Motherly Love

This blog has moved!

2009-10-02T21:05:00.000-07:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, please change your bookmarks to this address:

http://shainachristine.wordpress.com/

In many ways blogger is easier to use than wordpress but wordpress offers many more features so you can't really win either way! :) I love the new blog though. Check it out!

Shaina

Autumn has Arrived!

2009-09-26T08:29:00.000-07:00

Things I am looking forward to this season...

Leaves changing and falling to the ground.
The cooler weather!
Breaking out the sweaters and long sleeved shirts.
Raking leaves: I've actually never done it before so I'm excited to try something new.
Picking apples the Apple Orchard!
Apple cider.
Picking out pumpkins at the Pumpkin Patch.
Cooking and pureeing a pumpkin to use in a few recipes.
Baking pumpkin seeds.
Zoe's second attempt at coloring. I printed out a picture of a pumpkin. I plan to give her some orange crayons and have at it! :) Her first attempt was in a restaurant, she tried to eat the crayons.
Tons of beautiful photographing opportunities!
Getting out my autumn decorations for the house!
Candles!
Our first Garage Sale since we've lived in Sioux Falls.
Finding a cute little costume for Zoe for Halloween.
Fall into Reading Challenge - this year I will set a lower goal than I did last year and only include books I own already. Last year I made it through half a book! haha.

A Wonderful Wednesday

2009-09-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

Wednesday was a wonderful day!

That morning I babysat my friend Anna's daughter Kjersten for about an hour and a half. Later that day I went for a much needed walk. It was a beautiful day! At about 5:30ish Anna and her husband came over to pick up Zoe, as we were in need of a babysitter that day too!

Gage's Dad bought us tickets to go see the Wizard of Oz in HD at our theater here in town. We met up with Mike (Gage's Dad) at about 6:30 at the theater. It was showing for one night only, in celebration of it's 70th Anniversary (available on DVD on Sept 29th!). This was also my first time ever seeing the movie in its entirety! I know I had seen bits and pieces of it over the years but I had never watched the whole thing.

After the movie, we got some Cold Stone ice cream... and we all ended up getting a "Like It" size of Coffee Lovers. I had never had that before (usually I just get coffee with heath). Having that extra caramel and almonds in there made it extra delicious :)

Wednesday was a much needed day of relaxation. Even though the previous Wednesday was our Anniversary and we were able to get away for a full 24 hrs (which was *amazing*), we went through quite an ordeal last Sat night and the whole week we had been tense, worried, and completely stressed over all that had happened and what was to come. After Wednesday I started to believe that things really are going to get back to normal around here. We still have no idea where Rachel and her kids are, or if they are safe, so we continue to pray for them. But now it is time for us to let it go and see what Lord is going to do with the situation.

MSG - Monosodium Glutamate

2009-09-25T09:56:00.000-07:00

"She is like the merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls." Proverbs 31:14-15

While many may not take these verses literally by getting up before dark, I believe these verses are extremely important as they put emphasis how a woman should work hard to benefit her family by finding the best available food out there and she should disciplined in her ways of providing. One way to do this, I believe, is to be well educated about the food you are preparing for your family.

I've always heard, "Avoid MSG at all cost!" I've seen signs at chinese food restaurants that proudly proclaim, "NO MSG!" Though, I've never actually done any research on MSG to see exactly what it is and why it is bad.

I decided to do some searching to find out what foods actually contain MSG. I came to find out that nearly ALL packaged products (which is what? 80-90% of our grocery store?) contain free glutamate (MSG).

Great.

So What is MSG?

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a salt made from the amino acid Glutamic Acid (Glutamate). Many manufacturers use this as a flavor enhancer for foods. The human body has a natural controlled amount of glutamate, therefore glutamate in its original bound form is natural. The problems arrise from the processed glutamate. Manufactured MSG contains contaminants as a result of the processes it goes through. The natural glutamate is changed from its original form, which causes the MSG to be "free" from its bound form, thus being labeled as "free glutamate". (For a MUCH better explaination, I recommend reading this article)

Here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.

So there we have it. It messes with our normal bodily functions, causing numerous health problems in the process. Now I know why MSG is bad.

So, what does MSG look like on the average food label?

Ingredients to Avoid: These are ingredients that contain the highest percentage of factory created free glutamate.

MSG	Gelatin	Calcium Caseinate
Monosodium glutamate	Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP)	Textured Protein
Monopotassium glutamate	Hydrolyzed Plant Protein (HPP)	Yeast Extract
Glutamate	Autolyzed Plant Protein	Yeast food or nutrient
Glutamic Acid	Sodium Caseinate	Autolyzed Yeast
Vegetable Protein Extract	Senomyx (wheat extract labeled as artificial flavor)

You ready to have your heart broken? Check out what popular foods include free glutamate. *sigh*

*What Foods to Avoid*

Now, of course I have been avoiding pre-packaged frozen foods and pre-packaged things such as crackers, cookies, etc. as much as I can for a while now but I never really thought about ketchup, seasoned salt, canned soups, etc. I've always known that anything that comes pre-packaged is not the healthiest and most nutritious way to eat but I never would have thought these things contained MSG!

So what does this mean for our family?

A while ago we decided we wanted to start living a more healthy lifestyle. One of my goals is to eventually make the majority of our foods from scratch, using the most nutritious options available. Well, seeing as we live on a one (part-time) income at the moment, making all foods from scratch is not entirely possible at this time in our life. I can however eliminate some of the not-so-healthy-msg-containing foods from our diet though, as well as continue to take baby steps toward a more natural and healthier life.

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Autism Contributor?

Food for Thought -- These are lists of theories associated with MSG (in plain terms so they are easy to understand).

The one that struck me the most actually co-insides with my thoughts on autism! My brother is autistic and so over the years I have looked at a lot of research on autism. I'm hoping that someday I can at least find some reasonable explanation for his autism. This one, though, really has me wondering if MSG could be a culprit. Obviously, genetics play an important role in whether or not a person becomes autistic, but I firmly believe it is a combination of genetics and environmental factors that have lead to the increase in autism. Here is their "food for thought" on the subject:

MSG injected into mice reduces free glutathione levels
Glutathione protects children from mercury poisoning by chelating mercury
Both Mercury and glutamic acid are still found in certain vaccines
Vaccines are suspected of being an environmental trigger for autism in children
Mercury in the environment is increasing due to air pollution

Zoe at 18 Months Old!

2009-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Her Favorite Words/Sayings:

"I sit down."

"Trash?"

"Gink?" (Drink)

"Okay"

"Guck." (Stuck)

"Daaeee" (Daddy)

"Baff?" (Bath)

"Bie" (Bite)

"Err Go" (There we go.)

"Peee" (Penny, our dog.)

"Sooeee" (Zoe)

"Cheeos?" (Cheerios.)

"Aaaww Done"

As soon as we finish putting her shoes on, she says, "Ahh Go!!" As in, "Let's Go!" If it actually is time to go, she continues with saying "Keys?", "Cars!", "Go!" "Buh-Bye!"

Words Learned this Week:

"Mouse." (As in, computer mouse...of course. Hehe. She was calling it a car so we had to teach her the proper term.)

"Okay"

"Bucket"

"Fie" (High Five)

"Hom" (Home)

"Anna" (My friend)

"Fum" (Fun)

"Buckle"

"Bow" (Ball)

"Oww" (When she gets hurt)

"Outside"

"Wuss" (Uncle Russ)
"Judah" (one of her friends from church)

"Noah" from the Bible

New Activities within the past two weeks:

Pretend eating out of bowls.
Pretend drinking out of play tea cups.
Sharing her pretend food and drinks with people.
Climbing onto the couch or a chair and sitting down, then gracefully climbing down. No falls!
Running!
Pointing at the actual person or object and then pointing to the same person or object in a photo. Points to Daddy: "Daaee" Points to picture: "Daaee"
Opens some doors. (Oh joy!)
Daddy built Zoe her first fort today but, she didn't quite understand the purpose. She would rather tear it down and play with the blanket :) Penny on the other hand loved the fort!

In the photo above: Zoe and her favorite ball. Unfortunately it has a hole in it and it will not stay inflated so I think we're going to have to replace it with a new ball soon.

She's attempting to put words together this week! There are here first *almost* sentences:

Took place today after Grandpa put something in the trash. "Grandpa got trash?" (9/20/09)

"Peeee (Penny our dog) got Cheeo (Cheerios)" after Penny ate a few of her cheerios. (9/22/09)

New Troubles:

Does not like to share, at all.
Starting to push other kids out of the way.
She has very great verbal skills, but has very few listening skills.
Cries whenever Daddy leaves, even if it's just for a minute.

Zoe loves eggs! So far we've tried hard boiled eggs and scrambled eggs, she loves them both.

Zoe does not like cream corn:

I asked Zoe if she wanted some corn (cream corn actually). She said, "Coon?" (Yay, another new word!) She said, "Oh okay. I sit down." She sits down on the chair. I gave her a bite and...*kerplop!* There it goes, spits it right out of her mouth. This may be a regular thing for some babies but not Zoe. I actually laughed because she will rarely spit anything out. I guess she really doesn't care for creamed corn!

Trusting the Lord in a Difficult Time

2009-09-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

I was right when I talked about this being a time I will never forget. Things we witnessed this week will stay with us for many years, if not the rest of our lives. My heart is aching, I feel so sad and so betrayed.

The people that we welcomed into our home a week and a half ago turned out to be in more trouble than they initially let on. Ever since they arrived here there had been tension, non-stop stress, anxiety, and confusion. From the moment they arrived they were secretive, treated us with disrespect, they took advantage of our willingness to help them, they mistreated our home, they lied to us, and they hid very important information from us. They also expected far more from us than we were able to give, which is difficult to understand given that they were the ones in need of help to begin with. The more we tried to show them kindness, the worse things seemed to get.

Despite all of this God blessed them with a place to live, free food for their entire stay, free childcare, and so much more for 10 days. Just as quicky as God gave it to them, He took it away. Their time here abruptly ended on the night of the 19th.

I cannot go into details about exactly what happened that night, but I can tell you that I had never been so afraid for myself or my family before that night. The situation we were in was absolutely uncalled for and I am extremely disappointed that it occurred. I was absolutely terrified and I am still shocked that all of this could happen as a result of us trying to show someone hospitality.

My question now is, why did this happen? Why did God have them come here if only to have them leave in such a dangerous and irresponsible way? Why did God send them here if it was only going to cause a massive amount of trouble for both families?

My husband and I know that God had them here for a reason. God placed us in this situation and we had to see it through. We waited on the Lord, praying that His will would be done. Well, God carried out his will for this situation and now we are left to contemplate what happened.

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

Our hope is entirely in the Lord and His will. We're completely taken aback by this entire experience, but we trust that God is in complete control. Even so, we feel as though we gave them a gift and they spit in our face in return. The Lord has instructed to us the need to forgive, and though it is difficult, we want to live as if it never happened. (Matthew 6:14; Ephesians 4:32) There has been a lot of prayer, a lot of seeking guidance and wisdom from the word of God, and encouragement from dear friends in the past few days. I know that after a little time, God will bless us with peace and help us to forgive and we will be able to leave this all behind us and move forward.

God always works things together for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28), so I know more good will come out of this week than I can even begin to comprehend. We may never find out just how God is using this, but through the promises He gives us in his Word, we can know for a fact that good will come out of this. God will use this circumstance for the good of our family and hopefully one day for the good of their family. I can already see some things, at least in our family, that have been good as a result of what we've recently witnessed.

A stronger desire for Christ to be the center of my life, the only reason that I am living. There were a few moments the other night where I feared for my life. The reminder that my life could end at any time any day has given me a much greater perspective on life. Every decision made and every move I make should be according to the will of God. Just the thought of disobeying and sinning against God who has done so much for me breaks my heart. He deserves nothing less than everything I have to give.
We now have a greater understanding of why it is important to use proper biblical discipline of children, encouraging repentance of their wrong actions. I have learned just how important it is to teach our child in the way of the Lord and how important it is to protect them from the harmful things this world has to offer.
I've always been extremely grateful for my husband and all that he does, but through this experience I've come to appreciate so many of the seemingly small things he does and I appreciate his kindness more than I ever have before. God has blessed me with a husband who would never harm me in any way, emotionally or physically. He has never and will never treat me like dirt.
We now have a much stronger heart for women that are being physically and verbally abused and mistreated by men, and a stronger urge to teach young boys the proper way to treat women.
We realized that door locks are a good thing! I strongly encourage everyone to put locks on all doors to the house. I never thought we'd really need them.

These are just a few things things that we've learned so far. I'm sure there will be much more learned from this experience in the days, months, and years to come.

Shopping Days

2009-09-19T18:47:00.000-07:00

Gage works at our local grocery store and because of this we receive a small rebate at around Christmas according to how much we spent in the store during the year. Honestly I think if we shopped at Wal Mart all the time we'd save the same amount or more...but even so, I think it is better to do more local shopping and it'll be nice to get an extra small paycheck around Christmas. They have set aside 3 days out of each month for us to buy our groceries (usually the 3rd weekend of the month). Today was one of the days. Grocery shopping used to be something I loved to do, but now it involves so much more than just go, grab a few things for the week, pay, and leave.

Now we must:

1) Create a list of meals for the month. Then create a list of the ingredients needed to make those meals - writing them down in groups that go somewhat in the same way the store aisles go (vegetables, canned foods, deli, dairy, etc). Using the local grocery ad, check to see if any of those ingredients are on sale (or plan meals according to whatever is on sale!), check the pantry to see if there are any items that are not needed at the store. Make a seperate list of non-food items needed.

2) Remember to bring the re-usable bags. They are so easy to forget, even if they are in the trunk...I forget to bring them in.

3) Remember to bring the WIC pouch with the WIC checks in it.

4) Remember to bring any coupons we may have for items we regularly buy (this is one I forgot to do today)
5) Remember to go to the customer service counter to get our "Employee certificate" thing

before we shop.
6) Keep Zoe settled down (We LOVE those kid carts shaped as busses and whatnot. Even though they are a huge pain to push around, she loves to "drive" them and it keeps her occupied for a while.)
7) Find *everything* on the list. I try my hardest to plan our list according to the aisles but I can't always remember which isle things are in. I hate to backtrack, especially when pushing one of those huge kid carts around.

8) Examine the ingredients of every little thing we buy.
9) At the checkout, remember to separate our WIC items from our regular items because they run as a separate transaction.

10) At the checkout, remember to give them the re-usable bags, coupons, WIC checks, employee certificate, etc.

Going grocery shopping has become such a huge process, which is another reason why I love to just do one main trip each month. However, since circumstances have changed around here with 7 people in the house rather than 3, I've decided to do a big trip every 2 weeks for the time being. Though that does mean that half of what we spend next month will not be part of our Christmas rebate...oh well. Shopping for 7 people for a month seems to be a little too much for me at the moment.

Our 3rd Anniversary!

2009-09-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

3 Years ago on this day, I married the man of my dreams :)

Gage is without a doubt the most amazing person that I know. I'm not just saying this because I am married to him! He is kind, generous, trustworthy, intelligent, and so incredibly loving. He is a wonderful spiritual leader for our home, a spectacular husband and a wonderful father. I feel so blessed that God chose him to be my husband! I am honored to be his help meet and the mother of his child.

His entire life is devoted to glorifying God and providing for our family. He reads his Bible in the mornings, works two jobs (sometimes three), goes to school full time and manages to get A's in every class, he completes all his homework on time, he helps out in 2 different ministries at church, he spends quality time with me and our daughter Zoe and he still has some time to play computer games. I don't know how he does it!

Happy 3rd Anniversary Gage! Thank you so much for all that you do. I love you!

Thank you, Dr. Laura!

2009-09-15T19:08:00.000-07:00

Dr. Laura recently put out a book titled 'In Praise of Stay at Home Moms'. I am looking forward to reading it. I have heard only a little bit of Dr. Laura's radio program over the years, but I'm almost always impressed with what she has to say. I've always been a huge advocate of stay-at-home moms, but lately I've been noticing that I've been allowing the world to influence me in a way that has me thinking that I should be "doing more" outside of the home. The truth is, I am doing exaclty what I am supposed to be doing - staying home with my daughter. There is nothing more important than that. Tonight I came across this short video by Dr. Laura and was very encouraged!

