I thought that losing 20 pounds would make me feel a little more confident when I wore a swimsuit.
Nope. Not at all. Not even a little bit.
We took an impromptu trip this week to a place with an indoor pool. The kids were stoked, I was nervous. I am generally a pretty modest person, swim suits are not my forte. I would prefer one that covered me from head to toe.
I stand there at the side of pool and debate. I feel like I have a huge flashing sign above my head…I am terrified that I am being judged. I wonder if other people feel as self conscious as I do.
Not only that but I wonder how some women have the confidence to just be out there. I wonder how I can get me some of that confidence. The kind that allows them to not walk around with a towel covering them from head to toe. And scramble for cover the minute the step out of the pool. I wonder then…do I really want that kind of confidence?
Of course, I want to swim with my children, but do I really want to be totally confident showing parts of my body that don’t see the sun to complete strangers? Let’s face it, no matter how modest the bathing suit, you still show more of your body than your probably should. Truth be told, even if all my muscle groups were toned and I was the size I was in high school, I wouldn’t be comfortable.
So what is the solution? How can we be God honoring but yet engage with our families? I wonder if there is room for both modesty, comfortable without baring too much, and swimming.
Month: March 2012
Wordless Wednesday — What we did this month
Read my Flexibility post here.
5 ways to help boys learn
New Recipe Monday — Ham rolls
So probably not the healthiest thing in the world, but a student brought these last week to a class potluck. They are super easy and make the perfect potluck food. They’re also really yummy!
1/2lb sandwich sliced ham (you can also use turkey)
1 brick cream cheese
1 bunch green onions.
Soften the cream cheese so that is it spreadable. Lay one slice of ham out on a plate, spread cream cheese over entire slice. Place green onion at one end and roll up. Continue with remaining ingredients. I put the rolls in the fridge for a few hours to allow the cream cheese to firm up. Then slice the rolls into 1/2 inch slices. Serve.
That’s it! They were way easy!! I think the next time I make them I’ll probably stir in an can of drained green chilies to the cream cheese and then prepare as directed. These little treats have summer barbeque written all over them. 🙂
Don’t forget to enter the HUGE cloth diaper giveaway!
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Sunday Psalm
Psalm 34
1 I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
2 My soul will make its boast in the LORD; The humble will hear it and rejoice.
3 O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.
4 I sought the LORD, and He answered me, And delivered me from all my fears.
5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.
8 O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
9 O fear the LORD, you His saints; For to those who fear Him there is no want.
10 The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; But they who seek the LORD shall not be in want of any good thing.
11 Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
12 Who is the man who desires life And loves length of days that he may see good?
13 Keep your tongue from evil
And your lips from speaking deceit.
14 Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.
15 The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous And His ears are open to their cry.
16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers,
To cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 The righteous cry, and the LORD hears
And delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The LORD is near to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
But the LORD delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones,
Not one of them is broken.
21 Evil shall slay the wicked,
And those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The LORD redeems the soul of His servants,
And none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Turning a corner
I had a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders this week. Friday was a day I never thought would come. Friday was the day…
I quit my job.
Whew! I feels so good to say that. I have been teaching at PCC for 5 years. I have taught many night classes and summer classes and been on overload more than I would like to admit. But Friday, I told my boss I would not be renewing my contract in fall. I have committed to teaching a couple of classes this summer, but I will officially be done in May.
I quit, so I could stay home with my children. I quit so that our family could be obedient to what God has called us to do. For some time, we have been doing things backwards at our house. In 2006, we packed up everything and I started working as a travel nurse. Kerry was home full time and in school full time. We moved here in 2007, for my job. And to be totally honest we have been miserable with the whole situation of me being outside the home and him being here. Kerry is a wonderful father to our children, but God designed for mothers to be at home. Me working outside the home has served it’s purpose, but it’s time for that season to be over.
I am delighted at the prospect of spending my days at home raising my children full time, instead of just 2 or 3 days a week. Kerry and I are both delighted at the idea of not having to juggle our schedules around each other or feel like 2 ships passing in the night. More than anything though we are thrilled to finally be in God’s will for our family.
You might ask…”What are you guys going to do?” Honestly? We don’t know. We have felt like this was the first step in being obedient to God. We are trusting in Him to provide for us because we are being obedient to His call. We are both incredibly peaceful about the future. Kerry would like to be in ministry full time. He will be searching out job opportunities that will allow him to minister as God has called him. Where and how that will be…we don’t know. Someday he would like to pursue seminary, if God provides that opportunity for us, right now it’s just not feasible for our family financially.
