The hard working penny pincher

So I have to confess that I often get annoyed when my husband asks me how much the cheese costs that I bought him as a "treat" at Costco and tells me "NO" I cannot spend $15 on a pool at Wal-Mart. If he gets an item, and a coupon comes out shortly after, he returns (or has me return) the item and re-buy it with the coupon. He tells me to be creative (which is so difficult with all the allergies) with food so we don't have to spend as much. And he always reminds me how I don't "NEED" things (like the fold-up picnic table at Costco that I keep eyeing every time I go there).

At the same time, I think about my husband's wisdom and diligence. He is working harder this year at his job while earning probably 30% (that is a HUGE pay cut) less this year (that's how real estate goes). He does not complain. He prays that he doesn't stress and trusts God to provide for us. I trust God to provide and don't worry about money (but I can tend to lean to the frivolous, having "the money will always be there when I need it" spending mentality). As a family, we thank Daddy every night he comes home for working so hard to provide for us. Isaac is especially thankful that Daddy works hard enough to buy his "special (soy) cheese." When I am temped to complain that Chris works too many hours and only has 1 week vacation, Chris reminds me to be thankful for how blessed we are. He prays daily that he works diligently, to the glory of God, while honoring his bosses (and of course, making sales). God is good and we praise Him.

Here is a little story about Chris you may not know. About 7 years ago in California, Chris was unable to buy the coffee house he was managing and was stuck trying to find another job/career. While looking for a new career path, he took any job he could...nothing was too beneath him...if it meant providing for his family. It was during that time, Chris proved what a man he is. One of the jobs he took was making minimum wage at Rocky Mt. Chocolate Factory. I watched him one night as he stirred the big pot of caramel (and his teenage boss supervised). He came home with blisters and was embarrassed. In my eyes, nothing could have made me more proud. It was, in those moments, that I knew that Chris would do anything to provide for our family.

He is an incredibly hard worker and will give 110% to whatever job God blesses him with. Thinking of that humbles me and makes me think...maybe we can do without the $15 pool this summer. :)

"Cheese!!!"

We wanted to get a picture of Abigail with her new hair style.
Chris loves to have her in pig-tails.
Whenever I point the camera at her, she smiles and says, "Cheese!!!!"
(She usually also tilts her head back...
it makes a funny expression rather than a sweet smile...oh well).

"Cheese!"

"Cheese!"

"Okay Mom, enough pictures...let me outta' here."

Happy 67th Dad...Papa...Tom

"When is a door not a door?"
"When it's ajar!"

If you laughed at that, you'd love my dad. If you didn't...you'd still love my dad.

Here are some fun things about him that you may or may not know:
*He became my dad when I was 9...when he married my mom.
*He used to be in the Fremont PD
*He has raised only daughters (even his "daughter" for a year...exchange student from Germany)
*His retirement activites include making paper models, reading, and drinking lots of iced tea
*He is currently obsessed with weeding and trying to exterminate blackberries
*He took me to my first baseball game...the Oakland A's...when I was in 4th grade.
*He danced with me in the living room in junior high to help me get an A in square dancing
*He was the one who would always quiz me and drill me to help me memorize all my facts for tests in high school
*When I was about 10, I was the perfect height to give my dad a tight hug and crack his back...he asked for a lot of hugs after a long day of work that year.
*My dad always made my friends use phone manners when they called...some just started hanging up when they heard his voice...the others got very good at using manners
*He has attended most (I think all) of his high school reunions over the years (from La Jolla High)
*He loves popcorn and detests lima beans..."Gick-ee!"
*He is a huge servant
*Chris thinks he's one of the best speakers/speach givers/presenters he's ever heard
*He's a prostate cancer survivior
*He still has his red scooter from when he was a little boy
*He has a blog and loves to email
*He just got his first pair of CK jeans...36 inch waist...not a 38
*He makes awesome ribs and potato salad
*He loves to use the Kitchen Aid and makes YUMMY desserts
*He sacrificed living by the warm SO CAL beach to move up here near our family upon retirement
*My dad LOVES people and entertaining...he makes friends very quickly
*He has been the best dad and "Papa" I could have ever hoped for!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! I LOVE YOU SO, SO MUCH!

