and the truck drivers all around us were still blowing their horns. apparently, since the parade went all the way from zeeland to holland down a main road, they don't completely shut it down to the rest of traffic. i laughed for a while after that.

my first 5k (a.k.a. dietsches on parade)

2008-08-31T02:55:00.001-05:00

i have always hated running. that's why i'm not quite sure how this happened, but suddenly i find myself training for a 5k. the story leading up to this decision begins here in a post i wrote about 6 months ago. since then, i have tried to continue the jogging trend, but was finding it really difficult to stay motivated and extremely easy to talk myself out of it (and into an ice cream sundae instead).

i decided i needed a plan and a goal or this would never work. i discovered a running schedule online that helps you work up to a 5k in two months. somehow i talked matt into doing it with me, knowing that having a running partner would also help with the motivation factor. so now it is a family affair. we have a set route that miriam and levi have become familiar with as they lead the way on their bikes, and matt and i follow with sawyer in the jogging stroller. the kids really enjoy it. and i have to say... i pretty much still hate running. BUT, five minutes after finishing it feels great. (during, however, i must admit that some choice four letter words come to mind.)

today was day 1 of week 5 in a 9 week training schedule. by the end of this week we are supposed to run 2 miles without stopping. right now the thought of that makes me want to crawl in a hole and hide. so, here's hoping i'll stick with this for another month and actually show up for the race on october 4!

2008-08-30T20:24:00.005-05:00

thought i'd finally post a photo of my new haircut. it's been a while since it's been this short!

oh, and if you're wondering about the shirt... i was so excited to score this for matt at a second hand store a while back, as it is one of our favorite will ferrell skits. :)

summertime kiddos

2008-08-27T12:40:00.008-05:00

sawyer, pre-haircut

i don't know if you have hundreds of these in your backyard like we do, but sawyer is currently obsessed with finding cicadas and the skins they leave behind. this is only the beginning of his collection...

it's not often i can get levi to cooperate with the camera... though not surprising how quickly he struck a pose when positioned in front of our neighbor's truck :)

miriam's streetside bouquet

a collection of neighborhood kids

we sometimes tend to monopolize the sidewalks around these parts...

homeschooling update

2008-08-25T13:15:00.006-05:00

two weeks ago i was feeling quite overwhelmed and unable to cope with this homeschooling lifestyle... feeling very anxious at the idea of not sending my kids off to school at the end of the month. believe me, i considered it. yet my heart was still saddened more than it was satisfied by the thought of being away from my 7 year old for at least 35 hours a week. the time may come for that in the future, but not yet.

and now that i am more organized on the academic side of things, i am looking forward to what we get to learn together over the coming months. because really, some of it requires teaching but in most cases i am learning right along with them. (i'm convinced that i retained maybe 2% of any history i may have learned in school.) we purchased a used Sonlight set from another family in town, which is a literature-based curriculum. it is at miriam's level, and for levi i will just be filling in with some brief reading and writing lessons. (i try to at least have the boys playing quietly nearby while i read some of the more advanced stuff, but to make them sit for all of it at this point would not be fun for anyone involved.) and miriam's writing lessons are taken right from the books she is reading, which i really like.

i'm also excited that miriam & levi will be attending a friday school for homeschooled students starting in September -- excited for them to have a weekly outlet and change of atmosphere, and excited for me to have a bit of a break to look forward to each week. i think that will be really good for all of us. it takes place very near our home and and will cover things such as music, art, drama, spanish, and phys ed.

photo shoot #2

2008-08-22T08:11:00.002-05:00

inspired by photographing my sister's kids a couple of weeks ago, i wanted to try it with my own. so last night we headed out to my parents' place to give it a shot. wow, what a lot of work to get them all looking good at the same time on top of trying to remember how to work my camera. :) the kids did great, though, and we did come away with some good ones... and only sustained a few casualties in the process. lots of mosquito bites, a wildberry-stained shirt, and bee-stung legs... matt stepped on a bee's nest just as we were finishing up and was stung about 5 or 6 times. thank God, though, that our kids had already left the area and our one-year-old nephew, who was standing right there, was unharmed! so, which are your favorite??

contentedness

2008-08-19T07:34:00.003-05:00

...is learned in the process of daily accepting life as God gives it to you, and adjusting your expectations to life's limitations.

-from Seasons of a Mother's Heart, by Sally Clarkson

my first online grocery purchase

2008-08-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

we discovered this granola on our trip to WA and it is the best i have ever had. (insanely good with fresh raspberries and/or blueberries!) here in MI, you can get it at walmart (not sure about other places), but i had wanted to check out amazon grocery anyway, and i found it there, in a 6-pack no less. i'm not sure how the prices compare, but saving me a trip to walmart is about all the motivation i need. i think this is about to become my new favorite thing -- buying groceries online! and at amazon, many things qualify for free shipping if you spend more than $25. has anyone tried this before?

2008-08-12T07:19:00.002-05:00

i just got turned on to facebook... need i say more.

photo shoot

2008-08-08T21:44:00.008-05:00

i couldn't resist posting some of the pictures from my photo shoot this evening with my sister's kids. i was really happy with how they turned out, as i usually do better with flowers than with people. :) it helps when your subjects are this stinkin' adorable.

the perfect hard-boiled egg

2008-08-08T12:24:00.003-05:00

i saw this on rachael ray yesterday and tried it out today. they turned out exactly as she said -- perfectly cooked, easy to peel, and bright yellow in the middle! today i diced them up, mixed them with mayo (just enough to help it stick together), salt, & pepper, and we had egg salad sandwiches for lunch. (especially good on toasted grainy bread -- mmm!)

Put the eggs in a saucepan and fill it halfway with cold water. Set over high heat. When the water boils, turn off the heat and place a lid over the pot. Let sit 10 minutes.

Place the pot of cooked eggs in the sink (lid off) and run some cold water over the eggs until both the water and the pan feel cool. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, take them out of the water. Roll each egg on a work surface to crack the shell then carefully peel off the eggshells.

good to be home

2008-08-05T08:16:00.002-05:00

Trip to Seattle: Part 3: Orcas Island

2008-08-05T07:55:00.001-05:00

Monday morning we left Tim & Jan's house and drove a couple of hours north to board the ferry headed for the San Juan Islands. This set of islands is part of the state of Washington, in the Puget Sound, but is very close to the Canadian border. (Maybe this explains why it was so cold! Throughout our entire trip I got very good use out of my one sweatshirt and my one pair of jeans that I had brought along... while most of my new cute summer things rested comfortably in our suitcase. Oh well.)

The island of Orcas was our destination. The main town on the island was very small and quaint, with lots of little shops, charming cafes, and gardens. You definitely sense a major trend toward environmentally-friendliness and local, organic consumption. The pace was slow, like the whole island was on vacation. There were so many times that Matt and I commented how much it felt like our little town in Australia.

The inn where we stayed.

Our inn overlooked this bay with this little island in the middle of it. At low tide, you could walk out to that little island, finding clams, crabs, and starfish along the way.

Another view of the bay.

The sidewalks were lined with perennial gardens.

One of my favorite things on the island was this lavender farm we visited. It's an inn you can stay at, or you can just visit and pick a basketful of fresh lavender for $5.

There is also a state park on the island. We just drove through this time after getting our fill of hiking at Mount Rainier, stopping along the way to take a few pictures.

And here are some more views from the other side of the island.

We were advised to stop here for lunch -- fish tacos may not sound good, but I would order them again in a heartbeat!

Boarding the ferry to head home Wednesday morning.

Trip to Seattle: Part 2: Weekend with Tim & Jan

2008-07-28T22:17:00.009-05:00

We spent Friday night, Saturday, & Sunday with Matt's aunt & uncle. This was the first time I had met them. They were such fun to spend time with -- incredibly hospitable and generous. They took us into the city for the day on Saturday, where we also met up with one of their daughters, Matt's cousin. We saw some sights, drank a good amount of coffee, and ate lots! Here's some highlights:

saw the first ever starbucks visited the famous pike place market

the fresh flowers there were gorgeous...

and plentiful! watched these guys throw some fish around -- another thing pike place market is famous for a view from the street just outside the market

tim, jan, & claire the famous "gum wall"... yeah it's disgusting, but still kind of cool

On Sunday, we took the horses out for a little riding and then relaxed around the house for the rest of the day.

Trip to Seattle: Part 1: Mount Rainier National Park

2008-07-25T17:48:00.009-05:00

(We are 3 ½ days into our trip and have already taken.. ahem.. about 400 pictures. While many of them will probably get deleted, I can’t possibly share all that I would like to here on this blog. Just a few for now that go best with the story, with more favorites to come later.)

