here is a picture of marit and graham at the same age...even in the same sleeper. do you think they look similar?
Saturday, January 31, 2009
do they really look alike?
here is a picture of marit and graham at the same age...even in the same sleeper. do you think they look similar?
per request
here you go tara! it's super easy and one of our new favorites. and of course it's from real simple...
Rice Pilaf with Chorizo and Scallions
Real Simple
1 6- to 8-ounce box rice pilaf
4 ounces Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), sliced
4 scallions, chopped
Cook the rice pilaf according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, over medium-high heat, cook the chorizo until just browned, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir into the pilaf along with the scallions before serving.
Yield: Makes 4 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 309; FAT 15g (sat 5g); CHOLESTEROL 25mg; CARBOHYDRATE 33g; SODIUM 982mg; PROTEIN 11g; FIBER 1g; SUGAR 1g
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Product(s) Review: a couple edibles
1. Near East pasta and rice products
These practically instant rice and pasta are so yummy and healthy. Even marit likes the rice pilaf (and she is super picky). One of my favorite meals is rice pilaf with scallions and chorizo sausage
2. Publix brand crumbled goat cheese
I love goat cheese. It has a milder flavor than feta, but is still unique and is so yummy in almost anything. it's a very soft cheese and melts in your mouth. I burnt adam out on feta, so now we are on a goat cheese kick. Usually it is super expensive, but the publix brand is only~$3. love it!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
For Sale: Keen Briggs
We are selling these awesome shoes:
Keen Briggs
Men's size 11.5
army peat
normally $90 shoes, we are selling for $50
adam got them for Christmas and wore them 3 times and turns out they are too short for his monster feet.
i have the female version and love them.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Some Animal Sounds
Marit surprised us the other day with her elephant sound. Apparently she loves elephants.
marit and graham photo shoot
i tried so hard to get a picture of them both looking their best, but these are the results. marit is so wiggly!
lately:
*i took them both running today and graham was fussing as he was about to fall asleep and always fusses first (why do they do that anyway?). marit usually just yanks the pacifier in these moments, but today she reached up and held graham's hand and kept on chattering soothingly. so sweet and it actually helped!
*graham has started to laugh. i love it!
*marit "helped" me make cookies for the first time. they turned out a little odd because i was so distracted, but she had a blast!
*the moments of sheer delight make the gazillion more moments of mundane (there is joy in those moments too) all worth it. i love motherhood.
Ramblings on selfishness
i have been thinking a lot about selfishness lately and i started this blog to help me process some of my recurring thoughts, so here we go. i know it's not news to anyone that i am deeply selfish, nor is it probably surprising that you are too. however, it has been on my mind a lot lately because this second child is helping to drive it out of me. sometimes i think the new business that i have been experiencing with two little ones makes me cling to my time and my hobbies and my identity, making my complete and utter self-centeredness all the more obvious. i have always loved this beautiful portion of scripture from Isaiah 58:
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing finger; and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of the streets to dwell in.
in her wonderful book Let Me Be a Woman Elisabeth Elliot says this about these verses:
"Here, I think, lies the answer to...a life that might otherwise be selfish or lonely. It is the answer, I have found, to depression as well. You yourself will be given light in exchange for pouring yourself out for the hungry; you yourself will get guidance, the satisfaction of your longings, and strength when you "pour yourself out," when you make the satisfaction of somebody else's desire your own concern; you yourself will be a source of refreshment, a builder, a leader in healing and rest at a time when things around you seem to have crumbled."
"pouring yourself out" most certainly looks different in various seasons, but for me right now that looks like being a servant in my marriage. joyfully caring for my precious, but very dependent, wiggle worms. i'm not talking about mustering up within myself the ability to do good things for others and gritting my teeth against my selfishness. i'm talking about depending on my great Savior to continue to sanctify me as He enables me to not "grow weary in doing well." sure my sin is great, but Jesus is greater to continually change me from the inside out. as He works on my heart, my actions, words, thoughts change too.
i feel like i have the best husband ever and i tell him that, but he also bears the brunt of much of my selfishness working itself out. i wrongly accused him of something ridiculous recently and was deeply convicted the next day of my selfishness. he graciously forgave me as i wept a pathetic apology. all that to say, those closest to us see our selfishness most...for the marrieds, that's your spouse. in closing, mark driscoll talks about selfishness in marriage and relationships.
