This Is Us

Wow y'all. Aside from feeling a little guilty that I might have been taken as begging for comments, your responses just made my day(s)!! Thank you. Thank you so much. I loved it.

****************

With the start of a new year, I thought perhaps an introductory post might be in order. I don't think I've ever actually written an introduction to my family, as such, although if you've read here for any length of time, I would guess you've gotten to know us quite well along the way. Off the top of my head, I can think of several posts that would give you a little background, such as the series of posts on how my husband and I met, and my introductory posts to the Treasure In Heaven series here and here.

But without further ado, let me tell you a little about us.

Soon after we got married, a friend inspired me to try to get a family picture every year over the time of our

anniversary -- it doesn't have to be anything

great, just a simple snapshot will do. Well,

I have a picture from every year, but we'll just say

that "over the time of our anniversary" has

become a very broad term. This year's photo

was taken on the very last day of 2018. 

Starting with the oldest child... 

Isaac Christopher was born to us a little less than one month before our first wedding anniversary. We basically know very little about marriage without him in the equation. Isaac is 16 years old, has his driver's license, and is set to graduate this year, completing 12 grades in 11 years. With his blonde hair and blue eyes, most people assume he takes after his father. The truth is, in personality Isaac is the most like his mother... albeit with a healthy dose of his father's upbringing, which is not a bad thing at all. Isaac has a tender heart, loves any kind of game and would like to teach school some day. 

Jasmine Annette is our second born. Arriving one year and nine months after her brother, the two of them have always been close.  If Isaac is the most like his mother, than Jasmine is even more her father's daughter. I am continually amazed at the way the two of them think alike. Jasmine will be 15 next month and does everything she puts her hand to with all of her heart. She loves painting and drawing and about every other creative outlet you can imagine. She's fulfilled my girlhood dream of learning to play the piano and enjoys cooking and teaching her younger sisters much more than I do. In spite of us joking that we never like the same things, the two of us are best of friends.

Jennifer Lynn is our rainbow baby. Joining our family 4 years after her older sister, Jennifer was a much longed and prayed for baby. I don't think I've ever talked here about my miscarriage between Jasmine and Jennifer but those years had their share of tears in them for me. Jennifer is 10 years old and has held the drama card in our family for every one of those years. You will never be left in doubt as to what this child is thinking. On the other hand, you will probably never fail to be charmed either nor fail to be astonished by her creativity and imagination. I have never seen a child who possesses quite Jennifer's ability to create vivid, enthralling play out of whatever materials are available for use. While I struggle often to identify with her completely different personality, I love to watch her vibrant creativity and her passion for reading. 

Lillian Bethany came to our family 17 months after her longed for sister. I will never forget calling my midwife (who knew all about my tears before Jennifer) and confessing that I was crying again but for an entirely different reason. She laughed and told me that God certainly has a sense of humor. She could imagine Him saying, "Make up your mind, honey!" Lillian was born into probably the hardest years of our marriage. But this is about her. Lillian is 9 years old, loves making lists and hates washing dishes. She is our only child who is shy and quiet like my family, although she can easily hold her own when no strangers are around. Lillian is a protective little mother hen and does great with young children. She does not like to be pushed but she does love to be hugged and held and cuddled. Lillian has a hilarious sense of humor and writes the best funny stories. 

And then, there is Charles Elmer, the little tag along who came 3 and a half years behind Lillian. I still feel bad sometimes that we didn't have the second part to his duo like we did the rest of his siblings but life happens and that's just how the years played out. Charles is small for his age and definitely treated as the baby of the family, poor thing. He is the most touchy - feely child I've had and still comes around often  to spontaneously give a hug and kiss and to say "I like you!" Charles loves stories. And every story that he hears then gets translated into his play and acted out with his Fisher Price people and cars and trucks. He has the Eicher gene for memorizing and can rattle off countless snippets -- from Bible stories to Adventures in Odyssey to Hank The Cowdog -- all with impeccable precision in wording and voice inflection. I love nothing more than to listen to Charles and Isaac doing the voices in a story and Charles setting his older brother straight on some minor mispronunciation. 

And then, of course, there are the parents. We are definitely an 'opposites attract' couple, although I would say 17 and a half years of marriage have certainly made us rub off on each other a good bit. 

