Lean In -- A Reflection Post

Life has been overwhelming lately. Not overwhelming as in I don't know where my next meal is coming from or have adequate shelter over my head.  Likewise, I have no serious threats to my security or that of my children. But I am feeling overwhelmed because I cannot complete the tasks I think are important. I am overwhelmed because I cannot function on the level I have in the past.

Am I surprised by this? Not in the least. It happens as I recover after each new baby. I struggle. I grow. I recover. But the patience is always hard. It is always hard to look at my still-saggy body and wish I felt more like working out - or had a baby that was not quite so needy all the time. It is hard to take my super-sensitive two-year-old AND my easily-irritable baby out in public. Sometimes I the grace comes to stay calm amidst their cries and struggles, but the looks the comments of others cut deep.  It is exhausting on so many levels.

Me and the kiddos out and about :)

As I was turning to God in the midst of this, I found myself telling Him, "I'm just off-balance."  I cannot seem figure out what is important and what is not. I get distracted. I try to fix one area of my life and another falls apart.  I get the laundry done, but then have nothing to offer the children for dinner so we eat frozen pizza for the third time this week. We make it out of the house for a fun activity and I get some work done for my part-time job, but suddenly the house is an absolute mess and the kitchen floor so sticky I think one of my shoes is still adhered there.

But then I realized, this is the stuff of the life God has called me to.I am not called (at least not right now) to spend days doing serious fasting and kneeling on cold hard floors (although I do that now, but because I think its fun - I am so strange, I admit it). I am not called to hard physical labor or to combat.  God has called me to be faithful to my vocation. My primary vocation is wife and mother. So God is calling me to connect with my husband - spend time with him and take concern over his day. Then God is calling me to care for my children. I have to discern if I should be putting in extra effort to find super-healthy meals or if my time is better spent in other avenues, while I offer them more processed and simple choices. This is the stuff I struggle with, but I am just finally realizing the struggle is real. I am not making decisions that affect tons of lives or doing heavy lifting, but I'm doing what needs to be done for our family and that is something.

I really feel like God is in the moment. Each moment I am trying to discern what I should be doing. Often the crying baby trumps all, or my grumbling tummy makes it clear. Other times I get distracted and suddenly an hour has passed and I have nothing to show for it.

But the secret I am learning is that the more off-balance I get, the more I need to lean in. My family practices the art of Aikido. In Aikido there is a lot of leaning. Generally the person being attacked wants to use the attacker's momentum to get the attacker off-balanced and "throw" (literally) them away. In the case of God, though, I see it as allowing Him to throw my energy where He sees fit. I attack Him. I give him all the power I can muster, flailing into Him blindly these days, and he redirects my efforts sending them off in all directions to my family, my friends, my community. And being overwhelmed almost seems to help fuel the cannon as I have so many reasons to turn to Him. All I need to do is lean in and let Him guide me through His will for me at that moment - whether it be cleaning the floor, bathing the children, or finishing up a work assignment. I don't need to be troubled by all those things I am not doing that I think need to be done, or all those things I would like to be doing. I just need to be in the moment with God, and it all starts by leaning in.

Zipporah is now TWO!!

Happy Birthday, Zipporah!!  

(Only about a month late - oops!! - but no less sincere.)

*One of Zipporah's favorite pastimes is playing dress-up with her sister, Miriam.

*She is a little slow-to-warm-up and often prefers to take in new situations from Mom's arms, with her thumb in her mouth.

*Once Zipporah is comfortable, she turns into one of the most joyful children I have ever seen.  Her smile and dimples really light up the room.

*She loves to eat and will often take food from my plate - food none of the other children will touch, such as tomatoes and sauteed onions.

*She loves to climb - even if is just on Mom's lap or legs.  Sitting still is not in her repertoire anymore (which is funny because up to this point she has been my most cuddly and snuggly baby).

*Zipporah has an outraged cry that sounds much like a goose honk.  She gives it more and more often these days, as two-year-olds are easily offended, you know.

May God bless you, dear Zipporah Marie and help you grow in virtue and love of God, all your days.
- Amen
And this year, we actually remembered to celebrate her Baptism Anniversary!!

