Before I'm 30 Bucket List

Last November, I created a "Before I'm 30 Bucket List." Here's what was on it...
1. Travel to Europe
2. Visit 3 new states
3. Become conversational in another language
4. Start an organic/natural health and beauty company or some sort of nutrition/planning consultation
5. Become debt free except for student loans
6. Enroll in Ph.D. program
7. Have an in-home Bible study
8. Pray every night with my husband and son
9. Maintain a healthy lifestyle of good diet and exercise (4x a wk)
10. Establish an aggressive professional track or leave IWU.


Half of these have either been done in the past year or are in progress. I'm going to take #6 off the list for now and add the following...
11. Write & Publish a children's book on uniqueness & God's love
12. Buy a house and make it into a home
13. Stay home at least part-time
14. Volunteer regularly
15. Take a stained glass and/or pottery course


I'm sure I'll have more to add soon! :)

Elliot wants Food!

Elliot has been sick and weird for the past three weeks. Three weekends ago he was vomiting like a man...seriously 14  times in 5 days! Then he had diarrhea to completely get over that. Needless to say, he didn't have much of an appetite that week and my main challenge was keeping him hydrated. Then last week we had some emotional stuff and daylight savings time which I think threw him off because he was waking up at 3:30 or 4:30 three nights of the week. This meant that mommy, daddy and Elliot were very tired. Finally, we thought we had everything back to normal and he started running a fever last weekend. It lasted three days! We went to the doctor and his white blood cell count was low so they thought he had a viral infection, but they want us to come back in another week to get his blood tested again just to make sure his count is going back up. This mommy is trying not to worry because he seems to be doing better now. His appetite is finally coming back which was my final concern. However, he has been rather picky.
For example...after one of his long naps this week he woke up and called for me. I came in and he snuggled up to me and said, "Mommy I yuv you. I wan some food!" I was more than thrilled to hear this so I asked, "What would you like bubby? What kind of food?" He responded, "Wellll, I like two yoyipops! A wedd one an a gween one!"
Two lollipops...he was even specific about the color. Two lollipops it is! At least I've got the Yummy Earth ones! They are great! I think I might start looking into how to make my own from honey or something. :)

Skipping Stones on Walden Pond

Two sturdy oaks I mean, which side by side,
         Withstand the winter's storm,
         And spite of wind and tide,
         Grow up the meadow's pride,
            For both are strong

Above they barely touch, but undermined
         Down to their deepest source,
         Admiring you shall find
         Their roots are intertwined
            Insep'rably.

-Henry David Thorough, excerpt from his poem Friendship

On my trip to Boston last week I was able to take a morning and visit Concord and Walden Pond. Let me just say the entire thing was incredibly surreal and beautiful! We hiked a trail all the way around Walden Pond and were able to see where Thoreau's cabin had stood. The fall colors were incredibly beautiful and basically, I stood on the edge of the pond skipping stones thinking, "This is SO STINKIN COOL!!!" I wanted to sit the cove and write a poem but as Thoreau says, "My life has been the poem I would have writ, 

but I could not both live and utter it."....at least I hope that's the case. :)

Where I stood and skipped stones, I got one to skip five times!!! :)

Other cool things that I was able to do in Boston:

• Go to the International Leadership Conference and hear some great speakers, scholars, etc. on leadership. By far the best talk was given by Jeff Schwartz, the CEO of Timberland on "moral capitalism." His basic point was that making a profit and doing good/creating social change are not antithetical notions, but rather that they depend upon each other to happen.
• Walk Freedom Trail
• See the Old North Church (one if by land, two if by sea)
• See the Old Meeting House (where the Declaration of Independence was written)
• Eat at some GREAT places (Lucia's on the north end Italian district, Mike's Pastry, b.good, CafeTeria, a little seaside cafe in Rockport for fish & chips)

 Minute Men Park

Old North Bridge

And Minute Men Park, this is where the "Shot Heard Round the World" was fired, starting the Revolutionary war. Oddly enough, I thought it would be an awesome place to get married.

Thank you SO much to Kristy and Bill for making this an awesome trip! 

Da Pirates and a Jungle Expedition!

So...I totally think that regardless of whether you "do" Halloween or not, we need to have a fun dress-up day for kids where they get treats. I'll be out of town next weekend, but since we're not bound to celebrating Halloween as a holiday, I'm thinking I'd like to get dressed up and go to pumpkin patch or orchard and have some of Elliot's little friends over to play. I found this giraffe costume at Old Navy that looked like it was going to rock, but THEN Elliot discovered the "Pirates that Don't Do Anything." Evan found this awesome ship-book-thing at Tree of Life and Elliot LOVES it. So this last week, at least three of our nights were spent playing pirates with our pirate hats.
Then fall break started and so did our spontaneous fun and jungle expeditions. Enjoy the pictures...

 Pirate Elliot & His Guitar

 Mommy Pirate, Sedgewick and George

 Pirate Elliot is ignoring Pirate Mommy

 :)

 Fall Toddler Feet

 Playin on the Slides ("on with the story" - Elliot)

 I tried to take about a dozen pictures of us together in the woods, and this was honestly the best one...pretty sad, huh?

