Updates

Now is as good of a time as any to update my readers (all 5 of them) on the happenings in our life since Caius was born.

After we brought Caius home from the hospital we had a few bumps in the road.  First, he had jaundice (which has proven to not be uncommon for our kids) and had to have the light blanket.  We were sooo thankful to have the blanket instead of the light bed that our girls had. Remember when Telia was in it and when Ruby was 2 years before her?  The difference this time was that we could hold Caius all we wanted and still have the lights working on his jaundice.

One week to the day after I went to the hospital to have Caius I was re-admitted to the hospital for high blood pressure.  Evidently, you can have pre-eclampsia AFTER you give birth.  Who knew?  I actually didn't have it but that was because the doctors were so great and took every precaution to make sure that I didn't.  So, this was not fun.  I got to take Caius with me to the hospital and our parents took care of our girls but I really felt horrible.  I had the worst headache of my life and stayed in the hospital on magnesium until Monday.  They finally found the right combination of meds to bring my blood pressure down and sent me home.  I had to monitor my blood pressure for a few weeks and take medication for a few weeks.  Usually pregnancy related illnesses resolve themselves after 6 weeks and thankfully this followed that course. 

In the middle of all of this we moved.  We are so fortunate to have a beautiful home with lots of space, a yard, garage, and a garbage disposal (just to name a few of the amenities).  We closed in March and it was a nail biting experience that we don't won't to go through again for a long long time.  We didn't know if we were going to actually close on our house in KY until an hour before the scheduled time.  In the end it all worked out.

We started attending Sojourn New Albany and have found a great community group already.

We had a couple of house guest...My brother Joe with his 3 kids and one of their friends...also, Brian's parents.  We found a good deal on a bed so if you want to visit let me know cause we have a place to put you now!

We went to IKEA with all the kids and my parents and came out alive and came home with some new stuff for our house.

Brian got a promotion to Sr. Systems Engineer because he is awesome!  We haven't gotten to celebrate yet because he has been working so much..isn't it ironic.

The kids are great.

Telia talks and talks and talks and we love it!  She is starting to exert her will a little more which is to be expected since she is 2 years old.  She got allergy testing last week and is allergic to cats plus other stuff although we won't find out the "other stuff" until she is older.  She has pretty bad eczema which is why we got her tested.

 Ruby is finishing up her first year in a Pre K program in Louisville.  We have been on the look out for a new program for next year in Indiana and think we found one today.  She has been super helpful lately.  She gets excited to help with the dishes, cleaning up her room and play area, and likes to vacuum.  She really is starting to show more maturity.  This week she is learning about the Kentucky Derby at school and has even learned to words to My Old Kentucky Home.  We also made a derby hat for their celebration at school.

 

Caius is giving us lots of smiles and a couple of chuckles.  He has been the most laid back baby that I have had.  He is so happy and only complains when he is tired or hungry...or maybe when Momma isn't holding him.  He has eczema too so I have been eliminating things from my diet to see if anything helps. That is no fun.

Updates with no Pictures

Sorry folks, no pictures this time.  Just thought I would update ya'll with what we have been up to.

* Brian has been working very long hours on a project at work and we are looking forward soon to some normalcy.

* We have found a few moments to go to the beach, hang out with family, and head to the zoo and the science center.

* Telia is growing so big and talking up a storm.  She loves her sister (except after she first wakes up) and does and says whatever Ruby does and says. 

* Ruby has been taking dance this summer with 3 of her friends from Sojourn plus some other little girls who were in her class in the spring.  She really loves going and I like the time to sit and chat with other Mama's.

* Our house is still on the market...this is exhausting but we have had several showings and have recently gotten great feedback.

* We have become addicted to "Friday Night Lights" (check it out on Netflix)!  I could write a whole post about how much we love this show.  Tomorrow we will get the last disc and watch the last 2 episodes.

* We also started watching a BBC show called "The It Crowd" which is a super funny sitcom.  Watch it.

* Several of our close friends have had babies over the past few months and there are more to come.  We are somehow the "seasoned" parents now within our community group because we have an old 3 year old!