Menu Plan Monday... on Tuesday

2009-09-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

With recent events in our household, we've switched to eating whatever food we have been given! Last year I did quite a bit of menu planning and it worked out wonderfully. I even had an 8 week menu plan a couple times and that was *awesome*. For now, as things are a bit hectic around here I'm going to try and stick with a weekly menu plan.

Monday - Pizza

Tuesday - Mushroom Macaroni, Salad

Wednesday - Our 3rd Anniversary! Dinner out!

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Hot Dogs, Salad, and Corn

Saturday - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Soup

Sunday - Chili (Thaw chicken for next week's meals)

Rejoicing in God's Provision!

2009-09-11T11:45:00.000-07:00

“Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22)

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

I am going to tell you a story. In this story you will see God's incredible willingness to provide! I am so stunned by the generosity of so many people in Sioux Falls, and I'm so grateful to God for his answer to my prayers from Wednesday.

Yesterday I was supposed to attend Bible Study in the morning, but seeing as I had a few unexpected guests I decided to pass this week and tend to the needs of my guests. My friend (and neighbor) came by to pick me and Zoe up for Bible Study at about 9:00 am. I explained to her all that was going on and she went on her way to Bible Study without us.

I had made plans prior to Wednesday to meet up with a friend at the mall on Thursday. At 11am I took Alyssa and Zoe to the mall with me to meet up with my friend BJ and her son. We had a good time playing in the play place, chatting, and then eating lunch together.

And the blessings begin...

Once we returned home I was informed by my husband that the same friend was going to bring us to Bible Study that morning had stopped by with a phone number for us to call - a woman whose church provides food for families in need. A couple hours later that same friend brought us over canned goods and some pickles, salsa, and tomadoes that she canned herself!
An hour later, a woman from my church stopped by! She had heard about our little situation at Bible Study that morning. She provided us with some grocery money and 4 loaves of bread!
At the same time that woman arrived, my friend Anna arrived with her daughter. They were coming over just to hang out and have a snack with us. Anna lives just a few blocks from us so we tend to be at each others homes often. Anna brought with her a gift from someone I had taken photos for, guess what it was? A gift card for the grocery store.
Anna also brought over a snack for everyone! She brought grapes and a container full of delicious mint brownies that she had made.
Another friend from church stops by to return a swing we loaned her for her baby boy. She offers to help me figure out some frugal and healthy ways to cook for this many people and she even went home and wrote out a list of meals and e-mailed them to me.
At about 5pm a woman from the church that provides food for families in need came over and brought us 3 boxes full of food and essential items.
About an hour after that my in-laws neighbor, who has recently has become one of my own freinds, stopped by with a box full of fresh garden vegetables and a gift card for the grocery store!

Honestly, words cannot express how grateful we are to every single one of you who showed up here yesterday. Thank you SO much for your help. On Wednesday, even though I knew the Lord was in complete control, I was still in tears because I was so ovewhelmed with worries and concerns that we would not be able to feed everyone this month. I knew God would provide for us in some way, I just never expected Him to do so much for us in just one day. To everyone who has prayed for us and helped provide...

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Your prayers and generocity has provided us with enough to get through an entire month, maybe even longer if we can learn how to stretch the dollars even more.

I read something here that encouraged me when I was worried about how this was all going to turn out and I wanted to share it:

The Lord reveals to us through His Word, the Bible, that we can be of good "cheer," that we can

1) rejoice in our problems because God will use them to our benefit. "Knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4);

2) see our "worries" as an opportunity to practice Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths";

3) counteract our anger by obeying Ephesians 4:32, "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you"; and

4) deal with any sinful feelings by believing and acting upon the truth of 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

All of our problems can be dealt with through simple faith in God's Word.

What wonderful encouragement those verses are. This unexpected trial can and will be a blessing to both our family and theirs. After talking with my best friend Amanda over the phone yesterday and sharing all the blessings we'd received throughout the day she said, "Well, God sure must want them to be there!"

I believe she's absolutely right.

09/09/09 A Day I Will Definitely Remember

2009-09-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Today was a day just like any other day...until about 1pm. The phone rang, I picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Hey! Did you get my message?"

"No" (I had no idea who I was talking to at this point.)

"Me, my boyfriend, and the kids are in your little town here.. we're over by Empire Mall."

It was my childhood friend Rachel! I was so excited to hear that she was in Sioux Falls, but sooo confused at the same time. Why in the world was she in Sioux Falls? She lives in CA and as far as I knew she wasn't going on any vacations.

Well, 5 minutes later they showed up at the house.

It's a long and very complicated story but after about 10 minutes of them being here... we ended up with 4 additional people living in this house for an indefinite period of time.

I've been thinking about ways we are actually going to do this. We barely get by with just the 3 of us since Gage works one part-time job. I am trusting the Lord though. The Lord always provides. It is a challenge I was not expecting when I woke up today, but I will praise the Lord through this. God has a plan for this whole situation.

There is so much more I am leaving out of this story. Just know that we are in desperate need of your prayers. This is not going to be easy by any means.

God brought them to our doorstep today. We intend to see them through this difficult period of life every step of the way.

(In the photo: JJ, AJ, and Zoe)

Sioux Falls Residents...

2009-09-08T13:15:00.000-07:00

It's Free!

September 12th

9 AM - 5 PM

Downtown Sioux Falls

9000 Days Old!

2009-09-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

Psalm 90:12

So teach us to number our days

that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Today is the 9000th Day of my Life!

My husband came across a website that had a little gadget to figure out how many days old you are. I was pretty close to 9000 so I figured out the day and wrote it on my calendar. Today is that day! 9000 days... that is quite a long time. I was thinking, wouldn't it be facinating if we could remember every moment of our lives? Of course there are many things I would like to forget about, but overall I would love to be able to recall anything at any given time. Especially now that my Mom is gone. I'm finding that my memories of her are starting to disappear. It's a little scary... it's only been 4 years and I can hardly remember what she was like.

Anyway...

We had a late night last night at Lifelight (which I will write about later) so we are pretty tired today. With this being Labor Day, Gage is out of school today. We're spending the day hanging out at home enjoying this free time.

Today is also day 10 of my Amish Friendship Bread making, which means that today is baking day! I made 4 "loaves" of bread.... 3 were disasters, 1 turned out pretty well. I'll post pictures of my bread disaster/accomplishment soon. I'm beginning to wonder what could be causing all of my bread disasters. I have attempted to make various breads over the past few years and they always turn out the same - crumbly, sticky on the outsides, chewy and hard as rock edges.

Just for Fun

2009-09-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

Saved Through Motherhood

2009-09-02T16:06:00.001-07:00

"Has your child taught you any unexpected lessons lately? Pastor Mark Driscoll explains the meaning of 1 Timothy 2:15, the controversial and often misunderstood verse which states, "Yet she will be saved through childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with self-control." FamilyLife.com

Saved Through Motherhood - A 2 part Series

Listen Here
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Soap Nuts: A Natural Laundry Detergent

2009-09-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

I know what you're thinking. Soap nuts??

I'll explain. One of my favorite blogs is Passionate Homemaking. She is a big fan of these soap nuts for use as laundry soap! Yes, laundry soap that grows on trees. It is (obviously) a 100% natural product and chemical free. It is great for people with allergies and they work great with cloth diapers.

Had I come across these on any other website I'd probably be a little sceptical but I have been reading this blog for quite some time and I trust her judgement so I checked out the NaturOli website and read a little about the soap nuts.

From the website: "Soap Nuts are a 100% natural alternative to harsh chemical detergents & household cleaners. Eco-friendly, biodegradable, hypoallergenic, unscented, highly effective, yet very gentle. No more softeners & dryer sheets! "

They have a sample you can buy for $2.95! I decided that if nothing else came out of this it would at least be a fun thing to try. So I bought it and within a couple days my little bag filled with 5 soap nuts arrived.

To my absolute surprise, they worked! Our clothes are fresh, soft, and clean! I didn't even have to use any fabric softener or dryer sheets. I have done 2 loads with them so far and I can probably do about 2-3 more loads with these 5 nuts. The only "problems" I have:

1) Since I didn't use a dryer sheet my clothes were staticy, which really has nothing to do with the soap nuts. I think I'll continue to use dryer sheets until I find a new solution.

2) I LOVE the smell of regular laundry soaps. Especially the one I regularly buy. I know, I'm weird. I have always adored the smell of laundry rooms. The NaturOli company suggests adding a few drops of an essential oil to a cloth in the dryer if we want a frangrance but I'm doubting there is an essential oil out there that will resemble that of laundry soap, haha.

In addition to the raw soap nuts you can also purchase a liquid version, and an all-purpose cleaner. When you order the raw soap nuts you are also given instructions on how to make your own liquid soap and other household cleaners.

How to use the raw Soap Nuts:

It is very simple. Just throw 4-5 soap nuts into the little bag they send you. Close the bag, place in the wash before you put in your clothes. They work best in warm water. They send detailed instructions when you buy them, but that is basically it! Super simple!

Click here to find out about the Sampler!

For more information:

Soap Nuts FAQ's

Soap Nuts Pro

It is the end of August..

2009-08-31T10:04:00.000-07:00

The end of August! This month just flew by.

It's the beginning of another week. Today marks the first day of a road trip for Gage's Mom, Grandparents, and younger brother Brad! They will be on the road for 4-5 weeks. For those of you who know Brad and are interested in reading Brad's travel blog, send me an e-mail at homemaker.shaina@gmail.com, and I'll give you the link!

While they are gone I will be taking over Brad's weekly paper route. He delivers the local shopping news once a week to 3 different neighborhoods. This will tie in great with my walking plan!

Gage is continuing with his school, tutoring other students, homework, and working. The first couple weeks of school are always the most difficult to get through. It's hard to adjust to him being so busy. There is a light at the end of the tunnel this year though! He will graduate, get a job, and then... we'll have to re-adjust to him working a full-time job haha.

Zoe's New Adventures:

- Many, many trips to the pantry to take out the Cheerios, find Mommy or Daddy, and say "CheeO? CheeO?"

- Climbing up and gracefully getting down from the couch. She decided that falling down head first was just not the way to go.

- She says well over 100 words now. I can actually somewhat have a conversation with her!

- Favorite things to say: "Awk" (Walk), "I see you!", "Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!", "Foo" (food), "Tissue", "Trash", "All duhh!" (All Done), "Daeee" (Daddy).

- She has started to announce when she needs a diaper change. We take this as the first indication that we need to get started on potty training soon!

Researching High Fructose Corn Syrup: Part 1

2009-08-31T07:08:00.000-07:00

Many of us have seen the commercials in the last couple years in which the Corn Refiner's Association attempts to make all of the people who are wary of high fructose corn syrup basically look ignorant, uneducated, and darn right stupid. Quite frankly, I think that if a product has a hundred saftey concerns associated with it, they are in no position to make fun of the people who are concerned!

Perhaps the biggest concern I have is that a small amount of Mercury could be passed into the HFCS through the process it goes through before it becomes HFCS. Another concern I have is that it is in nearly everything we eat and drink! If there are concerns regarding something I am giving my family to eat, I want to know what it is and what the concerns are.

I took some time to read what the CRA (Corn Refiners Association) had to say about all of this and surprisingly the website does not cover a lot of the safety concerns. It does cover about 10-15 of the most popular concerns. The website seems to be pretty thorough and truthful in its explainations except for a few in which they are clearly making excuses. There are many areas of the site I do not approve of as they are extremely prideful, stating that they "have the facts." Whether or not they are being truthful about those facts is another question.

Audrae Erickson, President of the Corn Refiners Association has said, “Americans should know that no mercury or mercury-based technology is used in the production of high fructose corn syrup in North America.” He also says, "High fructose corn syrup contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets FDA’s requirements for the use of the term ‘natural.’"

Those are some pretty big claims. They say a lot more that you can read on their website. The thing to do now is to look at the other side of the argument and then ultimately I'll make a decision, which I will do in Researching HFCS: Part 2.

Taking a Walk!

2009-08-30T21:22:00.000-07:00

My daughter and I started taking walks about a month ago. I haven't been super consistent but I can say I've gone on more walks in a month than I ever have in my adult years so far.

I want to set up a challenge for myself. I'm a huge fan of setting goals. I figure the best way for me to do that is to announce it on my blog for the world (cough :: the5peoplethatreadthis :cough ) to see!

This is a very basic plan that is not very detailed. It IS a plan though and it does give me weekly goals which is what I need. Feel free to join me if you would like!

Shaina's 5 Week Walking Plan - September 2009

Week #1: 4 walks, 1 hr each

Week #2: 4 walks, 1 hr each

Week #3: 4 walks, 1-1.5 hrs each

Week #4: 5 walks, 1-1.5 hrs each

Week #5: 5 walks, 1-2 hrs each

Week 1 begins tomorrow!

"New" Wedding Photos!

2009-08-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Today in the mail we received a CD with photos from our Wedding!! Gage's Great-Uncle Garry had taken some photos at our Wedding and had forgotten that he had them. We were married on September 16, 2006 - our 3rd Anniversary is coming up very soon!

No Facebook for a Week! :o)

2009-08-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

I typically check my Facebook account once every 3-4 hours during the day. If Zoe is napping, if she's watching a TV show or something that I can't really participate in. Sometimes its more sometimes its much less. I think FB is a wonderful site overall and I think it is amazing that I can be in touch with nearly everyone I have ever known, every single day. I get so excited when I hear of a new baby coming or when someone posts pictures of their family that I haven't seen in years. Nearly everyone in my family (even my Grandma!) is on there so its a great way for them to hear what is going on with us here in South Dakota. FB has so many wonderful aspects to it! It also has its drawbacks though.

However, lately I have been noticing that my attitude during the day is in direct connection with what is going on in the lives of my friends and family on facebook. If I see an argument between friends or if someone disagrees with something I say or if someone posts something utterly disgusting and it leaves me questioning who they are as a person, it is almost guaranteed that I will be affected by it in a bad way for the rest of the day. The same goes for days when everything is going well on facebook, my day is a better day. This is not how a person's life should be! Of course I love to hear great updates and news from friends and family, but facebook has become a 2nd home to people where they feel completely comfortable announcing to the whole world about their troubles, no matter how personal they may be. There are also people who have no problem complaining day after day after day in their status'. They think it will draw sympathy for them when really it does the exact opposite. I honestly have a very negative view of a lot of my friends that I never would have had without it. No I'm not just pointing fingers here, I am very guilty of doing these same things. I'm sure there are people who are not impressed with things I post on there sometimes as well.

I am taking a week off from facebook starting today to get back to reality. I'm hoping that I can get to a point where I just check FB maybe once every 3-4 days and have most of my corresponding be through e-mail or phone. I'll see how this week goes and then maybe I'll take another week off as well.

I want my life to reflect Jesus Christ. The only way for that to happen is for me to stop relying on what everyone else is doing and focus on my own walk with God.

A Mother's Influence is Unmatched

2009-08-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

"Mothers, please don't let the world rob you of the incredible joy of a life invested in your children.

They are your mark on the world.

They are your legacy, your testimony, and your contribution to mankind.

Don't let some other woman steal your influence.

Remember, 'The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world.'

That saying didn't just show up one day.

That proverb is the result of centuries of observation.

A mother's influence is unmatched."

-Voddie Bauchaum, Family Driven Faith

Quote found at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home

Discovering True Patience

2009-08-26T09:48:00.000-07:00

I became a Mother about a year and a half ago. My journey into motherhood was not as difficult as I had always imagined it would be. I got through the pregnancy (although definitely not pain-free!), I made it through labor & delivory (which had always been my greatest fear!), and the first year of motherhood was surprisingly simple. I was patient with my daughter, attentitive to her needs, and every moment I had to care for her I was glad to do it! This was a shock to me because I have always been an impatient person and I had always worried about how I would be as a mother. God definitely answered my prayers in getting me through the initial shock of being Mom. I fully understood that she was a baby, she did not know any better when she did things wrong (to a certain extent) and when she cried it was for a purpose.

Somehow as my daughter has begun to learn how to talk, walk, and express her personality, my level of patience has decreased. I'm starting to realize why God has placed such an emphasis on patience in the Bible. It affects our own lives, our families' lives, and the lives of those around us. For this reason I have been seeking encouragement and biblical advice on how to practice patience in everything I do, not just when it comes to motherhood, but in everything that I do.

These are some verses that have been encouraging to me at this time...

