Alicia's Homemaking

One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Sun, 29 Jun 2014 20:19:00 +0000

Sweet readers! I have had a few "when are you going to update your blog?!" questions pop up in the last week...and so here I am!

It's the tail end of naptime around here, which means that my 4 year old is up and bouncing around looking for something to eat (are 4 year old boys CONSTANTLY hungry, or just CONSTANTLY bored and wanting to eat, or both? haha), and the baby is cooing on a blanket. The 2 year old remains asleep, and that makes the house still seem quiet.

So yeah, a lot has happened since my last update. I was 9 weeks pregnant at the time, and just at the beginning of a tough pregnancy. I was sick, sick, sick for about 2 1/2 months, and blogging majorly fell to the wayside, along with almost everything else. It was survival mode. Parenting two active boys from the couch is virtually impossible, but somehow we all made it out alive. FOOD felt like my enemy and yet here was a growing family that constantly needed to eat. Gracious. We did a lot of convenience food and take out and hired a cleaning lady (because it defeats the purpose of cleaning the bathroom if the task only makes you have to puke). Thankfully, that was the worst of it. I had some back issues for the rest of the pregnancy, and my chiropractor and physical therapist were lifesavers. So, so grateful for good health insurance!

At 41 weeks pregnant with Lore'...I ended up being induced that night!

It all had a happy ending...our incredibly wonderful, smiley, even-tempered baby girl, Lore' Noelle Perrin. She is the light of our lives! When I found out we were having a baby girl, I was over the moon. In shock, and over the moon. She arrived one week late, on November 20, 2013 and has been such an amazing, easy baby. Eats well, sleeps well (mostly), not fussy. Although I must say, it is helpful to have some parenting experience under my belt. When we've hit certain bumps in the road (the 2 weeks of nights and days mixed up as a newborn, a late bedtime in the 1st 2 months of life, etc), I've known "It's ok...they grow out of this!" which has prevented most the what-am-I-doing-wrong-do-I-need-to-change-something mom worry.

Lore' is 7 months old now and crawling. She's such a little baby, and it still surprises me to find her scooting around the house like she knows what she's doing! Sloooooow down already. :)

I am in the mom-of-three-kids adjustment phase. There is not enough time to get everything done, just enough time to love the people God has given me. Pursuing Jesus and loving well are my focus right now. It is a sweet time of life. I do find myself inadequate often, failing often, and getting sensory overloaded in a house full of two active boys and a baby. And that quickly brings me around to the fact that this is not about ME, and God is working in all the weaknesses I have.

In other news, I had a blogging mishap. I lost my domain (aliciashomemaking . com)! It was on autorenewal and through a series of errors (changed email address, changed method of payment), I missed my renewal and didn't realize it until after someone else bought the domain. So we are back to my old address (aliciashomemaking.blogspot.com) until I purchase a new domain. Most likely, new blog name coming soon! I do not have big plans for a regular blogging schedule, but hope to always be able to come back to this blog whenever I want to. Excuse the dust while I fix old links that are now dead. If you are having trouble finding a link to a recipe or anything, let me know. :)

On social media, the most reliable way to keep up with me is through Instagram (I'm @aliciashomemaking). Would love to see you there. Until next time!

The Difference A Line Can Make

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:27:00 +0000

Photo credit: Flickr Creative Commons

...and just like that, everything changes.

That's right!

Come November, our little family will expand to FIVE!!!

We are overjoyed. Andrew and I had been talking about baby #3 for several months, and then after I weaned Edmund, we got pregnant very quickly. Incredibly exciting and also mind-blowing.

8 weeks along

I would love to document this pregnancy every few weeks on this blog, but you all know my shamelessly bad blogging record of late (and morning sickness doesn't help). So I'm going to give it a shot, and we'll see how it goes.

Up until now, this is how life has been going pregnancy-wise:

5 weeks: This is when we found out I was pregnant. 5 weeks is the latest we have ever found out...I typically suspect that I'm pregnant before I even miss my period due to the super freaky sense of smell I acquire when I'm expecting. In a funny turn of events, the week before I tested positive a friend gave me 3 pregnancy tests (after I told her we were hoping to get pregnant soon). I kept telling her I didn't think I was pregnant yet! Then a few days later I realized I was late and used up all three tests--with positive results!

At this point, the only symptom I had was frequent exhaustion. I had been marveling to myself..."Is this just how tired you are when you have little kids? I am so tired!" It was almost comforting to know that I was, in fact, growing another little human, and it wasn't just my two little boys completely zapping my energy.

Not that they are totally guiltless or anything...

6 weeks: This week I was really focused on trying to stock my freezer as much as possible. It was difficult to do while being super tired and with the boys underfoot, but I made some progress. No huge pregnancy symptoms this week except for exhaustion and the first hints of nausea. It's crazy to be suddenly aware that you are caring for not two, but three little people.

7 weeks: This week I was fighting off a cold, so I was pretty wiped out. The nausea was more consistent--popping up anytime I went any length of time without eating. But it was totally manageable...eating solved the problem! I am trying to make sure I get a protein-packed breakfast to help me get a good start each day.

Notice how many of my Instagrams now involve me being on the couch.

8 weeks: Now I feel confirmation of being pregnant constantly throughout the day, whether it's my strong sense of smell (which makes me want to avoid the kitchen altogether), need of a nap, irrational emotions, or hard-to-manage nausea. The morning sickness has stepped it up a notch, and I'm finding it difficult to keep my stomach full, especially since the list of appealing foods is shrinking rapidly. I am still force-feeding myself eggs in the morning, which really does help.

On the up side, I hit the 9 week mark today! And our sweet littlest one is almost an inch and a half long with a beating heart...and growing like a weed. My 1st doctor's appointment is on Friday. So excited.

In this first trimester I am focusing on:

--Drinking enough water!

--Eating as healthy as I possibly can and as often as I can. So far this is going really well (as long as you don't count our Carrabba's date last night!).

--Exercising when possible.

--Napping every day when the boys nap.

--Saying "no" to certain events/obligations in order to do some of the above.

--Being thankful and taking morning sickness one moment at a time.

Want to know a special highlight of this pregnancy? My 2 best friends are pregnant at the same time! One of them is due only 2 days before me! We are texting each frequently with "Have you eaten your eggs today?" "How are you feeling today?" and the like. SO much fun.

Ok, I'll stop talking your ears off. Love to you. I'm happy to finally get a blog post up!

20 Books For 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 18:18:00 +0000

I love dreaming up a new "To-Read" list every year. In 2012, my goal was to read 12 books. I stuck to the plan somewhat, but towards the end of the year I branched off the list and read a few random books that struck my fancy at the time. This year I'd truly love to read every book on my list, but we'll see how it goes.

I'm increasing my goal from 12 book to 20 books. That's just under 2 books/month, which should be do-able if I diligently carve out time to read.

20 Books For 2013

1. The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church by Alan Hirsh. I am over half-way done with this book and have found it very thought-provoking so far.

2. A Place At The Table: 40 Days of Solidarity With The Poor by Chris Seay. We are currently reading this book together as a family.

