State Side

Tiger's house

2011-11-11T09:43:00.000-08:00

My girls have a few special (imaginary) friends. It used to be one tiger, but then my eldest learned that tigers die.... so they started procreating... now there are anywhere from 2-14 tigers in our house on any given day.

Since we're all living in the small living room of our house, while the upstairs gets a face lift, there really isn't room enough for 14 tigers. Some time ago they moved into our water heater room, a great arrangement, except when the girls went to visit they would come out with some lost treasure (mostly stuff that got shoved in there by yours truly). Was.not.working.out!

Anyways...

the tiger's house needed some work so one day the girls and i decided to help them out. Us, having opposable thumbs and all... and the tigers (who, at first were very put out) are now happier than ever.

Before:

this is actually before we moved in
so it doesn't have all the crap that it did have a couple days ago.

After:

and do you see that little zebra print stroller peeking out?
Yeah, I made that... well the cover anyways. More on that later.

What does it Mean?

2011-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

JesUSAves

I used to really hate these shirts, like despise them. If you know me, you know that I'm a strong believer that Jesus and America are not interchangeable. I have no love for God and Country, I love God and people.

But then I realized that this little... whatever it is... word? saying? Made absolutely no since to me. So... What does it mean?

Jesus saves Americans?
Americans love Jesus?
Christians love America?

USA saves Jesus?

Jes USA ves...?

Is it something that you're just supposed to wear to the 4th fireworks so that people know that you're Christian, but not a terrorist? Is it klingon? I just don't know...

A whole new kind of art.

2011-09-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing evidence of fall all over these parts. I have to admit I am NOT ready, I love summer. My parents gave me a tree for my birthday, though, a maple. It makes my heart happy. Seriously, I've never had a tree that turns anything but brown before the leaves fall to the ground. It's making the transition into winter almost exciting.

I looked outside this morning and thought "all of that beauty is just falling to the ground I want to save some of it". (dramatic? Yes! but true) That led me to a hole new world of art. The girls and I collected a few leaves and flattened them in a book... soon, very soon, we'll be pulling them to try out some yummy fall art.

Smile...

2011-09-14T07:45:00.000-07:00

"where are your teeth?"

Under Construction

2011-09-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

The last few months we've done a lot of holding of babies, and hammers. As mentioned earlier we moved into our house only three days before the babe was born. we've been been doing a lot of renovating... this house had been stuck in the 70s for way too long. Walls coming up, walls coming down... paneling coming down, drywall going up... carpet coming out, wood floors going in. Still a lot of work before winter hits, but we're making progress.

Flip-flop Love

2011-09-12T06:05:00.000-07:00

Made these cute little flip-flops a couple days ago for The Mar. They're made of a tiny bit of left over fabric from a shirt, some shelf liner and a bit of bicycle inter tubing... because that's the way I like to do things.

I'm considering writing a tutorial on how to make these little cuties, if there's enough interest out there. Drop me a little line if you think this is something you'd like to make, and I'll see what I can do.

Dakai Namaste

2011-09-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

Born June 26th

Weighing 8lbs 6oz, and 21inches long

Welcome to the world little man!

Weren't you pregnant? Cont... #2

2011-09-10T06:05:00.000-07:00

My mom is called to come on over, it must be getting close now *crossing fingers* Wonderful, awesome, amazing midwife, Susanne Scott and her assistant show up after labor has gotten intense again, even with the help of the tub I'm ready for this to be over and to hold my little one. I figure it can't be long now and I'm done.... really, all I want to do is sleep.

It's morning, maybe 7:00-ish? The sun is up and there are beautiful rainbows bouncing all over the walls, and even on my skin. *This is something really cool about our new house... the sky lights cast rainbows around the living room all morning.* The sun helps a little for some reason, I feel a bit of renewed strength and determination. This is the day my little love will be born!

I'm being encouraged to move around a little, maybe get out of the water... what?!?! I do stand up for a second, but that's as far as I get... no, the water is were I belong, it's saving my sanity. I end up trying a few different laboring positions, but since it seems I'm having crazy back labor again, leaning forward is the most comfortable position by far. I labor a bit more, the midwife checks me, I'm at 9cm she gives me some homeopathic something or other to reduce the swelling and a bit of honey for energy and I'm ready to rock-n-roll.

One push....

-Born sunny side up, in the caul, all natural, purple as all get out, in the water is my beautiful, over cooked, baby boy!!!

What an awesome way to enter the world!

Weren't you pregnant? Cont...

2011-09-09T06:05:00.000-07:00

I woke Danny up around midnight I think... grunting, "hey you, come and do your effin part... love of my life". Apparently he got the message... cause he was a-freaking-mazing! With a little guidance from his sister *amazing birth partner, sister* he was providing counter pressure, helping me into the shower, and comforting me perfectly. Seriously, people, he was awesome!

And then... everything stopped being amazing. Contractions were coming back to back and my mind and body were taking bets on who would go first... not cool anymore! not fun anymore! and who's dumb idea was it to give birth in a house that we'd only lived in for three days? (I'm actually not sure that I thought about the house at all, but looking at those pictures sure makes me wonder aloud, now... more adventure anyone...?)

More people showed up... Michelle's (Danny's sister) husband, Neal (he was officially coming to take Michelle home since she had been puking her guts out... yeah, she's hard core) and the lovely Katie B. Was this before or after I started loosing my mind... no idea. Does any one remember? Was I foaming at the mouth?

So now we have 5 people in our living room where we are living out of boxes and half the outlets don't work... what the freak was I thinking? Doesn't matter now, go with it...

Enter AQUA-DURAL (lovingly nicknamed by my midwife)... the birthing tub. I climbed over the side in between contractions and actually started to giggle. Nothing had felt this good in all of my life (well, that's what I was thinking at the time... I've taken a bath since and It was no big whoop). I could not help but smile, it felt so good! "*giggle**giggle* I AM A GODDESS *snort**giggle**giggle*", even had Michelle fanning me so I didn't get over warm. I really was a goddess, and treated like one, too.

Does this look like active labor to you?

To Be Continued...

Weren't you pregnant?

2011-09-07T23:11:00.000-07:00

Better late than never??? There are about 15 reasons why I'm only now writing about #3's birth. They're all pretty dumb and uninteresting, so I'll just get on with it, enjoy...

A week late and we all kind of decided that this little one needed to get a move on... so, after moving (yeah, that's right, we're crazy enough to move into a new house the same week that I'm due with baby #3... we don't want to be at risk of living a dull life) and cleaning, and watching girlies all day with mild, regular, contractions... we decided to hand over the girls to my parents for the night and take a nice walk down to the local dinner joint of choice.

We walked (I waddled) a mile or so to the restaurant, ate *we'll I ate* both mine and husband's meal, all of it... every last bite. When I was done with my double meal danny rolled me back home. I then ate a huge helping of cornbread that he had made for himself (since he didn't get dinner), and then made myself a coke float.... yummm.

After ALL of that food I got super sleepy... apparently watching me eat made everybody pretty tired, so we all headed off to bed (I should note that Danny's sister was here helping us move... and... is an amazing dula... perfect!!! Unfortunately she was also super sick... boo!). We all slept for a few hours, I woke up around 10 labored for a bit on the birth ball, digested all of that food, and waited.

to be continued...

Water Color

2011-06-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

There's a first time for everything... this was my first (since childhood) water color. I don't pretend to know anything about it, and I know it's probably not the most impressive piece ever but it was a bit of a family effort -all of the trees are actually our (dan, the girls, and my) fingerprints- so it feels pretty special. A gift for my mother for her birthday... it was fun little project.

Oh yes, and any tips on how to water color for real would be lovely :o), I'd love to do another water color project in the future...

Square Peg

2011-03-25T10:06:00.000-07:00

Last night I did something that I love... watch the University of Arizona ~~beat~~ kill Duke in the sweet 16. While doing so, though, I realized that sports do not seem to fit with the rest of me. now more and more things (that don't quite fit in) are entering my brain. I'll share a couple just for fun...

1.) Sports fanatic- I love sports, and I'm not talking about jousting and gymnastics. No, I love the popular money making sports. In high school I kept stats for Football, Basketball, Wrestling, and Baseball (well technically that baseball was before HS). Those were pretty much all of the sports offered in our little school and I was pretty excited that nobody else was interested in "book keeping" in exchange for a free pass to all of this sporting goodness.

Why it doesn't fit : I hate meaningless things like sports that we lift on a pedestal and give a whole bunch of money to. I have absolutely no interest in ever attending another college class because you basically pay a lot of money to get a little piece of paper that says you know how to jump through hoops. I want, in no way, to support this. I hate that our society takes kids right out of school and sends them into debt because that's what they think they have to do. But I CAN NOT tear my eyes aways from a good UofA game... or even a bad one. I love, love, love it!

2.) Medical testing- I would love to have my family tested for allergies, and if I could afford to do an A1C every three months you know I would, and if any other kind of broad spectrum test was offered I would hop aboard. Its not because i'm a hypochondriac... in fact I rarely think anything is a big deal until somebody stops breathing or there is blood squirting out of something. I just want to know... I'm curious, very curious!

Why this doesn't fit: I hate Dr. offices, and hospitals, and needles. I don't care for new aged medicine and the money making business of legal drugs. I don't like that good heath care is only for the rich in America. And most of all I hate that people think they need to be fixed. If they are sad they go to the Dr. and get Anti depressants (for the record I do know that some of you struggle with depression, and that's not what I'm talking about), if they have a cold they go to the Dr. and get antibiotics, if they drink too much coffee and can't go to sleep they get sleeping pills. I haven't gotten any of these tests (*update: that was a total lie... a friend of mine bought me a home A1C test... very cool gift!) and probably never will... but if I ever find a home test for allergies I'm totally going to buy it.

3.) Science Fiction- Star Trek, Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, Ender's Game... There aren't even words to describe how happy these make me.