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing finger; and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the Lord will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach,
the restorer of the streets to dwell in.
in her wonderful book Let Me Be a Woman Elisabeth Elliot says this about these verses:
"Here, I think, lies the answer to...a life that might otherwise be selfish or lonely. It is the answer, I have found, to depression as well. You yourself will be given light in exchange for pouring yourself out for the hungry; you yourself will get guidance, the satisfaction of your longings, and strength when you "pour yourself out," when you make the satisfaction of somebody else's desire your own concern; you yourself will be a source of refreshment, a builder, a leader in healing and rest at a time when things around you seem to have crumbled."
"pouring yourself out" most certainly looks different in various seasons, but for me right now that looks like being a servant in my marriage. joyfully caring for my precious, but very dependent, wiggle worms. i'm not talking about mustering up within myself the ability to do good things for others and gritting my teeth against my selfishness. i'm talking about depending on my great Savior to continue to sanctify me as He enables me to not "grow weary in doing well." sure my sin is great, but Jesus is greater to continually change me from the inside out. as He works on my heart, my actions, words, thoughts change too.
i feel like i have the best husband ever and i tell him that, but he also bears the brunt of much of my selfishness working itself out. i wrongly accused him of something ridiculous recently and was deeply convicted the next day of my selfishness. he graciously forgave me as i wept a pathetic apology. all that to say, those closest to us see our selfishness most...for the marrieds, that's your spouse. in closing, mark driscoll talks about selfishness in marriage and relationships.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
shameless plug
tara and kevin already plugged this on their blog, but we don't have all the same readers and this is just a wonderful resource for anyone who is or will be married. mark driscoll on the song of solomon has been such an encouragement to us. the series is called the "peasant princess" and it is a thorough and honest look at the book with biblical instruction covering forgiveness, reconciliation, selfishness, sex, friendship, all kinds of stuff...many concepts are transferable to any relationship. check it out here.
there are lots of other really sound sermons here too and driscoll is an extremely engaging speaker. i listen on the ipod while i exercise and adam listens on his way to and from school, but some couples find it helpful to listen to or watch (there are videos or just audio downloads) together. enjoy!
there are lots of other really sound sermons here too and driscoll is an extremely engaging speaker. i listen on the ipod while i exercise and adam listens on his way to and from school, but some couples find it helpful to listen to or watch (there are videos or just audio downloads) together. enjoy!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
for your eyes and ears
this is my favorite music to listen to...over the rhine. one of my goals in life is to sing like karin berquist. she is particularly skilled at singing oohs and ahs (you know, no words) without it sounding cheesy. what's that called? i also like the fact that karin and linford are married and write a lot of love songs to each other...encourages me to think romantically about my own sweetie... enjoy...
Thursday, January 8, 2009
That we may be comforters
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 2 Cor 1:3-4
This verse has been our prayer as we have walked through various trials, particularly with Marit's hips. We figured that since we are in healthcare, we would be able to understand the pain of having a child or family member who is not well. However, today God answered that prayer very specifically. We went for Marit's x-ray and ortho appointment today and we were expecting bad news because until today she has not shown much improvement. We were expecting to be faced with the decision of surgery, which we are trying to avoid at all costs! After her x-ray, we waited in the waiting room full of pediatric ortho patients. I have never seen anyone else at the clinic with hip dysplasia until today (and we have been to a BUNCH of appointments there). There was a young mother with an adorable chubby 7 month old in a brace just like Marit's. Thinking I would distract myself until we knew what the x-ray showed, I sat near her and struck up a conversation with her. Originally from Jordan, they had recently moved from Florida to our city and had just found out their beautiful daughter had hip dysplasia. She had been in the brace for two days. Remembering how stressful, emotionally trying, and physically exhausting (they don't sleep well with a new brace for a few days) it was immediately after diagnosis, I was distracted from my own worry to offer this sweet mom some encouragement. we talked about what car-seats, high chairs, clothes, bouncy seats, sleep sacks etc work well with the brace. I was able to tell her that they adjust quickly and how resilient marit had been after just a few days. we exchanged numbers and were both called back to the exam rooms.