3. No Ebb by Arthur Burt Arthur Burt has recently started coming to speak at some of my church's meetings and I was very challenged by reading his book Absolute Surrender last year. He is currently 100 years old!

4. Je sus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias My husband and I frequently listen to Ravi's "Let My People Think" podcasts, and really enjoy them. I have never read one of Ravi's books, however!

5. Treason's Harbor by Patrick O'Brian. This is#9 in the Aubrey/Maturin series, which I have been slowly making my way through in the past few years.

6. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Time to re-incorporate some classics into my reading!

7. The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmusk~~a Orczy.~~ One of my best friend's favorite books, which I put off reading for far too long. I just finished this one, and I loved it! By the way, the Kindle edition of this book is FREE on Amazon (so is Crime and Punishment!). :)

8. Arms of Deliverance by Tricia Goyer. I read Tricia's book Chasing Mona Lisa last year and had a hard time putting it down. An easy, fun read.

9. Tell Your Time by Amy Lynn Andrews. Andrew and I just finished reading this, and it's started some great conversations. This ebook is a super quick read...and the first one I crossed off my list this year!

10. Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenrider. I started this book last year, and then stopped at the part where she has you go through your home room-by-room. At the time, we were living in our tiny apartment and had just had a second baby, so the thought of doing a thorough organizing job was just too daunting. It will be much more manageable now because our house has breathing room.

11. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams. Recommended by our pastor.

12. A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich. I just received this in the mail and can't wait to read it! This history book was written for children, but looks captivating to me.

13. Handmade Walls by Jamin and Ashley Mills. This ebook looks beautiful and fun! The Nester has a fabulous review of it on her blog.

14. The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller. I am currently listening to the audiobook version of this book. Can you tell I like to have several books going at once? I try not to juggle more than 4 at a time...ha!

15. Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys by Stephen James and David Thomas. I have two little ruffians to parent--God give me grace and wisdom!

16. Jesus + Nothing = Everything by Tullian Tchoividjian. This on Lindsay's recommendation.

17. Abundant Simplicity: Discovering The Unhurried Rhythms of Grace by Jan Johnson.

18. Fit to Burst by Rachel Jancovic. This book releases this year...I enjoyed Rachel's 1st book, Loving The Little Years: Motherhood in the Trenches (read it in two sittings), and expect that her latest will be a pleasure to read.

19. The Christian Family by Larry Christenson. A re-read.

20. Raising Real Men: Surviving, Teaching, and Appreciating Boys by Hal and Melanie Young.

I'm excited that I've already crossed two books off of my list. What books are on your reading list this year? If you've read any of the books listed above, I'd love to know your thoughts. :)

Three Holidays, Three Birthdays

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:00:00 +0000

That's what November and December hold for us!

November 22--Thanksgiving
November 24--Peter's birthday
December 25--Christmas
December 29--Edmund's birthday
December 31--Alicia's birthday

One celebration after another...the months are stuffed with memories.

Peter turned three! I can't quite get my brain around it. On his day, he woke up to streamers in his doorway and balloons filling the living room. A room full of balloons is a day's worth of entertainment in and of itself! This was followed by pancakes for breakfast (a rare treat!).

His big birthday present was a red tricycle, which he LOVED. He even asked if it could be in his room that night when he went to sleep, haha.

In the afternoon we took Peter and two of the neighborhood boys to a local bowling alley (they were running a 99 cent/game special for kids)...he loves to bowl! Cracks me UP to hear him talking about strikes and gutter balls. He thinks the bowling balls are all kinds of cool and loves picking out which color ball he's going to use when it's his turn. And I get a kick out of watching him in a pair of tiny bowling shoes! Guess I need to brush up on my bowling skills if I'm going to keep up...

Daddy and his boys at the Bowling Alley...typical attempted photo here, with Edmund looking like he wants down and Peter distracted with a balloon.

We concluded the day with a pizza dinner and elmo cupcakes. Yes, this is the second year in a row of Elmo birthday cupcakes, but that was the birthday boy's request! Our sweet friends Chad and Diana joined us (they are Peter's personal favorites), and there were lots of laughs, some presents, and plenty of sugar.

Of course, he's growing up too fast.

Dear Peter, my three year old boy,

Everyday I kiss your cheeks and try to soak you in. I love that earnest look in your eyes when you're asking me how something works. You've always been very earnest, but you've just entered the phase where you ask me five million questions a day...many times the same question 20 different ways. You're figuring out how things work. You're so much like me in some ways--in your mind fact and objects have a place where they belong...it's like you want to categorize them.

At the same time, you're full of boyish gusto and love the thrill of the legos all tumbling out of their box and the echo of singing at the top of your lungs in an empty room.

Your "Mommy, can you play soccer with me?" or "Mommy, can you read this book with me?" are impossible to resist...I cannot say no.

You are learning to take care of your little brother. I always smile when I hear you yelling across the room for Edmund...the two of you enjoy each others company, and I hope that never changes.

My deepest hope for you is that your heart will be soft towards the Lord now and always. May you follow hard after Him your whole life long.

My sweet boy! Today let's build train tracks, go for bike rides, tell stories, and play frisbee!

Love,
Mommy

Family Life and....Adjustments.

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 29 Oct 2012 14:27:00 +0000

3 pm and the house is hushed...the glory of naptime. Andrew just woke up from his post night-shift 5 hour nap. It's only just cool enough outside to open the windows--my favorite time of year! At the end of October fall is finally peeking its head around the corner. I sip my coffee and relish the crisp air...and the quiet.

There aren't many still moments lately, and sometimes it leaves me reeling. The last several months were a big momma-of-two adjustment period for me. Edmund started eating solids, crawling, and pulling up, and Andrew started his new job. Life is not the same (better now, but different), and I was still clinging to some of the old spaces of time that don't exist anymore.

But something has settled in the last month, and I feel so happy and content in my job as mom. I'm happy in the busyness...and content to let it be busy. It is such a pleasure to be able to focus on my family and others.

In general our family has been switching gears: from a break-neck grad school lifestyle to one that involves a job, a house, and life with two boys on the move. I'd be lying if I said the transition has been all smooth sailing (for various reasons), but it is glorious to be done with grad school. We see Andrew so much more, and the burden of constant deadlines and tests has been lifted off of his shoulders. He tries to fix a bike in the garage, makes Peter a tire swing, reads for pleasure.

Peter will be three at the end of November. THREE! We had a rough patch with him a couple of months ago when Edmund started crawling...Peter was so excited because it was like having a new toy in the house. And what do you do with a new toy? Experiment with it to see what happens!

Like:
What happens when you hit him on the head?
Repeatedly?
When you step on his toes?
When you pull him around by one limb?

Peter's intent was not malicious, but regardless, we had to go into "you-absolutely-cannot-hurt-your-brother" bootcamp. After about a month and a half of repeated admonishment, it finally seemed to click. His approach (to much of life) is still rough-and-tumble, but he's not intentionally hurting his little brother often anymore. {breath of relief!}

It's incredibly sweet and rewarding to see the little ways that Peter's maturing...and to be able to interact with him in new ways. He sits enraptured and asks us to read books again and again. He tells us what he and Edmund are going to do when Edmund "gets bigger." He plays imaginary games with his trucks and uses this hilarious "big man" voice when he does so.

