AfterBelly

What is a Daddy?

2011-06-20T10:50:00.001-05:00

Many people have a Father.

But not everyone has a Daddy.

What is a Daddy?

A Daddy is not perfect.

But he is willingly and humbly admits mistakes, opening the door to transparent and honest relationship.

A Daddy does not always do the talking.

But he does listen intently, speaking as the Holy Spirit leads, even though his wisdom and experience provides him the ability to say much more.

A Daddy is about the business of providing for his family.

But he's never too busy for hugs and kisses, making pancakes on a Saturday morning, or helping out with the dishes after meals.

A Daddy is a protector....providing the roots and giving the wings.

He knows when to say "no" even though there is much resistance, and he knows when to say "yes" even though the trusting involved is uncharted territory.

A Daddy is strong and courageous.

But he doesn't hold back his tender heart, even if that means shedding a few tears now and then.

A Daddy faces adversity with an adventurous spirit.

He lifts your eyes to Jesus, and reminds you of who He's always been.

A Daddy understands that words are important.

He tells you you're beautiful, makes sure you know that mistakes are ok, and never lets you forget how proud he is of you.

A Daddy is always there.

Whether its playing games on a rainy day, or standing next to you in your white gown...he knows all moments are meaningful.

I have a Daddy.

I am honored to be called his daughter.

And each season of our relationship fills my heart with even more joy and gratitude.

Even though I'm all grown up now...my father is still my Daddy.

Thank you, Dad, for being a Daddy. You'll just never truly know how you've blessed my life.

I love you!

Happy Daddy's Day!

Education and Worship

2011-06-15T22:32:00.002-05:00

I never thought I'd even consider homeschooling my kids. Don't misunderstand. I think homeschooling is a perfectly WONDERFUL choice for educating your children. But I've never felt I was equipped or capable or able to give my kids the education they deserve....and the education I desire for them.

Well its funny how God can change your heart and lead you down paths you never thought you'd dare walk. I'm still extremely hesitant to say I've committed to homeschooling my kids once they've reached "school age", but I've stumbled upon a few resources recently that have birthed a new desire to be more intimately involved in my kids' journey of discovering, and exploring, and learning. I'm finding that the more intentional I am...the more that I love it. The more I see their faces light up with excitement...the more excited I am to create more opportunities to explore the unexplored.

Several weeks ago I read Ann Voskamp's post called, "Why would anyone be crazy enough to homeschool?", and it sent me on a new journey. Its been exciting to open my heart and listen to the Lord as he speaks to me about my children. I'm not great at it...the listening or the responding to his leadership. But I'm learning. I'm learning that education and worship can go hand in hand...as my kids and I discover God's amazing artistry as the Most High and Magnificent Creator of all things...big and small. I'm learning to tune my heart to his voice as He prompts opportunities to open the door to discovery, exploration, learning, imagining, and dreaming. I'm seeing Wonder and Hungry Curiosity in their eyes...and that causes me to stand in Awe as I gaze at the workings of the Living God of glory.

Worship and Education and the "Day to Day"....all happening together...connected, intertwined. All the pieces fitting together to create FULL FAMILY LIFE. That's my heart's goal, anyway.

But here's where discipline comes in on my part...because I'm a dreamer...so I could live in a poetic coma and never wake up to the action needed to really stick with intentionality.

I NEED A PLAN

So, I've decided that Asher and I will use the Alphabet as our guide to dive into Science, History, Literature, Math, & Art...Taking one letter a week (or longer if needed) and applying it to our discoveries, our reading, our creating, etc. Its going to keep me organized and help with the OH SO OVERWHELMING feeling I get every time I sit down and try to plan out our "curriculum" for the day/week.

We'll also make a book that holds his art and other projects we do together in learning the Alphabet through the lens of our 5 subjects. That will be fun, because we can look back and review and remember all we've learned. A little learning scrap book, of sorts.

Of course, with any boy, or small child for that matter, there will need to be lots of wiggle room for...well wiggling, and giggling, and running and playing and free exploration time outside. And we'll have plenty of it!

We'll also be learning a new verse with each unit of our study. 1plus1plus1equals1.com has some GREAT resources. She has organized units around each letter of the Alphabet, INCLUDING scripture. I purchased a membership for $10 and it was worth it. I love her power-point presentations for each letter theme. The "sight words" section has opened my eyes to how much Asher is capable of, even at 3 yrs old! Mind you, a sit down power point presentation only last a short few minutes before those wiggles start to take over. But its a great tool for re-enforcing, and a wonderful way to begin learning to read. She also has TONS of free printables! And her blog is great for mamas like me who need to SEE how things are done.

If you're looking for ways to use the Alphabet as a theme to guide your preschool explorations, then go to homeschoolcreations.blogspot.com. I've only perused her preschool resources, but she has amazing ideas for taking the Alphabet theme into each subject study. She's so creative! I got the apple craft idea (the first picture above) from her site. She's really good at using repetition in a really creative way, to drive home the theme.

Thanks to Ann Voskamp's post, I discovered Charlotte Mason. That could be a whole other post so I wont go into great detail now. But you MUST go to simplycharlottemason.com and take advantage of all their free e-books and hundreds of blog posts. I've gained such amazing insight into the way my kids are wired and how to be a mom who inspires them to learn and grow and be worshipers of God, and how to teach my children good habits and build into them solid character. Its just such good stuff. Practical and encouraging. LOVE IT!

I'd love to hear from those of you who might have even more insight into home education. Feel free to comment or email me (nathalie@suissemade.com) your ideas. I'll take all the help I can get!

Fermata Pace

2011-06-08T01:48:00.002-05:00

Everywhere I look, I see signs that life is fragile. Life is short. Each day is a gift.
Why do I insist on moving so quickly through each one.
I see the same sign every time I drive through our neighborhood. "Slow, children at play".
Interesting. Life application can be found somewhere within that yellow & black.
Children have a way of paving a new pace.

Slow.

Now, I'm not referring to activity level. If that were the scale we were measuring my children on...then it would read, "Lively, Energetic, Always Going".
But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the pace at which moments are experienced.

When my son stops to examine a bug, he is filled with such wonder and curiosity. Multiple senses are involved. He likes to talk about it all...what he sees, what he feels, what he hears, if he's scared, excited, nervous. There is time...to take in the moment...fully.
And my daughter...she observes every facial expression...every hand gesture. And if I'm blessed enough to catch it, I find her mimicking every move...every inflection. She watches. She soaks it in.

Slow.

There's nothing hurried about it.
Time isn't a task master to a child. Time is a servant...because there is plenty of it.
Children simply live in each moment, and don't move on to the next...until its time.
A child doesn't see time as a ticking clock...a reminder that "its" slipping away.
A child sees time as a rhythm that provides the dance.

But somewhere on the path between childhood and adulthood...we no longer hear a moving beat. We hear the TICK TOCK of to-do lists, and achievement goals, and wrinkled skin.
And we forget how to dance.

What's your pace?

Do you serve TIME?
Or does TIME serve you?
Do you hear the heavy hands of a task master?
Or the museful rhythm of a dance?

When I was a little girl, I played the violin. There is a symbol used in scoring music that became like a treasure to me.
We used to call it a birdseye. Its actually called a Fermata. A Fermata is an indefinite hold or pause. In other words: sustain the note or the rest longer than the note value would indicate....discretion is up to the performer or the conductor.
I fell in love with the "birdseye" because it gave space and freedom to experience the beauty and the power in the music. Whether I was performing alone and taking my own liberties, or playing with an orchestra and privileged with an opportunity to observe my conductor setting the pace to breath in the beauty...I LOVED IT.
It was moving....in a slow, unhurried way.

I wonder what would happen if I covered up all the clocks in my house and simply lived in each moment, not moving to the next...until it was time--the RHYTHM kind.

Eyes fixed on the Spirit...holding out each Fermata like a treasure. Breathing in all the beauty.

Slow.

I think I might try it...

Project: Bless Mama

2011-05-06T18:07:00.003-05:00

No, I did not fall off the face of the earth. Ha!
Sometimes life just gets a bit crazy, and taking a break from the blogosphere is a must. I'm working on a special Mother's day post for this coming Monday. I'm excited to share it with you!

In the meantime, I wanted to propose a challenge to all us moms. I'm calling it Project: Bless Mama. Before I present the challenge...let me get you up to speed on the thought behind the idea. One of the reasons I started this blog was to initiate a gathering of like minds and hearts...to walk this adventure together as mamas. I wanted to create an atmosphere of honesty...a place where all of us mamas could share openly about both the joys and the challenges that come with raising children. I wanted to rally together with you...to learn from you. To cry with you. To laugh with you. To confess my short comings. To celebrate each victory. Like my friend Patti said in her Monday's Mom post a couple of weeks ago, to be a part of a mama community...a sisterhood....

"One that delights in encouraging other mothers". "Just a sense of freedom to be the mothers that God has created us to be with no condescending looks." .

Patti and I have had quite a few conversations lately about how often we mamas can become so quick to judge each other. But what if instead, we are humbled by the Lord's amazing grace in our own lives. And the presence of that grace frees us from the bondage of insecurity in our mothering. And that freedom inspires us to LOVE and ENCOURAGE and BLESS other mamas...because we no longer feel the need to protect our own image by revealing the flaws in others. HOW ABSOLUTELY AMAZING WOULD THAT BE?!!

We all want to feel as though, despite our mistakes and imperfections, we are great mamas....we are GREAT at loving our children. We know all too well the ways we mess up....we don't need any more reminders. And if you're like me...probably spend plenty of time pondering those mess ups. What if we quit comparing ourselves to each other...and instead we pray for each other. What if we stopped questioning each other....and started asking each other questions and learning from one another. What if we stopped judging each other...and instead, started BLESSING each other. What if YOU were the one to say to the mom in the grocery store with the crazy kids who are screaming and pulling things off the shelves (eh hem...ME)...."Hey you are doing such an amazing job. Hang in there! I'll pray that God blesses you tremendously today." Can you imagine being the recipient of that? Can you just feel the empowerment and the encouragement just running through your veins and straight to your heart? I CAN!
Patti put it well when she said in her post,

"I'm talking about a group of women who are so focused on the Lord's will for their lives that they don't have the time to judge and scrutinize other moms"

I WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT!! DO YOU???

If you're shouting a resounding YES!!!, then here's how you can be a part of Project: Bless Mama:

Step 1:
Follow @AfterBelly on Twitter
Can you believe it?...I'm a tweeter!!!

Step 2:
Tweet your Blessing and tag it: #ProjectBlessMama (if there's room to mention @AfterBelly, that would be helpful to keep track of your tweets so I can reTweet)

Step 3:
Write a blog post about another mama.....just shower her with words of truth and encouragement and BLESSINGS. Just bless her silly! And then link up your post below so we can all read your story and be inspired to pass on the blessings.

PROJECT: BLESS MAMA. Ready...set...GO!

Well...what are you waiting for?? :)

Monday's Mom: mama blogs

2011-04-11T10:13:00.002-05:00

Happy Monday!

Well you know how life can be as a mama. And I've definitely gotten a little caught up in the craziness the past few days. I have several amazing mama stories coming to you soon. But we're taking a little hiatus today....due to a bit of disorganization (on my part).

BUT I wanted to take this opportunity to post some of the mama blogs that I love to read. Maybe you can take a few minutes today and check them out...and shoot them a really sweet and encouraging comment.

Enjoy!

In The Whisper

"Now, with three rambunctious boys and a home to manage, I feel the Lord tugging my heart. I'm learning to write for Him. Not for my husband, for publication, or even "for myself," that infamous artistic euphemism. Whether my words are read or not, I long to glorify Him in all I say and do."

Its Almost Naptime

"We're a family that grew from 0 to 6 in four years. Relying greatly on coffee, grandmas, and God's abundant grace."

A down to earth and humorous, mamahood and adoption journey blog.

Overflowing Raine

A blog about family life, homeschooling, creative parenting, fitness, and a journey in knowing Christ.

A Likely Story

"A writer, teacher, mother....perfectly unperfect in every way"

A no-nonsense, beautifully written blog about life, single-mamahood, and drawing nearer to the Savior.

Windham Family Adventure

An honest and inspiring blog about mamahood,a journey in adopting from Ethiopia, life as a pastor's wife, and becoming more like Christ.

Music City Mommy

"My name is Holly. I have a wonderful husband (Mitch) and two sweet little boys (Luke and Kieran). We live in the Music City and run a web design business (well, my husband runs it, I just try to help where I can!). Our life is a little messy, a little crazy, but always fun!"

An honest mama blog with some great creative ideas for kid projects, and creative ways to collect family photos!

This Life Intentional

"I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Galatians 2:20

A blog about family life and a pursuit in living life with faith-filled intentionality, with some fabulous crafting thrown in for good measure.

Life With JERIN

"Living life with a Down syndrome child."

A family life blog about a lovely mama sharing her journey in raising two precious children.

And What Should I Do in Illyria?

"I am a southern girl. an enamoured wife, an obsessed mama, an affectionate daughter, a fortunate sister, lucky friend and an immensely blessed image bearer of Yahweh."

An avid reader, lover of philanthropy, and mama of two sweet boys...and the day to day in the midst of it all.

Creating Kelly

"Thoughts on family, creativity, and improvement."

A mama blog full of creative ideas for delicious confections and fun projects for you and your little ones.

These are just a few of the blogs I enjoy reading, am inspired by, and help me stay sane. :) There are many more I could share with you, but I'll start with these, and feature more at another time.

I hope with all my heart that your Monday is blessed with memorable moments. I hope we can continue to challenge, inspire, and encourage each other NOT to focus on being good mamas, but instead on LOVING OUR CHILDREN WELL.

xoxo

Nathalie

this mama knows how to CELEBRATE!

2011-04-06T08:59:00.002-05:00

We met in college, and from DAY ONE, I became an admirer of Jennah's zeal for celebrating....FRIENDSHIPS, OCCASIONS, HOLIDAYS, her GOD.....LIFE. So it doesn't surprise me that she carried that right into motherhood. She is SUCH a creative mama...so gifted in CREATING a meaningful, memorable, purposeful childhood for her children. She doesn't expect her kids to meet her where SHE is. But instead, she brings herself to them...teaching, playing, disciplining, and celebrating in ways that create landmarks in the hearts of her children. She lives life with such intentionality....making the most of every opportunity she has to point them to Jesus. Her desire to create family tradition, rich and rooted in God's word, is so inspiring.

So, I asked her to share the creative way she celebrates Easter with her kids.
Fellow mamas....meet my sweet friend, Jennah.