James 1:19-20
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

Colossians 3:12-13

Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Oh if only it were simple to just say, "Ok God! From now on I am going to be the woman that you desire for me to be. I will be slow to become angry. I am going to be humble, patient, merciful, kind, and tenderhearted towards every person that I meet. I will forgive anyone who offends me, and I will always be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer."

Yes, it would be nice if we could be all we are called to be in one instant. But that is not how God has designed us! He continues to teach us His ways through His word, and through Him we can know that these things are perfectly attainable! God is not finished with me yet. As I continue to grow in my walk with Christ, He will (as he has promised!) grant me the wisdom needed to attain all of these things! Everything the Word of God says a woman should be is something we all should stive to achieve, because God WILL bless us with these qualities the more we seek His truths.

One person I have truly been blessed by lately is

Michelle Duggar. This may be the first time I have ever looked up to a person that I do not actually know haha. She is a mother of 18 children, yes I did say 18! She and her family have a reality show on the TLC network. This show has been such a blessing to me because everytime I turn it on I am absolutely amazed by Michelle's stature. She has a heart for God, she submits to her husband, she loves her children, she is sooo kind to everyone she meets, and her patience with each and every one of her children is one the things I admire most about her. Michelle and her husband Jim Bob teach their children in the way of the Lord. That is something I strive for with Zoe, and at this point in my life I feel like I don't even know where to begin!

This week I have one goal: Not to express any harsh tones towards my daughter. I want to exercise true godly patience towards her. I can be stern and let her know when she is doing wrong of course, but I do not want her to think that I am angry when I am disciplining her. That is one area I consistently fail in.

So that is it for now! God is in control and I am looking forward to seeing how God is going to work in me in the next few weeks.

More on the TV show: 18 Kids & Counting -- I did some reading about the Duggar family on their website and they said they would not do the show if they were going to edit out their faith. TLC does a surprisingly great job at not editing out the times when they talk about thair faith in Jesus. It's amazing! It is so unlike any other TV show I've seen before. I definitely recommend it.

Christian Mothers and The Bible

2009-08-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite websites is gotquestions.org. You can go there and ask just about any question pertaining to the Bible and you will most often get an accurate and thorough response with many references to verses in the Bible. Here is what it says regarding Christian mothers. I found this to be extremely helpful! - Shaina

Question: "What does the Bible say about Christian mothers?"

Answer: Being a mother is a very important role that the Lord chooses to give to many women. A Christian mother is told to love her children (Titus 2:4-5), in part so that she does not bring reproach on the Lord and on the Savior whose name she bears.

Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). In Titus 2:4, the Greek word phileoteknos appears in reference to mothers loving their children. This word represents a special kind of “mother love.” The idea that flows out of this word is that of caring for our children, nurturing them, affectionately embracing them, meeting their needs, and tenderly befriending each one as a unique gift from the hand of God.

Several things are commanded of Christian mothers in God’s Word:

Availability – morning, noon, and night (Deuteronomy 6:6-7)

Involvement – interacting, discussing, thinking, and processing life together (Ephesians 6:4)

Teaching – the Scriptures and a biblical worldview (Psalm 78:5-6;Deuteronomy 4:10; Ephesians 6:4)

Training – helping a child to develop skills and discover his/her strengths (Proverbs 22:6) and spiritual gifts (Romans 12:3-8 and 1 Corinthians 12)

Discipline – teaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consistently, lovingly, firmly (Ephesians 6:4; Hebrews 12:5-11; Proverbs 13:24; 19:18;22:15; 23:13-14; 29:15-17)

Nurture – providing an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection, unconditional love (Titus 2:4; 2 Timothy 1:7;Ephesians 4:29-32; 5:1-2; Galatians 5:22; 1 Peter 3:8-9)

Modeling with Integrity – living what you say, being a model from which a child can learn by “catching” the essence of godly living (Deuteronomy 4:9, 15, 23; Proverbs 10:9; 11:3; Psalm 37:18, 37).

The Bible never states that every woman should be a mother. However, it does say that those whom the Lord blesses to be mothers should take the responsibility seriously. Mothers have a unique and crucial role in the lives of their children. Motherhood is not a chore or unpleasant task. Just as a mother bears a child during pregnancy, and just as a mother feeds and cares for a child during infancy, so mothers also play an ongoing role in the lives of their children, whether they are adolescents, teenagers, young adults, or even adults with children of their own. While the role of motherhood must change and develop, the love, care, nurture, and encouragement a mother gives should never cease.

Carolyn's Story

2009-08-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just came across a tribute that Carolyn Mahaney's daughters wrote about her and I had to share it on here! It literally brought me to tears. This is exactly what I hope and pray Zoe will think of me one day, this is exactly what I believe every woman should strive for. Check out here story here.

Beginning a Healthy Lifestyle

2009-08-22T14:11:00.001-07:00

I have been reading a lot about eating healthier by buying whole organic foods and making food from scratch. I'd say the majority of the time when I am at the store, I tend to buy the cheapest foods reguardless of their nutritional value. My husband works part time (as he is in school full time) and I am a stay-at-home Mom. As you can imagine, our income is not very much. My goal each month has been to spend $200 or less on groceries. This can be extremely difficult to do if you want to buy nutritious foods!

Today was a start, and I'd say we did very well! We spent $145.00 at the grocery store today on a month's worth of food. (Well, almost. In a couple weeks I'll return to the store to stock up again on fruits & veggies and dairy products.) It was not nearly all organic or even natural (*gasp* yes... I did buy Spaghetti O's....hehe), but we did significantly increase the amount of nutritious foods in the basket and it did include some organic things. I don't know that we'll ever get to a point where we only buy whole organic foods, but I definitely do want to get us to a point where we are eating nutritionally on a regular basis.

A few of my other goals:

We are unable to afford it now, but at some point I'd love for us to be able to get our eggs, milk, beef, pork, and chicken all from local farmers.
I'd also love to look into buying whole foods in bulk from something similar to Azure Standard.
Learn how to garden so that we can make our own veggies.
Learn how to do canning!
Make just about everything from scratch.

For some good reading on nutritional foods, check out the following blogs:

Getting Real with Food. This is a series that Laura from Heavenly Homemakers wrote. She gives excellent advice on what whole (real) food is, how to buy nutritious foods on a budget, and more. Just search for "Part 1" and go from there. She's quite an entertaining writer!

Natural Living 101 - Lindsay from Passionate Homemaking has compiled a list of articles, books, and resources on all topics related to extablishing a nourishing kitchen and home.

Resolutions Update

2009-08-21T10:11:00.001-07:00

I was going over my list of resolutions for this year and I noticed that more than half of them have not yet been completed, let alone started! I have a lot of work to do if I'm going to complete my list of resolutions for the year!

Let's see, it's August. That means I have about 4.5 months to....read 10 books, learn to sew, try about 80 new things, read the entire Old Testament, scrounge up another $1000 for our savings, lose 6 lbs...etc. Somehow I don't think that is going to happen! haha. The truth is, I completely forgot about my list of resolutions for about 6 months out of this year. Next year I'll have to print out my list and post it in a place that I see every day.

I did managed to get a few of the things finished! To see which ones, check out my list. I was so excited to be able to cross off some of them!

Proverbs 31:10-31

2009-08-20T07:31:00.000-07:00

I have been listening to/reading Nancy Leigh Demoss' series on the Biblical Womanhood over at Revive Our Hearts Radio. Yesterday I listened to, "A Biblical View of Womanhood", and today it is "A Virtuous Woman". This is a series that was originally done in February 2007. It is available for anyone to do at any time and you can find it here: The Counter-Cultural Woman: A Fresh Look at Proverbs 31. It begins with, "The Most Important Lesson".

I have read through Proverbs 31 many times, especially within the last 3 years as I've been a married woman. I've always had a difficult time understanding what some of these things mean, which is why I am doing this study. I thank the Lord for Proverbs 31. It is a beautiful portrait of true womanhood! I can only hope and pray that I will at least somewhat emuIate the Proverbs 31 woman in the years to come. I am so excited to study this passage over the next month or so.

I am so encouraged by Nancy's teaching. God is the focus of her studies, which is so refreshing to hear.

Here is the portion of Proverbs 31 where it gives instruction for Mothers:

Proverbs 31:10-31 (NLT)

10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.

16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.

19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.

22 She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.

28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.

A Prayer for Women

2009-08-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

by Pastor John Piper

My earnest challenge and prayer for you is . . .

. . . That all of your life—in whatever calling—be devoted to the glory of God.

. . . That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing.

. . . That this fullness of God overflow in daily acts of love so that people might see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in Heaven.

. . . That you be women of the Book, who love and study and obey the Bible in every area of its teaching; that meditation on biblical truth be the source of hope and faith; that you continue to grow in understanding through all the chapters of your life, never thinking that study and growth are only for others.

. . . That you be women of prayer, so that the Word of God will be opened to you, and so the power of faith and holiness will descend upon you; that your spiritual influence may increase at home and at church and in the world.

. . . That you be women who have a deep grasp of the sovereign grace of God which undergirds all these spiritual processes; and that you be deep thinkers about the doctrines of grace, and even deeper lovers of these things.

. . . That you be totally committed to ministry, whatever your specific calling; that you not fritter away your time on soaps or women’s magazines or unimportant hobbies or shopping; that you redeem the time for Christ and his Kingdom.

. . . That, if you are single, you exploit your singleness to the full in devotion to God (the way Jesus and Paul and Mary Slessor and Amy Carmichael did) and not be paralyzed by the desire to be married.

. . . That, if you are married, you creatively and intelligently and sincerely support the leadership of your husband as deeply as obedience to Christ will allow; that you encourage him in his God-appointed role as head; that you influence him spiritually primarily through your fearless tranquility and holiness and prayer.

. . . That, if you have children, you accept responsibility with your husband (or alone if necessary) to raise up children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord—children who hope in the triumph of God—sharing with your husband the teaching and discipline they need, and giving them the special attention they crave from you, as well as that special nurturing touch and care that you alone are fitted to give.

. . . That you not assume that secular employment is a greater challenge or a better use of your life than the countless opportunities of service and witness in the home, the neighborhood, the community, the church, and the world; that you not only pose the question: career or full-time homemaker?, but that you ask just as seriously: full-time career or freedom for ministry? That you ask: Which would be greater for the Kingdom—to work for someone who tells you what to do to make his or her business prosper, or to be God’s free agent dreaming your own dream about how your time and your home and your creativity could make God’s business prosper? And that in all this you make your choices not on the basis of secular trends or upward lifestyle expectations, but on the basis of what will strengthen the faith of the family and advance the cause of Christ.

. . . That you step back and (with your husband, if you are married) plan the various forms of your life’s ministry in chapters. Chapters are divided by various things—age, strength, singleness, marriage, employment, children at home, children in college, grandchildren, retirement, etc. No chapter has all the joys. Finite life is a series of tradeoffs. Finding God’s will, and living for the glory of Christ to the full in every chapter is what makes it a success, not whether it reads like somebody else’s chapter or whether it has in it what only another chapter will bring.

. . . That you develop a wartime mentality and lifestyle; that you never forget that life is short, that billions of people hang in the balance of heaven and hell every day, that the love of money is spiritual suicide, that the goals of upward mobility (nicer clothes, cars, houses, vacations, food, hobbies) are a poor and dangerous substitute for the goals of living for Christ with all your might and maximizing your joy in ministry to people’s needs.

. . . That in all your relationships with men (not just in marriage) you seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in applying the biblical vision of manhood and womanhood; that you develop a style and demeanor that does justice to the unique role God has given to man to feel responsible for gracious leadership in relation to women—a leadership which involves elements of protection and provision and a pattern of initiative; that you think creatively and with cultural sensitivity (just as he must do) in shaping the style and setting the tone of your interaction with men.

. . . That you see the biblical guidelines for what is appropriate and inappropriate for men and women not as arbitrary constraints on freedom, but as wise and gracious prescriptions for how to discover the true freedom of God’s ideal of complementarity; that you not measure your potential by the few roles withheld, but by the countless roles offered; that you look to the loving God of Scripture and dream about the possibilities of your service to him. (For a detailed list of service possibilities, see the pdf titled, Opportunities for Ministry.)

Excerpted from Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: A Response to Evangelical Feminism by Pastor John Piper. (Crossway Books. Used with permission.)

Our Story

2009-08-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

Gage and I both grew up in San Diego, CA. We met through MySpace.com in August 2005. I had just created a San Diego County Christians group on MySpace and since Gage was a new Christian with no Christian friends, he joined with the hope that he would meet some new friends. I invited him to join my friends and I at a bible study and we met in person at Calvary Chapel Hidden Valley on September 8, 2005. Two months later we were a couple and a little over one year after we met we married on September 16, 2006. Our first kiss was on our Wedding day!

Our honeymoon was a 2 day stay at a bed & breakfast in Julian, CA and then a 10 day road trip to our new home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We made stops in Zion National Park, four corners, a couple towns in Colorado, and the Black Hills (Mt. Rushmore). It was an amazing journey! We arrived here October 1st. We have lived here for nearly 3 years now and we love it. We enjoy meeting new people and learning to adapt to life in the midwest. We love the different seasons (although we do wish winter was shorter than 5-6 months!), we are happy to live near Gage's family, and we have found a wonderful church, First Evangelical Free Church of Sioux Falls.

On March 12, 2008 we welcomed our first child into the world! A baby girl named Zoe Kimberly (named after her Grandma Kimberly, my mother, who passed away in 2005 just a month before I met Gage). She is the greatest blessing God has granted us with. She is such a joy to have and we look forward watching her grow.

Right now Gage is attending school at Southeast Technical Institute (STI). He has already received a diploma as a Software Support Specialist, and is continuing his work to earn an A.A.S. in Computer Programming. I am a stay-at-home-Mom now and I absolutely love it! I couldn't ask for a better job than this! God has truly blessed me. I spend most of my days at home, going to parks, going for walks, learning anything that I can, organizing/cleaning, teaching my daughter anything and everything, and in addition to this I love to write and I love photography. I have just earned a Diploma in Photography and hope to one day earn money through my photography. Right now my focus is entirely on God, my husband, and my daughter.

Book List

2009-08-16T21:34:00.000-07:00

This is my current list of books to read.

1.Where’s Mom?
Dorothy Patterson

2.Lies Women Believe
Nancy DeMoss

3.Feminine Appeal
Carolyn Mahaney

4.To Train Up a Child

Michael & Debi Pearl

5.Radical Womanhood
Carolyn McCulley

6.The Way of the Master
Ray Comfort

7.Biblical Womanhood in the Home
Crossway Books

8.Biblical Portrait of Womanhood
Nancy DeMoss

9.No More Whining
Ginger Plowman

10.Heaven at Home
Ginger Plowman

11.The Excellent Wife
Martha Peace

12.Kitchen Organization Tips and Secrets
Deniese Schofield

13.Shepherding a Child’s Heart
Ted Tripp

14.Still Growing
Kirk Cameron

15.A Full House of Growing Pains
Barbara Cameron

16.Mission of Motherhood
Sally Clarkson

17.Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World
C.J. Mahaney

18.Death by Love
Mark Driscoll

19.What Did Jesus Do?
Ray Comfort

20.Discipline of Spiritual Discernment
Tim Challies

21.Don’t Waste Your Life
John Piper

22.Desiring God
John Piper

23.Christless Christianity
Michael Horton

24.Love or Die
Alexander Strauch

25.The Reason for God
Tim Keller

26.The Way Home
Mary Pride

27. 20 and Counting

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar

28. Passionate Housewives – Desperate for God

Stacy McDonald

Happy 53rd Birthday Dad!

2009-08-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Photo above: May 2009 / My silly Dad in his favorite place - Hawaii!

Happy 53rd Birthday Dad!!

Ted and Katharine Oswald!

2009-08-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

She looked so beautiful!! I found this picture on facebook posted by Katharine's friend Lindsay. Katharine is the 3rd out of my 6 bridesmaids to be married now. She has now husband Ted Oswald were wed yesterday in San Diego, CA. It's hard to think that she is no longer Katharine Daulton anymore! I feel so bad that I could not make it to their Wedding. I searched for affordable tickets for 2 months before the Wedding and I guess this is a bad time to buy plane tickets because there was never anything I could afford.