And Edmund? At 10 months old I am constantly catching myself going, "You're old enough to do that?" When did you get old enough to wave bye-bye, want to feed yourself, play chase, and stand on your tippy-toes to reach something?

Lately, Edmund cracks us up when he tries to wave because he invariably hits himself in the face. And then there are his table manners. What a voracious eater! The kid can put away a serving as large as Peter's and in half the time! He thinks baths are great fun...a tub filled with water can cheer him up even if he's tired and cranky.

The boy is tall and skinny (even for all his eating!), and I love to snuggle his little self close to me. He's still so small and I know it doesn't last. Edmund's not overly keen on snuggling (too busy!), but he will laugh and play with me at the slightest provocation. He's a bit shy around new people, but warms up. Edmund is much more of a "mama's boy" than Peter was at his age.

So...that's a peak into how our family is doing. These are such sweet days, and I don't want to forget them.

One of the big things I miss about blogging regularly is interacting with all of you in the comments. Leave me one and tell me what your family has been up to lately. :)

P.S. The winner of the cookbook giveaway is comment #11--Audrey!

Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook: Review and Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I am a big fan of streamlining my time in the kitchen, and I do that primarily by prepping meals ahead of time and freezing them. Since my husband is working slightly crazy hours with his new job, I have taken freezer cooking on with a new zeal in these past few months.

So it was a happy mail day when my sneak-preview copy of Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook arrived last month!

This cookbook is written by one of my favorite bloggers--Jessica Fisher of Life As Mom and Good Cheap Eats. I already use many of Jessica's recipes in my regular meal rotations, so I knew that her cookbook would be a wealth of information! Jessica is a mom of six, so her recipes are family-friendly and cost effective while also incorporating fresh ingredients (no canned soups here!).

What I love about this cookbook:

--She covers the freezer cooking basics. If you've never tried out freezer cooking, Jessica will take care of your questions. This includes everything from what to freeze, how to package the meals, how to thaw meals, and how to get it all to fit into your freezer.

--The freezer cooking plans. These plans are customized to the amount and type of cooking that you want to do. Complete with planning worksheets.

--The gluten-free list. Our family is not gluten-free, but we have many friends that are. This list is a wonderful reference for gluten-free meals that do not require a host of expensive wheat alternatives.

--Reliably delicious food. Honestly, some cookbooks are hit and miss. But I've tried enough of Jessica's recipes to feel confident that my family and I are going to quickly devour anything that I make from her cookbook!

I am constantly trying to tweak recipes that I find in order to successfully freeze them. So having an entire cookbook of make-ahead friendly recipes that we consistently enjoy is such a time-saver. Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook has quickly become the first cookbook I turn to when I am menu planning.

Some of our favorite recipes from the cookbook so far:

Easy Slow Cooker Red Sauce -- My go-to sauce for spaghetti, pizza sauce, and more.
Cheddar Soup with Zucchini, Broccoli, and Carrots
Soy-Balsamic Burgers -- Burgers with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar mixed into the meat! Yum.
Mix-and-Match Muffins

And we can't wait to try the recipe for ice cream sandwiches!!

This cookbook releases on October 9th and is available for pre-order now. I think it would be the perfect gift for any number of moms on your list (or for you...*wink*).

Want to win a copy of Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead and Freeze Cookbook?
Simply leave a comment on this post (with your email address)!

You may also share about this giveaway on facebook, twitter, or your blog for additional entries (leave a comment for each).

Full Disclosure: I was provided with a copy of Not Your Mother's Make-Ahead & Freeze Cookbook for review. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are 100% my own.

P.S. Family update post coming soon!

Why I Don't Blog Much Lately

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:34:00 +0000

It's funny how we can't get used to the fact that life has seasons. By the time you have one "figured out," you are ushered into a new one. So incredibly good for us, but bittersweet and unsettling at the same time. And yet perfectly crafted by God's genius.

I am in the motherhood-is-God's-bootcamp season. My flabby attitudes and self-dependencies are showing up like unwelcome pounds on the scale.

The everyday looks something like this:

Weekdays start (hopefully) an hour and a half before the boys are up. That time is filled with working out, showering, time with the Lord....and often one of the three somehow gets crowded out. A work in progress.

At 7:30--it's on, baby! Both boys are up, the toddler has an attitude about what's being served for breakfast and the baby is trying to ingest that small foreign body on the floor. Since Edmund's birth, I have dealt on and off with irrational anxiety (though isn't all fear irrational?), and the battle can biggest in the mornings. In those times, I'm holding onto God's truth, reminding myself of what His word says, His whispered love. Sometimes I text or call a friend and we pray. God is moving mountains in my heart as I've realized how afraid I have been of being broken or vulnerable. It's sweet to know that I am free to fail. God's world is not rocked.

The mornings FLY by. Sometimes we get out, or maybe I do housework and we play inside. Edmund is SO HAPPY and occupied now that he can crawl. He and Peter are entertaining each other more than ever...I love spotting Peter putting his big legoes together ("look, it's a rwocket, mommy!") with Edmund right next to him, chewing on his own lego (the big ones, of course!).

Before we know it it's lunchtime (two boys eating at the table now! so fun) followed by naptime. Currently, there is only one hour in the afternoon when both boys are napping. In that time, I'll take a nap, catch up with a friend on the phone, or do housework that's difficult to accomplish when the boys are up. Maybe I'll take some "me" time and blog or edit pictures. Which typically translates to about one paragraph of a blog post written or 2 pictures edited by the time something else comes up. Sometimes one of my single girlfriends will come over for coffee while the boys sleep...which is a breath of fresh air!

Which brings me to another part of this season of life which I LOVE. Our lives are full of people. Sometimes folks drop by in the afternoon. Often there's a friend at the dinner table. One of the neighbors rings the doorbell. And then there are the close friends I keep in touch with over the telephone...not to mention our large families. This constant-flow-of-people aspect of our lives is an answered prayer, something we've hoped for in different seasons but haven't had. I'm really grateful for it. And it is such an awesome thing to have a house to host people in now!

The evenings are full of dinner, catching up as a family, clean-up, working in the (future) garden, walks, baths, books. If we don't have company, then there is approximately 1 hour of time after the boys are in bed/kitchen cleaned before Andrew and I start heading in the direction of our bed. Starting next week, Andrew will have to leave the house by 5:30 am for work, so we aim for a early bedtime.

And that's a pretty accurate picture of "why I don't blog much lately." And I'm ok with it. I really enjoy the creative expression of blogging, IF flows with our life and can be put on the back-burner when needed. Which is why I am going to bring Try New Adventures Thursday to a sweet finish (or pause, or whatever) for now. Lately, if I have time to write a blog post, I've been desiring the freedom to write whatever and whenever I want. Too often I am pounding out a TNAT post on Wednesday night past bedtime, or on Thursday morning while the boys try to climb all over me or eat the ethernet cord.