There is nothing greater then a good family tradition, and boy do I have plenty of them! My Christmas is jam packed with holiday tradition! Three years ago the Lord began to convict my heart when Easter was approaching. I realized that I really didn’t have many Easter Traditions. The Lord started working in my heart and showed me that the PURPOSE of Christmas was FULFILLED at Easter. He was born so that He could ultimately die for me, for my kids, and for you. Easter is a fulfilled promise of our salvation and I barely gave it any recognition. Yes we would read the Easter story, but that was about it. So I asked God to show me ways that my children could experience the depths of what Jesus did for us on that glorious day. I wanted my children to walk away from Easter feeling as though they were apart of His last days on earth. I wanted every new tradition to point to Him. So we began our Easter Tradition of Celebrating Holy Week just like Jesus and his followers did! Below will describe what each day is and how we celebrate it! Join with me this year and celebrate the death and resurrection of our Savior!

HOLY WEEK
As I start the Holy Week, I put up posters each day that describe and show what the day is. I found these at a Christian Book store. They are usually used for a Sunday School Setting, but I am a visual learner and so are my kiddos, so we have it hanging in our living room the whole week, for a constant reminder.

Palm Sunday/Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

“‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’ A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Hosanna in the highest heaven!” Matthew 21:5, 8-9

What a glorious day it must of been! Oh to be there and shout Hosanna, which means, “save us,” and wave our palm branches in celebration of the coming King. The Savior that they have been longing for and have heard about their whole lives!! I decided lets be there! So we bought palm branches and we celebrate Palm Sunday by running around our house shouting, “Hosanna, Hosanna! Hosanna in the Highest!” It is simple, but it starts our week off celebrating our Savior! We have also made our own palm branches for a fun craft.

Monday/ Jesus Cleans the Temple

"When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace. He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”(Mark 11:15-17)

On this day Jesus walked into His Father’s house and didn’t like what He saw! They were disrespecting His Father’s House and He was going to do something about it! He cleaned it up! He got everything that did not belong out, He cleaned His Father’s house. The temple was a place to come and worship God and spend time in His presence, it was not a place to disgrace.
I usually take this day as a day to paint and get dirty! We paint Easter Eggs, we have painted a tomb before that we used for later in the week, we just get dirty! Then after they are all done, I have them go and look at themselves in the mirror. I tell them, that this is what Jesus saw when He walked into His Father’s house it was dirty. Then I have them either wash their hands or take a shower depending on how dirty they are. After they are all nice and clean, I tell them, “And this is why Jesus came, He came to make us clean! To wash away ALL of our sin and bad things in our lives!”

Tuesday

“Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.” John 12:3

On Tuesday we celebrate Mary Anointing Jesus’ feet, or we work on a bible verse to memorize.

SPY WEDNESDAY

“Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.” Matthew 26:13-14

This is probably my FAVORITE day!! This day we become secret agent spies for Jesus! It was the day that Judas got 30 silver coins in exchange to tell the soldiers where Jesus was.
On this day I put 30 silver coins into 30 Easter eggs. I hide them all over and have special clues leading to the eggs. After we have found all the eggs we count our coins to make sure there is 30! Then we go to our church and give the 30 coins back to Jesus!

Thursday/The Last Supper

"While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body."Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."

Matthew 26:26-28

The very first "Last Supper" was celebrated the night before Jesus would be crucified on the cross. It was also the same day as Passover. I try to to do a passover meal with the boys, so they can experience some of the foods that Jesus might of had that night. Here is a link to what a passover meal consists of, it is pretty amazing how each item represents something! http://holidays.kaboose.com/passover/what-is-passover.html While we eat our dinner, we read the verses that explain the last supper! We break bread together and thank God for sending Jesus to be broken for us on the cross. We then drink grape juice together and thank Jesus for shedding His blood on the cross so that we could be saved. We pull out all the stops and bring out the nice china and the wine glasses, I want the boys to see how very special the Last Supper is.

Good Friday

What an amazing Friday it was! A day that would change our lives forever! The Curtain was broken, we now have complete and full access to God! We are welcomed into the Holy of Holies! We now have forgiveness of sins because we have a Savior who was sacrificed for our sins! Oh it just makes we want to fall to my knees and praise Him for His Goodness, His Faithfulness, His Loving kindness, His Everlasting Love, I could go on forever!!!!
On Good Friday we sacrifice something for the day to remember what Jesus sacrificed for us. We try to make it pretty substantial so that it really is a sacrifice for our boys. I usually get a few complaints through out the day, but every complaint is an opportunity to bring it ALL back to Jesus and what He sacrificed for us. By the end of the night they understand sacrifice a little more. We also use our tomb on this day and have a toy Jesus doll that we wrap in linen and lay Him in the tomb.

Saturday

On this day we make Resurrection rolls! Here is the recipe for them. http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/resurrection-rolls/Detail.aspx We put them in the oven, which resembles the tomb, right before bed on Saturday night! The rolls are made with a marshmallow in the middle (Jesus), it melts while being cooked and leaves the middle hallow. You can’t look at the rolls until Sunday morning. If your kids get sad that they can’t eat them now, you can tell them how sad Mary and the disciples must of been when they put Jesus into the tomb. Once you cut into the rolls, the Marshmallows are gone! It is a fun and yummy treat for you and your kids.

Sunday

"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matthew 28:6

JUST AS HE SAID! He is risen from the dead and today we celebrate what He said He would do! The boys wake up and check the rolls to find no marshmallow and then we check the tomb. We then go to Church to worship our Savior and all that He has done and is going to do! For lunch we sit around the table and go over all of Holy Week! It is a great time to reflect on what He did for us.

Thank you for letting me share my tradition with you! My prayer is that you too will Experience His love this Easter in a new and fresh way. If you ever have any questions or want to see more of my Easter ideas from past Easters please feel free to look at my blog or email me! gassidboys.blogspot.com
Jennah Gassid

Attempt # 2

2011-03-08T00:35:00.002-06:00

So this past weekend I attempted to take Asher to my sister and brother-in-law's house for his very first overnighter away from home--without mommy and daddy.

It was a complete flop.

First, its started pouring.

Next, after strapping Asher in the car...he realizes he has to go potty.

Then, on the way back out to the car, Asher trips and falls in a puddle.
In the hopes of shaving off a few minutes, I change him in the car.

Ok so after that we head to Starbucks...a necessary stop before heading out on a road-trip with a 3 yr old.
Asher got his usual chocolate milk....I got my cinnamon dolce latte. Things are looking peachy...right?

WRONG

Our next stop is the gas station. I had 3/4 of a tank...but past experience has taught me to play things safe. So I seek out to fill er up.

First pump. Stops at 1 gallon. I try again. Once again...stops after 1 gallon.

I call it a loss and make my way to another gas station, closer to the on ramp.

First pump. Won't take my card. I try again. Nope. One more time. Thats a negative.
I call my sweet hubby to make sure we have money. He says we have plenty, so I know thats not the problem.

I wipe the sweat from my brow, get back in the car to find my sweet son has made his way to the drivers seat...keys are in ignition, mind you. I'm freaked out. Reprimand. Then proceed to the next pump.

I try my card. No takers. I run it as credit. BINGO! PRAISE THE LORD.

I get back in the car. My windshield wipers are doing something funny. Lets not forget...its pouring.

I turn off the wipers and turn them back on. Still...they keep freezing mid-shield. I notice that the wipers are getting caught on a piece of rubber on the lower part of the windshield. I hop out of the car to try and fix. Its a no go.

At this point its been almost an hour since we left the house. I call my hubby. He advises me to come home. He comes out to greet us with an armful of tools. But...its not looking good. And...

No wipers...No trip. Can't drive in the rain without windshield wipers.

BOOOO!

Asher was SO disappointed. And continued to remind us of that...ALL. DAY. LONG.

SO...here we go again...

Attempt #2--we'll get all packed up in the car again tomorrow and try once more to go to my sister's. Lets hope all goes smoothly.

I have to admit. I thought I'd be celebrating the chance to have a little break. Every mama needs it, right? {I mean I'll still have my little Piper...but she's still at that--give her a spoon and plastic bowl and I'm as happy as a lark--stage. So that feels like a cake walk at this point in our parenting lives.} But I'm feeling a little apprehensive.

What if he misses his mama? What if he tries to pull a fast one on his auntie? What if he feels alone at night in a new bed and a new place and gets scared? What if he falls down and hurts himself and I'm not there to kiss his "bee-boo" and wipe his tears?

OH NO...I miss him already!!!

Ok. Deep breath. I can do this. He'll be fine.

Its quite possible that I'm much more nervous about this ~~separation~~ trip than Asher.

I'll let you know how it goes...

page turning ways

2011-03-06T11:16:00.004-06:00

I fear that my writings get a bit heavy sometimes

I'm a very honest, open book, kind of person.

I'm a thinker, a meditator, a dreamer....reflecting, imagining, wondering....

One day I was having a rough day and talking to my mom....and I expressed feeling as though I was the only mother in the world that seemed to struggle {a bit dramatic, yes I know}....and I feel like a big fat complainer.
Her words were encouraging, as always, as she reassured me that I'm not a complainer, but that my page turning ways just weren't shared by all.
Oh yah.... You mean, not everyone chooses to bare all? Hmmm....perhaps it would benefit me to learn the art of secrecy.

HEAR MY cry, O God; listen to my prayer.

From the end of the earth will I cry to You,

when my heart is

overwhelmed and fainting;

lead me

to the rock that is higher than I [yes, a rock that is too high for me].

For You have been

a shelter and a refuge for me,

a strong tower against the adversary

I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; let me find refuge and trust

in the shelter of Your wings.

Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]!

For You, O God, have heard my vows;

You have given me the heritage

of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name.

{Psalm 61}

So here I am Lord. Calling out to YOU from the depths. I trust in the shelter of YOUR wings. I lean on YOUR everlasting arms. I mount up on wings like eagles. I don't lose heart. I will be still and wait patiently on YOU Lord. I know YOUR ways are higher. YOUR burden is lighter...YOUR yoke is easy. You draw near to me as I draw near to YOU. You sing over me. You shower me with your loving kindness. You delight in me as I seek YOUR face and cling to YOUR words. I rest in YOU and I am made whole.

The world with all its glitter and gold cannot compare to one moment reveling in the goodness of YOUR presence.

How magnificent are your thoughts. I listen with a baited heart as your Spirit reveals mysteries and wonders...and I sing and I smile and I breathe deeply....and I find that YOU are enough. MORE than enough.

Honor and Worship and Glory and Praise and Thanksgiving all belong to YOU...MY GOD.

Etsy Faves in honor of Nat'l Craft Month

2011-03-04T12:21:00.000-06:00

So since I'm struggling getting my Etsy shop running, and because its National Craft month...
I thought maybe looking at some other mama Etsy shops would help me get focused and motivated to get a move on.

Here are some of my faves:

These adorable onsies from Smashed Peas and Carrots:

This sweet rosette hair pin by Love Stitched

This amazing vintage cabachon necklace "Emily" by Little Miss Momma

This lovely little child's apron from D'Lea Designs

This precious tutu by Bluebird Cottage Designs

This stylish ruffly camera wrist strap by Nikki's Nacs

I love these birthday countdown blocks from Crafts by Karina

This cute and creative zipper flower headband by Apostrophy

A boy must-have, super hero cape by Pip and Bean

Aren't these amazing finds? Love them! I could list a million more but I'll stop there...for now.

Now, if I can just get my house back in order and get back to work on MY SHOP. If you've checked out my Etsy page here on the blog you'll notice that I keep marking out my store opening date. Yah, I could delete the old ones and fill in the new date....but I kinda think its funny to just leave it ~~marked out~~. Ah, the life of a mama....especially of small kids. I'm doing the best I can and one day soon I'll have my shop ready for business! Maybe we can all have some kind of cyber celebration when it actually happens! haha!

Have a great weekend! (and think about buying handmade next time you go shopping...Etsy is so GREAT!)

Parenting 101 {yah right}

2011-02-22T09:36:00.002-06:00

Parenting 101: You'd think there'd be such a thing. An introductory course, of sorts. A time-period in which you become familiar with "the ropes". You know, a few "doozies" to get your feet wet, give you the needed experience, and gird yourself with the necessary tools needed to be a prudent and wise parent. I wish.
I wish there was a book that says...when your child does this...then simply do this in response and in no time you'll mold your child into a wonderful listener...quick to obey and respect you.
I used to think that being a parent was ALL about teaching and raising children. I was wrong. God's ways are so much HIGHER.

“As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

I guess I've forgotten lately that I'm HIS child. He's still working on me too. And I've not been as compliant and submissive as He wants me to be. I've fought and resisted, repeated bad choices, and I've not listened and I've not obeyed. He's been desiring to reveal to me the condition of my heart...and lead me to "the way everlasting"...take me to Holy ground....raise me up and lift my head.
I've realized {on many occasions} that although I'd love to control my children's behavior....I can't. Its up to them. Its my job to teach them and SHOW them. I'm learning to stop in each heated moment and ask myself...am I trying to control or teach? Its amazing how my quick temper can be snuffed out when I realize that my intentions are selfish....and when I remember that like me, they are learning....and its a matter of the heart.

"The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7

So...each day is another lesson in "101". I'm not only learning to be a wise parent, but I'm also learning to be an obedient child.

KEEPING, NOT, & TOWARD

2011-01-26T10:39:00.005-06:00

This week I've been focusing on KEEPING my house clean, trying NOT to watch as much TV, and taking steps TOWARD listing products on my Etsy shop.
Its been a productive week so far.

One: KEEPING my house clean
Sunday I sang at church. We recently were GIVEN a car. We haven't had a second car in years. We feel so blessed and are SO very thankful. However, we don't have insurance on the car just yet. So since I had to be at church very early...Daniel just stayed home with the kids.
When I returned...the first floor of our house was spotless. I am grateful. But I always wonder how in the world he does it. How does he take care of the kids and make the house shine. I'm guessing he didn't spend quite as much "floor time" with the kids. But...I'm willing to admit....I have a PROBLEM with TIME MANAGEMENT. Not too long after returning home, an inner battle on both our parts became an outward feud. I was accused of being the root of our messy house problem. I didn't appreciate that too much. I didn't take it well in fact. Sure, my sweet hubby shouldn't have made such a general statement. Sure, he contributes to the mess in his own way. BUT...there was truth at the heart of what he said. I have some things I need to work on {understatement}. The rest of the night I spent childishly scurrying around the house, completely ignoring Daniel, and working my little rear off to wash and fold mounds of laundry and clean our bathroom. I was furious. I didn't say a word to my husband. Just cleaned, and folded...folded and cleaned. At one point he and I were both in the living room...he grabbed some clothes and began to fold. We folded in silence.
Anyway... Since the house has been cleaned and I'm trying my best to keep it that way....I'm noticing something. The "free" time I do have....I get to spend doing the things that I love...like reading, and writing, and working on my business, and resting...and maybe even watch a movie. Wow....what FREEDOM! I guess there is something to be said about keeping an orderly home. I've never been that into it. I mean I've always wanted it...thought it would be nice...enjoy it clean more than I do dirty, but its never been a priority....UNTIL NOW. And I really hope and pray I can stay faithful to this task. I'm seeing the benefits....not just for me, but for my family.