Why this doesn't fit: Filled with war, artificial life, and fake food, they are a far cry from everything I value or want in this world. I am a hippie (kind of) after all... does it seem to fit to you?

What, if anything, do you do/like that doesn't seem to fit with the rest of your personality?

Thoughts?

2011-03-22T12:57:00.000-07:00

while reading I came across this quote:

"In His dealings with us as His children, God does nothing like reaching down and spanking us each time we disobey. Sin has natural consequences, but God bears them with us, redeems them, and works in the secret places of our hearts transforming our beliefs and understanding about Him. Greater obedience results. His graciousness is not permissive, but it is very patient—training yet not demanding." - That Mom

[photo by Danny]

*Sorry that I've been MIA... I'm now 27 weeks along with Harmon #3 and sick as ever (seems that I have re-entered the first trimester puking). I'm hoping to find some energy somewhere and let you all know the thoughts that have been floating around in my head all these months. Honestly, though, it just feels overwhelming. At night I mentally write blog posts when I can't sleep... they're really good, trust me, sorry that they never actually make it this far.*

Winter Finally Hit

2011-02-21T23:49:00.000-08:00

From This:

To This:

In a Week.

60 degree weather and then BAM, snow. It finally stopped falling after around 3 feet. It's turned to winter all right....

And a Baby Makes Three...

2011-01-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Three little Harmon kids, that is.

And many more sweet moments to come!

First original Sati joke

2010-11-29T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sati: "Knock-knock"
Me: "Who's there"
Sati: "Marleigh"
Me: "Marleigh, who?"
Sati: "Marleigh Karai"
Me: "Marleigh Karai, who?"
Sati: "Marleigh's Karai'n in the kitchen"

not bad for a 3 year old.

Parenting...

2010-11-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

Parenting has been on my mind for the last few months. I wonder if we're doing it right, if we're inflicting some kind of damage to our kids, if you can over train a child till their will breaks and they loose their spirt, and uniqueness in the process. I wonder if our girls are truly happy and care free. Or if they should be. Is it more important to teach them to obey without question, or to learn how to reason and inquire? Is it more important to love on them or be consistent in discipline? Should they be allowed to argue their side or should they do first and ask why later?

My current parenting philosophy lies somewhere between To Train up a Child and Why not train a Child. As you can see these Ideas are pretty conflicting.

-Overall I would say I don't agree with the Pearls'. They have some great thoughts... for example: The Church (as in Churches, not the actual body of believers) is for the sick. Go in, do your ministry, and get your kids out. I know for a fact that many children have been abused in church, so I see that as sound advise. As far as some of their discipline tactics, though, they seem borderline torturous. They also talk about parenting as the most important role which I don't think you can support biblically. -I really haven't read much by them, though, so feel free to comment your thoughts.

-The other side. *sigh* I really like the idea of parenting gently. The idea of guiding with words and not punishment. I love the idea of it, but I'm unsure about the application. I know that people have argued that well behaved kids shouldn't be our goal (we should be "Teaching kids how to think, no merely what to think"...quote from Hippie Housewife), but good behavior does have it's place, doesn't it, shouldn't there be some type of consequence to trowing a fit over not being able to have candy in the store? - for those of you practicing this type of parenting please help me out!

I'm at a loss and I see many great parents that parent many different ways. I just want to do what God would have us to do, but there is so little instruction in the bible that I find myself totally, and utterly confused. Not only that, but, it's not like I can stop parenting until I figure it out, right?

*praying*

How do you parent?

Why We Don't....

2010-11-08T11:13:00.000-08:00

Note: This is an attempt to let you in on our beliefs regarding the celebration of Christmas and why they are. My hope is only to explain myself in a way that would be fully informative and respectful. It is not, in any way a judgment on your traditions, beliefs, or practices.

Biblically: I'm unaware of any instance in the Bible were Jesus's Birth was celebrated on a specific day. There is little doubt that December 25th has nothing to do with the timeline of Jesus's actual birth. It would seem from the bible that during the time of Jesus's birth the weather was warm and dry because the shepherds were still out in the field with their sheep (probably sometime in September). So why is December 25th so special?

Traditionally: There are many pagan holidays that were/are celebrated during this time of year. Most of them having to do with the sun starting to come back to life after the solstice (the days beginning to get longer). In fact many of the traditions that Christian families practice during their celebrations came from these earlier pagan celebrations. Including:

Gifting of presents
Gluttonous eating and drinking
Lighting candles
Kissing under mistletoe
Bringing cut trees indoors
Caroling -though at the time they were obviously different tunes having nothing to do with the Christ child.

Socially: This holiday seems to put exclamation marks between the "haves" and the "have-nots". While the children in Africa get a little shoebox of trinkets our children are opening hundreds of dollars worth of stuff that will probably break in a few hours/weeks/months. Not to mention those kids working 12-18 hours a day for next to nothing (and often times in abuse-full situations) to make all of the stuff that is bought.

Environmentally: Every year I see hundreds of beautiful trees leave our area to live in somebody's house for a month and then get taken to a landfill. Houses are lit up as much as possible skyrocketing energy consumption. Tons of new toys, clothes, and shoes are made causing more environmental pollution and waste. And anyone can see the overflowing trash bins the week following a Christmas celebration.

So what do we celebrate? We celebrate Jesus's birth, life, and sacrificial death. We celebrate the anticipation of his return. We celebrate the changing seasons of the year and of our lives. We celebrate growing older and the love that Jesus has brought to us through friends, family, and community.

Mostly we celebrate with our everyday lives. When we do celebrate with food and gifts (or treats and one of my good friends calls them) we try our best to make sure they are environmentally friendly, socially conscious, and typically home made.

Baby Signs

2010-07-12T18:41:00.000-07:00

I've noticed a bit of a movement goin on amongst our youngest. Babies are SIGNING! This is really exciting, finally, some deaf awareness going on (or thats what I would think). You know, something that can benefit everyone. People learning sign language is a great step towards welcoming the deaf into our culture, and...our precious ones are learning to communicate with us earlier than they would if we waited on those vocal cords to fully develop. Everybody wins, right?

Well, not exactly... I've seen a really sad development in this sort of education. We're dumbing down the language (and there for sending a very strong, and hurtful message to the deaf). In order to try and make it more "palatable" for the little ones, we're teaching wrong signs.

If a child says "baba" instead of "bottle" we don't usually correct them, but we also don't just start teaching them "baba" because we think it will be too hard for them to say "bottle". We model the right word and eventually they get it. I would never expect my children to sign everything right all the time, but just because they can't do the perfect "more" sign doesn't mean that they don't understand it and it also doesn't mean that they'll never be able to sign it right.

Some might say that it's not about the deaf, they just want to communicate with their baby. Sometimes you're just trying to raise your family. I so understand that! The thing is, Sign language belongs to the deaf culture, just as English belongs to our culture. And in the same way that we would not like it if some one was purposing teaching wrong English to their child, the deaf are hurt by the fact that we, as a whole, don't value them enough to teach our children their real language.

I, do know, some of you are really wanting to teach your children accurate signs, but don't know the language yourself. Good news! I have a great resource (http://www.signsforintelligence.com) for you, and the whole program is taught by a deaf woman, so not only will you be doing something great for your baby (and yourself), you will also be supporting the deaf community. Now that truly is a win, win

Hiking, Camping, & Sailing... oh my!

2010-07-09T15:53:00.001-07:00

Hiking

went on a 7 mile hike 1/2 was straight uphill (seriously, with steps and all.... could barely walk for the next few days) with Dan and the girlies. They loved all the water!

[photo by Danny]

And this little girl hiked for almost 2 miles of it... all up hill! Dude, I'm so impressed.

Camping

[photo by Danny]

Haven't been sense we started procreating (minus the one time some weeks ago in Mexico, but I'm not sure it counts because they had showers and a water park)... so glad it's back in our lives. My favorite thing to do is watch those girls covered in soot, sap, bug bites, and scratches enjoy themselves, just as I did as a youngling, in the great outdoors. This is the part of child raising that I had dreamed of all of my adult life... this is what I have longed to give my children. I'm so happy that it was a success! Sati even cried when we left and said as we arrived at our front door, "I don't want to go in my house". Oh what I've give to really be able to raise them outside all year long.

Sailing

We were a little nervous about taking our camera aboard so this is the only picture that we got of the boat. I wasn't sure what I would think. We've been planning to buy a boat and live life traveling around the World, loving on people as we go, for some time now. But would you believe it, this was our first time to actually go sailing. It wasn't a big boat but it totally solidified our desire to leave the green and jump into the blue... it was so amazing!!!

[photo by Danny]

{I have no idea why there is that huge gap between the title and the rest of the post, too tired to mess with it anymore tonight... hope you're still able to enjoy}

Nagging Wife / Leaking Faucet

2010-07-02T05:24:00.000-07:00

W.I.P. Wednesday

2010-06-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

of Birds and Babies

It's baby season around here again. So I've been creating with a lot of little ones on the mind. The two most recent projects are bird inspired. This one has been on the brain for awhile. I first saw it in November somewhere (I tried to find it again but I think it's been discontinued) and was totally smitten with the idea of a natural kind of bird mobile. I, then, dutifully forgot about it until recently, while blog hopping, I found a this pattern. To be honest I would like to adjust the pattern a bit... but they're still stinking cute!

The second project that I've been working on is a diaper bag made of cord and recycled plastic (I'll post more details after it's all sewn together). This project has been a WIP for months. I'm really liking how it's turning out, but I'm at the place that I hate... sewing the liner to the outside. This part has been frustrating on every bag that I've made. Any tips?

Summer Feet

2010-06-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Long Days

2010-06-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Long days filled with hiking, ice cream making, swinging, running around half naked (at least for the littles), picking wild flowers, long summer naps, late nights, star gazing, sun soaking, water playing, pizza grilling, thrift storing, and creating are hard to beat. We had a wonderful and simple solstice celebration (sadly without the camera) and a nice short summer slumber and are now starting it all again today. How did you spend the longest day of the year?