We had Rice Crispy Treats (with peanut butter and chocolate because that is how we do things in this house) and since Zipporah does not talk much, and was not really able to understand what was going on, the children and I all renewed our baptismal promises so we could be strengthened to share the faith with her.

You were claimed for Christ at your baptism, Zipporah!  May He always remain as Lord of your heart.

7 Quick Takes

1) Rebekah confessed to me today that sometimes she thinks we might have too many kids in our family.

But then she followed it up with, "but I can't think of who I would rather not be here," to put it all in perspective.  And for the record, she has been telling me regularly we need MORE kids, but not next year as she wants to be sure and finish school on time (which did not happen this year, largely because I was busying being very pregnant and useless for a few weeks at the end, and then recovering from having a baby for a few more weeks).  Rebekah definitely has a generous heart and some solid wisdom going for her.

2) Zipporah's birthday was last month and I have yet to blog about it.

Poor Zipporah.  Because June was SOOOO busy and her birthday fell on Fathers' Day, of all days, we decided to join her extended family celebration with her older older sister (Rebekah) in early July.  But now I have yet to put up her yearly birthday blog post.  That's what happens to kid #6 apparently.

3) I have not been actively looking for work, but I accidentally got some.

My hubby and I have had this discussion - should I get a job, part-time, full-time, should we put the kids in school or daycare?  And we basically decided me being home and homeschooling them was the best for all and we could make it work on hubby's salary.  But suddenly, out of the blue, an ideal part-time, work-at-home job fell in my lap and I am really enjoying it!!  It is transcription work and since I have a hidden love of English from my dear English-teacher father, and I love to type, I am finding this kind of work most rewarding and refreshing (as the regular life of a stay-home-mom can be a little mind-numbing).  And then a few days later, ANOTHER possible part-time work-at-home has fallen into my lap as a friend asked me to write for a blog.  That one is still in the works, but if/when I actually do get it going, I will be sure to let you know!!

4) Peter is sleeping better. . . kinda.

Peter remains a bit of a "needy baby" but he is sleeping better.  At least he lets me lay him down now and gives me 3 or 4 hours at a time.  Unfortunately last night I think he was attached all night (maybe a growth spurt?) but we were able to sleep in this morning, so that helped.  I am so grateful for summer and being able to adjust my schedule as needed.

Also, in my brilliance of dealing with Peter, I noticed he does not care for the baby vibrator chair so much anymore.  He still enjoys the Bumbo some, but gets tired of it quickly.  Unfortunately he does not tolerate being horizontal on the ground very well AT ALL.  Movement is something he really enjoys so I began thinking about a swing.  We have had swings in the past, but a 15lb baby weighs down a swing REALLY FAST and makes it eat batteries like crazy.  Plug-in swings are expensive and take take up a lot of room so. . . I decided to try an outside baby swing hung on the same hooks as our notorious rings.  It actually has worked REALLY WELL.

Peter does not require much pushing and there is lots of help besides.  Plus if/when he does fall asleep is he up high enough to not be disturbed by the two-year-old and he is right in the middle of the front room so I can easily keep and eye on him.

5) Rebekah loves to pet-sit.

A friend of ours had some baby chickens that needed attention while they took a short trip over the weekend.  (Shhh, don't tell anyone that chickens are not allowed in town.)  We kept them in the garage for three days, in a little tub and Rebekah faithfully changed their food and water and gave them fresh paper twice a day.  She was IN HEAVEN caring for those little creatures.

Now she is checking on a friend's cat once a day and enjoying that.  I'm thinking that she should just be a regular pet-sitter.  This way she can make money AND we don't have to get a pet of our own.  Win win!!

6) The other day I asked my husband a question about laundry baskets.

Honestly, we need a couple more laundry baskets and we have a hodgepodge right now and they don't really fit together well for stacking so I thought we should be sure to match at least one of our current baskets.  I was looking online (as that is where I shop these days) and realized I needed to know the size of baskets we had.  When I asked my husband what size he thought one of our baskets was he gave me the oddest look.  And then commented, "This is really what you think about?"  Yep, that's the glorious life of a stay-home-mom.  Running the house means thinking about things like size and shape of laundry baskets.  Oh these moments :)

7) Food-body-image- mulling.