* It has been almost 6 months since we lost Ezekiel.  We are doing well and are so amazed at how good God is and how he continues to heal our pain.  We are different people than we were 6 months ago...only by the grace of our good and loving God.

Monday Meal Plan

Monday- Dinner with our community group (I'm taking strawberries and whipped cream and raw carrots and cucumbers)
Tuesday- hobo packs (Turkey Burgers and Veggies (potato's, carrots and maybe asparagus) in foil with butter in the oven)  EDIT:  I am going to use apple flavored chicken sausages instead
Wednesday- Grands Biscuits with cheese sandwich (thanks to my friend Gretchen)  with baked sweet potato and salad
Thursday-  spaghetti with goat cheese and asparagus (recipe from my Real Simple App on my phone)
Friday- Cuban beans and rice with salad
Saturday-   Stuffed Mushrooms with turkey sausage and veggies
Sunday- Baked Spaghetti

Meal Plan

Monday- Dinner with our Community Group
Tuesday- Salmon Burgers with Chimichuri sauce with cole slaw(shredded cabbage with lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper) and corn on the cob
Wednesday- Baked (or maybe in the crock pot) chicken with a salad of Goat Cheese and Arugula over Pasta
Thursday-  Breakfast for dinner (seriously, I really want to make this but it just hasn't happened for the past couple of weeks)...hash browns, turkey bacon, toast, and quiche (with whatever veggies I find at the farmers market this week)
Friday- Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas with fat free re fried beans (I had these on my meal plan a while back but never got to them)
Saturday- Out for Brian's Birthday!
Sunday- Leftovers or some sort of pasta (i have a bunch of pasta right now)

Romans 8

I didn't give up anything for lent...instead I (along with many many others at Sojourn Community Church) are memorizing the whole book of Romans. I haven't ever memorized that much at one time. I am slow but working on it. I am up to verse 6 now I think. It has been great to have something specific to focus on in the bible and to have friends that are doing it with me.

EDIT: Oops, not the whole book...Only Romans Chapter 8!

Updates

Here are a few highlights of our life lately:

Pregnancy: I really haven't written anything about this. I am 18 weeks pregnant and added a ticker at the bottom of the page so you could follow along. I am feeling much better (most days) than I was in the first trimester. Actually, I am feeling better than I have in my 2 previous pregnancies and am very grateful for God's grace in this area. Things are going great but since Ruby was early the doctor's are watching me closely and I get to go to a specialist. We will find out the sex on Dec. 21st so stay tuned. What do you think? Boy or Girl?

The Girls: They are really starting to play together with blocks, chasing one another, or peek a boo and hide and seek. It is fun to hear Ruby telling Telia to come play with her.

Our 3 year old: She never ceases to amaze me...how fast she grows physically and cognitively. She is quite a talker...you have no idea. I have noticed lately that her coloring is getting better. She is really focused on coloring specific things instead of just scribbling. She loves to read books and will sit to hear stories for long periods of time. We are blessed with a very happy girl in Ruby. She is a great big sister and although she is very challenging these days as far as behavior goes (she may be our strong willed child), we know that God is refining us and her through the process. I started "homeschooling" Ruby this year...well, started and then when I got pregnant I stopped. So, recently I have tried to start again and have slowly added more structure to our day. She loves it and I am really enjoying it. We are also involved in a home school co-op with friends once a week from our church.

The 1 year old: Telia is a happy happy baby, just like her sister was. She is walking everywhere and gets very excited to see her sister after nap time and her Daddy after work. She is mimicking a lot of things that Ruby does such as coloring, dancing, and playing peek a boo. She gabs a lot but not too many understandable words yet (Dada, Mama, and Cracker (Caa-Caa). She is currently teething and in the last week about 4 or 5 have popped through.

Brian works hard all day and then comes home and works hard (helping clean and cook since I really haven't been cooking much b/c of food aversions) and plays hard with the girls. I am very thankful for a husband who serves our family so well. He just finished up teaching a class to men at our church on doctrine called "Foundations" and we just finished up another year of leading a community group.