It turns out that Marit's hips have greatly improved! Praise God that they are now moving in the right direction and our diligence about brace-time has paid off. Dr B says that we have "turned a corner." She can now just wear the brace while sleeping (which she doesn't mind a bit)...what a blessing as we have until now been planning our days around brace-time...going on lots of walks and outings to distract her, since she really wants to run around all the time. Surgery wasn't even mentioned today as it most likely won't be necessary! Furthermore, Graham shows no signs of problems and will be x-rayed at 4months to be sure. We are thrilled and know that this is God's grace and mercy toward us.
After our appointment, I was able to call my new friend and offer her our specialty carseat that we purchased a while back because there was a time when Marit's legs stuck straight out to the side and she would not fit in a traditional carseat. It was $600 and sitting in our basement, but since Marit is unlikely to have surgery, we shouldn't need it again. My friend was so thankful and they came to get it right away. I think we will keep in touch and I am so thankful for this new relationship that has landed in my lap!
We are obviously so happy with the news we received today, but I must say that I feel even more encouraged that we were given the opportunity to be merciful as we have been shown so much mercy. Seriously, our hearts are overflowing with joy. Rejoice with us!
This verse has been our prayer as we have walked through various trials, particularly with Marit's hips. We figured that since we are in healthcare, we would be able to understand the pain of having a child or family member who is not well. However, today God answered that prayer very specifically. We went for Marit's x-ray and ortho appointment today and we were expecting bad news because until today she has not shown much improvement. We were expecting to be faced with the decision of surgery, which we are trying to avoid at all costs! After her x-ray, we waited in the waiting room full of pediatric ortho patients. I have never seen anyone else at the clinic with hip dysplasia until today (and we have been to a BUNCH of appointments there). There was a young mother with an adorable chubby 7 month old in a brace just like Marit's. Thinking I would distract myself until we knew what the x-ray showed, I sat near her and struck up a conversation with her. Originally from Jordan, they had recently moved from Florida to our city and had just found out their beautiful daughter had hip dysplasia. She had been in the brace for two days. Remembering how stressful, emotionally trying, and physically exhausting (they don't sleep well with a new brace for a few days) it was immediately after diagnosis, I was distracted from my own worry to offer this sweet mom some encouragement. we talked about what car-seats, high chairs, clothes, bouncy seats, sleep sacks etc work well with the brace. I was able to tell her that they adjust quickly and how resilient marit had been after just a few days. we exchanged numbers and were both called back to the exam rooms.
It turns out that Marit's hips have greatly improved! Praise God that they are now moving in the right direction and our diligence about brace-time has paid off. Dr B says that we have "turned a corner." She can now just wear the brace while sleeping (which she doesn't mind a bit)...what a blessing as we have until now been planning our days around brace-time...going on lots of walks and outings to distract her, since she really wants to run around all the time. Surgery wasn't even mentioned today as it most likely won't be necessary! Furthermore, Graham shows no signs of problems and will be x-rayed at 4months to be sure. We are thrilled and know that this is God's grace and mercy toward us.
After our appointment, I was able to call my new friend and offer her our specialty carseat that we purchased a while back because there was a time when Marit's legs stuck straight out to the side and she would not fit in a traditional carseat. It was $600 and sitting in our basement, but since Marit is unlikely to have surgery, we shouldn't need it again. My friend was so thankful and they came to get it right away. I think we will keep in touch and I am so thankful for this new relationship that has landed in my lap!