{photo by Danny}

W.I.P. Wednesday

2010-06-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Man Bag

For my guy, who's always on the go, a sling-it-over-your-shoulder-and-go kind of bag. So far it's carried everything from the lap-top to sliding gloves. The goal was to make it small enough that he can take it anywhere, be it, in the car or on the long board... but large enough to fit the computer and its gear. It has no zippers, no real buckles (just a few optional snaps for security), and only a couple pockets. I wanted it to be very simple and versatile... successes! The burlap coffee bag ended up being just the right choice for the outside, having a great casual and unique look to it... and you can't forget about the *durability*, excellent for this active stud that I am so in love with. He told me a couple weeks ago, "I really like my new bag, it's perfect". "Perfect?!" that man sure knows how to make my day!

Fun Finds Friday

2010-06-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Five Finger Shoes

These may be my favorite shoes ever. It took awhile to convince myself to get them... but now there is no going back. Vibram knew what they're doing with these puppies!

Seeing Beauty

2010-06-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

Appreciating where we are in life.

W.I.P. Wednesday

2010-06-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

"Wedding Dresses"

Finally, I'm back. I actually have a lot of WIPs to share, but I'm going to save most of them for next week. This week I want to dedicate to one of my favorite recent projects (though, to be fair, I say that about almost all of my projects). I made both girls flower girl dresses for my father-in-law's wedding. Sati likes to refer to hers as her wedding dress... I love it.

When the girls were asked to be in the wedding I was thinking that they were going to want some specific dress that would end up costing a lot and would, in all likelihood, never be warn again. But as it turns out the only requests they had were that the dresses be white and they come barefoot (I'm currently dreaming of being barefoot on that beach again). How perfect is white for a beach wedding? And to have a whole flock of kids, 10 in all, show up in beautiful white get ups I couldn't resist making a project out of it.

I didn't have a pattern with either of the girls dresses and they took longer than I anticipated (doesn't that always happen?). The tops are crocheted using a shell stitch in front and a single crochet in back. With Sati's I used a slightly larger hook (because she's bigger and I was running out of time). The skirts are made with a linen over and a muslin liner. When I got them all stitched together I decided that they could use just a little something to brake up all that white. That's were the sea shells come in. I love how that added just the right amount of casual beachiness to our sandcastle princesses.

Here's a few pictures from the wedding:

{W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesday is a fun and stress-free opportunity for you to share whatever your crafty little self is working on with the rest of the blogging community. You are invited to showcase a project you’re beginning, working on, or maybe even finished with. There is no skill or talent-level requirement and you can share anything in any medium! ~ Musings from the Fish Bowl}

Spring?

2010-05-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken last april by my husband... I had the same view yesterday when I woke up. Will summer ever come?

May Haze

2010-05-26T14:38:00.001-07:00

These last weeks have been spent in the company of truly lovely people, some of the very best friends any one can have. My socks were blessed right off my feet, and I now feel I have the stamina to continue down this long and winding road, called life.

We left the house, the bunny, and the seedlings (in the very capable hands of my parents) three weeks ago to go spend some time getting reacquainted with those we love in and around Ensenada, BC, MX. Oh how we love it there. I nearly stayed (or that's what I'd like to tell myself), but after two weeks with our dear friends we broke down our preverbal tent and headed up to Ventura, CA, US to help celebrate with my father-in-law and is beautiful (and oh so amazing) new bride as they promised their lives to each other. Oh what a glorious trip!

In all that excitement and relaxation I let the blog slip by the waist-side (and other things as well). I have a few finished and unfinished WIPs that need to be photographed and shared and some new finds that I'm sure you'll all love, but that's for another day. Right now I'll just give you a glimpse of our May.

"Camping" (at a water park) with the Pfingstons.

The baby turned 1... can you believe it?

Our special treat from Dan and Lonnie's scuba trip... yes, I'm completely spoiled!

Beautiful Mexico

Happy couple

The Groom and his Grand-girls

No Handlebars

2010-04-07T10:05:00.000-07:00

Now that lent is over we're back to watching videos again. This happens to be my daughter's favorite. So jealous of this guys signing skills. Enjoy!

YouTube - Flobots - Handlebars (ASL)

Adventures in Chaos

2010-04-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

This little one is now signing like crazy. Does it seem crazy to anyone else that my 10 month old is asking me to turn on the music?

Little Toes

2010-03-19T11:29:00.001-07:00

W.I.P. Wednesday

2010-03-17T12:54:00.000-07:00

Progress

Over the coarse of a couple "nap times" I started making all that material into something. It's still a work in progress, and it's going to have to stay that way for a little while (even though we're rapidly approaching warm weather) because I have more pressing WIPs to finish. Danny's birthday is tomorrow and I'm still making his present (just thought of what to make earlier in the week, nothing like last minute), and a good friend of mine just had a baby that is in need of a new diaper bag. I will be posting pictures of the finished products in the weeks to come (hopefully). Until then I need your help in deciding something:

Should I make this little coat reversible?

Looking Into Boats

2010-03-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Babe

2010-03-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

W.I.P. Wednesday

2010-03-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

A Coat for Sati

Admittedly it doesn't look like much yet. I started it a few weeks ago and so far all I've done is cut it out. Isn't this material awesome? Found it at a thrift store. I patterned it (kind of) after a 2T jacket that she already has. The only thing I'm really missing in order to finish it is the buttons (which I'm planning to make out of a recycled christmas tree). Hopefully the finished product will be up here shortly!

{W.I.P. (Work In Progress) Wednesday is a fun and stress-free opportunity for you to share whatever your crafty little self is working on with the rest of the blogging community. You are invited to showcase a project you’re beginning, working on, or maybe even finished with. There is no skill or talent-level requirement and you can share anything in any medium! ~ Musings from the Fish Bowl}

come join in the fun!

Beginning in Health

2010-03-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

First Hand Raw Milk

Obiously we all know where milk comes from... but to see it first hand... well that's a new one for me. I've always half joked with Danny about buying me a cow for our back yard because I drink so much milk (and the little ones are so stinking cute!), but now I REALLY WANT ONE. We even got to taste some of the milk while it was warm. I've never, ever had raw milk before (I know right?). It surprised me a little. It tasted, well, ummm, salty (?) is that normal? I really liked it, though, and they gave us a couple gallons to bring home... mmm the cream in our coffee was to die for.

-Did I mention I want a cow?

Fun Finds Friday

2010-02-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

Praying in Color

A new (to me) way to talk to God. I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but I've always found it hard and a bit boring to pray. I know, I should (and really I do) want to spend hours talking to My Savior. It's just that every time I sat down to have a long conversation with The Lord I would end up falling asleep, or at the very least, loose interest and start day dreaming.

We were staying with some family and I saw that the lady of the house was sitting in the front room by herself coloring... I asked what she was working on. She said "I'm Praying in Color, have you heard of it? I think you would like it." and handed me a book.

I had no idea that there were other ways to pray than with your head bent, eyes closed, and hands together... So I borrowed the book! I took it home and read it cover to cover, and to tell you the truth didn't know what I thought. The basic idea is to draw your prayer. for example: writing the names of people you are praying for and drawing/coloring around that name while praying for them... but it's not just about praying for people, it works with just about anything that's on your heart. There were a few concepts that scared me a little, like praying without language (sounded a lot like meditation, and that word reminds me of some new age religion), but then I started to think about people that don't have a language (such as some of the deaf kids that used to come to us at the ranch, 12 years old and no language) ... and I do truly believe that they still have the ability to pray... so I let God out of this little box that I had put him in and here's what I learned:

There's more than one way to pray.
Hanging out with God (even not talking) can be amazing!
"Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly"
God like's to work outside of the box (he's a creative God).

Start praying in color, or something equally as "outside of the box" and tell me what you think!

Afternoon Adventures

2010-02-25T18:05:00.001-08:00

New Places

2010-02-25T13:03:00.001-08:00

The last few days have been spent in the comfort of some one else's home. We've been house sitting for the couple Danny works for. Our days have mostly been spent stoking the fire, playing (with these cool trucks ->), coming up with creative meals (in an awesome kitchen complete with a vitamix), and jumping in the hot tub whenever possible. The life of luxury!

There are just two little obstacles:

1.) Dogs, Within seconds of arriving the dogs chewed up one of Sati's shoes and one of our beloved cloth diapers! Yeah, I was annoyed... Does that mean I'm not an animal person?

2.) This is a house of proud hunters so there are animals hanging all over the walls (don't get me wrong, hunting's not a bad thing, Danny hunts as well). Sati is scared to death, with good reason, of the deer hanging next to her bed at night and has been crying herself to sleep, poor thing!

Plastic's Back

2010-02-22T09:48:00.000-08:00

Actually, plastic is here to stay. And, in all honesty, it does have it's place. Using plastic for safety in car seats and bicycle helmets has probably saved a ton of lives and livelihoods. And where would we be in the medical field without it?

Plastic bags, however, do not. Filling our day to day world with thin plastic bags is not only terrible for landfills, the environment, and hard to recycle, but it's quite a safety hazard for children. Reusable bags are such an amazing alternative, even if they do initially stress the environment a bit with the production process. The canvas bags are heavier duty, have the potential to look really cool, aren't any kind of safety hazard to your family, and they're made to be reused! So, problem solved, right?

But what about the plastic bags that are already here? Lets put on our creative hats and repurpose them! We started using old plastic grocery bags as trash can liners (admittedly not the best way to use them, but a step in the right direction). We then started wondering if we could really reuse them in a sustainable way.... so we looked into it on the, oh so amazing, internet and found that people had been wanting to do the same things as we did. We saw some amazing things: bags, wallets, belts, earrings, broaches, and even a quilt made with plastic bags.