Two: Trying NOT to watch as much TV
Yesterday was a success. I've always tried my best not to let TV be the center piece of our family life. But I'll admit. I like it a lot. However, I really don't want Asher {or Piper} to depend on it for entertainment. He is SOOO creative. I want him to explore his creativity and imagination. Whats so hard though, is that TV is so engaging for him right now. He totally swoons and is captivated. So its hard not to allow the TV to be my babysitter...too much. So yesterday we danced, we made play dough, we played games, we did some school, and we watched a LITTLE TV. It was great. I'm learning that having a plan of action helps a lot when you have a very active, very strong-willed, very creative, and very curious little boy.

Three: taking steps TOWARD listing products on my Etsy shop.
Yesterday I created a new product..."Fairytale Massage Balm". I tweaked some other tried and true recipes and what I made was a success! I really love the consistency of the balm, it smells amazing, and my kids loved it! YAY! A step in the right direction. Today I'm going to be making more herbal oils for my "Sweet Cheeks Bottom Balm". YES! I love this. Its so fun, and creative....and FUN! I can't wait to get my shop up and running. And hopefully just in time for Valentines Day. I have an idea for a free gift to add to each purchase as an incentive for Valentines Day presents. We'll see if I can pull it off. I gotta start workin like a busy little bee to get this stuff ready to sell! I'm going to need an extra boost of energy to pull it off. Say a little pray for me?? THANKS!

A Peak at our Week--a photo post

2011-01-21T16:50:00.004-06:00

My mother-in-law is opening a consignment shop here in Spring Hill..."Addison's Attic". She let me preview and pick out anything I wanted. As soon as I saw these antique Ball Jars...I had to have them. They look great on our mantel. We love mixing old and new, rustic and vintage, with clean and crisp.

I think I mentioned that I burn grilled cheese sandwiches EVERY TIME. See?! I told you!

Consequence jars. I'll explain in a future post. It seems to be an effective method for helping motivate Asher to make good choices and learn what happens when he doesn't.

Face painting! I found these face crayons a while back.

Not too shabby, eh?

If you checked out my BFF post, you'd know that this is a problem I have. Piles of clean laundry!

Asher making his own PB&J

He doesn't want any help. He can do it all by himself. :)

Ugh! DISHES! I despise doing dishes. I thought making this pic B&W would make it a little less disgusting and a little more glamorous. No? Oh well, I tried.

In light some of the above pictures, and the fact that I keep promising myself that this is the year I'm going to get organized...and the fact that my mom bought this book for me TWICE {haha! So funny. We're 2 peas in a pod...forgetful!}....thought it might be a good time to read this book and get this show on the road. :)

Wishing you a wonderful and restful weekend!

Cheers!

I love ya, but I don't like ya

2011-01-18T22:17:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine recently reminded me of my own words, after expressing my dissatisfaction with the current climate of our home...hot with tempers and impatience and tears and anger, whining, and fits, and ...the like. I needed to be reminded..."when you enjoy your kids, your kids enjoy you". Oh. Yah. I forgot.

Today, I really didn't like my kids. Oh gosh...word vomit. Ugh! Sorry. It just came up I couldn't help it.

I LOVE THEM. I ADORE THEM. I'M CRAZY ABOUT THEM. But, I didn't like them. They drove me batty. But then I remembered. ENJOY.

Enjoy their health.
Enjoy their laughter.
Enjoy the time together.
Enjoy playing.
Enjoy art.
Enjoy leap frog.
Enjoy wrestling.
Enjoy smiles and tickles.
Enjoy my good morning hugs and kisses.
Enjoy their precious faces...button noses...rosebud lips...rosey cheeks
Enjoy funny faces.
Enjoy hide and seek.
Enjoy piggy back rides.
Enjoy dancing.
Enjoy pb&j's.
Enjoy holding hands across the street.
Enjoy hearing "I love you mommy".
Enjoy being chased around the kitchen island.
Enjoy the baby babbling.
Enjoy singing at the top of our lungs.
Enjoy hearing a MILLION questions, because curiosity is a good thing
Enjoy them playing together.
Enjoy reading books....and doing all the voices.
Enjoy watching them with their daddy.
Enjoy my little helper
Enjoy my teeter totter, toddling, little baby.
Enjoy...them.
Enjoy.

Children have neither past nor future; they enjoy the present, which very few of us do. ~Jean de la Bruyere

One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon - instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today. ~Dale Carnegie

Seize from every moment its unique novelty, and do not prepare your joys. ~André Gide, Nourritures Terrestres

We are always getting ready to live but never living. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Forever is composed of nows. ~Emily Dickinson

Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee. ~Montaigne

No yesterdays are ever wasted for those who give themselves to today. ~Brendan Francis

I tend to have a hard time being in the NOW...living and reveling in life's present joys. This year I'd like to get better at that....remembering that with each difficult moment I have a choice. A choice to live or a choice to wish the moment away.

So I encourage you to enjoy your kids. Find the little joys...even in the most challenging seasons. Pause. Remember that TODAY will slip away more quickly that we realize. Remember that TODAY is a page of their childhood....being written moment by moment....whether by laughter or tears. Such is life. So breathe it in. Appreciate what's been given to you. Live in a state of thanksgiving. Pray for a supernatural perspective.

Enjoy.

Monday's Mom: by Bekah Russom

2011-01-17T08:44:00.002-06:00

Thanks for taking the time to read my story :) My name is Bekah…I am a wife,a mom, a daughter,a sister. I'll go back a little bit & start by telling you a bit about how I was brought up. At 12 years old…after a 7 year break from having children my parents felt the Lord tell them that they weren't done having kids. They already had 4 kids(Me, Jonathan,Holden & Mary Katherine) & they had taken EVERY means necessary NOT to have any more kids.

A few short weeks later (as if the Two Week Wait is ever short!) they found out they were pregnant with my little sister Chloe. Chloe was followed by Asa and then Benjamin. We would always joke that at the rate they were having kids we were going to be pregnant together!

Fast forward a couple of years. I was working at startbucks as a Barista & met and fell in love with the love of my life. My very best friend. We had a whirl wind romance. Dating 6 months before becoming engaged…we took three months to plan our wedding and promised each other forever on August 9th 2008…the same weekend that my mom found out she was expecting miracle baby (she had 3 miscarriages pretty far along) number 8. My husband, Nolan was in a band and we were blessed to travel the country the first year (or so) of our marriage. 3 months into it however we were shocked to find out that we were expecting our own little miracle baby, Lennon. This put my mom & I pregnant together for about 4 months. It was a blast and my 2 year old brother and 1 and a half year old son are now the best of friends.

Anyways..to make a long story even longer…my husband and I found out this july that we were expecting our second little love…Ellington Grey (a little boy) just a few days before my mom had found out they were expecting Judah Levi (another little boy). We were shocked! As if once wasn't weird enough to be pregnant with your mom…I am now 29 weeks into my second pregnancy with my momma.

People ask me if it is weird. Or how I like sharing this special time in our lives with my mom. I can honestly say it is the best gift I have been given. I mean who really is able to walk through this journey with their mom going through the same things? Sleepless nights….temper tantrums…sickness….parenting is the hardest job my husband and I have ever been given….it is the most rewarding and special and fulfilling job on the planet…but tough all at the same time.

It's been really cool to see my mom & dad first hand raising my littlest brother all while my husband and I are raising our son. They have "been there done that" many a time (9 to be exact)…it's pretty amazing to watch such a seasoned parent so closely.

All of a sudden you realize the sleepless nights do end. The messes…well they don't really end…but at the end of the day it's all gonna burn eventually right? No need to freak over the milk covering your floor….the jelly on your walls…the mismatched socks…the hand prints covering the mirrors and windows…tripping over Elmo in the middle of the night while trying to get to the bathroom…eternal perspective :) easier said than done.

My husband & I have tried (not flawlessly by any stretch) to take each moment as it comes…to focus on our sons heart…not get so caught up in the "mess" of everyday life (i'm currently washing our sheets that our little one so graciously pooped in & just mopped the floor covered in pee)…really trying to remember why the Lord put us here on this earth and chose for US… no one else to parent this precious little child who we adore so much.

I hope my ramblings somewhat made sense :)

You are the ONLY one given the amazing job of raising your children & the Lord won't give you anything you cannot handle :)

Blessings all you mommas!

Bekah Russom

bekahrussom@gmail.com

*you can also read bekah's blog at bekahrussom.com*

*you can check out bekah's fabulous baby boutique at http://www.bekaboobaby.com/*

*If you'd like to share your story on Monday's Mom please email me at nathalie@suissemade.com*

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Scotchies {cookie recipe}

2011-01-15T20:37:00.007-06:00

It would sound so much better to say that I came up with this recipe on my own....rather than the fact that I got it off the back of the Nestle's butterscotch morsels bag. Dangit. Oh well. I'm still a homemaker in the making. But I do take full credit for the fact that I executed them well and they turned out DELICIOUS! {sorry if that sounded totally prideful...its just that I burn grilled cheese sandwiches...every time...no joke!}

Just take a long glimpse at this decadent beautiful goodness:

Ok here's the recipe {oh and I did add in mini-chocolate chips...that was all me baby! haha!}

INGREDIENTS:

11/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup {2 sticks} butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla or orange zest of one orange {or do like me and use 1/2 tsp vanilla and the orange zest}
3 cups oats
11oz pkg butterscotch morsels
1/2 cup{ish} mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

PREHEAT oven to 375. COMBINE flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and orange zest in large bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats, butterscotch and mini chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes for chewy cookies. PERFECTION!!

To try cookie bars, prepare as instructed above and spread dough into prepared pan and bake for 18-22 minutes. This recipe would be great for bars! I'll try that next time.

You have to try this recipe and tell me what you think! Happy weekend!!!

double zero, or zero? {a humorous look at a harsh reality}

2011-01-15T08:37:00.003-06:00

Ok, so I know I already posted this the other day. But it was late in the day on Sunday, and early the next morning I posted Monday's Mom. So this one didn't get the attention it truly deserves :).

Have a good laugh on my account...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Daniel and I had a great time yesterday afternoon having a little US time...celebrating our 6th Anniversary! We shared the Mongolian beef with green beans, at PF CHANGS...our second favorite restaurant {Bonefish being the FIRST}. After I sipped a while on my White Tangerine hot tea, we made our way to the mall.

PS: We haven't been to the mall in...YEARS...literally. Ok..well maybe that was a bit dramatic...but its at least been since last Christmas.

This year we decided not to get each other anything for Christmas, and instead wait for the after-Christmas sales and get ourselves some MUCH NEEDED clothing.

Now...I don't know about y'all, but clothes shopping is SOOOO daunting for me. Apparently, they don't make clothes for women with small-ish waists, HIPS, and...other curves. Apparently all the clothing I like...have been designed for pre-teens who haven't yet reached puberty...or at least women who've not yet had children....ok, maybe just skinny women. {And by the way, I'm not one of those women who tries to dress like I'm 16 while actually being 30.} Anyway...I'm on a tangent now and I should get back to the point.
SO...I'm perusing the jeans section of a certain store when two very young teenagers {I'm guessing 15ish years old, but who knows...these days I can never tell, with all that make-up...they could've been 11 or 12. WOW...I'm really starting to sound like a MOTHER now} So anyway, I was saying...some young girls walked up next to me, and their conversation went as follows:

girl 1: what size are you?

girl 2: well last time I checked I was a double zero.

girl 1: yah me too, but I'm not sure now ...

girl 2: hmmm, I just don't know, should I try the double zero or the zero first?

girl 1: {pondered a moment} I don't know...I think I might try the zero.

girl 2: {said begrudgingly} I GUESS I'll just try the zero too.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! What? I couldn't decide if I wanted to smack em or kindly tap them on the shoulder and say, "Enjoy it while you can, girlies!" I mean....COME ON! What a delima!...double zero or zero. Hmmmm....that sure is a toughy! And the sad thing is...I'm sure it was a HUGE deal to them. But, 15....thats a rough age...especially in this day and age....which makes me a little anxious about my little Piper growing up. What will the world be like when she's a teenager? YIKES. Life...is rough.

Anyway...it was just too good a moment not to share it with you. It kinda jolted my perspective for a second...made me feel old...then reminded me of how glad I am that I'm not 15 anymore. :)

Cheers!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This story of mine inspired me to ask you....do you have some mom stories--a humorous look at a harsh reality?{and I totally get that this is not really "harsh"...it just FEELS harsh...haha}

If so...email me at nathalie@suissemade.com with YOUR story. This just might be the beginnings a of new feature. Because we ALL need a good laugh. And we all have to learn to laugh at some of our circumstances....and heavens sake...laugh at ourselves sometimes.

SERIOUSLY...don't be shy....EMAIL ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

{PS: voting daily is totally ok} :)

girls just wanna have fun

2011-01-14T16:17:00.003-06:00

daddy's working

asher's sleeping {praise and glory be to my sweet Jesus...so so sweet}

us girls? we're havin fun!

{so of course we had to pull out the pink tutu}

Therapy Thursday

2011-01-13T12:35:00.002-06:00

I think every mom knows that by the time Thursday comes around....you could use a little "therapy". Something to help you cope with the day to day stresses of mommyhood. Something for YOU. Something that soothes the soul...revives lost energies....and motivates you to push on to finish line {the end of the week}. For some reason Thursday tends to be a bit of tease. Yes...Friday's just right around the corner...but if you're having a week like I'm having this week....Thursday is more like: "really...its ONLY Thursday!"

So here's my therapy:

We never get starbucks anymore....so this was a SUPER DUPER big treat.

And a little crafting with Asher:

{although he doesn't look too thrilled about it}

{frame for "his" pictures that he took make with crafts sticks and pom poms}

Listening to a little of this:

And a little bit of this during nap time:

{it may look like a mess to you...but to me, lots of possibilities}

And to end my night:

{a little crying therapy...sending off some of our best friends who are moving in a couple of days. love you guys to pieces. words just can't express}

Which might lead to a glass of this before bed {haha}:

{seriously...its delicious}

Here's to a wonderful amazing unbelievable incredible rest of the week!