Other random things: We have lots of friends who are pregnant right now and due April/May/June. We are slowly working on our house to get it ready to sell. We gave our dog to a wonderful family from our church...this was bittersweet. Our recent netflix indulgences have been what I like to call "The Duggers" (18 kids and counting, I think) and "Cake Boss"! Brian works right by the "Cake Boss" bakery when he is in NJ! Maybe one day he will bring me home a surprise!
We are actually taking a break from being community group leaders. We are looking forward to joining a new group in January and being active and supportive members of that group.

That is all for now...

Halloween Weekend

We had a lot of fun this past weekend. Ruby got to dress up several times, party, and go trick or treating.

Friday we had a pumpkin painting (although we were late and missed that part) playdate with some friends that we used to have baby playdates with. Ruby was very happy to dress up in her Cinderella costume that she borrowed from her friend Ellory.

I tried to make Telia one of the little mice friends that Cinderella has but not so sure it worked out for us.

Saturday we went to a fun, outdoor, family friendly Halloween party with friends from Sojourn. We convinced our 3 year old that she didn't want to be Cinderella but rather.....wait for it.......Gangrene (like a gang that is green). Needless to say we didn't win a prize for this but at least we did something...2 hours before the party we weren't even dressing up. Thanks Ems/Quillo's/Quillo's for the awesome time. Ruby said her favorite part was the hayride.

Brian showing Ruby how to roast a marshmallow all the while wondering if a flaming marshmallow was going to come flying from one of the other kids' sticks. He thought this was the scariest part of the evening.

And on Halloween evening we decided last minute to take Ruby trick or treating in our neighborhood. We are so glad that we went out and got to talk to some of the neighbors. Ruby loved giving candy away and going up to doors to say "trick or treat."

Ch-Ch-Ch- Change

A couple of weeks ago we said goodbye to half of our community group. This is our small group through our church that we "do life" with and lead. We have been with a lot of these people for a couple of years so it was a bitter sweet goodbye. It was good to multiply so we could make room for more people but change is never easy. Now, our dear friends Matt and Cori will be leading 1/2 of our group and we will take the other half and continue leading at our house. Here are a few pics of our friends from the last get together.

Meal Plan Monday

Thanks to a little nudge from my friend Beth ;), here is my menu plan for the week:

Monday- Dinner with our community group...we made Spanish rice...the rice a roni kind. fancy I know.

Tuesday- Salmon Patties, Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Wednesday- Shrimp Gumbo with Cornbread (my parents got me a gumbo mix from Savannah)

Thursday- My friend Leslie gave me this recipe in one of those recipe exchange forwards over email:
Black Beans and Rice

2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 cup salsa
1 can diced tomatoes

You can add chicken or ground beef if desired. (at this point in the week we are pretty much out of meat so won't be using any)

garlic (1 tablespoon diced)
lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons)
lime juice(1-2 tablespoons)

add water if too thick for your taste (about 1/2 to 1 cup)

Put all the ingredients in the crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 8 hours so flavors meld. Serve over white or brown rice with cheese, sour cream, and cilantro with tortilla chips.

Friday- We are headed to visit Brian's parents in Bowling Green

Recipe Reviews:
All the recipes that I listed on my last meal plan a few weeks ago were great. I would make any of them again.
Last week I made this great recipe that my friend Beth sent me called Falafel with Avocado Spread and it was yummy. Met the approval of my husband as well.

We also attempted these Stuffed Cabbage Rolls last week. They were tasty but after my umpteenth attempt at stuffing cabbage leaves I have decided that it is not for me. Too much work and my leaves usually fall apart.

Here is another one we tried, Scalloped Potatoes and Hamburger. I can't say that I am very proud of this recipe...it pretty much broke my rule of always having something green at the table. I was trying to use what we had and this recipe fit the bill. It was really good and Brian loved it but like I said...not real good for ya.

A Look at 2009

Hello, this is Brian. I don’t normally post here, but this year I wanted to re-cap some important events that happened in our life. It has been a year full of stressful challenges that has grown our faith. I wanted to cover some of the ways that God has provided for our family.

January – OT Challenge. Our church issued a challenge to read the Old Testament in one year. We didn’t know it yet but God was preparing us for a difficult year. We found comfort in God’s steadfast love for the Israelites. Especially in light of the times the Israelites were facing certain death and God made a way to save them.