We took this idea and ran with it... the most recent adventure for plastic in our home was as soles for Sati's new shoes! Oh, the wonders of discarded plastic bags.

::Note: We use our reusable bags for shopping purposes, and only take plastic bags that have already been used and discarded by somebody else. We like to see plastic bags being fazed out of stores and are only trying to find creative, sustainable ways to use what is already here. WE DO NOT SUGGEST USING MORE PLASTIC (you know, like double bagging in target) IN ORDER TO CREATE THESE WORKS OF ART. But we would love to see what you come up with (ask your neighbors for their used plastic bags, or even raid the "to be recycled" bags at your local grocer)::

Fun Finds Friday

2010-02-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

Chai Tea with Coconut Palm Sugar

The newest addition... (hopefully regular addition) to State Side. "Fun Finds Friday" is all about things that I've recently discovered and LOVE! I'm guessing that most of these posts will be food related... cause, um, yeah, there is just so much good food out there.

My sister-in-law was taught by and Indian woman how to make real chai tea. She shared the recipe with me, I adjusted it a bit, and I've been addicted sense. It's amazing, really!

Ready to use dry chi spice:

1 TBLS cinnamon stick (I use more)
1 TBLS ground ginger (I usually use a heaping scoop)
1 TBLS pepper cornes (I use more)
1 TBLS cardamom
1 TBLS coriander
1 TBLS cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg (optional)

put all ingredients in a coffee grinder and grind it to a powder. Put it in a jar and wait for a cold day to fix up a nice cup'a tea.

For a single serving fill mug half water and half milk (I tend to use more water and less milk). Then put one black tea bag and a spoonful (you'll have to adjust amount to your tastes) of spices in and warm in the microwave on medium DO NOT BOIL never, ever let it boil... add a spoonful of sugar (*very important ingredient because the sweetness is what brings out the flavor and makes it spicy... otherwise it's just tea*) and enjoy!

For a large batch (my favorite way) fill pan with half milk half water (again, I tend to use more water and less milk). Put in one tea bag per person. pour spices (to taste) on top and heat on the stove top on med-low till hot. DO NOT BOIL.... (I've burned my tea way too many times... terrible, terrible waste)! Add sugar to individual cups and serve.

Wait, there's more. Like I said, I'm totally addicted to the stuff and started thinking that I was eating way too much sugar. I wondered if there was a good alternative out there (most artificial sweeteners make me feel like crud). Just then... I won a giveaway on a friend's blog! ~ Thanks Mare!

Coconut palm Sugar ~ This stuff ROCKS! it's low on the glycemic index, and has a wonderful nutty smell and taste that is a perfect complement to the Chai..... yummmm! It's also socially conscious, and environmentally friendly, so it's really guilt free all the way around. I can't wait to try it in ice cream and just about everything else.

A Renewed Look at Life

2010-02-17T10:04:00.001-08:00

Our family is using this season of lent to focus on turning the way we live into something that has purpose (living in a way that truly honers God, others, and ourselves) and also something that we love, really, really love. This means many things need to be converted!

I will try to capture some of these exciting little changes and rejuvenate this tired, over-neglected blog with stories of life being grabbed by the horns. My hope is that you will be encouraged to do the things you love and be who you want to be.

Say hello to the new us!

::This picture was taken yesterday right before we got into the rafts and headed down the river for the first time this year. I'm anticipating much more of this in the near future (before the river dwindles down for the summer months)::

What do you want your life to look like? Have you been making that happen?

Updated (recent photos that bring a smile to my face)

2010-02-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

the family up at Johnsville ski lodge.

living up the rays at the beach in Ventura

little Porter Lohn (my brother's baby) and his puppy dog

Sickies

2010-01-05T15:23:00.000-08:00

We went down south to meet the new family to be (my father in law is tying the knot) just after Christmas, and had a great time with all of the cousins and a lovely time on the beach (is there any other kind?). It was a short trip that involved a lot of driving, however, so it took it's toll on us. On top of that, both of the girls caught a stomach bug in the middle of it all and have been sick ever sense. That means that we are still only partly unpacked and the house is in major need of a maid.

It's really sad when you have sick little kidlings, but I do nothing to prevent it. I'm planning to put both girls in public school when the time comes so I'm letting their immune systems get strong now while they aren't missing out on anything from those lame cold symptoms. As a child I was sick ALL THE TIME and on antibiotics/medications way too much. I want a different future for my children! So when some one is sick I still let my kids hang around and suck on their fingers and whatnot (I know, I'm a sick freak... we let them chew on shoes, too). We also try not to medicate... teas and lots of cinnamon, garlic, and gender are our weapons of choice. So far so good, we've yet to go to the dr. office for anything other than shots.

Sati was in bed the other night drifting in and out of continuousness. I wanted to know how she was doing so I asked her in a round about way...

"Is mono [her monkey] sick?"

"yeah"

"did he puke today?"

"yeah"

"does his belly hurt?"

"yeah"

"does he need some water?"

"yeah"

"does mono feel hot?"

"yeah"

"poor mono"

"yeah"

"does mono need besos (kisses)?"

"no, mono's sick of besos"

So maybe kisses aren't the best medicine for my little bug.

What is your philosophy about sickness and germs?

... and medicating?

Gone Going

2009-12-08T10:34:00.000-08:00

Danny has been off working (too much in my opinion). So it's just been us three girls at home day after day hour after hour.

I knew I was missing him, but I didn't think about how much the girls were, until yesterday. Sati asks me...

"Hey, Mama... member Papa, Mama?!"

God vs Science

2009-12-07T10:29:00.000-08:00

Does it have to be one or the other?

I was reading a blog recently where a woman was talking about her homeschooling and the fact that she doesn't teach the subject of science to her children because it is the subject of the devil (or something like that) and would confuse them into unbelief. I was shocked mildly taken aback. I have known for years that christians and scientists seem to be on opposite sides. I know that many christians scoff at the idea of global warming and scientists roll their eyes at the creation story. Still I assumed even the biggest sceptic believed some theories of science (like that there are other planets and solar systems out there). In the same way I have always believed that even the scientist most apposed to christianity still believed there were certain truths in the world (such as murder being wrong and choice being right).

First of all let me just say that I do have an issue with the idea that we all just happened to accidently form from a mud puddle (it seems way more far fetched than the idea of design to me). And I'm not 100% into the whole global warming/cooling issue not for lack of proof, however... but the simple idea that climate changes are normal i.e. the ice age (this doesn't mean that I don't think taking care of God's creation isn't something that we should always be conscious of). I do know, however, that science helps prove christianity over and over again (and you could probably say the same of the opposite).

To me, discrediting science for fear that it might disprove Christianity is like turning your brain off -something that i don't believe in any way we were called to do- . Why would you even want to follow a God that didn't want to be found in the very thing that he created. I believe that he wants to be found and that he has proven himself over and over again, even in the science realm (no matter how much they want to deny it).

YouTube - Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (Super Trailer)

looks like science has just as hard of a time of questioning their beliefs as christians do.

Thoughts...

2009-12-02T17:09:00.000-08:00

I have way too much going on in my head right now so I'll just leave you with this, a nice hot cup a' chai tea... enjoy!

In other news, I plan to be back posting all my obnoxious ideas real soon.

House Hunting...

2009-09-09T15:02:00.000-07:00

We've been looking for a new place to rent sense January. I thought we would be somewhere by now because there are a zillion houses out there for rent. We've tried several times to get something. Every time the person seems to not want to rent to us (maybe because of the dreads... but one of the guys didn't even meet us). It's kind of annoying and our house is starting to feel like it's closing in on us. My projects are taking over the house and I really have no room to work on anything. Like I said... it's just annoying. We're not looking for anything fancy, or huge... just something that's set up a little better for our needs.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .

We just found he PERFECT house to rent, here in Portola. It has everything that we want....... but it's a lot little more than we can afford.

Just a few reasons I love it...

I really feel that it would be a big step in getting our products out there, because we would have the room to make and store them (away from our little, grabby, dirty handed children).
It has a large back yard, with a garden and a covered patio, that feels very private and open.
WOOD STOVE: an item on our "must have" list (or at least our "want, really, really, want" list).... yep, has it!
It also has a kitchen that is open to the dinning and living room with, get this, counters... I know, right? I would kill for counters.
and because the floor plan is so open it would be awesome, AWESOME for game nights!

It's a much nicer house than we would ever need, but it's right by friends and would make it much easier to be a one car family. I know the owners, and some one has talked to them for us about the possibility of us renting it, but I have no idea how willing/able they are to come down on the price.

Oh, and did I mention, it's a block from the park?

*sigh* We shall see...

The Order of Things

2009-08-31T11:51:00.000-07:00

Danny's mom is having to evacuate her house because of the fire in Auburn. He said that all is fin,e because the wind is blowing the fire away from her house. Good news! Later Danny and I were talking about it, though, and he said he had to evacuate once when he was a kid. I asked him if it was really cool and exciting (cause thats what I would have thought it would be). He said, "no, I was scared to death..." and then, "but my mom was totally freaking out, so it probably came from that."

There was a line in "Saving Private Ryan" that went something like, If you're going to complain you complain up (in rank). This make sense... there really is no point in complaining down, it's just not beneficial. If there is no one higher, however, you share your thoughts, concerns, and complaints, in the wrong direction, to the wrong person. In the case of Danny's mom, she shared it with her kids.

I remember my childhood being supper secure and comfortable. I always felt safe. I don't think it came from knowing that my parents loved me, although they did and I knew they did. I think it came from knowing they loved each other. I remember that before my dad would go to work each day he would kiss my mom goodbye, and my parents would hold hands when we would drive in the car. It was more than even that, though. The way that they would talk to each other... it was soothing.

So after saying all of that, it shouldn't surprise you to know that I try not to put my kids first, and I don't think that raising them is the most important job that I have. While I do talk about them an awful lot, and spend more time with them than any one else, I almost try and think of it as a day job (although I am tempted to consume myself with them)... or maybe a career. I do this for 20ish years and then retire. Sure I go back and visit and maybe even work part time every now and again, but for the most part I'm retired.