ARRIVING :: We arrived Tuesday safe & sound in Seattle after a 4 hour morning flight from Chicago. I realized that this was my/our first ever domestic destination flight (not counting connecting flights for international trips). It was strangely easy to pack for (1) just Matt & I with no kids, and (2) going for just one week in our own country!

Matt’s uncle met us at our rental car location and took us out for lunch overlooking the Puget Sound at a little fish & chips joint. He then led us to their home outside the main city. He is a builder/craftsman and built the entire thing himself, including much of the interior woodworking. It is beautiful. They also have a bit of property with a couple of horses, a pond, and gardens. See that umbrella on the deck there? Under there is where I am sitting presently typing this post.

CAMPING :: We are vegging this afternoon after arriving back from our camping adventure in Mount Rainier National Park. We headed out there Wednesday morning and camped for two nights at White River Campground. Matt’s aunt & uncle had all the gear we needed so we didn’t have to haul it all from MI.

entrance to the park our campsite

The first day we set up camp and then drove up to Sunrise Point. I have no pictures of the drive because I was literally scared stiff as we drove right on the edge of a serious cliff with no guard rail. A park ranger said to us with no humor in her voice, “I don’t think they’ve ever lost anyone off the edge.” Thankfully, we did not make history and I did not lose my lunch. The views, however, were breathtaking. There is just no way to capture the entirety of what you are seeing with a camera.

Mt Rainier in the background

We were hoping to see loads of wildflowers, but because of the amount of snow the park got this past winter (and spring, and even into June) -- about 75 feet total! -- they were only just beginning and were not yet in their prime like they usually are this time of year. There were some, though. The temperature our first day up there only topped out in the upper-50’s, so we soon headed back down to camp, took a walk down to the White River, had dinner, built a fire, and did some reading.

HIKING - IGNORANCE IS BLISS :: The next day we were up at the crack of dawn and Matt wanted to get an early start on hiking the Glacier Basin trail, whose trailhead was just feet from our campsite. I figured it would be a nice little walk and it would take us a couple of hours. First, I failed to recognize that we would be going uphill most of the way. Also, we neglected to see (until the end) this little yellow sign posted under the main trail sign:

After a short walk on an easy trail, we started having to wind up and around and through piles of rock and rubble with streams running through here and there. We were like, wow, this is an interesting trail. After a while we stopped to talk to a fellow hiker who said there had been a flood in 2006 that washed away over a mile of the original trail. Turns out what Matt had read to be a “moderate” level hike in one brochure was (more accurately) categorized as a “strenuous” trail in another. I was sure glad I had on my best “strenuous” hiking apparel. (ha, ha) :)

The last half mile or so of the trail was pretty seriously uphill and I was exhausted. We were also hitting patches of snow at this point. Good thing the views from Glacier Basin made it all worthwhile. I would have needed a 360 degree camera lens to take it all in. We had hiked 3.1 miles and gained 1700 feet in elevation. We were so proud of ourselves! At Glacier Basin there was a wilderness camp (where the serious backpackers camp) complete with tall metal poles to hang your stuff on so the bears can’t get to it. There were also guys gearing up to hike a bit farther up with downhill skis strapped to their backs.

a couple different views from Glacier Basin

We would have stayed up there longer, but the mosquitoes were biting with a vengeance, so we headed back down. It was much easier on the downhill, I must say! All in all we were gone for about 7 hours -- 5 ½ hours of which were hiking. I don’t think I have ever said “wow” so many times in one day… the last of which was probably, “Wow, am I going to be sore tomorrow!”

And yes, we even saw a bear! God knew that Matt really wanted to see one, and that I needed to be IN our car on our way OUT of the campground when he crossed our path! :)

favorite pics from today

2008-07-18T20:33:00.004-05:00

harry returns

2008-07-14T17:01:00.003-05:00

amidst all the other things i have to get under wrap this week before leaving on our trip, there is one "to do" that i have on my list this week that you may find silly. i have been working on harry potter #5 since january and i am now determined to finish it before we leave. this book fizzled for me about half way through, mostly because i was so intimidated by its length that i lost motivation. i could have easily checked the audio book out of the library to finish it up, but i was too stubborn -- i wanted to make myself READ it. i have recently picked it back up and last night broke the 700 page mark. as of right now i have just over 100 pages to go.

matt and i hit barnes & noble the other night and each bought ourselves a new book for the trip, as well as harry potter #6. so, there's some extra motivation for me. besides, i can't stop now -- i need to find out how it all ends!! maybe i can finish the series by the end of the year??

my sweet husband, who finished #5 a few months ago now, has been waiting for me before starting #6. we finish a book and then watch the corresponding movie together. maybe we will have to watch #5 before we leave!

ps--never thought i would read these. initially, i jumped on the bandwagon that said these books were evil. they're really not if you ask me. it's fictional fantasy, which i'm finding that i really enjoy. i have never been much of a fiction reader in the past, but these books have opened up that world to me and i am so hooked now!

am i in denial??

2008-07-12T14:50:00.006-05:00

so, i went clothes shopping for myself, by myself today -- a wonderful and rare treat. i was feeling pretty good after finding success at Forever 21 and the Gap when i walked into Aeropostale. that's when my shopping experience took a turn for the worse.

"can i help you find something?" asked the saleswoman.

"yeah, do you have any skirts, like cargo style?"

and then, the first blow.

"is this for you or your daughter?"

ouch. do i really look old enough to have a daughter who would shop at Aeropostale?

she said i might try Penneys.

now, i still like to shop in the juniors section. granted, sometimes i pick up what i think is a cute skirt only to discover it is actually a shirt, and i can't really buy jeans there if i want to be able to bend over with any sense of decency, but for the most part i like the style of clothes better. perhaps i am living in denial of my actual age. the encounter i was about to have with a second saleswoman seemed to suggest this.

"hi," i said, "where would i find a khaki or cargo style skirt, not too short...?" (by this i meant one that would actually cover most of my thighs.)

"for you?" i should have known right then that this was not going to be good. "follow me."

yes, for me! ok, i may not have showered this morning, but come on, people!

she took off briskly toward the opposite end of the store and i reluctantly followed. the reality of what was happening was beginning to sink in, and soon i was standing in the middle of the "womens" section. please take no offense if this is where you shop, the clothes are certainly very nice, it's just not really my thing. i faked a smile with a "thanks" as she left and just stood in one spot for a minute, kind of in shock. i looked around half-heartedly, then headed to the fitting room with the pairs of juniors shorts i was holding to try them on, bought one pair, and left.

these scenarios bring to mind a time earlier this year when matt asked me to pick up some adult beverages at Trader Joe's while we were visiting his family. good thing i had amanda with me for moral support, because when i went to check out, realizing i did not have my ID on me, i made some comment about my age and the guy was like, "um... yeah, i can tell." my internal response went something like, "watch it, buddy, you're not looking too hot yourself."

the first ten years

2008-07-10T15:00:00.004-05:00

With all of the focus on our upcoming trip to Seattle to commemorate our 10th anniversary, I almost forgot that the actual day is tomorrow! Wow. It seems like forever and not long at all at the same time. It seems like we have done so much and yet not much at all at the same time. I guess the strangest part for me to ponder is how different our life is right now from how I might have predicted it to be. Since before Matt and I were married we knew that we both shared a heart for missions and desired to pursue that calling together. We did have several opportunities to travel/live overseas, yet it totally did not work out how we thought it would. And now we find ourselves living this very normal, fairly mundane life in little ol’ Zeeland. While on one hand we have grieved the loss of a dream, on the other hand our idea of what “missions” really means has changed immensely.

I used to think the ultimate “living by faith” must mean to leave everything and go and do ministry for God in a foreign land. Now, I very much feel the need to trust God and rely on his grace to get me through each day... (lately, going through a particularly challenging season with the kids, it is quite literally an hourly plea, or even more often than that.) Many of my ideals and ambitions are having to die a slow and painful death. My place of ministry is small and not at all glamorous. Right now, living by faith for me means embracing this even when it feels like crap, allowing mySELF to be humbled and broken on a daily basis, and trusting that God can make something beautiful of it all. (The way I am feeling about things this week, believing this takes all the faith I can muster!)

Matt and I will often comment to each other that it often feels like we are going backwards instead of forward in our walks with God. I guess it depends how you are measuring it. Life is way harder than I thought it would be and it certainly seems that there are way more valleys than mountaintops. We have experienced God’s goodness in awesome and very personal ways, and we have also experienced months and years of wilderness and depression where He seems nowhere to be found. As I think back over our life together, there are so many joys and so many sorrows all mingled together. In hindsight, I can see God walking with us through all of it. Not that we are always good at acknowledging that at the time, but yes, he has been faithful and good.