Chris manages his brother's tire shop and is a handy man to have around with his previous years of experience in carpentry, cabinets and countertops. He built the house we live in almost single handedly. Oh, he had some help, of course, but he hired out very little of the work. Chris loves nothing more than to pull off a good surprise and his favorite thing is to keep his family wondering what idea he'll come up with next. While his opinionated nature often portrays a false harshness, Chris has the biggest, most unbiased heart you will ever find. 

And.... I'm the mom of the bunch. I cook and clean and do laundry (Do I ever do laundry!). I'm quiet and a home body and a loner. I like using my creativity and making something from nothing puts a sparkle in my eye. Give me a good book and I won't be worth a thing for the rest of the day; ask me to play some strategy game like Chess and I will soundly refuse. If you want to know any other bits about me, I shared 39 of them once. 

This is us. We have strengths and we have weaknesses; we mess up and sometimes we get it right. All in all, I like us a lot. 

A Blanket, The Sun, and Redemption

"Oh, oh. Get ready! Here it comes!" Convulsive giggles and frantic wiggling ensued in the seat behind me. "Put up the blanket! There's the sun!"

We were on a simple, evening drive and my three youngest had turned holding a blanket we would need at our destination into a thrilling game of be-prepared-to-block-the-sun-when-it-shines-into-our-faces. You would have thought it was the most exciting activity they had ever taken part in, judging by the shrieks and laughter it produced.

My husband and I exchanged amused smiles. "A child's life is so exciting," I commented quietly.

That incident was weeks ago but it's returned to my mind often. Here's why -- what if 'becoming as little children' means living like that?

Little children bounce; they sparkle, have you noticed? Jerking a blanket over your face every time the sun peaks through the trees is thrilling as you drive along on a summer evening! To big people it's an annoying bother - the sun in your eyes and a visor that doesn't provide enough shade. At what point, exactly, do we lose the sparkle, I wonder? The bounce? What changes when little people get big?

Us big people, we know a lot, don't we? We've known a lot more pain, a lot more heartache; we've shed a lot more tears. As the years stack up, so do the losses. We've said more goodbyes, let go of more dreams, picked up more broken pieces. With the knowing comes a little less bounce, a little less sparkle, a little less child-like-ness. And sometimes, if we're not careful, the pain of this world looms bigger than the God who promises redemption.

"How is it that the sun keeps shining in times of devastating loss? Or that the waves roll in, robust as ever, and tea kettles whistle, and people go to work? Maybe God is saying that death <loss> is real but so is life, and even in the most black and empty days of death, life keeps nosing in, reminding. He is the resurrection and the life. He will win."       ~Dorcas Smucker

 Lately I've found myself grieving so much loss and pain -- my own, my friend's, my family member's. Sometimes the pain of life feels crushing and there is healing in tears and grief. But the bounce and sparkle of a child keep coming back to my mind's eye; the wonder and joy found in simple blankets and sun in the eyes. What good is the resurrection and the life if I live my days under the cloud of loss and pain? If the theme of God's story is redemption, shouldn't the bounce and sparkle of a child line my clouds?

The brokenness of this world is reality; just because we are His doesn't erase the effects of sin and death in our lives. But let's not forget to pause often and view life through the eyes of a child. There is wonder in the sunset, joy in service, sparkle in a hug, bounce in shared laughter, hilarity in a blanket and the sun; don't miss it.

No matter what losses we face, no matter how devastating our road, He is the resurrection and the life.

He will win.

A Recipe And A Problem

The two have nothing to do with each other,  just so you know. They were just the two random things I felt like sharing this morning.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------

I don't often try new recipes. I was going to say that's because cooking isn't my thing but I think it's actually more because I'm married to a man who likes the same tried and true dishes every time. Every once in a great while I try a new recipe and it ends up in the tried and true category. 

I went looking for a different recipe for chicken one night and found "Man Catchin' Oven Baked Fried Chicken". I didn't need to catch a man, but it did turn out to be pretty good chicken!

     Recipe:

1 1/3 C Flour 

1 T Garlic Powder

2 T Seasoning Salt

1 tsp Paprika

  --Whisk together in medium sized bowl

2 Large Eggs -- beat eggs in small bowl

1/3 C Butter

8 pieces of chicken (I use boneless skinless breasts but you could use any pieces)

Dip pieces of chicken into flour mixture, then into egg mixture, then back into flour mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Do not cover. 

