Guest Post @ Fearless Experiment, SURRENDER

…running into His arms

Song for today:

Music has always meant a lot to me, but especially now.  Much love to my dear friends and family, thank you for your love!

 

My 4 Turn 16!

Well, make that “2 years left in the nest”.  *Sigh*  Click the link above to read my guest post on the Earth Monkey Moms blog!

I made homemade frosting for the first time ever!  Mmm, worth the effort, truly!

We had a great birthday celebration and in two days a flock of 20 teenaged friends will join us to really ring in the 16th year!

At their favorite place for free birthday burgers...and a song!

Neglectful Blogger

I have been really neglecting my blog. We’ve had a lot of school drama with one of our kids and when there is drama, I usually pull in like a turtle!

I’ve left a few loose ends…like whatever happened with P90X??? Geez, what a loser I feel like. I do have a good excuse. I spent a few excruciatingly painful days discovering I had a rotator cuff injury/strain and finally got a steroid shot. P90X became a no no for me, so I’ve just been doing other things like a mommy bootcamp-when I can go-and other workout DVDs. So, I am no longer “bringing it” with Tony.

All the other life stuff is just too much to go into with an “I’m neglecting my blog” post. I’m sure no one noticed anyway!   God is teaching me a lot and I am diving deep into nostalgia since my 4 kiddos are turning 16 in a week’s time. I still have so much to learn, but I am enjoying the journey a lot. Even on the hard days, I’m learning more each day to find the good stuff.

I was a guest at a pretty awesome blog over the weekend, you can check it out here:

In Her Words: 15, Quadruplet & Only Sister {What it’s Like}

Anneliese: computer collage self portrait

GUEST BLOG BY MY SWEET DAUGHTER, ANNELIESE (Anna): budding author, gifted artist, novice pole vaulter, comic creator, and beautiful friend!

All my life I’ve been barraged with questions. For example: as a baby I’d bawl for an unseemly amount of time until my mom or dad would croon, “Oh, are you hungry?” or “Does baby need her diaper changed?” As I moved onto elementary school I’d be asked by my little peers, “Do you want to play house with us?” and “Can I borrow your pink crayon?” And as I grew up and was thrust into middle and high school, “Can you draw me a [fill in the blank]?” or “Did you get your homework done?” You get the point; because I have kith and kin that  practice the art of speech, I’ve been asked many questions in my life, but none more frequently or more difficult to answer than the following: “What is it like being the only girl amongst three brothers?” It seems like a simple enough question to answer, but because I’m not particularly eloquent, I find it easier to write it for you than say it – so we can put this dogged question to rest! Now prepare your brain, friend, to be engulfed by my words! I’ll warn you that I’m quite verbose, so you seriously need to be prepared for some large words and unwieldy long paragraphs. With that disclaimer, let’s let my memoir unfold as I answer my most FAQ!

Let me begin with how I differ from my brothers. First of all, in the four days of the week in which I have an early math class, I wake up at 5:00 AM.  Yes, that’s a teenager waking up at 5:00 – shocka! With that revelation, let me continue. As soon as I drag myself out of bed, I make coffee and grab my Bible and the novel I am currently burrowed in. Two differences between my brothers and I, in this second paragraph: first of all, I drink coffee with a vengeance (a spoonful of creamer and milk, every time, twice a day), as well as the fact that I go out of my way to read; my bros read their Bible, but they don’t really take time to read anything else, whereas I polish off a novel a month, at least (this morning I just finished Ginger Garrett’s Chosen, and the last month I read the first two novels in J. R. R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings). The only time they delve into novels is when it’s required for English class. Anyway, while I’m curled up on the couch in the wee hours of the morning reading a book with my dog, at around 6:00 is when my first brother gets up, usually Mark or Matthew because Andrew sleeps in, lurching their tired way into the shower. They always shower in the morning, and I at night – that is another difference. If I were to shower in the morning, I’d be so OCD that I’d get up at four to accomplish this task before I commence with the rest of my morning ritual.

My brothers are much less uptight, as you can probably infer. We have many differences, but those simple ones are probably the only ones you have time for – so I will continue to talk about what they’re like as friends! You might expect us to be the sort of siblings who constantly banter and fight and spend good portions of the day hating each other’s guts, but it’s quite the contrary. The only time they get on my nerves is when they are being obnoxious, and that usually isn’t even on purpose, but other than that they are as sweet and courteous as anyone. The only time I irritate them is when I am being overly motherly or OCD-ish, scolding them on their environmental hygiene when I see the mess they’ve left their room or bathroom in. But there is no enmity between us; whenever a conflict is serious, either I’m just PMS-ing or something said was misunderstood.  In the foremost case, when I am PMS-ing and ragging on every little thing, they just shrug inwardly and think to themselves, “Well, that’s Anna for you – I’ll just let her burn herself out.”