While we are mostly just trying to manage our current demands of life & children, once in a while Matt and I will still wonder together what God has in store for our future. Ever since our harsh return from Australia, I have felt like I can only ever see like an arm’s length in front of us in terms of where God is leading. He’s had us in baby step mode for a while now. We wonder if life will ever take us overseas again, or if that was just a season. We’re still trying to figure out how God wants to use our lives for his glory... :) In the meantime, I guess we’ll just keep trying to take those little daily steps of obedience as best as we know how.

lazy days & busy play

2008-07-08T14:04:00.001-05:00

i feel pretty lazy lately, but the kids seem to wake up in the morning with plenty of ideas of how to keep busy, usually involving lots of imagination and a whole lot of mess!

yesterday, miriam and levi became magicians on the swings, using their magic powers to make the sheets on the clothesline move and be still. (it had nothing to do with the breeze, of course.)

today, levi and sawyer decided to decorate their trucks for a parade...

...while miriam busily created her outdoor recipe for "green onion bread".

oh, and this was sawyer's outfit of choice today. actually, the underwear was my idea (why add extra clothes when they are just going to get peed in), the boots were his. not because it was raining, just because they are the only shoes he can put on by himself.

family weekend

2008-07-06T22:23:00.001-05:00

we had a fun-filled holiday weekend with family visiting. our gang took in some mini-golf and go-karts, fireworks festivities, the beach, and of course a weekend with matt's fam is never complete without a guys' trip to the golf course and a girls' trip to the mall (or at least target)! we are all exhausted, i think, but so enjoyed being together for a few days.

brady, our almost one-year-old nephew

a new picture of kevin & amanda

critter camp & bunny love

2008-07-03T14:44:00.002-05:00

miriam was SO excited to go to "critter camp" for three days this week, after which she graduated into being able to volunteer at the critter barn. she gave us a tour of the farm at the end of the last day and you would have thought she already owned the place. as we were driving out she asked, "mom, can i volunteer tomorrow??" i have a feeling we are going to be there a lot over these next years.

we all loved on some baby bunnies before heading home... this picture kills me with cuteness!

talking with a two year old

2008-07-01T07:21:00.002-05:00

here is a conversation i had with sawyer this morning that is pretty typical lately.

S: look, mommy!

M: what do you see, sawyer?

S: a tane!

M: a what?

S: a tane!!

M: a train?

S: a TANE, mommy!!

M: a crane??

S: yeah, a tane.

more of the gardens

2008-06-28T18:07:00.005-05:00

a wedding!

2008-06-26T20:33:00.003-05:00

this is one of matt's sisters, amanda, with her fiance', kevin. he's been like part of the family for a while now, but amanda finally called this week to tell us that they are going to make it official this fall. (this picture was actually taken a year and a half ago, but it's all i had.) we are so happy to soon promote kevin from "almost-uncle" to "uncle"! they make a great couple.

we are especially excited for the wedding because it is going to be a long-weekend event with pretty much only their immediate families, probably at some type of resort. they have decided to spend their wedding budget on this instead of going the traditional route. and, i'm sure the dresses will be fabulous, as amanda is my #1 fashion advisor. :)

neighborhood patrol

2008-06-25T14:29:00.002-05:00

it appears i have been issued a new job this summer. yes, we are excited to discover that there actually are other kids in our neighborhood. but how is it that they all come out to play in the direction of our house with no parents to be seen? on one hand, i really don't mind (as long as they are getting along) and appreciate the fact that my kids have playmates. on the other hand, it does add some stress to my afternoons when sometimes it seems like i am the only adult eyes on the block!

social graces

2008-06-22T16:17:00.000-05:00

our week has been filled with graces... miriam had playdates with both of her friends named grace this week. she spent tuesday at grace r's house, and on friday grace h (and co.) came over, all the way from virginia! we got to see the hemmekes two day in a row, as they are a part of a little overisel reunion that we had yesterday, as well. six of us (that's minus the spouses, though they too are now an integral part of us) have literally known each other since birth and grew up together in the same schools and in the same church. it is rumored that some of us even used to take baths together, though we won't name any names... now that the hemmekes (and soon the pates) live out of state, we try to get everyone together when they are in town. it's always a special time, but this time was extra special because we all brought our kids! what fun to see them all together. so far miriam and grace are the only girls out of the bunch of ten! any day now, though, little girl pate will be joining them. she was actually due to arrive two days ago but has not yet made her appearance. there is also a little harmsen on the way, which we celebrated yesterday with cake and gifts.

(photo compliments of rebecca)

one month

2008-06-22T12:42:00.003-05:00

that's exactly how long until our trip to seattle! can't wait!

we've run into loads of people, it seems, who have either been to or have lived in the seattle area, so we have been trying to rack their brains as far as where to go and what to see. if there are any more ideas out there, please let us know!

so far on the agenda: matt's aunt & uncle's house and a tour with them through the city, pike place market, mt. rainier, san juan islands, and possibly olympic national park or mt. st. helens... we will have 8 days and 0 kids... :)

i am in love

2008-06-20T21:03:00.002-05:00

…with my new square foot garden! i have been itching to have a vegetable garden for the past few years, but always thought we had too much shade. and in fact, we do… in our back yard. that’s why this year we bit the bullet and plopped our veggie patch right in our tiny—but very sunny—front yard.

i think it was my friend joni who introduced me to the square foot gardening method last year, and i instantly knew i wanted to give it a try. it is perfect for small spaces, and its neat appearance was also a factor for us since it would be in our front yard for all to see. besides that, it is a cinch to water and weed!

it feels good to have finally plowed through my intimidations with the whole thing (my perfectionistic tendencies sometimes slow me down because i am so afraid it won’t turn out just right). it’s a big step forward from last year’s gardening attempts. now here’s hoping the bugs and bunnies don’t snag our harvest before we do! so far, things are looking pretty good, and we have already been enjoying the lettuce. i can’t wait to make it twice as big next year!

here are some photos to document our progress so far:

though i did remove the sod from underneath, we added our own (purchased) soil inside the frame so that we know it's good stuff. matt built the frame (8' x 2' --we are not starting out overly ambitious, people), and the kids and i have had a good time this spring visiting our local seed store and putting it all together.

started a few peas, lettuce, and spinach plants in egg cartons before transferring them to the garden...

and here they are in their new home... (viewing from the side)

and here's what they look like now. (viewing from the front)

what fun to watch the little seedlings pop up! these are the bean beginnings...

and here they are today, with a tomato in the background.

and here are the zucchini, then...

and now.

one other new thing i am trying this year is a potato pot that i found instructions on how to do here.

strawberry heaven

2008-06-14T12:28:00.002-05:00

lovin' the lens

2008-06-13T14:10:00.001-05:00

i have been spending the past month doing a lot of experimenting with my new camera and lens. i was really frustrated with it at first (had to force myself out of the comfort zone i was in with my other camera) but now i love it. the tiny depth of focus i can get with it is crazy. i still have a lot of learning to do, but thought i'd share a few favorites so far.

yellow jacket on my sea pink

lupine

this year's window boxes!

mr. blackbird was not fond of having his picture taken... either that, or i was too close to his nest, because he dive-bombed me a couple of times.

miriam's feet on our front steps

first beach day of the summer

2008-06-12T13:53:00.001-05:00

the kids and i headed out to lake michigan today with our new friends. trekking to the beach with three kids is a bittersweet experience -- a lot of fun and a whole lot of work! especially when you factor in the 200 stairs we had to climb to get over the dune. (while carrying stocked beach bag, cooler, camera, oh, and 40 lb. toddler... i think i got my workout for the day!) the weather was hot but overcast with a light breeze -- perfect!

view from the top, and an empty beach! ahhh....

my little surfer dude

ezra, sawyer, jude, miriam, levi, & georgia

our beach site came equipped with a nice little wading pool that someone had left behind -- it was perfect for the littler two.

slippery slope

2008-06-11T19:28:00.002-05:00

first i give myself permission to buy those frozen chicken tenders to have one or two easy meals on hand for the kids... then i come home with these. justification: because there were more of them in a bag for less money... and of course, because they are shaped like dinosaurs. makes perfect sense -- processed chicken molded and breaded into the shape of prehistoric creatures. oh Lord, help us.

(p.s.--this being the second time this month that i have returned home from the grocery store inspired to write about it, i was thinking maybe i will start documenting my food shopping experiences with a new blog series entitled "val's grocery store chronicles" or something like that. we'll see. i'm sure you are on the edge of your seats.)

what day is it?

