Can we just pretend - just for one minute - that times are simpler than they really are? 

Can we pretend that we actually have to grow what we need to eat (those are straw bales that we are planning on planting our garden in)?

Can we pretend that a child's "education" is to stay home and shadow daddy all day long?

Can we pretend that our dogs are actually invaluable companions, necessary to getting our jobs done in a day?

Can we pretend that we actually depend on our fire pits for staying warm, cooking food, and keeping animals away?

Can we pretend that we use our own two hands to create the things we need - like furniture?

Can we pretend that the days are always bright,

that the babies never grow up,

and that we go to bed when the sun goes down?

..because that would be nice. 

beautiful, gloomy morning

I have a blog, you say?

I am attempting to blog, but Benjamin is standing at his toy box across from me giving me the most heart-melting smiles ever. My concentration! It dissolves!

Ahhh, yes. It's now snowing outside. After WEEKS without it, it's decided to come back just for my birthday! How fortunate I am! (/sarcasm) 

Anyways... I'm basically posting today to let you all know that nothing disastrous has happened to my family in the week (gasp!) that I haven't blogged. We've just been busy, that's all! I haven't even been taking pictures, except with my iPod. It may be fun to use Instagram, but the grainy photos are usually not fit for blog consumption. 

The things that have taken my time are as follows:

• Saturday: my mom came out for our boys' dedications and stayed with us for two nights
• Sunday: after the morning service we spent the rest of the day with Joey's family
• Monday: attempted to bring order to our house and said goodbye to Mom
• Tuesday-Thursday: went on a three day retreat with other CSSM Manitoba missionaries
• Friday: attended a wedding/reception of one of the daughters of some of our friends
• Sunday: went to church, were invited out for lunch, & attended a fundraising concert for camp
• Monday: I was sick, so naps were plentiful and energy lacking. Attended small group in the evening.

I love people - I really do! - but I get inexplicably tired from being busy like I have been the last 1.5 weeks. I need time to be quiet and fight the laundry monster that lives beside my side of the bed (Joey is much neater than I am). I need to not be needed by the world around me... except for my children & husband, of course. I am always needed by them, and I don't mind. :) I just need time. I'm sure that in a couple days I'll be as right as rain. PLUS: tomorrow is my birthday! and it shall be wonderful!

a brief note on the weather

It feels so wonderful to be able to open up the windows in mid-March and allow a warm breeze to air out my house. I can not remember a spring that was so warm! At this time of the year, we are often still in the below-freezing temperatures. Although I feel somewhat robbed of my most beloved Spring weather, it is a rare treat to be enjoying weather typical of early/late summer. For reference, my birthday is just over a week away and every year I hope that it will at least be melting by my birthday. This year the snow has long since left, and I am already considering wearing such nonsense as capris and t-shirts outdoors. I will try to enjoy this and not think too much of what this could mean for our summer months. Whatevs. I have A/C!

What makes a muskrat guard his musk?

We had a family outing last night to the nearest Walmart (exciting, isn't it) last night. It was so bright and sunny and warm out yesterday that it seemed a shame to not get out of the house (I seem to love going for drives, you see). As is my habit when shopping, I was looking at all the merchandise that passed before my eyes and considering whether or not what I saw was necessary. We were down in the pet section when I saw a whole wall dedicated to dog toys. I realized that our pup has not one dog toy and decided to remedy that fact. It was really tempting to buy the Lamb Chops chew toy, but in the end I settled on a really scruffy, creepily realistic muskrat squeak toy. When I presented it to Joey to get his opinion on my silly idea, Judah caught sight of the unsightly little creature.

And fell in love.

He gave me his biggest puppy-eyes and said "Pleeease?" in a way only a toddler can. I handed it to him and he began stroking it's whiskers, saying "Nice!". I may has well given him a plate full of cookies... or his first real car - that's how happy he looked. 

Well, what do you think happened? We got home and I couldn't bear throwing such a beloved thing to the dog.  And, lo, our beloved Manfred the Muskrat was born.

The real clincher on this whole deal was when Judah lifted up his shirt, held Manny sideways, and tried to feed him from his bellybutton. 

Yep.

My kid rocks. 

my week according to my iPod

making pumpkin baby food for Benji... which he is no longer a fan of.

Ben has perfected the art of playing at the toy box.

I am thoroughly over my fear of making soups. They are easy peasy.

Judah likes to play with his toys in twos.

Cinnamon biscuit buns were a great Sunday morning treat.

must escape teh clothingz!

someone was trying to put Ben down for a nap

I made silhouettes of the boys to hang above their beds. I love them!

Benjamin can pull himself to standing. DENIAL. 

Benjamin became amazingly attached to his soother this week.

Judah had yet another birthday cake to indulge in! Lucky bum. 

My, what big, strong boys you have!