Place in fridge for half an hour. (According to the lady sharing the recipe, this is the whole key to this dish. Do not skip this part.)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Melt butter and drizzle evenly over chicken. 

She said to bake it 30 - 40 minutes. I do more than 8 pieces of chicken, perhaps that is why it takes mine at least an hour to get done. 

It truly is delicious! All seven of us love it, and that is quite an accomplishment. We've even used the leftovers for cold chicken sandwiches on a picnic. Sadly, I have no pictures to share. 

    --------------------------------------------------------------

I do have pictures of the problem. 

I'll give you three guesses....

1) A tornado went through our area?

2) This is a drop off spot for toys for the homeless?

3) Someone has too much stuff?

If you guessed #3 you are the winner! The winner gets to come cart off all our junk. ☺

Seriously. How? How does this happen? 

I think, in the dark corners where they get stashed, the toys breed like rabbits. They divide and multiply and spill out everywhere until finally someone says "Enough!"  Last week that someone was a tall, dark haired girl in this house and we spent an entire afternoon on the painstaking process of elimination. And that was just the girl's stuff. Meanwhile, upstairs....

How do you do it? Do you have an organized process of only a certain amount of toys? A monthly system for purging? A 6 month program for switching out toys? How do you handle having older ones who are fed up with the mess and younger ones who think every scrap paper is a treasure? What about a grandma who gives toys liberally? Or gifts someone gave that aren't particularly one's taste? You can't very well donate your eliminated stash to Goodwill where the wrong people might see them! 

And then you have the mother herself who contributes to the problem *occasionally*

Only last week she bought the large rug pictured above because it was only $4.99 and she couldn't stop thinking how fun it would have been to play with..... Sigh. 

At least it can be walked on.

We currently have quite a pile of boxes and bags to be delivered to some thrift store far away. We might be sick of going through stuff but it sure does feel good. Even the treasure hoarders agree. 

No Greater Joy

Last week my husband was in Arkansas helping one of his buddies with a countertop job. Upon hearing this, a lady at church commented that we'll probably hear about it in a blog post. I confess that I was immediately quite sure she wouldn't. But, here I am, writing some thoughts from last week after all. There is something about having the man of the house gone that makes me think things I wouldn't otherwise.

Here is the startling reality that hit me last week: My children are not merely children anymore. They are quite mature, responsible young adults who have wise, thoughtful ideals that I am proud of. They could now probably take care of me quite capably if the need arose.

Granted, there are plenty of times and situations when they act very much like they are merely children and, for sure, the youngest are just that. It is easy, in the muddle of daily life, to become so focused on the faults and failures that their childishness becomes all that I see. But on a grander scale, my children are so much more than that and they make me quite proud.

It is hard to completely understand the feelings of a parent until you are one yourself. When sitting down to play a game turns into an hour long discussion on church and living out our Christianity, your heart just swells with gratitude. Upon expressing my feelings of pride and appreciation, one of my children questioned, "Why? We haven't done anything!" My response was given with tears in my eyes.

"Yes, you have have done something. I see you wanting to follow God and making good choices; there is nothing that means more to a parent!"

Being a parent is hard, we hear that all the time. We all know that no matter how carefully we do our job, these children ultimately have the freedom to make their own choices. No matter how diligently we tailor our care, somewhere along the line we will hurt these children entrusted to us. No matter how much we pray and lean on God's wisdom, we are not going to get everything right.

My children are not all grown up yet. I don't know all the choices they will make or what the years will bring. But when I stop and take notice, I see the beginnings of good fruit and oh, how it blesses me. 

So, dear Mammas. In the midst of the hardness of parenting, there is hope. Take a moment to pause and look past all the childishness. I'm guessing if you do, you will catch a glimpse of some good fruit, however small it may be. Allow that glimpse to swell your heart with gratitude. And, while you're at it, it might not hurt to share your pride with your children. The shy smiles and bright eyes will do something for both of your hearts.

"I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth." 3 John 4 NLT

To Make Their Eyes Sparkle

In Ohio, the first day of Spring meant a snow day. I'm not going to mention any attitudes associated with that, except gratitude about school being cancelled. I almost felt like I should apologize to the rest of the school patrons about the change in schedule, because it was obvious to me that the Lord just needed to take care of the lady on The Hill who's husband wasn't at home.