2008-06-05T12:35:00.000-05:00

this morning i was more motivated than usual and got up for a jog at 6:00 am. when i came home, matt was still in bed so i decided to take a quick trip to the store (2 minutes away) for a few desperately needed groceries. miriam and levi were awake when i returned, but sawyer--my late sleeper--was still asleep, so i let the kids put on some cartoons and went back upstairs to read until sawyer woke up. about 10 pages and 3 hours later... i woke up again to a quiet house and a rainstorm outside. miriam and levi were still quietly watching tv and sawyer, though awake, was still quietly hanging out upstairs. and even though it was pushing lunchtime by the time we had breakfast, it still felt like early morning because of the dark storm outside. i guess i should stop blogging about it now and go and get something done today.

finally, a water lily!

2008-06-03T20:04:00.002-05:00

also at the gardens today, i finally had a good opportunity to take a picture of a water lily! aren't they beautiful flowers? now i may have to update my home page... maybe after those little water bugs get photoshopped out...

and why not a shameless plug while i'm at it: don't forget--my card sets make great gifts! :)

critters at the gardens

2008-06-03T16:17:00.004-05:00

we picked a perfect day to visit frederik meijer gardens today. we bought a membership this year and have already been a few times. it is a great place to let the kids (and adults) explore, experience, and enjoy. today we ran into a few friends along the way--the fox was a fun surprise--and the turtle picture is from the last time we were there.

big boy bed

2008-06-01T20:57:00.000-05:00

we put away the crib this week and transitioned sawyer into his big boy bed. at night he has been doing great... naptime, however, is a different story. the first day we tried it, i was downstairs hearing the little pitter-patter of feet above me, and then it was quiet. i forgot to check on him until miriam mentioned it, and when we went upstairs, his bed was empty. miriam's closet, on the other hand, was not -- nor were her slippers!

noticing a trend

2008-06-01T20:45:00.000-05:00

i got to thinking as i was out walking tonight... will they think we are clever or just not very good spellers??

$66.66

2008-05-28T20:17:00.003-05:00

that was my total at the grocery store this evening (and that, i might add, is a SMALL trip). it is also a pretty good representation of how i feel about that place.

i have a confession -- i despise grocery shopping. and that's a real problem when a large part of one's full-time job is feeding a family of five. it does go a bit better when i am more organized with a meal plan going into the week, but even then it's tough. other factors besides an all-too-often disorganized list include being tired, annoying stores and long lines at the checkout, trying to shop healthy in a world of processed and prepackaged food, and of course, the bill!

i need advice, tips, encouragement, anything from you, my readers, to help me better embrace this inevitable part of my responsibilities. actually, a volunteer to be my personal shopper would be fantastic. :)

p.s.--i forgot to mention that tonight my neighbor and i went together, which did help to make it more bearable. love you, janet!

home school testing plus

2008-05-22T07:24:00.000-05:00

just an fyi for all of you homeschoolers out there...

just wanted to give a little shout out for linda nikkel, a local (to west michigan) woman who used to work for the school system, homeschooled her daughters (who are both now pre-med students), and in the past couple of years has begun administering standardized tests for homeschooled students. we decided to have miriam tested last month, mostly for my own peace of mind ("how can i possibly be doing enough??"). apparently i am, because she did great. linda came to our home, and though i paid for a test, i got so much more than that! she was SO encouraging and affirming of what we are doing. i so value people like that in my life, as it can be hard to come by when you choose a path different from the "norm". so, while i don't think that testing children this young is absolutely necessary, i would highly recommend her services if you are looking for something like that.

brrr & grrr....

2008-05-21T11:56:00.002-05:00

i wish weather didn't so easily affect my mood, but it often does. this morning, much like the past few days, was bright and sunny... deceivingly beautiful... because once you get outside you discover that the wind is freezing! this morning we rode our bikes to the library. keep in mind it is almost june. i was wearing a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater, a fleece, and gloves, and i was still uncomfortably cold. granted, my husband claims that i only have about a 7 degree window of temperature that i am comfortable in... but the kids were cold, too. we nixed our plans to ride on to the nature trails and decided to come home and cozy up inside instead. come on, warming trend!!

i thought these were pretty

2008-05-17T21:04:00.002-05:00

the first two were taken last weekend at jen f.'s house, the next three were taken at our house, and the last one was taken on hope college's campus. i love spring!!

"once" / swell season concert

2008-05-14T21:30:00.000-05:00

this past weekend matt and i attended what we think was our first real concert ever together! hard to believe considering our mutual love of music. my parents were kind enough to take our kids overnight, and we headed to the detroit area to see the couple from the “once” movie (which I have mentioned here before) live! And yes, they are a REAL couple – how sweet. :) he’s a fiery irishman and she is a quiet, humble girl from eastern europe -- both with great voices and other musical talents. he was even using the same beat-up guitar he plays in the movie. their music is unique and creative, and right now i cannot get enough of it. what fun to see and hear them in the flesh! this concert was perfectly timed with matt’s birthday, and the venue was just minutes from the homes of two of matt’s college friends, which is where we had dinner (at one) and crashed for the night (at the other).

surprise

2008-05-14T09:22:00.005-05:00

matt surprised me with a new camera for mother's day! he had been talking about getting a better one before we take our trip to washington state in july, but i didn't know it would be this soon! i was hoping to post some fancy new pictures to accompany the news, but i have a feeling the photos may be getting worse before they get better. i was feeling pretty comfortable with my methods using our first digital camera, but i know i can't get much better unless i challenge myself. i just so do not have a technical brain that all of the numbers associated with photography have always intimidated me. but, it's time i move beyond our fixed lens camera. so, we'll see how this goes. (and thanks, rachel, for helping make this possible!)

the best part of the gift was actually the memory card. it has a water lily on it. matt hadn't even made the connection, but i thought it was rather appropriate. :)

the mom song

2008-05-11T07:58:00.006-05:00

background: last christmas, my parents gave our kids a CD by a group caled Go Fish. (they are sort of like a wholesome "New Kids on the Block" for little kids.) i had not heard of them at that point but quickly learned of their popularity. levi has completely fallen in love with their music and will literally sit and listen to the entire CD several times a day, with drum or shaker in hand. (i already have visions of him being 14 and locked in his room with the stereo blaring... yikes.) at this stage, though, it's still really cute -- i love to see how much he loves music. matt, miriam, and levi also went to see them in concert earlier this spring.

anyway, there was a stretch where he would play this particular song over and over again (to the point where the part about "you work all day and never get paid" was starting to seep into my mind a little too much...) when i found the video online, i thought it would be fitting for mother's day. click on the picture to link to the video and enjoy!

think pink

2008-05-08T21:35:00.013-05:00

we've been soaking up tulip time this past week. the kids are old enough now to really enjoy the parades and klompen dancers, and i love how the entire town lights up with its signature flower.

spring of last year was the first time i really got out and started going crazy with my digital camera. i have been trying to get out again this year to photograph this new season of holland’s beautiful blooms. it was interesting coming back a year later to see if i could find new ways to creatively capture them. i'll probably post more later in other colors, but pink seemed to be the stand-out for me so far.

please consider giving

2008-05-08T08:07:00.004-05:00

We learned of the Water Missions ministry through Matt's company, as they partner with them and help to build some of their equipment. One of the most desperate and immediate needs of the people affected by the recent cyclone is clean water, and these guys are directly involved with that. Please read this and consider helping. Thanks.

day at the farm

2008-05-01T21:21:00.007-05:00

it seems to be becoming a tradition of ours to make a springtime trip to our friends' little farm. this visit is usually motivated by hearing news of new baby goats being born, which we simply must go and see... you know, for educational purposes. ;) they also have sheep, free range chickens, rabbits, cats, a beautiful collie/border collie mix, and this year they've added a horse to boot. and as if the animals were not enough, they have some of the coolest kids ever -- the youngest of which is a girl a little older than miriam. they are some of our favorite people, and their home is one of our favorite places to go.

miriam and frosty, only a few days old

miriam and major

if goats can be adorable, this is. look carefully... notice which head goes with which body!

fully within character for each of the boys: levi was still most enthralled with the collection of matchbox cars and trucks indoors, and sawyer found a ball within one minute of arrival and carried it around nearly the entire time we were there.

unplanned playdate

2008-04-30T19:50:00.001-05:00

no, this is not the local park. this was our backyard this afternoon. if you count three boys and four girls, you are correct! i like how this picture captures them all in action. they are all neighborhood kids, except that two of them just stopped off here for a bit after school because they have recently moved. i have to keep reminding myself that, yes, this is a good thing that the kids are congregating at our house...!

spring in full bloom

2008-04-26T20:55:00.004-05:00

miriam's backyard bouquet

one week until tulip time!

these tree blossom pics i took earlier this evening as the sun was setting. they really do not do justice to its beauty, but i was trying to capture the weeping branches...

a single stem...

and the dainty blossoms already fallen and breathing their last.

help, there's an alligator in my kitchen!