CHEERS!

in the pursuit of TRUTH

2011-01-11T00:58:00.003-06:00

I sit at the kitchen table, laptop at my fingertips, catching sweet glimpses of my baby girl, playing ever so joyfully and completely content {thank you God!}. I am in deep thought today. I peer out my picture window, I see the white snow blanketing the open field behind our house....and I'm in awe of its beauty. Its quiet now...and I appreciate that so SO much...as its not quiet in our house very often. All I hear is the baby bird like babblings of my 13 month old sweet pea....life is sweet. I've been thinking a lot lately about God. As I have mentioned a few times before, I've been asking Him a lot of questions lately. Questions like: Are You really REAL? Why did you create mankind, if you knew we would suffer so? What kind of God asks a man {Abraham} to sacrifice his son...AND, all along planning to provide a lamb...isn't that kinda like a cruel joke? I can't imagine what he must have gone through. And after waiting SO long for that son. And that brings on more questions. Why is it necessary for us to wait as we do? I mean poor Abraham and Sarah...90 years...really God...really? And why did You decide to make yourself so mysterious, if You long for us to know You so intimately? {Hmmm...I'm starting to sound like my son....why, why why.}

Being a parent provides for some pretty profound spiritual parallels, and provokes an intense catechism of one's soul. Asher's been asking me a lot of questions about God lately {and once again...I see myself in my child}. He asks me where God is. He asks me why he can't see God. He asks me who God is. Mind you, he's 3. Its challenged me. My 3 year old is challenging my faith. Sunday school answers just aren't good enough, and I'd rather have nothing to say then settle on some scripted responses. All his questions are driving me to a deeper place with God. Its making me take a closer look at what I believe. Its making me re-evaluate all that I've always just "believed" to be true. I want to lead Asher to TRUTH....and TRUTH alone. I don't want to regurgitate memorized phrases....I want to share real, personal answers...answers that have come from the deepest places...a resolute heart. I've never seen myself as a person who hangs on the coat tails of my parents' faith. But maybe I've been hanging more than I thought I was. Maybe its not been as personal as I was sure it has been. Is it possible that, my whole life, I've been afraid to really go there....to the depths.

I've always admired my husband. He's not a people pleaser like I am. He's his own person. He never tries to be anything other than himself. He isn't apologetic for questioning things or admitting his doubts. He doesn't act fine...when he isn't fine. He isn't afraid to get his hands dirty....and dig...for what is real...and real to him. When his mom passed away 3 & 1/2 years ago, he began to question everything he's ever believed. And I admit...it scared me. He began to tell me about things in the Bible he wasn't sure could be true. He stopped going to church. He seemed to not want anything to do with God...but the opposite was true. He had started a brand new journey to TRUTH. During the beginning of this journey of his...it was so hard for me. I wanted so badly to say something wise...that would flip a switch in his heart and he would all the sudden just bow before God and become this {totally unrealistic} super spiritual man....the spiritual leader of our home....our family. But there was NOTHING I could say. I had a million imaginary conversations in my head...trying desperately to plot out the perfect words. Nope...NOTHING. Thus, he continued...I observed. I feared I would be walking my spiritual journey alone. But all along, though he probably doesn't even realize it...he was, in fact, leading. Leading me...leading our family in the pursuit of TRUTH. And I'm just now realizing this. I've been afraid my whole life to admit my REAL doubts...to verbalize my questions {to myself, firstly}. Sure, I've admitted the safe ones...the ones that seemed spiritual enough. But not the ones that might make someone {or ME} feel uncomfortable....not the ones that might make me look like maybe I'm not as spiritually mature as I'd like to appear.

And so now, inspired and challenged by my best friend {hubby} and my precious 3yr old son, I am REALLY walking toward TRUTH. And Daniel and I...we walk TOGETHER. Something I've wanted for SO long...so so long.

I know this is getting long, so I'll end with this story. Yesterday, on our way home from church, I began to just unload all my questions on Daniel. Especially the one that has really been sitting heavily on my heart. If God, in all his "goodness" and "love", knew that we would experience so much pain in this life...so much suffering...if he knew we'd choose what ISN'T best and good...if he knew that we'd screw it up and cause ourselves and others so much grief...if he knew all this...WHY DID HE EVEN CREATE US? Why? I mean whats the point? And Daniel said something that I will never ever forget. He pointed to the back seat....to our 2 amazing children....and said, "We created them. And we knew they'd experience pain {etc}. But, would you want life without them?" Wow....the tears began to stream down my cheeks. I couldn't hold it back, though I tried. And I looked up at Daniel, and he was crying too. We just looked at each other. And we looked at them. And it was as if, in that moment....TRUTH unveiled itself a little. TRUTH had hazel eyes and a snaggle-toothed grin. TRUTH was singing at the top of his lungs. TRUTH was becoming real...personal. Mysteries revealed, and yet more mysteries to behold. {and little by little, I'm still unpacking the power and meaning of that moment}

And I say, "YES!" I'll walk a little further down the road....in pursuit of TRUTH.

Monday's Mom: by Erin Thiessen

2011-01-10T08:48:00.003-06:00

I am honored to write for Monday’s Mom. Let me start by telling you a little bit about me. My name is Erin Thiessen and I married the love of my life, Jeremy Thiessen, almost six years ago. Jeremy is the drummer and road manager for the band downhere. We have two children, Liam - age 2 - and Karis, who is 10 months old. I am very fortunate to be a stay-at-home mom. For the last six months I have felt like the Lord has been calling me to write but have not taken the time to actually sit and do it! Instead, I have made excuses right and left. When the new year came and I reexamined my priorities I remembered that God had given me a word last summer, the word “write”. I just don’t feel very good at it and it’s so time consuming for me because I over-think things. Funny… in the past month I’ve been asked to write for three different blogs/newsletters. So here I am, beginning to respond to this recent calling, and so I write a bit of my story for you!

Have you ever had your heart broken and been totally changed for the better because of it? If you know Jesus you know he is in the business of taking our broken hearts and making them new, rebuilding them into better condition than they were in before if we let him. He uses our heartbreak for the good giving us a reason to live. He is about using the weak to shame the strong. My deepest and most memorable heartbreak came at an unexpected time – at the birth of my first child.

Two years ago I gave birth to Liam Jeremiah and just 5 hours after he was born we learned that he had Down syndrome. That moment was crushing. My hopes and dreams of experiencing what it was like to have a typical child had been taken away. I was devastated and knew there was nothing I could do to change my circumstances. Nothing. I wished I could take that extra chromosome away or start all over again. But I still loved that perfect little child entrusted to me. He was mine. I felt the weight of responsibility that came from being a new parent, but also felt that God had chosen me for this special assignment. I went through many emotions over the next several months, and asked God many questions. “Why me? Couldn’t you have chosen someone better equipped or stronger to handle this task?” “Why Liam? Why did you allow him to have the extra chromosome? Why does he have to suffer?”

In the Poem “Welcome to Holland” Emily Perl Kingsley writes about how having a child with Down syndrome is like planning a trip to Italy. You make all the preparations and learn the language and look forward to the sights and sounds only to find out upon arrival that you have been diverted to Holland and will not get to Italy (this time). Although you weren’t prepared for Holland, you soon discover that there are amazing things there as well - you just have to learn a whole new language and discover a whole new place. The roots of loss were deep in my heart but as I began to “learn a new language” my love for this beautiful baby boy grew even deeper! I went through the process of grieving, but it did not consume me for long because I had this precious boy to look at and enjoy every day. My tears of mourning turned into tears of joy. Many days I still tear up just thinking about just how special he really is and how thankful I am that he is mine!

A book I have enjoyed recently by Elizabeth Elliott entitled “Keep a Quiet Heart” has a chapter in it that encourages parents who have kids with special needs. Here is a quote from it by Joni Eareckson Tada…

"'People with disabilities are God's best visual aids to demonstrate who He really is. His power shows up best in weakness. And who by the world's standards is weaker than the mentally or physically disabled? As the world watches, these people persevere. They live, love, trust and obey Him. Eventually the world is forced to say, 'How great their God must be to inspire this kind of loyalty'..."

Elizabeth goes on to say, “You as a family have been chosen in a special way to display His unique Masterwork. I pray that your roots of faith will grow deep down into the faithfulness of God’s loving plan, that you will exchange your inadequacy for the adequacy of Jesus’ resurrection power, and that you will be awed as you witness the fruits of the Spirit manifested in your family.”

These past 2 years I have learned much about patience. It takes Liam longer to learn to do simple things. He crawled at 13 months, learned to self-feed at 19 months and just started walking at 25 months, but not without hours of therapy, work, great patience and love. Because it takes him longer to learn how to do simple tasks I believe it gives him great pride when he learns something new, however simple it may be. Milestones reached are such huge victories for us and it has taught me to appreciate the little things in life! These past couple years have also shown me that I am the lucky one and that Liam is not suffering – rather, he is thriving, loves life and smiles at the smallest things… like every time I put on his shoes, or whenever he uses sign language. My broken heart has been mended and has grown in such a way that I want to share it with the world! My mourning has turned into rejoicing and praise; I am constantly thanking God for giving Liam to ME. I’m still asking God “Why?”, but the tone is different. Now my question is this: “Why me? What have I done to deserve the honor of being Liam’s mom?”

*You can read more about Erin on her blog at: www.lifewithjerin.wordpress.com*

**If you'd like to share your story for Monday's Mom, please email me at: nathalie@suissemade.com**

double zero, or zero?

2011-01-09T17:34:00.001-06:00

Daniel and I had a great time yesterday afternoon having a little US time...celebrating our 6th Anniversary! We shared the Mongolian beef with green beans, at PF CHANGS...our second favorite restaurant {Bonefish being the FIRST}. After I sipped a while on my White Tangerine hot tea, we made our way to the mall.

PS: We haven't been to the mall in...YEARS...literally. Ok..well maybe that was a bit dramatic...but its at least been since last Christmas.

This year we decided not to get each other anything for Christmas, and instead wait for the after-Christmas sales and get ourselves some MUCH NEEDED clothing.

girl 1: what size are you?

girl 2: well last time I checked I was a double zero.

girl 1: yah me too, but I'm not sure now ...

girl 2: hmmm, I just don't know, should I try the double zero or the zero first?

girl 1: {pondered a moment} I don't know...I think I might try the zero.

girl 2: {said begrudgingly} I GUESS I'll just try the zero too.

Anyway...it was just too good a moment not to share it with you. It kinda jolted my perspective for a second...made me feel old...then reminded me of how glad I am that I'm not 15 anymore. :)

See you tomorrow for Monday's Mom!

Cheers!

Happy 6th Anniversary

2011-01-07T09:46:00.000-06:00

Six years ago today, I married my best friend and the love of my life.

I love your guts, Daniel Paul Whisnant.

Happy Anniversary!

I'm blessed to call you mine...

What's Your Therapy??

2011-01-05T15:46:00.003-06:00

This morning has been a roller coaster ride. The moments Asher has been sweet and kind and obedient and helpful...have been enormously blissful. The moments he's decided to flip the switch and act the opposite...have been SO hard. But I am proud to say that today {by God's amazing grace} I've acted maturely...with peace and love.. And I've held it together!...EVEN AT THE GROCERY STORE, when his body was flailing about as if having some kind of uncontrollable muscle spasms...followed by growling and screaming...and other non-human-like noises. SHEESH!

So because I was such a good girl today ;) I decided to treat myself to this:

Ok...I know. The holidays are over...and I have GOT TO STOP THIS! I am...this was the last one...I promise! {well...at least for a while :)} {PS...I SO deserve this. Asher has been in his room for an hour now and he's still screaming...and I know he's worn out. I made sure of that!}

On to something that won't add inches to my waist-line...

Oh yes...a little craft therapy.

I found out today that the Dollar Tree is just about as dangerous as my favs: Hobby Lobby, Michael's, and JoAnn. But I have a fun project brewing and its all from Dollar Tree finds! Yay! {it really doesn't take much to thrill me}

But first...a sneak peak at what I'm working on today {although I should be cleaning}. And just a sneak...because I'll be sending these to family soon....ssshhhh!

What's your therapy? :)

Ugh

2011-01-04T21:14:00.003-06:00

Today was one of those days.
Thank God that no one was around to witness the abundance of impatience, tantrums, door slamming, yelling, and angry monster-like faces.

I'm talking about ME, not my 3 year old....unfortunately.

{big sigh} I feel a bit better now. I needed to get that off my chest. There are days that I relish in my accomplishments as a mom...praising God for the multitude of grace I was able to shower over my children, and the times I chose self control instead of a short temper. You know...those days that you feel like "Supermom" because of all you accomplished during nap time, your commitment to consistency in moments of discipline, and the sheer joy of surviving each "meltdown" without losing your mind.

Today...was not that day.

Instead of being thankful...I've been confessing all the times I was immature and quick tempered. I've been apologizing for all the times I acted more like my preschooler than the 30 yr old adult that I am. Yes, that's right...admit it moms...we throw tantrums too.

Ok please tell me I'm not the only one...

Way to start a new year...I know...terrible. But I'm only human. I make mistakes...a lot of em. I'm so glad that His mercies are new each morning. I'm choosing to really believe that, and wake up tomorrow with a clean slate. Tomorrow's a new day. Who knows, maybe I'll get up early...have a peaceful cup of coffee, and be armed and ready to tackle the day with renewed hope, energy, and a sense of adventure.

I hope you have an amazing day tomorrow too. I've decided {in each hard moment}that I have a choice... to be miserable and fight each challenge tooth and nail....or to receive each moment {no matter what it brings} with open arms, remembering I'll never get it back or be able to do it over. I mean when I look at it like this...its quite amazing and profound: I am creating Asher & Piper's childhood. WOW. A lot rides on what I choose, and how I choose to live. Ok...its on.

Here's to creating an adventurous, fun, loving, creative, joyful, peaceful, educational, inspiring, Christ filled childhood...loaded with tons of mystery, and awe, and wonder.

Here's to these 2 precious lives:

Monday's Mom: by Corrie Lillie

2011-01-03T11:48:00.000-06:00

I’ve come to realize that I juggle so many roles including child of God, wife, mother, sister (sister-in-law), daughter (daughter-in-law), granddaugther, friend, teacher, and therapist. Some of these roles are all-encompassing. For example, my ultimate desire is that as a child of God, that relationship spills into all of my other relationships. It doesn’t stand alone. That does not always happen though…my human side comes out and sin takes over and I know there are times when I do not represent my Savior well. Motherhood has taught me so much especially about how selfish I am and how it’s often a daily struggle to put myself aside and serve my children.

Here’s a brief synopsis about me…

I am married to the love of my life, Kyle, and we have been dating since our Junior year in high school. We have been married a little over seven years. We are blessed with 2 boys, Caleb and Carter. Our journey to parenthood was not easy. Caleb was conceived after over 2 years of trying and with the help of fertility treatments. I have only recently become more comfortable with discussing our infertility issues and the heartache that we experienced. There were only a handful of people who actually new about our experiences as we were walking through that time in our life. I did not want to be transparent with people because I did not want to be hurt. I know that people have a hard time “saying” the right thing to those who are hurting. I did not want to hear, “Well, maybe you should adopt.” Many times I just wanted people to listen, hug me, and cry and not say a word. Now that God has carried us through that trial, I feel more compelled to share our journey in hopes that it may encourage someone else. I am so thankful for modern medicine.