It has been a busy week for me. I am a self-professed homebody... so, really, any outing I make is a really big deal. On Tuesday I felt very brave and victorious because I took both of our boys to get their immunizations without the help of my husband. I only like to take the boys out together when I am certain of the means to keep them both contained, like using a double-seater cart at Co-op, or being able to keep Benjamin in my ring-sling while Judah sits in a cart. The thought of taking the boys to get needles, which has the potential of making them both very crabby and cannot be fixed by a double-seater cart, filled me with fear. It was what had to be done, however, and I made it work. Thanks be to God, they were not even bothered by the needles! Judah was so excited to get bandages that he willingly put up with both needles (he just loves getting bandages - I don't know why). It all went swimmingly! I am so thankful.

The thing I appreciate about these appointments is that I find out the weight and height of my boys. Benjamin is in the 95th percentile for height and the 75th for weight. He didn't gain as much as is normal since our last appointment, but I think that is largely to do with how mobile he's become in the last few weeks and the nasty cold he struggled with for two of those weeks. Judah is as stocky as ever. He's off the charts for weight and almost off the charts for height. At our last appointment, we were told that he was in the 25th percentile for length. I suspected that the health nurse had plotted it incorrectly on the graph. That has been confirmed now - I know he hasn't grown that much in two months, and he is most definitely a big boy for his age!

I suppose that these charts and percentiles don't really mean very much in the grand scheme of things. I am just so very thankful that my boys are developing like they should. Seriously, there are so many things a mom can worry about - not that she should. 

Anyways... I've got many things I need to accomplish today, and NONE of them is being done whilst I sit on my fanny and blog! Off I go.

"just keep coming back to me"

I sit here, staring at a blank screen. My fingers are hovering above the keyboard, but I can't think of a single word to type. I wonder why I feel so uninspired to write as of late. Is it because I haven't been thinking about much lately? Is it because my life is not interesting? Is it because God isn't teaching anything?

I can confidently say NO to all of those questions. I think the biggest problem is that there is simply too much on my mind. I have a history of anxiety issues that stem from over-thinking things, coming to conclusions that have no basis in reality, and worrying about anything and everything that could happen in the future. It made me lose weight in high school (in a very un-healthy way, of course), gave me shooting pain in my stomach and my head, and it's been partially to blame for how breastfeeding our first son didn't work so well. Even now, I find that I am nowhere close to being free of this horrible struggle.

It's hard to blog when all that consumes your thoughts is a series of "woe-is-me"s, "what-if"s, and "oh-dear-oh-dear"s. I have been trying very hard to remember that I can cast all my cares upon my Lord. He cares for me. I find that it helps to be honest with my husband and request that he make petition to God on my behalf. I really do trust my husband very much - I know that he takes good care of me. When he prays over me, somehow the pressure of my anxieties lifts in a much more noticeable way than if I just pray on my own. 

Instead of unloading what's weighing me down on you, I will list the good in my current circumstances (not that anything in particular is really wrong right now): God is good, I am blessed, my boys are healthy, I love my husband, I miss my family, I love our church, our home is cozy, we have all we need. 

Indeed, there is much to be thankful for!

a day in the life

Welcome to my life. I am taking you on an hour-by-hour journey through today, starting at 9:00 AM and ending at 9:00 PM. I hope you enjoy it! I worked hard all day to create it. :)

And good night!

An Absolutely Delicious Roast Chicken Recipe

I'm not usually one to post recipes, but this meal turned out so delicious (and it was so easy) that I vowed I simply must share it with anyone who cares!

The way Joey and I grocery shop is pretty random. We grab things that are on sale and worry about what we'll do with it later. This $5 chicken caught my husband's eye, and that was that.

I've never roasted a chicken like this before, but I was determined to do it without the help of my husband. It's not that I despise his help... but he's an extremely talented cook. He knows everything. Sometimes I just like to surprise him with delicious things that he had no hand in creating.

I did what I always do when trying to plan a meal: I Google searched "roast chicken". I found a few that looked promising, read them through so I was quite familiar with the methodology behind roasting a chicken, then put my own twist on things. So far, I've been quite successful with this method. Let's hope my luck lasts!

Anyways... what I love about this recipe is that it's a put-in-the-oven-and-forget-until-the-timer-goes type of deal. No basting of the chicken! I was skeptical whether the chicken would turn out moist... but it did! It was the best chicken breast I've ever had!

So... without any further ado, I present to
An Absolutely Delicious Roast Chicken Recipe!
(adapted from Canadian Living)

Ingredients
1 head of garlic
1/4 cup (60 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) dry mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) dried rosemary, crumbled
1 tsp (5 mL) each  salt and pepper
3 potatoes,
3 large carrots
3 large parsnips (or 1 large sweet potato/yam...or both!)
1.5 large onions
1 chicken


Preparation
Separate garlic into cloves; peel. Mince 2 of the cloves; combine in small bowl with 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the oil, mustard, rosemary and half each of the salt and pepper.