2008-04-23T06:45:00.001-05:00

check this out. (watch the video.)

thoughts for the day

2008-04-22T06:33:00.006-05:00

"I was a better mom before I had children."
"Since becoming a mom my black-and-white theories have turned into many shades of gray!"
(pgs 17 & 18, from Mom...and Loving it)

to be honest, many days i don't feel cut out for this job (mothering, homeschooling, housekeeping). my house is a mess, my schedule is scattered, and my kids are disrespectful. and when i start looking around at others i feel even worse. oftentimes i think the solution is to just keep working at "fixing" myself and somehow making myself better at whatever it is that is bothering me that day.

but God reminded me of another way to see things this morning. recently i began doing a Bible study with a couple of my neighbors. i was reading through our current lesson this morning and God was really speaking to me through it. at one point the reading was from the passage in Exodus where God is asking Moses to go to speak to Pharoah and Moses is trying to come up with every reason why he couldn't/shouldn't do it. it struck me that God's call to Moses was not based on Moses' strengths. in fact, it was right in the area of his weakness and insecurity.

this encourages me today. when it comes down to it, it doesn't matter if i believe myself to be good at what i'm doing or not. what matters is whether or not i believe God has called me to do it. and i want to be willing to obey and trust Him even when i feel inadequate. His grace is sufficient.

happy earth day

2008-04-21T14:22:00.002-05:00

here's a fun little downloadable coloring/activity book i found online that you could do with your kids tomorrow.

beautiful days

2008-04-18T19:01:00.007-05:00

i just can't get myself to stay indoors these days. the recent weather has been about as close to perfect as we get around here. the kids and i biked our second 3 mile ride of the week yesterday (which pit-stopped at captain sundae), and we have taken numerous walks. today we went to the library and then plopped down in the backyard with a pile of books. we have also enjoyed our first picnic lunches of the year. these are our first picked flowers of the season --almost too tiny for the vase. :) the daffodils are in full bloom in our backyard. welcome spring!!

crockpot favorites

2008-04-12T07:52:00.008-05:00

Spring doesn’t exactly seem the season for crockpot recipes, but then again, they can always come in handy. Just thought I’d share a few of my favorites – partly because they’re tasty, but mostly because they’re easy!

I’m not great in the kitchen, but when you are responsible for three meals a day for five people, you start to figure some things out. :) One of the tricks I have learned with the crockpot is, when possible, to add extra meat to use for a later meal. I do that with both of these recipes.

BEEF ROAST / STROGANOFF

When I make a beef roast in the crockpot, I try to use an extra large cut or two smaller ones (at least 3 lbs. total), so that I have enough to take out after it’s cooked and use later to make Mom Dietsche’s beef stroganoff – mmmm!

For the roast, I usually add an envelope of dry onion soup mix while it cooks. Sometimes I also add in chunks of potatoes & carrots to cook with the meat, but a lower fat version is to toss them with olive oil and whatever spices you want and broil them in the oven to serve with the roast.

Another good reason to cook the veggies separately is that it makes it easier to take out the extra meat before serving. And here is the stroganoff recipe:

1 ½ cups beef broth

1 tsp salt

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped (I use ½ tsp minced garlic)

3 cups (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 medium (1/2 cup) onion, chopped

a splash or two of cooking sherry

3 Tbs flour

1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

Reserve 1/3 cup of the broth. Stir remaining broth into a skillet with the garlic, onion, mushrooms, salt, sherry, and the cooked & shredded beef. Cover and simmer until onion is tender.

Shake reserved broth and flour in tightly covered container; gradually stir into beef mixture. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for one minute, then reduce heat to low.

Stir in sour cream or plain yogurt, cook until hot, and serve over noodles or rice. (We prefer rice.) This is one of our favorites!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

I add maybe a cup of water to the chicken breasts (2-3 packages) before cooking so that I have broth when it's finished cooking (more or less depending on how soupy you like your chili). After the chicken is cooked, I take out some of it to freeze or use in another recipe. (or, I make double of the chicken chili and freeze half of it for later.) To the chicken, I add the following (amounts are approximate -- I go mostly by what looks right):

Great northern beans, 2 or 3 small cans, undrained

Black beans, 1 small can, drained & rinsed

Canned diced tomates, small or large can, depending on how much you like tomatoes (I usually drain most but not all of the juice first)

1 McCormick white chicken chili seasoning packet

It's great served just with tortilla chips, or you could also add shredded cheese and sour cream if you want.

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

I finally learned what the difference is between rolled oats, quick-cooking oats, and steel cut oats. Steel cut are the most nutritious because they are the whole oat groats that have just been sliced. Both rolled and quick-cooking oats are oat groats that have been steamed, rolled, and flaked for easier cooking. I was so happy to find this recipe online that is very nutritious and very little work!

2 cups steel cut oats

6 to 8 cups water

(additions if you want)

The rule of thumb is to use 6 cups of water if it will cook for less than 8 hours, and use 8 cups of water if it will cook for more than 8 hours. Cook on the lowest setting (for me, that’s “warm”) overnight, and serve in the morning. (If I make the amount called for here, we have leftovers for another morning.)

There is so much experimenting you could do with add-ins with this. So far we have stuck mostly to adding a little milk, brown sugar, and lots of blueberries. We add them in the morning, but you could probably also add it the night before. Let me know if you try it and come up with a great combination!

exercise

2008-04-09T19:34:00.002-05:00

Well, my three month gym membership expired at the end of March. Somehow I managed to actually put on a couple of pounds during that time. My well-meaning friends assure me it is probably muscle (yeah, right). It was, however, a good experience and helped me hang on through the winter blahs.

I started out going mostly to aerobics classes – anything to avoid the treadmill. But with about a month left on my membership, I strategized that if I could actually convert myself into at least somewhat of a runner, then I could continue doing that outdoors (for FREE) when the end of the March rolled around. Besides, the step aerobics I was doing was starting to take a toll on my knees. The dreaded treadmill was calling my name. By the end of the month, this non-runner was able to jog a consecutive 15-20 minutes. Not too impressive, I know, but more than I have done since college.

Tonight I tried jogging outdoors and it was much harder for some reason. My marathon runner friend, Rachel, tells me that sidewalks are the most unforgiving surface to run on and that I should really invest in new shoes (mine are pretty bad right now). Treadmills, at least the ones at my gym, actually have quite a bit of give in them. I have had painful hip issues on and off since high school, which is partly why I have always shyed away from jogging. Last year I finally decided to do something about it and learned from my physical therapist that I have a ligament that has been damaged for so long that it is now like a stretched-out rubber band. Since those treatments, which helped tremendously, I have been able to do specific exercises to keep the muscles around that area strong and more supportive (when I remember to do them).

So, perhaps some new running shoes are in my future, and maybe even a used treadmill... but probably no marathons. :)

dreaming of warmer weather

2008-04-09T16:08:00.004-05:00

(i meant to post this a couple of weeks ago...)

i didn't put them up to this. i love watching their creativity in all of its various forms.

new cards

2008-04-02T20:00:00.006-05:00

I have added two new tulip card sets to my collection! One is in bright colors and one is in black & white. Each set contains 8 blank note cards and envelopes made from 100% recycled paper and includes two of each photo. You can view these new sets at my website, www.waterlilyphoto.com. We have also expanded the print gallery at the website with a handful of new photos, so check those out, as well! I am also always open to doing custom cards/card sets if you see photos there you prefer over those in the sets I have already made up.

They will be for sale along with my others at Treehouse Books (downtown Holland), or from me directly for a bit less than they sell for in the store.

A huge thank you to my dear husband, who sacrificed an entire evening to getting these additional images on the website! I could never do this without him.