I will still be teaching online and I plan to keep my nursing license up to date. Someday there may be a season where I am called back into the workforce or to use my nursing education to serve God. I do miss the hospital and witnessing the miracle of birth. I have missed that, but both Kerry and I have resolved that we will not sacrifice our children or our family for me to work outside the home. Raising children, godly children, is the most important job there is for me. I am excited about what lies ahead for our family, even if we don’t know what that is.
Don’t forget about the HUGE cloth diaper giveaway going on right now. Enter below for your chance to win!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Booty Buns Cloth Diaper Giveaway!
Welcome to the Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event sponsored by Booty Buns Cloth Diapers! Over 175 blogs have teamed up to present this amazing cloth diaper giveaway hosted by Daily Mothering.
Here’s your chance to win an entire stash of one-size cloth diapers!
This amazing cloth diaper prize pack includes:
20 Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers
(these true one-size cloth diapers fit 3-45 lbs!)
20 matching flannel/terry cloth wipes
40 microfiber inserts
20 cotton flannel liners
(picture does not show inserts or liners also included)
First, a little about Booty Buns…
In case you haven’t heard about them, Booty Buns Cloth Diapers are incredible one-size cloth diapers that truly fit from birth to potty training! They feature a snap-down rise with 5 different snap settings (most one-size diapers only have 3!) and a waist with 10 regular snap settings plus 2 crossover snap settings. The diapers have hip snaps to prevent wing droop on smaller sizes. The incredible size range of this diaper fits from 3-45 lbs!
Booty Buns Cloth Diapers are pocket diapers and each diaper includes 2 snap-on microfiber inserts that can be stuffed into the diaper or laid on top with the included cotton flannel liner against your child’s skin. The diapers have a waterproof PUL outer and a soft suedecloth inner with dual gussets on the inner lining to ensure everything stays IN the diaper! Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers come in an assortment of bright colors and each diaper includes a matching handmade flannel/terry wipe. You can find out more about the diapers at Booty Buns, or check out the detailed Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diaper Review at Daily Mothering!
Booty Buns is dedicated to encouraging others to “go green” and “give charity.” Shannon, the owner of Booty Buns Cloth Diapers, leads by example. For every diaper that Booty Buns sells, she donates one Booty Buns Cloth Diaper to a child in need in the US and third-world countries. Booty Buns is the exclusive cloth diapers donator for Operation Showers Of Appreciation, and they are also donating diapers to babies that have severe medical issues here in the US. Shannon hopes to donate a lifetime supply of cloth diapers {20 diapers} to every baby in need around the globe. You can join in this effort by purchasing your own set of Booty Buns Cloth Diapers and telling your friends about Booty Buns!
Make sure to stop by and follow Booty Buns via Facebook, Twitter and Blog for news and giveaways!
And now for the giveaway!!
ONE WINNER will receive this gigantic cloth diaper prize pack valued at $546!
And, the winner will get to select their choice of diaper colors!
This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada.
Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter.
Sign in using your Facebook account OR your name and email address.
Click “Do It” for instructions on how to complete each entry.
There is no mandatory entry. Complete as many entries as you wish.
The more entries you submit, the better odds you have of winning!
a Rafflecopter giveaway Continue reading “Booty Buns Cloth Diaper Giveaway!”
Five Minute Friday — Loud
Loud. Besides orange shirts and purple shorts I think of…
What I don’t want to be as a mother. I don’t want my children to remember me as an angry mother. As one who lost her temper and patience all in the blink of an eye. I want them to remember me as a mother who laughed and showed grace and mercy. I resolve every day, sometimes every minute, not to be loud, but to be the mother God has designed me to be.
Do my children know that I not only LOVE them but that I LIKE them too. That I enjoy being around them? That they are blessings to me. When they describe me, loud is not the word I want to come to their minds. How are my actions and words showing them who they are to me? I want my actions to be louder than my words. I want them to know without a doubt that they are the awesomest people I have ever known and that I am so very thankful for them. I have so many memories as a child of “loud” and they’re not positive ones. I don’t want my children leaving my home with that same impression, or fear.
I want the noise of many children filling my home. I want that kind of loud. I want the loud that comes with laughter, brothers playing and learning together. I want the loudness of God’s blessings in my home. I desire a home spilling over with love. The loudness that comes with blessing, growing and learning.
The loudness of complete joy and love. That is the Loud that needs to be in my home.
Cloth diapering basics
I posted yesterday about a HUGE giveaway I’m part of. I have cloth diapered each of our boys. I have used cloth much more extensively with our last two that with our first two. At first, it was a little daunting, but now it’s second nature and is the easiest thing ever. So in anticipation of the giveaway, I want to tell you a little about how I do it and answer a few questions that often come up when I say I cloth diaper.
