Eat peels!
The next time you have a toddler in the high chair and you’re wanting to give him a fun little snack, grab a big carrot from the fridge and peel it. Once it’s peeled, walk over to the high chair and use your peeler to peel off several long strips of carrot right on to the tray. Your little guy (or gal) will love the long floppy piece of carrot, and they won’t be in danger of choking. Those “carrot peels” are sweet and crunchy and quite safe.

Today I used that same principle with an apple and it was just as delightful! In fact, if you find that you don’t eat as many yummy veggies as you should, peel a few pieces of carrot and apple for yourself. You’ll be surprised how much easier it is to munch on a delicate, thin, sweet piece of carrot than on a big ol’ chunk of it.

Let me know if you try it and what you think of it!

Dear Sisters on this journey, I have just a small word of encouragement today.

A few days ago I was discouraged and frustrated and tired, so I sent a text message to my husband’s phone expressing some of that.  Of course, in a text message you can’t elaborate, but I did the best I could with a few words.

For years my poor husband has wondered what on earth to say to his wife when she expresses discouragement and dispair.  But this day his words were perfect.  Two simple words.  Simple, yet profound.

I clicked the button to read the message, and there it was.  Be strong.  The simplicity of the message made me want to cry.  Be strong.  Yes, I would.  I would try again.  I would not give up.   There wasn’t anything else for him to say.  I knew he understood my weakness.  I knew he felt compassion for me.  I knew he was thinking of me.

In the days since I received his message I have replayed it often in my mind.  Be strong.  It reminds me of the words the Lord gave to Joshua.  “Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

So today, when you’re feeling overwhelmed and when you feel weak, I exhort you to be strong!  Lean on the strength of our Lord and persevere in this task He has given you.

Dear Friends,

This week is a different sort of week for our family. Last week Michael’s mother asked if he could come to Virginia to be with her while she went through a heart catheterization. So Michael made the necessary arrangements, and Wednesday we all went to see him off at the airport. As we were walking through the airport it occurred to me again, as it has before, that anywhere we go we make a big impact! Isaac was running while pushing the stroller, Amelia kept disappearing, and the other kids were bouncing around noticing every little thing. I probably should have scolded Isaac for running, but I had to admit that Judah was having a great ride. His blond curls were fluttering in the breeze as Isaac would take sharp turns and tip the stroller up on two wheels. Judah grinned and giggled and hung on tightly. The airport wasn’t crowded, so I decided to let the boys have their fun.
Once Michael went through security, the children had fun waving at him through the glass separating the screened folks from the rest of us. Our airport is small, so Michael’s gate was right on the other side of security. The children really wanted to watch Daddy get on the airplane, so we hung around to watch. Finally it was time and Michael showed his ticket and headed out on the tarmac. The kids waved and jumped up and down and pounded on the glass.

Finally he was gone, so we headed back to the van. I had a few errands in mind, but we still felt a little empty without our favorite person. As we drove to our first stop, I realized that we were passing right by our local Great Harvest bread store. I hesitated only briefly before pulling into the parking lot. We all piled out and headed into the store to get some of their delicious breakfast treats. On the menu for the day were harvest bars in both peach and blackberry, chocolate chip scones, savory rolls, etc. We sampled cinnamon chip bread and apple pie bread, and left with a box of goodies to eat on our way around town.

We ran all of our errands, and everyone behaved very nicely, and our last stop before heading home was to stop back by Great Harvest and pick up some pepperoni “pockets” for our lunch. We took these home and I sliced them for anyone who might want a bit of lunch.

Thursday we had hoped to get to the pool, but it was rainy all day, so I kept the kids busy with chores and other useful things around the house. Even though Michael is gone almost every day anyway, it seems strange to have him so far away. The kids are missing him too, which seems strange to me, since usually they don’t seem to be aware of where he is.

Friday was bright and sunny, and the kids really got their hopes up about going to the pool. But we had more errands to run that kept us busy up until lunch time, and then I was so tired I wanted to rest before doing anything else. We came home, but instead of laying down, I got started on a project I was wanting to get done before Michael comes home. We have sort of a tradition of surprising each other with projects when the other is gone, so this fits into that tradition. Of course I can’t tell you yet what I worked on, because Michael might read this blog while he’s gone! That project kept me busy for hours, and when it was done I had a great sense of satisfaction. My joy was short-lived though, because I soon got a report from the kids that two of their bikes had just been stolen right out of our front yard. I couldn’t believe it! That takes a lot of nerve to steal something in broad daylight with people milling around. I felt sick to my stomach, and I suddenly missed Michael more than ever. If he were here, he would know what to do. Instead it was up to me to decide and do.

I talked to the kids, asked questions of the neighbor kid who had seen what happened, and then finally called Michael to ask him what he thought I should do. He told me to call the police and tell the story to them. So I worked up my courage and did just that. By the time I finished talking to the police officer and giving him all of the information, I was completely drained. Between the positive energy and excitement of working on my project, and the negative energy and excitement of the bike situation, I didn’t have anything left. But as you all know, having energy isn’t a requirement when parenting!

The kids were still asking about the pool, and finally I told them I just couldn’t pull it together to get to the pool. We did a few things around the house, and finally it was time to put younger kids to bed. Once I did that, I layed on the couch for a while to regain a bit of energy.

The day ended very nicely with a visit from my sister, Joyce. We had hot tea (with milk and sugar, of course) and we had a nice long visit. Even though I was tired, it was refreshing to have my spirits lifted by one of my closest friends.

Now today is dawning, and we have a fresh start. I don’t know exactly what we’ll do today. The Farmer’s Market sounds fun. Laura has a ballet dress rehearsal to get to mid-morning. Great Harvest is celebrating their birthday with loaves a dollar off and free cookies if you sing to the staff. On top of all that, garage sales are everywhere tempting me to come find good deals.

Michael will be back Monday night. That’s three whole days from now, and two more nights of hogging our king-size bed to myself. Being a single parent is challenging, but I’m sure I don’t even really understand. While Michael is gone he’s still providing for us here. I don’t have to go to work. I don’t have to worry about money. I can call him when I’m needing to hear a comforting voice.  I thank God for a good husband who takes care of us so well, and also loves his mother and is willing to take care of her too.