I am currently in process of deciding where to branch out next in terms of my photography... stay tuned. :)

arctic april

2008-04-01T13:57:00.005-05:00

i wish today's temperature was an april fool's joke!

the many faces of levi

2008-03-29T17:30:00.001-05:00

just going through more photos from our time away, and enjoying levi's varying facial expressions i had captured throughout the course of a day...

park pics

2008-03-27T11:03:00.000-05:00

the kids and i seem to be starting a tradition of visiting grandma and grandpa D (and aunts and uncles and cousin, and don't forget the pets) for a few days on their spring break, since many of them teach or attend school. matt came down with us for one day, but then headed back home for work. one day was warm enough for the park, so we got out and enjoyed it.

a few of moses' favorite spots

2008-03-26T20:18:00.005-05:00

in the little house miriam and daddy made for him

in the bathroom sink

on top of sleeping baby on the drive home from chicago today

he also is quite fond of sitting on my head/hair/face at, oh, about 5 AM. unfortunately (or should i say fortunately), i don't have a picture of that one.

and, he makes a beeline for my lap every time i sit down at the computer. he is there right now, asleep.

merry easter

2008-03-21T18:10:00.001-05:00

i just took this from our front door. is anyone else having a hard time getting in the "good" friday mood? i would like to think that the white stuff would be gone by sunday, but i fear there is only more in the forecast. looks like spring dresses and sunrise hikes will be replaced with winter boots and ever-rising furnace bills this year.

resurrection eggs

2008-03-19T21:21:00.004-05:00

we have used these resurrection eggs for the past few years as a family to help tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection during the week or so leading up to Easter. as far as Easter eggs go, i could take them or leave them, but it is fun for the kids to get to open them one by one to find something tangible inside that they can hold in their hands and recall another piece of the story.

funny moment: tonight we were doing this, and as part of our discussion about the suffering Jesus endured for us, i asked Levi (who was too busy wiggling and being silly to listen very well) how that made him feel inside. his answer? long pause..... then "the Jews". oooookay, let's try again tomorrow night.

why i love milne

2008-03-19T18:55:00.010-05:00

i think the classic pooh stories have to be some of my all-time favorites. a. a. milne has such a way with words, and they are especially entertaining when matt reads them aloud in all of the different character voices. :) here are a few quotes from Winnie the Pooh that just make me smile.

from chapter 2: Pooh has gotten himself stuck in Rabbit's front door and he cannot budge. Here, Christopher Robin is informing him that he will have to go without meals until they can get him unstuck...

"I'm afraid no meals." said Christopher Robin, "because of getting thin quicker. But we will read to you."

Bear began to sigh, and then found he couldn't because he was so tightly stuck; and a tear rolled down his eye, as he said:

"Then would you read a Sustaining Book, such as would help and comfort a Wedged Bear in Great Tightness?"

from chapter 4: Pooh comes to Owl for wisdom regardaring how to find Eeyore's lost tail...

"Well," said Owl, "the customary procedure in such cases is as follows."

"What does Crustimoney Proseedcake mean?" said Pooh. "For I am a Bear of Very Little Brain, and long words Bother me."

from chapter 7: Pooh is asking Owl to help him write something...

"Because my spelling is Wobbly. It's good spelling but it Wobbles, and the letters get in the wrong places."

the world is waking up

2008-03-16T15:31:00.006-05:00

the anticipation is building in the dietsche household with the official start of spring just a few days away. i can't tell you how excited i was to see this patch of dirt emerge from underneath the pile of snow that has hidden it for the past months. oh, sweet, sweet dirt, how i have missed you. (though i quickly recalled how easily that beautiful dirt makes its way onto my chidren's clothes, shoes, my floor... but let's not dwell on that for now.) march in michigan may be messy, but it is also full of hope. the robins are returning, the trees are budding, and each day i wait and watch anxiously for the new little bits of green as they begin to appear in my perennial garden.

so... here's hoping this is last of this season's icy pictures!

maple sugar season

2008-03-12T19:16:00.001-05:00

levi had his picture in our local paper this week! he and miriam had gone with matt last saturday to watch some maple trees being tapped and see how maple syrup is made. matt had told me that the kids had their picture taken by the paper while they were there, but i forgot again until my mom sent us the article in today's mail! (in the online article, there is also a picture of miriam.)

how's this for contrast?

2008-03-12T10:17:00.005-05:00

what can i say, i have eclectic music taste! besides, this song reminds me of "home"... not far from here. except it would have been a green john deere.
international harvester
(sorry, i couldn't figure out how to post the video on my blog.)

excellent soundtrack

2008-03-05T20:49:00.005-05:00

... and movie, for that matter! that is, if you are a fan of grassroots music, independent films, and can hold on through a significant use of the "f" word at the beginning. (he's irish, give him a break.) my friend sandi introduced me to "Once", and both matt and i love it. the music pretty much makes the movie. go here to have a listen. i can't get enough of it. you can also watch the movie trailer at this site if you scroll down a bit.

the boys are back

2008-03-05T16:23:00.003-05:00

i realized that levi and sawyer have not made a blog appearance in quite some time, so here's a few i snapped today... just because.

levi doing what he does best.

sawyer has added dinosaurs to his list of loves.

nothing is safe in this household!

and here's a random one that i took at my sister's house yesterday. it has nothing to do with the boys, i just thought it was pretty. :)

give my kids just about anything...

2008-02-29T14:06:00.003-05:00

...and they will find a way to play animals

...or some form of vehicles.

they've been on a magnetix kick lately.

happy birthday, miriam

2008-02-23T16:00:00.001-05:00

we celebrated miriam's birthday a day early with family and a few friends after her final soccer game today. tomorrow we plan to have a mostly quiet (a figure of speech) day at home. enjoy the "Best of Miriam 2007-08" slideshow. (to view it larger, click on the bottom right-hand corner, then "miriam slideshow", and then select the "slideshow" button on the page it takes you to.)

and, i just had to show off her birthday cake. :) i remembered just in time that my mom had this dog-shaped pan from when we were little. matt gets all the credit for flipping it out of the pan in one piece!

tricks of the trade

2008-02-23T15:50:00.000-05:00

i didn't even realize this until after i had taken this first photo. see how it looks like i so perfectly captured the setting sun in the background? i thought it was pretty cool, too, until i discovered that it was not the sun at all, but a street lamp in the distance. when i changed my focal point, standing in the same spot...

i got this photo. the weeds (though i hate calling them that, because aren't they pretty?) are creating that blurry effect as i photograph the street lamp through them. i just thought that was interesting.

efficient apology

2008-02-22T14:53:00.002-05:00

sawyer had done something to his brother that required an apology. when i asked him, "what do you say, sawyer?" he replied, "sorry levi, i forgive you, and amen."

snowy shoreline

2008-02-20T21:46:00.003-05:00

the kids and i took a drive out to the big lake this morning. if you live locally, i would highly recommend making the trek out there soon -- the expanse of frozen waves were too amazing for me to capture in a photo... and i was too cold to try real hard. can you tell i really liked the fences?? and take note of the shadows -- we have SUNSHINE!!

enjoying february

2008-02-16T09:38:00.004-05:00

I read a post this week on one of my favorite blogs that inspired me to do something similar. In an effort to see the positive during what can be one of the most downer months of the year, she listed her “February Ten” – ten things that were currently giving her joy. Since 11 out of the last 15 days here in West Michigan have been void of sunshine, I am feeling the need to do the same. Just thought I would list off the things that are helping to keep me going this month. Care to join me, either in the comments or on your own blog?

1 – Having a night away at a B&B with Matt last weekend in South Haven. So wonderfully relaxing.

2 – Attending a very encouraging homeschool support group meeting this past Thursday evening at my friend Joni’s house. We listened to a recorded message given by Sally Clarkson, whom I love, and had a great discussion afterwards.

3 – Playing my new favorite game, FreeCell, on the computer – except for when I lose.

4 – Watching the entire set of Jane Austen films on Sunday nights with my neighbor, Janet. PBS is currently showing all of them in a series. Last night Matt & I also watched the new release about her life called “Becoming Jane” which was also excellent.

5 – Thinking about my garden and the possibility of planting more vegetables this year… is it possible that spring is officially only little more than a month away?

6 – Looking forward to making a trip out to the Meijer Gardens in a couple of weeks to see the butterflies (and buying a year-long membership while we’re there!)

7—Miriam’s Saturday soccer games, and seeing how much she enjoys it and how much she has improved since last year.

8 – Reading Tumble Bumble with Sawyer and hearing him recite almost the whole thing from memory.

9 – Remembering that my children are only going to be these ages once (especially as I consider my oldest will be turning 7 in a week!)

10 – Getting a little handmade stuffed owl in the mail from a very kind and crafty friend.

an attempt to see the beauty in it

2008-02-13T14:03:00.006-05:00

even though i am generally not a fan of all this snow and cold, i must admit that there are few things as beautiful and serene as a freshly snow-covered world...

sumac--a splash of color in a black & white world.

cattails in sepia tones.

doesn't this one look like a fine pencil drawing?

i love how the blue sky is trying to peek through in this one.

winter reading

2008-02-08T15:00:00.000-05:00

Winter is certainly making herself known this year. The snow just keeps coming! It's a good thing our driveway is short. Our neighbors probably have a good chuckle watching us punch it in reverse through the snowbank at the end of it every time we go somewhere. Shovelling is overrated -- it's just going to melt eventually anyway... right??