March – Pregnancy. We found out that Tera was pregnant with our second daughter. We were very excited!

May – Layoff Announcement. After several rounds of nerve-racking layoffs, the company I worked for announced that they were closing due to the bad economy. By God’s grace they were able to announce a clear plan for how they would be closing the company. I was scheduled to be laid off in September and given a fair severance/bonus package.

August – Classes. Our church offered a Dave Ramsey class on Wednesday nights and we knew that a rock solid budget was very important - considering that unemployment for a few months was a very real possibility. This class was a blessing sent by God to give us Financial Peace (pun intended). In addition, I began to take a theology class that provided a lot of encouragement during this difficult time.

September – Job Interview. With my layoff date approaching quickly, I was able to get a job interview with a company in town. The job wasn’t a great fit for our family, but I was definitely qualified for it. We needed it to work out or we would be in trouble financially. In a strange twist of fate, they hired my boss instead of me and my current employer decided to keep me on in my bosses place. They paid my severance/bonus package as if I had been laid off, but communicated that they would employ me on a week-by-week basis until the end of the year (with all my benefits). God was certainly at work in this. In addition, I received a call from a former employer that they would like to hire me back at a future date - to be determined. It was not a sure thing, but due to God’s other work in our life, we were confident that he was providing for us yet again.

October – Toledo. As a condition of my continued employment, I agreed to go to Toledo every other week to supervise equipment installation. This was hectic for our family since Tera was 37+ weeks pregnant and considered full-term. We prayed that Telia would be born during one of the weeks that I was still in Louisville.

October – Home Repairs (Carpet/Insulation). Due to high energy bills the previous year, we knew that we needed to have these home repairs done. But since there was a lot of uncertainty in my job situation, it was risky to pay out a bunch of cash that we might need. Still, we were confident that God was at work so we proceeded to have the home repairs done.

October – Swine Flu (H1N1). The week we scheduled to have the home repairs done, the whole family came down with the swine flu. The first day I had it, I had to stand out in the rain all evening and feed insulation into the blowing machine for the attic repairs. Tera spent a whole day with Ruby and the flu cooped up with all of our belongings in the living room while our bedroom and Ruby’s was being carpeted. Talk about a difficult week.

October – EIT Exam. Since my work load had been light all summer, I knew it was the right time to consider pursuing my PE license (Professional Engineer). The first part of this process is to take an 8 hour grueling test called the EIT exam. I studied for it all summer (~120hrs) and took it on the 31st of October in between trips to Toledo, with Tera only 12 days away from her due date. Everything went well and I received a letter in December stating that I passed. It brought to mind the verse in Psalm 1 that states – he is like a tree that is planted by cool waters, which bears its fruit in season, his leaf does not wither.

November - Telia Abigail Laffin. Per our prayers, Telia was born during a week that I was not in Toledo. A few months prior, I noticed that Telia’s due date (11/12/09) was very close to being a sequential number (11/10/09) and Ruby’s birth date was also a sequential number (09/08/07). I prayed that God would send Telia on 11/10/09 as a good gift for our family. Tera went into labor at 6:30am on the 10th. After a quick and relatively easy delivery, Telia was born on 11/10/09. There were no complications for mother or baby and we're very thankful for God’s great blessing.

December – New Job. A former employer received the Notice to Proceed on a big transit project in NY and recommended that I apply to come work for them. My current employer laid me off two weeks earlier than I expected, but I was able to transition to the new job without missing a day of work. God provided for a seamless transition.

Psalm 1

BOOK I : Psalms 1-41

¹ Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

² But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

³ He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

⁴ Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

⁵ Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

⁶ For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

Over The Grave

I don't think that I have ever mentioned that I worship with a bunch of amazingly awesome talented artists. I am talking about wonderful singers, musicians, song writers, photographers, painters, etc. So, here is my favorite c.d. right now and has been since it came out. I am blogging about it this week because I realized that I never did before. Also, it came out on itunes last week so look it up and buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Random Thoughts

* Ruby threw her last remaining broken pacifier away today! She got some Sesame Street stickers as a reward. Bedtime went okay. She asked for her paci and we reminded her that she is a big girl and doesn't need it. She cried for about 30 seconds and then went to sleep.