We spent a truly lazy day lounging around in night clothes, playing games that we were too lazy to find the pieces for and other such strenuous activities.

In the late afternoon, when I was putting off starting supper as long as possible, my eight year old came begging to have a "Restaurant" for supper. They've been wanting to do this for awhile and I've been putting them off for lots of 'good' reasons - mostly laziness and selfishness on my part. I started to drag my feet and then decided, why not?

We decided on a menu of Taco Salad so that each person could choose what they want on their salad and they came up with appetizers of Ritz crackers with melted cheese with or without pepperoni or ham. We came up with a simple dessert, some cheesy biscuits and a choice of drinks to round out the menu. And then we got busy.

Of course, the unique thing about this restaurant was that I got to be the chef and then turn around and be a customer ☺

Jennifer and Lillian busily worked on menus and setting up their table in the basement while Jasmine helped me work on food.

We set up food stations for them while they prepared all the details for their customers, right down to bells to ring for service.

When everything was ready, Isaac, Jasmine, Charles and I took our places at the table and our friendly waitresses came to take our drink and appetizer orders.

As they were leaving, Isaac wondered if this place has crayons and pictures to color? Lillian promptly popped his bubble by producing stickers and paper that she had prepared just for that purpose! We got a good laugh out of that one.

I had to be the annoying customer who rang the bell just to bring a waitress down to ask if they have a restroom?

The drinks and appetizers were served and then it was on to ordering the main course. Our waitresses made a few mistakes, which they apologized for profusely, and we chuckled (behind their backs) over the meager helpings they served us.

Turns out it was an all you can eat type of deal, so we all had seconds and were quite well filled.

Last of all we were offered dessert which some of us barely had room for.

We left our waitresses a generous tip, which they were quite thrilled with. Then we did a most unusual thing and told them the customers would clean up their dishes and food if they would bring the things up from the basement.

All in all, it was quite fun and well worth the extra effort. The sparkling eyes and the multiple thank yous, given with hugs and big smiles, were enough to make this mom glad she had said yes.

What makes your children's eyes sparkle? Do you have memories from your childhood when you were the one with sparkling eyes?

For The Stingy Succulent-lover

 My oldest daughter, Jasmine, has fallen in love with succulents and the wonder of propegation. She has spent hours reading up on the tricks and methods of propegation for different types of succulents. I love to watch her experimenting and carefully babying her little plant babies. Today she is sharing her knowledge with us in a guest post!

-----------------------------------------

I love springtime;

I love green plants.

I am crazy over succulents

and I'm Miss Conservationist

who delights in

saving her precious pennies.

This is how I grow

my succulent

collection with little cost

and great fun.

The leafless stem above

is the remains

of a leggy succulent.

Propagation

works best when 

your plant has

become

leggy and unhealthy,

with leaves

spread far apart

as the plant

tries to get

the maximum amount

of light it can.

At this point,

You have two options.

#1. Allow your

plant to continue

growing in this manner

until all the leaves

wither and the succulent

dies. 

#2. Start propogating!

To do this, start by

removing the

leaves from the stem

of the succulent, leaving only

a small rosette at the top.

When removing

the leaves from the succulent,

start with the bottom leaves

and work your way up to the top.

Wiggle each leaf gently

until you

feel a little snap.

Be sure to get a clean

pull, leaving 

no part of the leaf

attached to the stem.

The leaf nearest you

shows a clean pull. 

The one further

 away is broken on the edge

and will

not grow a new plant.

Last, cut off 

the rosette at the top with a pair of

sharp scissors.

Lay the leaves and rosette

on a saucer or a shallow tray.

Keep the saucer with the leaves

on a windowsill

that gets lots of indirect sunlight 

until they callous over.

Notice the difference between

the two leaves above.

The one closest to you has

calloused over

and has a bit of a protective

"scab" on it.

This scab will keep the

leaf from

absorbing too

much water, thus

preventing it from

rotting.

This leaf is an example

of rotting.

It has turned a

yellowish brown

and is limp and 

waterlogged.

It will die soon. 

So no watering until

the leaves

have scabbed over, you hear?

At this point,

lay your leaves on top of a

container of dry soil. 