And as long as I can keep the baby from drooling on the modem, this blog isn't going anywhere. I hope you won't, either...even if I pop in and out a bit unpredictably!

P.S. I am quieter on social media these days, but Instagram is the exception. If you want a daily dose of our adventures, follow me...I'm AliciasHomemaking. :) There are lots of chubby-cheeked-boy pictures to be had.

P.S. again: The WINNER of the year-subscription to ListPlanIt was comment #26...Miriam!! Look for an email in your inbox soon, girl!

Cruising The Sea {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 13:26:00 +0000

So, I may have mentioned the small fact that my hubby and I were going on a CRUISE at the end of July.

That is, a real vacation. One where my husband wouldn't have to study. One where I wouldn't have to do dishes. A vacation where we wouldn't even have to make the bed for goodness sake! And to top it all off, we left our sweet Peter-boy with his grandparents and only took the baby.

('cause said baby refuses a bottle and we didn't want to leave Memaw to deal with that. He's a milk snob, what can I say...)

Oh, and did I mention that this cruise was a gift from Andrew's parents? Best graduation present ever!

We sailed on the Disney Dream for a 5 night cruise in the Bahamas. It was our first time on a cruise....and the vacation was a breath of fresh air to us.

Our stateroom was apparently HUGE by cruise standards. They provided us with a pack 'n play for Edmund, so that worked out well. And the bed was incredibly comfortable!

Obligatory animal towel picture...with a twist!

Hanging out on Castaway Cay, Disney's own island.

The ship had a wonderful nursery, so Andrew and I got out TWICE to snorkel!

The food was delicious...my favorite dinner was the French-themed one! Thanks to my godfather, who introduced me to escargot (snails!) when I was a girl, I didn't miss out on ordering that delicacy as my appetizer! They were soaked in garlic butter. I die. Oh, and there was a killer steak as the main course.

While we're on the topic of food...there was soft serve ice cream available on the pool deck at all hours of the day. Talk about heaven for kids! Or me...

And speaking of kids, Edmund was such a doll for us. Some days he missed a nap or two, but he was good-natured and went with the flow. And he elicited smiles everywhere we went.

We swam, snorkeled, read, talked, ate, kissed the baby, explored Nassau a little (enough to buy a t-shirt and find a Starbucks!), watched The Avengers and Brave in 3-D on the ship, and sat on our stateroom veranda admiring the sky and the water. Such gorgeous water! A deep, just-lighter-than-sapphire blue when we were at sea. You could see the sun rays shining down into the water like liquid glitter. We also made a point to be on deck for sunsets (and woke early enough for two sunrises).

And by day 4 of our cruise, we were starting to really miss our oldest little man. At one point we laughed at ourselves, because we were on the beach in the bahamas...and what were we doing? Watching videos of our toddler on Andrew's phone. Haha. We were so happy to pick him up after the cruise and hear all about his fabulous time at Memaw and Papa's house. And apparently he didn't ask about us a single time while we were gone! Too busy having fun...

Now it's back to "real life." Andrew started his new job on Monday, so the boys and I are re-acclimating to our home routine. Having Andrew home for the last month was an amazing break...I almost forgot how full a day by myself with the boys is! The word "routine" makes it sound all smooth and predictable--not quite an accurate picture of reality!

When is the last time you went on a real vacation?
________________________________________

Link up your adventures below! It's quite simple...just link up your adventure-ful blog post, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and leave a few comments on other participant's posts if you can. :)

A Pause For Family Time

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 13:29:00 +0000

I'm putting Try New Adventures Thursday on hold for the next 3 weeks while my husband is off of work and school. Our typical routine has gone by the wayside for a bit, and we're enjoying each other's company and spending long-hoped-for time with friends. We're having a staycation of sorts (until we leave for our CRUISE in 8 days!).

Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a year-long membership to List Plan It! I'll be drawing a winner for this giveaway soon.

Have you ever taken a staycation? What did you do (besides lounge around in your pjs!)?

Canning Fig Jam + A Canning Cheat Sheet {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Our new home has two lovely fig trees in the front yard. They are fairly large, and mid-June they began producing figs at an alarming rate.

And even though tropical storm Debby rolled through and ruined about half of the fig crop (the rain caused the figs to swell up and rot), we still had large quantities to eat and cook with. I made fig cake and fig newtons (the newtons were good but too much work in my opinion), but the best thing I made by far was fig jam. Prior to canning it, my husband kept saying, "Honey, fig jam would be amazing." "I would really love some fig jam." "If you made fig jam I'd be such a happy man."

So jam-making had to happen.

This was the third time I canned jam this year (we did strawberry and blueberry jam when those fruits were in season here), and I'm getting more familiar with the process.

PickYourOwn.org is a wonderful resource for canning food...she has so many tutorials! I used her fig jam instructions, and made up a little cheat sheet for myself (so I wasn't constantly scanning up and down the webpage for instructions).

Here's the down and dirty for making fig jam:

-You'll need 5 heaping cups of whole, fresh figs to make one batch of jam (approx 7 half-pint jars worth).
-You'll also need 1 box no-sugar pectin, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 4 1/2 cups of sugar, and cinnamon (optional). Along with your canning supplies: a water bath canner, tongs, funnel, jars and lids.

1) Sterilize your jars (I do this in the dishwasher).
2) Heat your lids in a pot on the stove in water that is just under boiling.
3) Wash your figs, removing the stems and any yucky skin. I cut mine in half.
4) Crush the figs (5 heaping cups whole figs equals 4-5 cups crushed figs).
5) Mix your box of no-sugar pectin with 1/4 cup of your sugar.
6) In a large pot, mix the crushed figs, pectin and sugar mixture, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup lemon juice, and cinnamon and bring to a boil.
7) Once the mixture is at a full boil, add the remaining 4 1/4 cups sugar.
8) Bring back to a rolling boil, boil hard for 1 minute.
9) Remove from heat, skim the foam off the the top of the jam.
10) Fill your hot jars with jam, leaving 1/4 inch headspace at the top. Place the lids and rings on top.
11) Process the jars in boiling water in your canner (covered 2 inches) for 5-10 minutes (5 minutes for small jars, longer for bigger jars).
12) Carefully remove from the canner and allow to cool undisturbed. The lids should seal (any unsealed jars can be refridgerated or placed back in the canner and reprocessed).

I love the sight of the pretty jars lined up on the counter. :) And my husband is a happy fig-jam-consuming man.

Printable Fig Jam Cheat Sheet

For detailed instructions and pictures, visit Pick Your Own's Tutorial.
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Link your Thursday adventures up below!!!

Try New Adventures Thursday {at a friend's!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:30:00 +0000

My sweet bloggy friend Malisa is hosting Try New Adventures Thursday this week! So hop on over to her blog to join in the fun.

Meanwhile, some of our best friends are coming to visit us with their three lovely daughters...so I'm cleaning house (oh, and painting a bookshelf, but that's a story for another Try New Adventures Thursday!).

A few of my adventures this week...

I canned fig jam from the figs grown in OUR FRONT YARD!