Caleb is now a very energetic 2-year-old who keeps us on our toes. There are definitely days when I have “Mommy-guilt” and I think, “This is the child for whom I prayed and I really can’t wait until naptime or I really don’t even want to be around him right now.” Yes, that happens. I love him all the time, but I don’t always like him and I don’t always have the patience to deal with him. I fail sometimes. He knows I love him and that is what’s important. I am now re-reading the book, Sheperding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp. I highly recommend it!! Next on my list is The Strong-Willed Child by James Dobson. Kyle and I are both strong-willed first born children so we really should not expect our first born to be any different!

Now onto Carter. What a sweet blessing from God!!! He was our surprise baby and I’ve learned that he’s really the best surprise ever! My boys are 22 months apart and they will hopefully be best friends some day. God’s plans are so much greater than ours. He was born in July 2010 and I can honestly say that he is one of the happiest babies. We went through that first 6 week rough patch, but it’s smooth sailing now. Thankfully the Lord knows just what I need all the time. Don’t get me wrong, there are days that I just want to scream or sit on the couch and cry, but God continues to prove Himself faithful even on those difficult days. I often find myself falling into bed exhausted, but really I would not want to be perfectly rested and not have these sweet boys.

What else do I do?? Is this not really enough to keep any grown woman busy?!! Apparently not for me! I am a Licensed Marital and Family Therapist and I just opened a private practice in November 2010. This is a dream come true. God has blessed me immensely. I enjoy going to work at the office! How many people can say that? In addition, I don’t work full-time. The goal is for me to work two afternoons a week and be home with the boys the rest of the time. The cherry on top is that my boys stay with my Mom (and Dad if he’s there) when I’m at work. The boys love it, my parents love it, I love it! Maybe when my kiddos are in school then I will work more, but not now. Time is precious and they are only small once.

My days, weeks, and months are filled with toys, cleaning, diaper changes, play dates, friends, encouragement, laundry, cooking, listening, reading, puzzle-making, coloring, displining and loving. I wouldn’t change it. Yes, there are days that I wish I could just “delete” or maybe just skip over all together, but I think we all have those days. I am grateful and I am blessed. I hope you can find small things that make you realize how blessed you are as well!

--Corrie

**If you'd like to tell your story on Monday's Mom, please email me at nathalie@suissemade.com**

Happy New Year--2011

2011-01-02T22:01:00.000-06:00

This year I'd like to...

1. SLEEP LATE ONE MORNING A WEEK {VIA THE HUBBY :)}
2. LEARN TO SEW
3. WRITE IN MY MOMMY JOURNAL MORE
4. SEND SNAIL MAIL ONCE A MONTH TO CLOSE FAMILY
5. GET UP EARLIER
6. COOK BREAKFAST MORE {AS OPPOSED TO CEREAL AND BAGELS}
7. READ 2 BOOKS WITH DANIEL
8. READ MORE WITH ASHER OTHER THAN BEDTIME
9. USE THE TREADMILL {HAHAHA}
10. START A FAMILY NIGHT {GAMES, BOOKS, CRAFTS, NO TV}
11. GROW AN ORGANIC HERB GARDEN FOR "DROPS OF EARTH"
12. OPEN AN ETSY STORE FOR "DROPS OF EARTH"
13. START "ADVENTURE DAY" WITH THE KIDS
14. FINISH DECORATING THE KIDS ROOMS
15. USE MY TEA KETTLE MORE
16. BE MORE SCHEDULED AND STRUCTURED {FOR ASHER'S SAKE :)}
17. PLAY OUTSIDE MORE WITH THE KIDS
18. FOLD CLEAN CLOTHES BEFORE THEY'RE IN THE DIRTY PILE AGAIN
19. HAVE A DATE NIGHT TWICE A MONTH
20. GO ON A FAMILY VACATION--ROAD TRIP

Happy New Year! A clean slate...a fresh start...anything's possible...an adventure awaits.

Back to the Heart of the Matter

2010-12-30T23:47:00.002-06:00

So...Its time for me to get back to the heart of the matter. I've had a lot of fun these last few weeks...creating, and crafting...exploring and cultivating my artistic side. But an email today, received from an old high school friend of mine, was a poignant reminder of the reason I began blogging...the things that are so very dear to my heart...mommyhood being one of the highest on the list.

She told me of the hurt and grief she's endured over the last few years. It was humbling to read as she unwrapped her heart with each letter keyed...forming her vulnerable words...which told an honest, real story...of LIFE.

The amazing thing...she's been through so much...and a lot very recently...but at the end of her letter she told me of her trust in the Lord's ways. And I just have to tell you...I admire that. I find myself NOT trusting God's ways very often. In fact, I find myself questioning His ways A LOT! Remember how I told you that I've been going through a weird season in my faith walk with Christ? Yah...still there. I want to be able to accept God's ways are higher and that I just won't understand it all while on this earth. But sometimes that's just so hard....and sometimes God's ways don't seem higher...they seem cruel. I'm just being honest.

I hate to leave you on that note...so unresolved. I don't have a powerful passage to share to tie together the loose ends and finish this post on a high note. Today...I'm struggling. Today I'm allowing myself to be human and just fess up to my doubts. Maybe I am like a ship at sea...tossed about by the waves. I don't want to be capsized by every circumstance in my life. I want so desperately to be strong, wise, & unshaken. But today, I'm weary. So I just want to say thank you to my friend for her courage and willingness to share her story with me, and offering hope by clinging to faith...when it wasn't easy. I hope to introduce her to you soon on an up and coming Monday's Mom.

I do leave you tonight with hope in my heart that although I am questioning a lot right now...God can handle it. Because I'm pursuing TRUTH...I know that truth will indeed be revealed. Thank you so much, again, for walking with me and for letting me be really forthright without casting judgement. Thanks to those who continue to bravely share their stories on Monday's Mom. Thanks for your emails and encouraging words. I'm so blessed that I continue to connect and reconnect with fellow moms who desire what I'm desiring too....to do this together.

Nathalie

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Creations {6-12}

2010-12-29T23:27:00.003-06:00

{a combination of my projects and those of some friends}

SIX: Happy Birthday Jesus Banner

{this is the only good pic I have right now...I'll have to post more later}

SEVEN: Snowflake Button Ornament

wooden snowflakes from JoAnn....I simply glued on fun buttons!

EIGHT-A: Card 1 {by Patti Smith}

Adorable! Made to look like a library check out card. Genius!

EIGHT-B: Card 2 {by Amy Cassidy}

Beautiful! Stamps, stencils, cut outs, layers...Gorgeous!

NINE: Hand Print Ornament

I made a hand print ornament when Asher was about the same age as Piper is this year. I panted her hand, stamped it on canvas, cut out a circle and placed it on a wooden plaque that I covered with scrap fabric...added wooden snowflakes topped with a button, and stenciled her name and the year...oh, and added yarn to the back for hanging!

TEN: Twinkle Light Bouquet

My mom passed along extra silk flowers from our wedding. I made a bouquet, placed them in an old wooden barrel, and then hid twinkle lights inside the bouquet. It added a nice warm glow.

ELEVEN: Gift in a Jar

I put a couple of small homemade gifts in a mason jar and decorated the inside with straw, a sprig of evergreen, and frosted berries.

TWELVE: ...was a flop.
Just bein honest. I tried to make Peppermint Fudge. Umm....in case you were wondering...Mint extract and Peppermint extract are 2 completely different things. What was supposed to taste yummy and pepperminty with a sweet and chocolaty richness, was instead a toothpastey flavored top layer combined with chocolate goo {so obviously the mint part wasn't the only thing gone wrong}. Hmmm.... Yah, straight into the rubbish can. YIKES.

But so I don't finish on a depressing note. Here's a picture guaranteed to make you smile. :)

Cheers!

Post Christmas Coma

2010-12-26T23:31:00.001-06:00

I've tried to gather myself by the boot straps and muster the energy to write a post....but I feel like I'm in some kind of Christmas coma. I think adrenaline was keeping me afloat, and as soon as the day arrived then passed, I immediately felt like someone slipped me a sedative. I'M EXHAUSTED....to say the least.

I'm trying to decide now if I should even bother with posting the rest of my handmade Christmas creations. One thing I do know for sure....I aint doin it right now. Ha! {by the way...I've always thought it was kinda silly that slang words have a proper spelling. I know that I'm supposed to write "ain't" & "doin'" but I just can't bring myself to...I mean what's the point of slang if you have to be proper about it....just sayin :)}

We had a great Christmas. Asher is old enough this year to get caught up in the magic of the season. One day I set up a blanket tent in the living room, filled it with all his "stuffies" {stuffed animals...a.k.a- stable animals}, borrowed Piper's baby doll, made a manger out of an empty diaper box....and we talked about the story of Jesus being born. It was cute. My dad called a few times pretending to be Santa...it was precious. Asher is such a believer....I love that about him. We got Piper all girly toys for Christmas, which I was so excited about since we've been submerged in all things boy. But of course...all she wanted to do was play with his boy toys...ha! Figures! Oh well...

For Christmas my Granny bought the kids Christmas outfits. I took some pictures a few days ago of them in their fancy duds.

What a stinkin cutie. He's so handsome...just like his daddy!

I have this shot in black and white, but the red of the dress and the white fur collar reminds me of my favorite Christmas movie..."White Christmas". I always wanted a dress like the beautiful red dresses they wore at the end of the movie...and so I live vicariously through my sweet daughter.

Here's a couple I took in their play clothes...also adorable!

This was candid...because I couldn't get both of them to sit right next to each other, still, looking at the camera, and smiling...all at the same time...EXCEPT THIS ONE PICTURE

Don't you just want to squeeze them both. And those cheeks...nough said.

My family {hopefully} gets in tomorrow, weather permitting and Lord willing. I can't wait to celebrate with them. I hope you and yours have enjoyed celebrating the season. I'm about to pass out, so I'll say goodnight.

Oh, and....Monday's Mom will return after the new year! Once again...please email me if you're interested in sharing your story. nathalie@suissemade.com

Blessings!

If You're My BFF...You Might Know This About Me

2010-12-22T00:47:00.002-06:00

I've started following Little Miss Momma....who inspired this blog post. She's cute, and funny, and creative. And I linked up with her post "Things You Should Know if We're Going to Be BFFs"

So here goes:

I'm a hair twirler. Yep...its so second nature now that I've caught myself doing it while falling asleep in bed...its kinda embarrassing. But if you're my BFF there's no way you don't know that I'm a twirler... and I can't help it!

I pick the mascara off my eye lashes. Ewww...gross. Ok, hopefully you're not starting to see me differently.

I drink coffee ALL DAY LONG. {I need to invest in more gum :)}

I shower when necessary. Ha! Most of the time it happens before bed or before I have to actually see people {sorry sweetie...hubby and kids don't count as people these days...but I should probably work on that}

I like to eat icing from the jar...a spoonful here....a spoonful there. Just keep it in the fridge...it takes great care of a chocolate craving. Shhhh...I think I've actually been successful at keeping this one from the hubs....ha! ;)

I can't sleep unless I have a fan going in the room...even if its 10 below outside. I can't do noise machines...I can hear the loop...even with white noise. DRIVES ME BATTY!

I think I enjoy packaging gifts more than purchasing the actual gift.

On that note...I'm addicted to Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and JoAnn

When I use perfume...I spray once on my neck, once on my wrist, and then mist my clothes. Might be too much??!! Its possible. If you're my BFF then you'll tell me...cause thats what we do for each other.

I sleep with 2 pillows but rarely use them both. I'm not really sure why I keep both on the bed. I guess I just want the option.

I may not be a good at keeping my house clean, but I CAN'T STAND random trash all over the place. Used paper towels, wrappers, disposable cups and plates, yogurt containers, empty chips bags, etc, etc, etc. Gee....I wonder who does that at my house???

I have just as many piles of clean unfolded clothes as I do dirty clothes waiting to be washed. I HATE FOLDING CLOTHES....A LOT!

I'm on, what my husband calls, the "eat whatever the heck I want" diet. The secret is...portion control. "I'm only one stomach flu away from my goal weight"....ha JUST KIDDING!...that was totally a quote from The Devil Wears Prada

And on that note...Chicken kinda grosses me out. But I still eat it.

I'm a STANKIN people pleaser...and I'm working on that. Ughh! {I care WAY too much what people think}

Sheets fresh out of the dryer...are one of my FAVORITE things!

I fall asleep on the couch just about every night...then I wash my face, brush teeth, climb in bed...and dangit...I'm awake.

Sappy movies make me cry...and I'm not just talk one single tear slowly falling down my cheek. I'm talking about CRYING.

Before becoming a mom I used to watch other moms pick their kids boogers & think it was the NASTIEST thing EVER...I have become "other moms" {ok...not as a hobby...its just that...its there and somebody needs to take care of it...and I'm sorry but a kleenex doesn't always do the job}

Oh, and I also do the whole...lick the finger and wipe the face of my kid....thing. Uhhh...sometimes I'm so cliche. But what's a girl to do....you do whatcha gotta do!

Ok...thats it for now.

{PS...so thankful for BFFs that accept me for me. XOXO}

12 Days of Handmade Christmas Creations {1-5}

2010-12-20T22:47:00.005-06:00

#ONE: Snow Balls

I posted recipe and HOW-TO a few days ago. Click here for more pictures and learn how to make your own!

#TWO: Tissue Paper Garland

For this project I simply cut different colors of tissue paper into 2inX2in squares {like a TON of them} and them threaded them on a strand of yarn. My plan was to make enough to put it on our tree....hmmmm....I ran out of steam and settle on one shorter piece that we hung on a window frame in our breakfast nook.

#THREE: Tissue/Paper Plate Wreath

Asher and I worked together on the garland and this wreath, made from circles cut from different colors of green tissue paper. We glued them on a paper plate...

and then hung it below the garland with sting of red festive yarn {I love yarn}.

#FOUR: Sugar & Salt Snowman

I painted glue on construction paper in the shape of a snowman & gave Asher a bowl of salt & sugar to sprinkle on the glue. It took overnight to fully dry. The next day we added buttons, yarn for a mouth, I cut out the hands and hat, and braided some yarn for a scarf. Fun kid craft!

#FIVE: Baked Dough Ornaments-DIY

Step 1: Mix Together

2 cups flour

1 cup salt

2 tbsp oil

3/4-1cup water

Step 2: Kneed Dough

Its blissfully fun!

Step 3: Roll Dough
Until it's about 1/4in thick

Step 4: Cut Out Shapes
with cookie cutters. TIP: make sure your surface is floured generously so that when you lift the cut dough it doesn't stick to the counter. I used a knife to gently lift each shape and then a spatula to transfer from counter to cookie sheet. {I also cut out letters and circles. I adhered the letters to the circles with a dab of water on the back of each letter...picture below}. Make sure and poke a hole to thread ribbon or twine once they're completed. I used a straw.