I'm their mother and I love them dearly, but they only have a temporary place in my home. My husband is permanent, my girls are only mine (really mine) until they are 18. Danny is the love of my life and by loving him I am loving my kids. By loving Danny (and being close enough to trust him with my worries, concerns, and thoughts) I am giving my children the comfort, security, safety that they need.

Safety First

2009-08-23T02:04:00.001-07:00

Dude!!!

YouTube - Francis Chan - Balance Beam

The Bigger Picture

2009-08-22T19:18:00.000-07:00

In response to Colette's latest post :o) Enjoy

YouTube - Shane Claiborne - Fundamentalism

Not okaying sin, but inviting sinners to come to the Lord... loving people as people. Ministering to them where they are, not where we want them to be. Showing them that they have a place in God's kingdom. That they aren't a mistake, and that they can still experience love.

Warning: this may be uncomfortable!

God's not American

2009-08-19T14:52:00.000-07:00

We really want to put a bumper sticker on our car that reads "God is Not American". My Dad thinks we'll get shot. He's probably right (the bullet might even come from somebody at our church)... American Christians seem to think that this is God's chosen nation. You know the part of the bible that talks about the Israelites and the Americans... haha.

When I bring up the fact that I have an issue with Patriotism most of my friends are shocked. They say, "Well, yes, America has walked away from God. But it started out as a Godly nation, laid out with the 10 commandments (more or less) as our governing system. So there for we support American and bringing America back to God." What I say to that is... check your facts. America was in no way founded as a Theocracy. Our "Godly" forefathers were not Christians and many of them were running from something (the law). These were not good, ethical, or bible following people. Even if our nation was "the chosen nation" and was God fearing, do you think it would be biblical to pledge our allegiance to it?

I think patriotism breeds indifference (at the very least) towards other people groups. In fact, there is a man from our church (who I respect as a Godly Christian) who said out right, " I don't care about [such and such a country] I'm American". OK, so the context of the conversation was having to do with gas prices and how much other countries have to pay for fuel in comparison. But I really think, regardless of the subject, that this is the way that the majority of the American Christian church feels. How sad is that? Basically we're saying screw the rest of the world we're the only ones that really matter.

I think my husband also makes a good point when he said "Patriotism is one of the foremost avenues for racism." If we think we are better than others, or more deserving than others, than how are we any different than the Pharisees?

A good friend of mine has some very good questions for the American church (and many other thought provoking ideas) on her blog... I strongly recommend checking it out.

You Did What?

2009-08-19T10:12:00.000-07:00

First we name our kid Marleigh (yes, like Bob Marley) and then we make her a little stoned stuffed animal. Does it sound to you like we might get hell for this when she can voice her own opinion about the tortures of her youth? -- Of coarse, that's why we're doing it now and not later... hehe.

What can I say, except that my heart beats to reggae music. Hope yours does, too, someday my little Marleigh. Until then, enjoy your little rastapus.

Money bags

2009-08-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and myself consider ourselves to be thrifty (more like dirt cheap) when it comes to spending paychecks. We do most of our shopping at second hand stores and make most of our products out of used or discarded material. The true minimalists... and then a friend pointed out that I do have a $400 stroller (quite a large price tag for such a cheap couple). That got me thinking...

We totally do spend a lot on some things. The things that we consider important, I guess you could say (although we have plenty of amazing thrift store finds that we use, and love, daily). I thought it would be fun to list those big ticket items.

So, in order of expense...

-Our two cars... We've never had a car payment... love that

-Our Camera... OMGoodness it took us a loooooong time to talk ourselves into it! But we don't regret it...

-Our Dryer... so that we could stack it on the front load washer that we have and make a little more room in our oh so tiny laundry room (not fun to hang clothes out in the snow either).

-The Love Sac... First perchance of our marriage (best buy ever).

-Danny's RC heli... One crazy expensive hobby.

-Our Refrigerator... Got it used for under $200.

Really, that's it (other than like our rent, heating and insurance... that's totally outrageous). There are a couple things that we got for $100, but for the most part this is a complete list. I would have put the "BOB" revolution stroller on here too, but my parents bought that for us as a baby gift.

where do you spend your money?

Baby Wearing

2009-08-11T22:05:00.000-07:00

first of all I want to say that I'm not against baby wearing and have been known to carry a babe around in a sling / mai tei (and have some awesome baby carriers, too) on many occasions. It's really awesome to be able to go for a hike with your hands free, or for a walk without the stroller.

Now... the problem I see with the overuse of baby wearing...

It promotes dependance on, you, the parent for their comfort and happiness.
It is confining (doesn't allow for the exploration of their large motor skills).
It can cause separation anxiety (they're scared to be by themselves).
It can totally mess up sleep/ eat patterns... and that always makes life hard.
It can encourage a false sense of bonding. Just because you have your baby strapped to you does not mean that you are spending quality time with them.

We are not marsupials...

Thoughts?

Wiped Out

2009-07-24T12:12:00.000-07:00

Radio Silent

2009-07-07T22:54:00.000-07:00

Over here at the Harmon house we have been BUSY for the last few weeks! Here's a taste of what's been going on sense the last post.

I finished my dad's father's day present (left). A self standing screen with birch trees painted on it. It's made from the old fence at my parent's house that my dad and brother are now redoing (thrifty and meaningful... how cool is that?!) It took about a week, but with some perfect finishing touches from Danny it was done just in time to give it to him before our trip.

The day before we left I made a birthday present for one of my sister in laws (totally forgot to take a picture).

I'm scared to death of Sati loosing her monkey so just before we left (like hours) I decided that Mono needed a safe place to ride around on our trip. So I made a sling for his mama. She LOVES it, and I think Mono is happy, too.

.... and then it was finally time to head off to family camp in the redwoods for a week (here's a picture of all the kids... minus marleigh). We had a BLAST but are glad to be back home catching up on sleep

While You Were Sleeping...

2009-06-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

This is what I was doing at 2:00 in the morning. I guess I'm just missing all of that sleep depravity now that Marleigh sleeps a good 7-8 hours a night...

Yes, I think it was worth the lack of sleep. Sometimes you need to feel like you're not just a mommy... art helps!

Time Out

2009-06-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

One month, already... really?

The Right Way

2009-06-12T21:39:00.000-07:00

Normally, I would say use whatever means necessary to accomplish the goal, in other words do it any way you want as long as it gets done. But around the house I'm a bit of a nazi, I feel like there is a right way to do things, and Danny thinks so too... Unfortunately we have somewhat different views on what the "right way" is.

From how the dishes fit in the dishwasher, to the laundry, to picking up around the house, we just step on each other's toes, start getting irritated and redo what the other one has already started. Luckily this only happens when we're trying to work together, so it doesn't happen all that much (typically only when we're having company... the perfect time to start a fight).

We both have type B personalities so I wouldn't think this would be a problem, but I'd almost rather go into labor than cook or clean with my favorite person on earth.

~Is something wrong with me?

Coffee Please!

2009-06-11T15:23:00.000-07:00

"I want coffee"

"Ummmm... ok you can try a little."

*slurp*

"So, what do you think. Does it taste yummy or yucky?"

"It tastes aweful!"

..........................

"I want some more."

This was my little sweetheart at 12:30am....

needless to say I've learned my lesson!

Best Friends

2009-06-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

Sati and "Mono" have been attached at the hip sense the beginning. It was partly our fault because we had him sleep with her and he always got to go along with us on car rides (several to Mexico). He's her best buddy, they're great friends. She really LOVES him!!!

I don't mind that she is so attached because that means she's not that kind of attached to us. She can go places with other people and as long as she has her mono she's fine. This does present one major problem though... what happens if we loose him? Well we found a replacement monkey, but he's just not the same. He's made by the same company and all, but he has different eyes and he's not warn out like her mono.

anyways... the real reason for my post...

On the first car ride that we took with both kids Sati looked at Marleigh in horror... "Where's her Mono???" We realized that this was a problem and have been looking for a friend for Marleigh ever sense.

We found the perfect buddy for our new little girl, but I guess they don't make them anymore because I have checked up and down the internet and only found the small one (we want the bigger one) and you have to order it from Australia... Dude!

So if, in your travels, you see this little guy will you pick one up for us (actually two)? His name is Octavius and he's made by Russ... Thanks!

Number Two

2009-06-09T21:46:00.000-07:00

Marleigh's crying (screaming) in bed...

I come in to see what's up.

What do I find?

She's turned herself completely over and woken herself up (for the third time this week).

Is that even possible at 3 weeks?

Dropping Names

2009-06-08T17:02:00.000-07:00

I lived in Mexico, at a deaf boarding school for two years, right out of High School. It was one of the hardest and most rewarding things I have ever done. I think it has made me into the parent I am today... and also shaped my character tremendously. The "Ranch" taught me a lot about myself and what I like and dislike. All of those things just seemed magnified at the Ranch for some reason. One thing that I came to really dislike in my time there was name dropping.

The director of the ranch is a very "cool" guy. He's always in with the latest trends... including (in the short time that I was there) Converse shoes, Livestrong bracelets, and XM radio. (and to be completely honest I had all of these as well, but not multiples of each.) He also loves the idea of fame. We had a few different famous people come to the ranch and it was always a BIG DEAL to the director and most of the staff. Danny and I always joked that we did more for these people of fame than we would have done of Jesus himself (it is slightly overstated, but has truth to it).

After I left the Ranch they made a movie about the "Ranch Story" (which really is a pretty great story of how the ranch came to be). Many of the staff and kids from the ranch were on the movie... and I've heard some of them refer to themselves as Movie Stars (as one of my friends pointed out "everybody believes in their own fame.")... and I guess they are, to some extent. I've heard that people follow the director around (when he goes to share the movie at different state side churches) and get his autograph and what not.