Had a Mom's morning out and did a little crafting...

Started Couch 2 5k...!

And made some from-scratch patriotic cupcakes for the 4th of July...

Skip on over to Malisa's blog to link up your Try New Adventures post! I look forward to reading them. :)

Goodbye PA School {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:00:00 +0000

This post almost didn't happen because I stayed up late watching a movie with my hubby.

Wait. Let's read that sentence again. I stayed up late watching a movie with my hubby! On a Wednesday night! He wasn't studying, he wasn't doing an overnight rotation, he wasn't out of town helping deliver someone's baby, he wasn't working on a presentation.

Because....he's done with Physician Assistant school!!!!!

And I am so. incredibly. proud. of him. And thankful for the grace of God in bringing us through the process with a whole marriage, taking care of us financially, blessing us with a second sweet son, and placing us in the middle of a huge, supportive group of friends in our new town.

And really...you might think I'm being dramatic about the movie watching, but I can count on less than 10 fingers the number of times we've done that together in the last 2 years!

Suddenly, it feels like we can breath. Certain things we truly love doing as a couple (reading books out loud together, having people in our home often, going on outdoor adventures, cooking together) have been put mostly on hold for the last two years. Now Andrew's pulling books off the shelf and sharing new ideas and I'm looking at him like "who-are-you-and-what-did-you-do-with-my-tired-husband-who-needs-to-study?" Did I mention that Andrew's parents are sending us on a cruise at the end of July? Someone pick me up off the floor.

Lots of people have told us that the 1st 1-2 years after PA school aren't a cakewalk, because the learning curve on the job is so steep. So I'm preparing for that in my heart. We don't know what our "new normal" is yet. But I'm excited for this next season in life!

I'm intensely thankful for my sweet husband. For his laid back personality during the rigors of a grueling master's degree program. For all the time he sacrificed study time to focus on our family. For his desire to glorify the God who has given us every breath and brain cell. I love my Andrew!

Here's to the next adventure!

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I'd love to hear about your own adventures, so link up your blog posts below. Link back to Alicia's Homemaking and try to leave some fun comments on other participant's posts. It's a good time all around...

Creating and Using A Homemaking Binder (+ a giveaway!)

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 03:56:00 +0000

One of my goals this year was to better utilize my household binder. I wanted it to be a tool that works well for me in our everyday routine. For the life of me I cannot seem to keep a coupon binder organized, and I felt like my homemaking binder was starting to fall under that same sounds-good-but-isn't-working category.

So this year the homemaking binder and I smoothed things out. I've actually been using it consistently all year long. Some weeks the binder falls by the wayside, but I come back to it because it's actually become a resource to me.

The nuts and bolts of my homemaking binder include:
-a daily docket (a comprehensive-but-concise daily to-do list/schedule)
-menu planning resources
-my cleaning schedule and checklists
-kid's medical information
-budget resources
-random lists (cause I love 'em)

The first page I see when I open up my homemaking binder is the daily docket. This is the page I use the most! It's like a glorified daily to-do list.The particular one I use was created by Ann Voskamp and has sections for things like: meals, chores, the most important things you want to accomplish that day, the memory verse you're working on, and the schedule for that day. Getting into the habit of using a daily sheet like this has really helped me focus in on the most important aspects of the day and not run around in circles.

In the first section of my binder I also have a monthly calendar. The calendar I use is a printable from ListPlanIt. This website is a list-maker's heaven! It has ready-made lists that you can print out and have handy forŚ a multitude of occasions. Many of them are perfect for a homemaking binder, as you'll see below. (P.S. Stay tuned for a chance to win a year membership to ListPlanIt at the end of this post!)

I use this calendar throughout the week and during the weekly planning meeting that my husband and I have each weekend. (Well...not every weekend...but that's our idea in theory)

The next section in my homemaking binder is devoted to menu planning. I have sheets for a weekly meal plan and grocery list, a freezer inventory list, and a list of our favorite meals to help jog my memory when I menu plan (each of these printables is from ListPlanIt). I've also included a few of my past month-long menu plans to give me ideas.

Next is everyone's favorite section...the cleaning schedule! *wink* I created my cleaning schedule using the Create Your Perfect Cleaning Schedule ebook, and I use a few printables from Money Saving Mom.

A few other things in my homemaking binder right now are:

Printables for recording details from the kid's doctor's visits (from ListPlanIt). These printables have proved SO useful, because I can simply remove them from the binder when I take the boys to the doctor, update them, and return them after the visit. It helps me keep things straight regarding vaccines, questions I have for the doctor, etc.
A sheet outlining our current cash budget.
An ongoing list of items we need to buy for the house.

You can include anything you want that's pertinent to how you run your house! I use the pockets in the front of my binder to place random paperwork that needs to be filed (so that it doesn't clutter the kitchen counter!).

Putting together a homemaking binder is simple. You'll need:
-A binder of your choice. I'm currently using a white, 1 inch, 3-ring binder with pockets inside both covers.
-Page protector sleeves.
-Organizing pages of your choice.

And now for the Giveaway!

If you would like to win a year-long membership to ListPlanIt with access to all of their incredibly useful and creative lists, leave a comment on this post with your email address included! I'd love to know if you currently use a homemaking binder.

For extra entries (leave a separate comment for each):

Let me know that you like ListPlanIt on facebook.
Follow ListPlanIt on Twitter.
Subscribe to Alicia's Homemaking via email or rss.
Let me know that you like Alicia's Homemaking on facebook.
Follow Alicia's Homemaking on Twitter.
Follow Alicia's Homemaking on Pinterest.

Linked to Works For Me Wednesday and Homemaking Link-Up.

Disclosure: I received a free membership to ListPlanIt to facilitate this review. All opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links.

Mini-Vacations {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:27:00 +0000

Boy, have road trips changed over the last 3 years.

Before: Hubby and I pack our two suitcases (+ one bag full of books) into our tiny, two-door Honda Civic and take off.

Now: Make a page-long, detailed packing list. This becomes your brain, because for the life of you you can't remember what to pack because there are too many interruptions during the packing process. Pack the stroller. Pack the Pack'N'Play. Pack snacks (you do not go anywhere without snacks!!!). Pack lots of changes of clothes, because body fluids happen. Pack it all into your mini-van (what, what!?). After everyone's loaded into the van, look back and marvel at what's been accomplished...and take a nap on the road! Oh, and make lots of stops for breastfeeding...and letting the toddler run around.

Back-of-the-van picnic lunch

Yes, road trips are a lot more work these days, but they can make for sweet family adventures. We hit the road last weekend so that my husband could be in a friend's wedding.

Honestly, the best part of the roadtrip was...the drive!! The boys did so well, and Andrew and I had hours of time to talk, think, read, listen to podcasts together. Precious time.

We stayed in a hotel for the 1st time as a family, which brought back all sorts of fun memories of family times growing up. Often, my parents would not have a ton of money for planning an extravagant vacation, so they would take us on "mini-vacations." On the spur of the moment, we would pack up (there were 8 of us!), drive to a town a couple of hours away, stay in a hotel, and enjoy time swimming in the pool, eating packed lunches, and having dinner out. As kids, we thought it was the greatest thing ever!