I was trying to eat the Whole 30 diet while being pregnant and then after (lately) for a lot of reasons - mostly because it makes me feel good and somewhat because I know it will help me lose extra weight.  But I have been struggling with some stomach issues for the past three weeks or so and what do they recommend for upset tummies?  Bread - Rice - Applesauce - Toast, right?  God has such a great sense of humor, to make me eat almost exactly what I was trying NOT to eat for so long.  Thankfully my stomach is FINALLY settling down.  

I actually ate junk food the other day and did not feel totally sick afterward - party on!  Unfortunately I then felt guilty!!  I should be eating healthy.  I need to get back in shape!  And then I remembered I just had a baby and I need to cut myself some slack.  I have never done this in the past - I have always immediately tried to jump back on the bandwagon, working out, no desserts, etc etc.  But you know what?  Not this time.  This time I am giving myself TIME.  It took nine months to put this weight on and I'm going to take nine months to take it back off - and maybe more.  Although I do wish to be stronger and faster and maybe a little less jiggly, I am still pretty amazing.  I can lift and carry my 15lb Peter around the grocery store or on walks - just in my arms.  I can strap Peter on in my wrap or a sling and then carry my 2-year-old in my arms beside Peter, around the store or for short walks.  I am pretty strong.  And I might have little extra softness but my kids all seem to love leaning on those parts of me.  I'm still adjusting emotionally to having a biz-zillion kids and trying to figure out my baby's cues.  Sometimes I find a little chocolate or another treat makes me a much better momma and I have decided that is OK.

Instead of trying to kill myself in the gym, I have been taking more and longer walks.  This way I am gently growing in stamina and not making myself miserable in the process.  My favorite alignment guru (Katy Bowman) calls it "stacking your life."  Instead of JUST getting some movement, let the movement take you somewhere or do it with others. I do both.  Often I walk with Rebekah and we chat it up.  Other times I walk to the store or to run an errand.  Right now I see no need to sacrifice sleep to get up and dance along to a work-out video.  There will be plenty of time for that once Peter is older.  And instead of dusting off my free weights, I just pick up my babies.  Zipporah is just about the perfect weight for bicep curls.

7 Quick Takes - Peter Joseph update

1) Peter has started batting at toys.

We have a hangy-down toy on the mobile carseat (that we use in the truck and other people's cars).  He deliberately gave it several wacks on our way to the doctor the other day.

2) He is showing signs of better sleeping habits.

Peter has started letting me know he wishes to begin the evening sleeping at about 7pm.  He gave me a good two and  a half hours this evening - IN HIS BED!!!  This is actually quite huge as I have been pretty-much holding him for most of his life thus far, and I'm only slightly exaggerating on that.

3) He often smiles now - if you catch him at the right moment.

Peter does not wish to smile when he is grumpy about being put down, or buckled in his carseat when he would rather be eating or sleeping in my arms.  But if he is fairly content I can often entice a grin or two out of him - or he will smile at the other children, they LOVE that!

Peter and his big big brother, Samuel.

4) Peter's favorite position is in the bumbo, watching his siblings.

I should clarify, that his favorite position AWAY FROM ME is as above noted.  I still trump all (and will not let you forget it because all too soon he will be running away from me and laughing about it).  But I wish to note that if given the choice of vibrator chair or bumbo, the bumbo wins.  Maybe because he can see better out of it, or maybe because he likes sitting UP more.

5) Zipporah still does not know Peter's name.

Zipporah LOVES her "baby."  She will pat him and get his blanket and talk to him.  "Hello Baby!!" she will happily cry.  One day she will probably figure out he is Peter, but for now "Baby" will have to do.

6) For his two-month check-up (maybe a week or so late), here are his stats:

Weight: 13 lbs, 3.5 oz

Length: 23.5 inches

7) Peter humors me and lets me wear him around in my woven wrap.

I apologize for the blurry picture - it is difficult to get a good shot when I have to turn the flash off for the mirror.