Party at Papa's

Abigail slept most of the day while we partied in Papa's backyard. We celebrated his birthday with ribs, tri-tip, potato salad and too much more to mention. Dad was amazing with the meat and Mom was a super host! Every time we turned around, she was pulling out another fun thing for the kids or cleaning up after them.

Isaac loved playing in the backyard tent.

Uncle Steve, Hanna and our friend Janet blew up the pool with a hand pump;
it was hard work but well work it.

Elijah tried ribs for the first time...loved them.
As you can see in the picture, Isaac is chomping on his own rib.

Jimmy Needham

Chris introduced me Jimmy Needham (I didn't meet him...I mean that he played his music for me); I really like his sound and put him as my Pandora choice for today. This is a song of his that I heard for the first time today:
Fence Riders

If you get a chance, listen to some of his songs. He has a great sound and encouraging lyrics.

Here are some more I like:
For Freedom
The Great Love Story
***Forgiven and Loved***
Dearly Loved

"I just don't want sin in my heart anymore!"

Isaac is at the age where he is really wrestling with issues of sin and what Christ did to pay for that sin on the cross. He has come to us, broken, and said, "I just don't want sin in my heart anymore!" We affirm that the only time he will no longer struggle with sin is if he is in Heaven with the Lord. Until then, we can pray that God would help him to obey. We also tell him how we have the work of the Holy Spirit living inside us (Mommy & Daddy) to help us obey God's word and to do what is right. He knows that all humans are sinners as a result of the fall of Adam and that the wages of sin is death...but the gift of God...the painful, sacrificial, price Jesus paid on the cross (the price we each should have paid)...results in eternal life for those who know Christ as Savior and Lord. Isaac tells us, "I know Jesus!" We say, "You know about Him...and we pray that you KNOW Him." We just continue to share and pray. Sharing with my son has been so good for me because I am reminded of the great price Christ paid to buy my salvation when I deserve nothing but hell. It reminds me to thank Him, pray for others who don't know His saving grace, and act in obedience...with joy and appreciation. ~Amber

Here is a good article my friend shared with me: Evangelizing children

And rejoice in the wife of your youth

I love my husband more than anyone else on the planet. Second to the Lord Jesus, I love my husband. I am not whole without him; we are one. It is hard to be one with two very dependant, needy little ones at home and a husband who works hard (and often late). We have lost a lot of sweet time together that we used to cherish. It is amazing how hard it is to have a conversation, meal, or even eye-contact for more than a few minutes without interruption. It takes WORK...hard work...to purposefully make one another a priority. Without trying, the day can easily pass by...have just survived it. We got items A,B,C,D.... all completed but we never connected during all of the tasks.

For those who are in the place we are with family and marriage (often put on the back burner), pray for us. God is good. He will see us through if our priorities and actions are in line with what His Word says.

Chris left me a little note in the car this morning:

Proverbs 5:15-19 Drink water from your own cistern And fresh water from your own well. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, Streams of water in the streets? Let them be yours alone And not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed, And rejoice in the wife of your youth. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, Let her breasts satisfy you at all times; Be exhilarated always with her love.

He wrote some of his own sweet words after that. I love the sweet truth (and practical too) in the Bible that is so rich and valuable. I pray that my husband always continues to grow in love with the wife of his youth and that I would always be striving to make my love "exhilarating" (NIV: "captivating"). It takes work, but it is well worth it.

Eating Well

This week I am doing less meals because we have a lot of left overs (and went out with Lindsay to dinner while she was here). Anyway, this week I have meat to eat and will be doing "sides" as a few recipes and some sweet treats.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwiches

Steak & Purple-Potato Salad

***I don't expect Isaac to like this, but I really think Chris will love it.

Grilled Pizza with Garden Tomatoes

***I will be using the wheat dough from Trader Joe's for the kids and make a gluten-free crust for Chris...and I might just make a pizza from whatever meat/veggies we need to finish in the fridge...we'll see. :)

Garden Pasta Salad

Summer Berry Pudding

Notes on last weeks recipes: **Chicken Marsala was good (didn't have Isaac try it)
**Zucchini/rice dish was a hit; Linds said she would leave the meat/veggies in bigger chunks if she made it; I thought it was great; Christina said the blobs of cream cheese left it soupy...that didn't happen to me (but I left it in the oven much longer than the recipe said...it made a nice/slightly crisp top). **Mini meatloaves good...great way to stick veggies in there **The watermelon salad was surprisingly refreshing...served it to the kids with no dressing or cilantro

Lu-Lu visits with the boys

~Trevor is giving Abigail sweet love~
(Can you believe they are only 4 months apart)

My long-time girlfriend is visiting from Cali for a few days. It will be a jam-packed few days. Every time she comes it rains. It was sunny a bit at the park yesterday, but we got rained out at the zoo. Oh well, thankfully the boys love jumping off the couch and playing together.