Did I mention this is fun?!

Step 5: Bake
at 250 for about an hour. I set my timer for 50 minutes and then baked an additional 5, for a total of 55 minutes. Every oven is different I'm sure. I just always want to be on the same side. Mine were a teeny tiny bit soft still but as they cooled on the cooling wrack they hardened the rest of the way.

Step 6: Paint & Seal
Here are the name ornaments I finished. I decided to only paint the letters {I used acrylic paint}, & then I sealed them by giving them 2 coats of mod podge {let dry completely between coats}. Asher's still working on his :). They're lookin' mighty good though. I'll post pics of his soon!

Step 7: Adorn Your Tree!

These are some of the fun things we've been creating to celebrate the Christmas season. Asher really likes to "do art" and "make a craft"...so these have scratched both of our creative itches...ha!

I would still LOVE to post your handmade Christmas creations. Email me with your ideas...PLEASE! nathalie@suissemade.com

Monday's Mom: by Kelly Pruitt

2010-12-20T08:29:00.004-06:00

I married my best friend, Ryan, in 2005. On March 28, 2008 I gave birth to a healthy, perfect, 10 lb. son whom we named Abbott Daniel. I spent nine heavenly weeks at home with him before I had to head back to work to help pay the bills. My husband is in restaurant management and at the time I was a preschool teacher, happily working at a nonprofit with a population of mixed developmental needs. In November of 2008, I got the opportunity to take on more of a leadership role within the organization and was promoted to the director position of the preschool. In my mind, this was a perfect setup: I get a more “grown up” job and more income to help support my family.

I’ll spare you most of the details, but the 2 years after that decision to take on more responsibility have provided me with some of the most challenging and character-building moments of my life: hiring and firing, coaching and being coached, being mentored and being criticized (many times for things that were not my fault). I was consistently putting in 50+ hours of work per week and coming home frustrated and worn out, both physically and mentally. Gradually, over the course of 2 very short (and yet, very long) years, I became a person that I didn’t like. I was the mom who spent more time on her job than on her family. I came home each night with barely enough mental capacity to play with my son, barely enough energy to muster a meal, and never enough energy to keep house.

For about the last 6 months, I was really unhappy at work and that easily translated into my home life. I knew I was working for a place whose mission I firmly believed in, but each day I dreaded going. I was losing patience with Abbott way more easily than I should have. I never engaged in meaningful conversation with my husband. I became pretty bitter towards many of my friends who are stay at home moms – not for anything they ever did, but from my own jealousy and dissatisfaction with my own circumstances. It seemed every facet of my life was not pleasing, and I came to a breaking point where I couldn’t really deal with it anymore. Something needed to change.

It’s important that I mention here that I have the best boss in the world: an older woman with amazing life experience and wisdom. I spent many times in her office crying, learning, listening and praying. It was in one of those times that I vented all this to her and made the decision to resign my position as director. She agreed that it was smart; I needed to be able to be happy with my life and be the mom and wife my family needs me to be. Ideally, I would have liked to just walk away from working altogether and take time to regroup, but our bank account just doesn’t allow for that right now. My boss graciously allowed me to step back into the classroom as a teacher, imposing upon myself a demotion. The timing of a teacher’s resignation with my breaking point was nothing short of God-given. Beginning in January, I will be teaching again. I am so thankful for the opportunity to stay with an organization that I believe in, even if it means making less money and tightening our belts a little.

Since that decision, I feel like there is so much that I can now see that I have been missing out on. It’s like when you’ve been wearing glasses that are too old, and you finally get new ones and everything is so much more vivid and sharp. It’s so relieving.

What have I learned thus far? Well, for one, no amount of money (and it wasn’t that much) is worth what I was quickly losing with my family. I knew this, but the super-mom in me wanted to think I could do it. I realize now that it’s ok that I admit that I can’t. I have come to appreciate the moments I have with my family unit because they are not as often as I want them to be. I am still learning how to balance work, family, housework and sleep. Currently, my battle is deciding which is more important: sleep or housework. Sleep almost always wins. I am still trying to find my balance of mom/wife/self, and I’m having trouble figuring that one out. I want to be a full-time mom, but I have this other full-time job, and I struggle with extraordinary guilt when I do something for myself that takes my time away from my son and husband. Logically, I know that if I don’t care for myself, then long-term that is not really caring for my family. But honestly, I want these times with them so much right now that my heart won’t let me think long-term.

I think the biggest thing that I have learned thus far, though, is to really take a look at my priorities. Sure a job with a title is all fine and good, but it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t enjoy doing it. What’s more is that I have been given a child to care for and to teach. Sometimes, I am hit so hard with this reality: I am in charge of loving and raising another human being. To me, this responsibility is greater than any paying job I could ever have.

**If you'd like to share your story for Monday's Mom, please email me at nathalie@suissemade.com**

If you enjoy the AfterBelly blog please click the link below to vote on Top Mommy Blogs!

BLOG-ESS

2010-12-16T23:47:00.002-06:00

I keep trying to sit down and write something...deep...something inspired....something from my heart about what I'm learning lately on this quest as a mom. But I'm just TOO. DANG. TIRED. I think its just a little too close to home this week, and I need more time to process {and like I said...my brain just isn't functioning on that level tonight}.

But I do have a little something on my mind. So I'm going to attempt to put "pen to paper" as best I can.

I wanted to take a minute to explain why I've decided to be a BLOG-ESS. Well I'll just start with being honest and say I used to think blogging was dumb. Ha! I don't know...I just felt like I, personally, was so caught up with the day to day that I couldn't even imagine spending that much time writing about myself or a hobby...or anything for that matter. But I was being judgemental...I'll admit it. Because one day...I began reading blogs....and I was so inspired and challenged and entertained and moved by what I read. ESPECIALLY mom blogs. I was so intrigued to discover what other moms were passionate about...all their creativity in teaching and parenting their children. Some blogs were just hysterical. Some where humbling and moving. Some were highly motivating. And others just inspired me to be a better mom...the best mom I can be to my kids. And now....I totally get it. Its a place to be known...to connect. Its an outlet to express all those thoughts swarming around in your head...and to create all those ideas that {until now} were simply mental notes.

Well about 2 months ago I decided to really go for it. To...BLOG. I've begun this journey recently, of pursuing {whatever it is I feel inspired or lead to pursue} with my WHOLE HEART. Life is just too short not to. So I've begun to journal my thoughts, share ideas, pull back the curtains and let others take a peak into my life...and provide a place where others can do that too {Monday's Mom}. As I've expressed before...I just have this huge tugging in my heart to rally us moms together. Now I'm not so presumptuous to assume that people are just waiting on pins and needles to read about my life. I know that's FAR FROM the truth. And {since we're on that subject} I've recently had these moments of reservation. I often post links to my newest blog post on facebook...and I can't help but wonder...are people getting so sick and tired of me talking about my blog. I even felt guilty for registering for Top Mom Blogs...feeling like I shouldn't try and publicize myself...that maybe people would see that as I'm doing this for the wrong reasons. But I've just spent TOO much...I mean WAY TO MUCH of my life worrying about what other people think. Its something I'm working through...I'm in a better place than I once was.....but its STILL a work in progress.

So I guess this post is more for me than anything else. I just needed to remind myself that I can be ME...I can make decisions based on what I feel is good and right in my heart....and I don't have to worry about what others thoughts are about it {and to be quite honest I don't think people care as much as my over analyzing mind would tell me they do}. I'm not going to lie and say I don't care...cause I care. But I'm deciding right now that if I'm really going to do this blogging thing, then I'm going to be confident in who I am and only be concerned with continuing to become the person I was created to be.

Happy Christmas!

So anyway...there's my 2 cents. Another little piece of me.

I'm really hoping you're enjoying and soaking up every single drop of this Holiday season.

Wishing you and yours many blessings.

Nathalie

PS: Since I'm not going to let my fear of what people will think rule me, consider the following link...{hehe}

PS-again: Stay tuned for some of the handmade Christmas projects going on at our house. I've kinda started a new tradition this year. 12 days of handmade Christmas creations. So much fun!

A Snowy Recipe

2010-12-13T21:29:00.054-06:00

We got TONS of snow {well 3in...ha!} over the last couple of days. Asher and I had fun yesterday celebrating the snowy weather by making "Snow Balls" (rice krispy treats). Here's how we made them:

make rice krisy treats according to the recipe on the box...then:

{I should probably add that these turned out REALLY rich. I might re-think the white chocolate next time I make them and either roll the treats in the coconut flakes while they're still sticky...or use vanilla icing instead of the white chocolate. But it was still REALLY YUMMY!}

Since we're being real and all...

After we enjoyed our treats, we went outside for about 2 seconds to play in the snow. It was SO STINKIN COLD! Seriously...like 10 degrees!

{Of course the topic of poop had to be incorporated into the conversation...is this just a boy thing? Seriously...he can think of some way to talk about poop no matter the situation...haha! And might I add we don't have proper snow attire for him...he definitely had daddy's gloves, a WAY to small hat, & my socks on & pulled up over his jeans to keep the snow out. And sweet little Piper...she was so bundled, she reminded me of the kid on "A Christmas Story". I don't think she could move her limbs at all! ...hehehe}

We enjoyed our day...hope you enjoyed yours!

Craftyness...

2010-12-09T15:48:00.000-06:00

Here are some of my recent projects...

Today I decided to make Asher his own shopping list for the grocery store. Most times our trips to the grocery store are extremely frustrating. I mean...I have to cut the boy some slack...he's 3...and he's a boy. Its hard to walk right next to me without wandering to colorful food packages stacked ever so neatly on shelves. Those darn cans of food are just screaming to be played with...right? That, plus the fact that I'm convinced the kid actually has ants in his pants...just makes for an unnerving experience for the both of us. SO...I am trying to be creative...we'll see if it works. And by the way...this wasn't a huge attempt at making something cute...just something to "do the trick".

I started with these supplies

cut out pics of food (staples mainly...doesn't have to be the whole shopping list)

covered it front & back with contact paper...trimmed the edges

Ta-Da!!

We've also been working on our Jesse Tree ornaments:

very seriously coloring...

gettin a bit sleepy, are we?

beautimous!

And finally...a sneak peak at my burlap "Happy Birthday Jesus" banner!

It's taking me a bit longer than I thought. But its turning out really cute! Can't wait to get it all put together. My mom made a banner that we hung every Christmas for as long as I can remember. I love those handmade decorations that become so nostalgic and help usher in the holiday. I hope this will become one of ours.

Meanwhile this is what Piper's doing...

oops! stuck in the kitchen sink again! I hate when that happens! hehe...

The Jesse Tree

2010-12-08T09:11:00.003-06:00

Since Asher is getting older I've been thinking a lot more about traditions and what kind of childhood I want him to have. I've been especially thinking about the Holidays and how magical Christmas was for me as a child...and how rich it was...Spiritually speaking. Now, as an adult...because my parents did such an amazing job of drawing our hearts to what Christmas is all about...the Holiday season brings an even deeper realization of the mysteries and the wonder of Christ.

I have to be honest with you and let you in on a little inner secret of mine. Although I've been raised in the Church my whole life....I've recently entered a strange season. It really hit me out of the blue. No spectacular or tragic happenings brought it on. It literally just hit me like a ton of bricks. Throughout my life I've had moments where I would wonder, "what if all this isn't real? what if God doesn't exist?" The thoughts were fleeting. I didn't ponder them long...and moved on with my life, deciding to accept once again what I'd only known to be true. But recently its been different. Those same thoughts have entered my mind...and I can't shake them. But the alternative..a life of NO HOPE, NO REDEMPTION....a DEAD END...I refuse to accept and know in the deepest places that this IS NOT TRUTH. But I've been asking God to reveal himself to me in a way that I've never known. And after spending some time searching and trying to figure out--WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?---I think I've come to some conclusions.

My roots are deep and that is the reason I continue to return to what I know in my heart to be Truth...with a capital "T". So why the continued questions? Well, I believe that God is releasing me into a time of strengthening and deepening those roots. So...what now...what is my response?

Well I don't think it is a coincidence that I recently learned of the Jesse Tree as a Christmas tradition. The Jesse tree is basically a study of the lineage...the family tree of Jesus. Its the prophecies of his coming and the promise fulfilled. Talk about roots....wow! And the amazing thing...this is my heritage too. Asher and I will be studying this together. I found a great family devotional here that takes you through all the scriptures that build Jesus' family tree....The Jesse Tree. And why is it called The Jesse Tree? Isaiah 11 says,

"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
   from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—
   the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
   the Spirit of counsel and of might,
   the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the LORD—
and he will delight in the fear of the LORD."

Jesse was King David's father. The image of a branch growing from the roots of Jesse reveals a new king in David's line...the King of Kings...Jesus. This tradition of studying the lineage and prophecy of Jesus by creating artistic symbols/ornaments that remind us of each branch of Jesus family tree...reminds us that we have deep roots. Yes we walk in faith, but God knew we'd need a firm foundation to stand on. Our foundation...our roots...the tree of LIFE..the Jesse Tree...our way to trace our history, to see God's intricate plan, to be reminded that He keeps His promises...and will continue to do so.

We're a little behind on our Tree because this study follows advent and we just started yesterday. But thats ok...we'll catch up. Its been amazing so far to begin to share with Asher the amazing stories from the Ancient Words. I think telling them to a child has reminded me how AMAZING, ADVENTUROUS, MYSTERIOUS, DANGEROUS, INCREDIBLE, HEARTBREAKING, REDEEMING, and BEAUTIFUL our history is.

This year I'm letting Asher color simple images I found online for the JT. But I found some amazing ornaments a mom made for her JT that I just have to show you (and I hope to possibly use as inspiration for future ornaments).

http://www.dreadlockgirl.com/?s=jesse+tree

I'll post pictures of our tree soon...

(PS...visit the blog link above....really great mom blog! She also has great info on studying and creating your own Jesse Tree.)

Monday's Mom: by Crystal Zaragoza

2010-12-05T23:45:00.005-06:00

In Believing God, Beth Moore she says, “Our promised land is where our reality and theology meet.” This truth, along with many others, finally became real to me this past year, starting in February. I was 2 months pregnant with my third child, freelance writing and working part-time at a pre-school while staying home with my two amazing kids and married for nearly nine years. I felt reasonably happy. I thought everything was okay . . . pretty good, even. And then my world as I knew it came crashing down around my ears when one February evening my husband said, “I just don’t love you anymore. I want a divorce.”