It has taken me seven children but I have finally leveled up my babywearing to the epic tier.  This is more than pocket ring slings and the stretchy moby.  The world is my oyster now because there are SO MANY different ways to carry Peter!!  I generally carry him in front because it makes nursing super-easy, but I have put him on my back a handful of times and I would not say he loves it, but he definitely allows it.  I am grateful to my daughter Rebekah who helps spot when I put him on and double-check he is secure and breathing and all.

I should note: This is not a "great" wrapping job by any means.  This is actually my first time putting him up there in this particular tie (or "carry"), called a double-hammock.  He should have his legs up a bit more and deeper pocket to sit in, among other things, but he was very secure up there for the time I wore him.  I still have a lot to learn.

Peter was all snuggly here and completely asleep.  And is this wrap not BEAUTIFUL!?!?!!!  I do not actually own this wrap, it is what they (in the babywearing circles) refer to as a "traveler."  That means the owner sends it to his/her (do any men actually own woven wraps??) friends to wear for a while.  I have been blessed to entertain it for the week.

7.5) I can wear Zipporah in my woven wrap, as well, and the other day I carried both her and Peter at once!!!

Here is the blurry picture to prove it. 

Journal #33

Out My Window:

Supposedly it is about 90 degrees. . . I might or might not have gone to weather.com to find that out.  I have not really been outside much today yet, other than to hang out diapers.

Clothing Myself In:

Today I am wearing my current favorite shirt - as in I wear it every time it is clean.  I distinctly remember purchasing it a couple years ago to wear for Samuel's first communion, as I was postpartum at the time and needing something to match one of my skirts.  I really enjoy the vibrant color.  I will include a picture for your viewing pleasure.  I'm pairing it with a pair of black cotton shorts that are my recent favorite as well, even though I am becoming an "old lady" insofar as I tend to prefer Capri pants over shorts - for some reason covering my knees makes me more comfortable for social outings.

Around the House:

Totus Tuus, a Catholic summer bible camp, is going on in our town.  Rebekah, Samuel, and Jacob are old enough to attend.  We had the team over for dinner on Monday night and everyone had a good time.  This year they actually have TWO teams, so those eight people plus my nine people (my family) looked a little scary to me.  I decided to go with two pans of lasagna and ended up with quite a bit left-over, but better safe than sorry!!  We also did two pans of brownies and none of the children are complaining about extra dessert on the menu tonight.

The table was set by Rebekah, with care, in hopes that the Totus Tuus team soon would be there.

The Baby:

He is adorable, of course.  He still grunts and fusses when I lay him down for naps and at night, but often he will give me an hour or two this way.  Peter really likes to sleep in my arms in the easy-chair.  I'm at a loss as this is my first baby that is not very comfortable lying beside me in my king-sized bed (which we bought so I could nurse my babies lying down I might add) and that was always my trump card - the secret to me getting sleep after having a baby.  Unfortunately he is immune to this attack so I am having to learn to adapt and it is hard some days.  Especially since I have recently had surgery to remove a varicose vein that was giving me trouble.  Peter was a challenge to deal with during that and after as I try to rest and get better and still fight with him over sleeping positions at night.  I know he will soon be sleeping much better and I will soon recover fully and be better than ever, but it sure feels like time is moving extra slow at the moment!

Peter, 8-weeks-old

The Kids:

They really enjoyed themselves at Dad's yearly work picnic.  The hospital he works for brings in lots of fun stuff for the kids, including several different bounce houses for big and little kids, face painting booths, snow cones, bubble stations, sports games, etc, along with food, of course.  It is always hot, but a good time.  This year they even had a carnival ride (one of those "scrambler"-type rides - my kids had a blast on it and Rebekah had their car spinning like mad, even during loading and unloading).

Grandma also surprised the children by coming to town (she lives 2.5 hrs away) that afternoon and taking them to the pool.  Then she watched all the kiddos, even Peter, so Gordie and I could have a dinner out.  She rounded out the evening by attending Paul and Miriam's Vacation Bible School concert (aka, the kids sang some songs and did actions).  Paul refused to sing or do the actions and Daddy has definitely made him rue the day he would bring so much dishonor on our family.

