Kudzu Korner

I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. ~Phil 4:10-14

Ecclesiastes 3

a time to be born and a time to die,
       a time to plant and a time to uproot,

a time to kill and a time to heal,
       a time to tear down and a time to build,

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
       a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
       a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

a time to search and a time to give up,
      a time to keep and a time to throw away,

a time to tear and a time to mend,
       a time to be silent and a time to speak,

a time to love and a time to hate,
       a time for war and a time for peace.

Three years ago, I was at the lowest point I had ever been in my life.  We had found out that the little boy I was carrying inside of me, our fourth child, had died in utero.  After several days, Andrew and I left the hospital without our son.  He wasn't coming home later...he had already gone home. 

Grief works in such odd and mysterious ways.  Just when I think I'm doing okay...and I am doing okay...it sneaks up on you and grabs you.  Since Joshua's homegoing, we have welcomed two beautiful daughters into our family.  God is good.  He heals our hearts and allows us to pick up the pieces and keep going.  There is though, a time for sadness. 

Andrew bought me a willow tree and we planted it in memory of Joshua.  It's doing very well...despite the deer and bugs that tried to take it out in late summer.  Yesterday I was looking out our front window in the direction of Joshua's tree.  Very fitting at this time of year, the leaves are falling off and it is going to sleep for the winter.  Watching those leaves fall with the bleak dark rainy backdrop gripped my heart and held on.  I stopped and took a moment to pray and thank God for time that we had with Joshua.  Even though we were never able to know him after his birth, I did carry him for six months and enjoyed those kicks and the late night talks when heartburn was keeping me awake.  I loved how he'd respond when the kids talked to my belly.  And even now, I love how my sweet children remember their brother with love.  It amazes me that they never met him and he's still a piece of their heart.  God is good.  

So...in this season of Thanksgiving, there is a time for everything.  I time to mourn and a time to be thankful and when we're truly blessed...we can do both.

Happy Thanksgiving,
~Michele

Sean will be 5 in a couple of months.  He's not 'officially' old enough for school, but we started what I call "Slow and Steady Kindergarten" with him this year.  He's never had much interest at all in writing, but he has known his letters for a long time and was doing basic reading without any help.  I figured with any luck, he'd be reading well by the end of the school year next spring and would be ready for first grade next fall.  Sean must have decided that time line just did not work for him.  He's reading like a mad man and I'm stunned at his comprehension level.  He loves to read out loud too, so he blesses us with several books a day.  Yesterday, he had daddy all to himself for just over an hour and read a nice stack of books to him.  Andrew couldn't help but notice that Sean doesn't sit very still while he's reading, so he grabbed the camera and snapped off a few shots. 

Look in a Book

Look
in a book
and you will see
words
and magic
and mystery.

Look
in a book
and you will find
sense
and nonsense
of every kind.

Look
in a book
and you will know
all
the things
that can help you grow.
~~Ivy O. Eastwick

Taken at approx 12 hours old:



One tired momma:

Saturday, August 15, 2009

I absolutely stink at many aspects of being a housewife.  Some things I do better than others, but some of them...not so much.  Menu planning is one of the many burrs in my saddle.  A couple of months ago, my husband ran across this really great site.  It's called e-Mealz.  The folks at e-Mealz do all the work for you.  They even go through the ad each week (depending on which plan you sign up for) and see what is on sale, and write out some very cool meals for you.  In some ways this is a good thing.  I can see where this would work for a lot of people.  Shoot, even Dave Ramsey endorses it...can't beat that.  It didn't work for me.  I wanted it to.  My husband wanted it to, so I tried even harder.  The truth is, I just can't grocery shop once a week.  It's overwhelming for me.  I do much better with one big shopping trip each pay check and then if we need something here or there, my husband can pick it up on his way home.

Here's the kicker though.  I never plan two weeks worth of food.  I just go and shop and bring it home and hope I can stretch it that far.  Sometimes I do.  Sometimes I don't and we have to scramble to make up for it.  This time I was determined.  So, since we were pretty much on depleted stock over everything, last night I sat down and planned out breakfast, lunch AND dinner for the next 17 days.  Yes, I know...overwhelming is an UNDERstatement.  However, despite my challenge of getting to bed before midnight, I stayed up until it was complete.   When I went to bed last night I had a beautiful set of pages with the menus all written out and one MASSIVE grocery list.

HA!

Well, what do you do with a massive grocery list?  Sigh..that means you have to go to the grocery store.  There's always that, huh?  Well, that would be easy enough, but I refused to just let it be enough.  To buy all the things I had on my list, it would mean at least 2 grocery stores...if not 3...which ended up being 4 and a CVS store.  I left the house at about 8:30 this morning and arrived home just before noon.  Then the troops descended on the van and helped me carry it all in the house (YES!  I LOVE my troops!) and get it put away.  A fun time was had by all.  Okay, not really, but I can dream, can't I?

So, until the end of the month, we should not need to go to the grocery store for ANYTHING.  Maybe a gallon of milk or two, but other than that, we're set.  It's a good thing.  A very very good thing.