It quickly became apparent to me that my husband was being unfaithful, although he emphatically denied it. The signs were all there, but no real evidence. We sloshed through eight weeks of marital counseling with each session more tortuous than the last as I listened to lie and after lie being poured out in front of me. It was all my fault. I didn’t love him enough, like him enough. We didn’t have enough in common. He never really wanted to marry me. While I knew these were not true, each slashed at my heart deeper than the first.

On the night of our counseling session, the truth came out – there was another woman; he was moving out and would file soon. He loved her, he said. I didn’t know whether to throw up, cry or just run away. How could this be happening to me? I’d been good. I’d tried hard to be a loving wife, to submit, to be what he needed. It wasn’t good enough. At this point I was also nearly 5 months along in my pregnancy with a baby girl. I was heartbroken and scared and devastated for my children.

As I struggled to accept what was happening while working through the grief, God began to speak to my heart very clearly . . . and the message was, “Do you really believe what you say you believe? Will you trust me? Will you obey?” This was my crisis of belief. I knew that I could not handle this one on my own, and I ran headlong into the arms of God, choosing to let Him carry me through the devastation.

And from that moment, something changed – I wish I could say it was the circumstances or that the hurt just disappeared. No, there was plenty more hurt to come. I was not afraid any more. “The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The LORD is the defense of my life; Whom shall I dread?” Psalm 27:1 I knew that if I obeyed Him no matter what, He would bring blessing through the sorrow and exchange my ashes for beauty. I had no idea how this would look, but it became and still is the deepest desire of my heart.

There’s just too much to tell in one short blog post of the incredible blessing that He has poured out on the life of this woman who never “has it together,” whose children are happy and often a mess, whose home is rarely tidy but warm and inviting, who misses the mark more than she would like, but really is after God’s own heart.

My biggest blessing outside of the birth of my youngest (which is a whole other amazing tale!) is by far, my church. They stepped up from the beginning of my mess and have been radically generous with their love and their resources to ensure that we never went without. People who were once acquaintances are now some of my closest friends. I’ve been blessed to have couple after couple into my home who I’d barely known last year. My church really became my second family and a true picture of what Jesus meant for His bride to look like in action.

So here I am today, nearly one year later. So much has changed, most of all – me. While I still wish sometimes that this was all a nightmare that I could wake up from, I would not want to go back to the woman I was before this. While my heart has been devastated, it is not completely shattered because it belongs to Christ. I have tasted and seen how good He really is, and I’ve been ruined by it! I cannot go back to the way I was. I’m no longer content to swing in and out of fellowship with God just getting by. As a single mom now to three kids, I am privileged to come to the end of myself each and every day, allowing plenty of room for Christ to sweep in and take up space in the heart of this tired mom.

This life is messy and beautiful, awful and wonderful, amazing and terrible but I praise God that He never changes. His heart never wanders. He is faithful. “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; therefore my heart exults, and with my song I shall thank Him.” Psalm 28:7

* Crystal's blog: http://www.crystalzaragoza.wordpress.com *

* Crystal also wanted me to include a link to: http://www.divorcecare.org/ *

* If you're interested in telling your story for Monday's Mom, please email me at: nathalie@suissemade.com *

Epiphanies 1 & 2

2010-12-01T01:20:00.004-06:00

If you have a child between the ages of 20 months to about age 3 or 4...I know you're heart will resonate with these thoughts.

I've mentioned to you before that I have an unbelievably amazing son who just happens to also be very strong-willed...right? Yep, I have...maybe too many times. But, sorry, that's my world right now. Well, I think I also mentioned at one time that I've realized (after many attempts) that there's just not a book out there that will spell out a magic formula that I can use to "break" Asher's will (the point being that there's no magic formula). HOWEVER, I was reminded today after reading a letter from a friend about her own strong-willed-child-woes, that I did read something that really pierced me and totally changed my perspective on having a SW child (ha...did you like that? I gave it an abbreviation, as if its some kind of disorder...man does it feel like that sometimes).

I am going to share my epiphanies with you, but first...what is "will"? (here are some definitions)

1. purpose or determination, often hearty or stubborn determination; willfulness: to have the will to succeed.

2. to decide, bring about, or attempt to effect or bring about by an act of the will: He can walk if he wills it.

3. to influence by exerting will power

Now for some reason, along the way, I adopted this idea that a strong-will is a bad thing. My continual thinking prior to these "epiphanies" (actually more like--wisdom from God) is that it is my job is to BREAK Asher's will. Well, I read (not in its entirety...which is a running habit of mine) The Strong Willed Child by James Dobson. Ok, I know that his philosophies on parenting are controversial, but I gleaned a truth from this book that COMPLETELY changed my perspective on parenting a SW child. He says that a strong-will is a GREAT thing, and that it ISN'T our job to BREAK it, in fact, we SHOULDN'T. He says, my job as a parent is to SHAPE Asher's will. Look once again at the definitions above. Don't you want "purpose and determination"? Wouldn't you like "to bring about an act of the will"? And don't you think it would be amazing to "influence by asserting will power"? Now in light of that...would you want to RID your child of those attributes?? No, I don't. But I do, however, want Asher to focus those attributes and submit them to the One that can use them in a way far beyond my wildest dreams for him, and what he could ever dream for himself. And I do want Asher to learn to obey his parents, and especially God...because I know that the adventures He has in mind for him are far too incredible to miss because of an un-submissive heart.

So, that was epiphany #1: My job is to shape (through God's leadership and wisdom) Asher's will, NOT break it.

Moving on to the second life changing realization. As you know, repetitive bad behavior can be so frustrating...unnerving....ANGERING! Over the past year and a half...since the strong-will really began to surface...anger has been building up inside me, and in the heat of the intense moment...during IN MY FACE defiance...RAGE has even shown its face. I hate admitting that, but its the truth. And because of God's grace, I've finally come to realize why I let my little 3 yr old affect my emotions in this way (well besides the lack of sleep and lack of time to myself...ha!). Its CONTROL. Its my battle for CONTROL. My deep desire to CONTROL his actions. And the tough pill to swallow: I CAN'T. I have NO CONTROL over him. Now, right about now you're probably saying, "Wait a second! YOU'RE the parent and he is the child. YOU are in control...not Him." It's true that I am the parent and I must expect obedience and apply consequences for disobedience. But, this still doesn't mean I have ANY CONTROL over how he chooses to act, the words he chooses to say, and whether or not he chooses obedience or disobedience. And you know what...I HATE THAT. I want control! I want things to go the way I want them to go. I want Asher to act the way I want him to act. I want him to mature at the speed of light...but that is not within my control (and unfortunately not possible...wouldn't that be nice though? I mean the speed of light? That's pretty dang fast!). I'm learning that I MUST submit those desires to God and TRUST that He is working in Asher's life and using me to SHAPE HIS WILL, and that God is perfectly capable of doing this---even in the midst of using this totally flawed mommy.

So epiphany #2 is: I cannot control Asher, and I have to daily submit my desire to control and have control over him to the Lord.

And the most beautiful trade-off that comes with this submission of control, is an abundance of FREEDOM. Asher is now FREE to just be who he is and to mature under the Lord's timing. And I'm FREE from any expectations of discovering, saying, or doing a certain thing to produce "perfect" results. We're BOTH FREE!

and thats a good thing.

Christmas Look Book

2010-11-30T16:15:00.002-06:00

Once again this year's Christmas will require great savvyness, creativity, resourcefulness, and as always...a lot of fun. I've begun my own "look book", from which I'll pull some inspiration for decking our halls for the holidays.
Here are some of the things I've found that I love so far:

I love all the button crafts. I have a whole tin can full of buttons. I'm really going to have some fun with that!

I also have some left over burlap that I used as a runner for Thanksgiving that I'll use to make the burlap stockings (with some buttons added for a bit more interest).

The seed packet ornaments on the Christmas tree picture are adorable (although a few would do...not 100 like the picture).

I'll be reusing my canning jars for a centerpiece (savvy...cheap).

I always keep Christmas cards...but they just sit in a box. I love the recycled card garland that I found on Martha Stewart's website. That would be fun to do with Asher!

I don't know about you, but I am IN LOVE with that cookie puzzle! What a fun gift! (also on MS website)

The cinnamon and birch wrapped candles are so cute...and earthy...and that's just my style. A trip to Michael's and the grocery store...and I'm good to go. Luckily my mom just gave me a huge box full of candles from our wedding (we had a winter theme and I can reuse some of them for these fun candle craft ideas!).

And the oranges with cloves...mmmm...I can just smell it now. I can't wait! This is going to be a blast!

I bet I can recreate some of my favorites from this slew of ideas for as little as 25 bucks!

I'd LOVE to see what you create this holiday season!

Send me pics of your creations and I'll post them on a feature I'm calling "Handmade for the Holidays"

email pictures to: nathalie@suissemade.com

Monday's Mom: Dec 6th

2010-11-29T09:47:00.001-06:00

We're taking a little break from Monday's Mom, but will return next week December 6th. I sure hope you had a great Thanksgiving Holiday! You can read about ours here.

Today's post is short and sweet. We're all still recovering from a very eventful weekend...getting over sickness, Thanksgiving, and...our sweet Piper turned ONE yesterday!! You can read my letter to her and see some pictures of our beautiful girl here.

If you are interested in telling your story for Monday's Mom, please email me at: nathalie@suissemade.com

Happy Monday...

Happy Birthday Piper

2010-11-28T23:29:00.002-06:00

I can't believe its already been one year.

It literally feels like just a few weeks ago that Daddy, Asher and I were at that Japanese restaurant, ordering our drinks...when I felt the strangest feeling....like a rubberband snapped inside my belly. I gasped...it startled me to say the least. And I said..."I think my water just broke". I wasn't sure, but soon after...there was no mistaking it. We quickly grabbed all our things as I waddled to the car...soaked from the waist all the way past my knees. I had left a puddle behind (so sorry and many thank you's to our lovely server :-/ ). That was the STRANGEST feeling! I always thought that only happened in the movies. But boy was I wrong!

We went home and we packed our bags. You came two weeks early and I was NOT prepared. By the time we reached the hospital, just 2 hours later, my contractions were only 1 minute and 15 seconds apart. I wasn't sure we'd make it before you decided to make an appearance.

Although you were persistent in your attempts to enter the world....it took some time. And about 10 hours later I finally held you in my arms. It was hard work, but I didn't mind...not once I saw that sweet precious face....felt your warm soft skin...and kissed your sweet cheeks. What a miracle. We had loved you from the moment we knew that God had begun knitting you together. But seeing you face to face...the joy....there are just no words. Our hearts are full. Now we have TWO amazing and beautiful children. We love both of you so much.

We have loved every moment we've had, thus far, getting to know you, Piper. We love your big grins, the way you study people, we love your Speedy Gonzales crawl and your wobbly attempts at walking, we love that you clap when you're excited, we love to watch you play, we love to watch you sleep, we love to hear you laugh when we tickle and when your brother makes silly faces, we love every square inch of you and everything about you...

WE LOVE YOU THROUGH AND THROUGH.

We can't wait to keep watching you grow and change.

You have our hearts.

Happy Birthday Piper Mckenna!

We LOVE you to pieces!

Thanksgiving Quarantined

2010-11-26T00:06:00.006-06:00

This was a Thanksgiving Holiday we'll never forget! Our poor Asher has the stomach flu...this changed things a bit. Although we had plans to have a couple of guests at our Thanksgiving table, we informed them of the risks of attending...and advised they stay far away from the germ fest!

So it was just our little family...and that was just fine. :)

I had to get creative because I have a very curious and playful {almost} one year old who wouldn't keep her hands off of her brother. I was not going to have 2 sick kiddos so....

This was our solution...
Enter...PROJECT QUARANTINE

We have one of those baby play-yards. Who knew it could be so multi-purposeful!

My sweet pumpkin...feeling a bit better and able to stomach a popsicle.

I asked him to hold it up and he used every bit of energy to muster up that adorable smile.

Good thing my sweet baby girl is as happy as a lark playing with an empty can. All our toys are infested with nastiness and I haven't had the chance to disinfect.

Prior to today I had rummaged through some pictures online and found a few to inspire a festive table-scape. I was hoping to get to Michael's and purchase a few things, but alas...the pocket book is pretty dry at the moment. So...remembering how my mom always found a way to use what she had to decorate our home growing up...I was inspired. And here is what I came up with:

burlap, canning jars, baby food jars, tea lights, Indian corn, gourds, pumpkin pillar candles, and a glass vase

I had an inspiration picture of canning jars with tea lights...I added some baby food jars as well

a view from above...I really love the warm glow of the jars and tea lights!

I used a simple cylinder glass vase and put dried Indian corn inside. The husks became like a bouquet. I added some faux berry stems I already had. (my mom gave me the corn)

It kind of became a laid back, homespun, earthy kinda center piece. It was fun to throw together....a challenge to see what I could do with what I had.

Well I really hope you had precious moments with your family and friends today {oh wait, I guess at this point...12:15am...it was yesterday}. I have to admit...at first I was really discouraged that we'd be alone...and Asher was as sick as a dog...and nothing was going according to plan. But my mom encouraged me to journal my thoughts and count it as a memory...and one we'll surely not forget. I'm just SO THANKFUL that we've all not gotten sick as well! Thank you for that miracle God! We needed that...bad! And...Asher took a quick turn for the better later this afternoon. He seems to be gaining some energy and reclaiming the spunk that we know and love so much! Yay! Thank you God for healing!

I'm so very thankful that every day...EVERY DAY...my God supplies all my needs. All of them.

Thank you!

Blessings!!

Bare With Me

2010-11-24T12:23:00.000-06:00

Hey Friends...

Bare with me. I'm experimenting with some different designs today during the kids nap times. So if you come to visit and notice some changes...don't worry...it might change again. Hopefully I'll nail something down soon.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hopefully I'll be posting some fun pics of my homespun table-scape (of which I hope we'll be able to enjoy since there's a lot of sickness in my house right now...eeek!)

But in the meantime...focusing my heart on all I'm thankful for...

sick of being sick

2010-11-23T10:28:00.001-06:00

my kids have been battling the cold/flu...2 bouts each...over the last 3 1/2 weeks.

and then...Asher woke up at 5am telling me his tummy hurt.

by 6am he was throwing up over and over...

by 8 we were at the doctor...and he has the stomach flu

how in this world am i supposed to keep my 12 month old away from my vomiting 3 year old, and take care of my vomiting 3 year old while my 12 month old gets into everything...

wow...this is going to be quite a day.

pray for me!!

Monday's Mom: by Nikki Windham

2010-11-22T00:23:00.001-06:00

Grace. This is such a prevalent thread in the journey of my life. When I look back I see more grace then I deserve.

I didn’t grow up in a church going family. But at 16 I gave my life to Jesus Christ. At 18 after my dad left our family I ran as far from God as I could and then again at 21 I recommitted my life. Obviously I am leaving out the more colorful areas but let’s just say there was a lot of grace!