Obviously it's not just the director and staff there, at the ranch, that like to tell of the different famous people that they've met. On facebook I have friends that did "15 random facts about me" and almost all of them wrote in one or two famous people that they either went to the same school as, or bumped into them at the mall or something.

I just don't get it... what's so attractive about fame?

Sorry there is no picture, but I don't have any pictures of famous people (surprise, surprise).

Picture This

2009-06-07T21:58:00.001-07:00

My latest creative adventure...

Baby blues...

2009-06-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

I'm back and forth with feelings like...

"I wish it could all just stay like this!" -to- "will it never end?!?"

They say this is normal, and even title it "the baby blues". Like it's some kind of crazy chemical reaction that happens when you have a baby or something. Maybe it is, but I think it's more like "I haven't slept in weeks, there are two little ones screaming at the top of their longs, their dad's working late (again), I haven't had adult conversation in what seems like weeks, the house is thrashed (again), and I feel like I'm doing everything all by myself, blues." I don't think I need drugs... although it might be nice. It just seems to me that there is a perfectly good explanation for how I'm feeling (with or without the *crazy* hormones).

Not to say I don't love being at home with my girls, really, I do love it! There is just a couple times a day when I feel completely overwhelmed. Anybody else feel like that?

Life

2009-06-03T23:44:00.000-07:00

~ a refection of the last 20 days with two little girls...

Sati has become deathly afraid of eggs causing her to not want to get in the bath tub (I know it's odd, but she is my daughter).
People don't critique your parenting skills nearly as much the second time around...
Marleigh looked just like her big sister when she was born but is now taking on her own look (and she might have some of her mother in there... about time).
I LOVE baby schedules, Marleigh is doing great, Sati sleeps right through the one time a night when Marleigh gets up to eat... and I'm catching up on my Zzzzz.
I think Danny has slept more sense the baby was born than he did before... Dude!
I'm loving being a mom of two, and I feel so blessed that God gave us girls!
Sometimes I just want to talk to an adult.
Sati says all kinds of things that we had no idea she knew. Today she was watering my plants and ran out of water in her bucket. handing me the bucket she says "filler up"... what? where did she get that?
"little sister" is already getting big. I'm feeling sad about it, it seems too fast.
I'm healing so much faster than I did after Sati and I feel wonderful! So glad it's over!!
Sati has become MUCH more attached to her Mono.
I thank the Lord multiple times a day (or should) that I get to stay home and take care of my family.
I'm actually enjoying nursing this time around, but can still identify with a cow (and I hate the way I smell because of it... tmi?).
I'm ready for the weekend!

My Girls

2009-06-03T13:50:00.000-07:00

The Story...

2009-05-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

...of how our little Marleigh came into this world. This is for all of you that are detail oriented (but don't worry I wont get too graphic).

As most of you know I started having contractions about 5 weeks before my due date (so I thought we were going to have an early bird) and they continued off and on until the 14th of May when they changed from being really annoying and uncomfortable to painful.

It was around 6:00 pm that I realized that this might be it. My parents came and got Sati at 9:00 ish. Danny and I waited around and played cards for a few more hours just to make sure that it was "real" (because we almost went several other times and then the contractions stopped... really annoying).

We got to the hospital around 11:00, they checked me and then sent me out walking for an hour to see if I could get things moving. We came back and the nurse told us that she spoke to the Dr. and she said that they would check my progress in the morning and if I hadn't progressed they would send me home. (This was a bit disheartening because the hospital is an hour away from our home.) She turned out the light so that we could get some sleep if we wanted to.

And then I started having really intense timely contractions (while Danny was asleep on the pull out bed... haha) and decided to go for a little walk and then take a bath. This is also when I started throwing up, and didn't stop until little Marleigh was born. Danny woke up at around 5:00 am (I think) and they checked me again I was at 7cm (and so excited because I never got that far naturally when I was having Sati). The pain was hard, but manageable... and the labor was progressing wonderfully... yea!!!

At 7:00 they checked me and I was at 9cm... "dude piece of cake I'll have this baby within the hour!"... and then something changed. She flipped and was now sunny side up, hello back labor. The progress that I had been so proud of was now slipping away I was back at a 7cm and couldn't handle the pain.

Somewhere around 11:00am I got an epidural and my whole world changed... haha. I could breath and talk again. I wasn't totally numb and could still move my legs, but the pain was gone. It was great! Then my blood pressure dropped something crazy and I turned white so they put me on oxygen and gave me a shot of something that made me feel much better.

12:30 a slough of nurses rushed in slapped an oxygen mask on me and raced around like crazy... the baby's heart rate had dropped dramatically. They quickly found that she had totaly dropped and I was at a 9 again (a good thing). Just then my water burst and I was ready to push... one problem, I couldn't. The epidural had made it impossible for me to feel what was going on. So they turned it off.

Most, if not all, the feeling came back and finally at around 2:15 they asked me to give a "practice" push. The baby almost came right then... they ran and got the Dr. (we took a quick poll of what sex the baby was going to be... everyone in the room said "boy") and then in two pushes I had another BEAUTIFUL baby girl!!!!

Marleigh Karai Harmon

2009-05-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Our new baby GIRL!! was born May 15th (on her due date) at 2:33pm after 20 hours of labor. She is beautiful and looks a lot like her big sister. Weighing in at 7 lbs and 14 oz and measuring 20 inches long, she's not quite the chunk that Sati was. She's a good eater and sleeper (praise the Lord), and we are enjoying every second of being a family of 4.

More info to come after I catch up on some sleep :o)

Could it be?

2009-04-16T11:38:00.000-07:00

Is spring finally here? I sure hope so (my allergies think so)!! This is the first flower I've seen and it's only about an inch tall... still my hopes are high.

Of coarse, it snowed a couple days ago, but I just took a look at the forecast and I see 70 degree weather in our future. Is that exciting or what?

Anybody have fun plans for spring / summer this year? I think it'll just be nice to go outside without having to put on 15 layers... bring on the heat!

What's With the Egg?

2009-04-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Easter is an event that is just too amazing to wrap my mind around. While I do feel that I could give my life for another person (maybe I'm morbid in that way). I really can't imagine taking their blame and letting it separate me from God (even if only for a min.). That is just too much of a sacrifice. Yet, that's what Jesus did for me... and he was closer to God than any one of us has ever been... I can't even imagine the pain of that separation. He sacrificed EVERYTHING so that I could live forever in glory. And what happened next???? Even more exciting... HE CAME BACK TO LIFE... dude! Like I said, I can't seem to wrap my mind around it.

So, with that being said, you will understand why I'm a bit annoyed. The American church has just added pagan festivities to their own. With sermons on "what the egg means to the Christian" and Easter egg hunts in the Church, how are we separating ourselves from every one else? How are we communicating the truly amazing gift that "Easter" has brought us?

If you want to take your kids out in your back yard and hunt easter eggs, or decorate your house with bunnies, that's your call. It's your family, your house, and your own convictions. But, to me, the church has no place to sponsor these activities (I think the message that is sends is confusing). Sure, maybe it's fun, maybe more people will come if we tone down the message... but in the end will they see Jesus or just the easter bunny?

That's What She Said

2009-04-09T10:48:00.000-07:00

A few more things our little girl does that we find irresistible.

She lines her "friends" (stuffed monkey, frog, and bear) up at the door several times a day and has them say "bye, Dad dad".
She makes her friends sign "with" before she will pick them up.
After she wakes up from her nap I'll hear her asking "Night, night all done??" and then answer "NO!" (while laughing). She also does this in the bath.
She always asks if she can brush her teeth before we leave the house.
When she's in the nursery at church and the person in charge doesn't know sign, our little Sati "teaches" it to them. She will sign something and then show them what it is... I love it.
My parent's cat gets annoyed with her sometimes and will hiss and scratch her. Sati (sometimes bleeding) will say "awww" and give the cat a big hug. As if to say I'm sorry you had to do that.

Lent

2009-04-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

The end is nearing, and to be honest I'm going to miss it. The biggest reason that I'm going to miss it is because I'm not the one participating (lent started right after I found out that I had GD and I just felt that I couldn't joyfully give up anything else... so I skipped out this year) , Danny is...

He gave up video games. I think it's awesome because I can't stand them... haha. Our little vacation from the controls is coming to an end, however. I can't be sure, but I think he might be a little more excited about it than I am.

Are you practicing lent this year? If so, what is it that you gave up? If not, have you done lent in the past? Do you feel like you are closer to the Lord because of it?

Living off Fear

2009-04-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

I really don't pay much attention to current events. I prefer it that way... in fact I make a point to not watch the news. It's not that I don't want to be informed, I would just rather hear both sides of a situation before I make my mind up about something (and I don't remember a single time when the news broadcast has spoken on both sides and allowed you, your own view). Normally, I would say, they find something that might put a couple people in danger (somewhere in the world) and make you feel like you're one of them. American's are fed by fear. I just choose not to partake in the feast.

I'm a little surprised by the people that are really afraid, though. It's the Christians... the ones that claim to have the power of God (GOD!!!!) by their side. I'm a Christian, I know what I believe, and to me, it seems silly to be in fear's grasp. It's paralyzing!

It seems to have been this way sense I can remember. When I left for Mexico (for two years) people from my church were upset and couldn't imagine why I would leave the US when there are people in our own neighborhoods that need to be saved. It is true... there are, but that's not what I was called to.

** In my eyes, American's have all the resources they need to come to Christ. In my eyes, it's a stubbornness that keeps them from the Lord. That's why I don't make a great missionary here in the US (I just don't have the compassion for the rich that I do for the poor). **

A couple months ago, just after the results came in of the presidential election, most of my bible study group walked in looking defeated and somewhat sick. They kept shaking their heads and saying "scary times, we're living in scary times". I really don't know if Obama is the anti-christ or the "hope" that our country is looking for. But Am I the only one that is a little excited at the prospect that he might be "the one" (anti-christ)? We could be witnessing amazing prophecy right here, right now.