* My friend Rachel gave Ruby and Telia adorable dolls that her sister Melissa made. I will take some pictures and post them on here. Ruby is already attached to both of them and calls them Ruby (the bigger one) and Baby Telia (the smaller one). The Ruby doll had to leave us tonight because her arms were "sick" and Ms. Melissa had to fix them...she handled it pretty well.

* St. James Art fair was a lot of fun although I didn't really find anything that I wanted to buy. I did purchase a cute homemade ornament for Telia and we had a bunch of yummy food including a pumpkin roll and pumpkin pie ice cream. Mostly we had a wonderful time with our friends from the north Erik and Smith. Sorry, I forgot to take pictures.

* We have less than 5 weeks to our due date!

* I have been researching more in depth about cloth diapering and am thinking of upgrading my system. I started using the cloth diapers this week again with Ruby and tonight she threw a fit when we tried to put them on her...I am afraid the covers are too small and hurting her legs...especially since she kept telling me yesterday that her legs hurt when I would change her.

* Ruby is all about changing her babies diapers. Today she wanted to put a diaper on her bear and yesterday she kept telling me that Pooh Bear poo pooed.

* I am looking for a couple of cute matching outfits for Ruby and Telia to have. I also want a Big Sister/Little Sister shirt. I know, I am one of those cheesy mom's who thinks it is sweet when their kids match. I think I found some shirts on Etsy that are cute. Check out more stuff at the Lullaby Loft shop


* Speaking of Etsy...my friend, Kathleen, from college has a new Etsy Shop. Check out Kathleen Jean Photography by clicking on this This is my favorite picture that she has up.


* Brian and I have been taking the Financial Peace University class at church. It has really helped get both of us on the same page with our finances and is helping us be better stewards of our money.

that is all

Monday Meal Plan

See, it helps to post your goals...I am back to meal planning this week at least.

Monday- Spinach and Cheese Tortellini Soup with bread and salad

Tuesday- Dinner out or pizza (i have plans)

Wednesday- Flank Steak with mushrooms and onions on the grill and veggies from our CSA

Thursday - Balsamic Chicken with whole wheat pasta

Friday- Date Night (if we can find a babysitter) to Palermo and maybe to see "Harry Potter"!!

Saturday- Cookout with our community group and 3 other groups from our church. We are taking this awesome Cole slaw recipe that I found in one of my Rachael Ray cookbooks.

Sunday- BBQ Pork chops, veggies and couscous

Just some thoughts and updates

-Ruby got a visit from her "Auntie" Jessica this weekend. She called her "caca" :)

- So, here are a few of my own reviews about the recipes I have made over the past 2 weeks. We didn't particularly like the penne wise pumpkin dish...not bad just not really our style

We both like the ground chicken sloppy joes and the balsamic chicken with pasta was a big hit as well.

-Brian and I are pushing forward with our old testament reading. Today we read about Jacob and Esau in Genesis 24-26

-I was just starting to think I had it tough with a 16 month old, 7 month old (babysitting), and an annoying dog when I read my friend Jenni's blog. Shew, a 3 year old, 2 year old twins, and a newborn.

-For those of you reading in warmer climates (California and Florida)...it is like 8 degrees here right now. brrrr....i know, some of you reading this from Chicago and Minnesota don't have sympathy for me.

-I turn 30 years old tomorrow.

-4 years ago today a dear friend of mine, Aaron Marrs, died in a crab boat accident off of the coast of Alaska. He was a friend of mine from about 11 years ago and we reconnected in 2003 when I started attending Sojourn. I know many of his friends and family are thinking of and missing him this day

Old Testament in 2009

I am super excited about our church working through the Old Testament this year. Our pastors will be teaching each week on different passages and the members have a daily study guide to work through.