In lieu of shovelling, we prefer to cuddle up on the couch with a pile of cozy winter reads. I have been on a winter book quest at the library lately, and here are some of the best (in my opinion) we have come across. I am currently mourning the loss of my misplaced Honey for a Child's Heart book which I am constantly using the booklist from, so I may have missed some good ones. Let me know if you have any to add to the list!

The Big Snow by Berta & Elmer Hader -- I found this book by accident when I was searching the library database for the next book on this list. Even if it wasn’t a Caldecott winner (which it is), I would rave about its beautifully realistic animal illustrations. (Good illustrating can make or break a book for me!) It is a simple story of how various forest animals prepare for winter.

Katy and the Big Snow by Virginia Lee Burton -- I probably don't have to tell you that this is Levi's favorite, since it's about a snowplow. :) And not just any snowplow -- a super duper strong one that only gets to come out when it REALLY snows!

The Mitten by Jan Brett -- Again, beautifully illustrated. This story is an adaptation of a Ukrainian folktale in which a group of forest animals, one by one, find and cozy up inside a lost mitten, until the bear sneezes. I noticed that this author also has a similar-looking book called “The Hat” which I will also have to get, as well as another with the cold weather theme entitled “The Three Snow Bears”.

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen -- Remember I mentioned in a recent post how much I love owls? Well, God has given me a special gift this winter of having our very own “pet” owl in the backyard! We’ve never actually seen him, but we hear him now and then, usually very early in the morning. We think it sounds like a barred owl. I have been so tempted to run out there in my boots and pajamas when I hear him and have my own owling adventure!

White Snow, Bright Snow by Alvin Tresselt -- An oldie but a goodie, originally published in 1947. It, too, is a Caldecott winner, but I like it better for the actual story and the use of descriptive language.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin -- A children’s version of the true story of Wilson A. Bentley, a man from Vermont who became famous for photographing snowflakes. Now I want to get my hands on his book, "Snow Crystals", which displays his actual photographs.

Stranger in the Woods / First Snow in the Woods both by Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoik -- Can you tell we love stories about forest animals?? These are just great because of the way they use real photographs to illustrate the stories, as well as the way they give personalities to the animals. I especially love the photos in the latter of these two books – I believe it just came out this past year.

Frederick by Leo Lionni -- A cute story about a group of mice who are laboring hard in preparation for winter, and one who has different ideas about what that means. I like how it plays out in the end.

Brambly Hedge Winter Story by Jill Barklem -- A few years back i unknowingly picked up a set of four of these sweet little Brambly Hedge books, one for each season, and they have since become a favorite on our shelves that we look forward to pulling out at the turn of each season. The illustrations rival Beatrix Potter -- I love all the detail. I just wish I found mice as cute in real life as I do in children's stories!

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost -- Illustrated version of a classic poem.

Winter Days in the Big Woods / Winter on the Farm both adapted from the “Little House” books by Laura Ingalls Wilder -- The books in this series just make me feel all warm and cozy inside. The first of these two is a story of Laura, and the second is a story of Almonzo. Simplified versions of the chapter books. And once again, I think the illustrations are what make these books wonderful.

Flicka, Ricka, Dicka and Their New Skates by Maj Lindman -- I was so excited when I came across this book at the library! I had forgotten all about them, but you know how sometimes you see something and it instantly jogs your memory? I remember these books from our church library when i was a little girl. I can still picture exactly what the room looked like and everything...

Treasures of the Snow by Patricia St. John -- Another fond childhood memory, so either it's really good or there is some other nostalgic reason that I am not consciously aware of that causes it to stand out in my mind. I remember going to see this movie with Sarah (then Peters) and our moms (maybe siblings, too?) in the theater. I read the book with Miriam last winter, and we watched the movie this year. I love the story, weaved with themes of forgiveness and redemption.

strange similarity

2008-02-07T14:57:00.001-05:00

sawyer's favorite pick from our last batch of library books was called "hooray for fish". he was always talking about it and asking us to read it. this morning he was sitting on the couch reciting the title again, and i thought to myself, "oh, he's probably looking for it since i brought it back to the library yesterday." but then i listened closer. he wasn't saying "hooray for fish", he was saying "horatio fitch" -- someone who ran against eric liddell in the story we had just finished reading at the breakfast table. so weird how similar they sound! (i can't believe he was actually listening!)

conference thoughts: part 1

2008-02-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

There was more that I got out of our weekend at the homeschool conference than just seeing George Bush in his underwear, just in case you were wondering. There was a ton, in fact, but difficult for me to condense into one blog post. So I’ll start with this for now.

The very first session on Friday night was worth the price of admission for me. I just sat with Matt and cried afterwards. Mark Hamby of Lamplighter Ministries gave a message entitled “bring them up, don’t crush them down” and it nailed me. It was more about parenting in general than it was specific to homeschooling, with much reference to the “difficult child” that you secretly think might have been sent to the wrong family… :) Levi really is a great kid whom I adore, but he is also the child who most often brings me to my breaking point, who most often humbles me, and who can bring out the ugliest in me. (though at the moment Sawyer is competing at a close second!) Mark was talking about his own experience with his difficult son, and how for many years the way he thought best to deal with him was to “crush him” with harsh discipline and demands of obedience, like he was going to do everything in his power to get this kid to perform the way he thought he should. I could really see myself in what he was saying, and it broke my heart. He even drove his son to run away at one point. Yet God has restored their relationship and has worked in both of their hearts and lives in remarkable ways. Within what Mark shared that night, as well as in the following day, are several points that I hope to expand on in another post.

I had a lightbulb moment as I was praying for Levi the other night. (He was already asleep, which probably helped :) ) As I was thanking God for him, God dropped this thought into my mind (and I paraphrase) “Being a family is about more than just raising your children, pursuing your own happiness and sharing life and love together. Each of your children have also been given to you to mold and shape you into more of who I desire you to be. Sometimes that molding and shaping is a painful and messy process, but don’t try to avoid it or make it go away. It is my hands at work in your life.” Oh God, let me embrace whatever means you choose to mold me into who you have created/are creating me to be.

I also read this this past week in a small book by Fenelon, who was an archbishop and spiritual advisor from the 17th century: “I am amazed at the power that comes to us through suffering... Of course, I tremble and agonize while it lasts, and all my words about the beneficial effects of suffering vanish under the torture. But when it is all over, I look back on the experience with deep appreciation, and am ashamed that I bore it with so much bitterness. I am learning a great deal from my own foolishness!”

i can't believe we didn't buy this

2008-01-26T18:57:00.001-05:00

so, matt and i attended a homeschool conference this weekend. it was great, but i must say that finding this at the book fair was definitely the highlight. i am laughing out loud at this moment just thinking about it again... i also kept bursting into spontaneous laughter at random intervals throughout the session following my discovery, which was a bit awkward. first, i just thought the book itself was funny, but THEN i began flipping through the pages and suddenly found myself staring at George W. Bush in his underwear, with Laura in similar attire right there by his side! the people around me must have thought i was a nutcase because i was doubled over with laughter right there in the middle of the book fair. several thoughts quickly ran through my mind: do George and Laura know about this book? did they have to give their permission? someone actually had to draw these pictures (for a children's book!! and as paper dolls, no less, that little girls are supposed to play with!!)... and then there was the shock/hilariousness that it was for sale at a homeschool conference book fair, right next to the books about the knights and the pilgrims. apparently (click on the picture for the amazon link) there are a whole set of these presidential paper dolls. at least they spared us the half-naked jenna and barbara dolls. oh man, i haven't had a laugh that good in quite a while, with all due respect, Mr. President.

favorite recent photos

2008-01-22T19:25:00.000-05:00

i'm not sure why i love this one, i just do.

enjoying the sunshine

i am in love with kitty!

...and with this guy, too.

one of the things i love about winter is how, with the trees now bare, we get to see where the little bird nests were hiding out all summer.

and a few more snowy ones:

notes from the creative journal

2008-01-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

1) craftsanity website and podcast -- i randomly came across this podcast online a couple of weeks ago, and then discovered that it is produced by a woman who lives right here in west michigan! she interviews various crafters and artists in the hopes of providing creative inspiration to her listeners. this has become one of my new favorite podcasts.

2) my main crafty project this past week was highlighted in my last post -- my joint effort with miriam in making levi's birthday pillow. levi is guaranteed to love anything involving a car or a truck, so we bought some "cars" fleece and i helped her personalize it by stitching his name onto it. i sewed it into a pillow on my mom's sewing machine and then we stuffed it. it was quite simple and a lot of fun to do together... and levi loves it!