~Hayden and Isaac jumping~

~Snuggling with Linds watching Idol~

~The boys at the zoo, in the polar bear cave~

~The ride home. Isaac is in the very back...
it looks like his seat is empty, but his head is just hanging down.~

Train Day

"This sleeper car sure is cozy!"

Did you know that Saturday the 9th was National Train Day? Well, you would if you had a boy that loved trains as much as I do. Gramma and Papa also knew how much Isaac would love Train Day and called the night before at 9pm to remind me about it. They came too and had a great time. We saw an old steam train, and sleeper car, a caboose, a passenger train and a huge freight train with 4 engines passing through the station.

My Mom

I know I am a mommy, but today I was really reflective of my mom today. She had circumstances against her when I was younger. She was a single mom who worked full time (with no help...financial, physical or emotional...from my biological father) and lived with my grandparents (who were sweet and loving, but undermined her authority as a mom, and made it very difficult for her to consistently parent me). The odds were against her; she was even advised by many to have an abortion. She stuck it out and here I am.

Often, we praise our mom's for what they have done, but today, I thanked my mom for what she didn't do. As I was getting spoiled by my grandma and imagined a fantasy "prince-dad" that would come and sweep me off my feet and make our family life perfect, I often lashed out at my mom. I would tell her how awful she was because she wouldn't buy me what my grandma would or say, "My dad wouldn't make me clean up...I want to go live with him...not you!" In a nut-shell, I was a selfish, spoiled child who wanted my own way and would be as unkind to my mom as possible to try and achieve my agenda. In all this, my mom was NEVER unkind. She never told me that my dad wanted nothing to do with me (which is the harsh truth). She never told me how she loved me enough to try and train me and not raise a spoiled child (she also never told me how my grandma would get me anything I wanted just to keep me quiet...because my grandfather was always so frustrated when I was loud/crying).

She could have said them; they were true. Instead she protected my heart at the constant expense of her own. My mom cried a lot of tear because of my harsh words, but spared me the pain that would have cut deep if she had told me at such a young and impressionable age. She showed me a lot of grace and mercy as a child and endured a lot on my behalf. For that, I really appreciate my mom. I LOVE YOU MOM...Thank you for having me, even if it was a lot of work (I hope it was worth it).

***Side note: Mom, Abigail and I had a fun afternoon. My dad watched Isaac while we went to the mall, got mini-makeovers at Bare Minerals, then when to Cheesecake factory. It was a great day.

This week's Eating Well

Tuscan Pork Loin with Sweet & Tangy Watermelon Salad

Zucchini Rice Casserole

Turkey Mini Meatloaves

Chicken Picatta & Pasta w/ Mushrooms

Strawberry Melon & Avocado Salad (I'm going to add grilled chicken and make it a meal)

*** These are all links you can click on and print yourself.

Linds...which ones should I make when your boys are here???

What my 3 year old thinks of Mommy

1. What is something mom always says to you? "I love you!"

2. What makes mom happy? "Smiling"

3. What makes mom sad? "Falling out the window and bonking her head"

4. How does your mom make you laugh? "You tickle me"

5. What was your mom like as a child? "A train" (I think he thought I liked trains as a kid...not that I was actually like a train)

6. How old is your mom? "I don't know...young"

7. How tall is your mom? "Really big" (we'll have to teach him that no woman ever wants to be described like that)

8. What is Mom's favorite thing to do? "Kissing" (Daddy asked "Kissing who???"...Isaac said, "Me!")

9. What does your mom do when you're not around? "Calls me...sometimes goes to the airport"

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for? "For us"

11. What is your mom really good at? "Opening presents"

12. What is your mom not very good at? "Not holding an umbrella"

Abigail's first trip to the dentist

This picture represents the classic mom...The mouth open trying to demonstrate "say AHHHH" as the dentist tried to get her to open wide...I know Abigail cannot see me, but I just had to show her...why do we parents do that? I think we all do it...without even realizing we do it.