A very brave Elliot traveling through the "jungle" on an "expedition" (yes, he used both of those words)

After braving the first expedition, the jungle warrior celebrated his victory and boldly headed back in declaring "a jungle esspedtion adinn!"

I love this boy!

Freedom...

I haven't been posting lately, because I've been busy and have not been particularly inspired about much of anything. Fall is actually a pretty rough time of year for me, and while there are numerous blessings that come with it, I still have not been able to figure out how to connect with God, connect with people, and balance my life in a way that is healthy during this lovely autumn season. However, having gone through this several times before, I think I am starting to see the signs earlier and recognize that I need to focus on things and people outside of myself to truly remain "Alive, Radiant, & Free" during this time of year. 

I've been reading "God Came Near" by Max Lucado...and loving it! And I've also been drawn back to my passion for showing people the bright and permeating love of Christ that has been provided to us to set us free! In revisiting this topic, I have been encouraged as Jesus shows me anew the intimately personal yet infinitely boundless love that He has for me. I've also been realizing how much of this freedom stuff requires a paradoxical balance between the grace of God and my own personal responsibility.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then, and do not let yourself be burdened again by the yoke of slavery." 

Galatians 5:1 (NIV)

"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies."

Philippians 4:8-9 (The Message)

Here are some ways that I am trying to fill my mind and my hands and our home with excellent and freeing things.

One of my co-workers recently welcomed a new daughter-in-law into his life, and at the center of her work and passion is Freedom 424. I think she and I would really get along and I would love to see her branch out and bring some of her work to Indiana. I'm in the process of contacting her to see what we can do to help. Check out the video of her work...It's just a few minutes long, but I promise you will be inspired by what someone my age(ish) can accomplish with creativity, passion, and the Holy Spirit. Christine went to Thailand (among other places) and was overwhelmed by the bondage that young girls in the red light district faced there. After talking with her father, they realized that it would cost $24 to "buy" one of these girls for a night, in which they are able to share the love of Christ with them and give them opportunities to get out of their current situation. It is truly touching and something that I would like to get involved in.

Freedom 4/24 - Our Story

On a similar note, I'll be hosting a party at my house in November for Women at Risk International. You know those Pampered Chef, Mary Kay, Premier, etc. parties you can host at your house? Well, unlike those parties, the host does not get any special gifts or discounts. BUT...we get to have a good time and help women caught up in human trafficking around the world. WARInternational is Christian non-profit organization based in Michigan and has so many practical ways that you can help change the world from your living room available on their website. One of those ways is hosting a party in which you sell goods made all over the world by women who have been rescue from the sex slave trade or are at risk of entering into it. Check it out and let me know if you'd like to come!

http://warinternational.org/

Some Pictures

 Elliot gave me a flower!

 On a milk pail

 Riding a Steam Engine like Thomas

 :)

MY BOYS!!! I LOVE THEM!!!

"Somma dat"

So...This morning Elliot wakes up asking for Bob the Builder, belly buttons and bubbles. I have no idea what this all means and he is very frustrated that I am seemingly so dense. We watch Bob the Builder and he settles down quite a bit and enjoys cuddling on our couch (our new-to-us-leather-couch!!!). Life is good.
I ask him if he wants any breakfast. He says "no, I watch a show." Okay, I'm going to return some Naturally Free emails. I go in the kitchen. Five minutes later, Evan comes in and grabs some pumpkin candies off the counter (his purchase, not mine). I say, "what are you doing?" His response is, "Elliot wants one."
Oh really? The child has had no breakfast! We're fantastic parents, can't you tell? So we get Elliot some breakfast, he wants bananas, raisins, and IKEA biscuits. Sounds good to me!
Fast forward two hours....Evan has gone to work and Elliot are on our way home from the CSA, where we have just picked up our beautiful, organic, local vegetables and honey. We get in the car and I ask Elliot what he would like to do for lunch.

Elliot - I have somma dat!
Me - You have some of what?
Elliot - I have somma dat, pweez!
Me - Some of what?
Elliot - I have somma dat cannie cone!
Me - Where do you see candy corn?
Elliot - White dare! (pointing to the floor)
Me - Oh dear. No. I don't think so bub!
Elliot - Mommy, where da sheep go?
Me - I don't know. Where did they go, bub?

Two questions for you: 1) how in the world did candy corn get on the floor of my car? I don't buy candy corn. I suspect, this was a "daddy purchase," because it was suspiciously tucked in between the seats and spilling onto the floor. 2) Since when did car floor candy corn become an acceptable lunch? I was willing to take the kid to get McDonalds (which is disheartening enough), but really? He would prefer somma dat car floor candy corn. Great!
And so my confidence in my parenting skills wanes as I realize that I am not that different from my husband. I grab a piece of candy corn (from the package!) and hand it to Elliot. "Tank you Mommy. I loves you so much! You wondaful." he says.
And my reliance on God's grace to cover my flaws as a parent and a person grows greater each day!