Katharine and I met in late Dec 2000 online. We were both huge Hanson fans. We met in person in January 2001 at my 16th birthday party in Temecula, CA and from then on we made many happy memories together by attending concerts, going to Hollywood for the first time, and hanging out at each others houses. She lived in Carlsbad and I lived in Escondido. What a huge blessing Ted is for Katharine. I am so glad the Lord has provided her with a husband who will love and cherish her all her life! I look forward to meeting him someday. They live in Phillidelphia, PA now so it may be a while before that happens.

I pray that the Lord blesses them and that they would keep the Lord the in center of their marriage.

Congratulations Katharine & Ted!

Links & Resources

2009-08-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

Biblical Encouragement for Women:

Revive Our Hearts Radio - the Ministry of Nancy Leigh Demoss
True Women: 30 Day Make-Over by Nancy Leigh Demoss

Homemaking:

Natural Living:

Passionate Homemaking

Heavenly Homemakers

Mothering Magazine

Baby Care:

Nourishing a Growing Baby

Family Fun & Encouragement:

The Duggar Family

Family Corner

Churches & Ministries:

The Way of the Master = The greatest ministry I have ever come across.

Wretched Radio - What used to be known as Way of the Master Radio is now Wretched Radio. It's still the same show, just with a different name. Todd Friel is the host and I can guarantee that if you listen to this show he will get you THINKING! My knowledge of biblical doctrine increased probably 90% as a result of this show.

Revive Our Hearts - I recently discovered this ministry. Nancy Leigh Demoss has a radio show that she conducts on a daily basis.

Focus on the Family - I grew up listening to Dr. Dobson on the radio.

Desiring God - Pastor John Piper's Ministry

Voice of the Martyrs - Two minutes at this site and your entire view of the world will change.

Compassion International - We have been sponsoring a girl in Brazil since October 2006. Just $38 is taken out of our account each month and it goes to pay for the needs of this girl and her family for a whole month! We receive handwritten letters from her every few months and we've enjoyed being a part of her life. Hopefully we will have the chance to meet her some day!

SermonAudio.com - If you do a search for Randy Anderson, you will get a taste of what I am blessed to hear every Sunday morning.

Personal Favorites:

First Evangelical Free Church - Sioux Falls, SD - My amazing church!

Pastor Randy Anderson's Sermons - Every week when Randy finishes his sermon I say to myself, "WOW. That was the best sermon I have ever heard." Every. Single. Week. Unfortunately you need to sign up for SermonAudio.com so you can log in to hear the sermons. Don't worry though, it's free :)

Calvary Chapel Mission Hills - Located in San Marcos, CA. If you are ever in the area, definitely check out this small but wonderful church. This is the church I was attending before I moved to Sioux Falls, SD. The pastor of this church - Dave James - has been a family friend ever since I was about 7 years old. He was also the Pastor that officiated our Wedding.

CCMH Worship Band - My Dad is the Worship Leader at Calvary Chapel Mission Hills. He sings lead and plays guitar. My sister also sings on the Worship Team.

Calvary Chapel Bible College - This is the school I would have attended had I not met Gage when I did. I was accepted to the school and all ready to go, but God had other plans for me! I've had many friends who have attended this college and I recommend it to anyone who is looking into attending a Bible College. The tuition is an excellent price.

Harvest.org / Harvest Crusades - I grew up attending Harvest Crusades. While many crusades don't put forth an accurate preaching of the gospel, I believe this one does a great job at presenting who God is, how sinful we are, and how much we are in need of Jesus as our Savior. If you are ever in the Riverside, CA area I recommend attending Greg Laurie's church, Harvest Christian Fellowship.

Saving Money

2009-08-12T13:58:00.000-07:00

Ever since we returned from California in late June I have been slacking on my endevours to save money. I just spent the last 20 minutes or so going over a few of my favorite Money-Saving blogs and now I think I am motivated to get back into it. With Gage working part-time and me being a stay-at-home Mom we obviously are on an extremely tight budget and every penny we can save helps us tremendously!

One little highlight of last Sunday was when we made a short trip to Target and used 3 coupons, saving us about $5 on what would have been a $23 purchase. We ended up spending $18!

I had a $1.50 coupon for a Johnson & Johnson Baby Bath product and it included the hair detangeler. Zoe is getting to that age where I need to use detangeler sometimes so I was excited about this $1.50 off coupon for something that is rarely over $3.00. We got to the isle and we found that on the actual bottle of detangeler was a 2nd coupon for "$1.00 off NOW!" So guess what? We ended up using both coupons and walla! FREE detangeler. :) The third coupon we had was a $3 off coupon for Cruisers diapers that were already on sale at Target for about $19.

Coupons are indeed marvelous things!

Zoe is 17 Months Old!

2009-08-12T07:47:00.000-07:00

Cutest Moments of the Week:

A few days ago Zoe told Great-Grandma Sandy she wanted to go outside. We all made our way out to the patio room. I got her shoes, we put them on her and now we're all set to walk outside. Before we know it, Zoe has changed her mind. Zoe then climbs up the stairs to go into the house, she looks at Grandma and says, "Bye bye!!"

Two days ago Zoe found my coffee cup on a table that had a little left in it from earlier that morning. She picked it up and broght it over to me saying, "Mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!" :)

Last night Zoe decided she was finished playing with her blocks so she put them in their small box and said, "all done!...trash!" -- this is what we say when we're all finished with changing her diaper. Hehe.

Zoe's new words:

Down

Trash

Swing ("Wee")

Outside, Inside ("Siiiiiide")

See you!

Abby!!! (from her box of crackers, the Sesame Street character)

Elmo ("emo")

Great-Grandma = "MAAAAAA!!" haha.

Walk

Car ("Cowww")

Bath ("Bop")

Bubble

New look...

2009-08-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

I figured....it's a new blog year, so why not give it a new look. I'm having issues with the side content though so I don't know if I'll be able to stick with this look. I sure hope so, I love it!

1 Year Anniversary of this Blog!

2009-08-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have been blogging for 6 years now, my first blog was a personal journal held at Xanga.com. It still exists and I update it about once a year just so it'll stay up to date. I moved to blogger because I wanted a new design and a whole new start on blogging.

Today I decided to go look back at my first post here on blogger: Click here if you wish to read it. I created this blog with the purpose of writing about my many adventures in homemaking. I think I have gone through 3 different names for this blog so far and who knows if the current one (Motherly Love) will even stick... but overall I feel I have succeeded in what I set out to do. I want to document my life and whatever I am doing at the time happens to be what I write about. Right now I am a new mom, so a lot of my posts are about motherhood and the excitement of seeing my daughter try new things each day.

This is a personal journal / homemaker's blog.

I hope that by writing on this blog I am able to encourage other young women to pursue lives devoted to their families. I also want to have a document that my daughter and any other future children of ours will be able to read one day to enjoy and be encouraged by. I believe there is nothing more important for a woman to do, especially in this day and age.

Anthony and Abby - Engagement Photos

2009-08-07T08:15:00.000-07:00

On Monday my friend Anna stopped by my house as she does a few times a week. She asked me if I would be willing to take Engagement photos for her sister-in-law Abby (Anna's husband Kevin's sister). I of course jumped at the opportunity and on Wednesday I went out to Falls Park with Abby and her fiance Anthony and we took photos. It was fun, a good experience for sure. We ate at Valentinos afterwards. It was great to meet them both and I wish them the

best in all that they do!

What I've been doing...

2009-08-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! My computer has something mysteriously wrong with it. Ever since we bought it, we have had problems with it. It is the only computer in the house that consistently has problems (and we have 4 computers all together). Long story but now I am using Windows Vista - Business instead of Linux. The plan was to switch to XP but I figured I'd try Vista since we had an extra one. We'll see how well this works out. So far this computer has had Windows XP, Linux Mint, Windows 7, and Windows Vista.

The problems stemmed from some work I was doing yesterday with photos. I took some engagement photos for a couple on Wednesday and I had been trying to do some editing and uploading them to Shutterfly.com. I had problems all along the way and uploading took longer than editing! The thing about Linux is that its more for people who have knowledge of how computers work, like my husband. I had to keep asking him for help every day. Even though it ran better than Windows, I think for now I'm sticking with Windows. It is much easier for me.

Last night I decided to try and figure out how I can recover all of my lost photos from June & July that were lost on that hard drive that crashed. That includes alllll of the photos from our CA trip and then some. Over 2000 photos. The week before the hard drive crashed I uploaded all of those photos to shutterfly! So they are all on shutterfly.com so I figured I'd just order a few CDs and there we go! But ...no. They do not sell photo CDs!! They sell photo DVDs and they cost money. It would have costed me $35 to recover all of the photos. I did some searching on the internet for another option and I found a free option but it requires some extensive mouse clicking. I need to "right click" and "save" each individual photo once its on my photo share site (http://shainaherrmannphotography.shutterfly.com) So I added them to our family site (http://theherrmannfamily.shutterfly.com) and starting clicking away... I'm almost half way done now. *sigh*

-Shaina

Lupkes Wedding!

2009-08-03T08:10:00.000-07:00

My Mother-in-law, Jennifer Herrmann, made her dress! It is her 3rd Wedding dress in recent years, I think she made her own as well. Jenny made my Wedding dress, my best friend Shannon's Wedding dress, and Monique's dress! As you can see, she is an excellent seamstress!

The Beautiful Bride! Monique Murray is now Monique Lupkes.

This was an interesting Wedding for me. I was videotaping from a balcony and the only other person up there with me was the photographer. I did manage to get a few photos of my own though.

Moni & Nick's Wedding Day!

2009-08-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Nick and Monique Lupkes!
Married today at the Old Courthouse Museum in Sioux Falls, SD

Precious Little Zoe

2009-07-31T21:17:00.000-07:00

I took this today at Moni & Nick's Rehearsal Dinner. She looked so cute tonight :)

The Daily System

2009-07-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

If you would like to own this beautiful piece of organization perfection, just check out Pottery Barn's website - here. Look closely, and you will see why it is $600!! That's a LITTLE out of my price range. It sure is a beautiful sight though ;o) *sigh*

Summer Fun: Bike Rides, Cleaning, a Wedding, and Less Photography

2009-07-28T08:52:00.000-07:00

We have a Wedding coming up in the family. Gage's cousin Monique will be getting married in the old courthouse on Saturday! Extended family members are flying in at various times during the week, the first of them arrives tomorrow. We will have a couple staying with us in our basement (which is a very nice basement, it's where we lived the first 6 months we were here). They arrive on Friday, I believe. So lately I have been cleaning, preparing for visitors. With the help of Sandy & Whitt (Gage's Grandparents) I've accomplished a great deal of cleaning this week. Now the whole basement is clean and organized, the many windows in the patio room are clean inside and out, the upstairs is mostly clean, and I even took time to clean Gage's drumset, which he has never once cleaned in the 10 years he's owned them. Yesterday I cleaned and organized most of Zoe's room. We have boxes filled with garage sale items out in the garage now (including a ton of baby girl clothes). I'm so glad to be finished with all the big things, now its time to get to work on a bunch of small things.

I have been so busy cleaning that I have been on the computer much less. It has been quite refreshing! Don't get me wrong, I do love my computer! :) I love to catch up with friends online, read blogs on homemaking, recipes, & photography, and I spend a lot of time going through, organizing, and editing photos that I take, which includes a ton of time on the computer.

While I do enjoy working with photos, too much of it can actually get pretty stressful. It is what professional photographers do for money because it is a substantial amount of work. I have put my photography on the back burner for now. Right now I want to spend more time with my family and less time working on photos. The entire purpose of me not having a job right now is so that I can be home with my daughter, and though I am home with her, I feel like I am constantly working on some photo project and not spending enough time with her. I've also become the "family photographer"...which has also become a problem. I love photography and I love to document special family events but seriously, if I continue this I will become the most anti-social person on the planet. I actually *enjoy* socializing, and when I am behind the camera all I think about is getting great shots of this event that I am not actually participating in.

I've been trying my hardest to take far less pictures at family events. Even when I'm asked to take photos, I know that the people who ask are not expecting 100 fantastic photos of the day, they just want a few (as in, maybe 20?) good ones. 4th of July and Monique's Bridal Shower were my first two experiments. I took less than 100 photos, which is a GREAT accomplishment for me haha. In fact, I only took 70 at the 4th of July family gathering..and there were a LOT of people there to photograph!

I think for now I will stick with my Bible studies and blogging during Zoe's naps and when she is awake, no computer. I moved my computer into my bedroom so I would have less access to it haha. Maybe at some point in a month or so I'll work out a schedule so I can work on photos for short periods of time. Right now, I am enjoying a good break from photography. Obviously with the Wedding coming up I do have to make some exceptions: The trying on of the dress, the Wedding rehearsal & dinner, and of course the candid reception photos that she wants me to take. After that, it is strictly documentation photos for a while, like a normal person!

Fried Hard Drive, New Hard Drive, and 202nd Post!

2009-07-21T09:36:00.000-07:00

I just noticed that the post I made about my Mom was my 200th post on this blog! My 1st "Blogoversary" is coming up in 19 days as well!

My poor poor hard drive:

On Sat we were going to go to the Jazz Fest but that never happened because my hard drive on my computer decided to just STOP WORKING and Gage spent that whole afternoon & evening trying to get it to work. He tried everything and even took it to a local computer shop and they even said that, "It's fried." So, I ended up loosing all photos from May - July, including the original trip photos, and a ton of videos from the trip and videos of Zoe from the last few months... a few big events (4th of July, a Bridal Shower, a housewarming party, etc.) Thankfully, I spent all of last week uploading our trip photos to Shutterfly.com so I could display them on my new Photography website!!! If I had not done that, all of the trip photos would have been lost (that's about 1000 photos.) I lost some great photos of Zoe though, which makes me sad... but it's ok, there are more photos of Zoe so far than were ever taken of me in my entire childhood haha.

A "brand new" computer:

Monday we bought a new hard drive for my computer once we decided there was nothing else that could be done to save my old hard drive.

Keep in mind that my husband is a computer programmer. I'm constantly hearing about all the new things in computerland and sometimes I understand what he's talking about, other times..not so much. Nevertheless, I have managed to absorbe QUITE a bit of information about computers since I've been married. With that said, I knew that getting a new hard drive meant that I would basically have a "New computer!" Ohh the possibilities!!

Gage installed Linux Mint. This is an operating system similar to Windows. So far I love it! It's a lot faster than Windows and doesn't seem to have as many issues. I've only been using it for a day though so we'll see how it works out.

I figured, new operating system, new hard drive... why not go with all new programs? :) I'm using Firefox instead of Chrome or Internet Explorer, Mozilla Thunderbird for my e-mail accounts, and Pidgin for Instant Messaging. It really is like a brand new computer.

I am now, without a doubt, and OFFICIAL Geek and proud of it! :o)

-Shaina

A good week!

2009-07-17T18:05:00.000-07:00

This week has been a good one for us. Zoe leg is healing and she's able to take a few steps here and there, Gage was delighted to play drums at church on Sunday, and I hosted our Thursday morning Bible Study at our home and it went exceptionally well. We had one little mishap on Wednesday when we went to have lunch and swim at McKennan park with Anna & Kjersten. Zoe's leg started to hurt her and she was crying up a storm so we had to leave before we could swim. We'll make another attempt next week I'm sure. On Monday I decided to create a website for my photography, so I spent every free moment I got putting it together for the next 4 days. I finished it last night. It's a great thing to have but man am I glad to be finished with it.

This week we also helped watch Gage's younger brothers while his parents went to the Black Hills to celebrate their 25th Anniversary. We had a full household from Sunday - Wednesday! 4 dogs, 2 boys, 2 grandparents, 1 bird and our family. Yes, I did say a bird. Brad bought a bird this week and he named him after his friend Reese. As I said before, it was a good week :)

Today was a good day too. It is Gage's Grandparents' 51st Anniversary! We haven't seen much of them today since they've been off celebrating. This morning I woke up with the urge to exercise! That doesn't happen too often... We ended up going for a bike ride just before lunch time. I packed us a lunch and we rode on the bike path over to Sertoma park. We ate lunch and played for a bit before we rode back. I decided that was enough for exercise for me today. It was our first bike ride in a few months so I'm a little out of shape. Not completely though, as I did a lot of walking and hiking while we were in Yosemite a few weeks ago.