** I'm just thinking what is there to fear??? GOD'S ON OUR SIDE... we're on the right side (and by the way if it's foretold by God that there will be an anti-christ, than there will be... we aren't going to stop it). **

The most recent thing that has been brought to my attention is the Mexico scare. When people found out that we were bringing our daughter to Mexico with us on a little short term missions trip.... THEY FLIPPED!!! Even if we were going to be in some kind of danger (which we weren't) is that supposed to stop us from serving the Lord? We are only on this earth for a short time, and if God calls us to some place scary we will go (and we will bring our kids) because God, not fear, is in control of our lives.

** "The only thing to fear is fear it's self" **

Thoughts?

an earlier post on fear: State Side: The Fear Behind it

One Day at a Time

2009-04-03T14:07:00.000-07:00

This is what my overly scheduled days are looking like.... I'm not much for being glued to a schedule, so it's a challenge for me.

7:00 am *alarm* take med. *hit snooze*

7:30 am *alarm* get up, test blood, eat (a carb and a protein), return to bed (if I'm not dying of heartburn by this time)

8:30 am *alarm* check blood, try and get something done before the baby wakes up (on the really bad days I try and go back to sleep, or take a bath)

10:00 am eat my snack (strawberries and milk), wake, feed, and bathe the baby

12:00 pm outside to play and then make lunch for Sati, my mom, and me

1:00 pm eat lunch (a carb and a protein)

1:15 pm go for a walk (to get my blood sugar down)

2:00 pm test blood

2:15 pm put Sati down for a nap, try and take a nap myself (again if heartburn isn't killing me)

4:00 pm snack again (and I usually have strawberries and milk again... haha), get Sati up, feed her something, go outside to wait for Danny to come home

6:00 pm make dinner

7:00 pm eat (a carb and a protein)

8:00 pm check blood

10:00 pm put Sati down, have my last snack (a carb and a protein)

12:00-1:00 am try to go to sleep (I hate heartburn)

3:00-7:00 am the time I actually get some sleep (because by then the meds have warn off and I don't have heartburn anymore)

7:00 am *alarm*

And it goes on and on.... but I only have six more weeks until the baby comes. Can I hear a wha who!!

So my question is... are you a schedule follower or do you just go with the flow?

A Day Dream Believer

2009-03-29T16:55:00.001-07:00

I have a dream... well it's more of a day dream, or maybe a fantasy.

Danny and I, both, have a huge desire to live by the ocean (the details of our fantasies maybe differ a little bit, but for the most part we're on the same page). But when I'm talking about "by the ocean" I don't want you to get the idea that we want to live in a town that is close to the ocean, no, no, we want to live on the beach.

I want a large porch with a picnic table on it. A place where we can eat breakfast as a family and then, after, turn the kids loose to find oysters, play in the tide pools, and build sand castles (while mom and dad finish up our coffee). Danny can take our little groms surfing on the weekends, and when they come back I can make them a snack and we can all take a lazy afternoon nap outside in a hammock or on a beach blanket laid out in the shade. I want to be able to go out kayaking with my husband and be able to chase my kids around on an endless beach. I want my kids to grow up outside with a continual supply of sand in their ears and no shoes on their feet. I want to live in another country, and send our kids to school there, learning that countries language. Our ministry can be right there on the beach, and maybe scuba diving will even fit into God's call on our lives.

So is it a tall order? YES! but I really believe that God sees our dreams, I even believe that he gives us those dreams. So, now we're just waiting for God to send us to this paradise, we'll take the bugs and all.

~what this doesn't mean is that we've completely shut down here... No, we still have a ministry here, and are not wishing time away... our hearts are just a little closer to the ocean.~

What is your dream?

Life according to Sati

2009-03-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our little one has been doing, saying, and signing all kinds of great (and sometime hilarious) things. She's 19 months old and is truly getting a grasp on language, social skills, and life in general (at least as much as her age allows). She isn't as talkative as most kids her age... that might have something to do with the fact that she's trying to learn three languages at once... but I'd say she's doing a pretty good job.

She calls the little boy that I babysit... "Baby Doll" (but she calls her dolls "baby")
She can sing a whole song without any words (and you would totally know what song it is that she's singing)
She just learned how to climb up on the table... yeah
She points to my belly, says and signs baby, and then asks to kiss it.
Her first language is sign and she can get around with it pretty well. She surprises us with the signs she knows, and with the ones she makes up to get her point across.
She is almost always smiling or laughing... she really enjoys life!
She loves going for walks in "Bob" (our stroller) and can finger-spell "bob".
We never taught her "animal sounds" so she copies the animals real sounds and actually sounds a lot like them.
When we go for walks and I make an unexpected turn in "Bob" she says "WOWA MAMA!"

There are a lot more things that she's doing that really crack us up, but I don't want to write a book or anything...

Updated (photo style)

2009-03-20T07:57:00.000-07:00

The babe, the belly, and the beginnings of dreads.

Pink or Blue?

2009-03-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

We're not finding out the sex of our little one until the day he or she enters the world. That doesn't mean that we're not guessing, though.

So, what do you think? Will the next Harmon come home in pink or blue (most likely he/she will come home in brown, but you know me). Do you have any theories on how to tell if it's one or the other?

I also have a little pole on the left side of the blog if you want to enter your guess there.

Sadly, this is the best "belly picture" I have (from a month ago).

The Land of Sunshine

2009-03-02T18:18:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a trip south, where the sun seems to always shine. We absolutely loved it!

at the beach, south of the boarder

a birthday party in La Mision, Mexico

a total cheater picture that danny took at the aquarium in La Jolla

My little niece with a young tiger at the San Diego zoo

Now, back to reality (as I watch the snow falling, back at home in Portola). What have you guys done for fun recently?

GD!

2009-02-11T14:42:00.000-08:00

Welp, I thought I had it bad with this pregnancy... but now they're telling me that my blood sugar is off the charts. That's right, I have the dreaded gestational diabetes.

The Dr.s are a little perplexed because I was quite low on the charts with Sati, but this time my count is sooo high (204) it doesn't seem to make sense. This could mean a couple of things:

1) I was already becoming diabetic and pregnancy just sped it up (in which case it most likely won't go away after the baby is born).

2) it was a total fluke and my blood sugar is really fine.

3) it's just one of those things... I'll have to deal with it for the next three months and then again if we have more children (but will be fine when there is no child in the belly).

So, while this does happen to many women (and it's not that big of a deal), I'm asking for your prayers (in whatever way you feel lead to pray for me and my little #2). Thanks!!

Updated

2009-02-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

... again!

Danny ~ recently had a ton of work (we have no idea where it came from, but are thankful). Now, it has sluffed off a bit and he's had more time to hang out with the fam. (which we are also thankful for). He's had much more opportunity to play around with the camera than I have, and has had a much more active roll in posting our makings to ETSY. On a completely different note... His hair is getting LONG and he's begging me to put dreads in for him.

Me ~ I'm nearing the end of my second trimester (wha who)! I'm not a happy pregnant person... I'm ready to be done. Heartburn seems to be controlling my life... I'm trying a few new things to see if I can get more than an hours sleep at night. I'm loving having the whole family around and am sooo thankful when Danny and Sati pick up the floor so that I don't have to bend over (I really think I need one of those grabbers that people use to pick up trash).

Sati ~ Oh goodness where do I start... She's saying and signing the funniest things. She keeps us laughing all the stinking time. I love this age!!!! I'm excited to see how she is with her upcoming sibling. She has a love/hate relationship with the little boy that I babysit, it's funny and sad to see the competition thing start so early. She has definite preferences... she hates pink (I swear I had nothing to do with it), gloves, and koosh balls. She loves animals, food (almost any kind), and going on walks.

#2 ~ 26 weeks old in the womb. One big kid... the Dr. said that "he's" larger than normal. This one feels and acts like Sati did, so it'll be interesting to see what kind of personality "he" has. We are all anxious to meet the newest member of the family, but pray that "he" stays in there until at least the due date (May 15th). Also... no we don't know the sex of baby #2 and don't plan to find out until the middle of may when "he" is born.

2009-01-26T12:16:00.000-08:00

Up and Running!

2009-01-24T11:47:00.000-08:00

Finally! Our Etsy store is up and running...

Our camera arrived about two weeks ago, we love it (although I have a lot to learn about it still). We did decide on the 50D in case you were wondering. We still pinch ourselves from time to time, wondering if we really spent that much money on a camera (and yes I suppose we did because I'm getting bruises from all of those pinches).

Because we now have a camera we are able to take and post pictures to our store... yea! I've been feeling under the weather sense our camera arrived, so I haven't been able to go out and take pictures like I want to, but I'm hopeful for this weekend (even if it's just here in town).

We still have a ton of things to post on our store, but they should all be appearing over the next month or so. Our shop is called Creation Inspired because most of the things that we make are a reflection of the what we see in nature (our God is a creative one!).

So if you have a moment to spare stop by.

Click, Click

2009-01-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Our old point and shoot camera finally died...

We decided that it was time for a serious upgrade anyways, so we're considering buying either a Canon EOS 40D or 50D. We've read a bazillion reviews on both and are still largely undecided.

We're thinking this will probably be the last time we buy a camera for another 10 years or so... we're trying to ask as many people as we can what they think, and find out as much as we can about each so that we can make the best decision for our little family.

What kind of camera do you have? Do you like it? What would you recommend?

Winter Wonderland

2008-12-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

WIC

2008-12-18T16:19:00.000-08:00

So now with number two on the way and a steady decline in work we qualify for WIC. I can already see that it is going to save us a bundle (just in milk!!). Danny just went out and got all of our free stuff from the store... it was awesome! I love my husband! then we walks in the door he says to me:

"I'm really surprised that they don't give us butter."