3) another trip to the thrift store, again with no agenda in mind, and this time there was a sign at the door that said "buy one ladies' sweater and get the second for 99 cents!" i wasn't really in need of sweaters to wear, but i did recall something i thought i had heard about felting old wool sweaters in order to reuse them to create something "new". i grabbed a couple so we'll see what they become!

4) i have started collecting free tutorials and patterns i find online for future use. one place i have found some great ones is sewmamasew.

on deck this week:
in honor of the loads of snow and bitterly cold temps we are presently having, we are going to bring some of the winter beauty inside with coffee filter snowflakes as well as attempting some 3D paper snowflakes.

and, just for fun, the exercise update:
i have been getting my (behind) kicked at some pretty intense aerobics classes with a super spunky instructor. tonight i will submit myself to it once again and then negate it all at the coffee shop with a couple of girlfriends. :)

our big little boy

2008-01-19T21:02:00.000-05:00

i know it's cliche', but they really do grow up so fast...

here are a few birthday highlights for y'all.friday night we had the kids' neighbor friends over for pizza and the "cars" movie. today, levi's birthday, we went to the children's museum, where they had a big bob the builder exhibit.

i love this picture -- doesn't it look like he's on a crazy shopping spree? (this was a kid-sized grocery store play area at the museum.) out of everything at the museum today, the markers may have been sawyer's favorite (go figure).

earlier in the week, miriam and i made levi this pillow to match his new "cars" bedding.

my personal creative challenge

2008-01-13T16:30:00.000-05:00

i have instituted for myself a personal creative challenge starting this past week. i was originally going to photo-blog about it daily but then realized that that conflicted with my other goal to be on the computer less. instead, i bought myself a journal specifically for the purpose of recording my thoughts, ideas, and daily outworkings in regard to expressing more creativity in the everyday. it certainly has already done the job of getting my creative juices flowing! maybe once a week or so i will try to write a little summary of my/our latest projects, share interesting links i have come across, or whatever.

first off, if you haven't already been there, you need to visit Etsy. it is sort of like Ebay but all handmade. you can find just about anything handmade you could ever think of, as well as lots of things you would never dream of! :) i have thought of setting up my own shop there with my photos, but haven't gotten around to that yet. if you need a place to start, i know a woman from hamilton who is selling some great bags here.

i have had this needlework book sitting on our bookshelf for years but never look at it. so, i cracked it open friday night and realized that i learn much better from an actual person showing me than from trying to decipher pictures of yarn going this way and that and loads of letters and numbers that are supposed to direct my fingers... i did manage, however, to re-teach myself a basic crochet stitch, with a little help from matt. :) i also have now officially finished knitting two washclothes!

yesterday i discovered another new creative outlet -- thrift-shopping! i used to frequent these shops, especially while in college and while living in australia, but got sick of it and started shopping in real stores. :) i had no plans to go yesterday, but drove by one and thought i'd stop. i was there for at least an hour -- it was like treasure hunting! i left with a small vase (i have been needing one to hold all the little "treasures" the kids bring me in the warmer months), a dress-up hat for miriam, a couple of pretty scarves/sashes, a small wooden game for the kids, and my personal favorite, this little stained-glass owl candle holder (oh, how i love owls!), all for about six bucks.

another one of my favorite ideas from this week came from the soule mama blog, and is super doable for anyone. she said she keeps a bunch of little handmade books made up and in a spot where her kids can access them whenever they get inspired to create their own story. just fold some plain white paper inside a piece of cardstock for the cover and staple or tie at the crease in the center. think of the creative possiblities!

this week i will need to have birthday on the brain as we look forward to celebrating levi turning 5 on saturday!

2008-01-13T09:26:00.000-05:00

as you can see, moses has been making himself right at home.

a new year & a couple of new goals

2008-01-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

i didn't mean to time it this way -- at the usual time of new year's resolutions and all -- but i have been giving some thought lately to some little changes i would like to start making in my general lifestyle. i am hesitant to even write them here, because then they seem even more doomed to fail... but here goes, anyway.

the first is exercise... i know, i know, so predictable. i have been inspired by a couple of my friends who have recently run marathons, and while i don't think i'll be signing up for one of those anytime soon (or in this lifetime), i have been feeling the need (particularly around the mid-region) to make a little more effort toward getting in shape. plus, i know it will make me feel better, both physically and mentally. i have taken the plunge and joined a local gym -- with childcare to boot -- so i am looking forward to taking advantage of that, at least until the weather warms up. and since i'm paying for it, hopefully that will help to keep me motivated!

secondly, i desire to access more of my creative self that so easily gets crowded out by the demands of daily life with three young children. another friend recently sent me to a crafty mom's blog/website that sent me over the edge with inspiration. (i have added it to my sidebar -- soule mama). i have just been thinking about how we spend so much energy helping the kids to grow and access the gifts and passions that God has put in them, that sometimes we forget that God has put things in us as parents, too... besides just the obvious tasks and skills required for raising and caring for a family (though i'm not sure i got all those...) and, how it is probably good for our kids to see us pursuing such things, too. when i see things such as the blog i mentioned above, something comes alive inside me that i realize has for the most part been lying dormant. i just want to learn and experiment more with incorporating more creativity and enjoyment of beauty into my everyday life with my kids. i may even need to request a sewing machine for my birthday... ;)

any new goals out there that you feel like sharing?

moses

2008-01-04T16:03:00.001-05:00

meet the newest member of our family. our first ever real pet! (goldfish don't really count.) i have never been much of a pet person, but our kids adore animals, and i have to say it's beginning to grow on me. from the moment we decided to get him last week, i started to miss him because we couldn't bring him home until a couple of days ago. he was mostly a barn cat before coming here, and we weren't sure how he would respond to the kids, but he's been great so far. the kids are ecstatic. if anyone has any cat tips, let me know!

2008-01-01T19:35:00.000-05:00

this is me with my friend jess, whose son alex has leukemia -- that's him in the next picture. matt and i stopped in at the hospital for a visit while we were down in their neck of the woods this past weekend (kids are not allowed, since his immune system is essentially zero). i had to borrow his picture from their website because he was not well enough to talk with us yesterday. so, we visited with jess and sam in a nearby lounge while alex slept. i cannot express the emotions that flooded over me when we walked into his room -- it is one thing to read news over the internet and email, but it is quite another to put yourself right there face to face with the pain. i have so many thoughts regarding the whole thing that i just don't think i can blog about right now... perhaps one of these days i will find the right words, but for now suffice it to say there are more questions than answers.

if you would like to pray for this family, here are a few specific requests: -minimized side effects to the chemo (esp. nausea) -white blood cell count to go up quickly -the cancer to go into remission so that a bone marrow transplant is possible -wisdom for jess & sam as they make decisions regarding alex's care -grace for all as they walk through this day by day, moment by moment

christmas cousins

2007-12-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

we are currently in chicagoland celebrating the holiday season with matt's family. yesterday we enjoyed a belated christmas morning spread complete with eggnog and cardamom bread, followed by opening gifts. the guys then retired to the family room for an afternoon with the new Wii.

this is our kids' first christmas shared with a COUSIN on this side of the family! here's a few shots from the christmas pj's photo lineup --it was pretty funny trying to get all four to cooperate at the same time.

2007-12-30T14:18:00.000-05:00

miriam's keen sense of taste

2007-12-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

miriam has been coming out with some very interesting descriptions lately in regard to food...

after taking a sip of one of her daddy's favorite -- eggnog -- she described the taste as being like "a really bad donut hole." (never thought of describing it that way myself, but now that she mentions it...)

today at lunch she informed me that one of her cherry tomatoes tasted "JUST like a cheese puff!"

snowmatt

2007-12-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

yesterday our neighbor helped miriam and levi build a huge snowman in the front yard. if you can't tell from the photos, it's probably about 7 feet tall. i keep having to do a double-take when i glance out the front windows because i think matt is standing out there. (not that he so much resembles matt, just that he's wearing his shirt.)

daddy the pancake man

2007-12-19T17:25:00.000-05:00

i was surprised this morning when i excitedly said to the kids, "i was thinking we could make blueberry pancakes for breakfast today!" and they did not respond with the same enthusiasm. as the morning progressed, however, i figured out why they may have been a little disappointed and/or confused. i hadn't thought about the fact that it had been quite a long time since i had personally made pancakes, as this has become matt's saturday morning speciality. he's just about got it down to a science, and apparently i hadn't been taking notes. (i tolerate the kitchen; my husband sees it more as an art form.) from the moment i got out the first ingredient, miriam began chiming in: "that's not how daddy does it" and "that's not the pan that daddy uses." she was offering to help quite a bit, almost like "let me show you how we do this, mom." i didn't hear them complaining with the end result, however, but i may just leave the pancake-making to daddy from now on.