Zoe has had a pretty good day today. She enjoyed the bike ride and the park. She has a new Noah's Ark toy that she loves to play with at home, and since today was one of Daddy's days off, she was able to spend a lot of time with Daddy. A little while ago Zoe was down in the basement with Gage and she started climbing up the stairs. She then looks back and says "Heeeeyy Daaaaa!!!" to get Daddy's attention, then she continues climbing up the stairs which she knows she isn't supposed to do, but she was having a grand time trying to get her Daddy to chase her!

We ate dinner at CiCi's Pizza tonight because we hadn't been there in a couple months and we had a coupon. They didn't have 2 of my favorite things... *sigh* but it was still a good meal. Zoe is now in bed and me and Gage are on our laptops. Tomorrow is Sat, my Dad & Becky's 11th Anniversary! We *were* going to spend the day at JazzFest tomorrow but somehow Gage didn't get the day off so he has to work until 4 and the band he wants to see is at 4:30.... who knows if we'll make it there in time to see them tomorrow but I do think the plan is to at least go for a few hours tomorrow afternoon/evening.

My Beautiful Mom

2009-07-09T09:04:00.000-07:00

January 2, 1956 - July 9, 2005
We love and miss you dearly.

Another Crazy 4th.

2009-07-06T16:37:00.000-07:00

Well for the 2nd year in a row, I was unable to watch Fireworks on the 4th. This is turning into a trend for us...the day of the 4th is great and we have a ton of fun but by the time it begins to get dark, the trouble starts! This year it was due to my daughter's hurt leg. We had a great day down in Rock Rapids, Iowa with family at a park down there. Then at about 5pm, Zoe and Brad went down a slide and her foot got caught under him. She cried for a little bit, but then fell asleep, so we drove home, she slept for another 2 hours or so and when she woke up, we went to put her down to walk around and what do ya know? She can't stand up!

We had to guess at which foot it was because neither Gage nor I saw exactly what happend on the slide. She was acting as if her right foot hurt so they did x-rays of her right foot. Why they didn't want to do both (seeing as we didn't know for sure which one it was!) is beyond me.... they couldn't find anything but they put a splint on her anyway to be safe. She had the splint on yesterday until it fell off. Today we went to the Bone Clinic and we saw her holding up her *left* leg whenever we tried to get her to stand. They did X-rays on her left leg and just as Gage thought all along, it was her left side, but it wasn't her foot - it was her leg. She has a small fracture on the lower part of her leg. Thankfully she does not need to wear a cast or a splint, we just need to keep her up off her feet as much as possible and in a week or two she should be walking again.

Zoe's Words at 15 Months

2009-06-28T21:13:00.001-07:00

She says a ton of words now, she says a few new ones every day. Here is a list of some of the words she says pretty well (this is mainly to use in her baby book later):

"Puppy"

"Kitty"

"All Done!"

"One, two, three!"

"Apple"

"Cheese"

"Grampa" or "Gampa"

"Hi!"

"Bye!"

"Shoes"

"Socks"

"Foo" or "Foof" for Food

"Bite" - when she wants a bite of food.

"Mommy"

"Dada"

"Cracker"

"Book"

"Baby"

She also yells out, "Maaa!" It sounds like she is calling for Mom but we can't figure out if its her calling for me or Grandma haha.

We're home!

2009-06-28T19:41:00.001-07:00

We flew in last night from Los Angeles. I am glad to be home but at the same time I really miss CA. We had a wonderful time :) I could write a book about our many adventures but I'll condense it to a few paragraphs.

Escondido (San Diego County) - Aside from a couple days of illness, the week we spent in Escondido was wonderful. I loved seeing my family & friends again! We spent time in Oceanside at the beach a few times, we ate at my favorite restaurants, and I was able to go to an old Bible Study that I used to attend outside of a Starbucks in San Marcos. Gabby, Zoe, and I met up with my Aunt Lisa and Grandma Peggy in Temecula for lunch one day and on another day we got a bunch of people together from my old church and we had dinner (Mexican food of course.)

Yosemite National Park - I seriously took about 800 photos during the week that we were there. It is sooo beautiful there! I've been there many times before but I had never spent a whole week there. We stayed with Gage's grandparents who are volunteer workers there. His Grandpa is a Desk Officer in the North Pines campground this year. In the mornings they go on bear patrol to check for damage made by bears. While we were there we rode bikes, we went down to Yosemite Village a couple times, walked over to Curry Village tons of times, some of us took a watercolor class and painted the Yosemite Falls, Gage and I went on a Photography walk with a guide photographer one morning, we went to Happy Isles a couple times, and we hung out at our campground quite a bit. The last full day in Yosemite I ended up with a bladder infection so once we got to Oakhurst (near Bass Lake) the following day I went to a clinic. I still don't know how much it is going to cost us because they have yet to send us a bill.

Bass Lake - We went to Bass Lake for a family reunion on my father-in-law's side of the family. During our week at the condos near Bass Lake we spent a lot of time in the jacuzzi and pool every single day. It was so amazing to be able to go into the hot tub every evening, especially after a day of hiking. We also spent another day back in the Yosemite because that side of the family had never been there before. We went out on the lake for a day and I actually tried tubing and went on a Jet Ski for the first time! On another day we went to Mariposa Grove and did a 4 mile hike (2 of those miles were uphill - we went up 600 ft in elevation). Gage's parents and brother Brad had done two 8 mile hikes earlier in the week so they had no problem with it but man..that was a challenge for me! haha. I enjoyed most of it though and walking back downhill was much easier. The last day we just relaxed, swam, and packed up our stuff.

Traveling home - It went pretty smoothly for the most part. We ate breakfast at Del Taco in Fresno, lunch at Rubios in L.A, then we arrived at LAX and had a few issues here and there, which always happens in airports, but once our flight took off everything was good. It was a 3 hr direct flight to Sioux Falls! Gotta love that :) The airport is only 10 minutes away from where we live too!

It's great to be home and sleeping in our super comfortable bed! Speaking of which... I think it is time for bed! :)

CA Trip so far!

2009-06-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

I've been in California since Wednesday the 3rd.

Wednesday -

The flight went well. 3 hours with Zoe on my lap. She slept for about 45 minutes and I kept her occupied with snacks most of the time. Going through security was the worst part. I had to carry a stroller (folded up!), blanket, sweater, large heavy backpack, my purse,

a diaper bag, and Zoe all at once through the line. Once I finally got to the security area I had to take of my shoes & Zoe's shoes, then get out the laptop and put everything in the proper bins all while Zoe is wandering around the security area by herself because I couldn't hold her while I did all of this... she ended up crying and screaming because she was scared. Other than that, the trip went well. We met up with my Aunt Luanne at LAX then drove to a mall in Century City (near Hollywood) and ate dinner with my cousin David, cousin Wendy and her husband & daughter Jessie (who is 5 months older than Zoe). Elliott was with Luanne when she picked us up (he's my cousin Adam's 2 yr old son).

Thursday - We hung out with my cousins and their kids, my Aunt Luanne, and Grandma

Huddleston. I finally met Scarlett!! She is my cousin Adam's 3 month old daughter. We went to Del Taco for lunch!!! I love Del Taco.... Then we went to a park and fed some ducks. We ate dinner & celebrated Adam's 28th birthday at The Old Spaghetti Factory. It was great to see Zoe with all 3 of her little cousins!!

Friday - We hung out at Luanne's until about noon. From there we went to Heather's house, then to CoCo's for lunch. We met up with a friend of mine that I had only known online named Corina. She has a son that is Zoe's age so it was fun to see Zoe walking around with someone her size, hehe. We found a Frozen Yogurt place and hung out there. From there we drove down to Escondido where we dropped off Michelle at her house, visited with some friends & saw my Dad at band practice. We went to the Holliday's house and hung out until it was time to go home and go to bed.

Saturday - We went to the beach! My favorite beach is the one in Oceanside and my favorite place in the world is at the end of the pier so, that is where we went. Amanda, Shannon, Mike, Charles, Seth, Gabby, Christopher, Maria, Zoe, and myself all went down the pier and back. It took us about 45 minutes. I seriously think there were about 500 pictures of Zoe taken on that pier. Between the 3 professional cameras we had, 2 regular cameras, and 2 video cameras haha. It was like she was famous and we were the poparazzi. Crazy! After the pier, some of us went to our friend Chelle's house. She has a pool and a jacuzzi (sp?). We hung out around the fire pit and talked about computers...haha. Gage would have loved that conversation. We ended the night with a game of Apples to Apples with 17 people and I won!! :oD

Sunday - Went to church! I love listening to my Dad and my sister sing. I video taped a couple songs until my tape ran out...of course. Something happens everytime I'm there so that I can't videotape them. It was great to hear a message by Dave James too. I loved visiting with people from my old church too! Aunt Luanne, Uncle Ken, and Grandma Huddleston came down to visit. They were at church and then we went to Oceanside to have lunch at Anita's (our family's favorite restaurant) and we went to the time-share condo where my Aunt Dawn & Uncle George are staying down there. Zoe had a blast walking around in there and chatting with all the family members. Once we returned to Escondido, Zoe and I went over to Shannon and Mike's house for dinner. It was nice to relax finally... up until tonight we had been in large groups. It was nice to just sit and talk with Shannon & Mike and let Zoe play.

So that's everything! Tomorrow I think I'm going down to the beach again with Shannon, and later in the week we may go to the Wild Animal Park. Friday we'll be hanging out with some old friends from CCHV. Tuesday I am going to borrow a car from Shannon & Mike so I'll be driving around here for the first time since I moved...that'll be interesting. I think we're going to meet up with my Aunt Lisa and Grandma Woodward on Tuesday.

-Shaina

California, here I come!

2009-06-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm going *home* to San Diego!

Actually, I am going to be in Los Angeles (Hollywood) tomorrow, then Riverside for the first couple days of the trip (which is my original hometown, where I was born.) I'll be spending a lot of time with family! Zoe is going to get to see all her little cousins. I'm so excited! I'm going to have to take a zillion pictures.

On the 5th I'll be meeting up with my friends and then making my way down to Escondido (San Diego for those of you who don't know Southern CA) where we'll be until the 13th. On the 13th we go back up to Los Angeles. Zoe and I will meet up with Gage and his family at a motel that night. Well sleep there then early in the morning we drive to Yosemite National Park. We will be there for a week, then we drive to Bass Lake, where we will be for another week. Gage's Dad's side of the family is having a family reunion up in Bass Lake. That'll be fun, I've never been there before. We return to Sioux Falls on the 27th of June.

I'm a little nervous about the flight tomorrow. For one, I'm not a huge fan of flying. Second, I am going to have my 14 month old on my lap for 3 hrs straight. I don't know how I'm going to keep her entertained for that long. Maybe she'll sleep a little! :)

I'm also sad to leave Sioux Falls for a month. I am thrilled to be going back to CA but I'm going to be out of my comfort zone (my home) for a month! Zoe is also going to be in new and strange places and we'll be without Gage for the first 10 days so it's a bit stressful, but I know God is in control and it will all work out. I really have nothing to worry about. I know I'm going to have a great time on this trip and Zoe will be loved by everyone.

I'm going to finish some laundry and get a couple more things packed tonight, that will allow me to just relax tomorrow until we leave the house at 1pm. Ooo, maybe we'll get Bagel Boy for breakfast.

I leave you with one of my favorite portions of scripture:

Isaiah 40:28-31

²⁸Have you not known? Have you not heard?The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
²⁹He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
³⁰Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
³¹but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.

-Shaina

In 100 Days...

2009-05-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

I will be 9000 days old!

Pretty crazy thought haha. A few days ago Gage was on some statistic website of some kind and he figured out how many days old I was. As of today I am 100 days away from turning 9000 days old. I wonder how I should celebrate. ;)

The past two days we have been pretty spontaneous. Yesterday Zoe and I went swimming (Zoe's first time "swimming" in an outdoor pool) at McKennen Park's little kid pool (it's only about a foot - a foot 1/2 deep and it has fountains and a little slide). First thing she does...lets go of Grandma and dives head first into the ice cold water. You should have seen the look on her face! I did happen to catch this on video though so I'll try to post it on here sometime soon.

Today my friend Rachel sent me a message on Facebook asking if we wanted to go to the Zoo. Gage was just about to stop by the house on his break from work so I quickly got dressed, got Zoe ready, packed a little food, and we drove Gage back to work and we made our way to the Zoo, which is a whole 5-8 minutes away from our house. It was a pretty fun trip. Zoe enjoyed the ducks of course :)

She's awake now from her nap so I guess that means I'm done here!

-Shaina

Zoe's Favorite Words

2009-05-27T09:36:00.001-07:00

In the photo above: Zoe had been playing with some large plastic easter eggs and she decided she wanted to stick them in her shirt. This was the result. lol.

Zoe's new favorite words to say:

"Hi!"
"Shoes."
"Cheese!"

She has also been doing the "more" sign when she's hungry. I don't know why she uses that one instead of the sign for "food" but its better than nothing :)

One week from today and we'll be in CA! I've got to start packing!

List Making to the Extreme

2009-05-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

If you know me at all, you know that I LOVE LISTS. I got this from my Mom, she made a list for just about everything. I love lists because once I have a list, I feel completely prepared and content knowing that I won't forget anything because, it's on the list :) Plus I have a horrible memory and if I didn't write everything down, it would not get done.

My list making obsession becomes the most evident when I'm packing for a trip. If the trip is nearly a month long (such as the one I have coming up), I take list making to a whole new level, creating a 6 page report on what needs to be done haha. I started out a couple weeks ago searching online for anything and everything I need to know about traveling with a toddler by myself, then last week I made a list of the basic essentials that we need in our bags. This week, I have a list for just about everything. Especially since the trip is split up with Zoe and I leaving on the 3rd and Gage (and his family) leaving on the 13th. Seriously, I've already created lists for the following:

All contents for the big brown suitcase, my stuff and Zoe's stuff.
All contents of my purse, Zoe's little backpack, and my backpack. (That's 3 lists)
All contents for the black carry-on suitcase that Gage will be bringing.
All contents of Gage's backpack.
A list of specific toys to bring for Zoe.
A list of things to do on the plane to keep Zoe entertained for 3 hrs.
A list of things for Gage to do during the 10 days that he's home and we're not.
A list of things I need to accomplish before leaving on this trip...

Seriously, this is insane! But hey, at least I'm prepared :)

Yay! Kris Allen!

2009-05-22T20:37:00.000-07:00

I still can't believe Kris Allen actually won American Idol! He has been my favorite since about mid March and the show began in January. I have to write about this because I'm so fascinated by this. Not only was he the underdog that came out of nowhere about 5 weeks ago but he's a Christian too! When the show started, they showed him only a few times. He wasn't really talked about much so by the time he made it to the top 13, we didn't really know much about him at all. I remember his audition and it was nothing spectacular, but he definitely was good. For weeks and weeks people were talking about Danny Gokey (another Christian worship leader I might add) and Adam Lambert. Then about 5 weeks ago, Kris had one great performance and from then on he did great every week. American Idol is one of the few shows that we watch each year. This year was pretty awesome with 6 out of the top 13 contestants being Christians! Kris Allen helped lead worship at his church before auditioning for AI. The media has labeled him the "humble one" because he never spoke too highly of himself and he was always genuinely shocked every week that he made it through to the next round. When Ryan announced his name as the winner of AI, he was so completely shocked (as you can see in the picture to the right). It just seems so unheard of that someone with his personality and someone so humble could win something like AI. I think it's fantastic! I don't know anything about his walk with Christ, but I think he definitely is going to (and has already been!) a light in the dark world of Hollywood.

I've never felt so happy for a winner of American Idol before. I'm not sure if he'll enter the "Christian Music" scene or not. Either way, I'm excited for his album! It is one album I will definitely be buying.

Sickness Rant and Zoe in Shorts!

2009-05-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

This week it is sore throats, coughs, headaches, and other various aches and pains. Seriously, I used to go YEARS without getting sick in California, now I get sick in one way or another every few weeks during the Winter & Spring here. Though there are many pluses to living in South Dakota, getting sick so often is definitely not one of them. I don't even leave the house very often...just go to to church and maybe the grocery store. Zoe has some eye gunk that is finally starting to go away after about 4 or 5 days, Gage has had a cough for 2 weeks, and in addition to that cough now he is dealing with the same thing I am: headaches, a sore throat, feeling as if there is a balloon in your head..