In short, my dear brothers are the Sokka to my Katara, an analogy for you people who have seen Avatar: the Last Airbender! Now I’ll tell you of how I think I am affected by the lack of estrogen amongst me and my siblings. For starters, I’m quite the gamer – I contend against them in board games, fight alongside them in video games, and cheer and groan with them during football games. I am a gamer. And when I was little I’d abandon my Barbie-dolls to play soldier and dinosaurs with them! Which is ironic, because when dad saw that I was not using my girly toys, he bought me some nifty action figures for Christmas, and upon opening the present I began to cry, upset that “Daddy got my a boy toy!” But that is neither here nor there, that little account. So let me just conclude this paragraph in saying that I am mildly tomboyish thanks to the three testosterone-laden boys I shared the womb with.

This is one of Anneliese's latest creations depicting 2 characters from her third novel project titled Remnants. (My girl loves her dragons!) I think this one could get published, I couldn't put it down and cannot wait to see how it ends! I am her greatest fan, as it should be.

Now let us speak of how much I love those testosterone-laden boys, in all their stinky, un-talkative boyishness! =D

Picture this: I am sitting at the lunch table with my lovely group of friends in the commons in our usual spot on, enjoying their company and my lunch. My eyes catch something in the distance through the window: it’s a bird – it’s a plane – no, it’s my brothers! They’re coming into the commons from the cafeteria, and, excited to meet them, I jump up from my table and exclaim, “It’s my brothers! ” My table-mates smile, amused by this constant spectacle of my enthusiasm. And it is constant indeed – every time I see my brothers I reel in this manner, and jump to meet them! Before my brothers reach the door, I, rather ninja-like, jump past all barriers in my way to get to them and ask them about their day. My brothers, usually laughing and by this sight as well, smile and reply in kind, always somewhat baffled by my puppyish vehemence. As I am baffled that puppyish is a word, when, after typing it I expected a red zigzag line to flare up beneath it. Ahem – anyway, thus is how I greet them at lunch. =]

That is what it is like to be the only girl amongst boys, if you can picture it. Despite our differences and so forth I love them with all my heart and cannot wait to watch them all get married off some day (not that they or my family would allow me get married any time soon, haha). When I look at them I see nothing less than close, lifelong friends that I never want to move more than a hundred miles away from me (not unlike a doting mother)! So there it is, all laid out for you, the answer of my FAQ! Love, Anna!

Finding Myself Again~in a Very Unexpected Place

I first saw the “invite” page on Pinterest sometime last year, I don’t remember when exactly.  My first thought, “Great, another black hole for precious time to be sucked into…I’m NOT doing it.”  I’d heard it was as addictive as street drugs and figured it must have been created by the spawn of some evil force.  I stubbornly held to those thoughts after receiving a couple more invitations.  My flesh really wanted to sign up, because I LOVE to look at pretty things.  I told myself, on top of wasting time it would surely feed the “I want” beast buried deep inside and cause a laundry pile up.

Minimalism and materialism do not play nicely together, one combats the other.  I want more minimalistic thinking in my life and to avoid materialism.  Surely, there are more important things to do than look at things I love and could never afford!  I just didn’t see the purpose of Pinterest, aside from it being visually pleasing.  Frosting.

I figured I could “go there” once my kids have left home and I don’t have to prioritize time so well.  Nope, just not going to do it…no way!  I’m too busy for Pinterest!!!

So, out of the blue, a friend (in the middle of my home tossing frenzy phase) says, “Now, because of Pinterest, I don’t have to save things from magazines…”  WHAT?  What do you mean?  Oooooooh!  (the light bulb goes on)  Pinterest is where you save cool ideas or recipes ONLINE, with no paper to jam into the overflowing file of other things you wanted to save but never used file for a later date?  BAZINGA!  I’m was sold.  It’s not frosting, it’s more like meatloaf!

I felt a little naughty when I texted my friend (who was the first to invite me) and humbly asked for another invitation to Pinterest.  I was soooooo happy she was in a position to give me instant gratification, right then, she texted back.  The invite came seconds later and delicately I stuck my toe  dove in like a madwoman and probably pinned 100 things the first session.  Pinterest is brilliant!

Why, do I feel this way now, you ask?

1)  I have chucked pounds and pounds of paper and magazines since I joined.  I feel FREE of the trap, thinking that I must save everything!

2)  It truly is a tool (clutter free!) to organize my brain, which is no small task.  I’m not sure what that says about me, but I’m going with it.  A calender just doesn’t do it for me, like it does my Type A hubby, Pinterest makes me feel clearheaded.