"Danny... WIC is to support healthy eating."

"Yeah...???"

"Butter isn't healthy!"

"What? it's a staple!"

Haha... Yeah, Danny, tell that to your Dr. the next time you go in for a visit, see what he says... like I said, I love my husband!

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-17T18:36:00.000-08:00

*cough, cough, eyes roll*

I know, I know, bah humbug! But really, if I were to sum up christmas in one word it would be WASTE (in every way that I can think of, but for the sake of this post I will concentrate on the one that makes me the most crazy... cutting down our beautiful forest). Being the semi-hippie that I am, it makes my stomach turn to see all of those beautiful trees leaving our area thrown in the back of pick-ups, and tied to the top of mini-vans. They're used for a month tops and then thrown into landfill and whatnot... bah, I hate it.

This year we have decided to try and do something about all of those good trees going to waste... our goal is to keep a couple of those trees out of our landfills and put them to good use.

Our vision is to cut the trunk into rounds and make recycled christmas tree coasters out of them. Obviously, we won't be able to do anything until after christmas when we recieve some 'left over' trees, but we'll keep you posted.

Oh, and we will be selling them at CreationInspired.etsy.com if you're interested in purchasing any.

Makings

2008-12-02T10:08:00.000-08:00

October and November were busy months of creating at the Harmon house. Here are a few things that we came up with...

pies... yummy

Art of Whimsy t-shirt for the Booterbaby.

little girlie tie pants and shirt for little Bella.

little boy tie pants and embroidered tree shirt for my new little nephew.

the "joint effort" project that my sister-in-law and I finished for Finn.

There are several others that we don't have pictures of (including Danny's famous crocheted baby beanies). But it's no wonder that I'm so pooped, it's a lot of work for a big pregnant lady that is completely drained.

The Hair

2008-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

I'd love to do this again. I love waking up with my hair already "done". Just wish it didn't take 13 hours and a hundred bucks for those 5 months of bliss. Any suggestions??

A Day to Remember

2008-11-19T14:12:00.000-08:00

We get a call last night from one of the cutest little girls we know... our niece. I actually never got to talk to her, but that's beside the point. She was calling her uncle Danny to wish him a happy anniversary.

Danny says, "What?!?! Today, really???"

Yep, that's right he had no idea... can you believe it!

So after that he comes over to me and says, "hey guess what... Happy Anniversary!"

Me: "What?!?! really... Today???"

This was around 5:30 in the afternoon, after a very, very long day for both of us. So we pretty much just went about the rest of the day as normal, and went to bed early. When we talked about it later we decided that we're not like most couples and, as it turns out, the date just doesn't matter that much to us.

So... it's been 4 happy years, and the time has flown by! We're totally perfect for each other :o) I love you Danny!!

Our Little Hippie Girl

2008-11-19T12:07:00.001-08:00

Peeved (part 2)

2008-11-17T08:13:00.000-08:00

Don't worry, I'm not going to give you any more of my lip about what makes me unhappy. I just got to thinking...

I'm pretty sure that I drive people more crazy than they do me. Here are some things that I do that I KNOW drive some people crazy (most of them have to do with parenting, because that's when I hear their opinions more often):

I put Sati on a sleep schedule her second day out of the womb (and on her tummy to boot).
I don't vote.
I drink Dr. Pepper even when I'm pregnant or nursing.
I let Sati put just about anything in her mouth (unless it could seriously hurt her).
I'm not the least bit patriotic.
I let Sati cry for as long as she wants.
I guess I never dress Sati warm enough.
I'm either too organic, or not organic enough (depending on the crowd)... humm.
I liked living in another country and would do it again... and take my kids!
I hate school.
I don't care what's happening on the news.
I want to put my kids in public school (even in another country).

I know there are more, but this is all I can think of right now.

Peeved

2008-11-15T09:21:00.000-08:00

So, the other day my friend Kyle posted about his pet peeves. That got me thinking, and I realized I have a lot of them. I think they multiply in intensity when I'm pregnant too (I'm not very nice for those nine months).

Well... I've decided to share my big pet peeves with you (just keep in mind that I might not feel quite the same in June... haha).

The biggest thing that drives me absolutely bonkers is how patriotic most christian churches are. It really doesn't bother me that individuals. themselves, are patriotic because I know that God gives us all different convictions and passions and whatnot. I just don't like that a church would support the singing of patriotic songs, flag salutes, and their political views from the pulpit and in front of the congregation.
Drives me crazy when people over react to Sati falling down or getting hurt. It's really sweet of you, but it makes my job sooooo much harder.
I don't like it when people overly freak out about germs... germs are good people!
The "I'm better or worse than you" mindset just throws me off, where does somebody even get an idea like that???
Last but not least is the victim. A person who always thinks of themselves as the victim, and looks for opportunities to be the victim in every situation makes me want to avoid contact... at all costs!

So now I want to hear about your pet peeves...

Update... I just thought of one more thing that really bugs me. That is... Missionaries that write way too long and boring news letters. I still read them, but I fear others are going to miss out because it is so uninteresting.

Under Worked

2008-11-13T15:44:00.000-08:00

As I'm sure some of you have been experiencing, there is very little work to be had out there (especially in construction we are hearing).

Danny's work has been more off than on lately, but we're keeping our head above water. Mostly because we are super thrifty and cheap (by nature) and saved a lot when the work was good and money was plentiful. Of coarse we were saving for something cool, not for bills. I just got word, though, that Danny's work is picking up, so we will have at least a couple months of good steady income... wha who!

I truly feel for those of you that have been laid off, or just simply can not find work, and those of you that have no savings, or have debts to pay. I really don't know what's going to happen with the economy, and who knows how bad it's going to get before it gets better. But the thought in my mind that keeps me from feeling sorry for us Americans is this:

We, even the broke ones of us, are hundreds of times richer than the rest of the world. We have all the conveniences of indoor plumbing, electricity, heating and cooling, washing machines (even if they're at a laundry mat... I don't know anybody in America that washes all of their clothes by hand), and pretty much anything you could ever NEED. We really lack for nothing. I don't know anyone that is starving, or without some kind of shelter. So all and all I would say we're doing really well (I guess it's always relative).

What do you think? How are you guys surviving with this economy?

Every little thing she does is magic...

2008-11-11T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm told, if I don't write this stuff down, I'll forget it. So here are some cute/funny things that our Sati has been saying, signing or doing at around 14 months.

First off, it is obvious to me that our little one is left brained. She MUST listen to dad's music anytime we go for a walk or just any old time she catches him with his MP3 player and headphones. If we have music on in the house she goes straight for the speakers and either lays down or dances in front of them. Also, if you mention colors she lights up with anticipation (of coarse she also thinks of them as a food source...) she loves to draw or do pretty much anything creative. Maybe she is my child after all.
She is picking up some funny sayings from all of us. (1) My mom says "Oooo Dogs" when she's exhausted or over exerted (don't ask me why). Well our little mimic has picked up on this... so when she does something that was really hard she lets out a big "oooo dogs!". (2) Sati has taken up talking on the phone (her play phones) She says "Hello" and that's about it, until a couple days ago. Me: "Sati, who is it?" Sati (with a questioned look on her face) "who is this". (3) We've been taking Sati into church on Sunday mornings so that she can listen to the music before going into the nursery. The problem is that she doesn't like to pray. As soon as everything is silent she thinks it's her turn to talk so i've been "shhh" -ing her. As of this week she puts her finger up to her lip and says "shhhh" and then laughs hysterically. (4) She has two songs that she sings almost constantly... "Manamana" from sesame street (she knows the words manamana and she sings that over and over), and "Poor Sati", a song that my mom made up for when Sati is tired, sad, or experiencing an injustice. The only words to the song are poor and Sati. Sati sings it over and over... It's her favorite!
Sati also "frees" the bunny from his cage every morning and, feeds him fruit and crackers (which the bunny LOVES). She's always petting and loving on him. They're best friends.
She is loving potty training and doing quite well I might add. Mostly because she gets all kinds of praise and approval... and she's quite addicted to the stuff.
We think that Sati knows just about as much spanish as we do. She responds better to commands given in spanish (than ones given in sign or english), but is obviously hearing and picking up more English (sad). She knows more and more signs and uses them well, but is such a hearing child, that I'm unsure if it will continue when she's able to communicate orally (also sad).
She is now walking all over, and is just starting to prefer it to crawling.

Updated

2008-10-16T09:33:00.000-07:00

I figured this would be a good time for a family update.

Danny ~ Work has been slow, so he's been at home helping his wife with the house and baby. He is anxious to leave the snow, and he longs for the ocean. His wrist is still bothering him (after his accident wake surfing this summer), and we're praying that the weather change doesn't give him too much trouble. He came back from hunting last weekend with a deer in the ice chest, so we are good on meat, praise the Lord.

Brittney ~ Is feeling sick, and tired with baby number two. She is hoping that the morning, afternoon, evening sickness will soon go away. And also that she will be able to get a couple full nights of sleep. She is still taking care of a little boy three days a week, and a full time wife and mom. She is sooo thankful that she has such an amazing husband to help her when he can!

Sati ~ Is a wild woman! She is in the "pull everything out and spread it out all over the house" stage. She just had a check up a couple weeks ago and she's only in the fifth percentile for weight. So, the Dr. gave her permission to eat all of those yummy high calorie foods, like butter (she's loving it). She loves the little boy that comes over, but wonders why mom doesn't want her to wake him up too play.

#2 ~ Is a picky little fellow! He (or she) doesn't like the fresh venison that dad just brought home. "He" loves soups, veggies, and chocolate. "He" only lets mom sleep for about half the night, and sure lets her know when she's not doing something right. "He" just had a Dr.s appt. on monday and is officially 10 weeks old. The Dr. said that "he" looks healthy, and "he" even moved during the ultrasound.

So now that you are in the know about how our family is, how is yours?