Brothers playing on the bed

So hanging out in our hotel room with our two little boys...swimming in the pool...eating the not-so-great continental breakfast...it all made me smile and suddenly feel very grown up. Now I'm the parent! Weird.

It was Edmund's 1st time swimming!

It wasn't all smooth-sailing (in case you were picturing this idyllic roadtrip!). The first night in the hotel we were up multiple times with the kiddos...the baby was teething and the toddler fell out of bed (and was awake for the next hour!). And keeping a 2 1/2 year old still for hours during the rehearsal, fancy rehearsal dinner, wedding, and sit-down reception was definitely a challenge that stressed me out a few times. Just so ya know. But we still had fun!

Do you take roadtrips as a family often? What are your best tips for helping it go smoothly?
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It's Thursday, so link up your adventurous post below!

Hello "Big Boy" Bed {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 12:51:00 +0000

There's too much growing up going on around here. Entirely too much.

Last weekend we moved Peter up to a "big boy bed"...something that we had put off for a long time due to lack of space.

We did not get off to a promising start. We purchased a used toddler bed off of craigslist, and Peter was against the idea from the start. "I not need big boy bed." Every time we tried to hype it up, he shook his head and seemed staunchly opposed. Great.

And kind of tough luck, because at 5 months Edmund is officially outgrowing the bassinet and needs to move up to the crib.

The first night, we made up his little (ahem....BIG) bed, complete with his first pillow. His dislike faded a bit as he realized how fun it was to be able to crawl into his bed on his own...and how bouncy the mattress was. He sat on the edge of the bed with Daddy to pray, and then we explained the "rules." Which basically boiled down to no getting out of bed.

And he did marvelously! We had to go in the room a few times to give reminders about not kicking the wall, but he never once tried to get out of bed (still hasn't).

And while he still looks at the crib wishfully every once in awhile, Peter's big bed is his new favorite spot. He sits on the bed to read. When I call out to him and ask what he's doing, sometimes he responds with "I'm on my bed, playin' wit my's cars!" And he's very eager to be involved with the new bed-making routine we have added to the morning.

There's something about watching Peter curled up in his bed playing that melts my heart.

But then again, he tends to have that effect on me in general. :) Two year olds! They demand to be squeezed.

Moms, at what age do you typically move your toddlers into a "big" bed (Peter is 2 1/2)? Was it a smooth transition?
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Link up your adventurous blog posts below...I look forward to reading them!

5 Months and On The Go {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 13:31:00 +0000

How did this:

Become this!?

These have been the fastest 5 months of my life (with the most kisses EVER squeezed in). I wish I could bottle up this boy's sweetness.

At 5 months, Edmund....

-still has blue eyes (what, what!?! I thought we would have all brown-eyed children, but the recessive gene came through. Two of my sisters and my grandmother have blue eyes)
-rolls both ways
-sits like a champ in the Bumbo
-loves the walker! He mostly goes backwards, but is getting tall enough to go forwards a bit
-sleeping wise, he takes 3 naps during the day. He typically goes to bed at 9 pm, has a dreamfeed at 10 pm, eats again at 4:30-5 am, and then goes back to sleep until 8 am.

AND, as of yesterday, he's figured out his own version of mobile by scooting on his back around the house. I instagrammed the below shot of him yesterday....he started on that mat in the living room, and ended up in the dining room. With impressive speed!

Watch out mama!

Have your kids been up to any new adventures lately? When did they get mobile or start crawling?

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You can link up your adventurous blog post below. Just link back to Alicia's Homemaking and try to leave a few fun comments on other people's posts!

Our Cloth Diapering System {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:00:00 +0000

I pulled the cloth diapers out of storage boxes a couple weeks ago. When Peter was tiny, I used cloth diapers, but then we moved to our small, washer/dryer-less apartment and changed the cloth out for Huggies and Pampers. Now that we have a washer and dryer again, I'm happy to switch back and not shell out money for disposables!!

Using cloth diapers will save us HUNDREDS of dollars a year! Who-hoo! Plus, they're cute.

Here's our new little cloth diapering system...

Right now I have a total of 18 diapers, and I do a load of diapers every other day.

The diapers I use:

One Size Fuzzi Bunz Cloth Diaper. This is my favorite! It fits trimly and is adjustable so that it can fit your child all the way through potty training (supposedly!). It has adjustable elastic around the legs and the waist. These diapers are super soft and fluffy, and I find that they dry easily (I put the inserts in the dryer and hang dry the cover). And I haven't had any leak problems.

FuzziBunz Cloth Diaper, Size Small. These also work very well. Mine seem to be leaking a little, however. I used these diapers with Peter and also loaned them to a friend for a period of time, so maybe they have some detergent residue. Fixable, I hope.

bumGenius One-Size Cloth Diaper. I use this diaper with a doubler (an small insert for extra absorbancy) on Edmund overnight. Since he's still pretty little (15 lbs), this diaper is bulky on him. But it works great at night! And once Edmund is bigger, the diaper won't be as massive on him, since it will be unsnapped to a larger setting.

bumGenius All-In-One Size Small. This is an "all in one" diaper...you don't have to worry about putting in an insert. It's just like a disposable, only washable. These diapers fit very well and aren't bulky. However, since the insert is sewn in, they don't dry as quickly as my other diapers. I actually prefer pocket diapers (all of the others are pocket diapers) for that reason. I bought these diapers when Peter was little, and I don't think BumGenius sells them anymore (they switched to all one-size diapers).

Next up, the wipes. I'm using cloth wipes for the 1st time, because it just seems to make sense. The used wipes and diaper can all go in the diaper pail together. For wipes, I'm using some Circo washcloths and a flannel baby blanket, cut up into squares. To moisten the wipes, I use a peribottle filled with water. Sometimes I add a few drops of baby soap and baby oil to the bottle, other times I don't. Works like a charm!

Since you can't use regular diaper rash cream when you're using cloth diapers, I've started using Angel Baby Bottom Balm whenever Edmund has the beginnings of a rash. It's safe for cloth diapers and can actually be used for a multitude of things...scrapes, bites, etc.

So, that's it! I also have a wet bag that goes in my baby bag to put dirty diapers in while we are out and about and a liner that goes in my diaper pail. The liner is great, because then I can dump the entire bag of dirty diapers into the wash (liner included!) and not have to touch any dirty diapers.

Yes, there is more laundry to do now. But that's honestly not a ton of work. I prefer doing the laundry over making multiple trips to the store to buy diapers!

What do you think? Have you cloth diapered your babies?

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It's Thursday, so link up your adventures below!!! You know how it works. :)

P.S. The diaper links in this post are amazon affiliate links. I used amazon to order most of my supplies, including the Ruby Moon Cloth Diaper Detergent that I use.

Single Mom For (Almost) a Month {Try New Adventures Thursday}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:20:00 +0000

From the moment my feet slide out of bed in the morning to the time when I tuck Edmund into bed after his late night feeding, I am going.