3) I think I found myself again!  That me that I was before kids, the me who had “favorite things”.  I’ve always been here, it’s just that “the me I think I am” got all jumbled and fuzzy when mommy brain hit.  (That condition of not being able to locate information that my brain once stored somewhat efficiently.)  That feeling of “I don’t really know who I am anymore” is going away.  I knew I was a mom and wife and that I love it, I mean the other stuff that makes me my quirky self!  I remember me now…I forgot I was such a geek and a bit of a gear head!  I’d forgotten some of the things I liked, until it was staring me in the face.  You should see my “sweet rides” board!

I will conclude with this thought, for me, the yummy ketchup sauce on top of the meatloaf of Pinterest, there is no other place on earth where you get to think about what you like.  How often in life are we women asked what we want or what we like?  In mommyhood, that stuff lives on the back burner.  Not in a martyrdom type way, but it’s just reality.  Pinterest lets you have a few minutes in a mommy happy place where you can be immersed in the things that make your heart go pitter patter…whether it’s a gorgeous old Chevy, a yummy cupcake recipe, a beautiful herd of paints, or a ruffly skirt.  Disneyland is nice, but it’s crowded and expensive…I vote Pinterest as the new Happiest Place on Earth!

 

Earth Monkey Moms {Guest Blogger}

Click below to visit their awsome site and my latest post!

(They aren’t “earthy” and don’t believe in the big bang theory…they are awesome, environmentally conscious mamas of adorable kiddos, whom they sometimes refer to as monkeys!)  ha ha

Spicy New Year

I’ve been reading my favorite minimalist blogs for the last week and perusing inspiring home photos filled with…space.  I love how minimalist rooms look!  I’m quite comfortable in clutter.  At least I used to be.  You should have seen my bedroom when I was a kid.  {It was plastered with horse posters and every surface covered with books, papers, pictures, pretty wrappers, pretty ribbons, pretty bits of anything, and possibly a pile or two of laundry-clean and dirty.}

When life feels stressful though, I feel a need to purge all this…stuff.  Although I don’t see myself becoming a full on minimalist, I want to adopt some principles into my life and way of thinking more and more this year.  I am going to continue trying to learn to travel this journey lighter.

I attacked my spices a couple of days ago because I was so tired of digging through the duplicates and some expired bottles.  In the photo on the far right, you’ll see some of my unfinished cupboards around the lovely microwave we inherited from Steve’s brother and sister-in-law (thank you, Lani!) after they remodeled.  Every shelf was crammed with baskets of spices.

I got out the label maker and got cracking.  I was a woman with a mission and it felt GOOD!  Once I made room for other things on the shelves, I put my jars of flour, sugar, coffee, cocoa mix, and misc. things out.  I think I like it!  Most importantly, my spices are properly organized and it is the spark I needed in my kitchen to get me motivated to make it more functional and free of gadgets I rarely use.  After we get our tax return, we plan to hire Steve’s youngest brother to redo our backsplash and get rid of the baby potty gold tile that was installed decades ago.  The white, glossy tile is going to be my prize for purging the cupboards.

There is a popular challenge known as “100 Things” among the serious minimalists.  They literally pare down their “stuff” to just that.  Laptop, panties, jeans, phone, books…etc.  Just 100 things!  I think I’d have to start at 400 and go from there.  Even though I’m pretty frugal (and don’t shop often either), I have more of a desire to just stop buying what I don’t really need and donating what I don’t need to awesome organizations like Goodwill and Salvation Army.  This will another year of pursuing the “less is more” mindset.  The less stuff I hold onto, the more freedom I will have.

So, I am letting go of the idea that variety is the spice of life.  I will continue to pare down my clothing choices (I spent the last 2 weeks of Christmas vacation in tee shirts, jeans, and my sparkly Converse).  That’s my “style”, or anti-style and I think I have decided I can let go of that cute denim jacket that I had to get because it looks so cute when I see other people where them, but have only worn once myself in 3 years *breath*!  Seriously.  Having less STUFF will give me more time to enjoy the wonderful people who spice up my life.

Hot tip:  Take a digital photo of anything that holds memories, but you know you should let go of (aka: don’t use, don’t need, or don’t love).  It makes it far easier, especially for emotional saps like ME.

Blogs I like about simpler living:  Miss Minimalist, Zen Habits, and Simple Mom.

Making Gnocchi {nyee-okie}

At least that’s how I pronounce it!  I had the rare privilege to be in the kitchen of a dear-to-my-heart Italian to learn her secret ways with gnocchi.   Who knew how much 2 girls born across the globe from each other (Maria was actually born in Australia and grew up in Italy) could bond over the adventure {and mess} of the starchy dumpling of deliciousness called gnocchi?