Other than being sick, things are going pretty smoothly around here. Zoe has been practicing her running skills and not exactly succeeding as she continually falls, gets back up, runs, falls, gets back up. Gage is enjoying some free time now that school is finished for the semester, and I've been making a detailed list of what to pack and what bag to pack stuff in for the trip. My house is a mess though, because I haven't been feeling well. My goal is to have it *spotless* by the time I leave for CA in two weeks ;) We'll see if that happens.

Gage mowed the lawn today! Now we have a nice pretty green lawn. Zoe went outside and walked around in the backyard for the first time today, wearing her 2nd pair of shorts and and a tank top and boy did she look CUTE. I should have taken a picture :) We were given a Little Tikes play house for the backyard that was cleaned up today and is currently drying. Hopefully she'll get to check it out later on today.

-Shaina

Zoe's 1st Bike Ride!

2009-05-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

For Christmas last year we received a double stroller/bike trailer from Gage's parents. We finally were able to use it for the first time on Monday! We took a ride down to Spellerberg Park and let Zoe play around. Zoe had fun walking around the park, swinging, going down slides with Daddy, and of course riding in the bike trailer! She's a little small for it (as you'll see in the picture at the bottom), but it works. It was so great to take Zoe on a bike ride with us!

Zoe riding on her favorite thing in the world....a duck, haha.

She'll grow into it...hehe

Zoe's New Kitchen

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about this little kitchen! A friend of ours sold it to us for $20.00! I had been planning on buying Zoe a play kitchen within the next year anyway so this works out wonderfully! She plays with it every day. Right now her favorite thing to do is open and close the oven and take out all of the drawers, haha. I like the look of it too, not too babyish. What a blessing!

Zoe - 14 Months Old!

2009-05-12T07:30:00.000-07:00

Zoe is 14 months old today! Time is definitely flying by. My baby is turning into a toddler. She's walking, learning to talk, she is officially weaned (I stopped nursing her on May 5th), her hair is long enough for a ponytail, she's climbing on everything, she's learning to disobey... lots of fun ;)

I try not to think about the weaning thing too much because I would nurse her forever if I could. It made me so sad to stop, especially knowing I still could nurse her for another 6 months if I really wanted. I knew I had to stop eventually and she didn't seem very interested in nursing anymore so I figured now would be a good time to stop, regardless of how I felt. I feel like she's no longer a baby anymore. It makes me so sad that it often brings me to tears. I'm excited at the same time though. She's turning into such a beautiful and fun little girl. I'm in no rush for her to be any older though, I am enjoying each age as it comes along.

Here are a few recent photos of our sweet little girl!

Daddy and Zoe

Zoe on Mother's Day (5/10/09)

Zoe at the park (5/11/09)

Me and my baby girl on our 2nd Mother's Day together!

Zoe, excited the Spring has finally arrived!! :)

Pray for my Aunt Lisa

2009-05-11T20:16:00.001-07:00

My Aunt Lisa and Me in 2005

A few weeks ago my Aunt Lisa e-mailed me and told me that she may have breast cancer. She is my Mom's only sibling. She had a biopsy a couple weeks ago and found out that she does in fact have cancer. She told her Mom (my Grandma) yesterday. It is scary, but she's very optimistic and she's going to do everything possible to stop it. She said to me that she is going to "kick its butt." :) She's the same age my Mom (her sister) was when she died, but I think they may have caught it earlier than they did with my Mom, which would give Lisa a much better chance at beating it. She has surgery on the 20th and it is then that she will find out how much the cancer has spread. Please keep her in your prayers.

My prayer for Lisa tonight:

Dear Lord God Almighty, merciful and gracious Lord, there are no words to describe how magnificent you are! You have blessed me with so much and I cannot thank you enough. I pray that you will use this time to draw Lisa closer to you than ever before, that she would come to know you in a way that she never has before. I pray that she would be healed and make it through this difficult trial you have set before her. I also pray for my Grandma. She has lost one daughter already, I ask that you would spare her the pain of loosing another. I know that you are in control and everything happens according to your will. I pray that no matter what the outcome may be, that you would be glorified through this. Amen.

Video of Zoe Walking!

2009-05-11T15:39:00.000-07:00

Kimberly Carol Skodacek (Alger) - My Mother

2009-05-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

There are too many happy memories to list but I thought I should post a little about my Mom on this Mother's Day. This is my 4th Mother's Day without my Mom. However, it is my 2nd Mother's Day as a Mother!

My Mom --

She was born in Landstuhl, Germany, though she was not German. Her father, who was in the air force, was stationed there.
She married my Dad in 1978 on December 16th.
She became a mother for the first time at age 29 in Riverside, CA when she gave birth to me in 1985.
She had a heart for Jesus.
She had one sibling - a sister named Lisa.
She was very friendly to everyone she met.
She was a homemaker, and before that -a color consultant.
She taught me that family comes first before a career.
She loved mystery TV shows.
She loved to be creative. She made crafts to sell at craft fairs and in craft stores and she loved it.
She once wore lettuce on her head, and I have proof. ;)
She told me she loved me every day.
She often took me to the mall with her when I was young and each time she would buy me a pretzel and an icee and we would go into the pet store and the hello kitty store.
She gave the best hugs ever.
She taught me how to laugh - I've been told I laugh exactly like my Mom did.
She called me "honey" most of the time and I find myself doing the same thing with Zoe now.
She used to buy me random cards or write little notes on paper and slip them under my bedroom door saying things like, "I'm so proud of you." or "I love you Punkin"
She spent a portion of her childhood in Kentucky and she loved it there, which is why she moved there later in life.
She loved anything Victorian.
Her favorite colors were cranberry red and forest green.
Her favorite band was Journey, she also loved Seal and Michael Sweet.
She went to Scholarship Camp with me one year as a counselor. I am so grateful for that experience with her.
She loved movies with Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, and Sandra Bullock.
She loved the movie, "When Harry Met Sally". We (my Mom, sister Gabby, and me) memorized Meg Ryan's character Sally's entire order she makes in the restaurant ("I'd like the chef salad please...." )
She loved Mexican Pizzas from Taco Bell.
She taught me how to make lists ;) She made a list for just about everything.

That's all for now, I think I'll post a list like this every year. It's great spending time thinking of good memories of my amazing Mom.

More Sickness

2009-05-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I figured by the time Spring arrived the sicknesses would die down.... well, Zoe has a cold, Gage has a bad cold, and I have some strange stomach flu. Gage and Zoe didn't make it to church on Sunday but I went because I was feeling fine and it was my turn to help in the nursery. I ended up with a twisted wrist when one of the 2 year olds jumped on me unexpectedly...hah.. so needless to say this has been quite a week! Some good news though - Gage finished his semester today!!! He is free from school for the summer. I'm so glad he's finished because the last couple months he has been overloaded with homework, tests, and quizzes and now he has time to breathe!

Even though I'm not feeling too well tonight, I saw that there were 2 bananas on the counter that were nearing their end so I had to make some homemade banana bread with a new recipe that I have and I must say... it was *excellent* I will definitely be making this bread again in the future.

I'm watching American Idol right now and I am totally shocked! Kris Allen is in the top 3!!! He's been my favorite for the past couple months and I never thought he'd make it this far, and judging by the look on his face a few minutes ago, he never expected it either. I've never bought an album by any American Idol contestant before but I'm almost positive I'll get Kris's album when he makes one. He has an excellent voice!

Tomorrow we begin our new Women's Study at church using the book titled "Seeking Him" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I've never really been a fan of studies that were not based on a specific book of the Bible but this one looks to be pretty Biblical and though the focus is primarily about me and my own spiritual walk, I think it will still glorify God because it's teaching me how to live a life that will glorify Him and not myself and I think I will benefit from doing this study.

-Shaina

Just a Mother

2009-04-28T21:12:00.000-07:00

I've seen this story around for quite a while, I just love it! Enjoy! - Shaina

......

A few months ago, when I was picking up the children at school, another mother I knew rushed up to me. She was fuming with indignation.

“Do you know what you and I are?” she demanded.

Before I could answer~and I didn’t really have one handy~she blurted out the reason for her question. It seemed she had just returned from renewing her driver’s license at the County Clerk’s office. Asked by the woman recorder to state her “occupation,” she had hesitated, uncertain how to classify herself.

“What I mean is,” explained the recorder, “Do you have a job, or are you just a ….?”

“Of course I have a job.” she snapped. “I’m a mother.”

“We don’t list ‘mother’ as an occupation…’housewife’ covers it,” said the recorder emphatically.

I forgot all about her story until one day when I found myself in the same situation, this time at our own Town Hall. The Clerk was obviously a career woman. poised, efficient, and possessed of a high-sounding title, like “Official Interrogator” or “Town Registrar.”

“And what is your occupation?” she probed.

What made me say it, I do not know. The words simply popped out. “I’m…a Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations.”

The clerk paused, ball-point pen frozen in midair, and looked up as though she had not heard right. I repeated the title slowly, emphasizing the most significant words. Then I stared with wonder as my pompous pronouncement was written in bold, black ink on the official questionnaire.

“Might I ask,” said the clerk with new interest,”just what you do in your field?”

Coolly, without a trace of fluster in my voice, I heard myself reply,”I have a continuing program of research (what mother doesn’t) in the laboratory and in the field (normally I would have said indoors and out). I’m working for my Masters (the whole darned family) and already have four credits (all daughters).

Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day (24 is more like it). But the job is more challenging than most.

There was an increasing note of respect in the clerk’s voice as she completed the form, stood up, and personally ushered me to the door.

As I drove into our driveway buoyed up by my glamorous new career, I was greeted by my lab assistants~age 13, 7, and 3. And upstairs, I could hear our new experimental model (six months) in the child-development program, testing out a new vocal pattern.

I felt triumphant. I had scored a beat on bureaucracy. And I had gone down on the official records as someone more distinguished and indispensable to mankind than “just another….” Home…what a glorious career. Especially when there’s a title on the door.

**From Chicken Soup for the Soul

Zoe's 1st Steps!

2009-04-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

I posted this morning and since then a couple huge things have happened so I have to update again!

First the most exciting thing of all... Zoe walked! She walked from Daddy to Mommy, then from Mommy to Daddy about 10-15 times tonight, right before bed. The most steps she took at once was 7. She looked so adorable walking in her very first pair of pajamas. I was videotaping so...believe it or not, I have no pictures! I'll get one of her walking tomorrow if she decides to do it again.

In other exciting news... I finally received my Photographer Diploma today!! It's official! Wooohoo! It is such a relief to be completely finished with this program. I have been working on it slowly for 2 years now, I had to pay extra money for two different extentions so I could have more time to finish it, and I was 2 months away from not being *able* to complete it. After two extentions you cannot have anymore. The whole thing at the end became so stressful, but now it is finished and I have a Career Diploma in Photography to show for it. I already framed it! I bought frames specifically for my Diploma and Gage's degree that he will be getting next year. Each frame was 25 cents at a garage sale on Thursday!

That's it for now, I just had to share some exciting news!

-Shaina

Zoe's Zoo Adventures and More

2009-04-27T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hello!

We've been quite busy lately. The weather warmed up enough for us to venture outside! On the 15th we went to the Omaha Zoo in Nebraska. It was Zoe's first trip to an actual Zoo (we did go to the Wild Animal Park in Escondido, CA when Zoe was 3 months old). Her favorite part was the Aquarium, especially the tank that was filled with Jelly Fish! We were in Omaha because it was time to drop off my sister at the Omaha airport. She left that evening. A few days later Zoe went to the Sioux Falls Zoo with Grandma & Uncle Brad, so she should be an animal expert by now.

Zoe has been enjoying slides & swings at various parks around Sioux Falls. She still isn't walking yet, but she's getting close. She has learned how to climb onto her little tikes slide at home, as well as the couches. Yesterday she started making the "doooo" sound, it's cute listening to her sing "doo dooo dooo doo" all day. She's also increasing her vocabulary. She currently says:

Thank You - "Aah Coo"
Cheese - "Chzzzzz"
Cracker - "CraCr"
Dada
Kiss
Kitty
Uh Oh
Duck (her favorite and most frequent word of all!)
Eyes (very rare, but she says it)

I think I'll keep track of her first 10 words and write them in her babybook.

As for Gage and I - we are both doing very well. I'm still waiting for my Diploma to arrive in the mail, I'm so excited! I'm also enjoying the slightly warmer weather and the GREEN LEAVES on the trees. Sioux Falls lawns are now completely filled with bright green grass, another sight that you don't see to much of in CA. Spring is in the air!! It's still in the 40's though. We did have one very strange day where it was 91 degrees, which happened to be the day we went to the Kingswood garage sales. I actually got a small sunburn.

Some friends of ours moved just 3 blocks away from us yesterday. We helped them move and then I walked home. Now Zoe and Kjersten can play together whenever they want :)

Gage is home today because his classes were canceled for some reason today. Unfortunately it is dreary outside and looks like it may rain. I'm not sure what the plan is for today.

We just listened to the end of Tom Sawyer on MP3. We've been listening to the book off and on for a few days. I think I'm going to listen to more books on mp3, since I am not really a fan of sitting down and reading.

That's it for now. If I think of other things to report I will!

-Shaina

Coming Soon!

2009-04-26T19:59:00.001-07:00

Updates Galore.

I promise!

<3 Shaina

Blizzards, Babies, and Kisses

2009-04-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

This week:

Zoe added the word, "eyes" to her vocabulary. This morning she also tried to say "shoes" but she hasn't quite got it yet. Right now it's like "szzzz"
Zoe drank through a straw!
Zoe gave us kisses for the first time.
Zoe played her Daddy's drums for the first time! She did very well too.
Gage and I are celebrating 3 years since we got engaged! He proposed to me 3 years ago today!
I FINISHED MY PHOTOGRAPHY PROGRAM!!!!!!!!! It took me 2 years to complete and originally I was going to try and finish it in 6 months. I mailed in my last project and so as soon as they get it, I'll have a Diploma in Photography.
We had a BLIZZARD. Seriously, on the 3rd it was a beautiful day...green grass was growing, it was in the 4o's or 5o's...the next day... we were covered in 6 inches of snow. Two days later, it all melted.
We met Emmeline Maine - our friends Mel & Tim had a beautiful baby girl on March 29th and we met her on the 4th. She is one of the most beautiful newborns I've ever seen!
Both of my brothers became a year older. My stepbrother turned 24 on the 6th, my brother turned 22 on the 7th.
We rearranged our living room a bit and hung things on the walls! I LOVE rearranging furniture... but I didn't think it was possible for this room, but after a year and a half of the same thing we finally changed a couple things and it looks a lot better in here.
We ate lunch at taco bell yesterday and we left with about 4 inside jokes.
I began exercising again. I've been SORE for 2 days. :)
We watched American Idol. We like all of them except Lil and maybe Anoop. They are still great singers though. My favorites are Kris Allen and Danny Gokey.
Went to Plato's Closet. A store Gabby has wanted to go to ever since she got here. It's one of our favorite stores. If only they wouldn't play so much rotten music!
We went to Wal Mart about 3 times. That is more than I go in about 3 months. We're all set for Easter baskets though!

So there we have it. A few updates from the past week or so.

Zoe's Birthday - March 12th

2009-04-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

I just realized I never posted pictures from Zoe's actual birthday, just her birthday party. So here are a few from her 1st birthday!

We began our day in Omaha, Nebraska at the Motel 6 we were staying at (they have the worst beds ever by the way!) We ended up having breakfast at HyVee of all places. We bought bagels, muffins, and doughnuts. Yum!

We had picked up my sister Gabby the night before at the Omaha airport. This is Gabby!

We drove for a while and stopped at McDonalds for lunch - Zoe had her first Cheeseburger. She hated it of course! She did like the fries though.

Here is Zoe. I was bummed we had to spend most of her birthday in a car but it's alright! She spent some quality time with her Aunt Gabby.

We finally arrived in Sioux Falls at about 5pm and we met up with Gage's parents and brothers at CiCi's Pizza for dinner. I can't remember the last day we had fast food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... but it was Zoe's 1st birthday, so that makes it okay! ;) Overall I think Zoe enjoyed her birthday. She of course had no idea it was her birthday but she enjoyed it nevertheless.

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Ready for Spring

2009-03-27T08:26:00.000-07:00

As my daughter gets older and more mobile I find myself updating my blog less and less. hah! My sister's visit is also to blame ;) I've been spending much less time on my computer.