At 21 I transferred to Liberty University, which is where I met my husband. Scott and I were married January 3, 2004 and just 6 short months later we moved to NYC. He was going to be an actor and I was excited to be along for the ride. We spent almost 2 years in NYC and popped from church to church and showed no faithfulness to His body or His church. (So much grace!) At the end of the two years we were offered jobs in East TN and so we moved again! It was while we were in East TN that God started to convict and speak to us about what He wanted, not what we wanted. After spending a year attending and serving at a local church Scott once again submitted to the call on his life, to serve in full time ministry. Scott was offered a job and worked at this church for 3 years and while we were there we had our first daughter.

Lily was born and of course life changed dramatically. In June of 2009 we took a leap of faith and followed the leading of God and moved back to Scott’s hometown in West Texas. Shortly after that we were blessed with our second daughter Anna and of course life got a bit crazier!

Now as I head into my third year as a mom God has stretched, torn and broken me I don’t know how many times. God is continuing to show me my faults and errors all the while loving on me! But the biggest lesson I have learned is to not waste a moment. Even the moments that are stressful and chaotic. To grasp life fully and enjoy, learn and grow from everything. And in this process hopefully become more like my Savior. And during this stretching and growing God continually calls me to more things out of my comfort zone. Enter ADOPTION!

Scott and I always knew we wanted a large family and even while we were dating we both spoke of a desire to adopt someday. After we were married we talked about having two and adopting two. Well, talking about this and the reality are very different. But the summer of this year God started to speak to each of our hearts separately about the orphan crisis in the world. I can remember the first time I read the number 147,000,000. 147 million orphans! And yet the word of God says that pure and genuine religion in the sight of God is taking care of the orphans and widows. (James 1:27) WOW, I had sure missed the mark.

As God continued to speak to our hearts He continued to burden us to adopt. Well at the time I had a 2 ½ yr old and a 9 month old. Not exactly the best time for us to be adding another child to our house. But there He was telling us ADOPT! So we walked out a little further in faith and started the application. Scott was adamant that God wanted us to adopt from an African Nation. I worried about how that would affect our child, being a different race than us. How would they feel in our community, church, schools and in our family? As these fears presented themselves I was lead to the word of God that states that not unlike my baby in Ethiopia, I too was a different race than my Savior, brother Jesus Christ, I too was adopted into the family of God! What a humbling, incredible opportunity to show the world what the family of God looks like in my own home!

And as God continued to speak to us and the more we learned about Ethiopia the more we knew that was where our little boy was. Here are a few statistics about Ethiopia.

Ethiopia Stats

One in ten children die before their first birthday*

One in six children die before their fifth birthday*

60% of children in Ethiopia are stunted due to malnutrition*

The median age in Ethiopia is 17.8 years; the average life span is 37 years*

Half the children in Ethiopia will never attend school; 88% will never attend secondary school*

Ethiopia has the highest HIV/AIDS population in the world*

Ethiopia’s doctor to children ratio is 1 to 24,000*

Only 24% of households have access to safe drinking water*

82% of the population survives on less than 1 dollar a day*

Per capita, Ethiopia receives less aid than any country in Africa*

These statistics are truly sobering and remind us daily to continue to move forward. We are currently approved by our agency and ready to start our home study. We are super excited to continue on our journey to our little boy but still hesitant as we don’t know where the funds are coming from. Currently an adoption from Ethiopia is averaging around $35,000!!!! Did I mention my husband is a youth pastor? We don’t struggle but we are not rolling in the dough either! So we continue in faith knowing that God will provide since He called us to this. We are looking at numerous fundraisers and will apply for grants once our home study is complete.

In the waiting, which is a large portion of adoption, God continues to speak to us. Continues to burden us and break our hearts for the millions who are without homes. The millions of children who will never cry out at night when they are hungry, thirsty or afraid, because they know no one will answer. The millions of children who have never known the love of a mother or the guidance of a father. The millions who will go their whole lives not knowing that Jesus Christ loves them.

I am not trying to guilt trip anyone into adopting. Not every believer is called to adopt, but we do believe that every follower of Jesus Christ is called to help in some way. I don’t know what that may be in your life. Perhaps you are meant to walk alongside some one who is adopting and offer them support and encouragement. Perhaps you are able to give financially or perhaps you send prayers up asking for protection, guidance and wisdom to the family who is adopting. Scott and I would love it if you would partner with us on any of these things. If you want to follow our journey or have questions about adoption check out our blog…

www.windhamfamilyadventure.blogspot.com

We invite you to walk with us during this thrilling journey and anticipate all that God will do through you to write the story of our baby boy!

How incredible it will be to stand before a holy God and have been a part of saving a life from disease, poverty and no hope. This verse from Proverbs has cautioned and weighed heavy on my heart. I pray God uses it to open your eyes and lead you to act now.

"...Once our eyes are opened, we can't pretend we don't know what to do. God who weighs our hearts and keeps our souls knows that we know, and holds us responsible to act..." Proverbs 24:12

TOGETHER

2010-11-21T09:02:00.002-06:00

I think we all have this deep desire to be known. Do the things I do matter to anyone else but me? I think we all have a longing to feel like our lives count....that someone else is changed, inspired, moved...as a result of the way we've chosen to live our lives.

I've mentioned before that I'm starting a blog post 'series' called, "Monday's Mom". Motherhood is made up of hours, days, weeks, months, & years filled with millions of unseen moments. I know that we're not supposed to want to be recognized...that all our hard work should be done with humbleness, not wanting anything in return. I know... But we are human beings. We've been created to be relational...desiring community with each other. Its true that we should find great confidence in knowing that we were artistically created and are known through and through by the God of the Universe. And yet He says, "It is not good for man to be alone.". I know that in context He was referring to creating a mate/spouse/wife for Adam. But I see an even deeper meaning within this passage in Genesis. I see that God knew that we'd live our lives best when we're living life together...helping each other. He said...it is NOT good for us to be alone. He created us for community.

So I really hope you know this isn't a effort to toot my own horn....I'm really wanting to toot yours. Ha! (that was weird) Actually I'm really wanting us to do this mom thing together. Like I've said before (if you're like me, and I think you might be), we often feel alone (in whatever we're going through...whether hard or exciting or both) and we don't have to. We can cry together, laugh together, get angry together, get ecstatic together....whatever it is...TOGETHER.

So tomorrow my good friend Nikki Windham will be telling her story...sharing about her journey as a mom and their newest calling...adoption. I really hope you'll read and comment, encourage her, and lift her up!

I don't usually do this, ask for a response, but if you're on board...if you're interested in sharing life together...will you leave a comment below this post or on the link I'll post on facebook? (again not trying to toot my own horn....just want to rally us together)

Hope you'll come back tomorrow!

the skin that I needed

2010-11-20T15:12:00.004-06:00

The other day Asher loaded up his "Cars" backpack with several toys....gifts we had given him. Some for his birthday, a couple for Christmas, and one or two "just because". He dumped the toys out on the ground and yelled, "look mommy! presents from mommy and daddy!". His face lit up...a smile from ear to ear....eye brows raised and little apple cheeks poised with excitement.

My heart was filled to the brim with exuberant joy as I watched him radiate delight over his gifts. I could tell that he felt loved and adored and special even though he could not yet express this with his words.

I began to think upon the hardship we've endured with Asher. I know you may think I'm being dramatic in wording it in that way, but it really is a perfect description...hard. He brings us such joy and we are so humbled and thankful that we get to be a part of his life and watch him grow. He is funny and smart, sensitive and affectionate, full of life...with such an adventurous exploratory spirit. He is amazing! And at the very same time....he is EXTREMELY strong-willed . I never ever thought I'd have perfect children...of course. I was prepared for "the terrible two's". But nothing prepared me for the amount of energy and stamina this little boy has. He has NEVER given in easily. And the more I submit my desire for control over him to the Lord, the more I see how great this trait is and will become as he also learns to submit. But in the meantime, I spend a lot of days clinging to joy with everything that I have because with Asher there's no such thing as: disobedience + discipline = changed behavior. I struggle because I SO love immediate gratification. But none-the-less, we celebrate every small victory, and every bit of energy is used up in order to obtain those mini-triumphs. (Did I mention he doesn't give in easily? I did? Oh ok...sorry to repeat.) :)

As I look intently at all the challenges that come with parenting him, it still doesn't change my desire to give him good gifts. Because after all, I love him. He can't earn my affections because I already love him. I don't give him gifts because he is or isn't obedient. I give him gifts because I love him and I delight in him.

I've been struggling lately with this concept when I think about my relationship with God. No surprise to us (because life is full of times like these), God has allowed some difficult circumstances to come our way recently. And my first thought was...I deserve this. I've even had difficulty asking for provision in these circumstances because I feel as though I DON'T deserve his good gifts.

But as I watch my sweet boy, whom I love with all my heart no matter what he does or doesn't do, I realize that my Heavenly Father sees me in much the same way...and with an even more perfect and unconditional love.

"If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:11)

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)

"Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:....I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us." (Romans 8:38-39)

"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge." (Psalm 62:5-8)

Maybe its because I can't tangibly feel His embrace...His skin touching my skin. Maybe that's why I find it so difficult to believe that He provides...that He gives good gifts not based on merit...what I've done right. Or on the flip side, what I've done wrong (which happens far more often). Maybe Asher is the skin that I needed to really experience His love with all my senses. Thank you. Thank you once again for meeting me here...in the broken places....for scooping me up out of the miry pit....for being my Rescuer and my Refuge. Thank you.

Can I Call Do-Overs?

2010-11-18T07:12:00.001-06:00

The last couple of days have been quite rough. I'm just going to be absolutely and completely honest...maybe a little too honest. There are days that I totally understand why some people don't want to have kids. Oh my gosh...I just read that and it sounds TERRIBLE. I know how that makes me sound. I absolutely ADORE my children and I love them more than I could ever express. But some days....I get it. I totally get it. Because being a parent is the most self-sacrificing job, role, responsibility, privilege I've ever been given. I know that's what makes the hard days hard...because of what's required of me. I mean who really wants to set aside the things that make you "happy"?

Ok don't misunderstand. Because I'm learning that there's a real difference between happiness and true soul satisfaction. For instance:

Does it make me happy to have to discipline my son over and over and over for the same bad behavior? Heck No! Its extremely frustrating and tiring. But my soul is satisfied knowing that training him as a young boy will produce in him the desire to obey God, and help him to become a humble and loving person.

Does it make me happy to have my hands in poo and pee all day long? Umm...No! And if you say "yes" you're lying...ha! No, I don't enjoy changing diapers and cleaning up poopy underwear accidents and getting slobbered & snotted on constantly. But, my souls is deeply satisfied when I serve my children, provide for their needs, and help make our home a safe and loving place to grow.

Does it make me happy that I often have to sacrifice some of my favorites because my children need my time and attention? No, happiness doesn't come to mind when using the word sacrifice. But my soul soars as I get to watch my children grow and experience the world. I am filled with absolute joy because I get to actually be a part of forming their childhood memories, make them laugh, teach them truth, cultivate their talents, help mold the people they will become, point them to their Creator, and watch God move in their lives. WOW.

Happiness is self-serving. Happiness is fleeting. Happiness isn't eternal. So I sit here today thinking about the way I spent my morning...pursuing happiness and fighting self-sacrifice to the death. (BIG GIGANTIC SIGH)

Can I call do-overs?

We live in a culture that lies to us. According to our world, our lives should revolve around being happy, finding what makes us happy, and doing what brings us happiness. And the result of this never ending expedition is the opposite of happiness....discontentment. When happiness fails to fulfill we are only left with a discontented abyss in the deepest places of our souls.

This morning this is what I read.

¹²I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.¹³I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:12-13

I think Paul is saying...its not about what makes us happy. What makes us content (vs 11 says "I have learned to be content in whatever the circumstances")...what brings satisfaction...is HIM. Did you see that? I can do ALL THINGS through HIM. ALL THINGS...

Here is my interpretation of that verse:

I know what is to be covered in poop and worn ragged by exhausting chores and the most active little boy in the world, and I know the pure bliss of hearing my children laugh, getting their hugs and kisses, and watching their faces light up as every new adventure brings more wonder and excitement. I know what it is to get up multiple times a night to a screaming baby sacrificing all sanity due to lack of sleep, and I know the little taste of heaven that naps provide on days my children rest well. I know how unnerving it is to go months without alone time with my husband, and I know the sweet joy of getting a night out without tiny people tugging at my shirt and putting their grubby little fingers in my food. I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH.

Mama's Hot Spiced Tea

2010-11-16T12:33:00.001-06:00

One of my most favorite holiday treats is my mama's hot spiced tea recipe. Its delicious and warms me from the inside out. Its perfect for a day like today. So without further adieu:

One container Tang drink mix powder

3/4 cup instant tea mix (plain without lemon flavoring)

2 packets lemonade mix (unsweetened)

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoons cinnamon

(all ingredients can be adjusted to your taste preference)

Mix together and store in an airtight container. 2 rounded tablespoons per 8 oz of hot water (or less or more depending on how strong/tart you like it).

Its incredible...and easy...and I LOVE IT!

Enjoy and hope you're having a relaxing afternoon!

Monday's Mom

2010-11-15T11:58:00.001-06:00

So I originally started this blog to share my life with my close friends and family...with no desire at all to gain a following. Its really been an outlet for me to pen some of my inner most thoughts, which is how I often work things out the best. But just recently God has been culminating some of the desires of my heart...my passions...my creativity...my heart for moms, and I feel like he's giving me some direction as to how I can begin to use those gifts and passions in a more communicative way.

I'd like to introduce to you a new page of my blog that speaks to one of those pieces of my heart.

Monday's Mom:

This will be a feature blog post, every Monday, introducing you to amazing moms who, so graciously, are willing to share their stories with all of us. I'm so excited about this! I think hearing someone's story is so very powerful. And in that power I think we'll find a common bond and a familiar thread that ties our hearts together (whether or not the story comes from a friend or someone you've never met). I've already begun speaking to some of you about telling your story for Monday's Mom, but so many of you I've yet to ask. So stay tuned...and check your inbox often!

Our first story is coming from a very dear friend of mine, Nikki Windham. I am thrilled to introduce her to you. She has blessed me, encouraged me, and inspired me in so many ways...and I love her to pieces.

So don't miss out! See you on Monday!

PS...We've been having a blast with my parents who are here for a short couple of months before they move to the Philippines. My grandparents are here for a few days to visit and also help my parents clean out their storage room to prepare for a moving sale. There's just something about having your mama close...no matter how old you are. It seems like there's nothing better than mama's meals, mama's hugs, mama's talks....and oh how I'm loving her telling me to go back to bed in the morning when the kids wake. Many many thanks my sweet mom! (And dad you're great too!!)