The first question I almost always get is “Do you use pins?”
Nope. They make these great little things called Snappis. They don’t poke the baby and they work great! I only use snappis if I’m using flat diapers or prefolds. My other diapers have snaps or hook and loop (fancy word for really strong velcro).
The next question I often get is “what about the poop?”
My initial thought is usually “what about it?”, but I know what the person is asking.
When my babies are exclusively breastfed, I just put the cloth diaper in the bag with all the others. I don’t rinse them at all. Once they start solid foods we rinse the cloth diapers in the toilet and put them in the bag to be washed. There are a couple of options for rinsing. Some people use a diaper sprayer, it’s a sprayer that attaches to the toilet (think shower head) and you spray the diapers off that way. I’ve never been able to talk DH into buying one, so I don’t use one. Instead, we bought a cheap pair of tongs and marked them (so they don’t get confused with our cooking ones should they ever leave the bathroom). I grab a corner of the diaper with the tongs and dunk the diaper until it’s “cleanish” and then just toss it in the wash bag.
or
What about all that laundry?
I do diaper laundry every other day, with 6 people in our family I don’t really notice the extra load. It doesn’t really seem to add to my work when it comes to washing. My washing routine is usually a cold rinse of the diapers, a cold wash and then a hot wash. I’ve found this seems to be the best routine for getting and keeping my diapers cleaner. I have been using the same routine and the same diapers since I started, they don’t have any stains and look almost brand new! I use my homemade laundry detergent for my cloth diapers and occasionally will add bleach to the hot wash or vinegar (never in the same load) if I have a particularly stinky batch. One thing that I really like to do is to hang my diapers out on the line in the summer to dry! Nothing makes me happier than having diapers hanging on the line drying.
What kind of diapers should I use?
There are a number of options when you’re going to cloth diaper. The cheapest option is probably flat diapers or prefold diapers with covers. I have several of these diapers and covers and use them often for my babies until they’re about 4-6 months old or so.
I also like using pocket diapers for outings and smaller babies. Pocket diapers are “stuffed” with an absorbent stuffer. For someone looking for “easy” cloth diapers, these are the diapers you want for sure! They’re uber easy to use and are thin under clothes.
I have some diapers that I call my “workhorse” diapers. They’re fitted terry cloth diapers that hold up to anything. They’re a little bulkier than my pockets or prefolds, but I have had the same set of fitted diapers since I started cloth diapering 9 years ago. They’re easy to clean, use and I have used them on babies from 8lbs to my toddlers right before potty training.
There is also a kind of diaper called “all in one” it is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a filler and cover all in one. These are even easier to use than pocket diapers! The biggest draw back for me is that they take a while to dry after I’ve washed them. Otherwise they’re fantastic! One the cost scale, these tend to cost just a bit more than pocket diapers.
Already sold on cloth diapering? Want to try it, but aren’t sure where to start? Be sure to come back and enter my giveaway! You could enter a life time supply of diapers! A $546.00 value (which is HUGE in the cloth diaper world!)
Cloth Diaper Giveaway!
Would you like to win a LIFETIME SUPPLY of cloth diapers?!
The Go Green ♥ Give Charity Cloth Diaper Giveaway Event sponsored by Booty Buns Cloth Diapers starts this Saturday, March 24th!
Over 175 blogs are coming together to present this fantastic fluffy giveaway hosted by Daily Mothering. Mark your calendar because you don’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to win an entire stash of one-size cloth diapers!
ONE WINNER will receive a gigantic cloth diaper prize pack valued at $546!
And, the winner will get to select their choice of diaper colors!
This amazing prize pack will include:
20 Booty Buns One-Size Cloth Diapers
(these true one-size cloth diapers fit 3-45 lbs!)
20 matching flannel/terry cloth wipes
40 microfiber inserts
20 cotton flannel liners
(picture does not show inserts or liners also included)
This giveaway will be open to U.S. and Canada.
Come back March 24-31 for your chance to win it all!
New Recipe Monday — Strawberry Bread
Since strawberries are coming into season, I’m excited to make strawberry bread again. I found this recipe when I was expecting our last child and was looking for something I could make when our midwife came for the homebirth. Unfortunately we ate it all before the baby was born so she had to settle for zucchini bread. 🙂
Strawberry Bread
3-4 cup strawberries, diced
1 cup oil
2 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Sift together flour, soda and salt (as a side note, I rarely sift anything). Beat eggs until fluffy. Add oil & sugar. Mix well. Add flour mixture, cinnamon and strawberries. Mix until well blended. Pour into 2 greased and floured pans.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until loaves test done.
Our family likes cinnamon, if you don’t care for it as much, you could cut down a bit.