We are obviously so happy with the news we received today, but I must say that I feel even more encouraged that we were given the opportunity to be merciful as we have been shown so much mercy. Seriously, our hearts are overflowing with joy. Rejoice with us!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
looming
Who rises up for me against the wicked?
who stands up for me against evildoers?
If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the
land of silence.
When I thought, "My foot slips."
your steadfast love, O Lord, held
me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul....
But the Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.
Psalm 94:16-19, 22
It has been six months since Marit's last hip appointment that was so discouraging. she has now been treated for her hip dysplasia for 14 months, wearing the pavlik harness for 4 months 24-7, the hewson or craig splint for
the last 10 months for 18-20hrs/day. this experience has shaped us as parents. marit will surely never remember this time, but we will. and we will remember it as a refining time. we have finally come the point where we can say that we trust God to do good for us and for sweet marit, whether it be by healing her or by allowing her to endure pain for the rest of her life. we know that God loves her more than we ever could. thursday is an x-ray and her orthopedist appointment. graham is also being checked just due to the fact that his sister has dysplasia. worst case scenario (at least in our feeble human minds): graham has hip dysplasia, marit has worsened and needs surgery. best case scenario: graham has no signs of the condition, marit has improved enough to stop wearing the brace. we are bracing (pun intended) ourselves for this appointment and we get nervous whenever we think of it. however, our trust in God's sovereignty has deepened this time around to hopefully allow us to respond well to whatever news we are given. please pray for God's grace to go with us on thursday and for us to trust deeply so that we might not be shaken.
who stands up for me against evildoers?
If the Lord had not been my help,
my soul would soon have lived in the
land of silence.
When I thought, "My foot slips."
your steadfast love, O Lord, held
me up.
When the cares of my heart are many,
your consolations cheer my soul....
But the Lord has become my stronghold,
and my God the rock of my refuge.
Psalm 94:16-19, 22
It has been six months since Marit's last hip appointment that was so discouraging. she has now been treated for her hip dysplasia for 14 months, wearing the pavlik harness for 4 months 24-7, the hewson or craig splint for
the last 10 months for 18-20hrs/day. this experience has shaped us as parents. marit will surely never remember this time, but we will. and we will remember it as a refining time. we have finally come the point where we can say that we trust God to do good for us and for sweet marit, whether it be by healing her or by allowing her to endure pain for the rest of her life. we know that God loves her more than we ever could. thursday is an x-ray and her orthopedist appointment. graham is also being checked just due to the fact that his sister has dysplasia. worst case scenario (at least in our feeble human minds): graham has hip dysplasia, marit has worsened and needs surgery. best case scenario: graham has no signs of the condition, marit has improved enough to stop wearing the brace. we are bracing (pun intended) ourselves for this appointment and we get nervous whenever we think of it. however, our trust in God's sovereignty has deepened this time around to hopefully allow us to respond well to whatever news we are given. please pray for God's grace to go with us on thursday and for us to trust deeply so that we might not be shaken.
Monday, January 5, 2009
what do you think?
i'm breastfeeding graham about 8-9 times a day and i have a lot of currently and formerly lactating friends...what do you think about this? it seems a bit ridiculous to me...sure breastfeeding is not obscene, but why insist on posting pictures of it?
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/breastfeeding-facebook-photos/
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/breastfeeding-facebook-photos/
Christmas at Edisto
We traveled to the beach for Christmas with my side of the family. We spent 5 nights and days resting, conversing, walking on the beach, biking, eating, snuggling. we even did some dancing (!) and recorded a couple songs with abe's mixer. a wonderful time was had by all. adam just went back to school today hence the blogging hiatus over the last couple weeks. we had a wonderful break from the regular schedule and made an effort to be really engaged with each other for most of our waking hours. we have had some wonderful talks. enjoy the pictures of the beach!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)