Between moving, a stomach bug, our car accident, a weekend trip to buy another vehicle, and having my husband out of town Sunday-Friday each week, this month has been intense...and I'm pretty pooped.

But I've gotten some time in with my boys. Often it's diaper-changing, ouchie-kissing, please-don't-bang-on-your-brother's-head, and mess-cleaning time--but it's time.

Lately we like to sing at the top of our lungs. Our current favorites (read: Peter's current favorites) are He's Got The Whole World In His Hands, Cebu (from Veggie Tales, sung with passion), and Let's Go Fly A Kite. Peter plays his beloved acoustic guitar and instructs me to play his toy electric guitar, which he calls a "spatula guitar" (?).

The amount of "things to do" on my plate has been overwhelming...and there's always housework. This week I decided to be more intentional about enlisting Peter's help with the chores. It's two for one: we spend time together and also get the cleaning done. It takes longer, but it's worth it. He loves to be involved.

Two other temporarily-single mom lessons I'm learning this month:

- Waking up early (even if it's only 30 minutes) makes all the difference in the world. Time to drink my coffee. To crack my Bible. To anticipate the day.

- We need to get outside at least once during the day.

And oh! If I know any single or military moms, I should take them dinner. I can think of at least 2 off the top of my head...:)

So thankful for my boys!! And for the fact that my sweet spouse comes home today.

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Here's to this week's adventures! Link yours up below. :)

New Gardening Potential {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 17 May 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Last year we grew our first-ever vegetable garden and had moderate success. It was all in containers, since we lived in an apartment. We got our feet wet and learned about things like aphids, blossom end rot, and weird zucchini fungi. Our bell peppers and herbs thrived the most.

Now that we've moved, I'm so excited that we can actually plant things in the ground or in raised beds!

Here's the front yard potential....

This huge bed is pretty much empty and ready for...something. It has a lone rose bush (yay!) and some random plants here and there. Come fall, I'm thinking of planting vegetables farther back towards the window (this area gets the best sun) and then flowers towards the front of the bed.

I already planted a few flowers (zinnias and marigolds) in another front yard bed, and some impatiens in the back yard, which is more shaded. I've never done flower gardening before (for any length of time with any measure of success), so I'm excited about this! I think I'm sort of between planting seasons, since full-blown scalding summer is right around the corner for us Floridians. So I'm not sure what to plant right now...need to do some research!

Do any of you grow flowers in Florida? Any advice for me?

The rose bush is a tall, scraggly affair that has given us one beautiful rose at a time since we moved in. This is rose #2 in her loveliness.

Which brings me around to the fact that I know nothing about rose gardening except that rose bushes have to be pruned.

The front of our house also boasts two large fig trees and four (four!) tangerine trees. Homemade fig newtons, anyone?

The tangerine trees seem to have a black mold and some white eggs (?) on the leaves. We've treated all the trees with neem oil once, but I need to figure out what else we should do to keep them healthy....because I'm SO excited at the prospect of a good citrus harvest in December!!!

I've planted some staple herbs (basil, oregano, rosemary) in a pot by the front door and they are already taking off. The herbs I planted last year grew like weeks and were such a lovely addition to many of our meals. I'm hoping to add an additional pot with thyme, parsley, and dill. I'll plant cilantro in the fall.

Another cool gardening thing? We have a compost barrel in the back yard!!!!

Who knew rotting vegetables could be so exciting, right?

Did you plant a garden this year? Flowers, vegetables...or both?
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It's Thursday--time to link up your new adventures! It's easy-peasy: Link up your blog post, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and then leave a few sweet comments on other participant's posts! You can also tweet your post or others with the hashtag #TryNewAdventures. I look forward to seeing what you've had up your sleeve. :)

Of Accidents, Celebrations, and Goals

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:20:00 +0000

An hour after hitting "publish" on my last blog post, I was driving down the road on the way to an appointment, the boys buckled into their carseats in the back.

Suddenly there was a silver car turning left in front of me....just feet in front of me! 1st second--I slam on the breaks. 2nd second--we collide. Metal on metal, the boys' shocked screaming in the backseat, then metal on metal again as the cars spin and hit each other a second time, coming to a stop.

We are stunned, the cars pressed together in the median. The other driver hugs the woman in her passenger seat, and we are all ok. I'm ok. The boys are ok.

It's the second accident I've experienced in the last 3 years where both cars were seriously damaged but not a single passenger was hurt. Not even a scratch.

I felt God's hand over us so tangibly that day. After the initial shock, I was calm, even cheerful. All I could think of was that my boys were ok. I held my lanky two year old on my hip...because I could. Edmund was peaceful in his carrier (Oh thank God for sturdy carseats!). The other driver tearfully hugged me, and we marveled that God wanted us to walk the earth another day.

Talk about a dose of perspective to start the weekend off!

And it was a lovely weekend....

On Friday, we packed Peter up to spend the day with our friends Chad and Diana...

...so that Andrew and I (and our tag-a-long Edmund) could spend the day celebrating our 5th anniversary!

We started the day off with a fabulous breakfast...

...which involved Eggs Benedict (be still my heart!).

Also known as the "how-to-gain-5-lbs-in-10-minutes" breakfast. See those grits? They don't look like much, but they were AH-MAZ-ING.

We soaked up each other's company for the rest of the day. Picked up some anniversary/mother's day flowers at The Fresh Market, took a nap, played with the baby, relaxed at a coffee shop, and enjoyed a scrumptious Cajun dinner at a downtown restaurant.

It is so sweet to look back on the past 5 years. In that time, my husband and I have moved 4 times, had 4 jobs between us, gone through a year-long military deployment, had two kids, and (almost!) finished a master's degree. My husband's character has been proven to me in the stressful times. In the nights of separation and the high-pressure school days, he has consistently put his Lord and his family first. He has loved me so well. I am in awe of how ingeniously God answers prayers and knew exactly what I needed in a husband.

On Saturday, we enjoyed a now-yearly tradition of picking blueberries at a local farm. The farm opens up to the public for free picking once a year, and we don't miss our chance! Peter thought it was the best thing ever, and was running up and down the blueberry rows saying "Oh! Dere's one! Oh! I need to eat moy boo-berries 'cause I's hunga-ly."

We picked 24 pounds of blueberries. They are huge and deliciously crisp and sweet.

I enjoyed some of them with my Mother's Day breakfast in bed the next morning...

All in all, we had some precious family time.

Now the new week is here, and I'm making weekly goals for the 1st time since we were out of town for a month/moving/sick! I would share a menu plan, but with my hubby gone it's comprised mostly of dishes like spaghetti, beans and rice, and PB&J (is PB&J a "dish?" Hahaha...).

Goals for this week:

Make a large batch of red sauce in the crockpot.
Work out x 2 (trying to be realistic, since Andrew's not around).
Memorize 1 Corinthians 1:25-31
Read 2 chapters of Killing Lincoln.
Go to bed by 10:15 pm each night, wake up by 6:30 am at the latest. This is my major goal this week!!!
Edit 10 photos from last week's photoshoot.
Write in both boy's memory books.