We had a wonderful week last week. We were able to get outside, ride bikes a bit, go for walks... even when it rained it was still warm, but the past week has been COLD again. We started to see some green grass show up on our lawn finally, and now its covered in a thin layer of snow. It's supposed to snow some more on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.

I think today we may go walk at the mall or something. I totally have cabin fever! I have been inside for about 90% of the last 5 1/2 months and I'm soo ready for Spring!!

I haven't been in a blogging mood lately. I need to get back into the swing of things. We'll see when that happens. It may not be until Gabby leaves in mid-April.

One more thing - please pray for my friend Mel. She is 4 days "overdue" to have her baby. She's playing the waiting game right now and those of you who are Mom's know what that's like! No fun at all.

Zoe's tearing up a piece of tissue paper (one of her favorite things to do). It keeps her occupied for 10-20 minutes haha. It's hilarious watching her tear the pieces to be smaller, and smaller, and smaller...

I'm off to go clean it up now!

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Hello Kitty Cupcakes

2009-03-22T08:00:00.000-07:00

These were very simple to make and they turned out to be the most adorable cupcakes I've ever seen!

Elizabethtown

2009-03-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

I just finished watching the movie Elizabethtown for about the 100th time. The first time I saw this movie was in the theater in 2005, very shortly after my Mom's death. I remember crying several times throughout the movie, laughing and relating to much of it, and when the movie ended, I just felt grateful for everything I still had. I was so thankful that God brought me through such a difficult thing. Elizabethtown could very well be my favorite movie of all time.

Reasons for this...

It takes place in Kentucky. I lived there for 1 year but somehow during my 1 year spent there it had an enormous effect on my life, in large part due to the fact that my Mom lived there when she died.
I can relate to the main character in sooo many ways.
I can relate to finding beauty in life during such a time of grief. Drew goes through many of the steps of grieving throughout the movie and also the process of seeing his Dad after he died, the whole memorial service/funeral preparation and the memorial service itself. I always thought that whenever I lost my Mom I wouldn't be able to function and my life would be over, but surprisingly...it gave me a greater appreciation for life and I began to enjoy more and find beauty in the simplest things.
The trees and the beautiful countryside. My favorite thing about Kentucky.
The story is about a guy whose Dad suddenly passed away in a small town in Kentucky. My Mom passed away, pretty suddenly, in a small town in Kentucky.
I love how they mention Louisville in the movie and the never ending debate on proper pronunciation of the biggest city in KY. Luh-ville, Lul vulle, Louie Ville, Lewis-vill....
The movie was filmed while my Mom was sick, very near to where she was. It was released after she died. She's actually the one who told me about the movie.
The accents. They grew on me while I lived there...now I love anyone with that good ol' Kentuuucky accent.
The confusing road scene - "Did I miss 60B???"
The family - The scene where he walks into that house and his huge KY family greets him. Ohh how I can relate to that scene!! I love it.
The road trip and that incredible map! Just like Drew Baylor...A few days after my Mom's death I went on a road trip from Kentucky to California. It turned out to be exactly what I needed that week and I will never forget that road trip. Most road trips are pretty memorable for me but this one will always stand out. Now if I could only create a map and amazing as the one that is in the movie.... hehe.
Orlando Bloom and Kirstin Dunst are two of my favorite actors.
The music! This movie has a wonderful soundtrack.

Zoe's 1st Birthday Party

2009-03-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we celebrated Zoe's 1st Birthday at our home. We made her Hello Kitty cupcakes and dressed her up in a pretty little outfit. We invited some friends and family members and the party went pretty well! Zoe had one or two rough moments but overall she enjoyed her party. Here are some photos!

Me and My Daughter

2009-03-18T21:50:00.000-07:00

My sister took some photos of Zoe and I a few days ago. I love the bottom one! She is so beautiful :) I still can't believe she is 1 year old!!

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Help Meet Book Study - Taking A Break

2009-03-17T08:56:00.000-07:00

I have come to the conclusion that I cannot do a weekly update on this book. We recently started a new Bible study on Daniel with our home group. So that, combined with the Help Meet book, and my daily Isaiah study for church is quite a bit for me, especially since I rarely find time to sit down and read these days. I will pick back up on this study at another time within the year.

Zoe - The Birthday Girl!

2009-03-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today is Zoe's 1st Birthday!!

We are currently in Omaha, NE because last night we picked up my sister Gabby from the airport down here. Later on today we will be driving back to Sioux Falls and we will go to CiCi's with family for dinner. We are planning a party for her on Saturday!

I cannot believe it has been a whole year already. This year has flown by! Everyone told me it would go by fast so I made sure each day was cherished, but even then, the year seemed to pass by more quickly than previous years. She is the most beautiful baby girl that I have ever seen, I absolutely adore her.

20 Things About Zoe Kimberly

Her first word was "Duck"
Her favorite toys are: stacking cups, musical drums, and the stacking rings.
She loves to play "Peek-a-boo"
She crawled at 8 months.
She loves green beans!
She looks unbelievably cute in pink girly outfits ;)
She looooves to play with my cell phone and the TV remotes.
She cracks up if you try to "eat" or kiss any toy or object she is holding.
She can currently say: Dada, Mama, Duck, and Uh-oh.
She loves her dog Penny.
She loves to dance, especially when Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is on.
She has 5 teeth.
She has 1 cousin named K8lyn, and 3 second cousins - Jessie, Elliott, and Scarlett.
She looks a lot like her Mommy did when she was a baby.
She has a friend that was born in the same hospital, on the same day, down the hallway, just 24 minutes after her and delivered by the same Dr.
She has a Great-Great Grandma!
She has already been to San Diego (twice!), New York, New Jersey, Yosemite National Park, Nebraska, Iowa, and Minnesota.
She has the most amazing laugh.
She has a matching freckle that Mommy has and Grandma Kimberly had.
She can sing. She sings a song that says "laaaa la laaaa la" ;)

Scarlett Rose

2009-03-09T08:02:00.000-07:00

Our newest member to the family. My cousin Adam and his wife Kristie welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Scarlett Rose into the world on February 25, 2009!

She is absolutely adorable! Zoe and I will meet her in June when we go out to California. I'm pretty sure Gage will not get to meet her until Christmas unfortunately.

For those of you who know them and want to keep up with what is going on with their family, they just created a family blog:

adamkristieredding.blogspot.com

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Birthdays, Birthdays Everywhere!

2009-03-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

This week so far we have celebrated the 11th birthday of my brother-in-law Brad and the 70th birthday of a friend that attends our home group (yay for ice cream cake two nights in a row!) My friend Bethany also turned 11 last week. On Thursday we will be celebrating Zoe's 1st Birthday! In addition to Zoe's 1st birthday on the 12th, it is also Ezra's 1st birthday, my cousin-in-law Andy's birthday, Rachel & Lauren's birthday, and... Gage's Aunt is set to have her c-section on that day which means we will have yet another birthday to celebrate on that day. Then my mother-in-law Jenny's birthday is on the 18th.

My friend Mel is due to have her baby in a couple weeks which means the baby could come at any time now... I wonder if it'll be on the 12th. :)

So this week is pretty exciting. Unfortunately yesterday Zoe and I both started to cough a little bit and today I have a full on cold. Zoe's is much more mild though, thankfully. This is the 3rd time we have been sick in the past month. Ick! Hopefully we'll be better soon. My sister will be arriving in just 3 days! I really need to get our guest room ready and basement cleaned!

In fact... I'm off to go do that right now.

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Zoe Stood Up!

2009-03-04T10:26:00.001-08:00

Yesterday Zoe stood up completely on her own for the first time! The photo is blurry because I had my camera in manual focus and I didn't have time to focus it! But at least I got a photo :) hehe. My friend Anna and her daughter Kjersten came over for a while yesterday and while we were talking, Zoe suddenly decided to stand up on her own! She did it 3 times yesterday and hasn't yet done it today.

We bought her a Birthday dress yesterday! We found this dress at Younkers. I love it! She even tried it on in the store, she looked so adorable in it. Of course we had to buy the 9 month old size... she's still only 16 pounds and 10 oz. She has a little white sweater to wear over it too.

Created to be His Help Meet - Ch. 6. The Beginning of Wisdom

2009-03-03T06:45:00.000-08:00

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Psalm 111:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom" Proverbs 9:10
"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom." Proverbs 1:7

I like how Debi puts states it, "A Christian life without fear is a religious life without a living God." It seems so easy to fear God, yet we all get wrapped up in lives lived without fear. We place our faith in our religious practices, our spirituality, our own interpretations and conclusions. We become perfectly content with ourselves that we begin to lack in our fear of the LORD. This brings us in a place where we do not fear God and we do not realize that only HE has the truth. If our actions and decisions are not made based on what God has already spoken through His Word (the Bible) we are not fearing Him enough to trust that what He says is best.

What I take from this chapter:

We cannot only read parts of the Bible and not the Bible in its entirety. This is disobedience and lack of fear of the LORD. Example: The Crazy Lady - she obviously had some knowledge of the Bible, but not accurate or thorough knowledge of truth. She also ignored all parts that discussed the wife's submission to her husband.

We cannot base our lives around "a word" we receive from the LORD. That is, words we "hear" the Lord speak to us. God does speak to men, however when He speaks it is never in contradiction with the words He has already spoken. To receive a contradictory "word from the Lord" and say with certainty that it is from the LORD is blasphemous. It is to say that our emotions, thoughts, and opinions ARE the LORD, thus putting words in His mouth. It appears to be trusting the LORD but it really is trusting in yourself. It is to say, "This is what I think, therefore it must be from the Lord." That is such a dangerous way to think. Wisdom (knowledge of truth) comes from the LORD. This is why I believe we should never say, "The Lord told me to do this." If that "word" you speak turns out to simply be from YOU, you will have put words into the LORD's mouth. I believe the only time you can say, "The LORD says this.." is if it is not, in any way, contradictory to what the Bible says.

Only through fear of the LORD comes wisdom and only through that wisdom can the truth be seen.

As a woman I am a very emotional and my thoughts and opinions are strong. I know that these emotions can influence my behaviors and actions. If I am unable to discern what is from the LORD and what is from demons and sinful nature, I am in a whole heap of trouble because then any "word from the Lord" that I receive is not trustworthy. To have the discernment that I need to know that what I learn is from the LORD, I need to begin with a fear of the LORD and pray daily for wisdom. That is where true knowledge of the things of God comes from.

"No woman has ever been happy and fulfilled who neglected to obey God in regard to her role as a help meet."

I absolutely agree with her on this statement. Not just because I have seen it repeatedly (even within my own family) but simply because I know that disobeying God brings discontentment.

Goals of the Week:

1) Pray for Wisdom daily.
2) Work on being joyful and having a merry heart.
3) Discover any bitterness I may have towards my husband and get rid of it.
4) Help my husband. Help my husband. AND...Help my husband.
5) Find the definition for the word odious. (Proverbs 30:21-23)

One more thought...

I wonder what happened to the Crazy Lady.

Study - To be Continued

Uncle Joe

2009-02-28T20:12:00.001-08:00

Uncle Joe and his wife Ellie back in May 2008 at our Family Reunion

My Dad's Uncle Joe passed away last night. Please keep our family in your prayers this week. He was a very sweet man. My great-grandmother (who is 96) is taking it pretty hard. He was like a son to her.

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Help Meet Participants...

2009-02-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Now you can add your posts to the list all on your own! I finally figured out Mr. Linky. Woohoo! Scroll down to the previous Created to be His Help Meet book study post and you'll see what I mean.

Anxiously awaiting....

2009-02-24T20:28:00.000-08:00

...the birth of my new little cousin (1st cousin once removed?). She is going to be delivered via c-section in the morning at 8:00 am, PST. Please pray for my cousin Adam and his wife Kristie! Pray that they are able to get some rest before their big day tomorrow and that the delivery goes smoothly, no complications.

I am SO excited! This will be their 2nd child - their first was a boy named Elliott, who is now 2 years old. Click here to see one of the cutest videos you will ever see.

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Created to be His Help Meet - Ch. 5: The Gift of Wisdom

2009-02-24T10:19:00.000-08:00

Do you have enough fear of God not to question his word? - Debi Pearl

This week the book has switched gears from thankfulness to wisdom. What exactly does it mean to be wise? I have often wondered about this (which is probably why I have an entire blog dedicated to Learning and Discerning). The very basic definition of wisdom according to dictionary.com is this: "The quality or state of being wise; knowledge of what is true or right coupled with just judgment as to action; sagacity, discernment, or insight."

Where does wisdom come from? Wisdom comes from God alone. We grow in our wisdom through communication with God (prayer), reading His Word (The Bible), and constantly maintaining an eternal vision and perspective (understanding where we stand with God). We need to be asking God for wisdom daily! I think about how many questions I have per day that go unanswered because I do not ask God for the wisdom that I need. We learn from James 1:5 that if we are lacking in wisdom, all we need to do is ask for it and the Lord will provide. How incredible is it that we can ask the God who created the universe for wisdom and he will give it to us?? It's pretty phenomenal if you ask me.

I'm a stay-at-home wife and mother try to be the best help to my husband as possible and the best mother as possible. Every day I realize that I fall short of being the "best" wife or the "best" mother. Instead of sitting around wallowing in self-pity and concerned with how much I don't know motherhood and being a wife, I need to ask God for wisdom and he will provide all the answers.

"It doesn't take a good man, or even a saved man, for a woman to have a heavenly marriage, but it does take a woman willing to honor God by being the kind of wife God intended."

I think this quote pretty much sums up the entire book. We were created to be a wonderful and delightful gift to our husbands; to be a true help meet. Even if our husbands are harsh, arrogant, and prideful it is still our job to treat our husbands with honor, submission, and love! Growing in wisdom is the only way to successfully be who God created us to be.

Additional thoughts on this chapter:

I LOVE the entire section she has written on "What Does the Bible Say?" She does an amazing job at defending the truths concerning biblical womanhood. It also served as a reminder to me that when I look up words in Greek or Hebrew, or read commentaries on a specific passage in the Bible, I should check multiple resources before coming to a definitive decision.

God's Words:

Ephesians 5:22-24 - Wives, submit to your OWN husbands; the husband is the head of the wife.
Colossians 3:18 - Again, submit to your OWN husband.
1 Corinthians 11:3 - The head of every man is Christ, the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God.
Titus 2: 3-5 - The aged women are called to teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands. All so that the word of God will not be blasphemed.

Goals for this week:

1. Pray and ask God for wisdom! Do this every day.
2. Do a thorough Study of the word "Wisdom", find and study other passages in the Bible that discuss the topic of wisdom.
3. Read the next chapter before next Tuesday ;)

Continue onto the next chapter: The Beginning of Wisdom

Created to be His Help Meet - To Be Continued

2009-02-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

In case anyone was wondering, I have put my Help Meet book study on hold this week and will continue next Tuesday!

In the meantime, I am praying for patience and wisdom this week in dealing with the daily responsibilities that I have at home. I have been incredibly stressed out all week long and I think I need to take some time to just sit, read God's word, and pray. I cannot be a help to my husband if I am allowing myself to let the stressful situations get to me.

This is a chapter in Psalms that I hope to memorize. It is very encouraging and reminds me that no matter what situation I am in, the LORD is faithful and his love endures forever! If there was ever anything that could lift my spirits in any situation, it is knowing that I am safe in Him and I have been blessed to have the opportunity to praise him for all eternity! There is none who even begins to compare to the God I serve, the one true God. I cannot thank Him enough for choosing me to be His!

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

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Menu Planning: Change of Plans - New 8 Week Plan!

2009-02-21T08:58:00.000-08:00

I've decided to take meal planning to the extreme and change my 6 week meal plan to an 8 week meal plan. Crazy! I know. I know. BUT, it works out far better this way with our grocery rebate system. Gage works for the grocery store and at the end of the year they give us back 10% of what we spend there, but we have to go on specific days in the month. Since I only go shopping once a month anyway this works out great because now I have a time period where I have to go. This month it was between the 20th and 23rd.

I could just do a 4 week plan, but my whole reasoning behind the 6 week plan was that it gave me more time to forget about meal planning! So now I am going to attempt at an 8 week plan. If this works out, that means I have 2 months of no daily meal planning, which means more time for me to do more important things...like writing on this blog ;) jk.

I re-worked the entire plan (pretty much) because I had my sister give me some feedback on the plan and I took off some of the meals (not all!) that she doesn't like so much and replaced them with things I know she will eat.