As you can see in the picture 

below, the tips of the leaves will

really not be touching the soil at all.

  

And now, remember

that rosette

you snipped off the stem?

When it forms a "scab", 

simply place the stem into the ground

and it will grow roots and 

continue to grow.

Water it as you would

water a full grown

succulent.

Now back to those leaves.

At this point, we

begin the W and W process -

watering and waiting.

This phase can be kinda tricky

because succulents don't 

need much moisture.

Water the leaves very rarely

before baby plants begin

to grow. I water mine

once a week  with a spray bottle.

When you see tiny roots and baby

plants beginning to grow,

give them a good soaking

whenever the soil is

TOTALLY

dry.

The key here is to not over-water.

Overwatering is one of the

most common

reasons that succulents die.

 If you give them too much

water and they start to rot, 

there's basically nothing

you can do for them.

However, if your plant

isn't getting enough water, 

you can easily take

care of that!

ALWAYS err on the side of

underwatering.

After many hours and days

and weeks

and possibly even

months of waiting, 

your baby plants will be

ready for planting.

The ones in the picture

above aren't quite ready yet. 

I like to wait

until the original mother

leaf that was pulled off the stem

withers and dies.

Then simply remove the mother

leaf from your baby succulent,

( being careful

not to remove the roots)

 Place

your succulent

in well draining

succulent/cactus soil,

and continue

to water once a week,

or whenever

The soil is TOTALLY Dry.

It takes anywhere from

6 months

to one year for succulents

to reach a

"normal" size.

Make sure your babies

get lots of sunlight,

a good soaking

only when the soil is

dry, and lots

of patience.

This particular

succulent has been growing

for about 3 1/2

months,

and it's still

itty bitty.

So don't worry if it

seems like

your plants just

aren't growing, it takes awhile.

Here's an example of a

"normal size"

succulent.

Note that, although

this method of

propagation works for

most succulents,

it doesn't

for others. I've tried

propagating

blue chalk sticks

using this method with

a zero success rate.

These plants require

a cutting for 

propagation, so the point is,

 don't be afraid to experiment.

Maybe you'll find that you need

to use a different

watering method or

less sunlight than I do. 

Figure out what

works for you.

Have fun.

And whatever you do,

DO NOT OVERWATER!

-------------------------------------------------

Have you tried propegating succulents? We'd love to hear your tips!

Curious George And The Little Boy With The Funny Hat

This is George.

George is a good little.......

well, not actually a monkey

but we can pretend.

George was once a little girl's

 pencil topper

 but then she gave him away

and now he lives with his friend,

The Little Boy With The Funny Hat.

George has many adventures

with the little boy with the funny hat.

The little boy likes to take him everywhere!

One day he went along to the post office

And the library

and McDonalds.

George likes to ride around

 in the little boy's coat pocket

 or to be carried, 

all snuggled up in his hand.

Sometimes he shares the

 little boy's cookies

Or sits beside 'Honey Bear'

and listens to stories

on the computer.

Sometimes he gets to help

play baby doll

and take rides in the back

of the old, pink stroller.

George is a very tiny

little monkey,

and hard to keep track of.

When he gets lost,

the little boy with the funny hat

is very sad.

"Where is George?"

He will cry.

And the whole family will go

on a George hunt.

Just when they are sure they have seen George for the last time,

he will turn up again 

in the most unlikely places!

In the seal of the washing machine --

What a scary experience 

that was for George!

Tucked under a blanket

where he spent a whole night

and a day before being discovered --

What a joyful shout 

went up that day!

In an abandoned heap

where he spent the night at the bottom of the steps --

What a lonely night 

that must have been!

And many other places 

too numerous to mention.

George is a good little monkey and always up for an adventure but at the end of the day his favorite place to be

 is snuggled up in the hand of

 The Little Boy With The Funny Hat

 as he drifts off to sleep.

The End.

-----------------------------------

This is a true story starring my youngest who is enamoured, at this point in life, by Curious George Stories and imaginary friends.

'George' has long since disappeared to who knows where. In his place, we now tote 'Honey Bear' who is much easier to keep track of. Someday, when 

The Little Boy With The Funny Hat

 is all grown up and the days of imaginary friends long past, I will pull out this story and show his children what a sweet little boy their daddy was.