Education:

We had basketball camp last week, as well as Vacation Bible School for the little kids.  This week is Totus Tuus for the big kids.  Next week we will get our summer learning started.  (and get back to finishing up that school work!!)  And I am actually nerdily excited as I was cleaning out some of my homeschooling supplies and found some Kumon math workbooks that had not been used.  They will be perfect for keeping up our skills this summer.

In the Kitchen:

Why did God create us to require so much food!?!?!?  

We are living off of what I can find in the freezer and lately that has been ok, thanks to my giant roaster meals of a few weeks back.  Unfortunately it means a bit of repetition in meals, though, so I really should add a few more recipes to the mix I suppose.  

I am personally trying to cut out grains and sugar again (eating mostly Whole 30) as I always feel better that way, but it is an especially difficult task at this time when I'm not getting a lot of sleep or feeling the best.  Those two obstacles tend to lead me to poor food choices, but I am consciously trying to stack the deck in my favor by having food on-hand that is desirable and compliant - such as the fixings for a taco salad (one of my favorite dishes) and single-serving jars of my favorite sweet potato-chicken soup (made in my roaster-of-awesome, of course) that I pull from the freezer one at a time.  Plus I recently created a type of egg-bake that I can make ahead and munch for breakfast (just sauteed onions, sausage, eggs, and a bit of coconut oil - simple but still yummy and filling).

On a random by practical note, I was in need of more and larger drinking containers for the children.  I had purchased these glass glasses for them a few years back when I was trying to decrease our use of plastic.  These worked ok and actually none have broken yet, but they only held just over eight ounces of liquid.  We have since upgraded to these metal cups.  And they are awesome, but. . . if you stack them wet (as in right out of the dishwasher), they will stick together!!  However, I discovered today (all on my own, with no help from google) that a short soak in hot dishwater will loosen them enough to pull back apart.  The kids now have explicit instructions to stack them apart until they are completely dry in order to avoid such a struggle (literally) in the future.

Thinking About:

I am proud to report that I did finally recall what I wanted to share for my last journal, the topic was how malleable I feel I am as an adult.  And I wonder if most adults are not similar to me.  The phrase "old and crochety" is one I would have used to describe some stubborn aged people I have dealt with before, but I wonder now if people do not appear stubborn as they grow older simply because they are so able to change, but they fear it!  They fear making the wrong choice because by that point in life, they have probably made a lot of them and had to live with the consequences!  I am not THAT old but still feel this way on many accounts.  Anyhow, what really began this line of thinking was my continued pondering of how many things I initially thought I would never do, I have done - such as get married, have kids, shoot a gun, or even do step aerobics!  (And now my step aerobics tapes are still my favorites to turn to for exercise in my home-gym.)  And suddenly I realize that I am only bound by my fear of change.  But once I let go of that fear and just see things as they are, then as I stumble on simple truths I find myself changing to suite them and loving the heck out of it - such as my newfound love of minimal shoes and sitting on the floor instead of my couch!  Not surprisingly this has made my marriage better as ideas from my husband that I would have dismissed immediately before are suddenly not-such-a-bad-idea and I feel we have had some real fruit from my openness to change and not get so caught-up on silly things.

Bringing Me Joy:

Coffee. . . sad but true, my regular Cup a Joe has really kept me sane the past couple of weeks.

Hope for a fun summer once our crazy activities and commitments slow down a bit.  ---Funny, but I actually MISS my children while sending them to basketball camp and then Totus Tuus.  I can hardly wait for them to be all home again so we can study, eat, play, and pray together like usual.

Pictures to Share:

Rebekah has apparently been watching me use my woven wrap to carry Peter around.  She whipped up these to carriers for her and Miriam.  I love her creativity and I love when these two girls play together.  It warms my heart.

Plastic knives. . . oh my!

Miriam and Zipporah - the two queens of dress-up these days :)  And that is Paul's hand with a lego turtle, just because.

Please pardon Zipporah's crazy hair - I had not gotten her "palm tree" in yet.  That is actually one of my shirts she is using as a cover, while sitting on her brother's blanket.

Smile!

Journal #32

Out My Window:

Sunny and warm - about 80 degrees.  Beautiful weather really.  Just a tad on the windy side (which I note because Peter was gulping in air earlier - wind still confuses him, poor guy.)