So here it is!

8 Week Menu Plan

February 16th - 22nd (Grocery Shopping)

M – Waffles & Eggs

T – Tuna Melts

W – Dinner with Family

Th – Beef & Bean Burritos

F - (Grocery Shopping Day)

Sa - Tortellini with Ham and Peas

Su - Broc, Cheese, and Ham Stuffed Potatoes

February 23rd - March 1st

M - Spinach Quiche

T - Chili Dogs

W - Pork Chops and Potatoes

Th - Fast Food or Restaurant

F - Dinner with Family

Sa - Broccoli and Chicken Penne Pasta

Su - Spaghetti

March 2nd - 8th (Quick Trip Week)

M - Fettuccine Alfredo

T - Chicken Piccata

W - Mushroom Macaroni

Th - Tacos / Tostadas

F - Dinner with Family

Sa – Tuna Casserole

Su – Hodgepodge Night

March 9th - 15th

M – Pasta Salad, Potatoes

T – Sweet & Sour Mini Meatloaves

W - My sister Gabby arrives! Staying in Omaha overnight. (Fast Food)

Th -ZOE'S 1st BIRTHDAY! CiCi's

F - Dinner with Family

Sa- Zoe's Birthday Party

Su- Ravioli, Salad

March 16th - 22nd (Grocery Shopping)

M – Ham & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

T - Ham & Cheese Melts, Veggies

W - Mom's Chili and Cornbread

Th- Chili Burgers, Salad

F - Dinner with Family (GS)

Sa – Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Su – Taco Salad

March 23rd – 29th

M – Fettuccine Alfredo, Salad

T – Chicken Quesadillas, Corn

W – Chicken Tortellini Soup

Th – Chicken Tacos

F – Dinner with Family

Sa – Sloppy Joe’s, Veggies

Su – 3 Cheese Beef Pasta Shells

March 30th – April 5th (Quick Trip Week)

M – Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

T – Homemade Pizza or Pepperoni Rolls

W – Soup / Macaroni Night

Th – Banana Waffles & Eggs

F – Dinner with Family

Sa – Pasta Salad, Potatoes

Su – Spinach Quiche

April 6th – 12th

M – Hodgepodge Night

T – White Bean & Ham Soup

W – Fast Food / Restaurant Night

Th – Mushroom Mac

F – Dinner with Family or Beef Stroganoff (recipe @ KraftFoods.com)

Sa – Sloppy Joe's, Corn

Su – Spaghetti

Gabby!

2009-02-18T10:48:00.000-08:00

Gabby & Me on my Wedding Day

My little sister Gabby is coming to visit! She bought a one way ticket and does not know how long she will be here. Neither of us have any money whatsoever so I'm trying to think of some things to do while she's here that don't involve using any (or very little) money. Anyone have any ideas?

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Zoe - 11 Months

2009-02-13T09:10:00.001-08:00

Zoe is 11 months old now! :) She is growing up way too fast. I still feel like she's still way younger than she is. She'll be a year old in less than a month now! I wish she could stay a baby for just a little longer. I'm enjoying her more and more as she gets older though!

As for any family news, we are all doing pretty well now. Gage got a tutoring job at his school! He's enjoying his work, school, and his many projects he's been working on at home. Zoe and I are used to spending a lot of time in our home but not quite as much as we have the past couple weeks. Zoe has had a cold for about 3 weeks now and last week I was sick with a cold which I still have but not nearly as bad as before. Most of my time lately has been spent sitting on my couch watching Zoe, reading, on the computer, or watching TV. Now that I'm feeling better I have a long list of things that need to get done in the house!

Lately, Miss Zoe Kimberly has been up to:

Singing a song! "laaada, laaaaaaada, layayda..." while swaying back and forth. It is quite possibly the cutest thing I have ever seen in my life.
Placing her toys on top of the diaper boxes then knocking them off. Repeating this process over and over.
Hiding behind things and peaking out or around to get my attention - her version of "peek-a-boo" :)
Walking behind her Walk and Ride toy! (As of yesterday, her 11 month "birthday") She holds onto the handle and pushes, then walks as it pulls her.
Pointing at everything and saying either "dis" or "dada"
Throwing her cheerios down to the dogs instead of eating them. One day while she was doing this she was saying, "uh oh" with each cheerio!
Swimming for the first time! We went to an indoor pool last Friday. Gage and I took turns playing with her in the pool for about 45 minutes. She loved it! She just didn't understand the effect of splashing water. :)
Meeting Kyera for the first time on Wednesday (the 11th). She reached over and "pet" her head. It was soooo cute! I'll post a few pictures of this later.

Created to be His Help Meet - Ch. 4: Thanksgiving Produces Joy

2009-02-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

Live with thanksgiving, forgiveness, and joy, and enjoy all your moments as if they were your last.

This week my husband and I both had our struggles with stress and at least in my case, it had to do entirely with my lack of joy and thanksgiving. If my husband does something differently than I think it should be done, I only partially respond rightly - I do not say anything demeaning, because I know that it is better for him to do it his way, even if the end result is not so good. However, I am such a perfectionist that if something is not done in the way I think it should be done, I become very bitter and I find myself thinking, "I wish he would just ____" in a number of different situations.

In this chapter, Debi says, "As a general rule, my husband just doesn't take the trash out. I could be annoyed, or I could learn to enjoy taking the trash out. " This is not to say my husband never takes the trash out, but it serves as an example of a way I can be more joyful in my home. I need to adapt to my husband's way of doing things and not force my own way on him. It is my job to help him and be thankful for all the things he lovingly helps me with. It is not my job to constantly request his help or have a bitter attitude when he does not do things the way that I want them done. No good can come from this type of attitude. Even if I have good reason to be offended, it is not my job to change my husband. It is my job to help him. I must begin to view myself as the woman God gave to this man. I am a helper, a gift, a playmate, a friend, a lover; everything I do should benefit my husband, because that is the only way God can be glorified through my marriage.

"And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing." Psalm 107:22

"But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. - Jonah 2:9 (KJV)

A few goals for this week...

1) For my husband and I: Be heirs together in the grace of life, not partners in stress and bitterness.
2) Continue to enjoy each other every day. Laugh, love, play, share. Just have fun.
3) Thank God for every good thing he has provided me with in my life.
4) Be THANKFUL for everything my amazing husband does.

"When a weak sister fulfills her divine purpose of being a true help meet, it bring great glory and joy to God."

Continue onto the next chapter: The Gift of Wisdom

My Photography Blog

2009-02-10T07:30:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to update and let everyone know that I've started a Photo blog!

Shaina Herrmann Photography

Menu Plan Monday: Our Next 6 Weeks

2009-02-09T20:00:00.000-08:00

You can read about my previous 6 week plans here and here. I began this in October and it has been working wonderfully! We don't always stick to the plan (such as, if we get invited to friends or family's homes for dinner) but if we are home we stick to the plan and everything goes smoothly. It has also saved us a TON of money on groceries. My goal is to not spend more than $200/ month on groceries.

Here is our current 6 Week Meal Plan for February 9th - March 22nd.

February 9th - 15th

M - Chicken Quesadillas, Chips & Salsa, Corn
T - Egg Burritos
W - Sloppy Joe's
Th - Tuna Penne Casserole
F - Banana Waffles
Sa - Spaghetti
Su - Uncle Jeff's Birthday

February 16th - 22nd

M - Soup & Sandwiches
T - Beef & Bean Burritos
W - Tuna Melts
Th - Hamburger Casserole
F - (Grocery Shopping Day) - Dinner with Family
Sa - Tortellini with Ham and Peas
Su - Broc, Cheese, and Ham Stuffed Potatoes

February 23rd - March 1st

M - Spinach Quiche
T - Chili Dogs
W - Pork Chops and Potatoes
Th - Fast Food or Restaurant
F - Dinner with Family
Sa - Broccoli and Chicken Penne Pasta
Su - Spaghetti

March 2nd - 8th

M - Fettuccine Alfredo
T - Chicken Piccata
W - Mushroom Macaroni
Th - Tacos / Tostadas
F - Dinner with Family
Sa - White Bean Soup
Su - Shepherd's Pie

March 9th - 15th

M - Ravioli
T - Chili Burgers
W - My sister Gabby arrives! Fast Food or Restaurant.
Th -ZOE'S 1st BIRTHDAY! Fast food or Restaurant again.
F - Dinner with Family
Sa- Zoe's Birthday Party
Su- Taco Salad

March 16th - 22nd (Grocery Shopping)

M - Chicken Pot Pie
T - Sweet-and-Sour Muffin Meatloaves
W - Mom's Chili and Cornbread
Th- Chicken and Broccoli Casserole
F - Fettuccine Alfredo
Sa - Shepherd's Pie
Su -Pizza

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A Simple Saturday

2009-02-07T09:26:00.000-08:00

Zoe has been sick with a cold for 2 1/2 weeks, and I have had a cold since Wednesday... it just seems to be getting worse each day. Zoe had a fever yesterday and again this morning. Ibuprofin is what has been getting us through this cold. She loves the taste of the liquid ibuprofen for babies so she's usually pretty upset once I give her one little taste of it then take it away. Oh well, it's worth it because it takes her fever away.

Right now we're just sitting around watching Finding Nemo (one of my favorite movies ever). Zoe is in the exersaucer playing with some toys and on our patio you will find not one but three rat terriers. Gage's family is on their way to Mexico for a week long mission trip and during this trip we have their dogs. They are basically going to be in the kitchen all week and outside when it's warm enough for them. I have got to buy a good mop... these dogs shed like crazy.

I've been doing whatever I can to get Zoe to eat because in addition to this cold/fever she is teething. Food is not very high on her list of favorite things right now. I think much of her illness is due to the teething but since I am sick now...I'm pretty sure what she has is due to more than just teething. She's been eating lots of Graham Crackers (her favorite food of the moment) and she'll eat plain oatmeal. Anything else I give her she will only eat a tiny bit of it, then she'll just cry and cry until I stop feeding her.

Well, from the looks of it, Zoe is done with her exersaucer for now. I'm off to entertain her! Maybe we'll try stacking some cups.

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Engagement Photos: Nick & Monique

2009-02-05T07:37:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I got to be a Photographer! :) I spent a few hours with my husband's cousin Monique and her fiance Nick and we went to about 4 or 5 different locations to take photos. They turned out pretty nice! Here are a few of them.

At the end of the day I ended up with over 600 photos which I narrowed down to about 300. Needless to say, they have LOTS to choose from!

This was my 2nd time doing engagement photography. However the first time I did it I used a regular point and shoot digital
camera and this time I used my Nikon D-40.

It was a BEAUTIFUL day and very warm (for this time of year) , it was in the 40's! Had we done it anytime earlier we would have been freezing cold in single digit degree weather or in the negatives. The weather on this day was a huge blessing! I had so much fun taking these photos - someday I hope to be able to do this regularly.

(The layout of this post is a little messed up, It is nearly impossible to arrange photos in the correct way in this text editor so... oh well! hehe)

Created to be his Help Meet - Ch. 3 : A Thankful Spirit

2009-02-03T15:33:00.000-08:00

Chapter 3: A Thankful Spirit --- A wise woman sets a joyful mood in her home. Through laughter, music, and happy times, she creates a positive attitude in her children. She knows that a lighthearted home relieves her husband of stress.

My goals this week:

1) Be a better help to my husband.
2) Practice having a merry and thankful heart.
3) Learn to be more content with Sioux Falls.
4) Set a joyful mood in my home!

"Discontentment is not a matter of circumstances, it is a state of the soul." - Debi Pearl

I learned when I was very young that no good can come from discontentment. I'm very much against the word, "bored" and I will *very* rarely choose to use the word. I even wrote a blog post about it last year. God has blessed us with so much more than we deserve and every second of this life should be spent glorifying Him and thanking Him for all He has blessed us with. Having a thankful spirit leads us to contentment with our every day lives and the result is a joyful and stress free home! We should make good use of the short amount of time we have here on this earth. As a wife I want to do all I can to help my husband and remain thankful for all the work he does. Every day I find myself wondering how he does it all. He works incredibly hard and he is still the most amazing husband I've ever known. I don't deserve a husband like him - he treats me better than any other person I've met in my lifetime.

Philippians 4:11 -".... for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content."

This chapter actually helped bring up a problem that I have been having with discontentment. It doesn't really have anything to do with my husband though - I am thankful for him and what he does every single day. My problem has to do with where we are currently living.

We moved here two and a half years ago from San Diego, CA - I never had any intentions of ever leaving San Diego. I loved it there, it was a place that many people can only dream about living in and I grew up there, it was all I ever knew. We had amazing weather (WARMTH!!!) the mountains nearby, the beach was right there, there was always something to do - somewhere to go, friends to see, amusement parks, etc. The greatest thing of all though was my family. Nearly everyone in my family was an hour or less away from me. Now I am in a state that I never knew people actually lived in. I'm far away from my friends & family and I really really really miss the ocean. Now I'm in a place that people don't want to visit because its, "too cold" - it's cold for 6 months out of the year, and all this city is surrounded by is farms. Miles and miles of flat land, and no ocean... it's the complete opposite of what I knew in San Diego.

With that said, there are so many benefits to living here that I cannot even list them all. This is an incredible place to live for a multitude of reasons, and obviously - since we are here - it is God's will for us that we remain here for the time being. I need to learn to find beauty in the flat farm lands, I need to learn to enjoy the small festivals that go on during the summer, I need to be grateful for the time that it IS warm here in Sioux Falls, and I need to learn to just be content here.

It's difficult when I miss CA so much to be totally content with living here in South Dakota. It is something I really need to work on. I think maybe I'll compile a list (you know how I love lists!) of all the wonderful things about Sioux Falls. I don't think I'll ever stop missing California but my attitude towards Sioux Falls and the state of South Dakota could definitely improve.

More participants in this Book Study:

Christina @ A Homemaker's Journal
Tammie @ Book of Rememberance

Continue onto the next chapter: Thanksgiving Produces Joy!

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Denny's turned into Culvers.

2009-02-03T13:41:00.000-08:00

We got to Denny's.... took one look at the place and decided to go somewhere else. :) There was an hour and a half long wait and we would have had to stand OUTSIDE for most of that time...not so good when you have 2 little babies with you and its 10 degrees outside. We went to Culvers instead. Ohhh well!

-Shaina

Free Grand Slam!

2009-02-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Today until 2pm you can get a free Grand Slam at Denny's!

I can't believe I'm about to brave the ONE Denny's here in Sioux Falls...but I am. Zoe and I are going to go with Rachel and her son Evan. I'll let you know how it goes! :) Right now I'm picturing a half mile long line... haha.

-Shaina

Motherly Love

This blog has moved!

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A Wonderful Wednesday

MSG - Monosodium Glutamate

Zoe at 18 Months Old!

Trusting the Lord in a Difficult Time

Shopping Days

Our 3rd Anniversary!

Thank you, Dr. Laura!

Menu Plan Monday... on Tuesday

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09/09/09 A Day I Will Definitely Remember

Sioux Falls Residents...

9000 Days Old!

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Soap Nuts: A Natural Laundry Detergent

It is the end of August..

Researching High Fructose Corn Syrup: Part 1

Taking a Walk!

"New" Wedding Photos!

No Facebook for a Week! :o)

A Mother's Influence is Unmatched

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Christian Mothers and The Bible

Carolyn's Story

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Proverbs 31:10-31

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by Pastor John Piper

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Precious Little Zoe

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Fried Hard Drive, New Hard Drive, and 202nd Post!

A good week!

My Beautiful Mom

Another Crazy 4th.

Zoe's Words at 15 Months

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CA Trip so far!

California, here I come!

In 100 Days...

Zoe's Favorite Words

List Making to the Extreme

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Sickness Rant and Zoe in Shorts!

Zoe's 1st Bike Ride!

Zoe's New Kitchen

Zoe - 14 Months Old!

Pray for my Aunt Lisa

Video of Zoe Walking!

Kimberly Carol Skodacek (Alger) - My Mother

More Sickness

Just a Mother

Zoe's 1st Steps!

Zoe's Zoo Adventures and More

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Blizzards, Babies, and Kisses

Zoe's Birthday - March 12th

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Hello Kitty Cupcakes

Elizabethtown

Zoe's 1st Birthday Party

Me and My Daughter