How was your weekend? Have you ever been in a scary car accident?

Linked to Money Saving Mom.

Attitude Adjustments {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 10 May 2012 12:22:00 +0000

At first I thought I'd tell you about my flower gardening escapades today. But lately, I have precious little blogging time, and I'd rather tell you a small bit of what's been on my heart.

My husband has an out-of-town rotation this month. For various reasons, the boys and I could not accompany him, so we're at home. Andrew comes home on the weekends. During the week, it's just me and the boys. We're almost two weeks into the rotation...and whew! What a ride.

The first Sunday Andrew left, I knew I was in for a challenge. We had just moved (translation: I couldn't find things, since half of our stuff was still in boxes). For the 1st time in a looooong time, I had broken out with eczema on my hands and it hurt to touch basically anything. Peter was sick with a case of the runs and he threw up all over the floor shortly before Andrew left.

Oh boy. Let's just say I was not very excited to see my husband drive away for the week.

A couple mornings in to that first arduous week, Peter woke up still sick and super whiny. He didn't want anything to eat and just kept asking to watch Elmo. I set him up to watch his favorite furry friend and sat down at the kitchen table with some very strong coffee. Between the two boys, I had been up 4 times during the night. It was only just breakfast-time, and it felt like the day was already spinning out of control (a slightly dramatic point of view...yes. But that's where I was at!).

I did not want to have a good attitude. I wanted to go back to bed and not change another poopy diaper. Heck, doesn't waking up 4 times in the middle of the night and not having any reinforcements qualify a momma for a bit of self-pity?!

I told God about it in an "Ok. Here's-the-day-and-how-am-I-going-to-get-through-it" manner.

Almost right away, He reminded me that He had given me the day exactly as it was. The sick little boy. The sleep-deprived brain function. The out-of-town husband. The body fluids.

And if this is what He had given me, then He would provide the get 'er done (with a good attitude) ability.

We know that, right? How many times have you heard that if God gives you something difficult, He will give you the strength to handle it?

But PJ-clad with unwashed face and Elmo too-cheerful in the background, it rooted in my heart. And my day changed from: me, bemoaning the loss of my preferred day, to God, showing me His greatness in the present situation.

That's not to say that I've had the perfect perspective ever since that moment. Last night I went to bed grumpy and wanting to cry after finally getting both boys to bed shortly before 10 pm. But I'm wanting to remember. This is what God has given me today. It's not a dire situation (and I can think of plenty worse), but it's too big for me to handle.

God, however, is gloriously strong to meet the challenge.
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This motherhood gig is schooling me, ya'll! Link up your adventures below. I look forward to reading about them. :) Don't forget to link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and it's always cool to leave some encouraging comments on other people's posts. Our twitter hashtag is #TryNewAdventures.

New House Tour {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:40:00 +0000

The last week and a half have been a doozy. In that time my husband and I have:

-Gone house-hunting for a new place to rent.
-Packed up our little apartment.
-Moved...and unpacked all but approximately 10 boxes.
-Found tenants for a home we rent out in a different town.
-Parted, as Andrew had to leave for some out-of-town schooling.
-Taken care of our sick 2 year old, who came down with a stomach bug that lasted 4 days (he's feeling better as of yesterday, thankfully!).
-Made plenty of pots of coffee.

But we did it! And I love, love, love our new home.

Here's a little peak. We're not all the way settled (of course)...nothing on the walls and still need to buy throw rugs and curtains...but it's a start!

This is the dining room and front door entryway, taken before we moved any furniture in. The dining room is still empty (except for a desk it's temporarily housing) because we don't have furniture for that room yet. In time. We're on the Dave Ramsey plan.

The living room. I'm really excited about having a mantel to decorate. Eventually we'll get a big rug for this room and a coffee table.

This is the breakfast nook! In the morning, the light floods in, and it's so cheerful. In our last apartment, we had absolutely NO direct sunlight, so this is such a welcome change.

The kitchen! It's not huge, but compared to my previous kitchen, it feels massive. And I love it! There's a dishwasher and a gas stove (first I've ever cooked on). There's even a pantry! Bliss.

Here's our bedroom. :) I love how there's room for both end tables to comfortably fit beside the bed.

Lastly, this is part of the boy's bedroom.

There are two other bedrooms, a laundry room, and a garage, which I haven't taken pictures of.

You should know...to take these pictures I had to move half-folded laundry from the couch to the bedroom (where I had already taken a picture). My house is not immaculately clean...just photographed strategically. :D

I feel SO tremendously blessed and thankful that we've found a new place to live. And can I just say...modern conveniences are UH-MAZ-ING. One of my favorite things is when the dishwasher and washer and dryer are all going at once. Such a lovely sound of productivity--when I'm not doing a thing!

What's your favorite thing about the home where you currently live?

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Ok, I've had a million adventures in the last week or so....what about you? Share your blog post below, link back to Alicia's Homemaking, and then leave a few encouraging comments on other people's posts! Our twitter hashtag is #TryNewAdventures.

Blast and Wretch (and technical difficulties)!

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 12:35:00 +0000

Today is moving day! I'm dying to give you a tour of our new place...but my Internet isn't working all of a sudden at our apartment. Boo!!! Our apartment is a mound of boxes and we're saying goodbye to the 700 square feet that we've called home for the last two years... More on this adventure when our Internet is working!

A Boy And His Papa {Try New Adventures Thursday!}

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:35:00 +0000

They've been pals ever since Peter was a tiny babe.

So what could be better than living for a month at Papa's house? Not much.

Yesterday they spent the whole morning together. Practicing how to use a hammer, driving in Papa's truck, pretending that a nut and a stick were a baseball and bat, using the shovel in the garden, watering the plants, dancing to the radio on the deck, singing songs...

They even played in the rain.

It's really sweet to watch my Dad being a grandfather. Anything done with Papa is an adventure!!

Speaking of adventures, we're home now and have a week to find a new place to live, to pack, and to move! Wish us success...:) I can't wait to show you our new place once we get settled in.

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Link up your Thursday adventure below! Don't forget to link back to Alicia's Homemaking and leave a few sweet comments on other people's posts.

Ooooops

noreply@blogger.com (Alicia) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:11:00 +0000

I forgot today was Thursday.

I remembered last night and told Andrew..."I haven't written a post for Try New Adventures Thursday!"

"You should take a break tomorrow" he replied.

And then this morning was a rush, I forgot that it was Thursday, I forgot to even tell you I was going to take a break until Malisa tweeted to ask me where the TNAT post was!

Ooops.

We'll have TNAT next week, ya'll! In the meantime, here are a few instagram shots of what we've been up to lately....

Hanging out with my little buddy. He's getting so much personality these days!

Flowers that my sister Michaela sent us for Easter! :)

Peter playing the guitar with Memaw. His favorite thing ever!

Edmund's newest onesie. Cracks me up.

Dinner at my sister's...Roasted chicken, bread, grapes, cheeses (brie, goat, and gouda), and white wine...perfection.

(If you're on Instagram, I'd love to connect with you there. My user name is AliciasHomemaking!)