Clothing Myself In:

Black shorts and a nursing undershirt - because I was wearing Mr. Peter in my woven wrap earlier and it is easier to nurse if I put it on with just my undershirt (and cooler, too).

Don't worry, when I am up moving about, I tuck his head in more.  When he falls asleep his head basically falls off if I fail to tuck it in, hence how he looks in this picture!

Top-down view of Peter in the wrap.  Looks kinda funny to see his head and his leg, like that, right?

Around the House:

We just had Peter's baptism on Sunday, so we were "forced" to clean up - and not just clean the main room and the kitchen, but due to the amount of people coming (and the variety - some menfolk that like to hang out in the garage, etc) we cleaned pretty-much EVERYWHERE.  Too bad you cannot really tell anymore, but man for that day, it looked pretty tidy around here.  I guess the bottom of the garage is still pretty clean, but we do not necessarily spend a lot of time there.

Please pardon the flash.  I did think to take a picture without it, but it was actually worse that way because of the poor lighting in the room at the time.  Photography is hard!  :)  In any case, I just love this picture in this frame.  Peter looks so "I am SO TIRED and grumpy" and the frame is all "happy, pretty, God-loves-you!!!"  Such a fun contrast.

Our house is by no means small.  Well, the rooms might be considered "small" and it is not "ranch style" so it can "feel" kinda cramped, but we do have five bedrooms and a good-sized laundry/storage room.  I was just pondering today (as most of the family is gone to Scout Camp - just Miriam, Zipporah, Peter, and myself home) how much room we would have if these were my only three children.  So what' I'm trying to say is that our family is definitely starting to "fill up" this house!  I am slowly trying to rid us of the extra clutter but it is a long and grueling process. . . much like shoveling snow in the middle of a snowstorm, but I am TRYING!!  My latest idea has been to fill every box that comes in before it goes back out.  So when I got a box of diapers from Amazon last week I filled it with books to donate before it went back out.  While it would make sense to try and do a giant purge (as in look at all the books at once and decide which to keep - but our "library" spans six rooms!!), I simply do not have the time or means of keeping the children out of the way, in order to accomplish one giant sweep.  So little by little, box by box, I will keep trying to get this beast of a house under control, knowing I cannot let off even for a minute or more stuff is just going to be brought back immediately!

The Baby:

Well, this is my first post since "the baby" is officially not Zipporah anymore!  I think Peter is ready for the spotlight, though.  He is filling out quite well - but to 12lbs 5 oz and just the right size to squeeze and love on.  His favorite pastimes are fussing, nursing, and being carried in my woven wrap.  We have determined his Indian name is "Grunts-a-Lot." (P.S. No offense was meant to any set of "peoples" by calling it an "Indian" name.)  

Peter, seven weeks old. . . well, actually seven weeks and one day because I FORGOT to take a picture on his "official" seven-week-birthday.  Oops!  Pardon the extra day.  For a seventh-child, he should just be happy he has a baby picture at all, right?!?

Peter does not really like to be alone yet.  He will occasionally doze for up to an hour on his own, but he much prefers to be nestled in someone's arms or hanging out amidst the chaos of his siblings.  But I figure that is the life he has known since he was conceived so why fight it.

Education:

Summer is here!!  Unfortunately Rebekah and Samuel still have Language Arts Literature, and Comprehension to finish up for this past school year.  Rebekah also has some Science and just a little bit of GUM (General Usage and Mechanics - grammar and such).  They also have their German course open still since I did not let them in it much during the "regular school year" as it seemed a little too much like straight-up playing time on the computer since the course is basically just a bunch of games, but I understand that doing a foreign language over the computer, in a self-directed, lesson-by-lesson fashion is going to be quite an undertaking.  They are picking up some vocabulary and enjoying themselves, so I call it a win.

I have great hopes of continuing our writing practice over the summer and of delving deeper into our Catechism books, as well as continuing our study of Scripture.  I'm also considering adding some new prayer times and prayer forms.  I have done the Liturgy of the Hours some with Rebekah and would like to make it a regular habit for both her and Samuel.  Also I have been meaning to pray the rosary more with the little kids (maybe just a decade at a time) and am toying with trying some guided meditation with all of them (or those that will sit still and listen for it - which generally varies day by day).