It took hours…wonderful hours in which we learned just how much we have in common.  Our hubbies have known each other since well before our kids were born.  Maria and I had met before and they’d been over for our “Italian Dinner” potlucks that we have hosted through the years.  (She spoiled us with the best Tiramisu you’d ever hope to eat!)  Over the summer (or last summer?) they invited us for an incredible meal for helping with their move.  I’ve always enjoyed her company.  We’d talked for a while about making gnocchi together.  I wanted to learn how to approach this daunting recipe that I’ve read can be so difficult.  It’s one of those kitchen ”challenges” that takes practice and intimidated me.  (I’ve always been challenged in the kitchen!)  I’ve felt that if I can make gnocchi…THEN I can make any pasta and it will seem easier.  I have a fantasy of making pasta from scratch one day!

Lovely Maria is very much like Prozac in human form-soft spoken with her beautiful accent, you could listen to her talk for hours.  She’s the opposite of me, my voice is not soft or girly and I’m more like a cocker spaniel-a little too hyper when I’m excited…anti-Prozac.  She’s Type A (like my husband) and likes a clean kitchen while she cooks.  I’m type B and am messy (like a toddler) when I cook.  I had the best time.  For the first time we had time to really talk and get to know each other.  That is a rare thing in my world these days, having time to really talk with a girlfriend.  (Just so you know, her husband Robert was in the next room playing a computer adventure game with my family members who were still at home, waiting for the call to dinner.)  Ah…peaceful bliss!

So picture a beautiful kitchen…and then I come into the picture.  Jami+flour=white tornado.  We had many laughs, a trip to the store for more eggs (she went and I stayed…hence the dorky picture of me with the simple ingredients), a giant pile of gnocchi dough, many hours minutes of trying to form non mutilated pillows of dough, and then the moment of truth.  After waiting and watching the salted water boil, we dropped in the first hideous (I made it) test subject.  In the photo above to the right you can evidence.  Need I say more?  She was an amazing teacher though and showed the utmost patience.  She made/let me do it, badly as I did.  She kept encouraging me to keep trying, even though I was mangling what our finished product was supposed to be.  I’m so impressed that she could stand watching me  try, and fail, like a loving mother with a toddler.  What a lesson in patience and how I wish I could be when teaching my kids to make things in the kitchen.

So, you must be wondering, did the ugly gnocchi float?  Yes, we cheered when it started to wiggle from the bottom of the pot, doing a little gnocchi dance, then POOF.  It bobbed to the top!  SUCCESS!!  Maria scooped it out and put some of her delicious homemade sauce on top, cut it in two and we both took a taste.  It was good!  So, in the rest went, about 15 to 20 at a time (not the most time conscious recipe for a big group like ours) and we patiently cooked the rest and prepped the table to eat.  Maria made a gorgeous salad full of veggies, feta and topped with olive oil and vinegar.  I’ve never had a salad that tasted so good.  Groceries become wonderful things in this woman’s hands!

We all proclaimed it one of the best meals ever eaten and in wonderful company…maybe that is the secret ingredient?  It is a rare thing for our family to be invited to anyone’s home for dinner.  Maybe because we are “so many” (or otherwise frightening on some way), but aside from family, it is a rare thing for us and precious.  I can count on one hand the number of families who’ve been brave enough to go where no one has gone before.  (I totally get it and we’ve never felt slighted, as I fall under the category of a reluctant entertainer…see my friend’s amazing blog on that subject.  I’m such an “R.E.” that I got included in her book, ha ha!)  We just KNOW we are loved when someone will extend such an invitation and I know all my kids felt very loved that night at the Connelly’s.  They also came away with pancia pienas {full tummies}!  I am so grateful for the fearlessness of these friends and how much it blesses us.

Just like I thought the day would be about making gnocchi with a friend, I thought this blog would just be about making gnocchi.  Funny how wonderful and surprising life is.  Maria and I started out the 4 hour (yes, 4 hours, but we made enough for an army!) adventure as friends.  By the time we were all done eating dinner and having dessert and espresso she felt more like a sister.

Blessed Christmas

Life has remained “interesting” and very busy as of late…teenagers, rotator cuff injury, “surprise events”, and a lot of appointments…just LIFE!

I pray everyone has a wonderful day, full of love and laughter!  I’m so thankful to be able to celebrate Christ’s birth with my amazing family.  A loving family is a gift I am thankful for every day!  Yes, we’re quirky and flawed, but we have fun.  I hope you have fun today, too!