Peel potatoes & sweet potato; cut into 2-inch (5 cm) cubes (I did mine smaller, and they were done to perfection) and place in large bowl. Slice carrots and parsnips into 2-inch (5 cm) diagonal chunks. Cut onion into 6 wedges. Add vegetables to bowl along with remaining garlic, oil, salt and pepper; toss to coat.

Remove giblets and neck from chicken (if present - my chicken was nicely cleaned). Pat chicken dry inside and out. Place half of an onion inside the cavity. Tie legs together with string; tuck wings under back. Place, breast side up, on rack in large roasting pan (I used a 9x13 cake pan without a rack to place it on, and it just fit. To be safe, use a roaster! I would have, but we do not own such things). Brush mustard mixture all over chicken; surround with vegetables. Roast in 375°F (190°C) oven, until meat thermometer inserted in thigh registers 185°F (85°C) and vegetables are tender and golden brown, 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Note: I chose to get it up to 74°C, which is the temperature that poultry is considered to be "cooked" at. 1-1/2 hours was enough to accomplish this.

Let the chicken stand for 10 minutes before carving. Transfer vegetables to a bowl. Serve and enjoy!


Here's a FANTASTIC tip: save the carcass of the chicken and any leftover meat, and make a broth from it! The flavours of the veggies, onions, and garlic make a fabulous soup base!

a week of celebrations

Judah turned two years old on Friday. Can I believe that it's been two whole years since the Cuteness came into the world? Nope. Not at all! But I find the facts are against me and I simply must accept it.

I didn't want to go overboard on decorating, but I still wanted to make it a little special. I ordered this bunting banner from a friend, who happens to have an Etsy shop with another fabulous lady. I love it! As soon as we got home, I hung it up in the boys' room. I would say that it's definitely money well-spent.

Judah was a lucky bum who got birthday cake on his birthday, AND birthday cupcakes on his little people party day. He shares a birthday with one of my cousins, so we invited her & the fam over for a party that was much more low-key.  

 Judah *really* liked his piece of cake. It was gone in less than a minute. 

 There was no hesitation on his part when it came to presents this time. He opened all of his presents...

 ...then opened my cousin's presents.

 On Saturday we had some of his baby-friends from my parents' church (and some of my college friends!) over in the afternoon . The cupcake you see above is adapted from this amazingly delicious recipe. 

The little girl you see pictured above is Judah's secret crush. They definitely seemed to take a shine to one another! It was so cute.

 I think the best part about little people birthday parties is that the parents get to visit with each other as well. It's a win-win for everyone!

 Judah seems to have had an excellent time. Although you can't tell, he's smiling in the picture above. At least, I told him to smile and this is what I got. He says a big THANK YOU for all of the love he received! 

another post in which I bemoan the growing up of my babies

I am completely thrown off by my little seven-month-and-one-day-old. 

Joey and I decided to take a week of our his holidays while his work load is not so unpredictable as it is in the summer. At the beginning of last week, Benjamin was mostly immobile. He could pull himself along using his arms, but it was slow and he was easy to keep track of. By the middle of the week, he decided that it was more efficient to stay up on all fours at all times instead of bobbing up and down like he had been doing. Now his confidence has grown in leaps and bounds, and he's decided that he now must try to climb everything - as if crawling wasn't enough of an accomplishment in one week!

It's so awesome to see the my baby learning new things and trying to mimic all that he sees his big brother doing, but it's also kind of terrifying! He doesn't realize how easy it is to lose balance. He can't really tell where the top of his head is. Oh, and he has no fear. I remember Judah taking weeks to cross the edge of the carpet and explore the linoleum. Benjamin shows no signs of caring for boundaries whatsoever. He has absolutely no balance, and yet I'll find him pulling himself up on our bookshelf, waving back and forth like a ship's mast on a stormy sea. He smiles all the while. Look at me, Mom! I'm a big boy! I can do anything my brother can do!

And I say?

KID! YOU ARE ONLY SEVEN MONTHS OLD!!

Now that Benji has more physical independence, I'm definitely seeing the way his personality varies from Judah's. He's a lot braver than Judah, but he's also a bigger cry-baby when things go awry. We've discovered that there is no middle-ground between happy and upset. Judah's much more of a drama queen in that regard, which means we get ample warning when he's about to flip his lid. Benjamin is also much more of a people-person. He loves sitting in your lap and simply soaking up your warmth. Judah appreciates that sort of thing only when he just wakes up or when he's ill. While people tire Judah out, Benjamin gets energized by a crowd. And, one of the biggest differences that I notice, Benjamin is a mama's boy while Judah thinks the world revolves around his dad (which I do not mind in the slightest). 

As I'm learning just who this little guy is, I kind of feel like I'm a new mom all over again - and that's not necessarily a bad feeling to have. I really do hope that being a mom never becomes a bore.