The Kids:

Being home today with just the youngest three (as I mentioned above) has really brought home how much I appreciate our family dynamic.  We are a big family, but everyone seems to like it that way.  The kids LOVE to play together and rarely fight.  And when the DO fight it is usually a minor spat ("He hit me!") and then all is forgotten within a few minutes.

We were a little concerned, before Peter was born, that Zipporah would not take well to a new baby in the house.  Actually it has been quite the opposite.  She LOVES the "baby" and will come up and say, "Hello Baby!" and pat him gently and give him his blankie.  Then she will laugh and run off to play.  She still does not say his name, but "Baby" works.

In the Kitchen:

So a long time ago, my crockpot broke.  I went to replace it and delayed, caught up in "potentially made-up" concerns of lead poisoning from the glaze on typical crockpots - as most come from China.  After contacting the local Extension Office and voicing my concerns I feel confident that most crockpots are probably fine and this just another "scare tactic" that is being used to promote certain products.  But in any case, since I was buying a new pot anyone, I decided to upgrade.  I upgraded to a pressure cooker (that would also slow-cook) and this has opened new doors for me in preparing meals faster and in preparing more foods better (as in steaming things to perfection and making soup that is amazing).  Plus it does it all in a stainless steel tub, so no concern whatsoever about it introducing toxins into your food!  Unfortunately, the pressure cooker, although technically holding the same quantity as my past crockpot, simply was not coping well with the large roasts I was trying to cook and sometimes with the larger pieces of chicken or vegetables I would stuff in it for slow-cooking.  I believe this was because the shape of the pressure cooker is more vertical and the crockpot was more horizontal.  So basically the food was just too squished.  And thus, I got to upgrade AGAIN!!

We are now the proud owners of an 18 quart roaster oven!!  We have had it for about three days and I've already cooked a roaster full of taco meat and am currently slow-cooking some chicken and veggie soup.  I'm also thawing TWO giant pork roasts to cook TOGETHER tomorrow.  Rather than just look for small step up from our 6-quart - to maybe a 7 or 8 quart crockpot, I discussed it with the hubby and we concluded that this was a smart move for our growing family.  And wow, I am feeling great about it already!!  I am looking forward to being able to prepare "too-much" food so we can freeze some for another meal or two!!

Taco meat for our weekly "Mexican" meal.  I doubled my recipe, but I still have quite a bit of room so I think I will quadruple it next time.

All into the jars, ready to be frozen.  Usually we pull out two jars at a time for a meal.

And fear not, that pressure cooker is still seeing plenty of action cooking specific pieces of the meals, like steaming potatoes, making rice, or cooking straight-up frozen meat in under an hour.  (How is that for an endorsement? :)

Thinking About:

Wow, this is embarrassing. . . I had something I really wanted to share.  As in I was pondering this and so eager to put the idea out here.  And now that I have reached this point in my reflection, whatever it was I had been thinking about has fled my mind.  I'll post a few more random thoughts as I attempt to remember. . . 

*Today was the first day I have ever forgotten to brush my hair after my shower.  (I attribute this to how difficult it is to care for three young children.  Seriously, I may have a lot of children and people are always saying how full my hands are, but I am convinced now that my seven children are less trouble together than just the youngest three - hence the completely forgetting to brush my hair after finally squeezing in a shower just before lunch.)

*I was reading this book last night about doctors and contraception and abortion and it has made me begin to ponder how abortion is handled in the medical field.  The book (granted I'm only made it into the second chapter before growing too tired to read more) was making it sound like all doctors are bullied into performing abortions - usually as they are finishing up their training, but the book is older (written back in the 1980's) so maybe things were different then as abortion was just beginning.  Or maybe I have just had my head in the sand on this one.

Bringing Me Joy:

*A baby to hold and love and cuddle!!  (Even if he fusses.)

*My oldest daughter.  She is such a blessing in so many ways!

Pictures to Share:

Samuel and his frog.

Rebekah and her frog.

This is a common site most days.  Samuel's schoolwork is entertaining to his two brothers. . . especially if he is playing educational games at the moment and I am guessing from the guilty look on his face here, that is what is going on here.