I also wanted to share that my church, Sojourn, has a new blog called the Travelblog. This is how my friend Bobby described it:



The name TravelBlog is a play on “Travelogue,” Sojourn’squarterly print journal. “Travelogue” is, in turn, a play on the name of our church family: Sojourn Community Church. A sojourn is a trek, a quest. A journey from bondage to freedom, fromdarkness to light, made possible by the grace of God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Like the ancient children of Israel, we tell the story of God’s work in our lives as we travel.
The B.C. Blog
The B.C. Blog is the first of our “blogs within a blog.” LeadPastor Daniel Montgomery is walking us through the Old Testament in 2009, preaching on key Old Testament passages each week. How can we stay centered on Christ if we camp so long in the “Before Christ” part of the Bible? Visit the B.C. blog daily and you’ll find out. Pastor Daniel and other Sojourn leaders will join occasional guest theologians, educators and Old Testament experts in providing constant resources, study aids, thoughts to ponder, questions to ask ourselves,tips for seeing Christ in every corner of the Old Testament and ways to apply these ancient stories to our daily lives.

So, check it out

P.S. I did not take that picture...found it on the internet after I googled my church and it came up....from someone's flicker account.

 

This was not staged. I actually walked into the living room tonight as we were waiting for people to show up for community group and found these two sitting like this. I was just excited that Ruby stayed there long enough for me to snap a photo.

Updates

-- We just finished a 6 week class at our church and read the book "Shepherding a Child's Heart." We learned a lot from the other parents in the class.--Ruby and her cousin Holden hung out today at a neighborhood chilli cookoff.

 

--Ruby went to her 1 year check up and was 18 pounds 11 oz and 28 inches long.  She got her first ear infection 2 weeks later and by that time was 19 pounds 8 oz!  That is a far cry from her birth weight of 5 pounds 1 oz.

--I started watching a friends 4 month old during the week on this past Tuesday.  This is why I haven't blogged very much lately.  Little Moses is a great baby and it has been good for Ruby to learn how to share and be kind to him.  She really likes having him around.  We will be hanging out with Moses until November.  

--Brian and I just started watching "Band of Brothers"  

--The weather here in Kentucky is getting a little cooler and I am super excited about the fall. I get to carry around the fall colored purse that my friend Sarah made for me a few months ago. She also made Ruby's dress that she wore to her birthday party.

Our Little Munchkin

The above picture is the cover of a book that was written by some people at our church (Sojourn Community Church). This is from the preface: “Pastor Daddy was written to teach preschool children the Christian doctrine of the home as a “little church” where the father teaches his family God’s commands and leads them to worship the one true God." It was written by Bobby Gilles and Lindsey Blair and was illustrated by Tessa Janes. We are so excited to share this book with Ruby as she grows.

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

I am sure I will say this many more times but, I love this picture! I think Ruby looks like a little munchkin from the Wizard of Oz here. She is 2 weeks old and is in one of 3 outfits that fit her at the time.

Goals for this summer

I got this idea from my friend Kathleen's blog (thanks Kathleen). Here are some things I want to do this summer:

Go for walks at least 5 times a week

Read a book all the way through

Send more snail mail

Volunteer somewhere with my church

Cook More

Go to Michigan in June to see friends!

Send birthday cards on time (Tina, Heather, Alex, John III, Logan, Megan, Smith, Julie, and Dad)

Spend more time with other new mom's

Visit Sara and Oskar Fox in June!

Keep my herbs alive

Take more pictures

Learn a little bit of sign language to start using with Ruby

Mayyybbbeee...just maybe switch to cloth diapers....maybe


Okay, that is it for now. I will update later in the summer!

Cultivate Beauty

Every year our church takes a month to turn off our t.v.'s and cultivate beauty by going outside more, gardening, painting, taking walks, reading, just taking time to enjoy God's creation. We have decided to start trying to grow some herbs. This weekend we went to Brian's parents house and they gave us some of their herbs (sage, dill, basil, cilantro, and oregano) and some marigolds.

Ruby also got to meet her Great Grandfather and his wife. We had a great time with them in Louisville and Bowling Green, KY. We took them to our favorite Cuban restaurant-Havana Rumba and of course the great tourist attraction Lynn's Paradise Cafe. We also spent some time at the Frazier Museum and saw some artifacts from a slave ship.

Sorry no pictures. We misplaced our battery charger for our camera. Actually, here are a couple of pictures from Lynn's Paradise Cafe that I found on the internet.