Abigail saw Dr. Bittner, the most awesome dentist. We new not much would happen at this first appointment, but she did much better than we thought. If you didn't know she has 12 teeth, her front teeth are already starting to be affected by her thumb sucking. :( Daddy will have to sell more homes to pay for the orthodontist when she gets older.

Thanks for working hard for us Daddy. We are blessed!

Walking girl--she's 16 months today!

Last Thursday, on Chris' day off, we all went to the park because it was sunny! That is often rare here so we try to make the most of it. It was fun to be at the park with Daddy because we got to take turns with one-on-one time with the kids. I even got a little video of Abigail walking.

I don't want to go through the motions...

Listen to this song before you read any more: THE MOTIONS, by Matthew West

Okay, so Chris played this song for me a month ago and said it was the prayer of his heart. I thought that was great. As time has passed I have asked myself, "Is this me? Am I just going through the motions? Am I just in the routine? Wife? Mommy? Grocery shopping? Reading the Bible? Going to church? Cleaning? Giving money? Play dates? Phone calls? Making dinner? Prayer?" Am I driven by an all consuming passion for the sinless One who loved me so much that He died on the cross to save me from an eternity in Hell...or has the passion turned to "going through the motions?" You can't tell from the outside, but God sees my heart. I want to give my everything to Him with a purpose, love, passion, and desire to bring Him glory. I desire for Him to be my joy, hope, strength and my reason for all I do. I want to love others like Jesus did. I want my children to know that I love Jesus more than anything else. I want them to know that He my motivation for service, kindness, love and sacrifice. I want my kids to see that I hunger and thirst for the Word...that I NEED Him every minute of the day. When asked, I want my kids to be able to say, "My Mommy loves God more than anything; she wants to love Him, obey Him, bring Him glory in all she does, and tell others the great news of Christ...and she prays that I would do the same."

I want to leave a legacy of loving and living for the Lord...with joy...not monotony. I want to be on fire for Christ...not "lukewarm." The Bible warns a church of being lukewarm; I pray that I am not...

To the Church in Laodicea

" ...the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, 'I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches."

My prayer, if you know Him, is that you pray for your heart to be fully consumed with the Lord (Please pray the same for me). If you don't know the all consuming passion and joy that I do, I want to let you know that the peace and true hope that you seek can only be found in surrendering your life to Jesus Christ...He stands at the door and knocks; open the door.

To get to know Jesus better, you have to read the Bible. Only then will you know His character and what is true. If you do not have a Bible, here is a link to a BIBLE online. My suggestion is to start with the book oh John and pray that God would do a mighty work in your heart.

Eating Well

Okay, with all the allergies in our family and the likes and dislikes of each family member, I have to admit that I have put creativity on the back-burner in our home. Well, I am going to try and bring it back!

On that note (I don't know about you), I have to say that I detest recipes that have so many ingredients and spices (ones that I need for that specific recipe and will never need for anything else) that it ends up being too costly to even make. Not only that, but I not fond of spending a long time chopping, grating, and cleaning the multitudes if bowls, pots and plates required in the many steps of preparation. I am just not willing to go through the expense and time to have my husband come home and blob hot sauce on his meal without having tried it first (or thinking it's just "okay").

So here's my new meal deal...my friend, Jennie, sent us Eating Well magazine a while back and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their recipes. They are easy, healthy, look delicious, relatively inexpensive, and can easily be modified based on the allergies we have for each family member. My goal is to make 5 Eating Well recipes each week. I will share the link to the five I pick and think it would be fun if you joined with me. It'll save both of us the work (and we may even lose weight together without even trying). We can give our verdicts on the recipes and can share if you have another one that you found online that we should try.

So here is my goal of 5 for this week (with recipes for Cinco De Mayo):

Tijuana Torta

Chilaquiles Casserole

Lime-Honey Glazed Chicken

Tortilla Soup

BLT Salad